登陆注册
5216900000026

第26章 CHAPTER XIII(1)

So I left Benicia,where John Barleycorn had nearly got me,and ranged wider afield in pursuit of the whisper from the back of life to come and find.And wherever I ranged,the way lay along alcohol-drenched roads.Men still congregated in saloons.They were the poor-man's clubs,and they were the only clubs to which Ihad access.I could get acquainted in saloons.I could go into a saloon and talk with any man.In the strange towns and cities Iwandered through,the only place for me to go was the saloon.Iwas no longer a stranger in any town the moment I had entered a saloon.

And right here let me break in with experiences no later than last year.I harnessed four horses to a light trap,took Charmian along,and drove for three months and a half over the wildest mountain parts of California and Oregon.Each morning I did my regular day's work of writing fiction.That completed,I drove on through the middle of the day and the afternoon to the next stop.

But the irregularity of occurrence of stopping-places,coupled with widely varying road conditions,made it necessary to plan,the day before,each day's drive and my work.I must know when Iwas to start driving in order to start writing in time to finish my day's output.Thus,on occasion,when the drive was to be long,I would be up and at my writing by five in the morning.On easier driving days I might not start writing till nine o'clock.

But how to plan?As soon as I arrived in a town,and put the horses up,on the way from the stable to the hotel I dropped into the saloons.First thing,a drink--oh,I wanted the drink,but also it must not be forgotten that,because of wanting to know things,it was in this very way I had learned to want a drink.

Well,the first thing,a drink."Have something yourself,"to the barkeeper.And then,as we drink,my opening query about roads and stopping-places on ahead.

"Let me see,"the barkeeper will say,"there's the road across Tarwater Divide.That used to be good.I was over it three years ago.But it was blocked this spring.Say,I'll tell you what.

I'll ask Jerry--"And the barkeeper turns and addresses some man sitting at a table or leaning against the bar farther along,and who may be Jerry,or Tom,or Bill."Say,Jerry,how about the Tarwater road?You was down to Wilkins last week."And while Bill or Jerry or Tom is beginning to unlimber his thinking and speaking apparatus,I suggest that he join us in the drink.Then discussions arise about the advisability of this road or that,what the best stopping-places may be,what running time Imay expect to make,where the best trout streams are,and so forth,in which other men join,and which are punctuated with more drinks.

Two or three more saloons,and I accumulate a warm jingle and come pretty close to knowing everybody in town,all about the town,and a fair deal about the surrounding country.I know the lawyers,editors,business men,local politicians,and the visiting ranchers,hunters,and miners,so that by evening,when Charmian and I stroll down the main street and back,she is astounded by the number of my acquaintances in that totally strange town.

And thus is demonstrated a service John Barleycorn renders,a service by which he increases his power over men.And over the world,wherever I have gone,during all the years,it has been the same.It may be a cabaret in the Latin Quarter,a cafe in some obscure Italian village,a boozing ken in sailor-town,and it may be up at the club over Scotch and soda;but always it will be where John Barleycorn makes fellowship that I get immediately in touch,and meet,and know.And in the good days coming,when John Barleycorn will have been banished out of existence along with the other barbarisms,some other institution than the saloon will have to obtain,some other congregating place of men where strange men and stranger men may get in touch,and meet,and know.

同类推荐
热门推荐
  • 无痛非青春

    无痛非青春

    你是这个世界上的另一个我,没有你,我的世界将黯然无光。他是于我而言最主要的人,没有他,我的世界将毫无光彩。在你我他之间,有的丝可断,有的丝断不了。
  • 摩登伽经

    摩登伽经

    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。
  • 全能经理人

    全能经理人

    2004-05赛季,洛杉矶F4轰然解体,奥尼尔东游迈阿密;连续加冕两年得分王却无法突破首轮,麦迪远走休斯敦;纳什去太阳,卡特赴篮网,这一年的NBA格局大变,硝烟四起。看被神(zuo)秘(zhe)力量附身的柯艾梦回2004开启属于自己的神奇之旅。
  • 我不是人

    我不是人

    《我不是人》是一部特立独行的小说,“我不是人”不是自己扇自己嘴巴子,而是困惑和倦怠于眼前的成人生活,为自己的尴尬身份寻找的托词,也就是说,是假想,假设“我不是人”,我变成了宠物狗、老虎、骏马、熊猫、圣人、老鼠、十九世纪的外国人、孔雀、孩子、鱼、神仙、未来人……十二种可能的“变形”,构成了这部庸人版《变形记》。
  • 爆笑紫禁城生活:野蛮皇贵妃

    爆笑紫禁城生活:野蛮皇贵妃

    “你平日喜欢干什么?”“回皇上,臣妾喜欢看恋书!”“喜欢看恋书的话,那你进宫当贵妃吧!”“皇上,你这混蛋!臣妾要为您生孩子,让您疼让您爱。还要您爱臣妾一生一世!”《学霸萌萌哒:BOSS坏坏哒》也希望读者喜欢!
  • 火影之签到就无敌

    火影之签到就无敌

    枫穿越了,却没想到去了火影世界。一路行来才发现,那一座座巅峰,却被自己踩在了脚下。而自己成了别人口中的巅峰,可他其实只是一个迷失的路人而已。
  • 孔子与儒家学派

    孔子与儒家学派

    《中国文化知识读本
  • 金手(怀旧童书馆·怀旧童年)

    金手(怀旧童书馆·怀旧童年)

    《金手》一书由原来的《金手》和《拔萝卜》两小书组成。《金手》以书中其中一篇文章名为书名,也做了新版的(两小书组合版)书名。《金手》一书分为2个小故事“金手”和“费多拉的悲哀”,是著名作家丰一吟为建国初的小朋友们翻译的苏联民间故事选集中的两则故事,它讲述了在草原上,一个牧畜的老人,膝下有一个美貌无双的女儿,女儿提出要嫁给在这个世界上最富有同时又是最贫穷的人。
  • 逆天作弊器之超级项链

    逆天作弊器之超级项链

    逆天第二部,超级项链!预计9月15号发布,小猪强势归来,各位敬请期待!枯寂的山谷之中,落叶吹拂。巨大的九头蛇王躺在地上,气息全无。人影手拿长刀,缓缓蹲下,从九头蛇王身下摸索一番,最终,摸出了数十件物品。“极品神石、魔王之翼、神圣权杖、瞬间恢复药……这些东西,应该会让华夏国的那帮老家伙大吃一惊吧?!”将手中的这些东西放进超神器‘无限储物戒’之中,叶铭笑着说道。“干掉九头蛇王,终于到了65级,现实里,应该也可以突破尊境了。”重生十年,携逆天游戏,横扫天下!——————————阔别一年之久,小猪重新归来!一年准备,精心打造【逆天】第二部——超级游戏!
  • 极幻之道

    极幻之道

    此异界,谓之幻界。以幻入道,是为幻师。幻,能惑人心、乱人道。天下之物,无幻不能。一切有形的、无形的攻击,皆可在拂掌捏诀之间,凭空突现。企鹅群:666、153、587