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！
intuitively fearing his next query。
〃Was it thet Riggs？〃
〃Las Vegas； don't ask me。 I will not break my promise。〃
He strode to the window and looked out a moment； and
presently； when he turned toward Bo； he seemed a stronger；
loftier； more impelling man； with all his emotions under
control。
〃Bo； will you listen to me if I swear to speak the truth
as I know it？〃
〃Why； certainly；〃 replied Bo； with the color coming swiftly
to her face。
〃Roy doesn't want me to know because he wants to meet thet
fellar himself。 An' I want to know because I want to stop
him before he can do more dirt to us or our friends。 Thet's
Roy's reason an' mine。 An' I'm askin' YOU to tell me。〃
〃But； Tom I oughtn't；〃 replied Bo； haltingly。
〃Did you promise Roy not to tell？〃
〃No。〃
〃Or your sister？〃
〃No。 I didn't promise either。〃
〃Wal； then you tell me。 I want you to trust me in this here
matter。 But not because I love you an' once had a wild dream
you might care a little for me 〃
〃Oh Tom！〃 faltered Bo。
〃Listen。 I want you to trust me because I'm the one who
knows what's best。 I wouldn't lie an' I wouldn't say so if I
didn't know shore。 I swear Dale will back me up。 But he
can't be here for some days。 An' thet gang has got to be
bluffed。 You ought to see this。 I reckon you've been quick
in savvyin' Western ways。 I couldn't pay you no higher
compliment； Bo Rayner。 。 。 。 Now will you tell me？〃
〃Yes； I will；〃 replied Bo； with the blaze leaping to her
eyes。
〃Oh； Bo please don't please don't。 Wait！〃 implored
Helen。
〃Bo it's between you an' me；〃 said Carmichael。
〃Tom； I'll tell you；〃 whispered Bo。 〃It was a lowdown；
cowardly trick。 。 。 。 Roy was surrounded and shot from
behind Beasley by that four…flush Riggs！〃
CHAPTER XIX
The memory of a woman had ruined Milt Dale's peace； had
confounded his philosophy of self…sufficient； lonely
happiness in the solitude of the wilds； had forced him to
come face to face with his soul and the fatal significance
of life。
When he realized his defeat； that things were not as they
seemed； that there was no joy for him in the coming of
spring； that he had been blind in his free； sensorial；
Indian relation to existence； he fell into an inexplicably
strange state； a despondency； a gloom as deep as the silence
of his home。 Dale reflected that the stronger an animal； the
keener its nerves； the higher its intelligence； the greater
must be its suffering under restraint or injury。 He thought
of himself as a high order of animal whose great physical
need was action； and now the incentive to action seemed
dead。 He grew lax。 He did not want to move。 He performed his
diminishing duties under compulsion。
He watched for spring as a liberation； but not that he could
leave the valley。 He hated the cold； he grew weary of wind
and snow； he imagined the warm sun； the park once more green
with grass and bright with daisies； the return of birds and
squirrels and deer to heir old haunts； would be the means
whereby he could break this spell upon him。 Then he might
gradually return to past contentment； though it would never
be the same。
But spring； coming early to Paradise Park； brought a fever
to Dale's blood a fire of unutterable longing。 It was
good； perhaps； that this was so； because he seemed driven to
work； climb； tramp； and keep ceaselessly on the move from
dawn till dark。 Action strengthened his lax muscles and kept
him from those motionless； senseless hours of brooding。 He
at least need not be ashamed of longing for that which could
never be his the sweetness of a woman a home full of
light； joy； hope； the meaning and beauty of children。 But
those dark moods were sinkings into a pit of hell。
Dale had not kept track of days and weeks。 He did not know
when the snow melted off three slopes of Paradise Park。 All
he knew was that an age had dragged over his head and that
spring had come。 During his restless waking hours； and even
when he was asleep； there seemed always in the back of his
mind a growing consciousness that soon he would emerge from
this trial； a changed man； ready to sacrifice his chosen
lot； to give up his lonely life of selfish indulgence in
lazy affinity with nature； and to go wherever his strong
hands might perform some real service to people。
Nevertheless； he wanted to linger in this mountain fastness
until his ordeal was over until he could meet her； and
the world； knowing himself more of a man than ever before。
One bright morning； while he was at his camp…fire； the tame
cougar gave a low； growling warning。 Dale was startled。 Tom
did not act like that because of a prowling grizzly or a
straying stag。 Presently Dale espied a horseman riding
slowly out of the straggling spruces。 And with that sight
Dale's heart gave a leap； recalling to him a divination of
his future relation to his kind。 Never had he been so glad
to see a man！
This visitor resembled one of the Beemans； judging from the
way he sat his horse； and presently Dale recognized him to
be John。
At this juncture the jaded horse was spurred into a trot；
soon reaching the pines and the camp。
〃Howdy； there； you ole b'ar…hunter！〃 called John； waving his
hand。
For all his hearty greeting his appearance checked a like
response from Dale。 The horse was mud to his flanks and John
was mud to his knees； wet； bedraggled； worn； and white。 This
hue of his face meant more than fatigue。
〃Howdy； John？〃 replied Dale。
They shook hands。 John wearily swung his leg over the
pommel； but did not at once dismount。 His clear gray eyes
were wonderingly riveted upon the hunter。
〃Milt what 'n hell's wrong？〃 he queried。
〃Why？〃
〃Bust me if you ain't changed so I hardly knowed you。 You've
been sick all alone here！〃
〃Do I look sick？〃
〃Wal； I should smile。 Thin an' pale an' down in the mouth！
Milt； what ails you？〃
〃I've gone to seed。〃
〃You've gone off your head； jest as Roy said； livin' alone
here。 You overdid it； Milt。 An' you look sick。〃
〃John； my sickness is here；〃 replied Dale； soberly； as he
laid a hand on his heart。
〃Lung trouble！〃 ejaculated John。 〃With thet chest； an' up in
this air？ 。 。 。 Get out！〃
〃No not lung trouble；〃 said Dale。
〃I savvy。 Had a hunch from Roy； anyhow。〃
〃What kind of a hunch？〃
〃Easy now； Dale； ole man。 。 。 。 Don't you reckon I'm ridin'
in on you pretty early？ Look at thet hoss！〃 John slid off
and waved a hand at the drooping beast； then began to
unsaddle him。 〃Wal； he done great。 We bogged some comin'
over。 An' I climbed the pass at night on the frozen snow。〃
〃You're welcome as the flowers in May。 John； what month is
it？〃
〃By spades！ are you as bad as thet？ 。 。 。 Let's see。 It's
the twenty…third of March。〃
〃March！ Well； I'm beat。 I've lost my reckonin' an' a lot
more； maybe。〃
〃Thar！〃 declared John； slapping the mustang。 〃You can jest
hang up here till my next trip。 Milt； how 're your hosses？〃
〃Wintered fine。〃
〃Wal； thet's good。 We'll need two big； strong hosses right
off。〃
〃What for？〃 queried Dale； sharply。 He dropped a stick of
wood and straightened up from the c