О мышах и людях

           AfewmilessouthofSoledad,theSalinasRiverdropsinclosetothehillsidebankandrunsdeepandgreen. Thewateriswarmtoo,forithasslippedtwinklingovertheyellowsandsinthesunlightbeforereachingthenarrowpool. OnonesideoftheriverthegoldenfoothillslopescurveuptothestrongandrockyGabilanMountains,butonthevalleysidethewaterislinedwithtrees—willowsfreshandgreenwitheveryspring,carryingintheirlowerleafjuncturesthedebrisofthewinter’sflooding; andsycamoreswithmottled,white,recumbentlimbsandbranchesthatarchoverthepool. Onthesandybankunderthetreestheleavesliedeepandsocrispthatalizardmakesagreatskitteringifherunsamongthem. Rabbitscomeoutofthebrushtositonthesandintheevening,andthedampflatsarecoveredwiththenighttracksof‘coons,andwiththespreadpadsofdogsfromtheranches,andwiththesplit-wedgetracksofdeerthatcometodrinkinthedark. 

           Thereisapaththroughthewillowsandamongthesycamores,apathbeatenhardbyboyscomingdownfromtheranchestoswiminthedeeppool,andbeatenhardbytrampswhocomewearilydownfromthehighwayintheeveningtojungle-upnearwater. Infrontofthelowhorizontallimbofagiantsycamorethereisanashpilemadebymanyfires; thelimbiswornsmoothbymenwhohavesatonit. 

           Eveningofahotdaystartedthelittlewindtomovingamongtheleaves. Theshadeclimbedupthehillstowardthetop. Onthesandbankstherabbitssatasquietlyaslittlegraysculpturedstones. Andthenfromthedirectionofthestatehighwaycamethesoundoffootstepsoncrispsycamoreleaves. Therabbitshurriednoiselesslyforcover. Astiltedheronlaboredupintotheairandpoundeddownriver. Foramomenttheplacewaslifeless,andthentwomenemergedfromthepathandcameintotheopeningbythegreenpool.