No one opposed an objection; in fact it would have done no good if they had, since Morris was his own master, while at the same time, every one hoped he would be saved the journey.
The two went to work after breakfast, as usual, in the tunnel, and rejoined Sandy, who had combined sentinel with kitchen duty, to eat a famous dinner about one o’clock. The sun had been out an hour or two, and the{180} creek1 had fallen so rapidly, that Max thought it might now be crossed at a pinch.
“Heard anything from our neighbors this morning?” the guard was asked.
“Not a word. I was a leetle suspeecious in consequence, and kept my een peeled as ye say out here, but I kenned2 naething wrong.”
“They’re up to some trick or other, you can bet your boots,” was the opinion of Morris, who followed his words by going out and peering through crevices4 in the barricade5 at the enemy’s fortifications.
He had no more than got there, when they heard him yell out in angry astonishment6, and when they hurried out of the cabin were amazed to see him standing7 on top of the wall, rifle in hand, like a picture of Sergeant8 Jasper at New Orleans.
“Look there, will you?” he shouted, pointing down the ca?on.
The place where the trail was visible from the cabin was a stretch of about forty yards,{181} so situated9 between the cliff and the creek, that any one going up or down could not escape coming under rifle range from the fort. At its further end was the ford10 of the creek, which with the rise of the opposite bank could also be seen, a protruding11 bastion of rock cutting off all further view of the trail for a mile or more.
At the instant Morris had glanced through the crevice3 in the wall, he had seen his old enemy Scotty riding his horse at the top of its speed toward the creek, into which he was about to plunge12, when he suddenly reined13 up, and seizing his rifle from the leathern sling14, which held it balanced on the horn of his saddle, lifted it toward his shoulder. His horse, however, alarmed at the rapid motion, gave a shying jump, which nearly dislodged the man from the saddle, and the gun went off before any aim had been taken.
It was at this juncture15 that Morris had leaped upon the wall, and Sandy and Max had followed. Before they had time to speculate{182} upon the matter, there rushed into view down the opposite bank of the creek the stalwart, buckskin-clothed form of Buckeye Jim, leveling a revolver at the disconcerted horseman, who with quick presence of mind threw his hands above his head in sign of surrender and so saved his life,—“a great peety!” in Sandy’s opinion.
Close behind Jim was to be seen Lennox with a stranger whom nobody at first recognized; and a moment later Mr. Anderson rode into view, driving slowly ahead of him the horses of the other three.
Jim still kept Scotty under his eye, while the others mounted and waded16 the stream. The stranger approached Scotty and took his rifle away from him, while Len seized the bridle17 of his horse. Then the hands came down and were placed behind his back, where they remained as though fastened, after which the cavalcade18 started up the trail toward the mines.
“Scotty’s been handcuffed,” Morris ex{183}plained, when he saw these movements. “I can tell by the way he rides.”
Suddenly Max exclaimed, “They’re running right against the others’ guns,” and leaping over the wall he hurried, revolver in hand, straight toward the Aurora19’s dump.
Divining his intention, the others followed him, stumbling over the slushy and rolling stones in hot haste, and rushed up the face of the enemy’s embankment like a storming party. They had almost as far to go as the others, and must make haste, breath or no breath. It was well they did so, for the first thing that met their eyes when they had reached the top of the dump, was Old Bob and Stevens lying behind two logs, guns in hand, ready to shoot the instant the approaching party should get clear of the last thicket20.
Waiting for no orders or permission, Morris drew bead21 on the nearest man and fired, and with an awful cry Stevens sprang to his feet and fell back a senseless heap on the ground.{184}
Bob, thunder-struck, whirled round to find the three men above him and all hope gone. Dropping on his knees in abject22 terror, and green with fright, the miserable23 poltroon24 shrieked25 for mercy, and he received the boon26 with the contempt of his foes27 not only, but of his friends, for the captured Scotty at once began pouring upon his head the most bitter revilings.
Except to take away his gun and give him a kick, nobody else paid any attention to him, for all were hurrying to congratulate Lennox upon his safe return, to welcome Mr. Anderson, to be introduced to Buckeye Jim and the stranger, who proved to be a Deputy Sheriff from Denver with a warrant for Scotty’s arrest, and to clap each other on the back over the fortunate escapes and successes which had marked the last five minutes with so much excitement.
Until this hand-shaking had been gone through with, no one thought of the wounded man. The time had not been long, however,{185} and at first it was more needful to make sure of the living than to attend to the dead.
But was he dead?
“Na,” replied Sandy, who was the first to kneel by his side and place a hand within his shirt-bosom to feel if any life remained. “His hairt beats.”
“Glad to hear he’s got one; where is he wounded?” asked Morris, also kneeling by his side. “Oh, here,” pointing to where the blood was slowly dripping from the left arm of the prostrate28 and unconscious man.
“We maun cut away his sleeve,” commanded Sandy, who seemed to know precisely29 what to do, “or he may bleed to death.”
To slit30 up the sleeves of the coat and woolen31 shirt was the work of only half a moment, and the pain caused by the chill air striking the lacerated flesh, brought back consciousness in short order.
Glancing around the circle of strange faces, catching32 sight of the handcuffed Scotty{186} and mournful Bob, and feeling the numb33 pain in his naked arm, which Sandy was washing, the poor fellow turned aside his face, closed his eyes, and muttered in complete disgust:
“Why in thunder didn’t ye let me die?”
“There’s naething but mends for misdeeds,” was Sandy’s sententious rejoinder, as he cleansed34 the wound of blood, picked the shreds35 of cloth out of it, and lifted the arm to examine its extent.
“The ball ha’ passed quite through the muscles,” he announced, “and entered the man’s side. I’m not so sure, my fair body, that it was worth while to bring you to.”
“Eh! What’s that? you don’t mean to say—?”
“Keep cool!” commanded Sandy sternly “D’ye want to bleed to death, ye fool, before we can bind36 ye up? Keep quiet!”
Dipping a handkerchief in cold water he bound it tightly round the perforated arm, a proceeding37 which set Stevens groaning38 pitifully.{187}
“Now let’s see what else,” he said; and began to search the chest of his patient for marks of harm.
The hole in the outside of the coat made by the bullet was plain enough, but no blood was visible on the vest or shirt. Opening his coat Sandy found the bullet-hole just over a pocket; and as he moved the garment farther, out tumbled a thick slab39 of tobacco holding a flattened40 bullet, which had not been able to force its way through. There was a black bruise41 on the skin, but to this ignoble42 agent the wicked man owed his life.
“Thank God!” he ejaculated, when it was shown him. No one echoed the words more fervently43 then Morris, for though he could have acquitted44 his conscience, had his bullet, in defence of his friends against reckless ruffians, proved the death of one of them, yet he was heartily45 relieved to know that his hand had sent no human soul to judgment46.
“Aye, thank God!” retorted Sandy with deep sarcasm47, “who, in His inscrutable{188} wisdom, sends the greatest fuils the greatest fortunes.”
Having had his arm bandaged, Stevens was able to get upon his feet and walk, supported by Old Bob. The whole party then slowly made their way to the cabin, Sandy running in advance to get the cooking started again.
The wounded Stevens is given a bunk48 to lie in, and Scotty a box to sit on, but the Sheriff declines to take off the handcuffs.
“What is the charge against him?” the Sheriff is asked.
“Horse-stealing and various other things,” replied the deputy. “Mr. Anderson can tell you more about it than I, who am acting49 on a requisition from the Governor of Illinois.”
“He stole some valuable horses from my farm near Aurora, Illinois, several months ago,” said that gentleman, “and we only lately heard that he was in this region. It’s a sore subject with Buckeye Jim here,” continued Mr. Anderson, smiling on that big man, “for we suspected him for a while.”{189}
“That’s all right now,” Jim responded heartily. “A man who is fool enough to keep the bad company I’ve been in sometimes, must share their color, I suppose, whether he deserves it or not. We’ll say no more about it.”
While this conversation is going on, and dinner is preparing, Max and Old Bob are talking outside the door.
“Why do you make all this trouble, Bob?” Max asked—“What did you expect you’d get out of it?”
“Reckoned I’d get a good mine. I lowed you wasn’t staying up here for nothin’.”
“And you thought it was the Aurora I was at work in?”
“To be sure; where else? this is no good!”
“Isn’t it? Well, we’ll see about that. At any rate the Aurora is worthless, and I have merely been using that as a runway to get to the back end of this mine easily, through a cross-cut. We’re not working the Aurora, we’re working the Last Chance. You could{190} a’ jumped that all day and we wouldn’t have objected enough to fight, but when you came over here we had to.”
“And you’ve won the turn,” said Bob dejectedly.
“Yes I’ve won, just as I did once before, Bob,—maybe you remember—when a couple of burglars tired to crawl into my window.”
“I don’t know nothin’ about that,” Bob replied, in a dogged tone.
“Don’t you? Well now, Bob, this makes twice you escaped being shot in your rascalities with me, and if you ever see your way out of this present scrape, I’m thinking you’d better leave the gulch50.”
“Leave; you bet I’ll leave. I ’low you wouldn’t be none too friendly, but that there Scotty would murder me the first day he got loose, though this bust-up aint no more my fault ’n’ ’tis his’n.”
“Do you think so?”
“Think so; I know it! And I’ve got to{191} get clear away from this country, or I’m a dead man!”
“Maybe I can be of some use to you—I mean in saving you from Scotty; but you must tell me who was with you that night you came to our cabin.”
“It was Stevens,” said Bob quietly.
“Could you prove it, if you were wanted to?”
“Yes, I could.”
“Well, Bob, there’s your horse, and a trail clear to Denver. Good-by. I hope you’ll do better hereafter than I’ve known you to yet.”
Max turned his back and went into the cabin, where all the rest were gathering51 around the table. By the time he had filled his plate and had found a seat on an inverted52 powder-can, Squint-eyed Old Bob was taking his unworthy self out of the ca?on, and out of my story, at the best pace he knew how.
He got safely away and never came back; but I am sorry to say he behaved no better,{192} and probably only escaped hanging at last by getting crushed in a snowslide.
Before dinner was ended, a new arrival, and a hungry one, appeared in the person of the Superintendent53 of Mr. Anderson’s mine near the village, a gentleman whom our firm knew well, and had a high respect for, both as an expert in mining and as an honest man.
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1
creek
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| n.小溪，小河，小湾 | |
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kenned
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| v.知道( ken的过去式和过去分词 )；懂得；看到；认出 | |
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crevice
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| n.(岩石、墙等)裂缝；缺口 | |
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crevices
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| n.（尤指岩石的）裂缝，缺口( crevice的名词复数 ) | |
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barricade
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| n.路障，栅栏，障碍；vt.设路障挡住 | |
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astonishment
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| n.惊奇，惊异 | |
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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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sergeant
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| n.警官，中士 | |
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situated
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| adj.坐落在...的，处于某种境地的 | |
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Ford
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| n.浅滩，水浅可涉处；v.涉水，涉过 | |
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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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plunge
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| v.跳入，(使)投入，(使)陷入；猛冲 | |
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13
reined
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| 勒缰绳使（马）停步( rein的过去式和过去分词 )； 驾驭； 严格控制； 加强管理 | |
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14
sling
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| vt.扔；悬挂；n.挂带；吊索，吊兜；弹弓 | |
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juncture
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| n.时刻，关键时刻，紧要关头 | |
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waded
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| （从水、泥等）蹚，走过，跋( wade的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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bridle
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| n.笼头，束缚；vt.抑制，约束；动怒 | |
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cavalcade
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| n.车队等的行列 | |
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aurora
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| n.极光 | |
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thicket
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| n.灌木丛，树林 | |
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bead
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| n.念珠；(pl.)珠子项链；水珠 | |
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abject
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| adj.极可怜的，卑屈的 | |
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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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poltroon
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| n.胆怯者；懦夫 | |
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shrieked
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| v.尖叫( shriek的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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boon
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| n.恩赐，恩物，恩惠 | |
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foes
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| 敌人，仇敌( foe的名词复数 ) | |
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prostrate
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| v.拜倒，平卧，衰竭；adj.拜倒的，平卧的，衰竭的 | |
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precisely
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| adv.恰好，正好，精确地，细致地 | |
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slit
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| n.狭长的切口；裂缝；vt.切开，撕裂 | |
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31
woolen
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| adj.羊毛(制)的；毛纺的 | |
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32
catching
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| adj.易传染的，有魅力的，迷人的，接住 | |
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numb
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| adj.麻木的，失去感觉的；v.使麻木 | |
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cleansed
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| 弄干净，清洗( cleanse的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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shreds
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| v.撕碎，切碎( shred的第三人称单数 )；用撕毁机撕毁（文件） | |
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bind
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| vt.捆，包扎；装订；约束；使凝固；vi.变硬 | |
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proceeding
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| n.行动，进行，(pl.)会议录，学报 | |
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groaning
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| adj. 呜咽的, 呻吟的 动词groan的现在分词形式 | |
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slab
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| n.平板，厚的切片；v.切成厚板，以平板盖上 | |
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40
flattened
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| [医]（水）平扁的，弄平的 | |
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41
bruise
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| n.青肿，挫伤；伤痕；vt.打青；挫伤 | |
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42
ignoble
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| adj.不光彩的，卑鄙的；可耻的 | |
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43
fervently
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| adv.热烈地，热情地，强烈地 | |
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44
acquitted
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| 宣判…无罪( acquit的过去式和过去分词 )； 使（自己）作出某种表现 | |
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45
heartily
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| adv.衷心地，诚恳地，十分，很 | |
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46
judgment
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| n.审判；判断力，识别力，看法，意见 | |
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47
sarcasm
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| n.讥讽，讽刺，嘲弄，反话 （adj.sarcastic） | |
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48
bunk
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| n.(车、船等倚壁而设的)铺位；废话 | |
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49
acting
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| n.演戏，行为，假装；adj.代理的，临时的，演出用的 | |
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50
gulch
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| n.深谷，峡谷 | |
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51
gathering
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| n.集会，聚会，聚集 | |
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52
inverted
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| adj.反向的，倒转的v.使倒置，使反转( invert的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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53
superintendent
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| n.监督人，主管，总监；(英国)警务长 | |
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