black rock-第36章

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he　added；　'are　the　men　all　straight？'

I　ran　them　over　in　my　mind。

'Yes；　I　think　so。'

If　not；　don't　you　help　them　down；　and　anyway；　you　can't　be　too
careful。　　But　don't　mind　me；　I　am　quit　of　the　whole　business　from
this　out。'　　So　I　ventured　wines；　for　the　last　time；　as　it　happened。

We　were　a　quaint　combination。　　Old　'Beetles；'　whose　nickname　was
prophetic　of　his　future　fame　as　a　bugman；　as　the　fellows
irreverently　said；　'Stumpy'　Smith；　a　demon　bowler；　Polly　Lindsay；
slow　as　ever　and　as　sure　as　when　he　held　the　half…back　line　with
Graeme；　and　used　to　make　my　heart　stand　still　with　terror　at　his
cool　deliberation。　　But　he　was　never　known　to　fumble　nor　to　funk；
and　somehow　he　always　got　us　out　safe　enough。　　Then　there　was
Rattray'Rat'　for　shortwho；　from　a　swell；　had　developed　into　a
cynic　with　a　sneer；　awfully　clever　and　a　good　enough　fellow　at
heart。　　Little　'Wig'　Martin；　the　sharpest　quarter　ever　seen；　and
big　Barney　Lundy；　centre　scrimmage；　whose　terrific　roar　and　rush
had　often　struck　terror　to　the　enemy's　heart；　and　who　was　Graeme's
slave。　　Such　was　the　party。

As　the　supper　went　on　my　fears　began　to　vanish；　for　if　Graeme　did
not　'roar；'　he　did　the　next　best　thingate　and　talked　quite　up　to
his　old　form。　　Now　we　played　our　matches　over　again；　bitterly
lamenting　the　'if's'　that　had　lost　us　the　championships；　and　wildly
approving　the　tackles　that　had　saved；　and　the　runs　that　had　made
the　'Varsity　crowd　go　mad　with　delight　and　had　won　for　us。　　And　as
their　names　came　up　in　talk；　we　learned　how　life　had　gone　with
those　who　had　been　our　comrades　of　ten　years　ago。　　Some；　success
had　lifted　to　high　places；　some；　failure　had　left　upon　the　rocks；
and　a　few　lay　in　their　graves。

But　as　the　evening　wore　on；　I　began　to　wish　that　I　had　left　out　the
wines；　for　the　men　began　to　drop　an　occasional　oath；　though　I　had
let　them　know　during　the　summer　that　Graeme　was　not　the　man　he　had
been。　　But　Graeme　smoked　and　talked　and　heeded　not；　till　Rattray
swore　by　that　name　most　sacred　of　all　ever　borne　by　man。　　Then
Graeme　opened　upon　him　in　a　cool；　slow　way

'What　an　awful　fool　a　man　is；　to　damn　things　as　you　do；　Rat。
Things　are　not　damned。　　It　is　men　who　are；　and　that　is　too　bad　to
be　talked　much　about　but　when　a　man　flings　out　of　his　foul　mouth
the　name　of　Jesus　Christ'here　he　lowered　his　voice'it's　a
shameit's　more；　it's　a　crime。'

There　was　dead　silence；　then　Rattray　replied

'I　suppose　you're　right　enough；　it　is　bad　form；　but　crime　is　rather
strong；　I　think。'

'Not　if　you　consider　who　it　is；'　said　Graeme　with　emphasis。

'Oh；　come　now；'　broke　in　Beetles。　　'Religion　is　all　right；　is　a
good　thing；　and　I　believe　a　necessary　thing　for　the　race；　but　no
one　takes　seriously　any　longer　the　Christ　myth。'

'What　about　your　mother；　Beetles？'　put　in　Wig　Martin。

Beetles　consigned　him　to　the　pit　and　was　silent；　for　his　father　was
an　Episcopal　clergyman；　and　his　mother　a　saintly　woman。

'I　fooled　with　that　for　some　time；　Beetles；　but　it　won't　do。　　You
can't　build　a　religion　that　will　take　the　devil　out　of　a　man　on　a
myth。　　That　won't　do　the　trick。　　I　don't　want　to　argue　about　it；
but　I　am　quite　convinced　the　myth　theory　is　not　reasonable；　and
besides；　it　wont　work。'

'Will　the　other　work？'　asked　Rattray；　with　a　sneer。

'Sure！'　said　Grame；　'I've　seen　it。'

'Where？'　challenged　Rattray。　　'I　haven't　seen　much　of　it。'

'Yes；　you　have；　Rattray；　you　know　you　have；'　said　Wig　again。　　But
Rattray　ignored　him。

'I'll　tell　you；　boys；'　said　Graeme。　　'I　want　you　to　know；　anyway；
why　I　believe　what　I　do。'

Then　he　told　them　the　story　of　old　man　Nelson；　from　the　old　coast
days；　before　I　knew　him；　to　the　end。　　He　told　the　story　well。　　The
stern　fight　and　the　victory　of　the　life；　and　the　self…sacrifice　and
the　pathos　of　the　death　appealed　to　these　men；　who　loved　fight　and
could　understand　sacrifice。

'That's　why　I　believe　in　Jesus　Christ；　and　that's　why　I　think　it　a
crime　to　fling　His　name　about！'

'I　wish　to　Heaven　I　could　say　that；'　said　Beetles。

'Keep　wishing　hard　enough　and　it　will　come　to　you；'　said　Graeme。

'Look　here；　old　chap；'　said　Rattray；　'you're　quite　right　about
this；　I'm　willing　to　own　up。　　Wig　is　correct。　　I　know　a　few；　at
least；　of　that　stamp；　but　most　of　those　who　go　in　for　that　sort　of
thing　are　not　much　account'

'For　ten　years；　Rattray；'　said　Graeme　in　a　downright；　matter…of…
fact　way；　'you　and　I　have　tried　this　sort　of　thing'tapping　a
bottle'and　we　got　out　of　it　all　there　is　to　be　got；　paid　well　for
it；　too；　andfaugh！　you　know　it's　not　good　enough；　and　the　more
you　go　in　for　it；　the　more　you　curse　yourself。　　So　I　have　quit　this
and　I　am　going　in　for　the　other。'

'What！　going　in　for　preaching？'

'Not　muchrailroadingmoney　in　itand　lending　a　hand　to　fellows
on　the　rocks。'

'I　say；　don't　you　want　a　centre　forward？'　said　big　Barney　in　his
deep　voice。

'Every　man　must　play　his　game　in　his　place；　old　chap。　　I'd　like　to
see　you　tackle　it；　though；　right　well；'　said　Graeme　earnestly。　　And
so　he　did；　in　the　after　years；　and　good　tackling　it　was。　　But　that
is　another　story。

'But；　I　say；　Graeme；'　persisted　Beetles；　'about　this　business；　do
you　mean　to　say　you　go　the　whole　thingJonah；　you　know；　and　the
rest　of　it？'

Graeme　hesitated；　then　said

'I　haven't　much　of　a　creed；　Beetles；　don't　really　know　how　much　I
believe。　　But；'　by　this　time　he　was　standing；　'I　do　know　that　good
is　good；　and　bad　is　bad；　and　good　and　bad　are　not　the　same。　　And　I
know　a　man's　a　fool　to　follow　the　one；　and　a　wise　man　to　follow　the
other；　and；'　lowering　his　voice；　'I　believe　God　is　at　the　back　of　a
man　who　wants　to　get　done　with　bad。　　I've　tried　all　that　folly；'
sweeping　his　hand　over　the　glasses　and　bottles；　'and　all　that　goes
with　it；　and　I've　done　with　it'

'I'll　go　you　that　far；'　roared　big　Barney；　following　his　old
captain　as　of　yore。

'Good　man；'　said　Graeme；　striking　hands　with　him。

'Put　me　down；'　said　little　Wig　cheerfully。

Then　I　took　up　the　word；　for　there　rose　before　me　the　scene　in　the
League　saloon；　and　I　saw　the　beautiful　face　with　the　deep　shining
eyes；　and　I　was　speaking　for　her　again。　　I　told　them　of　Craig　and
his　fight　for　these　men's　lives。　　I　told　them；　too；　of　how　I　had
been　too　indolent　to　begin。　　'But；'　I　said；　'I　am　going　this　far
from　to…night；'　and　I　swept　the　bottles　into　the　champagne　tub。

'I　say；'　said　Polly　Lindsay；　coming　up　in　his　old　style；　slow　but
sure；　'let's　all　go　in；　say　for　five　years。'　　And　so　we　did。　　We
didn't　sign　anything；　but　every　man　shook　hands　with　Graeme。

And　as　I　told　Craig　about　this　a　year　later；　when　he　was　on　his　way
back　from　his　Old　Land　trip　to　join　Graeme　in　the　mountains；　he
threw　up　his　head　in　the　old　way　and　said；　'It　was　well　done。　　It
must　have　been　worth　seeing。　　Old　man　Nelson's　work　is　not　done
yet。　　Tell　me　again；'　and　he　made　me　go　over　the　whole　scene　with
all　the　details　put　in。

But　when　I　told　Mrs。　Mavor；　after　two　years　had　gone；　she　only
said；　'Old　things　are　passed　away；　all　things　are　become　new'；　but
the　light　glowed　in　her　eyes　till　I　could　not　see　their　colour。
But　all　that；　too；　is　another　story。


CHAPTER　XV

COMING　TO　THEIR　OWN


A　man　with　a　conscience　is　often　provoking；　sometimes　impossible。
Persuasion　is　lost　upon　him。　　He　will　not　get　angry；　and　he　looks
at　one　with　such　a　far…away　expression　in　his　face　that　in　striving
to　persuade　him　one　feels　earthly　and　even　fiendish。　　At　least　this
was　my　experience　with　Craig。　　He　spent　a　week　with　me　just　before
he　sailed　for　the　Old　Land；　for　the　purpose；　as　he　said；　of　getting
some　of　the　coal　dust　and　other　grime　out　of　him。

He　made　me　angry　the　last　night　of　his　stay；　and　all　the　more　that
he　remained　quite　sweetly　unmoved。　　It　was　a　strategic　mistake　of
mine　to　tell　him　how　Nelson　came　home　to　us；　and　how　Graeme　stood
up　before　the　'Varsity　chaps　at　my　supper　and　made　his　confession
and　confused　Rattray's　easy…stepping　profanity；　and　started　his　own
five…year　league。　　For　all　this　stirred　in　Craig　the　hero；　and　he
was　ready　for　all　sorts　of　heroic　nonsense；　as　I　called　it。　　We
talked　of　everything　but　the　one　thing；　and　about　that　we　said　not
a　word　till；　bending　low　to　poke