It was not yet midnight when the figure of a crouching15 Indian emerged like a shadow from the little gully which marked the course of the tiny stream in front of the camp. Just at the point where he appeared, a few rays of the moonlight found their way among the limbs, and added impressiveness to his appearance. A glance would have told that he had approached at the most stealthy gait of which he was capable, and was still using all the skill at his command.
Finding himself within the faint light of the moon, he straightened up, like one who is not certain of his surroundings and is using his eyes and ears to their utmost. Standing16 erect17 in this manner he showed himself to be a full-grown warrior18 in middle life, of strong limbs176 and frame, and attired19 in the usual dress of his people.
The long, coarse hair dangled20 about the shoulders, some of the strands21 having fallen forward in front of the chest, at the time his head drew it over while in a crouching posture22. It grew so low on his forehead that no more than an inch was between the roots and shaggy eyebrows23. Beneath these the eyes glittered like those of a snake. The ugly features were made more ugly by the different colored paints—most of it black—that was daubed over them, and the countenance24 was distorted by a swelling25 recently produced.
The breast and arms were covered by deerskin, a fringe running down in front to the belt, which held his tomahawk. The frightful26 horn-handled knife was tightly grasped in his right hand. Below the belt was breechcloth, followed by leggins and moccasins, but it was noticeable that he carried no rifle with him.
Perhaps you have guessed the reason; he had none to carry, for he was the Wolf who had been deprived of his valuable weapon on the day before by Deerfoot the Shawanoe.177
As was learned in due time, the Winnebago, after being despoiled27 by Deerfoot, had made all haste to rejoin his band, that were encamped at no great distance from Greville. When he told his brother warriors28 of the indignity29 to which he had been subjected, they were as rampart as he for revenge. They were on the point of starting for a settlement, intending to await the chance to shoot down some of the unsuspecting people, when the leader, a man of iron will, interposed.
He said that according to the story of the Wolf himself, his gun had been taken from him by a single warrior. A Winnebago ought to be ashamed to confess such a thing, and the only way by which the Wolf could redeem30 himself was to recover his gun unaided by any of his people. Let him come back to the party with his rifle and then they would risk their lives a dozen times over to repay the young Shawanoe and his youthful friend (they knew nothing about Fred Linden) for the insult they had put upon one of the leading warriors of the Winnebago tribe.
You can well understand how displeasing31 this decision was to the Wolf, but there was no help for it. The warrior who gave the order was not only the leader of the company, but the principal chief of the tribe. No one dared to dispute his command, and he intimated that it was not only necessary for the Wolf to recover his gun in order to enlist32 the services of the rest, but his standing at home would be compromised if he went back without his rifle and the story that it had been taken from him by a single warrior of another tribe.
The fact that Fred Linden and Terry Clark left Greville the next morning after the affair, mixed matters to that extent that, for a time, the Winnebago was at fault. It was his intention to prowl around the settlement, awaiting his chance, for he suspected that Deerfoot had gone thither34 with the lad who had given the Wolf such a blow in the face; but the discovery of the footprints of the two boys leading to the southward mystified the Indian. He was quite close to the creek, and the sun had crossed the meridian35 at the time this discovery was made. It was natural that he should look for the trail of the Shawanoe, but he could not find it.
Finally, with a half-suspicion of the truth, the Wolf went into the settlement to make inquiries36. He could speak enough broken English to make himself understood, and, as it so happened, it was Mr. MacClaskey himself whom he accosted37. He told the inquirer the truth, adding that Terry took with him a gun that was captured from a vagabond Indian. But for that he would not have been allowed to go, for there was but one rifle in the family, which the settler would trust in no hands but his own for any length of time.
The Winnebago was shrewd enough to disarm38 any doubt that might have been felt about himself. It was the rule in the settlement to show kindness to every wandering Indian that visited them, and no one dreamed that any thing was to be feared from the Wolf. But his heart was full of exulting39 malignancy. He knew who had the gun, and aware that the two boys had started for the camp of the Ozarks, he understood where to look for it. The fact that the Winnebago had no gun with him would have caused the belief that he was the vagabond Indian, had he not explained that he left it in the woods as a token of comity40.
The Wolf sauntered back until he was across the stream and out of sight. Then he sped along the trail, with a long, loping trot41, which his race can maintain for hours without fatigue42. He had a long distance to travel, but he reached the scene of the encounter with the strange animal, just as it was growing dark.
At this point, he showed admirable woodcraft. The signs on the ground puzzled him for a time, but there was the carcass of the animal, and by and by he found the imprints43 of the small moccasins, which told him that the young Shawanoe had rejoined the others at this point.
As you can well believe, this was any thing but a pleasant discovery, for, superior as was the strength of the Winnebago, he would have preferred to meet the two boys, even though both were armed, than to find himself face181 to face again with the remarkable44 Indian youth.
But there was no help for it, and the dusky Winnebago compressed his coppery lips with the resolve that the gun should be in his hands before the rising of the morrow's sun.
The light was rapidly fading among the trees and he improved what was left of it. Prowling around the spot in a circle, with his nose close to the ground, he discovered that the three youths had started along the bank of the brook45 toward its head.
Thereupon the Winnebago formed the correct conclusion; they had moved from the main trail (doubtless on the suggestion of the young Shawanoe), in search of some place to encamp where there would be less danger of detection.
By the time the Wolf had satisfied himself on this point, it had become too dark among the trees for his eyes to detect the trail, which at mid-day would have been as distinct as a beaten path. He therefore adopted the plan of which I have made mention elsewhere: he followed a general rule.182
The conclusion being that the parties for whom he was searching had located themselves somewhere along the creek, it was useless to try and follow the footprints, though there were points here and there where the sense of touch might have helped him. He decided46 to creep stealthily up stream until he found the camp, and then bide47 his time.
It is hard to form an idea of the extreme care with which this was done. Had the Winnebago not known of the presence of Deerfoot, he would not have taken half the time consumed, but he had seen enough of that wonderful youth to know that it would require more than a child to outwit him.
At a point about half way between the trail and the camp among the rocks, the Wolf thought his hands touched some imprints in the earth which showed that the three had turned to the right and gone deeper into the woods. It required reconnoitering before he discovered his mistake.
With the same amazing patience he renewed his stealthy progress up the stream, until at last he emerged into the moonlight and found183 that at last he had reached the spot for which he had hunted so long.
It so happened that as he straightened up, he looked directly into the mouth of the cave and saw the dull glow of the camp-fire, like the open eye of some monster. Not only that, but he observed the three forms stretched out by it. The heart of the savage48 throbbed49 with pleasure, for he felt that success had come at last.
With the same absolute noiselessness he began creeping into the mouth of the cavern. One of the embers fell apart with a soft rustle50, which caused him to stop and hold his breath lest the sleepers51 should awake. But they did not stir, and in a minute he resumed his advance.
The two white lads had flung the blankets from their faces, so that he saw Fred Linden plainly, and enough of the other to identify him as the one who had smitten52 him. Nearer to the Winnebago than they was the third form, which he knew equally well.
"It is the Shawanoe," was his thought; "I will bury my knife in his heart and then slay53 the others."
A minute later he reached forward his upraised right hand and suddenly brought it down with a force that pinned the blanket to the earth. But to his unspeakable disgust Deerfoot was not within it.
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1
wilderness
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| n.杳无人烟的一片陆地、水等，荒漠 | |
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splendor
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| n.光彩；壮丽，华丽；显赫，辉煌 | |
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orb
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| n.太阳；星球；v.弄圆；成球形 | |
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4
sparse
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| adj.稀疏的，稀稀落落的，薄的 | |
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5
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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6
distinguished
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| adj.卓越的，杰出的，著名的 | |
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glimmer
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| v.发出闪烁的微光；n.微光，微弱的闪光 | |
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8
hardy
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| adj.勇敢的，果断的，吃苦的；耐寒的 | |
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9
creek
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| n.小溪，小河，小湾 | |
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10
ragged
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| adj.衣衫褴褛的，粗糙的，刺耳的 | |
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11
illuminated
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| adj.被照明的；受启迪的 | |
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12
slumber
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| n.睡眠，沉睡状态 | |
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13
cavern
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| n.洞穴，大山洞 | |
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14
acting
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| n.演戏，行为，假装；adj.代理的，临时的，演出用的 | |
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15
crouching
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| v.屈膝，蹲伏( crouch的现在分词 ) | |
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16
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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17
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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18
warrior
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| n.勇士，武士，斗士 | |
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19
attired
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| adj.穿着整齐的v.使穿上衣服，使穿上盛装( attire的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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20
dangled
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| 悬吊着( dangle的过去式和过去分词 )； 摆动不定； 用某事物诱惑…； 吊胃口 | |
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21
strands
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| n.（线、绳、金属线、毛发等的）股( strand的名词复数 )；缕；海洋、湖或河的)岸；（观点、计划、故事等的）部份v.使滞留，使搁浅( strand的第三人称单数 ) | |
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22
posture
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| n.姿势，姿态，心态，态度；v.作出某种姿势 | |
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23
eyebrows
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| 眉毛( eyebrow的名词复数 ) | |
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24
countenance
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| n.脸色，面容；面部表情；vt.支持，赞同 | |
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25
swelling
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| n.肿胀 | |
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26
frightful
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| adj.可怕的；讨厌的 | |
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27
despoiled
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| v.掠夺，抢劫( despoil的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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28
warriors
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| 武士，勇士，战士( warrior的名词复数 ) | |
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29
indignity
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| n.侮辱，伤害尊严，轻蔑 | |
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30
redeem
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| v.买回，赎回，挽回，恢复，履行（诺言等） | |
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31
displeasing
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| 不愉快的，令人发火的 | |
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32
enlist
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| vt.谋取(支持等)，赢得；征募；vi.入伍 | |
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regain
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| vt.重新获得，收复，恢复 | |
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34
thither
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| adv.向那里；adj.在那边的，对岸的 | |
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35
meridian
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| adj.子午线的；全盛期的 | |
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36
inquiries
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| n.调查( inquiry的名词复数 )；疑问；探究；打听 | |
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37
accosted
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| v.走过去跟…讲话( accost的过去式和过去分词 )；跟…搭讪；（乞丐等）上前向…乞讨；（妓女等）勾搭 | |
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38
disarm
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| v.解除武装，回复平常的编制，缓和 | |
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39
exulting
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| vi. 欢欣鼓舞，狂喜 | |
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40
comity
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| n.礼让，礼仪；团结，联合 | |
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41
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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42
fatigue
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| n.疲劳，劳累 | |
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43
imprints
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| n.压印( imprint的名词复数 )；痕迹；持久影响 | |
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44
remarkable
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| adj.显著的，异常的，非凡的，值得注意的 | |
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45
brook
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| n.小河，溪；v.忍受，容让 | |
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46
decided
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| adj.决定了的，坚决的；明显的，明确的 | |
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47
bide
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| v.忍耐；等候；住 | |
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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
throbbed
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| 抽痛( throb的过去式和过去分词 )； （心脏、脉搏等）跳动 | |
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50
rustle
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| v.沙沙作响；偷盗(牛、马等)；n.沙沙声声 | |
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51
sleepers
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| n.卧铺（通常以复数形式出现）；卧车( sleeper的名词复数 )；轨枕；睡觉（呈某种状态）的人；小耳环 | |
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52
smitten
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| 猛打，重击，打击( smite的过去分词 ) | |
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53
slay
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| v.杀死，宰杀，杀戮 | |
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