flip-a california romance-第5章

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hand　me　over　a　coat　or　a　jacket　till　I　can　get　past　these　fogs　on

the　Monterey　road；　I　won't　keep　you　from　your　diamond　pit。〃　　He

threw　down　a　handful　of　silver　on　the　table。



〃Ther's　a　deerskin　jacket　yer；〃　said　the　old　man；　〃that　one　o'　them

vaqueros　left　for　the　price　of　a　bottle　of　whiskey。〃



〃I　reckon　it　wouldn't　suit　the　stranger；〃　said　Flip；　dubiously

producing　a　much…worn；　slashed；　and　braided　vaquero's　jacket。　　But

it　did　suit　Lance；　who　found　it　warm；　and　also　had　suddenly　found　a

certain　satisfaction　in　opposing　Flip。　　When　he　had　put　it　on；　and

nodded　coldly　to　the　old　man；　and　carelessly　to　Flip；　he　walked　to

the　door。



〃If　you're　going　to　take　the　Monterey　road；　I　can　show　you　a　short

cut　to　it；〃　said　Flip；　with　a　certain　kind　of　shy　civility。



The　paternal　Fairley　groaned。　　〃That's　it；　let　the　chickens　and　the

ranch　go　to　thunder；　as　long　as　there's　a　stranger　to　trapse　round

with；　go　on！〃



Lance　would　have　made　some　savage　reply；　but　Flip　interrupted。

〃You　know　yourself；　Dad；　it's　a　blind　trail；　and　as　that　'ere

constable　that　kem　out　here　hunting　French　Pete；　couldn't　find　it；

and　had　to　go　round　by　the　canyon；　like　ez　not　the　stranger　would

lose　his　way；　and　have　to　come　back！〃　　This　dangerous　prospect

silenced　the　old　man；　and　Flip　and　Lance　stepped　into　the　road

together。　　They　walked　on　for　some　moments　without　speaking。

Suddenly　Lance　turned　upon　his　companion。



〃You　didn't　swallow　all　that　rot　about　the　diamond；　did　you？〃　he

asked；　crossly。



Flip　ran　a　little　ahead；　as　if　to　avoid　a　reply。



〃You　don't　mean　to　say　that's　the　sort　of　hog　wash　the　old　man

serves　out　to　you　regularly？〃　continued　Lance；　becoming　more　slangy

in　his　ill　temper。



〃I　don't　know　that　it's　any　consarn　o'　yours　what　I　think；〃　replied

Flip；　hopping　from　boulder　to　boulder；　as　they　crossed　the　bed　of　a

dry　watercourse。



〃And　I　suppose　you've　piloted　round　and　dry…nussed　every　tramp　and

dead　beat　you've　met　since　you　came　here；〃　continued　Lance；　with

unmistakable　ill　humor。　　〃How　many　have　you　helped　over　this　road？〃



〃It's　a　year　since　there　was　a　Chinaman　chased　by　some　Irishmen

from　the　Crossing　into　the　brush　about　yer；　and　he　was　too　afeered

to　come　out；　and　nigh　most　starved　to　death　in　thar。　　I　had　to　drag

him　out　and　start　him　on　the　mountain；　for　you　couldn't　get　him

back　to　the　road。　　He　was　the　last　one　but　YOU。〃



〃Do　you　reckon　it's　the　right　thing　for　a　girl　like　you　to　run

about　with　trash　of　this　kind；　and　mix　herself　up　with　all　sorts　of

rough　and　bad　company？〃　said　Lance。



Flip　stopped　short。　　〃Look！　if　you're　goin'　to　talk　like　Dad；　I'll

go　back。〃



The　ridiculousness　of　such　a　resemblance　struck　him　more　keenly

than　a　consciousness　of　his　own　ingratitude。　　He　hastened　to　assure

Flip　that　he　was　joking。　　When　he　had　made　his　peace　they　fell　into

talk　again；　Lance　becoming　unselfish　enough　to　inquire　into　one　or

two　facts　concerning　her　life　which　did　not　immediately　affect　him。

Her　mother　had　died　on　the　plains　when　she　was　a　baby；　and　her

brother　had　run　away　from　home　at　twelve。　　She　fully　expected　to

see　him　again；　and　thought　he　might　sometime　stray　into　their

canyon。　　〃That　is　why；　then；　you　take　so　much　stock　in　tramps；〃

said　Lance。　　〃You　expect　to　recognize　HIM？〃



〃Well；〃　replied　Flip；　gravely；　〃there　is　suthing　in　THAT；　and

there's　suthing　in　THIS：　some　o'　these　chaps　might　run　across

brother　and　do　him　a　good　turn　for　the　sake　of　me。〃



〃Like　me；　for　instance？〃　suggested　Lance。



〃Like　you。　　You'd　do　him　a　good　turn；　wouldn't　you？〃



〃You　bet！〃　said　Lance；　with　a　sudden　emotion　that　quite　startled

him；　〃only　don't　you　go　to　throwing　yourself　round　promiscuously。〃

He　was　half…conscious　of　an　irritating　sense　of　jealousy；　as　he

asked　if　any　of　her　proteges　had　ever　returned。



〃No；〃　said　Flip；　〃no　one　ever　did。　　It　shows；〃　she　added　with

sublime　simplicity；　〃I　had　done　'em　good；　and　they　could　get　on

alone。　　Don't　it？〃



〃It　does；〃　responded　Lance　grimly。　　〃Have　you　any　other　friends

that　come？〃



〃Only　the　Postmaster　at　the　Crossing。〃



〃The　Postmaster？〃



〃Yes；　he's　reckonin'　to　marry　me　next　year；　if　I'm　big　enough。〃



〃And　what　do　you　reckon？〃　asked　Lance　earnestly。



Flip　began　a　series　of　distortions　with　her　shoulders；　ran　on

ahead；　picked　up　a　few　pebbles　and　threw　them　into　the　wood；

glanced　back　at　Lance　with　swimming　mottled　eyes；　that　seemed　a

piquant　incarnation　of　everything　suggestive　and　tantalizing；　and

said；



〃That's　telling。〃



They　had　by　this　time　reached　the　spot　where　they　were　to　separate。

〃Look；〃　said　Flip；　pointing　to　a　faint　deflection　of　their　path；

which　seemed；　however；　to　lose　itself　in　the　underbrush　a　dozen

yards　away；　〃ther's　your　trail。　　It　gets　plainer　and　broader　the

further　you　get　on；　but　you　must　use　your　eyes　here；　and　get　to

know　it　well　afore　you　get　into　the　fog。　　Good…by。〃



〃Good…by。〃　　Lance　took　her　hand　and　drew　her　beside　him。　　She　was

still　redolent　of　the　spices　of　the　thicket；　and　to　the　young　man's

excited　fancy　seemed　at　that　moment　to　personify　the　perfume　and

intoxication　of　her　native　woods。　　Half　laughingly；　half　earnestly；

he　tried　to　kiss　her；　she　struggled　for　some　time　strongly；　but　at

the　last　moment　yielded；　with　a　slight　return　and　the　exchange　of　a

subtle　fire　that　thrilled　him；　and　left　him　standing　confused　and

astounded　as　she　ran　away。　　He　watched　her　lithe；　nymph…like　figure

disappear　in　the　checkered　shadows　of　the　wood；　and　then　he　turned

briskly　down　the　half…hidden　trail。　　His　eyesight　was　keen；　he　made

good　progress；　and　was　soon　well　on　his　way　toward　the　distant

ridge。



But　Flip's　return　had　not　been　as　rapid。　　When　she　reached　the　wood

she　crept　to　its　beetling　verge；　and；　looking　across　the　canyon；

watched　Lance's　figure　as　it　vanished　and　reappeared　in　the　shadows

and　sinuosities　of　the　ascent。　　When　he　reached　the　ridge　the

outlying　fog　crept　across　the　summit；　caught　him　in　its　embrace；

and　wrapped　him　from　her　gaze。　　Flip　sighed；　raised　herself；　put

her　alternate　foot　on　a　stump；　and　took　a　long　pull　at　her　too…

brief　stockings。　　When　she　had　pulled　down　her　skirt　and　endeavored

once　more　to　renew　the　intimacy　that　had　existed　in　previous　years

between　the　edge　of　her　petticoat　and　the　top　of　her　stockings；　she

sighed　again；　and　went　home。





CHAPTER　III。





For　six　months　the　sea　fogs　monotonously　came　and　went　along　the

Monterey　coast；　for　six　months　they　beleaguered　the　Coast　Range

with　afternoon　sorties　of　white　hosts　that　regularly　swept　over　the

mountain　crest；　and　were　as　regularly　beaten　back　again　by　the

leveled　lances　of　the　morning　sun。　　For　six　months　that　white　veil

which　had　once　hidden　Lance　Harriott　in　its　folds　returned　without

him。　　For　that　amiable　outlaw　no　longer　needed　disguise　or　hiding…

place。　　The　swift　wave　of　pursuit　that　had　dashed　him　on　the　summit

had　fallen　back；　and　the　next　day　was　broken　and　scattered。　　Before

the　week　had　passed；　a　regular　judicial　inquiry　relieved　his　crime

of　premeditation；　and　showed　it　to　be　a　rude　duel　of　two　armed　and

equally　desperate　men。　　From　a　secure　vantage　in　a　seacoast　town

Lance　challenged　a　trial　by　his　peers；　and；　as　an　already　prejudged

man　escaping　from　his　executioners；　obtained　a　change　of　venue。

Regular　justice；　seated　by　the　calm　Pacific；　found　the　action　of　an

interior；　irregular　jury　rash　and　hasty。　　Lance　was　liberated　on

bail。



The　Postmaster　at　Fisher's　Crossing　had　just　received　the　weekly

mail　and　express　from　San　Francisco；　and　was　engaged　in　examining

it。　　It　consisted　of　five　letters　and　two　parcels。　　Of　these；　three

of　the　letters　and　the　two　parcels　were　directed　to　Flip。　　It　was

not　the　first　time　during　the　last　six　months　that　this　extraordinary

event　had　occurred；　and　the　curiosity　of　the　Crossing　was　duly

excited。　　As　Flip　had　never　called　personally　for　the　letters　o