Stuart's bride was crying. In spite of her young husband's gay banter,she persisted in being serious.
"There's no danger, honey girl!" he laughed.
She touched the big cavalry pistol in its holster, her lips stilltrembling.
"No--you're just galloping5 off on a picnic.""That's all it will be--""Then you can take me with you."Stuart's brow clouded.
"Well, no, not just that kind of a picnic.""There may be a nasty fight and you know it.""Nonsense.""It may, too.""Don't be silly, little bride," he pleaded. "You're a soldier's wifenow. The bullet hasn't been molded that's going to get me. I feel it. Iknow it."She threw her arms around his neck and held him in a long silence. Onlya sob6 broke the stillness. He let her cry. His arms merely tightenedtheir tender hold, as he caressed7 her fair head and kissed it.
"There, there, now. That's enough. It's hard, this first parting. It'shard for me. You mustn't make it harder.""We've just begun to live, dearest," she faltered8. "I can't let you go.
I can't stand it for an hour and you'll be gone for days and days--"She paused and sobbed9.
"Why did I marry a soldier-man?""You had to, honey. It was fate. God willed it."He spoke10 with deep reverence11. She lifted her lips for his goodbye kiss.
He turned quickly to go and she caught him again and smothered12 him withkisses.
"I can't help it, darling man," she sobbed. "I didn't mean to make ithard for you--but--I've an awful presentiment13 that I shall lose you--"Her voice died again in a pathetic whisper.
Stuart laughed softly and kissed the tears from her eyes.
"So has every soldier's wife, honey girl. The silly old presentiment isoverworked. It will pass bye and bye--when you see me coming home somany, many times to play that old banjo for you and sing our songs overagain."She shook her head and smiled.
"Go now--quick," she said, "before I break down again."He swung out the door, his sword clanking and his arm waving. Shewatched him from the window, crying. She saw him mount his horse with agraceful swing. His figure on horseback was superb. Horse and man seemedone.
He looked over his shoulder, saw her at the window and waved again. Sheran to her room, closed the door, took his picture to bed with her andcried herself to sleep.
The thing that had so worried her was that Colonel Sumner was takingMajor Sedgwick with him for conference and a single squadron of fiftymen under Stuart's command. The little bride had found out that he wasthe sole leader of the fifty fighting men and her quick wit had sensedthe danger of the possible extermination14 of such a force in a battlewith desperadoes. She was ashamed of her breakdown15. But she knew her manwas brave and that he loved a fight. She would count the hours until hisreturn.
Brown rallied a hundred and fifty men when the squadron of cavalry wasordered to the rescue of Pate16 and his posse. He entrenched17 himself on anisland in Middle Ottawa Creek18 and from this stronghold raided and robbedthe stores within range of his guerrillas. On June 3rd, he successfullylooted the store of J. M. Bernard at Centropolis and secured manyvaluables, particularly clothing.
The raiding party was returning from the looted store as Stuart'scavalry troop was approaching Brown's camp.
The cavalry arrived in the nick of time. A battle was imminent19 thatmight have ended in a massacre20. Within striking distance of Brown'sisland Colonel Sumner encountered General Whitfield, a Southern Memberof Congress, at the head of a squadron of avengers, two hundred andfifty strong, heavily armed and well mounted.
Sumner acted with quick decision. He confronted Whitfield and spoke witha quiet emphasis not to be mistaken:
"By order of the President of the United States and the Governor of theTerritory, I am here to disperse21 all armed bodies assembled withoutauthority.""May I see the order of the President, sir?" Whitfield asked.
"You may."The telegraphic order was handed to the leader. He read it in silenceand handed it back without a word.
Colonel Sumner continued:
"My duty is plain and I'll do it."He signaled Stuart to draw up his company for action. The Lieutenantpromptly obeyed. Fifty regulars wheeled and faced two hundred and fiftyrugged horsemen of the plains.
Whitfield consulted his second in command and while they talked ColonelSumner again addressed him:
"Ask your people to assemble. I wish to read to them the President'sorder and the Governor's proclamation."Whitfield called his men. In solemn tones Sumner read the documents.
Whitfield saw that his men were impressed.
"I shall not resist the authority of the General Government. My partywill disperse."He promptly23 ordered them to disband. In five minutes they haddisappeared.
On the approach of the company of cavalry, John Brown, with a singleguard, walked boldly forward to meet them.
Colonel Sumner heard his amazing request with rising wrath24. He spoke asone commanding a body of coordinate25 power.
"I have come to suggest the arrangement of terms between our forces,"Brown coolly suggested.
"No officer of law, sir," Sumner sternly replied, "can make terms withlawless, armed men. I am here to execute the orders of the President.
You will surrender your prisoners immediately, disarm26 your men anddisperse or take the consequences."Brown turned without a word and slowly walked back to his camp. TheUnited States cavalry followed close at his heels with drawn27 sabers,Stuart at their head.
Colonel Sumner summoned Brown before Sedgwick and Stuart and made to himan announcement which he thought but fair.
"I must tell you now that there is with my company a Deputy UnitedStates Marshal, who holds warrants for several men in your camp. Thosewarrants will be served in my presence."Brown's glittering eye rested on the Deputy Marshal. He moved uneasilyand finally said in a low tone:
"I don't recognize any one for whom I have warrants."The grim face of the man of visions never relaxed a muscle.
Sumner turned to the Deputy indignantly.
"Then what are you here for?"He made no answer. And Stuart laughed in derision.
During this tense moment the keen blue eyes of the Lieutenant22 of cavalrystudied John Brown with the interest of a soldier in the man who knowsnot fear.
At first glance he was a sorry figure. He was lean and gaunt and lookedtaller than he was for that reason. His face was deeply sun tanned andseamed. He looked a rough, hard-working old farmer. The decided28 stoopof his shoulders gave the exaggerated impression of age. His face wasshaved. He wore a coarse cotton shirt, a clean one that had just beenstolen from Bernard's store. It was partly covered by a vest. His hatwas an old slouched felt, well worn. In general appearance he wasdilapidated, dusty, and soiled.
The young officer was too keen a judge of character to be deceivedby clothes on a Western frontier. The dusty clothes and worn hat hescarcely saw. It was the terrible mouth that caught and held hisimagination. It was the mouth of a relentless29 foe30. It was the mouth of aman who might speak the words of surrender when cornered. But he couldno more surrender than he could jump out of his skin.
Stuart was willing to risk his life on a wager31 that if he consented tolay down his arms, he had more concealed32 and that he would sleep on themthat night in the brush.
The low forehead and square, projecting chin caught and held his fancy.
It was the jaw33 and chin of the fighting animal. No man who studied thatjaw would care to meet it in the dark.
But the thing that had put the Deputy out of commission as warrantofficer of the Government was the old man's strange, restless eyes.
Stuart caught their steel glitter with a sense of the uncanny. Hehad never seen a human eye that threw at an enemy a look quite sodisconcerting. He had laughed at the Deputy's fear to move with fiftydragoons to back him. There was some excuse for it. Back of thosepiercing points of steel-blue light were one hundred and fifty armedfollowers. What would happen if he should turn to these men and tellthem to fight the cavalry of the United States? It was an open question.
The old man walked toward his men with wiry, springing step.
The prisoners were released.
Stuart shook hands with Pate, who was a Virginian and a former studentof the University.
Brown's men laid down their arms and dispersed34.
True to Stuart's surmise35 he did not move far from his entrenched camp.
He anticipated a fake surrender to the troops. He had concealed weaponsfor the faithful but half a mile away. With Weiner he built a new campfire before Stuart's cavalry had moved two miles.
点击收听单词发音
1 bugles | |
妙脆角,一种类似薯片但做成尖角或喇叭状的零食; 号角( bugle的名词复数 ); 喇叭; 匍匐筋骨草; (装饰女服用的)柱状玻璃(或塑料)小珠 | |
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2 outlaws | |
歹徒,亡命之徒( outlaw的名词复数 ); 逃犯 | |
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3 truce | |
n.休战,(争执,烦恼等的)缓和;v.以停战结束 | |
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4 cavalry | |
n.骑兵;轻装甲部队 | |
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5 galloping | |
adj. 飞驰的, 急性的 动词gallop的现在分词形式 | |
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6 sob | |
n.空间轨道的轰炸机;呜咽,哭泣 | |
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7 caressed | |
爱抚或抚摸…( caress的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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8 faltered | |
(嗓音)颤抖( falter的过去式和过去分词 ); 支吾其词; 蹒跚; 摇晃 | |
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9 sobbed | |
哭泣,啜泣( sob的过去式和过去分词 ); 哭诉,呜咽地说 | |
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10 spoke | |
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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11 reverence | |
n.敬畏,尊敬,尊严;Reverence:对某些基督教神职人员的尊称;v.尊敬,敬畏,崇敬 | |
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12 smothered | |
(使)窒息, (使)透不过气( smother的过去式和过去分词 ); 覆盖; 忍住; 抑制 | |
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13 presentiment | |
n.预感,预觉 | |
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14 extermination | |
n.消灭,根绝 | |
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15 breakdown | |
n.垮,衰竭;损坏,故障,倒塌 | |
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16 pate | |
n.头顶;光顶 | |
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17 entrenched | |
adj.确立的,不容易改的(风俗习惯) | |
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18 creek | |
n.小溪,小河,小湾 | |
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19 imminent | |
adj.即将发生的,临近的,逼近的 | |
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20 massacre | |
n.残杀,大屠杀;v.残杀,集体屠杀 | |
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21 disperse | |
vi.使分散;使消失;vt.分散;驱散 | |
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22 lieutenant | |
n.陆军中尉,海军上尉;代理官员,副职官员 | |
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23 promptly | |
adv.及时地,敏捷地 | |
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24 wrath | |
n.愤怒,愤慨,暴怒 | |
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25 coordinate | |
adj.同等的,协调的;n.同等者;vt.协作,协调 | |
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26 disarm | |
v.解除武装,回复平常的编制,缓和 | |
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27 drawn | |
v.拖,拉,拔出;adj.憔悴的,紧张的 | |
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28 decided | |
adj.决定了的,坚决的;明显的,明确的 | |
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29 relentless | |
adj.残酷的,不留情的,无怜悯心的 | |
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30 foe | |
n.敌人,仇敌 | |
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31 wager | |
n.赌注;vt.押注,打赌 | |
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32 concealed | |
a.隐藏的,隐蔽的 | |
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33 jaw | |
n.颚,颌,说教,流言蜚语;v.喋喋不休,教训 | |
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34 dispersed | |
adj. 被驱散的, 被分散的, 散布的 | |
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35 surmise | |
v./n.猜想,推测 | |
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