Despite common belief, the instinct of the Indian is not always sure, nor his intellect unerring. An instance of the contrary is afforded by the behaviour of the Tenawa chief and his subordinate Barbato.
About the buzzards both have been mistaken. The second flock seen by them is not hovering1 over a horse, but above an encampment of horsemen. Not correctly an encampment, but a halt en bivouac—where men have thrown themselves from their saddles, to snatch a hurried repast, and take quick consultation2 about continuing on.
They are all men, not a woman or child among them, bearded men with white skins, and wearing the garb4 of civilisation5. This not of the most fashionable kind or cut, nor are they all in the exact drew of civilised life. For many of them wear buckskin hunting shirts, fringed leggings, and moccasins; more a costume peculiar6 to the savage7. Besides these there are some in blanket-coats of red, green, and blue; all sweat-stained and dust-tarnished, till the colours nearly correspond. Others in Kentucky jeans, or copper-coloured homespun. Still others in sky-blue cottonade, product of the hand-mills of Attakapas. Boots, shoes, and brogans fabricated out of all kinds of leather; even that from the corrugated8 skin of the illigator. Hats of every shape, fashion, size, and material—straw, chip, Panama, wool, felt, silk, and beaver9.
In one respect they are all nearly alike—in their armour10 and accoutrements. All are belted, pouched11, and powder-horned. Each carries a bowie-knife and a revolving12 pistol—some two—and none are without a rifle. Besides this uniformity there are other points of resemblance—extending to a certain number. It is noticeable in their guns, which are jägers of the US army-brand. Equally apparent is the caparison of their horses; these carrying cavalry13 saddles, with peaks and cantles brass14 mounted. Among the men to whom these appertain there is a sort of half-military discipline, indicated by some slight deference15 shown to two or three, who appear to act with the authority of officers. It is, in fact, a troop—or, as by themselves styled, a “company”—of Texan Rangers17.
About one-half the band belongs to this organisation18. The others are the people of the plundered19 settlement—the fathers, brothers, and husbands, whom the Horned Lizard20 and his red robbers have bereft21 of daughters, sisters, and wives.
They are in pursuit of the despoilers; a chase commenced as soon as they could collect sufficient force to give it a chance of success. Luckily, a troop of Rangers, scouting22 in the neighbourhood, came opportunely23 along, just in time to join them. Soldiers and settlers united, they are now on the trail of the Tenawas, and have only halted to breathe and water their horses, eat some food themselves, and then on.
Not strange their hot haste—men whose homes have been made desolate24, their kindred carried into captivity25. Each has his own painful reflections. In that hour, at that very moment, his beloved wife, his delicate daughter, his fair sister, or sweetheart, may be struggling in the embrace of a brawny26 savage. No wonder that to them every hour seems a day, every minute an hour.
Though with a different motive27, not much less impatient are their associates in the pursuit—the Rangers. It chances to be a company especially rabid for defence against the incursions of the Tenawa tribe; and more than once baffled by these cunning red-skins, they are anxious to make up for past disappointment. Twice before have they followed the retreating trail of these same savages28, on both occasions returning foiled and empty-handed. And, now that they are again on it, with surer signs to guide them, the young men of the corps29 are mad to come up with the red marauders, while the elder ones are almost equally excited. Both resemble hounds in a hunt where the scent30 is hot—the young dogs dashing forward without check, the old ones alike eager, but moving with more circumspection31.
Between them and the settlers there is the same earnestness of purpose, though stimulated32 by resentment33 altogether different. The latter only think of rescuing their dear ones, while the former are stirred by soldier pride and the instinctive34 antagonism35 which a Texan Ranger16 feels for a Tenawa. Many of them have old scores to settle with the Horned Lizard, and more than one longs to send a bullet through his heart.
But, despite the general reckless impatience36 to proceed, there are some who counsel caution. Chief among those is a man named Cully, a thin wiry sexagenarian, who looks as if he had been at least half a century upon the prairies. All over buckskin, fitting tight to his body, without tag or tail, he is not one of the enrolled37 Rangers, though engaged to act as their guide. In this capacity he exercises an influence over the pursuers almost equalling that of their leader, the Ranger captain, who, with a group gathered around, is now questioning the guide as to the next move to be made.
“They can’t be very far off now,” replies Cully, in answer to the captain’s interrogatory. “All the signs show they passed this hyar point a good hour arter sun-up. The dew war off the grass as they druv over it, else the blades ’ud a been pressed flatter down. Besides, there’s the dead hoss they’ve left ahint. Ye see some o’ ’em’s cut out his tongue an’ tuk it along for a tit-bit at thar next campin’ place. Now, as the blood that kim out o’ the animal’s mouth ain’t been long cruddled up, thet shows to a sartinty they can’t be far forrad. I reck’n I know the adzact spot whar they’re squatted39.”
“Where?”
“Peecawn creek40. There they’ll get good water for thar stock, an’ the shade o’ trees to rest unner; the which last they’ll take to in this hottish spell o’ sun.”
“If they’re upon the Pecan,” puts in a third speaker, a tall, lathy individual, in a green blanket coat, badly faded, “and anywhere near its mouth, we can’t be more than five miles from them. I know this part of the country well. I passed through it last year along with the Santa Fé expedition.”
“Only five miles!” exclaims another man, whose dress bespeaks41 a planter of respectability, while his woe-begone countenance42 proclaims him to be one of the bereaved43. “Oh, gentlemen I surely our horses are now rested enough. Let us ride forward and fall upon them at once!”
“We’d be durned foolish to do so,” responded Cully. “Thet, Mr Wilton, ’ud be jest the way to defeet all our plans an’ purpisses. They’d see us long afore we ked git sight o’ them, an’ maybe in time to run off all the stolen hosses an’ cattle, but sartinly the keptyves.”
“What’s your way, Cully?” interrogates44 a lieutenant45 of the Rangers.
“My way air to wait till the sun go down, then steal torst ’m. Thar boun’ to hev fires, an’ thet’ll guide us right into thar camp. Ef it’s in the Peecawn bottom, as I’m pretty sure it air, we kin3 surround ’em eesy. Thar’s bluffs46 a-both sides, an’ we kin divide inter38 two lots—one slippin’ roun’ an’ comin’ from up the creek, while t’other approaches ’em from below. In thet way we’ll make sure o’ keepin’ ’em from runnin’ off the weemen; beside it’ll gie us the more likelier chance to make a good count o’ the redskin sculps.”
“What do you say, boys?” asks the Ranger captain, addressing himself more especially to the men composing his command.
“Cully’s right,” is the response from a majority of voices.
“Then we must stay here till night. If we go forward now, they may see us before we get within shooting distance. So you think, Cully, you can take up the trail at night, supposing it to be a dark one?”
“Pish!” retorts the old prairie-man, with a disdainful toss of his head.
“Take up the trail o’ a Tenawa Injun? I’d do that in the darkest night as iver shet down over a prairie. The skunks47! I ked smell the place they’d passed over.”
There is no further discussion. Cully’s opinion is all-powerful, and determines the course to be pursued. The halt intended to be temporary, is to continue till near sunset, despite expostulations, almost prayerful appeals, from those who have left desolate homes behind, and who burn with impatience to ride forward and rescue their captive kindred.
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1
hovering
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| 鸟( hover的现在分词 )； 靠近（某事物）； （人）徘徊； 犹豫 | |
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consultation
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| n.咨询；商量；商议；会议 | |
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kin
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| n.家族，亲属，血缘关系；adj.亲属关系的，同类的 | |
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garb
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| n.服装，装束 | |
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civilisation
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| n.文明，文化，开化，教化 | |
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6
peculiar
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| adj.古怪的，异常的；特殊的，特有的 | |
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7
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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8
corrugated
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| adj.波纹的；缩成皱纹的；波纹面的；波纹状的v.（使某物）起皱褶(corrugate的过去式和过去分词) | |
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beaver
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| n.海狸，河狸 | |
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armour
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| （=armor）n.盔甲；装甲部队 | |
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pouched
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| adj.袋形的，有袋的 | |
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revolving
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| adj.旋转的，轮转式的；循环的v.（使）旋转( revolve的现在分词 )；细想 | |
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13
cavalry
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| n.骑兵；轻装甲部队 | |
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brass
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| n.黄铜；黄铜器，铜管乐器 | |
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deference
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| n.尊重，顺从；敬意 | |
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ranger
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| n.国家公园管理员，护林员；骑兵巡逻队员 | |
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rangers
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| 护林者( ranger的名词复数 )； 突击队员 | |
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18
organisation
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| n.组织，安排，团体，有机休 | |
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19
plundered
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| 掠夺，抢劫( plunder的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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lizard
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| n.蜥蜴，壁虎 | |
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21
bereft
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| adj.被剥夺的 | |
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22
scouting
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| 守候活动，童子军的活动 | |
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opportunely
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| adv.恰好地，适时地 | |
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desolate
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| adj.荒凉的，荒芜的；孤独的，凄凉的；v.使荒芜，使孤寂 | |
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captivity
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| n.囚禁；被俘；束缚 | |
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brawny
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| adj.强壮的 | |
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motive
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| n.动机，目的；adv.发动的，运动的 | |
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28
savages
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| 未开化的人，野蛮人( savage的名词复数 ) | |
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29
corps
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| n.(通信等兵种的)部队；(同类作的)一组 | |
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30
scent
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| n.气味，香味，香水，线索，嗅觉；v.嗅，发觉 | |
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31
circumspection
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| n.细心，慎重 | |
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32
stimulated
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| a.刺激的 | |
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33
resentment
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| n.怨愤，忿恨 | |
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instinctive
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| adj.(出于)本能的；直觉的；(出于)天性的 | |
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antagonism
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| n.对抗，敌对，对立 | |
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36
impatience
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| n.不耐烦，急躁 | |
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37
enrolled
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| adj.入学登记了的v.[亦作enrol]( enroll的过去式和过去分词 )；登记，招收，使入伍（或入会、入学等），参加，成为成员；记入名册；卷起，包起 | |
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38
inter
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| v.埋葬 | |
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39
squatted
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| v.像动物一样蹲下( squat的过去式和过去分词 )；非法擅自占用（土地或房屋）；为获得其所有权；而占用某片公共用地。 | |
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40
creek
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| n.小溪，小河，小湾 | |
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41
bespeaks
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| v.预定( bespeak的第三人称单数 )；订（货）；证明；预先请求 | |
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42
countenance
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| n.脸色，面容；面部表情；vt.支持，赞同 | |
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43
bereaved
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| adj.刚刚丧失亲人的v.使失去（希望、生命等）( bereave的过去式和过去分词)；（尤指死亡）使丧失（亲人、朋友等）；使孤寂；抢走（财物） | |
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44
interrogates
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| n.询问( interrogate的名词复数 )；审问；（在计算机或其他机器上）查询v.询问( interrogate的第三人称单数 )；审问；（在计算机或其他机器上）查询 | |
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45
lieutenant
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| n.陆军中尉，海军上尉；代理官员，副职官员 | |
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46
bluffs
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| 恐吓( bluff的名词复数 )； 悬崖； 峭壁 | |
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47
skunks
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| n.臭鼬( skunk的名词复数 )；臭鼬毛皮；卑鄙的人；可恶的人 | |
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