arizona nights-第27节

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business。　　The　only　thing　she　asked　of　me　was　if　I　understood

Spanish。

　　　

Then　she　told　me　that　her　brother　would　be　back　soon；　that　they

were　very　poor；　that　she　was　sorry　she　had　no　meat　to　offer　me；

that　they　were　VERY　poor；　that　all　they　had　was　calabasha　sort

of　squash。　　All　this　time　she　was　bustling　things　together。　　Next

thing　I　know　I　had　a　big　bowl　of　calabash　stew　between　my　knees。

　　　　

Now；　strangely　enough；　I　had　no　great　interest　in　that　calabash

stew。　　I　tasted　it；　sat　and　thought　a　while；　and　tasted　it　again。　

By　and　by　I　had　emptied　the　bowl。　　It　was　getting　dark。　　I　was

very　sleepy。　　A　man　came　in；　but　I　was　too　drowsy　to　pay　any

attention　to　him。　　I　heard　the　sound　of　voices。　　Then　I　was

picked　up　bodily　and　carried　to　an　out…building　and　laid　on　a

pile　of　skins。　　I　felt　the　weight　of　a　blanket　thrown　over　me

　　　

I　awoke　in　the　night。　　Mind　you；　I　had　practically　had　no　rest　at

all　for　a　matter　of　more　than　two　weeks；　yet　I　woke　in　a　few

hours。　　And；　remember；　even　in　eating　the　calabash　stew　I　had

felt　no　hunger　in　spite　of　my　long　fast。　　But　now　I　found　myself

ravenous。　　You　boys　do　not　know　what　hunger　is。　　It　HURTS。　　And

all　the　rest　of　that　night　I　lay　awake　chewing　on　the　rawhide　of

a　pack…saddle　that　hung　near　me。

　　　

Next　morning　the　young　Mexican　and　his　sister　came　to　us　early；

bringing　more　calabash　stew。　　I　fell　on　it　like　a　wild　animal；

and　just　wallowed　in　it；　so　eager　was　I　to　eat。　　They　stood　and

watched　meand　I　suppose　Schwartz；　too；　though　I　had　now　lost

interest　in　anyone　but　myselfglancing　at　each　other　in　pity

from　time　to　time。

　　　

When　I　had　finished　the　man　told　me　that　they　　had　decided　to

kill　a　beef　so　we　could　have　meat。　　They　were　very　poor；　but　God

had　brought　us　to　them

　　　

I　appreciated　this　afterward。　　At　the　time　I　merely　caught　at　the

word　〃meat。〃　　It　seemed　to　me　I　could　have　eaten　the　animal

entire；　hide；　hoofs；　and　tallow。　　As　a　matter　of　fact；　it　was

mighty　lucky　they　didn't　have　any　meat。　　If　they　had；　we'd

probably　have　killed　ourselves　with　it。　　I　suppose　the　calabash

was　about　the　best　thing　for　us　under　the　circumstances。

　　　

The　Mexican　went　out　to　hunt　up　his　horse。　　I　called　the　girl

back。

　　

〃How　far　is　it　to　Mollyhay？〃　I　asked　her。

　　

〃A　league；〃　said　she。

　　　

So　we　bad　been　near　our　journey's　end　after　all；　and　Denton　was

probably　all　right。

　　　

The　Mexican　went　away　horseback。　　The　girl　fed　us　calabash。　　We

waited。

　　　

About　one　o'clock　a　group　of　horsemen　rode　over　the　hill。　　When

they　came　near　enough　I　recognised　Denton　at　their　head。　　That

man　was　of　tempered　steel



They　had　followed　back　along　the　beach；　caught　our　trail　where　we

had　turned　off；　and　so　discovered　us。　　Denton　had　fortunately

found　kind　and　intelligent　people。

　　　

We　said　good…bye　to　the　Mexican　girl。　　I　made　Schwartz　give　her

one　of　his　gold　pieces。

　　　

But　Denton　could　not　wait　for　us　to　say　〃hullo〃　even；　he　was　so

anxious　to　get　back　to　town；　so　we　mounted　the　horses　he　had

brought　us；　and　rode　off；　very　wobbly。

　　　

We　lived　three　weeks　in　Mollyhay。　　It　took　us　that　long　to　get

fed　up。　　The　lady　I　stayed　with　made　a　dish　of　kid　meat　and

stuffed　olives

　　　

Why；　an　hour　after　filling　myself　up　to　the　muzzle　I'd　be　hungry

again；　and　scouting　round　to　houses　looking　for　more　to　eat！

　　　

We　talked　things　over　a　good　deal；　after　we　had　gained　a　little

strength。　　I　wanted　to　take　a　little　flyer　at　Guaymas　to　see　if　I

could　run　across　this　Handy　Solomon　person；　but　Denton　pointed

out　that　Anderson　would　be　expecting　just　that；　and　would　take

mighty　good　care　to　be　scarce。　　His　idea　was　that　we'd　do　better

to　get　hold　of　a　boat　and　some　water　casks；　and　lug　off　the

treasure　we　had　stumbled　over。　　Denton　told　us　that　the　idea　of

going　back　and　scooping　all　that　dinero　up　with　a　shovel　　had

kept　him　going；　just　as　the　idea　of　getting　even　with　Anderson

had　kept　me　going。　　Schwartz　said　that　after　he'd　carried　that

heavy　gold　over　the　first　day；　he　made　up　his　mind　he'd　get　the

spending　of　it　or　bust。　　That's　why　he　hated　so　to　throw　it　away。

　　　　　　　　　　

There　were　lots　of　fishing　boats　in　the　harbour；　and　we　hired

one；　and　a　man　to　run　it　for　next　to　nothing　a　week。　　We　laid　a

course　north；　and　in　six　days　anchored　in　our　bay。

　　　　

I　tell　you　it　looked　queer。　　There　were　the　charred　sticks　of　the

fire；　and　the　coffeepot　lying　on　its　side。　　We　took　off　our　hats

at　poor　Billy's　grave　a　minute；　and　then　climbed　over　the

cholla…covered　hill　carrying　our　picks　and　shovels；　and　the

canvas　sacks　to　take　the　treasure　away　in。

　　　　

There　was　no　trouble　in　reaching　the　sandy　flat。　　But　when　we　got

there　we　found　it　torn　up　from　one　end　to　the　other。　　A　few

scattered　timbers　and　three　empty　chests　with　the　covers　pried

off　alone　remained。　　Handy　Solomon　had　been　there　before　us。

　　　　

We　went　back　to　our　boat　sick　at　heart。　　Nobody　said　a　word。　　We

went　aboard　and　made　our　Greaser　boatman　head　for　Yuma。　　It　took

us　a　week　to　get　there。　　We　were　all　of　us　glum；　but　Denton　was

the　worst　of　the　lot。　　Even　after　we'd　got　back　to　town　and

fallen　into　our　old　ways　of　life；　he　couldn't　seem　to　get　over

it。　　He　seemed　plumb　possessed　of　gloom；　and　moped　around　like　a

chicken　with　the　pip。　　This　surprised　me；　for　I　didn't　think　the

loss　of　money　would　hit　him　so　hard。　　It　didn't　hit　any　of　us

very　hard　in　those　days。

　　　　

One　evening　I　took　him　aside　and　fed　him　a　drink；　and

expostulated　with　him。

　　　

〃Oh；　HELL；　Rogers；〃　he　burst　out；　〃I　don't　care　about　the　loot。　

But；　suffering　cats；　think　how　that　fellow　sized　us　up　for　a　lot

of　pattern…made　fools；　and　how　right　he　was　about；　it。　　Why　all

he　did　was　to　sail　out　of　sight　around　the　next　corner。　　He　knew

we'd　start　across　country；　and　we　did。　　All　we　had　to　do　was　to

lay　low；　and　save　our　legs。　　He　was　BOUND　to　come　back。　　And　we

might　have　nailed　him　when　he　landed。〃





〃That's　about　all　there　was　to　it；〃　concluded　Colorado　Rogers；

after　a　pause；　〃except　that　I've　been　looking　for　him　ever

since；　and　when　I　heard　you　singing　that　song　I　naturally　thought

I'd　landed。〃

　

〃And　you　never　saw　him　again？〃　asked　Windy　Bill。

　

〃Well；〃　chuckled　Rogers；　〃I　did　about　ten　year　later。　　It　was　in

Tucson。　　I　was　in　the　back　of　a　store；　when　the　door　in　front

opened　and　this　man　came　in。　　He　stopped　at　the　little　cigar…case

by　the　door。　　In　about　one　jump　I　was　on　his　neck。　　I　jerked　him

over　backwards　before　he　knew　what　had　struck　him；　threw　him　on

his　face；　got　my　hands　in　his　back…hair；　and　began　to　jump　his

features　against　the　floor。　　Then　all　at　once　I　noted　that　this

man　had　two　arms；　so　of　course　he　was　the　wrong　fellow。　　〃Oh；

excuse　me；〃　said　I；　and　ran　out　the　back　door。〃







CHAPTER　SIXTEEN

THE　HONK…HONK　BREED



It　was　Sunday　at　the　ranch。　　For　a　wonder　the　weather　bad　been

favourable；　the　windmills　were　all　working；　the　bogs　had　dried

up；　the　beef　had　lasted　over；　the　remuda　had　not　strayedin

short；　there　was　nothing　to　do。　　Sang　had　given　us　a　baked　　　　　

bread…pudding　with　raisins　in　it。　　We　filled　itin　a　wash　basin

full　of　iton　top　of　a　few　incidental　pounds　of　chile　con；　baked

beans；　soda　biscuits；　〃air　tights；〃　and　other　delicacies。　　Then

we　adjourned　with　our　pipes　to　the　shady　side　of　the　blacksmith's

shop　where　we　could　watch　the　ravens　on　top　the　adobe　wall　of　the

corral。　　Somebody　told　a　story　about　ravens。　　This　led　to

road…runners。　　This　suggested　rattlesnakes。　　They　started　Windy　

Bill。

　　　　　　　

〃Speakin'　of　snakes；〃　said　Windy；　〃I　mind　when　they　catched　the

great…granddaddy　of　all　the　bullsnakes　up　at　Lead　in　the　Black

Hills。　　I　was　only　a　kid　then。　　This　wasn't　no　such　tur'ble　long

a　snake；　　but　he　was　more'n　a　foot　thick。　　Looked　just　like　a

sahuaro　stalk。　　Man　name　of　Terwilliger　Smith　catched　it。　　He

named　this　yere　bullsnake　Clarence；　and　got　it　so　plumb　gentle　it

followed　him　everywhere。　　One　day　old　P。　T。　Barnum　come　along　and

wanted　to　buy　this　Clarence　snakeoffered　Terwilliger　a　thousand

coldbut　Smith　wouldn't　part　with　the　snake　nohow。　　So　finally

they　fixed　up　a　deal　so　Smith　could　go　along　with　the　show。　　They

shoved　Clarence　in　a　box　in　the　baggage　car；　but　after　a　while

Mr。　Snake　gets　so　lonesome　he　gnaws　out　and　starts　to　crawl　back

to　find　his　master。　　Just　as　he　is　half…way　between　the　baggage

car　and　the　smoker；　the　couplin'　give　wayright　on　that　heavy

grade　between　Custer　and　Rocky　Point。　　Well；　sir；　Clarence　wound

his　head　'round　one　brake　wheel　and　his　tail　around　the　other；

and　held　that　train　together　to　the　bottom　of　the　grade。　　But　it

stretched　him　twenty…eight　feet　and　they　had　to　advertise　him　as

a　boa…constrictor。〃

　　　　

Windy　Bill's　story　of　the　faithful　bullsnake　aroused　to

reminiscence　the　grizzled　stranger；　who　thereupon　held　forth　as

follows：



Wall；　I've　see　things　and　I've　heerd　things；