lin mclean-第32章

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pride；　and　added；　insinuatingly；　〃I　could　learn　yu'　the　professional　drop

in　a　morning。　This　here　is　a　little　dandy　gun。〃



〃You'd　not　trade；　though；〃　said　she；　〃for　all　your　flattery。〃



〃Will　yu'　trade？〃　pounced　Lin。　〃Won't　yu'？〃



〃Now；　Mr。　McLean；　I　am　afraid　you're　thoughtless。　How　could　a　girl　like

me　ever　hold　that　awful　。45　Colt　steady？〃



〃She　knows　the　brands；　too！〃　cried　Lin；　in　ecstasy。　〃See　here；〃　he

remarked　to　me　with　a　manner　that　smacked　of　command；　〃we're　losing　time

right　now。　You　go　and　tell　the　agent　to　hustle　and　fix　his　room　up　for　a

lady；　and　I'll　bring　her　along。〃



I　found　the　agent　willing；　of　course；　to　sleep　on　the　floor　of　the

office。　The　toy　station　was　also　his　home。　The　front　compartment　held　the

ticket　and　telegraph　and　mail　and　express　chattels；　and　the　railing；　and

room　for　the　public　to　stand；　through　a　door　you　then　passed　to　the

sitting；　dining；　and　sleeping　box；　and　through　another　to　a　cooking…stove

in　a　pigeon…hole。　Here　flourished　the　agent　and　his　lungs；　and　here　the

company's　strict　orders　bade　him　sleep　in　charge；　so　I　helped　him　put　his

room　to　rights。　But　we　need　not　have　hurried　ourselves。　Mr。　McLean　was　so

long　in　bringing　the　lady　that　I　went　out　and　found　him　walking　and

talking　with　her；　while　fifty　yards　away　skulked　poor　Texas；　alone。　This

boy's　name　was；　like　himself；　of　the　somewhat　unexpected　order；　being

Manassas　Donohoe。



As　I　came　towards　the　new　friends　they　did　not　appear　to　be　joking；　and

on　seeing　me　Miss　Buckner　said　to　Lin；　〃Did　he　know？〃



Lin　hesitated。



〃You　did　know！〃　she　exclaimed；　but　lost　her　resentment　at　once；　and

continued；　very　quietly　and　with　a　friendly　tone；　〃I　reckon　you　don't

like　to　have　to　tell　folks　bad　news。〃



It　was　I　that　now　hesitated。



〃Not　to　a　strange　girl；　anyway！〃　said　she。　〃Well；　now　I　have　good　news　to

tell　you。　You　would　not　have　given　me　any　shock　if　you　had　said　you　knew

about　poor　Nate；　for　that's　the　reasonOf　course　those　things　can't　be

secrets！　Why；　he's　only　twenty；　sir！　How　should　he　know　about　this　world？

He　hadn't　learned　the　first　little　thing　when　he　left　home　five　years

ago。　And　I　am　twenty…threeold　enough　to　be　Nate's　grandmother；　he's

that　young　and　thoughtless。　He　couldn't　ever　realize　bad　companions　when

they　came　around。　See　that！〃　She　showed　me　a　paper；　taking　it　out　like　a

precious　thing；　as　indeed　it　was；　for　it　was　a　pardon　signed　by　Governor

Barker。　〃And　the　Governor　has　let　me　carry　it　to　Nate　myself。　He　won't

know　a　thing　about　it　till　I　tell　him。　The　Governor　was　real　kind；　and　we

will　never　forget　him。　I　reckon　Nate　must　have　a　mustache　by　now？〃　said

she　to　Lin。



〃Yes；〃　Lin　answered；　gruffly；　looking　away　from　her；　〃he　has　got　a

mustache　all　right。〃



〃He'll　be　glad　to　see　you；〃　said　I；　for　something　to　say。



〃Of　course　he　will！　How　many　hours　did　you　say　we　will　be？〃　she　asked

Lin；　turning　from　me　again；　for　Mr。　McLean　had　not　been　losing　time。　It

was　plain　that　between　these　two　had　arisen　a　freemasonry　from　which　I

was　already　shut　out。　Her　woman's　heart　had　answered　his　right　impulse　to

tell　her　about　her　brother；　and　I　had　been　found　wanting！



So　now　she　listened　over　again　to　the　hours　of　stage　jolting　that　〃we〃

had　before　us；　and　that　lay　between　her　and　Nate。　〃We　would　be　four

herself；　Lin；　myself；　and　the　boy　Billy。　Was　Billy　the　one　at　supper？　Oh

no；　just　Billy　Lusk；　of　Laramie。　〃He's　a　kid　I'm　taking　up　the　country；〃

Lin　explained。　〃Ain't　you　most　tuckered　out？〃



〃Oh；　me！〃　she　confessed；　with　a　laugh　and　a　sigh。



There　again！　She　had　put　aside　my　solicitude　lightly；　but　was　willing　Lin

should　know　her　fatigue。　Yet；　fatigue　and　all；　she　would　not　sleep　in　the

agent's　room。　At　sight　of　it　and　the　close　quarters　she　drew　back　into

the　outer　office；　so　prompted　by　that　inner；　unsuspected　strictness　she

had　shown　me　before。



〃Come　out！〃　she　cried；　laughing。　〃Indeed；　I　thank　you。　But　I　can't　have

you　sleep　on　this　hard　floor　out　here。　No　politeness；　now！　Thank　you　ever

so　much。　I'm　used　to　roughing　it　pretty　near　as　well　as　if　I　wasa

cowboy！〃　And　she　glanced　at　Lin。　〃They're　calling　forty…seven；〃　she　added

to　the　agent。



〃That's　me；〃　he　said；　coming　out　to　the　telegraph　instrument。　〃So　you're

one　of　us？〃



〃I　didn't　know　forty…seven　meant　Separ；〃　said　I。　〃How　in　the　world　do　you

know　that？〃



〃I　didn't。　I　heard　forty…seven；　forty…seven；　forty…seven；　start　and　go

right　along；　so　I　guessed　they　wanted　him；　and　he　couldn't　hear　them　from

his　room。〃



〃Can　yu'　do　astronomy　and　Spanish　too？〃　inquired　the　proud　and　smiling

McLean。



〃Why；　it's　nothing！　I've　been　day　operator　back　home。　Why　is　a　deputy

coming　through　on　a　special　engine？〃



〃Please　don't　say　it　out　loud！〃　quavered　the　agent；　as　the　machine

clicked　its　news。



〃Yu'　needn't　be　scared　of　a　girl；〃　said　Lin。　〃Another　sheriff！　So　they're

not　quit　bothering　us　yet。〃



However；　this　meddling　was　not　the　company's；　but　the　county's；　a　sheriff

sent　to　arrest；　on　a　charge　of　murder；　a　man　named　Trampas；　said　to　be　at

the　Sand　Hill　Ranch。　That　was　near　Rawhide；　two　stations　beyond；　and　the

engine　might　not　stop　at　Separ；　even　to　water。　So　here　was　no　molesting

of　Separ's　liberties。



〃All　the　same；〃　Lin　said；　for　pistols　now　and　then　still　sounded　at　the

corrals；　〃the　boys'll　not　understand　that　till　it's　explained；　and　they

may　act　wayward　first。　I'd　feel　easier　if　you　slept　here；〃　he　urged　to

the　girl。　But　she　would　not。　〃Well；　then；　we　must　rustle　some　other

private　place　for　you。　How's　the　section…house？〃



〃Rank；〃　said　the　agent；　〃since　those　Italians　used　it。　The　pump　engineer

has　been　scouring；　but　he's　scared　to　bunk　there　yet　himself。〃



〃Too　bad　you　couldn't　try　my　plan　of　a　freight…car！〃　said　I。



〃An　empty？〃　she　cried。　〃Is　there　a　clean　one？〃



〃You've　sure　never　done　that？〃　Lin　burst　out。



〃So　you're　scandalized；〃　said　she；　punishing　him　instantly。　〃I　reckon　it

does　take　a　decent　girl　to　shock　you。〃　And　while　she　stood　laughing　at

him　with　robust　irony；　poor　Lin　began　to　stammer　that　he　meant　no

offence。　〃Why；　to　be　sure　you　didn't！〃　said　she。　〃But　I　do　enjoy　you　real

thoroughly。〃



〃Well；　m'm；〃　protested　the　wincing　cow…puncher；　driven　back　to　addressing

her　as　〃ma'am；〃　〃we　ain't　used〃



〃Don't　tangle　yourself　up　worse；　Mr。　McLean。　No　more　am　I　'used。'　I　have

never　slept　in　an　empty　in　my　life。　And　why　is　that？　Just　because　I've

never　had　to。　And　there's　the　difference　between　you　boys　and　us。　You　do

lots　of　things　you　don't　like；　and　tell　us。　And　we　put　up　with　lots　of

things　we　don't　like；　but　we　never　let　you　find　out。　I　know　you　meant　no

offense；〃　she　continued；　heartily；　softening　towards　her　crushed

protector；　〃because　you're　a　gentleman。　And　lands！　I'm　not　complaining

about　an　empty。　That　will　be　richif　I　can　have　the　door　shut。〃



Upon　this　she　went　out　to　view　the　cars；　Mr。　McLean　hovering　behind　her

with　a　devoted；　uneasy　countenance；　and　frequently　muttering　〃Shucks！〃

while　the　agent　and　I　followed　with　a　lamp；　for　the　dark　was　come。　With

our　help　she　mounted　into　the　first　car；　and　then　into　the　next；　taking

the　lamp。　And　while　she　scanned　the　floor　and　corners；　and　slid　the　door

back　and　forth；　Lin　whispered　in　my　ear：　〃Her　name's　Jessamine。　She　told

me。　Don't　yu'　like　that　name？〃　So　I　answered　him；　〃Yes；　very　much；〃

thinking　that　some　larger　flowerbut　still　a　flowermight　have　been

more　apt。



〃Nobody　seems　to　have　slept　in　these；〃　said　she；　stepping　down；　and　on

learning　that　even　the　tramp　avoided　Separ　when　he　could；　she　exclaimed；

〃What　lodging　could　be　handier　than　this！　Only　it　would　be　so　cute　if　you

had　a　Louavull　an'　Nashvull　car；〃　said　she。　〃Twould　seem　like　my　old

Kentucky　home！〃　And　laughing　rather　sweetly　at　her　joke；　she　held　the

lamp　up　to　read　the　car's　lettering。　〃'D。　and　R。　G。'　Oh；　that's　a　way…off

stranger！　I　reckon　they're　all　strange。〃　She　went　along　the　trai