In the meantime Black Bart loafed behind, lingering on the crest10 of each rise to look back, and then racing11 to catch up, but halfway12 back to Rickett he came up beside the master, whining13, and leaping as high as Barry's knee.
He swayed a bit to one side and diverted Satan out of his course so as to climb one of the more commanding swells16. From this point he glanced back and saw a dust cloud, much like that which a small whirlwind picks up, rolling down the nearest slope of the Morgan Hills. At that distance the posse looked hardly larger than one unit, and certainly they could not see the single horseman they followed; however, they could follow the trail easily across this ground. Satan had turned to look back.
“Shall we go back and play around 'em, boy?” asked Barry.
Black Bart had run on ahead, and now he turned with a short howl.
“The partner says 'no,'” continued the master. “Of all the dogs I ever see, Bart plays the most careful game, but out on the trail, Satan”—here he sent the stallion into the sweeping17 lope—“Bart knows more'n you an' me put together, so we'll do what he says.”
For answer, Satan lengthened18 a little into his stride. As for the wolf-dog, he went off like a black bolt into the eye of the wind, streaking19 it west to hunt out the easiest course. A wolf—and surely there was more of wolf than of dog in Black Bart—has a finer sense for the lay of ground than anything on four feet. He knows how to come down the wind on his quarry20 keeping to the depressions and ravines so that not a taint21 of his presence is blown to the prey22; and he will skulk23 across an open plain, stealing from hollow to hollow and stalking from bush to bush, so that the wariest24 are taken by surprise. As for Black Bart, he knew the kind of going which the stallion liked as well, almost, as he knew his own preferences, and he picked out a course which a surveyor with line and spirit-level could hardly have bettered. He wove across the country in loosely thrown semicircles, and came back in view of the master at the proper point. There was hardly much point in such industry in a country as smooth as this, not much more difference, say, than the saving of distance which the horse makes who hugs the fence on the turn and on account of that sticks his head under the finish wire a nose in front; and Bart clung to his work with scrupulous25 care.
Sometimes he ran back with lolling, red tongue, when the course lay clear even to the duller sense of a human, and frisked under the nose of Satan until a word from Barry sent him scurrying26 away like a pleased child. His duties comprehended not only the selection of the course but also an eagle vigilance before and behind, so that when he came again with a peculiar27 whine28, Barry leaned a little from the saddle and spoke29 to him anxiously.
“D'you mean to say that they been gainin' ground on us old boy?”
Black Bart leaped sidewise, keeping his head toward the master, and he howled in troubled fashion.
“Whereaway are they now?” muttered Barry, and looked back again.
A great distance behind, hardly distinguishable now, the dust of the posse was blending into the landscape and losing itself against a gray background.
“If they's nothin' wrong behind, what's bitin' you, Bart. You gettin' hungry, maybe? Want to hurry home?”
Another howl, still louder, answered him.
“Go on, then, and show me where they's trouble.”
Black Bart whirled and darted30 off almost straight ahead, but bearing up a hill slightly south of their course. Toward the top of this eminence31 he changed his lope for a skulking32 trot that brought his belly33 fur trailing on the ground.
“They's somethin' ahead of us, Satan!” cried the master softly. “What could that be? It's men, by the way Bart sneaks34 up to look at 'em. They's nothin' else that he'd do that way for. Easy, boy, and go soft!”
The stallion cut his gallop into a slinking trot, his head lowered, even his ears flat back, and glided35 up the hillside. Barry swung to the ground and crawled to the top of the hill. What he saw was a dozen mounted men swinging down into the low, broad scoop36 of ground beyond the hill. They raced with their hatbrims standing37 stiff up in the wind.
“They've been watchin' us with glasses!” whispered Dan to Bart, and the wolf-dog snarled38 savagely39, his neck-fur ruffling40 up.
The dozen directly in front were not all, for to the right, bearing straight across his original course, came another group almost as strong, and to the left eight more riders spurred at top speed.
“We almost walked into 'em,” said Barry, “but they ain't got us yet. Back, boy!”
The wolf dog slunk down the hill until it was out of sight from the farther side of the slope, and the master imitated these tactics until he was close to Satan. Once in the saddle he made up his mind quickly. Someone in Rickett had guessed his intention to double back toward Tucker Creek41, and they had cut him off cleverly enough and in overwhelming force. However, no one in Rickett could guess that another way out remained for him in the fords below Caswell City, and even if they knew, their knowledge would do them no good. They could not wing a message to that place to head him off; it was not humanly possible. For Dan knew nothing of the telephone lines which brought Caswell City itself within speaking distance of far away Rickett. Caswell City, then, was his goal, but to get toward it he must circle far back toward the Morgan Hills, back almost into the teeth of the posse in order to skirt around the right wing of these new enemies. Even then, to double that flank, he must send Satan ahead at full speed. As he swung around, the eight men of that end party crashed over the hill five hundred yards away, and their yell at the view of the quarry went echoing up the shallow valley.
The slayer42 of Pete Glass, he who had done the notorious Killing43 at Alder44, was almost in touch of their revolvers—and their horses were fresh. Not one of that eight but would have given odds45 on his chances of sharing the capture money. There were no spurs on the heels of Barry to urge Satan, and no quirt in his hand, but a single word sent the black streaking down the hill.
Going into the Morgan Hills he had gone like the wind, but now he rushed like a thoroughbred standing a challenge in the homestretch. His nose, and his flying tail were a straight line and the flash of his legs was a tangle46 which no eye could follow as he shot east on the back trail, straight toward the posse. For a mile or more that speed did not slacken, and at the end of that distance he began to edge to the right.
The men behind him knew well enough what the plan of the fugitive47 was, and they angled farther toward the north; there in the distance came the posse, the cloud of dust breaking up now into the dark figures of the fifteen, and if the men from St. Vincent could hold the pace a little longer they would drive Barry between two fires. They flattened48 themselves along their horses' necks at infinite risk to their necks in case of a stumble, and every spur in the crowd was dripping red; horseflesh could do no more, and still the black drew ahead inches and inches with every stride.
If they could not turn him with their speed another way remained, and by swift agreement the four best horses were sent ahead at full speed while the other riders caught their reins over the pommels and jerked out their rifles; a quartet of bullets went screaming after the black horse.
Indeed, there was little enough chance that a placed shot would go home, but their magazines were full, and a chance hit would do the work and kill both man and horse at that rate of speed. Dan Barry knew it, and when the bullets sang he whirled in the saddle and swept out his rifle from its case in the same movement. That yellow devil of anger flared49 in his eyes as he pitched the butt50 to his shoulder and straight into the circle of the sight rode Johnny Gasney of St. Vincent. Another volley whistled about him and his finger trembled on the trigger. No chance work with Barry, for he knew the gait of Satan as a practized naval51 gunner knows the swing of his ship in a smooth sea, and that circle of doom52 wavered over Johnny Gasney for a dozen strides before Dan turned with a faint moan and jammed the rifle back in its case. Once again he was balancing in his stirrups, leaning close to cut the wind with his shoulders.
“I can't do it, Satan. I got nothin' agin them. They think they're playin' square. I can't do it. Stretch out, old boy. Stretch out!” It seemed impossible that the stallion could increase his exertions53, but with that low voice at his ear he did literally54 stretch along the ground and jerked himself away from the pursuit like a tall ship when a new sail spreads in a gale55.
The men from St. Vincent saw that the game was lost. Every one of the eight had his rifle at the shoulder and the bullets hissed56 everywhere about him. Right into his face, but a greater distance away, rode the posse from Rickett, the fifteen tried men and true; and having caught the scheme of the trap they were killing their horses with a last effort.
It failed through no fault of theirs. Just as the jaws57 of the trap were about to close the black stallion whisked out from danger, lunged over a swell15 of ground, and was out of view. When they reached that point, yelling, Barry raced his black out of range of all except the wildest chance shot. The eight from St. Vincent drove their weapons sullenly58 into the holsters; for the last five minutes they had been silently dividing ten thousand dollars by eight, and the awakening59 left a taste of ashes.
They could only follow him now at a moderate pace in the hope of wearing him down, and since a slight pause made little difference in the result—it would even be an advantage to breathe their horses after that burst,—they drew rein6 and cursed in chorus.
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1
herd
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| n.兽群，牧群；vt.使集中，把…赶在一起 | |
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2
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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3
ascent
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| n.(声望或地位)提高；上升，升高；登高 | |
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lengthening
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| （时间或空间）延长，伸长( lengthen的现在分词 )； 加长 | |
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gallop
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| v./n.(马或骑马等)飞奔；飞速发展 | |
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rein
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| n.疆绳，统治，支配；vt.以僵绳控制，统治 | |
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7
reins
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| 感情，激情； 缰( rein的名词复数 )； 控制手段； 掌管； （成人带着幼儿走路以防其走失时用的）保护带 | |
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8
taut
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| adj.拉紧的，绷紧的，紧张的 | |
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forth
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| adv.向前；向外，往外 | |
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crest
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| n.顶点；饰章；羽冠；vt.达到顶点；vi.形成浪尖 | |
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11
racing
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| n.竞赛，赛马；adj.竞赛用的，赛马用的 | |
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12
halfway
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| adj.中途的，不彻底的，部分的；adv.半路地，在中途，在半途 | |
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13
whining
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| n. 抱怨，牢骚 v. 哭诉，发牢骚 | |
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14
queried
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| v.质疑，对…表示疑问( query的过去式和过去分词 )；询问 | |
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15
swell
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| vi.膨胀，肿胀；增长，增强 | |
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swells
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| 增强( swell的第三人称单数 )； 肿胀； （使）凸出； 充满（激情） | |
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17
sweeping
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| adj.范围广大的，一扫无遗的 | |
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18
lengthened
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| （时间或空间）延长，伸长( lengthen的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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19
streaking
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| n.裸奔（指在公共场所裸体飞跑）v.快速移动( streak的现在分词 )；使布满条纹 | |
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20
quarry
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| n.采石场；v.采石；费力地找 | |
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21
taint
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| n.污点；感染；腐坏；v.使感染；污染 | |
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22
prey
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| n.被掠食者，牺牲者，掠食；v.捕食，掠夺，折磨 | |
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skulk
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| v.藏匿；潜行 | |
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wariest
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| 谨慎的，小心翼翼的( wary的最高级 ) | |
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25
scrupulous
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| adj.审慎的，小心翼翼的，完全的，纯粹的 | |
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26
scurrying
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| v.急匆匆地走( scurry的现在分词 ) | |
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peculiar
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| adj.古怪的，异常的；特殊的，特有的 | |
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whine
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| v.哀号，号哭；n.哀鸣 | |
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29
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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30
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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31
eminence
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| n.卓越，显赫；高地，高处；名家 | |
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32
skulking
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| v.潜伏，偷偷摸摸地走动，鬼鬼祟祟地活动( skulk的现在分词 ) | |
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33
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
sneaks
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| abbr.sneakers (tennis shoes) 胶底运动鞋（网球鞋）v.潜行( sneak的第三人称单数 )；偷偷溜走；（儿童向成人）打小报告；告状 | |
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35
glided
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| v.滑动( glide的过去式和过去分词 )；掠过；（鸟或飞机 ） 滑翔 | |
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36
scoop
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| n.铲子，舀取，独家新闻；v.汲取，舀取，抢先登出 | |
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37
standing
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| n.持续，地位；adj.永久的，不动的，直立的，不流动的 | |
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38
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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39
savagely
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| adv. 野蛮地，残酷地 | |
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40
ruffling
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| 弄皱( ruffle的现在分词 )； 弄乱； 激怒； 扰乱 | |
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41
creek
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| n.小溪，小河，小湾 | |
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42
slayer
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| n. 杀人者，凶手 | |
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43
killing
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| n.巨额利润；突然赚大钱，发大财 | |
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44
alder
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| n.赤杨树 | |
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45
odds
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| n.让步，机率，可能性，比率；胜败优劣之别 | |
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46
tangle
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| n.纠缠；缠结；混乱；v.(使)缠绕；变乱 | |
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47
fugitive
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| adj.逃亡的，易逝的；n.逃犯，逃亡者 | |
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48
flattened
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| [医]（水）平扁的，弄平的 | |
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49
Flared
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| adj. 端部张开的, 爆发的, 加宽的, 漏斗式的 动词flare的过去式和过去分词 | |
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50
butt
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| n.笑柄；烟蒂；枪托；臀部；v.用头撞或顶 | |
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51
naval
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| adj.海军的，军舰的，船的 | |
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52
doom
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| n.厄运，劫数；v.注定，命定 | |
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53
exertions
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| n.努力( exertion的名词复数 )；费力；（能力、权力等的）运用；行使 | |
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54
literally
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| adv.照字面意义，逐字地；确实 | |
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55
gale
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| n.大风，强风，一阵闹声（尤指笑声等） | |
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56
hissed
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| 发嘶嘶声( hiss的过去式和过去分词 )； 发嘘声表示反对 | |
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57
jaws
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| n.口部；嘴 | |
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58
sullenly
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| 不高兴地，绷着脸，忧郁地 | |
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59
awakening
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| n.觉醒，醒悟 adj.觉醒中的；唤醒的 | |
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