tales of trail and town-第37部分

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epidemic；　which　had　now　taken　a　fast　hold　of　the　settlement；

Johnny's　secretand　indeed　the　boy　himselfwas　quite　forgotten。

It　was　only　on　Mr。　Medliker's　arrival　it　was　known　that　he　had　been

lying　dangerously　ill；　alone；　in　the　abandoned　house。　　In　his

strange　reticence　and　firmness　of　purpose　he　had　kept　his

sufferings　to　himself；as　he　had　his　other　secret；and　they　were

revealed　only　in　the　wasted；　hollow　figure　that　feebly　opened　the

door　to　his　father。



On　which　intelligence　Mr。　Staples　was；　as　usual；　promptly　on　the

spot　with　his　story　of　Johnny's　secret　to　the　father；　and　his　usual

eager　questioning　to　the　fast…sinking　boy。　　〃And　now；　Johnny；〃　he

said；　leaning　over　the　bed；　〃tell　us　ALL。　　There　is　One　from　whom

no　secrets　are　hid。　　Remember；　too；　that　dear　Florry；　who　is　now

with　the　angels；　has　already　confessed。〃



Perhaps　it　was　because　Johnny；　even　at　that　moment；　hated　the　man；

perhaps　it　was　because　at　that　moment　he　loved　and　believed　in

Florry；　or　perhaps　it　was　only　that　because　at　that　moment　he　was

nearer　the　greater　Truth　than　his　questioner；　but　he　said；　in　a

husky　voice；　〃You　lie！〃



Staples　drew　back　with　a　flushed　face；　but　lips　that　writhed　in　a

pained　and　still　persistent　eagerness。　　〃But；　Johnny；　at　least　tell

us　wherewhwowwow。〃



I　am　obliged　to　admit　that　these　undignified　accents　came　from　Mr。

Staples'　own　lips；　and　were　due　to　the　sudden　pressure　of　Mr。

Medliker's　arm　around　his　throat。　　The　teamster　was　irascible　and

prompt　through　much　mule…driving；　and　his　arm　was；　from　the　same

reason；　strong　and　sinewy。　　Mr。　Staples　felt　himself　garroted　and

dragged　from　the　room；　and　only　came　to　under　the　stars　outside；

with　the　hoarse　voice　of　Mr。　Medliker　in　his　ears：



〃You're　a　minister　of　the　gospel；　I　know；　but　ef　ye　say　another

word　to　my　Johnny；　I'll　knock　the　gospel　stuffin'　out　of　ye。　　Ye

hear　me！　　I'VE　DRIVEN　MULES　AFORE！〃



He　then　strode　back　into　the　room。　　〃Ye　needn't　answer；　Johnny；

he's　gone。〃



But　so；　too；　had　Johnny；　for　he　never　answered　the　question　in　this

world；　nor；　please　God；　was　he　required　to　in　the　next。　　He　lay

still　and　dead。　　The　community　was　scandalized　the　next　day　when

Mr。　Medliker　sent　for　a　minister　from　Sacramento　to　officiate　at

his　child's　funeral；　in　place　of　Mr。　Staples；　and　then　the　subject

was　dropped。



　　　　　　　　。　　　　　　　　。　　　　　　　　。　　　　　　　　。　　　　　　　　。　　　　　　　　。



But　the　influence　of　Johnny's　hidden　treasure　still　remained　as　a

superstition　in　the　locality。　　Prospecting　parties　were　continually

made　up　to　discover　the　unknown　claim；　but　always　from　evidence　and

data　altogether　apocryphal。　　It　was　even　alleged　that　a　miner　had

one　night　seen　the　little　figures　of　Johnny　and　Florry　walking　over

the　hilltop；　hand　in　hand；　but　that　they　had　vanished　among　the

stars　at　the　very　moment　he　thought　he　had　discovered　their　secret。

And　then　it　was　forgotten；　the　prosperous　Mr。　Medliker；　now　the

proprietor　of　a　stage…coach　route；　moved　away　to　Sacramento；

Medliker's　Ranch　became　a　station　for　changing　horses；　and；　as　the

new　railway　in　time　superseded　even　that；　sank　into　a　blacksmith's

shop　on　the　outskirts　of　the　new　town　of　Burnt　Spring。　　And　then

one　day；　six　years　after；　news　fell　as　a　bolt　from　the　blue！



It　was　thus　recorded　in　the　county　paper：　〃A　piece　of　rare　good

fortune；　involving；　it　is　said；　the　development　of　a　lead　of

extraordinary　value；　has　lately　fallen　to　the　lot　of　Mr。　John

Silsbee；　the　popular　blacksmith；　on　the　site　of　the　old　Medliker

Ranch。　　In　clearing　out　the　failing　water…course　known　as　Burnt

Spring；　Mr。　Silsbee　came　upon　a　rich　ledge　or　pocket　at　the　actual

source　of　the　spring；a　fissure　in　the　ground　a　few　rods　from　the

road。　　The　present　yield　has　been　estimated　to　be　from　eight　to　ten

thousand　dollars。　　But　the　event　is　considered　as　one　of　the　most

remarkable　instances　of　the　vagaries　of　'prospecting'　ever　known；

as　this　valuable　'pot…hole'　existed　undisturbed　for　EIGHT　YEARS　not

FIFTY　YARDS　from　the　old　cabin　that　was　in　former　times　the

residence　of　J。　Medliker；　Esq。；　and　the　station　of　the　Pioneer

Stage　Company；　and　was　utterly　unknown　and　unsuspected　by　the

previous　inhabitants！　　Verily　truth　is　stranger　than　fiction！〃







A　TALE　OF　THREE　TRUANTS





The　schoolmaster　at　Hemlock　Hill　was　troubled　that　morning。　　Three

of　his　boys　were　missing。　　This　was　not　only　a　notable　deficit　in　a

roll…call　of　twenty；　but　the　absentees　were　his　three　most　original

and　distinctive　scholars。　　He　had　received　no　preliminary　warning

or　excuse。　　Nor　could　he　attribute　their　absence　to　any　common

local　detention　or　difficulty　of　travel。　　They　lived　widely　apart

and　in　different　directions。　　Neither　were　they　generally　known　as

〃chums；〃　or　comrades；　who　might　have　entered　into　an　unhallowed

combination　to　〃play　hookey。〃



He　looked　at　the　vacant　places　before　him　with　a　concern　which　his

other　scholars　little　shared；　having；　after　their　first　lively

curiosity；　not　unmixed　with　some　envy　of　the　derelicts；　apparently

forgotten　them。　　He　missed　the　cropped　head　and　inquisitive　glances

of　Jackson　Tribbs　on　the　third　bench；　the　red　hair　and　brown　eyes

of　Providence　Smith　in　the　corner；　and　there　was　a　blank　space　in

the　first　bench　where　Julian　Fleming；　a　lanky　giant　of　seventeen；

had　sat。　　Still；　it　would　not　do　to　show　his　concern　openly；　and；

as　became　a　man　who　was　at　least　three　years　the　senior　of　the

eldest；　Julian　Fleming；　he　reflected　that　they　were　〃only　boys；〃

and　that　their　friends　were　probably　ignorant　of　the　good　he　was

doing　them；　and　so　dismissed　the　subject。　　Nevertheless；　it　struck

him　as　wonderful　how　the　little　world　beneath　him　got　on　without

them。　　Hanky　Rogers；　bully；　who　had　been　kept　in　wholesome　check　by

Julian　Fleming；　was　lively　and　exuberant；　and　his　conduct　was

quietly　accepted　by　the　whole　school；　Johnny　Stebbins；　Tribbs's

bosom　friend；　consorted　openly　with　Tribbs's　particular　enemy；　some

of　the　girls　were　singularly　gay　and　conceited。　　It　was　evident

that　some　superior　masculine　oppression　had　been　removed。



He　was　particularly　struck　by　this　last　fact；　when；　the　next

morning；　no　news　coming　of　the　absentees；　he　was　impelled　to

question　his　flock　somewhat　precisely　concerning　them。　　There　was

the　usual　shy　silence　which　follows　a　general　inquiry　from　the

teacher's　desk；　the　children　looked　at　one　another；　giggled

nervously；　and　said　nothing。



〃Can　you　give　me　any　idea　as　to　what　might　have　kept　them　away？〃

said　the　master。



Hanky　Rogers　looked　quickly　around；　began；　〃Playin'　hook〃　in　a

loud　voice；　but　stopped　suddenly　without　finishing　the　word；　and

became　inaudible。　　The　master　saw　fit　to　ignore　him。



〃Bee…huntin'；〃　said　Annie　Roker　vivaciously。



〃Who　is？〃　asked　the　master。



〃Provy　Smith；　of　course。　　Allers　bee…huntin'。　　Gets　lots　o'　honey。

Got　two　full　combs　in　his　desk　last　week。　　He's　awful　on　bees　and

honey。　　Ain't　he；　Jinny？〃　　This　in　a　high　voice　to　her　sister。



The　younger　Miss　Roker；　thus　appealed　to；　was　heard　to　murmur　that

of　all　the　sneakin'　bee…hunters　she　had　ever　seed；　Provy　Smith　was

the　worst。　　〃And　squirrelsfor　nuts；〃　she　added。



The　master　became　attentive；a　clue　seemed　probable　here。　　〃Would

Tribbs　and　Fleming　be　likely　to　go　with　him？〃　he　asked。



A　significant　silence　followed。　　The　master　felt　that　the　children

recognized　a　doubt　of　this；　knowing　the　boys　were　not　〃chums；〃

possibly　they　also　recognized　something　incriminating　to　them；　and

with　characteristic　freemasonry　looked　at　one　another　and　were

dumb。



He　asked　no　further　questions；　but；　when　school　was　dismissed；

mounted　his　horse　and　started　for　the　dwelling　of　the　nearest

culprit；　Jackson　Tribbs；　four　miles　distant。　　He　had　often　admired

the　endurance　of　the　boy；　who　had　accomplished　the　distance；

including　the　usual　meanderings　of　a　country　youth；　twice　a　day；　on

foot；　in　all　weathers；　with　no　diminution　of　spirits　or　energy。　　He

was　still　more　surprised　when　he　found　it　a　mountain　road；　and　that

the　house　lay　well　up　on　the　ascent　of　the　pass。　　Autumn　was

visible　only　in　a　few　flaming　sumacs　set　among　the　climbing　pines；

and　here；　in　a　little　clearing　to　the　right；　appeared　the　dwelling

he　was　seeking。



〃Tribbses；〃　or　〃Tribbs's　Run；〃　was　devoted　to　the　work　of　cutting

down　the　pines　midway　on　a　long　regularly　sloping　mountain…side；

which　allowed　the　trunks；　after　they　were　trimmed　and　cut　into

suitable　lengths；　to　be　slid　down　through　rude　runs；　or　artificial

channels；　into　the　valley　below；　where　they　were　collected　by　teams

and　conveyed　to　the　nearest　mills。　　The　business　was　simple　in　the

extreme；　and　was　carried　on　by　Tribbs　senior；　two　men　with　saws　and

axes；　and　the　natural　laws　of　gravitation。　　The　house　was　a　long

log　cabin；　several　sheds　roofed　with　bark　or　canvas　seemed

consistent　with　the　still　lingering　summer　and　the　heated　odors　of

the　pines；　but　were　strangely　incongruous　to　those　white　patches　on

the　table…land　and　the　white　tongue　stretching　from　the　ridge　to

the　valley。　　But　the　master　was　familiar　with　those　Sierran

contrasts；　and　as　he　had　never　ascended　the　trail　before；　it　might

be　only　the　usual　prospect　of　the　dwellers　there。　　At　this　moment

Mr。　Tribbs　appeared　from　the　cabin；　with　his　axe　on　his　shoulder。

Nodding　carelessly　to　the　master；　he　was　moving　away；　when　the

latter　stopped　him。



〃Is　Jackson　here？〃　he　asked。



〃No；〃　said　the　father；　half　impatiently；　still　moving　on。　　〃Hain't

seen　him　since　yesterday。〃



〃Nor　has　he　been　at　school；〃　said　the　master；　〃either　yesterday　or

to…day。〃



Mr。　Tribbs　looked　puzzled　and　grieved。　　〃Now　I　reckoned　you　had

kep'　him　in　for　some　devilment　of　his'n；　or　lessons。〃



〃Not　ALL　NIGHT！〃　said　the　master；　somewhat　indignant　at　this

presumption　of　his　arbitrary　functions。



〃Humph！〃　said　Mr。　Tribbs。　　〃Mariar！〃　　Mrs。　Tribbs　made　her

appearance　in　t