Спрут: Каліфорнійська історія

           ThenonandonthroughTheMexicos,allthroughtheSouthwest,thenbackagaininagreatcirclebyChihuahuaandAldamatoLaredo,toTorreon,andAlbuquerque.FromthereacrosstheUncompahgreplateauintotheUintahcountry;thenatlastduewestthroughNevadatoCaliforniaandtothevalleyoftheSanJoaquin.”Hisvoicelapsedtoamonotone,hiseyesbecomingfixed;hecontinuedtospeakasthoughhalfawake,histhoughtselsewhere,seeingagainintheeyeofhismindthereachofdesertandredhill,thepurplemountain,thelevelstretchofalkali,leperwhite,allthesavage,gorgeousdesolationoftheLongTrail.

           HeignoredPresleyforthemoment,but,ontheotherhand,Presleyhimselfgavehimbuthalfhisattention.ThereturnofVanameehadstimulatedthepoet’smemory.HerecalledtheincidentsofVanamee’slife,reviewingagainthatterribledramawhichhaduprootedhissoul,whichhaddrivenhimforthawanderer,ashunnerofmen,asojournerinwasteplaces.Hewas,strangelyenough,acollegegraduateandamanofwidereadingandgreatintelligence,buthehadchosentoleadhisownlife,whichwasthatofarecluse.

           OfatemperamentsimilarinmanywaystoPresley’s,therewerecapabilitiesinVanameethatwerenotordinarilytobefoundintherankandfileofmen.Livingclosetonature,apoetbyinstinct,wherePresleywasbutapoetbytraining,theredevelopedinhimagreatsensitivenesstobeautyandanalmostabnormalcapacityforgreathappinessandgreatsorrow;hefeltthingsintensely,deeply.Heneverforgot.