tales of trail and town-第24部分

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I'm　trusting　you。



〃Come；〃　she　said　suddenly。　　〃Get　on　THIS　side。〃



He　understood　her；　and　slipped　to　her　side；　half…creeping；　half…

crouching　like　a　dog　behind　her　skirts；　but　keeping　her　figure

between　him　and　the　house　as　she　moved　deliberately　towards　the

barn；　scarce　fifty　yards　away。　　When　she　reached　it　she　opened　the

half…door　quickly；　said：　〃In　thereat　the　topamong　the　hay〃

closed　it；　and　was　turning　away；　when　there　came　a　faint　rapping

from　within。　　She　opened　the　door　again　impatiently；　the　man　said

hastily：　〃Wanted　to　tell　youit　was　a　man　who　insulted　a　WOMAN！　　I

went　for　him；　you　seeand〃



But　she　shut　the　door　sharply。　　The　fugitive　had　made　a　blunder。

The　importation　of　her　own　uncertain　sex　into　the　explanation　did

not　help　him。　　She　kept　on　towards　the　house；　however；　without　the

least　trace　of　excitement　or　agitation　in　her　manner；　entered　the

front　door　again；　walked　quietly　to　the　door　of　the　inner　room；

glanced　in；　saw　that　her　husband　was　absorbed　in　splicing　a　riata；

and　had　evidently　not　missed　her；　and　returned　quietly　to　her　dish…

washing。　　With　this　singular　difference：　a　few　moments　before　she

had　seemed　inattentive　and　careless　of　what　she　was　doing；　as　if

from　some　abstraction；　now；　when　she　was　actually　abstracted；　her

movements　were　mechanically　perfect　and　deliberate。　　She　carefully

held　up　a　dish　and　examined　it　minutely　for　cracks；　rubbing　it

cautiously　with　the　towel；　but　seeing　all　the　while　only　the　man

she　had　left　in　the　barn。　　A　few　moments　elapsed。　　Then　there　came

another　rush　of　wind　around　the　house；　a　drifting　cloud　of　dust

before　the　door；　the　clatter　of　hoofs；　and　a　quick　shout。



Her　husband　reached　the　door；　from　the　inner　room；　almost　as

quickly　as　she　did。　　They　both　saw　in　the　road　two　armed　mounted

menone　of　whom　Ira　recognized　as　the　sheriff's　deputy。



〃Has　anybody　been　here；　just　now？〃　he　asked　sharply。



〃No。〃



〃Seen　anybody　go　by？〃　he　continued。



〃No。　　What's　up？〃



〃One　of　them　circus　jumpers　stabbed　Hal　Dudley　over　the　table　in

Dolores　monte　shop　last　night；　and　got　away　this　morning。　　We

hunted　him　into　the　plain　and　lost　him　somewhere　in　this　dd

dust。〃



〃Why；　Sue　reckoned　she　saw　suthin'　just　now；〃　said　Ira；　with　a

flash　of　recollection。　　〃Didn't　ye；　Sue？〃



〃Why　the　h…ll　didn't　she　say　it　before？I　beg　your　pardon；　ma'am；

didn't　see　you；　you'll　excuse　haste。〃



Both　the　men's　hats　were　in　their　hands；　embarrassed　yet　gratified

smiles　on　their　faces；　as　Sue　came　forward。　　There　was　the　faintest

of　color　in　her　sallow　cheek；　a　keen　brilliancy　in　her　eyes；　she

looked　singularly　pretty。　　Even　Ira　felt　a　slight　antenuptial

stirring　through　his　monotonously　wedded　years。



The　young　woman　walked　out；　folding　the　towel　around　her　red　hands

and　forearmsleaving　the　rounded　whiteness　of　bared　elbow　and

upper　arm　in　charming　contrastand　looked　gravely　past　the

admiring　figures　that　nearly　touched　her　own。　　〃It　was　somewhar

over　thar；〃　she　said　lazily；　pointing　up　the　road　in　the　opposite

direction　to　the　barn；　〃but　I　ain't　sure　it　WAS　any　one。〃



〃Then　he'd　already　PASSED　the　house　afore　you　saw　him？〃　said　the

deputy。



〃I　reckonif　it　WAS　him；〃　returned　Sue。



〃He　must　have　got　on；〃　said　the　deputy；　〃but　then　he　runs　like　a

deer；　it's　his　trade。〃



〃Wot　trade？〃



〃Acrobat。〃



〃Wot's　that？〃



The　two　men　were　delighted　at　this　divine　simplicity。　　〃A　man　who

runs；　jumps；　climbsand　all　that　sort；　in　the　circus。〃



〃But　isn't　he　runnin'；　jumpin'；　and　climbin'　away　from　ye　now？〃　she

continued　with　adorable　naivete。



The　deputy　smiled；　but　straightened　in　the　saddle。　　〃We're　bound　to

come　up　with　him　afore　he　reaches　Lowville；　and　between　that　and

this　house　it's　a　dead　level；　where　a　gopher　couldn't　leave　his

hole　without　your　spottin'　him　a　mile　off！　　Good…by！〃　　The　words

were　addressed　to　Ira；　but　the　parting　glance　was　directed　to　the

pretty　wife　as　the　two　men　galloped　away。



An　odd　uneasiness　at　this　sudden　revelation　of　his　wife's

prettiness　and　its　evident　effect　upon　his　visitors　came　over　Ira。

It　resulted　in　his　addressing　the　empty　space　before　his　door　with；

〃Well；　ye　won't　ketch　much　if　ye　go　on　yawpin'　and　dawdlin'　with

women…folks　like　this；〃　and　he　was　unreasonably　delighted　at　the

pretty　assent　of　disdain　and　scorn　which　sparkled　in　his　wife's

eyes　as　she　added：



〃Not　much；　I　reckon！〃



〃That's　the　kind　of　official　trash　we　have　to　pay　taxes　to　keep

up；〃　said　Ira；　who　somehow　felt　that　if　public　policy　was　not

amenable　to　private　sentiment　there　was　no　value　in　free

government。　　Mrs。　Beasley；　however；　complacently　resumed　her　dish…

washing；　and　Ira　returned　to　his　riata　in　the　adjoining　room。　　For

quite　an　interval　there　was　no　sound　but　the　occasional　click　of　a

dish　laid　upon　its　pile；　with　fingers　that；　however；　were　firm　and

untremulous。　　Presently　Sue's　low　voice　was　heard。



〃Wonder　if　that　deputy　caught　anything　yet。　　I've　a　good　mind　to

meander　up　the　road　and　see。〃



But　the　question　brought　Ira　to　the　door　with　a　slight　return　of

his　former　uneasiness。　　He　had　no　idea　of　subjecting　his　wife　to

another　admiring　interview。　　〃I　reckon　I'll　go　myself；〃　he　said

dubiously；　〃YOU'D　better　stay　and　look　after　the　house。〃



Her　eyes　brightened　as　she　carried　a　pile　of　plates　to　the　dresser；

it　was　possible　she　had　foreseen　this　compromise。　　〃Yes；〃　she　said

cheerfully；　〃you　could　go　farther　than　me。〃



Ira　reflected。　　He　could　also　send　them　about　their　business　if

they　thought　of　returning。　　He　lifted　his　hat　from　the　floor；　took

his　rifle　down　carefully　from　its　pegs；　and　slouched　out　into　the

road。　　Sue　watched　him　until　he　was　well　away；　then　flew　to　the

back　door；　stopping　only　an　instant　to　look　at　her　face　in　a　small

mirror　on　the　wall；yet　without　noticing　her　new　prettiness；then

ran　to　the　barn。　　Casting　a　backward　glance　at　the　diminishing

figure　of　her　husband　in　the　distance；　she　threw　open　the　door　and

shut　it　quickly　behind　her。　　At　first　the　abrupt　change　from　the

dazzling　outer　plain　to　the　deep　shadows　of　the　barn　bewildered

her。　　She　saw　before　her　a　bucket　half　filled　with　dirty　water；　and

a　quantity　of　wet　straw　littering　the　floor；　then　lifting　her　eyes

to　the　hay…loft；　she　detected　the　figure　of　the　fugitive；　unclothed

from　the　waist　upward；　emerging　from　the　loose　hay　in　which　he　had

evidently　been　drying　himself。　　Whether　it　was　the　excitement　of

his　perilous　situation；　or　whether　the　perfect　symmetry　of　his

bared　bust　and　armsunlike　anything　she　had　ever　seen　before

clothed　him　with　the　cold　ideality　of　a　statue；　she　could　not　say；

but　she　felt　no　shock　of　modesty；　while　the　man；　accustomed　to　the

public　half…exposure　in　tights　and　spangles；　was　more　conscious　of

detected　unreadiness　than　of　shame。



〃Gettin'　the　dust　off　me；〃　he　said；　in　hurried　explanation；　〃be

down　in　a　second。〃　　Indeed；　in　another　moment　he　had　resumed　his

shirt　and　flannel　coat；　and　swung　himself　to　the　floor　with　a　like

grace　and　dexterity；　that　was　to　her　the　revelation　of　a　descending

god。　　She　found　herself　face　to　face　with　him；his　features

cleansed　of　dirt　and　grime；　his　hair　plastered　in　wet　curls　on　his

low　forehead。　　It　was　a　face　of　cheap　adornment；　not　uncommon　in

his　professionunintelligent；　unrefined；　and　even　unheroic；　but

she　did　not　know　that。　　Overcoming　a　sudden　timidity；　she

nevertheless　told　him　briefly　and　concisely　of　the　arrival　and

departure　of　his　pursuers。



His　low　forehead　wrinkled。　　〃Thar's　no　getting　away　until　they　come

back；〃　he　said　without　looking　at　her。　　〃Could　ye　keep　me　in　here

to…night？〃



〃Yes；〃　she　returned　simply；　as　if　the　idea　had　already　occurred　to

her；　〃but　you　must　lie　low　in　the　loft。〃



〃And　could　you〃he　hesitated；　and　went　on　with　a　forced　smile

〃you　see；　I've　eaten　nothing　since　last　night。　　Could　you〃



〃I'll　bring　you　something；〃　she　said　quickly；　nodding　her　head。



〃And　if　you　had〃he　went　on　more　hesitatingly；　glancing　down　at

his　travel…torn　and　frayed　garments〃anything　like　a　coat；　or　any

other　clothing？　　It　would　disguise　me　also；　you　see；　and　put　'em

off　the　track。〃



She　nodded　her　head　again　rapidly：　she　had　thought　of　that　too；

there　was　a　pair　of　doeskin　trousers　and　a　velvet　jacket　left　by　a

Mexican　vaquero　who　had　bought　stock　from　them　two　years　ago。

Practical　as　she　was；　a　sudden　conviction　that　he　would　look　well

in　the　velvet　jacket　helped　her　resolve。



〃Did　they　say〃he　said；　with　his　forced　smile　and　uneasy　glance

〃did　theytell　you　anything　about　me？〃



〃Yes；〃　she　said　abstractedly；　gazing　at　him。



〃You　see；〃　he　began　hurriedly；　〃I'll　tell　you　how　it　was。〃



〃No；　don't！〃　she　said　quickly。　　She　meant　it。　　She　wanted　no　facts

to　stand　between　her　and　this　single　romance　of　her　life。　　〃I　must

go　and　get　the　things；〃　she　added；　turning　away；　〃before　he　gets

back。〃



〃Who's