It was no easy part to play, for in the house they found Kate more and more silent, more and more thoughtful, never speaking of her trouble, but behind her eyes a ghost of waiting that haunted them. If the wind shrilled5 down the pass, if a horse neighed from the corral, there was always the start in her, the thrill of hope, and afterwards the pitiful deadening of her smile. She was not less beautiful they thought, as she grew paler, but the terrible silence of the place drove them away time and again. Even Joan no longer pattered about the house, and when they came down out of the mountains they never heard her shrill6 laughter. She sat cross-legged by the hearth7 in her old place during the evenings with her chin resting on one hand and her eyes fixed8 wistfully upon the fire; and sometimes they found her on the little hillock behind the house, from the top of which she could view every approach to the cabin. Of Dan and even of Black Bart, her playmate she soon learned not to speak, for the mention of them made her mother shrink and whiten. Indeed, the saddest thing in that house was the quiet in which the child waited, waited, waited, and never spoke9.
“She ain't more'n a baby,” said Buck Daniels, “and you can leave it to time to make her forget.”
“But,” growled11 Lee Haines, “Kate isn't a baby. Buck, it drives me damn near crazy to see her fade this way.”
“Now you lay to this,” answered Buck. “She'll pull through. She'll never forget, maybe, but she'll go on livin' for the sake of the kid.”
“You know a hell of a lot about women, don't you?” said Haines.
“I know enough, son,” nodded Buck.
He had, in fact, reduced women to a few distinct categories, and he only waited to place a girl in her particular class before he felt quite intimate acquaintance with her entire mind and soul.
“It'll kill her,” pronounced Lee Haines. “Why, she's like a flower, Buck, and sorrow will cut her off at the root. Think of a girl like that thrown away in these damned deserts! It makes me sick—sick! She ought to have nothing but velvet12 to touch—nothing but a millionaire for a husband, and never a worry in her life.” He grew excited. “But here's the flower thrown away and the heel crushing it without mercy.”
Buck Daniels regarded him with pity.
“I feel kind of sorry for you, Lee, when I hear you talk about girls. No wonder they make a fool of you. A flower crushed under the foot, eh? You just listen to me, my boy. You and me figure to be pretty hard, don't we? Well, soft pine stacked up agin' quartzite, is what we are compared to Kate.”
Lee Haines gaped13 at him, too astonished to be angry. He suggested softening14 of the brain to Buck, but the latter waved aside the implications.
“Now, supposin' Kate was one of these dark girls with eyes like black diamonds and a lot of snap and zip to her. If she was like that I s'pose you'd figure her to forget all about Dan inside of a month—and maybe marry you?”
“You be damned!”
“Maybe I am. Them hard, snappy lookin' girls are the ones that smash. They're brittle15, that's why; but you take a soft lookin' girl like Kate, maybe she ain't a diamond point to cut glass, but she's tempered steel that'll bend, and bend, and bend, and then when you wait for it to break it flips16 up and knocks you down. That's Kate.”
Lee Haines rolled a cigarette in silence. He was too disgusted to answer, until his first puff17 of smoke dissolved Buck in a cloud of thin blue.
“You ought to sing to a congregation instead of to cows, Buck. You have the tune18, and you might get by in a church; but cows have sense.”
“Kate will buckle19 and bend and fade for a while,” went on Buck, wholly unperturbed, “but just when you go out to pick daisies for her you'll come back and find her singing to the stove. Her strength is down deep, like some of these outlaw20 hosses that got a filmy, sleepy lookin' eye. They save their hell till you sink the spurs in 'em. You think she loves Dan, don't you?”
“You are.”
“Buck, I may have slipped a nickel into you, but you're playing the wrong tune. Knock off and talk sense, will you?”
“When you grow up, son, you'll understand some of the things I'm tryin' to explain in words of one syllable22.
“She don't love Dan. She thinks she does, but down deep they ain't a damned thing in the world she gives a rap about exceptin' Joan. Men? What are they to her? Marriage? That's simply an accident that's needed so she can have a baby. Delicate, shrinkin' flower, is she? I tell you, my boy, if it was necessary for Joan she'd tear out your heart and mine and send Dan plumb23 to hell. You fasten on to them words, because they're gospel.”
It was late afternoon while they talked, and they were swinging slowly down a gulch24 towards the home cabin. At that very time Kate, from the door of the house where she sat, saw a dark form slink from rock to rock at the rim25 of the little plateau, a motion so swift that it flicked26 through the corner of her eye, a thing to be sensed rather than seen. She set up very stiff, her lips white as chalk, but nothing more stirred. A few minutes later, when her heart was beating almost at normal she heard Joan scream from behind the house, not in terror, or pain, as her keen mother-ear knew perfectly27 well, but with a wild delight. She whipped about the corner of the house and there she saw Joan with her pudgy arms around the neck of Black Bart.
“Bart! Dear old Bart! Has he come? Has he come?”
And she strained her eyes against the familiar mountains around her as if she would force her vision through rock. There was no trace of Dan, no sign or sound when she would even have welcomed the eerie28 whistle. The wolf-dog was already at play with Joan. She was on his back and he darted29 off in an effortless gallop30, winding31 to and fro among the rocks. Most children would have toppled among the stones at the first of his swerves32, but Joan clung like a burr, both hands dug into his hair, shrieking33 with excitement. Sometimes she reeled and almost slid at one of those lightning turns, for the game was to almost unseat her, but just as she was sliding off Bart would slacken his pace and let her find a firm seat once more. They wound farther and farther away, and suddenly Kate cried, terror-stricken: “Joan! Come back!”
A tug34 at the ear of the wolf-dog swung them around; then as they approached, the fear left the mind of the mother and a new thought came in its place. She coaxed35 Joan from Bart—they could play later on, she promised, to their heart's desire—and led her into the house. Black Bart followed to the door, but not all their entreaty36 or scolding could make him cross the threshold. He merely snarled37 at Kate, and even Joan's tugging38 at his ears could not budge39 him. He stood canting his head and watching them wistfully while Kate changed Joan's clothes.
She dressed her as if for a festival, with a blue bonnet40 that let the yellow hair curl out from the edges, and a little blue cloak, and shiny boots incredibly small, and around the bonnet she laid a wreath of yellow wild flowers. Then she wrote her letter, closed it in an envelope, and fastened it securely in the pocket of the cloak.
She drew Joan in front of her and held her by both hands.
“Joan, darling,” she said, “munner wants you to go with Bart up through the mountains. Will you be afraid?”
A very decided shake of the head answered her, for Joan's eyes were already over her shoulder looking towards the big dog. And she was a little sullen41 at these unnecessary words.
“It might grow dark,” she said. “You wouldn't care?”
“Bart will keep Joan,” she said.
“He will. And he'll take you up through the rocks to Daddy Dan.”
The face of the child grew brilliant.
“Daddy Dan?” she whispered.
“And when you get to him, take this little paper out of your pocket and give it to him. You won't forget?”
“Give the paper to Daddy Dan,” repeated Joan solemnly.
Kate dropped to her knees and gathered the little close, close, until Joan cried out, but when she was eased the child reached up an astonished hand, touched the face of Kate with awe45, and then stared at her finger tips.
A moment later, Joan stood in front of Black Bart, with the head of the wolf-dog seized firmly between her hands while she frowned intently into his face.
“Take Joan to Daddy Dan,” she ordered.
“Giddap,” commanded Joan, when she was in position on the back of Bart. And she thumped47 her heels against the furry48 ribs49.
Towards Kate, who stood trembling in the door, Bart cast the departing favor of a throat-tearing growl10, and then shambled across the meadow with that smooth trot50 which wears down all other four-footed creatures. He was already on the far side of the meadow, and beginning the ascent51 of the first slope when the glint of the sun on the yellow wild flowers flashed on the eye of Kate. It had all seemed natural until that moment, the only possible thing to do, but now she felt suddenly that Joan was thrown away thought of the darkness which would soon come—remembered the yellow terror which sometimes gleamed in the eyes of Black Bart after nightfall.
She cried out, but the wolf-dog kept swiftly on his way. She began to run, still calling, but rapidly as she went, Black Bart slid steadily52 away from her, and when she reached the shoulder of the mountain, she saw the dark form of Bart with the blue patch above it drifting up the wall of the opposite ravine.
She knew where they were going now; it was the old cave upon which she and Dan had come one day in their rides, and Dan had prowled for a long time through the shadowy recesses53.
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收听单词发音
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1
buck
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| n.雄鹿，雄兔；v.马离地跳跃 | |
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dreary
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| adj.令人沮丧的，沉闷的，单调乏味的 | |
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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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pretence
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| n.假装，作假；借口，口实；虚伪；虚饰 | |
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5
shrilled
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| （声音）尖锐的，刺耳的，高频率的( shrill的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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6
shrill
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| adj.尖声的；刺耳的；v尖叫 | |
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hearth
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| n.壁炉炉床，壁炉地面 | |
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8
fixed
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| adj.固定的，不变的，准备好的；(计算机)固定的 | |
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9
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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10
growl
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| v.（狗等）嗥叫，（炮等）轰鸣；n.嗥叫，轰鸣 | |
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11
growled
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| v.（动物）发狺狺声， （雷）作隆隆声( growl的过去式和过去分词 )；低声咆哮着说 | |
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12
velvet
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| n.丝绒，天鹅绒；adj.丝绒制的，柔软的 | |
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13
gaped
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| v.目瞪口呆地凝视( gape的过去式和过去分词 )；张开，张大 | |
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14
softening
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| 变软，软化 | |
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15
brittle
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| adj.易碎的；脆弱的；冷淡的；(声音)尖利的 | |
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16
flips
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| 轻弹( flip的第三人称单数 )； 按（开关）； 快速翻转； 急挥 | |
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17
puff
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| n.一口(气)；一阵(风)；v.喷气，喘气 | |
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18
tune
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| n.调子；和谐，协调；v.调音，调节，调整 | |
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19
buckle
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| n.扣子，带扣；v.把...扣住，由于压力而弯曲 | |
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20
outlaw
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| n.歹徒，亡命之徒；vt.宣布…为不合法 | |
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21
sneered
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| 讥笑，冷笑( sneer的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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22
syllable
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| n.音节；vt.分音节 | |
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23
plumb
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| adv.精确地，完全地；v.了解意义，测水深 | |
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24
gulch
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| n.深谷，峡谷 | |
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25
rim
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| n.(圆物的)边，轮缘；边界 | |
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26
flicked
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| （尤指用手指或手快速地）轻击( flick的过去式和过去分词 )； （用…）轻挥； （快速地）按开关； 向…笑了一下（或瞥了一眼等） | |
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perfectly
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| adv.完美地，无可非议地，彻底地 | |
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28
eerie
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| adj.怪诞的；奇异的；可怕的；胆怯的 | |
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29
darted
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| v.投掷，投射( dart的过去式和过去分词 )；向前冲，飞奔 | |
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30
gallop
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| v./n.(马或骑马等)飞奔；飞速发展 | |
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31
winding
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| n.绕，缠，绕组，线圈 | |
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32
swerves
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| n.（使）改变方向，改变目的( swerve的名词复数 )v.（使）改变方向，改变目的( swerve的第三人称单数 ) | |
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33
shrieking
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| v.尖叫( shriek的现在分词 ) | |
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34
tug
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| v.用力拖(或拉)；苦干；n.拖；苦干；拖船 | |
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35
coaxed
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| v.哄，用好话劝说( coax的过去式和过去分词 )；巧言骗取；哄劝，劝诱 | |
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36
entreaty
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| n.恳求，哀求 | |
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37
snarled
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| v.（指狗）吠，嗥叫， （人）咆哮( snarl的过去式和过去分词 )；咆哮着说，厉声地说 | |
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38
tugging
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| n.牵引感v.用力拉，使劲拉，猛扯( tug的现在分词 ) | |
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39
budge
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| v.移动一点儿；改变立场 | |
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40
bonnet
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| n.无边女帽；童帽 | |
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41
sullen
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| adj.愠怒的，闷闷不乐的，(天气等)阴沉的 | |
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42
dubious
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| adj.怀疑的，无把握的；有问题的，靠不住的 | |
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43
whine
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| v.哀号，号哭；n.哀鸣 | |
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44
reassure
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| v.使放心，使消除疑虑 | |
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45
awe
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| n.敬畏，惊惧；vt.使敬畏，使惊惧 | |
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46
pricked
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| 刺，扎，戳( prick的过去式和过去分词 )； 刺伤； 刺痛； 使剧痛 | |
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47
thumped
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| v.重击， （指心脏）急速跳动( thump的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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48
furry
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| adj.毛皮的；似毛皮的；毛皮制的 | |
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49
ribs
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| n.肋骨( rib的名词复数 )；（船或屋顶等的）肋拱；肋骨状的东西；（织物的）凸条花纹 | |
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50
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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51
ascent
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| n.(声望或地位)提高；上升，升高；登高 | |
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52
steadily
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| adv.稳定地；不变地；持续地 | |
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53
recesses
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| n.壁凹( recess的名词复数 )；（工作或业务活动的）中止或暂停期间；学校的课间休息；某物内部的凹形空间v.把某物放在墙壁的凹处( recess的第三人称单数 )；将（墙）做成凹形，在（墙）上做壁龛；休息，休会，休庭 | |
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