In those days the cattlemen were the anointed. They were the grandees¹ of the grass, kings of the kine, lords of the lea, barons² of beef and bone. They might have ridden in golden chariots had their tastes so inclined. The cattleman was caught in a stampede of dollars. It seemed to him that he had more money than was decent. But when he had bought a watch with precious stones set in the case so large that they hurt his ribs³, and a California saddle with silver nails and Angora skin suaderos, and ordered everybody up to the bar for whisky--what else was there for him to spend money for?

Not so circumscribed⁴ in expedient⁵ for the reduction of surplus wealth were those lairds of the lariat⁶ who had womenfolk to their name. In the breast of the rib-sprung sex the genius of purse lightening may slumber⁷ through years of inopportunity, but never, my brothers, does it become extinct.

So, out of the chaparral came Long Bill Longley from the Bar Circle Branch on the Frio--a wife-driven man--to taste the urban joys of success. Something like half a million dollars he had, with an income steadily⁹ increasing.

Long Bill was a graduate of the camp and trail. Luck and thrift¹⁰, a cool head, and a telescopic eye for mavericks¹¹ had raised him from cowboy to be a cowman. Then came the boom in cattle, and Fortune, stepping gingerly among the cactus¹³ thorns, came and emptied her

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1 grandees
n.贵族，大公，显贵者( grandee的名词复数 )
参考例句：
The highest-ranking members of the Spanish aristocracy are the grandees. 西班牙贵族中爵位最高的成员乃是大公。 来自辞典例句 Several grandees of the town are present at the party. 城里的几位要人出席了晚会。 来自互联网

2 barons
男爵( baron的名词复数 )； 巨头； 大王； 大亨
参考例句：
The barons of Normandy had refused to countenance the enterprise officially. 诺曼底的贵族们拒绝正式赞助这桩买卖。 The barons took the oath which Stephen Langton prescribed. 男爵们照斯蒂芬？兰顿的指导宣了誓。

3 ribs
n.肋骨( rib的名词复数 )；（船或屋顶等的）肋拱；肋骨状的东西；（织物的）凸条花纹
参考例句：
He suffered cracked ribs and bruising. 他断了肋骨还有挫伤。 Make a small incision below the ribs. 在肋骨下方切开一个小口。

4 circumscribed
adj.[医]局限的：受限制或限于有限空间的v.在…周围划线( circumscribe的过去式和过去分词 )；划定…范围；限制；限定
参考例句：
The power of the monarchy was circumscribed by the new law. 君主统治的权力受到了新法律的制约。 His activities have been severely circumscribed since his illness. 自生病以来他的行动一直受到严格的限制。 来自《简明英汉词典》

5 expedient
adj.有用的，有利的；n.紧急的办法，权宜之计
参考例句：
The government found it expedient to relax censorship a little.政府发现略微放宽审查是可取的。 Every kind of expedient was devised by our friends.我们的朋友想出了各种各样的应急办法。

6 lariat
n.系绳，套索；v.用套索套捕
参考例句：
The lariat hitched on one of his ears.套索套住了他的一只耳朵。 Will Rogers,often referred to as the nation's Poet Lariat about only rope tricks.经常被国人称为“套索诗人”的威尔·罗杰斯可不只会玩绳子。

7 slumber
n.睡眠，沉睡状态
参考例句：
All the people in the hotels were wrapped in deep slumber.住在各旅馆里的人都已进入梦乡。 Don't wake him from his slumber because he needs the rest.不要把他从睡眠中唤醒，因为他需要休息。

8 ranch
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。

9 steadily
adv.稳定地；不变地；持续地
参考例句：
The scope of man's use of natural resources will steadily grow.人类利用自然资源的广度将日益扩大。 Our educational reform was steadily led onto the correct path.我们的教学改革慢慢上轨道了。

10 thrift
adj.节约，节俭；n.节俭，节约
参考例句：
He has the virtues of thrift and hard work.他具备节俭和勤奋的美德。 His thrift and industry speak well for his future.他的节俭和勤勉预示着他美好的未来。

11 mavericks
未烙印的牲畜( maverick的名词复数 )； 标新立异的人，不合常规的人
参考例句：
And what about the Dallas Mavericks and Dirk Nowitzki? 那达拉斯小牛队和诺维斯基呢？ And we see it with bringing Jason Kidd to the Dallas Mavericks. 而且我们看到它同实现基德向达拉斯小牛队。

12 tune
n.调子；和谐，协调；v.调音，调节，调整
参考例句：
He'd written a tune,and played it to us on the piano.他写了一段曲子，并在钢琴上弹给我们听。 The boy beat out a tune on a tin can.那男孩在易拉罐上敲出一首曲子。

13 cactus
n.仙人掌
参考例句：
It was the first year that the cactus had produced flowers.这是这棵仙人掌第一年开花。 The giant cactus is the vegetable skycraper.高大的仙人掌是植物界巨人。

14 cornucopia
n.象征丰收的羊角
参考例句：
The book is a cornucopia of information.书是知识的宝库。 Our cornucopia is the human mind and heart.我们富足是由于人类的智慧和热情。

15 costly
adj.昂贵的，价值高的，豪华的
参考例句：
It must be very costly to keep up a house like this.维修这么一幢房子一定很昂贵。 This dictionary is very useful,only it is a bit costly.这本词典很有用，左不过贵了些。

16 doomed
命定的
参考例句：
The court doomed the accused to a long term of imprisonment. 法庭判处被告长期监禁。 A country ruled by an iron hand is doomed to suffer. 被铁腕人物统治的国家定会遭受不幸的。

17 endorsement
n.背书；赞成，认可，担保；签(注)，批注
参考例句：
We are happy to give the product our full endorsement.我们很高兴给予该产品完全的认可。 His presidential campaign won endorsement from several celebrities.他参加总统竞选得到一些社会名流的支持。

18 banking
n.银行业，银行学，金融业
参考例句：
John is launching his son on a career in banking.约翰打算让儿子在银行界谋一个新职位。 He possesses an extensive knowledge of banking.他具有广博的银行业务知识。

19 prosecution
n.起诉，告发，检举，执行，经营
参考例句：
The Smiths brought a prosecution against the organizers.史密斯家对组织者们提出起诉。 He attempts to rebut the assertion made by the prosecution witness.他试图反驳原告方证人所作的断言。

20 lengthy
adj.漫长的，冗长的
参考例句：
We devoted a lengthy and full discussion to this topic.我们对这个题目进行了长时间的充分讨论。 The professor wrote a lengthy book on Napoleon.教授写了一部有关拿破仑的巨著。

21 rugged
adj.高低不平的，粗糙的，粗壮的，强健的
参考例句：
Football players must be rugged.足球运动员必须健壮。 The Rocky Mountains have rugged mountains and roads.落基山脉有崇山峻岭和崎岖不平的道路。

22 kindly
adj.和蔼的，温和的，爽快的；adv.温和地，亲切地
参考例句：
Her neighbours spoke of her as kindly and hospitable.她的邻居都说她和蔼可亲、热情好客。 A shadow passed over the kindly face of the old woman.一道阴影掠过老太太慈祥的面孔。

23 countenance
n.脸色，面容；面部表情；vt.支持，赞同
参考例句：
At the sight of this photograph he changed his countenance.他一看见这张照片脸色就变了。 I made a fierce countenance as if I would eat him alive.我脸色恶狠狠地，仿佛要把他活生生地吞下去。

24 genially
adv.亲切地，和蔼地；快活地
参考例句：
The white church peeps out genially from behind the huts scattered on the river bank. 一座白色教堂从散布在岸上的那些小木房后面殷勤地探出头来。 来自《简明英汉词典》 "Well, It'seems strange to see you way up here,'said Mr. Kenny genially. “咳，真没想到会在这么远的地方见到你，"肯尼先生亲切地说。 来自英汉文学 - 嘉莉妹妹

25 amazement
n.惊奇，惊讶
参考例句：
All those around him looked at him with amazement.周围的人都对他投射出惊异的眼光。 He looked at me in blank amazement.他带着迷茫惊诧的神情望着我。

26 Ford
n.浅滩，水浅可涉处；v.涉水，涉过
参考例句：
They were guarding the bridge,so we forded the river.他们驻守在那座桥上，所以我们只能涉水过河。 If you decide to ford a stream,be extremely careful.如果已决定要涉过小溪，必须极度小心。

27 outfits
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

28 smuggled
水货
参考例句：
The customs officer confiscated the smuggled goods. 海关官员没收了走私品。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》 Those smuggled goods have been detained by the port office. 那些走私货物被港务局扣押了。 来自互联网

29 hoof
n.(马，牛等的)蹄
参考例句：
Suddenly he heard the quick,short click of a horse's hoof behind him.突然间，他听见背后响起一阵急骤的马蹄的得得声。 I was kicked by a hoof.我被一只蹄子踢到了。

30 pointedly
adv.尖地，明显地
参考例句：
She yawned and looked pointedly at her watch. 她打了个哈欠，又刻意地看了看手表。 The demand for an apology was pointedly refused. 让对方道歉的要求遭到了断然拒绝。 来自《简明英汉词典》

31 catastrophe
n.大灾难，大祸
参考例句：
I owe it to you that I survived the catastrophe.亏得你我才大难不死。 This is a catastrophe beyond human control.这是一场人类无法控制的灾难。

32 rawhide
n.生牛皮
参考例句：
At his belt he carried a rawhide whip.他腰间别着生牛皮制成的鞭子。 The drum skin was tightly strapped over the circle rawhide laces.鼓皮的一圈被生牛皮紧紧地勒住了。

33 bucked
adj.快v.（马等）猛然弓背跃起( buck的过去式和过去分词 )；抵制；猛然震荡；马等尥起后蹄跳跃
参考例句：
When he tried to ride the horse, it bucked wildly. 当他试图骑上这匹马时，它突然狂暴地跃了起来。 来自《简明英汉词典》 The plane bucked a strong head wind. 飞机顶着强烈的逆风飞行。 来自《现代英汉综合大词典》

34 collateral
adj.平行的；旁系的；n.担保品
参考例句：
Many people use personal assets as collateral for small business loans.很多人把个人财产用作小额商业贷款的抵押品。 Most people here cannot borrow from banks because they lack collateral.由于拿不出东西作为抵押，这里大部分人无法从银行贷款。

35 veins
n.纹理；矿脉( vein的名词复数 )；静脉；叶脉；纹理
参考例句：
The blood flows from the capillaries back into the veins. 血从毛细血管流回静脉。 来自《简明英汉词典》 I felt a pleasant glow in all my veins from the wine. 喝过酒后我浑身的血都热烘烘的，感到很舒服。 来自《简明英汉词典》

36 assented
同意，赞成( assent的过去式和过去分词 )
参考例句：
The judge assented to allow the prisoner to speak. 法官同意允许犯人申辩。 "No," assented Tom, "they don't kill the women -- they're too noble. “对，”汤姆表示赞同地说，“他们不杀女人——真伟大！

37 urbanely
adv.都市化地，彬彬有礼地，温文尔雅地
参考例句：
Don't let the repoter spook you, and you have to behave urbanely. 别让记者缠住你，而你还得举止文雅。 来自互联网

38 clump
n.树丛，草丛；vi.用沉重的脚步行走
参考例句：
A stream meandered gently through a clump of trees.一条小溪从树丛中蜿蜒穿过。 It was as if he had hacked with his thick boots at a clump of bluebells.仿佛他用自己的厚靴子无情地践踏了一丛野风信子。

39 fixed
adj.固定的，不变的，准备好的；(计算机)固定的
参考例句：
Have you two fixed on a date for the wedding yet?你们俩选定婚期了吗？ Once the aim is fixed,we should not change it arbitrarily.目标一旦确定，我们就不应该随意改变。

40 rendering
n.表现，描写
参考例句：
She gave a splendid rendering of Beethoven's piano sonata.她精彩地演奏了贝多芬的钢琴奏鸣曲。 His narrative is a super rendering of dialect speech and idiom.他的叙述是方言和土语最成功的运用。

41 lugubrious
adj.悲哀的，忧郁的
参考例句：
That long,lugubrious howl rose on the night air again!夜空中又传来了那又长又凄凉的狗叫声。 After the earthquake,the city is full of lugubrious faces.地震之后，这个城市满是悲哀的面孔。

42 lament
n.悲叹，悔恨，恸哭；v.哀悼，悔恨，悲叹
参考例句：
Her face showed lament.她的脸上露出悲伤的样子。 We lament the dead.我们哀悼死者。

43 puffing
v.使喷出( puff的现在分词 )；喷着汽（或烟）移动；吹嘘；吹捧
参考例句：
He was puffing hard when he jumped on to the bus. 他跳上公共汽车时喘息不已。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》 My father sat puffing contentedly on his pipe. 父亲坐着心满意足地抽着烟斗。 来自《简明英汉词典》

44 gasped
v.喘气( gasp的过去式和过去分词 )；喘息；倒抽气；很想要
参考例句：
She gasped at the wonderful view. 如此美景使她惊讶得屏住了呼吸。 People gasped with admiration at the superb skill of the gymnasts. 体操运动员的高超技艺令人赞叹。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》

45 buddy
n.（美口）密友，伙伴
参考例句：
Calm down,buddy.What's the trouble?压压气，老兄。有什么麻烦吗？ Get out of my way,buddy!别挡道了，你这家伙！