The horseman on the right was Nick Ribsam. Although the distance was too great to distinguish his features, the presence of the pack horses settled the question and there was no mistaking his personality: it was he beyond all doubt.
“What can be the explanation of his presence with them?” was the question which the[151] alarmed Herbert asked himself, as he lowered his glass and gazed absently in the direction, while he studied the most perplexing problem that had yet presented itself.
He was impressed by the fact that there were three horsemen besides his friend. That was the number that made up the band of Bell Rickard. What more likely than that the three with Nick were the horse thieves?
In the hours that had passed since they were seen, far out on the plains to the eastward3, they possessed4 sufficient time to make their way through the hills to this point. Indeed, they could have done so after the sounds of firing ceased on the other side of the hills.
But this theory of necessity raised other perplexing questions. If those three men were the criminals, where were Strubell and Lattin? Where had they been, while the piece of treachery was pushed to a conclusion? Was it supposable that they had remained idle and permitted Nick’s most dangerous enemy to get him in his power?
[152]
Certainly not—provided it was in their power to prevent it.
The inference could not be escaped by Herbert that the cowboys had been put out of the way by their enemies, and that, therefore, no further help was to be expected from them.
Other questions presented themselves, which would have puzzled a more experienced frontiersman than the young New Yorker.
He and Nick had discovered a second camp fire the afternoon before, to the northward6. Who kindled7 that, and what was its significance? Evidently it had some connection with the Texans or the criminals, but nothing could be learned to indicate its nature.
Were the continued absence and silence of the cowboys explainable on any other theory than their own overthrow8?
These questions, however, were put out of sight by the personal peril9 of Nick Ribsam, and the anxiety of Herbert to do something for him without delay.
His first inclination10 was to gallop11 back over the trail to the point where he left Strubell[153] and Lattin the afternoon before, and tell them what had taken place. They were the only ones of whom aid could reasonably be expected.
But it has been shown that he feared the worst concerning them. Time was precious, and to cross the ridge12 and return would take a half hour, which might be fatal to any other step toward helping13 Nick. This fear was intensified14 by the discovery that the walk of the ponies to the westward15 had become a gallop, which was fast widening the gap between them and the ridge, where the distressed16 Herbert was trying to settle what he ought to do, if indeed he could do anything, for his loved friend.
“I will follow them,” was the conclusion which he reached after briefly17 thinking over every phase of the question; “I don’t know that it will do Nick any good, but it’s just what he would do if our situations were changed.”
Herbert was well aware that in making this important decision, the only possible hope—and it was slight indeed—of doing anything[154] for Nick was by using the utmost discretion18.
One might well ask what chance he could have against three veteran plainsmen, who were without principle or honor. Had Herbert himself been asked the question, he would have found it hard to answer. It may be said that something in the nature of a ransom19 suggested itself, though he was too wise to build much hope on that means.
The one thing clear in his mind was that he must hide his pursuit, if he could do so, from all knowledge of the abductors. If they possessed a field glass, as he believed was likely, they must have discerned him at the foot of the hills, provided the instrument was turned in that direction. Hopeful, however, that they had not done so, he drew his pony20 behind a sheltering rock, and held his gaze fixed21 on the horsemen, who maintained their gallop, which was fast taking them out of his natural field of vision.
He waited until the fluttering specks22 were barely perceptible to the unassisted eye, and then decided23 to follow the trail a little way to[155] the southward, before wheeling to the west. He thought it less likely that he would be noticed, if he left the hills at a point removed from where he had been waiting so long, and where, had the criminals observed him, they would look for his reappearance.
He had ridden no more than a hundred yards, when, to his astonishment24, he came upon the site of the strangers’ last encampment. It was directly beside the trail, where there was no water, but the smouldering camp fire and the cropped grass showed that several hours had been passed there. More important than all to the solitary25 pursuer was the finding of the remains26 of an antelope27 that had furnished the party with a meal. The youth had not eaten food since the preceding noon, and, highly wrought28 as were his feelings, he was faint and in need of nourishment29. Enough fragments were scattered30 about for him to obtain all he wanted in that line, so long as he was not over fastidious.
Since he was hungry and there was no saying when he could secure another meal, Herbert was wise in eating his fill. Then, when[156] he swung himself into the saddle, he looked across the plain and failed to see the horsemen; but the glass, being brought into play, revealed them apparently in the very rim5 of the horizon.
“Ah, they have changed their course!” he exclaimed; “that looks as if they had no instrument after all and think I am beyond their sight.”
It will be remembered that beyond the level stretch of country, another and loftier range of hills showed against the clear sky. The horsemen were moving toward them, and Herbert believed it was with the purpose of misleading him or anyone that undertook to follow them. True, the trail left by them was so marked that, once taken, it could be maintained without trouble to the end; but, for reasons already shown, they were warranted in considering that improbable.
The pursuer, however, decided to take no chances that he could avoid. Having started from the encampment of the preceding night, he was on their track from the beginning, and he meant to maintain it to the end.
[157]
Everyone knows how deceptive31 distance is in the clear air of the plains. Objects that appear but a few miles away prove to be two and three times as far. Herbert Watrous had been long enough in Texas to learn this fact. The range that he had noticed the afternoon before seemed to be within half a day’s ride, but he was convinced it would require brisk traveling to reach it by sunset.
Then, too, the plan he had fixed upon forced him to keep a long way to the rear, so that, if the horsemen struck the other range by set of sun, the night would be well along before he could come up with them. There was no moon to help him, and this might interfere32 with his programme.
But, as may be said, he had put his hand to the plough and did not look back.
Contrary, however, to the maxim33, this was an unfortunate mistake on his part; for, had he, after riding the major part of the distance, turned in his saddle and surveyed the course traversed, he would have made an important discovery, and one, too, that must have had an[158] important bearing on the almost hopeless enterprise in which he was engaged.
But Herbert’s interest was all in front. Nick Ribsam was in the power of his enemies, and possibly he could aid him, though common sense told him that the chances were as ninety-nine to one that he would end the business by putting himself in the same hole. A party of desperate men that were cunning enough to make the sagacious Nick prisoner were not likely to be annoyed by anything Herbert Watrous could do to checkmate them; but youth is ardent34 and hopeful, and none of these things weakened the pursuit of the New Yorker.
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1
apparently
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| adv.显然地；表面上，似乎 | |
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2
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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3
eastward
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| adv.向东；adj.向东的；n.东方，东部 | |
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possessed
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| adj.疯狂的；拥有的，占有的 | |
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rim
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| n.(圆物的)边，轮缘；边界 | |
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6
northward
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| adv.向北；n.北方的地区 | |
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7
kindled
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| （使某物）燃烧，着火( kindle的过去式和过去分词 )； 激起（感情等）； 发亮，放光 | |
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8
overthrow
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| v.推翻，打倒，颠覆；n.推翻，瓦解，颠覆 | |
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9
peril
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| n.(严重的)危险；危险的事物 | |
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10
inclination
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| n.倾斜；点头；弯腰；斜坡；倾度；倾向；爱好 | |
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11
gallop
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| v./n.(马或骑马等)飞奔；飞速发展 | |
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12
ridge
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| n.山脊；鼻梁；分水岭 | |
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13
helping
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| n.食物的一份&adj.帮助人的，辅助的 | |
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14
intensified
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| v.（使）增强， （使）加剧( intensify的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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15
westward
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| n.西方，西部；adj.西方的，向西的；adv.向西 | |
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16
distressed
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| 痛苦的 | |
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17
briefly
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| adv.简单地，简短地 | |
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18
discretion
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| n.谨慎；随意处理 | |
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19
ransom
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| n.赎金，赎身；v.赎回，解救 | |
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pony
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| adj.小型的；n.小马 | |
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21
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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specks
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| n.眼镜；斑点，微粒，污点( speck的名词复数 ) | |
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23
decided
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| adj.决定了的，坚决的；明显的，明确的 | |
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astonishment
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| n.惊奇，惊异 | |
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solitary
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| adj.孤独的，独立的，荒凉的；n.隐士 | |
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26
remains
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| n.剩余物，残留物；遗体，遗迹 | |
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27
antelope
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| n.羚羊；羚羊皮 | |
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28
wrought
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| v.引起；以…原料制作；运转；adj.制造的 | |
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29
nourishment
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| n.食物，营养品；营养情况 | |
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30
scattered
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| adj.分散的，稀疏的；散步的；疏疏落落的 | |
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31
deceptive
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| adj.骗人的，造成假象的，靠不住的 | |
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32
interfere
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| v.(in)干涉，干预；(with)妨碍，打扰 | |
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33
maxim
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| n.格言，箴言 | |
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34
ardent
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| adj.热情的，热烈的，强烈的，烈性的 | |
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