"He wouldn't be likely to travel all the time, would he?" asked Tom.[222]
"Probably not. He may have gone only a mile or two. Are your eyes good?"
"Pretty good."
"Look about, then, and see if you can anywhere see anything of the rover."
Scott and Tom, drawing rein1, looked searchingly in all directions; but nowhere was the lost animal visible.
"Somebody may have found him," suggested Tom.
"That may be. If so, we have a harder job before us."
The prairie was not quite level, but was what is called a rolling prairie, and this limited the view. Otherwise it would have been easy for a person, whose sight was keen, to have distinguished2 an object as large as a horse at a distance of many miles.
"Are you sure we are on the right track, Mr. Scott?" asked Tom.
"Yes, I can see by the trail."
"I can see no hoof-marks."
"Not just here; but look closely, and you will see slight marks of disturbance3 in the grass. As long as these signs last we need[223] have no doubts as to our being on the right track."
"The same trail will lead us back to our party," said Tom.
"Yes, I shouldn't like to part from them in this country. It would be rather a bad place to be lost without provisions."
They had ridden about five miles, when the trail became clearer and better defined. In fact, the marks in the prairie grass appeared more numerous than a single horse would be likely to make.
Scott looked grave.
"We will halt here a moment, Tom," he said. "I want to examine the trail."
"Shall I get off my horse?"
"No; it is not necessary."
Scott dismounted and walked about, closely examining the marks in the grass.
Finally he looked up.
"I begin to think it doubtful whether we shall recover Dan," he said.
"Why?"
"He has been found and carried off," was the reply. "Do you see the double trail?"
"Yes," said Tom, after a brief examination.[224]
"It means that a horseman has found Dan, and led him away. This rather complicates4 matters."
"What do you think we had better do?" inquired Tom.
"That requires consideration. I could tell better if I knew by whom the horse had been found. The finder may be honest, and would, in that case, surrender it on our appearing, and claiming him. But, again, he may be dishonest, and resist our claims."
"We don't know that. The man may belong to a party."
"The members of his party would know that the horse was not his."
"Quite true, if the party was composed of decent persons, like our own; but that is not certain."
"Then will you go back without Dan?" asked Tom.
"I don't want to do that. In fact I should be ashamed to. Captain Fletcher would conclude that he might as well have sent Peabody; and I am not anxious to be classed with him."[225]
"Nor I," said Tom, smiling.
"So the only thing is to push on, and make what discoveries we may."
"All right," said Tom cheerfully.
They rode on for a couple of miles, having no difficulty in following the trail, until they reached the brow of a small eminence7. Here they were greeted with a sight that startled them. A group of a dozen Indians were reclining on the grass, with their horses fastened near them. Startled as they were, they detected the animal of which they were in search among the Indian horses.
"We've walked into a trap with our eyes open, Tom," said Scott, halting his horse mechanically. His bronzed face was a little pale, for he knew well the character of the savages8 before him, the hopelessness of escape, and the terrible fate that probably awaited them.
"Shall we turn and fly, Mr. Scott?" asked Tom hurriedly.
"It would be of no use, Tom. We must stay and face the music."
Upon the appearance of the two friends the Indians had sprung to their feet, and the colloquy10 was scarcely over before there was an[226] Indian at each bridle11-rein. They made signs, easily understood, for Tom and Scott to dismount.
"Stop a minute," said Scott, with creditable coolness, considering the great peril12 in which he knew himself to be. "Is there any one here who speaks English?"
An elderly Indian stepped forward quickly, and said, "Speak, white man. I speak English a little."
"Good," said Scott; "then I want you to tell your friends here that I came after a horse that left our camp last night. Do you understand?"
The Indian inclined his head.
"There he is," continued Scott, pointing with his finger to Dan. "Give him to me, and I will go away."
The interpreter turned to his companions, and repeated what Scott had said. Evidently it was not favorably received, as Scott could see by the menacing looks that were turned upon him. He waited, with some anxiety, for the answer to his claim. He had to wait for some minutes, during which the Indians appeared to be consulting. It came at last.[227]
"The white man has lied," said the Indian sententiously. "The horse is ours."
"That's pretty cool, eh, Tom?" said Scott, provoked; not only by the denial of his claim, but by the charge of falsehood.
The Indian interpreter looked suspiciously from one to the other. He understood what "cool" meant, but was not familiar with the special sense in which Scott used it.
"I will prove that the horse is ours," said Scott. "Here, Dan!"
The horse whinnied, and tried to reach Scott, upon hearing his name pronounced.
"There," said Scott triumphantly15, "you see the horse knows me. I have not lied."
The speech was an imprudent one. Indians are not lawyers, but they understand the familiar saying, that "possession is nine points of the law." That the horse was a valuable one they understood; and they had no intention of parting with him. Still more, they looked with covetous16 eyes at the horses ridden by Scott and the boy, and they had already made up their minds to seize them also.[228]
"The white man is a magician," said the interpreter. "He has bewitched the horse. The horse is ours. He has always belonged to us."
"It's no use, Tom," said Scott. "They are bound to keep Dan, and I don't see how we can help it. We had better give him up, and get away if we can. All the same, the fellow is an outrageous17 liar14."
He spoke18 in a low voice, and the interpreter, though listening attentively19, did not quite catch what was said.
"I guess you are right," said Tom.
Scott turned to the interpreter.
"Well, if you think it is yours, squire20, I reckon you will keep it. So we'll say good morning, and go."
He pulled the rein, but the Indian at his bridle did not let go.
"Good morning, gentlemen," said Scott. "We are going."
"White man must stay," said the Indian interpreter decisively.
"Why?" demanded Scott impatiently.
"Well, by gosh; that's turning the tables[229] with a vengeance," ejaculated Scott. "They're rather ahead of white rogues21, Tom. Will you let the boy go?" he asked.
"White boy stay, too," answered the interpreter, after a brief reference to the leader of the Indian party.
"Tom," said Scott rapidly, and not appearing to be excited, lest his excitement should lead to suspicion, "none of them are mounted. Lash22 your horse, and tear from the grasp of the man that holds him; then follow me. It is our only chance."
"Give the signal," he said.
"One, two, three!" said Scott rapidly. Simultaneously24 both lashed25 their horses. The startled animals sprang forward. The grips of the Indians, who were not suspecting any attempts at escape, were already relaxed, and before they were fully6 aware of what was intended our two friends were galloping26 away.
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1
rein
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| n.疆绳，统治，支配；vt.以僵绳控制，统治 | |
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2
distinguished
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| adj.卓越的，杰出的，著名的 | |
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3
disturbance
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| n.动乱，骚动；打扰，干扰；(身心)失调 | |
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4
complicates
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| 使复杂化( complicate的第三人称单数 ) | |
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stoutly
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| adv.牢固地，粗壮的 | |
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6
fully
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| adv.完全地，全部地，彻底地；充分地 | |
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7
eminence
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| n.卓越，显赫；高地，高处；名家 | |
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8
savages
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| 未开化的人，野蛮人( savage的名词复数 ) | |
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savage
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| adj.野蛮的；凶恶的，残暴的；n.未开化的人 | |
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10
colloquy
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| n.谈话，自由讨论 | |
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11
bridle
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| n.笼头，束缚；vt.抑制，约束；动怒 | |
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12
peril
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| n.(严重的)危险；危险的事物 | |
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13
prudent
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| adj.谨慎的，有远见的，精打细算的 | |
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14
liar
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| n.说谎的人 | |
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15
triumphantly
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| ad.得意洋洋地；得胜地；成功地 | |
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16
covetous
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| adj.贪婪的，贪心的 | |
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17
outrageous
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| adj.无理的，令人不能容忍的 | |
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18
spoke
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| n.（车轮的）辐条；轮辐；破坏某人的计划；阻挠某人的行动 v.讲，谈（speak的过去式）；说；演说；从某种观点来说 | |
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19
attentively
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| adv.聚精会神地；周到地；谛；凝神 | |
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20
squire
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| n.护卫, 侍从, 乡绅 | |
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21
rogues
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| n.流氓( rogue的名词复数 )；无赖；调皮捣蛋的人；离群的野兽 | |
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22
lash
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| v.系牢；鞭打；猛烈抨击；n.鞭打；眼睫毛 | |
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23
falter
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| vi.(嗓音)颤抖，结巴地说；犹豫；蹒跚 | |
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24
simultaneously
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| adv.同时发生地，同时进行地 | |
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25
lashed
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| adj.具睫毛的v.鞭打( lash的过去式和过去分词 )；煽动；紧系；怒斥 | |
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26
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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