登陆注册
5421300000049

第49章

That was all we seen for the moment. About three o'clock the first straggler came limpin' in, his wings hangin', his mouth open, his eyes glazed with the heat. By sundown fourteen had returned. All the rest had disappeared utter; we never seen 'em again. I reckon they just naturally run themselves into a sunstroke and died on the road.

It takes a long time to learn a chicken a thing, but a heap longer to unlearn him. After that two or three of these yere automobeels went by every day, all a-blowin' of their horns, all kickin' up a hell of a dust. And every time them fourteen Honk-honks of mine took along after 'em, just as I'd taught 'em to do, layin' to get to their corn when they caught up. No more of 'em died, but that fourteen did get into elegant trainin'.

After a while they got plumb to enjoyin' it. When you come right down to it, a chicken don't have many amusements and relaxations in this life. Searchin' for worms, chasin' grasshoppers, and wallerin' in the dust is about the limits of joys for chickens.

It was sure a fine sight to see 'em after they got well into the game. About nine o'clock every mornin' they would saunter down to the rise of the road where they would wait patient until a machine came along. Then it would warm your heart to see the enthusiasm of them. With, exultant cackles of joy they'd trail in, reachin' out like quarter-horses, their wings half spread out, their eyes beamin' with delight. At the lower turn they'd quit. Then, after talkin' it over excited-like for a few minutes, they'd calm down and wait for another.

After a few months of this sort of trainin' they got purty good at it. I had one two-year-old rooster that made fifty-four mile an hour behind one of those sixty-horsepower Panhandles. When cars didn't come along often enough, they'd all turn out and chase jack-rabbits. They wasn't much fun at that. After a short, brief sprint the rabbit would crouch down plumb terrified, while the Honk-honks pulled off triumphal dances around his shrinkin' form.

Our ranch got to be purty well known them days among automobeelists. The strength of their cars was horse-power, of course, but the speed of them they got to ratin' by chicken-power. Some of them used to come way up from Los Angeles just to try out a new car along our road with the Honk-honks for pace-makers. We charged them a little somethin', and then, too, we opened up the road-house and the bar, so we did purty well.

It wasn't necessary to work any longer at that bogus placer.

Evenin's we sat around outside and swapped yarns, and I bragged on my chickens. The chickens would gather round close to listen.

They liked to hear their praises sung, all right. You bet they sabe! The only reason a chicken, or any other critter, isn't intelligent is because he hasn't no chance to expand.

Why, we used to run races with 'em. Some of us would hold two or more chickens back of a chalk line, and the starter'd blow the horn from a hundred yards to a mile away, dependin' on whether it was a sprint or for distance. We had pools on the results, gave odds, made books, and kept records. After the thing got knowed we made money hand over fist.

The stranger broke off abruptly and began to roll a cigarette.

"What did you quit it for, then?" ventured Charley, out of the hushed silence.

"Pride," replied the stranger solemnly. "Haughtiness of spirit.""How so?" urged Charley, after a pause.

"Them chickens," continued the stranger, after a moment, "stood around listenin' to me a-braggin' of what superior fowls they was until they got all puffed up. They wouldn't have nothin'

whatever to do with the ordinary chickens we brought in for eatin' purposes, but stood around lookin' bored when there wasn't no sport doin'. They got to be just like that Four Hundred you read about in the papers. It was one continual round of grasshopper balls, race meets, and afternoon hen-parties. They got idle and haughty, just like folks. Then come race suicide.

They got to feelin' so aristocratic the hens wouldn't have no eggs."Nobody dared say a word.

"Windy Bill's snake--" began the narrator genially.

"Stranger," broke in Windy Bill, with great emphasis, "as to that snake, I want you to understand this: yereafter in my estimation that snake is nothin' but an ornery angleworm!"PART II

THE TWO GUN MAN

同类推荐
  • Good Wives

    Good Wives

    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 Lamplighter

    The Lamplighter

    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。
  • 非韩篇

    非韩篇

    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。
  • 邓析子

    邓析子

    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。
  • 快园道古

    快园道古

    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
  • 广阳杂记

    广阳杂记

    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。
  • 哈利波特之十九年后

    哈利波特之十九年后

    旧的背景,新的故事。看哈利波特十九年后又是怎样的光景。
  • 京师教育随笔:教育路上行与思

    京师教育随笔:教育路上行与思

    《京师教育随笔:教育路上行与思》内容有开创中职、中小学教师队伍建设的新局面、采用“3+1”模式,夯实教师队伍基础、把理念硬化为机制——谈师德师风长效机制建设、教育科研过去的成就和未来的使命、家庭教育——青少年教育的重要一环、众雁高飞头雁领——省会城市教育引领作用等。
  • 沉睡公主附身传奇

    沉睡公主附身传奇

    她是沉睡中的公主,一朝沉睡,世间万年。她是人界的宠儿,一哭一笑都影响着身边的每一个人。她是她的身体,她有她的灵魂。是寻找替身,还是追逐前世?所谓圣女,不过是守护公主的一个高级护卫而已。公主苏醒,护卫退场。她愿意再次步入轮回只为获得属于自己的生活。为何一个两个都要救她?逆天而行,真的只为一个字‘情’?【此文美女多多,帅哥多多,求宝藏,追美人,金钱虽可贵,情义却无价,神界魔界,前世情今生缘,虽然慢热,绝不弃坑。】
  • 无限回档

    无限回档

    有的人活着,他转眼就死了。而有的人死了,他却能回档。本书又名《论主角在末世的各种扑街姿势》。
  • 魔妻太嚣张

    魔妻太嚣张

    一个落没的家族,一个人被人嘲笑的身份,当她成了她,一只妖孽凭空出世,整个西罗大陆宛如飓风降临,久久不息。战士体质虽强悍,可本小姐一伸手,你们只有扒下份;魔法师很强吗?你们最多也就两系,本小姐可是全系。召唤师吗?本小姐就是。魔兽很强大吗?不用本小姐出马,它们会乖乖的送上门来。出色的外表,娇弱的身体,像是一阵风便不能吹倒,可谁知道,这娇弱的主人就一个极品。她邪恶:“你是何家女子?为何见了本太子却下跪?”某太子一边盯着娇美的小脸,一边伸手准备捏捏那诱人的下巴。魅眼轻眺,众人还没看清是怎么回事,某太子顿时惨叫,全身衣服顿时着了火。“太子殿下,你好端端的怎么玩自焚呀!”某女一脸奸笑。她狂妄:城墙顶端,面对城下二十万敌军,某女一展言一笑,“敢动我风家,本小姐让你们全部陪葬。”玉口一开,二十万大军为之颤抖。她霸道:柳眉怒挑,某女一脸怒色,“马上给我滚过来。”某可怜的神兽一脸不愿的躺在地上,身体慢慢地滚了过来,地面被压出一条长长的深沟。她风无情自认不是坏人,但绝对不是个好人。她不爱惹事,但从来就不怕事。
  • 亲爱的,你是我学不会的别离

    亲爱的,你是我学不会的别离

    安然喜欢吴漾喜欢了七年,也追了七年,她爱过他,以“死”结束。绝望,痛恨,不甘远远胜于死。当她从医院醒过来时,她发誓,这辈子不会再喜欢他,不会再为他付出,甚至一滴泪。多年后,当已经失忆了的吴漾撕心裂肺地对她吼道:“安然,你的心真的是冰做的吗,你爱我一下会死吗?!”安然庄重而又认真地回答:“是啊,吴漾。爱你一下会死的。”一部虐心又温暖的治愈文告诉你,人生最幸运的事无非就是你爱着的人刚好也爱着你。
  • 农家贵女:将军小叔要抱抱

    农家贵女:将军小叔要抱抱

    陈香云死了。临死之前才知晓,婆家伪善,为让相公娶新妇,活生生的把她给逼死了,重生回八年前的陈家村,那时候她刚满十五,是朵娇艳的小花。重活一世,只有一个心愿,发家致富远离刻薄家人与渣男。谁若是敢阻拦她发家致富,她跟谁急。卖药材,卖食谱,开绣纺,置田地,一不小心成了富庶一方的绝色佳人。听说佳人要选夫,条件只有一个,能挣钱能宠妻。某个一不小心被陈香云睡了的男人说,他不仅能挣钱,能宠妻,还能在晚上播种,十个月后收获小包子。陈香云看着他那张和上一世相公一样的脸,冷笑连连:“对不起,我不嫁渣男的弟弟。”某男一笑倾倒众生:“睡都睡了,娇情什么?”
  • 通玄真经缵义释音

    通玄真经缵义释音

    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。
  • 末世大剑修

    末世大剑修

    失去约束的末世,对应的是失去约束的人……