第13章

Butthecow-puncherhadceasedtosmile，andnow，whileBarkerranonexuberantly，McLean’swide-openeyesresteduponhim，singularandintent，andintheirhazeldepthsthelastgleamofjocularitywentout。

“That’swherethestraincomes，yousee。Twosetsofacquaintances。

Gratefulpatientsandloyalvoters，andI’vegottokeepsolidwithbothoutfits，especiallythewivesandmothers。They’rethepeople。Soit’sdrums，anddolls，andsheeponwheels，andgames，andmonkeysonastick，andthesalesladyshowsyouamechanicalbear，anditcoststoomuch，andyouforgetwhethertheJudge’ssecondgirlisNellieorSusie，and——well，I’mjustinformyannualcircusthisafternoon!You’reinluck。

Christmasdon’ttroubleachapfixedlikeyou。“

LinMcLeanprolongedthesentencelikeadistantecho。

“Achapfixedlikeyou!“Thecow-punchersaiditslowlytohimself。“No，sure。“HeseemedtobewatchingShorty，andChalkeye，andDollarBillgoingdowntheroad。“That’sanewidea——Christmas，“hemurmured，foritwasoneofhisoldest，andhewasrecallingtheChristmaswhenheworehisfirstlongtrousers。

“Comesonceayearprettyregular，“remarkedtheprosperousGovernor。

“Seemsoftenwhenyoupaythebill。“

“Ihaven’tmadeaChristmasgift，“pursuedthecow-puncher，dreamily，“notfor——for——Lord!it’sahundredyears，Iguess。Idon’tknowanybodythathasanyrighttolookforsuchathingfromme。“Thiswasindeedanewidea，anditdidnotstopthechillthatwasspreadinginhisheart。

“Geewhiz!“saidBarker，briskly，“theregoestwelveo’clock。I’vegottomakeastart。Sorryyoucan’tcomeandhelpme。Good-bye!“

HisExcellencylefttheridersittingmotionless，andforgothimatonceinhisownpreoccupation。Hehasteneduponhisjourneytotheshopswiththelist，notinhispocket，butheldfirmly，likeaplankintheimminenceofshipwreck。TheNelliesandSusiespervadedhismind，andhestruggledwiththepresentimentthatinadayortwohewouldrecallsomeomittedandwretchedlyimportantchild。Quickhoof-beatsmadehimlookup，andMr。McLeanpassedlikeawind。TheGovernorabsentlywatchedhimgo，andsawtheponyhunchandstiffeninthecheckofhisspeedwhenLinovertookhiscompanions。Downthereinthedistancetheytookasidestreet，andBarkerrejoicinglyrememberedonemorenameandwroteitashewalked。Inafewminuteshehadcometotheshops，andmetfacetofacewithMr。McLean。

“Theboysareseein’aftermyhorse，“Linrapidlybegan，“andI’vegottomeet’emsharpatone。We’retwelveweeksshyonasquaremeal，yu’see，andthisfirsthasbeenadatefrom’wayback。I’dliketo——“HereMr。

McLeanclearedhisthroat，andhisspeechwentlesssmoothly。“Doc，I’dlikejustforawhiletowatchyu’gettin’——themmonkeys，yu’know。“

TheGovernorexpressedhisagreeablesurpriseatthischangeofmind，andwasgladofMcLean’scompanyandjudgmentduringtheimpendingselections。Apictureofacow-puncherandhimselfdiscussingacoupleofdollsrosenimblyinBarker’smentaleye，anditwaswithanimperfecthonestythathesaid，“You’llhelpmeaheap。“

AndLin，quitesincere，replied，“Thankyu’。“

SotogetherthesetwowentChristmasinginthethrong。Wyoming’sChiefExecutiveknockedelbowswiththespurredandjinglingwaif，onemanasgoodasanotherinthatraw，hopeful，full-bloodedcattleera，whichnowthesoberedWestremembersasthedaysofitsfondyouth。Foronemanhasbeenasgoodasanotherinthreeplaces——ParadisebeforetheFall；theRockyMountainsbeforethewirefence；andtheDeclarationofIndependence。AndthenthisGovernor，besidebeingyoung，almostasyoungasLinMcLeanortheChiefJustice(wholatelyhadcelebratedhisthirty-secondbirthday)，hadinhisdoctoringdaysatDryboneknownthecow-puncherwiththatfamiliaritywhichlastsalifetimewithoutbreedingcontempt；accordinglyhenowlaidahandonLin’stallshoulderanddrewhimamongthepetticoatsandtoys。

ChristmasfilledthewindowsandChristmasstirredinmankind。Cheyenne，notover-zealousindoctrineorlitanies，andwiththeopinionthataworldinthehandisworthtwointhebush，neverthelesswasflockingtogether，neighbortothinkofneighbor，andeveryonetorememberthechildren；asacredassembly，afterall，gatheredtorehearseunwittinglythearticlesofitsbelief，theCreedandDoctrineoftheChild。Linsawthemhurryandsmileamongthepaperfairies；theyquestionedandhesitated，crowdedandmadedecisions，failedutterlytofindtherightthing，forgotandhastenedback，sufferedallthevariousdesperationsoftheeleventhhour，andturnedhomeward，droppingtheirparcelswiththatundimmedgood-willthatonceayearmakesgracioustheuniversalhumanface。Thisbrotherhoodswamandbeamedbeforethecow-puncher’sbroodingeyes，andinhisearsthegreetingoftheseasonsang。Childrenescapedfromtheirmothersandranchirpingbehindthecounterstotouchandmeddleinplacesforbidden。Friendsdashedagainsteachotherwithrabbitsandmagiclanterns，greetedinhaste，andweregone，amidthesoundofmusicalboxes。

ThroughthistinkleandbleatingoflittlemachinerythemurmurofthehumanheartdriftedinandoutofMcLean’shearing；fragmentsofhometalk，tendernesses，economies，intimatefirstnames，anddinnerhours，andwhetheritwasjoyorsadness，itwasincommon；theworldseemedknitinasingleskeinofhometies。Twoorthreecamebywhosepursesmusthavebeenslender，andwhosepurchaseswerehumbleandchosenaftermuchniceadjustment；andwhenoneplainmandroppedawordaboutbothendsmeeting，andthewomanwithhimlaidahandonhisarm，sayingthathischildrenmustnotfeelthisyearwasdifferent，Linmadeasteptowardthem。Therewerehoursandspotswherehecouldreadilyhavedescendeduponthematthat，playedtheroleofclinkingaffluence，wavedthanksasidewithcompetentblasphemy，andtossingoffsomeinfamouswhiskey，canteredawayinthefullself-consciousstrutofthefrontier。

Butherewasnotthemoment；theabashedcow-punchercouldmakenosuchparadeinthisplace。Thepeoplebrushedbyhimbackandforth，busyupontheirerrands，andawareofhimscarcelymorethanifhehadbeenaspiritlookingonfromthehelplessdead；andso，whiletheseweavingneedsandkindnessesofmanwerewithinarm’stouchofhim，hewaslockedoutsidewithhisimpulses。Barkerhad，inthenaturalpressofcustomers，longpartedfromhim，tobecomeimmersedinchoosingandrejecting；andnow，withafairpartofhismissionaccomplished，hewasreadytogoontothenextplace，andturnedtobeckonMcLean。Hefoundhimobliteratedinacornerbesidealife-sizedimageofSantaClaus，standingasstillasthefrostysaint。

“Helookslivelierthanyoudo，“saidtheheartyGovernor。“’Fraidit’sbeenslowwaiting。“

“No，“repliedthecow-puncher，thoughtfully。“No，Iguessnot。“

ThisuncertaintywasexpressedwithsuchgentlenessthatBarkerroared。

“Youneverdidlietome，“hesaid，“longasI’veknownyou。Well，nevermind。I’vegotsomerealadvicetoaskyounow。“

AtthisMr。McLean’sfacegrewmorealert。“SayDoc，“saidhe，“whatdoyu’wantforChristmasthatnobody’slikelytogiveyu’？“

“Abigpractice——bigenoughtointerferewithmypolitics。“

“Whatelse？Thingsandtruck，Imean。“

“Oh——nothingI’llget。Peopledon’tgivethingsmuchtofellowslikeme。“

“Don’tthey？Don’tthey？“

“Why，youandSantaClausweren’tputtingupanyschemeonmystocking？“

“Well——“

“Ibelieveyou’reinearnest!“criedhisExcellency。“That’ssimplyrich!“Herewasathingtorelish!TheFrontiercomestotown“heeledforabigtime，“findsthatpresentsarealltherage，andmustimmediatelygivesomebodysomething。Oh，childlike，miscellaneousFrontier!Sothoughtthegood-heartedGovernor；anditseemsavenialmisconception。

“Mydearfellow，“headded，meaningaswellaspossible，“Idon’twantyoutospendyourmoneyonme。“

“I’vegotplentyallright，“saidLin，shortly。

“Plenty’snotthepoint。I’lltakeasmanydrinksasyoupleasewithyou。

Youdidn’texpectanythingfromme？“

“Thatain’t——thatdon’t——“

“There!Ofcourseyoudidn’t。Then，whatareyougettingproudabout？

Here’sourshop。“Theysteppedinfromthestreettonewcrowdsandcounters。“Now，“pursuedtheGovernor，“thisisforaveryparticularfriendofmine。Heretheyare。Now，whichofthosedoyoulikebest？“

TheyweresetsofTennysonincasesholdinglittlevolumesequalinnumber，butthebindingvarious，andMr。McLeanreachedhisdecisionafteronelook。“That，“saidhe，andlaidalargemuscularhandupontheLaureate。Theyoungladybehindthecounterspokeoutacidly，andLinpulledtheabjecthandaway。Histaste，however，happenedtobesound，or，atleast，itwasatonewiththeGovernor’s；butnowtheylearnedthattherewasadistressingvarianceinthematterofprice。

TheGovernorstaredatthedelicatearticleofhischoice。“IknowthatTennysoniswhatshe——iswhat’swanted，“hemuttered；and，feelinghimselfnudged，lookedaroundandsawLin’sextendedfist。Thisgesturehetookforafacetioussympathy，and，dolorouslygraspingthehand，foundhimselfholdingalumpofbills。Sheeramazementrelaxedhim，andthecow-puncher’smattedwealthtumbledonthefloorinsightofallpeople。Barkerpickeditupandgaveitback。“No，no，no!“hesaid，mirthfuloverhisowninclinationtobeannoyed；“youcan’tdothat。I’mjustasmuchobliged，Lin，“headded。

“Justasaloan，Doc——someofit。I’mgrass-belliedwithspot-cash。“

Agigglebehindthecounterdisturbedthemboth，butthesharpyoungladywasonlydusting。TheGovernoratoncepaidhaughtilyforTennyson’sexpensiveworks，andthecow-puncherpushedhisdiscountenancedsavingsbackintohisclothes。Makinghastetoleavethebookdepartmentofthisshop，theyregainedamutualease，andtheGovernorbecamewaggishoverLin’sconcernatbeingtoorich。Hesuggestedtohimthelistofdelinquenttaxpayersandthelatestcensusfromwhichtoselectindigentpersons。Hehadpatients，too，whoseinveteratepennilessnesshecouldswearcheerfullyto——“sinceyouwanttoboltfromyourownmoney，“heremarked。

“Yes，I’magreenhorse，“assentedMr。McLean，gallantly；“ain’tusedtothelooksofatwenty-dollarbill，andIshyat’em。“

Fromhisface——thatjocularmask——onemighthavecountedhimthemostsereneandcarelessofvagrants，andinhiswordsonlytheordinaryvoiceofbanterspoketotheGovernor。Agoodwoman，itmaywellbe，wouldhaveguessedbeforethisthesensitivesoulintheblunderingbody，butBarkersawjustthefamiliar，whimsical，happy-go-luckyMcLeanofolddays，andsohewentgaylyandinnocentlyon，treadinguponholyground。

“I’vegotit!“heexclaimed；“giveyourwifesomething。“

Theruddycow-punchergrinned。Hehadpassedthroughtheworldofwomanwithbutfewdelays，rejoicingininformalandtransiententanglements，andhewelcomedtheturnwhichtheconversationseemednowtobetaking。

“Ifyou’llgivemehernameandaddress，“saidhe，withthefutureentirelyinhismind。

“Why，Laramie!“andtheGovernorfeignedsurprise。

“Say，Doc，“saidLin，uneasily，“noneof’emain’tmarriedmesinceIsawyu’last。“

“Thenshehasn’twrittenfromLaramie，“saidthehilariousGovernor，andMr。McLeanunderstoodandwincedinhisspiritdeepdown。“Geewhiz!“

wentonBarker，“I’llneverforgetyouandLuskthatday!“

Butthemaskfellnow。“You’retalkingofhiswife，notmine，“saidthecow-puncherveryquietly，andsmilingnomore；“and，Doc，I’mgoingtosayawordtoyu’，forIknowyu’vealwaysbeenmygoodfriend。I’llneverforgetthatdaymyself——butIdon’twanttoberemindedofit。“

“I’mafool，Lin，“saidtheGovernor，generousinstantly。“Ineversupposed——“

“Iknowyu’didn’t，Doc。Itain’tyouthat’sthefool。Andinaway——inaway——“Lin’sspeechendedamonghiscrowdingmemories，andBarker，seeinghowwistfulhisfacehadturned，waited。“ButIain’tquitethesamefoolIwasbeforethathappenedtome，“thecow-puncherresumed，“thoughmaybemyactionsdon’tshowtobewiser。Iknowthattherewasbetterluckthanamanlikemehadanycalltolookfor。“

ThesoberedBarkersaid，simply，“Yes，Lin。“Hewasputtothinkingbythesewordsfromtheunsuspectedinnerman。