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第29节

whirligigs-第29节

小说: whirligigs 字数: 每页4000字

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about fifty; wearing the inevitable long; double…breasted

frock coat of the Southern lawmaker; and an old high

silk hat; was passing on the opposite sidewalk。  As

Garvey looked; Goree glanced at his face。  If there be

such a thing as a yellow wolf; here was its counterpart。

Garvey snarled as his unhuman eyes followed the moving

figure; disclosing long; amber…coloured fangs。



〃Is that him?  Why; that's the man who sent me to

the penitentiary once!〃



〃He used to be district attorney;〃 said Goree care…

lessly。  〃And; by the way; he's a first…class shot。〃



〃I kin hit a squirrel's eye at a hundred yard;〃 said

Garvey。  〃So that thar's Coltrane!  I made a better

trade than I was thinkin'。  I'll take keer ov this feud;

Mr。 Goree; better'n you ever did!〃



He moved toward the door; but lingered there; betray…

ing a slight perplexity。



〃Anything else to…day?〃  inquired Goree with frothy

sarcasm。  〃Any family traditions; ancestral ghosts; or

skeletons in the closet?  Prices as low as the lowest。〃



〃Thar was another thing;〃 replied the unmoved squirrel

hunter; 〃that Missis Garvey was thinkin' of。  'Tain't

so much in my line as t'other; but she wanted partic'lar

that I should inquire; and ef you was willin'; 'pay fur it;'

she says; 'fa'r and squar'。' Thar's a buryin' groun';

as you know; Mr。 Goree; in the yard of yo' old place;

under the cedars。  Them that lies thar is yo' folks what

was killed by the Coltranes。  The monyments has the

names on 'em。  Missis Garvev says a fam'ly buryin'

groun'… is a sho' sign of quality。  She says ef we git the

feud thar's somethin' else ought to go with it。  The

names on them moiivments is 'Goree;' but they can be

changed to ourn by  〃



〃Go。  Go!〃  screamed Goree; his face turning purple。

He stretched out both hands toward the mountaineer;

his fingers hooked and shaking。  〃Go; you ghoul!  Even a

Ch…Chinaman protects the g…graves of his ancestors  go!〃



The squirrel hunter slouched out of the door to his

carryall。  While he was climbing over the wheel Goree

was collecting; with feverish celerity; the money that had

fallen from his hand to the floor。  As the vehicle slowly

turned about; the sheep; with a coat of newly grown

wool; was hurrying; in indecent haste; along the path to

the court…house。



At three o'clock in the morning they brought him back

to his office; shorn and unconscious。  The sheriff; the

sportive deputy; the county clerk; and the gay attorney

carried him; the chalk…faced man 〃from the valley〃

acting as escort。



〃On the table;〃 said one of them; and they deposited

him there among the litter of his unprofitable books and

papers。



〃Yance thinks a lot of a pair of deuces when he's

liquored up;〃 sighed the sheriff reflectively。



〃Too much;〃 said the gay attorney。  〃A man has no

business to play poker who drinks as much as he does。  I

wonder how much he dropped to…night。〃



〃Close to two hundred。  What I wonder is whar he

got it。  Yance ain't had a cent fur over a month; I

know。〃



〃Struck a client; maybe。  Well; let's get home before

daylight。  He'll be all right when he wakes up; except

for a sort of beehive about the cranium。〃



The gang slipped away through the early morning

twilight。  The next eye to gaze upon the miserable Goree

was the orb of day。  He peered through the uncurtained

window; first deluging the sleeper in a flood of faint gold;

but soon pouring upon the mottled red of his flesh a

searching; white; summer heat。  Goree stirred; half

unconsciously; among the table's d閎ris; and turned his

face from the window。  His movement dislodged a heavy

law book; which crashed upon the floor。  Opening his

eyes; he saw; bending over him; a man in a black frock

coat。  Looking higher; he discovered a well…worn silk

hat; and beneath it the kindly; smooth face of Colonel

Abner Coltrane。



A little uncertain of the outcome; the colonel waited for

the other to make some sign of recognition。  Not in

twenty years had male members of these two families

faced each other in peace。  Goree's eyelids puckered as

he strained his blurred sight toward this visitor; and then

he smiled serenely。



〃Have you brought Stella and Lucy over to play?〃

he said calmly。



〃Do you know me; Yancey?〃  asked Coltrane。



〃Of course I do。  You brought me a whip with a

whistle in the end。〃



So he had  twenty…four years ago; when Yancey's

father was his best friend。



Goree's eyes wandered about the room。  The colonel

understood。  〃Lie still; and I'll bring you some;〃 said he。

There was a pump in the yard at the rear; and Goree

closed his eyes; listening with rapture to the click of its

handle; and the bubbling of the falling stream。  Col…

trane brought a pitcher of the cool water; and held it for

him to drink。  Presently Goree sat up  a most forlorn

object; his summer suit of flax soiled and crumpled; his

discreditable head tousled and unsteady。  He tried to

wave one of his hands toward the colonel。



〃Ex…excuse…everything; will you?〃  he said。  〃I

must have drunk too much whiskey last night; and gone

to bed on the table。〃  His brows knitted into a puzzled

frown。



〃Out with the boys awhile?〃  asked Coltrane kindly。



〃No; I went nowhere。  I haven't had a dollar to spend

in the last two months。  Struck the demijohn too often。

I reckon; as usual。〃



Colonel Coltrane touched him on the shoulder。



〃A little while ago; Yancey;〃 he began; 〃you asked

me if I had brought Stella and Lucy over to play。  You

weren't quite awake then; and must have been dreaming

you were a boy again。  You are awake now; and I want

you to listen to me。  I have come from Stella and Lucy

to their old playmate; and to my old friend's son。  They

know that I am going to bring you home with me; and you

will find them as ready with a welcome as they were in

the old days。  I want you to come to my house and stay

until you are yourself aain; and as much longer as you

will。  We heard of your being down in the world; and in

the midst of temptation; and we agreed that you should

come over and play at our house once more。  Will you

come; my boy?  Will you drop our old family trouble

and come with me?〃



〃Trouble!〃  said Goree; opening his eyes wide。  〃There

was never any trouble between us that I know of。  I'm

sure we've always been the best friends。  But; good Lord;

Colonel; how could I go to your home as I am  a

drunken wretch; a miserable; degraded spendthrift and

gambler  〃



He lurched from the table into his armchair; and

began to weep maudlin tears; mingled with genuine drops

of remorse and shame。  Coltrane talked to him persist…

ently and reasonably; reminding him of the simple moun…

tain pleasures of which he had once been so fond; and

insisting upon the genuineness of the invitation。



Finally he landed Goree by telling him he was counting

upon his help in the engineering and transportation of a

large amount of felled timber from a high mountain…side

to a waterway。  He knew that Goree had once invented

a device for this purpose  a series of slides and chutes…

upon which he had justly prided himself。  In an instant

the poor fellow; delighted at the idea of his being of use

to any one; had paper spread upon the table; and was

drawing rapid but pitifully shaky lines in demonstration

of what he could and would do。



The man was sickened of the husks; his prodigal heart

was turning again toward the mountains。  His mind was

yet strangely clogged; and his thoughts and memories

were returning to his brain one by one; like carrier pigeons

over a stormy sea。  But Coltrane was satisfied with the

progress he had made。



Bethel received the surprise of its existence that after…

noon when a Coltrane and a Goree rode amicably together

through the town。  Side by side they rode; out from the

dusty streets and gaping townspeople; down across the

creek bridge; and up toward the mountain。  The prodigal

had brushed and washed and combed himself to a more

decent figure; but he was unsteady in the saddle; and he

seemed to be deep in the contemplation of some vexing

problem。  Coltrane left him in his mood; relying upon the

influence of changed surroundings to restore his

equilibrium。



Once Goree was seized with a shaking fit; and almost

came to a collapse。  He had to dismount and rest at the

side of the road。  The colonel; foreseeing such a con…

dition; had provided a small flask of whisky for the journey

but when it was offered to him Goree refused it almost

with violence; declaring he would never touch it again。

By and by he was recovered; and went quietly enough

for a mile or two。  Then he pulled up his horse suddenly;

and said:



〃I lost two hundred dollars last night; playing poker。

Now; where did I get that money?〃



〃Take it easy; Yancev。  The mountain air will soon

clear it up。  We'll go fis

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