to the last man-第6章
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The anger that Jean anticipated failed to materialize。 He stood；
breathing hard； with a hand held out in unconscious appeal。 By the
same magic； perhaps； that had transfigured her a moment past； she was
now invested again by the older character。
〃Shore I reckon my callin' y'u a gentleman was a little previous；〃
she said； with a rather dry bitterness。 〃But； stranger； yu're sudden。〃
〃You're not insulted？〃 asked Jean； hurriedly。
〃Oh； I've been kissed before。 Shore men are all alike。〃
〃They're not；〃 he replied； hotly； with a subtle rush of disillusion；
a dulling of enchantment。 〃Don't you class me with other men who've
kissed you。 I wasn't myself when I did it an' I'd have gone on my
knees to ask your forgiveness。 。 。 。 But now I wouldn'tan' I wouldn't
kiss you again； eithereven if youyou wanted it。〃
Jean read in her strange gaze what seemed to him a vague doubt；
as if she was questioning him。
〃Miss； I take that back；〃 added Jean； shortly。 〃I'm sorry。 I didn't
mean to be rude。 It was a mean trick for me to kiss you。 A girl alone
in the woods who's gone out of her way to be kind to me！ I don't know
why I forgot my manners。 An' I ask your pardon。〃
She looked away then； and presently pointed far out and down
into the Basin。
〃There's Grass Valley。 That long gray spot in the black。 It's about
fifteen miles。 Ride along the Rim that way till y'u cross a trail。
Shore y'u can't miss it。 Then go down。〃
〃I'm much obliged to you；〃 replied Jean； reluctantly accepting what
he regarded as his dismissal。 Turning his horse； he put his foot in
the stirrup； then； hesitating； he looked across the saddle at the girl。
Her abstraction； as she gazed away over the purple depths suggested
loneliness and wistfulness。 She was not thinking of that scene spread
so wondrously before her。 It struck Jean she might be pondering a
subtle change in his feeling and attitude； something he was conscious
of； yet could not define。
〃Reckon this is good…by；〃 he said； with hesitation。
〃ADIOS； SENOR；〃 she replied； facing him again。 She lifted the little
carbine to the hollow of her elbow and； half turning； appeared ready
to depart。
〃Adios means good…by？ 〃 he queried。
〃Yes； good…by till to…morrow or good…by forever。 Take it as y'u like。〃
〃Then you'll meet me here day after to…morrow？〃 How eagerly he spoke；
on impulse； without a consideration of the intangible thing that had
changed him！
〃Did I say I wouldn't？ 〃
〃No。 But I reckoned you'd not care to after〃 he replied；
breaking off in some confusion。
〃Shore I'll be glad to meet y'u。 Day after to…morrow about
mid…afternoon。 Right heah。 Fetch all the news from Grass Valley。〃
〃All right。 Thanks。 That'll befine；〃 replied Jean； and as he spoke
he experienced a buoyant thrill； a pleasant lightness of enthusiasm；
such as always stirred boyishly in him at a prospect of adventure。
Before it passed he wondered at it and felt unsure of himself。
He needed to think。
〃Stranger shore I'm not recollectin' that y'u told me who y'u are；〃
she said。
〃No； reckon I didn't tell；〃 he returned。 〃What difference does that
make？ I said I didn't care who or what you are。 Can't you feel the
same about me？ 〃
〃ShoreI felt that way；〃 she replied； somewhat non…plussed； with the
level brown gaze steadily on his face。 But now y'u make me think。〃
〃Let's meet without knowin' any more about each other than we do now。〃
〃Shore。 I'd like that。 In this big wild Arizona a girlan' I reckon
a manfeels so insignificant。 What's a name； anyhow？ Still； people
an' things have to be distinguished。 I'll call y'u 'Stranger' an' be
satisfiedif y'u say it's fair for y'u not to tell who y'u are。〃
〃Fair！ No； it's not；〃 declared Jean； forced to confession。 〃My name's
JeanJean Isbel。〃
〃ISBEL！〃 she exclaimed； with a violent start。 〃Shore y'u can't be
son of old Gass Isbel。 。 。 。 I've seen both his sons。〃
〃He has three；〃 replied Jean； with relief； now the secret was out。
〃I'm the youngest。 I'm twenty…four。 Never been out of Oregon till
now。 On my way〃
The brown color slowly faded out of her face； leaving her quite pale；
with eyes that began to blaze。 The suppleness of her seemed to stiffen。
〃My name's Ellen Jorth；〃 she burst out； passionately。 Does it mean
anythin' to y'u？〃
〃Never heard it in my life；〃 protested Jean。 〃Sure I reckoned you
belonged to the sheep raisers who 're on the outs with my father。
That's why I had to tell you I'm Jean Isbel。 。 。 。 Ellen Jorth。
It's strange an' pretty。 。 。 。 Reckon I can be just as good aa
friend to you〃
〃No Isbel； can ever be a friend to me；〃 she said； with bitter coldness。
Stripped of her ease and her soft wistfulness； she stood before him one
instant； entirely another girl； a hostile enemy。 Then she wheeled and
strode off into the woods。
Jean； in amaze； in consternation； watched her swiftly draw away with
her lithe； free step； wanting to follow her； wanting to call to her；
but the resentment roused by her suddenly avowed hostility held him
mute in his tracks。 He watched her disappear； and when the brown…and
…green wall of forest swallowed the slender gray form he fought against
the insistent desire to follow her； and fought in vain。
CHAPTER II
But Ellen Jorth's moccasined feet did not leave a distinguishable
trail on the springy pine needle covering of the ground； and Jean
could not find any trace of her。
A little futile searching to and fro cooled his impulse and called
pride to his rescue。 Returning to his horse； he mounted； rode out
behind the pack mule to start it along； and soon felt the relief of
decision and action。 Clumps of small pines grew thickly in spots
on the Rim； making it necessary for him to skirt them； at which
times he lost sight of the purple basin。 Every time he came back
to an opening through which he could see the wild ruggedness and
colors and distances； his appreciation of their nature grew on him。
Arizona from Yuma to the Little Colorado had been to him an endless
waste of wind…scoured； sun…blasted barrenness。 This black…forested
rock…rimmed land of untrodden ways was a world that in itself would
satisfy him。 Some instinct in Jean called for a lonely； wild land；
into the fastnesses of which he could roam at will and be the other
strange self that he had always yearned to be but had never been。
Every few moments there intruded into his flowing consciousness
the flashing face of Ellen Jorth； the way she had looked at him；
the things she had said。 〃Reckon I was a fool；〃 he soliloquized；
with an acute sense of humiliation。 〃She never saw how much in
earnest I was。〃 And Jean began to remember the circumstances with
a vividness that disturbed and perplexed him。
The accident of running across such a girl in that lonely place might
be out of the ordinarybut it had happened。 Surprise had made him dull。
The charm of her appearance； the appeal of her manner； must have drawn
him at the very first； but he had not recognized that。 Only at her
words； 〃Oh； I've been kissed before；〃 had his feelings been checked
in their heedless progress。 And the utterance of them had made a
difference he now sought to analyze。 Some personality in him； some
voice； some idea had begun to defend her even before he was conscious
that he had arraigned her before the bar of his judgment。 Such defense
seemed clamoring in him now and he forced himself to listen。 He wanted；
in his hurt pride； to justify his amazing surrender to a sweet and
sentimental impulse。
He realized now that at first glance he should have recognized in her
look； her poise； her voice the quality he called thoroughbred。 Ragged
and stained apparel did not prove her of a common sort。 Jean had known
a number of fine and wholesome girls of good family； and he remembered
his sister。 This Ellen Jorth was that kind of a girl irrespective of
her present environment。 Jean championed her loyally； even after he
had gratified his selfish pride。
It was thencontending with an intangible and stealing glamour；
unreal and fanciful； like the dream of a forbidden enchantmentthat
Jean arrived at the part in the little woodland drama where he
