He had beaten the Muskman in a fair hand-to-hand combat. The whole pack would soon be after him and yet he felt not at all afraid. Rather his sensations were those of buoyant self-reliance. He had vanquished1 a full-grown and seasoned warrior2; something of an accomplishment3 for a sixteen year old lad. Such a feat4 gave him confidence in himself. Kutnar was not yet fully6 trained to the flint-ax; the sling7 was his weapon. A stern chase would afford him plenty of chance to use it. He had slain8 the young Castillan throwing champion with it and might repeat the performance if pressed too closely.
He was free. “Why did I not think to run away before?” he wondered, not realizing that a marked change had come over him and made him in many respects a man.
All this time he was hurrying southward along the Pas. The mountain of Castillo still hovered[171] upon his right flank. He ran abreast9 of its southern exposure and had turned his head as though to look upon it for the last time before he sped onward10, when he caught sight of a dark spot high upon its side. The spot was a cave.
Kutnar stopped and gazed thoughtfully at this cave. It was but a short distance from Castillo and on the same mountain. Its proximity11 to the stronghold of his enemies was what made him view it with such interest. Who would think of looking for him there? Surely not Totan and his band. They would expect the runaway12 to flee from them much farther than that. What a lark13! His enemies would search far and wide while he whom they sought lay hidden almost within sight of their own haunt. Then, too, he was jaded14 and needed rest. His previous night had been spent fire-tending and he had passed a strenuous15 day. All of these considerations tempted16 him. He left the river and turned to the distant slope treading only on bare ground and stones where possible, so as to leave no snow-tracks. After a long hard climb, he reached his goal and found only a bitter disappointment awaiting him. It was not a real cave but a grotto17 or shallow nook scooped18 from the rock. He could see every inch of the interior as he stood at the entrance but no living thing was there. As a hiding place, it had no possibilities. Kutnar now observed a hole in its floor. “A fox’s den5,” he thought. “I am glad that the place is of use to someone.” He kneeled over the hole and peered in. A draught19 of air blew[172] in his face. He coughed and the sound was repeated in a distant echo. This was both surprising and interesting. The hole was barely large enough to admit his body but there might be a larger cavity beneath. Not a fox’s den nor the home of any animal; he learned this by sniffing20 carefully about the cavity. Where did it lead? He put his feet in the hole and slid half-way in. It was a tube of solid rock. He could feel its sides with his toes but no bottom. He lowered himself further until head and all were in and still he found no place to set his feet. He let himself down another yard and it was just the same. “There must be an end sometime,” he thought as he continued to work his way downward. The descent was a simple matter, for the tube now jogged slightly this way and that, making it easy for him to cling to its sides with his hands and feet. The air was warmer than that outside; although humid and musty, it could be breathed.
The tube began to widen. The slight noise made by his feet sliding over the rock, sounded loud and distinct. The passage gradually angled more to the horizontal. It widened still more and the boy was able to turn and glance behind him. All was dark but in some places the shadows were darker than others. Kutnar heard squeaks21 and the flapping of bat wings. Evidently the passage-way opened into a large room.
By this time, Kutnar felt keenly elated over his discovery. As a hiding place, the grotto offered[173] great possibilities after all; not the grotto itself but the subterranean22 vault23 whose only means of access was the stone tube. The casual observer who could see every corner of the shallow cave, would not think of looking for a cavity beneath. Kutnar decided24 to stay in the vault for a time to hide and rest. There was the hole in the floor of the grotto however and it would be well to conceal25 that or someone might learn of the underground room as he had done. He crawled back through the tube the way he had come and stood once more in the open air.
It was now quite dark; the deep twilight26 preceding dusk, for night had settled over the mountain while Kutnar was exploring the cavity and where it led. There were many rocks piled below the cave-threshold and he hunted about until he found one of the right shape and size. He tried this over the vent27 and it fitted nicely, effectively concealing28 the opening in the floor. Anyone standing29 at the threshold would now gaze upon a bare interior; bare of aught but a single stone.
“Ha-a-a, yum!” Kutnar yawned loudly and stretched his limbs. Now that the day’s excitement was over and he had time for relaxation30, a wave of drowsiness31 swept over him. He would sleep in the grotto, trusting to his sixth or slumber32 guarding sense to warn him of imminent33 danger. As a last resort, he could lower his body into the tube, set the stone above his head and hide as long as he pleased in the vault beneath.
He was preparing to lie down upon the floor of[174] the grotto when he heard something that brought him to his feet in quick time. He tiptoed to the threshold and saw a dark figure ascending34 the slope. The figure was coming toward him. It moved in an erect35 position but it seemed too large and clumsy to be a man. It came nearer and although but an ebon patch on a sable36 background, Kutnar recognized it as a bear and a large one. What brought the creature there? Either the grotto was its permanent home or it was seeking merely a night’s lodging37. Kutnar could not now safely vacate the premises38, even had he chosen to do so. He tiptoed back to the grotto and moved the stone aside from the cavity, then lowered his body down, holding the stone in both hands high above his head as he descended39. Arms and hands sank from sight and the stone settled over the hole. To all appearances, the grotto was now vacant.
Kutnar continued his downward journey until he reached the large room. Here he sat listening but could hear no sounds to indicate what might be transpiring40 above. Had the bear come and gone or was he now lying upon the floor of the grotto making ready to sleep? Kutnar thought it unnecessary for him to go up and find out. There was his own night’s rest to consider, so he lay down and pillowed his head upon his arm. He fell asleep without knowing when but awoke sooner than he would have wished because of the damp mustiness which oppressed his lungs. Fresh air, that was what he wanted, so he sought the passage-way and[175] wriggled41 through it as noiselessly as a snake. On arriving at the top, he sought and found the stone and thrust it aside, inch by inch. After staying there for some time with his face as close to the opening as he dared, refreshing42 himself with deep breaths of outside air, he reset43 the stone and returned to finish his nap. He repeated this performance several times, not without considerable risk, for the bear was asleep in the cave-entrance as he knew from the sound of its breathing. “Even a cave-beast and a man can get along together sleeping in the same den,” he chuckled44 as he made his fourth upward trip. As he neared the outlet45 of the tube, he saw faint rays of light and knew that morning was near at hand. When he had moved the stone partly aside, he set his ear at the opening but heard no sounds. It would seem that his visitor had awakened46 and taken his leave. However, there was only one way to be sure of this. That was to see it with his own eyes. Slowly, noiselessly he shifted the stone farther and farther away until the opening was entirely47 clear, then his head arose almost imperceptibly through the tube and above the level of the cave-floor, giving him a view of the entrance and the grey world beyond.
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1
vanquished
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| v.征服( vanquish的过去式和过去分词 )；战胜；克服；抑制 | |
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2
warrior
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| n.勇士，武士，斗士 | |
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accomplishment
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| n.完成，成就，（pl.）造诣，技能 | |
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feat
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| n.功绩；武艺，技艺；adj.灵巧的，漂亮的，合适的 | |
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den
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| n.兽穴；秘密地方；安静的小房间，私室 | |
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6
fully
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| adv.完全地，全部地，彻底地；充分地 | |
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7
sling
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| vt.扔；悬挂；n.挂带；吊索，吊兜；弹弓 | |
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8
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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9
abreast
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| adv.并排地；跟上(时代)的步伐，与…并进地 | |
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onward
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| adj.向前的，前进的；adv.向前，前进，在先 | |
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proximity
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| n.接近，邻近 | |
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runaway
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| n.逃走的人，逃亡，亡命者；adj.逃亡的，逃走的 | |
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13
lark
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| n.云雀，百灵鸟；n.嬉戏，玩笑；vi.嬉戏 | |
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14
jaded
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| adj.精疲力竭的；厌倦的；（因过饱或过多而）腻烦的；迟钝的 | |
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15
strenuous
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| adj.奋发的，使劲的；紧张的；热烈的，狂热的 | |
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16
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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17
grotto
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| n.洞穴 | |
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18
scooped
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| v.抢先报道( scoop的过去式和过去分词 )；（敏捷地）抱起；抢先获得；用铲[勺]等挖（洞等） | |
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19
draught
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| n.拉，牵引，拖；一网（饮，吸，阵)；顿服药量，通风；v.起草，设计 | |
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20
sniffing
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| n.探查法v.以鼻吸气，嗅，闻( sniff的现在分词 )；抽鼻子（尤指哭泣、患感冒等时出声地用鼻子吸气）；抱怨，不以为然地说 | |
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21
squeaks
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| n.短促的尖叫声，吱吱声( squeak的名词复数 )v.短促地尖叫( squeak的第三人称单数 )；吱吱叫；告密；充当告密者 | |
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subterranean
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| adj.地下的，地表下的 | |
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vault
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| n.拱形圆顶，地窖，地下室 | |
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24
decided
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| adj.决定了的，坚决的；明显的，明确的 | |
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conceal
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| v.隐藏，隐瞒，隐蔽 | |
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26
twilight
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| n.暮光，黄昏；暮年，晚期，衰落时期 | |
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27
vent
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| n.通风口，排放口；开衩；vt.表达，发泄 | |
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28
concealing
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| v.隐藏，隐瞒，遮住( conceal的现在分词 ) | |
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29
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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30
relaxation
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| n.松弛，放松；休息；消遣；娱乐 | |
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31
drowsiness
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| n.睡意；嗜睡 | |
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32
slumber
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| n.睡眠，沉睡状态 | |
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33
imminent
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| adj.即将发生的，临近的，逼近的 | |
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34
ascending
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| adj.上升的，向上的 | |
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35
erect
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| n./v.树立，建立，使竖立；adj.直立的，垂直的 | |
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36
sable
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| n.黑貂；adj.黑色的 | |
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37
lodging
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| n.寄宿，住所；(大学生的)校外宿舍 | |
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38
premises
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| n.建筑物，房屋 | |
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39
descended
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| a.为...后裔的，出身于...的 | |
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40
transpiring
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| （事实，秘密等）被人知道( transpire的现在分词 )； 泄露； 显露； 发生 | |
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41
wriggled
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| v.扭动，蠕动，蜿蜒行进( wriggle的过去式和过去分词 )；（使身体某一部位）扭动；耍滑不做，逃避（应做的事等） | |
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42
refreshing
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| adj.使精神振作的，使人清爽的，使人喜欢的 | |
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43
reset
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| v.重新安排，复位；n.重新放置；重放之物 | |
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44
chuckled
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| 轻声地笑( chuckle的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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45
outlet
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| n.出口/路；销路；批发商店；通风口；发泄 | |
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46
awakened
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| v.（使）醒( awaken的过去式和过去分词 )；（使）觉醒；弄醒；（使）意识到 | |
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47
entirely
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| ad.全部地，完整地；完全地，彻底地 | |
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