“Vamos, Lolita! hold up, my pretty pet! Two leagues more, and you shall bury that velvet1 snout of yours in the soft gramma grass, and cool your heated hoof2 in a crystal stream. Ay, and you shall have a half peck of pinon nuts for your supper, I promise you. You have done well to-day, but don’t let us get belated. At night, as you know, we might be lost on the Llano, and the wicked wolves eat us both up. That would be a sad thing, mia yegua. We must not let them have a chance to dispose of us in that manner. Adelante!”
Lolita is a mustang pony3 of clear chestnut4 colour, with white mane and tail; while the person thus apostrophising her is a young girl seated astride upon its back.
A beautiful girl, apparently5 under twenty of age, but with a certain commanding mien6 that gives her the appearance of being older. Her complexion7, though white, has a tinge8 of that golden brown, or olive, oft observed in the Andalusian race; while scimitar shaped eyebrows9, with hair of silken texture10, black as the shadows of night, and a dark down on the upper lip, plainly proclaim the Moorish11 admixture.
It is a face of lovely cast and almost Grecian contour, with features of classic regularity12; while the absence of obliquity13 in the orbs14 of the eye—despite the dusky hue15 of her akin—forbids the belief in Indian blood.
Although in a part of the world where such might be expected, there is, in truth, not a taint16 of it in her veins17. The olivine tint18 is Hispano Moriscan—a complexion, if not more beautiful, certainly more picturesque19 than that of the Saxon blonde.
With the damask-red dancing out upon her cheeks, her eyes aglow20 from the equestrian21 exercise she has been taking, the young girl looks the picture of physical health; while the tranquil22 expression upon her features tells of mental contentment.
Somewhat singular is her costume, as the equipment. As already said, she bestrides her mustang man-fashion, the mode of Mexico; while a light fowling-piece, suspended en bandoulière, hangs down behind her back.
A woollen seraph23 of finest wool lies scarf-like across her left shoulder, half concealing24 a velveteen vest or spencer, close-buttoned over the rounded hemispheres of her bosom25. Below, an embroidered26 skirt—the enagua—is continued by a pair of white calzoncillas, with fringe falling over her small feet, they are booted and spurred.
On her head is a hat of soft vicuna wool, with a band of bullion27, a bordering of gold lace around the rim28, and a plume29 of heron’s feather curving above the crown.
This, with her attitude on horseback, might seem outré in the eyes of a stranger to the customs of her country. The gun and its concomitant accoutrements give her something of a masculine appearance, and at the first glance might cause her to be mistaken for a man—a beardless youth.
But the long silken tresses scattered30 loosely over her shoulders, the finely-cut features, the delicate texture of the skin, the petticoat skirt, the small hand, with slender tapering31 fingers stretched forward to caress32 the neck of the mustang mare33, are signs of femininity not to be misunderstood.
A woman—a huntress; the character clearly proclaimed by a brace34 of hounds—large dogs of the mastiff bloodhound breed—following at the heels of the horse. And a huntress who has been successful in the chase—as proved by two prong-horn antelopes36, with shanks tied together, lying like saddle-bags across the croup.
The mustang mare needs no spur beyond the sound of that sweet well-known voice. At the word adelante (forward) she pricks37 up her ears, gives a wave of her snow-white tail, and breaks into a gentle canter, the hounds loping after in long-stretching trot38.
For about ten minutes is this pace continued; when a bird flying athwart the course, so close that its wings almost brush Lolita’s muzzle39, causes her rider to lean back in the saddle and check her suddenly up.
The bird is a black vulture—a zopiloté. It is not slowly soaring in the usual way, but shooting in a direct line, and swiftly as an arrow sent from the bow.
This it is that brings the huntress to a halt; and for a time she remained motionless, her eye following the vulture in its flight.
It is seen to join a flock of its fellows, so far off as to look like specks40. The young girl can perceive that they are not flying in any particular direction, but swooping41 in circles, as if over some quarry42 that lies below. Whatever it is, they do not appear to have yet touched it. All keep aloft, none of them alighting on the ground, though at times stooping down, and skimming close to the tops of the sage43-bushes with which the plain is thickly beset44.
These last prevent the huntress from seeing what lies upon the ground; though she knows there must be something to have attracted the concourse of zopilotés. Evidently she has enough knowledge of the desert to understand its signs, and this is one of a significant character. It not only challenges curiosity, but calls for investigation45.
“Something gone down yonder, and not yet dead?” she mutters, in interrogative soliloquy. “I wonder what it can be! I never look on those filthy46 birds without fear. Santissima! how they made me shudder47 that time when they flapped their black wings in my own face! I pity any poor creature threatened by them—even where it but a coyoté. It may be that, or an antelope35. Nothing else likely to become their prey48 on this bare plain. Come, Lolita! let us go on and see what they’re after. It will take us a little out of our way, and give you some extra work. You won’t mind that, my pet? I know you won’t.”
The mare wheels round at a slight pressure upon the rein49; and then commenced her canter in the direction of the soaring flock.
A mile is passed over, and the birds are brought near; but still the object attracting them cannot be seen. It may be down among the artemisias, or perhaps behind a large yucca, whose dark whorl rises several feet above the sage, and over which the vultures are wheeling.
As the rider of Lolita arrives within gun-shot distance of the yucca-tree she checks the mustang to a slower pace—to a walk in short. In the spectacle of death, in the throes and struggles of an expiring creature, even though it be but a dumb brute50, there is something that never fails to excite commiseration51, mingled52 with a feeling of awe53. This last has come over the young girl, as she draws near the spot where the birds are seen circling.
It has not occurred to her that the cause of their presence may be a human being, though it is a remembrance of this kind that now prompts her to ride forward reflectively. For once in her life, with others around her who were near and dear, she has been herself an object of like eager solicitude54 to a flock of zopilotés.
But she has not the slightest suspicion of its being a human creature that causes their gathering55 now. There, upon the Llano Estacado, so rarely trodden by human feet, and even shunned56 by almost every species of animal, she could not.
As she draws still nearer, a black disc, dimly outlined against the dark green leaves of the yucca, upon scrutiny57, betrays the form of a bird, itself a vulture. It is dead, impaled58 upon the sharp spikes59 of the plant, as it came there by falling from above.
A smile curls upon her lips as she sits regarding it.
“So, yegua!” she says, bringing the mare to a stand, and half-turning her. “I’ve been losing my time and you your labour. The abominable60 birds—it’s only one of themselves that has dropped dead, and they’re holding a velorio over it.”
She continues, again facing towards the dead vulture.
“Now, I wonder if they are only waking it, or if the wakers are cannibals, and intend making a repast on one of their own kind. That would be a curious fact for our natural historian, Don Prospero. Suppose we stay awhile and see?”
For a moment she seems undecided as to staying or going. Only for a moment, when an incident occurs that changes the current of her thoughts from scientific curiosity to something of fear.
The bloodhounds that have lagged behind in the scurry61 across the plain, now close up; and, instead of stopping by the side of Lolita, rush on towards the yucca. It is not the odour of the dead buzzard—strong as that may be—that attracts them; but the scent62 of what is more congenial to their sanguinary instincts.
On arriving at the tree they run round to its opposite side; and then spring growling63 back, as if something they have encountered there has suddenly brought them to bay.
“A wounded bear or wolf!” is the muttered reflection of their mistress.
It has scarce passed her lips, when she is made aware of her mistake. Above the continued baying of the dogs she can distinguish the tones of a human voice; and at the same instant, a man’s head and arm appear above the spikes of the plant—a hand clutching the hilt of a long-bladed knife!
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1
velvet
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| n.丝绒，天鹅绒；adj.丝绒制的，柔软的 | |
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2
hoof
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| n.(马，牛等的)蹄 | |
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pony
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| adj.小型的；n.小马 | |
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chestnut
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| n.栗树，栗子 | |
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apparently
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| adv.显然地；表面上，似乎 | |
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mien
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| n.风采；态度 | |
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7
complexion
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| n.肤色；情况，局面；气质，性格 | |
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8
tinge
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| vt.(较淡)着色于，染色；使带有…气息；n.淡淡色彩，些微的气息 | |
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eyebrows
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| 眉毛( eyebrow的名词复数 ) | |
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texture
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| n.(织物)质地；(材料)构造；结构；肌理 | |
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11
moorish
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| adj.沼地的，荒野的，生[住]在沼地的 | |
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regularity
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| n.规律性，规则性；匀称，整齐 | |
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obliquity
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| n.倾斜度 | |
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orbs
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| abbr.off-reservation boarding school 在校寄宿学校n.球，天体，圆形物( orb的名词复数 ) | |
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15
hue
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| n.色度；色调；样子 | |
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16
taint
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| n.污点；感染；腐坏；v.使感染；污染 | |
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17
veins
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| n.纹理；矿脉( vein的名词复数 )；静脉；叶脉；纹理 | |
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18
tint
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| n.淡色，浅色；染发剂；vt.着以淡淡的颜色 | |
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19
picturesque
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| adj.美丽如画的，（语言）生动的，绘声绘色的 | |
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20
aglow
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| adj.发亮的；发红的；adv.发亮地 | |
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equestrian
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| adj.骑马的；n.马术 | |
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22
tranquil
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| adj. 安静的, 宁静的, 稳定的, 不变的 | |
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23
seraph
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| n.六翼天使 | |
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24
concealing
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| v.隐藏，隐瞒，遮住( conceal的现在分词 ) | |
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25
bosom
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| n.胸，胸部；胸怀；内心；adj.亲密的 | |
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embroidered
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| adj．绣花的 | |
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bullion
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| n.金条，银条 | |
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rim
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| n.(圆物的)边，轮缘；边界 | |
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29
plume
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| n.羽毛；v.整理羽毛，骚首弄姿，用羽毛装饰 | |
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30
scattered
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| adj.分散的，稀疏的；散步的；疏疏落落的 | |
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tapering
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| adj.尖端细的 | |
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32
caress
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| vt./n.爱抚，抚摸 | |
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mare
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| n.母马，母驴 | |
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34
brace
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| n. 支柱,曲柄,大括号; v. 绷紧,顶住,(为困难或坏事)做准备 | |
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35
antelope
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| n.羚羊；羚羊皮 | |
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antelopes
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| 羚羊( antelope的名词复数 )； 羚羊皮革 | |
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37
pricks
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| 刺痛( prick的名词复数 )； 刺孔； 刺痕； 植物的刺 | |
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38
trot
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| n.疾走，慢跑；n.老太婆；现成译本；(复数）trots:腹泻（与the 连用）；v.小跑，快步走，赶紧 | |
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39
muzzle
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| n.鼻口部；口套；枪(炮)口；vt.使缄默 | |
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40
specks
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| n.眼镜；斑点，微粒，污点( speck的名词复数 ) | |
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41
swooping
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| 俯冲，猛冲( swoop的现在分词 ) | |
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42
quarry
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| n.采石场；v.采石；费力地找 | |
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43
sage
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| n.圣人，哲人；adj.贤明的，明智的 | |
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44
beset
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| v.镶嵌；困扰，包围 | |
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45
investigation
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| n.调查，调查研究 | |
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46
filthy
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| adj.卑劣的；恶劣的，肮脏的 | |
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47
shudder
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| v.战粟，震动，剧烈地摇晃；n.战粟，抖动 | |
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48
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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49
rein
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| n.疆绳，统治，支配；vt.以僵绳控制，统治 | |
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50
brute
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| n.野兽，兽性 | |
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51
commiseration
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| n.怜悯，同情 | |
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52
mingled
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| 混合，混入( mingle的过去式和过去分词 )； 混进，与…交往[联系] | |
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53
awe
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| n.敬畏，惊惧；vt.使敬畏，使惊惧 | |
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54
solicitude
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| n.焦虑 | |
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55
gathering
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| n.集会，聚会，聚集 | |
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56
shunned
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| v.避开，回避，避免( shun的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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57
scrutiny
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| n.详细检查，仔细观察 | |
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58
impaled
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| 钉在尖桩上( impale的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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59
spikes
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| n.穗( spike的名词复数 )；跑鞋；（防滑）鞋钉；尖状物v.加烈酒于( spike的第三人称单数 )；偷偷地给某人的饮料加入（更多）酒精（ 或药物）；把尖状物钉入；打乱某人的计划 | |
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60
abominable
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| adj.可厌的，令人憎恶的 | |
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61
scurry
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| vi.急匆匆地走；使急赶；催促；n.快步急跑，疾走；仓皇奔跑声；骤雨，骤雪；短距离赛马 | |
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62
scent
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| n.气味，香味，香水，线索，嗅觉；v.嗅，发觉 | |
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63
growling
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| n.吠声, 咆哮声 v.怒吠, 咆哮, 吼 | |
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