tales of trail and town-第1章

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Tales　of　Trail　and　Town



by　Bret　Harte









CONTENTS





THE　ANCESTORS　OF　PETER　ATHERLY



TWO　AMERICANS



THE　JUDGMENT　OF　BOLINAS　PLAIN



THE　STRANGE　EXPERIENCE　OF　ALKALI　DICK



A　NIGHT　ON　THE　DIVIDE



THE　YOUNGEST　PROSPECTOR　IN　CALAVERAS



A　TALE　OF　THREE　TRUANTS









TALES　OF　TRAIL　AND　TOWN





THE　ANCESTORS　OF　PETER　ATHERLY



CHAPTER　I





It　must　be　admitted　that　the　civilizing　processes　of　Rough　and

Ready　were　not　marked　by　any　of　the　ameliorating　conditions　of

other　improved　camps。　　After　the　discovery　of　the　famous　〃Eureka〃

lead；　there　was　the　usual　influx　of　gamblers　and　saloon…keepers；

but　that　was　accepted　as　a　matter　of　course。　　But　it　was　thought

hard　that；　after　a　church　was　built　and　a　new　school　erected；　it

should　suddenly　be　found　necessary　to　have　doors　that　locked；

instead　of　standing　shamelessly　open　to　the　criticism　and

temptation　of　wayfarers；　or　that　portable　property　could　no　longer

be　left　out　at　night　in　the　old　fond　reliance　on　universal


brotherhood。　　The　habit　of　borrowing　was　stopped　with　the

introduction　of　more　money　into　the　camp；　and　the　establishment　of

rates　of　interest；　the　poorer　people　either　took　what　they　wanted；

or　as　indiscreetly　bought　on　credit。　　There　were　better　clothes　to

be　seen　in　its　one　long　straggling　street；　but　those　who　wore　them

generally　lacked　the　grim　virtue　of　the　old　pioneers；　and　the

fairer　faces　that　were　to　be　seen　were　generally　rouged。　　There　was

a　year　or　two　of　this　kind　of　mutation；　in　which　the　youthful

barbarism　of　Rough　and　Ready　might　have　been　said　to　struggle　with

adult　civilized　wickedness；　and　then　the　name　itself　disappeared。

By　an　Act　of　the　Legislature　the　growing　town　was　called　〃Atherly；〃

after　the　owner　of　the　Eureka　mine；Peter　Atherly；who　had　given

largess　to　the　town　in　its　〃Waterworks〃　and　a　〃Gin　Mill；〃　as　the

new　Atherly　Hotel　and　its　gilded　bar…rooms　were　now　called。　　Even

at　the　last　moment；　however；　the　new　title　of　〃Atherly〃　hung　in　the

balance。　　The　romantic　daughter　of　the　pastor　had　said　that　Mr。

Atherly　should　be　called　〃Atherly　of　Atherly；〃　an　aristocratic

title　so　strongly　suggestive　of　an　innovation　upon　democratic

principles　that　it　was　not　until　it　was　discreetly　suggested　that

everybody　was　still　free　to　call　him　〃Atherly；　late　of　Rough　and

Ready；〃　that　opposition　ceased。



Possibly　this　incident　may　have　first　awakened　him　to　the　value　of

his　name；　and　some　anxiety　as　to　its　origin。　　Roughly　speaking；

Atherly's　father　was　only　a　bucolic　emigrant　from　〃Mizzouri；〃　and

his　mother　had　done　the　washing　for　the　camp　on　her　first　arrival。

The　Atherlys　had　suffered　on　their　overland　journey　from　drought

and　famine；　with　the　addition　of　being　captured　by　Indians；　who　had

held　them　captive　for　ten　months。　　Indeed；　Mr。　Atherly；　senior；

never　recovered　from　the　effects　of　his　captivity；　and　died　shortly

after　Mrs。　Atherly　had　given　birth　to　twins；　Peter　and　Jenny

Atherly。　　This　was　scant　knowledge　for　Peter　in　the　glorification

of　his　name　through　his　immediate　progenitors；　but　〃Atherly　of

Atherly〃　still　sounded　pleasantly；　and；　as　the　young　lady　had　said；

smacked　of　old　feudal　days　and　honors。　　It　was　believed　beyond

doubt；　even　in　their　simple　family　records；the　flyleaf　of　a

Bible；that　Peter　Atherly's　great…grandfather　was　an　Englishman

who　brought　over　to　his　Majesty's　Virginian　possessions　his　only

son；　then　a　boy。　　It　was　not　established；　however；　to　what　class　of

deportation　he　belonged：　whether　he　was　suffering　exile　from

religious　or　judicial　conviction；　or　if　he　were　only　one　of　the

articled　〃apprentices〃　who　largely　made　up　the　American　immigration

of　those　days。　　Howbeit；　〃Atherly〃　was　undoubtedly　an　English　name；

even　suggesting　respectable　and　landed　ancestry；　and　Peter　Atherly

was　proud　of　it。　　He　looked　somewhat　askance　upon　his　Irish　and

German　fellow　citizens；　and　talked　a　good　deal　about　〃race。〃　　Two

things；　however；　concerned　him：　he　was　not　in　looks　certainly　like

any　type　of　modern　Englishman　as　seen　either　on　the　stage　in　San

Francisco；　or　as　an　actual　tourist　in　the　mining　regions；　and　his

accent　was　undoubtedly　Southwestern。　　He　was　tall　and　dark；　with

deep…set　eyes　in　a　singularly　immobile　countenance；　he　had　an　erect

but　lithe　and　sinewy　figure　even　for　his　thirty　odd　years；　and

might　easily　have　been　taken　for　any　other　American　except　for　the

single　exception　that　his　nose　was　distinctly　Roman；　and　gave　him　a

distinguished　air。　　There　was　a　suggestion　of　Abraham　Lincoln　（and

even　of　Don　Quixote）　in　his　tall；　melancholy　figure　and　length　of

limb；　but　nothing　whatever　that　suggested　an　Englishman。



It　was　shortly　after　the　christening　of　Atherly　town　that　an

incident　occurred　which　at　first　shook；　and　then　the　more　firmly

established；　his　mild　monomania。　　His　widowed　mother　had　been　for

the　last　two　years　an　inmate　of　a　private　asylum　for　inebriates；

through　certain　habits　contracted　while　washing　for　the　camp　in　the

first　year　of　her　widowhood。　　This　had　always　been　a　matter　of　open

sympathy　to　Rough　and　Ready；　but　it　was　a　secret　reproach　hinted　at

in　Atherly；　although　it　was　known　that　the　rich　Peter　Atherly　kept

his　mother　liberally　supplied；　and　that　both　he　and　his　sister

〃Jinny〃　or　Jenny　Atherly　visited　her　frequently。　　One　day　he　was

telegraphed　for；　and　on　going　to　the　asylum　found　Mrs。　Atherly

delirious　and　raving。　　Through　her　son's　liberality　she　had　bribed

an　attendant；　and　was　fast　succumbing　to　a　private　debauch。　　In　the

intervals　of　her　delirium　she　called　Peter　by　name；　talked

frenziedly　and　mysteriously　of　his　〃high　connections〃alluded　to

himself　and　his　sister　as　being　of　the　〃true　breed〃and　with　a

certain　vigor　of　epithet；　picked　up　in　the　familiarity　of　the　camp

during　the　days　when　she　was　known　as　〃Old　Ma'am　Atherly〃　or　〃Aunt

Sally；〃　declared　that　they　were　〃no　corn…cracking　Hoosiers；〃

〃hayseed　pikes；〃　nor　〃northern　Yankee　scum；〃　and　that　she　should

yet　live　to　see　them　〃holding　their　own　lands　again　and　the　lands

of　their　forefathers。〃　　Quieted　at　last　by　opiates；　she　fell　into　a

more　lucid　but　scarcely　less　distressing　attitude。　　Recognizing

her　son　again；　as　well　as　her　own　fast　failing　condition；　she

sarcastically　thanked　him　for　coming　to　〃see　her　off；〃　congratulated

him　that　he　would　soon　be　spared　the　lie　and　expense　of　keeping　her

here　on　account　of　his　pride；　under　the　thin　pretext　of　trying　to

〃cure〃　her。　　She　knew　that　Sally　Atherly　of　Rough　and　Ready　wasn't

considered　fit　company　for　〃Atherly　of　Atherly〃　by　his　fine　new

friends。　　This　and　much　more　in　a　voice　mingling　maudlin　sentiment

with　bitter　resentment；　and　with　an　ominous　glitter　in　her　bloodshot

and　glairy　eyes。　　Peter　winced　with　a　consciousness　of　the

half…truth　of　her　reproaches；　but　the　curiosity　and　excitement

awakened　by　the　revelations　of　her　frenzy　were　greater　than　his

remorse。　　He　said　quickly：



〃You　were　speaking　of　father！of　his　familyhis　lands　and

possessions。　　Tell　me　again！〃



〃Wot　are　ye　givin'　us？〃　she　ejaculated　in　husky　suspicion；　opening

upon　him　her　beady　eyes；　in　which　the　film　of　death　was　already

gathering。



〃Tell　me　of　father；my　father　and　his　family！　his　great…

grandfather！the　Atherlys；　my　relationswhat　you　were　saying。

What　do　you　know　about　them？〃



〃THAT'S　all　ye　wanter　knowis　it？　　THAT'S　what　ye'r'　comin'　to　the

old　washer…woman　foris　it？〃　she　burst　out　with　the　desperation　of

disgust。　　〃Wellgive　it　up！　　Ask　me　another！〃



〃But；　motherthe　old　records；　you　know！　　The　family　Biblewhat

you　once　told　usme　and　Jinny！〃



Something　gurgled　in　her　throat　like　a　chuckle。　　With　the　energy　of

malevolence；　she　stammered：　〃There　wasn't　no　recordsthere　wasn't

no　family　Bible！　it's　all　a　lieyou　hear　me！　　Your　Atherly　that

you're　so　proud　of　was　just　a　British　bummer　who　was　kicked　outer

his　family　in　England　and　sent　to　buzz　round　in　Americky。　　He

honey…fogled　meSally　Magregorout　of　a　better　family　than　his'n；

in　Kansas；　and　skyugled　me　away；　but　it　was　a　straight　out

marriage；　and　I　kin　prove　it。　　It　was　in　the　St。　Louis　papers；　and

I've　got　it　stored　away　safe　enough　in　my　trunk！　　You　hear　me！　　I'm

shoutin'！　　But　he　wasn't　no　old　settler　in　Mizzourihe　wasn't

descended　from　any　settler；　either！　　He　was　a　new　man　outer

Englandfresh　caughtand　talked　down　his　throat。　　And　he　fooled

MEthe　darter　of　an　old　family　that　was　settled　on　the　right　bank

of　the　Mizzouri　afore　Dan'l　Boone　came　to　Kentuckywith　his　new

philanderings。　　Then　he　broke　up；　and　went　all　to　pieces　when　we

struck　Californy；　and　left　MESally　Magregor；　whose　father　had

niggers　of　his　ownto　wash　for　Rough　and　Ready！　　THAT'S　your

Atherly！　　Take　him！　　I　don't　want　himI've　done　with　him！　　I　was

done　with　him　long　aforeafore〃a　cough　checked　her　utterance；

〃afore〃　　She　gasped　again；　but　the　words　seemed　to　strangle　in

her　throat。　　Intent　only　on　her　words　and　scarcely　heeding　her

sufferings；　Peter　was　bending　over　her　eagerly；　when　the　doctor

rudely　pulled　him　away　and　lifted　her　to　a　sitting　posture。　　But

she　never　spoke　again。　　The　strongest　restoratives　quickly

administered　only　left　her　in　a　state　of　scarcely　breathing

unconsciousness。



〃Is　she　dying？　　Can't　you　bring　her　to；〃　said　the　anxious　Peter；

〃if　only　for　a　moment；　doctor？〃



〃I'm　thinkin'；〃　said　the　visiting　doctor；　an　old　Scotch　army

surgeon；　looking　at　the　rich　Mr。　Atherly　with　cool；　professional

contempt；　〃that　your　mother　willna　do　any　more　washing　for　me　as　in

the　old　time；　nor　give　up　her　life　again　to　support　her　bairns。

And　it　isna　my　eentention　to　bring　her　back　to　pain　for　the

purposes　of　geeneral　conversation！〃



Nor；　indeed；　did　she　ever　come　back　to　any　purpose；　but　passed　away

with　her　unfinished　sentence。　　And　her　limbs　were　scarcely　decently

composed　by　the　attendants　before　Peter　was　rummaging　the　trunk　in

her　room　for　the　paper　she　had　spoken　of。　　It　was　in　an　old　work…

boxa　now　faded　yellow　clipping　from　a　newspaper；　lying　amidst

spoils　of　cotton　thread；　buttons；　and　beeswax；　which　he　even　then

remembered　to　have　seen　upon　his　mother's　lap　when　she　superadded

the　sewing　on　of　buttons　to　her　washing　of　the　miners'　shirts。　　And

his　dark　and　hollow　cheek　glowed　with　gratified　sentiment　as　he

read　the　clipping。



〃We　hear　with　regret　of　the　death　of　Philip　Atherly；　Esq。；　of　Rough

and　Ready；　California。　　Mr。　Atherly　will　be　remembered　by　some　of

our　readers　as　the　hero　of　the　romantic　elopement　of　Miss　Sallie

Magregor；　daughter　of　Colonel　'Bob'　Magregor；　which　created　such　a

stir　in　well…to…do　circles　some　thirty　years　ago。　　It　was　known

vaguely　that　the　young　couple　had　'gone　West；'a　then　unknown

region；but　it　seems　that　after　severe　trials　and　tribulations　on

the　frontier　with　savages；　they　emigrated　early　to　Oregon；　and

then；　on　the　outbreak　of　the　gold　fever；　to　California。　　Bu