lin mclean-第13节

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Of　course　we　recovered　from　our　unexpected　shame；　and　the　tale　of　the

table　and　the　dancing　plates　was　not　told　as　a　sad　one。　But　it　is　a　sad

one　when　you　think　of　it。



I　was　not　there　to　see　Lin　get　his　bride。　I　learned　from　the　Virginian

how　the　victorious　puncher　had　ridden　away　across　the　sunny　sagebrush；

bearing　the　biscuit…shooter　with　him　to　the　nearest　justice　of　the　peace。

She　was　astride　the　horse　he　had　brought　for　her。



〃Yes；　he　beat　Tommy；〃　said　the　Virginian。　〃Some　folks；　anyway；　get　what

they　want　in　this　hyeh　world。〃



From　which　I　inferred　that　Miss　Molly　Wood　was　harder　to　beat　than　Tommy。







LIN　McLEAN'S　HONEY…MOON



Rain　had　not　fallen　for　some　sixty　days；　and　for　some　sixty　more　there

was　no　necessity　that　it　should　fall。　It　is　spells　of　weather　like　this

that　set　the　Western　editor　writing　praise　and　prophecy　of　the　boundless

fertility　of　the　soilwhen　irrigated；　and　of　what　an　Eden　it　can　be

madewith　irrigation；　but　the　spells　annoy　the　people　who　are　trying　to

raise　the　Eden。　We　always　told　the　transient　Eastern　visitor；　when　he

arrived　at　Cheyenne　and　criticised　the　desert；　that　anything　would　grow

herewith　irrigation；　and　sometimes　he　replied；　unsympathetically；　that

anything　could　flywith　wings。　Then　we　would　lead　such　a　man　out　and

show　him　six；　eight；　ten　square　miles　of　green　crops；　and　he；　if　he　was

thoroughly　nasty；　would　mention　that　Wyoming　contained　ninety…five

thousand　square　miles；　all　waiting　for　irrigation　and　Eden。　One　of　these

Eastern　supercivilized　hostiles　from　New　York　was　breakfasting　with　the

Governor　and　me　at　the　Cheyenne　Club；　and　we　were　explaining　to　him　the

glorious　future；　the　coming　empire；　of　the　Western　country。　Now　the

Governor　was　about　thirty…two；　and　until　twenty…five　had　never　gone　West

far　enough　to　see　over　the　top　of　the　Alleghany　Mountains。　I　was　not　a

pioneer　myself；　and　why　both　of　us　should　have　pitied　the　New…Yorker's

narrowness　so　hard　I　cannot　see。　But　we　did。　We　spoke　to　him　of　the　size

of　the　country。　We　told　him　that　his　State　could　rattle　round　inside

Wyoming's　stomach　without　any　inconvenience　to　Wyoming；　and　he　told　us

that　this　was　because　Wyoming's　stomach　was　empty。　Altogether　I　began　to

feel　almost　sorry　that　I　had　asked　him　to　come　out　for　a　hunt；　and　had

travelled　in　haste　all　the　way　from　Bear　Creek　to　Cheyenne　expressly　to

meet　him。



〃For　purposes　of　amusement；〃　he　said；　〃I'll　admit　anything　you　claim　for

this　place。　Ranches；　cowboys；　elk；　it's　all　splendid。　Only；　as　an

investment　I　prefer　the　East。　Am　I　to　see　any　cowboys？〃



〃You　shall；〃　I　said；　and　I　distinctly　hoped　some　of　them　might　do

something　to　him　〃for　purposes　of　amusement。〃



〃You　fellows　come　up　with　me　to　my　office；〃　said　the　Governor。　〃I'll　look

at　my　mail；　and　show　you　round。〃　So　we　went　with　him　through　the　heat　and

sun。



〃What's　that？〃　inquired　the　New…Yorker；　whom　I　shall　call　James　Ogden。



〃That　is　our　park；〃　said　I。　〃Of　course　it's　merely　in　embryo。　It's

wonderful　how　quickly　any　shade　tree　will　grow　here　wi〃　I　checked

myself。



But　Ogden　said　〃with　irrigation〃　for　me；　and　I　was　entirely　sorry　he　had

come。



We　reached　the　Governor's　office；　and　sat　down　while　he　looked　his

letters　over。



〃Here　you　are；　Ogden；〃　said　he。　〃Here's　the　way　we　hump　ahead　out　here。〃

And　he　read　us　the　following：



　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　〃MAGAW；　KANSAS；　July　5；　188



〃Hon。　Amory　W。　Baker：



〃Sir；Understanding　that　your　district　is　suffering　from　a　prolonged

drought；　I　write　to　say　that　for　necessary　expenses　paid　I　will　be　glad

to　furnish　you　with　a　reasonably　shower。　I　have　operated　successfully　in

Australia；　Mexico；　and　several　States　of　the　Union；　and　am　anxious　to

exhibit　my　system。　If　your　Legislature　will　appropriate　a　sum　to　cover；

as　I　said；　merely　my　necessary　expensessay　350　（three　hundred　and

fifty　dollars）for　half　an　inch　I　will　guarantee　you　that　quantity　of

rain　or　forfeit　the　money。　If　I　fail　to　give　you　the　smallest　fraction　of

the　amount　contracted　for；　there　is　to　be　no　pay。　Kindly　advise　me　of

what　date　will　be　most　convenient　for　you　to　have　the　shower。　I　require

twenty…four　hours'　preparation。　Hoping　a　favorable　reply；



　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　〃I　am；　respectfully　yours；

　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　〃Robert　Hilbrun〃



〃Will　the　Legislature　do　it？〃　inquired　Ogden　in　good　faith。



The　Governor　laughed　boisterously。　〃I　guess　it　wouldn't　be

constitutional；〃　said　he。



〃Oh；　bother！〃　said　Ogden。



〃My　dear　man；〃　the　Governor　protested；　〃I　know　we're　new；　and　our　women

vote；　and　we're　a　good　deal　of　a　joke；　but　we're　not　so　progressively

funny　as　all　that。　The　people　wouldn't　stand　it。　Senator　Warren　would　fly

right　into　my　back　hair。〃　Barker　was　also　new　as　Governor。



〃Do　you　have　Senators　here　too？〃　said　Ogden；　raising　his　eyebrows。　〃What

do　they　look　like？　Are　they　females？〃　And　the　Governor　grew　more

boisterous　than　ever；　slapping　his　knee　and　declaring　that　these　Eastern

men　were　certainly　out　of　sight。〃　Ogden；　however；　was　thoughtful。



〃I'd　have　been　willing　to　chip　in　for　that　rain　myself；〃　he　said。



〃That's　an　idea！〃　cried　the　Governor。　〃Nothing　unconstitutional　about

that。　Let's　see。　Three　hundred　and　fifty　dollars〃



〃I'll　put　up　a　hundred；〃　said　Ogden；　promptly。　〃I'm　out　for　a　Western

vacation；　and　I'll　pay　for　a　good　specimen。〃



The　Governor　and　I　subscribed　more　modestly；　and　by　noon；　with　the　help

of　some　lively　minded　gentlemen　of　Cheyenne；　we　had　the　purse　raised。　〃He

won't　care；〃　said　the　Governor；　〃whether　it's　a　private　enterprise　or　a

municipal　step；　so　long　as　he　gets　his　money。〃



〃He　won't　get　it；　I'm　afraid；〃　said　Ogden。　〃But　if　he　succeeds　in

tempting　Providence　to　that　extent；　I　consider　it　cheap。　Now　what　do　you

call　those　people　there　on　the　horses？〃



We　were　walking　along　the　track　of　the　Cheyenne　and　Northern；　and　looking

out　over　the　plain　toward　Fort　Russell。　〃That　is　a　cow…puncher　and　his

bride；〃　I　answered；　recognizing　the　couple。



〃Real　cow…puncher？〃



〃Quite。　The　puncher's　name　is　Lin　McLean。〃



〃Real　bride？〃



〃I'm　afraid　so。〃



〃She's　riding　straddle！〃　exclaimed　the　delighted　Ogden；　adjusting　his

glasses。　〃Why　do　you　object　to　their　union　being　holy？〃



I　explained　that　my　friend　Lin　had　lately　married　an　eating…house　lady

precipitately　and　against　my　advice。



〃I　suppose　he　knew　his　business；〃　observed　Ogden。



〃That's　what　he　said　to　me　at　the　time。　But　you　ought　to　see　herand

know　him。〃



Ogden　was　going　to。　Husband　and　wife　were　coming　our　way。　Husband　nodded

to　me　his　familiar　offish　nod；　which　concealed　his　satisfaction　at

meeting　with　an　old　friend。　Wife　did　not　look　at　me　at　all。　But　I　looked

at　her；　and　I　instantly　knew　that　Linthe　fool！had　confided　to　her　my

disapproval　of　their　marriage。　The　most　delicate　specialty　upon　earth　is

your　standing　with　your　old　friend's　new　wife。



〃Good…day；　Mr。　McLean；〃　said　the　Governor　to　the　cow…puncher　on　his

horse。



〃How're　are　yu'；　doctor；〃　said　Lin。　During　his　early　days　in　Wyoming　the

Governor；　when　as　yet　a　private　citizen；　had　set　Mr。　McLean's　broken　leg

at　Drybone。　〃Let　me　make　yu'　known　to　Mrs。　McLean；〃　pursued　the　husband。



The　lady；　at　a　loss　how　convention　prescribes　the　greeting　of　a　bride　to

a　Governor；　gave　a　waddle　on　the　pony's　back；　then　sat　up　stiff；　gazed

haughtily　at　the　air；　and　did　not　speak　or　show　any　more　sign　than　a　cow

would　under　like　circumstances。　So　the　Governor　marched　cheerfully　at

her；　extending　his　hand；　and　when　she　slightly　moved　out　toward　him　her

big；　dumb；　red　fist；　he　took　it　and　shook　it；　and　made　her　a　series　of

compliments；　she　maintaining　always　the　scrupulous　reserve　of　the　cow。



〃I　say；〃　Ogden　whispered　to　me　while　Barker　was　pumping　the　hand　of　the

flesh　image；　〃I'm　glad　I　came。〃　The　appearance　of　the　puncher…bridegroom

also　interested　Ogden；　and　he　looked　hard　at　Lin's　leather　chaps　and

cartridge…belt　and　so　forth。　Lin　stared　at　the　New…Yorker；　and　his　high

white　collar　and　good　scarf。　He　had　seen　such　things　quite　often；　of

course；　but　they　always　filled　him　with　the　same　distrust　of　the　man　that

wore　them。



〃Well；〃　said　he；　〃I　guess　we'll　be　pulling　for　a　hotel。　Any　show　in　town？

Circus　come　yet？〃



〃No；〃　said　I。　〃Are　you　going　to　make　a　long　stay？〃



The　cow…puncher　glanced　at　the　image；　his　bride　of　three　weeks。　〃Till

we're　tired　of　it；　I　guess；〃　said　he；　with　hesitation。　It　was　the　first

time　that　I　had　ever　seen　my　gay　friend　look　timidly　at　any　one；　and　I

felt　a　rising　hate　for　the　ruby…checked；　large…eyed　eating…house　lady；

the　biscuit…shooter　whose　influence　was　dimming　this　jaunty；

irrepressible　spirit。　I　looked　at　her。　Her　bulky　bloom　had　ensnared　him；

and　now　she　was　going　to　tame　and　spoil　him。　The　Governor　was　looking　at

her　too；　thoughtfully。



〃Say；　Lin；〃　I　said；　〃if　you　stay　here　long　enough　you'll