osc.am1.seventhson-第3部分

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　　All　right　then；　she　said　to　herself；　I　am　wicked。　But　I　won't　be　wicked　anymore。　I'll　tell　the　truth　like　Papa　says；　or　I'll　say　nothing　at　all。
　　Even　at　five　years　old；　little　Peggy　knew　that　if　she　kept　that　vow；　she'd　be　better　off　saying　nothing。
　　So　she　said　nothing；　not　even　to　herself；　just　lay　there　on　a　mossy　damp　table　with　Bugy　clenched　tight　enough　to　strangle　in　her　fist。
　　Ching　ching　ching。
　　Little　Peggy　woke　up　and　got　mad　for　just　a　minute。
　　Ching　ching　ching。
　　Made　her　mad　because　nobody　said　to　her；　Little　Peggy；　you　don't　mind　if　we　talk　this　young　blacksmith　feller　into　settling　down　here；　do　you？　Not　at　all；　Papa；　she　would've　said　if　they'd　asked。　She　knew　what　it　meant　to　have　a　smithy。　It　meant　your　village　would　thrive；　and　folks　from　other　places　would　e；　and　when　they　came　there'd　be　trade；　and　where　there　was　trade　then　her　father's　big　house　could　be　a　forest　inn；　and　where　there　was　a　forest　inn　then　all　the　roads　would　kind　of　bend　a　little　just　to　pass　the　place；　if　it　wasn't　too　far　out　of　the　way　　little　Peggy　knew　all　that；　as　sure　as　the　children　of　farmers　knew　the　rhythms　of　the　farm。　A　road　house　by　a　smithy　was　a　road　house　that　would　prosper。　So　she　would've　said；　Sure　enough；　let　him　stay；　deed　him　land；　brick　his　chimney；　feed　him　free；　let　him　have　my　bed　so　I　have　to　double　up　with　Cousin　Peter　who　keeps　trying　to　peek　under　my　nightgown；　I'll　put　up　with　all　that　　just　as　long　as　you　don't　put　him　near　the　spring　house　so　that　all　the　time；　even　when　I　want　to　be　alone　with　the　water；　there's　that　whack　thump　hiss　roar；　noise　all　the　time；　and　a　fire　burning　up　the　sky　to　turn　it　black；　and　the　smell　of　charcoal　burning。　It　was　enough　to　make　a　body　wish　to　follow　the　stream　right　back　into　the　mountain　just　to　get　some　peace。
　　Of　course　the　stream　was　the　smart　place　to　put　the　blacksmith。　Except　for　water；　he　could've　put　his　smithy　anywheres　at　all。　The　iron　came　to　him　in　the　shipper's　wagon　clear　from　New　Netherland；　and　the　charcoal　　well；　there　was　plenty　of　farmers　willing　to　trade　charcoal　for　a　good　shoe。　But　water；　that's　what　the　smith　needed　that　nobody'd　bring　him；　so　of　course　they　put　him　right　down　the　hill　from　the　spring　house　where　his　ching　ching　ching　could　wake　her　up　and　put　the　fire　back　into　her　in　the　one　place　where　she　had　used　to　be　able　to　let　it　burn　low　and　go　almost　to　cold　wet　ash。
　　A　roar　of　thunder。
　　She　was　at　the　door　in　a　second。　Had　to　see　the　lightning。　Caught　just　the　last　shadow　of　the　light　but　she　knew　that　there'd　be　more。　It　wasn't　much　after　noon；　surely；　or　had　she　slept　all　day？　What　with　all　these　blackbelly　clouds　she　couldn't　tell　　it　might　as　well　be　the　last　minutes　of　dusk。　The　air　was　all　a…prickle　with　lightning　just　waiting　to　flash。　She　knew　that　feeling；　knew　that　it　meant　the　lightning'd　hit　close。
　　She　looked　down　to　see　if　the　blacksmith's　stable　was　still　full　of　horses。　It　was。　The　shoeing　wasn't　done；　the　road　would　turn　to　muck；　and　so　the　farmer　with　his　two　sons　from　out　West　Fork　way　was　stuck　here。　Not　a　chance　they'd　head　home　in　this；　with　lightning　ready　to　put　a　fire　in　the　woods；　or　knock　a　tree　down　on　them；　or　maybe　just　smack　them　a　good　one　and　lay　them　all　out　dead　in　a　circle　like　them　five　Quakers　they　still　was　talking　about　and　here　it　happened　back　in　'90　when　the　first　white　folks　came　to　settle　here。　People　talked　still　about　the　Circle　of　Five　and　all　that；　some　people　wondering　if　God　up　and　smashed　them　flat　so　as　to　shut　the　Quakers　up；　seeing　how　nothing　else　ever　could；　while　other　people　was　wondering　if　God　took　them　up　into　heaven　like　the　first　Lord　Protector　Oliver　Cromwell　who　was　smote　by　lightning　at　the　age　of　ninety…seven　and　just　disappeared。
　　No；　that　farmer　and　his　big　old　boys'd　stay　another　night。　Little　Peggy　was　an　innkeeper's　daughter；　wasn't　she？　Papooses　learnt　to　hunt；　pickaninnies　learnt　to　tote；　farmer　children　learnt　the　weather；　and　an　innkeeper's　daughter　learnt　which　folks　would　stay　the　night；　even　before　they　knew　it　right　theirselfs。
　　Their　horses　were　champing　in　the　stable；　snorting　and　warning　each　other　about　the　storm。　In　every　group　of　horses；　little　Peggy　figgered；　there　must　be　one　that's　remarkable　dumb；　so　all　the　others　have　to　tell　him　what　all's　going　on。　Bad　storm；　they　were　saying。　We're　going　to　get　a　soaking；　if　the　lightning　don't　smack　us　first。　And　the　dumb　one　kept　nickering　and　saying；　What's　that　noise；　what's　that　noise？
　　Then　the　sky　just　opened　right　up　and　dumped　water　on　the　earth。　Stripped　leaves　right　off　the　trees；　it　came　down　so　hard。　Came　down　so　thick；　too；　that　little　Peggy　couldn't　even　see　the　smithy　for　a　minute　and　she　thought　maybe　it　got　washed　right　away　into　the　stream。　Oldpappy　told　her　how　that　stream　led　right　down　to　the　Hatrack　River；　and　the　Hatrack　poured　right　into　the　Hio；　and　the　Hio　shoved　itself　on　through　the　woods　to　the　Mizzipy；　which　went　on　down　into　the　sea；　and　Oldpappy　said　how　the　sea　drank　so　much　water　that　it　got　indigestion　and　gave　off　the　biggest　old　belches　you　ever　heard；　and　what　came　up　was　clouds。　Belches　from　the　sea；　and　now　the　smithy　would　float　all　that　way；　get　swallered　up　and　belched　out；　and　someday　she'd　just　be　minding　her　own　business　and　some　cloud　would　break　up　and　plop　that　smithy　down　as　neat　as　you　please；　old　Makepeace　Smith　still　ching　ching　chinging　away。
　　Then　the　rain　stacked　off　a　mite　and　she　looked　down　to　see　the　smithy　still　there。　But　that　wasn't　what　she　saw　at　all。　No；　what　she　saw　was　sparks　of　fire　way　off　in　the　forest；　downstream　toward　the　Hatrack；　down　where　the　ford　was；　only　there　wasn't　a　chance　of　taking　the　ford　today；　with　this　rain。　Sparks；　lots　of　sparks；　and　she　knew　every　one　of　them　was　folks。　She　didn't　hardly　think　of　doing　it　anymore；　she　only　had　to　see　their　heartfires　and　she　was　looking　close。　Maybe　future；　maybe　past；　all　the　visions　lived　together　in　the　heartfire。
　　What　she　saw　right　now　was　the　same　in　all　their　hearts。　A　wagon　in　the　middle　of　the　Hatrack；　with　the　water　rising　and　everything　they　owned　in　all　the　world　in　that　wagon。
　　Little　Peggy　didn't　talk　much；　but　everybody　knew　she　was　a　torch；　so　they　listened　whenever　she　spoke　up　about　trouble。　Specially　this　kind　of　trouble。　Sure　the　settlements　in　these　parts　were　pretty　old　now；　a　fair　bit　older　than　little　Peggy　herself；　but　they　hadn't　forgotten　yet　that　anybody's　wagon　caught　in　a　flood　is　everybody's　loss。
　　She　fair　to　flew　down　that　grassy　hill；　jumping　gopher　holes　and　sliding　the　steep　places；　so　it　wasn't　twenty　seconds　from　seeing　those　far…off　heartfires　till　she　was　speaking　right　up　in　the　smithy's　shop。　That　farmer　from　West　Fork　at　first　wanted　to　make　her　wait　till　he　was　done　with　telling　stories　about　worse　storms　he'd　seen。　But　Makepeace　knew　all　about　little　Peggy。　He　just　listened　right　up　and　then　told　those　boys　to　saddle　them　horses；　shoes　or　no　shoes；　there　was　folks　caught　in　the　Hatrack　ford　and　there　was　no　time　for　foolishness。　Little　Peggy　didn't　even　get　a　chance　to　see　them　go　　Makepeace　already　sent　her　off　to　the　big　house　to　fetch　her　father　and　all　the　hands　and　visitors　there。　Wasn't　a　one　of　them　who　hadn't　once　put　all　they　owned　in　the　world　into　a　wagon　and　dragged　it　west　across　the　mountain　roads　and　down　into　this　forest。　Wasn't　a　one　of　them　who　hadn't　felt　a　river　sucking　at　that　wagon；　wanting　to　steal　it　away。　They　all　got　right　to　it。　That's　the　way　it　was　then；　you　see。　Folks　noticed　other　people's　trouble　every　bit　as　quick　as　if　it　was　their　own。
　　
　　
　　Chapter　Four　　Hatrack　River
　　
　　Vigor　led　the　boys　in　trying　to　push　the　wagon；　while　Eleanor　hawed　the　horses。　Alvin　Miller　spent　his　time　carrying　the　little　girls　one　by　one　to　safety　on　the　far　shore。　The　current　was　a　devil　clawing　at　him；　whispering；　I'll　have　your　babies；　I'll　have　them　all；　but　Alvin　said　no；　with　every　muscle　in　his　body　as　he　strained　shoreward　he　said　no　to　that　whisper；　till　his　girls　stood　all　bedraggled　on　the　bank　with　rain　streaming　down　their　faces　like　the　tears　from　all　the　grief　in　the　world。
　　He　would　have　carried　Faith；　too；　baby　in　her　bell