part 4-第4部分

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Don't　step　over　that。　　Pivot　yourself　on　your　spine；　and



make　a　half　turn。　　When　you've　swung　your　length；　let　it



go。〃







　　　　　Thea　settled　the　flat　piece　of　rock　between　her　wrist　and



fingers；　faced　the　cliff　wall；　stretched　her　arm　in　position；



whirled　round　on　her　left　foot　to　the　full　stretch　of　her



body；　and　let　the　missile　spin　out　over　the　gulf。　　She　hung



expectantly　in　the　air；　forgetting　to　draw　back　her　arm；



her　eyes　following　the　stone　as　if　it　carried　her　fortunes



with　it。　　Her　comrade　watched　her；　there　weren't　many















girls　who　could　show　a　line　like　that　from　the　toe　to　the



thigh；　from　the　shoulder　to　the　tip　of　the　outstretched



hand。　　The　stone　spent　itself　and　began　to　fall。　　Thea　drew



back　and　struck　her　knee　furiously　with　her　palm。







　　　　　〃There　it　goes　again！　　Not　nearly　so　far　as　yours。　　What



IS　the　matter　with　me？　　Give　me　another。〃　　She　faced　the



cliff　and　whirled　again。　　The　stone　spun　out；　not　quite　so



far　as　before。







　　　　　Ottenburg　laughed。　　〃Why　do　you　keep　on　working



AFTER　you've　thrown　it？　　You　can't　help　it　along　then。〃







　　　　　Without　replying；　Thea　stooped　and　selected　another



stone；　took　a　deep　breath　and　made　another　turn。　　Fred



watched　the　disk；　exclaiming；　〃Good　girl！　　You　got　past



the　pine　that　time。　　That's　a　good　throw。〃







　　　　　She　took　out　her　handkerchief　and　wiped　her　glowing



face　and　throat；　pausing　to　feel　her　right　shoulder　with　her



left　hand。







　　　　　〃Ahha；　you've　made　yourself　sore；　haven't　you？



What　did　I　tell　you？　　You　go　at　things　too　hard。　　I'll　tell



you　what　I'm　going　to　do；　Thea；〃　Fred　dusted　his　hands



and　began　tucking　in　the　blouse　of　his　shirt；　〃I'm　going　to



make　some　single…sticks　and　teach　you　to　fence。　　You'd　be



all　right　there。　　You're　light　and　quick　and　you've　got　lots



of　drive　in　you。　　I'd　like　to　have　you　come　at　me　with　foils；



you'd　look　so　fierce；〃　he　chuckled。







　　　　　She　turned　away　from　him　and　stubbornly　sent　out



another　stone；　hanging　in　the　air　after　its　flight。　　Her　fury



amused　Fred；　who　took　all　games　lightly　and　played　them



well。　　She　was　breathing　hard；　and　little　beads　of　moisture



had　gathered　on　her　upper　lip。　　He　slipped　his　arm　about



her。　　〃If　you　will　look　as　pretty　as　that〃　he　bent　his



head　and　kissed　her。　　Thea　was　startled；　gave　him　an



angry　push；　drove　at　him　with　her　free　hand　in　a　manner



quite　hostile。　　Fred　was　on　his　mettle　in　an　instant。　　He



pinned　both　her　arms　down　and　kissed　her　resolutely。







　　　　　When　he　released　her；　she　turned　away　and　spoke　over















her　shoulder。　　〃That　was　mean　of　you；　but　I　suppose　I



deserved　what　I　got。〃







　　　　　〃I　should　say　you　did　deserve　it；〃　Fred　panted；　〃turning



savage　on　me　like　that！　　I　should　say　you　did　deserve　it！〃







　　　　　He　saw　her　shoulders　harden。　　〃Well；　I　just　said　I　de…



served　it；　didn't　I？　　What　more　do　you　want？〃







　　　　　〃I　want　you　to　tell　me　why　you　flew　at　me　like　that！



You　weren't　playing；　you　looked　as　if　you'd　like　to　murder



me。〃







　　　　　She　brushed　back　her　hair　impatiently。　　〃I　didn't　mean



anything；　really。　　You　interrupted　me　when　I　was　watching



the　stone。　　I　can't　jump　from　one　thing　to　another。　　I　pushed



you　without　thinking。〃







　　　　　Fred　thought　her　back　expressed　contrition。　　He　went



up　to　her；　stood　behind　her　with　his　chin　above　her　shoul…



der；　and　said　something　in　her　ear。　　Thea　laughed　and



turned　toward　him。　　They　left　the　stone…pile　carelessly；　as



if　they　had　never　been　interested　in　it；　rounded　the　yellow



tower；　and　disappeared　into　the　second　turn　of　the　canyon；



where　the　dead　city；　interrupted　by　the　jutting　promon…



tory；　began　again。







　　　　　Old　Biltmer　had　been　somewhat　embarrassed　by　the



turn　the　game　had　taken。　　He　had　not　heard　their　conver…



sation；　but　the　pantomime　against　the　rocks　was　clear



enough。　　When　the　two　young　people　disappeared；　their



host　retreated　rapidly　toward　the　head　of　the　canyon。







　　　　　〃I　guess　that　young　lady　can　take　care　of　herself；〃　he



chuckled。　　〃Young　Fred；　though；　he　has　quite　a　way　with



them。〃



























　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　VI











　　　　　DAY　was　breaking　over　Panther　Canyon。　　The　gulf　was



cold　and　full　of　heavy；　purplish　twilight。　　The　wood



smoke　which　drifted　from　one　of　the　cliff…houses　hung　in　a



blue　scarf　across　the　chasm；　until　the　draft　caught　it　and



whirled　it　away。　　Thea　was　crouching　in　the　doorway　of



her　rock　house；　while　Ottenburg　looked　after　the　crackling



fire　in　the　next　cave。　　He　was　waiting　for　it　to　burn　down　to



coals　before　he　put　the　coffee　on　to　boil。







　　　　　They　had　left　the　ranch　house　that　morning　a　little　after



three　o'clock；　having　packed　their　camp　equipment　the



day　before；　and　had　crossed　the　open　pasture　land　with



their　lantern　while　the　stars　were　still　bright。　　During　the



descent　into　the　canyon　by　lantern…light；　they　were　chilled



through　their　coats　and　sweaters。　　The　lantern　crept　slowly



along　the　rock　trail；　where　the　heavy　air　seemed　to　offer



resistance。　　The　voice　of　the　stream　at　the　bottom　of　the



gorge　was　hollow　and　threatening；　much　louder　and　deeper



than　it　ever　was　by　dayanother　voice　altogether。　　The



sullenness　of　the　place　seemed　to　say　that　the　world　could



get　on　very　well　without　people；　red　or　white；　that　under



the　human　world　there　was　a　geological　world；　conducting



its　silent；　immense　operations　which　were　indifferent　to



man。　　Thea　had　often　seen　the　desert　sunrise；a　light…



hearted　affair；　where　the　sun　springs　out　of　bed　and　the



world　is　golden　in　an　instant。　　But　this　canyon　seemed　to



waken　like　an　old　man；　with　rheum　and　stiffness　of　the



joints；　with　heaviness；　and　a　dull；　malignant　mind。　　She



crouched　against　the　wall　while　the　stars　faded；　and　thought



what　courage　the　early　races　must　have　had　to　endure　so



much　for　the　little　they　got　out　of　life。







　　　　　At　last　a　kind　of　hopefulness　broke　in　the　air。　　In　a　mo…















ment　the　pine　trees　up　on　the　edge　of　the　rim　were　flashing



with　coppery　fire。　　The　thin　red　clouds　which　hung　above



their　pointed　tops　began　to　boil　and　move　rapidly；　weaving



in　and　out　like　smoke。　　The　swallows　darted　out　of　their



rock　houses　as　at　a　signal；　and　flew　upward；　toward　the



rim。　　Little　brown　birds　began　to　chirp　in　the　bushes　along



the　watercourse　down　at　the　bottom　of　the　ravine；　where



everything　was　still　dusky　and　pale。　　At　first　the　golden



light　seemed　to　hang　like　a　wave　upon　the　rim　of　the　can…



yon；　the　trees　and　bushes　up　there；　which　one　scarcely



noticed　at　noon；　stood　out　magnified　by　the　slanting　rays。



Long；　thin　streaks　of　light　began　to　reach　quiveringly



down　into　the　canyon。　　The　red　sun　rose　rapidly　above　the



tops　of　the　blazing　pines；　and　its　glow　burst　into　the　gulf；



about　the　very　doorstep　on　which　Thea　sat。　　It　bored　into



the　wet；　dark　underbrush。　　The　dripping　cherry　bushes；



the　pale　aspens；　and　the　frosty　PINONS　were　glittering　and



trembling；　swimming　in　the　liquid　gold。　　All　the　pale；　dusty



little　herbs　of　the　bean　family；　never　seen　by　any　one　but



a　botanist；　became　for　a　moment　individual　and　import…



ant；　their　silky　leaves　quite　beautiful　with　dew　and　light。



The　arch　of　sky　overhead；　heavy　as　lead　a　little　while　be…



fore；　lifted；　became　more　and　more　transparent；　and　one



could　look　up　into　depths　of　pearly　blue。







　　　　　The　savor　of　coffee　and　bacon　mingled　with　the　smell　of



wet　cedars　drying；　and　Fred　called　to　Thea　that　he　was



ready　for　her。　　They　sat　down　in　the　doorway　of　his



kitchen；　with　the　warmth　of　the　live　coals　behind　them　and



the　sunlight　on　their　faces；　and　began　their　breakfast；



Mrs。　Biltmer's　thick　coffee　cups　and　the　cream　bottle



between　them；　the　coffee…pot　and　frying…pan　conveniently



keeping　hot　among　the　embers。







　　　　　〃I　thought　you　were　going　back　on　the　whole　proposi…



tion；　Thea；　when　you　were　crawling　along　with　that　lan…



tern。　　I　couldn't　get　a　word　out　of　you。〃







　　　　　〃I　know。　　I　was　cold　and　hungry；　and　I　didn't　believe















there　was　going　to　be　any　morning；　anyway。　　Didn't　you



feel　queer；　at　all？〃







　　　　　Fred　squinted　above　his　smoking　cup。　　〃Well；　I　am



never　strong　for　getting　up　before　the　sun。　　The　world



looks　unfurnished。　　When　I　first　lit　the　fire　and　had　a　square



look　at　you；　I　thought　I'd　got　the　wrong　girl。　　Pale；　grim



you　were　a　sight！〃







　　　　　Thea　leaned　back　into　the　shadow　of　the　rock　room　and



warmed　her　hands　over　the　coals。　　〃It　was　dismal　enough。



How　warm　these　walls　are；　all　the　way　round；　and　your



breakfast　is　so　good。　　I'm　all　right　now；　Fred。〃







　　　　　〃Yes；　you're　all　right　now。〃　　Fred　lit　a　cigarette　and



looked　at　her　critically　as　her　head　emerged　into　the　sun



again。　　〃You　get　up　every　morning　just　a　little　bit　hand…



somer　than　you　were　the　day　before。　　I'd　love　you　just　as



much　if　you　were　not　turning　into　one　of　the　loveliest　wo…



men　I've　ever　seen；　but　you　are；　and　that's　a　fact　to　be



reckoned　with。〃　　He　watched　her　across　the　thin　line　of



smoke　he　blew　from　his　lips。　　〃What　are　you　going　to　do



with　all　that　beauty　and　all　that　talent；　Miss　Kronborg？〃







　　　　　She　turned　awa