arizona nights-第8节

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wanted　to　see　it。　　And　I'll　be　a　man　of　weight　there；　Harry；　and

it'll　be　mighty　good。〃



We　made　all　sorts　of　plans　as　to　how　I　was　going　to　visit　him

just　as　soon　as　I　could　get　together　the　money　for　the　passage。　　

He　had　the　delicacy　not　to　offer　to　let　me　have　it；　and　that

clinched　my　trust　and　love　of　him。



The　next　day　he　drove　away　with　Tony　and　the　dapper　little

lawyer。　　I　am　not　ashamed　to　say　that　I　watched　the　buckboard

until　it　disappeared　in　the　mirage。　　



I　was　with　Buck　Johnson　all　that　summer；　and　the　following

winter；　as　well。　　We　had　our　first　round…up；　found　the　natural

increase　much　in　excess　of　the　loss　by　Indians；　and　extended　our

holdings　up　over　the　Rock　Creek　country。　　We　witnessed　the　start

of　many　Indian　campaigns；　participated　in　a　few　little　brushes

with　the　Chiricahuas；　saw　the　beginning　of　the　cattle…rustling。　

A　man　had　not　much　opportunity　to　think　of　anything　but　what　he

had　right　on　hand；　but　I　found　time　for　a　few　speculations　on

Tim。　　I　wondered　how　he　looked　now；　and　what　he　was　doing；　and

how　in　blazes　he　managed　to　get　away　with　fifty　thousand　a　year。



And　then　one　Sunday　in　June；　while　I　was　lying　on　my　bunk；　Tim

pushed　open　the　door　and　walked　in。　　I　was　young；　but　I'd　seen　a

lot；　and　I　knew　the　expression　of　his　face。　　So　I　laid　low　and

said　nothing。　　



In　a　minute　the　door　opened　again；　and　Buck　Johnson　himself　came

in。　



〃How　do；〃　said　he；　〃I　saw　you　ride　up。〃　　



〃How　do　you　do；〃　replied　Tim。　　



〃I　know　all　about　you；〃　said　Buck；　without　any　preliminaries；

〃your　man；　Case；　has　wrote　me。　　I　don't　know　your　reasons；　and　I

don't　want　to　knowit's　none　of　my　businessand　I　ain't　goin'

to　tell　you　just　what　kind　of　a　damn　fool　I　think　you　arethat's

none　of　my　business；　either。　　But　I　want　you　to　understand

without　question　how　you　stand　on　the　ranch。〃　　



〃Quite　good；　sir；〃　said　Tim　very　quietly。　



〃When　you　were　out　here　before　I　was　glad　to　have　you　here　as　a

sort　of　guest。　　Then　you　were　what　I've　heerd　called　a　gentleman

of　leisure。　　Now　you're　nothin'　but　a　remittance　man。　　Your

money's　nothin'　to　me；　but　the　principle　of　the　thing　is。　　The

country　is　plumb　pestered　with　remittance　men；　doin'　nothin'；　and

I　don't　aim　to　run　no　home　for　incompetents。　　I　had　a　son　of　a

duke　drivin'　wagon　for　me；　and　he　couldn't　drive　nails　in　a

snowbanks。　　So　don't　you　herd　up　with　the　idea　that　you　can　come

on　this　ranch　and　loaf。〃　　



〃I　don't　want　to　loaf；〃　put　in　Tim；　〃I　want　a　job。〃　　



〃I'm　willing　to　give　you　a　job；〃　replied　Buck；　〃but　it's　jest　an

ordinary　cow…puncher's　job　at　forty　a　month。　　And　if　you　don't

fill　your　saddle；　it　goes　to　someone　else。〃



〃That's　satisfactory；〃　agreed　Tim。　　



〃All　right；〃　finished　Buck；　〃so　that's　understood。　　Your　friend

Case　wanted　me　to　give　you　a　lot　of　advice。　　A　man　generally　has

about　as　much　use　for　advice　as　a　cow　has　for　four　hind　legs。〃　　



He　went　out。　　



〃For　God's　sake；　what's　up？〃　I　cried；　leaping　　from　my　bunk。　　



〃Hullo；　Harry；〃　said　he；　as　though　he　had　seen　me　the　day　before；

〃I've　come　back。〃



〃How　come　back？〃　I　asked。　　〃I　thought　you　couldn't　leave　the

estate。　　Have　they　broken　the　will？〃　　



〃No；〃　said　he。



〃Is　the　money　lost？〃

　　

〃No。〃　　



〃Then　what？〃　　



〃The　long　and　short　of　it　is；　that　I　couldn't　afford　that　estate

and　that　money。〃　



〃What　do　you　mean？〃　　



〃I've　given　it　up。〃　　



〃Given　it　up！　　What　for？〃　　



〃To　come　back　here。〃　　



　I　took　this　all　in　slowly。　　



〃Tim　Clare；〃　said　I　at　last；　〃do　you　mean　to　say　that　you　have

given　up　an　English　estate　and　fifty　thousand　dollars　a　year　to

be　a　remittance　man　at　five　hundred；　and　a　cow…puncher　on　as　much

more？〃　　



〃Exactly；〃　said　he。　　



〃Tim；〃　I　adjured　him　solemnly；　〃you　are　a　damn　fool！〃　　



〃Maybe；〃　he　agreed。　　



〃Why　did　you　do　it？〃　I　begged。　



He　walked　to　the　door　and　looked　out　across　the　desert　to　where

the　mountains　hovered　like　soap…bubbles　on　the　horizon。　　For　a

long　time　he　looked；　then　whirled　on　me。　



〃Harry；〃　said　he　in　a　low　voice；　〃do　you　remember　the　camp　we

made　on　the　shoulder　of　the　mountain　that　night　we　were　caught

out？　　And　do　you　remember　how　the　dawn　came　up　on　the　big　snow

peaks　across　the　wayand　all　the　canon　below　us　filled　with

whirling　mistsand　the　steel　stars　leaving　us　one　by　one？　　Where

could　I　find　room　for　that　in　English　paddocks？　　And　do　you

recall　the　day　we　trailed　across　the　Yuma　deserts；　and　the　sun

beat　into　our　skulls；　and　the　dry；　brittle　hills　looked　like

papier…mache；　and　the　grey　sage…bush　ran　off　into　the　rise　of　the

hills；　and　then　came　sunset　and　the　hard；　dry　mountains　grew

filmy；　like　gauze　veils　of　many　colours；　and　melted　and　glowed

and　faded　to　slate　blue；　and　the　stars　came　out？　　The　English

hills　are　rounded　and　green　and　curried；　and　the　sky　is　near；　and

the　stars　only　a　few　miles　up。　　And　do　you　recollect　that　dark

night　when　old　Loco　and　his　warriors　were　camped　at　the　base　of

Cochise's　Stronghold；　and　we　crept　down　through　the　velvet　dark

wondering　when　we　would　be　discovered；　our　mouths　sticky　with

excitement；　and　the　little　winds　blowing？〃　　



He　walked　up　and　down　a　half…dozen　times；　his　breast　heaving。



〃It's　all　very　well　for　the　man　who　is　brought　up　to　it；　and

who　has　seen　nothing　else。　　Case　can　exist　in　four　walls；　he

has　been　brought　up　to　it　and　knows　nothing　different。　　But　a

man　like　me



〃They　wanted　me　to　canter　between　hedge…row；I　who　have　ridden

the　desert　where　the　sky　over　me　and　the　plain　under　me　were

bigger　than　the　Islander's　universe！　　They　wanted　me　to　oversee

little　farmsI　who　have　watched　the　sun　rising　over　half　a

world！　　Talk　of　your　ten　thou'　a　year　and　what　it'll　buy！　　You

know；　Harry；　how　it　feels　when　a　steer　takes　the　slack　of　your

rope；　and　your　pony　sits　back！　　Where　in　England　can　I　buy　that？　

You　know　the　rising　and　the　falling　of　days；　and　the　boundless

spaces　where　your　heart　grows　big；　and　the　thirst　of　the　desert

and　the　hunger　of　the　trail；　and　a　sun　that　shines　and　fills

the　sky；　and　a　wind　that　blows　fresh　from　the　wide　places！　

Where　in　parcelled；　snug；　green；　tight　little　England　could　I

buy　that　with　ten　thou'aye；　or　an　hundred　times　ten　thou'？　

No；　no；　Harry；　that　fortune　would　cost　me　too　dear。　　I　have

seen　and　done　and　been　too　much。　　I've　come　back　to　the　Big

Country；　where　the　pay　is　poor　and　the　work　is　hard　and　the

comfort　small；　but　where　a　man　and　his　soul　meet　their　Maker　face

to　face。〃





The　Cattleman　had　finished　his　yarn。　　For　a　time　no　one　spoke。　

Outside；　the　volume　of　rain　was　subsiding。　　Windy　Bill　reported

a　few　stars　shining　through　rifts　in　the　showers。　　The　chill　that

precedes　the　dawn　brought　us　as　close　to　the　fire　as　the

smouldering　guano　would　permit。



〃I　don't　know　whether　he　was　right　or　wrong；〃　mused　the　

Cattleman；　after　a　while。　　〃A　man　can　do　a　heap　with　that　much

money。　　And　yet　an　old　'alkali'　is　never　happy　anywhere　else。　

However；〃　he　concluded　emphatically；　〃one　thing　I　do　know：　　rain；

cold；　hunger；　discomfort；　curses；　kicks；　and　violent　deaths

included；　there　isn't　one　of　you　grumblers　who　would　hold　that

gardening　job　you　spoke　of　three　days！〃







CHAPTER　FOUR　

THE　CATTLE　RUSTLERS



Dawn　broke；　so　we　descended　through　wet　grasses　to　the　canon。　

There；　after　some　difficulty；　we　managed　to　start　a　fire；　and

so　ate　breakfast；　the　rain　still　pouring　down　on　us。　　About

nine　o'clock；　with　miraculous　suddenness；　the　torrent　stopped。　

It　began　to　turn　cold。　　The　Cattleman　and　I　decided　to　climb　to

the　top　of　the　butte　after　meat；　which　we　entirely　lacked。　　



It　was　rather　a　stiff　ascent；　but　once　above　the　sheer　cliffs　we

found　ourselves　on　a　rolling　meadow　tableland　a　half…mile　broad

by；　perhaps；　a　mile　and　a　half　in　length。　　Grass　grew　high；

here　and　there　were　small　live　oaks　planted　park…like；　slight　and

rounded　ravines　accommodated　brooklets。　　As　we　walked　back；　the

edges　blended　in　the　edges　of　the　mesa　across　the　canon。　　The

deep　gorges；　which　had　heretofore　seemed　the　most　prominent

elements　of　the　scenery；　were　lost。　　We　stood；　apparently；　in

the　middle　of　a　wide　and　undulating　plain；　diversified　by　little

ridges；　and　running　with　a　free　sweep　to　the　very　foot　of　the

snowy　Galiuros。　　It　seemed　as　though　we　should　be　able　to　ride

horseback　in　almost　any　given　direction。　　Yet　we　knew　that　ten

minutes'　walk　would　take　us　to　the　brink　of　most　stupendous

chasmsso　deep　that　the　water　flowing　in　them　hardly　seemed　to

move；　so　rugged　that　only　with　the　greatest　difficulty　could　a

horseman　make　his　way　through　the　country　at　all；　and　yet　so

ancient　that　the　bottoms　supported　forests；　rich　grasses；　and

rounded；　gentle　knolls。　　It　was　a　most　astonishing　set　of　double

impressions。



We　succeeded　in　killing　a　nice；　fat　white…tail　buck；　and　so

returned　to　camp　happy。　　The