wyoming(怀俄明)-第26章
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〃Yes； but what else？〃
〃What do y'u mean？〃
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〃I mean that next to your cousin Judd was leader of that Shoshone…
Teton bunch。〃
〃How do y'u know？〃
〃I suspected it a long time； but I knew for sure the day that your cousin
held up the ranch。 The man that was in charge of the crowd outside was
Morgan。 I could swear to it。 I knew him soon as I clapped eyes to him； but
I was awful careful to forget to tell him I recognized him。〃
〃That means we are in more serious trouble than I had supposed。〃
〃Y'u bet it does。 We're in a hell of a hole； figure it out any way y'u like。
Instead of having shot up a casual idiot； I've killed Ned Bannister's right…
hand man。 That will be the excuseshooting Morgan。 But the real trouble
is that I won the championship belt from your cousin。 He already hated y'u
like poison； and he don't love me any too hard。 He will have us arrested by
his sheriff here。 Catch the point。 Y'U'RE NED BANNISTER； THE
OUTLAW； AND I'M HIS RIGHT…BOWER。 That's the play he's going to
make； and he's going to make it right soon。〃
〃I don't care if he does。 We'll fight him on his own ground。 We'll prove
that he's the miscreant and not us。〃
〃Prove nothing；〃 snarled McWilliams。 〃Do y'u reckon he'll give us a
chance to prove a thing？ Not on your life。 He'll have us jailed first thing；
then he'll stir up a sentiment against us； and before morning there will be a
lynchingbee； and y'u and I will wear the neckties。 How do y'u like the
looks of it？〃
〃But y'u have a lot of friends。 They won't stand for anything like that。〃
〃Not if they had time to stop it。 Trouble is； fellow's friends think awful
slow。 They'll arrive in time to cut us down and be the mourners。 No； sir！
It's a hike for Jimmie Mac on the back of the first bronc he can slap a
saddle on。〃
Bannister frowned。 〃I don't like to run before the scurvy scoundrels。〃
〃Do y'u suppose I'm enjoying it？ Not to any extent； I allow。 But that
sweet relative of yours holds every ace in the deck； and he'll play them；
too。 He owns the law in this man's town； and he owns the lawless。 But the
best card he holds is that he can get a thousand of the best people here to
join him in hanging the 'king' of the Shoshone outlaws。 Explanations
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nothing！ Y'u rode under the name of Bannister； didn't y'u？ He's Jack
Holloway。〃
〃It does make a strong combination；〃 admitted the sheepman。
〃Strong！ It's invincible。 I can see him playing it； laughing up his sleeve
all the time at the honest fools he is working。 No； sir！ I draw out of a game
like that。 Y'u don't get a run for your money。〃
〃Of course he knows already what has happened；〃 mused Bannister。
〃Sure he knows。 That fellow with Morgan made a bee…line for him。
Just about now he's routing the sheriff out of his bed。 We got no time to
lose。 Thing is； to burn the wind out of this town while we have the
chance。〃
〃I see。 It won't help us any to be spilling lead into a sheriff's posse。
That would ce'tainly put us in the wrong。〃
〃Now y'u're shouting。 If we're honest men why don't we surrender
peaceable？ That's the play the 'king' is going to make in this town。 Now if
we should spoil a posse and bump off one or two of them； we couldn't pile
up evidence enough to get a jury to acquit。 No； sir！ We can't surrender and
we can't fight。 Consequence is； we got to roll our tails immediate。〃
〃We have an appointment with Miss Messiter and Nora for to…morrow
morning。 We'll have to leave word we can't keep it。〃
〃Sure。 Denver and Missou are playing the wheel down at the Silver
Dollar。 I reckon we better make those boys jump and run errands for us
while we lie low。 I'll drop in casual and give them the word。 Meet y'u here
in ten minutes。 Whatever y'u do； keep that mask on your face。〃
〃Better meet farther from the scene of trouble。 Suppose we say the
north gate of the grand stand？〃
〃Good enough。 So…long。〃
The first faint streaks of day were beginning to show on the horizon
when Bannister reached the grand stand。 He knew that inside of another
half…hour the little frontier town would be blinking in the early morning
sunlight that falls so brilliantly through the limpid atmosphere。 If they
were going to leave without fighting their way out there was no time to
lose。
Ten minutes slowly ticked away。
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He glanced at his watch。 〃Five minutes after four。 I wish I had gone
with Mac。 He may have been recognized。〃
But even as the thought flitted through his mind； the semi…darkness
opened to let a figure out of it。
〃All quiet along the Potomac； seh？〃 asked the foreman's blithe voice。
〃Good。 I found the boys and got them started。〃 He flung down a Mexican
vaquero's gaily trimmed costume。 〃Get into these； seh。 Denver shucked
them for me。 That coyote must have noticed what we wore before he slid
out。 Y'u can bet the orders are to watch for us as we were dressed then。〃
〃What are y u going to do？〃
〃Me？ I'm scheduled to be Aaron Burr； seh。 Missou swaps with me
when he gets back here。 They're going to rustle us some white men's
clothes； too； but we cayn't wear them till we get out of town on account of
showing our handsome faces。〃
〃What about horses？〃
〃Denver is rustling some for us。 Y'u better be scribbling your billy…doo
to the girl y'u leave behind y'u； seh。〃
〃Haven't y'u got one to scribble？〃 Bannister retorted。 〃Seems to me y'u
better get busy； too。〃
So it happened that when Missou arrived a few minutes later he found
this pair of gentlemen； who were about to flee for their lives； busily
inditing what McWilliams had termed facetiously billets…doux。 Each of
them was trying to make his letter a little warmer than friendship allowed
without committing himself to any chance of a rebuff。 Mac got as far as
Nora Darling； absentmindedly inserted a comma between the words； and
there stuck hopelessly。 He looked enviously across at Bannister； whose
pencil was traveling rapidly down his note…book。
〃My； what a swift trail your pencil leaves on that paper。 That's going
some。 Mine's bogged down before it got started。 I wisht y'u would start me
off。〃
〃Well； if you ain't up and started a business college already。 I had
ought to have brought a typewriter along with me；〃 murmured Missou
ironically。
〃How are things stacking？ Our friends the enemy getting busy yet？〃
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asked Bannister； folding and addressing his note。
〃That's what。 Orders gone out to guard every road so as not to let you
pass。 What's the matter with me rustling up the boys and us holding down
a corner of this town ourselves？〃
The sheepman shook his head。 〃We're not going to start a little private
war of our own。 We couldn't do that without spilling a lot of blood。 No；
we'll make a run for it。〃
〃That y'u； Denver？〃 the foreman called softly； as the sound of
approaching horses reached him。
〃Bet your life。 Got your own broncs； too。 Sheriff Burns called up
Daniels not to let any horses go out from his corral to anybody without his
O。K。 I happened to be cinching at the time the 'phone message came； so I
concluded that order wasn't for me； and lit out kinder unceremonious。〃
Hastily the fugitives donned the new costumes and dominos； turned
their notes over to Denver； and swung to their saddles。
〃Good luck！〃 the punchers called after them； and Denver added an
ironical promise that the foreman had no doubt he would keep。 〃I'll look
out for NoraDarling。〃 There was a drawling pause between the first and
second names。 〃I'll ce'tainly see that she don't have any time to worry
about y'u； Mac。〃
〃Y'u go to Halifax；〃 returned Mac genially over his shoulder as he
loped away。
〃I doubt if we can get out by the roads。 Soon as we reach the end of
the street we better cut across that hayfield；〃 suggested Ned。
〃That's whatever。 Then we'll slip past the sentries without being seen。
I'd hate to spoil any of them if we can help it。 We're liable to get ourselves
disliked if our guns spatter too much。〃
They rode through the main street； still noisy with the shouts of late
revelers returning to their quarters。 Masked men were yet in evidence
occasionally； so that their habits caused neither remark nor suspicion。 A
good many of the punchers； unable to stay longer； were slipping out of
town after having made a night of it。 In the general exodus the two friends
hoped to escape unobserved。
They dropped into a side street； galloped down it for two hundred
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yards； and dismounted at a barb…wire fence which ran parallel with the
road。 The foreman's wire…clippers severed the strands one by one； and they
led their horses through the gap。 They crossed an alfalfa…field； jumped an
irrigation ditch； used the clippers again； and found themselves in a large
pasture。 It was getting lighter every moment； and while they were still in
the pasture a voice hailed them from the road in an unmistakable
command to halt。
They bent low over the backs of their ponies and gave them the spur。
The shot they had expected rang out； passing harmlessly over them。
Another followed； and still another。
〃That's right。 Shoot up the scenery。 Y'u don't hurt us none；〃 the
foreman said； apostrophizing the man behind the gun。
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