osc.am1.seventhson-第35部分

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！


　　〃Is　that　what　they　say？〃
　　Measure　walked　up；　faced　his　father；　put　his　hands　on　his　hips；　and　looked　plain　exasperated。　〃Pa；　what　harm　is　there　in　telling　him？　Everybody　in　the　whole　country　roundabout　here　knows　it。〃
　　〃Maybe　I　think　Taleswapper　here　knows　more　than　I　want　him　to　know　already。〃
　　〃That's　a　right　ungracious　thing　to　say；　Pa；　to　a　man　who's　proved　himself　a　friend　twice　over。〃
　　〃He　doesn't　have　to　tell　me　anything　he　doesn't　want　me　to　know；〃　said　Taleswapper。
　　〃Then　I'll　tell　you；〃　said　Measure。　〃Pa　is　a　seventh　son；　all　right。〃
　　〃And　so　is　Al　Junior；〃　said　Taleswapper。　〃Am　I　right？　You've　never　mentioned　it；　but　I'd　guess　that　when　a　man　gives　his　own　name　to　a　son　other　than　his　firstborn；　it's　bound　to　be　his　seventh　born。〃
　　〃Our　oldest　brother　Vigor　died　in　the　Hatrack　River　only　a　few　minutes　after　Al　Junior　was　born；〃　said　Measure。
　　〃Hatrack；〃　said　Taleswapper。
　　〃Do　you　know　the　place？〃　asked　Measure。
　　〃I　know　every　place。　But　for　some　reason　that　name　makes　me　think　I　should　have　remembered　it　before　now；　and　I　can't　think　why。　Seventh　son　of　a　seventh　son。　Does　he　conjure　the　millstone　out　of　the　rock？〃
　　〃We　don't　talk　about　it　like　that；〃　said　Measure。
　　〃He　cuts；〃　said　Miller。　〃Just　like　any　stonecutter。〃
　　〃He's　a　big　boy；　but　he's　still　just　a　boy；〃　said　Taleswapper。
　　〃Let's　just　say；〃　said　Measure；　〃that　when　he　cuts　the　stone　it's　a　mite　softer　than　when　I　cut　it。〃
　　〃I'd　appreciate　it；〃　said　Miller；　〃if　you'd　stay　down　here　and　help　with　the　rounding　and　notching。　We　need　a　nice　tight　sledge　and　some　smooth　true　rollers。〃　What　he　didn't　say；　but　Taleswapper　heard　just　as　plain　as　day；　was；　Stay　down　here　and　don't　ask　too　many　questions　about　Al　Junior。
　　So　Taleswapper　worked　with　David　and　Measure　and　Calm　all　morning　and　well　into　the　afternoon；　all　the　time　hearing　a　steady　chinking　sound　of　iron　on　stone。　Alvin　Junior's　stonecutting　set　the　rhythm　for　all　their　work；　though　no　one　mented　on　it。
　　Taleswapper　wasn't　the　sort　of　man　who　could　work　in　silence；　though。　Since　the　others　weren't　too　conversational　at　first；　he　told　stories　the　whole　time。　And　since　they　were　grown　men　instead　of　children；　he　told　stories　that　weren't　all　adventure　and　heroics　and　tragic　death。
　　Most　of　the　afternoon；　in　fact；　he　devoted　to　the　sap　of　John　Adams：　How　his　house　was　burnt　down　by　a　Boston　mob　after　he　won　the　acquittal　of　ten　women　accused　of　witchcraft。　How　Alex　Hamilton　invited　him　to　Manhattan　Island；　where　the　two　of　them　set　up　a　law　practice　together。　How　in　ten　years　they　managed　to　maneuver　the　Dutch　government　to　allow　unlimited　immigration　of　non…Dutch…speaking　people；　until　English；　Scotch；　Welsh；　and　Irish　were　a　majority　in　New　Amsterdam　and　New　Orange；　and　a　large　minority　in　New　Holland。　How　they　got　English　declared　a　second　official　language　in　1780；　just　in　time　for　the　Dutch　colonies　to　bee　three　of　the　seven　original　states　under　the　American　pact。
　　〃I'll　bet　the　Dutchmen　hated　those　boys；　by　the　time　they　were　through；〃　said　David。
　　〃They　were　better　politicians　than　that；〃　said　Taleswapper。　〃Why；　both　of　them　learned　to　speak　Dutch　better　than　most　Dutchmen；　and　had　their　children　grow　up　speaking　Dutch　in　Dutch　schools。　They　were　so　dadgum　Dutch；　boys；　that　when　Alex　Hamilton　ran　for　governor　of　New　Amsterdam　and　John　Adams　ran　for　president　of　the　United　States；　they　both　did　better　in　the　Dutch　parts　of　New　Netherland　than　they　did　among　the　Scotch　and　Irish。〃
　　〃Reckon　if　I　run　for　mayor；　I　could　get　those　Swedes　and　Dutchmen　downriver　to　vote　for　me？〃　said　David。
　　〃I　wouldn't　even　vote　for　you；〃　said　Calm。
　　〃I　would；〃　said　Measure。　〃And　I　hope　someday　you　do　run　for　mayor。〃
　　〃He　can't　run　for　mayor；〃　said　Calm。　〃This　ain't　even　a　proper　town。〃
　　〃It　will　be；〃　said　Taleswapper。　〃I've　seen　it　before。　Once　you　get　this　mill　working；　it　won't　be　long　before　three　hundred　people　dwell　between　your　mill　and　Vigor　Church。〃
　　〃You　think　so？〃
　　〃Right　now　people　e　in　to　Armor's　store　maybe　three　or　four　times　a　year；〃　said　Taleswapper。　〃But　when　they　can　get　flour；　they'll　e　in　much　more　often。　They'll　prefer　your　mill　to　any　other　around　here　for　some　time；　too；　since　you've　got　a　smooth　road　and　good　bridges。〃
　　〃If　the　mill　makes　money；〃　Measure　said；　〃Pa's　sure　to　send　for　a　Buhr　Stone　from　France。　We　had　one　back　in　West　Hampshire；　before　the　flood　broke　up　the　mill。　And　a　Buhr　Stone　means　fine　white　flour。〃
　　〃And　white　flour　means　good　business；〃　said　David。　〃We　older　ones；　we　remember。〃　He　smiled　wistfully。　〃We　were　almost　rich　there；　once。〃
　　〃So；〃　said　Taleswapper。　〃With　all　that　traffic　here；　it　won't　be　just　a　store　and　a　church　and　a　mill。　There's　good　white　clay　down　on　the　Wobbish。　Some　potter's　bound　to　go　into　business；　making　redware　and　stoneware　for　the　whole　territory。　〃
　　〃Sure　wish　they'd　hurry　with　that；〃　said　Calm。　〃My　wife　is　sick　unto　death；　she　says；　of　having　to　serve　food　on　tin　plates。〃
　　〃That's　how　towns　grow；〃　said　Taleswapper。　〃A　good　store；　a　church；　then　a　mill；　then　a　pottery。　Bricks；　too；　for　that　matter。　And　when　there's　a　town〃
　　〃David　can　be　mayor；〃　said　Measure。
　　〃Not　me；〃　said　David。　〃All　that　politics　business　is　too　much。　It's　Armor　wants　that；　not　me。〃
　　〃Armor　wants　to　be　king；〃　said　Calm。
　　〃That's　not　kind；〃　said　David。
　　〃But　it's　true；〃　said　Calm。　〃He'd　try　to　be　God；　if　he　thought　the　job　was　open。〃
　　Measure　explained　to　Taleswapper。　〃Calm　and　Armor　don't　get　along。〃
　　〃It　ain't　much　of　a　husband　that　calls　his　wife　a　witch；〃　said　Calm　bitterly。
　　〃Why　would　he　call　her　that？〃　asked　Taleswapper。
　　〃It's　sure　he　doesn't　call　her　that　now；〃　said　Measure。　〃She　promised　him　to　give　them　up。　All　her　knacks　in　the　kitchen。　It's　a　shame　to　make　a　woman　run　a　household　with　just　her　own　two　hands。〃
　　〃That's　enough；〃　David　said。　Taleswapper　caught　just　a　corner　of　his　warning　look。
　　Obviously　they　didn't　trust　Taleswapper　enough　to　let　him　in　on　the　truth。　So　Taleswapper　let　them　know　that　the　secret　was　already　in　his　possession。　〃It　seems　to　me　that　she　uses　more　than　Armor　guesses；〃　said　Taleswapper。　〃There's　a　clever　hex　out　of　baskets　on　the　front　porch。　And　she　used　a　calming　on　him　before　my　eyes；　the　day　I　arrived　in　town。〃
　　Work　stopped　then；　for　just　a　moment。　Nobody　looked　at　him；　but　for　a　second　they　did　nothing。　Just　took　in　the　fact　that　Taleswapper　knew　Eleanor's　secret　and　hadn't　told　about　it　to　outsiders。　Or　to　Armor…of…God　Weaver。　Still；　it　was　one　thing　for　him　to　know；　and　something　else　for　them　to　confirm　it。　So　they　said　nothing；　just　resumed　notching　and　binding　the　sledge。
　　Taleswapper　broke　the　silence　by　returning　to　the　main　topic。　〃It's　just　a　matter　of　time　before　these　western　lands　have　enough　people　in　them　to　call　themselves　states；　and　petition　to　join　the　American　pact。　When　that　happens；　there'll　be　need　for　honest　men　to　hold　office。〃
　　〃You　won't　find　no　Hamilton　or　Adams　or　Jefferson　out　here　in　the　wild　country；〃　said　David。
　　〃Maybe　not；〃　said　Taleswapper。　〃But　if　you　local　boys　don't　set　up　your　own　government；　you　can　bet　there'll　be　plenty　of　city　men　willing　to　do　it　for　you。　That's　how　Aaron　Burr　got　to　be　governor　of　Suskwahenny；　before　Daniel　Boone　shot　him　dead　in　ninety…nine。〃
　　〃You　make　it　sound　like　murder；〃　said　Measure。　〃It　was　a　fair　duel。〃
　　〃To　my　way　of　thinking；〃　said　Taleswapper；　〃a　duel　is　just　two　murderers　who　agree　to　take　turns　trying　to　kill　each　other。〃
　　〃Not　when　one　of　them　is　an　old　country　boy　in　buckskin　and　the　other　is　a　lying　cheating　city　man；〃　said　Measure。
　　〃I　don't　want　no　Aaron　Burr　trying　to　be　governor　over　the　Wobbish　country；〃　said　David。　〃And　that's　what　kind　of　man　Bill　Harrison　is；　down　there　in　Carthage　City。　I'd　vote　for　Armor　before　I'd　vote　for　him。〃
　　〃And　I'd　vote　for　you　before　I'd　vote　for　Armor；〃　said　Taleswapper。
　　David　grunted。　He　continued　weaving　rope　around　the　notches　of　the　sledge　logs；　binding　them　together。　Taleswapper　was　doing　the　same　thing　on　the　other　side。　When　he　got　to　the　knotting　place；　Taleswapper　started　to　tie　the　two　ends　of　the　rope　togeth