a charmed life-第3节

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sepulchres。　　They　faced　a　grass…grown　plaza；　in　the　centre　of　which
stood　a　great　wooden　cross。　　At　one　corner　of　the　village　was　a
corral；　and　in　it　many　ponies。　　At　the　sight　Chesterton　gave　a　cry
of　relief。　　A　light　showed　through　the　closed　shutters　of　the　inn；
and　when　he　beat　with　his　whip　upon　the　door；　from　the　adobe　houses
other　lights　shone；　and　white…clad　figures　appeared　in　the
moonlight。　　The　landlord　of　the　inn　was　a　Spaniard；　fat　and
prosperous…looking；　but　for　the　moment　his　face　was　eloquent　with
such　distress　and　misery　that　the　heart　of　the　young　man；　who　was
at　peace　with　all　the　world；　went　instantly　out　to　him。　　The
Spaniard　was　less　sympathetic。　　When　he　saw　the　khaki　suit　and　the
campaign　hat　he　scowled；　and　ungraciously　would　have　closed　the
door。　　Chesterton；　apologizing；　pushed　it　open。　　His　pony；　he
explained；　had　gone　lame；　and　he　must　have　another；　and　at　once。
The　landlord　shrugged　his　shoulders。　　These　were　war　times；　he
said；　and　the　American　officer　could　take　what　he　liked。　　They　in
Caguan　were　noncombatants　and　could　not　protest。　　Chesterton
hastened　to　reassure　him。　　The　war；　he　announced；　was　over；　and
were　it　not；　he　was　no　officer　to　issue　requisitions。　　He　intended
to　pay　for　the　pony。　　He　unbuckled　his　belt　and　poured　upon　the
table　a　handful　of　Spanish　doubloons。　　The　landlord　lowered　the
candle　and　silently　counted　the　gold　pieces；　and　then　calling　to
him　two　of　his　fellow…villagers；　crossed　the　tiny　plaza　and　entered
the　corral。

〃The　American　pig；〃　he　whispered；　〃wishes　to　buy　a　pony。　　He　tells
me　the　war　is　over；　that　Spain　has　surrendered。　　We　know　that　must
be　a　lie。　　It　is　more　probable　he　is　a　deserter。　　He　claims　he　is　a
civilian；　but　that　also　is　a　lie；　for　he　is　in　uniform。　　You；　Paul；
sell　him　your　pony；　and　then　wait　for　him　at　the　first　turn　in　the
trail；　and　take　it　from　him。〃

〃He　is　armed；〃　protested　the　one　called　Paul。

〃You　must　not　give　him　time　to　draw　his　revolver；〃　ordered　the
landlord。　　〃You　and　Pedro　will　shoot　him　from　the　shadow。　　He　is
our　country's　enemy；　and　it　will　be　in　a　good　cause。　　And　he　may
carry　despatches。　　If　we　take　them　to　the　commandante　at　Mayaguez
he　will　reward　us。〃

〃And　the　gold　pieces？〃　demanded　the　one　called　Paul。

〃We　will　divide　them　in　three　parts；〃　said　the　landlord。

In　the　front　of　the　inn；　surrounded　by　a　ghostlike　group　that　spoke
its　suspicions；　Chesterton　was　lifting　his　saddle　from　El　Capitan
and　rubbing　the　lame　foreleg。　　It　was　not　a　serious　sprain。　　A　week
would　set　it　right；　but　for　that　night　the　pony　was　useless。
Impatiently；　Chesterton　called　across　the　plaza；　begging　the
landlord　to　make　haste。　　He　was　eager　to　be　gone；　alarmed　and
fearful　lest　even　this　slight　delay　should　cause　him　to　miss　the
transport。　　The　thought　was　intolerable。　　But　he　was　also　acutely
conscious　that　he　was　very　hungry；　and　he　was　too　old　a　campaigner
to　scoff　at　hunger。　　With　the　hope　that　he　could　find　something　to
carry　with　him　and　eat　as　he　rode　forward；　he　entered　the　inn。

The　main　room　of　the　house　was　now　in　darkness；　but　a　smaller　room
adjoining　it　was　lit　by　candles；　and　by　a　tiny　taper　floating
before　a　crucifix。　　In　the　light　of　the　candles　Chesterton　made　out
a　bed；　a　priest　bending　over　it；　a　woman　kneeling　beside　it；　and
upon　the　bed　the　little　figure　of　a　boy　who　tossed　and　moaned。　　As
Chesterton　halted　and　waited　hesitating；　the　priest　strode　past
him；　and　in　a　voice　dull　and　flat　with　grief　and　weariness；　ordered
those　at　the　door　to　bring　the　landlord　quickly。　　As　one　of　the
group　leaped　toward　the　corral；　the　priest　said　to　the　others：
〃There　is　another　attack。　　I　have　lost　hope。〃

Chesterton　advanced　and　asked　if　he　could　be　of　service。　　The
priest　shook　his　head。　　The　child；　he　said；　was　the　only　son　of　the
landlord；　and　much　beloved　by　him；　and　by　all　the　village。　　He　was
now　in　the　third　week　of　typhoid　fever　and　the　period　of
hemorrhages。　　Unless　they　could　be　checked；　the　boy　would　die；　and
the　priest；　who　for　many　miles　of　mountain　and　forest　was　also　the
only　doctor；　had　exhausted　his　store　of　simple　medicines。

〃Nothing　can　stop　the　hemorrhage；〃　he　protested　wearily；　〃but　the
strongest　of　drugs。　　And　I　have　nothing！〃

Chesterton　bethought　him　of　the　medicine　case　Miss　Armitage　had
forced　upon　him。　　〃I　have　given　opium　to　the　men　for　dysentery；〃　he
said。　　〃Would　opium　help　you？〃

The　priest　sprang　at　him　and　pushed　him　out　of　the　door　and　toward
the　saddle…bags。

〃My　children；〃　he　cried；　to　the　silent　group　in　the　plaza；　〃God　has
sent　a　miracle！〃

After　an　hour　at　the　bedside　the　priest　said；　〃He　will　live；〃　and
knelt；　and　the　mother　of　the　boy　and　the　villagers　knelt　with　him。
When　Chesterton　raised　his　eyes；　he　found　that　the　landlord；　who
had　been　silently　watching　while　the　two　men　struggled　with　death
for　the　life　of　his　son；　had　disappeared。　　But　he　heard；　leaving
the　village　along　the　trail　to　Mayaguez；　the　sudden　clatter　of　a
pony's　hoofs。　　It　moved　like　a　thing　driven　with　fear。

The　priest　strode　out　into　the　moonlight。　　In　the　recovery　of　the
child　he　saw　only　a　demonstration　of　the　efficacy　of　prayer；　and　he
could　not　too　quickly　bring　home　the　lesson　to　his　parishioners。
Amid　their　murmurs　of　wonder　and　gratitude　Chesterton　rode　away。
To　the　kindly　care　of　the　priest　he　bequeathed　El　Capitan。　　With
him；　also；　he　left　the　gold　pieces　which　were　to　pay　for　the　fresh
pony。

A　quarter　of　a　mile　outside　the　village　three　white　figures
confronted　him。　　Two　who　stood　apart　in　the　shadow　shrank　from
observation；　but　the　landlord；　seated　bareback　upon　a　pony　that
from　some　late　exertion　was　breathing　heavily；　called　to　him　to
halt。

〃In　the　fashion　of　my　country；〃　he　began　grandiloquently；　〃we　have
come　this　far　to　wish　you　God　speed　upon　your　journey。〃　　In　the
fashion　of　the　American　he　seized　Chesterton　by　the　hand。　　〃I　thank
you；　senor；〃　he　murmured。

〃Not　me；〃　returned　Chesterton。　　〃But　the　one　who　made　me　'pack'
that　medicine　chest。　　Thank　her；　for　to…night　I　think　it　saved　a
life。〃

The　Spaniard　regarded　him　curiously；　fixing　him　with　his　eyes　as
though　deep　in　consideration。　　At　last　he　smiled　gravely。

〃You　are　right；〃　he　said。　　〃Let　us　both　remember　her　in　our
prayers。〃

As　Chesterton　rode　away　the　words　remained　gratefully　in　his　memory
and　filled　him　with　pleasant　thoughts。　　〃The　world；〃　he　mused；　〃is
full　of　just　such　kind　and　gentle　souls。〃


After　an　interminable　delay　he　reached　Newport；　and　they　escaped
from　the　others；　and　Miss　Armitage　and　he　ran　down　the　lawn　to　the
rocks；　and　stood　with　the　waves　whispering　at　their　feet。

It　was　the　moment　for　which　each　had　so　often　longed；　with　which
both　had　so　often　tortured　themselves　by　living　in　imagination；
that　now；　that　it　was　theirs；　they　were　fearful　it　might　not　be
true。

Finally；　he　said：　〃And　the　charm　never　failed！　　Indeed；　it　was
wonderful！　　It　stood　by　me　so　obviously。　　For　instance；　the　night
before　San　Juan；　in　the　mill　at　El　Poso；　I　slept　on　the　same　poncho
with　another　correspondent。　　I　woke　up　with　a　raging　appetite　for
bacon　and　coffee；　and　he　woke　up　out　of　his　mind；　and　with　a
temperature　of　one　hundred　and　four。　　And　again；　I　was　standing　by
Capron's　gun　at　El　Caney；　when　a　shell　took　the　three　men　who
served　it；　and　only　scared　ME。　　And　there　was　another　time〃　　He
stopped。　　〃Anyway；〃　he　laughed；　〃here　I　am。〃

〃But　there　was　one　night；　one　awful　night；〃　began　the　girl。　　She
trembled；　and　he　made　this　an　added　excuse　for　drawing　her　closer
to　him。　　〃When　I　felt　you　were　in　great　peril；　that　you　would
surely　die。　　And　all　through　the　night　I　knelt　by　the　window　and
looked　toward　Cuba　and　prayed；　and　prayed　to　God　to　let　you　live。〃

Chesterton　bent　his　head　and　kissed　the　tips　of　her　fingers。　　After
a　moment　he　said：　〃Would　you　know　what　night　it　was？　　It　might　be
curious　if　I　had　been〃

〃Would　I　know！〃　cried　the　girl。　　〃It　was　eight　days　ago。　　The　night
of　the　twelfth。　　An　awful　night！〃

〃The　twelfth！〃　exclaimed　Chesterton；　and　laughed　and　then　begged
her　pardon　humbly。　　〃I　laughed　because　the　twelfth；〃　he　exclaimed；
〃was　the　night　peace　was　declared。　　The　war　was　over。　　I'm　sorry；
but　THAT　night　I　was　riding　toward　you；　thinking　only　of　you。　　I
was　never　for　a　moment　in　danger。〃






End