In accordance with the assurance given to Okématan Antoine Dechamp at once gave orders to make preparation for an immediate2 start after the buffalo—much to the satisfaction of the hunters, especially the young ones.
Buffaloes—or, to speak more correctly, bisons—roamed over the North American prairies at the time we write of in countless4 thousands; for the Indians, although extremely wasteful5 of animal life, could not keep their numbers down, and the aggressive white-man, with his deadly gun and rifle, had only just begun to depopulate the plains. Therefore the hunters had not to travel far before coming up with their quarry6.
In a very brief space of time they were all drawn7 up in line under command of their chosen leader, who, at least up to the moment of giving the signal for attack, kept his men in reasonably good order. They had not ridden long when the huge ungainly bisons were seen like black specks8 on the horizon.
Still the horsemen—each armed with the muzzle-loading, single-barrelled, flint-lock gun of the period—advanced cautiously, until so near that the animals began to look up as if in surprise at the unwonted intrusion on their great solitudes9.
Then the signal was given, the horses stretched out at the gallop10, the buffalo began to run—at first heavily, as if great speed were impossible to them; but gradually the pace increased until it attained11 to racing12 speed. Then the hunters gave the rein13 to their eager steeds, and the long line rushed upon the game like a tornado14 of centaurs15.
From this point all discipline was at an end. Each man fought for his own hand, killing16 as many animals as he could, so that ere long the plain was strewn with carcases, and the air filled with gunpowder17 smoke.
We have said that all the hunters set out, but this is not strictly18 correct, for three were left behind. One of these had fallen sick; one had sprained19 his wrist, and another was lazy. It need scarcely be told that the lazy one was Fran?ois La Certe.
“There is no hurry,” he said, when the hunters were assembling for the start; “plenty of time. My horse has not yet recovered from the fatigues20 of the journey. And who knows but the report of the buffalo being so near may be false? I will wait and see the result. To-morrow will be time enough to begin. Then, Slowfoot, you will see what I can do. Your hands shall be busy. We will load our cart with meat and pemmican, pay off all our debts, and spend a happy winter in Red River. What have you got there in the kettle?”
“Pork,” answered Slowfoot with characteristic brevity.
“Will it soon be ready?”
“Soon.”
“Yes.”
“Send me your pipe.”
This latter speech was more in the tone of a request than a command, and the implied messenger from the opposite side of the fire was the baby—Baby La Certe. We never knew its name, if it had one, and we have reason to believe that it was a female baby. At the time, baby was quite able to walk—at least to waddle22 or toddle23.
A brief order from the maternal24 lips sent Baby La Certe toddling25 round the fire towards its father, pipe in hand; but, short though the road was, it had time to pause and consider. Evidently the idea of justice was strongly developed in that child. Fair wage for fair work had clearly got hold of it, for it put the pipe which was still alight, in its mouth and began to draw!
At this the father smiled benignly26, but Slowfoot made a demonstration27 which induced a rather prompt completion of the walk without a reasonable wage. It sucked vigorously all the time, however, being evidently well aware that Fran?ois was not to be feared.
At that moment the curtain of the tent lifted, and little Bill Sinclair limped in. He was a favourite with La Certe, who made room for him, and at once offered him the pipe, but Billie declined.
“No, thank you, La Certe. I have not learned to smoke yet.”
“Ha! you did not begin young enough,” said the half-breed, glancing proudly at his own offspring.
We may explain here once for all that, although he had lived long enough in the colony to understand French, Billie spoke28 to his friend in English, and that, although La Certe understood English, he preferred to speak in French.
“What have you been doing?” he asked, when the boy had seated himself.
“I’ve been shooting at a mark with my bow and arrow—brother Archie made it for me.”
“Let me see—yes, it is very well made. Where is brother Archie?”
“Gone after the buffalo.”
“What!—on a horse?”
“He could not go very well after them on foot—could he?” replied the boy quietly. “Dan Davidson lent him a horse, but not a gun. He said that Archie was too young to use a gun on horseback, and that he might shoot some of the people instead of the buffalo, or burst his gun, or fall off. But I don’t think so. Archie can do anything. I know, for I’ve seen him do it.”
“And so he has left you in camp all by yourself. What a shame, Billie!”
“No, Fran?ois, it is not a shame. Would you have me keep him from the fun just because I can’t go? That would indeed be a shame, wouldn’t it?”
“Well, perhaps you’re right, Billie.”
“I know I’m right,” returned the boy, with a decision of tone that would have been offensive if it had not been accompanied with a look of straightforward29 gentleness that disarmed30 resentment31. “But, I say, Fran?ois, why are you not out with the rest?”
“Oh, because—because—Well, you know, my horse is tired, and—and, I’m not quite sure that the buffalo really have been seen as near as they say. And I can go to-morrow just as well. You see, Billie, there is no need to hurry oneself.”
“No, I don’t see that. I think there’s always need for hurry, specially3 with men like you. I know the reason you don’t go out better than yourself, Fran?ois.”
“Yes—what is it?” asked the half-breed with a slight laugh.
“It’s laziness. That’s what it is, and you should be ashamed of yourself.”
The large mild eyes and low voice, and pale earnest face of the plain-spoken invalid32 were such that it would have been impossible for any one to be offended with him, much less La Certe, whose spirit of indignation it was almost impossible to arouse. He winced33 a little at the home-thrust, however, because he knew it to be true.
“You’re hard on me, Little Bill,” he said with a benignant look, as he picked a stick from the fire and inserted its glowing end in his pipe.
“No, I’m not hard,” returned the boy gravely. Indeed he was always grave, and seldom laughed though he sometimes smiled faintly at the jokes and quips of his volatile34 brother and Fred Jenkins the seaman35: “I’m not half hard enough,” he continued; “I like you, Fran?ois, and that’s the reason why I scold you and try to get you to mend. I don’t think there’s such a lazy man in the whole Settlement as you. You would rather sit and smoke and stuff yourself with pork all day than take the trouble to saddle your horse and get your gun and go out with the rest. Why are you so lazy, Fran?ois?”
“I’m sure I don’t know, Little Bill, unless it be that I’m born to be lazy. Other people are born, I suppose, to be active and energetic. They like activity and energy, and so they do it. I like repose36 and quiet, and—so I do that. Not much difference after all! We both do what we like best!”
Little Bill was perplexed37. Although philosophical38 in tendency he had not had sufficient experience in sophistical reasoning to enable him to disentangle the sinuosities of bad logic39. But he was a resolute40 little fellow, and not easily quelled41.
“What would happen,” he asked, “if everybody in the world did as you do?”
“Well, I suppose everybody would enjoy themselves. There would be no more fightings or wars, or any trouble of that sort, if everybody would only take things easy and smoke the pipe of peace.”
“Hm! I don’t know about that,” returned the boy, doubtfully; “but I’m quite sure there would not be much pemmican in Red River this winter if all the hunters were like you. I wonder you’re not ashamed, Fran?ois. Sometimes I think that you’re not worth caring about; but I can’t help it, you know—we can’t force our likings one way or other.”
La Certe was a good deal taken aback. He was not indeed unaccustomed to plain speaking, and to the receipt of gratuitous42 abuse; but his experience invariably was to associate both with more or less of a stern voice and a frowning brow. To receive both in a soft voice from a delicate meek-faced child, who at the same time professed43 to like him, was a complete novelty which puzzled him not a little.
After a few minutes’ profound consideration, he put out his pipe and arose quickly with something like an appearance of firmness in his look and bearing.
Slowfoot, whose utter ignorance of both French and English prevented her understanding the drift of the recent conversation, was almost startled by the unfamiliar44 action of her lord.
“Where go you?” she asked.
“To follow the buffalo,” answered La Certe, with all the dignity of a man bursting with good resolutions.
“Are you ill?” asked his wife, anxiously.
To this he vouchsafed45 no reply, as he raised the curtain and went out.
Little Bill also went out, and, sitting down on a package, watched him with his large solemn eyes, but said never a word until the half-breed had loaded his gun and mounted his horse. Then he said: “Good luck to you, Fran?ois!”
La Certe did not speak, but with a grave nod of his head rode slowly out of the camp. Little Bill regarded him for a moment. He had his bow and a blunt-headed arrow in his hand at the time. Fitting the latter hastily to the bow he took a rapid shot at the retreating horseman. The arrow sped well. It descended46 on the flank of the horse with considerable force, and, bounding off, fell to the ground. The result was that the horse, to La Certe’s unutterable surprise, made a sudden demivolt into the air—without the usual persuasion—almost unseated its rider, and fled over the prairie like a thing possessed47!
A faint smile ruffled48 the solemnity of Little Bill at this, but it vanished when he heard a low chuckle49 behind him. Wheeling round, he stood face to face with Slowfoot, whose mouth was expanded from ear to ear.
“Clever boy!” she said, patting him on the back, “come into the tent and have some grub.”
She said this in the Cree language, which the boy did not understand, but he understood well enough the signs with which the invitation was accompanied. Thanking her with an eloquent50 look, he re-entered the tent along with her.
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1
buffalo
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| n.(北美)野牛；(亚洲)水牛 | |
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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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specially
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| adv.特定地；特殊地；明确地 | |
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4
countless
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| adj.无数的，多得不计其数的 | |
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wasteful
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| adj.（造成）浪费的，挥霍的 | |
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quarry
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| n.采石场；v.采石；费力地找 | |
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7
drawn
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| v.拖，拉，拔出；adj.憔悴的，紧张的 | |
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8
specks
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| n.眼镜；斑点，微粒，污点( speck的名词复数 ) | |
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solitudes
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| n.独居( solitude的名词复数 )；孤独；荒僻的地方；人迹罕至的地方 | |
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gallop
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| v./n.(马或骑马等)飞奔；飞速发展 | |
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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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racing
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| n.竞赛，赛马；adj.竞赛用的，赛马用的 | |
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rein
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| n.疆绳，统治，支配；vt.以僵绳控制，统治 | |
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tornado
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| n.飓风，龙卷风 | |
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centaurs
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| n.（希腊神话中）半人半马怪物( centaur的名词复数 ) | |
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16
killing
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| n.巨额利润；突然赚大钱，发大财 | |
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gunpowder
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| n.火药 | |
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strictly
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| adv.严厉地，严格地；严密地 | |
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sprained
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| v.&n. 扭伤 | |
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fatigues
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| n.疲劳( fatigue的名词复数 )；杂役；厌倦；（士兵穿的）工作服 | |
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21
unpacked
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| v.从（包裹等）中取出（所装的东西），打开行李取出( unpack的过去式和过去分词 )；拆包；解除…的负担；吐露（心事等） | |
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waddle
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| vi.摇摆地走；n.摇摆的走路(样子) | |
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toddle
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| v.（如小孩）蹒跚学步 | |
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24
maternal
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| adj.母亲的，母亲般的，母系的，母方的 | |
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25
toddling
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| v.（幼儿等）东倒西歪地走( toddle的现在分词 )；蹒跚行走；溜达；散步 | |
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26
benignly
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| adv.仁慈地，亲切地 | |
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27
demonstration
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| n.表明，示范，论证，示威 | |
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28
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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29
straightforward
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| adj.正直的，坦率的；易懂的，简单的 | |
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disarmed
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| v.裁军( disarm的过去式和过去分词 )；使息怒 | |
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31
resentment
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| n.怨愤，忿恨 | |
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32
invalid
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| n.病人，伤残人；adj.有病的，伤残的；无效的 | |
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winced
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| 赶紧避开，畏缩( wince的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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volatile
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| adj.反复无常的，挥发性的，稍纵即逝的，脾气火爆的；n.挥发性物质 | |
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seaman
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| n.海员，水手，水兵 | |
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repose
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| v.(使)休息；n.安息 | |
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perplexed
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| adj.不知所措的 | |
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philosophical
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| adj.哲学家的，哲学上的，达观的 | |
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logic
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| n.逻辑(学)；逻辑性 | |
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40
resolute
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| adj.坚决的，果敢的 | |
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41
quelled
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| v.（用武力）制止，结束，镇压( quell的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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42
gratuitous
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| adj.无偿的，免费的；无缘无故的，不必要的 | |
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professed
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| 公开声称的，伪称的，已立誓信教的 | |
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44
unfamiliar
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| adj.陌生的，不熟悉的 | |
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45
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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46
descended
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| a.为...后裔的，出身于...的 | |
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possessed
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| adj.疯狂的；拥有的，占有的 | |
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48
ruffled
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| adj. 有褶饰边的, 起皱的 动词ruffle的过去式和过去分词 | |
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49
chuckle
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| vi.／n.轻声笑，咯咯笑 | |
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50
eloquent
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| adj.雄辩的，口才流利的；明白显示出的 | |
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