"Go it, good fellow," he yelled, his voice rising above the horrid3 din4 of cracking fire arms and whooping5 assailants. "Keep it up a little longer, and we shall be clear of the whole crew."
They were the last words the brave soldier uttered. Ned Chadmund, who had again crouched6 back in the swaying vehicle, was horrified7 to see his friend pitch forward upon the foreboard, and then, as the carriage gave one unusually violent plunge8, he went out head foremost, and vanished from sight. He had been pierced by a dozen balls, and was dead before he reached the ground.
The horse, like his human assailants, was frantic9, and abated10 not a jot11 of his tremendous speed, though the reins12 fell slack and dangled13 around his feet, and the familiar voice was heard no more. He, too, was wounded by more than one cruel rifle ball, but he seemed capable of undergoing far more than his comrades that had fallen at the first fire.
The situation of the lad was fearful, and he was in imminent14 danger from more than one form of death. He was cowering15 in the bottom of the ambulance, too much terrified to speak or to attempt to help himself in any way. Bruised16 and stunned17 by the terrific bounds of the vehicle, he was dazed, bewildered and only dimly conscious of the awful pandemonium18 reigning19 around him. Suddenly he felt himself lifted in the air; then there was a crushing and grinding, as if he was being ground to atoms between two millstones, then another terrible crash and his senses forsook20 him.
The ambulance had overturned and smashed. It was dragged a short distance, when the infuriated steed broke loose, tore a short distance further down the pass and fell dead.
When the boy recovered his senses, his eyes opened upon a very different scene. The sounds of strife21 had ceased, and the struggle was ended, for the reason that there were no men left to resist the victorious22 Apaches. It was night, and a company of something like fifty were encamped in a gorge23 in the mountains. The attacking party, which, including those who had followed the escort into the pass, but were not in time to participate in the engagement, numbered several hundred, and had, after the contest was over, separated and vanished, leaving the chief, Mountain Wolf, with half a hundred of his best warriors24 gathered about him. After securing the treasure in the ambulance, and taking three horses of the company, which had escaped harm during the massacre25, the Apaches moved on in a westerly direction through the pass for half a mile, and turned to the left in a sort of ravine or gorge. Several hundred yards up this the gorge widened into a valley, wherein were a number of trees and a small stream of water. There they went into camp. An immense fire was kindled26, and as it roared and crackled in the night, it threw out a glare that made it like midday for many feet away.
Ned Chadmund had been picked up, limp and apparently27 lifeless, by the chief, Mountain Wolf, and carried to this spot with as much care and tenderness as if he were a pet child of his own. The boy still showed a certain stupor28 upon reaching the camp, but after he had lain a short time upon a buffalo29 robe he revived, and, with wondering eyes, looked around upon the strange and weird30 scene. The Indians were passing to and fro, as if making preparations for some sort of festivity. There was little noise, but a great amount of activity. Close by the fire were a half dozen warriors, engaged in cooking several carcasses, and had the persons concerned been civilized31 instead of savage32, the scene would have suggested an old-fashioned barbecue.
When the lad arose to a sitting position upon the buffalo hide, he became sensible of a sharp, stinging sensation in the head, and a sore, bruised feeling along his side, both caused by the shock received at the overturning of the ambulance. His action was observed by a number of the Apaches, but none approached, nor did they pay the least attention to him; so he had every opportunity for a careful observation of what was going on around him.
After recovering from the first sensation of terror and amazement33, his thoughts naturally reverted34 to the tragedy that had been enacted35 a short time before in Devil's Pass. It was a fearful scene for a lad like him to look upon, and he was sure it must remain vividly36 impressed upon his memory so long as he lived.
"I'm the only one alive," he repeated to himself, with a shudder37. "Poor Corporal Hugg was the last man left, and I saw him killed. I wonder why they spared me?"
He had no suspicion of the intention of the Apaches in preserving his life, and which has already been hinted at in another place; so it was very natural that he should feel puzzled to understand why it was that he had been selected from such a party to escape the hatred38 which these wild Jiccarillo Apaches had shown toward the whites ever since the latter encroached upon their domains39.
"I guess they're going to make an Indian of me," was his conclusion. "I wonder what father will think when he hears of it? Poor mother! I know how she was worried when she bid me good-bye. I hope she won't hear anything till I carry her the news myself."
Fortunately for his peace of mind it never occurred to Ned that he might have been spared for the purpose of torture and indignity40. There was no fear of present danger, as he sat upon the buffalo skin, viewing the strange scene about him. Something like fifteen minutes had passed while thus engaged, when the figure of a tall, athletic41 Indian strode slowly toward him, apparently attracted by the interest which the boy showed in the proceedings42. This warrior was fully43 six feet in height, magnificently formed, with long horse-hair like shreds44 hanging from his crown, which, like his face, was daubed with startling colors, giving him the appearance of a variegated45 zebra of the hues46 of the rainbow.
But the most noticeable feature about this warrior was his dress. He was enveloped48 from head to foot in a sort of cloak, of a greenish tinge49, which rattled50 and crackled as he walked, as if made of paper. And so it was; for, as he approached, Ned saw that his outer garment was composed entirely51 of greenbacks, carefully stitched together in such a way that they made a blanket of half a dozen feet square. No redskin probably ever paraded so costly52 a blanket as this, which included several hundred new and crisp bank notes, varying in value from twenty to a hundred dollars each.
They had been united in such a careful manner that he was able to handle it with as much ease and facility as if composed of a single sheet of paper of the tough texture53 of which our national issues are made. He seemed quite proud of his novel garment, so unique of its kind, and strode forward with the pompous54 tread of an Indian chief until he was within a few feet of where Ned sat, when he paused a few moments to give the latter full opportunity to admire his envelope.
"That must have taken a good deal of the money that belonged to the soldiers," was his reflection, "but the country can lose it better than it can the soldiers themselves."
Lone Wolf was one of the most dreaded55, because he was one of the most skillful and treacherous56, of the Apache chiefs. He went to Washington twice during his life with a delegation57 from his tribe, visited the principal cities in the North, was treated in the most hospitable58 manner, and professed59 the most unbounded love for his white brothers. He announced his deliberate intention of making all haste back to his tribe, and henceforth devoting his life to peace. He would summon his brother chiefs about him, he said then, and make known to them the goodness and love of the whites for the red men. He would explain to them their invincible60 power, and make very clear the folly61 of attempting to resist their wishes in any way. Furthermore he agreed to show the numerous gifts that had been showered upon him, and he would explain that if they conducted themselves aright a similar future was before them as well. All this Lone Wolf promised; but he had no sooner got among his own people again than he chose to forget his promises and went upon the warpath.
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1
warrior
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| n.勇士，武士，斗士 | |
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lashed
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| adj.具睫毛的v.鞭打( lash的过去式和过去分词 )；煽动；紧系；怒斥 | |
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horrid
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| adj.可怕的；令人惊恐的；恐怖的；极讨厌的 | |
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din
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| n.喧闹声，嘈杂声 | |
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whooping
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| 发嗬嗬声的，发咳声的 | |
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6
crouched
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| v.屈膝，蹲伏( crouch的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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7
horrified
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| a.(表现出)恐惧的 | |
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plunge
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| v.跳入，(使)投入，(使)陷入；猛冲 | |
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frantic
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| adj.狂乱的，错乱的，激昂的 | |
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10
abated
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| 减少( abate的过去式和过去分词 )； 减去； 降价； 撤消（诉讼） | |
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11
jot
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| n.少量；vi.草草记下；vt.匆匆写下 | |
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12
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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13
dangled
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| 悬吊着( dangle的过去式和过去分词 )； 摆动不定； 用某事物诱惑…； 吊胃口 | |
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14
imminent
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| adj.即将发生的，临近的，逼近的 | |
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cowering
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| v.畏缩，抖缩( cower的现在分词 ) | |
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bruised
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| [医]青肿的，瘀紫的 | |
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stunned
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| adj. 震惊的，惊讶的 动词stun的过去式和过去分词 | |
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18
pandemonium
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| n.喧嚣，大混乱 | |
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reigning
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| adj.统治的，起支配作用的 | |
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20
forsook
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| forsake的过去式 | |
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strife
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| n.争吵，冲突，倾轧，竞争 | |
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victorious
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| adj.胜利的，得胜的 | |
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23
gorge
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| n.咽喉，胃，暴食，山峡；v.塞饱，狼吞虎咽地吃 | |
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24
warriors
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| 武士，勇士，战士( warrior的名词复数 ) | |
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25
massacre
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| n.残杀，大屠杀；v.残杀，集体屠杀 | |
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26
kindled
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| （使某物）燃烧，着火( kindle的过去式和过去分词 )； 激起（感情等）； 发亮，放光 | |
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apparently
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| adv.显然地；表面上，似乎 | |
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stupor
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| v.昏迷；不省人事 | |
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buffalo
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| n.(北美)野牛；(亚洲)水牛 | |
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30
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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civilized
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| a.有教养的，文雅的 | |
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savage
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| adj.野蛮的；凶恶的，残暴的；n.未开化的人 | |
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33
amazement
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| n.惊奇，惊讶 | |
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34
reverted
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| 恢复( revert的过去式和过去分词 )； 重提； 回到…上； 归还 | |
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35
enacted
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| 制定（法律），通过（法案）( enact的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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vividly
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| adv.清楚地，鲜明地，生动地 | |
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37
shudder
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| v.战粟，震动，剧烈地摇晃；n.战粟，抖动 | |
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38
hatred
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| n.憎恶，憎恨，仇恨 | |
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39
domains
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| n.范围( domain的名词复数 )；领域；版图；地产 | |
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40
indignity
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| n.侮辱，伤害尊严，轻蔑 | |
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41
athletic
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| adj.擅长运动的，强健的；活跃的，体格健壮的 | |
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42
proceedings
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| n.进程，过程，议程；诉讼(程序)；公报 | |
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43
fully
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| adv.完全地，全部地，彻底地；充分地 | |
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44
shreds
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| v.撕碎，切碎( shred的第三人称单数 )；用撕毁机撕毁（文件） | |
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45
variegated
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| adj.斑驳的，杂色的 | |
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46
hues
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| 色彩( hue的名词复数 )； 色调； 信仰； 观点 | |
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47
lone
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| adj.孤寂的，单独的；唯一的 | |
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48
enveloped
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| v.包围，笼罩，包住( envelop的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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49
tinge
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| vt.(较淡)着色于，染色；使带有…气息；n.淡淡色彩，些微的气息 | |
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50
rattled
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| 慌乱的，恼火的 | |
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51
entirely
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| ad.全部地，完整地；完全地，彻底地 | |
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52
costly
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| adj.昂贵的，价值高的，豪华的 | |
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53
texture
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| n.(织物)质地；(材料)构造；结构；肌理 | |
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54
pompous
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| adj.傲慢的，自大的；夸大的；豪华的 | |
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55
dreaded
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| adj.令人畏惧的；害怕的v.害怕，恐惧，担心( dread的过去式和过去分词) | |
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56
treacherous
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| adj.不可靠的，有暗藏的危险的；adj.背叛的，背信弃义的 | |
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57
delegation
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| n.代表团；派遣 | |
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58
hospitable
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| adj.好客的；宽容的；有利的，适宜的 | |
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professed
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| 公开声称的，伪称的，已立誓信教的 | |
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invincible
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| adj.不可征服的，难以制服的 | |
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folly
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| n.愚笨，愚蠢，蠢事，蠢行，傻话 | |
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