to the last man-第65章
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we can corral that half…breed。 He's the last of the Isbels。〃
〃More； pard。 He's the last of the Isbel outfit；〃 declared Colter。
〃If y'u can show me blood in his tracks I'll trail him。〃
〃Y'u can bet I'll show y'u；〃 rejoined the other rustler。 〃But listen！
Wouldn't it be better for us first to see if he crossed the canyon？
I reckon he didn't。 But let's make sure。 An' if he didn't we'll have
him somewhar along that west canyon wall。 He's not got no gun。 He'd
never run thet way if he had。 。 。 。 Jim； he's our meat！〃
〃Shore； he'll have that knife； 〃 pondered Colter。
〃We needn't worry about thet；〃 said the other； positively。 〃He's hard
hit； I tell y'u。 All we got to do is find thet bloody trail again an'
stick to itgoin' careful。 He's layin' low like a crippled wolf。〃
〃Springer； I want the job of finishin' that half…breed；〃 hissed Colter。
〃I'd give ten years of my life to stick a gun down his throat an' shoot
it off。〃
〃All right。 Let's rustle。 Mebbe y'u'll not have to give much more 'n
ten minnits。 Because I tell y'u I can find him。 It'd been easybut；
Jim； I reckon I was afraid。〃
〃Leave your hoss for me an' go ahaid；〃 the rustler then said； brusquely。
〃I've a job in the cabin heah。〃
〃Haw…haw！ 。 。 。 Wal； Jim； I'll rustle a bit down the trail an' wait。
No huntin' Jean Isbel alonenot fer me。 I've had a queer feelin'
about thet knife he used on Greaves。 An' I reckon y'u'd oughter let
thet Jorth hussy alone long enough to〃
〃Springer； I reckon I've got to hawg…tie her〃 His voice became
indistinguishable； and footfalls attested to a slow moving away of
the men。
Jean had listened with ears acutely strung to catch every syllable while
his gaze rested upon Ellen who stood beside the door。 Every line of her
body denoted a listening intensity。 Her back was toward Jean； so that he
could not see her face。 And he did not want to see； but could not help
seeing her naked shoulders。 She put her head out of the door。 Suddenly
she drew it in quickly and half turned her face； slowly raising her white
arm。 This was the left one and bore the marks of Colter's hard fingers。
She gave a little gasp。 Her eyes became large and staring。 They were
bent on the hand that she had removed from a step on the ladder。 On hand
and wrist showed a bright…red smear of blood。
Jean； with a convulsive leap of his heart； realized that he had left his
bloody tracks on the ladder as he had climbed。 That moment seemed the
supremely terrible one of his life。
Ellen Jorth's face blanched and her eyes darkened and dilated with
exceeding amaze and flashing thought to become fixed with horror。
That instant was the one in which her reason connected the blood
on the ladder with the escape of Jean Isbel。
One moment she leaned there； still as a stone except for her heaving
breast； and then her fixed gaze changed to a swift； dark blaze；
comprehending； yet inscrutable； as she flashed it up the ladder to
the loft。 She could see nothing； yet she knew and Jean knew that
she knew he was there。 A marvelous transformation passed over her
features and even over her form。 Jean choked with the ache in his throat。
Slowly she put the bloody hand behind her while with the other she still
held the torn blouse to her breast。
Colter's slouching； musical step sounded outside。 And it might have
been a strange breath of infinitely vitalizing and passionate life
blown into the well…springs of Ellen Jorth's being。 Isbel had no name
for her then。 The spirit of a woman had been to him a thing unknown。
She swayed back from the door against the wall in singular； softened
poise； as if all the steel had melted out of her body。 And as Colter's
tall shadow fell across the threshold Jean Isbel felt himself staring
with eyeballs that achedstraining incredulous sight at this woman who
in a few seconds had bewildered his senses with her transfiguration。
He saw but could not comprehend。
〃JimI heardall Springer told y'u；〃 she said。 The look of her
dumfounded Colter and her voice seemed to shake him visibly。
〃Suppose y'u did。 What then？〃 he demanded； harshly； as he halted with
one booted foot over the threshold。 Malignant and forceful； he eyed
her darkly； doubtfully。
〃I'm afraid；〃 she whispered。
〃What of？ Me？〃
〃No。 Ofof Jean Isbel。 He might kill y'u andthen where would I be？〃
〃Wal； I'm damned！〃 ejaculated the rustler。 〃What's got into y'u？〃
He moved to enter； but a sort of fascination bound him。
〃Jim； I hated y'u a moment ago；〃 she burst out。 〃But nowwith that
Jean Isbel somewhere nearhidin'watchin' to kill y'uan' maybe me；
tooII don't hate y'u any more。 。 。 。 Take me away。〃
〃Girl； have y'u lost your nerve？〃 he demanded。
〃My God！ Coltercain't y'u see？〃 she implored。 〃Won't y'u take me away？〃
〃I shore willpresently；〃 he replied； grimly。 〃But y'u'll wait till
I've shot the lights out of this Isbel。〃
〃No！〃 she cried。 〃Take me away now。 。 。 。 An' I'll give inI'll be
what y'uwant。 。 。 。 Y'u can do with meas y'u like。〃
Colter's lofty frame leaped as if at the release of bursting blood。
With a lunge he cleared the threshold to loom over her。
〃Am I out of my haid； or are y'u？〃 he asked； in low； hoarse voice。
His darkly corded face expressed extremest amaze。
〃Jim； I mean it；〃 she whispered； edging an inch nearer him； her white
face uplifted； her dark eyes unreadable in their eloquence and mystery。
〃I've no friend but y'u。 I'll beyours。 。 。 。 I'm lost。 。 。 。 What does
it matter？ If y'u want metake me NOWbefore I kill myself。〃
〃Ellen Jorth； there's somethin' wrong aboot y'u；〃 he responded。
〃Did y'u tell the truthwhen y'u denied ever bein' a sweetheart
of Simm Bruce？〃
〃Yes； I told y'u the truth。〃
〃Ahuh！ An' how do y'u account for layin' me out with every dirty name
y'u could give tongue to？〃
〃Oh； it was temper。 I wanted to be let alone。〃
〃Temper！ Wal； I reckon y'u've got one；〃 he retorted； grimly。 An' I'm
not shore y'u're not crazy or lyin'。 An hour ago I couldn't touch y'u。〃
〃Y'u may nowif y'u promise to take me awayat once。 This place has
got on my nerves。 I couldn't sleep heah with that Isbel hidin' around。
Could y'u？〃
〃Wal； I reckon I'd not sleep very deep。〃
〃Then let us go。〃
He shook his lean； eagle…like head in slow； doubtful vehemence；
and his piercing gaze studied her distrustfully。 Yet all the while
there was manifest in his strung frame an almost irrepressible violence；
held in abeyance to his will。
〃That aboot your bein' so good？〃 he inquired； with a return of the
mocking drawl。
〃Never mind what's past；〃 she flashed； with passion dark as his。
〃I've made my offer。〃
〃Shore there's a lie aboot y'u somewhere；〃 he muttered； thickly。
〃Man； could I do more？〃 she demanded； in scorn。
〃No。 But it's a lie；〃 he returned。 〃Y'u'll get me to take y'u away
an' then fool merun offGod knows what。 Women are all liars。〃
Manifestly he could not believe in her strange transformation。 Memory
of her wild and passionate denunciation of him and his kind must have
seared even his calloused soul。 But the ruthless nature of him had
not weakened nor softened in the least as to his intentions。 This
weather…vane veering of hers bewildered him； obsessed him with its
possibilities。 He had the look of a man who was divided between love
of her and hate； whose love demanded a return； but whose hate required
a proof of her abasement。 Not proof of surrender； but proof of her shame！
The ignominy of him thirsted for its like。 He could grind her beauty
under his heel； but he could not soften to this feminine inscrutableness。
And whatever was the truth of Ellen Jorth in this moment； beyond
Colter's gloomy and stunted intelligence； beyond even the love of
Jean Isbel； it was something that held the balance of mastery。 She read
Colter's mind。 She dropped the torn blouse from her hand and stood there；
unashamed； with the wave of her white breast pulsing； eyes black as night
and full of hell； her face white； tragic； terrible； yet strangely lovely。
〃Take me away；〃 she whispered； stretching one white arm toward him；
then the other。
Colter； even as she moved； had leaped with inarticulate cry and ra
