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arizona nights(亚利桑那之夜)-第1部分

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                          ARIZONA NIGHTS 



 ARIZONA NIGHTS 



     by STEWART EDWARD WHITE 



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                                     ARIZONA NIGHTS 



            CHAPTER ONE                                  THE OLE 

                               VIRGINIA 



     The ring around the sun had thickened all day long; and the turquoise 

blue   of   the   Arizona   sky   had   filmed。 Storms   in   the   dry   countries   are 

infrequent; but heavy; and this surely meant storm。 

    We had ridden since sun…up over broad mesas; down and out of deep 

canons; along the base of the mountain in the wildest parts of the territory。 

The cattle were winding leisurely toward the high country; the jack rabbits 

had disappeared; the quail lacked; we did not see a single antelope in the 

open。       〃It's a case of hole up;〃 the Cattleman ventured his opinion。 〃I 

have a ranch over in the Double R。          Charley and Windy Bill hold it down。 

We'll tackle it。    What do you think?〃           The four cowboys agreed。          We 

dropped      into   a  low;   broad    watercourse;     ascended     its  bed    to  big 

cottonwoods and flowing water; followed it into box canons between rim… 

rock carved fantastically and painted like a Moorish facade; until at last in 

a widening below a rounded hill; we came upon an adobe house; a fruit 

tree; and a round corral。      This was the Double R。 

     Charley and Windy Bill welcomed us with soda biscuits。                 We turned 

our horses out; spread our beds on the floor; filled our pipes; and squatted 

on   our   heels。  Various   dogs   of   various   breeds   investigated   us。  It   was 

very pleasant; and we did not mind the ring around the sun。 

     〃Somebody else coming;〃 announced the Cattleman finally。 

     〃Uncle Jim;〃 said Charley; after a glance。 

    A  hawk…faced   old   man   with   a   long   white   beard   and   long   white   hair 

rode    out   from   the   cottonwoods。      He    had   on   a  battered    broad   hat 

abnormally high of crown; carried across his saddle a heavy 〃eight square〃 

rifle; and was followed by a half…dozen lolloping hounds。 

     The   largest   and   fiercest   of   the   latter;   catching   sight   of   our   group; 

launched himself with lightning rapidity at the biggest of the ranch dogs; 

promptly nailed that canine by the back of the neck; shook him violently a 

score   of   times;   flung   him   aside;   and   pounced   on   the   next。 During   the 



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ensuing few moments that hound was the busiest thing in the West。                        He 

satisfactorily   whipped   four   dogs;   pursued   two   cats   up   a   tree;   upset   the 

Dutch   oven   and the   rest   of   the   soda   biscuits;  stampeded   the horses;   and 

raised   a   cloud   of   dust   adequate   to   represent   the   smoke   of   battle。  We 

others were too paralysed to move。              Uncle Jim sat placidly on his white 

horse;    his  thin   knees   bent   to  the   ox…bow     stirrups;   smoking。       In   ten 

seconds      the  trouble   was    over;  principally   because      there  was    no   more 

trouble to make。       The hound returned leisurely; licking from his chops the 

hair of his victims。      Uncle Jim shook his head。             〃Trailer;〃 said he sadly; 

〃is a little severe。〃       We greed heartily; and turned in to welcome Uncle 

Jim   with   a   fresh   batch   of   soda   biscuits。   The   old   man   was   ne   of   the 

typical〃long   hairs。〃   He   had   come   to   the   Galiuro   Mountains   in   '69;   and 

since '69 he had remained in the Galiuro Mountains; spite of man or the 

devil。    At   present   he   possessed   some   hundreds   of   cattle;   which   he   was 

reputed to water; in a dry season; from an ordinary dishpan。                 In times past 

he had prospected。          That evening; the severe Trailer having dropped to 

slumber; he held forth on big…game hunting and dogs; quartz claims and 

Apaches。        〃Did you ever have any very close calls?〃 I asked。 

     He    ruminated     a  few    moments;     refilled   his  pipe   with    some    awful 

tobacco; and told the following experience: 

       In the time of Geronimo I was living just about where I do now; and 

that was just about in line with the raiding。             You see; Geronimo; and Ju 

'1'; and old Loco used to pile out of the reservation at Camp Apache; raid 

south     to  the   line;  slip  over    into  Mexico     when     the   soldiers   got   too 

promiscuous;   and   raid   there   until   they   got   ready   to   come   back。    Then 

there     was    always     a  big    medicine     talk。    Says      Geronimo:          '1' 

Pronounced 〃Hoo。〃 

       〃I am tired of the warpath。         I will come back from Mexico with all 

my warriors; if you will escort me with soldiers and protect my people。〃 

〃All right;〃 says the General; being only too glad to get him back at all。 

So;   then;   in   ten  minutes   there    wouldn't   be    a   buck  in  camp;    but   next 

morning they shows up again; each with about fifty head of hosses。 

     〃Where'd you get those hosses?〃 asks the General; suspicious。 

     〃Had 'em pastured in the hills;〃 answers Geronimo。 



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     〃I can't take all those hosses with me; I believe they're stolen!〃 says the 

General。 

     〃My people cannot go without their hosses;〃 says Geronimo。 

     So; across the line they goes; and back to the reservation。               In about a 

week     there's  fifty…two    frantic  Greasers     wanting    to  know    where's    their 

hosses。     The army is nothing but an importer of stolen stock; and knows 

it; and can't help it。 

     Well; as I says; I'm between Camp Apache and the Mexican line; so 

that   every  raiding   party  goes   right   on   past   me。  The   point   is   that   I'm  a 

thousand feet or so above the valley; and the renegades is in such a devil 

of a hurry about that time that they never stop to climb up and collect me。 

Often   I've   watched   them   trailing   down   the   valley   in   a   cloud   of   dust。 

Then; in a day or two; a squad of soldiers would come up; and camp at my 

spring for a while。       They used to send soldiers to guard every water hole 

in the country so the renegades couldn't get water。                After a while; from 

not being bothered none; I got thinking I wasn't worth while with them。 

     Me and   Johnny  Hooper were   pecking   away  at the   old Virginia   mine 

then。    We'd got down about sixty feet; all timbered; and was thinking of 

cross…cutting。      One day Johnny went to town; and that same day I got in a 

hurry and left my gun at camp。 

     I worked all the morning down at the bottom of the shaft; and when I 

see by the sun it was getting along towards noon; I put in three good shots; 

tamped      'em   down;    lit  the  fusees;  and   started   to  climb    out。    It   ain't 

noways   pleasant to light   a  fuse  in   a  shaft;  and   then   have to   climb   out   a 

fifty…foot ladder; with it burning behind you。             I never did get used to it。 

You keep thinking; 〃Now suppose there's a flaw in that fuse; or something; 

and she goes off in six seconds instead of two minutes?                  where'll you be 

then?〃     It   would   give   you   a   good   boost   towards   your   home   on   high; 

anyway。 

     So I climbed fast; and stuck my head out the top without lookingand 

then I froze solid enough。          There; about fifty feet away; climbing up the 

hill   on   mighty   tired   hosses;   was   a   dozen   of   the   ugliest   Chiricahuas   you 

ever don't want to meet; and in addition a Mexican renegade named Maria; 

who was worse than any of 'em。             I see at once their bosses was tired out; 



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and they had a notion of camping at my water hole; not knowing nothing 

about the Ole Virginia mine。 

     For two bits I'd have let go all holts and dropped backwards; trusting 

to my thick head for easy lighting。            Then I heard a little fizz and sputter 

from below。       At that my hair riz right up so I could feel the breeze blow 

under   my   bat。    For   about   six   seconds   I   stood   there   like   an   imbecile; 

grinning amiably。        Then one of the Chiricahuas made a sort of grunt; and 

I sabed that they'd seen the original exhibit your Uncle Jim was making of 

himself。 

     Then that fuse gave another sputter and one of the Apaches said 〃Un 

dah。〃     That means 〃whi
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