lla.thelonelymen-第34部分

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　She　did　not　like　that。　Orrin　was　a　mighty　impressive　figure　of　a　man；　and　he　could　talk。　He　had　the　Welsh　gift　for　talking；　and　she　knew　how　persuasive　he　could　be。
　〃He'll　never　get　here。　If　you　send　for　him　I'll　get　Arch　Hadden　to　kill　him。〃
　〃Arch？　So　that's　why　he　was　in　Mexico；　a…hunting　me？　I　wondered　how　he　knew　we'd　be　there；　when　we　were　so　all…fired　careful　that　nobody　knew。〃
　〃Yes；　I　sent　them　after　you。　And　I'll　send　Arch　after　Orrin；　if　he　es　here。〃
　〃So　Arch　is　in　town；　is　he？〃　That　was　something　to　consider；　and　of　a　sudden　those　prison　walls　began　to　seem　as　if　they　were　crowding　in　on　me。　Arch　Hadden　would　know　I　was　in　jail；　and　he　would　e　for　me。　I　glanced　at　that　high…up　window；　and　was　suddenly　glad　it　was　so　small　and　so　high　up。
　〃Send　for　Orrin。　I　would　like　that。　I　will　have　him　killed。〃　As　she　spoke　it　seemed　to　me　there　was　something　in　those　blue　eyes　that　looked　mighty　like　insanity。
　〃You　mistake　Orrin。　He　won't　kill　easy；　and　Arch　Hadden　never　saw　the　day　he　could　draw　with　Orrin。〃
　I　was　talking　to　the　wind。　She　didn't　hear　me　and　would　have　paid　it　no　mind　if　she　had；　for　I　knew　she　had　no　such　idea　as　them　drawing　against　each　other。　She　meant　a　rifle　from　a　hilltop　at　some　stage　stop；　or　something　of　that　kind。
　After　she　had　gone　I　studied　about　it　a　mite；　and　then　called　the　jailer。
　〃You　get　word　to　Cap'n　Lewiston；　will　you？　I　got　to　see　him。〃
　〃Sure。〃　The　jailer　eyed　me　thoughtfully。　〃Did　you　really　shoot　that　Higgins　feller？〃
　〃If　you　were　lying　out　in　the　glare　of　the　sun；　and　you　were　gut…shot　and　dying　and　the　Apaches　were　shooting　flaming　slivers　of　pitch　into　your　hide；　wouldn't　you　ask　to　be　shot？〃
　〃That　the　way　it　was？　I　heerd　he　was　an　enemy　of　yourn。〃
　So　I　explained　about　the　old　Higgjns…Sackett　feud。　And　I　said　again；　〃But　I　haven't　given　thought　to　that　fight　in　ten　years；　Besides；　when　a　man's　hunkered　down　on　a　ridge　alone；　and　the　Apaches　are　around　him；　do　you　think　he'd　waste　a　shot　to　kill　a　man　the　Indians　were　sure　to　get？〃
　〃No；　sir；　I　surely　don't；〃　he　said。
　He　went　away　then；　and　I　was　alone　until　the　door　opened　and　Dorset　came　in。　She　was　carrying　a　plate　all　covered　over。　〃The　lady　over　at　the　Shoo…Fly　sent　this；〃　she　said。　She　lifted　her　chin　defensively。　〃I　didn't　have　any　money　or　I'd　have　brought　something　for　you。〃
　〃You've　done　enough。　How　about　you　and　your　sister？　Have　you　got　a　place　to　stay？〃
　〃With　the　Creeds。　They'll　be　ing　to　thank　you。　Dan　Creed　said　he'd　bust　you　out　of　here　if　you　wanted。〃
　〃I'll　stay。　Maybe　I'm　a　fool；　but　no　Sackett　aside　from　Nolan　ever　rode　in　flight　from　the　law。〃
　We　talked　for　a　spell；　and　then　she　left。　The　jailer　returned；　but　he'd　not　seen　hide　nor　hair　of　Captain　Lewiston。　Lieutenant　Davis　had　been　walking　out　with　Laura　Sackett；　so　he　had　avoided　them。
　Alone　again；　I　did　some　right　serious　thinking。　Tampico　Rocca　and　Spanish　Murphy　were　dead。　Battles　probably　was；　but　even　had　they　been　alive　there　was　nothing　any　of　them　could　tell　that　would　speak　for　me；　because　when　I　shot　Higgins　I　was　alone。　I'd　been　a　fool　to　mention　it　to　Laura；　but　it　lay　heavy　on　my　mind；　and　at　the　time　I　figured　her　for　family。
　What　really　stood　against　me　was　that　I'd　shot　a　man　who　carried　the　name　of　a　family　against　which　my　family　had　feuded。　The　man　had　been　wounded　several　times　before；　but　there　was　only　my　say…so　that　the　Indians　had　done　it。　The　pitch…pine　slivers　was　Apache　work；　nobody　denied　that。　But　the　way　the　talk　was　going　made　it　seem　as　if　I'd　taken　advantage　of　Apache　trouble　to　kill　an　old　enemy；　and　a　thing　like　that　is　hard　to　down。
　Billy　Higgins　had　a　sight　of　friends　around　Tucson；　and　nobody　there　knew　me　except　by　name。　A　good　part　of　the　talk　going　around　was　carried　on　by　Lieutenant　Davis；　who　believed　whatever　Laura　told　him。
　Two　days　passed　slowly；　and　I　just　sat　on　my　cot；　and　played　checkers　with　the　jailer。　One　thing　had　changed。　That　jailer　never　went　off　and　left　me　alone　any　more；　and　he　kept　the　door　to　the　street　locked。
　The　sheriff　was　out　of　town；　and　wasn't　due　back　for　a　week；　and　I　began　to　get　the　feeling　that　the　quicker　they　tried　me　the　better。　If　they　didn't　hurry；　some　of　those　boys　outside　might　be　figuring　on　a　necktie　party。　I　began　to　wish　for　the　high…up　country　away　out　yonder；　where　nobody　goes　but　eagles　and　mountain　sheep。　By　the　wall　outside　the　cell　I　could　see　my　own　outfit　…　my　saddle；　bridle；　and　saddlebags；　my　rifle　and　pistol　belt。　I　wanted　a　horse　between　my　knees；　and　a　Winchester。
　Dan　Creed　came　to　see　me。　The　jailer　knew　him　and　admitted　him　without　hesitation。　〃You'd　better　let　me　get　you　a　gun；〃　Creed　said　when　the　jailer　had　gone　back　to　the　office。　〃They're　surely　figuring　on　stringing　you　up。　I've　talked　until　I'm　blue　in　the　face；　but　they　pay　me　no　mind。　They　say；　'Sure；　he　brought　your　youngsters　out　of　Mexico。　You'd　speak　for　him　no　matter　what　kind　of　a　coyote　he　is。'　〃
　〃What　else　are　they　saying？〃
　〃Well；　they　say　they've　only　your　word　for　it　that　the　Apaches　were　still　there　when　you　shot　Higgins。　They　say　when　the　Injuns　pulled　out　you　just　figured　to　be　rid　of　another　Higgins。〃
　Lewiston；　who　seemed　to　have　been　my　friend；　was　gone。　Even　if　I　could　get　word　to　Orrin　and　Tyrel；　they　were　too　far　away　to　do　much　good。　It　began　to　look　to　me　as　if　my　number　was　really　up。
　In　matters　such　as　lynching　there's　always　toughs　who　are　ready　for　it；　and　there　are　always　people　who　don't　want　to　be　involved。　There　are　men　who　would　stop　such　things；　but　it　takes　a　strong　man　who　will　make　the　attempt。　I'd　never　expected　to　be　on　the　end　of　the　rope　myself；　although　anybody　who　packs　a　gun　runs　that　risk。
　Again　night　came；　and　outside　I　could　hear　the　mutter　of　voices；　and　angry　talk。　There　was　no　telling　if　it　would　e　to　more　than　talk；　but　lying　on　that　prison　cot　in　the　darkness　I　wasn't　willing　to　bet　on　it。
　Suddenly；　from　out　of　the　darkness　outside　my　window；　a　voice　spoke。　〃We're　going　to　get　you；　Sackett。　We're　going　to　see　you　hang！〃　My　feet　swung　to　the　floor；　and　I　was　mad　clear　through。　〃e　an'　get　me；　Yellow　Belly；〃　I　said。　〃I'll　know　your　voice　when　I　hear　it。　You　just　e　asking；　and　you'll　get　it！〃
　There　was　a　grate　of　boots　on　gravel；　and　a　sound　of　retreating　footsteps。
　Suddenly　I　realized　that　I　was　no　longer　tired。　I'd　e　to　this　place　physically　exhausted；　but　now　I'd　had　three　good　days　of　rest；　and　I　was　ready。　I　got　up　and　went　to　the　bars。
　〃Jim！〃　I　hailed　the　jailer。　〃e　running！　I　got　to　see　you！〃
　There　was　no　answer；　and　I　yelled　again。
　There　was　still　no　reply。　But　I　heard　a　mutter　of　voices。
　The　jailer　was　gone；　and　they　had　e　for　me。
　
　Chapter　19
　
　Tucson　was　for　the　most　part　a　town　of　law…abiding　citizens。　I　knew　that；　and　so　did　that　crowd　out　there。　The　trouble　was；　would　those　citizens　get　here　in　time　to　help　me？　I　knew　what　those　men　outside　wanted　most　was　quiet；　but　I　aimed　to　see　they　didn't　get　it。
　Getting　up　from　my　cot；　I　gave　a　look　around。　There　was　nothing　there　that　would　make　a　weapon　except　the　frame　of　the　cot；　which　was　of　half…inch　pipe。　So　I　just　wrenched　the　cot　clear　of　the　wall；　breaking　it　enough　to　unscrew　two　sections　of　it；　one　about　seven　feet　long；　the　other　an　end　piece　that　was　about　three　feet　in　length；　with　an　elbow　on　it。
　Standing　both　pieces　close　by；　I　waited。　Outside　I　could　hear　somebody　by　the　window；　then　the　door　from　the　outer　office　opened　into　the　prison　section。　Men　came　crowding　through；　and　I　could　see　others　in　the　office。
　I　stood　up　then。　〃You　boys　huntin'　something？〃　I　spoke　careless…like。　〃If　you　are；　you've　e　to　the　wrong　place。〃
　〃We're　a…goin'　to　hang　you　for　killin'　Billy　Higgins。〃
　〃I　killed　him　…　he　asked　me　to。　In　his　place　or　mine；　you'd　have　done　the　same。〃
　I　could　smell　the　whiskey　on　them。　This　bunch　had　been　drinking　to　get　up　the　nerve　to　e　after　me；　but　they　were　tough　men　nonetheless。　I　heard　somebody　fumbling　with　keys；　and　knew　there　was　no　time　to　lose。
　〃I'm　going　to　tell　you　once；　and　that's　all；〃　I　said。　〃You　boys　get　out　of　here；　an'　get　fast。〃
　They'd　e　without　a　light；　and　it　was　dark　as　a　pit　in　there。　They　hadn't　figured　they'd　need　a　light　to　take