They had a great longing5 to see the grass and the leaves again and welcome the early birds of spring. As they looked about on these hopeful signs in the midst of the great stillness to which they had become used, a sudden deafening6 crash rang in their startled ears. The sound was like the explosion of a mine or the dull roar of a siege-mortar at a little distance away. It came from the Cove7 to the north, and the first crash was followed by lesser8 reports, and each sound was echoed back from the mountains beyond.
The first thought of the three soldiers was of the opening of a battle. Their first fear was that a great mass of earth and rock had fallen from the edge of the plateau to the base of the mountain. They made their way cautiously in the direction of the sound, almost distrusting the ground under their feet. The gnarled chestnuts9 on the edge of the cliff were as firmly rooted as ever. When they had advanced to where Philip's sharp eyes caught the first view of the postmaster's cabin through the twisted tree-trunks, he remembered the words of Andy, the guide, on the night when they had waited for the moon to go down. He quickly caught the arms of his companions.
"It's the avalanche10," he said—"the icicles and the ice falling into the Cove from the face of the great boulder11."
They could see tiny figures standing12 about the cabin, and they shrank back lest they, too, might be seen by the people, who were evidently gazing with all their eyes at the top of the mountain.
Just then there was another deafening crash, and at intervals13 all day long they heard the falling of the ice.
"They are the opening guns of spring," said Lieutenant14 Coleman; and now that they knew what the sound was, they listened eagerly for each report.
Late on that very afternoon, as they sat together outside the house, they saw Tumbler, the bear, shambling down the hillside in front of the house, and they had no doubt he had been awakened15 from his winter's nap by the roar of the avalanche. He was thin of flesh and ragged16 of fur, and so weak on his clumsy legs that he sat down at short intervals to rest. He made his way first to the branch, where he refreshed himself with a drink, and then came on with renewed vigor17 toward the house. He was such a very disreputable-looking bear, and had been gone so long, and must be so dangerously hungry, that the men stood up doubtfully at his approach until they saw a weak movement of his stumpy tail and the mild look in his brown eyes as he seated himself on the chips and lolled out his red tongue.
Philip brought him a handful of roast potatoes, which he devoured19 with a relish20, and then stood up so handsomely to ask for more that they rolled him raw ones until his hunger was satisfied, after which he waddled21 through the open door, and lay down for another nap in his old place by the fire, just as if he had gone out but yesterday, which was probably just what he thought he had done.
By this time the last page of the station journal had been used, and Lieutenant Coleman had added to it the five fly-leaves of the precious Blue Book, which he had cut out neatly22 with his knife. Paper was so scarce at last that on this March 16, which was the day the bear woke up, the circumstance of the avalanche alone was recorded, and that was entered after the date in the most wonderfully small and cramped23 letters you can imagine. Now, Philip was of the opinion that the return of the bear was of quite as much importance as the falling of the ice. It happened that he had in his breast pocket a letter which had been written to him by his uncle. It was postmarked, "Piqua, Ohio," and addressed, "Philip Welton, Co. C, 2d Ohio Infy., Camp near Resaca, Ga." Philip had been looking over Coleman's shoulder as he made the cramped entry in the diary.
"Now look here," said he, taking up the quill24 as it was laid down; "if you don't choose to make a record of the bear, I will." So taking from his pocket the letter, he wrote across the top of the envelop25:
"WHITESIDE MOUNTAIN, March 16, 1865.
"Tumbler, the bear, woke up to-day.
"(Signed) PHILIP WELTON,
"GEORGE BROMLEY,
"FREDERICK HENRY COLEMAN."
"Well," said Coleman, "what are you going to do with that? drop it over into the Cove?"
"Not a bit of it," said Philip. "I am just going to keep the record out of respect to the bear"; and with that, as it happened, he put the envelop back in one pocket and the letter in another. But a few weeks later, when the snow had quite gone and the buds were beginning to swell26 on the trees, Philip was chopping on the hill where the boulder side of the mountain joined the cliff above the spring; and as he grew warm with his work he cast off his cavalry27 jacket, and it happened in some way that the envelop on which he had written fell out into the grass. Philip did not notice this loss at the time, and it was a week before he missed the envelop. He kept his loss to himself at first, but as he became alarmed lest it should blow over into the Cove and disclose their hiding-place, he confessed to Lieutenant Coleman what had happened.
The three soldiers searched everywhere for this dangerous paper, except in the snug28 place under the tuft of grass where it lay. It was suspected that Philip was repenting29 of the agreement he had made to remain on the mountain, and both Coleman and Bromley lectured him roundly for his carelessness. While Philip was still chafing30 under the suspicions of his comrades, all the more that he was conscious of his perfect loyalty31 to the old flag and to the compact they had made together for its sake, the bear was growing stronger every day and more mischievous32. Although he had the whole plateau to roam over, nothing seemed to please Tumbler so much as to nose about and dig into the grave of the old man of the mountain. He was such a wicked bear that the more they kicked and cuffed33 him away, the more stubbornly he came back to his unholy work; and then it appeared that the light soil of the mound34 had been taken possession of by a colony of ants. It was a temptation such as no hungry bear could resist, and the sacrilege was so offensive to the three soldiers that they resolved to remove the last remnant of the ant-hill and fill it in with clay in which no insect could live. It was after supper when they came to this resolution, and they fell to work at once with the wooden spade and a piece of tent-cloth, in which Philip carried the dirt a stone's-throw away and piled it into a new mound. The bear seemed to think this was all for his benefit, and while the work went merrily on he rooted into the new heap and wagged his stumpy tail with every evidence of gratitude35 and satisfaction.
It was a sufficiently36 disagreeable task for Coleman and Bromley, whose legs and bodies were bitten by the ants until they danced with pain. At the same time the little pests went up Philip's sleeves and came out on his neck. Bad as the business was, they set their teeth and kept at work, determined37 to finish it now they had begun. Of course the colony was mostly near the surface of the ground; but when they had gone down three feet into the sandy soil there were still ants burrowing38 about.
Now, Bromley was a man of great resolution and perseverance39, and although it was growing dark he had no thought of stopping work; so he called for a pine torch, which Coleman held on the bank above. When the earth gave way, the oak slab40 with the peculiar41 inscription42, "One who wishes to be forgotten," was tenderly removed and leaned against the hut, to be reverently43 reset44 the next day. Annoying as the ants were, the soldiers continued their work with that feeling of awe45 which always attends the disturbing of a grave; and as they dug they spoke46 with charity and tenderness of the old man of the mountain. It made them think of the time when they themselves would be laid to rest in the same soil; and if they breathed any inward prayer, it was that their remains47 might sleep undisturbed. Although they were young, and death seemed a long way off, the thought came to them of the last survivor48, and how lonely he would be, and how, when he should die, there would be no one left to bury his poor body in the ground.
"Whatever happens," said Philip, "I don't want to be the last."
The pine torch flared49 and smoked in the cool night wind, and lighted the solemn faces of the three soldiers as well as the hole in the earth, where Bromley still stood to his middle. There was yet a little loose earth to be thrown out before they left the work for the night, and Philip had brought some sticks of wood to lay over the grave lest in the morning the bear should begin to dig where they had left off. He had, in fact, come up and seated himself in the circle of light, and was looking on with great interest at their proceedings50.
"I declare," said Bromley, just then, straightening himself, "I have gone too far already. My spade struck on the coffin51—that is, I think it did. Perhaps I had better see what condition it is in. What do you think, Fred?"
"No," said Philip; "cover it up."
"It will be as well," said Lieutenant Coleman, "now that we have the opportunity, to see that everything is all right. I can't help feeling that the old man's remains are in our care."
"Hold the light nearer, then," said Bromley, as he got down on his knees and commenced to paw away the loose earth with his hands.
Philip was silent, and, soldier though he was, his face blanched52 in the neighborhood of one poor coffin.
Both the men outside were staring intently into the open grave. The torch-light fell broadly on Bromley's back, and cast a black shadow from his bent53 body into the space below, where his hands were at work.
"Well, this is queer!" said he, straightening his back and showing a surprised face to the light. "I've struck the chime of a cask."
"No!" cried Coleman and Philip together.
"Yes, I have," said Bromley. "Hand me the spade."
Now the work of digging was begun in good earnest, and, I am afraid, with less awe than before of what lay below. Light as the soil was, the opening had to be enlarged, and it was hard upon midnight when the small beer-keg was free enough to be moved from its resting-place. With the first joggle Bromley gave it, there was a sound of chinking like coin.
"Do you hear that?" exclaimed Bromley. "That's not the sound of bones."
"It's money!" cried Philip.
Lieutenant Coleman said nothing, but jumping down to the aid of Bromley, they lifted it out on the grass, where it rolled gently down a little slope, chink-a-ty-chink, chink-a-ty-chink.
"Bring the ax!"
"No; let's roll it into the house!"
"It's money!"
"It's nails!"
"Bring it in to the fire," said Lieutenant Coleman, going ahead with the torch. So they rolled the tough old cask, chink-a-ty-chink, around the cabin and up to the house, into the open door and across the earthen floor, and set it on end on the stone hearth54. They were reeking55 with perspiration56. Coleman threw the torch upon the smoldering57 logs, and by the time Bromley had the ax there was a ruddy light through the room.
"Stand back," he cried as he swung the ax aloft.
Three times the ax rang on the head of the cask, the firelight glittering in the eyes of the soldiers, before the strong head gave way on one side, and three golden guineas bounced out on to the hearth. Bromley dropped the ax, and then all three, without deigning58 to notice the gold pieces upon the floor, thrust their hands deep down into the shining mass of gold coin.
All hustled59 and pushed one another at the opening. Philip was on the point of striking out right and left in sheer excitement; and in their scramble60 the cask was overturned so that the yellow pieces poured out upon the floor and the hearth, and some flopped61 into the fire, while others rolled here and there into the dark corners of the room. The golden guineas which first appeared were now covered with gold double-eagles, and there were a few silver coins in the bottom of the cask.
"THE CASK WAS OVERTURNED SO THAT THE YELLOW PIECES POURED OUT UPON THE FLOOR."
"THE CASK WAS OVERTURNED SO THAT THE YELLOW PIECES
POURED OUT UPON THE FLOOR."
The three soldiers hugged one another with delight.
"We are rich!" cried Philip.
"Let's count our treasure," said Coleman. "The double-eagles first—fifty to a thousand."
Forgotten was the old man of the mountain, forgotten were their weariness and the lateness of the hour, as they eagerly fell a-counting.
They piled the shining yellow columns on the mantel-piece; and when that was full, without stopping to count the thousands, they began bunches of piles on the hard floor.
They could hardly believe that such a treasure had fallen to their possession.
In their greedy delight they utterly62 forgot the old flag of the thirty-five stars, and the total defeat of the union armies, as they toiled63 and counted.
Philip was the first to yield to the demands of tired nature. With his hands full of gold, he sank down on his bunk64 and fell asleep. Lieutenant Coleman was the next; and as the cock began to crow at earliest dawn, Bromley bolted the door for the first time since the house had been built, and crept exhausted65 into his blankets.
The treasure was found, as shown by the diary, on Friday, April 14, in the year 1865, on the very night of the murder of the good President whom the three soldiers believed to be living somewhere, a monument of failure and incapacity.
The entry was in a few brief words, and by the Sunday which followed, Lieutenant Coleman would not have exchanged the four blank leaves of the diary for the whole treasure they had dug up. After the first excitement of their discovery they began to realize that the yellow stamped pieces were of no value except as a medium of exchange, and that, as there was nothing on the mountain for which to exchange them, they were of no value at all. If they had found a saucepan or a sack of coffee in the cask, they would have had some reason to rejoice.
So it fell out that within a week's time the gold was looked upon as so much lumber66, and the cask which held it was kicked into a dark corner, neglected and despised. Some of the coins were even trodden under foot, and others lay among the chips at the door.
On the evening of the second Sunday after the discovery of the gold, they sat together outside the door of the house, and tried to think of some likely thing the cask might have held more useless than the guineas and double-eagles; and, hard as they tried, they could name nothing more worthless. The result was that they turned away to their beds, feeling poor and dissatisfied, and down on their luck.
Now it happened, as the three soldiers lay asleep in their bunks67 that night, and while Tumbler slept too, with his nose and his hairy paws in the light, cool ashes of the fireplace (for the nights were warm now), there came up a brisk wind which blew across the mountain from the southwest. This rising wind went whistling on its way, tossing the tree-tops, up on the hill above the birches, whirling the dry leaves across the plateau, scattering68 them on the field below the ledge69, and even dropping some stragglers away down into the Cove far below.
At first this wind only shook the tuft of grass that overhung the lost envelop, and then, as it grew stronger, whirled it from its snug hiding-place, and tumbled it over and over among the dry chestnut-burs and the old, gray, dead limbs.
If the envelop came to a rest, this wind was never content to leave its plaything alone for long. When it landed the little paper against a stump18 and held it fluttering there until that particular gust70 was out of breath, the envelop fell to the ground of its own weight, only to be picked up again and tossed on, little by little, always in the same direction, until at last it lay exposed on the brow of the hill to a braver and stronger blast, which lifted it high into the air and sent it sailing over the roof of the house.
This envelop, with the names of the three soldiers and their hiding-place written out in a fair, round hand, might have sailed along on the southwest wind until it fell at the door of the post-office in the Cove but for the queer way it had of navigating71 the air. It would turn over and over on its way, or shoot up, or dart72 to one side, or take some unexpected course; and so just as it was sailing smoothly73 above the house, its sharp edge turned in the wind, and with a backward dive it struck hard on the rock below Philip's leach74. Just a breath of wind turned it over and over on the stone, until it fell noiselessly into the pool of lye.
Now, Lieutenant Coleman chanced to come out first in the morning; and when he saw the lost envelop floating on the dark-brown pool alongside a hen's egg, which had been placed there to test the strength of the liquid, he was glad it had blown no farther. The paper had turned very yellow in the strong potash, and so he fished it out with a twig75, and carried it across to the branch by the Slow-John, and dipped it into the water. When he picked it out it was still slimy to the touch, and the letters had faded a little. He brushed a word with his finger, and the letters dissolved under his eyes.
He gave a great cry of joy; for in that instant he saw the possibility of converting into blank paper, for keeping their records, the five hundred and ninety-four pages of the Revised Army Regulations of 1863.
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1
thaw
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| v.（使）融化，（使）变得友善；n.融化，缓和 | |
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joyful
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| adj.欢乐的，令人欢欣的 | |
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porous
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| adj.可渗透的，多孔的 | |
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retired
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| adj.隐退的，退休的，退役的 | |
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longing
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| n.（for）渴望 | |
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deafening
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| adj. 振耳欲聋的, 极喧闹的 动词deafen的现在分词形式 | |
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7
cove
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| n.小海湾，小峡谷 | |
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lesser
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| adj.次要的，较小的；adv.较小地，较少地 | |
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9
chestnuts
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| n.栗子( chestnut的名词复数 )；栗色；栗树；栗色马 | |
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avalanche
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| n.雪崩，大量涌来 | |
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boulder
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| n.巨砾；卵石，圆石 | |
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standing
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| n.持续，地位；adj.永久的，不动的，直立的，不流动的 | |
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intervals
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| n.[军事]间隔( interval的名词复数 )；间隔时间；[数学]区间；（戏剧、电影或音乐会的）幕间休息 | |
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14
lieutenant
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| n.陆军中尉，海军上尉；代理官员，副职官员 | |
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15
awakened
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| v.（使）醒( awaken的过去式和过去分词 )；（使）觉醒；弄醒；（使）意识到 | |
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ragged
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| adj.衣衫褴褛的，粗糙的，刺耳的 | |
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vigor
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| n.活力，精力，元气 | |
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stump
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| n.残株，烟蒂，讲演台；v.砍断，蹒跚而走 | |
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19
devoured
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| 吞没( devour的过去式和过去分词 )； 耗尽； 津津有味地看； 狼吞虎咽地吃光 | |
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relish
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| n.滋味，享受，爱好，调味品；vt.加调味料，享受，品味；vi.有滋味 | |
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21
waddled
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| v.（像鸭子一样）摇摇摆摆地走( waddle的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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neatly
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| adv.整洁地，干净地，灵巧地，熟练地 | |
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cramped
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| a.狭窄的 | |
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quill
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| n.羽毛管；v.给（织物或衣服）作皱褶 | |
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envelop
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| vt.包，封，遮盖；包围 | |
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swell
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| vi.膨胀，肿胀；增长，增强 | |
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cavalry
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| n.骑兵；轻装甲部队 | |
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snug
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| adj.温暖舒适的，合身的，安全的；v.使整洁干净，舒适地依靠，紧贴；n.（英）酒吧里的私房 | |
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repenting
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| 对（自己的所为）感到懊悔或忏悔( repent的现在分词 ) | |
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chafing
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| n.皮肤发炎v.擦热（尤指皮肤）( chafe的现在分词 )；擦痛；发怒；惹怒 | |
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loyalty
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| n.忠诚，忠心 | |
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mischievous
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| adj.调皮的，恶作剧的，有害的，伤人的 | |
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cuffed
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| v.掌打，拳打( cuff的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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mound
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| n.土墩，堤，小山；v.筑堤，用土堆防卫 | |
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gratitude
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| adj.感激，感谢 | |
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sufficiently
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| adv.足够地，充分地 | |
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determined
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| adj.坚定的；有决心的 | |
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38
burrowing
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| v.挖掘（洞穴），挖洞( burrow的现在分词 )；翻寻 | |
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39
perseverance
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| n.坚持不懈，不屈不挠 | |
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40
slab
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| n.平板，厚的切片；v.切成厚板，以平板盖上 | |
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peculiar
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| adj.古怪的，异常的；特殊的，特有的 | |
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42
inscription
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| n.（尤指石块上的）刻印文字，铭文，碑文 | |
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43
reverently
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| adv.虔诚地 | |
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44
reset
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| v.重新安排，复位；n.重新放置；重放之物 | |
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45
awe
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| n.敬畏，惊惧；vt.使敬畏，使惊惧 | |
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46
spoke
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| n.（车轮的）辐条；轮辐；破坏某人的计划；阻挠某人的行动 v.讲，谈（speak的过去式）；说；演说；从某种观点来说 | |
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47
remains
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| n.剩余物，残留物；遗体，遗迹 | |
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48
survivor
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| n.生存者，残存者，幸存者 | |
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49
Flared
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| adj. 端部张开的, 爆发的, 加宽的, 漏斗式的 动词flare的过去式和过去分词 | |
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50
proceedings
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| n.进程，过程，议程；诉讼(程序)；公报 | |
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51
coffin
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| n.棺材，灵柩 | |
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52
blanched
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| v.使变白( blanch的过去式 )；使（植物）不见阳光而变白；酸洗（金属）使有光泽；用沸水烫（杏仁等）以便去皮 | |
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53
bent
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| n.爱好，癖好；adj.弯的；决心的，一心的 | |
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54
hearth
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| n.壁炉炉床，壁炉地面 | |
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55
reeking
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| v.发出浓烈的臭气( reek的现在分词 )；散发臭气；发出难闻的气味 (of sth)；明显带有（令人不快或生疑的跡象） | |
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56
perspiration
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| n.汗水；出汗 | |
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57
smoldering
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| v.用文火焖烧，熏烧，慢燃( smolder的现在分词 ) | |
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58
deigning
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| v.屈尊，俯就( deign的现在分词 ) | |
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59
hustled
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| 催促（hustle的过去式与过去分词形式） | |
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scramble
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| v.爬行，攀爬，杂乱蔓延，碎片，片段，废料 | |
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flopped
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| v.（指书、戏剧等）彻底失败( flop的过去式和过去分词 )；（因疲惫而）猛然坐下；（笨拙地、不由自主地或松弛地）移动或落下；砸锅 | |
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62
utterly
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| adv.完全地，绝对地 | |
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toiled
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| 长时间或辛苦地工作( toil的过去式和过去分词 )； 艰难缓慢地移动，跋涉 | |
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64
bunk
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| n.(车、船等倚壁而设的)铺位；废话 | |
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65
exhausted
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| adj.极其疲惫的，精疲力尽的 | |
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66
lumber
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| n.木材，木料；v.以破旧东西堆满；伐木；笨重移动 | |
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67
bunks
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| n.（车、船等倚壁而设的）铺位( bunk的名词复数 )；空话，废话v.（车、船等倚壁而设的）铺位( bunk的第三人称单数 )；空话，废话 | |
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68
scattering
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| n.[物]散射；散乱，分散；在媒介质中的散播adj.散乱的；分散在不同范围的；广泛扩散的；（选票）数量分散的v.散射(scatter的ing形式)；散布；驱散 | |
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ledge
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| n.壁架，架状突出物；岩架，岩礁 | |
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gust
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| n.阵风，突然一阵（雨、烟等），（感情的）迸发 | |
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71
navigating
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| v.给（船舶、飞机等）引航，导航( navigate的现在分词 )；（从海上、空中等）横越；横渡；飞跃 | |
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72
dart
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| v.猛冲，投掷；n.飞镖，猛冲 | |
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73
smoothly
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| adv.平滑地，顺利地，流利地，流畅地 | |
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74
leach
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| v.分离，过滤掉；n.过滤；过滤器 | |
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twig
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| n.小树枝，嫩枝；v.理解 | |
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