to the last man-第25章
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searching power of her eyes。 In relation to him she vaguely dreaded it。
Lee Jorth had once been a singularly handsome man。 He was tall； but
did not have the figure of a horseman。 His dark hair was streaked
with gray； and was white over his ears。 His face was sallow and thin；
with deep lines。 Under his round； prominent； brown eyes； like deadened
furnaces； were blue swollen welts。 He had a bitter mouth and weak chin；
not wholly concealed by gray mustache and pointed beard。 He wore a long
frock coat and a wide…brimmed sombrero； both black in color； and so old
and stained and frayed that along with the fashion of them they betrayed
that they had come from Texas with him。 Jorth always persisted in
wearing a white linen shirt； likewise a relic of his Southern prosperity；
and to…day it was ragged and soiled as usual。
Ellen watched her father eat and waited for him to speak。 It occured
to her strangely that he never asked about the sheep or the new…born
lambs。 She divined with a subtle new woman's intuition that he cared
nothing for his sheep。
〃Ellen； what riled Daggs？〃 inquired her father； presently。 〃He shore
had fire in his eye。〃
Long ago Ellen had betrayed an indignity she had suffered at the hands
of a man。 Her father had nearly killed him。 Since then she had taken
care to keep her troubles to herself。 If her father had not been blind
and absorbed in his own brooding he would have seen a thousand things
sufficient to inflame his Southern pride and temper。
〃Daggs asked me to marry him again and I said he belonged to a bad lot；〃
she replied。
Jorth laughed in scorn。 〃Fool！ My God！ Ellen； I must have dragged you
lowthat every damned ruersheepmanwho comes along thinks he can
marry you。〃
At the break in his words； the incompleted meaning； Ellen dropped her
eyes。 Little things once never noted by her were now come to have a
fascinating significance。
〃Never mind； dad；〃 she replied。 〃They cain't marry me。〃
〃Daggs said somebody had been talkin' to you。 How aboot that？〃
〃Old John Sprague has just gotten back from Grass Valley；〃 said Ellen。
〃I stopped in to see him。 Shore he told me all the village gossip。〃
〃Anythin' to interest me？〃 he queried； darkly。
〃Yes； dad； I'm afraid a good deal；〃 she said； hesitatingly。 Then in
accordance with a decision Ellen had made she told him of the rumored
war between sheepmen and cattlemen； that old Isbel had Blaisdell；
Gordon； Fredericks； Blue and other well…known ranchers on his side；
that his son Jean Isbel had come from Oregon with a wonderful reputation
as fighter and scout and tracker； that it was no secret how Colonel Lee
Jorth was at the head of the sheepmen； that a bloody war was sure to come。
〃Hah！〃 exclaimed Jorth； with a stain of red in his sallow cheek。
〃Reckon none of that is news to me。 I knew all that。〃
Ellen wondered if he had heard of her meeting with Jean Isbel。 If not
he would hear as soon as Simm Bruce and Lorenzo came back。 She decided
to forestall them。
〃Dad； I met Jean Isbel。 He came into my camp。 Asked the way to the Rim。
I showed him。 Wewe talked a little。 And shore were gettin' acquainted
whenwhen he told me who he was。 Then I left himhurried back to camp。〃
〃Colter met Isbel down in the woods；〃 replied Jorth； ponderingly。
〃Said he looked like an Indiana hard an' slippery customer to
reckon with。〃
〃Shore I guess I can indorse what Colter said；〃 returned Ellen； dryly。
She could have laughed aloud at her deceit。 Still she had not lied。
〃How'd this heah young Isbel strike you？〃 queried her father；
suddenly glancing up at her。
Ellen felt the slow； sickening； guilty rise of blood in her face。
She was helpless to stop it。 But her father evidently never saw it。
He was looking at her without seeing her。
〃Hehe struck me as different from men heah；〃 she stammered。
〃Did Sprague tell you aboot this half…Indian Isbelaboot his reputation？〃
〃Yes。〃
〃Did he look to you like a real woodsman？〃
〃Indeed he did。 He wore buckskin。 He stepped quick and soft。 He acted
at home in the woods。 He had eyes black as night and sharp as lightnin'。
They shore saw about all there was to see。〃
Jorth chewed at his mustache and lost himself in brooding thought。
〃Dad； tell me； is there goin' to be a war？〃 asked Ellen； presently。
What a red； strange； rolling flash blazed in his eyes！ His body jerked。
〃Shore。 You might as well know。〃
〃Between sheepmen and cattlemen？〃
〃Yes。〃
〃With y'u； dad； at the haid of one faction and Gaston Isbel the other？ 〃
〃Daughter； you have it correct； so far as you go。〃
〃Oh！ 。 。 。 Dad； can't this fight be avoided？〃
〃You forget you're from Texas；〃 he replied。
〃Cain't it be helped？〃 she repeated； stubbornly。
〃No！〃 he declared； with deep； hoarse passion。
〃Why not？〃
〃Wal； we sheepmen are goin' to run sheep anywhere we like on the range。
An' cattlemen won't stand for that。〃
〃But； dad； it's so foolish；〃 declared Ellen； earnestly。 〃Y'u sheepmen
do not have to run sheep over the cattle range。〃
〃I reckon we do。〃
〃Dad； that argument doesn't go with me。 I know the country。 For years
to come there will be room for both sheep and cattle without overrunnin'。
If some of the range is better in water and grass； then whoever got there
first should have it。 That shore is only fair。 It's common sense； too。〃
〃Ellen； I reckon some cattle people have been prejudicin' you；〃 said
Jorth； bitterly。
〃Dad！〃 she cried； hotly。
This had grown to be an ordeal for Jorth。 He seemed a victim of
contending tides of feeling。 Some will or struggle broke within him
and the change was manifest。 Haggard； shifty…eyed； with wabbling chin；
he burst into speech。
〃See heah； girl。 You listen。 There's a clique of ranchers down in
the Basin； all those you named； with Isbel at their haid。 They have
resented sheepmen comin' down into the valley。 They want it all to
themselves。 That's the reason。 Shore there's another。 All the Isbels
are crooked。 They're cattle an' horse thieveshave been for years。
Gaston Isbel always was a maverick rustler。 He's gettin' old now an'
rich； so he wants to cover his tracks。 He aims to blame this cattle
rustlin' an' horse stealin' on to us sheepmen； an' run us out of the
country。〃
Gravely Ellen Jorth studied her father's face； and the newly found
truth…seeing power of her eyes did not fail her。 In part； perhaps
in all； he was telling lies。 She shuddered a little； loyally battling
against the insidious convictions being brought to fruition。 Perhaps
in his brooding over his failures and troubles he leaned toward false
judgments。 Ellen could not attach dishonor to her father's motives or
speeches。 For long； however； something about him had troubled her；
perplexed her。 Fearfully she believed she was coming to some
revelation； and； despite her keen determination to know； she
found herself shrinking。
〃Dad； mother told me before she died that the Isbels had ruined you；〃
said Ellen； very low。 It hurt her so to see her father cover his
face that she could hardly go on。 〃If they ruined you they ruined
all of us。 I know what we had oncewhat we lost again and againand
I see what we are come to now。 Mother hated the Isbels。 She taught me
to hate the very name。 But I never knew how they ruined youor why
or when。 And I want to know now。〃
Then it was not the face of a liar that Jorth disclosed。 The present
was forgotten。 He lived in the past。 He even seemed younger 'in the
revivifying flash of hate that made his face radiant。 The lines burned
out。 Hate gave him back the spirit of his youth。
〃Gaston Isbel an' I were boys together in Weston； Texas；〃 began Jorth；
in swift； passionate voice。 〃We went to school together。 We loved
the same girlyour mother。 When the war broke out she was engaged
to Isbel。 His family was rich。 They influenced her people。 But she
loved me。 When Isbel went to war she married me。 He came back an'
faced us。 God！ I'll never forget that。 Your mother confessed her
unfaithfulnessby Heaven！ She taunted him with it。 Isbel accused
me of winnin' her by lies。 But she took the sting out of that。
Isbel never forgave
