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arizona nights(亚利桑那之夜)-第33节

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we had stumbled over。            Denton   told us that the  idea of   going   back   and 

scooping all that dinero up with a shovel                had kept him going; just as the 

idea   of   getting   even   with Anderson   had   kept   me   going。         Schwartz   said 

that after he'd carried that heavy gold over the first day; he made up his 

mind he'd get the spending of it or bust。              That's why he hated so to throw 



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it away。                     There were lots of fishing boats in the harbour; and 

we hired one; and a man to run it for next to nothing a week。                     We laid a 

course   north;   and   in   six   days   anchored   in   our   bay。          I   tell   you   it 

looked queer。       There were the charred sticks of the fire; and the coffeepot 

lying on its side。      We took off our hats at poor Billy's grave a minute; and 

then climbed over the cholla…covered hill carrying our picks and shovels; 

and   the   canvas   sacks   to   take   the   treasure   away   in。        There   was   no 

trouble   in   reaching   the   sandy   flat。  But   when   we   got   there   we   found   it 

torn   up   from   one   end   to   the   other。 A  few   scattered   timbers   and   three 

empty chests with the covers pried off alone remained。                   Handy Solomon 

had been there before us。                  We went back to our boat sick at heart。 

Nobody  said   a   word。       We   went   aboard   and   made   our   Greaser   boatman 

head for Yuma。         It took us a week to get there。          We were all of us glum; 

but Denton was the worst of the lot。               Even after we'd got back to town 

and fallen into our old ways of life; he couldn't seem to get over it。                    He 

seemed plumb possessed of gloom; and moped around like a chicken with 

the pip。     This surprised me; for I didn't think the loss of money would hit 

him so hard。        It didn't hit any of us very hard in those days。                     One 

evening I took him aside and fed him a drink; and expostulated with him。 

〃Oh;   HELL;   Rogers;〃   he   burst   out;   〃I   don't   care   about   the   loot。    But; 

suffering cats; think how that fellow sized us up for a lot of pattern…made 

fools; and how right he was about; it。              Why all he did was to sail out of 

sight around the next corner。           He knew we'd start across country; and we 

did。     All   we   had   to   do   was   to   lay   low;   and   save   our   legs。 He   was 

BOUND to come back。              And we might have nailed him when he landed。〃 

        〃That's about all there was to it;〃 concluded Colorado Rogers; after a 

pause;   〃except   that   I've   been   looking   for   him   ever   since;   and   when   I 

heard you singing that song I naturally thought I'd landed。〃                     〃And you 

never saw him again?〃 asked Windy Bill。                   〃Well;〃 chuckled Rogers; 〃I 

did about ten year later。        It was in Tucson。        I was in the back of a store; 

when the door in front opened and this man came in。                    He stopped at the 

little   cigar…case   by   the   door。  In   about   one   jump   I   was   on   his   neck。 I 

jerked   him   over   backwards   before   he   knew   what   had   struck   him;   threw 

him   on   his   face;   got   my   hands   in   his   back…hair;   and   began   to   jump   his 



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features against the floor。   Then all at once I noted that this man had two 

arms; so of course he was the wrong fellow。       〃Oh; excuse me;〃 said I; and 

ran out the back door。〃 



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               CHAPTER SIXTEEN THE 

                 HONK…HONK BREED 



     It   was   Sunday   at   the   ranch。   For   a   wonder   the   weather   bad   been 

favourable;   the   windmills   were   all   working;   the   bogs   had   dried   up;   the 

beef   had   lasted   over;   the   remuda   had   not   strayedin   short;   there   was 

nothing   to   do。    Sang   had   given   us   a   baked           bread…pudding   with 

raisins   in   it。 We   filled   itin   a   wash   basin   full   of   iton   top   of   a   few 

incidental pounds of chile con; baked beans; soda biscuits; 〃air tights;〃 and 

other delicacies。       Then we adjourned with our pipes to the shady side of 

the blacksmith's shop where we could watch the ravens on top the adobe 

wall   of   the   corral。  Somebody   told   a   story   about   ravens。      This   led   to 

road…runners。       This   suggested   rattlesnakes。       They  started   Windy       Bill。 

〃Speakin'   of   snakes;〃   said Windy;   〃I   mind   when   they  catched   the   great… 

granddaddy   of   all   the   bullsnakes   up   at   Lead   in   the   Black   Hills。 I   was 

only a kid then。        This wasn't no such tur'ble long a snake;              but he was 

more'n   a   foot   thick。   Looked   just   like   a   sahuaro   stalk。   Man   name   of 

Terwilliger   Smith   catched   it。     He   named   this   yere   bullsnake   Clarence; 

and got it so plumb gentle it followed him everywhere。                  One day old P。 T。 

Barnum       come    along    and   wanted    to   buy   this  Clarence     snakeoffered 

Terwilliger      a  thousand     coldbut    Smith    wouldn't    part   with   the   snake 

nohow。      So finally they fixed up a deal so Smith could go along with the 

show。      They   shoved   Clarence   in   a   box   in   the   baggage   car;   but   after   a 

while Mr。 Snake gets so lonesome he gnaws out and starts to crawl back to 

find his master。       Just as he is half…way between the baggage car and the 

smoker; the couplin' give wayright on that heavy grade between Custer 

and Rocky Point。          Well; sir; Clarence wound his head 'round one brake 

wheel   and   his   tail   around   the   other;   and   held   that   train   together   to   the 

bottom of the grade。         But it stretched him twenty…eight feet and they had 

to   advertise   him   as   a   boa…constrictor。〃           Windy   Bill's   story   of   the 

faithful    bullsnake     aroused    to  reminiscence      the   grizzled   stranger;    who 

thereupon held forth as follows: 



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     Wall; I've see things and I've heerd things; some of them ornery; and 

some      you'd    love   to  believe;    they   was    that   gorgeous     and    improbable。 

Nat'ral     history   was    always     my    hobby     and   sportin'   events    my    special 

pleasure and this yarn of Windy's reminds me of the only chanst I ever had 

to   ring   in   business   and   pleasure   and   hobby   all   in   one   grand   merry…go… 

round of joy。       It come about like this:           One day; a few year back; I was 

sittin'   on   the   beach     at  Santa    Barbara     watchin'     the  sky    stay   up;   and 

wonderin'   what   to   do   with   my   year's   wages;   when   a   little   squinch…eye 

round…face with big bow spectacles came and plumped down beside me。 

〃Did   you   ever   stop   to   think;〃   says   he;   shovin'   back   his   hat;   〃that   if   the 

horsepower   delivered   by   them   waves   on   this   beach   in   one   single   hour 

could   be   concentrated   behind   washin'   machines;   it   would   be   enough   to 

wash all the shirts for a city of four hundred and fifty…one thousand one 

hundred and thirty…six people?〃 

     〃Can't   say   I   ever   did;〃   says   I;   squintin'   at   him   sideways。     〃Fact;〃 

says he; 〃and did it ever occur to you that if all the food a man eats in the 

course of a natural life could be gathered together at one time; it would fill 

a   wagon…train   twelve   miles   long?〃             〃You   make   me   hungry;〃   says   I。 

〃And ain't it interestin' to reflect;〃 he goes on; 〃that if all the finger…nail 

parin's of the human race for one year was to be collected and subjected to 

hydraulic      pressure     it  would     equal    in  size   the   pyramid      of   Cheops?〃 

〃Look yere;〃 says I; sittin' up; 〃did YOU ever pause to excogitate that if all 

the  hot   air   you   is   dispensin'   was   to   be   collected   together  it   would   fill   a 

balloon big enough to waft you and me over that Bullyvard of Palms to 

yonder   gin   mill   on   the   corner?〃           He   didn't   say   nothin'   to   thatjust 

yanked   me   to   my  feet;   faced   me   towards   the gin   mill   above   mentioned; 

and   exerted   considerable   pressure   on   my   arm   in   urg

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