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！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！
〃How do；〃 said he； 〃I saw you ride up。〃
〃How do you do；〃 replied Tim。
〃I know all about you；〃 said Buck； without any preliminaries； 〃your
man； Case； has wrote me。 I don't know your reasons； and I don't want to
knowit's none of my businessand I ain't goin' to tell you just what kind
of a damn fool I think you arethat's none of my business； either。 But I
want you to understand without question how you stand on the ranch。〃
〃Quite good； sir；〃 said Tim very quietly。
〃When you were out here before I was glad to have you here as a sort
of guest。 Then you were what I've heerd called a gentleman of leisure。
Now you're nothin' but a remittance man。 Your money's nothin' to me；
but the principle of the thing is。 The country is plumb pestered with
remittance men； doin' nothin'； and I don't aim to run no home for
incompetents。 I had a son of a duke drivin' wagon for me； and he
couldn't drive nails in a snowbanks。 So don't you herd up with the idea
that you can come on this ranch and loaf。〃
〃I don't want to loaf；〃 put in Tim； 〃I want a job。〃
〃I'm willing to give you a job；〃 replied Buck； 〃but it's jest an ordinary
cow…puncher's job at forty a month。 And if you don't fill your saddle； it
goes to someone else。〃
〃That's satisfactory；〃 agreed Tim。
〃All right；〃 finished Buck； 〃so that's understood。 Your friend Case
wanted me to give you a lot of advice。 A man generally has about as
much use for advice as a cow has for four hind legs。〃
He went out。
〃For God's sake； what's up？〃 I cried； leaping from my bunk。
〃Hullo； Harry；〃 said he； as though he had seen me the day before； 〃I've
come back。〃
32
… Page 33…
ARIZONA NIGHTS
〃How come back？〃 I asked。 〃I thought you couldn't leave the estate。
Have they broken the will？〃
〃No；〃 said he。
〃Is the money lost？〃 〃No。〃
〃Then what？〃
〃The long and short of it is； that I couldn't afford that estate and that
money。〃
〃What do you mean？〃
〃I've given it up。〃
〃Given it up！ What for？〃
〃To come back here。〃
I took this all in slowly。
〃Tim Clare；〃 said I at last； 〃do you mean to say that you have given up
an English estate and fifty thousand dollars a year to be a remittance man
at five hundred； and a cow…puncher on as much more？〃
〃Exactly；〃 said he。
〃Tim；〃 I adjured him solemnly； 〃you are a damn fool！〃
〃Maybe；〃 he agreed。
〃Why did you do it？〃 I begged。
He walked to the door and looked out across the desert to where the
mountains hovered like soap…bubbles on the horizon。 For a long time he
looked； then whirled on me。
〃Harry；〃 said he in a low voice； 〃do you remember the camp we made
on the shoulder of the mountain that night we were caught out？ And do
you remember how the dawn came up on the big snow peaks across the
wayand all the canon below us filled with whirling mistsand the steel
stars leaving us one by one？ Where could I find room for that in English
paddocks？ And do you recall the day we trailed across the Yuma deserts；
and the sun beat into our skulls； and the dry； brittle hills looked like
papier…mache； and the grey sage…bush ran off into the rise of the hills； and
then came sunset and the hard； dry mountains grew filmy； like gauze veils
of many colours； and melted and glowed and faded to slate blue； and the
stars came out？ The English hills are rounded and green and curried； and
the sky is near； and the stars only a few miles up。 And do you recollect
33
… Page 34…
ARIZONA NIGHTS
that dark night when old Loco and his warriors were camped at the base of
Cochise's Stronghold； and we crept down through the velvet dark
wondering when we would be discovered； our mouths sticky with
excitement； and the little winds blowing？〃
He walked up and down a half…dozen times； his breast heaving。
〃It's all very well for the man who is brought up to it； and who has
seen nothing else。 Case can exist in four walls； he has been brought up to
it and knows nothing different。 But a man like me
〃They wanted me to canter between hedge…row；I who have ridden the
desert where the sky over me and the plain under me were bigger than the
Islander's universe！ They wanted me to oversee little farmsI who have
watched the sun rising over half a world！ Talk of your ten thou' a year
and what it'll buy！ You know； Harry； how it feels when a steer takes the
slack of your rope； and your pony sits back！ Where in England can I buy
that？ You know the rising and the falling of days； and the boundless
spaces where your heart grows big； and the thirst of the desert and the
hunger of the trail； and a sun that shines and fills the sky； and a wind that
blows fresh from the wide places！ Where in parcelled； snug； green； tight
little England could I buy that with ten thou'aye； or an hundred times ten
thou'？ No； no； Harry； that fortune would cost me too dear。 I have seen
and done and been too much。 I've come back to the Big Country； where
the pay is poor and the work is hard and the comfort small； but where a
man and his soul meet their Maker face to face。〃
The Cattleman had finished his yarn。 For a time no one spoke。
Outside； the volume of rain was subsiding。 Windy Bill reported a few
stars shining through rifts in the showers。 The chill that precedes the
dawn brought us as close to the fire as the smouldering guano would
permit。
〃I don't know whether he was right or wrong；〃 mused the Cattleman；
after a while。 〃A man can do a heap with that much money。 And yet an
old 'alkali' is never happy anywhere else。 However；〃 he concluded
emphatically； 〃one thing I do know： rain； cold； hunger； discomfort；
curses； kicks； and violent deaths included； there isn't one of you grumblers
who would hold that gardening job you spoke of three days！〃
34
… Page 35…
ARIZONA NIGHTS
CHAPTER FOUR