All felt very sad the next morning when the train proceeded on its way. Many of them thought they were leaving civilization and its blessings2 forever behind, and as they looked toward the vast prairie of the West they remembered with a shudder3 how many had found a grave beneath its tall grass. But there was no delaying or turning back then, and so they slowly continued their way, pausing but once to give a farewell cheer for the flag that floated from the fort, and to look at their rifles and say, "We are ready for whatever may come!"
To Guy it seemed impossible that any one could long remain sad in the beautiful country they were entering upon. As far as the eye could reach lay a vast expanse of prairie, upon which the sunbeams lay like golden halo, making the long, rich grass of one uniform tint4 of pale green. Then a gentle breeze would come and ruffle5 the surface of this vast sea of vegetation, and immediately a hundred shades, varying from the deepest green to the lightest gold, would dance up and down each separate blade, producing the most wonderful chaos6 of colors. A great variety of the most lovely and delicate flowers, too, nestled beneath the grass, and sent forth7 sweet odors to refresh the traveler as he passed. Guy gathered them by handsful and gave them to Aggie8, who wove them into long wreaths which she hung around the wagon9, when she declared it looked like a fairy bower10.
At midday they stopped to rest. The mules11 and oxen were turned out to graze on the luxuriant grass, and a small party of the men rode a short distance from camp in search of game. Guy would have greatly liked to accompany them, but as Mr. Harwood did not tell him to do so, he remained contentedly12 behind, assisting his mother to take care of the baby, and anxiously wondering when she would become strong and well, for she still looked as pale and weak as when they left W——.
He was speaking to his mother of this and hearing very thankfully her assurance that she felt better, if she did not look so, when Gus and George came up to him, and rapidly told him that their father had gone to the hunt and had left his powder flask13 behind and that their mother said he was to take it to them.
"But he is on horseback," said Guy, "and I should never be able to walk fast enough to overtake him. I'll go and speak to Mrs. Harwood about it."
"Indeed you won't!" exclaimed George, "she says you are not to bother her, but to go at once. You will be sure to meet papa, because he said they would not go farther than that little belt of cotton-wood trees which you see over there."
"Why, he did not go that way at all," cried Guy in astonishment14. "He left the camp on the other side."
"Well, I know that," returned George, "but they were going toward that belt of trees, anyway. Didn't papa tell mamma so, Mrs. Loring?"
"Hallo! where has she gone to?"
"She went into the wagon before you began to speak to me," said Guy, not very well pleased with the cunning look in George's face.
"Oh, did she? All right! Here, take the flask and hurry along, or mamma will give it to you for lagging so. I wish I could go with you and see the hunt."
Guy was so fearful that he would do so whether he had permission or not, that he hurried away without farther thought, and was soon quite alone on the great prairie. I think he would not have gone so fast had he heard George's exultant15 laugh as he turned to Gus with the remark, "Isn't it jolly he's gone, but if you tell that I sent him away, I'll break your bones."
Gus had a very high regard for his bones,—perhaps rather more than for the truth,—for he promised very readily to say nothing of what had passed, and indeed thought it an excellent joke, and laughed heartily16.
Meanwhile Guy walked on in the direction George had pointed17 out to him, wondering as he forced his way through the tall grass, how Mr. Harwood could consider it enough of importance to send him with it. He walked a long distance without finding any traces of Mr. Harwood and his party, and looking back saw that the wagons18 appeared as mere19 specks20 above the grass. For a moment he felt inclined to turn back, but he remembered that his mother had told him always to finish anything he undertook to accomplish, and so stepped briskly forward quite determined21 to find Mr. Harwood if it was at all possible to do so.
It was a long time before he looked back again for he did not like to be tempted22 to return, and when he did so he was startled to find that the wagons had entirely23 disappeared. In great affright he looked north, east, west and south, but all in vain.
At first he ran wildly about, uttering broken ejaculations of alarm, then he sat down and burst into tears, it was so dreadful to be on that vast prairie alone. He soon grew calm for his tears relieved his overcharged heart. He arose and looked carefully around, and for the first time noticed that the trees which had seemed but a short distance from the camp, looked as far off as ever.
"It is plain," said he to himself, "that those trees are at a great distance. Of course, Mr. Harwood could calculate their distance though I could not, and would certainly never have ventured so far to hunt. George must have been mistaken."
Then he wondered that the flask he had so long carried in his hand had not oppressed him by its weight. With many misgivings24 he opened it, and found that he had been most basely, cruelly deceived. The flask was empty.
I think it is not surprising that Guy was very angry, and made some very foolish vows25 as to how he would "serve George out" if he ever gained the camp again. Ah! yes, if he ever gained it! But the question was how he was to do so, for the long prairie grass quite covered the tracks he had made and he was uncertain from what point he had come, and there was nothing in that great solitude26 to indicate it.
Oh, how Guy wished that the tall grass, which he had thought so beautiful, was level with the earth, "Then I should be able to see the wagons," he thought, "but they have now moved on into some slight hollow, and I may never see them more."
Oh! how bitterly he reproached himself for his foolish trustfulness in George Harwood, and again for ever having persuaded his mother to undertake such a perilous27 journey. For even then he thought more of his mother's sorrow than his own danger, saying again and again: "I shall be lost, and my mother's heart will break. Oh, my dear, dear mother?"
"Well, well!" he exclaimed aloud, after spending a few moments in such sad reflections, "it is no use for me to stand here. There is one thing certain, I can meet nothing worse than death on this prairie if I go back, and if I stay here it will certainly come to me, so I will try to make for the wagons, and if I fail I shall know it is not for the want of energy."
So he forced his way again through the rank grass, this time with his back to the belt of trees, though he knew that they were growing by the side of water, for which he was eagerly wishing, for the sun was very hot, and as he had taken nothing since morning he was fast becoming faint with hunger and thirst.
At last the air grew cooler and a slight breeze sprang up, but although it refreshed Guy's weary body, it brought nothing but anguish28 to his mind, for he knew that the sun was setting.
In despair he lifted his voice and halloed wildly, crying for help from God and man, but no answer came, while still the sky grew a deeper blue, the sun a more glorious scarlet29, till at last when it had gained its utmost magnificence, it suddenly dropped beneath the prairie, the green grass grew darker and darker, and at last lay like a black pall30 around poor Guy, as he stood alone in the awful solitude.
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1
situated
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| adj.坐落在...的，处于某种境地的 | |
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2
blessings
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| n.（上帝的）祝福( blessing的名词复数 )；好事；福分；因祸得福 | |
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3
shudder
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| v.战粟，震动，剧烈地摇晃；n.战粟，抖动 | |
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4
tint
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| n.淡色，浅色；染发剂；vt.着以淡淡的颜色 | |
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5
ruffle
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| v.弄皱，弄乱；激怒，扰乱；n.褶裥饰边 | |
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chaos
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| n.混乱，无秩序 | |
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7
forth
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| adv.向前；向外，往外 | |
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8
aggie
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| n.农校，农科大学生 | |
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9
wagon
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| n.四轮马车，手推车，面包车；无盖运货列车 | |
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10
bower
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| n.凉亭，树荫下凉快之处；闺房；v.荫蔽 | |
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11
mules
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| 骡( mule的名词复数 )； 拖鞋； 顽固的人； 越境运毒者 | |
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12
contentedly
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| adv.心满意足地 | |
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13
flask
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| n.瓶，火药筒，砂箱 | |
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14
astonishment
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| n.惊奇，惊异 | |
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15
exultant
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| adj.欢腾的，狂欢的，大喜的 | |
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16
heartily
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| adv.衷心地，诚恳地，十分，很 | |
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17
pointed
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| adj.尖的，直截了当的 | |
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18
wagons
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| n.四轮的运货马车( wagon的名词复数 )；铁路货车；小手推车 | |
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19
mere
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| adj.纯粹的；仅仅，只不过 | |
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20
specks
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| n.眼镜；斑点，微粒，污点( speck的名词复数 ) | |
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determined
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| adj.坚定的；有决心的 | |
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22
tempted
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| v.怂恿（某人）干不正当的事；冒…的险（tempt的过去分词） | |
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entirely
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| ad.全部地，完整地；完全地，彻底地 | |
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24
misgivings
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| n.疑虑，担忧，害怕；疑虑，担心，恐惧( misgiving的名词复数 )；疑惧 | |
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vows
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| 誓言( vow的名词复数 )； 郑重宣布，许愿 | |
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26
solitude
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| n. 孤独; 独居,荒僻之地,幽静的地方 | |
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perilous
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| adj.危险的，冒险的 | |
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28
anguish
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| n.(尤指心灵上的)极度痛苦，烦恼 | |
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29
scarlet
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| n.深红色，绯红色，红衣；adj.绯红色的 | |
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pall
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| v.覆盖，使平淡无味；n.柩衣，棺罩；棺材；帷幕 | |
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