the red one(红色的那人)-第13部分
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moment at her face； white； plump； tiny； and implacable； and gave her up。
〃How do you account for such a mass of gold being there？〃 I queried
of Julian Jones。 〃A solid…gold meteor that fell out of the sky？〃
〃Not for a moment。〃 He shook his head。 〃 It was carried there by
the Indians。〃
〃Up a mountain like that … and such enormous weight and size！〃 I
objected。
〃Just as easy；〃 he smiled。 〃I used to be stumped by that proposition
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THE RED ONE
myself； after I got my memory back。 Now how in Sam Hill … ' I used to
begin； and then spend hours figuring at it。 And then when I got the
answer I felt downright idiotic； it was that easy。〃 He paused； then
announced： 〃They didn't。〃
〃But you just … said they did。〃
〃They did and they didn't；〃 was his enigmatic reply。 〃Of course they
never carried that monster nugget up there。 What they did was to carry
up its contents。〃
He waited until he saw enlightenment dawn in my face。
〃And then of course melted all the gold； or welded it； or smelted it； all
into one piece。 You know the first Spaniards down there； under a leader
named Pizarro； were a gang of robbers and cut… throats。 They went
through the country like the hoof…and…mouth disease； and killed the
Indians off like cattle。 You see； the Indians had lots of gold。 Well； what
the Spaniards didn't get； the surviving Indians hid away in that one big
chunk on top the mountain； and it's been waiting there ever since for me …
and for you； if you want to go in on it。〃
And here； by the Lagoon of the Palace of Fine Arts； ended my
acquaintance with Julian Jones。 On my agreeing to finance the adventure；
he promised to call on me at my hotel next morning with the letters of
Seth Manners and the railroad； and conclude arrangements。 But he did
not call。 That evening I telephoned his hotel and was informed by the
clerk that Mr。 Julian Jones and wife had departed in the early afternoon；
with their baggage。
Can Mrs。 Jones have rushed him back and hidden him away in
Nebraska？ I remember that as we said good…bye； there was that in her
smile that recalled the vulpine complacency of Mona Lisa； the Wise。
Kohala； Hawaii； MAY 5； 1916。
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THE RED ONE
LIKE ARGUS OF THE ANCIENT
TIMES
IT was the summer of 1897； and there was trouble in the Tarwater
family。 Grandfather Tarwater； after remaining properly subdued and
crushed for a quiet decade； had broken out again。 This time it was the
Klondike fever。 His first and one unvarying symptom of such attacks
was song。 One chant only he raised； though he remembered no more
than the first stanza and but three lines of that。 And the family knew his
feet were itching and his brain was tingling with the old madness； when he
lifted his hoarse…cracked voice； now falsetto…cracked； in：
Like Argus of the ancient times； We leave this modern Greece； Tum…
tum； tum…tum； tum； tum； tum…tum； To shear the Golden Fleece。
Ten years earlier he had lifted the chant； sung to the air of the
〃Doxology；〃 when afflicted with the fever to go gold…mining in Patagonia。
The multitudinous family had sat upon him； but had had a hard time doing
it。 When all else had failed to shake his resolution； they had applied
lawyers to him； with the threat of getting out guardianship papers and of
confining him in the state asylum for the insane … which was reasonable
for a man who had； a quarter of a century before； speculated away all but
ten meagre acres of a California principality； and who had displayed no
better business acumen ever since。
The application of lawyers to John Tarwater was like the application of
a mustard plaster。 For； in his judgment； they were the gentry； more than
any other； who had skinned him out of the broad Tarwater acres。 So； at
the time of his Patagonian fever； the very thought of so drastic a remedy
was sufficient to cure him。 He quickly demonstrated he was not crazy by
shaking the fever from him and agreeing not to go to Patagonia。
Next； he demonstrated how crazy he really was； by deeding over to his
family； unsolicited； the ten acres on Tarwater Flat； the house； barn；
outbuildings； and water…rights。 Also did he turn over the eight hundred
dollars in bank that was the long…saved salvage of his wrecked fortune。
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But for this the family found no cause for committal to the asylum； since
such committal would necessarily invalidate what he had done。
〃Grandfather is sure peeved；〃 said Mary； his oldest daughter； herself a
grandmother； when her father quit smoking。
All he had retained for himself was a span of old horses； a mountain
buckboard； and his one room in the crowded house。 Further； having
affirmed that he would be beholden to none of them； he got the contract to
carry the United States mail； twice a week； from Kelterville up over
Tarwater Mountain to Old Almaden … which was a sporadically worked
quick…silver mine in the upland cattle country。 With his old horses it took
all his time to make the two weekly round trips。 And for ten years； rain
or shine； he had never missed a trip。 Nor had he failed once to pay his
week's board into Mary's hand。 This board he had insisted on； in the
convalescence from his Patagonian fever； and he had paid it strictly；
though he had given up tobacco in order to be able to do it。
〃Huh！〃 he confided to the ruined water wheel of the old Tarwater Mill；
which he had built from the standing timber and which had ground wheat
for the first settlers。 〃Huh！ They'll never put me in the poor farm so
long as I support myself。 And without a penny to my name it ain't likely
any lawyer fellows'll come snoopin' around after me。〃
And yet； precisely because of these highly rational acts； it was held
that John Tarwater was mildly crazy！
The first time he had lifted the chant of 〃Like Argus of the Ancient
Times；〃 had been in 1849； when； twenty…two years' of age； violently
attacked by the Californian fever； he had sold two hundred and forty
Michigan acres； forty of it cleared； for the price of four yoke of oxen； and
a wagon； and had started across the Plains。
〃And we turned off at Fort Hall； where the Oregon emigration went
north'ard； and swung south for Californy；〃 was his way of concluding the
narrative of that arduous journey。 And Bill Ping and me used to rope
grizzlies out of the underbrush of Cache Slough in the Sacramento Valley。〃
Years of freighting and mining had followed； and； with a stake gleaned
from the Merced placers； he satisfied the land…hunger of his race and time
by settling in Sonoma County。
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During the ten years of carrying the mail across Tarwater Township； up
Tarwater Valley； and over Tarwater Mountain； most all of which land had
once been his； he had spent his time dreaming of winning back that land
before he died。 And now； his huge gaunt form more erect than it had
been for years； with a glinting of blue fires in his small and close…set eyes；
he was lifting his ancient chant again。
〃There he goes now … listen to him；〃 said William Tarwater。
〃Nobody at home；〃 laughed Harris Topping； day labourer； husband of
Annie Tarwater； and father of her nine children。
The kitchen door opened to admit the old man； returning from feeding
his horses。 The song had ceased from his lips； but Mary was irritable
from a burnt hand and a grandchild whose stomach refused to digest
properly diluted cows' milk。
〃Now there ain't no use you carryin' on that way； father；〃 she tackled
him。 〃The time's past for you to cut and run for a place like the Klondike；
and singing won't buy you nothing。〃
〃Just the same；〃 he answered quietly。 〃I bet I could go to that
Klondike place and pick up enough gold to buy back the Tarwater lands。〃
〃Old fool！〃 Annie contributed。
〃You couldn't buy them back for less'n three hundred thousand and
then some；〃 was William's effort at squelching him。
〃Then I could pick up three hundred thousand； and then some； if I was
only there；〃 the old man retorted placidly。
〃Thank God you can't walk there； or you'd be startin'； I know；〃 Mary
cried。 〃Ocean travel costs money。〃
〃I used to have money；〃 her father said humbly。
〃Well； you ain't got any now … so forget
