登陆注册
15453800000145

第145章 XXV(6)

Felipe could not have found a better ally. The comparative silence enforced between them by reason of lack of a common vehicle for their thoughts was on the whole less of a disadvantage than would have at first appeared. They understood each other well enough for practical purposes, and their unity in aim, and in affection for Ramona, made a bond so strong, it could not have been enhanced by words.

It was past sundown when they left San Bernardino, but a full moon made the night as good as day for their journey. When it first shone out, Aunt Ri, pointing to it, said curtly, "Thet's lucky."

"Yes," replied Felipe, who did not know either of the words she had spoken, "it is good. It shows to us the way."

"Thar, naow, say he can't understand English!" thought Aunt Ri.

Benito and Baba travelled as if they knew the errand on which they were hurrying. Good forty miles they had gone without flagging once, when Aunt Ri, pointing to a house on the right hand of the road, the only one they had seen for many miles, said: "We'll hev to sleep hyar. I donno the road beyant this. I allow they're gone ter bed; but they'll hev to git up 'n' take us in. They're used ter doin' it.

They dew consid'able business keepin' movers. I know 'em. They're reel friendly fur the kind o' people they air. They're druv to death.

It can't be far frum their time to git up, ennyhow. They're up every mornin' uv thar lives long afore daylight, a feedin' their stock, an' gittin' ready fur the day's work. I used ter hear 'em 'n' see 'em, when we wuz campin' here. The fust I saw uv it, I thought somebody wuz sick in the house, to git 'em up thet time o' night; but arterwards we found out 't wan't nothin' but thar reggerlar way.

When I told dad, sez I, 'Dad, did ever yer hear sech a thing uz gittin' up afore light to feed stock?' 'n' ter feed theirselves tew.

They'd their own breakfast all clared away, 'n' dishes washed, too, afore light; 'n' prayers said beside; they're Methodys, terrible pious.

I used ter tell dad they talked a heap about believin' in God; I don't allow but what they dew believe in God, tew, but they don't worship Him so much's they worship work; not nigh so much.

Believin' 'n' worshippin' 's tew things. Yeow wouldn't see no sech doin's in Tennessee. I allow the Lawd meant some time fur sleepin'; 'n' I'm satisfied with his times o' lightin' up. But these Merrills air reel nice folks, fur all this I've ben tellin' yer! -- Lawd!

I don't believe he's understood a word I've said, naow!" thought Aunt Ri to herself, suddenly becoming aware of the hopeless bewilderment on Felipe's face. "'Tain't much use sayin' anything more'n plain yes 'n' no, between folks thet can't understand each other's langwedge; 'n' s' fur's thet goes, I allow thar ain't any gret use'n the biggest part o' what's sed between folks thet doos!"

When the Merrill family learned Felipe's purpose of going up the mountain to the Cahuilla village, they attempted to dissuade him from taking his own horses. He would kill them both, high-spirited horses like those, they said, if he took them over that road. It was a cruel road. They pointed out to him the line where it wound, doubling and tacking on the sides of precipices, like a path for a goat or chamois. Aunt Ri shuddered at the sight, but said nothing.

"I'm gwine whar he goes," she said grimly to herself. "I ain't a gwine ter back daown naow; but I dew jest wish Jeff Hyer wuz along."

Felipe himself disliked what he saw and heard of the grade. The road had been built for bringing down lumber, and for six miles it was at perilous angles. After this it wound along on ridges and in ravines till it reached the heart of a great pine forest, where stood a saw-mill. Passing this, it plunged into still darker, denser woods, some fifteen miles farther on, and then came out among vast opens, meadows, and grassy foot-hills, still on the majestic mountain's northern or eastern slopes. From these, another steep road, little more than a trail, led south, and up to the Cahuilla village. A day and a half's hard journey, at the shortest, it was from Merrill's; and no one unfamiliar with the country could find the last part of the way without a guide. Finally it was arranged that one of the younger Merrills should go in this capacity, and should also take two of his strongest horses, accustomed to the road. By the help of these the terrible ascent was made without difficulty, though Baba at first snorted, plunged, and resented the humiliation of being harnessed with his head at another horse's tail.

Except for their sad errand, both Felipe and Aunt Ri would have experienced a keen delight in this ascent. With each fresh lift on the precipitous terraces, the view off to the south and west broadened, until the whole San Jacinto Valley lay unrolled at their feet. The pines were grand; standing, they seemed shapely columns; fallen, the upper curve of their huge yellow disks came above a man's head, so massive was their size. On many of them the bark had been riddled from root to top, as by myriads of bullet-holes. In each hole had been cunningly stored away an acorn,-- the woodpeckers' granaries.

"Look at thet, naow!" exclaimed the observant Aunt Ri; "an' thar's folk's thet sez dumb critters ain't got brains. They ain't noways dumb to each other, I notice; an' we air dumb aourselves when we air ketched with furriners. I allow I'm next door to dumb myself with this hyar Mexican I'm er travellin' with."

"That's so!" replied Sam Merrill. "When we fust got here, I thought I'd ha' gone clean out o' my head tryin' to make these Mexicans sense my meanin'; my tongue was plaguy little use to me. But now I can talk their lingo fust-rate; but pa, he can't talk to 'em nohow; he hain't learned the fust word; 'n' he's ben here goin' on two years longer'n we have."

同类推荐
热门推荐
  • 狂人尸兄

    狂人尸兄

    罪恶都市,硝烟四起,与人斗,勾心斗角尔虞我诈,玩得是心机,耍的是阴谋,每个人都是智者与野心家,每个人都是嗜血的杀手;与兽斗,危机四伏处处惊心,玩得是心跳,耍的是刺激,每个人都是天生的冒险者与探险家,每个人都是心理强大的猎人;当争斗消失,硝烟散尽,留下的只是一片凄凉与孤寂!
  • 倾世宠婚:独宠傲娇小萌妻

    倾世宠婚:独宠傲娇小萌妻

    上一世,他爱她却不敢爱,只因为她是朋友托付给他的孤儿,身份名义上他算得上她父亲,他只能远离她,伤害她,却不想让她失去了生命。这一世,他不会放开她的手,身份又如何,名义又如何,只要是她想要的,他一定会双手为她奉上
  • 异世为皇:痴君碎魂

    异世为皇:痴君碎魂

    异世寻魂,再睁眼已是葬心大陆的皇。重臣谋反,兵戎相向,究竟对待叛贼轻烟如何处置?阎王暗算,月老捣乱,N多红线缠绕于身。各个美男身怀绝技且地位非凡,且看轻烟执谁之手,与谁共话桑麻?亦或美男成群,温柔沦陷?到底哪个才是轻烟的抉择?
  • 浮生萦云,契阔死生

    浮生萦云,契阔死生

    花夭花谢,一回事等过千年。恨不得故人兮,生死话别,六道轮回,再见哪世哪陌。洱水子畔,血葬秋花,赎不尽前尘的罪。云沫海涯,魂乱彼岸,参不透法华的经。不论命格里计了多少岁月,终是隔着一层雾里看花。虚境往复,逝忆如昨。累世怆乱,梦靥飘引。忘川千百度,谁写怨?谁执念?谁莫负莫离?斯年后,史笔之下,了了失她。千秋不言,长思一诺。他诺之:愿为凡夫,浮生萦云。
  • 执命

    执命

    他是豪门宗派内的一个少年,门派比试误杀同门,为何却被从轻处罚?究竟是何原因使他从三年前的开朗,善良变成如今的冷漠,淡然?他的身世中又有怎样不为人知的秘密!一切只在仙侠之作:《执命》。让执命带你揭开一切传奇故事!
  • 火澜

    火澜

    当一个现代杀手之王穿越到这个世界。是隐匿,还是崛起。一场血雨腥风的传奇被她改写。一条无上的强者之路被她踏破。修斗气,炼元丹,收兽宠,化神器,大闹皇宫,炸毁学院,打死院长,秒杀狗男女,震惊大陆。无止尽的契约能力,上古神兽,千年魔兽,纷纷前来抱大腿,惊傻世人。她说:在我眼里没有好坏之分,只有强弱之分,只要你能打败我,这世间所有都是你的,打不败我,就从这世间永远消失。她狂,她傲,她的目标只有一个,就是凌驾这世间一切之上。三国皇帝,魔界妖王,冥界之主,仙界至尊。到底谁才是陪着她走到最后的那个?他说:上天入地,我会陪着你,你活着,有我,你死,也一定有我。本文一对一,男强女强,强强联手,不喜勿入。
  • 魔铃幻月

    魔铃幻月

    一次失败的任务,结束了萧月的生命,开启主角光环获得重生,然后重生之后许多事脱离了原来的轨迹,一些超出记忆之外的东西降临这个世界,萧月只想安静的做一个普通人,却有太多事情自己找上门来......
  • 僵尸男神住隔壁

    僵尸男神住隔壁

    你有没有好奇过,你的隔壁住着什么人?尤其是,当他还是一个超级大帅哥的时候。反正我好奇了,结果……我的命运就被完全改写了。
  • 生化末世之魔兽

    生化末世之魔兽

    这是一个未知的世界,传说中带着尸液的丧尸、轻轻的触摸、那腐臭尸液里未知的物质将会使你变成与他/她一样的生物。带着一丝困惑与迷茫,两个外来世界的人类到了这里,同时被一个蓝色的光球赐予了未知的能力,一个变成了半人、半非人的未知存在,一个则被丧尸感染、被外星人改造。他/她们本不属于这里,但却来到了这里,因为,一场游戏,不知主宰游戏的人是谁,但可以肯定的是,在这个未知世界里他/她们活下去,就是游戏的最终奖励。
  • 冷酷无情的校花和校草

    冷酷无情的校花和校草

    你别跑你,你给我站住,我绝不放过你。啊啊