cressy-第39章

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constrained　to　mingle　a　few　nervous；　excited　tears　with　his

brother's　outbreak。　　Whereat　Johnny；　admitting　the　alleviation　of

an　orange；　a　four…bladed　knife；　and　the　reversionary　interest　in

much　of　Rupert's　personal　property；　became　more　subdued。　　Sitting

there　with　their　arms　entwined　about　each　other；　the　sunlight

searching　the　shiftless　desolation　of　their　motherless　home；　the

few　cheap　playthings　they　had　known　lying　around　them；　they

beguiled　themselves　with　those　charming　illusions　of　their　future

intentions　common　to　their　yearsillusions　they　only　half　believed

themselves　and　half　accepted　of　each　other。　　Rupert　was　quite

certain　that　he　would　return　in　a　few　days　with　a　gold　watch　and　a

present　for　Johnny；　and　Johnny；　with　a　baleful　vision　of　never

seeing　him　again；　and　a　catching　breath；　magnificently　undertook　to

bring　in　the　wood　and　build　the　fire　and　wash　the　dishes　〃all　of

himself。〃　　And　then　there　were　a　few　childish　confidences　regarding

their　absent　fatherthen　ingenuously　playing　poker　in　the　Magnolia

Saloonthat　might　have　made　that　public…spirited；　genial　companion

somewhat　uncomfortable；　and　more　tears　that　were　half　smiling　and

some　brave　silences　that　were　wholly　pathetic；　and　then　the　hour

for　Rupert's　departure　all　too　suddenly　arrived。　　They　separated

with　ostentatious　whooping；　and　then　Johnny；　suddenly　overcome　with

the　dreadfulness　of　all　earthly　things；　and　the　hollowness　of　life

generally；　instantly　resolved　to　run　away！



To　do　this　he　prepared　himself　with　a　purposeless　hatchet；　an

inconsistent　but　long…treasured　lump　of　putty　and　all　the　sugar

that　was　left　in　the　cracked　sugar…bowl。　　Thus　accoutred　he　sallied

forth；　first　to　remove　all　traces　of　his　hated　existence　that　might

be　left　in　his　desk　at　school。　　If　the　master　were　there　he　would

say　Rupert　had　sent　him；　if　he　wasn't；　he　would　climb　in　at　the

window。　　The　sun　was　already　sinking　when　he　reached　the　clearing

and　found　a　cavalcade　of　armed　men　around　the　building。



Johnny's　first　conviction　was　that　the　master　had　killed　Uncle　Ben

or　Masters；　and　that　the　men；　taking　advantage　of　the　absence　of

hisJohnny'sbig　brother；　were　about　to　summarily　execute　him。

Observing　no　struggle　from　within；　his　second　belief　was　that　the

master　had　been　suddenly　elected　Governor　of　California　and　was

about　to　start　with　a　state　escort　from　the　school…house；　and　that

he；　Johnny；　was　in　time　to　see　the　procession。　　But　when　the　master

appeared　with　McKinstry；　followed　by　part　of　the　crowd　afoot；　this

quick…witted　child　of　the　frontier；　from　his　secure　outlook　in　the

〃brush；〃　gathered　enough　from　their　fragmentary　speech　to　guess　the

serious　purport　of　their　errand；　and　thrill　with　anticipation　and

slightly　creepy　excitement。



A　duel！　　A　thing　hitherto　witnessed　only　by　grown…up　men；

afterwards　swaggering　with　importance　and　strange　technical

bloodthirsty　words；　and　now　for　the　first　time　reserved　for　a　BOY

and　that　boy　him；　Johnny！to　behold　in　all　its　fearful

completeness！　　A　duel！　of　which；　he；　Johnny；　meanly　abandoned　by

his　brother；　was　now　exalted　perhaps　to　be　the　only　survivor！　　He

could　scarcely　credit　his　senses。　　It　was　too　much！



To　creep　through　the　brush　while　the　preliminaries　were　being

settled；　reach　a　certain　silver　fir　on　the　appointed　ground；　and

with　the　aid　of　his　now　lucky　hatchet；　climb　unseen　to　its　upper

boughs；　was　an　exciting　and　difficult　task；　but　one　eventually

overcome　by　his　short　but　energetic　legs。　　Here　he　could　not　only

see　all　that　occurred；　but　by　a　fortunate　chance　the　large　pine

next　to　him　had　been　selected　as　the　limit　of　the　ground。　　The

sharp　eyes　of　the　boy　had　long　since　penetrated　the　disguises　of

the　remaining　masked　men；　and　when　the　long；　lank　figure　of　the

master's　self…appointed　second　took　up　its　position　beneath　the

pines　in　full　view　of　him；　although　hidden　from　the　spectators；

Johnny　instantly　recognized　it　to　be　none　other　than　Seth　Davis。

The　manifest　inconsistency　of　his　appearance　as　Mr。　Ford's　second

with　what　Johnny　knew　of　his　relations　to　the　master　was　the　one

thing　that　firmly　fixed　the　incident　in　the　boy's　memory。



The　men　were　already　in　position。　　Harrison　stepped　forward　to　give

the　word。　　Johnny's　down…hanging　legs　tingled　with　cramp　and

excitement。　　Why　didn't　they　begin？　　What　were　they　waiting　for？

What　if　it　were　interrupted；　orterrible　thoughtmade　up　at　the

last　moment？　　Would　they　〃holler〃　out　when　they　were　hit；　or

stagger　round　convulsively　as　they　did　at　the　〃cirkiss〃？　　Would

they　all　run　away　afterwards　and　leave　Johnny　alone　to　tell　the

tale？　　Andhorrible　thought！would　any　body　believe　him？　　Would

Rupert？　　Rupert；　had　he　〃on'y　knowed　this；〃　he　wouldn't　have　gone

away。



〃One〃



With　a　child's　perfect　faith　in　the　invulnerable　superiority　of　his

friends；　he　had　not　even　looked　at　the　master；　but　only　at　his

destined　victim。　　Yet　as　the　word　〃two〃　rang　out　Johnny's　attention

was　suddenly　attracted　to　the　surprising　fact　that　the　master's

second；　Seth　Davis；　had　also　drawn　a　pistol；　and　from　behind　his

tree　was　deliberately　and　stealthily　aiming　at　McKinstry！　　He

understood　it　all　nowhe　was　a　friend　of　the　master's。　　Bully　for

Seth！



〃Three！〃



Crack！　　Z…i…i…p！　　Crackle！　　What　a　funny　noise！　　And　yet　he　was

obliged　to　throw　himself　flat　upon　the　bough　to　keep　from　falling。

It　seemed　to　have　snapped　beneath　him　and　benumbed　his　right　leg。

He　did　not　know　that　the　master's　bullet；　fired　in　the　air；　had

ranged　along　the　bough；　stripping　the　bark　throughout　its　length；

and　glancing　with　half…spent　force　to　inflict　a　slight　flesh　wound

on　his　leg！



He　was　giddy　and　a　little　frightened。　　And　he　had　seen　nobody　hit；

nor　nothin'。　　It　was　all　a　humbug！　　Seth　had　disappeared。　　So　had

the　others。　　There　was　a　faint　sound　of　voices　and　something　like　a

group　in　the　distancethat　was　all。　　It　was　getting　dark；　too；　and

his　leg　was　still　asleep；　but　warm　and　wet。　　He　would　get　down。

This　was　very　difficult；　for　his　leg　would　not　wake　up；　and　but　for

the　occasional　support　he　got　by　striking　his　hatchet　in　the　tree

he　would　have　fallen　in　descending。　　When　he　reached　the　ground　his

leg　began　to　pain；　and　looking　down　he　saw　that　his　stocking　and

shoe　were　soaked　with　blood。



His　small　and　dirty　handkerchief；　a　hard　wad　in　his　pocket；　was

insufficient　to　staunch　the　flow。　　With　a　vague　recollection　of　a

certain　poultice　applied　to　a　boil　on　his　father's　neck；　he

collected　a　quantity　of　soft　moss　and　dried　yerba　buena　leaves；　and

with　the　aid　of　his　check　apron　and　of　one　of　his　torn　suspenders

tightly　wound　round　the　whole　mass；　achieved　a　bandage　of　such

elephantine　proportions　that　he　could　scarcely　move　with　it。　　In

fact；　like　most　imaginative　children；　he　became　slightly　terrified

at　his　own　alarming　precautions。　　Nevertheless；　although　a　word　or

an　outcry　from　him　would　have　at　that　moment　brought　the　distant

group　to　his　assistance；　a　certain　respect　to　himself　and　his

brother　kept　him　from　uttering　even　a　whimper　of　weakness。



Yet　he　found　refuge；　oddly　enough；　in　a　suppressed　but　bitter

denunciation　of　the　other　boys　of　his　acquaintance。　　What　was　Cal。

Harrison　doing；　while　he；　Johnny；　was　alone　in　the　woods；　wounded

in　a　grown…up　duelfor　nothing　would　convince　this　doughty　infant

that　he　had　not　been　an　active　participant？　　Where　was　Jimmy　Snyder

that　he　didn't　come　to　his　assistance　with　the　other　fellers？

Cowards　all；　they　were　afraid。　　Ho；　ho！　　And　he；　Johnny；　wasn't

afraid！　hohe　didn't　mind　it！　　Nevertheless　he　had　to　repeat　the

phrase　two　or　three　times　until；　after　repeated　struggles　to　move

forward　through　the　brush；　he　at　last　sank　down　exhausted。　　By　this

time　the　distant　group　had　slowly　moved　away；　carrying　something

between　them；　and　leaving　Johnny　alone　in　the　fast　coming　darkness。

Yet　even　this　desertion　did　not　affect　him　as　strongly　as　his

implicit　belief　in　the　cowardly