Алая чума

           Thelatterstartedfromonemanandwoman. HewascalledLopez,andhewasdescendedfromtheancientMexicansandwasveryblack. HewasacowherdintherangesbeyondCarmel,andhiswifewasamaidservantinthegreatDelMonteHotel. ItwassevenyearsbeforewefirstgotintouchwiththeLosAnge-litos. Theyhaveagoodcountrydownthere,butitistoowarm. Iestimatethepresentpopulationoftheworldatbetweenthreehundredandfiftyandfourhundred—provided,ofcourse,thattherearenoscatteredlittletribeselsewhereintheworld. Iftherebesuch,wehavenotheardfromthem. SinceJohnsoncrossedthedesertfromUtah,nowordnorsignhascomefromtheEastoranywhereelse. ThegreatworldwhichIknewinmyboyhoodandearlymanhoodisgone. Ithasceasedtobe. Iamthelastmanwhowasaliveinthedaysoftheplagueandwhoknowsthewondersofthatfar-offtime. We,whomasteredtheplanet—itsearth,andsea,andsky—andwhowereasverygods,nowliveinprimitivesavageryalongthewatercoursesofthisCaliforniacountry. 

           “Butweareincreasingrapidly—yoursister,Hare-Lip,alreadyhasfourchildren. Weareincreasingrapidlyandmakingreadyforanewclimbtowardcivilization. Intime,pressureofpopulationwillcompelustospreadout,andahundredgenerationsfromnowwemayexpectourdescendantstostartacrosstheSierras,oozingslowlyalong,generationbygeneration,overthegreatcontinenttothecolonizationoftheEast—anewAryandriftaroundtheworld.