the voice of the city-第21章

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without　the　stroke　of　an　ax。



The　feud　flourished　for　forty　years。　　Harknesses

were　shot　at　the　plough；　through　their　lamp…lit　cabin

windows；　coming　from　camp…meeting；　asleep；　in　duello；

sober　and　otherwise；　singly　and　in　family　groups；

prepared　and　unprepared。　Folwells　had　the

branches　of　their　family　tree　lopped　off　in　similar

ways；　as　the　traditions　of　their　country　prescribed

and　authorized。



By　and　by　the　pruning　left　but　a　single　member

of　each　family。　　And　then　Cal　Harkness；　probably

reasoning　that　further　pursuance　of　the　controversy

would　give　a　too　decided　personal　flavor　to　the　feud；

suddenly　disappeared　from　the　relieved　Cumberlands；

baulking　the　avenging　hand　of　Sam；　the　ultimate　op…

posing　Folwell。



A　year　afterward　Sam　Folwell　learned　that　his

hereditary；　unsuppressed　enemy　was　living　in　New

York　City。　　Sam　turned　over　the　big　iron　wash…pot

in　the　yard；　scraped　off　some　of　the　soot；　which　he

mixed　with　lard　and　shined　his　boots　with　the　com…

pound。　　He　put　on　his　store　clothes　of　butternut

dyed　black；　a　white　shirt　and　collar；　and　packed　a

carpet…sack　with　Spartan　lingerie。　　He　took　his

squirrel　rifle　from　its　hooks；　but　put　it　back　again

with　a　sigh。　　However　ethical　and　plausible　the　habit

might　be　in　the　Cumberlands；　perhaps　New　York

would　not　swallow　his　pose　of　hunting　squirrels　among

the　skyscrapers　along　Broadway。　　An　ancient　but

reliable　Colt's　revolver　that　he　resurrected　from　a

bureau　drawer　seemed　to　proclaim　itself　the　pink　of

weapons　for　metropolitan　adventure　and　vengeance。

This　and　a　hunting…knife　in　a　leather　sheath；　Sam

packed　in　the　carpet…sack。　　As　he　started；　Muleback；

for　the　lowland　railroad　station　the　last　Folwell

turned　in　his　saddle　and　looked　grimly　at　the　little

cluster　of　white…pine　slabs　in　the　clump　of　cedars　that

marked　the　Folwell　burying…ground。



Sam　Folwell　arrived　in　New　York　in　the　night。

Still　moving　and　living　in　the　free　circles　of　nature；

he　did　not　perceive　the　formidable；　pitiless；　restless；

fierce　angles　of　the　great　city　waiting　in　the　dark

to　close　about　the　rotundity　of　his　heart　and　brain

and　mould　him　to　the　form　of　its　millions　of　re…shaped

victims。　　A　cabby　picked　him　out　of　the　whirl；　as

Sam　himself　had　often　picked　a　nut　from　a　bed　of

wind…tossed　autumn　leaves；　and　whisked　him　away

to　a　hotel　commensurate　to　his　boots　and　carpet…

sack。



On　the　next　morning　the　last　of　the　Folwells　made

his　sortie　into　the　city　that　sheltered　the　last　Hark…

ness。　　The　Colt　was　thrust　beneath　his　coat　and　se…

cured　by　a　narrow　leather　belt；　the　hunting…knife

hung　between　his　shoulder…blades；　with　the　haft　an

inch　below　his　coat　collar。　He　knew　this　much　

that　Cal　Harkness　drove　an　express　wagon　some…

where　in　that　town；　and　that　he；　Sam　Folwell；　had

come　to　kill　him。　　And　as　he　stepped　upon　the　side…

walk　the　red　came　into　his　eye　and　the　feud…hate　into

his　heart。



The　clamor　of　the　central　avenues　drew　him　thith…

erward。　　He　had　half　expected　to　see　Cal　coming

down　the　street　in　his　shirt…sleeves；　with　a　jug　and

a　whip　in　his　hand；　just　as　he　would　have　seen　him

in　Frankfort　or　Laurel　City。　　But　an　hour　went　by

and　Cal　did　not　appear。　　Perhaps　he　was　waiting　in

ambush；　to　shoot　him　from　a　door　or　a　window。　　Sam

kept　a　sharp　eye　on　doors　and　windows　for　a　while。



About　noon　the　city　tired　of　playing　with　its　mouse

and　suddenly　squeezed　him　with　its　straight　lines。



Sam　Folwell　stood　where　two　great；　rectangular

arteries　of　the　city　cross。　　He　looked　four　ways；　and

saw　the　world　burled　from　its　orbit　and　reduced

by　spirit　level　and　tape　to　an　edged　and　cornered

plane。　　All　life　moved　on　tracks；　in　grooves；　accord…

ing　to　system；　within　boundaries；　by　rote。　　The　root

of　life　was　the　cube　root；　the　measure　of　existence

was　square　measure。　　People　streamed　by　in　straight

rows；　the　horrible　din　and　crash　stupefied　him。



Sam　leaned　against　the　sharp　corner　of　a　stone

building。　　Those　faces　passed　him　by　thousands；　and

none　of　them　were　turned　toward　him。　　A　sudden　fool…

ish　fear　that　he　had　died　and　was　a　spirit；　and　that

they　could　not　see　him；　seized　him。　　And　then　the　city

smote　him　with　loneliness。



A　fat　man　dropped　out　of　the　stream　and　stood

a　few　feet　distant；　waiting　for　his　car。　　Sam　crept

to　his　side　and　shouted　above　the　tumult　into　his

ear：



〃The　Rankinses'　hogs　weighed　more'n　ourn　a

whole　passel；　but　the　mast　in　thar　neighborhood　was

a　fine　chance　better　than　what　it　was　down　　〃



The　fat　man　moved　away　unostentatiously；　and

bought　roasted　chestnuts　to　cover　his　alarm。



Sam　felt　the　need　of　a　drop　of　mountain　dew。

Across　the　street　men　passed　in　and　out　through

swinging　doors。　　Brief　glimpses　could　be　had　of　a

glistening　bar　and　its　bedeckings。　　The　feudist　crossed

and　essayed　to　enter。　　Again　had　Art　eliminated　the

familiar　circle。　　Sam's　hand　found　no　door…knob　…

it　slid；　in　vain；　over　a　rectangular　brass　plate　and

polished　oak　with　nothing　even　so　large　as　a　pin's

head　upon　which　his　fingers　might　close。

Abashed；　reddened；　heartbroken；　he　walked　away

from　the　bootless　door　and　sat　upon　a　step。　　A　locust

club　tickled　him　in　the　ribs。



〃Take　a　walk　for　yourself；〃　said　the　policeman。

You've　been　loafing　around　here　long　enough。〃



At　the　next　corner　a　shrill　whistle　sounded　in　Sam's

ear。　　He　wheeled　around　and　saw　a　black…browed　vil…

lain　scowling　at　him　over　peanuts　heaped　on　a　steam…

ing　machine。　　He　started　across　the　street。　　An　im…

mense　engine；　running　without　mules；　with　the　voice　of

a　bull　and　the　smell　of　a　smoky　lamp；　whizzed　past；

grazing　his　knee。　　A　cab…driver　bumped　him　with　a

hub　and　explained　to　him　that　kind　words　were　in…

vented　to　be　used　on　other　occasions。　　A　motorman

clanged　his　bell　wildly　and；　for　once　in　his　life；　cor…

roborated　a　cab…driver。　　A　large　lady　in　a　changeable

silk　waist　dug　an　elbow　into　his　back；　and　a　newsy

pensively　pelted　him　with　banana　rinds；　murmuring；

〃I　hates　to　do　it　　but　if　anybody　seen　me　let　it

pass！〃



Cal　Harkness；　his　day's　work　over　and　his　express

wagon　stabled；　turned　the　sharp　edge　of　the　build…

ing　that；　by　the　cheek　of　architects；　is　modelled　upon

a　safety　razor。　　Out　of　the　mass　of　hurrying　people

his　eye　picked　up；　three　yards　away；　the　surviving

bloody　and　implacable　foe　of　his　kith　and　kin。



He　stopped　short　and　wavered　for　a　moment；　be…

ing　unarmed　and　sharply　surprised。　　But　the　keen

mountaineer's　eye　of　Sam　Folwell　had　picked　him　out。



There　was　a　sudden　spring；　a　ripple　in　the　stream

of　passersby　and　the　sound　of　Sam's　voice　crying：



〃Howdy；　Cal！　　I'm　durned　glad　to　see　ye。〃



And　in　the　angles　of　Broadway；　Fifth　Avenue　and

Twenty…third　Street　the　Cumberland　feudists　shook

hands。









ROSES；　RUSES　AND　ROMANCE





Ravenel　　Ravenel；　the　traveller；　artist　and

poet；　threw　his　magazine　to　the　floor。　　Sammy　Brown；

broker's　clerk；　who　sat　by　the　window；　jumped。



〃What　is　it；　Ravvy？〃　he　asked。　〃The　critics

been　hammering　your　stock　down？〃



〃Romance　is　dead；〃　said　Ravenel；　lightly。　When

Ravenel　spoke　lightly　be　was　generally　serious。　　He

picked　up　the　magazine　and　fluttered　its　leaves。



〃Even　a　Philistine；　like　you；　Sammy；〃　said　Rave…

nel；　seriously　（a　tone　that　insured　him　to　be　speak…

ing　lightly）；　〃ought　to　understand。　　Now；　here　is

a　magazine　that　once　printed　Poe　and　Lowell　and

Whitman　and　Bret　Harte　and　Du　Maurier　and　Lanier

and　　well；　that　gives　you　the　idea。　　The　current

number　has　this　literary　feast　to　set　before　you：　an

article　on　the　stokers　and　coal　bunkers　of　battleships；

an　expose　of　the　methods　employed　in　making　liver…

wurst；　a　continued　story　of　a　Standard　Preferred

International　Baking　Powder　deal　in　Wall　Street；　a

'poem'　on　the　bear　that　the　President　missed；　an…

other　'story'　by　a　young　woman　who　spent　a　week

as　a　spy　making　overalls　on　the　East　Sid