CHAPTER XXVI. — THE UNDERGROUND MISSIVE.

 Dick Hawkridge, standing² on the ground, looked up in the bronzed face of Duke Vesey, sitting in the saddle.

 

At every window on the lower floor were faces watching the two men that had thus met under a flag of truce³. From the ridge¹ on the right, and the undulating ground to the left, peered the rustlers, intensely interested in the actions of the couple, whose words were spoken in tones too low to reach the ears of any on either side. No actors ever had a more attentive⁴ audience than they.

 

When Hawkridge announced to Vesey that his proffer⁵ was rejected (for it was useless to report first to Capt. Asbury, as he had been told to do), the horseman said:

 

"Dick, you would have been a cur to accept such terms, though I would do anything to even matters with that Asbury; but I want to get a message to Mont Sterry."

 

"You can trust me to carry it."

 

"It is for him alone; I have it in writing. Well, good-by."

 

He leaned over from the saddle and extended his hand. As Hawkridge took it he felt something in his palm.

 

"I understand," he said; "it shall be delivered."

 

No one watching the couple, as nearly all were doing, suspected this little by-play. They saluted⁶, and Vesey spurred his pony⁷ to a gallop⁸, passing up the ridge and joining his friends to report, while Hawkridge was admitted through the door, which was immediately closed and secured behind him.

 

To the captain and the others who crowded around he quickly told what had passed.

 

"Your order was to let you know the terms before giving an answer," he added, addressing the leader, "but you see it wasn't necessary."

 

A buzz of commendation left no doubt of the wisdom of his course.

 

"But what about his threat to burn the building?" asked Sterry, addressing no one in particular.

 

"He will do it, or at least will try it," replied Hawkridge, "for he doesn't intend any one shall have time to interfere⁹, as may be the case if he delays too long."

 

"To set fire to the house," remarked the captain, who had given much thought to the question, "they must first reach it, and that manoeuvre¹⁰ will prove a costly¹¹ one to them. I suspect that some other firing will take place about that time—eh, boys?"

 

The response revealed the feelings of the men, who were chafing¹² under their restraint.

 

"But, surely," continued Sterry, "they do not mean to burn the building while Mrs. Whitney and her daughter are within?"

 

"As was said some time ago," replied Hawkridge, "that makes little difference, since it is not to be supposed that even we will stay inside during the conflagration¹³. The firing is meant to drive us out, and it will do it."

 

"But there must be considerable shooting, and the ladies will be in danger."

 

"I think Inman will order us to send them out, so as to prevent harm to them."

 

"If they were Sioux or Crows they might launch burning arrows and fire-balls; but they can't do that, and will have to run some risk in getting the flames under way."

 

"There are signs of a storm, and if the night proves dark it will be much in their favor and against us."

 

"Suppose they fire the stables," suggested one of the men.

 

"They are too far off to place us in danger, unless a strong wind should blow directly this way."

 

"Well, boys," said Capt. Asbury, hopefully, "the thing isn't through yet. I think Inman will give us another message before opening the ball, so you may rest easy until he makes his next move."

 

Meanwhile Hawkridge had managed to deliver the little twist of paper, placed in his hand by Vesey. Inasmuch as the matter had been managed with so much care, he deemed it right that no one should see the transfer to his friend.

 

Sterry was surprised and glanced down at the object, but, quick to catch on, closed his palm again and took part in the conversation. It was some minutes before he gained a chance to examine the contents unobserved. When he did so, they proved so important that he called Hawkridge and the captain aside and showed the letter to them. Each read it in turn, the contents being as follows:

 

    "FRIEND STERRY: You acted square with me, and I will do the same

    with you. Inman doesn't expect you folks to accept his terms, for

    if you do it will be good-by to yourself and Capt. Asbury. It

    would suit me very well to see him go, as he will if we get a

    chance at him, but I can't bear the idea of anything bad happening

    to you after the way you stood by me last night when that Asbury

    meant to shoot me.

 

    "So my advice is this: Get out of where you are and leave as fast

    as you know how. Queer advice, you'll think, but I'll show you how

    you can follow it. A friend of mine, whom we can both trust, and

    I, will be on watch to-night at the stables. It looks as if it is

    going to be as dark as a wolf's mouth.

 

    "It won't do to move before 10 o'clock. When everything is ready I

    will light a cigarette and flirt¹⁴ the match around my head once, as

    if to put it out. That will mean that the way is open. Steal out

    of the back door and dodge¹⁵ to the stables; your mare¹⁶ will be

    ready, and when another chance opens you can make a break. No one

    can overtake you, and I don't think it will be suspected who you

    are.

 

    "If you succeed, I hope you will have sense enough to stay out of

    Wyoming, at least until this flurry is over. If you are detected

    while trying to reach the stables you can dart¹⁷ back, for I don't

    think anyone will shoot at you, since we have orders not to do

    that until after you folks begin the rumpus.

 

    "Inman means to set fire to the house to-night. He won't be able

    to hold back the boys much longer. When ready, he will send word

    and ask the two ladies to come out to him, where he will hold them

    beyond reach of fire and bullet. He expects there will be the

    hottest kind of shooting, and it will be a bad thing for you

    folks. Capt. Asbury may as well make his will, for I'm not the

    only one that will lay for him.

 

    "Don't forget my directions. It will not be before 10 o'clock, and

    may be a little later. Don't let any one see this, and don't drop

    a hint to Asbury. It is meant for your good, and you will act like

    a sensible man.

 

    "D.V."

 

1 ridge   

n.山脊；鼻梁；分水岭

参考例句：

• We clambered up the hillside to the ridge above.我们沿着山坡费力地爬上了山脊。
• The infantry were advancing to attack the ridge.步兵部队正在向前挺进攻打山脊。

2 standing   

n.持续，地位；adj.永久的，不动的，直立的，不流动的

参考例句：

• After the earthquake only a few houses were left standing.地震过后只有几幢房屋还立着。
• They're standing out against any change in the law.他们坚决反对对法律做任何修改。

3 truce   

n.休战，(争执，烦恼等的)缓和；v.以停战结束

参考例句：

• The hot weather gave the old man a truce from rheumatism.热天使这位老人暂时免受风湿病之苦。
• She had thought of flying out to breathe the fresh air in an interval of truce.她想跑出去呼吸一下休战期间的新鲜空气。

4 attentive   

adj.注意的，专心的；关心(别人)的，殷勤的

参考例句：

• She was very attentive to her guests.她对客人招待得十分周到。
• The speaker likes to have an attentive audience.演讲者喜欢注意力集中的听众。

5 proffer   

v.献出，赠送；n.提议，建议

参考例句：

• He rose and proffered a silver box full of cigarettes.他站起身，伸手递过一个装满香烟的银盒子。
• I proffer to lend him one.我表示愿意借他一个。

6 saluted   

v.欢迎，致敬( salute的过去式和过去分词 )；赞扬，赞颂

参考例句：

• The sergeant stood to attention and saluted. 中士立正敬礼。
• He saluted his friends with a wave of the hand. 他挥手向他的朋友致意。 来自《简明英汉词典》

7 pony   

adj.小型的；n.小马

参考例句：

• His father gave him a pony as a Christmas present.他父亲给了他一匹小马驹作为圣诞礼物。
• They made him pony up the money he owed.他们逼他还债。

8 gallop   

v./n.(马或骑马等)飞奔；飞速发展

参考例句：

• They are coming at a gallop towards us.他们正朝着我们飞跑过来。
• The horse slowed to a walk after its long gallop.那匹马跑了一大阵后慢下来缓步而行。

9 interfere   

v.(in)干涉，干预；(with)妨碍，打扰

参考例句：

• If we interfere, it may do more harm than good.如果我们干预的话，可能弊多利少。
• When others interfere in the affair,it always makes troubles. 别人一卷入这一事件，棘手的事情就来了。

10 manoeuvre   

n.策略，调动；v.用策略，调动

参考例句：

• Her withdrawal from the contest was a tactical manoeuvre.她退出比赛是一个战术策略。
• The clutter of ships had little room to manoeuvre.船只橫七竖八地挤在一起，几乎没有多少移动的空间。

11 costly   

adj.昂贵的，价值高的，豪华的

参考例句：

• It must be very costly to keep up a house like this.维修这么一幢房子一定很昂贵。
• This dictionary is very useful,only it is a bit costly.这本词典很有用，左不过贵了些。

12 chafing   

n.皮肤发炎v.擦热（尤指皮肤）( chafe的现在分词 )；擦痛；发怒；惹怒

参考例句：

• My shorts were chafing my thighs. 我的短裤把大腿磨得生疼。 来自辞典例句
• We made coffee in a chafing dish. 我们用暖锅烧咖啡。 来自辞典例句

13 conflagration   

n.建筑物或森林大火

参考例句：

• A conflagration in 1947 reduced 90 percent of the houses to ashes.1947年的一场大火，使90%的房屋化为灰烬。
• The light of that conflagration will fade away.这熊熊烈火会渐渐熄灭。

14 flirt   

v.调情，挑逗，调戏；n.调情者，卖俏者

参考例句：

• He used to flirt with every girl he met.过去他总是看到一个姑娘便跟她调情。
• He watched the stranger flirt with his girlfriend and got fighting mad.看着那个陌生人和他女朋友调情，他都要抓狂了。

15 dodge   

v.闪开，躲开，避开；n.妙计，诡计

参考例句：

• A dodge behind a tree kept her from being run over.她向树后一闪，才没被车从身上辗过。
• The dodge was coopered by the police.诡计被警察粉碎了。

16 mare   

n.母马，母驴

参考例句：

• The mare has just thrown a foal in the stable.那匹母马刚刚在马厩里产下了一只小马驹。
• The mare foundered under the heavy load and collapsed in the road.那母马因负载过重而倒在路上。

17 dart   

v.猛冲，投掷；n.飞镖，猛冲

参考例句：

• The child made a sudden dart across the road.那小孩突然冲过马路。
• Markov died after being struck by a poison dart.马尔科夫身中毒镖而亡。