But, though seized with despair, he did not yield. On the contrary, he was nerved to such desperation that he put forth3 a tremendous effort, which quickly increased the space between him and the pursuer.
But instead of heading away from the coming animals, he turned directly toward them, at the same astonishing velocity4. Why he did this, he himself did not fully5 understand. It may have been that, impressed with the utter uselessness of trying to escape by running, he had a blind hope of unhorsing one of his enemies and wrenching6 his steed from him.
He had taken only a few leaps, however, when he discovered that the beasts running forward, as if to meet him, were cattle.
112
Fully fifty animals, belonging to the herd7 several miles distant, had started out on a little stampede of their own, and fate brought them and him in collision.
It mattered not, for nothing could make the situation worse. The next instant Avon was among them, in imminent8 risk of being trampled9 to death. The beasts were terrified by the advent10 of the footman, and scattered11 in the wildest confusion.
While he was in such deadly peril12, the animals served as a shield against the assault of the Comanche close behind him. Anxious as he was to secure the fugitive, he was not prepared to “cut him out” from a drove of stampeded cattle.
He turned to avoid the terrific rush, and catching13 fitful glimpses of the leaping form among the beasts, raised his gun and let fly.
His shot struck, but, instead of bringing down the youth, it tumbled one of the bullocks headlong on the plain. Avon would have turned at once to give attention to his enemy, had he not been fully occupied in saving himself from the animals themselves.
113
Fortunately he had not penetrated14 far among the drove, and, by a continuance of his inimitable dexterity15, he dodged16 from among them, helped thereto by the efforts of the cattle themselves to flee from the terrifying object.
It was at this juncture17, when the youth was striving to get sight of his enemy, who, he believed, was trying equally hard to secure another shot at him, that he saw the very thing he had been dreading18 from the first.
It was a single horseman, who almost rode him down ere he could check his steed. Avon was so flurried from his fierce exertions19, that, before he could bring his rifle to his shoulder and discharge it, the other anticipated him.
But the man did not fire at him. He aimed at the Comanche, not a dozen yards distant, and hit him fairly and squarely.
“Thank Heaven, Ballyhoo, it’s you!” exclaimed the panting youth, ready to drop from exhaustion21.
“Ballyhoo,” was the nickname of Oscar Gleeson, one of the cowboys in charge of the 114two thousand cattle that were to start northward22 on the morrow over the Great Cattle Trail.
“Baby” was the name by which Avon Burnet was known among the rest, because of his youth.
Leaning over his horse, the tall Texan reached down and grasped the hand of his young friend.
“It sort of looks, Baby, as though I had arrived in time to do you a little turn.”
“There’s no doubt of that, for I couldn’t have run much further.”
“But why did you run at all? I observed but one Injin, and he’s of no further account now.”
“When I started there were four after me, but I threw all out of sight except one. I was on the point of turning to fight him, when I heard the cattle, and thought they were other Comanches coming to the help of this fellow.”
“But things seem to be in a queer shape at the house; tell me the trouble.”
“Why, how did you know anything about it at all?” asked the surprised Avon.
115
“I’ve been down there and seen things for myself.”
“Let me hear about that first, then I’ll let you know what I have to tell, and it is important indeed.”
“It’ll be a big job to round them up, but I guess we’ll have to leave ’em alone for a time. Wal, you know we went into camp a few miles to the north, to wait for you and the captain that was to jine us in the morning. We were looking after things, when I remembered that I had left my package of tobacco at the house. Things were so quiet, and I was so afeared that you and the captain would forgit to bring it with you, that I concluded to ride over after it myself. I never dreamed of any of the varmints being there, and was going along at a swinging gait, when I heard the sound of a gun and I fetched up my horse to learn what it meant. I didn’t see an Injin, but while I was looking somebody made a rush from the front of the house for the bush.”
“It was myself,” interrupted Avon excitedly, 116“and the captain fired to save me and did it.”
“I reckon that was Ballyhoo Gleeson that let loose that partic’lar shot,” said the cowboy with a chuckle24; “I didn’t know who it was running, but thought it was one of the varmints. Just afore that I was sure that I seed one of ’em and I let fly, shootin’ on gineral principles as you might say. I might have investigated things, but the Comanches were too numerous for comfort, and I wheeled about and made off.”
“So it was you who fired the shot that really cleared the way for me,” said the astonished youth; “I supposed, all the time, that it was my uncle. Where have you been since?”
“I started for camp to tell the boys, and was on my way when I met these confounded cattle. I didn’t want them to get too fur off, as none of the fellows ’peared to be after them. I was trying to round them up, when this little affair took place.”
“But, Ballyhoo, why didn’t you let the cattle go and make all haste after help.”
117
“Who wants help?”
“The folks in the house; do you suppose I would have ventured out as I did, if they were not in instant need of it?”
“There are three of ’em there and each has a gun; I don’t see why you need worry, ’cause the varmints can’t get at ’em and they’ll clear out in the morning.”
“That might be, but uncle says they will set fire to the cabin, unless they are driven off.”
“I didn’t think of that,” replied Gleeson, who still could not feel the alarm of his young friend; “the cabin has been purty well dried up by the drought of the last few months. I thought the varmints were after the cattle, and,” he added, again peering through the gloom after the herd, which had run so far that they were not only out of sight but beyond hearing, “they stand a show of making a good haul. But,” he continued more savagely26, “they will find a little trouble in 118getting off with them. There’s too many for us to lose without a big fight.”
“It doesn’t make any difference if the whole herd is stampeded, we must hurry to the aid of the folks in the cabin.”
“Being as them sentiments are the captain’s,” said Ballyhoo, “why, I’m agreeable to doing as him and you wish. So jump up here behind me, and we’ll go to camp.”
“I can walk.”
“Up with you!” commanded the Texan. “I shouldn’t wonder if some more of the varmints will be on hand afore long, to attend the obsequies of their champion runner.”
点击
收听单词发音
收听单词发音 |
1
fugitive
|
|
| adj.逃亡的，易逝的；n.逃犯，逃亡者 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
2
doomed
|
|
| 命定的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
3
forth
|
|
| adv.向前；向外，往外 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
4
velocity
|
|
| n.速度，速率 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
5
fully
|
|
| adv.完全地，全部地，彻底地；充分地 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
6
wrenching
|
|
| n.修截苗根，苗木铲根（铲根时苗木不起土或部分起土）v.（猛力地）扭( wrench的现在分词 )；扭伤；使感到痛苦；使悲痛 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
7
herd
|
|
| n.兽群，牧群；vt.使集中，把…赶在一起 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
8
imminent
|
|
| adj.即将发生的，临近的，逼近的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
9
trampled
|
|
| 踩( trample的过去式和过去分词 )； 践踏； 无视； 侵犯 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
10
advent
|
|
| n.(重要事件等的)到来，来临 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
11
scattered
|
|
| adj.分散的，稀疏的；散步的；疏疏落落的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
12
peril
|
|
| n.(严重的)危险；危险的事物 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
13
catching
|
|
| adj.易传染的，有魅力的，迷人的，接住 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
14
penetrated
|
|
| adj. 击穿的，鞭辟入里的 动词penetrate的过去式和过去分词形式 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
15
dexterity
|
|
| n.(手的)灵巧，灵活 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
16
dodged
|
|
| v.闪躲( dodge的过去式和过去分词 )；回避 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
17
juncture
|
|
| n.时刻，关键时刻，紧要关头 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
18
dreading
|
|
| v.害怕，恐惧，担心( dread的现在分词 ) | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
19
exertions
|
|
| n.努力( exertion的名词复数 )；费力；（能力、权力等的）运用；行使 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
20
mischief
|
|
| n.损害，伤害，危害；恶作剧，捣蛋，胡闹 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
21
exhaustion
|
|
| n.耗尽枯竭，疲惫，筋疲力尽，竭尽，详尽无遗的论述 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
22
northward
|
|
| adv.向北；n.北方的地区 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
23
obedience
|
|
| n.服从，顺从 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
24
chuckle
|
|
| vi.／n.轻声笑，咯咯笑 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
25
extremity
|
|
| n.末端，尽头；尽力；终极；极度 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
26
savagely
|
|
| adv. 野蛮地，残酷地 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
27
laden
|
|
| adj.装满了的；充满了的；负了重担的；苦恼的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
| 欢迎访问英文小说网 |