This latest furore in and about Big Pine, however, had for cause an incident which since time was young has electrified9 both more and less sedate10 communities. True, it had begun with a fight; men, not dogs; yet it was what chance spilled from the torn coat pocket of one of them that transmuted11 slumbrous quiet into pandemonium12. It was fitting that the Gallup House, centre of local activities, was the scene of the affair.
A mongrel sort of a man, one Joe Nuñez, known by
[Pg 2]
everybody as Mexicali Joe, came in and demanded corn whiskey and paid for it on the spot. That in itself was interesting; Joe seldom had money. For twenty years he had been content to have his wife support him while he combed the ridges13, always prospecting14, always begging grub-stakes, always spending the winters telling what he would do, come spring. To-night, looking tired and dirty, he was triumphant15. He spent his silver dollars with a flourish, and an onlooker16, laughing, announced that Joe must have stolen his wife's money. Joe resented the accusation17 with dignity; he knew what he knew; he wagged his head and stared insolently18 and tossed off his drink in solemn silence. Thereafter he dropped innuendoes19 while he had his second drink. The man, Barny McCuin, who had badgered him in the first place, carelessly called him a liar20. Joe, who had accepted the familiar epithet21 a thousand times in his life, for once bridled22 up and spat23 back. From so small a matter grew the fight.
Onlookers24 laughed and were amused, taking no serious stock in the fracas25 because it appeared inevitable26 that in half a dozen minutes big Barny McCuin would have Mexicali Joe whimpering and apologetic. But it chanced that as Barny flung the smaller man about, the Mexican's coat pocket was torn and from it spilled a handful of raw gold. Men pounced27 upon the scattered28 bits of quartz29, Barny among them; they caught it up and stared from one another to Joe, who became suddenly quiet and tense and alert. Then a great shout rumbled30 up:
"Gold!"
And that was the one word which set all Big Pine ablaze31. Here, on the fringe of a gold-mining country, which the latter years had all but worn out, there had been made that fresh discovery which every man of
[Pg 3]
them always kept somewhere in the bottom of his mind as a possibility for himself.
Gallup, called "Young Gallup," simply because he was the son of "Old Gallup," who had gone to his last rest twenty-five years ago, was a man eminently32 capable of dealing33 swiftly with unexpected situations; he did not know the meaning of tact34, but he did understand force. This was his house and here his word was law; he broke into the room at the first outcry, took in everything with one flick35 of his black eyes, and issued his orders.
"Hand that stuff over," he commanded the men who still held bits of the Mexican's specimens36. "It belongs to Joe, and no man's going to be robbed here under my nose, Mex or White."
The look which Mexicali Joe shot at his protector had in it far more of suspicion than of gratitude37. But his grimy fingers were eager enough in snatching back the pieces of quartz from reluctant palms. Grown sullen38, he returned to his corn whiskey, drinking slowly, and holding his tongue. When men asked him the inevitable quick questions he either shrugged39 impatiently or ignored them altogether. They looked at one another, and an understanding sprang up on the instant between big Barny McCuin and some of the others. Presently Barny went out, followed by the men who had caught his glance. Young Gallup, with eyes narrowing and growing darker, watched them go.
"They'll get you outside, Joe," he said bluntly. "And they'll make you open up for all you know."
Joe shifted uneasily; in his heart he knew himself for a poor fool caught up between the devil, which was Gallup, and the deep sea.
Besides the proprietor40 and the Mexican there were now but three men left in the room. One of them was
[Pg 4]
Gallup's man, who cooked, did chores, and, when need was, helped with the still and served drinks. At a look from his employer he left the room. Of the others, one was old man Parker, an ancient to be despised because feebleness made of him a negligible quantity in any affair based upon the prowess of physical manhood; the second was a youngster who stood in awe8 of Gallup and who looked ill at ease as the hotel man stared at him.
"Better beat it, Tim," said Gallup. "And take old Parker along."
"But, look here, Gallup; you ain't got any right...."
"It's my house," said Gallup. "There's going to be no crooked41 work here and you know it. Joe goes clear. If he wants to talk later on, why, then he can come out and talk with you boys outside. You know you'll find Barny and his friends not so far away."
Tim's self-pride, unimportant as it was, perked42 up at the realization43 that Gallup was actually discussing a matter of import with him. He tried to play the man.
"You want to get him all alone!"
Gallup sighed.
"You make me sick," he grunted44 disgustedly. "Now shut up and clear out. You, too, Parker. It's closing time anyhow."
"I seen, didn't I?" clucked the old man, tapping nervously45 on the bare floor with his peeled willow46 staff. "It was gold! Joe's stuck his pick into the mother lode47! Ain't I always told you young fools...."
Gallup, patient no longer, caught him by the thin old arm and jerked him to the door, thrusting him out and unheeding the querulous protests. Then he swung about upon the younger man.
"On your way, Tim," he commanded.
There was that in his voice which discouraged
[Pg 5]
argument. For Gallup, in the full power of his strength, a big man and heavy and hard, was suddenly flaming with anger and the two great fists were lifting from his sides. Tim, muttering, hastened after old Parker; behind him the oak door was slammed and the bolt shot into its socket48. He broke into a run, seeking Barny McCuin and the others.
Gallup strode straight back to Mexicali Joe, clamping a ponderous49 hand upon the shoulder which sought futilely50 to jerk free.
"Spit it out, Joe," he ordered. "Where'd that come from?"
"You let me go! I ain't workin' for you. You ain't my boss. What I got, she's mine! Now I goin' home."
Gallup, still holding him with one hand, probed at him with his eyes, seeking to fathom51 what powers of determination and stubbornness lay within a mongrel soul. Joe looked frightened; there were beads52 of sweat on his forehead, stealing downward from under his black matted hair. But there was in his look the glint of desperate defiance53.... Gallup called softly:
"Hey, Ricky; come here."
His combination cook and chore man returned through the inner door with an alacrity54 which must have told his employer that he had never stirred a step from the threshold. He, like the others, was on fire with suddenly stimulated55 greed.
"Go get Taggart," said Gallup, his eye all the time on Joe. "Slip out the back way and go quiet. He's down at his cabin. I want him here in a hurry."
Ricky, though with obvious reluctance56, withdrew. Once out of sight, however, he ran as fast as he could, anxious to be back with no loss of time.
"Taggart?" muttered Joe. "What for? For why you send for him?"
[Pg 6]
"Why does a man generally send for him?" countered Gallup dryly. "Know who he is, don't you, Joe?"
"Sure, I know! But I ain't done nothin'. I ain't no t'ief. This is mine."
"Thief?" Gallup having repeated the word thoughtfully, said it a second time: "Thief! I hadn't thought of that."
"Let me go," cried Joe. With a sudden fierce jerk he broke free and started to the door.
But Gallup, shaking his head, was at his side like a flash. He thrust the Mexican aside and stood with his heavy square shoulders against the oak panel. Joe, by now trembling with fury, slipped a hand into his shirt. But before the hastening fingers could close about the sheath-knife which Gallup knew well enough they sought, Gallup drew back a heavy fist and struck the Mexican full in the face. Joe went staggering across the room and fell, his battered57 lips writhing58 back from his teeth. Again his hand went into his shirt. Gallup ran across the room and stood over him, one heavy boot drawn59 back threateningly.
"Make one more move like that," he said coolly, "and I'll smash my boot heel in your dirty mouth."
Outside, grouped expectantly in the middle of the road, Barny McCuin and his friends, joined by old man Parker and Tim, alternately speculated in quiet voices and watched for the door to open and Joe to come forth60. Tim, in his anger and excitement, called them crazy fools; he warned them that Young Gallup, left alone with Joe, would be making some deal with the Mexican and that, if they were only half men they would come along of him and smash the door off and get in on whatever was happening. But Tim was only a boy and talked more than he acted; the others, knowing Young
[Pg 7]
Gallup as they had cause to know him, hesitated to grow violent at his door. Gallup, defending his own property, would just as gladly pour a double-barrel shotgun load of buckshot into them as he would turn up a bottle of bootleg. They were not ready for murder and told Tim to shut up and keep his eye peeled.
But there was not a patient man among them, and to-night was no time for any man's patience. When they had waited as long as they could, perhaps half an hour, they turned back to Gallup's door, Barny leading the way and knocking loudly. In return came Gallup's voice, untroubled and cool.
"Locked up for the night," he said. And then, carelessly: "What do you want, boys?"
McCuin simulated laughter.
"That's a good one, Gal7. All we want is a chat with Joe. And...."
"Joe's gone," returned Gallup. He came to the door and opened it, his lamp in hand. "Went about half an hour ago; just after you boys did. Out the back way and on the run!" He laughed. "Guess he's foxy enough to make a circle around you dubs61. Oh, come in and look if you think I'm lying to you."
He stepped aside and let them come in. They knew that he was lying and they saw from his eyes that he understood that they were not fools enough to take him at his word. Yet Joe had gone. In that Gallup had told the truth; the lie lay in what he concealed62.
"Where did he go?" demanded Tim earnestly.
Gallup jeered63 at him. "If I knew I'd tell you, wouldn't I, Timmy? Most likely where little boys like you ought to be by now. Meaning in bed, Timmy dear."
In time they went away; by now, drawn close together by a common burning desire, they were resolved into a
[Pg 8]
committee with one objective. Late as it was they searched high and low for Mexicali Joe. They went first to his wretched cabin among the pines at the edge of the settlement; they got his wife out of bed and fired questions at her, receiving only blank looks of wonder; clearly she had not seen Joe and had no inkling of his sudden importance. They went away and in turn looked in at every likely place which Big Pine offered. But they found no sign of Joe. In a town of less than fifty houses he had vanished like one shadow engulfed64 and blotted65 out by another. They began to fear that he had fled, frightened, into the mountains.
A dozen men had seen Joe's gold. Before midnight no less than twenty tongues had discussed the one matter of moment. Men cautioned other men against letting too many people know; but such was the electric mood swaying them that early the next morning the news began trickling66 forth through the country surrounding Big Pine. By late afternoon word had penetrated67 far up into the mountains and, following the stage road, had gone fifty miles toward the distant railroad. And that same day it leaked out that Mexicali Joe, who had so strangely disappeared, had not fled at all but all the time had been in Big Pine. He had been arrested by Sheriff Taggart and thrown into the town jail, charged with disturbing the peace.
Taggart himself had nothing to say. He kept Joe shut up alone and let no one see him.
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1
rim
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| n.(圆物的)边，轮缘；边界 | |
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wilderness
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| n.杳无人烟的一片陆地、水等，荒漠 | |
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3
aloof
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| adj.远离的；冷淡的，漠不关心的 | |
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monotonous
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| adj.单调的，一成不变的，使人厌倦的 | |
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denizens
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| n.居民，住户( denizen的名词复数 ) | |
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turbulence
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| n.喧嚣，狂暴，骚乱，湍流 | |
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gal
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| n.姑娘，少女 | |
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8
awe
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| n.敬畏，惊惧；vt.使敬畏，使惊惧 | |
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9
electrified
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| v.使电气化( electrify的过去式和过去分词 )；使兴奋 | |
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10
sedate
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| adj.沉着的，镇静的，安静的 | |
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11
transmuted
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| v.使变形，使变质，把…变成…( transmute的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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12
pandemonium
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| n.喧嚣，大混乱 | |
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13
ridges
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| n.脊( ridge的名词复数 )；山脊；脊状突起；大气层的)高压脊 | |
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14
prospecting
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| n.探矿 | |
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15
triumphant
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| adj.胜利的，成功的；狂欢的，喜悦的 | |
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16
onlooker
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| n.旁观者，观众 | |
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17
accusation
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| n.控告，指责，谴责 | |
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18
insolently
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| adv.自豪地，自傲地 | |
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19
innuendoes
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| n.影射的话( innuendo的名词复数 )；讽刺的话；含沙射影；暗讽 | |
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20
liar
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| n.说谎的人 | |
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21
epithet
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| n.（用于褒贬人物等的）表述形容词，修饰语 | |
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22
bridled
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| 给…套龙头( bridle的过去式和过去分词 )； 控制； 昂首表示轻蔑（或怨忿等）； 动怒，生气 | |
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23
spat
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| n.口角，掌击；v.发出呼噜呼噜声 | |
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24
onlookers
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| n.旁观者，观看者( onlooker的名词复数 ) | |
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25
fracas
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| n.打架；吵闹 | |
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26
inevitable
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| adj.不可避免的，必然发生的 | |
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27
pounced
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| 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） | |
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28
scattered
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| adj.分散的，稀疏的；散步的；疏疏落落的 | |
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29
quartz
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| n.石英 | |
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30
rumbled
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| 发出隆隆声，发出辘辘声( rumble的过去式和过去分词 )； 轰鸣着缓慢行进； 发现…的真相； 看穿（阴谋） | |
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31
ablaze
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| adj.着火的，燃烧的；闪耀的，灯火辉煌的 | |
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32
eminently
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| adv.突出地；显著地；不寻常地 | |
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33
dealing
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| n.经商方法，待人态度 | |
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34
tact
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| n.机敏，圆滑，得体 | |
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35
flick
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| n.快速的轻打，轻打声，弹开；v.轻弹，轻轻拂去，忽然摇动 | |
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36
specimens
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| n.样品( specimen的名词复数 )；范例；（化验的）抽样；某种类型的人 | |
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37
gratitude
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| adj.感激，感谢 | |
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38
sullen
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| adj.愠怒的，闷闷不乐的，(天气等)阴沉的 | |
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39
shrugged
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| vt.耸肩（shrug的过去式与过去分词形式） | |
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40
proprietor
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| n.所有人；业主；经营者 | |
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41
crooked
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| adj.弯曲的；不诚实的，狡猾的，不正当的 | |
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42
perked
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| （使）活跃( perk的过去式和过去分词 )； （使）增值； 使更有趣 | |
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43
realization
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| n.实现；认识到，深刻了解 | |
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44
grunted
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| （猪等）作呼噜声( grunt的过去式和过去分词 )； （指人）发出类似的哼声； 咕哝着说 | |
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45
nervously
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| adv.神情激动地，不安地 | |
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46
willow
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| n.柳树 | |
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47
lode
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| n.矿脉 | |
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48
socket
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| n.窝，穴，孔，插座，插口 | |
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49
ponderous
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| adj.沉重的，笨重的，(文章)冗长的 | |
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50
futilely
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| futile（无用的）的变形； 干 | |
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51
fathom
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| v.领悟，彻底了解 | |
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52
beads
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| n.（空心）小珠子( bead的名词复数 )；水珠；珠子项链 | |
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53
defiance
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| n.挑战，挑衅，蔑视，违抗 | |
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54
alacrity
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| n.敏捷，轻快，乐意 | |
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55
stimulated
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| a.刺激的 | |
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56
reluctance
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| n.厌恶，讨厌，勉强，不情愿 | |
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57
battered
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| adj.磨损的；v.连续猛击；磨损 | |
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58
writhing
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| （因极度痛苦而）扭动或翻滚( writhe的现在分词 ) | |
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59
drawn
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| v.拖，拉，拔出；adj.憔悴的，紧张的 | |
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60
forth
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| adv.向前；向外，往外 | |
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61
dubs
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| v.给…起绰号( dub的第三人称单数 )；把…称为；配音；复制 | |
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62
concealed
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| a.隐藏的，隐蔽的 | |
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63
jeered
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| v.嘲笑( jeer的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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64
engulfed
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| v.吞没，包住( engulf的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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65
blotted
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| 涂污( blot的过去式和过去分词 )； （用吸墨纸）吸干 | |
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66
trickling
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| n.油画底色含油太多而成泡沫状突起v.滴( trickle的现在分词 )；淌；使)慢慢走；缓慢移动 | |
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67
penetrated
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| adj. 击穿的，鞭辟入里的 动词penetrate的过去式和过去分词形式 | |
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