susy, a story of the plains-第8节

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But　he　would　at　least　see　her　again；　not　in　the　pretty；　half…

clandestine　way　she　had　thought　necessary；　but　openly　and　as　her

equal。



In　his　rapid　ride　he　seemed　to　have　suddenly　penetrated　the　peaceful

calm　of　the　night。　　The　restless　irritation　of　the　afternoon　trade

winds　had　subsided；　the　tender　moonlight　had　hushed　and　tranquilly

possessed　the　worried　plain；　the　unending　files　of　wild　oats；　far

spaced　and　distinct；　stood　erect　and　motionless　as　trees；　something

of　the　sedate　solemnity　of　a　great　forest　seemed　to　have　fallen　upon

their　giant　stalks。　　There　was　no　dew。　　In　that　light；　dry　air；　the

heavier　dust　no　longer　rose　beneath　the　heels　of　his　horse；　whose

flying　shadow　passed　over　the　field　like　a　cloud；　leaving　no　trail

or　track　behind　it。　　In　the　preoccupation　of　his　thought　and　his

breathless　retrospect；　the　young　man　had　ridden　faster　than　he

intended；　and　he　now　checked　his　panting　horse。　　The　influence　of

the　night　and　the　hushed　landscape　stole　over　him；　his　thoughts　took

a　gentler　turn；　in　that　dim；　mysterious　horizon　line　before　him；　his

future　seemed　to　be　dreamily　peopled　with　airy；　graceful　shapes　that

more　or　less　took　the　likeness　of　Susy。　　She　was　bright；　coquettish；

romantic；　as　he　had　last　seen　her；　she　was　older；　graver；　and

thoughtfully　welcome　of　him；　or　she　was　cold；　distant；　and　severely

forgetful　of　the　past。　　How　would　her　adopted　father　and　mother

receive　him？　　Would　they　ever　look　upon　him　in　the　light　of　a　suitor

to　the　young　girl？　　He　had　no　fear　of　Peyton；he　understood　his　own

sex；　and；　young　as　he　was；　knew　already　how　to　make　himself

respected；　but　how　could　he　overcome　that　instinctive　aversion　which

Mrs。　Peyton　had　so　often　made　him　feel　he　had　provoked？　　Yet　in　this

dreamy　hush　of　earth　and　sky；　what　was　not　possible？　　His　boyish

heart　beat　high　with　daring　visions。



He　saw　Mrs。　Peyton　in　the　porch；　welcoming　him　with　that　maternal

smile　which　his　childish　longing　had　so　often　craved　to　share　with

Susy。　　Peyton　would　be　there；　too；Peyton；　who　had　once　pushed　back

his　torn　straw　hat　to　look　approvingly　in　his　boyish　eyes；　and

Peyton；　perhaps；　might　be　proud　of　him。



Suddenly　he　started。　　A　voice　in　his　very　ear！



〃Bah！　　A　yoke　of　vulgar　cattle　grazing　on　lands　that　were　thine　by

right　and　law。　　Neither　more　nor　less　than　that。　　And　I　tell　thee；

Pancho；　like　cattle；　to　be　driven　off　or　caught　and　branded　for

one's　own。　　Ha！　　There　are　those　who　could　swear　to　the　truth　of

this　on　the　Creed。　　Ay！　and　bring　papers　stamped　and　signed　by　the

governor's　rubric　to　prove　it。　　And　not　that　I　hate　them；bah！　what

are　those　heretic　swine　to　me？　　But　thou　dost　comprehend　me？　　It

galls　and　pricks　me　to　see　them　swelling　themselves　with　stolen

husks；　and　men　like　thee；　Pancho；　ousted　from　their　own　land。〃



Clarence　had　halted　in　utter　bewilderment。　　No　one　was　visible

before　him；　behind　him；　on　either　side。　　The　words；　in　Spanish；　came

from　the　air；　the　sky；　the　distant　horizon；　he　knew　not　which。　　Was

he　still　dreaming？　　A　strange　shiver　crept　over　his　skin　as　if　the

air　had　grown　suddenly　chill。　　Then　another　mysterious　voice　arose；

incredulous；　half　mocking；　but　equally　distinct　and　clear。



〃Caramba！　　What　is　this？　　You　are　wandering；　friend　Pancho。　　You　are

still　smarting　from　his　tongue。　　He　has　the　grant　confirmed　by　his

brigand　government；　he　has　the　POSSESSION；　stolen　by　a　thief　like

himself；　and　he　has　the　Corregidors　with　him。　　For　is　he　not　one　of

them　himself；　this　Judge　Peyton？〃



Peyton！　　Clarence　felt　the　blood　rush　back　to　his　face　in

astonishment　and　indignation。　　His　heels　mechanically　pressed　his

horse's　flanks；　and　the　animal　sprang　forward。



〃Guarda！　　Mira！〃　said　the　voice　again　in　a　quicker；　lower　tone。　　But

this　time　it　was　evidently　in　the　field　beside　him；　and　the　heads

and　shoulders　of　two　horsemen　emerged　at　the　same　moment　from　the

tall　ranks　of　wild　oats。　　The　mystery　was　solved。　　The　strangers　had

been　making　their　way　along　a　lower　level　of　the　terraced　plain；

hidden　by　the　grain；　not　twenty　yards　away；　and　parallel　with　the

road　they　were　now　ascending　to　join。　　Their　figures　were　alike

formless　in　long　striped　serapes；　and　their　features　undistinguishable

under　stiff　black　sombreros。



〃Buenas　noches；　senor；〃　said　the　second　voice；　in　formal　and

cautious　deliberation。



A　sudden　inspiration　made　Clarence　respond　in　English；　as　if　he　had

not　comprehended　the　stranger's　words；　〃Eh？〃



〃Gooda…nighta；〃　repeated　the　stranger。



〃Oh；　good…night；〃　returned　Clarence。　　They　passed　him。　　Their　spurs

tinkled　twice　or　thrice；　their　mustangs　sprang　forward；　and　the　next

moment　the　loose　folds　of　their　serapes　were　fluttering　at　their

sides　like　wings　in　their　flight。





CHAPTER　IV。





After　the　chill　of　a　dewless　night　the　morning　sun　was　apt　to　look

ardently　upon　the　Robles　Rancho；　if　so　strong　an　expression　could

describe　the　dry；　oven…like　heat　of　a　Californian　coast…range

valley。　　Before　ten　o'clock　the　adobe　wall　of　the　patio　was　warm

enough　to　permit　lingering　vacqueros　and　idle　peons　to　lean　against

it；　and　the　exposed　annexe　was　filled　with　sharp；　resinous　odors

from　the　oozing　sap　of　unseasoned　〃redwood〃　boards；　warped　and

drying　in　the　hot　sunshine。　　Even　at　that　early　hour　the　climbing

Castilian　roses　were　drooping　against　the　wooden　columns　of　the　new

veranda；　scarcely　older　than　themselves；　and　mingling　an　already

faded　spice　with　the　aroma　of　baking　wood　and　the　more　material

fragrance　of　steaming　coffee；　that　seemed　dominant　everywhere。



In　fact；　the　pretty　breakfast…room；　whose　three　broad　windows；

always　open　to　the　veranda；　gave　an　al　fresco　effect　to　every　meal；

was　a　pathetic　endeavor　of　the　Southern…bred　Peyton　to　emulate　the

soft；　luxurious；　and　open…air　indolence　of　his　native　South；　in　a

climate　that　was　not　only　not　tropical；　but　even　austere　in　its　most

fervid　moments。　　Yet；　although　cold　draughts　invaded　it　from　the

rear　that　morning；　Judge　Peyton　sat　alone；　between　the　open　doors

and　windows；　awaiting　the　slow　coming　of　his　wife　and　the　young

ladies。　　He　was　not　in　an　entirely　comfortable　mood　that　morning。

Things　were　not　going　on　well　at　Robles。　　That　truculent　vagabond；

Pedro；　had；　the　night　before；　taken　himself　off　with　a　curse　that

had　frightened　even　the　vacqueros；　who　most　hated　him　as　a

companion；　but　who　now　seemed　inclined　to　regard　his　absence　as　an

injury　done　to　their　race。　　Peyton；　uneasily　conscious　that　his　own

anger　had　been　excited　by　an　exaggerated　conception　of　the　accident；

was　now；　like　most　obstinate　men；　inclined　to　exaggerate　the

importance　of　Pedro's　insolence。　　He　was　well　out　of　it　to　get　rid

of　this　quarrelsome　hanger…on；　whose　presumption　and　ill…humor

threatened　the　discipline　of　the　rancho；　yet　he　could　not　entirely

forget　that　he　had　employed　him　on　account　of　his　family　claims；　and

from　a　desire　to　placate　racial　jealousy　and　settle　local　differences。

For　the　inferior　Mexicans　and　Indian　half…breeds　still　regarded

their　old　masters　with　affection；　were；　in　fact；　more　concerned　for

the　integrity　of　their　caste　than　the　masters　were　themselves；　and

the　old　Spanish　families　who　had　made　alliances　with　Americans；　and

shared　their　land　with　them；　had　rarely　succeeded　in　alienating

their　retainers　with　their　lands。　　Certain　experiences　in　the

proving　of　his　grant　before　the　Land　Commission　had　taught　Peyton

that　they　were　not　to　be　depended　upon。　　And　lately　there　had　been

unpleasant　rumors　of　the　discovery　of　some　unlooked…for　claimants　to

a　division　of　the　grant　itself；　which　might　affect　his　own　title。



He　looked　up　quickly　as　voices　and　light　steps　on　the　veranda　at

last　heralded　the　approach　of　his　tardy　household　from　the　corridor。

But；　in　spite　of　his　preoccupation；　he　was　startled　and　even

awkwardly　impressed　with　a　change　in　Susy's　appearance。　　She　was

wearing；　for　the　first　time；　a　long　skirt；　and　this　sudden　maturing

of　her　figure　struck　him；　as　a　man；　much　more　forcibly　than　it　would

probably　have　impressed　a　woman；　more　familiar　with　details。　　He　had

not　noticed　certain　indications　of　womanhood；　as　significant；

perhaps；　in　her　carriage　as　her　outlines；　which　had　been　lately

perfectly　apparent　to　her　mother　and　Mary；　but　which　were　to　him

now；　for　the　first　time；　indicated　by　a　few　inches　of　skirt。　　She

not　only　looked　taller　to　his　masculine　eyes；　but　these　few　inches

had　added　to　the　mystery　as　well　as　the　drapery　of　the　goddess；　they

were　not　so　much　the　revelation　of　maturity　as　the　suggestion　that

it　was　HIDDEN。　　So　impressed　was　he；　that　a　half…serious　lecture　on

her　yesterday's　childishness；　the　outcome　of　his　irritated

reflections　that　morning；　died　upon　his　lips。　　He　felt　he　was　no

longer　dealing　with　a　child。



He　welcomed　them　with　that　smile　of　bantering　approbation；　supposed

to　keep　down　inordinate　vanity；　which　for　some　occult　reason　one

always　re