a first family of tasajara-第7章

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！



entered　the　smaller　passage　that　led　to　the　back　door　of　the　shop

and　opened　it。



He　was　at　first　a　little　startled　at　the　halo　of　light　from　the

still　glowing　stove；　which　the　greater　obscurity　of　the　long　room

had　heightened　rather　than　diminished。　　Then　he　passed　behind　the

counter；　but　here　the　box　of　biscuits　which　occupied　the　centre　and

cast　a　shadow　over　it　compelled　him　to　grope　vaguely　for　what　he

sought。　　Then　he　stopped　suddenly；　the　paper　he　had　just　found

dropping　from　his　fingers；　and　said　sharply；



〃Who's　there？〃



〃Me；　pop。〃



〃John　Milton？〃



〃Yes；　sir。〃



〃What　the　devil　are　you　doin'　there；　sir？〃



〃Readin'。〃



It　was　true。　　The　boy　was　half　reclining　in　a　most　distorted

posture　on　two　chairs；　his　figure　in　deep　shadow；　but　his　book　was

raised　above　his　head　so　as　to　catch　the　red　glow　of　the　stove　on

the　printed　page。　　Even　then　his　father's　angry　interruption

scarcely　diverted　his　preoccupation；　he　raised　himself　in　his　chair

mechanically；　with　his　eyes　still　fixed　on　his　book。　　Seeing　which

his　father　quickly　regained　the　paper；　but　continued　his　objurgation。



〃How　dare　you？　　Clear　off　to　bed；　will　you！　　Do　you　hear　me？

Pretty　goin's　on；〃　he　added　as　if　to　justify　his　indignation。

〃Sneakin'　in　here　andand　lyin'　'round　at　this　time　o'　night！

Why；　if　I　hadn't　come　in　here　to〃



〃What？〃　asked　the　boy　mechanically；　catching　vaguely　at　the

unfinished　sentence　and　staring　automatically　at　the　paper　in　his

father's　hand。



〃Nothin'；　sir！　　Go　to　bed；　I　tell　you！　　Will　you？　　What　are　you

standin'　gawpin'　at？〃　continued　Harkutt　furiously。



The　boy　regained　his　feet　slowly　and　passed　his　father；　but　not

without　noticing　with　the　same　listless　yet　ineffaceable　perception

of　childhood　that　he　was　hurriedly　concealing　the　paper　in　his

pocket。　　With　the　same　youthful　inconsequence；　wondering　at　this

more　than　at　the　interruption；　which　was　no　novel　event；　he　went

slowly　out　of　the　room。



Harkutt　listened　to　the　retreating　tread　of　his　bare　feet　in　the

passage　and　then　carefully　locked　the　door。　　Taking　the　paper　from

his　pocket；　and　borrowing　the　idea　he　had　just　objurgated　in　his

son；　he　turned　it　towards　the　dull　glow　of　the　stove　and　attempted

to　read　it。　　But　perhaps　lacking　the　patience　as　well　as　the　keener

sight　of　youth；　he　was　forced　to　relight　the　candle　which　he　had

left　on　the　counter；　and　reperused　the　paper。　　Yes！　there　was

certainly　no　mistake！　　Here　was　the　actual　description　of　the

property　which　the　surveyor　had　just　indicated　as　the　future

terminus　of　the　new　railroad；　and　here　it　was　conveyed　to　him

Daniel　Harkutt！　　What　was　that？　　Somebody　knocking？　　What　did　this

continual　interruption　mean？　　An　odd　superstitious　fear　now　mingled

with　his　irritation。



The　sound　appeared　to　come　from　the　front　shutters。　　It　suddenly

occurred　to　him　that　the　light　might　be　visible　through　the

crevices。　　He　hurriedly　extinguished　it；　and　went　to　the　door。



〃Who's　there？〃



〃Me；Peters。　　Want　to　speak　to　you。〃



Mr。　Harkutt　with　evident　reluctance　drew　the　bolts。　　The　wind；

still　boisterous　and　besieging；　did　the　rest；　and　precipitately

propelled　Peters　through　the　carefully　guarded　opening。　　But　his

surprise　at　finding　himself　in　the　darkness　seemed　to　forestall　any

explanation　of　his　visit。



〃Well；〃　he　said　with　an　odd　mingling　of　reproach　and　suspicion。　　〃I

declare　I　saw　a　light　here　just　this　minit！　　That's　queer。〃



〃Yes；　I　put　it　out　just　now。　　I　was　goin'　away；〃　replied　Harkutt；

with　ill…disguised　impatience。



〃What！　been　here　ever　since？〃



〃No；〃　said　Harkutt　curtly。



〃Well；　I　want　to　speak　to　ye　about　'Lige。　　Seein'　the　candle

shinin'　through　the　chinks　I　thought　he　might　be　still　with　ye。　　If

he　ain't；　it　looks　bad。　　Light　up；　can't　ye！　　I　want　to　show　you

something。〃



There　was　a　peremptoriness　in　his　tone　that　struck　Harkutt

disagreeably；　but　observing　that　he　was　carrying　something　in　his

hand；　he　somewhat　nervously　re…lit　the　candle　and　faced　him。

Peters　had　a　hat　in　his　hand。　　It　was　'Lige's！



〃'Bout　an　hour　after　we　fellers　left　here；〃　said　Peters；　〃I　heard

the　rattlin'　of　hoofs　on　the　road；　and　then　it　seemed　to　stop　just

by　my　house。　　I　went　out　with　a　lantern；　and；　darn　my　skin！　if

there　warn't　'Lige's　hoss；　the　saddle　empty；　and　'Lige　nowhere！　　I

looked　round　and　called　himbut　nothing　were　to　be　seen。　　Thinkin'

he　might　have　slipped　offtho'　ez　a　general　rule　drunken　men

don't；　and　he　is　a　good　riderI　followed　down　the　road；　lookin'

for　him。　　I　kept　on　follerin'　it　down　to　your　run；　half　a　mile

below。〃



〃But；〃　began　Harkutt；　with　a　quick　nervous　laugh；　〃you　don't　reckon

that　because　of　that　he〃



〃Hold　on！〃　said　Peters；　grimly　producing　a　revolver　from　his　side…

pocket　with　the　stock　and　barrel　clogged　and　streaked　with　mud。　　〃I

found　THAT　too；and　look！　one　barrel　discharged！　　And；〃　he　added

hurriedly；　as　approaching　a　climax；　〃look　ye；what　I　nat'rally

took　for　wet　from　the　raininside　that　hatwasblood！〃



〃Nonsense！〃　said　Harkutt；　putting　the　hat　aside　with　a　new

fastidiousness。　　〃You　don't　think〃



〃I　think；〃　said　Peters；　lowering　his　voice；　〃I　think；　by　God！　HE'S

BIN　AND　DONE　IT！〃



〃No！〃



〃Sure！　　Oh；　it's　all　very　well　for　Billings　and　the　rest　of　that

conceited　crowd　to　sneer　and　sling　their　ideas　of　'Lige　gen'rally

as　they　did　jess　now　here；but　I'd　like　'em　to　see　THAT。〃　　It　was

difficult　to　tell　if　Mr。　Peters'　triumphant　delight　in　confuting

his　late　companions'　theories　had　not　even　usurped　in　his　mind　the

importance　of　the　news　he　brought；　as　it　had　of　any　human　sympathy

with　it。



〃Look　here；〃　returned　Harkutt　earnestly；　yet　with　a　singularly

cleared　brow　and　a　more　natural　manner。　　〃You　ought　to　take　them

things　over　to　Squire　Kerby's；　right　off；　and　show　'em　to　him。　　You

kin　tell　him　how　you　left　'Lige　here；　and　say　that　I　can　prove　by

my　daughter　that　he　went　away　about　ten　minutes　after；at　least；

not　more　than　fifteen。〃　　Like　all　unprofessional　humanity；　Mr。

Harkutt　had　an　exaggerated　conception　of　the　majesty　of　unimportant

detail　in　the　eye　of　the　law。　　〃I'd　go　with　you　myself；〃　he　added

quickly；　〃but　I've　got　companystrangershere。〃



〃How　did　he　look　when　he　left；kinder　wild？〃　suggested　Peters。



Harkutt　had　begun　to　feel　the　prudence　of　present　reticence。

〃Well；〃　he　said；　cautiously；　〃YOU　saw　how　he　looked。〃



〃You　wasn't　rough　with　him？that　might　have　sent　him　off；　you

know；〃　said　Peters。



〃No；〃　said　Harkutt；　forgetting　himself　in　a　quick　indignation；　〃no；

I　not　only　treated　him　to　another　drink；　but　gave　him〃he　stopped

suddenly　and　awkwardly。



〃Eh？〃　said　Peters。



〃Some　good　advice；you　know；〃　said　Harkutt；　hastily。　　〃But　come；

you'd　better　hurry　over　to　the　squire's。　　You　know　YOU'VE　made　the

discovery；　YOUR　evidence　is　important；　and　there's　a　law　that

obliges　you　to　give　information　at　once。〃



The　excitement　of　discovery　and　the　triumph　over　his　disputants

being　spent；　Peters；　after　the　Sidon　fashion；　evidently　did　not

relish　activity　as　a　duty。　　〃You　know；〃　he　said　dubiously；　〃he

mightn't　be　dead；　after　all。〃



Harkutt　became　a　trifle　distant。　　〃You　know　your　own　opinion　of　the

thing；〃　he　replied　after　a　pause。　　〃You've　circumstantial　evidence

enough　to　see　the　squire；　and　set　others　to　work　on　it；　and；〃　he

added　significantly；　〃you've　done　your　share　then；　and　can　wipe

your　hands　of　it；　eh？〃



〃That's　so；〃　said　Peters；　eagerly。　　〃I'll　just　run　over　to　the

squire。〃



〃And　on　account　of　the　women　folks；　you　know；　and　the　strangers

here；　I'll　say　nothin'　about　it　to…night；〃　added　Harkutt。



Peters　nodded　his　head；　and　taking　up　the　hat　of　the　unfortunate

Elijah　with　a　certain　hesitation；　as　if　he　feared　it　had　already

lost　its　dramatic　intensity　as　a　witness；　disappeared　into　the

storm　and　darkness　again。　　A　lurking　gust　of　wind　lying　in　ambush

somewhere　seemed　to　swoop　do