on the frontier-第6章
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came upon me suddenly。 I thought it was the acolyte。 Go on；
Senor！ I am interested。〃
〃I thought you'd be；〃 said Cranch； quietly。 〃That's why I came。
And then you might be of service too。〃
〃True； true；〃 said the priest； with rapid accents； 〃and this girl；
Senor； this girl is〃
〃Juanita； the mestiza； adopted daughter of Don Juan Briones； over
on the Santa Clare Valley；〃 replied Cranch； jerking his thumb over
his shoulder； and then sitting down upon the bench beside Father
Pedro。
The priest turned his feverish eyes piercingly upon his companion
for a few seconds； and then doggedly fixed them upon the ground。
Cranch drew a plug of tobacco from his pocket； cut off a portion；
placed it in his cheek； and then quietly began to strap the blade
of his jack…knife upon his boot。 Father Pedro saw it from under
his eyelids； and even in his preoccupation despised him。
〃Then you are certain she is the babe you seek？〃 said the father；
without looking up。
〃I reckon as near as you can be certain of anything。 Her age
tallies； she was the only foundling girl baby baptized by you； you
know；〃he partly turned round appealingly to the Padre；〃that
year。 Injin woman says she picked up a baby。 Looks like a pretty
clear case； don't it？〃
〃And the clothes； friend Cranch？〃 said the priest； with his eyes
still on the ground； and a slight assumption of easy indifference。
〃They will be forthcoming； like enough； when the time comes；〃 said
Cranch； 〃the main thing at first was to find the girl； that was MY
job； the lawyers； I reckon； can fit the proofs and say what's
wanted； later on。〃
〃But why lawyers；〃 continued Padre Pedro； with a slight sneer he
could not repress； 〃if the child is found and Senor Cranch is
satisfied？〃
〃On account of the property。 Business is business！〃
〃The property？〃
Mr。 Cranch pressed the back of his knife…blade on his boot； shut it
up with a click； and putting it in his pocket said calmly；
〃Well； I reckon the million of dollars that her father left when he
died； which naturally belongs to her； will require some proof that
she is his daughter。〃
He had placed both his hands in his pockets； and turned his eyes
full upon Father Pedro。 The priest arose hurriedly。
〃But you said nothing of this before； Senor Cranch；〃 said he； with
a gesture of indignation； turning his back quite upon Cranch； and
taking a step towards the refectory。
〃Why should I？ I was looking after the girl； not the property；〃
returned Cranch； following the Padre with watchful eyes； but still
keeping his careless； easy attitude。
〃Ah； well！ Will it be said so； think you？ Eh！ Bueno。 What will
the world think of your sacred quest； eh？〃 continued the Padre
Pedro； forgetting himself in his excitement； but still averting his
face from his companion。
〃The world will look after the proofs； and I reckon not bother if
the proofs are all right；〃 replied Cranch； carelessly； 〃and the
girl won't think the worse of me for helping her to a fortune。
Hallo！ you've dropped something。〃 He leaped to his feet； picked up
the breviary which had fallen from the Padre's fingers； and
returned it to him with a slight touch of gentleness that was
unsuspected in the man。
The priest's dry； tremulous hand grasped the volume without
acknowledgment。
〃But these proofs？〃 he said hastily； 〃these proofs； Senor？〃
〃Oh； well； you'll testify to the baptism； you know。〃
〃But if I refuse； if I will have nothing to do with this thing！ If
I will not give my word that there is not some mistake；〃 said the
priest； working himself into a feverish indignation。 〃That there
are not slips of memory； eh？ Of so many children baptized； is it
possible for me to know which； eh？ And if this Juanita is not your
girl； eh？〃
〃Then you'll help me to find who is；〃 said Cranch； coolly。
Father Pedro turned furiously on his tormentor。 Overcome by his
vigil and anxiety。 He was oblivious of everything but the presence
of the man who seemed to usurp the functions of his own conscience。
〃Who are you； who speak thus？〃 he said hoarsely； advancing upon
Cranch with outstretched and anathematizing fingers。 〃Who are you；
Senor Heathen； who dare to dictate to me； a Father of Holy Church？
I tell you； I will have none of this。 Never！ I will not。 From
this moment； you understandnothing。 I will never 。 。 。〃
He stopped。 The first stroke of the Angelus rang from the little
tower。 The first stroke of that bell before whose magic exorcism
all human passions fled； the peaceful bell that had for fifty years
lulled the little fold of San Carmel to prayer and rest； came to
his throbbing ear。 His trembling hands groped for the crucifix；
carried it to his left breast； his lips moved in prayer。 His eyes
were turned to the cold； passionless sky； where a few faint； far…
spaced stars had silently stolen to their places。 The Angelus
still rang； his trembling ceased； he remained motionless and rigid。
The American； who had uncovered in deference to the worshiper
rather than the rite； waited patiently。 The eyes of Father Pedro
returned to the earth； moist as if with dew caught from above。 He
looked half absently at Cranch。
〃Forgive me； my son；〃 he said； in a changed voice。 〃I am only a
worn old man。 I must talk with thee more of thisbut not to…
nightnot to…night；to…morrowto…morrowto…morrow。〃
He turned slowly and appeared to glide rather than move under the
trees； until the dark shadow of the Mission tower met and
encompassed him。 Cranch followed him with anxious eyes。 Then he
removed the quid of tobacco from his cheek。
〃Just as I reckoned；〃 remarked he； quite audibly。 〃He's clean gold
on the bed rock after all！〃
CHAPTER IV
That night Father Pedro dreamed a strange dream。 How much of it
was reality； how long it lasted； or when he awoke from it； he could
not tell。 The morbid excitement of the previous day culminated in
a febrile exaltation in which he lived and moved as in a separate
existence。
This is what he remembered。 He thought he had risen at night in a
sudden horror of remorse； and making his way to the darkened church
had fallen upon his knees before the high altar； when all at once
the acolyte's voice broke from the choir； but in accents so
dissonant and unnatural that it seemed a sacrilege； and he
trembled。 He thought he had confessed the secret of the child's
sex to Cranch； but whether the next morning or a week later he did
not know。 He fancied； too； that Cranch had also confessed some
trifling deception to him； but what； or why； he could not remember；
so much greater seemed the enormity of his own transgression。 He
thought Cranch had put in his hands the letter he had written to
the Father Superior； saying that his secret was still safe； and
that he had been spared the avowal and the scandal that might have
ensued。 But through all； and above all； he was conscious of one
fixed idea： to seek the seashore with Sanchicha； and upon the spot
where she had found Francisco； meet the young girl who had taken
his place； and so part from her forever。 He had a dim recollection
that this was necessary to some legal identification of her； as
arranged by Cranch； but how or why he did not understand； enough
that it was a part of his penance。
It was early morning when the faithful Antonio； accompanied by
Sanchicha and Jose； rode forth with him from the Mission of San
Carmel。 Except on the expressionless features of the old woman；
there was anxiety and gloom upon the faces of the little cavalcade。
He did not know how heavily his strange abstraction and
hallucinations weighed upon their honest hearts。 As they wound up
the ascent of the mountain he noticed that Antonio and Jose
conversed with bated breath and many pious crossings of themselves；
but with eyes always wistfully fixed upon him。 He wondered if； as
part of his penance； he ought not to proclaim his sin and abase
himself before them； but he knew that his devoted followers would
insist upon sharing his punishment； and he remembered his promise
to Cranch； that for HER sake he would say nothing。 Before they
reached the summit he turned once or twice to look back upon the
Mission。 How small it looked； lying there in the peaceful valley；
contrasted with the broad sweep of the landscape beyond； stopped at
the further east only by the dim； ghost…like outlines of the
Sierras。 But the strong breath of the sea was beginning to be
felt； in a few moments more they were facing it with lowered
sombreros and flying serapes； and the vast； glittering； illimitable
Pacific opened out beneath them。
Dazed and blinded； as it seemed to him； by the shining； restless
expanse； Father Pedro rode forward as if still in a dream。
Suddenly he halted； and called Antonio to his side。
〃Tell me； child； didst thou not say that this coast was wild and
desolate of man； beast； and habitation？〃
〃Truly I did； reverend father。〃
〃Then what is that？〃 pointing to the shore。
Almost at their feet nestled a cluster of houses； at the head of an
arroyo reaching up from the beach。 They looked down upon the smoke
of a manufactory chimney； upon strange heaps of material and
curious engines scattered along the sands； with here and there
moving specks of human figures。 In a little bay a schooner swung
at her cables。
The vaquero crossed himself in stupefied alarm。 〃I know not； your
reverence； it is only two years ago； before the rodeo； that I was
here for strayed colts； and I swear by the blessed bones of San
Antonio that it was as I said。〃
〃Ah！ it is like these Americanos；〃 responded the muleteer。 〃I have
it from my brother Diego that he went from San Jose to Pescadero
two months ago； across the plains； with never a hut nor fonda to
halt at all the way。 He returned in seven days； and in the midst
of the plain there were three houses and a mill； and many people。
and why was it？ Ah！ Mother of God！ one had picked up in the creek
where he drank that much of gold；〃 and the muleteer tapped one of
the silver coins that fringed his jacket sleeves in place of
buttons。
〃And they are washing the sands for gold there now；〃 said Antonio；
eagerly pointing to some men gathered round a machine like an
enormous cradle。 〃Let us hasten on。〃
Father Pedro's momentary interest had passed。 The words of his
companions fell dull and meaningless upon his dreaming ears。 He
was conscious only that the child was more a stranger to him as an
outcome of this hard； bustling life； than when he believed her
borne to him over the mysterious sea。 It perplexed his dazed；
disturbed mind to think that if such an antagonistic element could
exist within a dozen miles of the Mission； and he not know it；
could not such an atmosphere have been around him； even in his
monast
