It was the post-trader, he told Felipa when he came back, and he was asking for help from the officer-of-the-day. Some citizens down at the store were gambling2 and drinking high, and were becoming uproarious.
Landor sent for a squad3 of the guard and went to put them out. It was just one of the small emergencies that go to make up the chances of peace. He might or he might not come back alive; the probabilities in favor of the former, to be sure. But the risks are[Pg 186] about equal whether one fights Indians or citizens drunk with liquor and gaming.
The men went away, however, without much trouble beyond tipsy protests and mutterings, and the sutler rewarded the guard with beer, and explained to Landor that several of the disturbers were fellows who were hanging round the post for the beef contract; the biggest and most belligerent—he of the fierce, drooping4 mustachios—was the owner of the ranch5 where the Kirby massacre6 had taken place, as well as of another one in New Mexico.
Landor paid very little attention just then, but that same night he had occasion to think of it again.
It was his habit to go to bed directly after taps when he was officer-of-the-day, and to visit the guard immediately before reveille the next morning. But the requisitions and some troop papers kept him until almost twelve, so that he decided7 to make his rounds as soon as the clock had struck twelve, and to sleep until sunrise. Felipa had long since gone off to bed. He turned down the lamp, put on his cape8 and cap, and with his revolver in his pocket and his sabre clicking a monotonous9 accompaniment went out into the night.
It was not very dark. The sky was thick with clouds, but there was a waning10 moon behind them. The only light in the garrison11 was in the grated windows of the guard-house.
Visiting the guard is dull work, and precisely12 the same round, night after night, with hardly ever a variation. But to-night there occurred a slight one.[Pg 187] Landor was carrying his sabre in his arm, as he went by the back of the quarters, in order that its jingle13 might not disturb any sleepers14. For the same reason he walked lightly, although, indeed, he was usually soft-footed, and came unheard back of Brewster's yard. Brewster himself was standing15 in the shadow of the fence, talking to some man. Landor could see that it was a big fellow, and the first thing that flashed into his mind, without any especial reason, was that it was the rancher who had been in trouble down at the sutler's store.
It gave cause for reflection; but an officer was obviously at liberty to talk to whomsoever he might choose around his own premises16, at any hour of the day or night. So the officer of the day went on, treading quietly. But he had something to think about now that kept off drowsiness17 for the rest of the rounds. Brewster's fondness for the society of dubious18 civilians20 was certainly unfortunate. And the conjunction of the aspiring21 beef contractor22 and the commissary officer was also unfortunate, not to say curious. Because of this. The beef contract was about to expire, and the commandant had advertised for bids. A number of ranchers had already turned their papers in. Furnishing the government's soldiers with meat is never an empty honor.
The bids, duly sealed, were given into the keeping of the commissary officer to be put in his safe, and kept until the day of judgment23, when all being opened in public and in the presence of the aspirants24, the lowest would[Pg 188] get the contract. It was a simple plan, and gave no more opportunity for underhand work than could be avoided. But there were opportunities for all that. It was barely possible—the thing had been done—for a commissary clerk or sergeant25, desirous of adding to his pittance26 of pay, or of favoring a friend among the bidders27, to tamper28 with the bids. By the same token there was no real reason why the commissary officer could not do it himself. Landor had never heard, or known, of such a case, but undoubtedly29 the way was there. It was a question of having the will and the possession of the safe keys.
There were only the bids to be taken out and steamed open. The lowest found, it was simple enough for the favored one to make his own a quarter of a cent less, and to turn it in at the last moment. But one drawback presented itself. Some guileful30 and wary31 contractors32, making assurance twice sure, kept their bids themselves and only presented them when the officers sat for the final awarding. Certainly Brewster would have been wiser not to have been seen with the big civilian19. During the two days that elapsed before the awarding of the contract, Landor thought about it most of the time.
It came to pass in the working out of things that the commandant elected to spend the night before the opening of the bids, in the small town some miles away, where one of the first families was giving a dinner. This left Landor, as next in rank, in temporary command. It had happened often enough before, in one way[Pg 189] or another, but this time the duties of the position seemed to weigh upon him. He was restless and did not care to sleep. He sent Felipa off to bed, and sat watching where her lithe33 young figure had gone out of the door for some minutes. Then he ran his hand across his mouth contemplatively, stroked his mustache, and finally went out of the house and down to Ellton's quarters.
When the baby began to cry, as it was always quite sure to do sooner or later, and Mrs. Ellton went up to it, Landor spoke34. "If I should come for you at any hour to-night, I wish you would hold yourself in readiness to go out with me immediately."
He was not the sort of a man of whom to ask explanations. Ellton said "Very well," and proceeded to talk about the troop's hogs35 and gardens, both of which were a source of increase to the troop funds.
Mrs. Ellton returned before long, and Landor went back home.
"I shall be in and out all night, more or less," he told Felipa. She reached her hands from the bedclothes and stroked the deep lines on his forehead, the lines she had had most to do with putting there. But she did not ask for confidences. She never did. It was not her way. He kissed her and went out into the night again, to sit upon his porch at a spot where, through the cottonwood branches, he commanded a view of Brewster's front door and of the windows of the commissary office.
The silence of the garrison was absolute. Over in[Pg 190] the company clerk's office of one of the infantry36 barracks there was a light for a time. Then, at about midnight, it too was put out. A cat came creeping from under the board walk and minced37 across the road. He watched it absently.
When he looked up again to Brewster's house, there was a chink of faint light showing through a curtain. He got up then and went down to Ellton's quarters.
Ellton himself answered the muffled38 knock. "I didn't turn in," he said to the mysterious figure, shrouded39 in a cape, with a visor down to its peering eyes.
Landor told him to get his cap and come out. He followed the shadows of the trees near the low commissary building, and they stood there, each behind a thick cottonwood trunk. Landor watched the light in Brewster's window. It disappeared before long, and they held their breaths. Ellton began to guess what was expected to happen. Yet Brewster himself did not come out.
Landor had almost decided that he had made an ungenerous mistake, when Ellton came over with one light spring and, touching40 him on the shoulder, pointed41 to the window of the commissary office. A thick, dark blanket had evidently been hung within, but the faintest red flicker42 showed through a tiny hole.
Then Landor remembered for the first time that there was a back door to Brewster's quarters and to the commissary. He crept over to the commissary and tried the door gently. It was fast locked. Then he went to the window. It was a low one, on a level with his[Pg 191] chest, with wide-apart iron bars. He ran his hand between them now, and, doubling his fist, broke a pane43 with a sudden blow. As the glass crashed in, he grasped the gray blanket and drew it back. Brewster was standing in front of the open safe, the package of bids in his hands, and the big rancher was beside him holding a candle and shading it with his palm. They had both turned, and were staring, terror-eyed, at the bleeding hand that held back the blanket.
"Can you see, Ellton?" Landor asked in his restrained, even voice. He evidently meant that there should be no more noise about this than necessary, that the post should know nothing of it.
"I can see, sir," the lieutenant44 answered.
Then Landor spoke to the commissary officer. "You will oblige me, Mr. Brewster, by returning those bids to the safe and by opening the door for me." He dropped the blanket, drew back his cut hand, warm and wet with blood, and wrapped it in a handkerchief very deliberately45, as he waited.
Presently the front door opened. The commissary officer evidently had all the keys. Landor and Ellton, who were commandant and adjutant as well, went through the close-smelling storeroom, which reeked46 with codfish and coffee, into the office.
The citizen was still there, still holding the candle and shading it, scared out of the little wits he had at the best of times. He was too frightened as yet to curse Brewster and the wary scoundrel back in Arizona, who had set him on to tampering47 with the military,[Pg 192] and had put up the funds to that end—a small risk for a big gain.
Landor pointed to him. "Who is this?" he asked.
Brewster told him. "It is Mr. Lawton, of the Circle K Ranch."
"What is he doing here?"
"He was helping48 me."
"Helping you to do what?"
"To get out the bids." His courage was waxing a little.
"For what purpose?" went on the cross questions.
"To take them over to my quarters and keep them safe."
"Yes?" said Landor. The inflection was not pleasing. It caused Brewster to answer somewhat weakly, "Yes."
"Do you think, sir, that you could tell that to twelve officers and make them believe it?"
Brewster was silent, but he neither flinched49 nor cowered50, nor yet shifted his eyes.
Landor turned to the citizen. "Where is your bid, Mr. Lawton?"
"I ain't put it in yet," he stammered51 feebly.
"Don't put it in, then. Leave the reservation to-night. You understand me, do you? Now go!"
Lawton set down the candle upon the desk, and crept away by the rear door.
After he had gone, Landor turned to Brewster once more. "Are all the bids in the safe again?"
They were.
[Pg 193]
"Is it closed?"
It was.
"Give me the keys—all the keys."
He handed them over.
Ellton stood by the door, with his hands in his pockets, and a countenance52 that tried hard to maintain the severity of discipline. But he was plainly enjoying it.
"Now, Mr. Brewster," said Landor, going to the safe and resting his elbow upon it, and leaning forward in his earnestness, "I am going to tell you what you are to do. It would be better for the service and for all concerned if you do it quietly. I think you will agree with me, that any scandal is to be avoided. Come to the opening of the bids to-morrow, at noon, quite as though nothing of this disgraceful sort had happened. I will keep the keys until then. But by retreat to-morrow evening I want your resignation from the service in the hands of the adjutant. If it is not, I shall prefer charges against you the next morning. But I hardly think you will deem it advisable to stand a court-martial." He stopped and stood erect53 again.
Brewster started to protest, still with the almost unmoved countenance of an innocent man. At any rate, he was not an abject54, whining55 scoundrel, thought Ellton, with a certain amount of admiration56.
Landor held up a silencing hand. "If you have any explanations that you care to make, that it would be worth any one's time to listen to, you may keep them for a judge advocate." He pointed to the door.
Brewster hesitated for a moment, then walked out,[Pg 194] a little unsteadily. They blew out the candle and took down the gray blanket. "A stone can have broken that pane, and I cut my hand on a bottle," said Landor.
Ellton answered "Very good," and they went out, locking the door.
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1
sputtering
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| n.反应溅射法；飞溅；阴极真空喷镀；喷射v.唾沫飞溅( sputter的现在分词 )；发劈啪声；喷出；飞溅出 | |
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2
gambling
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| n.赌博；投机 | |
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3
squad
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| n.班，小队，小团体；vt.把…编成班或小组 | |
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4
drooping
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| adj. 下垂的，无力的 动词droop的现在分词 | |
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5
ranch
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| n.大牧场，大农场 | |
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massacre
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| n.残杀，大屠杀；v.残杀，集体屠杀 | |
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7
decided
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| adj.决定了的，坚决的；明显的，明确的 | |
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cape
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| n.海角，岬；披肩，短披风 | |
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9
monotonous
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| adj.单调的，一成不变的，使人厌倦的 | |
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10
waning
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| adj.（月亮）渐亏的，逐渐减弱或变小的n.月亏v.衰落( wane的现在分词 )；（月）亏；变小；变暗淡 | |
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11
garrison
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| n.卫戍部队；驻地，卫戍区；vt.派(兵)驻防 | |
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12
precisely
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| adv.恰好，正好，精确地，细致地 | |
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13
jingle
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| n.叮当声，韵律简单的诗句；v.使叮当作响，叮当响，押韵 | |
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14
sleepers
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| n.卧铺（通常以复数形式出现）；卧车( sleeper的名词复数 )；轨枕；睡觉（呈某种状态）的人；小耳环 | |
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15
standing
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| n.持续，地位；adj.永久的，不动的，直立的，不流动的 | |
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16
premises
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| n.建筑物，房屋 | |
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17
drowsiness
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| n.睡意；嗜睡 | |
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18
dubious
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| adj.怀疑的，无把握的；有问题的，靠不住的 | |
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19
civilian
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| adj.平民的，民用的，民众的 | |
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20
civilians
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| 平民，百姓( civilian的名词复数 )； 老百姓 | |
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21
aspiring
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| adj.有志气的；有抱负的；高耸的v.渴望；追求 | |
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22
contractor
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| n.订约人，承包人，收缩肌 | |
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23
judgment
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| n.审判；判断力，识别力，看法，意见 | |
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24
aspirants
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| n.有志向或渴望获得…的人( aspirant的名词复数 )v.渴望的，有抱负的，追求名誉或地位的( aspirant的第三人称单数 )；有志向或渴望获得…的人 | |
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25
sergeant
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| n.警官，中士 | |
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26
pittance
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| n.微薄的薪水，少量 | |
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27
bidders
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| n.出价者，投标人( bidder的名词复数 ) | |
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28
tamper
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| v.干预，玩弄，贿赂，窜改，削弱，损害 | |
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29
undoubtedly
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| adv.确实地，无疑地 | |
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30
guileful
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| adj.狡诈的，诡计多端的 | |
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31
wary
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| adj.谨慎的，机警的，小心的 | |
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32
contractors
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| n.（建筑、监造中的）承包人( contractor的名词复数 ) | |
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33
lithe
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| adj.(指人、身体)柔软的，易弯的 | |
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34
spoke
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| n.（车轮的）辐条；轮辐；破坏某人的计划；阻挠某人的行动 v.讲，谈（speak的过去式）；说；演说；从某种观点来说 | |
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35
hogs
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| n.（尤指喂肥供食用的）猪( hog的名词复数 )；（供食用的）阉公猪；彻底地做某事；自私的或贪婪的人 | |
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36
infantry
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| n.[总称]步兵(部队) | |
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37
minced
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| v.切碎( mince的过去式和过去分词 )；剁碎；绞碎；用绞肉机绞（食物，尤指肉） | |
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38
muffled
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| adj.（声音）被隔的；听不太清的；（衣服）裹严的；蒙住的v.压抑，捂住( muffle的过去式和过去分词 )；用厚厚的衣帽包着（自己） | |
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39
shrouded
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| v.隐瞒( shroud的过去式和过去分词 )；保密 | |
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40
touching
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| adj.动人的，使人感伤的 | |
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41
pointed
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| adj.尖的，直截了当的 | |
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42
flicker
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| vi./n.闪烁，摇曳，闪现 | |
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43
pane
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| n.窗格玻璃，长方块 | |
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44
lieutenant
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| n.陆军中尉，海军上尉；代理官员，副职官员 | |
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45
deliberately
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| adv.审慎地；蓄意地；故意地 | |
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46
reeked
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| v.发出浓烈的臭气( reek的过去式和过去分词 )；散发臭气；发出难闻的气味 (of sth)；明显带有（令人不快或生疑的跡象） | |
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47
tampering
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| v.窜改( tamper的现在分词 )；篡改；（用不正当手段）影响；瞎摆弄 | |
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48
helping
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| n.食物的一份&adj.帮助人的，辅助的 | |
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49
flinched
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| v.（因危险和痛苦）退缩，畏惧( flinch的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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50
cowered
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| v.畏缩，抖缩( cower的过去式 ) | |
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51
stammered
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| v.结巴地说出( stammer的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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52
countenance
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| n.脸色，面容；面部表情；vt.支持，赞同 | |
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53
erect
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| n./v.树立，建立，使竖立；adj.直立的，垂直的 | |
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54
abject
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| adj.极可怜的，卑屈的 | |
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55
whining
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| n. 抱怨，牢骚 v. 哭诉，发牢骚 | |
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56
admiration
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| n.钦佩，赞美，羡慕 | |
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