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the man of the forest-第60部分

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with her hair arranged and the red stains in her cheeks。

〃Miss; air you hungry?〃 asked Wilson。

〃Yes; I am;〃 she replied。

He helped her to portions of bread; venison and gravy; and a
cup of coffee。  Evidently she relished the meat; but she had
to force down the rest。

〃Where are they all?〃 she asked。

〃Rustlin' the hosses。〃

Probably she divined that he did not want to talk; for the
fleeting glance she gave him attested to a thought that his
voice or demeanor had changed。  Presently she sought a seat
under the aspen…tree; out of the sun; and the smoke
continually blowing in her face; and there she stayed; a
forlorn little figure; for all the resolute lips and defiant
eyes。

The Texan paced to and fro beside the camp…fire with bent
head; and hands locked behind him。  But for the swinging gun
he would have resembled a lanky farmer; coatless and
hatless; with his brown vest open; his trousers stuck in the
top of the high boots。

And neither he nor the girl changed their positions
relatively for a long time。  At length; however; after
peering into the woods; and listening; he remarked to the
girl that he would be back in a moment; and then walked off
around the spruces。

No sooner had he disappeared  in fact; so quickly
after…ward that it presupposed design instead of accident 
than Riggs came running from the opposite side of the glade。
He ran straight to the girl; who sprang to her feet。

〃I hid  two of the  horses;〃 he panted; husky with
excitement。  〃I'll take  two saddles。  You grab some grub。
We'll run for it。〃

〃No;〃 she cried; stepping back。

〃But it's not safe  for us  here;〃 he said; hurriedly;
glancing all around。  〃I'll take you  home。  I swear。 。 。 。
Not safe  I tell you  this gang's after me。  Hurry!〃

He laid hold of two saddles; one with each hand。  The moment
had reddened his face; brightened his eyes; made his action
strong。

〃I'm safer  here with this outlaw gang;〃 she replied。

〃You won't come!〃 His color began to lighten then; and his
face to distort。  He dropped his hold on the saddles。

〃Harve Riggs; I'd rather become a toy and a rag for these
ruffians than spend an hour alone with you;〃 she flashed at
him; in unquenchable hate。

〃I'll drag you!〃

He seized her; but could not hold her。  Breaking away; she
screamed。

〃Help!〃

That whitened his face; drove him to frenzy。  Leaping
forward; he struck her a hard blow across the mouth。  It
staggered her; and; tripping on a saddle; she fell。  His
hands flew to her throat; ready to choke her。  But she lay
still and held her tongue。  Then he dragged her to her feet。

〃Hurry now  grab that pack  an' follow me。〃 Again Riggs
laid hold of the two saddles。  A desperate gleam; baleful and
vainglorious; flashed over his face。  He was living his one
great adventure。

The girl's eyes dilated。  They looked beyond him。  Her lips
opened。

〃Scream again an' I'll kill you!〃 he cried; hoarsely and
swiftly。  The very opening of her lips had terrified Riggs。

〃Reckon one scream was enough;〃 spoke a voice; slow; but
without the drawl; easy and cool; yet incalculable in some
terrible sense。

Riggs wheeled with inarticulate cry。  Wilson stood a few
paces off; with his gun half leveled; low down。  His face
seemed as usual; only his eyes held a quivering; light
intensity; like boiling molten silver。

〃Girl; what made thet blood on your mouth?〃

〃Riggs hit me!〃 she whispered。  Then at something she feared
or saw or divined she shrank back; dropped on her knees; and
crawled into the spruce shelter。

〃Wal; Riggs; I'd invite you to draw if thet 'd be any use;〃
said Wilson。  This speech was reflective; yet it hurried a
little。

Riggs could not draw nor move nor speak。  He seemed turned to
stone; except his jaw; which slowly fell。

〃Harve Riggs; gunman from down Missouri way;〃 continued the
voice of incalculable intent; 〃reckon you've looked into a
heap of gun…barrels in your day。  Shore!  Wal; look in this
heah one!〃

Wilson deliberately leveled the gun on a line with Riggs's
starting eyes。

〃Wasn't you heard to brag in Turner's saloon  thet you
could see lead comin'  an' dodge it?  Shore you must be
swift!  。 。 。  DODGE THIS HEAH BULLET!〃

The gun spouted flame and boomed。  One of Riggs's starting;
popping eyes  the right one  went out; like a lamp。  The
other rolled horribly; then set in blank dead fixedness。
Riggs swayed in slow motion until a lost balance felled him
heavily; an inert mass。

Wilson bent over the prostrate form。  Strange; violent
contrast to the cool scorn of the preceding moment!  Hissing;
spitting; as if poisoned by passion; he burst with the hate
that his character had forbidden him to express on a living
counterfeit。  Wilson was shaken; as if by a palsy。  He choked
over passionate; incoherent invective。  It was class hate
first; then the hate of real manhood for a craven; then the
hate of disgrace for a murder。  No man so fair as a
gun…fighter in the Western creed of an 〃even break〃!

Wilson's terrible cataclysm of passion passed。  Straightening
up; he sheathed his weapon and began a slow pace before the
fire。  Not many moments afterward he jerked his head high and
listened。  Horses were softly thudding through the forest。
Soon Anson rode into sight with his men and one of the
strayed horses。  It chanced; too; that young Burt appeared on
the other side of the glade。  He walked quickly; as one who
anticipated news。

Snake Anson as he dismounted espied the dead man。

〃Jim  I thought I heard a shot。〃

The others exclaimed and leaped off their horses to view the
prostrate form with that curiosity and strange fear common
to all men confronted by sight of sudden death。

That emotion was only momentary。

〃Shot his lamp out!〃 ejaculated Moze。

〃Wonder how Gunman Riggs liked thet plumb center peg!〃
exclaimed Shady Jones; with a hard laugh。

〃Back of his head all gone!〃 gasped young Burt。  Not
improbably he had not seen a great many bullet…marked men。

〃Jim!   the long…haired fool didn't try to draw on you!〃
exclaimed Snake Anson; astounded。

Wilson neither spoke nor ceased his pacing。

〃What was it over?〃 added Anson; curiously。

〃He hit the gurl;〃 replied Wilson。

Then there were long…drawn exclamations all around; and
glance met glance。

〃Jim; you saved me the job;〃 continued the outlaw leader。
〃An' I'm much obliged。 。 。 。  Fellars; search Riggs an' we'll
divvy。 。 。 。  Thet all right; Jim?〃

〃Shore; an' you can have my share。〃

They found bank…notes in the man's pocket and considerable
gold worn in a money…belt around his waist。  Shady Jones
appropriated his boots; and Moze his gun。  Then they left him
as he had fallen。

〃Jim; you'll have to track them lost hosses。  Two still
missin' an' one of them's mine;〃 called Anson as Wilson
paced to the end of his beat。

The girl heard Anson; for she put her head out of the spruce
shelter and called: 〃Riggs said he'd hid two of the horses。
They must be close。  He came that way。〃

〃Howdy; kid!  Thet's good news;〃 replied Anson。  His spirits
were rising。  〃He must hev wanted you to slope with him?〃

〃Yes。  I wouldn't go。〃

〃An' then he hit you?〃

〃Yes。〃

〃Wal; recallin' your talk of yestiddy; I can't see as Mister
Riggs lasted much longer hyar than he'd hev lasted in Texas。
We've some of thet great country right in our outfit。〃

The girl withdrew her white face。

〃It's break camp; boys;〃 was the leader's order。  〃A couple
of you look up them hosses。  They'll be hid in some thick
spruces。  The rest of us 'll pack。〃


Soon the gang was on the move; heading toward the height of
land; and swerving from it only to find soft and grassy
ground that would not leave any tracks。

They did not travel more than a dozen miles during the
afternoon; but they climbed bench after bench until they
reached the timbered plateau that stretched in sheer black
slope up to the peaks。  Here rose the great and gloomy forest
of firs and pines; with the spruce overshadowed and thinned
out。  The last hour of travel was tedious and toilsome; a
zigzag; winding; breaking; climbing hunt for the kind of
camp…site suited to Anson's fancy。  He seemed to be growing
strangely irrational about selecting places to camp。  At
last; for no reason that could have been manifest to a good
woodsman; he chose a gloomy bowl in the center of the
densest forest that had been traversed。  The opening; if such
it could have been called; was not a park or even a glade。  A
dark cliff; with strange holes; rose to one side; but not so
high as the lofty pines that brushed it。  Along its base
babbled a brook; running over such formation of rock that
from different points near at hand it gave forth different
sounds; some singing; others melodious; and one at least of
a hollow; weird; deep sound; not loud; but strangely
penetrating。

〃Sure spooky I say;〃 observed Shady; sentiently。

The little uplift of mood; coincident with the rifling of
Riggs's person; had not worn over to this evening camp。  What
talk the outlaws indulged in was necessary and conducted in
low tones。  The place enjoined silence。

Wilson performed for the girl very much the same service as
he had th
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