to the last man-第22节

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they　were　clear　and　hard；　just　now　warmed　by　the　dalliance　of　the
moment；　but　there　was　no　light；　no　intelligence　in　them　to　prove　he
understood　her。　　The　instant　separated　Ellen　immeasurably　from　him
and　from　all　of　his　ilk。

〃Daggs；　I　was　a　child；〃　she　said。　　〃I　was　lonelyhungry　for　affection
I　was　innocent。　　Then　I　was　careless；　too；　and　thoughtless　when　I
should　have　known　better。　　But　I　hardly　understood　y'u　men。　　I　put
such　thoughts　out　of　my　mind。　　I　know　nowknow　what　y'u　meanwhat
y'u　have　made　people　believe　I　am。〃

〃Ahuh！　　Shore　I　get　your　hunch；〃　he　returned；　with　a　change　of　tone。
〃But　I　asked　you　to　marry　me？〃

〃Yes　y'u　did。　　The　first　day　y'u　got　heah　to　my　dad's　house。　　And　y'u
asked　me　to　marry　y'u　after　y'u　found　y'u　couldn't　have　your　way　with　me。
To　y'u　the　one　didn't　mean　any　more　than　the　other。〃

〃Shore　I　did　more　than　Simm　Bruce　an'　Colter；〃　he　retorted。
〃They　never　asked　you　to　marry。〃

〃No；　they　didn't。　　And　if　I　could　respect　them　at　all　I'd　do　it
because　they　didn't　ask　me。〃

〃Wal；　I'll　be　dog…goned！〃　ejaculated　Daggs；　thoughtfully；　as　he
stroked　his　long　mustache。

〃I'll　say　to　them　what　I've　said　to　y'u；〃　went　on　Ellen。　　〃I'll　tell
dad　to　make　y'u　let　me　alone。　　I　wouldn't　marry　one　of　y'uy'u　loafers
to　save　my　life。　　I've　my　suspicions　about　y'u。　　Y'u're　a　bad　lot。〃

Daggs　changed　subtly。　　The　whole　indolent　nonchalance　of　the　man
vanished　in　an　instant。

〃Wal；　Miss　Jorth；　I　reckon　you　mean　we're　a　bad　lot　of　sheepmen？〃　he
queried；　in　the　cool；　easy　speech　of　a　Texan。

〃No；〃　flashed　Ellen。　　〃Shore　I　don't　say　sheepmen。　　I　say　y'u're　a　BAD　LOT。〃

〃Oh；　the　hell　you　say！〃　　Daggs　spoke　as　he　might　have　spoken　to　a　man；
then　turning　swiftly　on　his　heel　he　left　her。　　Outside　he　encountered
Ellen's　father。　　She　heard　Daggs　speak：　〃Lee；　your　little　wildcat　is
shore　heah。　　An'　take　mah　hunch。　　Somebody　has　been　talkin'　to　her。〃

〃Who　has？〃　asked　her　father；　in　his　husky　voice。　　Ellen　knew　at　once
that　he　had　been　drinking。

〃Lord　only　knows；〃　replied　Daggs。　　〃But　shore　it　wasn't　any　friends
of　ours。〃

〃We　cain't　stop　people's　tongues；〃　said　Jorth；　resignedly

〃Wal；　I　ain't　so　shore；〃　continued　Daggs；　with　his　slow；　cool　laugh。
〃Reckon　I　never　yet　heard　any　daid　men's　tongues　wag。〃

Then　the　musical　tinkle　of　his　spurs　sounded　fainter。　　A　moment　later
Ellen's　father　entered　the　cabin。　　His　dark；　moody　face　brightened　at
sight　of　her。　　Ellen　knew　she　was　the　only　person　in　the　world　left　for
him　to　love。　　And　she　was　sure　of　his　love。　　Her　very　presence　always
made　him　different。　　And　through　the　years；　the　darker　their　misfortunes；
the　farther　he　slipped　away　from　better　days；　the　more　she　loved　him。

〃Hello；　my　Ellen！〃　he　said；　and　he　embraced　her。　　When　he　had　been
drinking　he　never　kissed　her。　　〃Shore　I'm　glad　you're　home。　　This　heah
hole　is　bad　enough　any　time；　but　when　you're　gone　it's　black。　。　。　。
I'm　hungry。〃

Ellen　laid　food　and　drink　on　the　table；　and　for　a　little　while　she
did　not　look　directly　at　him。　　She　was　concerned　about　this　new
searching　power　of　her　eyes。　　In　relation　to　him　she　vaguely　dreaded　it。

Lee　Jorth　had　once　been　a　singularly　handsome　man。　　He　was　tall；　but
did　not　have　the　figure　of　a　horseman。　　His　dark　hair　was　streaked
with　gray；　and　was　white　over　his　ears。　　His　face　was　sallow　and　thin；
with　deep　lines。　　Under　his　round；　prominent；　brown　eyes；　like　deadened
furnaces；　were　blue　swollen　welts。　　He　had　a　bitter　mouth　and　weak　chin；
not　wholly　concealed　by　gray　mustache　and　pointed　beard。　　He　wore　a　long
frock　coat　and　a　wide…brimmed　sombrero；　both　black　in　color；　and　so　old
and　stained　and　frayed　that　along　with　the　fashion　of　them　they　betrayed
that　they　had　come　from　Texas　with　him。　　Jorth　always　persisted　in
wearing　a　white　linen　shirt；　likewise　a　relic　of　his　Southern　prosperity；
and　to…day　it　was　ragged　and　soiled　as　usual。

Ellen　watched　her　father　eat　and　waited　for　him　to　speak。　　It　occured
to　her　strangely　that　he　never　asked　about　the　sheep　or　the　new…born
lambs。　　She　divined　with　a　subtle　new　woman's　intuition　that　he　cared
nothing　for　his　sheep。

〃Ellen；　what　riled　Daggs？〃　inquired　her　father；　presently。　　〃He　shore
had　fire　in　his　eye。〃

Long　ago　Ellen　had　betrayed　an　indignity　she　had　suffered　at　the　hands
of　a　man。　　Her　father　had　nearly　killed　him。　　Since　then　she　had　taken
care　to　keep　her　troubles　to　herself。　　If　her　father　had　not　been　blind
and　absorbed　in　his　own　brooding　he　would　have　seen　a　thousand　things
sufficient　to　inflame　his　Southern　pride　and　temper。

〃Daggs　asked　me　to　marry　him　again　and　I　said　he　belonged　to　a　bad　lot；〃
she　replied。

Jorth　laughed　in　scorn。　　〃Fool！　　My　God！　Ellen；　I　must　have　dragged　you
lowthat　every　damned　ruersheepmanwho　comes　along　thinks　he　can
marry　you。〃

At　the　break　in　his　words；　the　incompleted　meaning；　Ellen　dropped　her
eyes。　　Little　things　once　never　noted　by　her　were　now　come　to　have　a　
fascinating　significance。

〃Never　mind；　dad；〃　she　replied。　　〃They　cain't　marry　me。〃

〃Daggs　said　somebody　had　been　talkin'　to　you。　　How　aboot　that？〃

〃Old　John　Sprague　has　just　gotten　back　from　Grass　Valley；〃　said　Ellen。
〃I　stopped　in　to　see　him。　　Shore　he　told　me　all　the　village　gossip。〃

〃Anythin'　to　interest　me？〃　he　queried；　darkly。

〃Yes；　dad；　I'm　afraid　a　good　deal；〃　she　said；　hesitatingly。　　Then　in
accordance　with　a　decision　Ellen　had　made　she　told　him　of　the　rumored
war　between　sheepmen　and　cattlemen；　that　old　Isbel　had　Blaisdell；
Gordon；　Fredericks；　Blue　and　other　well…known　ranchers　on　his　side；
that　his　son　Jean　Isbel　had　come　from　Oregon　with　a　wonderful　reputation
as　fighter　and　scout　and　tracker；　that　it　was　no　secret　how　Colonel　Lee
Jorth　was　at　the　head　of　the　sheepmen；　that　a　bloody　war　was　sure　to　come。

〃Hah！〃　exclaimed　Jorth；　with　a　stain　of　red　in　his　sallow　cheek。
〃Reckon　none　of　that　is　news　to　me。　　I　knew　all　that。〃

Ellen　wondered　if　he　had　heard　of　her　meeting　with　Jean　Isbel。　　If　not
he　would　hear　as　soon　as　Simm　Bruce　and　Lorenzo　came　back。　　She　decided
to　forestall　them。

〃Dad；　I　met　Jean　Isbel。　　He　came　into　my　camp。　　Asked　the　way　to　the　Rim。
I　showed　him。　　Wewe　talked　a　little。　　And　shore　were　gettin'　acquainted
whenwhen　he　told　me　who　he　was。　　Then　I　left　himhurried　back　to　camp。〃

〃Colter　met　Isbel　down　in　the　woods；〃　replied　Jorth；　ponderingly。
〃Said　he　looked　like　an　Indiana　hard　an'　slippery　customer　to
reckon　with。〃

〃Shore　I　guess　I　can　indorse　what　Colter　said；〃　returned　Ellen；　dryly。
She　could　have　laughed　aloud　at　her　deceit。　　Still　she　had　not　lied。

〃How'd　this　heah　young　Isbel　strike　you？〃　queried　her　father；
suddenly　glancing　up　at　her。

Ellen　felt　the　slow；　sickening；　guilty　rise　of　blood　in　her　face。
She　was　helpless　to　stop　it。　　But　her　father　evidently　never　saw　it。
He　was　looking　at　her　without　seeing　her。

〃Hehe　struck　me　as　different　from　men　heah；〃　she　stammered。

〃Did　Sprague　tell　you　aboot　this　half…Indian　Isbelaboot　his　reputation？〃

〃Yes。〃

〃Did　he　look　to　you　like　a　real　woodsman？〃

〃Indeed　he　did。　　He　wore　buckskin。　　He　stepped　quick　and　soft。　　He　acted
at　home　in　the　woods。　　He　had　eyes　black　as　night　and　sharp　as　lightnin'。
They　shore　saw　about　all　there　was　to　see。〃

Jorth　chewed　at　his　mustache　and　lost　himself　in　brooding　thought。

〃Dad；　tell　me；　is　there　goin'　to　be　a　war？〃　asked　Ellen；　presently。

What　a　red；　strange；　rolling　flash　blazed　in　his　eyes！　　His　body　jerked。

〃Shore。　　You　might　as　well　know。〃

〃Between　sheepmen　and　cattlemen？〃

〃Yes。〃

〃With　y'u；　dad；　at　the　haid　of　one　faction　and　Gaston　Isbel　the　other？　〃

〃Daughter；　you　have　it　correct；　so　far　as　you　go。〃

〃Oh！　。　。　。　Dad；　can't　this　fight　be　avoided？〃

〃You　forget　you're　from　Texas；〃　he　replied。

〃Cain't　it　be　helped？〃　she　repeated；　stubbornly。

〃No！〃　he　declared；　with　deep；　hoarse　passion。

〃Why　not？〃

〃Wal；　we　sheepmen　are　goin'　to　run　sheep　anywhere　we　like　on　the　range。
An'　cattlemen　won't　stand　for　that。〃

〃But；　dad；　it's　so　foolish；〃　declared　Ellen；　earnestly。　　〃Y'u　sheepmen
do　not　have　to　run　sheep　over　the　cattle　range。〃

〃I　reckon　we　do。〃

〃Dad；　that　argument　doesn't　go　with　me。　　I　know　the　country。　　For　years
to　come　there　will　be　room　for　both　sheep　and　cattle　without　overrunnin'。
If　some　of　the　range　is　better　in　water　and　grass；　then　whoever　got　there
first　should　have　it。　　That　shore　is　only　fair。　　It's　common　sense；　too。〃

〃Ellen；　I　reckon　some　cattle　people　have　been　prejudicin'　you；〃　said
Jorth；　bitterly。

〃Dad！〃　she　cried；　hotly。

This　had　grown　to　be　an　ordeal　for　Jorth。　　He　seemed　a　victim　of
contending　tides　of　feeling。　　Some　will　or　struggle　broke　within　him
and　the　change　was　manifest。　　Haggard；　shifty…eyed；　with　wabbling　chin；
he　burst　into　speech。

〃See　heah；　girl。　　You　listen。　　There's　a　clique　of　ranchers　down　in
the　Basin；　all　those　you　named；　with　Isbel　at　their　haid。　　They　have
resented　sheepmen　comin'　down　into　the　valley。　　They　want　it　all　to
themselves。　　That's　the　reason。　　Shore　there's　another。　　All　the　Isbels
are　crooked。　　They're　cattle　an'　horse　thieveshave　been　for　years。
Gaston　Isbel　always　was　a　maverick　rustler。　　He's　gettin'　old　now　an'
rich；　so　he　wants　to　cov