osc.am2.redprophet-第24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！

　　Harrison　poured　himself　three　fingers　of　whisky　in　a　tumbler　and　drank　off　half　of　it　in　a　single　gulp。
　　〃So　you　been　losing　your　whisky…Reds；　and　you　been　losing　your　White　farmers；　and　all　you　got　left　is　your　soldiers；　the　river　rats；　and　whatever　money　you　can　steal　from　the　United　States　Army　appropriation　for　peace…keeping　in　the　west。〃
　　Harrison　drank　the　rest　of　the　whisky　and　belched。
　　〃What　that　means　is　you've　been　unlucky　and　you've　been　stupid；　and　somehow　you　think　you　can　make　me　get　you　out　of　it。〃
　　Harrison　poured　another　three　fingers　into　the　glass。
　　But　instead　of　drinking　it；　he　hauled　off　and　threw　it　into　Hooch's　face。　The　whisky　splashed　in　his　eyes；　the　tumbler　bounced　off　his　forehead；　and　Hooph　found　himself　rolling　on　the　floor　trying　to　dig　the　alcohol　out　of　his　eyes。
　　A　while　later；　with　a　wet　cloth　pressed　against　his　forehead；　Hooch　was　sitting　in　the　chair　again；　acting　a　lot　more　meek　and　reasonable。　But　that　was　because　he　knew　Harrison　had　a　flush　and　his　own　hand　was　just　two　pair。　Get　out　of　here　alive　and　then　just　see　what　es　next；　right？
　　〃I　wasn't　stupid；〃　Harrison　said。
　　No；　you're　the　smartest　governor　Carthage　ever　had；　I'm　surprised　you　ain't　King。　That's　what　Hooch　would've　said。　But　he　was　keeping　his　mouth　shut。
　　〃It　was　that　Prophet。　That　Red　up　north。　Building　his　Prophetstown　right　across　the　Wobbish　from　Vigor　Church　　you　can't　tell　me　that's　just　a　coincidence。　It's　Armor…of…God；　that's　what　it　is；　trying　to　take　the　state　of　Wobbish　away　from　me。　Using　a　Red　to　do　it；　too。　I　knew　that　a　lot　of　Reds　were　going　north；　everybody　knew　that；　but　I　still　had　me　my　whisky…Reds；　them　as　hadn't　died　off。　And　with　fewer　Reds　around　here　　especially　the　Shaw…Nee；　when　they　left　　well；　I　thought　I'd　get　more　White　settlers。　And　you're　wrong　about　my　tax　collectors。　They　didn't　run　the　White　settlers　off。　It　was　Ta…Kumsaw。〃
　　〃I　thought　it　was　the　Prophet。〃
　　〃Don't　get　smart　with　me；　Hooch；　I　don't　have　much　patience　these　days。〃
　　Why　didn't　you　warn　me　before　you　threw　the　glass？　No；　no；　don't　say　nothing　to　make　him　mad。　〃Sorry；　Bill。〃
　　〃Ta…Kumsaw's　been　real　smart。　He　doesn't　kill　White　folks。　He　just　shows　up　at　their　farms　with　fifty　Shaw…Nee。　Doesn't　shoot　anybody；　but　when　you　got　fifty　painted…up　warriors　all　around　your　house；　these　White　folks　didn't　exactly　figure　it　was　smart　to　start　shooting。　So　the　White　farmers　watched　while　the　Shaw…Nee　opened　every　gate；　every　stable；　every　coop。　Let　them　animals　go　on　out。　Horses；　pigs；　milk　cows；　chickens。　Just　like　Noah　bringing　beasts　into　the　ark；　the　Shaw…Nee　walk　into　the　woods　and　the　animals　trot　on　right　behind。　Just　like　that。　Never　see　them　again。〃
　　〃You　can't　tell　me　they　never　round　up　at　least　some　of　their　stock。〃
　　〃All　gone。　Never　find　even　their　tracks。　Never　even　a　feather　from　a　chicken。　That's　what　run　the　White　farmers　off；　is　knowing　that　any　day；　all　their　animals　can　disappear。〃
　　〃Shaw…Nee　eating　them　or　something？　Ain't　no　chicken　smart　enough　to　live　long　in　the　woods。　It's　just　Christmastime　for　foxes；　that's　all　it　is。〃
　　〃How　should　I　know？　White　folks　e　to　me；　they　say；　Get　our　animals　back；　or　kill　the　Reds　what　took　them。　But　my　soldiers；　my　scouts；　nobody　can　find　where　Ta…Kumsaw's　people　are。　No　villages　at　all！　I　tried　raiding　a　Caska…Skeeaw　village　up　the　Little　My…Ammy；　but　all　that　did　was　convince　more　Reds　to　leave；　didn't　even　slow　down　what　Ta…Kumsaw　was　doing。〃
　　Hooch　could　imagine　what　that　raid　on　the　Caska…Skeeaw　village　was　like。　Old　men；　women；　children；　their　corpses　shot　up　and　half…burnt　　Hooch　knew　how　Harrison　dealt　with　Reds。
　　〃And　then　last　month；　here　es　the　Prophet。　I　knew　he　was　ing　　even　the　whisky…Reds　couldn't　talk　about　nothing　else。　Prophet's　ing。　Got　to　go　see　the　Prophet。　Well；　I　tried　to　find　out　where　he　was　going　to　be；　where　he　was　going　to　give　a　speech；　I　even　had　some　of　my　tame　Reds　try　to　find　out　for　me；　but　no　dice；　Hooch。　Not　a　clue。　Nobody　knew。　Just　one　day　the　word　went　through　the　whole　town；　Prophet's　here。　Where？　Just　e　on；　Prophet's　here。　No　one　ever　said　where。　I　swear　these　Reds　can　talk　without　talking；　if　you　know　what　I　mean。〃
　　〃Bill；　tell　me　you　had　spies　there；　or　I'll　start　to　thinking　you　lost　your　touch。〃
　　〃Spies？　I　went　myself；　how's　that？　And　do　you　know　how？　Ta…Kumsaw　sent　me　an　invitation；　if　that　don't　beat　all。　No　soldiers；　no　guns；　just　me。〃
　　〃And　you　went？　He　could've　captured　you　and〃
　　〃He　gave　me　his　word。　Ta…Kumsaw　may　be　a　Red；　but　he　keeps　his　word。〃
　　Hooch　thought　that　was　kind　of　funny。　Harrison；　the　man　who　prided　himself　on　never　keeping　a　promise　to　a　Red　man；　but　he　still　counted　on　Ta…Kumsaw　keeping　a　promise　to　him。　Well；　he　got　back　alive；　didn't　he？　So　Ta…Kumsaw　was　as　good　as　his　word。
　　〃I　went　there。　Must've　been　every　Red　in　the　whole　My…Ammy　country　there。　Must've　been　ten　thousand。　Squatting　around　in　this　old　abandoned　cornfield　　there's　plenty　of　them　in　these　parts；　you　can　bet；　thanks　to　Ta…Kumsaw。　If　I'd　had　my　two　cannon　there　and　a　hundred　soldiers；　I　could've　ended　the　whole　Red　problem；　then　and　there。〃
　　〃Too　bad　you　didn't；〃　said　Hooch。
　　〃Ta…Kumsaw　wanted　me　to　sit　right　up　front；　but　I　wouldn't。　I　hung　back　and　I　listened。　The　Prophet　got　up；　stood　on　an　old　stump　in　the　field；　and　he　talked　and　talked　and　talked。〃
　　〃You　understand　any　of　it？　I　mean；　you　don't　talk　Shaw…Nee。〃
　　〃He　was　talking　English；　Hooch。　Too　many　different　tribes　there；　the　only　language　they　all　knew　was　English。　Oh；　sometimes　he　talked　in　that　Red　gibberish；　but　there　was　plenty　of　English。　Talking　about　the　destiny　of　the　Red　man。　Stay　pure　from　White　contamination。　Live　all　together　and　fill　up　a　part　of　the　land　so　the　White　man　will　have　his　place　and　the　Red　man　will　have　his。　Build　a　city　　a　crystal　city；　he　said；　it　sounded　real　pretty　except　these　Reds　can't　even　build　a　proper　shed；　I　hate　to　think　how　they'd　do　at　building　a　city　out　of　glass！　But　most　of　all；　he　said；　Don't　drink　likker。　Not　a　drop。　Give　it　up；　stay　away　from　it。　Likker　is　the　chain　of　the　White　man；　the　chain　and　the　whip；　the　chain　and　the　whip　and　the　knife。　First　he'll　catch　you；　then　he'll　whip　you；　then　he'll　kill　you；　likker　will；　and　when　the　White　man's　killed　you　with　his　whisky；　he'll　e　in　and　steal　your　land；　destroy　it；　make　it　unfit；　dead；　useless。〃
　　〃Sounds　like　he　made　a　real　impression　on　you；　Bill；〃　said　Hooch。　〃Sounds　like　you　memorized　the　speech　he　gave。〃
　　〃Memorized？　He　talked　for　three　straight　hours。　Talked　about　visions　of　the　past；　visions　of　the　future。　Talked　about　oh；　Hooch；　it　was　crazy　stuff；　but　those　Reds　were　drinking　it　up　like；　like〃
　　〃Whisky。〃
　　〃Like　whisky　except　it　was　instead　of　whisky。　They　all　went　with　him。　Pretty　near　all　of　them；　anyway。　Only　ones　left　are　a　few　whisky…Reds　that're　bound　to　die　soon。　And　of　course　my　tame　Reds；　but　that's　different。　And　some　wild　Reds　across　the　Hio。〃
　　〃Went　with　him　where？〃
　　〃Prophetstown！　That's　what　kills　me；　Hooch。　They　all　go　up　to　Prophetstown；　or　thereabouts；　right　across　the　river　from　Vigor　Church。　And　that's　exactly　where　all　the　Whites　are　going！　Well；　not　all　to　Vigor　Church；　but　up　into　the　lands　where　Armor…of…Hell　Weaver　has　his　maps。　They're　in　cahoots；　Hooch；　I　promise　you　that。　Ta…Kumsaw；　Armor…of…God　Weaver；　and　the　Prophet。
　　〃Sounds　like。〃
　　〃The　worst　thing　is　I　had　that　Prophet　here　in　my　own　office　must　be　a　thousand　times；　I　could　have　killed　that　boy　and　saved　myself　more　trouble　but　you　never　know；　do　you？〃
　　〃You　know　this　Prophet？〃
　　〃You　mean　you　don't　know　who　it　is？〃
　　〃I　don't　know　that　many　Reds　by　name；　Bill。〃
　　〃How　about　if　I　tell　you　that　he's　only　got　one　eye？〃
　　〃You　ain't　saying　it's　Lolla…Wossiky！〃
　　〃Reckon　so。〃
　　〃That　one…eyed　drunk？〃
　　〃God's　own　truth；　Hooch。　Calls　himself　Tenskwa…Tawa　now。　It　means　'the　open　door'　or　something。　I'd　like　to　shut　that　door。　I　should've　killed　him　when　I　had　the　chance。　But　I　figured　when　he　ran　off　he　ran　off；　you　know；　stole　a　keg　and　took　off　into　the　woods〃
　　〃I　was　here　that　night；　I　helped　chase　him。〃
　　〃Well　when　he　didn't　e　back；　I　figured　he　probably　drank　himself　to　death　off　that　keg。　But　there　he　is　telling　Reds　how　he　used　to　have　to　drink　all　the　time；　but　God　sent　him　visions　and　he's　never　had　another　drink。〃
　　〃Send　me　visions；　I'd　give　up　drinking；　too。〃
　　Harrison　took　another　swallow　of　whisky。　From　the　jug；　this　time；　since　the　tumbler　was　on　the　floor　in　the　corner　of　the　room。　〃You　see　my　problem；　Hooch。〃
　　〃I　see　you　got　lots　of　problems；　Bill；　and　I　don't　know　how　any　of　them　has　a　thing　to　do　with　me；　except　you　weren't　joking　when　you　had　the　quartermaster　tell　me　you　only　wanted　four　barrels。〃
　　〃Oh；　it's　got　more　to　do　with　you　than　that；　count　on　it；　Hooch。　More　than　that。　Because　I　ain't　beat。　The　Prophet's　took　away　all　my　whisky…Reds；　and　Ta…Kumsaw's　got　my　White　citizens　scared；　but　I　ain't　quitting。〃
　　〃No；　you're　no　quitter；〃　said　Hooch。　You're　a　slimy　sneaky　snake　of　a　man；　but　you're　no　quitter。　Didn't　say　that；　of　course；　cause　Harrison　was　bound　to　take　it　wrong　　but　to　Hooch；　it