the silverado squatters-第18部分

快捷操作: 按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页 按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页 按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部! 如果本书没有阅读完，想下次继续接着阅读，可使用上方 "收藏到我的浏览器" 功能 和 "加入书签" 功能！



a　manner　of　his　own；　and　was　charming　to　his　mate。　　A　very　

incorrect；　incessant　human　whistler　had　thus　a　chance　of　

knowing　how　his　own　music　pleased　the　world。　　Two　great　birds　

…　eagles；　we　thought　…　dwelt　at　the　top　of　the　canyon；　among　

the　crags　that　were　printed　on　the　sky。　　Now　and　again；　but　

very　rarely；　they　wheeled　high　over　our　heads　in　silence；　or　

with　a　distant；　dying　scream；　and　then；　with　a　fresh　impulse；　

winged　fleetly　forward；　dipped　over　a　hilltop；　and　were　gone。　　

They　seemed　solemn　and　ancient　things；　sailing　the　blue　air：　　

perhaps　co…oeval　with　the　mountain　where　they　haunted；　

perhaps　emigrants　from　Rome；　where　the　glad　legions　may　have　

shouted　to　behold　them　on　the　morn　of　battle。



But　if　birds　were　rare；　the　place　abounded　with　rattlesnakes　

…　the　rattlesnake's　nest；　it　might　have　been　named。　　Wherever　

we　brushed　among　the　bushes；　our　passage　woke　their　angry　

buzz。　　One　dwelt　habitually　in　the　wood…pile；　and　sometimes；　

when　we　came　for　firewood；　thrust　up　his　small　head　between　

two　logs；　and　hissed　at　the　intrusion。　　The　rattle　has　a　

legendary　credit；　it　is　said　to　be　awe…inspiring；　and；　once　

heard；　to　stamp　itself　for　ever　in　the　memory。　　But　the　sound　

is　not　at　all　alarming；　the　hum　of　many　insects；　and　the　buzz　

of　the　wasp　convince　the　ear　of　danger　quite　as　readily。　　As　

a　matter　of　fact；　we　lived　for　weeks　in　Silverado；　coming　and　

going；　with　rattles　sprung　on　every　side；　and　it　never　

occurred　to　us　to　be　afraid。　　I　used　to　take　sun…baths　and　do　

calisthenics　in　a　certain　pleasant　nook　among　azalea　and　

calcanthus；　the　rattles　whizzing　on　every　side　like　spinning…

wheels；　and　the　combined　hiss　or　buzz　rising　louder　and　

angrier　at　any　sudden　movement；　but　I　was　never　in　the　least　

impressed；　nor　ever　attacked。　　It　was　only　towards　the　end　of　

our　stay；　that　a　man　down　at　Calistoga；　who　was　expatiating　

on　the　terrifying　nature　of　the　sound；　gave　me　at　last　a　very　

good　imitation；　and　it　burst　on　me　at　once　that　we　dwelt　in　

the　very　metropolis　of　deadly　snakes；　and　that　the　rattle　was　

simply　the　commonest　noise　in　Silverado。　　Immediately　on　our　

return；　we　attacked　the　Hansons　on　the　subject。　　They　had　

formerly　assured　us　that　our　canyon　was　favoured；　like　

Ireland；　with　an　entire　immunity　from　poisonous　reptiles；　

but；　with　the　perfect　inconsequence　of　the　natural　man；　they　

were　no　sooner　found　out　than　they　went　off　at　score　in　the　

contrary　direction；　and　we　were　told　that　in　no　part　of　the　

world　did　rattlesnakes　attain　to　such　a　monstrous　bigness　as　

among　the　warm；　flower…dotted　rocks　of　Silverado。　　This　is　a　

contribution　rather　to　the　natural　history　of　the　Hansons；　

than　to　that　of　snakes。



One　person；　however；　better　served　by　his　instinct；　had　known　

the　rattle　from　the　first；　and　that　was　Chuchu；　the　dog。　　No　

rational　creature　has　ever　led　an　existence　more　poisoned　by　

terror　than　that　dog's　at　Silverado。　　Every　whiz　of　the　

rattle　made　him　bound。　　His　eyes　rolled；　he　trembled；　he　

would　be　often　wet　with　sweat。　　One　of　our　great　mysteries　

was　his　terror　of　the　mountain。　　A　little　away　above　our　

nook；　the　azaleas　and　almost　all　the　vegetation　ceased。　　

Dwarf　pines　not　big　enough　to　be　Christmas　trees；　grew　thinly　

among　loose　stone　and　gravel　scaurs。　　Here　and　there　a　big　

boulder　sat　quiescent　on　a　knoll；　having　paused　there　till　

the　next　rain　in　his　long　slide　down　the　mountain。　　There　was　

here　no　ambuscade　for　the　snakes；　you　could　see　clearly　where　

you　trod；　and　yet　the　higher　I　went；　the　more　abject　and　

appealing　became　Chuchu's　terror。　　He　was　an　excellent　master　

of　that　composite　language　in　which　dogs　communicate　with　

men；　and　he　would　assure　me；　on　his　honour；　that　there　was　

some　peril　on　the　mountain；　appeal　to　me；　by　all　that　I　held　

holy；　to　turn　back；　and　at　length；　finding　all　was　in　vain；　

and　that　I　still　persisted；　ignorantly　foolhardy；　he　would　

suddenly　whip　round　and　make　a　bee…line　down　the　slope　for　

Silverado；　the　gravel　showering　after　him。　　What　was　he　

afraid　of？　　There　were　admittedly　brown　bears　and　California　

lions　on　the　mountain；　and　a　grizzly　visited　Rufe's　poultry　

yard　not　long　before；　to　the　unspeakable　alarm　of　Caliban；　

who　dashed　out　to　chastise　the　intruder；　and　found　himself；　

by　moonlight；　face　to　face　with　such　a　tartar。　　Something　at　

least　there　must　have　been：　　some　hairy；　dangerous　brute　

lodged　permanently　among　the　rocks　a　little　to　the　north…west　

of　Silverado；　spending　his　summer　thereabout；　with　wife　and　

family。



And　there　was；　or　there　had　been；　another　animal。　　Once；　

under　the　broad　daylight；　on　that　open　stony　hillside；　where　

the　baby　pines　were　growing；　scarcely　tall　enough　to　be　a　

badge　for　a　MacGregor's　bonnet；　I　came　suddenly　upon　his　

innocent　body；　lying　mummified　by　the　dry　air　and　sun：　　a　

pigmy　kangaroo。　　I　am　ingloriously　ignorant　of　these　

subjects；　had　never　heard　of　such　a　beast；　thought　myself　

face　to　face　with　some　incomparable　sport　of　nature；　and　

began　to　cherish　hopes　of　immortality　in　science。　　Rarely　

have　I　been　conscious　of　a　stranger　thrill　than　when　I　raised　

that　singular　creature　from　the　stones；　dry　as　a　board；　his　

innocent　heart　long　quiet；　and　all　warm　with　sunshine。　　His　

long　hind　legs　were　stiff；　his　tiny　forepaws　clutched　upon　

his　breast；　as　if　to　leap；　his　poor　life　cut　short　upon　that　

mountain　by　some　unknown　accident。　　But　the　kangaroo　rat；　it　

proved；　was　no　such　unknown　animal；　and　my　discovery　was　

nothing。



Crickets　were　not　wanting。　　I　thought　I　could　make　out　

exactly　four　of　them；　each　with　a　corner　of　his　own；　who　used　

to　make　night　musical　at　Silverado。　　In　the　matter　of　voice；　

they　far　excelled　the　birds；　and　their　ringing　whistle　

sounded　from　rock　to　rock；　calling　and　replying　the　same　

thing；　as　in　a　meaningless　opera。　　Thus；　children　in　full　

health　and　spirits　shout　together；　to　the　dismay　of　

neighbours；　and　their　idle；　happy；　deafening　vociferations　

rise　and　fall；　like　the　song　of　the　crickets。　　I　used　to　sit　

at　night　on　the　platform；　and　wonder　why　these　creatures　were　

so　happy；　and　what　was　wrong　with　man　that　he　also　did　not　

wind　up　his　days　with　an　hour　or　two　of　shouting；　but　I　

suspect　that　all　long…lived　animals　are　solemn。　　The　dogs　

alone　are　hardly　used　by　nature；　and　it　seems　a　manifest　

injustice　for　poor　Chuchu　to　die　in　his　teens；　after　a　life　

so　shadowed　and　troubled；　continually　shaken　with　alarm；　and　

the　tear　of　elegant　sentiment　permanently　in　his　eye。



There　was　another　neighbour　of　ours　at　Silverado；　small　but　

very　active；　a　destructive　fellow。　　This　was　a　black；　ugly　

fly　…　a　bore；　the　Hansons　called　him　…　who　lived　by　hundreds　

in　the　boarding　of　our　house。　　He　entered　by　a　round　hole；　

more　neatly　pierced　than　a　man　could　do　it　with　a　gimlet；　and　

he　seems　to　have　spent　his　life　in　cutting　out　the　interior　

of　the　plank；　but　whether　as　a　dwelling　or　a　store…house；　I　

could　never　find。　　When　I　used　to　lie　in　bed　in　the　morning　

for　a　rest　…　we　had　no　easy…chairs　in　Silverado　…　I　would　

hear；　hour　after　hour；　the　sharp　cutting　sound　of　his　

labours；　and　from　time　to　time　a　dainty　shower　of　sawdust　

would　fall　upon　the　blankets。　　There　lives　no　more　

industrious　creature　than　a　bore。



And　now　that　I　have　named　to　the　reader　all　our　animals　and　

insects　without　exception　…　only　I　find　I　have　forgotten　the　

flies　…　he　will　be　able　to　appreciate　the　singular　privacy　

and　silence　of　our　days。　　It　was　not　only　man　who　was　

excluded：　　animals；　the　song　of　birds；　the　lowing　of　cattle；　

the　bleating　of　sheep；　clouds　even；　and　the　variations　of　the　

weather；　were　here　also　wanting；　and　as；　day　after　day；　the　

sky　was　one　dome　of　blue；　and　the　pines　below　us　stood　

motionless　in　the　still　air；　so　the　hours　themselves　were　

marked　out　from　each　other　only　by　the　series　of　our　own　

affairs；　and　the　sun's　great　period　as　he　ranged　westward　

through　the　heavens。　　The　two　birds　cackled　a　while　in　the　

early　morning；　all　day　the　water　tinkled　in　the　shaft；　the　

bores　ground　sawdust　in　the　planking　of　our　crazy　palace　…　

infinitesimal　sounds；　and　it　was　only　with　the　return　of　

night　that　any　change　would　fall　on　our　surroundings；　or　the　

four　crickets　begin　to　flute　together　in　the　dark。



Indeed；　it　would　be　hard　to　exaggerate　the　pleasure　that　we　

took　in　the　approach　of　evening。　　Our　day　was　not　very　long；　

but　it　was　very　tiring。　　To　trip　along　unsteady　planks　or　

wade　among　shifting　stones；　to　go　to　and　fro　for　water；　to　

clamber　down　the　glen　to　the　Toll　House　after　meat　and　

letters；　to　cook；　to　make　fires　and　beds；　were　all　exhausting　

to　the　body。　　Life　out　of　doors；　besides；　under　the　fierce　

eye　of　day；　draws　largely　on　the　animal　spirits。　　There　are　

certain　hours　in　the　afternoon　when　a　man；　unless　he　is　in　

strong　health　or　enjoys　a　vacant　mind；　would　rather　creep　

into　a　cool　corner　of　a　house　and　sit　upon　the　chairs　of　

civilization。　　About　that　time；　the　sharp　stones；　the　planks；　

the　upturned　boxes　of　Silverado；　began　to　grow　irksome　to　my　

body；　I　set　out　on　that　hopeless；　never…ending　quest　for　a　

more　comfortable　posture；　I　would　be　fevered　and　weary　of　the　

staring　sun；　and　just　then　he　would　begin　courteously　to　

withdraw　his　countenance；　the　shadows　lengthened；　the　

aromatic　airs　awoke；　and　an　indescribable　but　happy　change　

announced　the　coming　of　the　night。



The　hours　of　evening；　when　we　were　once　curtained　in　the　

friendly　dark；　sped　lightly。　　Even　as　with　the　crickets；　

night　brought　to　us　a　certain　spirit　of　rejoicing。　　It　was　

good　to　taste　the　air；　good　to　mark　the　dawning　of　the　stars；　

as　they　increased　their　glittering　company；　good；　too；　to　

gather　stones；　and　send　them　crashing　down　the　chute；　a　wave　

of　light。　　It　seemed；　in　some　way；　the　reward　and　the　

fulfilment　of　the　day。　　So　it　is　when　men