Upon the Roads of Mason's journey South, the scene is alarming. In Maryland, in September, the Mob had pull'd down the house of Zachariah Hood1, who, refusing to resign as the Province's Stamp Dis?tributor, fled to New-York, and was granted refuge in Fort George, in time to witness Foretopman Bodine's Bi-Lunar Exhibition. Tho' 'twas now possible to clear Vessels3 out of Chesapeake Ports unstamp'd, plead?ing a lack of Stamps, Maryland was somehow among the last of the American Provinces to do so. As if, having paus'd self-amaz'd at their bold deed, the Mobility4 were now considering their next step. As Autumn rusted6 toward Winter, Youths went careering along the high roads firing long Rifles from Horse-back at any target that might suggest a connexion with stamp'd Paper, Puffs7 of Breath and Smoke decorating the way. Groups of farm Girls stood at crossroads and sang to them, "Americans All." Their Fathers, not always with better things to do, offer'd Jugs8 and Pipes, and their Mothers Tea. Traveling Sons of Liberty never had to pay a farthing for Drink,— and were ever the objects of Suggestions that, for even the liveliest of them, would have taken more time away from their Itineraries9 than Duty would allow. Massachusetts Bay accents were heard for the first time, out in the Allegheny, up in the Coves10, or "Coves," as Folk there were pronouncing it, purs'd as the Yan?kees were broad. New-Yorkers in Georgia, Pennsylvanians in the Caroli-nas, Virginians ev'rywhere, upon Horses perhaps better looking than suited to the Work,— all took time to appreciate the musick of Voices from far away, yet already, unmistakably, American.
Out in the Field, Down by the Sea, The Hour has peal'd, Whoever ye be,
Daughter of Erin, Scotia's Son, Let us be daring,— Let it be done.
It is time for
The Choosing,—
Americans all,
No more refusing
The Cry, and the Call,—
For the Grain to be sifted11,
For the Tyrants12 to fall,
As the Low shall be lifted,—
Americans all...
Till the end of the Story, Till the end of the Fight, Till the last craven Tory Has taken to Flight,
Let us go to the Wall, Let us march thro' the Pain, Americans all, Slaves ne'er again.
At Williamsburg, Mason, as well as being invited to the College of William and Mary, to inspect the Philosophickal Apparati, is introduc'd, at the State House, to a Party of Tuscarora Chiefs, upon a Mission to bring out the last of their people from the Carolinas, and conduct them safely back under the Protection of the Senecas, where they will join the rest of their Tribe, the sixth of the Six Nations.
The Escort have some apprehension13 about crossing Pennsylvania, with an hundred, perhaps two hundred, Tuscaroras, for they have heard
of the Paxton Massacres14. But along the way they are to be join'd by Pro2?tectors from various Nations, principally Mohawks. Tho' their Territory lies hundreds of Leagues to the North, the Six Nations are ever a-bustle thro' the Forests of Pennsylvania, observing all Movement, regardless of Size, vigilantly15. "Any of Paxtonian Disposition," Mason tries to reassure16 the Chiefs, "being usually bless'd with a Marksman's Eye, know who's in the Woods, and why,— yet will not at ev'ry Opportunity choose to engage."
He is staying at Mr. Wetherburn's. One morning a note appears tuck'd into a Frame full of cross'd Ribbons, from Col° Washington, in Town and seeking a quiet game or two of Billiards17. Their Tranquillity18 is not long preserv'd, as more and more arrive in Raleigh's Billiard-Room, 'round the fam'd great Table.
"Even as Clearings appear in the Smoke of a Tavern19, so in Colonial matters may we be able to see into, and often enough thro', the motives20 of Georgie Rex and that dangerous Band of Boobies.... Henceforth, it seems, the Irish and the Ulster Scots are to be upon the same terms with them as the Africans, Hindoos, and other Dark peoples they enslave,— and so, to make it easier to shoot us, with all Americans,— tho' we be driven more mystically, not by the Lash21 and Musket22, but by Ledger23 and Theodolite. All to assure them of an eternal Supply of cheap axmen, farmers, a few rude artisans, and docile24 buyers of British goods."
"Not only presuming us their Subjects, which is bad enough,— but that we're merely another kind of Nigger,— well that's what I can't for?give. Are you sure?"
"Civility, Sir! The word you have employ'd, here in this quiet Pool of Reason, is a very Shark, which ever feels its Lunch-Hour nigh."
"Excuse me, do I hear that Word again? In this Smoak, 'twould seem, so are we all."
"Eeh!" Washington grabbing Mason.
"Colonel, Sir," twitching25 away, " 'twould be far preferable,—
"That voice, Mason! 'tis my Tithable26, Gershom!"
"And furthermore, here's the latest news of the King." Several hoots27 and whistles. "King goes in a Tavern, bar-tender says, what'll it be, George, King says, I'm in disguise here, how'd you know who I was,— bar-tender says, that Crown on your Head,— King says, Only a Madman
would walk around wearing a Crown,— bar-tender falls on his knees,— Your Majesty28!"
Half the Company seem to believe this is a white Customer, imper?sonating an African. Others, having caught Gershom's act before, recog?nize him right away.
"Hey Gersh, do the one about the Crocodile that can talk."
"The Rabbit in the Moon!"
"Wait a bit, somebody say there's a real Negroe in here?"
"Hell, maybe even more 'n one."
For the rest of the evening, ev'ryone suspects ev'ryone else of being Gershom. Now and then someone, tho' the Bellows29 are never quite fast enough to reveal who, tells another King-Joak.
"King's Alchemist presents him with a Philtre that can transport him where'er he wishes.—
Mason's turn to put the Clutch upon Washington. "Baby-Phiz Nathe McClean, or I'm a Sailor."
"King decides he'll journey to the Sun," the invisible Youth con5?tinues, "— Alchemist says, 'Your Majesty! The Sun?— it burns at thou?sands of Fahrenheit's Degrees,— far too hot there for anything to remain alive.' King says, 'So, where's the Difficulty?— I'll go at Night.' "
Young Nathe, back in Classes at William and Mary, daily more woven into Continental30 Realities, here, seen thro' what he and his School-mates style the Room-Brume, appears already less fit, more slothful than the narrow and restless Camp-Factotum of the summer previous. "I left that Party just in time," he confides31. "I should have been crazy as Captain Zhang, had I remain'd a week more."
"Crazy enough," remarks his friend Murray.
"That bad, was it?" Mason a bit reserv'd.
"All respect, Sir, the Captain wasn't just Pipe-Smoaking in the Arti?cle of that Sha. We all felt it, as, to Appearance, did you and Mr. Dixon. Surveying a Property Line, that may be one thing,— clearing and mark?ing a Right Line of an Hundred Leagues, into the Lands of Others, can?not be a kindly32 Act."
"Should we have refus'd the Commission, then?" Mason in ever-sharpening Nasality, "— We didn't invent Parallels of Latitude33. Your
Dispute is with Hipparchus, and Eratosthenes before him,— both, I believe, dead?"
"Perhaps no harm will come of it. So must we pray. Remember me to Mr. Dixon. Your Servant, Sir," as Nathe once more is subsum'd into Nicotick Vapors34 opaque35 as Futurity, leaving Mason feeling guilty as fool?ish, unable to rely as much as before upon Remembrances of the cheer?ful Boy who pass'd like a Shuttle, ever to and fro and amidst, as if weaving the very Party on into the West, Day upon Day.
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1
hood
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| n.头巾，兜帽，覆盖；v.罩上，以头巾覆盖 | |
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pro
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| n.赞成，赞成的意见，赞成者 | |
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3
vessels
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| n.血管( vessel的名词复数 )；船；容器；（具有特殊品质或接受特殊品质的）人 | |
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mobility
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| n.可动性，变动性，情感不定 | |
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con
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| n.反对的观点，反对者，反对票，肺病；vt.精读，学习，默记；adv.反对地，从反面；adj.欺诈的 | |
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rusted
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| v.（使）生锈( rust的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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puffs
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| n.吸( puff的名词复数 )；（烟斗或香烟的）一吸；一缕（烟、蒸汽等）；（呼吸或风的）呼v.使喷出( puff的第三人称单数 )；喷着汽（或烟）移动；吹嘘；吹捧 | |
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jugs
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| （有柄及小口的）水壶( jug的名词复数 ) | |
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itineraries
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| n.旅程，行程( itinerary的名词复数 ) | |
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coves
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| n.小海湾( cove的名词复数 )；家伙 | |
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sifted
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| v.筛( sift的过去式和过去分词 )；筛滤；细查；详审 | |
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12
tyrants
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| 专制统治者( tyrant的名词复数 )； 暴君似的人； （古希腊的）僭主； 严酷的事物 | |
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13
apprehension
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| n.理解，领悟；逮捕，拘捕；忧虑 | |
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14
massacres
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| 大屠杀( massacre的名词复数 )； 惨败 | |
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15
vigilantly
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| adv.警觉地，警惕地 | |
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16
reassure
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| v.使放心，使消除疑虑 | |
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17
billiards
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| n.台球 | |
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18
tranquillity
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| n. 平静, 安静 | |
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19
tavern
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| n.小旅馆，客栈；小酒店 | |
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20
motives
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| n.动机，目的( motive的名词复数 ) | |
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21
lash
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| v.系牢；鞭打；猛烈抨击；n.鞭打；眼睫毛 | |
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22
musket
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| n.滑膛枪 | |
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ledger
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| n.总帐，分类帐；帐簿 | |
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24
docile
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| adj.驯服的，易控制的，容易教的 | |
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25
twitching
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| n.颤搐 | |
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26
tithable
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| adj.课十分之一税的 | |
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27
hoots
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| 咄，啐 | |
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majesty
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| n.雄伟，壮丽，庄严，威严；最高权威，王权 | |
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29
bellows
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| n.风箱；发出吼叫声，咆哮（尤指因痛苦）( bellow的名词复数 )；（愤怒地）说出（某事），大叫v.发出吼叫声，咆哮（尤指因痛苦）( bellow的第三人称单数 )；（愤怒地）说出（某事），大叫 | |
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continental
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| adj.大陆的，大陆性的，欧洲大陆的 | |
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confides
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| v.吐露（秘密，心事等）( confide的第三人称单数 )；（向某人）吐露（隐私、秘密等） | |
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32
kindly
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| adj.和蔼的，温和的，爽快的；adv.温和地，亲切地 | |
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33
latitude
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| n.纬度，行动或言论的自由(范围)，(pl.)地区 | |
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34
vapors
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| n.水汽，水蒸气，无实质之物( vapor的名词复数 )；自夸者；幻想 [药]吸入剂 [古]忧郁（症）v.自夸，（使）蒸发( vapor的第三人称单数 ) | |
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opaque
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| adj.不透光的；不反光的，不传导的；晦涩的 | |
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