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第34章

the three partners-第34章

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the better horse and the only saddle。〃



Van Loo recoiled。  But he was now desperate and reckless。

Beckoning Jack out of earshot of the other passengers; he said with

tightened lips; 〃Why do you follow me?  What is your purpose in

coming here?〃



〃I thought;〃 said Hamlin dryly; 〃that I was to have the pleasure of

getting satisfaction from you for the insult you gave me。〃



〃Well; and if I apologize for it; what then?〃 he said quickly。



Hamlin looked at him quietly。  〃Well; I think I also said something

about the lady being the wife of a friend of mine。〃



〃And I have left her BEHIND。  Her husband can take her back without

disgrace; for no one knows of her flight but you and me。  Do you

think your shooting me will save her?  It will spread the scandal

far and wide。  For I warn you; that as I have apologized for what

you choose to call my personal insult; unless you murder me in cold

blood without witness; I shall let them know the REASON of your

quarrel。  And I can tell you more: if you only succeed in STOPPING

me here; and make me lose my chance of getting away; the scandal to

your friend will be greater still。〃



Mr。 Hamlin looked at Van Loo curiously。  There was a certain amount

of conviction in what he said。  He had never met this kind of

creature before。  He had surpassed even Hamlin's first intuition of

his character。  He amused and interested him。  But Mr。 Hamlin was

also a man of the world; and knew that Van Loo's reasoning might be

good。  He put his hands in his pockets; and said gravely; 〃What IS

your little game?〃



Van Loo had been seized with another inspiration of desperation。

Steptoe had been partly responsible for this situation。  Van Loo

knew that Jack and Steptoe were not friends。  He had certain

secrets of Steptoe's that might be of importance to Jack。  Why

should he not try to make friends with this powerful free…lance and

half…outlaw?



〃It's a game;〃 he said significantly; 〃that might be of interest to

your friends to hear。〃



Hamlin took his hands out of his pockets; turned on his heel; and

said; 〃Come with me。〃



〃But I must go by that coach now;〃 said Van Loo desperately; 〃or

I've told you what would happen。〃



〃Come with me;〃 said Jack coolly。  〃If I'm satisfied with what you

tell me; I'll put you down at the next station an hour before that

coach gets there。〃



〃You swear it?〃 said Van Loo hesitatingly。



〃I've SAID it;〃 returned Jack。  〃Come!〃 and Van Loo followed Mr。

Hamlin into the station hotel。





CHAPTER VI。





The abrupt disappearance of Jack Hamlin and the strange lady and

gentleman visitor was scarcely noticed by the other guests of the

Divide House; and beyond the circle of Steptoe and his friends; who

were a distinct party and strangers to the town; there was no

excitement。  Indeed; the hotel proprietor might have confounded

them together; and; perhaps; Van Loo was not far wrong in his

belief that their identity had not been suspected。  Nor were

Steptoe's followers very much concerned in an episode in which they

had taken part only at the suggestion of their leader; and which

had terminated so tamely。  That they would have liked a 〃row;〃 in

which Jack Hamlin would have been incidentally forced to disgorge

his winnings; there was no doubt; but that their interference was

asked solely to gratify some personal spite of Steptoe's against

Van Loo was equally plain to them。  There was some grumbling and

outspoken criticism of his methods。



This was later made more obvious by the arrival of another guest

for whom Steptoe and his party were evidently waiting。  He was a

short; stout man; whose heavy red beard was trimmed a little more

carefully than when he was first known to Steptoe as Alky Hall; the

drunkard of Heavy Tree Hill。  His dress; too; exhibited a marked

improvement in quality and style; although still characterized in

the waist and chest by the unbuttoned freedom of portly and

slovenly middle age。  Civilization had restricted his potations or

limited them to certain festivals known as 〃sprees;〃 and his face

was less puffy and sodden。  But with the accession of sobriety he

had lost his good humor; and had the irritability and intolerance

of virtuous restraint。



〃Ye needn't ladle out any of your forty…rod whiskey to me;〃 he said

querulously to Steptoe; as he filed out with the rest of the party

through the bar…room into the adjacent apartment。  〃I want to keep

my head level till our business is over; and I reckon it wouldn't

hurt you and your gang to do the same。  They're less likely to

blab; and there are few doors that whiskey won't unlock;〃 he added;

as Steptoe turned the key in the door after the party had entered。



The room had evidently been used for meetings of directors or

political caucuses; and was roughly furnished with notched and

whittled armchairs and a single long deal table; on which were ink

and pens。  The men sat down around it with a half…embarrassed;

half…contemptuous attitude of formality; their bent brows and

isolated looks showing little community of sentiment and scarcely

an attempt to veil that individual selfishness that was prominent。

Still less was there any essay of companionship or sympathy in the

manner of Steptoe as he suddenly rapped on the table with his

knuckles。



〃Gentlemen;〃 he said; with a certain deliberation of utterance; as

if he enjoyed his own coarse directness; 〃I reckon you all have a

sort of general idea what you were picked up for; or you wouldn't

be here。  But you may or may not know that for the present you are

honest; hard…working miners;the backbone of the State of

Californy;and that you have formed yourselves into a company

called the 'Blue Jay;' and you've settled yourselves on the Bar

below Heavy Tree Hill; on a deserted claim of the Marshall

Brothers; not half a mile from where the big strike was made five

years ago。  That's what you ARE; gentlemen; that's what you'll

continue TO BE until the job's finished; and;〃 he added; with a

sudden dominance that they all felt; 〃the man who forgets it will

have to reckon with me。  Now;〃 he continued; resuming his former

ironical manner; 〃now; what are the cold facts of the case?  The

Marshalls worked this claim ever since '49; and never got anything

out of it; then they dropped off or died out; leaving only one

brother; Tom Marshall; to work what was left of it。  Well; a few

days ago HE found indications of a big lead in the rock; and

instead of rushin' out and yellin' like an honest man; and callin'

in the boys to drink; he sneaks off to 'Frisco; and goes to the

bank to get 'em to take a hand in it。  Well; you know; when Jim

Stacy takes a hand in anything; IT'S BOTH HANDS; and the bank

wouldn't see it until he promised to guarantee possession of the

whole abandoned claim;'dips; spurs; and angles;'and let them

work the whole thing; which the dd fool DID; and the bank

agreed to send an expert down there to…morrow to report。  But while

he was away some one on our side; who was an expert also; got wind

of it; and made an examination all by himself; and found it was a

vein sure enough and a big thing; and some one else on our side

found out; too; all that Marshall had promised the bank and what

the bank had promised him。  Now; gentlemen; when the bank sends

down that expert to…morrow I expect that he will find YOU IN

POSSESSION of every part of the deserted claim except the spot

where Tom is still working。〃



〃And what good is that to us?〃 asked one of the men contemptuously。



〃Good?〃 repeated Steptoe harshly。  〃Well; if you're not as dd a

fool as Marshall; you'll see that if he has struck a lead or vein

it's bound to run across OUR CLAIMS; and what's to keep us from

sinking for it as long as Marshall hasn't worked the other claims

for years nor pre…empted them for this lead?〃



〃What'll keep him from pre…empting now?〃



〃Our possession。〃



〃But if he can prove 

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