riders of the purple sage-第4节

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〃Thank　you；　Jane　Withersteen；〃　replied　the　rider；　and　he　bowed　to　her　and　stepped　backward　out　of　the　court。

〃Will　you　not　staysleep　under　my　roof？〃　she　asked。

〃No；　ma'am；　an'　thanks　again。　I　never　sleep　indoors。　An'　even　if　I　did　there's　that　gatherin'　storm　in　the　village　below。　No；　no。　I'll　go　to　the　sage。　I　hope　you　won't　suffer　none　for　your　kindness　to　me。〃

〃Lassiter；〃　said　Venters；　with　a　half…bitter　laugh；　〃my　bed　too；　is　the　sage。　Perhaps　we　may　meet　out　there。〃

〃Mebbe　so。　But　the　sage　is　wide　an'　I　won't　be　near。　Good　night。〃

At　Lassiter's　low　whistle　the　black　horse　whinnied；　and　carefully　picked　his　blind　way　out　of　the　grove。　The　rider　did　not　bridle　him；　but　walked　beside　him；　leading　him　by　touch　of　hand　and　together　they　passed　slowly　into　the　shade　of　the　cottonwoods。

〃Jane；　I　must　be　off　soon；〃　said　Venters。　〃Give　me　my　guns。　If　I'd　had　my　guns〃

〃Either　my　friend　or　the　Elder　of　my　church　would　be　lying　dead；〃　she　interposed

〃Tull　would　besurely。〃

〃Oh；　you　fierce…blooded；　savage　youth！　Can't　I　teach　you　forebearance；　mercy？　Bern；　it's　divine　to　forgive　your　enemies。　'Let　not　the　sun　go　down　upon　thy　wrath。'〃

〃Hush！　Talk　to　me　no　more　of　mercy　or　religionafter　to…day。　To…day　this　strange　coming　of　Lassiter　left　me　still　a　man；　and　now　I'll　die　a　man！。。。Give　me　my　guns。〃

Silently　she　went　into　the　house；　to　return　with　a　heavy　cartridge…belt　and　gun…filled　sheath　and　a　long　ride；　these　she　handed　to　him；　and　as　he　buckled　on　the　belt　she　stood　before　him　in　silent　eloquence。

〃Jane；〃　he　said；　in　gentler　voice；　〃don't　look　so。　I'm　not　going　out　to　murder　your　churchman。　I'll　try　to　avoid　him　and　all　his　men。　But　can't　you　see　I've　reached　the　end　of　my　rope？　Jane；　you're　a　wonderful　woman。　Never　was　there　a　woman　so　unselfish　and　good。　Only　you're　blind　in　one　way。。。。Listen！〃

From　behind　the　grove　came　the　clicking　sound　of　horses　in　a　rapid　trot。

〃Some　of　your　riders；〃　he　continued。　〃It's　getting　time　for　the　night　shift。　Let　us　go　out　to　the　bench　in　the　grove　and　talk　there。〃

It　was　still　daylight　in　the　open；　but　under　the　spreading　cottonwoods　shadows　were　obscuring　the　lanes。　Venters　drew　Jane　off　from　one　of　these　into　a　shrub…lined　trail；　just　wide　enough　for　the　two　to　walk　abreast；　and　in　a　roundabout　way　led　her　far　from　the　house　to　a　knoll　on　the　edge　of　the　grove。　Here　in　a　secluded　nook　was　a　bench　from　which；　through　an　opening　in　the　tree…tops；　could　be　seen　the　sage…slope　and　the　wall　of　rock　and　the　dim　lines　of　canyons。　Jane　had　not　spoken　since　Venters　had　shocked　her　with　his　first　harsh　speech；　but　all　the　way　she　had　clung　to　his　arm；　and　now；　as　he　stopped　and　laid　his　rifle　against　the　bench；　she　still　clung　to　him。

〃Jane；　I'm　afraid　I　must　leave　you。〃

〃Bern！〃　she　cried。

〃Yes；　it　looks　that　way。　My　position　is　not　a　happy　oneI　can't　feel　rightI've　lost　all〃

〃I'll　give　you　anything　you〃

〃Listen；　please。　When　I　say　loss　I　don't　mean　what　you　think。　I　mean　loss　of　good…will；　good　namethat　which　would　have　enabled　me　to　stand　up　in　this　village　without　bitterness。　Well；　it's　too　late。。。。Now；　as　to　the　future；　I　think　you'd　do　best　to　give　me　up。　Tull　is　implacable。　You　ought　to　see　from　his　intention　to…day　thatBut　you　can't　see。　Your　blindnessyour　damned　religion！。。。Jane；　forgive　meI'm　sore　within　and　something　rankles。　Well；　I　fear　that　invisible　hand　will　turn　its　hidden　work　to　your　ruin。〃

〃Invisible　hand？　Bern！〃

〃I　mean　your　Bishop。〃　Venters　said　it　deliberately　and　would　not　release　her　as　she　started　back。　〃He's　the　law。　The　edict　went　forth　to　ruin　me。　Well；　look　at　me！　It'll　now　go　forth　to　compel　you　to　the　will　of　the　Church。〃

〃You　wrong　Bishop　Dyer。　Tull　is　hard；　I　know。　But　then　he　has　been　in　love　with　me　for　years。〃

〃Oh；　your　faith　and　your　excuses！　You　can't　see　what　I　knowand　if　you　did　see　it　you'd　not　admit　it　to　save　your　life。　That's　the　Mormon　of　you。　These　elders　and　bishops　will　do　absolutely　any　deed　to　go　on　building　up　the　power　and　wealth　of　their　church；　their　empire。　Think　of　what　they've　done　to　the　Gentiles　here；　to　methink　of　Milly　Erne's　fate！〃

〃What　do　you　know　of　her　story？〃

〃I　know　enoughall；　perhaps；　except　the　name　of　the　Mormon　who　brought　her　here。　But　I　must　stop　this　kind　of　talk。〃

She　pressed　his　hand　in　response。　He　helped　her　to　a　seat　beside　him　on　the　bench。　And　he　respected　a　silence　that　he　divined　was　full　of　woman's　deep　emotion　beyond　his　understanding。

It　was　the　moment　when　the　last　ruddy　rays　of　the　sunset　brightened　momentarily　before　yielding　to　twilight。　And　for　Venters　the　outlook　before　him　was　in　some　sense　similar　to　a　feeling　of　his　future；　and　with　searching　eyes　he　studied　the　beautiful　purple；　barren　waste　of　sage。　Here　was　the　unknown　and　the　perilous。　The　whole　scene　impressed　Venters　as　a　wild；　austere；　and　mighty　manifestation　of　nature。　And　as　it　somehow　reminded　him　of　his　prospect　in　life；　so　it　suddenly　resembled　the　woman　near　him；　only　in　her　there　were　greater　beauty　and　peril；　a　mystery　more　unsolvable；　and　something　nameless　that　numbed　his　heart　and　dimmed　his　eye。

〃Look！　A　rider！〃　exclaimed　Jane；　breaking　the　silence。　〃Can　that　be　Lassiter？〃

Venters　moved　his　glance　once　more　to　the　west。　A　horseman　showed　dark　on　the　sky…line；　then　merged　into　the　color　of　the　sage。

〃It　might　be。　But　I　think　notthat　fellow　was　coming　in。　One　of　your　riders；　more　likely。　Yes；　I　see　him　clearly　now。　And　there's　another。〃

〃I　see　them；　too。〃

〃Jane；　your　riders　seem　as　many　as　the　bunches　of　sage。　I　ran　into　five　yesterday　'way　down　near　the　trail　to　Deception　Pass。　They　were　with　the　white　herd。〃

〃You　still　go　to　that　canyon？　Bern；　I　wish　you　wouldn't。　Oldring　and　his　rustlers　live　somewhere　down　there。〃

〃Well；　what　of　that？〃

〃Tull　has　already　hinted　to　your　frequent　trips　into　Deception　Pass。〃

〃I　know。〃　Venters　uttered　a　short　laugh。　〃He'll　make　a　rustler　of　me　next。　But；　Jane；　there's　no　water　for　fifty　miles　after　I　leave　here；　and　the　nearest　is　in　the　canyon。　I　must　drink　and　water　my　horse。　There！　I　see　more　riders。　They　are　going　out。〃

〃The　red　herd　is　on　the　slope；　toward　the　Pass。〃

Twilight　was　fast　falling。　A　group　of　horsemen　crossed　the　dark　line　of　low　ground　to　become　more　distinct　as　they　climbed　the　slope。　The　silence　broke　to　a　clear　call　from　an　incoming　rider；　and；　almost　like　the　peal　of　a　hunting…horn；　floated　back　the　answer。　The　outgoing　riders　moved　swiftly；　came　sharply　into　sight　as　they　topped　a　ridge　to　show　wild　and　black　above　the　horizon；　and　then　passed　down；　dimming　into　the　purple　of　the　sage。

〃I　hope　they　don't　meet　Lassiter；〃　said　Jane。

〃So　do　I；〃　replied　Venters。　〃By　this　time　the　riders　of　the　night　shift　know　what　happened　to…day。　But　Lassiter　will　likely　keep　out　of　their　way。〃

〃Bern；　who　is　Lassiter？　He's　only　a　name　to　mea　terrible　name。〃

〃Who　is　he？　I　don't　know；　Jane。　Nobody　I　ever　met　knows　him。　He　talks　a　little　like　a　Texan；　like　Milly　Erne。　Did　you　note　that？〃

〃Yes。　How　strange　of　him　to　know　of　her！　And　she　lived　here　ten　years　and　has　been　dead　two。　Bern；　what　do　you　know　of　Lassiter？　Tell　me　what　he　has　donewhy　you　spoke　of　him　to　Tullthreatening　to　become　another　Lassiter　yourself？〃

〃Jane；　I　only　heard　things；　rumors；　stories；　most　of　which　I　disbelieved。　At　Glaze　his　name　was　known；　but　none　of　the　riders　or　ranchers　I　knew　there　ever　met　him。　At　Stone　Bridge　I　never　heard　him　mentioned。　But　at　Sterling　and　villages　north　of　there　he　was　spoken　of　often。　I've　never　been　in　a　village　which　he　had　been　known　to　visit。　There　were　many　conflicting　stories　about　him　and　his　doings。　Some　said　he　had　shot　up　this　and　that　Mormon　village；　and　others　denied　it。　I'm　inclined　to　believe　he　has；　and　you　know　how　Mormons　hide　the　truth。　But　there　was　one　feature　about　Lassiter　upon　which　all　agreethat　he　was　what　riders　in　this　country　call　a　gun…man。　He's　a　man　with　a　marvelous　quickness　and　accuracy　in　the　use　of　a　Colt。　And　now　that　I've　seen　him　I　know　more。　Lassiter　was　born　without　fear。　I　watched　him　with　eyes　which　saw　him　my　friend。　I'll　never　forget　the　moment　I　recognized　him　from　what　had　been　told　me　of　his　crouch　before　the　draw。　It　was　then　I　yelled　his　name。　I　believe　that　yell　saved　Tull's　life。　At　any　rate；　I　know　this；　between　Tull　and　death　then　there　was　not　the　breadth　of　the　littlest　hair。　If　he　or　any　of　his　men　had　moved　a　finger　downward〃

Venters　left　his　meaning　unspoken；　but　at　the　suggestion　Jane　shuddered。

The　pale　afterglow　in　the　west　darkened　with　the　merging　of　twilight　into　night。　The　sage　now　spread　out　black　and　gloomy。　One　dim　star　glimmered　in　the　southwest　sky。　The　sound　of　trotting　horses　had　ceased；　and　there　was　silence　broken　only　by　a　faint；　dry　pattering　of　cottonwood　leaves　in　the　soft　night　wind。

Into　this　peace　and　calm　suddenly　broke　the　high…keyed　yelp　of　a　coyote；　and　from　far　off　in　the　darkness　came　the　faint　answering　note　of　a　trailing　mate。

〃Hello！　the　sage…dogs　are　barking；〃　said　Venters。

〃I　don't　like　to　hear　them；〃　replied　Jane。　〃At　night；　sometimes　when　I　lie　awake；　listening　to　the　long　mourn　or　breaking　bark　or　wild　howl；　I　think　of　you　asleep　somewhere　in　the　sage；　and　my　heart　aches。〃

〃J