the red one(红色的那人)-第10部分
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goose hung high and everything was going hunky…dory； and I was piling
up my wages to come north to Nebraska and marry Sarah； when I run on
to Vahna … 〃
〃The hussy！〃 Sarah hissed。
〃Now； Sarah；〃 her towering giant of a husband begged； 〃I just got to
mention her or I can't tell about the nugget。 … It was one night when I was
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taking a locomotive … no train … down to Amato； about thirty miles from
Quito。 Seth Manners was my fireman。 I was breaking him in to
engineer for himself； and I was letting him run the locomotive while I sat
up in his seat meditating about Sarah here。 I'd just got a letter from her；
begging as usual for me to come home and hinting as usual about the
dangers of an unmarried man like me running around loose in a country
full of senoritas and fandangos。 Lord！ If she could only a…seen them。
Positive frights； that's what they are； their faces painted white as corpses
and their lips red as … as some of the train wrecks I've helped clean up。
〃It was a lovely April night； not a breath of wind； and a tremendous
big moon shining right over the top of Chimborazo。 … Some mountain that。
The railroad skirted it twelve thousand feet above sea level； and the top of
it ten thousand feet higher than that。
〃Mebbe I was drowsing； with Seth running the engine； but he slammed
on the brakes so sudden hard that I darn near went through the cab
window。
〃'What the … ' I started to yell； and 'Holy hell；' Seth says； as both of us
looked at what was on the track。 And I agreed with Seth entirely in his
remark。 It was an Indian girl … and take it from me； Indians ain't
Spiggoties by any manner of means。 Seth had managed to fetch a stop
within twenty feet of her； and us bowling down hill at that！ But the girl。
She … 〃
I saw the form of Mrs。 Julian Jones stiffen； although she kept her gaze
fixed balefully upon two mud…hens that were prowling along the lagoon
shallows below us。 〃The hussy！〃 she hissed； once and implacably。
Jones had stopped at the sound； but went on immediately。
〃She was a tall girl； slim and slender； you know the kind； with black
hair； remarkably long hanging； down loose behind her； as she stood there
no more afraid than nothing； her arms spread out to stop the engine。 She
was wearing a slimpsy sort of garment wrapped around her that wasn't
cloth but ocelot skins； soft and dappled； and silky。 It was all she had on …
〃
〃The hussy！〃 breathed Mrs。 Jones。
But Mr。 Jones went on； making believe that he was unaware of the
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interruption。
〃'Hell of a way to stop a locomotive；' I complained at Seth； as I
climbed down on to the right of way。 I walked past our engine and up to
the girl； and what do you think？ Her eyes were shut tight。 She was
trembling that violent that you would see it by the moonlight。 And she
was barefoot； too。
〃'What's the row？' I said； none too gentle。 She gave a start； seemed to
come out of her trance； and opened her eyes。 Say！ They were big and
black and beautiful。 Believe me； she was some looker … 〃
〃The hussy！〃 At which hiss the two mud…hens veered away a few
feet。 But Jones was getting himself in hand； and didn't even blink。
〃'What are you stopping this locomotive for？' I demanded in Spanish。
Nary an answer。 She stared at me； then at the snorting engine and then
burst into tears； which you'll admit is uncommon behaviour for an Indian
woman。
〃'If you try to get rides that way；' I slung at her in Spiggoty Spanish
（which they tell me is some different from regular Spanish）； 'you'll be
taking one smeared all over our cowcatcher and headlight； and it'll be up
to my fireman to scrape you off。'
〃My Spiggoty Spanish wasn't much to brag on； but I could see she
understood； though she only shook her head and wouldn't speak。 But
great Moses； she was some looker … 〃
I glanced apprehensively at Mrs。 Jones； who must have caught me out
of the tail of her eye； for she muttered： 〃If she hadn't been do you think
he'd a…taken her into his house to live？〃
〃Now hold on； Sarah；〃 he protested。 〃That ain't fair。 Besides； I'm
telling this。 … Next thing； Seth yells at me； 'Goin' to stay here all night？'
〃'Come on；' I said to the girl； 'and climb on board。 But next time you
want a ride don't flag a locomotive between stations。' She followed along；
but when I got to the step and turned to give her a lift…up； she wasn't there。
I went forward again。 Not a sign of her。 Above and below was sheer
cliff； and the track stretched ahead a hundred yards clear and empty。 And
then I spotted her； crouched down right against the cowcatcher； that close
I'd almost stepped on her。 If we'd started up； we'd have run over her in a
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second。 It was all so nonsensical； I never could make out her actions。
Maybe she was trying to suicide。 I grabbed her by the wrist and jerked
her none too gentle to her feet。 And she came along all right。 Women
do know when a man means business。〃
I glanced from this Goliath to his little； bird…eyed spouse； and
wondered if he had ever tried to mean business with her。
〃Seth kicked at first； but I boosted her into the cab and made her sit up
beside me … 〃
〃And I suppose Seth was busy running the engine；〃 Mrs。 Jones
observed。
〃I was breaking him in； wasn't I？〃 Mr。 Jones protested。 〃So we
made the run into Amato。 She'd never opened her mouth once； and no
sooner'd the engine stopped than she'd jumped to the ground and was gone。
Just like that。 Not a thank you kindly。 Nothing。
〃But next morning when we came to pull out for Quito with a dozen
flat cars loaded with rails； there she was in the cab waiting for us； and in
the daylight I could see how much better a looker she was than the night
before。
〃'Huh！ she's adopted you；' Seth grins。 And it looked like it。 She just
stood there and looked at me … at us … like a loving hound dog that you
love； that you've caught with a string of sausages inside of him； and that
just knows you ain't going to lift a hand to him。 'Go chase yourself！' I told
her PRONTO。〃 （Mrs。 Jones her proximity noticeable with a wince at the
Spanish word。） 〃You see； Sarah； I'd no use for her； even at the start。〃
Mrs。 Jones stiffened。 Her lips moved soundlessly； but I knew to what
syllables。
〃And what made it hardest was Seth jeering at me。 'You can't shake
her that way；' he said。 'You saved her life … ' 'I didn't；' I said sharply； 'it
was you。' 'But she thinks you did； which is the same thing；' he came back
at me。 'And now she belongs to you。 Custom of the country； as you
ought to know。'〃
〃Heathenish；〃 said Mrs。 Jones； and though her steady gaze was set
upon the Tower of Jewels I knew she was making no reference to its
architecture。
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〃'She's come to do light housekeeping for you；' Seth grinned。 I let
him rave； though afterwards I kept him throwing in the coal too fast to
work his mouth very much。 Why； say； when I got to the spot where I
picked her up； and stopped the train for her to get off； she just flopped
down on her knees； got a hammerlock with her arms around my knees；
and cried all over my shoes。 What was I to do？〃
With no perceptible movement that I was aware of； Mrs。 Jones
advertised her certitude of knowledge of what SHE would have done。
〃And the moment we pulled into Quito； she did what she'd done before
… vanished。 Sarah never believes me when I say how relieved I felt to be
quit of her。 But it was not to be。 I got to my 'dobe house and managed
a cracking fine dinner my cook had ready for me。 She was mostly
Spiggoty and half Indian； and her name was Paloma。 … Now； Sarah； haven't
I told you she was older'n a grandmother； and looked more like a buzzard
than a dove？ Why； I couldn't bear to eat with her around where I could
look at her。 But she did make things comfortable； and she was some
economical when it came to marketing。
〃That afternoon； after a big long siesta； what'd I find in the kitchen；
just as much at home as if she belonged there； but that blamed Indian girl。
And old Paloma was squatting at the girl's feet and rubbing the girl's knees
and legs like for rheumatism； which I knew the girl didn't have from the
way I'd sized
