第 23 节
作者:铲除不公      更新:2021-02-20 17:29      字数:9322
  you lifted me out of hell just now; and because of the wrong I might have
  done herfor HER sake; I spare you and shirk my duty。〃
  〃For her sake!〃 gasped the woman〃for her sake!                 Oh; yes!     Go on。〃
  〃Well;〃 said Dunn gloomily; 〃I reckon perhaps you'd as lieve left me in
  hell;  for   all   the   love  you   bear   me。 And   may   be   you've   grudge   enough
  agin me still to wish I'd found her and him together。〃
  〃You think so?〃 she said; turning her head away。
  〃There;     dn   it!  I   didn't   mean    to  make     you   cry。   May      be  you
  wouldn't; then。       Only tell that fellow to take you out of this; and not run
  away the next time he sees a man coming。〃
  〃He   didn't   run;〃   said   Teresa;   with   flashing   eyes。    〃III   sent   him
  away;〃 she stammered。           Then; suddenly turning with fury upon him; she
  broke   out;   〃Run!     Run   from   you!      Ha;   ha!    You   said   just   now   I'd   a
  grudge   against   you。      Well;   listen;   Jim   Dunn。    I'd   only   to   bring   you   in
  range   of   that   young   man's   rifle;   and   you'd   have   dropped   in   your   tracks
  like〃
  〃Like   that   bar;   the   other   night;〃   said   Dunn;   with   a   short   laugh。   〃So
  THAT  was   your   little   game?〃       He   checked   his   laugh suddenlya   cloud
  passed over his face。        〃Look here; Teresa;〃 he said; with an assumption of
  carelessness that was as transparent as it was utterly incompatible with his
  frank;    open    selfishness。     〃What     became     of   that  bar?    The    skineh?
  That was worth something?〃
  〃Yes;〃 said Teresa quietly。         〃Low exchanged it and got a ring for me
  from that trader Isaacs。        It was worth more; you bet。          And the ring didn't
  fit either〃
  〃Yes;〃 interrupted Dunn; with an almost childish eagerness。
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  〃And I made him take it back; and get the value in money。                 I hear that
  Isaacs sold it again and made another profit; but that's like those traders。〃
  The disingenuous candor of Teresa's manner was in exquisite contrast to
  Dunn。      He rose and grasped her hand so heartily she was forced to turn
  her eyes away。
  〃Good…by!〃 he said。
  〃You     look   tired;〃   she   murmured;      with   a  sudden     gentleness    that
  surprised him; 〃let me go with you a part of the way。〃
  〃It  isn't  safe  for   you   just  now;〃   he   said;  thinking    of  the  possible
  consequences of the alarm Brace had raised。
  〃Not    the   way   YOU     came;〃    she   replied;   〃but   one   known     only   to
  myself。〃
  He hesitated only a moment。           〃All right; then;〃 he said finally; 〃let us
  go at once。     It's suffocating here; and I seem to feel this dead bark crinkle
  under my feet。〃
  She cast a rapid glance around her; and then seemed to sound with her
  eyes   the   far…off   depths   of   the   aisles;   beginning   to   grow   pale   with   the
  advancing day; but still holding a strange quiver of heat in the air。               When
  she had finished her half…abstracted scrutiny of the distance; she cast one
  backward glance at her own cabin and stopped。
  〃Will you wait a moment for me?〃 she asked gently。
  〃Yesbutno tricks; Teresa!        It isn't worth the time。〃
  She looked him squarely in the eyes without a word。
  〃Enough;〃 he said; 〃go!〃
  She   was   absent   for   some   moments。      He   was   beginning   to   become
  uneasy; when she made her appearance again; clad in her old faded black
  dress。    Her face was very pale; and her eyes were swollen; but she placed
  his hand on her shoulder; and bidding him not to fear to lean upon her; for
  she was quite strong; led the way。
  〃You   look   more   like   yourself   now;   and   yetblast   it   all!you   don't
  either;〃   said   Dunn;   looking   down   upon   her。     〃You've   changed   in   some
  way。     What is it?     Is it on account of that Injin? Couldn't you have found
  a white man in his place?〃
  〃I reckon   he's neither  worse nor better  for  that;〃 she  replied   bitterly;
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  〃and perhaps he wasn't as particular in his taste as a white man might have
  been。     But;〃 she added; with a sudden spasm of her old rage; 〃it's a lie;
  he's   NOT   an   Indian;   no   more   than   I   am。  Not   unless   being   born   of   a
  mother who scarcely knew him; of a father who never even saw him; and
  being brought up among white men and wild beastsless cruel than they
  werecould make him one!〃
  Dunn   looked   at   her   in   surprise   not   unmixed   with   admiration。       〃If
  Nellie;〃 he thought; 〃could but love ME like that!〃              But he only said:
  〃For   all   that;   he's   an   Injin。 Why;   look   at   his   name。 It   ain't   Low。
  It's L'Eau Dormante; Sleeping Water; an Injin name。〃
  〃And what does that prove?〃 returned Teresa。               〃Only that Indians clap
  a   nick…name   on   any   stranger;   white   or   red;   who   may   camp   with   them。
  Why;   even   his   own   father;   a   white   man;   the   wretch   who   begot   him  and
  abandoned him;HE had an Indian nameLoup Noir。〃
  〃What name did you say?〃
  〃Le Loup Noir; the Black Wolf。             I suppose you'd call him an Indian;
  too?    Eh!     What's the matter?         We're walking too fast。 Stop a moment
  and rest。     Therethere; lean on me!〃
  She was none too soon; for; after holding him upright a moment; his
  limbs   failed;   and   stooping   gently   she   was   obliged   to   support   him   half
  reclining against a tree。
  〃Its the heat!〃 he said。      〃Give me some whisky from my flask。 Never
  mind the water;〃 he added faintly; with a forced laugh; after he had taken a
  draught   at   the   strong   spirit。 〃Tell   me   more   about   the   other   waterthe
  Sleeping Wateryou know。            How do you know all this about him and his…
  …father?〃
  〃Partly   from   him   and   partly   from   Curson;   who   wrote   to   me   about
  him;〃 she answered with some hesitation。
  But   Dunn   did   not   seem  to   notice  this incongruity  of   correspondence
  with a former lover。       〃And HE told you?〃
  〃Yes; and I saw the name on an old memorandum book he has; which
  he says belonged to his father。           It's full of old accounts of some trading
  post on the frontier。      It's been missing for a day or two; but it will turn up。
  But I can swear I saw it。〃
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  Dunn attempted to rise to his feet。          〃Put your hand in my pocket;〃 he
  said    in  a  hurried   whisper。     〃No;    there!bring     out  a  book。    There;     I
  haven't looked at it yet。       Is that it?〃 he added; handing her the book Brace
  had given him a few hours before。
  〃Yes;〃 said Teresa; in surprise。        〃Where did you find it?〃
  〃Never   mind!      Now   let   me   see   it;   quick。 Open   it;   for   my   sight   is
  failing。    Therethank youthat's all!〃
  〃Take more whisky;〃 said Teresa; with a strange anxiety creeping over
  her。    〃You are faint again。〃
  〃Wait!     Listen; Teresalowerput   your   ear lower。          Listen!    I   came
  near killing that chap Low to…day。          Wouldn't it have been ridiculous?〃
  He tried to smile; but his head fell back。          He had fainted。
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  CHAPTER IX
  For the first time in her life Teresa lost her presence of mind in an
  emergency。       She    could    only   sit  staring  at  the  helpless   man;    scarcely
  conscious      of  his  condition;    her   mind    filled  with   a  sudden    prophetic
  intuition   of   the   significance   of   his   last   words。   In   the   light   of   that   new
  revelation she looked into his pale; haggard face for some resemblance to
  Low; but in vain。       Yet her swift feminine instinct met the objection。            〃It's
  the mother's blood that would show;〃 she murmured; 〃not this man's。〃
  Recovering   herself;   she   began   to   chafe   his   hands   and   temples;   and
  moistened his lips with the spirit。          When his respiration returned with a
  faint   color to   his   cheeks; she   pressed his hands   eagerly  and leaned   over
  him。
  〃Are you sure?〃 she asked。
  〃Of what?〃 he whispered faintly。
  〃That Low is really your son