the heritage of the sioux-第12节

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that　Pete　grabbed　the　tripod　with　one　hand；　ready　to　lift　it　and　dodge　away

from　the　coming　collision。　Still　leaning；　still　lashing　and　straining　every

nerve　in　pursuit；　she　dashed　past；　pivoted　the　pinto　upon　his　hind　feet；

darted　back　toward　the　staring　group　and　jumped　off　while　he　was　yet　running。



Now　that　she　had　done　it；　now　that　she　had　proven　that　she　also　had　nerve　and

much　skill　in　riding；　black　loneliness　settled　upon　her　again。　She　came　slowly

back；　and　as　she　came　she　heard　them　praise　the　ride　she　had　made。　She　heard

them　saying　how　frightened　they　had　been　when　the　pinto　fell；　and　she　heard

Wagalexa　Conka　call　to　her　that　she　had　made　a　strong　scene　for　him。　She　did

not　answer。　She　sat　down　upon　a　rock；　a　little　apart　from　them；　and　looking　as

remote　as　the　Sandias　Mountains；　miles　away　to　the　north；　folded　her　blanket

around　her　and　spoke　no　word　to　anyone。



Soon　Ramon　mounted　his　horse　to　return　to　his　camp。　He　came　riding　down　to　her

for　his　trail　lay　that　wayand　as　he　rode　he　called　to　the　others　a　good

natured　〃Hasta　luego！〃　which　is　the　Mexican　equivalent　of　〃See　you　later。〃　He

did　not　seem　to　notice　Annie…Many…Ponies　at　all　as　he　rode　past　her。　He　was

gazing　off　down　the　arroyo　and　riding　with　all　his　weight　on　one　stirrup　and

the　other　foot　swinging　free；　as　is　the　nonchalant　way　of　accustomed　riders

who　would　ease　their　muscles　now　and　then。　But　as　he　passed　the　rock　where　she

was　sitting　he　murmured；　〃Tonight　by　the　rock　I　wait　for　you；　querida　mia。〃

Though　she　gave　no　sign　that　she　had　heard；　the　heart　of　Annie…Many…Ponies

gave　a　throb　of　gladness　that　was　almost　pain。







CHAPTER　VII。　ADVENTURE　COMES　SMILING



Luck；　in　the　course　of　his　enthusiastic　picture　making；　reached　the　point

where　he　must　find　a　bank　that　was　willing　to　be　robbedin　broad　daylight　and

for　screen　purposes　only。　If　you　know　anything　at　all　about　our　financial

storehouses；　you　know　that　they　are　sensitive　about　being　robbed；　or　even

having　it　appear　that　they　are　being　subjected　to　so　humiliating　a　procedure。

What　Luck　needed　was　a　bank　that　was　not　only　willing；　but　one　that　faced　the

sun　as　well。　He　was　lucky；　as　usual。　The　Bernalillo　County　Bank　stands　on　a

corner　facing　east　and　south。　It　is　an　unpretentious　little　bank　of　the　older

style　of　architecture；　and　might　well　be　located　in　the　centre　of　any　small

range　town　and　hold　the　shipping　receipts　of　a　cattleman　who　was　growing　rich

as　he　grew　old。



Luck　stopped　across　the　street　and　looked　the　bank　over；　and　saw　how　the　sun

would　shine　in　at　the　door　and　through　the　wide　windows　during　the　greater

part　of　the　afternoon；　and　hoped　that　the　cashier　was　a　human　being　and　would

not　object　to　a　fake　robbery。　Not　liking　suspense；　he　stepped　off　the　pavement

and　dodged　a　jitney；　and　hurried　over　to　interview　the　cashier。



You　never　know　what　secret　ambitions　hide　behind　the　impassive　courtesy　of　the

average　business　man。　This　cashier；　for　instance；　wore　a　green　eyeshade

whenever　his　hat　was　not　on　his；　head。　His　hair　was　thin　and　his　complexion

pasty　and　his　shoulders　were　too　stooped　for　a　man　of　his　age。　You　never　would

have　suspected；　just　to　look　at　him　through　the　fancy　grating　of　his　window；

how　he　thirsted　for　that　kind　of　adventure　which　fiction　writers　call

red…blooded。　He　had　never　had　an　adventure　in　his　life；　but　at　night；　after　he

had　gone　to　bed　and　adjusted　the　electric　light　at　his　head；　and　his　green

eyeshade；　and　had　put　two　pillows　under　the　back　of　his　neck；　he　readyou

will　scarcely　believe　it；　but　it　is　truehe　read　about　the　James　boys　and

Kit。　Carson　and　Pawnee　Bill；　and　he　could　tell　youonly　he　wouldn't　mention

it；　of　coursejust　how　many　Texans　were　killed　in　the　Alamo。　He　loved　gun

catalogues；　and　he　frequently　went　out　of　his　way　to　pass　a　store　that

displayed　real；　business…　looking　stock…saddles　and　quirts　and　spurs　and

things。　He　longed　to　be　down　in　Mexico　in　the　thick　of　the　scrap　there；　and　he

knew　every　prominent　Federal　leader　and　every　revolutionist　that　got　into　the

papers；　knew　them　by　spelling　at　least；　even　if　he　couldn't　pronounce　the

names　correctly。



He　had　come　to　Albuquerque　for　his　lungs'　sake　a　few　years　ago；　and　he　still

thrilled　at　the　sight　of　bright…shawled　Pueblo　Indians　padding　along　the

pavements　in　their　moccasins　and　queer　leggings　　that　looked　like　joints　of

whitewashed　stove…pipe；　while　to　ride　in　an　automobile　out　to　Isleta；　which　is

a　terribly　realistic　Indian　village　of　adobe　huts；　made　the　blood　beat　in　his

temples　and　his　fingers　tremble　upon　his　knees。　Even　Martinez　Town　with　its

squatty　houses　and　　narrow　streets　held　for　him　a　peculiar　fascination。



You　can　imagine；　maybe；　how　his　weak　eyes　snapped　with　excitement　under　that

misleading　green　shade　when　Luck　Lindsay　walked　in　and　smiled　at　him　through

the　wicket；　and　explained　who　he　was　and　what　was　the　favor　he　had　come　to　ask

of　the　bank。　You　can；　perhaps；　imagine　how　he　stood　and　made　little　marks　on　a

blotter　with　his　pencil　while　Luck　explained　just　what　he　would　want；　and　how

he　clung　to　the　noncommittal　manner　which　is　a　cashier's　professional　shield；

while　Luck　smiled　his　smile　to　cover　his　own　feeling　of　doubt　and　stated　that

he　merely　wanted　two　Mexicans　to　enter；　presumably　overpower　the　cashier；　and

depart　with　a　bag　or　two　of　gold。　



The　cashier　made　a　few　more　pencil　marks　and　said　that　it　might　be　arranged；

if　Luck　could　find　it　convenient　　to　make　the　picture　just　after　the　　bank's

closing　time。　Obviously　the　cashier　could　not　permit　the　bank's　patrons　to　be

disturbed　in　any　waybut　what　he　really　wanted　was　to　have　the　thrill　of　the

adventure　all　to　himself。



With　the　two　of　them　anxious　to　have　the　pictured　robbery　take　place；　of

course　they　arranged　it　after　a　polite　sparring　on　the　part　of　the　cashier；

whose　craving　for　adventure　was　carefully　guarded　as　a　guilty　secret。



At　three　o'clock　the　next　day；　thenalthough　Luck　would　have　greatly

preferred　an　earlier　hourthe　cashier　had　the　bank　cleared　of　patrons　and

superfluous　clerks；　and　was　watching；　with　his　nerves　all　atingle　and　the　sun

shining　in　upon　him　through　a　side　window；　while　Pete　Lowry　and　Bill　Holmes

fussed　outside　with　the　camera；　getting　ready　for　the　arrival　of　those

realistic　bandits；　Ramon　Chavez　and　Luis　Rojas。　On　the　street　corner　opposite；

the　Happy　Family　foregathered　clannishly；　waiting　until　they　were　called　into

the　street…fight　scene　which　Luck　meant　to　make　later。



The　cashier's　cheeks　were　quite　pink　with　excitement　when　finally　Ramon　and

the　Rojas　villain　walked　past　the　window　and　looked　in　at　him　before　going　on

to　the　door。　He　was　disappointed　because　they　were　not　masked；　and　because

they　did　not　wear　bright　sashes　with　fringe　and　striped　serapes　draped　across

their　shoulders；　and　the　hilts　of　wicked　knives　showing　somewhere。　They　did

not　look　like　bandits　at　allthanks　to　Luck's　sure　knowledge　and　fine　sense

of　realism。　Still；　they　answered　the　purpose；　and　when　they　opened　the　door

and　came　in　the　cashier　got　quite　a　start　from　the　greedy　look　in　their　eyes

when　they　saw　the　gold　he　had　stacked　in　profusion　on　the　counter　before　him。



They　made　the　scene　twicethe　walking　past　the　window　and　coming　in　at　the

door；　and　the　second　time　Luck　swore　at　them　because　they　stopped　too　abruptly

at　the　window　and　lingered　too　long　there；　looking　in　at　the　cashier　and　his

gold；　and　exchanging　meaning　glances　before　they　went　to　the　door。



Later；　there　was　an　interior　scene　with　reflectors　almost　blinding　the　cashier

while　he　struggled　self…consciously　and　ineffectually　with　Ramon　Chavez。　The

gold　that　Ramon　scraped　from　the　cashier's　keeping　into　his　own　was　not；　of

course；　the　real　gold　which　the　bandits　had　seen　through　the　window。　Luck；

careful　of　his　responsibilities；　had　waited　while　the　cashier　locked　the

bank's　money　in　the　vault；　and　had　replaced　it　with　brass　coins　that　looked

realto　the　camera。



The　cashier　lived　then　the　biggest　moments　of　his　life。　He　was　forced　upon　his

back　across　a　desk　that　had　been　carefully　cleared　of　the　bank's　papers　and　as

carefully　strewn　with　worthless　ones　which　Luck　had　brought。　A　realistically

uncomfortable　gag　had　been　forced　into　the　mouth　of　the　cashierwhere　it

brought　twinges　from　some　fresh　dental　work；　by　the　wayand　the　bandits　had

taken　everything　in　sight　that　they　fancied。



Ramon　and　Luis　Rojas　had　proven　themselves　artists　in　this　particular　line　of

work；　and　the　cashier；　when　it　was　all　over　and　the　camera　and　company　were

busily　at　work　elsewhere；　lived　it　in　his　imagination　and　felt　that　he　was　at

least　tasting　the　full　flavor　of　red…blooded　adventure　without　having　to　pay

the　usual　price　of　bitterness　and　bodily　suffering。　He　was　mistaken；　of

courseas　I　am　going　to　explain。　What　the　cashier　had　taken　part　in　was　not

the　adventure　itself　but　merely　a　rehearsal　and　general　preparation　for　the

real　performance。



This　ha