He could not doubt its meaning: the assailants were bent1 on burning the structure, and were willing to face the danger that was sure to meet them in making the attempt.
Even in this exciting moment, the Texan could not help asking himself the question which he had asked many times before: why did not the redskins set fire to the side of the house, where they were involved in no such peril2 as now? They might have gathered several armfuls of combustibles, and, heaping them against the wooden walls, fire them at their leisure, but, for some reason, they preferred 120to climb upon the roof, and run the risk of colliding with the courageous3 Dinah or her fearless master.
In doing as they did, the Comanches were shrewder than would be supposed. It is true that the narrow windows commanded only one side of the cabin, and that the attempt spoken of brought little if any danger to themselves. In fact, as afterward4 was learned, they did their best to set fire to the rear, and at the end, but the timber was so damp that the flames failed to communicate. The long continued drought affected5 the walls to a far less degree than the roof, where the sun had free play day after day. Had there been a driving storm, the top would have been less favorable than the walls, but from the causes named it lost its moisture much more readily.
Besides, the flames on the roof could not be reached as readily nor with so much safety by the defenders6 as at the sides. They naturally believed there was plenty of water at command. The moment the fire should begin to show through the crevices7 in the 121timbers, this could be dashed against the other side and brought into play.
It was different on the roof, which could not be reached so well. There may have been other motives8 influencing the Comanches in the first instance, such as supposing that the whites, having once repulsed10 the attempt, would not look for its repetition, since the Indians must expose themselves to the greatest possible peril.
However, without speculating as to their reasons, the fact remained that a second Indian was rising like an apparition11 above the eaves, with the evident intention of trying to repair the failure of his companion a short time before.
Captain Shirril felt that it would have been better had he stayed where he was; for, with his head just above the level of the scuttle12, he could have picked off the wretch13 the very moment he became aware of his presence.
But now, while creeping so guardedly along the roof, he had held his rifle by the barrel, with most of the weapon behind him. Had it been discharged, in that position, it was he 122who would have received the bullet, instead of the Indian.
To make the gun effective, he must bring it around in front and sight it. While his own form pressed the planking so close that the savage14 apparently15 failed to identify him, though carefully scanning the surface, there was a strong probability that he would detect the meaning of the slight noise involved in the act.
The Texan dared not advance nor retreat, though he would have preferred to withdraw through the opening; but the moment he made sure of what confronted him, he began bringing his gun forward, with the resolve to fire the moment he could draw a bead16 on the miscreant17.
The weapon advanced like the minute-hand over the face of a clock. Knowing the stake for which he was working, he did not neglect any precaution that could bring success.
“He can duck his head quickly enough,” thought the captain, “but I’ll pick him off the instant there is reason to believe he scents18 mischief19.”
123
His intention, in such an event, was to bring his Winchester to the right position and discharge it with the utmost celerity. His experience in the Civil War and in Texas rendered him an adept20 at this business, but, on the other hand, it will be seen that the precautions of the Comanche himself could be executed in a twinkling.
“Confound the luck!”
Captain Shirril had almost reached the decisive point, when the head of the redskin vanished!
Whether or not he saw his danger cannot be said, but it is probable that the slight noise of the arm and gun struck his ear and decided21 him to drop out of sight until an investigation22 should be made.
The Texan was exasperated23, for he was eager to bring down this scamp, and, up to the moment of his disappearance24, was confident of doing so, but the opportunity was gone.
Instead of retreating to cover again, he decided to remain on the roof a brief while longer; but he stealthily shifted his position a little nearer the edge of the building. Now 124that he was at liberty for the moment, he laid aside his gun and drew his revolver. That was the weapon for such an emergency, and he kept it in position for instant use, without the fatal preliminaries that had just defeated his purpose.
The captain clung to the belief that, despite the second repulse9 of the Comanches, they would persist in their attempt until it should prove too costly25 to them.
But he was not shortsighted enough to believe the repetition would be in the precise fashion of the last: that is to say, he did not suspect the Indian, after ducking so promptly26 out of range, would pop up his head again to invite a shot.
“He will appear at some other corner,” was his conclusion, “which they believe is unguarded.”
His eyes had become so accustomed to the gloom that he could trace the outlines of the eaves around the cabin, and he felt little fear, therefore, of his enemies stealing upon him unawares. They might try it, but he was confident of defeating their purpose at the very onset27.
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Another fear troubled him: having learned that he was on the roof, they were likely to begin firing at it from a distance, raking the entire surface so effectively that some of the bullets were quite sure to find him. Prudence28 whispered to him to withdraw into the interior of the cabin while the chance was his, but there was a stubborn streak29 in the Texan’s composition which caused him to hold his place. He had been under fire so often that it seemed as if nothing could disturb his coolness or ruffle30 his presence of mind, and he was so inured31 to personal peril that he felt something of the old thrill of which he had spoken earlier in the evening, when recalling his experience in the war that had closed only a few years before.
But none of the expected shots came. He heard the sound of more than one mustang’s hoofs33, and several signals between the warriors35, but no one sent a bullet skimming along the slope on which he lay looking and listening, and on the alert for the first appearance of his assailants.
This led him to suspect that, after all, they 126were not certain of his presence. It was sound and not sight that had caused the sudden withdrawal36 of the warrior34.
If this were the case, there was a greater probability of his showing up again.
It is at such times that the minutes seem to have ten-fold their real length. The Texan, after glancing closely along the rim37 of the roof, not forgetting to take a peep over the peak, turned his gaze to the northward38, and listened for the sounds that were so long in coming. Not the glimmer39 of a light showed in that direction, nor could he catch the faintest sound of a galloping40 hoof32, other than such as was made by the mustangs of the Comanches near the building.
“Avon ought to have arrived before this, and the boys would not throw away a second after learning the truth from him. He may have been hindered, but–––”
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1
bent
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| n.爱好，癖好；adj.弯的；决心的，一心的 | |
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2
peril
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| n.(严重的)危险；危险的事物 | |
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courageous
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| adj.勇敢的，有胆量的 | |
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afterward
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| adv.后来；以后 | |
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affected
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| adj.不自然的，假装的 | |
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defenders
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| n.防御者( defender的名词复数 )；守卫者；保护者；辩护者 | |
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7
crevices
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| n.（尤指岩石的）裂缝，缺口( crevice的名词复数 ) | |
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8
motives
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| n.动机，目的( motive的名词复数 ) | |
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9
repulse
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| n.击退，拒绝；vt.逐退，击退，拒绝 | |
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repulsed
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| v.击退( repulse的过去式和过去分词 )；驳斥；拒绝 | |
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11
apparition
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| n.幽灵，神奇的现象 | |
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12
scuttle
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| v.急赶，疾走，逃避；n.天窗；舷窗 | |
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13
wretch
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| n.可怜的人，不幸的人；卑鄙的人 | |
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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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apparently
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| adv.显然地；表面上，似乎 | |
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bead
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| n.念珠；(pl.)珠子项链；水珠 | |
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17
miscreant
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| n.恶棍 | |
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18
scents
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| n.香水( scent的名词复数 )；气味；（动物的）臭迹；（尤指狗的）嗅觉 | |
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19
mischief
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| n.损害，伤害，危害；恶作剧，捣蛋，胡闹 | |
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adept
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| adj.老练的，精通的 | |
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decided
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| adj.决定了的，坚决的；明显的，明确的 | |
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investigation
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| n.调查，调查研究 | |
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exasperated
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| adj.恼怒的 | |
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disappearance
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| n.消失，消散，失踪 | |
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25
costly
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| adj.昂贵的，价值高的，豪华的 | |
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promptly
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| adv.及时地，敏捷地 | |
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onset
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| n.进攻，袭击，开始，突然开始 | |
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prudence
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| n.谨慎，精明，节俭 | |
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29
streak
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| n.条理，斑纹，倾向，少许，痕迹；v.加条纹，变成条纹，奔驰，快速移动 | |
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30
ruffle
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| v.弄皱，弄乱；激怒，扰乱；n.褶裥饰边 | |
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31
inured
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| adj.坚强的，习惯的 | |
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32
hoof
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| n.(马，牛等的)蹄 | |
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33
hoofs
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| n.（兽的）蹄，马蹄( hoof的名词复数 )v.（兽的）蹄，马蹄( hoof的第三人称单数 ) | |
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34
warrior
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| n.勇士，武士，斗士 | |
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35
warriors
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| 武士，勇士，战士( warrior的名词复数 ) | |
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36
withdrawal
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| n.取回，提款；撤退，撤军；收回，撤销 | |
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37
rim
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| n.(圆物的)边，轮缘；边界 | |
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38
northward
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| adv.向北；n.北方的地区 | |
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39
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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40
galloping
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| adj. 飞驰的, 急性的 动词gallop的现在分词形式 | |
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