tales of trail and town-第31章

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These　facts　were　fully　established　at　the　hurried　inquest　which　met

that　day。　　There　was　no　need　to　go　behind　the　evidence　of　the

constable；　the　only　companion　of　the　murdered　man　and　first

discoverer　of　the　body。　　The　fact　that　he；　on　the　ground　floor；　had

slept　through　the　struggle　and　the　report；　made　the　obliviousness

of　the　couple　in　the　room　above　a　rational　sequence。　　The　dazed　Ira

was　set　aside；　after　half　a　dozen　contemptuous　questions；　the

chivalry　of　a　Californian　jury　excused　the　attendance　of　a

frightened　and　hysterical　woman　confined　to　her　room。　　By　noon　they

had　departed　with　the　body；　and　the　long　afternoon　shadows　settled

over　the　lonely　plain　and　silent　house。　　At　nightfall　Ira　appeared

at　the　door；　and　stood　for　some　moments　scanning　the　plain；　he　was

seen　later　by　two　packers；　who　had　glanced　furtively　at　the　scene

of　the　late　tragedy；　sitting　outside　his　doorway；　a　mere　shadow　in

the　darkness；　and　a　mounted　patrol　later　in　the　night　saw　a　light

in　the　bedroom　window　where　the　invalid　Mrs。　Beasley　was　confined。

But　no　one　saw　her　afterwards。　　Later；　Ira　explained　that　she　had

gone　to　visit　a　relative　until　her　health　was　restored。　　Having　few

friends　and　fewer　neighbors；　she　was　not　missed；　and　even　the

constable；　the　sole　surviving　guest　who　had　enjoyed　her　brief

eminence　of　archness　and　beauty　that　fatal　night；　had　quite

forgotten　her　in　his　vengeful　quest　of　the　murderer。　　So　that

people　became　accustomed　to　see　this　lonely　man　working　in　the

fields　by　day；　or　at　nightfall　gazing　fixedly　from　his　doorway。　　At

the　end　of　three　months　he　was　known　as　the　recluse　or　〃hermit〃　of

Bolinas　Plain；　in　the　rapid　history…making　of　that　epoch　it　was

forgotten　that　he　had　ever　been　anything　else。



But　Justice；　which　in　those　days　was　apt　to　nod　over　the　affairs　of

the　average　citizen；　was　keenly　awake　to　offenses　against　its　own

officers；　and　it　chanced　that　the　constable；　one　day　walking

through　the　streets　of　Marysville；　recognized　the　murderer　and

apprehended　him。　　He　was　removed　to　Lowville。　　Here；　probably

through　some　modest　doubt　of　the　ability　of　the　County　Court；　which

the　constable　represented；　to　deal　with　purely　circumstantial

evidence；　he　was　not　above　dropping　a　hint　to　the　local　Vigilance

Committee；　who；　singularly　enough；　in　spite　of　his　resistance；　got

possession　of　the　prisoner。　　It　was　the　rainy　season；　and　business

was　slack；　the　citizens　of　Lowville　were　thus　enabled　to　give　so

notorious　a　case　their　fullest　consideration；　and　to　assist

cheerfully　at　the　ultimate　hanging　of　the　prisoner；　which　seemed　to

be　a　foregone　conclusion。



But　herein　they　were　mistaken。　　For　when　the　constable　had　given

his　evidence；　already　known　to　the　county；　there　was　a　disturbance

in　the　fringe　of　humanity　that　lined　the　walls　of　the　assembly　room

where　the　committee　was　sitting；　and　the　hermit　of　Bolinas　Plain

limped　painfully　into　the　room。　　He　had　evidently　walked　there：　he

was　soaked　with　rain　and　plastered　with　mud；　he　was　exhausted　and

inarticulate。　　But　as　he　staggered　to　the　witness…bench；　and

elbowed　the　constable　aside；　he　arrested　the　attention　of　every

one。　　A　few　laughed；　but　were　promptly　silenced　by　the　court。　　It

was　a　reflection　upon　its　only　virtue；sincerity。



〃Do　you　know　the　prisoner？〃　asked　the　judge。



Ira　Beasley　glanced　at　the　pale　face　of　the　acrobat；　and　shook　his

head。



〃Never　saw　him　before；〃　he　said　faintly。



〃Then　what　are　you　doing　here？〃　demanded　the　judge　sternly。



Ira　collected　himself　with　evident　effort；　and　rose　to　his　halting

feet。　　First　he　moistened　his　dry　lips；　then　he　said；　slowly　and

distinctly；　〃Because　I　killed　the　deputy　of　Bolinas。〃



With　the　thrill　which　ran　through　the　crowded　room；　and　the　relief

that　seemed　to　come　upon　him　with　that　utterance；　he　gained

strength　and　even　a　certain　dignity。



〃I　killed　him；〃　he　went　on；　turning　his　head　slowly　around　the

circle　of　eager　auditors　with　the　rigidity　of　a　wax　figure；

〃because　he　made　love　to　my　wife。　　I　killed　him　because　he　wanted

to　run　away　with　her。　　I　killed　him　because　I　found　him　waiting　for

her　at　the　door　of　the　barn　at　the　dead　o'　night；　when　she'd　got

outer　bed　to　jine　him。　　He　hadn't　no　gun。　　He　hadn't　no　fight。　　I

killed　him　in　his　tracks。　　That　man；〃　pointing　to　the　prisoner；

〃wasn't　in　it　at　all。〃　　He　stopped；　loosened　his　collar；　and；

baring　his　rugged　throat　below　his　disfigured　ear；　said：　〃Now　take

me　out　and　hang　me！〃



〃What　proof　have　we　of　this？　　Where's　your　wife？　　Does　she

corroborate　it？〃



A　slight　tremor　ran　over　him。



〃She　ran　away　that　night；　and　never　came　back　again。　　Perhaps；〃　he

added　slowly；　〃because　she　loved　him　and　couldn't　bear　me；　perhaps；

as　I've　sometimes　allowed　to　myself；　gentlemen；　it　was　because　she

didn't　want　to　bear　evidence　agin　me。〃



In　the　silence　that　followed　the　prisoner　was　heard　speaking　to　one

that　was　near　him。　　Then　he　rose。　　All　the　audacity　and　confidence

that　the　husband　had　lacked　were　in　HIS　voice。　　Nay；　there　was　even

a　certain　chivalry　in　his　manner　which；　for　the　moment；　the　rascal

really　believed。



〃It's　true！〃　he　said。　　〃After　I　stole　the　horse　to　get　away；　I

found　that　woman　running　wild　down　the　road；　cryin'　and　sobbin'。

At　first　I　thought　she'd　done　the　shooting。　　It　was　a　risky　thing

for　me　to　do；　gentlemen；　but　I　took　her　up　on　the　horse　and　got　her

away　to　Lowville。　　It　was　that　much　dead　weight　agin　my　chances；

but　I　took　it。　　She　was　a　woman　andI　ain't　a　dog！〃



He　was　so　exalted　and　sublimated　by　his　fiction　that　for　the　first

time　the　jury　was　impressed　in　his　favor。　　And　when　Ira　Beasley

limped　across　the　room；　and；　extending　his　maimed　hand　to　the

prisoner；　said；　〃Shake！〃　there　was　another　dead　silence。



It　was　broken　by　the　voice　of　the　judge　addressing　the　constable。



〃What　do　you　know　of　the　deputy's　attentions　to　Mrs。　Beasley？　　Were

they　enough　to　justify　the　husband's　jealousy？　　Did　he　make　love　to

her？〃



The　constable　hesitated。　　He　was　a　narrow　man；　with　a　crude　sense

of　the　principles　rather　than　the　methods　of　justice。　　He

remembered　the　deputy's　admiration；　he　now　remembered；　even　more

strongly；　the　object　of　that　admiration；　simulating　with　her　pretty

arms　the　gestures　of　the　barkeeper；　and　the　delight　it　gave　them。

He　was　loyal　to　his　dead　leader；　but　he　looked　up　and　down；　and

then　said；　slowly　and　half…defiantly：　〃Well；　judge；　he　was　a　MAN。〃



Everybody　laughed。　　That　the　strongest　and　most　magic　of　all　human

passions　should　always　awake　levity　in　any　public　presentment　of　or

allusion　to　it　was　one　of　the　inconsistencies　of　human　nature　which

even　a　lynch　judge　had　to　admit。　　He　made　no　attempt　to　control　the

tittering　of　the　court；　for　he　felt　that　the　element　of　tragedy　was

no　longer　there。　　The　foreman　of　the　jury　arose　and　whispered　to

the　judge　amid　another　silence。　　Then　the　judge　spoke：



〃The　prisoner　and　his　witness　are　both　discharged。　　The　prisoner　to

leave　the　town　within　twenty…four　hours；　the　witness　to　be

conducted　to　his　own　house　at　the　expense　of；　and　with　the　thanks

of；　the　Committee。〃



They　say　that　one　afternoon；　when　a　low　mist　of　rain　had　settled

over　the　sodden　Bolinas　Plain；　a　haggard；　bedraggled；　and　worn…out

woman　stepped　down　from　a　common　〃freighting　wagon〃　before　the

doorway　where　Beasley　still　sat；　that；　coming　forward；　he　caught

her　in　his　arms　and　called　her　〃Sue；〃　and　they　say　that　they　lived

happily　together　ever　afterwards。　　But　they　sayand　this　requires

some　corroborationthat　much　of　that　happiness　was　due　to　Mrs。

Beasley's　keeping　forever　in　her　husband's　mind　her　own　heroic

sacrifice　in　disappearing　as　a　witness　against　him；　her　own

forgiveness　of　his　fruitless　crime；　and　the　gratitude　he　owed　to

the　fugitive。







THE　STRANGE　EXPERIENCE　OF　ALKALI　DICK





He　was　a　〃cowboy。〃　　A　reckless　and　dashing　rider；　yet　mindful　of

his　horse's　needs；　good…h