whirligigs-第33部分
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was so cool； so deadly； so rapid； so inhumanly blood…
thirsty that none but faint attempts were ever made to
capture him。 When he was at last shot and killed by a
little one…armed Mexican who was nearly dead himself
from fright； the Frio Kid had the deaths of eighteen men
on his head。 About half of these were killed in fair duels
depending upon the quickness of the draw。 The other
half were men whom be assassinated from absolute
wantonness and cruelty。
Many tales are told along the border of his impudent
courage and daring。 But he was not one of the breed of
desperadoes who have seasons of generosity and even of
softness。 They say he never had mercy on the object
of his anger。 Yet at this and every Christmastide it is
well to give each one credit； if it can be done； for what…
ever speck of good he may have possessed。 If the Frio
Kid ever did a kindly act or felt a throb of generosity in his
heart it was once at such a time and season； and this is
the way it happened。
One who has been crossed in love should never breathe
the odour from the blossoms of the ratama tree。 It stirs
the memory to a dangerous degree。
One December in the Frio country there was a ratama
tree in full bloom； for the winter had been as warm as
springtime。 That way rode the Frio Kid and his satellite
aW co…murderer； Mexican Frank。 The kid reined in
his mustang； and sat in his saddle； thoughtful and grim；
with dangerously narrowing eyes。 The rich； sweet scent
touched him somewhere beneath his ice and iron。
〃I don't know what I've been thinking about； Mex；〃
he remarked in his usual mild drawl； 〃to have forgot all
about a Christmas present I got to give。 I'm going to
ride over to…morrow night and shoot Madison Lane in
his own house。 He got my girl Rosita would have
had me if he hadn't cut into the game。 I wonder why I
happened to overlook it up to now？〃
〃Ah； shucks； Kid；〃 said Mexican； 〃don't talk foolish…
ness。 You know you can't get within a mile of Mad
Lane's house to…morrow night。 I see old man Allen
day before yesterday； and he says Mad is going to
have Christmas doings at his house。 You remember
how you shot up the festivities when Mad was married；
and about the threats you made？ Don't you suppose
Mad Lane'll kind of keep his eye open for a certain
Mr。 Kid？ You plumb make me tired； Kid； with such
remarks。〃
〃I'm going；〃 repeated the Frio Kid； without heat；
〃to go to Madison Lane's Christmas doings； and kill
him。 I ought to have done it a long time ago。 Why；
Mex； just two weeks ago I dreamed me and Rosita was
married instead of her and him； and we was living in a
house； and I could see her smiling at me； and oh！ hl；
Mex； he got her； and I'll get him yes； sir； on Christmas
Eve he got her； and then's when I'll get him。〃
〃There's other ways of committing suicide；〃 advised
Mexican。 〃Why don't you go and surrender to the
sheriff？〃
〃I'll get him；〃 said the Kid。
Christmas Eve fell as balmy as April。 Perhaps there
was a hint of far…away frostiness in the air； but it tingles
like seltzer； perfumed faintly with late prairie blossoms
and the mesquite grass。
When night came the five or six rooms of the ranch…
house were brightly lit。 In one room was a Christmas
tree； for the Lanes had a boy of three； and a dozen or
more guests were expected from the nearer ranches。
At nightfall Madison Lane called aside Jim Belcher
and three other cowboys employed on his ranch。
〃Now； boys；〃 said Lane； 〃keep your eyes open。 Walk
around the house and watch the road well。 All of you
know the 'Frio Kid；' as they call him now； and if you
see him； open fire on him without asking any questions。
I'm not afraid of his coming around； but Rosita is。 She's
been afraid he'd come in on us every Christmas since we
were married。〃
The guests had arrived in buckboards and on
horseback； and were making themselves comfortable
inside。
The evening went along pleasantly。 The guests
enjoyed and praised Rosita's excellent supper； and after…
ward the men scattered in groups about the rooms or
on the broad 〃gallery；〃 smoking and chatting。
The Christmas tree； of course； delighted the youngsters；
and above all were they pleased when Santa Claus himself
in magnificent white beard and furs appeared and began
to distribute the toys。
〃It's my papa；〃 announced Billy Sampson； aged six。
〃I've seen him wear 'em before。〃
Berkly； a sheepman； an old friend of Lane； stopped
Rosita as she was passing by him on the gallery； where
he was sitting smoking。
〃Well； Mrs。 Lane；〃 said he； 〃I suppose by this Christ…
mas you've gotten over being afraid of that fellow McRoy；
haven't you？ Madison and I have talked about it； you
know。〃
〃Very nearly；〃 said Rosita； smiling； 〃but I am still
nervous sometimes。 I shall never forget that awful time
when he came so near to killing us。〃
〃He's the most cold…hearted villain in the world；〃 said
Berkly。 〃The citizens all along the border ought to
turn out and hunt him down like a wolf。〃
〃He has committed awful crimes；〃 said Rosita； but
I don't know。 I think there is a spot of good
somewhere in everybody。 He was not always bad
that I know。〃
Rosita turned into the hallway between the rooms。
Santa Claus； in muffling whiskers and furs； was just
coming through。
〃I heard what you said through the window； Mrs。
Lane；〃 he said。 〃I was just going down in my
pocket for a Christmas present for your husband。 But
I've left one for you； instead。 It's in the room to your
right。〃
〃Oh； thank you； kind Santa Claus；〃 said Rosita；
brightly。
Rosita went into the room； while Santa Claus stepped
into the cooler air of the yard。
She found no one in the room but Madison。
〃Where is my present that Santa said he left for me
in here？〃 she asked。
〃Haven't seen anything in the way of a present；〃 said
her husband； laughing； 〃unless he could have meant me。〃
The next day Gabriel Radd； the foreman of the X 0
Ranch； dropped into the post…office at Loma Alta。
〃Well； the Frio Kid's got his dose of lead at last；〃 he
remarked to the postmaster。
〃That so？ How'd it happen？〃
〃One of old Sanchez's Mexican sheep herders did it！
think of it！ the Frio Kid killed bv a sheep herder！
The Greaser saw him riding along past his camp about
twelve o'clock last night； and was so skeered that he up
with a Winchester and let him have it。 Funniest part of
it was that the Kid was dressed all up with white Angora…
skin whiskers and a regular Santy Claus rig…out from head
to foot。 Think of the Frio Kid playing Santy！〃
A LITTLE LOCAL COLOUR
I mentioned to Rivington that I was in search of
characteristic New York scenes and incidents some…
thing typical； I told him； without necessarily having to
spell the first syllable with an 〃i。〃
〃Oh； for your writing business；〃 said Rivington； 〃you
couldn't have applied to a better shop。 What I don't
know about little old New York wouldn't make a sonnet
to a sunbonnet。 I'll put you right in the middle of so
much local colour that you won't know whether you are
a magazine cover or in the erysipelas ward。 When do
you want to begin？〃
Rivington is a young…man…about…town and a New
Yorker by birth； preference and incommutability。
I told him that I would be glad to accept his escort and
guardianship so that I might take notes of Manhattan's
grand； gloomy and peculiar idiosyncrasies； and that the
time of so doing would be at his own convenience。
〃We'll begin this very evening；〃 said Rivington； him…
self interested； like a good fellow。 〃Dine with me at
seven； and then I'll steer 'you up against metropolitan
phases so thick you'll have to have a kinetoscope to
record 'em。〃
So I dined with Rivington pleasantly at his club； in
Forty…eleventh street； and then we set forth in pursuit
of the elusive tincture of affairs。
As we came out of the club there stood two men on the
sidewalk near the steps in earnest conversation。
〃And by what process of ratiocination；〃 said one of
them； 〃do you arrive at the conclusion that the division
of society into producing and non…possessing classes
predicates failure when compared with competitive
systems that are monopolizing in tendency and result
inimically to industrial evolution？〃
〃Oh； come off your perch！〃 said the other man； who
wore glasses。 〃Your premises won't come out in the
wash。 You wind…jammers who apply bandy…legged
theories to concrete categorical syllogisms send logical
conclusions skallybootin' into the infinitesimal ragbag。
You can't pull my leg with an old sophism with whiskers
on it。 You quote Marx and Hyndman and Kautsky …
what are they？ shines！ Tolstoi？ his garret is full of
rats。 I put it to you over the home…plate that the idea
of a cooperative commonwealth and an abolishment of
competitive systems simply takes the rag off the bush and
gives me hyperesthesia of the roopteetoop！ The skoo…
kum house for yours！
I stopped a few yards away and took out my little
notebook。
〃Oh； come ahead；〃 said Rivington； somewhat ner…
vously； 〃you don't want to listen to that。〃
〃Why man；〃 I whispered； 〃this is just what I do
want to hear。 These slang types are among your city's
most distinguishing features。 Is this the Bowery variety？
I really must hear more of it。〃
〃If I follow you；〃 said the man who had spoken flrst；
〃you do not believe it possible to reorganize society on
the basis of common interest？〃
〃Shinny on your own side！〃 said the man with glasses。
〃You never heard any such music from my foghorn。
What I said was that I did not believe it practicable just
now。 The guys with wads are not in the frame of
mind to slack up on the mazuma； and the man with the
