tales of trail and town-第42节

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consistent　with　the　still　lingering　summer　and　the　heated　odors　of

the　pines；　but　were　strangely　incongruous　to　those　white　patches　on

the　table…land　and　the　white　tongue　stretching　from　the　ridge　to

the　valley。　　But　the　master　was　familiar　with　those　Sierran

contrasts；　and　as　he　had　never　ascended　the　trail　before；　it　might

be　only　the　usual　prospect　of　the　dwellers　there。　　At　this　moment

Mr。　Tribbs　appeared　from　the　cabin；　with　his　axe　on　his　shoulder。

Nodding　carelessly　to　the　master；　he　was　moving　away；　when　the

latter　stopped　him。



〃Is　Jackson　here？〃　he　asked。



〃No；〃　said　the　father；　half　impatiently；　still　moving　on。　　〃Hain't

seen　him　since　yesterday。〃



〃Nor　has　he　been　at　school；〃　said　the　master；　〃either　yesterday　or

to…day。〃



Mr。　Tribbs　looked　puzzled　and　grieved。　　〃Now　I　reckoned　you　had

kep'　him　in　for　some　devilment　of　his'n；　or　lessons。〃



〃Not　ALL　NIGHT！〃　said　the　master；　somewhat　indignant　at　this

presumption　of　his　arbitrary　functions。



〃Humph！〃　said　Mr。　Tribbs。　　〃Mariar！〃　　Mrs。　Tribbs　made　her

appearance　in　the　doorway。　　〃The　schoolmaster　allows　that　Jackson

ain't　bin　to　school　at　all。〃　　Then；　turning　to　the　master；　he

added；　〃Thar！　you　settle　it　between　ye；〃　and　quietly　walked　away。



Mrs。　Tribbs　looked　by　no　means　satisfied　with　or　interested　in　the

proposed　tete…a…tete。　　〃Hev　ye　looked　in　the　bresh〃　（i。　e。；　brush

or　underwood）　〃for　him？〃　she　said　querulously。



〃No；〃　said　the　master；　〃I　came　here　first。　　There　are　two　other

boys　missing；Providence　Smith　and　Julian　Fleming。　　Did　either　of

them〃



But　Mrs。　Tribbs　had　interrupted　him　with　a　gesture　of　impatient

relief。　　〃Oh；　that's　all；　is　it？　　Playin'　hookey　together；　in

course。　　'Scuse　me；　I　must　go　back　to　my　bakin'。〃　　She　turned　away；

but　stopped　suddenly；　touched；　as　the　master　fondly　believed；　by

some　tardy　maternal　solicitude。　　But　she　only　said：　〃When　he　DOES

come　back；　you　just　give　him　a　whalin'；　will　ye？〃　and　vanished　into

her　kitchen。



The　master　rode　away；　half　ashamed　of　his　foolish　concern　for　the

derelicts。　　But　he　determined　to　try　Smith's　father；　who　owned　a

small　rancho　lower　down　on　a　spur　of　the　same　ridge。　　But　the　spur

was　really　nearer　Hemlock　Hill；　and　could　have　been　reached　more

directly　by　a　road　from　there。　　He；　however；　kept　along　the　ridge；

and　after　half　an　hour's　ride　was　convinced　that　Jackson　Tribbs

could　have　communicated　with　Provy　Smith　without　coming　nearer

Hemlock　Hill；　and　this　revived　his　former　belief　that　they　were

together。　　He　found　the　paternal　Smith　engaged　in　hoeing　potatoes

in　a　stony　field。　　The　look　of　languid　curiosity　with　which　he　had

regarded　the　approach　of　the　master　changed　to　one　of　equally

languid　aggression　as　he　learned　the　object　of　his　visit。



〃Wot　are　ye　comin'　to　ME　for？　　I　ain't　runnin'　your　school；〃　he

said　slowly　and　aggressively。　　〃I　started　Providence　all　right　for

it　mornin'　afore　last；　since　when　I　never　set　eyes　on　him。　　That

lets　ME　out。　　My　business；　young　feller；　is　lookin'　arter　the

ranch。　　Yours；　I　reckon；　is　lookin'　arter　your　scholars。〃



〃I　thought　it　my　business　to　tell　you　your　son　was　absent　from

school；〃　said　the　master　coldly；　turning　away。　　〃If　you　are

satisfied；　I　have　nothing　more　to　say。〃　　Nevertheless；　for　the

moment　he　was　so　startled　by　this　remarkable　theory　of　his　own

responsibility　in　the　case　that　he　quite　accepted　the　father's

callousness；or　rather　it　seemed　to　him　that　his　unfortunate

charges　more　than　ever　needed　his　protection。　　There　was　still　the

chance　of　his　hearing　some　news　from　Julian　Fleming's　father；　he

lived　at　some　distance；　in　the　valley　on　the　opposite　side　of

Hemlock　Hill；　and　thither　the　master　made　his　way。　　Luckily　he　had

not　gone　far　before　he　met　Mr。　Fleming；　who　was　a　teamster；　en

route。　　Like　the　fathers　of　the　other　truants；　he　was　also　engaged

in　his　vocation。　　But；　unlike　the　others；　Fleming　senior　was　jovial

and　talkative。　　He　pulled　up　his　long　team　promptly；　received　the

master's　news　with　amused　interest；　and　an　invitation　to　spirituous

refreshment　from　a　demijohn　in　his　wagon。



〃Me　and　the　ole　woman　kind　o'　spekilated　that　Jule　might　hev　been

over　with　Aunt　Marthy；　but　don't　you　worry；　Mr。　Schoolmaster。

They're　limbs；　every　one　o'　them；　but　they'll　fetch　up　somewhere；

all　square！　　Just　you　put　two　fingers　o'　that　corn　juice　inside　ye；

and　let　'em　slide。　　Ye　didn't　hear　what　the　'lekshun　news　was　when

ye　was　at　Smith's；　did　ye？〃



The　master　had　not　inquired。　　He　confessed　he　had　been　worried

about　the　boys。　　He　had　even　thought　that　Julian　might　have　met

with　an　accident。



Mr。　Fleming　wiped　his　mouth；　with　a　humorous　affectation　of

concern。　　〃Met　with　an　ACCIDENT？　　Yes；　I　reckon　not　ONE　accident；

but　TWO　of　'em。　　These　yer　accidents　Jule's　met　with　had　two　legs；

and　were　mighty　lively　accidents；　you　bet；　and　took　him　off　with

'em；　or　mebbe　they　had　four　legs；　and　he's　huntin'　'em　yet。

Accidents！　　Now　I　never　thought　o'　that！　　Well；　when　you　come

across　him　and　THEM　ACCIDENTS；　you　just　whale　'em；　all　three！　　And

ye　won't　take　another　drink？　　Well；　so　long；　then！　　Gee　up！〃　　He

rolled　away；　with　a　laugh；　in　the　heavy　dust　kicked　up　by　his

plunging　mules；　and　the　master　made　his　way　back　to　the　schoolhouse。

His　quest　for　that　day　was　ended。



But　the　next　morning　he　was　both　astounded　and　relieved；　at　the

assembling　of　school；　to　find　the　three　truants　back　in　their

places。　　His　urgent　questioning　of　them　brought　only　the　one　and

same　response　from　each：　〃Got　lost　on　the　ridge。〃　　He　further

gathered　that　they　had　slept　out　for　two　nights；　and　were　together

all　the　time；　but　nothing　further；　and　no　details　were　given。　　The

master　was　puzzled。　　They　evidently　expected　punishment；　that　was

no　doubt　also　the　wish　of　their　parents；　but　if　their　story　was

true；　it　was　a　serious　question　if　he　ought　to　inflict　it。　　There

was　no　means　of　testing　their　statement；　there　was　equally　none　by

which　he　could　controvert　it。　　It　was　evident　that　the　whole　school

accepted　it　without　doubt；　whether　they　were　in　possession　of

details　gained　from　the　truants　themselves　which　they　had　withheld

from　him；　or　whether　from　some　larger　complicity　with　the　culprits；

he　could　not　say。　　He　told　them　gravely　that　he　should　withhold

equally　their　punishment　and　their　pardon　until　he　could　satisfy

himself　of　their　veracity；　and　that　there　had　been　no　premeditation

in　their　act。　　They　seemed　relieved；　but　here；　again；　he　could　not

tell　whether　it　sprang　from　confidence　in　their　own　integrity　or

merely　from　youthful　hopefulness　that　delayed　retribution　never

arrived！



It　was　a　month　before　their　secret　was　fully　disclosed。　　It　was

slowly　evolved　from　corroborating　circumstances；　but　always　with　a

shy　reluctance　from　the　boys　themselves；　and　a　surprise　that　any

one　should　think　it　of　importance。　　It　was　gathered　partly　from

details　picked　up　at　recess　or　on　the　playground；　from　the

voluntary　testimony　of　teamsters　and　packers；　from　a　record　in　the

county　newspaper；　but　always　shaping　itself　into　a　consecutive　and

harmonious　narrative。



It　was　a　story　so　replete　with　marvelous　escape　and　adventure　that

the　master　hesitated　to　accept　it　in　its　entirety　until　after　it

had　long　become　a　familiar　history；　and　was　even　forgotten　by　the

actors　themselves。　　And　even　now　he　transcribes　it　more　from　the

circumstances　that　surrounded　it　than　from　a　hope　that　the　story

will　be　believed。





　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　WHAT　HAPPENED



Master　Provy　Smith　had　started　out　that　eventful　morning　with　the

intention　of　fighting　Master　Jackson　Tribbs　for　the　〃Kingship〃　of

Table　Ridgea　trifling　territory　of　ten　leagues　squareTribbs

having　infringed　on　his　boundaries　and　claimed　absolute　sovereignty

over　the　whole　mountain　range。　　Julian　Fleming　was　present　as

referee　and　bottle…holder。　　The　battle　ground　selected　was　the

highest　part　of　the　ridge。　　The　hour　was　six　o'clock；　which　would

allow　them　time　to　reach　school　before　its　opening；　with　all　traces

of　their　conflict　removed。　　The　air　was　crisp　and　cold；a　trifle

colder　than　usual；and　there　was　a　singular　thickening　of　the

sun's　rays　on　the　ridge；　which　made　the　distant　peaks　indistinct

and　ghostlike。　　However；　the　two　combatants　stripped　〃to　the　buff；〃

and　Fleming　patronizingly　took　position　at　the　〃corner；〃　leaning

upon　a　rifle；　which；　by　reason　of　his　superior　years；　and　the

wilderness　he　was　obliged　to　traverse　in　going　to　school；　his

father　had　lent　him　to　carry。　　It　was　that　day　a　providential

weapon。



Suddenly；　Fleming　uttered　the　word；　〃Sho！〃　　The　two　combatants

paused　in　their　first　〃squaring　off〃　to　see；　to　their　surprise；

that　their　referee　had　faced　round；　with　his　gun　in　his　hand；　and

was　staring　in　another　direction。



〃B'ar！〃　shouted　the　three　voices　together。　　A　huge　bear；　followed

by　its　cubs；　was　seen　stumbling　awkwardly　away　to　the　right；　making