For fast as lumber was hauled into camp, still faster came the need for it for mine timbering, for storehouses, and for a thousand and one necessities. The construction work had been rushed to completion. The huge new ore cribs were a triumph of McKay’s ingenuity9, built by a clever system of bracing10 from the unseasoned lumber that had been at hand, and supporting with perfect safety the enormous strain to which they were subjected. The Company was rapidly becoming the controlling factor in the copper11 output of the district.
It was the time for the arrival of the evening[276] mail and the office was full of men and tobacco smoke. McKay had pre-empted the safe and sat on the top of it, clanking his heels against the sides. His sandy colored hair matched the color of the pine boards of the wall against which he was propped12. The draughting tables carried their load of men, as did each of the well-worn chairs, and the three-legged stool. A babel of voices prevailed. Every now and then Reade opened the door from the back office, and poking13 his head into the room with a disgusted expression upon his face, called out: “Soft pedal there, soft pedal! How in hell can a man do any work with you fellows raising such a racket?”
Stephen, as usual sat at his roll-top desk in the corner, his feet up on the slide, both hands in his pockets, the while he rocked his pipe gently up and down in his teeth. One of the clerks was telling with becoming modesty14 of his social triumphs in Ph?nix at the “Elks” ball. The audience listened with the listless attention of those whose curiosity hangs heavy on their hands.
“I was the candy kid, all right,” remarked the narrator.
[277]
His fervid15 discourse16 was interrupted by a drawl from some one in the background. “I reckon that some time you must have drunk copiouslike of the Hassayampeh River.”
A machinery18 drummer who was in the office cocked up his ears, thinking that perhaps behind the allusion19 lay a doubtful story.
“What’s that about the river?” he asked. “I never heard of that.”
“Why, they say,” answered the first speaker, “that whoever drinks of the Hassayampeh River can’t ever tell the truth again so long as he lives.”
“And also,” added McKay; “that no matter where he drifts to, he is sure to wander back again to the old territory; that he’ll die in Arizona.”
“How was that story ever started?” Loring asked.
“The valley of the Hassayampeh was one of the first trails into the ore country,” answered McKay, “and the lies that emanated20 from the camps along that river was of such a fearful, godless and prize package variety that they made the old river famous. There was a fellow in camp here only the other day was telling me[278] about prospectin’ down there in seventy-three. He said all they had to eat was fried Gila monster. I guess that was after he’d drunk the water though,” finished McKay reflectively.
“The territory sure has gone off since those days,” said a cattleman who had ridden into camp for his mail. “Only last year down near Roosevelt I shot two Mexicans, and say, it cost me a hundred dollars for negligence,” he went on indignantly, “and the sons of guns warn’t wurth more than twelve dollars and two bits apiece.”
“You are right about the way Arizona is going to hell,” said the mine foreman. “I don’t know as any of you fellows ever knowed ‘Teeth’ Barker. Anyhow, next to what his father must have been, he was the ugliest creature that ever lived on this earth. All of his teeth just naturally stuck out like the cowcatcher of an engine. Well, in spite of that, he always was a good friend of mine. Least he used to be.
“About six months ago I was up to Jerome, and they was telling about an accident there. A man no one knowed at all was killed, but a fellow said he had the ugliest tusks21 he ever seed. I knew at once that must be[279] Barker. They said they’d planted him up on the knoll22, and so,” continued the foreman sadly, “and so, although it was a powerful hot day, I struggled up to the knoll with a nice piece of pine board, and a jack-knife, and I sort of located ‘Teeth’ with a handsome monument and an exaggerated epitaph.
“I came down as hot as the devil, and steps into a saloon to get a drink, when who should walk up to me but ‘Teeth’ Barker himself!
“‘You’re dead,’ said I.
“‘Do I look like it?’ he asked. He got sort of hot under the collar about it, too.
“Well, the long and short of it all was that I had gone and taken all that trouble with a tombstone for a stranger.
“‘The least that you can do, “Teeth” Barker,’ said I, ‘is to come up and see that beautiful monument I erected23 over you. It took as much trouble to make as a year’s assessment24 work.’
“Well, he didn’t see it that way. Said he wouldn’t go up there if I was to pay him. And that was after I had taken all that trouble! Gratitude25! There ain’t no such thing any more in Arizona,” concluded the foreman.
Story after story was put forth26 for the edification[280] of the crowd until the grating of wheels outside told of the arrival of the stage. A moment later heavy footsteps resounded27 on the porch, and the burly stage-driver, with two great mail-sacks slung28 over his shoulder, swung into the office.
“Evening, gents!” he called in answer to the general salutation. He stepped over to Stephen’s desk and threw down a little bunch of envelopes. “Four telegrams,” he said.
Loring rapidly slit29 open the envelopes, laying the telegrams on one side, and after running through the contents, began to sort the mail.
“Any passengers?” he asked the driver.
“Yes, six. Drummers mostly. They are over there eating now. There was two men and a lady; but they stopped to eat supper at the station. They will be up later.”
“It’s lucky Mrs. Brown built those new sleeping quarters to her place; she’ll be running a regular hotel here soon,” said the driver, as he swung on his heel and tramped out to unharness his horses.
“That is all,” he said, as he tossed the last.[281] Every one left the office with the exception of McKay who, with a woebegone expression on his face, lingered behind.
“What is the matter?” asked Loring.
“Nothing,” answered McKay gruffly.
“Well, how is this?” said Stephen, taking from his pocket a letter which was addressed in large square characters to McKay. “You see she did not forget you, after all.”
McKay blushed to the roots of his hair, then opened the letter with seeming nonchalance32.
“It seems to me that you have a pretty steady correspondent there,” said Stephen, while he straightened up his desk preparatory to the evening’s work. “I have handed you a letter like that every night this week.” McKay colored even more, then stretched out his hand. “Shake, Steve! I am going to get spliced33. I have been meaning to tell you before this.”
Loring jumped up and pounded him on the back.
“You gay winner of hearts, who is she?”
“Do you remember Jane Stevens, back at Quentin? Well, it’s her.”
Loring’s eyes twinkled. “How did you ever get the nerve?” he asked.
[282]
“Well she had me plumb36 locoed. I remember once a horse had me buffaloed the same way,” he explained. “I was scared, scared blue, Steve; but finally I got up my nerve and thought I’d go and break my affections to her gentle and polite like. So one day I rode over to their place,—you know where it is was, just south of the Dominion37 trail,—and I thought I’d go to see her brother Charlie and fix it up with him. When I reached their shack38 she came to the door looking as neat as a partridge and with a sort of smile hidden somewhere in her face, and—and I’ll be damned if I didn’t kiss her right then without any formalities.”
“That was the simplest solution of the problem, wasn’t it?” laughed Stephen. “When are you going to be married?”
“Oh, soon, I guess; but I wish it could be managed as simply as these Mexicans do. And how about you, Steve?” continued McKay. “You ain’t been took this way yourself, have you? Not that woman you was telling me about in Mexico.”
[283]
Loring shook his head. “Unfortunately she was a married woman.”
“I sort of thought,” went on McKay, “that you and Miss Cameron was—”
“Well, you thought wrongly,” interrupted Loring sharply. “I never expect to see Miss Cameron again.”
There came a ripple39 of laughter from the doorway40, and looking up quickly he saw Jean and her father walk into the office. Behind them stood Baird Radlett.
For a moment Loring swayed in his chair, then he rose stiffly, as a man in a trance. He stared at Jean with an absorption that was almost rude, as if there were nothing in the universe beyond her. There lay a hint of laughter in the gray depths of her eyes.
“What is the matter?” asked Radlett. “Are you surprised to see us? Didn’t you get my letter?”
“It is probably in to-night’s mail which haven’t opened yet,” answered Loring, still half dazed.
“Mr. Cameron has consented to come and[284] make a report on the property for me,” explained Baird.
Mr. Cameron came forward and held out his hand. “Mr. Loring, I have heard of the splendid work that you have done here. I want to congratulate you.” This little speech was a hard one for Mr. Cameron to make; but he was a man who, when he had once made up his mind to the right course, followed it to the end.
The expression of pride in Stephen’s face turned to one of appreciation43, and he shook Mr. Cameron’s hand with a firm, grateful pressure. But all the while he was looking at Jean longingly44, worshipingly, all unconscious of the intensity45 of his gaze, as a man who for days has been in the desert without water looks upon the sudden spring. In all the months that he had thought of her, dreamed of her, she had never seemed to have the beauty, the potential tenderness, which marked her now when she stood before him, her look telling him that she was proud of what her friend had been and done.
To Radlett, looking at them both, came a sudden suspicion, and a sudden despair.
[285]
Jean, at Loring’s request, seated herself at his desk, in the big revolving46 chair, and while playing absent-mindedly with the papers on the desk, kept up a laughing discussion with Baird.
Loring, at the other side of the room, was answering Mr. Cameron’s businesslike questions as to the grade of the ore, the force, the cost of production, accurately47 and fast, as though almost every faculty48 in his body and mind were not concentrated upon the girl who seemed to be having such an interesting talk with Radlett. Finishing his talk with Mr. Cameron, Loring left the office to arrange for sleeping quarters for the visitors. In a few minutes he returned with the announcement that all was ready, and led the way to the long, low building next the mess, whose many rooms, opening on a broad porch, served as accommodations for strangers in camp.
Loring walked beside Miss Cameron, doing his best to talk unconcernedly of every-day matters, but the hoarseness49 of his voice betrayed him.
“I am very sorry to have to offer you such rough quarters,” he said to Jean, as they[286] reached the house, “but they are the best that we have. In another month we hope to have something more comfortable to give to our guests.”
“In another month, Stephen, you will have an up-to-date city constructed here,” exclaimed Radlett, with an almost reluctant enthusiasm.
At the steps Stephen and Radlett said good-night to the others, and walked slowly back to Stephen’s quarters, which they were to share.
Loring sat on the edge of his cot, and smoked slowly while he watched Baird unpack50 his valise, and with the method of an orderly nature put everything away in the rough chest of drawers, or on the black iron hooks which protruded51 from the wall. Espying52 a tin of expensive tobacco neatly53 packed amidst a circle of collars, Stephen pounced54 upon it, and knocking out the contents of his pipe, proceeded to fill it with the new mixture. Radlett finished his unpacking55, and recovering the tobacco can from Loring, filled his own pipe. Then he tipped a chair back against the wall, and sitting in it, regarded Loring for a moment in silence.
“Stephen,” he remarked after a few seconds,[287] “you have done a good piece of work. I knew that you would.”
Loring’s irrelevant56 answer was to the effect that the tobacco which he had stolen was good. It was an odd characteristic of this man that though his nature contained many streaks57 of vanity, praise for work which he knew was good embarrassed him. At length he began to appreciate the ungraciousness of his response to Radlett’s advances, and leaning forward, with his elbows on his knees, he said: “You cannot guess what it means to me, Baird, to have you say things like that, to be patted on the back and made to feel as if I had done something, and that by a man who has succeeded in everything to which he has turned his hand, who has won all the big prizes of life.”
Radlett drew back into the shadow where the lamplight could not reveal the expression of his face.
“All the prizes in life?” he queried58 with scornful emphasis. “No, not all by a damn sight. You see, Stephen, I feel as if Fate had stood over me with a deuced ironical59 smile, and said: ‘You shall have your every wish in life—except the one thing that you want[288] most of all—the one thing that would make you happy.’”
“Hm,” murmured Loring, shaking out the embers from his pipe and gazing into the empty bowl. “With any one else I should say that meant a woman; but with you it could not be.”
“Why not with me as well as with any other man?”
“Because there is no woman alive who would be fool enough to refuse you.”
“Bless your heart, Stephen! It is only your blind loyalty60 that makes you think me irresistible61.”
“I imagine,” answered Radlett slowly, “that you might change that ‘what’ to whom.”
“You would have me believe that knowing you, she prefers some one else?” asked Loring incredulously. “Why, Baird, it is impossible.”
“By no means. I think I know the man.”
Loring’s blood boiled. “Who is the brute63?” he cried out. “Tell me and I will kill him, break his neck, shoot him.”
Baird smiled wryly64, blew a cloud of smoke[289] toward the roof, and observed: “If I were you, Stephen, I would do nothing rash. But come, we have talked long enough of me and my affairs. Let us talk now about you and yours! Suppose, for instance, you tell me why you turned the color of a meerschaum pipe when Miss Cameron appeared in the doorway to-night.”
Loring started and looked quickly at Radlett. “You noticed that, did you? Well, you have quick eye and a gift for drawing conclusions, but they may not always be right.”
“Not always, no; but this time they are, aren’t they? Be honest, Stephen, are you or are you not in love with Jean Cameron?”
“Excuse me, but that can not interest you to know.”
“Perhaps not, and perhaps it is a damned impertinence to inquire, but after all an old friendship gives some privileges.”
“Of course it does!” exclaimed Stephen, tilting65 down his chair. He walked across the room to Radlett’s seat and stood behind him. “See here, Baird. I did not want to speak of this thing because I was afraid of breaking down and making an ass17 of myself generally.[290] You don’t know what it is to be placed as I am. When you asked a girl to marry you, you had something to offer her, whether she had the sense to take it or not. You offered her a clean life, a fortune honorably made, an untarnished name, while I,—why even if there were the remotest chance that Miss Cameron would look at me, I should be a brute to ask her. The more I cared for her, the less I could do it. So you see, for me it must be ‘the desire of the moth66 for the star.’ A man must abide67 by the consequences of his acts; he must take his medicine, and if mine is bitter, it may do me all the more good only—only I cannot talk about it. Good night!”
Radlett did not answer; but long after Stephen was asleep, or pretended to be, Baird lay staring at the rafters. “To lay down his life for his friend,” he said to himself. “That would not be the hardest thing. To lay down his love! I wonder if I am man enough to do it.”
点击
收听单词发音
收听单词发音 |
1
wagons
|
|
| n.四轮的运货马车( wagon的名词复数 )；铁路货车；小手推车 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
2
gulch
|
|
| n.深谷，峡谷 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
3
sluice
|
|
| n.水闸 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
4
laden
|
|
| adj.装满了的；充满了的；负了重担的；苦恼的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
5
battered
|
|
| adj.磨损的；v.连续猛击；磨损 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
6
belongings
|
|
| n.私人物品，私人财物 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
7
lumber
|
|
| n.木材，木料；v.以破旧东西堆满；伐木；笨重移动 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
8
kindly
|
|
| adj.和蔼的，温和的，爽快的；adv.温和地，亲切地 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
9
ingenuity
|
|
| n.别出心裁；善于发明创造 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
10
bracing
|
|
| adj.令人振奋的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
11
copper
|
|
| n.铜；铜币；铜器；adj.铜(制)的；(紫)铜色的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
12
propped
|
|
| 支撑，支持，维持( prop的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
13
poking
|
|
| n. 刺，戳，袋 vt. 拨开，刺，戳 vi. 戳，刺，捅，搜索，伸出，行动散慢 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
14
modesty
|
|
| n.谦逊，虚心，端庄，稳重，羞怯，朴素 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
15
fervid
|
|
| adj.热情的；炽热的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
16
discourse
|
|
| n.论文，演说；谈话；话语；vi.讲述，著述 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
17
ass
|
|
| n.驴；傻瓜，蠢笨的人 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
18
machinery
|
|
| n.(总称)机械，机器；机构 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
19
allusion
|
|
| n.暗示，间接提示 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
20
emanated
|
|
| v.从…处传出，传出( emanate的过去式和过去分词 )；产生，表现，显示 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
21
tusks
|
|
| n.（象等动物的）长牙( tusk的名词复数 )；獠牙；尖形物；尖头 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
22
knoll
|
|
| n.小山，小丘 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
23
ERECTED
|
|
| adj. 直立的，竖立的，笔直的 vt. 使 ... 直立，建立 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
24
assessment
|
|
| n.评价；评估；对财产的估价，被估定的金额 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
25
gratitude
|
|
| adj.感激，感谢 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
26
forth
|
|
| adv.向前；向外，往外 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
27
resounded
|
|
| v.（指声音等）回荡于某处( resound的过去式和过去分词 )；产生回响；（指某处）回荡着声音 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
28
slung
|
|
| 抛( sling的过去式和过去分词 )； 吊挂； 遣送； 押往 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
29
slit
|
|
| n.狭长的切口；裂缝；vt.切开，撕裂 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
30
deftly
|
|
| adv.灵巧地，熟练地，敏捷地 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
31
recipients
|
|
| adj.接受的；受领的；容纳的；愿意接受的n.收件人；接受者；受领者；接受器 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
32
nonchalance
|
|
| n.冷淡，漠不关心 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
33
spliced
|
|
| adj.（针织品）加固的n.叠接v.绞接( splice的过去式和过去分词 )；捻接（两段绳子）；胶接；粘接（胶片、磁带等） | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
34
audacity
|
|
| n.大胆，卤莽，无礼 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
35
perspiration
|
|
| n.汗水；出汗 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
36
plumb
|
|
| adv.精确地，完全地；v.了解意义，测水深 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
37
dominion
|
|
| n.统治，管辖，支配权；领土，版图 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
38
shack
|
|
| adj.简陋的小屋，窝棚 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
39
ripple
|
|
| n.涟波，涟漪，波纹，粗钢梳；vt.使...起涟漪，使起波纹； vi.呈波浪状，起伏前进 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
40
doorway
|
|
| n.门口，(喻)入门；门路，途径 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
41
hospitable
|
|
| adj.好客的；宽容的；有利的，适宜的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
42
frankly
|
|
| adv.坦白地，直率地；坦率地说 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
43
appreciation
|
|
| n.评价；欣赏；感谢；领会，理解；价格上涨 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
44
longingly
|
|
| adv. 渴望地 热望地 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
45
intensity
|
|
| n.强烈，剧烈；强度；烈度 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
46
revolving
|
|
| adj.旋转的，轮转式的；循环的v.（使）旋转( revolve的现在分词 )；细想 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
47
accurately
|
|
| adv.准确地，精确地 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
48
faculty
|
|
| n.才能；学院，系；(学院或系的)全体教学人员 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
49
hoarseness
|
|
| n.嘶哑， 刺耳 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
50
unpack
|
|
| vt.打开包裹（或行李），卸货 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
51
protruded
|
|
| v.（使某物）伸出，（使某物）突出( protrude的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
52
espying
|
|
| v.看到( espy的现在分词 ) | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
|
53
neatly
|
|
| adv.整洁地，干净地，灵巧地，熟练地 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
54
pounced
|
|
| v.突然袭击( pounce的过去式和过去分词 )；猛扑；一眼看出；抓住机会（进行抨击） | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
55
unpacking
|
|
| n.取出货物，拆包[箱]v.从（包裹等）中取出（所装的东西），打开行李取出( unpack的现在分词 )；拆包；解除…的负担；吐露（心事等） | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
56
irrelevant
|
|
| adj.不恰当的，无关系的，不相干的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
57
streaks
|
|
| n.（与周围有所不同的）条纹( streak的名词复数 )；（通常指不好的）特征（倾向）；（不断经历成功或失败的）一段时期v.快速移动( streak的第三人称单数 )；使布满条纹 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
58
queried
|
|
| v.质疑，对…表示疑问( query的过去式和过去分词 )；询问 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
59
ironical
|
|
| adj.讽刺的，冷嘲的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
60
loyalty
|
|
| n.忠诚，忠心 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
61
irresistible
|
|
| adj.非常诱人的，无法拒绝的，无法抗拒的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
62
benighted
|
|
| adj.蒙昧的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
63
brute
|
|
| n.野兽，兽性 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
64
wryly
|
|
| adv. 挖苦地，嘲弄地 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
65
tilting
|
|
| 倾斜，倾卸 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
66
moth
|
|
| n.蛾，蛀虫 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
67
abide
|
|
| vi.遵守；坚持；vt.忍受 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
| 欢迎访问英文小说网 |