the flying u ranch-第6部分

快捷操作: 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! 如果本书没有阅读完，想下次继续接着阅读，可使用上方 "收藏到我的浏览器" 功能 和 "加入书签" 功能！


his　rope　as　he　came　up。



〃Oh；　shut　up！〃　Andy's　voice　was　sharp　with　trouble。　〃Boys；　the

Old　Man'swell；　he's　most　likely　dead　by　this　time。　I　brought

out　a　telegram〃



〃Go　on！〃　Pink's　eyes　widened　incredulously。　〃Don't　you　try　that

kind　of　a　load；　Andy　Green；　or　I'll　just　about〃



〃Oh；　you　fellows　make　me　sick！〃　Andy　took　his　elbows　off　the　rail

and　stood　straight。　〃Dammit；　the　telegram's　up　at　the　housego

and　read　it　yourselves；　then！〃



The　three　stared　after　him　doubtfully；　fear　struggling　with　the

caution　born　of　much　experience。



〃He　don't　act；　to　me；　like　he　was　putting　up　a　josh；〃　Weary

stated　uneasily；　after　a　minute　of　silence。　〃Run　up　to　the　house

and　find　out；　Cadwalloper。　The　Old　Manoh；　good　Lord！〃　The　tan

on　Weary's　face　took　a　lighter　tinge。　〃Scootit　won't　take　but　a

minute　to　find　out　for　sure。　Go　on；　Pink。〃



〃So　help　me　Josephine；　I'll　kill　that　same　Andy　Green　if　he's

lied　about　it；〃　Pink　declared；　while　he　climbed　the　fence。



In　three　minutes　he　was　back；　and　before　he　had　said　a　word；　his

face　confirmed　the　bad　news。　Their　eyes　besought　him　for　details；

and　he　gave　them　jerkily。　〃Automobile　run　over　him。　He　ain't

dead；　but　they　thinkChip　and　the　Little　Doctor　are　going　to

catch　the　night　train。　You　go　haze　in　the　team；　Happy。　And　give

'em　a　feed　of　oats；　Chip　said。〃



Irish　and　Big　Medicine；　seeing　the；　three　standing　soberly

together　there；　and　sensing　something　unusual；　came　up　and　heard

the　news　in　stunned　silence。　Andy；　forgetting　his　pique　at　their

first　disbelief；　came　forlornly　back　and　stood　with　them。



The　Old　Manthe　thing　could　not　be　true！　To　every　man　of　them

his　presence；　conjured　by　the　impending　tragedy；　was　almost　a

palpable　thing。　His　stocky　figure　seemed　almost　to　stand　in　their

midst；　he　looked　at　them　with　his　whimsical　eyes；　which　had　the

radiating　crows…feet　of　age；　humor　and　habitual　squinting　against

sun　and　wind；　the　bald　spot　on　his　head；　the　wrinkling

shirt…collar　that　seldom　knew　a　tie；　the　carpet　slippers　which

were　his　favorite　footgear　because　they　were　kind　to　his　bunions；

his　husky　voice；　good…naturedly　complaining；　were　poignantly　real

to　them　at　that　moment。　Then　Irish　mentally　pictured　him　lying

maimed；　dying；　perhaps；　in　a　far…off　hospital　among　strangers；

and　swore。



〃If　he's　got　to　die；　it　oughta　be　here；　where　folks　know　him

andwhere　he　knows〃　Irish　was　not　accustomed　to　giving　voice

to　his　deeper　feelings；　and　he　blundered　awkwardly　over　it。



〃I　never　did　go　much　on　them　darned　hospitals；　anyway；〃　Weary

observed　gloomily。　〃He　oughta　be　home；　where　folks　can　look　after

him。　Mam…ma！　It　sure　is　a　fright。〃



〃I　betche　Chip　and　the　Little　Doctor　won't　get　there　in　time；〃

Happy　Jack　predicted；　with　his　usual　pessimism。　〃The　Old　Man's

gittin'　old〃



〃He　ain't　but　fifty…two；　yuh　call　that　old；　consarn　yuh？　He's

younger　right　now　than　you'll　be　when　you're　forty。〃



〃Countess　is　going　along；　too；　so　she　can　ride　herd　on　the　Kid；〃

Pink　informed　then。　〃I　heard　the　Little　Doctor　tell　her　to　pack

up；　and　'never　mind　if　she　did　have　sponge　all　set！'　Countess

seemed　to　think　her　bread　was　a　darned　sight　more　important　than

the　Old　Man。　That's　the　way　with　women。　They'll　pass　up〃



〃Well；　by　golly；　I　like　to　see　a　woman　take　some　interest　in　her

own　affairs；〃　Slim　defended。　〃What　they　packin'　up　for；　and　where

they　goin'？〃　Slim　had　just　ridden　up　to　the　group　in　time　to

overhear　Pink's　criticism。



They　told　him　the　news；　and　Slim　swallowed　twice；　said　〃By

golly！〃　quite　huskily；　and　then　rode　slowly　away　with　his　head

bowed。　He　had　worked　for　the　Flying　U　when　it　was　strictly　a

bachelor　outfit；　and　with　the　tenacity　of　slow　minds　he　held　J。

G。　Whitmore；　his　beloved　〃Old　Man；〃　as　but　a　degree　lower　than

that　mysterious　power　which　made　the　sun　to　shineand；　if　the

truth　were　known；　he　had　accepted　him　as　being　quite　as　eternal。

His　loyalty　adjusted　everything　to　the　interests　of　the　Flying　U。

That　the　Old　Man　could　diethe　possibility　stunned　him。



They　were　a　sorry　company　that　gathered　that　night　around　the

long　table　with　its　mottled　oil…cloth　covering　and　benches

polished　to　a　glass…like　smoothness　with　their　own　vigorous

bodies。　They　did　not　talk　much　about　the　Old　Man；　indeed；　they

came　no　nearer　the　subject　than　to　ask　Weary　if　he　were　going　to

drive　the　team　in　to　Dry　Lake。　They　did　not　talk　much　about

anything；　for　that　matter；　even　the　knives　and　forks　seemed　to

share　the　general　depression　of　spirits；　and　failed　to　give　forth

the　cheerful　clatter　which　was　a　daily　accompaniment　of　meals　in

that　room。



Old　Patsy；　he　who　had　cooked　for　J。　G。　Whitmore　when　the　Flying　U

coulee　was　a　wilderness　and　the　brand　yet　unrecorded　and　the

irons　unmadePatsy　lumbered　heavily　about　the　room　and　could　not

find　his　dish…cloth　when　it　was　squeezed　tight　in　one　great；　fat

hand；　and　unthinkingly　started　to　fill　their　coffee　cups　from　the

tea…kettle。



〃Py　cosh；　I　vould　keel　der　fool　vot　made　her　first　von　of　der

automo…beels；　yet！〃　he　exclaimed　unexpectedly；　after　a　long

silence；　and　cast　his　pipe　vindictively　toward　his　bunk　in　one

corner。



The　Happy　Family　looked　around　at　him；　then　understandingly　at

one　another。



〃Same　here；　Patsy；〃　Jack　Bates　agreed。　〃What　they　want　of　the

damned　things　when　the　country's　full　uh　good　horses　gits　me。〃



〃So　some　Yahoo　with　just　sense　enough　to　put　goggles　on　to　cover

up　his　fool　face　can　run　over　folks　he　ain't　good　enough　to　speak

to；　by　cripes！〃　Big　Medicine　glared　aggressively　up　and　down　the

table。



Weary　got　up　suddenly　and　went　out；　and　Slim　followed　him；　though

his　supper　was　half…uneaten。



〃This　goin'　to　be　hard　on　the　Little　Doctoronly　brother　she's

got；〃　they　heard　Happy　Jack　point　out　unnecessarily；　and　Weary；

the　equable；　was　guilty　of　slamming　the　door　so　that　the　whole

building　shook；　by　way　of　demonstrating　his　dislike　of　speech

upon　the　subject。



They　were　a　sorry　company　who　waved　hands　at　the　Little　Doctor

and　the　Kid　and　the　Countess；　just　when　the　afterglow　of　a　red

sunset　was　merging　into　the　vague；　purple　shadows　of　coming　dusk。

They　stood　silent；　for　the　most　part；　and　let　them　go　without　the

usual　facetious　advice　to　〃Be　good　to　yourselves；〃　and　the

hackneyed　admonition　to　Chip　to　keep　out　of　jail　if　he　could。

There　must　have　been　something　very　wistful　in　their　faces；　for

the　Little　Doctor　smiled　bravely　down　upon　then　from　the　buggy

seat；　and　lifted　up　the　Kid　for　a　four…toothed　smile　and　an

ecstatic　〃Bye！〃　accompanied　by　a　vigorous　flopping　of　hands；

which　included　then　all。



〃We'll　telegraph　first　thing；　boys；〃　the　Little　Doctor　called

back；　as　the　rig　chucked　into　the　pebbly　creek　crossing。　〃We'll

keep　you　posted；　and　I'll　write　all　the　particulars　as　soon　as　I

can。　Don't　think　the　worstunless　you　have　to。　I　don't。〃　She

smiled　again；　and　waved　her　hand　hastily　because　of　the　Kid's

contortions；　and；　though　the　smile　had　tears　close　behind　it；

though　her　voice　was　tremulous　in　spite　of　herself；　the　Happy

Family　took　heart　from　her　courage　and　waved　their　hats　gravely；

and　smiled　back　as　best　they　could。



〃There's　a　lot　uh　cake　you　boys　might　just　as　well　eat　up；〃　the

Countess　called　belatedly。　〃It'll　all　dry　out；　if　yuh　don'tand

there　ain't　no　use　wastin'　itand　there's　two　lemon　pies　in　the

brown　cupboard；　and　what　under　the　shinin'　sun〃　The　wheels

bumped　violently　against　a　rock；　and　the　Happy　Family　heard　no

more。







CHAPTER　IV。　Some　Hopes



On　the　third　day　after　the　Happy　Family　decided　that　there　should

be　some　word　from　Chicago；　and；　since　that　day　was　Sunday；　they

rode　in　a　body　to　Dry　Lake　after　it。　They　had　not　discussed　the

impending　tragedy　very　much；　but　they　were　an　exceedingly　Unhappy

Family；　nevertheless；　and；　since　Flying　U　coulee　was　but　a　place

of　gloom；　they　were　not　averse　to　leaving　it　behind　them　for　a

few　hours；　and　riding　where　every　stick　and　stone　did　not　remind

then　of　the　Old　Man。



In　Dry　Lake　was　a　message；　brief　but　heartening：



〃J。　G。　still　alive。　Some　hopes〃。



They　left　the　station　with　lighter　spirits　after　reading　that；

rode　to　the　hotel；　tied　their　horses　to　the　long　hitching　pole

there　and　went　in。　And　right　there　the　Happy　Family　unwittingly

became　cast　for　the　leading　parts　in　one　of　those　dramas　of　the

West　which　never　is　heard　of　outside　the　theater　in　which　grim

circumstance　stages　it　for　a　single　playingunless；　indeed；　the

curtain　rings　down　on　a　tragedy　that　brings　the　actors　before

their　district　judge　for　trial。　And；　as　so　frequently　is　the

case；　the　beginning　was　casual　to　the　point　of　triviality。



Sary；　Ellen；　Marg'reet；　Sybilly　and　Jos'phine　Denson　（spelled　in

accordance　with　parental　pronunciation）　were　swinging　idly　upon

the　hitching　pole；　with　the　self…conscious　sang　froid　of　country

children　come　to　town。　They　backed　away　from　the　Happy　Family's

a