第6部分

請關閉瀏覽器的閱讀/暢讀/小說模式並且關閉廣告遮蔽過濾功能，避免出現內容無法顯示或者段落錯亂。

arp　definition　of　an　18th…century　aquatint　across　hill　and　woodland　to　Mt。　Battie　outlined　against　the　horizon。　At　our　campfire　evenings；　when　we　gathered　around　the　great　oak　just　after　sunset；　Mount　Battie　without　losing　its　definition　would　take　on　a　blue　luminosity。

最後一座山（3）

Over　the　years　a　ragged　second…growth　of　aspen　and　birch　and　speckled　alder；　at　the　far　edge　of　the　baseball　diamond；　has　blotted　out　that　view。　Now　there　is　nothing　to　see　beneath　the　crystalline　sky　but　the　uneven　tops　of　second…growth　trees。　Already　the　sky　has　begun　to　taken　on　the　steelier　tints　of　winter。　Even　Mt。　Battie　has　disappeared。

On　sultry　afternoons；　when　the　air　quivered　in　the　cool　and　fading　light　of　early　evening；　I　used　to　stand　here　by　the　old　oak　and　look　out　across　an　interluden　of　scrub　and　swamp　from　which　several　miles　away；　a　hill　emerged。 As　a　hill　it　was　insignificant　enough。　Below　its　bare　summit　an　abandoned　pasture　lay　dotted　with　ground　juniper　and　outcroppings　of　granite。　Yet　something　about　that　hill　drew　me；　beckoned　to　me；　across　the　miles。　I　could　not　bear　to　take　my　eyes　from　it；　I　knew　only　that　before　summer　ended　I　must　go　to　it；　（make　my　way　over　the　pasture；　up　and　up　past　shrub　and　granite　until　I　stood　on　the　very　summit。）　It　was　something　I　had　to　do。 I　could　not　explain　why。　I　did　not　even　ask　myself。

Not　that　it　was　easy　to　get　away　from　camp。　Morning　and　afternoon；　our　activitics　were　recorded　in　a　counselor’s　notebook。　We　had　to　be　swimming　or　rowing　or　playing　tennis　or　baseball　or　practicing　a　track　event　or　going　off　on　nature　walks　or　making　some　gadget　in　the　carpentry　shop—just　so　long　as　we　did　something。　But　to　do　nothing；　to　climb　a　hill　for　no　reason；　that　was　outside　the　rules；　against　the　“camp　spirit。”