Before the echoes of the pistol shots had been swallowed up in the other noises of the storm Scott sprang for the windlass, but he was too late. Jed Clark was dead but he had accomplished7 his crazy purpose. With a crash and rending8 of heavy timbers the sluice gates went out on the crest9 of the flood and carried a small portion of the dam with them. The whole structure trembled from end to end. Scott felt the mason work crumbling10 under his feet and the swirling11 waters grasping at his ankles. He scrambled12 desperately13 out of its clutches and rushed to the place where he had left Jed. He was gone, but a frightened snort from higher up the steep side of the ca?on led him to where the terrified horse had climbed to the base of the perpendicular14 wall of rock and stood trembling, too frightened to move.
The one chance now was to beat out the flood. To reach the ranchers in the valley below before the wall of water which would come when the dam went out, and that could be only the matter of minutes now. It was a desperate chance, for the trail was steep and rough, and the rush of the waters would make it almost impassable in places.
Scott flung himself onto Jed’s trembling back and turned him down the ca?on trail. Another crash in the direction of the dam sent him plunging15 ahead, and once started a mad fright took possession of him. He ran like a fiend. Scott had learned much about riding since he had cleared the corral fence clinging to Jed’s neck, but it required all his skill to stay in the saddle now. He had to close his eyes to protect them from the twigs16 which slashed17 his face, and once a jagged point of rock grazed his knee and almost threw him from the horse’s back.
“It’s up to you, Jed, old boy,” Scott whispered in the horse’s ear, “I can’t help you any now.”
The roar of the torrent4 was always with him. Now the trail dipped down to its very edge, into it once; now it climbed high on the side of the ca?on and skirted a narrow ledge18 at the edge of a wall of rock. The hollow booming of the waters hinted of sickening depths within easy reach of a misplaced foot. It seemed marvelous to Scott that Jed could run at that breakneck speed on such rugged19 ground, but the horse had been born in the mountains, had raced over them all his life, and he never stumbled.
He was gaining on the flood. Already he had passed the crest of the wave from the shattered sluice gates. There was water in the stream, plenty of it, from the drainage below the dam, but it was not the raging torrent which it had been higher up. The storm was lessening20 now. A star or two were peeping through the rifts21 in the black clouds and the profiles of the mountains were beginning to loom22 in darker shadows. Scott recognized the ridge23 ahead where the lookout24 station was located. He had to turn to the left there and follow the valley instead of going up over the pass the way he had come. From there on the country was wholly new to him and he would have to trust entirely25 to Jed. He wondered whether he ought to try to stop at the station and get Benny to telephone the news.
A dull roar like the rumble26 of distant thunder shook the mountain and Scott knew that the dam had given way. There was no time to lose now. The rush of water from the sluice gates would be like a dribble27 compared with the mighty avalanche28 of water which would roar down the valley now. Moreover, Jed was not yet under control and he would do well if he could hold him in the valley trail, to say nothing of stopping at Benny’s.
He began to talk soothingly29 to Jed and tried to steady him a little. As he approached the turn in the valley he made out a figure standing30 on the opposite edge of the stream. He recognized Benny and tried to stop, but Jed was not yet ready to listen to reason. Scott succeeded in turning him, probably because he did not want to cross the stream, but he could not stop him. He had no control over him at all.
“The dam is gone. Telephone,” he shouted at the top of his voice as he rushed past. Either Benny did not understand or could do nothing for he stood there quietly on the edge of the stream and listened to the roar of the ca?on.
The ground was more even here in the wider valley, and much easier going for the horse. He had already covered five miles at that terrific pace, and although it did not seem to be telling on his splendid physique it seemed impossible for any animal to keep that up for the remaining fifteen miles to the valley. Scott began to talk to him once more. It was the only influence to which the big horse had ever seemed susceptible31. There was no longer the roar of the water in the ca?on to frighten him. There were not the same deafening32 thunder crashes with their weird33 reverberations, the rending of the gates was fading from his memory. Gradually Scott could feel the straining effort lessening. He was still making splendid time, but he was running more smoothly34 and he turned back his ear to listen when Scott talked to him.
Four miles of that smooth running in the upper valley and then down the steep trail to the main valley in which the town was located. The trail came out to the plain near the home of the last rancher whom Scott had gone to see about the free use permits. It was here that the strange procession had ended that day. As Jed shot out of the ca?on into the open a man’s form darkened the lighted doorway35. Evidently he had heard the clatter36 of the rapidly approaching hoofs38 on the rocky trail.
Scott slowed down and shouted, “The dam has burst. You better beat it. Telephone the others.”
He loosened the rein39 and Jed sped on. The figure disappeared instantly and looking back over his shoulder Scott could see the lights bobbing about the house. It was a warning of disaster to those people and they did not hesitate. It meant the destruction of their homes and all of their possessions which they could not move to the higher ground along the base of the valley cliffs.
At each of the other houses he had to stop and shout to get the people out. They had had no warning. The whole telephone system had been disabled by the storm. The message delivered, there was no delay, no stopping to get an explanation. The men sprang silently back to the houses and wasted none of the precious moments which were left them. They had been living in dread40 of just this thing for years and now it had come. They had been fearing it too long to be in any doubt as to what to do now.
All along behind Scott men were fleeing from their homes as from a pestilence41 with their families and most valuable possessions in wagons42 and driving their stock before them. There was many a backward glance at the homes which would probably be ruined when they saw them again.
After each stop Scott watched Jed anxiously to see if he was in distress43 but each time the noble animal took up his task willingly and was soon back in his swinging run which sent the miles flying behind him.
There was nothing ahead of him now but the town only two miles away, and Jed was pounding over the level plain with hoof37 beats as regular as the ticking of a watch. The town was all aglow44 with lights and the people were busy with their everyday affairs, ignorant of the impending45 danger.
Scott shouted his warning to every man he saw as he galloped46 up the main street and left a trail of confusion behind him. By the time he reached the hotel the news was ahead of him. The supervisor47 ran out of the hotel to meet him. A cowboy on a fresh horse galloped away with the warning for the people below the town.
Scott threw himself from the saddle without counting on the effect of the long, hard ride. His knees doubled under him like the blades of a jackknife and sent him sprawling48 in the street. A dozen eager hands helped him to his feet. He wriggled49 from them and staggered over to examine Jed. The big black was tired and showed it. His long barrel was heaving like a pair of bellows50 and his nostrils51 were distended52 to big red circles, but he was holding his head well up and he had his legs well under him. Scott threw his arms around the horse’s neck and hugged him there before them all.
“Where did you come from?” Mr. Ramsey asked.
“Clear from the dam,” Scott said proudly, “and he ran every step of the way.”
“Didn’t run down that ca?on trail from the dam, did he?” one of the men grinned.
“You bet he did,” Scott said. “He was running away with me then; I did not get control of him till we passed the lookout station.”
It was perfectly53 natural in this country of horsemen that the first interest should have been in the performance of the horse. There was no actual danger there at the town. The valley was so wide and level at this point and it was so far from the ca?on that at the very worst there would be only a few inches of water in the streets and a few flooded cellars. The storekeepers were busy getting their supplies from the cellars and off the main floors on to the shelves, but they had all the help they could use and there were plenty of people left over with nothing to do but watch and wait and talk.
Mr. Ramsey and Scott took Jed around to McGoorty’s stable and gave him the best rub down that a horse ever had.
“When did the dam go out?” Mr. Ramsey asked.
“I don’t know what time it was,” Scott said, “but it was just before I turned the corner below the lookout station.”
“Did you see all the settlers?”
“Yes, every one from Bronson’s to town and they did not lose any time in getting started.”
“How did it happen?” Mr. Ramsey asked quietly.
Scott discovered a note of censure54 in his voice and knew that he was expected to give an account of himself.
“It’s a long story,” he replied thoughtfully. “Dawson, Jed Clark, Dugan, myself and the worst thunder storm I have ever seen were all more or less responsible, I think.”
At the mention of those names, Mr. Ramsey gave a start. “I wonder how those men found out you were up there?”
“Your clerk, Benson, told them.”
“How do you know that?” the supervisor asked sharply.
“I heard Dawson ask him over the telephone and he answered that he had tried to get the information to him for some time but could not locate him.”
The hard steely look came suddenly into the supervisor’s eyes. “That accounts for the way that a lot of information has been leaking out of my office,” he remarked coldly.
“By the way,” Scott said, “Dawson is lying up in that little cabin at the dam with a broken jaw55. He is in pretty bad shape and some one ought to go after him.”
“I don’t suppose you know how he was hurt?” Mr. Ramsey asked with a quizzical look.
“Yes,” Scott grinned, “I think that I can explain it. Perhaps I had better begin at the beginning and tell you the whole story,” he added.
Mr. Ramsey was very anxious to get the story, but he saw that Scott was so tired that he could scarcely keep his eyes open. “Better go to bed now. We’ll go over the whole thing in the morning and take a party up to rescue Dawson.”
They had been talking in the stable. “Is Jed safe here?” he asked anxiously.
“Yes,” the supervisor replied, “he’s perfectly safe. The town is in no danger. There may be an inch or two of water in the streets in the morning and it may not get here at all. This ground soaks up a tremendous amount of water and the valley is so wide that it cannot amount to much. I am afraid that it will wipe out some of those small ranchers above here.”
Scott avoided the curious ones in the hotel lobby who were anxious to hear his story and was soon asleep dreaming of rushing waters and a runaway56 horse.
点击
收听单词发音
收听单词发音 |
1
outlaws
|
|
| 歹徒，亡命之徒( outlaw的名词复数 )； 逃犯 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
2
sluice
|
|
| n.水闸 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
3
groaning
|
|
| adj. 呜咽的, 呻吟的 动词groan的现在分词形式 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
4
torrent
|
|
| n.激流，洪流；爆发，(话语等的)连发 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
5
torrents
|
|
| n.倾注；奔流( torrent的名词复数 )；急流；爆发；连续不断 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
6
mighty
|
|
| adj.强有力的；巨大的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
7
accomplished
|
|
| adj.有才艺的；有造诣的；达到了的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
8
rending
|
|
| v.撕碎( rend的现在分词 )；分裂；（因愤怒、痛苦等而）揪扯（衣服或头发等）；（声音等）刺破 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
9
crest
|
|
| n.顶点；饰章；羽冠；vt.达到顶点；vi.形成浪尖 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
10
crumbling
|
|
| adj.摇摇欲坠的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
11
swirling
|
|
| v.旋转，打旋( swirl的现在分词 ) | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
12
scrambled
|
|
| v.快速爬行( scramble的过去式和过去分词 )；攀登；争夺；（军事飞机）紧急起飞 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
13
desperately
|
|
| adv.极度渴望地，绝望地，孤注一掷地 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
14
perpendicular
|
|
| adj.垂直的，直立的；n.垂直线，垂直的位置 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
15
plunging
|
|
| adj.跳进的，突进的v.颠簸( plunge的现在分词 )；暴跌；骤降；突降 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
16
twigs
|
|
| 细枝，嫩枝( twig的名词复数 ) | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
17
slashed
|
|
| v.挥砍( slash的过去式和过去分词 )；鞭打；割破；削减 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
18
ledge
|
|
| n.壁架，架状突出物；岩架，岩礁 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
19
rugged
|
|
| adj.高低不平的，粗糙的，粗壮的，强健的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
20
lessening
|
|
| 减轻，减少，变小 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
21
rifts
|
|
| n.裂缝( rift的名词复数 )；裂隙；分裂；不和 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
22
loom
|
|
| n.织布机，织机；v.隐现，(危险、忧虑等)迫近 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
23
ridge
|
|
| n.山脊；鼻梁；分水岭 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
24
lookout
|
|
| n.注意，前途，瞭望台 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
25
entirely
|
|
| ad.全部地，完整地；完全地，彻底地 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
26
rumble
|
|
| n.隆隆声；吵嚷；v.隆隆响；低沉地说 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
27
dribble
|
|
| v.点滴留下，流口水；n.口水 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
28
avalanche
|
|
| n.雪崩，大量涌来 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
29
soothingly
|
|
| adv.抚慰地，安慰地；镇痛地 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
30
standing
|
|
| n.持续，地位；adj.永久的，不动的，直立的，不流动的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
31
susceptible
|
|
| adj.过敏的，敏感的；易动感情的，易受感动的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
32
deafening
|
|
| adj. 振耳欲聋的, 极喧闹的 动词deafen的现在分词形式 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
33
weird
|
|
| adj.古怪的，离奇的；怪诞的，神秘而可怕的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
34
smoothly
|
|
| adv.平滑地，顺利地，流利地，流畅地 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
35
doorway
|
|
| n.门口，(喻)入门；门路，途径 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
36
clatter
|
|
| v./n.(使)发出连续而清脆的撞击声 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
37
hoof
|
|
| n.(马，牛等的)蹄 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
38
hoofs
|
|
| n.（兽的）蹄，马蹄( hoof的名词复数 )v.（兽的）蹄，马蹄( hoof的第三人称单数 ) | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
39
rein
|
|
| n.疆绳，统治，支配；vt.以僵绳控制，统治 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
40
dread
|
|
| vt.担忧，忧虑；惧怕，不敢；n.担忧，畏惧 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
41
pestilence
|
|
| n.瘟疫 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
42
wagons
|
|
| n.四轮的运货马车( wagon的名词复数 )；铁路货车；小手推车 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
43
distress
|
|
| n.苦恼，痛苦，不舒适；不幸；vt.使悲痛 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
44
aglow
|
|
| adj.发亮的；发红的；adv.发亮地 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
45
impending
|
|
| a.imminent, about to come or happen | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
46
galloped
|
|
| （使马）飞奔，奔驰( gallop的过去式和过去分词 )； 快速做[说]某事 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
47
supervisor
|
|
| n.监督人，管理人，检查员，督学，主管，导师 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
48
sprawling
|
|
| adj.蔓生的，不规则地伸展的v.伸开四肢坐[躺]( sprawl的现在分词 )；蔓延；杂乱无序地拓展；四肢伸展坐着（或躺着） | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
49
wriggled
|
|
| v.扭动，蠕动，蜿蜒行进( wriggle的过去式和过去分词 )；（使身体某一部位）扭动；耍滑不做，逃避（应做的事等） | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
50
bellows
|
|
| 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 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
51
nostrils
|
|
| 鼻孔( nostril的名词复数 ) | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
52
distended
|
|
| v.（使）膨胀，肿胀( distend的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
53
perfectly
|
|
| adv.完美地，无可非议地，彻底地 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
54
censure
|
|
| v./n.责备；非难；责难 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
55
jaw
|
|
| n.颚，颌，说教，流言蜚语；v.喋喋不休，教训 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
56
runaway
|
|
| n.逃走的人，逃亡，亡命者；adj.逃亡的，逃走的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
| 欢迎访问英文小说网 |