whirligigs-第27节

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the　confidential　clerk；　was　standing　by　his　chair；　hesitating

to　speak。　　There　was　a　confused　hum　of　wheels　below；　and

the　sedative　buzz　of　an　electric　fan。



〃Ahem！　　Peabody；〃　said　Dodson；　blinking。　　〃I　must

have　fallen　asleep。　　I　had　a　most　remarkable　dream。

What　is　it；　Peabody？〃



〃Mr。　Williams；　sir；　of　Tracy　&　Williams；　is　outside。

He　has　come　to　settle　his　deal　in　X。　Y。　Z。　The　market

caught　him　short；　sir；　if　you　remember。〃



〃Yes；　I　remember。　　What　is　X。　Y。　Z。　quoted　at　to…day；

Peabody？〃



〃One　eighty…five；　sir。〃



〃Then　that's　his　price。〃



〃Excuse　me；〃　said　Peabody；　rather　nervously　〃for

speaking　of　it；　but　I've　been　talking　to　Williams。　　He's

an　old　friend　of　yours；　Mr。　Dodson；　and　you　practically

have　a　corner　in　X。　Y。　Z。　I　thought　you　might　　that　is；

I　thought　you　might　not　remember　that　he　sold　you

the　stock　at　98。　　If　he　settles　at　the　market　price　it　will

take　every　cent　he　has　in　the　world　and　his　home　too　to

deliver　the　shares。〃



The　expression　on　Dodson's　face　changed　in　an　instant

to　one　of　cold　ferocity　mingled　with　inexorable　cupidity。

The　soul　of　the　man　showed　itself　for　a　moment　like　an

evil　face　in　the　window　of　a　reputable　house。



〃He　will　settle　at　one　eighty…five；〃　said　Dodson。

〃Bolivar　cannot　carry　double。〃







　　　　　　　　　　　　A　BLACKJACK　BARGAINER



The　most　disreputable　thing　in　Yancey　Goree's　law

office　was　Goree　himself；　sprawled　in　his　creakv　old　arm…

chair。　　The　rickety　little　office；　built　of　red　brick；　was

set　flush　with　the　street　　the　main　street　of　the　town　of

Bethel。



Bethel　rested　upon　the　foot…hills　of　the　Blue　Ridge。

Above　it　the　mountains　were　piled　to　the　sky。　　Far

below　it　the　turbid　Catawba　gleamed　yellow　along　its

disconsolate　valley。



The　June　day　was　at　its　sultriest　hour。　　Bethel　dozed

in　the　tepid　shade。　　Trade　was　not。　　It　was　so　still　that

Goree；　reclining　in　his　chair；　distinctly　heard　the　clicking

of　the　chips　in　the　grand…jury　room；　where　the　〃court…

house　gang〃　was　playing　poker。　　From　the　open　back

door　of　the　office　a　well…worn　path　meandered　across　the

grassy　lot　to　the　court…house。　　The　treading　out　of　that

path　had　cost　Goree　all　he　ever　had　　first　inheritance

of　a　few　thousand　dollars；　next　the　old　family　home；　and；

latterly　the　last　shreds　of　his　self…respect　and　manhood。

The　〃gang〃　had　cleaned　him　out。　　The　broken　gambler

had　turned　drunkard　and　parasite；　he　had　lived　to　see

this　day　come　when　the　men　who　had　stripped　him

denied　him　a　seat　at　the　game。　　His　word　was　no　longer

to　be　taken。　　The　daily　bouts　at　cards　had　arranged　itself

accordingly；　and　to　him　was　assigned　the　ignoble　part　of

the　onlooker。　　The　sheriff；　the　county　clerk；　a　sportive

deputy；　a　gay　attorney；　and　a　chalk…faced　man　hailing

〃from　the　valley；〃　sat　at　table；　and　the　sheared　one

was　thus　tacitly　advised　to　go　and　grow　more　wool。



Soon　wearying　of　his　ostracism；　Goree　had　departed

for　his　office；　muttering　to　himself　as　he　unsteadily　tra…

versed　the　unlucky　pathway。　　After　a　drink　of　corn

whiskey　from　a　demijohn　under　the　table；　he　had　flung

himself　into　the　chair；　staring；　in　a　sort　of　maudlin　apathy；

out　at　the　mountains　immersed　in　the　summer　haze。

The　little　white　patch　he　saw　away　up　on　the　side　of

Blackjack　was　Laurel；　the　village　near　which　he　had　been

born　and　bred。　　There；　also；　was　the　birthplace　of　the

feud　between　the　Gorees　and　the　Coltranes。　　Now　no

direct　heir　of　the　Gorees　survived　except　this　plucked

and　singed　bird　of　misfortune。　　To　the　Coltranes；　also；

but　one　male　supporter　was　left　　Colonel　Abner　Col…

trane；　a　man　of　substance　and　standing；　a　member　of　the

State　Legislature；　and　a　contemporary　with　Goree's

father。　　The　feud　had　been　a　typical　one　of　the　region；

it　had　left　a　red　record　of　hate；　wrong　and　slaughter。

But　Yancey　Goree　was　not　thinking　of　feuds。　　His

befuddled　brain　was　hopelessly　attacking　the　problem

of　the　future　maintenance　of　himself　and　his　favourite

follies。　　Of　late；　old　friends　of　the　family　had　seen　to　it

that　he　had　whereof　to　eat　and　a　place　to　sleep　　but　whiskey

they　would　not　buy　for　him；　and　he　must　have　whiskey。

His　law　business　was　extinct；　no　case　had　been　intrusted

to　him　in　two　years。　　He　had　been　a　borrower　and　a

sponge；　and　it　seemed　that　if　he　fell　no　lower　it　would　be

from　lack　of　opportunity。　　One　more　chance　　he　was

saying　to　himself　　if　he　had　one　more　stake　at　the　game；

he　thought　he　could　win；　but　he　had　nothing　left　to　sell；

and　his　credit　was　more　than　exhausted。



He　could　not　help　smiling；　even　in　his　misery；　as　he

thought　of　the　man　to　whom；　six　months　before；　he　had

sold　the　old　Goree　homestead。　　There　had　come　from

〃back　yan'〃　in　the　mountains　two　of　the　strangest

creatures；　a　man　named　Pike　Garvey　and　his　wife。　　〃Back

yan'；〃　with　a　wave　of　the　hand　toward　the　hills；　was

understood　among　the　mountaineers　to　designate　the

remotest　fastnesses；　the　unplumbed　gorges；　the　haunts　of

lawbreakers；　the　wolf's　den；　and　the　boudoir　of　the　bear。

In　the　cabin　far　up　on　Blackjack's　shoulder；　in　the　wildest

part　of　these　retreats；　this　odd　couple　had　lived　for　twenty

years。　　They　had　neither　dog　nor　children　to　mitigate

the　heavy　silence　of　the　hills。　　Pike　Garvey　was　little

known　in　the　settlements；　but　all　who　had　dealt　with　him

pronounced　him　〃crazy　as　a　loon。〃　　He　acknowledged

no　occupation　save　that　of　a　squirrel　hunter；　but　he

〃moonshined〃　occasionally　by　way　of　diversion。　　Once

the　〃revenues〃　had　dragged　him　from　his　lair；　fighting

silently　and　desperately　like　a　terrier；　and　he　had　been

sent　to　state's　prison　for　two　years。　　Released；　he　popped

back　into　his　hole　like　an　angry　weasel。



Fortune；　passing　over　many　anxious　wooers；　made　a

freakish　flight　into　Blackjack's　bosky　pockets　to　smile

upon　Pike　and　his　faithful　partner。



One　day　a　party　of　spectacled；　knickerbockered；　and

altogether　absurd　prospectors　invaded　the　vicinity　of

the　Garvey's　cabin。　　Pike　lifted　his　squirrel　rifle　off　the

hooks　and　took　a　shot　at　them　at　long　range　on　the　chance

of　their　being　revenues。　　Happily　he　missed；　and　the

unconscious　agents　of　good　luck　drew　nearer；　disclosing

their　innocence　of　anything　resembling　law　or　justice。

Later　on；　they　offered　the　Garveys　an　enormous　quantity

of　ready；　green；　crisp　money　for　their　thirty…acre　patch

of　cleared　land；　mentioning；　as　an　excuse　for　such　a　mad

action；　some　irrelevant　and　inadequate　nonsense　about

a　bed　of　mica　underlying　the　said　property。



When　the　Garveys　became　possessed　of　so　many　dol…

lars　that　they　faltered　in　computing　them；　the　deficiencies

of　life　on　Blackjack　began　to　grow　prominent。　　Pike

began　to　talk　of　new　shoes；　a　hogshead　of　tobacco　to

set　in　the　corner；　a　new　lock　to　his　rifle；　and；　leading

Martella　to　a　certain　spot　on　the　mountain…side；　he

pointed　out　to　her　how　a　small　cannon　　doubtless　a

thing　not　beyond　the　scope　of　their　fortune　in　price　

might　be　planted　so　as　to　command　and　defend　the　sole

accessible　trail　to　the　cabin；　to　the　confusion　of　revenues

and　meddling　strangers　forever。



But　Adam　reckoned　without　his　Eve。　　These　things

represented　to　him　the　applied　power　of　wealth；　but

there　slumbered　in　his　dingy　cabin　an　ambition　that

soared　far　above　his　primitive　wants。　　Somewhere　in

Mrs。　Garvey's　bosom　still　survived　a　spot　of　femininity

unstarved　by　twenty　years　of　Blackjack。　　For　so　long

a　time　the　sounds　in　her　ears　had　been　the　scaly…barks

dropping　in　the　woods　at　noon；　and　the　wolves　singing

among　the　rocks　at　night；　and　it　was　enough　to　have

purged　her　of　vanities。　　She　had　grown　fat　and　sad　and

yellow　and　dull。　　But　when　the　means　came；　she　felt　a

rekindled　desire　to　assume　the　perquisites　of　her　sex　

to　sit　at　tea　tables；　to　buy　futile　things；　to　whitewash

the　hideous　veracity　of　life　with　a　little　form　and　ceremony。

So　she　coldly　vetoed　Pike's　proposed　system　of　fortifica…

tions；　and　announced　that　thev　would　descend　upon　the

world；　and　gyrate　socially。



And　thus；　at　length；　it　was　decided；　and　the　thing

done。　　The　village　of　Laurel　was　their　compromise

between　Mrs。　Garvey's　preference　for　one　of　the　large

valley　towns　and　Pike's　hankering　for　primeval　solitudes。

Laurel　yielded　a　halting　round　of　feeble　social　distractions

omportable　with　Martella's　ambitions；　and　was　not

entirely　without　recommendation　to　Pike；　its　contiguity

to　the　mountains　presenting　advantages　for　sudden　retreat

in　case　fashionable　society　should　make　it　advisable。



Their　descent　upon　Laurel　had　been　coincident　with

Yancey　Goree's　feverish　desire　to　convert　property　into

cash；　and　they　bought　the　old　Goree　homestead；　paying

four　thousand　dollars　ready　money　into　the　spendthrift's

shaking　hands。



Thus　it　happened　that　while　the　disreputable　last　of

the　Gorees　sprawled　in　his　disreputable　office；　at　the　end

of　his　row；　spurned　by　the　cronies　whom　he　had　gorged；