As the tiny flame burned more brightly, he shaded it with his hands and puffed3 the twisted roll of tobacco, like one who knew how liable the blaze was to be blown out by the wind that rustled4 among the mesquite bushes. He was such an expert at the business, however, that he met with no difficulty.
The glow of the flame shone between the fingers, where they slightly touched each other, giving them a crimson5 hue6, while the point of the nose, the eyes, and the 70front of the face were revealed almost as distinctly as was the countenance7 of the warrior8 whom Dinah discovered in the act of firing the roof of the cabin.
This Comanche was more ill-favored than the other and was in middle life. There was something in his appearance which gave the youth the suspicion that he was the chief or leader of the band of raiders, though there could be no certainty on that point.
Nothing would have been easier than for Avon, from where he stood, to shoot down the savage9 and appropriate his horse for himself. There was an instant when he meditated10 such a step, but though many a veteran of the frontier would have seized the chance with eagerness, he shrank from such a deliberate taking of human life.
The youth had already shown his pluck and readiness to use his weapon when necessary, but he could not justify11 himself in an act like the one named.
But he did not mean to stand idle when there was a call for instant and decisive action.
71
While the Comanche used his two hands in manipulating his match and cigarette, his rifle leaned against the limbs of one of the largest mesquite bushes, where he could snatch it up without stirring a foot.
It was not to be supposed that he had dismounted for the purpose of kindling12 his cigarette, for he could have done that on the back of his mustang, as well as when on the ground. He must have decided13 that he was nigh enough to the other warriors14 to light his tobacco before joining them on foot.
The youth was sure the steed before him was a fine one, for it is rare to see one of those people without an excellent horse, and he resolved to capture it.
At the instant the match was at its best, and the point of the cigarette was glowing red, Avon stepped toward the motionless steed, passing along the side which was furthest from his master. The beast saw him on the instant, and gave a slight whinny and recoiled15.
His master spoke16 sharply, while the cigarette was between his teeth. Not suspecting 72the cause of his alarm, he supposed it was trifling17 and gave it no attention. But when his animal, with a loud snort, wheeled and started off on a gallop18, the Indian threw down his match, called out angrily, and, grasping his gun, sprang forward to intercept19 him.
It will be remembered that the darkness was more dense20 in the mesquite bush than on the open prairie, and, although he caught a glimpse of the vanishing mustang, he saw nothing of the figure on his back, for the reason that, when the nimble youth vaulted21 thither22, he threw himself forward on his neck.
The Indian must have been astonished by the action of his animal, but he probably concluded he would not wander far, and would be within reach in the morning when needed. So he refrained from attempting anything like pursuit, which would have been foolish under the circumstances.
It was a clever exploit on the part of Avon Burnet, and he could not repress a feeling of exultation23 over the success. Boldness, dash, and peculiarly favoring circumstances had taken him through the Comanche lines, 73when a repetition of the attempt would fail ninety-nine times out of a hundred.
But while he was justified24 in being grateful, there was enough serious business still before him. He could not forget that the friends in the cabin were in dire25 peril26 and no time ought to be wasted in bringing them relief.
The first indispensable act was to locate himself, so as to gain an idea of the points of the compass, without which it was beyond his power to reach the camp of his friends.
A brief walk brought the horse out of the bush and he stood on the open prairie. The mustang was without saddle or bridle27, except a single buffalo28 thong29, that was twisted over his nose and by which his master guided him. Avon had ridden the animals in the same way, and since this mustang became tractable30 the instant he felt anyone on his back, such an equestrian31 as the young Texan met with no difficulty whatever.
But he realized that a serious difficulty confronted him when he attempted to locate himself. The flurry in the bush had so mixed 74up his ideas of direction, that he was all at sea.
Not a star twinkled in the cloudy sky, nor could he tell in what quarter of the heavens the moon was hidden. Looking in the supposed direction of the cabin, he saw only gloom, while it was equally dark when he gazed toward the spot where he believed the camp of the cowboys lay.
Between the home of Captain Shirril and the spot where his men awaited his coming were several elevations32 and depressions of land, so that had the Texans been burning a fire, as was likely, it would not show until more than half the intervening distance was passed. The cattle were herded33 to the northward34, so that in the event of a stampede it was easier to head them on the right course over the Great Cattle Trail.
A person placed in the situation of young Burnet is apt to go astray, no matter how extended his experience in wandering abroad at night, unless he is able to start right. This was the difficulty with Avon, who was too wise to depend upon what 75impressions took possession of him, since it is almost the invariable rule that such impressions are wrong.
There was one faint hope: the Comanches in the vicinity of the cabin had been indulging in shouting and firing their guns. These sounds would prove of great help, but to his dismay, though he sat for several minutes motionless on his mustang and listening, he heard nothing of the kind.
He knew the wind was unfavorable, but he was compelled to believe that he had ridden much further than he first supposed, in order to be beyond reach of the reports. After mounting his mustang, he had sent him scurrying35 on a dead run through the bush, and kept it up for several minutes, before emerging into the open country: that was sufficient to take him a long way and, as he believed, excluded the one means of guidance which otherwise would have been his.
“Helloa! what does that mean?”
In peering around in the gloom, he saw, apparently36 a long way off to the left, a star-like point on the prairie, which shone out 76with an increasing gleam. Wondering what it could signify, he sat for a minute or two, attentively37 watching it, but unable to solve the interesting question.
“These Comanches are as fond of smoking as are our men, and I suppose one of them has some trouble in lighting38 his pipe or cigarette––helloa! there it goes!”
The light which was so interesting to him suddenly went out, and all was blank darkness again.
He waited and looked for several minutes, but it did not reappear. At the moment it vanished, he fancied he heard a slight sound, but it was too indefinite to identify.
Had the young man but known that the light which he had seen was burning on the roof of his own home, and that it was Dinah who extinguished it so abruptly39, he would have shaped his course far differently.
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1
vice
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| n.坏事；恶习；[pl.]台钳，老虎钳；adj.副的 | |
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2
civilized
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| a.有教养的，文雅的 | |
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3
puffed
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| adj.疏松的v.使喷出( puff的过去式和过去分词 )；喷着汽（或烟）移动；吹嘘；吹捧 | |
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4
rustled
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| v.发出沙沙的声音( rustle的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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5
crimson
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| n./adj.深(绯)红色(的)；vi.脸变绯红色 | |
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6
hue
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| n.色度；色调；样子 | |
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7
countenance
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| n.脸色，面容；面部表情；vt.支持，赞同 | |
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8
warrior
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| n.勇士，武士，斗士 | |
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9
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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10
meditated
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| 深思，沉思，冥想( meditate的过去式和过去分词 )； 内心策划，考虑 | |
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11
justify
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| vt.证明…正当(或有理)，为…辩护 | |
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12
kindling
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| n. 点火, 可燃物 动词kindle的现在分词形式 | |
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13
decided
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| adj.决定了的，坚决的；明显的，明确的 | |
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14
warriors
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| 武士，勇士，战士( warrior的名词复数 ) | |
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15
recoiled
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| v.畏缩( recoil的过去式和过去分词 )；退缩；报应；返回 | |
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16
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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17
trifling
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| adj.微不足道的；没什么价值的 | |
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18
gallop
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| v./n.(马或骑马等)飞奔；飞速发展 | |
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19
intercept
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| vt.拦截，截住，截击 | |
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20
dense
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| a.密集的，稠密的，浓密的；密度大的 | |
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21
vaulted
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| adj.拱状的 | |
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22
thither
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| adv.向那里；adj.在那边的，对岸的 | |
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23
exultation
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| n.狂喜，得意 | |
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24
justified
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| a.正当的，有理的 | |
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25
dire
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| adj.可怕的，悲惨的，阴惨的，极端的 | |
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26
peril
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| n.(严重的)危险；危险的事物 | |
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27
bridle
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| n.笼头，束缚；vt.抑制，约束；动怒 | |
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28
buffalo
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| n.(北美)野牛；(亚洲)水牛 | |
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29
thong
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| n.皮带；皮鞭；v.装皮带 | |
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30
tractable
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| adj.易驾驭的；温顺的 | |
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31
equestrian
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| adj.骑马的；n.马术 | |
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32
elevations
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| （水平或数量）提高( elevation的名词复数 )； 高地； 海拔； 提升 | |
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33
herded
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| 群集，纠结( herd的过去式和过去分词 )； 放牧； （使）向…移动 | |
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34
northward
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| adv.向北；n.北方的地区 | |
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35
scurrying
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| v.急匆匆地走( scurry的现在分词 ) | |
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36
apparently
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| adv.显然地；表面上，似乎 | |
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37
attentively
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| adv.聚精会神地；周到地；谛；凝神 | |
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38
lighting
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| n.照明，光线的明暗，舞台灯光 | |
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39
abruptly
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| adv.突然地，出其不意地 | |
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