The boy raised his eyes and looked upward. Through the dark clouds drifting tumultuously across the sky he detected the glimmer1 of a star or two, and in that moment of deep solemnity a passage of the Holy Bible came to him.
"They wandered in the wilderness2 in a solitary3 way; they found no city to dwell in."
"Hungry and thirsty, their souls fainted in them."
"When they cried unto the Lord in their trouble, and he delivered them out of their distress4."
It came from his heart, and he repeated it over again.
How beautiful! How appropriate to the situation! The tears welled to his eyes, and his heart overflowed5 at the repeated remembrance of the all-merciful Father, whose eye alone saw him and whose ear alone heard the thankfulness that would find expression.
He fell into a sweet reverie, from which he was awakened6 by a slight noise below. He leaned his head over the ledge7 and listened. All at once he heard a soft rush, and the next moment an Indian was holding on to the edge of the tabular-like projection8 with one hand, while his other was outstretched and placed upon his body.
"Is that you, Shasta?"
"Oogh! Sh-e-asta!"
"All right! I am waiting for you."
The hand closed upon his right arm; he was lifted bodily as if he were an infant, and held in mid-air; and the next instant the Pah Utah dropped lightly to the earth, and the two stood upon their feet. The Indian uttered an exclamation9 which seemed to be one of inquiry10, and the boy made answer in this manner:
"I am ready for anything, Shasta; lead the way."
Instead of allowing him to walk, as Elwood confidently expected, the Pah Utah flung him over his shoulder and then started on a long, loping trot11 up the path. His extraordinary agility12 and muscular power made the weight he carried of the same effect as if it were his rifle he was thus transporting.
This rapid progress continued but a few minutes, when he sunk into a walk—one of long strides, such as would have compelled the boy to a moderate run to equal. He could tell that he was going up quite an ascent13, but toward what point it was impossible to tell. Occasionally his hand or his foot struck the projecting rocks, and the rush of the wind now and then against his face told when they were passing through the more open space.
Wonderful indeed was the skill of the Pah Utah, that in the dense14 darkness showed him, just where and just the outlay15 of strength that would land his young white friend upon the shelf of safety. Equally extraordinary was the woodcraft that brought him back to the precise spot, and enabled him to thread his way through the impenetrable gloom with the surety of the mountain chamois, which bounds over the fastnesses of the Alps at midday.
Elwood was quiescent16, for he know whose hand held him upon those brawny17 shoulders, and he felt that the moccasined foot which touched the earth so lightly was too sure to miss its hold, and the heart throbbing18 within that dusky bosom19 pulsated20 too powerfully with the common humanity of our nature ever to falter22 or hesitate in its work of love.
This singular means of progress was continued for the better part of an hour, when the Indian paused and placed him gently on his feet. The sky, which had partially23 cleared, enabled him to see that they had emerged from the ridge24 of hills whose entrance had been so eventful to him, and they now stood in the open woods.
Elwood Brandon admitted to himself that the work of Shasta was now finished, and he fully21 expected to be left alone in the forest to seek his way back to his friends; but if he thought so the Pah Utah certainly did not.
Even in that moment the boy could not fail to notice that the Indian's breathing could not be heard. Not the slightest panting nor exhaustion25 from the tremendous exertion26 undergone!
Shasta waited but a moment, and then gripping Elwood by the wrist he began threading his way through the forest. As he did so, instead of allowing the youngster to walk by his side, he held his arm backward, so that to all intents and purposes the boy was following behind him, and yet at such an angle that their feet did not interfere27 with each other.
Not once did either the Pah Utah or his dependent strike a tree. Often did they graze the back, and brush through the limbs and undergrowth, but the uplifted arm of the Indian parted asunder28 the obstructions29, and opened the way, as does the snow plow30 of the locomotive to the engine that drives it forward and the train coming behind.
Whether the marvelous vision of the Pah Utah penetrated31 the Egyptian darkness or not, cannot be said. The veteran backwoodsman, as he strides through the midnight forest, seems to feel the presence of each tree-trunk as he approaches it, just as the fingers of pianists strike the piano keys with such bewildering certainty, without their once looking at them.
Onward32 they pressed, Elwood only now and then able to catch a glimpse of his faithful guide, who never vouchsafed33 a word or exclamation for his benefit. There was no need of it. Both fully understood each other, and the boy did not attempt to divert the attention which was so needed, at the present time, for the work before him.
Finally Shasta seemed to hesitate—not the hesitation34 of doubt and uncertainty35, but as if he had neared if not reached his destination, and had slackened his pace that he might not pass the exact point.
He was not long in finding the proper spot, and Elwood could see that he was stooping down and busy at something. While he was closely scrutinizing36 him, he suddenly became aware that they stood beside the river, and the Pah Utah was engaged with his canoe. It occupied him but a moment, when he turned around, lifted the boy over and laid him down upon the blanket which was spread over the bottom of the boat, the remainder was folded carefully around his body, and then the Indian stood back, as if to command his young friend to go to sleep without any delay or questioning.
The boy had lain but a short time when he found the blanket so intolerably warm that he threw a portion from him. It was instantly and rather roughly replaced—evidence that Shasta meant that his wishes should be obeyed. At any rate the boy thought so, and dared not repeat the act.
The great warmth of the blanket caused Elwood to break out into a copious37 perspiration38 from head to foot, and caused him almost to gasp39 for breath; but when he seemed only to meditate40 on relieving himself of the superabundant clothing, the dusky watcher leaned forward to see whether he dared violate his implied commands. It looked very much as though the Pah Utah was acting41 as a physician to his youthful friend.
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1
glimmer
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| v.发出闪烁的微光；n.微光，微弱的闪光 | |
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2
wilderness
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| n.杳无人烟的一片陆地、水等，荒漠 | |
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solitary
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| adj.孤独的，独立的，荒凉的；n.隐士 | |
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4
distress
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| n.苦恼，痛苦，不舒适；不幸；vt.使悲痛 | |
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overflowed
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| 溢出的 | |
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6
awakened
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| v.（使）醒( awaken的过去式和过去分词 )；（使）觉醒；弄醒；（使）意识到 | |
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7
ledge
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| n.壁架，架状突出物；岩架，岩礁 | |
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projection
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| n.发射，计划，突出部分 | |
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exclamation
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| n.感叹号，惊呼，惊叹词 | |
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inquiry
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| n.打听，询问，调查，查问 | |
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11
trot
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| n.疾走，慢跑；n.老太婆；现成译本；(复数）trots:腹泻（与the 连用）；v.小跑，快步走，赶紧 | |
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12
agility
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| n.敏捷，活泼 | |
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13
ascent
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| n.(声望或地位)提高；上升，升高；登高 | |
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14
dense
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| a.密集的，稠密的，浓密的；密度大的 | |
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outlay
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| n.费用，经费，支出；v.花费 | |
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16
quiescent
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| adj.静止的，不活动的，寂静的 | |
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17
brawny
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| adj.强壮的 | |
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18
throbbing
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| a. 跳动的,悸动的 | |
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19
bosom
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| n.胸，胸部；胸怀；内心；adj.亲密的 | |
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20
pulsated
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| v.有节奏地舒张及收缩( pulsate的过去式和过去分词 )；跳动；脉动；受（激情）震动 | |
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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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falter
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| vi.(嗓音)颤抖，结巴地说；犹豫；蹒跚 | |
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partially
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| adv.部分地，从某些方面讲 | |
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ridge
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| n.山脊；鼻梁；分水岭 | |
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exhaustion
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| n.耗尽枯竭，疲惫，筋疲力尽，竭尽，详尽无遗的论述 | |
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26
exertion
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| n.尽力，努力 | |
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27
interfere
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| v.(in)干涉，干预；(with)妨碍，打扰 | |
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28
asunder
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| adj.分离的，化为碎片 | |
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29
obstructions
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| n.障碍物( obstruction的名词复数 )；阻碍物；阻碍；阻挠 | |
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30
plow
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| n.犁，耕地，犁过的地；v.犁，费力地前进[英]plough | |
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31
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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32
onward
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| adj.向前的，前进的；adv.向前，前进，在先 | |
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33
vouchsafed
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| v.给予，赐予( vouchsafe的过去式和过去分词 )；允诺 | |
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34
hesitation
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| n.犹豫，踌躇 | |
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35
uncertainty
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| n.易变，靠不住，不确知，不确定的事物 | |
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36
scrutinizing
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| v.仔细检查，详审( scrutinize的现在分词 ) | |
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37
copious
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| adj.丰富的，大量的 | |
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38
perspiration
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| n.汗水；出汗 | |
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39
gasp
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| n.喘息，气喘；v.喘息；气吁吁他说 | |
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40
meditate
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| v.想，考虑，（尤指宗教上的）沉思，冥想 | |
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41
acting
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| n.演戏，行为，假装；adj.代理的，临时的，演出用的 | |
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