osc.am2.redprophet-第7部分

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　　〃Arrest　me！〃　shouted　Hooch。　〃What　are　you　talking　about！〃
　　〃He　carries　several　weapons；　so　you'll　have　to　search　him　thoroughly；〃　said　Harrison。　〃I　suggest　stripping　him　here　before　you　take　him　to　the　lock…up；　and　leave　him　stripped。　Don't　want　this　slippery　old　boy　to　get　away。〃
　　〃What　are　you　arresting　me　for！〃
　　〃Why；　we　have　a　warrant　for　your　arrest　for　unpaid　debts；〃　said　Harrison。　〃And　you've　also　been　accused　of　selling　whisky　to　Reds。　We'll　naturally　have　to　seize　an　your　assets　　those　suspicious…looking　kegs　my　boys've　been　hauling　into　the　stockade　all　day　　and　sell　them　to　make　good　the　debt。　If　we　can　sell　them　for　enough；　and　we　can　clear　you　of　those　ugly　charges　of　likkering　up　the　Reds；　why；　we'll　let　you　go。〃
　　Then　Harrison　walked　on　out　of　his　office。　Hooch　cussed　and　spit　and　made　remarks　about　Harrison's　wife　and　mother；　but　Private　Dickey　was　holding　real　tight　to　a　musket；　and　that　musket　had　a　bayonet　attached　to　the　business　end；　so　Hooch　submitted　to　the　stripping　and　the　search。　It　got　worse；　though；　and　he　cussed　again　when　Withers　marched　him　right　across　the　stockade；　stark　naked；　and　didn't　give　him　so　much　as　a　blanket　when　he　locked　him　into　a　storage　room。　A　storage　room　filled　with　empty　kegs　from　the　last　shipment　of　likker。
　　He　sat　in　that　lock…up　room　for　two　days　before　his　trial；　and　for　the　first　while　there　was　murder　in　his　heart。　He　had　a　lot　of　ideas　for　revenge；　you　can　bet。　He　thought　of　setting　fire　to　the　lace　curtains　in　Harrison's　house；　or　burning　the　shed　where　the　whisky　was　kept；　starting　all　kinds　of　fire。　Cause　what　good　is　it　to　be　a　spark　if　you　can't　use　it　to　get　even　with　folks　who　pretend　to　be　your　friends　and　then　lock　you　into　jail？
　　But　he　didn't　start　no　fires；　because　Hooch　was　no　fool。　Partly；　he　knew　that　if　a　fire　once　got　started　anywhere　in　the　stockade；　there　was　a　good　chance　it'd　spread　from　one　end　to　the　other　inside　half　an　hour。　And　there　was　a　good　chance　that　while　everybody's　rushing　around　to　save　their　wives　and　children　and　gunpowder　and　likker；　they　might　not　remember　about　one　whisky　trader　locked　up　in　a　storage　room。　Hooch　didn't　hanker　to　die　in　a　fire　of　his　own　setting　　that　wasn't　no　kind　of　vengeance。　Time　enough　to　start　fires　when　he　had　a　noose　around　his　neck　someday；　but　he　wasn't　going　to　risk　burning　to　death　just　to　get　even　over　something　like　this。
　　But　the　main　reason　he　didn't　start　a　fire　wasn't　fear；　it　was　plain　business　sense。　Harrison　was　doing　this　to　show　Hooch　that　he　didn't　like　the　way　Hooch　delayed　shipments　of　likker　to　jack　up　the　price。　Harrison　was　showing　him　that　he　had　real　power；　and　all　Hooch　had　was　money。　Well；　let　Harrison　play　at　being　a　powerful　man。　Hooch　knew　some　things；　too。　He　knew　that　someday　the　Wobbish　country　would　petition　the　U。S。　Congress　in　Philadelphia　to　bee　a　state。　And　when　it　did；　a　certain　William　Henry　Harrison　would　have　his　little　heart　set　on　being　governor。　And　Hooch　had　seen　enough　elections　back　in　Suskwahenny　and　Pennsylvania　and　Appalachee　to　know　that　you　can't　get　votes　without　silver　dollars　to　pass　around。　Hooch　would　have　those　silver　dollars。　And　when　the　time　came；　he　might　pass　around　those　silver　dollars　to　Harrison　voters；　and　then　again　he　might　not。　He　just　might　not。　He　might　help　another　man　sit　in　the　governor's　mansion；　someday　when　Carthage　was　a　real　city　and　Wobbish　was　a　real　state；　and　then　Harrison　would　have　to　sit　there　the　rest　of　his　life　and　remember　what　it　was　like　to　be　able　to　lock　people　up；　and　he　would　grind　his　teeth　in　anger　at　how　men　like　Hooch　took　all　that　away　from　him。
　　That's　how　Hooch　kept　himself　entertained；　sitting　in　that　lock…up　room　for　two　long　days　and　nights。
　　Then　they　hauled　him　out　and　brought　him　into　court　　unshaven；　dirty；　his　hair　wild；　and　his　clothes　all　wrinkled　up。　General　Harrison　was　the　judge；　the　jury　was　all　in　uniform；　and　the　defense　attorney　was　　Andrew　Jackson！　It　was　plain　Governor　Bill　was　trying　to　make　Hooch　get　mad　and　start　in　ranting；　but　Hooch　wasn't　born　yesterday。　He　knew　that　whatever　Harrison　had　in　mind；　it　wouldn't　do　no　good　to　yell　about　it。　Just　sit　tight　and　put　up　with　it。
　　It　took　only　a　few　minutes。
　　Hooch　listened　with　a　straight　face　as　a　young　lieutenant　testified　that　all　Hooch's　whisky　had　been　sold　to　the　sutler　at　exactly　the　price　it　sold　for　last　time。　According　to　the　legal　papers；　Hooch　didn't　make　a　penny　more　from　having　kept　them　waiting　four　months　between　shipments。　Well；　thought　Hooch；　that's　fair　enough；　Harrison's　letting　me　know　how　he　wants　things　run。　So　he　didn't　say　a　word。　Harrison　looked　as　merry　as　you　please；　behind　his　magisterial　solemnity。　Enjoy　yourself；　thought　Hooch。　You　can't　make　me　mad。
　　But　he　could；　after　all。　They　took　220　dollars　right　off　the　top　and　handed　it　over　to　Andrew　Jackson　right　there　in　court。　Counted　out　eleven　gold　twenty…dollar　coins。　That　caused　Hooch　physical　pain；　to　see　that　fiery　metal　dropping　into　Jackson's　hands。　He　couldn't　keep　his　silence　then。　But　he　did　manage　to　keep　his　voice　low　and　mild…sounding。　〃It　don't　seem　regular　to　me；〃　he　said；　〃to　have　the　plaintiff　acting　as　defense　attorney。〃
　　〃Oh；　he's　not　your　defense　attorney　on　the　debt　charges；〃　said　His　Honor　Judge　Harrison。　〃He's　just　your　defense　attorney　on　the　likker　charges。〃　Then　Harrison　grinned　and　gaveled　that　matter　closed。
　　The　likker　business　didn't　take　much　longer。　Jackson　carefully　presented　all　the　same　invoices　and　receipts　to　prove　that　every　keg　of　whisky　was　sold　to　the　sutler　of　Carthage　Fort；　and　not　a　speck　of　it　to　any　Reds。　〃Though　I　will　say；〃　said　Jackson；　〃that　the　amount　of　whisky　represented　by　these　receipts　seems　like　enough　for　three　years　for　an　army　ten　times　this　size。〃
　　〃We've　got　a　bunch　of　hard…drinking　soldiers；〃　said　Judge　Harrison。　〃And　I　reckon　that　likker　won't　last　six　months。　But　not　a　drop　to　the　Reds；　Mr。　Jackson；　you　may　be　sure！〃
　　Then　he　dismissed　all　charges　against　Hooch　Palmer；　alias　Ulysses　Brock。　〃But　let　this　be　a　lesson　to　you；　Mr。　Palmer；〃　said　Harrison　in　his　best　judicial　voice。　〃Justice　on　the　frontier　is　swift　and　sure。　See　to　it　you　pay　your　debts。　And　avoid　even　the　appearance　of　evil。〃
　　〃Sure　enough；〃　said　Hooch　cheerfully。　Harrison　had　rolled　him　over　good；　but　everything　had　worked　out　fine。　Oh；　the　220　dollars　bothered　him；　and　so　did　the　two　days　in　jail；　but　Harrison　didn't　mean　for　Hooch　to　suffer　much。　Because　what　Jackson　didn't　know；　and　no　one　else　saw　fit　to　mention；　was　that　Hooch　Palmer　happened　to　have　the　contract　as　sutler　for　the　U。S。　Army　in　Wobbish　Territory。　All　those　documents　that　proved　he　hadn't　sold　the　likker　to　the　Reds　really　showed　that　he　sold　the　likker　to　himself　　and　at　a　profit；　too。　Now　Jackson　would　head　on　home　and　Hooch　would　settle　down　in　the　sutler's　store；　selling　likker　to　the　Reds　at　extortionate　prices；　splitting　the　profits　with　Governor　Bill　and　watching　the　Reds　die　like　flies。　Harrison　had　played　his　little　joke　on　Hooch；　right　enough；　but　he'd　played　an　even　bigger　one　on　old　Hickory。
　　Hooch　made　sure　to　be　at　the　wharf　when　they　ferried　Jackson　back　across　the　Hio。　Jackson　had　brought　along　two　big　old　mountain　boys　with　rifles；　no　less。　Hooch　took　note　that　one　of　them　looked　to　be　half　Red　himself；　probably　a　Cherriky　half…breed　　there　was　lots　of　that　kind　of　thing　in　Appalachee；　White　men　actually　marrying　squaws　like　as　if　they　was　real　women。　And　both　those　rifles　had　〃Eli　Whitney〃　stamped　on　the　barrel；　which　meant　they　was　made　in　the　state　of　Irrakwa；　where　this　Whitney　fellow　set　up　shop　making　guns　so　fast　he　made　the　price　drop；　and　the　story　was　that　all　his　workmen　was　women；　Irrakwa　squaws；　if　you　can　believe　it。　Jackson　could　talk　all　he　wanted　about　pushing　the　Reds　west　of　the　Mizzipy；　but　it　was　already　too　late。　Ben　Franklin　did　it；　by　letting　the　Irrakwa　have　their　own　state　up　north；　and　Tom　Jefferson　made　it　worse　by　letting　the　Cherriky　be　full　voting　citizens　in　Appalachee　when　they　fought　their　revolution　against　the　King。　Treat　them　Reds　like　citizens　and　they　start　to　figure　they　got　the　same　rights　as　a　White　man。　There　was　no　way　to　have　an　orderly　society　if　that　sort　of　thing　caught　on。　Why；　next　thing　you　know　them　Blacks'd　start　trying　to　get　out　of　being　slaves；　and　first　thing　you　know　you'd　sit　down　at　the　bar　in　a　saloon　and　you'd　look　to　your　left　and　there'd　be　a　Red；　and　you'd　look　to　your　right　and　there'd　be　a　Black；　and　that　was　just　plain　against　nature。
　　There　went　Jackson；　thinking　he　was　going　to　save　the　White　man　from　the　Red；　when　he　was　traveling　with　a　half…breed　and　toting　Red…made　rifles。　Worst　of　all；　Jackson　had　eleven　gold　coins　in　his　saddle　pouch；　coins　that　properly　belonged　to　Hooch　Palmer。　It　made　Hooch　so　mad　he　couldn't　think　straight。
　　So　Hooch　hotted　up　that　saddle　pouch；　right　where　the　metal　pin　held　it　onto　the　saddle。　He　could　feel　it　from　here；　the　leather　charring；　turning　ash…black　and　stiff　around　that　pin。　Pretty　soon；　as　the　horse　walked　along；　that　bag　would　drop　right　off。　But　since　they　was　likely　to　notice　it；　Hooch　figured　he　wouldn't　stop　with　the　pouch。　He　hotted　up　a　whole　lot　of　other