lin mclean-第8节

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clearness。



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

that　I　recognized　to　be　meant　for　the　word　〃War。〃　Then　he　rolled　over　so

that　his　face　was　away　from　me；　and　put　an　arm　over　his　eyes。



〃I　don't　mean　country　in　the　sense　of　United　States；〃　said　I。　〃I　mean

this　country　here；　and　Bear　Creek；　andwell；　the　ranches　southward　for

fifty　miles；　say。　Important　to　this　section。〃



〃Mosquitoes'll　be　due　in　about　three　weeks；〃　said　Lin。　〃Yu'　might　leave　a

man　rest　till　then。〃



〃I　want　your　opinion；〃　said　I。



〃Oh；　misery！　Well；　a　raise　in　the　price　of　steers。〃



〃No。〃



〃Yu'　said　yu'　wanted　my　opinion；〃　said　Lin。　〃Seems　like　yu'　merely　figure

on　givin'　me　yours。〃



〃Very　well；〃　said　I。　〃Very　well；　then。〃



I　took　up　a　copy　of　the　Cheyenne　Sun。　It　was　five　weeks　old；　and　I　soon

perceived　that　I　had　read　it　three　weeks　ago；　but　I　read　it　again　for

some　minutes　now。



〃I　expect　a　railroad　would　be　more　important；〃　said　Mr。　McLean；

persuasively；　from　the　floor。



〃Than　a　rise　in　steers？〃　said　I；　occupied　with　the　Cheyenne　Sun。　〃Oh　yes。

Yes；　a　railroad　certainly　would。〃



〃It's　got　to　be　money；　anyhow；〃　stated　Lin；　thoroughly　wakened。　〃Money　in

some　shape。〃



〃How　little　you　understand　the　real　wants　of　the　country！〃　said　I；　coming

to　the　point。　〃It's　a　girl。〃



Mr。　McLean　lay　quite　still　on　the　floor。



〃A　girl；〃　I　repeated。　〃A　new　girl　coming　to　this　starved　country。〃



The　cow…puncher　took　a　long；　gradual　stretch　and　began　to　smile。　〃Well；〃

said　he；　〃yu'　caught　meif　that's　much　to　do　when　a　man　is　half…witted

with　dinner　and　sleep。〃　He　closed　his　eyes　again　and　lay　with　a　specious

expression　of　indifference。　But　that　sort　of　thing　is　a　solitary

entertainment；　and　palls。　〃Starved；〃　he　presently　muttered。　〃We　are　kind

o'　starved　that　way　I'll　admit。　More　dollars　than　girls　to　the　square

mile。　And　to　think　of　all　of　us　nice；　healthy；　youngbet　yu'　I　know　who

she　is！〃　he　triumphantly　cried。　He　had　sat　up　and　levelled　a　finger　at　me

with　the　throw…down　jerk　of　a　marksman。　〃Sidney；　Nebraska。〃



I　nodded。　This　was　not　the　lady's　namehe　could　not　recall　her　namebut

his　geography　of　her　was　accurate。



One　day　in　February　my　friend；　Mrs。　Taylor　over　on　Bear　Creek；　had

received　a　letterno　common　event　for　her。　Therefore；　during　several

days　she　had　all　callers　read　it　just　as　naturally　as　she　had　them　all

see　the　new　baby；　and　baby　and　letter　had　both　been　brought　out　for　me。

The　letter　was　signed；



　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　〃Ever　your　afectionite　frend。

　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　〃Katie　Peck；



and　was　not　easy　to　read；　here　and　there。　But　you　could　piece　out　the

drift　of　it；　and　there　was　Mrs。　Taylor　by　your　side；　eager　to　help　you

when　you　stumbled。　Miss　Peck　wrote　that　she　was　overworked　in　Sidney；

Nebraska；　and　needed　a　holiday。　When　the　weather　grew　warm　she　should

like　to　come　to　Bear　Creek　and　be　like　old　times。　〃Like　to　come　and　be

like　old　times〃　filled　Mrs。　Taylor　with　sentiment　and　the　cow…punchers

with　expectation。　But　it　is　a　long　way　from　February　to　warm　weather　on

Bear　Creek；　and　even　cow…punchers　will　forget　about　a　new　girl　if　she

does　not　come。　For　several　weeks　I　had　not　heard　Miss　Peck　mentioned；　and

old　girls　had　to　do。　Yesterday；　however；　when　I　paid　a　visit　to　Miss

Molly　Wood　（the　Bear　Creek　schoolmistress）；　I　found　her　keeping　in　order

the　cabin　and　the　children　of　the　Taylors；　while　they　were　gone

forty…five　miles　to　the　stage　station　to　meet　their　guest。



〃Well；〃　said　Lin；　judicially；　〃Miss　Wood　is　a　lady。〃



〃Yes；〃　said　I；　with　deep　gravity。　For　I　was　thinking　of　an　occasion　when

Mr。　McLean　had　discovered　that　truth　somewhat　abruptly。



Lin　thoughtfully　continued。　〃She　isshe'sshe'swhat　are　you　laughin'

at？〃



〃Oh；　nothing。　You　don't　see　quite　so　much　of　Miss　Wood　as　you　used　to；　do

you？〃



〃Huh！　So　that's　got　around。　Well；　o'　course　I'd　ought　t've　knowed　better；

I　suppose。　All　the　same；　there's　lots　and　lots　of　girls　do　like　gettin'

kissed　against　their　wishesand　you　know　it。〃



〃But　the　point　would　rather　seem　to　be　that　she〃



〃Would　rather　seem！　Don't　yu'　start　that　professor　style　o'　yours；　or

I'llI'll　talk　more　wickedness　in　worse　language　than　ever　yu've　heard

me　do　yet。〃



〃Impossible！〃　I　murmured；　sweetly；　and　Master　Lin　went　on。



〃As　to　pointthat　don't　need　to　be　explained　to　me。　She's　a　lady　all

right。〃　He　ruminated　for　a　moment。　〃She　has　about　scared　all　the　boys

off；　though；〃　he　continued。　〃And　that's　what　you　get　by　being　refined；〃

he　concluded；　as　if　Providence　had　at　length　spoken　in　this　matter。



〃She　has　not　scared　off　a　boy　from　Virginia；　I　notice；〃　said　I。　〃He　was

there　yesterday　afternoon　again。　Ridden　all　the　way　over　from　Sunk　Creek。

Didn't　seem　particularly　frightened。〃



〃Oh；　well；　nothin'　alarms　himnot　even　refinement；〃　said　Mr。　McLean；

with　his　grin。　〃And　she'll　fool　your　Virginian　like　she　done　the　balance

of　us。　You　wait。　Shucks！　If　all　the　girls　were　that　chilly；　why；　what

would　us　poor　punchers　do？〃



〃You　have　me　cornered；〃　said　I；　and　we　sat　in　a　philosophical　silence；

Lin　on　the　floor　still；　and　I　at　the　window。　There　I　looked　out　upon　a

scene　my　eyes　never　tired　of　then；　nor　can　my　memory　now。　Spring　had

passed　over　it　with　its　first；　lightest　steps。　The　pastured　levels

undulated　in　emerald。　Through　the　many…changing　sage；　that　just　this

moment　of　to…day　was　lilac；　shone　greens　scarce　a　week　old　in　the　dimples

of　the　foot…hills；　and　greens　new…born　beneath　today's　sun　melted　among

them。　Around　the　doubling　of　the　creek　in　the　willow　thickets　glimmered

skeined　veils　of　yellow　and　delicate　crimson。　The　stream　poured

turbulently　away　from　the　snows　of　the　mountains　behind　us。　It　went

winding　in　many　folds　across　the　meadows　into　distance　and　smallness；　and

so　vanished　round　the　great　red　battlement　of　wall　beyond。　Upon　this　were

falling　the　deep　hues　of　afternoonviolet；　rose；　and　saffron；　swimming

and　meeting　as　if　some　prism　had　dissolved　and　flowed　over　the　turrets

and　crevices　of　the　sandstone。　Far　over　there　I　saw　a　dot　move。



〃At　last！〃　said　I。



Lin　looked　out　of　the　window。　〃It's　more　than　Tommy；〃　said　he；　at　once；

and　his　eyes　made　it　out　before　mine　could。　〃It's　a　wagon。　That's　Tommy's

bald…faced　horse　alongside。　He's　fooling　to　the　finish；〃　Lin　severely

commented；　as　if；　after　all　this　delay；　there　should　at　least　be　a

homestretch。



Presently；　however；　a　homestretch　seemed　likely　to　occur。　The　bald…faced

horse　executed　some　lively　manoeuvres；　and　Tommy's　voice　reached　us

faintly　through　the　light　spring　air。　He　was　evidently　howling　the

remarkable　strain　of　yells　that　the　cow…punchers　invented　as　the　speech

best　understood　by　cowsOi…ee；　yah；　whoop…yahye…ee；　oooo…oop；　oop；

oop…oop…oop…oop…yah…hee！〃　But　that　gives　you　no　idea　of　it。　Alphabets　are

worse　than　photographs。　It　is　not　the　lungs　of　every　man　that　can　produce

these　effects；　nor　even　from　armies；　eagles；　or　mules　were　such　sounds

ever　heard　on　earth。　The　cow…puncher　invented　them。　And　when　the　last

cow…puncher　is　laid　to　rest　（if　that；　alas！　have　not　already　befallen）

the　yells　will　be　forever　gone。　Singularly　enough；　the　cattle　appeared　to

appreciate　them。　Tommy　always　did　them　very　badly；　and　that　was　plain

even　at　this　distance。　Nor　did　he　give　us　a　homestretch；　after　all。　The

bald…faced　horse　made　a　number　of　evolutions　and　returned　beside　the

wagon。



〃Showin'　off；〃　remarked　Lin。　〃Tommy's　showin'　off。〃　Suspicion　crossed　his

face；　and　then　certainty。　〃Why；　we　might　have　knowed　that！〃　he　exclaimed；

in　dudgeon。　〃It's　her。〃　He　hastened　outside　for　a　better　look；　and　I　came

to　the　door　myself。　〃That's　what　it　is；〃　said　he。　〃It's　the　girl。　Oh　yes。

That's　Taylor's　buckskin　pair　he　traded　Balaam　for。　She　come　by　the　stage

all　right　yesterday；　yu'　see；　but　she　has　been　too　tired　to　travel；　yu'

see；　or　else；　maybe；　Taylor　wanted　to　rest　his　buckskinsthey're

four…year…olds。　Or　elseanyway；　they　laid　over　last　night　at　Powder

River；　and　Tommy　he　has　just　laid　over　too；　yu'　see；　holdin'　the　mail

back　on　us　twenty…four　hoursand　that's　your　postmaster！〃



It　was　our　postmaster；　and　this　he　had　done；　quite　as　the　virtuously

indignant　McLean　surmised。　Had　I　taken　the　same　interest　in　the　new　girl；

I　suppose　that　I　too　should　have　felt　virtuously　indignant。



Lin　and　I　stood　outside　to　receive　the　travellers。　As　their　cavalcade

drew　near；　Mr。　McLean　grew　silent　and　watchful；　his　whole　attention

focused　upon　the　Taylors'　vehicle。　Its　approach　was　joyous。　Its　gear　made

a　cheerful　clanking；　Taylor　cracked　his　whip　and　encouragingly　chirruped

to　his　buckskins；　and　Tommy's　apparatus　jingled　musically。　For　Tommy　wore

upon　himself　and　his　saddle　all　the　things　you　can　wear　in　the　Wild　West。

Except　that　his　hair　was　not　long；　our　postmaster　might　have　conducted　a

show　and　minted　gold　by　exhibiting　his　romantic　person　before　the　eye