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CHAPTER XXII
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The bugles1 at Fort Leavenworth sounded Boots and Saddles for the marchon Brown and his guerrillas. The barracks were early astir with theexcitement. Stern work might be ahead. Outlaws2 who would dare violate aflag of truce3, to take a United States Marshal and his posse wouldhave no more respect for cavalry4. The men and officers were tired ofdisorder. They were eager for a stand up and knock down fight. Theyexpected it and they were ready for it.
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.

点击收听单词发音收听单词发音  

1 bugles 67a03de6e21575ba3e57a73ed68d55d3     
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
参考例句:
  • Blow, bugles, blow, set the wild echoes flying. "响起来,号角,响起来,让激昂的回声在空中震荡"。
  • We hear the silver voices of heroic bugles. 我们听到了那清亮的号角。
2 outlaws 7eb8a8faa85063e1e8425968c2a222fe     
歹徒,亡命之徒( outlaw的名词复数 ); 逃犯
参考例句:
  • During his year in the forest, Robin met many other outlaws. 在森林里的一年,罗宾遇见其他许多绿林大盗。
  • I didn't have to leave the country or fight outlaws. 我不必离开自己的国家,也不必与不法分子斗争。
3 truce EK8zr     
n.休战,(争执,烦恼等的)缓和;v.以停战结束
参考例句:
  • The hot weather gave the old man a truce from rheumatism.热天使这位老人暂时免受风湿病之苦。
  • She had thought of flying out to breathe the fresh air in an interval of truce.她想跑出去呼吸一下休战期间的新鲜空气。
4 cavalry Yr3zb     
n.骑兵;轻装甲部队
参考例句:
  • We were taken in flank by a troop of cavalry. 我们翼侧受到一队骑兵的袭击。
  • The enemy cavalry rode our men down. 敌人的骑兵撞倒了我们的人。
5 galloping galloping     
adj. 飞驰的, 急性的 动词gallop的现在分词形式
参考例句:
  • The horse started galloping the moment I gave it a good dig. 我猛戳了马一下,它就奔驰起来了。
  • Japan is galloping ahead in the race to develop new technology. 日本在发展新技术的竞争中进展迅速,日新月异。
6 sob HwMwx     
n.空间轨道的轰炸机;呜咽,哭泣
参考例句:
  • The child started to sob when he couldn't find his mother.孩子因找不到他妈妈哭了起来。
  • The girl didn't answer,but continued to sob with her head on the table.那个女孩不回答,也不抬起头来。她只顾低声哭着。
7 caressed de08c4fb4b79b775b2f897e6e8db9aad     
爱抚或抚摸…( caress的过去式和过去分词 )
参考例句:
  • His fingers caressed the back of her neck. 他的手指抚摩着她的后颈。
  • He caressed his wife lovingly. 他怜爱万分地抚摸着妻子。
8 faltered d034d50ce5a8004ff403ab402f79ec8d     
(嗓音)颤抖( falter的过去式和过去分词 ); 支吾其词; 蹒跚; 摇晃
参考例句:
  • He faltered out a few words. 他支吾地说出了几句。
  • "Er - but he has such a longhead!" the man faltered. 他不好意思似的嚅嗫着:“这孩子脑袋真长。”
9 sobbed 4a153e2bbe39eef90bf6a4beb2dba759     
哭泣,啜泣( sob的过去式和过去分词 ); 哭诉,呜咽地说
参考例句:
  • She sobbed out the story of her son's death. 她哭诉着她儿子的死。
  • She sobbed out the sad story of her son's death. 她哽咽着诉说她儿子死去的悲惨经过。
10 spoke XryyC     
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
参考例句:
  • They sourced the spoke nuts from our company.他们的轮辐螺帽是从我们公司获得的。
  • The spokes of a wheel are the bars that connect the outer ring to the centre.辐条是轮子上连接外圈与中心的条棒。
11 reverence BByzT     
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
参考例句:
  • He was a bishop who was held in reverence by all.他是一位被大家都尊敬的主教。
  • We reverence tradition but will not be fettered by it.我们尊重传统,但不被传统所束缚。
12 smothered b9bebf478c8f7045d977e80734a8ed1d     
(使)窒息, (使)透不过气( smother的过去式和过去分词 ); 覆盖; 忍住; 抑制
参考例句:
  • He smothered the baby with a pillow. 他用枕头把婴儿闷死了。
  • The fire is smothered by ashes. 火被灰闷熄了。
13 presentiment Z18zB     
n.预感,预觉
参考例句:
  • He had a presentiment of disaster.他预感会有灾难降临。
  • I have a presentiment that something bad will happen.我有某种不祥事要发生的预感。
14 extermination 46ce066e1bd2424a1ebab0da135b8ac6     
n.消灭,根绝
参考例句:
  • All door and window is sealed for the extermination of mosquito. 为了消灭蚊子,所有的门窗都被封闭起来了。 来自辞典例句
  • In doing so they were saved from extermination. 这样一来却使它们免于绝灭。 来自辞典例句
15 breakdown cS0yx     
n.垮,衰竭;损坏,故障,倒塌
参考例句:
  • She suffered a nervous breakdown.她患神经衰弱。
  • The plane had a breakdown in the air,but it was fortunately removed by the ace pilot.飞机在空中发生了故障,但幸运的是被王牌驾驶员排除了。
16 pate pmqzS9     
n.头顶;光顶
参考例句:
  • The few strands of white hair at the back of his gourd-like pate also quivered.他那长在半个葫芦样的头上的白发,也随着笑声一齐抖动着。
  • He removed his hat to reveal a glowing bald pate.他脱下帽子,露出了发亮的光头。
17 entrenched MtGzk8     
adj.确立的,不容易改的(风俗习惯)
参考例句:
  • Television seems to be firmly entrenched as the number one medium for national advertising.电视看来要在全国广告媒介中牢固地占据头等位置。
  • If the enemy dares to attack us in these entrenched positions,we will make short work of them.如果敌人胆敢进攻我们固守的阵地,我们就消灭他们。
18 creek 3orzL     
n.小溪,小河,小湾
参考例句:
  • He sprang through the creek.他跳过小河。
  • People sunbathe in the nude on the rocks above the creek.人们在露出小溪的岩石上裸体晒日光浴。
19 imminent zc9z2     
adj.即将发生的,临近的,逼近的
参考例句:
  • The black clounds show that a storm is imminent.乌云预示暴风雨即将来临。
  • The country is in imminent danger.国难当头。
20 massacre i71zk     
n.残杀,大屠杀;v.残杀,集体屠杀
参考例句:
  • There was a terrible massacre of villagers here during the war.在战争中,这里的村民惨遭屠杀。
  • If we forget the massacre,the massacre will happen again!忘记了大屠杀,大屠杀就有可能再次发生!
21 disperse ulxzL     
vi.使分散;使消失;vt.分散;驱散
参考例句:
  • The cattle were swinging their tails to disperse the flies.那些牛甩动着尾巴驱赶苍蝇。
  • The children disperse for the holidays.孩子们放假了。
22 lieutenant X3GyG     
n.陆军中尉,海军上尉;代理官员,副职官员
参考例句:
  • He was promoted to be a lieutenant in the army.他被提升为陆军中尉。
  • He prevailed on the lieutenant to send in a short note.他说动那个副官,递上了一张简短的便条进去。
23 promptly LRMxm     
adv.及时地,敏捷地
参考例句:
  • He paid the money back promptly.他立即还了钱。
  • She promptly seized the opportunity his absence gave her.她立即抓住了因他不在场给她创造的机会。
24 wrath nVNzv     
n.愤怒,愤慨,暴怒
参考例句:
  • His silence marked his wrath. 他的沉默表明了他的愤怒。
  • The wrath of the people is now aroused. 人们被激怒了。
25 coordinate oohzt     
adj.同等的,协调的;n.同等者;vt.协作,协调
参考例句:
  • You must coordinate what you said with what you did.你必须使你的言行一致。
  • Maybe we can coordinate the relation of them.或许我们可以调和他们之间的关系。
26 disarm 0uax2     
v.解除武装,回复平常的编制,缓和
参考例句:
  • The world has waited 12 years for Iraq to disarm. 全世界等待伊拉克解除武装已有12年之久。
  • He has rejected every peaceful opportunity offered to him to disarm.他已经拒绝了所有能和平缴械的机会。
27 drawn MuXzIi     
v.拖,拉,拔出;adj.憔悴的,紧张的
参考例句:
  • All the characters in the story are drawn from life.故事中的所有人物都取材于生活。
  • Her gaze was drawn irresistibly to the scene outside.她的目光禁不住被外面的风景所吸引。
28 decided lvqzZd     
adj.决定了的,坚决的;明显的,明确的
参考例句:
  • This gave them a decided advantage over their opponents.这使他们比对手具有明显的优势。
  • There is a decided difference between British and Chinese way of greeting.英国人和中国人打招呼的方式有很明显的区别。
29 relentless VBjzv     
adj.残酷的,不留情的,无怜悯心的
参考例句:
  • The traffic noise is relentless.交通车辆的噪音一刻也不停止。
  • Their training has to be relentless.他们的训练必须是无情的。
30 foe ygczK     
n.敌人,仇敌
参考例句:
  • He knew that Karl could be an implacable foe.他明白卡尔可能会成为他的死敌。
  • A friend is a friend;a foe is a foe;one must be clearly distinguished from the other.敌是敌,友是友,必须分清界限。
31 wager IH2yT     
n.赌注;vt.押注,打赌
参考例句:
  • They laid a wager on the result of the race.他们以竞赛的结果打赌。
  • I made a wager that our team would win.我打赌我们的队会赢。
32 concealed 0v3zxG     
a.隐藏的,隐蔽的
参考例句:
  • The paintings were concealed beneath a thick layer of plaster. 那些画被隐藏在厚厚的灰泥层下面。
  • I think he had a gun concealed about his person. 我认为他当时身上藏有一支枪。
33 jaw 5xgy9     
n.颚,颌,说教,流言蜚语;v.喋喋不休,教训
参考例句:
  • He delivered a right hook to his opponent's jaw.他给了对方下巴一记右钩拳。
  • A strong square jaw is a sign of firm character.强健的方下巴是刚毅性格的标志。
34 dispersed b24c637ca8e58669bce3496236c839fa     
adj. 被驱散的, 被分散的, 散布的
参考例句:
  • The clouds dispersed themselves. 云散了。
  • After school the children dispersed to their homes. 放学后,孩子们四散回家了。
35 surmise jHiz8     
v./n.猜想,推测
参考例句:
  • It turned out that my surmise was correct.结果表明我的推测没有错。
  • I surmise that he will take the job.我推测他会接受这份工作。


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