arizona nights-第5节

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！


be　under　any　apprehension。　　Our　friend；　Mr。　Texas　Pete；　here；　has

kindly　consented　to　make　good　any　deficiencies　from　his　own

corral。〃　　



Tim　could　talk　high；　wide；　and　handsome　when　he　set　out　to。　　



The　man　started　to　say　something；　but　I　managed　to　herd　him　to

one　side。　　



〃Let　him　alone；〃　I　whispers。　　〃When　he　talks　that　way；　he's　mad；

and　when　he's　mad；　it's　better　to　leave　nature　to　supply　the

lightnin'　rods。〃　　



He　seemed　to　sabe　all　right；　so　we　built　us　a　little　fire　and

started　some　grub；　while　Gentleman　Tim　walked　up　and　down　very

grand　and　fierce。



By　and　by　he　seemed　to　make　up　his　mind。　　He　went　over　and　untied

Texas　Pete。　



〃Stand　up；　you　hound；〃　says　he。　　〃Now　listen　to　me。　　If　you　make

a　break　to　get　away；　or　if　you　refuse　to　do　just　as　I　tell　you；　I

won't　shoot　you；　but　I'll　march　you　up　country　and　see　that

Geronimo　gets　you。〃　　



He　sorted　out　a　shovel　and　pick；　made　Texas　Pete　carry　them　right

along　the　trail　a　quarter；　and　started　him　to　diggin'　a　hole。

　　

Texas　Pete　started　in　hard　enough；　Tim　sittin'　over　him　on　his

hoss；　his　six…shooter　loose；　and　his　rope　free。　　The　man　and　I

stood　by；　not　darin'　to　say　a　word。　　After　a　minute　or　so　Texas

Pete　began　to　work　slower　and　slower。　　By　and　by　he　stopped。



〃Look　here；〃　says　he；　〃is　this　here　thing　my　grave？〃　　



〃I　am　goin'　to　see　that　you　give　the　gentleman's　hoss　decent

interment；〃　says　Gentleman　Tim　very　polite。　　



〃Bury　a　hoss！〃　growls　Texas　Pete。　　



But　he　didn't　say　any　more。　　Tim　cocked　his　six…shooter。　　



〃Perhaps　you'd　better　quit　panting　and　sweat　a　little；〃　says　he。　



Texas　Pete　worked　hard　for　a　while；　for　Tim's　quietness　was

beginning　to　scare　him　up　the　worst　way。　　By　and　by　he　had　got

down　maybe　four　or　five　feet；　and　Tim　got　off　his　hoss。　　



〃I　think　that　will　do；〃　says　he。



〃You　may　come　out。　　Billy；　my　son；　cover　him。　　Now；　Mr。　Texas

Pete；〃　he　says；　cold　as　steel；　〃there　is　the　grave。　　We　will

place　the　hoss　in　it。　　Then　I　intend　to　shoot　you　and　put　you　in

with　the　hoss；　and　write　you　an　epitaph　that　will　be　a　comfort　to

such　travellers　of　　the　Trail　as　are　honest；　and　a　warnin'　to

such　as　are　not。　　I'd　as　soon　kill　you　now　as　an　hour　from　now；

so　you　may　make　a　break　for　it　if　you　feel　like　it。〃　　



He　stooped　over　to　look　into　the　hole。　　I　thought　he　looked　an

extra　long　time；　but　when　he　raised　his　head　his　face　had　changed

complete。　



〃March！〃　says　he　very　brisk。　



We　all　went　back　to　the　shack。　　From　the　corral　Tim　took　Texas

Pete's　best　team　and　hitched　her　to　the　old　schooner。　　



〃There；〃　says　he　to　the　man。　　〃Now　you'd　better　hit　the　trail。　

Take　that　whisky　keg　there　for　water。　　Good…bye。〃　　



We　sat　there　without　sayin'　a　word　for　some　time　after　the

schooner　had　pulled　out。　　Then　Tim　says；　very　abrupt：



〃I've　changed　my　mind。〃　　



He　got　up。　　



〃Come　on；　Billy；〃　says　he　to　me。　　〃We'll　just　leave　our　friend

tied　up。　　I'll　be　back　to…morrow　to　turn　you　loose。　　In　the

meantime　it　won't　hurt　you　a　bit　to　be　a　little　uncomfortable；

and　hungryand　thirsty。〃　　



We　rode　off　just　about　sundown；　leavin'　Texas　Pete　lashed　tight。



Now　all　this　knocked　me　hell…west　and　crooked；　and　I　said　so；　but

I　couldn't　get　a　word　out　of　Gentleman　Tim。　　All　the　answer　I

could　get　was　just　little　laughs。　



We　drawed　into　the　ranch　near　midnight；　but　next　mornin'　Tim　had

a　long　talk　with　the　boss；　and　the　result　was　that　the　whole

outfit　was　instructed　to　arm　up　with　a　pick　or　a　shovel　apiece；

and　to　get　set　for　Texas　Pete's。　　We　got　there　a　little　after

noon；　turned　the　old　boy　outwithout　firearmsand　then　began　to

dig　at　a　place　Tim　told　us　to；　near　that　grave　of　Texas　Pete's。　

In　three　hours　we　had　the　finest　water…hole　developed　you　ever

want　to　see。　　Then　the　boss　stuck　up　a　sign　that　said：

　　　　　　　　　　　　

　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　PUBLIC　WATER…HOLE。　　WATER；　FREE。



〃Now　you　old　skin；〃　says　he　to　Texas　Pete；　〃charge　all　you　want

to　on　your　own　property。　　But　if　I　ever　hear　of　your　layin'　claim

to　this　other　hole；　I'll　shore　make　you　hard　to　catch。〃　　



Then　we　rode　off　home。　　You　see；　when　Gentleman　Tim　inspected

that　grave；　he　noted　indications　of　water；　and　it　struck　him　that

runnin'　the　old　renegade　out　of　business　was　a　neater　way　of

gettin'　even　than　merely　killin'　him。　　





Somebody　threw　a　fresh　mesquite　on　the　fire。　　The　flames　leaped

up　again；　showing　a　thin　trickle　of　water　running　down　the　other

side　of　the　cave。　　The　steady　downpour　again　made　itself

prominent　through　the　re…established　silence。　　



〃What　did　Texas　Pete　do　after　that？〃　asked　the　Cattleman。　　



〃Texas　Pete？〃　chuckled　Windy　Bill。　　〃Well；　he　put　in　a　heap　of

his　spare　time　lettin'　Tim　alone。〃







CHAPTER　THREE

THE　REMITTANCE　MAN



After　Windy　Bill　had　finished　his　story　we　began　to　think　it　time

to　turn　in。　　Uncle　Jim　and　Charley　slid　and　slipped　down　the

chute…like　passage　leading　from　the　cave　and　disappeared　in　the

direction　of　the　overhang　beneath　which　they　had　spread　their

bed。　　After　a　moment　we　tore　off　long　bundles　of　the　nigger…head

blades；　lit　the　resinous　ends　at　our　fire；　and　with　these　torches

started　to　make　our　way　along　the　base　of　the　cliff　to　the　other

cave。　　



Once　without　the　influence　of　the　fire　our　impromptu　links　cast

an　adequate　light。　　The　sheets　of　rain　became　suddenly　visible　as

they　entered　the　circle　of　illumination。　　By　careful　scrutiny　of

the　footing　I　gained　the　entrance　to　our　cave　without　mishap。　　I

looked　back。　　Here　and　there　irregularly　gleamed　and　spluttered

my　companions'　torches。　　Across　each　slanted　the　rain。　　All　else

was　of　inky　blackness　except　where；　between　them　and　me；　a　faint

red　reflection　shone　on　the　wet　rocks。　　Then　I　turned　inside。



Now；　to　judge　from　the　crumbling　powder　of　the　footing；　that

cave　had　been　dry　since　Noah。　　In　fact；　its　roof　was　nearly　a

thousand　feet　thick。　　But　since　we　had　spread　our　blankets；　the

persistent　waters　had　soaked　down　and　through。　　The　thousand…foot

roof　had　a　sprung　a　leak。　　Three　separate　and　distinct　streams　of

water　ran　as　from　spigots。　　I　lowered　my　torch。　　The　canvas

tarpaulin　shone　with　wet；　and　in　its　exact　centre　glimmered　a

pool　of　water　three　inches　deep　and　at　least　two　feet　in

diameter。　



〃Well；　I'll　be；〃　I　began。　　Then　I　remembered　those　three　wending

their　way　along　a　wet　and　disagreeable　trail；　happy　and　peaceful

in　anticipation　of　warm　blankets　and　a　level　floor。　　I　chuckled

and　sat　on　my　heels　out　of　the　drip。　　



First　came　Jed　Parker；　his　head　bent　to　protect　the　fire　in　his

pipe。　　He　gained　the　very　centre　of　the　cave　before　he　looked　up。



Then　he　cast　one　glance　at　each　bed；　and　one　at　me。　　His　grave；

hawk…like　features　relaxed。　　A　faint　grin　appeared　under　his　long

moustache。　　Without　a　word　he　squatted　down　beside　me。　



Next　the　Cattleman。　　He　looked　about　him　with　a　comical

expression　of　dismay；　and　burst　into　a　hearty　laugh。　　



〃I　believe　I　said　I　was　sorry　for　those　other　fellows；〃　he

remarked。　　



Windy　Bill　was　the　last。　　He　stooped　his　head　to　enter；

straightened　his　lank　figure；　and　took　in　the　situation　without

expression。　　



〃Well；　this　is　handy；〃　said　he；　〃I　was　gettin'　tur'ble　dry；　and

was　thinkin'　I　would　have　to　climb　way　down　to　the　creek　in　all

this　rain。〃　　



He　stooped　to　the　pool　in　the　centre　of　the　tarpaulin　and　drank。　



But　now　our　torches　began　to　run　low。　　A　small　dry　bush　grew　near

the　entrance。　　We　ignited　it；　and　while　it　blazed　we　hastily

sorted　a　blanket　apiece　and　tumbled　the　rest　out　of　the　drip。　　



Our　return　without　torches　along　the　base　of　that　butte　was

something　to　remember。　　The　night　was　so　thick　you　could　feel　the

darkness　pressing　on　you；　the　mountain　dropped　abruptly　to　the

left；　and　was　strewn　with　boulders　and　blocks　of　stone。　

Collisions　and　stumbles　were　frequent。　　Once　I　stepped　off　a

little　ledge　five　or　six　feetnothing　worse　than　a　barked　shin。　

And　all　the　while　the　rain；　pelting　us　unmercifully；　searched　out

what　poor　little　remnants　of　dryness　we　had　been　able　to　retain。



At　last　we　opened　out　the　gleam　of　fire　in　our　cave；　and　a

minute　later　were　engaged　in　struggling　desperately　up　the　slant

that　brought　us　to　our　ledge　and　the　slope　on　which　our　fire

burned。



〃My　Lord！〃　panted　Windy　Bill；　〃a　man　had　ought　to　have　hooks　on

his　eyebrows　to　climb　up　here！〃



We　renewed　the　fireand　blessed　the　back…load　of　mesquite　we　had

packed　up　earlier　in　the　evening。　　Our　blankets　we　wrapped　around

our　shoulders；　our　feet　we　hung　over　the　ledge　toward　the　blaze；

our　backs　we　leaned　against　the　hollow　slant　of　the　cave's

wall。　　We　were　not　uncomfortable。　　The　beat　of　the　rain　sprang　up

in　the　darkness；　growing　louder　and　louder；　like　horsemen　passing

on　a　hard　road。　　Gradually　we　dozed　off。



For　a　time　everything　was　pleasant。　　Dreams　came　fused　with

real