lin mclean-第22章

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persons。　He　had　patients；　too；　whose　inveterate　pennilessness　he　could

swear　cheerfully　to〃since　you　want　to　bolt　from　your　own　money；〃　he

remarked。



〃Yes；　I'm　a　green　horse；〃　assented　Mr。　McLean；　gallantly；　〃ain't　used　to

the　looks　of　a　twenty…dollar　bill；　and　I　shy　at　'em。〃



From　his　facethat　jocular　maskone　might　have　counted　him　the　most

serene　and　careless　　of　vagrants；　and　in　his　words　only　the　ordinary

voice　of　banter　spoke　to　the　Governor。　A　good　woman；　it　may　well　be；

would　have　guessed　before　this　the　sensitive　soul　in　the　blundering　body；

but　Barker　saw　just　the　familiar；　whimsical；　happy…go…lucky　McLean　of　old

days；　and　so　he　went　gayly　and　innocently　on；　treading　upon　holy　ground。

〃I've　got　it！〃　he　exclaimed；　〃give　your　wife　something。〃



The　ruddy　cow…puncher　grinned。　He　had　passed　through　the　world　of　woman

with　but　few　delays；　rejoicing　in　informal　and　transient　entanglements；

and　he　welcomed　the　turn　which　the　conversation　seemed　now　to　be　taking。

〃If　you'll　give　me　her　name　and　address；〃　said　he；　with　the　future

entirely　in　his　mind。



〃Why；　Laramie！〃　and　the　Governor　feigned　surprise。



〃Say；　Doc；〃　said　Lin；　uneasily；　〃none　of　'em　ain't　married　me　since　I　saw

yu'　last。〃



〃Then　she　hasn't　written　from　Laramie；〃　said　the　hilarious　Governor；　and

Mr。　McLean　understood　and　winced　in　his　spirit　deep　down。　〃Gee　whiz！〃

went　on　Barker；　〃I'll　never　forget　you　and　Lusk　that　day！〃



But　the　mask　fell　now。　〃You're　talking　of　his　wife；　not　mine；〃　said　the

cow…puncher　very　quietly；　and　smiling　no　more；　〃and；　Doc；　I'm　going　to

say　a　word　to　yu'；　for　I　know　yu've　always　been　my　good　friend。　I'll

never　forget　that　day　myselfbut　I　don't　want　to　be　reminded　of　it。〃



〃I'm　a　fool；　Lin；〃　said　the　Governor；　generous　instantly。　〃I　never

supposed〃



〃I　know　yu'　didn't；　Doc。　It　ain't　you　that's　the　fool。　And　in　a　wayin　a

way〃　Lin's　speech　ended　among　his　crowding　memories；　and　Barker；　seeing

how　wistful　his　face　had　turned；　waited。　〃But　I　ain't　quite　the　same　fool

I　was　before　that　happened　to　me；〃　the　cow…puncher　resumed；　〃though　maybe

my　actions　don't　show　to　be　wiser。　I　know　that　there　was　better　luck　than

a　man　like　me　had　any　call　to　look　for。〃



The　sobered　Barker　said；　simply；　〃Yes；　Lin。〃　He　was　put　to　thinking　by

these　words　from　the　unsuspected　inner　man。



Out　in　the　Bow　Leg　country　Lin　McLean　had　met　a　woman　with　thick；　red

cheeks；　calling　herself　by　a　maiden　name；　and　this　was　his　whole

knowledge　of　her　when　he　put　her　one　morning　astride　a　Mexican　saddle　and

took　her　fifty　miles　to　a　magistrate　and　made　her　his　lawful　wife　to　the

best　of　his　ability　and　belief。　His　sage…brush　intimates　were　confident

he　would　never　have　done　it　but　for　a　rival。　Racing　the　rival　and　beating

him　had　swept　Mr。　McLean　past　his　own　intentions；　and　the　marriage　was　an

inadvertence。　〃He　jest　bumped　into　it　before　he　could　pull　up；〃　they

explained；　and　this　casualty；　resulting　from　Mr。　McLean's　sporting　blood；

had　entertained　several　hundred　square　miles　of　alkali。　For　the　new…made

husband　the　joke　soon　died。　In　the　immediate　weeks　that　came　upon　him　he

tasted　a　bitterness　worse　than　in　all　his　life　before；　and　learned　also

how　deep　the　woman；　when　once　she　begins；　can　sink　beneath　the　man　in

baseness。　That　was　a　knowledge　of　which　he　had　lived　innocent　until　this

time。　But　he　carried　his　outward　self　serenely；　so　that　citizens　in

Cheyenne　who　saw　the　cow…puncher　with　his　bride　argued　shrewdly　that　men

of　that　sort　liked　women　of　that　sort；　and　before　the　strain　had　broken

his　endurance　an　unexpected　first　husband；　named　Lusk；　had　appeared　one

Sunday　in　the　street；　prosperous；　forgiving；　and　exceedingly　drunk。　To

the　arms　of　Lusk　she　went　back　in　the　public　street；　deserting　McLean　in

the　presence　of　Cheyenne；　and　when　Cheyenne　saw　this；　and　learned　how　she

had　been　Mrs。　Lusk　for　eight　long；　if　intermittent；　years；　Cheyenne

laughed　loudly。　Lin　McLean　laughed；　too；　and　went　about　his　business；

ready　to　swagger　at　the　necessary　moment；　and　with　the　necessary　kind　of

joke　always　ready　to　shield　his　hurt　spirit。　And　soon；　of　course；　the

matter　grew　stale；　seldom　raked　up　in　the　Bow　Leg　country　where　Lin　had

been　at　work；　so　lately　he　had　begun　to　remember　other　things　beside　the

smouldering　humiliation。



〃Is　she　with　him？〃　he　asked　Barker；　and　musingly　listened　while　Barker

told　him。　The　Governor　had　thought　to　make　it　a　racy　story；　with　the

moral　that　the　joke　was　now　on　Lusk；　but　that　inner　man　had　spoken　and

revealed　the　cow…puncher　to　him　in　a　new　and　complicated　light；　hence　he

quieted　the　proposed　lively　cadence　and　vocabulary　of　his　anecdote　about

the　house　of　Lusk；　but　instead　of　narrating　how　Mrs。　beat　Mr。　on　Mondays；

Wednesdays；　and　Fridays；　and　Mr。　took　his　turn　the　odd　days；　thus　getting

one　ahead　of　his　lady；　while　the　kid　Lusk　had　outlined　his　opinion　of　the

family　by　recently　skipping　to　parts　unknown；　Barker　detailed　these

incidents　more　gravely；　adding　that　Laramie　believed　Mrs。　Lusk　addicted

to　opium。



〃I　don't　guess　I'll　leave　my　card　on　'em；〃　said　McLean；　grimly；　〃if　I

strike　Laramie。〃



〃You　don't　mind　my　saying　I　think　you're　well　out　of　that　scrape？〃　Barker

ventured。



〃Shucks；　no！　That's　all　right；　Doc。　Onlyyu'　see　now。　A　man　gets　tired

pretendingonced　in　a　while。〃



Time　had　gone　while　they　were　in　talk；　and　it　was　now　half　after　one　and

Mr。　McLean　late　for　that　long…plotted　first　square　meal。　So　the　friends

shook　hands；　wishing　each　other　Merry　Christmas；　and　the　cow…puncher

hastened　toward　his　chosen　companions　through　the　stirring　cheerfulness

of　the　season。　His　play…hour　had　made　a　dull　beginning　among　the　toys。　He

had　come　upon　people　engaged　in　a　pleasant　game；　and　waited；　shy　and　well

disposed；　for　some　bidding　to　join；　but　they　had　gone　on　playing　with

each　other　and　left　him　out。　And　now　he　went　along　in　a　sort　of　hurry　to

escape　from　that　loneliness　where　his　human　promptings　had　been　lodged

with　him　useless。　Here　was　Cheyenne；　full　of　holiday　for　sale；　and　he

with　his　pockets　full　of　money　to　buy；　and　when　he　thought　of　Shorty；　and

Chalkeye；　and　Dollar　Bill；　those　dandies　to　hit　a　town　with；　he　stepped

out　with　a　brisk；　false　hope。　It　was　with　a　mental　hurrah　and　a　foretaste

of　a　good　time　coming　that　he　put　on　his　town　clothes；　after　shaving　and

admiring　himself；　and　sat　down　to　the　square　meal。　He　ate　away　and　drank

with　a　robust　imitation　of　enjoyment　that　took　in　even　himself　at　first。

But　the　sorrowful　process　of　his　spirit　went　on；　for　all　he　could　do。　As

he　groped　for　the　contentment　which　he　saw　around　him　he　began　to　receive

the　jokes　with　counterfeit　mirth。　Memories　took　the　place　of

anticipation；　and　through　their　moody　shiftings　he　began　to　feel　a

distaste　for　the　company　of　his　friends　and　a　shrinking　from　their　lively

voices。　He　blamed　them　for　this　at　once。　He　was　surprised　to　think　he　had

never　recognized　before　how　light　a　weight　was　Shorty；　and　here　was

Chalkeye；　who　knew　better；　talking　religion　after　two　glasses。　Presently

this　attack　of　noticing　his　friends'　shortcomings　mastered　him；　and　his

mind；　according　to　its　wont；　changed　at　a　stroke。　〃I'm　celebrating　no

Christmas　with　this　crowd；〃　said　the　inner　man；　and　when　they　had　next

remembered　Lin　McLean　in　their　hilarity　he　was　gone。



Governor　Barker；　finishing　his　purchases　at　half…past　three；　went　to　meet

a　friend　come　from　Evanston。　Mr。　McLean　was　at　the　railway　station；

buying　a　ticket　for　Denver。



〃Denver！〃　exclaimed　the　amazed　Governor。



〃That's　what　I　said；〃　stated　Mr。　McLean；　doggedly。



〃Gee　whiz！〃　went　his　Excellency。　〃What　are　you　going　to　do　there？〃



〃Get　good　and　drunk。〃



〃Can't　you　find　enough　whiskey　in　Cheyenne？〃



〃I'm　drinking　champagne　this　trip。〃



The　cow…puncher　went　out　on　the　platform　and　got　aboard；　and　the　train

moved　off。　Barker　had　walked　out　too　in　his　surprise；　and　as　he　stared

after　the　last　car；　Mr。　McLean