the red one-第7章

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the　American　railroad　runnin'　from　that　place　over　the　Andes　to

Quito。　　Now　Guayaquil　…　〃



〃Is　a　fever…hole；〃　I　interpolated。



Julian　Jones　nodded。



〃Thomas　Nast　died　there　of　it　within　a　month　after　he　landed。　…　He

was　our　great　American　cartoonist；〃　I　added。



〃Don't　know　him；〃　Julian　Jones　said　shortly。　　〃But　I　do　know　he

wasn't　the　first　to　pass　out　by　a　long　shot。　　Why；　look　you　the　way

I　found　it。　　The　pilot　grounds　is　sixty　miles　down　the　river。

'How's　the　fever？'　said　I　to　the　pilot　who　came　aboard　in　the　early

morning。　　'See　that　Hamburg　barque；'　said　he；　pointing　to　a　sizable

ship　at　anchor。　　'Captain　and　fourteen　men　dead　of　it　already；　and

the　cook　and　two　men　dying　right　now；　and　they're　the　last　left　of

her。'



〃And　by　jinks　he　told　the　truth。　　And　right　then　they　were　dying

forty　a　day　in　Guayaquil　of　Yellow　Jack。　　But　that　was　nothing；　as

I　was　to　find　out。　　Bubonic　plague　and　small…pox　were　raging；　while

dysentery　and　pneumonia　were　reducing　the　population；　and　the

railroad　was　raging　worst　of　all。　　I　mean　that。　　For　them　that

insisted　in　riding　on　it；　it　was　more　dangerous　than　all　the　other

diseases　put　together。



〃When　we　dropped　anchor　off　Guayaquil　half　a　dozen　skippers　from

other　steamers　came　on　board　to　warn　our　skipper　not　to　let　any　of

his　crew　or　officers　go　ashore　except　the　ones　he　wanted　to　lose。

A　launch　came　off　for　me　from　Duran；　which　is　on　the　other　side　of

the　river　and　is　the　terminal　of　the　railroad。　　And　it　brought　off

a　man　that　soared　up　the　gangway　three　jumps　at　a　time　he　was　that

eager　to　get　aboard。　　When　he　hit　the　deck　he　hadn't　time　to　speak

to　any　of　us。　　He　just　leaned　out　over　the　rail　and　shook　his　fist

at　Duran　and　shouted：　　'I　beat　you　to　it！　　I　beat　you　to　it！'



〃'Who'd　you　beat　to　it；　friend？'　I　asked。　　'The　railroad；'　he　said；

as　he　unbuckled　the　straps　and　took　off　a　big　'44　Colt's　automatic

from　where　he　wore　it　handy　on　his　left　side　under　his　coat；　'I

staved　as　long　as　I　agreed　…　three　months　…　and　it　didn't　get　me。

I　was　a　conductor。'



〃And　that　was　the　railroad　I　was　to　work　for。　　All　of　which　was

nothing　to　what　he　told　me　in　the　next　few　minutes。　　The　road　ran

from　sea　level　at　Duran　up　to　twelve　thousand　feet　on　Chimborazo

and　down　to　ten　thousand　at　Quito　on　the　other　side　the　range。　　And

it　was　so　dangerous　that　the　trains　didn't　run　nights。　　The　through

passengers　had　to　get　off　and　sleep　in　the　towns　at　night　while　the

train　waited　for　daylight。　　And　each　train　carried　a　guard　of

Ecuadoriano　soldiers　which　was　the　most　dangerous　of　all。　　They

were　supposed　to　protect　the　train　crews；　but　whenever　trouble

started　they　unlimbered　their　rifles　and　joined　the　mob。　　You　see；

whenever　a　train　wreck　occurred；　the　first　cry　of　the　spiggoties

was　'Kill　the　Gringos！'　　They　always　did　that；　and　proceeded　to

kill　the　train　crew　and　whatever　chance　Gringo　passengers　that'd

escaped　being　killed　in　the　accident。　　Which　is　their　kind　of

arithmetic；　which　I　told　you　a　while　back　as　being　different　from

ours。



〃Shucks！　　Before　the　day　was　out　I　was　to　find　out　for　myself　that

that　ex…conductor　wasn't　lying。　　It　was　over　at　Duran。　　I　was　to

take　my　run　on　the　first　division　out　to　Quito；　for　which　place　I

was　to　start　next　morning　…　only　one　through　train　running　every

twenty…four　hours。　　It　was　the　afternoon　of　my　first　day；　along

about　four　o'clock；　when　the　boilers　of　the　GOVERNOR　HANCOCK

exploded　and　she　sank　in　sixty　feet　of　water　alongside　the　dock。

She　was　the　big　ferry　boat　that　carried　the　railroad　passengers

across　the　river　to　Guayaquil。　　It　was　a　bad　accident；　but　it　was

the　cause　of　worse　that　followed。　　By　half…past　four；　big

trainloads　began　to　arrive。　　It　was　a　feast　day　and　they'd　run　an

excursion　up　country　but　of　Guayaquil；　and　this　was　the　crowd

coming　back。



〃And　the　crowd　…　there　was　five　thousand　of　them　…　wanted　to　get

ferried　across；　and　the　ferry　was　at　the　bottom　of　the　river；　which

wasn't　our　fault。　　But　by　the　Spiggoty　arithmetic；　it　was。　　'Kill

the　Gringos！'　shouts　one　of　them。　　And　right　there　the　beans　were

spilled。　　Most　of　us　got　away　by　the　skin　of　our　teeth。　　I　raced　on

the　heels　of　the　Master　Mechanic；　carrying　one　of　his　babies　for

him；　for　the　locomotives　that　was　just　pulling　out。　　You　see；　way

down　there　away　from　everywhere　they　just　got　to　save　their

locomotives　in　times　of　trouble；　because；　without　them；　a　railroad

can't　be　run。　　Half　a　dozen　American　wives　and　as　many　children

were　crouching　on　the　cab　floors　along　with　the　rest　of　us　when　we

pulled　out；　and　the　Ecuadoriano　soldiers；　who　should　have　been

protecting　our　lives　and　property；　turned　loose　with　their　rifles

and　must　have　given　us　all　of　a　thousand　rounds　before　we　got　out

of　range。



〃We　camped　up　country　and　didn't　come　back　to　clean　up　until　next

day。　　It　was　some　cleaning。　　Every　flat…car；　box…car；　coach；

asthmatic　switch　engine；　and　even　hand…car　that　mob　of　Spiggoties

had　shoved　off　the　dock　into　sixty　feet　of　water　on　top　of　the

GOVERNOR　HANCOCK。　　They'd　burnt　the　round　house；　set　fire　to　the

coal　bunkers；　and　made　a　scandal　of　the　repair　shops。　　Oh；　yes；　and

there　were　three　of　our　fellows　they'd　got　that　we　had　to　bury

mighty　quick。　　It's　hot　weather　all　the　time　down　there。〃



Julian　Jones　came　to　a　full　pause　and　over　his　shoulder　studied　the

straight…before…her　gaze　and　forbidding　expression　of　his　wife's

face。



〃I　ain't　forgotten　the　nugget；〃　he　assured　me。



〃Nor　the　hussy；〃　the　little　woman　snapped；　apparently　at　the　mud…

hens　paddling　on　the　surface　of　the　lagoon。



〃I've　been　travelling　toward　the　nugget　right　along　…　〃



〃There　was　never　no　reason　for　you　to　stay　in　that　dangerous

country；〃　his　wife　snapped　in　on　him。



〃Now；　Sarah；〃　he　appealed。　　〃I　was　working　for　you　right　along。〃

And　to　me　he　explained：　　〃The　risk　was　big；　but　so　was　the　pay。

Some　months　I　earned　as　high　as　five　hundred　gold。　　And　here　was

Sarah　waiting　for　me　back　in　Nebraska　…　〃



〃An'　us　engaged　two　years；〃　she　complained　to　the　Tower　of　Jewels。



〃　…　What　of　the　strike；　and　me　being　blacklisted；　and　getting

typhoid　down　in　Australia；　and　everything；〃　he　went　on。　　〃And　luck

was　with　me　on　that　railroad。　　Why；　I　saw　fellows　fresh　from　the

States　pass　out；　some　of　them　not　a　week　on　their　first　run。　　If

the　diseases　and　the　railroad　didn't　get　them；　then　it　was　the

Spiggoties　got　them。　　But　it　just　wasn't　my　fate；　even　that　time　I

rode　my　engine　down　to　the　bottom　of　a　forty…foot　washout。　　I　lost

my　fireman；　and　the　conductor　and　the　Superintendent　of　Rolling

Stock　（who　happened　to　be　running　down　to　Duran　to　meet　his　bride）

had　their　heads　knifed　off　by　the　Spiggoties　and　paraded　around　on

poles。　　But　I　lay　snug　as　a　bug　under　a　couple　of　feet　of　tender

coal；　and　they　thought　I'd　headed　for　tall　timber　…　lay　there　a　day

and　a　night　till　the　excitement　cooled　down。　　Yes；　I　was　lucky。

The　worst　that　happened　to　me　was　I　caught　a　cold　once；　and　another

time　had　a　carbuncle。　　But　the　other　fellows！　　They　died　like

flies；　what　of　Yellow　Jack；　pneumonia；　the　Spiggoties；　and　the

railroad。　　The　trouble　was　I　didn't　have　much　chance　to　pal　with

them。　　No　sooner'd　I　get　some　intimate　with　one　of　them　he'd　up　and

die　…　all　but　a　fireman　named　Andrews；　and　he　went　loco　for　keeps。



〃I　made　good　on　my　job　from　the　first；　and　lived　in　Quito　in　a

'dobe　house　with　whacking　big　Spanish　tiles　on　the　roof　that　I'd

rented。　　And　I　never　had　much　trouble　with　the　Spiggoties；　what　of

letting　them　sneak　free　rides　in　the　tender　or　on　the　cowcatcher。

Me　throw　them　off？　　Never！　　I　took　notice；　when　Jack　Harris　put　off

a　bunch　of　them；　that　I　attended　his　funeral　MUY　PRONTO　…　〃



〃Speak　English；〃　the　little　woman　beside　him　snapped。



〃Sarah　just　can't　bear　to　tolerate　me　speaking　Spanish；〃　he

apologized。　　〃It　gets　so　on　her　nerves　that　I　promised　not　to。

Well；　as　I　was　saying；　the　goose　hung　high　and　everything　was　going

hunky…dory；　and　I　was　piling　up　my　wages　to　come　north　to　Nebraska

and　marry　Sarah；　when　I　run　on　to　Vahna　…　〃



〃The　hussy！〃　Sarah　hissed。



〃Now；　Sarah；〃　her　towering　giant　of　a　husband　begged；　〃I　just　got

to　mention　her　or　I　can't　tell　about　the　nugget。　…　It　was　one　night

when　I　was　taking　a　locomotive　…　no　train　…　down　to　Amato；　about

thirty　miles　from　Quito。　　Seth　Manners　was　my　fireman。　　I　was

breaking　him　in　to　engineer　for　himself；　and　I　was　letting　him　run

the　locomotive　while　I　sat　up　in　his　seat　meditating　about　Sarah

here。　　I'd　just　got　a　letter　from　her；　begging　as　usual　for　me　to

come　home　and　hinting　as　usual　about　the　dangers　of　an　unmarried

man　like　me　running　around　loose　in　a　country　full　of　senoritas　and

fandangos。　　Lord！　　If　she　could　only　a…seen　them。　　Positive

frights；　that's　what　they　are；　their　faces　painted　white　as　corpses

and　their　lips　red　as　…　as　some　of　the　train　wrecks　I've　helped

clean　up。



〃It　was　a　lovely　April　night；　not　a　breath　of　wind；　and　a

tremendous　big　moon　shining　right　over　the　top　of　Chimborazo。　…

Some　mountain　that。　　The　railroad　skirted　it　twelve　thousand　feet

above　sea　level；　and　the　top　of　it　ten　thousand　feet　higher　than

that。



〃Mebbe　I　was　drowsing；　with　Seth　running　the　engine；　but　he　slammed

on　the　brakes　so　sudden　hard　that　I　darn　near　went　through　the　cab

window。



〃'What　the　…　'　I　started　to　yell；　and　'Holy　hell；'　Seth　says；　as

both　of　us　looked　at　what　was　on　the　track。　　And　I　agreed　with　Seth

entirely　in　his　remark。　　It　was　an　Indian　girl　…　and　take　it　from

me；　Indians　ain't　Spiggoties　by　any　manner　of　means。　　Seth　had

managed　to　fetch　a　stop　within　twenty　feet　of　her；　and　us　bowling

down　hill　at　that！　　But　the　girl。　　She　…　〃



I　saw　the　form　of　Mrs。　Julian　Jones　stiffen；　although　she　kept　her

gaze　fixed　balefully　upon　two　mud…hens　that　were　prowling　along　the

lagoon　shallows　below　us。　　〃The　hussy！〃　she　hissed；　once　and

implacably。　　Jones　had　stopped　at　the　sound；　but　went　on

immediately。



〃She　was　a　tall　girl；　slim　and　slender；　you　know　the　kind；　with

black　hair；　remarkably　long　hanging；　down　loose　behind　her；　as　she

stood　there　no　more　afraid　than　nothing；　her　arms　spread　out　to

stop　the　engine。　　She　was　wearing　a　slimpsy　sort　of　garment　wrapped

around　her　that　wasn't　cloth　but　ocelot　skins；　soft　and　dappled；

and　silky。　　It　was　all　she　had　on　…　〃



〃The　hussy！〃　breathed　Mrs。　Jones。



But　Mr。　Jones　went　on；　making　believe　that　he　was　unaware　of　the

interruption。



〃'Hell　of　a　way　to　stop　a　locomotive；'　I　complained　at　Seth；　as　I

climbed　down　on　to　the　right　of　way。　　I　walked　past　our　engine　and

up　to　the　girl；　and　what　do　you　think？　　Her　eyes　were　shut　tight。

She　was　trembling　that　violent　that　you　would　see　it　by　the

moonlight。　　And　she　was　barefoot；　too。



〃'What's　the　row？'　I　said；　none　too　gentle。　　She　gave　a　start；

seemed　to　come　out　of