down the mother lode-第13章

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him　through　her　tears　as　he　tramped　down　the　street；　out　of　the　town　on　the　road　to　the　south。

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Two　years　later　in　a　hall　in　Sonora；　a　man　strolled　in　to　the　card　tables。

〃Why；　hel…lo；　Curly！〃

Curly　glanced　up　briefly。　〃Hello；　George。〃

〃Hear　you've　made　another　strike。〃

〃You　can　hear　a　lot　that　ain't　true。　This　happens　to　be。〃

〃You　know；　I　was　telling　…　〃

〃Well；　the　sight　of　you　don't　put　me　in　the　mood　to　be　told　much。〃　There　was　an　imperceptible　shifting　of　the　crowd　around　the　table。　They　were　moving　away　from　Spellman。

〃I　was　telling　my　wife　…　〃

〃My　girl；　you　mean！　It　wasn't　enough　to　keep　my　business；　you　had　to　go　home　an'　marry　my　girl；　too；　didn't　you？〃

〃Curly；　for　the　love　of　heaven　…　〃

〃Take　your　hand　off　my　arm；　Pete。　I'm　going　to　kill　this　…　…。　He's　not　the　kind　of　man　I　thought　he　was。〃

Two　shots　crashed　in　the　room！

Spellman　wavered　through　the　smoke　haze；　then　dropped　his　pistol　and　fell　slowly　across　the　card　table　littered　with　shining　cards　and　poker　chips。　An　overturned　tallow…dip　dropped　in　a　pool　of　wine　and　rolled　down　against　the　dead　man's　cheek；　dabbling　it　with　the　color　which　would　never　return　to　it　again。

*　*　*　*　*

〃Bet；　ain't　that　Curly　Gillmore　that　we　knew　three　years　ago　at　Coloma；　when　Allie　died？〃

〃Must　be　a…gittin'　blind！　Where？〃

〃The　feller　all　dressed　up　an'　walkin'　with　the　lady。　Sure　it　is！　Hi；　Curly；　hel…lo！　It's　Babe。　Well；　ain't　I　glad　…　〃

The　woman　with　Curly　fixed　Babe　with　a　stony　glare。　〃If　you　wish　to　converse　with　this　。。。　woman；　kindly　do　so　when　your　wife　is　not　accompanying　you；〃　she　said　to　him　in　an　angry　undertone；　and　went　majestically　on。

〃I'll　come　back；　Babe。　We've　been　married　just　a　month　and　she　doesn't　understand。　I'll　be　back　later；〃　and　he　hurried　off。

〃Bet；　did　you　see　who　that　was　with　Curly？　His　wife；　he　said。〃

〃Aw…w；　Babe；　don't　you　fret！　I　guess　we　fill　our　little　place　out　here　in　Californy　near　as　much　as　some　o'　the　fine　ladies　do。〃

〃I　didn't　care。　No；　I　was　thinkin'　that　the　ways　o'　the　Lord　are　curi…us。　That　lady　used　to　be　married　to　George　Spellman。〃

〃An'　Curly　shot　him；　down　at　Sonora；　last　year！〃

〃Ye…aw。〃

〃Well；　I'll　be　…　。〃



The　Race　of　the　Shoestring　Gamblers

VIII

〃Judge　not　too　idly　that　our　toils　are　mean；　Though　no　new　levies　marshall　on　our　green；　Nor　deem　too　rashly　that　our　gains　are　small；　Weighed　with　the　prizes　for　which　heroes　fall。〃

…　Bret　Harte。



If　dancing　was　the　first　form　of　amusement　to　emanate　from　prehistoric　savagery；　then　racing　must　surely　have　come　next。　It　may　possibly　have　come　first。　However；　we　shall　leave　the　〃theorizin〃'　to　be　settled　by　the　lips　of　the　first　mummy　whose　centuries…old　tissues　shall　be　roused　to　full　life　by　modern　science。　What　has　science　not　achieved？　We　have　gone　beyond　wonder。　We　can　only　believe；　and　become　blase！

Meantime　there　is　still　enough　red　blood　in　the　modern　effete　productions　of　humans　to　enjoy　a　contest　of　stress　and　strain；　and　brain　and　brawn；　and　to　gamble　upon　the　outcome。

In　the　'49　days；　racing　was　one　of　the　most　popular　forms　of　chance；　and　it　often　reverted　in　bizarre　tangents。　This；　then；　is　what　happened　at　a　golden　fiesta　during　the　week　of　races：

〃Sweet　Lady；　are　all　my　importunities　to　be　in　vain？〃

〃I　must　confess　that　I　can　not　bring　my　mind　to　a　decision；　Mr。　Saul；〃　answered　Mistress　Patty　Laughton；　blushing　and　curtsying　prettily。

〃It　is　surely　not　for　your　lack　of　worldly　goods　that　you　hesitate；〃　persisted　Slick…heels　Saul。　〃As　for　what　your　father　is　owing　me；　it　shall；　at　the　moment　of　your　acceptance；　be　wiped　entirely　from　the　books。〃

Patty　was　incensed　at　the　hint　of　insolence　in　the　gambler's　allusion　to　her　improvident　father's　financial　condition。

〃Believe　me；　Mr。　Saul；〃　she　said；　with　spirit；　〃no　ulterior　motive　for　worldly　advancement　has　the　power　to　coerce　my　afflections。〃

〃But　you　will　consider　my　proposition　of　marriage？〃

Patty's　honest　gaze　encountered　the　appraising　glint　in　the　coot　grey　eyes　of　the　foppish　scape…grace　before　her。　She　lowered　her　own　eys　quickly　to　hid　a　hunted　look　in　their　dark　depths　as　she　answered：

〃Sir；　after　the　week　of　races；　you　shall　have　your　answer。〃

〃And　then　I　shall　give　up　my　present　means　of　gaining　a　livelihood；　and；　repairing　to　San　Francisco；　shall　enter　into　a　profession　more　fitting　the　social　station　of　the　lady　who　is　to　become　my　wife。〃　He　bowed　deeply　and　withdrew；　leaving　Patty　with　a　sad　face　and　tearfilled　eyes。

At　last　she　straightened　her　tall　figure　resolutely。　〃I　must　not　give　way　to　tears。　I　can　not！　I　will　not！　There　must　be　some　way　to　pay　my　father's　debts　beside　this　extremity；　to　which　death　is　almost　preferable。　There　is　still　a　week's　time。　A　week　…　only　a　week。〃　Panic　overwhelmed　her；　and　when　someone　gently　took　her　hand；　she　cried　aloud　in　terror。

〃Why；　Sweetheart；　do　I　frighten　you　so？　I　waited　long　upon　the　mesa　near　the　speed…track　at　the　spot　we　had　agreed　upon；　and　when　you　did　not　come　I　fared　forth　to　meet　you。〃

〃Eric；　it　is　Saul　again。　What　can　I　do？〃

〃Dear；　I　have　about　2000　which　I　am　resolved　to　play　on　the　races。　I　will　win。　I　must。　Old　Irish　Mike　has　brought　over　his　whole　stableful　of　saddle　horses　and　I　was　raised　in　Kentucky。　Do　not　despair；　we　shall　beat　the　gambler　at　his　own　game。　Here　is　Mike；　now。　Perhaps　…　Mike；　it's　a　fine　string　of　horses　you've　picked　up。

〃It　is　so。　Many　a　thoroughbred　I've　bought　that　came　all　the　way　from　Kentucky　or　Missouri。　All　that　had　the　stamina　to　get　to　Californy；　the　one　thing　left　that　many　of　the　poor　devils　could　sell　when　they　reached　the　coast。〃

〃Mike；　some　of　them　are　faster　than　others；　I　suppose。〃

〃'Tis　what　half　the　shoe…string　gamblers　in　the　camp　have　tried　to　find　out。　I　may　have　me　own　opinion；　but　it's　to　meself　I'll　kape　it　till　afther　the　races　are　run。　I　will　not　spile　sport。　Have　ye　seen　the　last　cayuse　that's　bein'　put　in？

〃You　mean　the　cow　pony　that　came　in　with　the　bunch　of　cattle　from　the　Napa　Valley　yesterday？〃

〃The　same。　The　auld　boy；　whilst　in　his　cups；　is　bettin'　she　can　beat　anythin'　on　four　legs；　even　jack　rabbits　an'　antelope。　The　precious　gamblin'　riff…raff　are　fillin'　him　up　with　tanglefoot；　proper。〃

〃Why；　Mike？〃　Mike　glanced　at　the　silent　girl　and　then　down　into　the　gulch　below。

〃Miss　Patty；　have　ye　visited　the　claims？〃

〃No；　but　I　should　like　to。〃

〃Come；　then；　if　ye　will　so　pleasure　an　old　man。　The　men　will　not　be　workin'　tomorrow。　They　will　be　that　pleased　to　show　a　lady　how　to　wash　a　pan　o'　dirt；　they　will　be　saltin'　ivery　pan　wit'　nuggets　for　ye！　Eric；　lad；〃　he　called　back　to　the　tall　young　man；　〃ye　might　look　the　cow　horse　over。　She　has　not　been　curried　for　long；　yet；　whisper；　beauty　is　but　skin　deep　an'　the　finest　rapier　is　often　encased　in　a　rusty　scabbard。〃

〃There　is　something　going　forward　that　Mike　wishes　me　to　see；〃　though　Eric；　as　he　hurried　off　to　the　livery　stable。　〃That　is　why　he　took　Patty　away。〃

A　crowd　of　gamblers　were　just　putting　up　a　pair　of　riders　on　two　horses。

〃Hey；　Eric　Tallman；　you　used　to　own　this　horse。　Can　he　beat　this　rat…tailed　kyoodle　that　runs　after　steers？〃

Eric　laid　a　hand　fondly　on　the　magnificent　black　〃half　breed；〃　who　had　just　enough　mustang　to　give　him　the　stamina　and　spirit　and　wildness　characteristic　of　the　Spanish…bred　horse。

〃Keep　him　on　a　steady　rein　and　he'll　beat　anything　in　the　mountains。　I'd　never　have　sold　him　except　…　。〃　He　sighed；　turning　to　the　cattle　horse。　She　was　long　necked；　long　legged；　long　haired；　wall…eyed；　lean；　and　badly　in　need　of　currying；　and　yet　Irish　Mike　was　no　fool；　and　Mike　knew　Eric's　extremity　…　his　and　the　girl's　whom　he　loved。

He　noted　the　deep；　broad　chest；　the　tapering　barrel　and　the　tremendous　driving　power　in　the　steel　muscles　of　the　hind　quarters；　but　she　drooped；　spiritless。　He　turned　again　to　the　satin…coated　half…breed。

〃Any　dust　up　yet？〃

〃Ye…aw；　about　ten　thousand。　Old　fool　seems　to　be　well　heeled。　We've　got　'im　full　to　the　eyes；　down　at　String…halt　Eddie's　place；　an'　the　boys　are　goin'　to　try　the　plugs　out　before　they　put　up　any　more。〃　Two　trial　races　were　ridden　and　the　sad　cow　horse　was　outrun　with　apparent　ease。

The　next　morni