贝壳电子书 > 英文原著电子书 > the last of the plainsmen >

第33章

the last of the plainsmen-第33章

小说: the last of the plainsmen 字数: 每页4000字

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页,按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页,按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部!
————未阅读完?加入书签已便下次继续阅读!




At daybreak our leader routed us out。 The frost mantled the ground so heavily that it looked like snow; and the rare atmosphere bit like the breath of winter。 The forest stood solemn and gray; the canyon lay wrapped in vapory slumber。

Hot biscuits and coffee; with a chop or two of the delicious Persian lamb meat; put a less Spartan tinge on the morning; and gave Wallace and me more strengthwe needed not incentive to leave the fire; hustle our saddles on the horses and get in line with our impatient leader。 The hounds scampered over the frost; shoving their noses at the tufts of grass and bluebells。 Lawson and Jim remained in camp; the rest of us trooped southwest。

A mile or so in that direction; the forest of pine ended abruptly; and a wide belt of low; scrubby old trees; breast high to a horse; fringed the rim of the canyon and appeared to broaden out and grow wavy southward。 The edge of the forest was as dark and regular as if a band of woodchoppers had trimmed it。 We threaded our way through this thicket; all peering into the bisecting deer trails for cougar tracks in the dust。

〃Bring the dogs! Hurry!〃 suddenly called Jones from a thicket。

We lost no time complying; and found him standing in a trail; with his eyes on the sand。 〃Take a look; boys。 A good…sized male cougar passed here last night。 Hyar; Sounder; Don; Moze; come on!〃

It was a nervous; excited pack of hounds。 Old Jude got to Jones first; and she sang out; then Sounder opened with his ringing bay; and before Jones could mount; a string of yelping dogs sailed straight for the forest。

〃Ooze along; boys!〃 yelled Frank; wheeling Spot。

With the cowboy leading; we strung into the pines; and I found myself behind。 Presently even Wallace disappeared。 I almost threw the reins at Satan; and yelled for him to go。 The result enlightened me。 Like an arrow from a bow; the black shot forward。 Frank had told me of his speed; that when he found his stride it was like riding a flying feather to be on him。 Jones; fearing he would kill me; had cautioned me always to hold him in; which I had done。 Satan stretched out with long graceful motions; he did not turn aside for logs; but cleared them with easy and powerful spring; and he swerved only slightly to the trees。 This latter; I saw at once; made the danger for me。 It became a matter of saving my legs and dodging branches。 The imperative need of this came to me with convincing force。 I dodged a branch on one tree; only to be caught square in the middle by a snag on another。 Crack! If the snag had not broken; Satan would have gone on riderless; and I would have been left hanging; a pathetic and drooping monition to the risks of the hunt。 I kept ducking my head; now and then falling flat over the pommel to avoid a limb that would have brushed me off; and hugging the flanks of my horse with my knees。 Soon I was at Wallace's heels; and had Jones in sight。 Now and then glimpses of Frank's white horse gleamed through the trees。

We began to circle toward the south; to go up and down shallow hollows; to find the pines thinning out; then we shot out of the forest into the scrubby oak。 Riding through this brush was the cruelest kind of work; but Satan kept on close to the sorrel。 The hollows began to get deeper; and the ridges between them narrower。 No longer could we keep a straight course。

On the crest of one of the ridges we found Jones awaiting us。 Jude; Tige and Don lay panting at his feet。 Plainly the Colonel appeared vexed。

〃Listen;〃 he said; when we reined in。

We complied; but did not hear a sound。

〃Frank's beyond there some place;〃 continued Jones; 〃but I can't see him; nor hear the hounds anymore。 Don and Tige split again on deer trails。 Old Jude hung on the lion track; but I stopped her here。 There's something I can't figure。 Moze held a beeline southwest; and he yelled seldom。 Sounder gradually stopped baying。 Maybe Frank can tell us something。〃

Jones's long drawn…out signal was answered from the direction he expected; and after a little time; Frank's white horse shone out of the gray…green of a ledge a mile away。

This drew my attention to our position。 We were on a high ridge out in the open; and I could see fifty miles of the shaggy slopes of Buckskin。 Southward the gray; ragged line seemed to stop suddenly; and beyond it purple haze hung over a void I knew to be the canyon。 And facing west; I came; at last; to understand perfectly the meaning of the breaks in the Siwash。 They were nothing more than ravines that headed up on the slopes and ran down; getting steeper and steeper; though scarcely wider; to break into the canyon。 Knife…crested ridges rolled westward; wave on wave; like the billows of a sea。 I appreciated that these breaks were; at their sources; little washes easy to jump across; and at their mouths a mile deep and impassable。 Huge pine trees shaded these gullies; to give way to the gray growth of stunted oak; which in turn merged into the dark green of pinyon。 A wonderful country for deer and lions; it seemed to me; but impassable; all but impossible for a hunter。

Frank soon appeared; brushing through the bending oaks; and Sounder trotted along behind him。

〃Where's Moze?〃 inquired Jones。

〃The last I heard of Moze he was out of the brush; goin' across the pinyon flat; right for the canyon。 He had a hot trail。〃

〃Well; we're certain of one thing; if it was a deer; he won't come back soon; and if it was a lion; he'll tree it; lose the scent; and come back。 We've got to show the hounds a lion in a tree。 They'd run a hot trail; bump into a tree; and then be at fault。 What was wrong with Sounder?〃

〃I don't know。 He came back to me。〃

〃We can't trust him; or any of them yet。 Still; maybe they're doing better than we know。〃

The outcome of the chase; so favorably started was a disappointment; which we all felt keenly。 After some discussion; we turned south; intending to ride down to the rim wall and follow it back to camp。 I happened to turn once; perhaps to look again at the far…distant pink cliffs of Utah; or the wave…like dome of Trumbull Mountain; when I saw Moze trailing close behind me。 My yell halted the Colonel。

〃Well; I'll be darned!〃 ejaculated he; as Moze hove in sight。 〃Come hyar; you rascal!〃

He was a tired dog; but had no sheepish air about him; such as he had worn when lagging in from deer chases。 He wagged his tail; and flopped down to pant and pant; as if to say: 〃What's wrong with you guys?〃

〃Boys; for two cents I'd go back and put Jude on that trail。 It's just possible that Moze treed a lion。 Butwell; I expect there's more likelihood of his chasing the lion over the rim; so we may as well keep on。 The strange thing is that Sounder wasn't with Moze。 There may have been two lions。 You see we are up a tree ourselves。 I have known lions to run in pairs; and also a mother keep four two…year…olds with her。 But such cases are rare。 Here; in this country; though; maybe they run round and have parties。〃

As we left the breaks behind we got out upon a level pinyon flat。 A few cedars grew with the pinyons。 Deer runways and trails were thick。

〃Boys; look at that;〃 said Jones。 〃This is great lion country; the best I ever saw。〃

He pointed to the sunken; red; shapeless remain of two horses; and near them a ghastly scattering of bleached bones。 〃A lion…lair right here on the flat。 Those two horses were killed early this spring; and I see no signs of their carcasses having been covered with brush and dirt。 I've got to learn lion lore over again; that's certain。〃

As we paused at the head of a depression; which appeared to be a gap in the rim wall; filled with massed pinyons and splintered piles of yellow stone; caught Sounder going through some interesting moves。 He stopped to smell a bush。 Then he lifted his head; and electrified me with a great; deep sounding bay。

〃Hi! there; listen to that!〃 yelled Jones 〃What's Sounder got? Give him roomdon't run him down。 Easy now; old dog; easy; easy!〃

Sounder suddenly broke down a trail。 Moze howled; Don barked; and Tige let out his staccato yelp。 They ran through the brush here; there; every where。 Then all at once old Jude chimed in with her mellow voice; and Jones tumbled off his horse。

〃By the Lo

返回目录 上一页 下一页 回到顶部 0 0

你可能喜欢的