arizona nights(亚利桑那之夜)-第20节
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ago；and it's never rained since。 I just wanted to settle in my mind
whether or not that damn roof leaked。〃 So I quit Arizona； and in
about a week I see my reflection in the winders of a little place called
Cyanide in the Colorado mountains。 Fellows； she was a bird。
They wasn't a pony in sight； nor a squar' foot of land that wasn't either
street or straight up。 It made me plumb lonesome for a country where
you could see a long ways even if you didn't see much。 And this early in
the evenin' they wasn't hardly anybody in the streets at all。 I took a
look at them dark； gloomy； old mountains； and a sniff at a breeze that
would have frozen the whiskers of hope； and I made a dive for the nearest
lit winder。 They was a sign over it that just said：
THIS IS A SALOON
I was glad they labelled her。 I'd never have known it。 They had a
fifteen…year old kid tendin' bar； no games goin'； and not a soul in the place。
〃Sorry to disturb your repose； bub；〃 says I； 〃but see if you can sort out any
rye among them collections of sassapariller of yours。〃 I took a drink；
and then another to keep it companyI was beginnin' to sympathise with
anythin' lonesome。 Then I kind of sauntered out to the back room where
the hurdy…gurdy ought to be。
Sure enough； there was a girl settin' on the pianner stool； another in a
chair； and a nice shiny Jew drummer danglin' his feet from a table。 They
looked up when they see me come in； and went right on talkin'。
〃Hello； girls！〃 says I。 At that they stopped talkin' complete。
〃How's tricks？〃 says I。 〃Who's your woolly friend？〃 the shiny Jew
asks of the girls。 I looked at him a minute； but I see he'd been raised
a pet； and then； too； I was so hungry for sassiety I was willin' to pass a bet
or two。 〃Don't you ADMIRE these cow gents？〃 snickers one of the
girls。 〃Play somethin'； sister；〃 says I to the one at the pianner。
She just grinned at me。
〃Interdooce me；〃 says the drummer in a kind of a way that made them
all laugh a heap。 〃Give us a tune；〃 I begs； tryin' to be jolly； too。
〃She don't know any pieces；〃 says the Jew。 〃Don't you？〃 I asks
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pretty sharp。 〃No；〃 says she。 〃Well； I do；〃 says I。 I
walked up to her； jerked out my guns； and reached around both sides of
her to the pianner。 I run the muzzles up and down the keyboard two or
three times； and then shot out half a dozen keys。 〃That's the piece I
know；〃 says I。 But the other girl and the Jew drummer had punched
the breeze。 The girl at the pianner just grinned； and pointed to the
winder where they was some ragged glass hangin'。 She was dead game。
〃Say； Susie；〃 says I； 〃you're all right； but your friends is tur'ble。 I
may be rough； and I ain't never been curried below the knees； but I'm
better to tie to than them sons of guns。〃
〃I believe it；〃 says she。
So we had a drink at the bar； and started out to investigate the wonders
of Cyanide。
Say； that night was a wonder。 Susie faded after about three drinks；
but I didn't seem to mind that。 I hooked up to another saloon kept by a
thin Dutchman。 A fat Dutchman is stupid； but a thin one is all right。
In ten minutes I had more friends in Cyanide than they is fiddlers in hell。
I begun to conclude Cyanide wasn't so lonesome。 About four o'clock in
comes a little Irishman about four foot high； with more upper lip than a
muley cow；and enough red hair to make an artificial aurorer borealis。 He
had big red hands with freckles pasted onto them； and stiff red hairs
standin' up separate and lonesome like signal stations。 Also his legs was
bowed。
He gets a drink at the bar； and stands back and yells： 〃God bless
the Irish and let the Dutch rustle！〃
Now； this was none of my town； so I just stepped back of the end of
the bar quick where I wouldn't stop no lead。 The shootin' didn't begin。
〃Probably Dutchy didn't take no note of what the locoed little dogie DID
say；〃 thinks I to myself。 The Irishman bellied up to the bar again；
and pounded on it with his fist。 〃Look here！〃 he yells。 〃Listen to
what I'm tellin' ye！ God bless the Irish and let the Dutch rustle！ Do ye
hear me？〃 〃Sure； I hear ye；〃 says Dutchy； and goes on swabbin' his
bar with a towel。 At that my soul just grew sick。 I asked the man
next to me why Dutchy didn't kill the little fellow。 〃Kill him！ 〃 says
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this man。 〃What for？〃 〃For insultin' of him； of course。〃 〃Oh；
he's drunk；〃 says the man； as if that explained anythin'。
That settled it with me。 I left that place； and went home；and it wasn't
more than four o'clock； neither。 No； I don't call four o'clock late。 It
may be a little late for night before last； but it's just the shank of the
evenin' for to…night。 Well； it took me six weeks and two days to go
broke。 I didn't know sic em； about minin'； and before long I KNEW that
I didn't 'know sic 'em。 Most all day I poked around them mountains…not
like our'ntoo much timber to be comfortable。 At night I got to droppin'
in at Dutchy's。 He had a couple of quiet games goin'； and they was one
fellow among that lot of grubbin' prairie dogs that had heerd tell that cows
had horns。 He was the wisest of the bunch on the cattle business。 So I
stowed away my consolation； and made out to forget comparing Colorado
with God's country。
About three times a week this Irishman I told you ofname O'Toole
comes bulgin' in。 When he was sober he talked minin' high； wide； and
handsome。 When he was drunk he pounded both fists on the bar and
yelled for action； tryin' to get Dutchy on the peck。 〃God bless the
Irish and let the Dutch rustle！〃 he yells about six times。 〃Say； do you
hear？〃 〃Sure；〃 says Dutchy； calm as a milk cow； 〃sure； I hears ye！〃
I was plumb sorry for O'Toole。 I'd like to have given him a run； but； of
course； I couldn't take it up without makin' myself out a friend of this
Dutchy party； and I couldn't stand for that。 But I did tackle Dutchy about
it one night when they wasn't nobody else there。
〃Dutchy；〃 says I； 〃what makes you let that bow…legged cross between a
bulldog and a flamin' red sunset tromp on you so？ It looks to me like
you're plumb spiritless。〃 Dutchy stopped wiping glasses for a minute。
〃Just you hold on〃 says he。 〃I ain't ready yet。 Bimeby I make him sick；
also those others who laugh with him。〃
He had a little grey flicker in his eye； and I thinks to myself that
maybe they'd get Dutchy on the peck yet。 As I said； I went broke in
just six weeks and two days。 And I was broke a plenty。 No hold…outs
anywhere。 It was a heap long ways to cows； and I'd be teetotally chawed
up and spit out if I was goin' to join these minin' terrapins defacin' the
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bosom of nature。 It sure looked to me like hard work。 While I was
figurin' what next； Dutchy came in。 Which I was tur'ble surprised at that；
but I said good…mornin' and would he rest his poor feet。 〃You like to
make some money？〃 he asks。
〃That depends；〃 says I； 〃on how easy it is。〃 〃It is easy；〃 says
he。 〃I want you to buy hosses for me。〃 〃Hosses！ Sure！〃 I yells；
jumpin' up。 〃You
