lin mclean-第44节

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brief　courage　had　gone；　and　he　lay　beneath　McLean；　who　himself　could　not

rise。　Barker　pulled　them　apart。



〃Lin；　boy；　you're　not　hurt？〃　he　asked；　affectionately；　and　lifted　the

cow…puncher。



McLean　sat　passive；　with　dazed　eyes；　letting　himself　be　supported。



〃You're　not　hurt？〃　repeated　Barker。



〃No；〃　answered　the　cow…puncher；　slowly。　〃I　guess　not。〃　He　looked　about

the　room　and　at　the　door。　〃I　got　interrupted；〃　he　said。



〃You'll　be　all　right　soon；〃　said　Barker。



〃Nobody　cares　for　me！〃　cried　Lusk；　suddenly；　and　took　to　querulous

weeping。



〃Get　up；〃　ordered　Barker；　sternly。



〃Don't　accuse　me；　Governor；〃　screamed　Lusk。　〃I'm　innocent。〃　And　he　rose。



Barker　looked　at　the　woman　and　then　at　the　husband。　〃I'll　not　say　there

was　much　chance　for　her；〃　he　said。　〃But　any　she　had　is　gone　through　you。

She'll　die。〃



〃Nobody　cares　for　me！〃　repeated　the　man。　〃He　has　learned　my　boy　to　scorn

me。〃　He　ran　out　aimlessly；　and　away　into　the　night；　leaving　peace　in　the

room。



〃Stay　sitting；〃　said　Barker　to　McLean；　and　went　to　Mrs。　Lusk。



But　the　cow…puncher；　seeing　him　begin　to　lift　her　toward　the　bed　without

help；　tried　to　rise。　His　strength　was　not　sufficiently　come　back；　and　he

sank　as　he　had　been。　〃I　guess　I　don't　amount　to　much；〃　said　he。　〃I　feel

like　I　was　nothing。〃



〃Well；　I'm　something；〃　said　Barker；　coming　back　to　his　friend；　out　of

breath。　〃And　I　know　what　she　weighs。〃　He　stared　admiringly　through　his

spectacles　at　the　seated　man。



The　cow…puncher's　eyes　slowly　travelled　over　his　body；　and　then　sought

Barker's　face。　〃Doc；〃　said　he；　〃ain't　I　young　to　have　my　nerve　quit　me

this　way？〃



His　Excellency　broke　into　his　broad　smile。



〃I　know　I've　racketed　some；　but　ain't　it　ruther　early？〃　pursued　McLean；

wistfully。



〃You　six…foot　infant！〃　said　Barker。　〃Look　at　your　hand。〃



Lin　stared　at　itthe　fingers　quivering　and　bloody；　and　the　skin　grooved

raw　between　them。　That　was　the　buckle　of　her　belt；　which　in　the　struggle

had　worked　round　and　been　held　by　him　unknowingly。　Both　his　wrists　and

his　shirt　were　ribbed　with　the　pink　of　her　sashes。　He　looked　over　at　the

bed　where　lay　the　woman　heavily　breathing。　It　was　a　something；　a　sound；

not　like　the　breath　of　life；　and　Barker　saw　the　cow…puncher　shudder。



〃She　is　strong；〃　he　said。　〃Her　system　will　fight　to　the　end。　Two　hours

yet；　maybe。　Queer　world！〃　he　moralized。　〃People　half　killing　themselves

to　keep　one　in　it　who　wanted　to　goand　one　that　nobody　wanted　to　stay！〃



McLean　did　not　hear。　He　was　musing；　his　eyes　fixed　absently　in　front　of

him。　〃I　would　not　want；〃　he　said；　with　hesitating　utterance〃I'd　not

wish　for　even　my　enemy　to　have　a　thing　like　what　I've　had　to　do

to…night。〃



Barker　touched　him　on　the　arm。　〃If　there　had　been　another　man　I　could

trust〃



〃Trust！〃　broke　in　the　cow…puncher。　〃Why；　Doc；　it　is　the　best　turn　yu'

ever　done　me。　I　know　I　am　a　man　nowif　my　nerve　ain't　gone。〃



I've　known　you　were　a　man　since　I　knew　you！〃　said　the　hearty　Governor。

And　he　helped　the　still　unsteady　six…foot　to　a　chair。　〃As　for　your　nerve；

I'll　bring　you　some　whiskey　now。　And　after〃he　glanced　at　the　bed〃　and

tomorrow　you'll　go　try　if　Miss　Jessamine　won't　put　the　nerve〃



〃Yes；　Doc；　I'll　go　there；　I　know。　But　don't　yu'don't　let's　while　she's

I'm　going　to　be　glad　about　this；　Doc；　after　awhile；　but〃



At　the　sight　of　a　new…comer　in　the　door；　he　stopped　in　what　his　soul　was

stammering　to　say。　〃What　do　you　want；　Judge？〃　he　inquired；　coldly。



〃I　understand；〃　began　Slaghammer　to　Barker〃I　am　informed〃



〃Speak　quieter；　Judge；〃　said　the　cow…puncher。



〃I　understand；〃　repeated　Slaghammer；　more　official　than　ever；　〃that　there

was　a　case　for　the　coroner。〃



〃You'll　be　notified；〃　put　in　McLean　again。　〃Meanwhile　you'll　talk　quiet

in　this　room。〃



Slaghammer　turned；　and　saw　the　breathing　mass　on　the　bed。



〃You　are　a　little　early；　Judge；〃　said　Barker；　〃but〃



〃But　your　ten　dollars　are　safe；〃　said　McLean。



The　coroner　shot　one　of　his　shrewd　glances　at　the　cow…puncher；　and　sat

down　with　an　amiable　countenance。　His　fee　was；　indeed；　ten　dollars；　and

he　was　desirous　of　a　second　term。



〃Under　the　apprehension　that　it　had　already　occurredthe

misapprehensionI　took　steps　to　impanel　a　jury；〃　said　he；　addressing

both　Barker　and　McLean。　〃They　areahwaiting　outside。　Responsible　men；

Governor；　and　have　sat　before。　Drybone　has　few　responsible　men　to…night；

but　I　procured　these　at　a　little　game　where　they　wereahlosing。　You

may　go　back；　gentlemen；〃　said　he；　going　to　the　door。　〃I　will　summon　you

in　proper　time。〃　He　looked　in　the　room　again。　〃Is　the　husband　not

intending〃



〃That's　enough；　Judge；〃　said　McLean。　〃There's　too　many　here　without

adding　him。〃



〃Judge；〃　spoke　a　voice　at　the　door；　〃ain't　she　ready　yet？〃



〃She　is　still　passing　away；〃　observed　Slaghammer；　piously。



〃Because　I　was　thinking；〃　said　the　man　〃I　was　justYou　see；　us　jury　is

dry　and　dead　broke。　Doggonedest　cards　I've　held　this　year；　andJudge；

would　there　be　anything　out　of　the　way　in　me　touching　my　fee　in　advance；

if　it's　a　sure　thing？〃



〃I　see　none；　my　friend；〃　said　Slaghammer；　benevolently；　〃since　it　must

be。〃　He　shook　his　head　and　nodded　it　by　turns。　Then；　with　full…blown

importance；　he　sat　again；　and　wrote　a　paper；　his　coroner's　certificate。

Next　door；　in　Albany　County；　these　vouchers　brought　their　face　value　of

five　dollars　to　the　holder；　but　on　Drybone's　neutral　soil　the　saloons

would　always　pay　four　for　them；　and　it　was　rare　that　any　jury…man　could

withstand　the　temptation　of　four　immediate　dollars。　This　one　gratefully

received　his　paper；　and；　cherishing　it　like　a　bird　in　the　hand；　he　with

his　colleagues　bore　it　where　they　might　wait　for　duty　and　slake　their

thirst。



In　the　silent　room　sat　Lin　McLean；　his　body　coming　to　life　more　readily

than　his　shaken　spirit。　Barker；　seeing　that　the　cow…puncher　meant　to

watch　until　the　end；　brought　the　whiskey　to　him。　Slaghammer　drew

documents　from　his　pocket　to　fill　the　time；　but　was　soon　in　slumber　over

them。　In　all　precincts　of　the　quadrangle　Drybone　was　keeping　it　up　late。

The　fiddle；　the　occasional　shouts；　and　the　crack　of　the　billiard…balls

travelled　clear　and　far　through　the　vast　darkness　outside。　Presently

steps　unsteadily　drew　near；　and　round　the　corner　of　the　door　a　voice；

plaintive　and　diffident；　said；　〃Judge；　ain't　she　most　pretty　near　ready？〃



〃Wake　up；　Judge！〃　said　Barker。　〃Your　jury　has　gone　dry　again。〃



The　man　appeared　round　the　doora　handsome；　dishevelled　fellowwith　hat

in　hand；　balancing　himself　with　respectful　anxiety。　Thus　was　a　second

voucher　made　out；　and　the　messenger　strayed　back　happy　to　his　friends。

Barker　and　McLean　sat　wakeful；　and　Slaghammer　fell　at　once　to　napping。

From　time　to　time　he　was　roused　by　new　messengers；　each　arriving　more

unsteady　than　the　last；　until　every　juryman　had　got　his　fee　and　no　more

messengers　came。　The　coroner　slept　undisturbed　in　his　chair。　McLean　and

Barker　sat。　On　the　bed　the　mass；　with　its　pink　ribbons；　breathed　and

breathed；　while　moths　flew　round　the　lamp；　tapping　and　falling　with　light

sounds。　So　did　the　heart　of　the　darkness　wear　itself　away；　and　through

the　stone…cold　air　the　dawn　began　to　filter　and　expand。



Barker　rose；　bent　over　the　bed；　and　then　stood。　Seeing　him；　McLean　stood

also。



〃Judge；〃　said　Barker；　quietly；　〃you　may　call　them　now。〃　And　with　careful

steps　the　judge　got　himself　out　of　the　room　to　summon　his　jury。



For　a　short　while　the　cow…puncher　stood　looking　down　upon　the　woman。　She

lay　lumped　inher　gaudiness；　the　ribbons　darkly　stained　by　the　laudanum；

but　into　the　stolid；　bold　features　death　had　called　up　the　faint…colored

ghost　of　youth；　and　McLean　remembered　all　his　Bear　Creek　days。　〃Hind

sight　is　a　turruble　clear　way　o'　seein'　things；〃　said　he。　〃I　think　I'll

take　a　walk。〃



〃Go；〃　said　Barker。　〃The　jury　only　need　me；　and　I'll　join　you。〃



But　the　jury　needed　no　witness。　Their　long　waiting　and　the　advance　pay

had　been　too　much　for　these　responsible　men。　Like　brothers　they　had

shared　each　others'　vouchers　until　responsibility　had　melted　from　their

brains　and　the　whiskey　was　finished。　Then；　no　longer　entertained　and

growing　weary　of　Drybone；　they　had　remembered　nothing　but　their　distant

beds。　Each　had　mounted　his　pony；　holding　trustingly　to　the　saddle；　and

thus；　unguided；　the　experienced　ponies　had　taken　them　right。　Across　the

wide　sagebrush　and　up　and　down　the　river　they　were　now　asleep　or　riding；

dispersed　irrevocably。　But　the　coroner　was　here。　He　duly　received

Barker's　testimony；　brought　his　verdict　in；　and　signed　it；　and　even　while

he　was　issuing　to　himself　his　own　proper　voucher　for　ten　dollars　came

Chalkeye　and　Toothpick　Kid　on　their　ponies；　galloping；　eager　in　their

hopes　and　good　wishes　for　Mrs。　Lusk。　Life　ran　strong　in　them　both。　The

night　had　gone　well　with　them。　Here　was　the　new　day　going　to　be　fine。　It

must　be　well　with　everybod