lin mclean-第40节

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！



me　with　them　steady　eyes。　And　all　she　says　when　I　quit　was；　'If　I　saw　him

I　would　tell　him　to　find　a　home。'〃



〃Didn't　she　tell　yu'　she'd　made　me　promise　to　keep　away　from　seeing　her？〃

asked　the　cow…puncher



Mrs。　Lusk　laughed。　〃Oh；　you　innocent！〃　said　she。



〃She　said　if　I　came　she　would　leave　Separ；〃　muttered　McLean；　brooding。



Again　the　large　woman　laughed　out；　but　more　harshly。



〃I　have　kept　my　promise；〃　Lin　continued。



〃Keep　it　some　more。　Sit　here　rotting　in　your　chair　till　she　goes　away。

Maybe　she's　gone。〃



〃What's　that？〃　said　Lin。　But　still　she　only　laughed　harshly。　〃I　could　be

there　by　to…morrow　night；〃　he　murmured。　Then　his　face　softened。　〃She

would　never　do　such　a　thing！〃　he　said；　to　himself。



He　had　forgotten　the　woman　at　the　table。　While　she　had　told　him　matters

that　concerned　him　he　had　listened　eagerly。　Now　she　was　of　no　more

interest　than　she　had　been　before　her　story　was　begun。　She　looked　at　his

eyes　as　he　sat　thinking　and　dwelling　upon　his　sweetheart。　She　looked　at

him；　and　a　longing　welled　up　into　her　face。　A　certain　youth　and　heavy

beauty　relighted　the　features。



〃You　are　the　same；　same　Lin　everyways；〃　she　said。　〃A　woman　is　too　many

for　you　still；　Lin！〃　she　whispered。



At　her　summons　he　looked　up　from　his　revery。



〃Lin；　I　would　not　have　treated　you　so。〃



The　caress　that　filled　her　voice　was　plain。　His　look　met　hers　as　he　sat

quite　still；　his　arms　on　the　table。　Then　he　took　his　turn　at　laughing。



〃You！〃　he　said。　〃At　least　I've　had　plenty　of　education　in　you。〃



〃Lin；　Lin；　don't　talk　that　brutal　to　me　to…day。　If　yus　knowed　how　near　I

come　shooting　myself　with　'Neighbor。'　That　would　have　been　funny！



〃I　knowed　yus　wanted　to　tear　that　pistol　out　of　my　hand　because　it　was

hern。　But　yus　never　did　such　things　to　me；　fer　there's　a　gentleman　in　you

somewheres；　Lin。　And　yus　didn't　never　hit　me；　not　even　when　you　come　to

know　me　well。　And　when　I　seen　you　so　unexpected　again　to…night；　and　you

just　the　same　old　Lin；　scaring　Lusk　with　shooting　them　chickens；　so　comic

and　splendid；　I　could　'a'　just　killed　Lusk　sittin'　in　the　wagon。　Say；

Lin；　what　made　yus　do　that；　anyway？〃



〃I　can't　hardly　say；〃　said　the　cow…puncher。　〃Only　noticing　him　so

turruble　anxious　to　quit　mewell；　a　man　acts　without　thinking。〃



〃You　always　did；　Lin。　You　was　always　a　comical　genius。　Lin；　them　were

good　times。〃



〃Which　times？〃



〃You　know。　You　can't　tell　me　you　have　forgot。〃



〃I　have　not　forgot　much。　What's　the　sense　in　this？〃



〃Yus　never　loved　me！〃　she　exclaimed。



〃Shucks！〃



〃Lin；　Lin；　is　it　all　over？　You　know　yus　loved　me　on　Bear　Creek。　Say　you

did。　Only　say　it　was　once　that　way。〃　And　as　he　sat；　she　came　and　put　her

arms　round　his　neck。　For　a　moment　he　did　not　move；　letting　himself　be

held；　and　then　she　kissed　him。　The　plates　crashed　as　he　beat　and　struck

her　down　upon　the　table。　He　was　on　his　feet；　cursing　himself。　As　he　went

out　of　the　door；　she　lay　where　she　had　fallen　beneath　his　fist；　looking

after　him　and　smiling。



McLean　walked　down　Box　Elder　Creek　through　the　trees　toward　the　stable；

where　Lusk　had　gone　to　put　the　horse　in　the　wagon。　Once　he　leaned　his

hand　against　a　big　cotton…wood；　and　stood　still　with　half…closed　eyes。

Then　he　continued　on　his　way。　〃Lusk！〃　he　called；　presently；　and　in　a　few

steps　more；　〃Lusk！〃　Then；　as　he　came　slowly　out　of　the　trees　to　meet　the

husband　he　began；　with　quiet　evenness；　〃Your　wife　wants　to　know〃　But　he

stopped。　No　husband　was　there。　Wagon　and　horse　were　not　there。　The　door

was　shut。　The　bewildered　cow…puncher　looked　up　the　stream　where　the　road

went；　and　he　looked　down。　Out　of　the　sky　where　daylight　and　stars　were

faintly　shining　together　sounded　the　long　cries　of　the　night　hawks　as

they　sped　and　swooped　to　their　hunting　in　the　dusk。　From　among　the　trees

by　the　stream　floated　a　cooler　air；　and　distant　and　close　by　sounded　the

splashing　water。　About　the　meadow　where　Lin　stood　his　horses　fed；　quietly

crunching。　He　went　to　the　door；　looked　in；　and　shut　it　again。　He　walked

to　his　shed　and　stood　contemplating　his　own　wagon　alone　there。　Then　he

lifted　away　a　piece　of　trailing　vine　from　the　gate　of　the　corral；　while

the　turkeys　moved　their　heads　and　watched　him　from　the　roof。　A　rope　was

hanging　from　the　corral；　and　seeing　it；　he　dropped　the　vine。　He　opened

the　corral　gate；　and　walked　quickly　back　into　the　middle　of　the　field；

where　the　horses　saw　him　and　his　rope；　and　scattered。　But　he　ran　and

herded　them；　whirling　the　rope；　and　so　drove　them　into　the　corral；　and

flung　his　noose　over　two。　He　dragged　two　saddlesmen's　saddles　from

the　stable；　and　next　he　was　again　at　his　cabin　door　with　the　horses

saddled。　She　was　sitting　quite　still　by　the　table　where　she　had　sat

during　the　meal；　nor　did　she　speak　or　move　when　she　saw　him　look　in　at

the　door。



〃Lusk　has　gone；〃　said　he。　〃I　don't　know　what　he　expected　you　would　do；　or

I　would　do。　But　we　will　catch　him　before　he　gets　to　Drybone。〃



She　looked　at　him　with　her　dumb　stare。　〃Gone？〃　she　said。



〃Get　up　and　ride；〃　said　McLean。　〃You　are　going　to　Drybone。〃



〃Drybone？〃　she　echoed。　Her　voice　was　toneless　and　dull。



He　made　no　more　explanations　to　her；　but　went　quickly　about　the　cabin。

Soon　he　had　set　it　in　order；　the　dishes　on　their　shelves；　the　table

clean；　the　fire　in　the　stove　arranged；　and　all　these　movements　she

followed　with　a　sort　of　blank　mechanical　patience。　He　made　a　small　bundle

for　his　own　journey；　tied　it　behind　his　saddle；　brought　her　horse　beside

a　stump。　When　at　his　sharp　order　she　came　out；　he　locked　his　cabin　and

hung　the　key　by　a　window；　where　travellers　could　find　it　and　be　at　home。



She　stood　looking　where　her　husband　had　slunk　off。　Then　she　laughed。

〃It's　about　his　size；〃　she　murmured。



Her　old　lover　helped　her　in　silence　to　mount　into　the　man's　saddlethis

they　had　often　done　together　in　former　yearsand　so　they　took　their　way

down　the　silent　road。　They　had　not　many　miles　to　go；　and　after　the　first

two　lay　behind　them；　when　the　horses　were　limbered　and　had　been　put　to　a

canter；　they　made　time　quickly。　They　had　soon　passed　out　of　the　trees　and

pastures　of　Box　Elder　and　came　among　the　vast　low　stretches　of　the

greater　valley。　Not　even　by　day　was　the　river's　course　often　discernible

through　the　ridges　and　cheating　sameness　of　this　wilderness；　and　beneath

this　half…darkness　of　stars　and　a　quarter　moon　the　sage　spread　shapeless

to　the　looming　mountains；　or　to　nothing。



〃I　will　ask　you　one　thing；〃　said　Lin；　after　ten　miles。



The　woman　made　no　sign　of　attention　as　she　rode　beside　him。



〃Did　I　understand　that　sheMiss　Buckner；　I　meanmentioned　she　might　be

going　away　from　Separ？〃



〃How　do　I　know　what　you　understood？〃



〃I　thought　you　said〃



〃Don't　you　bother　me；　Lin　McLean。〃　Her　laugh　rang　out；　loud　and　forlorn

one　brief　burst　that　startled　the　horses　and　that　must　have　sounded　far

across　the　sage…brush。　〃You　men　are　rich；〃　she　said。



They　rode　on；　side　by　side；　and　saying　nothing　after　that。　The　Drybone

road　was　a　broad　trail；　a　worn　strip　of　bareness　going　onward　over　the

endless　shelvings　of　the　plain；　visible　even　in　this　light；　and

presently；　moving　upon　its　grayness　on　a　hill　in　front　of　them；　they　made

out　the　wagon。　They　hastened　and　overtook　it。



〃Put　your　carbine　down；〃　said　McLean　to　Lusk。　〃It's　not　robbers。　It's

your　wife　I'm　bringing　you。〃　He　spoke　very　quietly。



The　husband　addressed　no　word　to　the　cow…puncher　〃Get　in；　then；〃　he　said

to　his　wife。



〃Town's　not　far　now；〃　said　Lin。　〃Maybe　you　would　prefer　riding　the　balance

of　the　way？〃



〃I'd〃　But　the　note　of　pity　that　she　felt　in　McLean's　question　overcame

her；　and　her　utterance　choked。　She　nodded　her　head；　and　the　three

continued　slowly　climbing　the　hill　together。



From　the　narrows　of　the　steep；　sandy；　weather…beaten　banks　that　the　road

slanted　upward　through　for　a　while；　they　came　out　again　upon　the

immensity　of　the　table…land。　Here；　abruptly　like　an　ambush；　was　the　whole

unsuspected　river　close　below　to　their　right；　as　if　it　had　emerged　from

the　earth。　With　a　circling　sweep　from　somewhere　out　in　the　gloom　it　cut

in　close　to　the　lofty　mesa　beneath　tall　clean…graded　descents　of　sand；

smooth　as　a　railroad　embankment。　As　they　paused　on　the　level　to　breathe

their　horses；　the　wet　gulp　of　its　eddies　rose　to　them　through　the

stillness。　Upstream　they　could　make　out　the　light　of　the　Drybone　bridge；

but　not　the　bridge　itself；　and　two　lights　on　the　farther　bank　showed

where　stood　the　hog…ranch　opposite　Drybone。　They　went　on　over　the

table…land　and　reached　the　next　herald　of　the　town；　Drybone's　chief

historian；　the　graveyard。　Beneath　its　slanting　headboards　and

wind…shifted　sand　lay　many　more　people　than　lived　in　Drybone。　They　passed

by　the　fence　of　this　shelterless　acre　on　the　hill；　and　shoutings　and　high

music　began　to　reach　them。　At　the　foot　of　the　hill　they　saw　the　sparse

lights　and　shapes　o