wyoming(怀俄明)-第7章
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〃I'll go rope another hawss；〃 put in the man who had got off。
〃Get a jump on you； then。 Miss Messiter； would you like to look over
the place？〃
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〃Not now。 I want to see the men that were hurt。 Perhaps I can help
them。 Once I took a few weeks in nursing。〃
〃Bully for you； ma'am；〃 whooped Mac。 〃I've a notion those boys are
sufferin' for a woman to put the diamond…hitch on them bandages。〃
〃Bring that suit…case in；〃 she commanded Denver； in the gentlest voice
he had ever heard； after she had made a hasty inspection of the first
wounded man。
From the suit…case she took a little leather medicine…case； the kind that
can be bought already prepared for use。 It held among other things a roll
of medicated cotton； some antiseptic tablets； and a little steel instrument
for probing。
〃Some warm water； please； and have some boiling on the range；〃 were
her next commands。
Mac flew to execute them。
It was a pleasure to see her work； so deftly the skillful hands
accomplished what her brain told them。 In admiring awe the punchers
stood awkwardly around while she washed and dressed the hurts。 Two of
the bullets had gone through the fleshy part of the arm and left clean
wounds。 In the case of the third man she had to probe for the lead； but
fortunately found it with little difficulty。 Meanwhile she soothed the victim
with gentle womanly sympathy。
〃I know it hurts a good deal。 Just a minute and I'll be through。〃
His hands clutched tightly the edges of his bunk。 〃That's all right； doc。
You attend to roping that pill and I'll endure the grief。〃
A long sigh of relief went up from the assembled cowboys when she
drew the bullet out。
The sinewy hands fastened on the wooden bunk relaxed suddenly。
〃'Frisco's daid；〃 gasped the cook； who bore the title of Wun Hop for no
reason except that he was an Irishman in a place formerly held by a
Chinese。
〃He has only fainted；〃 she said quietly； and continued with the
antiseptic dressing。
When it was all over； the big； tanned men gathered at the entrance to
the calf corral and expanded in admiration of their new boss。
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〃She's a pure for fair。 She grades up any old way yuh take her to the
best corn…fed article on the market；〃 pronounced Denver； with enthusiasm。
〃I got to ride the boundary；〃 sighed Missou。 〃I kinder hate to go right
now。〃
〃Here； too；〃 acquiesced another。 〃I got a round…up on Wind Creek to
cut out them two…year…olds。 If 'twas my say…so； I'd order Mac on that job。〃
〃Right kind of y'u。 Seems to me〃Mac's sarcastic eye trailed around to
include all those who had been singing her praises〃the new queen of this
hacienda won't have no trouble at all picking a prince consort when she
gets round to it。 Here's Wun Hop； not what y'u might call anxious； but
ce'tainly willing。 Then Denver's some in the turtle…dove business；
according to that hash…slinger in Cheyenne。 Missou might be induced to
accept if it was offered him proper； and I allow Jim ain't turned the color
of Redtop's hair jest for instance。 I don't want to leave out 'Frisco and the
other boys carrying Bannister's pills〃
〃Nor McWilliams。 I'd admire to include him；〃 murmured Denver。
That sunburned； nonchalant youth laughed musically。 〃Sure thing。 I'd
hate to be left out。 The only difference is〃
〃Well？〃
His roving eye circled blandly round。 〃I stand about one show in a
million。 Y'u roughnecks are dead ones already。〃
With which cold comfort he sauntered away to join Miss Messiter and
the foreman； who now appeared together at the door of the ranchhouse；
prepared to make a tour of the buildings and the immediate corrals。
〃Isn't there a woman on the place？〃 she was asking Morgan。
〃No'm； there ain't。 Henderson's daughter would come and stay with y'u
a while I reckon。〃
〃Please send for her at once； then； and ask her to come to…day。〃
〃All right。 I'll send one of the boys right away。〃
〃How did y'u leave 'Frisco； ma'am？〃 asked Mac； by way of including
himself easily。
〃He's resting quietly。 Unless blood…poisoning sets in they ought all to
do well。〃
〃It's right lucky for them y'u happened along。 This is the hawss corral；
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ma'am；〃 explained the young man just as Morgan opened his thin lips to
tell her。
Judd contrived to get rid of him promptly。 〃Slap on a saddle； Mac； and
run up the remuda so Miss Messiter can see the hawsses for herself；〃 he
ordered。
〃Mebbe she'd rather ride down and look at the bunch；〃 suggested the
capable McWilliams。
As it chanced； she did prefer to ride down the pasture and look over
the place from on horseback。 She was in love with her ranch already。 Its
spacious distances； the thousands of cattle and the horses； these
picturesque retainers who served her even to the shedding of an enemy's
blood； they all struck an answering echo in her gallant young heart that
nothing in Kalamazoo had been able to stir。 She bubbled over with
enthusiasm； the while Morgan covertly sneered and McWilliams warmed
to the untamed youth in her。
〃What about this man Bannister？〃 she flung out suddenly； after they
had cantered back to the house when the remuda had been inspected。
Her abrupt question brought again the short； tense silence she had
become used to expect。
〃He runs sheep about twenty or thirty miles southwest of here；〃
explained McWilliams； in a carefully casual tone。
〃So everybody tells me； but it seems to me he spills a good deal of
lead on my men；〃 she answered impatiently。 〃What's the trouble？〃
〃Last week he crossed the dead…line with a bunch of five thousand
sheep。〃
〃Who draws this dead…line？〃
〃The cattlemen got together and drew it。 Your uncle was one of those
that marked it off； ma'am。〃
〃And Bannister crossed it？〃
〃Yes； ma'am。 Yesterday 'Frisco come on him and one of his herders
with a big bunch of them less than fifteen miles from here。 He didn't know
it was Bannister； and took a pot…shot at him。 'Course Bannister came back
at him； and he got Frisco in the laig。〃
〃Didn't know it was Bannister？ What difference WOULD that make？〃
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she said impatiently。
Mac laughed。 〃What difference would it make； Judd？〃
Morgan scowled； and the young man answered his own question。 〃We
don't any of us go out of our way more'n a mile to cross Bannister's trail；〃
he drawled。
〃Do you wear this for an ornament？ Are you upholstered with
hardware to catch the eyes of some girl？〃 she asked； touching with the end
of her whip the revolver in the holster strapped to his chaps。
His serene； gay smile flashed at her。 〃Are y'u ordering me to go out
and get Ned Bannister's scalp？〃
〃No； I am not；〃 she explained promptly。 〃What I am trying to discover
is why you all seem to be afraid of one man。 He is only a man； isn't he？〃
A veil of ice seemed to fall over the boyish face and leave it chiseled
marble。 His unspeaking eyes rested on the swarthy foreman as he
answered：
〃I don't know what he is； ma'am。 He may be one man； or he may be a
hundred。 What's more； I ain't particularly suffering to find out。 Fact is； I
haven't lost any Bannisters。〃
The girl became aware that her foreman was looking at her with a
wary silent vigilance sinister in its intensity。
〃In short； you're like the rest of the people in this section。 You're
afraid。〃
〃Now y'u're shoutin'； Miss Messiter。 I sure am when it comes to
shootin' off my mouth about Bannister。〃
〃And you； Mr。 Morgan？〃
It struck her that the young puncher waited with a curious interest for
the answer of the foreman。
〃Did it look like I was afraid this mawnin'； ma'am？〃 he asked； with
narrowed eyes。
〃No； you all seemed brave enough then； when you had him eight to
one。〃
〃I wasn't there；〃 hastily put in McWilliams。 〃I don't go gunning for my
man without giving him a show。〃
〃I do；〃 retorted Morgan cruelly。 〃I'd go if we was fifty to one。 We'd 'a'
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got him； too； if it hadn't been for Miss Messiter。 'Twas a chance we ain't
likely to get again for a year。〃
〃It wasn't your fault you didn't kill him； Mr。 Morgan；〃 she said；
looking hard at him。 〃You may be interested to know that your last shot
missed him only about six inches； and me about four。〃
〃I didn't know who you were；〃 he sullenly defended。
〃I see。 You only shoot at women when you don't know who they are。〃
She turned her back on him pointedly and addressed herself to
McWilliams。 〃You can tell the men working on this ranch that I won't have
any more such attacks on this man Bannister。 I don't care what or who he
is。 I don't propose to have him murdered by my employees。 Let the law
take him and hang him。 Do you hear？〃
〃I ce'tainly do； and the boys will get the word straight；〃 he replied。
〃I take it since yuh are giving your orders through Mac； yuh don't need
me any longer for your foreman；〃 bullied Morgan。
〃You take it right； sir；〃 came her crisp reply。 〃McWilliams will be my
foreman from to…day。〃
The man's face； malignant and wolfish； suddenly lost its mask。 That
she would so promptly call his bluff was the last thing he had expected。
〃That's all right。 I reckon yuh think yuh know your own business； but I'll
put it to yuh straight。 Long as yuh live you'll be sorry for this。〃
And with that he wheeled
