Hygeia at the Solito.docx

Hygeia at the Solito.docx

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HygeiaattheSolito

HygeiaattheSolito

Ifyouareknowinginthechroniclesoftheringyouwillrecalltomindaneventintheearly'ninetieswhen,foraminuteandsundryoddseconds,achampionanda"would-be"facedeachotheronthealiensideofaninternationalriver.Sobriefaconflicthadrarelyimposeduponthefairpromiseoftruesport.Thereportersmadewhattheycouldofit,but,divestedofpadding,theactionwassadlyfugacious.Thechampionmerelysmotehisvictim,turnedhisbackuponhim,remarking,"IknowwhatIdonetodatstiff,"andextendedanarmlikeaship'smastforhisglovetoberemoved.

Whichaccountsforatrainloadofextremelydisgustedgentlemeninanuproaroffancyvestsandneck-wearbeingspilledfromtheirpullmansinSanAntoniointheearlymorningfollowingthefight.Whichalsopartlyaccountsfortheunhappypredicamentinwhich"Cricket"McGuirefoundhimselfashetumbledfromhiscarandsatuponthedepotplatform,tornbyaspasmofthathollow,rackingcoughsofamiliartoSanAntonianears.Atthattime,intheuncertainlightofdawn,thatwaypassedCurtisRaidler,theNuecesCountycattleman--mayhisshadownevermeasureundersixfoottwo.

Thecattleman,outthisearlytocatchthesouth-boundforhisranchstation,stoppedatthesideofthedistressedpatronofsport,andspokeinthekindlydrawlofhisilkandregion,"Gotitprettybad,bud?

"

"Cricket"McGuire,ex-feather-weightprizefighter,tout,jockey,followerofthe"ponies,"all-roundsport,andmanipulatorofthegumballsandwalnutshells,lookeduppugnaciouslyattheimputationcastby"bud."

"G'wan,"herasped,"telegraphpole.Ididn'tringforyer."

Anotherparoxysmwrunghim,andheleanedlimplyagainstaconvenientbaggagetruck.Raidlerwaitedpatiently,glancingaroundatthewhitehats,shortovercoats,andbigcigarsthrongingtheplatform."You'refromtheNo'th,ain'tyou,bud?

"heaskedwhentheotherwaspartiallyrecovered."Comedowntoseethefight?

"

"Fight!

"snappedMcGuire."Puss-in-the-corner!

'Twasahypodermicinjection.Handedhimjustonelikeasquirtofdope,andhe'sasleep,andnotanbarkneededinfrontofhisresidence.Fight!

"Herattledabit,coughed,andwenton,hardlyaddressingthecattleman,butratherforthereliefofvoicinghistroubles."Nomoredeadsuret'ingsforme.ButRusSagehimselfwouldhavesnatchedatit.FivetoonedatdeboyfromCorkwouldn'tstayt'reeroundsiswhatIinvestedin.Putmylastcenton,andcouldalreadysmellthesawdustindatall-nightjointofJimmyDelaney'sonT'irty-seventhStreetIwasgoin'tobuy.Andden--say,telegraphpole,whatagazabooaguyistoputhiswholerollononeturnofthegaboozlum!

"

"You'replentyright,"saidthebigcattleman;"more'speciallywhenyoulose.Son,yougetupandlightoutforahotel.Yougotamightybadcough.Haditlong?

"

"Lungs,"saidMcGuirecomprehensively."Igotit.ThecroakersaysI'llcometotimeforsixmonthslonger--maybeayearifIholdmygait.Iwantedtosettledownandtakecareofmyself.Dat'swhyIspeculatedondatfivetooneperhaps.Ihadat'ousandirondollarssavedup.IfIwinnedIwasgoin'tobuyDelaney'scafe.Who'dat'oughtdatstiffwouldtakeanapindefoistround--say?

"

"It'saharddeal,"commentedRaidler,lookingdownatthediminutiveformofMcGuirecrumpledagainstthetruck."Butyougotoahotelandrest.There'stheMengerandtheMaverick,and--"

"AndtheFi'thAv'noo,andtheWaldorf-Astoria,"mimickedMcGuire."ToldyouIwentbroke.I'mondebumproper.I'vegotonedimeleft.MaybeatriptoEuropeorasailinmeprivateyachtwouldfixmeup--pa-per!

"

Heflunghisdimeatanewsboy,gothisExpress,proppedhisbackagainstthetruck,andwasatonceraptintheaccountofhisWaterloo,asexpandedbytheingeniouspress.

CurtisRaidlerinterrogatedanenormousgoldwatch,andlaidhishandonMcGuire'sshoulder.

"Comeon,bud,"hesaid."Wegotthreeminutestocatchthetrain."

SarcasmseemedtobeMcGuire'svein.

"Youain'tseenmecashinanychipsorcallaturnsinceItoldyouIwasbroke,aminuteago,haveyou?

Friend,chaseyourselfaway."

"You'regoingdowntomyranch,"saidthecattleman,"andstaytillyougetwell.Sixmonths'llfixyougoodasnew."HeliftedMcGuirewithonehand,andhalf-draggedhiminthedirectionofthetrain.

"Whataboutthemoney?

"saidMcGuire,strugglingweaklytoescape.

"Moneyforwhat?

"askedRaidler,puzzled.Theyeyedeachother,notunderstanding,fortheytouchedonlyasatthegearofbevelledcog-wheels--atrightangles,andmovingupondifferentaxes.

Passengersonthesouth-boundsawthemseatedtogether,andwonderedattheconfluxoftwosuchantipodes.McGuirewasfivefeetone,withacountenancebelongingtoeitherYokohamaorDublin.Bright-beadyofeye,bonyofcheekandjaw,scarred,toughened,brokenandreknit,indestructible,grisly,gladiatorialasahornet,hewasatypeneithernewnorunfamiliar.Raidlerwastheproductofadifferentsoil.Sixfeettwoinheight,milesbroad,andnodeeperthanacrystalbrook,herepresentedtheunionoftheWestandSouth.Fewaccuratepicturesofhiskindhavebeenmade,forartgalleriesaresosmallandthemutoscopeisasyetunknowninTexas.Afterall,theonlypossiblemediumofportrayalofRaidler'skindwouldbethefresco--somethinghighandsimpleandcoolandunframed.

TheywererollingsouthwardontheInternational.Thetimberwashuddlingintolittle,densegreenmottsatraredistancesbeforetheinundationofthedownright,vertprairies.Thiswasthelandoftheranches;thedomainofthekingsofthekine.

McGuiresat,collapsedintohiscorneroftheseat,receivingwithacidsuspiciontheconversationofthecattleman.Whatwasthe"game"ofthisbig"geezer"whowascarryinghimoff?

AltruismwouldhavebeenMcGuire'slastguess."Heain'tnofarmer,"thoughtthecaptive,"andheain'tnoconman,forsure.W'at'shislay?

Youtrailin,Cricket,andseehowmanycardshedraws.You'reupagainstit,anyhow.Yougotanickelandgallopin'consumption,andyoubetterlaylow.Laylowandseew'at'shisgame."

AtRincon,ahundredmilesfromSanAntonio,theyleftthetrainforabuckboardwhichwaswaitingthereforRaidler.Inthistheytravelledthethirtymilesbetweenthestationandtheirdestination.Ifanythingcould,thisdriveshouldhavestirredtheacrimoniousMcGuiretoasenseofhisransom.Theyspeduponvelvetywheelsacrossanexhilarantsavanna.ThepairofSpanishponiesstruckanimble,tirelesstrot,whichgaittheyoccasionallyrelievedbyawild,untrammelledgallop.Theairwaswineandseltzer,perfumed,astheyabsorbedit,withthedelicateredolenceofprairieflowers.Theroadperished,andthebuckboardswamtheunchartedbillowsofthegrassitself,steeredbythepractisedhandofRaidler,towhomeachtinydistantmottoftreeswasasignboard,eachconvolutionofthelowhillsavoucherofcourseanddistance.ButMcGuirereclineduponhisspine,seeingnothingbutadesert,andreceivingthecattleman'sadvanceswithsullendistrust."W'at'sheupto?

"wastheburdenofhisthoughts;"w'atkindofagoldbrickhasthebigguygottosell?

"McGuirewasonlyapplyingthemeasureofthestreetshehadwalkedtoarangeboundedbythehorizonandthefourthdimension.

Aweekbefore,whileridingtheprairies,Raidlerhadcomeuponasickandweaklingcalfdesertedandbawling.Withoutdismountinghehadreachedandslungthedistressedbossyacrosshissaddle,anddroppeditattheranchfortheboystoattendto.ItwasimpossibleforMcGuiretoknoworcomprehendthat,intheeyesofthecattleman,hiscaseandthatofthecalfwereidenticalininterestanddemanduponhisassistance.Acreaturewasillandhelpless;hehadthepowertorenderaid--theseweretheonlypostulatesrequiredforthecattlemantoact.Theyformedhissystemoflogicandthemostofhiscreed.McGuirewastheseventhinvalidwhomRaidlerhadpickedupthuscasuallyinSanAntonio,wheresomanythousandgofortheozonethatissaidtolingeraboutitscontractedstreets.FiveofthemhadbeenguestsofSolitoRanchuntiltheyhadbeenabletoleave,curedorbetter,andexhaustingthevocabularyoftearfulgratitude.Onecametoolate,butrestedverycomfortably,atlast,underaratamatreeinthegarden.

So,then,itwasnosurprisetotheranchholdwhenthebuckboardspuntothedoor,andRaidlertookuphisdebileprotegelikeahandfulofragsandsethimdownuponthegallery.

McGuirelookeduponthingsstrangetohim.Theranch-housewasthebestinthecountry.Itwasbuiltofbrickhauledonehundredmilesbywagon,butitwasofbutonestory,anditsfourroomswerecompletelyencircledbyamudfloor"gallery."Themiscellaneoussettingofhorses,dogs,saddles,wagons,guns,andcow-punchers'paraphernaliaoppressedthemetropolitaneyesofthewreckedsportsman.

"Well,hereweareathome,"saidRaidler,cheeringly.

"It'sah--lofalookingplace,"saidMcGuirepromptly,asherolleduponthegalleryfloorinafitofcoughing.

"We'lltrytomakeitcomfortableforyou,buddy,"saidthecattlemangently."Itain'tfineinside;butit'stheoutdoors,anyway,that'lldoyouthemostgood.This'llbeyourroom,inhere.Anythingwegot,youaskforit."

HeledMcGuireintotheeastroom.Thefloorwasbareandclean.Whitecurtainswavedinthegulfbreezethroughtheopenwindows.Abigwillowrocker,twostraightchairs,alongtablecoveredwithnewspapers,pipes,tobacco,spurs,andcartridgesstoodinthecentre.Somewell-mountedheadsofdeerandoneofanenormousblackjaveliprojectedfromthewalls.Awide,coolcot-bedstoodinacorner.NuecesCountypeopleregardedthisguestchamberasfitforap