lin mclean-第20节

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had　entertained　several　hundred　square　miles　of　alkali。　For　the　new…made

husband　the　joke　soon　died。　In　the　immediate　weeks　that　came　upon　him　he

tasted　a　bitterness　worse　than　in　all　his　life　before；　and　learned　also

how　deep　the　woman；　when　once　she　begins；　can　sink　beneath　the　man　in

baseness。　That　was　a　knowledge　of　which　he　had　lived　innocent　until　this

time。　But　he　carried　his　outward　self　serenely；　so　that　citizens　in

Cheyenne　who　saw　the　cow…puncher　with　his　bride　argued　shrewdly　that　men

of　that　sort　liked　women　of　that　sort；　and　before　the　strain　had　broken

his　endurance　an　unexpected　first　husband；　named　Lusk；　had　appeared　one

Sunday　in　the　street；　prosperous；　forgiving；　and　exceedingly　drunk。　To

the　arms　of　Lusk　she　went　back　in　the　public　street；　deserting　McLean　in

the　presence　of　Cheyenne；　and　when　Cheyenne　saw　this；　and　learned　how　she

had　been　Mrs。　Lusk　for　eight　long；　if　intermittent；　years；　Cheyenne

laughed　loudly。　Lin　McLean　laughed；　too；　and　went　about　his　business；

ready　to　swagger　at　the　necessary　moment；　and　with　the　necessary　kind　of

joke　always　ready　to　shield　his　hurt　spirit。　And　soon；　of　course；　the

matter　grew　stale；　seldom　raked　up　in　the　Bow　Leg　country　where　Lin　had

been　at　work；　so　lately　he　had　begun　to　remember　other　things　beside　the

smouldering　humiliation。



〃Is　she　with　him？〃　he　asked　Barker；　and　musingly　listened　while　Barker

told　him。　The　Governor　had　thought　to　make　it　a　racy　story；　with　the

moral　that　the　joke　was　now　on　Lusk；　but　that　inner　man　had　spoken　and

revealed　the　cow…puncher　to　him　in　a　new　and　complicated　light；　hence　he

quieted　the　proposed　lively　cadence　and　vocabulary　of　his　anecdote　about

the　house　of　Lusk；　but　instead　of　narrating　how　Mrs。　beat　Mr。　on　Mondays；

Wednesdays；　and　Fridays；　and　Mr。　took　his　turn　the　odd　days；　thus　getting

one　ahead　of　his　lady；　while　the　kid　Lusk　had　outlined　his　opinion　of　the

family　by　recently　skipping　to　parts　unknown；　Barker　detailed　these

incidents　more　gravely；　adding　that　Laramie　believed　Mrs。　Lusk　addicted

to　opium。



〃I　don't　guess　I'll　leave　my　card　on　'em；〃　said　McLean；　grimly；　〃if　I

strike　Laramie。〃



〃You　don't　mind　my　saying　I　think　you're　well　out　of　that　scrape？〃　Barker

ventured。



〃Shucks；　no！　That's　all　right；　Doc。　Onlyyu'　see　now。　A　man　gets　tired

pretendingonced　in　a　while。〃



Time　had　gone　while　they　were　in　talk；　and　it　was　now　half　after　one　and

Mr。　McLean　late　for　that　long…plotted　first　square　meal。　So　the　friends

shook　hands；　wishing　each　other　Merry　Christmas；　and　the　cow…puncher

hastened　toward　his　chosen　companions　through　the　stirring　cheerfulness

of　the　season。　His　play…hour　had　made　a　dull　beginning　among　the　toys。　He

had　come　upon　people　engaged　in　a　pleasant　game；　and　waited；　shy　and　well

disposed；　for　some　bidding　to　join；　but　they　had　gone　on　playing　with

each　other　and　left　him　out。　And　now　he　went　along　in　a　sort　of　hurry　to

escape　from　that　loneliness　where　his　human　promptings　had　been　lodged

with　him　useless。　Here　was　Cheyenne；　full　of　holiday　for　sale；　and　he

with　his　pockets　full　of　money　to　buy；　and　when　he　thought　of　Shorty；　and

Chalkeye；　and　Dollar　Bill；　those　dandies　to　hit　a　town　with；　he　stepped

out　with　a　brisk；　false　hope。　It　was　with　a　mental　hurrah　and　a　foretaste

of　a　good　time　coming　that　he　put　on　his　town　clothes；　after　shaving　and

admiring　himself；　and　sat　down　to　the　square　meal。　He　ate　away　and　drank

with　a　robust　imitation　of　enjoyment　that　took　in　even　himself　at　first。

But　the　sorrowful　process　of　his　spirit　went　on；　for　all　he　could　do。　As

he　groped　for　the　contentment　which　he　saw　around　him　he　began　to　receive

the　jokes　with　counterfeit　mirth。　Memories　took　the　place　of

anticipation；　and　through　their　moody　shiftings　he　began　to　feel　a

distaste　for　the　company　of　his　friends　and　a　shrinking　from　their　lively

voices。　He　blamed　them　for　this　at　once。　He　was　surprised　to　think　he　had

never　recognized　before　how　light　a　weight　was　Shorty；　and　here　was

Chalkeye；　who　knew　better；　talking　religion　after　two　glasses。　Presently

this　attack　of　noticing　his　friends'　shortcomings　mastered　him；　and　his

mind；　according　to　its　wont；　changed　at　a　stroke。　〃I'm　celebrating　no

Christmas　with　this　crowd；〃　said　the　inner　man；　and　when　they　had　next

remembered　Lin　McLean　in　their　hilarity　he　was　gone。



Governor　Barker；　finishing　his　purchases　at　half…past　three；　went　to　meet

a　friend　come　from　Evanston。　Mr。　McLean　was　at　the　railway　station；

buying　a　ticket　for　Denver。



〃Denver！〃　exclaimed　the　amazed　Governor。



〃That's　what　I　said；〃　stated　Mr。　McLean；　doggedly。



〃Gee　whiz！〃　went　his　Excellency。　〃What　are　you　going　to　do　there？〃



〃Get　good　and　drunk。〃



〃Can't　you　find　enough　whiskey　in　Cheyenne？〃



〃I'm　drinking　champagne　this　trip。〃



The　cow…puncher　went　out　on　the　platform　and　got　aboard；　and　the　train

moved　off。　Barker　had　walked　out　too　in　his　surprise；　and　as　he　stared

after　the　last　car；　Mr。　McLean　waved　his　wide　hat　defiantly　and　went

inside　the　door。



〃And　he　says　he's　got　maturity；〃　Barker　muttered。　〃I've　known　him　since

seventy…nine；　and　he's　kept　about　eight　years　old　right　along。〃　The

Governor　was　cross；　and　sorry；　and　presently　crosser。　His　jokes　about

Lin's　marriage　came　back　to　him　and　put　him　in　a　rage　with　the　departed

fool。　〃Yes；　about　eight。　Or　six；〃　said　his　Excellency；　justifying　himself

by　the　past。　For　he　had　first　known　Lin；　the　boy　of　nineteen；　supreme　in

length　of　limb　and　recklessness；　breaking　horses　and　feeling　for　an　early

mustache。　Next；　when　the　mustache　was　nearly　accomplished；　he　had　mended

the　boy's　badly　broken　thigh　at　Drybone。　His　skill　（and　Lin's　utter

health）　had　wrought　so　swift　a　healing　that　the　surgeon　overflowed　with

the　pride　of　science；　and　over　the　bandages　would　explain　the　human　body

technically　to　his　wild…eyed　and　flattered　patient。　Thus　young　Lin　heard

all　about　tibia；　and　comminuted；　and　other　glorious　new　words；　and　when

sleepless　would　rehearse　them。　Then；　with　the　bone　so　nearly　knit　that

the　patient　might　leave　the　ward　on　crutches　to　sit　each　morning　in

Barker's　room　as　a　privilege；　the　disobedient　child　of　twenty…one　had

slipped　out　of　the　hospital　and　hobbled　hastily　to　the　hog　ranch；　where

whiskey　and　variety　waited　for　a　languishing　convalescent。　Here　he　grew

gay；　and　was　soon　carried　back　with　the　leg　refractured。　Yet　Barker's

surgical　rage　was　disarmed；　the　patient　was　so　forlorn　over　his　doctor's

professional　chagrin。



〃I　suppose　it　ain't　no　better　this　morning；　Doc？〃　he　had　said；　humbly；

after　a　new　week　of　bed　and　weights。



〃Your　right　leg's　going　to　be　shorter。　That's　all。〃



〃Oh；　gosh！　I've　been　and　spoiled　your　comminuted　fee…mur！　Ain't　I　a

son…of…a…gun？〃



You　could　not　chide　such　a　boy　as　this；　and　in　time's　due　course　he　had

walked　jauntily　out　into　the　world　with　legs　of　equal　length　after　all

and　in　his　stride　the　slightest　halt　possible。　And　Doctor　Barker　had

missed　the　child's　conversation。　To…day　his　mustache　was　a　perfected

thing；　and　he　in　the　late　end　of　his　twenties。



〃He'll　wake　up　about　noon　to…morrow　in　a　dive；　without　a　cent；〃　said

Barker。　〃Then　he'll　come　back　on　a　freight　and　begin　over　again。〃



At　the　Denver　station　Lin　McLean　passed　through　the　shoutings　and

omnibuses；　and　came　to　the　beginning　of　Seventeenth　Street；　where　is　the

first　saloon。　A　customer　was　ordering　Hot　Scotch；　and　because　he　liked

the　smell　and　had　not　thought　of　the　mixture　for　a　number　of　years；　Lin

took　Hot　Scotch。　Coming　out　upon　the　pavement；　he　looked　across　and　saw　a

saloon　opposite　with　brighter　globes　and　windows　more　prosperous。　That

should　have　been　his　choice；　lemon　peel　would　undoubtedly　be　fresher　over

there；　and　over　he　went　at　once；　to　begin　the　whole　thing　properly。　In

such　frozen　weather　no　drink　could　be　more　timely；　and　he　sat；　to　enjoy

without　haste　its　mellow　fitness。　Once　again　on　the　pavement；　he　looked

along　the　street　toward　up…town　beneath　the　crisp；　cold　electric　lights；

and　three　little　bootblacks　gathered　where　he　stood　and　cried　〃Shine？

Shine？〃　at　him。　Remembering　that　you　took　the　third　turn　to　the　right　to

get　the　best　dinner　in　Denver；　Lin　hit　on　the　skilful　plan　of　stopping　at

all　Hot　Scotches　between；　but　the　next　occurred　within　a　few　yards；　and

it　was　across　the　street。　This　one　being　attained　and　appreciated；　he

found　that　he　must　cross　back　again　or　skip　number　four。　At　this　rate　he

would　not　be　dining　in　time　to　see　much　of　the　theatre；　and　he　stopped　to

consider。　It　was　a　German　place　he　had　just　quitted；　and　a　huge　light

poured　out　on　him　from　its　window；　which　the　proprietor's　father…land

sentiment　had　made　into　a　show。　Lights　shone　among　a　well…set　pine

forest；　where　beery；　jovial　gnomes　sat　on　roots　and　reached　upward　to

Santa　Claus；　he；　grinning；　fat；　and　Teutonic；　held　in　his　right　hand

forever　a　foaming　glass；　and　forever　in　his　left　a　string　of　sausages

th