lin mclean-第26节

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down　at　the　corrals；　the　boys　began　to　shoot　at　large。　〃Oh；　dear！〃　she

cried；　starting　up。　〃There's　trouble。〃



〃Not　trouble；〃　I　assured　her。　〃Too　many　are　firing　at　once　to　be　in

earnest。　And　you　would　be　safe　here。〃



〃Me？　A　lady　without　escort？　Well；　I　should　reckon　so！　Leastways；　we　are

respected　where　I　was　raised。　I　was　anxious　for　the　gentlemen　ovah

yondah。　Shawhan；　K。　C。　branch　of　the　Louavull　an'　Nashvull；　is　my　home。〃

The　words　〃Louisville　and　Nashville〃　spoke　creamily　of　Blue…grass。



〃Unescorted　all　that　way！〃　I　exclaimed。



〃Isn't　it　awful？〃　said　she；　tilting　her　head　with　a　laugh；　and　showing

the　pistol　she　carried。　〃But　we've　always　been　awful　in　Kentucky。　Now　I

suppose　New　York　would　never　speak　to　poor　me　as　it　passed　by？〃　And　she

eyed　me　with　capable；　good…humored　satire。



〃Why　New　York？〃　I　demanded。　〃Guess　again。〃



〃Well；〃　she　debated；　〃well；　cowboy　clothes　and　city　languagehe's

English！〃　she　burst　out；　and　then　she　turned　suddenly　red；　and　whispered

to　herself；　reprovingly；　〃If　I'm　not　acting　rude！〃



〃Oh！〃　said　I；　rather　familiarly。



〃It　was；　sir；　and　please　to　excuse　me。　If　you　had　started　joking　so　free

with　me；　I'd　have　been　insulted。　When　I　saw　youthe　hat　and　everything

I　took　youYou　see　I've　always　been　that　used　to　talking　toto　folks

around！〃　Her　bright　face　saddened；　memories　evidently　rose　before　her；

and　her　eyes　grew　distant。



I　wished　to　say；　〃Treat　me　as　'folks　around；'〃　but　this　tall　country　girl

had　put　us　on　other　terms。　On　discovering　I　was　not　〃folks　around；〃　she

had　taken　refuge　in　deriding　me；　but　swiftly　feeling　no　solid　ground

there；　she　drew　a　firm；　clear　woman's　line　between　us。　Plainly　she　was　a

comrade　of　men；　in　her　buoyant　innocence　secure；　yet　by　no　means　in　the

dark　as　to　them。



〃Yes；　unescorted　two　thousand　miles；〃　she　resumed；　〃and　never　as　far　as

twenty　from　home　till　last　Tuesday。　I　expect　you'll　have　to　be

scandalized；　for　I'd　do　it　right　over　again　to…morrow。〃



〃You've　got　me　all　wrong；〃　said　I。　〃I'm　not　English；　I'm　not　New　York。　I

am　good　American；　and　not　bounded　by　my　own　farm　either。　No　sectional

line；　or　Mason　and　Dixon；　or　Missouri　River　tattoos　me。　But　you；　when　you

say　United　States；　you　mean　United　Kentucky！〃



〃Did　you　ever！〃　said　she；　staring　at　what　was　Greek　to　heras　it　is　to

most　Americans。　〃And　so　if　you　had　a　sister　back　East；　and　she　and　you

were　all　there　was　of　you　any　more；　and　she　hadn't　seen　you　sincenot

since　you　first　took　to　staying　out　nights；　and　she　started　to　visit　you；

you'd　not　tell　her　'Fie　for　shame'？〃



〃I'd　travel　my　money's　length　to　meet　her！〃　said　I。



A　wave　of　pain　crossed　her　face。　〃Nate　didn't　know；〃　she　said　then；

lightly。　〃You　see；　Nate's　only　a　boy；　and　regular　thoughtless　about

writing。〃



Ah！　So　this　Nate　never　wrote；　and　his　sister　loved　and　championed　him！

Many　such　stray　Nates　and　Bobs　and　Bills　galloped　over　Wyoming；　lost　and

forgiven。



〃I'm　starting　for　him　in　the　Buffalo　stage；〃　continued　the　girl。



〃Then　I'll　have　your　company　on　a　weary　road；〃　said　I；　for　my　journey　was

now　to　that　part　of　the　cattle　country。



〃To　Buffalo？〃　she　said；　quickly。　〃Then　maybe　youmaybeMy　brother　is

Nate　Buckner。〃　She　paused。　〃Then　you're　not　acquainted　with　him？〃



〃I　may　have　seen　him；〃　I　answered；　slowly。　〃But　faces　and　names　out　here

come　and　go。〃



I　knew　him　well　enough。　He　was　in　jail；　convicted　of　forgery　last　week；

waiting　to　go　to　the　penitentiary　for　five　years。　And　even　this　wild

border　community　that　hated　law　courts　and　punishments　had　not　been

sorry；　for　he　had　cheated　his　friends　too　often；　and　the　wide　charity　of

the　sage…brush　does　not　cover　that　sin。　Beneath　his　pretty　looks　and

daring　skill　with　horses　they　had　found　vanity　and　a　cold；　false　heart；

but　his　sister　could　not。　Here　she　was；　come　to　find　him　after　lonely

years；　and　to　this　one　soul　that　loved　him　in　the　world　how　was　I　to　tell

the　desolation　and　the　disgrace？　I　was　glad　to　hear　her　ask　me　if　the

stage　went　soon　after　supper。



〃Now　isn't　that　a　bother？〃　said　she；　when　I　answered　that　it　did　not

start　till　morning。　She　glanced　with　rueful　gayety　at　the　hotel。　〃Never

mind；〃　she　continued；　briskly；　〃I'm　used　to　things。　I'll　just　sit　up

somewhere。　Maybe　the　agent　will　let　me　stay　in　the　office。　You're　sure

all　that　shooting's　only　jollification？〃



〃Certain；〃　I　said。　〃But　I'll　go　and　see。〃



〃They　always　will　have　their　fun；〃　said　she。　〃But　I　hate　to　have　a　poor

boy　get　hurteven　him　deserving　it！〃



〃They　use　pistols　instead　of　fire…crackers；〃　said　I。　〃But　you　must　never

sleep　in　that　office。　I'll　see　what　we　can　do。〃



〃Why；　you're　real　kind！〃　she　exclaimed；　heartily。　And　I　departed；

wondering　what　I　ought　to　do。



Perhaps　I　should　have　told　you　before　that　Separ　was　a　place　oncea　sort

of　place；　but　you　will　relish　now；　I　am　convinced；　the　pithy　fable　of　its

name。



Midway　between　two　sections　of　this　still　unfinished　line　that；　rail

after　rail　and　mile　upon　mile；　crawled　over　the　earth's　face　visibly

during　the　constructing　hours　of　each　new　day；　lay　a　camp。　To　this　point

these　unjoined　pieces　were　heading；　and　here　at　length　they　met。　Camp

Separation　it　had　been　fitly　called；　but　how　should　the　American　railway

man　afford　time　to　say　that？　Separation　was　pretty　and　apt；　but　needless；

and　with　the　sloughing　of　two　syllables　came　the　brief；　businesslike

resultSepar。　Chicago；　1137…1/2　miles。　It　was　labelled　on　a　board　large

almost　as　the　hut　station。　A　Y…switch；　two　sidings；　the　fat　water…tank

and　steam…pump；　and　a　section…house　with　three　trees　before　it　composed

the　north　side。　South　of　the　track　were　no　trees。　There　was　one　long

siding　by　the　corrals　and　cattle…chute；　there　were　a　hovel　where　plug

tobacco　and　canned　goods　were　for　sale；　a　shed　where　you　might　get　your

horse　shod；　a　wire　fence　that　at　shipping　times　enclosed　bales　of　pressed

hay；　the　hotel；　the　stage　stable；　and　the　little　stationsome　seven

shanties　all　told。　Between　them　were　spaces　of　dust；　the　immediate　plains

engulfed　them；　and　through　their　midst　ran　the　far…vanishing　railroad；　to

which　they　hung　like　beads　on　a　great　string　from　horizon　to　horizon。　A

great　east…and…west　string；　one　end　in　the　rosy　sun　at　morning；　and　one

in　the　crimson　sun　at　night。　Beyond　each　sky…line　lay　cities　and　ports

where　the　world　went　on　out　of　sight　and　hearing。　This　lone　steel　thread

had　been　stretched　across　the　continent　because　it　was　the　day　of　haste

and　hope；　when　dollars　seemed　many　and　hard　times　were　few；　and　from　the

Yellowstone　to　the　Rio　Grande　similar　threads　were　stretching；　and　little

Separs　by　dispersed　hundreds　hung　on　them；　as　it　were　in　space　eternal。

Can　you　wonder　that　vigorous　young　men　with　pistols　should；　when　they

came　to　such　a　place；　shoot　them　off　to　let　loose　their　unbounded　joy　of

living？



And　yet　it　was　not　this　merely　that　began　the　custom；　but　an　error　of　the

agent's。　The　new　station　was　scarce　created　when　one　morning　Honey　Wiggin

with　the　Virginian　had　galloped　innocently　in　from　the　round…up　to

telegraph　for　some　additional　cars。



〃I'm　dead　on　to　you！〃　squealed　the　official；　dropping　flat　at　the　sight

of　them；　and　bang　went　his　gun　at　them。　They；　most　naturally；　thought　it

was　a　maniac；　and　ran　for　their　lives　among　the　supports　of　the

water…tank；　while　he　remained　anchored　with　his　weapon；　crouched　behind

the　railing　that　fenced　him　and　his　apparatus　from　the　laity；　and　some

fifteen　strategic　minutes　passed　before　all　parties　had　crawled　forth　to

an　understanding；　and　the　message　was　written　and　paid　for　and

comfortably　despatched。　The　agent　was　an　honest　creature；　but　of　tame

habits；　sent　for　the　sake　of　his　imperfect　lungs　to　this　otherwise

inappropriate　air。　He　had　lived　chiefly　in　mid…West　towns；　a　serious

reader　of　our　comic　weeklies；　hence　the　apparition　of　Wiggin　and　the

Virginian　had　reminded　him　sickeningly　of　bandits。　He　had　express　money

in　the　safe；　he　explained　to　them；　and　this　was　a　hard　old　country；

wasn't　it？　and　did　they　like　good　whiskey？



They　drank　his　whiskey；　but　it　was　not　well　to　have　mentioned　that　about

the　bandits。　Both　were　aware　that　when　shaved　and　washed　of　their

round…up　grime　they　could　look　very　engaging。　The　two　cow…punchers　rode

out；　not　angry；　but　grieved　that　a　man　come　here　to　dwell　among　them

should　be　so　tactless。



〃If　we　don't　get　him　used　to　us；〃　observed　the　Virginian；　〃he　and　his

pop…gun　will　be　guttin'　some　blameless　man。〃



Forthwith　the　cattle　country　proceeded　to　get　the　agent　used　to　it。　The

news　went　over　the　sage…brush　from　Belle　Fourche　to　Sweetwater；　and

playful；　howling　horsemen　made　it　their　custom　to　go　rioting　with　pistols

round　the　ticket　office；　educating　the　agent。　His　lungs　improved；　and　he

came　dimly　to　smile　at　this　life　which　he　did　not　understand。　But　the

company　discerned　no　humor　whatever　in　having　its　water…tank　perforated；

which