The travelling was very difficult and rough, and both men and animals were worn out by night. But we were now in the mountains, the air was cool and pleasant, and the nights so cold that we were glad to have a small stove in our tents to dress by in the mornings. The scenery was wild and grand; in fact, beyond all that I had ever dreamed of; more than that, it seemed so untrod, so fresh, somehow, and I do not suppose that even now, in the day of railroads and tourists, many people have had the view of the Tonto Basin which we had one day from the top of the Mogollon range.
I remember thinking, as we alighted from our ambulances and stood looking over into the Basin, "Surely I have never seen anything to compare with this—but oh! would any sane3 human being voluntarily go through with what I have endured on this journey, in order to look upon this wonderful scene?"
The roads had now become so difficult that our wagon4-train could not move as fast as the lighter5 vehicles or the troops. Sometimes at a critical place in the road, where the ascent6 was not only dangerous, but doubtful, or there was, perhaps, a sharp turn, the ambulances waited to see the wagons7 safely over the pass. Each wagon had its six mules9; each ambulance had also its quota10 of six.
At the foot of one of these steep places, the wagons would halt, the teamsters would inspect the road, and calculate the possibilities of reaching the top; then, furiously cracking their whips, and pouring forth11 volley upon volley of oaths, they would start the team. Each mule8 got its share of dreadful curses. I had never heard or conceived of any oaths like those. They made my blood fairly curdle13, and I am not speaking figuratively. The shivers ran up and down my back, and I half expected to see those teamsters struck down by the hand of the Almighty14.
For although the anathemas16 hurled17 at my innocent head, during the impressionable years of girlhood, by the pale and determined18 Congregational ministers with gold-bowed spectacles, who held forth in the meeting-house of my maternal19 ancestry20 (all honor to their sincerity), had taken little hold upon my mind, still, the vital drop of the Puritan was in my blood, and the fear of a personal God and His wrath21 still existed, away back in the hidden recesses22 of my heart.
This swearing and lashing23 went on until the heavily-loaded prairie-schooner, swaying, swinging, and swerving24 to the edge of the cut, and back again to the perpendicular25 wall of the mountain, would finally reach the top, and pass on around the bend; then another would do the same. Each teamster had his own particular variety of oaths, each mule had a feminine name, and this brought the swearing down to a sort of personal basis. I remonstrated26 with Jack27, but he said: teamsters always swore; "the mules wouldn't even stir to go up a hill, if they weren't sworn at like that."
By the time we had crossed the great Mogollon mesa, I had become accustomed to those dreadful oaths, and learned to admire the skill, persistency28 and endurance shown by those rough teamsters. I actually got so far as to believe what Jack had told me about the swearing being necessary, for I saw impossible feats29 performed by the combination.
When near camp, and over the difficult places, we drove on ahead and waited for the wagons to come in. It was sometimes late evening before tents could be pitched and supper cooked. And oh! to see the poor jaded30 animals when the wagons reached camp! I could forget my own discomfort31 and even hunger, when I looked at their sad faces.
One night the teamsters reported that a six-mule team had rolled down the steep side of a mountain. I did not ask what became of the poor faithful mules; I do not know, to this day. In my pity and real distress32 over the fate of these patient brutes33, I forgot to inquire what boxes were on the unfortunate wagon.
We began to have some shooting. Lieutenant34 Bailey shot a young deer, and some wild turkeys, and we could not complain any more of the lack of fresh food.
It did not surprise us to learn that ours was the first wagon-train to pass over Crook35's Trail. For miles and miles the so-called road was nothing but a clearing, and we were pitched and jerked from side to side of the ambulance, as we struck large rocks or tree-stumps; in some steep places, logs were chained to the rear of the ambulance, to keep it from pitching forward onto the backs of the mules. At such places I got out and picked my way down the rocky declivity36.
We now began to hear of the Apache Indians, who were always out, in either large or small bands, doing their murderous work.
One day a party of horseman tore past us at a gallop37. Some of them raised their hats to us as they rushed past, and our officers recognized General Crook, but we could not, in the cloud of dust, distinguish officers from scouts38. All wore the flannel39 shirt, handkerchief tied about the neck, and broad campaign hat.
After supper that evening, the conversation turned upon Indians in general, and Apaches in particular. We camped always at a basin, or a tank, or a hole, or a spring, or in some canon, by a creek40. Always from water to water we marched. Our camp that night was in the midst of a primeval grove41 of tall pine trees; verily, an untrodden land. We had a big camp-fire, and sat around it until very late. There were only five or six officers, and Mrs. Bailey and myself.
The darkness and blackness of the place were uncanny. We all sat looking into the fire. Somebody said, "Injuns would not have such a big fire as that."
"No; you bet they wouldn't," was the quick reply of one of the officers.
Then followed a long pause; we all sat thinking, and gazing into the fire, which crackled and leaped into fitful blazes.
"Our figures must make a mighty15 good outline against that fire," remarked one of officers, nonchalantly; "I dare say those stealthy sons of Satan know exactly where we are at this minute," he added.
"Yes, you bet your life they do!" answered one of the younger men, lapsing42 into the frontiersman's language, from the force of his convictions.
"Look behind you at those trees, Jack," said Major Worth. "Can you see anything? No! And if there were an Apache behind each one of them, we should never know it."
We all turned and peered into the black darkness which surrounded us.
Another pause followed; the silence was weird43—only the cracking of the fire was heard, and the mournful soughing of the wind in the pines.
Suddenly, a crash! We started to our feet and faced around.
"A dead branch," said some one.
Major Worth shrugged44 his shoulders, and turning to Jack, said, in a low tone, "D—— d if I don't believe I'm getting nervous," and saying "good night," he walked towards his tent.
No element of doubt pervaded45 my mind as to my own state. The weird feeling of being up in those remote mountain passes, with but a handful of soldiers against the wary46 Apaches, the mysterious look of those black tree-trunks, upon which flickered47 the uncertain light of the camp-fire now dying, and from behind each one of which I imagined a red devil might be at that moment taking aim with his deadly arrow, all inspired me with fear such as I had never before known.
In the cyclone48 which had overtaken our good ship in mid-Atlantic, where we lay tossing about at the mercy of the waves for thirty-six long hours, I had expected to yield my body to the dark and grewsome depths of the ocean. I had almost felt the cold arms of Death about me; but compared to the sickening dread12 of the cruel Apache, my fears then had been as naught49. Facing the inevitable50 at sea, I had closed my eyes and said good-bye to Life. But in this mysterious darkness, every nerve, every sense, was keenly alive with terror.
Several of that small party around the camp-fire have gone from amongst us, but I venture to say that, of the few who are left, not one will deny that he shared in the vague apprehension51 which seized upon us.
Midnight found us still lingering around the dead ashes of the fire. After going to our tent, Jack saw that I was frightened. He said: "Don't worry, Martha, an Apache never was known to attack in the night," and after hearing many repetitions of this assertion, upon which I made him take his oath, I threw myself upon the bed. After our candle was out, I said: "When do they attack?" Jack who, with the soldiers' indifference52 to danger, was already half asleep, replied: "Just before daylight, usually, but do not worry, I say; there aren't any Injuns in this neighborhood. Why! Didn't you meet General Crook to-day? You ought to have some sense. If there'd been an Injun around here he would have cleaned him out. Now go to sleep and don't be foolish." But I was taking my first lessons in campaigning, and sleep was not so easy.
Just before dawn, as I had fallen into a light slumber53, the flaps of the tent burst open, and began shaking violently to and fro. I sprang to my feet, prepared for the worst. Jack started up: "What is it?" he cried.
"It must have been the wind, I think, but it frightened me," I murmured. The Lieutenant fastened the tent-flaps together, and lay down to sleep again; but my heart beat fast, and I listened for every sound.
The day gradually dawned, and with it my fears of the night were allayed54. But ever after that, Jack's fatal answer, "Just before daylight," kept my eyes wide open for hours before the dawn.
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1
philosophically
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| adv.哲学上；富有哲理性地；贤明地；冷静地 | |
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2
infested
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| adj.为患的，大批滋生的（常与with搭配）v.害虫、野兽大批出没于( infest的过去式和过去分词 )；遍布于 | |
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3
sane
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| adj.心智健全的，神志清醒的，明智的，稳健的 | |
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4
wagon
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| n.四轮马车，手推车，面包车；无盖运货列车 | |
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5
lighter
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| n.打火机，点火器；驳船；v.用驳船运送；light的比较级 | |
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6
ascent
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| n.(声望或地位)提高；上升，升高；登高 | |
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7
wagons
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| n.四轮的运货马车( wagon的名词复数 )；铁路货车；小手推车 | |
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8
mule
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| n.骡子，杂种，执拗的人 | |
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9
mules
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| 骡( mule的名词复数 )； 拖鞋； 顽固的人； 越境运毒者 | |
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10
quota
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| n.（生产、进出口等的）配额，（移民的）限额 | |
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11
forth
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| adv.向前；向外，往外 | |
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12
dread
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| vt.担忧，忧虑；惧怕，不敢；n.担忧，畏惧 | |
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13
curdle
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| v.使凝结，变稠 | |
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14
almighty
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| adj.全能的，万能的；很大的，很强的 | |
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15
mighty
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| adj.强有力的；巨大的 | |
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16
anathemas
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| n.（天主教的）革出教门( anathema的名词复数 )；诅咒；令人极其讨厌的事；被基督教诅咒的人或事 | |
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17
hurled
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| v.猛投，用力掷( hurl的过去式和过去分词 )；大声叫骂 | |
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18
determined
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| adj.坚定的；有决心的 | |
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19
maternal
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| adj.母亲的，母亲般的，母系的，母方的 | |
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20
ancestry
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| n.祖先，家世 | |
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21
wrath
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| n.愤怒，愤慨，暴怒 | |
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22
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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23
lashing
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| n.鞭打；痛斥；大量；许多v.鞭打( lash的现在分词 )；煽动；紧系；怒斥 | |
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24
swerving
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| v.（使）改变方向，改变目的( swerve的现在分词 ) | |
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25
perpendicular
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| adj.垂直的，直立的；n.垂直线，垂直的位置 | |
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26
remonstrated
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| v.抗议( remonstrate的过去式和过去分词 )；告诫 | |
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27
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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28
persistency
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| n. 坚持(余辉, 时间常数) | |
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29
feats
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| 功绩，伟业，技艺( feat的名词复数 ) | |
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30
jaded
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| adj.精疲力竭的；厌倦的；（因过饱或过多而）腻烦的；迟钝的 | |
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31
discomfort
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| n.不舒服，不安，难过，困难，不方便 | |
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32
distress
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| n.苦恼，痛苦，不舒适；不幸；vt.使悲痛 | |
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33
brutes
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| 兽( brute的名词复数 )； 畜生； 残酷无情的人； 兽性 | |
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34
lieutenant
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| n.陆军中尉，海军上尉；代理官员，副职官员 | |
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35
crook
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| v.使弯曲；n.小偷，骗子，贼；弯曲(处) | |
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36
declivity
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| n.下坡，倾斜面 | |
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37
gallop
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| v./n.(马或骑马等)飞奔；飞速发展 | |
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38
scouts
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| 侦察员[机，舰]( scout的名词复数 )； 童子军； 搜索； 童子军成员 | |
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39
flannel
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| n.法兰绒；法兰绒衣服 | |
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40
creek
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| n.小溪，小河，小湾 | |
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41
grove
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| n.林子，小树林，园林 | |
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42
lapsing
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| v.退步( lapse的现在分词 )；陷入；倒退；丧失 | |
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43
weird
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| adj.古怪的，离奇的；怪诞的，神秘而可怕的 | |
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44
shrugged
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| vt.耸肩（shrug的过去式与过去分词形式） | |
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45
pervaded
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| v.遍及，弥漫( pervade的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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46
wary
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| adj.谨慎的，机警的，小心的 | |
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47
flickered
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| （通常指灯光）闪烁，摇曳( flicker的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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48
cyclone
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| n.旋风，龙卷风 | |
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49
naught
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| n.无，零 [=nought] | |
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50
inevitable
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| adj.不可避免的，必然发生的 | |
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51
apprehension
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| n.理解，领悟；逮捕，拘捕；忧虑 | |
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52
indifference
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| n.不感兴趣，不关心，冷淡，不在乎 | |
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53
slumber
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| n.睡眠，沉睡状态 | |
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54
allayed
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| v.减轻，缓和( allay的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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