On his arrival at camp he found Elliott much interested over discoveries of his own. It seemed that the Easterner had spent the afternoon fishing. At one point, happening to look up, he caught sight of a man surveying him intently from a thicket1. As he stared, the man drew back and disappeared.
"I couldn't see him very plainly," said Elliott. "He had a beard and an old gray hat; but that doesn't mean much of course. When I got my nerve up, and had concluded to investigate, I could hardly find a trace of him. He must wear moccasins, I think."
In return Bob detailed2 his own experiences. The two could make nothing of it all.
"If we were down South I'd say 'moonshiners,'" said Elliott, "but the beautiful objection to that is, that we aren't!"
"It's some mystery to do with the Basin," said Bob, "and the whole countryside is 'on'--except our boys. I don't believe California John knew a thing about it."
"Didn't act so. Question: what possibly could everybody in the mountains be interested in that the Forest Service would object to?"
"Lots of things," replied Bob promptly3, "but I don't believe the mountains are unfriendly to us--as a unit. I know Martin isn't, and he was the first one I noticed as particularly worried."
Elliott reflected.
"If he's so friendly, perhaps he was a little uneasy about _us_," he suggested at length. "If somebody doesn't want the Forest Service in this neck of the woods--if that somebody is relying on the fact that we never come down in here farther than the lookout4, why then it may not be very healthy here."
"Hadn't thought of that," said Bob. "That looks cheerful. But what's the point? Nine-tenths of this timber is private property anyway. There's certainly no trespass--sheep, timber or otherwise--on the government land. What in blazes is the point?"
"Give it up; but we'd better wear our guns."
Bob laughed.
"I'd have a healthy show against a man who really wanted to get me with a gun. Presumably he'd be an expert, or he wouldn't be sent."
It was agreed, however, "in view of the unsettled state of the country," as Bob gravely characterized the situation, that the young men should stick together in their work.
"There's no use taking chances, of course," Bob summed up, "but there's no sense in making fools of ourselves, either. Lord love you, I don't mind being _haunted_! They can spring as many mysterious apparitions5 as they please, so long as said apparitions don't take to heaving bricks. We'd look sweet and lovely, wouldn't we, to go back to headquarters and tell them we'd decided7 to come in because a bad man with whiskers who'd never been introduced came and looked at us out of the trees."
In pursuance of this determination Bob and Elliott combined forces closely in their next day's work. That this was not a useless precaution early became apparent. As, momentarily separated by a few feet, they passed a dense8 thicket, Bob was startled by a low whistle. He looked up. Within fifty feet of him, but so far in the shadow as to be indistinguishable, a man peered at him. As he caught Bob's eyes he made a violent gesture whose purport9 Bob could not guess.
"Did you whistle?" asked Elliott at his elbow. "What's up?"
Bob pointed10; but the man had vanished. Where he had stood they found the print of moccasins.
Thrice during the day they were interrupted by this mysterious presence. On each occasion Bob saw him first. Always he gestured, but whether in warning or threat Bob could not tell. Each time be vanished as though the earth had swallowed him the instant Elliott turned at Bob's exclamation11.
"I believe he's crazy!" exclaimed Elliott impatiently.
"I'd think so, too," replied Bob, "if it weren't for the way everybody acted down below. Do you suppose he's trying to warn us out or scare us off?"
"I'm going to take a crack at him next time he shows up," threatened Elliott. "I'm getting sick of this."
"No, you can't do that," warned Bob.
"I'm going to tell him so anyway."
"That's all right."
For this experiment they had not long to await the opportunity.
"Hi, there!" shouted Elliott at the place from which the mysterious apparition6 had disappeared; "I give you fair warning! Step out and declare yourself peaceably or accept the consequences. If you show yourself again after five minutes are up, I'll open fire!"
The empty forest gave no sign. For an hour nothing happened. Then all at once, when Elliott was entangled12 in a tiny thicket close at Bob's elbow, the latter was startled by the appearance of the man not ten feet away. He leaped apparently13 from below a rounded rock, and now stood in full view of its crown. Bob had time only to catch cognizance of a blue eye and a long beard, to realize that the man was saying something rapidly and in a low voice, when Elliott's six-shooter exploded so near his ear as almost to deafen14 him. At the report the man toppled backward off the rock.
"Good Lord! You've killed him!" cried Bob.
"I did not; I fired straight up!" panted Elliott, dashing past him. "Quick! We'll catch him!"
But catch him nor see him again they did not.
Ten minutes later while working in a wide open stretch of forest, they were brought to a stand by the report of a rifle. At the same instant the shock of a bullet threw a shower of dead pine needles and humus over Elliott. Another and another followed, until six had thudded into the soft earth at the young man's feet. He stood quite motionless, and though he went a little pale, his coolness did not desert him. After the sixth shot silence fell abruptly15. Elliott stood still for some moments, then moved forward a single step.
"Guess the show's over," he remarked with a curt16 laugh. He stooped to examine the excavation17 the bullets had made. "Quaint18 cuss," he remarked a trifle bitterly. "Just wanted to show me how easy it would be. All right, my friend, I'm obliged to you. We'll quit the gun racket; but next time you show your pretty face I'll give you a run for it."
"And get shot," interposed Bob.
"If it's shoot, we'll get ours any minute. Say," went on the young man in absolutely conversational19 tones, "don't you see I'm mad?"
Bob looked and saw.
"Maybe you think shooting at me is one of my little niece's favourite summer-day stunts20?" went on Elliott. "Well, uncle isn't used to it yet."
His tone was quiet, but his eyes burned and the muscles around his mouth were white.
"He's probably crazy, and he's armed," Bob pointed out. "For heaven's sake, go slow."
"I'm going to paddle his pantalettes, if he commands a gatling," stated Elliott.
But the mysterious visitor appeared no more that afternoon, and Elliott's resolutions had time to settle.
That night the young men turned in rather earlier than usual, as they were very tired. Bob immediately dropped into a black sleep. So deep was his slumber21 that it seemed to him he had just dropped off, when he was awakened22 by a cool hand placed across his forehead. He opened his eyes quietly, without alarm, to look full into the waning23 moon sailing high above. His first drowsy24 motion was one of astonishment25, for the luminary26 had not arisen when he had turned in. The camp fire had fallen to a few faintly glowing coals. These perceptions came to him so gently that he would probably have dropped asleep again had not the touch on his forehead been repeated. Then he started broad awake to find himself staring at a silhouetted27 man leaning over him.
With a gesture of caution, the stranger motioned him to arise. Bob obeyed mechanically. The man bent28 toward him.
"Put on your pants and sweater and come along," he whispered guardedly.
Bob peered at him through the moonlight and recognized, vaguely29, the man who had been so mysteriously pursuing them all day. He drew back.
"For the Lord's sake do what I tell you!" whispered the man. "Here!"
His hand sought the shadow of his side, and instantly gleamed with a weapon. Bob started back; but the man was holding the revolver's butt30 to him.
"Now come on!" besought31 the stranger with a strange note of pleading. "Don't wake your pardner!"
Yielding, with a pleasant thrill, to the adventure of the situation, and it must be confessed, to a strong curiosity, Bob hastily assumed his outer clothing. Then, with the muzzle32 of the revolver, he motioned the stranger to proceed.
Stepping cautiously they gained the open forest beyond the screen of brush. Here the man led the way more rapidly. Bob followed close at his heels. They threaded the forest aisles33 without hesitation34, crossed a deep ravine where the man paused to drink, and began to clamber the precipitous and rocky sides of Baldy.
"That'll do for that!" growled35 Bob suddenly.
The man looked around as though for information.
"You needn't go so fast. Keep about three feet in front of me. And when we strike your gang, you keep close to me. _Sabe_?"
"I'm alone," expostulated the man.
Nevertheless he slackened pace.
After five minutes' climb they entered a narrow ravine gashed36 almost perpendicularly37 in the side of the mountain. At this point, however, it flattened38 for perhaps fifty paces, so that there existed a tiny foothold. It was concealed39 from every point, and nevertheless, directly to the west, Bob, pausing for breath, looked out over California slumbering40 in the moon. On this ledge41 flowed a tiny stream, and over it grew a score of cedar42 and fir trees. A fire smouldered near an open camp. On this the man tossed a handful of pitch pine. Immediately the flames started up.
"Here we are!" he remarked aloud.
"Yes, I see we are," replied Bob, looking suspiciously about him, "but what does all this mean?"
"I couldn't get to talk with you no other way, could I?" said the man in tones of complaint; "I sure tried hard enough! But you and your pardner stick closer than brothers."
"If you wanted to speak to me, why didn't you say so?" demanded Bob, his temper rising.
"Well, I don't know who your pardner is, or whether he's reliable, nor nothin'. A man can't be too careful. I thought mebbe you'd make a chance yourself, so I kept giving you a show to. 'Course I didn't want to be seen by him."
"Not seen by him!" broke in Bob impatiently. "What in blazes are you driving at! Explain yourself!"
"I showed myself plain only to you--except when he cut loose that time with his fool six-shooter. I thought he was further in the brush. Why didn't you make a chance to talk?"
"Why should I?" burst out Bob. "Will you kindly43 explain to me why I should make a chance to talk to you; and why I've been dragged out here in the dead of night?"
"No call to get mad," expostulated the man in rather discouraged tones; "I just thought as how mebbe you was still feeling friendly-like. My mistake. But I reckon you won't be giving me away anyhow?"
During this speech he had slowly produced from his hip44 pocket a frayed45 bandana handkerchief; as slowly taken off his hat and mopped his brow.
The removal of the floppy46 and shady old sombrero exposed to the mingled47 rays of the fire and the moon the man's full features. Heretofore, Bob had been able to see indistinctly only the meagre facts of a heavy beard and clear eyes.
"George Pollock!" he cried, dropping the revolver and leaping forward with both hands outstretched.
收听单词发音 |
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thicket
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| n.灌木丛，树林 | |
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detailed
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| adj.详细的，详尽的，极注意细节的，完全的 | |
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promptly
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| adv.及时地，敏捷地 | |
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lookout
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| n.注意，前途，瞭望台 | |
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apparitions
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| n.特异景象( apparition的名词复数 )；幽灵；鬼；（特异景象等的）出现 | |
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apparition
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| n.幽灵，神奇的现象 | |
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decided
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| adj.决定了的，坚决的；明显的，明确的 | |
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dense
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| a.密集的，稠密的，浓密的；密度大的 | |
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purport
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| n.意义，要旨，大要；v.意味著，做为...要旨，要领是... | |
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pointed
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| adj.尖的，直截了当的 | |
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exclamation
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| n.感叹号，惊呼，惊叹词 | |
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entangled
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| adj.卷入的；陷入的；被缠住的；缠在一起的v.使某人（某物/自己）缠绕，纠缠于（某物中），使某人（自己）陷入（困难或复杂的环境中）( entangle的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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apparently
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| adv.显然地；表面上，似乎 | |
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deafen
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| vt.震耳欲聋；使听不清楚 | |
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abruptly
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| adv.突然地，出其不意地 | |
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curt
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| adj.简短的，草率的 | |
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excavation
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| n.挖掘，发掘；被挖掘之地 | |
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quaint
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| adj.古雅的，离奇有趣的，奇怪的 | |
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conversational
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| adj.对话的，会话的 | |
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stunts
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| n.惊人的表演( stunt的名词复数 )；（广告中）引人注目的花招；愚蠢行为；危险举动v.阻碍…发育[生长]，抑制，妨碍( stunt的第三人称单数 ) | |
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slumber
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| n.睡眠，沉睡状态 | |
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awakened
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| v.（使）醒( awaken的过去式和过去分词 )；（使）觉醒；弄醒；（使）意识到 | |
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waning
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| adj.（月亮）渐亏的，逐渐减弱或变小的n.月亏v.衰落( wane的现在分词 )；（月）亏；变小；变暗淡 | |
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drowsy
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| adj.昏昏欲睡的，令人发困的 | |
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astonishment
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| n.惊奇，惊异 | |
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luminary
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| n.名人，天体 | |
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silhouetted
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| 显出轮廓的，显示影像的 | |
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bent
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| n.爱好，癖好；adj.弯的；决心的，一心的 | |
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vaguely
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| adv.含糊地，暖昧地 | |
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butt
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| n.笑柄；烟蒂；枪托；臀部；v.用头撞或顶 | |
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besought
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| v.恳求，乞求（某事物）( beseech的过去式和过去分词 )；(beseech的过去式与过去分词) | |
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muzzle
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| n.鼻口部；口套；枪(炮)口；vt.使缄默 | |
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aisles
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| n. (席位间的)通道, 侧廊 | |
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hesitation
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| n.犹豫，踌躇 | |
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growled
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| v.（动物）发狺狺声， （雷）作隆隆声( growl的过去式和过去分词 )；低声咆哮着说 | |
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gashed
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| v.划伤，割破( gash的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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perpendicularly
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| adv. 垂直地, 笔直地, 纵向地 | |
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flattened
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| [医]（水）平扁的，弄平的 | |
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concealed
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| a.隐藏的，隐蔽的 | |
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slumbering
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| 微睡，睡眠（slumber的现在分词形式） | |
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ledge
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| n.壁架，架状突出物；岩架，岩礁 | |
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cedar
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| n.雪松，香柏(木) | |
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kindly
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| adj.和蔼的，温和的，爽快的；adv.温和地，亲切地 | |
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hip
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| n.臀部，髋；屋脊 | |
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frayed
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| adj.磨损的v.（使布、绳等）磨损，磨破( fray的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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floppy
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| adj.松软的，衰弱的 | |
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mingled
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| 混合，混入( mingle的过去式和过去分词 )； 混进，与…交往[联系] | |
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