Own—They Meet With Great Success—Is Engaged by Captain Lee—Carson's
Pursuit of an Indian Thief.
Kit1 Carson finally grew tired of wandering over the country without gaining sight of a beaver2. He proposed to two of his companions that they start on a private expedition of their own. They were as disgusted as he and eagerly agreed to the proposition.
The employers of the men commended the enterprise of the little company and gave them their best wishes. Cordial farewells were exchanged all around, and Kit and his comrades left the camp on their perilous3 errand.
On this occasion, as on innumerable other ones, Carson showed most excellent judgment4. His scheme was to keep entirely5 to the streams never once venturing upon the plains. Several advantages were likely to flow from this course. During the summer season the mountain Indians generally placed their women and children in charge of the old men and a few warriors6 and came down from their retreats to engage in hunting bison or in marching on the war path. Occasionally they are at peace with the Indians of the plains, which was a bad thing for the Mexican settlements, for they left a track of desolation among them.
Few of the trappers ventured far into the mountains, where game was abundant, so that Carson was confident of finding plenty of beavers8. In this he was not mistaken. The fur bearing animals seemed to be overrunning the country, while the Indians acted not only as if unaware9 of the fact but as if entirely ignorant of the little party of visitors, who, making hay while the sun shines, were not long in finding themselves with as large a supply as they could carry home.
This was the ordeal10 more to be dreaded11 than all the others. While on their way to the beaver runs, they had nothing to do beyond taking care of themselves; but now their valuable peltries were liable to be captured by the Indians, who could compel their abandonment by pressing the owners hard.
But extreme and altogether unexpected good fortune attended them, and they reached Taos, without receiving a scratch or losing a fur. They found on arriving at that quaint12 town, that there was great demand for peltries and prices were correspondingly high. They sold out their stock for a very liberal price, and Kit's friend, despite his advice, went on a carousal13 which soon squandered14 all their hard earned wages. Kit himself, however, had not lost the lesson he learned under somewhat similar circumstances, and he laid away his funds, against the proverbial rainy day.
By this time the character of Carson was fairly formed. He was resolute15, self reliant, sober, thoughtful, cool headed, wonderfully quick to grasp all the points of a situation, chivalrous16, agile17 as a panther, a perfect master of woodcraft, and withal, charmingly modest.
While Carson was in Taos, waiting for some favorable opening to present itself, he met Captain Lee, formerly18 of the United States Army, but who was then a member of the firm of Bent19 and St. Vrain, engaged for so many years in furnishing supplies to those who visited the mountains and plains. Captain Lee at that time was thus employed and knowing the value of a man like Carson, he made him so liberal an offer that he accepted it on the spot.
In the Autumn of 1832, with a train of mules21 loaded with such goods as were needed by trappers, Captain Lee, Carson and a number of men started northward22 to find their purchasers. They followed the well worn mule20 path leading from New Mexico to California and which had been known for years as the "Old Spanish Trail."
They reached White River without mishap23, and made their way down it until Green River was forded, when they struck across the country to Winty River, where they came upon a party of twenty hunters, who were engaged in trading and trapping as opportunity offered. They affiliated24 at once, for there is something in the presence of a common danger which draws men closely together.
The weather became very cold and snow began to fall. It was decided25, therefore, to go into winter quarters near the mouth of Winty River. There they erected26 skin lodges27, such as are used by many tribes of American Indians, and were content to wait the coming of spring.
The skill and address of Carson seemed to create a call for his services, no matter where he happened to be, and it was not long before he became involved in a most remarkable28 adventure.
Among the employees of the other party, was a shrewd civilized29 Indian, who was held in high regard by the whites on account of his native keenness, and who stood well in the confidence of his employer; but one day he disappeared, simultaneously30 with several of the very best horses. The circumstances were such that there could be no doubt the two occurrences were inseparably connected.
The loss was too serious to be borne, and the angered leader of the other company (though he had not the least claim upon young Carson), appealed to him to help him to recover his property. Carson said he was perfectly31 willing, provided Captain Lee would give his consent, and as the Captain was more willing to help his friend, he directed Carson to do as he saw fit.
The matchless hunter made sure his weapons were in the best order, and, mounting one of the fleetest horses in camp, he waved a merry farewell to his friends and galloped32 off. He had not ridden far when he turned off toward an Indian village, whose people were on friendly terms with the hunters, and, riding directly among the red men, whose lingo34 he understood, he asked for one of their bravest warriors to join him in hunting down a California Indian that had run off with their best horses.
Such a request coming from any other hunter would have received little notice; but those dusky barbarians35 not only knew Carson by name, but looked upon him as the greatest white warrior7 they had ever seen. He could have secured a score of braves had he wanted them, but he desired only one—a sinewy36, daring fellow whom he knew could be relied on in any emergency. This Indian required no more time than Carson himself to make ready, and, shortly after Kit's arrival in the village, he rode forth37 again with his faithful friend at his elbow.
It was impossible for the thief to conceal38 the trail of the stolen horses and he made no attempt to do so. A slight examination showed the pursuers that it led down the Green River, the general course being such that Carson was confident the thief was making for California—a long distance away.
As the fugitive39 was well mounted and all his horses were fleet, and as he must have been quite certain he would be pursued, he lost no time on the road. The trail showed he was going at a full gallop33, and, under the most favorable circumstances, the chase was sure to be a long one.
点击收听单词发音
1 kit | |
n.用具包,成套工具;随身携带物 | |
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2 beaver | |
n.海狸,河狸 | |
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3 perilous | |
adj.危险的,冒险的 | |
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4 judgment | |
n.审判;判断力,识别力,看法,意见 | |
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5 entirely | |
ad.全部地,完整地;完全地,彻底地 | |
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6 warriors | |
武士,勇士,战士( warrior的名词复数 ) | |
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7 warrior | |
n.勇士,武士,斗士 | |
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8 beavers | |
海狸( beaver的名词复数 ); 海狸皮毛; 棕灰色; 拼命工作的人 | |
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9 unaware | |
a.不知道的,未意识到的 | |
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10 ordeal | |
n.苦难经历,(尤指对品格、耐力的)严峻考验 | |
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11 dreaded | |
adj.令人畏惧的;害怕的v.害怕,恐惧,担心( dread的过去式和过去分词) | |
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12 quaint | |
adj.古雅的,离奇有趣的,奇怪的 | |
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13 carousal | |
n.喧闹的酒会 | |
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14 squandered | |
v.(指钱,财产等)浪费,乱花( squander的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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15 resolute | |
adj.坚决的,果敢的 | |
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16 chivalrous | |
adj.武士精神的;对女人彬彬有礼的 | |
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17 agile | |
adj.敏捷的,灵活的 | |
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18 formerly | |
adv.从前,以前 | |
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19 bent | |
n.爱好,癖好;adj.弯的;决心的,一心的 | |
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20 mule | |
n.骡子,杂种,执拗的人 | |
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21 mules | |
骡( mule的名词复数 ); 拖鞋; 顽固的人; 越境运毒者 | |
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22 northward | |
adv.向北;n.北方的地区 | |
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23 mishap | |
n.不幸的事,不幸;灾祸 | |
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24 affiliated | |
adj. 附属的, 有关连的 | |
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25 decided | |
adj.决定了的,坚决的;明显的,明确的 | |
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26 ERECTED | |
adj. 直立的,竖立的,笔直的 vt. 使 ... 直立,建立 | |
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27 lodges | |
v.存放( lodge的第三人称单数 );暂住;埋入;(权利、权威等)归属 | |
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28 remarkable | |
adj.显著的,异常的,非凡的,值得注意的 | |
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29 civilized | |
a.有教养的,文雅的 | |
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30 simultaneously | |
adv.同时发生地,同时进行地 | |
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31 perfectly | |
adv.完美地,无可非议地,彻底地 | |
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32 galloped | |
(使马)飞奔,奔驰( gallop的过去式和过去分词 ); 快速做[说]某事 | |
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33 gallop | |
v./n.(马或骑马等)飞奔;飞速发展 | |
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34 lingo | |
n.语言不知所云,外国话,隐语 | |
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35 barbarians | |
n.野蛮人( barbarian的名词复数 );外国人;粗野的人;无教养的人 | |
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36 sinewy | |
adj.多腱的,强壮有力的 | |
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37 forth | |
adv.向前;向外,往外 | |
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38 conceal | |
v.隐藏,隐瞒,隐蔽 | |
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39 fugitive | |
adj.逃亡的,易逝的;n.逃犯,逃亡者 | |
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