×

We gebruiken cookies om LingQ beter te maken. Als u de website bezoekt, gaat u akkoord met onze cookiebeleid.


image

The Night Horseman by Max Brand, CHAPTER X. "SWEET ADELINE"

CHAPTER X. "SWEET ADELINE"

Fatty Matthews came panting through the doors. He was one of those men who have a leisurely build and a purely American desire for action; so that he was always hurrying and always puffing. If he mounted a horse, sweat started out from every pore; if he swallowed a glass of red-eye he breathed hard thereafter. Yet he was capable of great and sustained exertions, as many and many a man in the Three B's could testify. He was ashamed of his fat. Imagine the soul of a Bald Eagle in the body of a Poland China sow and you begin to have some idea of Fatty Matthews. Fat filled his boots as with water and he made a "squnching" sound when he walked; fat rolled along his jowls; fat made his very forehead flabby; fat almost buried his eyes. But nothing could conceal the hawk-line of his nose or the gleam of those half-buried eyes. His hair was short-cropped, grey, and stood on end like bristles, and he was in the habit of using his panting breath in humming—for that concealed the puffing. So Fatty Matthews came through the doors and his little, concealed eyes darted from face to face. Then he kneeled beside Strann.

He was humming as he opened Jerry's shirt; he was humming as he pulled from his bag—for Fatty was almost as much doctor as he was marshal, cowpuncher, miner, and gambler—a roll of cotton and another roll of bandages. The crowd grouped around him, fascinated, and at his directions some of them brought water and others raised and turned the body while the marshal made the bandages; Jerry Strann was unconscious. Fatty Matthews began to intersperse talk in his humming.

"You was plugged from in front—my beauty—was you?" grunted Fatty, and then running the roll of bandage around the wounded man's chest he hummed a bar of: "Sweet Adeline, my Adeline, At night, dear heart, for you I pine." "Was Jerry lookin' the other way when he was spotted?" asked Fatty of the bystanders. "O'Brien, you seen it?" O'Brien cleared his throat. "I didn't see nothin'," he said mildly, and began to mop his bar, which was already polished beyond belief. "Well," muttered Fatty Matthews, "all these birds get it. And Jerry was some overdue. Lew, you seen it?" "Yep." "Some drunken bum do it?" Lew leaned to the ear of the kneeling marshal and whispered briefly. Fatty opened his eyes and cursed until his panting forced him to break off and hum.

"Beat him to the draw?" he gasped at length.

"Jerry's gun was clean out before the stranger made a move," asserted Lew. "It ain't possible," murmured the deputy, and hummed softly: "In all my dreams, your fair face beams." He added sharply, as he finished the bandaging: "Where'd he head for?" "No place," answered Lew. "He just now went out the door." The deputy swore again, but he added, enlightened; "Going to plead self-defense, eh?" Big O'Brien leaned over the bar. "Listen, Fatty," he said earnestly, "There ain't no doubt of it. Jerry had his war-paint on. He tried to kill this feller Barry's wolf." "Wolf?" cut in the deputy marshal.

"Dog, I guess," qualified the bartender. "I dunno. Anyway, Jerry made all the leads; this Barry simply done the finishing. I say, don't put this Barry under arrest. You want to keep him here for Mac Strann." "That's my business," growled Fatty. "Hey, half a dozen of you gents. Hook on to Jerry and take him up to a room. I'll be with you in a minute." And while his directions were being obeyed he trotted heavily up the length of the barroom and out the swinging doors. Outside, he found only one man, and in the act of mounting a black horse; the deputy marshal made straight for that man until a huge black dog appeared from nowhere blocking his path. It was a silent dog, but its teeth and eyes said enough to stop Fatty in full career.

"Are you Barry?" he asked.

"That's me. Come here, Bart." The big dog backed to the other side of the horse without shifting his eyes from the marshal. The latter gingerly approached the rider, who sat perfectly at ease in the saddle; most apparently he was in no haste to leave.

"Barry," said the deputy, "don't make no play when I tell you who I am; I don't mean you no harm, but my name's Matthews, and—" he drew back the flap of his vest enough to show the glitter of his badge of office. All the time his little beady eyes watched Barry with bird-like intentness. The rider made not a move. And now Matthews noted more in detail the feminine slenderness of the man and the large, placid eyes. He stepped closer and dropped a confidential hand on the pommel of the saddle.

"Son," he muttered, "I hear you made a clean play inside. Now, I know Strann and his way. He was in wrong. There ain't a doubt of it, and if I held you, you'd get clear on self-defense. So I ain't going to lay a hand on you. You're free: but one thing more. You cut off there—see?—and bear away north from the Three B's. You got a hoss that is , and believe me, you'll need him before you're through." He lowered his voice and his eyes bulged with the terror of his tidings: "Feed him the leather; ride to beat hell; never stop while your hoss can raise a trot; and then slide off your hoss and get another. Son, in three days Mac Strann'll be on your trail!" He stepped back and waved his arms.

"Now, vamos! " The black stallion flicked back its ears and winced from the outflung hands, but the rider remained imperturbed.

"I never heard of Mac Strann," said Barry. "You never heard of Mac Strann?" echoed the other.

"But I'd like to meet him," said Barry. The deputy marshal blinked his eyes rapidly, as though he needed to clear his vision.

"Son," he said hoarsely. "I c'n see you're game. But don't make a fall play. If Mac Strann gets you, he'll California you like a yearling. You won't have no chance. You've done for Jerry, there ain't a doubt of that, but Jerry to Mac is like a tame cat to a mountain-lion. Lad, I c'n see you're a stranger to these parts, but ask me your questions and I'll tell you the best way to go." Barry slipped from the saddle.

He said: "I'd like to know the best place to put up my hoss." The deputy marshal was speechless.

"But I s'pose," went on Barry, "I can stable him over there behind the hotel." Matthews pushed off his sombrero and rubbed his short fingers through his hair. Anger and amazement still choked him, but he controlled himself by a praiseworthy effort.

"Barry," he said, "I don't make you out. Maybe you figure to wait till Mac Strann gets to town before you leave; maybe you think your hoss can outrun anything on four feet. And maybe it can. But listen to me: Mac Strann ain't fast on a trail, but the point about him is that he never leaves it! You can go through rain and over rocks, but you can't never shake Mac Strann—not once he gets the wind of you." "Thanks," returned the gentle-voiced stranger. "I guess maybe he'll be worth meeting." And so saying he turned on his heel and walked calmly towards the big stables behind the hotel and at his heels followed the black dog and the black horse. As for deputy marshal Matthews, he moistened his lips to whistle, but when he pursed them, not a sound came. He turned at length into the barroom and as he walked his eye was vacant. He was humming brokenly:

"Sweet Adeline, my Adeline, At night, dear heart, for you I pine." Inside, he took firm hold upon the bar with both pudgy hands.

"O'Brien," he said, "red-eye." He pushed away the small glass which the bartender spun towards him and seized in its place a mighty water-tumbler.

"O'Brien," he explained, "I need strength, not encouragement." And filling the glass nearly to the brim he downed the huge potion at a single draught.

CHAPTER X. "SWEET ADELINE" CAPÍTULO X. "LA DULCE ADELINE" CAPITOLO X. "DOLCE ADELINE" CAPÍTULO X. "DOCE ADELINE"

Fatty Matthews came panting through the doors. Fatty Matthews entrou ofegante pelas portas. He was one of those men who have a leisurely build and a purely American desire for action; so that he was always hurrying and always puffing. Ele era um desses homens que têm uma constituição vagarosa e um desejo puramente americano de ação; de modo que ele estava sempre correndo e sempre bufando. If he mounted a horse, sweat started out from every pore; if he swallowed a glass of red-eye he breathed hard thereafter. Se ele montasse em um cavalo, o suor brotava de todos os poros; se engolisse um copo de olhos vermelhos, respirava com dificuldade depois disso. Yet he was capable of great and sustained exertions, as many and many a man in the Three B's could testify. No entanto, ele era capaz de grandes e contínuos esforços, como muitos e muitos homens nos Três B's poderiam testemunhar. He was ashamed of his fat. Ele tinha vergonha de sua gordura. Imagine the soul of a Bald Eagle in the body of a Poland China sow and you begin to have some idea of Fatty Matthews. Imagine a alma de uma águia americana no corpo de uma porca da Polônia China e você começa a ter uma ideia de Fatty Matthews. Fat filled his boots as with water and he made a "squnching" sound when he walked; fat rolled along his jowls; fat made his very forehead flabby; fat almost buried his eyes. Fat enchia suas botas como se fossem água e fazia um som de "esguicho" quando andava; gordura rolou ao longo de suas bochechas; a gordura deixava sua testa flácida; gordura quase enterrou seus olhos. But nothing could conceal the hawk-line of his nose or the gleam of those half-buried eyes. Mas nada podia esconder a linha de falcão de seu nariz ou o brilho daqueles olhos semienterrados. His hair was short-cropped, grey, and stood on end like bristles, and he was in the habit of using his panting breath in humming—for that concealed the puffing. Seus cabelos eram curtos, grisalhos, espetados como cerdas, e ele tinha o hábito de usar sua respiração ofegante para cantarolar — pois isso escondia a baforada. So Fatty Matthews came through the doors and his little, concealed eyes darted from face to face. Então Fatty Matthews entrou pelas portas e seus olhinhos escondidos correram de rosto em rosto. Then he kneeled beside Strann. Então ele se ajoelhou ao lado de Strann.

He was humming as he opened Jerry's shirt; he was humming as he pulled from his bag—for Fatty was almost as much doctor as he was marshal, cowpuncher, miner, and gambler—a roll of cotton and another roll of bandages. Ele estava cantarolando enquanto abria a camisa de Jerry; ele estava cantarolando enquanto tirava da bolsa — pois Fatty era quase tanto médico quanto marechal, vaqueiro, mineiro e jogador — um rolo de algodão e outro rolo de bandagens. The crowd grouped around him, fascinated, and at his directions some of them brought water and others raised and turned the body while the marshal made the bandages; Jerry Strann was unconscious. Fatty Matthews began to intersperse talk in his humming. Fatty Matthews começou a intercalar a fala em seu cantarolar.

"You was plugged from in front—my beauty—was you?" "Você foi plugado na frente - minha beleza - foi?" grunted Fatty, and then running the roll of bandage around the wounded man's chest he hummed a bar of: grunhiu Gordo, e então, passando o rolo de curativo em volta do peito do homem ferido, cantarolou uma barra de: "Sweet Adeline, my Adeline, At night, dear heart, for you I pine." "Doce Adeline, minha Adeline, À noite, querido coração, por você eu anseio." "Was Jerry lookin' the other way when he was spotted?" "Jerry estava olhando para o outro lado quando foi visto?" asked Fatty of the bystanders. "O'Brien, you seen it?" O'Brien cleared his throat. O'Brien limpou a garganta. "I didn't see nothin'," he said mildly, and began to mop his bar, which was already polished beyond belief. "Eu não vi nada", ele disse suavemente, e começou a esfregar sua barra, que já estava polida além da conta. "Well," muttered Fatty Matthews, "all these birds get it. "Bem", murmurou Fatty Matthews, "todos esses pássaros entendem. And Jerry was some overdue. E Jerry estava um pouco atrasado. Lew, you seen it?" Lew, você viu?" "Yep." "Some drunken bum do it?" "Algum vagabundo bêbado faz isso?" Lew leaned to the ear of the kneeling marshal and whispered briefly. Lew inclinou-se para o ouvido do marechal ajoelhado e sussurrou brevemente. Fatty opened his eyes and cursed until his panting forced him to break off and hum. Fatty abriu os olhos e praguejou até que sua respiração o forçou a parar e cantarolar.

"Beat him to the draw?" "Vencer ele no empate?" he gasped at length. ele engasgou longamente.

"Jerry's gun was clean out before the stranger made a move," asserted Lew. "A arma de Jerry foi limpa antes que o estranho fizesse um movimento", afirmou Lew. "It ain't possible," murmured the deputy, and hummed softly: "Não é possível", murmurou o deputado, e cantarolou baixinho: "In all my dreams, your fair face beams." "Em todos os meus sonhos, seu belo rosto brilha." He added sharply, as he finished the bandaging: "Where'd he head for?" Ele acrescentou bruscamente, enquanto terminava de enfaixar: "Para onde ele foi?" "No place," answered Lew. "He just now went out the door." "Ele acabou de sair pela porta." The deputy swore again, but he added, enlightened; "Going to plead self-defense, eh?" O deputado voltou a jurar, mas acrescentou, esclarecido; "Vai alegar legítima defesa, hein?" Big O'Brien leaned over the bar. Big O'Brien inclinou-se sobre o bar. "Listen, Fatty," he said earnestly, "There ain't no doubt of it. "Ouça, Fatty", disse ele com seriedade, "não há dúvida disso. Jerry had his war-paint on. Jerry estava com sua pintura de guerra. He tried to kill this feller Barry's wolf." Ele tentou matar o lobo desse cara Barry." "Wolf?" cut in the deputy marshal. corte no vice-marechal.

"Dog, I guess," qualified the bartender. "Cão, eu acho", qualificou o barman. "I dunno. "Eu não sei. Anyway, Jerry made all the leads; this Barry simply done the finishing. De qualquer forma, Jerry fez todas as pistas; este Barry simplesmente fez o acabamento. I say, don't put this Barry under arrest. Eu digo, não prenda esse Barry. You want to keep him here for Mac Strann." Você quer mantê-lo aqui para Mac Strann." "That's my business," growled Fatty. "Esse é o meu negócio", rosnou Fatty. "Hey, half a dozen of you gents. "Ei, meia dúzia de vocês, cavalheiros. Hook on to Jerry and take him up to a room. Ligue para Jerry e leve-o para um quarto. I'll be with you in a minute." And while his directions were being obeyed he trotted heavily up the length of the barroom and out the swinging doors. E enquanto suas instruções estavam sendo obedecidas, ele trotou pesadamente pela extensão do bar e saiu pelas portas de vaivém. Outside, he found only one man, and in the act of mounting a black horse; the deputy marshal made straight for that man until a huge black dog appeared from nowhere blocking his path. Lá fora, ele encontrou apenas um homem, e no ato de montar um cavalo preto; o vice-marechal foi direto para aquele homem até que um enorme cachorro preto apareceu do nada bloqueando seu caminho. It was a silent dog, but its teeth and eyes said enough to stop Fatty in full career. Era um cachorro silencioso, mas seus dentes e olhos diziam o suficiente para deter Fatty em plena carreira.

"Are you Barry?" he asked.

"That's me. Come here, Bart." The big dog backed to the other side of the horse without shifting his eyes from the marshal. O grande cão recuou para o outro lado do cavalo sem desviar os olhos do marechal. The latter gingerly approached the rider, who sat perfectly at ease in the saddle; most apparently he was in no haste to leave. Este aproximou-se cautelosamente do cavaleiro, que estava sentado perfeitamente à vontade na sela; mais aparentemente ele não estava com pressa de sair.

"Barry," said the deputy, "don't make no play when I tell you who I am; I don't mean you no harm, but my name's Matthews, and—" he drew back the flap of his vest enough to show the glitter of his badge of office. "Barry", disse o policial, "não faça brincadeiras quando eu lhe disser quem eu sou; não quero lhe fazer mal, mas meu nome é Matthews, e..." ele puxou a aba de seu colete o suficiente para mostrar o brilho de seu distintivo de escritório. All the time his little beady eyes watched Barry with bird-like intentness. Todo o tempo seus pequenos olhos redondos observavam Barry com uma intensidade de pássaro. The rider made not a move. And now Matthews noted more in detail the feminine slenderness of the man and the large, placid eyes. E agora Matthews notou com mais detalhes a magreza feminina do homem e os olhos grandes e plácidos. He stepped closer and dropped a confidential hand on the pommel of the saddle. Ele se aproximou e deixou cair uma mão confidencial no punho da sela.

"Son," he muttered, "I hear you made a clean play inside. "Filho", ele murmurou, "ouvi dizer que você fez uma jogada limpa por dentro. Now, I know Strann and his way. Agora, eu conheço Strann e seu jeito. He was in wrong. Ele estava errado. There ain't a doubt of it, and if I held you, you'd get clear on self-defense. Não há dúvida disso, e se eu te segurasse, você ficaria claro em autodefesa. So I ain't going to lay a hand on you. Então eu não vou colocar a mão em você. You're free: but one thing more. You cut off there—see?—and bear away north from the Three B's. Você corta lá... está vendo?... e segue para o norte a partir dos Três B's. You got a hoss that is , and believe me, you'll need him before you're through." Você tem um hoss que é, e acredite em mim, você vai precisar dele antes de terminar." He lowered his voice and his eyes bulged with the terror of his tidings: "Feed him the leather; ride to beat hell; never stop while your hoss can raise a trot; and then slide off your hoss and get another. Ele baixou a voz e seus olhos se arregalaram com o terror de suas notícias: "Dê-lhe o couro; cavalgue para vencer o inferno; nunca pare enquanto seu hoss pode levantar um trote; e depois deslize seu hoss e pegue outro. Son, in three days Mac Strann'll be on your trail!" He stepped back and waved his arms. Ele deu um passo para trás e acenou com os braços.

"Now, vamos! " "Agora, vamos!" The black stallion flicked back its ears and winced from the outflung hands, but the rider remained imperturbed. O garanhão preto jogou as orelhas para trás e estremeceu com as mãos estendidas, mas o cavaleiro permaneceu imperturbável.

"I never heard of Mac Strann," said Barry. "You never heard of Mac Strann?" echoed the other.

"But I'd like to meet him," said Barry. "Mas eu gostaria de conhecê-lo", disse Barry. The deputy marshal blinked his eyes rapidly, as though he needed to clear his vision. O vice-marechal piscou os olhos rapidamente, como se precisasse clarear a visão.

"Son," he said hoarsely. "Filho," ele disse com a voz rouca. "I c'n see you're game. "Eu posso ver que você está no jogo. But don't make a fall play. Mas não faça um jogo de queda. If Mac Strann gets you, he'll California you like a yearling. Se Mac Strann te pegar, ele vai gostar de você na Califórnia. You won't have no chance. You've done for Jerry, there ain't a doubt of that, but Jerry to Mac is like a tame cat to a mountain-lion. Você fez por Jerry, não há dúvida disso, mas Jerry para Mac é como um gato domesticado para um leão da montanha. Lad, I c'n see you're a stranger to these parts, but ask me your questions and I'll tell you the best way to go." Rapaz, vejo que você é um estranho por aqui, mas faça suas perguntas e eu lhe direi o melhor caminho a seguir. Barry slipped from the saddle. Barry escorregou da sela.

He said: "I'd like to know the best place to put up my hoss." Ele disse: "Gostaria de saber o melhor lugar para colocar meu hoss." The deputy marshal was speechless. O vice-marechal ficou sem palavras.

"But I s'pose," went on Barry, "I can stable him over there behind the hotel." "Mas eu suponho", continuou Barry, "que eu possa deixá-lo no estábulo ali atrás do hotel." Matthews pushed off his sombrero and rubbed his short fingers through his hair. Matthews tirou o sombrero e passou os dedos curtos pelo cabelo. Anger and amazement still choked him, but he controlled himself by a praiseworthy effort. A raiva e o espanto ainda o sufocavam, mas ele se controlou por um esforço louvável.

"Barry," he said, "I don't make you out. “Barry,” ele disse, “eu não consigo entender você. Maybe you figure to wait till Mac Strann gets to town before you leave; maybe you think your hoss can outrun anything on four feet. Talvez você pense em esperar até Mac Strann chegar à cidade antes de partir; talvez você pense que seu hoss pode ultrapassar qualquer coisa em quatro pés. And maybe it can. But listen to me: Mac Strann ain't fast on a trail, but the point about him is that he never leaves it! Mas ouça-me: Mac Strann não é rápido em uma trilha, mas o ponto sobre ele é que ele nunca a abandona! You can go through rain and over rocks, but you can't never shake Mac Strann—not once he gets the wind of you." Você pode passar pela chuva e sobre as rochas, mas nunca pode sacudir Mac Strann, não uma vez que ele te detenha." "Thanks," returned the gentle-voiced stranger. "I guess maybe he'll be worth meeting." "Acho que talvez valha a pena conhecê-lo." And so saying he turned on his heel and walked calmly towards the big stables behind the hotel and at his heels followed the black dog and the black horse. E assim dizendo ele deu meia-volta e caminhou calmamente em direção aos grandes estábulos atrás do hotel e em seus calcanhares seguiu o cachorro preto e o cavalo preto. As for deputy marshal Matthews, he moistened his lips to whistle, but when he pursed them, not a sound came. Quanto ao vice-marechal Matthews, ele umedeceu os lábios para assobiar, mas quando os apertou, nenhum som saiu. He turned at length into the barroom and as he walked his eye was vacant. Ele se virou finalmente para o bar e, enquanto caminhava, seus olhos estavam vazios. He was humming brokenly: Ele estava cantarolando entrecortado:

"Sweet Adeline, my Adeline, At night, dear heart, for you I pine." "Doce Adeline, minha Adeline, À noite, querido coração, por você eu anseio." Inside, he took firm hold upon the bar with both pudgy hands. Lá dentro, ele segurou firmemente o bar com as duas mãos rechonchudas.

"O'Brien," he said, "red-eye." He pushed away the small glass which the bartender spun towards him and seized in its place a mighty water-tumbler. Ele empurrou o pequeno copo que o barman girou em sua direção e pegou em seu lugar um poderoso copo de água.

"O'Brien," he explained, "I need strength, not encouragement." "O'Brien", explicou ele, "preciso de força, não de encorajamento." And filling the glass nearly to the brim he downed the huge potion at a single draught. E enchendo o copo quase até a borda, ele bebeu a enorme poção em um único gole.