osc.am2.redprophet-第6部分

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d　that　Hooch　could　feel　his　chair　shake。　〃Don't　get　high　and　mighty　with　me；　you　hypocrite！　You　want　them　all　dead；　just　like　I　do！　There's　no　difference　between　us。〃
　　Jackson　stopped　at　the　door　and　eyed　the　governor　with　disgust。　〃The　assassin；　Mr。　Harrison；　the　poisoner；　he　can't　see　the　difference　between　himself　and　a　soldier。　But　the　soldier　can。〃
　　Unlike　Ta…Kumsaw；　Jackson　was　not　above　slamming　the　door。
　　Harrison　sank　back　down　onto　his　chair。　〃Hooch；　I've　got　to　say；　I　don't　much　like　that　fellow。〃
　　〃Never　mind；〃　said　Hooch。　〃He's　with　you。〃
　　Harrison　smiled　slowly。　〃I　know。　When　it　cornes　to　war；　we'll　all　be　together。　Except　for　maybe　that　Redkisser　up　in　Vigor　Church。〃
　　〃Even　him；〃　said　Hooch。　〃Once　a　war　starts；　the　Reds　won't　be　able　to　tell　one　White　man　from　another。　Then　his　people　will　start　dying　just　like　ours。　Then　Armor…of…God　Weaver　will　fight。〃
　　〃Yeah；　well；　if　Jackson　and　Weaver　would　likker　up　their　Reds　the　way　we're　doing　ours；　there　wouldn't　have　to　be　a　war。〃
　　Hooch　aimed　a　mouthful　at　the　spittoon　and　didn't　miss　by　much。　〃That　Red；　that　Ta…Kumsaw。〃
　　〃What　about　him？〃　asked　Harrison。
　　〃He　worries　me。〃
　　〃Not　me；〃　said　Harrison。　〃I've　got　his　brother　here　passed　out　on　my　floor。　Ta…Kumsaw　won't　do　nothing。〃
　　〃When　he　pointed　at　me；　I　felt　his　finger　touch　me　from　across　the　room。　I　think　he's　maybe　got　a　e…hither。　Or　a　far…touch。　I　think　he's　dangerous。〃
　　〃You　don't　believe　in　all　that　hexery；　do　you；　Hooch？　You're　such　an　educated　man；　I　thought　you　were　above　that　kind　of　superstition。〃
　　〃I'm　not　and　neither　are　you；　Bill　Harrison。　You　had　a　doodlebug　tell　you　where　firm　ground　was　so　you　could　build　this　stockade；　and　when　your　first　wife　had　her　babies；　you　had　a　torch　in　to　see　how　the　baby　was　laying　in　the　womb。〃
　　〃I　warn　you；〃　said　Harrison；　〃to　make　no　more　ment　about　my　wife。〃
　　〃Which　one；　now；　Bill？　The　hot　or　the　cold？〃
　　Harrison　swore　a　good　long　string　of　oaths　at　that。　Oh；　Hooch　was　delighted；　Hooch　was　pleased。　He　had　such　knack　for　hotting　things　up；　yes　sir；　and　it　was　more　fun　hotting　up　a　man's　temper；　because　there　wasn't　no　flame　then；　just　a　lot　of　steam；　a　lot　of　hot　air。
　　Well；　Hooch　let　old　Bill　Harrison　jaw　on　for　a　while。　Then　he　smiled　and　raised　his　hands　like　he　was　surrendering。　〃Now；　you　know　I　didn't　mean　no　harm；　Bill。　I　just　didn't　know　as　how　you　got　so　prissy　these　days。　I　figured　we　both　know　where　babies　grow；　how　they　got　in　there；　and　how　they　e　out；　and　your　women　don't　do　it　any　different　than　mine。　And　when　she's　lying　there　screaming　you　know　you've　got　a　midwife　there　who　knows　how　to　cast　a　sleep　on　her；　or　do　a　pain…away；　and　when　the　baby's　slow　to　e　you've　got　a　torch　telling　where　it　lays。　And　so　you　listen　to　me；　Bill　Harrison。　That　Ta…Kumsaw；　he's　got　some　kind　of　knack　in　him；　some　kind　of　power。　He's　more　than　he　seems。〃
　　〃Is　he　now；　Hooch？　Well　maybe　he　is　and　maybe　he　ain't。　But　he　said　Lolla…Wossiky　would　see　with　his　other　eye　before　I　laid　a　hand　on　him；　and　it　won't　be　long　before　I　prove　that　he's　no　prophet。〃
　　〃Speaking　of　old　one…eye；　here；　he's　starting　to　fart　something　dreadful。〃
　　Harrison　called　for　his　aide。　〃Send　in　Corporal　Withers　and　four　soldiers；　at　once。〃
　　Hooch　admired　the　way　Harrison　kept　military　discipline。　It　wasn't　thirty　seconds　before　the　soldiers　were　there；　Corporal　Withers　saluting　and　saying；　〃Yes；　sir；　General　Harrison。〃
　　〃Have　three　of　your　men　carry　this　animal　out　to　the　stable　for　me。〃
　　Corporal　Withers　obeyed　instantly；　pausing　only　to　say；　〃Yes　sir；　General　Harrison。〃
　　General　Harrison。　Hooch　smiled。　He　knew　that　Harrison's　only　mission　was　as　a　colonel　under　General　Wayne　during　the　last　French　war；　and　he　didn't　amount　to　much　even　then。　General。　Governor。　What　a　pompous
　　But　Harrison　was　talking　to　Withers　again；　and　looking　at　Hooch　as　he　did　so。　〃And　now　you　and　Private　Dickey　will　kindly　arrest　Mr。　Palmer　here　and　lock　him　up。〃
　　〃Arrest　me！〃　shouted　Hooch。　〃What　are　you　talking　about！〃
　　〃He　carries　several　weapons；　so　you'll　have　to　search　him　thoroughly；〃　said　Harrison。　〃I　suggest　stripping　him　here　before　you　take　him　to　the　lock…up；　and　leave　him　stripped。　Don't　want　this　slippery　old　boy　to　get　away。〃
　　〃What　are　you　arresting　me　for！〃
　　〃Why；　we　have　a　warrant　for　your　arrest　for　unpaid　debts；〃　said　Harrison。　〃And　you've　also　been　accused　of　selling　whisky　to　Reds。　We'll　naturally　have　to　seize　an　your　assets　　those　suspicious…looking　kegs　my　boys've　been　hauling　into　the　stockade　all　day　　and　sell　them　to　make　good　the　debt。　If　we　can　sell　them　for　enough；　and　we　can　clear　you　of　those　ugly　charges　of　likkering　up　the　Reds；　why；　we'll　let　you　go。〃
　　Then　Harrison　walked　on　out　of　his　office。　Hooch　cussed　and　spit　and　made　remarks　about　Harrison's　wife　and　mother；　but　Private　Dickey　was　holding　real　tight　to　a　musket；　and　that　musket　had　a　bayonet　attached　to　the　business　end；　so　Hooch　submitted　to　the　stripping　and　the　search。　It　got　worse；　though；　and　he　cussed　again　when　Withers　marched　him　right　across　the　stockade；　stark　naked；　and　didn't　give　him　so　much　as　a　blanket　when　he　locked　him　into　a　storage　room。　A　storage　room　filled　with　empty　kegs　from　the　last　shipment　of　likker。
　　He　sat　in　that　lock…up　room　for　two　days　before　his　trial；　and　for　the　first　while　there　was　murder　in　his　heart。　He　had　a　lot　of　ideas　for　revenge；　you　can　bet。　He　thought　of　setting　fire　to　the　lace　curtains　in　Harrison's　house；　or　burning　the　shed　where　the　whisky　was　kept；　starting　all　kinds　of　fire。　Cause　what　good　is　it　to　be　a　spark　if　you　can't　use　it　to　get　even　with　folks　who　pretend　to　be　your　friends　and　then　lock　you　into　jail？
　　But　he　didn't　start　no　fires；　because　Hooch　was　no　fool。　Partly；　he　knew　that　if　a　fire　once　got　started　anywhere　in　the　stockade；　there　was　a　good　chance　it'd　spread　from　one　end　to　the　other　inside　half　an　hour。　And　there　was　a　good　chance　that　while　everybody's　rushing　around　to　save　their　wives　and　children　and　gunpowder　and　likker；　they　might　not　remember　about　one　whisky　trader　locked　up　in　a　storage　room。　Hooch　didn't　hanker　to　die　in　a　fire　of　his　own　setting　　that　wasn't　no　kind　of　vengeance。　Time　enough　to　start　fires　when　he　had　a　noose　around　his　neck　someday；　but　he　wasn't　going　to　risk　burning　to　death　just　to　get　even　over　something　like　this。
　　But　the　main　reason　he　didn't　start　a　fire　wasn't　fear；　it　was　plain　business　sense。　Harrison　was　doing　this　to　show　Hooch　that　he　didn't　like　the　way　Hooch　delayed　shipments　of　likker　to　jack　up　the　price。　Harrison　was　showing　him　that　he　had　real　power；　and　all　Hooch　had　was　money。　Well；　let　Harrison　play　at　being　a　powerful　man。　Hooch　knew　some　things；　too。　He　knew　that　someday　the　Wobbish　country　would　petition　the　U。S。　Congress　in　Philadelphia　to　bee　a　state。　And　when　it　did；　a　certain　William　Henry　Harrison　would　have　his　little　heart　set　on　being　governor。　And　Hooch　had　seen　enough　elections　back　in　Suskwahenny　and　Pennsylvania　and　Appalachee　to　know　that　you　can't　get　votes　without　silver　dollars　to　pass　around。　Hooch　would　have　those　silver　dollars。　And　when　the　time　came；　he　might　pass　around　those　silver　dollars　to　Harrison　voters；　and　then　again　he　might　not。　He　just　might　not。　He　might　help　another　man　sit　in　the　governor's　mansion；　someday　when　Carthage　was　a　real　city　and　Wobbish　was　a　real　state；　and　then　Harrison　would　have　to　sit　there　the　rest　of　his　life　and　remember　what　it　was　like　to　be　able　to　lock　people　up；　and　he　would　grind　his　teeth　in　anger　at　how　men　like　Hooch　took　all　that　away　from　him。
　　That's　how　Hooch　kept　himself　entertained；　sitting　in　that　lock…up　room　for　two　long　days　and　nights。
　　Then　they　hauled　him　out　and　brought　him　into　court　　unshaven；　dirty；　his　hair　wild；　and　his　clothes　all　wrinkled　up。　General　Harrison　was　the　judge；　the　jury　was　all　in　uniform；　and　the　defense　attorney　was　　Andrew　Jackson！　It　was　plain　Governor　Bill　was　trying　to　make　Hooch　get　mad　and　start　in　ranting；　but　Hooch　wasn't　born　yesterday。　He　knew　that　whatever　Harrison　had　in　mind；　it　wouldn't　do　no　good　to　yell　about　it。　Just　sit　tight　and　put　up　with　it。
　　It　took　only　a　few　minutes。
　　Hooch　listened　with　a　straight　face　as　a　young　lieutenant　testified　that　all　Hooch's　whisky　had　been　sold　to　the　sutler　at　exactly　the　price　it　sold　for　last　time。　According　to　the　legal　papers；　Hooch　didn't　make　a　penny　more　from　having　kept　them　waiting　four　months　between　shipments。　Well；　thought　Hooch；　that's　fair　enough；　Harrison's　letting　me　know　how　he　wants　things　run。　So　he　didn't　say　a　word。　Harrison　looked　as　merry　as　you　please；　behind　his　magisterial　solemnity。　Enjoy　yourself；　thought　Hooch。　You　can't　make　me　mad。
　　But　he　could；　after　all。　They　took　220　dollars　right　off　the　top　and　handed　it　over　to　Andrew　Jackson　right　there　in　court。　Counted　out　eleven　gold　twenty…dollar　coins。　That　caused　Hooch　physical　pain；　to　see　that　fiery　metal　dropping　into　Jackson's　hands。　He　couldn't　keep　his　silence　then。　But　he　did　manage　to　keep　his　voice　low　and　mild…sounding。　〃It　don't　seem　regular　to　me；〃　he　said；　〃to　have　the　plaintiff　acting　as　defense　attorney。〃
　　〃Oh；　he's　not　your　defense　attorney　on　the　debt　charges；〃　said　His　Honor　Judge　Harrison。　〃He's　just　your　defense　attorney　on　the　likker　charges。〃　Then　Harrison　grinned　and　gaveled　that　matter　closed。
　　The　likker　business　didn't　take　much　longer。　Jackson　carefully　presented　all　the　same　invoices　and　receipts　to　prove　that　every　keg　of　whisky　was　sold　to　the　sutler　of　Carthage　Fort；　and　not　a　speck　of　it　to　any　Reds。　〃Though　I　will　say；〃　said　Jackson；　〃that　the　amount　of　whisky　represented　by　these　receipts　seems　like　enough　for　three　years　for　an　army　ten　times　this　size。〃
　　〃We've　got　a　bunch　of　hard…drinking　soldiers；〃　said　Judge　Harrison。　〃And　I　reckon　that　likker　won't　last　six　months。　But　not　a　drop　to　the　Reds；　Mr。　Jackson；　you　may　be　sure！〃
　　Then　he　dismissed　all　charges　against　Hooch　Palmer；　alias　Ulysses　Brock。　〃But　let　this　be　a　lesson　to　you；　Mr。　Palmer；〃　said　Harrison　in　his　best　judicial　voice。　〃Justice　on　the　frontier　is　swift　and　sure。　See　to　it　you　pay　your　debts。　And　avoid　even　the　appearance　of　ev