the man of the forest-第66章
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Snake Anson and Jim Wilson were left brooding in silence
beside the dying camp…fire。
The night was dark； with only a few stars showing。 A fitful
wind moaned unearthly through the spruce。 An occasional
thump of hoof sounded from the dark woods。 No cry of wolf or
coyote or cat gave reality to the wildness of forest…land。
By and by those men who had rolled in their blankets were
breathing deep and slow in heavy slumber。
〃Jim； I take it this hyar Riggs has queered our deal；〃 said
Snake Anson； in low voice。
〃I reckon；〃 replied Wilson。
〃An' I'm feared he's queered this hyar White Mountain
country fer us。〃
〃Shore I 'ain't got so far as thet。 What d' ye mean； Snake？〃
〃Damme if I savvy；〃 was the gloomy reply。 〃I only know what
was bad looks growin' wuss。 Last fall an' winter an'
now it's near April。 We've got no outfit to make a long
stand in the woods。 。 。 。 Jim； jest how strong is thet
Beasley down in the settlements？〃
〃I've a hunch he ain't half as strong as he bluffs。〃
〃Me； too。 I got thet idee yesterday。 He was scared of the
kid when she fired up an' sent thet hot…shot about her
cowboy sweetheart killin' him。 He'll do it； Jim。 I seen that
Carmichael at Magdalena some years ago。 Then he was only a
youngster。 But； whew！ Mebbe he wasn't bad after toyin' with
a little red liquor。〃
〃Shore。 He was from Texas； she said。〃
〃Jim； I savvied your feelin's was hurt by thet talk about
Texas an' when she up an' asked you。〃
Wilson had no rejoinder for this remark。
〃Wal； Lord knows； I ain't wonderin'。 You wasn't a hunted
outlaw all your life。 An' neither was I。 。 。 。 Wilson； I
never was keen on this girl deal now； was I？〃
〃I reckon it's honest to say no to thet；〃 replied Wilson。
But it's done。 Beasley 'll get plugged sooner or later。 Thet
won't help us any。 Chasin' sheep…herders out of the country
an' stealin' sheep thet ain't stealin' gurls by a long
sight。 Beasley 'll blame that on us； an' be greaser enough
to send some of his men out to hunt us。 For Pine an' Show
Down won't stand thet long。 There's them Mormons。 They'll be
hell when they wake up。 Suppose Carmichael got thet hunter
Dale an' them hawk…eyed Beemans on our trail？〃
〃Wal； we'd cash in quick；〃 replied Anson； gruffly。
〃Then why didn't you let me take the gurl back home？〃
〃Wal； come to think of thet； Jim； I'm sore； an' I need money
an' I knowed you'd never take a dollar from her sister。
An' I've made up my mind to git somethin' out of her。〃
〃Snake； you're no fool。 How 'll you do thet same an' do it
quick？〃
〃'Ain't reckoned it out yet。〃
〃Wal； you got aboot to…morrer an' thet's all；〃 returned
Wilson； gloomily。
〃Jim； what's ailin' you？〃
〃I'll let you figger thet out。〃
〃Wal； somethin' ails the whole gang；〃 declared Anson；
savagely。 〃With them it's nothin' to eat no whisky no
money to bet with no tobacco！。 。 。 But thet's not what's
ailin' you； Jim Wilson； nor me！〃
〃Wal； what is； then？〃 queried Wilson。
〃With me it's a strange feelin' thet my day's over on these
ranges。 I can't explain； but it jest feels so。 Somethin' in
the air。 I don't like them dark shadows out there under the
spruces。 Savvy？ 。 。 。 An' as fer you； Jim wal； you allus
was half decent； an' my gang's got too lowdown fer you。〃
〃Snake； did I ever fail you？〃
〃No； you never did。 You're the best pard I ever knowed。 In
the years we've rustled together we never had a contrary
word till I let Beasley fill my ears with his promises。
Thet's my fault。 But； Jim； it's too late。〃
〃It mightn't have been too late yesterday。〃
〃Mebbe not。 But it is now； an' I'll hang on to the girl or
git her worth in gold；〃 declared the outlaw； grimly。
〃Snake； I've seen stronger gangs than yours come an' go。
Them Big Bend gangs in my country them rustlers they
were all bad men。 You have no likes of them gangs out heah。
If they didn't get wiped out by Rangers or cowboys； why they
jest naturally wiped out themselves。 Thet's a law I
recognize in relation to gangs like them。 An' as for yours
why； Anson； it wouldn't hold water against one real
gun…slinger。〃
〃A…huh' Then if we ran up ag'in' Carmichael or some such
fellar would you be suckin' your finger like a baby？〃
〃Wal； I wasn't takin' count of myself。 I was takin'
generalities。〃
〃Aw； what 'n hell are them？〃 asked Anson； disgustedly。 Jim；
I know as well as you thet this hyar gang is hard put。 We're
goin' to be trailed an' chased。 We've got to hide be on
the go all the time here an' there all over； in the
roughest woods。 An' wait our chance to work south。〃
〃Shore。 But； Snake； you ain't takin' no count of the
feelin's of the men an' of mine an' yours。 。 。 。 I'll bet
you my hoss thet in a day or so this gang will go to
pieces。〃
〃I'm feared you spoke what's been crowdin' to git in my
mind；〃 replied Anson。 Then he threw up his hands in a
strange gesture of resignation。 The outlaw was brave； but
all men of the wilds recognized a force stronger than
themselves。 He sat there resembling a brooding snake with
basilisk eyes upon the fire。 At length he arose； and without
another word to his comrade he walked wearily to where lay
the dark； quiet forms of the sleepers。
Jim Wilson remained beside the flickering fire。 He was
reading something in the red embers； perhaps the past。
Shadows were on his face； not all from the fading flames or
the towering spruces。 Ever and anon he raised his head to
listen； not apparently that he expected any unusual sound；
but as if involuntarily。 Indeed； as Anson had said； there
was something nameless in the air。 The black forest breathed
heavily； in fitful moans of wind。 It had its secrets。 The
glances Wilson threw on all sides betrayed that any hunted
man did not love the dark night； though it hid him。 Wilson
seemed fascinated by the life inclosed there by the black
circle of spruce。 He might have been reflecting on the
strange reaction happening to every man in that group； since
a girl had been brought among them。 Nothing was clear；
however； the forest kept its secret； as did the melancholy
wind； the outlaws were sleeping like tired beasts； with
their dark secrets locked in their hearts。
After a while Wilson put some sticks on the red embers； then
pulled the end of a log over them。 A blaze sputtered up；
changing the dark circle and showing the sleepers with their
set； shadowed faces upturned。 Wilson gazed on all of them； a
sardonic smile on his lips； and then his look fixed upon the
sleeper apart from the others Riggs。 It might have been
the false light of flame and shadow that created Wilson's
expression of dark and terrible hate。 Or it might have been
the truth； expressed in that lonely； unguarded hour； from
the depths of a man born in the South a man who by his
inheritance of race had reverence for all womanhood by
whose strange； wild； outlawed bloody life of a gun…fighter
he must hate with the deadliest hate this type that aped and
mocked his fame。
It was a long gaze Wilson rested upon Riggs as strange
and secretive as the forest wind moaning down the great
aisles and when that dark gaze was withdrawn Wilson
stalked away to make his bed with the stride of one ill whom
spirit had liberated force。
He laid his saddle in front of the spruce shelter where the
girl had entered； and his tarpaulin and blankets likewise
and then wearily stretched his long length to rest。
The camp…fire blazed up； showing the exquisite green。 and
brown…flecked festooning of the spruce branches； symmetrical
and perfect； yet so irregular； and then it burned out and
died down； leaving all in the dim gray starlight。 The horses
were not moving around； the moan of night wind had grown
fainter； the low hum of insects； was dying away； even the
tinkle of the brook had diminished。 And that growth toward
absolute silence continued； yet absolute silence was never
attained。 Life abided in the forest； only it had changed its
form for the dark hours。
Anson's gang did not bestir themselves at the usual early
sunrise hour common to all woodsmen； hunters； or outlaws； to
whom the break of day was welcome。 These compa
