太子爷小说网 > 英语电子书 > flip-a california romance >

第3节

flip-a california romance-第3节

小说: flip-a california romance 字数: 每页4000字

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页,按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页,按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部!
————未阅读完?加入书签已便下次继续阅读!



ranch?  We don't go much on that kind o' cattle yer。〃



〃No;〃 said Lance; cheerfully。



〃Nor ye ain't that chap ez beat his wife unto death at Santa

Clara?〃



Lance honestly scorned the imputation。  Such conjugal ill treatment

as he had indulged in had not been physical; and had been with

other men's wives。



There was a moment's further hesitation on the part of the girl。

Then she said shortly:



〃Well; then; I reckon you kin come along with me。〃



〃Where?〃 asked Lance。



〃To the ranch;〃 she replied simply。



〃Then you won't bring me anything to eat here?〃



〃What for?  You kin get it down there。〃  Lance hesitated。  〃I tell

you it's all right;〃 she continued。  〃I'll make it all right with

Dad。〃



〃But suppose I reckon I'd rather stay here;〃 persisted Lance; with

a perfect consciousness; however; of affectation in his caution。



〃Stay away then;〃 said the girl coolly; 〃only as Dad perempted this

yer woods〃



〃PRE…empted;〃 suggested Lance。



〃Per…empted or pre…emp…ted; as you like;〃 continued the girl

scornfully;〃ez he's got a holt on this yer woods; ye might ez

well see him down thar ez here。  For here he's like to come any

minit。  You can bet your life on that。〃



She must have read Lance's amusement in his eyes; for she again

dropped her own with a frown of brusque embarrassment。  〃Come

along; then; I'm your man;〃 said Lance; gayly; extending his hand。



She would not accept it; eying it; however; furtively; like a horse

about to shy。  〃Hand me your pistol first;〃 she said。



He handed it to her with an assumption of gayety。  She received it

on her part with unfeigned seriousness; and threw it over her

shoulder like a gun。  This combined action of the child and

heroine; it is quite unnecessary to say; afforded Lance undiluted

joy。



〃You go first;〃 she said。



Lance stepped promptly out; with a broad grin。  〃Looks kinder as if

I was a prisoner; don't it?〃 he suggested。



〃Go on; and don't fool;〃 she replied。



The two fared onward through the wood。  For one moment he

entertained the facetious idea of appearing to rush frantically

away; 〃just to see what the girl would do;〃 but abandoned it。

〃It's an even thing if she wouldn't spot me the first pop;〃 he

reflected admiringly。



When they had reached the open hillside; Lance stopped inquiringly。

〃This way;〃 she said; pointing toward the summit; and in quite an

opposite direction to the valley where he had heard the voices; one

of which he now recognized as hers。  They skirted the thicket for a

few moments; and then turned sharply into a trail which began to

dip toward a ravine leading to the valley。



〃Why do you have to go all the way round?〃 he asked。



〃WE don't;〃 the girl replied with emphasis; 〃there's a shorter

cut。〃



〃Where?〃



〃That's telling;〃 she answered shortly。



〃What's your name?〃 asked Lance; after a steep scramble and a drop

into the ravine。



〃Flip。〃



〃What?〃



〃Flip。〃



〃I mean your first name;your front name。〃



〃Flip。〃



〃Flip!  Oh; short for Felipa!〃



〃It ain't Flipper;it's Flip。〃  And she relapsed into silence。



〃You don't ask me mine?〃 suggested Lance。



She did not vouchsafe a reply。



〃Then you don't want to know?〃



〃Maybe Dad will。  You can lie to HIM。〃



This direct answer apparently sustained the agreeable homicide for

some moments。  He moved onward; silently exuding admiration。



〃Only;〃 added Flip; with a sudden caution; 〃you'd better agree with

me。〃



The trail here turned again abruptly and re…entered the canyon。

Lance looked up; and noticed they were almost directly beneath the

bay thicket and the plateau that towered far above them。  The trail

here showed signs of clearing; and the way was marked by felled

trees and stumps of pines。



〃What does your father do here?〃 he finally asked。  Flip remained

silent; swinging the revolver。  Lance repeated his question。



〃Burns charcoal and makes diamonds;〃 said Flip; looking at him from

the corners of her eyes。



〃Makes diamonds?〃 echoed Lance。



Flip nodded her head。



〃Many of 'em?〃 he continued carelessly。



〃Lots。  But they're not big;〃 she returned; with a sidelong glance。



〃Oh; they're not big?〃 said Lance gravely。



They had by this time reached a small staked inclosure; whence the

sudden fluttering and cackle of poultry welcomed the return of the

evident mistress of this sylvan retreat。  It was scarcely imposing。

Further on; a cooking stove under a tree; a saddle and bridle; a

few household implements scattered about; indicated the 〃ranch。〃

Like most pioneer clearings; it was simply a disorganized raid upon

nature that had left behind a desolate battlefield strewn with

waste and decay。  The fallen trees; the crushed thicket; the

splintered limbs; the rudely torn…up soil; were made hideous by

their grotesque juxtaposition with the wrecked fragments of

civilization; in empty cans; broken bottles; battered hats;

soleless boots; frayed stockings; cast…off rags; and the crowning

absurdity of the twisted…wire skeleton of a hooped skirt hanging

from a branch。  The wildest defile; the densest thicket; the most

virgin solitude; was less dreary and forlorn than this first

footprint of man。  The only redeeming feature of this prolonged

bivouac was the cabin itself。  Built of the half…cylindrical strips

of pine bark; and thatched with the same material; it had a certain

picturesque rusticity。  But this was an accident of economy rather

than taste; for which Flip apologized by saying that the bark of

the pine was 〃no good〃 for charcoal。



〃I reckon Dad's in the woods;〃 she added; pausing before the open

door of the cabin。  〃Oh; Dad!〃  Her voice; clear and high; seemed

to fill the whole long canyon; and echoed from the green plateau

above。  The monotonous strokes of an axe were suddenly pretermitted;

and somewhere from the depths of the close…set pines a voice

answered 〃Flip。〃  There was a pause of a few moments; with some

muttering; stumbling; and crackling in the underbrush; and then the

sudden appearance of 〃Dad。〃



Had Lance first met him in the thicket; he would have been puzzled

to assign his race to Mongolian; Indian; or Ethiopian origin。

Perfunctory but incomplete washings of his hands and face; after

charcoal burning; had gradually ground into his skin a grayish

slate…pencil pallor; grotesquely relieved at the edges; where the

washing had left off; with a border of a darker color。  He looked

like an overworked Christy minstrel with the briefest of intervals

between his performances。  There were black rims in the orbits of

his eyes; as if he gazed feebly out of unglazed spectacles; which

heightened his simian resemblance; already grotesquely exaggerated

by what appeared to be repeated and spasmodic experiments in dyeing

his gray hair。  Without the slightest notice of Lance; he inflicted

his protesting and querulous presence entirely on his daughter。



〃Well; what's up now?  Yer ye are calling me from work an hour

before noon。  Dog my skin; ef I ever get fairly limbered up afore

it's 'Dad!' and 'Oh; Dad!'〃



To Lance's intense satisfaction the girl received this harangue

with an air of supreme indifference; and when 〃Dad〃 had relapsed

into an unintelligible; and; as it seemed to Lance; a half…

frightened muttering; she said coolly;



〃Ye'd better drop that axe and scoot round getten' this stranger

some breakfast and some grub to take with him。  He's one of them

San Francisco sports out here trout fishing in the branch。  He's

got adrift from his party; has lost his rod and fixins; and had to

camp out last night in the Gin and Ginger Woods。〃



〃That's just it; it's allers suthin like that;〃 screamed the old

man; dashing his fist on his leg in a feeble; impotent passion; but

without looking at Lance。  〃Why in blazes don't he go up to that

there blamed hotel on the summit?  Why in thunder〃  But here he

caught his daughter's large; freckled eyes full in his own。  He

blinked feebly; his voice fell into a tone of whining entreaty。

〃Now; look yer; Flip; it's playing it rather low down on the old

man; this yer running' in o' tramps and desarted emigrants and

cast…ashore sailors and forlorn widders and ravin' lunatics; on

this yer ranch。  I put it to you; Mister;〃 he said abruptly;

turning to Lance for the first time; but as if he had already taken

an active part in the conversation;〃I put it as a gentleman

yourself; and a fair…minded sportin' man; if this is the square

thing?〃



Before Lance could reply; Flip had already begun。  〃That's just it!

D'ye reckon; being a sportin' man and an A 1 feller; he's goin' to

waltz down inter that hotel; rigged out ez he is?  D'ye reckon he's

goin' to let his partners get the laugh outer him?  D'ye reckon

he's goin' to show his head outer this yer ranch till he can do it

square?  Not much!  Go 'long。  Dad

返回目录 上一页 下一页 回到顶部 0 0

你可能喜欢的