Спрут: Калифорнийская история
Chapter I
”
“Howaboutthesheep?”
“Thedogswillkeeptheminhand,andIshallnotbegonelong.Besidesthat,Ihaveaboyheretohelp.Heisoveryonderontheothersideoftheherd.Wecan’tseehimfromhere.”
Presleywonderedattheheedlessnessofleavingthesheepsoslightlyguarded,butmadenocomment,andthetwostartedoffacrossthefieldinthedirectionoftheMissionchurch.
“Well,yes,itisthere—yourepic,”observedVanamee,astheywentalong.“Butwhywrite?WhynotLIVEinit?Steeponeselfintheheatofthedesert,thegloryofthesunset,thebluehazeofthemesaandthecanyon.”
“Asyouhavedone,forinstance?”
Vanameenodded.
“No,Icouldnotdothat,”declaredPresley;“Iwanttogoback,butnotsofarasyou.IfeelthatImustcompromise.Imustfindexpression.Icouldnotlosemyselflikethatinyourdesert.Whenitsvastnessoverwhelmedme,oritsbeautydazzledme,oritslonelinessweigheddownuponme,Ishouldhavetorecordmyimpressions.Otherwise,Ishouldsuffocate.”
“Eachtohisownlife,”observedVanamee.
TheMissionofSanJuan,builtofbrown’dobeblocks,coveredwithyellowplaster,thatatmanypointshaddroppedawayfromthewalls,stoodonthecrestofalowriseoftheground,facingtothesouth.Acoveredcolonnade,pavedwithround,wornbricks,fromwhenceopenedthedoorsoftheabandonedcells,onceusedbythemonks,adjoineditontheleft.Theroofwasoftiledhalf-cylinders,splitlongitudinally,andlaidinalternaterows,nowconcave,nowconvex.
