I was greatly rejoiced to hear of it. I had come into the country almost exclusively with a view of observing the Indian character. Having from childhood felt a curiosity on this subject, and having failed completely to gratify it by reading, I resolved to have recourse to observation. I wished to satisfy myself with regard to the position of the Indians among the races of men; the vices12 and the virtues13 that have sprung from their innate14 character and from their modes of life, their government, their superstitions15, and their domestic situation. To accomplish my purpose it was necessary to live in the midst of them, and become, as it were, one of them. I proposed to join a village and make myself an inmate16 of one of their lodges18; and henceforward this narrative19, so far as I am concerned, will be chiefly a record of the progress of this design apparently20 so easy of accomplishment21, and the unexpected impediments that opposed it.
We resolved on no account to miss the rendezvous at La Bonte’s Camp. Our plan was to leave Delorier at the fort, in charge of our equipage and the better part of our horses, while we took with us nothing but our weapons and the worst animals we had. In all probability jealousies22 and quarrels would arise among so many hordes23 of fierce impulsive24 savages25, congregated26 together under no common head, and many of them strangers, from remote prairies and mountains. We were bound in common prudence27 to be cautious how we excited any feeling of cupidity28. This was our plan, but unhappily we were not destined29 to visit La Bonte’s Camp in this manner; for one morning a young Indian came to the fort and brought us evil tidings. The newcomer was a dandy of the first water. His ugly face was painted with vermilion; on his head fluttered the tail of a prairie cock (a large species of pheasant, not found, as I have heard, eastward30 of the Rocky Mountains); in his ears were hung pendants of shell, and a flaming red blanket was wrapped around him. He carried a dragoon sword in his hand, solely32 for display, since the knife, the arrow, and the rifle are the arbiters33 of every prairie fight; but no one in this country goes abroad unarmed, the dandy carried a bow and arrows in an otter-skin quiver at his back. In this guise34, and bestriding his yellow horse with an air of extreme dignity, The Horse, for that was his name, rode in at the gate, turning neither to the right nor the left, but casting glances askance at the groups of squaws who, with their mongrel progeny35, were sitting in the sun before their doors. The evil tidings brought by The Horse were of the following import: The squaw of Henry Chatillon, a woman with whom he had been connected for years by the strongest ties which in that country exist between the sexes, was dangerously ill. She and her children were in the village of The Whirlwind, at the distance of a few days’ journey. Henry was anxious to see the woman before she died, and provide for the safety and support of his children, of whom he was extremely fond. To have refused him this would have been gross inhumanity. We abandoned our plan of joining Smoke’s village, and of proceeding36 with it to the rendezvous, and determined37 to meet The Whirlwind, and go in his company.
I had been slightly ill for several weeks, but on the third night after reaching Fort Laramie a violent pain awoke me, and I found myself attacked by the same disorder38 that occasioned such heavy losses to the army on the Rio Grande. In a day and a half I was reduced to extreme weakness, so that I could not walk without pain and effort. Having within that time taken six grains of opium39, without the least beneficial effect, and having no medical adviser40, nor any choice of diet, I resolved to throw myself upon Providence41 for recovery, using, without regard to the disorder, any portion of strength that might remain to me. So on the 20th of June we set out from Fort Laramie to meet The Whirlwind’s village. Though aided by the high-bowed “mountain saddle,” I could scarcely keep my seat on horseback. Before we left the fort we hired another man, a long-haired Canadian, with a face like an owl’s, contrasting oddly enough with Delorier’s mercurial42 countenance43. This was not the only re-enforcement to our party. A vagrant44 Indian trader, named Reynal, joined us, together with his squaw Margot, and her two nephews, our dandy friend, The Horse, and his younger brother, The Hail Storm. Thus accompanied, we betook ourselves to the prairie, leaving the beaten trail, and passing over the desolate45 hills that flank the bottoms of Laramie Creek46. In all, Indians and whites, we counted eight men and one woman.
Reynal, the trader, the image of sleek47 and selfish complacency, carried The Horse’s dragoon sword in his hand, delighting apparently in this useless parade; for, from spending half his life among Indians, he had caught not only their habits but their ideas. Margot, a female animal of more than two hundred pounds’ weight, was couched in the basket of a travail48, such as I have before described; besides her ponderous49 bulk, various domestic utensils50 were attached to the vehicle, and she was leading by a trail-rope a packhorse, who carried the covering of Reynal’s lodge17. Delorier walked briskly by the side of the cart, and Raymond came behind, swearing at the spare horses, which it was his business to drive. The restless young Indians, their quivers at their backs, and their bows in their hand, galloped51 over the hills, often starting a wolf or an antelope52 from the thick growth of wild-sage bushes. Shaw and I were in keeping with the rest of the rude cavalcade53, having in the absence of other clothing adopted the buckskin attire54 of the trappers. Henry Chatillon rode in advance of the whole. Thus we passed hill after hill and hollow after hollow, a country arid55, broken and so parched56 by the sun that none of the plants familiar to our more favored soil would flourish upon it, though there were multitudes of strange medicinal herbs, more especially the absanth, which covered every declivity57, and cacti58 were hanging like reptiles59 at the edges of every ravine. At length we ascended60 a high hill, our horses treading upon pebbles61 of flint, agate62, and rough jasper, until, gaining the top, we looked down on the wild bottoms of Laramie Creek, which far below us wound like a writhing63 snake from side to side of the narrow interval64, amid a growth of shattered cotton-wood and ash trees. Lines of tall cliffs, white as chalk, shut in this green strip of woods and meadow land, into which we descended65 and encamped for the night. In the morning we passed a wide grassy66 plain by the river; there was a grove67 in front, and beneath its shadows the ruins of an old trading fort of logs. The grove bloomed with myriads68 of wild roses, with their sweet perfume fraught69 with recollections of home. As we emerged from the trees, a rattlesnake, as large as a man’s arm, and more than four feet long, lay coiled on a rock, fiercely rattling71 and hissing72 at us; a gray hare, double the size of those in New England, leaped up from the tall ferns; curlew were screaming over our heads, and a whole host of little prairie dogs sat yelping73 at us at the mouths of their burrows74 on the dry plain beyond. Suddenly an antelope leaped up from the wild-sage bushes, gazed eagerly at us, and then, erecting75 his white tail, stretched away like a greyhound. The two Indian boys found a white wolf, as large as a calf76 in a hollow, and giving a sharp yell, they galloped after him; but the wolf leaped into the stream and swam across. Then came the crack of a rifle, the bullet whistling harmlessly over his head, as he scrambled77 up the steep declivity, rattling down stones and earth into the water below. Advancing a little, we beheld78 on the farther bank of the stream, a spectacle not common even in that region; for, emerging from among the trees, a herd79 of some two hundred elk80 came out upon the meadow, their antlers clattering81 as they walked forward in dense82 throng83. Seeing us, they broke into a run, rushing across the opening and disappearing among the trees and scattered84 groves85. On our left was a barren prairie, stretching to the horizon; on our right, a deep gulf86, with Laramie Creek at the bottom. We found ourselves at length at the edge of a steep descent; a narrow valley, with long rank grass and scattered trees stretching before us for a mile or more along the course of the stream. Reaching the farther end, we stopped and encamped. An old huge cotton-wood tree spread its branches horizontally over our tent. Laramie Creek, circling before our camp, half inclosed us; it swept along the bottom of a line of tall white cliffs that looked down on us from the farther bank. There were dense copses on our right; the cliffs, too, were half hidden by shrubbery, though behind us a few cotton-wood trees, dotting the green prairie, alone impeded87 the view, and friend or enemy could be discerned in that direction at a mile’s distance. Here we resolved to remain and await the arrival of The Whirlwind, who would certainly pass this way in his progress toward La Bonte’s Camp. To go in search of him was not expedient88, both on account of the broken and impracticable nature of the country and the uncertainty89 of his position and movements; besides, our horses were almost worn out, and I was in no condition to travel. We had good grass, good water, tolerable fish from the stream, and plenty of smaller game, such as antelope and deer, though no buffalo90. There was one little drawback to our satisfaction—a certain extensive tract91 of bushes and dried grass, just behind us, which it was by no means advisable to enter, since it sheltered a numerous brood of rattlesnakes. Henry Chatillon again dispatched The Horse to the village, with a message to his squaw that she and her relatives should leave the rest and push on as rapidly as possible to our camp.
Our daily routine soon became as regular as that of a well-ordered household. The weather-beaten old tree was in the center; our rifles generally rested against its vast trunk, and our saddles were flung on the ground around it; its distorted roots were so twisted as to form one or two convenient arm-chairs, where we could sit in the shade and read or smoke; but meal-times became, on the whole, the most interesting hours of the day, and a bountiful provision was made for them. An antelope or a deer usually swung from a stout92 bough93, and haunches were suspended against the trunk. That camp is daguerreotyped on my memory; the old tree, the white tent, with Shaw sleeping in the shadow of it, and Reynal’s miserable94 lodge close by the bank of the stream. It was a wretched oven-shaped structure, made of begrimed and tattered95 buffalo hides stretched over a frame of poles; one side was open, and at the side of the opening hung the powder horn and bullet pouch96 of the owner, together with his long red pipe, and a rich quiver of otterskin, with a bow and arrows; for Reynal, an Indian in most things but color, chose to hunt buffalo with these primitive97 weapons. In the darkness of this cavern-like habitation, might be discerned Madame Margot, her overgrown bulk stowed away among her domestic implements98, furs, robes, blankets, and painted cases of PAR’ FLECHE, in which dried meat is kept. Here she sat from sunrise to sunset, a bloated impersonation of gluttony and laziness, while her affectionate proprietor99 was smoking, or begging petty gifts from us, or telling lies concerning his own achievements, or perchance engaged in the more profitable occupation of cooking some preparation of prairie delicacies100. Reynal was an adept101 at this work; he and Delorier have joined forces and are hard at work together over the fire, while Raymond spreads, by way of tablecloth102, a buffalo hide, carefully whitened with pipeclay, on the grass before the tent. Here, with ostentatious display, he arranges the teacups and plates; and then, creeping on all fours like a dog, he thrusts his head in at the opening of the tent. For a moment we see his round owlish eyes rolling wildly, as if the idea he came to communicate had suddenly escaped him; then collecting his scattered thoughts, as if by an effort, he informs us that supper is ready, and instantly withdraws.
When sunset came, and at that hour the wild and desolate scene would assume a new aspect, the horses were driven in. They had been grazing all day in the neighboring meadow, but now they were picketed103 close about the camp. As the prairie darkened we sat and conversed104 around the fire, until becoming drowsy105 we spread our saddles on the ground, wrapped our blankets around us and lay down. We never placed a guard, having by this time become too indolent; but Henry Chatillon folded his loaded rifle in the same blanket with himself, observing that he always took it to bed with him when he camped in that place. Henry was too bold a man to use such a precaution without good cause. We had a hint now and then that our situation was none of the safest; several Crow war parties were known to be in the vicinity, and one of them, that passed here some time before, had peeled the bark from a neighboring tree, and engraved106 upon the white wood certain hieroglyphics107, to signify that they had invaded the territories of their enemies, the Dakota, and set them at defiance108. One morning a thick mist covered the whole country. Shaw and Henry went out to ride, and soon came back with a startling piece of intelligence; they had found within rifle-shot of our camp the recent trail of about thirty horsemen. They could not be whites, and they could not be Dakota, since we knew no such parties to be in the neighborhood; therefore they must be Crows. Thanks to that friendly mist, we had escaped a hard battle; they would inevitably109 have attacked us and our Indian companions had they seen our camp. Whatever doubts we might have entertained, were quite removed a day or two after, by two or three Dakota, who came to us with an account of having hidden in a ravine on that very morning, from whence they saw and counted the Crows; they said that they followed them, carefully keeping out of sight, as they passed up Chugwater; that here the Crows discovered five dead bodies of Dakota, placed according to the national custom in trees, and flinging them to the ground, they held their guns against them and blew them to atoms.
If our camp were not altogether safe, still it was comfortable enough; at least it was so to Shaw, for I was tormented110 with illness and vexed111 by the delay in the accomplishment of my designs. When a respite112 in my disorder gave me some returning strength, I rode out well-armed upon the prairie, or bathed with Shaw in the stream, or waged a petty warfare113 with the inhabitants of a neighborhood prairie-dog village. Around our fire at night we employed ourselves in inveighing114 against the fickleness116 and inconstancy of Indians, and execrating117 The Whirlwind and all his village. At last the thing grew insufferable.
“To-morrow morning,” said I, “I will start for the fort, and see if I can hear any news there.” Late that evening, when the fire had sunk low, and all the camp were asleep, a loud cry sounded from the darkness. Henry started up, recognized the voice, replied to it, and our dandy friend, The Horse, rode in among us, just returned from his mission to the village. He coolly picketed his mare118, without saying a word, sat down by the fire and began to eat, but his imperturbable119 philosophy was too much for our patience. Where was the village? about fifty miles south of us; it was moving slowly and would not arrive in less than a week; and where was Henry’s squaw? coming as fast as she could with Mahto-Tatonka, and the rest of her brothers, but she would never reach us, for she was dying, and asking every moment for Henry. Henry’s manly120 face became clouded and downcast; he said that if we were willing he would go in the morning to find her, at which Shaw offered to accompany him.
We saddled our horses at sunrise. Reynal protested vehemently121 against being left alone, with nobody but the two Canadians and the young Indians, when enemies were in the neighborhood. Disregarding his complaints, we left him, and coming to the mouth of Chugwater, separated, Shaw and Henry turning to the right, up the bank of the stream, while I made for the fort.
Taking leave for a while of my friend and the unfortunate squaw, I will relate by way of episode what I saw and did at Fort Laramie. It was not more than eighteen miles distant, and I reached it in three hours; a shriveled little figure, wrapped from head to foot in a dingy122 white Canadian capote, stood in the gateway123, holding by a cord of bull’s hide a shaggy wild horse, which he had lately caught. His sharp prominent features, and his little keen snakelike eyes, looked out from beneath the shadowy hood11 of the capote, which was drawn124 over his head exactly like the cowl of a Capuchin friar. His face was extremely thin and like an old piece of leather, and his mouth spread from ear to ear. Extending his long wiry hand, he welcomed me with something more cordial than the ordinary cold salute125 of an Indian, for we were excellent friends. He had made an exchange of horses to our mutual126 advantage; and Paul, thinking himself well-treated, had declared everywhere that the white man had a good heart. He was a Dakota from the Missouri, a reputed son of the half-breed interpreter, Pierre Dorion, so often mentioned in Irving’s “Astoria.” He said that he was going to Richard’s trading house to sell his horse to some emigrants128 who were encamped there, and asked me to go with him. We forded the stream together, Paul dragging his wild charge behind him. As we passed over the sandy plains beyond, he grew quite communicative. Paul was a cosmopolitan129 in his way; he had been to the settlements of the whites, and visited in peace and war most of the tribes within the range of a thousand miles. He spoke130 a jargon131 of French and another of English, yet nevertheless he was a thorough Indian; and as he told of the bloody132 deeds of his own people against their enemies, his little eye would glitter with a fierce luster133. He told how the Dakota exterminated134 a village of the Hohays on the Upper Missouri, slaughtering135 men, women, and children; and how an overwhelming force of them cut off sixteen of the brave Delawares, who fought like wolves to the last, amid the throng of their enemies. He told me also another story, which I did not believe until I had it confirmed from so many independent sources that no room was left for doubt. I am tempted136 to introduce it here.
Six years ago a fellow named Jim Beckwith, a mongrel of French, American, and negro blood, was trading for the Fur Company, in a very large village of the Crows. Jim Beckwith was last summer at St. Louis. He is a ruffian of the first stamp; bloody and treacherous137, without honor or honesty; such at least is the character he bears upon the prairie. Yet in his case all the standard rules of character fail, for though he will stab a man in his sleep, he will also perform most desperate acts of daring; such, for instance, as the following: While he was in the Crow village, a Blackfoot war party, between thirty and forty in number came stealing through the country, killing138 stragglers and carrying off horses. The Crow warriors got upon their trail and pressed them so closely that they could not escape, at which the Blackfeet, throwing up a semicircular breastwork of logs at the foot of a precipice139, coolly awaited their approach. The logs and sticks, piled four or five high, protected them in front. The Crows might have swept over the breastwork and exterminated their enemies; but though out-numbering them tenfold, they did not dream of storming the little fortification. Such a proceeding would be altogether repugnant to their notions of warfare. Whooping140 and yelling, and jumping from side to side like devils incarnate141, they showered bullets and arrows upon the logs; not a Blackfoot was hurt, but several Crows, in spite of their leaping and dodging142, were shot down. In this childish manner the fight went on for an hour or two. Now and then a Crow warrior1 in an ecstasy143 of valor144 and vainglory would scream forth145 his war song, boasting himself the bravest and greatest of mankind, and grasping his hatchet146, would rush up and strike it upon the breastwork, and then as he retreated to his companions, fall dead under a shower of arrows; yet no combined attack seemed to be dreamed of. The Blackfeet remained secure in their intrenchment. At last Jim Beckwith lost patience.
“You are all fools and old women,” he said to the Crows; “come with me, if any of you are brave enough, and I will show you how to fight.”
He threw off his trapper’s frock of buckskin and stripped himself naked like the Indians themselves. He left his rifle on the ground, and taking in his hand a small light hatchet, he ran over the prairie to the right, concealed147 by a hollow from the eyes of the Blackfeet. Then climbing up the rocks, he gained the top of the precipice behind them. Forty or fifty young Crow warriors followed him. By the cries and whoops148 that rose from below he knew that the Blackfeet were just beneath him; and running forward, he leaped down the rock into the midst of them. As he fell he caught one by the long loose hair and dragging him down tomahawked him; then grasping another by the belt at his waist, he struck him also a stunning149 blow, and gaining his feet, shouted the Crow war-cry. He swung his hatchet so fiercely around him that the astonished Blackfeet bore back and gave him room. He might, had he chosen, have leaped over the breastwork and escaped; but this was not necessary, for with devilish yells the Crow warriors came dropping in quick succession over the rock among their enemies. The main body of the Crows, too, answered the cry from the front and rushed up simultaneously150. The convulsive struggle within the breastwork was frightful151; for an instant the Blackfeet fought and yelled like pent-up tigers; but the butchery was soon complete, and the mangled152 bodies lay piled up together under the precipice. Not a Blackfoot made his escape.
As Paul finished his story we came in sight of Richard’s Fort. It stood in the middle of the plain; a disorderly crowd of men around it, and an emigrant127 camp a little in front.
“Now, Paul,” said I, “where are your Winnicongew lodges?”
“Not come yet,” said Paul, “maybe come to-morrow.”
Two large villages of a band of Dakota had come three hundred miles from the Missouri, to join in the war, and they were expected to reach Richard’s that morning. There was as yet no sign of their approach; so pushing through a noisy, drunken crowd, I entered an apartment of logs and mud, the largest in the fort; it was full of men of various races and complexions153, all more or less drunk. A company of California emigrants, it seemed, had made the discovery at this late day that they had encumbered154 themselves with too many supplies for their journey. A part, therefore, they had thrown away or sold at great loss to the traders, but had determined to get rid of their copious155 stock of Missouri whisky, by drinking it on the spot. Here were maudlin156 squaws stretched on piles of buffalo robes; squalid Mexicans, armed with bows and arrows; Indians sedately157 drunk; long-haired Canadians and trappers, and American backwoodsmen in brown homespun, the well-beloved pistol and bowie knife displayed openly at their sides. In the middle of the room a tall, lank31 man, with a dingy broadcloth coat, was haranguing159 the company in the style of the stump160 orator161. With one hand he sawed the air, and with the other clutched firmly a brown jug162 of whisky, which he applied163 every moment to his lips, forgetting that he had drained the contents long ago. Richard formally introduced me to this personage, who was no less a man than Colonel R., once the leader of the party. Instantly the colonel seizing me, in the absence of buttons by the leather fringes of my frock, began to define his position. His men, he said, had mutinied and deposed164 him; but still he exercised over them the influence of a superior mind; in all but the name he was yet their chief. As the colonel spoke, I looked round on the wild assemblage, and could not help thinking that he was but ill qualified165 to conduct such men across the desert to California. Conspicuous166 among the rest stood three tail young men, grandsons of Daniel Boone. They had clearly inherited the adventurous167 character of that prince of pioneers; but I saw no signs of the quiet and tranquil168 spirit that so remarkably169 distinguished170 him.
Fearful was the fate that months after overtook some of the members of that party. General Kearny, on his late return from California, brought in the account how they were interrupted by the deep snows among the mountains, and maddened by cold and hunger fed upon each other’s flesh.
I got tired of the confusion. “Come, Paul,” said I, “we will be off.” Paul sat in the sun, under the wall of the fort. He jumped up, mounted, and we rode toward Fort Laramie. When we reached it, a man came out of the gate with a pack at his back and a rifle on his shoulder; others were gathering171 about him, shaking him by the hand, as if taking leave. I thought it a strange thing that a man should set out alone and on foot for the prairie. I soon got an explanation. Perrault—this, if I recollect70 right was the Canadian’s name—had quarreled with the bourgeois172, and the fort was too hot to hold him. Bordeaux, inflated173 with his transient authority, had abused him, and received a blow in return. The men then sprang at each other, and grappled in the middle of the fort. Bordeaux was down in an instant, at the mercy of the incensed174 Canadian; had not an old Indian, the brother of his squaw, seized hold of his antagonist175, he would have fared ill. Perrault broke loose from the old Indian, and both the white men ran to their rooms for their guns; but when Bordeaux, looking from his door, saw the Canadian, gun in hand, standing176 in the area and calling on him to come out and fight, his heart failed him; he chose to remain where he was. In vain the old Indian, scandalized by his brother-in-law’s cowardice177, called upon him to go upon the prairie and fight it out in the white man’s manner; and Bordeaux’s own squaw, equally incensed, screamed to her lord and master that he was a dog and an old woman. It all availed nothing. Bordeaux’s prudence got the better of his valor, and he would not stir. Perrault stood showering approbrious epithets178 at the recent bourgeois. Growing tired of this, he made up a pack of dried meat, and slinging179 it at his back, set out alone for Fort Pierre on the Missouri, a distance of three hundred miles, over a desert country full of hostile Indians.
I remained in the fort that night. In the morning, as I was coming out from breakfast, conversing180 with a trader named McCluskey, I saw a strange Indian leaning against the side of the gate. He was a tall, strong man, with heavy features.
“Who is he?” I asked. “That’s The Whirlwind,” said McCluskey. “He is the fellow that made all this stir about the war. It’s always the way with the Sioux; they never stop cutting each other’s throats; it’s all they are fit for; instead of sitting in their lodges, and getting robes to trade with us in the winter. If this war goes on, we’ll make a poor trade of it next season, I reckon.”
And this was the opinion of all the traders, who were vehemently opposed to the war, from the serious injury that it must occasion to their interests. The Whirlwind left his village the day before to make a visit to the fort. His warlike ardor181 had abated182 not a little since he first conceived the design of avenging183 his son’s death. The long and complicated preparations for the expedition were too much for his fickle115, inconstant disposition184. That morning Bordeaux fastened upon him, made him presents and told him that if he went to war he would destroy his horses and kill no buffalo to trade with the white men; in short, that he was a fool to think of such a thing, and had better make up his mind to sit quietly in his lodge and smoke his pipe, like a wise man. The Whirlwind’s purpose was evidently shaken; he had become tired, like a child, of his favorite plan. Bordeaux exultingly185 predicted that he would not go to war. My philanthropy at that time was no match for my curiosity, and I was vexed at the possibility that after all I might lose the rare opportunity of seeing the formidable ceremonies of war. The Whirlwind, however, had merely thrown the firebrand; the conflagration187 was become general. All the western bands of the Dakota were bent188 on war; and as I heard from McCluskey, six large villages already gathered on a little stream, forty miles distant, were daily calling to the Great Spirit to aid them in their enterprise. McCluskey had just left and represented them as on their way to La Bonte’s Camp, which they would reach in a week, UNLESS THEY SHOULD LEARN THAT THERE WERE NO BUFFALO THERE. I did not like this condition, for buffalo this season were rare in the neighborhood. There were also the two Minnicongew villages that I mentioned before; but about noon, an Indian came from Richard’s Fort with the news that they were quarreling, breaking up, and dispersing189. So much for the whisky of the emigrants! Finding themselves unable to drink the whole, they had sold the residue190 to these Indians, and it needed no prophet to foretell191 the results; a spark dropped into a powder magazine would not have produced a quicker effect. Instantly the old jealousies and rivalries192 and smothered193 feuds194 that exist in an Indian village broke out into furious quarrels. They forgot the warlike enterprise that had already brought them three hundred miles. They seemed like ungoverned children inflamed195 with the fiercest passions of men. Several of them were stabbed in the drunken tumult197; and in the morning they scattered and moved back toward the Missouri in small parties. I feared that, after all, the long-projected meeting and the ceremonies that were to attend it might never take place, and I should lose so admirable an opportunity of seeing the Indian under his most fearful and characteristic aspect; however, in foregoing this, I should avoid a very fair probability of being plundered198 and stripped, and, it might be, stabbed or shot into the bargain. Consoling myself with this reflection, I prepared to carry the news, such as it was, to the camp.
I caught my horse, and to my vexation found he had lost a shoe and broken his tender white hoof199 against the rocks. Horses are shod at Fort Laramie at the moderate rate of three dollars a foot; so I tied Hendrick to a beam in the corral, and summoned Roubidou, the blacksmith. Roubidou, with the hoof between his knees, was at work with hammer and file, and I was inspecting the process, when a strange voice addressed me.
“Two more gone under! Well, there is more of us left yet. Here’s Jean Gars and me off to the mountains to-morrow. Our turn will come next, I suppose. It’s a hard life, anyhow!”
I looked up and saw a little man, not much more than five feet high, but of very square and strong proportions. In appearance he was particularly dingy; for his old buckskin frock was black and polished with time and grease, and his belt, knife, pouch, and powder-horn appeared to have seen the roughest service. The first joint200 of each foot was entirely201 gone, having been frozen off several winters before, and his moccasins were curtailed202 in proportion. His whole appearance and equipment bespoke203 the “free trapper.” He had a round ruddy face, animated204 with a spirit of carelessness and gayety not at all in accordance with the words he had just spoken.
“Two more gone,” said I; “what do you mean by that?”
“Oh,” said he, “the Arapahoes have just killed two of us in the mountains. Old Bull-Tail has come to tell us. They stabbed one behind his back, and shot the other with his own rifle. That’s the way we live here! I mean to give up trapping after this year. My squaw says she wants a pacing horse and some red ribbons; I’ll make enough beaver205 to get them for her, and then I’m done! I’ll go below and live on a farm.”
“Your bones will dry on the prairie, Rouleau!” said another trapper, who was standing by; a strong, brutal-looking fellow, with a face as surly as a bull-dog’s.
“You’ll see us, before long, passing up our way,” said the other man. “Well,” said I, “stop and take a cup of coffee with us”; and as it was quite late in the afternoon, I prepared to leave the fort at once.
As I rode out, a train of emigrant wagons209 was passing across the stream. “Whar are ye goin’ stranger?” Thus I was saluted210 by two or three voices at once.
“About eighteen miles up the creek.”
“It’s mighty211 late to be going that far! Make haste, ye’d better, and keep a bright lookout212 for Indians!”
I thought the advice too good to be neglected. Fording the stream, I passed at a round trot213 over the plains beyond. But “the more haste, the worse speed.” I proved the truth in the proverb by the time I reached the hills three miles from the fort. The trail was faintly marked, and riding forward with more rapidity than caution, I lost sight of it. I kept on in a direct line, guided by Laramie Creek, which I could see at intervals214 darkly glistening215 in the evening sun, at the bottom of the woody gulf on my right. Half an hour before sunset I came upon its banks. There was something exciting in the wild solitude216 of the place. An antelope sprang suddenly from the sagebushes before me. As he leaped gracefully217 not thirty yards before my horse, I fired, and instantly he spun158 round and fell. Quite sure of him, I walked my horse toward him, leisurely219 reloading my rifle, when to my surprise he sprang up and trotted220 rapidly away on three legs into the dark recesses221 of the hills, whither I had no time to follow. Ten minutes after, I was passing along the bottom of a deep valley, and chancing to look behind me, I saw in the dim light that something was following. Supposing it to be wolf, I slid from my seat and sat down behind my horse to shoot it; but as it came up, I saw by its motions that it was another antelope. It approached within a hundred yards, arched its graceful218 neck, and gazed intently. I leveled at the white spot on its chest, and was about to fire when it started off, ran first to one side and then to the other, like a vessel222 tacking223 against a wind, and at last stretched away at full speed. Then it stopped again, looked curiously224 behind it, and trotted up as before; but not so boldly, for it soon paused and stood gazing at me. I fired; it leaped upward and fell upon its tracks. Measuring the distance, I found it 204 paces. When I stood by his side, the antelope turned his expiring eye upward. It was like a beautiful woman’s, dark and rich. “Fortunate that I am in a hurry,” thought I; “I might be troubled with remorse225, if I had time for it.”
Cutting the animal up, not in the most skilled manner, I hung the meat at the back of my saddle, and rode on again. The hills (I could not remember one of them) closed around me. “It is too late,” thought I, “to go forward. I will stay here to-night, and look for the path in the morning.” As a last effort, however, I ascended a high hill, from which, to my great satisfaction, I could see Laramie Creek stretching before me, twisting from side to side amid ragged226 patches of timber; and far off, close beneath the shadows of the trees, the ruins of the old trading fort were visible. I reached them at twilight227. It was far from pleasant, in that uncertain light, to be pushing through the dense trees and shrubbery of the grove beyond. I listened anxiously for the footfall of man or beast. Nothing was stirring but one harmless brown bird, chirping228 among the branches. I was glad when I gained the open prairie once more, where I could see if anything approached. When I came to the mouth of Chugwater, it was totally dark. Slackening the reins229, I let my horse take his own course. He trotted on with unerring instinct, and by nine o’clock was scrambling230 down the steep ascent231 into the meadows where we were encamped. While I was looking in vain for the light of the fire, Hendrick, with keener perceptions, gave a loud neigh, which was immediately answered in a shrill232 note from the distance. In a moment I was hailed from the darkness by the voice of Reynal, who had come out, rifle in hand, to see who was approaching.
He, with his squaw, the two Canadians and the Indian boys, were the sole inmates233 of the camp, Shaw and Henry Chatillon being still absent. At noon of the following day they came back, their horses looking none the better for the journey. Henry seemed dejected. The woman was dead, and his children must henceforward be exposed, without a protector, to the hardships and vicissitudes234 of Indian life. Even in the midst of his grief he had not forgotten his attachment235 to his bourgeois, for he had procured236 among his Indian relatives two beautifully ornamented237 buffalo robes, which he spread on the ground as a present to us.
Shaw lighted his pipe, and told me in a few words the history of his journey. When I went to the fort they left me, as I mentioned, at the mouth of Chugwater. They followed the course of the little stream all day, traversing a desolate and barren country. Several times they came upon the fresh traces of a large war party—the same, no doubt, from whom we had so narrowly escaped an attack. At an hour before sunset, without encountering a human being by the way, they came upon the lodges of the squaw and her brothers, who, in compliance238 with Henry’s message, had left the Indian village in order to join us at our camp. The lodges were already pitched, five in number, by the side of the stream. The woman lay in one of them, reduced to a mere186 skeleton. For some time she had been unable to move or speak. Indeed, nothing had kept her alive but the hope of seeing Henry, to whom she was strongly and faithfully attached. No sooner did he enter the lodge than she revived, and conversed with him the greater part of the night. Early in the morning she was lifted into a travail, and the whole party set out toward our camp. There were but five warriors; the rest were women and children. The whole were in great alarm at the proximity239 of the Crow war party, who would certainly have destroyed them without mercy had they met. They had advanced only a mile or two, when they discerned a horseman, far off, on the edge of the horizon. They all stopped, gathering together in the greatest anxiety, from which they did not recover until long after the horseman disappeared; then they set out again. Henry was riding with Shaw a few rods in advance of the Indians, when Mahto-Tatonka, a younger brother of the woman, hastily called after them. Turning back, they found all the Indians crowded around the travail in which the woman was lying. They reached her just in time to hear the death-rattle in her throat. In a moment she lay dead in the basket of the vehicle. A complete stillness succeeded; then the Indians raised in concert their cries of lamentation240 over the corpse241, and among them Shaw clearly distinguished those strange sounds resembling the word “Halleluyah,” which together with some other accidental coincidences has given rise to the absurd theory that the Indians are descended from the ten lost tribes of Israel.
The Indian usage required that Henry, as well as the other relatives of the woman, should make valuable presents, to be placed by the side of the body at its last resting place. Leaving the Indians, he and Shaw set out for the camp and reached it, as we have seen, by hard pushing, at about noon. Having obtained the necessary articles, they immediately returned. It was very late and quite dark when they again reached the lodges. They were all placed in a deep hollow among the dreary242 hills. Four of them were just visible through the gloom, but the fifth and largest was illuminated243 by the ruddy blaze of a fire within, glowing through the half-transparent covering of raw hides. There was a perfect stillness as they approached. The lodges seemed without a tenant244. Not a living thing was stirring—there was something awful in the scene. They rode up to the entrance of the lodge, and there was no sound but the tramp of their horses. A squaw came out and took charge of the animals, without speaking a word. Entering, they found the lodge crowded with Indians; a fire was burning in the midst, and the mourners encircled it in a triple row. Room was made for the newcomers at the head of the lodge, a robe spread for them to sit upon, and a pipe lighted and handed to them in perfect silence. Thus they passed the greater part of the night. At times the fire would subside245 into a heap of embers, until the dark figures seated around it were scarcely visible; then a squaw would drop upon it a piece of buffalo-fat, and a bright flame, instantly springing up, would reveal of a sudden the crowd of wild faces, motionless as bronze. The silence continued unbroken. It was a relief to Shaw when daylight returned and he could escape from this house of mourning. He and Henry prepared to return homeward; first, however, they placed the presents they had brought near the body of the squaw, which, most gaudily246 attired247, remained in a sitting posture248 in one of the lodges. A fine horse was picketed not far off, destined to be killed that morning for the service of her spirit, for the woman was lame196, and could not travel on foot over the dismal249 prairies to the villages of the dead. Food, too, was provided, and household implements, for her use upon this last journey.
Henry left her to the care of her relatives, and came immediately with Shaw to the camp. It was some time before he entirely recovered from his dejection.
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1
warrior
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| n.勇士，武士，斗士 | |
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warriors
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| 武士，勇士，战士( warrior的名词复数 ) | |
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3
dreading
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| v.害怕，恐惧，担心( dread的现在分词 ) | |
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4
resentment
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| n.怨愤，忿恨 | |
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slain
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| 杀死，宰杀，杀戮( slay的过去分词 )； (slay的过去分词) | |
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partisan
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| adj.党派性的；游击队的；n.游击队员；党徒 | |
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chastise
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| vt.责骂，严惩 | |
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8
rendezvous
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| n.约会，约会地点，汇合点；vi.汇合，集合；vt.使汇合，使在汇合地点相遇 | |
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9
rites
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| 仪式，典礼( rite的名词复数 ) | |
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10
celebrated
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| adj.有名的，声誉卓著的 | |
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hood
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| n.头巾，兜帽，覆盖；v.罩上，以头巾覆盖 | |
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vices
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| 缺陷( vice的名词复数 )； 恶习； 不道德行为； 台钳 | |
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virtues
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| 美德( virtue的名词复数 )； 德行； 优点； 长处 | |
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14
innate
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| adj.天生的，固有的，天赋的 | |
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superstitions
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| 迷信，迷信行为( superstition的名词复数 ) | |
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inmate
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| n.被收容者；(房屋等的)居住人；住院人 | |
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lodge
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| v.临时住宿，寄宿，寄存，容纳；n.传达室，小旅馆 | |
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lodges
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| v.存放( lodge的第三人称单数 )；暂住；埋入；（权利、权威等）归属 | |
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narrative
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| n.叙述，故事；adj.叙事的，故事体的 | |
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apparently
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| adv.显然地；表面上，似乎 | |
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accomplishment
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| n.完成，成就，（pl.）造诣，技能 | |
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22
jealousies
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| n.妒忌( jealousy的名词复数 )；妒羡 | |
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23
hordes
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| n.移动着的一大群( horde的名词复数 )；部落 | |
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24
impulsive
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| adj.冲动的，刺激的；有推动力的 | |
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savages
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| 未开化的人，野蛮人( savage的名词复数 ) | |
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congregated
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| （使）集合，聚集( congregate的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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27
prudence
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| n.谨慎，精明，节俭 | |
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cupidity
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| n.贪心，贪财 | |
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29
destined
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| adj.命中注定的；(for)以…为目的地的 | |
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30
eastward
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| adv.向东；adj.向东的；n.东方，东部 | |
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31
lank
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| adj.瘦削的；稀疏的 | |
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32
solely
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| adv.仅仅，唯一地 | |
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33
arbiters
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| 仲裁人，裁决者( arbiter的名词复数 ) | |
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34
guise
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| n.外表，伪装的姿态 | |
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progeny
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| n.后代，子孙；结果 | |
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proceeding
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| n.行动，进行，(pl.)会议录，学报 | |
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determined
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| adj.坚定的；有决心的 | |
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disorder
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| n.紊乱，混乱；骚动，骚乱；疾病，失调 | |
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39
opium
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| n.鸦片；adj.鸦片的 | |
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40
adviser
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| n.劝告者，顾问 | |
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41
providence
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| n.深谋远虑，天道，天意；远见；节约；上帝 | |
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42
mercurial
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| adj.善变的，活泼的 | |
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43
countenance
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| n.脸色，面容；面部表情；vt.支持，赞同 | |
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44
vagrant
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| n.流浪者，游民；adj.流浪的，漂泊不定的 | |
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45
desolate
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| adj.荒凉的，荒芜的；孤独的，凄凉的；v.使荒芜，使孤寂 | |
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46
creek
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| n.小溪，小河，小湾 | |
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47
sleek
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| adj.光滑的，井然有序的；v.使光滑，梳拢 | |
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48
travail
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| n.阵痛；努力 | |
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49
ponderous
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| adj.沉重的，笨重的，(文章)冗长的 | |
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50
utensils
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| 器具，用具，器皿( utensil的名词复数 )； 器物 | |
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51
galloped
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| （使马）飞奔，奔驰( gallop的过去式和过去分词 )； 快速做[说]某事 | |
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52
antelope
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| n.羚羊；羚羊皮 | |
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53
cavalcade
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| n.车队等的行列 | |
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54
attire
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| v.穿衣，装扮[同]array；n.衣着；盛装 | |
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55
arid
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| adj.干旱的；(土地)贫瘠的 | |
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56
parched
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| adj.焦干的；极渴的；v.（使）焦干 | |
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57
declivity
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| n.下坡，倾斜面 | |
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58
cacti
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| n.（复）仙人掌 | |
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59
reptiles
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| n.爬行动物，爬虫( reptile的名词复数 ) | |
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60
ascended
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| v.上升，攀登( ascend的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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61
pebbles
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| [复数]鹅卵石； 沙砾； 卵石，小圆石( pebble的名词复数 ) | |
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62
agate
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| n.玛瑙 | |
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63
writhing
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| （因极度痛苦而）扭动或翻滚( writhe的现在分词 ) | |
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64
interval
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| n.间隔，间距；幕间休息，中场休息 | |
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descended
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| a.为...后裔的，出身于...的 | |
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66
grassy
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| adj.盖满草的；长满草的 | |
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67
grove
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| n.林子，小树林，园林 | |
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68
myriads
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| n.无数，极大数量( myriad的名词复数 ) | |
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69
fraught
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| adj.充满…的，伴有(危险等)的；忧虑的 | |
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70
recollect
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| v.回忆，想起，记起，忆起，记得 | |
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71
rattling
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| adj. 格格作响的, 活泼的, 很好的 adv. 极其, 很, 非常 动词rattle的现在分词 | |
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72
hissing
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| n. 发嘶嘶声, 蔑视 动词hiss的现在分词形式 | |
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73
yelping
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| v.发出短而尖的叫声( yelp的现在分词 ) | |
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74
burrows
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| n.地洞( burrow的名词复数 )v.挖掘（洞穴），挖洞( burrow的第三人称单数 )；翻寻 | |
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75
erecting
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| v.使直立，竖起( erect的现在分词 )；建立 | |
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76
calf
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| n.小牛，犊，幼仔，小牛皮 | |
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77
scrambled
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| 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 | |
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78
beheld
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| v.看，注视( behold的过去式和过去分词 )；瞧；看呀；（叙述中用于引出某人意外的出现）哎哟 | |
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79
herd
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| n.兽群，牧群；vt.使集中，把…赶在一起 | |
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80
elk
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| n.麋鹿 | |
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81
clattering
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| 发出咔哒声（clatter的现在分词形式） | |
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82
dense
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| a.密集的，稠密的，浓密的；密度大的 | |
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83
throng
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| n.人群，群众；v.拥挤，群集 | |
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84
scattered
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| adj.分散的，稀疏的；散步的；疏疏落落的 | |
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85
groves
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| 树丛，小树林( grove的名词复数 ) | |
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86
gulf
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| n.海湾；深渊，鸿沟；分歧，隔阂 | |
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87
impeded
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| 阻碍，妨碍，阻止( impede的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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88
expedient
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| adj.有用的，有利的；n.紧急的办法，权宜之计 | |
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89
uncertainty
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| n.易变，靠不住，不确知，不确定的事物 | |
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90
buffalo
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| n.(北美)野牛；(亚洲)水牛 | |
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91
tract
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| n.传单，小册子，大片(土地或森林) | |
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93
bough
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| n.大树枝，主枝 | |
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94
miserable
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| adj.悲惨的，痛苦的；可怜的，糟糕的 | |
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95
tattered
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| adj.破旧的，衣衫破的 | |
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96
pouch
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| n.小袋，小包，囊状袋；vt.装...入袋中，用袋运输；vi.用袋送信件 | |
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97
primitive
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| adj.原始的；简单的；n.原(始)人，原始事物 | |
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98
implements
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| n.工具( implement的名词复数 )；家具；手段；[法律]履行（契约等）v.实现( implement的第三人称单数 )；执行；贯彻；使生效 | |
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99
proprietor
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| n.所有人；业主；经营者 | |
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100
delicacies
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| n.棘手( delicacy的名词复数 )；精致；精美的食物；周到 | |
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101
adept
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| adj.老练的，精通的 | |
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102
tablecloth
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| n.桌布，台布 | |
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103
picketed
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| 用尖桩围住（picket的过去式与过去分词形式） | |
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104
conversed
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| v.交谈，谈话( converse的过去式 ) | |
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105
drowsy
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| adj.昏昏欲睡的，令人发困的 | |
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106
engraved
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| v.在（硬物）上雕刻（字，画等）( engrave的过去式和过去分词 )；将某事物深深印在（记忆或头脑中） | |
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107
hieroglyphics
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| n.pl.象形文字 | |
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108
defiance
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| n.挑战，挑衅，蔑视，违抗 | |
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109
inevitably
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| adv.不可避免地；必然发生地 | |
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110
tormented
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| 饱受折磨的 | |
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111
vexed
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| adj.争论不休的；（指问题等）棘手的；争论不休的问题；烦恼的v.使烦恼( vex的过去式和过去分词 )；使苦恼；使生气；详细讨论 | |
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112
respite
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| n.休息，中止，暂缓 | |
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113
warfare
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| n.战争(状态)；斗争；冲突 | |
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114
inveighing
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| v.猛烈抨击，痛骂，谩骂( inveigh的现在分词 ) | |
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115
fickle
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| adj.(爱情或友谊上)易变的，不坚定的 | |
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116
fickleness
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| n.易变；无常；浮躁；变化无常 | |
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117
execrating
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| v.憎恶( execrate的现在分词 )；厌恶；诅咒；咒骂 | |
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118
mare
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| n.母马，母驴 | |
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119
imperturbable
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| adj.镇静的 | |
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120
manly
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| adj.有男子气概的；adv.男子般地，果断地 | |
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121
vehemently
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| adv. 热烈地 | |
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122
dingy
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| adj.昏暗的，肮脏的 | |
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123
gateway
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| n.大门口，出入口，途径，方法 | |
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124
drawn
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| v.拖，拉，拔出；adj.憔悴的，紧张的 | |
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125
salute
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| vi.行礼，致意，问候，放礼炮；vt.向…致意，迎接，赞扬；n.招呼，敬礼，礼炮 | |
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126
mutual
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| adj.相互的，彼此的；共同的，共有的 | |
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127
emigrant
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| adj.移居的，移民的；n.移居外国的人，移民 | |
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128
emigrants
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| n.（从本国移往他国的）移民( emigrant的名词复数 ) | |
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129
cosmopolitan
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| adj.世界性的，全世界的，四海为家的，全球的 | |
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130
spoke
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| 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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131
jargon
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| n.术语，行话 | |
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132
bloody
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| adj.非常的的；流血的；残忍的；adv.很；vt.血染 | |
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133
luster
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| n.光辉；光泽，光亮；荣誉 | |
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134
exterminated
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| v.消灭，根绝( exterminate的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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135
slaughtering
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| v.屠杀，杀戮，屠宰( slaughter的现在分词 ) | |
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136
tempted
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| v.怂恿（某人）干不正当的事；冒…的险（tempt的过去分词） | |
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137
treacherous
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| adj.不可靠的，有暗藏的危险的；adj.背叛的，背信弃义的 | |
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138
killing
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| n.巨额利润；突然赚大钱，发大财 | |
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139
precipice
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| n.悬崖，危急的处境 | |
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140
whooping
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| 发嗬嗬声的，发咳声的 | |
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141
incarnate
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| adj.化身的，人体化的，肉色的 | |
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142
dodging
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| n.避开，闪过，音调改变v.闪躲( dodge的现在分词 )；回避 | |
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143
ecstasy
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| n.狂喜，心醉神怡，入迷 | |
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144
valor
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| n.勇气，英勇 | |
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145
forth
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| adv.向前；向外，往外 | |
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146
hatchet
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| n.短柄小斧；v.扼杀 | |
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147
concealed
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| a.隐藏的，隐蔽的 | |
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148
whoops
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| int.呼喊声 | |
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149
stunning
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| adj.极好的；使人晕倒的 | |
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150
simultaneously
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| adv.同时发生地，同时进行地 | |
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151
frightful
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| adj.可怕的；讨厌的 | |
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152
mangled
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| vt.乱砍（mangle的过去式与过去分词形式） | |
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153
complexions
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| 肤色( complexion的名词复数 )； 面色； 局面； 性质 | |
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154
encumbered
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| v.妨碍，阻碍，拖累( encumber的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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155
copious
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| adj.丰富的，大量的 | |
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156
maudlin
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| adj.感情脆弱的，爱哭的 | |
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157
sedately
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| adv.镇静地，安详地 | |
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158
spun
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| v.纺，杜撰，急转身 | |
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159
haranguing
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| v.高谈阔论( harangue的现在分词 ) | |
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160
stump
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| n.残株，烟蒂，讲演台；v.砍断，蹒跚而走 | |
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161
orator
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| n.演说者，演讲者，雄辩家 | |
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162
jug
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| n.(有柄，小口，可盛水等的)大壶，罐，盂 | |
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163
applied
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| adj.应用的；v.应用，适用 | |
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164
deposed
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| v.罢免( depose的过去式和过去分词 )；（在法庭上）宣誓作证 | |
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165
qualified
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| adj.合格的，有资格的，胜任的，有限制的 | |
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166
conspicuous
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| adj.明眼的，惹人注目的；炫耀的，摆阔气的 | |
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167
adventurous
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| adj.爱冒险的；惊心动魄的，惊险的，刺激的 | |
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168
tranquil
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| adj. 安静的, 宁静的, 稳定的, 不变的 | |
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169
remarkably
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| ad.不同寻常地，相当地 | |
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170
distinguished
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| adj.卓越的，杰出的，著名的 | |
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171
gathering
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| n.集会，聚会，聚集 | |
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172
bourgeois
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| adj./n.追求物质享受的(人)；中产阶级分子 | |
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173
inflated
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| adj.（价格）飞涨的；（通货）膨胀的；言过其实的；充了气的v.使充气（于轮胎、气球等）( inflate的过去式和过去分词 )；（使）膨胀；（使）通货膨胀；物价上涨 | |
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174
incensed
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| 盛怒的 | |
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175
antagonist
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| n.敌人，对抗者，对手 | |
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176
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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177
cowardice
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| n.胆小，怯懦 | |
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178
epithets
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| n.（表示性质、特征等的）词语( epithet的名词复数 ) | |
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179
slinging
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| 抛( sling的现在分词 )； 吊挂； 遣送； 押往 | |
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180
conversing
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| v.交谈，谈话( converse的现在分词 ) | |
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181
ardor
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| n.热情，狂热 | |
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182
abated
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| 减少( abate的过去式和过去分词 )； 减去； 降价； 撤消（诉讼） | |
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183
avenging
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| adj.报仇的，复仇的v.为…复仇，报…之仇( avenge的现在分词 )；为…报复 | |
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184
disposition
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| n.性情，性格；意向，倾向；排列，部署 | |
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185
exultingly
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| 兴高采烈地，得意地 | |
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186
mere
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| adj.纯粹的；仅仅，只不过 | |
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187
conflagration
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| n.建筑物或森林大火 | |
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188
bent
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| n.爱好，癖好；adj.弯的；决心的，一心的 | |
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189
dispersing
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| adj. 分散的 动词disperse的现在分词形式 | |
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190
residue
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| n.残余，剩余，残渣 | |
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191
foretell
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| v.预言，预告，预示 | |
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192
rivalries
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| n.敌对，竞争，对抗( rivalry的名词复数 ) | |
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193
smothered
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| （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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194
feuds
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| n.长期不和，世仇( feud的名词复数 ) | |
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195
inflamed
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| adj.发炎的，红肿的v.（使）变红，发怒，过热( inflame的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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196
lame
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| adj.跛的，(辩解、论据等)无说服力的 | |
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197
tumult
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| n.喧哗；激动，混乱；吵闹 | |
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198
plundered
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| 掠夺，抢劫( plunder的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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199
hoof
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| n.(马，牛等的)蹄 | |
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200
joint
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| adj.联合的，共同的；n.关节，接合处；v.连接，贴合 | |
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201
entirely
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| ad.全部地，完整地；完全地，彻底地 | |
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202
curtailed
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| v.截断，缩短( curtail的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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203
bespoke
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| adj.（产品）订做的；专做订货的v.预定( bespeak的过去式 )；订（货）；证明；预先请求 | |
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204
animated
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| adj.生气勃勃的，活跃的，愉快的 | |
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205
beaver
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| n.海狸，河狸 | |
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206
tune
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| n.调子；和谐，协调；v.调音，调节，调整 | |
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207
shuffle
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| n.拖著脚走，洗纸牌；v.拖曳，慢吞吞地走 | |
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208
stumps
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| （被砍下的树的）树桩( stump的名词复数 )； 残肢； （板球三柱门的）柱； 残余部分 | |
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209
wagons
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| n.四轮的运货马车( wagon的名词复数 )；铁路货车；小手推车 | |
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210
saluted
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| v.欢迎，致敬( salute的过去式和过去分词 )；赞扬，赞颂 | |
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211
mighty
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| adj.强有力的；巨大的 | |
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212
lookout
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| n.注意，前途，瞭望台 | |
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213
trot
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| n.疾走，慢跑；n.老太婆；现成译本；(复数）trots:腹泻（与the 连用）；v.小跑，快步走，赶紧 | |
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214
intervals
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| n.[军事]间隔( interval的名词复数 )；间隔时间；[数学]区间；（戏剧、电影或音乐会的）幕间休息 | |
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215
glistening
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| adj.闪耀的，反光的v.湿物闪耀，闪亮( glisten的现在分词 ) | |
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216
solitude
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| n. 孤独; 独居,荒僻之地,幽静的地方 | |
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217
gracefully
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| ad.大大方方地；优美地 | |
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218
graceful
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| adj.优美的，优雅的；得体的 | |
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219
leisurely
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| adj.悠闲的；从容的，慢慢的 | |
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220
trotted
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| 小跑，急走( trot的过去分词 )； 匆匆忙忙地走 | |
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recesses
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| n.壁凹( recess的名词复数 )；（工作或业务活动的）中止或暂停期间；学校的课间休息；某物内部的凹形空间v.把某物放在墙壁的凹处( recess的第三人称单数 )；将（墙）做成凹形，在（墙）上做壁龛；休息，休会，休庭 | |
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vessel
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| n.船舶；容器，器皿；管，导管，血管 | |
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tacking
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| （帆船）抢风行驶，定位焊[铆]紧钉 | |
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curiously
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| adv.有求知欲地；好问地；奇特地 | |
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remorse
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| n.痛恨，悔恨，自责 | |
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ragged
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| adj.衣衫褴褛的，粗糙的，刺耳的 | |
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twilight
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| n.暮光，黄昏；暮年，晚期，衰落时期 | |
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chirping
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| 鸟叫，虫鸣( chirp的现在分词 ) | |
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reins
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| 感情，激情； 缰( rein的名词复数 )； 控制手段； 掌管； （成人带着幼儿走路以防其走失时用的）保护带 | |
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230
scrambling
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| v.快速爬行( scramble的现在分词 )；攀登；争夺；（军事飞机）紧急起飞 | |
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ascent
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| n.(声望或地位)提高；上升，升高；登高 | |
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shrill
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| adj.尖声的；刺耳的；v尖叫 | |
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inmates
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| n.囚犯( inmate的名词复数 ) | |
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234
vicissitudes
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| n.变迁，世事变化；变迁兴衰( vicissitude的名词复数 )；盛衰兴废 | |
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235
attachment
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| n.附属物，附件；依恋；依附 | |
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236
procured
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| v.（努力）取得， （设法）获得( procure的过去式和过去分词 )；拉皮条 | |
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ornamented
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| adj.花式字体的v.装饰，点缀，美化( ornament的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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compliance
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| n.顺从；服从；附和；屈从 | |
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proximity
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| n.接近，邻近 | |
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240
lamentation
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| n.悲叹，哀悼 | |
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241
corpse
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| n.尸体，死尸 | |
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242
dreary
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| adj.令人沮丧的，沉闷的，单调乏味的 | |
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illuminated
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| adj.被照明的；受启迪的 | |
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244
tenant
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| n.承租人；房客；佃户；v.租借，租用 | |
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245
subside
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| vi.平静，平息；下沉，塌陷，沉降 | |
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gaudily
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| adv.俗丽地 | |
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247
attired
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| adj.穿着整齐的v.使穿上衣服，使穿上盛装( attire的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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posture
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| n.姿势，姿态，心态，态度；v.作出某种姿势 | |
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249
dismal
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| adj.阴沉的，凄凉的，令人忧郁的，差劲的 | |
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