They wished to save their ammunition2 as much as possible, and they built three large dead falls, in which they caught six or seven great wolves, despite their cunning. In addition they hunted them with rifles with great patience and care, never risking a shot until they felt quite sure that it would find a vital spot. In this manner they slew3 about fifteen more, and by that time the wolves were thoroughly4 terrified. The scent5 of the beings carrying sticks which poured forth6 death and destruction at almost any distance, was sufficient to send the boldest band of timber wolves scurrying7 into the shadows of the deepest forest in search of hiding and safety.
The snow melted and poured in a thousand streams from the mountains. The river and all the creeks8 and brooks9 roared in torrents10, the earth soaked in water, and the two boys spent much of the time indoors making new clothing, repairing traps and nets, and fashioning all kinds of little implements11 that were of use in their daily life. They could realize, only because they now had to make them, how numerous such implements were. Yet they made toasting sticks of hard wood, carved out wooden platters, constructed a rude but serviceable dining table, added to their supply of traps of various kinds, and finally made two large baskets of split willow13. The last task was not as difficult as some others, as both had seen and taken a part in basket making in Illinois. The cabin was now crowded to inconvenience. Over their beds, from side to side, and up under the sloping roof, they had fastened poles, and from all of these hung furs and skins, buffalo14, deer, wolf, wild cat, beaver15, wolverine, and others, and also stores of jerked game. The Annex16 was in the same crowded condition. The boys had carried the hollow somewhat higher up with their axes, but the extension gave them far less room than they needed.
"It's just this, Dick," said Albert, "we getting so rich that we don't know what to do with all our property. I used to think it a joke that the rich were unhappy, but now I see where their trouble comes in."
"I know that the trappers cache their furs, that is, bury them or hide them until they can take them away," said Dick, "but we don't know how to bury furs so they'll keep all right. Still, we've got to find a new place of some kind. Besides, it would be better to have them hidden where only you and I could find them, Al. Maybe we can find such a place."
Albert agreed, and they began a search along the cliffs. Dick knew that extensive rocky formations must mean a cave or an opening of some kind, if they only looked long enough for it, at last they found in the side of a slope a place that he thought could be made to suit. It was a rocky hollow running back about fifteen feet, and with a height and width of perhaps ten feet. It was approached by an opening about four feet in height and two feet in width. Dick wondered at first that it had not been used as a den12 by some wild animal, but surmised17 that the steepness of the ascent18 and the extreme roughness of the rocky floor had kept them out.
But these very qualities recommended the hollow to the boys for the use that they intended it. Its position in the side of the cliff made it a hard place to find, and the solid rock of its floor, walls, and roof insured the dryness that was necessary for the storage of their furs.
"We'll call this the Cliff House," said Albert, "and we'll take possession at once."
They broke off the sharper of the stone projections19 with their ax heads, and then began the transfer of the furs. It was no light task to carry them up the step slope to the Cliff House, but, forced to do all things for themselves, they had learned perseverance20, and they carried all their stock of beaver furs and all the buffalo robes and bearskins, except those in actual use, together with a goodly portion of the wolfskins, elk21 hides, and others.
Dick made a rude but heavy door which fitted well enough into the opening to keep out any wild animal, no matter how small, and in front of it, in a little patch of soft soil, they set out two transplanted pine bushes which seemed to take root, and which Dick was sure would grow in the spring.
When the boys looked up from the bottom of the slope, they saw no trace of the Cliff House, only an expanse of rock, save a little patch of earth where two tiny pines were growing.
"Nobody but ourselves will ever find our furs!" exclaimed Dick exultingly22. "The most cunning Indian would not dream that anything was hidden up there behind those little pines, and the furs will keep as well inside as if they were in the best storehouse ever built."
The discovery and use of the rock cache was a great relief to both. Their cabin had become so crowded with furs and stores, that the air was often thick and heavy, and they did not have what Dick called elbow room. Now they used the cabin almost exclusively for living purposes. Most of the stores were in the Annex, while the dry and solid Cliff House held the furs.
"Have you thought, Dick, what you and I are?" asked Albert.
"I don't catch your meaning."
"We're aristocrats23 of the first water, Mr. Richard Howard and Mr. Albert Howard, the Mountain Kings. We can't get along with less than four residences. We live in Castle Howard, the main mansion24, superior to anything of its kind in a vast region; then we have the Annex, a tower used chiefly as a supply room and treasure chest; then the Suburban25 Villa26, a light, airy place of graceful27 architecture, very suitable as a summer residence, and now we have the Cliff House, in a lofty and commanding position noted28 for its wonderful view. We are really a fortunate pair, Dick."
"I've been thinking that for sometime," replied Dick rather gravely.
Hitherto they had confined their operations chiefly to their own side of the lake, but as they ranged farther and farther in search of furs they began to prowl among the canyons29 and narrow valleys in the mountains on the other side. They made, rather far up the northern side, some valuable catches of beaver, but in order to return with them, they were compelled to come around either the northern or southern end of the lake, and the round trip was tremendously long and tiring.
"It's part of a man's business to economize30 time and strength," said Dick, "and we must do it. You and I, Al, are going to make a canoe."
"How?"
"I don't know just yet, but I'm studying it out. The idea will jump out of my head in two or three days."
It was four days before it jumped, but when it did, it jumped to some purpose.
"First, we'll make a dugout," he said. "We've got the tools—axes, knives, saws, and augers—and we'd better start with that."
They cut down a big and perfectly31 straight pine and chose a length of about twelve feet from the largest part of the trunk. Both boys had seen dugouts, and they knew, in a general way, how to proceed. Their native intelligence supplied the rest.
They cut off one side of the log until it was flat, thus making the bottom for the future canoe. They cut the opposite side away in the well-known curve that a boat makes, low in the middle and high at each end. This part of the work was done with great caution, but Dick had an artistic32 eye, and they made a fairly good curve. Next they began the tedious and laborious33 work of digging out, using axes, hatchets35, and chisel36.
This was a genuine test of Albert's new strength, but he stood it nobly. They chipped away for a long time, until the wood on the sides and bottom was thin but strong enough to stand any pressure. Then they made the proper angle and curve of bow and stern, cut and made two stout37 broad paddles, and their dugout was ready—a long canoe with a fairly good width, as the original log had been more than two feet in diameter. It was both light and strong, and, raising it on their shoulders, they carried it down to the lake where they put it in the water.
Albert, full of enthusiasm, sprang into the canoe and made a mighty38 sweep with his paddle. The light dugout shot away, tipped on one side, and as Albert made another sweep with his paddle to right it, it turned over, bottom side up, casting the rash young paddler into ten feet of pure cold water. Albert came up with a mighty splash and sputter39. He was a good swimmer, and he had also retained hold of the paddle unconsciously, perhaps. Dick regarded him contemplatively from the land. He had no idea of jumping in. One wet and cold boy was enough. Beside, rashness deserved its punishment.
"Get the canoe before it floats farther away," he called out, "and tow it to land. It has cost us too much work to be lost out on the lake."
Albert swam to the canoe, which was now a dozen yards away, and quickly towed it and the paddle to land. There, shivering, the water running from him in streams, he stepped upon the solid earth.
"Run to the cabin as fast as you can," said Dick. "Take off those wet things, rub yourself down before the fire; then put on dry clothes and come back here and help me."
Albert needed no urging, but it seemed to him that he would freeze before he reached the cabin, short as the distance was. Fortunately, there was a good fire on the hearth40, and, after he had rubbed down and put on his dry, warm suit of deerskin, he never felt finer in his life. He returned to the lake, but he felt sheepish on the way. That had been a rash movement of his, overenthusiastic, but he had been properly punished. His chagrin41 was increased when he saw Dick a considerable distance out on the lake in the canoe, driving it about in graceful curves with long sweeps of his paddle.
"This is the way it ought to be done," called out Dick cheerily.
"You've been practicing while I was gone!" exclaimed Albert.
"No doubt of it, my young friend, and that is why you see me showing such skill, grace, and knowledge. I give you the same recipe without charge: Look before you leap, especially if you're going to leap into a canoe. Now we'll try it together."
He brought the canoe back to land, Albert got in cautiously, and for the rest of the day they practiced paddling, both together and alone. Albert got another ducking, and Dick, in a moment of overconfidence, got one, too, somewhat to Albert's pleasure and relief, as it has been truly said that misery43 loves company, but in two or three days they learned to use the canoe with ease. Then, either together or alone, they would paddle boldly the full length of the lake, and soon acquired dexterity44 enough to use it for freight, too; that is, they would bring back in it across the lake anything that they had shot or trapped on the other side.
So completely had they lost count of time that Dick had an idea spring was coming, but winter suddenly shut down upon them again. It did not arrive with wind and snow this time, but in the night a wave of cold came down from the north so intense that the sheltered valley even did not repel45 it.
Dick and Albert did not appreciate how really cold it was until they went from the cabin into the clear morning air, when they were warned by the numbing46 sensation that assailed47 their ears and noses. They hurried into the house and thawed48 out their faces, which stung greatly as they were exposed to the fire. Remembering the experiences of their early boyhood, they applied49 cold water freely, which allayed50 the stinging. After that they were very careful to wrap up fingers, ears, and noses when they went forth.
Now, the channel that Albert had made from the water of the hot spring proved of great use. The water that came boiling from the earth cooled off rapidly, but it was not yet frozen when it reached the side of Castle Howard, and they could make use of it.
The very first morning they found their new boat, of which they were so proud, hard and fast with ten inches of solid ice all around it. Albert suggested leaving it there.
"We have no need of it so long as the lake is covered with ice," he said, "and when the ice melts it will be released."
But Dick looked a little farther. The ice might press in on it and crush it, and hence Albert and he cut it out with axes, after which they put it in the lee of the cabin. Meanwhile, when they wished to reach the traps on the farther side of the lake, they crossed it on the ice, and, presuming that the cold might last long, they easily made a rude sledge51 which they used in place of the canoe.
"If we can't go through the water, we can at least go over it," said Albert.
While the great cold lasted, a period of about two weeks, the boys went on no errands except to their traps. The cold was so intense that often they could hear the logs of Castle Howard contracting with a sound like pistol shots. Then they would build the fire high and sit comfortably before it. Fortunately, the valley afforded plenty of fuel. Both boys wished now that they had a few books, but books were out of the question, and they sought always to keep themselves busy with the tasks that their life in the valley entailed52 upon them. Both knew that this was best.
The cold was so great that even the wild animals suffered from it. The timber wolves, despite their terrible lessons, were driven by it down the valley, and at night a stray one now and then would howl mournfully near the cabin.
"He's a robber and would like to be a murderer," Albert would say, "but he probably smells this jerked buffalo meat that I'm cooking and I'm sorry for him."
But the wolves were careful to keep out of rifle shot.
Dick made one trip up the valley and found about fifty buffaloes53 sheltered in a deep ravine and clustering close together for warmth. They were quite thin, as the grass, although it had been protected by the snow, was very scanty54 at that period of the year. Dick could have obtained a number of good robes, but he spared them.
"Maybe I won't be so soft-hearted when the spring comes and you are fatter," he said.
The two, about this time, took stock of their ammunition, which was the most vital of all things to them. For sometime they had used both the shot and ball cartridges55 only in cases of necessity, and they were relying more and more on traps, continually devising new kinds, their skill and ingenuity57 increasing with practice.
Dick had brought a great store of cartridges from the last train, especially from the unrifled wagon58 in the gully, and both boys were surprised to see how many they had left. They had enough to last a long time, according to their present mode of life.
"If you are willing, that settles it," said Dick.
"If I am willing for what?" asked Albert.
"Willing to stay over another year. You see, Al, we've wandered into a happy hunting ground. There are more furs, by the hundreds, for the taking, and it seems that this is a lost valley. Nobody else comes here. Besides, you are doing wonderfully. All that old trouble is gone, and we want it to stay gone. If we stay here another year, and you continue to eat the way you do and grow the way you do, you'll be able to take a buffalo by the horns and wring59 its neck."
Albert grinned pleasantly at his brother.
"You don't have to beg me to stay," he said. "I like this valley. It has given me life and what is to be our fortune, our furs. Why not do all we can while we can? I'm in favor of the extra year, Dick."
"Then no more need be said about it. The Cliff House isn't half full of furs yet, but in another year we can fill it."
The great cold began to break up, the ice on the lake grew thinner and thinner and then disappeared, much of the big game left the valley, the winds from the north ceased to blow, and in their stead came breezes from the south, tipped with warmth. Dick knew that spring was near. It was no guess, he could feel it in every bone of him, and he rejoiced. He had had enough of winter, and it gave him the keenest pleasure when he saw tiny blades of new grass peeping up in sheltered places here and there.
Dick, although he was not conscious of it, had changed almost as much as Albert in the last eight or nine months. He had had no weak chest and throat to cure, but his vigorous young frame had responded nobly to the stimulus60 of self-reliant life. The physical experience, as well as the mental, of those eight or nine months, had been equal to five times their number spent under ordinary conditions, and he had grown greatly in every respect. Few men were as strong, as agile61, and as alert as he.
He and Albert, throughout that long winter, had been sufficient unto each other. They had a great sense of ownership, the valley and all its manifold treasurers62 belonged to them—a feeling that was true, as no one else came to claim it—and they believed that in their furs they were acquiring and ample provision for a start in life.
When the first tender shades of green began to appear in the valley and on the slopes, Dick decided upon a journey.
"Do you know, Al, how long we have been in this valley?" he asked.
"Eight or ten months, I suppose," replied Albert.
"It must be something like that, and we've been entirely63 away from our race. If we had anybody to think about us—although we haven't—they'd be sure that we are dead. We're just as ignorant of what is happening in the world, and I want to go on a skirmishing trip over the mountains. You keep house while I'm gone."
Albert offered mild objections, which he soon withdrew, as at heart he thought his brother right, and the next day, early in the morning, Dick started on his journey. He carried jerked buffalo meat in a deerskin pouch64 that he had made for himself, his customary repeating rifle, revolver, and a serviceable hatchet34.
"Look after things closely, Al," said Dick, "and don't bother about setting the traps. Furs are not good in the spring."
"All right," responded Albert. "How long do you think you'll be gone?"
"Can't say, precisely65. Three or four days, I presume, but don't you worry unless it's a full week."
It was characteristic of the strength and self-restraint acquired by the two that they parted with these words and a hand clasp only, yet both had deep feeling. Dick looked back from the mouth of the cleft66 toward Castle Howard and saw a boy in front of it waving a cap. He waved his own in reply and then went forward more swiftly down the valley.
It did not take him long to reach the first slope, and, when he had ascended67 a little, he paused for rest and inspection68. Spring had really made considerable progress. All the trees except the evergreens69 had put forth young leaves and, as he looked toward the north, the mountains unrolled like a vast green blanket that swept away in ascending70 folds until it ended, and then the peaks and ridges56, white with snow, began.
Dick climbed father, and their valley was wholly lost to sight. It was not so wonderful after all that nobody came to it. Trappers who knew of it long ago never returned, believing that the beaver were all gone forever, and it was too near to the warlike Sioux of the plains for mountain Indians to make a home there.
Dick did not stop long for the look backward—he was too intent upon his mission—but resumed the ascent with light foot and light heart. He remembered very well the way in which he and Albert had come, and he followed it on the return. All night, with his buffalo robe about him, he slept in the pine alcove71 that had been the temporary home of Albert and himself. He could see no change in it in all the months, except traces to show that some wild animal had slept there.
"Maybe you'll come to-night, Mr. Bear or Mr. Mountain Lion, to sleep in your little bed." said Dick as he lay down in his buffalo robe, "but you'll find me here before you."
He was wise enough to know that neither bear nor mountain lion would ever molest72 him, and he slept soundly. He descended73 the last slopes and came in sight of the plains on the afternoon of the next day. Everything seemed familiar. The events of that fatal time had made too deep an impression upon him and Albert ever to be forgotten. He knew the very rocks and trees and so went straight to the valley in which he had found the wagon filled with supplies. It lay there yet, crumpled74 somewhat by time and the weight of snow that had fallen upon it during the winter, but a strong man with good tools might put it in shape for future service.
"Now, if Al and I only had horses, we might get it out and take away our furs in it," said Dick, "but I suppose I might as well wish for a railroad as for horses."
He descended into the gully and found the tracks of wolves and other wild beasts about the wagon. In their hunger, they had chewed up every fragment of leather or cloth, and had clawed and scratched among the lockers75. Dick had searched those pretty well before, but now he looked for gleanings. He found little of value until he discovered, jammed down in a corner, an old history and geography of the United States combined in one volume with many maps and illustrations. It was a big octavo book, and Dick seized it with the same delight with which a miner snatches up his nugget of gold. He opened it, took a rapid look through flying pages, murmured, "Just the thing," closed it again, and buttoned it securely inside his deerskin coat. He had not expected anything; nevertheless, he had gleaned76 to some purpose.
Dick left the wagon and went into the pass where the massacre77 had occurred. Time had not dimmed the horror of the place for him and he shuddered78 as he approached the scene of ambush79, but he forced himself to go on.
The wagons80 were scattered81 about, but little changed, although, as in the case of the one in the gully, all the remaining cloth and leather had been chewed by wild animals. Here and there were the skeletons of the fallen, and Dick knew that the wild beasts had not been content with leather and cloth alone. He went through the wagons one by one, but found nothing of value left except a paper of needles, some spools82 of thread, and a large pair of scissors, all of which he put in the package with the history.
It was nightfall when he finished the task, and retiring to the slope, he made his bed among some pines. He heard wolves howling twice in the night, but he merely settled himself more easily in his warm buffalo robe and went to sleep again. Replenishing his canteen with water the next morning, he started out upon the plains, intending to make some explorations.
Dick had thought at first that they were in the Black Hills, but he concluded later that they were further west. The mountains about them were altogether too high for the Black Hills, and he wished to gain some idea of their position upon the map. The thought reminded him that he had a book with maps in his pocket, and he took out the precious volume.
He found a map of the Rocky Mountain territory, but most of the space upon it was vague, often blank, and he could not exactly locate himself and Albert, although he knew that they were very far west of any settled country.
"I can learn from that book all about the world except ourselves," he said, as he put it back in his pocket. But he was not sulky over it. His was a bold and adventurous83 spirit and he was not afraid, nor was his present trip merely to satisfy curiosity. He and Albert must leave the valley some day, and it was well to know the best way in which it could be done.
He started across the plain in a general southwesterly direction, intending to travel for about a day perhaps, camp for the night, and return on the following day to his mountains. He walked along with a bold, swinging step and did not look back for an hour, but when he turned at last he felt as if he had ventured upon the open ocean in a treacherous84 canoe. There were the mountains, high, sheltered, and friendly, while off to the south and west the plains rolled away in swell85 after swell as long and desolate86 as an untraveled sea, and as hopeless.
Dick saw toward noon some antelope87 grazing on the horizon, but he was not a hunter now, and he did not trouble himself to seek a shot. An hour or two later he saw a considerable herd88 of buffaloes scattered about over the plain, nibbling89 the short bunch grass that had lived under the snow. They were rather an inspiring sight, and Dick felt as if, in a sense, they were furnishing him company. They drove away the desolation and loneliness of the plains, and his inclinations90 toward them were those of genuine friendliness91. They were in danger of no bullet from him.
While he was looking at them, he saw new figures coming over the distant swell. At first he thought they were antelope, but when they reached the crest92 of the swell and their figures were thrown into relief against the brilliant sky, he saw that they were horsemen.
They came on with such regularity93 and precision, that, for a moment or two, Dick believed them to be a troop of cavalry94, but he learned better when they scattered with a shout and began to chase the buffaloes. Then he knew that they were a band of Sioux Indians hunting.
The full extent of his danger dawned upon him instantly. He was alone and on foot. The hunt might bring them down upon him in five minutes. He was about to run, but his figure would certainly be exposed upon the crest of one of the swells95, as theirs had been, and he dropped instead into one of a number of little gullies that intersected the plain.
It was an abrupt96 little gully, and Dick was well hidden from any eyes not within ten yards of him. He lay at first so he could not see, but soon he began to hear shots and the trampling97 of mighty hoofs98. He knew now that the Sioux were in among the buffaloes, dealing99 out death, and he began to have a fear of being trodden upon either by horsemen or huge hoofs. He could not bear to lie there and he warned only by sound, so he turned a little further on one side and peeped over the edge of the gully.
The hunters and hunter were not as near as he thought; he had been deceived by sound, the earth being such a good conductor. Yet they were near enough for him to see that he was in great danger and should remain well hidden. He could observe, however, that the hunt was attended with great success. Over a dozen buffaloes had fallen and the others were running about singly or in little groups, closely pursued by the exultant100 Sioux. Some were on one side of him and some on the other. There was no chance for him, no matter how careful he might be, to rise from the gully and sneak101 away over the plain. Instead, he crouched102 more closely and contracted himself into the narrowest possible space, while the hunt wheeled and thundered about him.
It is not to be denied that Dick felt many tremors103. He had seen what the Sioux could do. He knew that they were the most merciless of all the northwestern Indians, and he expected only torture and death if he fell into their hands, and there was his brother alone now in the valley. Once the hunt swung away to the westward104 and the sounds of it grew faint. Dick hoped it would continue in that direction, but by and by it came back again and he crouched down anew in his narrow quarters. He felt that every bone in him was stiffening105 with cramp106 and needlelike pains shot through his nerves. Yet he dared not move. And upon top of his painful position came the knowledge that the Sioux would stay there to cut up the slain107 buffaloes. He was tempted108 more than once to jump up, run for it and take his chances.
He noticed presently a gray quality in the air, and as he glanced off toward the west, he saw that the red sun was burning very low. Dick's heart sprang up in gladness; it was the twilight109, and the blessed darkness would bring chance of escape. Seldom has anyone watched the coming of night with keener pleasure. The sun dropped down behind the swells, the gray twilight passed over all the sky, and after it came the night, on black wings.
Fires sprang up on the plain, fires of buffalo chips lighted by the Sioux, who were now busy skinning and cutting up the slain buffaloes. Dick saw the fires all about him, but none was nearer than a hundred yards, and, despite them, he decided that now was his best time to attempt escape before the moon should come out and lighten up the night.
He pulled himself painfully from the kind gully. He had lain there hours, and he tested every joint110 as he crept a few feet on the plain. They creaked for a while, but presently the circulation was restored, and, rising to a stooping position, with his rifle ready, he slipped off toward the westward.
Dick knew that great caution was necessary, but he had confidence in the veiling darkness. Off to the eastward111 he could see one fire, around which a half dozen warriors112 were gathered, busy with a slain buffalo, working and feasting. He fancied that he could trace their savage113 features against the red firelight, but he himself was in the darkness.
Another fire rose up, and this was straight before him. Like the others, warriors were around it, and Dick turned off abruptly114 to the south. Then he heard ponies115 stamping and he shifted his course again. When he had gone about a dozen yards he lay flat upon the plain and listened. He was hardy116 and bold, but, for a little while, he was almost in despair. It seemed to him that he was ringed around by a circle of savage warriors and that he could not break through it.
His courage returned, and, rising to his knees, he resumed his slow progress. His course was now southwesterly, and soon he heard again the stamping of hoofs. It was then that a daring idea came into Dick's head.
That stamping of hoofs was obviously made by the ponies of the Sioux. Either the ponies were tethered to short sticks, or they had only a small guard, perhaps a single man. But as they were with the buffaloes, and unsuspecting of a strange presence, they would not detail more than one man to watch their horses. It was wisdom for him to slip away one of the horses, mount it when at a safe distance, and then gallop117 toward the mountains.
Dick sank down a little lower and crept very slowly toward the point from which the stamping of hoofs proceeded. When he had gone about a dozen yards he heard another stamping of hoofs to his right and then a faint whinny. This encouraged him. It showed him that the ponies were tethered in groups, and the group toward which he was going might be without a guard. He continued his progress another dozen yards, and then lay flat upon the plain. He had seen two vague forms in the darkness, and he wished to make himself a blur118 with the earth. They were warriors passing from one camp fire to another, and Dick saw them plainly, tall men with blankets folded about them like togas, long hair in which eagle feathers were braided after the Sioux style, and strong aquiline119 features. They looked like chiefs, men of courage, dignity, and mind, and Dick contrasted them with the ruffians of the wagon train. The contrast was not favorable to the white faces that he remembered so well.
But the boy saw nothing of mercy or pity in these red countenances120. Bold and able they might be, but it was no part of theirs to spare their enemies. He fairly crowded himself against the earth, but they went on, absorbed in their own talk, and he was not seen. He raised up again and began to crawl. The group of ponies came into view, and he saw with delight that they had no watchman. A half dozen in number and well hobbled, they cropped the buffalo grass. They were bare of back, but they wore their Indian bridles121, which hung from their heads.
Dick knew a good deal about horses, and he was aware that the approach would be critical. The Indian ponies might take alarm or they might not, but the venture must be made. He did not believe that he could get beyond the ring of the Sioux fires without being discovered, and only a dash was left.
Dick marked the pony123 nearest to him. It seemed a strong animal, somewhat larger than the others, and, pulling up a handful of bunch grass, he approached it, whistling very softly. He held the grass in his left hand and his hunting knife in the right, his rifle being fastened to his back. The pony raised his head, looked at him in a friendly manner, then seemed to change his mind and backed away. But Dick came on, still holding out the grass and emitting that soft, almost inaudible whistle. The pony stopped and wavered between belief and suspicion. Dick was not more than a dozen feet away now, and he began to calculate when he might make a leap and seize the bridle122.
The boy and the pony were intently watching the eyes of each other. Dick, in that extreme moment, was gifted with preternatural acuteness of mind and vision, and he saw that the pony still wavered. He took another step forward, and the eyes of the pony inclined distinctly from belief to suspicion; another short and cautious step, and they were all suspicion. But it was too late for the pony. The agile youth sprang, and dropping the grass, seized him with his left hand by the bridle. A sweep or two of the hunting knife and the hobbles were cut through.
The pony reared and gave forth an alarmed neigh, but Dick, quickly replacing the knife in his belt, now held the bridle with both hands, and those two hands were very strong. He pulled the pony back to its four feet and sprang, with one bound, upon his back. Then kicking him vigorously in the side, he dashed away, with rifle shots spattering behind him.
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decided
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| adj.决定了的，坚决的；明显的，明确的 | |
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ammunition
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| n.军火，弹药 | |
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slew
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| v.（使）旋转；n.大量，许多 | |
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thoroughly
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| adv.完全地，彻底地，十足地 | |
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scent
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| n.气味，香味，香水，线索，嗅觉；v.嗅，发觉 | |
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forth
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| adv.向前；向外，往外 | |
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7
scurrying
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| v.急匆匆地走( scurry的现在分词 ) | |
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8
creeks
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| n.小湾( creek的名词复数 )；小港；小河；小溪 | |
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brooks
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| n.小溪( brook的名词复数 ) | |
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10
torrents
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| n.倾注；奔流( torrent的名词复数 )；急流；爆发；连续不断 | |
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11
implements
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| n.工具( implement的名词复数 )；家具；手段；[法律]履行（契约等）v.实现( implement的第三人称单数 )；执行；贯彻；使生效 | |
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12
den
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| n.兽穴；秘密地方；安静的小房间，私室 | |
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13
willow
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| n.柳树 | |
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14
buffalo
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| n.(北美)野牛；(亚洲)水牛 | |
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15
beaver
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| n.海狸，河狸 | |
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16
annex
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| vt.兼并，吞并；n.附属建筑物 | |
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17
surmised
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| v.臆测，推断( surmise的过去式和过去分词 )；揣测；猜想 | |
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18
ascent
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| n.(声望或地位)提高；上升，升高；登高 | |
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19
projections
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| 预测( projection的名词复数 )； 投影； 投掷； 突起物 | |
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20
perseverance
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| n.坚持不懈，不屈不挠 | |
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21
elk
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| n.麋鹿 | |
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22
exultingly
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| 兴高采烈地，得意地 | |
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23
aristocrats
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| n.贵族( aristocrat的名词复数 ) | |
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24
mansion
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| n.大厦，大楼；宅第 | |
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25
suburban
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| adj.城郊的，在郊区的 | |
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26
villa
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| n.别墅，城郊小屋 | |
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27
graceful
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| adj.优美的，优雅的；得体的 | |
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28
noted
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| adj.著名的，知名的 | |
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29
canyons
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| n.峡谷( canyon的名词复数 ) | |
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30
economize
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| v.节约，节省 | |
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31
perfectly
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| adv.完美地，无可非议地，彻底地 | |
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32
artistic
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| adj.艺术(家)的，美术(家)的；善于艺术创作的 | |
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33
laborious
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| adj.吃力的，努力的，不流畅 | |
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34
hatchet
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| n.短柄小斧；v.扼杀 | |
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35
hatchets
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| n.短柄小斧( hatchet的名词复数 )；恶毒攻击；诽谤；休战 | |
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36
chisel
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| n.凿子；v.用凿子刻，雕，凿 | |
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38
mighty
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| adj.强有力的；巨大的 | |
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39
sputter
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| n.喷溅声；v.喷溅 | |
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40
hearth
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| n.壁炉炉床，壁炉地面 | |
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41
chagrin
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| n.懊恼；气愤；委屈 | |
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42
behold
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| v.看，注视，看到 | |
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43
misery
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| n.痛苦，苦恼，苦难；悲惨的境遇，贫苦 | |
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44
dexterity
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| n.(手的)灵巧，灵活 | |
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45
repel
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| v.击退，抵制，拒绝，排斥 | |
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46
numbing
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| adj.使麻木的，使失去感觉的v.使麻木，使麻痹( numb的现在分词 ) | |
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47
assailed
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| v.攻击( assail的过去式和过去分词 )；困扰；质问；毅然应对 | |
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48
thawed
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| 解冻 | |
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49
applied
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| adj.应用的；v.应用，适用 | |
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50
allayed
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| v.减轻，缓和( allay的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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51
sledge
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| n.雪橇，大锤；v.用雪橇搬运，坐雪橇往 | |
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52
entailed
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| 使…成为必要( entail的过去式和过去分词 )； 需要； 限定继承； 使必需 | |
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53
buffaloes
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| n.水牛（分非洲水牛和亚洲水牛两种）( buffalo的名词复数 )；（南非或北美的）野牛；威胁；恐吓 | |
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54
scanty
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| adj.缺乏的，仅有的，节省的，狭小的，不够的 | |
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55
cartridges
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| 子弹( cartridge的名词复数 )； （打印机的）墨盒； 录音带盒； （唱机的）唱头 | |
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56
ridges
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| n.脊( ridge的名词复数 )；山脊；脊状突起；大气层的)高压脊 | |
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57
ingenuity
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| n.别出心裁；善于发明创造 | |
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58
wagon
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| n.四轮马车，手推车，面包车；无盖运货列车 | |
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59
wring
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| n.扭绞；v.拧，绞出，扭 | |
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60
stimulus
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| n.刺激，刺激物，促进因素，引起兴奋的事物 | |
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61
agile
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| adj.敏捷的，灵活的 | |
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62
treasurers
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| （团体等的）司库，财务主管( treasurer的名词复数 ) | |
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63
entirely
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| ad.全部地，完整地；完全地，彻底地 | |
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64
pouch
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| n.小袋，小包，囊状袋；vt.装...入袋中，用袋运输；vi.用袋送信件 | |
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65
precisely
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| adv.恰好，正好，精确地，细致地 | |
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66
cleft
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| n.裂缝；adj.裂开的 | |
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67
ascended
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| v.上升，攀登( ascend的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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68
inspection
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| n.检查，审查，检阅 | |
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69
evergreens
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| n.常青树，常绿植物，万年青( evergreen的名词复数 ) | |
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70
ascending
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| adj.上升的，向上的 | |
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71
alcove
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| n.凹室 | |
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72
molest
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| vt.骚扰，干扰，调戏 | |
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73
descended
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| a.为...后裔的，出身于...的 | |
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74
crumpled
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| adj. 弯扭的, 变皱的 动词crumple的过去式和过去分词形式 | |
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75
lockers
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| n.寄物柜( locker的名词复数 ) | |
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76
gleaned
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| v.一点点地收集（资料、事实）( glean的过去式和过去分词 )；（收割后）拾穗 | |
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77
massacre
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| n.残杀，大屠杀；v.残杀，集体屠杀 | |
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78
shuddered
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| v.战栗( shudder的过去式和过去分词 )；发抖；（机器、车辆等）突然震动；颤动 | |
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79
ambush
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| n.埋伏(地点)；伏兵；v.埋伏；伏击 | |
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80
wagons
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| n.四轮的运货马车( wagon的名词复数 )；铁路货车；小手推车 | |
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81
scattered
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| adj.分散的，稀疏的；散步的；疏疏落落的 | |
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82
spools
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| n.（绕线、铁线、照相软片等的）管( spool的名词复数 )；络纱；纺纱机；绕圈轴工人v.把…绕到线轴上（或从线轴上绕下来）( spool的第三人称单数 )；假脱机（输出或输入） | |
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83
adventurous
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| adj.爱冒险的；惊心动魄的，惊险的，刺激的 | |
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84
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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85
swell
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| vi.膨胀，肿胀；增长，增强 | |
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86
desolate
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| adj.荒凉的，荒芜的；孤独的，凄凉的；v.使荒芜，使孤寂 | |
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87
antelope
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| n.羚羊；羚羊皮 | |
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88
herd
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| n.兽群，牧群；vt.使集中，把…赶在一起 | |
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89
nibbling
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| v.啃，一点一点地咬（吃）( nibble的现在分词 )；啃出（洞），一点一点咬出（洞）；慢慢减少；小口咬 | |
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90
inclinations
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| 倾向( inclination的名词复数 )； 倾斜； 爱好； 斜坡 | |
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91
friendliness
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| n.友谊，亲切，亲密 | |
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92
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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93
regularity
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| n.规律性，规则性；匀称，整齐 | |
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94
cavalry
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| n.骑兵；轻装甲部队 | |
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95
swells
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| 增强( swell的第三人称单数 )； 肿胀； （使）凸出； 充满（激情） | |
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96
abrupt
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| adj.突然的，意外的；唐突的，鲁莽的 | |
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97
trampling
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| 踩( trample的现在分词 )； 践踏； 无视； 侵犯 | |
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98
hoofs
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| n.（兽的）蹄，马蹄( hoof的名词复数 )v.（兽的）蹄，马蹄( hoof的第三人称单数 ) | |
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99
dealing
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| n.经商方法，待人态度 | |
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100
exultant
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| adj.欢腾的，狂欢的，大喜的 | |
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101
sneak
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| vt.潜行(隐藏,填石缝)；偷偷摸摸做；n.潜行；adj.暗中进行 | |
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102
crouched
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| v.屈膝，蹲伏( crouch的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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103
tremors
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| 震颤( tremor的名词复数 )； 战栗； 震颤声； 大地的轻微震动 | |
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104
westward
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| n.西方，西部；adj.西方的，向西的；adv.向西 | |
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105
stiffening
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| n. (使衣服等)变硬的材料, 硬化 动词stiffen的现在分词形式 | |
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106
cramp
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| n.痉挛；[pl.](腹)绞痛；vt.限制，束缚 | |
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107
slain
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| 杀死，宰杀，杀戮( slay的过去分词 )； (slay的过去分词) | |
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108
tempted
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| v.怂恿（某人）干不正当的事；冒…的险（tempt的过去分词） | |
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109
twilight
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| n.暮光，黄昏；暮年，晚期，衰落时期 | |
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110
joint
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| adj.联合的，共同的；n.关节，接合处；v.连接，贴合 | |
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111
eastward
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| adv.向东；adj.向东的；n.东方，东部 | |
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112
warriors
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| 武士，勇士，战士( warrior的名词复数 ) | |
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113
savage
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| adj.野蛮的；凶恶的，残暴的；n.未开化的人 | |
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114
abruptly
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| adv.突然地，出其不意地 | |
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115
ponies
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| 矮种马，小型马( pony的名词复数 )； ￡25 25 英镑 | |
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116
hardy
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| adj.勇敢的，果断的，吃苦的；耐寒的 | |
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117
gallop
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| v./n.(马或骑马等)飞奔；飞速发展 | |
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118
blur
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| n.模糊不清的事物；vt.使模糊，使看不清楚 | |
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119
aquiline
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| adj.钩状的，鹰的 | |
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120
countenances
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| n.面容( countenance的名词复数 )；表情；镇静；道义支持 | |
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121
bridles
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| 约束( bridle的名词复数 )； 限动器； 马笼头； 系带 | |
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122
bridle
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| n.笼头，束缚；vt.抑制，约束；动怒 | |
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123
pony
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| adj.小型的；n.小马 | |
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