the red one-第10章

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！



Some　months　I　earned　as　high　as　five　hundred　gold。　　And　here　was

Sarah　waiting　for　me　back　in　Nebraska　…　〃



〃An'　us　engaged　two　years；〃　she　complained　to　the　Tower　of　Jewels。



〃　…　What　of　the　strike；　and　me　being　blacklisted；　and　getting

typhoid　down　in　Australia；　and　everything；〃　he　went　on。　　〃And　luck

was　with　me　on　that　railroad。　　Why；　I　saw　fellows　fresh　from　the

States　pass　out；　some　of　them　not　a　week　on　their　first　run。　　If

the　diseases　and　the　railroad　didn't　get　them；　then　it　was　the

Spiggoties　got　them。　　But　it　just　wasn't　my　fate；　even　that　time　I

rode　my　engine　down　to　the　bottom　of　a　forty…foot　washout。　　I　lost

my　fireman；　and　the　conductor　and　the　Superintendent　of　Rolling

Stock　（who　happened　to　be　running　down　to　Duran　to　meet　his　bride）

had　their　heads　knifed　off　by　the　Spiggoties　and　paraded　around　on

poles。　　But　I　lay　snug　as　a　bug　under　a　couple　of　feet　of　tender

coal；　and　they　thought　I'd　headed　for　tall　timber　…　lay　there　a　day

and　a　night　till　the　excitement　cooled　down。　　Yes；　I　was　lucky。

The　worst　that　happened　to　me　was　I　caught　a　cold　once；　and　another

time　had　a　carbuncle。　　But　the　other　fellows！　　They　died　like

flies；　what　of　Yellow　Jack；　pneumonia；　the　Spiggoties；　and　the

railroad。　　The　trouble　was　I　didn't　have　much　chance　to　pal　with

them。　　No　sooner'd　I　get　some　intimate　with　one　of　them　he'd　up　and

die　…　all　but　a　fireman　named　Andrews；　and　he　went　loco　for　keeps。



〃I　made　good　on　my　job　from　the　first；　and　lived　in　Quito　in　a

'dobe　house　with　whacking　big　Spanish　tiles　on　the　roof　that　I'd

rented。　　And　I　never　had　much　trouble　with　the　Spiggoties；　what　of

letting　them　sneak　free　rides　in　the　tender　or　on　the　cowcatcher。

Me　throw　them　off？　　Never！　　I　took　notice；　when　Jack　Harris　put　off

a　bunch　of　them；　that　I　attended　his　funeral　MUY　PRONTO　…　〃



〃Speak　English；〃　the　little　woman　beside　him　snapped。



〃Sarah　just　can't　bear　to　tolerate　me　speaking　Spanish；〃　he

apologized。　　〃It　gets　so　on　her　nerves　that　I　promised　not　to。

Well；　as　I　was　saying；　the　goose　hung　high　and　everything　was　going

hunky…dory；　and　I　was　piling　up　my　wages　to　come　north　to　Nebraska

and　marry　Sarah；　when　I　run　on　to　Vahna　…　〃



〃The　hussy！〃　Sarah　hissed。



〃Now；　Sarah；〃　her　towering　giant　of　a　husband　begged；　〃I　just　got

to　mention　her　or　I　can't　tell　about　the　nugget。　…　It　was　one　night

when　I　was　taking　a　locomotive　…　no　train　…　down　to　Amato；　about

thirty　miles　from　Quito。　　Seth　Manners　was　my　fireman。　　I　was

breaking　him　in　to　engineer　for　himself；　and　I　was　letting　him　run

the　locomotive　while　I　sat　up　in　his　seat　meditating　about　Sarah

here。　　I'd　just　got　a　letter　from　her；　begging　as　usual　for　me　to

come　home　and　hinting　as　usual　about　the　dangers　of　an　unmarried

man　like　me　running　around　loose　in　a　country　full　of　senoritas　and

fandangos。　　Lord！　　If　she　could　only　a…seen　them。　　Positive

frights；　that's　what　they　are；　their　faces　painted　white　as　corpses

and　their　lips　red　as　…　as　some　of　the　train　wrecks　I've　helped

clean　up。



〃It　was　a　lovely　April　night；　not　a　breath　of　wind；　and　a

tremendous　big　moon　shining　right　over　the　top　of　Chimborazo。　…

Some　mountain　that。　　The　railroad　skirted　it　twelve　thousand　feet

above　sea　level；　and　the　top　of　it　ten　thousand　feet　higher　than

that。



〃Mebbe　I　was　drowsing；　with　Seth　running　the　engine；　but　he　slammed

on　the　brakes　so　sudden　hard　that　I　darn　near　went　through　the　cab

window。



〃'What　the　…　'　I　started　to　yell；　and　'Holy　hell；'　Seth　says；　as

both　of　us　looked　at　what　was　on　the　track。　　And　I　agreed　with　Seth

entirely　in　his　remark。　　It　was　an　Indian　girl　…　and　take　it　from

me；　Indians　ain't　Spiggoties　by　any　manner　of　means。　　Seth　had

managed　to　fetch　a　stop　within　twenty　feet　of　her；　and　us　bowling

down　hill　at　that！　　But　the　girl。　　She　…　〃



I　saw　the　form　of　Mrs。　Julian　Jones　stiffen；　although　she　kept　her

gaze　fixed　balefully　upon　two　mud…hens　that　were　prowling　along　the

lagoon　shallows　below　us。　　〃The　hussy！〃　she　hissed；　once　and

implacably。　　Jones　had　stopped　at　the　sound；　but　went　on

immediately。



〃She　was　a　tall　girl；　slim　and　slender；　you　know　the　kind；　with

black　hair；　remarkably　long　hanging；　down　loose　behind　her；　as　she

stood　there　no　more　afraid　than　nothing；　her　arms　spread　out　to

stop　the　engine。　　She　was　wearing　a　slimpsy　sort　of　garment　wrapped

around　her　that　wasn't　cloth　but　ocelot　skins；　soft　and　dappled；

and　silky。　　It　was　all　she　had　on　…　〃



〃The　hussy！〃　breathed　Mrs。　Jones。



But　Mr。　Jones　went　on；　making　believe　that　he　was　unaware　of　the

interruption。



〃'Hell　of　a　way　to　stop　a　locomotive；'　I　complained　at　Seth；　as　I

climbed　down　on　to　the　right　of　way。　　I　walked　past　our　engine　and

up　to　the　girl；　and　what　do　you　think？　　Her　eyes　were　shut　tight。

She　was　trembling　that　violent　that　you　would　see　it　by　the

moonlight。　　And　she　was　barefoot；　too。



〃'What's　the　row？'　I　said；　none　too　gentle。　　She　gave　a　start；

seemed　to　come　out　of　her　trance；　and　opened　her　eyes。　　Say！　　They

were　big　and　black　and　beautiful。　　Believe　me；　she　was　some　looker

…　〃



〃The　hussy！〃　　At　which　hiss　the　two　mud…hens　veered　away　a　few

feet。　　But　Jones　was　getting　himself　in　hand；　and　didn't　even

blink。



〃'What　are　you　stopping　this　locomotive　for？'　I　demanded　in

Spanish。　　Nary　an　answer。　　She　stared　at　me；　then　at　the　snorting

engine　and　then　burst　into　tears；　which　you'll　admit　is　uncommon

behaviour　for　an　Indian　woman。



〃'If　you　try　to　get　rides　that　way；'　I　slung　at　her　in　Spiggoty

Spanish　（which　they　tell　me　is　some　different　from　regular

Spanish）；　'you'll　be　taking　one　smeared　all　over　our　cowcatcher　and

headlight；　and　it'll　be　up　to　my　fireman　to　scrape　you　off。'



〃My　Spiggoty　Spanish　wasn't　much　to　brag　on；　but　I　could　see　she

understood；　though　she　only　shook　her　head　and　wouldn't　speak。　　But

great　Moses；　she　was　some　looker　…　〃



I　glanced　apprehensively　at　Mrs。　Jones；　who　must　have　caught　me　out

of　the　tail　of　her　eye；　for　she　muttered：　　〃If　she　hadn't　been　do

you　think　he'd　a…taken　her　into　his　house　to　live？〃



〃Now　hold　on；　Sarah；〃　he　protested。　　〃That　ain't　fair。　　Besides；

I'm　telling　this。　…　Next　thing；　Seth　yells　at　me；　'Goin'　to　stay

here　all　night？'



〃'Come　on；'　I　said　to　the　girl；　'and　climb　on　board。　　But　next　time

you　want　a　ride　don't　flag　a　locomotive　between　stations。'　　She

followed　along；　but　when　I　got　to　the　step　and　turned　to　give　her　a

lift…up；　she　wasn't　there。　　I　went　forward　again。　　Not　a　sign　of

her。　　Above　and　below　was　sheer　cliff；　and　the　track　stretched

ahead　a　hundred　yards　clear　and　empty。　　And　then　I　spotted　her；

crouched　down　right　against　the　cowcatcher；　that　close　I'd　almost

stepped　on　her。　　If　we'd　started　up；　we'd　have　run　over　her　in　a

second。　　It　was　all　so　nonsensical；　I　never　could　make　out　her

actions。　　Maybe　she　was　trying　to　suicide。　　I　grabbed　her　by　the

wrist　and　jerked　her　none　too　gentle　to　her　feet。　　And　she　came

along　all　right。　　Women　do　know　when　a　man　means　business。〃



I　glanced　from　this　Goliath　to　his　little；　bird…eyed　spouse；　and

wondered　if　he　had　ever　tried　to　mean　business　with　her。



〃Seth　kicked　at　first；　but　I　boosted　her　into　the　cab　and　made　her

sit　up　beside　me　…　〃



〃And　I　suppose　Seth　was　busy　running　the　engine；〃　Mrs。　Jones

observed。



〃I　was　breaking　him　in；　wasn't　I？〃　　Mr。　Jones　protested。　　〃So　we

made　the　run　into　Amato。　　She'd　never　opened　her　mouth　once；　and　no

sooner'd　the　engine　stopped　than　she'd　jumped　to　the　ground　and　was

gone。　　Just　like　that。　　Not　a　thank　you　kindly。　　Nothing。



〃But　next　morning　when　we　came　to　pull　out　for　Quito　with　a　dozen

flat　cars　loaded　with　rails；　there　she　was　in　the　cab　waiting　for

us；　and　in　the　daylight　I　could　see　how　much　better　a　looker　she

was　than　the　night　before。



〃'Huh！　she's　adopted　you；'　Seth　grins。　　And　it　looked　like　it。　　She

just　stood　there　and　looked　at　me　…　at　us　…　like　a　loving　hou