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lin mclean-第20章

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had entertained several hundred square miles of alkali。 For the new…made

husband the joke soon died。 In the immediate weeks that came upon him he

tasted a bitterness worse than in all his life before; and learned also

how deep the woman; when once she begins; can sink beneath the man in

baseness。 That was a knowledge of which he had lived innocent until this

time。 But he carried his outward self serenely; so that citizens in

Cheyenne who saw the cow…puncher with his bride argued shrewdly that men

of that sort liked women of that sort; and before the strain had broken

his endurance an unexpected first husband; named Lusk; had appeared one

Sunday in the street; prosperous; forgiving; and exceedingly drunk。 To

the arms of Lusk she went back in the public street; deserting McLean in

the presence of Cheyenne; and when Cheyenne saw this; and learned how she

had been Mrs。 Lusk for eight long; if intermittent; years; Cheyenne

laughed loudly。 Lin McLean laughed; too; and went about his business;

ready to swagger at the necessary moment; and with the necessary kind of

joke always ready to shield his hurt spirit。 And soon; of course; the

matter grew stale; seldom raked up in the Bow Leg country where Lin had

been at work; so lately he had begun to remember other things beside the

smouldering humiliation。



〃Is she with him?〃 he asked Barker; and musingly listened while Barker

told him。 The Governor had thought to make it a racy story; with the

moral that the joke was now on Lusk; but that inner man had spoken and

revealed the cow…puncher to him in a new and complicated light; hence he

quieted the proposed lively cadence and vocabulary of his anecdote about

the house of Lusk; but instead of narrating how Mrs。 beat Mr。 on Mondays;

Wednesdays; and Fridays; and Mr。 took his turn the odd days; thus getting

one ahead of his lady; while the kid Lusk had outlined his opinion of the

family by recently skipping to parts unknown; Barker detailed these

incidents more gravely; adding that Laramie believed Mrs。 Lusk addicted

to opium。



〃I don't guess I'll leave my card on 'em;〃 said McLean; grimly; 〃if I

strike Laramie。〃



〃You don't mind my saying I think you're well out of that scrape?〃 Barker

ventured。



〃Shucks; no! That's all right; Doc。 Onlyyu' see now。 A man gets tired

pretendingonced in a while。〃



Time had gone while they were in talk; and it was now half after one and

Mr。 McLean late for that long…plotted first square meal。 So the friends

shook hands; wishing each other Merry Christmas; and the cow…puncher

hastened toward his chosen companions through the stirring cheerfulness

of the season。 His play…hour had made a dull beginning among the toys。 He

had come upon people engaged in a pleasant game; and waited; shy and well

disposed; for some bidding to join; but they had gone on playing with

each other and left him out。 And now he went along in a sort of hurry to

escape from that loneliness where his human promptings had been lodged

with him useless。 Here was Cheyenne; full of holiday for sale; and he

with his pockets full of money to buy; and when he thought of Shorty; and

Chalkeye; and Dollar Bill; those dandies to hit a town with; he stepped

out with a brisk; false hope。 It was with a mental hurrah and a foretaste

of a good time coming that he put on his town clothes; after shaving and

admiring himself; and sat down to the square meal。 He ate away and drank

with a robust imitation of enjoyment that took in even himself at first。

But the sorrowful process of his spirit went on; for all he could do。 As

he groped for the contentment which he saw around him he began to receive

the jokes with counterfeit mirth。 Memories took the place of

anticipation; and through their moody shiftings he began to feel a

distaste for the company of his friends and a shrinking from their lively

voices。 He blamed them for this at once。 He was surprised to think he had

never recognized before how light a weight was Shorty; and here was

Chalkeye; who knew better; talking religion after two glasses。 Presently

this attack of noticing his friends' shortcomings mastered him; and his

mind; according to its wont; changed at a stroke。 〃I'm celebrating no

Christmas with this crowd;〃 said the inner man; and when they had next

remembered Lin McLean in their hilarity he was gone。



Governor Barker; finishing his purchases at half…past three; went to meet

a friend come from Evanston。 Mr。 McLean was at the railway station;

buying a ticket for Denver。



〃Denver!〃 exclaimed the amazed Governor。



〃That's what I said;〃 stated Mr。 McLean; doggedly。



〃Gee whiz!〃 went his Excellency。 〃What are you going to do there?〃



〃Get good and drunk。〃



〃Can't you find enough whiskey in Cheyenne?〃



〃I'm drinking champagne this trip。〃



The cow…puncher went out on the platform and got aboard; and the train

moved off。 Barker had walked out too in his surprise; and as he stared

after the last car; Mr。 McLean waved his wide hat defiantly and went

inside the door。



〃And he says he's got maturity;〃 Barker muttered。 〃I've known him since

seventy…nine; and he's kept about eight years old right along。〃 The

Governor was cross; and sorry; and presently crosser。 His jokes about

Lin's marriage came back to him and put him in a rage with the departed

fool。 〃Yes; about eight。 Or six;〃 said his Excellency; justifying himself

by the past。 For he had first known Lin; the boy of nineteen; supreme in

length of limb and recklessness; breaking horses and feeling for an early

mustache。 Next; when the mustache was nearly accomplished; he had mended

the boy's badly broken thigh at Drybone。 His skill (and Lin's utter

health) had wrought so swift a healing that the surgeon overflowed with

the pride of science; and over the bandages would explain the human body

technically to his wild…eyed and flattered patient。 Thus young Lin heard

all about tibia; and comminuted; and other glorious new words; and when

sleepless would rehearse them。 Then; with the bone so nearly knit that

the patient might leave the ward on crutches to sit each morning in

Barker's room as a privilege; the disobedient child of twenty…one had

slipped out of the hospital and hobbled hastily to the hog ranch; where

whiskey and variety waited for a languishing convalescent。 Here he grew

gay; and was soon carried back with the leg refractured。 Yet Barker's

surgical rage was disarmed; the patient was so forlorn over his doctor's

professional chagrin。



〃I suppose it ain't no better this morning; Doc?〃 he had said; humbly;

after a new week of bed and weights。



〃Your right leg's going to be shorter。 That's all。〃



〃Oh; gosh! I've been and spoiled your comminuted fee…mur! Ain't I a

son…of…a…gun?〃



You could not chide such a boy as this; and in time's due course he had

walked jauntily out into the world with legs of equal length after all

and in his stride the slightest halt possible。 And Doctor Barker had

missed the child's conversation。 To…day his mustache was a perfected

thing; and he in the late end of his twenties。



〃He'll wake up about noon to…morrow in a dive; without a cent;〃 said

Barker。 〃Then he'll come back on a freight and begin over again。〃



At the Denver station Lin McLean passed through the shoutings and

omnibuses; and came to the beginning of Seventeenth Street; where is the

first saloon。 A customer was ordering Hot Scotch; and because he liked

the smell and had not thought of the mixture for a number of years; Lin

took Hot Scotch。 Coming out upon the pavement; he looked across and saw a

saloon opposite with brighter globes and windows more prosperous。 That

should have been his choice; lemon peel would undoubtedly be fresher over

there; and over he went at once; to begin the whole thing properly。 In

such frozen weather no drink could be more timely; and he sat; to enjoy

without haste its mellow fitness。 Once again on the pavement; he looked

along the street toward up…town beneath the crisp; cold electric lights;

and three little bootblacks gathered where he stood and cried 〃Shine?

Shine?〃 at him。 Remembering that you took the third turn to the right to

get the best dinner in Denver; Lin hit on the skilful plan of stopping at

all Hot Scotches between; but the next occurred within a few yards; and

it was across the street。 This one being attained and appreciated; he

found that he must cross back again or skip number four。 At this rate he

would not be dining in time to see much of the theatre; and he stopped to

consider。 It was a German place he had just quitted; and a huge light

poured out on him from its window; which the proprietor's father…land

sentiment had made into a show。 Lights shone among a well…set pine

forest; where beery; jovial gnomes sat on roots and reached upward to

Santa Claus; he; grinning; fat; and Teutonic; held in his right hand

forever a foaming glass; and forever in his left a string of sausages

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