lin mclean(林·迈林恩)-第9节
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Christmas。' And away he goes to Powder River for the mail。 'You swore
too heavy about them hens；' thinks I。 Well； I expect he may have travelled
half a mile by the time I'd found four nests。〃
I am fond of eggs； and eat them constantlyand in Wyoming they
were always a luxury。 But I never forget those that day； and how Lin and I
enjoyed them thinking of Tommy。 Perhaps manhood was not quite
established in my own soul at that timeand perhaps that is the reason
why it is the only time I have ever known which I would live over again；
those years when people said； 〃You are old enough to know better〃and
one didn't care！
Salmon； apricots； eggs； we dealt with them all properly； and I had
some cigars。 It was now that the news came back into my head。
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〃What do you think of〃 I began； and stopped。
I spoke out of a long silence； the slack； luxurious silence of digestion。 I
got no answer； naturally； from the torpid Lin； and then it occurred to me
that he would have asked me what I thought； long before this； had he
known。 So； observing how comfortable he was； I began differently。
〃What is the most important event that can happen in this country？〃
said I。
Mr。 McLean heard me where he lay along the floor of the cabin on his
back； dozing by the fire； but his eyes remained closed。 He waggled one
limp； open hand slightly at me； and torpor resumed her dominion over
him。
〃I want to know what you consider the most important event that can
happen in this country；〃 said I； again； enunciating each word with slow
clearness。
The throat and lips of Mr。 McLean moved； and a sulky sound came
forth that I recognized to be meant for the word 〃War。〃 Then he rolled
over so that his face was away from me； and put an arm over his eyes。
〃I don't mean country in the sense of United States；〃 said I。 〃I mean
this country here； and Bear Creek； andwell； the ranches southward for
fifty miles； say。 Important to this section。〃
〃Mosquitoes'll be due in about three weeks；〃 said Lin。 〃Yu' might
leave a man rest till then。〃 〃I want your opinion；〃 said I。
〃Oh； misery！ Well； a raise in the price of steers。〃
〃No。〃
〃Yu' said yu' wanted my opinion；〃 said Lin。 〃Seems like yu' merely
figure on givin' me yours。〃
〃Very well；〃 said I。 〃Very well； then。〃
I took up a copy of the Cheyenne Sun。 It was five weeks old； and I
soon perceived that I had read it three weeks ago； but I read it again for
some minutes now。
〃I expect a railroad would be more important；〃 said Mr。 McLean；
persuasively； from the floor。
〃Than a rise in steers？〃 said I； occupied with the Cheyenne Sun。 〃Oh
yes。 Yes； a railroad certainly would。〃
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〃It's got to be money； anyhow；〃 stated Lin； thoroughly wakened。
〃Money in some shape。〃
〃How little you understand the real wants of the country！〃 said I；
coming to the point。 〃It's a girl。〃
Mr。 McLean lay quite still on the floor。
〃A girl；〃 I repeated。 〃A new girl coming to this starved country。〃
The cow…puncher took a long； gradual stretch and began to smile。
〃Well；〃 said he； 〃yu' caught meif that's much to do when a man is half…
witted with dinner and sleep。〃 He closed his eyes again and lay with a
specious expression of indifference。 But that sort of thing is a solitary
entertainment； and palls。 〃Starved；〃 he presently muttered。 〃We are kind o'
starved that way I'll admit。 More dollars than girls to the square mile。 And
to think of all of us nice； healthy； youngbet yu' I know who she is！〃 he
triumphantly cried。 He had sat up and levelled a finger at me with the
throw…down jerk of a marksman。 〃Sidney； Nebraska。〃
I nodded。 This was not the lady's namehe could not recall her name
but his geography of her was accurate。
One day in February my friend； Mrs。 Taylor over on Bear Creek； had
received a letterno common event for her。 Therefore； during several days
she had all callers read it just as naturally as she had them all see the new
baby； and baby and letter had both been brought out for me。 The letter was
signed；
〃Ever your afectionite frend。
〃Katie Peck；
and was not easy to read； here and there。 But you could piece out the
drift of it； and there was Mrs。 Taylor by your side； eager to help you when
you stumbled。 Miss Peck wrote that she was overworked in Sidney；
Nebraska； and needed a holiday。 When the weather grew warm she should
like to come to Bear Creek and be like old times。 〃Like to come and be
like old times〃 filled Mrs。 Taylor with sentiment and the cow…punchers
with expectation。 But it is a long way from February to warm weather on
Bear Creek； and even cow…punchers will forget about a new girl if she
does not come。 For several weeks I had not heard Miss Peck mentioned；
and old girls had to do。 Yesterday； however； when I paid a visit to Miss
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Molly Wood （the Bear Creek schoolmistress）； I found her keeping in order
the cabin and the children of the Taylors； while they were gone forty…five
miles to the stage station to meet their guest。
〃Well；〃 said Lin； judicially； 〃Miss Wood is a lady。〃
〃Yes；〃 said I； with deep gravity。 For I was thinking of an occasion
when Mr。 McLean had discovered that truth somewhat abruptly。
Lin thoughtfully continued。 〃She isshe'sshe'swhat are you
laughin' at？〃
〃Oh； nothing。 You don't see quite so much of Miss Wood as you used
to； do you？〃
〃Huh！ So that's got around。 Well； o' course I'd ought t've knowed better；
I suppose。 All the same； there's lots and lots of girls do like gettin' kissed
against their wishesand you know it。〃
〃But the point would rather seem to be that she〃
〃Would rather seem！ Don't yu' start that professor style o' yours； or I'll…
…I'll talk more wickedness in worse language than ever yu've heard me do
yet。〃
〃Impossible！〃 I murmured； sweetly； and Master Lin went on。
〃As to pointthat don't need to be explained to me。 She's a lady all
right。〃 He ruminated for a moment。 〃She has about scared all the boys off；
though；〃 he continued。 〃And that's what you get by being refined；〃 he
concluded； as if Providence had at length spoken in this matter。
〃She has not scared off a boy from Virginia； I notice；〃 said I。 〃He was
there yesterday afternoon again。 Ridden all the way over from Sunk Creek。
Didn't seem particularly frightened。〃
〃Oh； well； nothin' alarms himnot even refinement；〃 said Mr。 McLean；
with his grin。 〃And she'll fool your Virginian like she done the balance of
us。 You wait。 Shucks！ If all the girls were that chilly； why； what would us
poor punchers do？〃
〃You have me cornered；〃 said I； and we sat in a philosophical silence；
Lin on the floor still； and I at the window。 There I looked out upon a scene
my eyes never tired of then； nor can my memory now。 Spring had passed
over it with its first； lightest steps。 The pastured levels undulated in
emerald。 Through the many…changing sage； that just this moment of to…day
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was lilac； shone greens scarce a week old in the dimples of the foot…hills；
and greens new…born beneath today's sun melted among them。 Around the
doubling of the creek in the willow thickets glimmered skeined veils of
yellow and delicate crimson。 The stream poured turbulently away from the
snows of the mountains behind us。 It went winding in many folds across
the meadows into distance and smallness； and so vanished round the great
red battlement of wall beyond。 Upon this were falling the deep hues of
afternoonviolet； rose； and saffron； swimming and meeting as if some
prism had dissolved
