the red one-第8节

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！



be　able　to　trust；　and　I've　read　you've　done　some　tall　skylarking

yourself　in　out…of…the…way　places。　　I've　been　browsing　around　with

an　eye　open　for　some　one　to　go　in　with　me　on　the　proposition。〃



〃You　can　trust　me；〃　I　said。



And　here　I　am；　blazing　out　into　print　with　the　whole　story　just　as

he　told　it　to　me　as　we　sat　on　a　bench　by　the　lagoon　before　the

Palace　of　Fine　Arts　with　the　cries　of　the　sea　gulls　in　our　ears。

Well；　he　should　have　kept　his　appointment　with　me。　　But　I

anticipate。



As　we　started　to　leave　the　building　and　hunt　for　a　seat；　a　small

woman；　possibly　thirty　years　of　age；　with　a　washed…out　complexion

of　the　farmer's　wife　sort；　darted　up　to　him　in　a　bird…like　way；　for

all　the　world　like　the　darting　veering　gulls　over　our　heads　and

fastened　herself　to　his　arm　with　the　accuracy　and　dispatch　and

inevitableness　of　a　piece　of　machinery。



〃There　you　go！〃　she　shrilled。　　〃A…trottin'　right　off　and　never

givin'　me　a　thought。〃



I　was　formally　introduced　to　her。　　It　was　patent　that　she　had　never

heard　of　me；　and　she　surveyed　me　bleakly　with　shrewd　black　eyes；

set　close　together　and　as　beady　and　restless　as　a　bird's。



〃You　ain't　goin'　to　tell　him　about　that　hussy？〃　she　complained。



〃Well；　now；　Sarah；　this　is　business；　you　see；〃　he　argued

plaintively。　　〃I've　been　lookin'　for　a　likely　man　this　long　while；

and　now　that　he's　shown　up　it　seems　to　me　I　got　a　right　to　give　him

the　hang　of　what　happened。〃



The　small　woman　made　no　reply；　but　set　her　thin　lips　in　a　needle…

like　line。　　She　gazed　straight　before　her　at　the　Tower　of　Jewels

with　so　austere　an　expression　that　no　glint　of　refracted　sunlight

could　soften　it。　　We　proceeded　slowly　to　the　lagoon；　managed　to

obtain　an　unoccupied　seat；　and　sat　down　with　mutual　sighs　of　relief

as　we　released　our　weights　from　our　tortured　sightseeing　feet。



〃One　does　get　so　mortal　weary；〃　asserted　the　small　woman；　almost

defiantly。



Two　swans　waddled　up　from　the　mirroring　water　and　investigated　us。

When　their　suspicions　of　our　niggardliness　or　lack　of　peanuts　had

been　confirmed；　Jones　half…turned　his　back　on　his　life…partner　and

gave　me　his　story。



〃Ever　been　in　Ecuador？　　Then　take　my　advice　…　and　don't。　　Though　I

take　that　back；　for　you　and　me　might　be　hitting　it　for　there

together　if　you　can　rustle　up　the　faith　in　me　and　the　backbone　in

yourself　for　the　trip。　　Well；　anyway；　it　ain't　so　many　years　ago

that　I　came　ambling　in　there　on　a　rusty；　foul…bottomed；　tramp

collier　from　Australia；　forty…three　days　from　land　to　land。　　Seven

knots　was　her　speed　when　everything　favoured；　and　we'd　had　a　two

weeks'　gale　to　the　north'ard　of　New　Zealand；　and　broke　our　engines

down　for　two　days　off　Pitcairn　Island。



〃I　was　no　sailor　on　her。　　I'm　a　locomotive　engineer。　　But　I'd　made

friends　with　the　skipper　at　Newcastle　an'　come　along　as　his　guest

for　as　far　as　Guayaquil。　　You　see；　I'd　heard　wages　was　'way　up　on

the　American　railroad　runnin'　from　that　place　over　the　Andes　to

Quito。　　Now　Guayaquil　…　〃



〃Is　a　fever…hole；〃　I　interpolated。



Julian　Jones　nodded。



〃Thomas　Nast　died　there　of　it　within　a　month　after　he　landed。　…　He

was　our　great　American　cartoonist；〃　I　added。



〃Don't　know　him；〃　Julian　Jones　said　shortly。　　〃But　I　do　know　he

wasn't　the　first　to　pass　out　by　a　long　shot。　　Why；　look　you　the　way

I　found　it。　　The　pilot　grounds　is　sixty　miles　down　the　river。

'How's　the　fever？'　said　I　to　the　pilot　who　came　aboard　in　the　early

morning。　　'See　that　Hamburg　barque；'　said　he；　pointing　to　a　sizable

ship　at　anchor。　　'Captain　and　fourteen　men　dead　of　it　already；　and

the　cook　and　two　men　dying　right　now；　and　they're　the　last　left　of

her。'



〃And　by　jinks　he　told　the　truth。　　And　right　then　they　were　dying

forty　a　day　in　Guayaquil　of　Yellow　Jack。　　But　that　was　nothing；　as

I　was　to　find　out。　　Bubonic　plague　and　small…pox　were　raging；　while

dysentery　and　pneumonia　were　reducing　the　population；　and　the

railroad　was　raging　worst　of　all。　　I　mean　that。　　For　them　that

insisted　in　riding　on　it；　it　was　more　dangerous　than　all　the　other

diseases　put　together。



〃When　we　dropped　anchor　off　Guayaquil　half　a　dozen　skippers　from

other　steamers　came　on　board　to　warn　our　skipper　not　to　let　any　of

his　crew　or　officers　go　ashore　except　the　ones　he　wanted　to　lose。

A　launch　came　off　for　me　from　Duran；　which　is　on　the　other　side　of

the　river　and　is　the　terminal　of　the　railroad。　　And　it　brought　off

a　man　that　soared　up　the　gangway　three　jumps　at　a　time　he　was　that

eager　to　get　aboard。　　When　he　hit　the　deck　he　hadn't　time　to　speak

to　any　of　us。　　He　just　leaned　out　over　the　rail　and　shook　his　fist

at　Duran　and　shouted：　　'I　beat　you　to　it！　　I　beat　you　to　it！'



〃'Who'd　you　beat　to　it；　friend？'　I　asked。　　'The　railroad；'　he　said；

as　he　unbuckled　the　straps　and　took　off　a　big　'44　Colt's　automatic

from　where　he　wore　it　handy　on　his　left　side　under　his　coat；　'I

staved　as　long　as　I　agreed　…　three　months　…　and　it　didn't　get　me。

I　was　a　conductor。'



〃And　that　was　the　railroad　I　was　to　work　for。　　All　of　which　was

nothing　to　what　he　told　me　in　the　next　few　minutes。　　The　road　ran

from　sea　level　at　Duran　up　to　twelve　thousand　feet　on　Chimborazo

and　down　to　ten　thousand　at　Quito　on　the　other　side　the　range。　　And

it　was　so　dangerous　that　the　trains　didn't　run　nights。　　The　through

passengers　had　to　get　off　and　sleep　in　the　towns　at　night　while　the

train　waited　for　daylight。　　And　each　train　carried　a　guard　of

Ecuadoriano　soldiers　which　was　the　most　dangerous　of　all。　　They

were　supposed　to　protect　the　train　crews；　but　whenever　trouble

started　they　unlimbered　their　rifles　and　joined　the　mob。　　You　see；

whenever　a　train　wreck　occurred；　the　first　cry　of　the　spiggoties

was　'Kill　the　Gringos！'　　They　always　did　that；　and　proceeded　to

kill　the　train　crew　and　whatever　chance　Gringo　passengers　that'd

escaped　being　killed　in　the　accident。　　Which　is　their　kind　of

arithmetic；　which　I　told　you　a　while　back　as　being　different　from

ours。



〃Shucks！　　Before　the　day　was　out　I　was　to　find　out　for　myself　that

that　ex…conductor　wasn't　lying。　　It　was　over　at　Duran。　　I　was　to

take　my　run　on　the　first　division　out　to　Quito；　for　which　place　I

was　to　start　next　morning　…　only　one　through　train　running　every

twenty…four　hours。　　It　was　the　afternoon　of　my　first　day；　along

about　four　o'clock；　when　the　boilers　of　the　GOVERNOR　HANCOCK

exploded　and　she　sank　in　sixty　feet　of　water　alongside　the　dock。

She　was　the　big　ferry　boat　that　carried　the　railroad　passengers

across　the　river　to　Guayaquil。　　It　was　a　bad　accident；　but　it　was

the　cause　of　worse　that　followed。　　By　half…past　four；　big

trainloads　began　to　arrive。　　It　was　a　feast　day　and　they'd　run　an

excursion　up　country　but　of　Guayaquil；　and　this　was　the　crowd

coming　back。



〃And　the　crowd　…　there　was　five　thousand　of　them　…　wanted　to　get

ferried　across；　and　the　ferry　was　at　the　bottom　of　the　river；　which

wasn't　our　fault。　　But　by　the　Spiggoty　arithmetic；　it　was。　　'Kill

the　Gringos！'　shouts　one　of　them。　　And　right　there　the　beans　were

spilled。　　Most　of　us　got　away　by　the　skin　of　our　teeth。　　I　raced　on

the　heels　of　the　Master　Mechanic；　carrying　one　of　his　babies　for

him；　for　the　locomotives　that　was　just　pulling　out。　　You　see；　way

down　there　away　from　everywhere　they　just　got　to　save　their

locomotives　in　times　of　trouble；　because；　without　them；　a　railroad

can't　be　run。　　Half　a　dozen　American　wives　and　as　many　children

were　crouching　on　the　cab　floors　along　with　the　rest　of　us　when　we

pulled　out；　and　the　Ecuadoriano　soldiers；　who　should　have　been

protecting　our　lives　and　property；　turned　loose　with　their　rifles

and　must　have　given　us　all　of　a　thousand　rounds　before　we　got　out

of　range。



〃We　camped　up　country　and　didn't　come　back　to　clean　up　until　next

day。　　It　was　some　cleaning。　　Every　flat…car；　box…car；　coach；

asthmatic　switch　engine；　and　even　hand…car　that　mob　of　Spiggoties

had　shoved　off　the　dock　into　sixty　feet　of　water　on　top　of　the

GOVERNOR　HANCOCK。　　They'd　burnt　the　round　house；　set　fire　to　the

coal　bunkers；　and　made　a　scandal　of　the　repair　shops。　　Oh；　yes；　and

there　were　three　of　our　fellows　they'd　got　that　we　had　to　bury

mighty　quick。　　It's　hot　weather　all　the　time　down　there。〃



Julian　Jones　came　to　a　full　pause　and　over　his　shoulder　studied　the

straight…before…her　gaze　and　forbidding　expression　of　his　wife's

face。



〃I　ain't　forgotten　the　nugget；〃　he　assured　me。



〃Nor　the　hussy；〃　the　little　woman　snapped；　apparently　at　the　mud…

hens　paddling　on　the　surface　of　the　lagoon。



〃I've　been　travelling　toward　the　nugget　right　along　…　〃



〃There　was　never　no　reason　for　you　to　stay　in　that　dangerous

country；〃　his　wife　snapped　in　on　him。



〃Now；　Sarah；〃　he　appealed。　　〃I　was　working　for　you　right　along。〃

And　to　me　he　explained：　　〃The　risk　was　big；　but　so　was　the　pay。

Some　months　I　earned　as　high　as　five　hundred　gold。　　And　here　was

Sarah　waiting　for　me　back