"Good-morning, Smith, who is your prisoner?"
"His name is Oliver."
Ferry looked behind to the halted column. "Lieutenant9 Quinn, send two men to guard this one. Smith, where's Sergeant10 Langley; where's Kendall? Kendall?"
While I told of the scrimmage, the guard relieved me of Oliver, and as I finished, three men galloped11 up and reined12 in. "All right," said one, saluting14.
"South?" asked our leader.
"Before day," replied the new-comer, glowing with elation15, and I grasped the fact that the enemy had taken our bait and I had not betrayed my country. The three men went to the column, and Ferry, looking up from the despatch16 which I had delivered to him, said--
"Of course no one has seen this despatch, eh?--Oh!"--a smile--"yes? who?"
"Two Federal officers."
"Two--what?" His smile broadened. "You know that?"
"I saw them, Lieutenant, looking in at the door to see the despatch put back under my pillow. Yes, sir, by the same hand that had shown it to them."
"Whose hand was it; that fellow's, yonder?" Oliver was several paces away.
"No, Lieutenant, I don't believe he had anything to do with it; and I've no absolute proof, either, that he was at the bridge to rob or kill me. I threatened his life first, sir. At any rate that hand under my pillow was neither his nor his father's."
"But they were present, eh?"
"They were neither of them present, Lieutenant; that hand was Miss Coralie Rothvelt's."
"Oh, no!" he murmured, "that cannot be!" "I saw her face, Lieutenant, nearer to mine than yours is now. But she did it to help us--oh, but I know that, sir! She came under my window and told me she had done it! She told me to tell you she hadn't thwarted17 your plan, but only improved on it, and I believe--Lieutenant, if you will hear me patiently through a confession18 which--" I choked with emotion.
He lighted up with happy relief. "No, you need not make it. And you need not turn so pale." Whereat I turned red. "She saw the despatch was a trap for the Yankees, and used it so, you think? Ah, yes, Smith, I see it all, now; she pumped you dry."
I could not speak, I shook my head, and for evidence in rebuttal I showed in my eyes two fountains of standing19 tears.
"How, then, did she know?"
"Lieutenant, she guessed! She must have just put two and two together and guessed! Or else, Lieutenant,--"
"She must have pumped others before she pumped you, eh?" There was confession in his good humor. "But tell me; did she not see also this other trap, for this man and his father, and try to save them out of it?--oh, if you don't want--never mind." He laid a leg over the front of his saddle and sat thinking. So I see him to-day: his chestnut20 locks, his goodly limbs and shoulders, the graceful21 boots, cut-away jacket, faded sash, straight sword, and that look of care on his features which intensified22 the charm of their spiritual cleanness; behind him his band of picked heroes, and for background the June sky. Whenever I smell dewy corn-fields smitten23 with the sun that picture comes back to me.
"No," he said again, "you need not tell me." By a placid24 light in his face I saw he understood. He drew his watch, put it back, thought on, and smiled at my uniform. "It has not the blue of the others," he said, "but indeed they are not all alike, and it will match the most of them--after a rain or two--and some dust. You have been trading horses?"
I explained. While doing so I saw one of the guard reaching the prisoner's bridle25 to the other. Hah! Oliver had slapped the bridle free. In went his spurs! By a great buffet26 on the horse's neck he wheeled him, and with the rein13 dangling27 under the bits went over the fence like a deer. "Bang! bang! bang!"
It was idle; a magic seems to shield a captive's leap for life. Away across the corn he went to the edge of a tangled28 wood, over the fence there again, and into the brush. "Halt! bang!" and "Halt! bang!" it was, at every bound, but now the pursuers came back empty-handed, some contemptuously silent, some laughing. Ferry glanced again at the time, and I was having within me a quarrel with him for his indifference29 at the prisoner's escape, when with cold severity he asked--
"Why did you not fire?"
I flushed with indignation, and my eye retorted to his that I had only followed his example. His answer was a smile. "You, also, have been guessing, eh?" he said, and when I glowed with gratitude30 he added,
"Never mind, we must have a long talk. At present there is a verbal message for me; what is it?"
"Verbal message? No, Lieutenant, she didn't--oh!--from the General! Yes! the General says--'Rodney.'"
He turned and moved to the head of the column. I followed. There, "Left into line wheel--march!" chanted our second in command. "Backwards--march!" and then "Right dress!" and the line, that had been a column, dressed along the western edge of the road with the morning sun in their faces. Then Ferry called "Fours from the right, to march to the left--march!" and he and Quinn passed up the middle of the road along the front of the line, with yours truly close at their heels, while behind us the command broke into column again by fours from the right and set the pink dust afloat as they followed back northward31 over their own tracks with Sergeant Jim beside the first four as squadron right guide. I had got where I was by some mistake which I did not know how to correct,--I was no drill-master's pride,--and there was much suppressed amusement at my expense along the front as we rode down it. At every few steps until the whole line was a column Ned Ferry dropped some word of cheer, and each time there would come back an equally quiet and hearty32 reply. Near the middle he said "Brisk work ahead of us to-day, boys," and I heard the reiteration33 of his words run among the ranks. I also heard one man bid another warm some milk for the baby. Trotting34 by a grove35 where the company had passed the night, we presently took the walk to break by twos, and as we resumed the trot and turned westward36 into a by-road, Lieutenant Quinn dropped back to the column and sent me forward to the side of Ned Ferry. I went with cold shivers.
With the rein dangling under the bits he went over the fence like a deer.
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收听单词发音
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1
gallop
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| v./n.(马或骑马等)飞奔；飞速发展 | |
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2
gallant
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| adj.英勇的，豪侠的；(向女人)献殷勤的 | |
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3
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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4
scouts
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| 侦察员[机，舰]( scout的名词复数 )； 童子军； 搜索； 童子军成员 | |
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5
trotted
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| 小跑，急走( trot的过去分词 )； 匆匆忙忙地走 | |
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6
beckoning
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| adj.引诱人的，令人心动的v.（用头或手的动作）示意，召唤( beckon的现在分词 ) | |
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7
scrutiny
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| n.详细检查，仔细观察 | |
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8
defiance
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| n.挑战，挑衅，蔑视，违抗 | |
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9
lieutenant
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| n.陆军中尉，海军上尉；代理官员，副职官员 | |
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10
sergeant
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| n.警官，中士 | |
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11
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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12
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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13
rein
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| n.疆绳，统治，支配；vt.以僵绳控制，统治 | |
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14
saluting
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| v.欢迎，致敬( salute的现在分词 )；赞扬，赞颂 | |
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15
elation
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| n.兴高采烈，洋洋得意 | |
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16
despatch
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| n./v.(dispatch)派遣；发送；n.急件；新闻报道 | |
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17
thwarted
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| 阻挠( thwart的过去式和过去分词 )； 使受挫折； 挫败； 横过 | |
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18
confession
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| n.自白，供认，承认 | |
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19
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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20
chestnut
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| n.栗树，栗子 | |
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21
graceful
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| adj.优美的，优雅的；得体的 | |
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22
intensified
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| v.（使）增强， （使）加剧( intensify的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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23
smitten
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| 猛打，重击，打击( smite的过去分词 ) | |
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24
placid
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| adj.安静的，平和的 | |
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25
bridle
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| n.笼头，束缚；vt.抑制，约束；动怒 | |
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26
buffet
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| n.自助餐；饮食柜台；餐台 | |
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27
dangling
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| 悬吊着( dangle的现在分词 )； 摆动不定； 用某事物诱惑…； 吊胃口 | |
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28
tangled
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| adj. 纠缠的，紊乱的 动词tangle的过去式和过去分词 | |
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29
indifference
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| n.不感兴趣，不关心，冷淡，不在乎 | |
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30
gratitude
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| adj.感激，感谢 | |
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31
northward
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| adv.向北；n.北方的地区 | |
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32
hearty
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| adj.热情友好的；衷心的；尽情的，纵情的 | |
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33
reiteration
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| n. 重覆, 反覆, 重说 | |
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34
trotting
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| 小跑，急走( trot的现在分词 )； 匆匆忙忙地走 | |
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35
grove
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| n.林子，小树林，园林 | |
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36
westward
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| n.西方，西部；adj.西方的，向西的；adv.向西 | |
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