登陆注册
37855000000006

第6章 II(3)

Several times again before their parting did he thus look at his favorite. They paused at Harper's for a day to attend to some matters, and when Drake was leaving this place one of the men said to him: "We'll stand by you." But from his blithe appearance and talk as the slim boy journeyed to the Malheur River and Headquarter ranch, nothing seemed to be on his mind. Oregon twinkled with sun and fine white snow. They crossed through a world of pines and creviced streams and exhilarating silence. The little waters fell tinkling through icicles in the loneliness of the woods, and snowshoe rabbits dived into the brush. East Oregon, the Owyhee and the Malheur country, the old trails of General Crook, the willows by the streams, the open swales, the high woods where once Buffalo Horn and Chief E-egante and O-its the medicine-man prospered, through this domain of war and memories went Bolles the school-master with Dean Drake and Brock. The third noon from Harper's they came leisurely down to the old Malheur Agency, where once the hostile Indians had drawn pictures on the door, and where Castle Rock frowned down unchanged.

"I wish I was going to stay here with you," said Brock to Drake. "By Indian Creek you can send word to me quicker than we've come.""Why, you're an old bat!" said the boy to his foreman, and clapped him farewell on the shoulder.

Brock drove away, thoughtful. He was not a large man. His face was clean-cut, almost delicate. He had a well-trimmed, yellow mustache, and it was chiefly in his blue eye and lean cheek-bone that the frontiersman showed. He loved Dean Drake more than he would ever tell, even to himself.

The young superintendent set at work to ranch-work this afternoon of Brock's leaving, and the buccaroos made his acquaintance one by one and stared at him. Villany did not sit outwardly upon their faces; they were not villains; but they stared at the boy sent to control them, and they spoke together, laughing. Drake took the head of the table at supper, with Bolles on his right. Down the table some silence, some staring, much laughing went on--the rich brute laugh of the belly untroubled by the brain. Sam, the Chinaman, rapid and noiseless, served the dishes.

"What is it?" said a buccaroo.

"Can it bite?" said another.

"If you guess what it is, you can have it," said a third.

"It's meat," remarked Drake, incisively, helping himself; "and tougher than it looks."The brute laugh rose from the crowd and fell into surprised silence; but no rejoinder came, and they ate their supper somewhat thoughtfully. The Chinaman's quick, soft eye had glanced at Dean Drake when they laughed.

He served his dinner solicitously. In his kitchen that evening he and Bolles unpacked the good things--the olives, the dried fruits, the cigars--brought by the new superintendent for Christmas; and finding Bolles harmless, like his gentle Asiatic self, Sam looked cautiously about and spoke:

"You not know why they laugh," said he. "They not talk about my meat then. They mean new boss, Misser Dlake. He velly young boss.""I think," said Bolles, "Mr. Drake understood their meaning, Sam. I have noticed that at times he expresses himself peculiarly. I also think they understood his meaning."The Oriental pondered. "Me like Misser Dlake," said he. And drawing quite close, he observed, "They not nice man velly much."Next day and every day "Misser Dlake" went gayly about his business, at his desk or on his horse, vigilant, near and far, with no sign save a steadier keenness in his eye. For the Christmas dinner he provided still further sending to the Grande Ronde country for turkeys and other things.

He won the heart of Bolles by lending him a good horse; but the buccaroos, though they were boisterous over the coming Christmas joy, did not seem especially grateful. Drake, however, kept his worries to himself.

"This thing happens anywhere," he said one night in the office to Bolles, puffing a cigar. "I've seen a troop of cavalry demoralize itself by a sort of contagion from two or three men.""I think it was wicked to send you here by yourself," blurted Bolles.

"Poppycock! It's the chance of my life, and I'll jam her through or bust.""I think they have decided you are getting turkeys because you are afraid of them," said Bolles.

"Why, of course! But d' you figure I'm the man to abandon my Christmas turkey because my motives for eating it are misconstrued?"Dean Drake smoked for a while; then a knock came at the door. Five buccaroos entered and stood close, as is the way with the guilty who feel uncertain.

"We were thinking as maybe you'd let us go over to town," said Half-past Full, the spokesman.

"When?"

"Oh, any day along this week."

"Can't spare you till after Christmas."

"Maybe you'll not object to one of us goin'?""You'll each have your turn after this week."A slight pause followed. Then Half-past Full said: "What would you do if I went, anyway?""Can't imagine," Drake answered, easily. "Go, and I'll be in a position to inform you."The buccaroo dropped his stolid bull eyes, but raised them again and grinned. "Well, I'm not particular about goin' this week, boss.""That's not my name," said Drake, "but it's what I am."They stood a moment. Then they shuffled out. It was an orderly retreat--almost.

Drake winked over to Bolles. "That was a graze," said he, and smoked for a while. "They'll not go this time. Question is, will they go next?"

同类推荐
热门推荐
  • 侯门重生贵女

    侯门重生贵女

    她是侯门之女身份尊贵,却偏偏瞎了眼,看上了一个穷书生,落的凄惨结局,十年一梦,重生而来,终于活出了自己的风采。
  • 天行

    天行

    号称“北辰骑神”的天才玩家以自创的“牧马冲锋流”战术击败了国服第一弓手北冥雪,被誉为天纵战榜第一骑士的他,却受到小人排挤,最终离开了效力已久的银狐俱乐部。是沉沦,还是再次崛起?恰逢其时,月恒集团第四款游戏“天行”正式上线,虚拟世界再起风云!
  • 霸道男神别惹我

    霸道男神别惹我

    他和她相识六年,她却在三年后突然消失不见。。
  • 你我曾听过的歌谣

    你我曾听过的歌谣

    在青春里,我们曾经历过得事,看似平淡无奇,却让长大后的我们啧啧称奇;你以为只你一个人才这样?其实我们都经历过!
  • 遇见便是最美丽

    遇见便是最美丽

    遇见你的时候,我就遇到了最美丽的自己。而不管过程怎样悲欢离合,怎样欢欣鼓舞,我们终究都会分离,不论伦常,不论人为,不论生老病死。所以只要遇见了你,无论结果是喜是悲,就已经是此生最美的幸运。罗拉说:我不在乎结果,我只要过程。淼淼说:多久都没关系,只要能快乐。安妮说:你是最珍贵的财富,遇见已是一生。芷笙说:能在一起是最好,不能在一起,也感谢这一场相遇。葛溪说:我从没渴望会遇见你,可是遇见你之后,我没羡慕任何人。
  • 接力骑士

    接力骑士

    短小的轻奇幻小说,文字不多,随便发发,想看的话就点进来吧。
  • 轮回从起初开始

    轮回从起初开始

    一个悲哀的穿越者?不!他是一个奇思幻想的神,在他的穿越下,这个怎被当作诸神游乐场的世界将变得怎样,让我拭目以待。
  • 主角光环的清晨

    主角光环的清晨

    被生活暴击,事事不如意的你,是否经常会幻想自己也能拥有像影视剧中人物般具有主角光环的人生。每个清晨你将会拥有一个崭新的人生。
  • 医神小农民

    医神小农民

    偶得神医传承,从此无往不利,纵意人生。
  • 我的娇妻是校花

    我的娇妻是校花

    周伟曾经是一名让所有国家军人闻名丧胆的兵王,他是医学界里天才医生,他性格嚣张狂妄,他痞气十足,各种美女为他痴狂。在这繁华的都市校园中,周伟上演了一场激情四射的热血人生....