Queenslanders will remember that summer, on certain days of which men were stricken down in dozens, and birds fell dead off the trees in the fierce heat.
There is no drearier3 track in Australia than the one I speak of—all pine-scrub, too thick for a dog to bark in, and the rest sand and ant-hills.
There was nothing doing just then in ‘The Bridge,’ so I pushed on for the Maranoa. It was only the beginning of summer, and I reckoned on finding water twenty-five miles along the track, at a hole in the Wullumgudgeree Creek4, known of aforetime.
It was a dismal5 ride, with nothing but walls of close-set scrub on each side, and sand, heavy underfoot, and glaring ahead. Even the horses seemed to feel its 12influence as they ploughed along, heads bent6 down, coats black with sweat, and big clusters of flies swarming7 thickly at their leather eye-guards. Even one’s own close-knit veil was but poor protection, for the pests gathered on it in such numbers as to almost obscure the sight. The flies and mosquitoes were a caution that summer. However, shogging steadily8 on, with a pull at the water-bag now and then, I at length reached the creek, dry as a bone where it crossed the road. But, following it down through the scrub, I found the hole, pretty muddy and fast diminishing. Nor was it improved by the dog and the pack-horse rushing into it and rolling before I could stop them.
The sun was setting, a big red ball, over the tops of the pines as I hobbled out, pitched the tent on one side of the round open space, lit a fire, and slung9 the billy. There was not bad picking for the horses, and as I belled the pack I fervently10 trusted they would not stray far in such a God-forsaken spot.
After supper—damper, mutton and sardines11, washed down by tea, boiled, skimmed and strained three times before coming to table—I felt pretty comfortable, and lay down with my head on one of the swags to enjoy a smoke and fight the mosquitoes, who were beginning to sample freely. The sun had set, but the moon, big, yellow and hot-looking, hung in a hazy12 sky.
But for the buzzing of the insects and the snoring of the dog, fast asleep in a deep hole scratched in the sand, everything was very quiet. The thick scrub into which the horses had retreated deadened the sound of the bell.
13Presently, however, evidently compassionating13 my lonely state, a little bird, after partaking of the remnants of my supper, came and perched on the ridge-pole of the tent, and piped forth14 at short intervals15 in a shrill16 monotone. ‘Sweet, pretty creature! Pretty, sweet, little creature!’ He was company of a sort, spite of his egoism. But there was other toward.
The flies had, ere this, gone to roost, but the mosquitoes were troublesome. They had also taken anticipatory17 possession of the tent. Burning some old rags, I cleared them out of that, fixed18 up the netting, and was preparing to turn in, when I heard the sound of hoofs19 coming thump20, thump, down the dry creek bed. The dog, awaking, barked loudly, and in a minute or two a man and a woman rode into the bright firelight. They each had a big swag in front of them; and at a glance I saw that their horses were not only well-bred, but had come far and fast.
‘Water!’ exclaimed the man.
I gave him some; and he lifted the woman off and handed her the mug.
‘We’re travellin’, mate,’ said he, as I helped him to unsaddle. ‘Got bushed21 atween ’ere an’ the Maranoa. A bit o’ damned bad country!’
He had not come from that direction at all; but in such a scrub all directions were much alike. And, anyhow, it was no business of mine. They had plenty of tucker, and I put the billy on again.
As the woman stood at the fire, holding up her riding-dress with one hand and with the other hastily fastening 14some stray braids of long hair that had come adrift, I saw that she was a fresh-faced, pleasant-featured girl of about eighteen or nineteen. As she presently dropped her skirt, took off her hat, and used both hands to her hair, I noticed by the flickering22 light a red, angry-looking scar extending from the bridge of the nose up to and across the left eyebrow23.
Her companion was a type I knew well. A cattleman all over, from the long, lean, curved legs of him to the sharp-eyed, tanned, resolute24 face. And from the swag I saw sticking out the curiously-carved handle of a stockwhip. They both seemed weary and thoughtful, and after supper I offered them the shelter of the tent. The man thanked me.
‘The missus,’ said he, ‘’ll be only too glad of the chance. She ain’t much used to campin’ out.’
So they lugged25 their belongings26 inside, whilst, making up the fire, and throwing some green bushes on it to drive the skeeters away, I laid on my blankets, with the pack-saddle for a pillow, and the dog at my feet.
Awaking about midnight, as most bushmen do, I saw that big clouds were sailing fast across the moon. The air had become rather chilly27, and, throwing more wood on the fire, I stood warming myself and filling my pipe. The dog, also getting up, yawned sleepily, and came and gazed into the blaze. The little bird from the ridge-pole still chirped28 its eulogistic29 call, but drowsily30, and with effort, as of one who nods and winks31. From the scrub came the faint tinkling32 of bells, showing that the horses were feeding steadily.
15Suddenly the silence was broken by the peculiar33 long, rumbling34 whinny with which a straggling horse greets the presence of others. Then I heard the hobble-chains clanking as our horses galloped35 up to inspect the newcomer. Then ensued a short pause, followed by the sound of a wild snorting stampede as they crashed away, their hobbles jingling36 and bells ringing furiously through the scrub.
‘Bother!’ thought I, as the noise grew fainter and fainter, ‘that means, most likely, a long walk in the morning. Hang all brombees!’
Preparing to lie down again, in not the best of tempers, I became aware of at least one horse steadily making towards the camp. As the steps approached, the dog, growling38 low, and with every hair bristling39, backed towards the tent. A cold feeling of disquiet40 and nervousness took possession of me as I saw this.
Turning from watching the animal, my eye caught a dark mass between scrub and fire. Just then the moon shone out from behind a bank, and, not ten yards away, stood a horseman, his head drooping41 on his chest, his body rocking slightly in the saddle.
I gave a sigh of relief. Drunken riders are common enough in the Bush. And, with all trepidation42 vanished, I sang out gruffly enough,—
‘Better get off, mate, before you fall off! Come and have a drink of tea!’
He would be a nuisance, of course, with the inevitable43 bottle of rum in his swag, and in his person all the loathsome44 imbecility inseparable from the sobering-up 16process. But, as an institution, he had to be attended to.
And I repeated my invitation irritably45 to him, sitting there in the bright moonlight, one hand grasping the reins46, the other resting on the wither47, his chin on his breast, staring fixedly48 at me from under the broad-leafed hat.
‘Oh,’ I muttered, ‘you drunken brute49! I’ve got to lift you down, have I! About all you’re fit for is to frighten people’s horses away.’
The dog, only his head protruding50 from under the tent, kept up a long, snarling51, choking growl37, broken by gasps52 for fresh breath.
Advancing, I placed my hand upon the horseman’s. It was like ice. Looking up, I saw a black-whiskered face, ashen-grey under the hat-leaf, and apparently53 leaning forward to gaze into mine out of wide-open, staring, glassy eyes.
Suddenly, realising the meaning of the thing, I ran to one side and shouted hurriedly—I know not what.
Then I heard someone in the tent cursing the dog, who yelped54, as from a kick, and, presently, the stranger came out and walked up to the fire. Standing55 away, and in deep shadow, he did not see me. But, catching56 sight of that dread57 rider, sitting motionless, he went over and peered into its face.
Then with a tremendous oath he sprang back, and I could see his sharp-cut features working with emotion as he exclaimed, ‘George! What game’s this?’
Advancing again he stroked the horse, and, as I had 17done, placed one of his hands on that other so cold one.
A heavy cloud was across the moon, but I could make out the pair fumbling59 for their bridles60 amongst a heap of saddlery at the foot of a sapling.
Meanwhile the horse was making ineffectual tugs62 at the bridle61 to get its head down to some dry tussocks growing near. But all its straining could not relax by one inch the steel-like grip of those dead fingers. Only the corpse63 at each jerk nodded in a ghastly cordial sort of fashion.
Presently, moonlight filled the little plain again, and the horse, growing impatient, turned and made off towards the sound of the distant bells.
Taking heart of grace, I ran up and caught it. As I led it back I noticed that the rider’s legs were bound tightly to the saddle by straps64 passed from the front D’s over the thighs65 to the ones on the cantle.
As I began to undo66 them I saw the man slinging67 off into the scrub with the woman at his heels. I shouted to them. But they took no notice.
Working away at the knots and buckles68, the chin-strap slipped, the jaw69 fell, and the gleaming teeth showed in such an awful grin that I involuntarily stepped back.
Now the hat tumbled off, revealing the features of a young man with coal-black hair and moustache, and beard flecked with spots of dry white foam70.
18As I stood irresolutely72 staring, a voice behind me made me jump. It was the woman.
‘Here,’ she said, as with trembling fingers she essayed to loosen the dead grasp on the reins, ‘I’ll help you. He was a real bad un! But he couldn’t scare me when he were alive, an’ I aint goin’ to let him do it now. See’ (pointing to the cut on her forehead), ‘this is the last thing he done. Slip your knife through them reins,’ she continued. ‘He’s had a fit, or a stroke o’ the sun, an’ he’ll never slacken his grip, no more’n he would my throat if he could ha’ got hold on it. He was my husband; an’ jealous of his own shadder. But I never minded much till he took to knockin’ me about. I couldn’t stand that. So I cleared with Jim yonder.’
By this, we had undone73 the saddle and breast-plate straps with which the man, feeling himself mortally struck, and wishful to avoid falling off and lying there to rot in that wild scrub, had, in perhaps his last agony, tied himself to the saddle. And between us we let him slide gently down on to the sand, whilst the horse shook itself, sniffed74 unconcernedly at the body, and wandered away to the others.
For a while she stood gazing on the thing as it lay there with stiffly curved legs and upturned glassy eyes.
Then she smiled a little out of a white face, set hard with horror and detestation, saying,—
‘After all, perhaps, he thought a lot of me!’ And, going to the tent, she returned with a blanket, and carefully spread it over the corpse.
19Then, as the man came up with the horses and began to saddle them, she said, holding out her hand,—
‘So long! an’ many thanks. You’ve bin75 a real right bower76. We’re a-goin’ into the Bridge, an’ we’ll send the traps out, all square an’ fair. So long! agen.’
‘So long, mate!’ shouted the man, with a tremor77 in his voice lacking in the woman’s. And then they rode away, two dark shapes against the moonlit scrub.
‘Died by the visitation of God,’ said the Coroner’s Jury.
‘Served him damned well right!’ said the district generally, who knew the story.
But travellers along the Maranoa track make a point of giving ‘Dead Man’s Camp’ a very wide berth78.
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收听单词发音
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1
lurid
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| adj.可怕的；血红的；苍白的 | |
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gulf
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| n.海湾；深渊，鸿沟；分歧，隔阂 | |
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drearier
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| 使人闷闷不乐或沮丧的( dreary的比较级 )； 阴沉的； 令人厌烦的； 单调的 | |
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creek
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| n.小溪，小河，小湾 | |
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dismal
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| adj.阴沉的，凄凉的，令人忧郁的，差劲的 | |
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bent
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| n.爱好，癖好；adj.弯的；决心的，一心的 | |
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7
swarming
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| 密集( swarm的现在分词 )； 云集； 成群地移动； 蜜蜂或其他飞行昆虫成群地飞来飞去 | |
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8
steadily
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| adv.稳定地；不变地；持续地 | |
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slung
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| 抛( sling的过去式和过去分词 )； 吊挂； 遣送； 押往 | |
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fervently
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| adv.热烈地，热情地，强烈地 | |
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11
sardines
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| n. 沙丁鱼 | |
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12
hazy
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| adj.有薄雾的，朦胧的；不肯定的，模糊的 | |
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13
compassionating
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| v.同情（compassionate的现在分词形式） | |
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14
forth
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| adv.向前；向外，往外 | |
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15
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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16
shrill
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| adj.尖声的；刺耳的；v尖叫 | |
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17
anticipatory
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| adj.预想的，预期的 | |
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18
fixed
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| adj.固定的，不变的，准备好的；(计算机)固定的 | |
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19
hoofs
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| 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 ) | |
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20
thump
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| v.重击，砰然地响；n.重击，重击声 | |
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bushed
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| adj.疲倦的 | |
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flickering
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| adj.闪烁的，摇曳的，一闪一闪的 | |
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23
eyebrow
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| n.眉毛，眉 | |
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24
resolute
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| adj.坚决的，果敢的 | |
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25
lugged
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| vt.用力拖拉（lug的过去式与过去分词形式） | |
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26
belongings
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| n.私人物品，私人财物 | |
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27
chilly
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| adj.凉快的，寒冷的 | |
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28
chirped
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| 鸟叫，虫鸣( chirp的过去式 ) | |
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29
eulogistic
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| adj.颂扬的，颂词的 | |
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30
drowsily
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| adv.睡地，懒洋洋地，昏昏欲睡地 | |
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31
winks
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| v.使眼色( wink的第三人称单数 )；递眼色（表示友好或高兴等）；（指光）闪烁；闪亮 | |
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32
tinkling
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| n.丁当作响声 | |
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33
peculiar
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| adj.古怪的，异常的；特殊的，特有的 | |
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34
rumbling
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| n. 隆隆声, 辘辘声 adj. 隆隆响的 动词rumble的现在分词 | |
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35
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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36
jingling
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| 叮当声 | |
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37
growl
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| v.（狗等）嗥叫，（炮等）轰鸣；n.嗥叫，轰鸣 | |
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38
growling
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| n.吠声, 咆哮声 v.怒吠, 咆哮, 吼 | |
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39
bristling
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| a.竖立的 | |
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40
disquiet
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| n.担心，焦虑 | |
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41
drooping
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| adj. 下垂的，无力的 动词droop的现在分词 | |
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42
trepidation
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| n.惊恐，惶恐 | |
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43
inevitable
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| adj.不可避免的，必然发生的 | |
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44
loathsome
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| adj.讨厌的，令人厌恶的 | |
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45
irritably
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| ad.易生气地 | |
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46
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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47
wither
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| vt.使凋谢，使衰退，(用眼神气势等)使畏缩；vi.枯萎，衰退，消亡 | |
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48
fixedly
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| adv.固定地；不屈地，坚定不移地 | |
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49
brute
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| n.野兽，兽性 | |
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50
protruding
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| v.（使某物）伸出，（使某物）突出( protrude的现在分词 )；凸 | |
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51
snarling
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| v.（指狗）吠，嗥叫， （人）咆哮( snarl的现在分词 )；咆哮着说，厉声地说 | |
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52
gasps
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| v.喘气( gasp的第三人称单数 )；喘息；倒抽气；很想要 | |
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53
apparently
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| adv.显然地；表面上，似乎 | |
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54
yelped
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| v.发出短而尖的叫声( yelp的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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55
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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56
catching
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| adj.易传染的，有魅力的，迷人的，接住 | |
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57
dread
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| vt.担忧，忧虑；惧怕，不敢；n.担忧，畏惧 | |
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58
murmur
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| n.低语，低声的怨言；v.低语，低声而言 | |
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59
fumbling
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| n. 摸索,漏接 v. 摸索,摸弄,笨拙的处理 | |
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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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bridle
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| n.笼头，束缚；vt.抑制，约束；动怒 | |
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62
tugs
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| n.猛拉( tug的名词复数 )；猛拖；拖船v.用力拉，使劲拉，猛扯( tug的第三人称单数 ) | |
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63
corpse
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| n.尸体，死尸 | |
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64
straps
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| n.带子( strap的名词复数 )；挎带；肩带；背带v.用皮带捆扎( strap的第三人称单数 )；用皮带抽打；包扎；给…打绷带 | |
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65
thighs
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| n.股，大腿( thigh的名词复数 )；食用的鸡（等的）腿 | |
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66
undo
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| vt.解开，松开；取消，撤销 | |
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67
slinging
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| 抛( sling的现在分词 )； 吊挂； 遣送； 押往 | |
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68
buckles
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| 搭扣，扣环( buckle的名词复数 ) | |
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69
jaw
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| n.颚，颌，说教，流言蜚语；v.喋喋不休，教训 | |
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70
foam
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| v./n.泡沫，起泡沫 | |
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71
hideous
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| adj.丑陋的，可憎的，可怕的，恐怖的 | |
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72
irresolutely
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| adv.优柔寡断地 | |
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73
undone
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| a.未做完的，未完成的 | |
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74
sniffed
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| v.以鼻吸气，嗅，闻( sniff的过去式和过去分词 )；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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75
bin
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| n.箱柜；vt.放入箱内；[计算机] DOS文件名:二进制目标文件 | |
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76
bower
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| n.凉亭，树荫下凉快之处；闺房；v.荫蔽 | |
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77
tremor
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| n.震动，颤动，战栗，兴奋，地震 | |
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| n.卧铺，停泊地，锚位；v.使停泊 | |
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