太子爷小说网 > 英语电子书 > on the frontier >

第24节

on the frontier-第24节

小说: on the frontier 字数: 每页4000字

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页,按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页,按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部!
————未阅读完?加入书签已便下次继续阅读!




fabrication; was a tempting baptismal suggestion that the other

partners could not forego。  The Judge; a singularly inequitable

Missourian; with no knowledge whatever of the law; was an

inspiration of gratuitous irony。



Union Mills; who had been for some time sitting placidly on the

threshold with one leg exposed to the rain; from a sheer indolent

inability to change his position; finally withdrew that weather…

beaten member; and stood up。  The movement more or less deranged

the attitudes of the other partners; and was received with cynical

disfavor。  It was somewhat remarkable that; although generally

giving the appearance of healthy youth and perfect physical

condition; they one and all simulated the decrepitude of age and

invalidism; and after limping about for a few moments; settled back

again upon their bunks and stools in their former positions。  The

Left Bower lazily replaced a bandage that he had worn around his

ankle for weeks without any apparent necessity; and the Judge

scrutinized with tender solicitude the faded cicatrix of a scratch

upon his arm。  A passive hypochondria; born of their isolation; was

the last ludicrously pathetic touch to their situation。



The immediate cause of this commotion felt the necessity of an

explanation。



〃It would have been just as easy for you to have stayed outside

with your business leg; instead of dragging it into private life in

that obtrusive way;〃 retorted the Right Bower; 〃but that exhaustive

effort isn't going to fill the pork barrel。  The grocery man at

Dalton sayswhat's that he said?〃 he appealed lazily to the Judge。



〃Said he reckoned the Lone Star was about played out; and he didn't

want any more in histhank you!〃 repeated the Judge with a

mechanical effort of memory utterly devoid of personal or present

interest。



〃I always suspected that man; after Grimshaw begun to deal with

him;〃 said the Left Bower。  〃They're just mean enough to join hands

against us。〃  It was a fixed belief of the Lone Star partners that

they were pursued by personal enmities。



〃More than likely those new strangers over in the Fork have been

paying cash and filled him up with conceit;〃 said Union Mills;

trying to dry his leg by alternately beating it or rubbing it

against the cabin wall。  〃Once begin wrong with that kind of snipe

and you drag everybody down with you。〃



This vague conclusion was received with dead silence。  Everybody

had become interested in the speaker's peculiar method of drying

his leg; to the exclusion of the previous topic。  A few offered

criticism; no one assistance。



〃Who did the grocery man say that to?〃 asked the Right Bower;

finally returning to the question。



〃The Old man;〃 answered the Judge。



〃Of course;〃 ejaculated the Right Bower sarcastically。



〃Of course;〃 echoed the other partners together。  〃That's like him。

The Old Man all over!〃



It did not appear exactly what was like the Old Man; or why it was

like him; but generally that he alone was responsible for the

grocery man's defection。  It was put more concisely by Union Mills。



〃That comes of letting him go there!  It's just a fair provocation

to any man to have the Old Man sent to him。  They can't; sorter;

restrain themselves at him。  He's enough to spoil the credit of the

Rothschilds。〃



〃That's so;〃 chimed in the Judge。  〃And look at his prospecting。

Why; he was out two nights last week; all night; prospecting in the

moonlight for blind leads; just out of sheer foolishness。〃



〃It was quite enough for me;〃 broke in the Left Bower; 〃when the

other day; you remember when; he proposed to us white men to settle

down to plain ground sluicing; making 'grub' wages just like any

Chinaman。  It just showed his idea of the Lone Star claim。〃



〃Well; I never said it afore;〃 added Union Mills; 〃but when that

one of the Mattison boys came over here to examine the claim with

an eye to purchasin'; it was the Old Man that took the conceit out

of him。  He just as good as admitted that a lot of work had got to

be done afore any pay ore could be realized。  Never even asked him

over to the shanty here to jine us in a friendly game; just kept

him; so to speak; to himself。  And naturally the Mattisons didn't

see it。〃



A silence followed; broken only by the rain monotonously falling on

the roof; and occasionally through the broad adobe chimney; where

it provoked a retaliating hiss and splutter from the dying embers

of the hearth。  The Right Bower; with a sudden access of energy;

drew the empty barrel before him; and taking a pack of well…worn

cards from his pocket; began to make a 〃solitaire〃 upon the lid。

The others gazed at him with languid interest。



〃Makin' it for anythin'?〃 asked Mills。



The Right Bower nodded。



The Judge and Left Bower; who were partly lying in their respective

bunks; sat up to get a better view of the game。  Union Mills slowly

disengaged himself from the wall and leaned over the 〃solitaire〃

player。  The Right Bower turned the last card in a pause of almost

thrilling suspense; and clapped it down on the lid with fateful

emphasis。



〃It went!〃 said the Judge in a voice of hushed respect。  〃What did

you make it for?〃 he almost whispered。



〃To know if we'd make the break we talked about and vamose the

ranch。  It's the FIFTH time today;〃 continued the Right Bower in a

voice of gloomy significance。  〃And it went agin bad cards too。〃



〃I ain't superstitious;〃 said the Judge; with awe and fatuity

beaming from every line of his credulous face; 〃but it's flyin' in

the face of Providence to go agin such signs as that。〃



〃Make it again; to see if the Old Man must go;〃 suggested the Left

Bower。



The suggestion was received with favor; the three men gathering

breathlessly around the player。  Again the fateful cards were

shuffled deliberately; placed in their mysterious combination; with

the same ominous result。  Yet everybody seemed to breathe more

freely; as if relieved from some responsibility; the Judge

accepting this manifest expression of Providence with resigned

self…righteousness。



〃Yes; gentlemen;〃 resumed the Left Bower; serenely; as if a calm

legal decision had just been recorded; 〃we must not let any

foolishness or sentiment get mixed up with this thing; but look at

it like business men。  The only sensible move is to get up and get

out of the camp。〃



〃And the Old Man?〃 queried the Judge。



〃The Old Manhush! he's coming。〃



The doorway was darkened by a slight lissome shadow。  It was the

absent partner; otherwise known as 〃the Old Man。〃  Need it be added

that he was a BOY of nineteen; with a slight down just clothing his

upper lip!



〃The creek is up over the ford; and I had to 'shin' up a willow on

the bank and swing myself across;〃 he said; with a quick; frank

laugh; 〃but all the same; boys; it's going to clear up in about an

hour; you bet。  It's breaking away over Bald Mountain; and there's

a sun flash on a bit of snow on Lone Peak。  Look! you can see it

from here。  It's for all the world like Noah's dove just landed on

Mount Ararat。  It's a good omen。〃



From sheer force of habit the men had momentarily brightened up at

the Old Man's entrance。  But the unblushing exhibition of degrading

superstition shown in the last sentence recalled their just

severity。  They exchanged meaning glances。  Union Mills uttered

hopelessly to himself: 〃Hell's full of such omens。〃



Too occupied with his subject to notice this ominous reception; the

Old Man continued: 〃I reckon I struck a fresh lead in the new

grocery man at the Crossing。  He says he'll let the Judge have a

pair of boots on credit; but he can't send them over here; and

considering that the Judge has got to try them anyway; it don't

seem to be asking too much for the Judge to go over there。  He says

he'll give us a barrel of pork and a bag of flour if we'll give him

the right of using our tail…race and clean out the lower end of it。〃



〃It's the work of a Chinaman; and a four days' job;〃 broke in the

Left Bower。



〃It took one white man only two hours to clean out a third of it;〃

retorted the Old Man triumphantly; 〃for I pitched in at once with a

pick he let me have on credit; and did that amount of work this

morning; and told him the rest of you boys would finish it this

afternoon。〃



A slight gesture from the Right Bower checked an angry exclamation

from the Left。  The Old Man did not notice either; but; knitting

his smooth young brow in a paternally reflective fashion; went on:

〃You'll have to get a new pair of trousers; Mills; but as he

doesn't keep clothing; we'll have to get some canvas and cut you

out a pair。  I traded off the beans he let me have for some tobacco

for the Right Bower at the other shop; and got them to throw in a

new pack of cards。  These are about played out。  We'll be wanting

some brushwood for the fire; there's a heap in the h

返回目录 上一页 下一页 回到顶部 0 0

你可能喜欢的