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！
〃'No； for the nugget。 What of Aunt Eliza's farm I was rich enough to
quit railroading； but not rich enough to turn my back on big money … and I
just couldn't help believing them two women。 Gee！ I could be another
Vanderbilt； or J。 P。 Morgan。 That's the way I thought； and I started in to
pump Vahna。 But she wouldn't give down。 'You come along with me；'
she says。 'We can be back here in a couple of weeks with all the gold the
both of us can carry。' 'We'll take a burro； or a pack…train of burros；' was my
suggestion。 But nothing doing。 And Paloma agreed with her。 It was too
dangerous。 The Indians would catch us。
〃The two of us pulled out when the nights were moonlight。 We
travelled only at night； and laid up in the days。 Vahna wouldn't let me
light a fire； and I missed my coffee something fierce。 We got up in the
real high mountains of the main Andes； where the snow on one pass gave
us some trouble； but the girl knew the trails； and； though we didn't waste
any time； we were a full week getting there。 I know the general trend of
our travel； because I carried a pocket compass； and the general trend is all
40
… Page 41…
THE RED ONE
I need to get there again； because of that peak。 There's no mistaking it。
There ain't another peak like it in the world。 Now； I'm not telling you its
particular shape； but when you and I head out for it from Quito I'll take
you straight to it。
〃It's no easy thing to climb； and the person doesn't live that can climb
it at night。 We had to take the daylight to it； and didn't reach the top till
after sunset。 Why； I could take hours and hours telling you about that last
climb； which I won't。 The top was flat as a billiard table； about a quarter
of an acre in size； and was almost clean of snow。 Vahna told me that the
great winds that usually blew； kept the snow off of it。
〃We were winded； and I got mountain sickness so bad that I had to
stretch out for a spell。 Then； when the moon come up； I took a prowl
around。 It didn't take long； and I didn't catch a sight or a smell of
anything that looked like gold。 And when I asked Vahna； she only
laughed and clapped her hands。 Meantime my mountain sickness tuned
up something fierce； and I sat down on a big rock to wait for it to ease
down。
〃'Come on； now；' I said； when I felt better。 'Stop your fooling and tell
me where that nugget is。' 'It's nearer to you right now than I'll ever get；'
she answered； her big eyes going sudden wistful。 'All you Gringos are
alike。 Gold is the love of your heart； and women don't count much。'
〃I didn't say anything。 That was no time to tell her about Sarah here。
But Vahna seemed to shake off her depressed feelings； and began to laugh
and tease again。 'How do you like it？' she asked。 'Like what？' 'The
nugget you're sitting on。'
〃I jumped up as though it was a red…hot stove。 And all it was was a
rock。 I felt nay heart sink。 Either she had gone clean loco or this was
her idea of a joke。 Wrong on both counts。 She gave me the hatchet and
told me to take a hack at the boulder； which I did； again and again； for
yellow spots sprang up from under every blow。 By the great Moses！ it was
gold！ The whole blamed boulder！〃
Jones rose suddenly to his full height and flung out his long arms； his
face turned to the southern skies。 The movement shot panic into the
heart of a swan that had drawn nearer with amiably predatory designs。
41
… Page 42…
THE RED ONE
Its consequent abrupt retreat collided it with a stout old lady； who squealed
and dropped her bag of peanuts。 Jones sat down and resumed。
〃Gold； I tell you； solid gold and that pure and soft that I chopped chips
out of it。 It had been coated with some sort of rain…proof paint or lacquer
made out of asphalt or something。 No wonder I'd taken it for a rock。 It
was ten feet long； all of five feet through； and tapering to both ends like an
egg。 Here。 Take a look at this。〃
From his pocket he drew and opened a leather case； from which he
took an object wrapped in tissue…paper。 Unwrapping it； he dropped into
my hand a chip of pure soft gold； the size of a ten…dollar gold…piece。 I
could make out the greyish substance on one side with which it had been
painted。
〃I chopped that from one end of the thing；〃 Jones went on； replacing
the chip in its paper and leather case。 〃And lucky I put it in my pocket。
For right at my back came one loud word … more like a croak than a word；
in my way of thinking。 And there was that lean old fellow with the eagle
beak that had dropped in on us one night。 And there was about thirty
Indians with him … all slim young fellows。
〃Vahna'd flopped down and begun whimpering； but I told her； 'Get up
and make friends with them for me。' 'No； no；' she cried。 'This is death。
Good…bye； AMIGO … '〃
Here Mrs。 Jones winced； and her husband abruptly checked the
particular flow of his narrative。
〃'Then get up and fight along with me；' I said to her。 And she did。
She was some hellion； there on the top of the world； clawing and
scratching tooth and nail … a regular she cat。 And I wasn't idle； though all
I had was that hatchet and my long arms。 But they were too many for me；
and there was no place for me to put my back against a wall。 When I
come to； minutes after they'd cracked me on the head … here； feel this。〃
Removing his hat； Julian Jones guided my finger tips through his
thatch of sandy hair until they sank into an indentation。 It was fully three
inches long； and went into the bone itself of the skull。
〃When I come to； there was Vahna spread…eagled on top of the nugget；
and the old fellow with a beak jabbering away solemnly as if going
42
… Page 43…
THE RED ONE
through some sort of religious exercises。 In his hand he had a stone knife
… you know； a thin； sharp sliver of some obsidian…like stuff same as they
make arrow…heads out of。 I couldn't lift a hand； being held down； and
being too weak besides。 And … well； anyway； that stone knife did for her；
and me they didn't even do the honour of killing there on top their sacred
peak。 They chucked me off of it like so much carrion。
〃And the buzzards didn't get me either。 I can see the moonlight yet；
shining on all those peaks of snow； as I went down。 Why； sir； it was a
five…hundred…foot fall； only I didn't make it。 I went into a big snow…drift
in a crevice。 And when I come to （hours after I know； for it was full day
when I next saw the sun）； I found myself in a regular snow…cave or tunnel
caused by the water from the melting snow running along the ledge。 In
fact； the stone above actually overhung just beyond where I first landed。
A few feet more to the side； either way； and I'd almost be going yet。 It
was a straight miracle； that's what it was。
〃But I paid for it。 It was two years and over before I knew what
happened。 All I knew was that I was Julian Jones and that I'd been
blacklisted in the big strike； and that I was married to Sarah here。 I mean
that。 I didn't know anything in between； and when Sarah tried to talk
about it； it gave me pains in the head。 I mean my head was queer； and I
knew it was queer。
〃And then； sitting on the porch of her father's farmhouse back in
Nebraska one moonlight evening； Sarah came out and put that gold chip
into my hand。 Seems she'd just found it in the torn lining of the trunk I'd
brought back from Ecuador … I who for two years didn't even know I'd
been to Ecuador； or Australia； or anything！ Well