susy, a story of the plains-第19部分

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continued：



〃There　is　not　a　vacquero　in　the　whole　rancho　who　has　a　horse…hair

riata。　　We　use　the　braided　cowhide；　it　is　heavier　and　stronger；　it

is　for　the　bull　and　not　the　man。　　The　horse…hair　riata　comes　from

over　the　rangesouth。〃



There　was　a　dead　silence；　broken　only　by　the　drumming　of　the　rain

upon　the　roof　of　the　veranda。　　Incarnacion　slightly　shrugged　his

shoulders。



〃Don　Clarencio　does　not　know　the　southern　county？　　Francisco　Robles；

cousin　of　the　'Sisters；'he　they　call　'Pancho；'comes　from　the

south。　　Surely　when　Don　Clarencio　bought　the　title　he　saw　Francisco；

for　he　was　the　steward？〃



〃I　dealt　only　with　the　actual　owners　and　through　my　bankers　in　San

Francisco；〃　returned　Clarence　abstractedly。



Incarnacion　looked　through　the　yellow　corners　of　his　murky　eyes　at

his　master。



〃Pedro　Valdez；　who　was　sent　away　by　Senor　Peyton；　is　the　foster…

brother　of　Francisco。　　They　were　much　together。　　Now　that　Francisco

is　rich　from　the　gold　Don　Clarencio　paid　for　the　title；　they　come

not　much　together。　　But　Pedro　is　rich；　too。　　Mother　of　God！　　He

gambles　and　is　a　fine　gentleman。　　He　holds　his　head　high；even　over

the　Americanos　he　gambles　with。　　Truly；　they　say　he　can　shoot　with

the　best　of　them。　　He　boasts　and　swells　himself；　this　Pedro！　　He

says　if　all　the　old　families　were　like　him；　they　would　drive　those

western　swine　back　over　the　mountains　again。〃



Clarence　raised　his　eyes；　caught　a　subtle　yellow　flash　from

Incarnacion's；　gazed　at　him　suddenly；　and　rose。



〃I　don't　think　I　have　ever　seen　him；〃　he　said　quietly。　　〃Thank　you

for　bringing　me　the　spur。　　But　keep　the　knowledge　of　it　to　yourself；

good　Nascio；　for　the　present。〃



Nascio　nevertheless　still　lingered。　　Perceiving　which；　Clarence

handed　him　a　cigarette　and　proceeded　to　light　one　himself。　　He　knew

that　the　vacquero　would　reroll　his；　and　that　that　always　deliberate

occupation　would　cover　and　be　an　excuse　for　further　confidence。



〃The　Senora　Peyton　does　not　perhaps　meet　this　Pedro　in　the　society

of　San　Francisco？〃



〃Surely　not。　　The　senora　is　in　mourning　and　goes　not　out　in　society；

nor　would　she　probably　go　anywhere　where　she　would　meet　a　dismissed

servant　of　her　husband。〃



Incarnacion　slowly　lit　his　cigarette；　and　said　between　the　puffs；

〃And　the　senoritashe　would　not　meet　him？〃



〃Assuredly　not。〃



〃And；〃　continued　Incarnacion；　throwing　down　the　match　and　putting

his　foot　on　it；　〃if　this　boaster；　this　turkey…cock；　says　she　did；

you　could　put　him　out　like　that？〃



〃Certainly；〃　said　Clarence；　with　an　easy　confidence　he　was；　however；

far　from　feeling；　〃if　he　really　SAID　itwhich　I　doubt。〃



〃Ah；　truly；〃　said　Incarnacion；　〃who　knows？　　It　may　be　another

Senorita　Silsbee。〃



〃The　senora's　adopted　daughter　is　called　MISS　PEYTON；　friend　Nascio。

You　forget　yourself；〃　said　Clarence　quietly。



〃Ah；　pardon！〃　said　Incarnacion　with　effusive　apology；　〃but　she　was

born　Silsbee。　　Everybody　knows　it；　she　herself　has　told　it　to

Pepita。　　The　Senor　Peyton　bequeathed　his　estate　to　the　Senora

Peyton。　　He　named　not　the　senorita！　　Eh；　what　would　you？　　It　is　the

common　cackle　of　the　barnyard。　　But　I　say　'Mees　Silsbee。'　　For　look

you。　　There　is　a　Silsbee　of　Sacramento；　the　daughter　of　her　aunt；

who　writes　letters　to　her。　　Pepita　has　seen　them！　　And　possibly　it

is　only　that　Mees　of　whom　the　brigand　Pedro　boasts。〃



〃Possibly；〃　said　Clarence；　〃but　as　far　as　this　rancho　is　concerned；

friend　Nascio；　thou　wilt　understandand　I　look　to　thee　to　make　the

others　understandthat　there　is　no　Senorita　SILSBEE　here；　only　the

Senorita　PEYTON；　the　respected　daughter　of　the　senora　thy　mistress！〃

He　spoke　with　the　quaint　mingling　of　familiarity　and　paternal

gravity　of　the　Spanish　mastera　faculty　he　had　acquired　at　El

Refugio　in　a　like　vicarious　position；　and　which　never　failed　as　a

sign　of　authority。　　〃And　now；〃　he　added　gravely；　〃get　out　of　this；

friend；　with　God's　blessing；　and　see　that　thou　rememberest　what　I

told　thee。〃



The　retainer；　with　equal　gravity；　stepped　backwards；　saluted　with

his　sombrero　until　the　stiff　brim　scraped　the　floor；　and　then

solemnly　withdrew。



Left　to　himself；　Clarence　remained　for　an　instant　silent　and

thoughtful　before　the　oven…like　hearth。　　So！　everybody　knew　Susy's

real　relations　to　the　Peytons；　and　everybody　but　Mrs。　Peyton；

perhaps；　knew　that　she　was　secretly　corresponding　with　some　one　of

her　own　family。　　In　other　circumstances　he　might　have　found　some

excuse　for　this　assertion　of　her　independence　and　love　of　her

kindred；　but　in　her　attitude　towards　Mrs。　Peyton　it　seemed

monstrous。　　It　appeared　impossible　that　Mrs。　Peyton　should　not　have

heard　of　it；　or　suspected　the　young　girl's　disaffection。　　Perhaps

she　had；it　was　another　burden　laid　upon　her　shoulders；but　the

proud　woman　had　kept　it　to　herself。　　A　film　of　moisture　came　across

his　eyes。　　I　fear　he　thought　less　of　the　suggestion　of　Susy's　secret

meeting　with　Pedro；　or　Incarnacion's　implied　suspicions　that　Pedro

was　concerned　in　Peyton's　death；　than　of　this　sentimental

possibility。　　He　knew　that　Pedro　had　been　hated　by　the　others　on

account　of　his　position；　he　knew　the　instinctive　jealousies　of　the

race　and　their　predisposition　to　extravagant　misconstruction。　　From

what　he　had　gathered；　and　particularly　from　the　voices　he　had

overheard　on　the　Fair　Plains　Road；　it　seemed　to　him　that　Pedro　was

more　capable　of　mercenary　intrigue　than　physical　revenge。　　He　was

not　aware　of　the　irrevocable　affront　put　upon　Pedro　by　Peyton；　and

he　had　consequently　attached　no　importance　to　Peyton's　own　half…

scornful　intimation　of　the　only　kind　of　retaliation　that　Pedro　would

be　likely　to　take。　　The　unsuccessful　attempt　upon　himself　he　had

always　thought　might　have　been　an　accident；　or　if　it　was　really　a

premeditated　assault；　it　might　have　been　intended　actually　for

HIMSELF　and　not　Peyton；　as　he　had　first　thought；　and　his　old　friend

had　suffered　for　HIM；　through　some　mistake　of　the　assailant。　　The

purpose；　which　alone　seemed　wanting；　might　have　been　to　remove

Clarence　as　a　possible　witness　who　had　overheard　their　conspiracy

how　much　of　it　they　did　not　knowon　the　Fair　Plains　Road　that

night。　　The　only　clue　he　held　to　the　murderer　in　the　spur　locked　in

his　desk；　merely　led　him　beyond　the　confines　of　the　rancho；　but

definitely　nowhere　else。　　It　was；　however；　some　relief　to　know　that

the　crime　was　not　committed　by　one　of　Peyton's　retainers；　nor　the

outcome　of　domestic　treachery。



After　some　consideration　he　resolved　to　seek　Jim　Hooker；　who　might

be　possessed　of　some　information　respecting　Susy's　relations；　either

from　the　young　girl's　own　confidences　or　from　Jim's　personal

knowledge　of　the　old　frontier　families。　　From　a　sense　of　loyalty　to

Susy　and　Mrs。　Peyton；　he　had　never　alluded　to　the　subject　before

him；　but　since　the　young　girl's　own　indiscretion　had　made　it　a

matter　of　common　report；　however　distasteful　it　was　to　his　own

feelings；　he　felt　he　could　not　plead　the　sense　of　delicacy　for　her。

He　had　great　hopes　in　what　he　had　always　believed　was　only　her

exaggeration　of　fact　as　well　as　feeling。　　And　he　had　an　instinctive

reliance　on　her　fellow　poseur's　ability　to　detect　it。　　A　few　days

later；　when　he　found　he　could　safely　leave　the　rancho　alone；　he　rode

to　Fair　Plains。



The　floods　were　out　along　the　turnpike　road；　and　even　seemed　to　have

increased　since　his　last　journey。　　The　face　of　the　landscape　had

changed　again。　　One　of　the　lower　terraces　had　become　a　wild　mere　of

sedge　and　reeds。　　The　dry　and　dusty　bed　of　a　forgotten　brook　had

reappeared；　a　full…banked　river；　crossing　the　turnpike　and

compelling　a　long　detour　before　the　traveler　could　ford　it。　　But　as

he　approached　the　Hopkins　farm　and　the　opposite　clearing　and　cabin

of　Jim　Hooker；　he　was　quite　unprepared　for　a　still　more　remarkable

transformation。　　The　cabin；　a　three…roomed　structure；　and　its

cattle…shed　had　entirely　disappeared！　　There　were　no　traces　or　signs

of　inundation。　　The　land　lay　on　a　gentle　acclivity　above　the　farm

and　secure　from　the　effects　of　the　flood；　and　a　part　of　the　ploughed

and　cleared　land　around　the　site　of　the　cabin　showed　no　evidence　of

overflow　on　its　black；　upturned　soil。　　But　the　house　was　gone！　　Only

a　few　timbers　too　heavy　to　be　removed；　the　blighting　erasions　of　a

few　months　of　occupation；　and　the　dull；　blackened　area　of　the　site

itself　were　to　be　seen。　　The　fence　alone　was　intact。



Clarence　halted　before　it；　perplexed　and　astonished。　　Scarcely　two

weeks　had　elapsed　since　he　had　last　visited　it　and　sat　beneath　its

roof　with　Jim；　and　already　its　few　ruins　had　taken　upon　themselves

the　look　of　years　of　abandonment　and　decay。　　The　wild　land　seemed　to

have　thrown　off　its　yoke　of　cultivation　in　a　night；　and　nature

rioted　again　with　all　its　primal　forces　over　the　freed　soil。　　Wild

oats　and　mustard　were　springing　already　in　the　broken　furrows；　and

lank　vines　were　slimily　spreading　over　a　few　scattered　but　still

unseasoned　and　sappy　shingles。　　Some　battered　tin　cans　and　fragments

of　old　clothing　looked　as　remote　as　if　they　had　been　relics　of　the

earliest　immigration。



Clarence　turned　inquiringly　towards　the　Hopkins　farmhouse　across　the

road。　　His　arrival；　however；　had　already　been　noticed；　as　the　door

of　the　kitchen　opened　in　an　anticipatory　fashion；　and　he　could　see

the　slight　figure　of　Phoebe　Hopkins　in　the　doorway；　backed　by　the

overlooking　heads　and　shoulders　of　her　parents。　　The　face　of　the

young　girl　was　pale　and　drawn　with　anxiety；　at　which　Clarence's

simple　astonishment　took　a　shade　of　concern。



〃I　am　looking　for　Mr。　Hooker；〃　he　said　uneasily。　　〃And　I　don't　seem

to　be　able　to　find　either　him　or　his　house。〃



〃And　you　don't　know　what's　gone　of　him？〃　said　the　girl　quickly。



〃No；　I　haven't　seen　him　for　two　weeks。〃



〃There；　I　told　you　so！〃　said　the　girl；　turning　nervously　to　her

parents。　　〃I　knew　it。　　He　hasn't　seen　him　for　two　weeks。〃　　Then；