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has not been solitary, I replied. There are forty chickens here. Thats so, said he. It dont explain her. He fell silent again, riding beside me, easy and indolent in the saddle. His long figure looked so loose and inert that the swift, light spring he made to the ground seemed an impossible feat. He had seen an antelope where I saw none. Take a shot yourself, I urged him, as he motioned me to be quick. You never shoot when Im with you. I aint hyeh for that, he answered. Now youve let him get away on yu! The antelope had in truth departed. Why, he said to my protest, I can hit them things any day. Whats your notion as to Emly? I cant account for her, I replied. Well, he said musingly, and then his mind took one of those particular turns that made me love him, Taylor ought to see her. Shed be just the schoolmarm for Bear Creek! Shes not much like the eating- house lady at Medicine Bow, I said. He gave a hilarious chuckle. No, Emly knows nothing o them joys. So yu have no notion about her? Well, Ive got one. I reckon maybe she was hatched after a big thunderstorm. In a big thunderstorm! I exclaimed. Yes. Dont yu know about them, and what theyll do to aiggs? A big case o lightnin and thunder will addle aiggs and keep em from hatchin. And I expect one came along, and all the other aiggs of Emlys set didnt hatch out, but got plumb addled, and she happened not to get addled that far, and so she just managed to make it through. But she certnly aint got a strong haid. I fear she has not, said I. Mighty honble intentions, he observed. If she cant make out to lay anything, she wants to hatch somethin, and be a mother anyways. I wonder what relation the law considers that a hen is to the chicken she hatched but did not lay? I inquired. The Virginian made no reply to this frivolous suggestion. He was gazing over the wide landscape gravely and with apparent inattention. He invariably saw game before I did, and was off his horse and crouched among the sage while I was still getting my left foot clear of the stirrup. I succeeded in killing an antelope, and we rode home with the head and hind quarters. No. said he. Its sure the thunder, and not the lonesomeness. How do yu like the lonesomeness yourself? I told him that I liked it. I could not live without it now, he said. This has got into my system. He swept his hand out at the vast space of world. I went back home to see my folks onced. Mother was dyin slow, and she wanted me. I stayed a year. But them Virginia mountains could please me no more. Afteh she was gone, I told my brothers and sisters good-by. We like each other well enough, but I reckon Ill not go back. We found Emly seated upon a collection of green California peaches, which the Judge had brought from the railroad. I dont mind her any more, I said; Im sorry for her. Ive been sorry for her right along, said the Virginian. She does hate the roosters so. And he said that he was making a collection of every class of object which he found her treating as eggs. But Emlys egg-industry was terminated abruptly one morning, and her unquestioned energies diverted to a new channel. A turkey which had been sitting in the root-house appeared with twelve children, and a family of bantams occurred almost simultaneously. Emly was importantly scratching the soil inside Paladins corral when the bantam tribe of newly born came by down the lane, and she caught sight of them through the bars. She crossed the corral at a run, and intercepted two of the chicks that were trailing somewhat behind their real mamma. These she undertook to appropriate, and assumed a high tone with the bantam, who was the smaller, and hence obliged to retreat with her still numerous family. |
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