riders of the purple sage-第45章

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〃I　reckon　mebbe　the　best　hoss'll　prove　himself　yet；〃　said　Lassiter；　〃an'；　Jane；　if　it　ever　comes　to　that　race　I'd　like　you　to　be　on　Wrangle。〃

〃I'd　like　that；　too；〃　rejoined　Venters。　〃But；　Jane；　maybe　Lassiter's　hint　is　extreme。　Bad　as　your　prospects　are；　you'll　surely　never　come　to　the　running　point。〃

〃Who　knows！〃　she　replied；　with　mournful　smile。

〃No；　no；　Jane；　it　can't　be　so　bad　as　all　that。　Soon　as　I　see　Tull　there'll　be　a　change　in　your　fortunes。　I'll　hurry　down　to　the　village。。。。Now　don't　worry。〃

Jane　retired　to　the　seclusion　of　her　room。　Lassiter's　subtle　forecasting　of　disaster；　Venters's　forced　optimism；　neither　remained　in　mind。　Material　loss　weighed　nothing　in　the　balance　with　other　losses　she　was　sustaining。　She　wondered　dully　at　her　sitting　there；　hands　folded　listlessly；　with　a　kind　of　numb　deadness　to　the　passing　of　time　and　the　passing　of　her　riches。　She　thought　of　Venters's　friendship。　She　had　not　lost　that；　but　she　had　lost　him。　Lassiter's　friendshipthat　was　more　than　loveit　would　endure；　but　soon　he；　too；　would　be　gone。　Little　Pay　slept　dreamlessly　upon　the　bed；　her　golden　curls　streaming　over　the　pillow。　Jane　had　the　child's　worship。　Would　she　lose　that；　too？　And　if　she　did；　what　then　would　be　left？　Conscience　thundered　at　her　that　there　was　left　her　religion。　Conscience　thundered　that　she　should　be　grateful　on　her　knees　for　this　baptism　of　fire；　that　through　misfortune；　sacrifice；　and　suffering　her　soul　might　be　fused　pure　gold。　But　the　old；　spontaneous；　rapturous　spirit　no　more　exalted　her。　She　wanted　to　be　a　womannot　a　martyr。　Like　the　saint　of　old　who　mortified　his　flesh；　Jane　Withersteen　had　in　her　the　temper　for　heroic　martyrdom；　if　by　sacrificing　herself　she　could　save　the　souls　of　others。　But　here　the　damnable　verdict　blistered　her　that　the　more　she　sacrificed　herself　the　blacker　grew　the　souls　of　her　churchmen。　There　was　something　terribly　wrong　with　her　soul；　something　terribly　wrong　with　her　churchmen　and　her　religion。　In　the　whirling　gulf　of　her　thought　there　was　yet　one　shining　light　to　guide　her；　to　sustain　her　in　her　hope；　and　it　was　that；　despite　her　errors　and　her　frailties　and　her　blindness；　she　had　one　absolute　and　unfaltering　hold　on　ultimate　and　supreme　justice。　That　was　love。　〃Love　your　enemies　as　yourself！〃　was　a　divine　word；　entirely　free　from　any　church　or　creed。

Jane's　meditations　were　disturbed　by　Lassiter's　soft；　tinkling　step　in　the　court。　Always　he　wore　the　clinking　spurs。　Always　he　was　in　readiness　to　ride。　She　passed　out　and　called　him　into　the　huge；　dim　hall。

〃I　think　you'll　be　safer　here。　The　court　is　too　open；〃　she　said。

〃I　reckon；〃　replied　Lassiter。　〃An'　it's　cooler　here。　The　day's　sure　muggy。　Well；　I　went　down　to　the　village　with　Venters。〃

〃Already！　Where　is　he？〃　queried　Jane；　in　quick　amaze。

〃He's　at　the　corrals。　Blake's　helpin'　him　get　the　burros　an'　packs　ready。　That　Blake　is　a　good　fellow。〃

〃Diddid　Bern　meet　Tull？〃

〃I　guess　he　did；〃　answered　Lassiter；　and　he　laughed　dryly。

〃Tell　me！　Oh；　you　exasperate　me！　You're　so　cool；　so　calm！　For　Heaven's　sake；　tell　me　what　happened！〃

〃First　time　I've　been　in　the　village　for　weeks；〃　went　on　Lassiter；　mildly。　〃I　reckon　there　'ain't　been　more　of　a　show　for　a　long　time。　Me　an'　Venters　walkin'　down　the　road！　It　was　funny。　I　ain't　sayin'　anybody　was　particular　glad　to　see　us。　I'm　not　much　thought　of　hereabouts；　an'　Venters　he　sure　looks　like　what　you　called　him；　a　wild　man。　Well；　there　was　some　runnin'　of　folks　before　we　got　to　the　stores。　Then　everybody　vamoosed　except　some　surprised　rustlers　in　front　of　a　saloon。　Venters　went　right　in　the　stores　an'　saloons；　an'　of　course　I　went　along。　I　don't　know　which　tickled　me　the　mostthe　actions　of　many　fellers　we　met；　or　Venters's　nerve。　Jane；　I　was　downright　glad　to　be　along。　You　see　that　sort　of　thing　is　my　element；　an'　I've　been　away　from　it　for　a　spell。　But　we　didn't　find　Tull　in　one　of　them　places。　Some　Gentile　feller　at　last　told　Venters　he'd　find　Tull　in　that　long　buildin'　next　to　Parsons's　store。　It's　a　kind　of　meetin'…room；　and　sure　enough；　when　we　peeped　in；　it　was　half　full　of　men。

〃Venters　yelled：　'Don't　anybody　pull　guns！　We　ain't　come　for　that！'　Then　he　tramped　in；　an'　I　was　some　put　to　keep　alongside　him。　There　was　a　hard；　scrapin'　sound　of　feet；　a　loud　cry；　an'　then　some　whisperin'；　an'　after　that　stillness　you　could　cut　with　a　knife。　Tull　was　there；　an'　that　fat　party　who　once　tried　to　throw　a　gun　on　me；　an'　other　important…lookin'　men；　en'　that　little　frog…legged　feller　who　was　with　Tull　the　day　I　rode　in　here。　I　wish　you　could　have　seen　their　faces；　'specially　Tull's　an'　the　fat　party's。　But　there　ain't　no　use　of　me　tryin'　to　tell　you　how　they　looked。

〃Well；　Venters　an'　I　stood　there　in　the　middle　of　the　room　with　that　batch　of　men　all　in　front　of　us；　en'　not　a　blamed　one　of　them　winked　an　eyelash　or　moved　a　finger。　It　was　natural；　of　course；　for　me　to　notice　many　of　them　packed　guns。　That's　a　way　of　mine；　first　noticin'　them　things。　Venters　spoke　up；　an'　his　voice　sort　of　chilled　an'　cut；　en'　he　told　Tull　he　had　a　few　things　to　say。〃

Here　Lassiter　paused　while　he　turned　his　sombrero　round　and　round；　in　his　familiar　habit；　and　his　eyes　had　the　look　of　a　man　seeing　over　again　some　thrilling　spectacle；　and　under　his　red　bronze　there　was　strange　animation。

〃Like　a　shot；　then；　Venters　told　Tull　that　the　friendship　between　you　an'　him　was　all　over；　an'　he　was　leaving　your　place。　He　said　you'd　both　of　you　broken　off　in　the　hope　of　propitiatin'　your　people；　but　you　hadn't　changed　your　mind　otherwise；　an'　never　would。

〃Next　he　spoke　up　for　you。　I　ain't　goin'　to　tell　you　what　he　said。　Onlyno　other　woman　who　ever　lived　ever　had　such　tribute！　You　had　a　champion；　Jane；　an'　never　fear　that　those　thick…skulled　men　don't　know　you　now。　It　couldn't　be　otherwise。　He　spoke　the　ringin'；　lightnin'　truth。。。。Then　he　accused　Tull　of　the　underhand；　miserable　robbery　of　a　helpless　woman。　He　told　Tull　where　the　red　herd　was；　of　a　deal　made　with　Oldrin'；　that　Jerry　Card　had　made　the　deal。　I　thought　Tull　was　goin'　to　drop；　an'　that　little　frog…legged　cuss；　he　looked　some　limp　an'　white。　But　Venters's　voice　would　have　kept　anybody's　legs　from　bucklin'。　I　was　stiff　myself。　He　went　on　an'　called　Tullcalled　him　every　bad　name　ever　known　to　a　rider；　an'　then　some。　He　cursed　Tull。　I　never　hear　a　man　get　such　a　cursin'。　He　laughed　in　scorn　at　the　idea　of　Tull　bein'　a　minister。　He　said　Tull　an'　a　few　more　dogs　of　hell　builded　their　empire　out　of　the　hearts　of　such　innocent　an'　God…fearin'　women　as　Jane　Withersteen。　He　called　Tull　a　binder　of　women；　a　callous　beast　who　hid　behind　a　mock　mantle　of　righteousnessan'　the　last　an'　lowest　coward　on　the　face　of　the　earth。　To　prey　on　weak　women　through　their　religionthat　was　the　last　unspeakable　crime！

〃Then　he　finished；　an'　by　this　time　he'd　almost　lost　his　voice。　But　his　whisper　was　enough。　'Tull；'　he　said；　'she　begged　me　not　to　draw　on　you　to…day。　She　would　pray　for　you　if　you　burned　her　at　the　stake。。。。But　listen！。。。I　swear　if　you　and　I　ever　come　face　to　face　again；　I'll　kill　you！'

〃We　backed　out　of　the　door　then；　an'　up　the　road。　But　nobody　follered　us。〃

Jane　found　herself　weeping　passionately。　She　had　not　been　conscious　of　it　till　Lassiter　ended　his　story；　and　she　experienced　exquisite　pain　and　relief　in　shedding　tears。　Long　had　her　eyes　been　dry；　her　grief　deep；　long　had　her　emotions　been　dumb。　Lassiter's　story　put　her　on　the　rack；　the　appalling　nature　of　Venters's　act　and　speech　had　no　parallel　as　an　outrage；　it　was　worse　than　bloodshed。　Men　like　Tull　had　been　shot；　but　had　one　ever　been　so　terribly　denounced　in　public？　Over…mounting　her　horror；　an　uncontrollable；　quivering　passion　shook　her　very　soul。　It　was　sheer　human　glory　in　the　deed　of　a　fearless　man。　It　was　hot；　primitive　instinct　to　liveto　fight。　It　was　a　kind　of　mad　joy　in　Venters's　chivalry。　It　was　close　to　the　wrath　that　had　first　shaken　her　in　the　beginning　of　this　war　waged　upon　her。

〃Well；　well；　Jane；　don't　take　it　that　way；〃　said　Lassiter；　in　evident　distress。　〃I　had　to　tell　you。　There's　some　things　a　feller　jest　can't　keep。　It's　strange　you　give　up　on　hearin'　that；　when　all　this　long　time　you've　been　the　gamest　woman　I　ever　seen。　But　I　d