Mr. Watrous’ arrangements for the comfort of the boys was perfect. The ride to St. Louis in the famous Limited Express was the luxury of railway travelling, and they landed in the Mound1 City within twenty-four hours after leaving Philadelphia, where Nick met his old friend, Ned Osmun, who had given to him his wonderful ride on his engine to Jersey2 City. He wished them every pleasure on their long journey, which he said caused him a touch of envy, but he meant to even-up matters by another fishing excursion in Western Pennsylvania, with a call on Nick’s parents and pretty Nellie.
[11]
They stayed overnight at the Lindell in St. Louis, but were in such a hurry to reach their destination that, without spending any time in visiting the sights and interesting scenes, they left the following morning over the Iron Mountain Railway for Texarkana.
This ride, though long and at times tedious, was enjoyed by both, for the scenes and incidents gave a foretaste of what was coming. A number of cattlemen were on the train, and the boys struck up an acquaintance with them. They found them pleasant and ready to impart all the information that was asked for.
There were long hours of riding through the dismal4 pine woods of Missouri and Arkansas, where, mile after mile, they saw only an occasional settler’s cabin, with the half-dressed children playing around the door. In several cases, the openings between the logs were so large that they could look through both the front and rear of the structure and see the trees on the other side.
They left the train at Malvern, and took the narrow gauge5 railway to the celebrated6 Hot[12] Springs, twenty-five miles distant, where they stayed overnight. One of the interesting facts learned here was the clever manner in which “Diamond Jo,” who built and owns the narrow gauge railway, outwitted the Arkansas Legislature, which forbade a charge of more than five cents a mile on every line in the State between any two places. The capitalist named had been charging and receiving ten cents a mile, and he now flanked the law by locating the western terminus of his line within two or three feet of the boundary of Hot Springs, and continued serenely7 to receive his excessive rates as before.
They reached Texarkana Saturday evening, and, since there was no travelling westward8 on Sunday, that day was spent in the town, which lies partly within Texas and partly within Arkansas, and includes within its odd name a portion of the appellation9 of each of the two States.
They attended church, which was capable of accommodating fifty people by crowding, and whose walls contained but a single placard, which was a request for the attendants not to spit on the floor.
[13]
The next stopping place was at Austin, the capital of Texas. The weather was quite warm, but the nights were cool and breezy, and the glimpses of the snowy cotton fields were a treat to the boys, who looked upon them for the first time.
They spent one night and a portion of a day in Austin, visiting the capitol and strolling through the city, which contains many fine buildings of white marble-like stone, peculiar10 to the vicinity. In the capitol they saw several fine paintings of the early heroes of Texas. On the cenotaph (since destroyed by the burning of the capitol), was the inscription11 to the memory of the defenders12 of the Alamo, which is one of the most striking tributes ever conceived by man: “THERMOPYL? HAD ITS MESSENGER OF DEFEAT: THE ALAMO HAD NONE.”
The railway line to San Antonio had recently been finished, and they arrived in that quaint3 old town as night was closing in. A bright moon was shining in an unclouded sky, and, after registering at the Menger House, facing the Plaza13, they strolled through the city and enjoyed a view of the Alamo by moonlight.[14] The brown adobe14 walls were softened15 in the mild radiance, and, as Nick described the defence made by the garrison16 of less than two hundred men against four thousand Mexicans under Santa Anna, it seemed to Herbert that he was witnessing that tremendous fight, which continued for eleven days, until only a dozen grimy, panting, and exhausted17 defenders were left. The terrible Colonel Bowie was shot in his sick bed, and Davy Crockett was among the handful that at last surrendered, under the promise of honorable treatment, but were treacherously18 massacred by Santa Anna.
The winding19 Colorado was impressively beautiful in the moonlight, and the adobe mission houses, which were visited the next day, were viewed with the interest that all tourists feel when they first look upon them. Each was over a century old. One, in a fine state of preservation20, was pointed21 out, where the Jesuit fathers were besieged22 by the Comanche Indians for nearly two years.
Among the curiosities noticed in San Antonio were the Mexican dogs, without a hair[15] on their bodies, and the other canines23, known as “tramps” or “nobody’s dogs,” who roam over the country between the city and the Rio Grande, picking up their food, as do their biped brothers, and confessing to the ownership of no one. That portion of San Antonio called Mexico was squalid, and made up of old residents, many of whom cannot speak a word of English, while in other sections nearly everyone understands English, Spanish, and German.
The boys stayed several days in this city, for they looked upon it as their real starting point or entrance into the great southwest. They had talked over the question while on their way thither24, and agreed upon the line to be followed. Herbert had a letter of recommendation to Mr. Lord, a banker, by which he could secure all the funds needed, and who showed a wish to help him in every way in his power.
He invited the boys to visit him at his house, where they spent an evening with the gentleman, who, having been a resident in Texas from a date several years before the Civil[16] War, was able to give the very knowledge and counsel they needed. He told them a fact that they had not noticed. San Antonio itself is a resort for invalids25 threatened with, or suffering from, pulmonary weakness, who find the mild, equable climate very helpful. He had known of cases in which it had wrought26 a complete cure.
“But I see,” he said with a smile, “that that doesn’t suit your ideas; while there are many sights here that you have not seen—such as the Colorado Springs—yet you could not content yourselves in our sleepy town for more than a day or two longer. You can take the stage from here to El Paso, but the ride is tiresome27, and, at this season of the year, dusty and trying to a degree.”
“I don’t think we should fancy that,” said Nick, who refrained from giving a hint of the plan they had formed.
“I suppose you are both good horsemen?” was the inquiring remark of the banker.
They answered that they were fairly good riders. Nick had learned to ride horses almost as soon as he could walk, and Herbert[17] had taken instructions at an academy in New York for a couple of years past.
“Everybody rides a horse or burro in Texas,” said Mr. Lord, “and the only caution you need is to make sure you possess a clear title to the animal you throw your leg over. There are few people hanged in Texas for murder, but plenty are strung up every year for horse-stealing. You would be objects of suspicion if you should take a walk out in the country. My advice, then, is to buy three excellent ponies28, provide yourselves with a good outfit29, including a fine repeating Winchester rifle and a revolver apiece, with plenty of ammunition30. You will need an extra animal to carry your luggage. Then strike out for New Mexico. You will have to ride a clean five hundred miles before crossing the boundary, but it is the right season of the year, and the ride will do you good.”
“Do you advise us to go alone?” asked Herbert.
“By no means; you must have companions who are familiar with the country, and they can be easily secured.”
[18]
“How?”
“There are hunters, miners, prospectors31, and adventurers in San Antonio all the time, who have either just come from the wild regions beyond or are about to set out for them. They may be rough in their ways, but they are generally honest and trustworthy, and there will be no trouble in engaging them as companions.”
“You have laid out the plan Herbert and I had fixed32 upon, but we felt doubts about being able to carry it out. We have informed ourselves, so far as we can, concerning the country over which we wish to ride, and the more we learned, the more we saw the need of having men who were familiar with it. How about the Indians?”
“Well, you are liable to meet them, but I do not think there is much to be feared, as I have heard no disquieting33 rumors34 lately, though,” added the banker significantly, “I was shot at myself, within the present year, by a party of marauding Comanches, within six miles of San Antonio. When you get into New Mexico, you will be likely to find matters more lively.”
[19]
“Can you help us in engaging the right parties?”
“I think so; call around at my office to-morrow afternoon, when I am quite sure I will be able to put you on the track of the ones whom you ought to meet.”
The lads assured their host that they would be glad to do so, and, declining his kind invitation to spend the night at his home, bade him good-evening and started on their return to the Menger House.
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1
mound
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| n.土墩，堤，小山；v.筑堤，用土堆防卫 | |
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jersey
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| n.运动衫 | |
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quaint
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| adj.古雅的，离奇有趣的，奇怪的 | |
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dismal
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| adj.阴沉的，凄凉的，令人忧郁的，差劲的 | |
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gauge
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| v.精确计量；估计；n.标准度量；计量器 | |
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6
celebrated
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| adj.有名的，声誉卓著的 | |
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7
serenely
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| adv.安详地，宁静地，平静地 | |
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8
westward
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| n.西方，西部；adj.西方的，向西的；adv.向西 | |
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9
appellation
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| n.名称，称呼 | |
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10
peculiar
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| adj.古怪的，异常的；特殊的，特有的 | |
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11
inscription
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| n.（尤指石块上的）刻印文字，铭文，碑文 | |
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12
defenders
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| n.防御者( defender的名词复数 )；守卫者；保护者；辩护者 | |
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13
plaza
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| n.广场，市场 | |
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adobe
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| n.泥砖，土坯，美国Adobe公司 | |
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15
softened
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| （使）变软( soften的过去式和过去分词 )； 缓解打击； 缓和； 安慰 | |
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16
garrison
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| n.卫戍部队；驻地，卫戍区；vt.派(兵)驻防 | |
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17
exhausted
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| adj.极其疲惫的，精疲力尽的 | |
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18
treacherously
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| 背信弃义地； 背叛地； 靠不住地； 危险地 | |
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19
winding
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| n.绕，缠，绕组，线圈 | |
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20
preservation
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| n.保护，维护，保存，保留，保持 | |
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pointed
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| adj.尖的，直截了当的 | |
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besieged
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| 包围，围困，围攻( besiege的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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canines
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| n.犬齿( canine的名词复数 )；犬牙；犬科动物 | |
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24
thither
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| adv.向那里；adj.在那边的，对岸的 | |
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25
invalids
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| 病人，残疾者( invalid的名词复数 ) | |
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26
wrought
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| v.引起；以…原料制作；运转；adj.制造的 | |
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27
tiresome
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| adj.令人疲劳的，令人厌倦的 | |
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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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29
outfit
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| n.（为特殊用途的）全套装备，全套服装 | |
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30
ammunition
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| n.军火，弹药 | |
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31
prospectors
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| n.勘探者，探矿者( prospector的名词复数 ) | |
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32
fixed
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| adj.固定的，不变的，准备好的；(计算机)固定的 | |
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33
disquieting
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| adj.令人不安的，令人不平静的v.使不安，使忧虑，使烦恼( disquiet的现在分词 ) | |
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34
rumors
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| n.传闻( rumor的名词复数 )；[古]名誉；咕哝；[古]喧嚷v.传闻( rumor的第三人称单数 )；[古]名誉；咕哝；[古]喧嚷 | |
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