by Owen Wister
III. STEVE TREATS
It was for several minutes, I suppose, that I stood drawing these silentmorals. No man occupied himself with me. Quiet voices, and games ofchance, and glasses lifted to drink, continued to be the peaceful orderof the night. And into my thoughts broke the voice of that card-dealerwho had already spoken so sagely. He also took his turn at moralizing.
"What did I tell you?" he remarked to the man for whom he continued todeal, and who continued to lose money to him.
"Tell me when?"
"Didn't I tell you he'd not shoot?" the dealer pursued with complacence."You got ready to dodge. You had no call to be concerned. He's not thekind a man need feel anxious about."
The player looked over at the Virginian, doubtfully. "Well," he said, "Idon't know what you folks call a dangerous man."
"Not him!" exclaimed the dealer with admiration. "He's a brave man.That's different."
The player seemed to follow this reasoning no better than I did.
"It's not a brave man that's dangerous," continued the dealer. "It's thecowards that scare me." He paused that this might sink home.
"Fello' came in here las' Toosday," he went on. "He got into somemisunderstanding about the drinks. Well, sir, before we could put himout of business, he'd hurt two perfectly innocent onlookers. They'd nomore to do with it than you have," the dealer explained to me.
"Were they badly hurt?" I asked.
"One of 'em was. He's died since."
"What became of the man?"
"Why, we put him out of business, I told you. He died that night. Butthere was no occasion for any of it; and that's why I never like tobe around where there's a coward. You can't tell. He'll always go toshooting before it's necessary, and there's no security who he'llhit. But a man like that black-headed guy is (the dealer indicated theVirginian) need never worry you. And there's another point why there'sno need to worry about him: IT'D BE TOO LATE."
These good words ended the moralizing of the dealer. He had given usa piece of his mind. He now gave the whole of it to dealing cards.I loitered here and there, neither welcome nor unwelcome at present,watching the cow-boys at their play. Saving Trampas, there was scarcea face among them that had not in it something very likable. Here werelusty horsemen ridden from the heat of the sun, and the wet of thestorm, to divert themselves awhile. Youth untamed sat here for an idlemoment, spending easily its hard-earned wages. City saloons rose intomy vision, and I instantly preferred this Rocky Mountain place. Moreof death it undoubtedly saw, but less of vice, than did its New Yorkequivalents.
And death is a thing much cleaner than vice. Moreover, it was by nomeans vice that was written upon these wild and manly faces. Even wherebaseness was visible, baseness was not uppermost. Daring, laughter,endurance--these were what I saw upon the countenances of the cow-boys.And this very first day of my knowledge of them marks a date with me.For something about them, and the idea of them, smote my American heart,and I have never forgotten it, nor ever shall, as long as I live. Intheir flesh our natural passions ran tumultuous; but often in theirspirit sat hidden a true nobility, and often beneath its unexpectedshining their figures took on heroic stature.
The dealer had styled the Virginian "a black-headed guy." This did wellenough as an unflattered portrait. Judge Henry's trustworthy man, withwhom I was to drive two hundred and sixty-three miles, certainly had avery black head of hair. It was the first thing to notice now, if oneglanced generally at the table where he sat at cards. But the eye cameback to him--drawn by that inexpressible something which had led thedealer to speak so much at length about him.
Still, "black-headed guy" justly fits him and his next performance. Hehad made his plan for this like a true and (I must say) inspired devil.And now the highly appreciative town of Medicine Bow was to be treatedto a manifestation of genius.
He sat playing his stud-poker. After a decent period of losing andwinning, which gave Trampas all proper time for a change of luck anda repairing of his fortunes, he looked at Steve and said amiably: "Howdoes bed strike you?"
I was beside their table, learning gradually that stud-poker has init more of what I will call red pepper than has our Eastern game. TheVirginian followed his own question: "Bed strikes me," he stated.
Steve feigned indifference. He was far more deeply absorbed in his betand the American drummer than he was in this game; but he chose to takeout a fat, florid gold watch, consult it elaborately, and remark, "It'sonly eleven."
"Yu' forget I'm from the country," said the black-headed guy. "Thechickens have been roostin' a right smart while."
His sunny Southern accent was again strong. In that brief passage withTrampas it had been almost wholly absent. But different moods of thespirit bring different qualities of utterance--where a man comes bythese naturally. The Virginian cashed in his checks.
"Awhile ago," said Steve, "you had won three months' salary."
"I'm still twenty dollars to the good," said the Virginian. "That'sbetter than breaking a laig."
Again, in some voiceless, masonic way, most people in that saloon hadbecome aware that something was in process of happening. Several lefttheir games and came to the front by the bar.
"If he ain't in bed yet--" mused the Virginian.
"I'll find out," said I. And I hurried across to the dim sleeping room,happy to have a part in this.
They were all in bed; and in some beds two were sleeping. How they coulddo it--but in those days I was fastidious. The American had come inrecently and was still awake.
"Thought you were to sleep at the store?" said he.
So then I invented a little lie, and explained that I was in search ofthe Virginian.
"Better search the dives," said he. "These cow-boys don't get to townoften."
At this point I stumbled sharply over something.
"It's my box of Consumption Killer," explained the drummer; "Well, Ihope that man will stay out all night."
"Bed narrow?" I inquired.
"For two it is. And the pillows are mean. Takes both before you feelanything's under your head."
He yawned, and I wished him pleasant dreams.
At my news the Virginian left the bar at once; and crossed to thesleeping room. Steve and I followed softly, and behind us severalmore strung out in an expectant line. "What is this going to be?" theyinquired curiously of each other. And upon learning the great noveltyof the event, they clustered with silence intense outside the door wherethe Virginian had gone in.
We heard the voice of the drummer, cautioning his bed-fellow. "Don'ttrip over the Killer," he was saying. "The Prince of Wales barked hisshin just now." It seemed my English clothes had earned me this title.
The boots of the Virginian were next heard to drop.
"Can yu' make out what he's at?" whispered Steve.
He was plainly undressing. The rip of swift unbuttoning told us that theblack-headed guy must now be removing his overalls.
"Why, thank yu', no," he was replying to a question of the drummer."Outside or in's all one to me."
"Then, if you'd just as soon take the wall--"
"Why, cert'nly." There was a sound of bedclothes, and creaking."This hyeh pillo' needs a Southern climate," was the Virginian's nextobservation.
Many listeners had now gathered at the door. The dealer and the playerwere both here. The storekeeper was present, and I recognized the agentof the Union Pacific Railroad among the crowd. We made a large company,and I felt that trembling sensation which is common when the cap of acamera is about to be removed upon a group.
"I should think," said the drummer's voice, "that you'd feel your knifeand gun clean through that pillow."
"I do," responded the Virginian.
"I should think you'd put them on a chair and be comfortable."
"I'd be uncomfortable, then."
"Used to the feel of them, I suppose?"
"That's it. Used to the feel of them. I would miss them, and that wouldmake me wakeful."
"Well, good night."<
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"Good night. If I get to talkin' and tossin', or what not, you'llunderstand you're to--"
"Yes, I'll wake you."
"No, don't yu', for God's sake!"
"Not?"
"Don't yu' touch me."
"What'll I do?"
"Roll away quick to your side. It don't last but a minute." TheVirginian spoke with a reassuring drawl.
Upon this there fell a brief silence, and I heard the drummer clear histhroat once or twice.
"It's merely the nightmare, I suppose?" he said after a throat clearing.
"Lord, yes. That's all. And don't happen twice a year. Was you thinkin'it was fits?"
"Oh, no! I just wanted to know. I've been told before that it was notsafe for a person to be waked suddenly that way out of a nightmare."
"Yes, I have heard that too. But it never harms me any. I didn't wantyou to run risks."
"Me?"
"Oh, it'll be all right now that yu' know how it is." The Virginian'sdrawl was full of assurance.
There was a second pause, after which the drummer said:--
"Tell me again how it is."
The Virginian answered very drowsily: "Oh, just don't let your arm oryour laig touch me if I go to jumpin' around. I'm dreamin' of Indianswhen I do that. And if anything touches me then, I'm liable to grab myknife right in my sleep."
"Oh, I understand," said the drummer, clearing his throat. "Yes."
Steve was whispering delighted oaths to himself, and in his joy applyingto the Virginian one unprintable name after another.
We listened again, but now no further words came. Listening very hard,I could half make out the progress of a heavy breathing, and a restlessturning I could clearly detect. This was the wretched drummer. He waswaiting. But he did not wait long. Again there was a light creak, andafter it a light step. He was not even going to put his boots on inthe fatal neighborhood of the dreamer. By a happy thought Medicine Bowformed into two lines, making an avenue from the door. And then thecommercial traveller forgot his Consumption Killer. He fell heavily overit.
Immediately from the bed the Virginian gave forth a dreadful howl.
And then everything happened at once; and how shall mere words narrateit? The door burst open, and out flew the commercial traveller in hisstockings. One hand held a lump of coat and trousers with suspendersdangling, his boots were clutched in the other. The sight of us stoppedhis flight short. He gazed, the boots fell from his hand; and at hisprofane explosion, Medicine Bow set up a united, unearthly noise andbegan to play Virginia reel with him. The other occupants of the bedshad already sprung out of them, clothed chiefly with their pistols, andready for war. "What is it?" they demanded. "What is it?"
"Why, I reckon it's drinks on Steve," said the Virginian from his bed.And he gave the first broad grin that I had seen from him.
"I'll set 'em up all night!" Steve shouted, as the reel went onregardless. The drummer was bawling to be allowed to put at least hisboots on. "This way, Pard," was the answer; and another man whirled himround. "This way, Beau!" they called to him; "This way, Budd!" andhe was passed like a shuttle-cock down the line. Suddenly the leadersbounded into the sleeping-room. "Feed the machine!" they said. "Feedher!" And seizing the German drummer who sold jewellery, they flung himinto the trough of the reel. I saw him go bouncing like an ear of cornto be shelled, and the dance ingulfed him. I saw a Jew sent rattlingafter him; and next they threw in the railroad employee, and the otherJew; and while I stood mesmerized, my own feet left the earth. I shotfrom the room and sped like a bobbing cork into this mill race, whirlingmy turn in the wake of the others amid cries of, "Here comes the Princeof Wales!" There was soon not much English left about my raiment.
They were now shouting for music. Medicine Bow swept in like a cloud ofdust to where a fiddler sat playing in a hall; and gathering up fiddlerand dancers, swept out again, a larger Medicine Bow, growing allthe while. Steve offered us the freedom of the house, everywhere. Heimplored us to call for whatever pleased us, and as many times as weshould please. He ordered the town to be searched for more citizens tocome and help him pay his bet. But changing his mind, kegs and bottleswere now carried along with us. We had found three fiddlers, and theseplayed busily for us; and thus we set out to visit all cabins and houseswhere people might still by some miracle be asleep. The first man putout his head to decline. But such a possibility had been foreseen bythe proprietor of the store. This seemingly respectable man now camedragging some sort of apparatus from his place, helped by the Virginian.The cow-boys cheered, for they knew what this was. The man in his windowlikewise recognized it, and uttering a groan, came immediately out andjoined us. What it was, I also learned in a few minutes. For we founda house where the people made no sign at either our fiddlers or ourknocking. And then the infernal machine was set to work. Its partsseemed to be no more than an empty keg and a plank. Some citizeninformed me that I should soon have a new idea of noise; and I nervedmyself for something severe in the way of gunpowder. But the Virginianand the proprietor now sat on the ground holding the keg braced, and twoothers got down apparently to play see-saw over the top of it with theplank. But the keg and plank had been rubbed with rosin, and they drewthe plank back and forth over the keg. Do you know the sound made ina narrow street by a dray loaded with strips of iron? That noise is alullaby compared with the staggering, blinding bellow which rose fromthe keg. If you were to try it in your native town, you would not merelybe arrested, you would be hanged, and everybody would be glad, and theclergyman would not bury you. My head, my teeth, the whole system of mybones leaped and chattered at the din, and out of the house like dropssquirted from a lemon came a man and his wife. No time was given them.They were swept along with the rest; and having been routed from theirown bed, they now became most furious in assailing the remaining homesof Medicine Bow. Everybody was to come out. Many were now riding horsesat top speed out into the plains and back, while the procession of theplank and keg continued its work, and the fiddlers played incessantly.
Suddenly there was a quiet. I did not see who brought the message; butthe word ran among us that there was a woman--the engineer's womandown by the water-tank--very sick. The doctor had been to see her fromLaramie. Everybody liked the engineer. Plank and keg were heard no more.The horsemen found it out and restrained their gambols. Medicine Bowwent gradually home. I saw doors shutting, and lights go out; I sawa late few reassemble at the card tables, and the drummers gatheredthemselves together for sleep; the proprietor of the store (you couldnot see a more respectable-looking person) hoped that I would becomfortable on the quilts; and I heard Steve urging the Virginian totake one more glass.
"We've not met for so long," he said.
But the Virginian, the black-headed guy who had set all this nonsensegoing, said No to Steve. "I have got to stay responsible," was hisexcuse to his friend. And the friend looked at me. Therefore I surmisedthat the Judge's trustworthy man found me an embarrassment to hisholiday. But if he did, he never showed it to me. He had been sent tomeet a stranger and drive him to Sunk Creek in safety, and this chargehe would allow no temptation to imperil. He nodded good night to me. "Ifthere's anything I can do for yu', you'll tell me."
I thanked him. "What a pleasant evening!" I added.
"I'm glad yu' found it so."
Again his manner put a bar to my approaches. Even though I had seenhim wildly disporting himself, those were matters which he chose not todiscuss with me.
Medicine Bow was quiet as I went my way to my quilts. So still, thatthrough the air the deep whistles of the freight trains came from belowthe horizon across great miles of silence. I passed cow-boys, whom halfan hour before I had seen prancing and roaring, now rolled in theirblankets beneath the open and shining night.
"What world am I in?" I said aloud. "Does this same planet hold FifthAvenue?"
And I went to sleep, pondering over my native land.