drift from two shores(働送)-及20准
梓囚徒貧圭鮗 ○ 賜 ★ 辛酔堀貧和鍬匈梓囚徒貧議 Enter 囚辛指欺云慕朕村匈梓囚徒貧圭鮗 ● 辛指欺云匈競何
!!!!隆堋響頼紗秘慕禰厮宴和肝写偬堋響
The captain began to read the expenditures of Roger Catron with
relentless fidelity of detail。 The several losses by poker察the whisky bills察
and the record of a ;jamboree; at Tooley's察 the vague expenses whereof
footed up 275察 were received with enthusiastic cheers by the audience。
A single milliner's bill for 125 was hailed with delight察100 expended in
treating the Vestal Virgin Combination Troupe almost canonized his
memory察50 for a simple buggy ride with Deacon Fisk brought down the
house察500 advanced察without security察and unpaid察for the electioneering
expenses of Assemblyman Jones察 who had recently introduced a bill to
prevent gambling and the sale of lager beer on Sundays察was received with
an ominous groan。 One or two other items of money loaned occasioned
the withdrawal of several gentlemen from the audience amidst the hisses
or ironical cheers of the others。
At last Captain Dick stopped and advanced to the footlights。
;Gentlemen and friends察─ he said察 slowly。 ;I foots up 25000 as
Roger Catron hez MADE察fair and square察in this yer county。 I foots up
27000 ez he has SPENT in this yer county。 I puts it to you ez men察
far´minded menef this man was a pauper and debtor拭I put it to you ez
far´minded menez free and easy menez political economistsez this
the kind of men to impoverish a county拭─
An overwhelming and instantaneous ;No ─ almost drowned the last
utterance of the speaker。
;Thar is only one item察─ said Captain Dick察 slowly察 only one item察
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that ez menez far´minded menez political economistsit seems to me
we hez the right to question。 It's this此 Thar is an item察read to you by
me察 of 2000 paid to certing San Francisco detectives察 paid out o' the
assets o' Roger Catron察 for the finding of Roger Catron's body。
Gentlemen of Sandy Bar and friends察I found that body察and yer it is ─
And Roger Catron察a little pale and nervous察but palpably in the flesh察
stepped upon the platform。
Of course the newspapers were full of it the next day。 Of course察in
due time察it appeared as a garbled and romantic item in the San Francisco
press。 Of course Mrs。 Catron察 on reading it察 fainted察 and for two days
said that this last cruel blow ended all relations between her husband and
herself。 On the third day she expressed her belief that察if he had had the
slightest feeling for her察 he would察 long since察 for the sake of mere
decency察 have communicated with her。 On the fourth day she thought
she had been察 perhaps察 badly advised察 had an open quarrel with her
relatives察and intimated that a wife had certain obligations察etc。 On the
sixth day察 still not hearing from him察 she quoted Scripture察 spoke of a
seventy´times´seven forgiveness察 and went generally into mild hysterics。
On the seventh察she left in the morning train for Sandy Bar。
And really I don't know as I have anything more to tell。 I dined with
them recently察and察upon my word察a more decorous察correct察conventional察
and dull dinner I never ate in my life。
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;WHO WAS MY QUIET
FRIEND拭─
;Stranger ─
The voice was not loud察but clear and penetrating。 I looked vainly up
and down the narrow察darkening trail。 No one in the fringe of alder ahead察
no one on the gullied slope behind。
;O stranger ─
This time a little impatiently。 The California classical vocative察 O察─
always meant business。
I looked up察and perceived for the first time on the ledge察thirty feet
above me察another trail parallel with my own察and looking down upon me
through the buckeye bushes a small man on a black horse。
Five things to be here noted by the circumspect mountaineer。 FIRST察
the localitylonely and inaccessible察and away from the regular faring of
teamsters and miners。 SECONDLY察the stranger's superior knowledge of
the road察 from the fact that the other trail was unknown to the ordinary
traveler。 THIRDLY察 that he was well armed and equipped。
FOURTHLY察 that he was better mounted。 FIFTHLY察 that any distrust or
timidity arising from the contemplation of these facts had better be kept to
one's self。
All this passed rapidly through my mind as I returned his salutation。
;Got any tobacco拭─he asked。
I had察and signified the fact察holding up the pouch inquiringly。
;All right察I'll come down。 Ride on察and I'll jine ye on the slide。;
;The slide ─ Here was a new geographical discovery as odd as the
second trail。 I had ridden over the trail a dozen times察 and seen no
communication between the ledge and trail。 Nevertheless察 I went on a
hundred yards or so察when there was a sharp crackling in the underbrush察a
shower of stones on the trail察and my friend plunged through the bushes to
my side察down a grade that I should scarcely have dared to lead my horse。
There was no doubt he was an accomplished rideranother fact to be
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noted。
As he ranged beside me察I found I was not mistaken as to his size察he
was quite under the medium height察and but for a pair of cold察gray eyes察
was rather commonplace in feature。
;You've got a good horse there察─I suggested。
He was filling his pipe from my pouch察but looked up a little surprised察
and said察 Of course。; He then puffed away with the nervous eagerness
of a man long deprived of that sedative。 Finally察 between the puffs察 he
asked me whence I came。
I replied察 From Lagrange。;
He looked at me a few moments curiously察but on my adding that I had
only halted there for a few hours察he said此 I thought I knew every man
between Lagrange and Indian Spring察but somehow I sorter disremember
your face and your name。;
Not particularly caring that he should remember either察I replied half
laughingly察 that察 as I lived the other side of Indian Spring察 it was quite
natural。 He took the rebuff察 if such it was察 so quietly that as an act of
mere perfunctory politeness I asked him where he came from。
;Lagrange。;
;And you are going to;
;Well that depends pretty much on how things pan out察and whether I
can make the riffle。; He let his hand rest quite unconsciously on the
leathern holster of his dragoon revolver察yet with a strong suggestion to me
of his ability ;to make the riffle; if he wanted to察and added此 But just now
I was reck'nin' on taking a little pasear with you。;
There was nothing offensive in his speech save its familiarity察and the
reflection察perhaps察that whether I objected or not察he was quite able to do
as he said。 I only replied that if our pasear was prolonged beyond
Heavytree Hill察 I should have to borrow his beast。 To my surprise he
replied quietly察 That's so察─adding that the horse was at my disposal when
he wasn't using it察 and HALF of it when he was。 ;Dick has carried
double many a time before this察─he continued察 and kin do it again察when
your mustang gives out I'll give you a lift and room to spare。;
I could not help smiling at the idea of appearing before the boys at Red
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Gulch en croupe with the stranger察 but neither could I help being oddly
affected by the suggestion that his horse had done double duty before。
;On what occasion察and why拭─was a question I kept to myself。 We were
ascending the long察rocky flank of the divide察the narrowness of the trail
obliged us to proceed slowly察and in file察so that there was little chance for
conversation察had he been disposed to satisfy my curiosi