whirligigs-第23部分

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Her　vengeance　wreaked；　the　virago　rose　and　stalked

triumphant　as　Minerva；　back　to　some　cryptic　domestic

retreat　at　the　rear。　　The　janitor　got　to　his　feet；　blown

and　humiliated。



〃This　is　married　life；〃　he　said　to　Slayton；　with　a　certain

bruised　humour。　　〃That's　the　girl　I　used　to　lay　awake

of　nights　thinking　about。　　Sorry　about　your　hat；　mister。

Say；　don't　snitch　to　the　tenants　about　this；　will　yer？

I　don't　want　to　lose　me　job。〃



Slayton　took　the　elevator　at　the　end　of　the　hall　and

went　up　to　the　offices　of　the　Hearthstone。　　He　left　the　

MS。　of　〃Love　Is　All〃　with　the　editor；　who　agreed　to　give；

him　an　answer　as　to　its　availability　at　the　end　of　a　week。



Slayton　formulated　his　great　winning　scheme　on　his

way　down。　　It　struck　him　with　one　brilliant　flash；　and

he　could　not　refrain　from　admiring　his　own　genius　in

conceiving　the　idea。　　That　very　night　he　set　about　carry…

ing　it　into　execution。



Miss　Puffkin；　the　Hearthstone　stenographer；　boarded

in　the　same　house　with　the　author。　　She　was　an　oldish；

thin；　exclusive；　languishing；　sentimental　maid；　and

Slayton　had　been　introduced　to　her　some　time　before。



The　writer's　daring　and　self…sacrificing　project　was

this：　　He　knew　that　the　editor　of　the　Hearthstone　relied

strongly　upon　Miss　Puffkin's　judgment　in　the　manuscript

of　romantic　and　sentimental　fiction。　　Her　taste　represented

the　immense　average　of　mediocre　women　who　devour

novels　and　stories　of　that　type。　　The　central　idea　and

keynote　of　〃Love　Is　All〃　was　love　at　first　sight　　the

enrapturing；　irresistible；　soul…thrilling；　feeling　that　com…

pels　a　man　or　a　woman　to　recognize　his　or　her　spirit…mate

as　soon　as　heart　speaks　to　heart。　　Suppose　he　should

impress　this　divine　truth　upon　Miss　Puffkin　personally！

　would　she　not　surely　indorse　her　new　and　rapturous

sensations　by　recommending　highly　to　the　editor　of　the

Hearthstone　the　novelette　〃Love　Is　All〃　？



Slayton　thought　so。　　And　that　night　he　took　Miss

Puffkin　to　the　theatre。　　The　next　night　he　made　vehement

love　to　her　in　the　dim　parlour　of　the　boarding…house。　　He

quoted　freely　from　〃Love　Is　All〃；　and　he　wound　up　with

Miss　Puffkin's　head　on　his　shoulder；　and　visions　of　literary

fame　dancing　in　his　head。



But　Slayton　did　not　stop　at　love…making。　　This；　he

said　to　himself；　was　the　turning　point　of　his　life；　and；　like

a　true　sportsman；　he　〃went　the　limit。〃　　On　Thursday

night　he　and　Miss　Puffkin　walked　over　to　the　Big　Church

in　the　Middle　of　the　Block　and　were　married。



Brave　Slayton！　　Chateaubriand　died　in　a　garret；

Byron　courted　a　widow；　Keats　starved　to　death；　Poe

mixed　his　drinks；　De　Quincey　hit　the　pipe；　Ade　lived　in

Chica…o；　James　kept　on　doing　it；　Dic　Kens　wore　white

socks；　De　Maupassant　wore　a　strait…jacket；　Tom　Watson

became　a　Populist；　Jeremiah　wept；　all　these　authors　did

these　things　for　the　sake　of　literature；　but　thou　didst

cap　them　all；　thou　marriedst　a　wife　for　to　carve　for　thyself

a　niche　in　the　temple　of　fame！



On　Friday　morning　Mrs。　Slayton　said　she　would　go

over　to　the　Hearthstone　office；　hand　in　one　or　two　manu…

ripts　that　the　editor　had　given　to　her　to　read；　and　resign

her　position　as　stenographer。



〃Was　there　anything　　er　　that　　er　　you　particu…

larly　fancied　in　the　stories　you　are　going　to　turn　in？〃

asked　Slayton　with　a　thumping　heart。



〃There　was　one　a　novelette；　that　I　liked　so　much；〃

said　his　wife。　　〃I　haven't　read　anything　in　years　that

I　thought　was　half　as　nice　and　true　to　life。〃



That　afternoon　Slayton　hurried　down　to　the　Hearth…

stone　office。　　He　felt　that　his　reward　was　close　at　hand。

With　a　novelette　in　the　Hearthstone；　literary　reputation

would　soon　be　his。



The　office　boy　met　him　at　the　railing　in　the　outer

office。　　It　was　not　for　unsuccessful　authors　to　hold

personal　colloquy　with　the　editor　except　at　rare　intervals。



Slayton；　hugging　himself　internally；　was　nursing　in

his　heart　the　exquisite　hope　of　being　able　to　crush　the

office　boy　with　his　forthcoming　success。



He　inquired　concerning　his　novelette。　　The　office　boy

went　into　the　sacred　precincts　and　brought　forth　a　large

envelope；　thick　with　more　than　the　bulk　of　a　thousand

diecks。



〃The　boss　told　me　to　tell　you　he's　sorry；〃　said　the　boy；

〃but　your　manuscript　ain't　available　for　the　magazine。〃



Slayton　stood；　dazed。　　〃Can　you　tell　me；〃　he　stammered；

〃whether　or　no　Miss　Puff　　that　is　my　　I　mean　Miss

ruffkin　　handed　in　a　novelette　this　morning　that　she

had　been　asked　to　read？〃



〃Sure　she　did；〃　answered　the　office　boy　wisely。　　〃I

heard　the　old　man　say　that　Miss　Puffkin　said　it　was　a

daisy。　　The　name　of　it　was；　'Married　for　the　Mazuma；

or　a　Working　Girl's　Triumph。'〃



〃Say；　you！〃　　said　the　office　boy　confidentially；　〃your

name's　Slayton；　ain't　it？　　I　guess　I　mixed　cases　on　vou

without　meanin'　to　do　it。　　The　boss　give　me　some　manu…

script　to　hand　around　the　other　day　and　I　got　the　ones　for

Miss　Puffkin　and　the　janitor　mixed。　　I　guess　it's　all　right；

though。〃



And　then　Slayton　looked　closer　and　saw　on　the　cover

of　his　manuscript；　under　the　title　〃Love　Is　All；〃　the

janitor's　comment　scribbled　with　a　piece　of　charcoal：



〃The　　you　say！〃







　　　　　　　　　　　　　　THE　ROADS　WE　TAKE



TWIENTY　miles　West　of　Tucson；　the　〃Sunset　Express〃

stopped　at　a　tank　to　take　on　water。　　Besides　the　aqueous；

addition　the　engine　of　that　famous　flyer　acquired　some

other　things　that　were　not　good　for　it。



While　the　fireman　was　lowering　the　feeding　hose；

Bob　Tidball；　〃Shark〃　Dodson　and　a　quarter…bred　Creek

Indian　called　John　Big　Dog　climbed　on　the　engine　and

showed　the　engineer　three　round　orifices　in　pieces　of

ordnance　that　the　carried。　　These　orifices　so　impressed

the　engineer　with　their　possibilities　that　he　raised　both

hands　in　a　gesture　such　as　accompanies　the　ejaculation

〃Do　tell！〃



At　the　crisp　command　of　Shark　Dodson；　who　was

leader　of　the　attacking　force　the　engineer　descended

to　the　ground　and　uncoupled　the　engine　and　tender。

Then　John　Big　Dog；　perched　upon　the　coal；　sportively

held　two　guns　upon　the　engine　driver　and　the　fireman；

and　suggested　that　they　run　the　engine　fifty　yards　away

and　there　await　further　orders。



Shark　Dodson　and　Bob　Tidball；　scorning　to　put

such　low…grade　ore　as　the　passengers　through　the　mill；

struck　out　for　the　rich　pocket　of　the　express　car。　　They

found　the　messenger　serene　in　the　belief　that　the　〃Sunset

Express〃　was　taking　on　nothing　more　stimulating　and

dangerous　than　aqua　pura。　　While　Bob　was　knocking

this　idea　out　of　his　head　with　the　butt…end　of　his　six…shooter

Shark　Dodson　was　already　dosing　the　express…car

safe　with　dynamite。



The　safe　exploded　to　the　tune　of　30；000；　all　gold　and

currency。　　The　passengers　thrust　their　heads　casually

out　of　the　windows　to　look　for　the　thunder…cloud。　　The

conductor　jerked　at　the　bell…rope；　which　sagged　down

loose　and　unresisting；　at　his　tug。　　Shark　Dodson

and　Bob　Tidball；　with　their　booty　in　a　stout　canvas　bag；

tumbled　out　of　the　express　car　and　ran　awkwardly　in　their

high…heeled　boots　to　the　engine。



The　engineer；　sullenly　angry　but　wise；　ran　the　engine；

according　to　orders；　rapidly　away　from　the　inert　train。

But　before　this　was　accomplished　the　express　messenger；

recovered　from　Bob　Tidball's　persuader　to　neutrality；

jumped　out　of　his　car　with　a　Winchester　rifle　and　took

a　trick　in　the　game。　　Mr。　John　Big　Dog；　sitting　on　the

coal　tender；　unwittingly　made　a　wrong　lead　by　giving　an

imitation　of　a　target；　and　the　messenger　trumped　him。

With　a　ball　exactly　between　his　shoulder　blades　the

Creek　chevalier　of　industry　rolled　off　to　the　ground；

thus　increasing　the　share　of　his　comrades　in　the　loot　by

one…sixth　each。



Two　miles　from　the　tank　the　engineer　was　ordered

to　stop。



The　robbers　waved　a　defiant　adieu　and　plunged　down

the　steep　slope　into　the　thick　woods　that　lined　the　track。

Five　minutes　of　crashing　through　a　thicket　of　chapparal

brought　them　to　open　woods；　where　three　horses　were

tied　to　low…hanging　branches。　　One　was　waiting　for　John

Big　Dog；　who　would　never　ride　by　night　or　day　again。

This　animal　the　robbers　divested　of　saddle　and　bridle

and　set　free。　　They　mounted　the　other　two　with　the

bag　across　one　pommel；　and　rode　fast　and　with　discre…

tion　through　the　forest　and　up　a　primeval；　lonely　gorge。

Here　the　animal　that　bore　Bob　Tidball　slipped　on　a　mossy

boulder　and　broke　a　foreleg。　　They　shot　him　through

the　head　at　once　and　sat　down　to　hold　a　council　of　flight。

Made　secure　for　the　present　by　the　tortuous　trail　they…

had　travelled；　the　question　of　time　was　no　longer　so　big。

Many　miles　and　hours　lay　between　them　and　the　spryest

posse　that　could　follow。　　Shark　Dodson's　horse；　with

trailing　rope　and　dropped　bridle；　panted　and　cropped

thankfully　of　the　grass　along　the　stream　in　the　gorge。

Bob　Tidball　opened　the　sack；　drew　out　double　handfuls

of　the　neat　packages　of　currency　and　the　one　sack　of

gold　and　chuckled　with　the　glee　of　a　child。



〃Say；　you　old　double…decked　pirate；〃　he　called　joyfully

to　Dodson；　〃you　said　we　could　do　it　　you　got　a　head　for

financing　that　knocks　the　horns　off　of　anything　in　Arizona。〃



〃What　are　we　going　to　do　about　a　hoss　for　you；　Bob？

We　ain't　got　long　to　wait　here。　　They'll　be　on　our　trail

before　daylight　in　the　mornin'。〃



〃Oh；　I　guess　that　cayuse　of　yourn'll　carry　double　for

a　while；〃　answered　the　sanguine　Bob。　　〃We'll　annex

the　first　animal　we　come　across。　　By　jingoes；　we　made　a

haul；　didn't　we？　　Accordin'　to　the　marks　on　this　money

there's　30；000　　15；000　apiece！〃



〃It's　short　of　what　I　expected；〃　said　Shark　Dodson；

kicking　softly　at　the　packages　with　the　toe　of　his　boot

and　then　he　looked　pensively　at　the　wet　sides　of　his　tired

horse。



〃Old　Bolivar's　mighty　nigh　played　out；〃　he　said；

slowly。　　〃I　wish　that　sorrel　of　yours　hadn't　got　hurt。〃



〃So　do　I；〃　said　Bob；　heartily；　〃but　it