lin mclean-第4章

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gentleman　heard　this　he　was　silent　for　a　very　short　moment；　and　then

laughed　vigorously　in　the　baggage…room。



〃I　can　understand　how　you　swear　sometimes；〃　he　said　to　Lin　McLean；　〃but　I

can't；　you　see。　Not　even　at　this。〃



The　cow…puncher　was　checking　his　own　trunk　to　Omaha。



〃Good…bye　and　good　luck　to　you；〃　continued　the　bishop；　giving　his　hand　to

Lin。　〃And　look　heredon't　you　think　you　might　leave　that　'getting　full'

out　of　your　plans？〃



Lin　gave　a　slightly　shamefaced　grin。　〃I　don't　guess　I　can；　sir；〃　he　said。

〃I'm　givin'　yu'　straight　goods；　yu'　see；〃　he　added



〃That's　right。　But　you　look　like　a　man　who　could　stop　when　he'd　had

enough。　Try　that。　You're　man　enoughand　come　and　see　me　whenever　we're

in　the　same　place。〃



He　went　to　the　hotel。　There　were　several　hours　for　Lin　to　wait。　He　walked

up　and　down　the　platform　till　the　stars　came　out　and　the　bright　lights　of

the　town　shone　in　the　saloon　windows。　Over　across　the　way　piano…music

sounded　through　one　of　the　many　open　doors。



〃Wonder　if　the　professor's　there　yet？〃　said　Lin；　and　he　went　across　the

railroad　tracks。　The　bartender　nodded　to　him　as　he　passed　through　into

the　back　room。　In　that　place　were　many　tables；　and　the　flat　clicking　and

rattle　of　ivory　counters　sounded　pleasantly　through　the　music。　Lin　did

not　join　the　stud…poker　game。　He　stood　over　a　table　at　which　sat　a　dealer

and　a　player；　very　silent；　opposite　each　other；　and　whereon　were　painted

sundry　cards；　numerals；　and　the　colors　red　and　black　in　squares。　The

legend　〃Jacks　pay〃　was　also　clearly　painted。　The　player　placed　chips　on

whichever　insignia　of　fortune　he　chose；　and　the　dealer　slid　cards　（quite

fairly）　from　the　top　of　a　pack　that　lay　held　within　a　skeleton　case　made

with　some　clamped　bands　of　tin。　Sometimes　the　player's　pile　of　chips　rose

high；　and　sometimes　his　sumptuous　pillar　of　gold　pieces　was　lessened　by

one。　It　was　very　interesting　and　pretty　to　see；　Lin　had　much　better　have

joined　the　game　of　stud…poker。　Presently　the　eye　of　the　dealer　met　the

eye　of　the　player。　After　that　slight　incident　the　player's　chip　pile

began　to　rise；　and　rose　steadily；　till　the　dealer　made　admiring　comments

on　such　a　run　of　luck。　Then　the　player　stopped；　cashed　in；　and　said

good…night；　having　nearly　doubled　the　number　of　his　gold　pieces。



〃Five　dollars'　worth；〃　said　Lin；　sitting　down　in　the　vacant　seat。　The

chips　were　counted　out　to　him。　He　played　with　unimportant　shiftings　of

fortune　until　a　short　while　before　his　train　was　due；　and　then；

singularly　enough；　he　discovered　he　was　one　hundred　and　fifty　dollars

behind　the　game。



〃I　guess　I'll　leave　the　train　go　without　me；〃　said　Lin；　buying　five

dollars〃　worth　more　of　ivory　counters。　So　that　train　came　and　went；

removing　eastward　Mr。　McLean's　trunk。



During　the　hour　that　followed　his　voice　grew　dogged　and　his　remarks

briefer；　as　he　continually　purchased　more　chips　from　the　now　surprised

and　sympathetic　dealer。　It　was　really　wonderful　how　steadily　Lin　lost

just　as　steadily　as　his　predecessor　had　won　after　that　meeting　of　eyes

early　in　the　evening。



When　Lin　was　three　hundred　dollars　out；　his　voice　began　to　clear　of　its

huskiness　and　a　slight　humor　revolved　and　sparkled　in　his　eye。　When　his

seven　hundred　dollars　had　gone　to　safer　hands　and　he　had　nothing　left　at

all　but　some　silver　fractions　of　a　dollar；　his　robust　cheerfulness　was

all　back　again。　He　walked　out　and　stood　among　the　railroad　tracks　with

his　hands　in　his　pockets；　and　laughed　at　himself　in　the　dark。　Then　his

fingers　came　on　the　check　for　Omaha；　and　he　laughed　loudly。　The　trunk　by

this　hour　must　be　nearing　Rawlins；　it　was　going　east　anyhow。



〃I'm　following　it；　you　bet；〃　he　declared；　kicking　the　rail。　〃Not　yet

though。　Nor　I'll　not　go　to　Washakie　to　have　'em　josh　me。　And　yonder　lays

Boston。〃　He　stretched　his　arm　and　pointed　eastward。　Had　he　seen　another

man　going　on　in　this　fashion　alone　in　the　dark；　among　side…tracked

freight　cars；　he　would　have　pitied　the　poor　fool。　〃And　I　guess　Boston'll

have　to　get　along　without　me　for　a　spell；　too；〃　continued　Lin。　〃A　man

don't　want　to　show　up　plumb　broke　like　that　younger　son　did　after　eatin'

with　the　hogs　the　bishop　told　about。　His　father　was　a　Jim…dandy；　that　hog

chap's。　Hustled　around　and　set　'em　up　when　he　come　back　home。　Frank；　he'd

say　to　me　'How　do　you　do；　brother？'　and　he'd　be　wearin'　a　good　suit　o'

clothes　andno；　sir；　you　bet！〃



Lin　now　watched　the　great　headlight　of　a　freight　train　bearing　slowly

down　into　Green　River　from　the　wilderness。　Green　River　is　the　end　of　a

division；　an　epoch　in　every　train's　journey。　Lanterns　swung　signals；　the

great　dim　thing　slowed　to　its　standstill　by　the　coal　chute；　its

locomotive　moved　away　for　a　turn　of　repose；　the　successor　backed　steaming

to　its　place　to　tackle　a　night's　work。　Cars　were　shifted；　heavily　bumping

and　parting。



〃Hello；　Lin！〃　A　face　was　looking　from　the　window　of　the　caboose。



〃Hello！〃　responded　Mr。　McLean；　perceiving　above　his　head　Honey　Wiggin；　a

good　friend　of　his。　They　had　not　met　for　three　years。



〃They　claimed　you　got　killed　somewheres。　I　was　sorry　to　hear　it。〃　Honey

offered　his　condolence　quite　sincerely。



〃Bruck　my　leg；〃　corrected　Lin；　〃if　that's　what　they　meant。〃



〃I　expect　that's　it；〃　said　Honey。　〃You've　had　no　other　trouble？〃



〃Been　boomin'；〃　said　Lin。



From　the　mere　undertone　in　their　voices　it　was　plain　they　were　good

friends；　carefully　hiding　their　pleasure　at　meeting。



〃Wher're　yu'　bound？〃　inquired　Honey。



〃East；〃　said　Lin。



〃Better　jump　in　here；　then。　We're　goin'　west。〃



〃That　just　suits　me；〃　said　Lin。



The　busy　lanterns　wagged　among　the　switches；　the　steady　lights　of　the

saloons　shone　along　the　town's　wooden　facade。　From　the　bluffs　that　wall

Green　River　the　sweet；　clean　sage…brush　wind　blew　down　in　currents

freshly　through　the　coal…smoke。　A　wrench　passed　through　the　train　from

locomotive　to　caboose；　each　fettered　car　in　turn　strained　into　motion　and

slowly　rolled　over　the　bridge　and　into　silence　from　the　steam　and　the

bells　of　the　railroad　yard。　Through　the　open　windows　of　the　caboose　great

dull…red　cinders　rattled　in；　and　the　whistles　of　distant　Union　Pacific

locomotives　sounded　over　the　open　plains　ominous　and　long；　like　ships　at

sea。



Honey　and　Lin　sat　for　a　while；　making　few　observations　and　far　between；

as　their　way　is　between　whom　flows　a　stream　of　old…time　understanding。

Mutual　whiskey　and　silence　can　express　much　friendship；　and　eloquently。



〃What　are　yu'　doing　at　present？〃　Lin　inquired。



〃Prospectin'。〃



Now　prospecting　means　hunting　gold；　except　to　such　spirits　as　the　boy

Lin。　To　these　it　means　finding　gold。　So　Lin　McLean　listened　to　the　talk

of　his　friend　Honey　Wiggin　as　the　caboose　trundled　through　the　night。　He

saw　himself　in　a　vision　of　the　near　future　enter　a　bank　and　thump　down　a

bag　of　gold…dust。　Then　he　saw　the　new；　clean　money　the　man　would　hand　him

in　exchange；　bills　with　round　zeroes　half　covered　by　being　folded　over；

and　heavy；　satisfactory　gold　pieces。　And　then　he　saw　the　blue　water　that

twinkles　beneath　Boston。　His　fingers　came　again　on　his　trunk　check。　He

had　his　ticket；　too。　And　as　dawn　now　revealed　the　gray　country　to　him；

his　eye　fell　casually　upon　a　mile…post：　〃Omaha；　876。〃　He　began　to　watch

for　them：877；　878。　But　the　trunk　would　really　get　to　Omaha。



〃What　are　yu'　laughin'　about？〃　asked　Honey。



〃Oh；　the　wheels。〃



〃Wheels？〃



〃Don't　yu'　hear　'em？〃　said　Lin。　〃'Variety；'　they　keep　a…sayin'。　'Variety；

variety。'　〃



〃Huh！〃　said　Honey；　with　scorn。　〃'Ker…chunka…chunk'　's　all　I　make　it。〃



〃You're　no　poet；〃　observed　Mr。　McLean。



As　the　train　moved　into　Evanston　in　the　sunlight；　a　gleam　of　dismay　shot

over　Lin's　face；　and　he　ducked　his　head　out　of　sight　of　the　window；　but

immediately　raised　it　again。　Then　he　leaned　out；　waving　his　arm　with　a

certain　defiant　vigor。　But　the　bishop　on　the　platform　failed　to　notice

this　performance；