No wonder we felt anxious to visit such an interesting spot, and that we pressed onward7 without heeding8 the driving mists which every now and then obscured our view. We had now reached the extremity9 of the pine region, and were walking along a mountain shoulder where short stunted10 bushes of fir and juniper afforded shelter for countless11 krametsv?gel (a sort of fieldfare), which flew up startled at our approach, uttering shrill12, piercing cries. Several birds were shot as we went along; but as we had no dog to seek them out, they were mostly lost in the thick undergrowth where they had fallen.
The sun had now hidden itself, and a sharp piping wind was blowing full in our faces. We struggled on manfully notwithstanding, for some time, in face of discouragement; but when at last the mist had turned to a driving snow-storm, blinding our eyes and catching14 our breath, we forcedly came to a stand-still, to consider what next was to be done. There was no shelter to be obtained by going on, as our{395} guides explained; even did we succeed in reaching the lake, which was doubtful in this weather, there was neither hut nor hovel near it, nor for many miles around, and we ruefully acknowledged that our much-vaunted sail-cloth tent would afford but scanty15 shelter against such a storm as was evidently coming on. It was too late to think of returning to the forester’s lodge16, being near four o’clock, and darkness set in soon after six. By good-luck, as we happened to remember, we had passed a seemingly deserted17 shepherds’ hut about half an hour previously18, the only habitation we had seen that day. By retracing19 our steps we might at least hope to pass the night under cover.
It proved no such easy matter, however, to find the place in question, for the heavy mists which accompanied the snow-storm enveloped20 us on all sides as with a veil, and we could not distinguish objects only twenty paces off; and although the hut stood out upon an open slope of pasture, we passed it close by more than once without suspecting. At last, despatching a guide to ascertain21 the exact bearings, we waited till his welcome shout informed us that our place of refuge was found, and a few minutes later we had reached the stina.
This hut, very roughly put together of logs and beams, had been evacuated22 by the shepherds some ten days previously; its walls were very low, the roof disproportionately high; there were no windows, and none were required, for there were as many chinks as boards, and fully13 more holes than nails about the building, and these, in freely admitting the wind and the rain, furnished enough daylight to see by as well. Yet such as it was, it was infinitely23 better than our flimsy tent, and we felt heartily24 thankful for the shelter it afforded.
The hut inside was divided off into two compartments25, one for living and sleeping, the other a sort of store-room where the shepherds are in the habit of keeping their milk and cheeses. Some rude attempt at furnishing had also been made; one or two very primitive26 benches, some slanting27 boards to serve as beds, and a rickety table, weighted down by stones to keep it together. Bunches of dried juniper were stuck at regular intervals28 along the eaves of the roof inside by way of decoration; perhaps, also, as a charm to keep the lightning away. Some little objects carved out of wood, knives, spoons, etc., came likewise to light in our course of investigation29.
There was no such thing as a fireplace or chimney, but a heap of gray wood-ashes in the centre of the stamped earth floor testified that a fire could be made notwithstanding, and only the patient smoke of{396} many summers could have polished those beams inside the hut into that shiny surface of rich brown hue30.
We took the hint, and presently the welcome sight of dancing flames lit up the scene. At first a dense31 smoke filled the building, and there seemed really no choice between freezing and suffocation32, when some inventive spirit bethought himself of knocking out a portion of the roof by means of a long pole, and so making an improvised33 chimney. The current of air thus effected instantaneously carried off the dense smoke-clouds, and left the atmosphere comparatively clear.
Like fire-fly swarms34 the sparks flew upward, probing the mysterious darkness of the cavernous roof; and now as the blast swept by outside, shaking the walls and fanning the flames to an angry growl35, the dead wood-ashes were likewise stirred to life, and, wafted36 aloft in the guise37 of fluttering white moths38, they joined in a whirling dance with the golden fire-flies.
We had suspended our drenched39 cloaks from the cross-beams near the fire, and were beginning to prepare our supper, when a startling interruption gave a new current to our thoughts. One of the guides who had been collecting firewood outside now rushed in, exclaiming, “A bear! a bear! There is a young bear up there among the rocks.”
Breathless we all hurried to the door, and Count B—— seized his gun, trembling with joyful40 anticipation41, and almost too much agitated42 to load. The snow-storm had momentarily relaxed its violence, and there, sure enough, on the rising ground a little above the hut, we espied43 a black and shaggy animal gazing at us furtively44 from over a large bowlder-stone. It could be nothing else but a bear.
With palpitating hearts we watched the huntsman steal upward till within shot, terrified lest the bear should take alarm too soon. But no; this was not the sort of disappointment in store for us! The animal let itself be approached till within a dozen paces; it was a perfectly45 ideal bear in all respects, coming as it seemed with such obliging readiness to be shot at our very threshold.
Delusive46 dream! too beautiful to last! One moment more and the shot would be fired; we held our breath to listen—and then—oh, woful disappointment!—the gun was lowered, and the would-be bear-hunter called out in heart-rending accents, “It is only a dog!”
Only a poor half-starved dog, forgotten by the shepherds on their descent into the valley, and which probably had been prowling round{397} the hut ever since in hopes of seeing his masters return. The animal was shaggy and uncouth47 in the extreme, gaunt and wild-looking from hunger, with glaring yellow eyes which gazed at us piteously from out its bushy elf-locks. Even at a very short distance, the resemblance to a bear was striking.
We called the poor outcast, and would fain have given him food and shelter; but he was scared and savage48, and misunderstanding our benevolent49 intentions, could not be persuaded to approach. We had therefore to content ourselves with throwing food from a distance, which he stealthily devoured50 whenever he thought himself unobserved.
After this bitter disappointment we returned to the hut, and there made ourselves as comfortable as circumstances would permit, completing our cooking arrangements, not without a sigh of regret for the delicate bear’s-paws we had just now been expecting to sup upon; though a brace51 of haselhühner shot the previous day in the Bistra forest, and now roasted on a spit, gave us no cause to complain of the quality of our food.
Our next care was to prepare our sleeping-couches, for here there was not even a sprinkling of straw to soften52 the hard boards. Luckily, these forests contain an endless supply of patent spring mattresses53, and a few armfuls of fresh-cut fir-branches, with a rug spread over, makes as good a bed as any one need desire. A Scotch54 plaid (my faithful companion for many years) hung along the wall kept off the worst draughts55, and a roaring fire sustained the whole night prevented us from perishing with cold. Our sleeping-boards were close alongside this improvised hearth56, with barely room enough to pass between without singeing57 one’s clothes; yet while our faces were roasting, our backbones58 were often as cold as ice, so it became necessary to turn round from time to time when in imminent59 danger of getting over-done at one side. Opposite us slumbered60 the guides, taking turns to sit up and tend the fire.
Many a massive log was burned that night, and not only trunks and branches, but much of the rustic61 furniture as well, was pressed into service as fuel. The shepherds will require to furnish their house anew next summer.
It was late ere sleep came to any of us, and when it came at last it brought strange phantoms62 in its train; visions of ghosts and sorcerers, of bears and bandits, flitted successively through our brain; and scarcely less strange than dream-land was the reality to which we were occasionally{398} roused by alternate twinges of cold and heat—the smouldering fire at our elbow, the slumbering63 guides, and the white moths and fire-flies whirling aloft in the frenzied64 mazes65 of a wild Sabbath dance, to which the moaning wind, like the wailing66 voice of some unquiet spirit, played a mournful accompaniment.
When morning came we reviewed our situation dispassionately. The storm was over, and the day, though dull, was fair as yet; but the horizon was clouded, and some peasants coming by told us of snow lying deep on the mountains we were bound for. We could no longer blind ourselves to the fact that summer was over, and that the troublesome mists, which but a fortnight ago could easily be dispersed67 by the sun’s disdainful smile, were now the masters up here.
It was clearly impossible to proceed farther under the circumstances; so, remembering that discretion68 is often the better part of valor69, we resolved to cut short our expedition, postponing70 all further explorations to a more favorable season.
When our little caravan71 was set in motion, I turned round to take a last look at the hut which had sheltered us, and which most likely I shall never see again. There, motionless on a neighboring rock, crouched72 the gaunt figure of the hungry dog, gazing intently before him. Then, as I watched, he crept stealthily down till he had reached the half-open door of the empty stina, where, after a cautious investigation to assure himself of the coast being clear, he entered, and was lost to my sight. Doubtless he thought to warm himself by the fire we had left, and to discover some food-scraps remaining from our meals.
That dog haunted my thoughts for many days afterwards, and I could not refrain from speculating on its fate, which can only have been a tragic73 one. Did it perish of cold and hunger, or else fall a prey74 to the wild beasts of the forest? After having but yesterday unconsciously enacted75 the part of the bear, perhaps Bruin himself came to fetch it on the morrow. It would, after all, have been more merciful if the error had lasted a little longer, and a kindly76 bullet been lodged77 in its unsuspecting heart.
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1
seamen
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| n.海员 | |
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wrecked
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| adj.失事的，遇难的 | |
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ashore
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| adv.在(向)岸上，上岸 | |
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superstition
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| n.迷信，迷信行为 | |
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inevitable
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| adj.不可避免的，必然发生的 | |
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brews
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| n.（尤指某地酿造的）啤酒( brew的名词复数 )；酿造物的种类；（茶）一次的冲泡量；（不同思想、环境、事件的）交融v.调制( brew的第三人称单数 )；酝酿；沏（茶）；煮（咖啡） | |
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onward
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| adj.向前的，前进的；adv.向前，前进，在先 | |
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heeding
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| v.听某人的劝告，听从( heed的现在分词 ) | |
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extremity
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| n.末端，尽头；尽力；终极；极度 | |
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stunted
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| adj.矮小的；发育迟缓的 | |
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countless
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| adj.无数的，多得不计其数的 | |
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shrill
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| adj.尖声的；刺耳的；v尖叫 | |
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fully
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| adv.完全地，全部地，彻底地；充分地 | |
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catching
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| adj.易传染的，有魅力的，迷人的，接住 | |
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scanty
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| adj.缺乏的，仅有的，节省的，狭小的，不够的 | |
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lodge
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| v.临时住宿，寄宿，寄存，容纳；n.传达室，小旅馆 | |
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deserted
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| adj.荒芜的，荒废的，无人的，被遗弃的 | |
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previously
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| adv.以前，先前（地） | |
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retracing
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| v.折回( retrace的现在分词 )；回忆；回顾；追溯 | |
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enveloped
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| v.包围，笼罩，包住( envelop的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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21
ascertain
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| vt.发现，确定，查明，弄清 | |
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evacuated
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| 撤退者的 | |
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infinitely
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| adv.无限地，无穷地 | |
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heartily
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| adv.衷心地，诚恳地，十分，很 | |
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compartments
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| n.间隔( compartment的名词复数 )；（列车车厢的）隔间；（家具或设备等的）分隔间；隔层 | |
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26
primitive
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| adj.原始的；简单的；n.原(始)人，原始事物 | |
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slanting
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| 倾斜的，歪斜的 | |
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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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investigation
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| n.调查，调查研究 | |
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hue
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| n.色度；色调；样子 | |
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dense
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| a.密集的，稠密的，浓密的；密度大的 | |
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suffocation
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| n.窒息 | |
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improvised
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| a.即席而作的,即兴的 | |
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swarms
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| 蜂群，一大群( swarm的名词复数 ) | |
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growl
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| v.（狗等）嗥叫，（炮等）轰鸣；n.嗥叫，轰鸣 | |
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36
wafted
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| v.吹送，飘送，（使）浮动( waft的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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guise
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| n.外表，伪装的姿态 | |
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moths
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| n.蛾( moth的名词复数 ) | |
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39
drenched
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| adj.湿透的；充满的v.使湿透( drench的过去式和过去分词 )；在某人（某物）上大量使用（某液体） | |
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joyful
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| adj.欢乐的，令人欢欣的 | |
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anticipation
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| n.预期，预料，期望 | |
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agitated
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| adj.被鼓动的，不安的 | |
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43
espied
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| v.看到( espy的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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furtively
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| adv. 偷偷地, 暗中地 | |
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45
perfectly
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| adv.完美地，无可非议地，彻底地 | |
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46
delusive
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| adj.欺骗的，妄想的 | |
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47
uncouth
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| adj.无教养的，粗鲁的 | |
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48
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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49
benevolent
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| adj.仁慈的，乐善好施的 | |
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50
devoured
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| 吞没( devour的过去式和过去分词 )； 耗尽； 津津有味地看； 狼吞虎咽地吃光 | |
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51
brace
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| n. 支柱,曲柄,大括号; v. 绷紧,顶住,(为困难或坏事)做准备 | |
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52
soften
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| v.(使)变柔软；(使)变柔和 | |
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53
mattresses
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| 褥垫，床垫( mattress的名词复数 ) | |
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54
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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55
draughts
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| n. <英>国际跳棋 | |
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56
hearth
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| n.壁炉炉床，壁炉地面 | |
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57
singeing
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| v.浅表烧焦( singe的现在分词 )；（毛发）燎，烧焦尖端[边儿]；烧毛 | |
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58
backbones
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| n.骨干( backbone的名词复数 )；脊骨；骨气；脊骨状物 | |
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59
imminent
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| adj.即将发生的，临近的，逼近的 | |
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60
slumbered
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| 微睡，睡眠（slumber的过去式与过去分词形式） | |
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rustic
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| adj.乡村的，有乡村特色的；n.乡下人，乡巴佬 | |
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62
phantoms
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| n.鬼怪，幽灵( phantom的名词复数 ) | |
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63
slumbering
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| 微睡，睡眠（slumber的现在分词形式） | |
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64
frenzied
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| a.激怒的；疯狂的 | |
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65
mazes
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| 迷宫( maze的名词复数 )； 纷繁复杂的规则； 复杂难懂的细节； 迷宫图 | |
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66
wailing
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| v.哭叫，哀号( wail的现在分词 )；沱 | |
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67
dispersed
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| adj. 被驱散的, 被分散的, 散布的 | |
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discretion
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| n.谨慎；随意处理 | |
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valor
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| n.勇气，英勇 | |
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postponing
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| v.延期，推迟( postpone的现在分词 ) | |
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71
caravan
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| n.大蓬车；活动房屋 | |
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72
crouched
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| v.屈膝，蹲伏( crouch的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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tragic
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| adj.悲剧的，悲剧性的，悲惨的 | |
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74
prey
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| n.被掠食者，牺牲者，掠食；v.捕食，掠夺，折磨 | |
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enacted
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| 制定（法律），通过（法案）( enact的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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76
kindly
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| adj.和蔼的，温和的，爽快的；adv.温和地，亲切地 | |
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77
lodged
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| v.存放( lodge的过去式和过去分词 )；暂住；埋入；（权利、权威等）归属 | |
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