the seventh man-第4部分

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nd　in　fighting。　Vic　Gregg　did　not　frown　as　he　drank；　but　the　corners　of　his　lips　turned　up　a　trifle　in　a　smile　of　fixed　and　acid　pleasantry　and　his　glance　went　from　face　to　face　in　the　barroom；　steadily；　with　a　trifling　pause　at　each　pair　of　eyes。　Beginning　with　himself；　he　hated　mankind　in　general；　the　burn　of　the　cheap　whisky　within　served　to　set　the　color　of　that　hatred　in　a　fixed　dye。　He　did　not　lift　his　chaser；　but　his　hand　closed　around　it　hard。　If　some　one　had　given　him　an　excuse　for　a　fist…fight　or　an　outburst　of　cursing　it　would　have　washed　his　mind　as　clean　as　a　new　slate；　and　five　minutes　later　he　might　have　been　with　Betty　Neal；　riotously　happy。　Instead；　everyone　overflowed　with　good　nature；　gossip；　questions　about　his　work；　and　the　danger　in　him　crystallized。　He　registered　cold　reasons　for　his　disgust。

Beginning　in　the　first　person；　he　loathed　himself　as　a　thick…headed　ass　for　talking　to　Betty　as　he　had　done；　as　well　put　a　burr　under　one's　saddle　and　then　feel　surprise　because　the　horse　bucks。　He　passed　on　to　the　others　with　equal　precision。　Captain　Lorrimer　was　as　dirty　as　a　greaser；　and　like　a　greaser；　loose…lipped；　unshaven。　Chick　Stewart　was　a　born　fool；　and　a　fool　by　self…culture；　as　his　never　changing　grin　amply　proved。　Lew　Perkins　sat　in　the　corner　on　a　shaky　old　apple　barrel　and　brushed　back　his　long　mustaches　to　spit　at　the　cuspidorand　miss　it。　If　this　were　Vic　Gregg's　saloon　he　would　teach　the　old　loafer　more　accuracy　or　break　his　neck。

〃How　are　you；　Gregg？〃　murmured　some　one　behind　him。

He　turned　and　found　Sheriff　Pete　Glass　with　his　right　hand　already　spread　on　the　bar　while　he　ordered　a　drink　for　two。　That　was　one　of　the　sheriff's　idiosyncrasies；　he　never　shook　hands　if　he　could　avoid　it；　and　Gregg　hated　him　senselessly；　bitterly；　for　it。　No　doubt　every　one　in　the　room　noticed；　and　they　would　tell　afterwards　how　the　sheriff　had　avoided　shaking　hands　with　Vic　Gregg。　Cheap　play　for　notoriety；　thought　Gregg；　Glass　was　pushing　the　bottle　towards　him。

〃Help　yourself；〃　said　Gregg。

〃This　is　on　me；　Vic。〃

〃I　most　generally　like　to　buy　the　first　drink。〃

Pete　Glass　turned　his　head　slowly；　for　indeed　all　his　motions　were　leisurely　and　one　could　not　help　wondering　at　the　stories　of　his　exploits；　the　tales　of　his　hair…trigger　alertness。　Perhaps　these　half　legendary　deeds　sent　the　thrill　of　uneasiness　through　Vic　Gregg；　perhaps　it　was　owing　to　the　singular　hazel　eyes；　with　little　splotches　of　red　in　them；　very　mild　eyes；　but　one　could　imagine　anything　about　them。　Otherwise　there　was　nothing　exceptional　in　Glass；　for　he　stood　well　under　middle　height；　a　starved　figure；　with　a　sinewy　crooked　neck；　as　if　bent　on　looking　up　to　taller　men。　His　hair　was　sandy；　his　face　tawny　brown；　his　shirt　a　gray　blue；　and　every　one　knew　his　dusty　roan　horse；　by　nature；　by　temperament　and　by　personal　selection　he　was　suited　to　blend　into　a　landscape　of　sage…dotted　plains　or　sand。　Tireless　as　a　lobo　on　the　trail；　swift　as　a　bobcat　in　fight；　hunted　men　had　been　known　to　ride　in　and　give　themselves　up　when　they　heard　that　Pete　Glass　was　after　them。

〃Anyway　you　want；　partner；〃　he　was　saying；　in　his　soft；　rather　husky　voice。

He　poured　his　drink；　barely　enough　to　cover　the　bottom　of　his　glass；　for　that　was　another　of　Pete's　ways；　he　could　never　afford　to　weaken　his　hand　or　deaden　his　eye　with　alcohol；　and　even　now　he　stood　sideways　at　the　bar；　facing　Gregg　and　also　facing　the　others　in　the　room。　But　the　larger　man；　with　sudden　scorn　for　this　caution；　brimmed　his　own　glass；　and　poised　it　swiftly。　〃Here's　how！〃　and　down　it　went。

Ordinarily　red…eye　heated　his　blood　and　made　his　brain　dizzy；　it　loosened　his　tongue　and　numbed　his　lips；　but　today　it　left　him　cool；　confident；　and　sharpened　his　vision　until　he　felt　that　he　could　see　through　the　minds　of　every　one　in　the　room。　Captain　Lorrimer；　for　instance；　was　telling　a　jocular　story　to　Chick　Stewart　in　the　hope　that　Chick　would　set　them　up　for　every　one；　and　old　Lew　Perkins　was　waiting　for　the　treat；　and　perhaps　the　sheriff　was　wondering　how　he　could　handle　Vic　in　case　of　need；　or　how　long　it　would　take　to　run　him　down。　Not　long；　decided　Gregg；　breathing　hard；　no　man　in　the　world　could　put　him　on　the　run。　Glass　was　treating　in　turn；　and　again　the　brimming　drink　went　down　Vic's　throat　and　left　his　brain　clear；　wonderfully　clear。　He　saw　through　Betty　Neal　now；　she　had　purposely　played　off　Blondy　against　him；　to　make　them　both　jealous。

〃Won't　you　join　us；　Dad？〃　the　sheriff　was　saying　to　Lew　Perkins；　and　Vic　Gregg　smiled。　He　understood。　The　sheriff　wanted　an　excuse　to　order　another　round　of　drinks　because　he　had　it　in　mind　to　intoxicate　Gregg；　perhaps　Glass　had　something　on　him；　perhaps　the　manhunter　thought　that　Vic　had　had　a　part　in　that　Wilsonville　affair　two　years　back。　That　was　it；　and　he　wanted　to　make　Vic　talk　when　he　was　drunk。

〃Don't　mind　if　I　do；〃　Lew　said；　slapping　both　hands　on　the　bar　as　if　he　owned　it；　and　while　he　waited　for　his　drink：　〃What　are　they　going　to　do　with　Swain？〃

The　doddering　idiot！　Swain　was　the　last　man　Glass　had　taken；　and　Lew　Perkins　should　have　known　that　the　sheriff　never　talked　about　his　work；　the　old　ass　was　in　his　green　age；　his　second　childhood。

〃Swain　turned　state's　evidence；〃　said　Pete；　curtly。　〃He'll　go　free；　I　suppose。　Fill　up　your　glass；　partner。　Can　see　you're　thirsty　yet。〃

This　was　to　Gregg；　who　had　purposely　poured　out　a　drink　of　the　sheriff's　own　chosen　dimension　to　see　if　the　latter　would　notice；　this　remark　fixed　his　suspicions。　It　was　certain　that　the　manhunter　was　after　him；　but　again；　in　scorn；　he　accepted　the　challenge　and　poured　a　stiff　dram。

〃That's　right；〃　nodded　the　sheriff。　〃You　got　nothing　on　your　shoulders。　You　can　let　yourself　go；　Vic。　Sometimes　I　wish〃he　sighed〃I　wish　I　could　do　the　same！〃

〃The　sneaky　coyote；〃　thought　Gregg；　〃he's　lurin'　me　on！〃

〃Turned　state's　evidence！〃　maundered　Lew　Perkins。　〃Well；　they's　a　lot　of　'em　that　lose　their　guts　when　they're　caught。　I　remember　way　back　in　the　time　when　Bannack　was　runnin'　full　blast〃

Why　did　not　some　one　shut　off　the　old　idiot　before　he　was　thoroughly　started？　He　might　keep　on　talking　like　the　clank　of　a　windmill　in　a　steady　breeze；　endlessly。　For　Lew　was　old…seventy…five；　eighty；　eighty…fivehe　himself　probably　did　not　know　just　how　oldand　he　had　lived　through　at　least　two　generations　of　pioneers　with　a　myriad　stories　about　them。　He　could　string　out　tales　of　the　Long　Trail：　Abilene；　Wichita；　Ellsworth；　Great　Bend；　Newton；　where　eleven　men　were　murdered　in　one　night；　he　knew　the　vigilante　days　in　San　Francisco；　and　early　times　in　Alder　Gulch。

〃Nobody　would　of　thought　Plummer　was　yaller；　but　he　turned　out　that　way；〃　droned　on　the　narrator。　〃Grit？　He　had　enough　to　fit　out　twenty　men。　When　Crawford　shot　him　and　busted　his　right　arm；　he　went　right　on　and　learned　to　shoot　with　his　left　and　started　huntin'　Jack　again。　Packed　that　lead　with　him　till　he　died；　and　then　they　found　Jack's　bullet　in　his　wrist；　all　worked　smooth　by　the　play　of　the　bones。　Afterwards　it　turned　out　that　Plummer　ran　a　whole　gang；　but　before　we　learned　that　we'd　been　fools　enough　to　make　him　sheriff。　We　got　to　Plummer　right　after　he'd　finished　hangin'　a　man；　and　took　him　to　his　own　gallows。〃

〃You'd　of　thought　a　cool　devil　like　that　would　of　made　a　good　end；　but　he　didn't。　He　just　got　down　on　his　knees　and　cried；　and　asked　God　to　help　him。　Then　he　begged　us　to　give　him　time　to　pray；　but　one　of　the　boys　up　and　told　him　he　could　do　his　prayin'　from　the　cross…beam。　And　that　was　Henry　Plummer；　that　killed　a　hundred　men；　him　an'　his　gang。〃

〃H…m…m；〃　murmured　the　sheriff；　and　looked　uneasily　about。　Now　that　his　eyes　were　turned　away；　Vic　could　study　him　at　leisure；　and　he　wondered　at　the　smallness　of　the　man。　Suppose　one　were　able　to　lay　hands　on　him　it　would　be　easy　to

〃See　you　later；　boys；〃　drawled　Glass；　and　sauntered　from　the　room。

Lew　Perkins　sighed　as　the　most　important　part　of　his　audience　disappeared；　but　having　started　talking　the　impetus　carried　him　along；　he　held　Vic　Gregg　with　his　hazy　eyes。

〃But　they　didn't　all　finish　like　Plummer；　not　all　the　bad　ones。　No　sirree！　There　was　Boone　Helm。〃

〃I've　heard　about　him；〃　growled　Vic；　but　the　old　man　had　fixed　his　glance　and　his　reminiscent　smile　upon　the　past　and　his　voice　was　soft　with　distance　when　he　spoke　again。

〃Helm　was　a　sure　enough　bad　one；　son。　They　don't　grow　like　him　no　more。　Wild　Bill　was　a　baby　compared　with　Helm；　and　Slade　wasn't　no　man　at　all；　even　leavin'　in　the　lies　they　tell　about　him。　Why；　son；　Helm　was　just　a　lobo；　in　the　skin　of　a　man〃

〃Like　Barry？〃　put　in　Lorrimer；　drifting　closer　down　the　bar。

〃Who's　he？〃

〃Ain't　you　heard　of　Whistlin'　Dan？　The　one　that　killed　Jim　Silent　and　busted　up　his　gang。　Why；　they　say　he's　got　a　wolf　that　he　can　talk　to　like　it　was　a　man。〃

Old　Lew　chuckled。

〃They　say　a　lot　of　things；〃　he　nodded；　〃but　I'll　tell　a　man　that　a　wolf　is　a　wolf　and　they　ain't　nothin'　that　can　tame　'em。　Don't　you　let　'em　feed　you　up　on　lies　like　that；　Lorrimer。　But　Helm　was　sure　bad。　He　killed　for　the　sake　of　killin'；　but　he　died　game。　When　the　boys　run　him　down　he　swore　on　the　bible　that　he's　never　killed　a　man；　and　they　made　him　swear　it　over　again　just　to　watch　his　nerve；　but　he　never　batted　an　eye。〃

The　picture　of　that　wild　time　grew　up　for　Vic　Gregg；　and　the　thought　of　free　men　who　laughed　at　the　law；　strong　men；　fierce　men。　What　would　one　of　these　have　done　if　the　girl　he　intended　to　marry　had　treated　him　like　a　foil？

〃Then　they　got　him　ready　for　the　rope；〃　went　on　Lew　Perkins。

〃'I've　seen　a　tolerable　lot　of　death；'　says　Helm。　'I　ain't　afraid　of　it。'〃

〃There　was　about　six　thousand　folks　had　come　in　to　see　the　end　of　Boone　Helm。　Somebody　asked　him　if　he　wanted　anything。

〃'Whisky；'　says　Boone。　And　he　got　it。

〃Then　he　shook　his　hand　and　held　it　up。　He　had　a　sore　finger　and　it　bothered　him　a　lot　more　than　the　thought　of　hangin'。

〃'You　gents　get　through　with　this　or　else　tie　up　my　finger；'　he　kept　sayin'。〃

〃Helm　wasn't　the　whole　show。　There　was　some　others　bein'　hung　that　day　and　when　one　of　them　dropped　off　his　box；　Boone　says：　'There's　one　gone　to　hell。'　Pretty　soon　another　went；　and　hung　there　wiggling；　and　six　times　he　went　through　all　the　motions　of　pullin'