第26章ADouble-DyedDeceiver

第26章adouble-dyeddeceiver

thetroublebeganinlaredo.itwasthellanokid'sfault,forheshouldhaveconfinedhishabitofmanslaughtertomexicans.butthekidwaspasttwenty;andtohaveonlymexicanstoone'screditattwentyistoblushunseenontheriogtandeborder.

ithappenedinoldjustovaldoa'sgamblinghouse.therewasapokergameatwhichsatplayerswhowerenotallfriends,ashappensoftenwheremenrideinfromafartoshootfollyasshegallops.therewasarowoversosmallamatterasapairofqueens;andwhenthesmokehadclearedawayitwasfoundthatthekidhadcommittedanindiscretion,andhisadversaryhadbeengniltyofablunder.fortheunfortunatecombatant,insteadofbeingagreaser,wasahighbloodedyouthfromthecowranches,ofaboutthekid'sownageandpossessedoffriendsandchampions.hisblunderinmissingthekid'srightearonlyasixteenthofaninchwhenhepulledhisgundidnotlessentileindiscretionofthebettermarksman.

thekid,notbeingequippedwitharetinue,norbountifullysuppliedwithpersonaladmirersandsupporters—onountofaratherumbrageousreputation,eventbrthehomer—considereditnotincompatiblewithbisindisputablegamenesstoperformthatjudicioustractionalactkownas"pullinghisfreight."

quicklytheavengersgatheredandsoughthim.threeofthemovertookhimwithinarodofthestation.thekidminedandshowedhisteethinthatbrilliantbutmirthlesssmilethatusuallypre-cededhisdeedsofinsolenceandviolence,andhispursuersfellbackwithoutmakingitnecessaryforhimeventoreachforhisweapon.

butinthisaffairthekidhadnotfeltthegrimthirstforencounterthatusuallyurgedhimontobattle.ithadbeenapurelychancerow,bornofthecardsandcertainepithetsimpossibleforagentlemantobrookthathadpassedbetweenthetwo.thekidhadratherlikedtheslim,haughty,brown-facedyoungchapwhomhisbullethadcutoffinthefirstprideofmanhood.andnowhewantednomoreblood.hewantedtogetawayandhaveagoodlongsleepsomewhereinthesunonthemesqoitgrasswithhishandkerchiefoverbisface.evenamexicanmighthavecrossedhispathinsafetywhilehewasinthismood.

thekidopenlyboardedthenorth-boundpassengertrainthatdepartedfiveminuteslater.butatwebb,afewmilesout,whereitwasedtotakeonatraveller,heabandonedthatmannerofescape.thereweretelegraphstationsahead;andthekidlookedaskanceatelectricityandsteam.saddleandspurwerehisrocksofsafety.

themanwhomhehadshotwasastrangertohim.butthekidknewthathewasofthecoralitosoutfitfromhidalgo;andthatthepunchersfromthatranchweremorerelentlessandvengefulthankentuckyfeudistswhenwrongorharmwasdonetooneofthem.so,withthewisdomthathascharacterizedmanygreatfarmers,thekiddecidedtopileupasmanyleaguesaspossibleofchaparralandpearbetweenhimselfandtheretaliationofthecoralitosbunch.

nearthestationwasastore;andnearthestore,scatteredamongthemesquitsandelms,stoodthesaddledhorsesofthecustomers.mostofthemwaited,halfasleep,withinglimbsanddroopingheads.butone,along-edroanwithacurvedneck,snortedandpawedtheturf.himthekidmounted,grippedwithhisknees,andslappedgentlywiththeowner'sownquirt.

iftheslayingofthetemerariouscard-playerhadcastacloudoverthekid'sstandingasagoodandtruecitizen,thislastactofhisveiledhisfigureinthedarkestshadowsofdisrepute.ontheriograndeborderifyoutakeaman'slifeyousometimestaketrash;butifyoutakehishorse,youtakeathingthelossofwhichrendershimpoor,indeed,andwhichenrichesyounot—ifyouarecaught.forthekidtherewasnoturningbacknow.

withthespringingroanunderhimhefeltlittlecareoruneas-iness.afterafive-milegallophedrewitintotheplainsman'singtrot,androdenortheastwardtowardthenuecesriverbottoms.heknewthecountrywell—itsmosttortuousandobscuretrailsthroughthegreatwildernessofbrushandpear,anditscampsandlonesomerancheswhereonemightfindsafeentertaimnent.alwaysheboretotheeast;forthekidhadneverseentheocean,andhehadafancytolayhishanduponthemaneofthegreatgulf,thegamesomecoltofthegreaterwaters.

soafterthreedayshestoodontheshoreatcorpuschristi,andlookedoutacrossthegentleripplesofaquietsea.

captainboone,oftheschoonerflyaway,stoodnearhisskiff,whichoneofhiscrewwasguardinginthesurf.whenreadytosailhehaddiscoveredthatoneofthenecessariesoflife,intheparallelogrammaticshapeofplugo,hadbeenforgotten.asailorhadbeendispatchedfortherrdssingcargo.meanwhilethecaptainpacedthesands,chewingprofanelyathispocketstore.

aslim,wiryyouthinhigh-heeledbootscamedowntothewater'sedge.hisfacewasboyish,butwithaprematureseveritythathintedataman'sexperience.hiscomplexionwasnatarallydark;andthesunandwindofanoutdoorlifehadburnedittoacoffeebrown.hishairwasasblackandstraightasanindian's;hisfacehadnotyetupturnedtothehumiliationofarazor;hiseyeswereacoldandsteadyblue.hecardedhisleftarmsomewhatawayfromhisbody,forpearlhandled.45sarefrowneduponbytownmarshals,andarealittlebulkywhenpackedintheleftarmholeofone'svest.helookedbeyondcaptainbooneatthegulfwiththeimpersonalandexpressionlessdignityofachineseemperor.

"thinkin'ofbuyin'that'argulf,buddy?"askedthecaptain,madesarcasticbyhisnarrowescapefromaolessvoyage.

"why,no,"saidthekidgently,"ireckonnot.ineversawitbefore.iwasjustlookingatit.notthinkingofsdlingit,areyou?"

"notthistrip,"saidthecaptain."i'llsendittoyouc.o.d.whenigetbacktobuenastierras.herecomesthatcapstanfootedlubberwkhthechewin'.ioughtto'veweighedanchoranhourago."

"isthatyourshipoutthere?"askedthekid.

"why,yes,"answeredthecaptain,"ifyouwanttocallaschooneraship,andidon'tmindlyin'.butyoubettersaymillerandgonzales,owners,andordinaryplain,billy-be-damnedoldsamuelk.boone,skipper."

"whereareyougoingto?"askedtherefugee.

"buenastierras,coastofsouthamerica—iforgetwhattheycalledthecountrythelasttimeiwasthere.cargo—lumber,eorrugatediron,andmachetes."

"whatkindofacountryisit?"askedthekid—"hotorcold?"

"warmish,buddy,"saidthecaptain."butaregularparadiselostforeleganceofsceneryandbe-yootyofgeography.ye'rewakenedeverymorningbythesweetsingin'ofredbirdswithsevenpurpletails,andthesighin'ofbreezesintheposiesandroses.andtheinhabitantsneverwork,fortheycanreachoutandpicksteamerbasketsofthechoicesthothousefruitwithoutgettin'outofbed.andthere'snosundayandnoiceandnorentandnotroublesandnouseandnonothin'.it'sagreatcountryforamantogotosleepwith,andwaitforsomethin'toturnup.thebananysandorangesandhurricanesandpineapplesthatyeeatcomesfromthere."

"thatsoundstome!"saidthekid,atlastbetrayinginterest."what'lltheexpressagebetotakemeouttherewithyou?"

"twenty-fourdollars,"saidcaptainboone;"grubandtransportation.secondcabin.ihaven'tgotafirstcabin."

"you'vegotmycompany,"saidthekid,pullingoutabuckskinbag.

withthreehundreddollarshehadgonetolaredoforbisregular"blowout."theduelinvaldos'shadcutshorthisseasonofhilarity,butithadlefthimwithnearly$200foraidintheflightthatithadmadenecessary.

"allright,buddy,"saidthecaptain."ihopeyourmawon'tblamemeforthislittlechildishescapadeofyours."hebeckonedtooneoftheboat'screw."letsanchezliftyououttotheskiffsoyouwon'tgetyourfeetwet."

thacker,theunitedstatesconsulatbuenastierras,wasnotyetdrunk.itwasonlyeleveno'clock;andheneverarrivedathisdesiredstateofbeatitude—astatewhereinhesangancientmaudlinvaudevillesongsandpeltedhisscreamingparrotwithbananapeels—untilthemiddleoftheafternoon.so,whenhelookedupfromhishammockatthesoundofaslightcough,andsawthekidstandinginthedooroftheconsulate,hewasstillinaconditiontoextendthehospitalityandcourtesyduefromtherepresentativeofagreatnation."don'tdisturbyourseff,"saidthekid,easily."ijustdroppedin.theytoldmeitwascustontarytolightatyourcampbeforestartingintoroundupthetown.ijustcameinonashipfromtexas."

"gladtoseeyou,mr.—,"saidtheconsul.

thekidlaughed.

"spraguedalton,"hesaid."itsoundsfumnnytometohearit.i'mcalledthellanokidintheriograndecountry."

"i'mthacker,"saidtheconsul."takethatcane-bottomchair.nowifyou'vecometoinvest,youwantsomebodytoadviseyou.thesedingleswillcheatyouontofthegoldinyourteethifyoudon'tunderstandtheirways.tryacigar?"

"muchobliged,"saidthekid,"butifitwasn'tformycornshucksandthelittlebaginmybackpocketicouldn'tliveaminute."hetookouthis"makings,"androlledacigarette.

"theyspeakspanishhere,"saidtheconsul."you'llneedaninterpreter.ifthere'sanythingicando,why,i'dbedelighted.ifyou'rebuyingfruitlandsorlooldngforaconcessionofanysort,you'llwantsomebodywhoknowstheropestolookoutforyou."

"ispeakspanish,"saidthekid,"aboutninetimesbetterthanidoenglish.everybodyspeaksitontherangewhereicomefrom.andi'mnotinthemarketforanything."

"youspeakspanish?"saidthaekerthoughtfully.heregardedthekidabsorbedly.

"youlooklikeaspaniard,too,"hecontinued."andyou'refromtexas.andyoucan'tbemorethantwentyortwenty-one.iwonderifyou'vegotanynerve."

"yougotadealofsomekindtoputthrough?"askedthetexan,withunexpectedshrewdness.

"areyouopentoaproposition?"saidthacker.

"what'stheusetodenyit?"saidthekid."igotintoalittlegunfrolicdowninlaredoandedawhiteman.therewasn'tanymexicanhandy.andicomedowntoyourparrot-and-monkeyrangejustfortosmellthemorning-gloriesandmarigolds.now,doyousabe?"

thackergotupandclosedthedoor.

"letmeseeyourhand,"hesaid.

hetookthekid'slefthand,andexaminedthebackofitclosely.

"icandoit,"hesaidexcitedly."yourfleshisashardaswoodandashealthyasababy's.itwillhealinaweek."

"ifit'safistfightyouwanttobackmefor,"saidthekid,"don'tputyourmotleyupyet.makeitgunwork,andi'llkeepyoucompanybutnobarehandedscrapping,likeladiesatatea-party,forme."

"it'seasierthanthat,"saidthacker."juststophere,willyou?"

throughthewindowhepointedtoatwo-storywhite-oedhousewithwidegalleriesrisingamidthedeep-greentropicalfoliageonawoodedhillthatslopedgentlyfromthesea.

"inthathouse,"saidthacker,"afineoldcastiliangentlemanandhiswifeareyearningtogatheryouintotheirarmsandfillyourpocketswithatoney.oldsantosuriquelivesthere.heownshalfthegold-minesinthecountry."

"youhaven'tbeeneatinglocoweed,haveyou?"askedthekid.