lin mclean-第34章

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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

next　change　of　horses　〃hoped〃　I　would　come　inside；　I　knew　she　did　not

hope　very　earnestly；　and　outside　I　remained　until　Buffalo。



Journeying　done；　her　face　revealed　the　strain　beneath　her　brave

brightness；　and　the　haunting　care　she　could　no　longer　keep　from　her　eyes。

The　imminence　of　the　jail　and　the　meeting　had　made　her　cheeks　white　and

her　countenance　seem　actually　smaller；　and　when；　reminding　me　that　we

should　meet　again　soon；　she　gave　me　her　hand；　it　was　ice…cold。　I　think

she　was　afraid　Lin　might　offer　to　go　with　her。　But　his　heart　understood

the　lonely　sacredness　of　her　next　half…hour；　and　the　cow　puncher；

standing　aside　for　her　to　pass；　lifted　his　hat　wistfully　and　spoke　never

a　word。　For　a　moment　he　looked　after　her　with　sombre　emotion；　but　the

court…house　and　prison　stood　near　and　in　sight；　and；　as　plain　as　if　he

had　said　so；　I　saw　him　suddenly　feel　she　should　not　be　stared　at　going　up

those　steps；　it　must　be　all　alone；　the　pain　and　the　joy　of　that　reprieve！

He　turned　away　with　me；　and　after　a　few　silent　steps　said；　〃Wasted！　all

wasted！〃



〃Let　us　hope〃　I　began。



〃You're　not　a　fool；〃　he　broke　in；　roughly。　〃You　don't　hope　anything。〃



〃He'll　start　life　elsewhere；〃　said　I。



〃Elsewhere！　Yes；　keep　starting　till　all　the　elsewheres　know　him　like

Powder　River　knows　him。　But　she！　I　have　had　to　sit　and　hear　her　tell　and

tell　about　him；　all　about　back　in　Kentucky　playin'　around　the　farm；　and

how　she　raised　him　after　the　old　folks　died。　Then　he　got　bigger　and　made

her　sell　their　farm；　and　she　told　how　it　was　right　he　should　turn　it　into

money　and　get　his　half。　I　did　not　dare　say　a　word；　for　she'd　have　just

bit　my　head　off；　andand　that　would　sure　hurt　me　now！〃　Lin　brought　up

with　a　comical　chuckle。　〃And　she　went　to　work；　and　he　cleared　out；　and　no

more　seen　or　heard　of　him。　That's　for　five　years；　and　she'd　given　up

tracing　him；　when　one　morning　she　reads　in　the　paper　about　how　her

long…lost　brother　is　convicted　for　forgery。　That's　the　way　she　knows　he's

not　dead；　and　she　takes