Спрут: Каліфорнійська історія

           “Bythenitwillbetoolate.Wewill,allofus,havemadeourfortunesbythen.”

           TheremarkleftPresleyastonishedoutofallmeasureHenevercouldaccustomhimselftothesestrangelapsesintheGovernor’scharacter.Magnuswasbynatureapublicman,judicious,deliberate,standingfirmforprinciple,yetuponrareoccasion,bysomesuchremarkasthis,hewouldbetraythepresenceofasub-natureofrecklessness,inconsistent,allatvariancewithhiscreedsandtenets.

           Attheverybottom,whenallwassaidanddone,MagnusremainedtheForty-niner.DeepdowninhisheartthespiritoftheAdventureryetpersisted.“Wewillallofushavemadefortunesbythen.”Thatwasitprecisely.“Afterusthedeluge.”Forallhispublicspirit,forallhischampionshipofjusticeandtruth,hisrespectforlaw,Magnusremainedthegambler,willingtoplayforcolossalstakes,tohazardafortuneonthechanceofwinningamillion.ItwasthetrueCaliforniaspiritthatfoundexpressionthroughhim,thespiritoftheWest,unwillingtooccupyitselfwithdetails,refusingtowait,tobepatient,toachievebylegitimateplodding;theminer’sinstinctofwealthacquiredinasinglenightprevailed,inspiteofall.ItwasinthisframeofmindthatMagnusandthemultitudeofotherranchersofwhomhewasatype,farmedtheirranches.Theyhadnolovefortheirland.Theywerenotattachedtothesoil.Theyworkedtheirranchesasaquarterofacenturybeforetheyhadworkedtheirmines.TohusbandtheresourcesoftheirmarvellousSanJoaquin,theyconsideredniggardly,petty,Hebraic.