the man of the forest-第33章
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rode that wild pony the sun…of…a…gun！ I rode him！ That's
enough for me。 YOU try it。 Laugh all you want。 It was funny。
But if you want to square yourself with me； help me clean my
clothes。〃
Late in the night Helen heard Dale sternly calling Pedro。
She felt some little alarm。 However； nothing happened； and
she soon went to sleep again。 At the morning meal Dale
explained。
〃Pedro an' Tom were uneasy last night。 I think there are
lions workin' over the ridge somewhere。 I heard one scream。〃
〃Scream？〃 inquired Bo； with interest。
〃Yes； an' if you ever hear a lion scream you will think it a
woman in mortal agony。 The cougar cry； as Roy calls it； is
the wildest to be heard in the woods。 A wolf howls。 He is
sad。 hungry； and wild。 But a cougar seems human an' dyin'
an' wild。 We'll saddle up an' ride over there。 Maybe Pedro
will tree a lion。 Bo； if he does will you shoot it？〃
〃Sure；〃 replied Bo； with her mouth full of biscuit。
That was how they came to take a long； slow； steep ride
under cover of dense spruce。 Helen liked the ride after they
got on the heights。 But they did not get to any point where
she could indulge in her pleasure of gazing afar over the
ranges。 Dale led up and down； and finally mostly down； until
they came out within sight of sparser wooded ridges with
parks lying below and streams shining in the sun。
More than once Pedro had to be harshly called by Dale。 The
hound scented game。
〃Here's an old kill；〃 said Dale； halting to point at some
bleached bones scattered under a spruce。 Tufts of
grayish…white hair lay strewn around。
〃What was it？〃 asked Bo。
〃Deer； of course。 Killed there an' eaten by a lion。 Sometime
last fall。 See； even the skull is split。 But I could not say
that the lion did it。〃
Helen shuddered。 She thought of the tame deer down at Dale's
camp。 How beautiful and graceful； and responsive to
kindness！
They rode out of the woods into a grassy swale with rocks
and clumps of some green bushes bordering it。 Here Pedro
barked； the first time Helen had heard him。 The hair on his
neck bristled； and it required stern calls from Dale to hold
him in。 Dale dismounted。
〃Hyar； Pede； you get back；〃 he ordered。 〃I'll let you go
presently。 。 。 。 Girls； you're goin' to see somethin'。 But
stay on your horses。〃
Dale； with the hound tense and bristling beside him； strode
here and there at the edge of the swale。 Presently he halted
on a slight elevation and beckoned for the girls to ride
over。
〃Here； see where the grass is pressed down all nice an'
round；〃 he said； pointing。 〃A lion made that。 He sneaked
there； watchin' for deer。 That was done this mornin'。 Come
on； now。 Let's see if we can trail him。〃
Dale stooped now； studying the grass； and holding Pedro。
Suddenly he straightened up with a flash in his gray eyes。
〃Here's where he jumped。〃
But Helen could not see any reason why Dale should say that。
The man of the forest took a long stride then another。
〃An' here's where that lion lit on the back of the deer。 It
was a big jump。 See the sharp hoof tracks of the deer。〃 Dale
pressed aside tall grass to show dark； rough； fresh tracks
of a deer； evidently made by violent action。
〃Come on；〃 called Dale； walking swiftly。 〃You're sure goin'
to see somethin' now。 。 。 。 Here's where the deer bounded；
carryin' the lion。〃
〃What！〃 exclaimed Bo； incredulously。
〃The deer was runnin' here with the lion on his back。 I'll
prove it to you。 Come on； now。 Pedro； you stay with me。
Girls； it's a fresh trail。〃 Dale walked along； leading his
horse； and occasionally he pointed down into the grass。
〃There！ See that！ That's hair。〃
Helen did see some tufts of grayish hair scattered on the
ground； and she believed she saw little； dark separations in
the grass； where an animal had recently passed。 All at once
Dale halted。 When Helen reached him Bo was already there and
they were gazing down at a wide； flattened space in the
grass。 Even Helen's inexperienced eyes could make out
evidences of a struggle。 Tufts of gray…white hair lay upon
the crushed grass。 Helen did not need to see any more； but
Dale silently pointed to a patch of blood。 Then he spoke：
〃The lion brought the deer down here an' killed him。
Probably broke his neck。 That deer ran a hundred yards with
the lion。 See； here's the trail left where the lion dragged
the deer off。〃
A well…defined path showed across the swale。
〃Girls； you'll see that deer pretty quick；〃 declared Dale；
starting forward。 〃This work has just been done。 Only a few
minutes ago。〃
〃How can you tell？〃 queried Bo。
〃Look！ See that grass。 It has been bent down by the deer
bein' dragged over it。 Now it's springin' up。〃
Dale's next stop was on the other side of the swale； under a
spruce with low； spreading branches。 The look of Pedro
quickened Helen's pulse。 He was wild to give chase。
Fearfully Helen looked where Dale pointed； expecting to see
the lion。 But she saw instead a deer lying prostrate with
tongue out and sightless eyes and bloody hair。
〃Girls； that lion heard us an' left。 He's not far；〃 said
Dale； as he stooped to lift the head of the deer。 〃Warm！
Neck broken。 See the lion's teeth an' claw marks。 。 。 。 It's
a doe。 Look here。 Don't be squeamish； girls。 This is only an
hourly incident of everyday life in the forest。 See where
the lion has rolled the skin down as neat as I could do it；
an' he'd just begun to bite in there when he heard us。〃
〃What murderous work； The sight sickens me！〃 exclaimed
Helen。
〃It is nature；〃 said Dale； simply。
〃Let's kill the lion；〃 added Bo。
For answer Dale took a quick turn at their saddle…girths；
and then； mounting； he called to the hound。 〃Hunt him up；
Pedro。〃
Like a shot the hound was off。
〃Ride in my tracks an' keep close to me；〃 called Dale； as he
wheeled his horse。
〃We're off！〃 squealed Bo； in wild delight； and she made her
mount plunge。
Helen urged her horse after them and they broke across a
comer of the swale to the woods。 Pedro was running straight；
with his nose high。 He let out one short bark。 He headed
into the woods； with Dale not far behind。 Helen was on one
of Dale's best horses； but that fact scarcely manifested
itself； because the others began to increase their lead。
They entered the woods。 It was open； and fairly good going。
Bo's horse ran as fast in the woods as he did in the open。
That frightened Helen and she yelled to Bo to hold him in。
She yelled to deaf ears。 That was Bo's great risk she did
not intend to be careful。 Suddenly the forest rang with
Dale's encouraging yell； meant to aid the girls in following
him。 Helen's horse caught the spirit of the chase。 He gained
somewhat on Bo； hurdling logs； sometimes two at once。
Helen's blood leaped with a strange excitement； utterly
unfamiliar and as utterly resistless。 Yet her natural fear；
and the intelligence that reckoned with the foolish risk of
this ride； shared alike in her sum of sensations。 She tried
to remember Dale's caution about dodging branches and snags；
and sliding her knees back to avoid knocks from trees。 She
barely missed some frightful reaching branches。 She received
a hard knock； then another； that unseated her； but
frantically she held on and slid back； and at the end of a
long run through comparatively open forest she got a
stinging blow in the face from a far…spreading branch of
pine。 Bo missed； by what seemed only an inch； a solid snag
that would have broken her in two。 Both Pedro and Dale got
out of Helen's sight。 Then Helen； as she began to lose Bo；
felt that she would rather run greater risks than be left
behind to get lost in the forest； and she urged her horse。
Dale's yell pealed back。 Then it seemed even more thrilling
to follow by sound than by sight。 Wind and brush tore at
her。 The air was heavily pungent with odor of pine。 Helen
heard a wild； full bay of the hound； ringing back； full of
savage eagerness； and she believed Pedro had roused out the
lion from some covert。 It lent more stir to her blood and it
surely urged her horse on faster。
Then the swift pace slackened。 A windfall of timb
