The head man, Caleb Barnwell, had some odd socialistic theories, which, antedating2 as they did the theories of Bellamy, were not likely to thrive very well upon New England soil, and he pursuaded his friends to go with him, under the belief that the spot selected was one where they would have full opportunity to increase and multiply, as did the Mormons during their early days at Salt Lake. Then, too, there was some reason to suspect that rumors3 had reached the ears of Barnwell of the existence of gold and silver along this river, and it was said that he had hinted as much to those whom he believed he could trust. Be that as it may, the score of families reached the valley of the Upper Pecos in due time, and the settlement was begun and duly christened New Boston.
“How long do yer s'pose you folks are goin' to stay yer? Why, just long enough for Lone4 Wolf to hear tell that you've arriv, and he'll down here and clear you out quicker'n lightning.”
This was the characteristic observation made by the old scout5, hunter and guide, Sut Simpson, as he reined6 up his mustang to chat awhile with the new-comers, whom he looked upon as the greatest lunk-heads that he had ever encountered in all of his rather eventful experience. He had never seen them before; but he did not care for that, as he had the frankness of a frontiersman and never stood upon ceremony in the slightest degree.
“Did you ever hear tell of Lone Wolf?” he continued, as a group, including nearly the entire population, gathered about the veteran of the plains. “I say, war any of you ever introduced to that American gentleman?”
He looked around, from face to face, but no one responded. Whenever he fixed7 his eye upon any individual, that one shook his head to signify that he knew nothing of the Apache chief whose name he had just mentioned.
“What I meant to say,” he continued, “is that any of you have got any yearnin' toward Lone Wolf, feeling as if your heart would break if you did n't get a chance to throw your arms about him, why, you need n't feel bad, 'cause you'll get the chance.”
There was a significance in these words which made it plain to every one of those who were looking up in the scarred face of the hunter. As they were spoken, he winked9 one of his eyes and cocked his head to one side, in a fashion that made the words still more impressive. As Sut looked about the group, his gaze was attracted by two figures—a man and a boy. The former was an Irishman—his nationality being evident at the first glance—while the latter seemed about fourteen years of age, with a bright, intelligent face, a clear, rosy10, healthy complexion11, and a keen eye that was fixed steadily12 and inquiringly upon the horseman who was giving utterance13 to such valuable information. The hunter was attracted by both, especially as he saw from their actions that they were friends and companions. There was something in the honest face of the Irishman which won him, while the lad by his side would have carried his way almost anywhere upon the score of his looks alone.
As the entire group were gazing up in the face of the scout, he spoke8 to them all, although, in reality, his words were now directed more at the two referred to than at the others. When he had completed the words given, there was silence for a moment, and then Mickey O'Rooney, the Irishman, recovered his wits. Stepping forward a couple of paces, he addressed their visitor.
“From the manner of your discourse14, I judge that you're acquainted with the American gentleman that you've just referred to as Mr. Lone Wolf?”
“I rather reckon I am,” replied Sut, with another of his peculiar15 grins. “Me and the Wolf have met semi-occasionally for the past ten years, and I carry a few remembrances of his love, that I expect to keep on carrying to my grave.”
As he spoke, he laid his finger upon a cicatrized wound upon his cheek, a frightful16 scar several inches in length, and evidently made by a tomahawk. It ran from the temple to the base of the nose, and was scarcely concealed17 by the luxuriant grizzled beard that grew almost to his eyes.
“That's only one,” said Sut. “Here's another that mebbe you can see.”
This time he removed his coon-skin hunting-cap and bending his head down, he parted the hair with his long, horny fingers, so that all saw very distinctly the scar of a wound that must have endangered the life of the recipient18.
“I've got half a dozen other scars strung here and there about my body, the most of which was made by that lonely Apache chief that is called Lone Wolf; so I reckon you'll conclude that he and me have some acquaintance. Oh! we was as lovin' as a couple of brothers!”
Mickey O'Rooney lifted his cap, and scratched his red head in a puzzled way, as if he were debating some weighty matter. Suddenly looking up, he asked:
“Was this Mr. Wolf born in these parts?”
“I can't say, precisely19, where he first seed the light, but it must have been somewhere round about this part of the world. Why did you ax?”
“I was thinking p'raps he was born in Ireland, and came to this country when he was of tender age. I once knowed a Mr. Fox, whose petaty patch was so close to ours, that the favorite amoosement of me respected parents was flingin' the petaties over into our field by moonlight. His name was Fox, I say, but I never knowed anybody by the name of Wolf.”
“He's a screamer,” continued Sut Simpson, who seemed to enjoy talking of such a formidable foe20. “The Comanches and Apaches sling21 things loose in these parts, an' the wonder to me is how you ever got this fur without losing your top-knots, for you've had to come right through their country.”
“We have had encounters with the red men times without number,” said Caleb Barnwell, who was standing22 erect23, with arms folded, looking straight at the hunter. He spoke in a deep, rich, bass24 voice, recalling the figures of the early Puritans, who were unappalled by the dangers of the ocean and forest, when the question of liberty of conscience was at stake. “We have encountered the red men time and again,” he continued, “so that I may conclude that we have become acclimated25, as they say, and understand the nature of the American Indian very well.”
Sut Simpson shook his head with a displeased26 expression.
“If you'd understood Injin nature, you'd never come here to settle. You might have gone through the country on your way to some other place, for, when you're on the way, you can keep a lookout27 for the varmints; but you've undertook to settle down right in the heart of the Apache country, and that's what I call the biggest piece of tom-foolery that was ever knowed.”
This kind of talk might have discouraged ordinary people, but Barnwell and his companions had long since become accustomed to it. They had learned to brave ridicule28 before leaving their homes, and they classed the expressions of the hunters who had called upon them with the utterances29 of those who failed to “look into the future.”
“We were not the dunces to suppose that this was a promised land, in which there were no giants to dispossess,” replied Barnwell, in the same dignified30 manner. “Our fathers had to fight the Indians, and we are prepared to do the same.”
Sut Simpson had no patience with this sort of talk, and he threw up his head with an impatient gesture.
“Did you ever toss a hunk of buffler meat to a hungry hound, and seen how nice he'd catch it in his jaws31, and gulp32 it down without winkin', and then he'd lick his chops, and look up and whine33 for more. Wal, that's just the fix you folks are in. Lone Wolf and his men will swallow you down without winkin', and then be mad that there ain't somethin' left to squinch thar hunger.”
As the hunter uttered this significant warning, he gathered up the reins34 of his mustang and rode away.
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收听单词发音
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1
hardy
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| adj.勇敢的，果断的，吃苦的；耐寒的 | |
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2
antedating
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| v.（在历史上）比…为早( antedate的现在分词 )；先于；早于；（在信、支票等上）填写比实际日期早的日期 | |
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3
rumors
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| n.传闻( rumor的名词复数 )；[古]名誉；咕哝；[古]喧嚷v.传闻( rumor的第三人称单数 )；[古]名誉；咕哝；[古]喧嚷 | |
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4
lone
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| adj.孤寂的，单独的；唯一的 | |
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5
scout
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| n.童子军，侦察员；v.侦察，搜索 | |
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6
reined
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| 勒缰绳使（马）停步( rein的过去式和过去分词 )； 驾驭； 严格控制； 加强管理 | |
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7
fixed
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| adj.固定的，不变的，准备好的；(计算机)固定的 | |
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8
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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9
winked
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| v.使眼色( wink的过去式和过去分词 )；递眼色（表示友好或高兴等）；（指光）闪烁；闪亮 | |
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10
rosy
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| adj.美好的，乐观的，玫瑰色的 | |
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11
complexion
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| n.肤色；情况，局面；气质，性格 | |
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12
steadily
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| adv.稳定地；不变地；持续地 | |
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13
utterance
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| n.用言语表达，话语，言语 | |
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14
discourse
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| n.论文，演说；谈话；话语；vi.讲述，著述 | |
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15
peculiar
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| adj.古怪的，异常的；特殊的，特有的 | |
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16
frightful
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| adj.可怕的；讨厌的 | |
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17
concealed
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| a.隐藏的，隐蔽的 | |
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18
recipient
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| a.接受的,感受性强的 n.接受者,感受者,容器 | |
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19
precisely
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| adv.恰好，正好，精确地，细致地 | |
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20
foe
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| n.敌人，仇敌 | |
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21
sling
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| vt.扔；悬挂；n.挂带；吊索，吊兜；弹弓 | |
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22
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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23
erect
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| n./v.树立，建立，使竖立；adj.直立的，垂直的 | |
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24
bass
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| n.男低音(歌手)；低音乐器；低音大提琴 | |
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25
acclimated
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| v.使适应新环境，使服水土服水土，适应( acclimate的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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26
displeased
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| a.不快的 | |
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27
lookout
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| n.注意，前途，瞭望台 | |
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28
ridicule
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| v.讥讽，挖苦；n.嘲弄 | |
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29
utterances
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| n.发声( utterance的名词复数 )；说话方式；语调；言论 | |
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30
dignified
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| a.可敬的，高贵的 | |
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31
jaws
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| n.口部；嘴 | |
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32
gulp
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| vt.吞咽，大口地吸（气）；vi.哽住；n.吞咽 | |
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33
whine
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| v.哀号，号哭；n.哀鸣 | |
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34
reins
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| 感情，激情； 缰( rein的名词复数 )； 控制手段； 掌管； （成人带着幼儿走路以防其走失时用的）保护带 | |
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