lin mclean-第29节

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〃Come　out！〃　she　cried；　laughing。　〃Indeed；　I　thank　you。　But　I　can't　have

you　sleep　on　this　hard　floor　out　here。　No　politeness；　now！　Thank　you　ever

so　much。　I'm　used　to　roughing　it　pretty　near　as　well　as　if　I　wasa

cowboy！〃　And　she　glanced　at　Lin。　〃They're　calling　forty…seven；〃　she　added

to　the　agent。



〃That's　me；〃　he　said；　coming　out　to　the　telegraph　instrument。　〃So　you're

one　of　us？〃



〃I　didn't　know　forty…seven　meant　Separ；〃　said　I。　〃How　in　the　world　do　you

know　that？〃



〃I　didn't。　I　heard　forty…seven；　forty…seven；　forty…seven；　start　and　go

right　along；　so　I　guessed　they　wanted　him；　and　he　couldn't　hear　them　from

his　room。〃



〃Can　yu'　do　astronomy　and　Spanish　too？〃　inquired　the　proud　and　smiling

McLean。



〃Why；　it's　nothing！　I've　been　day　operator　back　home。　Why　is　a　deputy

coming　through　on　a　special　engine？〃



〃Please　don't　say　it　out　loud！〃　quavered　the　agent；　as　the　machine

clicked　its　news。



〃Yu'　needn't　be　scared　of　a　girl；〃　said　Lin。　〃Another　sheriff！　So　they're

not　quit　bothering　us　yet。〃



However；　this　meddling　was　not　the　company's；　but　the　county's；　a　sheriff

sent　to　arrest；　on　a　charge　of　murder；　a　man　named　Trampas；　said　to　be　at

the　Sand　Hill　Ranch。　That　was　near　Rawhide；　two　stations　beyond；　and　the

engine　might　not　stop　at　Separ；　even　to　water。　So　here　was　no　molesting

of　Separ's　liberties。



〃All　the　same；〃　Lin　said；　for　pistols　now　and　then　still　sounded　at　the

corrals；　〃the　boys'll　not　understand　that　till　it's　explained；　and　they

may　act　wayward　first。　I'd　feel　easier　if　you　slept　here；〃　he　urged　to

the　girl。　But　she　would　not。　〃Well；　then；　we　must　rustle　some　other

private　place　for　you。　How's　the　section…house？〃



〃Rank；〃　said　the　agent；　〃since　those　Italians　used　it。　The　pump　engineer

has　been　scouring；　but　he's　scared　to　bunk　there　yet　himself。〃



〃Too　bad　you　couldn't　try　my　plan　of　a　freight…car！〃　said　I。



〃An　empty？〃　she　cried。　〃Is　there　a　clean　one？〃



〃You've　sure　never　done　that？〃　Lin　burst　out。



〃So　you're　scandalized；〃　said　she；　punishing　him　instantly。　〃I　reckon　it

does　take　a　decent　girl　to　shock　you。〃　And　while　she　stood　laughing　at

him　with　robust　irony；　poor　Lin　began　to　stammer　that　he　meant　no

offence。　〃Why；　to　be　sure　you　didn't！〃　said　she。　〃But　I　do　enjoy　you　real

thoroughly。〃



〃Well；　m'm；〃　protested　the　wincing　cow…puncher；　driven　back　to　addressing

her　as　〃ma'am；〃　〃we　ain't　used〃



〃Don't　tangle　yourself　up　worse；　Mr。　McLean。　No　more　am　I　'used。'　I　have

never　slept　in　an　empty　in　my　life。　And　why　is　that？　Just　because　I've

never　had　to。　And　there's　the　difference　between　you　boys　and　us。　You　do

lots　of　things　you　don't　like；　and　tell　us。　And　we　put　up　with　lots　of

things　we　don't　like；　but　we　never　let　you　find　out。　I　know　you　meant　no

offense；〃　she　continued；　heartily；　softening　towards　her　crushed

protector；　〃because　you're　a　gentleman。　And　lands！　I'm　not　complaining

about　an　empty。　That　will　be　richif　I　can　have　the　door　shut。〃



Upon　this　she　went　out　to　view　the　cars；　Mr。　McLean　hovering　behind　her

with　a　devoted；　uneasy　countenance；　and　frequently　muttering　〃Shucks！〃

while　the　agent　and　I　followed　with　a　lamp；　for　the　dark　was　come。　With

our　help　she　mounted　into　the　first　car；　and　then　into　the　next；　taking

the　lamp。　And　while　she　scanned　the　floor　and　corners；　and　slid　the　door

back　and　forth；　Lin　whispered　in　my　ear：　〃Her　name's　Jessamine。　She　told

me。　Don't　yu'　like　that　name？〃　So　I　answered　him；　〃Yes；　very　much；〃

thinking　that　some　larger　flowerbut　still　a　flowermight　have　been

more　apt。



〃Nobody　seems　to　have　slept　in　these；〃　said　she；　stepping　down；　and　on

learning　that　even　the　tramp　avoided　Separ　when　he　could；　she　exclaimed；

〃What　lodging　could　be　handier　than　this！　Only　it　would　be　so　cute　if　you

had　a　Louavull　an'　Nashvull　car；〃　said　she。　〃Twould　seem　like　my　old

Kentucky　home！〃　And　laughing　rather　sweetly　at　her　joke；　she　held　the

lamp　up　to　read　the　car's　lettering。　〃'D。　and　R。　G。'　Oh；　that's　a　way…off

stranger！　I　reckon　they're　all　strange。〃　She　went　along　the　train　with

her　lamp。　〃Yes；　'B。　and　M。'　and　'S。　C。　and　P。'　Oh；　this　is　rich！　Nate

will　laugh　when　he　hears。　I'll　choose　'C。；　B。　and　Q。'　That's　a　little

nearer　my　country。　What　time　does　the　stage　start？　Porter；　please　wake

'C。；　B。　and　Q。'　at　six；　sharp；〃　said　she　to　Lin。



From　this　point　of　the　evening　on；　I　think　of　our　doingstheir　doings

with　a　sort　of　unchanging　homesickness。　Nothing　like　them　can　ever　happen

again；　I　know；　for　it's　all　gonesettled；　sobered；　and　gone。　And

whatever　wholesomer　prose　of　good　fortune　waits　in　our　cup；　how　I　thank

my　luck　for　this　swallow　of　frontier　poetry　which　I　came　in　time　for！



To　arrange　some　sort　of　bed　for　her　was　the　next　thing；　and　we　made　a

good　shake…downclean　straw　and　blankets　and　a　pillow；　and　the　agent

would　have　brought　sheets；　but　though　she　would　not　have　these；　she　did

not　resistwhat　do　you　suppose？a　looking…glass　for　next　morning！　And

we　got　a　bucket　of　water　and　her　valise。　It　was　all　one　to　her；　she　said；

in　what　car　Lin　and　I　put　up；　and　let　it　be　next　door；　by　all　means；　if

it　pleased　him　to　think　he　could　watch　over　her　safety　better　so；　and　she

shut　herself　in；　bidding　us　good…night。　We　began　spreading　straw　and

blankets　for　ourselves；　when　a　whistle　sounded　far　and　long；　and　its　tone

rose　in　pitch　as　it　came。



〃I'll　get　him　to　run　right　to　the　corrals；〃　said　the　agent；　〃so　the

sheriff　can　tell　the　boys　he's　not　after　them。〃



〃That'll　convince　'em　he　is；〃　said　Lin。　〃Stop　him　here；　or　let　him　go

through。〃



But　we　were　not　to　steer　the　course　that　events　took　now。　The　rails　of

the　main　line　beside　us　brightened　in　wavering　parallels　as　the　headlight

grew　down　upon　us；　and　in　this　same　moment　the　shootings　at　the　corrals

chorused　in　a　wild；　hilarious　threat。　The　burden　of　the　coming　engine

heavily　throbbed　in　the　air　and　along　the　steel；　and　met　and　mixed　with

the　hard；　light　beating　of　hoofs。　The　sounds　approached　together　like　a

sort　of　charge；　and　I　stepped　between　the　freight…cars；　where　I　heard　Lin

ordering　the　girl　inside　to　lie　down　flat；　and　could　see　the　agent

running　about　in　the　dust；　flapping　his　arms　to　signal　with　as　much

coherence　as　a　chicken　with　its　head　off。　I　had　very　short　space　for

wonder　or　alarm。　The　edge　of　one　of　my　freight…cars　glowed　suddenly　with

the　imminent　headlight；　and　galloping　shots　invaded　the　place。　The

horsemen　flew　by；　overreaching；　and　leaning　back　and　lugging　against

their　impetus。　They　passed　in　a　tangled　swirl；　and　their　dust　coiled　up

thick　from　the　dark　ground　and　luminously　unfolded　across　the　glare　of

the　sharp…halted　locomotive。　Then　they　wheeled；　and　clustered　around　it

where　it　stood　by　our　cars；　its　air…brake　pumping　deep　breaths；　and　the

internal　steam　humming　through　its　bowels；　and　I　came　out　in　time　to　see

Billy　Lusk　climb　its　front　with　callow；　enterprising　shouts。　That　was

child's　play；　and　the　universal　yell　now　raised　by　the　horsemen　was　their

child's　play　too；　but　the　whole　thing　could　so　precipitately　reel　into

the　fatal　that　my　thoughts　stopped。　I　could　only　look　when　I　saw　that

they　had　somehow　recognized　the　man　on　the　engine　for　a　sheriff。　Two　had

sprung　from　their　horses　and　were　making　boisterously　toward　the　cab；

while　Lin　McLean；　neither　boisterous　nor　joking；　was　going　to　the　cab

from　my　side；　with　his　pistol　drawn；　to　keep　the　peace。　The　engineer　sat

with　a　neutral　hand　on　the　lever；　the　fireman　had　run　along　the　top　of

the　coal　in　the　tender　and　descended　and　crouched　somewhere；　and　the

sheriff；　cool；　and　with　a　good…natured　eye　upon　all　parties；　was　just

beginning　to　explain　his　errand；　when　some　rider　from　the　crowd　cut　him

short　with　an　invitation　to　get　down　and　have　a　drink。　At　the　word　of

ribald　endearment　by　which　he　named　the　sheriff；　a　passing　fierceness

hardened　the　officer's　face；　and　the　new　yell　they　gave　was　less　playful。

Waiting　no　more　explanations；　they　swarmed　against　the　locomotive；　and

McLean　pulled　himself　up　on　the　step。　The　loud　talking　fell　at　a　stroke

to　let　business　go　on；　and　in　this　silence　came　the　noise　of　a

sliding…door。　At　that　I　looked；　and　they　all　looked；　and　stood　harmless；

like　children　surprised。　For　there　on　the　threshold　of　the　freight…car；

with　the　interior　darkness　behind　her；　and　touched　by　the　headlight's

diverging　rays；　stood　Jessamine　Buckner。



〃Will　you　gentlemen　do　me　a　favor？〃　said　she。　〃Strangers；　maybe；　have　no

right　to　ask　favors；　but　I　reckon　you'll　let　that　pass　this　time。　For　I'm

real　sleepy！〃　She　smiled　as　she　brought　this　out。　〃I've　been　four　days

and　nights　on　the　cars；　and　to…morrow　I've　got　to　stage　to　Buffalo。　You

see　I'll　not　be　here　to　spoil　your　fun　to…morrow　night；　and　I　want　boys

to　be　boys　just　as　much　as　ever　they　can。　Won't　you　put　it　off　till

to…morrow　night？〃



In　their　amazement　they　found　no　spokesman；　but　I　saw　Lin　busy　among

them；　and　that　some　word　was