登陆注册
5272600000034

第34章 UNDER THE EAVES(6)

Breeze opened it to two strangers, one of whom lurched forward unsteadily with outstretched hand. He had a handsome face and figure, and a certain consciousness of it even in the abandon of liquor; he had an aggressive treacherousness of eye which his potations had not subdued. He grasped Breeze's hand tightly, but dropped it the next moment perfunctorily as he glanced round the room.

"I told them I was bound to come in," he said, without looking at Breeze, "and say 'Howdy!' to the man that's bin a pal to my women folks and the kids--and acted white all through! I said to Mame, 'I reckon HE knows who I am, and that I kin be high-toned to them that's high-toned; kin return shake for shake and shot for shot!'

Aye! that's me! So I was bound to come in like a gen'leman, sir, and here I am!"

He threw himself in an unproffered chair and stared at Breeze.

"I'm afraid," said Breeze dryly, "that, nevertheless, I never knew who you were, and that even now I am ignorant whom I am addressing."

"That's just it," said the second man, with a querulous protest, which did not, however, conceal his admiring vassalage to his friend; "that's what I'm allus telling Jim. 'Jim,' I says, 'how is folks to know you're the man that shot Kernel Baxter, and dropped three o' them Mariposa Vigilants? They didn't see you do it! They just look at your fancy style and them mustaches of yours, and allow ye might be death on the girls, but they don't know ye! An' this man yere--he's a scribe in them papers--writes what the boss editor tells him, and lives up yere on the roof, 'longside yer wife and the children--what's he knowin' about YOU?' Jim's all right enough," he continued, in easy confidence to Breeze, "but he's too fresh 'bout himself."

Mr. James Bodine accepted this tribute and criticism of his henchman with a complacent laugh, which was not, however, without a certain contempt for the speaker and the man spoken to. His bold, selfish eyes wandered round the room as if in search of some other amusement than his companions offered.

"I reckon this is the room which that hound of a landlord, Rakes, allowed he'd fix up for our poker club--the club that Dan Simmons and me got up, with a few other sports. It was to be a slap-up affair, right under the roof, where there was no chance of the police raiding us. But the cur weakened when the Vigilants started out to make war on any game a gen'leman might hev that wasn't in their gummy-bag, salt pork trade. Well, it's gettin' a long time between drinks, gen'lemen, ain't it?" He looked round him significantly.

Only the thought of the woman and her children in the next room, and the shame that he believed she was enduring, enabled Breeze to keep his temper or even a show of civility.

"I'm afraid," he said quietly, "that you'll find very little here to remind you of the club--not even the whiskey; for I use the room only as a bedroom, and as I am a workingman, and come in late and go out early, I have never found it available for hospitality, even to my intimate friends. I am very glad, however, that the little leisure I have had in it has enabled me to make the floor less lonely for your children."

Mr. Bodine got up with an affected yawn, turned an embarrassed yet darkening eye on Breeze, and lunged unsteadily to the door. "And as I only happened in to do the reg'lar thing between high-toned gen'lemen, I reckon we kin say 'Quits.'" He gave a coarse laugh, said "So long," nodded, stumbled into the passage, and thence into the other room.

His companion watched him pass out with a relieved yet protecting air, and then, closing the door softly, drew nearer to Breeze, and said in husky confidence,--

"Ye ain't seein' him at his best, mister! He's bin drinkin' too much, and this yer news has upset him."

"What news?" asked Breeze.

"This yer suicide o' Irish Jack!"

"Was he his friend?"

"Friend?" ejaculated the man, horrified at the mere suggestion.

"Not much! Why, Irish Jack was the only man that could hev hung Jim! Now he's dead, in course the Vigilants ain't got no proof agin Jim. Jim wants to face it out now an' stay here, but his wife and me don't see it noways! So we are taking advantage o' the lull agin him to get him off down the coast this very night. That's why he's been off his head drinkin'. Ye see, when a man has been for weeks hidin'--part o' the time in that room and part o' the time on the wharf, where them Vigilants has been watchin' every ship that left in order to ketch him, he's inclined to celebrate his chance o' getting away"--

"Part of the time in that room?" interrupted Breeze quickly.

"Sartin! Don't ye see? He allus kem in as you went out--sabe!--and got away before you kem back, his wife all the time just a-hoverin' between the two places, and keeping watch for him. It was killin' to her, you see, for she wasn't brought up to it, whiles Jim didn't keer--had two revolvers and kalkilated to kill a dozen Vigilants afore he dropped. But that's over now, and when I've got him safe on that 'plunger' down at the wharf to-night, and put him aboard the schooner that's lying off the Heads, he's all right agin."

同类推荐
  • The Lifted Veil

    The Lifted Veil

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 理查二世

    理查二世

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • The Rifle and Hound in Ceylon

    The Rifle and Hound in Ceylon

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 法华玄赞义决

    法华玄赞义决

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 益州名画录

    益州名画录

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
热门推荐
  • 昨夜情话,转身天涯

    昨夜情话,转身天涯

    新郎出轨闺蜜,秦怡一气之下嫁给了众所周知的严家傻子少爷严易泽,做好了守一辈子活寡的准备,谁知……新婚夜,痴痴傻傻的严易泽竟露出了邪魅的笑容,秦怡这才意识到所有人都被他给骗了……
  • 团队应该这样带:尖刀团队的12堂总裁内部课

    团队应该这样带:尖刀团队的12堂总裁内部课

    本书从团队建设、伦理管理、业务管理、沟通管理、决策分析、团队协调、激励管理和人才培养八个方面详细介绍了管理者带队伍、管团队的理念和技术,并运用了大量实践案例进行辅助分析,旨在帮助管理者提升团队管理技能。本书适合企业中高层管理人员、项目管理人员、培训师、咨询师以及高校相关专业师生阅读使用。
  • 赵焰:晚清三部曲

    赵焰:晚清三部曲

    《晚清三部曲套装》由《晚清有个曾国藩》、《晚清有个李鸿章》和《晚清有个袁世凯》组成。赵焰,当代作家、学者,以东西方文明比较的视角致力研究中国文化和中国历史。作品极具历史感和人文情怀,文笔富有现代感和穿透力,在写作界有“中国茨威格”之称。著有“晚清三部曲”,《在淮河边上讲中国历史》,“第三只眼看徽州”系列七本,以及长篇小说“娑婆三部曲”(《无常》、《彼岸》、《色与空》)等。
  • 现代常用文体写作全书:实用企业文书写作大全

    现代常用文体写作全书:实用企业文书写作大全

    现代常用文体写作全书:实用企业文书写作大全现代常用文体写作全书:实用企业文书写作大全现代常用文体写作全书:实用企业文书写作大全现代常用文体写作全书:实用企业文书写作大全
  • 魔帝的位面之旅

    魔帝的位面之旅

    一位大帝,为了回家,走过诸天万界,洪荒,狐妖,超神,斗破,斗罗,约会等世界处处有他的身影新人作品,请多多包涵
  • 世界最具智慧性的哲理故事(3)

    世界最具智慧性的哲理故事(3)

    我的课外第一本书——震撼心灵阅读之旅经典文库,《阅读文库》编委会编。通过各种形式的故事和语言,讲述我们在成长中需要的知识。
  • 绑定终身:冷少的迷糊女佣

    绑定终身:冷少的迷糊女佣

    他说:能够遇上你,是我这一生最大的幸福!她说:遇上你,是我这一生最大的不幸,我是倒了八辈子才遇上了你。他是H市权势滔天的冷少,只要他想要的,就没有得不到的,却唯独她!妃璃鳕本该自由自在享受美好的时光,却被突然告知她自小定了一个娃娃亲,天!这都什么年代了,还娃娃亲?秉着新时代良好的思想,妃璃鳕对此不屑一顾,却不想回家路上遭绑架,这还不算,竟让她堂堂林家大小姐给他当女佣?自此惹上了一匹腹黑奸诈,披着羊皮的狼!传言他高冷,不言苟笑?可是这个厚颜无耻的男人又是怎么回事?叔可忍婶不可忍,妃璃鳕奋起一脚,踹开了某男:混蛋,不要得寸进尺!
  • 因为帅气所以抑郁

    因为帅气所以抑郁

    一个男孩加一个女孩等于缘分。《因为帅气所以抑郁》。有男孩的地方就会有邂逅,有女孩的地方就会有缘分。有帅哥的地方就会有浪漫,有美女的地方就会有故事。标签:【绝对全新的概念与感觉】【把玩痴情,阐释失恋,反叛固定爱情模式】【一对一小故事贯穿始终,展示百态人生,】【挥洒个性,讲述年轻一代的放纵与疯狂爱恋】【大胆剖析爱情真谛】【第一次尝试将抑郁症,心理咨询,心理治疗写入青春类小说】坦露困惑青春,直面情感人生,揭示情感冲突的心灵独白,2015年个性作者冰糖癞子跨年度激情奉献,一改痞子形象玩转深情!
  • 嫁给小爱情

    嫁给小爱情

    爱与被照顾,救赎与被救赎。沈乐央最庆幸的事情,大概就是顾默晗的出现吧。时间和身份的跨越,两颗心的靠近,最后成就了他们的爱情。生活富足的沈乐央家中突逢巨变,父亲意外身亡,母亲不告而别。曾经的家教老师顾默晗却突然出现,说是受其母亲所托来照顾她。在顾默晗的照顾之下,沈乐央对他渐生好感。顾默晗发现了沈乐央的感情,却因为彼此的年龄而选择了回避。沈乐央悲伤之余,意外发现母亲不告而别的真相。然而谁也没想到,这背后牵扯着陈年的爱恨痴缠……
  • 办公室那些事儿

    办公室那些事儿

    办公室不相信眼泪,办公室只注重结局。如果不明白办公室那些事儿,即使学富五车,也会感到怀才不遇,甚至被“赶出”办公室。在办公室的“激烈斗争”中,我们无需将别人踩在脚下,但一定要学会保护自己。