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readily than his shaken spirit。 Barker； seeing that the cow…puncher meant
to watch until the end； brought the whiskey to him。 Slaghammer drew
documents from his pocket to fill the time； but was soon in slumber over
them。 In all precincts of the quadrangle Drybone was keeping it up late。
The fiddle； the occasional shouts； and the crack of the billiard…balls
travelled clear and far through the vast darkness outside。 Presently steps
unsteadily drew near； and round the corner of the door a voice； plaintive
and diffident； said； 〃Judge； ain't she most pretty near ready？〃
〃Wake up； Judge！〃 said Barker。 〃Your jury has gone dry again。〃
The man appeared round the doora handsome； dishevelled fellow
with hat in hand； balancing himself with respectful anxiety。 Thus was a
second voucher made out； and the messenger strayed back happy to his
friends。 Barker and McLean sat wakeful； and Slaghammer fell at once to
napping。 From time to time he was roused by new messengers； each
arriving more unsteady than the last； until every juryman had got his fee
and no more messengers came。 The coroner slept undisturbed in his chair。
McLean and Barker sat。 On the bed the mass； with its pink ribbons；
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breathed and breathed； while moths flew round the lamp； tapping and
falling with light sounds。 So did the heart of the darkness wear itself away；
and through the stone…cold air the dawn began to filter and expand。
Barker rose； bent over the bed； and then stood。 Seeing him； McLean
stood also。
〃Judge；〃 said Barker； quietly； 〃you may call them now。〃 And with
careful steps the judge got himself out of the room to summon his jury。
For a short while the cow…puncher stood looking down upon the
woman。 She lay lumped inher gaudiness； the ribbons darkly stained by the
laudanum； but into the stolid； bold features death had called up the faint…
colored ghost of youth； and McLean remembered all his Bear Creek days。
〃Hind sight is a turruble clear way o' seein' things；〃 said he。 〃I think I'll
take a walk。〃
〃Go；〃 said Barker。 〃The jury only need me； and I'll join you。〃
But the jury needed no witness。 Their long waiting and the advance
pay had been too much for these responsible men。 Like brothers they had
shared each others' vouchers until responsibility had melted from their
brains and the whiskey was finished。 Then； no longer entertained and
growing weary of Drybone； they had remembered nothing but their distant
beds。 Each had mounted his pony； holding trustingly to the saddle； and
thus； unguided； the experienced ponies had taken them right。 Across the
wide sagebrush and up and down the river they were now asleep or riding；
dispersed irrevocably。 But the coroner was here。 He duly received Barker's
testimony； brought his verdict in； and signed it； and even while he was
issuing to himself his own proper voucher for ten dollars came Chalkeye
and Toothpick Kid on their ponies； galloping； eager in their hopes and
good wishes for Mrs。 Lusk。 Life ran strong in them both。 The night had
gone well with them。 Here was the new day going to be fine。 It must be
well with everybody。
〃You don't say！〃 they exclaimed； taken aback。 〃Too bad。〃
They sat still in their saddles； and upon their reckless； kindly faces
thought paused for a moment。 〃Her gone！〃 they murmured。 〃Hard to get
used to the idea。 What's anybody doing about the coffin？〃
〃Mr。 Lusk；〃 answered Slaghammer； 〃doubtless〃
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〃Lusk！ He'll not know anything this forenoon。 He's out there in the
grass。 She didn't think nothing of him。 Tell Billnot Dollar Bill； Jerky Bill；
yu' know； he's over the bridgeto fix up a hearse； and we'll be back。〃 The
two drove their spurs in with vigorous heels； and instantly were gone
rushing up the road to the graveyard。
The fiddle had lately ceased； and no dancers stayed any longer in the
hall。 Eastward the rose and gold began to flow down upon the plain over
the tops of the distant hills。 Of the revellers； many had never gone to bed；
and many now were already risen from their excesses to revive in the cool
glory of the morning。 Some were drinking to stay their hunger until
breakfast； some splashed and sported in the river； calling and joking； and
across the river some were holding horse…races upon the level beyond the
hog…ranch。 Drybone air rang with them。 Their lusty； wandering shouts
broke out in gusts of hilarity。 Their pistols； aimed at cans or prairie dogs or
anything； cracked as they galloped at large。 Their speeding； clear…cut
forms would shine upon the bluffs； and； descending； merge in the dust
their horses had raised。 Yet all this was nothing in the vastness of the
growing day。
Beyond their voices the rim of the sun moved above the violet hills；
and Drybone； amid the quiet； long； new fields of radiance； stood august
and strange。
Down along the tall； bare slant from the graveyard the two horsemen
were riding back。 They could be seen across the river； and the horse…racers
grew curious。 As more and more watched； the crowd began to speak。 It
was a calf the two were bringing。 It was too small for a calf。 It was dead。 It
was a coyote they had roped。 See it swing！ See it fall on the road！
〃It's a coffin； boys！〃 said one； shrewd at guessing。
At that the event of last night drifted across their memories； and they
wheeled and spurred their ponies。 Their crowding hoofs on the bridge
brought the swimmers from the waters below and； dressing； they climbed
quickly to the plain and followed the gathering。 By the door already were
Jerky Bill and Limber Jim and the Doughie and always more； dashing up
with their ponies； halting with a sharp scatter of gravel to hear and
comment。 Barker was gone； but the important coroner told his news。 And
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it amazed each comer； and set him speaking and remembering past things
with the others。 〃Dead！〃 each one began。 〃Her； does he say？〃
〃Why； pshaw！〃
〃Why； Frenchy said Doc had her cured！〃
Jack Saunders claimed she had rode to Box Elder with Lin McLean。
〃Dead？ Why； pshaw！〃
〃Seems Doc couldn't swim her out。〃
〃Couldn't swim her out？〃
〃That's it。 Doc couldn't swim her out。〃
〃Wellthere's one less of us。〃
〃Sure！ She was one of the boys。〃
〃She grub…staked me when I went broke in '84。〃
〃She gave me fifty dollars onced at Lander； to buy a saddle。〃
〃I run agin her when she was a biscuit…shooter。〃
〃Sidney； Nebraska。 I run again her there； too。〃
〃I knowed her at Laramie。〃
〃Where's Lin？ He knowed her all the way from Bear Creek to
Cheyenne。〃
They laughed loudly at this。
〃That's a lonesome coffin；〃 said the Doughie。 〃That the best you could
do？〃
〃You'd say so！〃 said Toothpick Kid。
〃Choices are getting scarce up there；〃 said Chalkeye。 〃We looked the
lot over。〃
They were arriving from their search among the old dug…up graves on
the hill。 Now they descended from their ponies； with the box roped and
rattling between them。 〃Where's your hearse； Jerky？〃 asked Chalkeye。
〃Have her round in a minute；〃 said the cowboy； and galloped away
with three or four others
〃Turruble lonesome coffin； all the same；〃 repeated the Doughie。 And
they surveyed the box that had once held some soldier。
〃She did like fixin's；〃 said Limber Jim。
〃Fixin's！〃 said Toothpick Kid。 〃That's easy。〃
While some six of them； with Chalkeye； bore the light； half…rotted
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coffin into the room； many followed Toothpick Kid to the post…trader's
store。 Breaking in here； they found men sleeping on the counters。 These
had been able to find no other beds in Dryb