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第18节

whirligigs-第18节

小说: whirligigs 字数: 每页4000字

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Mr。 Bill to decide。  He's your playmate for the day。

I'm going away for a while; on business。  Now; you

come in and make friends with him and say you are

sorry for hurting him; or home you go; at once。〃



I made him and Bill shake hands; and then I took Bill

aside and told him I was going to Poplar Cove; a little

village three miles from the cave; and find out what I

could about how the kidnapping had been regarded in

Summit。  Also; I thought it best to send a peremptory

letter to old man Dorset that day; demanding the ransom

and dictating how it should be paid。



〃You know; Sam;〃 says Bill; 〃I've stood by you with…

out batting an eye in earthquakes; fire and flood  in

poker games; dynamite outrages; police raids; train

robberies and cyclones。  I never lost my nerve yet till

we kidnapped that two…legged skyrocket of a kid。  He's

got me going。  You won't leave me long with him; will

you; Sam?〃



〃I'll be back some time this afternoon;〃 says I。  〃You

must keep the boy amused and quiet till I return。  And

now we'll write the letter to old Dorset。〃



Bill and I got paper and pencil and worked on the

letter while Red Chief; with a blanket wrapped around

him; strutted up and down; guarding the mouth of the

cave。  Bill begged me tearfully to make the ransom

fifteen hundred dollars instead of two thousand。  〃I

ain't attempting;〃 says he; 〃to decry the celebrated moral

aspect of parental affection; but we're dealing with

humans; and it ain't human for anybody to give up two

thousand dollars for that forty…pound chunk of freckled

wildcat。  I'm willing to take a chance at fifteen hundred

dollars。  You can charge the difference up to me。〃



So; to relieve Bill; I acceded; and we collaborated a

letter that ran this way:



Ebenezer Dorset; Esq。:

   We have your boy concealed in a place far from Summit。

It is useless for you or the most skilful detectives to

attempt to find him。  Absolutely; the only terms on

which you can have him restored to you are these: We

demand fifteen hundred dollars in large bills for his return;

the money to be left at midnight to…night at the same

spot and in the same box as your reply  as hereinafter

described。  If you agree to these terms; send your answer

in writing by a solitary messenger to…night at half…past

eight o'clock。  After crossing Owl Creek; on the road

to Poplar Cove; there are three large trees about a hundred

yards apart; close to the fence of the wheat field on the

right…hand side。  At the bottom of the fence…post; opposite

the third tree; will be found a small pasteboard box。

The messenger will place the answer in this box and

return immediately to Summit。

   If you attempt any treachery or fail to comply with

our demand as stated; you will never see your boy again。

   If you pay the money as demanded; he will be returned

to you safe and well within three hours。  These terms

are final; and if you do not accede to them no further coin…

munication will be attempted。

                                TWO DESPERATE MEN。



I addressed this letter to Dorset; and put it in my pocket。

As I was about to start; the kid comes up to me and says:



〃Aw; Snake…eye; you said I could play the Black Scout

while you was gone。〃



〃Play it; of course;〃 says I。  〃Mr。 Bill will play

with you。  What kind of a game is it?〃



〃I'm the Black Scout;〃 says Red Chief; 〃and I

have to ride to the stockade to warn the settlers that the

Indians are coming。  I'm tired of playing Indian myself。

I want to be the Black Scout。〃



〃All right;〃 says I。  〃It sounds harmless to me。

I guess Mr。 Bill will help you foil the pesky

savages。〃



〃What am I to do?〃  asks Bill; looking at the kid

suspiciously。



〃You are the hoss;〃 says Black Scout。  〃Get down 

on your hands and knees。  How can I ride to the stockade

without a hoss?〃



〃You'd better keep him interested;〃 said I; 〃till we

get the scheme going。  Loosen up。〃



Bill gets down on his all fours; and a look comes in

his eye like a rabbit's when you catch it in a trap。



〃How far is it to the stockade; kid?〃  he asks; in a husky

manner of voice。



〃Ninety miles;〃 says the Black Scout。  〃And you have

to hump yourself to get there on time。  Whoa; now!〃



The Black Scout jumps on Bill's back and digs his

heels in his side。



〃For Heaven's sake;〃 says Bill; 〃hurry back; Sam;

as soon as you can。  I wish we hadn't made the ransom

more than a thousand。  Say; you quit kicking me or I'll

get up and warm you good。〃



I walked over to Poplar Cove and sat around the post…

office and store; talking with the chawbacons that came

in to trade。  One whiskerando says that he hears Summit

is all upset on account of Elder Ebenezer Dorset's boy

having been lost or stolen。  That was all I wanted to know。

I bought some smoking tobacco; referred casually to the

price of black…eyed peas; posted my letter surreptitiously

and came away。  The postmaster said the mail…carrier

would come by in an hour to take the mail on to Summit。



When I got back to the cave Bill and the boy were not

to be found。  I explored the vicinity of the cave; and risked

a yodel or two; but there was no response。



So I lighted my pipe and sat down on a mossy bank to

await developments。



In about half an hour I heard the bushes rustle; and

Bill wabbled out into the little glade in front of the cave。

Behind him was the kid; stepping softly like a scout; with

a broad grin on his face。  Bill stopped; took off his hat

and wiped his face with a red handkerchief。  The kid

stopped about eight feet behind him。



〃Sam;〃 says Bill; 〃I suppose you'll think I'm a rene…

gade; but I couldn't help it。  I'm a grown person with

masculine proclivities and habits of self…defense; but there

is a time when all systems of egotism and predominance

fail。  The boy is gone。  I have sent him home。  All

is off。  There was martyrs in old times;〃 goes on Bill;

〃that suffered death rather than give up the particular

graft they enjoyed。  None of 'em ever was subjugated

to such supernatural tortures as I have been。  I tried to

be faithful to our articles of depredation; but there came

a limit。〃



〃What's the trouble; Bill?〃  I asks him。



〃I was rode;〃 says Bill; 〃the ninety miles to the stockade;

not barring an inch。  Then; when the settlers was rescued;

I was given oats。  Sand ain't a palatable substitute。

And then; for an hour I had to try to explain to him

why there was nothin' in holes; how a road can run both

ways and what makes the grass green。  I tell you; Sam;

a human can only stand so much。  I takes him by the

neck of his clothes and drags him down the mountain。

On the way he kicks my legs black…and…blue from the knees

down; and I've got to have two or three bites on my thumb

and hand cauterized。



〃But he's gone〃   continues Bill  〃gone home。

I showed him the road to Summit and kicked him about

eight feet nearer there at one kick。  I'm sorry we lose the

ransom; but it was either that or Bill Driscoll to the

madhouse。〃



Bill is puffing and blowing; but there is a look of ineffable

peace and growing content on his rose…pink features。



〃Bill;〃 says I; 〃there isn't any heart disease in your

family; is there?



〃No;〃 says Bill; 〃nothing chronic except malaria

and accidents。  Why?〃



〃Then you might turn around;〃 says I; 〃and have a

took behind you。〃



Bill turns and sees the boy; and loses his complexion

and sits down plump on the round and begins to pluck

aimlessly at grass and little sticks。  For an hour I was

afraid for his mind。  And then I told him that my scheme

was to put the whole job through immediately and that

we would get the ransom and be off with it by midnight

if old Dorset fell in with our proposition。  So Bill braced

up enough to give the kid a weak sort of a smile and a

promise to play the Russian in a Japanese war with him

is soon as he felt a little better。



I had a scheme for collecting that ransom without

danger of being caught by counterplots that ought to

commend itself to professional kidnappers。  The tree

under which the answer was to be left  and the

money later on  was close to the road fence with big;

bare fields on all sides。  If a gang of constables should be

watching for any one to come for the note they could see

him a long way off crossing the fields or in the road。  But

no; sirree! At half…past eight I was up in that tree as well

hidden as a tree toad; waiting for the messenger to arrive。



Exactly on time; a half…grown boy rides up the road on

a bicycle; locates the pasteboard box at the foot of the

fence…post; slips a folded piece of paper into it and pedals

away again back toward Summit。



I waited an hour and then concluded the thing was

square。  I slid down the tree; got the note; slipped along

the fence till I struck the woods; and was back at the cave

in an

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