drift from two shores(漂流)-第11章
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〃Well； go on！〃 said a dozen excited voices。
Dick paused a moment； diffidently； with the hesitation of an artistic
raconteur。
〃Well；〃 he said； with affected deliberation； 〃let's see！ It's nigh onto
an hour ago ez I was down thar at the variety show。 When the curtain
was down betwixt the ax； I looks round fer Daddy。 No Daddy thar！ I
goes out and asks some o' the boys。 'Daddy WAS there a minnit ago；'
they say； 'must hev gone home。' Bein' kinder responsible for the old man；
I hangs around； and goes out in the hall and sees a passage leadin' behind
the scenes。 Now the queer thing about this； boys； ez that suthin in my
bones tells me the old man is THAR。 I pushes in； and； sure as a gun； I
hears his voice。 Kinder pathetic； kinder pleadin'； kinder〃
〃Love…makin'！〃 broke in the impatient Robinson。
〃You've hit it； pard；you've rung the bell every time！ But she says；
'wants thet money down； or I'll' and here I couldn't get to hear the rest。
And then he kinder coaxes； and she says； sorter sassy； but listenin' all the
time；woman like； ye know； Eve and the sarpint！and she says； 'I；ll see
to…morrow。' And he says； 'You won't blow on me？' and I gets excited and
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peeps in； and may I be teetotally durned ef I didn't see〃
〃What？〃 yelled the crowd。
〃Why； DADDY ON HIS KNEES TO THAT THERE FANCY
DANCER； Grace Somerset！ Now； if Mammy's ghost is meanderin'
round； why； et's about time she left the cemetery and put in an appearance
in Jackson's Hall。 Thet's all！〃
〃Look yar； boys；〃 said Robinson； rising； 〃I don't know ez it's the
square thing to spile Daddy's fun。 I don't object to it； provided she ain't
takin' in the old man； and givin' him dead away。 But ez we're his
guardeens； I propose that we go down thar and see the lady； and find out ef
her intentions is honorable。 If she means marry； and the old man persists；
why； I reckon we kin give the young couple a send…off thet won't disgrace
this yer camp！ Hey； boys？〃
It is unnecessary to say that the proposition was received with
acclamation； and that the crowd at once departed on their discreet mission。
But the result was never known； for the next morning brought a shock to
Rough…and…Ready before which all other interest paled to nothingness。
The grave of Mammy Downey was found violated and despoiled； the
coffin opened； and half filled with the papers and accounts of the robbed
benevolent associations； but the body of Mammy was gone！ Nor； on
examination； did it appear that the sacred and ancient form of that female
had ever reposed in its recesses！
Daddy Downey was not to be found； nor is it necessary to say that the
ingenuous Grace Somerset was also missing。
For three days the reason of Rough…and…Ready trembled in the balance。
No work was done in the ditches； in the flume； nor in the mills。 Groups
of men stood by the grave of the lamented relict of Daddy Downey； as
open…mouthed and vacant as that sepulchre。 Never since the great
earthquake of '52 had Rough…and…Ready been so stirred to its deepest
foundations。
On the third day the sheriff of Calaverasa quiet； gentle； thoughtful
manarrived in town； and passed from one to the other of excited groups；
dropping here and there detached but concise and practical information。
〃Yes； gentlemen； you are right； Mrs。 Downey is not dead； because
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there wasn't any Mrs。 Downey！ Her part was played by George F。
Fenwick； of Sydney；a 'ticket…of…leave…man；' who was； they say； a good
actor。 Downey？ Oh； yes Downey was Jem Flanigan； who； in '52； used
to run the variety troupe in Australia； where Miss Somerset made her
debut。 Stand back a little； boys。 Steady！ 'The money？' Oh； yes；
they've got away with that； sure！ How are ye； Joe？ Why； you're
looking well and hearty！ I rather expected ye court week。 How's things
your way？〃
〃Then they were only play…actors； Joe Hall？〃 broke in a dozen voices。
〃I reckon！〃 returned the sheriff； coolly。
〃And for a matter o' five blank years；〃 said Whisky Dick； sadly； 〃they
played this camp！〃
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〃JINNY〃
I think that the few who were permitted to know and love the object
of this sketch spent the rest of their days not only in an attitude of apology
for having at first failed to recognize her higher nature； but of remorse that
they should have ever lent a credulous ear to a priori tradition concerning
her family characteristics。 She had not escaped that calumny which she
shared with the rest of her sex for those youthful follies； levities； and
indiscretions which belong to immaturity。 It is very probable that the
firmness that distinguished her maturer will in youth might have been
taken for obstinacy； that her nice discrimination might at the same period
have been taken for adolescent caprice； and that the positive expression of
her quick intellect might have been thought youthful impertinence before
her years had won respect for her judgment。 She was foaled at Indian
Creek； and one month later； when she was brought over to Sawyer's Bar；
was considered the smallest donkey ever seen in the foot…hills。 The
legend that she was brought over in one of 〃Dan the Quartz Crusher's〃
boots required corroboration from that gentleman； but his denial being
evidently based upon a masculine vanity regarding the size of his foot
rather than a desire to be historically accurate； it went for nothing。 It is
certain that for the next two months she occupied the cabin of Dan； until；
perhaps incensed at this and other scandals； she one night made her way
out。 〃I hadn't the least idee wot woz comin'；〃 said Dan； 〃but about
midnight I seemed to hear hail onto the roof； and a shower of rocks and
stones like to a blast started in the canyon。 When I got up and struck a
light； thar was suthin' like onto a cord o' kindlin' wood and splinters whar
she'd stood asleep； and a hole in the side o' the shanty； andno Jinny！
Lookin' at them hoofs o' hernand mighty porty they is to look at； too
you would allow she could do it！〃 I fear that this performance laid the
foundation of her later infelicitous reputation； and perhaps awakened in
her youthful breast a misplaced ambition； and an emulation which might at
that time have been diverted into a nobler channel。 For the fame of this
juvenile performanceand its possible promise in the futurebrought at
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once upon her the dangerous flattery and attention of the whole camp。
Under intelligently directed provocation she would repeat her misguided
exercise； until most of the scanty furniture of the cabin was reduced to a
hopeless wreck； and sprains and callosities were developed upon the limbs
of her admirers。 Yet even at this early stage of her history； that
penetrating intellect which was in after years her dominant quality was
evident to all。 She could not be made to kick at quartz tailings； at a barrel
of Boston crackers； or at the head or shin of 〃Nigger Pete。〃 An artistic
discrimination economized her surplus energy。 〃Ef you'll notiss；〃 said
Dan； with a large parental softness； 〃she never lets herself out to onst like
them mules or any jackass ez I've heerd of； but kinder holds herself in； and；
so to speak； takes her bearingssorter feels round gently with that off foot；
takes her distance and her rest； and then with that ar' foot hoverin' round in
the air softly； like an angel's wing； and a gentle； dreamy kind o' look in
them eyes； she lites out！ Don't ye； Jinny？ Thar！ jist ez I told ye；〃
continued Dan； with an artist's noble forgetfulness of self； as he slowly
crawled from the splintered ruin of the barrel on which he had been sitting。
〃Thur！ did ye ever see the like！ Did ye dream that all the while I was
talkin' she was a meditatin' that？〃
The same artistic perception and noble reticence distinguished her bray。
It was one of which a less sagacious animal would have been foolishly
vain or ostentatiously prodigal。 It was a contralto of great compass and
profundityreaching from low G to high C perhaps a trifle stronger in
the lower register； and not altogether free from a nasal falsetto in the upper。
Daring and brilliant as it was in the middle notes； it was perhaps more
musically remarkable for its great sustaining power。 The element of
surprise always entered into the hearer's enjoyment； long after any
ordinary strain of human origin would have ceased； faint echoes of Jinny's
last note were perpetually recurring。 But it was as an intellectual and
moral expression that her bray was perfect。 As far beyond her size as
were her aspirations； it was a free and running commentary of scorn at all
created things extant； with ironical and sardonic additions that were
terrible。 It reviled all human endeavor； it quenched all sentiment； it
suspended frivolity； it scattered reverie； it paralyzed action。 It was
