She had not come when he reached Shadow Pool, so flinging himself on the grassy5 bank under the trees, he pulled out of his pocket a small volume and was soon lost in its pages.
“Good morning,” came a cheery voice to break into his reverie, as Alta, bursting through the brush, reined6 Eagle suddenly on the gravel7. Fred jumped up to greet her.
“What’s the tale that charms you so?” she said, slipping from her horse.
“Just an Injun story,” he returned, reaching out the book.
“Hiawatha,” she read; “What’s it about?”
“I hardly know; it seems to be a number of old Indian tales the poet has woven together{139} about some big chief. The story is strange, but I rather like it.”
“Read some to me,” she requested.
“I’d rather hear you read,” he half objected.
“That’s not fair; you know the story. Won’t you, please? I’m hungry to hear something good.”
“Yes,” he responded, “if you really wish it.”
They sat down on the grassy bank together and he began by telling her briefly8 the beginnings of the poem, the stories of the peace pipe and the four winds.
“This myth of the morning star and the east wind is rather charming, I think,” and he read with appreciative9 feeling these lines:
Young and beautiful was Wabun,
He it was who brought the morning,
He it was whose silver arrows
Chased the dark o’er hill and valley,
He it was whose cheeks were painted
And whose voice awoke the village,
Called the deer and called the hunter.
Lonely in the sky was Wabun,
Though the birds sang gayly to him,
Though the flowers of the meadow
Yet his heart was sad within him,
For he was alone in heaven.
But one morning gazing earthward
While the village still was sleeping,
And the fog lay on the river{140}
Like the ghost that goes at sunrise,
All alone upon the meadow,
By the river in the meadow.
Every morning gazing earthward
Still the first thing he beheld there
Was her blue eyes looking at him,
Two blue lakes among the rushes.
And he loved this lonely maiden,
Who thus waited for his coming;
She on earth and he in heaven.
Wooed her with his smiles of sunshine,
With his flattering words he wooed her,
Gentlest whispers in the branches,
Softest music, sweetest odors,
Folded in his robes of crimson,
Till into a star he changed her,
Trembling still upon his bosom;
And forever in the heavens
They are seen together walking,
Wabun and the Wabun-Annung,
Wabun and the star of morning.
Alta sat silent a moment as he finished—then, “What a beautiful myth!” she said. “I wonder if the Indians really did tell such tales?”
Her companion did not reply. He was listening to something else.
“I’m afraid something’s wrong with my cattle,” he said, handing her the book and jumping to his feet. “Just wait here a few moments till I chase out and see what’s up.{141}”
“Certainly,” said Alta, continuing silently to read, as, leaping on Brownie, he dashed out toward the flat.
Intent on the developing poem, Alta was oblivious20 to the fact that she was being watched by a pair of wicked eyes that peered through the willows only a few steps away. These same eyes, indeed, had been watching with jealous flash the scene we have just pictured.
Had it been Dick Davis instead of Fred whom Bud Nixon had found with Alta that morning, there is no telling the result; for he was still hot with hate. As it was, he had hard work to hold down his impulse to kill.
Out with his bunch of Indian thieves, he had caught sight of Alta as she was galloping22 into the brush along the trail to meet Fred. Seized with a passion to follow and torment24 her—or do worse, the White Injun, ordering his band to wait in the cover of the trees, dashed after the unsuspecting girl. Guessing her purpose to fish, for he had sighted her rod, he made sure to catch her off her horse and unprotected along the creek.
Hiding and tying his pony25 in the brush, he stole along the trail Alta had taken till his ear caught the sound of voices. He hesitated an instant, then with smothered26 rage in his heart,{142} he crept inch by inch under the willows till he caught sight of the two friends.
Any but ugly eyes would have found the picture beautiful. On the bank of velvety27 green they sat, their faces animated28 with the poet pictures they were sharing. The aspens cast cooling shadows over them, while the stream sang its soothing29 song as it rippled30 over the pebbles31 into Shadow Pool.
But Bud found no beauty in the scene. Fighting mad to be robbed of his chance to do deviltry, his one thought was to get the boy out of his way. Once his hand went to his revolver, but he checked it. Another plan came to his thick brain. He would set his bucks32 upon the boy’s herd33 and draw him away. It was a silly, serious trick, but he stole back to execute it. And the plan worked. Fred, hearing the bellowing34 cows, hurried to find the cause of trouble, while Nixon, coming back through the brush, stepped out of it suddenly before Alta.
With an exclamation35 of fright she jumped up, half-dazed with the sight of a man decked in gaudy36 Indian trappings standing37 before her. It was as if the Indian she was reading about had suddenly jumped into reality before her very eyes. Her impulse was to scream, but she held it, to demand{143}—
“Who are you?”
“You don’t know me, Miss Alta?” he leered.
“Know you!”—she scanned him more closely—“yes, I do. Why do you spring at me in this way, Bud Nixon?”
“Oh, don’t get mad, little gal21; that ain’t the way to treat old friends. Come, meet me decent.” He grabbed at her as he spoke38 and tried to kiss her.
“Stand back, you insulting devil!” half screamed the girl, giving his ugly face a stinging slap.
“You damned little fury! I’ll show you,” he snarled39, grabbing her arm. He flung his other arm about her and bent40 his face toward hers.
With the strength of desperation she fought to free herself from his brutal41 embrace. But the more she struggled, the more determined42 he grew to wreak43 his ugly will. In despair, she gave a cry for help.
Fred, who was already galloping back to tell her he must go rally his scattered44 herd, caught the cry and dashed through the brush. The sight set him on fire. Jumping from his mare45, he leaped toward the struggling pair and struck Bud on the head. The cur, taken by surprise, loosed his hold and turned to get{144} another blow full in the face. He staggered and fell over the bank backward into Shadow Pool.
Luckily, during the struggle, his revolver had dropped out of its holster. Fred grabbed it, and when the bully46, foaming47 with fury, sputtered48 back upon the bank, he faced his own weapon.
“Go!” Fred commanded, “go! before I kill you!”
Nixon needed no second warning. He plunged49 like a whipped dog into the brush and skulked50 away to safety. Alta sank to the ground exhausted51.
“Come, Alta, get on Eagle, quick; we must leave this place.”
He hurried to bring the horse and helped her into the saddle. She could hardly hold herself there.
“Now, Alta,” he said, “be brave; I’ll take care of you.” He vaulted52 into his own saddle as he spoke and rode close by her side, supporting her with one arm as they went slowly along the trail.
“But I mean to see you safely home.{145}”
“Please don’t,” she pleaded; “go back to your herd. Uncle must not know a word of this. It will drive him wild with worry and anger.”
“Surely you don’t want that devil to escape. I’ll rouse the valley to capture and punish him.”
“Let him go, Fred; God will punish him.”
“Well, if you wish it,” he said reluctantly; “but it’s hard to hold down my feelings.”
“Thank you, I’ll see you again. God bless you for being so good to me. But take care of yourself, Fred.”
She touched her reins53 as she spoke and Eagle carried her on gently toward home. Fred watched until she passed through the ranch gate, then with a strange feeling tugging54 at his heart, he turned to gallop23 back and gather up his herd.
Why didn’t she want him to tell? What could it all mean? were the tormenting55 questions that kept buzzing through his brain as he scouted56 about the brush to round up his scattered herd. For several hours he hunted and worried and worried and hunted. The sun wheeled far down the west before he had his herd together; and then to his dismay, when he counted up, one of his best cows was missing. Heading the rest toward the ranch, he took one more look up the creek. Half a mile away he found the poor beast shot dead.{146}
It was the work of that dastardly white Indian, Fred felt sure of that. But the coward had no weapon. How could he do it? The boy examined the ground about the animal. Several moccasin tracks and the print of pony hoofs57 told him that Nixon was not alone.
His first impulse was to strike for the ranch and rouse the valley. But his promise to Alta held him from doing anything. He would keep his eyes open and find out for himself what was wrong. The time might come when he could strike. “And if it ever does come,” he said to himself, “I’ll strike hard.{147}”
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1
sage
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| n.圣人，哲人；adj.贤明的，明智的 | |
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creek
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| n.小溪，小河，小湾 | |
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willows
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| n.柳树( willow的名词复数 )；柳木 | |
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tryst
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| n.约会；v.与…幽会 | |
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grassy
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| adj.盖满草的；长满草的 | |
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reined
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| 勒缰绳使（马）停步( rein的过去式和过去分词 )； 驾驭； 严格控制； 加强管理 | |
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gravel
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| n.砂跞；砂砾层；结石 | |
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8
briefly
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| adv.简单地，简短地 | |
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appreciative
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| adj.有鉴赏力的，有眼力的；感激的 | |
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streaks
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| n.（与周围有所不同的）条纹( streak的名词复数 )；（通常指不好的）特征（倾向）；（不断经历成功或失败的）一段时期v.快速移动( streak的第三人称单数 )；使布满条纹 | |
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11
crimson
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| n./adj.深(绯)红色(的)；vi.脸变绯红色 | |
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12
fragrance
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| n.芬芳，香味，香气 | |
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13
beheld
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| v.看，注视( behold的过去式和过去分词 )；瞧；看呀；（叙述中用于引出某人意外的出现）哎哟 | |
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14
maiden
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| n.少女，处女；adj.未婚的，纯洁的，无经验的 | |
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15
gathering
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| n.集会，聚会，聚集 | |
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16
solitary
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| adj.孤独的，独立的，荒凉的；n.隐士 | |
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caresses
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| 爱抚，抚摸( caress的名词复数 ) | |
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18
ranch
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| n.大牧场，大农场 | |
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19
bosom
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| n.胸，胸部；胸怀；内心；adj.亲密的 | |
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oblivious
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| adj.易忘的，遗忘的，忘却的，健忘的 | |
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21
gal
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| n.姑娘，少女 | |
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22
galloping
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| adj. 飞驰的, 急性的 动词gallop的现在分词形式 | |
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gallop
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| v./n.(马或骑马等)飞奔；飞速发展 | |
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24
torment
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| n.折磨；令人痛苦的东西(人)；vt.折磨；纠缠 | |
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25
pony
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| adj.小型的；n.小马 | |
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26
smothered
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| （使）窒息， （使）透不过气( smother的过去式和过去分词 )； 覆盖； 忍住； 抑制 | |
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27
velvety
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| adj. 像天鹅绒的, 轻软光滑的, 柔软的 | |
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28
animated
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| adj.生气勃勃的，活跃的，愉快的 | |
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29
soothing
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| adj.慰藉的；使人宽心的；镇静的 | |
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30
rippled
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| 使泛起涟漪（ripple的过去式与过去分词形式） | |
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31
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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32
bucks
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| n.雄鹿( buck的名词复数 )；钱；（英国十九世纪初的）花花公子；（用于某些表达方式）责任v.（马等）猛然弓背跃起( buck的第三人称单数 )；抵制；猛然震荡；马等尥起后蹄跳跃 | |
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33
herd
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| n.兽群，牧群；vt.使集中，把…赶在一起 | |
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34
bellowing
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| v.发出吼叫声，咆哮（尤指因痛苦）( bellow的现在分词 )；（愤怒地）说出（某事），大叫 | |
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35
exclamation
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| n.感叹号，惊呼，惊叹词 | |
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36
gaudy
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| adj.华而不实的；俗丽的 | |
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37
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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38
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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39
snarled
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| v.（指狗）吠，嗥叫， （人）咆哮( snarl的过去式和过去分词 )；咆哮着说，厉声地说 | |
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40
bent
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| n.爱好，癖好；adj.弯的；决心的，一心的 | |
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41
brutal
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| adj.残忍的，野蛮的，不讲理的 | |
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42
determined
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| adj.坚定的；有决心的 | |
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43
wreak
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| v.发泄；报复 | |
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44
scattered
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| adj.分散的，稀疏的；散步的；疏疏落落的 | |
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45
mare
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| n.母马，母驴 | |
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46
bully
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| n.恃强欺弱者，小流氓；vt.威胁，欺侮 | |
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47
foaming
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| adj.布满泡沫的；发泡 | |
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48
sputtered
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| v.唾沫飞溅( sputter的过去式和过去分词 )；发劈啪声；喷出；飞溅出 | |
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49
plunged
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| v.颠簸( plunge的过去式和过去分词 )；暴跌；骤降；突降 | |
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50
skulked
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| v.潜伏，偷偷摸摸地走动，鬼鬼祟祟地活动( skulk的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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51
exhausted
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| adj.极其疲惫的，精疲力尽的 | |
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52
vaulted
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| adj.拱状的 | |
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53
reins
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| 感情，激情； 缰( rein的名词复数 )； 控制手段； 掌管； （成人带着幼儿走路以防其走失时用的）保护带 | |
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54
tugging
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| n.牵引感v.用力拉，使劲拉，猛扯( tug的现在分词 ) | |
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tormenting
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| 使痛苦的，使苦恼的 | |
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56
scouted
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| 寻找，侦察( scout的过去式和过去分词 )； 物色（优秀运动员、演员、音乐家等） | |
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57
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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