osc.am2.redprophet-第6部分

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　　〃Sometimes；〃　said　Ta…Kumsaw。
　　〃What　do　you　mean　sometimes？〃　said　Harrison。　〃Either　he's　a　chief　or　he　isn't。〃
　　〃When　he　talks　straight；　he　is　chief；〃　said　Ta…Kumsaw。
　　〃Well；　I'm　glad　to　know　he　trusts　me；〃　said　Jackson。　But　his　smile　was　a　little　wan；　because　Hooch　was　busy　hotting　up　the　floor　under　his　feet；　and　unless　old　Hickory　could　fly；　he　wasn't　going　to　be　able　to　get　away　from　that。　Hooch　didn't　plan　to　torment　him　long。　Just　until　he　saw　Jackson　take　a　couple　of　little　hops；　and　then　try　to　explain　why　he　was　dancing　right　there　in　front　of　a　young　Shaw…Nee　warrior　and　Governor　William　Henry　Harrison。
　　Hooch's　little　game　got　spoiled；　though；　cause　at　that　very　moment；　Lolla…Wossiky　toppled　forward　and　rolled　out　from　under　the　table。　He　had　an　idiotic　grin　on　his　face；　and　his　eyes　were　closed。　〃Blue　Jacket！〃　he　cried。　Hooch　took　note　that　drink　had　finally　slurred　his　speech。　〃Hickory！〃　shouted　the　one…eyed　Red。
　　〃You　are　my　enemy；〃　said　Ta…Kumsaw；　ignoring　his　brother。
　　〃You're　wrong；〃　said　Harrison。　〃I'm　your　friend。　Your　enemy　is　up　north　of　here；　in　the　town　of　Vigor　Church。　Your　enemy　is　that　renegade　Armor…of…God　Weaver。〃
　　〃Armor…of…God　Weaver　sells　no　whisky　to　Reds。〃
　　〃Neither　do　I；〃　said　Harrison。　〃But　he's　the　one　making　maps　of　all　the　country　west　of　the　Wobbish。　So　he　can　parcel　it　up　and　sell　it　after　he's　killed　all　the　Reds。　〃
　　Ta…Kumsaw　paid　no　attention　to　Harrison's　attempt　to　turn　him　against　his　rival　to　the　north。　〃I　e　to　warn　you；〃　said　Ta…Kumsaw。
　　〃Warn　me？〃　said　Harrison。　〃You；　a　Shaw…Nee　who　doesn't　speak　for　anybody；　you　warn　me；　right　here　in　my　stockade；　with　a　hundred　soldiers　ready　to　shoot　you　down　if　I　say　the　word？〃
　　〃Keep　the　treaty；〃　said　Ta…Kumsaw。
　　〃We　do　keep　the　treaty！　It's　you　who　always　break　the　treaties！〃
　　〃Keep　the　treaty；〃　said　Ta…Kumsaw。
　　〃Or　what？〃　asked　Jackson。
　　〃Or　every　Red　west　of　the　mountains　will　e　together　and　cut　you　to　pieces。〃
　　Harrison　leaned　back　his　head　and　laughed　and　laughed。　Ta…Kumsaw　showed　no　expression。
　　〃Every　Red；　Ta…Kumsaw？〃　asked　Harrison。　〃You　mean；　even　Lolly　here？　Even　my　pet　Shaw…Nee；　my　tame　Red；　even　him？〃
　　For　the　first　time　Ta…Kumsaw　looked　at　his　brother；　who　lay　snoring　on　the　floor。　〃The　sun　es　up　every　day；　White　man。　But　is　it　tame？　Rain　falls　down　every　time。　But　is　it　tame？〃
　　〃Excuse　me；　Ta…Kumsaw；　but　this　one…eyed　drunk　here　is　as　tame　as　my　horse。〃
　　〃Oh　yes；〃　said　Ta…Kumsaw。　〃Put　on　the　on　the　bridle。　Get　on　and　ride。　See　where　this　tame　Red　goes。　Not　where　you　want。〃
　　〃Exactly　where　I　want；〃　said　Harrison。　〃Keep　that　in　mind。　Your　brother　is　always　within　my　reach。　And　if　you　ever　get　out　of　line；　boy；　I'll　arrest　him　as　your　conspirator　and　hang　him　high。〃
　　Ta…Kumsaw　smiled　thinly。　〃You　think　so。　Lolla…Wossiky　thinks　so。　But　he　will　learn　to　see　with　his　other　eye　before　you　ever　lay　a　hand　on　him。〃
　　Then　Ta…Kumsaw　turned　around　and　left　the　room。　Quietly；　smoothly；　not　stalking；　not　angry；　not　even　closing　the　door　behind　him。　He　moved　with　grace；　like　an　animal；　like　a　very　dangerous　animal。　Hooch　saw　a　cougar　once；　years　ago；　when　he　was　alone　in　the　mountains。　That's　what　Ta…Kumsaw　was。　A　killer　cat。
　　Harrison's　aide　closed　the　door。
　　Harrison　turned　to。Jackson　and　smiled。　〃You　see？〃　he　said。
　　〃What　am　I　supposed　to　see；　Mr。　Harrison？〃
　　〃Do　I　have　to　spell　it　out　for　you；　Mr。　Jackson？〃
　　〃I'm　a　lawyer。　I　like　things　spelled　out。　If　you　can　spell。〃
　　〃I　can't　even　read；〃　said　Hooch　cheerfully。
　　〃You　also　can't　keep　your　mouth　shut；〃　said　Harrison。　〃I'll　spell　it　out　for　you；　Jackson。　You　and　your　Tennizy　boys；　you　talk　about　moving　the　Reds　west　of　the　Mizzipy。　Now　let's　say　we　do　that。　What　are　you　going　to　do；　keep　soldiers　all　the　way　up　and　down　the　river；　watching　all　day　and　all　night？　They'll　be　back　across　this　river　whenever　they　want；　raiding；　robbing；　torturing；　killing〃
　　〃I'm　not　a　fool；〃　said　Jackson。　〃It　will　take　a　great　bloody　war；　but　when　we　get　them　across　the　river；　they'll　be　broken。　And　men　like　that　Ta…Kumsaw　　they'll　be　dead　or　discredited。〃
　　〃You　think　so？　Well；　during　that　great　bloody　war　you　talk　about；　a　lot　of　White　boys　will　die；　and　White　women　and　children；　too。　But　I　have　a　better　idea。　These　Reds　suck　down　likker　like　a　calf　sucks　down　milk　from　his　mama's　tit。　Two　years　ago　there　was　a　thousand　Pee…Ankashaw　living　east　of　the　My…Ammy　River。　Then　they　started　getting　likkered　up。　They　stopped　working；　they　stopped　eating；　they　got　so　weak　that　the　first　little　sickness　came　through　here；　it　wiped　them　out。　Just　wiped　them　out。　If　there's　a　Pee…Ankashaw　left　alive　here；　I　don't　know　about　it。　Same　thing　happened　up　north；　to　the　Chippy…Wa；　only　it　was　French　traders　done　it　to　them。　And　the　best　thing　about　likker　is；　it　kills　off　the　Reds　and　not　a　White　man　dies。〃
　　Jackson　rose　slowly　to　his　feet。　〃I　reckon　I'll　have　to　take　three　baths　when　I　get　home；〃　he　said；　〃and　even　then　I　still　won't　feel　clean。〃
　　Hooch　was　delighted　to　see　that　Harrison　was　really　mad。　He　rose　to　his　feet　and　shouted　at　Jackson　so　loud　that　Hooch　could　feel　his　chair　shake。　〃Don't　get　high　and　mighty　with　me；　you　hypocrite！　You　want　them　all　dead；　just　like　I　do！　There's　no　difference　between　us。〃
　　Jackson　stopped　at　the　door　and　eyed　the　governor　with　disgust。　〃The　assassin；　Mr。　Harrison；　the　poisoner；　he　can't　see　the　difference　between　himself　and　a　soldier。　But　the　soldier　can。〃
　　Unlike　Ta…Kumsaw；　Jackson　was　not　above　slamming　the　door。
　　Harrison　sank　back　down　onto　his　chair。　〃Hooch；　I've　got　to　say；　I　don't　much　like　that　fellow。〃
　　〃Never　mind；〃　said　Hooch。　〃He's　with　you。〃
　　Harrison　smiled　slowly。　〃I　know。　When　it　cornes　to　war；　we'll　all　be　together。　Except　for　maybe　that　Redkisser　up　in　Vigor　Church。〃
　　〃Even　him；〃　said　Hooch。　〃Once　a　war　starts；　the　Reds　won't　be　able　to　tell　one　White　man　from　another。　Then　his　people　will　start　dying　just　like　ours。　Then　Armor…of…God　Weaver　will　fight。〃
　　〃Yeah；　well；　if　Jackson　and　Weaver　would　likker　up　their　Reds　the　way　we're　doing　ours；　there　wouldn't　have　to　be　a　war。〃
　　Hooch　aimed　a　mouthful　at　the　spittoon　and　didn't　miss　by　much。　〃That　Red；　that　Ta…Kumsaw。〃
　　〃What　about　him？〃　asked　Harrison。
　　〃He　worries　me。〃
　　〃Not　me；〃　said　Harrison。　〃I've　got　his　brother　here　passed　out　on　my　floor。　Ta…Kumsaw　won't　do　nothing。〃
　　〃When　he　pointed　at　me；　I　felt　his　finger　touch　me　from　across　the　room。　I　think　he's　maybe　got　a　e…hither。　Or　a　far…touch。　I　think　he's　dangerous。〃
　　〃You　don't　believe　in　all　that　hexery；　do　you；　Hooch？　You're　such　an　educated　man；　I　thought　you　were　above　that　kind　of　superstition。〃
　　〃I'm　not　and　neither　are　you；　Bill　Harrison。　You　had　a　doodlebug　tell　you　where　firm　ground　was　so　you　could　build　this　stockade；　and　when　your　first　wife　had　her　babies；　you　had　a　torch　in　to　see　how　the　baby　was　laying　in　the　womb。〃
　　〃I　warn　you；〃　said　Harrison；　〃to　make　no　more　ment　about　my　wife。〃
　　〃Which　one；　now；　Bill？　The　hot　or　the　cold？〃
　　Harrison　swore　a　good　long　string　of　oaths　at　that。　Oh；　Hooch　was　delighted；　Hooch　was　pleased。　He　had　such　knack　for　hotting　things　up；　yes　sir；　and　it　was　more　fun　hotting　up　a　man's　temper；　because　there　wasn't　no　flame　then；　just　a　lot　of　steam；　a　lot　of　hot　air。
　　Well；　Hooch　let　old　Bill　Harrison　jaw　on　for　a　while。　Then　he　smiled　and　raised　his　hands　like　he　was　surrendering。　〃Now；　you　know　I　didn't　mean　no　harm；　Bill。　I　just　didn't　know　as　how　you　got　so　prissy　these　days。　I　figured　we　both　know　where　babies　grow；　how　they　got　in　there；　and　how　they　e　out；　and　your　women　don't　do　it　any　different　than　mine。　And　when　she's　lying　there　screaming　you　know　you've　got　a　midwife　there　who　knows　how　to　cast　a　sleep　on　her；　or　do　a　pain…away；　and　when　the　baby's　slow　to　e　you've　got　a　torch　telling　where　it　lays。　And　so　you　listen　to　me；　Bill　Harrison。　That　Ta…Kumsaw；　he's　got　some　kind　of　knack　in　him；　some　kind　of　power。　He's　more　than　he　seems。〃
　　〃Is　he　now；　Hooch？　Well　maybe　he　is　and　maybe　he　ain't。　But　he　said　Lolla…Wossiky　would　see　with　his　other　eye　before　I　laid　a　hand　on　him；　and　it　won't　be　long　before　I　prove　that　he's　no　prophet。〃
　　〃Speaking　of　old　one…eye；　here；　he's　starting　to　fart　something　dreadful。〃
　　Harrison　called　for　his　aide。　〃Send　in　Corporal　Withers　and　four　soldiers；　at　once。〃
　　Hooch　admired　the　way　Harrison　kept　military　discipline。　It　wasn't　thirty　seconds　before　the　soldiers　were　there；　Corporal　Withers　saluting　and　saying；　〃Yes；　sir；　General　Harrison。〃
　　〃Have　three　of　your　men　carry　this　animal　out　to　the　stable　for　me。〃
　　Corporal　Withers　obeyed　instantly；　pausing　only　to　say；　〃Yes　sir；　General　Harrison。〃
　　General　Harrison。　Hooch　smiled。　He　knew　that　Harrison's　only　mission　was　as　a　colonel　under　General　Wayne　during　the　last　French　war；　and　he　didn't　amount　to　much　even　then。　General。　Governor。　What　a　pompous
　　But　Harrison　was　talking　to　Withers　again；　and　looking　at　Hooch　as　he　did　so。　〃And　now　you　and　Private　Dickey　will　kindly　arrest　Mr。　Palmer　here　and　lock　him　up。〃
　　〃Arrest　me！〃　shouted　Hooch。　〃What　are　you　talking　about！〃
　　〃He　carries　several　weapons