He was a man fond of action and eager to see new things. His earliest project was to cross Africa, and this he attempted, but without success.
He next turned toward Mexico as a field for adventure, and he has painted a fascinating picture, both of life there at the time of the Mexican War and of life in the mountains to the north. The two small volumes of his writings are now out of print, but they are well worth reading by those who desire to learn of the early history of a country that is now well known, and which within fifty years has changed from a region without population to one which is a teeming5 hive of industry.
194 In Ruxton’s Adventures in Mexico and the Rocky Mountains is a singularly vivid account of the author’s journeyings from England, by way of the Madeira Islands, Barbadoes and others of the Antilles, to Cuba, and so to Vera Cruz, more fully6 called the Rich City of the True Cross; or as often, and quite aptly—from the plague of yellow fever which so constantly ravaged8 it—the City of the Dead. From Vera Cruz he travelled north, passing through Mexico, whose coast was then blockaded by the gringoes of North America, then through the country ravaged by marauding Indians, and at last, leaving Chihuahua and crossing by way of El Paso into New Mexico, he reached what is now the Southwestern United States. Through this country he passed—in winter—north through the mountains, meeting the trappers and mountaineers of those days and the Indians as well, crossed the plains, and finally reached St. Louis, and from there passed east to New York.
Although untrained in literature, Ruxton was a keen observer, and presented his narrative9 in most attractive form. He saw the salient characteristics of the places and the people among whom he was thrown, and commented on them most interestingly. He gives us a peculiarly vivid picture of Mexico as it was during its early days of stress and strain, or from the time of its independence, for within the last twenty-five years there had been not far from two hundred and fifty revolutions. This state of things, as is well known, continued for a dozen years after the Mexican War, or195 until the great Indian Juarez became ruler of the country and put down lawlessness and revolution with a strong hand. From his day until the expulsion of his great successor Porfirio Diaz Mexico was fortunate in her rulers.
Just after Ruxton reached Vera Cruz General Santa Anna, ex-President of Mexico, reached the city, having been summoned to return after his expulsion of a year before. Santa Anna was received with some form and ceremony, but with no applause; and before he had been long ashore11 was cross-examined by a representative of the people in very positive fashion, and submitted meekly12 to the inquisition.
It is hardly to be supposed that Ruxton, who had been a British soldier, would be blind to the extraordinary appearance and absolute lack of discipline of the Mexican troops, and his description of the soldiers, their equipment, and the preparations for the reception of Santa Anna is interesting. “The crack regiment of the Mexican army—el onze, the 11th—which happened to be in garrison at the time, cut most prodigious13 capers14 in the great plaza15 several times a day, disciplinando—drilling for the occasion. Nothing can, by any possibility, be conceived more unlike a soldier than a Mexican militar. The regular army is composed entirely16 of Indians—miserable17-looking pigmies, whose grenadiers are five feet high. Vera Cruz, being a show place, and jealous of its glory, generally contrives18 to put decent clothing, by subscription19, on the regiment detailed20 to196 garrison the town; otherwise clothing is not considered indispensable to the Mexican soldier. The muskets21 of the infantry22 are (that is, if they have any) condemned23 Tower muskets, turned out of the British service years before. I have seen them carrying firelocks without locks, and others with locks without hammers, the lighted end of a cigar being used as a match to ignite the powder in the pan. Discipline they have none. Courage a Mexican does not possess; but still they have that brutish indifference24 to death, which could be turned to account if they were well led, and officered by men of courage and spirit.”
Toward the end of the rainy season Ruxton, with a mozo, started for the north. He travelled on horseback, and his way was made difficult by the condition of the roads, which were heavy from rain, and by the presence in the country of troops on their way to the war, which made the accommodations, bad at best, still worse.
Concerning the city of Mexico and its inhabitants of the better class he speaks with some enthusiasm, but the hotels were villainous, the city unsafe for strangers after night, and at that time a blond man—a guero—was constantly taken for a Texan or a Yankee, and was subject to attack by any of the people.
In the city of Mexico Ruxton purchased horses from a Yankee horse-dealer named Smith, and set out with a pack-train for the farther north. His accounts of his travels, the difficulties of the way, the inns at which he197 stopped, and the cities that he passed through are extremely interesting. Of the manufacture of the national drink, pulque, the favorite beverage25 of the Mexicans, he says: “The maguey, American aloe—Agave americana—is cultivated over an extent of country embracing 50,000 square miles. In the City of Mexico alone the consumption of pulque amounts to the enormous quantity of 11,000,000 of gallons per annum, and a considerable revenue from its sale is derived27 by Government. The plant attains28 maturity29 in a period varying from eight to fourteen years, when it flowers; and it is during the stage of inflorescence only that the saccharine30 juice is extracted. The central stem which incloses the incipient31 flower is then cut off near the bottom, and a cavity or basin is discovered, over which the surrounding leaves are drawn32 close and tied. Into this reservoir the juice distils33, which otherwise would have risen to nourish and support the flower. It is removed three or four times during the twenty-four hours, yielding a quantity of liquor varying from a quart to a gallon and a half.
“The juice is extracted by means of a syphon made of a species of gourd34 called acojote, one end of which is placed in the liquor, the other in the mouth of a person, who by suction draws up the fluid into the pipe and deposits it in the bowls he has with him for the purpose. It is then placed in earthen jars and a little old pulque—madre de pulque—is added, when it soon ferments35, and is immediately ready for use. The fermentation198 occupies two or three days, and when it ceases the pulque is in fine order.
“Old pulque has a slightly unpleasant odour, which heathens have likened to the smell of putrid36 meat, but, when fresh, is brisk and sparkling, and the most cooling, refreshing37, and delicious drink that ever was invented for thirsty mortal; and when gliding38 down the dust-dried throat of a way-worn traveller, who feels the grateful liquor distilling39 through his veins40, is indeed the ‘licor divino,’ which Mexicans assert, is preferred by the angels in heaven to ruby41 wine.”
Wherever Ruxton passed, his fair hair and complexion42 and his excellent arms were subjects of wonder; the first to the women and children, the second to the men. His double-barrelled rifles seem especially to have impressed the men.
As he passed farther and farther north, he heard more and more concerning the raids of the Indians, and at the ranch43 of La Punta, where he stopped to witness the sport of tailing the bull, he heard from one of the inhabitants an account of the raid of the previous year, in which a number of peons were killed and some women and children carried away to the north. He says: “The ranchero’s wife described to me the whole scene, and bitterly accused the men of cowardice44 in not defending the place. This woman, with two grown daughters and several smaller children, fled from the rancho before the Indians approached, and concealed45 themselves under a wooden bridge which crossed199 a stream near at hand. Here they remained for some hours, half dead with terror: presently some Indians approached their place of concealment47: a young chief stood on the bridge and spoke48 some words to the others. All this time he had his piercing eyes bent49 upon their hiding-place, and had no doubt discovered them, but concealed his satisfaction under an appearance of indifference. He played with his victims. In broken Spanish they heard him express his hope ‘that he would be able to discover where the women were concealed—that he wanted a Mexican wife and some scalps.’ Suddenly he jumped from the bridge and thrust his lance under it with a savage50 whoop51; the blade pierced the woman’s arm and she shrieked52 with pain. One by one they were drawn from their retreat.
“‘Dios de mi alma!’—what a moment was this!—said the poor creature. Her children were surrounded by the savages53, brandishing54 their tomahawks, and she thought their last hour was come. But they all escaped with life, and returned to find their houses plundered55 and the corpses56 of friends and relations strewing57 the ground.
“‘Ay de mi!’—what a day was this! ‘Y los hombres,’ she continued, ‘qui no son hombres?’—And the men—who are not men—where were they? ‘Escondidos como los ratones’—hidden in holes like the rats. ‘Mire!’ she said suddenly, and with great excitement: ‘look at these two hundred men, well mounted and armed, who are now so brave and fierce, running after the poor200 bulls; if twenty Indians were to make their appearance where would they be? Vaya! vaya!’ she exclaimed, ‘son cobardes’—they are cowards all of them.
“The daughter, who sat at her mother’s feet during the recital58, as the scenes of that day were recalled to her memory, buried her face in her mother’s lap, and wept with excitement.
“To return to the toros. In a large corral, at one end of which was a little building, erected59 for the accommodation of the lady spectators, were inclosed upwards60 of a hundred bulls. Round the corral were the horsemen, all dressed in the picturesque61 Mexican costume, examining the animals as they were driven to and fro in the inclosure, in order to make them wild for the sport—alzar el corage. The ranchero himself, and his sons, were riding amongst them, armed with long lances, separating from the herd62, and driving into another inclosure, the most active bulls. When all was ready, the bars were withdrawn63 from the entrance of the corral, and a bull driven out, who, seeing the wide level plain before him, dashed off at the top of his speed. With a shout, the horsemen pursued the flying animal, who, hearing the uproar64 behind him, redoubled his speed. Each urges his horse to the utmost, and strives to take the lead and be first to reach the bull. In such a crowd, of course, first-rate horsemanship is required to avoid accidents and secure a safe lead. For some minutes the troop ran on in a compact mass—a sheet could have covered the lot. Enveloped65 in a cloud of201 dust, nothing could be seen but the bull, some hundred yards ahead, and the rolling cloud. Presently, with a shout, a horseman emerged from the front rank; the women cried ‘Viva!’ as, passing close to the stage, he was recognized to be the son of the ranchera, a boy of twelve years of age, sitting his horse like a bird, and swaying from side to side as the bull doubled, and the cloud of dust concealed the animal from his view. ‘Viva Pepito! viva!’ shouted his mother, as she waved her reboso to encourage the boy; and the little fellow struck his spurs into his horse and doubled down to his work manfully. But now two others are running neck and neck with him, and the race for the lead and the first throw is most exciting. The men shout, the women wave their rebosos and cry out their names: ‘Alza—Bernardo—por mi amor, Juan Maria—Viva Pepitito!’ they scream in intense excitement. The boy at length loses the lead to a tall, fine-looking Mexican, mounted on a fleet and powerful roan stallion, who gradually but surely forges ahead. At this moment the sharp eyes of little Pepe observed the bull to turn at an angle from his former course, which movement was hidden by the dust from the leading horseman. In an instant the boy took advantage of it, and, wheeling his horse at a right angle from his original course, cut off the bull. Shouts and vivas rent the air at sight of this skillful maneuver66, and the boy, urging his horse with whip and spur, ranged up to the left quarter of the bull, bending down to seize the tail, and secure it202 under his right leg, for the purpose of throwing the animal to the ground. But here Pepe’s strength failed him in a feat67 which requires great power of muscle, and in endeavouring to perform it he was jerked out of his saddle and fell violently to the ground, stunned68 and senseless. At least a dozen horsemen were now striving hard for the post of honour, but the roan distanced them all, and its rider, stronger than Pepe, dashed up to the bull, threw his right leg over the tail, which he had seized in his right hand, and, wheeling his horse suddenly outwards69, upset the bull in the midst of his career, and the huge animal rolled over and over in the dust, bellowing70 with pain and fright.”
Pushing northward71 through Mexico, Ruxton passed into a country with fewer and fewer inhabitants. It was the borderland of the Republic, where the Indians, constantly raiding, were killing72 people, burning villages, and driving off stock. The author’s adventures were frequent. He was shot at by his mozo, or servant, who desired to possess his property. He met wagon73-trains coming from Santa Fé, owned and manned by Americans. He lost his animals, was often close to Indians, yet escaped without fighting them, assisted in the rescue of a number of American teamsters who had endeavored to strike across the country to reach the United States, and many of whom had perished from hunger and thirst; and finally, while on this good errand, was robbed of all his property by thieves in the little village where he had left it. His journal of203 travel is pleasantly interspersed74 with traditions of the country and accounts of local adventures of the time.
Reaching Chihuahua, he found the shops stocked with goods brought from the United States by way of Santa Fé, it being profitable to drive the wagon-trains south as far as Chihuahua, rather than to sell their loads in Santa Fé. This Santa Fé trade, always subject to great risks from attacks by Indians and other dangers of the road, was made still more difficult from the extraordinary customs duties laid by the Mexican officials, who, without reference to the nature of the goods carried, assessed a duty of $500 on each wagon, no matter what its size or its contents.
Of Chihuahua as it was in those days Ruxton writes with enthusiasm: “In the sierras and mountains,” he says, “are found two species of bears—the common black, or American bear, and the grizzly75 bear of the Rocky Mountains. The last are the most numerous, and are abundant in the sierras, in the neighbourhood of Chihuahua. The carnero cimarron—the big-horn or Rocky Mountain sheep—is also common on the Cordillera. Elk76, black-tailed deer, cola-prieta (a large species of the fallow deer), the common red deer of America, and antelope77, abound78 on all the plains and sierras. Of smaller game, peccaries (javali), also called cojamete, hares, and rabbits are everywhere numerous; and beavers79 are still found in the Gila, the Pecos, the Del Norte, and their tributary81 streams. Of birds—the faisan, commonly called paisano, a species of pheasant:204 the quail82, or rather a bird between a quail and a partridge, is abundant; while every variety of snipe and plover83 is found on the plains, not forgetting the gruya, of the crane kind, whose meat is excellent. There are also two varieties of wolf—the white, or mountain wolf; and the coyote, or small wolf of the plains, whose long-continued and melancholy84 howl is an invariable adjunct to a Mexican night encampment.”
At the time that the author passed through Chihuahua that province was in a state of more or less excitement, expecting the advance of the “Americanos” from New Mexico, which province had been occupied by the United States forces (Santa Fé having been entered Aug. 18, 1846, by Gen. S. W. Kearny), and following the troops was a caravan85 of 200 traders’ wagons86 bound for Chihuahua. Ruxton was travelling northward, directly toward the American troops, and bore despatches for the American commander; he was therefore treated with extreme courtesy in Chihuahua and went on his way. He has something to say about the Mexican troops stationed here at Chihuahua, whom Colonel Doniphan, two or three months later, with 900 volunteers, defeated with a loss of 300 killed and as many wounded, capturing the city of Chihuahua, and without “losing one man in the campaign.” As a matter of fact, one man was killed on the United States side, while the Mexican losses were given as 320 killed, 560 wounded, and 72 prisoners.
It was in November that the author bade adieu to205 Chihuahua and set out for Santa Fé. Though the country through which he journeyed was infested88 with Indians, yet now and then a Mexican village was passed, occupied by people who were poor both in pocket and in spirit, and satisfied merely to live. When the Rio Grande, which in old times was commonly called the Del Norte, was passed, Ruxton was in what is now the United States. It was then Mexican territory, however, and at El Paso there were Mexican troops, and also a few American prisoners. From here, for some distance northward, Indian “sign” was constantly seen, chiefly of Apaches, who made it their business and their pleasure to ravage7 the region.
On the Rio Grande, a few days’ journey beyond El Paso, a surveying party under the command of Lieutenant89 Abert, of the United States Engineers, was met with, and near him was camped a great part of the traders’ caravan which was on its way to Chihuahua. The scene here must have been one of interest. The wagons were corralled, making a fort, from which Indians or Mexicans could be defied, and the large and wild-looking Missourians formed a striking contrast to the tiny Mexicans, with whom the author had so long been mingling90. The American troops in this and neighboring camps were volunteers, each one of whom thought himself quite as good as his commanding officers, and anything like discipline was unknown. Ruxton was greatly impressed by this, and commented freely on it, declaring that—“the American can never206 be made a soldier; his constitution will not bear the restraint of discipline; neither will his very mistaken notions about liberty allow him to subject himself to its necessary control.”
No doubt the troops which conquered Mexico were a good deal of a mob, and won their victories in a great measure by the force of individual courage, and through the timidity and still greater lack of organization of the troops opposed to them. On the other hand, Ruxton seems to have felt much admiration91 for the officers in command of the regular army. He speaks of West Point, and declares that the military education received there is one “by which they acquire a practical as well as theoretical knowledge of the science of war”; and that, “as a class, they are probably more distinguished92 for military knowledge than the officers of any European army; uniting with this a high chivalrous93 feeling and a most conspicuous94 gallantry, they have all the essentials of the officer and soldier.”
Ruxton spent some time hunting about this camp. One day he had a shot at a large panther which he did not kill, and later he found a turkey-roost. After a short delay here he started northward again. One of his servants had deserted95 him some time before, and now he sent the other back to Mexico because he was already suffering from the severity of the climate. The author’s animals had now been travelling so long together that they required little or no attention in driving. Of course the operation of packing for a single207 man was slow and difficult. Continuing northward, he reached Santa Fé, where, however, he did not stop long.
It was now winter, and the weather cold and snowy, but the intrepid96 traveller had no notion of waiting for more genial97 days. He has much to say about the Indians in the neighborhood, and especially of the Pueblos99, whose stone villages and peculiar10 methods of life greatly interested him. He found the Mexicans of New Mexico no more attractive than those with whom he had had to do farther to the southward, but seems to have felt a certain respect, if not admiration, for the Canadian and American trappers who had married among these people. Some of these men advised him strongly against making the effort to reach Fort Leavenworth at this season of the year, but he kept on. The journey was difficult, however. His animals, natives of the low country and of the tropics, were unused to mountain travel; each frozen stream that they came to was a cause of delay. The work of getting them on was very laborious100, and every two or three days Ruxton froze his hands. He was now approaching the country of the Utes, who at that time were constantly raiding the settlements of northern New Mexico, killing the Mexicans and taking their horses. His purpose was to strike the Arkansas River near its head waters, and to reach the Bayou Salado, an old rendezvous101 for trappers and a great game country. The cold of the mountain country grew more and more bitter, and the constant winds made it almost impossible for the men to keep208 from freezing. Indeed, sometimes the cold was so severe that Ruxton found it necessary to put blankets on his animals to keep them from perishing. For days at a time snow, wind, and cold were so severe that it was impossible to shoot game, as he could not bend his stiffened102 fingers without a long preliminary effort.
During a part of his journey from Red River north he had been constantly followed by a large gray wolf, which evidently kept with him for the remains103 of the animals killed, and for bits of food left around camp.
At length the Huerfano River was passed and a little later the Greenhorn, where there was a camp of one white trapper and two or three French Canadians. A few days later the Arkansas was reached, and then the trading-post known as the Pueblo98. Here Ruxton became a guest of John Hawkins, a well-known mountaineer of the time, and here he spent the remainder of the winter hunting on the Fontaine-qui-bouille and in the Bayou Salado.
Ruxton had many hunting adventures, and some narrow escapes from Indian fighting. Much of what he writes of this period has to do with the animals of the region, for at that time the country swarmed104 with game. The rapidity with which wolves will devour105 an animal is well known to those familiar with the olden time, but not to the people of to-day.
“The sagacity of wolves is almost incredible. They will remain around a hunting camp and follow the hunters the whole day, in bands of three and four, at209 less than a hundred yards distance, stopping when they stop, and sitting down quietly when game is killed, rushing to devour the offal when the hunter retires, and then following until another feed is offered them. If a deer or antelope is wounded, they immediately pursue it, and not unfrequently pull the animal down in time for the hunter to come up and secure it from their ravenous106 clutches. However, they appear to know at once the nature of the wound, for if but slightly touched, they never exert themselves to follow a deer, chasing those only which have received a mortal blow.
“I one day killed an old buck107 which was so poor that I left the carcase on the ground untouched. Six coyotes, or small prairie wolves, were my attendants that day, and of course, before I had left the deer twenty paces, had commenced their work of destruction. Certainly not ten minutes after, I looked back and saw the same six loping after me, one of them not twenty yards behind me, with his nose and face all besmeared with blood and his belly108 swelled109 almost to bursting. Thinking it scarcely possible that they could have devoured110 the whole deer in so short a space, I had the curiosity to return, and, to my astonishment111, found actually nothing left but a pile of bones and hair, the flesh being stripped from them as clean as if scraped with a knife. Half an hour after I killed a large blacktail deer, and as it was also in miserable condition, I took merely the fleeces (as the meat on the back and210 ribs112 is called), leaving four-fifths of the animal untouched. I then retired113 a short distance, and, sitting down on a rock, lighted my pipe, and watched the operations of the wolves. They sat perfectly114 still until I had withdrawn some three-score yards, when they scampered115, with a flourish of their tails, straight to the deer. Then commenced such a tugging116 and snarling117 and biting, all squeaking118 and swallowing at the same moment. A skirmish of tails and flying hair was seen for five minutes, when the last of them, with slouching tail and evidently ashamed of himself, withdrew, and nothing remained on the ground but a well-picked skeleton. By sunset, when I returned to camp, they had swallowed as much as three entire deer.”
Although Ruxton was no longer travelling, he was not yet free from danger from storms, and an extraordinary night passed in a snow-storm followed the loss of his animals on a hunting trip. Horses and mules119 had disappeared one morning, and he and his companion had set out to find them. This they did, and when they overtook the animals, shortly after noon, he says: “I found them quietly feeding ... and they suffered me to catch them without difficulty. As we were now within twenty miles of the fort, Morgan (his companion), who had had enough of it, determined121 to return, and I agreed to go back with the animals to the cache, and bring in the meat and packs. I accordingly tied the blanket on a mule120’s back, and, leading the horse, trotted122 back at once to the grove123 of cottonwoods where we211 had before encamped. The sky had been gradually overcast124 with leaden-coloured clouds, until, when near sunset, it was one huge inky mass of rolling darkness: the wind had suddenly lulled125, and an unnatural126 calm, which so surely heralds127 a storm in these tempestuous128 regions, succeeded. The ravens129 were winging their way toward the shelter of the timber, and the coyote was seen trotting130 quickly to cover, conscious of the coming storm.
“The black threatening clouds seemed gradually to descend131 until they kissed the earth, and already the distant mountains were hidden to their very bases. A hollow murmuring swept through the bottom, but as yet not a branch was stirred by wind; and the huge cottonwoods, with their leafless limbs, loomed132 like a line of ghosts through the heavy gloom. Knowing but too well what was coming, I turned my animals toward the timber, which was about two miles distant. With pointed133 ears, and actually trembling with fright, they were as eager as myself to reach the shelter; but, before we had proceeded a third of the distance, with a deafening134 roar, the tempest broke upon us. The clouds opened and drove right in our faces a storm of freezing sleet135, which froze upon us as it fell. The first squall of wind carried away my cap, and the enormous hailstones beating on my unprotected head and face, almost stunned me. In an instant my hunting shirt was soaked, and as instantly frozen hard; and my horse was a mass of icicles. Jumping off my mule—for to212 ride was impossible—I tore off the saddle blanket and covered my head. The animals, blinded with the sleet, and their eyes actually coated with ice, turned their sterns to the storm, and, blown before it, made for the open prairie. All my exertions136 to drive them to the shelter of the timber were useless. It was impossible to face the hurricane, which now brought with it clouds of driving snow; and perfect darkness soon set in. Still, the animals kept on, and I determined not to leave them, following, or, rather, being blown, after them. My blanket, frozen stiff like a board, required all the strength of my numbed137 fingers to prevent its being blown away, and although it was no protection against the intense cold, I knew it would in some degree shelter me at night from the snow. In half an hour the ground was covered on the bare prairie to the depth of two feet, and through this I floundered for a long time before the animals stopped. The prairie was as bare as a lake; but one little tuft of greasewood bushes presented itself, and here, turning from the storm, they suddenly stopped and remained perfectly still. In vain I again attempted to turn them toward the direction of the timber; huddled138 together, they would not move an inch; and, exhausted139 myself, and seeing nothing before me but, as I thought, certain death, I sank down immediately behind them, and, covering my head with the blanket, crouched140 like a ball in the snow. I would have started myself for the timber, but it was pitchy dark, the wind drove clouds of frozen snow into my213 face, and the animals had so turned about in the prairie that it was impossible to know the direction to take; and although I had a compass with me, my hands were so frozen that I was perfectly unable, after repeated attempts, to unscrew the box and consult it. Even had I reached the timber, my situation would have been scarcely improved, for the trees were scattered141 wide about over a narrow space, and, consequently, afforded but little shelter; and if even I had succeeded in getting firewood—by no means an easy matter at any time, and still more difficult now that the ground was covered with three feet of snow—I was utterly142 unable to use my flint and steel to procure143 a light, since my fingers were like pieces of stone, and entirely without feeling.
“The way the wind roared over the prairie that night—how the snow drove before it, covering me and the poor animals partly—and how I lay there, feeling the very blood freezing in my veins, and my bones petrifying144 with the icy blasts which seemed to penetrate145 them—how for hours I remained with my head on my knees and the snow pressing it down like a weight of lead, expecting every instant to drop into a sleep from which I knew it was impossible I should ever awake—how every now and then the mules would groan146 aloud and fall down upon the snow, and then again struggle on their legs—how all night long the piercing howl of wolves was borne upon the wind, which never for an instant abated147 its violence during the night,—I would214 not attempt to describe. I have passed many nights alone in the wilderness148 and in a solitary149 camp—have listened to the roarings of the wind and the howling of wolves, and felt the rain or snow beating upon me with perfect unconcern: but this night threw all my former experiences into the shade, and is marked with the blackest of stones in the memoranda150 of my journeyings.
“Once, late in the night, by keeping my hands buried in the breast of my hunting shirt, I succeeded in restoring sufficient feeling into them to enable me to strike a light. Luckily my pipe, which was made out of a huge piece of cottonwood bark, and capable of containing at least twelve ordinary pipefuls, was filled with tobacco to the brim; and this I do believe kept me alive during the night, for I smoked and smoked until the pipe itself caught fire and burned completely to the stem.
“I was just sinking into a dreamy stupor151, when the mules began to shake themselves and sneeze and snort; which hailing as a good sign, and that they were still alive, I attempted to lift my head and take a view of the weather. When with great difficulty I raised my head, all appeared dark as pitch, and it did not at first occur to me that I was buried deep in snow; but when I thrust my arm above me, a hole was thus made, through which I saw the stars shining in the sky and the clouds fast clearing away. Making a sudden attempt to straighten my almost petrified152 back and limbs, I rose, but, unable to stand, fell forward in215 the snow, frightening the animals, which immediately started away. When I gained my legs I found that day was just breaking, a long gray line of light appearing over the belt of timber on the creek153, and the clouds gradually rising from the east, and allowing the stars to peep from patches of blue sky. Following the animals as soon as I gained the use of my limbs, and taking a last look at the perfect cave from which I had just risen, I found them in the timber, and, singularly enough, under the very tree where we had cached our meat. However, I was unable to ascend154 the tree in my present state, and my frost-bitten fingers refused to perform their offices; so that I jumped upon my horse, and, followed by the mules, galloped155 back to the Arkansa, which I reached in the evening, half dead with hunger and cold.
“The hunters had given me up for lost, as such a night even the ‘oldest inhabitant’ had never witnessed. My late companion had reached the Arkansa, and was safely housed before it broke, blessing156 his lucky stars that he had not gone back with me.”
It was at this time that the news of the Pueblo Indian rising in the valley of Taos was received and that Governor Charles Bent and other white men had been killed.
At this time the fur of the beaver80 had been supplanted157 by other and cheaper materials, so that beaver fur, which formerly158 brought eight dollars a pound, now brought but one dollar. For this reason many, if not216 most, of the trappers had for the time being ceased their work, and had settled down on farms in the mountains, where, though professing159 to farm, they raised little from the ground except corn, but subsisted160 almost entirely on the game, which was enormously abundant. The author has much to say about the trappers and their ways of life, and this is one of the spirited pictures of the craft that he paints:
“On starting for a hunt, the trapper fits himself out with the necessary equipment, either from the Indian trading-forts, or from some of the petty traders—coureurs des bois—who frequent the western country. This equipment consists usually of two or three horses or mules—one for saddle, the others for packs—and six traps, which are carried in a bag of leather called a trap-sack. Ammunition161, a few pounds of tobacco, dressed deer-skins for moccasins, &c., are carried in a wallet of dressed buffalo162-skin, called a possible-sack. His ‘possibles’ and ‘trap-sack’ are generally carried on the saddle-mule when hunting, the others being packed with the furs. The costume of the trapper is a hunting-shirt of dressed buckskin, ornamented164 with long fringes; pantaloons of the same material, and decorated with porcupine-quills and long fringes down the outside of the leg. A flexible felt hat and moccasins clothe his extremities165. Over his left shoulder and under his right arm hang his powder-horn and bullet-pouch166, in which he carries his balls, flint and steel, and odds167 and ends of all kinds. Round the waist is a belt, in which is stuck217 a large butcher-knife in a sheath of buffalo-hide, made fast to the belt by a chain or guard of steel; which also supports a little buckskin case containing a whetstone. A tomahawk is also often added; and, of course, a long heavy rifle is part and parcel of his equipment. I had nearly forgotten the pipe-holder, which hangs round his neck, and is generally a gage168 d’amour, and a triumph of squaw workmanship, in shape of a heart, garnished169 with beads170 and porcupine-quills.
“Thus provided, and having determined the locality of his trapping-ground, he starts to the mountains, sometimes alone, sometimes with three or four in company, as soon as the breaking up of the ice allows him to commence operations. Arrived on his hunting-grounds, he follows the creeks171 and streams, keeping a sharp look-out for ‘sign.’
“During the hunt, regardless of Indian vicinity, the fearless trapper wanders far and near in search of ‘sign.’ His nerves must ever be in a state of tension, and his mind ever present at his call. His eagle eye sweeps round the country, and in an instant detects any foreign appearance. A turned leaf, a blade of grass pressed down, the uneasiness of the wild animals, the flight of birds, are all paragraphs to him written in nature’s legible hand and plainest language. All the wits of the subtle savage are called into play to gain an advantage over the wily woodsman; but with the natural instinct of primitive172 man, the white hunter has the advantages of a civilized173 mind, and, thus provided,218 seldom fails to outwit, under equal advantages, the cunning savage.
“Sometimes, following on his trail, the Indian watches him set his traps on a shrub-belted stream, and, passing up the bed, like Bruce of old, so that he may leave no tracks, he lies in wait in the bushes until the hunter comes to examine his carefully-set traps. Then, waiting until he approaches his ambushment within a few feet, whiz flies the home-drawn arrow, never failing at such close quarters to bring the victim to the ground. For one white scalp, however, that dangles174 in the smoke of an Indian’s lodge175, a dozen black ones, at the end of the hunt, ornament163 the campfires of the rendezvous.
“At a certain time, when the hunt is over, or they have loaded their pack-animals, the trappers proceed to the ‘rendezvous,’ the locality of which has been previously176 agreed upon; and here the traders and agents of the fur companies await them, with such assortment177 of goods as their hardy178 customers may require, including generally a fair supply of alcohol. The trappers drop in singly and in small bands, bringing their packs of beaver to this mountain market, not unfrequently to the value of a thousand dollars each, the produce of one hunt. The dissipation of the ‘rendezvous,’ however, soon turns the trapper’s pocket inside out. The goods brought by the traders, although of the most inferior quality, are sold at enormous prices:—Coffee, twenty and thirty shillings a pint179-cup,219 which is the usual measure; tobacco fetches ten and fifteen shillings a plug; alcohol, from twenty to fifty shillings a pint; gunpowder180, sixteen shillings a pint-cup; and all other articles at proportionately exorbitant181 prices.
“A trapper often squanders182 the produce of his hunt, amounting to hundreds of dollars, in a couple of hours; and, supplied on credit with another equipment, leaves the rendezvous for another expedition, which has the same result time after time; although one tolerably successful hunt would enable him to return to the settlements and civilized life, with an ample sum to purchase and stock a farm, and enjoy himself in ease and comfort the remainder of his days.
“An old trapper, a French Canadian, assured me that he had received fifteen thousand dollars for beaver during a sojourn183 of twenty years in the mountains. Every year he resolved in his mind to return to Canada and, with this object, always converted his fur into cash; but a fortnight at the ‘rendezvous’ always cleaned him out, and, at the end of twenty years, he had not even credit sufficient to buy a pound of powder.
“These annual gatherings184 are often the scene of bloody185 duels186, for over their cups and cards no men are more quarrelsome than your mountaineers. Rifles, at twenty paces, settle all differences, and, as may be imagined, the fall of one or other of the combatants is certain, or, as sometimes happens, both fall to the word ‘fire.’”
220 Ruxton made many solitary hunting trips away from the fort—Pueblo—and of one of these, to the head of the Fontaine-qui-bouille, he paints a pleasing picture:
“Never was there such a paradise for hunters as this lone26 and solitary spot. The shelving prairie, at the bottom of which the springs are situated187, is entirely surrounded by rugged188 mountains, and, containing perhaps two or three acres of excellent grass, affords a safe pasture to their animals, which would hardly care to wander from such feeding, and the salitrose rocks they love so well to lick. Immediately overhead, Pike’s Peak, at an elevation189 of 12,000 feet above the level of the sea, towers high into the clouds; whilst from the fountain, like a granitic190 amphitheatre, ridge46 after ridge, clothed with pine and cedar191, rises and meets the stupendous mass of mountains, well called ‘Rocky,’ which stretches far away north and southward, their gigantic peaks being visible above the strata192 of clouds which hide their rugged bases.
“This first day the sun shone out bright and warm, and not a breath of wind ruffled193 the evergreen194 foliage195 of the cedar groves196. Gay-plumaged birds were twittering in the shrubs197, and ravens and magpies198 were chattering199 overhead, attracted by the meat I had hung upon a tree; the mules, having quickly filled themselves, were lying round the spring, basking200 lazily in the sun; and myself, seated on a pack, and pipe in mouth, with rifle ready at my side, indolently enjoyed the rays, which reverberated201 (sic) from the white rock on which221 I was lying, were deliciously warm and soothing202. A piece of rock, detached from the mountainside and tumbling noisily down, caused me to look up in the direction whence it came. Half a dozen big-horns, or Rocky Mountain sheep, perched on the pinnacle203 of a rock, were gazing wonderingly upon the prairie, where the mules were rolling enveloped in clouds of dust. The enormous horns of the mountain sheep appeared so disproportionably heavy, that I every moment expected to see them lose their balance and topple over the giddy height. My motions frightened them, and, jumping from rock to rock, they quickly disappeared up the steepest part of the mountain. At the same moment a herd of blacktail deer crossed the corner of the glade204 within rifle shot of me, but, fearing the vicinity of Indians, I refrained from firing before I had reconnoitred the vicinity for signs of their recent presence.
“Immediately over me, on the left bank of the stream, and high above the springs, was a small plateau, one of many which are seen on the mountainsides. Three buffalo bulls were here quietly feeding, and remained the whole afternoon undisturbed. I saw from the sign that they had very recently drunk at the springs, and that the little prairie where my animals were feeding was a frequent resort of solitary bulls.”
INDIAN SIGNALLING “BUFFALO DISCOVERED”
A mountain hunter rather than one of the plains, Ruxton nevertheless devotes some space to buffalo hunting. He points out what has so often been written of since his time, that the buffalo was hard to kill,222 not because it had so much vitality205, but because the inexperienced hunter so seldom shot it in the right place. Thus he says:
“No animal requires so much killing as a buffalo. Unless shot through the lungs or spine206, they invariably escape; and, even when thus mortally wounded, or even struck through the very heart, they will frequently run a considerable distance before falling to the ground, particularly if they see the hunter after the wound is given. If, however, he keeps himself concealed after firing, the animal will remain still, if it does not immediately fall. It is a most painful sight to witness the dying struggles of the huge beast. The buffalo invariably evinces the greatest repugnance207 to lie down when mortally wounded, apparently208 conscious that, when once touching209 mother earth, there is no hope left him. A bull, shot through the heart or lungs, with blood streaming from his mouth, and protruding210 tongue, his eyes rolling, bloodshot, and glazed211 with death, braces212 himself on his legs, swaying from side to side, stamps impatiently at his growing weakness, or lifts his rugged and matted head and helplessly bellows213 out his conscious impotence. To the last, however, he endeavours to stand upright, and plants his limbs farther apart, but to no purpose. As the body rolls like a ship at sea, his head slowly turns from side to side, looking about, as it were, for the unseen and treacherous214 enemy who has brought him, the lord of the plains, to such a pass. Gouts of purple blood spurt223 from his mouth and nostrils215, and gradually the failing limbs refuse longer to support the ponderous216 carcase; more heavily rolls the body from side to side, until suddenly, for a brief instant, it becomes rigid217 and still; a convulsive tremor218 seizes it, and, with a low, sobbing219 gasp220, the huge animal falls over on his side, the limbs extended stark221 and stiff, and the mountain of flesh without life or motion.
“The first attempts of a ‘greenhorn’ to kill a buffalo are invariably unsuccessful. He sees before him a mass of flesh, nearly five feet in depth from the top of the hump to the brisket, and consequently imagines that, by planting his ball midway between these points, it must surely reach the vitals. Nothing, however, is more erroneous than the impression; for to ‘throw a buffalo in his tracks,’ which is the phrase of making a clean shot, he must be struck but a few inches above the brisket, behind the shoulder, where alone, unless the spine be divided, a death-shot will reach the vitals. I once shot a bull, the ball passing directly through the very centre of the heart and tearing a hole sufficiently222 large to insert the finger, which ran upwards of half a mile before it fell, and yet the ball had passed completely through the animal, cutting its heart almost in two. I also saw eighteen shots, the half of them muskets, deliberately223 fired into an old bull, at six paces, and some of them passing through the body, the poor animal standing224 the whole time, and making feeble attempts to charge. The nineteenth shot, with the224 muzzle225 touching his body, brought him to the ground. The head of the buffalo-bull is so thickly covered with coarse matted hair, that a ball fired at half a dozen paces will not penetrate the skull226 through the shaggy frontlock. I have frequently attempted this with a rifle carrying twenty-five balls to the pound, but never once succeeded.
“Notwithstanding the great and wanton destruction of the buffalo, many years must elapse before this lordly animal becomes extinct. In spite of their numerous enemies, they still exist in countless227 numbers, and, could any steps be taken to protect them, as is done in respect of other game, they would ever remain the life and ornament of the boundless228 prairies, and afford ample and never-failing provision to the travelers over these otherwise desert plains. Some idea of the prodigious slaughter229 of these animals may be formed, by mentioning the fact that upwards of one hundred thousand buffalo robes find their way annually230 into the United States and Canada; and these are the skins of cows alone, the bull’s hide being so thick that it is never dressed. Besides this, the Indians kill a certain number for their own use, exclusive of those whose meat they require; and the reckless slaughter of buffalo by parties of white men, emigrants231 to the Columbia, California, and elsewhere, leaving, as they proceed on their journey, thousands of untouched carcases on the trail, swells232 the aggregate233 of this wholesale234 destruction to an enormous amount.”
225 The keen scent235 of the buffalo and its apparent poor sight were noticed by Ruxton, as they have been by so many others. What is perhaps not generally known, because it has been forgotten, is that when running, the buffalo commonly swings its head from one side to the other, apparently in the effort to see what is going on on either side and perhaps, to some extent, behind it. Other characteristics—its harmlessness, and its occasional unconcern in the presence of danger—are also shown here.
“There are two methods of hunting buffalo—one on horseback, by chasing them at full speed, and shooting when alongside; the other by ‘still hunting,’ that is, ‘approaching,’ or stalking, by taking advantage of the wind and any cover the ground affords, and crawling to within distance of the feeding herd. The latter method exhibits in a higher degree the qualities of the hunter, the former those of the horseman. The buffalo’s head is so thickly thatched with long, shaggy hair that the animal is almost precluded236 from seeing an object directly in its front; and if the wind be against the hunter he can approach, with a little caution, a buffalo feeding on a prairie as level and bare as a billiard-table. Their sense of smelling, however, is so acute, that it is impossible to get within shot when to windward, as, at the distance of nearly half a mile, the animal will be seen to snuff the tainted237 air, and quickly satisfy himself of the vicinity of danger. At any other than the season of gallantry, when the males are, like226 all other animals, disposed to be pugnacious238, the buffalo is a quiet, harmless animal, and will never attack unless goaded239 to madness by wounds, or, if a cow, in sometimes defending its calf240 when pursued by a horseman; but even then it is seldom that they make any strong effort to protect their young.
“When gorged241 with water, after a long fast, they become so lethargic242 that they sometimes are too careless to run and avoid danger. One evening, just before camping, I was, as usual, in advance of the train, when I saw three bulls come out of the river and walk leisurely243 across the trail, stopping occasionally, and one, more indolent than the rest, lying down whenever the others halted. Being on my hunting-mule, I rode slowly after them, the lazy one stopping behind the others, and allowing me to ride within a dozen paces, when he would slowly follow the rest. Wishing to see how near I could get, I dismounted, and, rifle in hand, approached the bull, who at last stopped short, and never even looked round, so that I walked up to the animal and placed my hand on his quarter. Taking no notice of me, the huge beast lay down, and while on the ground I shot him dead. On butchering the carcase I found the stomach so greatly distended244, that another pint would have burst it. In other respects the animal was perfectly healthy and in good condition.”
Ruxton was not only an earnest hunter and a hardy traveller, but he was also a keen observer, and living227 as he did for long periods in the open air and among the wild animals, he saw many curious things.
“The first mountain-sheep I killed, I got within shot of in rather a curious manner. I had undertaken several unsuccessful hunts for the purpose of procuring245 a pair of horns of this animal, as well as some skins, which are of excellent quality when dressed, but had almost given up any hope of approaching them, when one day, having killed and butchered a black-tail deer in the mountains, I sat down with my back to a small rock and fell asleep. On awaking, feeling inclined for a smoke, I drew from my pouch a pipe, and flint and steel, and began leisurely to cut a charge of tobacco. Whilst thus engaged I became sensible of a peculiar odour which was wafted246 right into my face by the breeze, and which, on snuffing it once or twice, I immediately recognized as that which emanates247 from sheep and goats. Still I never thought that one of the former animals could be in the neighbourhood, for my mule was picketed248 on the little plateau where I sat, and was leisurely cropping the buffalo-grass which thickly covered it.
“Looking up carelessly from my work, as a whiff stronger than before reached my nose, what was my astonishment at seeing five mountain-sheep within ten paces, and regarding me with a curious and astonished gaze! Without drawing a breath, I put out my hand and grasped the rifle, which was lying within reach; but the motion, slight as it was, sufficed to alarm them,228 and with a loud bleat249 the old ram250 bounded up the mountain, followed by the band, and at so rapid a pace that all my attempts to ‘draw a bead’ upon them were ineffectual. When, however, they reached a little plateau about one hundred and fifty yards from where I stood, they suddenly stopped, and, approaching the edge, looked down at me, shaking their heads, and bleating251 their displeasure at the intrusion. No sooner did I see them stop than my rifle was at my shoulder, and covering the broadside of the one nearest to me. An instant after and I pulled the trigger, and at the report the sheep jumped convulsively from the rock, and made one attempt to follow its flying companions; but its strength failed, and, circling round once or twice at the edge of the plateau, it fell over on its side, and, rolling down the steep rock, tumbled dead very near me. My prize proved a very fine young male, but had not a large pair of horns. It was, however, ‘seal’ fat, and afforded me a choice supply of meat, which was certainly the best I had eaten in the mountains, being fat and juicy, and in flavour somewhat partaking both of the domestic sheep and buffalo.”
Among other notes about this species Ruxton speaks of several attempts that had been made to secure the young of mountain sheep and transport them to the States. None of these, however, had been successful. Old Bill Williams even took with him into the mountains a troop of milch goats, by which to bring up the young sheep, but, though capturing a number of lambs,229 he did not succeed in reaching the frontier with a single one.
He reports also the superstition252 of the Canadian trappers concerning the carcajou, which we know as the wolverene, and tells of a reported battle which an old Canadian trapper said that he had had with one of these animals, and which lasted upward of two hours, during which he fired a pouchful of balls into the animal’s body, which spat87 them out as fast as they were shot in. Two days later, in company with the same man, the author, in looking over a ridge, saw a wolverene, and shot at it, as it was running off, without effect. For this he was derided253 by the Canadian, who declared that if he had shot fifty balls at the carcajou it would not have cared at all.
One night, when camped on the Platte, the author woke up, and looking out of his blanket, saw sitting before the fire a huge gray wolf, his eyes closed and his head nodding in sheer drowsiness254.
The last day of April, Ruxton set out to cross the plains for Fort Leavenworth, intending to return to England. Soon afterward255 they reached Bent’s Fort, and a little later were joined by a number of Frémont’s men, and by Kit256 Carson, who were returning from California. They passed a Cheyenne camp, and before very long were well out on the plains and in the buffalo country. Concerning the abundance of these animals Ruxton tells the same extraordinary stories that all old-timers relate. He hunted buffalo both by “approaching”230 and by running; and tried many experiments with these great beasts. One night the camp was almost run down by a vast herd of buffalo, but all hands being aroused, they managed, by firing their guns and making all the noise they could, to split the herd, so that the two branches passed around them.
At length the party approached Council Grove, and the more humid country, where the eastern timber was found, which, to Ruxton and to the Missourians of the party, looked like old friends.
Ruxton was a true outdoor man, loving the wilderness for itself alone, accepting whatever of toil257, exposure, or hardship might come to him, feeling amply repaid for these annoyances258 by the joy of independence, of the beauties that surrounded him, and of the absolute physical well-being259 which was a part of this life.
The days when an existence such as is pictured in his accounts of the Rocky Mountains could be enjoyed are long past, yet there are still living some men who can absolutely sympathize with the feeling expressed in the following paragraphs:
“Apart from the feeling of loneliness which any one in my situation must naturally have experienced, surrounded by stupendous works of nature, which in all their solitary grandeur260 frowned upon me, and sinking into utter insignificance261 the miserable mortal who crept beneath their shadow; still there was something inexpressibly exhilarating in the sensation of positive231 freedom from all worldly care, and a consequent expansion of the sinews, as it were, of mind and body, which made me feel elastic262 as a ball of Indian rubber, and in a state of such perfect insouciance263 that no more dread264 of scalping Indians entered my mind than if I had been sitting in Broadway, in one of the windows of Astor House. A citizen of the world, I never found any difficulty in investing my resting-place, wherever it might be, with all the attributes of a home; and hailed, with delight equal to that which the artificial comforts of a civilized home would have caused, the, to me, domestic appearance of my hobbled animals, as they grazed around the camp, when I returned after a hard day’s hunt. By the way, I may here remark, that my sporting feeling underwent a great change when I was necessitated265 to follow and kill game for the support of life, and as a means of subsistence; and the slaughter of deer and buffalo no longer became sport when the object was to fill the larder266, and the excitement of the hunt was occasioned by the alternative of a plentiful267 feast or a banyan268; and, although ranking under the head of the most red-hot of sportsmen, I can safely acquit269 myself of ever wantonly destroying a deer or buffalo unless I was in need of meat; and such consideration for the fer? natur? is common to all the mountaineers who look to game alone for their support. Although liable to an accusation270 of barbarism, I must confess that the very happiest moments of my life have been spent in the wilderness of the far West; and I never recall232 but with pleasure the remembrance of my solitary camp in the Bayou Salado, with no friend near me more faithful than my rifle, and no companions more sociable271 than my good horse and mules, or the attendant coyote which nightly serenaded us. With a plentiful supply of dry pine-logs on the fire, and its cheerful blaze streaming far up into the sky, illuminating272 the valley far and near, and exhibiting the animals, with well-filled bellies273, standing contentedly274 at rest over their picket-pins, I would sit cross-legged enjoying the genial warmth, and, pipe in mouth, watch the blue smoke as it curled upwards, building castles in its vapoury wreaths, and, in the fantastic shapes it assumed, peopling the solitude275 with figures of those far away. Scarcely, however, did I ever wish to change such hours of freedom for all the luxuries of civilized life, and, unnatural and extraordinary as it may appear, yet such is the fascination276 of the life of the mountain hunter, that I believe not one instance could be adduced of even the most polished and civilized of men, who had once tasted the sweets of its attendant liberty and freedom from every worldly care, not regretting the moment when he exchanged it for the monotonous277 life of the settlements, nor sighing, and sighing again, once more to partake of its pleasures and allurements278.
“Nothing can be more social and cheering than the welcome blaze of the camp fire on a cold winter’s night, and nothing more amusing or entertaining, if not instructive, than the rough conversation of the single-233minded mountaineers, whose simple daily talk is all of exciting adventure, since their whole existence is spent in scenes of peril279 and privation; and consequently the narration280 of their every-day life is a tale of thrilling accidents and hairbreadth ’scapes, which, though simple matter-of-fact to them, appear a startling romance to those who are not acquainted with the nature of the lives led by these men, who, with the sky for a roof and their rifles to supply them with food and clothing, call no man lord or master, and are free as the game they follow.”
SKINNING A BUFFALO
Some little time was spent at Fort Leavenworth, where Ruxton found the change from the free life of prairie and mountain very unpleasant. He suffered still more when he reached St. Louis, and was obliged to assume the confining garb281 of civilization, and above all, to put his feet into shoes.
Ruxton’s journey from St. Louis to New York was uneventful, and in July he left for England, which he reached in the middle of August, 1847.
It was after this that he wrote a series of sketches282, entitled “Life in the Far West,” which were afterward published in Blackwood’s Magazine, and finally in book form in England and America. These sketches purport283 to give the adventures of a trapper, La Bonté, during fifteen years’ wandering in the mountains, and set forth284 trapper and mountain life of the day. They show throughout the greatest familiarity with the old-time life. The author’s effort to imitate the dialect234 spoken by the trappers makes the conversation not always easy to read; but they are most interesting as faithful pictures of life in the mountains between 1830 and 1840—at the end of the days of the beaver.
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regiment
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| n.团，多数，管理；v.组织，编成团，统制 | |
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enlist
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| vt.谋取(支持等)，赢得；征募；vi.入伍 | |
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garrison
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| n.卫戍部队；驻地，卫戍区；vt.派(兵)驻防 | |
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palled
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| v.（因过多或过久而）生厌，感到乏味，厌烦( pall的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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5
teeming
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| adj.丰富的v.充满( teem的现在分词 )；到处都是；（指水、雨等）暴降；倾注 | |
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fully
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| adv.完全地，全部地，彻底地；充分地 | |
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ravage
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| vt.使...荒废，破坏...；n.破坏，掠夺，荒废 | |
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ravaged
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| 毁坏( ravage的过去式和过去分词 )； 蹂躏； 劫掠； 抢劫 | |
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narrative
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| n.叙述，故事；adj.叙事的，故事体的 | |
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peculiar
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| adj.古怪的，异常的；特殊的，特有的 | |
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ashore
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| adv.在(向)岸上，上岸 | |
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meekly
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| adv.温顺地，逆来顺受地 | |
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prodigious
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| adj.惊人的，奇妙的；异常的；巨大的；庞大的 | |
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capers
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| n.开玩笑( caper的名词复数 )；刺山柑v.跳跃，雀跃( caper的第三人称单数 ) | |
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plaza
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| n.广场，市场 | |
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entirely
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| ad.全部地，完整地；完全地，彻底地 | |
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miserable
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| adj.悲惨的，痛苦的；可怜的，糟糕的 | |
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contrives
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| （不顾困难地）促成某事( contrive的第三人称单数 )； 巧妙地策划，精巧地制造（如机器）； 设法做到 | |
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subscription
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| n.预订，预订费，亲笔签名，调配法，下标（处方） | |
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detailed
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| adj.详细的，详尽的，极注意细节的，完全的 | |
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muskets
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| n.火枪，（尤指）滑膛枪( musket的名词复数 ) | |
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infantry
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| n.[总称]步兵(部队) | |
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condemned
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| adj. 被责难的, 被宣告有罪的 动词condemn的过去式和过去分词 | |
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indifference
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| n.不感兴趣，不关心，冷淡，不在乎 | |
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beverage
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| n.(水，酒等之外的)饮料 | |
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lone
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| adj.孤寂的，单独的；唯一的 | |
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derived
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| vi.起源；由来；衍生；导出v.得到( derive的过去式和过去分词 )；（从…中）得到获得；源于；（从…中）提取 | |
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attains
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| （通常经过努力）实现( attain的第三人称单数 )； 达到； 获得； 达到（某年龄、水平、状况） | |
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maturity
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| n.成熟；完成；(支票、债券等)到期 | |
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saccharine
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| adj.奉承的，讨好的 | |
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incipient
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| adj.起初的，发端的，初期的 | |
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drawn
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| v.拖，拉，拔出；adj.憔悴的，紧张的 | |
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distils
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| v.蒸馏( distil的第三人称单数 )；从…提取精华 | |
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34
gourd
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| n.葫芦 | |
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ferments
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| n.酵素( ferment的名词复数 )；激动；骚动；动荡v.（使）发酵( ferment的第三人称单数 )；（使）激动；骚动；骚扰 | |
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putrid
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| adj.腐臭的；有毒的；已腐烂的；卑劣的 | |
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refreshing
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| adj.使精神振作的，使人清爽的，使人喜欢的 | |
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38
gliding
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| v. 滑翔 adj. 滑动的 | |
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39
distilling
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| n.蒸馏（作用）v.蒸馏( distil的过去式和过去分词 )( distilled的过去分词 )；从…提取精华 | |
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40
veins
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| n.纹理；矿脉( vein的名词复数 )；静脉；叶脉；纹理 | |
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41
ruby
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| n.红宝石，红宝石色 | |
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42
complexion
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| n.肤色；情况，局面；气质，性格 | |
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43
ranch
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| n.大牧场，大农场 | |
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44
cowardice
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| n.胆小，怯懦 | |
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45
concealed
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| a.隐藏的，隐蔽的 | |
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46
ridge
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| n.山脊；鼻梁；分水岭 | |
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47
concealment
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| n.隐藏, 掩盖，隐瞒 | |
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48
spoke
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| n.（车轮的）辐条；轮辐；破坏某人的计划；阻挠某人的行动 v.讲，谈（speak的过去式）；说；演说；从某种观点来说 | |
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49
bent
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| n.爱好，癖好；adj.弯的；决心的，一心的 | |
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50
savage
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| adj.野蛮的；凶恶的，残暴的；n.未开化的人 | |
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51
whoop
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| n.大叫，呐喊，喘息声；v.叫喊，喘息 | |
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52
shrieked
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| v.尖叫( shriek的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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53
savages
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| 未开化的人，野蛮人( savage的名词复数 ) | |
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54
brandishing
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| v.挥舞( brandish的现在分词 )；炫耀 | |
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55
plundered
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| 掠夺，抢劫( plunder的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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56
corpses
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| n.死尸，尸体( corpse的名词复数 ) | |
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57
strewing
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| v.撒在…上( strew的现在分词 )；散落于；点缀；撒满 | |
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58
recital
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| n.朗诵，独奏会，独唱会 | |
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59
ERECTED
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| adj. 直立的，竖立的，笔直的 vt. 使 ... 直立，建立 | |
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60
upwards
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| adv.向上，在更高处...以上 | |
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61
picturesque
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| adj.美丽如画的，（语言）生动的，绘声绘色的 | |
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62
herd
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| n.兽群，牧群；vt.使集中，把…赶在一起 | |
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63
withdrawn
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| vt.收回；使退出；vi.撤退，退出 | |
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64
uproar
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| n.骚动，喧嚣，鼎沸 | |
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65
enveloped
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| v.包围，笼罩，包住( envelop的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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maneuver
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| n.策略[pl.]演习；v.(巧妙)控制；用策略 | |
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feat
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| n.功绩；武艺，技艺；adj.灵巧的，漂亮的，合适的 | |
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68
stunned
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| adj. 震惊的，惊讶的 动词stun的过去式和过去分词 | |
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69
outwards
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| adj.外面的，公开的，向外的；adv.向外；n.外形 | |
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70
bellowing
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| v.发出吼叫声，咆哮（尤指因痛苦）( bellow的现在分词 )；（愤怒地）说出（某事），大叫 | |
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71
northward
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| adv.向北；n.北方的地区 | |
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72
killing
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| n.巨额利润；突然赚大钱，发大财 | |
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73
wagon
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| n.四轮马车，手推车，面包车；无盖运货列车 | |
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74
interspersed
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| adj.[医]散开的；点缀的v.intersperse的过去式和过去分词 | |
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75
grizzly
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| adj.略为灰色的，呈灰色的；n.灰色大熊 | |
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76
elk
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| n.麋鹿 | |
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77
antelope
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| n.羚羊；羚羊皮 | |
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78
abound
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| vi.大量存在；(in，with)充满，富于 | |
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79
beavers
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| 海狸( beaver的名词复数 )； 海狸皮毛； 棕灰色； 拼命工作的人 | |
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80
beaver
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| n.海狸，河狸 | |
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81
tributary
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| n.支流；纳贡国；adj.附庸的；辅助的；支流的 | |
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82
quail
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| n.鹌鹑；vi.畏惧，颤抖 | |
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83
plover
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| n.珩，珩科鸟，千鸟 | |
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84
melancholy
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| n.忧郁，愁思；adj.令人感伤（沮丧）的，忧郁的 | |
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85
caravan
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| n.大蓬车；活动房屋 | |
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86
wagons
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| n.四轮的运货马车( wagon的名词复数 )；铁路货车；小手推车 | |
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87
spat
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| n.口角，掌击；v.发出呼噜呼噜声 | |
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88
infested
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| adj.为患的，大批滋生的（常与with搭配）v.害虫、野兽大批出没于( infest的过去式和过去分词 )；遍布于 | |
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89
lieutenant
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| n.陆军中尉，海军上尉；代理官员，副职官员 | |
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90
mingling
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| adj.混合的 | |
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91
admiration
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| n.钦佩，赞美，羡慕 | |
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92
distinguished
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| adj.卓越的，杰出的，著名的 | |
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93
chivalrous
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| adj.武士精神的；对女人彬彬有礼的 | |
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94
conspicuous
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| adj.明眼的，惹人注目的；炫耀的，摆阔气的 | |
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95
deserted
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| adj.荒芜的，荒废的，无人的，被遗弃的 | |
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96
intrepid
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| adj.无畏的，刚毅的 | |
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97
genial
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| adj.亲切的，和蔼的，愉快的，脾气好的 | |
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98
pueblo
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| n.（美国西南部或墨西哥等）印第安人的村庄 | |
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99
pueblos
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| n.印第安人村庄( pueblo的名词复数 ) | |
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100
laborious
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| adj.吃力的，努力的，不流畅 | |
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101
rendezvous
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| n.约会，约会地点，汇合点；vi.汇合，集合；vt.使汇合，使在汇合地点相遇 | |
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102
stiffened
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| 加强的 | |
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103
remains
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| n.剩余物，残留物；遗体，遗迹 | |
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104
swarmed
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| 密集( swarm的过去式和过去分词 )； 云集； 成群地移动； 蜜蜂或其他飞行昆虫成群地飞来飞去 | |
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105
devour
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| v.吞没；贪婪地注视或谛听，贪读；使着迷 | |
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106
ravenous
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| adj.极饿的，贪婪的 | |
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107
buck
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| n.雄鹿，雄兔；v.马离地跳跃 | |
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108
belly
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| n.肚子，腹部；(像肚子一样)鼓起的部分，膛 | |
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109
swelled
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| 增强( swell的过去式和过去分词 )； 肿胀； （使）凸出； 充满（激情） | |
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110
devoured
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| 吞没( devour的过去式和过去分词 )； 耗尽； 津津有味地看； 狼吞虎咽地吃光 | |
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111
astonishment
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| n.惊奇，惊异 | |
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112
ribs
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| n.肋骨( rib的名词复数 )；（船或屋顶等的）肋拱；肋骨状的东西；（织物的）凸条花纹 | |
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113
retired
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| adj.隐退的，退休的，退役的 | |
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114
perfectly
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| adv.完美地，无可非议地，彻底地 | |
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115
scampered
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| v.蹦蹦跳跳地跑，惊惶奔跑( scamper的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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116
tugging
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| n.牵引感v.用力拉，使劲拉，猛扯( tug的现在分词 ) | |
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117
snarling
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| v.（指狗）吠，嗥叫， （人）咆哮( snarl的现在分词 )；咆哮着说，厉声地说 | |
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118
squeaking
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| v.短促地尖叫( squeak的现在分词 )；吱吱叫；告密；充当告密者 | |
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119
mules
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| 骡( mule的名词复数 )； 拖鞋； 顽固的人； 越境运毒者 | |
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120
mule
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| n.骡子，杂种，执拗的人 | |
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121
determined
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| adj.坚定的；有决心的 | |
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122
trotted
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| 小跑，急走( trot的过去分词 )； 匆匆忙忙地走 | |
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123
grove
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| n.林子，小树林，园林 | |
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124
overcast
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| adj.阴天的，阴暗的，愁闷的；v.遮盖，（使）变暗，包边缝；n.覆盖，阴天 | |
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125
lulled
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| vt.使镇静，使安静（lull的过去式与过去分词形式） | |
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126
unnatural
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| adj.不自然的；反常的 | |
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127
heralds
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| n.使者( herald的名词复数 )；预报者；预兆；传令官v.预示( herald的第三人称单数 )；宣布（好或重要） | |
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128
tempestuous
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| adj.狂暴的 | |
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129
ravens
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| n.低质煤；渡鸦( raven的名词复数 ) | |
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130
trotting
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| 小跑，急走( trot的现在分词 )； 匆匆忙忙地走 | |
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131
descend
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| vt./vi.传下来，下来，下降 | |
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132
loomed
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| v.隐约出现，阴森地逼近( loom的过去式和过去分词 )；隐约出现，阴森地逼近 | |
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133
pointed
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| adj.尖的，直截了当的 | |
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134
deafening
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| adj. 振耳欲聋的, 极喧闹的 动词deafen的现在分词形式 | |
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135
sleet
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| n.雨雪；v.下雨雪，下冰雹 | |
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136
exertions
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| n.努力( exertion的名词复数 )；费力；（能力、权力等的）运用；行使 | |
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137
numbed
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| v.使麻木，使麻痹( numb的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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138
huddled
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| 挤在一起（huddle的过去式与过去分词形式） | |
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139
exhausted
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| adj.极其疲惫的，精疲力尽的 | |
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140
crouched
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| v.屈膝，蹲伏( crouch的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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141
scattered
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| adj.分散的，稀疏的；散步的；疏疏落落的 | |
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142
utterly
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| adv.完全地，绝对地 | |
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143
procure
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| vt.获得，取得，促成；vi.拉皮条 | |
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144
petrifying
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| v.吓呆，使麻木( petrify的现在分词 )；使吓呆，使惊呆；僵化 | |
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145
penetrate
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| v.透(渗)入；刺入，刺穿；洞察，了解 | |
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146
groan
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| vi./n.呻吟，抱怨；(发出)呻吟般的声音 | |
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147
abated
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| 减少( abate的过去式和过去分词 )； 减去； 降价； 撤消（诉讼） | |
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148
wilderness
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| n.杳无人烟的一片陆地、水等，荒漠 | |
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149
solitary
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| adj.孤独的，独立的，荒凉的；n.隐士 | |
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150
memoranda
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| n. 备忘录, 便条 名词memorandum的复数形式 | |
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151
stupor
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| v.昏迷；不省人事 | |
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152
petrified
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| adj.惊呆的；目瞪口呆的v.使吓呆，使惊呆；变僵硬；使石化(petrify的过去式和过去分词) | |
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153
creek
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| n.小溪，小河，小湾 | |
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154
ascend
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| vi.渐渐上升，升高；vt.攀登，登上 | |
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155
galloped
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| （使马）飞奔，奔驰( gallop的过去式和过去分词 )； 快速做[说]某事 | |
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156
blessing
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| n.祈神赐福；祷告；祝福，祝愿 | |
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157
supplanted
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| 把…排挤掉，取代( supplant的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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158
formerly
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| adv.从前，以前 | |
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159
professing
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| 声称( profess的现在分词 )； 宣称； 公开表明； 信奉 | |
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160
subsisted
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| v.（靠很少的钱或食物）维持生活，生存下去( subsist的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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161
ammunition
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| n.军火，弹药 | |
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162
buffalo
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| n.(北美)野牛；(亚洲)水牛 | |
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163
ornament
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| v.装饰，美化；n.装饰，装饰物 | |
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164
ornamented
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| adj.花式字体的v.装饰，点缀，美化( ornament的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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165
extremities
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| n.端点( extremity的名词复数 )；尽头；手和足；极窘迫的境地 | |
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166
pouch
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| n.小袋，小包，囊状袋；vt.装...入袋中，用袋运输；vi.用袋送信件 | |
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167
odds
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| n.让步，机率，可能性，比率；胜败优劣之别 | |
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168
gage
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| n.标准尺寸，规格；量规，量表 [=gauge] | |
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169
garnished
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| v.给（上餐桌的食物）加装饰( garnish的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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170
beads
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| n.（空心）小珠子( bead的名词复数 )；水珠；珠子项链 | |
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171
creeks
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| n.小湾( creek的名词复数 )；小港；小河；小溪 | |
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172
primitive
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| adj.原始的；简单的；n.原(始)人，原始事物 | |
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173
civilized
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| a.有教养的，文雅的 | |
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174
dangles
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| 悬吊着( dangle的第三人称单数 )； 摆动不定； 用某事物诱惑…； 吊胃口 | |
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175
lodge
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| v.临时住宿，寄宿，寄存，容纳；n.传达室，小旅馆 | |
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176
previously
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| adv.以前，先前（地） | |
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177
assortment
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| n.分类，各色俱备之物，聚集 | |
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178
hardy
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| adj.勇敢的，果断的，吃苦的；耐寒的 | |
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179
pint
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| n.品脱 | |
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180
gunpowder
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| n.火药 | |
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181
exorbitant
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| adj.过分的；过度的 | |
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182
squanders
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| v.（指钱，财产等）浪费，乱花( squander的第三人称单数 ) | |
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183
sojourn
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| v./n.旅居，寄居；逗留 | |
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184
gatherings
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| 聚集( gathering的名词复数 )； 收集； 采集； 搜集 | |
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185
bloody
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| adj.非常的的；流血的；残忍的；adv.很；vt.血染 | |
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186
duels
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| n.两男子的决斗( duel的名词复数 )；竞争，斗争 | |
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187
situated
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| adj.坐落在...的，处于某种境地的 | |
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188
rugged
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| adj.高低不平的，粗糙的，粗壮的，强健的 | |
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189
elevation
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| n.高度；海拔；高地；上升；提高 | |
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190
granitic
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| 花岗石的，由花岗岩形成的 | |
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191
cedar
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| n.雪松，香柏(木) | |
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192
strata
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| n.地层（复数）；社会阶层 | |
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193
ruffled
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| adj. 有褶饰边的, 起皱的 动词ruffle的过去式和过去分词 | |
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194
evergreen
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| n.常青树；adj.四季常青的 | |
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195
foliage
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| n.叶子，树叶，簇叶 | |
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196
groves
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| 树丛，小树林( grove的名词复数 ) | |
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197
shrubs
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| 灌木( shrub的名词复数 ) | |
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198
magpies
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| 喜鹊（magpie的复数形式） | |
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199
chattering
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| n. （机器振动发出的）咔嗒声，(鸟等)鸣，啁啾 adj. 喋喋不休的，啾啾声的 动词chatter的现在分词形式 | |
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200
basking
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| v.晒太阳，取暖( bask的现在分词 )；对…感到乐趣；因他人的功绩而出名；仰仗…的余泽 | |
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201
reverberated
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| 回响，回荡( reverberate的过去式和过去分词 )； 使反响，使回荡，使反射 | |
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202
soothing
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| adj.慰藉的；使人宽心的；镇静的 | |
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203
pinnacle
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| n.尖塔，尖顶，山峰；(喻)顶峰 | |
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204
glade
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| n.林间空地，一片表面有草的沼泽低地 | |
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205
vitality
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| n.活力，生命力，效力 | |
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206
spine
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| n.脊柱，脊椎；(动植物的)刺；书脊 | |
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207
repugnance
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| n.嫌恶 | |
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208
apparently
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| adv.显然地；表面上，似乎 | |
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209
touching
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| adj.动人的，使人感伤的 | |
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210
protruding
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| v.（使某物）伸出，（使某物）突出( protrude的现在分词 )；凸 | |
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211
glazed
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| adj.光滑的，像玻璃的；上过釉的；呆滞无神的v.装玻璃( glaze的过去式)；上釉于，上光；（目光）变得呆滞无神 | |
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212
braces
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| n.吊带，背带；托架( brace的名词复数 )；箍子；括弧；（儿童）牙箍v.支住( brace的第三人称单数 )；撑牢；使自己站稳；振作起来 | |
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213
bellows
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| n.风箱；发出吼叫声，咆哮（尤指因痛苦）( bellow的名词复数 )；（愤怒地）说出（某事），大叫v.发出吼叫声，咆哮（尤指因痛苦）( bellow的第三人称单数 )；（愤怒地）说出（某事），大叫 | |
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214
treacherous
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| adj.不可靠的，有暗藏的危险的；adj.背叛的，背信弃义的 | |
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215
nostrils
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| 鼻孔( nostril的名词复数 ) | |
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216
ponderous
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| adj.沉重的，笨重的，(文章)冗长的 | |
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217
rigid
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| adj.严格的，死板的；刚硬的，僵硬的 | |
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218
tremor
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| n.震动，颤动，战栗，兴奋，地震 | |
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219
sobbing
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| <主方>Ⅰ adj.湿透的 | |
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220
gasp
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| n.喘息，气喘；v.喘息；气吁吁他说 | |
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221
stark
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| adj.荒凉的；严酷的；完全的；adv.完全地 | |
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222
sufficiently
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| adv.足够地，充分地 | |
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223
deliberately
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| adv.审慎地；蓄意地；故意地 | |
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224
standing
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| n.持续，地位；adj.永久的，不动的，直立的，不流动的 | |
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225
muzzle
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| n.鼻口部；口套；枪(炮)口；vt.使缄默 | |
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226
skull
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| n.头骨；颅骨 | |
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227
countless
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| adj.无数的，多得不计其数的 | |
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228
boundless
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| adj.无限的；无边无际的；巨大的 | |
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229
slaughter
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| n.屠杀，屠宰；vt.屠杀，宰杀 | |
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230
annually
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| adv.一年一次，每年 | |
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231
emigrants
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| n.（从本国移往他国的）移民( emigrant的名词复数 ) | |
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232
swells
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| 增强( swell的第三人称单数 )； 肿胀； （使）凸出； 充满（激情） | |
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233
aggregate
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| adj.总计的，集合的；n.总数；v.合计；集合 | |
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234
wholesale
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| n.批发；adv.以批发方式；vt.批发，成批出售 | |
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235
scent
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| n.气味，香味，香水，线索，嗅觉；v.嗅，发觉 | |
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236
precluded
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| v.阻止( preclude的过去式和过去分词 )；排除；妨碍；使…行不通 | |
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237
tainted
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| adj.腐坏的；污染的；沾污的；感染的v.使变质( taint的过去式和过去分词 )；使污染；败坏；被污染，腐坏，败坏 | |
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238
pugnacious
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| adj.好斗的 | |
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239
goaded
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| v.刺激( goad的过去式和过去分词 )；激励；（用尖棒）驱赶；驱使（或怂恿、刺激）某人 | |
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240
calf
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| n.小牛，犊，幼仔，小牛皮 | |
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241
gorged
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| v.（用食物把自己）塞饱，填饱( gorge的过去式和过去分词 )；作呕 | |
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242
lethargic
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| adj.昏睡的，懒洋洋的 | |
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243
leisurely
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| adj.悠闲的；从容的，慢慢的 | |
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244
distended
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| v.（使）膨胀，肿胀( distend的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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245
procuring
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| v.（努力）取得， （设法）获得( procure的现在分词 )；拉皮条 | |
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246
wafted
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| v.吹送，飘送，（使）浮动( waft的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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247
emanates
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| v.从…处传出，传出( emanate的第三人称单数 )；产生，表现，显示 | |
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248
picketed
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| 用尖桩围住（picket的过去式与过去分词形式） | |
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249
bleat
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| v.咩咩叫，(讲)废话，哭诉；n.咩咩叫，废话，哭诉 | |
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250
ram
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| (random access memory)随机存取存储器 | |
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251
bleating
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| v.（羊，小牛）叫( bleat的现在分词 )；哭诉；发出羊叫似的声音；轻声诉说 | |
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252
superstition
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| n.迷信，迷信行为 | |
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253
derided
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| v.取笑，嘲笑( deride的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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254
drowsiness
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| n.睡意；嗜睡 | |
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255
afterward
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| adv.后来；以后 | |
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256
kit
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| n.用具包，成套工具；随身携带物 | |
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257
toil
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| vi.辛劳工作，艰难地行动；n.苦工，难事 | |
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258
annoyances
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| n.恼怒( annoyance的名词复数 )；烦恼；打扰；使人烦恼的事 | |
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259
well-being
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| n.安康，安乐，幸福 | |
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260
grandeur
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| n.伟大，崇高，宏伟，庄严，豪华 | |
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261
insignificance
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| n.不重要；无价值；无意义 | |
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262
elastic
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| n.橡皮圈，松紧带；adj.有弹性的；灵活的 | |
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263
insouciance
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| n.漠不关心 | |
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264
dread
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| vt.担忧，忧虑；惧怕，不敢；n.担忧，畏惧 | |
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265
necessitated
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| 使…成为必要，需要( necessitate的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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266
larder
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| n.食物贮藏室，食品橱 | |
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267
plentiful
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| adj.富裕的，丰富的 | |
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268
banyan
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| n.菩提树，榕树 | |
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269
acquit
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| vt.宣判无罪；(oneself)使(自己)表现出 | |
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270
accusation
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| n.控告，指责，谴责 | |
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271
sociable
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| adj.好交际的，友好的，合群的 | |
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272
illuminating
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| a.富于启发性的，有助阐明的 | |
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273
bellies
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| n.肚子( belly的名词复数 )；腹部；（物体的）圆形或凸起部份；腹部…形的 | |
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274
contentedly
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| adv.心满意足地 | |
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275
solitude
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| n. 孤独; 独居,荒僻之地,幽静的地方 | |
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276
fascination
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| n.令人着迷的事物，魅力，迷恋 | |
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277
monotonous
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| adj.单调的，一成不变的，使人厌倦的 | |
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278
allurements
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| n.诱惑( allurement的名词复数 )；吸引；诱惑物；有诱惑力的事物 | |
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279
peril
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| n.(严重的)危险；危险的事物 | |
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280
narration
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| n.讲述，叙述；故事；记叙体 | |
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281
garb
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| n.服装，装束 | |
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282
sketches
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| n.草图( sketch的名词复数 )；素描；速写；梗概 | |
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283
purport
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| n.意义，要旨，大要；v.意味著，做为...要旨，要领是... | |
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284
forth
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| adv.向前；向外，往外 | |
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