cressy-第7节

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〃Cressy；〃　she　said；　〃Dad's　gone　and　left　his　Sharps'　yer；　d'ye　mind

takin'　it　along　to　meet　him；　afore　he　passes　the　Boundary　corner。

Ye　might　tell　him　the　teacher's　yer；　wantin'　to　see　him。〃



〃One　moment；〃　said　the　master；　as　the　young　girl　carelessly　stepped

to　the　corner　and　lifted　the　weapon。　　〃Let　ME　take　it。　　It's　all　on

my　way　back　to　school　and　I'll　meet　him。〃



Mrs。　McKinstry　looked　perturbed。　　Cressy　opened　her　clear　eyes　on

the　master　with　evident　surprise。　　〃No；　Mr。　Ford；〃　said　Mrs。

McKinstry；　with　her　former　maternal　manner。　　〃Ye'd　better　not　mix

yourself　up　with　these　yer　doin's。　　Ye've　no　call　to　do　it；　and

Cressy　has；　it's　all　in　the　family。　　But　it's　outer　YOUR　line；　and

them　Harrison　whelps　go　to　your　school。　　Fancy　the　teacher　takin'

weppins　betwixt　and　between！〃



〃It's　fitter　work　for　the　teacher　than　for　one　of　his　scholars；　and

a　young　lady　at　that；〃　said　Mr。　Ford　gravely；　as　he　took　the　rifle

from　the　hands　of　the　half…amused；　half…reluctant　girl。　　〃It's

quite　safe　with　me；　and　I　promise　I　shall　deliver　it　into　Mr。

McKinstry's　hands　and　none　other。〃



〃Perhaps　it　wouldn't　be　ez　likely　to　be　gin'rally　noticed　ez　it

would　if　one　of　US　carried　it；〃　murmured　Mrs。　McKinstry　in

confidential　abstraction；　gazing　at　her　daughter　sublimely

unconscious　of　the　presence　of　a　third　party。



〃You're　quite　right；〃　said　the　master　composedly；　throwing　the

rifle　over　his　shoulder　and　turning　towards　the　door。　　〃So　I'll　say

good…afternoon；　and　try　and　find　your　husband。〃



Mrs。　McKinstry　constrainedly　plucked　at　the　folds　of　her　coarse

gown。　　〃Ye'll　like　a　drink　afore　ye　go；〃　she　said；　in　an　ill…

concealed　tone　of　relief。　　〃I　clean　forgot　my　manners。　　Cressy；

fetch　out　that　demijohn。〃



〃Not　for　me；　thank　you；〃　returned　Mr。　Ford　smiling。



〃Oh；　I　seeyou're　temperance；　nat'rally；〃　said　Mrs。　McKinstry　with

a　tolerant　sigh。



〃Hardly　that；〃　returned　the　master；　〃I　follow　no　rule；　I　drink

sometimesbut　not　to…day。〃



Mrs。　McKinstry's　dark　face　contracted。　　〃Don't　you　see；　Maw；〃

struck　in　Cressy　quickly。　　〃Teacher　drinks　sometimes；　but　he　don't

USE　whiskey。　　That's　all。〃



Her　mother's　face　relaxed。　　Cressy　slipped　out　of　the　door　before

the　master；　and　preceded　him　to　the　gate。　　When　she　had　reached　it

she　turned　and　looked　into　his　face。



〃What　did　Maw　say　to　yer　about　seein'　me　just　now？〃



〃I　don't　understand　you。〃



〃To　your　seein'　me　and　Joe　Masters　on　the　trail？〃



〃She　said　nothing。〃



〃Humph；〃　said　Cressy　meditatively。　　〃What　was　it　you　told　her　about

it？〃



〃Nothing。〃



〃Then　you　DIDN'T　see　us？〃



〃I　saw　you　with　some　oneI　don't　know　whom。〃



〃And　you　didn't　tell　Maw？〃



〃I　did　not。　　It　was　none　of　my　business。〃



He　instantly　saw　the　utter　inconsistency　of　this　speech　in

connection　with　the　reason　he　believed　he　had　in　coming。　　But　it

was　too　late　to　recall　it；　and　she　was　looking　at　him　with　a　bright

but　singular　expression。



〃That　Joe　Masters　is　the　conceitedest　fellow　goin'。　　I　told　him　you

could　see　his　foolishness。〃



〃Ah；　indeed。〃



Mr。　Ford　pushed　open　the　gate。　　As　the　girl　still　lingered　he　was

obliged　to　hold　it　a　moment　before　passing　through。



〃Maw　couldn't　quite　hitch　on　to　your　not　drinkin'。　　She　reckons

you're　like　everybody　else　about　yer。　　That's　where　she　slips　up　on

you。　　And　everybody　else；　I　kalkilate。〃



〃I　suppose　she's　somewhat　anxious　about　your　father；　and　I　dare　say

is　expecting　me　to　hurry；〃　returned　the　master　pointedly。



〃Oh；　dad's　all　right；〃　said　Cressy　mischievously。　　〃You'll　come

across　him　over　yon；　in　the　clearing。　　But　you're　looking　right

purty　with　that　gun。　　It　kinder　sets　you　off。　　You　oughter　wear

one。〃



The　master　smiled　slightly；　said　〃Good…by；〃　and　took　leave　of　the

girl；　but　not　of　her　eyes；　which　were　still　following　him。　　Even

when　he　had　reached　the　end　of　the　lane　and　glanced　back　at　the

rambling　dwelling；　she　was　still　leaning　on　the　gate　with　one　foot

on　the　lower　rail　and　her　chin　cupped　in　the　hollow　of　her　hand。

She　made　a　slight　gesture；　not　clearly　intelligible　at　that

distance；　it　might　have　been　a　mischievous　imitation　of　the　way　he

had　thrown　the　gun　over　his　shoulder；　it　might　have　been　a　wafted

kiss。



The　master　however　continued　his　way　in　no　very　self…satisfied

mood。　　Although　he　did　not　regret　having　taken　the　place　of　Cressy

as　the　purveyor　of　lethal　weapons　between　the　belligerent　parties；

he　knew　he　was　tacitly　mingling　in　the　feud　between　people　for　whom

he　cared　little　or　nothing。　　It　was　true　that　the　Harrisons　sent

their　children　to　his　school；　and　that　in　the　fierce　partisanship

of　the　locality　this　simple　courtesy　was　open　to　misconstruction。

But　he　was　more　uneasily　conscious　that　this　mission；　so　far　as

Mrs。　McKinstry　was　concerned；　was　a　miserable　failure。　　The　strange

relations　of　the　mother　and　daughter　perhaps　explained　much　of　the

girl's　conduct；　but　it　offered　no　hope　of　future　amelioration。

Would　the　father；　〃worrited　by　stock〃　and　boundary　quarrelsa　man

in　the　habit　of　cutting　Gordian　knots　with　a　bowie　knifeprove

more　reasonable？　　Was　there　any　nearer　sympathy　between　father　and

daughter？　　But　she　had　said　he　would　meet　McKinstry　in　the

clearing：　she　was　right；　for　here　he　was　coming　forward　at　a

gallop！





CHAPTER　III。





When　within　a　dozen　paces　of　the　master；　McKinstry；　scarcely

checking　his　mustang；　threw　himself　from　the　saddle；　and　with　a

sharp　cut　of　his　riata　on　the　animal's　haunches　sent　him　still

galloping　towards　the　distant　house。　　Then；　with　both　hands　deeply

thrust　in　the　side　pockets　of　his　long；　loose　linen　coat；　he　slowly

lounged　with　clanking　spurs　towards　the　young　man。　　He　was　thick…

set；　of　medium　height；　densely　and　reddishly　bearded；　with　heavy…

lidded　pale　blue　eyes　that　wore　a　look　of　drowsy　pain；　and　after

their　first　wearied　glance　at　the　master；　seemed　to　rest　anywhere

but　on　him。



〃Your　wife　was　sending　you　your　rifle　by　Cressy；〃　said　the　master；

〃but　I　offered　to　bring　it　myself；　as　I　thought　it　scarcely　a

proper　errand　for　a　young　lady。　　Here　it　is。　　I　hope　you　didn't

miss　it　before　and　don't　require　it　now；〃　he　added　quietly。



Mr。　McKinstry　took　it　in　one　hand　with　an　air　of　slightly

embarrassed　surprise；　rested　it　against　his　shoulder；　and　then　with

the　same　hand　and　without　removing　the　other　from　his　pocket；　took

off　his　soft　felt　hat；　showed　a　bullet…hole　in　its　rim；　and

returned　lazily；　〃It's　about　half　an　hour　late；　but　them　Harrisons

reckoned　I　was　fixed　for　'em　and　war　too　narvous　to　draw　a　clear

bead　on　me。〃



The　moment　was　evidently　not　a　felicitous　one　for　the　master's

purpose；　but　he　was　determined　to　go　on。　　He　hesitated　an　instant；

when　his　companion；　who　seemed　to　be　equally　but　more　sluggishly

embarrassed；　in　a　moment　of　preoccupied　perplexity　withdrew　from

his　pocket　his　right　hand　swathed　in　a　blood…stained　bandage；　and

following　some　instinctive　habit；　attempted；　as　if　reflectively；　to

scratch　his　head　with　two　stiffened　fingers。



〃You　are　hurt；〃　said　the　master；　genuinely　shocked；　〃and　here　I　am

detaining　you。〃



〃I　had　my　hand　upso；〃　explained　McKinstry；　with　heavy　deliberation；

〃and　the　ball　raked　off　my　little　finger　after　it　went　through　my

hat。　　But　that　ain't　what　I　wanted　to　say　when　I　stopped　ye。　　I

ain't　just　kam　enough　yet；〃　he　apologized　in　the　calmest　manner；

〃and　I　clean　forgit　myself；〃　he　added　with　perfect　self…possession。

〃But　I　was　kalkilatin'　to　ask　you〃he　laid　his　bandaged　hand

familiarly　on　the　master's　shoulder〃if　Cressy　kem　all　right？〃



〃Perfectly；〃　said　the　master。　　〃But　shan't　I　walk　on　home　with　you；

and　we　can　talk　together　after　your　wound　is　attended　to？〃



〃And　she　looked　purty？〃　continued　McKinstry　without　moving。



〃Very。〃



〃And　you　thought　them　new　store　gownds　of　hers　right　peart？〃



〃Yes；〃　said　the　master。　　〃Perhaps　a　little　too　fine　for　the　school；

you　know；〃　he　added　insinuatingly；　〃and〃



〃Not　for　hernot　for　her；〃　interrupted　McKinstry。　　〃I　reckon

thar's　more　whar　that　cam　from！　　Ye　needn't　fear　but　that　she　kin

keep　up　that　gait　ez　long　ez　Hiram　McKinstry　hez　the　runnin'　of

her。〃



Mr。　Ford　gazed　hopelessly　at　the　hideous　ranch　in　the　distance；　at

the　sky；　and　the　trail　before　him；　then　his　glance　fell　upon　the

hand　still　upon　his　shoulder；　and　he　struggled　with　a　final　effort。

〃At　another　time　I'd　like　to　have　a　long　talk　with　you　about　your

daughter；　Mr。　McKinstry。〃



〃Talk　on；〃　said　McKinstry；　putting　his　wounded　hand　through　the

master's　arm。　　〃I　admire　to　hear　you。　　You're　that　kam；　it　does　me

good。〃



Nevertheless　the　master　was　conscious　that　his　own　arm　was　scarcely

as　firm　as　his　companion's。　　It　was　however　useless　to　draw　back

now；　and　with　as　much　tact　as　he　could　command　he　relieved　his　mind

of　its　purpose。　　Addressing　the　obtruding　bandage　before　him；　he

dwelt　upon　Cressy'