The Blackfoot and his companion met with no trouble of this nature on their eastward4 journey. They were always able to make clear their meaning by signs, and the fact that the two belonged to the same race with the different tribes was a sufficient passport. It seemed reasonable, therefore, to believe that the presence of Mul-tal-la gave all the protection that could be needed.
The Blackfoot took Deerfoot’s place as leader, the brothers riding a little to the rear, with Zigzag5 plodding6 in his usual indifferent fashion. Just now the chief concern of the boys was as to how they were to obtain a meal, for the thought of going to sleep without food was intolerable.
To the left, in the direction of the foothills, they descried7 a half-dozen elk8 browsing9; but the game were as timid as antelopes10, without their fatal defect of overwhelming curiosity, and they made off long before our friends could get within range. Several miles to the eastward a dark undulating mass which covered hundreds of acres showed where another vast herd12 of bison were moving southward. Victor was disposed to ask Mul-tal-la to change their course so as to get a shot at one of the animals, but his brother urged him to wait in the hope of a better chance to bring down something edible13.
An hour later this chance presented itself. Three graceful14 antelopes came in sight as the horsemen rode over an elevation15. They were cropping the grass on the slope of a hill nearly a half-mile distant. George brought his glass to his eye and saw that the alert creatures had already caught sight of them. They were standing16 with heads erect17 and staring at the strangers, ready to dash off like the wind on the first demonstration18 or further move toward them.
“There’s our supper!” exclaimed Victor, as the three halted, for the Blackfoot was also interested in the sight. “I know they aren’t the best food in the world, but I’m too hungry to be particular. Mul-tal-la, how are we to manage it?”
“I will let my brother shoot one of them,” replied the Blackfoot, who, as you know, had caught Deerfoot’s manner of speech.
“That suits me. George, you don’t mind. It will be your turn next time.”
“I’m satisfied,” returned his brother; “but you must remember and not let your impatience19 run away with you. Keep cool or we shall have to go without supper.”
“Don’t fear for me,” remarked the ardent20 Victor, who slipped out of the saddle and set off without delay; “I know what’s at stake.”
Had he gone directly toward the antelopes they would have been off on the instant. Instead, he went back over the ridge21 just crossed, thus interposing that screen between him and the animals. By following this he could approach within a fourth of a mile of the game, and from that moment the utmost caution and skill would be necessary. His brother and the Blackfoot withdrew so as to occupy a position on the crest22 of the elevation, where they could observe the actions of Victor from the beginning and at the same time keep an eye upon the antelopes themselves.
The latter fixed23 their attention upon the point where the horsemen had first come into view, hesitating whether to break away in swift flight or to wait until they could gratify their resistless curiosity. George Shelton and Mul-tal-la had dismounted, and lying down in the grass, took care not to show themselves, through fear of alarming the game, for, if the antelopes should make off, slight chance of securing a meal would remain.
Meanwhile Victor was stealing along the ridge until, as he judged, he had reached a point nearly opposite the animals, who were a furlong distant. Then he crept up the elevation, whose crest fortunately was crowned with the same exuberant24 growth of grass that grew in the valley beyond.
So painstaking25 was he that his friends lost sight of him and did not know when he was at the crest of the elevation until the antelopes showed by their excitement that they had detected him. They had resumed cropping the grass, when all three abruptly26 raised their heads and dashed off at the height of their astonishing speed. A moment later Victor was seen running down the slope until a little beyond the base, when he dropped on his face.
Immediately after, while his body was screened from sight, he raised the ramrod of his rifle, with his cap on the upper end. The lower point was pushed down into the earth so that unaided it supported the headgear. He had improved on the method of the Blackfoot.
At first it looked as if this artifice27 had come too late, for the antelopes continued running. When first seen they were in a valley-like depression with a width of a third of a mile. They made a pretty picture as they skimmed up the opposite slope with their bodies showing in relief against the green background.
The cap, however, on top of the ramrod was so conspicuous28 that they were not long in discovering it. The three stopped, turned sideways and stood a few minutes gazing intently at the strange object. Then all three broke into a gentle trot29 toward it, keeping side by side most of the way. One of the trio had more sense or possibly more timidity than his companions, for he abruptly stopped and refused to go any farther. Strangely enough, the others showed no hesitation30 until within a hundred yards of where the boy, stretched out in the grass, was waiting for the moment when he could make his aim sure.
“I wonder if they ain’t twins like me and George,” was the whimsical fancy of the lad, as he watched the similarity of action on the part of the two antelopes. They had halted at precisely31 the same second, and now moved forward again, both stepping high and advancing with a curious hesitation which indicated the mental struggle between fear and curiosity.
One turned to the left and ran nimbly in a circle of several rods diameter, coming around and facing the ramrod and cap again, as if hypnotized. At the same moment the other described a similar circle to the right, returning like his companion, so that the two stood side by side, with heads raised, and stepped off again, as if keeping time with the signals of some one who had trained them to the performance.
Victor was impatient, but he had too much prudence32 to throw away the opportunity that he knew would come to him in a few minutes. When both animals were nigh enough for him to be sure of his aim he still hesitated, with gun pointed33, hammer raised and finger on the trigger. He was wondering how much nearer they would approach. Surely, when they caught sight of him in the grass, their curiosity would vanish, and they would dash off in the very extremity34 of terror. He lay low and waited.
His plan was to hold his fire until the discovery should burst upon the antelopes and they wheeled to flee. This turning would give him his best chance, and he intended to shoot at the crisis of the change of direction.
One of the creatures paused, as if he had observed something that warned him to halt. His companion took three steps more and then halted, with head high in air and one foot lifted and poised35 like a pointer dog.
It was at this juncture36 that Victor Shelton bore hard on the trigger, for he dared wait no longer, though he had decided37 a moment before to fire as the animals wheeled.
To his dismay the hammer of his rifle did not descend38. He pressed harder, but the iron claw which grasped the flint remained immovable. Then the truth flashed upon him. In his excitement he had only half-cocked his gun. There should have been three clicks when he drew back the hammer, but there were only two. In that position it would not obey the trigger, no matter how hard the pressure. It must be drawn39 to a full cock.
Without shifting his posture40, he raised his thumb from the trigger guard, so that it passed over the hammer, and then pulled it back as far as it would go. It was at full cock, but in reaching that point it emitted a single click.
Faint as was the sound, it was heard by the two antelopes fully41 fifty yards away, and they whirled to dash off. At the instant that their sides were toward him, Victor discharged his gun and sent the bullet straight and true. One antelope11 kept on running, his head flung back, while he sped across the valley like a swallow on the wing. The one that had been smitten42 flirted43 back again and then came on a full run straight for the spot in the grass from which the fatal missile had been fired, as if determined44 to slay45 his foe46 before his own strength failed him.
“Great C?sar!” exclaimed the scared Victor; “I didn’t know an antelope was that sort of beast. I’ve got to get out of here mighty47 quick!”
There was no time to reload his weapon. Never did he leap to his feet and make off at greater speed than when he saw the antelope bearing down upon him, and it may be added that never did he run so fast as in going up the slope and down the other side, and then in a line for his companions.
At such critical moments a boy does not consider his duty done unless he does all he can in the way of yelling. The shouts that Victor Shelton sent resounding48 over the surrounding country must have reached several miles. He did not look behind him, for that would have interfered49 to a fractional extent with his speed, but ran with might and main, marking each leap by a tremendous outcry.
He expected with every breath to feel the antelope’s razor-like hoofs50 carve their way downward into his shoulders. That several minutes passed without such carving51 he accepted as proof that he was making as good time as his furious pursuer. If this was gratifying it was also surprising, for Victor had never been noted52 for his fleetness of foot, and he knew something of the fleetness of the antelope. He concluded that there was no telling what a boy of his age can accomplish in the way of running until the actual necessity for it arises.
All this time Victor did not forget to yell. But after awhile the expenditure53 of so much breath began to affect his strength. So he closed his mouth and gave his whole attention to getting over the ground in the best possible time.
Because of this cessation of his outcries he became aware that his brother was also shouting. Listening carefully, Victor was finally able to catch his words:
“What are you running for?”
“That’s a pretty question!” he reflected, “when he can see for himself that the antelope is determined to have my life!”
It occurred to the fugitive54 to look around and see how far he was leaving his fearful enemy behind. He was not in sight. He had not even come over the ridge, but had fallen before taking more than a dozen steps in the direction of the lad. This spurt55 was a blind, aimless flight, its direction being involuntary. The antelope would not have dared to attack the boy any more than it would have dared to assail56 a grizzly57 bear.
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1
misgiving
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| n.疑虑，担忧，害怕 | |
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penetrated
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| adj. 击穿的，鞭辟入里的 动词penetrate的过去式和过去分词形式 | |
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3
solitudes
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| n.独居( solitude的名词复数 )；孤独；荒僻的地方；人迹罕至的地方 | |
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eastward
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| adv.向东；adj.向东的；n.东方，东部 | |
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zigzag
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| n.曲折，之字形；adj.曲折的，锯齿形的；adv.曲折地，成锯齿形地；vt.使曲折；vi.曲折前行 | |
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plodding
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| a.proceeding in a slow or dull way | |
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descried
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| adj.被注意到的，被发现的，被看到的 | |
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elk
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| n.麋鹿 | |
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browsing
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| v.吃草( browse的现在分词 )；随意翻阅；（在商店里）随便看看；（在计算机上）浏览信息 | |
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10
antelopes
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| 羚羊( antelope的名词复数 )； 羚羊皮革 | |
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antelope
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| n.羚羊；羚羊皮 | |
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herd
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| n.兽群，牧群；vt.使集中，把…赶在一起 | |
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edible
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| n.食品，食物；adj.可食用的 | |
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14
graceful
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| adj.优美的，优雅的；得体的 | |
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15
elevation
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| n.高度；海拔；高地；上升；提高 | |
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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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erect
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| n./v.树立，建立，使竖立；adj.直立的，垂直的 | |
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18
demonstration
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| n.表明，示范，论证，示威 | |
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impatience
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| n.不耐烦，急躁 | |
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20
ardent
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| adj.热情的，热烈的，强烈的，烈性的 | |
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ridge
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| n.山脊；鼻梁；分水岭 | |
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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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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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24
exuberant
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| adj.充满活力的；（植物）繁茂的 | |
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painstaking
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| adj.苦干的；艰苦的，费力的，刻苦的 | |
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abruptly
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| adv.突然地，出其不意地 | |
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artifice
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| n.妙计，高明的手段；狡诈，诡计 | |
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conspicuous
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| adj.明眼的，惹人注目的；炫耀的，摆阔气的 | |
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29
trot
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| n.疾走，慢跑；n.老太婆；现成译本；(复数）trots:腹泻（与the 连用）；v.小跑，快步走，赶紧 | |
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30
hesitation
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| n.犹豫，踌躇 | |
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precisely
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| adv.恰好，正好，精确地，细致地 | |
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32
prudence
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| n.谨慎，精明，节俭 | |
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pointed
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| adj.尖的，直截了当的 | |
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extremity
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| n.末端，尽头；尽力；终极；极度 | |
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poised
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| a.摆好姿势不动的 | |
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juncture
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| n.时刻，关键时刻，紧要关头 | |
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37
decided
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| adj.决定了的，坚决的；明显的，明确的 | |
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38
descend
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| vt./vi.传下来，下来，下降 | |
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drawn
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| v.拖，拉，拔出；adj.憔悴的，紧张的 | |
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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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41
fully
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| adv.完全地，全部地，彻底地；充分地 | |
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42
smitten
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| 猛打，重击，打击( smite的过去分词 ) | |
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43
flirted
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| v.调情，打情骂俏( flirt的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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44
determined
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| adj.坚定的；有决心的 | |
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45
slay
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| v.杀死，宰杀，杀戮 | |
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46
foe
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| n.敌人，仇敌 | |
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47
mighty
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| adj.强有力的；巨大的 | |
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48
resounding
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| adj. 响亮的 | |
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49
interfered
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| v.干预( interfere的过去式和过去分词 )；调停；妨碍；干涉 | |
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50
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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51
carving
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| n.雕刻品，雕花 | |
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52
noted
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| adj.著名的，知名的 | |
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53
expenditure
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| n.(时间、劳力、金钱等)支出；使用，消耗 | |
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54
fugitive
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| adj.逃亡的，易逝的；n.逃犯，逃亡者 | |
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55
spurt
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| v.喷出；突然进发；突然兴隆 | |
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56
assail
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| v.猛烈攻击，抨击，痛斥 | |
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57
grizzly
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| adj.略为灰色的，呈灰色的；n.灰色大熊 | |
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