"Stop, Al," he said, putting his hand on his brother's shoulder.
"I believe some of our soldiers are here."
The two crept as near as they dared and watched until they saw another figure pause momentarily against the background of the firelight.
"It's a trooper, sure," said Dick, "and we've come to our own people at last. Come, Al, we'll join them."
They started forward on a run. There was a flash of flame, a report, and a bullet whistled between them.
They ran forward again, coming boldly into the light, and no more shots were fired at them. They ran up the slope to the crest6 of the bluff1, leaped over a fresh earthwork, and fell among a crowd of soldiers in blue. Dick quickly raised himself to his feet, and saw soldiers about him, many of them wounded, all of them weary and drawn7. Others were hard at work with pick and spade, and from a distant point of the earthwork came the sharp report of rifle shots.
These were the first white men that Dick and Albert had seen in nearly two years, and their hearts rose in their throats.
"Who are you?" asked a lieutenant8, holding up a lantern and looking curiously9 at the two bare-headed, brown, and half-wild youths who stood before him in their rough attire10 of tanned skins. They might readily have passed in the darkness for young Sioux warriors11.
"I am Dick Howard," replied Dick, standing13 up as straight as his weakness would let him, "and this is my brother Albert. We were with an emigrant14 trail, all the rest of which was massacred two years ago by the Sioux. Since then we have been in the mountains, hunting and trapping."
The lieutenant looked at him suspiciously. Dick still stood erect15 and returned his gaze, but Albert, overpowered by fatigue16, was leaning against the earthwork. A half dozen soldiers stood near, watching them curiously. From the woods toward the river came the sound of more rifle shots.
"Where have you come from to-night? And how?" asked the lieutenant sharply.
"We escaped from the Sioux village," replied Dick. "I was in one part of it and my brother in another. We met by chance or luck in the night, but in the afternoon I saw all the battle in which the army was destroyed."
"Army destroyed! What do you mean?" exclaimed the officer.
The suspicion in his look deepened, but Dick met him with unwavering eye.
"It was on the other side of the town," he replied. "Another army was there. It was surrounded by thousands of Sioux, but it perished to the last man. I saw them gallop19 into the valley, led by a general with long yellow hair."
"What nonsense is this!" exclaimed the officer. "Do you dare tell me that Custer and his entire command have perished?"
Dick felt his resentment21 rising.
"I tell you only the truth," he said. "There was a great battle, and our troops, led by a general with long yellow hair, perished utterly22. The last one of them is dead. I saw it all with my own eyes."
Again that deep groan came from the men in the dusk.
"I can't believe it!" exclaimed the lieutenant. "Custer and whole force dead! Where were you? How did you see all this?"
"The Sioux had tied me to a tree in order that the Indian boys might amuse themselves by grazing me with arrows—my brother and I had been captured when we were on the plains—but they were interrupted by the appearance of troops in the valley. Then the battle began. It lasted a long time, and I was forgotten. About twilight23 I managed to break loose, and I escaped by hiding in the undergrowth. My brother, who was on the other side of town, escaped in much the same way."
"Sounds improbable, very improbable!" muttered the lieutenant.
"Look at the boy's wrists, lieutenant! They've got just the marks than an Indian rawhide26 would make!"
Dick impulsively27 held up his wrists, from which the bandages had fallen without his notice. A deep red ring encircled each, and it was obvious from their faces that others believed, even if the lieutenant did not. But he, too, dropped at least a part of his disbelief.
"I cannot deny your story of being captives among the Sioux," he said, "because you are white and the look of your eyes is honest. But you must be mistaken about Custer. They cannot all have fallen; it was your excitement that made you think it."
Dick did not insist. He was the bearer of bad news, but he would not seek to make others believe it if they did not wish to do so. The dreadful confirmation28 would come soon enough.
"Take them away, Williams," said the lieutenant to the sergeant, "and give them food and drink. They look as if they needed it."
The sergeant was kindly29, and he asked Dick and Albert many questions as he led them to a point farther back on the bluff beyond the rifle shots of the Sioux, who were now firing heavily in the darkness upon Reno's command, the troops driven off from the far side of the town, and the commands of Benteen and McDougall, which had formed a junction30 with Reno. It was evident that he believed all Dick told him, and his eyes became heavy with sorrow.
"Poor lads!" he murmured. "And so many of them gone!"
He took them to a fire, and here both of them collapsed31 completely. But with stimulants32, good food, and water they recovered in an hour, and then Dick was asked to tell again what he had seen to the chief officers. They listened attentively, but Dick knew that they, too, went away incredulous.
Throughout the talk Dick and Albert heard the sound of pick and spade as the men continued to throw up the earthworks, and there was an incessant33 patter of rifle fire as the Sioux crept forward in the darkness, firing from every tree, or rock, or hillock, and keeping up a frightful34 yelling, half of menace and half of triumph. But their bullets whistled mostly overhead, and once, when they made a great rush, they were quickly driven back with great loss. Troops on a bluff behind earthworks were a hard nut even for an overwhelming force to crack.
Dick and Albert fell asleep on the ground from sheer exhaustion35, but Dick did not sleep long. He was awakened36 by a fresh burst of firing, and saw that it was still dark. He did not sleep again that night, although Albert failed to awake, and, asking for a rifle, bore a part in the defense37.
The troops, having made a forced march with scant38 supplies, suffered greatly from thirst, but volunteers, taking buckets, slipped down to the river, at the imminent39 risk of torture and death, and brought them back filled for their comrades. It was done more than a dozen times, and Dick himself was one of the heroes, which pleased Sergeant Williams greatly.
"You're the right stuff, my boy," he said, clapping him on the shoulder, "though you ought to be asleep and resting."
"I couldn't sleep long," replied Dick. "I think my nerves have been upset so much that I won't feel just right again for months."
Nevertheless he bore a valiant40 part in the defense, besides risking his life to obtain the water, and won high praise from many besides his stanch41 friend, Sergeant Williams. It was well that the troops had thrown up the earthwork, as the Sioux, flushed with their great victory in the afternoon, hung on the flanks of the bluffs and kept up a continuous rifle fire. There was light enough for sharpshooting, and more than one soldier who incautiously raised his head above the earthwork was slain42.
Toward morning the Sioux made another great rush. There had been a lull43 in the firing just when the night was darker than usual and many little black clouds were floating up from the southwest. Dick was oppressed by the silence. He remembered the phases of the battle in the afternoon, and he felt that it portended44 some great effort by the Sioux. He peeped carefully over the earthwork and studied the trees, bushes, and hillocks below. He saw nothing there, but it seemed to him that he could actually feel the presence of the Sioux.
"Look out for 'em," he said to Sergeant Williams. "I think they're going to make a rush."
"I think it, too," replied the veteran. "I've learnt something of their cunnin' since I've been out here on the plains."
Five minutes later the Sioux sprang from their ambush45 and rushed forward, hoping to surprise enemies who had grown careless. But they were met by a withering46 fire that drove them headlong to cover again. Nevertheless they kept up the siege throughout all the following day and night, firing incessantly47 from ambush, and at times giving forth48 whoops49 full of taunt50 and menace. Dick was able to sleep a little during the day, and gradually his nerves became more steady. Albert also took a part in the defense, and, like Dick, he won many friends.
The day was a long and heavy one. The fortified51 camp was filled with the gloomiest apprehensions52. The officers still refused to believe all of Dick's story, that Custer and every man of his command had perished at the hands of the Sioux. They were yet hopeful that his eyes had deceived him, a thing which could happen amid so much fire, and smoke, and excitement, and that only a part of Custer's force had fallen. Yet neither Custer nor any of his men returned; there was no sign of them anywhere, and below the bluffs the Sioux gave forth taunting53 shouts and flaunted54 terrible trophies55.
Dick and Albert sat together about twilight before one of the camp fires, and Dick's face showed that he shared the gloom of those around him.
"What are you expecting, Dick?" asked Albert, who read his countenance56.
"Nothing in particular," replied Dick; "but I'm hoping that help will come soon. I've heard from the men that General Gibbon is out on the plain with a strong force, and we need him bad. We're short of both water and food, and we'll soon be short of ammunition57. Custer fell, I think, because his ammunition gave out, and if ours gives out the same thing will happen to us. It's no use trying to conceal58 it."
"Then we'll pray for Gibbon," said Albert.
The second night passed like the first, to the accompaniment of shouts and shots, the incessant sharpshooting of the Sioux, and an occasional rush that was always driven back. But it was terribly exhausting. The men were growing irritable59 and nervous under such a siege, and the anxiety in the camp increased.
Dick, after a good sleep, was up early on the morning of the second day, and, like others, he looked out over the plain in the hope that he might see Gibbon coming. He looked all around the circle of the horizon and saw only distant lodges60 in the valley and Sioux warriors. But Dick had uncommonly good ears, trained further by two years of wild life, and he heard something, a new note in the common life of the morning. He listened with the utmost attention, and heard it again. He had heard the same sound on the terrible day when Custer galloped61 into the valley—the mellow62, pealing63 note of a trumpet64, but now very faint and far.
"They're coming!" he said to Sergeant Williams joyfully65. "I hear the sound of a trumpet out on the plain!"
"I don't," said the sergeant. "It's your hopes that are deceivin' you. No, by Jove, I think I do hear it! Yes, there it is! They're comin'! They're comin'!"
The whole camp burst into a joyous66 cheer, and although they did not hear the trumpet again for some time, the belief that help was at hand became a certainty when they saw hurried movements among the Sioux in the valley and the sudden upspringing of flames at many points.
"They're goin' to retreat," said the veteran Sergeant Williams, "an' they're burnin' their village behind 'em."
A little later the army of Gibbon, with infantry67 and artillery68, showed over the plain, and was welcomed with cheers that came from the heart. Uniting with the commands on the fortified bluff, Gibbon now had a powerful force, and he advanced cautiously into the valley of the Little Big Horn and directly upon the Indian village. But the Sioux were gone northward69, taking with them their arms, ammunition, and all movable equipment, and the lodges that they left behind were burning.
Dick led the force to the field of battle, and all his terrible story was confirmed. There were hundreds of brave men, Custer and every one of his officers among them, lay, most of them mutilated, but all with their backs to the earth.
The army spent the day burying the dead, and then began the pursuit of the Sioux. Dick and Albert went with them, fighting as scouts70 and skirmishers. They were willing, for the present, to let their furs remain hidden in their lost valley until they could gain a more definite idea of its location, and until the dangerous Sioux were driven far to the northward.
As the armies grew larger the Sioux forces, despite the skill and courage of their leaders, were continually beaten. Their great victory on the Little Big Horn availed them nothing. It became evident that the last of the chiefs—and to Dick and Albert this was Bright Sun—had made the last stand for his race, and had failed.
"They were doomed71 the day the first white man landed in America," said Dick to Albert, "and nothing could save them."
"I suppose it's so," said Albert; "but I feel sorry for Bright
Sun, all the same."
"So do I," said Dick.
The Sioux were finally crowded against the Canadian line, and Sitting Bull and most of the warriors fled across it for safety. But just before the crossing Dick and Albert bore a gallant72 part in a severe skirmish that began before daylight. A small Sioux band, fighting in a forest with great courage and tenacity73, was gradually driven back by dismounted white troopers. Dick, a skirmisher on the right flank, became separated from his comrades during the fighting. He was aware that the Sioux had been defeated, but, like the others, he followed in eager pursuit, wishing to drive the blow home.
Dick lost sight of both troopers and Sioux, but he became aware of a figure in the undergrowth ahead of him, and he stalked it. The warrior12, for such he was sure the man to be, was unable to continue his flight without entering an open space where he would be exposed to Dick's bullet, and he stayed to meet his antagonist74.
There was much delicate maneuvering75 of the kind that must occur when lives are known to be at stake, but at last the two came within reach of each other. The Sioux fired first and missed, and then Dick held his enemy at the muzzle76 of his rifle. He was about to fire in his turn, when he saw that it was Bright Sun.
"Fire," he said. "I have lost and I might as well die by your hand as another."
Dick lowered his weapon.
"I can't do it, Bright Sun," he said. "My brother and I owe you our lives, and I've got to give you yours. Good-by."
"But I am an Indian," said Bright Sun. "I will never surrender to your people."
"It is for you to say," replied Dick.
Bright Sun waved his hand in a grave and sad farewell salute78 and went northward. Dick heard from a trapper some time later of a small band of Sioux Indians far up near the Great Slave Lake, led by a chief of uncommon3 qualities. He was sure, from the description of this chief given by the trapper, that it was Bright Sun.
Their part in the war ended, Dick and Albert took for their pay a number of captured Indian ponies79, and turning southward found the old trail of the train that had been slaughtered80. Then, with the ponies, they entered their beloved valley again.
No one had come in their absence. Castle Howard, the Annex81, the Suburban82 Villa17, the Cliff House and all their treasures were undisturbed. They carried their furs to Helena, in Montana, where the entire lot was sold for thirty-two thousand dollars—a great sum for two youths.
"Now what shall we do?" said Albert when the money was paid to them.
"I vote we buy United States Government bonds," replied Dick, "register 'em in our names, and go back to the valley to hunt and trap. Of course people will find it after a while, but we may get another lot of the furs before anyone comes."
"Just what I'd have proposed myself," said Albert.
They started the next day on their ponies, with the pack ponies following, and reached their destination in due time. It was just about sunset when they descended83 the last slope and once more beheld84 their valley, stretching before them in all its beauty and splendor85, still untrodden by any human footsteps save their own.
"What a fine place!" exclaimed Albert.
"The finest in the world!" said Dick.
The End
点击
收听单词发音
收听单词发音 |
1
bluff
|
|
| v.虚张声势，用假象骗人；n.虚张声势，欺骗 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
2
bluffs
|
|
| 恐吓( bluff的名词复数 )； 悬崖； 峭壁 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
3
uncommon
|
|
| adj.罕见的，非凡的，不平常的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
4
uncommonly
|
|
| adv. 稀罕(极，非常) | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
5
savages
|
|
| 未开化的人，野蛮人( savage的名词复数 ) | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
6
crest
|
|
| n.顶点；饰章；羽冠；vt.达到顶点；vi.形成浪尖 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
7
drawn
|
|
| v.拖，拉，拔出；adj.憔悴的，紧张的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
8
lieutenant
|
|
| n.陆军中尉，海军上尉；代理官员，副职官员 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
9
curiously
|
|
| adv.有求知欲地；好问地；奇特地 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
10
attire
|
|
| v.穿衣，装扮[同]array；n.衣着；盛装 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
11
warriors
|
|
| 武士，勇士，战士( warrior的名词复数 ) | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
12
warrior
|
|
| n.勇士，武士，斗士 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
13
standing
|
|
| n.持续，地位；adj.永久的，不动的，直立的，不流动的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
14
emigrant
|
|
| adj.移居的，移民的；n.移居外国的人，移民 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
15
erect
|
|
| n./v.树立，建立，使竖立；adj.直立的，垂直的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
16
fatigue
|
|
| n.疲劳，劳累 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
17
villa
|
|
| n.别墅，城郊小屋 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
18
repulsed
|
|
| v.击退( repulse的过去式和过去分词 )；驳斥；拒绝 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
19
gallop
|
|
| v./n.(马或骑马等)飞奔；飞速发展 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
20
groan
|
|
| vi./n.呻吟，抱怨；(发出)呻吟般的声音 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
21
resentment
|
|
| n.怨愤，忿恨 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
22
utterly
|
|
| adv.完全地，绝对地 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
23
twilight
|
|
| n.暮光，黄昏；暮年，晚期，衰落时期 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
24
sergeant
|
|
| n.警官，中士 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
25
attentively
|
|
| adv.聚精会神地；周到地；谛；凝神 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
26
rawhide
|
|
| n.生牛皮 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
27
impulsively
|
|
| adv.冲动地 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
28
confirmation
|
|
| n.证实，确认，批准 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
29
kindly
|
|
| adj.和蔼的，温和的，爽快的；adv.温和地，亲切地 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
30
junction
|
|
| n.连接，接合；交叉点，接合处，枢纽站 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
31
collapsed
|
|
| adj.倒塌的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
32
stimulants
|
|
| n.兴奋剂( stimulant的名词复数 )；含兴奋剂的饮料；刺激物；激励物 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
33
incessant
|
|
| adj.不停的，连续的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
34
frightful
|
|
| adj.可怕的；讨厌的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
35
exhaustion
|
|
| n.耗尽枯竭，疲惫，筋疲力尽，竭尽，详尽无遗的论述 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
36
awakened
|
|
| v.（使）醒( awaken的过去式和过去分词 )；（使）觉醒；弄醒；（使）意识到 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
37
defense
|
|
| n.防御，保卫；[pl.]防务工事；辩护，答辩 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
38
scant
|
|
| adj.不充分的，不足的；v.减缩，限制，忽略 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
39
imminent
|
|
| adj.即将发生的，临近的，逼近的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
40
valiant
|
|
| adj.勇敢的，英勇的；n.勇士，勇敢的人 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
41
stanch
|
|
| v.止住（血等）；adj.坚固的；坚定的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
42
slain
|
|
| 杀死，宰杀，杀戮( slay的过去分词 )； (slay的过去分词) | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
43
lull
|
|
| v.使安静，使入睡，缓和，哄骗；n.暂停，间歇 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
44
portended
|
|
| v.预示( portend的过去式和过去分词 )；预兆；给…以警告；预告 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
45
ambush
|
|
| n.埋伏(地点)；伏兵；v.埋伏；伏击 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
46
withering
|
|
| 使人畏缩的，使人害羞的，使人难堪的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
47
incessantly
|
|
| ad.不停地 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
48
forth
|
|
| adv.向前；向外，往外 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
49
whoops
|
|
| int.呼喊声 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
50
taunt
|
|
| n.辱骂，嘲弄；v.嘲弄 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
51
fortified
|
|
| adj. 加强的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
52
apprehensions
|
|
| 疑惧 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
53
taunting
|
|
| 嘲讽( taunt的现在分词 )； 嘲弄； 辱骂； 奚落 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
54
flaunted
|
|
| v.炫耀，夸耀( flaunt的过去式和过去分词 )；有什么能耐就施展出来 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
55
trophies
|
|
| n.（为竞赛获胜者颁发的）奖品( trophy的名词复数 )；奖杯；（尤指狩猎或战争中获得的）纪念品；（用于比赛或赛跑名称）奖 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
56
countenance
|
|
| n.脸色，面容；面部表情；vt.支持，赞同 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
57
ammunition
|
|
| n.军火，弹药 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
58
conceal
|
|
| v.隐藏，隐瞒，隐蔽 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
59
irritable
|
|
| adj.急躁的；过敏的；易怒的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
60
lodges
|
|
| v.存放( lodge的第三人称单数 )；暂住；埋入；（权利、权威等）归属 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
61
galloped
|
|
| （使马）飞奔，奔驰( gallop的过去式和过去分词 )； 快速做[说]某事 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
62
mellow
|
|
| adj.柔和的；熟透的；v.变柔和；(使)成熟 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
63
pealing
|
|
| v.（使）（钟等）鸣响，（雷等）发出隆隆声( peal的现在分词 ) | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
64
trumpet
|
|
| n.喇叭，喇叭声；v.吹喇叭，吹嘘 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
65
joyfully
|
|
| adv. 喜悦地, 高兴地 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
66
joyous
|
|
| adj.充满快乐的；令人高兴的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
67
infantry
|
|
| n.[总称]步兵(部队) | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
68
artillery
|
|
| n.(军)火炮，大炮；炮兵(部队) | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
69
northward
|
|
| adv.向北；n.北方的地区 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
70
scouts
|
|
| 侦察员[机，舰]( scout的名词复数 )； 童子军； 搜索； 童子军成员 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
71
doomed
|
|
| 命定的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
72
gallant
|
|
| adj.英勇的，豪侠的；(向女人)献殷勤的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
73
tenacity
|
|
| n.坚韧 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
74
antagonist
|
|
| n.敌人，对抗者，对手 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
75
maneuvering
|
|
| v.移动，用策略( maneuver的现在分词 )；操纵 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
76
muzzle
|
|
| n.鼻口部；口套；枪(炮)口；vt.使缄默 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
77
depressed
|
|
| adj.沮丧的，抑郁的，不景气的，萧条的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
78
salute
|
|
| vi.行礼，致意，问候，放礼炮；vt.向…致意，迎接，赞扬；n.招呼，敬礼，礼炮 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
79
ponies
|
|
| 矮种马，小型马( pony的名词复数 )； ￡25 25 英镑 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
80
slaughtered
|
|
| v.屠杀，杀戮，屠宰( slaughter的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
81
annex
|
|
| vt.兼并，吞并；n.附属建筑物 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
82
suburban
|
|
| adj.城郊的，在郊区的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
83
descended
|
|
| a.为...后裔的，出身于...的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
84
beheld
|
|
| v.看，注视( behold的过去式和过去分词 )；瞧；看呀；（叙述中用于引出某人意外的出现）哎哟 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
85
splendor
|
|
| n.光彩；壮丽，华丽；显赫，辉煌 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
| 欢迎访问英文小说网 |