a first family of tasajara- 第6部分

slowly　out　of　the　room。



Harkutt　listened　to　the　retreating　tread　of　his　bare　feet　in　the

passage　and　then　carefully　locked　the　door。　　Taking　the　paper　from

his　pocket；　and　borrowing　the　idea　he　had　just　objurgated　in　his

son；　he　turned　it　towards　the　dull　glow　of　the　stove　and　attempted

to　read　it。　　But　perhaps　lacking　the　patience　as　well　as　the　keener

sight　of　youth；　he　was　forced　to　relight　the　candle　which　he　had

left　on　the　counter；　and　reperused　the　paper。　　Yes！　there　was

certainly　no　mistake！　　Here　was　the　actual　description　of　the

property　which　the　surveyor　had　just　indicated　as　the　future

terminus　of　the　new　railroad；　and　here　it　was　conveyed　to　him

Daniel　Harkutt！　　What　was　that？　　Somebody　knocking？　　What　did　this

continual　interruption　mean？　　An　odd　superstitious　fear　now　mingled

with　his　irritation。



The　sound　appeared　to　come　from　the　front　shutters。　　It　suddenly

occurred　to　him　that　the　light　might　be　visible　through　the

crevices。　　He　hurriedly　extinguished　it；　and　went　to　the　door。



〃Who's　there？〃



〃Me；Peters。　　Want　to　speak　to　you。〃



Mr。　Harkutt　with　evident　reluctance　drew　the　bolts。　　The　wind；

still　boisterous　and　besieging；　did　the　rest；　and　precipitately

propelled　Peters　through　the　carefully　guarded　opening。　　But　his

surprise　at　finding　himself　in　the　darkness　seemed　to　forestall　any

explanation　of　his　visit。



〃Well；〃　he　said　with　an　odd　mingling　of　reproach　and　suspicion。　　〃I

declare　I　saw　a　light　here　just　this　minit！　　That's　queer。〃



〃Yes；　I　put　it　out　just　now。　　I　was　goin'　away；〃　replied　Harkutt；

with　ill…disguised　impatience。



〃What！　been　here　ever　since？〃



〃No；〃　said　Harkutt　curtly。



〃Well；　I　want　to　speak　to　ye　about　'Lige。　　Seein'　the　candle

shinin'　through　the　chinks　I　thought　he　might　be　still　with　ye。　　If

he　ain't；　it　looks　bad。　　Light　up；　can't　ye！　　I　want　to　show　you

something。〃



There　was　a　peremptoriness　in　his　tone　that　struck　Harkutt

disagreeably；　but　observing　that　he　was　carrying　something　in　his

hand；　he　somewhat　nervously　re…lit　the　candle　and　faced　him。

Peters　had　a　hat　in　his　hand。　　It　was　'Lige's！



〃'Bout　an　hour　after　we　fellers　left　here；〃　said　Peters；　〃I　heard

the　rattlin'　of　hoofs　on　the　road；　and　then　it　seemed　to　stop　just

by　my　house。　　I　went　out　with　a　lantern；　and；　darn　my　skin！　if

there　warn't　'Lige's　hoss；　the　saddle　empty；　and　'Lige　nowhere！　　I

looked　round　and　called　himbut　nothing　were　to　be　seen。　　Thinkin'

he　might　have　slipped　offtho'　ez　a　general　rule　drunken　men

don't；　and　he　is　a　good　riderI　followed　down　the　road；　lookin'

for　him。　　I　kept　on　follerin'　it　down　to　your　run；　half　a　mile

below。〃



〃But；〃　began　Harkutt；　with　a　quick　nervous　laugh；　〃you　don't　reckon

that　because　of　that　he〃



〃Hold　on！〃　said　Peters；　grimly　producing　a　revolver　from　his　side…

pocket　with　the　stock　and　barrel　clogged　and　streaked　with　mud。　　〃I

found　THAT　too；and　look！　one　barrel　discharged！　　And；〃　he　added

hurriedly；　as　approaching　a　climax；　〃look　ye；what　I　nat'rally

took　for　wet　from　the　raininside　that　hatwasblood！〃



〃Nonsense！〃　said　Harkutt；　putting　the　hat　aside　with　a　new

fastidiousness。　　〃You　don't　think〃



〃I　think；〃　said　Peters；　lowering　his　voice；　〃I　think；　by　God！　HE'S

BIN　AND　DONE　IT！〃



〃No！〃



〃Sure！　　Oh；　it's　all　very　well　for　Billings　and　the　rest　of　that

conceited　crowd　to　sneer　and　sling　their　ideas　of　'Lige　gen'rally

as　they　did　jess　now　here；but　I'd　like　'em　to　see　THAT。〃　　It　was

difficult　to　tell　if　Mr。　Peters'　triumphant　delight　in　confuting

his　late　companions'　theories　had　not　even　usurped　in　his　mind　the

importance　of　the　news　he　brought；　as　it　had　of　any　human　sympathy

with　it。



〃Look　here；〃　returned　Harkutt　earnestly；　yet　with　a　singularly

cleared　brow　and　a　more　natural　manner。　　〃You　ought　to　take　them

things　over　to　Squire　Kerby's；　right　off；　and　show　'em　to　him。　　You

kin　tell　him　how　you　left　'Lige　here；　and　say　that　I　can　prove　by

my　daughter　that　he　went　away　about　ten　minutes　after；at　least；

not　more　than　fifteen。〃　　Like　all　unprofessional　humanity；　Mr。

Harkutt　had　an　exaggerated　conception　of　the　majesty　of　unimportant

detail　in　the　eye　of　the　law。　　〃I'd　go　with　you　myself；〃　he　added

quickly；　〃but　I've　got　companystrangershere。〃



〃How　did　he　look　when　he　left；kinder　wild？〃　suggested　Peters。



Harkutt　had　begun　to　feel　the　prudence　of　present　reticence。

〃Well；〃　he　said；　cautiously；　〃YOU　saw　how　he　looked。〃



〃You　wasn't　rough　with　him？that　might　have　sent　him　off；　you

know；〃　said　Peters。



〃No；〃　said　Harkutt；　forgetting　himself　in　a　quick　indignation；　〃no；

I　not　only　treated　him　to　another　drink；　but　gave　him〃he　stopped

suddenly　and　awkwardly。



〃Eh？〃　said　Peters。



〃Some　good　advice；you　know；〃　said　Harkutt；　hastily。　　〃But　come；

you'd　better　hurry　over　to　the　squire's。　　You　know　YOU'VE　made　the

discovery；　YOUR　evidence　is　important；　and　there's　a　law　that

obliges　you　to　give　information　at　once。〃



The　excitement　of　discovery　and　the　triumph　over　his　disputants

being　spent；　Peters；　after　the　Sidon　fashion；　evidently　did　not

relish　activity　as　a　duty。　　〃You　know；〃　he　said　dubiously；　〃he

mightn't　be　dead；　after　all。〃



Harkutt　became　a　trifle　distant。　　〃You　know　your　own　opinion　of　the

thing；〃　he　replied　after　a　pause。　　〃You've　circumstantial　evidence

enough　to　see　the　squire；　and　set　others　to　work　on　it；　and；〃　he

added　significantly；　〃you've　done　your　share　then；　and　can　wipe

your　hands　of　it；　eh？〃



〃That's　so；〃　said　Peters；　eagerly。　　〃I'll　just　run　over　to　the

squire。〃



〃And　on　account　of　the　women　folks；　you　know；　and　the　strangers

here；　I'll　say　nothin'　about　it　to…night；〃　added　Harkutt。



Peters　nodded　his　head；　and　taking　up　the　hat　of　the　unfortunate

Elijah　with　a　certain　hesitation；　as　if　he　feared　it　had　already

lost　its　dramatic　intensity　as　a　witness；　disappeared　into　the

storm　and　darkness　again。　　A　lurking　gust　of　wind　lying　in　ambush

somewhere　seemed　to　swoop　down　on　him　as　if　to　prevent　further

indecision　and　whirl　him　away　in　the　direction　of　the　justice's

house；　and　Mr。　Harkutt　shut　the　door；　bolted　it；　and　walked

aimlessly　back　to　the　counter。



From　a　slow；　deliberate　and　cautious　man；　he　seemed　to　have　changed

within　an　hour　to　an　irresolute　and　capricious　one。　　He　took　the

paper　from　his　pocket；　and；　unlocking　the　money　drawer　of　his

counter；　folded　into　a　small　compass　that　which　now　seemed　to　be

the　last　testament　of　Elijah　Curtis；　and　placed　it　in　a　recess。

Then　he　went　to　the　back　door　and　paused；　then　returned；　reopened

the　money　drawer；　took　out　the　paper　and　again　buttoned　it　in　his

hip　pocket；　standing　by　the　stove　and　staring　abstractedly　at　the

dull　glow　of　the　fire。　　He　even　went　through　the　mechanical　process

of　raking　down　the　ashes；solely　to　gain　time　and　as　an　excuse　for

delaying　some　other　necessary　action。



He　was　thinking　what　he　should　do。　　Had　the　question　of　his　right

to　retain　and　make　use　of　that　paper　been　squarely　offered　to　him

an　hour　ago；　he　would　without　doubt　have　decided　that　he　ought　not

to　keep　it。　　Even　now；　looking　at　it　as　an　abstract　principle；　he

did　not　deceive　himself　in　the　least。　　But　Nature　has　the

reprehensible　habit　of　not　presenting　these　questions　to　us

squarely　and　fairly；　and　it　is　remarkable　that　in　most　of　our

offending　the　abstract　principle　is　never　the　direct　issue。　　Mr。

Harkutt　was　conscious　of　having　been　unwillingly　led　step　by　step

into　a　difficult；　not　to　say　dishonest；　situation；　and　against　his

own　seeking。　　He　had　never　asked　Elijah　to　sell　him　the　property；

he　had　distinctly　declined　it；　it　had　even　been　forced　upon　him　as

security　for　the　pittance　he　so　freely　gave　him。　　This　proved　（to

himself）　that　he　himself　was　honest；　it　was　only　the　circumstances

that　were　queer。　　Of　course　if　Elijah　had　lived；　he；　Harkutt；　might

have　tried　to　drive　some　bargain　with　him　before　the　news　of　the

railroad　survey　came　outfor　THAT　was　only　business。　　But　now　that

Elijah　was　dead；　who　would　be　a　penny　the　worse　or　better　but

himself　if　he　chose　to　consider　the　whole　thing　as　a　lucky

speculation；　and　his　gift　of　five　dollars　as　the　price　he　paid　for

it？　　Nobody　could　think　that　he　had　calculated　upon　'Lige's

suicide；　any　more　than　that　the　property　would　become　valuable。　　In

fact　if　it　came　to　that；　if　'Lige　had　really　contemplated　killing

himself　as　a　hopeless　bankrupt　after　taking　Harkutt's　money　as　a

loan；　it　was　a　swindle　on　hisHarkutt'sgood…nature。　　He　worked

himself　into　a　rage；　which　he　felt　was　innately　virtuous；　at　this

tyranny　of　cold　principle　over　his　own　warm…hearted　instincts；　but

if　it　came　to　the　LAW；　he'd　stand　by　law　and　not　sentiment。　　He'd

just　let　themby　which　he　vaguely　meant　the　world；　Tasajara；　and

possibly　his　own　consciencesee　that　he　wasn't　a　sentimental　fool；

and　he'd　freeze　on　to　that　paper　and　that　property！



Only　he　ought　to　have　spoken　out　before。　　He　ought　to　have　told　the

surveyor　at　once　that　he　owned　the　land。　　He　ought　to　have　said：

〃Why；　that's　my　land。　　I　bought　it　of　that　drunken　'Lige　Curtis　for

a　song　and　out　of　charity。〃　　Yes；　that　was　the　only　real　trouble；

and　that　came　from　his　own　goodness；　his　own　extravagant　sense　of

justice　and　right；his　own　cursed　good…nature。　　Yet；　on　second

thoughts；　he　didn't　know　why　he　was　obliged　to　tell　the　surveyor。

Time　enough　when　the　company　wanted　to　buy　the　land。　　As　soon　as　it

was　settled　that　'Lige　was　dead　he'd　openly　claim　the　property。

But　what　if　he　wasn't　dead？　or　they　couldn't　find　his　body？　or　he

had　only　disappeared？　　His　plain；　matter…of…fact　face　contracted

and　darkened。　　Of　course　he　couldn't　ask　the　company　to　wait　for

him　to　settle　that　point。　　He　had　the　power　to　dispose　of　the

property　under　that　paper；　andhe　should　do　it。　　If　'Lige　turned

up；　that　was　another　matter；　and　he　and　'Lige　could　arrange　it

between　them。　　He　was　quite　firm