the man of the forest-第73章
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〃Wonderin' 'round; yes but she's daid!〃
〃My Gawd! it ain't possible!〃
〃Wal; if she ain't wonderin' round daid she's almost daid;〃
replied Wilson。 And he began to whisper to himself。
〃If I'd only knowed what thet deal meant I'd hev plugged
Beasley instead of listenin'。 。 。 。 An' I ought to hev
knocked thet kid on the head an' made sartin she'd croaked。
If she goes screamin' 'round thet way 〃
His voice failed as there rose a thin; splitting;
high…pointed shriek; somewhat resembling the first scream;
only less wild。 It came apparently from the cliff。
From another point in the pitch…black glen rose the wailing;
terrible cry of a woman in agony。 Wild; haunting; mournful
wail!
Anson's horse; loosing the halter; plunged back; almost
falling over a slight depression in the rocky ground。 The
outlaw caught him and dragged him nearer the fire。 The other
horses stood shaking and straining。 Moze ran between them
and held them。 Shady Jones threw green brush on the fire。
With sputter and crackle a blaze started; showing Wilson
standing tragically; his arms out; facing the black shadows。
The strange; live shriek was not repeated。 But the cry; like
that of a woman in her death…throes; pierced the silence
again。 It left a quivering ring that softly died away。 Then
the stillness clamped down once more and the darkness seemed
to thicken。 The men waited; and when they had begun to relax
the cry burst out appallingly close; right behind the trees。
It was human the personification of pain and terror
the tremendous struggle of precious life against horrible
death。 So pure; so exquisite; so wonderful was the cry that
the listeners writhed as if they saw an innocent; tender;
beautiful girl torn frightfully before their eyes。 It was
full of suspense; it thrilled for death; its marvelous
potency was the wild note that beautiful and ghastly note
of self…preservation。
In sheer desperation the outlaw leader fired his gun at the
black wall whence the cry came。 Then he had to fight his
horse to keep him from plunging away。 Following the shot was
an interval of silence; the horses became tractable; the men
gathered closer to the fire; with the halters still held
firmly。
〃If it was a cougar thet 'd scare him off;〃 said Anson。
〃Shore; but it ain't a cougar;〃 replied Wilson。 〃Wait an'
see!〃
They all waited; listening with ears turned to different
points; eyes roving everywhere; afraid of their very
shadows。 Once more the moan of wind; the mockery of brook;
deep gurgle; laugh and babble; dominated the silence of the
glen。
〃Boss; let's shake this spooky hole;〃 whispered Moze。
The suggestion attracted Anson; and he pondered it while
slowly shaking his head。
〃We've only three hosses。 An' mine 'll take ridin' after
them squalls;〃 replied the leader。 〃We've got packs; too。
An' hell 'ain't nothin' on this place fer bein' dark。〃
〃No matter。 Let's go。 I'll walk an' lead the way;〃 said
Moze; eagerly。 〃I got sharp eyes。 You fellars can ride an'
carry a pack。 We'll git out of here an' come back in
daylight fer the rest of the outfit。〃
〃Anson; I'm keen fer thet myself;〃 declared Shady Jones。
〃Jim; what d'ye say to thet?〃 queried Anson。 〃Rustlin' out
of this black hole?〃
〃Shore it's a grand idee;〃 agreed Wilson。
〃Thet was a cougar;〃 avowed Anson; gathering courage as the
silence remained unbroken。 〃But jest the same it was as
tough on me as if it hed been a woman screamin' over a blade
twistin' in her gizzards。〃
〃Snake; shore you seen a woman heah lately?〃 deliberately
asked Wilson。
〃Reckon I did。 Thet kid;〃 replied Anson; dubiously。
〃Wal; you seen her go crazy; didn't you?〃
〃Yes。〃
〃'An' she wasn't heah when you went huntin' fer her?〃
〃Correct。〃
〃Wal; if thet's so; what do you want to blab about cougars
for?〃
Wilson's argument seemed incontestable。 Shady and Moze
nodded gloomily and shifted restlessly from foot to foot。
Anson dropped his head。
〃No matter if we only don't hear 〃 he began; suddenly
to grow mute。
Right upon them; from some place; just out the circle of
light; rose a scream; by reason of its proximity the most
piercing and agonizing yet heard; simply petrifying the
group until the peal passed。 Anson's huge horse reared; and
with a snort of terror lunged in tremendous leap; straight
out。 He struck Anson with thudding impact; knocking him over
the rocks into the depression back of the camp…fire; and
plunging after him。 Wilson had made a flying leap just in
time to avoid being struck; and he turned to see Anson go
down。 There came a crash; a groan; and then the strike and
pound of hoofs as the horse struggled up。 Apparently he had
rolled over his master。
〃Help; fellars!〃 yelled Wilson; quick to leap down over the
little bank; and in the dim light to grasp the halter。 The
three men dragged the horse out and securely tied him close
to a tree。 That done; they peered down into the depression。
Anson's form could just barely be distinguished in the
gloom。 He lay stretched out。 Another groan escaped him。
〃Shore I'm scared he's hurt;〃 said Wilson。
〃Hoss rolled right on top of him。 An' thet hoss's heavy;〃
declared Moze。
They got down and knelt beside their leader。 In the darkness
his face looked dull gray。 His breathing was not right。
〃Snake; old man; you ain't hurt?〃 asked Wilson; with a
tremor in his voice。 Receiving no reply; he said to his
comrades; 〃Lay hold an' we'll heft him up where we can see。〃
The three men carefully lifted Anson up on the bank and laid
him near the fire in the light。 Anson was conscious。 His
face was ghastly。 Blood showed on his lips。
Wilson knelt beside him。 The other outlaws stood up; and
with one dark gaze at one another damned Anson's chance of
life。 And on the instant rose that terrible distressing
scream of acute agony like that of a woman being
dismembered。 Shady Jones whispered something to Moze。 Then
they stood up; gazing down at their fallen leader。
〃Tell me where you're hurt?〃 asked Wilson。
〃He smashed my chest;〃 said Anson; in a broken;
strangled whisper。
Wilson's deft hands opened the outlaw's shirt and felt of
his chest。
…335…
〃No。 Shore your breast…bone ain't smashed;〃 replied Wilson;
hopefully。 And he began to run his hand around one side of
Anson's body and then the other。 Abruptly he stopped;
averted his gaze; then slowly ran the hand all along that
side。 Anson's ribs had been broken and crushed in by the
weight of the horse。 He was bleeding at the mouth; and his
slow; painful expulsions of breath brought a bloody froth;
which showed that the broken bones had penetrated the lungs。
An injury sooner or later fatal!
〃Pard; you busted a rib or two;〃 said Wilson。
〃Aw; Jim it must be wuss 'n thet!〃 he whispered。 〃I'm
in orful pain。 An' I can't git any breath。〃
〃Mebbe you'll be better;〃 said Wilson; with a cheerfulness
his face belied。
Moze bent close over Anson; took a short scrutiny of that
ghastly face; at the blood…stained lips; and the lean hands
plucking at nothing。 Then he jerked erect。
〃Shady; he's goin' to cash。 Let's clear out of this。〃
〃I'm yours pertickler previous;〃 replied Jones。
Both turned away。 They untied the two horses and led them up
to where the saddles lay。 Swiftly the blankets went on;
swiftly the saddles swung up; swiftly the cinches snapped。
Anson lay gazing up at Wilson; comprehending this move。 And
Wilson stood strangely grim and silent; somehow detached
coldly from that self of the past few hours。
〃Shady; you grab some bread an' I'll pack a bunk of meat;〃
said Moze。 Both men came near the fire; into the light;
within ten feet of where the leader lay。
〃Fellars you ain't slopin'?〃 he whispered; in husky
amaze。
〃Boss; we air thet same。 We can't do you no good an' this
hole ain't healthy;〃 replied Moze。
Shady Jones swung himself astride his horse; all about him
sharp; eager; strung。
〃Moze; I'll tote the grub an' you lead out of hyar; till we
git past the wust timber;〃 he said。
〃Aw; Moze you wouldn't leave Jim hyar alone;〃
implored Anson。
〃Jim can stay till he rot