the man from glengarry-第32章

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〃Ain't　ever　hitched　her；　have　you？〃　said　Yankee。

〃No。〃

〃Well；　might　hitch　her　up　some　day。　　Guess　you　wudn't　hurt　the
buckboard。〃

〃Not　likely；〃　said　Ranald；　looking　at　the　old；　ramshackle　affair。

〃Used　to　drive　some　myself；〃　said　Yankee。　　But　to　this　idea　Ranald
did　not　take　kindly。

Yankee　stood　for　a　few　moments　looking　down　the　lane　and　over　the
fields；　and　then；　turning　to　Ranald；　said；　〃Guess　it's　about　ready
to　begin　plowin'。　　Got　quite　a　lot　of　it　to　do；　too；　ain't　you？〃

〃Yes；〃　said　Ranald；　〃I　was　thinking　I　would　be　beginning　to…morrow。〃

〃Purty　slow　business　with　the　oxen。　　How　would　it　do　to　hitch　up
Lisette　and　old　Fox　yonder？〃

Then　Ranald　understood　the　purpose　of　Yankee's　visit。

〃I　would　be　very　glad；〃　said　Ranald；　a　great　load　lifting　from　his
heart。　　〃I　was　afraid　of　the　work　with　only　the　oxen。〃　　And　then；
after　a　pause；　he　added；　〃What　did　you　mean　about　buying　Lisette？〃
He　was　anxious　to　have　that　point　settled。

〃I　said　what　I　meant；〃　answered　Yankee。　　〃I　thought　perhaps　you
would　rather　have　the　money　than　the　colt；　but　I　tell　you　what；　I
hain't　got　money　enough　to　put　into　that　bird；　and　don't　you　talk
selling　to　any　one　till　we　see　her　gait　hitched　up。　　But　I　guess　a
little　of　the　plow　won't　hurt　for　a　few　weeks　or　so。〃

Next　day　Lisette　left　behind　her　forever　the　free；　happy　days　of
colthood。　　At　first　Ranald　was　unwilling　to　trust　her　to　any　other
hands　than　his　own；　but　when　he　saw　how　skillfully　and　gently
Yankee　handled　her；　soothing　her　while　he　harnessed　and　hitched　her
up；　he　recognized　that　she　was　safer　with　Yankee　than　with　himself；
and　allowed　him　to　have　the　reins。

They　spent　the　morning　driving　up　and　down　the　lane　with　Lisette
and　Fox　hitched　to　the　stone…boat。　　The　colt　had　been　kindly
treated　from　her　earliest　days；　and　consequently　knew　nothing　of
fear。　　She　stepped　daintily　beside　old　Fox；　fretting　and　chafing　in
the　harness；　but　without　thought　of　any　violent　objection。　　In　the
afternoon　the　colt　was　put　through　her　morning　experience；　with　the
variation　that　the　stone…boat　was　piled　up　with　a　fairly　heavy　load
of　earth　and　stone。　　And　about　noon　the　day　following；　Lisette　was
turning　her　furrow　with　all　the　steadiness　of　a　horse　twice　her
age。

Before　two　weeks　were　over；　Yankee；　with　the　horses；　and　Ranald；
with　the　oxen；　had　finished　the　plowing；　and　in　another　ten　days
the　fields　lay　smooth　and　black；　with　the　seed　harrowed　safely　in；
waiting　for　the　rain。

Yankee's　visit　had　been　a　godsend；　not　only　to　Ranald　with　his
work；　but　also　to　Macdonald　Dubh。　　He　would　talk　to　the　grim；
silent　man　by　the　hour；　after　the　day's　work　was　done；　far　into　the
night；　till　at　length　he　managed　to　draw　from　him　the　secret　of　his
misery。

〃I　will　never　be　a　man　again；〃　he　said；　bitterly；　to　Yankee。　　〃And
there　is　the　farm　all　to　pay　for。　　I　have　put　it　off　too　long　and
now　it　is　too　late；　and　it　is　all　because　of　thatthatbrute
beast　of　a　Frenchman。〃

〃Mean　cuss！〃　ejaculated　Yankee。

〃And　I　am　saying；〃　continued　Macdonald　Dubh；　opening　his　heart
still　further；　〃I　am　saying；　it　was　no　fair　fight；　whatever。　　I
could　whip　him　with　one　hand。　　It　was　when　I　was　pulling　out　Big
Mack；　poor　fellow；　from　under　the　heap；　that　he　took　me　unawares。〃

〃That's　so；〃　assented　Yankee。　　〃Blamed　lowdown　trick。〃

〃And；　oh；　I　will　be　praying　God　to　give　me　strength　just　to　meet
him！　　I　will　ask　no　more。　　But；〃　he　added；　in　bitter　despair；
〃there　is　no　use　for　me　to　pray。　　Strength　will　come　to　me　no
more。〃

〃Well；〃　said　Yankee；　brightly；　〃needn't　worry　about　that　varmint。
He　ain't　worth　it；　anyhow。〃

〃Aye；　he　is　not　worth　it；　indeed；　and　that　is　the　man　who　has
brought　me　to　this。〃　　That　was　the　bitter　part　to　Macdonald　Dubh。
A　man　he　despised　had　beaten　him。

〃Now　look　here；〃　said　Yankee；　〃course　I　ain't　much　good　at　this；
but　if　you　will　just　quit　worryin'；　I'll　undertake　to　settle　this
little　account　with　Mr。　LeNware。〃

〃And　what　good　would　that　be　to　me？〃　said　Macdonald　Dubh。　　〃It　is
myself　that　wants　to　meet　him。〃　　It　was　not　so　much　the　destruction
of　LeNoir　that　he　desired　as　that　he　should　have　the　destroying　of
him。　　While　he　cherished　this　feeling　in　his　heart；　it　was　not
strange　that　the　minister　in　his　visits　found　Black　Hugh
unapproachable；　and　concluded　that　he　was　in　a　state　of　settled
〃hardness　of　heart。〃　　His　wife　knew　better；　but　even　she　dared　not
approach　Macdonald　Dubh　on　that　subject；　which　had　not　been
mentioned　between　them　since　the　morning　he　had　opened　his　heart　to
her。　　The　dark；　haggard；　gloomy　face　haunted　her。　　She　longed　to
help　him　to　peace。　　It　was　this　that　sent　her　to　his　brother；
Macdonald　Bhain；　to　whom　she　told　as　much　of　the　story　as　she
thought　wise。

〃I　am　afraid　he　will　never　come　to　peace　with　God　until　he　comes　to
peace　with　this　man；〃　she　said；　sadly；　〃and　it　is　a　bitter　load
that　he　is　carrying　with　him。〃

〃I　will　talk　with　him；〃　answered　Macdonald　Bhain；　and　at　the　end　of
the　week　he　took　his　way　across　to　his　brother's　home。

He　found　him　down　in　the　brule；　where　he　spent　most　of　his　days
toiling　hard　with　his　ax；　in　spite　of　the　earnest　entreaties　of
Ranald。　　He　was　butting　a　big　tree　that　the　fire　had　laid　prone；
but　the　ax　was　falling　with　the　stroke　of　a　weak　man。

As　he　finished　his　cut；　his　brother　called　to　him；　〃That　is　no　work
for　you；　Hugh；　that　is　no　work　for　a　man　who　has　been　for　six　weeks
in　his　bed。〃

〃It　is　work　that　must　be　done；　however；〃　Black　Hugh　answered；
bitterly。

〃Give　me　the　ax；〃　said　Macdonald　Bhain。　　He　mounted　the　tree　as　his
brother　stepped　down；　and　swung　his　ax　deep　into　the　wood　with　a
mighty　blow。　　Then　he　remembered；　and　stopped。　　He　would　not　add　to
his　brother's　bitterness　by　an　exhibition　of　his　mighty；　unshaken
strength。　　He　stuck　the　ax　into　the　log；　and　standing　up；　looked
over　the　brule。　　〃It　is　a　fine　bit　of　ground；　Hugh；　and　will　raise
a　good　crop　of　potatoes。〃

〃Aye；〃　said　Macdonald　Dubh；　sadly。　　〃It　has　lain　like　this　for
three　years；　and　ought　to　have　been　cleared　long　ago；　if　I　had　been
doing　my　duty。〃

〃Indeed；　it　will　burn　all　the　better　for　that；〃　said　his　brother；
cheerfully。　　〃And　as　for　the　potatoes；　there　is　a　bit　of　my
clearing　that　Ranald　might　as　well　use。〃

But　Black　Hugh　shook　his　head。　　〃Ranald　will　use　no　man's　clearing
but　his　own；〃　he　said。　　〃I　am　afraid　he　has　got　too　much　of　his
father　in　him　for　his　own　good。〃

Macdonald　Bhain　glanced　at　his　brother's　face　with　a　look　of
mingled　pity　and　admiration。　　〃Ah；〃　he　said；　〃Hugh；　it's　a　proud
man　you　are。　　Macdonalds　have　plenty　of　that；　whatever；　and　we　come
by　it　good　enough。　　Do　you　remember　at　home；　when　our　father〃and
he　went　off　into　a　reminiscence　of　their　boyhood　days；　talking　in
gentle；　kindly；　loving　tones；　till　the　shadow　began　to　lift　from
his　brother's　face；　and　he；　too；　began　to　talk。　　They　spoke　of
their　father；　who　had　always　been　to　them　a　kind　of　hero；　and　of
their　mother；　who　had　lived；　and　toiled；　and　suffered　for　her
family　with　uncomplaining　patience。

〃She　was　a　good　woman；〃　said　Macdonald　Bhain；　with　a　note　of
tenderness　in　his　voice。　　〃And　it　was　the　hard　load　she　had　to
bear；　and　I　would　to　God　she　were　living　now；　that　I　might　make　up
to　her　something　of　what　she　suffered　for　me。〃

〃And　I　am　thankful　to　God；〃　said　his　brother；　bitterly；　〃that　she
is　not　here　to　see　me　now；　for　it　would　but　add　to　the　heavy　burden
I　often　laid　upon　her。〃

〃You　will　not　be　saying　that；〃　said　Macdonald　Bhain。　　〃But　I　am
saying　that　the　Lord　will　be　honored　in　you　yet。〃

〃Indeed；　there　is　not　much　for　me；〃　said　his　brother；　gloomily；
〃but　the　sick…bed　and　six　feet　or　more　of　the　damp　earth。〃

〃Hugh；　man；〃　said　his　brother；　hastily；　〃you　must　not　be　talking
like　that。　　It　is　not　the　speech　of　a　brave　man。　　It　is　the　speech
of　a　man　that　is　beaten　in　his　fight。〃

〃Beaten！〃　echoed　his　brother；　with　a　kind　of　cry。　　〃You　have　said
the　word。　　Beaten　it　is；　and　by　a　man　that　is　no　equal　of　mine。
You　know　that；〃　he　said；　appealing；　almost　anxiously；　to　his
brother。　　〃You　know　that　well。　　You　know　that　I　am　brought　to
this〃he　held　up　his　gaunt；　bony　hands〃by　a　man　that　is　no　equal
of　mi