Tom Preston gave a sigh of satisfaction as he settled back on his elbow and put down his cup, after taking a refreshing2 drink of the strong, hot coffee.
He lay upon a comfortable bed, beside a roaring fire; and his foot, which bore an ugly looking wound, had just been dressed with some soothing3 liniment.
Beside him, on the floor, was the best dinner he had eaten for many a day, consisting of juicy venison steaks, corn-bread, canned fruit, and pickles4.
He and Oscar had been at home about twenty-four hours, and the cabin was wearing its old-time look again. The specimens5 and skins 379were all there, so were the saddles and bridles7, and Oscar’s breech loader rested in its accustomed place over the door.
Everything the wolfer had stolen had been recovered except the small portion of bacon he had eaten in his camp in the upper end of the valley; and there was, also, one thing there he did not steal—at least from Oscar—that was his rifle.
At first the young hunter did not know whether to take the weapon home with him or not, for he had no desire that the wolfer should starve for want of means to procure8 food. But Tom insisted on it, and Oscar at last yielded to his wishes.
“He’s as treacherous9 as the wolf he hunts,” declared Tom, “and if you leave him that rifle, he will surely waylay10 you and use it against you. Take it by all means. It will help pay for the skins and blanket he has stolen from me. You needn’t be afraid that he will starve. Nearly all the fresh meat we have had this winter I caught in my snares11, and he can get some in the same way. We will leave him his pony12, so that he can get his 380spelter to the settlement in the spring, and that is all we will do for him.”
The return journey had been accomplished13 without any mishap14. The mule15 led the way, carrying the pack. Tom came next, riding Big Thompson’s pony, and Oscar brought up the rear on foot.
They spent the first night in the wolfer’s abandoned camp, arriving at the cabin about noon on the following day.
They could not travel faster on account of Tom’s injuries. The wound in his foot was very painful, and he was black and blue all over from the beating the wolfer had given him; but his tongue was all right, and he kept it going incessantly16.
He gave his brother a truthful17 account of his wanderings, which we do not repeat here because it has nothing to do with our narrative18; and the stories he told of his partner’s tyranny, and the description he gave of the sufferings he experienced while he was alone in camp, made Oscar wish most heartily19 that he had used something besides a switch on the wolfer.
381He told how he had tried to injure his brother because he envied him in his prosperity, but Oscar would not allow him to dwell upon that.
He knew all about it, he said; it was all past and gone, and they would not make themselves unhappy by referring to it, or even thinking of it again.
He said everything he could to strengthen Tom’s resolutions of amendment20, and had the satisfaction of knowing, in after years, that the severe lessons the latter had received during his sojourn21 among the hills had not been thrown away upon him.
For a week or two the brothers kept a constant watch for the wolfer; and, if he had come near that camp again, he would have met with the warmest kind of a reception. But he had already put a good many miles between himself and that valley, and Tom and Oscar never saw him again.
Everything went smoothly22 with them after that. Tom’s foot healed rapidly, and in a few days he was able to get about and do his share of work in the cabin, which he kept as neat as a new pin.
382The stolen traps were again doing duty at the brook23; and Oscar, without saying a word to his brother about it, every day laid by a portion of the skins he took from them, to be sold for Tom’s benefit.
It would be hard work for the latter to begin his new life with empty hands, and it would perhaps encourage him to know that he had a few dollars to fall back upon in case of emergency.
As soon as he was able to ride to the brook without inconvenience, Tom put out a few deadfalls for himself, and it was not long before the skins he captured exceeded in value those the wolfer had stolen from him.
The weeks wore on, and finally Oscar began to look anxiously for Big Thompson. Every other day he and Tom rode down to the gorge24 to see if they could discover any signs of his approach, but they always came back disappointed.
The guide, however, was daily making long strides toward them, fully25 as impatient to see Oscar as the boy was to see him, and he arrived when he was least expected. One night, 383just after the supper table had been cleared away, he walked into the cabin, wrapped up in his soldier’s overcoat, and carrying his rifle and snow-shoes over his shoulder.
Oscar sprang to meet him; and the greeting that passed between them gave Tom some idea of the strength of the affection they cherished for each other.
“Who’s that thar?” demanded the guide, when his eyes fell upon the new occupant of the cabin.
“That’s my brother,” replied Oscar. “Tom, this is my guide, of whom you have often heard me speak.”
Tom arose and extended his hand, but the guide pretended that he did not see it. He put his rifle and snow-shoes in one corner of the cabin, and then turned and looked down at Tom.
“So yer the fine young feller as wanted to bust26 my pardner up, be ye?” said he sternly, while Tom grew a shade whiter as he noticed the expression that settled on the speaker’s face.
“Now, Thompson, that’s enough of that,” interrupted Oscar. “It was all settled long 384ago. Don’t say another word about it, for we want to forget it.”
“I’m amazin’ proud to hear it,” growled27 the guide. “But if ye can’t forgit it, an’ it aint settled nuther, an’ ye wan’t it should be settled——”
“But I tell you it is settled!” exclaimed Oscar. “Sit down and don’t spoil a family reunion by showing your temper. Let us see how agreeable you can be. If you don’t, the next time I see you pursued by a grizzly29, I’ll——”
“Say no more, perfessor,” said Big Thompson, the scowl30 instantly fading from his face. “Put it thar!”
“Excuse me,” answered Oscar, thrusting his hands into his pockets. “Where are my letters and papers?”
The guide did not act as though he heard the question. He pulled his pipe from his pocket, and, after filling and lighting31 it with a brand from the fire, he drew a stool close to Oscar’s side and sat down.
385“Now,” said he, “I’m all ready. Go on.”
“Go on with what?”
“I want to know jest everything that’s happened in this yere valley since I’ve b’en gone. An’ I say ag’in, go on.”
Oscar, who knew that it was of no use to oppose the guide when he had determined32 upon any particular course of action, began the story of his adventures, intending to hurry through with it as soon as he could, and make another demand on Big Thompson for the letters and papers he carried in his pocket; but, as he dwelt upon the exciting scenes through which he had so recently passed, he became interested, and, before he knew it, he was giving a spirited and graphic34 account of them.
Big Thompson kept his eyes fastened upon the boy’s face, listening so intently that he allowed his pipe to go out; and he almost jumped from his seat when Tom exclaimed, as Oscar was about winding35 up his story:
“You ought to have seen him, Thompson. He knocked Lish flatter than a pancake twice, and thrashed him until he wore a five-foot switch down to two. I lay there and saw it all.”
386“Perfessor,” said the guide, whose astonishment36 and admiration37 knew no bounds, “did ye lick Lish in a fair rough an’ tumble?”
“I made him stop pounding my brother,” replied Oscar, “and I recovered everything he stole from us, into the bargain.”
“Perfessor,” repeated the guide, “put ’em thar! Put ’em both thar!”
But Oscar very wisely made all haste to put them somewhere else. He put them into his pockets, and the guide, not knowing any other way in which to express his hearty38 approval of his employer’s conduct, brought one of his huge hands down upon his knee with such force that the boy shook all over.
This action was taken as a declaration of hostilities39 by a formidable body guard the guide had brought with him. A shrill40 bark, followed by a series of growls41 that were meant to be very fierce, came from somewhere about Big Thompson’s person, and the next instant a very diminutive42 head, surmounted43 by a pair of fox-like ears and covered with hair so long that it almost concealed44 the knowing little eyes that glared upon him, suddenly appeared from 387between the buttons of the guide’s overcoat, and a row of sharp white teeth gleamed in the firelight.
Oscar started back with an exclamation45 of astonishment, while Tom and the guide gave vent33 to hearty peals46 of laughter.
“Perfessor,” said the latter, thrusting his hand inside his overcoat and drawing out the animal to which the head belonged, the smallest, homeliest specimen6 of a Scotch47 terrier that Oscar had ever seen, “that thar big elk48 is jest as good as skinned an’ stuffed already. I call him Pink, on account of the color of his ha’r—which is black. What do you think of him fur a huntin’ dog?”
“A hunting dog!” repeated Oscar, still more astonished. “Do you mean to tell me that you are going to catch that magnificent elk with such a miserable49 little——Humph! You can’t get a fair view of him without the aid of a microscope, and a fair-sized rat would scare him to death. Now hand out my mail.”
Big Thompson complied this time, and he had a good bundle of it, too, when it was all put together—papers from Eaton and Yarmouth, 388letters from his mother, Sam Hynes, and Leon Parker, others from Professor Potter and the committee, and the rest were from the officers of the fort, who praised him extravagantly50 for the courage he had exhibited in his encounter with the grizzly, the particulars of which they had heard from Big Thompson.
The papers were passed over to Tom, and Oscar also gave him all his letters to read, with the exception of two, addressed in a neat, feminine hand, which were put safely away in his pocket, only to be taken out again at intervals51 and read and reread until they were almost worn out.
The boys became silent after the letters appeared, for the news they contained made them homesick.
Big Thompson, finding that nothing more was to be got out of his employer that night, cooked and ate a hearty supper and went to bed, his little hunting dog curling himself up with him under the blankets.
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1
situated
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| adj.坐落在...的，处于某种境地的 | |
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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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3
soothing
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| adj.慰藉的；使人宽心的；镇静的 | |
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4
pickles
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| n.腌菜( pickle的名词复数 )；处于困境；遇到麻烦；菜酱 | |
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specimens
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| n.样品( specimen的名词复数 )；范例；（化验的）抽样；某种类型的人 | |
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specimen
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| n.样本，标本 | |
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bridles
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| 约束( bridle的名词复数 )； 限动器； 马笼头； 系带 | |
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8
procure
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| vt.获得，取得，促成；vi.拉皮条 | |
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9
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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10
waylay
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| v.埋伏，伏击 | |
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snares
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| n.陷阱( snare的名词复数 )；圈套；诱人遭受失败（丢脸、损失等）的东西；诱惑物v.用罗网捕捉，诱陷，陷害( snare的第三人称单数 ) | |
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12
pony
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| adj.小型的；n.小马 | |
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13
accomplished
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| adj.有才艺的；有造诣的；达到了的 | |
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mishap
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| n.不幸的事，不幸；灾祸 | |
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15
mule
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| n.骡子，杂种，执拗的人 | |
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16
incessantly
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| ad.不停地 | |
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truthful
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| adj.真实的，说实话的，诚实的 | |
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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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heartily
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| adv.衷心地，诚恳地，十分，很 | |
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amendment
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| n.改正，修正，改善，修正案 | |
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sojourn
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| v./n.旅居，寄居；逗留 | |
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smoothly
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| adv.平滑地，顺利地，流利地，流畅地 | |
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brook
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| n.小河，溪；v.忍受，容让 | |
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24
gorge
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| n.咽喉，胃，暴食，山峡；v.塞饱，狼吞虎咽地吃 | |
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fully
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| adv.完全地，全部地，彻底地；充分地 | |
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bust
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| vt.打破；vi.爆裂；n.半身像；胸部 | |
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27
growled
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| v.（动物）发狺狺声， （雷）作隆隆声( growl的过去式和过去分词 )；低声咆哮着说 | |
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28
clenched
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| v.紧握，抓紧，咬紧( clench的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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29
grizzly
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| adj.略为灰色的，呈灰色的；n.灰色大熊 | |
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30
scowl
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| vi.(at)生气地皱眉，沉下脸，怒视；n.怒容 | |
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31
lighting
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| n.照明，光线的明暗，舞台灯光 | |
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32
determined
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| adj.坚定的；有决心的 | |
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vent
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| n.通风口，排放口；开衩；vt.表达，发泄 | |
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34
graphic
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| adj.生动的，形象的，绘画的，文字的，图表的 | |
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35
winding
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| n.绕，缠，绕组，线圈 | |
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36
astonishment
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| n.惊奇，惊异 | |
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37
admiration
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| n.钦佩，赞美，羡慕 | |
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38
hearty
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| adj.热情友好的；衷心的；尽情的，纵情的 | |
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39
hostilities
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| n.战争；敌意(hostility的复数)；敌对状态；战事 | |
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40
shrill
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| adj.尖声的；刺耳的；v尖叫 | |
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41
growls
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| v.（动物）发狺狺声， （雷）作隆隆声( growl的第三人称单数 )；低声咆哮着说 | |
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42
diminutive
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| adj.小巧可爱的，小的 | |
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43
surmounted
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| 战胜( surmount的过去式和过去分词 )； 克服（困难）； 居于…之上； 在…顶上 | |
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44
concealed
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| a.隐藏的，隐蔽的 | |
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45
exclamation
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| n.感叹号，惊呼，惊叹词 | |
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46
peals
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| n.（声音大而持续或重复的）洪亮的响声( peal的名词复数 )；隆隆声；洪亮的钟声；钟乐v.（使）（钟等）鸣响，（雷等）发出隆隆声( peal的第三人称单数 ) | |
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47
scotch
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| n.伤口，刻痕；苏格兰威士忌酒；v.粉碎，消灭，阻止；adj.苏格兰(人)的 | |
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48
elk
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| n.麋鹿 | |
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49
miserable
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| adj.悲惨的，痛苦的；可怜的，糟糕的 | |
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50
extravagantly
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| adv.挥霍无度地 | |
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51
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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