riders of the purple sage- 第23部分

〃Why；　I　should　think　you'd　have　run　across　one　in　all　your　riding　around；〃　said　Venters。　He　spoke　slowly；　choosing　his　words　carefully；　and　he　essayed　a　perfectly　casual　manner；　and　pretended　to　be　busy　assorting　pieces　of　pottery。　She　must　have　no　cause　again　to　suffer　shame　for　curiosity　of　his。　Yet　never　in　all　his　days　had　he　been　so　eager　to　hear　the　details　of　anyone's　life

〃When　I　rodeI　rode　like　the　wind；〃　she　replied；　〃and　never　had　time　to　stop　for　anything。〃

〃I　remember　that　day　II　met　you　in　the　Passhow　dusty　you　were；　how　tired　your　horse　looked。　Were　you　always　riding？〃

〃Oh；　no。　Sometimes　not　for　months；　when　I　was　shut　up　in　the　cabin。〃

Venters　tried　to　subdue　a　hot　tingling。

〃You　were　shut　up；　then？〃　he　asked；　carelessly。

〃When　Oldring　went　away　on　his　long　tripshe　was　gone　for　months　sometimeshe　shut　me　up　in　the　cabin。〃

〃What　for？〃

〃Perhaps　to　keep　me　from　running　away。　I　always　threatened　that。　Mostly；　though；　because　the　men　got　drunk　at　the　villages。　But　they　were　always　good　to　me。　I　wasn't　afraid。〃

〃A　prisoner！　That　must　have　been　hard　on　you？〃

〃I　liked　that。　As　long　as　I　can　remember　I've　been　locked　up　there　at　times；　and　those　times　were　the　only　happy　ones　I　ever　had。　It's　a　big　cabin；　high　up　on　a　cliff；　and　I　could　look　out。　Then　I　had　dogs　and　pets　I　had　tamed；　and　books。　There　was　a　spring　inside；　and　food　stored；　and　the　men　brought　me　fresh　meat。　Once　I　was　there　one　whole　winter。〃

It　now　required　deliberation　on　Venters's　part　to　persist　in　his　unconcern　and　to　keep　at　work。　He　wanted　to　look　at　her；　to　volley　questions　at　her。

〃As　long　as　you　can　rememberyou've　lived　in　Deception　Pass？〃　he　went　on。

〃I've　a　dim　memory　of　some　other　place；　and　women　and　children；　but　I　can't　make　anything　of　it。　Sometimes　I　think　till　I'm　weary。〃

〃Then　you　can　readyou　have　books？〃

〃Oh　yes；　I　can　read；　and　write；　too；　pretty　well。　Oldring　is　educated。　He　taught　me；　and　years　ago　an　old　rustler　lived　with　us；　and　he　had　been　something　different　once。　He　was　always　teaching　me。〃

〃So　Oldring　takes　long　trips；〃　mused　Venters。　〃Do　you　know　where　he　goes？〃

〃No。　Every　year　he　drives　cattle　north　of　Sterlingthen　does　not　return　for　months。　I　heard　him　accused　once　of　living　two　livesand　he　killed　the　man。　That　was　at　Stone　Bridge。〃

Venters　dropped　his　apparent　task　and　looked　up　with　an　eagerness　he　no　longer　strove　to　hide。

〃Bess；〃　he　said；　using　her　name　for　the　first　time；　〃I　suspected　Oldring　was　something　besides　a　rustler。　Tell　me；　what's　his　purpose　here　in　the　Pass？　I　believe　much　that　he　has　done　was　to　hide　his　real　work　here。〃

〃You're　right。　He's　more　than　a　rustler。　In　fact；　as　the　men　say；　his　rustling　cattle　is　now　only　a　bluff。　There's　gold　in　the　canyons！〃

〃Ah！〃

〃Yes；　there's　gold；　not　in　great　quantities；　but　gold　enough　for　him　and　his　men。　They　wash　for　gold　week　in　and　week　out。　Then　they　drive　a　few　cattle　and　go　into　the　villages　to　drink　and　shoot　and　killto　bluff　the　riders。〃

〃Drive　a　few　cattle！　But；　Bess；　the　Withersteen　herd；　the　red　herd　twenty…five　hundred　head！　That's　not　a　few。　And　I　tracked　them　into　a　valley　near　here。〃

〃Oldring　never　stole　the　red　herd。　He　made　a　deal　with　Mormons。　The　riders　were　to　be　called　in；　and　Oldring　was　to　drive　the　herd　and　keep　it　till　a　certain　timeI　won't　know　whenthen　drive　it　back　to　the　range。　What　his　share　was　I　didn't　hear。〃

〃Did　you　hear　why　that　deal　was　made？〃　queried　Venters。

〃No。　But　it　was　a　trick　of　Mormons。　They're　full　of　tricks。　I've　heard　Oldring's　men　tell　about　Mormons。　Maybe　the　Withersteen　woman　wasn't　minding　her　halter！　I　saw　the　man　who　made　the　deal。　He　was　a　little；　queer…shaped　man；　all　humped　up。　He　sat　his　horse　well。　I　heard　one　of　our　men　say　afterward　there　was　no　better　rider　on　the　sage　than　this　fellow。　What　was　the　name？　I　forget。〃

〃Jerry　Card？〃　suggested　Venters。

〃That's　it。　I　rememberit's　a　name　easy　to　rememberand　Jerry　Card　appeared　to　be　on　fair　terms　with　Oldring's　men。〃

〃I　shouldn't　wonder；〃　replied　Venters；　thoughtfully。　Verification　of　his　suspicions　in　regard　to　Tull's　underhand　workfor　the　deal　with　Oldring　made　by　Jerry　Card　assuredly　had　its　inception　in　the　Mormon　Elder's　brain；　and　had　been　accomplished　through　his　ordersrevived　in　Venters　a　memory　of　hatred　that　had　been　smothered　by　press　of　other　emotions。　Only　a　few　days　had　elapsed　since　the　hour　of　his　encounter　with　Tull；　yet　they　had　been　forgotten　and　now　seemed　far　off；　and　the　interval　one　that　now　appeared　large　and　profound　with　incalculable　change　in　his　feelings。　Hatred　of　Tull　still　existed　in　his　heart；　but　it　had　lost　its　white　heat。　His　affection　for　Jane　Withersteen　had　not　changed　in　the　least；　nevertheless；　he　seemed　to　view　it　from　another　angle　and　see　it　as　another　thingwhat；　he　could　not　exactly　define。　The　recalling　of　these　two　feelings　was　to　Venters　like　getting　glimpses　into　a　self　that　was　gone；　and　the　wonder　of　themperhaps　the　change　which　was　too　illusive　for　himwas　the　fact　that　a　strange　irritation　accompanied　the　memory　and　a　desire　to　dismiss　it　from　mind。　And　straightway　he　did　dismiss　it；　to　return　to　thoughts　of　his　significant　present。

〃Bess；　tell　me　one　more　thing；〃　he　said。　〃Haven't　you　known　any　women　any　young　people？〃

〃Sometimes　there　were　women　with　the　men；　but　Oldring　never　let　me　know　them。　And　all　the　young　people　I　ever　saw　in　my　life　was　when　I　rode　fast　through　the　villages。〃

Perhaps　that　was　the　most　puzzling　and　thought…provoking　thing　she　had　yet　said　to　Venters。　He　pondered；　more　curious　the　more　he　learned；　but　he　curbed　his　inquisitive　desires；　for　he　saw　her　shrinking　on　the　verge　of　that　shame；　the　causing　of　which　had　occasioned　him　such　self…reproach。　He　would　ask　no　more。　Still　he　had　to　think；　and　he　found　it　difficult　to　think　clearly。　This　sad…eyed　girl　was　so　utterly　different　from　what　it　would　have　been　reason　to　believe　such　a　remarkable　life　would　have　made　her。　On　this　day　he　had　found　her　simple　and　frank；　as　natural　as　any　girl　he　had　ever　known。　About　her　there　was　something　sweet。　Her　voice　was　low　and　well　modulated。　He　could　not　look　into　her　face；　meet　her　steady；　unabashed；　yet　wistful　eyes；　and　think　of　her　as　the　woman　she　had　confessed　herself。　Oldring's　Masked　Rider　sat　before　him；　a　girl　dressed　as　a　man。　She　had　been　made　to　ride　at　the　head　of　infamous　forays　and　drives。　She　had　been　imprisoned　for　many　months　of　her　life　in　an　obscure　cabin。　At　times　the　most　vicious　of　men　had　been　her　companions；　and　the　vilest　of　women；　if　they　had　not　been　permitted　to　approach　her；　had；　at　least；　cast　their　shadows　over　her。　Butbut　in　spite　of　all　thisthere　thundered　at　Venters　some　truth　that　lifted　its　voice　higher　than　the　clamoring　facts　of　dishonor；　some　truth　that　was　the　very　life　of　her　beautiful　eyes；　and　it　was　innocence。

In　the　days　that　followed；　Venters　balanced　perpetually　in　mind　this　haunting　conception　of　innocence　over　against　the　cold　and　sickening　fact　of　an　unintentional　yet　actual　gift。　How　could　it　be　possible　for　the　two　things　to　be　true？　He　believed　the　latter　to　be　true；　and　he　would　not　relinquish　his　conviction　of　the　former；　and　these　conflicting　thoughts　augmented　the　mystery　that　appeared　to　be　a　part　of　Bess。　In　those　ensuing　days；　however；　it　became　clear　as　clearest　light　that　Bess　was　rapidly　regaining　strength；　that；　unless　reminded　of　her　long　association　with　Oldring；　she　seemed　to　have　forgotten　it；　that；　like　an　Indian　who　lives　solely　from　moment　to　moment；　she　was　utterly　absorbed　in　the　present。

Day　by　day　Venters　watched　the　white　of　her　face　slowly　change　to　brown；　and　the　wasted　cheeks　fill　out　by　imperceptible　degrees。　There　came　a　time　when　he　could　just　trace　the　line　of　demarcation　between　the　part　of　her　face　once　hidden　by　a　mask　and　that　left　exposed　to　wind　and　sun。　When　that　line　disappeared　in　clear　bronze　tan　it　was　as　if　she　had　been　washed　clean　of　the　stigma　of　Oldring's　Masked　Rider。　The　suggestion　of　the　mask　always　made　Venters　remember；　now　that　it　was　gone　he　seldom　thought　of　her　past。　Occasionally　he　tried　to　piece　together　the　several　stages　of　strange　experience　and　to　make　a　whole。　He　had　shot　a　masked　outlaw　the　very　sight　of　whom　had　been　ill　omen　to　riders；　he　had　carried　off　a　wounded　woman　whose　bloody　lips　quivered　in　prayer；　he　had　nursed　what　seemed　a　frail；　shrunken　boy；　and　now　he　watched　a　girl　whose　face　had　become　strangely　sweet；　whose　dark…blue　eyes　were　ever　upon　him　without　boldness；　without　shyness；　but　with　a　steady；　grave；　and　growing　light。　Many　times　Venters　found　the　clear　gaze　embarrassing　to　him；　yet；　like　wine；　it　had　an　exhilarating　effect。　What　did　she　think　when　she　looked　at　him　so？　Almost　he　believed　she　had　no　thought　at　all。　All　about　her　and　the　present　there　in　Surprise　Valley；　and　the　dim　yet　subtly　impending　future；　fascinated　Venters　and　made　him　thoughtful　as　all　his　lonely　vigils　in　the　sage　had　not。

Chiefly　it　was　the　present　that　he　wished　to　dwell　upon；　but　it　was　the　call　of　the　future　which　stirred　him　to　action。　No　idea　had　he　of　what　that　future　had　in　store　for　Bess　and　him。　He　began　to　think　of　improving　Surprise　Valley　as　a　place　to　live　in；　for　there　was　no　telling　how　long　they　would　be　compelled　to　stay　there。　Venters　stubbornly　resisted　the　entering　into　his　mind　of　an　insistent　thought　that；　clearly　realized；　might　have　made　it　plain　to　him　that　he　did　not　want　to　leave　Surprise　Valley　at　all。　But　it　was　imperative　that　he　consider　practical　matters；　and　whether　or　not　he　was　destined　to　stay　long　there；　he　felt　the　immediate　need　of　a　change　of　diet。　It　would　be　necessary　for　him　to　go　farther　afield　for　a　variety　of　meat；　and　also　that　he　soon　visit　Cottonwoods　for　a　supply　of　food。

It　occurred　again　to　Venters　that　he　could　go　to　the　canyon　where　Oldring　kept　his　cattle；　and　at　little　risk　he　could　pack　out　some　beef。　He　wished　to　do　this；　however；　without　letting　Bess　know　of　it　till　after　he　had　made　the　trip。　Presently　he　hit　upon　the　plan　of　going　while　she　was　asleep。

That　very　night　he　stole　out　of　camp；　climbed　up　under　the　stone　bridge；　and　entered　the　outlet　to　the　Pass。　The　gorge　was　full　of　luminous　gloom。　Balancing　Rock　loomed　dark　and　leaned　o