hunting the grisly and other sketches-第38章

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〃With　that　he　lost　interest　and　settled　kind　o'　back；　and　says　he；
'There　won't　no　Cedartown　jury　hang　a　Cedartown　man　for　stealin'　a
Medory　man's　horse；'　said　he。

〃　'Well；　what　am　I　to　do　about　my　horse？'　says　I。

〃　'Do？'　says　he；　'well；　you　know　where　the　man　lives；　don't　you？'　says
he；　'then　sit　up　outside　his　house；　to…night　and　shoot　him　when　he
comes　in；'　says　he；　'and　skip　out　with　the　horse。'

〃　'All　right；'　says　I；　'that　is　what　I'll　do；'　and　I　walked　off。

〃So　I　went　off　to　his　house　and　I　laid　down　behind　some　sage…brushes
to　wait　for　him。　He　was　not　at　home；　but　I　could　see　his　wife　movin'
about　inside　now　and　then；　and　I　waited　and　waited；　and　it　growed
darker；　and　I　begun　to　say　to　myself；　'Now　here　you　are　lyin'　out　to
shoot　this　man　when　he　comes　home；　and　it's　getting'　dark；　and　you
don't　know　him；　and　if　you　do　shoot　the　next　man　that　comes　into　that
house；　like　as　not　it　won't　be　the　fellow　you're　after　at　all；　but
some　perfectly　innocent　man　a…comin'　there　after　the　other　man's
wife！'

〃So　I　up　and　saddled　the　bronc'　and　lit　out　for　home；〃　concluded　the
narrator　with　the　air　of　one　justly　proud　of　his　own　self…abnegating
virtue。

The　〃town〃　where　the　judge　above…mentioned　dwelt　was　one　of　those
squalid　pretentiously　named　little　clusters　of　make…shift　dwellings
which　on　the　edge　of　the　wild　country　spring　up　with　the　rapid　growth
of　mushrooms；　and　are　often　no　longer　lived。　In　their　earlier　stages
these　towns　are　frequently　built　entirely　of　canvas；　and　are　subject
to　grotesque　calamities。　When　the　territory　purchased　from　the　Sioux；
in　the　Dakotas；　a　couple　of　years　ago　was　thrown　open　to　settlement；
there　was　a　furious　inrush　of　men　on　horseback　and　in　wagons；　and
various　ambitious　cities　sprang　up　overnight。　The　new　settlers　were
all　under　the　influence　of　that　curious　craze　which　causes　every　true
westerner　to　put　unlimited　faith　in　the　unknown　and　untried；　many　had
left　all　they　had　in　a　far　better　farming　country；　because　they　were
true　to　their　immemorial　belief　that；　wherever　they　were；　their　luck
would　be　better　if　they　went　somewhere　else。　They　were　always　on　the
move；　and　headed　for　the　vague　beyond。　As　miners　see　visions　of　all
the　famous　mines　of　history　in　each　new　camp；　so　these　would…be　city
founders　saw　future　St。　Pauls　and　Omahas　in　every　forlorn　group　of
tents　pitched　by　some　muddy　stream　in　a　desert　of　gumbo　and　sage…
brush；　and　they　named　both　the　towns　and　the　canvas　buildings　in
accordance　with　their　bright　hopes　for　the　morrow；　rather　than　with
reference　to　the　mean　facts　of　the　day。　One　of　these　towns；　which　when
twenty…four　hours　old　boasted　of　six　saloons；　a　〃court…house；〃　and　an
〃opera　house；〃　was　overwhelmed　by　early　disaster。　The　third　day　of　its
life　a　whirlwind　came　along　and　took　off　the　opera　house　and　half　the
saloons；　and　the　following　evening　lawless　men　nearly　finished　the
work　of　the　elements。　The　riders　of　a　huge　trail…outfit　from　Texas；　to
their　glad　surprise　discovered　the　town　and　abandoned　themselves　to　a
night　of　roaring　and　lethal　carousal。　Next　morning　the　city
authorities　were　lamenting；　with　oaths　of　bitter　rage；　that　〃them
hell…and…twenty　Flying　A　cowpunchers　had　cut　the　court…house　up　into
parts。〃　It　was　true。　The　cowboys　were　in　need　of　chaps；　and　with　an
admirable　mixture　of　adventurousness；　frugality；　and　ready
adaptability　to　circumstances；　had　made　substitutes　therefore　in　the
shape　of　canvas　overalls；　cut　from　the　roof　and　walls　of　the　shaky
temple　of　justice。

One　of　my　valued　friends　in　the　mountains；　and　one　of　the　best　hunters
with　whom　I　ever　travelled；　was　a　man　who　had　a　peculiarly　light…
hearted　way　of　looking　at　conventional　social　obligations。　Though　in
some　ways　a　true　backwoods　Donatello；　he　was　a　man　of　much　shrewdness
and　of　great　courage　and　resolution。　Moreover；　he　possessed　what　only
a　few　men　do　possess；　the　capacity　to　tell　the　truth。　He　saw　facts　as
they　were；　and　could　tell　them　as　they　were；　and　he　never　told　an
untruth　unless　for　very　weighty　reasons。　He　was　pre…eminently　a
philosopher；　of　a　happy；　sceptical　turn　of　mind。　He　had　no　prejudices。
He　never　looked　down；　as　so　many　hard　characters　do；　upon　a　person
possessing　a　different　code　of　ethics。　His　attitude　was　one　of　broad；
genial　tolerance。　He　saw　nothing　out　of　the　way　in　the　fact　that　he
had　himself　been　a　road…agent；　a　professional　gambler；　and　a　desperado
at　different　stages　of　his　career。　On　the　other　hand；　he　did　not　in
the　least　hold　it　against　any　one　that　he　had　always　acted　within　the
law。　At　the　time　that　I　knew　him　he　had　become　a　man　of　some
substance；　and　naturally　a　staunch　upholder　of　the　existing　order　of
things。　But　while　he　never　boasted　of　his　past　deeds；　he　never
apologized　for　them；　and　evidently　would　have　been　quite　as　incapable
of　understanding　that　they　needed　an　apology　as　he　would　have　been
incapable　of　being　guilty　of　mere　vulgar　boastfulness。　He　did　not
often　allude　to　his　past　career　at　all。　When　he　did；　he　recited　its
incidents　perfectly　naturally　and　simply；　as　events；　without　any
reference　to　or　regard　for　their　ethical　significance。　It　was　this
quality　which　made　him　at　times　a　specially　pleasant　companion；　and
always　an　agreeable　narrator。　The　point　of　his　story；　or　what　seemed
to　him　the　point；　was　rarely　that　which　struck　me。　It　was　the
incidental　sidelights　the　story　threw　upon　his　own　nature　and　the
somewhat　lurid　surroundings　amid　which　he　had　moved。

On　one　occasion　when　we　were　out　together　we　killed　a　bear；　and　after
skinning　it；　took　a　bath　in　a　lake。　I　noticed　he　had　a　scar　on　the
side　of　his　foot　and　asked　him　how　he　got　it；　to　which　he　responded
with　indifference：

〃Oh；　that？　Why；　a　man　shootin'　at　me　to　make　me　dance；　that　was　all。〃

I　expressed　some　curiosity　in　that　matter；　and　he　went　on：

〃Well；　the　way　of　it　was　this：　It　was　when　I　was　keeping　a　saloon　in
New　Mexico；　and　there　was　a　man　there　by　the　name　of　Fowler；　and　there
was　a　reward　on　him　of　three　thousand　dollars〃

〃Put　on　him　by　the　State？〃

〃No；　put　on　by　his　wife；〃　said　my　friend；　〃and　there　was　this〃

〃Hold　on；〃　I　interrupted；　〃put　on　by　his　wife　did　you　say？〃

〃Yes；　by　his　wife。　Him　an　her　had　been　keepin'　a　faro　bank；　you　see；
and　they　quarreled　about　it；　so　she　just　put　a　reward　on　him；　and
so〃

〃Excuse　me；〃　I　said；　〃but　do　you　mean　to　say　that　this　reward　was　put
on　publicly？〃　to　which　my　friend　answered；　with　an　air　of　gentlemanly
boredom　at　being　interrupted　to　gratify　my　thirst　for　irrelevant
detail：

〃Oh；　no；　not　publicly。　She　just　mentioned　it　to　six　or　eight　intimate
personal　friends。〃

〃Go　on；〃　I　responded；　somewhat　overcome　by　this　instance　of　the
primitive　simplicity　with　which　New　Mexico　matrimonial　disputes　were
managed；　and　he　continued：

〃Well；　two　men　come　ridin'　in　to　see　me　to　borrow　my　guns。　My　guns　was
Colt's　self…cockers。　It　was　a　new　thing　then；　an　they　was　the　only
ones　in　town。　These　come　to　me；　and　'Simpson；'　says　they；　'we　want　to
borrow　your　guns；　we　are　goin'　to　kill　Fowler。'

〃　'Hold　on　for　a　moment；'　said　I；　'I　am　willin'　to　lend　you　them　guns；
but　I　ain't　goin'　to　know　what　you　'r'　goin'　to　do　with　them；　no　sir；
but　of　course　you　can　have　the　guns。'　〃　Here　my　friend's　face
lightened　pleasantly；　and　he　continued：

〃Well；　you　may　easily　believe　I　felt　surprised　next　day　when　Fowler
come　ridin'　in；　and；　says　he；　'Simpson；　here's　your　guns！'　He　had　shot
them　two　men！　'Well；　Fowler；'　says　I；　'if　I　had　known　them　men　was
after　you；　I'd　never　have　let　them　have　them　guns　nohow；'　says　I。　That
wasn't　true；　for　I　did　know　it；　but　there　was　no　cause　to　tell　him
that。〃　I　murmured　my　approval　of　such　prudence；　and　Simpson　continued；
his　eyes　gradually　brightening　with　the　light　of　agreeable
reminiscence：

〃Well；　they　up　and　they　took　Fowler　before　the　justice　of　the　peace。
The　justice　of　the　peace　was　a　Turk。〃

〃Now；　Simpson；　what　do　you　mean　by　that？〃　I　interrupted：

〃Well；　he　come　from　Turkey；〃　said　Simpson；　and　I　again　sank　back；
wondering　briefly　what　particular　variety　of　Mediterranean　outcast　had
drifted　down　to　New　Mexico　to　be　made　a　justice　of　the　peace。　Simpson
laughed　and　continued：