to the last man-第27章
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two of my teeth。 An' I swallered one of them。〃
Ellen stood in the background behind three of the men and in the
shadow。 She did not join in the laugh that followed Bruce's remarks。
She had known that he would lie。 Uncertain yet of her reaction to this；
but more bitter and furious as he revealed his utter baseness； she
waited for more to be said。
〃Wal； I'll be doggoned；〃 drawled Daggs。
〃What do you make of this kind of fightin'？〃 queried Jorth；
〃Darn if I know；〃 replied Daggs in perplexity。 〃Shore an' sartin
it's not the way of a Texan。 Mebbe this young Isbel really is what
old Gass swears he is。 Shore Bruce ain't nothin' to give an edge to
a real gun fighter。 Looks to me like Isbel bluffed Greaves an' his
gang an' licked your men without throwin' a gun。〃
〃Maybe Isbel doesn't want the name of drawin' first blood；〃
suggested Jorth。
〃That 'd be like Gass；〃 spoke up Rock Wells； quietly。 I onct rode
fer Gass in Texas。〃
〃Say； Bruce；〃 said Daggs； 〃was this heah palaverin' of yours an'
Jean Isbel's aboot the old stock dispute？ Aboot his father's range
an' water？ An' partickler aboot； sheep？〃
〃WalII yelled a heap；〃 declared Bruce； haltingly； 〃but I don't
recollect all I saidI was riled。 。 。 。 Shore； though it was the same
old argyment thet's been fetchin' us closer an' closer to trouble。〃
Daggs removed his keen hawklike gaze from Bruce。 Wal； Jorth； all I'll
say is this。 If Bruce is tellin' the truth we ain't got a hell of a
lot to fear from this young Isbel。 I've known a heap of gun fighters
in my day。 An' Jean Isbel don't ran true to class。 Shore there never
was a gunman who'd risk cripplin' his right hand by sluggin' anybody。〃
〃Wal；〃 broke in Bruce； sullenly。 〃You…all can take it daid straight
or not。 I don't give a damn。 But you've shore got my hunch thet Nez
Perce Isbel is liable to handle any of you fellars jest as he did me；
an' jest as easy。 What's more； he's got Greaves figgered。 An' you…all
know thet Greaves is as deep in〃
〃Shut up that kind of gab；〃 demanded Jorth； stridently。 〃An' answer me。
Was the row in Greaves's barroom aboot sheep？〃
〃Aw； hell！ I said so； didn't I？〃 shouted Bruce； with a fierce uplift
of his distorted face。
Ellen strode out from the shadow of the tall men who had obscured her。
〃Bruce； y'u're a liar；〃 she said； bitingly。
The surprise of her sudden appearance seemed to root Bruce to the spot。
All but the discolored places on his face turned white。 He held his
breath a moment； then expelled it hard。 His effort to recover from
the shock was painfully obvious。 He stammered incoherently。
〃Shore y'u're more than a liar； too；〃 cried Ellen； facing him with
blazing eyes。 And the rifle； gripped in both hands； seemed to declare
her intent of menace。 〃That row was not about sheep。 。 。 。 Jean Isbel
didn't beat y'u for anythin' about sheep。 。 。 。 Old John Sprague was in
Greaves's store。 He heard y'u。 He saw Jean Isbel beat y'u as y'u
deserved。 。 。 。 An' he told ME！〃
Ellen saw Bruce shrink in fear of his life； and despite her fury she
was filled with disgust that he could imagine she would have his blood
on her hands。 Then she divined that Bruce saw more in the gathering
storm in her father's eyes than he had to fear from her。
〃Girl； what the hell are y'u sayin'？〃 hoarsely called Jorth； in dark amaze。
〃Dad； y'u leave this to me；〃 she retorted。
Daggs stepped beside Jorth； significantly on his right side。 〃Let her
alone Lee；〃 he advised； coolly。 〃She's shore got a hunch on Bruce。〃
〃Simm Bruce； y'u cast a dirty slur on my name；〃 cried Ellen； passionately。
It was then that Daggs grasped Jorth's right arm and held it tight；
〃Jest what I thought；〃 he said。 〃Stand still； Lee。 Let's see the
kid make him showdown。〃
〃That's what jean Isbel beat y'u for；〃 went on Ellen。 〃For slandering
a girl who wasn't there。 。 。 。 Me！ Y'u rotten liar！〃
〃But； Ellen； it wasn't all lies；〃 said Bruce； huskily。 〃I was half
drunkan' horrible jealous。 。 。 。 You know Lorenzo seen Isbel kissin'
you。 I can prove thet。〃
Ellen threw up her head and a scarlet wave of shame and wrath flooded
her face。
〃Yes；〃 she cried； ringingly。 〃He saw Jean Isbel kiss me。 Once！ 。 。 。
An' it was the only decent kiss I've had in years。 He meant no insult。
I didn't know who be was。 An' through his kiss I learned a difference
between men。 。 。 。 Y'u made Lorenzo lie。 An' if I had a shred of good
name left in Grass Valley you dishonored it。 。 。 。 Y'u made him think
I was your girl！ Damn y'u！ I ought to kill y'u。 。 。 。 Eat your words
nowtake them backor I'll cripple y'u for life！〃
Ellen lowered the cocked rifle toward his feet。
〃Shore； Ellen； I take backall I said；〃 gulped Bruce。 He gazed at
the quivering rifle barrel and then into the face of Ellen's father。
Instinct told him where his real peril lay。
Here the cool and tactful Daggs showed himself master of the situation。
〃Heah； listen！〃 he called。 〃Ellen； I reckon Bruce was drunk an' out
of his haid。 He's shore ate his words。 Now； we don't want any cripples
in this camp。 Let him alone。 Your dad got me heah to lead the Jorths；
an' that's my say to you。 。 。 。 Simm； you're shore a low…down lyin'
rascal。 Keep away from Ellen after this or I'll bore you myself。 。 。 。
Jorth； it won't be a bad idee for you to forget you're a Texan till
you cool off。 Let Bruce stop some Isbel lead。 Shore the Jorth…Isbel
war is aboot on； an' I reckon we'd be smart to believe old Gass's talk
aboot his Nez Perce son。〃
CHAPTER VI
》From this hour Ellen Jorth bent all of her lately awakened intelligence
and will to the only end that seemed to hold possible salvation for her。
In the crisis sure to come she did not want to be blind or weak。
Dreaming and indolence； habits born in her which were often a comfort
to one as lonely as she； would ill fit her for the hard test she divined
and dreaded。 In the matter of her father's fight she must stand by him
whatever the issue or the outcome； in what pertained to her own principles；
her womanhood； and her soul she stood absolutely alone。
Therefore； Ellen put dreams aside； and indolence of mind and body
behind her。 Many tasks she found； and when these were done for a
day she kept active in other ways； thus earning the poise and peace
of labor。
Jorth rode off every day； sometimes with one or two of the men； often
with a larger number。 If he spoke of such trips to Ellen it was to
give an impression of visiting the ranches of his neighbors or the
various sheep camps。 Often he did not return the day he left。 When
he did get back he smelled of rum and appeared heavy from need of sleep。
His horses were always dust and sweat covered。 During his absences
Ellen fell victim to anxious dread until he returned。 Daily he grew
darker and more haggard of face； more obsessed by some impending fate。
Often he stayed up late； haranguing with the men in the dim…lit cabin；
where they drank and smoked； but seldom gambled any more。 When the men
did not gamble something immediate and perturbing was on their minds。
Ellen had not yet lowered herself to the deceit and suspicion of
eavesdropping； but she realized that there was a climax approaching
in which she would deliberately do so。
In those closing May days Ellen learned the significance of many things
that previously she had taken as a matter of course。 Her father did
not run a ranch。 There was absolutely no ranching done； and little work。
Often Ellen had to chop wood herself。 Jorth did not possess a plow。
Ellen was bound to confess that the evidence of this lack dumfounded her。
Even old John Sprague raised some hay； beets； turnips。 Jorth's cattle
and horses fared ill during the winter。 Ellen remembered how they used
to clean up four…inch oak saplings and aspens。 Many of them died in
the snow。 The flocks of sheep； however； were driven down into the Basin
in the fall； and across the Reno Pass to Phoenix and Maricopa。
Ellen could not discover a fence post on the ranch。 nor a piece of
salt for the horses and cattle； nor a wagon； nor any sign of a
sheep…shearing outfit。 She had never seen any sheep sheared。
Ellen could never keep trac
