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lin mclean-第30章

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In their amazement they found no spokesman; but I saw Lin busy among

them; and that some word was passing through their groups。 After the

brief interval of stand…still they began silently to get on their horses;

while the looming engine glowed and pumped its breath; and the sheriff

and engineer remained as they were。



〃Good…night; lady;〃 said a voice among the moving horsemen; but the

others kept their abashed native silence; and thus they slowly filed away

to the corrals。 The figures; in their loose shirts and leathern chaps;

passed from the dimness for a moment through the cone of light in front

of the locomotive; so that the metal about them made here and there a

faint; vanishing glint; and here and there in the departing column a

bold; half…laughing face turned for a look at the girl in the doorway;

and then was gone again into the dimness。



The sheriff in the cab took off his hat to Miss Buckner; remarking that

she should belong to the force; and as the bell rang and the engine

moved; off popped young Billy Lusk from his cow…catcher。 With an

exclamation of horror she sprang down; and Mr。 McLean appeared; and; with

all a parent's fright and rage; held the boy by the arm grotesquely as

the sheriff steamed by。



〃I ain't a…going to chase it;〃 said young Billy; struggling。



〃I've a mind to cowhide you;〃 said Lin。



But Miss Buckner interposed。 〃Oh; well;〃 said she; 〃next time; if he does

it next time。 It's so late to…night! You'll not frighten us that way

again if he lets you off?〃 she asked Billy。



〃No;〃 said Billy; looking at her with interest。 〃Father 'd have cowhided

me anyway; I guess;〃 he added; meditatively。



〃Do you call him father?〃



〃Ah; father's at Laramie;〃 said Billy; with disgust。 〃He'd not stop for

your asking。 Lin don't bother me much。〃



〃You quit talking and step up there!〃 ordered his guardian。 〃Well; m'm; I

guess yu' can sleep good now in there。〃



〃If it was only an 'L。 and N。' I'd not have a thing against it!

Good…night; Mr。 McLean; good…night; young Mr。〃



〃I'm Billy Lusk。 I can ride Chalkeye's pinto that bucked Honey Wiggin。〃



〃I am sure you can ride finely; Mr。 Lusk。 Maybe you and I can take a ride

together。 Pleasant dreams!〃



She nodded and smiled to him; and slid her door to; and Billy considered

it; remarking: 〃I like her。 What makes her live in a car?〃



But he was drowsing while I told him; and I lifted him up to Lin; who

took him in his own blankets; where he fell immediately asleep。 One

distant whistle showed how far the late engine had gone from us。 We left

our car open; and I lay enjoying the cool air。 Thus was I drifting off;

when I grew aware of a figure in the door。 It was Lin; standing in his

stockings and not much else; with his pistol。 He listened; and then

leaped down; light as a cat。 I heard some repressed talking; and lay in

expectancy; but back he came; noiseless in his stockings; and as he slid

into bed I asked what the matter was。 He had found the Texas boy;

Manassas Donohoe; by the girl's car; with no worse intention than keeping

a watch on it。 〃So I gave him to understand;〃 said Lin; 〃that I had no

objection to him amusing himself playing picket…line; but that I guessed

I was enough guard; and he would find sleep healthier for his system。〃

After this I went to sleep wholly; but; waking once in the night; thought

I heard some one outside; and learned in the morning from Lin that the

boy had not gone until the time came for him to join his outfit at the

corrals。 And I was surprised that Lin; the usually good…hearted; should

find nothing but mirth in the idea of this unknown; unthanked young

sentinel。 〃Sleeping's a heap better for them kind till they get their

growth;〃 was his single observation。



But when Separ had dwindled to toys behind us in the journeying stage I

told Miss Jessamine; and although she laughed too; it was with a note

that young Texas would have liked to hear; and she hoped she might see

him upon her return; to thank him。



〃Any Jack can walk around all night;〃 said Mr。 McLean; disparagingly。



〃Well; then; and I know a Jack who didn't;〃 observed the young lady。



This speech caused her admirer to be full of explanations; so that when

she saw how readily she could perplex him; and yet how capable and

untiring he was about her comfort; helping her out or tucking her in at

the stations where we had a meal or changed horses; she enjoyed the hours

very much; in spite of their growing awkwardness。



But oh; the sparkling; unbashful Lin! Sometimes he sat himself beside her

to be close; and then he would move opposite; the better to behold her。



Never; except once long after (when sorrow manfully borne had still

further refined his clay); have I heard Lin's voice or seen his look so

winning。 No doubt many a male bird cares nothing what neighbor bird

overhears his spring song from the top of the open tree; but I extremely

doubt if his lady…love; even if she be a frank; bouncing robin; does not

prefer to listen from some thicket; and not upon the public lawn。

Jessamine grew silent and almost peevish; and from discourse upon man and

woman she hopped; she skipped; she flew。 When Lin looked at his watch and

counted the diminished hours between her and Buffalo; she smiled to

herself; but from mention of her brother she shrank; glancing swiftly at

me and my well…assumed slumber。



And it was with indignation and self…pity that I climbed out in the hot

sun at last beside the driver and small Billy。



〃I know this road;〃 piped Billy; on the box



〃'I camped here with father when mother was off that time。 You can take a

left…hand trail by those cottonwoods and strike the mountains。〃



So I inquired what game he had then shot。



〃Ah; just a sage…hen。 Lin's a…going to let me shoot a bear; you know。

What made Lin marry mother when father was around?〃



The driver gave me a look over Billy's head; and I gave him one; and I

instructed Billy that people supposed his father was dead。 I withheld

that his mother gave herself out as Miss Peck in the days when Lin met

her on Bear Creek。



The formidable nine…year…old pondered。 〃The geography says they used to

have a lot of wives at Salt Lake City。 Is there a place where a woman can

have a lot of husbands?〃



〃It don't especially depend on the place;〃 remarked the driver to me。



〃Because;〃 Billy went on; 〃Bert Taylor told me in recess that mother'd

had a lot; and I told him he lied; and the other boys they laughed and I

blacked Bert's eye on him; and I'd have blacked the others too; only Miss

Wood came out。 I wouldn't tell her what Bert said; and Bert wouldn't; and

Sophy Armstrong told her。 Bert's father found out; and he come round; and

I thought he was a…going to lick me about the eye; and he licked Bert!

Say; am I Lin's; honest?〃



〃No; Billy; you're not;〃 I said。



〃Wish I was。 They couldn't get me back to Laramie then; but; oh; bother!

I'd not go for 'em! I'd like to see 'em try! Lin wouldn't leave me go。

You ain't married; are you? No more is Lin now; I guess。 A good many are;

but I wouldn't want to。 I don't think anything of 'em。 I've seen mother

take 'pothecary stuff on the sly。 She's whaled me worse than Lin ever

does。 I guess he wouldn't want to be mother's husband again; and if he

does;〃 said Billy; his voice suddenly vindictive; 〃I'll quit him and

skip。〃



〃No danger; Bill;〃 said I。



〃How would the nice lady inside please you?〃 inquired the driver。



〃Ah; pshaw! she ain't after Lin!〃 sang out Billy; loud and scornful。

〃She's after her brother。 She's all right; though;〃 he added;

approvingly。



At this all talk stopped short inside; reviving in a casual; scanty

manner; while unconscious Billy Lusk; tired of the one subject; now spoke

cheerfully of birds' eggs。



Who knows the child…soul; young in days; yet old as Adam and the hills?

That school…yard slur about his mother was as dim to his understanding as

to the offender's; yet mysterious nature had bid him go to instant war!

How foreseeing in Lin to choke the unfounded jest about his relation to

Billy Lusk; in hopes to save the boy's ever awakening to the facts of his

mother's life! 〃Though;〃 said the driver; an easygoing cynic; 〃folks with

lots of fathers will find heaps of brothers in this country!〃 But

presently he let Billy hold the reins; and at the next station carefully

lifted him down and up。 〃I've knowed that woman; too;〃 he whispered to

me。 〃Sidney; Nebraska。 Lusk was off half the time。 We laughed when she

fooled Lin into marryin' her。 Come to think;〃 he mused; as twilight

deepened around our clanking stage; and small Billy slept sound between

us; 〃there's scarcely a thing in life you get a laugh out of that don't

make soberness for somebody。〃



Soberness had now visited the pair behind us; even Lin's lively talk had

quieted; and his tones were low and few。 But though Miss Jessamine at our

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