the three partners-第29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！


If　you　cannot　attend　to　me　now；　why　I　will　be　glad　to　accompany　you

and　the　lady　to　the　next　station。　　Of　course；〃　he　added；　with　a

smile；　〃at　a　proper　distance；　and　without　interfering　with　the

lady；　whom　I　am　pleased　to　recognize　as　the　wife　of　an　old　friend。

It　would　be　more　sociable；　perhaps；　if　we　had　some　general

conversation　on　the　road；　it　would　prevent　her　being　alarmed。　　I

might　even　be　of　some　use　to　YOU。　　If　we　are　overtaken　by　her

husband　on　the　road；　for　instance；　I　should　certainly　claim　the

right　to　have　the　first　shot　at　you。　　Boy！〃　he　called　to　the

hostler；　〃just　sponge　out　Pancho's　mouth；　will　you；　to　be　ready

when　the　buggy　goes？〃　　And；　loosening　his　grip　of　Van　Loo's　wrist；

he　turned　away　as　the　other　quickly　entered　the　hotel。



But　Mr。　Van　Loo　did　not　immediately　seek　Mrs。　Barker。　　He　had

already　some　experience　of　that　lady's　nerves　and　irascibility　on

the　drive；　and　had　begun　to　see　his　error　in　taking　so　dangerous　an

impediment　to　his　flight　from　the　country。　　And　another　idea　had

come　to　him。　　He　had　already　effected　his　purpose　of　compromising

her　with　him　in　that　flight；　but　it　was　still　known　only　to　few。

If　he　left　her　behind　for　the　foolish；　doting　husband；　would　not

that　devoted　man　take　her　back　to　avoid　a　scandal；　and　even　forbear

to　pursue　HIM　for　his　financial　irregularities？　　What　were　twenty

thousand　dollars　of　Mrs。　Barker's　money　to　the　scandal　of　Mrs。

Barker's　elopement？　　Again；　the　failure　to　realize　the　forgery　had

left　him　safe；　and　Barker　was　sufficiently　potent　with　the　bank　and

Demorest　to　hush　up　that　also。　　Hamlin　was　now　the　only　obstacle　to

his　flight；　but　even　he　would　scarcely　pursue　HIM　if　Mrs。　Barker

were　left　behind。　　And　it　would　be　easier　to　elude　him　if　he　did。



In　his　preoccupation　Van　Loo　did　not　see　that　he　had　entered　the

bar…room；　but；　finding　himself　there；　he　moved　towards　the　bar；　a

glass　of　spirits　would　revive　him。　　As　he　drank　it　he　saw　that　the

room　was　full　of　rough　men；　apparently　miners　or　packerssome　of

them　Mexican；　with　here　and　there　a　Kanaka　or　Australian。　　Two　men

more　ostentatiously　clad；　though　apparently　on　equal　terms　with　the

others；　were　standing　in　the　corner　with　their　backs　towards　him。

From　the　general　silence　as　he　entered　he　imagined　that　he　had　been

the　subject　of　conversation；　and　that　his　altercation　with　Hamlin

had　been　overheard。　　Suddenly　one　of　the　two　men　turned　and

approached　him。　　To　his　consternation　he　recognized　Steptoe；

Steptoe；　whom　he　had　not　seen　for　five　years　until　last　night；　when

he　had　avoided　him　in　the　courtyard　of　the　Boomville　Hotel。　　His

first　instinct　was　to　retreat；　but　it　was　too　late。　　And　the

spirits　had　warmed　him　into　temporary　recklessness。



〃You　ain't　goin'　to　be　backed　down　by　a　short…card　gambler；　are

yer？〃　said　Steptoe；　with　coarse　familiarity。



〃I　have　a　lady　with　me；　and　am　pressed　for　time；〃　said　Van　Loo

quickly。　　〃He　knows　it；　otherwise　he　would　not　have　dared〃



〃Well；　look　here；〃　said　Steptoe　roughly。　　〃I　ain't　particularly

sweet　on　you；　as　you　know；　but　I　and　these　gentlemen；〃　he　added；

glancing　around　the　room；　〃ain't　particularly　sweet　on　Mr。　Jack

Hamlin　neither；　and　we　kalkilate　to　stand　by　you　if　you　say　so。

Now；　I　reckon　you　want　to　get　away　with　the　woman；　and　the　quicker

the　better；　as　you're　afraid　there'll　be　somebody　after　you　afore

long。　　That's　the　way　it　pans　out；　don't　it？　　Well；　when　you're

ready　to　go；　and　you　just　tip　us　the　wink；　we'll　get　in　a　circle

round　Jack　and　cover　him；　and　if　he　starts　after　you　we'll　send　him

on　a　little　longer　journey！eh；　boys？〃



The　men　muttered　their　approval；　and　one　or　two　drew　their

revolvers　from　their　belts。　　Van　Loo's　heart；　which　had　leaped　at

first　at　this　proposal　of　help；　sank　at　this　failure　of　his　little

plan　of　abandoning　Mrs。　Barker。　　He　hesitated；　and　then　stammered；

〃Thank　you！　　Haste　is　everything　with　us　now；　but　I　shouldn't　mind

leaving　the　lady　among　CHIVALROUS　GENTLEMEN　like　yourselves　for　a

few　hours　only；　until　I　could　communicate　with　my　friends　and

return　to　properly　chastise　this　scoundrel。〃



Steptoe　drew　in　his　breath　with　a　slight　whistle；　and　gazed　at　Van

Loo。　　He　instantly　understood　him。　　But　the　plea　did　not　suit

Steptoe；　who；　for　purposes　of　his　own；　wished　to　put　Mrs。　Barker

beyond　her　husband's　possible　reach。　　He　smiled　grimly。　　〃I　think

you'd　better　take　the　woman　with　you；〃　he　said。　　〃I　don't　think；〃

he　added　in　a　lower　voice；　〃that　the　boys　would　like　your　leaving

her。　　They're　very　high…toned；　they　are！〃　he　concluded　ironically。



〃Then；〃　said　Van　Loo；　with　another　desperate　idea；　〃could　you　not

let　us　have　saddle…horses　instead　of　the　buggy？　　We　could　travel

faster；　and　in　the　event　of　pursuit　and　anything　happening　to　ME；〃

he　added　loftily；　〃SHE　at　least　could　escape　her　pursuer's

vengeance。〃



This　suited　Steptoe　equally　well；　as　long　as　the　guilty　couple　fled

TOGETHER；　and　in　the　presence　of　witnesses。　　But　he　was　not

deceived　by　Van　Loo's　heroic　suggestion　of　self…sacrifice。　　〃Quite

right；〃　he　said　sarcastically；　〃it　shall　be　done；　and　I've　no　doubt

ONE　of　you　will　escape。　　I'll　send　the　horses　round　to　the　back

door　and　keep　the　buggy　in　front。　　That　will　keep　Jack　there；　TOO；

with　the　boys　handy。〃



But　Mr。　Hamlin　had　quite　as　accurate　an　idea　of　Mr。　Van　Loo's

methods　and　of　his　OWN　standing　with　Steptoe's　gang　of　roughs　as

Mr。　Steptoe　himself。　　More　than　that；　he　also　had　a　hold　on　a

smaller　but　more　devoted　and　loyal　following　than　Steptoe's。　　The

employees　and　hostlers　of　the　hotel　worshiped　him。　　A　single　word

of　inquiry　revealed　to　him　the　fact　that　the　buggy　was　NOT　going

on；　but　that　Mr。　Van　Loo　and　Mrs。　Barker　WEREon　two　horses；　a

temporary　side…saddle　having　been　constructed　out　of　a　mule's　pack…

tree。　　At　which　Mr。　Hamlin；　with　his　usual　audacity；　walked　into

the　bar…room；　and　going　to　the　bar　leaned　carelessly　against　it。

Then　turning　to　the　lowering　faces　around　him；　he　said；　with　a

flash　of　his　white　teeth；　〃Well；　boys；　I'm　calculating　to　leave　the

Divide　in　a　few　minutes　to　follow　some　friends　in　the　buggy；　and　it

seems　to　me　only　the　square　thing　to　stand　the　liquor　for　the

crowd；　without　prejudice　to　any　feeling　or　roughness　there　may　be

against　me。　　Everybody　who　knows　me　knows　that　I'm　generally　there

when　the　band　plays；　and　I'm　pretty　sure　to　turn　up　for　THAT　sort

of　thing。　　So　you'll　just　consider　that　I've　had　a　good　game　on　the

Divide；　and　I'm　reckoning　it's　only　fair　to　leave　a　little　of　it

behind　me　here；　to　'sweeten　the　pot'　until　I　call　again。　　I　only

ask　you；　gentlemen；　to　drink　success　to　my　friends　in　the　buggy　as

early　and　as　often　as　you　can。〃　　He　flung　two　gold　pieces　on　the

counter　and　paused；　smiling。



He　was　right　in　his　conjecture。　　Even　the　men　who　would　have

willingly　〃held　him　up〃　a　moment　after；　at　the　bidding　of　Steptoe；

saw　no　reason　for　declining　a　free　drink　〃without　prejudice。〃　　And

it　was　a　part　of　the　irony　of　the　situation　that　Steptoe　and　Van

Loo　were　also　obliged　to　participate　to　keep　in　with　their

partisans。　　It　was；　however；　an　opportune　diversion　to　Van　Loo；　who

managed　to　get　nearer　the　door　leading　to　the　back　entrance　of　the

hotel；　and　to　Mr。　Jack　Hamlin；　who　was　watching　him；　as　the　men

closed　up　to　the　bar。



The　toast　was　drunk　with　acclamation；　followed　by　another　and　yet

another。　　Steptoe　and　Van　Loo；　who　had　kept　their　heads　cool；　were

both　wondering　if　Hamlin's　intention　were　to　intoxicate　and

incapacitate　the　crowd　at　the　crucial　moment；　and　Steptoe　smiled

grimly　over　his　superior　knowledge　of　their　alcoholic　capacity。

But　suddenly　there　was　the　greater　diversion　of　a　shout　from　the

road；　the　on…coming　of　a　cloud　of　red　dust；　and　the　halt　of　another

vehicle　before　the　door。　　This　time　it　was　no　jaded　single　horse

and　dust…stained　buggy；　but　a　double　team　of　four　spirited

trotters；　whose　coats　were　scarcely　turned　with　foam；　before　a

light　station　wagon　containing　a　single　man。　　But　that　man　was

instantly　recognized　by　every　one　of　the　outside　loungers　and

stable…boys　as　well　as　the　staring　crowd　within　the　saloon。　　It　was

James　Stacy；　the　millionaire　and　banker。　　No　one　but　himself　knew

that　he　had　covered　half　the　distance　of　a　night…long　ride　from

Boomville　in　two　hours。　　But　before　they　could　voice　their

astonishment　Stacy　had　thrown　a　letter　to　the　obsequious　landlord；

and　then　gathering　up　the　reins　had　sped　away　to　the　railroad

station　half　a　mile　distant。



〃Looks　as　if　the　Boss　of　Creation　was　in　a　hurry；〃　said　one　of　the

eager　gazers　in　the　doorway。　　〃Somebody　goin'　to　get　smashed；

sure。〃



〃More　like　as　if　he　was　just　humpin'　himself　to　keep　from　getting

smashed；〃　said　Steptoe。　　〃The　bank　hasn't　got　over　the　effect　of

their　smart　deal　in　the　Wheat　Trust。　　Everything　they　had　in　their

hands　tumbled　yesterday　in　Sacramento。　　Men　like　me　and　you　ain't

goin'　to　trust　their　money　to　be　'jockey