lin mclean-第7节

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not　give　yu'　any　more　home　feelin'　than　what　cattle　has　put　in　a

stock…yard。　Nor　it　wouldn't　have　in　Boston　neither。　Now　this　country

here〃　（he　waved　his　hand　towards　the　endless　sage…brush）；　〃seein'　it

onced　more；　I　know　where　my　home　is；　and　I　wouldn't　live　nowheres　else。

Only　I　ain't　got　no　father　watching　for　me　to　come　up　Wind　River。〃



The　cow…puncher　stated　this　merely　as　a　fact；　and　without　any　note　of

self…pity。　But　the　bishops　face　grew　very　tender；　and　he　looked　away　from

Lin。　Knowing　his　manfor　had　he　not　seen　many　of　this　kind　in　his　desert

diocese？he　forbore　to　make　any　text　from　that　last　sentence　the

cow…puncher　had　spoken。　Lin　talked　cheerfully　on　about　what　he　should　now

do。　The　round…up　must　be　somewhere　near　Du　Noir　Creek。　He　would　join　it

this　season；　but　next　he　should　work　over　to　the　Powder　River　country。

More　business　was　over　there；　and　better　chances　for　a　man　to　take　up

some　land　and　have　a　ranch　of　his　own。　As　they　got　out　at　Fort　Washakie；

the　bishop　handed　him　a　small　book；　in　which　he　had　turned　several　leaves

down；　carefully　avoiding　any　page　that　related　of　miracles。



〃You　need　not　read　it　through；　you　know；〃　he　said；　smiling；　〃just　read

where　I　have　marked；　and　see　if　you　don't　find　some　more　facts。　Goodbye

and　always　come　and　see　me。〃



The　next　morning　he　watched　Lin　riding　slowly　out　of　the　post　towards

Wind　River；　leading　a　single　pack…horse。　By…and…by　the　little　moving　dot

went　over　the　ridge。　And　as　the　bishop　walked　back　into　the

parade…ground；　thinking　over　the　possibilities　in　that　untrained　manly

soul；　he　shook　his　head　sorrowfully。







THE　WINNING　OF　THE　BISCUIT…SHOOTER



It　was　quite　clear　to　me　that　Mr。　McLean　could　not　know　the　news。　Meeting

him　to…day　had　been　unforeseenunforeseen　and　so　pleasant　that　the　thing

had　never　come　into　my　head　until　just　now；　after　both　of　us　had　talked

and　dined　our　fill；　and　were　torpid　with　satisfaction。



I　had　found　Lin　here　at　Riverside　in　the　morning。　At　my　horse's　approach

to　the　cabin；　it　was　he　and　not　the　postmaster　who　had　come　precipitately

out　of　the　door。



〃I'm　turruble　pleased　to　see　yu'；〃　he　had　said；　immediately。



〃What's　happened？〃　said　I；　in　some　concern　at　his　appearance。



And　he　piteously　explained：　〃Why；　I've　been　here　all　alone　since

yesterday！〃



This　was　indeed　all；　and　my　hasty　impressions　of　shooting　and　a　corpse

gave　way　to　mirth　over　the　child　and　his　innocent　grievance　that　he　had

blurted　out　before　I　could　get　off　my　horse。



Since　when；　I　inquired　of　him；　had　his　own　company　become　such　a　shock　to

him？



〃As　to　that；〃　replied　Mr。　McLean；　a　thought　ruffled；　〃when　a　man　expects

lonesomeness　he　stands　it　like　he　stands　anything　else；　of　course。　But

when　he　has　figured　on　finding　companysay〃　he　broke　off　（and

vindictiveness　sparkled　in　his　eye）〃when　you're　lucky　enough　to　catch

yourself　alone；　why；　I　suppose　yu'　just　take　a　chair　and　chat　to　yourself

for　hours。You've　not　seen　anything　of　Tommy？〃　he　pursued　with　interest。



I　had　not；　and　forthwith　Lin　poured　out　to　me　the　pent…up　complaints　and

sociability　with　which　he　was　bursting。　The　foreman　had　sent　him　over

here　with　a　sackful　of　letters　for　the　post；　and　to　bring　back　the　week's

mail　for　the　ranch。　A　day　was　gone　now；　and　nothing　for　a　man　to　do　but

sit　and　sit。　Tommy　was　overdue　fifteen　hours。　Well；　you　could　have

endured　that；　but　the　neighbors　had　all　locked　their　cabins　and　gone　to

Buffalo。　It　was　circus　week　in　Buffalo。　Had　I　ever　considered　the　money

there　must　be　in　the　circus　business？　Tommy　had　taken　the　outgoing

letters　early　yesterday。　Nobody　had　kept　him　waiting。　By　all　rules　he

should　have　been　back　again　last　night。　Maybe　the　stage　was　late　reaching

Powder　River；　and　Tommy　had　had　to　lay　over　for　it。　Well；　that　would

justify　him。　Far　more　likely　he　had　gone　to　the　circus　himself　and　taken

the　mail　with　him。　Tommy　was　no　type　of　man　for　postmaster。　Except

drawing　the　allowance　his　mother　in　the　East　gave　him　first　of　every

month；　he　had　never　shown　punctuality　that　Lin　could　remember。　Never　had

any　second　thoughts；　and　awful　few　first　ones。　Told　bigger　lies　than　a

small　man　ought；　also。



〃Has　successes；　though；〃　said　I；　wickedly。



〃Huh！〃　went　on　Mr。　McLean。　〃Successes！　One　ice…cream…soda　success。　And

she〃Lin's　still　wounded　male　pride　made　him　plaintive〃why；　even　that

girl　quit　him；　once　she　got　the　chance　to　appreciate　how　insignificant　he

was　as　compared　with　the　size　of　his　words。　No；　sir。　Not　one　of　'em

retains　interest　in　Tommy。〃



Lin　was　unsaddling　and　looking　after　my　horse；　just　because　he　was　glad

to　see　me。　Since　our　first　acquaintance；　that　memorable　summer　of

Pitchstone　Canyon　when　he　had　taken　such　good　care　of　me　and　such　bad　care

of　himself；　I　had　learned　pretty　well　about　horses　and　camp　craft　in

general。　He　was　an　entire　boy　then。　But　he　had　been　East　since；　East　by　a

route　of　his　own　discoveringand　from　his　account　of　that　journey　it　had

proved；　I　think；　a　sort　of　spiritual　experience。　And　then　the　years　of

our　friendship　were　beginning　to　roll　up。　Manhood　of　the　body　he　had

always　richly　possessed；　and　now；　whenever　we　met　after　a　season's

absence　and　spoke　those　invariable　words　which　all　old　friends　upon　this

earth　use　to　each　other　at　meeting〃You　haven't　changed；　you　haven't

changed　at　all！〃I　would　wonder　if　manhood　had　arrived　in　Lin's　boy

soul。　And　so　to…day；　while　he　attended　to　my　horse　and　explained　the

nature　of　Tommy　（a　subject　he　dearly　loved　just　now）；　I　looked　at　him　and

took　an　intimate；　superior　pride　in　feeling　how　much　more　mature　I　was

than　he；　after　all。



There's　nothing　like　a　sense　of　merit　for　making　one　feel　aggrieved；　and

on　our　return　to　the　cabin　Mr。　McLean　pointed　with　disgust　to　some

firewood。



〃Look　at　those　sorrowful　toothpicks；〃　said　he：　〃Tommy's　work。〃



So　Lin；　the　excellent　hearted；　had　angrily　busied　himself；　and　chopped　a

pile　of　real　logs　that　would　last　a　week。　He　had　also　cleaned　the　stove；

and　nailed　up　the　bed；　the　pillow…end　of　which　was　on　the　floor。　It

appeared　the　master　of　the　house　had　been　sleeping　in　it　the　reverse　way

on　account　of　the　slant。　Thus　had　Lin　cooked　and　dined　alone；　supped

alone；　and　sat　over　some　old　newspapers　until　bed…time　alone　with　his

sense　of　virtue。　And　now　here　it　was　long　after　breakfast；　and　no　Tommy

yet。



〃It's　good　yu'　come　this　forenoon；〃　Lin　said　to　me。　〃I'd　not　have　had　the

heart　to　get　up　another　dinner　just　for　myself。　Let's　eat　rich！〃



Accordingly；　we　had　richly　eaten；　Lin　and　I。　He　had　gone　out　among　the

sheds　and　caught　some　eggs　（that　is　how　he　spoke　of　it）；　we　had　opened　a

number　of　things　in　cans；　and　I　had　made　my　famous　dish　of　evaporated

apricots；　in　which　I　managed　to　fling　a　suspicion　of　caramel　throughout

the　stew。



〃Tommy'll　be　hot　about　these；〃　said　Lin；　joyfully；　as　we　ate　the　eggs。

〃He　don't　mind　what　yu'　use　of　his　canned　goodspickled　salmon　and

truck。　He　is　hospitable　all　right　enough　till　it　comes　to　an　egg。　Then

he'll　tell　any　lie。　But　shucks！　Yu'　can　read　Tommy　right　through　his

clothing。　'Make　yourself　at　home；　Lin；'　says　he；　yesterday。　And　he　showed

me　his　fresh　milk　and　his　stuff。　'Here's　a　new　ham；'　says　he；　'too　bad　my

damned　hens　ain't　been　layin'。　The　sons…o'guns　have　quit　on　me　ever　since

Christmas。'　And　away　he　goes　to　Powder　River　for　the　mail。　'You　swore　too

heavy　about　them　hens；'　thinks　I。　Well；　I　expect　he　may　have　travelled

half　a　mile　by　the　time　I'd　found　four　nests。〃



I　am　fond　of　eggs；　and　eat　them　constantlyand　in　Wyoming　they　were

always　a　luxury。　But　I　never　forget　those　that　day；　and　how　Lin　and　I

enjoyed　them　thinking　of　Tommy。　Perhaps　manhood　was　not　quite　established

in　my　own　soul　at　that　timeand　perhaps　that　is　the　reason　why　it　is　the

only　time　I　have　ever　known　which　I　would　live　over　again；　those　years

when　people　said；　〃You　are　old　enough　to　know　better〃and　one　didn't

care！



Salmon；　apricots；　eggs；　we　dealt　with　them　all　properly；　and　I　had　some

cigars。　It　was　now　that　the　news　came　back　into　my　head。



〃What　do　you　think　of〃　I　began；　and　stopped。



I　spoke　out　of　a　long　silence；　the　slack；　luxurious　silence　of　digestion。

I　got　no　answer；　naturally；　from　the　torpid　Lin；　and　then　it　occurred　to

me　that　he　would　have　asked　me　what　I　thought；　long　before　this；　had　he

known。　So；　observing　how　comfortable　he　was；　I　began　differently。



〃What　is　the　most　important　event　that　can　happen　in　this　country？〃　said

I。



Mr。　McLean　heard　me　where　he　lay　along　the　floor　of　the　cabin　on　his

back；　dozing　by　the　fire；　but　his　eyes　remained　closed。　He　waggled　one

limp；　open　hand　slightly　at　me；　and　torpor　resumed　her　dominion　over　him。



〃I　want　to　know　what　you　consider　the　most　important　event　that　can

happen　in　this　country；〃　said　I；　again；　enunciating　each　word　with　slow

clearness。



The　throat　and　lips　of　Mr。　McLean　moved；　and　a　sulky　sound　c