arizona nights(亚利桑那之夜)-第17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！
say；〃 thinks I to myself。 The Irishman bellied up to the bar again；
and pounded on it with his fist。 〃Look here！〃 he yells。 〃Listen to
what I'm tellin' ye！ God bless the Irish and let the Dutch rustle！ Do ye
hear me？〃 〃Sure； I hear ye；〃 says Dutchy； and goes on swabbin' his
bar with a towel。 At that my soul just grew sick。 I asked the man
next to me why Dutchy didn't kill the little fellow。 〃Kill him！ 〃 says
67
… Page 68…
ARIZONA NIGHTS
this man。 〃What for？〃 〃For insultin' of him； of course。〃 〃Oh；
he's drunk；〃 says the man； as if that explained anythin'。
That settled it with me。 I left that place； and went home；and it wasn't
more than four o'clock； neither。 No； I don't call four o'clock late。 It
may be a little late for night before last； but it's just the shank of the
evenin' for to…night。 Well； it took me six weeks and two days to go
broke。 I didn't know sic em； about minin'； and before long I KNEW that
I didn't 'know sic 'em。 Most all day I poked around them mountains…not
like our'ntoo much timber to be comfortable。 At night I got to droppin'
in at Dutchy's。 He had a couple of quiet games goin'； and they was one
fellow among that lot of grubbin' prairie dogs that had heerd tell that cows
had horns。 He was the wisest of the bunch on the cattle business。 So I
stowed away my consolation； and made out to forget comparing Colorado
with God's country。
About three times a week this Irishman I told you ofname O'Toole
comes bulgin' in。 When he was sober he talked minin' high； wide； and
handsome。 When he was drunk he pounded both fists on the bar and
yelled for action； tryin' to get Dutchy on the peck。 〃God bless the
Irish and let the Dutch rustle！〃 he yells about six times。 〃Say； do you
hear？〃 〃Sure；〃 says Dutchy； calm as a milk cow； 〃sure； I hears ye！〃
I was plumb sorry for O'Toole。 I'd like to have given him a run； but； of
course； I couldn't take it up without makin' myself out a friend of this
Dutchy party； and I couldn't stand for that。 But I did tackle Dutchy about
it one night when they wasn't nobody else there。
〃Dutchy；〃 says I； 〃what makes you let that bow…legged cross between a
bulldog and a flamin' red sunset tromp on you so？ It looks to me like
you're plumb spiritless。〃 Dutchy stopped wiping glasses for a minute。
〃Just you hold on〃 says he。 〃I ain't ready yet。 Bimeby I make him sick；
also those others who laugh with him。〃
He had a little grey flicker in his eye； and I thinks to myself that
maybe they'd get Dutchy on the peck yet。 As I said； I went broke in
just six weeks and two days。 And I was broke a plenty。 No hold…outs
anywhere。 It was a heap long ways to cows； and I'd be teetotally chawed
up and spit out if I was goin' to join these minin' terrapins defacin' the
68
… Page 69…
ARIZONA NIGHTS
bosom of nature。 It sure looked to me like hard work。 While I was
figurin' what next； Dutchy came in。 Which I was tur'ble surprised at that；
but I said good…mornin' and would he rest his poor feet。 〃You like to
make some money？〃 he asks。
〃That depends；〃 says I； 〃on how easy it is。〃 〃It is easy；〃 says
he。 〃I want you to buy hosses for me。〃 〃Hosses！ Sure！〃 I yells；
jumpin' up。 〃You bet you！ Why； hosses is where I live！ What hosses do
you want？〃 〃All hosses；〃 says he； calm as a faro dealer。
〃What？〃 says I。 〃Elucidate； my bucko。 I don't take no such blanket
order。 Spread your cards。〃 〃I mean just that；〃 says he。 〃I want you to
buy all the hosses in this camp； and in the mountains。 Every one。〃
〃Whew！〃 I whistles。 〃That's a large order。 But I'm your meat。〃
〃Come with me； then；〃 says he。 I hadn't but just got up； but I went with
him to his little old poison factory。 Of course； I hadn't had no breakfast；
but he staked me to a Kentucky breakfast。 What's a Kentucky breakfast？
Why； a Kentucky breakfast is a three…pound steak； a bottle of whisky； and
a setter dog。 What's the dog for？ Why； to eat the steak； of course。
We come to an agreement。 I was to get two…fifty a head commission。
So I started out。 There wasn't many hosses in that country； and what
there was the owners hadn't much use for unless it was to work a whim。
I picked up about a hundred head quick enough； and reported to Dutchy。
〃How about burros and mules？〃 I asks Dutchy。
〃They goes；〃 says he。 〃Mules same as hosses； burros four bits a head
to you。〃
At the end of a week I had a remuda of probably two hundred animals。
We kept them over the hills in some 〃parks；〃 as these sots call meadows in
that country。 I rode into town and told Dutchy。 〃Got them all？〃 he
asks。 〃All but a cross…eyed buckskin that's mean； and the bay mare
that Noah bred to。〃
〃Get them；〃 says he。 〃The bandits want too much；〃 I explains。
〃Get them anyway；〃 says he。 I went away and got them。 It was
scand'lous； such prices。 When I hit Cyanide again I ran into scenes of
wild excitement。 The whole passel of them was on that one street of
their'n； talkin' sixteen ounces to the pound。 In the middle was Dutchy；
69
… Page 70…
ARIZONA NIGHTS
drunk as a soldier…just plain foolish drunk。
〃Good Lord！〃 thinks I to myself； 〃he ain't celebratin' gettin' that bunch
of buzzards； is he？〃
But I found he wasn't that bad。 When he caught sight of me； he fell
on me drivellin'。 〃Look there！〃 he weeps； showin' me a letter。
I was the last to come in； so I kept that letterhere she is。 I'll read her。
Dear Dutchy：I suppose you thought I'd flew the coop； but I haven't
and this is to prove it。 Pack up your outfit and hit the trail。 I've made
the biggest free gold strike you ever see。 I'm sending you specimens。
There's tons just like it； tons and tons。 I got all the claims I can hold
myself； but there's heaps more。 I've writ to Johnny and Ed at Denver to
come on。 Don't give this away。 Make tracks。 Come in to Buck Canon
in the Whetstones and oblige。 Yours
truly； Henry Smith
Somebody showed me a handful of white rock with yeller streaks in it。
His eyes was bulgin' until you could have hung your hat on them。 That
O'Toole party was walkin' around； wettin' his lips with his tongue and
swearin' soft。 〃God bless the Irish and let the Dutch rustle！〃 says he。
〃And the fool had to get drunk and give it away！〃
The excitement was just started； but it didn't last long。 The crowd got
the same notion at the same time； and it just melted。 Me and Dutchy was
left alone。 I went home。 Pretty soon a fellow named Jimmy Tack
come around a little out of breath。
〃Say； you know that buckskin you bought off'n me？〃 says he； 〃I want
to buy him back。〃
〃Oh； you do；〃 says I。
〃Yes；〃 says he。 〃I've got to leave town for a couple of days； and I got
to have somethin' to pack。〃
〃Wait and I'll see；〃 says I。
Outside the door I met another fellow。
〃Look here；〃 he stops me with。 〃How about that bay mare I sold you？
Can you call that sale off？ I got to leave town for a day or two and〃
〃Wait；〃 says I。 〃I'll see。〃 By the gate was another hurryin' up。
70
… Page 71…
ARIZONA NIGHTS
〃Oh； yes；〃 says I when he opens his mouth。 〃I know all your troubles。
You have to leave town for a couple of days； and you want back that lizard
you sold me。 Well； wait。〃
After that I had to quit the main street and dodge back of the hog ranch。
They was all headed my way。 I was as popular as a snake in a
prohibition town。 I hit Dutchy's by the back door。
〃Do you want to sell hosses？〃 I asks。 〃Everyone in town wants to buy。〃
Dutchy looked hurt。 〃I wanted to keep them for the valley market；〃
says he； 〃butHow much did you give Jimmy Tack for his buckskin？〃
〃Twenty；〃 says I。 〃Well； let him have it for eighty；〃 says Dutchy； 〃and
the others in proportion。〃 I lay back and breathed hard。 〃Sell
them all； but the one best hoss；〃 says he〃no； the TWO best。〃 〃Holy
smoke！〃 says I； gettin' my breath。 〃If you mean that； Dutchy； you lend me
another gun and give me a drink。〃 He done so； and I went back home
to where the whole camp of Cyanide was waitin'。 I got up and made
them a speech and told them I'd sell them hosses all right； and to come
back。 Then I got an Injin boy to help； and we rustled over the remuda
and held them in a blind canon。 Then I called up these miners one at a
time； and made bargains with them。 Roar！ Well； you could hear them
at Denver； they tell me； and the weather reports said； 〃Thunder in the
mountains。〃 But it was cash on delivery； and they all paid up。 They had
seen that white quartz with the gold stickin' into it； and that's the same as a
dose of loco to miner gents。 Why didn't I take a hoss and start first？
I did think of itfor about one second。 I wouldn't stay in that cou
