登陆注册
37272900000018

第18章

"Seems like I've heard your name before," he murmured."I dunno where.Were you ever around Alder, Barry?""No." His manner suggested that the topic might as well be closed.He reached over and dropped his hand lightly on the forehead of Vic.Atingling current flowed from it into the brain of the wounded man."Your blood's still a bit hot," he added."Lie quiet and don't even think.You're safe here.They ain't a thing goin' to get at you.Not a thing.You'll stay till you get ready to leave.S'long.I'll see that you get something to eat."He went out with that unusual, padding step which Vic had noticed before and closed the door softly behind him.In spite of that barrier Gregg could hear the noises from the next room quite clearly, as some one brought in wood and dropped it on a stone hearth, rattling.He fell into a pleasant doze, just stretching his body now and then to enjoy the coolness of the sheets, the delicious sense of being cared for and the returning strength in his muscles.Through that haze he heard voices, presently, which called him back to wakefulness.

"That ought to be good for him.Take it in, Kate.""I shall.Dan, what has Joan done?"

"She went in there.I told her to leave him alone.""But she says he asked her to come in--said he would take the blame.""I told her not to go."

"Poor baby! She's outside, now, weeping her eyes out on Bart's shoulder and he's trying to comfort her."It was purer English than Vic was accustomed to hear even from his schoolmistress, but more than the words, the voice surprised him, the low, controlled voice of a woman of gentle blood.He turned his head and looked out the window, baffled.Far above, shooting out of sight, went the slope of a mountain, a cliff shining in the slant sun of the afternoon here, a tumbled slide of rocks and debris there, and over the shoulder of this mountain he saw white-headed monsters stepping back in range beyond range.

Why should a girl of refinement choose the isolation of such a place as this for her home? It was not the only strange thing about this household, however, and he would dismiss conjectures until he was once more on his feet.

She was saying: "Won't you speak to her now?"A little pause.Then: "No, not until evenin'.""Please, Dan."

"She's got to learn."

A little exclamation of unhappiness and then the door moved open; Vic found himself looking up to the face with the golden hair which he remembered out of his nightmare.She nodded to him cheerily.

"I'm so happy that you're better," she said."Dan says that the fever is nearly gone." She rested a large tray she carried on the foot of the bed and Vic discovered, to his great content, that it was not hard to meet her eyes.Usually girls embarrassed him, but he recognized so much of Joan in the features of the mother that he felt well acquainted at once.

Motherhood, surely, sat as lightly on her shoulders as fatherhood did on Dan Barry, yet he felt a great pity as he looked at her, this flowerlike beauty lost in the rocks and snow with only one man near her.She was like music played without an audience except senseless things.

"Yep, I'm a lot better," he answered, "but it sure makes me terrible sorry, ma'am, that I got your little girl in trouble.Mostly, it was my fault."She waved away all need of apology.

"Don't think an instant about that, Mr.Gregg.Joan needs a great deal of disciplining." She laughed a little."She has so much of her father in her, you see.Now, are you strong enough to lift yourself higher in the pillows?"They managed it between them, for he was weaker than he thought and when he was padded into position with cushions she laid the tray across his knees.

His head swam at sight of it.Forty-eight hours of fasting had sharpened his appetite, and the loaded tray whetted a razor edge, for a great bowl of broth steamed forth an exquisite fragrance on one side and beside it she lifted a napkin to let him peek at a slice of venison steak.Then there was butter, yellow as the gold for which he had been digging all winter, and real cream for his coffee--a whole pitcher of it--and snowy bread.Best of all, she did not stay to embarrass him with her watching while he ate, since above all things in the world a hungry man hates observation when the board is spread.

Afterwards, consuming sleep rippled over him from his feet to his eyes to his brain.He partially roused when the tray was removed, and the pillows slipped from under his back, but with a vague understanding that expert hands were setting the bed in order his senses fled once more.

Hours and hours later he opened his eyes in utter darkness with a thin, sweet voice still ringing in his ears.He could not place himself until he turned his head and saw a meager, broken, rectangular line of light which was the door, and immediately afterwards the voice cried: "Oh, Daddy Dan!

And what did the wolf do then?"

"I'm comin' to that, Joan, but don't you talk about wolves so loud or old Black Bart'll think you're talkin' about him.See him lookin' at you now?""But please go on.I won't say one little word."The man's voice began again, softly, so that not a word was audible to Gregg; he heard the crackle of burning logs upon the hearth; saw the rectangle of light flicker; caught a faint scent of wood smoke, and then he slept once more.

同类推荐
热门推荐
  • 卓越领导

    卓越领导

    许多人都懂得怎样当一位经理人,他们知道体察上意,照顾下属,并建立起默契的工作团队。他们是组织里优秀的经理人。然而,只是优秀已经足够了吗?难道没有再进一步的成长空间?事实上,只要能向更高一层的领导力效能推进,就可以为自身与组织带来数倍的增长与收获。
  • 九绝公子

    九绝公子

    混沌神石历经九十九个纪元。孕育出恒古唯一的混沌神体。掌握九种本命之器。人称“九绝公子”。他英俊潇洒,风度翩翩,却有泼皮无赖。他酒色财气,样样不拉,却不仗势欺人。他琴棋书画,样样精通,却只用来战斗。他叫:易枫性别:男爱好:女他是一个正大光明的大猪蹄子!!!
  • 修真葫芦

    修真葫芦

    古有莲花化身的哪吒,今有奭瓠化身的胡远飞!奭瓠为何物?“盘”与“奭瓠”之“奭”古通用,“古”与“瓠”音近,“奭瓠”即为“盘古”,而“奭瓠”则就是葫芦!上古神话中,盘古开天辟地,而今又是一个葫芦,再次踏上一段震撼天地的旅程……
  • 艾泽拉西地城领主

    艾泽拉西地城领主

    【艾泽拉西】是一款达到一亿人同时在线的世界级网游,也是三百年冷饭山口山的终极形态。在这个无限接近真实的游戏里,有着一个以攻略剧情为主的攻略组。攻略组成员之一,素有先知之称的郑晨,被来起点的神秘力量穿越进游戏中。本以为会像曾经一样做个高(zhuang)端(bi)玩家,却因阵营的转变成为一名地下城领主。“提问,如何一命通关至高天堂,在线等。”发展地下城,做一名地城领主?掌控玩家,使出脚男海战术?做一名韭菜学家?
  • 随身空间之异世逍遥

    随身空间之异世逍遥

    她是一个二十一世纪懒女人,一朝穿越,成了古代小可怜,不过上天还是眷顾她的,带水果带药带别墅穿越?这月舞大陆舍我其谁?美男?虽然是非卖品,一样照带不误,一个两三个……啥,你们也要跟着我穿越?情节虚构,请勿模仿!
  • 火影之春野樱

    火影之春野樱

    据说查克拉是精神与肉体的结合物,如果没有一根筋的性格和擅长算计的头脑拿什么去合成查克拉?如果没有逆天的先祖和大筒木的基因拿什么去生产查克拉?所以说,作为凡人的你如此过度的提取查克拉,你想死一次吗?意外穿越为小樱,展开了邪道的忍者旅途。
  • 想和你来一场暗恋

    想和你来一场暗恋

    她,是普普通通的室内设计师。他,是闪闪发光的大明星,一次意外让天差地别的两人有了交汇点
  • 战士群中钻出来的弓箭手

    战士群中钻出来的弓箭手

    重生,努力,拼搏,奋斗。不存在的~毕竟陈淼只是个会打游戏的宅男……
  • 六天魔途

    六天魔途

    六天指欲界之顶,天魔所居的第六天。魔途指流落人间的天魔之魂,凡人之身的漫漫长途。魔天笼罩下的东胜神洲,就是我所理解的芸芸众生的世界。
  • 当男神开了挂

    当男神开了挂

    新书《有我在公司绝不会倒闭》已经上传,新号开的。程小风穿越到了美利坚洛杉矶,从开餐厅开始,横扫好莱坞。艾玛,《泰坦尼克号》你来当女主。漫威我可以投资,但是钢铁侠必须我来演。权力的游戏?这烂尾的剧本不对,我来改改!“程先生,请问您作为全美第一男神,有什么感想?”“感想?没什么感想,就是腰有点酸,背有点疼。对了,由我最新主演的《复仇者联盟大战变形金刚》就要上映了,请大家一定要多多支持。”在场嘉宾只觉得一阵头皮发麻,程小风,这可是奥斯卡颁奖典礼,这你都好意思打广告?注:平行时空的美娱文,明星娱乐文。