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第42章

the man of the forest-第42章

小说: the man of the forest 字数: 每页4000字

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an' after bein' druv off  keepin' your council an' savin'
my girls from thet hold…up; wal; it's the biggest deal any
man ever did for me。 。 。 。  An' I'm ashamed of my hard
feelin's; an' here's my hand。〃

〃Thanks; Al;〃 replied Dale; with his fleeting smile; and he
met the proffered hand。  〃Now; will you be makin' camp here?〃

〃Wal; no。  I'll rest a little; an' you can pack the girls'
outfit  then we'll go。  Sure you're goin' with us?〃

〃I'll call the girls to breakfast;〃 replied Dale; and he
moved away without answering Auchincloss's query。

Helen divined that Dale did not mean to go down to Pine with
them; and the knowledge gave her a blank feeling of
surprise。  Had she expected him to go?

〃Come here; Jeff;〃 called Al; to one of his men。

A short; bow…legged horseman with dusty garb and
sun…bleached face hobbled forth from the group。  He was not
young; but he had a boyish grin and bright little eyes。
Awkwardly he doffed his slouch sombrero。

〃Jeff; shake hands with my nieces;〃 said Al。  〃This 's Helen;
an' your boss from now on。  An' this 's Bo; fer short。  Her
name was Nancy; but when she lay a baby in her cradle I
called her Bo…Peep; an' the name's stuck。 。 。 。  Girls; this
here's my foreman; Jeff Mulvey; who's been with me twenty
years。〃

The introduction caused embarrassment to all three
principals; particularly to Jeff。

〃Jeff; throw the packs an' saddles fer a rest;〃 was Al's
order to his foreman。

〃Nell; reckon you'll have fun bossin' thet outfit;〃 chuckled
Al。  〃None of 'em's got a wife。  Lot of scalawags they are; no
women would have them!〃

〃Uncle; I hope I'll never have to be their boss;〃 replied
Helen。

〃Wal; you're goin' to be; right off;〃 declared Al。  〃They
ain't a bad lot; after all。  An' I got a likely new man。〃

With that he turned to Bo; and; after studying her pretty
face; he asked; in apparently severe tone; 〃Did you send a
cowboy named Carmichael to ask me for a job?〃

Bo looked quite startled。

〃Carmichael!  Why; Uncle; I never heard that name before;〃
replied Bo; bewilderedly。

〃A…huh!  Reckoned the young rascal was lyin';〃 said
Auchincloss。  〃But I liked the fellar's looks an' so let him
stay。〃

Then the rancher turned to the group of lounging riders。

〃Las Vegas; come here;〃 he ordered; in a loud voice。

Helen thrilled at sight of a tall; superbly built cowboy
reluctantly detaching himself from the group。  He had a
red…bronze face; young like a boy's。  Helen recognized it;
and the flowing red scarf; and the swinging gun; and the
slow; spur…clinking gait。  No other than Bo's Las Vegas
cowboy admirer!

Then Helen flashed a look at Bo; which look gave her a
delicious; almost irresistible desire to laugh。  That young
lady also recognized the reluctant individual approaching
with flushed and downcast face。  Helen recorded her first
experience of Bo's utter discomfiture。  Bo turned white then
red as a rose。

〃Say; my niece said she never heard of the name Carmichael;〃
declared Al; severely; as the cowboy halted before him。
Helen knew her uncle had the repute of dealing hard with his
men; but here she was reassured and pleased at the twinkle
in his eye。

〃Shore; boss; I can't help thet;〃 drawled the cowboy。  〃It's
good old Texas stock。〃

He did not appear shamefaced now; but just as cool; easy;
clear…eyed; and lazy as the day Helen had liked his warm
young face and intent gaze。

〃Texas!  You fellars from the Pan Handle are always hollerin'
Texas。  I never seen thet Texans had any one else beat  say
from Missouri;〃 returned Al; testily。

Carmichael maintained a discreet silence; and carefully
avoided looking at the girls。

〃Wal; reckon we'll all call you Las Vegas; anyway;〃
continued the rancher。  〃Didn't you say my niece sent you to
me for a job?〃

Whereupon Carmichael's easy manner vanished。

〃Now; boss; shore my memory's pore;〃 he said。  〃I only says


〃Don't tell me thet。  My memory's not p…o…r…e;〃 replied Al;
mimicking the drawl。  〃What you said was thet my niece would
speak a good word for you。〃

Here Carmichael stole a timid glance at Bo; the result of
which was to render him utterly crestfallen。  Not improbably
he had taken Bo's expression to mean something it did not;
for Helen read it as a mingling of consternation and fright。
Her eyes were big and blazing; a red spot was growing in
each cheek as she gathered strength from his confusion。

〃Well; didn't you?〃 demanded Al。

From the glance the old rancher shot from the cowboy to the
others of his employ it seemed to Helen that they were
having fun at Carmichael's expense。

〃Yes; sir; I did;〃 suddenly replied the cowboy。

〃A…huh!  All right; here's my niece。  Now see thet she speaks
the good word。〃

Carmichael looked at Bo and Bo looked at him。  Their glances
were strange; wondering; and they grew shy。  Bo dropped hers。
The cowboy apparently forgot what had been demanded of him。

Helen put a hand on the old rancher's arm。

〃Uncle; what happened was my fault;〃 she said。  〃The train
stopped at Las Vegas。  This young man saw us at the open
window。  He must have guessed we were lonely; homesick girls;
getting lost in the West。  For he spoke to us  nice and
friendly。  He knew of you。  And he asked; in what I took for
fun; if we thought you would give him a job。  And I replied;
just to tease Bo; that she would surely speak a good word
for him。〃

〃Haw!  Haw!  So thet's it;〃 replied Al; and he turned to Bo
with merry eyes。  〃Wal; I kept this here Las Vegas Carmichael
on his say…so。  Come on with your good word; unless you want
to see him lose his job。〃

Bo did not grasp her uncle's bantering; because she was
seriously gazing at the cowboy。  But she had grasped
something。

〃He  he was the first person  out West  to speak
kindly to us;〃 she said; facing her uncle。

〃Wal; thet's a pretty good word; but it ain't enough;〃
responded Al。

Subdued laughter came from the listening group。  Carmichael
shifted from side to side。

〃He  he looks as if he might ride a horse well;〃 ventured
Bo。

〃Best hossman I ever seen;〃 agreed Al; heartily。

〃And  and shoot?〃 added Bo; hopefully。

〃Bo; he packs thet gun low; like Jim Wilson an' all them
Texas gun…fighters。  Reckon thet ain't no good word。〃

〃Then  I'll vouch for him;〃 said Bo; with finality。

〃Thet settles it。〃 Auchincloss turned to the cowboy。  〃Las
Vegas; you're a stranger to us。  But you're welcome to a
place in the outfit an' I hope you won't never disappoint
us。〃

Auchincloss's tone; passing from jest to earnest; betrayed
to Helen the old rancher's need of new and true men; and
hinted of trying days to come。

Carmichael stood before Bo; sombrero in hand; rolling it
round and round; manifestly bursting with words he could not
speak。  And the girl looked very young and sweet with her
flushed face and shining eyes。  Helen saw in the moment more
than that little by…play of confusion。

〃Miss  Miss Rayner  I shore  am obliged;〃 he
stammered; presently。

〃You're very welcome;〃 she replied; softly。  〃I  I got on
the next train;〃 he added。

When he said that Bo was looking straight at him; but she
seemed not to have heard。

〃What's your name?〃 suddenly she asked。

〃Carmichael。〃

〃I heard that。  But didn't uncle call you Las Vegas?〃

〃Shore。  But it wasn't my fault。  Thet cow…punchin' outfit
saddled it on me; right off 。  They Don't know no better。
Shore I jest won't answer to thet handle。 。 。 。  Now  Miss
Bo  my real name is Tom。〃

〃I simply could not call you  any name but Las Vegas;〃
replied Bo; very sweetly。

〃But  beggin' your pardon  I  I don't like thet;〃
blustered Carmichael。

〃People often get called names  they don't like;〃 she
said; with deep intent。

The cowboy blushed scarlet。  Helen as well as he got Bo's
inference to that last audacious epithet he had boldly
called out as the train was leaving Las Vegas。  She also
sensed something of the disaster in store for Mr。
Carmichael。  Just then the embarrassed young man was saved by
Dale's call to the girls to come to breakfast。

That meal; the last for Helen in Paradise Park; gave rise to
a strange and inexplicable restraint。  She had little to say。
Bo 

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