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The Night Horseman by Max Brand, CHAPTER XIII. THE THREE

CHAPTER XIII. THE THREE

The whistling came from behind the hotel, and although it ended as soon as he reached the veranda of the building, Buck Daniels hurried to the rear of the place. There were the long, low sheds of the barn, and behind these, he knew, must be the corrals. He raced around the corner of the shed and there came to a halt, for he saw a thing that turned his blood to ice.

One of those rare rains of the mountain-desert had recently fallen and the corrals behind the barn were carpeted with a short, thick grass. In the small corral nearest him he beheld, rolling on that carpet of grass, a great wolf—or a dog as large and as rough-coated as a wolf, and a man; and they were engaged in a desperate and silent struggle for mastery. Their movements were so lightning fast that Buck Daniels could not make out distinct forms from the tangle. But he saw the great white teeth of the wolf flash in the sun one instant, and the next the man had whirled on top. It was Dan and Bart at play.

No outcry from Dan; no growl from the wolf. Buck felt the old chill which never left him when he saw the fierce game of the wolf and the wolf-man. All this passed in the twinkling of an eye, and then Dan, by a prodigious effort, had thrown the great beast away from him, so that Bart fell upon its back. Dan leaped with outstretched arms upon the fallen animal, and buried his clutching hands in the throat of the beast.

Yet still there was a thrill to add to these, for now a black horse appeared in the picture, a miracle of slender, shimmering grace—and he rushed with flattened ears upon the two twisting, writhing, prostrate figures. His teeth were bared—he was more like a prodigious dog than a horse. And those teeth closed on the back of the man's neck—or did they merely pinch his shirt?—and then Dan was dragged bodily away from the wolf and thrown through the air by a flirt of the stallion's head. Horrible! Buck Daniels shuddered and then he grinned shamefacedly in apology to himself.

"The three of 'em!" he grunted, and stepped closer to the fence to watch.

The instant the man was torn away by the intercession of the horse, the wolf regained its feet and rushed upon him; but Dan had landed from his fall upon his feet, with catlike agility, and now he dodged the rush of the wolf and the arrowy spring of the creature, and sprang in his turn towards the stallion.

The black met this attack by rearing, his ears flattened, his teeth bared, his eyes terrible to behold. As the man raced close the stallion struck with lightning hoofs, but the blow failed of its mark—by the breadth of a hair. And the assailant, swerving like a will-o'-the-wisp, darted to the side of the animal and leaped upon its back. At the same instant the wolf left the ground with terribly gaping mouth in a spring for the rider; but Dan flattened himself along the shining back of his mount and the wolf catapulted harmlessly past.

After this failure the wolf-dog seemed to desire no further active part in the struggle, but took up a position to one side, and there, with lolling tongue and red-stained eyes, watched the battle continue. The stallion, to be sure, kept up the conflict with a whole-hearted energy. Never had Buck Daniels in a long and varied career seen such wild pitching. The black leaped here and there, doubling about with the sinuous speed of a snake, springing high in the air one instant, and landing the next on stiff legs; dropping to the ground the next second, and rolling to crush the rider; up again like a leaf jerked up by a gale of wind, and so the fierce struggle continued, with the wild rider slapping the neck of the horse as if he would encourage it to more terrible efforts, and drumming its round barrel with vindictive heels. His hair blew black; his face flushed; and in his eyes there was the joy of the sailor, long land-bound, who climbs at last the tallest mast and feels it pitch beneath him and catches the sharp tang of the travelled wind.

The struggle ceased as if in obedience to an inaudible command. From the full frenzy of motion horse and man were suddenly moveless. Then Dan slipped from his seat and stood before his mount. At once the ears of the stallion, which had been flat back, pricked sharply forward; the eyes of the animal grew luminous and soft as the eyes of a woman, and he dropped the black velvet of his muzzle beneath the master's chin. As for Dan Barry, he rewarded this outburst of affection with no touch of his hand; but his lips moved, and he seemed to be whispering a secret to his horse. The wolf in the meantime had viewed this scene with growing unrest, and now it trotted up and placed itself at the side of the man. Receiving no attention in this position, it caught the arm of the man between its great fangs and drew his hands down. The stallion, angered by this interruption, raised a delicate forefoot to strike, and was received with a terrific snarl—the first sound of the entire scene.

"Bart," said the man, and his voice was not raised or harsh, but came as softly as running water, "if you ain't going to be a gentleman, I got to teach you manners. Get up on Satan's back and lie down till I tell you to get off." The wolf received this command with a snarl even more blood-curdling than before, but he obeyed, slinking sidewise a reluctant pace or two, and then springing to the back of the stallion with a single bound. There he crouched, still snarling softly until his master raised a significant forefinger. At that he lowered his head and maintained a fiercely observant silence.

"Dan!" called Buck Daniels.

The other whirled.

"Speakin' of pets," observed Buck Daniels, "I heard tell once about a gent that had a tame lion. Which you got the outbeatingest pair I ever see, Dan. Gentle, ain't they, like a stampede of cows!" But Barry left this remark unanswered. He ran to the tall fence, placed his hand on the top rail, and vaulted lightly over it. Then he clasped the hand of the larger man, and his face lighted.

"Buck," he said, "I been sort of lonesome. It feels pretty good to see you agin." "Oh man," answered Buck Daniels, "speakin' of bein' lonesome———" He checked himself. "How about steppin' inside and havin' a talk?" The other started forward agreeably, but stopped almost at once.

"Heel!" he called, without turning his head.

Black Bart left the back of the stallion in a long bound that carried him half way to the fence. His next leap brought him over the rail and beside his master. Buck Daniels moved back a step involuntarily.

"Bart," he said, "d'you know me?" He stretched out his hand; and was received with a sudden baring of the fangs.

"Nice dog!" said Buck sarcastically. "Regular house-pet, ain't he?" The other apparently missed the entire point of this remark. He said in his gentle, serious way: "He used to be real wild, Buck. But now he don't mind people. He let the cook feed him a chunk o' meat the other day; and you remember he don't usually touch stuff that other men have handled." "Yep," grunted Buck, "it's sure disgustin' to have a dog as tame as that. I'd bet he ain't killed another dog for a whole day, maybe!" And still Barry saw no irony in this.

He answered, as gravely as before: "No, it was the day before yesterday. Somebody come to town and got drunk. He had two dogs, and sicked 'em on Bart." Buck Daniels controlled an incipient shudder.

"Both dead?" "I was inside the house," said Dan sadly, "and it took me a couple of seconds to get outside. Of course by that time Bart had cut their throats." "Of course. Didn't the drunk guy try to pot Bart?" "Yes, he got out his gun; but, Mr. O'Brien, the bartender, persuaded him out of it. I was glad there wasn't no trouble." "My God!" exclaimed Buck Daniels. And then: "Well, let's go inside. We'll take your man-eater along, if you want to." A shadow came in the eyes of Barry.

"Can't we talk jest as well out here?" "What's the matter with findin' some chairs?" "Because I don't like to get inside walls. You know how four walls seem like so many pairs of eyes standin' around you?" "No," said Buck bluntly, "I don't know nothin' of the kind. What d'you mean?" "I dunno," answered Barry, depressed. "It jest seems that way. Ain't you noticed how sort of close it is in a house? Hard to breathe? Like you had on a shirt too small for you." "We'll stay out here, then." The other nodded, smiled, and made a gesture to the dog behind him. Black Bart crouched on the ground, and Dan Barry sat down cross-legged, his shoulders leaning against the shaggy pelt of Bart. Daniels followed the example with less grace. He was thinking very hard and fast, and he rolled a Durham cigarette to fill the interlude.

"I s'pose you're bustin' to find out the news about the folks," he said dryly, at last. The other sat with his hands loosely clasped in his lap. His wide eyes looked far away, and there was about his lips that looseness, that lack of compression, which one sees so often in children. He might have sat, in that posture, for the statue of thoughtlessness.

"What folks?" he asked at last

Buck Daniels had lighted a match, but now he sat staring blank until the match burned down to his fingers. With an oath he tossed the remnant away and lighted another. He had drawn down several long breaths of smoke to the bottom of his lungs before he could speak again.

"Some people you used to know; I suppose you've forgotten all about 'em, eh?" His eyes narrowed; there was a spark of something akin to dread in them. "Kate Cumberland?" he queried.

A light came in the face of Dan Barry.

"Kate Cumberland?" he repeated. "How is she, Buck? Lately, I been thinkin' about her every day." A trembling took the body and the voice of Daniels; his errand, after all, might meet some success.

"Kate?" he repeated. "Oh, ay, she's well enough. But Joe Cumberland ain't." "No?" "He's dyin' Dan." And Dan replied calmly. "He's kind of old, I s'pose." "Old?" said Buck, with a sort of horror. "Yes, he's old, right enough. D'you know why he's dying? It's because you went away the way you done, Dan. That's what's killin' him." Something of thought came in the face of Barry.

"Maybe I understand," he said slowly. "If I was to lose Satan, or Bart—" here the great dog whined at the mention of his name, and Barry dropped a slender hand across the scarred forehead of his servant. "If I was to lose 'em, I'd sort of mourn for 'em, maybe." Buck Daniels set his teeth.

"I don't suppose it seems possible," he said, "that a man could miss another man the way you could miss your—dog, eh? But it is! Joe Cumberland is dying for you, Dan, as sure as if you'd put a bullet in his bowels." The other hesitated and then frowned and made a gesture of vague dismissal.

"Don't you figure on doin' nothing about it?" asked Buck softly.

"What could I do?" "My God A'mighty, ain't you got no human feelin's?" "I dunno what you mean," said the soft voice. "This! Can't you git on your hoss and ride back with me to Cumberland Ranch? Stay with the old man till he gets back on his feet. Ain't that easy to do? Is your time so damned valuable you can't spare a few days for that?" "But I am goin' back," answered Dan, in a rather hurt voice. "They ain't no need for cussin' me, Buck. I been thinkin' of Kate, every day, almost." "Since when?" "I dunno." Dan stirred uneasily. He looked up, and far above Buck, following the direction of Dan's eyes, saw a pattern of wild geese. "I been sort of driftin' North towards the Cumberland Ranch and Kate," went on Dan. He sighed: "I been thinkin' of her eyes, which is blue, Buck, and her hair, and the soft sound of her voice. They been hangin' in my ears, stayin' behind my eyes, lately, and I been driftin' up that way steady." "Why, man," cried Buck, "then what's there to keep you here? Jump on your hoss, and we'll head North in ten minutes." "I will!" said Dan, full as eagerly. "We'll start full speed." "Come on, then." "Wait a minute!" said Dan, his voice growing suddenly cold. "I been forgettin' something." Buck Daniels turned and found his companion strangely changed. There was a set expression of coldness about his face, and a chill glitter in his eyes.

"I got to wait here for something." "What's that?" "They's a man in town that may want to see me." "Mac Strann! I've heard about him. Dan, are you goin' to let Joe Cumberland die because you want to stay here and fight it out with a dirty cutthroat?" "I don't want to fight," protested Barry. "No, there ain't nothin' I like less than fightin'!" Buck Daniels cursed softly and continuously to himself.

"Dan," he said, "can you sit there and lie like that to me? Ain't I seen you in action? Don't I remember the way you trailed Jim Silent? Don't I remember how we all got down and prayed you to keep away from Jim? Don't I remember how you threw everything to hell so's you could get your hands on Jim? My God A'mighty, man, didn't I see your face when you had your fingers in Silent's throat?" An expression of unutterable revulsion rippled over the face of Dan Barry.

"Stop!" he commanded softly, and raised his slender hand. "Don't keep on talkin' about it. It makes me sick—all through. Oh, Buck, they's a tingle in the tips of my fingers still from the time I had 'em in his throat. And it makes me feel unclean—the sort of uncleanness that won't wash out with no kind of soap and water. Buck, I'd most rather die myself than fight a man!" A vast amazement overspread the countenance of Buck Daniels as he listened to this outburst; it was as if he had heard a healthy man proclaim that he had no desire for bread and meat. Something rose to his lips, but he swallowed it.

"Then it looks kind of simple to me," he said. "You hate fightin'. This gent Mac Strann likes it; he lives on it; he don't do nothing but wait from day to day hungerin' for a scrap. What's the out? Jest this! You hop on your hoss and ride out with me. Young Jerry Strann kicks out—Mac Strann starts lookin' for you—he hears that you've beat it—he goes off and forgets about you. Ain't that simple?" The old uneasiness returned to the far-seeing eyes of Dan Barry.

"I dunno," he said, "maybe——" Then he paused again.

"Have you got anything to say agin it?" urged Buck, arguing desperately.

"I dunno," repeated Barry, confused, "except that I keep thinking what a terrible disappointment it'll be to this Mac Strann when his brother dies and I ain't around." Buck Daniels stared, blinked, and then burst into unmelodious laughter. Satan trotted across the corral and raised his head above the fence, whinnying softly. Barry turned his head and smiled up to the horse.

Then he said: "Seems like if Jerry Strann dies I owe somebody something. Who? Mac Strann, I reckon. I sort of got to stay and give him his chance." "I hope to God," burst out Daniels, smashing his hands together, "that Mac Strann beats you to a pulp! That's what I hope!" The eyes of Dan Barry widened.

"Why d'you hope that?" he asked gently.

It brought Daniels again to speechlessness.

"Is it possible?" he growled to himself. "Are you a human bein' and yet you think more of your hoss and your damned wolf-dog than you do of the life of a man? Dan, I'm askin' you straight, is that a square thing to do?" The fragile hands went out to him, palm up.

"Don't you see, Buck? I don't want to be this way. I jest can't help it!" "Then the Lord help poor old Joe Cumberland—him that took you in out of the desert—him that raised you from the time you was a kid—him that nursed you like you was his own baby—him that loved you more'n he loved Kate—him that's lyin' back there now with fire in his eyes, waitin', waitin', waitin', for you to come back. Dan, if you was to see him you'd go down on your knees and ask him to forgive you!" "I s'pose I would," murmured Barry thoughtfully. "Dan, you're goin' to go with me!" "I don't somehow think its my time for movin', Buck." "Is that all you got to say to me?" "I guess maybe it is, Buck." "If I was to beg you to come for old-time's sake, and all we been through together, you and me, wouldn't it make no difference to you?" The large, gentle eyes focused far beyond Buck Daniels, somewhere on a point in the pale, hazy blue of the spring sky.

"I'm kind of tired of talkin', Buck," he said at length. And Buck Daniels rose and walked slowly away, with his head fallen. Behind him the stallion neighed suddenly and loud, and it was so much like a blast of defiant triumph that Buck whirled and shook his clenched fist at Satan.


CHAPTER XIII. THE THREE

The whistling came from behind the hotel, and although it ended as soon as he reached the veranda of the building, Buck Daniels hurried to the rear of the place. O assobio veio de trás do hotel e, embora tenha terminado assim que ele chegou à varanda do prédio, Buck Daniels correu para os fundos do local. There were the long, low sheds of the barn, and behind these, he knew, must be the corrals. Havia os longos e baixos galpões do celeiro, e atrás deles, ele sabia, deviam estar os currais. He raced around the corner of the shed and there came to a halt, for he saw a thing that turned his blood to ice. Ele correu até a esquina do galpão e ali parou, pois viu uma coisa que gelou seu sangue.

One of those rare rains of the mountain-desert had recently fallen and the corrals behind the barn were carpeted with a short, thick grass. Uma daquelas raras chuvas do deserto da montanha havia caído recentemente e os currais atrás do celeiro estavam atapetados com uma grama curta e grossa. In the small corral nearest him he beheld, rolling on that carpet of grass, a great wolf—or a dog as large and as rough-coated as a wolf, and a man; and they were engaged in a desperate and silent struggle for mastery. No pequeno curral mais próximo, ele viu, rolando naquele tapete de grama, um grande lobo – ou um cachorro tão grande e tão áspero quanto um lobo, e um homem; e eles estavam engajados em uma luta desesperada e silenciosa pelo domínio. В ближайшем к нему маленьком загоне на травяном ковре лежали большой волк - или собака, такая же большая и грубошерстная, как волк, - и человек; они вели отчаянную и молчаливую борьбу за власть. Their movements were so lightning fast that Buck Daniels could not make out distinct forms from the tangle. Seus movimentos eram tão rápidos que Buck Daniels não conseguia distinguir formas distintas do emaranhado. But he saw the great white teeth of the wolf flash in the sun one instant, and the next the man had whirled on top. Mas ele viu os grandes dentes brancos do lobo brilhar ao sol em um instante, e no próximo o homem girou em cima. It was Dan and Bart at play. Era Dan e Bart em jogo.

No outcry from Dan; no growl from the wolf. Nenhum clamor de Dan; nenhum rosnado do lobo. Buck felt the old chill which never left him when he saw the fierce game of the wolf and the wolf-man. Buck sentiu o velho calafrio que nunca o deixou quando viu o jogo feroz do lobo e do homem-lobo. All this passed in the twinkling of an eye, and then Dan, by a prodigious effort, had thrown the great beast away from him, so that Bart fell upon its back. Tudo isso passou em um piscar de olhos, e então Dan, por um esforço prodigioso, jogou a grande fera para longe dele, de modo que Bart caiu de costas. Dan leaped with outstretched arms upon the fallen animal, and buried his clutching hands in the throat of the beast. Dan saltou com os braços estendidos sobre o animal caído e enterrou as mãos apertadas na garganta do animal. Дэн с распростертыми руками прыгнул на упавшее животное и впился своими цепкими руками в его горло.

Yet still there was a thrill to add to these, for now a black horse appeared in the picture, a miracle of slender, shimmering grace—and he rushed with flattened ears upon the two twisting, writhing, prostrate figures. No entanto, ainda havia uma emoção a acrescentar a isso, pois agora um cavalo preto apareceu no quadro, um milagre de graça esbelta e brilhante - e ele correu com as orelhas achatadas sobre as duas figuras retorcidas, contorcidas e prostradas. His teeth were bared—he was more like a prodigious dog than a horse. Seus dentes estavam à mostra — ele parecia mais um cachorro prodigioso do que um cavalo. And those teeth closed on the back of the man's neck—or did they merely pinch his shirt?—and then Dan was dragged bodily away from the wolf and thrown through the air by a flirt of the stallion's head. E aqueles dentes se fecharam na nuca do homem — ou eles apenas beliscaram sua camisa? — e então Dan foi arrastado para longe do lobo e jogado no ar por um flerte da cabeça do garanhão. Зубы сомкнулись на шее мужчины - или просто зацепили его рубашку, - а затем Дэна оттащили от волка и подбросили в воздух, взмахнув головой жеребца. Horrible! Buck Daniels shuddered and then he grinned shamefacedly in apology to himself. Buck Daniels estremeceu e então sorriu envergonhado, pedindo desculpas a si mesmo.

"The three of 'em!" "Os três!" he grunted, and stepped closer to the fence to watch. ele resmungou, e se aproximou da cerca para assistir.

The instant the man was torn away by the intercession of the horse, the wolf regained its feet and rushed upon him; but Dan had landed from his fall upon his feet, with catlike agility, and now he dodged the rush of the wolf and the arrowy spring of the creature, and sprang in his turn towards the stallion. No instante em que o homem foi arrancado pela intercessão do cavalo, o lobo recuperou os pés e avançou sobre ele; mas Dan aterrissou da queda de pé, com agilidade felina, e agora se esquivou da investida do lobo e do salto em flecha da criatura, e saltou por sua vez em direção ao garanhão. В тот момент, когда мужчина был отброшен заступничеством лошади, волк поднялся на ноги и бросился на него; но Дэн с кошачьим проворством поднялся на ноги и, увернувшись от броска волка и стрелы твари, помчался к жеребцу.

The black met this attack by rearing, his ears flattened, his teeth bared, his eyes terrible to behold. O preto enfrentou esse ataque empinando, suas orelhas achatadas, seus dentes à mostra, seus olhos terríveis de se ver. As the man raced close the stallion struck with lightning hoofs, but the blow failed of its mark—by the breadth of a hair. Enquanto o homem corria para perto, o garanhão golpeou com cascos relâmpagos, mas o golpe falhou em seu alvo – por um fio de cabelo. Когда мужчина приблизился, жеребец молниеносно ударил копытами, но удар пришелся вскользь. And the assailant, swerving like a will-o'-the-wisp, darted to the side of the animal and leaped upon its back. E o agressor, desviando-se como um fogo-fátuo, disparou para o lado do animal e saltou sobre suas costas. А нападавший, вильнув, как волчок, метнулся в сторону животного и прыгнул ему на спину. At the same instant the wolf left the ground with terribly gaping mouth in a spring for the rider; but Dan flattened himself along the shining back of his mount and the wolf catapulted harmlessly past. No mesmo instante o lobo saiu do chão com a boca terrivelmente aberta em um salto para o cavaleiro; mas Dan se agachou no dorso brilhante de sua montaria e o lobo passou inofensivamente. В тот же миг волк со страшной зияющей пастью сорвался с места и бросился на всадника; но Дэн прижался к блестящей спине своего животного, и волк без вреда пронесся мимо.

After this failure the wolf-dog seemed to desire no further active part in the struggle, but took up a position to one side, and there, with lolling tongue and red-stained eyes, watched the battle continue. Após esse fracasso, o cão-lobo parecia não desejar mais participar da luta, mas se posicionou de lado e ali, com a língua pendurada e os olhos manchados de vermelho, observou a batalha continuar. The stallion, to be sure, kept up the conflict with a whole-hearted energy. O garanhão, com certeza, manteve o conflito com uma energia de todo o coração. Жеребец, надо отдать ему должное, поддерживал конфликт с полной энергией. Never had Buck Daniels in a long and varied career seen such wild pitching. Nunca Buck Daniels em uma longa e variada carreira viu um arremesso tão selvagem. За всю свою долгую и разнообразную карьеру Бак Дэниелс никогда не видел такой дикой подачи. The black leaped here and there, doubling about with the sinuous speed of a snake, springing high in the air one instant, and landing the next on stiff legs; dropping to the ground the next second, and rolling to crush the rider; up again like a leaf jerked up by a gale of wind, and so the fierce struggle continued, with the wild rider slapping the neck of the horse as if he would encourage it to more terrible efforts, and drumming its round barrel with vindictive heels. O preto saltava aqui e ali, dobrando-se com a velocidade sinuosa de uma cobra, saltando alto no ar em um instante e pousando no próximo com as pernas rígidas; caindo no chão no segundo seguinte e rolando para esmagar o cavaleiro; como uma folha levantada por uma rajada de vento, e assim a luta feroz continuou, com o cavaleiro selvagem batendo no pescoço do cavalo como se quisesse incentivá-lo a esforços mais terríveis, e tamborilando seu cano redondo com calcanhares vingativos. His hair blew black; his face flushed; and in his eyes there was the joy of the sailor, long land-bound, who climbs at last the tallest mast and feels it pitch beneath him and catches the sharp tang of the travelled wind. Seu cabelo ficou preto; seu rosto corou; e em seus olhos havia a alegria do marinheiro, há muito tempo preso à terra, que finalmente sobe no mastro mais alto e o sente balançar abaixo de si e pega o cheiro forte do vento viajado. Его волосы были черными, лицо раскраснелось, а в глазах читалась радость моряка, долгое время пробывшего на суше, который, взобравшись наконец на самую высокую мачту, чувствует, как она прогибается под ним, и ловит острый привкус попутного ветра.

The struggle ceased as if in obedience to an inaudible command. A luta cessou como se obedecesse a um comando inaudível. Борьба прекратилась, словно повинуясь неслышной команде. From the full frenzy of motion horse and man were suddenly moveless. Do frenesi do movimento, cavalo e homem ficaram subitamente imóveis. Then Dan slipped from his seat and stood before his mount. Então Dan escorregou de seu assento e parou diante de sua montaria. Затем Дэн соскочил со своего места и встал перед своей лошадью. At once the ears of the stallion, which had been flat back, pricked sharply forward; the eyes of the animal grew luminous and soft as the eyes of a woman, and he dropped the black velvet of his muzzle beneath the master's chin. Imediatamente as orelhas do garanhão, que estavam para trás, se ergueram bruscamente para a frente; os olhos do animal tornaram-se luminosos e suaves como os olhos de uma mulher, e ele deixou cair o veludo preto do focinho sob o queixo do dono. As for Dan Barry, he rewarded this outburst of affection with no touch of his hand; but his lips moved, and he seemed to be whispering a secret to his horse. Quanto a Dan Barry, ele recompensou essa explosão de afeto sem tocar em sua mão; mas seus lábios se moveram e ele parecia estar sussurrando um segredo para seu cavalo. The wolf in the meantime had viewed this scene with growing unrest, and now it trotted up and placed itself at the side of the man. O lobo, entretanto, tinha visto esta cena com crescente inquietação, e agora trotou e colocou-se ao lado do homem. Receiving no attention in this position, it caught the arm of the man between its great fangs and drew his hands down. Não recebendo atenção nesta posição, pegou o braço do homem entre suas grandes presas e puxou suas mãos para baixo. The stallion, angered by this interruption, raised a delicate forefoot to strike, and was received with a terrific snarl—the first sound of the entire scene. O garanhão, irritado com essa interrupção, levantou um delicado antepé para atacar e foi recebido com um rosnado terrível - o primeiro som de toda a cena.

"Bart," said the man, and his voice was not raised or harsh, but came as softly as running water, "if you ain't going to be a gentleman, I got to teach you manners. “Bart,” disse o homem, e sua voz não era alta ou áspera, mas veio tão suavemente quanto água corrente, “se você não vai ser um cavalheiro, eu tenho que te ensinar boas maneiras. Get up on Satan's back and lie down till I tell you to get off." Suba nas costas de Satanás e deite-se até que eu lhe diga para sair." The wolf received this command with a snarl even more blood-curdling than before, but he obeyed, slinking sidewise a reluctant pace or two, and then springing to the back of the stallion with a single bound. O lobo recebeu este comando com um rosnado ainda mais horripilante do que antes, mas ele obedeceu, esgueirando-se para o lado um ou dois passos relutantes, e então saltando para as costas do garanhão com um único salto. Волк воспринял эту команду с еще более кровожадным рычанием, чем прежде, но повиновался: он нехотя сделал пару шагов в сторону, а затем одним рывком вскочил на спину жеребца. There he crouched, still snarling softly until his master raised a significant forefinger. Lá ele se agachou, ainda rosnando baixinho até que seu mestre levantou um dedo significativo. At that he lowered his head and maintained a fiercely observant silence. Com isso ele abaixou a cabeça e manteve um silêncio ferozmente observador.

"Dan!" called Buck Daniels.

The other whirled. O outro girou.

"Speakin' of pets," observed Buck Daniels, "I heard tell once about a gent that had a tame lion. “Falando em animais de estimação”, observou Buck Daniels, “ouvi falar uma vez sobre um cavalheiro que tinha um leão manso. "Говоря о домашних животных, - заметил Бак Дэниелс, - я слышал, как однажды рассказывали об одном джентльмене, у которого был прирученный лев. Which you got the outbeatingest pair I ever see, Dan. Que você tem o par mais surpreendente que eu já vi, Dan. Gentle, ain't they, like a stampede of cows!" Gentil, não é, como uma debandada de vacas!" Нежные, правда, как стадо коров!" But Barry left this remark unanswered. Mas Barry deixou esta observação sem resposta. He ran to the tall fence, placed his hand on the top rail, and vaulted lightly over it. Ele correu para a cerca alta, colocou a mão na grade superior e saltou levemente sobre ela. Он подбежал к высокому забору, положил руку на верхнюю перекладину и легко перепрыгнул через нее. Then he clasped the hand of the larger man, and his face lighted. Então ele apertou a mão do homem maior, e seu rosto se iluminou.

"Buck," he said, "I been sort of lonesome. "Buck", disse ele, "estive meio solitário. It feels pretty good to see you agin." "Oh man," answered Buck Daniels, "speakin' of bein' lonesome———" He checked himself. "Oh, cara", respondeu Buck Daniels, "falando em estar sozinho..." Ele se conteve. "How about steppin' inside and havin' a talk?" "Que tal entrar e ter uma conversa?" The other started forward agreeably, but stopped almost at once. O outro avançou agradavelmente, mas parou quase imediatamente.

"Heel!" "Salto!" he called, without turning his head.

Black Bart left the back of the stallion in a long bound that carried him half way to the fence. Black Bart deixou as costas do garanhão em um longo salto que o levou a meio caminho até a cerca. His next leap brought him over the rail and beside his master. Buck Daniels moved back a step involuntarily.

"Bart," he said, "d'you know me?" He stretched out his hand; and was received with a sudden baring of the fangs. Ele estendeu a mão; e foi recebido com um súbito descobrimento das presas.

"Nice dog!" said Buck sarcastically. "Regular house-pet, ain't he?" "Animais de estimação normal, não é?" The other apparently missed the entire point of this remark. He said in his gentle, serious way: "He used to be real wild, Buck. But now he don't mind people. Mas agora ele não se importa com as pessoas. Но теперь он не возражает против людей. He let the cook feed him a chunk o' meat the other day; and you remember he don't usually touch stuff that other men have handled." Ele deixou o cozinheiro lhe dar um pedaço de carne no outro dia; e você se lembra que ele geralmente não toca em coisas que outros homens manusearam." "Yep," grunted Buck, "it's sure disgustin' to have a dog as tame as that. "Sim", grunhiu Buck, "é nojento ter um cachorro tão manso assim. "Да уж, - хмыкнул Бак, - отвратительно иметь такую ручную собаку. I'd bet he ain't killed another dog for a whole day, maybe!" Готов поспорить, что он не убивал других собак целый день, наверное!" And still Barry saw no irony in this. E ainda assim Barry não via ironia nisso.

He answered, as gravely as before: "No, it was the day before yesterday. Ele respondeu, tão grave quanto antes: "Não, foi anteontem. Somebody come to town and got drunk. He had two dogs, and sicked 'em on Bart." Ele tinha dois cachorros e os adoeceu no Bart." Buck Daniels controlled an incipient shudder. Buck Daniels controlou um estremecimento incipiente.

"Both dead?" "I was inside the house," said Dan sadly, "and it took me a couple of seconds to get outside. "Eu estava dentro de casa", disse Dan tristemente, "e demorei alguns segundos para sair. Of course by that time Bart had cut their throats." É claro que a essa altura Bart já havia cortado suas gargantas." "Of course. Didn't the drunk guy try to pot Bart?" O cara bêbado não tentou matar Bart?" Разве тот пьяный парень не пытался накормить Барта травкой?" "Yes, he got out his gun; but, Mr. O'Brien, the bartender, persuaded him out of it. "Sim, ele pegou sua arma, mas o Sr. O'Brien, o barman, o convenceu a desistir. I was glad there wasn't no trouble." "My God!" exclaimed Buck Daniels. And then: "Well, let's go inside. We'll take your man-eater along, if you want to." Levaremos seu devorador de homens junto, se você quiser. Если хочешь, мы возьмем с собой твоего людоеда". A shadow came in the eyes of Barry. Uma sombra surgiu nos olhos de Barry.

"Can't we talk jest as well out here?" "Não podemos falar de brincadeira também aqui?" "Разве мы не можем разговаривать здесь с таким же успехом?" "What's the matter with findin' some chairs?" "Qual é o problema de encontrar algumas cadeiras?" "Because I don't like to get inside walls. "Porque eu não gosto de entrar nas paredes. You know how four walls seem like so many pairs of eyes standin' around you?" Você sabe como quatro paredes parecem tantos pares de olhos ao seu redor?" Знаете, как четыре стены кажутся множеством пар глаз, стоящих вокруг вас?" "No," said Buck bluntly, "I don't know nothin' of the kind. "Não", disse Buck sem rodeios, "não sei nada desse tipo. What d'you mean?" "I dunno," answered Barry, depressed. "Não sei", respondeu Barry, deprimido. "It jest seems that way. "Parece que sim. Ain't you noticed how sort of close it is in a house? Você não percebeu o quão perto está em uma casa? Разве вы не заметили, как тесно в доме? Hard to breathe? Like you had on a shirt too small for you." "We'll stay out here, then." The other nodded, smiled, and made a gesture to the dog behind him. Black Bart crouched on the ground, and Dan Barry sat down cross-legged, his shoulders leaning against the shaggy pelt of Bart. Black Bart agachou-se no chão e Dan Barry sentou-se de pernas cruzadas, os ombros encostados na pele desgrenhada de Bart. Daniels followed the example with less grace. He was thinking very hard and fast, and he rolled a Durham cigarette to fill the interlude. Ele estava pensando muito e rápido, e enrolou um cigarro Durham para preencher o interlúdio.

"I s'pose you're bustin' to find out the news about the folks," he said dryly, at last. "Eu suponho que você está querendo descobrir as notícias sobre o pessoal", disse ele secamente, finalmente. "Полагаю, вы хотите узнать новости о семье, - сухо сказал он наконец. The other sat with his hands loosely clasped in his lap. O outro estava sentado com as mãos frouxamente entrelaçadas no colo. His wide eyes looked far away, and there was about his lips that looseness, that lack of compression, which one sees so often in children. Seus olhos arregalados olhavam para longe, e havia em seus lábios aquela frouxidão, aquela falta de compressão, que se vê com tanta frequência em crianças. He might have sat, in that posture, for the statue of thoughtlessness. Ele poderia ter se sentado, nessa postura, para a estátua da irreflexão.

"What folks?" he asked at last

Buck Daniels had lighted a match, but now he sat staring blank until the match burned down to his fingers. With an oath he tossed the remnant away and lighted another. Com um juramento, ele jogou fora o restante e acendeu outro. He had drawn down several long breaths of smoke to the bottom of his lungs before he could speak again. Ele tinha puxado várias longas baforadas de fumaça para o fundo de seus pulmões antes que pudesse falar novamente.

"Some people you used to know; I suppose you've forgotten all about 'em, eh?" His eyes narrowed; there was a spark of something akin to dread in them. Seus olhos se estreitaram; havia uma faísca de algo semelhante ao medo neles. "Kate Cumberland?" he queried.

A light came in the face of Dan Barry.

"Kate Cumberland?" he repeated. "How is she, Buck? Lately, I been thinkin' about her every day." A trembling took the body and the voice of Daniels; his errand, after all, might meet some success. Um tremor tomou o corpo e a voz de Daniels; sua missão, afinal, poderia ter algum sucesso.

"Kate?" he repeated. "Oh, ay, she's well enough. But Joe Cumberland ain't." "No?" "He's dyin' Dan." And Dan replied calmly. E Dan respondeu calmamente. "He's kind of old, I s'pose." "Old?" said Buck, with a sort of horror. "Yes, he's old, right enough. "Sim, ele é velho, certo o suficiente. D'you know why he's dying? It's because you went away the way you done, Dan. É porque você foi embora do jeito que foi, Dan. Это потому, что ты ушел так, как ушел, Дэн. That's what's killin' him." É isso que o está matando." Something of thought came in the face of Barry.

"Maybe I understand," he said slowly. "If I was to lose Satan, or Bart—" here the great dog whined at the mention of his name, and Barry dropped a slender hand across the scarred forehead of his servant. "Se eu perder Satanás, ou Bart..." aqui o grande cão ganiu com a menção de seu nome, e Barry deixou cair uma mão esbelta sobre a testa cheia de cicatrizes de seu servo. "Если бы я потерял Сатану или Барта..." - при упоминании этого имени огромный пес заскулил, а Барри провел тонкой рукой по покрытому шрамами лбу своего слуги. "If I was to lose 'em, I'd sort of mourn for 'em, maybe." "Se eu fosse perdê-los, eu meio que choraria por eles, talvez." "Если бы я их потерял, я бы, наверное, оплакивал их". Buck Daniels set his teeth. Buck Daniels cerrou os dentes.

"I don't suppose it seems possible," he said, "that a man could miss another man the way you could miss your—dog, eh? "Acho que não parece possível", disse ele, "que um homem possa sentir falta de outro homem da mesma forma que você sente falta do seu... cachorro, hein? "Не думаю, что это возможно, - сказал он, - чтобы человек мог скучать по другому человеку так, как ты скучаешь по своей собаке, а? But it is! Joe Cumberland is dying for you, Dan, as sure as if you'd put a bullet in his bowels." Joe Cumberland está morrendo por você, Dan, tão certo como se você tivesse colocado uma bala nas entranhas dele. Джо Камберленд умирает по тебе, Дэн, так же уверенно, как если бы ты всадил ему пулю в кишки". The other hesitated and then frowned and made a gesture of vague dismissal. O outro hesitou e depois franziu a testa e fez um gesto de vaga dispensa.

"Don't you figure on doin' nothing about it?" "Você não pensa em não fazer nada sobre isso?" asked Buck softly.

"What could I do?" "My God A'mighty, ain't you got no human feelin's?" "Meu Deus Todo-Poderoso, você não tem sentimentos humanos?" "I dunno what you mean," said the soft voice. "This! Can't you git on your hoss and ride back with me to Cumberland Ranch? Você não pode se levantar e voltar comigo para Cumberland Ranch? Stay with the old man till he gets back on his feet. Fique com o velho até ele se levantar. Ain't that easy to do? Não é fácil de fazer? Is your time so damned valuable you can't spare a few days for that?" Seu tempo é tão valioso que você não pode dispensar alguns dias para isso?" "But I am goin' back," answered Dan, in a rather hurt voice. "Mas eu vou voltar", respondeu Dan, com uma voz bastante magoada. "They ain't no need for cussin' me, Buck. "Eles não precisam me xingar, Buck. "Не стоит ругать меня, Бак. I been thinkin' of Kate, every day, almost." "Since when?" "I dunno." Dan stirred uneasily. Dan se mexeu inquieto. He looked up, and far above Buck, following the direction of Dan's eyes, saw a pattern of wild geese. Ele olhou para cima e, muito acima de Buck, seguindo a direção dos olhos de Dan, viu um padrão de gansos selvagens. "I been sort of driftin' North towards the Cumberland Ranch and Kate," went on Dan. "Eu estava meio que vagando para o norte em direção ao Cumberland Ranch e Kate", continuou Dan. "Я как бы дрейфовал на север, к ранчо Камберленд и Кейт, - продолжил Дэн. He sighed: "I been thinkin' of her eyes, which is blue, Buck, and her hair, and the soft sound of her voice. Ele suspirou: "Eu estive pensando nos olhos dela, que são azuis, Buck, e seu cabelo, e o som suave de sua voz. They been hangin' in my ears, stayin' behind my eyes, lately, and I been driftin' up that way steady." Eles estão pendurados nos meus ouvidos, atrás dos meus olhos, ultimamente, e eu tenho flutuado assim firme." "Why, man," cried Buck, "then what's there to keep you here? "Ora, cara", gritou Buck, "então o que há para mantê-lo aqui? Jump on your hoss, and we'll head North in ten minutes." "I will!" said Dan, full as eagerly. disse Dan, cheio de ansiedade. "We'll start full speed." "Vamos começar a toda velocidade." "Come on, then." "Wait a minute!" said Dan, his voice growing suddenly cold. disse Dan, sua voz ficando repentinamente fria. "I been forgettin' something." "Eu estive esquecendo alguma coisa." Buck Daniels turned and found his companion strangely changed. There was a set expression of coldness about his face, and a chill glitter in his eyes. Havia uma expressão de frieza em seu rosto e um brilho frio em seus olhos.

"I got to wait here for something." "What's that?" "They's a man in town that may want to see me." "Ele é um homem na cidade que pode querer me ver." "Mac Strann! I've heard about him. Dan, are you goin' to let Joe Cumberland die because you want to stay here and fight it out with a dirty cutthroat?" Dan, você vai deixar Joe Cumberland morrer porque você quer ficar aqui e lutar com um assassino sujo?" "I don't want to fight," protested Barry. "No, there ain't nothin' I like less than fightin'!" Buck Daniels cursed softly and continuously to himself. Buck Daniels praguejou baixinho e continuamente para si mesmo.

"Dan," he said, "can you sit there and lie like that to me? "Dan", ele disse, "você pode sentar aí e mentir assim para mim? "Дэн, - сказал он, - ты можешь сидеть здесь и так лгать мне? Ain't I seen you in action? Don't I remember the way you trailed Jim Silent? Não me lembro do jeito que você seguiu Jim Silent? Разве я не помню, как ты преследовал Джима Сайлента? Don't I remember how we all got down and prayed you to keep away from Jim? Não me lembro como todos nós descemos e oramos para que você ficasse longe de Jim? Don't I remember how you threw everything to hell so's you could get your hands on Jim? Não me lembro de como você jogou tudo no inferno para poder colocar as mãos em Jim? My God A'mighty, man, didn't I see your face when you had your fingers in Silent's throat?" Meu Deus Todo-Poderoso, cara, eu não vi seu rosto quando você estava com os dedos na garganta de Silencioso?" An expression of unutterable revulsion rippled over the face of Dan Barry. Uma expressão de repulsa indescritível ondulou no rosto de Dan Barry.

"Stop!" he commanded softly, and raised his slender hand. ele ordenou suavemente, e levantou sua mão esbelta. "Don't keep on talkin' about it. It makes me sick—all through. Isso me deixa doente – o tempo todo. Oh, Buck, they's a tingle in the tips of my fingers still from the time I had 'em in his throat. Oh, Buck, eles ainda são um formigamento nas pontas dos meus dedos desde o momento em que os enfiei na garganta. О, Бак, у меня до сих пор щекочет кончики пальцев от того, как я держал их в его горле. And it makes me feel unclean—the sort of uncleanness that won't wash out with no kind of soap and water. E isso me faz sentir impuro — o tipo de impureza que não sai com nenhum tipo de água e sabão. Buck, I'd most rather die myself than fight a man!" Buck, eu prefiro morrer do que lutar com um homem!" A vast amazement overspread the countenance of Buck Daniels as he listened to this outburst; it was as if he had heard a healthy man proclaim that he had no desire for bread and meat. Um grande espanto cobriu o semblante de Buck Daniels enquanto ele ouvia essa explosão; era como se tivesse ouvido um homem saudável proclamar que não desejava pão e carne. Something rose to his lips, but he swallowed it. Algo subiu aos seus lábios, mas ele engoliu.

"Then it looks kind of simple to me," he said. "You hate fightin'. This gent Mac Strann likes it; he lives on it; he don't do nothing but wait from day to day hungerin' for a scrap. Este cavalheiro Mac Strann gosta; ele vive disso; ele não faz nada além de esperar dia a dia faminto por um pedaço. Этот джентльмен Мак Странн любит это дело; он живет на него; он ничего не делает, только ждет изо дня в день, голодая в поисках лома. What's the out? Qual é a saída? Jest this! Brinque com isso! Шутка! You hop on your hoss and ride out with me. Young Jerry Strann kicks out—Mac Strann starts lookin' for you—he hears that you've beat it—he goes off and forgets about you. O jovem Jerry Strann chuta - Mac Strann começa a procurar por você - ele ouve que você venceu - ele sai e esquece de você. Ain't that simple?" The old uneasiness returned to the far-seeing eyes of Dan Barry. A velha inquietação voltou aos olhos de Dan Barry.

"I dunno," he said, "maybe——" Then he paused again.

"Have you got anything to say agin it?" "Você tem alguma coisa a dizer sobre isso?" urged Buck, arguing desperately. incitou Buck, discutindo desesperadamente.

"I dunno," repeated Barry, confused, "except that I keep thinking what a terrible disappointment it'll be to this Mac Strann when his brother dies and I ain't around." Buck Daniels stared, blinked, and then burst into unmelodious laughter. Buck Daniels olhou fixamente, piscou e então explodiu numa gargalhada sem melodia. Satan trotted across the corral and raised his head above the fence, whinnying softly. Satanás trotou pelo curral e levantou a cabeça acima da cerca, relinchando baixinho. Barry turned his head and smiled up to the horse. Barry virou a cabeça e sorriu para o cavalo.

Then he said: "Seems like if Jerry Strann dies I owe somebody something. Então ele disse: "Parece que se Jerry Strann morrer, devo algo a alguém. Who? Mac Strann, I reckon. Mac Strann, eu acho. I sort of got to stay and give him his chance." Eu meio que tenho que ficar e dar a ele sua chance." "I hope to God," burst out Daniels, smashing his hands together, "that Mac Strann beats you to a pulp! "Espero em Deus", explodiu Daniels, batendo as mãos, "que Mac Strann te dê uma surra! "Надеюсь, - вскричал Дэниелс, размахивая руками, - что Мак Стрэнн изобьет тебя до полусмерти! That's what I hope!" The eyes of Dan Barry widened.

"Why d'you hope that?" he asked gently.

It brought Daniels again to speechlessness. Isso deixou Daniels novamente sem palavras.

"Is it possible?" he growled to himself. ele rosnou para si mesmo. "Are you a human bein' and yet you think more of your hoss and your damned wolf-dog than you do of the life of a man? "Você é um ser humano e ainda pensa mais em seu chefe e em seu maldito cão-lobo do que na vida de um homem? Dan, I'm askin' you straight, is that a square thing to do?" Dan, estou te perguntando direito, isso é uma coisa quadrada de se fazer?" The fragile hands went out to him, palm up. As mãos frágeis foram para ele, palmas para cima.

"Don't you see, Buck? I don't want to be this way. I jest can't help it!" Eu não posso evitar!" "Then the Lord help poor old Joe Cumberland—him that took you in out of the desert—him that raised you from the time you was a kid—him that nursed you like you was his own baby—him that loved you more'n he loved Kate—him that's lyin' back there now with fire in his eyes, waitin', waitin', waitin', for you to come back. "Então o Senhor ajude o pobre velho Joe Cumberland - aquele que o tirou do deserto - ele que o criou desde que você era criança - ele que cuidou de você como se você fosse seu próprio bebê - ele que te amou mais do que ele amava Kate — ele que está lá atrás agora com fogo nos olhos, esperando, esperando, esperando, para você voltar. "Тогда помоги Господь бедному старому Джо Камберленду - тому, кто взял тебя из пустыни, тому, кто растил тебя с самого детства, тому, кто нянчил тебя, как своего ребенка, тому, кто любил тебя больше, чем Кейт, тому, кто лежит сейчас там, с огнем в глазах, и ждет, ждет, ждет, ждет, когда ты вернешься. Dan, if you was to see him you'd go down on your knees and ask him to forgive you!" Dan, se você fosse vê-lo, você se ajoelharia e pediria que ele o perdoasse!" "I s'pose I would," murmured Barry thoughtfully. "Dan, you're goin' to go with me!" "Dan, você vai comigo!" "I don't somehow think its my time for movin', Buck." "Eu não acho que seja minha hora de me mudar, Buck." "Is that all you got to say to me?" "I guess maybe it is, Buck." "If I was to beg you to come for old-time's sake, and all we been through together, you and me, wouldn't it make no difference to you?" "Se eu implorasse para você vir pelos velhos tempos, e tudo o que passamos juntos, você e eu, não faria diferença para você?" "Если бы я умолял тебя приехать ради старых добрых времен и всего того, что мы пережили вместе, ты и я, разве это не имело бы для тебя значения?" The large, gentle eyes focused far beyond Buck Daniels, somewhere on a point in the pale, hazy blue of the spring sky. Os olhos grandes e gentis focalizaram muito além de Buck Daniels, em algum ponto no azul pálido e nebuloso do céu de primavera.

"I'm kind of tired of talkin', Buck," he said at length. "Estou meio cansado de falar, Buck", disse ele por fim. And Buck Daniels rose and walked slowly away, with his head fallen. Behind him the stallion neighed suddenly and loud, and it was so much like a blast of defiant triumph that Buck whirled and shook his clenched fist at Satan. Atrás dele, o garanhão relinchou de repente e alto, e foi tão parecido com uma explosão de triunfo desafiador que Buck girou e sacudiu o punho cerrado para Satã. Позади него неожиданно громко взревел жеребец, и это было так похоже на взрыв вызывающего триумфа, что Бак взвизгнул и потряс сжатым кулаком в сторону Сатаны.