Alone—The Result.
Everything now depended on speed. Not only was the dusky thief pushing his animals to the utmost, but Kit2 Carson knew he would give them little rest night or day. He was familiar with the route to California and the pursuit would be no child's play.
There could be no doubt, however, of the destination of the redskin, and Carson and his brave warrior3 were equally persistent4 with their horses. The ground flew beneath their hoofs6. Across the stretch of prairie, along the bank of the rushing streams, around the rocks, over mountains, through torrents7, they forced their way, with no thought of turning back or checking the speed of their animals. Occasionally the bright eyes of the pursuers glanced at the ground in front, when the displaced gravel8 or the indentation in the soft earth showed they had not lost the trail.
In this headlong fashion the friends galloped9 forward until they had placed a full hundred miles behind them. They were a long distance from home and camp, but in spite of the speed of the fugitive10, Carson was confident they had gained considerably11 upon him. If everything went well, they ought to catch sight of him on the morrow. At this juncture12, when the prospect13 was so encouraging, an unlooked for calamity occurred.
Carson's steed stood the great strain admirably, but the one bestrode by the Indian succumbed14. He suddenly slackened his pace, staggered and trembled so violently, that, when the warrior leaped from his back, he saw he was fearfully ill. If he did not die, he would not recover for hours and even then could not be forced hard.
Carson contemplated16 the situation with dismay. He had not counted on anything like this, and the help of the Indian was beyond all price to him. He was unusually strong, active and experienced, and would not hesitate to attack any person single handed.
Seeing the condition of the exhausted17 steed, Kit proposed to his dusky companion that he should abandon him and continue the pursuit on foot, but the brave shook his head. He was equal to the exploit of running ten or twenty miles at a high pace, but a great deal more was likely to be required and he needed all his powers when the shock of the battle should come. He not only refused to continue the chase, but, knowing the character of the thief, tried to dissuade18 Carson from going further. They had certainly done all that could be asked of them and no one could find fault if, in the face of such difficulty, they should withdraw and return to their friends.
"No," said Carson, "I have set out to recover those horses and nothing shall turn me back. I am sorry to lose you, but it can't be helped; so good bye and good luck attend you."
And putting spurs to his steed, he dashed over the trail with compressed lips and flashing eye, determined19 on running down the fugitive if he had to follow him to the bank of the Pacific itself. This single act of the famous mountaineer shows his character in its true light.
In the first place, it must be remembered that Kit Carson was a man of slight figure and was never noted20 for his strength. Many of his companions were much more powerful, though none was so quick and active in his movements. His wonderful success lay in his coolness, agility21, skill and bravery, which never "overleaped itself." As we have stated, he was below the medium stature22, and never could have attained23 a tithe24 of his renown25, had his muscular strength formed a necessary part of his requirements.
On the other hand, the Indian thief whom he was pursuing, was exceptionally powerful, athletic26 and one of the most desperate men on the whole frontier. He cared nothing for Carson, nor for any single member of the company he had left. He would expect pursuit and would be on the watch for it. Whenever he caught sight of those who were seeking him, he would not abandon the horses and flee. Far from it: he would stand his ground, and if his booty should be wrested27 from him the men who did it would be compelled to the fiercest kind of fight. He would not run from the attack of two or three persons: much less from one of the most insignificant28 men in the entire company.
The course of Carson illustrated29 another marked feature of his character—that of loyalty30 to his friends and resolution in carrying through any task he undertook. Where scarcely one man in a multitude would have pushed forward, he advanced without hesitation31. He deliberately32 resolved to attack a fierce criminal who was as fully15 armed as he, as daring and perfect in his knowledge of woodcraft, and much his superior in strength.
Carson had proven the mettle33 of his steed, and he now showed him no mercy. The trail indicated he was gaining rapidly and he was anxious to force matters to an issue before night. Among the horses the Indian was running off were one or two whose endurance was less than the others. Their tardiness34 moderated the pace of the rest, and thus gave Kit a chance of lessening35 the distance between him and the fugitive.
At the end of the ten miles he scanned the ground in front, but nothing was seen of the thief or his horses; but the hoof5 prints were fresh and the scout36 knew he was closer to him than at any time since the chase began. The flanks of his steed shone with perspiration37 and froth, but it would not do to lag now. The lips were compressed and the gray eye flashed fire as before.
Ten more miles were speedily thrown behind him, and he knew he was not far from the dusky desperado, who doubtless was continually glancing backward in quest of pursuers; but the keen vision which swept around every portion of the visible horizon, discovered no sign of the thief.
Carson anticipated some attempt on the part of the fugitive to confuse pursuit and he, therefore, watched the hoof prints more closely than ever. The eagle eye continually glanced from the ground to the country in front, and then to the right and left. Nothing escaped his vision, but when his foamy38 steed had thundered over another ten miles the fugitive was still beyond sight.
"He can't be far off," was the thought of Carson, "I'm bound to overtake him before long."
At that moment, he caught sight of the Indian galloping39 leisurely40 forward, amid the stolen horses. The cunning savage41, as the scout had suspected, was constantly on the alert, and detected Carson the same moment that he himself was discovered. Quick as a flash, he leaped from the back of his horses and started on a swift run for a clump42 of trees between him and his pursuer. The latter understood his purpose on the instant. If the Indian could secure the shelter of the grove43, he would have his enemy at his mercy; for not only would he be able to protect his body, while loading and firing, but Carson himself, being in an open space, would be without the slightest protection against his deadly aim.
Carson cocked his rifle and driving his spurs into the flanks of his high spirited steed, charged at full speed for the same shelter. Whoever should reach it first would be the master.
The Indian had much less distance to run, and was as fleet of foot as a deer. He bounded forward with such tremendous strides, that while the horseman was still some distance away, he plunged44 in among the trees; but for the last few seconds the foes45 had approached each other at a terrific pace, a result that was not only inevitable46, but desirable, to the pursuer.
The very second the savage arrived on the margin47 of the grove, he made a leap for the nearest tree from behind which he meant to shoot his enemy; but in the very act of doing so, he was smitten48 by his bullet. Without checking his animal in the slightest, Carson had aimed and fired.
The death screech49 of the savage rang out, as he leaped in the air and tumbled prostrate50 to the earth, killed by the shot that was unerring in its accuracy. The Indian himself was so near firing his gun, that his piece was also discharged, the ball whizzing harmlessly above the head of his pursuer. A couple of seconds delay on the part of Carson must have proved fatal to him, for the savage was a good marksman, and was standing51 still, with such a brief space intervening, that he could not have missed. It is hard to conceive of any escape more narrow than that of the daring mountaineer.
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1
calamity
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| n.灾害，祸患，不幸事件 | |
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kit
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| n.用具包，成套工具；随身携带物 | |
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warrior
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| n.勇士，武士，斗士 | |
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persistent
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| adj.坚持不懈的，执意的；持续的 | |
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hoof
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| n.(马，牛等的)蹄 | |
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hoofs
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| n.（兽的）蹄，马蹄( hoof的名词复数 )v.（兽的）蹄，马蹄( hoof的第三人称单数 ) | |
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7
torrents
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| n.倾注；奔流( torrent的名词复数 )；急流；爆发；连续不断 | |
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8
gravel
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| n.砂跞；砂砾层；结石 | |
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9
galloped
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| （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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fugitive
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| adj.逃亡的，易逝的；n.逃犯，逃亡者 | |
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11
considerably
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| adv.极大地；相当大地；在很大程度上 | |
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12
juncture
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| n.时刻，关键时刻，紧要关头 | |
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13
prospect
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| n.前景，前途；景色，视野 | |
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14
succumbed
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| 不再抵抗（诱惑、疾病、攻击等）( succumb的过去式和过去分词 )； 屈从； 被压垮； 死 | |
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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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16
contemplated
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| adj. 预期的 动词contemplate的过去分词形式 | |
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exhausted
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| adj.极其疲惫的，精疲力尽的 | |
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dissuade
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| v.劝阻，阻止 | |
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determined
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| adj.坚定的；有决心的 | |
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noted
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| adj.著名的，知名的 | |
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agility
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| n.敏捷，活泼 | |
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22
stature
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| n.（高度）水平，（高度）境界，身高，身材 | |
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23
attained
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| （通常经过努力）实现( attain的过去式和过去分词 )； 达到； 获得； 达到（某年龄、水平、状况） | |
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tithe
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| n.十分之一税；v.课什一税，缴什一税 | |
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renown
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| n.声誉，名望 | |
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athletic
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| adj.擅长运动的，强健的；活跃的，体格健壮的 | |
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wrested
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| （用力）拧( wrest的过去式和过去分词 )； 费力取得； （从…）攫取； （ 从… ） 强行取去… | |
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insignificant
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| adj.无关紧要的，可忽略的，无意义的 | |
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29
illustrated
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| adj. 有插图的，列举的 动词illustrate的过去式和过去分词 | |
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loyalty
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| n.忠诚，忠心 | |
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31
hesitation
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| n.犹豫，踌躇 | |
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32
deliberately
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| adv.审慎地；蓄意地；故意地 | |
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33
mettle
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| n.勇气，精神 | |
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34
tardiness
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| n.缓慢；迟延；拖拉 | |
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35
lessening
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| 减轻，减少，变小 | |
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scout
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| n.童子军，侦察员；v.侦察，搜索 | |
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perspiration
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| n.汗水；出汗 | |
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38
foamy
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| adj.全是泡沫的，泡沫的，起泡沫的 | |
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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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leisurely
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| adj.悠闲的；从容的，慢慢的 | |
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41
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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42
clump
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| n.树丛，草丛；vi.用沉重的脚步行走 | |
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grove
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| n.林子，小树林，园林 | |
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44
plunged
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| v.颠簸( plunge的过去式和过去分词 )；暴跌；骤降；突降 | |
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45
foes
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| 敌人，仇敌( foe的名词复数 ) | |
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46
inevitable
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| adj.不可避免的，必然发生的 | |
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margin
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| n.页边空白；差额；余地，余裕；边，边缘 | |
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48
smitten
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| 猛打，重击，打击( smite的过去分词 ) | |
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49
screech
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| n./v.尖叫；(发出)刺耳的声音 | |
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prostrate
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| v.拜倒，平卧，衰竭；adj.拜倒的，平卧的，衰竭的 | |
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51
standing
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| n.持续，地位；adj.永久的，不动的，直立的，不流动的 | |
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