第21章BuriedTreasure

第21章buriedtreasure

therearemanykindsoffools.now,willeverybodypleasesitstilluntiltheyarecalleduponspecificallytorise?

ihadbeeneverykindoffoolexceptone.ihadexpendedmypatrimony,pretendedmymatrimony,playedpoker,lawn-tennis,andbucket-shops—partedsoonwithmymoneyinmanyways.butthereremainedoneruleofthewearerofcapandbellsthatihadnotplayed.thatwastheseekerafterburiedtreasure.tofewdoesthedelectablefurorcome.butofallthewould-befollowersinthehoofprintsofkingmidasnonebasfoundapursuitsorichinpleasurablepromise.

but,goingbackfrommythemeawhile—aslamepensmustdo—iwasafoolofthesentimentalsoft.isawmaymarthamangum,andwashers.shewaseighteen,theeolorofthewhiteivorykeysofanewpiano,beautiful,andpossessedbytheexquisitesolemnityandpatheticwitcheryofanunsophisticatedangeldoomedtoliveinasmalldull,texasprairie-town.shehadaspiritandcharmthatcouldhaveenabledhertopluckrubieslikeraspberriesfromthecrownofbelgiumoranyothersportykingdom,butshedidnotknowit,andididnotpaintthepictureforher.

yousee,iwantedmaymarthamangumfortohaveandtohold.iwantedhertoabidewithme,andputmyslippersandpipeawayeverydayinplaceswheretheycannotbefoundofevenings.

maymartha'sfatherwasamanhiddenbehindwhiskersandspectacles.helivedforbugsandbutterfliesandallinsectsthatflyorcrawlorbuzzorgetdownyourbackorinthebutter.hewasanetymologist,orwordstothateffect.hespenthislifeseiningtheairforflyingfishofthejune-bugorder,andthenstickingpinsthrough'emandcalling'emnames.

heandmaymarthawerethewholefamily.heprizedherhighlyasafinespecimenoftheracibushumanusbecauseshesawthathehadfoodattimes,andputhisclothesonrightsidebefore,andkepthisalcohol-bottlesfilled.scientists,theysay,areapttobeabsentminded.

therewasanotherbesidemyselfwhothoughtmaymarthamangumonetobedesired.thatwasgoodloebanks,ayoungmanjusthomefromcollege.hehadalltheattainmentstobefoundinbooks—latin,greek,philosophy,andespeciallythehigherbranchesofmathematicsandlogic.

ifithadn'tbeenforhishabitofpouringoutthisinformationandlearningoneveryonethatheaddressed,i'dhavelikedhimprettywell.but,evenasitwas,heandiwere,youwouldhavethought,greatpals.

wegottogethereverytimewecouldbecauseeachofuswantedtopumptheotherforwhateverstrawswecouldtofindwhichwaythewindblewfromtheheartofmaymarthamangum—ratheramixedmetaphor;goodloebankswouldneverhavebeenguiltyofthat.thatisthewayofrivals.

youmightsaythatgoodloerantobooks,manners,culture,rowing,intellect,andclothes.iwouldhaveputyouinmindmoreofbaseballandfriday-nightdebatingsocieties—bywayofculture—andmaybeofagoodhorsebackrider.

butinourtalkstogether,andinourvisitsandconversationwithmaymartha,neithergoodloebanksnoricouldfindoutwhichoneofusshepreferred.maymarthawasanatural-bornnon-committal,andknewinhercradlehowtokeeppeopleguessing.

asisaid,oldmanmangumwasabsentminded.afteralongtimehefoundoutoneday—alittlebutterflymusthavetoldhimthattwoyoungmenweretryingtothrowanetovertheheadoftheyoungperson,adaughter,orsomesuchtechnicalappendage,wholookedafterhiscomforts.

ineverknewscientistscouldrisetosuchoccasions.oldmangumorallylabeledandclassifiedgoodloeandmyselfeasilyamongthelowestordersofthevertebrates;andinenglish,too,withoutgoinganyfurtherintolatinthanthesimplereferencestoorgetorix,rexhelvetii—whichisasfarasieverwent,myself.andhetoldusthatifheevercaughtusaroundhishouseagainhewouldaddustohiscollection.

goodloebanksandiremainedawayfivedays,expectingthestormtosubside.whenwedaredtocallatthehouseagainmaymarthamangumandherfatherweregone.gone!thehousetheyhadrentedwasclosed.theirlittlestoreofgoodsandchattelswasgonealso.

andnotawordoffarewelltoeitherofusfrommaymartha—notawhite,flutteringnotepinnedtothehawthorn-hush;notachalk-markonthegate-postnorapost-cardinthepost-officetogiveusaclew.

fortwomonthsgoodloebanksandi—separately—triedeveryschemewecouldthinkoftotracetherunaways.weusedourfriendshipandinfluencewiththeticket-agent,withlivery-stablemen,railroadconductors,andouronelone,lornconstable,butwithoutresults.

thenwebecamebetterfriendsandworseenemiesthanever.weforgatheredinthebackroomofsnyder'ssalooneveryafternoonafterwork,andplayeddominoes,andlaidconversationaltrapstofindoutfromeachotherifanythinghadbeendiscovered.thatisthewayofrivals.

now,goodloebankshadasarcasticwayofdisplayinghisownlearningandputtingmeintheclassthatwasreading'poorjaneray,herbirdisdead,shecannotplay.’well,iratherlikedgoodloe,andihadacontemptforhiscollegelearning,andiwasalwaysregardedasgoodnatured,soikeptmytemper.andiwastryingtofindoutifheknewanythingaboutmaymartha,soienduredhissociety.

intalkingthingsoveroneafternoonhesaidtome:

"supposeyoudofindher,ed,wherebywouldyouprofit?missmangumhasamind.perhapsitisyetuncultured,butsheisdestinedforhigherthingsthanyoucouldgiveher.ihavetalkedwithnoonewhoseemedtoappreciatemoretheenchantmentoftheancientpoetsandwritersandthemoderncultsthathaveassimilatedandexpendedtheirphilosophyoflife.don'tyouthinkyouarewastingyourtimelookingforher?"

"myidea,"saidi,"ofahappyhomeisaneight-roomhouseinagroveoflive-oaksbythesideofacharcoonatexasprairie.apiano"iwenton,"withanautomaticplayerinthesitting-room,threethousandheadofcattleunderfenceforastarter,abuckboardandponiesalwayshitchedatapostfor'themissus’—andmaymarthamangumtospendtheprofitsoftheranchasshepleases,andtoabidewithme,andputmyslippersandpipeawayeverydayinplaceswheretheycannotbefoundofevenings.that,"saidi,"iswhatistobe;andafig—adried,smyrna,dago-standfig—foryourcurriculums,cults,andphilosophy."

"sheismeantforhigherthings,"repeatedgoodloebanks.

"whateversheismeantfor,"ianswered,"justnowsheisoutofpocket.andishallfindherassoonasicanwithoutaidofthecolleges."

"thegameisblocked,"saidgoodloe,puttingdownadominoandwehadthebeer.

shortlyafterthatayoungfarmerwhomiknewcameintotownandbroughtmeafoldedbluepaper.hesaidhisgrandfatherhadjustdied.iconcealedatear,andhewentontosaythattheoldmanhadjealouslyguardedthispaperfortwentyyears.heleftittohisfamilyaspartofhisestate,therestofwhichconsistedoftwomulesandahypotenuseofnonarableland.

thesheetofpaperwasoftheold,bluekindusedduringtherebellionoftheabolitionistsagainstthesecessionists.itwasdatedjune14,1863,anditdescribedthehiding-placeoftenburro-loadsofgoldandsilvercoinvaluedatthreehundredthousanddollars.oldrundle—grandfatherofhisgrandson,sam—wasgiventheinformationbyaspanishpriestwhowasinonthetreasure-burying,andwhodiedmanyyearsbefore—no,afterward—inoldrundle'shouse.oldrundlewroteitdownfromdictation.

"whydidn'tyourfatherlookthisup?"iaskedyoungrundle.

"hewentblindbeforehecoulddoso,"hereplied.

"whydidn'tyouhuntforityourself?"iasked.

"well,"saidhe,"i'veonlyknownaboutthepaperfortenyears.firsttherewasthespringploughin'todo,andthenchoppin'theweedsontofthecorn;andthencometakin'fodder;andmightysoonwinterwasonns.itseemedtorunalongthatwayyearafteryear."

thatsoundedperfectlyreasonabletome,soitookitupwithyoungleerundleatonce.

thedirectionsonthepaperweresimple.thewholeburrocavalcadeladenwiththetreasurestartedfromanoldspanishmissionindolorescounty.theytraveledduesouthbythecompassuntiltheyreachedthealamitoriver.theyfordedthis,andburiedthetreasureonthetopofalittlemountainshapedlikeapack-saddlestandinginarowbetweentwohigherones.aheapofstonesmarkedtheplaceoftheburiedtreasure.allthepartyexceptthespanishpriestwerekilledbyindiansafewdayslater.thesecretwasamonopoly.itlookedgoodtome.

leerundleestedthatwerigoutacampingoutfit,hireasurveyortorunoutthelinefromthespanishmission,andthenspendthethreehundredthousanddollarsseeingthesightsinfortworth.but,withoutbeinghighlyeducated,iknewawaytosavetimeandexpense.

wewenttothestateland-officeandhadapractical,whattheycalla"working,"sketchmadeofallthesurveysoflandfromtheoldmissiontothealamitoriver.onthismapidrewalineduesouthwardtotheriver.thelengthoflinesofeachsurveyandsectionoflandwasaccuratelygivenonthesketch.bythesewefoundthepointontheriverandhada"connection"madewithitandanimportant,well-identifiedcornerofthelosanimosfive-leaguesurvey—agrantmadebykingphilipofspain.

bydoingthiswedidnotneedtohavethelinerunoutbyasurveyor.itwasagreatsavingofexpenseandtime.

so,leerundleandifittedoutatwo-horsewagonteamwithalltheaccessories,anddroveahundredandforty-ninemilestochico,thenearesttowntothepointwewishedtoreach.therewepickedupadeputycounitysurveyor.hefoundthecornerofthelosanimossurveyforus,ranoutthefivethousandsevenhundredandtwentyvaraswestthatoursketchcalledfor,laidastoneonthespot,hadcoffeeandbacon,andcaughtthemai-lstagebacktochico.

iwasprettysurewewouldgetthatthreehundredthousanddo-llars.leerundle'swastobeonlyone-third,becauseiwaspayingalltheexpenses.withthattwohundredthousanddollarsiknewicouldfindmaymarthamangumifshewasonearth.andwithiticouldflutterthebutterfliesinoldmanmangum'sdove-cot,too.ificouldfindthattreasure!

butleeandiestablishedcamp.acrosstheriverwereadozenlittlemountainsdenselycoveredbycedar-brakes,butnotoneshapedlikeapack-saddle.thatdidnotdeterus.appearancesaredeceptive.apack-saddle,likebeauty,mayexistonlyintheeyeofthebeholder.

iandthegrandsonofthetreasureexaminedthosecedar-coveredhillswiththecareofaladyhuntingforthewickedflea.weexploredeveryside,top,circumference,meanelevation,angle,slope,andconcavityofeveryonefortwomilesupanddowntheriver.wespentfourdaysdoingso.thenwehitcheduptheroanandthedun,andhauledtheremainsofthecoffeeandbacontheonehundredandfortyninemilesbacktoconchocity.

leerundlechewedmuchoonthereturntrip.iwasbusydriving,becauseiwasinahurry.

asshortlyascouldbeafterouremptyreturn,goodloebanksandiforgatheredinthebackroomofsnyder'ssaloontoplaydominoesandfishforinformation.itoldgoodloeaboutmyexpeditionaftertheburiedtreasure.

"ificouldhavefoundthatthreehundredthousanddollars,"isaidtohim,"icouldhavescouredandsiftedthesurfaceoftheearthtofindmaymarthamangum."

"sheismeantforhigherthings,"saidgoodloe."ishallfindhermyself.but,tellmehowyouwentaboutdiscoveringthespotwherethisunearthedincrementwasimprudentlyburied."

itoldhiminthesmallestdetail.ishowedhimthedraughtsman'ssketchwiththedistancesmarkedplainlyuponit.

afterglancingoveritinamasterlyway,heleanedbackinhischairandbestoweduponmeanexplosionofsardonic,superior,collegiatelaughter.

"well,youareafool,jim,"hesaid,whenhecouldspeak.

"it'syourplay,"saidi,patiently,fingeringmydouble-six.

"twenty,"saidgoodloe,makingtwocrossesonthetablewithhischalk.

"whyamiafool?"iasked."buriedtreasurehasbeenfoundbeforeinmanyplaces."