“I can’t say I liked the way Black Elk2 acted when we first met,” said Victor, “but he has proved himself more of a man than I supposed. I hope now he won’t punish Young Elk for running away from me.”
“Why not?”
“Because I gave him enough. Anyway, whatever the father did to his boys has been already done, so we needn’t worry over it.”
“Mul-tal-la,” said George, “you haven’t any doubts left?”
“It is wrong to doubt; the words of Black Elk were true; he spoke1 with a single tongue. My brothers need not fear.”
“Why don’t those Shoshones of his come back and see us through the mountains? It strikes me that that is the right thing to do.”
“No; they will stay with the Cas-ta-ba-nas and hold them back if they try to do us harm. They will be with them till we are far away; then they can go back to Black Elk and tell him that all has been done as he ordered.”
“It is better than I thought,” said the pleased George. “I don’t suppose we are likely to run against any more of those people; if we do, we can fall back on these reserves.”
The Blackfoot silently led the journey for an hour longer. No one observing the surety of his movements would have thought he had been over the route but once before. Everything appeared to be as familiar as if he had spent his life in the mountains. The trail continued to ascend3 and soon became harder to travel. Several times it looked to the boys as if they would be checked and turned back, but their guide always found a course that permitted the passage of their horses’ feet.
“This is well enough,” finally remarked Victor, “but I don’t see the need of it. We did a good deal of traveling to-day, and if those Indians to the rear are friendly what’s the use of hurrying to get away from them?”
“I don’t think Mul-tal-la means to travel much farther.”
Even as George spoke the Blackfoot halted. He had been pushing on in order to reach the most favorable spot for camping. It was found near the base of a mass of black frowning rocks, from beneath which bubbled a tiny stream of ice-cold water. This formed a deep pool close to the rocks, and then dripped away in the gloom of the boulders4, trees and undergrowth. The place was sheltered against the arctic winds which sometimes rage at this altitude, and indeed was so attractive that while our friends were gathering5 fuel and preparing for camp, they saw it had been used more than once for the same purpose by other hunting parties in the neighborhood.
Hardly had the animals been relieved of saddles, bridles6 and the pack, and the fire started, when the three were given a taste of the variable climate of that section. Although summer had fully7 come, the wind moaned and howled through the trees at the summit of the rocks and on their right and left. Suddenly Victor called out:
“It’s snowing!”
In a twinkling, as it were, the air was filled with blinding flakes8, which eddied9 and whirled about the three and covered their bodies with its white mantle10. The horses found protection by huddling11 close to the pile of stone, though the temperature was not very low.
The flurry passed almost as quickly as it arose. In a few minutes the air was as clear as before, and the moon shone from an unclouded sky. The friends gathered about the fire, which was soon burning vigorously.
It was the turn of George Shelton to go on guard for the first part of the night, changing places with his brother at the usual hour. Since this duty had to be divided among three persons, the Blackfoot would do his share in the early half of the following evening, alternating with George, while Victor would be given rest. This plan was kept up when Deerfoot was absent, so the division of the work was as equitable12 as it could be. When the party included four people the arrangement was simpler.
The action of Mul-tal-la removed any lingering misgiving13 the boys may have felt. Had the Blackfoot been distrustful of the honor of Black Elk, the Shoshone chieftain, he himself would have acted as sentinel for the first portion and probably throughout all the darkness; but, while the night was still young, he wrapped himself in his blanket and stretched out to sleep, Victor Shelton speedily doing the same.
Left to himself, George Shelton entered upon his task in his usual deliberate manner. The fire was replenished14 from the wood that had been gathered, and with his gun resting on his shoulder he marked out a beat over which he slowly tramped to and fro. At the middle of the course he moved in front of the fire, so that any foe15 lingering near could have seen him clearly, and, had he been so disposed, picked off the youth without risk to himself.
George at first felt a natural shrinking when he knew his form was shown in relief against the yellow background, but after the pacing had been kept up for an hour or so without molestation16 this feeling passed off, and his thoughts became tranquil17. He often peered into the gloom which walled him in on every hand, pausing and listening, but hearing nothing unusual. His expectation was that some prowling beast would be attracted by the light of the camp-fire, but it was the summer time, when they were not likely to be pressed for food, and nothing in the nature of an attack was to be feared from wolves, bears or any species of forest creatures.
The youth looked up at the sky, which was clear and cold. The moon gave only slight illumination, and now and then he traced many of the constellations18, as he and his brother had often done when at home or when on the trail in the leafy solitudes20. He gazed at the Pleiades, which to him and Victor were always the Seven Stars, and again noted21 the peculiarity22 of that beautiful group with which I am sure you are familiar. When you look at the stars fixedly23 and try to count, you can see but six, but glancing abruptly24 at them the seven are visible. He recalled the fancy that one of the cluster was so modest that when stared at it shrinks from sight, to steal into view again after the scrutiny25 is removed. It seemed to George that he never looked at the heavens on a starry26 night without his eyes immediately resting upon the Dipper, as he and his friends called a portion of the constellation19 of Ursa Major. Then, too, he traced the Little Dipper, located Orion and the North Star, and in the loneliness of the hour mused27 upon the One who had launched all these stupendous orbs28 into space and set them spinning over their mighty29 orbits, as they shall spin until time shall be no more.
Who can look at the worlds circling through the dome30 of heaven without being profoundly awed31 by his own insignificance32 and the infinite greatness of the Author of all these marvels33? How little and mean seem the affairs of this life when we are brought into such intimate communion with the wonders that are beyond the grasp of the greatest intellect!
But the hours wore on and George was still tramping to and fro when he saw Victor sit up, fling aside his blanket and rise to his feet. Impressed before falling asleep with the duty that awaited him, he awoke at the right minute without external help. The two exchanged places after a few words, during which George made known that he had not seen or heard anything to cause alarm.
The experience of Victor was quite similar to that of his brother, and when the gray light of the morning began stealing through the mountains the slumber34 of the Blackfoot had continued unbroken. He showed no surprise over the report of the boys. Upon leaving the camp of the Cas-ta-ba-nas the night before it was with a feeling of certainty that Black Elk had carried out his promise in spirit and letter.
While the boys bathed faces and hands in the crystalline pool, the Blackfoot strolled off, bow and arrow in hand, in search of breakfast. Wild turkeys were so plentiful35 in the mountains that he soon came back with a big, plump bird, from which they made their usual excellent breakfast. He told the boys that the meal must suffice until night, for he did not mean to halt any longer than necessary to rest the horses. Two meals a day are enough for anybody, and it is slight hardship for a hunter or traveler to get on with a single repast.
Soon after the journey was resumed the trail began to descend36, but shortly rose again, though not to the same extent. The air was clear and sunshiny, and before noon, despite their elevation37, which was not great, the heat became uncomfortable. To relieve the animals and for the sake of the exercise all needed, the three walked most of the time, Mul-tal-la keeping his place at the head, while the brothers trailed at the rear.
It was slightly past noon when they paused to rest their animals. The spot was in a valley-like depression, through which wound a stream of clear, cold water. A little to the right of the trail this expanded into a pool or pond several rods across and fifteen or twenty feet deep. The water, however, was so transparent38 that the stones and pebbles39 could be plainly seen in the deepest portion.
The temptation was too great to be resisted. Victor’s eyes sparkled.
“George, we must have a swim! I never saw a finer place. Who’ll be first in?”
The Blackfoot, like most of his race, was much less fond of water than the Caucasian. Mul-tal-la smiled at the ardor40 of his young friends, and remarked that he would stroll down the trail to refresh his memory as to the route. Then he passed out of sight, and the boys were left to themselves.
“This is a good chance to do our weekly washing,” said George, as they began disrobing; “it’s time we attended to that.”
It was the practice of the boys and Deerfoot to look after that indispensable work at regular intervals41, for they had not the excuse of the lack of opportunity, since rarely were they out of sight of water. So the brothers brought their underclothing from the pack of Zigzag42 and laid it on the bank to don when their swim was over. Then they cleansed43 that which they had taken off, as well as they could without the help of soap. I am afraid they hurried through with the task, for in a very brief time they were frolicking in the icy water and enjoying themselves as nobody in the world can enjoy himself unless he is a rugged44 youngster, overflowing45 with health and animal spirits.
They dived and swam; they splashed and tried to duck each other; their happy laughter rang out, and it seemed to them as if they could do nothing finer than spend the remainder of the day in the pool. If the first contact with the icy element gave them a shock, it also imparted an electric thrill which tingled46 from the crown of the head to the end of the toes, and made them shout and cry out in the wanton ecstasy47 of enjoyment48.
But in due time they felt they had had enough and the moment had come to don their clothing again, leaving that which had been washed spread out and drying in the sunlight. They reluctantly emerged from the pool and gingerly picked their way over the pebbles.
Victor was a few paces in advance. His brother was in the act of leaving the water when Victor uttered an exclamation49:
“Great C?sar, George! Somebody has stolen our clothes!”
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1
spoke
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| n.（车轮的）辐条；轮辐；破坏某人的计划；阻挠某人的行动 v.讲，谈（speak的过去式）；说；演说；从某种观点来说 | |
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elk
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| n.麋鹿 | |
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3
ascend
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| vi.渐渐上升，升高；vt.攀登，登上 | |
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4
boulders
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| n.卵石( boulder的名词复数 )；巨砾；（受水或天气侵蚀而成的）巨石；漂砾 | |
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5
gathering
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| n.集会，聚会，聚集 | |
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bridles
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| 约束( bridle的名词复数 )； 限动器； 马笼头； 系带 | |
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7
fully
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| adv.完全地，全部地，彻底地；充分地 | |
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8
flakes
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| 小薄片( flake的名词复数 )； （尤指）碎片； 雪花； 古怪的人 | |
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9
eddied
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| 起漩涡，旋转( eddy的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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10
mantle
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| n.斗篷，覆罩之物，罩子；v.罩住，覆盖，脸红 | |
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11
huddling
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| n. 杂乱一团, 混乱, 拥挤 v. 推挤, 乱堆, 草率了事 | |
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12
equitable
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| adj.公平的；公正的 | |
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misgiving
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| n.疑虑，担忧，害怕 | |
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14
replenished
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| 补充( replenish的过去式和过去分词 )； 重新装满 | |
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foe
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| n.敌人，仇敌 | |
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molestation
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| n.骚扰，干扰，调戏；折磨 | |
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tranquil
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| adj. 安静的, 宁静的, 稳定的, 不变的 | |
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18
constellations
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| n.星座( constellation的名词复数 )；一群杰出人物；一系列（相关的想法、事物）；一群（相关的人） | |
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19
constellation
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| n.星座n.灿烂的一群 | |
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20
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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21
noted
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| adj.著名的，知名的 | |
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22
peculiarity
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| n.独特性，特色；特殊的东西；怪癖 | |
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23
fixedly
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| adv.固定地；不屈地，坚定不移地 | |
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24
abruptly
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| adv.突然地，出其不意地 | |
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scrutiny
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| n.详细检查，仔细观察 | |
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starry
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| adj.星光照耀的, 闪亮的 | |
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mused
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| v.沉思，冥想( muse的过去式和过去分词 )；沉思自语说（某事） | |
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28
orbs
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| abbr.off-reservation boarding school 在校寄宿学校n.球，天体，圆形物( orb的名词复数 ) | |
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29
mighty
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| adj.强有力的；巨大的 | |
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dome
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| n.圆屋顶，拱顶 | |
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31
awed
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| adj.充满敬畏的，表示敬畏的v.使敬畏，使惊惧( awe的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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32
insignificance
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| n.不重要；无价值；无意义 | |
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33
marvels
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| n.奇迹( marvel的名词复数 )；令人惊奇的事物（或事例）；不平凡的成果；成就v.惊奇，对…感到惊奇( marvel的第三人称单数 ) | |
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34
slumber
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| n.睡眠，沉睡状态 | |
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35
plentiful
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| adj.富裕的，丰富的 | |
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36
descend
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| vt./vi.传下来，下来，下降 | |
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37
elevation
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| n.高度；海拔；高地；上升；提高 | |
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38
transparent
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| adj.明显的，无疑的；透明的 | |
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39
pebbles
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| [复数]鹅卵石； 沙砾； 卵石，小圆石( pebble的名词复数 ) | |
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40
ardor
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| n.热情，狂热 | |
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41
intervals
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| n.[军事]间隔( interval的名词复数 )；间隔时间；[数学]区间；（戏剧、电影或音乐会的）幕间休息 | |
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42
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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43
cleansed
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| 弄干净，清洗( cleanse的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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44
rugged
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| adj.高低不平的，粗糙的，粗壮的，强健的 | |
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45
overflowing
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| n. 溢出物,溢流 adj. 充沛的，充满的 动词overflow的现在分词形式 | |
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46
tingled
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| v.有刺痛感( tingle的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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47
ecstasy
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| n.狂喜，心醉神怡，入迷 | |
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48
enjoyment
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| n.乐趣；享有；享用 | |
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49
exclamation
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| n.感叹号，惊呼，惊叹词 | |
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