Found At Blazing Star.docx
- 文档编号:11568846
- 上传时间:2023-03-19
- 格式:DOCX
- 页数:21
- 大小:42.05KB
Found At Blazing Star.docx
《Found At Blazing Star.docx》由会员分享,可在线阅读,更多相关《Found At Blazing Star.docx(21页珍藏版)》请在冰豆网上搜索。
FoundAtBlazingStar
FoundAtBlazingStarbyBretHarteTherainhadonlyceasedwiththegraystreaksofmorningatBlazingStar,andthesettlementawoketoamoralsenseofcleanliness,andthefindingofforgottenknives,tincups,andsmallercamputensils,wheretheheavyshowershadwashedawaythedebrisanddustheapsbeforethecabindoors.Indeed,itwasrecordedinBlazingStarthatafortunateearlyriserhadoncepickeduponthehighwayasolidchunkofgoldquartzwhichtherainhadfreedfromitsincumberingsoil,andwashedintoimmediateandglitteringpopularity.Possiblythismayhavebeenthereasonwhyearlyrisersinthatlocality,duringtherainyseason,adoptedathoughtfulhabitofbody,andseldomliftedtheireyestotheriftedorindia-inkwashedskiesabovethem.
"Cass"Beardhadrisenearlythatmorning,butnotwithaviewtodiscovery.Aleakinhiscabinroof,--quiteconsistentwithhiscareless,improvidenthabits,--hadrousedhimat4A.M.,withaflooded"bunk"andwetblankets.Thechipsfromhiswoodpilerefusedtokindleafiretodryhisbed-clothes,andhehadrecoursetoamoreprovidentneighbor'stosupplythedeficiency.
Thiswasnearlyopposite.Mr.Cassiuscrossedthehighway,andstoppedsuddenly.Somethingglitteredinthenearestredpoolbeforehim.Gold,surely!
But,wonderfultorelate,notanirregular,shapelessfragmentofcrudeore,freshfromNature'scrucible,butabitofjeweler'shandicraftintheformofaplaingoldring.Lookingatitmoreattentively,hesawthatitboretheinscription,"MaytoCass."Likemostofhisfellowgold-seekers,Casswassuperstitious.
"Cass!
"Hisownname!
Hetriedthering.Itfittedhislittlefingerclosely.Itwasevidentlyawoman'sring.Helookedupanddownthehighway.Noonewasyetstirring.Littlepoolsofwaterintheredroadwerebeginningtoglitterandgrowrosyfromthefar-flushingeast,buttherewasnotraceoftheowneroftheshiningwaif.Heknewthattherewasnowomanincamp,andamonghisfewcomradesinthesettlementherememberedtohaveseennonewearinganornamentlikethat.Again,thecoincidenceoftheinscriptiontohisratherpeculiarnicknamewouldhavebeenaperennialsourceofplayfulcommentinacampthatmadenoallowanceforsentimentalmemories.Heslippedtheglitteringlittlehoopintohispocket,andthoughtfullyreturnedtohiscabin.
Twohourslater,whenthelong,stragglingprocession,whicheverymorningwendeditswaytoBlazingStarGulch,--theseatofminingoperationsinthesettlement,--begantomove,Casssawfittointerrogatehisfellows."Yedidn'tnoneonyehappentodropanythingroundyerlastnight?
"heasked,cautiously.
"Idroppedapocketbookcontaininggovernmentbondsandsomeothersecurities,withbetweenfiftyandsixtythousanddollars,"respondedPeterDrummond,carelessly;"butnomatter,ifanymanwillreturnafewautographlettersfromforeignpotentatesthathappenedtobeinit,--ofnovaluetoanybodybuttheowner,--hecankeepthemoney.Thar'snothin'meanaboutme,"heconcluded,languidly.
Thisstatement,bearingeveryevidenceofthegrossestmendacity,waslightlypassedover,andthemenwalkedonwiththedeepestgravity.
"Buthevyou?
"Casspresentlyaskedofanother.
"IlostmypiletoJackHamlinatdraw-poker,overatWingdamlastnight,"returnedtheother,pensively,"butIdon'tcalkilatetofinditlyingroundloose."Forcedatlastbythiskindofironyintomoredetailedexplanation,Cassconfidedtothemhisdiscovery,andproducedhistreasure.Theresultwasadozenvaguesurmises,--onlyoneofwhichseemedtobepopular,andtosuitthedyspepticdespondencyoftheparty,--adespondencybornofhastilymasticatedfriedporkandflapjacks.
Theringwasbelievedtohavebeendroppedbysomepassing"roadagent"ladenwithguiltyspoil.
"EfIwasyou,"saidDrummond,gloomily,"Iwouldn'tflourishthatyerringaroundmuchaforefolks.I'veseenbettermennoryoustrungupatreebyVigilantesforhavingevenlessthanthatintheirpossession.""AndIwouldn'tsaymuchaboutbein'upsod----dearlythismorning,"addedanevenmorepessimisticcomrade;"itmightlookbadbeforeajury."Withthisthemensadlydispersed,leavingtheinnocentCasswiththeringinhishand,andageneralimpressiononhismindthathewasalreadyanobjectofsuspiciontohiscomrades,--animpression,itishardlynecessarytosay,theyfullyintendedshouldbelefttorankleinhisguilelessbosom.
NotwithstandingCass'sfirsthopefulsuperstitiontheringdidnotseemtobringhimnorthecampanyluck.Dailythe"cleanup"broughtthesamescantrewardstotheirlabors,anddeepenedthesardonicgravityofBlazingStar.But,ifCassfoundnomaterialresultfromhistreasure,itstimulatedhislazyimagination,and,albeitadangerousandseductivestimulant,atleastliftedhimoutofthemonotonousgroovesofhishalf-careless,half-slovenly,butalwaysself-contentedcamplife.Heedingthewisecautionofhiscomrades,hetookthehabitofwearingtheringonlyatnight.
Wrappedinhisblanket,hestealthilyslippedthegoldencircletoverhislittlefinger,and,asheaverred,"sleptallthebetterforit."Whetheriteverevokedanywarmerdreamorvisionduringthosecalm,cold,virgin-likespringnights,wheneventhemoonandthegreaterplanetsretreatedintotheicyblue,steel-likefirmament,Icannotsay.Enoughthatthissuperstitionbegantobecoloredalittlebyfancy,andhisfatalismsomewhatmitigatedbyhope.Dreamsofthiskinddidnottendtopromotehisefficiencyinthecommunisticlaborsofthecamp,andbroughthimaself-isolationthat,howevergratifyingatfirst,soondebarredhimthebenefitsofthathardpracticalwisdomwhichunderlaidthegrumblingofhisfellowworkers.
"I'mdog-goned,"saidonecommentator,"efIdon'tbelievethatCassislooneyoverthatyerringhefound.Wearsitonastringunderhisshirt."Meantime,theseasonsdidnotwaitthediscoveryofthesecret.
TheredpoolsinBlazingStarhighwayweresoondriedupintheferventJunesunandriotousnightwindofthosealtitudes.Theephemeralgrassesthathadquicklysupplantedthesepoolsandthechocolate-coloredmud,wereasquicklyparchedandwithered.Thefootprintsofspringbecamevagueandindefinite,andwerefinallylostintheimpalpabledustofthesummerhighway.
Inoneofhislong,aimlessexcursions,Casshadpenetratedathickundergrowthofbuckeyeandhazel,andfoundhimselfquiteunexpectedlyuponthehighroadtoRedChief'sCrossing.Cassknewbytheluridcloudofdustthathidthedistance,thattheupcoachhadpassed.Hehadalreadyreachedthatstageofsuperstitionwhenthemosttrivialoccurrenceseemedtopointinsomewaytoanelucidationofthemysteryofhistreasure.Hiseyeshadmechanicallyfallentothegroundagain,asifhehalfexpectedtofindinsomeotherwaifahintorcorroborationofhisimaginings.
Thusabstracted,thefigureofayounggirlonhorseback,intheroaddirectlybeforethebushesheemergedfrom,appearedtohavesprungdirectlyfromtheground.
"Oh,comehere,pleasedo;quick!
"
Cassstared,andthenmovedhesitatinglytowardher.
"Iheardsomeonecomingthroughthebushes,andIwaited,"shewenton."Comequick.It'ssomethingtooawfulforanything."Inspiteofthisappallingintroduction,Casscouldnotbutnoticethatthevoice,althoughhurriedandexcited,wasbynomeansagitatedorfrightened;thattheeyeswhichlookedintohissparkledwithacertainkindofpleasedcuriosity.
"Itwasjusthere,"shewentonvivaciously,"justherethatIwentintothebushandcutaswitchformymare,--and,"--leadinghimalongatabrisktrotbyherside,--"justhere,look,see!
thisiswhatIfound."Itwasscarcelythirtyfeetfromtheroad.TheonlyobjectthatmetCass'seyewasaman'sstiff,tallhat,lyingemptilyandvacantlyinthegrass.Itwasnew,shiny,andofmodishshape.
Butitwassoincongruous,soperkilysmart,andyetsofeebleandhelplesslyingthere,soghastlyludicrousinitsveryappropriatenessandincapacitytoadjustitselftothesurroundinglandscape,thatitaffectedhimwithsomethingmorethanasenseofitsgrotesqueness,andhecouldonlystareatitblankly.
"Butyou'renotlookingtherightway,"thegirlwentonsharply;"lookthere!
"
Cassfollowedthedirectionofherwhip.Atlast,whatmighthaveseemedacoatthrowncarelesslyonthegroundmethiseye,butpresentlyhebecameawareofawhite,rigid,aimlessly-clinchedhandprotrudingfromtheflaccidsleeve;mingledwithitinsomeabsurdwayandhalfhiddenbythegrass,laywhatmighthavebeenapairofcast-offtrousersbutfortworigidbootsthatpointedinoppositeanglestothesky.Itwasadeadman.Sopalpablydeadthatlifeseemedtohavetakenflightfromhisveryclothes.Soimpotent,feeble,anddegradedbythemthatthenakedsubjectofadissectingtablewouldhavebeenlessinsultingtohumanity.Theheadhadfallenback,andwaspartlyhiddeninagopherburrow,butthewhite,upturnedfaceandclosedeyeshadlessofhelplessdeathinthemthanthosewretchedenwrappings.Indeed,onelimphandthatlayacrosstheswollenabdomenlentitselftothegrotesquelyhideoussuggestionofagentlemansleepingofftheexcessesofaheartydinner.
"Ain'thehorrid?
"continuedthegirl;"butwhatkilledhim?
"Strugglingbetweenacertainfascinationatthegirl'scold-bloodedcuriosityandhorrorofthemurderedman,Casshesitatinglyliftedthehelplesshead.Abluishholeabovetherighttemple,andafewbrownpaint-likespotsontheforehead,shirtcellar,andmattedhairprovedtheonlyrecord.
"Turnhimoveragain,"saidthegirl,impatiently,asCasswasabouttorelinquishhisburden."Maybeyou'llfindanotherwound."ButCa
- 配套讲稿:
如PPT文件的首页显示word图标,表示该PPT已包含配套word讲稿。双击word图标可打开word文档。
- 特殊限制:
部分文档作品中含有的国旗、国徽等图片,仅作为作品整体效果示例展示,禁止商用。设计者仅对作品中独创性部分享有著作权。
- 关 键 词:
- Found At Blazing Star