Instead of keeping to the open mountain side, like Ralph’s quarry4, White-eye had made his way up a gully that cut deep into the hills, leading in a diagonal slash5 to the north. The two lads followed[125] the bottom of the gully as far as it led and then, still following the trail of the stone attached to White-eye’s neck, they made their way up a rough, rock-strewn slope to the summit of the ridge6.
Unlike the country Ralph had struck, Hardware and his companion found themselves, on the summit of the ridge, in a forest of white birch and shady green timber, amidst which the sunlight filtered down cheerfully. Passing through this they emerged on a rocky hillside thickly grown with “scotch7-caps,” or sackatoons, Rocky Mountain blueberries and snake berries, while under foot was a carpet of red heather.
The boys ate heartily8 of the blueberries and scotch caps, but one taste of the snake berries was enough for them. They were bitter and nauseating9 to a degree, although Mountain Jim had told them that bears preferred them to any other berry.
“No accounting10 for tastes,” commented Hardware[126] in this connection, “and speaking of bears, I wonder if there are any hereabouts?”
“Bucking11 blueberries, I hope not,” exclaimed Persimmons, looking about him in some trepidation12. “I’d like to have Mountain Jim along if we are going to run into anything like that.”
“This looks like the sort of country he said bears frequented,” was Hardware’s response. “I don’t see why we should be scared to meet one, either.”
“I suppose you’d go right up and say ‘Goodmorning, bear,’” snorted Persimmons.
“Well, we’ve got our rifles, and they are supposed to be powerful enough to bring down any bear, and——”
“Howling hammerheads, what’s the matter now?”
The question was a natural one, for Hardware had stopped short and was staring ahead of them down the steep hillside.
[127]
“Why, something’s moving down there. It may be a bear. Get your rifle ready.”
Hardware’s face took on a determined13 expression and he looked to the mechanism14 of his rifle and slipped a magazine into place. Persimmons did the same, muttering to himself as he did so that it was no use fighting a bear, and that they’d better give Bruin a wide berth15.
But the next instant their anxiety was relieved and gave place to high good humor. The object Hardware had spied moving among the rocks and brambles was not a grizzly16, but the recreant17 White-eye, cropping the grass as he moved about.
Suddenly he looked up and saw the boys. With upraised head and pricked18 ears he watched their advance.
“Goodness! I hope he will let us get near him,” said Hardware. “I don’t much fancy a chase through this sort of country.”
“He looks as wild as a hawk,” was his companion’s response.
[128]
Indeed White-eye did not appear as if he meant to be docilely19 captured.
As the boys cautiously crept forward, trying to avoid any action that might startle him, the pony rolled his eyes back in the manner that had given him his name and extended his nostrils20, sniffing21 the air suspiciously. Both boys had brought along some grain in their pockets, out of the supply carried for emergencies, and now Hardware dipped his hand into his pocket and extended it, full of oats, for White-eye’s inspection22.
But seemingly, the pony had no mind to be caught just then. He gave a plunge23 and snort and dashed off.
“Oh, gracious!” groaned24 Hardware. “There he goes, lickety-split; it doesn’t look as if we’d ever catch him.”
“Howling hen-roosts, no!” gasped25 Persimmons, who had just barked his shin on a sharp rock. “And I tell you one thing, Hardware, I’m[129] not going to chase very far after him. Hullo, what’s he doing now?”
White-eye had paused with startling suddenness in his mad career, and the next minute the boys realized what had caused his abrupt26 stoppage. His long tether, with the stone attached, had caught around the stump27 of a sage28 bush as it bounded down the hill, and twisted round the stump two or three times had captured the runaway29 as effectually as if he had been tied by human hands.
“Well, that’s what I call luck,” declared Hardware fervently30.
“It’s all of that and then some,” responded Persimmons puffingly.
“Let’s hurry up, he may get loose again,” urged his companion, and the two boys hastened forward regardless of brambles or rocks.
In a jiffy they had the lariat untied31 and were holding tightly on to it, prepared for another wild dash on the part of White-eye. But now[130] that they had hold of the rope, the pony appeared, with equine wisdom, to perceive that further resistance was useless. He followed docilely enough while they led him up the hillside.
“I hope the others have had as good luck,” remarked Hardware as they trudged32 along.
“I hope so, too,” responded Persimmons, “I wouldn’t wish my worst enemy any more of this kind of work than could be helped.”
But just as they were congratulating themselves on the easy capture of the stray a sudden demon33 appeared to enter White-eye’s being. He started leaping and bucking and snorting as if possessed34.
“What on earth is the matter with him now?” gasped Hardware in wonderment.
“Bucking beefsteaks, he acts like he had a bad tummy ache,” exclaimed Persimmons; “maybe he’s been eating some of those snake berries. They’re enough to make anybody cut up if he takes too many of them, and one’s a-plenty—wow! Look! Harry35! Look there!”
... a great brown form arose on its hind36 legs and stood looking at them.—Page 131.
[131]
The cause of White-eye’s sudden alarm became startlingly apparent. From a patch of blueberries just ahead of them, where he had evidently been feeding, a great brown form arose on its hind legs and stood looking at them.
“A g-g-g-g-grizzly!” yelled Hardware, quite forgetting his rifle that was slung37 over his back by a bandolier.
“Run! Run for your life!” shouted Persimmons, equally forgetful of his weapon, which, in order to lead White-eye, he had been compelled to sling38 over his shoulders in a similar way.
The bear dropped on all fours and began coming toward them without undue39 haste, but with a sort of deadly deliberation.
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收听单词发音
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1
pony
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| adj.小型的；n.小马 | |
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brute
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| n.野兽，兽性 | |
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lariat
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| n.系绳，套索；v.用套索套捕 | |
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quarry
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| n.采石场；v.采石；费力地找 | |
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5
slash
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| vi.大幅度削减；vt.猛砍，尖锐抨击，大幅减少；n.猛砍，斜线，长切口，衣衩 | |
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ridge
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| n.山脊；鼻梁；分水岭 | |
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7
scotch
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| n.伤口，刻痕；苏格兰威士忌酒；v.粉碎，消灭，阻止；adj.苏格兰(人)的 | |
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8
heartily
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| adv.衷心地，诚恳地，十分，很 | |
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nauseating
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| adj.令人恶心的，使人厌恶的v.使恶心，作呕( nauseate的现在分词 ) | |
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accounting
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| n.会计，会计学，借贷对照表 | |
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11
bucking
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| v.（马等）猛然弓背跃起( buck的现在分词 )；抵制；猛然震荡；马等尥起后蹄跳跃 | |
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12
trepidation
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| n.惊恐，惶恐 | |
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13
determined
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| adj.坚定的；有决心的 | |
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mechanism
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| n.机械装置；机构，结构 | |
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berth
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| n.卧铺，停泊地，锚位；v.使停泊 | |
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grizzly
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| adj.略为灰色的，呈灰色的；n.灰色大熊 | |
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recreant
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| n.懦夫；adj.胆怯的 | |
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18
pricked
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| 刺，扎，戳( prick的过去式和过去分词 )； 刺伤； 刺痛； 使剧痛 | |
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docilely
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| adv.容易教地，易驾驶地，驯服地 | |
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20
nostrils
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| 鼻孔( nostril的名词复数 ) | |
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21
sniffing
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| n.探查法v.以鼻吸气，嗅，闻( sniff的现在分词 )；抽鼻子（尤指哭泣、患感冒等时出声地用鼻子吸气）；抱怨，不以为然地说 | |
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22
inspection
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| n.检查，审查，检阅 | |
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plunge
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| v.跳入，(使)投入，(使)陷入；猛冲 | |
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24
groaned
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| v.呻吟( groan的过去式和过去分词 )；发牢骚；抱怨；受苦 | |
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25
gasped
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| v.喘气( gasp的过去式和过去分词 )；喘息；倒抽气；很想要 | |
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26
abrupt
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| adj.突然的，意外的；唐突的，鲁莽的 | |
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27
stump
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| n.残株，烟蒂，讲演台；v.砍断，蹒跚而走 | |
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28
sage
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| n.圣人，哲人；adj.贤明的，明智的 | |
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runaway
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| n.逃走的人，逃亡，亡命者；adj.逃亡的，逃走的 | |
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fervently
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| adv.热烈地，热情地，强烈地 | |
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31
untied
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| 松开，解开( untie的过去式和过去分词 )； 解除，使自由； 解决 | |
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32
trudged
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| vt.& vi.跋涉，吃力地走（trudge的过去式与过去分词形式） | |
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33
demon
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| n.魔鬼，恶魔 | |
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34
possessed
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| adj.疯狂的；拥有的，占有的 | |
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35
harry
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| vt.掠夺，蹂躏，使苦恼 | |
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hind
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| adj.后面的，后部的 | |
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37
slung
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| 抛( sling的过去式和过去分词 )； 吊挂； 遣送； 押往 | |
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38
sling
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| vt.扔；悬挂；n.挂带；吊索，吊兜；弹弓 | |
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39
undue
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| adj.过分的；不适当的；未到期的 | |
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