下载辰思小说免费APP
“Howd’ye，boys？“saidsomeone，andtherewasNateBuckner。“It’sonmeto-day，“hecontinued，shovingwhiskeyalongthebar；andIsawhewasalittledrunk。“I’msetting’emup，“hecontinued。“Why？Why，because“——helookedaroundforappreciation——“becauseit’snoteveryson-of-a-guninWyominggetspardonedbyGovernorBarker。I’mimportant，Iwantyoutounderstand，“hepursuedtothecoldbystanders。“They’llhaveapictureofmeintheCheyennepaper。’TheBronco-busterofPowderRiver!’Theycan’tdowithoutme!Ifanyson-of-a-gunherethinksheknowshowtobreakacolt，“heshouted，lookingaroundwiththeirrelevantfiercenessofdrink——andthenhischallengeebbedvacantlyinlaughterasthesubjectblurredinhismind。“You’renotdrinking，Lin，“saidhe。
“No，“saidMcLean，“I’mnot。“
“Swornoffagain？Well，waterneverdidagreewithme。“
“Yu’nevergavewaterthechance，“retortedthecow-puncher，andwelefttheplacewithoutmyhavingdrunkhishealth。
Itwasagrimbeginning，thisbragattempttolaughhisreputationdown，withthejaildoorscarceclosedbehindhim。“Folksarenotgoingtolikethat，“saidLin，aswewalkedacrossthebridgeagaintothehotel。Yetthesister，leftalonehereafteranhouratmostofherbrother’scompany，wouldpretenditwasamatterofcourse。Natewasnotin，shetoldusatonce。HehadbusinesstoattendtoandfriendstoseehemustgetbacktoRiversideanddowninthatcountrywherecoltswerewaitingforhim。HewastheonlyonetheE。K。outfitwouldallowtohandletheiryoungstock。Didweknowthat？AndshewasgoingtostaywithaMrs。
Piercedownthereforawhile，nearwhereNatewouldbeworking。Allthisshetoldus；butwhenhedidnotreturntodinewithheronthisfirstday，Ithinkshefoundithardtosustainherwilfulcheeriness。Linofferedtotakeherdrivingtoseethemilitarypostanddressparadeatretreat，andCloud’sPeak，andBuffalo’svarioussights；butshemadeexcusesandretiredtoherroom。Nate，however，wasattea，shavenclean，withgoodclothes，andwellconducted。HistoneandmannertoJessaminewereconfidentialandcaressing，andoffendedMr。McLean，sothatI
observedtohimthatitwasscarcelyreasonabletobejealous。
“Oh，nojealousy!“saidhe。“Buthecomesinandkissesher，andhekisseshergood-night，andusstrangerslookingon!It’ssuchoncontrollableaffection，yu’see，afterneverwritingforfiveyears。I
expectshemusthavesomeofhersavingsleft。“
Itistruethatthesistergavethebrothermoneymorethanonce；andasourwayslaytogether，Ihadchancestoseethemboth，andtowonderifherjoyatbeingwithhimonceagainwasgoingtolast。OntheroadtoRiversideIcertainlyheardJessaminebeghimtoreturnhomewithher；
andheridiculedsuchanotion。WhatproperlifeforalivemanwasthatdeadplacebackEast？heaskedher。Ithoughthemighthaveexpressedsomeregretthattheymustdwellsofarapart，orsomeintentiontovisithernowandthen；buthesaidnothingofthesort，thoughhespokevolublyofhimselfandhisprospects。IsupposethisspectacleofbrotherandsisterhadrubbedLinthewrongwaytoomuch，forheheldhimselfandBillyaloof，joiningmeontheroadbutonce，andthenmerelytogivemethenewsthatpeopleherewantednomoreofNateBuckner；hewouldberunoutofthecountry，andrespectforthesisterwasallthatmeanwhilesavedhim。ButBuckner，likesomanysparedcriminals，seemedbrazenlyunawarehewasdisgraced，andwenthailingloudlyanyridersordriverswemet，whilebesidehimhissistersatcloseandstraight，herstanchaffectionandsupportfortheworldtosee。Forallsheletappear，shemighthavebeenbringinghimbackfromsomegallantheroismachieved；andasIrodealongthetravestyseemedmoreandmorepitiful，theoutcomedarkeranddarker。
AtalltimesisRiversidebeautiful，butmostbeautifulwhenthesundrawsdownthroughtheopeningsofthehills。Fromeachoneastreamcomesflowingclearlyoutintotheplain，andfieldsspreadgreenalongthemargins。Itwasbeneaththelong-slantedradianceofeveningthatwesawBlueCreekandfeltitscoolnessriseamongtheshiftingveilsoflight。Theredbluffeastward，thetallnaturalfortress，lostitssternmasonryofshapes，andloomedasofttoweringenchantmentof
