to the last man-第21章
按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！
〃Reckon I want to be； Ellen；〃 he returned； nodding his shaggy head。
〃It ain't easy to be fond of you as I am an' keep my mouth shet。
。 。 I'd like to know somethin'。 Hev you any relatives away from
hyar thet you could go to till this fight's over？〃
〃No。 All I have； so far as I know； are right heah。〃
〃How aboot friends？〃
〃Uncle John； I have none；〃 she said； sadly； with bowed head。
〃Wal； wal； I'm sorry。 I was hopin' you might git away。〃
She lifted her face。 〃Shore y'u don't think I'd run off if my dad got
in a fight？ 〃 she flashed。
〃I hope you will。〃
〃I'm a Jorth；〃 she said； darkly； and dropped her head again。
Sprague nodded gloomily。 Evidently he was perplexed and worried；
and strongly swayed by affection for her。
〃Would you go away with me？ 〃 he asked。 〃We could pack over to the
Mazatzals an' live thar till this blows over。〃
〃Thank y'u； Uncle John。 Y'u're kind and good。 But I'll stay with
my father。 His troubles are mine。〃
〃Ahuh！ 。 。 。 Wal； I might hev reckoned so。 。 。 。 Ellen； how do you
stand on this hyar sheep an' cattle question？〃
〃I think what's fair for one is fair for another。 I don't like sheep
as much as I like cattle。 But that's not the point。 The range is free。
Suppose y'u had cattle and I had sheep。 I'd feel as free to run my
sheep anywhere as y'u were to ran your cattle。〃
〃Right。 But what if you throwed your sheep round my range an' sheeped
off the grass so my cattle would hev to move or starve？〃
〃Shore I wouldn't throw my sheep round y'ur range；〃 she declared； stoutly。
〃Wal； you've answered half of the question。 An' now supposin' a lot
of my cattle was stolen by rustlers； but not a single one of your sheep。
What 'd you think then？ 〃
〃I'd shore think rustlers chose to steal cattle because there was no
profit in stealin' sheep。〃
〃Egzactly。 But wouldn't you hev a queer idee aboot it？〃
〃I don't know。 Why queer？ What 're y'u drivin' at； Uncle John？〃
〃Wal； wouldn't you git kind of a hunch thet the rustlers wassay
a leetle friendly toward the sheepmen？
Ellen felt a sudden vibrating shock。 The blood rushed to her temples。
Trembling all over； she rose。
〃Uncle John！〃 she cried。
〃Now； girl； you needn't fire up thet way。 Set down an' don't〃
〃Dare y'u insinuate my father has〃
〃Ellen； I ain't insinuatin' nothin'； 〃 interrupted the old man。 〃I'm
jest askin' you to think。 Thet's all。 You're ；most grown into a young
woman now。 An' you've got sense。 Thar's bad times ahead； Ellen。
An' I hate to see you mix in them。〃
〃Oh； y'u do make me think；〃 replied Ellen； with smarting tears in her
eyes。 〃Y'u make me unhappy。 Oh； I know my dad is not liked in this
cattle country。 But it's unjust。 He happened to go in for sheep
raising。 I wish he hadn't。 It was a mistake。 Dad always was a
cattleman till we came heah。 He made enemieswhowho ruined him。
And everywhere misfortune crossed his trail。 。 。 。 But； oh； Uncle John；
my dad is an honest man。〃
〃Wal； child； II didn't mean toto make you cry；〃 said the old man；
feelingly； and he averted his troubled gaze。 〃Never mind what I said。
I'm an old meddler。 I reckon nothin' I could do or say would ever
change what's goin' to happen。 If only you wasn't a girl！ 。 。 。
Thar I go ag'in。 Ellen； face your future an' fight your way。 All
youngsters hev to do thet。 An' it's the right kind of fight thet
makes the right kind of man or woman。 Only you must be sure to find
yourself。 An' by thet I mean to find the real； true； honest…to…God
best in you an' stick to it an' die fightin' for it。 You're a young
woman； almost； an' a blamed handsome one。 Which means you'll hev more
trouble an' a harder fight。 This country ain't easy on a woman when
once slander has marked her。
〃What do I care for the talk down in that Basin？〃 returned Ellen。
〃I know they think I'm a hussy。 I've let them think it。
I've helped them to。〃
〃You're wrong； child；〃 said Sprague； earnestly。 〃Pride an； temper！
You must never let anyone think bad of you； much less help them to。〃
〃I hate everybody down there；〃 cried Ellen； passionately。 〃I hate
them so I'd glory in their thinkin' me bad。 。 。 。 My mother belonged
to the best blood in Texas。 I am her daughter。 I know WHO AND WHAT
I AM。 That uplifts me whenever I meet the sneaky； sly suspicions of
these Basin people。 It shows me the difference between them and me。
That's what I glory in。〃
〃Ellen； you're a wild； headstrong child；〃 rejoined the old man； in
severe tones。 〃Word has been passed ag'in' your good nameyour honor。
。 。 。 An' hevn't you given cause fer thet？〃
Ellen felt her face blanch and all her blood rush back to her heart
in sickening force。 The shock of his words was like a stab from a
cold blade。 If their meaning and the stem； just light of the old
man's glance did not kill her pride and vanity they surely killed
her girlishness。 She stood mute； staring at him； with her brown；
trembling hands stealing up toward her bosom； as if to ward off
another and a mortal blow。
〃Ellen！〃 burst out Sprague； hoarsely。 〃You mistook me。 Aw； I didn't
meanwhat you think； I swear。 。 。 。 Ellen； I'm old an' blunt。 I ain't
used to wimmen。 But I've love for you； child； an' respect； jest the
same as if you was my own。 。 。 。 An' I KNOW you're good。 。 。 。
Forgive me。 。 。 。 I meant only hevn't you been； say； sort of
careless？〃
〃Care…less？〃 queried Ellen； bitterly and low。
〃An' powerful thoughtless an'an' blindlettin' men kiss you an'
fondle youwhen you're really a growed…up woman now？〃
〃YesI have；〃 whispered Ellen。
〃Wal； then； why did you let them？
〃II don't know。 。 。 。 I didn't think。 The men never let me alone
nevernever！ I got tired everlastingly pushin' them away。 And
sometimeswhen they were kindand I was lonely for something II
didn't mind if one or another fooled round me。 I never thought。
It never looked as y'u have made it look。 。 。 。 Thenthose few
times ridin' the trail to Grass Valleywhen people saw methen I
guess I encouraged such attentions。 。 。 。 Oh； I must beI am a
shameless little hussy！ 〃
〃Hush thet kind of talk；〃 said the old man； as he took her hand。
〃Ellen； you're only young an' lonely an' bitter。 No motherno
friendsno one but a lot of rough men！ It's a wonder you hev
kept yourself good。 But now your eyes are open； Ellen。 They're
brave an' beautiful eyes； girl； an' if you stand by the light in
them you will come through any trouble。 An' you'll be happy。 Don't
ever forgit that。 Life is hard enough； God knows； but it's unfailin'
true in the end to the man or woman who finds the best in them an'
stands by it。〃
〃Uncle John； y'u talk soso kindly。 Yu make me have hope。 There
seemed really so little for me to live forhope for。 。 。 。 But I'll
never be a coward againnor a thoughtless fool。 I'll find some good
in meor make someand never fail it； come what will。 I'll remember
your words。 I'll believe the future holds wonderful things for me。 。 。 。
I'm only eighteen。 Shore all my life won't be lived heah。 Perhaps
this threatened fight over sheep and cattle will blow over。 。 。 。
Somewhere there must be some nice girl to be a frienda sister to
me。 。 。 。 And maybe some man who'd believe； in spite of all they
saythat I'm not a hussy。〃
〃Wal； Ellen； you remind me of what I was wantin' to tell you when
you just got here。 。 。 。 Yestiddy I heerd you called thet name in a
barroom。 An' thar was a fellar thar who raised hell。 He near killed
one man an' made another plumb eat his words。 An' he scared thet
crowd stiff。〃
Old John Sprague shook his grizzled head and laughed； beaming upon
Ellen as if the memory of what he had seen had warmed his heart。
〃Was ity'u？〃 asked Ellen； tremulously。
〃Me？ Aw； I wasn't nowhere。 Ellen； this fellar was quick as a cat
in his actions an' his words was like lightnin'。'
〃Who？ she whispered。
〃Wal； no one else but a stranger jest come to these partsan Isbel；
too。 Jean Isbel。〃
〃Oh！〃 exclaimed Ellen； faintly。
〃In a barroom full of menalmost all of them in sympathy with the
sheep crowdmost of them on the Jorth sidethis Jean Isbel resented
an insult to Ellen Jorth。 〃
〃No！〃 cried Ellen。 Something
