There was no need for words, although Jake Harper, with recovered vocabulary, spilled pardonable curses upon the air. To the-north was ascending3 a stream of heavy smoke that rose straight into the windless sky.
"Two of you boys stay here with Jake," ordered Buck to his five. "If you don't get no word from me by dark, turn Jake loose and make your getaway. If I win, I'll send word to ye 'fore5 dark."
Nobody wanted to remain, so straws were pulled. The losers, disgruntled, took over the prisoner's bridle6 and sat their horses while Buck, Sandy Davitt, and the remaining two men rode on.
"Good luck!" they called. Buck responded with a wave of his white Stetson.
The four men who were left in company now pushed their horses ahead at a good clip. Two miles away was the river trail, which Arnold and Sam Fisher would follow, provided they did the expected thing.
"Gosh, she's sure a-smoking!" observed Sandy Davitt, his squint7 gaze flitting to the smoke in the north. "They done it, all right. Fired everything in sight! I'll bet Jake will curse over losin' his first cuttin' of alfalfa. He only laid it in last week."
Buck smiled weakly, but made no response. If he lost his stake, he would lose more than alfalfa.
Knowing to what manner of work they rode, the four pressed on warily8, eyes searching the landscape ahead. They were unlikely to meet any one here. The Lazy S and Circle Bar lands ran together at a short distance, and the river road was only a trail used by the few riders of the two ranches10.
They came upon it at last, and simultaneously11 drew rein. The trail told them a plain story; no one had passed this way within the past few hours, at least.
"What you aim to do?" asked one of the punchers as they sat motionless. "Rope him?"
"Rope him?" Buck spat12 a vicious oath. "We'd look fine ropin' that gent—and Arnold! What would we want to rope 'em for?"
Sandy Davitt laughed harshly. He swung up his arm to a bend in the road fifty yards to their left.
"Stick right here, Buck, and drop 'em as they come around that bend. Don't need the rifles to do it. Better hobble the cayuses in this bresh."
The four men dismounted. One of the punchers led off the animals. The other three went to the river bank, here a scant15 hundred yards distant, and slaked16 their thirst. Upon rising, Buck gave his orders.
"We'd better spread out jest far enough to keep an eye out in both directions. I'll watch the south for 'em, Sandy, attend to the Circle Bar end; ain't likely any one will come, but we'd better watch that way, too."
Sandy Davitt swung off, followed by his companion.
Buck sought a position whence he could obtain a fair view of the valley in the direction of the Shumway ranch9. He did not need to have the winding17 road in view. Even this slightly used trail was deep in dust, and any rider would leave a brown smudge that would rise into a trailing wedge to be discerned afar.
The horses were hidden away from sight among the trees that fringed the river. To the north the great splotch of smoke had lessened18 into a thin trail; Harper's place was burned out. It could not be long now before Fisher would come—if he came at all.
"Hey, Buck!" rose the cautious voice of Davitt. "Rider from the north!"
"Comin'," responded Buck hastily, and ran to join his men.
The north trail was nearly hidden from them, but they could make out a trail of dust, and presently the swiftly moving object which had drawn19 the attention of Davitt. As this object came closer Davitt uttered an impatient exclamation20.
"Ain't no rider at all! By gosh, it's a hoss!"
"It's Jake Harper's hoss, Celestine," added Buck, watching the approaching beast.
"He got away from us when we nabbed Jake yestiddy," said Sandy Davitt. "Git a rope, boys——"
"Stop!" ordered Buck. "Git off the trail, quick; leave the brute21 go through! It'll fetch Sam Fisher jest that much quicker."
They hastened to clear the way. A moment more and the pound of hoofs22 came to them, and along the trail dashed the rawboned brute at a mad gallop24, his vicious eyes rolling wildly, panic driving him. He was past them like a whirlwind, and went pounding away to the south.
"Fire scart him," said Davitt, emerging into the road again. "Good idee to let him go, Buck. Scatter25 out, everybody! Keep yer eyes skinned!"
It was only a moment later that Buck's voice rose warningly:
"Dust a-comin', boys! Git together!"
Excitement spurred them as they ran in to the place of ambush. From here they had a view of the road farther down the river; they stood motionless, guns drawn, tense with expectation. Davitt and Buck were together on one side of the road, the other two men opposite them.
Into the patch of road down the river crept a moving object, dust trailing it. From Davitt broke one astounded26 oath.
"Look out thar, boys! It's Stella Shumway comin'; out o' sight, quick! Duck, you devils, duck! Let her go through; likely they'll be behind her."
Davitt and Buck plunged27 down into the brush, the others following suit. Hoofs came pounding; around the bend just ahead plunged Stella Shumway, wildly spurring her horse forward. The Circle Bar smoke had drawn her as well as others. Her strained and drawn face showed the girl's inward anxiety.
"Hurry, boy, hurry!" she cried to her mount. "We're ahead of them yet; we've got to find Uncle Jake! Hurry, hurry——"
Her voice died into the distance. Almost before she had gone, Davitt was out in the road, then swinging himself into a tree for a swifter view of the lower valley.
"They're comin' behind her," said Buck, his voice steady. "Now the only question is—who's a-comin'? If it's a hull28 blamed crowd, we got to lay low. If it's them two——"
"Hey, Buck!" Davitt came sliding down, plunged into the dust, sprang eagerly to his feet again. "Two comin'—no more that I can see. Likely they stopped to halt Harper's hoss, or try to, and the gal23 went on ahead. Them two'll be our meat; couldn't be no others. Watch the road now——"
The four craned forward, intent. Into the patch of road down the river slid the forms of two horses, galloping29 neck and neck.
"Got 'em!" cried Buck triumphantly30. "Git set, boys; let 'em have it as they come around this here bend."
They scurried31 to their places, eager with the trembling thrill of the man hunt, fired out of themselves by the hot lust32 for blood, careless of the thing they were about to do. Hidden, they waited, guns at the level, bloodshot eyes trained on the bend of the trail.
Came a furious drive of hoofs pounding the dusty trail. Through it lifted the voice of Steve Arnold gayly, boyishly:
"Whoop-ee! Out o' my way, cowboy! I'm crowdin' you for room; gimme air! Go git a good hoss if ye want to ride with me——"
And then—they came. Plunging34 around the bend together, Sam Fisher and Arnold, low in the saddle, driving their white-flecked horses, racing to catch up with the girl ahead and reach the cause of that smoke reek35 in the sky.
Crack! Pistols roared from either side the road. The two riders caromed together, a horse sent up its horrible scream, men and beasts went flinging down in a terrible crash.
Mad with the killing36, Buck's two punchers leaped into sight across the road, ran forward. From the great cloud of dust cracked a shot, and another. The foremost man fell on his face; the second coughed, spun37 around, and dropped.
"Got you!" yelled Arnold.
At the same instant Buck shot, Davitt close behind him. Arnold, dimly visible amid the dust, fell back and straightened out. But, as though in echo to those two shots, came another from the dust. Buck's hat jerked from his head.
An oath burst from Buck. He fired into the dust again and again, frenzied40. One shot answered him, and one only; the bullet seared across his face, sent him down into the grass wiping at his cheeks, swearing, death frightened. Yet he was unhurt.
Both Davitt and Buck crouched41 low, peering forward, waiting for the dust to settle. It seemed impossible that Fisher could have gone down in that awful welter of death and yet have remained alive; but he was not dead. The shot had shown that.
Little by little the dust subsided42. Arnold's horse, its shoulder smashed by a bullet, raised a shaking head and emitted another frightful43 scream, then fell back. The other horse lay behind, kicking feebly, trying to grip the ground with its fore hoofs; the poor beast's back was broken.
Midway between the two animals lay the body or Steve Arnold, face to the sky. But of Sam Fisher there was no sign.
"My gosh!" breathed Davitt incredulously. "He ain't there. Ah, behind his hoss, Buck! There he is!"
Buck fired, and swore at the miss as he ducked to escape an answering shot. None came. Sandy Davitt, unable to bear the sight of what had been done, deliberately44 leaned forward and shot the two horses. He, too, ducked low, but no shot answered.
"The son of a gun!" muttered Buck hoarsely45. "He's playing possum, Sandy. Watch out! He wants a good shot at us."
For long moments the two men crouched there, peering forward, seeking any sign of movement. None came. The sun beat down on the scene, flooding with pitiless light each terrible detail on the shot-up Steve Arnold, the two horses, the two Running Dog men who had paid the price. And still Sam Fisher remained silent.
At last Buck, unable to stand the strain, went suddenly to his feet.
"All right, you can have your chance!" he cried, and flung himself forward.
Davitt watched, ready to fire at Fisher's shot. But, to his amazement, he saw Buck check his rush, lower his pistol, and turn.
Davitt slowly rose, still half fearful of a trap. Then he put up his gun and stared at his work in silence.
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收听单词发音
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1
buck
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| n.雄鹿，雄兔；v.马离地跳跃 | |
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rein
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| n.疆绳，统治，支配；vt.以僵绳控制，统治 | |
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ascending
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| adj.上升的，向上的 | |
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briefly
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| adv.简单地，简短地 | |
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fore
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| adv.在前面；adj.先前的；在前部的；n.前部 | |
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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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7
squint
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| v. 使变斜视眼, 斜视, 眯眼看, 偏移, 窥视; n. 斜视, 斜孔小窗; adj. 斜视的, 斜的 | |
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warily
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| adv.留心地 | |
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ranch
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| n.大牧场，大农场 | |
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ranches
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| 大农场， （兼种果树，养鸡等的）大牧场( ranch的名词复数 ) | |
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simultaneously
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| adv.同时发生地，同时进行地 | |
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12
spat
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| n.口角，掌击；v.发出呼噜呼噜声 | |
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13
assent
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| v.批准，认可；n.批准，认可 | |
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14
ambush
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| n.埋伏(地点)；伏兵；v.埋伏；伏击 | |
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15
scant
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| adj.不充分的，不足的；v.减缩，限制，忽略 | |
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16
slaked
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| v.满足( slake的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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winding
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| n.绕，缠，绕组，线圈 | |
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18
lessened
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| 减少的，减弱的 | |
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drawn
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| v.拖，拉，拔出；adj.憔悴的，紧张的 | |
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exclamation
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| n.感叹号，惊呼，惊叹词 | |
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brute
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| n.野兽，兽性 | |
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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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gal
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| n.姑娘，少女 | |
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24
gallop
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| v./n.(马或骑马等)飞奔；飞速发展 | |
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scatter
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| vt.撒，驱散，散开；散布/播；vi.分散，消散 | |
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26
astounded
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| v.使震惊(astound的过去式和过去分词)；愕然；愕；惊讶 | |
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27
plunged
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| v.颠簸( plunge的过去式和过去分词 )；暴跌；骤降；突降 | |
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28
hull
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| n.船身；(果、实等的)外壳；vt.去(谷物等)壳 | |
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29
galloping
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| adj. 飞驰的, 急性的 动词gallop的现在分词形式 | |
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30
triumphantly
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| ad.得意洋洋地；得胜地；成功地 | |
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31
scurried
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| v.急匆匆地走( scurry的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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32
lust
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| n.性(淫)欲；渴(欲)望；vi.对…有强烈的欲望 | |
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33
racing
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| n.竞赛，赛马；adj.竞赛用的，赛马用的 | |
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34
plunging
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| adj.跳进的，突进的v.颠簸( plunge的现在分词 )；暴跌；骤降；突降 | |
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35
reek
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| v.发出臭气；n.恶臭 | |
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36
killing
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| n.巨额利润；突然赚大钱，发大财 | |
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spun
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| v.纺，杜撰，急转身 | |
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38
stark
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| adj.荒凉的；严酷的；完全的；adv.完全地 | |
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39
amazement
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| n.惊奇，惊讶 | |
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40
frenzied
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| a.激怒的；疯狂的 | |
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41
crouched
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| v.屈膝，蹲伏( crouch的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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42
subsided
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| v.（土地）下陷（因在地下采矿）( subside的过去式和过去分词 )；减弱；下降至较低或正常水平；一下子坐在椅子等上 | |
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43
frightful
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| adj.可怕的；讨厌的 | |
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44
deliberately
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| adv.审慎地；蓄意地；故意地 | |
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45
hoarsely
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| adv.嘶哑地 | |
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46
hoarse
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| adj.嘶哑的，沙哑的 | |
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47
assented
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| 同意，赞成( assent的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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48
fervently
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| adv.热烈地，热情地，强烈地 | |
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49
nay
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| adv.不；n.反对票，投反对票者 | |
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