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！
thin Dutchman。 A fat Dutchman is stupid； but a thin one is all right。
In ten minutes I had more friends in Cyanide than they is fiddlers in hell。
I begun to conclude Cyanide wasn't so lonesome。 About four o'clock in
comes a little Irishman about four foot high； with more upper lip than a
muley cow；and enough red hair to make an artificial aurorer borealis。 He
had big red hands with freckles pasted onto them； and stiff red hairs
standin' up separate and lonesome like signal stations。 Also his legs was
bowed。
He gets a drink at the bar； and stands back and yells： 〃God bless
the Irish and let the Dutch rustle！〃
Now； this was none of my town； so I just stepped back of the end of
the bar quick where I wouldn't stop no lead。 The shootin' didn't begin。
〃Probably Dutchy didn't take no note of what the locoed little dogie DID
say；〃 thinks I to myself。 The Irishman bellied up to the bar again；
and pounded on it with his fist。 〃Look here！〃 he yells。 〃Listen to
what I'm tellin' ye！ God bless the Irish and let the Dutch rustle！ Do ye
hear me？〃 〃Sure； I hear ye；〃 says Dutchy； and goes on swabbin' his
bar with a towel。 At that my soul just grew sick。 I asked the man
next to me why Dutchy didn't kill the little fellow。 〃Kill him！ 〃 says
67
… Page 68…
ARIZONA NIGHTS
this man。 〃What for？〃 〃For insultin' of him； of course。〃 〃Oh；
he's drunk；〃 says the man； as if that explained anythin'。
That settled it with me。 I left that place； and went home；and it wasn't
more than four o'clock； neither。 No； I don't call four o'clock late。 It
may be a little late for night before last； but it's just the shank of the
evenin' for to…night。 Well； it took me six weeks and two days to go
broke。 I didn't know sic em； about minin'； and before long I KNEW that
I didn't 'know sic 'em。 Most all day I poked around them mountains…not
like our'ntoo much timber to be comfortable。 At night I got to droppin'
in at Dutchy's。 He had a couple of quiet games goin'； and they was one
fellow among that lot of grubbin' prairie dogs that had heerd tell that cows
had horns。 He was the wisest of the bunch on the cattle business。 So I
stowed away my consolation； and made out to forget comparing Colorado
with God's country。
About three times a week this Irishman I told you ofname O'Toole
comes bulgin' in。 When he was sober he talked minin' high； wide； and
handsome。 When he was drunk he pounded both fists on the bar and
yelled for action； tryin' to get Dutchy on the peck。 〃God bless the
Irish and let the Dutch rustle！〃 he yells about six times。 〃Say； do you
hear？〃 〃Sure；〃 says Dutchy； calm as a milk cow； 〃sure； I hears ye！〃
I was plumb sorry for O'Toole。 I'd like to have given him a run； but； of
course； I couldn't take it up without makin' myself out a friend of this
Dutchy party； and I couldn't stand for that。 But I did tackle Dutchy about
it one night when they wasn't nobody else there。
〃Dutchy；〃 says I； 〃what makes you let that bow…legged cross between a
bulldog and a flamin' red sunset tromp on you so？ It looks to me like
you're plumb spiritless。〃 Dutchy stopped wiping glasses for a minute。
〃Just you hold on〃 says he。 〃I ain't ready yet。 Bimeby I make him sick；
also those others who laugh with him。〃
He had a little grey flicker in his eye； and I thinks to myself that
maybe they'd get Dutchy on the peck yet。 As I said； I went broke in
just six weeks and two days。 And I was broke a plenty。 No hold…outs
anywhere。 It was a heap long ways to cows； and I'd be teetotally chawed
up and spit out if I was goin' to join these minin' terrapins defacin' the
68
… Page 69…
ARIZONA NIGHTS
bosom of nature。 It sure looked to me like hard work。 While I was
figurin' what next； Dutchy came in。 Which I was tur'ble surprised at that；
but I said good…mornin' and would he rest his poor feet。 〃You like to
make some money？〃 he asks。
〃That depends；〃 says I； 〃on how easy it is。〃 〃It is easy；〃 says
he。 〃I want you to buy hosses for me。〃 〃Hosses！ Sure！〃 I yells；
jumpin' up。 〃You bet you！ Why； hosses is where I live！ What hosses do
you want？〃 〃All hosses；〃 says he； calm as a faro dealer。
〃What？〃 says I。 〃Elucidate； my bucko。 I don't take no such blanket
order。 Spread your cards。〃 〃I mean just that；〃 says he。 〃I want you to
buy all the hosses in this camp； and in the mountains。 Every one。〃
〃Whew！〃 I whistles。 〃That's a large order。 But I'm your meat。〃
〃Come with me； then；〃 says he。 I hadn't but just got up； but I went with
him to his little old poison factory。 Of course； I hadn't had no breakfast；
but he staked me to a Kentucky breakfast。 What's a Kentucky breakfast？
Why； a Kentucky breakfast is a three…pound steak； a bottle of whisky； and
a setter dog。 What's the dog for？ Why； to eat the steak； of course。
We come to an agreement。 I was to get two…fifty a head commission。
So I started out。 There wasn't many hosses in that country； and what
there was the owners hadn't much use for unless it was to work a whim。
I picked up about a hundred head quick enough； and reported to Dutchy。
〃How about burros and mules？〃 I asks Dutchy。
〃They goes；〃 says he。 〃Mules same as hosses； burros four bits a head
to you。〃
At the end of a week I had a remuda of probably two hundred animals。
We kept them over the hills in some 〃parks；〃 as these sots call meadows in
that country。 I rode into town and told Dutchy。 〃Got them all？〃 he
asks。 〃All but a cross…eyed buckskin that's mean； and the bay mare
that Noah bred to。〃
〃Get them；〃 says he。 〃The bandits want too much；〃 I explains。
〃Get them anyway；〃 says he。 I went