found at blazing star-第3节

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and　backed　down　on　him　across　the　road　and　into　the　grass；　where　I

got　in　another　shot　and　fetched　him。〃



〃And　you　stole　his　mare？〃　suggested　the　Judge。



〃I　got　away；〃　said　the　gambler；　simply。



Further　questioning　only　elicited　the　fact　that　Joe　did　not　know

the　name　or　condition　of　his　victim。　　He　was　a　stranger　in　Lagrange。



It　was　a　breezy　afternoon；　with　some　turbulency　in　the　camp；　and

much　windy　discussion　over　this　unwonted　delay　of　justice。　　The

suggestion　that　Joe　should　be　first　hanged　for　horse　stealing　and

then　tried　for　murder　was　angrily　discussed；　but　milder　counsels

were　offeredthat　the　fact　of　the　killing　should　be　admitted　only

as　proof　of　the　theft。　　A　large　party　from　Red　Chief　had　come　over

to　assist　in　judgment；　among　them　the　coroner。



Cass　Beard　had　avoided　these　proceedings；　which　only　recalled　an

unpleasant　experience；　and　was　wandering　with　pick；　pan；　and　wallet

far　from　the　camp。　　These　accoutrements；　as　I　have　before　intimated；

justified　any　form　of　aimless　idleness　under　the　equally　aimless

title　of　〃prospecting。〃　　He　had　at　the　end　of　three　hours'

relaxation　reached　the　highway　to　Red　Chief；　half　hidden　by　blinding

clouds　of　dust　torn　from　the　crumbling　red　road　at　every　gust　which

swept　down　the　mountain　side。　　The　spot　had　a　familiar　aspect　to

Cass；　although　some　freshly…dug　holes　near　the　wayside；　with

scattered　earth　beside　them；　showed　the　presence　of　a　recent

prospector。　　He　was　struggling　with　his　memory；　when　the　dust　was

suddenly　dispersed　and　he　found　himself　again　at　the　scene　of　the

murder。　　He　started：　he　had　not　put　foot　on　the　road　since　the

inquest。　　There　lacked　only　the　helpless　dead　man　and　the

contrasting　figure　of　the　alert　young　woman　to　restore　the　picture。

The　body　was　gone；　it　was　true；　but　as　he　turned　he　beheld　Miss

Porter；　at　a　few　paces　distant；　sitting　on　her　horse　as　energetic

and　observant　as　on　the　first　morning　they　had　met。　　A　superstitious

thrill　passed　over　him　and　awoke　his　old　antagonism。



She　nodded　to　him　slightly。　　〃I　came　here　to　refresh　my　memory；〃

she　said；　〃as　Mr。　Hornsby　thought　I　might　be　asked　to　give　my

evidence　again　at　Blazing　Star。〃



Cass　carelessly　struck　an　aimless　blow　with　his　pick　against　the

sod　and　did　not　reply。



〃And　you？〃　she　queried。



〃I　stumbled　upon　the　place　just　now　while　prospecting；　or　I

shouldn't　be　here。〃



〃Then　it　was　YOU　made　these　holes？〃



〃No；〃　said　Cass；　with　ill…concealed　disgust。　　〃Nobody　but　a

stranger　would　go　foolin'　round　such　a　spot。〃



He　stopped；　as　the　rude　significance　of　his　speech　struck　him；　and

added　surlily；　〃I　meanno　one　would　dig　here。〃



The　girl　laughed　and　showed　a　set　of　very　white　teeth　in　her　square

jaw。　　Cass　averted　his　face。



〃Do　you　mean　to　say　that　every　miner　doesn't　know　that　it's　lucky

to　dig　wherever　human　blood　has　been　spilt？〃



Cass　felt　a　return　of　his　superstition；　but　he　did　not　look　up。　　〃I

never　heard　it　before；〃　he　said；　severely。



〃And　you　call　yourself　a　California　miner？〃



〃I　do。〃



It　was　impossible　for　Miss　Porter　to　misunderstand　his　curt　speech

and　unsocial　manner。　　She　stared　at　him　and　colored　slightly。

Lifting　her　reins　lightly；　she　said：　〃You　certainly　do　not　seem

like　most　of　the　miners　I　have　met。〃



〃Nor　you　like　any　girl　from　the　East　I　ever　met；〃　he　responded。



〃What　do　you　mean？〃　she　asked；　checking　her　horse。



〃What　I　say；〃　he　answered；　doggedly。　　Reasonable　as　this　reply　was；

it　immediately　struck　him　that　it　was　scarcely　dignified　or　manly。

But　before　he　could　explain　himself　Miss　Porter　was　gone。



He　met　her　again　that　very　evening。　　The　trial　had　been　summarily

suspended　by　the　appearance　of　the　Sheriff　of　Calaveras　and　his

posse；　who　took　Joe　from　that　self…constituted　tribunal　of　Blazing

Star　and　set　his　face　southward　and　toward　authoritative　although

more　cautious　justice。　　But　not　before　the　evidence　of　the　previous

inquest　had　been　read；　and　the　incident　of　the　ring　again　delivered

to　the　public。



It　is　said　the　prisoner　burst　into　an　incredulous　laugh　and　asked

to　see　this　mysterious　waif。　　It　was　handed　to　him。　　Standing　in

the　very　shadow　of　the　gallows　treewhich　might　have　been　one　of

the　pines　that　sheltered　the　billiard　room　in　which　the　Vigilance

Committee　held　their　conclavethe　prisoner　gave　way　to　a　burst　of

merriment；　so　genuine　and　honest　that　the　judge　and　jury　joined　in

automatic　sympathy。　　When　silence　was　restored　an　explanation　was

asked　by　the　Judge。　　But　there　was　no　response　from　the　prisoner

except　a　subdued　chuckle。



〃Did　this　ring　belong　to　you？〃　asked　the　Judge；　severely；　the　jury

and　spectators　craning　their　ears　forward　with　an　expectant　smile

already　on　their　faces。　　But　the　prisoner's　eyes　only　sparkled

maliciously　as　he　looked　around　the　court。



〃Tell　us；　Joe；〃　said　a　sympathetic　and　laughter…loving　juror；　under

his　breath。　　〃Let　it　out　and　we'll　make　it　easy　for　you。〃



〃Prisoner；〃　said　the　Judge；　with　a　return　of　official　dignity；

〃remember　that　your　life　is　in　peril。　　Do　you　refuse？〃



Joe　lazily　laid　his　arm　on　the　back　of　his　chair　with　（to　quote　the

words　of　an　animated　observer）　〃the　air　of　having　a　Christian　hope

and　a　sequence　flush　in　his　hand；〃　and　said：　〃Well；　as　I　reckon　I'm

not　up　yer　for　stealin'　a　ring　that　another　man　lets　on　to　have

found；　and　as　fur　as　I　kin　see；　hez　nothin'　to　do　with　the　case；　I

do！〃　　And　as　it　was　here　that　the　Sheriff　of　Calaveras　made　a

precipitate　entry　into　the　room；　the　mystery　remained　unsolved。



The　effect　of　this　freshly…important　ridicule　on　the　sensitive　mind

of　Cass　might　have　been　foretold　by　Blazing　Star　had　it　ever　taken

that　sensitiveness　into　consideration。　　He　had　lost　the　good　humor

and　easy　pliability　which　had　tempted　him　to　frankness；　and　he　had

gradually　become　bitter　and　hard。　　He　had　at　first　affected

amusement　over　his　own　vanished　day　dreamhiding　his　virgin

disappointment　in　his　own　breast；　but　when　he　began　to　turn　upon

his　feelings　he　turned　upon　his　comrades　also。　　Cass　was　for　a

while　unpopular。　　There　is　no　ingratitude　so　revolting　to　the　human

mind　as　that　of　the　butt　who　refuses　to　be　one　any　longer。　　The　man

who　rejects　that　immunity　which　laughter　generally　casts　upon　him

and　demands　to　be　seriously　considered　deserves　no　mercy。



It　was　under　these　hard　conditions　that　Cass　Beard；　convicted　of

overt　sentimentalism；　aggravated　by　inconsistency；　stepped　into　the

Red　Chief　coach　that　evening。　　It　was　his　habit　usually　to　ride

with　the　driver；　but　the　presence　of　Hornsby　and　Miss　Porter　on　the

box　seat　changed　his　intention。　　Yet　he　had　the　satisfaction　of

seeing　that　neither　had　noticed　him；　and　as　there　was　no　other

passenger　inside；　he　stretched　himself　on　the　cushion　of　the　back

seat　and　gave　way　to　moody　reflections。　　He　quite　determined　to

leave　Blazing　Star；　to　settle　himself　seriously　to　the　task　of

money　getting；　and　to　return　to　his　comrades；　some　day；　a

sarcastic；　cynical；　successful　man；　and　so　overwhelm　them　with

confusion。　　For　poor　Cass　had　not　yet　reached　that　superiority　of

knowing　that　success　would　depend　upon　his　ability　to　forego　his

past。　　Indeed；　part　of　his　boyhood　had　been　cast　among　these　men；

and　he　was　not　old　enough　to　have　learned　that　success　was　not　to

be　gauged　by　their　standard。　　The　moon　lit　up　the　dark　interior　of

the　coach　with　a　faint　poetic　light。　　The　lazy　swinging　of　the

vehicle　that　was　bearing　him　awayalbeit　only　for　a　night　and　a

daythe　solitude；　the　glimpses　from　the　window　of　great　distances

full　of　vague　possibilities；　made　the　abused　ring　potent　as　that　of

Gyges。　　He　dreamed　with　his　eyes　open。　　From　an　Alnaschar　vision　he

suddenly　awoke。　　The　coach　had　stopped。　　The　voices　of　men；　one　in

entreaty；　one　in　expostulation；　came　from　the　box。　　Cass　mechanically

put　his　hand　to　his　pistol　pocket。



〃Thank　you；　but　I　INSIST　upon　getting　down。〃



It　was　Miss　Porter's　voice。　　This　was　followed　by　a　rapid；　half…

restrained　interchange　of　words　between　Hornsby　and　the　driver。

Then　the　latter　said；　gruffly；



〃If　the　lady　wants　to　ride　inside；　let　her。〃



Miss　Porter　fluttered　to　the　ground。　　She　was　followed　by　Hornsby。

〃Just　a　minit；　Miss；〃　he　expostulated；　half　shamedly；　half

brusquely；　〃ye　don't　onderstand　me。　　I　only〃



But　Miss　Porter　had　jumped　into　the　coach。



Hornsby　placed　his　hand　on　the　handle　of　the　door。　　Miss　Porter

grasped　it　firmly　from　the　inside。　　There　was　a　slight　struggle。



All　of　which　was　part　of　a　dream　to　the　boyish　Cass。　　But　he　awoke

from　ita　man！　　〃Do　you；〃　he　asked；　in　a　voice　he　scarcely

recognized　himself；〃Do　you　want　this　man　inside？〃



〃No！〃



Cass　caught　at　Hornsby's　wrist　like　a　young　tiger。　　But　alas！　what

availed　instinctive　chivalry　against　main　strength？　　He　only

succeeded　in　forcing　the　door　open　in　spite　of　Miss　Porter's

superior　strategy；　andI　fear　I　must