susy, a story of the plains-第4节

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very　feet　of　the　peacefully　plodding　team。



Equally　harmless　and　inglorious　was　the　catastrophe　of　Susy　and　her

friend。　　The　strong；　elastic　stalks　of　the　tall　grain　broke　their

fall　and　enabled　them　to　scramble　to　their　feet；　dusty；　disheveled；

but　unhurt；　and　even　unstunned　by　the　shock。　　Their　first

instinctive　cries　over　a　damaged　hat　or　ripped　skirt　were　followed

by　the　quick　reaction　of　childish　laughter。　　They　were　alone；　the

very　defection　of　Pedro　consoled　them；　in　its　absence　of　any　witness

to　their　disaster；　even　their　previous　slight　attitude　to　each　other

was　forgotten。　　They　groped　their　way；　pushing　and　panting；　to　the

road　again；　where；　beholding　the　overset　buggy　with　its　wheels

ludicrously　in　the　air；　they　suddenly　seized　and　shook　each　other；

and　in　an　outburst　of　hilarious　ecstasy；　fairly　laughed　until　the

tears　came　into　their　eyes。



Then　there　was　a　breathless　silence。



〃The　stage　will　be　coming　by　in　a　moment；〃　composedly　said　Susy。

〃Fix　me；　dear。〃



Mary　Rogers　calmly　walked　around　her　friend；　bestowing　a　practical

shake　there；　a　pluck　here；　completely　retying　one　bow　and　restoring

an　engaging　fullness　to　another；　yet　critically　examining；　with　her

head　on　one　side；　the　fascinating　result。　　Then　Susy　performed　the

same　function　for　Mary　with　equal　deliberation　and　deftness。

Suddenly　Mary　started　and　looked　up。



〃It's　coming；〃　she　said　quickly；　〃and　they've　SEEN　US。〃



The　expression　of　the　faces　of　the　two　girls　instantly　changed。　　A

pained　dignity　and　resignation；　apparently　born　of　the　most

harrowing　experiences　and　controlled　only　by　perfect　good　breeding；

was　distinctly　suggested　in　their　features　and　attitude　as　they

stood　patiently　by　the　wreck　of　their　overturned　buggy　awaiting　the

oncoming　coach。　　In　sharp　contrast　was　the　evident　excitement　among

the　passengers。　　A　few　rose　from　their　seats　in　their　eagerness；　as

the　stage　pulled　up　in　the　road　beside　the　buggy　four　or　five　of　the

younger　men　leaped　to　the　ground。



〃Are　you　hurt；　miss？〃　they　gasped　sympathetically。



Susy　did　not　immediately　reply；　but　ominously　knitted　her　pretty

eyebrows　as　if　repressing　a　spasm　of　pain。　　Then　she　said；　〃Not　at

all；〃　coldly；　with　the　suggestion　of　stoically　concealing　some

lasting　or　perhaps　fatal　injury；　and　took　the　arm　of　Mary　Rogers；

who　had；　in　the　mean　time；　established　a　touching　yet　graceful　limp。



Declining　the　proffered　assistance　of　the　passengers；　they　helped

each　other　into　the　coach；　and　freezingly　requesting　the　driver　to

stop　at　Mr。　Peyton's　gate；　maintained　a　statuesque　and　impressive

silence。　　At　the　gates　they　got　down；　followed　by　the　sympathetic

glances　of　the　others。



To　all　appearance　their　escapade；　albeit　fraught　with　dangerous

possibilities；　had　happily　ended。　　But　in　the　economy　of　human

affairs；　as　in　nature；　forces　are　not　suddenly　let　loose　without

more　or　less　sympathetic　disturbance　which　is　apt　to　linger　after

the　impelling　cause　is　harmlessly　spent。　　The　fright　which　the　girls

had　unsuccessfully　attempted　to　produce　in　the　heart　of　their　escort

had　passed　him　to　become　a　panic　elsewhere。　　Judge　Peyton；　riding

near　the　gateway　of　his　rancho；　was　suddenly　confronted　by　the

spectacle　of　one　of　his　vacqueros　driving　on　before　him　the　two

lassoed　and　dusty　ponies；　with　a　face　that　broke　into　violent

gesticulating　at　his　master's　quick　interrogation。



〃Ah！　　Mother　of　God！　　It　was　an　evil　day！　　For　the　bronchos　had　run

away；　upset　the　buggy；　and　had　only　been　stopped　by　a　brave

Americano　of　an　ox…team；　whose　lasso　was　even　now　around　their

necks；　to　prove　it；　and　who　had　been　dragged　a　matter　of　a　hundred

varas；　like　a　calf；　at　their　heels。　　The　senoritas；ah！　had　he　not

already　said　they　were　safe；　by　the　mercy　of　Jesus！picked　up　by

the　coach；　and　would　be　here　at　this　moment。〃



〃But　where　was　Pedro　all　the　time？　　What　was　he　doing？〃　demanded

Peyton；　with　a　darkened　face　and　gathering　anger。



The　vacquero　looked　at　his　master；　and　shrugged　his　shoulders

significantly。　　At　any　other　time　Peyton　would　have　remembered　that

Pedro；　as　the　reputed　scion　of　a　decayed　Spanish　family；　and

claiming　superiority；　was　not　a　favorite　with　his　fellow…retainers。

But　the　gesture；　half　of　suggestion；　half　of　depreciation；　irritated

Peyton　still　more。



〃Well；　where　is　this　American　who　DID　something　when　there　wasn't　a

man　among　you　all　able　to　stop　a　child's　runaway　ponies？〃　he　said

sarcastically。　　〃Let　me　see　him。〃



The　vacquero　became　still　more　deprecatory。



〃Ah！　　He　had　driven　on　with　his　team　towards　San　Antonio。　　He　would

not　stop　to　be　thanked。　　But　that　was　the　whole　truth。　　He；

Incarnacion；　could　swear　to　it　as　to　the　Creed。　　There　was　nothing

more。〃



〃Take　those　beasts　around　the　back　way　to　the　corral；〃　said　Peyton；

thoroughly　enraged；　〃and　not　a　word　of　this　to　any　one　at　the　casa；

do　you　hear？　　Not　a　word　to　Mrs。　Peyton　or　the　servants；　or；　by

Heaven；　I'll　clear　the　rancho　of　the　whole　lazy　crew　of　you　at　once。

Out　of　the　way　there；　and　be　off！〃



He　spurred　his　horse　past　the　frightened　menial；　and　dashed　down　the

narrow　lane　that　led　to　the　gate。　　But；　as　Incarnacion　had　truly

said；　〃It　was　an　evil　day；〃　for　at　the　bottom　of　the　lane；　ambling

slowly　along　as　he　lazily　puffed　a　yellow　cigarette；　appeared　the

figure　of　the　erring　Pedro。　　Utterly　unconscious　of　the　accident；

attributing　the　disappearance　of　his　charges　to　the　inequalities　of

the　plain；　and；　in　truth；　little　interested　in　what　he　firmly

believed　was　his　purely　artificial　function；　he　had　even　made　a

larger　circuit　to　stop　at　a　wayside　fonda　for　refreshments。



Unfortunately；　there　is　no　more　illogical　sequence　of　human　emotion

than　the　exasperation　produced　by　the　bland　manner　of　the

unfortunate　object　who　has　excited　it；　although　that　very　unconcern

may　be　the　convincing　proof　of　innocence　of　intention。　　Judge

Peyton；　already　influenced；　was　furious　at　the　comfortable

obliviousness　of　his　careless　henchman；　and　rode　angrily　towards

him。　　Only　a　quick　turn　of　Pedro's　wrist　kept　the　two　men　from

coming　into　collision。



〃Is　this　the　way　you　attend　to　your　duty？〃　demanded　Peyton；　in　a

thick；　suppressed　voice；　〃Where　is　the　buggy？　　Where　is　my

daughter？〃



There　was　no　mistaking　Judge　Peyton's　manner；　even　if　the　reason　of

it　was　not　so　clear　to　Pedro's　mind；　and　his　hot　Latin　blood　flew

instinctively　to　his　face。　　But　for　that；　he　might　have　shown　some

concern　or　asked　an　explanation。　　As　it　was；　he　at　once　retorted

with　the　national　shrug　and　the　national　half…scornful；　half…lazy

〃Quien　sabe？〃



〃Who　knows？〃　repeated　Peyton；　hotly。　　〃I　do！　　She　was　thrown　out　of

her　buggy　through　your　negligence　and　infernal　laziness！　　The　ponies

ran　away；　and　were　stopped　by　a　stranger　who　wasn't　afraid　of

risking　his　bones；　while　you　were　limping　around　somewhere　like　a

slouching；　cowardly　coyote。〃



The　vacquero　struggled　a　moment　between　blank　astonishment　and

inarticulate　rage。　　At　last　he　burst　out：



〃I　am　no　coyote！　　I　was　there！　　I　saw　no　runaway！〃



〃Don't　lie　to　me；　sir！〃　roared　Peyton。　　〃I　tell　you　the　buggy　was

smashed；　the　girls　were　thrown　out　and　nearly　killed〃　　He　stopped

suddenly。　　The　sound　of　youthful　laughter　had　come　from　the　bottom

of　the　lane；　where　Susy　Peyton　and　Mary　Rogers；　just　alighted　from

the　coach；　in　the　reaction　of　their　previous　constrained　attitude；

were　flying　hilariously　into　view。　　A　slight　embarrassment　crossed

Peyton's　face；　a　still　deeper　flush　of　anger　overspread　Pedro's

sullen　cheek。



Then　Pedro　found　tongue　again；　his　native　one；　rapidly；　violently；

half　incoherently。　　〃Ah；　yes！　　It　had　come　to　this。　　It　seems　he　was

not　a　vacquero；　a　companion　of　the　padrone　on　lands　that　had　been

his　own　before　the　Americanos　robbed　him　of　it；　but　a　servant；　a

lackey　of　muchachas；　an　attendant　on　children　to　amuse　them；　orwhy

not？an　appendage　to　his　daughter's　state！　　Ah；　Jesus　Maria！　such　a

state！　such　a　muchacha！　　A　picked…up　foundlinga　swineherd's

daughterto　be　ennobled　by　his；　Pedro's；　attendance；　and　for　whose

vulgar；　clownish　tricks；tricks　of　a　swineherd's　daughter；he；

Pedro；　was　to　be　brought　to　book　and　insulted　as　if　she　were　of

Hidalgo　blood！　　Ah；　Caramba！　　Don　Juan　Peyton　would　find　he　could　no

more　make　a　servant　of　him　than　he　could　make　a　lady　of　her！〃



The　two　young　girls　were　rapidly　approaching。　　Judge　Peyton　spurred

his　horse　beside　the　vacquero's；　and；　swinging　the　long　thong　of　his

bridle　ominously　in　his　clenched　fingers；　said；　with　a　white　face：



〃Vamos！〃



Pedro's　hand　slid　towards　his　sash。　　Peyton　only　looked　at　him　with

a　rigid　smile　of　scorn。



〃Or　I'll　lash　you　here　before　them　both；〃　he　added　in　a　lower　voice。



The　vacquero　met　Peyton's　relentless　eyes　with　a　yellow　flash　of

hate；　drew　his　reins　sharply；　until　his　mustang；　galled　by　the　cruel

bit；　reared　suddenly　as　if　to　strike　at　t