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！
business。 The only thing she asked of me was if I understood
Spanish。
Then she told me that her brother would be back soon； that they
were very poor； that she was sorry she had no meat to offer me；
that they were VERY poor； that all they had was calabasha sort
of squash。 All this time she was bustling things together。 Next
thing I know I had a big bowl of calabash stew between my knees。
Now； strangely enough； I had no great interest in that calabash
stew。 I tasted it； sat and thought a while； and tasted it again。
By and by I had emptied the bowl。 It was getting dark。 I was
very sleepy。 A man came in； but I was too drowsy to pay any
attention to him。 I heard the sound of voices。 Then I was
picked up bodily and carried to an out…building and laid on a
pile of skins。 I felt the weight of a blanket thrown over me
I awoke in the night。 Mind you； I had practically had no rest at
all for a matter of more than two weeks； yet I woke in a few
hours。 And； remember； even in eating the calabash stew I had
felt no hunger in spite of my long fast。 But now I found myself
ravenous。 You boys do not know what hunger is。 It HURTS。 And
all the rest of that night I lay awake chewing on the rawhide of
a pack…saddle that hung near me。
Next morning the young Mexican and his sister came to us early；
bringing more calabash stew。 I fell on it like a wild animal；
and just wallowed in it； so eager was I to eat。 They stood and
watched meand I suppose Schwartz； too； though I had now lost
interest in anyone but myselfglancing at each other in pity
from time to time。
When I had finished the man told me that they had decided to
kill a beef so we could have meat。 They were very poor； but God
had brought us to them
I appreciated this afterward。 At the time I merely caught at the
word 〃meat。〃 It seemed to me I could have eaten the animal
entire； hide； hoofs； and tallow。 As a matter of fact； it was
mighty lucky they didn't have any meat。 If they had； we'd
probably have killed ourselves with it。 I suppose the calabash
was about the best thing for us under the circumstances。
The Mexican went out to hunt up his horse。 I called the girl
back。
〃How far is it to Mollyhay？〃 I asked her。
〃A league；〃 said she。
So we bad been near our journey's end after all； and Denton was
probably all right。
The Mexican went away horseback。 The girl fed us calabash。 We
waited。
About one o'clock a group of horsemen rode over the hill。 When
they came near enough I recognised Denton at their head。 That
man was of tempered steel
They had followed back along the beach； caught our trail where we
had turned off； and so discovered us。 Denton had fortunately
found kind and intelligent people。
We said good…bye to the Mexican girl。 I made Schwartz give her
one of his gold pieces。
But Denton could not wait for us to say 〃hullo〃 even； he was so
anxious to get back to town； so we mounted the horses he had
brought us； and rode off； very wobbly。
We lived three weeks in Mollyhay。 It took us that long to get
fed up。 The lady I stayed with made a dish of kid meat and
stuffed olives
Why； an hour after filling myself up to the muzzle I'd be hungry
again； and scouting round to houses looking for more to eat！
We talked things over a good deal； after we had gained a little
strength。 I wanted to take a little flyer at Guaymas to see if I
could run across this Handy Solomon person； but Denton pointed
out that Anderson would be expecting just that； and would take
mighty good care to be scarce。 His idea was that we'd do better
to get hold of a boat and some water casks； and lug off the
treasure we had stumbled over。 Denton told us that the idea of
going back and scooping all that dinero up with a shovel had
kept him going； just as the idea of getting even with Anderson
had kept me going。 Schwartz said that after he'd carried that
heavy gold over the first day； he made up his mind he'd get the
spending of it or bust。 That's why he hated so to throw it away。
There were lots of fishing boats in the harbour； and we hired
one； and a man to run it for next to nothing a week。 We laid a
course north； and in six days anchored in our bay。
I tell you it looked queer。 There were the charred sticks of the
fire； and the coffeepot lying on its side。 We took off our hats
at poor Billy's grave a minute； and then climbed over the
cholla…covered hill carrying our picks and shovels； and the
canvas sacks to take the treasure away in。
There was no trouble in reaching the sandy flat。 But when we got
there we found it torn up from one end to the other。 A few
scattered timbers and three empty chests with the covers pried
off alone remained。 Handy Solomon had been there before us。
We went back to our boat sick at heart。 Nobody said a word。 We
went aboard and made our Greaser boatman head for Yuma。 It took
us a week to get there。 We were all of us glum； but Denton was
the worst of the lot。 Even after we'd got back to town and
fallen into our old ways of life； he couldn't seem to get over
it。 He seemed plumb possessed of gloom； and moped around like a
chicken with the pip。 This surprised me； for I didn't think the
loss of money would hit him so hard。 It didn't hit any of us
very hard in those days。
One evening I took him aside and fed him a drink； and
expostulated with him。
〃Oh； HELL； Rogers；〃 he burst out； 〃I don't care about the loot。
But； suffering cats； think how that fellow sized us up for a lot
of pattern…made fools； and how right he was about； it。 Why all
he did was to sail out of sight around the next corner。 He knew
we'd start across country； and we did。 All we had to do was to
lay low； and save our legs。 He was BOUND to come back。 And we
might have nailed him when he landed。〃
〃That's about all there was to it；〃 concluded Colorado Rogers；
after a pause； 〃except that I've been looking for him ever
since； and when I heard you singing that song I naturally thought
I'd landed。〃
〃And you never saw him again？〃 asked Windy Bill。
〃Well；〃 chuckled Rogers； 〃I did about ten year later。 It was in
Tucson。 I was in the back of a store； when the door in front
opened and this man came in。 He stopped at the little cigar…case
by the door。 In about one jump I was on his neck。 I jerked him
over backwards before he knew what had struck him； threw him on
his face； got my hands in his back…hair； and began to jump his
features against the floor。 Then all at once I noted that this
man had two arms； so of course he was the wrong fellow。 〃Oh；
excuse me；〃 said I； and ran out the back door。〃
CHAPTER SIXTEEN
THE HONK…HONK BREED
It was Sunday at the ranch。 For a wonder the weather bad been
favourable； the windmills were all working； the bogs had dried
up； the beef had lasted over； the remuda had not strayedin
short； there was nothing to do。 Sang had given us a baked
bread…pudding with raisins in it。 We filled itin a wash basin
full of iton top of a few incidental pounds of chile con； baked
beans； soda biscuits； 〃air tights；〃 and other delicacies。 Then
we adjourned with our pipes to the shady side of the blacksmith's
shop where we could watch the ravens on top the adobe wall of the
corral。 Somebody told a story about ravens。 This led to
road…runners。 This suggested rattlesnakes。 They started Windy
Bill。
〃Speakin' of snakes；〃 said Windy； 〃I mind when they catched the
great…granddaddy of all the bullsnakes up at Lead in the Black
Hills。 I was only a kid then。 This wasn't no such tur'ble long
a snake； but he was more'n a foot thick。 Looked just like a
sahuaro stalk。 Man name of Terwilliger Smith catched it。 He
named this yere bullsnake Clarence； and got it so plumb gentle it
followed him everywhere。 One day old P。 T。 Barnum come along and
wanted to buy this Clarence snakeoffered Terwilliger a thousand
coldbut Smith wouldn't part with the snake nohow。 So finally
they fixed up a deal so Smith could go along with the show。 They
shoved Clarence in a box in the baggage car； but after a while
Mr。 Snake gets so lonesome he gnaws out and starts to crawl back
to find his master。 Just as he is half…way between the baggage
car and the smoker； the couplin' give wayright on that heavy
grade between Custer and Rocky Point。 Well； sir； Clarence wound
his head 'round one brake wheel and his tail around the other；
and held that train together to the bottom of the grade。 But it
stretched him twenty…eight feet and they had to advertise him as
a boa…constrictor。〃
Windy Bill's story of the faithful bullsnake aroused to
reminiscence the grizzled stranger； who thereupon held forth as
follows：
Wall； I've see things and I've heerd things；