tales of trail and town-第28节

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was　soaked　with　rain　and　plastered　with　mud；　he　was　exhausted　and

inarticulate。　　But　as　he　staggered　to　the　witness…bench；　and

elbowed　the　constable　aside；　he　arrested　the　attention　of　every

one。　　A　few　laughed；　but　were　promptly　silenced　by　the　court。　　It

was　a　reflection　upon　its　only　virtue；sincerity。



〃Do　you　know　the　prisoner？〃　asked　the　judge。



Ira　Beasley　glanced　at　the　pale　face　of　the　acrobat；　and　shook　his

head。



〃Never　saw　him　before；〃　he　said　faintly。



〃Then　what　are　you　doing　here？〃　demanded　the　judge　sternly。



Ira　collected　himself　with　evident　effort；　and　rose　to　his　halting

feet。　　First　he　moistened　his　dry　lips；　then　he　said；　slowly　and

distinctly；　〃Because　I　killed　the　deputy　of　Bolinas。〃



With　the　thrill　which　ran　through　the　crowded　room；　and　the　relief

that　seemed　to　come　upon　him　with　that　utterance；　he　gained

strength　and　even　a　certain　dignity。



〃I　killed　him；〃　he　went　on；　turning　his　head　slowly　around　the

circle　of　eager　auditors　with　the　rigidity　of　a　wax　figure；

〃because　he　made　love　to　my　wife。　　I　killed　him　because　he　wanted

to　run　away　with　her。　　I　killed　him　because　I　found　him　waiting　for

her　at　the　door　of　the　barn　at　the　dead　o'　night；　when　she'd　got

outer　bed　to　jine　him。　　He　hadn't　no　gun。　　He　hadn't　no　fight。　　I

killed　him　in　his　tracks。　　That　man；〃　pointing　to　the　prisoner；

〃wasn't　in　it　at　all。〃　　He　stopped；　loosened　his　collar；　and；

baring　his　rugged　throat　below　his　disfigured　ear；　said：　〃Now　take

me　out　and　hang　me！〃



〃What　proof　have　we　of　this？　　Where's　your　wife？　　Does　she

corroborate　it？〃



A　slight　tremor　ran　over　him。



〃She　ran　away　that　night；　and　never　came　back　again。　　Perhaps；〃　he

added　slowly；　〃because　she　loved　him　and　couldn't　bear　me；　perhaps；

as　I've　sometimes　allowed　to　myself；　gentlemen；　it　was　because　she

didn't　want　to　bear　evidence　agin　me。〃



In　the　silence　that　followed　the　prisoner　was　heard　speaking　to　one

that　was　near　him。　　Then　he　rose。　　All　the　audacity　and　confidence

that　the　husband　had　lacked　were　in　HIS　voice。　　Nay；　there　was　even

a　certain　chivalry　in　his　manner　which；　for　the　moment；　the　rascal

really　believed。



〃It's　true！〃　he　said。　　〃After　I　stole　the　horse　to　get　away；　I

found　that　woman　running　wild　down　the　road；　cryin'　and　sobbin'。

At　first　I　thought　she'd　done　the　shooting。　　It　was　a　risky　thing

for　me　to　do；　gentlemen；　but　I　took　her　up　on　the　horse　and　got　her

away　to　Lowville。　　It　was　that　much　dead　weight　agin　my　chances；

but　I　took　it。　　She　was　a　woman　andI　ain't　a　dog！〃



He　was　so　exalted　and　sublimated　by　his　fiction　that　for　the　first

time　the　jury　was　impressed　in　his　favor。　　And　when　Ira　Beasley

limped　across　the　room；　and；　extending　his　maimed　hand　to　the

prisoner；　said；　〃Shake！〃　there　was　another　dead　silence。



It　was　broken　by　the　voice　of　the　judge　addressing　the　constable。



〃What　do　you　know　of　the　deputy's　attentions　to　Mrs。　Beasley？　　Were

they　enough　to　justify　the　husband's　jealousy？　　Did　he　make　love　to

her？〃



The　constable　hesitated。　　He　was　a　narrow　man；　with　a　crude　sense

of　the　principles　rather　than　the　methods　of　justice。　　He

remembered　the　deputy's　admiration；　he　now　remembered；　even　more

strongly；　the　object　of　that　admiration；　simulating　with　her　pretty

arms　the　gestures　of　the　barkeeper；　and　the　delight　it　gave　them。

He　was　loyal　to　his　dead　leader；　but　he　looked　up　and　down；　and

then　said；　slowly　and　half…defiantly：　〃Well；　judge；　he　was　a　MAN。〃



Everybody　laughed。　　That　the　strongest　and　most　magic　of　all　human

passions　should　always　awake　levity　in　any　public　presentment　of　or

allusion　to　it　was　one　of　the　inconsistencies　of　human　nature　which

even　a　lynch　judge　had　to　admit。　　He　made　no　attempt　to　control　the

tittering　of　the　court；　for　he　felt　that　the　element　of　tragedy　was

no　longer　there。　　The　foreman　of　the　jury　arose　and　whispered　to

the　judge　amid　another　silence。　　Then　the　judge　spoke：



〃The　prisoner　and　his　witness　are　both　discharged。　　The　prisoner　to

leave　the　town　within　twenty…four　hours；　the　witness　to　be

conducted　to　his　own　house　at　the　expense　of；　and　with　the　thanks

of；　the　Committee。〃



They　say　that　one　afternoon；　when　a　low　mist　of　rain　had　settled

over　the　sodden　Bolinas　Plain；　a　haggard；　bedraggled；　and　worn…out

woman　stepped　down　from　a　common　〃freighting　wagon〃　before　the

doorway　where　Beasley　still　sat；　that；　coming　forward；　he　caught

her　in　his　arms　and　called　her　〃Sue；〃　and　they　say　that　they　lived

happily　together　ever　afterwards。　　But　they　sayand　this　requires

some　corroborationthat　much　of　that　happiness　was　due　to　Mrs。

Beasley's　keeping　forever　in　her　husband's　mind　her　own　heroic

sacrifice　in　disappearing　as　a　witness　against　him；　her　own

forgiveness　of　his　fruitless　crime；　and　the　gratitude　he　owed　to

the　fugitive。







THE　STRANGE　EXPERIENCE　OF　ALKALI　DICK





He　was　a　〃cowboy。〃　　A　reckless　and　dashing　rider；　yet　mindful　of

his　horse's　needs；　good…humored　by　nature；　but　quick　in　quarrel；

independent　of　circumstance；　yet　shy　and　sensitive　of　opinion；

abstemious　by　education　and　general　habit；　yet　intemperate　in

amusement；　self…centred；　yet　possessed　of　a　childish　vanity；taken

altogether；　a　characteristic　product　of　the　Western　plains；　which

he　never　should　have　left。



But　reckless　adventure　after　adventure　had　brought　him　into

difficulties；　from　which　there　was　only　one　equally　adventurous

escape：　he　joined　a　company　of　Indians　engaged　by　Buffalo　Bill　to

simulate　before　civilized　communities　the　sports　and　customs　of　the

uncivilized。　　In　divers　Christian　arenas　of　the　nineteenth　century

he　rode　as　a　northern　barbarian　of　the　first　might　have　disported

before　the　Roman　populace；　but　harmlessly；　of　his　own　free　will；

and　of　some　little　profit　to　himself。　　He　threw　his　lasso　under　the

curious　eyes　of　languid　men　and　women　of　the　world；　eager　for　some

new　sensation；　with　admiring　plaudits　from　them　and　a　half

contemptuous　egotism　of　his　own。　　But　outside　of　the　arena　he　was

lonely；　lost；　and　impatient　for　excitement。



An　ingenious　attempt　to　〃paint　the　town　red〃　did　not　commend　itself

as　a　spectacle　to　the　householders　who　lived　in　the　vicinity　of

Earl's　Court；　London；　and　Alkali　Dick　was　haled　before　a

respectable　magistrate　by　a　serious　policeman；　and　fined　as　if　he

had　been　only　a　drunken　coster。　　A　later　attempt　at　Paris　to

〃incarnadine〃　the　neighborhood　of　the　Champs　de　Mars；　and　〃round

up〃　a　number　of　boulevardiers；　met　with　a　more　disastrous　result；

the　gleam　of　steel　from　mounted　gendarmes；　and　a　mandate　to　his

employers。



So　it　came　that　one　night；　after　the　conclusion　of　the　performance；

Alkali　Dick　rode　out　of　the　corral　gate　of　the　Hippodrome　with　his

last　week's　salary　in　his　pocket　and　an　imprecation　on　his　lips。

He　had　shaken　the　sawdust　of　the　sham　arena　from　his　high；　tight…

fitting　boots；　he　would　shake　off　the　white　dust　of　France；　and　the

effeminate　soil　of　all　Europe　also；　and　embark　at　once　for　his　own

country　and　the　Far　West！



A　more　practical　and　experienced　man　would　have　sold　his　horse　at

the　nearest　market　and　taken　train　to　Havre；　but　Alkali　Dick　felt

himself　incomplete　on　terra　firma　without　his　mustang；it　would　be

hard　enough　to　part　from　it　on　embarking；and　he　had　determined　to

ride　to　the　seaport。



The　spectacle　of　a　lithe　horseman；　clad　in　a　Rembrandt　sombrero；

velvet　jacket；　turnover　collar；　almost　Van　Dyke　in　its　proportions；

white　trousers　and　high　boots；　with　long　curling　hair　falling　over

his　shoulders；　and　a　pointed　beard　and　mustache；　was　a　picturesque

one；　but　still　not　a　novelty　to　the　late…supping　Parisians　who

looked　up　under　the　midnight　gas　as　he　passed；　and　only　recognized

one　of　those　men　whom　Paris　had　agreed　to　designate　as　〃Booflo…

bils；〃　going　home。



At　three　o'clock　he　pulled　up　at　a　wayside　cabaret；　preferring　it

to　the　publicity　of　a　larger　hotel；　and　lay　there　till　morning。

The　slight　consternation　of　the　cabaret…keeper　and　his　wife　over

this　long…haired　phantom；　with　glittering；　deep…set　eyes；　was

soothed　by　a　royally…flung　gold　coin；　and　a　few　words　of　French

slang　picked　up　in　the　arena；　which；　with　the　name　of　Havre；

comprised　Dick's　whole　knowledge　of　the　language。　　But　he　was

touched　with　their　ready　and　intelligent　comprehension　of　his

needs；　and　their　genial　if　not　so　comprehensive　loquacity。　　Luckily

for　his　quick　temper；　he　did　not　know　that　they　had　taken　him　for　a

traveling　quack…doctor　going　to　the　Fair　of　Yvetot；　and　that　madame

had　been　on　the　point　of　asking　him　for　a　magic　balsam　to　prevent

migraine。



He　was　up　betimes　and　away；　giving　a　wide　berth　to　the　larger　towns；

taking　byways　and　cut…offs；　yet　always　with　the　Western　pathfinder's

instinct；　even　among　these　alien；　poplar…haunted　plains；　low…banked

willow…fringed　rivers；　and　cloverless　meadows。　The　white　sun　shining

everywhere；on　dazzling　arbors；　su