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！
ranch？ We don't go much on that kind o' cattle yer。〃
〃No；〃 said Lance； cheerfully。
〃Nor ye ain't that chap ez beat his wife unto death at Santa
Clara？〃
Lance honestly scorned the imputation。 Such conjugal ill treatment
as he had indulged in had not been physical； and had been with
other men's wives。
There was a moment's further hesitation on the part of the girl。
Then she said shortly：
〃Well； then； I reckon you kin come along with me。〃
〃Where？〃 asked Lance。
〃To the ranch；〃 she replied simply。
〃Then you won't bring me anything to eat here？〃
〃What for？ You kin get it down there。〃 Lance hesitated。 〃I tell
you it's all right；〃 she continued。 〃I'll make it all right with
Dad。〃
〃But suppose I reckon I'd rather stay here；〃 persisted Lance； with
a perfect consciousness； however； of affectation in his caution。
〃Stay away then；〃 said the girl coolly； 〃only as Dad perempted this
yer woods〃
〃PRE…empted；〃 suggested Lance。
〃Per…empted or pre…emp…ted； as you like；〃 continued the girl
scornfully；〃ez he's got a holt on this yer woods； ye might ez
well see him down thar ez here。 For here he's like to come any
minit。 You can bet your life on that。〃
She must have read Lance's amusement in his eyes； for she again
dropped her own with a frown of brusque embarrassment。 〃Come
along； then； I'm your man；〃 said Lance； gayly； extending his hand。
She would not accept it； eying it； however； furtively； like a horse
about to shy。 〃Hand me your pistol first；〃 she said。
He handed it to her with an assumption of gayety。 She received it
on her part with unfeigned seriousness； and threw it over her
shoulder like a gun。 This combined action of the child and
heroine； it is quite unnecessary to say； afforded Lance undiluted
joy。
〃You go first；〃 she said。
Lance stepped promptly out； with a broad grin。 〃Looks kinder as if
I was a prisoner； don't it？〃 he suggested。
〃Go on； and don't fool；〃 she replied。
The two fared onward through the wood。 For one moment he
entertained the facetious idea of appearing to rush frantically
away； 〃just to see what the girl would do；〃 but abandoned it。
〃It's an even thing if she wouldn't spot me the first pop；〃 he
reflected admiringly。
When they had reached the open hillside； Lance stopped inquiringly。
〃This way；〃 she said； pointing toward the summit； and in quite an
opposite direction to the valley where he had heard the voices； one
of which he now recognized as hers。 They skirted the thicket for a
few moments； and then turned sharply into a trail which began to
dip toward a ravine leading to the valley。
〃Why do you have to go all the way round？〃 he asked。
〃WE don't；〃 the girl replied with emphasis； 〃there's a shorter
cut。〃
〃Where？〃
〃That's telling；〃 she answered shortly。
〃What's your name？〃 asked Lance； after a steep scramble and a drop
into the ravine。
〃Flip。〃
〃What？〃
〃Flip。〃
〃I mean your first name；your front name。〃
〃Flip。〃
〃Flip！ Oh； short for Felipa！〃
〃It ain't Flipper；it's Flip。〃 And she relapsed into silence。
〃You don't ask me mine？〃 suggested Lance。
She did not vouchsafe a reply。
〃Then you don't want to know？〃
〃Maybe Dad will。 You can lie to HIM。〃
This direct answer apparently sustained the agreeable homicide for
some moments。 He moved onward； silently exuding admiration。
〃Only；〃 added Flip； with a sudden caution； 〃you'd better agree with
me。〃
The trail here turned again abruptly and re…entered the canyon。
Lance looked up； and noticed they were almost directly beneath the
bay thicket and the plateau that towered far above them。 The trail
here showed signs of clearing； and the way was marked by felled
trees and stumps of pines。
〃What does your father do here？〃 he finally asked。 Flip remained
silent； swinging the revolver。 Lance repeated his question。
〃Burns charcoal and makes diamonds；〃 said Flip； looking at him from
the corners of her eyes。
〃Makes diamonds？〃 echoed Lance。
Flip nodded her head。
〃Many of 'em？〃 he continued carelessly。
〃Lots。 But they're not big；〃 she returned； with a sidelong glance。
〃Oh； they're not big？〃 said Lance gravely。
They had by this time reached a small staked inclosure； whence the
sudden fluttering and cackle of poultry welcomed the return of the
evident mistress of this sylvan retreat。 It was scarcely imposing。
Further on； a cooking stove under a tree； a saddle and bridle； a
few household implements scattered about； indicated the 〃ranch。〃
Like most pioneer clearings； it was simply a disorganized raid upon
nature that had left behind a desolate battlefield strewn with
waste and decay。 The fallen trees； the crushed thicket； the
splintered limbs； the rudely torn…up soil； were made hideous by
their grotesque juxtaposition with the wrecked fragments of
civilization； in empty cans； broken bottles； battered hats；
soleless boots； frayed stockings； cast…off rags； and the crowning
absurdity of the twisted…wire skeleton of a hooped skirt hanging
from a branch。 The wildest defile； the densest thicket； the most
virgin solitude； was less dreary and forlorn than this first
footprint of man。 The only redeeming feature of this prolonged
bivouac was the cabin itself。 Built of the half…cylindrical strips
of pine bark； and thatched with the same material； it had a certain
picturesque rusticity。 But this was an accident of economy rather
than taste； for which Flip apologized by saying that the bark of
the pine was 〃no good〃 for charcoal。
〃I reckon Dad's in the woods；〃 she added； pausing before the open
door of the cabin。 〃Oh； Dad！〃 Her voice； clear and high； seemed
to fill the whole long canyon； and echoed from the green plateau
above。 The monotonous strokes of an axe were suddenly pretermitted；
and somewhere from the depths of the close…set pines a voice
answered 〃Flip。〃 There was a pause of a few moments； with some
muttering； stumbling； and crackling in the underbrush； and then the
sudden appearance of 〃Dad。〃
Had Lance first met him in the thicket； he would have been puzzled
to assign his race to Mongolian； Indian； or Ethiopian origin。
Perfunctory but incomplete washings of his hands and face； after
charcoal burning； had gradually ground into his skin a grayish
slate…pencil pallor； grotesquely relieved at the edges； where the
washing had left off； with a border of a darker color。 He looked
like an overworked Christy minstrel with the briefest of intervals
between his performances。 There were black rims in the orbits of
his eyes； as if he gazed feebly out of unglazed spectacles； which
heightened his simian resemblance； already grotesquely exaggerated
by what appeared to be repeated and spasmodic experiments in dyeing
his gray hair。 Without the slightest notice of Lance； he inflicted
his protesting and querulous presence entirely on his daughter。
〃Well； what's up now？ Yer ye are calling me from work an hour
before noon。 Dog my skin； ef I ever get fairly limbered up afore
it's 'Dad！' and 'Oh； Dad！'〃
To Lance's intense satisfaction the girl received this harangue
with an air of supreme indifference； and when 〃Dad〃 had relapsed
into an unintelligible； and； as it seemed to Lance； a half…
frightened muttering； she said coolly；
〃Ye'd better drop that axe and scoot round getten' this stranger
some breakfast and some grub to take with him。 He's one of them
San Francisco sports out here trout fishing in the branch。 He's
got adrift from his party； has lost his rod and fixins； and had to
camp out last night in the Gin and Ginger Woods。〃
〃That's just it； it's allers suthin like that；〃 screamed the old
man； dashing his fist on his leg in a feeble； impotent passion； but
without looking at Lance。 〃Why in blazes don't he go up to that
there blamed hotel on the summit？ Why in thunder〃 But here he
caught his daughter's large； freckled eyes full in his own。 He
blinked feebly； his voice fell into a tone of whining entreaty。
〃Now； look yer； Flip； it's playing it rather low down on the old
man； this yer running' in o' tramps and desarted emigrants and
cast…ashore sailors and forlorn widders and ravin' lunatics； on
this yer ranch。 I put it to you； Mister；〃 he said abruptly；
turning to Lance for the first time； but as if he had already taken
an active part in the conversation；〃I put it as a gentleman
yourself； and a fair…minded sportin' man； if this is the square
thing？〃
Before Lance could reply； Flip had already begun。 〃That's just it！
D'ye reckon； being a sportin' man and an A 1 feller； he's goin' to
waltz down inter that hotel； rigged out ez he is？ D'ye reckon he's
goin' to let his partners get the laugh outer him？ D'ye reckon
he's goin' to show his head outer this yer ranch till he can do it
square？ Not much！ Go 'long。 Dad