flip-a california romance-第4节

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square？　　Not　much！　　Go　'long。　　Dad；　you're　talking　silly！〃



The　old　man　weakened。　　He　feebly　trailed　his　axe　between　his　legs

to　a　stump　and　sat　down；　wiping　his　forehead　with　his　sleeve；　and

imparting　to　it　the　appearance　of　a　slate　with　a　difficult　sum

partly　rubbed　out。　　He　looked　despairingly　at　Lance。　　〃In　course；〃

he　said；　with　a　deep　sigh；　〃you　naturally　ain't　got　any　money。　　In

course　you　left　your　pocketbook；　containing　fifty　dollars；　under　a

stone；　and　can't　find　it。　　In　course；〃　he　continued；　as　he　observed

Lance　put　his　hand　to　his　pocket；　〃you've　only　got　a　blank　check　on

Wells；　Fargo　&　Co。　for　a　hundred　dollars；　and　you'd　like　me　to　give

you　the　difference？〃



Amused　as　Lance　evidently　was　at　this；　his　absolute　admiration　for

Flip　absorbed　everything　else。　　With　his　eyes　fixed　upon　the　girl；

he　briefly　assured　the　old　man　that　he　would　pay　for　everything　he

wanted。　　He　did　this　with　a　manner　quite　different　from　the

careless；　easy　attitude　he　had　assumed　toward　Flip；　at　least　the

quick…witted　girl　noticed　it；　and　wondered　if　he　was　angry。　　It　was

quite　true　that　ever　since　his　eye　had　fallen　upon　another　of　his

own　sex；　its　glance　had　been　less　frank　and　careless。　　Certain

traits　of　possible　impatience；　which　might　develop　into　man…

slaying；　were　coming　to　the　fore。　　Yet　a　word　or　a　gesture　of

Flip's　was　sufficient　to　change　that　manner；　and　when；　with　the

fretful　assistance　of　her　father；　she　had　prepared　a　somewhat

sketchy　and　primitive　repast；　he　questioned　the　old　man　about

diamond…making。　　The　eye　of　Dad　kindled。



〃I　want　ter　know　how　ye　knew　I　was　making　diamonds；〃　he　asked；　with

a　certain　bashful　pettishness　not　unlike　his　daughter's。



〃Heard　it　in　'Frisco；〃　replied　Lance；　with　glib　mendacity；　glancing

at　the　girl。



〃I　reckon　they're　gettin'　sort　of　skeert　down　therethem

jewelers；〃　chuckled　Dad；　〃yet　it's　in　nater　that　their　figgers　will

have　to　come　down。　　It's　only　a　question　of　the　price　of　charcoal。

I　suppose　they　didn't　tell　you　how　I　made　the　discovery？〃



Lance　would　have　stopped　the　old　man's　narrative　by　saying　that　he

knew　the　story；　but　he　wished　to　see　how　far　Flip　lent　herself　to

her　father's　delusion。



〃Ye　see；　one　night　about　two　years　ago　I　had　a　pit　o'　charcoal

burning　out　there；　and　tho'　it　had　been　a　smouldering　and　a　smoking

and　a　blazing　for　nigh　unto　a　month；　somehow　it　didn't　charcoal

worth　a　cent。　　And　yet；　dog　my　skin；　but　the　heat　o'　that　er　pit

was　suthin　hidyus　and　frightful；　ye　couldn't　stand　within　a　hundred

yards　of　it；　and　they　could　feel　it　on　the　stage　road　three　miles

over　yon；　t'other　side　the　mountain。　　There　was　nights　when　me　and

Flip　had　to　take　our　blankets　up　the　ravine　and　camp　out　all　night；

and　the　back　of　this　yer　hut　shriveled　up　like　that　bacon。　　It　was

about　as　nigh　on　to　hell　as　any　sample　ye　kin　get　here。　　Now；　mebbe

you　think　I　built　that　air　fire？　　Mebbe　you'll　allow　the　heat　was

just　the　nat'ral　burning　of　that　pit？〃



〃Certainly；〃　said　Lance；　trying　to　see　Flip's　eyes；　which　were

resolutely　averted。



〃Thet's　whar　you'd　be　lyin'！　　That　yar　heat　kem　out　of　the　bowels

of　the　yearth；kem　up　like　out　of　a　chimbley　or　a　blast；　and　kep

up　that　yar　fire。　　And　when　she　cools　down　a　month　after；　and　I　got

to　strip　her；　there　was　a　hole　in　the　yearth；　and　a　spring　o'

bilin'；　scaldin'　water　pourin'　out　of　it　ez　big　as　your　waist。　　And

right　in　the　middle　of　it　was　this　yer。〃　　He　rose　with　the　instinct

of　a　skillful　raconteur；　and　whisked　from　under　his　bunk　a　chamois

leather　bag；　which　he　emptied　on　the　table　before　them。　　It

contained　a　small　fragment　of　native　rock　crystal；　half…fused　upon

a　petrified　bit　of　pine。　　It　was　so　glaringly　truthful；　so　really

what　it　purported　to　be；　that　the　most　unscientific　woodman　or

pioneer　would　have　understood　it　at　a　glance。　　Lance　raised　his

mirthful　eyes　to　Flip。



〃It　was　cooled　suddint；stunted　by　the　water；〃　said　the　girl；

eagerly。　　She　stopped；　and　as　abruptly　turned　away　her　eyes　and　her

reddened　face。



〃That's　it；　that's　just　it；〃　continued　the　old　man。　　〃Thar's　Flip；

thar；　knows　it；　she　ain't　no　fool！〃　　Lance　did　not　speak；　but

turned　a　hard；　unsympathizing　look　upon　the　old　man；　and　rose

almost　roughly。　　The　old　man　clutched　his　coat。　　〃That's　it；　ye

see。　　The　carbon's　just　turning　to　di'mens。　　And　stunted。　　And　why？

'Cos　the　heat　wasn't　kep　up　long　enough。　　Mebbe　yer　think　I　stopped

thar？　　That　ain't　me。　　Thar's　a　pit　out　yar　in　the　woods　ez　hez

been　burning　six　months；　it　hain't；　in　course；　got　the　advantages

o'　the　old　one；　for　it's　nat'ral　heat。　　But　I'm　keeping　that　heat

up。　　I've　got　a　hole　where　I　kin　watch　it　every　four　hours。　　When

the　time　comes；　I'm　thar！　　Don't　you　see？　　That's　me！　that's　David

Fairley；that's　the　old　man；you　bet！〃



〃That's　so；〃　said　Lance；　curtly。　　〃And　now；　Mr。　Fairley；　if　you'll

hand　me　over　a　coat　or　a　jacket　till　I　can　get　past　these　fogs　on

the　Monterey　road；　I　won't　keep　you　from　your　diamond　pit。〃　　He

threw　down　a　handful　of　silver　on　the　table。



〃Ther's　a　deerskin　jacket　yer；〃　said　the　old　man；　〃that　one　o'　them

vaqueros　left　for　the　price　of　a　bottle　of　whiskey。〃



〃I　reckon　it　wouldn't　suit　the　stranger；〃　said　Flip；　dubiously

producing　a　much…worn；　slashed；　and　braided　vaquero's　jacket。　　But

it　did　suit　Lance；　who　found　it　warm；　and　also　had　suddenly　found　a

certain　satisfaction　in　opposing　Flip。　　When　he　had　put　it　on；　and

nodded　coldly　to　the　old　man；　and　carelessly　to　Flip；　he　walked　to

the　door。



〃If　you're　going　to　take　the　Monterey　road；　I　can　show　you　a　short

cut　to　it；〃　said　Flip；　with　a　certain　kind　of　shy　civility。



The　paternal　Fairley　groaned。　　〃That's　it；　let　the　chickens　and　the

ranch　go　to　thunder；　as　long　as　there's　a　stranger　to　trapse　round

with；　go　on！〃



Lance　would　have　made　some　savage　reply；　but　Flip　interrupted。

〃You　know　yourself；　Dad；　it's　a　blind　trail；　and　as　that　'ere

constable　that　kem　out　here　hunting　French　Pete；　couldn't　find　it；

and　had　to　go　round　by　the　canyon；　like　ez　not　the　stranger　would

lose　his　way；　and　have　to　come　back！〃　　This　dangerous　prospect

silenced　the　old　man；　and　Flip　and　Lance　stepped　into　the　road

together。　　They　walked　on　for　some　moments　without　speaking。

Suddenly　Lance　turned　upon　his　companion。



〃You　didn't　swallow　all　that　rot　about　the　diamond；　did　you？〃　he

asked；　crossly。



Flip　ran　a　little　ahead；　as　if　to　avoid　a　reply。



〃You　don't　mean　to　say　that's　the　sort　of　hog　wash　the　old　man

serves　out　to　you　regularly？〃　continued　Lance；　becoming　more　slangy

in　his　ill　temper。



〃I　don't　know　that　it's　any　consarn　o'　yours　what　I　think；〃　replied

Flip；　hopping　from　boulder　to　boulder；　as　they　crossed　the　bed　of　a

dry　watercourse。



〃And　I　suppose　you've　piloted　round　and　dry…nussed　every　tramp　and

dead　beat　you've　met　since　you　came　here；〃　continued　Lance；　with

unmistakable　ill　humor。　　〃How　many　have　you　helped　over　this　road？〃



〃It's　a　year　since　there　was　a　Chinaman　chased　by　some　Irishmen

from　the　Crossing　into　the　brush　about　yer；　and　he　was　too　afeered

to　come　out；　and　nigh　most　starved　to　death　in　thar。　　I　had　to　drag

him　out　and　start　him　on　the　mountain；　for　you　couldn't　get　him

back　to　the　road。　　He　was　the　last　one　but　YOU。〃



〃Do　you　reckon　it's　the　right　thing　for　a　girl　like　you　to　run

about　with　trash　of　this　kind；　and　mix　herself　up　with　all　sorts　of

rough　and　bad　company？〃　said　Lance。



Flip　stopped　short。　　〃Look！　if　you're　goin'　to　talk　like　Dad；　I'll

go　back。〃



The　ridiculousness　of　such　a　resemblance　struck　him　more　keenly

than　a　consciousness　of　his　own　ingratitude。　　He　hastened　to　assure

Flip　that　he　was　joking。　　When　he　had　made　his　peace　they　fell　into

talk　again；　Lance　becoming　unselfish　enough　to　inquire　into　one　or

two　facts　concerning　her　life　which　did　not　immediately　affect　him。

Her　mother　had　died　on　the　plains　when　she　was　a　baby；　and　her

brother　had　run　away　from　home　at　twelve。　　She　fully　expected　to

see　him　again；　and　thought　he　might　sometime　stray　into　their

canyon。　　〃That　is　why；　then；　you　take　so　much　stock　in　tramps；〃

said　Lance。　　〃You　expect　to　recognize　HIM？〃



〃Well；〃　replied　Flip；　gravely；　〃there　is　suthing　in　THAT；　and

there's　suthing　in　THIS：　some　o'　these　chaps　might　run　across

brother　and　do　him　a　good　turn　for　the　sake　of　me。〃



〃Like　me；　for　instance？〃　suggested　Lance。



〃Like　you。　　You'd　do　him　a　good　turn；　wouldn't　you？〃



〃You　bet！〃　said　Lance；　with　a　sudden　emotion　that　quite　startled

him；　〃only　don't　you　go　to　throwing　yourself　round　promiscuously。〃

He　was　half…conscious　of　an　irritating　sense　of　jealousy；　as　he

asked　if　any　of　her　proteges　had　ever　returned。



〃No；〃　said　Flip；　〃no　one　ever　did。　　It　shows；〃　she　added　with

sublime　simplicity；　〃I　had　done　'em　good；　and　they　could　get　on

alone。　　Don't　it？〃



〃It　does；〃　responded　Lance　grimly。　　〃Have　you　any　other　friends

tha