part 1-第24部分

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further。　　〃Of　course；　I　don't　dispute　your　right　to　haul



women　in　this　car　if　you　want　to；　but　personally；　so　far　as



I'm　concerned；　I'd　a　good　deal　rather　drink　a　can　of　toma…



toes　and　do　without　the　women　AND　their　lunch。　　I　was　never



much　enslaved　to　hard…boiled　eggs；　anyhow。〃







　　　　　〃You'll　eat　'em　to…morrow；　all　the　same。〃　　Ray's　tone



had　a　steely　glitter　as　he　jumped　out　of　the　car；　and　Giddy



stood　aside　to　let　him　pass。　　He　knew　that　Kennedy's　next



reply　would　be　delivered　by　hand。　　He　had　once　seen　Ray















beat　up　a　nasty　fellow　for　insulting　a　Mexican　woman　who



helped　about　the　grub…car　in　the　work　train；　and　his　fists



had　worked　like　two　steel　hammers。　　Giddy　wasn't　looking



for　trouble。











　　　　　At　eight　o'clock　the　next　morning　Ray　greeted　his　ladies



and　helped　them　into　the　car。　　Giddy　had　put　on　a　clean



shirt　and　yellow　pig…skin　gloves　and　was　whistling　his



best。　　He　considered　Kennedy　a　fluke　as　a　ladies'　man；



and　if　there　was　to　be　a　party；　the　honors　had　to　be　done



by　some　one　who　wasn't　a　blacksmith　at　small…talk。



Giddy　had；　as　Ray　sarcastically　admitted；　〃a　local　repu…



tation　as　a　jollier；〃　and　he　was　fluent　in　gallant　speeches



of　a　not　too…veiled　nature。　　He　insisted　that　Thea　should



take　his　seat　in　the　cupola；　opposite　Ray's；　where　she



could　look　out　over　the　country。　　Thea　told　him；　as　she



clambered　up；　that　she　cared　a　good　deal　more　about



riding　in　that　seat　than　about　going　to　Denver。　　Ray　was



never　so　companionable　and　easy　as　when　he　sat　chatting



in　the　lookout　of　his　little　house　on　wheels。　　Good　stories



came　to　him；　and　interesting　recollections。　　Thea　had　a



great　respect　for　the　reports　he　had　to　write　out；　and　for



the　telegrams　that　were　handed　to　him　at　stations；　for



all　the　knowledge　and　experience　it　must　take　to　run　a



freight　train。







　　　　　Giddy；　down　in　the　car；　in　the　pauses　of　his　work；　made



himself　agreeable　to　Mrs。　Kronborg。







　　　　　〃It's　a　great　rest　to　be　where　my　family　can't　get　at　me；



Mr。　Giddy；〃　she　told　him。　　〃I　thought　you　and　Ray　might



have　some　housework　here　for　me　to　look　after；　but　I



couldn't　improve　any　on　this　car。〃







　　　　　〃Oh；　we　like　to　keep　her　neat；〃　returned　Giddy　glibly；



winking　up　at　Ray's　expressive　back。　　〃If　you　want　to　see



a　clean　ice…box；　look　at　this　one。　　Yes；　Kennedy　always



carries　fresh　cream　to　eat　on　his　oatmeal。　　I'm　not　particu…



lar。　　The　tin　cow's　good　enough　for　me。〃



















　　　　　〃Most　of　you　boys　smoke　so　much　that　all　victuals　taste



alike　to　you；〃　said　Mrs。　Kronborg。　　〃I've　got　no　religious



scruples　against　smoking；　but　I　couldn't　take　as　much



interest　cooking　for　a　man　that　used　tobacco。　　I　guess　it's



all　right　for　bachelors　who　have　to　eat　round。〃







　　　　　Mrs。　Kronborg　took　off　her　hat　and　veil　and　made　her…



self　comfortable。　　She　seldom　had　an　opportunity　to　be



idle；　and　she　enjoyed　it。　　She　could　sit　for　hours　and　watch



the　sage…hens　fly　up　and　the　jack…rabbits　dart　away　from



the　track；　without　being　bored。　　She　wore　a　tan　bombazine



dress；　made　very　plainly；　and　carried　a　roomy；　worn；



mother…of…the…family　handbag。







　　　　　Ray　Kennedy　always　insisted　that　Mrs。　Kronborg　was



〃a　fine…looking　lady；〃　but　this　was　not　the　common　opin…



ion　in　Moonstone。　　Ray　had　lived　long　enough　among　the



Mexicans　to　dislike　fussiness；　to　feel　that　there　was　some…



thing　more　attractive　in　ease　of　manner　than　in　absent…



minded　concern　about　hairpins　and　dabs　of　lace。　　He　had



learned　to　think　that　the　way　a　woman　stood；　moved；　sat



in　her　chair；　looked　at　you；　was　more　important　than　the



absence　of　wrinkles　from　her　skirt。　　Ray　had；　indeed；　such



unusual　perceptions　in　some　directions；　that　one　could



not　help　wondering　what　he　would　have　been　if　he　had



ever；　as　he　said；　had　〃half　a　chance。〃







　　　　　He　was　right；　Mrs。　Kronborg　was　a　fine…looking　woman。



She　was　short　and　square；　but　her　head　was　a　real　head；



not　a　mere　jerky　termination　of　the　body。　　It　had　some



individuality　apart　from　hats　and　hairpins。　　Her　hair；



Moonstone　women　admitted；　would　have　been　very　pretty



〃on　anybody　else。〃　　Frizzy　bangs　were　worn　then；　but



Mrs。　Kronborg　always　dressed　her　hair　in　the　same　way；



parted　in　the　middle；　brushed　smoothly　back　from　her



low；　white　forehead；　pinned　loosely　on　the　back　of　her



head　in　two　thick　braids。　　It　was　growing　gray　about　the



temples；　but　after　the　manner　of　yellow　hair　it　seemed



only　to　have　grown　paler　there；　and　had　taken　on　a　color















like　that　of　English　primroses。　　Her　eyes　were　clear　and



untroubled；　her　face　smooth　and　calm；　and；　as　Ray　said；



〃strong。〃







　　　　　Thea　and　Ray；　up　in　the　sunny　cupola；　were　laughing



and　talking。　　Ray　got　great　pleasure　out　of　seeing　her　face



there　in　the　little　box　where　he　so　often　imagined　it。　　They



were　crossing　a　plateau　where　great　red　sandstone　boulders



lay　about；　most　of　them　much　wider　at　the　top　than　at　the



base；　so　that　they　looked　like　great　toadstools。







　　　　　〃The　sand　has　been　blowing　against　them　for　a　good



many　hundred　years；〃　Ray　explained；　directing　Thea's



eyes　with　his　gloved　hand。　　〃You　see　the　sand　blows　low；



being　so　heavy；　and　cuts　them　out　underneath。　　Wind　and



sand　are　pretty　high…class　architects。　　That's　the　principle



of　most　of　the　Cliff…Dweller　remains　down　at　Canyon　de



Chelly。　　The　sandstorms　had　dug　out　big　depressions　in　the



face　of　a　cliff；　and　the　Indians　built　their　houses　back　in



that　depression。〃







　　　　　〃You　told　me　that　before；　Ray；　and　of　course　you　know。



But　the　geography　says　their　houses　were　cut　out　of　the



face　of　the　living　rock；　and　I　like　that　better。〃







　　　　　Ray　sniffed。　　〃What　nonsense　does　get　printed！　　It's



enough　to　give　a　man　disrespect　for　learning。　　How　could



them　Indians　cut　houses　out　of　the　living　rock；　when　they



knew　nothing　about　the　art　of　forging　metals？〃　　Ray



leaned　back　in　his　chair；　swung　his　foot；　and　looked　thought…



ful　and　happy。　　He　was　in　one　of　his　favorite　fields　of　specu…



lation；　and　nothing　gave　him　more　pleasure　than　talking



these　things　over　with　Thea　Kronborg。　　〃I'll　tell　you；



Thee；　if　those　old　fellows　had　learned　to　work　metals　once；



your　ancient　Egyptians　and　Assyrians　wouldn't　have　beat



them　very　much。　　Whatever　they　did　do；　they　did　well。



Their　masonry's　standing　there　to…day；　the　corners　as　true



as　the　Denver　Capitol。　　They　were　clever　at　most　every…



thing　but　metals；　and　that　one　failure　kept　them　from



getting　across。　　It　was　the　quicksand　that　swallowed　'em















up；　as　a　race。　　I　guess　civilization　proper　began　when　men



mastered　metals。〃







　　　　　Ray　was　not　vain　about　his　bookish　phrases。　　He　did　not



use　them　to　show　off；　but　because　they　seemed　to　him　more



adequate　than　colloquial　speech。　　He　felt　strongly　about



these　things；　and　groped　for　words；　as　he　said；　〃to　express



himself。〃　　He　had　the　lamentable　American　belief　that



〃expression〃　is　obligatory。　　He　still　carried　in　his　trunk；



among　the　unrelated　possessions　of　a　railroad　man；　a　note…



book　on　the　title…page　of　which　was　written　〃Impressions



on　First　Viewing　the　Grand　Canyon；　Ray　H。　Kennedy。〃



The　pages　of　that　book　were　like　a　battlefield；　the　laboring



author　had　fallen　back　from　metaphor　after　metaphor；



abandoned　position　after　position。　　He　would　have　admit…



ted　that　the　art　of　forging　metals　was　nothing　to　this　treach…



erous　business　of　recording　impressions；　in　which　the



material　you　were　so　full　of　vanished　mysteriously　under



your　striving　hand。　　〃Escaping　steam！〃　he　had　said　to　him…



self；　the　last　time　he　tried　to　read　that　notebook。







　　　　　Thea　didn't　mind　Ray's　travel…lecture　expressions。　　She



dodged　them；　unconsciously；　as　she　did　her　father's　pro…



fessional　palaver。　　The　light　in　Ray's　pale…blue　eyes　and



the　feeling　in　his　voice　more　than　made　up　for　the　stiff…



ness　of　his　language。







　　　　　〃Were　the　Cliff…Dwellers　really　clever　with　their　hands；



Ray；　or　do　you　always　have　to　make　allowance　and　say；



'That　was　pretty　good　for　an　Indian'？〃　she　asked。







　　　　　Ray　went　down　into　the　car　to　give　some　instructions　to



Giddy。　　〃Well；〃　he　said　when　he　returned；　〃about　the



aborigines：　once　or　twice　I've　been　with　some　fellows　who



were　cracking　burial　mounds。　　Always　felt　a　little　ashamed



of　it；　but　we　did　pull　out　some　remarkable　things。　　We　got



some　pottery　out　whole；　seemed　pretty　fine　to　me。　　I　guess



their　women　were　their　artists。　　We　found　lots　of　old　shoes



and　sandals　made　out　of　yucca　fiber；　neat　and　strong；　and



feather　blankets；　too。〃



















　　　　　〃Feather　blankets？　　You　never　told　me　about　them。〃







　　　　　〃Didn't　I？　　The　old　fellowsor　the　squawswove



a　close　netting　of　yucca　fiber；　and　then　tied　on　little　bunches



of　down　feathers；　overlapping；　just　the　way　feathers　grow



on　a　bird。　　Some　of　them　were　feathered　on　both　sides。



You　can't　get　anything　warmer　than　that；　now；　can　you？



or　prettier。　　What　I　like　about　those　old　aborigines　is；



that　they　got　all　their　ideas　from　nature。〃







　　　　　Thea　laughed。　　〃That　means　you're　going　to　say　some…



thing　about　girls'　wearing　corsets。　　But　some　of　your　In…



dians　flattened　their　babies'　heads；　and　that's