on the frontier-第15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！



figure。　　As　soon　as　this　cursed　thing　is　blown　over；　I'll　be　back

here　and　see　you　through；　you　bet。　　I　don't　desert　my　friends；

however　rough　things　go　with　me。〃



〃I　see　you　don't；〃　returned　Patterson；　with　an　unconscious　and

serious　simplicity　that　had　the　effect　of　the　most　exquisite　irony。

〃I　was　only　just　saying　to　the　sheriff　that　if　there　was　anything　I

could　have　done　for　you；　you　wouldn't　have　cut　away　without　letting

me　know。〃　　Tucker　glanced　uneasily　at　Patterson；　who　continued；　〃Ye

ain't　wanting　anything　else？〃　　Then　observing　that　his　former

friend　and　patron　was　roughly　but　newly　clothed；　and　betrayed　no

trace　of　his　last　escapade；　he　added；　〃I　see　you've　got　a　fresh

harness。〃



〃That　dd　Chinaman　bought　me　these　at　the　landing；　they're　not

much　in　style　or　fit；〃　he　continued；　trying　to　get　a　moonlight　view

of　himself　in　the　mirror　behind　the　bar；　〃but　that　don't　matter

here。〃　　He　filled　another　glass　of　spirits；　jauntily　settled

himself　back　in　his　chair；　and　added；　〃I　don't　suppose　there　are

any　girls　around；　anyway。〃



〃'Cept　your　wife；　she　was　down　here　this　afternoon；〃　said　Patterson

meditatively。



Mr。　Tucker　paused　with　the　pie　in　his　hand。　　〃Ah；　yes！〃　　He　essayed

a　reckless　laugh；　but　that　evident　simulation　failed　before

Patterson's　melancholy。　　With　an　assumption　of　falling　in　with　his

friend's　manner；　rather　than　from　any　personal　anxiety；　he

continued；　〃Well？〃



〃That　man　Poindexter　was　down　here　with　her。　　Put　her　in　the

hacienda　to　hold　possession　afore　the　news　came　out。〃



〃Impossible！〃　said　Tucker；　rising　hastily。　　〃It　don't　belongthat

is〃　he　hesitated。



〃Yer　thinking　the　creditors　'll　get　it；　mebbe；〃　returned　Patterson；

gazing　at　the　floor。　　〃Not　as　long　as　she's　in　it；　no　sir！　　Whether

it's　really　hers；　or　she's　only　keeping　house　for　Poindexter；　she's

a　fixture；　you　bet。　　They're　a　team　when　they　pull　together；　they

are！〃



The　smile　slowly　faded　from　Tucker's　face；　that　now　looked　quite

rigid　in　the　moonlight。　　He　put　down　his　glass　and　walked　to　the

window　as　Patterson　gloomily　continued；　〃But　that's　nothing　to　you。

You've　got　ahead　of　'em　both；　and　had　your　revenge　by　going　off

with　the　gal。　　That's　what　I　said　all　along。　　When　folks

especially　women　folkswondered　how　you　could　leave　a　woman　like

your　wife；　and　go　off　with　a　scallawag　like　that　gal；　I　allers　said

they'd　find　out　there　was　a　reason。　　And　when　your　wife　came

flaunting　down　here　with　Poindexter　before　she'd　quite　got　quit　of

you；　I　reckon　they　began　to　see　the　whole　little　game。　　No　sir！　　I

knew　it　wasn't　on　account　of　the　gal！　　Why；　when　you　came　here　to…

night　and　told　me　quite　nat'ral…like　and　easy　how　she　went　off　in

the　ship；　and　then　calmly　ate　your　pie　and　drank　your　whiskey　after

it；　I　knew　you　didn't　care　for　her。　　There's　my　hand；　Spence；

you're　a　trump；　even　if　you　are　a　little　looney；　eh？　　Why；　what's

up？〃



Shallow　and　selfish　as　Tucker　was；　Patterson's　words　seemed　like　a

revelation　that　shocked　him　as　profoundly　as　it　might　have　shocked

a　nobler　nature。　　The　simple　vanity　and　selfishness　that　made　him

unable　to　conceive　any　higher　reason　for　his　wife's　loyalty　than

his　own　personal　popularity　and　success；　now　that　he　no　longer

possessed　that　eclat；　made　him　equally　capable　of　the　lowest

suspicions。　　He　was　a　dishonored　fugitive；　broken　in　fortune　and

reputationwhy　should　she　not　desert　him！　　He　had　been　unfaithful

to　her　from　wildness；　from　caprice；　from　the　effect　of　those

fascinating　qualities；　it　seemed　to　him　natural　that　she　should　be

disloyal　from　more　deliberate　motives；　and　he　hugged　himself　with

that　belief。　　Yet　there　was　enough　doubt；　enough　of　haunting

suspicion　that　he　had　lost　or　alienated　a　powerful　affection；　to

make　him　thoroughly　miserable。　　He　returned　his　friend's　grasp

convulsively　and　buried　his　face　upon　his　shoulder。　　But　he　was　not

above　feeling　a　certain　exultation　in　the　effect　of　his　misery　upon

the　dog…like；　unreasoning　affection　of　Patterson；　nor　could　he

entirely　refrain　from　slightly　posing　his　affliction　before　that

sympathetic　but　melancholy　man。　　Suddenly　he　raised　his　head；　drew

back；　and　thrust　his　hand　into　his　bosom　with　a　theatrical　gesture。



〃What's　to　keep　me　from　killing　Poindexter　in　his　tracks？〃　he　said

wildly。



〃Nothin'　but　HIS　shooting　first；〃　returned　Patterson；　with　dismal

practicality。　　〃He's　mighty　quick；　like　all　them　army　men。　　It's

about　even；　I　reckon；　that　he　don't　get　ME　first；〃　he　added　in　an

ominous　voice。



〃No！〃　returned　Tucker；　grasping　his　hand　again。　　〃This　is　not　your

affair；　Patterson；　leave　him　to　me　when　I　come　back。〃



〃If　he　ever　gets　the　drop　on　me；　I　reckon　he　won't　wait；〃　continued

Patterson　lugubriously。　　〃He　seems　to　object　to　my　passin'

criticism　on　your　wife；　as　if　she　was　a　queen　or　an　angel。〃



The　blood　came　to　Spencer's　cheek；　and　he　turned　uneasily　to　the

window。　　〃It's　dark　enough　now　for　a　start；〃　he　said　hurriedly；

〃and　if　I　could　get　across　the　mountain　without　lying　over　at　the

summit；　it　would　be　a　day　gained。〃



Patterson　arose　without　a　word；　filled　a　flask　of　spirit；　handed　it

to　his　friend；　and　silently　led　the　way　through　the　slowly　falling

rain　and　the　now　settled　darkness。　　The　mustang　was　quickly　secured

and　saddled；　a　heavy　poncho　afforded　Tucker　a　disguise　as　well　as　a

protection　from　the　rain。　　With　a　few　hurried；　disconnected　words；

and　an　abstracted　air；　he　once　more　shook　his　friend's　hand　and

issued　cautiously　from　the　corral。　　When　out　of　earshot　from　the

house　he　put　spurs　to　the　mustang；　and　dashed　into　a　gallop。



To　intersect　the　mountain　road　he　was　obliged　to　traverse　part　of

the　highway　his　wife　had　walked　that　afternoon；　and　to　pass　within

a　mile　of　the　casa　where　she　was。　　Long　before　he　reached　that

point　his　eyes　were　straining　the　darkness　in　that　direction　for

some　indication　of　the　house　which　was　to　him　familiar。　　Becoming

now　accustomed　to　the　even　obscurity；　less　trying　to　the　vision

than　the　alternate　light　and　shadow　of　cloud　or　the　full　glare　of

the　moonlight；　he　fancied　he　could　distinguish　its　low　walls　over

the　monotonous　level。　　One　of　those　impulses　which　had　so　often

taken　the　place　of　resolution　in　his　character　suddenly　possessed

him　to　diverge　from　his　course　and　approach　the　house。　　Why；　he

could　not　have　explained。　　It　was　not　from　any　feeling　of　jealous

suspicion　or　contemplated　revengethat　had　passed　with　the

presence　of　Patterson；　it　was　not　from　any　vague　lingering

sentiment　for　the　woman　he　had　wrongedhe　would　have　shrunk　from

meeting　her　at　that　moment。　　But　it　was　full　of　these　and　more

possibilities　by　which　he　might　or　might　not　be　guided；　and　was　at

least　a　movement　towards　some　vague　end；　and　a　distraction　from

certain　thoughts　he　dared　not　entertain　and　could　not　entirely

dismiss。　　Inconceivable　and　inexplicable　to　human　reason；　it　might

have　been　acceptable　to　the　Divine　omniscience　for　its　predestined

result。



He　left　the　road　at　a　point　where　the　marsh　encroached　upon　the

meadow；　familiar　to　him　already　as　near　the　spot　where　he　had

embarked　from　the　Chinaman's　boat　the　day　before。　　He　remembered

that　the　walls　of　the　hacienda　were　distinctly　visible　from　the

tules　where　he　had　hidden　all　day；　and　he　now　knew　that　the　figures

he　had　observed　near　the　building；　which　had　deterred　his　first

attempts　at　landing；　must　have　been　his　wife　and　his　friend。　　He

knew　that　a　long　tongue　of　the　slough　filled　by　the　rising　tide

followed　the　marsh；　and　lay　between　him　and　the　hacienda。　　The

sinking　of　his　horse's　hoofs　in　the　spongy　soil　determined　its

proximity；　and　he　made　a　detour　to　the　right　to　avoid　it。　　In　doing

so；　a　light　suddenly　rose　above　the　distant　horizon　ahead　of　him；

trembled　faintly；　and　then　burned　with　a　steady　lustre。　　It　was　a

light　at　the　hacienda。　　Guiding　his　horse　half　abstractedly　in　this

direction；　his　progress　was　presently　checked　by　the　splashing　of

the　animal's　hoofs　in　the　water。　　But　the　turf　below　was　firm；　and

a　salt　drop　that　had　spattered　to　his　lips　told　him　that　it　was

only　the　encroaching　of　the　tide　in　the　meadow。　　With　his　eyes　on

the　light；　he　again　urged　his　horse　forward。　　The　rain　lulled；　the

clouds　began　to　break；　the　landscape　alternately　lightened　and　grew

dark；　the　outlines　of　the　crumbling　hacienda　walls　that　enshrined

the　light　grew　more　visible。　　A　strange　and　dreamy　resemblance　to

the　long　blue…grass　plain　before　his　wife's　paternal　house；　as　seen

by　him　during　his　evening　rides　to　courtship；　pressed　itself　upon

him。　　He　remembered；　too；　that　she　used　to　put　a　light　in　the

window　to　indicate　her　presence。　　Following　this　retrospect；　the

moon　came　boldly　out；　sparkled　upon　the　overflow　of　silver　at　his

feet；　seemed　to　show　the　dark；　opaque　meadow　beyond　for　a　moment；

and　then　disappeared。　　It　was　dark　now；　but　the　lesser　earthly　star

still　shone　before　him　as　a　guide；　and　pushing　towards　it；　he

passed　in　the　all…embracing　shadow。





CHAPTER　IV





As　Mrs。　Tucker；　erect；　white；　and　rigid；　drove　away　from　the

tienda；　it　seemed　to　her　to　sink　again　into　the　monotonous　plain；

with　all　its　horrible　realities。　　Except　that　there　was　now　a　new

and　heart…breaking　significance　to　the　solitude　and　loneliness　of

the　landscape；　all　that　had　passed　might　have　been　a　dream。　　But　as

the　blood　came　back　to　her　cheek；　and　little　by　little　her　tingling

consciousness　returned；　it　seemed　as　if　her　life　had　been　the

dream；　and　this　last　scene　the　awakening　reality。　　With　eyes

smarting　with　the　moisture　of　shame；　the　scarlet　blood　at　times

dyeing　her　very　neck　and　temples；　she　muffled　her　lowered　crest　in

her　shawl　and　bent　over　the　reins。　　Bit　by　bit　she　recalled；　in

Poindexter's　mysterious　caution　and　strange　allusions；　the

corroboration　of　her　husband's　shame　and　her　own　disgrace。　　This

was　why　she　was　brought　hitherthe　deserted　wife；　and　ab