CHAPTER XV. AT DANGER DIVIDE.

 Several weeks after Buffalo¹ Bill had taken leave of his friends of Fort Larned, he stood one day 

 

upon the veranda² of a little hotel in the frontier settlement of Danger Divide, when a young man 

 

came up, and, taking him by the arm, led him courteously³ to the other end of the veranda.

 

“Mr. Doyle, let me introduce to you Colonel Cody, the chief of scouts⁵ of the Department of the 

 

Platte.”

 

The speaker was a tall, handsome sun-tanned young man, whose frank, honest look and kindly⁶, 

 

smiling eyes would at once have prepossessed any one in his favor.

 

The man to whom he spoke⁷ was old enough to have been his grandfather. His appearance was 

 

distinguished⁸, but his face bore deep lines that spoke of some great sorrow which had clouded his 

 

life.

 

The old gentleman rose from the chair in which he was sitting and bowed courteously to the man 

 

who was being introduced to him.

 

“Any friend of yours, Mr. Mainwaring, honors me by his acquaintance,” he said. “But it gives 

 

me especial pleasure to meet Colonel Cody. I have heard much about his great deeds out here in 

 

the West, and now that I see him I am sure that nothing I have heard has been exaggerated.”

 

“I am delighted to meet you, sir,” replied the scout⁴.

 

“I heard you make a speech in the Senate two years ago, when I was in Washington on some 

 

business with the War Department,” he added cordially.

 

 

“Ah, they say that you never forget a face, Colonel Cody, and it appears to be true. But I have 

 

resigned from the Senate and left Washington forever.”

 

Buffalo Bill’s face expressed polite interest, but he made no remark. He could not help 

 

wondering, however, how it had come about that one of the most distinguished statesmen at that 

 

time in America should have abandoned his great career, and instead of being in his proper place 

 

at Washington should be found at a wretched little frontier shanty—which was all that the best 

 

“hotel” in Danger Divide could really be called.

 

“Yes, I have turned my back on Washington,” Mr. Doyle went on, “and I am now on my way to 

 

California, with my two daughters. I am going to buy a ranch⁹ there and make it my home for the 

 

small balance of my days. I want to leave all the old associations of my life behind. They have 

 

become painful to me.

 

“My eldest¹⁰ boy died three months ago in Washington. He was the last of my three sons. My wife 

 

died years ago, and now I have only my two girls left—May and Gertrude. Like myself, they wish 

 

to live in a new country, among fresh scenes and people who will not remind us of the past.”

 

It was a strangely frank speech to make to a new acquaintance, but Buffalo Bill was a man who 

 

inspired confidence at first sight, and Mr. Doyle found it natural to talk to him of his most 

 

sacred and private affairs as he could not have done to another man.

 

A smiling, honest-looking negro came out onto the veranda and said to the old man:

 

“Lunch done got ready, massa. Missie Gertrude and Missie May waiting for you. I ’clar’ to 

 

goodness, suh, I cooked de best lunch I could, but you can’t get nuthin’ more in this place 

 

than down in ole Virginny at de end ob de wah.”

 

 

“All right, Norfolk Ben,” replied Mr. Doyle, smiling kindly at the man. “I’ve no doubt that 

 

you have done the best you can, and probably you have done wonders, under the circumstances.”

 

The honest fellow, grinning his appreciation¹¹ of these words, vanished through the door.

 

“That is my servant, Norfolk Ben,” said Mr. Doyle, turning to Cody and Jack¹² Mainwaring. “I don

 

’t think any one ever had a more faithful one. He has been with us for many years, and is 

 

perfectly¹³ devoted¹⁴ to my daughters. He comes from Norfolk, in Virginia—hence his name.”

 

“A good Virginian servant of the old stock is indeed a treasure,” remarked Mainwaring.

 

“Will you join us at lunch, Colonel Cody, and you, too, Mr. Mainwaring? I want to hear some more 

 

about that ranch of yours in Texas, and my girls will be delighted to meet you, Colonel Cody, and 

 

listen to some stories about your adventures.”

 

“I don’t think it will be easy to induce Cody to tell them,” said Jack Mainwaring, smiling. “

 

Somebody else is always the hero of the stories he tells. I have known him for three weeks, but 

 

all that I have heard about his adventures has been from other people.”

 

Both men accepted Mr. Doyle’s invitation and went into the small, stuffy¹⁵ dining room of the 

 

hotel with him.

 

They found there two girls, of about twenty and eighteen years of age respectively, whom they 

 

were introduced to by Mr. Doyle. The elder was his daughter May and the younger was Gertrude.

 

Both were pretty, but the elder was by far the prettier, and Buffalo Bill, wise in such matters, 

 

could see at a glance that young Mainwaring was powerfully attracted by her. It was the first 

 

time they had met, for[110] he had only made the acquaintance of Mr. Doyle a short time before he 

 

introduced Cody to him.

 

The party sat down to lunch, Norfolk Ben waiting on them, and they were soon in the midst of an 

 

animated¹⁶ conversation.

 

Jack Mainwaring told stories of his life on his ranch in Texas. He was a wealthy young fellow, 

 

owning one of the best cattle runs in that State. He was now enjoying a hunting trip in the 

 

farther West, and Buffalo Bill, whom he met some time before, had been able to show him some very 

 

good sport.

 

As Mr. Doyle had prophesied¹⁷, the two girls were eager to hear the king of scouts tell about his 

 

own deeds, but he evaded¹⁸ their questions and appeals as well as he could. He was more silent and 

 

abstracted than was his wont¹⁹, and something seemed to be weighing on his mind, in spite of the 

 

gayety of the little party.

 

“Mr. Doyle,” he said suddenly, in a lull²⁰ in the conversation, “would you mind telling me why 

 

you have halted in this little place on your journey to California? The accommodations are so bad 

 

that I am sure you would not have done so without some very good reason.”

 

“Necessity was my reason,” replied the old gentleman, smiling. “I have a train of three 

 

wagons²¹, and one of the wagons was so badly damaged in crossing a deep gully near here that we had 

 

to stop to have it repaired. From what they tell me, it will be a pretty long job. They have few 

 

facilities for such work in a little place like Danger Divide.”

 

“It is a pity you could not have gone on to Fort McPherson, seventy miles farther on,” said 

 

Buffalo Bill. “It is a military post, and they have all the means for doing such work. The 

 

general who commands the post would have been pleased to help you. I know[111] him well, for I am 

 

attached to the post as his chief of scouts.”

 

“We could hardly get to Danger Divide,” replied the old man.

 

Buffalo Bill thought deeply for a few minutes, hesitating whether or not he should speak out what 

 

was in his mind. Then he said:

 

“Mr. Doyle, what I am going to say to you will no doubt sound extraordinary and impertinent, but 

 

it is prompted by my knowledge of this country.”

 

“Whatever it is, I am sure it will be well meant, Colonel Cody,” remarked the ex-senator, 

 

looking puzzled.

 

“Well, then, it is this: When your wagon²² is repaired you would, in my opinion, be well advised 

 

to turn back east, instead of trying to cross the great plains at present. If I were in your 

 

position I would wait for a few months at least before trying to reach California by the overland 

 

route.”

 

Mr. Doyle and his daughters looked very much surprised at this remark. A shadow of annoyance 

 

crossed the old man’s face, as if he thought an unwarrantable liberty was being taken with him 

 

and his plans, but it passed almost as quickly as it came, and he turned to the king of the 

 

scouts and said:

 

“What you have just told me, Colonel Cody, is certainly rather strange, but I am sure you must 

 

have some good reason for saying it.”

 

“I have,” replied the border king. “The great plains are very unsafe for wagon teams at 

 

present—more unsafe, I think, than they have ever been before in my experience.”

 

Mr. Doyle looked surprised.

 

“I was assured by the officials of the War Department in Washington that the soldiers at the 

 

various posts in this territory had the Indians under complete control,” he said.

 

Buffalo Bill smiled.

 

“What they don’t know about this part of the country in Washington would fill a big book,” he 

 

retorted. “The troops do their best—they do wonderfully, indeed. But they can’t be everywhere 

 

at once. Sometimes they are too late to protect, and can only avenge²³.”

 

The old man looked grave, but at the same time obstinate²⁴. He had made his plans, and he was not 

 

of the kind to give them up readily.

 

“Of course, I know that there is always a certain amount of risk on the overland route,” he 

 

said. “That must be taken for granted. We have reckoned it in the plans we have made, and the 

 

girls are not at all afraid, I can assure you.”

 

“Indeed we are not, father!” exclaimed May, glancing at Buffalo Bill with some indignation.

 

“What is the special danger at present?” the old man asked.

 

“It is twofold: The Shawnee Indians, under their chief, Evil Heart, are in a very ugly mood 

 

toward the whites, and there is a band of outlaws²⁵ calling themselves Death Riders who have held 

 

up several wagon trains during the past few months, and even ventured to raid some of the 

 

settlements.”

 

“The Death Riders!” exclaimed the old man. “It is an ominous²⁶ name.”

 

“And it fits them well,” returned Cody. “They show mercy to none who fall into their power. 

 

They are the worst gang of outlaws who ever cursed the West in all my experience.”

1 buffalo   

n.(北美)野牛；(亚洲)水牛

参考例句：

• Asian buffalo isn't as wild as that of America's. 亚洲水牛比美洲水牛温顺些。
• The boots are made of buffalo hide. 这双靴子是由水牛皮制成的。

2 veranda   

n.走廊；阳台

参考例句：

• She sat in the shade on the veranda.她坐在阳台上的遮荫处。
• They were strolling up and down the veranda.他们在走廊上来回徜徉。

3 courteously   

adv.有礼貌地，亲切地

参考例句：

• He courteously opened the door for me.他谦恭有礼地为我开门。
• Presently he rose courteously and released her.过了一会，他就很客气地站起来，让她走开。

4 scout   

n.童子军，侦察员；v.侦察，搜索

参考例句：

• He was mistaken for an enemy scout and badly wounded.他被误认为是敌人的侦察兵，受了重伤。
• The scout made a stealthy approach to the enemy position.侦察兵偷偷地靠近敌军阵地。

5 scouts   

侦察员[机，舰]( scout的名词复数 )； 童子军； 搜索； 童子军成员

参考例句：

• to join the Scouts 参加童子军
• The scouts paired off and began to patrol the area. 巡逻人员两个一组，然后开始巡逻这个地区。

6 kindly   

adj.和蔼的，温和的，爽快的；adv.温和地，亲切地

参考例句：

• Her neighbours spoke of her as kindly and hospitable.她的邻居都说她和蔼可亲、热情好客。
• A shadow passed over the kindly face of the old woman.一道阴影掠过老太太慈祥的面孔。

7 spoke   

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

参考例句：

• They sourced the spoke nuts from our company.他们的轮辐螺帽是从我们公司获得的。
• The spokes of a wheel are the bars that connect the outer ring to the centre.辐条是轮子上连接外圈与中心的条棒。

8 distinguished   

adj.卓越的，杰出的，著名的

参考例句：

• Elephants are distinguished from other animals by their long noses.大象以其长长的鼻子显示出与其他动物的不同。
• A banquet was given in honor of the distinguished guests.宴会是为了向贵宾们致敬而举行的。

9 ranch   

n.大牧场，大农场

参考例句：

• He went to work on a ranch.他去一个大农场干活。
• The ranch is in the middle of a large plateau.该牧场位于一个辽阔高原的中部。

10 eldest   

adj.最年长的，最年老的

参考例句：

• The King's eldest son is the heir to the throne.国王的长子是王位的继承人。
• The castle and the land are entailed on the eldest son.城堡和土地限定由长子继承。

11 appreciation   

n.评价；欣赏；感谢；领会，理解；价格上涨

参考例句：

• I would like to express my appreciation and thanks to you all.我想对你们所有人表达我的感激和谢意。
• I'll be sending them a donation in appreciation of their help.我将送给他们一笔捐款以感谢他们的帮助。

12 jack   

n.插座，千斤顶，男人；v.抬起，提醒，扛举；n.（Jake）杰克

参考例句：

• I am looking for the headphone jack.我正在找寻头戴式耳机插孔。
• He lifted the car with a jack to change the flat tyre.他用千斤顶把车顶起来换下瘪轮胎。

13 perfectly   

adv.完美地，无可非议地，彻底地

参考例句：

• The witnesses were each perfectly certain of what they said.证人们个个对自己所说的话十分肯定。
• Everything that we're doing is all perfectly above board.我们做的每件事情都是光明正大的。

14 devoted   

adj.忠诚的，忠实的，热心的，献身于...的

参考例句：

• He devoted his life to the educational cause of the motherland.他为祖国的教育事业贡献了一生。
• We devoted a lengthy and full discussion to this topic.我们对这个题目进行了长时间的充分讨论。

15 stuffy   

adj.不透气的，闷热的

参考例句：

• It's really hot and stuffy in here.这里实在太热太闷了。
• It was so stuffy in the tent that we could sense the air was heavy with moisture.帐篷里很闷热，我们感到空气都是潮的。

16 animated   

adj.生气勃勃的，活跃的，愉快的

参考例句：

• His observations gave rise to an animated and lively discussion.他的言论引起了一场气氛热烈而活跃的讨论。
• We had an animated discussion over current events last evening.昨天晚上我们热烈地讨论时事。

17 prophesied   

v.预告，预言( prophesy的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• She prophesied that she would win a gold medal. 她预言自己将赢得金牌。
• She prophesied the tragic outcome. 她预言有悲惨的结果。 来自《简明英汉词典》

18 evaded   

逃避( evade的过去式和过去分词 )； 避开； 回避； 想不出

参考例句：

• For two weeks they evaded the press. 他们有两周一直避而不见记者。
• The lion evaded the hunter. 那狮子躲开了猎人。

19 wont   

adj.习惯于；v.习惯；n.习惯

参考例句：

• He was wont to say that children are lazy.他常常说小孩子们懒惰。
• It is his wont to get up early.早起是他的习惯。

20 lull   

v.使安静，使入睡，缓和，哄骗；n.暂停，间歇

参考例句：

• The drug put Simpson in a lull for thirty minutes.药物使辛普森安静了30分钟。
• Ground fighting flared up again after a two-week lull.经过两个星期的平静之后，地面战又突然爆发了。

21 wagons   

n.四轮的运货马车( wagon的名词复数 )；铁路货车；小手推车

参考例句：

• The wagons were hauled by horses. 那些货车是马拉的。
• They drew their wagons into a laager and set up camp. 他们把马车围成一圈扎起营地。

22 wagon   

n.四轮马车，手推车，面包车；无盖运货列车

参考例句：

• We have to fork the hay into the wagon.我们得把干草用叉子挑进马车里去。
• The muddy road bemired the wagon.马车陷入了泥泞的道路。

23 avenge   

v.为...复仇，为...报仇

参考例句：

• He swore to avenge himself on the mafia.他发誓说要向黑手党报仇。
• He will avenge the people on their oppressor.他将为人民向压迫者报仇。

24 obstinate   

adj.顽固的，倔强的，不易屈服的，较难治愈的

参考例句：

• She's too obstinate to let anyone help her.她太倔强了，不会让任何人帮她的。
• The trader was obstinate in the negotiation.这个商人在谈判中拗强固执。

25 outlaws   

歹徒，亡命之徒( outlaw的名词复数 )； 逃犯

参考例句：

• During his year in the forest, Robin met many other outlaws. 在森林里的一年，罗宾遇见其他许多绿林大盗。
• I didn't have to leave the country or fight outlaws. 我不必离开自己的国家，也不必与不法分子斗争。

26 ominous   

adj.不祥的，不吉的，预兆的，预示的

参考例句：

• Those black clouds look ominous for our picnic.那些乌云对我们的野餐来说是个不祥之兆。
• There was an ominous silence at the other end of the phone.电话那头出现了不祥的沉默。