to the last man-第63章
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Queen kept good his brag。 He braced that Isbel gang an' killed those
fellars。 But either him or Jean Isbel went off leavin' bloody tracks。
If it was Queen's y'u can bet Isbel was after him。 An' if it was
Isbel's tracks； why shore Queen would stick to them。 Somers an'
Springer couldn't follow the trail。 They're shore not much good at
trackin'。 But for days they've been ridin' the woods； hopin' to run
across Queen。 。 。 。 Wal now； mebbe they run across Isbel instead。 An'
if they did an' got away from him they'll be heah sooner or later。 If
Isbel was too many for them he'd hunt for my trail。 I'm gamblin' that
either Queen or Jean Isbel is daid。 I'm hopin' it's Isbel。 Because if
he ain't daid he's the last of the Isbels； an' mebbe I'm the last of
Jorth's gang。 。 。 。 Shore I'm not hankerin' to meet the half…breed。
That's why I say we'll stay heah。 This is as good a hidin' place as
there is in the country。 We've grub。 There's water an' grass。〃
〃Mestay heah with y'ualone！〃
The tone seemed a contradiction to the apparently accepted sense of
her words。 Jean held his breath。 But he could not still the slowly
mounting and accelerating faculties within that were involuntarily
rising to meet some strange； nameless import。 He felt it。 He imagined
it would be the catastrophe of Ellen Jorth's calm acceptance of Colter's
proposition。 But down in Jean's miserable heart lived something that
would not die。 No mere words could kill it。 How poignant that moment
of her silence！ How terribly he realized that if his intelligence and
his emotion had believed her betraying words； his soul had not！
But Ellen Jorth did not speak。 Her brown head hung thoughtfully。
Her supple shoulders sagged a little。
〃Ellen； what's happened to y'u？〃 went on Colter。
〃All the misery possible to a woman；〃 she replied； dejectedly。
〃Shore I don't mean that way；〃 he continued； persuasively。 〃I ain't
gainsayin' the hard facts of your life。 It's been bad。 Your dad was
no good。 。 。 。 But I mean I can't figger the change in y'u。〃
〃No； I reckon y'u cain't；〃 she said。 〃Whoever was responsible for
your make…up left out a mindnot to say feeling。〃
Colter drawled a low laugh。
〃Wal； have that your own way。 But how much longer are yu goin' to
be like this heah？〃
〃Like what？〃 she rejoined； sharply。
〃Wal； this stand…offishness of yours？〃
〃Colter； I told y'u to let me alone；〃 she said； sullenly。
〃Shore。 An' y'u did that before。 But this time y'u're different。
。 。 。 An' wal； I'm gettin' tired of it。〃
Here the cool； slow voice of the Texan sounded an inflexibility before
absent； a timber that hinted of illimitable power。
Ellen Jorth shrugged her lithe shoulders and； slowly rising； she picked
up the little rifle and turned to step into the cabin。
〃Colter；〃 she said； 〃fetch my pack an' my blankets in heah。〃
〃 Shore；〃 he returned； with good nature。
Jean saw Ellen Jorth lay the rifle lengthwise in a chink between two
logs and then slowly turn； back to the wall。 Jean knew her then；
yet did not know her。 The brown flash of her face seemed that of an
older； graver woman。 His strained gaze； like his waiting mind； had
expected something； he knew not whata hardened face； a ghost of beauty；
a recklessness； a distorted； bitter； lost expression in keeping with her
fortunes。 But he had reckoned falsely。 She did not look like that。
There was incalculable change； but the beauty remained； somehow
different。 Her red lips were parted。 Her brooding eyes； looking out
straight from under the level； dark brows； seemed sloe black and
wonderful with their steady； passionate light。
Jean； in his eager； hungry devouring of the beloved face； did not on
the first instant grasp the significance of its expression。 He was
seeing the features that had haunted him。 But quickly he interpreted
her expression as the somber； hunted look of a woman who would bear no
more。 Under the torn blouse her full breast heaved。 She held her hands
clenched at her sides。 She was' listening； waiting for that jangling；
slow step。 It came； and with the sound she subtly changed。 She was a
woman hiding her true feelings。 She relaxed； and that strong； dark
look of fury seemed to fade back into her eyes。
Colter appeared at the door； carrying a roll of blankets and a pack。
〃Throw them heah；〃 she said。 〃I reckon y'u needn't bother coming in。〃
That angered the man。 With one long stride he stepped over the doorsill；
down into the cabin； and flung the blankets at her feet and then the pack
after it。 Whereupon he deliberately sat down in the door； facing her。
With one hand he slid off his sombrero； which fell outside； and with
the other he reached in his upper vest pocket for the little bag of
tobacco that showed there。 All the time he looked at her。 By the
light now unobstructed Jean descried Colter's face； and sight of it
then sounded the roll and drum of his passions。
〃Wal； Ellen； I reckon we'll have it out right now an' heah；〃 he said；
and with tobacco in one hand； paper in the other he began the operations
of making a cigarette。 However； he scarcely removed his glance from her。
〃Yes？〃 queried Ellen Jorth。
〃I'm goin' to have things the way they were beforean' more；〃 he
declared。 The cigarette paper shook in his fingers。
〃What do y'u mean？〃 she demanded。
〃Y'u know what I mean；〃 he retorted。 Voice and action were subtly
unhinging this man's control over himself。
〃Maybe I don't。 I reckon y'u'd better talk plain。〃
The rustler had clear gray…yellow eyes； flawless； like； crystal；
and suddenly they danced with little fiery flecks。
〃The last time I laid my hand on y'u I got hit for my pains。
An' shore that's been ranklin'。〃
〃Colter； y'u'll get hit again if y'u。 put your hands on me；〃 she said；
dark； straight glance on him。 A frown wrinkled the level brows。
〃Y'u mean that？〃 he asked； thickly。
〃I shore； do。〃
Manifestly he accepted her assertion。 Something of incredulity and
bewilderment； that had vied with his resentment； utterly disappeared
from his face。
〃Heah I've been waitin' for y'u to love me；〃 he declared； with a gesture
not without dignified emotion。 〃Your givin' in without that wasn't so
much to me。〃
And at these words of the rustler's Jean Isbel felt an icy； sickening
shudder creep into his soul。 He shut his eyes。 The end of his dream
had been long in coming； but at last it had arrived。 A mocking voice；
like a hollow wind； echoed through that regionthat lonely and
ghost…like hall of his heart which had harbored faith。
She burst into speech； louder and sharper； the first words of which
Jean's strangely throbbing ears did not distinguish。
〃 you！ 。 。 。 I never gave in to y'u an' I never will。〃
〃But； girlI kissed y'uhugged y'uhandled y'u〃 he expostulated；
and the making of the cigarette ceased。
〃Yes； y'u didy'u brutewhen I was so downhearted and weak I
couldn't lift my hand；〃 she flashed。
〃Ahuh！ Y'u mean I couldn't do that now？〃
〃I should smile I do； Jim Colter！〃 she replied。
〃Wal； mebbeI'll seepresently；〃 he went on； straining with words。
〃But I'm shore curious。 。 。 。 Daggs； thenhe was nothin' to y'u？〃
〃No more than y'u；〃 she said； morbidly。 〃He used to run after me
long ago； it seems。 。 。 。 。 I was only a girl theninnocentan' I'd
not known any but rough men。 I couldn't all the timeevery day； every
hourkeep him at arm's length。 Sometimes before I knewI didn't care。
I was a child。 A kiss meant nothing to me。 But after I knew〃
Ellen dropped her head in brooding silence。
〃Say； do y'u expect me to believe that？〃 he queried； with a derisive leer。
〃Bah！ What do I care what y'u believe？〃 she cried； with lifting head。
〃How aboot Simm Brace？〃
〃That coyote！ 。 。 。 He lied aboot me； Jim Colter。 And any man half
a man would have known he lied。〃
〃Wal； Simm。 always bragged aboot y'u bein' his girl；〃 asserted Colter。
〃An' he wasn't overparticular aboot details of your love…makin'。〃
Ellen gazed out of the door； over Colter's head； as if the forest
out there was a refuge。 She evidently sensed more about the man than
appeared in his slow talk； in his slouching position。 Her lips shut
