“Who's boss, boys?” called Johnny Gasney, puffing8 in his saddle as he rode up. “By God, we'll get him yet! They's a devil in that black hoss! Who's boss?”
“I ain't exactly boss,” answered Mark Retherton, whom not even fear of death could hurry in his ways of speech, “but maybe I can talk for the boys. What you want, Johnny?”
“You gents'll be needin' new hosses?”
“We'll be needin' graves for the ones we got,” growled9 Mark, and he stared gloomily at the dull eye of his pinto. “The best cuttin' out hoss I ever throwed a leg over, and now—look at him!”
“Here's your relay!” cut in Johnny Gasney. “Old Billy 'phoned down.” Five men came leading three spare horses apiece. “He phoned down and asked me to get fifteen hosses ready. He must of guessed where Barry would head. And here they are—the best ponies10 in St. Vincent—but for God's sake use 'em better'n you did that set!”
The other members of the posse set to work silently changing their saddles to the new relay, and Mark Retherton tossed his answer over his shoulder to Johnny Gasney while he drew his cinch brutally11 tight.
“They's a pile of hoss-flesh in these parts, but they ain't more'n one Barry. You gents can say good-bye to your hosses unless we nail him before they're run down.”
“It's all right,” he decided13, “because it ain't possible the black hoss can outlast14 these. But—he sure seemed full of runnin! One thing more, Mark. You don't need to fear pressin' Barry, because he won't shoot. He had his gun out, but I guess he don't want to run up his score any higher'n it is. He put it back without firin' a shot. Go on, boys, and go like hell. Billy has lined up a new relay for you at Wago.”
They made no pause to start in a group, but each sent home the spurs as soon as he was in the saddle. They had ridden for the blood of Pete Glass before, but now at least seven of them rode for the sake of the horses they had ruined, and to a cow-puncher a favorite mount is as dear as a friend.
They expected to find the black out of sight, but it was a welcome surprise to see him not half a mile away wading15 across St. Vincent Creek16; for Barry quite accurately17 guessed that there would be a pause in the pursuit after that hair-breadth escape, and at the creek he stopped to let Satan get his wind. He would not trust the stallion to drink, but gave him a bare mouthful from his hat and loosened the cinches for an instant.
Not that this was absolutely necessary, for Satan was neither blown nor leg-weary. He stood dripping with sweat, indeed, but poised18 lightly, his head high, his ears pricked19, his nostrils20 distended21 to transparency as he drew in great breaths. Even that interval22 Barry used, for he set to work vigorously massaging23 the muscles of shoulders and hips24 and whipping off the sweat from neck and flank. It was several moments, and already Satan's breath came easily, when Black Bart shot down from his watch-post and warned them on with a snarl25, but still, before he tightened26 the cinches again and climbed to the saddle Barry took the fine head of the stallion between his hands.
“Between you and me, Satan,” he murmured, “our day's work is jest beginnin'. Are you feelin' fit?”
Satan nuzzled the shoulder of the master and snorted his answer; Black Bart had given the warning, and the stallion was eager to be off.
They crossed the creek at a place where the stones came almost to the surface, since nothing is more detrimental27 to the speed of a horse than a plunge28 in cold water, and with the hoofbeats of the posse growing up behind they cantered off again a little cast of north, straight for Caswell City.
There was little work for Black Bart in such country as this, for there was rarely a rise of ground over which a man on horseback could not look, and the surface was race-track fast. Once Satan knew the direction there was nothing for it but to sit the saddle and let him work, and he fell into his long-distance gait. It was a smart pace for any ordinary animal to follow through half a day's journey, and Barry knew with perfect certainty that there was not the slightest chance of even the fresh horses behind him wearing down Satan before night; but to his astonishment29 the trailers rode as if they had limitless horseflesh at their command. Perhaps they were unaware30 of the running that was still in Satan, so Barry sent the stallion on at a free gallop31 that shunted the sagebrush past him in a dizzy whirl.
A mile of this, but when he looked back the posse were even closer. They were riding still with the spur! It was madness, but it was not his part to worry for them, and it was necessary that he maintain at least this interval, so he leaned a little forward to cut the wind more easily, and Satan leaped into a faster pace. He had several distinct advantages over the mounts of the posse. At their customary rolling lope they will travel all day with hardly a break, but they have neither the size nor the length of leg for sustained bursts of speed. Moreover, most of the cowponies who now raced on the trail of Satan carried riders who outweighed32 Barry by twenty pounds and in addition to this they were burdened by saddles made ponderously33 to stand the strain of roping cattle, whereas Barry's specially34 made saddle was hardly half that weight. Perhaps more than all this, the cowponies rode by compulsion, urged with sharp spurs, checked and guided by the jaw-breaking curb35, whereas Satan frolicked along at his own will, or at least at the will of a master which was one with his. No heavy bit worried his mouth, no pointed36 steel tormented37 his flanks. He had only one handicap—the weight of his rider, and that weight was balanced and distributed with the care of a perfect horseman.
With all this in mind it was hardly wonderful that the stallion kept the posse easily in play. His breathing was a trifle harder, now, and perhaps there was not quite the same light spring in his gallop, but Barry, looking back, could tell by the tossing heads of the horses which followed that they were being quickly run down to the last gasp38. Mile after mile there was not a pause in that murderous pace, and then, cutting the sky with a row of sharply pointed roofs, he saw a town straight ahead and groaned39 in understanding.
It was rather new country to Barry, but the posse must know it like a book. They were spending their horses freely because they hoped to arrange for a fresh series of mounts in Wago. However, it would take some time for them to arrange the details of the loan, and by that time he would be out of sight among the hills which stretched ahead. That would give him a sufficient start, and he would make the fords near Caswell City comfortably ahead. At Caswell City, indeed, they might get a still other relay, but just beyond the Asper River rose the Grizzly40 Peaks—his own country, and once among them he could laugh the posse to scorn.
He patted Satan on the shoulder and swept on at redoubled speed, skirting close to the town, while the posse plunged41 straight into it.
Listening closely, he could hear their shouts as they entered the village, could mark the cessation of their hoof-beats.
Ten minutes, five minutes at least for the change of horses, and that time would put him safety among the hills.
But the impossible happened. There was no pause of minutes, hardly a pause of seconds, when the rush of hoofbeats began again and poured out from the town, fifteen desperate riders on fifteen fresh mounts. By some miracle Wago had been warned and the needed horses had been kept there saddled and ready for the relay.
It turned an easy escape into a close chance, but still his faith in Satan was boundless42 to reach the fords in time, and the safety of the mountains beyond. Another word, and with a snort the great-hearted stallion swept up the slope, with Black Bart at his old work, skirting ahead and choosing the easiest way. That was another great handicap in favor of the fugitive43, and every advantage counted with redoubled significance now, every foot of distance saved, every inch of climb avoided.
A new obstacle confronted him, for the low, rolling hills were everywhere checkered44 with squares and oblongs of plowed45 ground, freshly turned, and guarded by tall fences of barbed-wire. They could be jumped, but jumping was no easy matter for a tiring horse, and Barry saw, with a sigh of relief, a sharp gulch46 to the left which cut straight through that region of broken farms and headed north and east pointing like an arrow in the direction of the fords. He swung down into it without a thought and pressed on. The bottom was gravelly, here and there, from the effect of the waters which had once washed through the ravine and cut these sides so straight, but over the greater part of the bottom sand had drifted, and the going was hardly worse than the hilly stretches above.
The sides grew higher, now, with great rapidity. Already they were up to the shoulder of Satan, now up to his withers47, and from behind the roar of the posse racing48 at full speed, filled the gulch with confusion of echoes. They must be racing their horses as if they were entering the homestretch, as if they were sure of the goal. It was strange.
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1
wheezed
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| v.喘息，发出呼哧呼哧的喘息声( wheeze的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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bloody
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| adj.非常的的；流血的；残忍的；adv.很；vt.血染 | |
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foam
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| v./n.泡沫，起泡沫 | |
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4
laboring
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| n.劳动，操劳v.努力争取(for)( labor的现在分词 )；苦干；详细分析；（指引擎）缓慢而困难地运转 | |
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5
rattle
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| v.飞奔，碰响；激怒；n.碰撞声；拨浪鼓 | |
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6
dreads
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| n.恐惧，畏惧( dread的名词复数 )；令人恐惧的事物v.害怕，恐惧，担心( dread的第三人称单数 ) | |
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7
sullenly
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| 不高兴地，绷着脸，忧郁地 | |
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8
puffing
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| v.使喷出( puff的现在分词 )；喷着汽（或烟）移动；吹嘘；吹捧 | |
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9
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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10
ponies
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| 矮种马，小型马( pony的名词复数 )； ￡25 25 英镑 | |
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brutally
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| adv.残忍地，野蛮地，冷酷无情地 | |
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12
perplexed
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| adj.不知所措的 | |
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13
decided
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| adj.决定了的，坚决的；明显的，明确的 | |
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14
outlast
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| v.较…耐久 | |
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15
wading
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| （从水、泥等）蹚，走过，跋( wade的现在分词 ) | |
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16
creek
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| n.小溪，小河，小湾 | |
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accurately
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| adv.准确地，精确地 | |
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18
poised
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| a.摆好姿势不动的 | |
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19
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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20
nostrils
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| 鼻孔( nostril的名词复数 ) | |
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21
distended
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| v.（使）膨胀，肿胀( distend的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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22
interval
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| n.间隔，间距；幕间休息，中场休息 | |
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23
massaging
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| 按摩，推拿( massage的现在分词 ) | |
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24
hips
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| abbr.high impact polystyrene 高冲击强度聚苯乙烯，耐冲性聚苯乙烯n.臀部( hip的名词复数 )；[建筑学]屋脊；臀围（尺寸）；臀部…的 | |
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25
snarl
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| v.吼叫，怒骂，纠缠，混乱；n.混乱，缠结，咆哮 | |
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26
tightened
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| 收紧( tighten的过去式和过去分词 )； （使）变紧； （使）绷紧； 加紧 | |
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27
detrimental
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| adj.损害的，造成伤害的 | |
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28
plunge
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| v.跳入，(使)投入，(使)陷入；猛冲 | |
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astonishment
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| n.惊奇，惊异 | |
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30
unaware
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| a.不知道的，未意识到的 | |
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31
gallop
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| v./n.(马或骑马等)飞奔；飞速发展 | |
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32
outweighed
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| v.在重量上超过( outweigh的过去式和过去分词 )；在重要性或价值方面超过 | |
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33
ponderously
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specially
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| adv.特定地；特殊地；明确地 | |
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35
curb
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| n.场外证券市场，场外交易；vt.制止，抑制 | |
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36
pointed
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| adj.尖的，直截了当的 | |
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tormented
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| 饱受折磨的 | |
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38
gasp
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| n.喘息，气喘；v.喘息；气吁吁他说 | |
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39
groaned
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| v.呻吟( groan的过去式和过去分词 )；发牢骚；抱怨；受苦 | |
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40
grizzly
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| adj.略为灰色的，呈灰色的；n.灰色大熊 | |
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41
plunged
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| v.颠簸( plunge的过去式和过去分词 )；暴跌；骤降；突降 | |
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42
boundless
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| adj.无限的；无边无际的；巨大的 | |
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43
fugitive
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| adj.逃亡的，易逝的；n.逃犯，逃亡者 | |
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44
checkered
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| adj.有方格图案的 | |
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45
plowed
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| v.耕( plow的过去式和过去分词 )；犁耕；费力穿过 | |
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46
gulch
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| n.深谷，峡谷 | |
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47
withers
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| 马肩隆 | |
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48
racing
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| n.竞赛，赛马；adj.竞赛用的，赛马用的 | |
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