第10章

FIRST BLOOD

One is never so enthusiastic in the early morning, when the emotions are calmest and the nerves at their steadiest.But I was determined to try to have the baseball match postponed.There could be no difficulty.One day was as much of a holiday as another to these easy-going fellows.But The Duke, when I suggested a change in the day, simply raised his eyebrows an eighth of an inch and said:

"Can't see why the day should be changed." Bruce stormed and swore all sorts of destruction upon himself if he was going to change his style of life for any man.The others followed The Duke's lead.

That Sunday was a day of incongruities.The Old and the New, the East and the West, the reverential Past and iconoclastic Present were jumbling themselves together in bewildering confusion.The baseball match was played with much vigor and profanity.The expression on The Pilot's face, as he stood watching for a while, was a curious mixture of interest, surprise, doubt and pain.He was readjusting himself.He was so made as to be extremely sensitive to his surroundings.He took on color quickly.The utter indifference to the audacious disregard of all he had hitherto considered sacred and essential was disconcerting.They were all so dead sure.How did he know they were wrong? It was his first near view of practical, living skepticism.Skepticism in a book did not disturb him; he could put down words against it.

But here it was alive, cheerful, attractive, indeed fascinating;for these men in their western garb and with their western swing had captured his imagination.He was in a fierce struggle, and in a few minutes I saw him disappear into the coulee.

Meantime the match went uproariously on to a finish, with the result that the champions of "Home" had "to stand The Painkiller,"their defeat being due chiefly to the work of Hi and Bronco Bill as pitcher and catcher.

The celebration was in full swing; or as Hi put it, "the boys were takin' their pizen good an' calm," when in walked The Pilot.His face was still troubled and his lips were drawn and blue, as if he were in pain.A silence fell on the men as he walked in through the crowd and up to the bar.He stood a moment hesitating, looking round upon the faces flushed and hot that were now turned toward him in curious defiance.He noticed the look, and it pulled him together.He faced about toward old Latour and asked in a high, clear voice:

"Is this the room you said we might have?"The Frenchman shrugged his shoulders and said:

"There is not any more."

The lad paused for an instant, but only for an instant.Then, lifting a pile of hymn books he had near him on the counter, he said in a grave, sweet voice, and with the quiver of a smile about his lips:

"Gentlemen, Mr.Latour has allowed me this room for a religious service.It will give me great pleasure if you will all join," and immediately he handed a book to Bronco Bill, who, surprised, took it as if he did not know what to do with it.The others followed Bronco's lead till he came to Bruce, who refused, saying roughly:

"No! I don't want it; I've no use for it."The missionary flushed and drew back as if he had been struck, but immediately, as if unconsciously, The Duke, who was standing near, stretched out his hand and said, with a courteous bow, "I thank you; I should be glad of one.""Thank you," replied The Pilot, simply, as he handed him a book.

The men seated themselves upon the bench that ran round the room, or leaned up against the counter, and most of them took off their hats.Just then in came Muir, and behind him his little wife.

In an instant The Duke was on his feet, and every hat came off.

The missionary stood up at the bar, and announced the hymn, "Jesus, Lover of My Soul." The silence that followed was broken by the sound of a horse galloping.A buckskin bronco shot past the window, and in a few moments there appeared at the door the Old Timer.He was about to stride in when the unusual sight of a row of men sitting solemnly with hymn books in their hands held him fast at the door.He gazed in an amazed, helpless way upon the men, then at the missionary, then back at the men, and stood speechless.Suddenly there was a high, shrill, boyish laugh, and the men turned to see the missionary in a fit of laughter.It certainly was a shock to any lingering ideas of religious propriety they might have about them; but the contrast between his frank, laughing face and the amazed and disgusted face of the shaggy old man in the doorway was too much for them, and one by one they gave way to roars of laughter.The Old Timer, however, kept his face unmoved, strode up to the bar and nodded to old Latour, who served him his drink, which he took at a gulp.

"Here, old man!" called out Bill, "get into the game; here's your deck," offering him his book.But the missionary was before him, and, with very beautiful grace, he handed the Old Timer a book and pointed him to a seat.