riders of the purple sage-第4章

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〃If　by　some　means　I　can　keep　him　here　a　few　days；　a　weekhe　will　never　kill　another　Mormon；〃　she　mused。　〃Lassiter！。。。I　shudder　when　I　think　of　that　name；　of　him。　But　when　I　look　at　the　man　I　forget　who　he　isI　almost　like　him。　I　remember　only　that　he　saved　Bern。　He　has　suffered。　I　wonder　what　it　wasdid　he　love　a　Mormon　woman　once？　How　splendidly　he　championed　us　poor　misunderstood　souls！　Somehow　he　knowsmuch。〃

Jane　Withersteen　joined　her　guests　and　bade　them　to　her　board。　Dismissing　her　woman；　she　waited　upon　them　with　her　own　hands。　It　was　a　bountiful　supper　and　a　strange　company。　On　her　right　sat　the　ragged　and　half…starved　Venters；　and　though　blind　eyes　could　have　seen　what　he　counted　for　in　the　sum　of　her　happiness；　yet　he　looked　the　gloomy　outcast　his　allegiance　had　made　him；　and　about　him　there　was　the　shadow　of　the　ruin　presaged　by　Tull。　On　her　left　sat　black…leather…garbed　Lassiter　looking　like　a　man　in　a　dream。　Hunger　was　not　with　him；　nor　composure；　nor　speech；　and　when　he　twisted　in　frequent　unquiet　movements　the　heavy　guns　that　he　had　not　removed　knocked　against　the　table…legs。　If　it　had　been　otherwise　possible　to　forget　the　presence　of　Lassiter　those　telling　little　jars　would　have　rendered　it　unlikely。　And　Jane　Withersteen　talked　and　smiled　and　laughed　with　all　the　dazzling　play　of　lips　and　eyes　that　a　beautiful；　daring　woman　could　summon　to　her　purpose。

When　the　meal　ended；　and　the　men　pushed　back　their　chairs；　she　leaned　closer　to　Lassiter　and　looked　square　into　his　eyes。

〃Why　did　you　come　to　Cottonwoods？〃

Her　question　seemed　to　break　a　spell。　The　rider　arose　as　if　he　had　just　remembered　himself　and　had　tarried　longer　than　his　wont。

〃Ma'am；　I　have　hunted　all　over　the　southern　Utah　and　Nevada　for　somethin'。　An'　through　your　name　I　learned　where　to　find　ithere　in　Cottonwoods。〃

〃My　name！　Oh；　I　remember。　You　did　know　my　name　when　you　spoke　first。　Well；　tell　me　where　you　heard　it　and　from　whom？〃

〃At　the　little　villageGlaze；　I　think　it's　calledsome　fifty　miles　or　more　west　of　here。　An'　I　heard　it　from　a　Gentile；　a　rider　who　said　you'd　know　where　to　tell　me　to　find〃

〃What？〃　she　demanded；　imperiously；　as　Lassiter　broke　off。

〃Milly　Erne's　grave；〃　he　answered　low；　and　the　words　came　with　a　wrench。

Venters　wheeled　in　his　chair　to　regard　Lassiter　in　amazement；　and　Jane　slowly　raised　herself　in　white；　still　wonder。

〃Milly　Erne's　grave？〃　she　echoed；　in　a　whisper。　〃What　do　you　know　of　Milly　Erne；　my　best…beloved　friendwho　died　in　my　arms？　What　were　you　to　her？〃

〃Did　I　claim　to　be　anythin'？〃　he　inquired。　〃I　know　peoplerelatives　who　have　long　wanted　to　know　where　she's　buried；　that's　all。〃

〃Relatives？　She　never　spoke　of　relatives；　except　a　brother　who　was　shot　in　Texas。　Lassiter；　Milly　Erne's　grave　is　in　a　secret　burying…ground　on　my　property。〃

〃Will　you　take　me　there？。。。You'll　be　offendin'　Mormons　worse　than　by　breakin'　bread　with　me。〃

〃Indeed　yes；　but　I'll　do　it。　Only　we　must　go　unseen。　To…morrow；　perhaps。〃

〃Thank　you；　Jane　Withersteen；〃　replied　the　rider；　and　he　bowed　to　her　and　stepped　backward　out　of　the　court。

〃Will　you　not　staysleep　under　my　roof？〃　she　asked。

〃No；　ma'am；　an'　thanks　again。　I　never　sleep　indoors。　An'　even　if　I　did　there's　that　gatherin'　storm　in　the　village　below。　No；　no。　I'll　go　to　the　sage。　I　hope　you　won't　suffer　none　for　your　kindness　to　me。〃

〃Lassiter；〃　said　Venters；　with　a　half…bitter　laugh；　〃my　bed　too；　is　the　sage。　Perhaps　we　may　meet　out　there。〃

〃Mebbe　so。　But　the　sage　is　wide　an'　I　won't　be　near。　Good　night。〃

At　Lassiter's　low　whistle　the　black　horse　whinnied；　and　carefully　picked　his　blind　way　out　of　the　grove。　The　rider　did　not　bridle　him；　but　walked　beside　him；　leading　him　by　touch　of　hand　and　together　they　passed　slowly　into　the　shade　of　the　cottonwoods。

〃Jane；　I　must　be　off　soon；〃　said　Venters。　〃Give　me　my　guns。　If　I'd　had　my　guns〃

〃Either　my　friend　or　the　Elder　of　my　church　would　be　lying　dead；〃　she　interposed

〃Tull　would　besurely。〃

〃Oh；　you　fierce…blooded；　savage　youth！　Can't　I　teach　you　forebearance；　mercy？　Bern；　it's　divine　to　forgive　your　enemies。　'Let　not　the　sun　go　down　upon　thy　wrath。'〃

〃Hush！　Talk　to　me　no　more　of　mercy　or　religionafter　to…day。　To…day　this　strange　coming　of　Lassiter　left　me　still　a　man；　and　now　I'll　die　a　man！。。。Give　me　my　guns。〃

Silently　she　went　into　the　house；　to　return　with　a　heavy　cartridge…belt　and　gun…filled　sheath　and　a　long　ride；　these　she　handed　to　him；　and　as　he　buckled　on　the　belt　she　stood　before　him　in　silent　eloquence。

〃Jane；〃　he　said；　in　gentler　voice；　〃don't　look　so。　I'm　not　going　out　to　murder　your　churchman。　I'll　try　to　avoid　him　and　all　his　men。　But　can't　you　see　I've　reached　the　end　of　my　rope？　Jane；　you're　a　wonderful　woman。　Never　was　there　a　woman　so　unselfish　and　good。　Only　you're　blind　in　one　way。。。。Listen！〃

From　behind　the　grove　came　the　clicking　sound　of　horses　in　a　rapid　trot。

〃Some　of　your　riders；〃　he　continued。　〃It's　getting　time　for　the　night　shift。　Let　us　go　out　to　the　bench　in　the　grove　and　talk　there。〃

It　was　still　daylight　in　the　open；　but　under　the　spreading　cottonwoods　shadows　were　obscuring　the　lanes。　Venters　drew　Jane　off　from　one　of　these　into　a　shrub…lined　trail；　just　wide　enough　for　the　two　to　walk　abreast；　and　in　a　roundabout　way　led　her　far　from　the　house　to　a　knoll　on　the　edge　of　the　grove。　Here　in　a　secluded　nook　was　a　bench　from　which；　through　an　opening　in　the　tree…tops；　could　be　seen　the　sage…slope　and　the　wall　of　rock　and　the　dim　lines　of　canyons。　Jane　had　not　spoken　since　Venters　had　shocked　her　with　his　first　harsh　speech；　but　all　the　way　she　had　clung　to　his　arm；　and　now；　as　he　stopped　and　laid　his　rifle　against　the　bench；　she　still　clung　to　him。

〃Jane；　I'm　afraid　I　must　leave　you。〃

〃Bern！〃　she　cried。

〃Yes；　it　looks　that　way。　My　position　is　not　a　happy　oneI　can't　feel　rightI've　lost　all〃

〃I'll　give　you　anything　you〃

〃Listen；　please。　When　I　say　loss　I　don't　mean　what　you　think。　I　mean　loss　of　good…will；　good　namethat　which　would　have　enabled　me　to　stand　up　in　this　village　without　bitterness。　Well；　it's　too　late。。。。Now；　as　to　the　future；　I　think　you'd　do　best　to　give　me　up。　Tull　is　implacable。　You　ought　to　see　from　his　intention　to…day　thatBut　you　can't　see。　Your　blindnessyour　damned　religion！。。。Jane；　forgive　meI'm　sore　within　and　something　rankles。　Well；　I　fear　that　invisible　hand　will　turn　its　hidden　work　to　your　ruin。〃

〃Invisible　hand？　Bern！〃

〃I　mean　your　Bishop。〃　Venters　said　it　deliberately　and　would　not　release　her　as　she　started　back。　〃He's　the　law。　The　edict　went　forth　to　ruin　me。　Well；　look　at　me！　It'll　now　go　forth　to　compel　you　to　the　will　of　the　Church。〃

〃You　wrong　Bishop　Dyer。　Tull　is　hard；　I　know。　But　then　he　has　been　in　love　with　me　for　years。〃

〃Oh；　your　faith　and　your　excuses！　You　can't　see　what　I　knowand　if　you　did　see　it　you'd　not　admit　it　to　save　your　life。　That's　the　Mormon　of　you。　These　elders　and　bishops　will　do　absolutely　any　deed　to　go　on　building　up　the　power　and　wealth　of　their　church；　their　empire。　Think　of　what　they've　done　to　the　Gentiles　here；　to　methink　of　Milly　Erne's　fate！〃

〃What　do　you　know　of　her　story？〃

〃I　know　enoughall；　perhaps；　except　the　name　of　the　Mormon　who　brought　her　here。　But　I　must　stop　this　kind　of　talk。〃

She　pressed　his　hand　in　response。　He　helped　her　to　a　seat　beside　him　on　the　bench。　And　he　respected　a　silence　that　he　divined　was　full　of　woman's　deep　emotion　beyond　his　understanding。

It　was　the　moment　when　the　last　ruddy　rays　of　the　sunset　brightened　momentarily　before　yielding　to　twilight。　And　for　Venters　the　outlook　before　him　was　in　some　sense　similar　to　a　feeling　of　his　future；　and　with　searching　eyes　he　studied　the　beautiful　purple；　barren　waste　of　sage。　Here　was　the　unknown　and　the　perilous。　The　whole　scene　impressed　Venters　as　a　wild；　austere；　and　mighty　manifestation　of　nature。　And　as　it　somehow　reminded　him　of　his　prospect　in　life；　so　it　suddenly　resembled　the　woman　near　him；　only　in　her　there　were　greater　beauty　and　peril；　a　mystery　more　unsolvable；　and　something　nameless　that　numbed　his　heart　and　dimmed　his　eye。

〃Look！　A　rider！〃　exclaimed　Jane；　breaking　the　silence。　〃Can　that　be　Lassiter？〃

Venters　moved　his　glance　once　more　to　t