lin mclean-第9节

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

show　and　minted　gold　by　exhibiting　his　romantic　person　before　the　eyes　of

princes。　He　began　with　a　black…and…yellow　rattlesnake　skin　for　a

hat…band；　he　continued　with　a　fringed　and　beaded　shirt　of　buckskin；　and

concluded　with　large；　tinkling　spurs。　Of　course；　there　were　things

between　his　shirt　and　his　heels；　but　all　leather　and　deadly　weapons。　He

had　also　a　riata；　a　cuerta；　and　tapaderos；　and　frequently　employed　these

Spanish　names　for　the　objects。　I　wish　that　I　had　not　lost　Tommy's

photograph　in　Rocky　Mountain　costume。　You　must　understand　that　he　was

really　pretty；　with　blue　eyes；　ruddy　cheeks；　and　a　graceful　figure；　and；

besides；　he　had　twenty…four　hours'　start　of　poor　dusty　Lin；　whose　best

clothes　were　elsewhere。



You　might　have　supposed　that　it　would　be　Mrs。　Taylor　who　should　present

us　to　her　friend　from　Sidney；　Nebraska；　but　Tommy　on　his　horse　undertook

the　office　before　the　wagon　had　well　come　to　a　standstill。　〃Good　friends

of　mine；　and　gentlemen；　both；〃　said　he　to　Miss　Peck；　and　to　us；　〃A　lady

whose　acquaintance　will　prove　a　treat　to　our　section。〃



We　all　bowed　at　each　other　beneath　the　florid　expanse　of　these

recommendations；　and　I　was　proceeding　to　murmur　something　about　its　being

a　long　journey　and　a　fine　day　when　Miss　Peck　cut　me　short；　gaily：



〃Well；〃　she　exclaimed　to　Tommy；　〃I　guess　I'm　pretty　near　ready　for　them

eggs　you've　spoke　so　much　about。〃



I　have　not　often　seen　Mr。　McLean　lose　his　presence　of　mind。　He　needed

merely　to　exclaim；　〃Why；　Tommy；　you　told　me　your　hens　had　not　been　laying

since　Christmas！〃　and　we　could　have　sat　quiet　and　let　Tommy　try　to　find

all　the　eggs　that　he　could。　But　the　new　girl　was　a　sore　embarrassment　to

the　cow…puncher's　wits。　Poor　Lin　stood　by　the　wheels　of　the　wagon。　He

looked　up　at　Miss　Peck；　he　looked　over　at　Tommy；　his　features　assumed　a

rueful　expression；　and　he　wretchedly　blurted；



〃Why；　Tommy；　I've　been　and　eat　'em。〃



〃Well；　if　that　ain't！〃　cried　Miss　Peck。　She　stared　with　interest　at　Lin

as　he　now　assisted　her　to　descend。



〃All？〃　faltered　Tommy。　〃Not　the　four　nests？〃



〃I've　had　three　meals；　yu'　know；〃　Lin　reminded　him；　deprecatingly。



〃I　helped　him；〃　said　I。　〃Ten　innocent；　fresh　eggs。　But　we　have　left　some

ham。　Forgive　us；　please。〃



〃I　declare！〃　said　Miss　Peck；　abruptly；　and　rolled　her　sluggish；　inviting

eyes　upon　me。　〃You're　a　case；　too；　I　expect。〃



But　she　took　only　brief　note　of　me；　although　it　was　from　head　to　foot。　In

her　stare　the　dull　shine　of　familiarity　grew　vacant；　and　she　turned　back

to　Lin　McLean。　〃You　carry　that；〃　said　she；　and　gave　the　pleased

cow…puncher　a　hand　valise。



〃I'll　look　after　your　things；　Miss　Peck；〃　called　Tommy；　now　springing

down　from　his　horse。　The　egg　tragedy　had　momentarily　stunned　him。



〃You'll　attend　to　the　mail　first；　Mr。　Postmaster！〃　said　the　lady；　but

favoring　him　with　a　look　from　her　large　eyes。　〃There's　plenty　of

gentlemen　here。〃　With　that　her　glance　favored　Lin。　She　went　into　the

cabin；　he　following　her　close；　with　the　Taylors　and　myself　in　the　rear。

〃Well；　I　guess　I'm　about　collapsed！〃　said　she；　vigorously；　and　sank　upon

one　of　Tommy's　chairs。



The　fragile　article　fell　into　sticks　beneath　her；　and　Lin　leaped　to　her

assistance。　He　placed　her　upon　a　firmer　foundation。　Mrs。　Taylor　brought　a

basin　and　towel　to　bathe　the　dust　from　her　face；　Mr。　Taylor　produced

whiskey；　and　I　found　sugar　and　hot　water。　Tommy　would　doubtless　have　done

something　in　the　way　of　assistance　or　restoratives；　but　he　was　gone　to

the　stable　with　the　horses。



〃Shall　I　get　your　medicine　from　the　valise；　deary？〃　inquired　Mrs。　Taylor。



〃Not　now；〃　her　visitor　answered；　and　I　wondered　why　she　should　take　such

a　quick　look　at　me。



〃We'll　soon　have　yu'　independent　of　medicine；〃　said　Lin；　gallantly。　〃Our

climate　and　scenery　here　has　frequently　raised　the　dead。〃



〃You're　a　case；　anyway！〃　exclaimed　the　sick　lady　with　rich　conviction。



The　cow…puncher　now　sat　himself　on　the　edge　of　Tommy's　bed；　and；　throwing

one　leg　across　the　other；　began　to　raise　her　spirits　with　cheerful　talk。

She　steadily　watched　himhis　face　sometimes；　sometimes　his　lounging；

masculine　figure。　While　he　thus　devoted　his　attentions　to　her；　Taylor

departed　to　help　Tommy　at　the　stable；　and　good　Mrs。　Taylor；　busy　with

supper　for　all　of　us　in　the　kitchen；　expressed　her　joy　at　having　her　old

friend　of　childhood　for　a　visit　after　so　many　years。



〃Sickness　has　changed　poor　Katie　some；〃　said　she。　〃But　I'm　hoping　she'll

get　back　her　looks　on　Bear　Creek。〃



〃She　seems　less　feeble　than　I　had　understood；〃　I　remarked。



〃Yes；　indeed！　I　do　believe　she's　feeling　stronger。　She　was　that　tired　and

down　yesterday　with　the　long　stage…ride；　and　it　is　so　lonesome！　But

Taylor　and　I　heartened　her　up；　and　Tommy　came　with　the　mail；　and　to…day

she's　real　spruced…up　like；　feeling　she's　among　friends。〃



〃How　long　will　she　stay？〃　I　inquired。



〃Just　as　long　as　ever　she　wants！　Me　and　Katie　hasn't　met　since　we　was

young　girls　in　Dubuque；　for　I　left　home　when　I　married　Taylor；　and　he

brought　me　to　this　country　right　soon；　and　it　ain't　been　like　Dubuque

much；　though　if　I　had　it　to　do　over　again　I'd　do　just　the　same；　as　Taylor

knows。　Katie　and　me　hasn't　wrote　even；　not　till　this　February；　for　you

always　mean　to　and　you　don't。　Well；　it'll　be　like　old　times。　Katie'll　be

most　thirty…four；　I　expect。　Yes。　I　was　seventeen　and　she　was　sixteen　the

very　month　I　was　married。　Poor　thing！　She　ought　to　have　got　some　good　man

for　a　husband；　but　I　expect　she　didn't　have　any　chance；　for　there　was　a

big　fam'ly　o'　them　girls；　and　old　Peck　used　to　act　real　scandalous；

getting　drunk　so　folks　didn't　visit　there　evenings　scarcely　at　all。　And

so　she　quit　home；　it　seems；　and　got　a　position　in　the　railroad

eating…house　at　Sidney；　and　now　she　has　poor　health　with　feeding　them　big

trains　day　and　night。〃



〃A　biscuit…shooter！〃　said　I。



Loyal　Mrs。　Taylor　stirred　some　batter　in　silence。　〃Well；〃　said　she　then；

〃I'm　told　that's　what　the　yard…hands　of　the　railroad　call　them　poor


waiter…girls。　You　might　hear　it　around　the　switches　at　them　division

stations。〃



I　had　heard　it　in　higher　places　also；　but　meekly　accepted　the　reproof。



If　you　have　made　your　trans…Missouri　journeys　only　since　the　new　era　of

dining…cars；　there　is　a　quantity　of　things　you　have　come　too　late　for；

and　will　never　know。　Three　times　a　day　in　the　brave　days　of　old　you

sprang　from　your　scarce…halted　car　at　the　summons　of　a　gong。　You

discerned　by　instinct　the　right　direction；　and；　passing　steadily　through

doorways；　had　taken；　before　you　knew　it；　one　of　some　sixty　chairs　in　a

room　of　tables　and　catsup　bottles。　Behind　the　chairs；　standing　attention；

a　platoon　of　Amazons；　thick…wristed；　pink…and…blue；　began　immediately　a

swift　chant。　It　hymned　the　total　bill…of…fare　at　a　blow。　In　this

inexpressible　ceremony　the　name　of　every　dish　went　hurtling　into　the

next；　telescoped　to　shapelessness。　Moreover；　if　you　stopped　your　Amazon

in　the　middle；　it　dislocated　her；　and　she　merely　went　back　and　took　a

fresh　start。　The　chant　was　always　the　same；　but　you　never　learned　it。　As

soon　as　it　began；　your　mind　snapped　shut　like　the　upper　berth　in　a

Pullman。　You　must　have　uttered　appropriate　wordseven　a　parrot　willfor

next　you　were　eating　thingspie；　ham；　hot　cakesas　fast　as　you　could。

Twenty　minutes　of　swallowing；　and　all　aboard　for　Ogden；　with　your

pile…driven　stomach　dumb　with　amazement。　The　Strasburg　goose　is　not

dieted　with　greater　velocity；　and　〃biscuit…shooter〃　is　a　grand　word。　Very

likely　some　Homer　of　the　railroad　yards　first　said　itfor　what　men　upon

the　present　earth　so　speak　with　imagination's　tongue　as　we　Americans？



If　Miss　Peck　had　been　a　biscuit…shooter；　I　could　account　readily　for　her

conversation；　her　equipped　deportment；　the　maturity　in　her　round；　blue；

marble　eye。　Her　abrupt　laugh；　something　beyond　gay；　was　now　sounding　in

response　to　Mr。　McLean's　lively　sallies；　and　I　found　him　fanning　her　into

convalescence　with　his　hat。　She　herself　made　but　few　remarks；　but　allowed

the　cow…puncher　to　entertain　her；　merely　exclaiming　briefly　now　and　then；

〃I　declare！〃　and　〃If　you　ain't！〃　Lin　was　most　certainly　engaging；　if　that

was　the　lady's　meaning。　His　wide…open　eyes　sparkled　upon　her；　and　he　half

closed　them　now　and　then　to　look　at　her　more　effectively。　I　suppose　she

was　worth　it　to　him。　I　have　forgotten　to　say　that　she　was　handsome　in　a

large　California…fruit　style。　They　made　a　good…looking　pair　of　animals。

But　it　was　in　the　presence　of　Tommy　that　Master　Lin　shone　more

energetically　than　ever；　and　under　such　shining　Tommy　was　transparently

restless。　He　tried；　and　failed；　to　bring　the　conversation　his　way；　and

took　to　rearranging　the　mail　and　the　furniture。



〃Supper's　ready；〃　he　said；　at　length。　〃Come　right　in；　Miss　Peck；　right　in

here。　This　is　your　seatthis　one；　please。　Now　you　can　see