osc.am2.redprophet-第26部分

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　　That　got　to　him。　That　corporal　didn't　look　bored　no　more。　But　he　didn't　let　himself　haul　off　and　take　a　swing；　neither。　Just　stood　there；　more　or　less　at　attention；　and　said；　〃Mr。　Palmer；　you　can　wait　here　all　night　and　wait　here　all　day　tomorrow；　and　you　ain't　going　to　get　in　to　see　His　Excellency　the　Governor。　And　you　just　sitting　here　waiting　all　day　is　proof　you're　just　too　plain　dumb　to　catch　on　to　how　things　are。〃
　　So　it　was　Hooch　lost　his　temper　and　took　a　swing。　Well；　not　a　swing　exactly。　More　like　a　kick；　cause　Hooch　never　did　learn　no　rules　about　fighting　like　a　gentleman。　His　idea　of　a　duel　was　to　wait　behind　a　rock　for　his　enemy　to　pass　by；　shoot　him　in　the　back；　and　run　like　hell。　So　that　corporal　got　Hooch's　big　old　boot　in　his　knee；　which　bent　his　leg　backward　in　a　way　it　wasn't　meant　to　go。　That　corporal　screamed　bloody　murder；　which　he　had　a　right　to；　and　not　just　from　the　pain　　after　a　kick　like　that；　his　leg　would　never　be　any　good　again。　Hooch　probably　shouldn't've　kicked　him　there；　he　knew；　but　that　boy　was　so　snooty。　Practically　begged　for　it。
　　Trouble　was；　the　corporal　wasn't　exactly　alone。　First　yelp　he　made；　all　of　a　sudden　there　was　a　sergeant　and　four　soldiers；　bayonets　at　the　ready；　popping　right　out　of　the　Governor's　office　and　looking　mad　as　hornets。　The　sergeant　ordered　two　of　his　boys　to　carry　the　corporal　to　the　infirmary。　The　others　put　Hooch　under　arrest。　But　it　wasn't　gentlemanly　like　that　last　time；　four　years　before。　This　time　the　butts　of　their　muskets　got　bumped　into　Hooch's　body　in　a　few　places；　sort　of　accidentally；　and　Hooch　had　him　some　boot　prints　in　various　places　on　his　clothes；　can't　say　how　they　got　there。　He　ended　up　locked　in　a　jail　cell　no　storage　room　this　time。　They　left　him　with　his　clothes　and　a　lot　of　pain。
　　No　doubt　about　it。　Things　had　changed　around　here。
　　That　night　six　other　men　were　put　in　lock…up；　three　of　them　drunks；　three　for　brawling。　Not　one　was　Red。　Hooch　listened　to　them　talking。　It's　not　like　any　of　them　was　particularly　bright；　but　Hooch　couldn't　believe　that　they　didn't　talk　about　beating　up　no　Reds；　or　making　fun　with　some　of　them　or　something。　It　was　like　Reds　had　practically　disappeared　from　the　vicinity。
　　Well；　maybe　that　was　true。　Maybe　the　Reds　had　all　took　off；　but　wasn't　that　what　Governor　Harrison　hoped　for？　With　the　Reds　gone；　why　wasn't　Carthage　City　prosperous；　full　of　White　settlers？
　　The　only　inkling　Hooch　got　was　something　one　of　the　brawlers　said。　〃I　reckon　I'm　broke　till　tax　season。〃　The　others　whooped　and　hollered　a　little。　〃I　got　to　say　I　don't　mind　government　service；　but　it　sure　ain't　steady　work。〃
　　Hooch　knew　better　than　to　ask　them　what　they　meant。　No　need　to　call　attention　to　himself。　He　sure　didn't　want　word　getting　around　about　how　he　looked　all　beat　up　the　night　he　spent　in　jail。　That　kind　of　idea　starts　spreading　and　pretty　soon　everybody　thinks　he　can　beat　a　body　up；　and　Hooch　didn't　reckon　to　start　all　over　as　a　mon　street　brawler；　not　at　his　age。
　　In　the　morning　the　soldiers　came　for　him。　Different　ones；　and　this　time　they　wasn't　so　careless　with　their　feet　and　their　musket　butts。　They　just　marched　Hooch　on　out　of　the　jail　and　now；　finally；　he　got　to　see　Bill　Harrison。
　　But　not　in　his　office。　It　was　in　his　own　Governor's　mansion；　in　a　cellar　room。　And　the　way　they　got　there　was　peculiar。　The　soldiers　　must　have　been　a　dozen　of　them　　just　marched　along　behind　the　house；　when　all　of　a　sudden　one　of　them　dashed　over；　flung　up　the　cellar　door；　and　two　others　half　dragged　Hooch　down　the　steps。　Cellar　door　slammed　shut　almost　before　their　heads　were　clear　of　it；　and　in　all　that　time　the　soldiers　just　kept　right　on　marching；　as　if　nothing　was　happening。　Hooch　didn't　like　that　at　all。　It　meant　that　Harrison　didn't　want　anybody　to　see　that　Hooch　was　with　him。　Which　meant　this　meeting　could　get　pretty　ugly；　cause　Harrison　could　deny　it　ever　happened。　Oh；　the　soldiers　knew；　of　course；　but　they　all　knew　about　a　certain　corporal　who　got　his　knee　bent　the　wrong　way　last　night；　they　weren't　about　to　testify　on　Hooch　Palmer's　behalf。
　　Harrison　was　his　old　self；　though；　smiling　and　shaking　Hooch　by　the　hand　and　clapping　him　on　the　shoulder。　〃How　are　you；　Hooch？〃
　　〃I　been　better；　Gov。　How's　your　wife？　And　that　little　boy　of　yours？〃
　　〃She's　healthy　as　you　could　hope　for；　a　refined　lady　like　her　being　out　here　on　the　frontier。　And　my　little　boy；　he's　quite　a　soldier；　we　even　stitched　him　up　a　little　uniform；　you　should　see　him　strutting　on　parade。〃
　　〃It's　talk　like　that　makes　me　think　I　ought　to　take　a　wife　someday。　〃
　　〃I　heartily　remend　it。　Oh；　here；　Hooch；　what　am　I　thinking　of？　You　set　down；　set　down　right　there。〃
　　Hooch　sat。　〃Thanks；　Bill。〃
　　Harrison　nodded；　satisfied。　〃It's　good　to　see　you；　it's　been　so　long。〃
　　〃Wisht　I'd've　seen　you　yesterday；〃　said　Hooch。
　　Harrison　smiled　ruefully。　〃Well；　I　get　busy。　Didn't　my　boys　tell　you　I　had　a　full…up　schedule？〃
　　〃Schedule　never　used　to　be　full　for　me；　Bill。〃
　　〃You　know　how　it　gets　sometimes。　Real　busy；　and　what　can　I　do　about　it？〃
　　Hooch　shook　his　head。　〃Now；　Bill；　we've　lied　to　each　other　just　about　long　enough；　I　think。　What　happened　was　part　of　a　plan；　and　it　wasn't　my　plan。〃
　　〃What　are　you　talking　about；　Hooch？〃
　　〃I'm　saying　maybe　that　corporal　didn't　want　his　leg　broke；　but　I　have　a　feeling　his　job　was　to　get　me　swinging　at　him。〃
　　〃His　job　was　to　see　that　nobody　disturbed　me　unless　they　were　on　my　schedule；　Hooch。　That's　the　only　plan　I　know　about。〃　Harrison　looked　sad。　〃Hooch；　I　got　to　tell　you；　this　is　real　ugly。　Assaulting　an　officer　of　the　U。S。　Army。〃
　　〃A　corporal　ain't　no　officer；　Bill。〃
　　〃I　only　wish　I　could　ship　you　back　to　Suskwahenny　for　trial；　Hooch。　They　got　lawyers　there；　and　juries；　and　so　on。　But　the　trial　has　to　be　here；　and　juries　around　here　ain't　too　partial　to　folks　who　go　around　breaking　corporals'　knees。〃
　　〃Suppose　you　stop　the　threats　and　tell　me　what　you　really　want？〃
　　〃Want？　I　ain't　asking　for　favors；　Hooch。　Just　concerned　about　a　friend　of　mine　who's　got　himself　in　trouble　with　the　law。〃
　　〃It　must　be　something　real　sickening　or　you'd　bribe　me　to　do　it　instead　of　trying　to　strong…arm　me。　It　must　be　something　that　you　think　I　wouldn't　be　willing　to　do　unless　you　scare　me　to　death；　and　I　keep　trying　to　imagine　what　you　think　is　so　bad　that　you　think　I　wouldn't　do　it。　It　ain't　much　of　a　list；　Bill。〃
　　Harrison　shook　his　head。　〃Hooch；　you　got　me　wrong。　Just　plain　wrong。〃
　　〃This　town　is　dying；　Bill；〃　said　Hooch。　〃Things　ain't　working　out　like　you　planned。　And　I　think　it's　cause　you　done　some　real　dumb　things。　I　think　the　Reds　started　going　away　　or　maybe　they　all　died　off　　and　you　made　the　stupid　mistake　of　trying　to　make　up　for　all　that　lost　likker　ine　by　bringing　in　the　scum　of　the　earth；　the　worst　kind　of　White　man；　the　river　rats　who　spent　the　night　in　jail　with　me。　You've　used　them　to　collect　taxes；　right？　Farmers　don't　like　taxes。　They　specially　don't　like　taxes　when　they're　collected　by　scum　like　this。〃
　　Harrison　poured　himself　three　fingers　of　whisky　in　a　tumbler　and　drank　off　half　of　it　in　a　single　gulp。
　　〃So　you　been　losing　your　whisky…Reds；　and　you　been　losing　your　White　farmers；　and　all　you　got　left　is　your　soldiers；　the　river　rats；　and　whatever　money　you　can　steal　from　the　United　States　Army　appropriation　for　peace…keeping　in　the　west。〃
　　Harrison　drank　the　rest　of　the　whisky　and　belched。
　　〃What　that　means　is　you've　been　unlucky　and　you've　been　stupid；　and　somehow　you　think　you　can　make　me　get　you　out　of　it。〃
　　Harrison　poured　another　three　fingers　into　the　glass。
　　But　instead　of　drinking　it；　he　hauled　off　and　threw　it　into　Hooch's　face。　The　whisky　splashed　in　his　eyes；　the　tumbler　bounced　off　his　forehead；　and　Hooph　found　himself　rolling　on　the　floor　trying　to　dig　the　alcohol　out　of　his　eyes。
　　A　while　later；　with　a　wet　cloth　pressed　against　his　forehead；　Hooch　was　sitting　in　the　chair　again；　acting　a　lot　more　meek　and　reasonable。　But　that　was　because　he　knew　Harrison　had　a　flush　and　his　own　hand　was　just　two　pair。　Get　out　of　here　alive　and　then　just　see　what　es　next；　right？
　　〃I　wasn't　stupid；〃　Harrison　said。