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（she must have packed that gold chip in my trunk）； until they found
out I was a man without a mind； and the railroad sent me back to
Nebraska。 At any rate； that's what Seth writes me。 Of myself； I
don't know。 But Sarah here knows。 She corresponded with the
railroad before they shipped me and all that。〃
Mrs。 Jones nodded affirmation of his words； sighed and evidenced
unmistakable signs of eagerness to go。
〃I ain't been able to work since；〃 her husband continued。 〃And I
ain't been able to figure out how to get back that big nugget。
Sarah's got money of her own； and she won't let go a penny … 〃
〃He won't get down to THAT country no more！〃 she broke forth。
〃But； Sarah； Vahna's dead … you know that；〃 Julian Jones protested。
〃I don't know anything about anything；〃 she answered decisively；
〃except that THAT country is no place for a married man。〃
Her lips snapped together； and she fixed an unseeing stare across
to where the afternoon sun was beginning to glow into sunset。 I
gazed for a moment at her face； white； plump； tiny； and implacable；
and gave her up。
〃How do you account for such a mass of gold being there？〃 I queried
of Julian Jones。 〃A solid…gold meteor that fell out of the sky？〃
〃Not for a moment。〃 He shook his head。 〃 It was carried there by
the Indians。〃
〃Up a mountain like that … and such enormous weight and size！〃 I
objected。
〃Just as easy；〃 he smiled。 〃I used to be stumped by that
proposition myself； after I got my memory back。 Now how in Sam
Hill … ' I used to begin； and then spend hours figuring at it。 And
then when I got the answer I felt downright idiotic； it was that
easy。〃 He paused； then announced： 〃They didn't。〃
〃But you just … said they did。〃
〃They did and they didn't；〃 was his enigmatic reply。 〃Of course
they never carried that monster nugget up there。 What they did was
to carry up its contents。〃
He waited until he saw enlightenment dawn in my face。
〃And then of course melted all the gold； or welded it； or smelted
it； all into one piece。 You know the first Spaniards down there；
under a leader named Pizarro； were a gang of robbers and cut…
throats。 They went through the country like the hoof…and…mouth
disease； and killed the Indians off like cattle。 You see； the
Indians had lots of gold。 Well； what the Spaniards didn't get； the
surviving Indians hid away in that one big chunk on top the
mountain； and it's been waiting there ever since for me … and for
you； if you want to go in on it。〃
And here； by the Lagoon of the Palace of Fine Arts； ended my
acquaintance with Julian Jones。 On my agreeing to finance the
adventure； he promised to call on me at my hotel next morning with
the letters of Seth Manners and the railroad； and conclude
arrangements。 But he did not call。 That evening I telephoned his
hotel and was informed by the clerk that Mr。 Julian Jones and wife
had departed in the early afternoon； with their baggage。
Can Mrs。 Jones have rushed him back and hidden him away in
Nebraska？ I remember that as we said good…bye； there was that in
her smile that recalled the vulpine complacency of Mona Lisa； the
Wise。
Kohala； Hawaii；
MAY 5； 1916。
STORY： LIKE ARGUS OF THE ANCIENT TIMES
IT was the summer of 1897； and there was trouble in the Tarwater
family。 Grandfather Tarwater； after remaining properly subdued and
crushed for a quiet decade； had broken out again。 This time it was
the Klondike fever。 His first and one unvarying symptom of such
attacks was song。 One chant only he raised； though he remembered
no more than the first stanza and but three lines of that。 And the
family knew his feet were itching and his brain was tingling with
the old madness； when he lifted his hoarse…cracked voice； now
falsetto…cracked； in：
Like Argus of the ancient times；
We leave this modern Greece；
Tum…tum； tum…tum； tum； tum； tum…tum；
To shear the Golden Fleece。
Ten years earlier he had lifted the chant； sung to the air of the
〃Doxology；〃 when afflicted with the fever to go gold…mining in
Patagonia。 The multitudinous family had sat upon him； but had had
a hard time doing it。 When all else had failed to shake his
resolution； they had applied lawyers to him； with the threat of
getting out guardianship papers and of confining him in the state
asylum for the insane … which was reasonable for a man who had； a
quarter of a century before； speculated away all but ten meagre
acres of a California principality； and who had displayed no better
business acumen ever since。
The application of lawyers to John Tarwater was like the
application of a mustard plaster。 For； in his judgment； they were
the gentry； more than any other； who had skinned him out of the
broad Tarwater acres。 So； at the time of his Patagonian fever； the
very thought of so drastic a remedy was sufficient to cure him。 He
quickly demonstrated he was not crazy by shaking the fever from him
and agreeing not to go to Patagonia。
Next； he demonstrated how crazy he really was； by deeding over to
his family； unsolicited； the ten acres on Tarwater Flat； the house；
barn； outbuildings； and water…rights。 Also did he turn over the
eight hundred dollars in bank that was the long…saved salvage of
his wrecked fortune。 But for this the family found no cause for
committal to the asylum； since such committal would necessarily
invalidate what he had done。
〃Grandfather is sure peeved；〃 said Mary； his oldest daughter；
herself a grandmother； when her father quit smoking。
All he had retained for himself was a span of old horses； a
mountain buckboard； and his one room in the crowded house。
Further； having affirmed that he would be beholden to none of them；
he got the contract to carry the United States mail； twice a week；
from Kelterville up over Tarwater Mountain to Old Almaden … which
was a sporadically worked quick…silver mine in the upland cattle
country。 With his old horses it took all his time to make the two
weekly round trips。 And for ten years； rain or shine； he had never
missed a trip。 Nor had he failed once to pay his week's board into
Mary's hand。 This board he had insisted on； in the convalescence
from his Patagonian fever； and he had paid it strictly； though he
had given up tobacco in order to be able to do it。
〃Huh！〃 he confided to the ruined water wheel of the old Tarwater
Mill； which he had built from the standing timber and which had
ground wheat for the first settlers。 〃Huh！ They'll never put me
in the poor farm so long as I support myself。 And without a penny
to my name it ain't likely any lawyer fellows'll come snoopin'
around after me。〃
And yet； precisely because of these highly rational acts； it was
held that John Tarwater was mildly crazy！
The first time he had lifted the chant of 〃Like Argus of the
Ancient Times；〃 had been in 1849； when； twenty…two years' of a