登陆注册
14730400000006

第6章 Cotyledon of Multiflores Canyon(1)

"'Ave, atque vale!' Cotyledon!"Linda slid down the side of the canyon with the deftness of the expert. At the first available crevice she thrust in her Alpine stick, and bracing herself, gained a footing. Then she turned and by use of her fingers and toes worked her way back to the plan, she had passed. She was familiar with many members of she family, but such a fine specimen she seldom had found and she could not recall having seen it in all of her botanies. Opposite the plant she worked out a footing, drove her stick deep at the base of a rock to brace herself, and from the knapsack on her back took a sketchbook and pencil and began rapidly copying the thick fleshy leaves of the flattened rosette, sitting securely at the edge of a rock. She worked swiftly and with breathless interest. When she had finished the flower she began sketching in the moss-covered face of the boulder against which it grew, and other bits of vegetation near.

"I think, Coty," she said, "it is very probable that I can come a few simoleons with you. You are becoming better looking ever minute."For a touch of color she margined one side of her drawing with a little spray of Pentstemon whose bright tubular flower the canyon knew as "hummingbird's dinner horn." That gave, her the idea of introducing a touch of living interest, so bearing down upon the flowers from the upper right-hand corner of her drawing she deftly sketched in a ruby-throated hummingbird, and across the bottom of the sheet the lace of a few leaves of fern. Then she returned the drawing and pencil to her knapsack, and making sure of her footing, worked her way forward. With her long slender fingers she began teasing the plant loose from the rock and the surrounding soil. The roots penetrated deeper than she had supposed and in her interest she forgot her precarious footing and pulled hard. The plant gave way unexpectedly, and losing her balance, Linda plunged down the side of the canyon catching wildly at shrubs and bushes and bruising herself severely on stones, finally landing in a sitting posture on the road that traversed the canyon.

She was not seriously hurt, but she did not present a picturesque figure as she sprawled in the road, her booted feet thrust straight before her, one of her long black braids caught on a bush at her back, her blouse pulled above her breeches, the contents of her knapsack decorating the canyon side and the road around her; but high in one hand, without break or blemish, she triumphantly held aloft the rare Cotyledon. She shrugged her shoulders, wiggled her toes, and moved her arms to assure herself that no bones were broken; then she glanced at her drawings and the fruits of her day's collecting scattered on the roadside around her. She was in the act of rising when a motor car containing two young men shot around a curve of the canyon, swerved to avoid running over her, and stopped as abruptly as possible.

"It's a girl!" cried the driver, and both men sprang to the road and hurried to Linda's assistance. Her dark cheeks were red with mortification, but she managed to recover her feet and tuck in her blouse before they reached her"We heard you coming down," said the elder of the young men, "and we thought you might be a bear. Are you sure you're not hurt?"Linda stood before them, a lithe slender figure, vivid with youth and vitality.

"I am able to stand," she said, "so of course I haven't broken any bones. I think I am fairly well battered, but you will please to observe that there isn't a scratch on Cotyledon, and Ibrought her down--at least I think it's she--from the edge of that boulder away up there. Isn't she a beauty? Only notice the delicate frosty 'bloom' on her leaves!""I should prefer," said the younger of the men, to know whether you have any broken bones.""I'm sure I am all right," answered Linda. "I have falling down mountains reduced to an exact science. I'll bet you couldn't slide that far and bring down Coty without a scratch.' "Well, which is the more precious," said the young man. "Yourself or the specimen?""Why, the specimen!" answered Linda in impatience. "California is full of girls; but this is the finest Cotyledon of this family I have ever seen. Don't mistake this for any common stonecrop.

It looks to me like an Echeveria. I know what I mean to do with the picture I have made of her, and I know exactly where she is going to grow from this day on.""Is there any way we can help you?" inquired the elder of the two men.

For the first time Linda glanced at him, and her impression was that he was decidedly attractive.

"No, thank you!" she answered briskly. "I am going to climb back up to the boulder and collect the belongings I spilled on the way down. Then I am going to carry Coty to the car line in a kind of triumphal march, because she is the rarest find that Ihave ever made. I hope you have no dark designs on Coty, because this is 'what the owner had to do to redeem her.'"Linda indicated her trail down the canyon side, brushed soil and twigs from her trousers, turned her straight young back, carefully set down her specimen, and by the aid of her recovered stick began expertly making her way up the canyon side. "Here, let me do that," offered the younger man. "You rest until Icollect your belongings." Linda glanced back over her shoulder.

"Thanks," she said. "I have a mental inventory of all the pencils and knives and trowels I must find. You might overlook the most important part of my paraphernalia; and really I am not damaged. I'm merely hurt. Good-bye!"Linda started back up the side of the canyon, leaving the young men to enter their car and drive away. For a minute both of them stood watching her.

"What will girls be wearing and doing next?" asked the elder of the two as he started his car.

同类推荐
  • 药师如来观行仪轨法

    药师如来观行仪轨法

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。
  • 自序

    自序

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。
  • 日录

    日录

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。
  • 祁生天缘奇遇

    祁生天缘奇遇

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。
  • 亳州牡丹史

    亳州牡丹史

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。
热门推荐
  • 南山有云

    南山有云

    初见时,她是一株刚修炼成精的花,他是一只浑身通白的小兽。都是年少,却约定了要一起行走江湖,永不分离。是命运把他们分开,还是缘分使得他们再次相聚?只是再见时,只有她认得他,误以为他喜欢了别人。她笑得云淡风轻,说:“你要好好待姐姐,择日我便替你们举行婚礼。”其中有一人中伤,翘起绝美的兰花指,指着她说:“岳瑶,我…我喜欢的是你。”
  • 情淖

    情淖

    爱无法计划,不可抵御,不论你是人,是巫,还是仙。爱上并非你的选择,你只是被击中,然后在爱情的痛苦和喜悦中上下颠簸。
  • 蜜吻99次:老公大人求放过

    蜜吻99次:老公大人求放过

    宋楚若洗完澡之后拿出了平板在兴致勃勃的看电视,凌宇晟凑过来,宋楚若推开他,说:“你走开,我要看电视!”“看我就够了!”刚说完,宋楚若就被某人推倒,拆骨入腹了。事后,宋楚若生气的指着他:“我要跟你谈谈什么叫做节制!”“在我的字典里没有节制,看你还有力气,我们继续吧!”……宋楚若瞪着他,人前衣冠楚楚,可是总是欺负她,她发誓总有一天要翻身农奴把歌唱……
  • 相思谋:妃常难娶

    相思谋:妃常难娶

    某日某王府张灯结彩,婚礼进行时,突然不知从哪冒出来一个小孩,对着新郎道:“爹爹,今天您的大婚之喜,娘亲让我来还一样东西。”说完提着手中的玉佩在新郎面前晃悠。此话一出,一府宾客哗然,然当大家看清这小孩与新郎如一个模子刻出来的面容时,顿时石化。此时某屋顶,一个绝色女子不耐烦的声音响起:“儿子,事情办完了我们走,别在那磨矶,耽误时间。”新郎一看屋顶上的女子,当下怒火攻心,扔下新娘就往女子所在的方向扑去,吼道:“女人,你给本王站住。”一场爱与被爱的追逐正式开始、、、、、、、
  • 十门

    十门

    十位门主夺天地造化,维护天地秩序。卜算、造化、灵魂、轮回、大地、五行、星辰、帝皇、妖道、仙道
  • 唯一逆袭计划

    唯一逆袭计划

    一个不起眼的中等生,经历了不起眼的十多年苦读,意外考取了在全国同样不起眼,在本省却响当当的高等学府。经历了不期而遇的爆红、友情和爱情种种,慌乱的男孩儿冷静下来决心开启自己的逆袭计划...
  • 人仙之旅

    人仙之旅

    3000年后地球文明走出太阳系,与修真文明冲突,凌锋穿越至此。世家可将其折服?门派可令其屈膝?他将踏出一条怎样艰辛的修真之路?面对各种或善良或虚伪,或暴力或阴险的仙人,他又如何除魔卫道,炼出旷世仙心,成就不世仙位?
  • 万域剑神

    万域剑神

    此书,改名《剑尊神武》,20万字连载状态,请大家移步!剑神大陆,四大神剑演化天地,赤橙黄绿青蓝紫,七色剑魂可斩日月,这里没有斗气,没有魔法,这是一个剑道为尊的世界!少年赵宇微末崛起,携至强神体,演化无上剑魂,斩邪魔,踏天骄,剑荡寰宇!
  • 用我一辈子的方式去爱你

    用我一辈子的方式去爱你

    林安荨,别走好吗?易烊千玺,我等你对我说一句:“我爱你…”她爱他,他喜欢她,不同的方式就会有不同的结局…
  • 霸道总裁傲娇妻

    霸道总裁傲娇妻

    误打误撞,沈言欢把自己嫁给个除了帅之外一无所有的男人,但帅能当饭吃?并不能!什么,她还要自带易推倒属性?一边伶牙俐齿撕白莲,一边机智勇敢斗老公,沈言欢内外兼修。好不容易走上正轨,她老公摇身一变,成了商界大亨?这套路她不服!沈言欢拍桌子:“这婚我还就离了!”厉以琛挑眉压上:“怎么?你吃干抹净就想溜?”沈言欢大写加粗的怂:“有话好说,你先起来……”“哼哼,来不及了。”"