to the last man-第53章
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from under his hand。
〃Uncle Tad； are y'u heah？〃 she called into the blackness。 She heard
the mice scamper and rustle and she smelled the musty； old； woody odor
of a long…unused cabin。
〃Hello； Ellen！〃 came a voice she recognized as her uncle's； yet it
was strange。 〃Yes。 I'm heahbad luck to me！ 。 。 。 How 're y'u
buckin' up； girl？〃
〃I'm all right； Uncle Tadonly tired an' worried。 I〃
〃Tad； how's your hurt？〃 interrupted Colter。
〃Reckon I'm easier；〃 replied Jorth； wearily； 〃but shore I'm in bad shape。
I'm still spittin' blood。 I keep tellin' Queen that bullet lodged in my
lungs…but he says it went through。〃
〃Wal； hang on； Tad！〃 replied Colter； with a cheerfulness Ellen sensed
was really indifferent。
〃Oh； what the hell's the use！〃 exclaimed Jorth。 〃It's allup
with usColter！〃
〃Wal； shut up； then；〃 tersely returned Colter。 〃It ain't doin'
y'u or us any good to holler。〃
Tad Jorth did not reply to this。 Ellen heard his breathing and it did
not seem natural。 It rasped a littlecame hurriedlythen caught in
his throat。 Then he spat。 Ellen shrunk back against the door。
He was breathing through blood。
〃Uncle； are y'u in pain？〃 she asked。
〃Yes； Ellenit burns like hell；〃 he said。
〃Oh！ I'm sorry。 。 。 。 Isn't there something I can do？〃
〃I reckon not。 Queen did all anybody could do for menow
unless it's pray。〃
Colter laughed at thisthe slow； easy； drawling laugh of a Texan。
But Ellen felt pity for this wounded uncle。 She had always hated him。
He had been a drunkard； a gambler； a waster of her father's property；
and now he was a rustler and a fugitive； lying in pain； perhaps
mortally hurt。
〃Yes； uncleI will pray for y'u；〃 she said； softly。
The change in his voice held a note of sadness that she had been
quick to catch。
〃Ellen； y'u're the only good Jorthin the whole damned lot；〃 he said。
〃God！ I see it all now。 。 。 。 We've dragged y'u to hell！〃
〃Yes； Uncle Tad； I've shore been dragged somebut not yetto hell；〃
she responded； with a break in her voice。
〃Y'u will beEllenunless〃
〃Aw； shut up that kind of gab； will y'u？〃 broke in Colter； harshly。
It amazed Ellen that Colter should dominate her uncle； even though he
was wounded。 Tad Jorth had been the last man to take orders from anyone；
much less a rustler of the Hash Knife Gang。 This Colter began to loom
up in Ellen's estimate as he loomed physically over her； a lofty figure；
dark motionless； somehow menacing。
〃Ellen； has Colter told y'u yetabootaboot Lee an' Jackson？〃
inquired the wounded man。
The pitch…black darkness of the cabin seemed to help fortify Ellen
to bear further trouble。
〃Colter told me dad an' Uncle Jackson would meet us heah；〃 she rejoined；
hurriedly。
Jorth could be heard breathing in difficulty； and he coughed and
spat again； and seemed to hiss。
〃Ellen； he lied to y'u。 They'll never meet usheah！〃
〃Why not？〃 whispered Ellen。
〃BecauseEllen 〃 he replied； in husky pants； 〃your dad an'uncle
Jacksonare daidan' buried！〃
If Ellen suffered a terrible shock it was a blankness； a deadness；
and a slow； creeping failure of sense in her knees。 They gave way
under her and she sank on the grass against the cabin wall。 She did
not faint nor grow dizzy nor lose her sight； but for a while there was
no process of thought in her mind。 Suddenly then it was therethe
quick； spiritual rending of her heartfollowed by a profound emotion
of intimate and irretrievable lossand after that grief and bitter
realization。
An hour later Ellen found strength to go to the fire and partake of
the food and drink her body sorely needed。
Colter and the men waited on her solicitously； and in silence； now and
then stealing furtive glances at her from under the shadow of their
black sombreros。 The dark night settled down like a blanket。 There
were no stars。 The wind moaned fitfully among the pines； and all about
that lonely； hidden recess was in harmony with Ellen's thoughts。
〃Girl； y'u're shore game；〃 said Colter； admiringly。 〃An' I reckon
y'u never got it from the Jorths。〃
〃Tad in therehe's game；〃 said Queen； in mild protest。
〃Not to my notion；〃 replied Colter。 〃Any man can be game when he's
croakin'； with somebody around。 。 。 。 But Lee Jorth an' Jacksonthey
always was yellow clear to their gizzards。 They was born in Louisiana
not Texas。 。 。 。 Shore they're no more Texans than I am。 Ellen heah；
she must have got another strain in her blood。
To Ellen their words had no meaning。 She rose and asked；
〃Where can I sleep？〃
〃I'll fetch a light presently an' y'u can make your bed in there by
Tad；〃 replied Colter。
〃Yes； I'd like that。〃
〃Wal； if y'u reckon y'u can coax him to talk you're shore wrong；
〃declared Colter； with that cold timbre of voice that struck like
steel on Ellen's nerves。 〃I cussed him good an' told him he'd keep
his mouth shut。 Talkin' makes him cough an' that fetches up the blood。
。 。 Besides； I reckon I'm the one to tell y'u how your dad an' uncle
got killed。 Tad didn't see it done； an' he was bad hurt when it
happened。 Shore all the fellars left have their idee aboot it。
But I've got it straight。〃
〃Coltertell me now；〃 cried Ellen。
〃Wal； all right。 Come over heah； 〃he replied； and drew her away from
the camp fire； out in the shadow of gloom。 〃Poor kid！ I shore feel
bad aboot it。〃 He put a long arm around her waist and drew her against
him。 Ellen felt it； yet did not offer any resistance。 All her faculties
seemed absorbed in a morbid and sad anticipation。
〃Ellen； y'u shore know I always loved y'unow don't y 'u？〃 he asked；
with suppressed breath。
〃No； Colter。 It's news to mean' not what I want to heah。〃
〃Wal； y'u may as well heah it right now；〃 he said。 〃It's true。
An' what's moreyour dad gave y'u to me before he died。〃
〃What！ Colter； y'u must be a liar。〃
〃Ellen； I swear I'm not lyin'；〃 he returned； in eager passion。 〃I was
with your dad last an' heard him last。 He shore knew I'd loved y'u for
years。 An' he said he'd rather y'u be left in my care than anybody's。〃
〃My father gave me to y'u in marriage！〃 ejaculated Ellen； in bewilderment。
Colter's ready assurance did not carry him over this point。 It was
evident that her words somewhat surprised and disconcerted him for
the moment。
〃To let me marry a rustlerone of the Hash Knife Gang！〃 exclaimed Ellen；
with weary incredulity。
〃Wal； your dad belonged to Daggs's gang； same as I do；〃 replied Colter；
recovering his cool ardor。
〃No！〃 cried Ellen。
〃Yes； he shore did； for years；〃 declared Colter； positively。
〃Back in Texas。 An' it was your dad that got Daggs to come to Arizona。〃
Ellen tried to fling herself away。 But her strength and her spirit
were ebbing； and Colter increased the pressure of his arm。 All at
once she sank limp。 Could she escape her fate？ Nothing seemed left
to fight with or for。
〃All rightdon't hold meso tight；〃 she panted。 〃Now tell me how
dad was killed 。 。 。 an' whowho〃
Colter bent over so he could peer into her face。 In the darkness Ellen
just caught the gleam of his eyes。 She felt the virile force of the
man in the strain of his body as he pressed her close。 It all seemed
unreala hideous dreamthe gloom； the moan of the wind； the weird
solitude； and this rustler with hand and will like cold steel。
〃We'd come back to Greaves's store；〃 Colter began。 〃An' as Greaves
was daid we all got free with his liquor。 Shore some of us got drunk。
Bruce was drunk； an' Tad in therehe was drunk。 Your dad put away
more 'n I ever seen him。 But shore he wasn't exactly drunk。 He got
one of them weak an' shaky spells。 He cried an' he wanted some of us
to get the Isbels to call off the fightin'。 。 。 。 He shore was ready
to call it quits。 I reckon the killin' of Daggsan' then the awful
way Greaves was cut up by Jean Isbeltook all the fight out of your
dad。 He said to me； 'Colter； we'll take Ellen an' leave this heah
countryan' begin life all over againwhere no one knows us。'〃
〃Oh； did he really say that？ 。 。 。 Did hereally mean it？〃 murmured
Ellen； with a sob。
〃I'll swear it by the memory of my daid mother；〃 protested Colter。
〃Wal； when night come the Isbels rode down on us in
