Lone Wolf was so exasperated5 at his treatment that he hovered6 around for a short time with his entire force, in the hope of balancing accounts with his old enemy. But he soon saw, however, the utter impossibility of that in the present shape of things, and so he summoned all his warriors together and moved off in a northerly direction, his purpose being, as the hunter said, to return with a force which would prove itself invincible7.
Fred expected to be handed back to the redoubtable8 chieftain, who, he supposed, would subject him to the most cruel kind of treatment; but that worthy9 did not seem desirous of receiving his charge back again and permitted him to remain with his deputy. The lad did not know whether to be pleased by this or not; for his custodian10 was the most repulsive11 looking being he had ever seen. He was deeply pitted with smallpox12, and the enormous nose which he had once possessed13 had been splintered by a blow from a tomahawk, so that in no respect at all did it resemble that useful and ornamental14 organ. There was an enormous breadth, too, between the eyes, or rather temples, the face tapering15 down to the chin so rapidly that the contour from the front suggested the shape of a wedge.
An Indian almost invariably has good teeth but the mouth of the one in question was filled with snags that projected in every direction; his chin was excessively retreating, and, to add to it all, his countenance16 was daubed with different colored paint, in such fantastic streakings that an Adonis himself would have appeared hideous17. Such was the jailer of Fred, who heard him addressed once or twice by a name which sounded to him as if it were Waukko.
He was, in fact, one of the most famous warriors of the Jiccarilla Apaches, his fame depending as much upon his cruelty as upon his prowess. There are legends in the southwest crediting Lone Wolf with having shown some slight signs of mercy on one or two occasions, but nothing of the kind was ever said of his lieutenant18, Waukko, who brained the innocent babe with the same demon-like enjoyment19 that he silenced the pleadings of old age and blooming womanhood. Fred, as a matter of course, knew nothing of these characteristics; but the appearance of the redskin himself was so repulsive that he could not look at him without a shudder20 of terror.
The lad sat on the blanket directly in front of Waukko, who held him in place by passing his arm about him. Such was his position when the entire company headed northward21, and struck into a sweeping22 gallop23.
It was comparatively early in the evening when the start was made, and the flight was continued without interruption through the night, the horses scarcely ever varying from that same everlasting24 canter.
The novelty of his situation, and the interest which Fred felt as to what was to be done with him in the end kept him wide awake for a time, and he indulged in all sorts of surmises25 and conjectures26. Without brother or sister, and with only one parent, his father, to whom he was deeply attached, his greatest suffering was the thought of the sorrow that would be his father's when he should come to know the dreadful fate of his only son.
Such were his thoughts when he had no hope of ever seeing him again; but when he reflected that Mickey O'Rooney was still absent from the settlement, and that Sut Simpson was likely to take up the hunt, a strong hope arose within his breast and encouraged him to believe that he might escape from the Apaches.
“Ah, if I only had my handsome Hurricane here!” he murmured, as he recalled the figure of his sinewy27 and symmetrical steed. “Once on his back and with a clear field before me, all the Indians in the Southwest could n't catch me. If the hunter would only think to bring him along, it would help a good deal, but I don't suppose he will.”
Then his thoughts wandered away to his father, and the tears came to his eyes and the sorrow lurked28 deep in his heart, nourished by the thought that very likely they would never meet again, and his father's lonely heart would be sorrowful all the rest of his life as he thought of how his only child had been murdered by the Apaches.
The steady sinking and rising of the Indian's horse gradually became monotonous29, and, after a time, the boy's nodding head drooped30, and Waukko knew, from the pressure against his breast, that his captive was asleep. Could he have had his way, he would have strangled the life out of him as he lay thus unconscious, but he was carrying him for Lone Wolf, the chief, and he dare not disobey him.
It is not often that the sleeper31 rests his head upon the bosom32 of his enemy, yet such was the case in the present instance. The swaying, rocking motion of the bed of Fred Munson not only lulled33 him to sleep, but retained him in as sweet and dreamless slumber34 as though he were resting upon his bed at home, where no thought of the treacherous35 Indian ever entered his head.
The red-skin sat his steed like a statue. Lone Wolf had entrusted36 the young captive to his charge, and he would hold him responsible for his safe deliverance, that was all. He might have slept for twenty-four hours, using his scarred and evil chest as a pillow, without protest from him.
When at last Fred opened his eyes, it was several minutes before he recalled his situation. It was just beginning to grow light, and when he saw the figures of horses with their riders he remembered the scene of the night before. When he turned his head and saw the horrid37 face of Waukko, no doubt then remained of where he was. But he looked upon a far different scene from that upon which he had closed his eyes.
Instead of being upon the broad, sweeping prairie, he was among the mountains. They towered upon every hand, and the war party had halted in a sort of canon or valley, where they seemed shut out from the outer world.
“Where are we?” asked Fred, thinking it polite to open a conversation with his guardian38, with a view of conciliating him; but the red-skin did not seem to be in a mood for conversation, or it may be that he did not possess a very profound knowledge of the English tongue, for he made no reply.
After a time, the lad ventured upon another modest remark, but receiving no attention, he concluded it hardly worth his while to attempt to work any further in that direction, and he gave over the effort.
As soon as the halt was made, Lone Wolf gave a sort of address to his warriors, which Fred believed to be a sort of harangue39, intended to incite40 them to deeds of greater daring than any they had as yet shown. The red-skins became much excited, and answered his appeals with angry shouts, grunts41 and gestures. No doubt, had he chosen to lead them, they would have rushed back to a second attack upon New Boston, without the addition of another warrior4 to their number. The oratory42 of Lone Wolf was not very graceful43, but it was very effective. He knew how to appeal to his followers44 in a way that went directly to their hearts.
点击收听单词发音
1 savage | |
adj.野蛮的;凶恶的,残暴的;n.未开化的人 | |
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2 lone | |
adj.孤寂的,单独的;唯一的 | |
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3 warriors | |
武士,勇士,战士( warrior的名词复数 ) | |
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4 warrior | |
n.勇士,武士,斗士 | |
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5 exasperated | |
adj.恼怒的 | |
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6 hovered | |
鸟( hover的过去式和过去分词 ); 靠近(某事物); (人)徘徊; 犹豫 | |
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7 invincible | |
adj.不可征服的,难以制服的 | |
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8 redoubtable | |
adj.可敬的;可怕的 | |
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9 worthy | |
adj.(of)值得的,配得上的;有价值的 | |
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10 custodian | |
n.保管人,监护人;公共建筑看守 | |
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11 repulsive | |
adj.排斥的,使人反感的 | |
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12 smallpox | |
n.天花 | |
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13 possessed | |
adj.疯狂的;拥有的,占有的 | |
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14 ornamental | |
adj.装饰的;作装饰用的;n.装饰品;观赏植物 | |
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15 tapering | |
adj.尖端细的 | |
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16 countenance | |
n.脸色,面容;面部表情;vt.支持,赞同 | |
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17 hideous | |
adj.丑陋的,可憎的,可怕的,恐怖的 | |
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18 lieutenant | |
n.陆军中尉,海军上尉;代理官员,副职官员 | |
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19 enjoyment | |
n.乐趣;享有;享用 | |
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20 shudder | |
v.战粟,震动,剧烈地摇晃;n.战粟,抖动 | |
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21 northward | |
adv.向北;n.北方的地区 | |
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22 sweeping | |
adj.范围广大的,一扫无遗的 | |
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23 gallop | |
v./n.(马或骑马等)飞奔;飞速发展 | |
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24 everlasting | |
adj.永恒的,持久的,无止境的 | |
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25 surmises | |
v.臆测,推断( surmise的第三人称单数 );揣测;猜想 | |
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26 conjectures | |
推测,猜想( conjecture的名词复数 ) | |
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27 sinewy | |
adj.多腱的,强壮有力的 | |
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28 lurked | |
vi.潜伏,埋伏(lurk的过去式与过去分词形式) | |
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29 monotonous | |
adj.单调的,一成不变的,使人厌倦的 | |
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30 drooped | |
弯曲或下垂,发蔫( droop的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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31 sleeper | |
n.睡眠者,卧车,卧铺 | |
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32 bosom | |
n.胸,胸部;胸怀;内心;adj.亲密的 | |
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33 lulled | |
vt.使镇静,使安静(lull的过去式与过去分词形式) | |
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34 slumber | |
n.睡眠,沉睡状态 | |
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35 treacherous | |
adj.不可靠的,有暗藏的危险的;adj.背叛的,背信弃义的 | |
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36 entrusted | |
v.委托,托付( entrust的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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37 horrid | |
adj.可怕的;令人惊恐的;恐怖的;极讨厌的 | |
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38 guardian | |
n.监护人;守卫者,保护者 | |
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39 harangue | |
n.慷慨冗长的训话,言辞激烈的讲话 | |
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40 incite | |
v.引起,激动,煽动 | |
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41 grunts | |
(猪等)作呼噜声( grunt的第三人称单数 ); (指人)发出类似的哼声; 咕哝着说; 石鲈 | |
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42 oratory | |
n.演讲术;词藻华丽的言辞 | |
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43 graceful | |
adj.优美的,优雅的;得体的 | |
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44 followers | |
追随者( follower的名词复数 ); 用户; 契据的附面; 从动件 | |
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