"If he once grips me, I am gone," he said, despairingly.
"Shall I shoot?" asked Tom, looking on in excitement.
"You might hit me," said Ebenezer, who knew nothing of Tom's skill as a marksman.
"No, I won't."
"I think I'll swing off," said the Yankee, "and join you."
Whether this was or was not a wise thing to do Tom did not feel qualified3 to decide. It was evident that Onthank must do something speedily, or he would be in the power of the bear. He waited nervously4 till Bruin was uncomfortably[Pg 159] near, and then, seizing the branch with his hands, swung to the ground. The height was considerable, and the fall jarred him; but, quickly recovering himself, he ran towards Tom.
"Now we must run for our lives, Tom," he said, suiting the action to the word.
Tom fully5 understood the necessity, and followed suit, first hazarding a glance at the discomfited6 bear.
When the grizzly witnessed the escape of his victim he showed no excitement, nor did he accelerate his motions. He began deliberately7 to back down the tree. This required some little time, which Tom and his friend made the most of.
"Give me your rifle," said Onthank.
"I'd rather keep it," said Tom.
"I can make better use of it," said the Yankee.
"I don't know about that," said Tom. "At any rate I will keep it."
He felt that it was hardly reasonable to expect him, in the presence of such a danger, to give up his only instrument of defence.[Pg 160]
"You are only a boy," said his companion, discontented.
Onthank was not in general an unreasonable9 man, but danger makes men selfish.
"You shall not have it," exclaimed Tom, indignantly. "Take away your hand, or I'll shoot you!"
Of course Tom was excited, and would not have carried out his threat, but he was fully resolved to stand up for his rights.
Whether Ebenezer would have yielded the point, being stronger than Tom, is uncertain; but our hero shouted "Look out for the bear!" and the Yankee, in alarm, released his hold, and the two entered upon a race, in which the Yankee's superior length of limb enabled him to keep the first place.
Bruin was now on terra firma, and was on his way, wagging his great head, developing an alarming rate of speed. Tom was somewhat hampered[Pg 161] by the weapon which he carried, and he was getting out of breath. Onthank was three or four rods ahead of him. The situation had changed, and it was now Tom that was in the greater peril11.
"Don't give out, Tom!" called out Ebenezer, encouragingly.
"Is he gaining on us?"
"Yes," returned our hero.
"Then I'll try another tree," said Onthank, and he caught a branch, and clambered up into a tree quite similar to the other in which he had been besieged13.
Tom would gladly have followed his example, but the branch was too high for him to reach readily, and the grizzly was too near to give him adequate time. Poor boy! He began to despair, and was at an utter loss what to do. To face round and fire at the foe14 seemed about all that was left him, but he wanted to reserve his fire to the last. He caught sight of another tree, of a larger trunk than the one which Onthank had[Pg 162] ascended15, and ran towards it, pursued by the grizzly. Then commenced a dodging16 game, which seemed to afford but a brief respite17 from destruction.
"This can't last long," thought poor Tom. "I suppose I must die."
In that brief time of peril many thoughts passed through his mind. To die at his age would be sad enough; but the thought that his expedition would be a failure, only involving his father deeper in difficulty and debt chiefly troubled him. The mortgage would be foreclosed, and his father and whole family deprived of their humble18 home. Onthank watched the boy's peril, unable to give him assistance. To do him justice he almost forgot his own danger in the more apparent and immediate19 peril of his young companion.
"Be careful!" he shouted, quite needlessly. "Don't let him grip you. Give it to him right in the eye."
Tom was so absorbed, and his mind so painfully occupied by his efforts to keep out of his[Pg 163] enemy's clutches, that he was not conscious of the warning.
Active and alert as he was, the result was hardly a matter of doubt. He would tire sooner than the bear, and if he ran again he was sure to be overtaken. This, however, was what he did. Of course the grizzly instantly pursued him. Poor Tom breathed a prayer for help, though there seemed no chance of his prayer being answered; but sometimes God sends assistance when there seems no chance of escape.
The galloping20 of a horse was heard. There was a whirling sound, and Bruin, already within two yards of Tom, was jerked back, and brought to a stand-still by a lasso which wound about his neck. A shout caused Tom suddenly to turn his head, and to his joy he saw a mounted Mexican vaquero, who had brought him timely relief.
Bruin growled21 angrily on finding himself balked22 of his prey23. He was not disposed to yield to his new antagonist24. Rising and sitting on his haunches he began coolly to draw in the lasso, against the combined strength of man and horse.[Pg 164] The muscular force of a big grizzly is simply enormous. Usually he is attacked from two sides, two lassos being thrown around him. For a single antagonist he is sometimes more than a match, as seemed likely in the present case. The rieta being attached to the pommel of the saddle, of course the bear, in pulling as he did, hand over hand, steadily brought the vaquero and his steed nearer. The horse, terrified, trembled in every limb, and tried to rear; but his strength was as nothing when opposed to the steady power of his massive antagonist.
Relieved from the immediate attentions of the grizzly, Tom did not continue to run, but stood still, and, forgetting his own peril, remained an excited spectator of the struggle between the bear and the vaquero.
The Mexican in an excited manner shouted to him to shoot. This brought Tom to a sense of his duty. A third person had been brought into danger by an effort to give him assistance, and he was too manly25 to leave him to his fate. He raised his rifle, and, taking quick aim, fired. Our young[Pg 165] hero was of course inexperienced, and it was only by a piece of good fortune that his bullet inflicted26 a serious wound, striking the bear in the throat. The blood began to flow and the grizzly, growling27 fiercely, slackened his hold on the lasso. The vaquero followed up Tom's shot by another, equally effective, and the powerful animal dropped to the ground, dangerous still if approached, but unfitted for pursuit.
The vaquero reined28 his horse back, and his dark face became illumined with a smile of satisfaction.
"He will do no more harm," he said in good English, but with a foreign accent. "The danger is over."
"Is the critter used up?" shouted Onthank, cautiously, from his elevated perch29. "Is he defunct30?"
"He soon will be," answered Tom. "I guess it will be safe to come down."
Ebenezer Onthank needed no second invitation. He "shinned" down the tree in a manner not unlike the grizzly, and approached the spot where[Pg 166] the huge foe was lying, the life-blood flowing from his throat.
The bear slowly turned upon him his glazing32 eyes, and they expressed so much ferocity that almost involuntarily the Yankee drew back. The bear partly raised himself, and tried to drag himself towards his adversaries33; but the effort was vain.
"He is one of the largest I have seen," said the vaquero. "See how strong he is!"
"It was lucky for me that you came up," said Tom. "He was almost upon me."
"I had about given you up, Tom," said Onthank, "and I thought my turn was coming next."
"We are much indebted to you, sir," said Tom, gratefully, to the Mexican. "You have saved my life."
The vaquero courteously34 expressed his satisfaction, and, remounting his horse, resumed his journey.[Pg 167]
"I never want to see another grizzly," said Onthank. "This one is enough for me, darn his ugly pictur'!"
"I quite agree with you, Mr. Onthank," said Tom.
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收听单词发音
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1
grizzly
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| adj.略为灰色的，呈灰色的；n.灰色大熊 | |
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2
steadily
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| adv.稳定地；不变地；持续地 | |
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3
qualified
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| adj.合格的，有资格的，胜任的，有限制的 | |
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nervously
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| adv.神情激动地，不安地 | |
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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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6
discomfited
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| v.使为难( discomfit的过去式和过去分词)；使狼狈；使挫折；挫败 | |
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7
deliberately
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| adv.审慎地；蓄意地；故意地 | |
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8
briefly
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| adv.简单地，简短地 | |
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9
unreasonable
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| adj.不讲道理的，不合情理的，过度的 | |
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10
wrest
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| n.扭，拧，猛夺；v.夺取，猛扭，歪曲 | |
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11
peril
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| n.(严重的)危险；危险的事物 | |
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12
gasped
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| v.喘气( gasp的过去式和过去分词 )；喘息；倒抽气；很想要 | |
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13
besieged
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| 包围，围困，围攻( besiege的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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14
foe
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| n.敌人，仇敌 | |
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15
ascended
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| v.上升，攀登( ascend的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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16
dodging
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| n.避开，闪过，音调改变v.闪躲( dodge的现在分词 )；回避 | |
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17
respite
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| n.休息，中止，暂缓 | |
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18
humble
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| adj.谦卑的，恭顺的；地位低下的；v.降低，贬低 | |
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19
immediate
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| adj.立即的；直接的，最接近的；紧靠的 | |
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20
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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21
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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22
balked
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| v.畏缩不前，犹豫( balk的过去式和过去分词 )；（指马）不肯跑 | |
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23
prey
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| n.被掠食者，牺牲者，掠食；v.捕食，掠夺，折磨 | |
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24
antagonist
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| n.敌人，对抗者，对手 | |
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manly
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| adj.有男子气概的；adv.男子般地，果断地 | |
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26
inflicted
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| 把…强加给，使承受，遭受( inflict的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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27
growling
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| n.吠声, 咆哮声 v.怒吠, 咆哮, 吼 | |
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28
reined
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| 勒缰绳使（马）停步( rein的过去式和过去分词 )； 驾驭； 严格控制； 加强管理 | |
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29
perch
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| n.栖木，高位，杆；v.栖息，就位，位于 | |
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30
defunct
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| adj.死亡的；已倒闭的 | |
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31
brute
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| n.野兽，兽性 | |
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32
glazing
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| n.玻璃装配业；玻璃窗；上釉；上光v.装玻璃( glaze的现在分词 )；上釉于，上光；（目光）变得呆滞无神 | |
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33
adversaries
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| n.对手，敌手( adversary的名词复数 ) | |
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34
courteously
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| adv.有礼貌地，亲切地 | |
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