lin mclean-第45节

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night　had　gone　well　with　them。　Here　was　the　new　day　going　to　be　fine。　It

must　be　well　with　everybody。



〃You　don't　say！〃　they　exclaimed；　taken　aback。　〃Too　bad。〃



They　sat　still　in　their　saddles；　and　upon　their　reckless；　kindly　faces

thought　paused　for　a　moment。　〃Her　gone！〃　they　murmured。　〃Hard　to　get　used

to　the　idea。　What's　anybody　doing　about　the　coffin？〃



〃Mr。　Lusk；〃　answered　Slaghammer；　〃doubtless〃



〃Lusk！　He'll　not　know　anything　this　forenoon。　He's　out　there　in　the

grass。　She　didn't　think　nothing　of　him。　Tell　Billnot　Dollar　Bill；　Jerky

Bill；　yu'　know；　he's　over　the　bridgeto　fix　up　a　hearse；　and　we'll　be

back。〃　The　two　drove　their　spurs　in　with　vigorous　heels；　and　instantly

were　gone　rushing　up　the　road　to　the　graveyard。



The　fiddle　had　lately　ceased；　and　no　dancers　stayed　any　longer　in　the

hall。　Eastward　the　rose　and　gold　began　to　flow　down　upon　the　plain　over

the　tops　of　the　distant　hills。　Of　the　revellers；　many　had　never　gone　to

bed；　and　many　now　were　already　risen　from　their　excesses　to　revive　in　the

cool　glory　of　the　morning。　Some　were　drinking　to　stay　their　hunger　until

breakfast；　some　splashed　and　sported　in　the　river；　calling　and　joking；

and　across　the　river　some　were　holding　horse…races　upon　the　level　beyond

the　hog…ranch。　Drybone　air　rang　with　them。　Their　lusty；　wandering　shouts

broke　out　in　gusts　of　hilarity。　Their　pistols；　aimed　at　cans　or　prairie

dogs　or　anything；　cracked　as　they　galloped　at　large。　Their　speeding；

clear…cut　forms　would　shine　upon　the　bluffs；　and；　descending；　merge　in

the　dust　their　horses　had　raised。　Yet　all　this　was　nothing　in　the

vastness　of　the　growing　day。



Beyond　their　voices　the　rim　of　the　sun　moved　above　the　violet　hills；　and

Drybone；　amid　the　quiet；　long；　new　fields　of　radiance；　stood　august　and

strange。



Down　along　the　tall；　bare　slant　from　the　graveyard　the　two　horsemen　were

riding　back。　They　could　be　seen　across　the　river；　and　the　horse…racers

grew　curious。　As　more　and　more　watched；　the　crowd　began　to　speak。　It　was

a　calf　the　two　were　bringing。　It　was　too　small　for　a　calf。　It　was　dead。

It　was　a　coyote　they　had　roped。　See　it　swing！　See　it　fall　on　the　road！



〃It's　a　coffin；　boys！〃　said　one；　shrewd　at　guessing。



At　that　the　event　of　last　night　drifted　across　their　memories；　and　they

wheeled　and　spurred　their　ponies。　Their　crowding　hoofs　on　the　bridge

brought　the　swimmers　from　the　waters　below　and；　dressing；　they　climbed

quickly　to　the　plain　and　followed　the　gathering。　By　the　door　already　were

Jerky　Bill　and　Limber　Jim　and　the　Doughie　and　always　more；　dashing　up

with　their　ponies；　halting　with　a　sharp　scatter　of　gravel　to　hear　and

comment。　Barker　was　gone；　but　the　important　coroner　told　his　news。　And　it

amazed　each　comer；　and　set　him　speaking　and　remembering　past　things　with

the　others。　〃Dead！〃　each　one　began。　〃Her；　does　he　say？〃



〃Why；　pshaw！〃



〃Why；　Frenchy　said　Doc　had　her　cured！〃



Jack　Saunders　claimed　she　had　rode　to　Box　Elder　with　Lin　McLean。　

〃Dead？　Why；　pshaw！〃



〃Seems　Doc　couldn't　swim　her　out。〃



〃Couldn't　swim　her　out？〃



〃That's　it。　Doc　couldn't　swim　her　out。〃



〃Wellthere's　one　less　of　us。〃



〃Sure！　She　was　one　of　the　boys。〃



〃She　grub…staked　me　when　I　went　broke　in　'84。〃



〃She　gave　me　fifty　dollars　onced　at　Lander；　to　buy　a　saddle。〃



〃I　run　agin　her　when　she　was　a　biscuit…shooter。〃



〃Sidney；　Nebraska。　I　run　again　her　there；　too。〃



〃I　knowed　her　at　Laramie。〃



〃Where's　Lin？　He　knowed　her　all　the　way　from　Bear　Creek　to　Cheyenne。〃



They　laughed　loudly　at　this。



〃That's　a　lonesome　coffin；〃　said　the　Doughie。　〃That　the　best　you　could

do？〃



〃You'd　say　so！〃　said　Toothpick　Kid。



〃Choices　are　getting　scarce　up　there；〃　said　Chalkeye。　〃We　looked　the　lot

over。〃



They　were　arriving　from　their　search　among　the　old　dug…up　graves　on　the

hill。　Now　they　descended　from　their　ponies；　with　the　box　roped　and

rattling　between　them。　〃Where's　your　hearse；　Jerky？〃　asked　Chalkeye。



〃Have　her　round　in　a　minute；〃　said　the　cowboy；　and　galloped　away　with

three　or　four　others



〃Turruble　lonesome　coffin；　all　the　same；〃　repeated　the　Doughie。　And　they

surveyed　the　box　that　had　once　held　some　soldier。



〃She　did　like　fixin's；〃　said　Limber　Jim。



〃Fixin's！〃　said　Toothpick　Kid。　〃That's　easy。〃



While　some　six　of　them；　with　Chalkeye；　bore　the　light；　half…rotted　coffin

into　the　room；　many　followed　Toothpick　Kid　to　the　post…trader's　store。

Breaking　in　here；　they　found　men　sleeping　on　the　counters。　These　had　been

able　to　find　no　other　beds　in　Drybone；　and　lay　as　they　had　stretched

themselves　on　entering。　They　sprawled　in　heavy　slumber；　some　with　not

even　their　hats　taken　off　and　some　with　their　boots　against　the　rough

hair　of　the　next　one。　They　were　quickly　pushed　together；　few　waking；　and

so　there　was　space　for　spreading　cloth　and　chintz。　Stuffs　were　unrolled

and　flung　aside　till　many　folds　and　colors　draped　the　motionless

sleepers；　and　at　length　a　choice　was　made。　Unmeasured　yards　of　this　drab

chintz　were　ripped　off；　money　treble　its　worth　was　thumped　upon　the

counter；　and　they　returned；　bearing　it　like　a　streamer　to　the　coffin。

While　the　noise　of　their　hammers　filled　the　room；　the　hearse　came

tottering　to　the　door；　pulled　and　pushed　by　twenty　men。　It　was　an

ambulance　left　behind　by　the　soldiers；　and　of　the　old…fashioned　shape；

concave　in　body；　its　top　blown　away　in　winds　of　long　ago；　and　as　they

revolved；　its　wheels　dished　in　and　out　like　hoops　about　to　fall。　While

some　made　a　harness　from　ropes；　and　throwing　the　saddles　off　two　ponies

backed　them　to　the　vehicle；　the　body　was　put　in　the　coffin；　now　covered

by　the　chintz。　But　the　laudanum　upon　the　front　of　her　dress　revolted

those　who　remembered　their　holidays　with　her；　and　turning　the　woman　upon

her　face；　they　looked　their　last　upon　her　flashing；　colored　ribbons；　and

nailed　the　lid　down。　So　they　carried　her　out；　but　the　concave　body　of　the

hearse　was　too　short　for　the　coffin；　the　end　reached　out；　and　it　might

have　fallen。　But　Limber　Jim；　taking　the　reins；　sat　upon　the　other　end；

waiting　and　smoking。　For　all　Drybone　was　making　ready　to　follow　in　some

way。　They　had　sought　the　husband；　the　chief　mourner。　He；　however；　still

lay　in　the　grass　of　the　quadrangle；　and　despising　him　as　she　had　done；

they　left　him　to　wake　when　he　should　choose。　Those　men　who　could　sit　in

their　saddles　rode　escort；　the　old　friends　nearest；　and　four　held　the

heads　of　the　frightened　cow…ponies　who　were　to　draw　the　hearse。　They　had

never　known　harness　before；　and　they　plunged　with　the　men　who　held　them。

Behind　the　hearse　the　women　followed　in　a　large　ranch…wagon；　this　moment

arrived　in　town。　Two　mares　drew　this；　and　their　foals　gambolled　around

them。　The　great　flat…topped　dray　for　hauling　poles　came　last；　with　its

four　government　mules。　The　cow…boys　had　caught　sight　of　it　and　captured

it。　Rushing　to　the　post…trader's；　they　carried　the　sleeping　men　from　the

counter　and　laid　them　on　the　dray。　Then；　searching　Drybone　outside　and　in

for　any　more　incapable　of　following；　they　brought　them；　and　the　dray　was

piled。



Limber　Jim　called　for　another　drink　and；　with　his　cigar　between　his

teeth；　cracked　his　long　bull…whacker　whip。　The　ponies；　terrified；　sprang

away；　scattering　the　men　that　held　them；　and　the　swaying　hearse　leaped

past　the　husband；　over　the　stones　and　the　many　playing…cards　in　the

grass。　Masterfully　steered；　it　came　safe　to　an　open　level；　while　the

throng　cheered　the　unmoved　driver　on　his　coffin；　his　cigar　between　his

teeth。



〃Stay　with　it；　Jim！〃　they　shouted。　〃You're　a　king！〃



A　steep　ditch　lay　across　the　flat　where　he　was　veering；　abrupt　and　nearly

hidden；　but　his　eye　caught　the　danger　in　time；　and　swinging　from　it

leftward　so　that　two　wheels　of　the　leaning　coach　were　in　the　air；　he

faced　the　open　again；　safe；　as　the　rescue　swooped　down　upon　him。　The

horsemen　came　at　the　ditch；　a　body　of　daring；　a　sultry　blast　of　youth。

Wheeling　at　the　brink；　they　turned；　whirling　their　long　ropes。　The

skilful　nooses　flew；　and　the　ponies；　caught　by　the　neck　and　foot；　were

dragged　back　to　the　quadrangle　and　held　in　line。　So　the　pageant　started

the　wild　ponies　quivering　but　subdued　by　the　tightened　ropes；　and　the

coffin　steady　in　the　ambulance　beneath　the　driver。　The　escort；　in　their

fringed　leather　and　broad　hats；　moved　slowly　beside　and　behind　it；　many

of　them　swaying；　their　faces　full　of　health；　and　the　sun　and　the　strong

drink。　The　women　followed；　whispering　a　little；　and　behind　them　the　slow

dray　jolted；　with　its　heaps　of　men　waking　from　the　depths　of　their

whiskey　and　asking　what　this　was。　So　they　went　up　the　hill。　When　the

riders　reached　the　tilted　gate　of　the　graveyard；　they　sprang　off　and

scattered　among　the　hillocks；　stumbling　and　eager。　They　nodded　to　Barker

and　McLean；　quietly　waiting　there；　and　began　choosing　among　the　open；

weather…drifted　graves　from　which　the　soldiers　had　been　taken。　Their

fig