按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！
At any rate； that's what Seth writes me。 Of myself； I don't know。 But
Sarah here knows。 She corresponded with the railroad before they
shipped me and all that。〃
Mrs。 Jones nodded affirmation of his words； sighed and evidenced
unmistakable signs of eagerness to go。
〃I ain't been able to work since；〃 her husband continued。 〃And I ain't
been able to figure out how to get back that big nugget。 Sarah's got money
of her own； and she won't let go a penny … 〃
〃He won't get down to THAT country no more！〃 she broke forth。
〃But； Sarah； Vahna's dead … you know that；〃 Julian Jones protested。
〃I don't know anything about anything；〃 she answered decisively；
〃except that THAT country is no place for a married man。〃
Her lips snapped together； and she fixed an unseeing stare across to
where the afternoon sun was beginning to glow into sunset。 I gazed for a
moment at her face； white； plump； tiny； and implacable； and gave her up。
〃How do you account for such a mass of gold being there？〃 I queried
of Julian Jones。 〃A solid…gold meteor that fell out of the sky？〃
〃Not for a moment。〃 He shook his head。 〃 It was carried there by
the Indians。〃
〃Up a mountain like that … and such enormous weight and size！〃 I
objected。
〃Just as easy；〃 he smiled。 〃I used to be stumped by that proposition
44
… Page 45…
THE RED ONE
myself； after I got my memory back。 Now how in Sam Hill … ' I used to
begin； and then spend hours figuring at it。 And then when I got the
answer I felt downright idiotic； it was that easy。〃 He paused； then
announced： 〃They didn't。〃
〃But you just … said they did。〃
〃They did and they didn't；〃 was his enigmatic reply。 〃Of course they
never carried that monster nugget up there。 What they did was to carry
up its contents。〃
He waited until he saw enlightenment dawn in my face。
〃And then of course melted all the gold； or welded it； or smelted it； all
into one piece。 You know the first Spaniards down there； under a leader
named Pizarro； were a gang of robbers and cut… throats。 They went
through the country like the hoof…and…mouth disease； and killed the
Indians off like cattle。 You see； the Indians had lots of gold。 Well； what
the Spaniards didn't get； the surviving Indians hid away in that one big
chunk on top the mountain； and it's been waiting there ever since for me …
and for you； if you want to go in on it。〃
And here； by the Lagoon of the Palace of Fine Arts； ended my
acquaintance with Julian Jones。 On my agreeing to finance the adventure；
he promised to call on me at my hotel next morning with the letters of
Seth Manners and the railroad； and conclude arrangements。 But he did
not call。 That evening I telephoned his hotel and was informed by the
clerk that Mr。 Julian Jones and wife had departed in the early afternoon；
with their baggage。
Can Mrs。 Jones have rushed him back and hidden him away in
Nebraska？ I remember that as we said good…bye； there was that in her
smile that recalled the vulpine complacency of Mona Lisa； the Wise。
Kohala； Hawaii； MAY 5； 1916。
45
… Page 46…
THE RED ONE
LIKE ARGUS OF THE ANCIENT
TIMES
IT was the summer of 1897； and there was trouble in the Tarwater
family。 Grandfather Tarwater； after remaining properly subdued and
crushed for a quiet decade； had broken out again。 This time it was the
Klondike fever。 His first and one unvarying symptom of such attacks
was song。 One chant only he raised； though he remembered no more
than the first stanza and but three lines of that。 And the family knew his
feet were itching and his brain was tingling with the old madness； when he
lifted his hoarse…cracked voice； now falsetto…cracked； in：
Like Argus of the ancient times； We leave this modern Greece； Tum…
tum； tum…tum； tum； tum； tum…tum； To shear the Golden Fleece。
Ten years earlier he had lifted the chant； sung to the air of the
〃Doxology；〃 when afflicted with the fever to go gold…mining in Patagonia。
The multitudinous family had sat upon him； but had had a hard time doing
it。 When all else had failed to shake his resolution； they had applied
lawyers to him； with the threat of getting out guardianship papers and of
confining him in the state asylum for the insane … which was reasonable
for a man who had； a quarter of a century before； speculated away all but
ten meagre acres of a California principality； and who had displayed no
better business acumen ever since。
The application of lawyers to John Tarwater was like the application of
a mustard plaster。 For； in his judgment； they were the gentry； more than
any other； who had skinned him out of the broad Tarwater acres。 So； at
the time of his Patagonian fever； the very thought of so drastic a remedy
was sufficient to cure him。 He quickly demonstrated he was not crazy by
shaking the fever from him and agreeing not to go to Patagonia。
Next； he demonstrated how crazy he really was； by deeding over to his
family； unsolicited； the ten acres on Tarwater Flat； the house； barn；
outbuildings； and water…rights。 Also did he turn over the eight hundred
dollars in bank that was the long…saved salvage of his wrecked fortune。
46
… Page 47…
THE RED ONE
But for this the family found no cause for committal to the asylum； since
such committal would necessarily invalidate what he had done。
〃Grandfather is sure peeved；〃 said Mary； his oldest daughter； herself a
grandmother； when her father quit smoking。
All he had retained for himself was a span of old horses； a mountain
buckboard； and his one room in the crowded house。 Further； having
affirmed that he would be beholden to none of them； he got the contract to
carry the United States mail； twice a week； from Kel