Jessamy and Oliver had wheeled their horses with such unexpected suddenness that the man who was trailing them was caught off his guard. He stood plainly revealed for a moment in the open; then he found his wits and plunged1 indiscriminately into the shielding chaparral.
"Oh-ho!" cried Jessamy in a low tone. "The plot thickens! Did you see him?"
"I'm going after him," declared her companion.
"Stop!" she commanded, as he lifted Poche for a leap toward the skulker's vanishing point.
"What good will come of it? Why try to nose him out? We may be ahead in the end if we play the game as they do. We have more chance of finding out what they're up to by leaving them alone, I'd say."
"Play the game, eh?" he repeated. "So there's a game being played. I didn't just know. Thought all that's afoot was the big idea of chasing me over the hills and far away. And from Selden's latest attitude, it looks as if that had been abandoned. Game, eh?"
"That's what I'd call it. Quite evidently the man was spying on us."
"Did you recognize him?"
"I can't make sure."
"But you think you know him," he said with conviction.
"Yes. I imagined it was Digger Foss. But he got to cover pretty quickly."
"His horse can't be far away. Maybe we can locate him somewhere along the back trail. I'd know that rawboned roan."
"So should I. Let's send 'em along a little faster."
They had by this time reached the opening in the chaparral into which their shadow had dodged3. By common consent they passed it without looking to right or left.
"He may imagine we didn't see him," whispered Jessamy. "I hope he does."
There was an open stretch ahead of them, and across it they galloped4, the girl piercing the thickets5 on the right in search of a saddle horse, Oliver sweeping6 the slopes that descended7 to the river. But neither saw a horse, and in the trail were no hoofprints not made by their own mounts.
"He has been afoot from the start," decided8 Jessamy. "I wish I knew whether or not it was Digger Foss."
They wound their way down to Sulphur Spring presently, and came to a halt in the ravine below it.
"Now," said Oliver, "who knows but that my sniper is not hidden up there in the hills?"
"I'll look for that bullet," she purposed, and swung out of her saddle.
"Oh, no you won't!" His foot touched the ground with hers.
"Yes—listen! No one would shoot at me. But they might take another crack at you, even with me along to witness it. If they were hidden and could get away unseen, you know. But they'd not shoot at me."
"How do you know?"
"Well, I'm one of them—after a fashion. They all like me—and at least one of them wants to gather me to his manly9 breast and fly with me."
"But things are different since I came. You've taken sides with me. If any one looks for that slug, I'm the one that'll do it."
He started toward the spring.
"Stop!" she ordered, and grasped his shirt-sleeves. "Listen here: I'd bet a dollar against a saddle string that that was Digger Foss we saw up on the ridge10."
"Well?"
"He's afoot. He can't have had time to get down here and guard Sulphur Spring."
"All right. Well?"
"And I know positively11 that Adam Selden and the boys are up north today after a bunch of drifters. So none of them can be here. That eliminates six of the Poison Oakers. There would be left only Obed Pence, Ed Buchanan, Chuck Allegan, and Jay Muenster—all privates, next to outsiders. None of them would shoot at me, and—" She came to a full stop and eyed him speculatively12. "And I'm going to look for that bullet," she finished limpingly.
Oliver looked her over thoughtfully. "I can't say that I get what you're driving at at all," he observed. "But it seems to me that you're trying to convey that, with the Seldens and Digger Foss eliminated, there is no danger."
She closed her eyes and gave him several vigorous, exaggerated nods.
"But aren't all of the Poison Oakers concerned in my speedy removal from this country?"
"Well—yes"—hesitatingly. "That's right. But the four will not molest13 me. I know. Please let's not argue about what I know is right!"
Again the series of nods, eyes closed. "You see," she said, "only the Seldens and Digger Foss accuse me of being on your side. So if any one of the other four were to see me go to the spring he'd think I was merely after water, or something. But if you were to go, why—why, it might be different."
Saying which she unexpectedly darted16 away from him up the ravine, left the shelter of the trees, and walked boldly to the spring.
She parted the bushes and disappeared from sight.
Oliver stole quickly to the edge of the cover and hid behind a tree, his Colt unholstered and hanging in his hand. His eyes scoured17 the timbered hills on both sides of the spring, but not a movement did he see.
He puzzled over Jessamy's speech as he watched for evidences of a hostile demonstration18.
"It smacks19 of a counter-plot," he mused15. "All of the Poison Oakers want me out of here, but only the Seldens and the halfbreed are aware that Jessamy is friendly with me. But these four must know it—everybody in the country does by now. It would look as if Old Man Selden and his chosen five are the only ones who suspect her of having an interest in me beyond pure friendship, then. That's it! She said there was another reason other than the grazing matter why Old Man Selden wants me away. And that can't be moonshining, after all; for if Pense and the others are likely to shoot me at the spring, they're in on that. But now apparently20 Selden wants to appear friendly. I can't get it! Jessamy's not playing just fair with me. She's keeping something back. She's too honest and straightforward21 to be a good dissembler; she's bungling22 all the way."
She was returning swiftly down the ravine before he had reached the end of his conclusions. She held up something between dripping fingers as she entered the concealment23 of the trees.
"It's perfect still," she announced. "I thought it wouldn't be flattened24 or bent25, since it struck the water."
Oliver took the small, soft-pointed, steel-banded projectile26 from her hands and studied it.
"M'm-m!" he muttered. "What's this? Looks no larger than a twenty-two."
She nodded. "So I'd say. A twenty-two high-power—wicked little pill."
"And which of the Poison Oakers packs a twenty-two high-power rifle? Do you know?"
"It happens that I do. I've taken the pains to acquaint myself with the various guns of the Poison Oakers. Most of them use twenty-five-thirty-fives. Old Man Selden, Bolar, and Jay Muenster use thirty-thirties. There's one twenty-two high-power Savage27 in the gang, and it's a new one. They say it's a devilish weapon."
"Who owns it?"
"Digger Foss."
"Then it was Foss who shot?"
"Yes—and it's he who was following us today. You see, Digger lives closer to this part of the country than any of the rest. He'd be the only one likely to come in afoot."
"Do you think he tried to lay me out?"
She looked off through the trees, and her face was troubled. "I'm afraid he did," she replied in a strained, hushed key. "Had you been in sight, we might determine that he had shot at the water before your face to put the fear of the Poison Oakers into your heart. But he couldn't see you, in there hidden by the dense28 growth. It was a fifty-fifty chance whether he got you or not. If he'd merely wished to bully29 you, he'd never taken the chance of killing30 you by firing into the growth."
"I guess that's right," he said. "And now what's to be done? I'll never be able to forget the picture of Henry Dodd clutching at White Ann's legs for support in his death struggle. The situation is graver than I thought. I expected to be bullied31 and tormented32; but I didn't expect a deliberate attempt on my life."
With an impetuous movement she threw her bare forearm horizontally against a tree trunk, and hid her eyes against it.
"Oh, I wish you hadn't come!" she half sobbed33. "But you had to—you had to! And now you can't leave because that would be running away. And you're as good as dead if this side-winder gets the right chance at you. What can we do!"
Oliver was silent in the face of her distress34. What could he do indeed! All the chances were against him, with his enemies ready and willing to take any unfair advantage, while his manliness35 would not let him stoop to the use of such tactics. They probably would avoid an out-and-out quarrel, where the chances would be even for a quick draw and quick trigger work. They would ambush36 him, as the halfbreed had attempted to do. He believed now that only the density37 of the growth about Sulphur Spring had stood between him and death, for Digger Foss was accounted an expert shot.
He gently pulled Jessamy Selden from the tree.
"There, there!" he soothed38. "Let's not borrow trouble. They haven't got me yet. Let's ride on. And I think you'd better give me a little more of your confidence. I feel that you're keeping me in the dark about some phases of the deal."
"I'd never make a successful vamp, even if I were beautiful," she smiled at last. "I can't hide things. I give myself away. I'm always bungling. But I can play poker40, just the same!" she added triumphantly41.
"Don't try to hide things, then," he pleaded. "Tell me all that's troubling you."
She shook her head. "That's the greatest difficulty," she complained. "I shouldn't have let you know that I have a secret, but I bungled42 and let it out. And I must keep it. But just the same, I'm with you heart and soul. I'm on your side from start to finish, and I want you to believe it."
"I do," he said simply.
As they reached the cabin he asked: "Did you feel the end of the pipe under the water in the spring?"
She nodded. Then with the promise to meet him next morning for their ride to the fiesta, she moved her mare43 slowly up the cañon and disappeared in the trees.
点击收听单词发音
1 plunged | |
v.颠簸( plunge的过去式和过去分词 );暴跌;骤降;突降 | |
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2 reined | |
勒缰绳使(马)停步( rein的过去式和过去分词 ); 驾驭; 严格控制; 加强管理 | |
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3 dodged | |
v.闪躲( dodge的过去式和过去分词 );回避 | |
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4 galloped | |
(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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5 thickets | |
n.灌木丛( thicket的名词复数 );丛状物 | |
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6 sweeping | |
adj.范围广大的,一扫无遗的 | |
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7 descended | |
a.为...后裔的,出身于...的 | |
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8 decided | |
adj.决定了的,坚决的;明显的,明确的 | |
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9 manly | |
adj.有男子气概的;adv.男子般地,果断地 | |
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10 ridge | |
n.山脊;鼻梁;分水岭 | |
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11 positively | |
adv.明确地,断然,坚决地;实在,确实 | |
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12 speculatively | |
adv.思考地,思索地;投机地 | |
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13 molest | |
vt.骚扰,干扰,调戏 | |
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14 twitched | |
vt.& vi.(使)抽动,(使)颤动(twitch的过去式与过去分词形式) | |
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15 mused | |
v.沉思,冥想( muse的过去式和过去分词 );沉思自语说(某事) | |
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16 darted | |
v.投掷,投射( dart的过去式和过去分词 );向前冲,飞奔 | |
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17 scoured | |
走遍(某地)搜寻(人或物)( scour的过去式和过去分词 ); (用力)刷; 擦净; 擦亮 | |
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18 demonstration | |
n.表明,示范,论证,示威 | |
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19 smacks | |
掌掴(声)( smack的名词复数 ); 海洛因; (打的)一拳; 打巴掌 | |
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20 apparently | |
adv.显然地;表面上,似乎 | |
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21 straightforward | |
adj.正直的,坦率的;易懂的,简单的 | |
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22 bungling | |
adj.笨拙的,粗劣的v.搞糟,完不成( bungle的现在分词 );笨手笨脚地做;失败;完不成 | |
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23 concealment | |
n.隐藏, 掩盖,隐瞒 | |
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24 flattened | |
[医](水)平扁的,弄平的 | |
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25 bent | |
n.爱好,癖好;adj.弯的;决心的,一心的 | |
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26 projectile | |
n.投射物,发射体;adj.向前开进的;推进的;抛掷的 | |
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27 savage | |
adj.野蛮的;凶恶的,残暴的;n.未开化的人 | |
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28 dense | |
a.密集的,稠密的,浓密的;密度大的 | |
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29 bully | |
n.恃强欺弱者,小流氓;vt.威胁,欺侮 | |
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30 killing | |
n.巨额利润;突然赚大钱,发大财 | |
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31 bullied | |
adj.被欺负了v.恐吓,威逼( bully的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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32 tormented | |
饱受折磨的 | |
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33 sobbed | |
哭泣,啜泣( sob的过去式和过去分词 ); 哭诉,呜咽地说 | |
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34 distress | |
n.苦恼,痛苦,不舒适;不幸;vt.使悲痛 | |
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35 manliness | |
刚毅 | |
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36 ambush | |
n.埋伏(地点);伏兵;v.埋伏;伏击 | |
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37 density | |
n.密集,密度,浓度 | |
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38 soothed | |
v.安慰( soothe的过去式和过去分词 );抚慰;使舒服;减轻痛苦 | |
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39 creek | |
n.小溪,小河,小湾 | |
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40 poker | |
n.扑克;vt.烙制 | |
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41 triumphantly | |
ad.得意洋洋地;得胜地;成功地 | |
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42 bungled | |
v.搞糟,完不成( bungle的过去式和过去分词 );笨手笨脚地做;失败;完不成 | |
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43 mare | |
n.母马,母驴 | |
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