lin mclean-第17章

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guess　if　he　knew　of　something　he　could　explode　to　stop　rain　he'd　let　her

fly！〃



〃No；　he　wouldn't；〃　said　I。　〃He'd　not　consider　that　honorable。〃



〃That's　so；〃　the　Governor　assented。　〃Jode'll　play　fair。〃



It　was　thus　we　had　come　to　look　at　our　enterprisea　game　between　a

well…established；　respectable　weather　bureau　and　an　upstart　charlatan。

And　it　was　the　charlatan　had　our　sympathyas　all　charlatans；　whether

religious；　military；　medical；　political；　or　what　not；　have　with　the

average　American。　We　met　him　at　the　station。　That　is；　Ogden；　McLean；　and

I；　and　the　Governor；　being　engaged；　sent　（unofficially）　his　secretary　and

the　requested　cart。　Lin　was　anxious　to　see　what　would　be　put　in　the　cart；

and　I　was　curious　about　how　a　rain…maker　would　look。　But　he　turned　out　an

unassuming；　quiet　man　in　blue　serge；　with　a　face　you　could　not　remember

afterwards；　and　a　few　civil；　ordinary　remarks。　He　even　said　it　was　a　hot

day；　as　if　he　had　no　relations　with　the　weather；　and　what　he　put　into　the

cart　were　only　two　packing…boxes　of　no　special　significance　to　the　eye。

He　desired　no　lodging　at　the　hotel；　but　to　sleep　with　his　apparatus　in

the　building　provided　for　him；　and　we　set　out　for　it　at　once。　It　was　an

untenanted　barn；　and　he　asked　that　he　and　his　assistant　might　cut　a　hole

in　the　roof；　upon　which　we　noticed　the　assistant　for　the　first　timea

tallish；　good…looking　young　man；　but　with　a　weak　mouth。　〃This　is　Mr。

Lusk；〃　said　the　rain…maker；　and　we　shook　hands；　Ogden　and　I　exchanging　a

glance。　Ourselves　and　the　cart　marched　up　Hill　Streetor　Capitol　Avenue；

as　it　has　become　named　since　Cheyenne　has　grown　fuller　of　pomp　and

emptier　of　prosperityand　I　thought　we　made　an　unusual　procession：　the

Governor's　secretary；　unofficially　leading　the　way　to　the　barn；　the　cart；

and　the　rain…maker　beside　it；　guarding　his　packed…up　mysteries；　McLean

and　Lusk；　walking　together　in　unconscious　bigamy；　and　in　the　rear；　Odgen

nudging　me　in　the　ribs。　That　it　was　the　correct　Lusk　we　had　with　us　I

felt　sure　from　his　incompetent；　healthy；　vacant　appearance；　strong…bodied

and　shiftlessthe　sort　of　man　to　weary　of　one　trade　and　another；　and

make　a　failure　of　wife　beating　between　whiles。　In　Twenty…fourth　Street

the　town's　uttermost　rimthe　Governor　met　us；　and　stared　at　Lusk。

〃Christopher！〃　was　his　single　observation；　but　he　never　forgets　a　face

cannot　afford　to；　now　that　he　is　in　politics；　and；　besides；　Lusk

remembered　him。　You　seldom　really　forget　a　man　to　whom　you　owe　ten

dollars。



〃So　you've　quit　hauling　poles？〃　said　the　Governor。



〃Nothing　in　it；　sir；〃　said　Lusk。



〃Is　there　any　objection　to　my　having　a　hole　in　the　roof？〃　asked　the

rain…maker；　for　this　the　secretary　had　been　unable　to　tell　him。



〃What！　going　to　throw　your　bombs　through　it？〃　said　the　Governor；　smiling

heartily。



But　the　rain…maker　explained　at　once　that　his　was　not　the　bomb　system；

but　a　method　attended　by　more　rain　and　less　disturbance。　〃Not　that　the

bomb　don't　produce　first…class　results　at　times　and　under　circumstances；〃

he　said；　〃but　it's　uncertain　and　costly。〃



The　Governor　hesitated　about　the　hole　in　the　roof；　which　Hilbrun　told　us

was　for　a　metal　pipe　to　conduct　his　generated　gases　into　the　air。　The

owner　of　the　barn　had　gone　to　Laramie。　However；　we　found　a　stove…pipe

hole；　which　saved　delay。　〃And　what　day　would　you　prefer　the　shower？〃　said

Hilbrun；　after　we　had　gone　over　our　contract　with　him。



〃Any　day　would　do；〃　the　Governor　said。



This　was　Thursday；　and　Sunday　was　chosen；　as　a　day　when　no　one　had

business　to　detain　him　from　witnessing　the　showerthough　it　seemed　to　me

that　on　week…days；　too；　business　in　Cheyenne　was　not　so　inexorable　as

this。　We　gave　the　strangers　some　information　about　the　town；　and　left

them。　The　sun　went　away　in　a　cloudless　sky；　and　came　so　again　when　the

stars　had　finished　their　untarnished　shining。　Friday　was　clear　and　dry

and　hot；　like　the　dynasty　of　blazing　days　that　had　gone　before。



I　saw　a　sorry　spectacle　in　the　streetthe　bridegroom　and　the　bride

shopping　together；　or；　rather；　he　with　his　wad　of　bills　was　obediently

paying　for　what　she　bought；　and　when　I　met　them　he　was　carrying　a　scarlet

parasol　and　a　bonnet…box。　His　biscuit…shooter；　with　the　lust　of　purchase

on　her；　was　brilliantly　dressed；　and　pervaded　the　street　with　splendor；

like　an　escaped　parrot。　Lin　walked　beside　her；　but　it　might　as　well　have

been　behind；　and　his　bearing　was　so　different　from　his　wonted

happy…go…luckiness　that　I　had　a　mind　to　take　off　my　hat　and　say；

〃Good…morning；　Mrs。　Lusk。〃　But　it　was　〃Mrs。　McLean　〃I　said；　of　course。

She　gave　me　a　remote；　imperious　nod；　and　said；　〃Come　on；　Lin；〃　something

like　a　cross　nurse；　while　he；　out　of　sheer　decency；　made　her　a

good…humored；　jocular　answer；　and　said　to　me；　〃It　takes　a　woman　to　know

what　to　buy　for　house…keepin；〃；　which　poor　piece　of　hypocrisy　endeared

him　to　me　more　than　ever。　The　puncher　was　not　of　the　fibre　to　succeed　in

keeping　appearances；　but　he　deserved　success；　which　the　angels　consider

to　be　enough。　I　wondered　if　disenchantment　had　set　in；　or　if　this　were

only　the　preliminary　stage　of　surprise　and　wounding；　and　I　felt　that　but

one　test　could　show；　namely；　a　coming　face　to　face　of　Mr。　and　Mrs。　Lusk；

perhaps　not　to　be　desired。　Neither　was　it　likely。　The　assistant

rain…maker　kept　himself　steadfastly　inside　or　near　the　barn；　at　the　north

corner　of　Cheyenne；　while　the　bride；　when　she　was　in　the　street　at　all；

haunted　the　shops　clear　across　town　diagonally。



On　this　Friday　noon　the　appearance　of　the　metal　tube　above　the　blind

building　spread　some　excitement。　It　moved　several　of　the　citizens　to　pay

the　place　a　visit　and　ask　to　see　the　machine。　These　callers；　of　course；

sustained　a　polite　refusal；　and　returned　among　their　friends　with　a

contempt　for　such　quackery；　and　a　greatly　heightened　curiosity；　so　that

pretty　soon　you　could　hear　discussions　at　the　street　corners；　and　by

Saturday　morning　Cheyenne　was　talking　of　little　else。　The　town　prowled

about　the　barn　and　its　oracular　metal　tube；　and　heard　and　saw　nothing。

The　Governor　and　I　（let　it　be　confessed）　went　there　ourselves；　since　the

twenty…four　hours　of　required　preparation　were　now　begun。　We　smelled　for

chemicals；　and　he　thought　there　was　a　something；　but　having　been　bred　a

doctor；　distrusted　his　imagination。　I　could　not　be　sure　myself　whether

there　was　anything　or　not；　although　I　walked　three　times　round　the　barn；

snuffing　as　dispassionately　as　I　knew　how。　It　might　possibly　be　chlorine；

the　Governor　said；　or　some　gas　for　which　ammonia　was　in　part　responsible；

and　this　was　all　he　could　say；　and　we　left　the　place。　The　world　was　as

still　and　the　hard；　sharp　hills　as　clear　and　near　as　ever；　and　the　sky

over　Sahara　is　not　more　dry　and　enduring　than　was　ours。　This　tenacity　in

the　elements　plainly　gave　Jode　a　malicious　official　pleasure。　We　could

tell　it　by　his　talk　at　lunch；　and　when　the　Governor　reminded　him　that　no

rain　was　contracted　for　until　the　next　day；　he　mentioned　that　the

approach　of　a　storm　is　something　that　modern　science　is　able　to　ascertain

long　in　advance；　and　he　bade　us　come　to　his　office　whenever　we　pleased；

and　see　for　ourselves　what　science　said。　This　was；　at　any　rate；　something

to　fill　the　afternoon　with；　and　we　went　to　him　about　five。　Lin　McLean

joined　us　on　the　way。　I　came　upon　him　lingering　alone　in　the　street；　and

he　told　me　that　Mrs。　McLean　was　calling　on　friends。　I　saw　that　he　did　not

know　how　to　spend　the　short　recess　or　holiday　he　was　having。　He　seemed　to

cling　to　the　society　of　others；　and　with　them　for　the　time　regain　his

gayer　mind。　He　had　become　converted　to　Ogden；　and　the　New…Yorker；　on　his

side；　found　pleasant　and　refreshing　this　democracy　of　Governors　and

cow…punchers。　Jode　received　us　at　the　signal…service　office；　and　began　to

show　us　his　instruments　with　the　careful　pride　of　an　orchid…collector。



〃A　hair　hygrometer；〃　he　said　to　me；　waving　his　wax…like　hand　over　it。

〃The　indications　are　obtaine