Johnny Fairfax accompanied Keith all the way back to his office, although Talbot Ward1 said good-bye at the wharves2. He bubbled over with conversation and enthusiasm, and seemed to have taken a great fancy to the lawyer. The theme of his glancing talk was the duel3, over which he was immensely amused; but from it he diverged4 on the slightest occasion to comment on whatever for the moment struck his notice.
"That was certainly the rottenest shooting I ever saw!" he exclaimed over and over, and then would go off into peals5 of laughter. "I don't see how twelve shots at that distance could miss! After the second exchange I concluded even the side line wasn't safe, and I got behind a tree. Pays to be prompt In your decision; there were a hundred applicants7 for that tree a moment later, The bloodless duel as a parlour amusement! You ought to have charged that large and respectable audience an admission fee! That's a good idea; I'll present it to you! If you ever have another due, you must have a good manager! There's money in it!"
Keith laughed a trifle ruefully,
"I suppose it was funny," he acknowledged.
"Now don't get huffy," begged Johnny Fairfax. "What you ought to do is to learn to shoot. You'll probably need to know how if you keep on living around here," His eye fell on a shooting gallery. "Come in here," he urged impulsively8.
The proprietor9 was instructed to load his pistols and for a dozen shots Keith was coached vehemently10 in the elementals of shooting--taught at least the theory of pulling steadily11, of coordinating12 various muscles and psychological processes that were not at all used to cooerdination. He learned that mere13 steady aiming was a small part of it.
"Anybody can do wonderful shooting with an empty pistol," said Johnny contemptuously. "And anybody can hold as steady as a rock--until he pulls the trigger."
"It's interesting," conceded Keith; "mighty14 interesting. I didn't know there was so much to it."
"Of course it's interesting," said Johnny. "And you're only at the rudiments15. Look here!"
And, to the astonishment16 of Keith, the worshipful adoration17 of the shooting-gallery proprietor, and the awe18 of the usual audience that gathered at the sound of the reports, he proceeded to give an exhibition of the skill that had made him famous. The shooting galleries of those days used no puny19 twenty-twos. Derringers, pocket revolvers, and the huge "navies" were at hand--with reduced loads, naturally--for those who in habitual20 life affected21 these weapons. Johnny shot with all of them, displaying the tricks of the gunman with all the naive22 enthusiasm of youth. His manner throughout was that engaging mixture of modesty23 afraid of being thought conceited24 and eager pride in showing his skill so attractive to everybody. At first he shot deliberately25, splitting cards, hitting marbles, and devastating26 whole rows of clay pipes. Then he took to secreting27 the weapons in various pockets from which he produced and discharged them in lightning time. His hand darted28 with the speed and precision of a snake's head.
"I've just been fooling with shooting things tossed in the air," he said, exuberant29 with enthusiasm. "But I'm afraid we can't try that here."
"I'm afraid not," agreed the proprietor regretfully.
"It really isn't very hard, once you get the knack30."
"Oh, no," said the proprietor with elaborate sarcasm31. "Say," he went on earnestly, "I suppose it ain't no use trying to hire you--"
Johnny shook his head, smiling.
"I was afraid not," observed the proprietor disappointedly. "You'd be the making of this place. Drop in any time you want practice. Won't cost you a cent. Would you mind telling me your name?"
"Fairfax," replied Johnny, gruffly embarrassed.
"Not Diamond Jack32?" hesitated the proprietor.
"I'm sometimes called that," conceded Johnny, still more gruffly. "How much is it?"
"Not one gosh-danged continental33 red cent," cried the man, "and I'm pleased to meet you."
Johnny shook his extended hand, mumbled34 something, and bolted for the street. Keith followed, laughing.
"It seems you're quite a celebrity," he observed.
But Johnny refused to pursue that subject.
"You come with me and buy you a pistol," he growled35. "You ought not to be allowed loose. You're as helpless as a baby."
Johnny picked out a small .31 calibre revolver and a supply of ammunition36.
"Now you practise!" was his final warning and advice.
Keith went home with a new glow at his heart. He was ripe for a friend.
Johnny seemed to have little to do for the moment. He never volunteered information as to his business or his plans, and Keith never inquired. But the young express rider fell into the habit of dropping in at Keith's office. He was always very apologetic and solicitous37 as to whether or no he was interrupting, saying that he had stopped for only ten seconds; but he invariably ended in the swivel chair with a good cigar. Keith was at this time busy; but he was never too busy for Johnny Fairfax. The latter was a luxury to which he treated himself. Johnny was not only welcome because he was practically Keith's only friend, but also his frank and engaging comments on men and things were gradually giving the harassed38 lawyer a new point of view on the society in which he found himself. Keith, as a newcomer in a community already established, had naturally accepted the prominent figures in that community as he would have accepted prominent figures anywhere: that is, as respectable, formidable, admirable, solid, unquestioned pillars of society. He was of a modest disposition39 and disinclined to question. He respected them as any modest young man respects those older and more successful than himself. For the same reason he accepted their views and their authority; or, if he questioned them, he did so sadly, almost guiltily, with many heart-searchings.
But Johnny Fairfax held no such attitude. Not he! The city's great names had scant40 respect from him! Not for an instant did he hesitate to criticise41 or analyze42 the most renowned43. It was not long before he learned all about the Cora trial and Keith's subsequent efforts to discipline McDougall and his associates.
"I hope you get 'em!" said he; "the whole lot! I don't know much about this McDougall; but I do know his friends, and most of 'em aren't worth thinkin' about. They're big people here, but back where I came from, in old Virginia, the best of 'em wouldn't be overseers on a plantation44. That's why they like it so much out here. Look at that gang! Casey has been in the penitentiary45, Rowlee ran some little blackleg sheet down South until they run him out---I tell you, sir, as a Southerner I'm not proud of the Southerners out here. They're a cheap lot, most of 'em. They were a cheap lot home. The only difference is that back there everybody knew it, and out here everybody thinks they're great people because they get up on their hind6 legs and say so out loud. That old bluff46, Major Miles, he was put out of a Richmond club, sir, for cheatin' at cards--I know that for a fact!"
Somehow, this frank criticism was like a breeze of fresh air to Keith: it put new courage into him. Johnny Fairfax had no interests in the city; he had no fear; his viewpoint was free from all sham47; he was newly in from the outside. Through his eyes things fell into perspective. Suddenly San Francisco upper society became to Keith what it really was: a welter of cheap, bragging48, venal49, self-seeking men, with here and there an honest fine character standing50 high above. And he began, but dimly, to see that the real men of the place were not--as yet--well known. Probably one of the most impressive and typical figures of the time was Justice of the Supreme51 Court Terry. In the eyes of those too close to events to have a clear sense of proportion, he was one of the great men of his period. Courtly, handsome, with haughty52 manners, of aristocratic bearing, fiercely proud, touchily53 quarrelsome on "points of honour," generous but a bitter hater, he and his equally handsome, proud, and fiery54 wife were considered by many people of the time as embodying55 the ideal of Southern chivalry56. But Johnny Fairfax would have none of it.
"He a typical Southern gentleman!" he laughed, "As being born in the South myself, I repudiate57 that! I know too much about Terry. Why, look here: he's a good sport, and he's got ability, and he makes friends, and he isn't afraid of anything, But then you stop. He's not a gentleman! It shows most particularly when he gets mad. Then he'll throw over anything--anything--to have his own way. He's a big man now, but he won't be knee-high to a June bug58 before he gets done."
Johnny's prediction was long in fulfilment, but a score of years later it came to pass, and Judge Terry's reputation has sunk almost to the level of that of his brother on the bench--Judge "Ned" McGowan.
"They're all a bad lot," Johnny finished, "and I hope you lick them! You don't know all the good folks in this town yet!"
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1
ward
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| n.守卫，监护，病房，行政区，由监护人或法院保护的人（尤指儿童）；vt.守护，躲开 | |
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wharves
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| n.码头，停泊处( wharf的名词复数 ) | |
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duel
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| n./v.决斗；(双方的)斗争 | |
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diverged
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| 分开( diverge的过去式和过去分词 )； 偏离； 分歧； 分道扬镳 | |
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peals
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| n.（声音大而持续或重复的）洪亮的响声( peal的名词复数 )；隆隆声；洪亮的钟声；钟乐v.（使）（钟等）鸣响，（雷等）发出隆隆声( peal的第三人称单数 ) | |
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hind
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| adj.后面的，后部的 | |
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applicants
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| 申请人，求职人( applicant的名词复数 ) | |
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impulsively
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| adv.冲动地 | |
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proprietor
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| n.所有人；业主；经营者 | |
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vehemently
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| adv. 热烈地 | |
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steadily
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| adv.稳定地；不变地；持续地 | |
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coordinating
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| v.使协调，使调和( coordinate的现在分词 )；协调；协同；成为同等 | |
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mere
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| adj.纯粹的；仅仅，只不过 | |
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mighty
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| adj.强有力的；巨大的 | |
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rudiments
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| n.基础知识，入门 | |
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astonishment
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| n.惊奇，惊异 | |
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adoration
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| n.爱慕，崇拜 | |
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awe
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| n.敬畏，惊惧；vt.使敬畏，使惊惧 | |
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puny
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| adj.微不足道的，弱小的 | |
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habitual
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| adj.习惯性的；通常的，惯常的 | |
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affected
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| adj.不自然的，假装的 | |
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naive
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| adj.幼稚的，轻信的；天真的 | |
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modesty
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| n.谦逊，虚心，端庄，稳重，羞怯，朴素 | |
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conceited
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| adj.自负的，骄傲自满的 | |
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deliberately
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| adv.审慎地；蓄意地；故意地 | |
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devastating
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| adj.毁灭性的，令人震惊的，强有力的 | |
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secreting
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| v.（尤指动物或植物器官）分泌( secrete的现在分词 )；隐匿，隐藏 | |
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darted
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| v.投掷，投射( dart的过去式和过去分词 )；向前冲，飞奔 | |
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exuberant
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| adj.充满活力的；（植物）繁茂的 | |
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knack
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| n.诀窍，做事情的灵巧的，便利的方法 | |
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sarcasm
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| n.讥讽，讽刺，嘲弄，反话 （adj.sarcastic） | |
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jack
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| n.插座，千斤顶，男人；v.抬起，提醒，扛举；n.（Jake）杰克 | |
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continental
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| adj.大陆的，大陆性的，欧洲大陆的 | |
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mumbled
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| 含糊地说某事，叽咕，咕哝( mumble的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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growled
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| v.（动物）发狺狺声， （雷）作隆隆声( growl的过去式和过去分词 )；低声咆哮着说 | |
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ammunition
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| n.军火，弹药 | |
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solicitous
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| adj.热切的，挂念的 | |
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harassed
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| adj. 疲倦的，厌烦的 动词harass的过去式和过去分词 | |
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disposition
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| n.性情，性格；意向，倾向；排列，部署 | |
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scant
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| adj.不充分的，不足的；v.减缩，限制，忽略 | |
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criticise
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| v.批评，评论；非难 | |
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analyze
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| vt.分析，解析 (=analyse) | |
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renowned
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| adj.著名的，有名望的，声誉鹊起的 | |
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plantation
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| n.种植园，大农场 | |
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penitentiary
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| n.感化院；监狱 | |
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46
bluff
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| v.虚张声势，用假象骗人；n.虚张声势，欺骗 | |
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sham
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| n./adj.假冒(的)，虚伪(的) | |
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bragging
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| v.自夸，吹嘘( brag的现在分词 )；大话 | |
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venal
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| adj.唯利是图的，贪脏枉法的 | |
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50
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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supreme
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| adj.极度的，最重要的；至高的，最高的 | |
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52
haughty
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| adj.傲慢的，高傲的 | |
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53
touchily
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| adv.易动气地；过分敏感地；小心眼地；难以取悦地 | |
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54
fiery
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| adj.燃烧着的，火红的；暴躁的；激烈的 | |
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embodying
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| v.表现( embody的现在分词 )；象征；包括；包含 | |
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56
chivalry
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| n.骑士气概，侠义；（男人）对女人彬彬有礼，献殷勤 | |
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repudiate
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| v.拒绝，拒付，拒绝履行 | |
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bug
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| n.虫子；故障；窃听器；vt.纠缠；装窃听器 | |
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