on the frontier-第31章

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the　black；　impenetrable　barriers　of　skirting　thickets　opened　and

gave　way　to　vague　distances　that　it　appeared　impossible　to　reach；

dim　vistas　that　seemed　unapproachable。　　Gradually　he　seemed　himself

to　become　a　part　of　the　mysterious　night。　　He　was　becoming　as

pulseless；　as　calm；　as　passionless。



What　was　that？　　A　shot　in　the　direction　of　the　cabin！　yet　so　faint；

so　echoless；　so　ineffective　in　the　vast　silence；　that　he　would　have

thought　it　his　fancy　but　for　the　strange　instinctive　jar　upon　his

sensitive　nerves。　　Was　it　an　accident；　or　was　it　an　intentional

signal　to　him？　　He　stopped；　it　was　not　repeated；　the　silence

reasserted　itself；　but　this　time　with　an　ominous　death…like

suggestion。　　A　sudden　and　terrible　thought　crossed　his　mind。　　He

cast　aside　his　pack　and　all　encumbering　weight；　took　a　deep　breath；

lowered　his　head　and　darted　like　a　deer　in　the　direction　of　the

challenge。





CHAPTER　II





The　exodus　of　the　seceding　partners　of　the　Lone　Star　claim　had　been

scarcely　an　imposing　one。　　For　the　first　five　minutes　after

quitting　the　cabin；　the　procession　was　straggling　and　vagabond。

Unwonted　exertion　had　exaggerated　the　lameness　of　some；　and

feebleness　of　moral　purpose　had　predisposed　the　others　to　obtrusive

musical　exhibition。　　Union　Mills　limped　and　whistled　with　affected

abstraction；　the　Judge　whistled　and　limped　with　affected

earnestness。　　The　Right　Bower　led　the　way　with　some　show　of

definite　design；　the　Left　Bower　followed　with　his　hands　in　his

pockets。　　The　two　feebler　natures；　drawn　together　in　unconscious

sympathy；　looked　vaguely　at　each　other　for　support。



〃You　see；〃　said　the　Judge；　suddenly；　as　if　triumphantly　concluding

an　argument；　〃there　ain't　anything　better　for　a　young　fellow　than

independence。　　Nature；　so　to　speak；　points　the　way。　　Look　at　the

animals。〃



〃There's　a　skunk　hereabouts；〃　said　Union　Mills；　who　was　supposed　to

be　gifted　with　aristocratically　sensitive　nostrils；　〃within　ten

miles　of　this　place；　like　as　not　crossing　the　Ridge。　　It's　always

my　luck　to　happen　out　just　at　such　times。　　I　don't　see　the

necessity　anyhow　of　trapesing　round　the　claim　now；　if　we　calculate

to　leave　it　to…night。〃



Both　men　waited　to　observe　if　the　suggestion　was　taken　up　by　the

Right　and　Left　Bower　moodily　plodding　ahead。　　No　response

following；　the　Judge　shamelessly　abandoned　his　companion。



〃You　wouldn't　stand　snoopin'　round　instead　of　lettin'　the　Old　Man

get　used　to　the　idea　alone？　　No；　I　could　see　all　along　that　he　was

takin'　it　in；　takin'　it　in；　kindly　but　slowly；　and　I　reckoned　the

best　thing　for　us　to　do　was　to　git　up　and　git　until　he'd　got　round

it。〃　　The　Judge's　voice　was　slightly　raised　for　the　benefit　of　the

two　before　him。



〃Didn't　he　say；〃　remarked　the　Right　Bower；　stopping　suddenly　and

facing　the　others；　〃didn't　he　say　that　that　new　trader　was　goin'　to

let　him　have　some　provisions　anyway？〃



Union　Mills　turned　appealingly　to　the　Judge；　that　gentleman　was

forced　to　reply；　〃Yes；　I　remember　distinctly　he　said　it。　　It　was

one　of　the　things　I　was　particular　about　on　his　account；〃　responded

the　Judge；　with　the　air　of　having　arranged　it　all　himself　with　the

new　trader。　　〃I　remember　I　was　easier　in　my　mind　about　it。〃



〃But　didn't　he　say；〃　queried　the　Left　Bower；　also　stopping　short；

〃suthin'　about　it's　being　contingent　on　our　doing　some　work　on　the

race？〃



The　Judge　turned　for　support　to　Union　Mills；　who；　however；　under

the　hollow　pretense　of　preparing　for　a　long　conference；　had

luxuriously　seated　himself　on　a　stump。　　The　Judge　sat　down　also；

and　replied；　hesitatingly；　〃Well；　yes！　　Us　or　him。〃



〃Us　or　him；〃　repeated　the　Right　Bower；　with　gloomy　irony。　　〃And　you

ain't　quite　clear　in　your　mind；　are　you；　if　YOU　haven't　done　the

work　already？　　You're　just　killing　yourself　with　this　spontaneous；

promiscuous；　and　premature　overwork；　that's　what's　the　matter　with

you。〃



〃I　reckon　I　heard　somebody　say　suthin'　about　it's　being　a

Chinaman's　three…day　job；〃　interpolated　the　Left　Bower；　with　equal

irony；　〃but　I　ain't　quite　clear　in　my　mind　about　that。〃



〃It'll　be　a　sorter　distraction　for　the　Old　Man；〃　said　Union　Mills；

feebly〃kinder　take　his　mind　off　his　loneliness。〃



Nobody　taking　the　least　notice　of　the　remark；　union　Mills　stretched

out　his　legs　more　comfortably　and　took　out　his　pipe。　　He　had

scarcely　done　so　when　the　Right　Bower；　wheeling　suddenly；　set　off

in　the　direction　of　the　creek。　　The　Left　Bower；　after　a　slight

pause；　followed　without　a　word。　　The　Judge；　wisely　conceiving　it

better　to　join　the　stronger　party；　ran　feebly　after　him；　and　left

Union　Mills　to　bring　up　a　weak　and　vacillating　rear。



Their　course；　diverging　from　Lone　Star　Mountain；　led　them　now

directly　to　the　bend　of　the　creek；　the　base　of　their　old

ineffectual　operations。　　Here　was　the　beginning　of　the　famous　tail…

race　that　skirted　the　new　trader's　claim；　and　then　lost　its　way　in

a　swampy　hollow。　　It　was　choked　with　debris；　a　thin；　yellow　stream

that　once　ran　through　it　seemed　to　have　stopped　work　when　they　did；

and　gone　into　greenish　liquidation。



They　had　scarcely　spoken　during　this　brief　journey；　and　had

received　no　other　explanation　from　the　Right　Bower；　who　led　them；

than　that　afforded　by　his　mute　example　when　he　reached　the　race。

Leaping　into　it　without　a　word；　he　at　once　began　to　clear　away　the

broken　timbers　and　driftwood。　　Fired　by　the　spectacle　of　what

appeared　to　be　a　new　and　utterly　frivolous　game；　the　men　gayly

leaped　after　him；　and　were　soon　engaged　in　a　fascinating　struggle

with　the　impeded　race。　　The　Judge　forgot　his　lameness　in　springing

over　a　broken　sluice…box；　Union　Mills　forgot　his　whistle　in　a　happy

imitation　of　a　Chinese　coolie's　song。　　Nevertheless；　after　ten

minutes　of　this　mild　dissipation；　the　pastime　flagged；　Union　Mills

was　beginning　to　rub　his　leg　when　a　distant　rumble　shook　the　earth。

The　men　looked　at　each　other；　the　diversion　was　complete；　a　languid

discussion　of　the　probabilities　of　its　being　an　earthquake　or　a

blast　followed；　in　the　midst　of　which　the　Right　Bower；　who　was

working　a　little　in　advance　of　the　others；　uttered　a　warning　cry

and　leaped　from　the　race。　　His　companions　had　barely　time　to　follow

before　a　sudden　and　inexplicable　rise　in　the　waters　of　the　creek

sent　a　swift　irruption　of　the　flood　through　the　race。　　In　an

instant　its　choked　and　impeded　channel　was　cleared；　the　race　was

free；　and　the　scattered　debris　of　logs　and　timber　floated　upon　its

easy　current。　　Quick　to　take　advantage　of　this　labor…saving

phenomenon；　the　Lone　Star　partners　sprang　into　the　water；　and　by

disentangling　and　directing　the　eddying　fragments　completed　their

work。



〃The　Old　Man　oughter　been　here　to　see　this；〃　said　the　Left　Bower；

〃it's　just　one　o'　them　climaxes　of　poetic　justice　he's　always

huntin'　up。　　It's　easy　to　see　what's　happened。　　One　o'　them　high…

toned　shrimps　over　in　the　Excelsior　claim　has　put　a　blast　in　too

near　the　creek。　　He's　tumbled　the　bank　into　the　creek　and　sent　the

back　water　down　here　just　to　wash　out　our　race。　　That's　what　I　call

poetical　retribution。〃



〃And　who　was　it　advised　us　to　dam　the　creek　below　the　race　and　make

it　do　the　thing？〃　asked　the　Right　Bower；　moodily。



〃That　was　one　of　the　Old　Man's　ideas；　I　reckon；〃　said　the　Left

Bower；　dubiously。



〃And　you　remember；〃　broke　in　the　Judge　with　animation；　〃I　allus

said；　'Go　slow；　go　slow。　　You　just　hold　on　and　suthin'　will

happen。'　　And；〃　he　added；　triumphantly；　〃you　see　suthin'　has

happened。　　I　don't　want　to　take　credit　to　myself；　but　I　reckoned　on

them　Excelsior　boys　bein'　fools；　and　took　the　chances。〃



〃And　what　if　I　happen　to　know　that　the　Excelsior　boys　ain't

blastin'　to…day？〃　said　the　Right　Bower；　sarcastically。



As　the　Judge　had　evidently　based　his　hypothesis　on　the　alleged　fact

of　a　blast；　he　deftly　evaded　the　point。　　〃I　ain't　saying　the　Old

Man's　head　ain't　level　on　some　things；　he　wants　a　little　more　sabe

of　the