the lost road-第9节

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nigger；　marine；　anybodyand　if　he　can　knock　me　out　I'll　stop
drinking。　　You　see；〃　he　explained　patiently；　〃I'm　no　mollycoddle
or　jelly…fish。　　I　can　afford　a　headache。　　And　besides；　it's　my　own
head。　　If　I　don't　give　anybody　else　a　headache；　I　don't　see　that　it's
anybody　else's　damned　business。〃

〃But　you　do；〃　retorted　Haldane　steadily。　　〃You're　giving　your　own
men　worse　than　a　headache；　you're　setting　them　a　rotten　example；
you're　giving　the　Thirty…third　a　bad　name…〃

Aintree　vaulted　off　his　cot　and　shook　his　fist　at　his　friend。
〃You　can't　say　that　to　me；〃　he　cried。

〃I　do　say　it；〃　protested　Haldane。　　〃When　you　were　in　Manila　your　
men　were　models；　here　they're　unshaven；　sloppy；　undisciplined。　
They　look　like　bell…hops。　　And　it's　your　fault。　　And　everybody　
thinks　so。〃

Slowly　and　carefully　Aintree　snapped　his　fingers。

〃And　you　can　tell　everybody；　from　me；〃　he　cried；　〃that's　all　I　care
what　they　think！　And　now；〃　he　continued；　smiling　hospitably；　〃let
me　congratulate　you　on　your　success　as　a　missionary；　and；　to　show　
you　there's　not　a　trace　of　hard　feeling；　we　will　have　a　drink。〃

Informally　Haldane　reported　back　to　the　commission；　and　the　wife　
of　one　of　them　must　have　talked；　for　it　was　soon　known　that　a
brother　officer　had　appealed　to　Aintree　to　reform；　and　Aintree　
had　refused　to　listen。

When　she　heard　this；　Grace　Carter；　the　wife　of　Major　Carter；　one　
of　the　surgeons　at　the　Ancon　Hospital；　was　greatly　perturbed。　
Aintree　was　engaged　to　be　married　to　Helen　Scott；　who　was　her　
best　friend　and　who　was　arriving　by　the　next　steamer　to　spend　the　
winter。　　When　she　had　Helen　safely　under　her　roof；　Mrs。　Carter　had　
planned　to　marry　off　the　young　couple　out　of　hand　on　the　isthmus。　
But　she　had　begun　to　wonder　if　it　would　not　be　better　they　should　
delay；　or　best　that　they　should　never　marry。

〃The　awakening　is　going　to　be　a　terrible　blow　to　Helen；〃　she　said
to　her　husband。　　〃She　is　so　proud　of　him。〃

〃On　the　contrary；〃　he　protested；　〃it　will　be　the　awakening　of　
Aintreeif　Helen　will　stand　for　the　way　he's　acting；　she　is　not　
the　girl　I　know。　　And　when　he　finds　she　won't；　and　that　he　may　lose
her；　he'll　pull　up　short。　　He's　talked　Helen　to　me　night　after　
night　until　he's　bored　me　so　I　could　strangle　him。　　He　cares　more　
for　her　than　he　does　for　anything；　for　the　army；　or　for　himself；　
and　that's　saying　a　great　deal。　　One　word　from　her　will　be　enough。〃

Helen　spoke　the　word　three　weeks　after　she　arrived。　　It　had　not　
been　necessary　to　tell　her　of　the　manner　in　which　her　lover　was　
misconducting　himself。　　At　various　dinners　given　in　their　honor　
he　had　made　a　nuisance　of　himself；　on　another　occasion；　while　in　
uniform；　he　had　created　a　scene　in　the　dining…room　of　the　Tivoli
under　the　prying　eyes　of　three　hundred　seeing…the…Canal　tourists；
and　one　night　he　had　so　badly　beaten　up　a　cabman　who　had　laughed　
at　his　condition　that　the　man　went　to　the　hospital。　　Major　Carter；
largely　with　money；　had　healed　the　injuries　of　the　cabman；　but　
Helen；　who　had　witnessed　the　assault；　had　suffered　an　injury　that
money　could　not　heal。

She　sent　for　Aintree；　and　at　the　home　of　her　friend　delivered　
her　ultimatum。

〃I　hit　him　because　he　was　offensive　to　you；〃　said　Aintree。　　〃That's
why　I　hit　him。　　If　I'd　not　had　a　drink　in　a　year；　I'd　have　hit　him
just　as　quick　and　just　as　hard。〃

〃Can't　you　see；〃　said　the　girl；　〃that　in　being　not　yourself　when
I　was　in　your　care　you　were　much　more　insulting　to　me　than　any
cabman　could　possibly　be？　When　you　are　like　that　you　have　no
respect　for　me；　or　for　yourself。　　Part　of　my　pride　in　you　is　that　
you　are　so　strong；　that　you　control　yourself；　that　common　
pleasures　never　get　a　hold　on　you。　　If　you　couldn't　control　your　
temper　I　wouldn't　blame　you；　because　you've　a　villainous　temper　
and　you　were　born　with　it。　　But　you　weren't　born　with　a　taste　for
liquor。　　None　of　your　people　drank。　　You　never　drank　until　you　went
into　the　army。　　If　I　were　a　man；〃　declared　the　girl；　〃I'd　be　ashamed　
to　admit　anything　was　stronger　than　I　was。　　You　never　let　pain　beat　
you。　　I've　seen　you　play　polo　with　a　broken　arm；　but　in　this　you　give　
pain　to　others；　you　shame　and　humiliate　the　one　you　pretend　to　love；　
just　because　you　are　weak；　just　because　you　can't　say　'no。'〃

Aintree　laughed　angrily。

〃Drink　has　no　hold　on　me；〃　he　protested。　　〃It　affects　me　as　much　as　the
lights　and　the　music　affect　a　girl　at　her　first　dance；　and　no　more。　　But；
if　you　ask　me　to　stop〃

〃I　do　not！〃　said　the　girl。　　〃If　you　stop；　you'll　stop　not　because
I　have　any　influence　over　you；　but　because　you　don't　need　my　
influence。　　If　it's　wrong；　if　it's　hurting　you；　if　it's　taking　away　
your　usefulness　and　your　power　for　good；　that's　why　you'll　stop。
Not　because　a　girl　begs　you。　　Or　you're　not　the　man　I　think　you。〃

Aintree　retorted　warmly。　　〃I'm　enough　of　a　man　for　this；〃　he　
protested：　　〃I'm　enough　of　a　man　not　to　confess　I　can't　drink　
without　making　a　beast　of　myself。　　It's　easy　not　to　drink　at　all。
But　to　stop　altogether　is　a　confession　of　weakness。　　I'd　look　on　
my　doing　that　as　cowardly。　　I　give　you　my　wordnot　that　I'll　swear
off；　that　I'll　never　dobut　I　promise　you　you'll　have　no　further　
reason　to　be　what　you　call　humiliated；　or　ashamed。　　You　have　my
word　for　it。〃

A　week　later　Aintree　rode　his　pony　into　a　railway　cutting　and　
rolled　with　it　to　the　tracks　below；　and；　if　at　the　time　he　had　
not　been　extremely　drunk；　would　have　been　killed。　　The　pony；　
being　quite　sober；　broke　a　leg　and　was　destroyed。

When　word　of　this　came　to　Helen　she　was　too　sick　at　heart　to　see
Aintree；　and　by　others　it　was　made　known　to　him　that　on　the　first
steamer　Miss　Scott　would　return　North。　　Aintree　knew　why　she　was　
going；　knew　she　had　lost　faith　and　patience；　knew　the　woman　he
loved　had　broken　with　him　and　put　him　out　of　her　life。　　Appalled　
at　this　calamity；　he　proceeded　to　get　drunk　in　earnest。


The　night　was　very　hot　and　the　humidity　very　heavy；　and　at　Las　
Palmas　inside　the　bungalow　that　served　as　a　police…station　the　
lamps　on　either　side　of　the　lieutenant's　desk　burned　like　tiny　
furnaces。　　Between　them；　panting　in　the　moist　heat　and　with　the　
sweat　from　his　forehead　and　hand　dripping　upon　an　otherwise
immaculate　report；　sat　Standish。　　Two　weeks　before；　the　chief　had
made　him　one　of　his　six　lieutenants。　　With　the　force　the　promotion
had　been　most　popular。

Since　his　promotion　Standish　had　been　in　charge　of　the　police…
station　at　Las　Palmas　and　daily　had　seen　Aintree　as；　on　his　way　
down　the　hill　from　the　barracks　to　the　railroad；　the　hero　of　
Batangas　passed　the　door　of　the　station…house。　　Also；　on　the　
morning　Aintree　had　jumped　his　horse　over　the　embankment；　
Standish　had　seen　him　carried　up　the　hill　on　a　stretcher。　　At　the
sight　the　lieutenant　of　police　had　taken　from　his　pocket　a　notebook；
and　on　a　flyleaf　made　a　cross。　　On　the　flyleaf　were　many　other　dates　
and　opposite　each　a　cross。　　It　was　Aintree's　record　and　as　the　number　
of　black　crosses　grew；　the　greater　had　grown　the　resentment　of　Standish；　
the　more　greatly　it　had　increased　his　anger　against　the　man　who　had　put　
this　affront　upon　the　army；　the　greater　became　his　desire　to　punish。

In　police　circles　the　night　had　been　quiet；　the　cells　in　the　yard
were　empty；　the　telephone　at　his　elbow　had　remained　silent；　and　
Standish；　alone　in　the　station…house；　had　employed　himself　in　
cramming　〃Moss's　Manual　for　Subalterns。〃　　He　found　it　a　fascinating
exercise。　　The　hope　that　soon　he　might　himself　be　a　subaltern　
always　burned　brightly；　and　to　be　prepared　seemed　to　make　the　
coming　of　that　day　more　certain。　　It　was　ten　o'clock　and　Las　Palmas
lay　sunk　in　slumber；　and　after　the　down　train　which　was　now　due　
had　passed；　there　was　nothing　likely　to　disturb　her　slumber　until
at　sunrise　the　great　army　of　dirt…diggers　with　shrieks　of　whistles；
with　roars　of　dynamite；　with　the　rumbling　of　dirt…trains　and　
steam…shovels；　again　sprang　to　the　attack。　　Down　the　hill；　a
hundred　yards　below　Standish；　the　night　train　halted　at　the　
station；　with　creakings　and　groanings　continued　toward　Colon；　
and　again　Las　Palmas　returned　to　sleep。

And；　then；　quickly　and　viciously；　like　the　crack　of　a　mule…whip；
came　the　reports　of　a　pistol；　and　once　more　the　hot　and　dripping
silence。

On　post　at　the　railroad…station；　whence　the　shots　came；　was　Meehan；　
one　of　the　Zone　police；　an　ex…sergeant　of　marines。　　On　top　of　the　hill；　
outside　the　infantry　barracks；　was　another　policeman；　Bullard；　once　a　
cowboy。

Standish　ran　to　the　veranda　and　heard　the　pebbles　scattering　as　
Bullard　leaped　down　the　hill；　and　when；　in　the　light　from　the　
open　door；　he　passed；　the　lieutenant　shouted　at　him　to　find　Meehan
and　report　back。　　Then　the　desk　telephone　rang；　and　Standish　
returned　to　his　chair。

〃This　is　Meehan；〃　said　a　voice。　　〃Those　shots　just　now　were　fired　
by　Major　Aintree。　　He　came　down　on　the　night　train　and　jumped　off
after　the　train　was　pulling　out　and　stumbled　into　a　negro；　and　
fell。　　He's　been　drinking　and　he　swore　the　nigger　pushed　him；　and　
the　man　called　Aintree　a　liar。　　Aintree　pulled　his　gun　and　the　
nigger　ran。　　Aintree　fired　twice；　then　I　got　to　him　and　knocked　
the　gun　out　of　his　hand　wit