on the frontier-第7章

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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

monastic　isolation；　and　he　remain　blind　to　it？　　Had　he　really　lived

in　the　world　without　knowing　it？　　Had　it　been　in　his　blood？　　Had　it

impelled　him　to　　He　shuddered　and　rode　on。



They　were　at　the　last　slope　of　the　zigzag　descent　to　the　shore；

when　he　saw　the　figures　of　a　man　and　woman　moving　slowly　through　a

field　of　wild　oats；　not　far　from　the　trail。　　It　seemed　to　his

distorted　fancy　that　the　man　was　Cranch。　　The　woman！　　His　heart

stopped　beating。　　Ah！　could　it　be？　　He　had　never　seen　her　in　her

proper　garb：　would　she　look　like　that？　　Would　she　be　as　tall？　　He

thought　he　bade　Jose　and　Antonio　go　on　slowly　before　with

Sanchicha；　and　dismounted；　walking　slowly　between　the　high　stalks

of　grain；　lest　he　should　disturb　them。　　They　evidently　did　not　hear

his　approach；　but　were　talking　earnestly。　　It　seemed　to　Father

Pedro　that　they　had　taken　each　other's　hands；　and　as　he　looked

Cranch　slipped　his　arm　round　her　waist。　　With　only　a　blind　instinct

of　some　dreadful　sacrilege　in　this　act；　Father　Pedro　would　have

rushed　forward；　when　the　girl's　voice　struck　his　ear。　　He　stopped；

breathless。　　It　was　not　Francisco；　but　Juanita；　the　little　mestiza。



〃But　are　you　sure　you　are　not　pretending　to　love　me　now；　as　you

pretended　to　think　I　was　the　muchacha　you　had　run　away　with　and

lost？　　Are　you　sure　it　is　not　pity　for　the　deceit　you　practiced

upon　meupon　Don　Juanupon　poor　Father　Pedro？〃



It　seemed　as　if　Cranch　had　tried　to　answer　with　a　kiss；　for　the

girl　drew　suddenly　away　from　him　with　a　coquettish　fling　of　the

black　braids；　and　whipped　her　little　brown　hands　behind　her。



〃Well；　look　here；〃　said　Cranch；　with　the　same　easy；　good…natured；

practical　directness　which　the　priest　remembered；　and　which　would

have　passed　for　philosophy　in　a　more　thoughtful　man；　〃put　it

squarely；　then。　　In　the　first　place；　it　was　Don　Juan　and　the

alcalde　who　first　suggested　you　might　be　the　child。〃



〃But　you　have　said　you　knew　it　was　Francisco　all　the　time；〃

interrupted　Juanita。



〃I　did；　but　when　I　found　the　priest　would　not　assist　me　at　first；

and　admit　that　the　acolyte　was　a　girl；　I　preferred　to　let　him　think

I　was　deceived　in　giving　a　fortune　to　another；　and　leave　it　to　his

own　conscience　to　permit　it　or　frustrate　it。　　I　was　right。　　I

reckon　it　was　pretty　hard　on　the　old　man；　at　his　time　of　life；　and

wrapped　up　as　he　was　in　the　girl；　but　at　the　moment　he　came　up　to

the　scratch　like　a　man。〃



〃And　to　save　him　you　have　deceived　me？　　Thank　you；　Senor；〃　said　the

girl　with　a　mock　curtsey。



〃I　reckon　I　preferred　to　have　you　for　a　wife　than　a　daughter；〃　said

Cranch；　〃if　that's　what　you　mean。　　When　you　know　me　better；

Juanita；〃　he　continued；　gravely；　〃you'll　know　that　I　would　never

have　let　you　believe　I　sought　in　you　the　one　if　I　had　not　hoped　to

find　in　you　the　other。〃



〃Bueno！　　And　when　did　you　have　that　pretty　hope？〃



〃When　I　first　saw　you。〃



〃And　that　wastwo　weeks　ago。〃



〃A　year　ago；　Juanita。　　When　Francisco　visited　you　at　the　rancho。　　I

followed　and　saw　you。〃



Juanita　looked　at　him　a　moment；　and　then　suddenly　darted　at　him；

caught　him　by　the　lapels　of　his　coat　and　shook　him　like　a　terrier。



〃Are　you　sure　that　you　did　not　love　that　Francisco？　　Speak！〃　　（She

shook　him　again。）　　〃Swear　that　you　did　not　follow　her！〃



〃ButI　did；〃　said　Cranch；　laughing　and　shaking　between　the

clenching　of　the　little　hands。



〃Judas　Iscariot！　　Swear　you　do　not　love　her　all　this　while。〃



〃But；　Juanita！〃



〃Swear！〃



Cranch　swore。　　Then　to　Father　Pedro's　intense　astonishment　she　drew

the　American's　face　towards　her　own　by　the　ears　and　kissed　him。



〃But　you　might　have　loved　her；　and　married　a　fortune；〃　said

Juanita；　after　a　pause。



〃Where　would　have　been　my　reparationmy　duty？〃　returned　Cranch；

with　a　laugh。



〃Reparation　enough　for　her　to　have　had　you；〃　said　Juanita；　with

that　rapid　disloyalty　of　one　loving　woman　to　another　in　an

emergency。　　This　provoked　another　kiss　from　Cranch；　and　then

Juanita　said　demurely；



〃But　we　are　far　from　the　trail。　　Let　us　return；　or　we　shall　miss

Father　Pedro。　　Are　you　sure　he　will　come？〃



〃A　week　ago　he　promised　to　be　here　to　see　the　proofs　to…day。〃



The　voices　were　growing　fainter　and　fainter；　they　were　returning　to

the　trail。



Father　Pedro　remained　motionless。　　A　week　ago！　　Was　it　a　week　ago

sincesince　what？　　And　what　had　he　been　doing　here？　　Listening！

He！　Father　Pedro；　listening　like　an　idle　peon　to　the　confidences　of

two　lovers。　　But　they　had　talked　of　him；　of　his　crime；　and　the　man

had　pitied　him。　　Why　did　he　not　speak？　　Why　did　he　not　call　after

them？　　He　tried　to　raise　his　voice。　　It　sank　in　his　throat　with　a

horrible　choking　sensation。　　The　nearest　heads　of　oats　began　to　nod

to　him；　he　felt　himself　swaying　backwards　and　forwards。　　He　fell

heavily；　down；　down；　down；　from　the　summit　of　the　mountain　to　the

floor　of　the　Mission　chapel；　and　there　he　lay　in　the　dark。



　　　　　　　　。　　　　　　　　。　　　　　　　　。　　　　　　　　。　　　　　　　　。　　　　　　　　。



〃He　moves。〃



〃Blessed　Saint　Anthony　preserve　him！〃



It　was　Antonio's　voice；　it　was　Jose's　arm；　it　was　the　field　of　wild

oats；　the　sky　above　his　head；all　unchanged。



〃What　has　happened？〃　said　the　priest　feebly。



〃A　giddiness　seized　your　reverence　just　now；　as　we　were　coming　to

seek　you。〃



〃And　you　met　no　one？〃



〃No　one；　your　reverence。〃



Father　Pedro　passed　his　hand　across　his　forehead。



〃But　who　are　these？〃　he　said；　pointing　to　two　figures　who　now

appeared　upon　the　trail。



Antonio　turned。



〃It　is　the　Americano；　Senor　Cranch；　and　his　adopted　daughter；　the

mestiza　Juanita；　seeking　your　reverence；　methinks。〃



〃Ah！〃　said　Father　Pedro。



Cranch　came　forward　and　greeted　the　priest　cordially。　　〃It　was　kind

of　you；　Father　Pedro；〃　he　said；　meaningly；　with　a　significant

glance　at　Jose　and　Antonio；　〃to　come　so　far　to　bid　me　and　my

adopted　daughter　farewell。　　We　depart　when　the　tide　serves；　but　not

before　you　partake　of　our　hospitality　in　yonder　cottage。〃



Father　Pedro　gazed　at　Cranch　and　then　at　Juanita。



〃I　see；〃　he　stammered。　　〃But　she　goes　not　alone。　　She　will　be

strange　at　first。　　She　takes　some　friend；　perhapssome　companion？〃

he　continued；　tremulously。



〃A　very　old　and　dear　one；　Father　Pedro；　who　is　waiting　for　us　now。〃



He　led　the　way　to　a　little　white　cottage；　so　little　and　white　and

recent；　that　it　seemed　a　mere　fleck　of　sea　foam　cast　on　the　sands。

Disposing　of　Jose　and　Antonio　in　the　neighboring　workshop　and

outbuildings；　he　assisted　the　venerable　Sanchicha　to　dismount；　and；

together　with　Father　Pedro　and　Juanita；　entered　a　white　palisaded

enclosure　beside　the　cottage；　and　halted　before　what　appeared　to　be

a　large；　folding　trap…door；　covering　a　slight；　sandy　mound。　　It　was


locked　with　a　padlock；　beside　it　stood　the　American　alcalde　and　Don

Juan　Briones。　　Father　Pedro　looked　hastily　around　for　another

figure；　but　it　was　not　there。



〃Gentlemen；〃　began　Cranch；　in　his　practical　business　way；　〃I　reckon

you　all　know　we've　come　here　to　identify　a　young　lady；　who〃he

hesitated〃was　lately　under　the　care　of　Father　Pedro；　with　a

foundling　picked　up　on　this　shore　fifteen　years　ago　by　an　Indian

woman。　　How　this　foundling　came　here；　and　how　I　was　concerned　in

it；　you　all　know。　　I've　told　everybody　here　how　I　scrambled　ashore；

leaving　that　baby　in　the　dingy；　supposing　it　would　be　picked　up　by

the　boat　pursuing　me。　　I've　told　some　of　you；〃　he　looked　at　Father

Pedro；　〃how　I　first　discovered；　from　one　of　the　men；　three　years

ago；　that　the　child　was　not　found　by　its　father。　　But　I　have　never

told　any　one；　before　now；　I　KNEW　it　was　picked　up　here。



〃I　never　could　tell　the　exact　locality　where　I　came　ashore；　for　the

fog　was　coming　on　as　it　is　now。　　But　two　years　ago　I　came　up　with　a

party　of　gold　hunters　to　work　these　sands。　　One　day；　digging　near

this　creek；　I　struck　something　embedded　deep　below　the　surface。

Well；　gentlemen；　it　wasn't　gold；　but　something　worth　more　to　me

than　gold　or　silver。　　Here　it　is。〃



At　a　sign　the　alcalde　unlocked　the　doors　and　threw　them　open。　　They

disclosed　an　irregular　trench；　in　which；　filled　with　sand；　lay　the

half…excavated　stern　of　a　boat。



〃It　was　the　dingy　of　the　Trinidad；　gentlemen；　you　can　still　read

her　name。　　I　found　hidden　away；　tucked　under　the　stern　sheets；

mouldy　and　water…worn；　some　clothes　that　I　recognized　to　be　the

baby's。　　I　knew　then　that　the　child　had　been　taken　away　alive　for

some　purpose；　and　the　clothes　were　left　so　that　she　should　carry　no

trace　with　her。　　I　recognized　the　hand　of　an　Indian。　　I　set　to　work

quietly。　　I　found　Sanchicha　here；　she　confessed　to　finding　a　baby；

but　what　she　had　done　with　it　she　would　not　at　first　say。　　But

since　then　she　has　declared　before　the　alcalde　that　she　gave　it　to

Father　Pedro；　of　San　Carmel；　and　that　here　it　standsFrancisco

that　was！　　Francisca　that　it　is！〃



He　stepped　aside　to　make　way　for　a　tall　girl；　who　had　approached

from　the　cottage。



Father　Pedro　had　neither　noticed　the　concluding　words　nor　the

movement　of　Cranch。　　His　eyes　were　fixed　upon　the　imbecile

Sanchicha；Sanchicha；　on　whom；　to　render　his　rebuke　more　complete；

the　Deity　seemed　to　have　worked　a　miracle；　and　restored　intelligence

to　eye　and　lip。　　He　passed　his　hand　tremblingly　across　his　forehead；

and　turned　away；　when　his　eye　fell　upon　the　last　comer。



It　was　she。　　The　moment　he　had　longed　for　and　dreaded　had　come。

She　stood　there；　animated；　handsome；　filled　with　a　hurtful

consciousness　in　her　new　charms；　her　fresh　finery；　and　the　pitiable

trinkets　that　had　supplanted　her　scapulary；　and　which　played　under

her　foolish　fingers。　　The　past　had　no　place　in　her　preoccupied

mind；　her　bright　eyes　were　full　of　eager　anticipation　of　a

substantial　future。　　The　incarnation　of　a　frivolous　world；　even　as

she　extended　one　hand　to　him　in　half…coquettish　embarrassment　she

arranged　the　folds　of　her　dress　with　the　other。　　At　the　touch　of

her　fingers；　he　felt　himself　growing　old　and　cold。　　Even　the

penance　of　parting；　which　he　had　looked　forward　to；　was　denied　him；

there　was　no　longer　sympathy　enough　for　sorrow。　　He　thought　of　the

empty　chorister's　robe　in　the　little　cell；　but　not　now　with　regret。

He　only　trembled　to　think　of　the　flesh　that　he　had　once　caused　to

inhabit　it。



〃That's　all；　gentlemen；〃　broke　in　the　practical　voice　of　Cranch。

〃Whether　there　are　proofs　enough　to　make　Francisca　the　heiress　of

her　father's　wealth；　the　lawyers　must　say。　　I　reckon　it's　enough

for　me　that　they　give　me　the　chance　of　repairing　a　wrong　by　taking

her　father's　place。　　After　all；　it　was　a　mere　chance。〃



〃It　was　the　will　of　God；〃　said　Father　Pedro；　solemnly。



They　were　the　last　words　he　addressed　them。　　For　when　the　fog　had

begun　to　creep　inshor