“Please, colonel, the adjutant says as how he wants to know ef he’s released from arrest?”
“Did he dare to ask you that?” inquired Clark, sharply; and as he spoke1 his eye flashed.
“Please, sir, they wouldn’t let me see him,” said the man.
“Who wouldn’t let you see him?”
The commander was growing very angry, for he was a strict disciplinarian, and this sounded terrible in his ears.
The orderly hesitated.
“Speak quick, man! Who wouldn’t let you see him?”
“Colonel,” said the rough borderer, who was, after all, only a half disciplined, independent militia-man; “’tain’t my fault, honest; but them Injuns and the young lady was at the door, and the young lady she guv me the message from adjutant; and please, colonel, the boys are all in a crowd around the door, and they cheered her when she spoke, and it’s my belief, sir—”
“That will do,” said Clark, imperiously. “I understand you. There’s mutiny afoot, and you’re afraid. Out of the way.”
Before father Gibault could interfere2 to check him, the colonel was out of the room and half-way down-stairs. He[87] was in a state of the greatest excitement, and shouted for his horse in a manner strangely unlike his usual quiet way. Two minutes after, he was galloping4 down the street toward the camp, which, as before, was pitched in front of the disused arsenal6 occupied by the Indians.
Around the door, as the orderly had said, the whole of the motley force of borderers were clustered; and from the murmurs7 that reached his ear, it was evident that an unusual excitement was going on.
As the colonel galloped8 up, a dead silence fell on all; but not a man stirred out of his way, and matters looked quite squally, for the rough backwoodsmen made no scruple9 of looking with open defiance11 at their leader.
The tact12 of Clark was infinite, or he would not have been the successful leader that he was. He saw now that he had made a mistake, and pulled up his horse by the crowd, saying, quietly:
“Stand out of my way, men. I want to enter that building.”
He looked at the door of the arsenal, and there stood beautiful Ruby13 Roland, with her savage14 allies round her, stern and impassive, looking straight at him.
Not a man stirred out of his path. Some of them crowded closer in his way, and he saw that they all carried their rifles. For the first time in his life, Clark was at a loss what to do. The instinct of discipline impelled15 him to violence, but his experience of the reckless Kentuckians told him that such a step would be useless.
Moreover, Bowman and all his officers stood in a group at a fire near by, with their backs resolutely16 turned to the scene of disturbance17. Clark was too intensely proud to call for assistance from them which he saw they were unwilling18 to grant. He was also too politic19 to precipitate20 a fight by attempting to ride into the crowd.
For fully21 a minute an ominous22 silence prevailed, and then Clark spoke to Ruby, in a clear, loud voice:
“Mademoiselle, is my adjutant in your quarters? If so, I call on you, as my ally, to deliver him up to me.”
Like a silver trumpet23 came back Ruby’s answer.
“He is here. He shall not go forth24 till he is released from arrest, except to be tried by a court-martial25.”
[88]
Instantly a tremendous cheer burst from all the borderers, and Clark saw that he had not a friend left.
It was a bitter and humiliating thing for the proud leader, in the moment of his triumph over enemies; and Clark felt it keenly.
For one moment he looked reproachfully at Ruby, then on his rebellious26 men. There was something in his face that abashed27 the boldest there, for the anger had gone out of it entirely28, and there was an expression of proud regret that seemed for the first time to suggest that there might be two sides to this question. Then the border leader put his hands to his holsters, drew forth his pistols, and cast them on the ground, amid a dead silence. He unbuckled his sword and held it up in his right hand, as he said:
“Mademoiselle, I see now who is my real enemy. God forgive you. Men, I never yet condescended29 to ask a favor of you. I have given you a new country. Keep it for yourselves. I am no longer your leader.”
He threw down the sword as he spoke, and wheeled his horse. Slowly and sadly, but with head proudly erect30, he rode up the street to the government house, passed it, and walked his horse through the principal street out into the open prairie.
The men had conquered their commander.
But never in this world did men seem so utterly31 unable to take advantage of a victory. They looked at each other in silence and dismay, as the consequences of their acts dawned upon them. Never was leader more beloved than Clark, and only the still greater affection which they entertained for their little adjutant, and their impression that he had been harshly treated by Clark, had induced them to rebel. In that delicious ignorance of martial law, so characteristic of the American border militiamen, they had never conceived that they were doing any thing wrong; only that they were giving their colonel a gentle hint to release their favorite officer. Now, when it was too late, they all seemed bewildered, and none more so than Ruby Roland. She stood at the top of the steps, gazing blankly after Clark, as if unable to comprehend why he had not yielded.
Then, after the form of the colonel had gone almost out of[89] sight, arose a confused hubbub32 of voices, as the borderers broke up into groups, and excitedly discussed the position.
As reverently33 as sacred relics34, the weapons of their commander were lifted from the ground, and a large deputation besieged35 Major Bowman and the officers, to entreat36 the colonel to come back.
But to their great surprise, Bowman and the others were dead against them. The fact was that every one saw that they had made a mistake, and these very officers were mean enough to cast the blame off from their own shoulders, no matter where it lighted. Major Bowman was, in fact, the very meanest of all, for he threw off his sword and belt, saying:
“No, no, boys. I take no responsibility. You chose to listen to that gal5 over yonder, and now she’ll have to get you out of the snarl37. I’ve naught38 to do with it. I told you not to make such a fuss about that boy; that it would end in harm. I’ll take no command of a mob like this. Go to your lady friend.”
And Big Bill Harrod was still more emphatic39.
“I tell yer, boys, that Frank’s the sassiest little cuss ever I seen, and a good whipping would do him good. Ef yer think he’s wuth more than cunnel, let him go; but ef yer don’t, jest yer go over to that thur young lady, and ax her to go arter the cunnel, and tell him as how ye made a mistake, and ax his pardon. I guess he won’t be hard on little Frank, ef she begs fur him, and it’s my notion that nary a man in this hyar camp kin10 fotch him back so quick as that thar gal.”
The rough captain’s words were not without their effect on his audience, who involuntarily turned toward Ruby.
The girl was standing40 where she had been, but entirely deserted41 by the very men who, a moment before, had been cheering her. She seemed to realize that her brief reign42 of popularity was over, and that she too had made a mistake. As the soldiers timidly proffered43 their request, the august beauty yielded to it with grace, mounted her horse without a moment’s delay, and set off at full gallop3 after Clark, bearing the commander’s sword with her.
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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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2
interfere
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| v.(in)干涉，干预；(with)妨碍，打扰 | |
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3
gallop
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| v./n.(马或骑马等)飞奔；飞速发展 | |
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4
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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5
gal
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| n.姑娘，少女 | |
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6
arsenal
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| n.兵工厂，军械库 | |
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7
murmurs
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| n.低沉、连续而不清的声音( murmur的名词复数 )；低语声；怨言；嘀咕 | |
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8
galloped
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| （使马）飞奔，奔驰( gallop的过去式和过去分词 )； 快速做[说]某事 | |
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9
scruple
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| n./v.顾忌，迟疑 | |
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10
kin
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| n.家族，亲属，血缘关系；adj.亲属关系的，同类的 | |
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11
defiance
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| n.挑战，挑衅，蔑视，违抗 | |
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12
tact
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| n.机敏，圆滑，得体 | |
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13
ruby
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| n.红宝石，红宝石色 | |
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14
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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15
impelled
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| v.推动、推进或敦促某人做某事( impel的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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16
resolutely
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| adj.坚决地，果断地 | |
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17
disturbance
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| n.动乱，骚动；打扰，干扰；(身心)失调 | |
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18
unwilling
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| adj.不情愿的 | |
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19
politic
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| adj.有智虑的；精明的；v.从政 | |
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20
precipitate
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| adj.突如其来的；vt.使突然发生；n.沉淀物 | |
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21
fully
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| adv.完全地，全部地，彻底地；充分地 | |
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22
ominous
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| adj.不祥的，不吉的，预兆的，预示的 | |
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23
trumpet
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| n.喇叭，喇叭声；v.吹喇叭，吹嘘 | |
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24
forth
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| adv.向前；向外，往外 | |
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25
martial
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| adj.战争的，军事的，尚武的，威武的 | |
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26
rebellious
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| adj.造反的，反抗的，难控制的 | |
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27
abashed
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| adj.窘迫的，尴尬的v.使羞愧，使局促，使窘迫( abash的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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28
entirely
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| ad.全部地，完整地；完全地，彻底地 | |
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29
condescended
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| 屈尊，俯就( condescend的过去式和过去分词 )； 故意表示和蔼可亲 | |
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30
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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31
utterly
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| adv.完全地，绝对地 | |
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32
hubbub
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| n.嘈杂；骚乱 | |
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33
reverently
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| adv.虔诚地 | |
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34
relics
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| [pl.］n.遗物，遗迹，遗产；遗体，尸骸 | |
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35
besieged
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| 包围，围困，围攻( besiege的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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36
entreat
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| v.恳求，恳请 | |
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37
snarl
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| v.吼叫，怒骂，纠缠，混乱；n.混乱，缠结，咆哮 | |
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38
naught
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| n.无，零 [=nought] | |
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39
emphatic
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| adj.强调的，着重的；无可置疑的，明显的 | |
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40
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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41
deserted
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| adj.荒芜的，荒废的，无人的，被遗弃的 | |
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42
reign
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| n.统治时期，统治，支配，盛行；v.占优势 | |
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43
proffered
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| v.提供，贡献，提出( proffer的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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