第7章

\"Thereisonlyonecaseofimportanceonhandjustnow。OldmanMcCarty，onehundredandfouryearsold，diedfromeatingtoomanybananas。TheevidencepointssostronglytotheMafiathatthepolicehavesurroundedtheSecondAvenueKatzenjammerGambrinusClubNo。2，andthecaptureoftheassassinisonlythematterofafewhours。Thedetectiveforcehasnotyetbeencalledonforassistance。\" JolnesandIwentoutandupthestreettowardthecorner，whereweweretocatchasurfacecar。 Half-wayuptheblockwemetRheingelder，anacquaintanceofours，whoheldaCityHallposition。 \"Goodmorning，Rheingelder，\"saidJolnes，halting。 \"Nicebreakfastthatwasyouhadthismorning。\"Alwaysonthelookoutforthedetective’sremarkablefeatsofdeduction，IsawJolnes’seyeflashforaninstantuponalongyellowsplashontheshirtbosomandasmalleroneuponthechinofRheingelder——bothundoubtedlymadebytheyolkofanegg。 \"Oh，dotissomeofyourdetectiveness，\"saidRheingelder，shakingalloverwithasmile。\"Vell，IpetyoutrinksundcigarsallrounddotyoucannottellvotIhafeatenforbreakfast。\" \"Done，\"saidJolnes。\"Sausage，pumpernickelandcoffee。\" Rheingelderadmittedthecorrectnessofthesurmiseandpaidthebet。 WhenwehadproceededonourwayIsaidtoJolnes： \"Ithoughtyoulookedattheeggspilledonhischinandshirtfront。\" \"Idid，\"saidJolnes。\"ThatiswhereIbeganmydeduction。Rheingelderisaveryeconomical，savingman。Yesterdayeggsdroppedinthemarkettotwenty-eightcentsperdozen。To-daytheyarequotedatforty-two。 Rheingelderateeggsyesterday，andto-dayhewentbacktohisusualfare。Alittlethinglikethisisn’tanything，Whatsup；itbelongstotheprimaryarithmeticclass。\" Whenweboardedthestreetcarwefoundtheseatsalloccupied—— principallybyladies。JolnesandIstoodontherearplatform。 Aboutthemiddleofthecartheresatanelderlymanwithashort，graybeard，wholookedtobethetypical，well-dressedNewYorker。Atsuccessivecornersotherladiesclimbedaboard，andsoonthreeorfourofthemwerestandingovertheman，clingingtostrapsandglaringmeaninglyatthemanwhooccupiedthecovetedseat。Butheresolutelyretainedhisplace。 \"WeNewYorkers，\"IremarkedtoJolnes，\"haveaboutlostourmanners，asfarastheexerciseoftheminpublicgoes。\" \"Perhapsso，\"saidJolnes，lightly；\"butthemanyouevidentlyrefertohappenstobeaverychivalrousandcourteousgentlemanfromOldVirginia。HeisspendingafewdaysinNewYorkwithhiswifeandtwodaughters，andheleavesfortheSouthto-night。\" \"Youknowhim，then？\"Isaid，inamazement。 \"Ineversawhimbeforewesteppedonthecar，\"declaredthedetective，smilingly。 \"BythegoldtoothoftheWitchofEndor！\"Icried，\"ifyoucanconstrueallthatfromhisappearanceyouaredealinginnothingelsethanblackart。\" \"Thehabitofobservation——nothingmore，\"saidJolnes。\"Iftheoldgentlemangetsoffthecarbeforewedo，IthinkIcandemonstratetoyoutheaccuracyofmydeduction。\" Threeblocksfartheralongthegentlemanrosetoleavethecar。Jolnesaddressedhimatthedoor：\"Pardonme，sir，butareyounotColonelHunter，ofNorfolk，Virginia？\" \"No，suh，\"wastheextremelycourteousanswer。\"Myname，suh，isEllison——MajorWinfieldR。Ellison，fromFairfaxCounty，inthesamestate。I knowagoodmanypeople，suh，inNorfolk——theGoodriches，theTollivers，andtheCrabtrees，suh，butIneverhadthepleasureofmeetingyo’ friend，ColonelHunter。Iamhappytosay，suh，thatIamgoingbacktoVirginiato-night，afterhavingspentaweekinyo’citywithmywifeandthreedaughters。IshallbeinNorfolkinabouttendays，andifyouwillgivemeyo’name，suh，IwilltakepleasureinlookingupColonelHunterandtellinghimthatyouinquiredafterhim，suh。\" \"Thankyou，\"saidJolnes；\"tellhimthatReynoldssenthisregards，ifyouwillbesokind。\" IglancedatthegreatNewYorkdetectiveandsawthatalookofintensechagrinhadcomeuponhisclear-cutfeatures。FailureintheslightestpointalwaysgalledShamrockJolnes。 \"Didyousayyour_three_daughters？\"heaskedoftheVirginiagentleman。 \"Yes，suh，mythreedaughters，allasfinegirlsasthereareinFairfaxCounty，\"wastheanswer。 WiththatMajorEllisonstoppedthecarandbegantodescendthestep。 ShamrockJolnesclutchedhisarm。 \"Onemoment，sir，\"hebegged，inanurbanevoiceinwhichIalonedetectedtheanxiety——\"amInotrightinbelievingthatoneoftheyoungladiesisan_adopted_daughter？\" \"Youare，suh，\"admittedthemajor，fromtheground，\"buthowthedevilyouknewit，suh，ismo’thanIcantell。\" \"Andmo’thanIcantell，too，\"Isaid，asthecarwenton。 Jolneswasrestoredtohiscalm，observantserenitybyhavingwrestedvictoryfromhisapparentfailure；soafterwegotoffthecarheinvitedmeintoacafe，promisingtorevealtheprocessofhislatestwonderfulfeat。 \"Inthefirstplace，\"hebeganafterwewerecomfortablyseated，\"IknewthegentlemanwasnoNewYorkerbecausehewasflushedanduneasyandrestlessonaccountoftheladiesthatwerestanding，althoughhedidnotriseandgivethemhisseat。IdecidedfromhisappearancethathewasaSouthernerratherthanaWesterner。 \"NextIbegantofigureouthisreasonfornotrelinquishinghisseattoaladywhenheevidentlyfeltstrongly，butnotoverpoweringly，impelledtodoso。Iveryquicklydecideduponthat。Inoticedthatoneofhiseyeshadreceivedaseverejabinonecorner，whichwasredandinflamed，andthatalloverhisfaceweretinyroundmarksaboutthesizeoftheendofanuncutleadpencil。Alsouponbothofhispatentleathershoeswereanumberofdeepimprintsshapedlikeovalscutoffsquareatoneend。 \"Now，thereisonlyonedistrictinNewYorkCitywhereamanisboundtoreceivescarsandwoundsandindentationsofthatsort——andthatisalongthesidewalksofTwenty-thirdStreetandaportionofSixthAvenuesouthofthere。IknewfromtheimprintsoftramplingFrenchheelsonhisfeetandthemarksofcountlessjabsinthefacefromumbrellasandparasolscarriedbywomenintheshoppingdistrictthathehadbeeninconflictwiththeamazoniantroops。Andashewasamanofintelligentappearance，Iknewhewouldnothavebravedsuchdangersunlesshehadbeendraggedthitherbyhisownwomenfolk。Therefore，whenhegotonthecarhisangeratthetreatmenthehadreceivedwassufficienttomakehimkeephisseatinspiteofhistraditionsofSouthernchivalry。\" \"Thatisallverywell，\"Isaid，\"butwhydidyouinsistupondaughters—— andespeciallytwodaughters？Whycouldn’tawifealonehavetakenhimshopping？\" \"Therehadtobedaughters，\"saidJolnes，calmly。\"Ifhehadonlyawife，andshenearhisownage，hecouldhavebluffedherintogoingalone。Ifhehadayoungwifeshewouldprefertogoalone。Sothereyouare。\" \"I’lladmitthat，\"Isaid；\"but，now，whytwodaughters？Andhow，inthenameofalltheprophets，didyouguessthatonewasadoptedwhenhetoldyouhehadthree？\" \"Don’tsayguess，\"saidJolnes，withatouchofprideinhisair；\"thereisnosuchwordinthelexiconofratiocination。InMajorEllison’sbuttonholetherewasacarnationandarosebudbackedbyageraniumleaf。 Nowomanevercombinedacarnationandarosebudintoaboutonniere。 Closeyoureyes，Whatsup，andgivethelogicofyourimaginationachance。CannotyouseethelovelyAdelefasteningthecarnationtothelapelsothatpapamaybegayuponthestreet？AndthentherompingEdithMaydancingupwithsisterlyjealousytoaddherrosebudtotheadornment？\" \"Andthen，\"Icried，beginningtofeelenthusiasm，\"whenhedeclaredthathehadthreedaughters\"—— \"Icouldsee，\"saidJolnes，\"oneinthebackgroundwhoaddednoflower； andIknewthatshemustbe——\" \"Adopted！\"Ibrokein。\"Igiveyoueverycredit；buthowdidyouknowhewasleavingfortheSouthto-night？\" \"Inhisbreastpocket，\"saidthegreatdetective，\"somethinglargeandovalmadeaprotuberance。Goodliquorisscarceontrains，anditisalongjourneyfromNewYorktoFairfaxCounty。\" \"Again，Imustbowtoyou，\"Isaid。\"Andtellmethis，sothatmylastshredofdoubtwillbeclearedaway；whydidyoudecidethathewasfromVirginia？\" \"Itwasveryfaint，Iadmit，\"answeredShamrockJolnes，\"butnotrainedobservercouldhavefailedtodetecttheodourofmintinthecar。\" XIXTHELADYHIGHERUP NewYorkCity，theysaid，wasdeserted；andthataccounted，doubtless，forthesoundscarryingsofarinthetranquilsummerair。Thebreezewassouth-by-southwest；thehourwasmidnight；thethemewasabitoffemininegossipbywirelessmythology。Threehundredandsixty-fivefeetabovetheheatedasphaltthetiptoeingsymbolicdeityonManhattanpointedhervacillatingarrowstraight，forthetime，inthedirectionofherexaltedsisteronLibertyIsland。ThelightsofthegreatGardenwereout；thebenchesintheSquarewerefilledwithsleepersinposturessostrangethatbesidethemthewrithingfiguresinDore’sillustrationsoftheInfernowouldhavestraightenedintotailor’sdummies。ThestatueofDianaonthetoweroftheGarden——itsconstancyshownbyitsweathercockways，itsinnocencebythecoatingofgoldthatithasacquired，itsdevotiontostylebyitssingle，gracefulflyingscarf，itscandourandartlessnessbyitshabitofeverdrawingthelongbow，itsmetropolitanismbyitspostureofswiftflighttocatchaHarlemtrain——remainedpoisedwithitsarrowpointedacrosstheupperbay。Hadthatarrowspedtrulyandhorizontallyitwouldhavepassedfiftyfeetabovetheheadoftheheroicmatronwhosedutyitistoofferacast-ironicalwelcometotheoppressedofotherlands。 Seawardthisladygazed，andthefurrowsbetweensteamshiplinesbegantocutsteeragerates。Thetranslators，too，haveputanextraburdenuponher。\"LibertyLightingtheWorld\"（ashercreatorchristenedher）wouldhavehadanomoreresponsibleduty，exceptforthesizeofit，thanthatofanelectricianoraStandardOilmagnate。Butto\"enlighten\"theworld（asourlearnedcivicguardians\"Englished\"it）requiresablerqualities。 AndsopoorLiberty，insteadofhavingasinecureasamereilluminator，mustbeconvertedintoaChautauquaschoolma’am，withtheoceansforherfieldinsteadoftheplacid，classiclake。WithafirelesstorchandanemptyheadmustshedispeltheshadowsoftheworldandteachititsA，B，C’s。 \"Ah，there，Mrs。Liberty！\"calledaclear，rollickingsopranovoicethroughthestill，midnightair。 \"Isthatyou，MissDiana？Excusemynotturningmyhead。I’mnotasflightyandwhirly-whirlyassome。And’tissohoarseIamIcanhardlytalkonaccountofthepeanut-hullsleftonthestairsinmethroatbythatlastboatloadoftouristsfromMarietta，Ohio。’Tisafterbeingafineevening，miss。\" \"Ifyoudon’tmindmyasking，\"camethebell-liketonesofthegoldenstatue，\"I’dliketoknowwhereyougotthatCityHallbrogue。Ididn’tknowthatLibertywasnecessarilyIrish。\" \"Ifye’dstudiedthehistoryofartinitsforeigncomplicationsye’dnotneedtoask，\"repliedtheoffshorestatue。\"Ifyewasn’tsolight-headedandgiddyye’dknowthatIwasmadebyaDagoandpresentedtotheAmericanpeopleonbehalfoftheFrenchGovernmentforthepurposeofwelcomin’IrishimmigrantsintotheDutchcityofNewYork。’TisthatI’vebeendoingnightanddaysinceIwaserected。Yemustknow，MissDiana，that’tiswithstatuesthesameaswithpeople——’tisnottheirmakersnorthepurposesforwhichtheywerecreatedthatinfluencetheoperationsoftheirtonguesatall——it’stheassociationswithwhichtheybecomeassociated，I’mtellingye。\" \"You’redeadright，\"agreedDiana。\"Inoticeitonmyself。IfanyoftheoldguysfromOlympusweretocomealongandhandmeanyhotairintheancientGreekIcouldn’ttellitfromaconversationbetweenaConeyIslandcarconductorandafive-centfare。\" \"I’mrightgladye’vemadeupyourmindtobesociable，MissDiana，\"saidMrs。Liberty。\"’TisalonesomelifeIhavedownhere。Isthereanythingdoin’upinthecity，MissDiana，dear？\" \"Oh，la，la，la！——no，\"saidDiana。\"Noticethat’la，la，la，’AuntLiberty？Gotthatfrom’ParisbyNight’ontheroofgardenunderme。 You’llhearthat’la，la，la’attheCafeMcCannnow，alongwith’garsong。’Thebohemiancrowdtherehavebecometiredof’garsong’sinceO’Rafferty，theheadwaiter，punchedthreeofthemforcallinghimit。 Oh，no；thetown’sstricklyonthebumthesenights。Everybody’saway。 Sawadowntownmerchantonaroofgardenthiseveningwithhisstenographer。Showwassodullhewenttosleep。Awaiterbitingonadimetiptoseeifitwasgoodhalfwokehimup。Helooksaroundandseeshislittlepothooksperpetrator。’H’m！’sayshe，’willyoutakealetter，MissDeSt。Montmorency？’’Sure，inaminute，’saysshe，’ifyou’llmakeitanX。’ \"Thatwasthebestthinghappenedontheroof。Soyouseehowdullitis。La，la，la！\" \"’Tisfineyehaveitupthereinsociety，MissDiana。Yehavethecatshowandthehorseshowandthemilitarytournamentswheretheprivateslookgrandasgeneralsandthegeneralstrytolookgrandasfloor-walkers。AndyehavetheSportsmen’sShow，wherethegirlthatmeasures3619，45cooksbreakfastfoodinabirch-barkwigwamonthebanksoftheGrandCanalofVeniceconductedbyoneoftheVanderbilts，BernardMcFadden，andtheReverendsDowieandDuss。AndyehavetheFrenchball，wheretheoriginalCohensandtheRobertEmmet-SangerbundSocietydancetheHighlandflingonewithanother。AndyehavethegrandO’Ryanball，whichisthemostbeautifulpageantintheworld，wheretheFrenchstudentsviewiththeTyroleanwarblersindoin’thecakewalk。Yehavethebestjobforastatueinthewholetown，MissDiana。\" \"’Tiswearywork，\"sighedtheislandstatue，\"disseminatin’thescienceoflibertyinNewYorkBay。SometimeswhenItakeapeepdownatEllisIslandandseethegangofimmigrantsI’msupposedtolightup，’tistemptedIamtoblowoutthegasandletthecoronerwriteouttheirnaturalizationpapers。\" \"Say，it’sashame，ain’tit，togiveyoutheworstendofit？\"camethesympatheticantiphonyofthesteeplechasegoddess。\"Itmustbeawfullylonesomedowntherewithsomuchwateraroundyou。Idon’tseehowyoueverkeepyourhairincurl。AndthatMotherHubbardyouarewearingwentouttenyearsago。Ithinkthosesculptorguysoughttobeheldfordamagesforputtingironormarbleclothesonalady。That’swhereMr。 St。Gaudenswaswise。I’malwayselittleaheadofthestyles；butthey’recomingmywayprettyfast。Excusemybackamoment——Icaughtapuffofwindfromthenorth——shouldn’twonderifthingshadloosenedupinEsopus。There，now！it’sintheWest——Ishouldthinkthatgoldplankwouldhavecalmedtheairoutinthatdirection。Whatwereyousaying，Mrs。Liberty？\" \"AfinechatI’vehadwithye，MissDiana，ma’am，butIseeoneofthemEuropeansteamersa-sailin’uptheNarrows，andImustbeattendin’tomeduties。’TismejobtoextendaloftthetorchofLibertytowelcomeallthemthatsurvivethekicksthatthesteeragestewardsgive’emwhilelandin。’Sure’tisagreatcountryyecancometofor$8。50，andthedoctorwaitin’tosendyebackhomefreeifheseesyereyesredfromcryin’forit。\" Thegoldenstatueveeredinthechangingbreeze，menacingmanypointsonthehorizonwithitsaureatearrow。 \"Solong，AuntLiberty，\"sweetlycalledDianaoftheTower。\"Somenight，whenthewind’sright。I’llcallyouupagain。But——say！youhaven’tgotsuchafiercekickcomingaboutyourjob。I’vekeptaprettygoodwatchontheislandofManhattansinceI’vebeenuphere。That’saprettysick-lookingbunchoflibertychaserstheydumpdownatyourendofit； buttheydon’tallstaythatway。EverylittlewhileuphereIseeguyssigningchecksandvotingtherightticket，andencouragingtheartsandtakingabatheverymorning，thatwasshovedashorebyadocklabourerbornintheUnitedStateswhoneverearnedoverfortydollarsamonth。Don’trundownyourjob，AuntLiberty；you’reallright，allright。\" XXTHEGREATERCONEY \"NextSunday，\"saidDennisCarnahan，\"I’llbeaftergoingdowntoseethenewConeyIslandthat’srisenlikeaphoenixbirdfromtheashesoftheoldresort。I’mgoingwithNorahFlynn，andwe’llfallvictimstoallthedrygoodsdeceptions，fromthered-flanneleruptionofMountVesuviustothepinksilkribbonsontherace-suicideproblemsintheincubatorkiosk。 \"WasItherebefore？Iwas。IwastherelastTuesday。DidIseethesights？Ididnot。 \"LastMondayIamalgamatedmyselfwiththeBricklayers’Union，andinaccordancewiththerulesIwasorderedtoquitworkthesamedayonaccountofasympathystrikewiththeLadySalmonCanners’LodgeNo。2，ofTacoma，Washington。 \"’TwasdisturbedIwasinmindandproclivitiesbylosingmejob，bein’ alreadyharassedinmesoulonaccountofhavin’quarrelledwithNorahFlynnaweekbeforebyreasonofhardwordsspokenattheDairymenandStreet-SprinklerDrivers’semi-annualball，causedbyjealousyandpricklyheatandthatdivil，AndyCoghlin。 \"So，Isays，itwillbeConeyforTuesday；andifthechutesandtheshortchangeandthegreen-cornsilkbetweentheteethdon’tcreatediversionsandgetmefeelingbetter，thenIdon’tknowatall。 \"YewillhaveheardthatConeyhasreceivedmoralreconstruction。TheoldBowery，wheretheyusedtotakeyourtintypebyforceandgiveyeknockoutdropsbeforehavingyourpalmread，isnowcalledtheWallStreetoftheisland。Thewienerwurststandsarerequiredbylawtokeepanewstickerin’em；andthedoughnutsareexaminedeveryfouryearsbyaretiredsteamboatinspector。Theniggerman’sheadthatwasusedbytheoldpatronstothrowbaseballsatisnowillegal；and，byorderofthePoliceCommissionertheimageofamandrivin’anautomobilehasbeensubstituted。Ihearthattheoldimmoralamusementshavebeensuppressed。PeoplewhousedtogodownfromNewYorktositinthesandanddabbleinthesurfnowgiveuptheirquarterstosqueezethroughturnstilesandseeimitationsofcityfiresandfloodspaintedoncanvas。 Thereprehensibleanddegradin’resortsthatdisgracedoldConeyaresaidtobewipedout。Thewipin’-outprocessconsistsofraisin’thepricefrom10centsto25cents，andhirin’ablondenamedMaudietosellticketsinsteadofMicky，theBoweryBite。That’swhattheysay——I don’tknow。 \"ButtoConeyIgoesa-Tuesday。Igetsoffthe’L’andstartsfortheglitterin’show。’Twasafinesight。TheBabyloniantowersandtheHindooroofgardenswasblazin’withthousandsofelectriclights，andthestreetswasthickwithpeople。’TisatruethingtheysaythatConeylevelsallrank。Iseemillionaireseatin’popcornandtrampin’alongwiththecrowd；andIseeeight-dollar-a-weekclothin’-storeclerksinredautomobilesfightin’oneanotherforwho’dsqueezethehornwhentheycometoacorner。 \"’Imadeamistake，’Isaystomyself。’TwasnotConeyIneeded。Whenaman’ssad’tisnotscenesofhilarityhewants。’TwouldbefarbetterforhimtomeditateinagraveyardortoattendservicesattheParadiseRoofGardens。’Tisnoconsolationwhenaman’slosthissweethearttoorderhotcornandhavethewaiterbringhimthepowderedsugarcruetinsteadofsaltandthenconcealhimself，ortohaveZozookum，thegipsypalmist，tellhimthathehasthreechildrenandtolookoutforanotherseriouscalamity；pricetwenty-fivecents。 \"Iwalkedfarawaydownonthebeach，totheruinsofanoldpavilionnearonecornerofthisnewprivatepark，Dreamland。Ayearagothatoldpavilionwasstandin’upstraightandtheold-stylewaiterswasslammin’aweek’ssupplyofclamchowderdowninfrontofyouforanickelandcallin’you’cully’friendly，andvicewasrampant，andyougotbacktoNewYorkwithenoughchangetotakeacaratthebridge。NowtheytellmethattheyserveWelshrabbitsonSurfAvenue，andyougettherightchangebackinthemovin’-picturejoints。 \"Isatdownatonesideoftheoldpavilionandlookedatthesurfspreadin’itselfonthebeach，andthoughtaboutthetimemeandNorahFlynnsatonthatspotlastsummer。’Twasbeforereformstrucktheisland；andwewashappy。Wehadtintypesandchowderintheribalddives，andtheEgyptianSorceressoftheNiletoldNorahoutofherhand，whileIwaswaitin’inthedoor，that’twouldbetheluckofhertomarryared-headedgossoonwithtwocrookedlegs，andIwasoverrunnin’withjoyonaccountoftheallusion。And’twastherethatNorahFlynnputhertwohandsinmineayearbeforeandwetalkedofflatsandthethingsshecouldcookandthelovebusinessthatgoeswithsuchepisodes。AndthatwasConeyaswelovedit，andasthehandofSatanwasuponit，friendlyandnoisyandyourmoney’sworth，withnofencearoundtheoceanandnottoomanyelectriclightstoshowthesleeveofablacksergecoatagainstawhiteshirtwaist。 \"Isatwithmybacktotheparkswheretheyhadthemoonandthedreamsandthesteeplescorralled，andlongedfortheoldConey。Therewasn’tmanypeopleonthebeach。Lotsofthemwasfeedin’penniesintotheslotmachinestoseethe’InterruptedCourtship’inthemovin’pictures；andagoodmanywastakin’theseaairintheCanalsofVeniceandsomewasbreathin’thesmokeoftheseabattlebyactualwarshipsinatankfilledwithrealwater。Afewwasdownonthesandsenjoyin’themoonlightandthewater。Andtheheartofmewasheavyforthenewmoralsoftheoldisland，whilethebandsbehindmeplayedandtheseapoundedonthebassdruminfront。 \"AnddirectlyIgotupandwalkedalongtheoldpavilion，andthereontheothersideof，halfinthedark，wasaslipofagirlsittin’onthetumble-downtimbers，andunlessI’maliarshewascryin’byherselfthere，allalone。 \"’Isittroubleyouarein，now，Miss，’saysI；’andwhat’stobedoneaboutit？’ \"’’Tisnoneofyourbusinessatall，DennyCarnahan，’saysshe，sittin’ upstraight。AnditwasthevoiceofnootherthanNorahFlynn。 \"’Thenit’snot，’saysI，’andwe’reafterhavingapleasantevening，MissFlynn。HaveyeseenthesightsofthisnewConeyIsland，then？Ipresumeyehavecomehereforthatpurpose，’saysI。 \"’Ihave，’saysshe。’MemotherandUncleTimtheyarewaitingbeyond。 ’TisaneleganteveningI’vehad。I’veseenalltheattractionsthatbe。’ \"’Rightyeare，’saysItoNorah；andIdon’tknowwhenI’vebeenthatamused。Afterdisportin’me-selfamongthemostlaughablemoralimprovementsoftherevisedshellgamesItookmeselftotheshoreforthebenefitofthecoolair。’AnddidyeobservetheDurbar，MissFlynn？’ \"’Idid，’saysshe，reflectin’；’but’tisnotsafe，I’mthinkin’，toridedownthemslantin’thingsintothewater。’ \"’Howdidyefancytheshootthechutes？’Iasks。 \"’True，then，I’mafraidofguns，’saysNorah。’Theymakesuchnoiseinmyears。ButUncleTim，heshotthem，hedid，andwoncigars。’Tisafinetimewehadthisday，Mr。Carnahan。’ \"’I’mgladyou’veenjoyedyerself，’Isays。’Isupposeyou’vehadaroarin’finetimeseein’thesights。Andhowdidtheincubatorsandthehelter-skelterandthemidgetssuitthetasteofye？’ \"’I——Iwasn’thungry，’saysNorah，faint。’Butmotherateaquantityofallof’em。I’mthatpleasedwiththefinethingsinthenewConeyIsland，’saysshe，’thatit’sthehappiestdayI’veseeninalongtime，atall。’ \"’DidyouseeVenice？’saysI。 \"’Wedid，’saysshe。’Shewasabeauty。Shewasalldressedinred，shewas，with——’ \"IlistenednomoretoNorahFlynn。IsteppedupandIgatheredherinmyarms。 \"’’Tisastory-telleryeare，NorahFlynn’，saysI。’Ye’veseennomoreofthegreaterConeyIslandthanIhavemeself。Come，now，tellthetruth——yecametositbytheoldpavilionbythewaveswhereyousatlastsummerandmadeDennisCarnahanahappyman。Speakup，andtellthetruth。’ \"Norahstuckhernoseagainstmevest。 \"’Idespiseit，Denny，’shesays，halfcryin’。’MotherandUncleTimwenttoseetheshows，butIcamedownheretothinkofyou。Icouldn’tbearthelightsandthecrowd。Areyouforgivin’me，Denny，forthewordswehad？’ \"’’Twasmefault，’saysI。’Icamehereforthesamereasonmeself。 Lookatthelights，Norah，’Isays，turningmybacktothesea——’ain’ttheypretty？’ \"’Theyare，’saysNorah，withhereyesshinin’；’anddoyehearthebandsplayin’？Oh，Denny，IthinkI’dliketoseeitall。’ \"’TheoldConeyisgone，darlin’，’Isaystoher。’Everythingmoves。 Whenaman’sgladit’snotscenesofsadnesshewants。’TisagreaterConeywehavehere，butwecouldn’tseeittillwegotinthehumourforit。NextSunday，Norahdarlin’，we’llseethenewplacefromendtoend。\" XXILAWANDORDER IfoundmyselfinTexasrecently，revisitingoldplacesandvistas。AtasheepranchwhereIhadsojournedmanyyearsago，Istoppedforaweek。 And，asallvisitorsdo，Iheartilyplungedintothebusinessathand，whichhappenedtobethatofdippingthesheep。 Now，thisprocessissodifferentfromordinaryhumanbaptismthatitdeservesawordofitself。AvastironcauldronwithhalfthefiresofAvernusbeneathitispartlyfilledwithwaterthatsoonboilsfuriously。 Intothatiscastconcentratedlye，lime，andsulphur，whichisallowedtostewandfumeuntilthewitches’brothisstrongenoughtoscorchthethirdarmofPalladinoherself。 Thenthisconcentratedbrewismixedinalong，deepvatwithcubicgallonsofhotwater，andthesheeparecaughtbytheirhindlegsandflungintothecompound。Afterbeingthoroughlyduckedbymeansofaforkedpoleinthehandsofagentlemandetailedforthatpurpose，theyareallowedtoclamberupaninclineintoacorralanddryordie，asthestateoftheirconstitutionsmaydecree。Ifyouevercaughtanable-bodied，two-year-oldmuttonbythehindlegsandfeltthe750voltsofkickingthathecansendthoughyourarmseventeentimesbeforeyoucanhurlhimintothevat，youwill，ofcourse，hopethathemaydieinsteadofdry。 ButthisismerelytoexplainwhyBudOakleyandIgladlystretchedourselvesonthebankofthenearby_charco_afterthedipping，gladforthewelcomeinanitionandpurecontactwiththeearthafterourmuscle-rackinglabours。Theflockwasasmallone，andwefinishedatthreeintheafternoon；soBudbroughtfromthe_morral_onhissaddlehorn，coffeeandacoffeepotandabighunkofbreadandsomesidebacon。 Mr。Mills，theranchownerandmyoldfriend，rodeawaytotheranchwithhisforceofMexican_trabajadores_。 Whilethebaconwasfrizzlingnicely，therewasthesoundofhorses’hoofsbehindus。Bud’ssix-shooterlayinitsscabbardtenfeetawayfromhishand。Hepaidnottheslightestheedtotheapproachinghorseman。ThisattitudeofaTexasranchmanwassodifferentfromtheold-timecustomthatImarvelled。InstinctivelyIturnedtoinspectthepossiblefoethatmenacedusintherear。Isawahorsemandressedinblack，whomighthavebeenalawyeroraparsonoranundertaker，trottingpeaceablyalongtheroadbythe_arroyo_。 Budnoticedmyprecautionarymovementandsmiledsarcasticallyandsorrowfully。 \"You’vebeenawaytoolong，\"saidhe。\"Youdon’tneedtolookaroundanymorewhenanybodygallopsupbehindyouinthisstate，unlesssomethinghitsyouintheback；andeventhenit’sliabletobeonlyabunchoftractsorapetitiontosignagainstthetrusts。Ineverlookedatthat_hombre_thatrodeby；butI’llbetaquartofsheepdipthathe’ssomedouble-dyedsonofapopgunoutroundingupprohibitionvotes。\" \"Timeshavechanged，Bud，\"saidI，oracularly。\"LawandorderistherulenowintheSouthandtheSouthwest。\" IcaughtacoldgleamfromBud’spaleblueeyes。 \"NotthatI——\"Ibegan，hastily。 \"Ofcourseyoudon’t，\"saidBudwarmly。\"Youknowbetter。You’velivedherebefore。Lawandorder，yousay？Twentyyearsagowehad’emhere。 Weonlyhadtwoorthreelaws，suchasagainstmurderbeforewitnesses，andbeingcaughtstealinghorses，andvotingtheRepublicanticket。Buthowisitnow？Allwegetisorders；andthelawsgooutofthestate。 ThemlegislatorssetupthereatAustinanddon’tdonothingbutmakelawsagainstkeroseneoilandschoolbooksbeingbroughtintothestate。Ireckontheywasafraidsomemanwouldgohomesomeeveningafterworkandlightupandgetaneducationandgotoworkandmakelawstorepealaforesaidlaws。Me，I’mfortheolddayswhenlawandordermeantwhattheysaid。Alawwasalaw，andaorderwasaorder。\" \"But——\"Ibegan。 \"Iwasgoingon，\"continuedBud，\"whilethiscoffeeisboiling，todescribetoyouacaseofgenuinelawandorderthatIknewofonceinthetimeswhencaseswasdecidedinthechambersofasix-shooterinsteadofasupremecourt。 \"You’veheardofoldBenKirkman，thecattleking？HisranchrunfromtheNuecestotheRioGrande。Inthemdays，asyouknow，therewascattlebaronsandcattlekings。Thedifferencewasthis：whenacattlemanwenttoSanAntoneandboughtbeerforthenewspaperreportersandonlygivethemthenumberofcattleheactuallyowned，theywrotehimupforabaron。Whenhebought’emchampagnewineandaddedintheamountofcattlehehadstole，theycalledhimaking。 \"LukeSummerswasoneofhisrangebosses。Anddowntotheking’sranchcomesonedayabunchoftheseOrientalpeoplefromNewYorkorKansasCityorthereabouts。Lukewasdetailedwithasquadtorideaboutwith’em，andseethattherattlesnakesgotfairwarningwhentheywascoming，anddrivethedeeroutoftheirway。Amongthebunchwasablack-eyedgirlthatworeanumbertwoshoe。That’sallInoticedabouther。ButLukemusthaveseenmore，forhemarriedheronedaybeforethe_caballard_startedback，andwentoveronCanadaVerdeandsetuparanchofhisown。I’mskippingoverthesentimentalstuffonpurpose，becauseI neversaworwantedtoseeanyofit。AndLuketakesmealongwithhimbecausewewasoldfriendsandIhandledcattletosuithim。 \"I’mskippingovermuchwhatfollowed，becauseIneversaworwantedtoseeanyofit——butthreeyearsafterwardtherewasaboykidstumblingandblubberingaroundthegalleriesandfloorsofLuke’sranch。Ineverhadnouseforkids；butitseemstheydid。AndI’mskippingovermuchwhatfolloweduntilonedayouttotheranchdrivesinhacksandbuckboardsalotofMrs。Summers’sfriendsfromtheEast——asisterorsoandtwoorthreemen。Onelookedlikeanuncletosomebody；andonelookedlikenothing；andtheotheronehadoncorkscrewpantsandspokeinatoneofvoice。Ineverlikedamanwhospokeinatoneofvoice。 \"I’mskippingovermuchwhatfollowed；butoneafternoonwhenIridesuptotheranchhousetogetsomeordersaboutadroveofbeevesthatwastobeshipped，Ihearssomethinglikeapopgungooff。Iwaitsatthehitchingrack，notwishingtointrudeonprivateaffairs。InalittlewhileLukecomesoutandgivessomeorderstosomeofhisMexicanhands，andtheygoandhitchupsundryanddiversvehicles；andmightysoonoutcomesoneofthesistersorsoandsomeofthetwoorthreemen。Buttwoofthetwoortheemencarriesbetween’emthecorkscrewmanwhospokeinatoneofvoice，andlayshimflatdowninoneofthewagons。Andtheyallmighthavebeenseenwendingtheirwayaway。 \"’Bud，’saysLuketome，’IwantyoutofixupalittleandgouptoSanAntonewithme。’ \"’LetmegetonmyMexicanspurs，’saysI，’andI’myourcompany。’ \"OneofthesistersorsoseemstohavestayedattheranchwithMrs。 Summersandthekid。WeridestoEncinalandcatchestheInternational，andhitsSanAntoneinthemorning。AfterbreakfastLukesteersmestraighttotheofficeofalawyer。Theygoinaroomandtalkandthencomeout。 \"’Oh，therewon’tbeanytrouble，Mr。Summers，’saysthelawyer。’I’llacquaintJudgeSimmonswiththefactsto-day；andthematterwillbeputthroughaspromptlyaspossible。Lawandorderreignsinthisstateasswiftandsureasanyinthecountry。’ \"’I’llwaitforthedecreeifitwon’ttakeoverhalfanhour，’saysLuke。 \"’Tut，tut，’saysthelawyerman。’Lawmusttakeitscourse。Comebackdayafterto-morrowathalf-pastnine。’ \"AtthattimemeandLukeshowsup，andthelawyerhandshimafoldeddocument。AndLukewriteshimoutacheck。 \"OnthesidewalkLukeholdsupthepapertomeandputsafingerthesizeofakitchendoorlatchonitandsays： \"’Decreeofab-so-lutedivorcewithcus-to-dyofthechild。’ \"’SkippingovermuchwhathashappenedofwhichIknownothing，’saysI，’itlookstomelikeasplit。Couldn’tthelawyermanhavemadeitastrikeforyou？’ \"’Bud，’sayshe，inapainedstyle，’thatchildistheonethingIhavetolivefor。Shemaygo；buttheboyismine！——thinkofit——Ihavecus-to-dyofthechild。’ \"’Allright，’saysI。’Ifit’sthelaw，let’sabidebyit。ButIthink，’ saysI，’thatJudgeSimmonsmighthaveusedexemplaryclemency，orwhateveristhelegalterm，inourcase。’ \"Yousee，Iwasn’tinveigledmuchintothedesirablenessofhavinginfantsaroundaranch，exceptthekindthatfeedthemselvesandsellforsomuchonthehoofwhentheygrowup。ButLukewasstruckwiththatsortofparentalfoolishnessthatInevercouldunderstand。Allthewayridingfromthestationbacktotheranch，hekeptpullingthatdecreeoutofhispocketandlayinghisfingeronthebackofitandreadingofftomethesumandsubstanceofit。’Cus-to-dyofthechild，Bud，’sayshe。’Don’tforgetit——cus-to-dyofthechild。’ \"Butwhenwehitstheranchwefindsourdecreeofcourtobviated，_nolle_ _prossed_，andremandedfortrial。Mrs。Summersandthekidwasgone。 TheytellusthatanhouraftermeandLukehadstartedforSanAntoneshehadateamhitchedandlitoutfortheneareststationwithhertrunksandtheyoungster。 \"Luketakesouthisdecreeoncemoreandreadsoffitsemoluments。 \"’Itain’tpossible，Bud，’sayshe，’forthistobe。It’scontrarytolawandorder。It’swroteasplainasdayhere——\"Cus-to-dyofthechild。\"’ \"’Thereiswhatyoumightcallahumanleaning，’saysI，’towardsmashing’emboth——nottomentionthechild。’ \"’JudgeSimmons，’goesonLuke，’isaincorporatedofficerofthelaw。 Shecan’ttaketheboyaway。HebelongstomebystatutespassedandapprovedbythestateofTexas。’ \"’Andhe’sremovedfromthejurisdictionofmundanemandamuses，’saysI，’bytheunearthlystatutesoffemalepartiality。LetuspraisetheLordandbethankfulforwhateversmallmercies——’Ibegins；butIseeLukedon’tlistentome。Tiredashewas，hecallsforafreshhorseandstartsbackagainforthestation。 \"Hecomebacktwoweeksafterward，notsayingmuch。 \"’Wecan’tgetthetrail，’sayshe；’butwe’vedoneallthetelegraphingthatthewires’llstand，andwe’vegotthesecityrangerstheycalldetectivesonthelookout。Inthemeantime，Bud，’sayshe，’we’llroundupthemcowsonBrushCreek，andwaitforthelawtotakeitscourse。’\" Andafterthatweneveralludedtoallusions，asyoumightsay。 \"Skippingovermuchwhathappenedinthenexttwelveyears，LukewasmadesheriffofMojadaCounty。Hemademehisofficedeputy。Now，don’tgetinyourmindnowrongapparitionsofaofficedeputydoingsumsinabookormashinglettersinaciderpress。Inthemdayshisjobwastowatchthebackwindowssonobodydidn’tplugthesheriffintherearwhilehewasaddingupmileageathisdeskinfront。AndinthemdaysIhadqualificationsforthejob。AndtherewaslawandorderinMojadaCounty，andschoolbooks，andallthewhiskeyyouwanted，andtheGovernmentbuiltitsownbattleshipsinsteadofcollectingnickelsfromtheschoolchildrentodoitwith。And，asIsay，therewaslawandorderinsteadofenactmentsandrestrictionssuchasdisfigureourumpirestateto-day。WehadourofficeatBildad，thecountyseat，fromwhichweemergedforthonnecessaryoccasionstosoothewhateverfracasesandunrestthatmightoccurinourjurisdiction。 \"SkippingovermuchwhathappenedwhilemeandLukewassheriff，Iwanttogiveyouanideaofhowthelawwasrespectedinthemdays。Lukewaswhatyouwouldcalloneofthemostconsciousmenintheworld。Heneverknewmuchbooklaw，buthehadtheinneremolumentsofjusticeandmercyinculcatedintohissystem。IfarespectablecitizenshotaMexicanorheldupatrainandcleanedoutthesafeintheexpresscar，andLukeevergotholdofhim，he’dgivetheguiltypartysuchareprimandandacussin’ outthathe’dprobableneverdoitagain。Butonceletsomebodystealahorse（unlessitwasaSpanishpony），orcutawirefence，orotherwiseimpairthepeaceandindignityofMojadaCounty，Lukeandmewouldbeon’emwithhabeascorpusesandsmokelesspowderandallthemoderninventionsofequityandetiquette。 \"Wecertainlyhadourcountyonabasisoflawfulness。I’veknownpersonsofEasternclassificationwithlittlespottedcapsandbuttoned-upshoestogetoffthetrainatBildadandeatsandwichesattherailroadstationwithoutbeingshotatorevenropedanddrugaboutbythecitizensofthetown。 \"Lukehadhisownideasoflegalityandjustice。Hewaskindoftrainingmetosucceedhimwhenhewentoutofoffice。Hewasalwayslookingaheadtothetimewhenhe’dquitsheriffing。Whathewantedtodowastobuildayellowhousewithlattice-workundertheporchandhavehensscratchingintheyard。Theonemainthinginhismindseemedtobetheyard。 \"’Bud，’hesaystome，’byinstinctandsentimentI’macontractor。I wanttobeacontractor。That’swhatI’llbewhenIgetoutofoffice。’ \"’Whatkindofacontractor？’saysI。’Itsoundslikeakindofabusinesstome。Youain’tgoingtohaulcementorestablishbranchesorworkonarailroad，areyou？’ \"’Youdon’tunderstand，’saysLuke。’I’mtiredofspaceandhorizonsandterritoryanddistancesandthingslikethat。WhatIwantisreasonablecontraction。Iwantayardwithafencearounditthatyoucangooutandsetonaftersupperandlistentowhip-poor-wills，’saysLuke。 \"That’sthekindofamanhewas。Hewashome-like，althoughhe’dhadbadluckinsuchinvestments。Buthenevertalkedaboutthemtimesontheranch。Itseemedlikehe’dforgottenaboutit。Iwonderedhow，withhisideasofyardsandchickensandnotionsoflattice-work，he’dseemedtohavegotoutofhismindthatkidofhisthathadbeentakenawayfromhim，unlawful，inspiteofhisdecreeofcourt。Buthewasn’tamanyoucouldaskaboutsuchthingsashedidn’trefertoinhisownconversation。 \"Ireckonhe’dputallhisemotionsandideasintobeingsheriff。I’vereadinbooksaboutmenthatwasdisappointedinthesepoeticandfine-hairedandhigh-collaredaffairswithladiesrenouncingtruckofthatkindandwrappingthemselvesupintosomeoccupationlikepaintingpictures，orherdingsheep，orscience，orteachingschool——somethingtomake’emforget。Well，IguessthatwasthewaywithLuke。But，ashecouldn’tpaintpictures，hetookitoutinroundinguphorsethievesandinmakingMojadaCountyasafeplacetosleepinifyouwaswellarmedandnotafraidofrequisitionsortarantulas。 \"OnedaytherepassesthroughBildadabunchofthesemoneyinvestorsfromtheEast，andtheystoppedoffthere，BildadbeingthedinnerstationontheI。&G。N。TheywasjustcomingbackfromMexicolookingafterminesandsuch。Therewasfiveof’em——foursolidparties，withgoldwatchchains，thatwouldgradeupovertwohundredpoundsonthehoof，andonekidaboutseventeenoreighteen。 \"ThisyoungsterhadononeofthemcowboysuitssuchastenderfootsbringWestwith’em；andyoucouldseehewasachingtowingacoupleofIndiansorbagagrizzlyortwowiththelittlepearl-handledgunhehadbuckledaroundhiswaist。 \"Iwalkeddowntothedepottokeepaneyeontheoutfitandseethattheydidn’tlocateanylandorscarethecowponieshitchedinfrontofMurchison’sstoreoractotherwiseunseemly。LukewasawayafteragangofcattlethievesdownontheFrio，andIalwayslookedafterthelawandorderwhenhewasn’tthere。 \"Afterdinnerthisboycomesoutofthedining-roomwhilethetrainwaswaiting，andprancesupanddowntheplatformreadytoshootallantelope，lions，orprivatecitizensthatmightendeavourtomolestorcometoonearhim。Hewasagood-lookingkid；onlyhewaslikeallthemtenderfoots—— hedidn’tknowalaw-and-ordertownwhenhesawit。 \"ByandbyalongcomesPedroJohnson，theproprietoroftheCrystalPalace_chili-con-carne_standinBildad。Pedrowasamanwholikedtoamusehimself；sohekindofherdridesthisyoungster，laughingathim，tickledtodeath。Iwastoofarawaytohear，butthekidseemstomentionsomeremarkstoPedro，andPedrogoesupandslapshimaboutninefeetaway，andlaughsharderthanever。Andthentheboygetsupquickerthanhefellandjerksouthislittlepearl-handle，and——bing！bing！bing！Pedrogetsitthreetimesinspecialandtreasuredportionsofhiscarcass。I sawthedustflyoffhisclotheseverytimethebulletshit。Sometimesthemlittlethirty-twoscauseworryatcloserange。 \"Theenginebellwasringing，andthetrainstartingoffslow。Igoesuptothekidandplaceshimunderarrest，andtakesawayhisgun。ButthefirstthingIknewthat_caballard_ofcapitalistsmakesabreakforthetrain。Oneof’emhesitatesinfrontofmeforasecond，andkindofsmilesandshoveshishandupagainstmychin，andIsortoflaiddownontheplatformandtookanap。Ineverwasafraidofguns；butIdon’twantanypersonexceptabarbertotakelibertieslikethatwithmyfaceagain。WhenIwokeup，thewholeoutfit——train，boy，andall——wasgone。I askedaboutPedro，andtheytoldmethedoctorsaidhewouldrecoverprovidedhiswoundsdidn’tturnouttobefatal。 \"WhenLukegotbackthreedayslater，andItoldhimaboutit，hewasmadallover。 \"’Why’n’tyoutelegraphtoSanAntone，’heasks，’andhavethebuncharrestedthere？’ \"’Oh，well，’saysI，’Ialwaysdidadmiretelegraphy；butastronomywaswhatIhadtookupjustthen。’Thatcapitalistsureknewhowtogesticulatewithhishands。 \"Lukegotmadderandmadder。Heinvestigatesandfindsinthedepotacardoneofthemenhaddroppedthatgivestheaddressofsome_hombre_ calledScudderinNewYorkCity。 \"’Bud，’saysLuke，’I’mgoingafterthatbunch。I’mgoingthereandgetthemanorboy，asyousayhewas，andbringhimback。I’msheriffofMojadaCounty，andIshallkeeplawandorderinitsprecinctswhileI’mabletodrawagun。AndIwantyoutogowithme。NoEasternYankeecanshootuparespectableandwell-knowncitizenofBildad，’speciallywithathirty-twocalibre，andescapethelaw。PedroJohnson，’saysLuke，’isoneofourmostprominentcitizensandbusinessmen。I’llappointSamBellactingsheriffwithpenitentiarypowerswhileI’maway，andyouandmewilltakethesixforty-fivenorthboundto-morroweveningandfollowupthistrail。’ \"’I’myourcompany，’saysI。’IneverseethisNewYork，butI’dliketo。But，Luke，’saysI，’don’tyouhavetohaveadispensationorahabeascorpusorsomethingfromthestate，whenyoureachoutthatfarforrichmenandmalefactors？’ \"’DidIhavearequisition，’saysLuke，’whenIwentoverintotheBrazosbottomsandbroughtbackBillGrimesandtwomoreforholdinguptheInternational？DidmeandyouhaveasearchwarrantorapossecomitatuswhenweroundedupthemsixMexicancowthievesdowninHidalgo？It’smybusinesstokeeporderinMojadaCounty。’ \"’Andit’smybusinessasofficedeputy，’saysI，’toseethatbusinessiscarriedonaccordingtolaw。Betweenusbothweoughttokeepthingsprettywellcleanedup。’ \"So，thenextday，Lukepacksablanketandsomecollarsandhismileagebookinahaversack，andhimandmehitsthebreezeforNewYork。Itwasapowerfullongride。Theseatsinthecarswastooshortforsix-footerslikeustosleepcomfortableon；andtheconductorhadtokeepusfromgettingoffateverytownthathadfive-storyhousesinit。Butwegottherefinally；andweseemedtoseerightawaythathewasrightaboutit。 \"’Luke，’saysI，’asofficedeputyandfromalawstandpoint，itdon’tlooktomelikethisplaceisproperlyandlegallyinthejurisdictionofMojadaCounty，Texas。’ \"’Fromthestandpointoforder，’sayshe，’it’samenabletoanswerforitssinstotheproperlyappointedauthoritiesfromBildadtoJerusalem。’ \"’Amen，’saysI。’Butlet’sturnourtricksudden，andride。Idon’tlikethelooksofthisplace。’ \"’ThinkofPedroJohnson，’saysLuke，’afriendofmineandyoursshotdownbyoneofthesegildedabolitionistsathisverydoor！’ \"’Itwasatthedoorofthefreightdepot，’saysI。’Butthelawwillnotbebalkedataquibblelikethat。’ \"WeputupatoneofthembighotelsonBroadway。ThenextmorningIgoesdownabouttwomilesofstairstepstothebottomandhuntsforLuke。Itain’tnouse。ItlookslikeSanJacintodayinSanAntone。There’sathousandfolksmillingaroundinakindofaroofed-overplazawithmarblepavementsandtreesgrowingrightoutof’em，andIseenomorechanceoffindingLukethanifwewashuntingeachotherinthebigpearflatdownbelowOldFortEwell。ButsoonLukeandmerunstogetherinoneoftheturnsofthemmarblealleys。 \"’Itain’tnouse，Bud，’sayshe。’Ican’tfindnoplacetoeatat。I’vebeenlookingforrestaurantsignsandsmellingforhamalloverthecamp。