lin mclean-第14章

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nights　ago。〃



〃It　ain't！〃　cried　Tommy。



〃Why；　of　course　it　ain't；〃　drawled　the　ingenious　Lin。　〃But　that's　what　I

say。　You　and　I　know　Ten　Sleep's　all　right；　but　we　can't　report　from　our

own　knowledge　seeing　it　all　right；　and　there　it　is。　They　get　these

nervous　notions。〃



〃Just　don't　appear　to　make　anything　special　of　not　going　back　to

Riverside；〃　repeated　Taylor；　〃but〃



〃But　just　kind　of　stay　here；〃　said　Lin。



〃I　will！〃　exclaimed　Tommy。　〃Of　course；　I'm　glad　to　oblige。〃



I　suppose　I　was　slow…sighted。　All　this　pains　seemed　to　me　larger　than　its

results。　They　had　imposed　upon　Tommy；　yes。　But　what　of　that？　He　was　to　be

kept　from　going　back　to　Riverside　until　morning。　Unless　they　proposed　to

visit　his　empty　cabin　and　play　tricksbut　that　would　be　too　childish；

even　for　Lin　McLean；　to　say　nothing　of　the　Virginian；　his　occasional

partner　in　mischief。



〃In　spite　of　the　Crows；〃　I　satirically　told　the　ladies；　〃I　shall　sleep

outside；　as　I　intended。　I've　no　use　for　houses　at　this　season。〃



The　cinches　of　the　horses　were　tightened；　Lin　and　the　Virginian　laid　a

hand　on　their　saddle…horns；　swung　up；　and　soon　all　sound　of　the　galloping

horses　had　ceased。　Molly　Wood　declined　to　be　nervous　and　crossed　to　her

little　neighbor　cabin；　we　all　parted；　and　（as　always　in　that　blessed

country）　deep　sleep　quickly　came　to　me。



I　don't　know　how　long　after　it　was　that　I　sprang　from　my　blankets　in

half…doubting　fright。　But　I　had　dreamed　nothing。　A　second　long；　wild　yell

now　gave　me　（I　must　own　to　it）　a　horrible　chill。　I　had　no　pistol

nothing。　In　the　hateful　brightness　of　the　moon　my　single　thought　was

〃House！　House！〃　and　I　fled　across　the　lane　in　my　underclothes　to　the

cabin；　when　round　the　corner　whirled　the　two　cow…punchers；　and　I

understood。　I　saw　the　Virginian　catch　sight　of　me　in　my　shirt；　and　saw

his　teeth　as　he　smiled。　I　hastened　to　my　blankets；　and　returned　more

decent　to　stand　and　watch　the　two　go　shooting　and　yelling　round　the

cabin；　crazy　with　their　youth。　The　door　was　opened；　and　Taylor

courageously　emerged；　bearing　a　Winchester。　He　fired　at　the　sky

immediately。



〃B'　gosh！〃　he　roared。　〃That's　one。〃　He　fired　again。　〃Out　and　at　'em。

They're　running。〃



At　this；　duly　came　Mrs。　Taylor　in　white　with　a　pistol；　and　Miss　Peck　in

white；　staring　and　stolid。　But　no　Tommy。　Noise　prevailed　without；　shots

by　the　stable　and　shots　by　the　creek。　The　two　cow…punchers　dismounted　and

joined　Taylor。　Maniac　delight　seized　me；　and　I；　too；　rushed　about　with

them；　helping　the　din。



〃Oh；　Mr。　Taylor！〃　said　a　voice。　〃I　didn't　think　it　of　you。〃　It　was　Molly

Wood；　come　from　her　cabin；　very　pretty　in　a　hood…and…cloak　arrangement。

She　stood　by　the　fence；　laughing；　but　more　at　us　than　with　us。



〃Stop；　friends！〃　said　Taylor；　gasping。　〃She　teaches　my　Bobbie　his　A　B　C。

I'd　hate　to　have　Bobbie〃



〃Speak　to　your　papa；〃　said　Molly；　and　held　her　scholar　up　on　the　fence。



〃Well；　I'll　be　gol…darned；〃　said　Taylor；　surveying　his　costume；　〃if　Lin

McLean　hasn't　made　a　fool　of　me　to…night！〃



〃Where　has　Tommy　got？〃　said　Mrs。　Taylor。



〃Didn't　yus　see　him？〃　said　the　biscuit…shooter　speaking　her　first　word　in

all　this。



We　followed　her　into　the　kitchen。　The　table　was　covered　with　tin　plates。

Beneath　it；　wedged　knelt　Tommy　with　a　pistol　firm　in　his　hand；　but　the

plates　were　rattling　up　and　down　like　castanets。



There　was　a　silence　among　us；　and　I　wondered　what　we　were　going　to　do。



〃Well；〃　murmured　the　Virginian　to　himself；　〃if　I　could　have　foresaw；　I'd

notit　makes　yu'　feel　humiliated　yu'self。〃



He　marched　out；　got　on　his　horse；　and　rode　away。　Lin　followed　him；　but

perhaps　less　penitently。　We　all　dispersed　without　saying　anything；　and

presently　from　my　blankets　I　saw　poor　Tommy　come　out　of　the　silent　cabin；

mount；　and　slowly；　very　slowly；　ride　away。　He　would　spend　the　night　at

Riverside；　after　all。



Of　course　we　recovered　from　our　unexpected　shame；　and　the　tale　of　the

table　and　the　dancing　plates　was　not　told　as　a　sad　one。　But　it　is　a　sad

one　when　you　think　of　it。



I　was　not　there　to　see　Lin　get　his　bride。　I　learned　from　the　Virginian

how　the　victorious　puncher　had　ridden　away　across　the　sunny　sagebrush；

bearing　the　biscuit…shooter　with　him　to　the　nearest　justice　of　the　peace。

She　was　astride　the　horse　he　had　brought　for　her。



〃Yes；　he　beat　Tommy；〃　said　the　Virginian。　〃Some　folks；　anyway；　get　what

they　want　in　this　hyeh　world。〃



From　which　I　inferred　that　Miss　Molly　Wood　was　harder　to　beat　than　Tommy。







LIN　McLEAN'S　HONEY…MOON



Rain　had　not　fallen　for　some　sixty　days；　and　for　some　sixty　more　there

was　no　necessity　that　it　should　fall。　It　is　spells　of　weather　like　this

that　set　the　Western　editor　writing　praise　and　prophecy　of　the　boundless

fertility　of　the　soilwhen　irrigated；　and　of　what　an　Eden　it　can　be

madewith　irrigation；　but　the　spells　annoy　the　people　who　are　trying　to

raise　the　Eden。　We　always　told　the　transient　Eastern　visitor；　when　he

arrived　at　Cheyenne　and　criticised　the　desert；　that　anything　would　grow

herewith　irrigation；　and　sometimes　he　replied；　unsympathetically；　that

anything　could　flywith　wings。　Then　we　would　lead　such　a　man　out　and

show　him　six；　eight；　ten　square　miles　of　green　crops；　and　he；　if　he　was

thoroughly　nasty；　would　mention　that　Wyoming　contained　ninety…five

thousand　square　miles；　all　waiting　for　irrigation　and　Eden。　One　of　these

Eastern　supercivilized　hostiles　from　New　York　was　breakfasting　with　the

Governor　and　me　at　the　Cheyenne　Club；　and　we　were　explaining　to　him　the

glorious　future；　the　coming　empire；　of　the　Western　country。　Now　the

Governor　was　about　thirty…two；　and　until　twenty…five　had　never　gone　West

far　enough　to　see　over　the　top　of　the　Alleghany　Mountains。　I　was　not　a

pioneer　myself；　and　why　both　of　us　should　have　pitied　the　New…Yorker's

narrowness　so　hard　I　cannot　see。　But　we　did。　We　spoke　to　him　of　the　size

of　the　country。　We　told　him　that　his　State　could　rattle　round　inside

Wyoming's　stomach　without　any　inconvenience　to　Wyoming；　and　he　told　us

that　this　was　because　Wyoming's　stomach　was　empty。　Altogether　I　began　to

feel　almost　sorry　that　I　had　asked　him　to　come　out　for　a　hunt；　and　had

travelled　in　haste　all　the　way　from　Bear　Creek　to　Cheyenne　expressly　to

meet　him。



〃For　purposes　of　amusement；〃　he　said；　〃I'll　admit　anything　you　claim　for

this　place。　Ranches；　cowboys；　elk；　it's　all　splendid。　Only；　as　an

investment　I　prefer　the　East。　Am　I　to　see　any　cowboys？〃



〃You　shall；〃　I　said；　and　I　distinctly　hoped　some　of　them　might　do

something　to　him　〃for　purposes　of　amusement。〃



〃You　fellows　come　up　with　me　to　my　office；〃　said　the　Governor。　〃I'll　look

at　my　mail；　and　show　you　round。〃　So　we　went　with　him　through　the　heat　and

sun。



〃What's　that？〃　inquired　the　New…Yorker；　whom　I　shall　call　James　Ogden。



〃That　is　our　park；〃　said　I。　〃Of　course　it's　merely　in　embryo。　It's

wonderful　how　quickly　any　shade　tree　will　grow　here　wi〃　I　checked

myself。



But　Ogden　said　〃with　irrigation〃　for　me；　and　I　was　entirely　sorry　he　had

come。



We　reached　the　Governor's　office；　and　sat　down　while　he　looked　his

letters　over。



〃Here　you　are；　Ogden；〃　said　he。　〃Here's　the　way　we　hump　ahead　out　here。〃

And　he　read　us　the　following：



　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　〃MAGAW；　KANSAS；　July　5；　188



〃Hon。　Amory　W。　Baker：



〃Sir；Understanding　that　your　district　is　suffering　from　a　prolonged

drought；　I　write　to　say　that　for　necessary　expenses　paid　I　will　be　glad

to　furnish　you　with　a　reasonably　shower。　I　have　operated　successfully　in

Australia；　Mexico；　and　several　States　of　the　Union；　and　am　anxious　to

exhibit　my　system。　If　your　Legislature　will　appropriate　a　sum　to　cover；

as　I　said；　merely　my　necessary　expensessay　350　（three　hundred　and

fifty　dollars）for　half　an　inch　I　will　guarantee　you　that　quantity　of

rain　or　forfeit　the　money。　If　I　fail　to　give　you　the　smallest　fraction　of

the　amount　contracted　for；　there　is　to　be　no　pay