whirligigs-第21节

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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