登陆注册
5168900000064

第64章 THE YOUNGEST PROSPECTOR IN CALAVERAS(4)

"Cos it has my marks on it," said Johnny quickly; "it had a criss-cross I scratched on it.I kin tell it good enuf."Mr.Staples turned suddenly pale and rose."Of course," he said to Mrs.Medliker with painful dignity, "if you set so much value upon a mere worldly trifle, I will endeavor to find it.It may be in my other pocket." He backed out of the door in his usual fashion, but instantly went over to the post-office, where, as he afterwards alleged, he had changed the ore for coin in a moment of inadvertence.

But Johnny's hieroglyphics were found on it, and in some mysterious way the story got about.It had two effects that Johnny did not dream of.It had forced his mother into an attitude of complicity with him; it had raised up for him a single friend.Jake Stielitzer, quartz miner, had declared that Burnt Spring was "playing it low down" on Johnny! That if they really believed that the boy took gold from their sluice boxes, it was their duty to watch their CLAIMS and not the boy.That it was only their excuse for "snooping" after him, and they only wanted to find his "strike,"which was as much his as their claims were their own! All this with great proficiency of epithet, but also a still more recognized proficiency with the revolver, which made the former respected.

"That's the real nigger in the fence, Johnny," said Jake, twirling his huge mustache, "and they only want to know where your lead is,--and don't yer tell 'em! Let 'em bile over with waitin' first, and that'll put the fire out.Does yer pop know?""No," said Johnny.

"Nor yer mar?"

"No."

Jake whistled."Then it's only YOU, yourself?"Johnny nodded violently, and his brown eyes glistened.

"It's a heap of information to be packed away in a chap of your size, Johnny.Makes you feel kinder crowded inside, eh? MUST keep it to yourself, eh?""Have to," said Johnny with a gasp that was a little like a sigh.

It caused Jake to look at him attentively."See here, Johnny," he said, "now ef ye wanted to tell somebody about it,--somebody as was a friend of yours,--ME, f'r instance?"Johnny slowly withdrew the freckled, warty little hand that had been resting confidingly in Jake's and gently sidled away from him.

Jake burst into a loud laugh.

"All right, Johnny boy," he said with a hearty slap upon the boy's back, "keep yer head shut ef yer wanter! Only ef anybody else comes bummin' round ye, like this, jest turn him over TO ME, and I'll lift him outer his boots!"Jake kept his word, and his distance thereafter.Indeed, it was after this first and last conversation with him that the influence of his powerful protection was so strong that all active criticisms of Johnny ceased, and only a respectful surveillance of his movements lingered in the settlement.I do not know that this was altogether distasteful to the child; it would have been strange, indeed, if he had not felt at times exalted by this mysterious influence that he seemed to have acquired over his fellow creatures.If he were merely hunting blackberries in the brush, he was always sure, sooner or later, to find a ready hand offered to help and accompany him; if he trapped a squirrel or tracked down a wild bees' hoard, he generally found a smiling face watching him.

Prospectors sometimes stopped him with: "Well, Johnny, as a chipper and far-minded boy, now WHAR would YOU advise us to dig?" I grieve to say that Johnny was not above giving his advice,--and that it was invariably of not the smallest use to the recipient.

And so the days passed.Mr.Medliker's absence was protracted, and the hour of retribution and punishment still seemed far away.The blackberries ripened and dried upon the hillside, and the squirrels had gathered their hoards; the bees no longer came and went through the thicket, but Johnny was still in daily mysterious possession of his grains of gold! And then one day--after the fate of all heroic humanity--his secret was imperilled by the blandishments and machinations of the all-powerful sex.

Florry Fraser was a little playmate of Johnny's.Why, with his doubts of his elder sister's intelligence and integrity, he should have selected a child two years younger, and of singular simplicity, was, like his other secret, his own.What SHE saw in him to attract her was equally strange; possibly it may have been his brown-gooseberry eyes or his warts; but she was quite content to trot after him, like a young squaw, carrying his "bow-arrow," or his "trap," supremely satisfied to share his woodland knowledge or his scanter confidences.For nobody who knew Johnny suspected that she was privy to his great secret.Howbeit, wherever his ragged straw hat, thatched with his tawny hair, was detected in the brush, the little nankeen sunbonnet of Florry was sure to be discerned not far behind.For two weeks they had not seen each other.A fell disease, nurtured in ignorance, dirt, and carelessness, was striking right and left through the valleys of the foothills, and Florry, whose sister had just recovered from an attack, had been sequestered with her.But one morning, as Johnny was bringing his wood from the stack behind the house, he saw, to his intense delight, a picket of the road fence slipped aside by a small red hand, and a moment after Florry squeezed herself through the narrow opening.Her round cheeks were slightly flushed, and there was a scrap of red flannel around her plump throat that heightened the whiteness of her skin.

"My!" said Johnny, with half-real, half-affected admiration, "how splendiferous!""Sore froat," said Florry, in a whisper, trying to insert her two chubby fingers between the bandage and her chin."I mussent go outer the garden patch! I mussent play in the woods, for I'll be seed! I mussent stay long, for they'll ketch me outer bed!""Outer bed?" repeated Johnny, with intense admiration, as he perceived for the first time that Florry was in a flannel nightgown, with bare legs and feet.

"Ess."

同类推荐
  • 高上大洞文昌司禄紫阳宝箓

    高上大洞文昌司禄紫阳宝箓

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 梦粱录

    梦粱录

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 立斋遗文

    立斋遗文

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 佛说身毛喜竖经

    佛说身毛喜竖经

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 三论游意义

    三论游意义

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
热门推荐
  • 北斗九皇隐讳经

    北斗九皇隐讳经

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 女神的后裔

    女神的后裔

    人世间的悲欢离合,纷纷扰扰,皆因天地孕育人神族时多赐了一个感官,所以人神族的本能就生出了七情六欲,成为天地间最具智慧的一种高级生物,自然而然的站到了天地万物的最顶端,受万物供养。五万年前,天生异变,众生颠倒,人神族沦为畜生而成砧板鱼肉。为了挽救众生于水火......
  • 乙丙之际著议第六

    乙丙之际著议第六

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 卡耐基语言的突破与沟通的艺术

    卡耐基语言的突破与沟通的艺术

    本书不仅仅是口才训练书,也是一本综合开发自我潜能的修炼指南。一经问世,就创造了人类出版史上一个奇迹:10年之内发行了2000多万册,被译成了几十种文字,成为世界上最受推崇的“口才指南”。本书不仅仅谈论公开演说术和所有的演讲技巧,而且还囊括推销术、谈判技巧、辩论术等内容,详细地介绍了克服恐惧、建立自信的方法,阐述了演讲口才方面的方法和技巧,旨在指导人们克服人性和心理弱点,学会语言的艺术和技巧,顺乎自然地发挥自我潜能,在各种场合下发表谈话,博得赞誉,从而获得人生和商业的成功。
  • 末世系统之萧霖

    末世系统之萧霖

    末世降临前:萧霖对被继母怂恿试图扣押自己学费的亲爹使出了传说中的终极大杀招:断子绝孙腿。末世降临后:萧霖与从天而降狠狠砸到自己后脑勺的逗比系统携手并进,愉快的踏上了末世写文的康庄大道!
  • 别扭总裁别后悔

    别扭总裁别后悔

    又名《宁原爱你》青梅竹马玩起霸道总裁的戏码拒绝商业联姻,带着精致美貌女主光环的情敌上门挑衅。WTF,就因为我是和男主相配的千金小姐就得沦为女配吗?“宁雅,我不会接受商业联姻的”“呵...原七宸,我对你...岂止商业联姻啊~”不就是女配嘛,我宁雅会怕吗?用实力告诉你们女主应该是怎样的!钱,人脉,能力,气质,桃花样样具备,谁说女配不能逆袭好,你要结婚是吧,我让你结“后悔了别来找我!”“我不会后悔的。”“后悔了来找我你就是狗!”宁雅无语的看着这个男人一本正经的把她的求婚戒指扔进海里“原七宸,你什么意思?”“我后悔了”哼,宁雅高傲转身“对不起,我要接受别人求婚了”身后传来一声“汪~”宁雅给人感觉很强势,可她在原七宸面前多柔啊~原七宸给人感觉很冷,可他是宁雅心里的光啊~————推荐曦梦的新文《天命神女超时空》请大家多多支持 推荐以作者为蓝本的新文《晨想青春回忆录》请大家多多支持
  • 神话小栈

    神话小栈

    一人独占天下运道,最是凡人道尊李易,踏足洪荒,游玩三界,无敌心无所事,随心而已!(神话群728905690)
  • 混在历史的穿越者

    混在历史的穿越者

    回到战国时代,不懂争霸的陆山只想随波逐流,过自己的日子,但是人在乱世中,半点不由人,有些人总是会锋芒毕露,帮赢政打下了天下,他居然要拿自己炼丹。既然你不仁,就别怪我不义。你的天下还是交出来吧。
  • 衍生之地

    衍生之地

    高中生符骅回到了一年前的研学之旅中,但等待他的却以不是那熟悉的记忆,这个世界,从他醒来的那一刻起开始踏入洪流之中.....
  • 人体从里看到外(科学知识游览车)

    人体从里看到外(科学知识游览车)

    《人体从里看到外》本书为你讲述关于人体的各种科普知识。本书知识全面、内容精炼、通俗易懂,能够培养读者的科学兴趣和爱好,达到普及科学知识的目的,具有很强的可读性、启发性和知识性,是广大读者了解科技、增长知识、开阔视野、提高素质、激发探索和启迪智慧的良好科普读物。