the complete writings-3-第20章

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But　we　are　wandering　from　Hunter's　Pass。　　The　western　walls　of　it　are　formed　by　the　precipices　of　Nipple　Top；　not　so　striking　nor　so　bare　as　the　great　slides　of　Dix　which　glisten　in　the　sun　like　silver；　but　rough　and　repelling；　and　consequently　alluring。　　I　have　a　great　desire　to　scale　them。　　I　have　always　had　an　unreasonable　wish　to　explore　the　rough　summit　of　this　crabbed　hill；　which　is　too　broken　and　jagged　for　pleasure　and　not　high　enough　for　glory。　　This　desire　was　stimulated　by　a　legend　related　by　our　guide　that　night　in　the　Mud　Pond　cabin。　　The　guide　had　never　been　through　the　pass　before；　although　he　was　familiar　with　the　region；　and　had　ascended　Nipple　Top　in　the　winter　in　pursuit　of　the　sable。　　The　story　he　told　doesn't　amount　to　much；　none　of　the　guides'　stories　do；　faithfully　reported；　and　I　should　not　have　believed　it　if　I　had　not　had　a　good　deal　of　leisure　on　my　hands　at　the　time；　and　been　of　a　willing　mind；　and　I　may　say　in　rather　of　a　starved　condition　as　to　any　romance　in　this　region。

The　guide　said　thenand　he　mentioned　it　casually；　in　reply　to　our　inquiries　about　ascending　the　mountainthat　there　was　a　cave　high　up　among　the　precipices　on　the　southeast　side　of　Nipple　Top。　　He　scarcely　volunteered　the　information；　and　with　seeming　reluctance　gave　us　any　particulars　about　it。　　I　always　admire　this　art　by　which　the　accomplished　story…teller　lets　his　listener　drag　the　reluctant　tale　of　the　marvelous　from　him；　and　makes　you　in　a　manner　responsible　for　its　improbability。　　If　this　is　well　managed；　the　listener　is　always　eager　to　believe　a　great　deal　more　than　the　romancer　seems　willing　to　tell；　and　always　resents　the　assumed　reservations　and　doubts　of　the　latter。

There　were　strange　reports　about　this　cave　when　the　old　guide　was　a　boy；　and　even　then　its　very　existence　had　become　legendary。　　Nobody　knew　exactly　where　it　was；　but　there　was　no　doubt　that　it　had　been　inhabited。　　Hunters　in　the　forests　south　of　Dix　had　seen　a　light　late　at　night　twinkling　through　the　trees　high　up　the　mountain；　and　now　and　then　a　ruddy　glare　as　from　the　flaring…up　of　a　furnace。　　Settlers　were　few　in　the　wilderness　then；　and　all　the　inhabitants　were　well　known。　　If　the　cave　was　inhabited；　it　must　be　by　strangers；　and　by　men　who　had　some　secret　purpose　in　seeking　this　seclusion　and　eluding　observation。　　If　suspicious　characters　were　seen　about　Port　Henry；　or　if　any　such　landed　from　the　steamers　on　the　shore　of　Lake　Champlain；　it　was　impossible　to　identify　them　with　these　invaders　who　were　never　seen。　　Their　not　being　seen　did　not；　however；　prevent　the　growth　of　the　belief　in　their　existence。　　Little　indications　and　rumors；　each　trivial　in　itself；　became　a　mass　of　testimony　that　could　not　be　disposed　of　because　of　its　very　indefiniteness；　but　which　appealed　strongly　to　man's　noblest　faculty；　his　imagination；　or　credulity。

The　cave　existed；　and　it　was　inhabited　by　men　who　came　and　went　on　mysterious　errands；　and　transacted　their　business　by　night。　　What　this　band　of　adventurers　or　desperadoes　lived　on；　how　they　conveyed　their　food　through　the　trackless　woods　to　their　high　eyrie；　and　what　could　induce　men　to　seek　such　a　retreat；　were　questions　discussed；　but　never　settled。　　They　might　be　banditti；　but　there　was　nothing　to　plunder　in　these　savage　wilds；　and；　in　fact；　robberies　and　raids　either　in　the　settlements　of　the　hills　or　the　distant　lake　shore　were　unknown。　　In　another　age；　these　might　have　been　hermits；　holy　men　who　had　retired　from　the　world　to　feed　the　vanity　of　their　godliness　in　a　spot　where　they　were　subject　neither　to　interruption　nor　comparison；　they　would　have　had　a　shrine　in　the　cave；　and　an　image　of　the　Blessed　Virgin；　with　a　lamp　always　burning　before　it　and　sending　out　its　mellow　light　over　the　savage　waste。　　A　more　probable　notion　was　that　they　were　romantic　Frenchmen　who　had　grow　weary　of　vice　and　refinement　together；possibly　princes；　expectants　of　the　throne；　Bourbon　remainders；　named　Williams　or　otherwise；　unhatched　eggs；　so　to　speak；　of　kings；　who　had　withdrawn　out　of　observation　to　wait　for　the　next　turn…over　in　Paris。　　Frenchmen　do　such　things。　　If　they　were　not　Frenchmen；　they　might　be　honest…thieves　or　criminals；　escaped　from　justice　or　from　the　friendly　state…prison　of　New　York。　　This　last　supposition　was；　however；　more　violent　than　the　others；　or　seems　so　to　us　in　this　day　of　grace。　　For　what　well…brought…up　New　York　criminal　would　be　so　insane　as　to　run　away　from　his　political　friends　the　keepers；　from　the　easily　had　companionship　of　his　pals　outside；　and　from　the　society　of　his　criminal　lawyer；　and；　in　short；　to　put　himself　into　the　depths　of　a　wilderness　out　of　which　escape；　when　escape　was　desired；　is　a　good　deal　more　difficult　than　it　is　out　of　the　swarming　jails　of　the　Empire　State？　　Besides；　how　foolish　for　a　man；　if　he　were　a　really　hardened　and　professional　criminal；　having　established　connections　and　a　regular　business；　to　run　away　from　the　governor's　pardon；　which　might　have　difficulty　in　finding　him　in　the　craggy　bosom　of　Nipple　Top！

This　gang　of　menthere　is　some　doubt　whether　they　were　accompanied　by　womengave　little　evidence　in　their　appearance　of　being　escaped　criminals　or　expectant　kings。　　Their　movements　were　mysterious　but　not　necessarily　violent。　　If　their　occupation　could　have　been　discovered；　that　would　have　furnished　a　clew　to　their　true　character。　But　about　this　the　strangers　were　as　close　as　mice。　　If　anything　could　betray　them；　it　was　the　steady　light　from　the　cavern；　and　its　occasional　ruddy　flashing。　　This　gave　rise　to　the　opinion；　which　was　strengthened　by　a　good　many　indications　equally　conclusive；　that　the　cave　was　the　resort　of　a　gang　of　coiners　and　counterfeiters。　　Here　they　had　their　furnace；　smelting…pots；　and　dies；　here　they　manufactured　those　spurious　quarters　and　halves　that　their　confidants；　who　were　pardoned；　were　circulating；　and　which　a　few　honest　men　were　〃nailing　to　the　counter。〃

This　prosaic　explanation　of　a　romantic　situation　satisfies　all　the　requirements　of　the　known　facts；　but　the　lively　imagination　at　once　rejects　it　as　unworthy　of　the　subject。　　I　think　the　guide　put　it　forward　in　order　to　have　it　rejected。　　The　fact　is；at　least；　it　has　never　been　disproved；these　strangers　whose　movements　were　veiled　belonged　to　that　dark　and　mysterious　race　whose　presence　anywhere　on　this　continent　is　a　nest…egg　of　romance　or　of　terror。　　They　were　Spaniards！　　You　need　not　say　buccaneers；　you　need　not　say　gold…　hunters；　you　need　not　say　swarthy　adventurers　even：　it　is　enough　to　say　Spaniards！　　There　is　no　tale　of　mystery　and　fanaticism　and　daring　I　would　not　believe　if　a　Spaniard　is　the　hero　of　it；　and　it　is　not　necessary　either　that　he　should　have　the　high…sounding　name　of　Bodadilla　or　Ojeda。

Nobody；　I　suppose；　would　doubt　this　story　if　the　moose；　quaffing　deep　draughts　of　red　wine　from　silver　tankards；　and　then　throwing　themselves　back　upon　divans；　and　lazily　puffing　the　fragrant　Havana。　After　a　day　of　toil；　what　more　natural；　and　what　more　probable　for　a　Spaniard？

Does　the　reader　think　these　inferences　not　warranted　by　the　facts？　He　does　not　know　the　facts。　　It　is　true　that　our　guide　had　never　himself　personally　visited　the　cave；　but　he　has　always　intended　to　hunt　it　up。　　His　information　in　regard　to　it　comes　from　his　father；　who　was　a　mighty　hunter　and　trapper。　　In　one　of　his　expeditions　over　Nipple　Top　he　chanced　upon　the　cave。　　The　mouth　was　half　concealed　by　undergrowth。　　He　entered；　not　without　some　apprehension　engendered　by　the　legends　which　make　it　famous。　　I　think　he　showed　some　boldness　in　venturing　into　such　a　place　alone。　　I　confess　that；　before　I　went　in；　I　should　want　to　fire　a　Gatling　gun　into　the　mouth　for　a　little　while；　in　order　to　rout　out　the　bears　which　usually　dwell　there。　　He　went　in；　however。　　The　entrance　was　low；　but　the　cave　was　spacious；　not　large；　but　big　enough；　with　a　level　floor　and　a　vaulted　ceiling。　It　had　long　been　deserted；　but　that　it　was　once　the　residence　of　highly　civilized　beings　there　could　be　no　doubt。　　The　dead　brands　in　the　centre　were　the　remains　of　a　fire　that　could　not　have　been　kindled　by　wild　beasts；　and　the　bones　scattered　about　had　been　scientifically　dissected　and　handled。　　There　were　also　remnants　of　furniture　an