lin mclean-第12章

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therefore；　without　any　mention　of　the　Taylors　or　Miss　Peck。　I　was

puzzled。　Never　had　I　seen　him　thus　disconcerted　by　woman。　With　him　woman

had　been　a　transient　disturbance。　I　had　witnessed　a　series　of　flighty

romances；　where　the　cow…puncher　had　come；　seen；　often　conquered；　and

moved　on。　Nor　had　his　affairs　been　of　the　sort　to　teach　a　young　man

respect。　I　am　putting　it　rather　mildly。



For　the　first　part　of　our　way　this　afternoon　he　was　moody；　and　after　that

began　to　speak　with　appalling　wisdom　about　life。　Life；　he　said；　was　a

serious　matter。　Did　I　realize　that？　A　man　was　liable　to　forget　it。　A　man

was　liable　to　go　sporting　and　helling　around　till　he　waked　up　some　day

and　found　all　his　best　pleasures　had　become　just　a　business。　No　interest；

no　surprise；　no　novelty　left；　and　no　cash　in　the　bank。　Shorty　owed　him

fifty　dollars。　Shorty　would　be　able　to　pay　that　after　the　round…up；　and

he；　Lin；　would　get　his　time　and　rustle　altogether　some　five　hundred

dollars。　Then　there　was　his　homestead　claim　on　Box　Elder；　and　the

surveyors　were　coming　in　this　fall。　No　better　location　for　a　home　in　this

country　than　Box　Elder。　Wood；　water；　fine　land。　All　it　needed　was　a　house

and　ditches　and　buildings　and　fences；　and　to　be　planted　with　crops。　Such

chances　and　considerations　should　sober　a　man　and　make　him　careful　what

he　did。　〃I'd　take　in　Cheyenne　on　our　wedding…trip；　and　after　that　I'd

settle　right　down　to　improving　Box　Elder；〃　concluded　Mr。　McLean；

suddenly。



His　real　intentions　flashed　upon　me　for　the　first　time。　I　had　not

remotely　imagined　such　a　step。



〃Marry　her！〃　I　screeched　in　dismay。　〃Marry　her！〃



I　don't　know　which　word　was　the　worse　to　emphasize　at　such　a　moment；　but

I　emphasized　both　thoroughly。



〃I　didn't　expect　yu'd　act　that　way；〃　said　the　lover。　He　dropped　behind　me

fifty　yards　and　spoke　no　more。



Not　at　once　did　I　beg　his　pardon　for　the　brutality　I　had　been　surprised

into。　It　is　one　of　those　speeches　that；　once　said；　is　said　forever。



But　it　was　not　that　which　withheld　me。　As　I　thought　of　the　tone　in　which

my　friend　had　replied；　it　seemed　to　me　sullen；　rather　than　deeply　angry

or　woundedresentment　at　my　opinion　not　of　her　character　so　much　as　of

his　choice！　Then　I　began　to　be　sorry　for　the　fool；　and　schemed　for　a

while　how　to　intervene。　But　have　you　ever　tried　intervention？　I　soon

abandoned　the　idea；　and　took　a　way　to　be　forgiven；　and　to　learn　more。



〃Lin；〃　I　began；　slowing　my　horse；　〃you　must　not　think　about　what　I　said。〃



〃I'm　thinkin'　of　pleasanter　subjects；〃　said　he；　and　slowed　his　own　horse。



〃Oh；　look　here！〃　I　exclaimed。



〃Well？〃　said　he。　He　allowed　his　horse　to　come　within　about　ten　yards。



〃Astonishment　makes　a　man　say　anything；〃　I　proceeded。　〃And　I'll　say　again

you're　too　good　for　herand　I'll　say　I　don't　generally　believe　in　the

wife　being　older　than　the　husband。〃



〃What's　two　years？〃　said　Lin。



I　was　near　screeching　out　again；　but　saved　myself。　He　was　not　quite

twenty…five；　and　I　remembered　Mrs。　Taylor's　unprejudiced　computation　of

the　biscuit…shooter's　years。　It　is　a　lady's　prerogative；　however；　to

estimate　her　own　age。



〃She　had　her　twenty…seventh　birthday　last　month；〃　said　Lin；　with

sentiment；　bringing　his　horse　entirely　abreast　of　mine。　〃I　promised　her　a

bear…skin。〃



〃Yes；〃　said　I；　〃I　heard　about　that　in　Buffalo。〃



Lin's　face　grew　dusky　with　anger。　〃No　doubt　yu'　heard　about　it；〃　said

he。　〃I　don't　guess　yu'　heard　much　about　anything　else。　I　ain't　told　the

truth　to　any　of　'embut　her。〃　He　looked　at　me　with　a　certain　hesitation。

〃I　think　I　will；〃　he　continued。　〃I　don't　mind　tellin'　you。〃



He　began　to　speak　in　a　strictly　business　tone；　while　he　evened　the　coils

of　rope　that　hung　on　his　saddle。



〃She　had　spoke　to　me　about　her　birthday；　and　I　had　spoke　to　her　about

something　to　give　her。　I　had　offered　to　buy　her　in　town　whatever　she

named；　and　I　was　figuring　to　borrow　from　Taylor。　But　she　fancied　the

notion　of　a　bear…skin。　I　had　mentioned　about　some　cubs。　I　had　found　the

cubs　where　the　she…bear　had　them　cached　by　the　foot　of　a　big　boulder　in

the　range　over　Ten　Sleep；　and　I　put　back　the　leaves　and　stuff　on　top　o'

them　little　things　as　near　as　I　could　the　way　I　found　them；　so　that　the

bear　would　not　suspicion　me。　For　I　was　aiming　to　get　her。　And　Miss　Peck；

she　sure　wanted　the　hide　for　her　birthday。　So　I　went　back。　The　she…bear

was　off；　and　I　crumb　up　inside　the　rock；　and　I　waited　a　turruble　long

spell　till　the　sun　travelled　clean　around　the　canyon。　Mrs。　Bear　come　home

though；　a　big　cinnamon；　and　I　raised　my　gun；　but　laid　it　down　to　see　what

she'd　do。　She　scrapes　around　and　snuffs；　and　the　cubs　start　whining；　and

she　talks　back　to　'em。　Next　she　sits　up　awful　big；　and　lifts　up　a　cub　and

holds　it　to　her　close　with　both　her　paws；　same　as　a　person。　And　she

rubbed　her　ear　agin　the　cub；　and　the　cub　sort　o'　nipped　her；　and　she

cuffed　the　cub；　and　the　other　cub　came　toddlin'；　and　away　they　starts

rolling　all　three　of　'em！　I　watched　that　for　a　long　while。　That　big　thing

just　nursed　and　played　with　them　little　cubs；　beatin'　em　for　a　change

onced　in　a　while；　and　talkin'；　and　onced　in　a　while　she'd　sit　up　solemn

and　look　all　around　so　life…like　that　I　near　busted。　Why；　how　was　I　goin'

to　spoil　that？　So　I　come　away；　very　quiet；　you　bet！　for　I'd　have　hated　to

have　Mrs。　Bear　notice　me。　Miss　Peck；　she　laughed。　She　claimed　I　was

scared　to　shoot。〃



〃After　you　had　told　her　why　it　was？〃　said　I。



〃Before　and　after。　I　didn't　tell　her　first；　because　I　felt　kind　of

foolish。　Then　Tommy　went　and　he　killed　the　bear　all　right；　and　she　has

the　skin　now。　Of　course　the　boys　joshed　me　a　heap　about　gettin'　beat　by

Tommy。〃



〃But　since　she　has　taken　you？〃　said　I。



〃She　ain't　said　it。　But　she　will　when　she　understands　Tommy。〃



I　fancied　that　the　lady　understood。　The　once　I　had　seen　her　she　appeared

to　me　as　what　might　be　termed　an　expert　in　men；　and　one　to　understand

also　the　reality　of　Tommy's　ranch　and　allowance；　and　how　greatly　these

differed　from　Box　Elder。　Probably　the　one　thing　she　could　not　understand

was　why　Lin　spared　the　mother　and　her　cubs。　A　deserted　home　in　Dubuque；　a

career　in　a　railroad　eating…house；　a　somewhat　vague　past；　and　a　present

lacking　contextindeed；　I　hoped　with　all　my　heart　that　Tommy　would　win！



〃Lin；〃　said　I；　〃I'm　backing　him。〃



〃Back　away！〃　said　he。　〃Tommy　can　please　a　womanhim　and　his　blue　eyes

but　he　don't　savvy　how　to　make　a　woman　want　him；　not　any　better　than　he

knows　about　killin'　Injuns。〃



〃Did　you　hear　about　the　Crows？〃　said　I。



〃About　young　bucks　going　on　the　war…path？　Shucks！　That's　put　up　by　the

papers　of　this　section。　They're　aimin'　to　get　Uncle　Sam　to　order　his

troops　out；　and　then　folks　can　sell　hay　and　stuff　to　'em。　If　Tommy

believed　any　Crows〃　he　stopped；　and　suddenly　slapped　his　leg。



〃What's　the　matter　now？〃　I　asked。



〃Oh；　nothing。〃　He　took　to　singing；　and　his　face　grew　roguish　to　its　full

extent。　〃What　made　yu'　say　that　to　me？〃　he　asked；　presently。



〃Say　what？〃



〃About　marrying。　Yu'　don't　think　I'd　better。〃



〃I　don't。〃



〃Onced　in　a　while　yu'　tell　me　I'm　flighty。　Well；　I　am。　Whoop…ya！〃



〃Colts　ought　not　to　marry；〃　said　I。



〃Sure！〃　said　he。　And　it　was　not　until　we　came　in　sight　of　the　Virginian's

black　horse　tied　in　front　of　Miss　Wood's　cabin　next　the　Taylors'　that　Lin

changed　the　lively　course　of　thought　that　was　evidently　filling　his　mind。



〃Tell　yu'；〃　said　he；　touching　my　arm　confidentially　and　pointing　to　the

black　horse；　〃for　all　her　Vermont　refinement　she's　a　woman　just　the　same。

She　likes　him　dangling　round　her　so　earnesthim　that　no　body　ever　saw

dangle　before。　And　he　has　quit　spreein'　with　the　boys。　And　what　does　he

get　by　it？　I　am　glad　I　was　not　raised　good　enough　to　appreciate　the　Miss

Woods　of　this　world；〃　he　added；　defiantly〃except　at　long　range。〃



At　the　Taylors'　cabin　we　found　Miss　Wood　sitting　with　her　admirer；　and

Tommy　from　Riversi