章节正文
raised his left hand to turn back a lapel of his open vest. The
silver star flashed brightly.
Lawson howled like a dog. With barbarous and insane fury, with
sheer impotent folly, he swept a clawing hand for his gun.
Duane's shot broke his action.
Before Lawson ever tottered, before he loosed the gun,
Longstreth leaped behind him, clasped him with left arm, quick
as lightning jerked the gun from both clutching fingers and
sheath. Longstreth protected himself with the body of the dead
man. Duane saw red flashes, puffs of smoke; he heard quick
reports. Something stung his left arm. Then a blow like wind,
light of sound yet shocking in impact, struck him, staggered
him. The hot rend of lead followed the blow. Duane's heart
seemed to explode, yet his mind kept extraordinarily clear and
rapid.
Duane heard Longstreth work the action of Lawson's gun. He
heard the hammer click, fall upon empty shells. Longstreth had
used up all the loads in Lawson's gun. He cursed as a man
cursed at defeat. Duane waited, cool and sure now. Longstreth
tried to lift the dead man, to edge him closer toward the table
where his own gun lay. But, considering the peril of exposing
himself, he found the task beyond him. He bent peering at Duane
under Lawson's arm, which flopped out from his side.
Longstreth's eyes were the eyes of a man who meant to kill.
There was never any mistaking the strange and terrible light of
eyes like those. More than once Duane had a chance to aim at
them, at the top of Longstreth's head, at a strip of his side.
Longstreth flung Lawson's body off. But even as it dropped,
before Longstreth could leap, as he surely intended, for the
gun, Duane covered him, called piercingly to him:
"Don't jump for the gun! Don't! I'll kill you! Sure as God I'll
kill you!"
Longstreth stood perhaps ten feet from the table where his gun
lay Duane saw him calculating chances. He was game. He had the
courage that forced Duane to respect him. Duane just saw him
measure the distance to that gun. He was magnificent. He meant
to do it. Duane would have to kill him.
"Longstreth, listen," cried Duane, swiftly. "The game's up.
You're done. But think of your daughter! I'll spare your
life--I'll try to get you freedom on one condition. For her
sake! I've got you nailed--all the proofs. There lies Lawson.
You're alone. I've Morton and men to my aid. Give up.
Surrender. Consent to demands, and I'll spare you. Maybe I can
persuade MacNelly to let you go free back to your old country.
It's for Ray's sake! Her life, perhaps her happiness, can be
saved! Hurry, man! Your answer!"
"Suppose I refuse?" he queried, with a dark and terrible
earnestness.
"Then I'll kill you in your tracks! You can't move a hand! Your
word or death! Hurry, Longstreth! Be a man! For her sake!
Quick! Another second now--I'll kill you!"
"All right, Buck Duane, I give my word," he said, and
deliberately walked to the chair and fell into it.
Longstreth looked strangely at the bloody blot on Duane's
shoulder.
"There come the girls!" he suddenly exclaimed. "Can you help me
drag Lawson inside? They mustn't see him."
Duane was facing down the porch toward the court and corrals.
Miss Longstreth and Ruth had come in sight, were swiftly
approaching, evidently alarmed. The two men succeeded in
drawing Lawson into the house before the girls saw him.
"Duane, you're not hard hit?" said Longstreth.
"Reckon not," replied Duane.
"I'm sorry. If only you could have told me sooner! Lawson, damn
him! Always I've split over him!"
"But the last time, Longstreth."
"Yes, and I came near driving you to kill me, too. Duane, you
talked me out of it. For Ray's sake! She'll be in here in a
minute. This'll be harder than facing a gun."
"Hard now. But I hope it'll turn out all right."
"Duane, will you do me a favor?" he asked, and he seemed
shamefaced.
"Sure."
"Let Ray and Ruth think Lawson shot you. He's dead. It can't
matter. Duane, the old side of my life is coming back. It's
been coming. It'll be here just about when she enters this
room. And, by God, I'd change places with Lawson if I could!"
"Glad you--said that, Longstreth," replied Duane. "And
sure--Lawson plugged me. It's our secret."
Just then Ray and Ruth entered the room. Duane heard two low
cries, so different in tone, and he saw two white faces. Ray
came to his side, She lifted a shaking hand to point at the
blood upon his breast. White and mute, she gazed from that to
her father.
"Papa!" cried Ray, wringing her hands.
"Don't give way," he replied, huskily. "Both you girls will
need your nerve. Duane isn't badly hurt. But Floyd is--is dead.
Listen. Let me tell it quick. There's been a fight. It--it was
Lawson--it was Lawson's gun that shot Duane. Duane let me off.
In fact, Ray, he saved me. I'm to divide my property--return so
far as possible what I've stolen--leave Texas at once with
Duane, under arrest. He says maybe he can get MacNelly, the
ranger captain, to let me go. For your sake!"
She stood there, realizing her deliverance, with the dark and
tragic glory of her eyes passing from her father to Duane.
"You must rise above this," said Duane to her. "I expected this
to ruin you. But your father is alive. He will live it down.
I'm sure I can promise you he'll be free. Perhaps back there in
Louisiana the dishonor will never be known. This country is far
from your old home. And even in San Antonio and.Austin a man's
evil repute means little. Then the line between a rustler and a
rancher is hard to draw in these wild border days. Rustling is
stealing cattle, and I once heard a well-known rancher say that
all rich cattlemen had done a little stealing Your father
drifted out here, and, like a good many others, he succeeded.
It's perhaps just as well not to split hairs, to judge him by
the law and morality of a civilized country. Some way or other
he drifted in with bad men. Maybe a deal that was honest
somehow tied his hands. This matter of land, water, a few stray
head of stock had to be decided out of court. I'm sure in his
case he never realized where he was drifting. Then one thing
led to another, until he was face to face with dealing that
took on crooked form. To protect himself he bound men to him.
And so the gang developed. Many powerful gangs have developed
that way out here. He could not control them. He became
involved with them. And eventually their dealings became
deliberately and boldlydishonest. That meant the inevitable
spilling of blood sooner or later, and so he grew into the
leader because he was the strongest. Whatever he is to be
judged for, I think he could have been infinitely worse."
CHAPTER XXIV
On the morning of the twenty-sixth Duane rode into Bradford in
time to catch the early train. His wounds did not seriously
incapacitate him. Longstreth was with him. And Miss Longstreth
and Ruth Herbert would not be left behind. They were all
leaving Fairdale for ever. Longstreth had turned over the whole
of his property to Morton, who was to divide it as he and his
comrades believed just. Duane had left Fairdale with his party
by night, passed through Sanderson in the early hours of dawn,
and reached Bradford as he had planned.
That fateful morning found Duane outwardly calm, but inwardly
he was in a tumult. He wanted to rush to Val Verde. Would
Captain MacNelly be there with his rangers, as Duane had
planned for them to be? Memory of that tawny Poggin returned
with strange passion. Duane had borne hours and weeks and
months of waiting, had endured the long hours of the outlaw,
but now he had no patience. The whistle of the train made him
leap.
It was a fast train, yet the ride seemed slow.
Duane, disliking to face Longstreth and the passengers in the
car, changed his seat to one behind his prisoner. They had
seldom spoken. Longstreth sat with bowed head, deep in thought.
The girls sat in a seat near by and were pale but composed.
Occasionally the train halted briefly at a station. The latter
half of that ride Duane had observed a wagon-road running
parallel with the railroad, sometimes right alongside,
at others near or far away. When the train was about twenty
miles from Val Verde Duane espied a dark group of horsemen
trotting eastward. His blood beat like a hammer at his temples.
The gang! He thought he recognized the tawny Poggin and felt a
strange inwardcontraction. He thought he recognized the
clean-cut Blossom Kane, the black-bearded giant Boldt, the
red-faced Panhandle Smith, and Fletcher. There was another man
strange to him. Was that Knell? No! it could not have been
Knell.
Duane leaned over the seat and touched Longstreth on the
shoulder.
"Look!" he whispered. Cheseldine was stiff. He had already
seen.
The train flashed by; the outlaw gang receded out of range of
sight.
"Did you notice Knell wasn't with them?" whispered Duane.
Duane did not speak to Longstreth again till the train stopped
at Val Verde.
They got off the car, and the girls followed as naturally as
ordinary travelers. The station was a good deal larger than
that at Bradford, and there was considerable action and bustle
incident to the arrival of the train.
Duane's sweeping gaze searched faces, rested upon a man who
seemed familiar. This fellow's look, too, was that of one who
knew Duane, but was waiting for a sign, a cue. Then Duane
recognized him--MacNelly, clean-shaven. Without mustache he
appeared different, younger.
When MacNelly saw that Duane intended to greet him, to meet
him, he hurried forward. A keen light flashed from his eyes. He
was glad, eager, yet suppressing himself, and the glances he
sent back and forth from Duane to Longstreth were questioning,
doubtful. Certainly Longstreth did not look the part of an
outlaw.
"Duane! Lord, I'm glad to see you," was the Captain's greeting.
Then at closer look into Duane's face his warmth
fled--something he saw there checked his enthusiasm, or at
least its utterance.
"MacNelly, shake hand with Cheseldine," said Duane, low-voiced.
The ranger captain stood dumb, motionless. But he saw
Longstreth's instant action, and awkwardly he reached for the
outstretched hand.
"Any of your men down here?" queried Duane, sharply.
"No. They're up-town."
"Come. MacNelly, you walk with him. We've ladies in the party.
I'll come behind with them."
They set off up-town. Longstreth walked as if he were with
friends on the way to dinner. The girls were mute. MacNelly
walked like a man in a trance. There was not a word spoken in
four blocks.
Presently Duane espied a stone building on a corner of the
broad street. There was a big sign, "Rancher's Bank."
"There's the hotel," said MacNelly. "Some of my men are there.
We've scattered around."
They crossed the street, went through office and lobby, and
then Duane asked MacNelly to take them to a private room.
silver star flashed brightly.
Lawson howled like a dog. With barbarous and insane fury, with
sheer impotent folly, he swept a clawing hand for his gun.
Duane's shot broke his action.
Before Lawson ever tottered, before he loosed the gun,
Longstreth leaped behind him, clasped him with left arm, quick
as lightning jerked the gun from both clutching fingers and
sheath. Longstreth protected himself with the body of the dead
man. Duane saw red flashes, puffs of smoke; he heard quick
reports. Something stung his left arm. Then a blow like wind,
light of sound yet shocking in impact, struck him, staggered
him. The hot rend of lead followed the blow. Duane's heart
seemed to explode, yet his mind kept extraordinarily clear and
rapid.
Duane heard Longstreth work the action of Lawson's gun. He
heard the hammer click, fall upon empty shells. Longstreth had
used up all the loads in Lawson's gun. He cursed as a man
cursed at defeat. Duane waited, cool and sure now. Longstreth
tried to lift the dead man, to edge him closer toward the table
where his own gun lay. But, considering the peril of exposing
himself, he found the task beyond him. He bent peering at Duane
under Lawson's arm, which flopped out from his side.
Longstreth's eyes were the eyes of a man who meant to kill.
There was never any mistaking the strange and terrible light of
eyes like those. More than once Duane had a chance to aim at
them, at the top of Longstreth's head, at a strip of his side.
Longstreth flung Lawson's body off. But even as it dropped,
before Longstreth could leap, as he surely intended, for the
gun, Duane covered him, called piercingly to him:
"Don't jump for the gun! Don't! I'll kill you! Sure as God I'll
kill you!"
Longstreth stood perhaps ten feet from the table where his gun
lay Duane saw him calculating chances. He was game. He had the
courage that forced Duane to respect him. Duane just saw him
measure the distance to that gun. He was magnificent. He meant
to do it. Duane would have to kill him.
"Longstreth, listen," cried Duane, swiftly. "The game's up.
You're done. But think of your daughter! I'll spare your
life--I'll try to get you freedom on one condition. For her
sake! I've got you nailed--all the proofs. There lies Lawson.
You're alone. I've Morton and men to my aid. Give up.
Surrender. Consent to demands, and I'll spare you. Maybe I can
persuade MacNelly to let you go free back to your old country.
It's for Ray's sake! Her life, perhaps her happiness, can be
saved! Hurry, man! Your answer!"
"Suppose I refuse?" he queried, with a dark and terrible
earnestness.
"Then I'll kill you in your tracks! You can't move a hand! Your
word or death! Hurry, Longstreth! Be a man! For her sake!
Quick! Another second now--I'll kill you!"
"All right, Buck Duane, I give my word," he said, and
deliberately walked to the chair and fell into it.
Longstreth looked strangely at the bloody blot on Duane's
shoulder.
"There come the girls!" he suddenly exclaimed. "Can you help me
drag Lawson inside? They mustn't see him."
Duane was facing down the porch toward the court and corrals.
Miss Longstreth and Ruth had come in sight, were swiftly
approaching, evidently alarmed. The two men succeeded in
drawing Lawson into the house before the girls saw him.
"Duane, you're not hard hit?" said Longstreth.
"Reckon not," replied Duane.
"I'm sorry. If only you could have told me sooner! Lawson, damn
him! Always I've split over him!"
"But the last time, Longstreth."
"Yes, and I came near driving you to kill me, too. Duane, you
talked me out of it. For Ray's sake! She'll be in here in a
minute. This'll be harder than facing a gun."
"Hard now. But I hope it'll turn out all right."
"Duane, will you do me a favor?" he asked, and he seemed
shamefaced.
"Sure."
"Let Ray and Ruth think Lawson shot you. He's dead. It can't
matter. Duane, the old side of my life is coming back. It's
been coming. It'll be here just about when she enters this
room. And, by God, I'd change places with Lawson if I could!"
"Glad you--said that, Longstreth," replied Duane. "And
sure--Lawson plugged me. It's our secret."
Just then Ray and Ruth entered the room. Duane heard two low
cries, so different in tone, and he saw two white faces. Ray
came to his side, She lifted a shaking hand to point at the
blood upon his breast. White and mute, she gazed from that to
her father.
"Papa!" cried Ray, wringing her hands.
"Don't give way," he replied, huskily. "Both you girls will
need your nerve. Duane isn't badly hurt. But Floyd is--is dead.
Listen. Let me tell it quick. There's been a fight. It--it was
Lawson--it was Lawson's gun that shot Duane. Duane let me off.
In fact, Ray, he saved me. I'm to divide my property--return so
far as possible what I've stolen--leave Texas at once with
Duane, under arrest. He says maybe he can get MacNelly, the
ranger captain, to let me go. For your sake!"
She stood there, realizing her deliverance, with the dark and
tragic glory of her eyes passing from her father to Duane.
"You must rise above this," said Duane to her. "I expected this
to ruin you. But your father is alive. He will live it down.
I'm sure I can promise you he'll be free. Perhaps back there in
Louisiana the dishonor will never be known. This country is far
from your old home. And even in San Antonio and.Austin a man's
evil repute means little. Then the line between a rustler and a
rancher is hard to draw in these wild border days. Rustling is
stealing cattle, and I once heard a well-known rancher say that
all rich cattlemen had done a little stealing Your father
drifted out here, and, like a good many others, he succeeded.
It's perhaps just as well not to split hairs, to judge him by
the law and morality of a civilized country. Some way or other
he drifted in with bad men. Maybe a deal that was honest
somehow tied his hands. This matter of land, water, a few stray
head of stock had to be decided out of court. I'm sure in his
case he never realized where he was drifting. Then one thing
led to another, until he was face to face with dealing that
took on crooked form. To protect himself he bound men to him.
And so the gang developed. Many powerful gangs have developed
that way out here. He could not control them. He became
involved with them. And eventually their dealings became
deliberately and boldlydishonest. That meant the inevitable
spilling of blood sooner or later, and so he grew into the
leader because he was the strongest. Whatever he is to be
judged for, I think he could have been infinitely worse."
CHAPTER XXIV
On the morning of the twenty-sixth Duane rode into Bradford in
time to catch the early train. His wounds did not seriously
incapacitate him. Longstreth was with him. And Miss Longstreth
and Ruth Herbert would not be left behind. They were all
leaving Fairdale for ever. Longstreth had turned over the whole
of his property to Morton, who was to divide it as he and his
comrades believed just. Duane had left Fairdale with his party
by night, passed through Sanderson in the early hours of dawn,
and reached Bradford as he had planned.
That fateful morning found Duane outwardly calm, but inwardly
he was in a tumult. He wanted to rush to Val Verde. Would
Captain MacNelly be there with his rangers, as Duane had
planned for them to be? Memory of that tawny Poggin returned
with strange passion. Duane had borne hours and weeks and
months of waiting, had endured the long hours of the outlaw,
but now he had no patience. The whistle of the train made him
leap.
It was a fast train, yet the ride seemed slow.
Duane, disliking to face Longstreth and the passengers in the
car, changed his seat to one behind his prisoner. They had
seldom spoken. Longstreth sat with bowed head, deep in thought.
The girls sat in a seat near by and were pale but composed.
Occasionally the train halted briefly at a station. The latter
half of that ride Duane had observed a wagon-road running
parallel with the railroad, sometimes right alongside,
at others near or far away. When the train was about twenty
miles from Val Verde Duane espied a dark group of horsemen
trotting eastward. His blood beat like a hammer at his temples.
The gang! He thought he recognized the tawny Poggin and felt a
strange inwardcontraction. He thought he recognized the
clean-cut Blossom Kane, the black-bearded giant Boldt, the
red-faced Panhandle Smith, and Fletcher. There was another man
strange to him. Was that Knell? No! it could not have been
Knell.
Duane leaned over the seat and touched Longstreth on the
shoulder.
"Look!" he whispered. Cheseldine was stiff. He had already
seen.
The train flashed by; the outlaw gang receded out of range of
sight.
"Did you notice Knell wasn't with them?" whispered Duane.
Duane did not speak to Longstreth again till the train stopped
at Val Verde.
They got off the car, and the girls followed as naturally as
ordinary travelers. The station was a good deal larger than
that at Bradford, and there was considerable action and bustle
incident to the arrival of the train.
Duane's sweeping gaze searched faces, rested upon a man who
seemed familiar. This fellow's look, too, was that of one who
knew Duane, but was waiting for a sign, a cue. Then Duane
recognized him--MacNelly, clean-shaven. Without mustache he
appeared different, younger.
When MacNelly saw that Duane intended to greet him, to meet
him, he hurried forward. A keen light flashed from his eyes. He
was glad, eager, yet suppressing himself, and the glances he
sent back and forth from Duane to Longstreth were questioning,
doubtful. Certainly Longstreth did not look the part of an
outlaw.
"Duane! Lord, I'm glad to see you," was the Captain's greeting.
Then at closer look into Duane's face his warmth
fled--something he saw there checked his enthusiasm, or at
least its utterance.
"MacNelly, shake hand with Cheseldine," said Duane, low-voiced.
The ranger captain stood dumb, motionless. But he saw
Longstreth's instant action, and awkwardly he reached for the
outstretched hand.
"Any of your men down here?" queried Duane, sharply.
"No. They're up-town."
"Come. MacNelly, you walk with him. We've ladies in the party.
I'll come behind with them."
They set off up-town. Longstreth walked as if he were with
friends on the way to dinner. The girls were mute. MacNelly
walked like a man in a trance. There was not a word spoken in
four blocks.
Presently Duane espied a stone building on a corner of the
broad street. There was a big sign, "Rancher's Bank."
"There's the hotel," said MacNelly. "Some of my men are there.
We've scattered around."
They crossed the street, went through office and lobby, and
then Duane asked MacNelly to take them to a private room.
- lightning [´laitniŋ]
n.闪电 a.突然的 (初中英语单词) - hammer [´hæmə] n.锤子 v.重击 (初中英语单词)
- magnificent [mæg´nifisənt] a.壮丽的；豪华的 (初中英语单词)
- swiftly [´swiftli] ad.迅速地，敏捷地 (初中英语单词)
- strangely [´streindʒli] ad.奇怪地；陌生地 (初中英语单词)
- bloody [´blʌdi] a.(流)血的；血腥的 (初中英语单词)
- evidently [´evidəntli] ad.明显地 (初中英语单词)
- arrest [ə´rest] vt.逮捕 n.逮捕；停止 (初中英语单词)
- well-known [,wel´nəun] a.著名的，众所周知的 (初中英语单词)
- whatever [wɔt´evə] pron.&a.无论什么 (初中英语单词)
- passion [´pæʃən] n.激情；激怒；恋爱 (初中英语单词)
- waiting [´weitiŋ] n.等候；伺候 (初中英语单词)
- patience [´peiʃəns] n.忍耐(力)；耐心；坚韧 (初中英语单词)
- whistle [´wisəl] v.吹哨 n.口哨；汽笛 (初中英语单词)
- spoken [´spəukən] speak的过去分词 (初中英语单词)
- briefly [´bri:fli] ad.简短地；简略地 (初中英语单词)
- blossom [´blɔsəm] n.花；开花期 vi.开花 (初中英语单词)
- considerable [kən´sidərəbəl] a.重要的；值得重视 (初中英语单词)
- arrival [ə´raivəl] n.到达；到达的人(物) (初中英语单词)
- enthusiasm [in´θju:ziæzəm] n.热心；狂热；爱好 (初中英语单词)
- instant [´instənt] a.立即的 n.紧迫；瞬间 (初中英语单词)
- insane [in´sein] a.患神经病的；疯狂的 (高中英语单词)
- civilized [´sivilaizd] a.先进的；文明的 (高中英语单词)
- decided [di´saidid] a.明显的；决定的 (高中英语单词)
- dealing [´di:liŋ] n.交易；来往 (高中英语单词)
- crooked [´krukid] a.弯曲的；畸形的 (高中英语单词)
- boldly [´bəuldli] ad.大胆地；醒目地 (高中英语单词)
- tumult [´tju:mʌlt, ´tu:-] n.喧哗；激昂；烦乱 (高中英语单词)
- inward [´inwəd] a.向内的；心灵上的 (高中英语单词)
- sweeping [´swi:piŋ] a.掠过的 n.扫除；清除 (高中英语单词)
- hurried [´hʌrid] a.仓促的，慌忙的 (高中英语单词)
- motionless [´məuʃənləs] a.静止的；固定的 (高中英语单词)
- barbarous [´bɑ:bərəs] a.野蛮的；不规范的 (英语四级单词)
- considering [kən´sidəriŋ] prep.就...而论 (英语四级单词)
- deliverance [di´livərəns] n.援救；获释 (英语四级单词)
- dishonor [dis´ɔnə] n.耻辱 vt.凌辱 (英语四级单词)
- morality [mə´ræliti] n.道德；教训；伦理学 (英语四级单词)
- eventually [i´ventʃuəli] ad.最后，终于 (英语四级单词)
- infinitely [´infinitli] ad.无限地；无穷地 (英语四级单词)
- eastward [´i:stwəd] a.&ad.向东(的) (英语四级单词)
- contraction [kən´trækʃ(ə)n] n.收缩；挛缩 (英语四级单词)
- outlaw [´autlɔ:] n.歹徒 vt.将...放逐 (英语四级单词)
- mustache [mə´stɑ:ʃ] n.髭，小胡子 (英语四级单词)
- awkwardly [´ɔ:kwədli] a.笨拙地；棘手地 (英语四级单词)
- shocking [´ʃɔkiŋ] a.令人震惊的；可怕的 (英语六级单词)
- impact [´impækt] n.影响，作用；冲击 (英语六级单词)
- extraordinarily [ik´strɔ:dənərili] ad.非常，特别地 (英语六级单词)
- repute [ri´pju:t] n.名誉(声) vt.称为 (英语六级单词)
- dishonest [dis´ɔnist] a.不诚实的 (英语六级单词)
- trance [trɑ:ns] n.恍惚；出神 (英语六级单词)
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章节正文
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