roads of destiny-第58节

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；　'but　it　seems　to　me　I'd　sleep　better　if　you　had　got　a　government　that　was　alive　and　on　the　maplike　Afghanistan　or　Great　Britain；　or　old　man　Kruger's　kingdom；　to　take　this　matter　up。　I　don't　mean　any　disrespect　to　your　Confederate　States；　but　I　can't　help　feeling　that　my　chances　of　being　pulled　out　of　this　scrape　was　decidedly　weakened　when　General　Lee　surrendered。'

〃'It's　your　only　chance；'　said　Doc；　'don't　quarrel　with　it。　What　did　your　own　country　do　for　you？'

〃It　was　only　two　days　before　the　morning　I　was　to　be　shot；　when　Doc　Millikin　came　around　again。

〃'All　right；　Yank；'　says　he。　'Help's　come。　The　Confederate　States　of　America　is　going　to　apply　for　your　release。　The　representatives　of　the　government　arrived　on　a　fruit…steamer　last　night。'

〃'Bully！'　says　I'bully　for　you；　Doc！　I　suppose　it's　marines　with　a　Gatling。　I'm　going　to　love　your　country　all　I　can　for　this。'

〃'Negotiations；'　says　old　Doc；　'will　be　opened　between　the　two　governments　at　once。　You　will　know　later　to…day　if　they　are　successful。'

〃About　four　in　the　afternoon　a　soldier　in　red　trousers　brings　a　paper　round　to　the　jail；　and　they　unlocks　the　door　and　I　walks　out。　The　guard　at　the　door　bows　and　I　bows；　and　I　steps　into　the　grass　and　wades　around　to　Doc　Millikin's　shack。

〃Doc　was　sitting　in　his　hammock　playing　'Dixie；'　soft　and　low　and　out　of　tune；　on　his　flute。　I　interrupted　him　at　'Look　away！　look　away！'　and　shook　his　hand　for　five　minutes。

〃'I　never　thought；'　says　Doc；　taking　a　chew　fretfully；　'that　I'd　ever　try　to　save　any　blame　Yank's　life。　But；　Mr。　O'Keefe；　I　don't　see　but　what　you　are　entitled　to　be　considered　part　human；　anyhow。　I　never　thought　Yanks　had　any　of　the　rudiments　of　decorum　and　laudability　about　them。　I　reckon　I　might　have　been　too　aggregative　in　my　tabulation。　But　it　ain't　me　you　want　to　thankit's　the　Confederate　States　of　America。'

〃'And　I'm　much　obliged　to　'em；'　says　I。　'It's　a　poor　man　that　wouldn't　be　patriotic　with　a　country　that's　saved　his　life。　I'll　drink　to　the　Stars　and　Bars　whenever　there's　a　flagstaff　and　a　glass　convenient。　But　where；'　says　I；　'are　the　rescuing　troops？　If　there　was　a　gun　fired　or　a　shell　burst；　I　didn't　hear　it。'

〃Doc　Millikin　raises　up　and　points　out　the　window　with　his　flute　at　the　banana…steamer　loading　with　fruit。

〃'Yank；'　says　he；　'there's　a　steamer　that's　going　to　sail　in　the　morning。　If　I　was　you；　I'd　sail　on　it。　The　Confederate　Government's　done　all　it　can　for　you。　There　wasn't　a　gun　fired。　The　negotiations　were　carried　on　secretly　between　the　two　nations　by　the　purser　of　that　steamer。　I　got　him　to　do　it　because　I　didn't　want　to　appear　in　it。　Twelve　thousand　dollars　was　paid　to　the　officials　in　bribes　to　let　you　go。'

〃'Man！'　says　I；　sitting　down　hard'twelve　thousandhow　will　I　ever　who　could　havewhere　did　the　money　come　from？'

〃'Yazoo　City；'　says　Doc　Millikin：　'I've　got　a　little　saved　up　there。　Two　barrels　full。　It　looks　good　to　these　Colombians。　'Twas　Confederate　money；　every　dollar　of　it。　Now　do　you　see　why　you'd　better　leave　before　they　try　to　pass　some　of　it　on　an　expert？'

〃'I　do；'　says　I。

〃'Now　let's　hear　you　give　the　password；'　says　Doc　Millikin。

〃'Hurrah　for　Jeff　Davis！'　says　I。

〃'Correct；'　says　Doc。　'And　let　me　tell　you　something：　The　next　tune　I　learn　on　my　flute　is　going　to　be　〃Yankee　Doodle。〃　I　reckon　there's　some　Yanks　that　are　not　so　pizen。　Or；　if　you　was　me；　would　you　try　〃The　Red；　White；　and　Blue〃？'〃



XXII

THE　LONESOME　ROAD

Brown　as　a　coffee…berry；　rugged；　pistoled；　spurred；　wary；　indefeasible；　I　saw　my　old　friend；　Deputy…Marshal　Buck　Caperton；　stumble；　with　jingling　rowels；　into　a　chair　in　the　marshal's　outer　office。

And　because　the　court…house　was　almost　deserted　at　that　hour；　and　because　Buck　would　sometimes　relate　to　me　things　that　were　out　of　print；　I　followed　him　in　and　tricked　him　into　talk　through　knowledge　of　a　weakness　he　had。　For；　cigarettes　rolled　with　sweet　corn　husk　were　as　honey　to　Buck's　palate；　and　though　he　could　finger　the　trigger　of　a　forty…five　with　skill　and　suddenness；　he　never　could　learn　to　roll　a　cigarette。

It　was　through　no　fault　of　mine　（for　I　rolled　the　cigarettes　tight　and　smooth）；　but　the　upshot　of　some　whim　of　his　own；　that　instead　of　to　an　Odyssey　of　the　chaparral；　I　listened　toa　dissertation　upon　matrimony！　This　from　Buck　Caperton！　But　I　maintain　that　the　cigarettes　were　impeccable；　and　crave　absolution　for　myself。

〃We　just　brought　in　Jim　and　Bud　Granberry；〃　said　Buck。　〃Train　robbing；　you　know。　Held　up　the　Aransas　Pass　last　month。　We　caught　'em　in　the　Twenty…Mile　pear　flat；　south　of　the　Nueces。〃

〃Have　much　trouble　corralling　them？〃　I　asked；　for　here　was　the　meat　that　my　hunger　for　epics　craved。

〃Some；〃　said　Buck；　and　then；　during　a　little　pause；　his　thoughts　stampeded　off　the　trail。　〃It's　kind　of　queer　about　women；〃　he　went　on；　〃and　the　place　they're　supposed　to　occupy　in　botany。　If　I　was　asked　to　classify　them　I'd　say　they　was　a　human　loco　weed。　Ever　see　a　bronc　that　had　been　chewing　loco？　Ride　him　up　to　a　puddle　of　water　two　feet　wide；　and　he'll　give　a　snort　and　fall　back　on　you。　It　looks　as　big　as　the　Mississippi　River　to　him。　Next　trip　he'd　walk　into　a　canon　a　thousand　feet　deep　thinking　it　was　a　prairie…dog　hole。　Same　way　with　a　married　man。

〃I　was　thinking　of　Perry　Rountree；　that　used　to　be　my　sidekicker　before　he　committed　matrimony。　In　them　days　me　and　Perry　hated　indisturbances　of　any　kind。　We　roamed　around　considerable；　stirring　up　the　echoes　and　making　'em　attend　to　business。　Why；　when　me　and　Perry　wanted　to　have　some　fun　in　a　town　it　was　a　picnic　for　the　census　takers。　They　just　counted　the　marshal's　posse　that　it　took　to　subdue　us；　and　there　was　your　population。　But　then　there　came　along　this　Mariana　Goodnight　girl　and　looked　at　Perry　sideways；　and　he　was　all　bridle…wise　and　saddle…broke　before　you　could　skin　a　yearling。

〃I　wasn't　even　asked　to　the　wedding。　I　reckon　the　bride　had　my　pedigree　and　the　front　elevation　of　my　habits　all　mapped　out；　and　she　decided　that　Perry　would　trot　better　in　double　harness　without　any　unconverted　mustang　like　Buck　Caperton　whickering　around　on　the　matrimonial　range。　So　it　was　six　months　before　I　saw　Perry　again。

〃One　day　I　was　passing　on　the　edge　of　town；　and　I　see　something　like　a　man　in　a　little　yard　by　a　little　house　with　a　sprinkling…pot　squirting　water　on　a　rose…bush。　Seemed　to　me；　I'd　seen　something　like　it　before；　and　I　stopped　at　the　gate；　trying　to　figure　out　its　brands。　'Twas　not　Perry　Rountree；　but　'twas　the　kind　of　a　curdled　jellyfish　matrimony　had　made　out　of　him。

〃Homicide　was　what　that　Mariana　had　perpetrated。　He　was　looking　well　enough；　but　he　had　on　a　white　collar　and　shoes；　and　you　could　tell　in　a　minute　that　he'd　speak　polite　and　pay　taxes　and　stick　his　little　finger　out　while　drinking；　just　like　a　sheep　man　or　a　citizen。　Great　skyrockets！　but　I　hated　to　see　Perry　all　corrupted　and　Willie…ized　like　that。

〃He　came　out　to　the　gate；　and　shook　hands；　and　I　says；　with　scorn；　and　speaking　like　a　paroquet　with　the　pip：　'Beg　pardonMr。　Rountree；　I　believe。　Seems　to　me　I　sagatiated　in　your　associations　once；　if　I　am　not　mistaken。'

〃'Oh；　go　to　the　devil；　Buck；'　says　Perry；　polite；　as　I　was　afraid　he'd　be。

〃'Well；　then；'　says　I；　'you　poor；　contaminated　adjunct　of　a　sprinkling…pot　and　degraded　household　pet；　what　did　you　go　and　do　it　for？　Look　at　you；　all　decent　and　unriotous；　and　only　fit　to　sit　on　juries　and　mend　the　wood…house　door。　You　was　a　man　once。　I　have　hostility　for　all　such　acts。　Why　don't　you　go　in　the　house　and　count　the　tidies　or　set　the　clock；　and　not　stand　out　here　in　the　atmosphere？　A　jack…rabbit　might　come　along　and　bite　you。'

〃'Now；　Buck；'　says　Perry；　speaking　mild；　and　some　sorrowful；　'you　don't　understand。　A　married　man　has　got　to　be　different。　He　feels　different　from　a　tough　old　cloudburst　like　you。　It's　sinful　to　waste　time　pulling　up　towns　just　to　look　at　their　roots；　and　playing　faro　and　looking　upon　red　liquor；　and　such　restless　policies　as　them。'

〃'There　was　a　time；'　I　says；　and　I　expect　I　sighed　when　I　mentioned　it；　'when　a　certain　domesticated　little　Mary's　lamb　I　could　name　was　some　instructed　himself　in　the　line　of　pernicious　sprightliness。　I　never　expected；　Perry；　to　see　you　reduced　down　from　a　full…grown　pestilence　to　such　a　frivolous　fraction　of　a　man。　Why；'　says　I；　'you've　got　a　necktie　on；　and　you　speak　a　senseless　kind　of　indoor　drivel　that　reminds　me　of　a　storekeeper　or　a　lady。　You　look　to　me　like　you　might　tote　an　umbrella　and　wear　suspenders；　and　go　home　of　nights。'

〃'The　little　woman；'　says　Perry；　'has　made　some　improvements；　I　believe。　You　can't　understand；　Buck。　I　haven't　been　away　from　the　house　at　night　since　we　was　married。'

〃We　talked　on　a　while；　me　and　Perry；　and；　as　sure　as　I　live；　that　man　interrupted　me　in　the　middle　of　my　talk　to　tell　me　about　six　tomato　plants　he　had　growing　in　his　garden。　Shoved　his　agricultural　degradation　right　up　under　my　nose　while　I　was　telling　him　about　the　fun　we　had　tarring　and　feathering　that　faro　dealer　at　California　Pete's　layout！　But　by　and　by　Perry　shows　a　flicker　of　sense。

〃'Buck；'　says　he；　'I'll　have　to　admit　that　it　is　a　little　dull　at　times。　Not　that　I'm　not　perfectly　happy　with　the　little　woman；　but　a　man　seems　to