Marne consented to break into a neat-footed jog-trot going down the last slope, and so she went up the single winding10 street of Alder, grunting11 at every step, with Gregg's whistle behind her. In town, he lived with his friend, Dug Pym, who kept their attic13 room reserved for his occupancy, so he headed straight for that place. What human face would he see first?
It was Mrs. Sweeney's little boy, Jack14, who raced into the street whooping15, and Vic caught him under the armpits and swung him dizzily into the air.
“By God,” muttered Vic, as he strode on, “that's a good kid, that Jack.” And he straightway forgot all about that knife which Jackie had purloined16 from him the summer before. “Me and Betty,” he thought, “we'll have kids, like Jack; tougher'n leather.”
Old Garrigan saw him next and cackled from his truck garden in the backyard, but Vic went on with a wave of his arm, and on past Gertie Vincent's inviting17 shout (Gertie had been his particular girl before Betty Neal came to town), and on with the determination of a soldier even past the veranda18 of Captain Lorrimier's saloon, though Lorrimer himself bellowed19 a greeting and “Chick” Stewart crooked20 a significant thumb over his shoulder towards the open door. He only paused at the blacksmith shop and looked in at Dug, who was struggling to make the print of a hot shoe on a hind12 foot of Simpson's sorrel Glencoe.
“Hey, Dug!”
Pym raised a grimy, sweating forehead.
“You, boy; easy, damn you! Hello, Vic!” and he propped21 that restless hind foot on his inner thigh22 and extended a hand.
“Go an workin', Dug, because I can't stop; I just want a rope to catch Grey Molly.”
“You red devil—take that rope over there, Vic. You won't have no work catchin' Molly. Which she's plumb23 tame. Stand still, damn you. I never seen a Glencoe with any sense!—Where you goin', Vic? Up to the school?”
And his sweaty grin followed Vic as the latter went out with the coil of rope over his shoulder. When Gregg reached the house, Nelly Pym hugged him, which is the privilege of fat and forty, and then she sat at the foot of the stairs and shouted up gossip while he shaved with frantic24 haste and jumped into his best clothes. He answered her with monosyllables and only half his mind.
“Finish up your work, Vic?”
“Nope.”
“You sure worked yourself all thin. I hope somebody appreciates it.” She chuckled25. “Ain't been sick, have you?”
“Say, who d'you think's in town? Sheriff Glass!”
“Pete Glass!” he echoed. Then: “Who's he after?”
“I dunno. Vic, he don't look like such a bad one.”
“He's plenty bad enough,” Gregg assured her. “Ah-h-h!”
His foot ground into place, torturing his toes.
'“Well,” considered Mrs. Pym, in a philosophic27 rumble28, “I s'pose them quiet gents is the dangerous ones, mostly; but looking at Glass you wouldn't think he'd ever killed all those men. Know about the dance?”
“Nope.”
“Down to Singer's place. Betty goin' with you?”
He jerked open the door and barked down at her: “Who else would she be goin' with?”
“Don't start pullin' leather before the horse bucks,” said Mrs. Pym. “I don't know who else she'd be goin' with. You sure look fine in that red shirt, Vic!”
He grinned, half mollified, half shame-faced, and ducked back into the room, but a moment later he clumped29 stiffly down the stairs, frowning. He wondered if he could dance in those boots.
“Feel kind of strange in these clothes. How do I look, Nelly?” And he turned in review at the foot of the stairs.
“Slick as a whistle, I'll tell a man.” She raised her voice to a shout as he disappeared through the outer door. “Kiss her once for me, Vic.”
In the center of the little pasture he stood shaking out the noose30, and the three horses raced in a sweeping31 gallop32 around the fence, looking for a place of escape, with Grey Molly in the lead. Nothing up the Doane River, or even down the Asper, for that matter, could head Molly when she was full of running, and the eyes of Gregg gleamed as he watched her. She was not a picture horse, for her color was rather a dirty white than a dapple, and besides, there were some who accused her of “tucked up belly33.” But she had the legs for speed in spite of the sloping croup, and plenty of chest at the girth, and a small, bony head that rejoiced the heart of a horseman. He swung the noose, and while the others darted34 ahead, stupidly straight into the range of danger, Grey Molly whirled like a doubling coyote and leaped away.
“Good girl!” cried Vic, in involuntary approbation35. He ran a few steps. The noose slid up and out, opened in a shaky loop, and swooped36 down. Too late the gray saw the flying danger, for even as she swerved37 the riata fell over her head, and she came to a snorting halt with all fours planted, skidding38 through the grass. The first thing a range horse learns is never to pull against a rope.
A few minutes later she was getting the “pitch” out of her system, as any self-respecting cattle horse must do after a session of pasture and no work. She bucked39 with enthusiasm and intelligence, as she did all things. Sun-fishing, sun-fishing is the most deadly form of bucking40, for it consists of a series of leaps apparently41 aimed at the sun, and the horse comes down with a sickening jar on stiff front legs. Educated “pitchers” land on only one foot, so that the shock is accompanied by a terrible sidewise, downward wrench42 that breaks the hearts of the best riders in the world. Grey Molly was educated, and Mrs. Pym stood in the doorway43 with a broad grin of appreciation44 on her red face, she knew riding when she saw it. Then, out of the full frenzy45, the mare46 lapsed47 into high-headed, quivering attention, and Gregg cursed her softly, with deep affection. He understood her from her fetlocks to her teeth. She bucked like a fiend of revolt one instant and cantered like an angel of grace the next; in fact she was more or less of an equine counterpart of her rider.
But now he heard shrill48 voices passing down the street and he knew that school was out and that he must hurry if he wanted to ride home with Betty, so he waved to Mrs. Pym and cantered away. For over two days he had been rushing towards this meeting; all winter he had hungered for it, but now that the moment loomed49 before him he weakened; he usually did when he came close to the girl. Not that her beauty overwhelmed him, for though she had a portion of energetic good-health and freckled50 prettiness, he had chosen her as an Indian chooses flint for his steel; one could strike fire from Betty Neal. When he was far away he loved her without doubt or question and his trust ran towards her like a river setting towards the ocean because he knew that her heart was as big and as true as the heart of Grey Molly herself. Only her ways were fickle51, and when she came near, she filled him with uneasiness, suspicion.
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1
forage
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| n.(牛马的)饲料，粮草；v.搜寻，翻寻 | |
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steered
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| v.驾驶( steer的过去式和过去分词 )；操纵；控制；引导 | |
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alder
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| n.赤杨树 | |
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mutual
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| adj.相互的，彼此的；共同的，共有的 | |
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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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murmur
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| n.低语，低声的怨言；v.低语，低声而言 | |
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boulder
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| n.巨砾；卵石，圆石 | |
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shack
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| adj.简陋的小屋，窝棚 | |
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sitting-room
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| n.（BrE）客厅，起居室 | |
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winding
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| n.绕，缠，绕组，线圈 | |
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grunting
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| 咕哝的，呼噜的 | |
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hind
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| adj.后面的，后部的 | |
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attic
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| n.顶楼，屋顶室 | |
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jack
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| n.插座，千斤顶，男人；v.抬起，提醒，扛举；n.（Jake）杰克 | |
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15
whooping
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| 发嗬嗬声的，发咳声的 | |
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purloined
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| v.偷窃( purloin的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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inviting
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| adj.诱人的，引人注目的 | |
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veranda
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| n.走廊；阳台 | |
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bellowed
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| v.发出吼叫声，咆哮（尤指因痛苦）( bellow的过去式和过去分词 )；（愤怒地）说出（某事），大叫 | |
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crooked
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| adj.弯曲的；不诚实的，狡猾的，不正当的 | |
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propped
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| 支撑，支持，维持( prop的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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thigh
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| n.大腿；股骨 | |
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plumb
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| adv.精确地，完全地；v.了解意义，测水深 | |
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frantic
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| adj.狂乱的，错乱的，激昂的 | |
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chuckled
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| 轻声地笑( chuckle的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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26
tugged
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| v.用力拉，使劲拉，猛扯( tug的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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philosophic
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| adj.哲学的，贤明的 | |
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rumble
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| n.隆隆声；吵嚷；v.隆隆响；低沉地说 | |
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29
clumped
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| adj.[医]成群的v.（树、灌木、植物等的）丛、簇( clump的过去式和过去分词 )；（土、泥等）团；块；笨重的脚步声 | |
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30
noose
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| n.绳套，绞索（刑）；v.用套索捉；使落入圈套；处以绞刑 | |
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sweeping
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| adj.范围广大的，一扫无遗的 | |
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32
gallop
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| v./n.(马或骑马等)飞奔；飞速发展 | |
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belly
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| n.肚子，腹部；(像肚子一样)鼓起的部分，膛 | |
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34
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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approbation
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| n.称赞；认可 | |
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swooped
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| 俯冲，猛冲( swoop的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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swerved
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| v.（使）改变方向，改变目的( swerve的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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38
skidding
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| n.曳出，集材v.（通常指车辆） 侧滑( skid的现在分词 )；打滑；滑行；（住在）贫民区 | |
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39
bucked
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| adj.快v.（马等）猛然弓背跃起( buck的过去式和过去分词 )；抵制；猛然震荡；马等尥起后蹄跳跃 | |
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40
bucking
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| v.（马等）猛然弓背跃起( buck的现在分词 )；抵制；猛然震荡；马等尥起后蹄跳跃 | |
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41
apparently
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| adv.显然地；表面上，似乎 | |
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42
wrench
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| v.猛拧；挣脱；使扭伤；n.扳手；痛苦，难受 | |
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43
doorway
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| n.门口，(喻)入门；门路，途径 | |
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44
appreciation
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| n.评价；欣赏；感谢；领会，理解；价格上涨 | |
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45
frenzy
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| n.疯狂，狂热，极度的激动 | |
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46
mare
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| n.母马，母驴 | |
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47
lapsed
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| adj.流失的，堕落的v.退步( lapse的过去式和过去分词 )；陷入；倒退；丧失 | |
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48
shrill
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| adj.尖声的；刺耳的；v尖叫 | |
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49
loomed
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| v.隐约出现，阴森地逼近( loom的过去式和过去分词 )；隐约出现，阴森地逼近 | |
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50
freckled
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| adj.雀斑；斑点；晒斑；（使）生雀斑v.雀斑，斑点( freckle的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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51
fickle
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| adj.(爱情或友谊上)易变的，不坚定的 | |
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