A Blackjack Bargainer.docx

A Blackjack Bargainer.docx

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ABlackjackBargainer

ABlackjackBargainer（O·Henry）

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ThemostdisreputablethinginYanceyGoree'slawofficewasGoreehimself,sprawledinhiscreakvoldarm-chair.Thericketylittleoffice,builtofredbrick,wassetflushwiththestreet--themainstreetofthetownofBethel.

Bethelresteduponthefoot-hillsoftheBlueRidge.Aboveitthemountainswerepiledtothesky.FarbelowittheturbidCatawbagleamedyellowalongitsdisconsolatevalley.

TheJunedaywasatitssultriesthour.Betheldozedinthetepidshade.Tradewasnot.ItwassostillthatGoree,reclininginhischair,distinctlyheardtheclickingofthechipsinthegrand-juryroom,wherethe"court-housegang"wasplayingpoker.Fromtheopenbackdooroftheofficeawell-wornpathmeanderedacrossthegrassylottothecourt-house.ThetreadingoutofthatpathhadcostGoreeallheeverhad--firstinheritanceofafewthousanddollars,nexttheoldfamilyhome,and,latterlythelastshredsofhisself-respectandmanhood.The"gang"hadcleanedhimout.Thebrokengamblerhadturneddrunkardandparasite;hehadlivedtoseethisdaycomewhenthemenwhohadstrippedhimdeniedhimaseatatthegame.Hiswordwasnolongertobetaken.Thedailyboutsatcardshadarrangeditselfaccordingly,andtohimwasassignedtheignoblepartoftheonlooker.Thesheriff,thecountyclerk,asportivedeputy,agayattorney,andachalk-facedmanhailing"fromthevalley,"satattable,andtheshearedonewasthustacitlyadvisedtogoandgrowmorewool.

Soonwearyingofhisostracism,Goreehaddepartedforhisoffice,mutteringtohimselfasheunsteadilytra-versedtheunluckypathway.Afteradrinkofcornwhiskeyfromademijohnunderthetable,hehadflunghimselfintothechair,staring,inasortofmaudlinapathy,outatthemountainsimmersedinthesummerhaze.ThelittlewhitepatchhesawawayuponthesideofBlackjackwasLaurel,thevillagenearwhichhehadbeenbornandbred.There,also,wasthebirthplaceofthefeudbetweentheGoreesandtheColtranes.NownodirectheiroftheGoreessurvivedexceptthispluckedandsingedbirdofmisfortune.TotheColtranes,also,butonemalesupporterwasleft--ColonelAbnerCol-trane,amanofsubstanceandstanding,amemberoftheStateLegislature,andacontemporarywithGoree'sfather.Thefeudhadbeenatypicaloneoftheregion;ithadleftaredrecordofhate,wrongandslaughter.ButYanceyGoreewasnotthinkingoffeuds.Hisbefuddledbrainwashopelesslyattackingtheproblemofthefuturemaintenanceofhimselfandhisfavouritefollies.Oflate,oldfriendsofthefamilyhadseentoitthathehadwhereoftoeatandaplacetosleep--butwhiskeytheywouldnotbuyforhim,andhemusthavewhiskey.Hislawbusinesswasextinct;nocasehadbeenintrustedtohimintwoyears.Hehadbeenaborrowerandasponge,anditseemedthatifhefellnoloweritwouldbefromlackofopportunity.Onemorechance--hewassayingtohimself--ifhehadonemorestakeatthegame,hethoughthecouldwin;buthehadnothinglefttosell,andhiscreditwasmorethanexhausted.

Hecouldnothelpsmiling,eveninhismisery,ashethoughtofthemantowhom,sixmonthsbefore,hehadsoldtheoldGoreehomestead.Therehadcomefrom"backyan'"inthemountainstwoofthestrangestcreatures,amannamedPikeGarveyandhiswife."Backyan',"withawaveofthehandtowardthehills,wasunderstoodamongthemountaineerstodesignatetheremotestfastnesses,theunplumbedgorges,thehauntsoflawbreakers,thewolf'sden,andtheboudoirofthebear.InthecabinfaruponBlackjack'sshoulder,inthewildestpartoftheseretreats,thisoddcouplehadlivedfortwentyyears.Theyhadneitherdognorchildrentomitigatetheheavysilenceofthehills.PikeGarveywaslittleknowninthesettlements,butallwhohaddealtwithhimpronouncedhim"crazyasaloon."Heacknowledgednooccupationsavethatofasquirrelhunter,buthe"moonshined"occasionallybywayofdiversion.Oncethe"revenues"haddraggedhimfromhislair,fightingsilentlyanddesperatelylikeaterrier,andhehadbeensenttostate'sprisonfortwoyears.Released,hepoppedbackintohisholelikeanangryweasel.

Fortune,passingovermanyanxiouswooers,madeafreakishflightintoBlackjack'sboskypocketstosmileuponPikeandhisfaithfulpartner.

Onedayapartyofspectacled,knickerbockered,andaltogetherabsurdprospectorsinvadedthevicinityoftheGarvey'scabin.Pikeliftedhissquirrelrifleoffthehooksandtookashotatthematlongrangeonthechanceoftheirbeingrevenues.Happilyhemissed,andtheunconsciousagentsofgoodluckdrewnearer,disclosingtheirinnocenceofanythingresemblinglaworjustice.Lateron,theyofferedtheGarveysanenormousquantityofready,green,crispmoneyfortheirthirty-acrepatchofclearedland,mentioning,asanexcuseforsuchamadaction,someirrelevantandinadequatenonsenseaboutabedofmicaunderlyingthesaidproperty.

WhentheGarveysbecamepossessedofsomanydol-larsthattheyfalteredincomputingthem,thedeficienciesoflifeonBlackjackbegantogrowprominent.Pikebegantotalkofnewshoes,ahogsheadoftobaccotosetinthecorner,anewlocktohisrifle;and,leadingMartellatoacertainspotonthemountain-side,hepointedouttoherhowasmallcannon--doubtlessathingnotbeyondthescopeoftheirfortuneinprice--mightbeplantedsoastocommandanddefendthesoleaccessibletrailtothecabin,totheconfusionofrevenuesandmeddlingstrangersforever.

ButAdamreckonedwithouthisEve.Thesethingsrepresentedtohimtheappliedpowerofwealth,butthereslumberedinhisdingycabinanambitionthatsoaredfarabovehisprimitivewants.SomewhereinMrs.Garvey'sbosomstillsurvivedaspotoffemininityunstarvedbytwentyyearsofBlackjack.Forsolongatimethesoundsinherearshadbeenthescaly-barksdroppinginthewoodsatnoon,andthewolvessingingamongtherocksatnight,anditwasenoughtohavepurgedherofvanities.Shehadgrownfatandsadandyellowanddull.Butwhenthemeanscame,shefeltarekindleddesiretoassumetheperquisitesofhersex--tositatteatables;tobuyfutilethings;towhitewashthehideousveracityoflifewithalittleformandceremony.SoshecoldlyvetoedPike'sproposedsystemoffortifica-tions,andannouncedthatthevwoulddescendupontheworld,andgyratesocially.

Andthus,atlength,itwasdecided,andthethingdone.ThevillageofLaurelwastheircompromisebetweenMrs.Garvey'spreferenceforoneofthelargevalleytownsandPike'shankeringforprimevalsolitudes.LaurelyieldedahaltingroundoffeeblesocialdistractionsomportablewithMartella'sambitions,andwasnotentirelywithoutrecommendationtoPike,itscontiguitytothemountainspresentingadvantagesforsuddenretreatincasefashionablesocietyshouldmakeitadvisable.

TheirdescentuponLaurelhadbeencoincidentwithYanceyGoree'sfeverishdesiretoconvertpropertyintocash,andtheyboughttheoldGoreehomestead,payingfourthousanddollarsreadymoneyintothespendthrift'sshakinghands.

ThusithappenedthatwhilethedisreputablelastoftheGoreessprawledinhisdisreputableoffice,attheendofhisrow,spurnedbythecronieswhomhehadgorged,strangersdweltinthehallsofhisfathers.

Acloudofdustwasrolling,slowlyuptheparchedstreet,withsomethingtravellinginthemidstofit.Alittlebreezewaftedthecloudtooneside,andanew,brightlypaintedcarryall,drawnbyaslothfulgrayhorse,becamevisible.ThevehicledeflectedfromthemiddleofthestreetasitnearedGoree'soffice,andstoppedinthegutterdirectlyinfrontofhisdoor.

Onthefrontseatsatagaunt,tallman,dressedinblackbroadcloth,hisrigidhandsincarceratedinyellowkidgloves.OnthebackseatwasaladywhotriumphedovertheJuneheat.Herstoutformwasarmouredinaskintightsilkdressofthedescriptionknownas"change-able,"beingagorgeouscombinationofshiftinghues.Shesaterect,wavingamuch-omamentedfan,withhereyesfixedstonilyfardownthestreet.HoweverMartellaGarvey'sheartmightberejoicingatthepleasuresofhernewlife,Blackjackhaddonehisworkwithherexterior.Hehadcarvedhercountenancetotheimageofemptinessandinanity;hadimbuedherwiththestolidityofhiscrags,andthereserveofhishushedinteriors.Shealwaysseemedtohear,whateverhersurroundingswere,thescaly-barksfallingandpatteringdownthemountain-side.ShecouldalwaysheartheawfulsilenceofBlack-jacksoundingthroughthestillestofnights.

Goreewatchedthissolemnequipage,asitdrovetohisdoor,withonlyfaintinterest;butwhenthelankdriverwrappedthereinsabouthiswhip,awkwardlydescended,andsteppedintotheoffice,heroseunsteadilytoreceivehim,recognizingPikeGarvey,thenew,thetransformed,therecentlycivilized.

ThemountaineertookthechairGoreeofferedhim.TheywhocastdoubtsuponGarvey'ssoundnessofmindhadastrongwitnessintheman'scountenance.Hisfacewastoolong,adullsaffroninhue,andimmobileasastatue's.Pale-blue,unwinkingroundeyeswithoutlashesaddedtothesingularityofhisgruesomevisage.Goreewasatalosstoaccountforthevisit.

"EverythingallrightatLaurel,Mr.Garvey?

"heinquired.

"Everythingallright,sir,andmightypleasedisMissisGarveyandmewiththeproperty.MissisGarveylikesyo'oldplace,andshelikestheneighbourhood.Societyiswhatshe'lowsshewants,andsheisgettin'ofit.TheRogerses,theHapgoods,thePrattsandtheTroyshevbeentoseeMissisGarvey,andshehevetmealstomostof