part 4-第3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！





these　houses；　and　ought　to　behave　as　such。　　Nearly　every



afternoon　she　went　to　the　chambers　which　contained　the



most　interesting　fragments　of　pottery；　sat　and　looked　at



them　for　a　while。　　Some　of　them　were　beautifully　deco…



rated。　　This　care；　expended　upon　vessels　that　could　not



hold　food　or　water　any　better　for　the　additional　labor



put　upon　them；　made　her　heart　go　out　to　those　ancient



potters。　　They　had　not　only　expressed　their　desire；　but



they　had　expressed　it　as　beautifully　as　they　could。　　Food；



fire；　water；　and　something　elseeven　here；　in　this　crack



in　the　world；　so　far　back　in　the　night　of　the　past！　　Down



here　at　the　beginning　that　painful　thing　was　already



stirring；　the　seed　of　sorrow；　and　of　so　much　delight。







　　　　　There　were　jars　done　in　a　delicate　overlay；　like　pine



cones；　and　there　were　many　patterns　in　a　low　relief；　like



basket…work。　　Some　of　the　pottery　was　decorated　in



color；　red　and　brown；　black　and　white；　in　graceful　geo…



metrical　patterns。　　One　day；　on　a　fragment　of　a　shallow



bowl；　she　found　a　crested　serpent's　head；　painted　in　red



on　terra…cotta。　　Again　she　found　half　a　bowl　with　a　broad



band　of　white　cliff…houses　painted　on　a　black　ground。



They　were　scarcely　conventionalized　at　all；　there　they



were　in　the　black　border；　just　as　they　stood　in　the　rock



before　her。　　It　brought　her　centuries　nearer　to　these　peo…



ple　to　find　that　they　saw　their　houses　exactly　as　she　saw



them。



















　　　　　Yes；　Ray　Kennedy　was　right。　　All　these　things　made　one



feel　that　one　ought　to　do　one's　best；　and　help　to　fulfill　some



desire　of　the　dust　that　slept　there。　　A　dream　had　been



dreamed　there　long　ago；　in　the　night　of　ages；　and　the　wind



had　whispered　some　promise　to　the　sadness　of　the　savage。



In　their　own　way；　those　people　had　felt　the　beginnings　of



what　was　to　come。　　These　potsherds　were　like　fetters　that



bound　one　to　a　long　chain　of　human　endeavor。







　　　　　Not　only　did　the　world　seem　older　and　richer　to　Thea



now；　but　she　herself　seemed　older。　　She　had　never　been



alone　for　so　long　before；　or　thought　so　much。　　Nothing　had



ever　engrossed　her　so　deeply　as　the　daily　contemplation　of



that　line　of　pale…yellow　houses　tucked　into　the　wrinkle　of　the



cliff。　　Moonstone　and　Chicago　had　become　vague。　　Here



everything　was　simple　and　definite；　as　things　had　been　in



childhood。　　Her　mind　was　like　a　ragbag　into　which　she　had



been　frantically　thrusting　whatever　she　could　grab。　　And



here　she　must　throw　this　lumber　away。　　The　things　that



were　really　hers　separated　themselves　from　the　rest。　　Her



ideas　were　simplified；　became　sharper　and　clearer。　　She　felt



united　and　strong。











　　　　　When　Thea　had　been　at　the　Ottenburg　ranch　for　two



months；　she　got　a　letter　from　Fred　announcing　that　he



〃might　be　along　at　almost　any　time　now。〃　　The　letter



came　at　night；　and　the　next　morning　she　took　it　down



into　the　canyon　with　her。　　She　was　delighted　that　he　was



coming　soon。　　She　had　never　felt　so　grateful　to　any　one；



and　she　wanted　to　tell　him　everything　that　had　happened



to　her　since　she　had　been　theremore　than　had　happened



in　all　her　life　before。　　Certainly　she　liked　Fred　better



than　any　one　else　in　the　world。　　There　was　Harsanyi；　of



coursebut　Harsanyi　was　always　tired。　　Just　now；　and



here；　she　wanted　some　one　who　had　never　been　tired；　who



could　catch　an　idea　and　run　with　it。







　　　　　She　was　ashamed　to　think　what　an　apprehensive　drudge















she　must　always　have　seemed　to　Fred；　and　she　wondered



why　he　had　concerned　himself　about　her　at　all。　　Perhaps



she　would　never　be　so　happy　or　so　good…looking　again；



and　she　would　like　Fred　to　see　her；　for　once；　at　her　best。



She　had　not　been　singing　much；　but　she　knew　that　her



voice　was　more　interesting　than　it　had　ever　been　before。



She　had　begun　to　understand　thatwith　her；　at　least



voice　was；　first　of　all；　vitality；　a　lightness　in　the　body　and



a　driving　power　in　the　blood。　　If　she　had　that；　she　could



sing。　　When　she　felt　so　keenly　alive；　lying　on　that　insensi…



ble　shelf　of　stone；　when　her　body　bounded　like　a　rubber　ball



away　from　its　hardness；　then　she　could　sing。　　This；　too；　she



could　explain　to　Fred。　　He　would　know　what　she　meant。







　　　　　Another　week　passed。　　Thea　did　the　same　things　as



before；　felt　the　same　influences；　went　over　the　same　ideas；



but　there　was　a　livelier　movement　in　her　thoughts；　and　a



freshening　of　sensation；　like　the　brightness　which　came　over



the　underbrush　after　a　shower。　　A　persistent　affirmation



or　denialwas　going　on　in　her；　like　the　tapping　of　the



woodpecker　in　the　one　tall　pine　tree　across　the　chasm。



Musical　phrases　drove　each　other　rapidly　through　her



mind；　and　the　song　of　the　cicada　was　now　too　long　and　too



sharp。　　Everything　seemed　suddenly　to　take　the　form　of　a



desire　for　action。







　　　　　It　was　while　she　was　in　this　abstracted　state；　waiting



for　the　clock　to　strike；　that　Thea　at　last　made　up　her　mind



what　she　was　going　to　try　to　do　in　the　world；　and　that　she



was　going　to　Germany　to　study　without　further　loss　of　time。



Only　by　the　merest　chance　had　she　ever　got　to　Panther



Canyon。　　There　was　certainly　no　kindly　Providence　that



directed　one's　life；　and　one's　parents　did　not　in　the　least



care　what　became　of　one；　so　long　as　one　did　not　misbehave



and　endanger　their　comfort。　　One's　life　was　at　the　mercy　of



blind　chance。　　She　had　better　take　it　in　her　own　hands　and



lose　everything　than　meekly　draw　the　plough　under　the



rod　of　parental　guidance。　　She　had　seen　it　when　she　was　at















home　last　summer；the　hostility　of　comfortable；　self…



satisfied　people　toward　any　serious　effort。　　Even　to　her



father　it　seemed　indecorous。　　Whenever　she　spoke　seriously；



he　looked　apologetic。　　Yet　she　had　clung　fast　to　whatever



was　left　of　Moonstone　in　her　mind。　　No　more　of　that！　　The



Cliff…Dwellers　had　lengthened　her　past。　　She　had　older　and



higher　obligations。



























　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　V











　　　　　ONE　Sunday　afternoon　late　in　July　old　Henry　Biltmer



was　rheumatically　descending　into　the　head　of　the



canyon。　　The　Sunday　before　had　been　one　of　those　cloudy



daysfortunately　rarewhen　the　life　goes　out　of　that



country　and　it　becomes　a　gray　ghost；　an　empty；　shivering



uncertainty。　　Henry　had　spent　the　day　in　the　barn；　his



canyon　was　a　reality　only　when　it　was　flooded　with　the　light



of　its　great　lamp；　when　the　yellow　rocks　cast　purple　shad…



ows；　and　the　resin　was　fairly　cooking　in　the　corkscrew



cedars。　　The　yuccas　were　in　blossom　now。　　Out　of　each



clump　of　sharp　bayonet　leaves　rose　a　tall　stalk　hung　with



greenish…white　bells　with　thick；　fleshy　petals。　　The　nigger…



head　cactus　was　thrusting　its　crimson　blooms　up　out　of



every　crevice　in　the　rocks。







　　　　　Henry　had　come　out　on　the　pretext　of　hunting　a　spade



and　pick…axe　that　young　Ottenburg　had　borrowed；　but　he



was　keeping　his　eyes　open。　　He　was　really　very　curious



about　the　new　occupants　of　the　canyon；　and　what　they



found　to　do　there　all　day　long。　　He　let　his　eye　travel　along



the　gulf　for　a　mile　or　so　to　the　first　turning；　where　the　fis…



sure　zigzagged　out　and　then　receded　behind　a　stone　prom…



ontory　on　which　stood　the　yellowish；　crumbling　ruin　of



the　old　watch…tower。







　　　　　From　the　base　of　this　tower；　which　now　threw　its



shadow　forward；　bits　of　rock　kept　flying　out　into　the　open



gulfskating　upon　the　air　until　they　lost　their　momen…



tum；　then　falling　like　chips　until　they　rang　upon　the　ledges



at　the　bottom　of　the　gorge　or　splashed　into　the　stream。



Biltmer　shaded　his　eyes　with　his　hand。　　There　on　the　prom…



ontory；　against　the　cream…colored　cliff；　were　two　figures



nimbly　moving　in　the　light；　both　slender　and　agile；　entirely















absorbed　in　their　game。　　They　looked　like　two　boys。　　Both



were　hatless　and　both　wore　white　shirts。







　　　　　Henry　forgot　his　pick…axe　and　followed　the　trail　before



the　cliff…houses　toward　the　tower。　　Behind　the　tower；　as



he　well　knew；　were　heaps　of　stones；　large　and　small；　piled



against　the　face　of　the　cliff。　　He　had　always　believed　that



the　Indian　watchmen　piled　them　there　for　ammunition。



Thea　and　Fred　had　come　upon　these　missiles　and　were



throwing　them　for　distance。　　As　Biltmer　approached　he



could　hear　them　laughing；　and　he　caught　Thea's　voice；



high　and　excited；　with　a　ring　of　vexation　in　it。　　Fred　was



teaching　her　to　throw　a　heavy　stone　like　a　discus。　　When



it　was　Fred's　turn；　he　sent　a　triangular…shaped　stone　out



into　the　air　with　considerable　skill。　　Thea　watched　it　en…



viously；　standing　in　a　half…defiant　posture；　her　sleeves



rolled　above　her　elbows　and　her　face　flushed　with　heat



and　excitement。　　After　Fred's　third　missile　had　rung　upon



the　rocks　below；　she　snatched　up　a　stone　and　stepped　im…



patiently　out　on　the　ledge　in　front　of　him。　　He　caught　her



by　the　elbows　and　pulled　her　back。







　　　　　〃Not　so　close；　you　silly！　　You'll　spin　yourself　off　in　a



minute。〃







　　　　　〃You　went　that　close。　　There's　your　heel…mark；〃　she



retorted。







　　　　　〃Well；　I　know　how。　　That　makes　a　difference。〃　　He　drew



a　mark　in　the　dust　with　his　toe。　　〃There；　that's　right。



Don't　step　over　that。　　Pivot　yourself　on　your　spine；　and



make　a　half　turn