Leaving his comrades on the crest1 of the elevation2, he strode forward at a rapid pace, until he had passed most of the intervening distance. Then he slackened his gait and crouched3 low, his body bent4, until he resembled a person gathering5 himself for a powerful leap. This was his favorite posture6 when engaged upon such dangerous business, and he kept it until prudence7 told him there was too great a risk attending it.
His object was to defer8 creeping to the last moment, since his progress must become slower, but he was too much of a veteran to allow the question of convenience to detract from his vigilance.
[285]
At the point he had fixed9 in his mind he sank to the ground, and began using his hands and knees, not the most agreeable form of locomotion10, since, as will be remembered, he carried his heavy rifle with him.
As yet he had seen and heard nothing of the Apaches, but believed a brush with them was inevitable11 before he could enter the building. He reasoned that since they knew of the presence of the white men inside, and were unaware12 of the others outside, they would devote themselves to circling about the structure, and maintaining a sharp lookout13 that none of the occupants got away during the night. The prospect14 of adding two or three more victims to the long list of massacres15 they had committed in the Southwest was too tempting16 to be passed by, until all prospect of success was gone.
The trapper’s belief was that the warriors18 would remain mounted, though he was too experienced to guide his own movements upon that theory alone.
So long as he kept his position close to the earth, he could discover the approach of a[286] horseman before the latter saw him, to say nothing of the slight noise of the pony19’s hoofs20, which was sure to betray him.
Twice he caught the latter sound, and ceasing his progress lay flat, listening and peering around in the gloom; but the riders did not come nigh enough for him to discern them; and after a brief wait he resumed his slow and laborious21 progress.
From what had taken place, he was absolutely certain that the Apaches had no suspicion that any whites were near the building. It followed therefore that no precaution had been taken against his approach, but they were vigilant22 enough to demand all the subtlety23 he possessed24.
He was creeping forward in his guarded manner when, without the least warning, he saw the outlines of a figure in front, which, although dimly observed, he knew was one of the Apaches.
The trapper sank down again, with his keen eyes fixed on the warrior17, who was standing25 with his back toward him, apparently26 studying the ground in the direction of the building,[287] which was too far off to be seen, since Eph himself could not catch the most shadowy outlines of it.
Since the Apache had not observed the white man, there was no cause why he should do so, unless accident should lead him to face about. Without waiting a moment Eph began retreating, keeping his gaze on the redskin, who faded almost from view in the gloom.
Then the trapper turned to the right and resumed his advance toward the building. Time was too valuable to wait for the Indian to shift his position, which, as likely as not, would prove unfavorable.
The flank movement was so regulated that he kept his enemy dimly in sight, for he did not mean to be surprised by any sudden action on his part.
All this was well enough, but the Apache overthrew27 the whole scheme by an unexpected movement.
The trapper was on his right, and a couple of rods distant, when the warrior seemed to conclude that it was time for him to do something.[288] He stepped off at his usual pace, which would have carried him speedily beyond sight had Eph been somewhere else, but unfortunately he moved straight toward the old hunter.
To retreat or advance would have been certain betrayal, and Eph did not attempt it. Instead, he silently drew his pistol and grasped it, ready for firing.
The Apache had no thought of anything of this kind, but he had taken less than three paces, when he discovered the figure on the earth in front of him. He uttered no outcry, but stopped and placed his hand at his waist, as if to draw a weapon therefrom. He, too, carried a gun, most likely a Winchester, and was expert in its use. He had no blanket, his body being bare above the waist, and his long, coarse hair dangled28 about his shoulders. He was much shorter and smaller in every way than the white man, but every ounce of his body was like that of a tiger.
The Indian might have brought instant help by a signal, but to do that would have been a confession29 that he was afraid to attack a single[289] individual, and the warrior “wasn’t that sort of a fellow.”
His pause was only momentary30. He stooped down like an animal about to leap across a chasm31 and the trapper caught a movement of his right hand, which convinced him the warrior had drawn32 a knife and meant to spring upon him.
Eph’s revolver was leveled at the savage33, who was still stealing forward when a single chamber34 was discharged. The shot was unerring, and (what was singular in the case of an American Indian) he sank downward without any outcry.
The trapper needed no one to tell him what next to do. He knew the report of his weapon would bring nearly if not all the other Apaches to the spot, and he could not get away too soon. Springing to his feet, he loped swiftly toward the building, never pausing until he stood in front of the broad door.
He glanced keenly to the right and left while making this run, but though he heard the sounds of hoofs, he saw none of the[290] raiders eager for the chance to cut him down.
Within a half minute after the shot was fired an Apache reached the spot on his pony, and was quickly joined by five others, all mounted. The prostrate35 figure told the story, but the author of their comrade’s death was gone.
While one of them lifted the inanimate figure upon his steed, the others separated to find the white man who had slain36 him. They did this with rare skill, but they were misled from the start. Knowing nothing of those outside the building, their supposition must have been that one of them had stolen out of the structure and gained this point before discovery. It was not to be supposed that he was striving to enter instead of leave the place, and they therefore widened the circle, when they should have contracted it.
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收听单词发音
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1
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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2
elevation
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| n.高度；海拔；高地；上升；提高 | |
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3
crouched
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| v.屈膝，蹲伏( crouch的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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4
bent
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| n.爱好，癖好；adj.弯的；决心的，一心的 | |
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5
gathering
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| n.集会，聚会，聚集 | |
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6
posture
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| n.姿势，姿态，心态，态度；v.作出某种姿势 | |
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7
prudence
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| n.谨慎，精明，节俭 | |
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8
defer
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| vt.推迟，拖延；vi.(to)遵从，听从，服从 | |
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9
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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10
locomotion
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| n.运动，移动 | |
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11
inevitable
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| adj.不可避免的，必然发生的 | |
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12
unaware
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| a.不知道的，未意识到的 | |
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13
lookout
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| n.注意，前途，瞭望台 | |
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14
prospect
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| n.前景，前途；景色，视野 | |
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15
massacres
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| 大屠杀( massacre的名词复数 )； 惨败 | |
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tempting
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| a.诱人的, 吸引人的 | |
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17
warrior
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| n.勇士，武士，斗士 | |
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18
warriors
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| 武士，勇士，战士( warrior的名词复数 ) | |
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19
pony
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| adj.小型的；n.小马 | |
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20
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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21
laborious
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| adj.吃力的，努力的，不流畅 | |
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vigilant
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| adj.警觉的，警戒的，警惕的 | |
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23
subtlety
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| n.微妙，敏锐，精巧；微妙之处，细微的区别 | |
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24
possessed
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| adj.疯狂的；拥有的，占有的 | |
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25
standing
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| n.持续，地位；adj.永久的，不动的，直立的，不流动的 | |
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apparently
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| adv.显然地；表面上，似乎 | |
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overthrew
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| overthrow的过去式 | |
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28
dangled
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| 悬吊着( dangle的过去式和过去分词 )； 摆动不定； 用某事物诱惑…； 吊胃口 | |
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29
confession
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| n.自白，供认，承认 | |
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momentary
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| adj.片刻的，瞬息的；短暂的 | |
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31
chasm
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| n.深坑，断层，裂口，大分岐，利害冲突 | |
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32
drawn
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| v.拖，拉，拔出；adj.憔悴的，紧张的 | |
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33
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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34
chamber
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| n.房间，寝室；会议厅；议院；会所 | |
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35
prostrate
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| v.拜倒，平卧，衰竭；adj.拜倒的，平卧的，衰竭的 | |
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36
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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