第 6 节
作者:理性的思索      更新:2024-09-11 20:30      字数:9322
  〃Oh; dear!〃 said Cecilia; sitting up and patting her artistic hair。   She cast a mournful glance at the ferry…boat poster on the wall。
  〃Nit;〃 said Hetty。  〃It ain't him。  You're up against real life now。   I believe you said your hero friend had money and automobiles。  This  is a poor skeezicks that's got nothing to eat but an onion。  But he's  easy…spoken and not a freshy。  I imagine he's been a gentleman; he's  so low down now。  And we need the onion。  Shall I bring him in?  I'll  guarantee his behavior。〃
  〃Hetty; dear;〃 sighed Cecilia; 〃I'm so hungry。  What difference does  it make whether he's a prince or a burglar?  I don't care。  Bring him  in if he's got anything to eat with him。〃
  Hetty went back into the hall。  The onion man was gone。  Her heart  missed a beat; and a gray look settled over her face except on her  nose and cheek…bones。  And then the tides of life flowed in again; for  she saw him leaning out of the front window at the other end of the  hall。  She hurried there。  He was shouting to some one below。  The  noise of the street overpowered the sound of her footsteps。  She  looked down over his shoulder; saw whom he was speaking to; and heard  his words。  He pulled himself in from the window…sill and saw her  standing over him。
  Hetty's eyes bored into him like two steel gimlets。
  〃Don't lie to me;〃 she said; calmly。  〃What were you going to do with  that onion?〃
  The young man suppressed a cough and faced her resolutely。  His manner  was that of one who had been bearded sufficiently。
  〃I was going to eat it;〃 said he; with emphatic slowness; 〃just as I  told you before。〃
  〃And you have nothing else to eat at home?〃
  〃Not a thing。〃
  〃What kind of work do you do?〃
  〃I am not working at anything just now。〃
  〃Then why;〃 said Hetty; with her voice set on its sharpest edge; 〃do  you lean out of windows and give orders to chauffeurs in green  automobiles in the street below?〃
  The young man flushed; and his dull eyes began to sparkle。
  〃Because; madam;〃 said he; in accelerando tones; 〃I pay the  chauffeur's wages and I own the automobileand also this onionthis  onion; madam。〃
  He flourished the onion within an inch of Hetty's nose。  The shop…lady  did not retreat a hair's…breadth。
  〃Then why do you eat onions;〃 she said; with biting contempt; 〃and  nothing else?〃
  〃I never said I did;〃 retorted the young man; heatedly。  〃I said I had  nothing else to eat where I live。  I am not a delicatessen store… keeper。〃
  〃Then why;〃 pursued Hetty; inflexibly; 〃were you going to eat a raw  onion?〃
  〃My mother;〃 said the young man; 〃always made me eat one for a cold。   Pardon my referring to a physical infirmity; but you may have noticed  that I have a very; very severe cold。  I was going to eat the onion  and go to bed。  I wonder why I am standing here and apologizing to you  for it。〃
  〃How did you catch this cold?〃 went on Hetty; suspiciously。
  The young man seemed to have arrived at some extreme height of  feeling。  There were two modes of descent open to hima burst of rage  or a surrender to the ridiculous。  He chose wisely; and the empty hall  echoed his hoarse laughter。
  〃You're a dandy;〃 said he。  〃And I don't blame you for being careful。   I don't mind telling you。  I got wet。  I was on a North River ferry a  few days ago when a girl jumped overboard。  Of course; I〃
  Hetty extended her hand; interrupting his story。
  〃Give me the onion;〃 she said。
  The young man set his jaw a trifle harder。
  〃Give me the onion;〃 she repeated。
  He grinned; and laid it in her hand。
  Then Hetty's infrequent; grim; melancholy smile showed itself。  She  took the young man's arm and pointed with her other hand to the door  of her room。
  〃Little Brother;〃 she said; 〃go in there。  The little fool you fished  out of the river is there waiting for you。  Go on in。  I'll give you  three minutes before I come。  Potatoes is in there; waiting。  Go on  in; Onions。〃
  After he had tapped at the door and entered; Hetty began to peel and  wash the onion at the sink。  She gave a gray look at the gray roofs  outside; and the smile on her face vanished by little jerks and  twitches。
  〃But it's us;〃 she said; grimly; to herself; 〃it's us that furnishes  the beef。〃
  THE HIDING OF BLACK BILL
  A lank; strong; red…faced man with a Wellington beak and small; fiery  eyes tempered by flaxen lashes; sat on the station platform at Los  Pinos swinging his legs to and fro。  At his side sat another man; fat;  melancholy; and seedy; who seemed to be his friend。  They had the  appearance of men to whom life had appeared as a reversible coat seamy on both sides。
  〃Ain't seen you in about four years; Ham;〃 said the seedy man。  〃Which  way you been travelling?〃
  〃Texas;〃 said the red…faced man。  〃It was too cold in Alaska for me。   And I found it warm in Texas。  I'll tell you about one hot spell I  went through there。
  〃One morning I steps off the International at a water…tank and lets it  go on without me。  'Twas a ranch country; and fuller of spite…houses  than New York City。  Only out there they build 'em twenty miles away  so you can't smell what they've got for dinner; instead of running 'em  up two inches from their neighbors' windows。
  〃There wasn't any roads in sight; so I footed it 'cross country。  The  grass was shoe…top deep; and the mesquite timber looked just like a  peach orchard。  It was so much like a gentleman's private estate that  every minute you expected a kennelful of bulldogs to run out and bite  you。  But I must have walked twenty miles before I came in sight of a  ranch…house。  It was a little one; about as big as an elevated… railroad station。
  〃There was a little man in a white shirt and brown overalls and a pink  handkerchief around his neck rolling cigarettes under a tree in front  of the door。
  〃'Greetings;' says I。  'Any refreshment; welcome; emoluments; or even  work for a comparative stranger?'
  〃'Oh; come in;' says he; in a refined tone。  'Sit down on that stool;  please。  I didn't hear your horse coming。'
  〃'He isn't near enough yet;' says I。  'I walked。  I don't want to be a  burden; but I wonder if you have three or four gallons of water  handy。'
  〃'You do look pretty dusty;' says he; 'but our bathing arrangements'
  〃'It's a drink I want;' says I。  'Never mind the dust that's on the  outside。'
  〃He gets me a dipper of water out of a red jar hanging up; and then  goes on:
  〃'Do you want work?'
  〃'For a time;' says I。  'This is a rather quiet section of the  country; isn't it?'
  〃'It is;' says he。  'Sometimesso I have been toldone sees no human  being pass for weeks at a time。  I've been here only a month。  I  bought the ranch from an old settler who wanted to move farther west。'
  〃'It suits me;' says I。  'Quiet and retirement are good for a man  sometimes。  And I need a job。  I can tend bar; salt mines; lecture;  float stock; do a little middle…weight slugging; and play the piano。'
  〃'Can you herd sheep ?' asks the little ranch…man。
  〃'Do you mean have I heard sheep?' says I。
  〃'Can you herd 'emtake charge of a flock of 'em ?' says he。
  〃'Oh;' says I; 'now I understand。  You mean chase 'em around and bark  at 'em like collie dogs。  Well; I might;' says I。  'I've never exactly  done any sheep…herding; but I've often seen 'em from car windows  masticating daisies; and they don't look dangerous。'
  〃'I'm short a herder;' says the ranchman。  'You never can depend on  the Mexicans。  I've only got two flocks。  You may take out my bunch of  muttonsthere are only eight hundred of 'emin the morning; if you  like。  The pay is twelve dollars a month and your rations furnished。   You camp in a tent on the prairie with your sheep。  You do your own  cooking; but wood and water are brought to your camp。  It's an easy  job。'
  〃'I'm on;' says I。  'I'll take the job even if I have to garland my  brow and hold on to a crook and wear a loose…effect and play on a pipe  like the shepherds do in pictures。'
  〃So the next morning the little ranchman helps me drive the flock of  muttons from the corral to about two miles out and let 'em graze on a  little hillside on the prairie。  He gives me a lot of instructions  about not letting bunches of them stray off from the herd; and driving  'em down to a water…hole to drink at noon。
  〃'I'll bring out your tent and camping outfit and rations in the  buckboard before night;' says he。
  〃'Fine;' says I。  'And don't forget the rations。  Nor the camping  outfit。  And be sure to bring the tent。  Your name's Zollicoffer;  ain't it?〃
  〃'My name;' says he; 'is Henry Ogden。'
  〃'All right; Mr。  Ogden;' says I。  'Mine is Mr。  Percival Saint  Clair。'
  〃I herded sheep for five days on the Rancho Chiquito; and then the  wool entered my soul。  That getting next to Nature certainly got next  to me。  I was lonesomer than Crusoe's goat。  I've seen a lot of  persons more entertaining as companions than those sheep were。  I'd  drive 'em to the corral and pen 'em every evening; and then cook my  corn…bread and mutton and coffee; and lie down in a tent the size of a  table…cloth; and listen to the coyotes and whippoorwills singing  around the camp。
  〃The fifth evening; after I had corralled my costly but uncongenial  muttons;