Guided by Kleinbooi they walked cautiously forward, the three men in front, the girl just behind; Dick Selmes and Greenoak with their pieces in readiness. Then a vicious snarl2, and the clank of iron told them that the object of their quest was reached, and that at any rate it had not yet succeeded in breaking loose.
A small runlet here trickled3 down the kloof in a chain of water-holes. Beside one of these, in a stony4 open space, stood a magnificent leopard5. The great iron gin trap had caught the poor beast just above one front pad, and the powerful grip held him firmly.
At sight of his intending destroyers the creature sank down into a crouching7 attitude, uttering a hideous8 yell that was half a snarl, evoked9 by the renewed agony of the movement. His unwounded forepaw was over the trap, his hindquarters gathered beneath him as though for a spring, and his long tail waved viciously to and fro. A deep, hoarse10, snarling11 growl12 issued from his throat, and in his yellow eyes was a perfectly13 fiend-like glare of helpless ferocity. His jaws14 were dropping great flakes15 of foam16 reddened with blood, for he had been plentifully17 licking his wounded limb.
“Oh, do shoot, and have done with it,” whispered Hazel, shuddering18 violently.
“Hold on, Greenoak. Don’t blaze yet,” said Dick Selmes, who had not heard. “I want to have a closer look.”
“Better not,” warned Harley Greenoak, who had already got his quarry19 covered. “He might break loose, or the chain might give,”—the trap was chained to a tree.
But the other laughed recklessly, and continued to advance—we dare not swear that the consciousness of having a certain form of gallery to play to did not add to his rashness. He halted within very few yards of the maddened beast.
The latter was now frightful20 to behold21. He seemed to flatten22 himself lower in his crouch6. The great speckled head literally23 opened, until, viewed in section, it resembled a crescent. The lips were drawn24 back from the formidable fangs25 till the contracted folds of the skin well-nigh closed the glaring eyes, and the infuriated snarl had become something terrific.
Suddenly every muscle in the beast’s body was seen to stiffen26. With an appalling27 yell it flung itself forward. Dick Selmes was hurled28 to the ground, half stunned29; his confused senses feebly conscious of the crash of a report, leading him to suppose he had been shot by accident.
“Well of all the complete young idiots I ever saw, you are the champion one,” cried old Hesketh, with excusable heat, having ascertained30 that his guest was uninjured. The latter laughed, rather feebly, for he felt sore all over.
“What’s the row, eh? Greenoak, I thought you’d shot me.”
“The row? Look there,” was the answer grimly given.
Dick screwed himself round. There lay the iron trap—empty, and further on, the spotted31 corpse32 of the great leopard. He himself was between the two.
“Lucky Greenoak’s got the eye of a hawk33, and the quickness of a flash of lightning,” said his host, grimly. “I know I could never have got in that shot in time. How would you be feeling now if the brute’s spring hadn’t been cut short? He was stone dead in the middle of it when he knocked you over.”
“Did he knock me over then?” said Dick, rising to his feet.
“Rather,” answered Greenoak. “Even then the muscular contraction34 of his claws might have given you fits; but he made a bad shot—only hit you with his shoulder and knocked you flying.”
They gathered round the splendid beast, grim and terrible still in death. The heavy Express bullet had gone clean through the heart.
“By George, but I’ve had a narrow squeak35 for it!” ejaculated Dick. Then his glance fell upon Hazel Brandon, who was standing36 a little in the background, white and shuddering, and his heart smote37 him with self-wrath and contempt. He had thought to show off, and had only succeeded in frightening her, and making a most egregious38 ass39 of himself.
“Oh, Miss Brandon, I’m so sorry I’ve given you a scare!” he exclaimed penitently40. “But it’s all right now. Come and look at the tiger—such a splendid beast.”
“Well, you did give me rather a fright,” she said, with a faint smile, while the colour returned to her cheeks. “But—what a splendid shot!”
“Wasn’t it!” answered Dick, whole-heartedly, at the same time not quite able to help wishing that the positions had been exactly reversed. He was conscious, too, that this was the third time Harley Greenoak had stepped between himself and sure and certain death. The latter was thinking the same thing, and was more than ever convinced that Sir Anson had spoken the bare truth in saying that he would find his charge no sinecure41. The while he had drawn his sheath knife and was tucking up his shirt-sleeves.
“We’ll just strip off this uncommonly42 fine skin, Kleinbooi and I,” he announced imperturbably43. “But as it isn’t a pleasant process to watch, I’d suggest that Miss Brandon should wait for us where we left the horses.”
“That’s a good idea,” said Dick, briskly. “Come along, Miss Brandon. We’ll wait there.”
Having thrown off her temporary scare, Hazel turned to her uncle and rated him soundly for having the trap set at all It was abominably44 cruel, she declared, unsportsmanlike too. The old man chuckled45.
“Ho—ho! Not bad that, for a girl who’s been raised on a farm,” he said. “Don’t they ever set traps down at Windhoek then, or has your father got too many sheep and calves46? I can tell you this beast has been taking toll47 of mine finely.”
“Well, why don’t you hunt him then, in fair and sportsmanlike fashion,” retorted the girl, “instead of setting an abominably cruel thing like that?”
“Hunt him? Ho—ho! Look there.”
He pointed48 to the upper end of the hollow, which was shut in by a wall of terraced rock and cliff. But many a dark hole and crack on the face of this showed that the towering rampart was honeycombed by caves and labyrinthine49 galleries.
“How are you going to get him out of these?” went on old Hesketh. “Why, all the dogs in the world wouldn’t get him out. He’d only have to skip from one hole to another. Eh, Greenoak?” The latter nodded.
“Well, it’s abominably cruel all the same,” repeated Hazel as she turned away. “Aren’t I right, Mr Selmes?”
“A trap that doesn’t kill outright50 always is cruel,” answered the diplomatic Dick, whose last wish in the world was to disagree with her. “I know I’ve often thought it hard luck on the rabbits at home when they got into one—poor little beggars.”
“Do you know,” she went on, jumping from one subject to another, “I can’t tell you how glad I am to have had the opportunity of meeting Mr Greenoak. What a splendid man he is! Isn’t he?”
“Rather. He’s a thundering good old chap.”
Hazel lifted an eyebrow51.
“Old! But you surely don’t call him old. Why, he’s just in his prime. Oh, I see, you mean it as a term of comradeship,” she added.
“Er—yes. That was it,” agreed Dick, upon whose mind a very unwelcome qualm was beginning to force itself.
“So strong and cool and clearheaded,” she went on, “and such nerve. Why, he’s everything a man should be. Don’t you agree with me?”
“Most decidedly.”
“Ah, I like to hear a man speak well of another.”
“Why? Isn’t it usual?” said Dick.
“No. At least not within my experience. Almost invariably if I boom one man to another that other will either agree half-heartedly, or find something disparaging52 to say.”
“Well, even if I felt that way inclined, I should be an absolutely unspeakable cur were I to say anything of the sort about Greenoak, considering that this is the third time he has saved my life,” answered Dick.
“Is it? Oh, do tell me about the others,” cried Hazel, eagerly.
“I can’t tell you about the other because it comes into the mystery of this place, as to which, as you know, we are sworn to secrecy53. But I told you the first. It was the night I shot the big buffalo54.”
Looking down into the bright, sparkling eager face, Dick Selmes was conscious of that unwelcome misgiving55 taking even more definite hold of his mind. The eagerness with which she hung upon his words was not because they were his words. Greenoak of all people! Why, he must be old enough to be her father, concluded Dick, in his inexperience rather consoling himself with the thought.
“Yes, you told me that,” rejoined Hazel. “But you are only one of many. Harley Greenoak has the reputation of having saved countless56 lives and got no end of people out of difficulties of one kind or another, yet he never talks about it, they say. I can’t tell you how proud I am to have made his acquaintance.”
“Shall I tell him so, for here he comes?” said Dick, mischievously57. “Now, or when you’re not there?”
“If you do I’ll never speak to you again. And yet I don’t know that I’d greatly care if you did.”
They had been waiting as directed, where the horses had been left, and now the other two were coming up.
“You’ve made a quick job of that, Greenoak,” said Dick.
“Yes. But I only took charge of the more difficult part, Kleinbooi’ll do the rest. It’s a good skin, Dick, and ought to look well in your hall, or wherever you stick up such things.”
Dick stared.
“But it’s yours,” he cried. “Why, it was your shot—and a jolly fine shot too. Don’t know where I’d have been but for it.”
“Oh, that’s all right. I’ve nowhere to keep trophies58 and you have. You’ll be able to hang it under the buffalo head.” And the speaker swung himself into the saddle, and resumed his conversation with old Hesketh.
“There!” exclaimed Hazel. “Isn’t that like him? And you hardly said thank you.”
“Greenoak doesn’t like much thanking. It seems to hurt him; sets him on the shrink, don’t you know.”
“I can quite believe that,” rejoined Hazel. “Now—you can help me to mount.”
The while, the subject under discussion was some way ahead, with Hesketh. They were in fact passing the scene of that other tragedy.
“Not much trace of that affair,” Hesketh was saying as he glanced keenly around. “Tell you what, though, I wonder yon tiger didn’t put an end to the ‘mystery’ long ago, and save us the trouble. Ho-ho!”
“I don’t,” rejoined Greenoak, quietly. “It’d have to be a very smart tiger indeed to get the blind side of a veteran Bushman. The ‘mystery’ was a darn sight more likely to scoff59 the tiger than the tiger was to scoff the ‘mystery.’”
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1
boughs
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| 大树枝( bough的名词复数 ) | |
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snarl
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| v.吼叫，怒骂，纠缠，混乱；n.混乱，缠结，咆哮 | |
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3
trickled
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| v.滴( trickle的过去式和过去分词 )；淌；使)慢慢走；缓慢移动 | |
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stony
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| adj.石头的，多石头的，冷酷的，无情的 | |
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leopard
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| n.豹 | |
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crouch
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| v.蹲伏，蜷缩，低头弯腰；n.蹲伏 | |
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crouching
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| v.屈膝，蹲伏( crouch的现在分词 ) | |
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8
hideous
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| adj.丑陋的，可憎的，可怕的，恐怖的 | |
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evoked
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| [医]诱发的 | |
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10
hoarse
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| adj.嘶哑的，沙哑的 | |
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11
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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12
growl
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| v.（狗等）嗥叫，（炮等）轰鸣；n.嗥叫，轰鸣 | |
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13
perfectly
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| adv.完美地，无可非议地，彻底地 | |
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14
jaws
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| n.口部；嘴 | |
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15
flakes
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| 小薄片( flake的名词复数 )； （尤指）碎片； 雪花； 古怪的人 | |
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16
foam
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| v./n.泡沫，起泡沫 | |
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17
plentifully
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| adv. 许多地，丰饶地 | |
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18
shuddering
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| v.战栗( shudder的现在分词 )；发抖；（机器、车辆等）突然震动；颤动 | |
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19
quarry
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| n.采石场；v.采石；费力地找 | |
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frightful
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| adj.可怕的；讨厌的 | |
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behold
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| v.看，注视，看到 | |
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22
flatten
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| v.把．．．弄平，使倒伏；使(漆等)失去光泽 | |
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literally
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| adv.照字面意义，逐字地；确实 | |
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24
drawn
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| v.拖，拉，拔出；adj.憔悴的，紧张的 | |
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25
fangs
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| n.（尤指狗和狼的）长而尖的牙( fang的名词复数 )；（蛇的）毒牙；罐座 | |
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26
stiffen
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| v.(使)硬，(使)变挺，(使)变僵硬 | |
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27
appalling
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| adj.骇人听闻的，令人震惊的，可怕的 | |
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28
hurled
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| v.猛投，用力掷( hurl的过去式和过去分词 )；大声叫骂 | |
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29
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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30
ascertained
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| v.弄清，确定，查明( ascertain的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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31
spotted
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| adj.有斑点的，斑纹的，弄污了的 | |
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32
corpse
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| n.尸体，死尸 | |
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33
hawk
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| n.鹰，骗子；鹰派成员 | |
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34
contraction
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| n.缩略词，缩写式，害病 | |
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35
squeak
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| n.吱吱声，逃脱；v.（发出）吱吱叫，侥幸通过；（俚）告密 | |
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36
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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smote
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| v.猛打，重击，打击( smite的过去式 ) | |
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egregious
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| adj.非常的，过分的 | |
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39
ass
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| n.驴；傻瓜，蠢笨的人 | |
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40
penitently
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41
sinecure
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| n.闲差事，挂名职务 | |
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42
uncommonly
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| adv. 稀罕(极，非常) | |
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43
imperturbably
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| adv.泰然地，镇静地，平静地 | |
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44
abominably
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| adv. 可恶地，可恨地，恶劣地 | |
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45
chuckled
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| 轻声地笑( chuckle的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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46
calves
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| n.(calf的复数)笨拙的男子，腓；腿肚子( calf的名词复数 )；牛犊；腓；小腿肚v.生小牛( calve的第三人称单数 )；（冰川）崩解；生（小牛等），产（犊）；使（冰川）崩解 | |
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47
toll
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| n.过路(桥)费；损失，伤亡人数；v.敲(钟) | |
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48
pointed
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| adj.尖的，直截了当的 | |
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49
labyrinthine
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| adj.如迷宫的；复杂的 | |
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50
outright
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| adv.坦率地；彻底地；立即；adj.无疑的；彻底的 | |
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51
eyebrow
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| n.眉毛，眉 | |
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52
disparaging
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| adj.轻蔑的，毁谤的v.轻视( disparage的现在分词 )；贬低；批评；非难 | |
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53
secrecy
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| n.秘密，保密，隐蔽 | |
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54
buffalo
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| n.(北美)野牛；(亚洲)水牛 | |
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55
misgiving
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| n.疑虑，担忧，害怕 | |
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56
countless
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| adj.无数的，多得不计其数的 | |
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57
mischievously
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| adv.有害地；淘气地 | |
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58
trophies
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| n.（为竞赛获胜者颁发的）奖品( trophy的名词复数 )；奖杯；（尤指狩猎或战争中获得的）纪念品；（用于比赛或赛跑名称）奖 | |
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59
scoff
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| n.嘲笑，笑柄，愚弄；v.嘲笑，嘲弄，愚弄，狼吞虎咽 | |
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