eben holden-第31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！


he　livin'　God；　a　little　child　may　know　No　lens　er　rule　o'　cipherin'　can　ever　hope　t'　show。

There's　a　part　o'　Cod's　creation　very　handy　t'　yer　view；　Al'　the　truth　o'　life　is　in　it　an'　remember；　Bill；　it's　you。　An'　after　all　yer　science　ye　must　look　up　in　yer　mind；　An'　leam　its　own　astronomy　the　star　o'　peace　t'　find。

There's　good　old　Aunt　Samanthy　Jane　thet　all　her　journey　long　Has　led　her　heart　to　labour　with　a　reveille　of　song。　　Her　folks　hev　robbed　an'　left　her　but　her　faith　in　goodness　grows；　She　hasn't　any　larnin'；　but　I　tell　ye　Bill；　she　knows！

She's　hed　her　share　o'　troubles；　I　remember　well　the　day　We　took　her　t'　the　poorhouse　…　she　was　singin'　all　the　way；　Ye　needn't　be　afraid　t'　come　where　stormy　Jordan　flows；　If　all　the　larnin'　ye　can　git　has　taught　ye　halfshe　knows。'

I　give　this　crude　example　of　rustic　philosophy；　not　because　it　has　my　endorsement　…　God　knows　I　have　ever　felt　it　far　beyond　me　…　but　because　it　is　useful　to　those　who　may　care　to　know　the　man　who　wrote　it。　I　give　it　the　poor　fame　of　these　pages　with　keen　regret　that　my　friend　is　now　long　passed　the　praise　or　blame　of　this　world。

Chapter　22

The　horse　played　a　part　of　no　small　importance　in　that　country。　He　was　the　coin　of　the　realin；　a　medium　of　exchange；　a　standard　of　value；　an　exponent　of　moral　character。　The　man　that　travelled　without　a　horse　was　on　his　way　to　the　poorhouse。　Uncle　Eb　or　David　Brower　could　tell　a　good　horse　by　the　sound　of　his　footsteps；　and　they　brought　into　St　Lawrence　County　the　haughty　Morgans　from　Vermont。　There　was　more　pride　in　their　high　heads　than　in　any　of　the　good　people。　A　Northern　Yankee　who　was　not　carried　away　with　a　fine　horse　had　excellent　self…control。　Politics　and　the　steed　were　the　only　things　that　ever　woke　him　to　enthusiasm；　and　there　a　man　was　known　as　he　traded。　Uncle　Eb　used　to　say　that　one　ought　always　to　underestimate　his　horse　'a　leetle　fer　the　sake　of　a　reputation'。

We　needed　another　horse　to　help　with　the　haying；　and　Bob　Dean；　a　tricky　trader；　who　had　heard　of　it；　drove　in　after　supper　one　evening；　and　offered　a　rangy　brown　animal　at　a　low　figure。　We　looked　him　over；　tried　him　up　and　down　the　road；　and　then　David；　with　some　shrewd　suspicion；　as　I　divined　later；　said　I　could　do　as　I　pleased。　I　bought　the　horse　and　led　him　proudly　to　the　stable。　Next　morning　an　Irishman；　the　extra　man　for　the　haying；　came　in　with　a　worried　look　to　breakfast。

'That　new　horse　has　a　chittern'　kind　of　a　coff；'　he　said。

'A　cough？'　said　I。

''Tain't　jist　a　coff；　nayther；'　he　said；　'but　a　kind　of　toom！'

With　the　last　word　he　obligingly　imitated　the　sound　of　the　cough。　It　threw　me　into　perspiration。

'Sounds　bad；'　said　Uncle　Eb；　as　he　looked　at　me　and　snickered。

''Fraid　Bill　ain't　much　of　a　jockey；'　said　David；　smaling。

'Got　a　grand　appetite　…　that　hoss　has；'　said　Tip　Taylor。

After　breakfast　Uncle　Eb　and　I　hitched　him　to　the　light　buggy　and　touched　him　up　for　a　short　journey　down　the　road。　In　five　minutes　he　had　begun　to　heave　and　whistle。　I　felt　sure　one　could　have　heard　him　half　a　mile　away。　Uncle　Eb　stopped　him　and　began　to　laugh。

'A　whistler；'　said　he；　'sure's　yer　born。　He　ain't　wuth　a　bag　o'　beans。　But　don't　ye　never　let　on。　When　ye　git　licked　ye　musn't　never　fin'　fault。　If　anybody　asks　ye　'bout　him　tell　'em　he's　all　ye　expected。'

We　stood　waiting　a　moment　for　the　horse　to　recover　himself。　A　team　was　nearing　us。

'There's　Bob　Dean；'　Uncle　Eb　whispered。　'The　durn　scalawag！　Don't　ye　say　a　word　now。

'Good…mornin'！'　said　Dean；　smiling　as　he　pulled　up　beside　us。

'Nice　pleasant　mornin'！'　said　Uncle　Eb；　as　he　cast　a　glance　into　the　sky。

'What　ye　standin'　here　for？'　Dean　asked。

Uncle　Eb　expectorated　thoughtfullyy。

'Jest　a　1ookin'　at　the　scenery；'　said　he。　'Purty　country；　right　here！　AIwus　liked　it。'

'Nice　lookin'　hoss　ye　got　there；'　said　Dean。

'Grand　hoss！'　said　Uncle　Eb；　surveymg　him　proudly。　'Most　reemarkable　hoss。'

'Good　stepper；　too；'　said　Dean　soberly。

'Splendid！'　said　Uncle　Eb。　'Can　go　a　mile　without　ketchin'　his　breath。'

'Thet　so？'　said　Dean。

'Good　deal　like　Lucy　Purvis；'　Unde　Eb　added。　'She　can　say　the　hull　mul'plication　table　an'　only　breathe　once。　Ye　can　learn　sumthin'　from　a　hoss　like　thet。　He's　good　as　a　deestric'　school　…　thet　hoss　is。'

Yes；　sir；　thet　hoss　is　all　right；'　said　Dean；　as　he　drove　away。

'Righter'n　I　expected；'　Uncle　Eb　shouted；　and　then　he　covered　his　mouth；　shaking　with　suppressed　laughter。

'Skunk！'　he　said；　as　we　turned　the　animal　and　started　to　walk　him　home。　'Don't　min'　bein'　beat；　but　I　don't　like　t'　hev　a　man　rub　it　in　on　me。　I'll　git　even　with　him　mebbe。'

And　he　did。　It　came　about　in　this　way。　We　turned　our　new　purchase　into　the　pasture；　and　Uncle　Eb　and　I　drove　away　to　Potsdam　for　a　better　nag。　We　examined　all　the　horses　in　that　part　of　the　country。　At　last　we　chanced　upon　one　that　looked　like　the　whistler；　save　that　he　had　a　white　stocking　on　one　hind　foot

'Same　age；　too；'　said　Uncle　Eb；　as　he　looked　into　his　mouth。

'Can　pass　anything　on　the　road；'　said　his　owner。

'Can　he？'　said　Uncle　Eb；　who　had　no　taste　for　slow　going。　'Hitch　him　up　an'　le's　see　what　he　can　do。'

He　carried　us　faster　than　we　had　ever　ridden　before　at　a　trot；　and　coming　up　behind　another　team　the　man　pulled　out；　let　the　reins　loose　on　his　back；　and　whistled。　If　anyone　had　hit　him　with　a　log　chain　the　horse　could　not　have　moved　quicker。　He　took　us　by　the　other　team　like　a　flash；　on　the　dead　run　and　three　in　the　buggy。

'He'll　do　all　right；'　said　Uncle　Eb；　and　paid　for　the　horse。

It　was　long　after　dark　when　we　started　home；　leading　him　behind；　and　near　midnight　when　we　arrived。

In　the　morning　I　found　Uncle　Eb　in　the　stable　showing　him　to　the　other　help。　To　my　surprise　the　white　stocking　had　disappeared。

'Didn't　jes'　like　that　white　stockin'；'　he　said；　as　I　came　in。　'Wondered　how　he'd　look　without　it。'

They　all　agreed　this　horse　and　the　whistler　were　as　much　alike　as　two　peas　m　appearance。　Breakfast　over　Uncle　Eb　asked　the　Irishman　to　hitch　him　up。

'Come　Bill；'　said　he；　'le's　take　a　ride。　Dean'll　be　comm'　'long　bym　bye　on　his　way　t'　town　with　that　trotter　o'　his'n。　'Druther　like　to　meet　him。'

I　had　only　a　faint　idea　of　his　purpose。　He　let　the　horse　step　along　at　top　speed　going　up　the　road　and　when　we　turned　about　he　was　breathing　heavily。　We　jogged　him　back　down　the　road　a　mile　or　so；　and　when　I　saw　the　blazed　face　of　Dean's　mare；　in　the　distance；　we　pulled　up　and　shortly　stopped　him。　Dean　came　along　in　a　moment。

'Nice　mornin'！'　said　he。

'Grand！'　said　Uncle　Eb。

'Lookin'　at　the　lan'scape　ag'in？'

'Yes；　I've　jes'　begun　t'　see　what　a　putty　country　this　is；'　said　Uncle　Eb。

'How's　the　boss？'

'Splendid！　Gives　ye　time　t'　think　an'　see　what　yer　passin'。　Like　t'　set　'n　think　once　in　a　while。　We　don't　do　enough　thinkin'　here　in　this　part　o'　the　country。'

'Yd　orter　buy　this　mare　an　leam　how　t'　ride　fast；'　said　Dean。

'Thet　one；'　said　Uncle　Eb；　sqIii：fltig　at　the　mare；　'why　she　can't　go　fast　'nough。'

'She　can't；　hey？'　said　Dean；　bridling　with　injured　pride。　'I　don't　think　there's　anything　in　this　town　can　head　her。'

'Thunder！'　said　Uncle　Eb；　'I　can　go　by　her　with　this　ol'　plug　easy　'twxt　here　an'　our　gate。　Ye　didn't　know　what　ye　was　sellin'。'

'If　ye　pass　her　once　I'll　give　her　to　ye；'　said　he。

'Mean　it？'　said　Uncle　Eb。

'Sartin；'　said　he；　a　little　redder　in　the　face。

'An'　if　I　don't　I'll　give　ye　the　whistler；'　said　Uncle　Eb　as　he　turned　about。

The　mare　went　away；　under　the　whip；　before　we　had　fairly　started。　She　was　going　a　fifty　shot　but　in　a　moment　we　were　lapping　upon　her　hind　wheel。　Dean　threw　a　startled　glance　over　his　shoulder。　Then　he　shouted　to　the　mare。　She　quickened　her　pace　a　little　but　we　kept　our　position。　Uncle　Eb　was　leaning　over　the　dasher　his　white　locks　flying。　He　had　something　up　his　sleeve；　as　they　say；　and　was　not　yet　ready　to　use　it。　Then　Dean　began　to　shear　over　to　cut　us　off…　a　nasty　trick　of　the　low　horseman。　I　saw　Uncle　Eb　giance　at　the　ditch　ahead。　I　knew　what　was　coining　and　took　a　firm　hold　of　the　seat。　The　ditch　was　a　bit　rough；　but　Uncle　Eb　had　no　lack　of　courage。　He　turned　the　horse's　head；　let　up　on　the　reins　and　whistled。　I　have　never　felt　such　a　thrill　a