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CHAPTER XI
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 Park Reber did not lead his men straight for the Two Bar X, but took the left-hand road and headed for the Circle S, where he decided1 to pick up Jim Carlin and his men. He intended sending one man from there to the Lightning to get the assistance of Nort Jackson and his crew. Reber was going to have enough men to comb every inch of the country.
 
It was nearing daylight when they rode into the Circle S. The ranch3 was deserted4.
 
“Mebbe they’re chasin’ rustlers already,” said one of the men.
 
“More likely out doin’ a little rustlin’,” said Buck5 Priest grimly. His face was the color of ashes, his left leg dangling7 uselessly from outside the stirrup. The old man was living on his nerve now. Park Reber scowled8 at him, but said nothing in reply to Priest’s sarcasm9.
 
“Shall we go to the Lightnin’?” asked a cowboy.
 
“No,” said Reber shortly, and headed for the Two Bar X.
 
The men were tired, sleepy, hungry; they were willing to go anywhere to stop for a while. They did not go back to the road, but cut across the hills. Daylight came swiftly, and the sun was painting the tops of the hills when they struck the road about a mile below the Two Bar X.
 
And here the road was a mass of cow tracks. Reber leaned forward in his saddle, pointing at them.
 
“The trail of the rustlers,” he said. “They’re headin’ for the West Fork pass.”
 
“Listen!” Nelson threw up his hand.
 
From far up the road they could hear the rattle10 of rifle shots.
 
“My ⸺!” exclaimed Reber. “The boys of the Two Bar X are tryin’ to stop ’em! Come on!”
 
Some one lashed11 Buck Priest’s horse across the rump with a rope, and the animal almost unseated the suffering old man. He gritted12 his teeth and rode along with them. The men were riding with rifles in their hands now.
 
About three hundred yards short of the Two Bar X, the road topped an elevation13 around the point of a hill and, as they swung around this point, Park Reber, riding at the head of his men, drew rein14.
 
The whole front end of the ranchhouse was enveloped15 in flames, and beyond the burning house the hills were full of cattle. They saw a man running away from the corrals. He mounted a horse and headed for the cattle.
 
A rifle bullet struck the ground in front of Reber’s horse and buzzed angrily away. The riders separated like a covey of quail16. Another bullet thudded against a horse, and its rider flung himself free as the horse reared up and fell backward.
 
Cowboys were dismounting as swiftly as possible, letting their horses go; then they ran ahead, taking advantage of every bit of cover. Rifles began to crack as the Reber men searched the corrals and sheds with bullets.
 
Mounted men began riding from behind the stable, heading toward the cattle.
 
“Get yore horses!” yelled Reber. “They’re headin’ for the pass.”
 
The men continued to shoot at the retreating cowboys. One of them pitched sidewise off his horse, and his horse came back toward the stable. Reber’s men mounted swiftly and swept down on the ranch.
 
A man ran from the stable-door, trying to get around the corner, but a hail of bullets cut him down. He went flat on his side, rolled over and fired one shot in return. Park Reber jerked back in his saddle and slid to the ground.
 
At that same moment one of the men yelled warningly. The outside roothouse door was flung open and out came Jack2 Silver, carrying June Meline across one arm. He staggered, flung up his right hand to shoot at them, but tripped over an old water-bucket and fell flat.
 
Several cowboys threw themselves upon him before he could get up, and held him tightly. They yanked him to his feet, and others took charge of June.
 
“Well, yuh got me, I guess,” panted Jack.
 
“I guess we have!” snorted a cowboy. “Yo’re all through, you dirty half-breed.”
 
Jack shut his lips tightly.
 
“Reber’s been hit hard,” said one of the men. “That feller down at the stable got him.”
 
They led Jack around to where Reber was lying. But Jack paid no attention to Reber; he was staring at old Buck Priest, who was barely able to sit in his saddle.
 
Park Reber had the men lift him to a sitting position. He looked at Jack Silver closely.
 
“I swore I’d get you, Silver,” he said. “I started out last night to clean out the valley. I don’t know how badly I’m hurt, but it’s bad enough. But you’ve stolen your last cow, kidnaped your last woman. If you’ve got any prayers to say you better say ’em.”
 
“I’m not prayin’,” said Jack coldly. “I never stole yore cows and I never kidnaped any woman.”
 
“What else could yuh say?” cried Reber, and then to his men, “Run a rope over the ridge-pole of the stable.”
 
The men hurried to do his bidding. Old Buck Priest had heard Reber’s order, and it seemed to amuse him greatly.
 
“Goin’ to hang the lad, eh?” he laughed. “Ha-ha-ha-ha-ha! That’s good! Goin’ to die with that on yore dirty soul, eh? It’s like yuh, Reber.”
 
He turned to Jack, who was being held by two men.
 
“Reber’s men bushwhacked me last night, Jack. They killed Ken17 Mader. Yesterday afternoon they killed O’Steen.”
 
“You lie!” declared Reber weakly. “You’re tryin’ to turn it around. You stole my cattle and my men caught yuh.”
 
“And yore men shot Sam Herd18 yesterday, Priest,” declared Nelson.
 
“Lies!” panted Buck. “All lies! We didn’t know Herd was dead until we met yuh at the forks of the road, Nelson.”
 
“The rope’s ready, Park,” called one of the men.
 
One of the cowboys threw a noose19 around Jack’s neck, but he did not quiver. He was probably the coolest man in the crowd.
 
“Have you said yore prayer?” asked Reber.
 
Jack shut his lips tightly.
 
“All right,” said Reber weakly.
 
“I wish you’d wait until June Meline recovers,” said Jack. “She might have somethin’ to say.”
 
“Your time is up, Silver.”
 
“Yuh better not hang him,” said Buck Priest. “You’ll be sorry, Reber. Ain’t there nothin’ that can save him?”
 
“Not a thing, Priest.”
 
“All right, Reber. Go ahead and hang him. Ha-ha-ha-ha-ha! Hang him, you dirty old pup! Hang yore own son, and be ⸺ to yuh! Ha-ha-ha-ha-ha!”
 
In spite of his weakness, Reber jerked forward, staring at Buck Priest. Jack Silver stumbled forward, his eyes on the curiously20 twisted features of the old cattleman. Reber tore his gaze away and looked at Jack Silver.
 
“You lie, Priest!” he said.
 
“I don’t lie! He’s your son, Park. His mother died when he was born and he was nursed by a squaw. Ask him who his father was—he don’t know, I tell yuh!”
 
Jack shook his head.
 
“I kept track of him, Park,” said Priest. “I shipped him to school and paid for it. I wanted an ace6 in the hole. You’ve always wondered if there was a child. Look at him, Reber. He’s yore own flesh and blood—and you’re goin’ to hang him! Let’s get it over with, Reber. I want to see you hang yore own son.”
 
Reber shut his eyes, and after a few moments the tears trickled21 down his cheeks. The wound was sapping his strength. It was a long way to a doctor, and he knew he couldn’t live till one came.
 
One of his men came bustling22 into the crowd.
 
“Hey,” he shouted, “that fellow down by the stable is Bell, of this ranch, and the one on the hill up there is Bob Cliff, of the Lightnin’! What does it mean?”
 
“It means that Reber’s own men planned to clean him out,” said Jack Silver. “They kidnaped June Meline. I found her and brought her here. Last night Bell killed McLeese. He was on the porch and he’s burned up by this time. I think you’ll find that the Circle X, Lightnin’ and Two Bar X outfits23 were makin’ a big steal, but circumstances blocked ’em.”
 
Reber opened his eyes and stared at Jack.
 
“Is that all true, Jack?” he asked.
 
“The girl’s awake,” burst in one of the men.
 
They brought her over to Reber. She saw the rope around Jack’s neck.
 
“He—he saved me!” she said hoarsely24 to Reber. “Jack Silver wasn’t to blame. It was your own men. Oh, you’ve been hurt again!”
 
Reber leaned back and his face was very white now.
 
“Come in close, boys,” he said weakly. “Listen to what I’m sayin’. No time to write. Jack Silver is my son. Everything I own belongs to him. I think Buck Priest taught him to hate me. I—I didn’t kill off his herd of cattle. Mebbe my men did it. But it’s all right now. He owns this valley and everything else I have.
 
“Get Buck Priest to a doctor. I don’t hate him any more. He gave me back my son. Jack—come closer. This—is—June. She’s—fine. I—I—”
 
His head fell forward on his chest.
 
There was little left of the old ranchhouse when Jack Silver and June Meline stood beside the body of Park Reber, who seemed to be smiling in his sleep. Nelson came up to Jack and held out his hand.
 
“You’ll have to hire new crews, Jack,” he said. “I imagine a lot of Diamond R men went over the West Fork pass this mornin’.”
 
“Let ’em go,” said Jack. “There’s been enough killin’.”
 
He put his good arm around June and they went down toward the stables, where the men were rigging a stretcher to carry Buck Priest back to his ranch.

点击收听单词发音收听单词发音  

1 decided lvqzZd     
adj.决定了的,坚决的;明显的,明确的
参考例句:
  • This gave them a decided advantage over their opponents.这使他们比对手具有明显的优势。
  • There is a decided difference between British and Chinese way of greeting.英国人和中国人打招呼的方式有很明显的区别。
2 jack 53Hxp     
n.插座,千斤顶,男人;v.抬起,提醒,扛举;n.(Jake)杰克
参考例句:
  • I am looking for the headphone jack.我正在找寻头戴式耳机插孔。
  • He lifted the car with a jack to change the flat tyre.他用千斤顶把车顶起来换下瘪轮胎。
3 ranch dAUzk     
n.大牧场,大农场
参考例句:
  • He went to work on a ranch.他去一个大农场干活。
  • The ranch is in the middle of a large plateau.该牧场位于一个辽阔高原的中部。
4 deserted GukzoL     
adj.荒芜的,荒废的,无人的,被遗弃的
参考例句:
  • The deserted village was filled with a deathly silence.这个荒废的村庄死一般的寂静。
  • The enemy chieftain was opposed and deserted by his followers.敌人头目众叛亲离。
5 buck ESky8     
n.雄鹿,雄兔;v.马离地跳跃
参考例句:
  • The boy bent curiously to the skeleton of the buck.这个男孩好奇地弯下身去看鹿的骸骨。
  • The female deer attracts the buck with high-pitched sounds.雌鹿以尖声吸引雄鹿。
6 ace IzHzsp     
n.A牌;发球得分;佼佼者;adj.杰出的
参考例句:
  • A good negotiator always has more than one ace in the hole.谈判高手总有数张王牌在手。
  • He is an ace mechanic.He can repair any cars.他是一流的机械师,什么车都会修。
7 dangling 4930128e58930768b1c1c75026ebc649     
悬吊着( dangle的现在分词 ); 摆动不定; 用某事物诱惑…; 吊胃口
参考例句:
  • The tooth hung dangling by the bedpost, now. 结果,那颗牙就晃来晃去吊在床柱上了。
  • The children sat on the high wall,their legs dangling. 孩子们坐在一堵高墙上,摇晃着他们的双腿。
8 scowled b83aa6db95e414d3ef876bc7fd16d80d     
怒视,生气地皱眉( scowl的过去式和过去分词 )
参考例句:
  • He scowled his displeasure. 他满脸嗔色。
  • The teacher scowled at his noisy class. 老师对他那喧闹的课堂板着脸。
9 sarcasm 1CLzI     
n.讥讽,讽刺,嘲弄,反话 (adj.sarcastic)
参考例句:
  • His sarcasm hurt her feelings.他的讽刺伤害了她的感情。
  • She was given to using bitter sarcasm.她惯于用尖酸刻薄语言挖苦人。
10 rattle 5Alzb     
v.飞奔,碰响;激怒;n.碰撞声;拨浪鼓
参考例句:
  • The baby only shook the rattle and laughed and crowed.孩子只是摇着拨浪鼓,笑着叫着。
  • She could hear the rattle of the teacups.她听见茶具叮当响。
11 lashed 4385e23a53a7428fb973b929eed1bce6     
adj.具睫毛的v.鞭打( lash的过去式和过去分词 );煽动;紧系;怒斥
参考例句:
  • The rain lashed at the windows. 雨点猛烈地打在窗户上。
  • The cleverly designed speech lashed the audience into a frenzy. 这篇精心设计的演说煽动听众使他们发狂。 来自《简明英汉词典》
12 gritted 74cb239c0aa78b244d5279ebe4f72c2d     
v.以沙砾覆盖(某物),撒沙砾于( grit的过去式和过去分词 );咬紧牙关
参考例句:
  • He gritted his teeth and plunged into the cold weather. 他咬咬牙,冲向寒冷的天气。 来自《现代英汉综合大词典》
  • The young policeman gritted his teeth and walked slowly towards the armed criminal. 年轻警官强忍住怒火,朝武装歹徒慢慢走过去。 来自《简明英汉词典》
13 elevation bqsxH     
n.高度;海拔;高地;上升;提高
参考例句:
  • The house is at an elevation of 2,000 metres.那幢房子位于海拔两千米的高处。
  • His elevation to the position of General Manager was announced yesterday.昨天宣布他晋升总经理职位。
14 rein xVsxs     
n.疆绳,统治,支配;vt.以僵绳控制,统治
参考例句:
  • The horse answered to the slightest pull on the rein.只要缰绳轻轻一拉,马就作出反应。
  • He never drew rein for a moment till he reached the river.他一刻不停地一直跑到河边。
15 enveloped 8006411f03656275ea778a3c3978ff7a     
v.包围,笼罩,包住( envelop的过去式和过去分词 )
参考例句:
  • She was enveloped in a huge white towel. 她裹在一条白色大毛巾里。
  • Smoke from the burning house enveloped the whole street. 燃烧着的房子冒出的浓烟笼罩了整条街。 来自《简明英汉词典》
16 quail f0UzL     
n.鹌鹑;vi.畏惧,颤抖
参考例句:
  • Cowards always quail before the enemy.在敌人面前,胆小鬼们总是畏缩不前的。
  • Quail eggs are very high in cholesterol.鹌鹑蛋胆固醇含量高。
17 ken k3WxV     
n.视野,知识领域
参考例句:
  • Such things are beyond my ken.我可不懂这些事。
  • Abstract words are beyond the ken of children.抽象的言辞超出小孩所理解的范围.
18 herd Pd8zb     
n.兽群,牧群;vt.使集中,把…赶在一起
参考例句:
  • She drove the herd of cattle through the wilderness.她赶着牛群穿过荒野。
  • He had no opinions of his own but simply follow the herd.他从无主见,只是人云亦云。
19 noose 65Zzd     
n.绳套,绞索(刑);v.用套索捉;使落入圈套;处以绞刑
参考例句:
  • They tied a noose round her neck.他们在她脖子上系了一个活扣。
  • A hangman's noose had already been placed around his neck.一个绞刑的绳圈已经套在他的脖子上。
20 curiously 3v0zIc     
adv.有求知欲地;好问地;奇特地
参考例句:
  • He looked curiously at the people.他好奇地看着那些人。
  • He took long stealthy strides. His hands were curiously cold.他迈着悄没声息的大步。他的双手出奇地冷。
21 trickled 636e70f14e72db3fe208736cb0b4e651     
v.滴( trickle的过去式和过去分词 );淌;使)慢慢走;缓慢移动
参考例句:
  • Blood trickled down his face. 血从他脸上一滴滴流下来。 来自《简明英汉词典》
  • The tears trickled down her cheeks. 热泪一滴滴从她脸颊上滚下来。 来自《简明英汉词典》
22 bustling LxgzEl     
adj.喧闹的
参考例句:
  • The market was bustling with life. 市场上生机勃勃。
  • This district is getting more and more prosperous and bustling. 这一带越来越繁华了。
23 outfits ed01b85fb10ede2eb7d337e0ea2d0bb3     
n.全套装备( outfit的名词复数 );一套服装;集体;组织v.装备,配置设备,供给服装( outfit的第三人称单数 )
参考例句:
  • He jobbed out the contract to a number of small outfits. 他把承包工程分包给许多小单位。 来自辞典例句
  • Some cyclists carry repair outfits because they may have a puncture. 有些骑自行车的人带修理工具,因为他们车胎可能小孔。 来自辞典例句
24 hoarsely hoarsely     
adv.嘶哑地
参考例句:
  • "Excuse me," he said hoarsely. “对不起。”他用嘶哑的嗓子说。
  • Jerry hoarsely professed himself at Miss Pross's service. 杰瑞嘶声嘶气地表示愿为普洛丝小姐效劳。 来自英汉文学 - 双城记


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