found at blazing star-第4章

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hotel〃



〃And　being　ornamental；〃　interrupted　Cass。　　But　this　feeble　and　un…

Cass…like　attempt　at　playful　gallantry　met　with　a　sudden　check。



Miss　Porter　drew　herself　together；　and　looked　out　of　the　window。

〃Do　you　wish　me　to　walk　the　rest　of　the　way　home？〃



〃No；〃　said　Cass；　hurriedly；　with　a　crimson　face　and　a　sense　of

gratuitous　rudeness。



〃Then　stop　that　kind　of　talk；　right　there！〃



There　was　an　awkward　silence。　　〃I　wish　I　was　a　man；〃　she　said；　half

bitterly；　half　earnestly。　　Cass　Beard　was　not　old　and　cynical

enough　to　observe　that　this　devout　aspiration　is　usually　uttered　by

those　who　have　least　reason　to　deplore　their　own　femininity；　and；

but　for　the　rebuff　he　had　just　received；　would　have　made　the　usual

emphatic　dissent　of　our　sex；　when　the　wish　is　uttered　by　warm　red

lips　and　tender　voicesa　dissent；　it　may　be　remarked；　generally

withheld；　however；　when　the　masculine　spinster　dwells　on　the

perfection　of　woman。　　I　dare　say　Miss　Porter　was　sincere；　for　a

moment　later　she　continued；　poutingly：



〃And　yet　I　used　to　go　to　fires　in　Sacramento　when　I　was　only　ten

years　old。　　I　saw　the　theatre　burnt　down。　　Nobody　found　fault　with

me　then。〃



Something　made　Cass　ask　if　her　father　and　mother　objected　to　her

boyish　tastes。　　The　reply　was　characteristic　if　not　satisfactory；



〃Object？　　I'd　like　to　see　them　do　it。〃



The　direction　of　the　road　had　changed。　　The　fickle　moon　now

abandoned　Miss　Porter　and　sought　out　Cass　on　the　front　seat。　　It

caressed　the　young　fellow's　silky　moustache　and　long　eyelashes；　and

took　some　of　the　sunburn　from　his　cheek。



〃What's　the　matter　with　your　neck？〃　said　the　girl；　suddenly。



Cass　looked　down；　blushing　to　find　that　the　collar　of　his　smart

〃duck〃　sailor　shirt　was　torn　open。　　But　something　more　than　his

white；　soft；　girlish　skin　was　exposed；　the　shirt　front　was　dyed

quite　red　with　blood　from　a　slight　cut　on　the　shoulder。　　He

remembered　to　have　felt　a　scratch　while　struggling　with　Hornsby。



The　girl's　soft　eyes　sparkled。　　〃Let　ME；〃　she　said；　vivaciously。

〃Do！　　I'm　good　at　wounds。　　Come　over　here。　　Nostay　there。　　I'll

come　over　to　you。〃



She　did；　bestriding　the　back　of　the　middle　seat　and　dropping　at　his

side。　　The　magnetic　fingers　again　touched　his；　he　felt　her　warm

breath　on　his　neck　as　she　bent　toward　him。



〃It's　nothing；〃　he　said；　hastily；　more　agitated　by　the　treatment

than　the　wound。



〃Give　me　your　flask；〃　she　responded；　without　heeding。　　A　stinging

sensation　as　she　bathed　the　edges　of　the　cut　with　the　spirit

brought　him　back　to　common　sense　again。　　〃There；〃　she　said；

skillfully　extemporizing　a　bandage　from　her　handkerchief　and　a

compress　from　his　cravat。　　〃Now；　button　your　coat　over　your　chest；

so；　and　don't　take　cold。〃　　She　insisted　upon　buttoning　it　for　him；

greater　even　than　the　feminine　delight　in　a　man's　strength　is　the

ministration　to　his　weakness。　　Yet；　when　this　was　finished；　she

drew　a　little　away　from　him　in　some　embarrassmentan　embarrassment

she　wondered　at；　as　his　skin　was　finer；　his　touch　gentler；　his

clothes　cleaner；　andnot　to　put　too　fine　a　point　upon　ithe

exhaled　an　atmosphere　much　sweeter　than　belonged　to　most　of　the　men

her　boyish　habits　had　brought　her　in　contact　withnot　excepting

her　own　father。　　Later　she　even　exempted　her　mother　from　the

possession　of　this　divine　effluence。　　After　a　moment　she　asked；

suddenly；　〃What　are　you　going　to　do　with　Hornsby？〃



Cass　had　not　thought　of　him。　　His　short…lived　rage　was　past　with

the　occasion　that　provoked　it。　　Without　any　fear　of　his　adversary

he　would　have　been　content　and　quite　willing　to　meet　him　no　more。

He　only　said；　〃That　will　depend　upon　him。〃



〃Oh；　you　won't　hear　from　him　again；〃　said　she；　confidently；　〃but

you　really　ought　to　get　up　a　little　more　muscle。　　You've　no　more

than　a　girl。〃　　She　stopped；　a　little　confused。



〃What　shall　I　do　with　your　handkerchief？〃　asked　the　uneasy　Cass；

anxious　to　change　the　subject。



〃Oh；　keep　it；　if　you　want　to；　only　don't　show　it　to　everybody　as

you　did　that　ring　you　found。〃　　Seeing　signs　of　distress　in　his

face；　she　added：　〃Of　course　that　was　all　nonsense。　　If　you　had

cared　so　much　for　the　ring　you　couldn't　have　talked　about　it；　or

shown　it。　　Could　you？〃



It　relieved　him　to　think　that　this　might　be　true；　he　certainly　had

not　looked　at　it　in　that　light　before。



〃But　did　you　really　find　it？〃　she　asked；　with　sudden　gravity。

〃Really；　now？〃



〃Yes。〃



〃And　there　was　no　real　May　in　the　case？〃



〃Not　that　I　know　of；〃　laughed　Cass；　secretly　pleased。



But　Miss　Porter；　after　eying　him　critically　for　a　moment　jumped　up

and　climbed　back　again　to　her　seat。　　〃Perhaps　you　had　better　give

me　that　handkerchief　back。〃



Cass　began　to　unbutton　his　coat。



〃No！　no！　　Do　you　want　to　take　your　death　of　cold？〃　she　screamed。

And　Cass；　to　avoid　this　direful　possibility；　rebuttoned　his　coat

again　over　the　handkerchief　and　a　peculiarly　pleasing　sensation。



Very　little　now　was　said　until　the　rattling；　bounding　descent　of

the　coach　denoted　the　approach　to　Red　Chief。　　The　straggling　main

street　disclosed　itself；　light　by　light。　　In　the　flash　of

glittering　windows　and　the　sound　of　eager　voices　Miss　Porter

descended；　without　waiting　for　Cass's　proffered　assistance；　and

anticipated　Mountain　Charley's　descent　from　the　box。　　A　few

undistinguishable　words　passed　between　them。



〃You　kin　freeze　to　me；　Miss；〃　said　Charley；　and　Miss　Porter；

turning　her　frank　laugh　and　frankly　opened　palm　to　Cass；　half

returned　the　pressure　of　his　hand　and　slipped　away。



A　few　days　after　the　stage　coach　incident；　Mountain　Charley　drew　up

beside　Cass　on　the　Blazing　Star　turnpike；　and　handed　him　a　small

packet。　　〃I　was　told　to　give　ye　that　by　Miss　Porter。　　Hushlisten！

It's　that　rather　old　dog…goned　ring　o'　yours　that's　bin　in　all　the

papers。　　She's　bamboozled　that　sap…headed　county　judge；　Boompointer；

into　givin'　it　to　her。　　Take　my　advice　and　sling　it　away　for　some

other　feller　to　pick　up　and　get　looney　over。　　That's　all！〃



〃Did　she　say　anything？〃　asked　Cass；　anxiously；　as　he　received　his

lost　treasure　somewhat　coldly。



〃Well；　yes！　　I　reckon。　　She　asked　me　to　stand　betwixt　Hornsby　and

you。　　So　don't　YOU　tackle　him；　and　I'll　see　HE　don't　tackle　you；〃

and　with　a　portentous　wink　Mountain　Charley　whipped　up　his　horses

and　was　gone。



Cass　opened　the　packet。　　It　contained　nothing　but　the　ring。

Unmitigated　by　any　word　of　greeting；　remembrance；　or　even　raillery；

it　seemed　almost　an　insult。　　Had　she　intended　to　flaunt　his　folly

in　his　face；　or　had　she　believed　he　still　mourned　for　it　and　deemed

its　recovery　a　sufficient　reward　for　his　slight　service？　　For　an

instant　he　felt　tempted　to　follow　Charley's　advice；　and　cast　this

symbol　of　folly　and　contempt　in　the　dust　of　the　mountain　road。　　And

had　she　not　made　his　humiliation　complete　by　begging　Charley's

interference　between　him　and　his　enemy？　　He　would　go　home　and　send

her　back　the　handkerchief　she　had　given　him。　　But　here　the

unromantic　reflection　that　although　he　had　washed　it　that　very

afternoon　in　the　solitude　of　his　own　cabin；　he　could　not　possibly

iron　it；　but　must　send　it　〃rough　dried；〃　stayed　his　indignant　feet。



Two　or　three　days；　a　week；　a　fortnight　even；　of　this　hopeless

resentment　filled　Cass's　breast。　　Then　the　news　of　Kanaka　Joe's

acquittal　in　the　State　Court　momentarily　revived　the　story　of　the

ring；　and　revamped　a　few　stale　jokes　in　the　camp。　　But　the　interest

soon　flagged；　the　fortunes　of　the　little　community　of　Blazing　Star

had　been　for　some　months　failing；　and　with　early　snows　in　the

mountain　and　wasted　capital　in　fruitless　schemes　on　the　river；

there　was　little　room　for　the　indulgence　of　that　lazy　and　original

humor　which　belonged　to　their　lost　youth　and　prosperity。　　Blazing

Star　truly；　in　the　grim　figure　of　their　slang；　was　〃played　out。〃

Not　dug　out；　worked　out；　or　washed　out；　but　dissipated　in　a　year　of

speculation　and　chance。



Against　this　tide　of　fortune　Cass　struggled　manfully；　and　even

evoked　the　slow　praise　of　his　companions。　　Better　still；　he　won　a

certain　praise　for　himself；　in　himself；　in　a　consciousness　of

increased　strength；　health；　power；　and　self…reliance。　　He　began　to

turn　his　quick　imagination　and　perception　to　some　practical

account；　and　made　one　or　two　discoveries　which　quite　startled　his

more　experienced　but　more　conservative　companions。　　Nevertheless；

Cass's　discoveries　and　labors　were　not　of　a　kind　that　produced

immediate　pecuniary　realization；　and　Blazing　Star；　which　consumed

so　many　pounds　of　pork　and　flour　daily；　did　not　unfortunately

produce　the　daily　equivalent　in　gold。　　Blazing　Star　lost　its

credit。　　Blazing　Star　was　hungry；　dirty；　and　ragged。　　Blazing　Star

was　beginning　to　set。



Participating　in　the　general　ill　luck　of　the　camp；　Cass　was　not

without　his　own　individual　mischances。　　He　had　resolutely

determined　to　forget　Miss　Porter　and　all　that　tended　to　recall　the

unlucky　ring；　but；　cruelly　enough；　she　was　the　only　thing　that

refused　to　be　forgottenwhose　undulating　figure　reclined　opposite

to　him　in　the　weird　moonlight　of　his　ruined　cabin；　whose　voice

mingled　with　the　song　of　the　river　by　whose　banks　he　toiled；　and

whose　eyes　and　touch　thrilled　him　in　his　dreams。　　Partly　for　this

reason；　and　partly　because　his　clothes　were　beginning　to　be　patched

and　torn；　he　avoided　Red　Chief　and　any　place　where　he　would　be

likely　to　meet　her。　　In　spite　of　this　precaution　he　had　once　seen

her　driving　in　a　pony　carriage；　but　so　smartly　and　fashionably

dressed　that　he　drew　back　in　the　cover　of　a　wayside　willow　that　she

might　pass　without　recognition。　　He　looked　down　upon　his　red…

splashed　clothes　and　grimy；　soil…streaked　hands；　and　for　a　moment

half　hated　her。　　His　comrades　seldom　spoke　of　herinstinctively

fearing　some　temptation　that　might　beset　his　Spartan　resolutions；

but　he　heard　from　time　to　time　that　she　had　been　seen　at　balls　and

parties；　apparently　enjoying　those　very　frivolities　of　her　sex　she

affected　to　condemn。



It　was　a　Sabbath　morning　in　early　spring　that　he　was　returning　from

an　ineffectual　attempt　to　enlist　a　capitalist　at　the　county　town　to

redeem　the　fortunes　of　Blazing　Star。　　He　was　pondering　over　the

narrowness　of　that　capitalist；　who　had　evidently　but　illogically

connected　Cass's　present　appearance　with　the　future　of　that

struggling　camp；　when　he　became　so　foot…sore　that　he　was　obliged　to

accept　a　〃lift〃　from　a　wayfaring　teamster。　　As　the　slowly　lumbering

vehicle　passed　the　new　church　on　the　outskirts　of　the　town；　the

congregation　were　sallying　forth。　　It　was　too　late　to　jump　down　and

run　away；　and　Cass　dared　not　ask　his　new…found　friend　to　whip　up

his　cattle。　　Conscious　of　his　unshorn　beard　and　ragged　garments；　he

kept　his　eyes　fixed　upon　the　road。　　A　voice　that　thrilled　him

called　his　name。　　It　was　Miss　Porter；　a　resplendent　vision　of　silk；

laces；　and　Easte