desert gold-第3节

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〃Well；　tell　me　more？〃　asked　Cameron；　earnestly。

〃It　was　the　old；　old　story。　　My　girl　was　pretty　and　free。　　The　young　bucks　ran　after　her。　　I　guess　she　did　not　run　away　from　them。　And　I　was　away　a　good　dealworking　in　another　town。　　She　was　in　love　with　a　wild　fellow。　　I　knew　nothing　of　it　till　too　late。　　He　was　engaged　to　marry　her。　But　he　didn't　come　back。　　And　when　the　disgrace　became　plain　to　all；　my　girl　left　home。　　She　went　West。　　After　a　while　I　heard　from　her。　　She　was　wellworkingliving　for　her　baby。　　A　long　time　passed。　　I　had　no　ties。　　I　drifted　West。　　Her　lover　had　also　gone　West。　　In　those　days　everybody　went　West。　　I　trailed　him；　intending　to　kill　him。　　But　I　lost　his　trail。　　Neither　could　I　find　any　trace　of　her。　　She　had　moved　on；　driven；　no　doubt；　by　the　hound　of　her　past。　　Since　then　I　have　taken　to　the　wilds；　hunting　gold　on　the　desert。〃

〃Yes；　it's　the　old；　old　story；　only　sadder；　I　think；〃　said　Cameron；　and　his　voice　was　strained　and　unnatural。

〃Pardner；　what　Illinois　town　was　it　you　hailed　from？〃

〃Peoria。〃

〃And　youryour　name？〃　went　on　Cameron　huskily。

〃WarrenJonas　Warren。〃

That　name　might　as　well　have　been　a　bullet。　　Cameron　stood　erect；　motionless；　as　men　sometimes　stand　momentarily　when　shot　straight　through　the　heart。　　In　an　instant；　when　thoughts　resurged　like　blinding　flashes　of　lightning　through　his　mind；　he　was　a　swaying；　quivering；　terror…stricken　man。　　He　mumbled　something　hoarsely　and　backed　into　the　shadow。　　But　he　need　not　have　feared　discovery；　however　surely　his　agitation　might　have　betrayed　him。　　Warren　sat　brooding　over　the　campfire；　oblivious　of　his　comrade；　absorbed　in　the　past。

Cameron　swiftly　walked　away　in　the　gloom；　with　the　blood　thrumming　thick　in　his　ears；　whispering　over　and　over：

〃Merciful　God！　　Nell　was　his　daughter！〃



Chapter　III


As　thought　and　feeling　multiplied；　Cameron　was　overwhelmed。　　Beyond　belief；　indeed；　was　it　that　out　of　the　millions　of　men　in　the　world　two　who　had　never　seen　each　other　cold　have　been　driven　into　the　desert　by　memory　of　the　same　woman。　　It　brought　the　past　so　close。　　It　showed　Cameron　how　inevitably　all　his　spiritual　life　was　governed　by　what　had　happened　long　ago。　　That　which　made　life　significant　to　him　was　a　wandering　in　silent　places　where　no　eye　could　see　him　with　his　secret。　　Some　fateful　chance　had　thrown　him　with　the　father　of　the　girl　he　had　wrecked。　It　was　incomprehensible；　it　was　terrible。　　It　was　the　one　thing　of　all　possible　happenings　in　the　world　of　chance　that　both　father　and　lover　would　have　found　unendurable。

Cameron's　pain　reached　to　despair　when　he　felt　this　relation　between　Warren　and　himself。　　Something　within　him　cried　out　to　him　to　reveal　his　identity。　　Warren　would　kill　him；　but　it　was　not　fear　of　death　that　put　Cameron　on　the　rack。　　He　had　faced　death　too　often　to　be　afraid。　　It　was　the　thought　of　adding　torture　to　this　long…suffering　man。　　All　at　once　Cameron　swore　that　he　would　not　augment　Warren's　trouble；　or　let　him　stain　his　hands　with　blood。　　He　would　tell　the　truth　of　Nell's　sad　story　and　his　own；　and　make　what　amends　he　could。

Then　Cameron's　thought　shifted　from　father　to　daughter。　　She　was　somewhere　beyond　the　dim　horizon　line。　　In　those　past　lonely　hours　by　the　campfire　his　fancy　had　tortured　him　with　pictures　of　Nell。　But　his　remorseful　and　cruel　fancy　had　lied　to　him。　　Nell　had　struggled　upward　out　of　menacing　depths。　　She　had　reconstructed　a　broken　life。　　And　now　she　was　fighting　for　the　name　and　happiness　of　her　child。　　Little　Nell！　　Cameron　experienced　a　shuddering　ripple　in　all　his　beingthe　physical　rack　of　an　emotion　born　of　a　new　and　strange　consciousness。

As　Cameron　gazed　out　over　the　blood…red；　darkening　desert　suddenly　the　strife　in　his　soul　ceased。　　The　moment　was　one　of　incalculable　change；　in　which　his　eyes　seemed　to　pierce　the　vastness　of　cloud　and　range；　and　mystery　of　gloom　and　shadowto　see　with　strong　vision　the　illimitable　space　before　him。　　He　felt　the　grandeur　of　the　desert；　its　simplicity；　its　truth。　　He　had　learned　at　last　the　lesson　it　taught。　　No　longer　strange　was　his　meeting　and　wandering　with　Warren。　Each　had　marched　in　the　steps　of　destiny；　and　as　the　lines　of　their　fates　had　been　inextricably　tangled　in　the　years　that　were　gone；　so　now　their　steps　had　crossed　and　turned　them　toward　one　common　goal。　　For　years　they　had　been　two　men　marching　alone；　answering　to　an　inward　driving　search；　and　the　desert　had　brought　them　together。　for　years　they　had　wandered　alone　in　silence　and　solitude；　where　the　sun　burned　white　all　day　and　the　stars　burned　white　all　night；　blindly　following　the　whisper　of　a　spirit。　　But　now　Cameron　knew　that　he　was　no　longer　blind；　and　in　this　flash　of　revelation　he　felt　that　it　had　been　given　him　to　help　Warren　with　his　burden。

He　returned　to　camp　trying　to　evolve　a　plan。　　As　always　at　that　long　hour　when　the　afterglow　of　sunset　lingered　in　the　west；　Warren　plodded　to　and　fro　in　the　gloom。　　All　night　Cameron　lay　awake　thinking。

In　the　morning；　when　Warren　brought　the　burros　to　camp　and　began　preparations　for　the　usual　packing；　Cameron　broke　silence。

〃Pardner；　your　story　last　night　made　me　think。　　I　want　to　tell　you　something　about　myself。　　It's　hard　enough　to　be　driven　by　sorrow　for　one　you've　loved；　as　you've　been　driven；　but　to　suffer　sleepless　and　eternal　remorse　for　the　ruin　of　one　you've　loved　as　I　have　sufferedthat　is　hell。　。　。　。Listen。　　In　my　younger　daysit　seems　long　now；　yet　isn't　not　so　many　yearsI　was　wild。　　I　wronged　the　sweetest　and　loveliest　girl　I　ever　knew。　　I　went　away　not　dreaming　that　any　disgrace　might　come　to　her。　　Along　about　that　time　I　fell　into　terrible　moodsI　changedI　learned　I　really　loved　her。　　Then　came　a　letter　I　should　have　gotten　months　before。　　It　told　of　her　troubleimportuned　me　to　hurry　to　save　her。　　Half　frantic　with　shame　and　fear；　I　got　a　marriage　certificate　and　rushed　back　to　her　town。　She　was　gonehad　been　gone　for　weeks；　and　her　disgrace　was　known。　Friends　warned　me　to　keep　out　of　reach　of　her　father。　　I　trailed　her　found　her。　　I　married　her。　　But　too　late！。。。She　would　not　live　with　me。　She　left　me。I　followed　her　west；　but　never　found　her。〃

Warren　leaned　forward　a　little　and　looked　into　Cameron's　eyes；　as　if　searching　there　for　the　repentance　that　might　make　him　less　deserving　of　a　man's　scorn。

Cameron　met　the　gaze　unflinchingly；　and　again　began　to　speak：

〃You　know；　of　course；　how　men　out　here　somehow　lose　old　names；　old　identities。　　It　won't　surprise　you　much　to　learn　my　name　really　isn't　Cameron；　as　I　once　told　you。〃

Warren　stiffened　upright。　　It　seemed　that　there　might　have　been　a　blank；　a　suspension；　between　his　grave　interest　and　some　strange　mood　to　come。

Cameron　felt　his　heart　bulge　and　contract　in　his　breast；　all　his　body　grew　cold；　and　it　took　tremendous　effort　for　him　to　make　his　lips　form　words。

〃Warren；　I'm　the　man　you're　hunting。　　I'm　Burton。　　I　was　Nell's　lover！〃

The　old　man　rose　and　towered　over　Cameron；　and　then　plunged　down　upon　him；　and　clutched　at　his　throat　with　terrible　stifling　hands。　The　harsh　contact；　the　pain　awakened　Cameron　to　his　peril　before　it　was　too　late。　　Desperate　fighting　saved　him　from　being　hurled　to　the　ground　and　stamped　and　crushed。　　Warren　seemed　a　maddened　giant。　　There　was　a　reeling；　swaying；　wrestling　struggle　before　the　elder　man　began　to　weaken。　　The　Cameron；　buffeted；　bloody；　half…stunned；　panted　for　speech。

〃Warrenhold　on！　　Give　mea　minute。　　I　married　Nell。　　Didn't　you　know　that？。。。I　saved　the　child！

Cameron　felt　the　shock　that　vibrated　through　Warren。　　He　repeated　the　words　again　and　again。　　As　if　compelled　by　some　resistless　power；　Warren　released　Cameron；　and；　staggering　back；　stood　with　uplifted；　shaking　hands。　　In　his　face　was　a　horrible　darkness。

〃Warren！　　Waitlisten！〃　panted　Cameron。　　〃I've　got　that　marriage　certificateI've　had　it　by　me　all　these　years。　　I　kept　itto　prove　to　myself　I　did　right。〃

The　old　man　uttered　a　broken　cry。

Cameron　stole　off　among　the　rocks。　　How　long　he　absented　himself　or　what　he　did　he　had　no　idea。　　When　he　returned　Warren　was　sitting　before　the　campfire；　and　once　more　he　appeared　composed。　　He　spoke；　and　his　voice　had　a　deeper　note；　but　otherwise　he　seemed　as　usual。

They　packed　the　burros　and　faced　the　north　together。

Cameron　experienced　a　singular　exaltation。　　He　had　lightened　his　comrade's　burden。　　Wonderfully　it　came　to　him　that　he　had　also　lightened　his　own。　　From　that　hour　it　was　not　torment　to　think　of　Nell。　　Walking　with　his　comrade　through　the　silent　places；　lying　beside　him　under　the　serene　luminous　light　of　the　stars；　Cameron　began　to　feel　the　haunting　presence　of　invisible　things　that　were　real　to　himphantoms　whispering　peace。　　In　the　moan　of　the　cool　wind；　in　the　silken　seep　of　sifting　sand；　in　the　distant　rumble　of　a　slipping　ledge；　in　the　faint　rush　of　a　shooting　star　he　heard　these　phantoms　of　peace　coming　with　whispers　of　the　long　pain　of　men　at　the　last　made　endurable。　　Even　in　the　white　noonday；　under　the　burning　sun；　these　phantoms　came　to　be　real　to　him。　In　the　dead　silence　of　the　midnight　hours　he　heard　them　breathing　nearer　on　the　desert　windnature's　voices　of　motherhood；　whispers　of　God；　peace　in　the　solitude。



Chapter　IV


There　came