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第21节

whirligigs-第21节

小说: whirligigs 字数: 每页4000字

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black; waxy mud would permit。  I knew that this infor…

mation would bring no balm of Gilead to Sam's soul; so

I refrained from including it in the news of the city that

I retailed on my return。  But on the next afternoon an

elongated ex…cowboy of the name of Simmons; an old…

time pal of Sam's; who kept a feed store in Kingfisher;

rode out to the ranch and rolled and burned many cigar…

ettes before he would talk。  When he did make oration;

his words were these:



〃Say; Sam; there's been a description of a galoot

miscallin' himself Bevel…edged Travels impairing the

atmospheric air of Kingfisher for the past two weeks。

You know who he was?  He was not otherwise than

Ben Tatum; from the Creek Nation; son of old Gopher

Tatum that your Uncle Newt shot last February。  You

know what he done this morning?  He killed your brother

Lester  shot him in the co't…house yard。〃



I wondered if Sam had heard。  He pulled a twig from

a mesquite bush; chewed it gravely; and said:



〃He did; did he?  He killed Lester?〃



〃The same;〃 said Simmons。  〃And he did more。

He run away with your girl; the same as to say Miss Ella

Baynes。  I thought you might like to know; so I rode

out to impart the information。〃



〃I am much obliged; Jim;〃 said Sam; taking the

chewed twig from his mouth。  〃Yes; I'm glad you rode

Out。 Yes; I'm right glad。〃



〃Well; I'll be ridin' back; I reckon。  That boy I left

in the feed store don't know hay from oats。  He shot

Lester in the back。〃



〃Shot him in the back?〃



〃Yes; while he was hitchin' his hoss。〃



〃I'm much obliged; Jim。〃



〃I kind of thought you'd like to know as soon as you

could。〃



〃Come in and have some coffee before you ride back;

Jim?〃



〃Why; no; I reckon not; I must get back to the

store。〃



〃And you say  〃



〃Yes; Sam。  Everybody seen 'em drive away together

in a buckboard; with a big bundle; like clothes; tied up

in the back of it。  He was drivin' the team he brought

over with him from Muscogee。  They'll be hard to over…

take right away。〃



〃And which  〃



〃I was goin' on to tell you。  They left on the Guthrie

road; but there's no tellin' which forks they'll take 

you know that。〃



〃All right; Jim; much obliged。〃



〃You're welcome; Sam。〃



Simmons rolled a cigarette and stabbed his pony

with both heels。  Twenty yards away he reined up and

called back:



〃You don't want no  assistance; as you might say?〃



〃Not any; thanks。〃



〃I didn't think you would。  Well; so long!〃



Sam took out and opened a bone…handled pocket…knife

and scraped a dried piece of mud from his left boot。  I

thought at first he was going to swear a vendetta on the

blade of it; or recite 〃The Gipsy's Curse。〃  The few 

feuds I had ever seen or read about usually opened that 

way。  This one seemed to be presented with a new treat…

ment。  Thus offered on the stage; it would have been

hissed off; and one of Belasco's thrilling melodramas

demanded instead。



〃I wonder;〃 said Sam; with a profoundly thoughtful

expression; 〃if the cook has any cold beans left over!〃



He called Wash; the Negro cook; and finding that he

had some; ordered him to heat up the pot and make some

strong coffee。  Then we went into Sam's private room;

where he slept; and kept his armoury; dogs; and the sad…

dles of his favourite mounts。  He took three or four six…

shooters out of a bookcase and began to look them over;

whistling 〃The Cowboy's Lament〃 abstractedly。  After…

ward he ordered the two best horses on the ranch

saddled and tied to the hitching…post。



Now; in the feud business; in all sections of the country;

I have observed that in one particular there is a delicate

but strict etiquette belonging。  You must not mention

the word or refer to the subject in the presence of a feudist。

It would be more reprehensible than commenting upon

the mole on the chin of your rich aunt。  I found; later on;

that there is another unwritten rule; but I think that

belongs solely to the West。



It yet lacked two hours to supper…time; but in twenty

minutes Sam and I were plunging deep into the reheated

beans; hot coffee; and cold beef。



Nothing like a good meal before a long ride;〃 said

Sam。  〃Eat hearty。〃



I had a sudden suspicion。



〃Why did you have two horses saddled?〃  I asked。



〃One; two  one; two;〃 said Sam。  〃You can count;

can't you?〃



His mathematics carried with it a momentary qualm

and a lesson。  The thought had not occurred to him that

the thought could possibly occur to me not to ride at

his side on that red road to revenge and justice。  It was

the higher calculus。  I was booked for the trail。  I began

to eat more beans。



In an hour we set forth at a steady gallop eastward。

Our horses were Kentucky…bred; strengthened by the

mesquite grass of the west。  Ben Tatum's steeds may

have been swifter; and he had a good lead; but if he had

heard the punctual thuds of the hoofs of those trailers of

ours; born in the heart of feudland; he might have felt

that retribution was creeping up on the hoof…prints of

his dapper nags。



I knew that Ben Tatum's card to play was flight 

flight until he came within the safer territory of his own

henchmen and supporters。  He knew that the man pur…

suing him would follow the trail to any end where it

might lead。



During the ride Sam talked of the prospect for rain;

of the price of beef; and of the musical glasses。  You

would have thought he had never had a brother or a

sweetheart or an enemy on earth。  There are some sub…

jects too big even for the words in the 〃Unabridged。〃

Knowing this phase of the feud code; but not having

practised it sufficiently; I overdid the thing by telling some

slightly funny anecdotes。  Sam laughed at exactly the

right place  laughed with his mouth。  When I caught

sight of his mouth; I wished I had been blessed with

enough sense of humour to have suppressed those

anecdotes。



Our first sight of them we had in Guthrie。  Tired and

hungry; we stumbled; unwashed; into a little yellow…pine

hotel and sat at a table。  In the opposite corner we saw

the fugitives。  They were bent upon their meal; but

looked around at times uneasily。



The girl was dressed in brown … one of these smooth;

half…shiny; silky…looking affairs with lace collar and cuffs;

and what I believe they call an accordion…plaited skirt。

She wore a thick brown veil down to her nose; and a

broad…brimmed straw hat with some kind of feathers

adorning it。  The man wore plain; dark clothes; and his

hair was trimmed very short。  He was such a man as you

might see anywhere。



There they were  the murderer and the woman he

had stolen。  There we were  the rightful avenger;

according to the code; and the supernumerary who writes

these words。



For one time; at least; in the heart of the supernumerary

there rose the killing instinct。  For one moment he joined

the force of combatants  orally。



〃What are you waiting for; Sam?〃  I said in a whisper。

〃Let him have it now!〃



Sam gave a melancholy sigh。



〃You don't understand; but he does;〃 he said。  〃He

knows。  Mr。 Tenderfoot; there's a rule out here among

white men in the Nation that you can't shoot a man when

he's with a woman。  I never knew it to be broke yet。

You can't do it。  You've got to get him in a gang of men

or by himself。  That's why。  He knows it; too。  We

all know。  So; that's Mr。 Ben Tatum!  One of the

'pretty men'!  I'll cut him out of the herd before they

leave the hotel; and regulate his account!〃



After supper the flying pair disappeared quickly…

Although Sam haunted lobby and stairway and halls half

the night; in some mysterious way the fugitives eluded

him; and in the morning the veiled lady in the brown

dress with the accordion…plaited skirt and the dapper

young man with the close…clipped hair; and the buckboard

with the prancing nags; were gone。



It is a monotonous story; that of the ride; so it shall be

curtailed。  Once again we overtook them on a road。  We

were about fifty yards behind。  They turned in the

buckboard and looked at us; then drove on without

whipping up their horses。  Their safety no longer lay

in speed。  Ben Tatum knew。  He knew that the only

rock of safety left to him was the code。  There is no

doubt that; had he been alone; the matter would have been

settled quickly with Sam Durkee in the usual way;

but he had something at his side that kept still the

trigger…finger of both。  It seemed likely that he was

no coward。



So; you may perceive that woman; on occasions; may

postpone instead of precipitating conflict between man

and man。  But not willingly or consciously。  She is

oblivious of codes。



Five miles farther; we came upon the future great

Western city of Chandler。  The horses of pursuers and

pursued were starved and weary。  There was one hotel

that offer

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