the last of the plainsmen-第35章

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〃He's　gone　down！　He's　gone　down！〃　raged　Jones；　stamping　the　ground。　〃What　luck！　What　miserable　luck！　But　don't　quit；　spread　along　the　rim；　boys；　and　look　for　him。　Cougars　can't　fly。　There's　a　break　in　the　rim　somewhere。〃

The　rock　wall；　on　which　we　dizzily　stood；　dropped　straight　down　for　a　thousand　feet；　to　meet　a　long；　pinyon…covered　slope；　which　graded　a　mile　to　cut　off　into　what　must　have　been　the　second　wall。　We　were　far　west　of　Clarke's　trail　now；　and　faced　a　point　above　where　Kanab　Canyon；　a　red　gorge　a　mile　deep；　met　the　great　canyon。　As　I　ran　along　the　rim；　looking　for　a　fissure　or　break；　my　gaze　seemed　impellingly　drawn　by　the　immensity　of　this　thing　I　could　not　name；　and　for　which　I　had　as　yet　no　intelligible　emotion。

Two　〃Waa…hoos〃　in　the　rear　turned　me　back　in　double…quick　time；　and　hastening　by　the　horses；　I　found　the　three　men　grouped　at　the　head　of　a　narrow　break。

〃He　went　down　here。　Wallace　saw　him　round　the　base　of　that　tottering　crag。〃

The　break　was　wedge…shaped；　with　the　sharp　end　off　toward　the　rim；　and　it　descended　so　rapidly　as　to　appear　almost　perpendicular。　It　was　a　long；　steep　slide　of　small；　weathered　shale；　and　a　place　that　no　man　in　his　right　senses　would　ever　have　considered　going　down。　But　Jones；　designating　Frank　and　me；　said　in　his　cool；　quick　voice：

〃You　fellows　go　down。　Take　Jude　and　Sounder　in　leash。　If　you　find　his　trail　below　along　the　wall；　yell　for　us。　Meanwhile；　Wallace　and　I　will　hang　over　the　rim　and　watch　for　him。〃

Going　down；　in　one　sense；　was　much　easier　than　had　appeared；　for　the　reason　that　once　started　we　moved　on　sliding　beds　of　weathered　stone。　Each　of　us　now　had　an　avalanche　for　a　steed。　Frank　forged　ahead　with　a　roar；　and　then　seeing　danger　below；　tried　to　get　out　of　the　mass。　But　the　stones　were　like　quicksand；　every　step　he　took　sunk　him　in　deeper。　He　grasped　the　smooth　cliff；　to　find　holding　impossible。　The　slide　poured　over　a　fall　like　so　much　water。　He　reached　and　caught　a　branch　of　a　pinyon；　and　lifting　his　feet　up；　hung　on　till　the　treacherous　area　of　moving　stones　had　passed。

While　I　had　been　absorbed　in　his　predicament；　my　avalanche　augmented　itself　by　slide　on　slide；　perhaps　loosened　by　his；　and　before　I　knew　it；　I　was　sailing　down　with　ever…increasing　momentum。　The　sensation　was　distinctly　pleasant；　and　a　certain　spirit；　before　restrained　in　me；　at　last　ran　riot。　The　slide　narrowed　at　the　drop　where　Frank　had　jumped；　and　the　stones　poured　over　in　a　stream。　I　jumped　also；　but　having　a　rifle　in　one　hand；　failed　to　hold；　and　plunged　down　into　the　slide　again。　My　feet　were　held　this　time；　as　in　a　vise。　I　kept　myself　upright　and　waited。　Fortunately；　the　jumble　of　loose　stone　slowed　and　stopped；　enabling　me　to　crawl　over　to　one　side　where　there　was　comparatively　good　footing。　Below　us；　for　fifty　yards　was　a　sheet　of　rough　stone；　as　bare　as　washed　granite　well　could　be。　We　slid　down　this　in　regular　schoolboy　fashion；　and　had　reached　another　restricted　neck　in　the　fissure；　when　a　sliding　crash　above　warned　us　that　the　avalanches　had　decided　to　move　of　their　own　free　will。　Only　a　fraction　of　a　moment　had　we　to　find　footing　along　the　yellow　cliff；　when；　with　a　cracking　roar；　the　mass　struck　the　slippery　granite。　If　we　had　been　on　that　slope；　our　lives　would　not　have　been　worth　a　grain　of　the　dust　flying　in　clouds　above　us。　Huge　stones；　that　had　formed　the　bottom　of　the　slides；　shot　ahead；　and　rolling；　leaping；　whizzed　by　us　with　frightful　velocity；　and　the　remainder　groaned　and　growled　its　way　down；　to　thunder　over　the　second　fall　and　die　out　in　a　distant　rumble。

The　hounds　had　hung　back；　and　were　not　easily　coaxed　down　to　us。　From　there　on；　down　to　the　base　of　the　gigantic　cliff；　we　descended　with　little　difficulty。

〃We　might　meet　the　old　gray　cat　anywheres　along　here；〃　said　Frank。

The　wall　of　yellow　limestone　had　shelves；　ledges；　fissures　and　cracks；　any　one　of　which　might　have　concealed　a　lion。　On　these　places　I　turned　dark；　uneasy　glances。　It　seemed　to　me　events　succeeded　one　another　so　rapidly　that　I　had　no　time　to　think；　to　examine；　to　prepare。　We　were　rushed　from　one　sensation　to　another。

〃Gee！　look　here；〃　said　Frank；　〃here's　his　tracks。　Did　you　ever　see　the　like　of　that？〃

Certainly　I　had　never　fixed　my　eyes　on　such　enormous　cat…tracks　as　appeared　in　the　yellow　dust　at　the　base　of　the　rim　wall。　The　mere　sight　of　them　was　sufficient　to　make　a　man　tremble。

〃Hold　in　the　dogs；　Frank；〃　I　called。　〃Listen。　I　think　I　heard　a　yell。〃

From　far　above　came　a　yell；　which；　though　thinned　out　by　distance；　was　easily　recognized　as　Jones's。　We　returned　to　the　opening　of　the　break；　and　throwing　our　heads　back；　looked　up　the　slide　to　see　him　coming　down。

〃Wait　for　me！　Wait　for　me！　I　saw　the　lion　go　in　a　cave。　Wait　for　me！〃

With　the　same　roar　and　crack　and　slide　of　rocks　as　had　attended　our　descent；　Jones　bore　down　on　us。　For　an　old　man　it　was　a　marvelous　performance。　He　walked　on　the　avalanches　as　though　he　wore　seven…league　boots；　and　presently；　as　we　began　to　dodge　whizzing　bowlders；　he　stepped　down　to　us；　whirling　his　coiled　lasso。　His　jaw　bulged　out；　a　flash　made　fire　in　his　cold　eyes。

〃Boys；　we've　got　Old　Tom　in　a　corner。　I　worked　along　the　rim　north　and　looked　over　every　place　I　could。　Now；　maybe　you　won't　believe　it；　but　I　heard　him　pant。　Yes；　sir；　he　panted　like　the　tired　lion　he　is。　Well；　presently　I　saw　him　lying　along　the　base　of　the　rim　wall。　His　tongue　was　hanging　out。　You　see；　he's　a　heavy　lion；　and　not　used　to　running　long　distances。　Come　on；　now。　It's　not　far。　Hold　in　the　dogs。　You　there　with　the　rifle；　lead　off；　and　keep　your　eyes　peeled。〃

Single　file；　we　passed　along　in　the　shadow　of　the　great　cliff。　A　wide　trail　had　been　worn　in　the　dust。

〃A　lion　run…way；〃　said　Jones。　〃Don't　you　smell　the　cat？〃

Indeed；　the　strong　odor　of　cat　was　very　pronounced；　and　that；　without　the　big　fresh　tracks；　made　the　skin　on　my　face　tighten　and　chill。　As　we　turned　a　jutting　point　in　the　wall；　a　number　of　animals；　which　I　did　not　recognize；　plunged　helter…skelter　down　the　canyon　slope。

〃Rocky　Mountain　sheep！〃　exclaimed　Jones。　〃Look！　Well；　this　is　a　discovery。　I　never　heard　of　a　bighorn　in　the　Canyon。〃

It　was　indicative　of　the　strong　grip　Old　Tom　had　on　us　that　we　at　once　forgot　the　remarkable　fact　of　coming　upon　those　rare　sheep　in　such　a　place。

Jones　halted　us　presently　before　a　deep　curve　described　by　the　rim　wall；　the　extreme　end　of　which　terminated　across　the　slope　in　an　impassable　projecting　corner。

〃See　across　there；　boys。　See　that　black　hole。　Old　Tom's　in　there。〃

〃What's　your　plan？〃　queried　the　cowboy　sharply。

〃Wait。　We'll　slip　up　to　get　better　lay　of　the　land。〃

We　worked　our　way　noiselessly　along　the　rim…wall　curve　for　several　hundred　yards　and　came　to　a　halt　again；　this　time　with　a　splendid　command　of　the　situation。　The　trail　ended　abruptly　at　the　dark　cave；　so　menacingly　staring　at　us；　and　the　corner　of　the　cliff　had　curled　back　upon　itself。　It　was　a　box…trap；　with　a　drop　at　the　end；　too　great　for　any　beast；　a　narrow　slide　of　weathered　stone　running　down；　and　the　rim　wall　trail。　Old　Tom　would　plainly　be　compelled　to　choose　one　of　these　directions　if　he　left　his　cave。

〃Frank；　you　and　I　will　keep　to　the　wall　and　stop　near　that　scrub　pinyon；　this　side　of　the　hole。　If　I　rope　him；　I　can　use　that　tree。〃

Then　he　turned　to　me：

〃Are　you　to　be　depended　on　here？〃

〃I？　What　do　you　want　me　to　do？〃　I　demanded；　and　my　whole　breast　seemed　to　sink　in。

〃You　cut　across　the　head　of　this　slope　and　take　up　your　position　in　the　slide　below　the　cave；　say　just　by　that　big　stone。　From　there　you　can　command　the　cave；　our　position　and　your　own。　Now；　if　it　is　necessary　to　kill　this　lion　to　save　me　or　Frank；　or；　of　course；　yourself；　can　you　be　depended　upon　to　kill　him？〃

I　felt　a　queer　sensation　around　my　heart　and　a　strange　tightening　of　the　skin　upon　my　face！　What　a　position　for　me　to　be　placed　in！　For　one　instant　I　shook　like　a　quivering　aspen　leaf。　Then　because　of　the　pride　of　a　man；　or　perhaps　inherited　instincts　cropping　out　at　this　perilous　moment；　I　looked　up　and　answered　quietly：

〃Yes。　I　will　kill　him！〃

〃Old　Tom　is　cornered；　and　he'll　come　out。　He　can　run　only　two　ways：　along　this　trail；　or　down　that　slide。