The announcement that the books were ready for the enrollment2 of the pioneer group of two thousand who should locate the enterprise on the island of Ventura brought twenty-five thousand applicants3.
The first shock Norman's faith in man received was to collide with the army of cranks who came in troops to join. Every creed4 of Christendom, every cult5 of the heathen world, every ism of all the philosophies of the past and the present came in droves. They got into arguments with one another in the waiting-rooms of the Socialist6 headquarters, and sometimes came to blows. Each conceived the hour for establishing his own particular patent for saving the human race had come. It was an appalling7 revelation to Norman to find how many of these schemes were at work in the brains of people who were evidently incapable8 of taking care of themselves.
[111]The first week he attempted to hear each one with courtesy and sympathy. But after wasting six days in idiotic9 discussions of preposterous10 schemes he was compelled to call on the Wolfs for advice.
Both Wolf and his wife had begun to call Norman "Chief" from the moment of their first burst of enthusiasm over the gift of the million. At times the young dreamer looked at the massive face of the older man with a touch of suspicion at this sudden acceptance of his premiership. And yet both Wolf and Catherine (she insisted that he call her Catherine) seemed so utterly11 sincere in their admiration12, so enthusiastic in their faith in his ability, they always disarmed13 suspicion. Catherine's repeated explanation of this faith when Norman halted or hesitated was always flattering to his vanity, and yet perfectly14 reasonable.
"My boy, we take off our hats to you! A man can't do the impossible unless he tries. We didn't try. You did. The trouble with Herman, and with every man of forty, is that he loses faith in himself. We get careful and conservative. We lack the dash and fire and daring of youth. I envy you. I salute15 you as the inspired leader of our Cause—you've done the impossible! And you've just begun. We can only hope to help you with our larger experience."
[112]At the end of a week of futile16 and exhausting palaver17 with this army of cranks who infest18 the West, Wolf, carefully watching his opportunity, turned to Norman and said:
"I've been waiting for you to see things a little more clearly before I say something to you—I think it's time."
"What is it?" the young leader asked.
Wolf hesitated a moment as if feeling his way.
"Something he should have said sooner," exclaimed Catherine.
"There's but one way, comrade. Kick these fools into the street!"
"But don't we begin to weaken the moment we do a thing like that? We accept the brotherhood of man——"
"Of man, yes," the old leader broke in, "but these are not men—they are what might have been had they lived in a sane19 world. They are the results of the nightmare we call civilization. The kindest thing you can do for a crank is to kill him. You are trying to do what God Almighty20 never undertook—to make something out of nothing. You know, when he made Adam he had a ball of mud to start with."
"I'm afraid you're right," Norman agreed.
"When the Brotherhood is established with picked men," Catherine added, "we can take [113]in new members with less care. Now it is of the utmost importance that we select the pioneer group of the best blood in the Socialist ranks—trained men and women who believe with passionate21 faith what you and I believe."
"Then do it," Norman said, with emphasis. "I put you and Wolf in charge of this first roll. I've more important work to do in organizing the business details of the enterprise."
A look of joy flashed from Wolf's gray eyes into the woman's as he calmly but quickly replied:
"I'll do the best I can."
"You ought to know by name every true Socialist on the Coast," Norman added.
"I do, comrade, and I'll guarantee the pioneer group."
"Let all applicants for membership hereafter pass your scrutiny," were his final orders.
He rose from his desk with a sigh of relief as Barbara entered the room, her cheeks flushed with joy, her eyes sparkling with excitement from the ovation22 she had just received from the crowd which packed the corridor.
His first impulse was to ask her to accompany him to the country, rest and play for a day. His heart beat more quickly at the thought, but as the question trembled on his lips, his eyes rested [114]on Wolf's shaggy head bending over the piles of papers on his desk, and a grim fear shadowed his imagination. Elena's laughter suddenly echoed through his memory. He recalled his father's questions. A frown slowly settled on his brow, and a firm resolution took shape in his mind.
"No woman's spell to blind your senses! Clear thinking, my boy! You're on trial before the man who gave you life. You're on trial before the men whose faith gave you a million dollars to put you to the test. Success first, and then, perhaps, the joy of living!"
Barbara felt the chill of a sudden barrier between them, and looked at him with a little touch of wounded pride.
He merely nodded pleasantly and hurried from the room.
He gave his whole energies at once to the larger business of the enterprise. The title to the property was searched with the utmost thoroughness and found to be perfect. Enormous sums of money had been spent on the island by the bankrupt wild-cat real-estate company which had bought it in for improvement and exploitation. They had built a magnificent hotel with accommodations for one thousand five hundred guests, had planted vineyards, established a winery [115]planted vast orchards23 of plums, apricots, olives, peaches, and oranges, built flour mills, an ice factory, and had started a number of mining and manufacturing enterprises. When the bubble burst the company was bankrupt and the lawyers got the rest. A careful inventory24 showed to Norman that they had acquired a property of enormous value. The improvements alone had cost $1,250,000, and they were worth twice that sum now to the colony.
He chartered a corporate25 society, known as "The Brotherhood of Man," for the purpose of legalizing the new social State of Ventura when it had passed the experimental stage and he could surrender to it the title and money held in trust under the deed of gift. Two hundred thousand dollars was paid in cash for the island, and the remaining capital held for work. A steamer was purchased to serve the colony by plying26 between the island, Santa Barbara, and San Francisco.
The Wolfs advised Norman that no mail service be asked or permitted.
"The reasons are many, comrade," the old leader urged. "The first condition of success in this work is the complete isolation27 of the colony from outside influences. If modern civilization is hell, you can't build a heaven with daily communication between the two places."
[116]"Every man and woman who enters," Catherine added, "must sign a solemn contract to remain five years, enlist28 as soldier, and communicate with the outside world only by permission of the authority of the Brotherhood."
"I see," laughed Norman. "I must have the Czar's power to examine suspected mail if treason or rebellion threatens."
"Exactly," cried Wolf.
"A large power to put in one man's hands!" Norman protested.
"There's not a man or woman going to that island who wouldn't trust you with life, to say nothing of a mail pouch," Catherine declared, with a look of genuine admiration.
"You think such drastic measures to prevent communication with the outside world will be needed?" Norman argued.
"Let us hope not," Wolf quickly replied. "But it's better to be on the safe side. The history of every experiment made in Socialism by the heroes and pioneers of the cause in the past shows that failure came in every case from just this source. We will start under the most favourable29 conditions ever tried. Our island will be a little world within itself. Cut every line of possible communication with modern competitive society, and we can prove the [117]brotherhood of man a living fact. Open our experiment to the lies and slanders30 of our enemies from without, and they can destroy us before the work is fairly begun. Our colony would be overrun with hostile reporters from the capitalist press, for example——"
"You're right," exclaimed Norman.
"Let every volunteer enlist in the service of humanity for five years," repeated Catherine, "agreeing to hold no communication with the world. Make that agreement one impossible for them to break, and our success is as sure as that man is made in the image of God. All we ask is a chance to prove it without interference."
"I agree with you," cried Norman, at last. "Five years' service, with every bridge burned behind us—we'll fight it out on that line."
A look of triumph came from beneath Wolf's shaggy brows as his eyes rested again on the smiling madonna-like face of the woman by his side.
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1
brotherhood
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| n.兄弟般的关系，手中情谊 | |
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enrollment
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| n.注册或登记的人数；登记 | |
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applicants
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| 申请人，求职人( applicant的名词复数 ) | |
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creed
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| n.信条；信念，纲领 | |
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cult
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| n.异教，邪教；时尚，狂热的崇拜 | |
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socialist
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| n.社会主义者；adj.社会主义的 | |
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appalling
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| adj.骇人听闻的，令人震惊的，可怕的 | |
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incapable
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| adj.无能力的，不能做某事的 | |
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idiotic
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| adj.白痴的 | |
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preposterous
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| adj.荒谬的，可笑的 | |
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utterly
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| adv.完全地，绝对地 | |
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admiration
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| n.钦佩，赞美，羡慕 | |
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disarmed
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| v.裁军( disarm的过去式和过去分词 )；使息怒 | |
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perfectly
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| adv.完美地，无可非议地，彻底地 | |
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salute
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| vi.行礼，致意，问候，放礼炮；vt.向…致意，迎接，赞扬；n.招呼，敬礼，礼炮 | |
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futile
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| adj.无效的，无用的，无希望的 | |
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palaver
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| adj.壮丽堂皇的；n.废话，空话 | |
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infest
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| v.大批出没于；侵扰；寄生于 | |
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sane
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| adj.心智健全的，神志清醒的，明智的，稳健的 | |
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almighty
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| adj.全能的，万能的；很大的，很强的 | |
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passionate
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| adj.热情的，热烈的，激昂的，易动情的，易怒的，性情暴躁的 | |
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ovation
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| n.欢呼，热烈欢迎，热烈鼓掌 | |
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orchards
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| （通常指围起来的）果园( orchard的名词复数 ) | |
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inventory
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| n.详细目录，存货清单 | |
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corporate
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| adj.共同的，全体的；公司的，企业的 | |
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plying
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| v.使用（工具）( ply的现在分词 )；经常供应（食物、饮料）；固定往来；经营生意 | |
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isolation
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| n.隔离，孤立，分解，分离 | |
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enlist
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| vt.谋取(支持等)，赢得；征募；vi.入伍 | |
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favourable
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| adj.赞成的，称赞的，有利的，良好的，顺利的 | |
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slanders
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| 诽谤，诋毁( slander的名词复数 ) | |
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