the oakdale affair-第12部分
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If the boy had hurled a dynamite bomb at him the result could have been no more surprising。 The lank； sallow man went up into the air； figuratively。 He went up a mile or more； and on the way down he reached his hand inside the kitchen door and brought it forth en… veloping the barrel of a shot gun。
〃Durn ye！〃 he cried。 〃I'll lam ye！ Get offen here。 I knows ye。 Yer one o' that gang o' bums that come here last night； an' now you got the gall to come back beggin' for food； eh？ I'll lam ye！〃 and he raised the gun to his shoulder。
The Oskaloosa Kid quailed but he held his ground。 〃I wasn't here last night；〃 he cried； 〃and I'm not begging for foodI want to buy some。 I've got plenty of money；〃 in proof of which assertion he dug into a side pocket and brought forth a large roll of bills。 The man lowered his gun。
〃Wy didn't ye say so in the first place then？〃 he growled。 〃How'd I know you wanted to buy it； eh？ Where'd ye come from anyhow； this early in the morn… in'？ What's yer name； eh？ What's yer business； that's what Jeb Case'd like to know； eh？〃 He snapped his words out with the rapidity of a machine gun； nor waited for a reply to one query before launching the next。 〃What do ye want to buy； eh？ How much money ye got？ Looks suspicious。 That's a sight o' money yew got there； eh？ Where'dje get it？〃
〃It's mine；〃 said The Oskaloosa Kid； 〃and I want to buy some eggs and milk and ham and bacon and flour and onions and sugar and cream and strawberries and tea and coffee and a frying pan and a little oil stove； if you have one to spare； and〃
Jeb Case's jaw dropped and his eyes widened。 〃You're in the wrong pasture； bub；〃 he remarked feelingly。 〃What yer lookin' fer is Sears； Roebuck & Company。〃
The Oskaloosa Kid flushed up to the tips of his ears。 〃But can't you sell me something？〃 he begged。
〃I might let ye have some milk an' eggs an' butter an' a leetle bacon an' mebby my ol' woman's got a loaf left from her last bakin'； but we ain't been figgerin' on sup… plyin' grub fer the United States army ef that's what yew be buyin' fer。〃
A frowsy； rat…faced woman and a gawky youth of four… teen stuck their heads out the doorway at either side of the man。 〃I ain't got nothin' to sell；〃 snapped the woman； but as she spoke her eyes fell upon the fat bank roll in the youth's hand。 〃Or； leastwise；〃 she amended； 〃I ain't got much more'n we need an' the price o' stuff's gone up so lately that I'll hev to ask ye more'n I would of last fall。 'Bout what did ye figger on wantin'？〃
〃Anything you can spare；〃 said the youth。 〃There are three of us and we're awful hungry。〃
〃Where yew stoppin'？〃 asked the woman。
〃We're at the old Squibbs' place；〃 replied The Kid。 〃We got caught by the storm last night and had to put up there。〃
〃The Squibbs' place！〃 ejaculated the woman。 〃Yew didn't stop there over night？〃
〃Yes we did；〃 replied the youth。
〃See anything funny？〃 asked Mrs。 Case。
〃We didn't SEE anything；〃 replied The Oskaloosa Kid； 〃but we heard things。 At least we didn't see what we heard； but we saw a dead man on the floor when we went in and this morning he was gone。〃
The Cases shuddered。 〃A dead man！〃 ejaculated Jeb Case。 〃Yew seen him？〃
The Kid nodded。
〃I never tuk much stock in them stories；〃 said Jeb； with a shake of his head； 〃but ef you SEEN it！ Gosh！ Thet beats me。 Come on M'randy； les see what we got to spare；〃 and he turned into the kitchen with his wife。
The lanky boy stepped； out and planting himself in front of The Oskaloosa Kid proceeded to stare at him。 〃Yew seen it？〃 be asked in awestruck tone。
〃Yes；〃 said the Kid in a low voice； and bending close toward the other； 〃it had bloody froth on its lips！〃
The Case boy shrank back。 〃An' what did yew hear？〃 he asked； a glutton for thrills。
〃Something that dragged a chain behind it and came up out of the cellar and tried to get in our room on the second floor；〃 explained the youth。 〃It almost got us； too；〃 he added； 〃and it did it all night。〃
〃Whew；〃 whistled the Case boy。 〃Gosh！〃 Then he scratched his head and looked admiringly at the youth。 〃What mought yer name be？〃 he asked。
〃I'm The Oskaloosa Kid；〃 replied the youth； unable to resist the admiration of the other's fond gaze。 〃Look here！〃 and he fished a handful of jewelry from one of his side pockets； 〃this is some of the swag I stole last night when I robbed a house。〃
Case Jr。； opened his mouth and eyes so wide that there was little left of his face。 〃But that's nothing；〃 bragged The Kid。 〃I shot a man； too。〃
〃Last night？〃 whispered the boy。
〃Yep；〃 replied the bad man； tersely。
〃Gosh！〃 said the young Mr。 Case； but there was that in his facial expression which brought to The Oskaloosa Kid a sudden regret that he had thus rashly confided in a stranger。
〃Say；〃 said The Kid； after a moment's strained silence。 〃Don't tell anyone； will you？ If you'll promise I'll give you a dollar；〃 and he hunted through his roll of bills for one of that lowly denomination。
〃All right；〃 agreed the Case boy。 〃I won't say a word where's the dollar？〃
The youth drew a bill from his roll and handed it to the other。 〃If you tell；〃 he whispered； and he bent close toward the other's ear and spoke in a menacing tone； 〃If you tell； I'll kill you！〃
〃Gosh！〃 said Willie Case。
At this moment Case pere and mere emerged from the kitchen loaded with provender。 〃Here's enough an' more'n enough； I reckon；〃 said Jeb Case。 〃We got eggs； butter； bread； bacon； milk； an' a mite o' garden sass。〃
〃But we ain't goin' to charge you nothin' fer the gar… den sass；〃 interjected Mrs。 Case。
〃That's awfully nice of you；〃 replied The Kid。 〃How much do I owe you for the rest of it？〃
〃Oh；〃 said Jeb Case； rubbing his chin； eyeing the big roll of bills and wondering just the limit he might raise to； 〃I reckon 'bout four dollars an' six bits。〃
The Oskaloosa Kid peeled a five dollar bill from his roll and proffered it to the farmer。 〃I'm ever so much obliged；〃 he said； 〃and you needn't mind about any change。 I thank you so much。〃 With which he took the several packages and pails and turned toward the road。
〃Yew gotta return them pails！〃 shouted Mrs。 Case af… ter him。
〃Oh； of course；〃 replied The Kid。
〃Gosh！〃 exclaimed Mr。 Case； feelingly。 〃I wisht I'd asked six bits moreI mought jest as well o' got it as not。 Gosh； eh？〃
〃Gosh！〃 murmured Willie Case； fervently。
Back down the sticky road plodded The Oskaloosa Kid； his arms heavy and his heart light； for； was he not 'bringing home the bacon；' literally as well as figuratively。 As he entered the Squibbs' gateway he saw the girl and Bridge standing upon the verandah waiting his coming； and as he approached them and they caught a nearer view of his great burden of provisions they hailed him with loud acclaim。
〃Some artist！〃 cried the man。 〃And to think that I doubted your ability to make a successful touch！ For… give me！ You are the ne plus ultra； non est cumquidibus； in hoc signo vinces； only and original kind of hand…out compellers。〃
〃How in the world did you do it？〃 asked the girl； rapturously。
〃Oh； it's easy when you know how；〃 replied The Oska… loosa Kid carelessly； as； with the help of the others； he carried the fruits of his expedition into the kitchen。 Here Bridge busied himself about the stove； adding more wood to the fire and scrubbing a portion of the top plate as clean as he could get it with such crude means as he could discover about the place。
The youth he sent to the nearby brook for water after selecting the least dirty of the several empty tin cans lying about the floor of the summer kitchen。 He warned against the use of the water from the old well and while the boy was away cut a generous portion of the bacon into long； thin strips。
Shortly after； the water coming to the boil； Bridge lowered three eggs into it； glanced at his watch； greased one of the new cleaned stove lids with a piece of bacon rind and laid out as many strips of bacon as the lid would accommodate。 Instantly the room was filled with the delicious odor of frying bacon。
〃M…m…m…m！〃 gloated The Oskaloosa Kid。 〃I wish I had boasked for more。 My！ but I never smelled any… thing so good as that in all my life。 Are you going to boil only three eggs？ I could eat a dozen。〃
〃The can'll only hold three at a time；〃 explained Bridge。 〃We'll have some more boiling while we are eating these。〃 He borrowed his knife from the girl； who was slicing and buttering bread with it； and turned the bacon swiftly and deftly with the point； then he glanced at his watch。 〃The three minutes are up；〃 he announced and； with a couple of small； flat sticks saved for the pur… pose from the kindling wood； withdrew the eggs one at a time from the can。
〃But we have no cups！' exclaimed The Oskaloosa Kid； in sudden despair。
Bridge laughed。 〃Knock an end off your egg and the shell will answer in place of a cup。 Got a knife？〃
The Kid didn't。 Bridge eyed him quizzically。 〃You must have done most of your burgling near home；〃 he commented。
〃I'm not a burglar！〃 cried the youth indignantly。 Some… how it was very different when this nice voiced man called him a burglar from bragging of the fact himself to such as The Sky Pilot's villainous company； or the awestruck； open…mouthed Willie Case whose very ex… pression invited heroics。
Bridge made no reply； but his eyes wandered to the right hand side pocket of the boy's coat。 Instantly the latter glanced guiltily downward to flush redly at the sight of several inches of pearl necklace protruding ac… cusingly therefrom。 The girl； a silent witness of the oc… currence； was brought suddenly and painfully to a realization of her present position and recollection of the happenings of the preceding night。 For the time she had forgotten that she was alone in the company of a tramp and a burglarhow much worse either might be she could only guess。
The breakfast； commenced so auspiciously； continued in gloomy silence。 At least the girl and The Oskaloosa Kid were silent and gloom steeped。 Bridge was thought… ful but far from morose。 His spirits were unquenchable。
〃I am afraid；〃 he said； 〃that I shall have to replace James。 His defection is unforgivable； and he has mis… pla
