lin mclean-第33章

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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　train　with

her　lamp。　〃Yes；　'B。　and　M。'　and　'S。　C。　and　P。'　Oh；　this　is　rich！　Nate

will　laugh　when　he　hears。　I'll　choose　'C。；　B。　and　Q。'　That's　a　little

nearer　my　country。　What　time　does　the　stage　start？　Porter；　please　wake

'C。；　B。　and　Q。'　at　six；　sharp；〃　said　she　to　Lin。



From　this　point　of　the　evening　on；　I　think　of　our　doingstheir　doings

with　a　sort　of　unchanging　homesickness。　Nothing　like　them　can　ever　happen

again；　I　know；　for　it's　all　gonesettled；　sobered；　and　gone。　And

whatever　wholesomer　prose　of　good　fortune　waits　in　our　cup；　how　I　thank

my　luck　for　this　swallow　of　frontier　poetry　which　I　came　in　time　for！



To　arrange　some　sort　of　bed　for　her　was　the　next　thing；　and　we　made　a

good　shake…downclean　straw　and　blankets　and　a　pillow；　and　the　agent

would　have　brought　sheets；　but　though　she　would　not　have　these；　she　did

not　resistwhat　do　you　suppose？a　looking…glass　for　next　morning！　And

we　got　a　bucket　of　water　and　her　valise。　It　was　all　one　to　her；　she　said；

in　what　car　Lin　and　I　put　up；　and　let　it　be　next　door；　by　all　means；　if

it　pleased　him　to　think　he　could　watch　over　her　safety　better　so；　and　she

shut　herself　in；　bidding　us　good…night。　We　began　spreading　straw　and

blankets　for　ourselves；　when　a　whistle　sounded　far　and　long；　and　its　tone

rose　in　pitch　as　it　came。



〃I'll　get　him　to　run　right　to　the　corrals；〃　said　the　agent；　〃so　the

sheriff　can　tell　the　boys　he's　not　after　them。〃



〃That'll　convince　'em　he　is；〃　said　Lin。　〃Stop　him　here；　or　let　him　go

through。〃



But　we　were　not　to　steer　the　course　that　events　took　now。　The　rails　of

the　main　line　beside　us　brightened　in　wavering　parallels　as　the　headlight

grew　down　upon　us；　and　in　this　same　moment　the　shootings　at　the　corrals

chorused　in　a　wild；　hilarious　threat。　The　burden　of　the　coming　engine

heavily　throbbed　in　the　air　and　along　the　steel；　and　met　and　mixed　with

the　hard；　light　beating　of　hoofs。　The　sounds　approached　together　like　a

sort　of　charge；　and　I　stepped　between　the　freight…cars；　where　I　heard　Lin

ordering　the　girl　inside　to　lie　down　flat；　and　could　see　the　agent

running　about　in　the　dust；　flapping　his　arms　to　signal　with　as　much

coherence　as　a　chicken　with　its　head　off。　I　had　very　short　space　for

wonder　or　alarm。　The　edge　of　one　of　my　freight…cars　glowed　suddenly　with

the　imminent　headlight；　and　galloping　shots　invaded　the　place。　The

horsemen　flew　by；　overreaching；　and　leaning　back　and　lugging　against

their　impetus。　They　passed　in　a　tangled　swirl；　and　their　dust　coiled　up

thick　from　the　dark　ground　and　luminously　unfolded　across　the　glare　of

the　sharp…halted　locomotive。　Then　they　wheeled；　and　clustered　around　it

where　it　stood　by　our　cars；　its　air…brake　pumping　deep　breaths；　and　the

internal　steam　humming　through　its　bowels；　and　I　came　out　in　time　to　see

Billy　Lusk　climb　its　front　with　callow；　enterprising　shouts。　That　was

child's　play；　and　the　universal　yell　now　raised　by　the　horsemen　was　their

child's　play　too；　but　the　whole　thing　could　so　precipitately　reel　into

the　fatal　that　my　thoughts　stopped。　I　could　only　look　when　I　saw　that

they　had　somehow　recognized　the　man　on　the　engine　for　a　sheriff。　Two　had

sprung　from　their　horses　and　were　making　boisterously　toward　the　cab；

while　Lin　McLean；　neither　boisterous　nor　joking；　was　going　to　the　cab

from　my　side；　with　his　pistol　drawn；　to　keep　the　peace。　The　engineer　sat

with　a　neutral　hand　on　the　lever；　the　fireman　had　run　along　the　top　of

the　coal　in　the　tender　and　descended　and　crouched　somewhere；　and　the

sheriff；　cool；　and　with　a　good…natured　eye　upon　all　parties；　was　just

beginning　to　explain　his　errand；　when　some　rider　from　the　crowd　cut　him

short　with　an　invitation　to　get　down　and　have　a　drink。　At　the　word　of

ribald　endearment　by　which　he　named　the　sheriff；　a　passing　fierceness

hardened　the　officer's　face；　and　the　new　yell　they　gave　was　less　playful。

Waiting　no　more　explanations；　they　swarmed　against　the　locomotive；　and

McLean　pulled　himself　up　on　the　step。　The　loud　talking　fell　at　a　stroke

to　let　business　go　on；　and　in　this　silence　came　the　noise　of　a

sliding…door。　At　that　I　looked；　and　they　all　looked；　and　stood　harmless；

like　children　surprised。　For　there　on　the　threshold　of　the　freight…car；

with　the　interior　darkness　behind　her；　and　touched　by　the　headlight's

diverging　rays；　stood　Jessamine　Buckner。



〃Will　you　gentlemen　do　me　a　favor？〃　said　she。　〃Strangers；　maybe；　have　no

right　to　ask　favors；　but　I　reckon　you'll　let　that　pass　this　time。　For　I'm

real　sleepy！〃　She　smiled　as　she　brought　this　out。　〃I've　been　four　days

and　nights　on　the　cars；　and　to…morrow　I've　got　to　stage　to　Buffalo。　You

see　I'll　not　be　here　to　spoil　your　fun　to…morrow　night；　and　I　want　boys

to　be　boys　just　as　much　as　ever　they　can。　Won't　you　put　it　off　till

to…morrow　night？〃



In　their　amazement　they　found　no　spokesman；　but　I　saw　Lin　busy　among

them；　and　that　some　word　was　passing　through　their　groups。　After　the

brief　interval　of　stand…still　they　began　silently　to　get　on　their　horses；

while　the　looming　engine　glowed　and　pumped　its　breath；　and　the　sheriff

and　engineer　remained　as　they　were。



〃Good…night；　lady；〃　said　a　voice　among　the　moving　horsemen；　but　the

others　kept　their　abashed　native　silence；　and　thus　they　slowly　filed　away

to　the　corrals。　The　figures；　in　their　loose　shirts　and　leathern　chaps；

passed　from　the　dimness　for　a　moment　through　the　cone　of　light　in　front

of　the　locomotive；　so　that　the　metal　about　them　made　here　and　there　a

faint；　vanishing　glint；　and　here　and　there　in　the　departing　column　a

bold；　half…laughing　face　turned　for　a　look　at　the　girl　in　the　doorway；

and　then　was　gone　again　into　the　dimness。



The　sheriff　in　the　cab　took　off　his　hat　to　Miss　Buckner；　remarking　that

she　should　belong　to　the　force；　and　as　the　bell　rang　and　the　engine

moved；　off　popped　young　Billy　Lusk　from　his　cow…catcher。　With　an

exclamation　of　horror　she　sprang　down；　and　Mr。　McLean　appeared；　and；　with

all　a　parent's　fright　and　rage；　held　the　boy　by　the　arm　grotesquely　as

the　sheriff　steamed　by。



〃I　ain't　a…going　to　chase　it；〃　said　young　Billy；　struggling。



〃I've　a　mind　to　cowhide　you；〃　said　Lin。



But　Miss　Buckner　interposed。　〃Oh；　well；〃　said　she；　〃next　time；　if　he　does

it　next　time。　It's　so　late　to…night！　You'll　not　frighten　us　that　way

again　if　he　lets　you　off？〃　she　asked　Billy。



〃No；〃　said　Billy；　looking　at　her　with　interest。　〃Father　'd　have　cowhided

me　anyway；　I　guess；〃　he　added；　meditatively。



〃Do　you　call　him　father？〃



〃Ah；　father's　at　Laramie；〃　said　Billy；　with　disgust。　〃He'd　not　stop　for

your　asking。　Lin　don't　bother　me　much。〃



〃You　quit　talking　and　step　up　there！〃　ordered　his　guardian。　〃Well；　m'm；　I

guess　yu'　can　sleep　good　now　in　there。〃



〃If　it　was　only　an　'L。　and　N。'　I'd　not　have　a　thing　against　it！

Good…night；　Mr。　McLean；　good…night；　young　Mr。〃



〃I'm　Billy　Lusk。　I　can　ride　Chalkeye's　pinto　that　bucked　Honey　Wiggin。〃



〃I　am　sure　you　can　ride　finely；　Mr。　Lusk。　Maybe　you　and　I　can　take　a　ride

together。　Pleasant　dreams！〃



She　nodded　and　smiled　to　him；　and　slid　her　door　to；　and　Billy　considered

it；　remarking：　〃I　like　her。　What　makes　her　live　in　a　car？〃



But　he　was　drowsing　while　I　told　him；　and　I　lifted　him　up　to　Lin；　who

took　him　in　his　own　blankets；　where　he　fell　immediately　asleep。　One

distant　whistle　showed　how　far　the　late　engine　had　gone　from　us。　We　left

our　car　open；　and　I　lay　enjoying　the　cool　air。　Thus　was　I　drifting　off；

when　I　grew　aware　of　a　figure　in　the　door。　It　was　Lin；　standing　in　his

stockings　and　not　much　else；　with　his　pistol。　He　listened；　and　then

leaped　down；　light　as　a　cat。　I　heard　some　repressed　talking；　and　lay　in

expectancy；　but　back　he　came；　noiseless　in　his　stockings；　and　as　he　slid

into　bed　I　asked　what　the　matter　was。　He　had　found　the　Texas　boy；

Manassas　Donohoe；　by　the　girl's　car；　wi