lin mclean-第23节

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more　sorrowful。　〃I　just　hate　him　to　think　that　of　me；〃　he　reflected。　The

curtain　rose；　and　he　saw　Billy　make　up　his　mind　to　wait　until　they　should

all　be　going　out　in　the　crowd。　While　the　children　of　Captain　Grant　grew

hotter　and　hotter　upon　their　father's　geographic　trail；　Lin　sat　saying　to

himself　a　number　of　contradictions。　〃He's　nothing　to　me；　what's　any　of

them　to　me？〃　Driven　to　bay　by　his　bewilderment；　he　restated　the　facts　of

the　past。　〃Why；　she'd　deserted　him　and　Lusk　before　she'd　ever　laid　eyes

on　me。　I　needn't　to　bother　myself。　He　wasn't　never　even　my　step…kid。〃　The

past；　however；　brought　no　guidance。　〃Lord；　what's　the　thing　to　do　about

this？　If　I　had　any　home　This　is　a　stinkin'　world　in　some　respects；〃

said　Mr。　McLean；　aloud；　unknowingly。　The　lady　in　the　chair　beneath　which

the　cow…puncher　had　his　legs　nudged　her　husband。　They　took　it　for　emotion

over　the　sad　fortune　of　Captain　Grant；　and　their　backs　shook。　Presently

each　turned；　and　saw　the　singular　man　with　untamed；　wide…open　eyes

glowering　at　the　stage；　and　both　backs　shook　again。



Once　more　his　hand　was　laid　on　Billy。　〃Say！〃　The　boy　glanced　at　him；　and

quickly　away。



〃Look　at　me；　and　listen。〃



Billy　swervingly　obeyed。



〃I　ain't　after　yu'；　and　never　was。　This　here's　your　business；　not　mine。

Are　yu'　listenin'　good？〃



The　boy　made　a　nod；　and　Lin　proceeded；　whispering：　〃You've　got　no　call　to

believe　what　I　say　to　yu'yu've　been　lied　to；　I　guess；　pretty　often。　So

I'll　not　stop　yu'　runnin'　and　hidin'；　and　I'll　never　give　it　away　I　saw

yu'；　but　yu'　keep　doin'　what　yu'　please。　I'll　just　go　now。　I've　saw　all　I

want；　but　you　and　your　friends　stay　with　it　till　it　quits。　If　yu'　happen

to　wish　to　speak　to　me　about　that　pistol　or　bears；　yu'　come　around　to

Smith's　Palacethat's　the　boss　hotel　here；　ain't　it？and　if　yu'　don't

come　too　late　I'll　not　be　gone　to　bed。　But　this　time　of　night　I'm　liable

to　get　sleepy。　Tell　your　friends　good…bye　for　me；　and　be　good　to

yourself。　I've　appreciated　your　company。〃



Mr。　McLean　entered　Smith's　Palace；　and；　engaging　a　room　with　two　beds　in

it；　did　a　little　delicate　lying　by　means　of　the　truth。　〃It's　a　lost　boy

a　runaway；〃　he　told　the　clerk。　〃He'll　not　be　extra　clean；　I　expect；　if

he　does　come。　Maybe　he'll　give　me　the　slip；　and　I'll　have　a　job　cut　out

to…morrow。　I'll　thank　yu'　to　put　my　money　in　your　safe。〃



The　clerk　placed　himself　at　the　disposal　of　the　secret　service；　and　Lin

walked　up　and　down；　looking　at　the　railroad　photographs　for　some　ten

minutes；　when　Master　Billy　peered　in　from　the　street。



〃Hello！〃　said　Mr。　McLean；　casually；　and　returned　to　a　fine　picture　of

Pike's　Peak。



Billy　observed　him　for　a　space；　and；　receiving　no　further　attention；　came

stepping　along。　〃I'm　not　a…going　back　to　Laramie；〃　he　stated；　warningly。



〃I　wouldn't；〃　said　Lin。　〃It　ain't　half　the　town　Denver　is。　Well；

good…night。　Sorry　yu'　couldn't　call　soonerI'm　dead　sleepy。〃



〃O…h！〃　Billy　stood　blank。　〃I　wish　I'd　shook　the　darned　old　show。　Say；

lemme　black　your　boots　in　the　morning？〃



〃Not　sure　my　train　don't　go　too　early。〃



〃I'm　up！　I'm　up！　I　get　around　to　all　of　'em。〃



〃Where　do　yu'　sleep？〃



〃Sleeping　with　the　engine…man　now。　Why　can't　you　put　that　on　me

to…night？〃



〃Goin'　up…stairs。　This　gentleman　wouldn't　let　you　go　up…stairs。〃



But　the　earnestly　petitioned　clerk　consented；　and　Billy　was　the　first　to

hasten　into　the　room。　He　stood　rapturous　while　Lin　buckled　the　belt　round

his　scanty　stomach；　and　ingeniously　buttoned　the　suspenders　outside　the

accoutrement　to　retard　its　immediate　descent　to　earth。



〃Did　it　ever　kill　a　man？〃　asked　Billy；　touching　the　six…shooter。



〃No。　It　ain't　never　had　to　do　that；　but　I　expect　maybe　it's　stopped　some

killin'　me。〃



〃Oh；　leave　me　wear　it　just　a　minute！　Do　you　collect　arrow…heads？　I　think

they're　bully。　There's　the　finest　one　you　ever　seen。〃　He　brought　out　the

relic；　tightly　wrapped　in　paper；　several　pieces。　〃I　foun'　it　myself；

camping　with　father。　It　was　sticking　in　a　crack　right　on　top　of　a　rock；

but　nobody'd　seen　it　till　I　came　along。　Ain't　it　fine？〃



Mr。　McLean　pronounced　it　a　gem。



〃Father　an'　me　found　a　lot；　an'　they　made　mother　mad　laying　around；　an'

she　throwed　'em　out。　She　takes　stuff　from　Kelley's。〃



〃Who's　Kelley？〃



〃He　keeps　the　drug…store　at　Laramie。　Mother　gets　awful　funny。　That's　how

she　was　when　I　came　home。　For　I　told　Mr。　Perkins　he　lied；　an'　I　ran　then。

An'　I　knowed　well　enough　she'd　lick　me　when　she　got　through　her　spell

an'　father　can't　stop　her；　an'　Iah；　I　was　sick　of　it！　She's　lamed　me　up

twice　beating　mean'　Perkins　wanting　me　to　say　'God　bless　my　mother！'

a…getting　up　and　a…going　to　bedhe's　a　flubdub！　An'　so　I　cleared　out。

But　I'd　just　as　leaves　said　for　God　to　bless　fatheran'　you。　I'll　do　it

now　if　you　say　it's　any　sense。〃



Mr。　McLean　sat　down　in　a　chair。　〃Don't　yu'　do　it　now；〃　said　he。



〃You　wouldn't　like　mother；〃　Billy　continued。　〃You　can　keep　that。〃　He　came

to　Lin　and　placed　the　arrow…head　in　his　hands；　standing　beside　him。　〃Do

you　like　birds'　eggs？　I　collect　them。　I　got　twenty…five　kindssage…hen；

an'　blue　grouse；　an'　willow…grouse；　an'　lots　more　kinds　harderbut　I

couldn't　bring　all　them　from　Laramie。　I　brought　the　magpie's；　though。　D'

you　care　to　see　a　magpie　egg？　Well；　you　stay　to…morrow　an'　I'll　show　you

that　en'　some　other　things　I　got　the　engine…man　lets　me　keep　there；　for

there's　boys　that　would　steal　an　egg。　An'　I　could　take　you　where　we　could

fire　that　pistol。　Bet　you　don't　know　what　that　is！〃



He　brought　out　a　small　tin　box　shaped　like　a　thimble；　in　which　were

things　that　rattled。



Mr。　McLean　gave　it　up。



〃That's　kinni…kinnic　seed。　You　can　have　that；　for　I　got　some　more　with

the　engine…man。〃



Lin　received　this　second　token　also；　and　thanked　the　giver　for　it。　His

first　feeling　had　been　to　prevent　the　boy's　parting　with　his　treasures；

but　something　that　came　not　from　the　polish　of　manners　and　experience

made　him　know　that　he　should　take　them。　Billy　talked　away；　laying　bare

his　little　soul；　the　street　boy　that　was　not　quite　come　made　place　for

the　child　that　was　not　quite　gone；　and　unimportant　words　and　confidences

dropped　from　him　disjointed　as　he　climbed　to　the　knee　of　Mr。　McLean；　and

inadvertently　took　that　cow…puncher　for　some　sort　of　parent　he　had　not

hitherto　met。　It　lasted　but　a　short　while；　however；　for　he　went　to　sleep

in　the　middle　of　a　sentence；　with　his　head　upon　Lin's　breast。　The　man

held　him　perfectly　still；　because　he　had　not　the　faintest　notion　that

Billy　would　be　impossible　to　disturb。　At　length　he　spoke　to　him；

suggesting　that　bed　might　prove　more　comfortable；　and；　finding　how　it

was；　rose　and　undressed　the　boy　and　laid　him　between　the　sheets。　The　arms

and　legs　seemed　aware　of　the　moves　required　of　them；　and　stirred

conveniently；　and　directly　the　head　was　upon　the　pillow　the　whole　small

frame　burrowed　down；　without　the　opening　of　an　eye　or　a　change　in　the

breathing。　Lin　stood　some　time　by　the　bedside；　with　his　eyes　on　the　long；

curling　lashes　and　the　curly　hair。　Then　he　glanced　craftily　at　the　door

of　the　room；　and　at　himself　in　the　looking…glass。　He　stooped　and　kissed

Billy　on　the　forehead；　and；　rising　from　that；　gave　himself　a　hangdog

stare　in　the　mirror；　and　soon　in　his　own　bed　was　sleeping　the　sound　sleep

of　health。



He　was　faintly　roused　by　the　church　bells；　and　lay　still；　lingering　with

his　sleep；　his　eyes　closed；　and　his　thoughts　unshaped。　As　he　became

slowly　aware　of　the　morning；　the　ringing　and　the　light　reached　him；　and

he　waked　wholly；　and；　still　lying　quiet；　considered　the　strange　room

filled　with　the　bells　and　the　sun　of　the　winter's　day。　〃Where　have　I

struck　now？〃　he　inquired；　and　as　last　night　returned　abruptly　upon　his

mind；　he　raised　himself　on　his　arm。



There　sat　Responsibility　in　a　chair；　washed　clean　and　dressed；　watching

him。



〃You're　awful　late；〃　said　Responsibility。　〃But　I　weren't　a…going　without

telling　you　good…bye。〃



〃Go？〃　exclaimed　Lin。　〃Go　where？　Yu'　surely　ain't　leavin'　me　to　eat

breakfast　alone？〃　The　cow…puncher　made　his　voice　very　plaintive。　Set

Responsibility　free　after　all　his　trouble　to　catch　him？　This　was　more

than　he　could　do！



〃I've　got　to　go。　If　I'd　thought　you'd　want　for　me　to　staywhy；　you　said

you　was　a…going　by　the　early　train！〃



〃But　the　durned　thing's　got　away　on　me；〃　said　Lin；　smiling　sweetly　from

the　bed。



〃If　I　hadn't　a…promised　them〃



〃Who？〃



〃Sidney　Ellis　and　Pete　Goode。　Why；　you　know　them；　you　grubbed　with　them。〃



〃Shucks！〃



〃We're　a…going　to　have　fun　to…day。〃



〃Oh！〃



〃For　it's　Christmas；　an'　we've　bought　some　good　cigars；　an'　Pete　says

he'll　learn　me　sure。　O'　course　I've　smoked　some；　you　know。　But　I'd　just

as　leaves　stayed　with　you　if　I'd　only　knowed　sooner。　I　wish　you　lived

here。　Did　you　smoke　whole　big　cigars　when　you　was　beginning？〃



〃Do　you　like　flapjacks　and　maple　syrup？〃　inquired　the　art