It was a mystery to young Munson why the shots fired, as he supposed, by the Apaches, should have checked his pursuer, who was so close upon him. Had he known that they came from a couple of hostile Kiowas, and that they were intended for the warrior1 whose hand was outstretched to grasp him, the matter would not have been so hard to understand. But he saw the night closing in about him, while he remained among the rocks, moving forward in the same stealthy manner, upon his hands and knees, and his strained ear failed to catch the slightest sound that could make him fear that any of his enemies were near at hand.
Of course he looked with all the eyes at his command, but they also stared upon a blank, so far as animated2 creation was concerned. At last Fred halted, tired out with this species of locomotion3.
“I do believe I've given them the slip,” he exclaimed, his heart throbbing4 more than ever with renewed hope. “I don't exactly understand how it was done, but I thank the Lord all the more for it.”
He now arose to his feet and reconnoitered his own position. So far as he could judge, he was fully5 two hundred yards away from and above the ravine where he had made this successful attempt at escape. The day was so far gone by this time that he could barely discern the open space which led through the mountain. His view on the left was shut off by the angle to which reference has been made, and on the right the gathering6 obscurity ended the field of vision.
As soon as he was able to locate the gorge7, his eyes roamed up and down in quest of those from whom he was fleeing. Not a glimpse could be obtained. It was as if he had penetrated8 for the first time a solitude9 never before trodden by the foot of man. Satisfied of this pleasant fact, he then made search for the smoke of the campfire which was the real cause of his escape.
No twinkling point of light revealed its location, but, having decided10 where it was first seen, he fancied he could detect the faintest outline of a column of vapor11 rising until, clear of the crest12 of the mountain behind it, it could be seen outlined against the sky beyond. He more than suspected, however, that it was merely imagination. Leaning back against a boulder13, the lad folded his arms and endeavored to take in the situation in its entirety.
“Thank the Lord, that I have a good start,” he mused14, his heart stirred with deep gratitude15 at the remarkable16 manner in which he had eluded17 the Apaches.
With the knowledge that for the nonce he was clear of his enemies, several other facts impressed themselves upon his mind—facts which were both important and unpleasant. In the first place, he had not eaten a mouthful of food since morning, and he was hungry. He had swallowed enough water to stave off the more uncomfortable sensation of thirst, but water is not worth much to appease18 the hunger. He felt the need of food very sorely.
In the next place, he could think of no immediate19 means of getting anything to eat. He had no gun or pistol—nothing more than his simple jack-knife. The prospect20 of procuring21 anything substantial with that was not flattering enough to make him feel hopeful.
And again, now that he had freed himself of captivity22, how was he to make his way back to New Boston, where friends were awaiting him, with little hope of his return? He had traversed many miles since the preceding night, and had gone through a country that was totally unknown to him. To attempt to retrace23 his footsteps without the aid of a horse was like attempting that which was impossible.
While in the act of fleeing, he thought not of these. He was unconscious of hunger, and forgot that he was so many miles from home; but now both conditions were forced upon him with anything but a pleasant vividness. But all of Fred's ingenuity24 was unequal to the task of suggesting a way whereby his want could be supplied. Even had he a gun, there was not much show for anything like game in the darkness of night, and thus, under the most favorable circumstances, he would be forced to wait until morning.
“I'm pretty tired,” he said, as he thought over the matter, “and, maybe, if I get asleep, I can keep it up until morning, and in that way worry through the night. But I tell you, Fred Munson, I would like to have a good square meal just now. There is fruit growing here and there among those mountains, but a chap can't find it at night. Now, if there was only some camp of the hunters, where I could get in and—”
He abruptly25 paused, as his own words suggested an idea.
It was a camp-fire to which he owed his escape. Why couldn't he use it still further? Was it not likely that the Indians who had kindled26 it had taken their meals there, and that there might be some remnants of the feast which could be used to satisfy his hunger?
It was not a very pleasant prospect to contemplate27. It was like going back into the lion's mouth; nor, indeed, could it be considered a very wise proceeding28 to return to the very spot from which he had escaped by such a providential interference. But a hungry or thirsty man is not in the best mood to reason, and the incapacity is still more marked in an excessively hungry boy.
The prospect of getting something to eat overshadowed all other questions, and after several attempts to consider the matter fairly, Fred came to the conclusion that he would make the attempt.
To do this it was necessary to go back over the same path he had followed, and to return to the very spot where he had been ready to break his neck, if it would assist him in escaping, but a short time before. But he reasoned that he had the darkness in his favor, that the Indians were not likely to stay in the same place, and that none of them would be looking for his return. This, together with the prospect of securing something to satisfy his hunger, easily decided the question. Within five minutes from the time the thought had entered his head he was carefully picking his way down the mountain-side toward the ravine.
Fred did not forget the precaution necessary in a movement of this kind. He moved as silently as he could, pausing at intervals29 to look and listen; but the way remained clear, and nothing occurred to excite alarm until he had descended30 into the gorge itself.
At this precise juncture31, he was startled by the sharp crack of a rifle, which seemed to come from a point two or three hundred yards away, directly behind him.
In his terror, his first fear was that the shot had been aimed at him, and he started to retrace his steps—but before he went any distance, he reflected that that could not be and he stood motionless for a few minutes, waiting to see what would follow. All remained as quiet as before, and, after a time, he resumed his cautious movement along the ravine, keeping close to the side, and advancing on tip-toe, like a thief in the night.
The further he got along, the more convinced did he become that he was venturing upon a fool-hardy undertaking32; but when he hesitated, his hunger seemed to intensify33 and speedily impelled34 him forward again. At the end of a half hour or so, he reached a point in the gorge which he judged to be at the foot of where the camp-fire was, and he began the more difficult and dangerous task of approaching that.
As upon the night before, there was a moon in the sky, but there were also clouds, and the intervening rocks and stunted35 vegetation made the light treacherous36 and uncertain. Shadows appeared here and there, which looked like phantoms37 flitting back and forth38, and which caused many a start and stop upon the part of the young scout39.
“I wonder where they have gone?” he said to himself fully a score of times, as he picked his way over the broken land. “Those two Apaches must have come back by this time, and I hope they knocked the other one in the head for letting me get away. They must have been looking for me, but I don't think they will hunt in this place.”
Fred had made his way but a short distance up the side of the mountain, when he became assured that he was upon the right track. Standing40 upon a lower plane and looking upward, he saw that the column of smoke from the camp-fire was brought in relief against the sky beyond. The vapor was of nearly the same rarity as the natural atmosphere, and was almost stationary41—a fact which also proved that the fire from which it arose had not been replenished42, as, in such a case, a disturbance43 would have been produced that would have prevented this stationary feature.
When the lad was within some fifty yards of the camp-fire, he discovered that he was not nearly as hungry as he supposed, and, at the same time, he began to suspect that he had entered upon a very risky44 undertaking.
“I don't know how I came to do it,” he said to himself, as he hesitated. “If there's a camp-fire in this part of the world, it must have been kindled by Indians, and it's very likely that some of them are hanging around, so that if I attempt to get too close, I'll tumble right into their hands. I can wait till to-morrow for something to eat, so I guess I'll go back.”
But, curiously45 enough, he had scarcely started to act upon this decision when he was tormented46 more than ever with hunger, and he turned about with a desperate resolve.
“I won't stop again! I will go!”
As has been already intimated, the camp-fire, which had played such an important part in the events of the afternoon had been started immediately behind a large rock, the evident purpose being to mislead the very ones who were deceived by it. Consequently, the boy could not gain a fair view of it without making a detour47 to the right or left, or by coming rather suddenly upon it from behind the rock. Just then it was shut out entirely48 from view.
Fred stole along like a veritable Indian scout, until he was within arms' length of the rock. Then he sank down upon his hands and knees, and, making sure that he was enveloped49 in shadow, he crept forward, with the utmost possible stealth, until at last he reached a point where he had but to thrust his head forward around the corner, and the camp-fire would be before him.
Here it was natural that he should pause awhile longer, for the very crisis of this perilous50 task had been reached.
The silence remained as profound as the tomb. Not a rustle51, not the slightest sound, even such as would have been made by a sleeping person—surely no one could be there. The camp-fire must be deserted52 and all his precaution useless.
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1
warrior
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| n.勇士，武士，斗士 | |
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animated
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| adj.生气勃勃的，活跃的，愉快的 | |
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locomotion
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| n.运动，移动 | |
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throbbing
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| a. 跳动的,悸动的 | |
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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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6
gathering
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| n.集会，聚会，聚集 | |
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7
gorge
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| n.咽喉，胃，暴食，山峡；v.塞饱，狼吞虎咽地吃 | |
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8
penetrated
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| adj. 击穿的，鞭辟入里的 动词penetrate的过去式和过去分词形式 | |
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9
solitude
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| n. 孤独; 独居,荒僻之地,幽静的地方 | |
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10
decided
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| adj.决定了的，坚决的；明显的，明确的 | |
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11
vapor
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| n.蒸汽，雾气 | |
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crest
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| n.顶点；饰章；羽冠；vt.达到顶点；vi.形成浪尖 | |
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13
boulder
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| n.巨砾；卵石，圆石 | |
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14
mused
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| v.沉思，冥想( muse的过去式和过去分词 )；沉思自语说（某事） | |
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15
gratitude
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| adj.感激，感谢 | |
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remarkable
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| adj.显著的，异常的，非凡的，值得注意的 | |
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17
eluded
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| v.（尤指机敏地）避开( elude的过去式和过去分词 )；逃避；躲避；使达不到 | |
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18
appease
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| v.安抚，缓和，平息，满足 | |
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immediate
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| adj.立即的；直接的，最接近的；紧靠的 | |
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prospect
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| n.前景，前途；景色，视野 | |
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procuring
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| v.（努力）取得， （设法）获得( procure的现在分词 )；拉皮条 | |
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captivity
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| n.囚禁；被俘；束缚 | |
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retrace
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| v.折回；追溯，探源 | |
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24
ingenuity
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| n.别出心裁；善于发明创造 | |
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abruptly
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| adv.突然地，出其不意地 | |
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kindled
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| （使某物）燃烧，着火( kindle的过去式和过去分词 )； 激起（感情等）； 发亮，放光 | |
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contemplate
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| vt.盘算，计议；周密考虑；注视，凝视 | |
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proceeding
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| n.行动，进行，(pl.)会议录，学报 | |
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29
intervals
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| n.[军事]间隔( interval的名词复数 )；间隔时间；[数学]区间；（戏剧、电影或音乐会的）幕间休息 | |
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30
descended
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| a.为...后裔的，出身于...的 | |
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31
juncture
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| n.时刻，关键时刻，紧要关头 | |
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32
undertaking
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| n.保证，许诺，事业 | |
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33
intensify
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| vt.加强；变强；加剧 | |
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34
impelled
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| v.推动、推进或敦促某人做某事( impel的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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35
stunted
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| adj.矮小的；发育迟缓的 | |
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36
treacherous
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| 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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37
phantoms
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| n.鬼怪，幽灵( phantom的名词复数 ) | |
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38
forth
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| adv.向前；向外，往外 | |
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39
scout
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| n.童子军，侦察员；v.侦察，搜索 | |
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40
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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41
stationary
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| adj.固定的，静止不动的 | |
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42
replenished
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| 补充( replenish的过去式和过去分词 )； 重新装满 | |
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43
disturbance
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| n.动乱，骚动；打扰，干扰；(身心)失调 | |
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44
risky
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| adj.有风险的，冒险的 | |
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45
curiously
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| adv.有求知欲地；好问地；奇特地 | |
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46
tormented
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| 饱受折磨的 | |
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47
detour
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| n.绕行的路，迂回路；v.迂回，绕道 | |
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48
entirely
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| ad.全部地，完整地；完全地，彻底地 | |
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49
enveloped
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| v.包围，笼罩，包住( envelop的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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50
perilous
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| adj.危险的，冒险的 | |
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51
rustle
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| v.沙沙作响；偷盗(牛、马等)；n.沙沙声声 | |
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52
deserted
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| adj.荒芜的，荒废的，无人的，被遗弃的 | |
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