lin mclean-第30章

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living？



And　yet　it　was　not　this　merely　that　began　the　custom；　but　an　error　of　the

agent's。　The　new　station　was　scarce　created　when　one　morning　Honey　Wiggin

with　the　Virginian　had　galloped　innocently　in　from　the　round…up　to

telegraph　for　some　additional　cars。



〃I'm　dead　on　to　you！〃　squealed　the　official；　dropping　flat　at　the　sight

of　them；　and　bang　went　his　gun　at　them。　They；　most　naturally；　thought　it

was　a　maniac；　and　ran　for　their　lives　among　the　supports　of　the

water…tank；　while　he　remained　anchored　with　his　weapon；　crouched　behind

the　railing　that　fenced　him　and　his　apparatus　from　the　laity；　and　some

fifteen　strategic　minutes　passed　before　all　parties　had　crawled　forth　to

an　understanding；　and　the　message　was　written　and　paid　for　and

comfortably　despatched。　The　agent　was　an　honest　creature；　but　of　tame

habits；　sent　for　the　sake　of　his　imperfect　lungs　to　this　otherwise

inappropriate　air。　He　had　lived　chiefly　in　mid…West　towns；　a　serious

reader　of　our　comic　weeklies；　hence　the　apparition　of　Wiggin　and　the

Virginian　had　reminded　him　sickeningly　of　bandits。　He　had　express　money

in　the　safe；　he　explained　to　them；　and　this　was　a　hard　old　country；

wasn't　it？　and　did　they　like　good　whiskey？



They　drank　his　whiskey；　but　it　was　not　well　to　have　mentioned　that　about

the　bandits。　Both　were　aware　that　when　shaved　and　washed　of　their

round…up　grime　they　could　look　very　engaging。　The　two　cow…punchers　rode

out；　not　angry；　but　grieved　that　a　man　come　here　to　dwell　among　them

should　be　so　tactless。



〃If　we　don't　get　him　used　to　us；〃　observed　the　Virginian；　〃he　and　his

pop…gun　will　be　guttin'　some　blameless　man。〃



Forthwith　the　cattle　country　proceeded　to　get　the　agent　used　to　it。　The

news　went　over　the　sage…brush　from　Belle　Fourche　to　Sweetwater；　and

playful；　howling　horsemen　made　it　their　custom　to　go　rioting　with　pistols

round　the　ticket　office；　educating　the　agent。　His　lungs　improved；　and　he

came　dimly　to　smile　at　this　life　which　he　did　not　understand。　But　the

company　discerned　no　humor　whatever　in　having　its　water…tank　perforated；

which　happened　twice；　and　sheriffs　and　deputies　and　other　symptoms　of

authority　began　to　invest　Separ。　Now　what　should　authority　do　upon　these

free　plains；　this　wilderness　of　do…as…you…please；　where　mere　breathing

the　air　was　like　inebriation？　The　large；　headlong　children　who　swept　in

from　the　sage…brush　and　out　again　meant　nothing　that　they　called　harm

until　they　found　themselves　resisted。　Then　presently　happened　that　affair

of　the　cow…catcher；　and　later　a　too…zealous　marshal；　come　about　a

mail…car　they　had　side…tracked　and　held　with　fiddles；　drink；　and

petticoats；　met　his　death　accidentally；　at　which　they　were　sincerely

sorry　for　about　five　minutes。　They　valued　their　own　lives　as　little；　and

that　lifts　them　forever　from　baseness　at　least。　So　the　company；

concluding　such　things　must　be　endured　for　a　while　yet；　wrote　their

letter；　and　you　have　seen　how　wrong　the　letter　went。　All　it　would　do

would　be　from　now　on　to　fasten　upon　Separ　its　code　of　recklessness；　to

make　shooting　the　water…tank　（for　example）　part　of　a　gentleman's

deportment　when　he　showed　himself　in　town。



It　was　not　now　the　season　of　heavy　shipping；　to…night　their　work　would　be

early　finished；　and　then　they　were　likely　to　play　after　their　manner。　To

arrive　in　such　a　place　on　her　way　to　her　brother；　the　felon　in　jail；　made

the　girl's　journey　seem　doubly　forlorn　to　me　as　I　wandered　down　to　the

corrals。



A　small；　bold　voice　hailed　me。　〃Hello；　you！〃　it　said；　and　here　was　Billy

Lusk；　aged　nine；　in　boots　and　overalls；　importantly　useless　with　a　stick；

helping　the　men　prod　the　steers　at　the　chute。



〃Thought　you　were　at　school；〃　said　I。



〃Ah；　school's　quit；〃　returned　Billy；　and　changed　the　subject。　〃Say；　Lin's

hunting　you。　He's　angling　to　eat　at　the　hotel。　I'm　grubbing　with　the

outfit。〃　And　Billy　resumed　his　specious　activity。



Mr。　McLean　was　in　the　ticket…office；　where　the　newspaper　had　transiently

reminded　him　of　politics。　〃Wall　Street；〃　he　was　explaining　to　the　agent；

〃has　been　lunched　on　by　them　Ross…childs；　and　they're　moving　on。　Feeding

along　to　Chicago。　We　want〃　Here　he　noticed　me　and；　dragging　his　gauntlet

off；　shook　my　hand　with　his　lusty　grasp。



〃Your　eldest　son　just　said　you　were　in　haste　to　find　me；〃　I　remarked。



〃Lose　you；　he　meant。　The　kid　gets　his　words　twisted。〃



〃Didn't　know　you　were　a　father；　Mr。　McLean；〃　simpered　the　agent。



Lin　fixed　his　eye　on　the　man。　〃And　you　don't　know　it　now；〃　said　he。　Then

he　removed　his　eye。　〃Let's　grub；〃　he　added　to　me。　My　friend　did　not　walk

to　the　hotel；　but　slowly　round　and　about；　with　a　face　overcast。　〃Billy　is

a　good　kid；〃　he　said　at　length；　and；　stopping；　began　to　kick　small　mounds

in　the　dust。　Politics　floated　lightly　over　him；　but　here　was　a　matter

dwelling　with　him；　heavy　and　real。　〃He's　dead　stuck　on　being　a

cow…puncher；〃　he　presently　said。



〃Some　day〃　I　began。



〃He　don't　want　to　wait　that　long；〃　Lin　said；　and　smiled　affectionately。

〃And；　anyhow；　what　is　'some　day'？　Some　day　we　punchers　will　not　be　here。

The　living　will　be　scattered；　and　the　deadwell；　they'll　be　all　right。

Have　yu'　studied　the　wire　fence？　It's　spreading　to　catch　us　like　nets　do

the　salmon　in　the　Columbia　River。　No　more　salmon；　no　more　cow…punchers；〃

stated　Mr。　McLean；　sententiously；　and　his　words　made　me　sad；　though　I

know　that　progress　cannot　spare　land　and　water　for　such　things。　〃But

Billy；〃　Lin　resumed；　〃has　agreed　to　school　again　when　it　starts　up　in　the

fall。　He　takes　his　medicine　because　I　want　him　to。〃　Affection　crept　anew

over　the　cow…puncher's　face。　〃He　can　learn　books　with　the　quickest　when

he　wants；　that　Bear　Creek　school…marm　says。　But　he'd　ought　to　have　a

regular　mother　tilltill　I　can　do　for　him；　yu'　know。　It's　onwholesome

him　seeing　and　hearing　the　boysand　me；　and　me　when　I　forget！but

shucks！　how　can　I　fix　it？　Billy　was　sure　enough　dropped　and　deserted。　But

when　I　found　him　the　little　calf　could　run　and　notice　like　everything！〃



〃I　should　hate　your　contract；　Lin；〃　said　I。　〃Adopting's　a　touch…and…go

business　even　when　a　man　has　a　home。〃



〃I'll　fill　the　contract；　you　bet！　I　wish　the　little　son…of…a…gun　was

mine。　I'm　a　heap　more　natural　to　him　than　that　pair　of　drunkards　that　got

him。　He　likes　me：　I　think　he　does。　I've　had　to　lick　him　now　and　then；　but

Lord！　his　badness　is　all　rightnot　sneaky。　I'll　take　him　hunting　next

month；　and　then　the　foreman's　wife　at　Sunk　Creek　boards　him　till　school。

Only　when　they　move；　Judge　Henry'll　make　his　Virginia　man　foremanand

he's　got　no　woman　to　look　after　Billy；　yu'　see。〃



〃He's　asking　one　hard　enough；〃　said　I；　digressing。



〃Oh　yes；　asking！　Talk　of　adopting〃　said　Mr。　McLean；　and　his　wide…open；

hazel　eyes　looked　away　as　he　coughed　uneasily。　Then　abruptly　looking　at

me　again；　he　said：　〃Don't　you　get　off　any　more　truck　about　eldest　son　and

that；　will　yu'；　friend？　The　boys　are　joshing　me　nownot　that　I　care　for

what　might　easy　enough　be　so；　but　there's　Billy。　Maybe　he'd　not　mind；　but

maybe　he　would　after　a　while；　and　I　am　kind　o'　set　onwellhe　didn't

have　a　good　time　till　he　shook　that　home　of　his；　and　I'm　going　to　make

this　old　bitch　of　a　world　pay　him　what　she　owes　him；　if　I　can。　Now　you'll

drop　joshing；　won't　yu'？〃　His　forehead　was　moist　over　getting　the　thing

said　and　laying　bare　so　much　of　his　soul。



〃And　so　the　world　owes　us　a　good　time；　Lin？〃　said　I。



He　laughed　shortly。　〃She　must　have　been　dead　broke；　then；　quite　a　while；

you　bet！　Oh　no。　Maybe　I　used　to　travel　on　that　basis。　But　see　here〃　（Lin

laid　his　hand　on　my　shoulder）；　〃if　you　can't　expect　a　good　time　for

yourself　in　reason；　you　can　sure　make　the　kids　happy　out　o'　reason；　can't

yu'？〃



I　fairly　opened　my　mouth　at　him。



〃Oh　yes；〃　he　said；　laughing　in　that　short　way　again　（and　he　took　his　hand

off　my　shoulder）；　〃I've　been　thinking　a　wonderful　lot　since　we　met　last。

I　guess　I　know　some　things　yu'　haven't　got　to　yet　yo