lin mclean-第25节

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which　Mr。　McLean　now　burst。　〃An'　I　ain't　big　enough　to　get　to　make　money

at　any　other　job。〃



〃I　want　to　see　that　engine…man；〃　muttered　Lin。　〃I　don't　like　your　smokin'

friend。〃



〃Pete　Goode？　Why；　he's　awful　smart。　Don't　you　think　he's　smart？〃



〃Smart's　nothin'；〃　observed　Mr。　McLean。



〃Pete　has　learned　me　and　Sidney　a　lot；〃　pursued　Billy；　engagingly。



〃I'll　bet　he　has！〃　growled　the　cow…puncher；　and　again　Billy　was　taken

aback　at　his　language。



It　was　not　so　simple；　this　case。　To　the　perturbed　mind　of　Mr。　McLean　it

grew　less　simple　during　that　day　at　Golden；　while　Billy　recovered；　and

talked；　and　ate　his　innocent　meals。　The　cow…puncher　was　far　too　wise　to

think　for　a　single　moment　of　restoring　the　runaway　to　his　debauched　and

shiftless　parents。　Possessed　of　some　imagination；　he　went　through　a　scene

in　which　he　appeared　at　the　Lusk　threshold　with　Billy　and　forgiveness；

and　intruded　upon　a　conjugal　assault　and　battery。　〃Shucks！〃　said　he。　〃The

kid　would　be　off　again　inside　a　week。　And　I　don't　want　him　there；

anyway。〃



Denver；　upon　the　following　day；　saw　the　little　bootblack　again　at　his

corner；　with　his　trade　not　lost；　but　near　him　stood　a　tall；　singular　man；

with　hazel　eyes　and　a　sulky　expression。　And　citizens　during　that　week

noticed；　as　a　new　sight　in　the　streets；　the　tall　man　and　the　little　boy

walking　together。　Sometimes　they　would　be　in　shops。　The　boy　seemed　as

happy　as　possible；　talking　constantly；　while　the　man　seldom　said　a　word；

and　his　face　was　serious。



Upon　New…year's　Eve　Governor　Barker　was　overtaken　by　Mr。　McLean　riding　a

horse　up　Hill　Street；　Cheyenne。



〃Hello！〃　said　Barker；　staring　humorously　through　his　glasses。　〃Have　a

good　drunk？〃



〃Changed　my　mind；〃　said　Lin；　grinning。　〃Proves　I've　got　one。　Struck

Christmas　all　right；　though。〃



〃Who's　your　friend？〃　inquired　his　Excellency。



〃This　is　Mister　Billy　Lusk。　Him　and　me　have　agreed　that　towns　ain't　nice

to　live　in。　If　Judge　Henry's　foreman　and　his　wife　won't　board　him　at　Sunk

Creekwhy；　I'll　fix　it　somehow。〃



The　cow…puncher　and　his　Responsibility　rode　on　together　toward　the　open

plain。



〃Sufferin　Moses！〃　remarked　his　Excellency。







SEPAR'S　VIGILANTE



We　had　fallen　half　asleep；　my　pony　and　I；　as　we　went　jogging　and　jogging

through　the　long　sunny　afternoon。　Our　hills　of　yesterday　were　a　pale…blue

coast　sunk　almost　away　behind　us；　and　ahead　our　goal　lay　shining；　a

little　island　of　houses　in　this　quiet　mid…ocean　of　sage…brush。　For　two

hours　it　had　looked　as　clear　and　near　as　now；　rising　into　sight　across

the　huge　dead　calm　and　sinking　while　we　travelled　our　undulating；

imperceptible　miles。　The　train　had　come　and　gone　invisibly；　except　for

its　slow　pillar　of　smoke　I　had　watched　move　westward　against　Wyoming's

stainless　sky。　Though　I　was　still　far　off；　the　water…tank　and　other

buildings　stood　out　plain　and　complete　to　my　eyes；　like　children's　blocks

arranged　and　forgotten　on　the　floor。　So　I　rode　along；　hypnotized　by　the

sameness　of　the　lazy；　splendid　plain；　and　almost　unaware　of　the　distant

rider；　till；　suddenly；　he　was　close　and　hailing　me。



〃They've　caved！〃　he　shouted。



〃Who？〃　I　cried；　thus　awakened。



〃Ah；　the　fool　company；〃　said　he；　quieting　his　voice　as　he　drew　near。

〃They've　shed　their　haughtiness；〃　he　added；　confidingly；　as　if　I　must

know　all　about　it。



〃Where　did　they　learn　that　wisdom？〃　I　asked；　not　knowing　in　the　least。



〃Experience；〃　he　called　over　his　shoulder　（for　already　we　had　met　and

passed）；　〃nothing　like　experience　for　sweating　the　fat　off　the　brain。〃



He　yelled　me　a　brotherly　good…bye；　and　I　am　sorry　never　to　have　known

more　of　him；　for　I　incline　to　value　any　stranger　so　joyous。　But　now　I

waked　the　pony　and　trotted　briskly；　surmising　as　to　the　company　and　its

haughtiness。　I　had　been　viewing　my　destination　across　the　sagebrush　for

so　spun…out　a　time　that　（as　constantly　in　Wyoming　journeys）　the　emotion

of　arrival　had　evaporated　long　before　the　event；　and　I　welcomed

employment　for　my　otherwise　high…and…dry　mind。　Probably　he　meant　the

railroad　company；　certainly　something　large　had　happened。　Even　as　I

dismounted　at　the　platform　another　hilarious　cow…puncher　came　out　of　the

station；　and；　at　once　remarking；　〃They're　going　to　leave　us　alone；〃

sprang　on　his　horse　and　galloped　to　the　corrals　down　the　line；　where　some

cattle　were　being　loaded　into　a　train。　I　went　inside　for　my　mail；　and

here　were　four　more　cow…punchers　playing　with　the　agent。　They　had　got　a

letter　away　from　him；　and　he　wore　his　daily　look　of　anxiety　to　appreciate

the　jests　of　these　rollicking　people。　〃Read　it！〃　they　said　to　me；　and　I

did　read　the　private　document；　and　learned　that　the　railroad　was　going　to

waive　its　right　to　enforce　law　and　order　here；　and　would　trust　to　Separ's

good　feeling。　〃Nothing　more；〃　the　letter　ran；　〃will　be　done　about　the

initial　outrage　or　the　subsequent　vandalisms。　We　shall　pass　over　our

wasted　outlay　in　the　hope　that　a　policy　of　friendship　will　prove　our

genuine　desire　to　benefit　that　section。



〃'Initial　outrage；'〃　quoted　one　of　the　agent'　large　playmates。　〃Ain't

they　furgivin'？〃



〃Well；〃　said　I；　〃you　would　have　some　name　for　it　yourself　if　you　sent　a

deputy　sheriff　to　look　after　your　rights；　and　he　came　back　tied　to　the

cow…catcher！〃



The　man　smiled　luxuriously　over　this　memory。



〃We　didn't　hurt　him　none。　Just　returned　him　to　his　home。　Hear　about　the

label　Honey　Wiggin　pinned　on　to　him？　'Send　us　along　one　dozen　as　per

sample。'　Honey's　quaint！　Yes；〃　he　drawled　judicially；　〃I'd　be　mad　at

that。　But　if　you're　making　peace　with　a　man　because　it's　convenient　why；

your　words　must　be　pleasanter　than　if　you　really　felt　pleasant。〃　He　took

the　paper　from　me；　and　read；　sardonically：　〃'Subsequent　vandalisms　。。。

wasted　outlay。'　I　suppose　they　run　this　station　from　charity　to　the

cattle。　Saves　the　poor　things　walking　so　far　to　the　other　railroad

'Policy　of　friendship　。。。　genuine　desire'oh　mouth…wash！〃　And；　shaking

his　bold；　clever　head；　he　daintily　flattened　the　letter　upon　the　head　of

the　agent。　〃Tubercle；〃　said　he　（this　was　their　name　for　the　agent；　who

had　told　all　of　us　about　his　lungs）；　〃it　ain't　your　fault　we　saw　their

fine　letter。　They　just　intended　you　should　give　it　out　how　they　wouldn't

bother　us　any　more；　and　then　we'd　act　square。　The　boys'll　sit　up　late

over　this　joke。〃



Then　they　tramped　to　their　horses　and　rode　away。　The　spokesman　had　hit

the　vital　point　unerringly；　for　cow…punchers　are　shrewdly　alive　to

frankness；　and　it　often　draws　out　the　best　that　is　in　them；　but　its

opposite　affects　them　unfavorably；　and　I；　needing　sleep；　sighed　to　think

of　their　late　sitting　up　over　that　joke。　I　walked　to　the　board　box

painted　〃Hotel　Brunswick〃　〃hotel〃　in　small　italics　and　〃Brunswick〃in

enormous　capitals；　the　N　and　the　S　wrong　side　up。



Here　sat　a　girl　outside　the　door；　alone。　Her　face　was　broad；　wholesome；

and　strong；　and　her　eyes　alert　and　sweet。　As　I　came　she　met　me　with　a

challenging　glance　of　good…will。　Those　women　who　journeyed　along　the　line

in　the　wake　of　payday　to　traffic　with　the　men　employed　a　stare　well

known；　but　this　straight　look　seemed　like　the　greeting　of　some　pleasant

young　cowboy。　In　surprise　I　forgot　to　be　civil；　and　stepped　foolishly　by

her　to　see　about　supper　and　lodging。



At　the　threshold　I　perceived　all　lodging　bespoken。　On　each　of　the　four

beds　lay　a　coat　or　pistol　or　other　article　of　dress；　and　I　must　lodge

myself。　There　were　my　saddle…blanketsrather　wet；　or　Lin　McLean　might

ride　in　to…night　on　his　way　to　Riverside；　or　perhaps　down　at　the　corrals

I　could　find　some　other　acquaintance　whose　habit　of　washing　I　trusted　and

whose　bed　I　might　share。　Failing　these　expedients；　several　empties　stood

idle　upon　a　siding；　and　the　box…like　darkness　of　these　freight…cars　was

timely。　Nights　were　short　now。　Camping　out；　the　dawn　by　three　o'clock

would　flow　like　silver　through　the　universe；　and；　sinking　through　my

blankets；　remorselessly　pervade　my　buried　hair　and　brain。　But　with　clean

straw　in　the　bottom　of　an　empty；　I　could　sleep　my　fill　until　five　or　six。

I　decided　for　the　empty；　and　opened　the　supper…room　door；　where　the　table

was　set　for　more　than　enough　to　include　me；　but　the　smell　of　the　butter

that　awaited　us　drove　me　out　of　the　Hotel　Brunswick　to　spend　the

remaining　minutes　in　the　air。



〃I　was　expecting　you；〃　said　the　girl。　〃Well；　if　I　haven't　frightened

him！〃　She　laughed　so　delightfully　that　I　recovered　and　laughed　too。

〃Why；〃　she　explained；　〃I　just　knew　you'd　not　stay　in　there。　Which　side

are　you　going　to　butter　your　bread　this　evening？〃



〃You　had　smelt　it？〃　said　I；　still　cloudy　with　surprise。　〃Yes。

Unquestionably。　Very　rancid。〃　She　glanced　oddly　at　me；　and；　with　less

fellowship　in　her　tone；　said；　〃I　was　going　to　warn　you〃　when　suddenly；

down　at　the　corrals；　the　boys　began　to　shoot　at　large。　〃Oh；　dear！〃　she

cried；　starting　up。　〃There's　trouble。〃



〃Not　trouble；〃