wyoming(怀俄明)-第14章
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！
62
… Page 63…
WYOMING：A STORY OF THE OUTDOOR WEST
start； for he had not known that Bannister was awake to his surroundings。
The man appeared the picture of helplessness； all the lusty power and
vigor stricken out of him； but his indomitable spirit still triumphed over
the physical collapse； for as the foreman looked a faint smile touched the
ashen lips。 It seemed to say： 〃Still in the ring； old man。〃
63
… Page 64…
WYOMING：A STORY OF THE OUTDOOR WEST
CHAPTER 8。 IN THE LAZY D
HOSPITAL
Helen's first swift glance showed that the wounded man was Bannister。
She turned in crisp command to her foreman。
〃Have him taken to my room and put to bed there。 We have no time to
prepare another。 And send one of the boys on your best horse for a doctor。〃
They carried the limp figure in with rough tenderness and laid him in
the bed。 McWilliams unbuckled the belt and drew off the chaps； then； with
the help of Denver； undressed the wounded man and covered him with
quilts。 So Helen found him when she came in to attend his wounds；
bringing with her such things as she needed for her task。 Mrs。 Winslow；
the housekeeper； assisted her； and the foreman stayed to help； but it was on
the mistress of the ranch that the responsibility of saving him fell。 Missou
was already galloping to Bear Creek for a doctor； but the girl knew that the
battle must be fought and the issue decided before he could arrive。
He had fallen again into insensibility and she rinsed and dressed his
wounds； working with the quiet impersonal certainty of touch that did not
betray the inner turmoil of her soul。 But McWilliams； his eyes following
her every motion and alert to anticipate her needs； saw that the color had
washed from her face and that she was controlling herself only to meet the
demands of the occasion。
As she was finishing； the sheepman opened his eyes and looked at her。
〃You are not to speak or ask questions。 You have been wounded and
we are going to take care of you；〃 she ordered。
〃That's right good of y'u。 I ce'tainly feet mighty trifling。〃 His wide
eyes traveled round till they fell on the foreman。 〃Y'u see I came back to
help fill your hospital。 Am I there now？ Where am I？〃 His gaze returned to
Helen with the sudden irritation of the irresponsible sick。
〃You are at the Lazy D； in my room。 You are not to worry about
anything。 Everything's all right。〃
He took her at her word and his eyes closed； but presently he began to
mutter unconnected words and phrases。 When his lids lifted again there
64
… Page 65…
WYOMING：A STORY OF THE OUTDOOR WEST
was a wilder look in his eyes； and she knew that delirium was beginning。
At intervals it lasted for long； indeed； until the doctor came next morning
in the small hours。 He talked of many things Helen Messiter did not
understand； of incidents in his past life； some of them jerky with the
excitement of a tense moment； others apparently snatches of talk with
relatives。 It was like the babbling of a child； irrelevant and yet often
insistent。 He would in one breath give orders connected with the lambing
of his sheep； in the next break into football talk； calling out signals and
imploring his men to hold them or to break through and get the ball。 Once
he broke into curses； but his very oaths seemed to come from a clean heart
and missed the vulgarity they might have had。 Again his talk rambled
inconsequently over his youth； and he would urge himself or someone else
of the same name to better life。
〃Ned； Ned； remember your mother；〃 he would beseech。 〃She asked me
to look after you。 Don't go wrong。〃 Or else it would be； 〃Don't disgrace
the general； Ned。 You'll break his heart if you blacken the old name。〃 To
this theme he recurred repeatedly； and she noticed that when he imagined
himself in the East his language was correct and his intonation cultured；
though still with a suggestion of a Southern softness。
But when he spoke of her his speech lapsed into the familiar drawl of
Cattleland。 〃I ain't such a sweep as y'u think； girl。 Some day I'll sure tell
y'u all about it； and how I have loved y'u ever since y'u scooped me up in
your car。 You're the gamest little lady！ To see y'u come a…sailin' down after
me； so steady and businesslike； not turning a hair when the bullets
hummedI sure do love y'u； Helen。〃 And then he fell upon her first name
and called her by it a hundred times softly to himself。
This happened when she was alone with him； just before the doctor
came。 She heard it with starry eyes and with a heart that flushed for joy a
warmer color into her cheeks。 Brushing back the short curls； she kissed his
damp forehead。 It was in the thick of the battle； before he had weathered
that point where the issues of life and death pressed closely； and even in
the midst of her great fears it brought her comfort。 She was to think often
of it later； and always the memory was to be music in her heart。 Even
when she denied her love for him； assured herself it was impossible she
65
… Page 66…
WYOMING：A STORY OF THE OUTDOOR WEST
could care for so shameful a villain； even then it was a sweet torture to
allow herself the luxury of recalling his broken delirious phrases。 At the
very worst he could not be as bad as they said； some instinct told her this
was impossible。 His fearless devil…may…care smile； his jaunty； gallant
bearing； these pleaded against the evidence for him。 And yet was it
conceivable that a man of spirit； a gentleman by training at least； would let
himself lie under the odium of such a charge if he were not guilty？ Her
tangled thoughts fought this profitless conflict for days。 Nor could she
dismiss it from her mind。 Even after he began to mend she was still on the
rack。 For in some snatch of good talk； when the fine quality of the man
seemed to glow in his face； poignant remembrance would stab her with
recollection of the difference between what he was and what he seemed to
be。
One of the things that had been a continual surprise to Helen was the
short time required by these deep…cheated and clean…blooded Westerners to
recover from apparently serious wounds。 It was scarce more than two
weeks since Bannister had filled the bunkhouse with wounded men； and
already two of them were back at work and the third almost fit for service。
For perhaps three days the sheepman's life hung in the balance； after
which his splendid constitution and his outdoor life began to tell。 The
thermometer showed that the fever had slipped down a notch； and he was
now sleeping wholesomely a good part of his time。 Altogether； unless for
some unseen contingency； the doctor prophesied that the sheepman was
going to upset the probabilities and get well。
〃Which merely shows； ma'am； what is possible when you give a sound
man twenty…four hours a day in our hills for a few years；〃 he added。
〃Thanks to your nursing he's going to shave through by the narrowest
margin possible。 I told him to…day that he owed his life to you； Miss
Messiter。〃
〃I don't think you need have told him that Doctor；〃 returned that young
woman； not a little vexed at him； 〃especially since you have just been
telling me that he owes it to Wyoming air and his own soundness of
constitution。〃
When she returned to the sickroom to give her patient his medicine he
66
… Page 67…
WYOMING：A STORY OF THE OUTDOOR WEST
wanted to tell her what the doctor had said； but she cut him off ruthlessly
and told him not to talk。
〃Mayn't I even say 'Thank you？'〃 he wanted to know。
〃No； you talk far too much as it is。〃
He smiled 〃All right。 Y'u sit there in that chair； where I can see y'u
doing that fancywork and I'll not say a word。 It'll keep； all right； what I
want to say。〃
〃I notice you keep talking；〃 she told him； dryly。
〃Yes； ma'am。 Y'u had better have let me say what I wanted to； but I'll
be good now。〃
He fell asleep watching her； and when he awoke she was still sitting
there； though it was beginning to grow dark。 He spoke before she knew he
was awake。
〃I'm going to get well； the doctor thinks。〃
〃Yes； he told me；〃 she answered。
〃Did he tell y'u it was your nursing saved me？〃
〃Please don't think about that。〃
〃What am I to think about？ I owe y'u a heap； and it keeps piling up。 I
reckon y'u do it all because it's your Christian duty？〃 he demanded。
〃It is my duty； isn't it？〃
〃I didn't say it wasn't； though I expaict Bighorn County will forget to
give y'u a unanimous vote of thanks for doing it。 I asked if y'u did it
because it was your duty？〃
〃The reason doesn't matter so that I do it；〃 she answered； steadily。
〃Reasons matter some； too； though they ain't as important as actions
out in this country。 Back in Boston they figure more； and since y'u used to
go to school back there y'u hadn't ought to throw down your professor of
ethics。〃
〃Don't you think you have talked enough for the present？〃 she smiled；
and added： 〃If I make you talk whenever I sit beside you I shall have to
stay away。〃
〃That's where y'u've ce'tainly got the drop on me； ma'am。 I'm a clam
till y'u give the word。〃
Before a week he was able to sit up in a chair for an hour or two； and
67
… Page 68…
WYOMING：A STORY OF THE OUTDOOR WEST
soon after could limp into the living room with the aid of a walking stick
and his hostess。 Under the tan he still wore an interesting pallor； but there
could be no question that he was on the road to health。
〃A man doesn't know what he's missing until he
