whirligigs-第24部分

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！



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



〃So　do　I；〃　said　Bob；　heartily；　〃but　it　can't　be　helped。

Bolivar's　got　plenty　of　bottom　　he'll　get　us　both　far

enough　to　get　fresh　mounts。　　Dang　it；　Shark；　I　can't

belp　thinkin'　how　funny　it　is　that　an　Easterner　like　you

can　come　out　here　and　give　us　Western　fellows　cards

and　spades　in　the　desperado　business。　　What　part　of　the

East　was　you　from；　anyway？〃



〃New　York　State；〃　said　Shark　Dodson；　sitting

down　on　a　boulder　and　chewing　a　twig。　　〃I　was　born

on　a　farm　in　Ulster　County。　　I　ran　away　from　home

when　I　was　seventeen。　　It　was　an　accident　my　coming

West。　　I　was　walkin'　along　the　road　with　my　clothes　in

a　bundle；　makin'　for　New　York　City。　　I　had　an　idea　of

goin'　there　and　makin'　lots　of　money。　　I　always　felt　like

I　could　do　it。　　I　came　to　a　place　one　evenin'　where　the

road　forked　and　I　didn't　know　which　fork　to　take。　　I

studied　about　it　for　half　an　hour；　and　then　I　took　the　left…

hand。　　That　night　I　run　into　the　camp　of　a　Wild　West

show　that　was　travellin'　among　the　little　towns；　and

I　went　West　with　it。　　I've　often　wondered　if　I

wouldn't　have　turned　out　different　if　I'd　took　the　other

road。〃



〃Oh；　I　reckon　you'd　have　ended　up　about　the　same；〃

said　Bob　Tidball；　cheerfully　philosophical。　　〃It　ain't

the　roads　we　take；　it's　what's　inside　of　us　that　makes　us

turn　out　the　way　we　do。〃



Shark　Dodson　got　up　and　leaned　against　a　tree。



〃I'd　a　good　deal　rather　that　sorrel　of　yourn　hadn't

hurt　himself；　Bob；〃　he　said　again；　almost　pathetically。



〃Same　here；〃　agreed　Bob；　〃he　was　sure　a　first…rate

kind　of　a　crowbait。　　But　Bolivar；　he'll　pull　us　through

all　right。　　Reckon　we'd　better　be　movin'　on；　hadn't

we；　Shark？　　I'll　bag　this　boodle　ag'in　and　we'll　hit　the

trail　for　higher　timber。〃



Bob　Tidball　replaced　the　spoil　in　the　bag　and　tied　the

mouth　of　it　tightly　with　a　cord。　　When　he　looked　up　the

most　prominent　object　that　he　saw　was　the　muzzle　of

Shark　Dodson's　。45　held　upon　him　without　a　waver。



〃Stop　your　funnin'；〃　said　Bob；　with　a　grin。　　〃We　got

to　be　hittin'　the　breeze。〃



〃Set　still；〃　said　Shark。　　〃You　ain't　goin'　to　hit

no　breeze；　Bob。　　I　hate　to　tell　you；　but　there　ain't　any

chance　for　but　one　of　us。　　Bolivar；　he's　plenty　tired；

and　he　can't　carry　double。〃



〃We　been　pards；　me　and　you；　Shark　Dodson；　for　three

year；〃　Bob　said　quietly。　　〃We've　risked　our　lives　together

time　and　again。　　I've　always　give　you　a　square　deal；

and　I　thought　you　was　a　man。　　I've　heard　some　queer

stories　about　you　shootin'　one　or　two　men　in　a　peculiar

way；　but　I　never　believed　'em。　　Now　if　you're　just　havin'

a　little　fun　with　me；　Shark；　put　your　gun　up；　and　we'll

get　on　Bolivar　and　vamose。　　If　you　mean　to　shoot　

shoot；　you　blackhearted　son　of　a　tarantula！〃



Shark　Dodson's　face　bore　a　deeply　sorrowful　look。

〃You　don't　know　how　bad　I　feel；〃　he　sighed；　〃about

that　sorrel　of　yourn　breakin'　his　leg；　Bob。〃



The　expression　on　Dodson's　face　changed　in　an　instant

to　one　of　cold　ferocity　mingled　with　inexorable　cupidity。

The　soul　of　the　man　showed　itself　for　a　moment　like　an

evil　face　in　the　window　of　a　reputable　house。



Truly　Bob　Tidball　was　never　to　〃hit　the　breeze〃　again。

The　deadly　。45　of　the　false　friend　cracked　and　filled　the

gorge　with　a　roar　that　the　walls　hurled　back　with　indignant

echoes。　　And　Bolivar；　unconscious　accomplice；　swiftly

bore　away　the　last　of　the　holders…up　of　the　〃Sunset

Express；〃　not　put　to　the　stress　of　〃carrying　double。〃



But　as　〃Shark〃　Dodson　galloped　away　the　woods

seemed　to　fade　from　his　view；　the　revolver　in　his　right　hand

turned　to　the　curved　arm　of　a　mahogany　chair；　his　saddle

was　strangely　upholstered；　and　he　opened　his　eyes　and

saw　his　feet；　not　in　stirrups；　but　resting　quietly　on　the　edge

of　a　quartered…oak　desk。



I　am　telling　you　that　Dodson；　of　the　firm　of　Dodson

&　Decker；　Wall　Street　brokers；　opened　his　eyes。　　Peabody；

the　confidential　clerk；　was　standing　by　his　chair；　hesitating

to　speak。　　There　was　a　confused　hum　of　wheels　below；　and

the　sedative　buzz　of　an　electric　fan。



〃Ahem！　　Peabody；〃　said　Dodson；　blinking。　　〃I　must

have　fallen　asleep。　　I　had　a　most　remarkable　dream。

What　is　it；　Peabody？〃



〃Mr。　Williams；　sir；　of　Tracy　&　Williams；　is　outside。

He　has　come　to　settle　his　deal　in　X。　Y。　Z。　The　market

caught　him　short；　sir；　if　you　remember。〃



〃Yes；　I　remember。　　What　is　X。　Y。　Z。　quoted　at　to…day；

Peabody？〃



〃One　eighty…five；　sir。〃



〃Then　that's　his　price。〃



〃Excuse　me；〃　said　Peabody；　rather　nervously　〃for

speaking　of　it；　but　I've　been　talking　to　Williams。　　He's

an　old　friend　of　yours；　Mr。　Dodson；　and　you　practically

have　a　corner　in　X。　Y。　Z。　I　thought　you　might　　that　is；

I　thought　you　might　not　remember　that　he　sold　you

the　stock　at　98。　　If　he　settles　at　the　market　price　it　will

take　every　cent　he　has　in　the　world　and　his　home　too　to

deliver　the　shares。〃



The　expression　on　Dodson's　face　changed　in　an　instant

to　one　of　cold　ferocity　mingled　with　inexorable　cupidity。

The　soul　of　the　man　showed　itself　for　a　moment　like　an

evil　face　in　the　window　of　a　reputable　house。



〃He　will　settle　at　one　eighty…five；〃　said　Dodson。

〃Bolivar　cannot　carry　double。〃







　　　　　　　　　　　　A　BLACKJACK　BARGAINER



The　most　disreputable　thing　in　Yancey　Goree's　law

office　was　Goree　himself；　sprawled　in　his　creakv　old　arm…

chair。　　The　rickety　little　office；　built　of　red　brick；　was

set　flush　with　the　street　　the　main　street　of　the　town　of

Bethel。



Bethel　rested　upon　the　foot…hills　of　the　Blue　Ridge。

Above　it　the　mountains　were　piled　to　the　sky。　　Far

below　it　the　turbid　Catawba　gleamed　yellow　along　its

disconsolate　valley。



The　June　day　was　at　its　sultriest　hour。　　Bethel　dozed

in　the　tepid　shade。　　Trade　was　not。　　It　was　so　still　that

Goree；　reclining　in　his　chair；　distinctly　heard　the　clicking

of　the　chips　in　the　grand…jury　room；　where　the　〃court…

house　gang〃　was　playing　poker。　　From　the　open　back

door　of　the　office　a　well…worn　path　meandered　across　the

grassy　lot　to　the　court…house。　　The　treading　out　of　that

path　had　cost　Goree　all　he　ever　had　　first　inheritance

of　a　few　thousand　dollars；　next　the　old　family　home；　and；

latterly　the　last　shreds　of　his　self…respect　and　manhood。

The　〃gang〃　had　cleaned　him　out。　　The　broken　gambler

had　turned　drunkard　and　parasite；　he　had　lived　to　see

this　day　come　when　the　men　who　had　stripped　him

denied　him　a　seat　at　the　game。　　His　word　was　no　longer

to　be　taken。　　The　daily　bouts　at　cards　had　arranged　itself

accordingly；　and　to　him　was　assigned　the　ignoble　part　of

the　onlooker。　　The　sheriff；　the　county　clerk；　a　sportive

deputy；　a　gay　attorney；　and　a　chalk…faced　man　hailing

〃from　the　valley；〃　sat　at　table；　and　the　sheared　one

was　thus　tacitly　advised　to　go　and　grow　more　wool。



Soon　wearying　of　his　ostracism；　Goree　had　departed

for　his　office；　muttering　to　himself　as　he　unsteadily　tra…

versed　the　unlucky　pathway。　　After　a　drink　of　corn

whiskey　from　a　demijohn　under　the　table；　he　had　flung

himself　into　the　chair；　staring；　in　a　sort　of　maudlin　apathy；

out　at　the　mountains　immersed　in　the　summer　haze。

The　little　white　patch　he　saw　away　up　on　the　side　of

Blackjack　was　Laurel；　the　village　near　which　he　had　been

born　and　bred。　　There；　also；　was　the　birthplace　of　the

feud　between　the　Gorees　and　the　Coltranes。　　Now　no

direct　heir　of　the　Gorees　survived　except　this　plucked

and　singed　bird　of　misfortune。　　To　the　Coltranes；　also；

but　one　male　supporter　was　left　　Colonel　Abner　Col…

trane；　a　man　of　substance　and　standing；　a　member　of　the

State　Legislature；　and　a　contemporary　with　Goree's

father。　　The　feud　had　been　a　typical　one　of　the　region；

it　had　left　a　red　record　of　hate；　wrong　and　slaughter。

But　Yancey　Goree　was　not　thinking　of　feuds。　　His

befuddled　brain　was　hopelessly　attacking　the　problem

of　the　future　maintenance　of　himself　and　his　favourite

follies。　　Of　late；　old　friends　of　the　family　had　seen　to　it

that　he　had　whereof　to　eat　and　a　place　to　sleep　　but　whiskey

they　would　not　buy　for　him；　and　he　must　have　whiskey。

His　law　business　was　extinct；　no　case　had　been　intrusted

to　him　in　two　years。　　He　had　been　a　borrower　and　a

sponge；　and　it　seemed　that　if　he　fell　no　lower　it　would　be

from　lack　of　opportunity。　　One　more　chance　　he　was

saying　to　himself　　if　he　had　one　more　stake　at　the　game；

he　thought　he　could　win；　but　he　had　nothing　left　to　sell；

and　his　credit　was　more　than　exhausted。



He　could　not　help　smiling；　even　in　his　misery；　as　he

thought　of　the　man　to　whom；　six　months　before；　he　had

sold　the　old　Goree　homestead。　　There　had　come　from

〃back　yan'〃　in　the　mountains　two　of　the　strangest

creatures；　a　man　named　Pike　Garvey　and　his　wife。　　〃Back

yan'；〃　with　a　wave　of　the　hand　toward　the　hills；　was

understood　among　the　mountaineers　to　designate　the

remotest　fastnesses；　the　unplumbed　gorges；　the　haunts　of

lawbreakers；　the　wolf's　den；　and　the　boudoir　of　the　bear。

In　the　cabin　far　up　on　Blackjack's　shoulder；　in　the　wildest

part　of　these　retreats；　this　odd　couple　had　lived　for　twenty

years。　　They　had　neither　dog　nor　children　to　mitigate

the　heavy　silence　of　the　hills。　　Pike　Garvey　was　little

known　in　the　settlements；　but　all　who　had　dealt　with　him

pronounced　him　〃crazy　as　a　loon。〃　　He　acknowledged

no　occupation　save　that　of　a　squirrel　hunter；　but　he

〃moonshined〃　occasionally　by　way　of　diversion。　　Once

the　〃revenues〃　had　dragged　him　from　his　lair；　fighting

silently　and　desperately　like　a　terrier；　and　he　had　been

sent　to　state's　prison　for　two　years。　　Released；　he　popped

back　into　his　hole　like　an　angry　weasel。



Fortune；　passing　over　many　anxious　wooers；　made　a

freakish　flight　into　Blackjack's　bosky　pockets　to　smile

upon　Pike　and　his　faithful　partner。



One　day　a　party　of　spectacled；　knickerbockered；　and

altogether　absurd　prospectors　invaded　the　vicinity　of

the　Garvey's