tales of trail and town- 第36部分

lay　for　some　moments　looking　curiously　around　the　cabin；　she　had　no

doubt　it　had　a　worse　look　in　the　daylight；　but　somehow　the

firelight　brought　out　a　wondrous　luxury　of　color　in　the　bark　floor

and　thatching。　　Besides；　it　was　not　〃smelly；〃　as　she　feared　it

would　be；　on　the　contrary　the　spicy　aroma　of　the　woods　was　always

dominant。　　She　remembered　that　it　was　this　that　always　made　a

greasy；　oily　picnic　tolerable。　　She　raised　herself　on　her　elbow；

seeing　which　her　father　continued　confidently；　〃Perhaps；　dear；　if

you　sat　up　for　a　few　moments　you　might　be　strong　enough　presently

to　walk　down　with　me　to　the　wagon。　　It　would　save　time。〃



Amy　instantly　lay　down　again。　　〃I　don't　know　what　you　can　be

thinking　of；　papa。　　After　this　shock　really　I　don't　feel　as　if　I

could　STAND　alone；　much　less　WALK。　　But；　of　course；〃　with　pathetic

resignation；　〃if　you　and　Mr。　Waterhouse　supported　me；　perhaps　I

might　crawl　a　few　steps　at　a　time。〃



〃Nonsense；　Amy。　　Of　course；　this　man　Tenbrook　will　carry　you　down

as　he　brought　you　up。　　Only　I　thought；but　there　are　steps；

they're　coming　now。　　No！only　HE。〃



The　sound　of　crackling　in　the　underbrush　was　followed　by　a

momentary　darkening　of　the　open　door　of　the　cabin。　　It　was　the　tall

figure　of　the　mountaineer。　　But　he　did　not　even　make　the　pretense

of　entering；　standing　at　the　door　he　delivered　his　news　to　the

interior　generally。　　It　was　to　the　effect　that　everything　was

ready；　and　the　two　other　men　were　even　then　harnessing　the　horses。

Then　he　drew　back　into　the　darkness。



〃Papa；〃　said　Amy；　in　a　sudden　frightened　voice；　〃I've　lost　my

bracelet。〃



〃Haven't　you　dropped　it　somewhere　there　in　the　bunk？〃　asked　her

father。



〃No。　　It's　on　the　floor　of　the　wagon。　　I　remember　now　it　fell　off

when　I　tumbled！　　And　it　will　be　trodden　upon　and　crushed！　　Couldn't

you　run　down；　ahead　of　me；　and　warn　them；　papa；　dear？　　Mr。　Tenbrook

will　have　to　go　so　slowly　with　me。〃　　She　tumbled　out　of　the　bunk

with　singular　alacrity；　shook　herself　and　her　skirts　into

instantaneous　gracefulness；　and　fitted　the　velvet　cap　on　her

straying　hair。　　Then　she　said　hurriedly；　〃Run　quick；　papa　dear；　and

as　you　go；　call　him　in　and　say　I　am　quite　ready。〃



Thus　adjured；　the　obedient　parent　disappeared　in　the　darkness。

With　him　also　disappeared　Miss　Amy's　singular　alacrity。　　Sitting

down　carefully　again　on　the　edge　of　the　bunk；　she　leaned　against

the　post　with　a　certain　indefinable　languor　that　was　as　touching　as

it　was　graceful。　　I　need　not　tell　any　feminine　readers　that　there

was　no　dissimulation　in　all　this；no　coquetry；　no　ostentation；

and　that　the　young　girl　was　perfectly　sincere！　　But　the　masculine

reader　might　like　to　know　that　the　simple　fact　was　that；　since　she

had　regained　consciousness；　she　had　been　filled　with　remorse　for

her　capricious　and　ungenerous　rejection　of　Tenbrook's　proffered

service。　　More　than　that；　she　felt　she　had　periled　her　life　in　that

moment　of　folly；　and　that　this　manthis　herohad　saved　her。　　For

hero　he　was；　even　if　he　did　not　fulfill　her　ideal；it　was　only　SHE

that　was　not　a　heroine。　　Perhaps　if　he　had　been　more　like　what　she

wished　she　would　have　felt　this　less　keenly；　love　leaves　little

room　for　the　exercise　of　moral　ethics。　　So　Miss　Amy　Forester；　being

a　good　girl　at　bottom；　and　not　exactly　loving　this　man；　felt

towards　him　a　frank　and　tender　consideration　which　a　more　romantic

passion　would　have　shrunk　from　showing。　　Consequently；　when

Tenbrook　entered　a　moment　later；　he　found　Amy　paler　and　more

thoughtful；　but；　as　he　fancied；　much　prettier　than　before；　looking

up　at　him　with　eyes　of　the　sincerest　solicitude。



Nevertheless；　he　remained　standing　near　the　door；　as　if　indicating

a　possible　intrusion；　his　face　wearing　a　look　of　lowering

abstraction。　　It　struck　her　that　this　might　be　the　effect　of　his

long　hair　and　general　uncouthness；　and　this　only　spurred　her　to　a

fuller　recognition　of　his　other　qualities。



〃I　am　afraid；〃　she　began；　with　a　charming　embarrassment；　〃that

instead　of　resting　satisfied　with　your　kindness　in　carrying　me　up

here；　I　will　have　to　burden　you　again　with　my　dreadful　weakness；

and　ask　you　to　carry　me　down　also。　　But　all　this　seems　so　little

after　what　you　have　just　done　and　for　which　I　can　never；　NEVER　hope

to　thank　you！〃　　She　clasped　her　two　little　hands　together；　holding

her　gloves　between；　and　brought　them　down　upon　her　lap　in　a　gesture

as　prettily　helpless　as　it　was　unaffected。



〃I　have　done　scarcely　anything；〃　he　said；　glancing　away　towards　the

fire；　〃andyour　father　has　thanked　me。〃



〃You　have　saved　my　life！〃



〃No！　no！〃　he　said　quickly。　　〃Not　that！　　You　were　in　no　danger；

except　from　my　rifle；　had　I　missed。〃



〃I　see；〃　she　said　eagerly；　with　a　little　posthumous　thrill　at

having　been　after　all　a　kind　of　heroine；　〃and　it　was　a　wonderful

shot；　for　you　were　so　careful　not　to　touch　me。〃



〃Please　don't　say　any　more；〃　he　said；　with　a　slight　movement　of

half　awkwardness；　half　impatience。　　〃It　was　a　rough　job；　but　it's

over　now。〃



He　stopped　and　chafed　his　red　hands　abstractedly　together。　　She

could　see　that　he　had　evidently　just　washed　themand　the　glaring

ring　was　more　in　evidence　than　ever。　　But　the　thought　gave　her　an

inspiration。



〃You'll　at　least　let　me　shake　hands　with　you！〃　she　said；　extending

both　her　own　with　childish　frankness。



〃Hold　on；　Miss　Forester；〃　he　said；　with　sudden　desperation。　　〃It

ain't　the　square　thing！　　Look　here！　　I　can't　play　this　thing　on

you！I　can't　let　you　play　it　on　me　any　longer！　　You　weren't　in　any

danger；you　NEVER　were！　　That　bear　was　only　a　half…wild　thing　I

helped　to　ra'r　myself！　　It's　taken　sugar　from　my　hand　night　after

night　at　the　door　of　this　cabin　as　it　might　have　taken　it　from

yours　here　if　it　was　alive　now。　　It　slept　night　after　night　in　the

brush；　not　fifty　yards　away。　　The　morning's　never　come　yettill

now；〃　he　said　hastily；　to　cover　an　odd　break　in　his　voice；　〃when　it

didn't　brush　along　the　whole　side　of　this　cabin　to　kinder　wake　me

up　and　say　'So　long；'　afore　it　browsed　away　into　the　canyon。　　Thar

ain't　a　man　along　the　whole　Divide　who　didn't　know　it；　thar　ain't　a

man　along　the　whole　Divide　that　would　have　drawn　a　bead　or　pulled　a

trigger　on　it　till　now。　　It　never　had　an　enemy　but　the　bees；　it

never　even　knew　why　horses　and　cattle　were　frightened　of　it。　　It

wasn't　much　of　a　pet；　you'd　say；　Miss　Forester；　it　wasn't　much　to

meet　a　lady's　eye；　but　we　of　the　woods　must　take　our　friends　where

we　find　'em　and　of　our　own　kind。　　It　ain't　no　fault　of　yours；　Miss；

that　you　didn't　know　it；　it　ain't　no　fault　of　yours　what　happened；

but　when　it　comes　to　your　THANKING　me　for　it；　whyit'sit's

rather　rough；　you　seeand　gets　me。〃　　He　stopped　short　as

desperately　and　as　abruptly　as　he　had　begun；　and　stared　blankly　at

the　fire。



A　wave　of　pity　and　shame　swept　over　the　young　girl　and　left　its

high　tide　on　her　cheek。　　But　even　then　it　was　closely　followed　by

the　feminine　instinct　of　defence　and　defiance。　　The　REAL　herothe

GENTLEMANshe　reasoned　bitterly；　would　have　spared　her　all　this

knowledge。



〃But　why；〃　she　said；　with　knitted　brows；　〃why；　if　you　knew　it　was

so　precious　and　so　harmlesswhy　did　you　fire　upon　it？〃



〃Because；〃　he　said　almost　fiercely；　turning　upon　her；　〃because　you

SCREAMED；　and　THEN　I　KNEW　IT　HAD　FRIGHTENED　YOU！〃　　He　stopped

instantly　as　she　momentarily　recoiled　from　him；　but　the　very

brusqueness　of　his　action　had　dislodged　a　tear　from　his　dark　eyes

that　fell　warm　on　the　back　of　her　hand；　and　seemed　to　blot　out　the

indignity。　　〃Listen；　Miss；〃　he　went　on　hurriedly；　as　if　to　cover　up

his　momentary　unmanliness。　　〃I　knew　the　bear　was　missing　to…night；

and　when　I　heard　the　horses　scurrying　about　I　reckoned　what　was　up。

I　knew　no　harm　could　come　to　you；　for　the　horses　were　unharnessed

and　away　from　the　wagon。　　I　pelted　down　that　trail　ahead　of　them

all　like　grim　death；　calkilatin'　to　get　there　before　the　bear；　they

wouldn't　have　understood　me；　I　was　too　high　up　to　call　to　the

creature　when　he　did　come　out；　and　I　kinder　hoped　you　wouldn't　see

him。　　Even　when　he　turned　towards　the　wagon；　I　knew　it　wasn't　YOU

he　was　after；　but　suthin'　else；　and　I　kinder　hoped；　Miss；　that　you；

being　different　and　quicker…minded　than　the　rest；　would　see　it　too。

All　the　while　them　folks　were　yellin'　behind　me　to　fireas　if　I

didn't　know　my　work。　　I　was　half…way　downand　then　you　screamed！

And　then　I　forgot　everything；everything　but　standing　clear　of

hitting　you；and　I　fired。　　I　was　that　savage　that　I　wanted　to

believe　that　he'd　gone　mad；　and　would　have　touched　you；　till　I　got

down　there　and　found　the　honey…pot　lying　alongside　of　him。　　But

there；it's　all　over　now！　　I　wouldn't　have　let　on　a　word　to　you

only　I　couldn't　bear　to　take　YOUR　THANKS　for　it；　and　I　couldn't

bear　to　have　you　thinking　me　a　brute　for　dodgin'　them。〃　　He

stopped；　walked　to　the　fire；　leaned　against　the　chimney　under　the

shallow　pretext　of　kicking　the　dull　emb