"Dandy! Dandy!" he cried, with wild elation2 of voice and still no emotion in his face. "Niggeh-fellah thah. Dandy! Ah, Dandy! look him out!"
The music swelled3 from Dandy's throat. Away went the pair. The younger couple, in yoke4, trembled and moaned to be after them. The two clerks had swung down three or four rails from the fence, and with Hardy were hurrying their horses through, when the youngest dog, nose to the ground and tugging5 his yokemate along, let go a cry of discovery and began to dig furiously under a bottom rail. His master threw him off and drew from under it "Mrs. Southmayd's" tiny beflowered bonnet6.
"Good God!" exclaimed one of the boys as he held it up, "they've made way with her!"
"Now, none of that nonsense!" I cried; "she's given it to one of them and they've feared 'twould get them into trouble!" But the three had spurred off and I could only toss it away and follow.
The baying had ceased and an occasional half-smothered yap told that the scent7 was broken. A huge grape-vine end, hanging from a lofty bough8, had enabled the run-away to take a long sidewise swing clear of the ground; but as I came up the brutes9 had recovered the trail and sped on, once more breaking the still air, far and wide, into deep waves of splendid sound. Close after them, as best they might in yoke, scuttled10 the younger pair, dragging each other this way and that, their broad ears trailing to their feet, and Hardy riding close behind them, reciting their pedigrees and their distinguishing whims11.
Presently we issued from the woods, at the edge of wide fields surrounding a plantation12-house and slave-quarters, and I hoped to find the trail broken again; but without a pause the chase turned along a line of fence as if to half encircle the plantation. The master of the hounds, in nervy yet placid13 words, explained that a runaway14 knew better than to cross open ground by night and set the house-dogs a-barking. It was only on seeing no workers in the fields that I remembered it was Sunday, and feared intensely that the pious15 fugitives16 might have shortened their flight.
From the plantation's farther bound we ran down a long, gentle slope of beautiful open woods. At the bottom of it a clear stream rippled17 between steep banks shrouded18 with strong vines. Here the scent had failed and it was wonderful to see the docile19 faith and intelligence with which the dogs resigned the whole work to their master, and followed beside him while he sought a crossing-place for his horse. This took many minutes, but by and by they scrambled20 over, he bidding us wait where we were until the dogs should open again; and as he started down-stream along the farther bank the older hounds, at a single word, ran circling out before him in the tangle22, electrified23 by the steel-cold eagerness of his implorings.
But now, to my joy, he found their hungry snufflings as futile25 as his own scrutinizings and divinations, and after following the stream until my companions fretted26 openly at the delay, he dropped a note from his horn, rode back with the four dogs, recrossed, and passed down on our side with them at his heels, frowning at last and scanning the tangled27 growth of the opposite bank.
And now again he came back: "You see, this stream runs so nigh the way they wanted to go that there's no tellin' how fur they waded28 down it or whether they was two, three, or four of 'em rej'ined together. They're shore to 'a' been all together when they left it, but where that was hell only knows. Come on."
We plunged29 across after him and followed down the farther bank, and at the point where he had turned back he put the hounds on again. "How do you know there were more than one here?" I asked.
"Because, if noth'n' else, this trail at first was a fool's trail and now it's as smart as cats a-fight'n'--look 'em out, Dandy! Every time the rascals30 struck a swimmin'-hole they swum it, the men sort o' tote'n' the women, I reckon--ah, my Charmer! Yes, my sweet lady! take 'em! take 'em!"
As the stream emerged into an old field--"Sun's pow'ful hot for you-all!" Hardy added. "Ain't see' such a day this time o' year fo' a coon's age. Hosses feel'n' it. Hard to say which is hottest, sun or brush."
We had skirted the branch a full mile, beating its margin31 thoroughly32, and were in deep woods again, when all at once Charmer let out a glad peal33. Her mate echoed it and with the stream at their back they were off and away in full cry. The trail was broad and strong and with rare breaks continued so for an hour. Often the dogs made us trot34; in open grounds we galloped35. Once, in a thickety wet tract36 where the still air was suffocating37 and a sluggish38 runlet meandered39 widely, Hardy was forced, after long hinderance, to drop the trail and recover it on a rising ground beyond.
There once more we were making good speed when we burst into an open grove40 where about a small, unpainted frame church a saddle-horse was tied under every swinging limb. Before the church a gang of boys had sprung up from their whittling41 to be our gleeful spectators. Hardy waved them off with the assurance that we wanted neither their help nor company, and though the trail took us at slackened speed around two sides of the building we passed and were gone while the worshippers were in the first stanza42 of a hymn43 started to keep them on their benches.
Noon, afternoon; we made no pause. "It's ketch 'em before night," said Hardy as we bent44 low under beech45 boughs46, "or not till noon to-morrow."
About mid-afternoon one of the court-house boys, who had been talking softly with the other, turned back with a bare good-by. His friend explained:
"Got to be at his desk early in the morning. But I'm with you till you run 'em down."
Happy for me that he was mistaken. Two hours more were hardly gone when, "My Prince is sick!" he cried, drew in, and under a smoke of his own curses began wildly to unsaddle. Hardy rode on.
"You'll have to get another mount," I said.
"Another hell! I wouldn't leave this horse sick in strange hands for a thousand dollars!" Suddenly he struck an imploring24 key: "Look here! I'll give you fifty dollars cash to stay with me till I get him out o' this!"
Till I was out of earshot I could hear him damning and cursing me in snorts and shouts as a sneak48 who would wear my coat of tar21 and feathers yet, and I was still wondering whether I ought to or not, when I overhauled49 the nigger-chaser cheering on his dogs. Their prey50 had again tricked them, and again the cry was, "Take him, Dandy!" and "Hi, Charmer, hi!"
"He's got to or perish," I laughed.
In time we found ourselves under a vast roof of towering pines. The high green grass beneath them had been burned over within a year. The declining sun gilded52 both the grass and the lower sides of the soaring boughs. Even Hardy glanced back exaltedly53 to bid me mark the beauty of the scene. But I dared not. The dogs were going more swiftly than ever, and there was a ticklish54 chance of one's horse breaking a leg in one of the many holes left by burnt-out pine roots. The main risk, moreover, was not to Hardy's trained hunter but to my worn-out livery "nag."
"We've started 'em, all four, on the run," he called, "but if we don't tree 'em befo' they make the river we'll lose 'em after all."
The land began a steady descent. Soon once more we were in underbrush and presently came square against a staked-and-ridered worm fence around a "deadening" dense55 with tall corn. Charmer and Dandy had climbed directly over it, scampered56 through the corn, and were waking every echo in a swamp beyond. The younger pair, still yoked57, stood under the fence, yelping58 for Hardy's aid. He sprang down and unyoked them and over they scrambled and were gone, ringing like fire-bells. Outside the fence, both right and left, the ground was miry, yet for us it was best to struggle round through the bushy slough59; which we had barely done when with sudden curses Hardy spurred forward. The younger dogs were off on a separate chase of their own. For at the river-bank the four negroes had divided by couples and gone opposite ways.
"Call them back!" I urged. "Blow your horn!" But I was ignored.
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收听单词发音
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1
hardy
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| adj.勇敢的，果断的，吃苦的；耐寒的 | |
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elation
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| n.兴高采烈，洋洋得意 | |
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swelled
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| 增强( swell的过去式和过去分词 )； 肿胀； （使）凸出； 充满（激情） | |
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4
yoke
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| n.轭；支配；v.给...上轭，连接，使成配偶 | |
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5
tugging
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| n.牵引感v.用力拉，使劲拉，猛扯( tug的现在分词 ) | |
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6
bonnet
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| n.无边女帽；童帽 | |
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7
scent
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| n.气味，香味，香水，线索，嗅觉；v.嗅，发觉 | |
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8
bough
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| n.大树枝，主枝 | |
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9
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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10
scuttled
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| v.使船沉没( scuttle的过去式和过去分词 )；快跑，急走 | |
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11
WHIMS
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| 虚妄，禅病 | |
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12
plantation
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| n.种植园，大农场 | |
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13
placid
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| adj.安静的，平和的 | |
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runaway
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| n.逃走的人，逃亡，亡命者；adj.逃亡的，逃走的 | |
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15
pious
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| adj.虔诚的；道貌岸然的 | |
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fugitives
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| n.亡命者，逃命者( fugitive的名词复数 ) | |
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17
rippled
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| 使泛起涟漪（ripple的过去式与过去分词形式） | |
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18
shrouded
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| v.隐瞒( shroud的过去式和过去分词 )；保密 | |
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19
docile
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| adj.驯服的，易控制的，容易教的 | |
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20
scrambled
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| v.快速爬行( scramble的过去式和过去分词 )；攀登；争夺；（军事飞机）紧急起飞 | |
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21
tar
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| n.柏油，焦油；vt.涂或浇柏油/焦油于 | |
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tangle
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| n.纠缠；缠结；混乱；v.(使)缠绕；变乱 | |
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23
electrified
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| v.使电气化( electrify的过去式和过去分词 )；使兴奋 | |
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24
imploring
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| 恳求的，哀求的 | |
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futile
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| adj.无效的，无用的，无希望的 | |
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26
fretted
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| 焦躁的，附有弦马的，腐蚀的 | |
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27
tangled
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| adj. 纠缠的，紊乱的 动词tangle的过去式和过去分词 | |
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28
waded
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| （从水、泥等）蹚，走过，跋( wade的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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29
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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30
rascals
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| 流氓( rascal的名词复数 )； 无赖； （开玩笑说法）淘气的人（尤指小孩）； 恶作剧的人 | |
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31
margin
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| n.页边空白；差额；余地，余裕；边，边缘 | |
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32
thoroughly
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| adv.完全地，彻底地，十足地 | |
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33
peal
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| n.钟声；v.鸣响 | |
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34
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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35
galloped
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| （使马）飞奔，奔驰( gallop的过去式和过去分词 )； 快速做[说]某事 | |
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36
tract
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| n.传单，小册子，大片(土地或森林) | |
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37
suffocating
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| a.使人窒息的 | |
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38
sluggish
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| adj.懒惰的，迟钝的，无精打采的 | |
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39
meandered
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| （指溪流、河流等）蜿蜒而流( meander的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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40
grove
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| n.林子，小树林，园林 | |
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41
whittling
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| v.切，削（木头），使逐渐变小( whittle的现在分词 ) | |
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42
stanza
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| n.（诗）节，段 | |
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43
hymn
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| n.赞美诗，圣歌，颂歌 | |
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44
bent
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| n.爱好，癖好；adj.弯的；决心的，一心的 | |
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45
beech
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| n.山毛榉；adj.山毛榉的 | |
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46
boughs
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| 大树枝( bough的名词复数 ) | |
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47
trotting
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| 小跑，急走( trot的现在分词 )； 匆匆忙忙地走 | |
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48
sneak
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| vt.潜行(隐藏,填石缝)；偷偷摸摸做；n.潜行；adj.暗中进行 | |
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49
overhauled
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| v.彻底检查( overhaul的过去式和过去分词 )；大修；赶上；超越 | |
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50
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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51
nag
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| v.(对…)不停地唠叨；n.爱唠叨的人 | |
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52
gilded
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| a.镀金的，富有的 | |
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53
exaltedly
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| 得意忘形地 | |
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54
ticklish
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| adj.怕痒的；问题棘手的；adv.怕痒地；n.怕痒，小心处理 | |
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55
dense
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| a.密集的，稠密的，浓密的；密度大的 | |
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56
scampered
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| v.蹦蹦跳跳地跑，惊惶奔跑( scamper的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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57
yoked
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| 结合（yoke的过去式形式） | |
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58
yelping
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| v.发出短而尖的叫声( yelp的现在分词 ) | |
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59
slough
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| v.蜕皮，脱落，抛弃 | |
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