merton of the movies-第64节

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A　band　of　intrepid　firemen；　protected　by　masks　and　armed　with　axes；　rushed　in。　A　terrific　struggle　ensued。　The　delicatessen　shop　was　wrecked。　And　through　it　all　the　old　mother　continued　to　mop　the　floor。　Merton　Gill；　who　had　first　grown　hot；　was　now　cold。　Icy　drops　were　on　his　chilled　brow。　How　had　Hearts　on　Fire　gone　wrong？

Then　they　were　in　the　great　open　spaces　of　the　Come　All　Ye　dance　hall。　There　was　the　young　actor　in　his　Buck　Benson　costume；　protecting　his　mother　from　the　brutality　of　a　Mexican；　getting　his　man　later　by　firing　directly　into　a　mirrorBaird　had　said　it　would　come　right　in　the　exposure；　but　it　hadn't。　And　the　witless　cackled。

He　saw　his　struggle　with　the　detective。　With　a　real　thrill　he　saw　himself　bear　his　opponent　to　the　ground；　then　hurl　him　high　and　far　into　the　air；　to　be　impaled　upon　the　antlers　of　an　elk's　head　suspended　back　of　the　bar。　He　saw　himself　lightly　dust　his　sleeves　after　this　feat；　and　turn　aside　with　the　words；　〃That's　one　Lodge　he　can　join。〃

Then　followed　a　scene　he　had　not　been　allowed　to　witness。　There　swung　Marcel；　the　detective；　played　too　emphatically　by　the　cross…　eyed　man。　An　antler　point　suspended　him　by　the　seat　of　his　trousers。　He　hung　limply　a　moment；　then　took　from　his　pocket　a　saw　with　which　he　reached　up　to　contrive　his　release。　He　sawed　through　the　antler　and　fell。　He　tried　to　stand　erect；　but　appeared　to　find　this　impossible。　A　subtitle　announced：　〃He　had　put　a　permanent　wave　in　Marcel。〃

This　base　fooling　was　continuously　blown　upon　by　gales　of　stupid　laughter。　But　not　yet　did　Merton　Gill　know　the　worst。　The　merriment　persisted　through　his　most　affecting　bit；　the　farewell　to　his　old　pal　outsidehow　could　they　have　laughed　at　a　simple　bit　of　pathos　like　that？　But　the　watching　detective　was　seen　to　weep　bitterly。

〃Look　a'　him　doin'　Buck　Benson；〃　urged　the　hoarse　neighbour　gleefully。　〃You　got　to　hand　it　to　that　kidsay；　who　is　he；　anyway？〃

Followed　the　thrilling　leap　from　a　second…story　window　to　the　back　of　the　waiting　pal。　The　leap　began　thrillingly；　but　not　only　was　it　shown　that　the　escaping　man　had　donned　a　coat　and　a　false　mustache　in　the　course　of　his　fall；　but　at　its　end　he　was　revealed　slowly；　very　slowly；　clambering　into　the　saddle！

They　had　used　here；　he　saw；　one　of　those　slow　cameras　that　seem　to　suspend　all　action　interminably；　a　cruel　device　in　this　instance。　And　for　his　actual　escape；　when　he　had　ridden　the　horse　beyond　camera　range　at　a　safe　walk；　they　had　used　another　camera　that　gave　the　effect　of　intense　speed。　The　old　horse　had　walked；　but　with　an　air　of　swiftness　that　caused　the　audience　intense　delight。

Entered　Marcel；　the　detective；　in　another　scene　Merton　had　not　watched。　He　emerged　from　the　dance…hall　to　confront　a　horse　that　remained；　an　aged　counterpart　of　the　horse　Merton　had　ridden　off。　Marcel　stared　intently　into　the　beast's　face；　whereupon　it　reared　and　plunged　as　if　terrified　by　the　spectacle　of　the　cross…eyed　man。

Merton　recalled　the　horse　in　the　village　that　had　seemed　to　act　so　intelligently。　Probably　a　shot…gun　had　stimulated　the　present　scene。　The　detective　thereupon　turned　aside；　hastily　donned　his　false　mustache　and　Sherlock　Holmes　cap；　and　the　deceived　horse　now　permitted　him　to　mount。　He；　too；　walked　off　to　the　necromancy　of　a　lens　that　multiplied　his　pace　a　thousandfold。　And　the　audience　rocked　in　its　seats。

One　horse　still　remained　before　the　dance…hall。　The　old　mother　emerged。　With　one　anguished　look　after　the　detective；　she　gathered　up　her　disreputable　skirts　and　left　the　platform　in　a　flying　leap　to　land　in　the　saddle。　There　was　no　trickery　about　the　speed　at　which　her　horse；　belaboured　with　the　mop…pail；　galloped　in　pursuit　of　the　others。　A　subtitle　recited〃She　has　watched　her　dear　ones　leave　the　old　nest　flat。　Now　she　must　go　out　over　the　hills　and　mop　the　other　side　of　them！〃

Now　came　the　sensational　capture　by　lasso　of　the　detective。　But　the　captor　had　not　known　that；　as　he　dragged　his　quarry　at　the　rope's　end；　the　latter　had　somehow　possessed　himself　of　a　sign　which　he　later　walked　in　with；　a　sign　reading；　〃Join　the　Good　Roads　Movement！〃　nor　that　the　faithful　old　mother　had　ridden　up　to　deposit　her　inverted　mop…pail　over　his　head。

Merton　Gill　had　twice　started　to　leave。　He　wanted　to　leave。　But　each　time　he　found　himself　chained　there　by　the　evil　fascination　of　this　monstrous　parody。　He　remained　to　learn　that　the　Montague　girl　had　come　out　to　the　great　open　spaces　to　lead　a　band　of　train…robbers　from　the　〃Q。T。　ranche。〃

He　saw　her　ride　beside　a　train　and　cast　her　lasso　over　the　stack　of　the　locomotive。　He　saw　her　pony　settle　back　on　its　haunches　while　the　rope　grew　taut　and　the　train　was　forced　to　a　halt。　He　saw　the　passengers　lined　up　by　the　wayside　and　forced　to　part　with　their　valuables。　Later；　when　the　band　returned　to　the　ranche　with　their　booty；　he　saw　the　dissolute　brother；　after　the　treasure　was　divided；　winning　it　back　to　the　family　coffers　with　his　dice。　He　saw　the　stricken　father　playing　golf　on　his　bicycle　in　grotesque　imitation　of　a　polo　player。

And　still；　so　incredible　the　revealment；　he　had　not　in　the　first　shock　of　it　seemed　to　consider　Baird　in　any　way　to　blame。　Baird　had　somehow　been　deceived　by　his　actors。　Yet　a　startling　suspicion　was　forming　amid　his　mental　flurries；　a　suspicion　that　bloomed　to　certainty　when　he　saw　himself　the　ever…patient　victim　of　the　genuine　hidalgo　spurs。

Baird　had　said　he　wanted　the　close…ups　merely　for　use　in　determining　how　the　spurs　could　be　mastered；　yet　here　they　were。　Merton　Gill　caught　the　spurs　in　undergrowth　and　caught　them　in　his　own　chaps；　arising　from　each　fall　with　a　look　of　gentle　determination　that　appealed　strongly　to　the　throng　of　lackwits。　They　shrieked　at　each　of　his　failures；　even　when　he　ran　to　greet　his　pictured　sweetheart　and　fell　headlong。　They　found　the　comedy　almost　unbearable　when　at　Baird's　direction　he　had　begun　to　toe　in　as　he　walked。　And　he　had　fallen　clumsily　again　when　he　flew　to　that　last　glad　rendezvous　where　the　pair　were　irised　out　in　a　love　triumphant；　while　the　old　mother　mopped　a　large　rock　in　the　background。　An　intervening　close…　up　of　this　rock　revealed　her　tearful　face　as　she　cleansed　the　granite　surface。　Above　her　loomed　a　painted　exhortation　to　〃Use　Wizard　Spine　Pills。〃　And　of　this　pathetic　old　creature　he　was　made　to　say；　even　as　he　clasped　the　beloved　in　his　arms〃Remember；　she　is　my　mother。　I　will　not　desert　her　now　just　because　I　am　rich　and　grand！〃

At　last　he　was　free。　Amid　applause　that　was　long　and　sincere　he　gained　his　feet　and　pushed　a　way　out。　His　hoarse　neighbour　was　saying；　〃Who　is　the　kid；　anyway？　Ain't　he　a　wonder！〃

He　pulled　his　hat　down；　dreading　he　might　be　recognized　and　shamed　before　these　shallow　fools。　He　froze　with　the　horror　of　what　he　had　been　unable　to　look　away　from。　The　ignominy　of　it！　And　now；　after　those　spurs；　he　knew　full　well　that　Baird　had　betrayed　him。　As　the　words　shaped　in　his　mind；　a　monstrous　echo　of　them　reverberated　through　its　cavernsthe　Montague　girl　had　betrayed　him！

He　understood　her　now；　and　burned　with　memories　of　her　uneasiness　the　night　before。　She　had　been　suffering　acutely　from　remorse；　she　had　sought　to　cover　it　with　pleas　of　physical　illness。　At　the　moment　he　was　conscious　of　no　feeling　toward　her　save　wonder　that　she　could　so　coolly　have　played　him　false。　But　the　thing　was　not　to　be　questioned。　Sheand　Bairdhad　made　a　fool　of　him。

As　he　left　the　theatre；　the　crowd　about　him　commented　approvingly　on　the　picture：　〃Who's　this　new　comedian？〃　he　heard　a　voice　inquire。　But　〃Ain't　he　a　wonder！〃　seemed　to　be　the　sole　reply。

He　flushed　darkly。　So　they　thought　him　a　comedian。　Well；　Baird　wouldn't　think　sonot　after　to…morrow。　He　paused　outside　the　theatre　now　to　study　the　lithograph　in　colours。　There　he　hurled　Marcel　to　the　antlers　of　the　elk。　The　announcement　was　〃Hearts　on　Fire！　A　Jeff　Baird　Comedy。　Five　Reels…500　Laughs。〃

Baird；　he　sneeringly　reflected；　had　kept　faith　with　his　patrons　if　not　with　one　of　his　actors。　But　how　he　had　profaned　the　sunlit　glories　of　the　great　open　West　and　its　virile　drama！　And　the　spurs；　as　he　had　promised　the　unsuspecting　wearer；　had　stood　out！　The　horror　of　it；　blinding；　desolating！

And　he　had　as　good　as　stolen　that　money　himself；　taking　it　out　to　the　great　open　spaces　to　spend　in　a　bar…room。　Baird's　serious　effort　had　turned　out　to　be　a　wild；　inconsequent　farrago　of　the　most　painful　nonsense。

But　it　was　over　for　Merton　Gill。　The　golden　bowl　was　broken；　the　silver　cord　was　loosed。　To…morrow　he　would　tear　up　Baird's　contract　and　hurl　the　pieces　in　Baird's　face。　As　to　the　Montague　girl；　that　deceiving　jade　was　hopeless。　Never　again　could　he　trust　her。

In　a　whirling　daze　of　resentment　he　boarded　a　car　for　the　journey　home。　A　group　seated　near　him　still　laughed　about　Hearts　on　Fire。　〃I　thought　he'd　kill　me　with　those　spurs；〃　declared　an　otherwise　sanely　behaving　young　woman〃that　hurt；　embarrassed　look　on　his　face　every　time　he'd　get　up！〃

He　cowered　in　his　seat。　And　he　remembered　another　ordeal　he　must　probably　face　when　he　reached　home。　He　hoped　the　Pattersons　would　be　in　bed；　and　walked　up　and　down　before　the　gate　when　he　saw　the　house　still　alight。　But　the　light　stayed；　and　at　last　he　nerved　himself　for　a　p