the silverado squatters-第13章

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begun　to　realize　the　difficulties　of　our　position。　　We　had　

found　what　an　amount　of　labour　it　cost　to　support　life　in　our　

red　canyon；　and　it　was　the　dearest　desire　of　our　hearts　to　

get　a　China…boy　to　go　along　with　us　when　we　returned。　　We　

could　have　given　him　a　whole　house　to　himself；　self…

contained；　as　they　say　in　the　advertisements；　and　on　the　

money　question　we　were　prepared　to　go　far。　　Kong　Sam　Kee；　the　

Calistoga　washerman；　was　entrusted　with　the　affair；　and　from　

day　to　day　it　languished　on；　with　protestations　on　our　part　

and　mellifluous　excuses　on　the　part　of　Kong　Sam　Kee。



At　length；　about　half…past　eight　of　our　last　evening；　with　

the　waggon　ready　harnessed　to　convey　us　up　the　grade；　the　

washerman；　with　a　somewhat　sneering　air；　produced　the　boy。　　

He　was　a　handsome；　gentlemanly　lad；　attired　in　rich　dark　

blue；　and　shod　with　snowy　white；　but；　alas！　he　had　heard　

rumours　of　Silverado。　　He　know　it　for　a　lone　place　on　the　

mountain…side；　with　no　friendly　wash…house　near　by；　where　he　

might　smoke　a　pipe　of　opium　o'　nights　with　other　China…boys；　

and　lose　his　little　earnings　at　the　game　of　tan；　and　he　first　

backed　out　for　more　money；　and　then；　when　that　demand　was　

satisfied；　refused　to　come　point…blank。　　He　was　wedded　to　his　

wash…houses；　he　had　no　taste　for　the　rural　life；　and　we　must　

go　to　our　mountain　servantless。　　It　must　have　been　near　half　

an　hour　before　we　reached　that　conclusion；　standing　in　the　

midst　of　Calistoga　high　street　under　the　stars；　and　the　

China…boy　and　Kong　Sam　Kee　singing　their　pigeon　English　in　

the　sweetest　voices　and　with　the　most　musical　inflections。



We　were　not；　however；　to　return　alone；　for　we　brought　with　us　

Joe　Strong；　the　painter；　a　most　good…natured　comrade　and　a　

capital　hand　at　an　omelette。　　I　do　not　know　in　which　capacity　

he　was　most　valued　…　as　a　cook　or　a　companion；　and　he　did　

excellently　well　in　both。



The　Kong　Sam　Kee　negotiation　had　delayed　us　unduly；　it　must　

have　been　half…past　nine　before　we　left　Calistoga；　and　night　

came　fully　ere　we　struck　the　bottom　of　the　grade。　　I　have　

never　seen　such　a　night。　　It　seemed　to　throw　calumny　in　the　

teeth　of　all　the　painters　that　ever　dabbled　in　starlight。　　

The　sky　itself　was　of　a　ruddy；　powerful；　nameless；　changing　

colour；　dark　and　glossy　like　a　serpent's　back。　　The　stars；　by　

innumerable　millions；　stuck　boldly　forth　like　lamps。　　The　

milky　way　was　bright；　like　a　moonlit　cloud；　half　heaven　

seemed　milky　way。　　The　greater　luminaries　shone　each　more　

clearly　than　a　winter's　moon。　　Their　light　was　dyed　in　every　

sort　of　colour　…　red；　like　fire；　blue；　like　steel；　green；　

like　the　tracks　of　sunset；　and　so　sharply　did　each　stand　

forth　in　its　own　lustre　that　there　was　no　appearance　of　that　

flat；　star…spangled　arch　we　know　so　well　in　pictures；　but　all　

the　hollow　of　heaven　was　one　chaos　of　contesting　luminaries　…　

a　hurry…burly　of　stars。　　Against　this　the　hills　and　rugged　

treetops　stood　out　redly　dark。



As　we　continued　to　advance；　the　lesser　lights　and　milky　ways　

first　grew　pale；　and　then　vanished；　the　countless　hosts　of　

heaven　dwindled　in　number　by　successive　millions；　those　that　

still　shone　had　tempered　their　exceeding　brightness　and　

fallen　back　into　their　customary　wistful　distance；　and　the　

sky　declined　from　its　first　bewildering　splendour　into　the　

appearance　of　a　common　night。　　Slowly　this　change　proceeded；　

and　still　there　was　no　sign　of　any　cause。　　Then　a　whiteness　

like　mist　was　thrown　over　the　spurs　of　the　mountain。　　Yet　a　

while；　and；　as　we　turned　a　corner；　a　great　leap　of　silver　

light　and　net　of　forest　shadows　fell　across　the　road　and　upon　

our　wondering　waggonful；　and；　swimming　low　among　the　trees；　

we　beheld　a　strange；　misshapen；　waning　moon；　half…tilted　on　

her　back。



〃Where　are　ye　when　the　moon　appears？〃　so　the　old　poet　sang；　

half…taunting；　to　the　stars；　bent　upon　a　courtly　purpose。





〃As　the　sunlight　round　the　dim　earth's　midnight　tower　of　

shadow　pours；

Streaming　past　the　dim；　wide　portals；

Viewless　to　the　eyes　of　mortals；

Till　it　floods　the　moon's　pale　islet　or　the　morning's　golden　

shores。〃





So　sings　Mr。　Trowbridge；　with　a　noble　inspiration。　　And　so　

had　the　sunlight　flooded　that　pale　islet　of　the　moon；　and　her　

lit　face　put　out；　one　after　another；　that　galaxy　of　stars。　　

The　wonder　of　the　drive　was　over；　but；　by　some　nice　

conjunction　of　clearness　in　the　air　and　fit　shadow　in　the　

valley　where　we　travelled；　we　had　seen　for　a　little　while　

that　brave　display　of　the　midnight　heavens。　　It　was　gone；　but　

it　had　been；　nor　shall　I　ever　again　behold　the　stars　with　the　

same　mind。　　He　who　has　seen　the　sea　commoved　with　a　great　

hurricane；　thinks　of　it　very　differently　from　him　who　has　

seen　it　only　in　a　calm。　　And　the　difference　between　a　calm　

and　a　hurricane　is　not　greatly　more　striking　than　that　

between　the　ordinary　face　of　night　and　the　splendour　that　

shone　upon　us　in　that　drive。　　Two　in　our　waggon　knew　night　as　

she　shines　upon　the　tropics；　but　even　that　bore　no　

comparison。　　The　nameless　colour　of　the　sky；　the　hues　of　the　

star…fire；　and　the　incredible　projection　of　the　stars　

themselves；　starting　from　their　orbits；　so　that　the　eye　

seemed　to　distinguish　their　positions　in　the　hollow　of　space　

…　these　were　things　that　we　had　never　seen　before　and　shall　

never　see　again。



Meanwhile；　in　this　altered　night；　we　proceeded　on　our　way　

among　the　scents　and　silence　of　the　forest；　reached　the　top　

of　the　grade；　wound　up　by　Hanson's；　and　came　at　last　to　a　

stand　under　the　flying　gargoyle　of　the　chute。　　Sam；　who　had　

been　lying　back；　fast　asleep；　with　the　moon　on　his　face；　got　

down；　with　the　remark　that　it　was　pleasant　〃to　be　home。〃　　The　

waggon　turned　and　drove　away；　the　noise　gently　dying　in　the　

woods；　and　we　clambered　up　the　rough　path；　Caliban's　great　

feat　of　engineering；　and　came　home　to　Silverado。



The　moon　shone　in　at　the　eastern　doors　and　windows；　and　over　

the　lumber　on　the　platform。　　The　one　tall　pine　beside。　the　

ledge　was　steeped　in　silver。　　Away　up　the　canyon；　a　wild　cat　

welcomed　us　with　three　discordant　squalls。　　But　once　we　had　

lit　a　candle；　and　began　to　review　our　improvements；　homely　in　

either　sense；　and　count　our　stores；　it　was　wonderful　what　a　

feeling　of　possession　and　permanence　grow　up　in　the　hearts　of　

the　lords　of　Silverado。　　A　bed　had　still　to　be　made　up　for　

Strong；　and　the　morning's　water　to　be　fetched；　with　clinking　

pail；　and　as　we　set　about　these　household　duties；　and　showed　

off　our　wealth　and　conveniences　before　the　stranger；　and　had　

a　glass　of　wine；　I　think；　in　honour　of　our　return；　and　

trooped　at　length　one　after　another　up　the　flying　bridge　of　

plank；　and　lay　down　to　sleep　in　our　shattered；　moon…pierced　

barrack；　we　were　among　the　happiest　sovereigns　in　the　world；　

and　certainly　ruled　over　the　most　contented　people。　　Yet；　in　

our　absence；　the　palace　had　been　sacked。　　Wild　cats；　so　the　

Hansons　said；　had　broken　in　and　carried　off　a　side　of　bacon；　

a　hatchet；　and　two　knives。







EPISODES　IN　THE　STORY　OF　A　MINE







NO　one　could　live　at　Silverado　and　not　be　curious　about　the　

story　of　the　mine。　　We　were　surrounded　by　so　many　evidences　

of　expense　and　toil；　we　lived　so　entirely　in　the　wreck　of　

that　great　enterprise；　like　mites　in　the　ruins　of　a　cheese；　

that　the　idea　of　the　old　din　and　bustle　haunted　our　repose。　　

Our　own　house；　the　forge；　the　dump；　the　chutes；　the　rails；　

the　windlass；　the　mass　of　broken　plant；　the　two　tunnels；　one　

far　below　in　the　green　dell；　the　other　on　the　platform　where　

we　kept　our　wine；　the　deep　shaft；　with　the　sun…glints　and　the　

water…drops；　above　all；　the　ledge；　that　great　gaping　slice　

out　of　the　mountain　shoulder；　propped　apart　by　wooden　wedges；　

on　whose　immediate　margin；　high　above　our　heads；　the　one　tall　

pine　precariously　nodded　…　these　stood　for　its　greatness；　

while；　the　dog…hutch；　boot…jacks；　old　boots；　old　tavern　

bills；　and　the　very　beds　that　we　inherited　from　bygone　

miners；　put　in　human　touches　and　realized　for　us　the　story　of　

the　past。



I　have　sat　on　an　old　sleeper；　under　the　thick　madronas　near　

the　forge；　with　just　a　look　over　the　dump　on　the　green　world　

below；　and　seen　the　sun　lying　broad　among　the　wreck；　and　

heard　the　silence　broken　only　by　the　tinkling　water　in　the　

shaft；　or　a　stir　of　the　royal　family　about　the　battered　

palace；　and　my　mind　has　gone　back　to　the　epoch　of　the　

Stanleys　and　the　Chapmans；　with　a　grand　TUTTI　of　pick　and　

drill；　hammer　and　anvil；　echoing　about　the　canyon；　the　

assayer　hard　at　it　in　our　dining…room；　the　carts　below　on　the　

road；　and　their　cargo　of　red　mineral　bounding　and　thundering　

down　the　iron　chute。　　And　now　all　gone　…　all　fallen　away　into　

this　sunny　silence　and　desertion：　　a　family　of　squatters　

dining　in　the　assayer's　office；　making　their　beds　in　the　big　

sleeping　room　erstwhile　so　crowded；　keeping　their　wine　in　the　

tunnel　that　once　rang　with　picks。



But　Silverado　itself；　although　now　fallen　in　its　turn　into　

decay；　was　once　but　a　mushroom；　and　had　succeeded　to　other　

mines　and　other　flitting　cities。　　Twenty　years　ago；　away　down　

the　glen　on　the　Lake　County　side　there　was　a　place；　Jonestown　

by　name；　with　two　thousand　inhabitants　dwelling　under　canvas；　

and　one　roofed　house　for　the　sale　of　whiskey。　　Round　on　the　

western　side　of　Mount　Saint　Helena；　there　was　at　the　same　

date；　a　second　large　encampment；　its　name；　if　it　ever　had　

one；　lost　for　me。　　Both　of　these　have　perished；　leaving　not　a　

stick　and　scarce　a　memory　behind　them。　　Tide　after　tide　of　

hopeful　miners　have　thus　flowed　and　ebbed　about　the　mountain；　

coming　and　going；　now　by　lone　prospectors；　now　with　a　rush。　　

Last；　in　order　of　time　came　Silverado；　reared　the　big　mill；　

in　the　valley；　founded　the　town　which　is　now　represented；　

monumentally；　by　Hanson's；　pierced　all　these　slaps　and　shafts　

and　tunnels；　and　in　turn　declined　and　died　away。





〃Our　noisy　years　seem　moments　in　the　wake

Of　the　eternal　silence。〃





As　to　the　success　of　Silverado　in　its　time　of　being；　two　

reports　were　current。　　According　to　the　first；　six　hundred　

thousand　dollars　were　taken　out　of　that　great　upright　seam；　

that　still　hung　open　above　us　on　crazy　wedges。　　Then　the　

ledge　pinched　out；　and　there　followed；　in　quest　of　the　

remainder；　a　great　drifting　and　tunnelling　in　all　directions；　

and　a　great　consequent　effusion　of　dollars；　until；　all　

parties　being　sick　of　the　expense；　the　mine　was　deserted；　and　

the　town　decamped。　　According　to　the　second　version；　told　me　

with　much　secrecy　of　manner；　the　whole　affair；　mine；　mill；　

and　town；　were　parts　of　one　majestic　swindle。　　There　had　

never　come　any　silver　out　of　any　portion　of　the　mine；　there　

was　no　silver　to　come。　　At　midnight　trains　of　packhorses　

might　have　been　observed　winding　by　devious　tracks　about　the　

shoulde