“Ma foi!” exclaimed Fran?ois Badeau. “Mebbe we back in Missouri, hey?”
“That’s shuah a big fine ox,” commented Jacob Dodson. “Guess some o’ those emigrants1 we saw at Kansas Landing are ahead of us.”
“Not very close, Jacob,” answered the lieutenant2. “The Oregon Trail is a hundred and more miles north, yet.”
“Seems to me this ox must have cut loose from his party at the Green, an’ he’s making a short cut back through the hills, for Missouri,” decided3 Kit4 Carson.
With their red ox in charge the expedition proceeded. It seemed to Oliver rather mean to turn the brave animal about and make him retrace5 his trail; but in the morning he could not be found, and the lieutenant ordered the men not to look for him.
[148]
“Fact is,” declared the lieutenant, to Kit, “I’m glad he got away. He’s won his life, so far as we’re concerned. I’d rather starve a while than kill the old fellow and eat him.”
“Wall,” drawled Kit, “we’ll see if we can’t do better than pore beef.”
Whereupon, as if in reward, that evening he brought into camp a buffalo6 cow whose fat was two inches thick: the finest buffalo, asserted every man, that he ever had tasted.
To date the march had been not hard, and not unpleasant. The gun-carriage and the spring-wagon7 had come through without mishap8. However, this next evening occurred the first accident, when, the company having crossed the North Platte River to the north of the Bull Pen or New Park, they were caught by the gathering9 dusk in a deep ravine, where grew sage10 six feet high. Both lamps of the spring wagon were knocked off, a thermometer was broken, and finally, at ten o’clock, camp was pitched in the dark. Supper was at midnight. Some of the men, who were out hunting buffalo, did not get in at all.
When they did come, in the morning, they brought much meat, and the lieutenant and Kit agreed that it would be wise to dry this meat, for a store against future need. There would be few buffalo, on the Pacific side of the Rockies.
Camp was moved down the ravine, to a cottonwood grove11 in a grassy12 little bottom-land upon the[149] bank of the Platte. In this open place between the river and the bluffs13, pole frame-works were erected15, on which to hang the strips of buffalo meat, above fires, to dry.
Louis Ménard was horse-guard. Fortunately, he had a quick eye, had Louis—and on a sudden the busy camp, with all hands at work “making meat,” was startled by his loud shout, the “Whang!” of his Hall’s carbine, and the tumultuous thud of hoofs16 as he raced his herd17 for the grove.
“Injuns! Des sauvages!” he yelled, pointing over his shoulder.
True enough. Down from the bluffs at the upper end of the bottom-land were galloping18 a score of half-naked Indians, while into the sky-line of the summit behind them were pouring many more.
“To the grove! To the grove!” cried French and Americans, Frémont and Carson men.
All raced, afoot, for the grove, where Louis was driving his herd.
The majority of the voyageurs and trappers instantly ranged themselves flat upon the ground, amidst the brush, or crouched22 behind trees, carbines and rifles at a ready. But the sergeant, and Jacob Dodson the colored man, and two others, remained out with the gun, before the grove. They were the cannoneers.[150] Lieutenant Frémont calmly walked forth23, and stood by.
On dashed the red warriors24—their robes and feathers flying, war bonnet25 and decorated braids streaming in the air. Brandishing26 bow and lance and gun and shield, with shrill27 yelps28 they now were charging across the level.
“Cheyenne an’ ’Rapahoe,” muttered William New. “Wagh! I wonder if they know what they’re doing?”
Oliver anxiously watched the cannoneers. How rapidly they worked. Sergeant Zindel evidently understood his business. With jerky stiffness he bustled29 hither, thither—but already the piece had been swung about, to open down the bottom-land, a load in red flannel30 bag had been rammed31 home, and Jacob Dodson was thrusting after it a case of canister.
“R-r-ready!” ordered Sergeant Zindel, squinting32 along the breech, while Jacob turned the elevating screw. He sprang up, blowing a match or slow-fire fuse. “Back mit you! Back-vaaerts, all!” And Jacob and the two other helpers recoiled33, out of range of the imminent34 explosion.
“The blame fools!” muttered William New, at the Indians. “They’ll be blown to smithereens. Wagh! they will! It’ll rain scalps.”
The racing35 reds now were scarce two hundred yards away, charging madly, hammering their ponies36’ flanks with moccasined heel, urging to top speed.
“Feuer!” shouted stanch37 Sergeant Zindel, suddenly advancing his slow-match to touch-hole—and[151] Oliver’s eyes leaped to see the enemy shrivel and scatter38. But——
“Wait!” commanded Lieutenant Frémont, springing to arrest the sergeant’s hand. And——
“Wait!” cried Kit Carson, running out, his hand high.
For just at the instant the Indians, as if they had noted39 whom they were charging, in mid-pace had hauled their ponies short, and ploughing up the sod had stopped in a jumbled40 mass of wildly tossing riders.
“Just in time, by thunder,” exclaimed William New. “Another minute, an’ thar’d ’a been more meat than buff’ler meat scattered41 about on this hyar bottom. Wagh!”
A single rider had come forward from the serried42 front of mounted warriors; Kit Carson strode right on, to meet him, and hold parley43. The whites in the grove might breathe easier.
“Tonnerre!” was reciting Louis Ménard. “As I sat my horse, out there, I happened to glance at the bluff14 and saw an Injun stick his head up over. That was the good fortune; n’est-ce-pas?”
The sergeant, and his cannoneers, and the lieutenant, remained in the open beside the piece, awaiting the result of the parley. The sergeant occasionally blew upon his slow-match; and once he and Jacob hitched44 the gun around a few inches, for still better aim.
Presently Kit Carson turned back, and with him[152] came two chiefs. The other Indians followed, slowly, riding at ease; and many, dismounting here and there, squatted45 or strolled about, gradually forming a semi-circle of seated forms.
“It’s all right,” announced Ike Chamberlain, standing46 at ease. “Kit’s made the peace sign. Wall, they jest saved their scalps, I can tell ’em.”
“We’d ’a bo’hd a thousand holes right through ’em; we shuahly would,” declaimed Jacob Dodson.
“These air a war party o’ Cheyennes an’ ’Rapahoes,” explained Kit Carson to the lieutenant. “They say they tuk us for Crow or Ute enemies—but being as they’re on their way home after a licking up north an’ consequently air feeling ugly, I reckon they tuk us for what they could get; an’ that warn’t much.”
“It would have been more if they hadn’t stopped when they did,” answered the lieutenant. “I suppose now they want presents. We’ll have to give them a little. Can’t spare much—and they don’t deserve even that.”
The chiefs grunted47 and shook hands with the lieutenant; they cast curious glances at the brass48 cannon, and exchanged a guttural comment.
“They think that’s heap gun,” interpreted William New. “White man’s medicine strong, they say.”
The uninvited guests, squatting49 in expectant half-circle, like hungry but dignified50 mastiffs, willingly passed the pipe of peace around, and as willingly accepted tobacco and scarlet51 cloth and knives.
[153]
“They’ve been up ag’in the Snakes, over on the Green River,” repeated William New, to Oliver, after having chatted with one or two. “They surprised a village near Jim Bridger’s fort, while most o’ the men folks were off on an antelope52 surround, an’ carried away a few scalps an’ a lot o’ hosses. Most the hosses belonged to the fort. Wagh! I bet ye Bridger war mad! How-some-ever, ’fore this hyar war party got very fur, with their plunder53, the Snakes overtuk ’em, seized the hosses, killed several warriors an’ wounded some more. These Injuns warn’t feeling very happy, coming home licked, an’ they war on the ready for revenge o’ any kind that happened. Red an’ white scalps air alike to Injuns in that frame o’ mind; everybody’s an enemy. But look at that ’ere Snake woman. She’s b’iling under her blanket!”
Apart, secluded54 at the edge of the grove, with her blanket drawn55 entirely56 over herself and two children, crouched the Snake widow, motionless.
The band of Cheyennes and Arapahoes—two tribes who called one another cousin—stayed here until sunset; then they rode away; and then the Snake woman emerged from her blanket, and glaring after them shook her fist, at these the enemies of her people.
That night double guards were placed; however, the camp slept unmolested, here 200 miles from Fort St. Vrain.
The road this next day was very rough; and during the next day the roughness increased, with dense57 sage,[154] interminable, blocking the way. To the north uplifted a divide forming the Sweetwater Valley of the Oregon Trail. Therefore diverging58 from the west into the north, and abandoning the unseen trail over which, in less than a score of years, would hasten the stages from Denver to Salt Lake, the Frémont and Carson men marched across Great Divide Basin of southern Wyoming for the familiar country of the Sweetwater.
In a cold rain storm, the evening of August 9, they camped beside the Sweetwater River, about twenty miles above the famous Devil’s Gate. From St. Vrain’s Fort they had travelled 315 miles.
点击
收听单词发音
收听单词发音 |
1
emigrants
|
|
| n.（从本国移往他国的）移民( emigrant的名词复数 ) | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
2
lieutenant
|
|
| n.陆军中尉，海军上尉；代理官员，副职官员 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
3
decided
|
|
| adj.决定了的，坚决的；明显的，明确的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
4
kit
|
|
| n.用具包，成套工具；随身携带物 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
5
retrace
|
|
| v.折回；追溯，探源 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
6
buffalo
|
|
| n.(北美)野牛；(亚洲)水牛 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
7
wagon
|
|
| n.四轮马车，手推车，面包车；无盖运货列车 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
8
mishap
|
|
| n.不幸的事，不幸；灾祸 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
9
gathering
|
|
| n.集会，聚会，聚集 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
10
sage
|
|
| n.圣人，哲人；adj.贤明的，明智的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
11
grove
|
|
| n.林子，小树林，园林 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
12
grassy
|
|
| adj.盖满草的；长满草的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
13
bluffs
|
|
| 恐吓( bluff的名词复数 )； 悬崖； 峭壁 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
14
bluff
|
|
| v.虚张声势，用假象骗人；n.虚张声势，欺骗 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
15
ERECTED
|
|
| adj. 直立的，竖立的，笔直的 vt. 使 ... 直立，建立 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
16
hoofs
|
|
| n.（兽的）蹄，马蹄( hoof的名词复数 )v.（兽的）蹄，马蹄( hoof的第三人称单数 ) | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
17
herd
|
|
| n.兽群，牧群；vt.使集中，把…赶在一起 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
18
galloping
|
|
| adj. 飞驰的, 急性的 动词gallop的现在分词形式 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
19
cannon
|
|
| n.大炮，火炮；飞机上的机关炮 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
20
sergeant
|
|
| n.警官，中士 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
21
gasped
|
|
| v.喘气( gasp的过去式和过去分词 )；喘息；倒抽气；很想要 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
22
crouched
|
|
| v.屈膝，蹲伏( crouch的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
23
forth
|
|
| adv.向前；向外，往外 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
24
warriors
|
|
| 武士，勇士，战士( warrior的名词复数 ) | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
25
bonnet
|
|
| n.无边女帽；童帽 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
26
brandishing
|
|
| v.挥舞( brandish的现在分词 )；炫耀 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
27
shrill
|
|
| adj.尖声的；刺耳的；v尖叫 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
28
yelps
|
|
| n.（因痛苦、气愤、兴奋等的）短而尖的叫声( yelp的名词复数 )v.发出短而尖的叫声( yelp的第三人称单数 ) | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
29
bustled
|
|
| 闹哄哄地忙乱，奔忙( bustle的过去式和过去分词 )； 催促 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
30
flannel
|
|
| n.法兰绒；法兰绒衣服 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
31
rammed
|
|
| v.夯实（土等）( ram的过去式和过去分词 )；猛撞；猛压；反复灌输 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
32
squinting
|
|
| 斜视( squint的现在分词 )； 眯着眼睛； 瞟； 从小孔或缝隙里看 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
33
recoiled
|
|
| v.畏缩( recoil的过去式和过去分词 )；退缩；报应；返回 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
34
imminent
|
|
| adj.即将发生的，临近的，逼近的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
35
racing
|
|
| n.竞赛，赛马；adj.竞赛用的，赛马用的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
36
ponies
|
|
| 矮种马，小型马( pony的名词复数 )； ￡25 25 英镑 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
37
stanch
|
|
| v.止住（血等）；adj.坚固的；坚定的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
38
scatter
|
|
| vt.撒，驱散，散开；散布/播；vi.分散，消散 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
39
noted
|
|
| adj.著名的，知名的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
40
jumbled
|
|
| adj.混乱的；杂乱的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
41
scattered
|
|
| adj.分散的，稀疏的；散步的；疏疏落落的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
42
serried
|
|
| adj.拥挤的；密集的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
43
parley
|
|
| n.谈判 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
44
hitched
|
|
| （免费）搭乘他人之车( hitch的过去式和过去分词 )； 搭便车； 攀上； 跃上 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
45
squatted
|
|
| v.像动物一样蹲下( squat的过去式和过去分词 )；非法擅自占用（土地或房屋）；为获得其所有权；而占用某片公共用地。 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
46
standing
|
|
| n.持续，地位；adj.永久的，不动的，直立的，不流动的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
47
grunted
|
|
| （猪等）作呼噜声( grunt的过去式和过去分词 )； （指人）发出类似的哼声； 咕哝着说 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
48
brass
|
|
| n.黄铜；黄铜器，铜管乐器 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
49
squatting
|
|
| v.像动物一样蹲下( squat的现在分词 )；非法擅自占用（土地或房屋）；为获得其所有权；而占用某片公共用地。 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
50
dignified
|
|
| a.可敬的，高贵的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
51
scarlet
|
|
| n.深红色，绯红色，红衣；adj.绯红色的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
52
antelope
|
|
| n.羚羊；羚羊皮 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
53
plunder
|
|
| vt.劫掠财物，掠夺；n.劫掠物，赃物；劫掠 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
54
secluded
|
|
| adj.与世隔绝的；隐退的；偏僻的v.使隔开，使隐退( seclude的过去式和过去分词) | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
55
drawn
|
|
| v.拖，拉，拔出；adj.憔悴的，紧张的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
56
entirely
|
|
| ad.全部地，完整地；完全地，彻底地 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
57
dense
|
|
| a.密集的，稠密的，浓密的；密度大的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
58
diverging
|
|
| 分开( diverge的现在分词 )； 偏离； 分歧； 分道扬镳 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
| 欢迎访问英文小说网 |