down the mother lode-第7部分

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a　grim　smile）；　〃and　finally　George；　with　due　deference　to　authority；　demanded　to　be　shown　the　warrant　for　our　arrest。

〃Whilst　the　simple　creature　was　fumbling　for　it；　we　opened　fire　and；　springing　from　the　top　of　the　stage；　escaped　across　Harmon　Hill。　The　vain　fellow　carried　only　a　derringer；　and　how　was　one　little　bullet　to　stop　our　race　for　liberty。〃

〃Yet　you　returned　here！　That　was　madness。〃

〃I　heard　of　you　and　the　longing　to　see　you　once　more　overcame　every　other　feeling。〃

〃Do　not　fear；　I　knew　that　they　would　come。　What　was　that　to　pay　for　the　chance　of　seeing　you　again。　They　can　but　put　me　in　Auburn　jail；　and　no　locks　can　hold　me　except　the　shining　ones　on　this　dear　head。　No　prison　can　keep　me　till　I　am　laid　in　that　last　one　beneath　the　grass；　and　there　I　will　wait　for　you　dear　love。　I　shall　not　hear　the　celestian　singing　till　your　sweet　voice　has　joined　the　angel　choir；　and　your　two　hands　…　see；　I　still　carry　the　little　mitts　…　shall　open　the　door　for　me　to　Paradise；　as　they　have　held　all　of　heaven　for　me　on　earth。

〃It　may　be　in　that　last　court；　the　Great　judge　of　all　will　look　into　my　heart　which　strove　to　be　honorable　and　will　dismiss　the　accusations　of　mere；　mortal　man。〃

*　*　*　*　*

As　usual；　Dick　escaped　the　jail　and　with　George　Taylor　attempted　to　get　away；　but　Fate　had　dealt　him　her　last　blow　and　on　the　scroll　of　his　precarious　and　bitter　life　had　written　finis。　A　mile　above　Auburn　they　were　overtaken　by　Assessor　George　W。　Martin　and　Deputy　Sheriffs　Crutcher　and　Johnston。　In　the　terrible　encounter　which　ensued　Martin　was　instantly　killed　and　Dick　mortally　wounded。

They　rode　more　than　a　mile　at　a　furious　pace；　from　the　scene　of　his　last　fight；　before　Dick　lay　down　to　die。　George　put　him　on　his　great　riding　cloak　and　spread　a　saddle　blanket　over　him。　Then　when　he　read　a　fresh　command　in　the　highwayman's　dark　eyes　he　faltered。

〃Dick；　old　friend　…　I　cannot。〃

〃I　am　shot　through　the　breast；　and　again　through　the　side。　You　promised　that　when　I　came　to　this　pass；　you　would　grant　the　liberation　I　seek　in　death。〃

〃I　cannot。　From　any　hand　but　mine　may　you　find　release。〃

〃Very　well〃　answered　Dick；　resolutely；　〃my　own　hand　shall　be　given　the　power　to　save　my　immortal　soul。〃　He　wrote　laboriously　on　a　bit　of　paper；　〃Rattlesnake　Dick　dies　but　never　surrenders；　as　all　true　Britons　do。〃

〃Go；　George；〃　he　said　gently；　〃but　first　give　me　my　pistol。　I　have　in　my　pocket　here　a　letter　from　the　sweetest　of　women。　It　says；　'I　have　grieved　but　never　despaired；　for　I　have　prayed　to　the　Father　that　he　would　restore　you　to　the　paths　of　rectitude；　and　I　say　faithfully；　He　will　save　you。　He　sees　in　your　heart　a　secret　wish　to　be　a　better　man。　'Seek　ye　first　the　kingdom　of　God；　and　all　things　shall　be　added　thereunto。'　He　will　raise　your　head　and　make　of　you　a　new　man'！　I　go　to　Him；　my　brother。〃　And；　raising　his　gun；　with　a　good　woman's　adored　name　on　his　lips；　he　released　his　sorely　tried　heart　from　bondage　into　the　unknown。



Indian　Vengeance

V

〃Those　brave　old　bricks　of　forty…nine！　What　lives　they　lived！　What　deaths　they　died！　Their　ghosts　are　many。　Let　them　keep　Their　vast　possessions。　The　Piute；　The　tawny　warrior；　will　dispute　No　boundary　with　these　。　。　。　。　。　。　。　。　。

…　Joaquin　Miller。



High　water　on　the　American　came；　usually；　when　the　first　warm　rains　melted　the　snow　on　the　mountains。

The　placer　miners　toiled　at　furious　pace　all　during　the　summer　and　fall。　The　water；　then　not　more　than　a　rivulet；　was　deflected　through　flumes　from　the　river　bed；　so　that　all　the　sand　of　the　bars　could　be　put　through　the　sluices。

The　men　worked　till　the　last　possible　moment　in　the　narrow　river　bed；　only　leaving　in　time　to　save　their　lives；　and　abandoning　everything　to　the　sudden　rush　of　the　water。　Their　sluices；　logs；　flumes；　water…wheels；　all　their　mining　paraphernalia；　sometimes　even　their　living　outfits；　were　swept　away　in　the　floods。

The　river　was　known　to　rise　from　20　to　60　feet　in　24　hours；　in　its　narrow　and　precipitous　walls。

At　flood　time；　then；　we　often　went　down　to　the　river　through　the　orchard　of　big　old　cherry　trees　planted　by　my　grandfather；　to　watch　the　mass　of　wreckage　rushing　by。　Great　logs　would　go　down　end　over　end；　mining　machinery　caught　in　the　limbs　of　uprooted　trees；　quantities　of　lumber；　and　once　a　miner's　bunk　with　sodden　gray　blanket　and　a　wet　and　frantic　squirrel　upon　it。　I　worried　for　days　over　the　fate　of　that　squirrel。

They　tell　the　story　of　a　Chinaman　floating　down　upon　a　log。

〃Hello；　John；　where　you　go？〃　was　shouted。　John　shook　his　head；　sadly。

〃Me　no　sabe！　Maybe　Saclimento　…　maybe　San　Flancisco。　No　got　time　talkee；　now。〃

*　*　*　*　*

〃Look；　the　water　is　up　to　the　top　of　the　old　stone　pier；〃　said　one　of　the　others。

〃Mammy　Kate's　'ghost'　would　have　a　hard　time　haunting　it　now；〃　I　laughed。　〃He'd　be　under　twenty　feet　of　water。〃

〃What　ghost？〃

〃Why；　the　tollkeeper's；　of　the　old　bridge。　The　one　who　hated　the　Indians　so。〃

〃The　Bear　River　tribe？〃

〃They　were　Diggers；　but　I　think　that　nobody　knew　exactly　which　ones　were　guilty。　It　was　a　fine　bridge；　the　first　suspension　bridge　in　Placer　county。〃

〃It　was　washed　away　in　the　floods　during　the　winter　of　'61　and　'62；　wasn't　it？〃

〃Yes　and　they　built　the　new　one　a　mile　up　the　river　at　Rattlesnake　Bar；　where　it　still　hangs。〃

〃What　about　the　tollkeeper？〃

Here　is　the　story　…　with　a　bit　of　a　prologue。

*　*　*　*　*

Captain　Ezekiel　Merritt；　one　of　the　〃Bear　Flag〃　party　in　Sonoma；　came　in　'49　to　try　his　luck　at　mining　on　the　Middle　Fork　of　the　American。　His　party　came　at　last；　through　a　deep　canyon　to　a　large　bar　on　which　they　found　among　unmistakable　evidences　of　a　plundered　camp　both　white　man's　and　Indian's　hair。　A　great　ash　heap　containing　calcined　bones　was　undoubtedly　the　funeral　pyre　of　white　men　and　red　men　alike；　and　some　yelling　savages　upon　the　upper　bluff　confirmed　the　tragedy　which　Captain　Merritt's　party　had　been　too　late　to　avert。

They　drove　the　Indians　away　and　Captain　Merritt　cut　into　the　bark　of　an　alder　the　name　〃Murderer's　Bar；〃　by　which　the　place　has　been　called　ever　since。

The　Merritt　party　stayed　to　work　the　bar。　Before　the　summer　passed　the　river　swarmed　with　men；　some　of　whom　joined　forces　to　make　up　mining　companies。　One　of　the　rules　of　such　a　company：　〃Any　shareholder　getting　drunk　during　the　time　he　should　be　on　duty；　shall　pay　into　the　common　treasury　of　the　company　a　fine　of　one　ounce　of　gold　dust　and　shall　forfeit　all　dividends　during　such　time。〃　These　fines；　in　some　instances；　became　so　frequent　as　to　cause　a　total　disruption　of　the　company。

The　Indians　returned　to　their　villages　in　the　hills。　The　foothill　Indians　were　not　a　particularly　intelligent　lot。　They　were　Diggers；　so　named　on　account　of　their　habits　of　digging　in　the　ground　for　roots；　and　the　larva　of　various　insects　for　food。　Eggs　of　ants；　and　the　maggots　found　in　wasp's　nests　were　considered　great　delicacies。

They　also　ate　dried　grasshoppers　and　young　clover　plants　cooked　as　greens。　They　ground　acorns　and　manzanita　berries　into　meal　with　the　stone　mortars　and　pestles　so　commonly　found　through　the　countryside　and　gathered　and　stored　great　caches　of　pine　burrs　full　of　nuts　for　the　winter。　They　were　not　as　a　rule　quarrelsome；　but　…　。

*　*　*　*　*

〃Good　morning；　Phineas。　I　have　brought　your　grub　from　Auburn；　and　here　is　the　bill。〃

It　was　a　bright　day　in　June　and　Phineas　Longley；　tollkeeper　for　the　new　suspension　bridge　on　Whiskey　Bar；　had　had　a　busy　morning。　There　was　a　barbecue　that　day　at　the　town　on　the　other　side；　and　a　stream　of　people　had　come　down　the　Whiskey　Bar　turnpike　and　crossed　the　bridge。　It　was　getting　warm　and　he　was　tired；　and　he　read　the　bill　gloomily：

〃1　bottle　gin；　6。00；　2　lbs。　biscuits；　2。50；　1　ham；　24。00；　1　bottle　pickles；　6。00；　4　fathoms　rope；　5。00；　1　watermelon；　4。00；　1　tin　pan；　16。00；　2　apples；　3。00。〃

Longley　stuffed　the　bill　in　his　pocket；　and　returned　for　his　noon　meal　to　his　log　cabin　on　shore。

It　was　quite　palatial　…　boasting　a　real　floor　made　of　puncheons；　or　hewn　logs。　A　bunk；　against　the　wall；　was　made　of　a　second　log　set　four　feet　from　the　log　wall；　with　a　hammock　mattress　of　sacking　stuffed　with　dried　bracken　stretched　between　them。　There　was　the　usual　huge　fireplace　of　granite　rocks　used　for　both　warmth　and　cooking；　and　a　box　pantry…cupboard　nailed　to　the　wall。

His　cup　and　plate　and　saucer　were　of　tin；　and　his　cutlery　was　an　iron　spoon；　a　three…tined　fork　and　a　hunting　dagger。　The　dishes　had　not　been　washed　for　weeks。

In　warm　weather　he　kept　a　few　things　in　a　small　palisade　driven　in　the　shallow　water　at　the　river　's　edge；　which　was　cool　the　year　'round。

Longley　put　his　raised　bread　dough　in　a　frying　pan；　put　a　second　pan　on　top；　raked　the　ashes　off　some　coals；　and　started　it　baking。　A　man　on　horseback；　driving　two　pack　animals　before　him；　stopped　at　the　low　doorway。

〃Hello；　John！　Glad　to　see　you；〃　called　Longley。

〃Glad　to　get　here。　Like　to　sleep　in　a　house　again。　Tired　of　shaking　the　lizards　out　of　my　blankets　every　morning。〃

〃Ever　shake　out　a　rattler？〃

〃Not　yet；　though　they　say　it's　been　done　more　than　once。〃

〃You're　just　in　time。　Turn　the　beasts　into　the　corral。　And　then　will　you　just　ride　back　to　Kitty　Douglas'　for　me？　She　promised　me　a　pie；　and　I　need　a　new　starter　for　my　sour　dough　（batter）。　By　that　time　everything　will　be　ready　to　eat。〃

〃You　mean　the　'Kitty　Douglas'　of　the　signs　I've　just　passed？〃　asked　John；　grinning。

〃Yes。　What　were　they；　today？〃

〃'Fresh　pies；　by　Kitty　Douglas；'　'Bread　made　every　day；　by　Kitty　Douglas；'　'New…laid　eggs　every　day；　by　Kitty　Douglas'！〃

〃Kitty's　cooking　is　as　fair　as　the　reputation　of　her　house　is　not。　She　charges　two　dollars　for　a　meal　of　pork　and　beans。〃

〃'Tis　the　regular　price　everywhere。　I'll　be　back　soon。〃　After　the　meal　John　went　to；　the　barbecue；　imbibing　rather　freely　of　the　fire…water　barrel　and　making　a　night　of　it。

Heavy　travel　continued　over　the　bridge　all　afternoon　…　a　prairie　schooner　with　three　oxen；　two　mules　and　a　bronco　pulling　it；　a　prospector　in　his　red　flannel　undershirt；　driving　a　laden　donkey；　a　hurdy…gurdy　troupe　on　its　way　to　the　barbecue；　a　stage…coach　drawn　by　six　half…broken　wild　horses；　an　old　Spanish　settler　on　a　beautiful；　black　thoroughbred；　a