the flying u ranch-第26节

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So；　his　immediate　fears　relieved；　Slim's　slow　mind　had　swung　back

to　the　Dots；　and　to　Oleson；　whom　Weary　was　even　now　assisting　to

keep　his　promise　（Slim　grinned　widely　to　himself　when　he　thought

of　the　abject　fear　which　Oleson　had　displayed　because　of　the

murder　he　thought　he　had　done；　while　Happy　Jack　obediently

〃played　dead〃）。　And　of　Dunk；　whom　Slim　had　hated　most　abominably

of　old；　Dunk；　a　criminal　found　out；　Dunk；　a　prisoner　right　there

on　the　very　ranch　he　had　thought　to　despoil；　Dunk；　at　that　very

moment　locked　in　the　blacksmith　shop。　Perhape　it　was　not

curiosity　alone　which　sent　him　down　there；　perhaps　it　was　partly

a　desire　to　look　upon　Dunk　humbledhe　who　had　trodden　so

arrogantly　upon　the　necks　of　those　below　him；　so　arrogantly　that

even　Slim；　the　slow…witted　one；　had　many　a　time　trembled　with

anger　at　his　tone。



Slim　walked　slowly；　as　was　his　wont；　with　deadly　directness；　as

was　his　nature。　The　blacksmith　shop　was　silent；　closedas　grimly

noncommittal　as　a　vault。　You　might　guess　whatever　you　pleased

about　its　inmate；　it　was　like　trying　to　imagine　the　emotions

pictured　upon　the　face　behind　a　smooth；　black　mask。　Slim　stopped

before　the　closed　door　and　listened。　The　rusty；　iron　hasp

attracted　his　slow　gaze；　at　first　puzzling　him　a　little；　making

him　vaguely　aware　that　something　about　it　did　not　quite　harmonize

with　his　mental　attitude　toward　it。　It　took　him　a　full　minute　to

realize　that　he　had　expected　to　find　the　door　locked；　and　that

the　hasp　hung　downward　uselessly；　just　as　it　hung　every　day　in

the　year。



He　remembered　then　that　Andy　had　spoken　of　chaining　Dunk　to　the

anvil。　That　would　make　it　unnecessary　to　lock　the　door；　of

course。　Slim　seized　the　hanging　strip　of　iron；　gave　it　a　jerk　and

bathed　all　the　dingy　interior　with　a　soft；　sunset　glow。　Cobwebs

quivered　at　the　inrush　of　the　breeze；　and　glistened　like　threads

of　fine　gold。　The　forge　remained　a　dark　blot　in　the　corner。　A　new

chisel；　lying　upon　the　earthen　floor；　became　a　bar　of　yellow

light。



Slim's　eyes　went　to　the　anvil　and　clung　there　in　a　widening

stare。　His　hands；　white　and　soft　when　his　gloves　were　off；　drew

up　convulsively　into　fighting　fists；　and　as　he　stood　looking；　the

cords　swelled　and　stood　out　upon　his　thick　neck。　For　years　he　had

hated　Dunk　Whittaker



The　Happy　Family；　with　rare　good　sense；　had　not　hesitated　to　turn

the　white　house　into　an　impromptu　hospital。　They　knew　that　if　the

Little　Doctor　and　Chip　and　the　Old　Man　had　been　at　home　Happy

Jack　would　have　been　taken　unquestioningly　into　the　guest

chamberwhich　was　a　square；　three…windowed　room　off　the　big

livingroom。　More　than　one　of　them　had　occupied　it　upon　occasion。

They　took　Happy　Jack　up　there　and　put　him　to　bed　quite　as　a

matter…of…course；　and　when　he　was　asleep　they　lingered　upon　the

wide；　front　porch；　the　hammock　of　the　Little　Doctor　squeaked

under　the　weight　of　Andy　Green；　and　the　wide…armed　chairs

received　the　weary　forms　of　divers　young　cowpunchers　who　did　not

give　a　thought　to　the　intrusion；　but　were　thankful　for　the

comfort。　Andy　was　swinging　luxuriously　and　drawing　the　last　few

puffs　from　a　cigarette　when　Slim；　purple　and　puffing　audibly；

appeared　portentously　before　him。



〃I　thought　you　said　you　was　goin'　to　lock　Dunk　up　in　the

blacksmith　shop；〃　he　launched　accusingly　at　Andy。



〃We　did；〃　averred　that　young　man；　pushing　his　toe　against　the

railing　to　accelerate　the　voluptuous　motion　of　the　hammock。



〃He　ain't　there。　He's　broke　loose。　The　chainby　golly；　yuh　went

an'　used　that　chain　that　was　broke　an'　jest　barely　hangin'

together！　His　horse　ain't　anywheres　around；　either。　You　fellers

make　me　sick。　Lollin'　around　here　an'　not　paying　no　attention；　by

gollyhe's　liable　to　be　ten　mile　from　here　by　this　time！〃　When

Slim　stopped；　his　jaw　quivered　like　a　dish　of　disturbed　jelly；

and　I　wish　I　could　give　you　his　tone；　choppy；　every　sentence　an

accusation　that　should　have　made　those　fellows　wince。



Irish；　Big　Medicine　and　Jack　Bates　had　sprung　guiltily　to　their

feet　and　started　down　the　steps。　The　drawling　voice　of　the　Native

Son　stopped　them；　ten　feet　from　the　porch。



〃Twelve；　or　fifteen；　I　should　make　it。　That　horse　of　his　looked

to　me　like　a　drifter。〃



〃Wellare　yuh　goin'　t'　set　there　on　your　haunches　an'　let　him

GO？〃　Slim；　by　the　look　of　him；　was　ripe　for　murder。



〃You　want　to　look　out；　or　you'll　get　apoplexy　sure；〃　Andy

soothed；　giving　himself　another　luxurious　push　and　pulling　the

last；　little　whiff　from　his　cigarette　before　he　threw　away　the

stub。　〃Fat　men　can't　afford　to　get　as　excited　as　skinny　ones

can。〃



〃Aw；　say！　Where　did　you　put　him；　Andy？〃　asked　Big　Medicine；　his

first　flurry　subsiding　before　the　absolute　calm　of　those　two　on

the　porch。



〃In　the　blacksmith　shop；〃　said　Andy；　with　a　slurring　accent　on

the　first　word　that　made　the　whole　sentence　perfectly　maddening。

〃Ah；　come　on　back　here　and　sit　down。　I　guess　we　better　tell　'em

the　how　of　it。　Huh；　Mig？〃



Miguel　cast　a　slow；　humorous　glance　over　the　four。　〃Ye…es

they'll　have　us　treed　in　about　two　minutes　if　we　don't；〃　he

assented。　〃Go　ahead。〃



〃Well；〃　Andy　lifted　his　head　and　shoulders　that　he　might　readjust

a　pillow　to　his　liking；　〃we　wanted　him　to　make　a　getaway。　Fact

is；　if　he　hadn't；　we'd　have　beenstrictly　up　against　it。　Right！

If　he　hadn'thow　about　it；　Mig？　I　guess　we'd　have　been　to　the

Little　Rockies　ourselves。〃



〃You've　got　a　sweet　little　voice；〃　Irish　cut　in　savagely；　〃but

we're　tired。　We'd　rather　hear　yuh　say　something！〃



〃Ohall　right。　Well；　Mig　and　I　just　ribbed　up　a　josh　on　Dunk。

I'd　read　somewhere　about　the　same　kinda　deal；　so　it　ain't

original；　I　don't　lay　any　claim　to　the　idea　at　all；　we　just

borrowed　it。　You　see；　it's　like　this：　We　figured　that　a　man　as

mean　as　this　Dunk　person　most　likely　had　stepped　over　the　line；

somewhere。　So　we　just　took　a　gambling　chance；　and　let　him　do　the

rest。　You　see；　we　never　saw　him　before　in　our　lives。　All　that

identification　stunt　of　ours　was　just　a　bluff。　But　the　minute　I

shoved　my　chips　to　the　center；　I　knew　we　had　him　dead　to　rights。

You　were　there。　You　saw　him　wilt。　By　gracious〃



〃Yuh　don't　know　anything　against　him？〃　gasped　Irish。



〃Not　a　darned　thingany　more　than　what　you　all　know；〃　testified

Andy　complacently。



It　took　a　minute　or　two　for　that　to　sink　in。



〃Well；　I'll　be　damned！〃　breathed　Irish。



〃We　did　chain　him　to　the　anvil；〃　Andy　went　on。　〃On　the　way　down；

we　talked　about　being　in　a　hurry　to　get　back　to　you　fellows；　and

I　told　Migso　Dunk　could　hearthat　we　wouldn't　bother　with　the

horse。　We　tied　him　to　the　corral。　And　I　hunted　around　for　that

bum　chain；　and　then　we　made　out　we　couldn't　find　the　padlock　for

the　door；　so　we　decided；　right　out　loud；　that　he'd　be　dead　safe

for　an　hour　or　two；　till　the　bunch　of　us　got　back。　Not　knowing　a

darn　thing　about　him；　except　what　you　boys　have　told　us；　we　sure

would　have　been　in　bad　if　he　hadn't　taken　a　sneak。　Fact　is；　we

were　kinda　worried　for　fear　he　wouldn't　have　nerve　enough　to　try

it。　We　waited；　up　on　the　hill；　till　we　saw　him　sneak　down　to　the

corral　and　jump　on　his　horse　and　take　off　down　the　coulee　like　a

scared　coyote。　It　was；〃　quoth　the　young　man；　unmistakably　pleased

with　himself；　〃pretty　smooth　work；　if　you　ask　me。〃



〃I'd　hate　to　ride　as　fast　and　far　to…night　as　that　hombre　will；〃

supplemented　Miguel　with　his　brief　smile；　that　was　just　a　flash

of　white；　even　teeth　and　a　momentary　lightening　of　his　languorous

eyes。



Slim　stood　for　five　minutes；　a　stolid；　stocky　figure　in　the　midst

of　a　storm　of　congratulatory　comment。　They　forgot　all　about　Happy

Jack；　asleep　inside　the　house；　and　so　their　voices　were　not

hushed。　Indeed；　Big　Medicine's　bull…like　remarks　boomed　full…

throated　across　the　coulee　and　were　flung　back　mockingly　by　the

barren　hills。　Slim　did　not　hear　a　word　they　were　saying；　he　was

thinking　it　over；　with　that　complete　mental　concentration　which

is　the　chief　recompense　of　a　slow…working　mind。　He　was

methodically　thinking　it　all　outand；　eventually；　he　saw　the

joke。



〃Well；　by　golly！〃　he　bawled　suddenly；　and　brought　his　palm　down

with　a　terrific　smack　upon　his　sore　legwhereat　his　fellows

laughed　uproariously。



〃We　told　you　not　to　try　to　see　through　any　more　jokes　till　your

leg　gets　well；　Slim；〃　Andy　reminded　condescendingly。



〃Say；　by　golly；　that's　a　good　one　on　Dunk；　ain't　it？　Chasin'

himself　clean　outa　the　country；　by　gollyscared　plumb　to

death…and　you　fellers　was　only　jest　makin'　b'lieve　yuh　knowed

him！　By　golly；　that　sure　is　a　good　one；　all　right！〃



〃You've　got　it；　give　you　time　enough　and　you　could　see　through　a

barbed…wire　fence；〃　patronized　Andy；　from　the　hammock。　〃Yes；

since　you　mention　it；　I　think　myself　it　ain't　so　bad。〃



〃Aw…w　shut　up；　out　there；　an'　let　a　feller　sleep！〃　came　a

querulous　voice　from　within。　〃I'd　ruther　bed　down　with　a　corral

full　uh　calves　at　weanin'　time；　than　be　anywhere