第 1 节
作者:
浮游云中 更新:2021-02-27 02:50 字数:9322
In the Carquinez Woods
by Bret Harte
CHAPTER I。
The sun was going down on the Carquinez Woods。 The few shafts of
sunlight that had pierced their pillared gloom were lost in
unfathomable depths; or splintered their ineffectual lances on
the enormous trunks of the redwoods。 For a time the dull red of
their vast columns; and the dull red of their cast…off bark which
matted the echoless aisles; still seemed to hold a faint glow of
the dying day。 But even this soon passed。 Light and color fled
upwards。 The dark interlaced treetops; that had all day made an
impenetrable shade; broke into fire here and there; their lost
spires glittered; faded; and went utterly out。 A weird twilight
that did not come from the outer world; but seemed born of the
wood itself; slowly filled and possessed the aisles。 The
straight; tall; colossal trunks rose dimly like columns of upward
smoke。 The few fallen trees stretched their huge length into
obscurity; and seemed to lie on shadowy trestles。 The strange
breath that filled these mysterious vaults had neither coldness
nor moisture; a dry; fragrant dust arose from the noiseless foot
that trod their bark…strewn floor; the aisles might have been
tombs; the fallen trees enormous mummies; the silence the
solitude of a forgotten past。
And yet this silence was presently broken by a recurring sound
like breathing; interrupted occasionally by inarticulate and
stertorous gasps。 It was not the quick; panting; listening
breath of some stealthy feline or canine animal; but indicated a
larger; slower; and more powerful organization; whose progress
was less watchful and guarded; or as if a fragment of one of the
fallen monsters had become animate。 At times this life seemed to
take visible form; but as vaguely; as misshapenly; as the phantom
of a nightmare。 Now it was a square object moving sideways;
endways; with neither head nor tail and scarcely visible feet;
then an arched bulk rolling against the trunks of the trees and
recoiling again; or an upright cylindrical mass; but always
oscillating and unsteady; and striking the trees on either hand。
The frequent occurrence of the movement suggested the figures of
some weird rhythmic dance to music heard by the shape alone。
Suddenly it either became motionless or faded away。
There was the frightened neighing of a horse; the sudden jingling
of spurs; a shout and outcry; and the swift apparition of three
dancing torches in one of the dark aisles; but so intense was the
obscurity that they shed no light on surrounding objects; and
seemed to advance of their own volition without human guidance;
until they disappeared suddenly behind the interposing bulk of
one of the largest trees。 Beyond its eighty feet of circumference
the light could not reach; and the gloom remained inscrutable。
But the voices and jingling spurs were heard distinctly。
〃Blast the mare! She's shied off that cursed trail again。〃
〃Ye ain't lost it again; hev ye?〃 growled a second voice。
〃That's jist what I hev。 And these blasted pine…knots don't give
light an inch beyond 'em。 Dd if I don't think they make this
cursed hole blacker。〃
There was a laugha woman's laughhysterical; bitter;
sarcastic; exasperating。 The second speaker; without heeding it;
went on:
〃What in thunder skeert the hosses? Did you see or hear
anything?〃
〃Nothin'。 The wood is like a graveyard。〃
The woman's voice again broke into a hoarse; contemptuous laugh。
The man resumed angrily:
〃If you know anything; why in h…ll don't you say so; instead of
cackling like a dd squaw there? P'raps you reckon you ken find
the trail too。〃
〃Take this rope off my wrist;〃 said the woman's voice; 〃untie my
hands; let me down; and I'll find it。〃 She spoke quickly and
with a Spanish accent。
It was the men's turn to laugh。 〃And give you a show to snatch
that six…shooter and blow a hole through me; as you did to the
Sheriff of Calaveras; eh? Not if this court understands itself;〃
said the first speaker dryly。
〃Go to the devil; then;〃 she said curtly。
〃Not before a lady;〃 responded the other。 There was another
laugh from the men; the spurs jingled again; the three torches
reappeared from behind the tree; and then passed away in the
darkness。
For a time silence and immutability possessed the woods; the
great trunks loomed upwards; their fallen brothers stretched
their slow length into obscurity。 The sound of breathing again
became audible; the shape reappeared in the aisle; and
recommenced its mystic dance。 Presently it was lost in the
shadow of the largest tree; and to the sound of breathing
succeeded a grating and scratching of bark。 Suddenly; as if
riven by lightning; a flash broke from the center of the tree…
trunk; lit up the woods; and a sharp report rang through it。
After a pause the jingling of spurs and the dancing of torches
were revived from the distance。
〃Hallo?〃
No answer。
〃Who fired that shot?〃
But there was no reply。 A slight veil of smoke passed away to
the right; there was the spice of gunpowder in the air; but
nothing more。
The torches came forward again; but this time it could be seen
they were held in the hands of two men and a woman。 The woman's
hands were tied at the wrist to the horse…hair reins of her mule;
while a riata; passed around her waist and under the mule's
girth; was held by one of the men; who were both armed with
rifles and revolvers。 Their frightened horses curveted; and it
was with difficulty they could be made to advance。
〃Ho! stranger; what are you shooting at?〃
The woman laughed and shrugged her shoulders。 〃Look yonder at
the roots of the tree。 You're a dd smart man for a sheriff;
ain't you?〃
The man uttered an exclamation and spurred his horse forward; but
the animal reared in terror。 He then sprang to the ground and
approached the tree。 The shape lay there; a scarcely
distinguishable bulk。
〃A grizzly; by the living Jingo! Shot through the heart。〃
It was true。 The strange shape lit up by the flaring torches
seemed more vague; unearthly; and awkward in its dying throes;
yet the small shut eyes; the feeble nose; the ponderous
shoulders; and half…human foot armed with powerful claws were
unmistakable。 The men turned by a common impulse and peered into
the remote recesses of the wood again。
〃Hi; Mister! come and pick up your game。 Hallo there!〃
The challenge fell unheeded on the empty woods。
〃And yet;〃 said he whom the woman had called the sheriff; 〃he
can't be far off。 It was a close shot; and the bear hez dropped
in his tracks。 Why; wot's this sticking in his claws?〃
The two men bent over the animal。 〃Why; it's sugar; brown sugar
look!〃 There was no mistake。 The huge beast's fore paws and
muzzle were streaked with the unromantic household provision; and
heightened the absurd contrast of its incongruous members。 The
woman; apparently indifferent; had taken that opportunity to
partly free one of her wrists。
〃If we hadn't been cavorting round this yer spot for the last
half hour; I'd swear there was a shanty not a hundred yards
away;〃 said the sheriff。
The other man; without replying; remounted his horse instantly。
〃If there is; and it's inhabited by a gentleman that kin make
centre shots like that in the dark; and don't care to explain
how; I reckon I won't disturb him。〃
The sheriff was apparently of the same opinion; for he followed
his companion's example; and once more led the way。 The spurs
tinkled; the torches danced; and the cavalcade slowly reentered
the gloom。 In another moment it had disappeared。
The wood sank again into repose; this time disturbed by neither
shape nor sound。 What lower forms of life might have crept close
to its roots were hidden in the ferns; or passed with deadened
tread over the bark…strewn floor。 Towards morning a coolness
like dew fell from above; with here and there a dropping twig or
nut; or the crepitant awakening and stretching…out of cramped and
weary branches。 Later a dull; lurid dawn; not unlike the last
evening's sunset; filled the aisles。 This faded again; and a
clear gray light; in which every object stood out in sharp
distinctness; took its place。 Morning was waiting outside in all
its brilliant; youthful coloring; but only entered as the matured
and sobered day。
Seen in that stronger light; the monstrous tree near which the
dead bear lay revealed its age in its denuded and scarred trunk;
and showed in its base a deep cavity; a foot or two from the
ground; partly hidden by hanging strips of bark which had fallen
across it。 Suddenly one of these strips was pushed aside; and a
young man leaped lightly down。
But for the rifle he carried and some modern peculiarities of
dress; he was of a grace so unusual and unconventional that he
might have passed for a faun who was quitting his ancestral home。
He stepped to the side of the bear with a light elastic movement
that was as unlike customary progression as his face and figure
were unlike the ordinary types of humanity。 Even as he leaned
upon his rifle; looking down at the prostrate animal; he
unconsciously fell into an attitude that in any other mortal
wo