a mountain woman(山妇)-第14节
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prairie with Bill Deems。 He sent a halloo out to them； which they both
answered as they ran on。 Waite knew on what errand of mercy Cath… erine
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was bent； and he thought of the chil… dren over at the cabin alone。 The
cattle were quiet； the night beautiful； and he con… cluded that it was safe
enough； since he was on his pony； to ride down there about mid… night and
see that the little ones were safe。
The dark sky； pricked with points of in… tensest light； hung over him so
beneficently that in his heart there leaped a joy which even his ever…
present sorrow could not dis… turb。 This sorrow Waite openly admitted not
only to himself； but to others。 He had said to Catherine： 〃You see； I'll
always hev to love yeh。 An' yeh'll not git cross with me； I'm not goin' to be
in th' way。〃 And Catherine had told him； with tears in her eyes； that his
love could never be but a com… fort to any woman。 And these words；
which the poor fellow had in no sense mistaken； comforted him always；
became part of his joy as he rode there； under those piercing stars； to look
after her little ones。 He found them sleeping in their bunks； the baby tight
in Kitty's arms； the little boy above them in the upper bunk； with his hand
in the long hair of his brown spaniel。 Waite softly kissed each of them； so
Kitty； who was half waking； told her mother afterwards； and then；
bethinking him that Catherine might not be able to return in time for their
break… fast； found the milk and bread； and set it for them on the table。
Catherine had been writing； and her unfinished letter lay open beside the
ink。 He took up the pen and wrote；
〃The childdren was all asleep at twelv。
〃J。 W。〃
He had not more than got on his pony again before he heard an
ominous sound that made his heart leap。 It was a frantic dull pounding of
hoofs。 He knew in a second what it meant。 There was a stam… pede among
the cattle。 If the animals had all been his； he would not have lost his sense
of judgment。 But the realization that he had voluntarily undertaken the
care of them； and that the larger part of them belonged to his friends； put
him in a passion of appre… hension that； as a ranchman； was almost in…
explicable。 He did the very thing of all others that no cattle…man in his
right senses would think of doing。 Gillispie and Hender… son； talking it
over afterward； were never able to understand it。 It is possible just
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A Mountain Woman
barely possible that Waite； still drunk on his solitary dreams； knew what
he was doing； and chose to bring his little chapter to an end while the lines
were pleasant。 At any rate； he rode straight forward； shouting and waving
his arms in an insane endeavor to head off that frantic mob。 The noise
woke the children； and they peered from the window as the pawing and
bellowing herd plunged by； trampling the young steers under their feet。
In the early morning； Catherine Ford； spent both in mind and body；
came walking slowly home。 In her heart was a prayer of thanks… giving。
Mary Deems lay sleeping back in her comfortless shack； with her little son
by her side。
〃The wonder of God is in it；〃 said Cath… erine to herself as she walked
home。 〃All the ministers of all the world could not have preached me such
a sermon as I've had to…night。〃
So dim had been the light and so per… turbed her mind that she had not
noticed how torn and trampled was the road。 But suddenly a bulk in her
pathway startled her。 It was the dead and mangled body of a steer。 She
stooped over it to read the brand on its flank。 〃It's one of the three Johns'；〃
she cried out； looking anxiously about her。 〃How could that have
happened？〃
The direction which the cattle had taken was toward her house； and
she hastened homeward。 And not a quarter of a mile from her door she
found the body of Waite beside that of his pony； crushed out of its familiar
form into something unspeakably shapeless。 In her excitement she half
dragged； half carried that mutilated body home； and then ran up her signal
of alarm on the stick that Waite himself had erected for her convenience。
She thought it would be a long time before any one reached her； but she
had hardly had time to bathe the disfigured face and straighten the
disfigured body before Henderson was pounding at her door。 Outside
stood his pony panting from its terrific exertions。 Henderson had not seen
her before for six weeks。 Now he stared at her with frightened eyes。
〃What is it？ What is it？〃 he cried。 〃What has happened to you； my
my love？〃
At least afterward； thinking it over as she worked by day or tossed in
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her narrow bunk at night； it seemed to Catherine that those were the words
he spoke。 Yet she could never feel sure； nothing in his manner after that
justified the impassioned anxiety of his manner in those first few uncertain
moments； for a second later he saw the body of his friend and learned the
little that Catherine knew。 They buried him the next day in a little hollow
where there was a spring and some wild aspens。
〃He never liked the prairie；〃 Catherine said； when she selected the spot。
〃And I want him to lie as sheltered as possible。〃
After he had been laid at rest； and she was back； busy with tidying her
neglected shack； she fell to crying so that the children were scared。
〃There's no one left to care what becomes of us；〃 she told them；
bitterly。 〃We might starve out here for all that any one cares。〃
And all through the night her tears fell； and she told herself that they
were all for the man whose last thought was for her and her babies； she
told herself over and over again that her tears were all for him。 After this
the autumn began to hurry on； and the snow fell capriciously； days of
biting cold giving place to retrospective glances at summer。 The last of the
vegetables were taken out of the garden and buried in the cellar； and a few
tons of coal dear almost as diamonds were brought out to provide
against the severest weather。 Ordinarily buffalo chips were the fuel。
Catherine was alarmed at the way her wretched little store of money began
to vanish。 The baby was fretful with its teething； and was really more care
than when she nursed it。 The days shortened； and it seemed to her that she
was forever working by lamp…light The prairies were brown and
forbidding； the sky often a mere gray pall。 The monotony of the life began
to seem terrible。 Sometimes her ears ached for a sound。 For a time in the
summer so many had seemed to need her that she had been happy in spite
of her poverty and her loneliness。 Now； suddenly； no one wanted her。 She
could find no source of inspiration。 She wondered how she was going to
live through the winter； and keep her patience and her good…nature。
〃You'll love me；〃 she said； almost fiercely； one night to the children
〃you'll love mamma； no matter how cross and homely she gets； won't
you？〃
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The cold grew day by day。 A strong winter was setting in。 Catherine
took up her study of medicine again； and sat over her books till midnight。
It occurred to her that she might fit herself for nursing by spring； and that
the children could be put with some one she did not dare to think with
whom。 But this was the only solution she could find to her problem of
existence。
November settled down drearily。 Few passed the shack。 Catherine；
who had no one to speak with excepting the children； continually devised
amusements for them。 They got to living in a world of fantasy； and were
never themselves； but always wild Indians； or arctic explorers； or
Robinson Crusoes。
