For over an hour Oliver Drew was obliged to lie flat at the bottom of the shallow prospect1 hole, while Foss remained astride the limb of the digger pine and Tommy My-Ma kept hidden under the pile of brush.
There was no chance to steal out and crawl away through the chaparral, for, while Digger's back was always toward him, he could not tell which way the brush-screened Showut Poche-daka was looking.
At last, though, the man on lookout2 began to show signs of vast uneasiness. His position was uncomfortable, and down at the cabin there was, of course, no movement to arouse his interest and relieve the tedium3 of his watch. He squirmed incessantly4 for a time; and then apparently5 he decided6 that the object of his espionage7 had left the ranch8, for he thrust his glasses in his shirt front and began monkeying to the ground.
Oliver's security now was in the hands of chance. If the halfbreed left his observation post by a route which passed near the prospect hole, Oliver would be discovered. If he decided to leave the thicket10 by crawling downhill, Oliver would be safe from detection.
It was rather a breathless minute that followed, and then he heard the gunman moving off through the chaparral in the direction of the cañon—the least difficult route by far. Apparently he had not come mounted, else he would have retraced11 his course back to where he would have left his horse.
Gradually the sounds of his retreat died away. Still there was no movement in the pile of brush, so far as Oliver's ears were able to detect. He dared not look up over the edge of the prospect hole that hid him.
For half an hour longer Oliver lay motionless and silent. Had Tommy My-Ma slipped out noiselessly and followed Foss? Or was he for some obscure reason still hiding under the dry manzanita tops? At the end of this period Oliver decided that the Indian must have gone. Anyway, he did not purpose to remain in that hole till nightfall.
So he elevated his nose to the land level and peered about cautiously.
Everything remained as he had seen it last. He rose to his feet, left the hole, and walked boldly to the brush pile.
A swift examination of the ground showed that Tommy My-Ma had left his place of concealment13, perhaps long since. There was a plainly marked trail through the shattered leaves that led in the same direction taken by the departing halfbreed.
Oliver studied the brush pile, and found that the facilities for hiding were as he had deduced. Pine limbs had been laid across the hole like rafters, and the brush heaped on top of them. Beneath was a space deep enough for a man to sit erect14; and he might thrust his head up into the brush and peer out in all directions. Loose brush concealed15 the entrance, and it had been replaced when the Indian took his leave.
What was the meaning of it all? Foss, of course, had reason to hate him; but what could he gain by secretly watching him from cover? And why was the Indian watching Foss in turn? All indications pointed16 to the belief that Foss had occupied his observation tree often, and that his shadow had as frequently trailed him and spied on him from a prearranged hiding place.
What strange, mysterious intrigue17 had enveloped18 his life because of the unanswered question with which old Peter Drew had struggled for over thirty years? When would he face the question? Would the answer be Yes or No? Would his college education prove a safeguard against his reading the answer wrong, as his poor, unlettered old father had hoped? And Jessamy! Would she figure in the answer? Somehow he felt that hope and life and Jessamy hung on whether his answer would be Yes or No. His dead father's hand seemed to be weaving the warp19 and woof of his destiny.
Oliver gave up further search for the bees that day. By a circuitous20 route he returned to his irrigating21 of the garden.
June days passed after this, and July days began. The poison oak had turned from green to brilliant red, and now was dark-green once more. The air was hot; the grass was sear and yellow; the creek22 was dry but for a deep pool abreast23 the cabin. But Oliver did not worry much now about the creek, except for the loss of its low, comforting murmur24 and the greenness with which it had endowed its banks, because the enlarged flow from his spring was ample for his needs.
No longer did linnets sit near his cabin window and sing to the accompaniment of his typewriter keys. Their season of love was over; the young birds were feathered out and had left their nests. The wild canaries still were with him, and hovered25 about the rambling26 willow27 over the spring. Eagles soared aloft in the clear, hot skies. Lizards28 basked29 lazily about the cabin, and blinked up contentedly30 when he tickled31 their sides with a broomstraw, or dangled32 pre-swatted flies before their grinning lips.
For a week now he had seen no member of the Poison Oaker Gang. The cows bearing their brand were all about him, but gave him no trouble, and he thought it strange that he chanced to meet no one riding to look after them. He had not been bothered. Whether Digger Foss spent his idle hours watching him from the branches of his lookout pine he did not know or care. He had not seen Jessamy since the morning he left Poison Oak Ranch, and all his worriment and discontent found vent33 in this.
Why had she not ridden down to him, as of old? Had he offended her in any way? The thought was unbelievable, for he could recall not the slightest hint of any misunderstanding.
He brooded and moped over it, and loved her more and more—realized, because of her absence, just how deeply he desired her. He experienced all the tortures of first love; and then one day he found his senses.
Then he laughed loud and long, and ran for Poche, and threw the silver-mounted saddle on his back. She had come to him when he could not go to her. Now her step-father had invited him to her home, and if he wished her companionship he must take the male's part and seek it. What an utter ass9 he had been indeed!
It was one o'clock when Poche bore him into the cup in the mountains that cradled Poison Oak Ranch. At once the longed-for sight of her gladdened his heart once more, for she apparently had seen him coming and was walking from the house to meet him.
How her sturdy, womanly figure thrilled his soul! Black as night was the hair that was now coiled loosely on her head, in which a red rose blazed as when he had seen her last. The confident poise34 of her head, the warm tints35 of that strong column that was her neck, the brave carriage of her shoulders, her swinging stride, the long black lashes36 that seemed to be etched by an Oriental artist—they set his heart to pounding until he felt faint; the yearning37, hopeless void of love tormented38 him.
And then with his senses awhirl he leaned from the saddle and felt her warm, soft hand in his, and gazed dizzily into the unsounded depths of the trout39 pools shaded by grapevines, to which his fancy had likened her eyes. His hand shook and his heart leaped, and his soul cried out for her; and all that he could say was:
"How do you do, Miss Selden!"
He saddled White Ann, and over the hills they rode together. Commonplaces passed between them until the wilderness40 enveloped them. Then as they sat their horses and gazed down a precipitous slope to the river, she asked:
"Just why have you kept away from us all these weeks?"
He reddened. "I'll tell you frankly," he said: "I was a fool. I was moping because you had not ridden to see me. You had come so often before. And I woke up only today. Today for the first time I realized that, since Old Man Selden has opened his door to me, it is my place to go to you."
He cleared his throat uncomfortably.
"Some time ago," he told her, "I realized that you sought me out in the first place for a purpose."
He paused, and the look he cast at her was eager, though guarded carefully.
"Yes?" she questioned.
"Yes," he went on. "I realized that. And also that you continued to come because that purpose was not yet fulfilled, and because conditions made it necessary for you to look me up."
"Yes, I understand—" as he had come to a stop, rather helplessly.
"Well, just that," he floundered. "And then Selden changed his tactics, and I could go to you. So you—you didn't come to me any more."
"Fairly well elucidated," she laughed, "if repetition makes for clearness. Well, you understand now—so let's forget it."
"I want you to understand that it wasn't because I didn't wish to come. It was just thick-headedness."
"So you have said. Yes, I understand."
The gaze of her black eyes was far away—far away over the deep, rugged42 cañon, over the hills that climbed shelf after shelf to the mystic snow-topped mountains, far away into a country that is not of the earth earthy. Under her drab flannel43 shirt her full bosom44 rose and fell with the regularity45 of her perfect breathing. Her man's hat lay over her saddle horn. Like some reigning46 goddess of the wilderness she sat and overlooked the domain47 that was hers unchallenged; and the profile of her brow, and the long, black, drooping48 lashes, tore at the heart-strings of the man until he suffered.
"I can't stand that!" he cried out in his soul; and a pressure of the reins49 brought Poche close to White Ann's side. "Jessamy!" said the man huskily. "Jessamy!"
He could say no more, for his voice failed him, and a haze50 swam before his eyes as when he had lost control of himself on the hillside.
"Jessamy!" he managed to cry again; and then, for lack of words, he spread his arms out toward her.
The black lashes flicked51 downward once, but she did not turn her face to him. The colour deepened in her throat and mounted to her cheeks, and her bosom rose and fell more rapidly.
Then slowly she turned her face to his, and her level gaze searched him, unafraid. But not for long this time. Down drooped52 the black lashes till they seemed to have been drawn53 with pen and India ink on her smooth brown cheeks; and they screened a light that caused his heart to bound with expectation that was half of hope.
Her red lips moved. "Wait!" she whispered.
His arms fell to his sides. "You—you won't hear me!"
"No—not now."
"You know what I'm trying so hard to say. It means so much to me. It's hard for a man to say the one word which he knows will make him or break him for all time to come. He'd rather—he'd rather just hope on blindly, I guess, than to speak when he can't guess how the woman feels. Must—must I say it—right out, Jessamy?"
"No, my friend, don't say it."
"Is there anything that stands between us?"
"Yes. But don't ask what."
"Then you don't love me!"
Her red lips quivered. "I said for you to wait," she told him softly.
"Why should I wait? For what? I know myself. I'm grown. I know that I—"
"Don't!" she interrupted. "Wait!" And she leaned in the saddle and swung White Ann away from him.
"Let's ride back home," she said. "You'll stay to supper? The moon will be bright for your ride home later. I'll make you a cherry pie!"
点击收听单词发音
1 prospect | |
n.前景,前途;景色,视野 | |
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2 lookout | |
n.注意,前途,瞭望台 | |
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3 tedium | |
n.单调;烦闷 | |
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4 incessantly | |
ad.不停地 | |
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5 apparently | |
adv.显然地;表面上,似乎 | |
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6 decided | |
adj.决定了的,坚决的;明显的,明确的 | |
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7 espionage | |
n.间谍行为,谍报活动 | |
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8 ranch | |
n.大牧场,大农场 | |
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9 ass | |
n.驴;傻瓜,蠢笨的人 | |
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10 thicket | |
n.灌木丛,树林 | |
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11 retraced | |
v.折回( retrace的过去式和过去分词 );回忆;回顾;追溯 | |
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12 quail | |
n.鹌鹑;vi.畏惧,颤抖 | |
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13 concealment | |
n.隐藏, 掩盖,隐瞒 | |
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14 erect | |
n./v.树立,建立,使竖立;adj.直立的,垂直的 | |
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15 concealed | |
a.隐藏的,隐蔽的 | |
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16 pointed | |
adj.尖的,直截了当的 | |
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17 intrigue | |
vt.激起兴趣,迷住;vi.耍阴谋;n.阴谋,密谋 | |
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18 enveloped | |
v.包围,笼罩,包住( envelop的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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19 warp | |
vt.弄歪,使翘曲,使不正常,歪曲,使有偏见 | |
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20 circuitous | |
adj.迂回的路的,迂曲的,绕行的 | |
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21 irrigating | |
灌溉( irrigate的现在分词 ); 冲洗(伤口) | |
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22 creek | |
n.小溪,小河,小湾 | |
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23 abreast | |
adv.并排地;跟上(时代)的步伐,与…并进地 | |
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24 murmur | |
n.低语,低声的怨言;v.低语,低声而言 | |
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25 hovered | |
鸟( hover的过去式和过去分词 ); 靠近(某事物); (人)徘徊; 犹豫 | |
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26 rambling | |
adj.[建]凌乱的,杂乱的 | |
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27 willow | |
n.柳树 | |
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28 lizards | |
n.蜥蜴( lizard的名词复数 ) | |
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29 basked | |
v.晒太阳,取暖( bask的过去式和过去分词 );对…感到乐趣;因他人的功绩而出名;仰仗…的余泽 | |
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30 contentedly | |
adv.心满意足地 | |
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31 tickled | |
(使)发痒( tickle的过去式和过去分词 ); (使)愉快,逗乐 | |
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32 dangled | |
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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33 vent | |
n.通风口,排放口;开衩;vt.表达,发泄 | |
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34 poise | |
vt./vi. 平衡,保持平衡;n.泰然自若,自信 | |
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35 tints | |
色彩( tint的名词复数 ); 带白的颜色; (淡色)染发剂; 痕迹 | |
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36 lashes | |
n.鞭挞( lash的名词复数 );鞭子;突然猛烈的一击;急速挥动v.鞭打( lash的第三人称单数 );煽动;紧系;怒斥 | |
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37 yearning | |
a.渴望的;向往的;怀念的 | |
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38 tormented | |
饱受折磨的 | |
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39 trout | |
n.鳟鱼;鲑鱼(属) | |
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40 wilderness | |
n.杳无人烟的一片陆地、水等,荒漠 | |
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41 demurely | |
adv.装成端庄地,认真地 | |
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42 rugged | |
adj.高低不平的,粗糙的,粗壮的,强健的 | |
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43 flannel | |
n.法兰绒;法兰绒衣服 | |
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44 bosom | |
n.胸,胸部;胸怀;内心;adj.亲密的 | |
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45 regularity | |
n.规律性,规则性;匀称,整齐 | |
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46 reigning | |
adj.统治的,起支配作用的 | |
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47 domain | |
n.(活动等)领域,范围;领地,势力范围 | |
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48 drooping | |
adj. 下垂的,无力的 动词droop的现在分词 | |
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49 reins | |
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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50 haze | |
n.霾,烟雾;懵懂,迷糊;vi.(over)变模糊 | |
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51 flicked | |
(尤指用手指或手快速地)轻击( flick的过去式和过去分词 ); (用…)轻挥; (快速地)按开关; 向…笑了一下(或瞥了一眼等) | |
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52 drooped | |
弯曲或下垂,发蔫( droop的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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53 drawn | |
v.拖,拉,拔出;adj.憔悴的,紧张的 | |
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