Where they rounded the shoulder, the men reined6 the horses with which Kate had provided them and sat looking solemnly at each other.
“Maybe we'll have no chance to talk alone again,” said Lee Haines. “This is the last trail either for Barry or for us. And I don't think that Barry is that close to the end of his rope. Buck, give me your hand and say good-bye. All that a man can do against Whistling Dan, and that isn't much, I'll do. Having you along won't make us a whit8 stronger.”
“Thanks,” growled9 Buck Daniels. “Jes save that kind farewell till I show yaller. Hurry up, she's gettin' too far ahead.”
At the bottom of the ravine, where they dismounted for the precipitous slope above, Kate showed her first hesitation10.
“You both know what it means?” she asked them.
“We sure do,” replied Buck.
“Dan will find out that you've helped me, and then he'll never forgive you. Will you risk even that?”
“Kate,” broke in Lee Haines, “don't stop for questions. Keep on and we'll follow. I don't want to think of what may happen.”
She turned without a word and went up the steep incline.
“What d'you think of your soft girl now?” panted Buck at the ear of Haines. The latter flashed a significant look at him but said nothing. They reached the top of the canyon11 wall and passed on among the boulders13.
Kate had drawn14 back to them now, and they walked as cautiously as if there were dried leaves under foot.
She had only lifted a finger of warning, and they knew that they were near to the crisis. She came to the great rock around which she had first seen the entrance to the cave on the day before. Inch by inch, with Buck and Lee following her example, they worked toward the edge of the boulder12 and peered carefully around it.
There opened the cave, and in front of it was Joan playing with what seemed to be a ball of gray fur. Her hair tumbled loose and bright about her shoulders; she wore the tawny15 hide which Kate had seen before, and on her feet, since the sharp rocks had long before worn out her boots, she had daintily fashioned moccasins. Bare knees, profusely16 scratched, bare arms rapidly browning to the color of the fur she wore, Haines and Buck had to rub their eyes and look again before they could recognize her.
They must have made a noise—perhaps merely an intaking of breath inaudible even to themselves but clear to the ears of Joan. She was on her feet, with bright, wild eyes glancing here and there. There was no suggestion of childishness in her, but a certain willingness to flee from a great danger or attack a weaker force. She stood alert, rather than frightened, with her head back as if she scented17 the wind to learn what approached. The ball of gray fur straightened into the sharp ears and the flashing teeth of a coyote puppy. Buck Daniels' foot slipped on a pebble19 and at the sound the coyote darted20 to the shadow of a little shrub21 and crouched22 there, hardly distinguishable from the shade which covered it, and the child, with infinitely23 cunning instinct, raced to a patch of yellow sand and tawny rocks among which she cowered24 and remained there moveless.
One thing at least was certain. Whistling Dan was not in the cave, for if he had been the child would have run to him for protection, or at least cried out in her alarm. This information Haines whispered to Kate and she nodded, turning a white face toward him. Then she stepped out from the rock and went straight toward Joan.
There was no stir in the little figure. Even the wind seemed to take part in the secret and did not lift the golden hair. Once the eyes of the child glittered as they turned toward Kate, but otherwise she made no motion, like a rabbit which will not budge25 until the very shadow of the reaching hand falls over it.
So it was with Joan, and as Kate leaned silently over her she sprang to her feet and darted between the hands of her mother and away among the rocks. Past the reaching hands of Lee Haines she swerved26, but it was only to run straight into the grip of Buck Daniels. Up to that moment she had not uttered a sound, but now she screamed out, twisted in his arms, and beat furiously against his face.
“Joan!” cried Kate. “Joan!”
She reached Buck and unwound his arms from the struggling body of the child.
“Honey, why are you afraid? Oh, my baby!”
For an instant Joan stood free, wavering, and her eyes held steadily27 upon her mother bright with nothing but fear and strangeness. Then something melted in her little round face, she sighed.
“Munner!” and stole a pace closer. A moment later Kate sat with Joan in her arms, rocking to and fro and weeping.
“Don't talk,” answered Buck, his face gray as that of Kate. “It's Dan's blood.”
He drew a great breath.
“Did you see her try to—to bite me while I was holdin' her?”
Kate had started to her feet, holding Joan in one arm and dashing away her tears with the free hand. All weakness was gone from her.
“Hurry!” she commanded. “We haven't any time to lose. Buck, come here! No, Lee, you're stronger. Honey, this is your Uncle Lee. He'll take care of you; he won't hurt you. Will you go to him?”
Joan shrank away while she examined him, but the instincts of a child move with thrice the speed of a mature person's judgment29; she read the kindly30 honesty which breathed from every line of Haines' face, and held out her arms to him.
Then they started down the slope for the horses, running wildly, for the moment they turned their backs on the cave the same thought was in the mind of each, the same haunting fear of that small, shrill31 whistle pursuing. Half running, half sliding, they went down to the bottom of the gorge32. While the pebble they started rushed after them in small avalanches33, and they even had to dodge34 rocks of considerable size which came bounding after, Joan, alert upon the shoulder of Lee Haines, enjoyed every moment of it; her hair tossed in the sun, her arms were outstretched for balance. So they reached the horses, and climbed into the saddles. Then, without a word from one to the other, but with many a backward look, they started on the flight.
By the time they reached the shoulder of the hill on the farther side, with a long stretch of down slope before, they had placed a large handicap between them and the danger of pursuit, but still they were not at ease. On their trail, sooner or later, would come three powers working towards one end, the surety of Black Bart following a scent18, the swiftness of Satan which never tired, and above all the rider who directed them both and kept them to their work. His was the arm which could strike from the distance and bring them down. They spurted35 down the hill.
No sooner were they in full motion than Joan, for the first time, seemed to realize what it was all about. She was still carried by Lee Haines, who cradled her easily in his powerful left arm, but now she began to struggle. Then she stiffened36 and screamed: “Daddy Dan! Daddy Dan!”
“He can't!” said Haines. “We're too far away even if he were at the cave now.”
“I tell you he'll hear! Don't talk to me about distance.”
Kate reined her horse beside Lee.
“Joan!” she commanded.
They were sweeping38 across the meadow now at an easy gallop39. Joan screamed again, a wild plea for help.
“Joan!” repeated Kate, and her voice was fierce. She raised her quirt and shook it. “Be quiet, Munner whip—hard!”
Another call died away on the lips of Joan. She looked at her mother with astonishment40 and then with a new respect.
“If you cry once more, munner whip!”
“Where to?” he called.
“Back to the old ranch,” she answered. “We've got to have help.”
He nodded in grim understanding, and they headed on and down the slope towards the valley.
点击
收听单词发音
收听单词发音 |
1
buck
|
|
| n.雄鹿，雄兔；v.马离地跳跃 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
2
impending
|
|
| a.imminent, about to come or happen | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
3
cartridge
|
|
| n.弹壳，弹药筒；(装磁带等的)盒子 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
4
buckled
|
|
| a. 有带扣的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
5
winding
|
|
| n.绕，缠，绕组，线圈 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
6
reined
|
|
| 勒缰绳使（马）停步( rein的过去式和过去分词 )； 驾驭； 严格控制； 加强管理 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
7
rein
|
|
| n.疆绳，统治，支配；vt.以僵绳控制，统治 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
8
whit
|
|
| n.一点，丝毫 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
9
growled
|
|
| 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 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
10
hesitation
|
|
| n.犹豫，踌躇 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
11
canyon
|
|
| n.峡谷，溪谷 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
12
boulder
|
|
| n.巨砾；卵石，圆石 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
13
boulders
|
|
| n.卵石( boulder的名词复数 )；巨砾；（受水或天气侵蚀而成的）巨石；漂砾 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
14
drawn
|
|
| v.拖，拉，拔出；adj.憔悴的，紧张的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
15
tawny
|
|
| adj.茶色的，黄褐色的；n.黄褐色 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
16
profusely
|
|
| ad.abundantly | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
17
scented
|
|
| adj.有香味的；洒香水的；有气味的v.嗅到(scent的过去分词) | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
18
scent
|
|
| n.气味，香味，香水，线索，嗅觉；v.嗅，发觉 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
19
pebble
|
|
| n.卵石，小圆石 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
20
darted
|
|
| v.投掷，投射( dart的过去式和过去分词 )；向前冲，飞奔 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
21
shrub
|
|
| n.灌木，灌木丛 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
22
crouched
|
|
| v.屈膝，蹲伏( crouch的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
23
infinitely
|
|
| adv.无限地，无穷地 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
24
cowered
|
|
| v.畏缩，抖缩( cower的过去式 ) | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
25
budge
|
|
| v.移动一点儿；改变立场 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
26
swerved
|
|
| v.（使）改变方向，改变目的( swerve的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
27
steadily
|
|
| adv.稳定地；不变地；持续地 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
28
gasped
|
|
| v.喘气( gasp的过去式和过去分词 )；喘息；倒抽气；很想要 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
29
judgment
|
|
| n.审判；判断力，识别力，看法，意见 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
30
kindly
|
|
| adj.和蔼的，温和的，爽快的；adv.温和地，亲切地 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
31
shrill
|
|
| adj.尖声的；刺耳的；v尖叫 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
32
gorge
|
|
| n.咽喉，胃，暴食，山峡；v.塞饱，狼吞虎咽地吃 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
33
avalanches
|
|
| n.雪崩( avalanche的名词复数 ) | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
34
dodge
|
|
| v.闪开，躲开，避开；n.妙计，诡计 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
35
spurted
|
|
| （液体，火焰等）喷出，（使）涌出( spurt的过去式和过去分词 )； （短暂地）加速前进，冲刺 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
36
stiffened
|
|
| 加强的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
37
groaned
|
|
| v.呻吟( groan的过去式和过去分词 )；发牢骚；抱怨；受苦 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
38
sweeping
|
|
| adj.范围广大的，一扫无遗的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
39
gallop
|
|
| v./n.(马或骑马等)飞奔；飞速发展 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
40
astonishment
|
|
| n.惊奇，惊异 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
41
defiance
|
|
| n.挑战，挑衅，蔑视，违抗 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
| 欢迎访问英文小说网 |