part 1-第10部分

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before　her　memorable　call　upon　Mrs。　Tellamantez。



There　was　a　worthy　man　in　Moonstone　who　was　already



planning　to　marry　Thea　as　soon　as　she　should　be　old　enough。



His　name　was　Ray　Kennedy；　his　age　was　thirty；　and　he　was



conductor　on　a　freight　train；　his　run　being　from　Moonstone



to　Denver。　　Ray　was　a　big　fellow；　with　a　square；　open



American　face；　a　rock　chin；　and　features　that　one　would



never　happen　to　remember。　　He　was　an　aggressive　idealist；



a　freethinker；　and；　like　most　railroad　men；　deeply　senti…



mental。　　Thea　liked　him　for　reasons　that　had　to　do　with



the　adventurous　life　he　had　led　in　Mexico　and　the　South…



west；　rather　than　for　anything　very　personal。　　She　liked



him；　too；　because　he　was　the　only　one　of　her　friends　who



ever　took　her　to　the　sand　hills。　　The　sand　hills　were　a　con…



stant　tantalization；　she　loved　them　better　than　anything



near　Moonstone；　and　yet　she　could　so　seldom　get　to　them。



The　first　dunes　were　accessible　enough；　they　were　only　a



few　miles　beyond　the　Kohlers'；　and　she　could　run　out　there



any　day　when　she　could　do　her　practicing　in　the　morning



and　get　Thor　off　her　hands　for　an　afternoon。　　But　the　real



hillsthe　Turquoise　Hills；　the　Mexicans　called　them



were　ten　good　miles　away；　and　one　reached　them　by　a



heavy；　sandy　road。　　Dr。　Archie　sometimes　took　Thea　on



his　long　drives；　but　as　nobody　lived　in　the　sand　hills；　he



never　had　calls　to　make　in　that　direction。　　Ray　Kennedy



was　her　only　hope　of　getting　there。







　　　　　This　summer　Thea　had　not　been　to　the　hills　once；　though



Ray　had　planned　several　Sunday　expeditions。　　Once　Thor



was　sick；　and　once　the　organist　in　her　father's　church　was



away　and　Thea　had　to　play　the　organ　for　the　three　Sunday















services。　　But　on　the　first　Sunday　in　September；　Ray　drove



up　to　the　Kronborgs'　front　gate　at　nine　o'clock　in　the　morn…



ing　and　the　party　actually　set　off。　　Gunner　and　Axel　went



with　Thea；　and　Ray　had　asked　Spanish　Johnny　to　come



and　to　bring　Mrs。　Tellamantez　and　his　mandolin。　　Ray　was



artlessly　fond　of　music；　especially　of　Mexican　music。　　He



and　Mrs。　Tellamantez　had　got　up　the　lunch　between　them；



and　they　were　to　make　coffee　in　the　desert。







　　　　　When　they　left　Mexican　Town；　Thea　was　on　the　front



seat　with　Ray　and　Johnny；　and　Gunner　and　Axel　sat　be…



hind　with　Mrs。　Tellamantez。　　They　objected　to　this；　of



course；　but　there　were　some　things　about　which　Thea　would



have　her　own　way。　　〃As　stubborn　as　a　Finn；〃　Mrs。　Kron…



borg　sometimes　said　of　her；　quoting　an　old　Swedish　saying。



When　they　passed　the　Kohlers'；　old　Fritz　and　Wunsch



were　cutting　grapes　at　the　arbor。　　Thea　gave　them　a　busi…



nesslike　nod。　　Wunsch　came　to　the　gate　and　looked　after



them。　　He　divined　Ray　Kennedy's　hopes；　and　he　dis…



trusted　every　expedition　that　led　away　from　the　piano。



Unconsciously　he　made　Thea　pay　for　frivolousness　of　this



sort。







　　　　　As　Ray　Kennedy's　party　followed　the　faint　road　across



the　sagebrush；　they　heard　behind　them　the　sound　of　church



bells；　which　gave　them　a　sense　of　escape　and　boundless



freedom。　　Every　rabbit　that　shot　across　the　path；　every



sage　hen　that　flew　up　by　the　trail；　was　like　a　runaway



thought；　a　message　that　one　sent　into　the　desert。　　As　they



went　farther；　the　illusion　of　the　mirage　became　more　in…



stead　of　less　convincing；　a　shallow　silver　lake　that　spread



for　many　miles；　a　little　misty　in　the　sunlight。　　Here　and



there　one　saw　reflected　the　image　of　a　heifer；　turned　loose



to　live　upon　the　sparse　sand…grass。　　They　were　magnified



to　a　preposterous　height　and　looked　like　mammoths；　pre…



historic　beasts　standing　solitary　in　the　waters　that　for



many　thousands　of　years　actually　washed　over　that　desert；



the　mirage　itself　may　be　the　ghost　of　that　long…vanished















sea。　　Beyond　the　phantom　lake　lay　the　line　of　many…colored



hills；　rich；　sun…baked　yellow；　glowing　turquoise；　lavender；



purple；　all　the　open；　pastel　colors　of　the　desert。







　　　　　After　the　first　five　miles　the　road　grew　heavier。　　The



horses　had　to　slow　down　to　a　walk　and　the　wheels　sank



deep　into　the　sand；　which　now　lay　in　long　ridges；　like　waves；



where　the　last　high　wind　had　drifted　it。　　Two　hours　brought



the　party　to　Pedro's　Cup；　named　for　a　Mexican　desperado



who　had　once　held　the　sheriff　at　bay　there。　　The　Cup　was　a



great　amphitheater；　cut　out　in　the　hills；　its　floor　smooth



and　packed　hard；　dotted　with　sagebrush　and　greasewood。







　　　　　On　either　side　of　the　Cup　the　yellow　hills　ran　north　and



south；　with　winding　ravines　between　them；　full　of　soft　sand



which　drained　down　from　the　crumbling　banks。　　On　the



surface　of　this　fluid　sand；　one　could　find　bits　of　brilliant



stone；　crystals　and　agates　and　onyx；　and　petrified　wood　as



red　as　blood。　　Dried　toads　and　lizards　were　to　be　found



there；　too。　　Birds；　decomposing　more　rapidly；　left　only



feathered　skeletons。







　　　　　After　a　little　reconnoitering；　Mrs。　Tellamantez　declared



that　it　was　time　for　lunch；　and　Ray　took　his　hatchet　and



began　to　cut　greasewood；　which　burns　fiercely　in　its　green



state。　　The　little　boys　dragged　the　bushes　to　the　spot　that



Mrs。　Tellamantez　had　chosen　for　her　fire。　　Mexican　women



like　to　cook　out　of　doors。







　　　　　After　lunch　Thea　sent　Gunner　and　Axel　to　hunt　for



agates。　　〃If　you　see　a　rattlesnake；　run。　　Don't　try　to　kill



it；〃　she　enjoined。







　　　　　Gunner　hesitated。　　〃If　Ray　would　let　me　take　the



hatchet；　I　could　kill　one　all　right。〃







　　　　　Mrs。　Tellamantez　smiled　and　said　something　to　Johnny



in　Spanish。







　　　　　〃Yes；〃　her　husband　replied；　translating；　〃they　say　in



Mexico；　kill　a　snake　but　never　hurt　his　feelings。　　Down　in



the　hot　country；　MUCHACHA；〃　turning　to　Thea；　〃people



keep　a　pet　snake　in　the　house　to　kill　rats　and　mice。　　They















call　him　the　house　snake。　　They　keep　a　little　mat　for　him



by　the　fire；　and　at　night　he　curl　up　there　and　sit　with　the



family；　just　as　friendly！〃







　　　　　Gunner　sniffed　with　disgust。　　〃Well；　I　think　that's　a



dirty　Mexican　way　to　keep　house；　so　there！〃







　　　　　Johnny　shrugged　his　shoulders。　　〃Perhaps；〃　he　muttered。



A　Mexican　learns　to　dive　below　insults　or　soar　above　them；



after　he　crosses　the　border。







　　　　　By　this　time　the　south　wall　of　the　amphitheater　cast　a



narrow　shelf　of　shadow；　and　the　party　withdrew　to　this



refuge。　　Ray　and　Johnny　began　to　talk　about　the　Grand



Canyon　and　Death　Valley；　two　places　much　shrouded　in



mystery　in　those　days；　and　Thea　listened　intently。　　Mrs。



Tellamantez　took　out　her　drawn…work　and　pinned　it　to　her



knee。　　Ray　could　talk　well　about　the　large　part　of　the　conti…



nent　over　which　he　had　been　knocked　about；　and　Johnny



was　appreciative。







　　　　　〃You　been　all　over；　pretty　near。　　Like　a　Spanish　boy；〃



he　commented　respectfully。







　　　　　Ray；　who　had　taken　off　his　coat；　whetted　his　pocket…



knife　thoughtfully　on　the　sole　of　his　shoe。　　〃I　began　to



browse　around　early。　　I　had　a　mind　to　see　something　of　this



world；　and　I　ran　away　from　home　before　I　was　twelve。



Rustled　for　myself　ever　since。〃







　　　　　〃Ran　away？〃　　Johnny　looked　hopeful。　　〃What　for？〃







　　　　　〃Couldn't　make　it　go　with　my　old　man；　and　didn't　take



to　farming。　　There　were　plenty　of　boys　at　home。　　I　wasn't



missed。〃







　　　　　Thea　wriggled　down　in　the　hot　sand　and　rested　her　chin



on　her　arm。　　〃Tell　Johnny　about　the　melons；　Ray；　please



do！〃







　　　　　Ray's　solid；　sunburned　cheeks　grew　a　shade　redder；　and



he　looked　reproachfully　at　Thea。　　〃You're　stuck　on　that



story；　kid。　　You　like　to　get　the　laugh　on　me；　don't　you？



That　was　the　finishing　split　I　had　with　my　old　man；　John。



He　had　a　claim　along　the　creek；　not　far　from　Denver；　and















raised　a　little　garden　stuff　for　market。　　One　day　he　had　a



load　of　melons　and　he　decided　to　take　'em　to　town　and　sell



'em　along　the　street；　and　he　made　me　go　along　and　drive



for　him。　　Denver　wasn't　the　queen　city　it　is　now；　by　any



means；　but　it　seemed　a　terrible　big　place　to　me；　and　when



we　got　there；　if　he　didn't　make　me　drive　right　up　Capitol



Hill！　　Pap　got　out　and　stopped　at　folkses　houses　to　ask　if



they　didn't　want　to　buy　any　melons；　and　I　was　to　drive



along　slow。　　The　farther　I　went　the　madder　I　got；　but　I　was



trying　to　look　unconscious；　when　the　end…gate　came　loose



and　one　of　the　melons　fell　out　and　squashed。　　Just　then　a



swell　girl；　all　dressed　up；　comes　out　of　one　of　the　big　houses



and　calls　out；　‘Hello；　boy；　you're　losing　your　melons！'



Some　dudes　on　the　other　side　of　the　street　took　their　hats



off　to　her　and　began　to　laugh。　　I　couldn't　stand　it　any



longer。　　I　grabbed　the　whip　and　lit　into　that　team；　and　they



tore　up　the　hill　like　jack…rabbits；　them　damned　melons



bouncing　out　the　back　every　jump；　the　old　man　cussin'　an'



yellin'　behind　and　everybody　laughin'。　　I　never　looked　be…



hind；　but　the　whole　of　Capitol　Hill　must　have　been　a　mess



with　them　squashed　melons。　　I　didn't　stop　the　team　till　I



got　out　of　sight　of　town。　　Then　I　pulled　up　an'　left　'em　with



a　rancher　I　was　acquainted　with；　and　I　never　went　home　to



get　the　lickin'　that　was　waitin'　for　me。　　I　expect　it's　waitin'



for　me　yet。〃







　　　　　Thea　rolled　over　in　the　sand。　　〃Oh；　I　wish　I　could　have



seen　those　melons　fly；　Ray！　　I'll　never　see　anything　as