arizona nights-第37节

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The　two　men　conducted　her　here　and　there；　showing　her　the　various

institutions　of　the　place。　　A　man　bent　near　the　shed　nailing　a

shoe　to　a　horse's　hoof。



〃So　you　even　have　a　blacksmith！〃　said　Estrella。　　Her　guides

laughed　amusedly。



〃Tommy；　come　here！〃　called　the　Senor。



The　horseshoer　straightened　up　and　approached。　　He　was　a　lithe；

curly…haired　young　boy；　with　a　reckless；　humorous　eye　and　a

smooth　face；　now　red　from　bending　over。

　　

〃Tommy；　shake　hands　with　Mrs。　Johnson；〃　said　the　Senor。　　〃Mrs。

Johnson　wants　to　know　if　you're　the　blacksmith。〃　　He　exploded　in

laughter。

　　

〃Oh；　BUCK！〃　cried　Estrella　again。

　　

〃No；　ma'am；〃　answered　the　boy　directly；　〃I'm　just　tacking　a　shoe

on　Danger；　here。　　We　all　does　our　own　blacksmithing。〃

　　　

His　roving　eye　examined　her　countenance　respectfully；　but　with

admiration。　　She　caught　the　admiration　and　returned　it；　covertly

but　unmistakably；　pleased　that　her　charms　were　appreciated。

　　　

They　continued　their　rounds。　　The　sun　was　very　hot　and　the　dust

deep。　　A　woman　would　have　known　that　these　things　distressed

Estrella。　　She　picked　her　way　through　the　debris；　she　dropped　her

head　from　the　burning；　she　felt　her　delicate　garments　moistening

with　perspiration；　her　hair　dampening；　the　dust　sifted　up　through

the　air。　　Over　in　the　large　corral　a　bronco　buster；　assisted　by

two　of　the　cowboys；　was　engaged　in　roping　and　throwing　some　wild

mustangs。　　The　sight　was　wonderful；　but　here　the　dust　billowed　in

clouds。

　　　

〃I'm　getting　a　little　hot　and　tired；〃　she　confessed　at　last。　〃I

think　I'll　go　to　the　house。〃

　　　

But　near　the　shed　she　stopped　again；　interested　in　spite　of

herself　by　a　bit　of　repairing　Tommy　had　under　way。　　The　tire　of　a

wagon　wheel　had　been　destroyed。　　Tommy　was　mending　it。　　On　the

ground　lay　a　fresh　cowhide。　　From　this　Tommy　was　cutting　a　wide

strip。　　As　she　watched　lie　measured　the　strip　around　the

circumference　of　the　wheel。

　　　

〃He　isn't　going　to　make　a　tire　of　that！〃　she　exclaimed；

incredulously。

　　　

〃Sure；〃　replied　Senor　Johnson。

　　　

〃Will　it　wear？〃

　　　

〃It'll　wear　for　a　month　or　so；　till　we　can　get　another　from

town。〃

　　　　

Estrella　advanced　and　felt　curiously　of　the　rawhide。　　Tommy　was

fastening　it　to　the　wheel　at　the　ends　only。

　　　

〃But　how　can　it　stay　on　that　way？〃　she　objected。　〃It'll　come

right　off　as　soon　as　you　use　it。〃

　　　

〃It'll　harden　on　tight　enough。〃

　　　　

〃Why？〃　she　persisted。　〃Does　it　shrink　much　when　it　dries？〃



Senor　Johnson　stared　to　see　if　she　might　be　joking。　　〃Does　it

shrink？〃　he　repeated　slowly。　〃There　ain't　nothing　shrinks　more；

nor　harder。　　It'll　mighty　nigh　break　that　wood。〃

　　　　

Estrella；　incredulous；　interested；　she　could　not　have　told　why；

stooped　again　to　feel　the　soft；　yielding　hide。　　She　shook　her

head。

　　　

〃You're　joking　me　because　I'm　a　tenderfoot；〃　she　accused

brightly。　　〃I　know　it　dries　hard；　and　I'll　believe　it　shrinks　a

lot；　but　to　break　woodthat's　piling　it　on　a　little　thick。〃

　　　

〃No；　that's　right；　ma'am；〃　broke　in　Brent　Palmer。　　〃It's　awful

strong。　　It　pulls　like　a　horse　when　the　desert　sun　gets　on　it。　

You　wrap　anything　up　in　a　piece　of　that　hide　and　see　what

happens。　　Some　time　you　take　and　wrap　a　piece　around　a　potato　and

put　her　out　in　the　sun　and　see　how　it'll　squeeze　the　water　out　of

her。〃

　　　

〃Is　that　so？〃　she　appealed　to　Tommy。　〃I　can't　tell　when　they　are

making　fun　of　me。〃

　　　

〃Yes；　ma'am；　that's　right；〃　he　assured　her。

　　　　

Estrella　passed　a　strip　of　the　flexible　hide　playfully　about　her

wrists。



〃And　if　I　let　that　dry　that　way　I'd　be　handcuffed　hard　and　fast；〃

she　said。

　　　

〃It　would　cut　you　down　to　the　bone；〃　supplemented　Brent　Palmer。

　　　　

She　untwisted　the　strip；　and　stood　looking　at　it；　her　eyes　wide。

　　　

〃II　don't　know　why〃　she　faltered。　〃The　thought　makes　me　a

little　sick。　　Why；　isn't　it　queer？　　Ugh！　it's　like　a　snake！〃　　She

flung　it　from　her　energetically　and　turned　toward　the　ranch

house。







CHAPTER　SEVEN

ESTRELLA

　

The　honeymoon　developed　and　the　necessary　adjustments　took　place。　

The　latter　Senor　Johnson　had　not　foreseen；　and　yet；　when　the

necessity　for　them　arose；　he　acknowledged　them　right　and　proper。

　　

〃Course　she　don't　want　to　ride　over　to　Circle　I　with　us；〃　he

informed　his　confidant；　Jed　Parker。　　〃It's　a　long　ride；　and　she

ain't　used　to　riding　yet。　　Trouble　is　I've　been　thinking　of　doing

things　with　her　just　as　if　she　was　a　man。　　Women　are　different。

They　likes　different　things。〃

　　　

This　second　idea　gradually　overlaid　the　first　in　Senor　Johnson's

mind。　　Estrella　showed　little　aptitude　or　interest　in　the　rougher

side　of　life。　　Her　husband's　statement　as　to　her　being　still

unused　to　riding　was　distinctly　a　euphemism。　　Estrella　never

arrived　at　the　point　of　feeling　safe　on　a　horse。　　In　time　she

gave　up　trying；　and　the　sorrel　drifted　back　to　cow…punching。　　The

range　work　she　never　understood。



As　a　spectacle　it　imposed　itself　on　her　interest　for　a　week；　but

since　she　could　discover　no　real　and　vital　concern　in　the　welfare

of　cows；　soon　the　mere　outward　show　became　an　old　story。

Estrella's　sleek　nature　avoided　instinctively　all　that　interfered

with　bodily　well…being。　　When　she　was　cool　and　well…fed　and　not

thirsty；　and　surrounded　by　a　proper　degree　of　feminine

daintiness；　then　she　was　ready　to　amuse　herself。　　But　she　could

not　understand　the　desirability　of　those　pleasures　for　which　a

certain　price　in　discomfort　must　be　paid。　　As　for　firearms；　she

confessed　herself　frankly　afraid　of　them。　　That　was　the　point　at

which　her　intimacy　with　them　stopped。

　　　　

The　natural　level　to　which　these　waters　fell　is　easily　seen。　

Quite　simply；　the　Senor　found　that　a　wife　does　not　enter　fully

into　her　husband's　workaday　life。　　The　dreams　he　had　dreamed　did

not　come　true。

　　　　

This　was　at　first　a　disappointment　to　him；　of　course；　but　the

disappointment　did　not　last。　　Senor　Johnson　was　a　man　of　sense；

and　he　easily　modified　his　first　scheme　of　married　life。

　　　

〃She'd　get　sick　of　it；　and　I'd　get　sick　of　it；〃　he　formulated　his

new　philosophy。　　〃Now　I　got　something　to　come　back　to；　somebody

to　look　forward　to。　　And　it's　a　WOMAN；　it　ain't　one　of　these　darn

gangle…leg　cowgirls。　　The　great　thing　is　to　feel　you　BELONG　to

someone；　and　that　someone　nice　and　cool　and　fresh　and　purty　is

waitin'　for　you　when　you　come　in　tired。　　It　beats　that　other

little　old　idee　of　mine　slick　as　a　gun　barrel。〃

　　　　

So；　during　this；　the　busy　season　of　the　range　riding；　immediately

before　the　great　fall　round…ups；　Senor　Johnson　rode　abroad　all

day；　and　returned　to　his　own　hearth　as　many　evenings　of　the　week

as　he　could。　　Estrella　always　saw　him　coming　and　stood　in　the

doorway　to　greet　him。　　He　kicked　off　his　spurs；　washed　and　dusted

himself；　and　spent　the　evening　with　his　wife。　　He　liked　the　sound

of　exactly　that　phrase；　and　was　fond　of　repeating　it　to　himself

in　a　variety　of　connections。

　　

〃When　I　get　in　I'll　spend　the　evening　with　my　wife。〃　　〃If　I　don't

ride　over　to　Circle　I；　I'll　spend　the　evening　with　my　wife；〃　and

so　on。　　He　had　a　good　deal　to　tell　her　of　the　day's　discoveries；

the　state　of　the　range；　and　the　condition　of　the　cattle。　　To　all

of　this　she　listened　at　least　with　patience。　　Senor　Johnson；　like

most　men　who　have　long　delayed　marriage；　was　self…centred　without

knowing　it。　　His　interest　in　his　mate　had　to　do　with　her

personality　rather　than　with　her　doings。

　　

〃What　you　do　with　yourself　all　day　to…day？〃　he　occasionally

inquired。

　　　

〃Oh；　there's　lots　to　do；〃　she　would　answer；　a　trifle　listlessly；

and　this　reply　always　seemed　quite　to　satisfy　his　interest　in　the

subject。

　　　　

Senor　Johnson；　with　a　curiously　instant　transformation　often　to

be　observed　among　the　adventurous；　settled　luxuriously　into　the

state　of　being　a　married　man。　　Its　smallest　details　gave　him

distinct　and　separate　sensations　of　pleasure。

　　　

〃I　plumb　likes　it　all；〃　he　said。　〃I　likes　havin'　interest　in　some

fool　geranium　plant；　and　I　likes　worryin'　about　the　screen　doors

and　all　the　rest　of　the　plumb　foolishness。　　It　does　me　good。　　It

feels　like　stretchin'　your　legs　in　front　of　a　good　warm　fire。〃

　　　　　

The　centre；　the　compelling　influence　of　this　new　state　of

affairs；　was　undoubtedly　Estrella；　and　yet　it　is　equally　to　be

doubted　whether　she　stood　for　more　than　the　suggestion。　　Senor

Johnson　conducted　his　entire　life　with　reference　to　his　wife。　

His　waking　hours　were　concerned　only　with　the　thought　of　her；　his

every　act　revolved　in　its　orbit　controlled　by　her　influence。　

Nevertheless　she；　as　an　individual　human　being；　had　little　to　do

with　it。　　Senor　Johnson　referred　his　life　to　a　state　of　affairs

he　had　himself　invented　and　which　he　called　the　married　state；

and　to　a　woman　whose　attitude　he　had　himself　determined　upon　and

whom　be　designated　as　his　wife。　　The　actual　state　of　affairs

whatever　it　might