a sappho of green springs-第3章

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orbits。



〃But　YOU　couldn't　find　it；〃　he　said；　slyly。



〃No　more　could　you　find　the　half…dollar　I　dropped　just　now；　unless

I　helped　you。〃



Mr。　Hamlin；　by　way　of　illustration；　leaned　deeply　over　his　left

stirrup；　and　pointed　to　the　ground。　　At　the　same　moment　a　bright

half…dollar　absolutely　appeared　to　glitter　in　the　herbage　at　the

point　of　his　finger。　　It　was　a　trick　that　had　always　brought　great

pleasure　and　profit　to　his　young　friends；　and　some　loss　and

discomfiture　of　wager　to　his　older　ones。



The　boy　picked　up　the　coin：　〃There's　a　dip　and　a　level　crossing

about　a　mile　over　yer；〃he　pointed；〃but　it's　through　the　woods；

and　they're　that　high　with　thick　bresh。〃



〃With　what？〃



〃Bresh；〃　repeated　the　boy；　〃THAT；〃pointing　to　a　few　fronds　of

bracken　growing　in　the　shadow　of　the　sycamore。



〃Oh！　underbrush？〃



〃Yes；　I　said　'bresh；'〃　returned　the　boy；　doggedly。　　〃YOU　might　get

through；　ef　you　war　spry；　but　not　your　hoss。　　Where　do　you　want　to

go；　anyway？〃



〃Do　you　know；　George；〃　said　Mr。　Hamlin；　lazily　throwing　his　right

leg　over　the　horn　of　his　saddle　for　greater　ease　and　deliberation

in　replying；　〃it's　very　odd；　but　that's　just　what　I'D　like　to　know。

Now；　what　would　YOU；　in　your　broad　statesmanlike　views　of　things

generally；　advise？〃



Quite　convinced　of　the　stranger's　mental　unsoundness；　the　boy

glanced　again　at　his　half…dollar；　as　if　to　make　sure　of　its

integrity；　pocketed　it　doubtfully；　and　turned　away。



〃Where　are　you　going？〃　said　Hamlin；　resuming　his　seat　with　the

agility　of　a　circus…rider；　and　spurring　forward。



〃To　Green　Springs；　where　I　live；　two　miles　over　the　ridge　on　the

far　slope；〃indicating　the　direction。



〃Ah！〃　said　Jack；　with　thoughtful　gravity。　　〃Well；　kindly　give　my

love　to　your　sister；　will　you？〃



〃George　Washington　didn't　have　no　sister；〃　said　the　boy；　cunningly。



〃Can　I　have　been　mistaken？〃　said　Hamlin；　lifting　his　hand　to　his

forehead　with　grieved　accents。　　〃Then　it　seems　YOU　have。　　Kindly

give　her　my　love。〃



〃Which　one？〃　asked　the　boy；　with　a　swift　glance　of　mischief。　　〃I've

got　four。〃



〃The　one　that's　like　you；〃　returned　Hamlin；　with　prompt　exactitude。

〃Now；　where's　the　'bresh'　you　spoke　of？〃



〃Keep　along　the　edge　until　you　come　to　the　log…slide。　　Foller　that；

and　it'll　lead　you　into　the　woods。　　But　ye　won't　go　far；　I　tell　ye。

When　you　have　to　turn　back；　instead　o'　comin'　back　here；　you　kin

take　the　trail　that　goes　round　the　woods；　and　that'll　bring　ye　out

into　the　stage　road　ag'in　near　the　post…office　at　the　Green　Springs

crossin'　and　the　new　hotel。　　That'll　be　war　ye'll　turn　up；　I

reckon；〃　he　added；　reflectively。　　〃Fellers　that　come　yer　gunnin'

and　fishin'　gin'rally　do；〃　he　concluded；　with　a　half…inquisitive

air。



〃Ah？〃　said　Mr。　Hamlin；　quietly　shedding　the　inquiry。　　〃Green

Springs　Hotel　is　where　the　stage　stops；　eh？〃



〃Yes；　and　at　the　post…office；〃　said　the　boy。　　〃She'll　be　along　here

soon；〃　he　added。



〃If　you　mean　the　Santa　Cruz　stage；〃　said　Hamlin；　〃she's　here

already。　　I　passed　her　on　the　ridge　half　an　hour　ago。〃



The　boy　gave　a　sudden　start；　and　a　quick　uneasy　expression　passed

over　his　face。　　〃Go　'long　with　ye！〃　he　said；　with　a　forced　smile：

〃it　ain't　her　time　yet。〃



〃But　I　SAW　her；〃　repeated　Hamlin；　much　amused。　　〃Are　you　expecting

company？　　Hullo！　　Where　are　you　off　to？　　Come　back。〃



But　his　companion　had　already　vanished　in　the　thicket　with　the

undeliberate　and　impulsive　act　of　an　animal。　　There　was　a　momentary

rustle　in　the　alders　fifty　feet　away；　and　then　all　was　silent。　　The

hidden　brook　took　up　its　monotonous　murmur；　the　tapping　of　a

distant　woodpecker　became　suddenly　audible；　and　Mr。　Hamlin　was

again　alone。



〃Wonder　whether　he's　got　parents　in　the　stage；　and　has　been　playing

truant　here；〃　he　mused；　lazily。　　〃Looked　as　if　he'd　been　up　to　some

devilment；　or　more　like　as　if　he　was　primed　for　it。　　If　he'd　been　a

little　older；　I'd　have　bet　he　was　in　league　with　some　road…agents

to　watch　the　coach。　　Just　my　luck　to　have　him　light　out　as　I　was

beginning　to　get　some　talk　out　of　him。〃　　He　paused；　looked　at　his

watch；　and　straightened　himself　in　his　stirrups。　　〃Four　o'clock。　　I

reckon　I　might　as　well　try　the　woods　and　what　that　imp　calls　the

'bresh；'　I　may　strike　a　shanty　or　a　native　by　the　way。〃



With　this　determination；　Mr。　Hamlin　urged　his　horse　along　the　faint

trail　by　the　brink　of　the　watercourse　which　the　boy　had　just

indicated。　　He　had　no　definite　end　in　view　beyond　the　one　that　had

brought　him　the　day　before　to　that　localityhis　quest　of　the

unknown　poetess。　　His　clue　would　have　seemed　to　ordinary　humanity

the　faintest。　　He　had　merely　noted　the　provincial　name　of　a　certain

plant　mentioned　in　the　poem；　and　learned　that　its　habitat　was

limited　to　the　southern　local　range；　while　its　peculiar　nomenclature

was　clearly　of　French　Creole　or　Gulf　State　origin。　　This　gave　him　a

large　though　sparsely…populated　area　for　locality；　while　it

suggested　a　settlement　of　Louisianians　or　Mississippians　near　the

Summit；　of　whom；　through　their　native　gambling　proclivities；　he　was

professionally　cognizant。　　But　he　mainly　trusted　Fortune。　　Secure　in

his　faith　in　the　feminine　character　of　that　goddess；　he　relied　a

great　deal　on　her　well…known　weakness　for　scamps　of　his　quality。



It　was　not　long　before　he　came　to　the　〃slide〃a　lightly…cut　or

shallow　ditch。　　It　descended　slightly　in　a　course　that　was　far　from

straight；　at　times　diverging　to　avoid　the　obstacles　of　trees　or

boulders；　at　times　shaving　them　so　closely　as　to　leave　smooth

abrasions　along　their　sides　made　by　the　grinding　passage　of　long

logs　down　the　incline。　　The　track　itself　was　slippery　from　this；

and　preoccupied　all　Hamlin's　skill　as　a　horseman；　even　to　the　point

of　stopping　his　usual　careless　whistle。　　At　the　end　of　half　an　hour

the　track　became　level　again；　and　he　was　confronted　with　a　singular

phenomenon。



He　had　entered　the　wood；　and　the　trail　seemed　to　cleave　through　a

far…stretching；　motionless　sea　of　ferns　that　flowed　on　either　side

to　the　height　of　his　horse's　flanks。　　The　straight　shafts　of　the

trees　rose　like　columns　from　their　hidden　bases　and　were　lost　again

in　a　roof　of　impenetrable　leafage；　leaving　a　clear　space　of　fifty

feet　between；　through　which　the　surrounding　horizon　of　sky　was

perfectly　visible。　　All　the　light　that　entered　this　vast　sylvan

hall　came　from　the　sides；　nothing　permeated　from　above；　nothing

radiated　from　below；　the　height　of　the　crest　on　which　the　wood　was

placed　gave　it　this　lateral　illumination；　but　gave　it　also　the

profound　isolation　of　some　temple　raised　by　long…forgotten　hands。

In　spite　of　the　height　of　these　clear　shafts；　they　seemed　dwarfed

by　the　expanse　of　the　wood；　and　in　the　farthest　perspective　the

base　of　ferns　and　the　capital　of　foliage　appeared　almost　to　meet。

As　the　boy　had　warned　him；　the　slide　had　turned　aside；　skirting　the

wood　to　follow　the　incline；　and　presently　the　little　trail　he　now

followed　vanished　utterly；　leaving　him　and　his　horse　adrift　breast…

high　in　this　green　and　yellow　sea　of　fronds。　　But　Mr。　Hamlin；

imperious　of　obstacles；　and　touched　by　some　curiosity；　continued　to

advance　lazily；　taking　the　bearings　of　a　larger　red…wood　in　the

centre　of　the　grove　for　his　objective　point。　　The　elastic　mass　gave

way　before　him；　brushing　his　knees　or　combing　his　horse's　flanks

with　wide…spread　elfin　fingers；　and　closing　up　behind　him　as　he

passed；　as　if　to　obliterate　any　track　by　which　he　might　return。

Yet　his　usual　luck　did　not　desert　him　here。　　Being　on　horseback；　he

found　that　he　could　detect　what　had　been　invisible　to　the　boy　and

probably　to　all　pedestrians；　namely；　that　the　growth　was　not

equally　dense；　that　there　were　certain　thinner　and　more　open　spaces

that　he　could　take　advantage　of　by　more　circuitous　progression；

always；　however；　keeping　the　bearings　of　the　central　tree。　　This　he

at　last　reached；　and　halted　his　panting　horse。　　Here　a　new　idea

which　had　been　haunting　him　since　he　entered　the　wood　took　fuller

possession　of　him。　　He　had　seen　or　known　all　this　before！　　There

was　a　strange　familiarity　either　in　these　objects　or　in　the

impression　or　spell　they　left　upon　him。　　He　remembered　the　verses！

Yes；　this　was　the　〃underbrush〃　which　the　poetess　had　described：　the

gloom　above　and　below；　the　light　that　seemed　blown　through　it　like

the　wind；　the　suggestion　of　hidden　life　beneath　this　tangled

luxuriance；　which　she　alone　had　penetrated；all　this　was　here。

But；　more　than　that；　here　was　the　atmosphere　that　she　had　breathed

into　the　plaintive　melody　of　her　verse。　　It　did　not　necessarily

follow　that　Mr。　Hamlin's　translation　of　her　sentiment　was　the

correct　one；　or　that　the　ideas　her　verses　had　provoked　in　his　mind

were　at　all　what　had　been　hers：　in　his　easy　susceptibility　he　was

simply　thrown　into　a　corresponding　mood　of　emotion　and　relieved

himself　with　song。　　One　of　the　verses　he　had　already　associated　in

his　mind　with　the　rhythm　of　an　old　plantation　melody；　and　it　struck

his　fancy　to　take　advantage　of　the　solitude　to　try　its　effect。

Humming　to　himself；　at　first　softly；　he　at　last　grew　bolder；　and

let　his　voice　drift　away　through　the　stark　pillars　of　the　sylvan

colonnade　till　it　seemed　to　suffuse　and　fill　it　with　no　more　effort

than　the　light　which　strayed　in　on　either　side。　　Sitting　thus；　his

hat　thrown　a　little　back　from　his　clustering　curls；　the　white　neck

and　shoulders　of　his　horse　uplifting　him　above　the　crested　mass　of

fern；　his　red　sash　the　one　fleck　of　color　in　their　olive　depths；　I

am　afraid　he　looked　much　more　like　the　real　minstrel　of　the　grove

than　the　unknown　poetess　who　transfigured　it。　　But　this；　as　has

been　already　indicated；　was　Jack　Hamlin's　peculiar　gift。　　Even　as

he　had　previously　outshone　the　vaquero　in　his　borrowed　dress；　he

now　silenced　and　supplanted　a　few　fluttering　blue…jaysrightful

tenants　of　the　woodwith　a　more　graceful　and　airy　presence　and　a

far　sweeter　voice。



The　open　horizon　towards　the　west　had　taken　a　warmer　color　from　the

already　slanting　sun　when　Mr。　Hamlin；　having　rested　his　horse；

turned　to　that　direction。　　He　had　noticed　that　the　wood　was　thinner

there；　and；　pushing　forward；　he　was　presently　rewarded　by　the　sound

of　far…off　wheels；　and　knew　he　must　be　near　the　high…road　that　the

boy　had　spoken　of。　　Having　given　up　his　previous　intention　of

crossing　the　stream；　there　seemed　nothing　better　for　him　to　do　than

to　follow　the　truant's　advice　and　take　the　road　back　to　Green

Springs。　　Yet　he　was　loath　to　leave　the　wood；　halting　on　its　verge；

and　turning　to　look　back　into　its　charmed　recesses。　　Once　or　twice

perhaps　because　he　recalled　the　words　of　the　poemthat　yellowish

sea　of　ferns　had　seemed　instinct　with　hidden　life；　and　he　had　even

fancied；　here　and　there；　a　swaying　of　its　plumed　crests。　　Howbeit；

he　still　lingered　long　enough　for　the　open　sunlight　into　which　he

had　obtruded　to　point　out　the