the last of the plainsmen-第36章

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！


〃Old　Tom　is　cornered；　and　he'll　come　out。　He　can　run　only　two　ways：　along　this　trail；　or　down　that　slide。　I'll　take　my　stand　by　the　scrub　pinyon　there　so　I　can　get　a　hitch　if　I　rope　him。　Frank；　when　I　give　the　word；　let　the　dogs　go。　Grey；　you　block　the　slide。　If　he　makes　at　us；　even　if　I　do　get　my　rope　on　him；　kill　him！　Most　likely　he'll　jump　down　hillthen　you'll　HAVE　to　kill　him！　Be　quick。　Now　loose　the　hounds。　Hi！　Hi！　Hi！　Hi！〃

I　jumped　into　the　narrow　slide　of　weathered　stone　and　looked　up。　Jones's　stentorian　yell　rose　high　above　the　clamor　of　the　hounds。　He　whirled　his　lasso。

A　huge　yellow　form　shot　over　the　trail　and　hit　the　top　of　the　slide　with　a　crash。　The　lasso　streaked　out　with　arrowy　swiftness；　circled；　and　snapped　viciously　close　to　Old　Tom's　head。　〃Kill　him！　Kill　him！〃　roared　Jones。　Then　the　lion　leaped；　seemingly　into　the　air　above　me。　Instinctively　I　raised　my　little　automatic　rifle。　I　seemed　to　hear　a　million　bellowing　reports。　The　tawny　body；　with　its　grim；　snarling　face；　blurred　in　my　sight。　I　heard　a　roar　of　sliding　stones　at　my　feet。　I　felt　a　rush　of　wind。　I　caught　a　confused　glimpse　of　a　whirling　wheel　of　fur；　rolling　down　the　slide。

Then　Jones　and　Frank　were　pounding　me；　and　yelling　I　know　not　what。　From　far　above　came　floating　down　a　long　〃Waa…hoo！〃　I　saw　Wallace　silhouetted　against　the　blue　sky。　I　felt　the　hot　barrel　of　my　rifle；　and　shuddered　at　the　bloody　stones　below　methen；　and　then　only；　did　I　realize；　with　weakening　legs；　that　Old　Tom　had　jumped　at　me；　and　had　jumped　to　his　death。



CHAPTER　13。　SINGING　CLIFFS

Old　Tom　had　rolled　two　hundred　yards　down　the　canyon；　leaving　a　red　trail　and　bits　of　fur　behind　him。　When　I　had　clambered　down　to　the　steep　slide　where　he　had　lodged；　Sounder　and　Jude　had　just　decided　he　was　no　longer　worth　biting；　and　were　wagging　their　tails。　Frank　was　shaking　his　head；　and　Jones；　standing　above　the　lion；　lasso　in　hand；　wore　a　disconsolate　face。

〃How　I　wish　I　had　got　the　rope　on　him！〃

〃I　reckon　we'd　be　gatherin'　up　the　pieces　of　you　if　you　had；〃　said　Frank；　dryly。

We　skinned　the　old　king　on　the　rocky　slope　of　his　mighty　throne；　and　then；　beginning　to　feel　the　effects　of　severe　exertion；　we　cut　across　the　slope　for　the　foot　of　the　break。　Once　there；　we　gazed　up　in　disarray。　That　break　resembled　a　walk　of　lifehow　easy　to　slip　down；　how　hard　to　climb！　Even　Frank；　inured　as　he　was　to　strenuous　toil；　began　to　swear　and　wipe　his　sweaty　brow　before　we　had　made　one…tenth　of　the　ascent。　It　was　particularly　exasperating；　not　to　mention　the　danger　of　it；　to　work　a　few　feet　up　a　slide；　and　then　feel　it　start　to　move。　We　had　to　climb　in　single　file；　which　jeopardized　the　safety　of　those　behind　the　leader。　Sometimes　we　were　all　sliding　at　once；　like　boys　on　a　pond；　with　the　difference　that　we　were　in　danger。　Frank　forged　ahead；　turning　to　yell　now　and　then　for　us　to　dodge　a　cracking　stone。　Faithful　old　Jude　could　not　get　up　in　some　places；　so　laying　aside　my　rifle；　I　carried　her；　and　returned　for　the　weapon。　It　became　necessary；　presently；　to　hide　behind　cliff　projections　to　escape　the　avalanches　started　by　Frank；　and　to　wait　till　he　had　surmounted　the　break。　Jones　gave　out　completely　several　times；　saying　the　exertion　affected　his　heart。　What　with　my　rifle；　my　camera　and　Jude；　I　could　offer　him　no　assistance；　and　was　really　in　need　of　that　myself。　When　it　seemed　as　if　one　more　step　would　kill　us；　we　reached　the　rim；　and　fell　panting　with　labored　chests　and　dripping　skins。　We　could　not　speak。　Jones　had　worn　a　pair　of　ordinary　shoes　without　thick　soles　and　nails；　and　it　seemed　well　to　speak　of　them　in　the　past　tense。　They　were　split　into　ribbons　and　hung　on　by　the　laces。　His　feet　were　cut　and　bruised。

On　the　way　back　to　camp；　we　encountered　Moze　and　Don　coming　out　of　the　break　where　we　had　started　Sounder　on　the　trail。　The　paws　of　both　hounds　were　yellow　with　dust；　which　proved　they　had　been　down　under　the　rim　wall。　Jones　doubted　not　in　the　least　that　they　had　chased　a　lion。

Upon　examination；　this　break　proved　to　be　one　of　the　two　which　Clarke　used　for　trails　to　his　wild　horse　corral　in　the　canyon。　According　to　him；　the　distance　separating　them　was　five　miles　by　the　rim　wall；　and　less　than　half　that　in　a　straight　line。　Therefore；　we　made　for　the　point　of　the　forest　where　it　ended　abruptly　in　the　scrub　oak。　We　got　into　camp；　a　fatigued　lot　of　men；　horses　and　dogs。　Jones　appeared　particularly　happy；　and　his　first　move；　after　dismounting；　was　to　stretch　out　the　lion　skin　and　measure　it。

〃Ten　feet；　three　inches　and　a　half！〃　he　sang　out。

〃Shore　it　do　beat　hell！〃　exclaimed　Jim　in　tones　nearer　to　excitement　than　any　I　had　ever　heard　him　use。

〃Old　Tom　beats；　by　two　inches；　any　cougar　I　ever　saw；〃　continued　Jones。　〃He　must　have　weighed　more　than　three　hundred。　We'll　set　about　curing　the　hide。　Jim；　stretch　it　well　on　a　tree；　and　we'll　take　a　hand　in　peeling　off　the　fat。〃

All　of　the　party　worked　on　the　cougar　skin　that　afternoon。　The　gristle　at　the　base　of　the　neck；　where　it　met　the　shoulders；　was　so　tough　and　thick　we　could　not　scrape　it　thin。　Jones　said　this　particular　spot　was　so　well　protected　because　in　fighting；　cougars　were　most　likely　to　bite　and　claw　there。　For　that　matter；　the　whole　skin　was　tough；　tougher　than　leather；　and　when　it　dried；　it　pulled　all　the　horseshoe　nails　out　of　the　pine　tree　upon　which　we　had　it　stretched。

About　time　for　the　sun　to　set；　I　strolled　along　the　rim　wall　to　look　into　the　canyon。　I　was　beginning　to　feel　something　of　its　character　and　had　growing　impressions。　Dark　purple　smoke　veiled　the　clefts　deep　down　between　the　mesas。　I　walked　along　to　where　points　of　cliff　ran　out　like　capes　and　peninsulas；　all　seamed；　cracked；　wrinkled；　scarred　and　yellow　with　age；　with　shattered；　toppling　ruins　of　rocks　ready　at　a　touch　to　go　thundering　down。　I　could　not　resist　the　temptation　to　crawl　out　to　the　farthest　point；　even　though　I　shuddered　over　the　yard…wide　ridges；　and　when　once　seated　on　a　bare　promontory；　two　hundred　feet　from　the　regular　rim　wall；　I　felt　isolated；　marooned。

The　sun；　a　liquid　red　globe；　had　just　touched　its　under　side　to　the　pink　cliffs　of　Utah；　and　fired　a　crimson　flood　of　light　over　the　wonderful　mountains；　plateaus；　escarpments；　mesas；　domes　and　turrets　or　the　gorge。　The　rim　wall　of　Powell's　Plateau　was　a　thin　streak　of　fire；　the　timber　above　like　grass　of　gold；　and　the　long　slopes　below　shaded　from　bright　to　dark。　Point　Sublime；　bold　and　bare；　ran　out　toward　the　plateau；　jealously　reaching　for　the　sun。　Bass's　Tomb　peeped　over　the　Saddle。　The　Temple　of　Vishnu　lay　bathed　in　vapory　shading　clouds；　and　the　Shinumo　Altar　shone　with　rays　of　glory。

The　beginning　of　the　wondrous　transformation；　the　dropping　of　the　day's　curtain；　was　for　me　a　rare　and　perfect　moment。　As　the　golden　splendor　of　sunset　sought　out　a　peak　or　mesa　or　escarpment；　I　gave　it　a　name　to　suit　my　fancy；　and　as　flushing；　fading；　its　glory　changed；　sometimes　I　rechristened　it。　Jupiter's　Chariot；　brazen　wheeled；　stood　ready　to　roll　into　the　clouds。　Semiramis's　Bed；　all　gold；　shone　from　a　tower　of　Babylon。　Castor　and　Pollux　clasped　hands　over　a　Stygian　river。　The　Spur　of　Doom；　a　mountain　shaft　as　red　as　hell；　and　inaccessible；　insurmountable；　lured　with　strange　light。　Dusk；　a　bold；　black　dome；　was　shrouded　by　the　shadow　of　a　giant　mesa。　The　Star　of　Bethlehem　glittered　from　the　brow　of　Point　Sublime。　The　Wraith；　fleecy；　feathered　curtain　of　mist；　floated　down　among　the　ruins　of　castles　and　palaces；　like　the　ghost　of　a　goddess。　Vales　of　Twilight；　dim；　dark　ravines；　mystic　homes　of　specters；　led　into　the　awful　Valley　of　the　Shadow；　clothed　in　purple　night。

Suddenly；　as　the　first　puff　of　the　night　wind　fanned　my　cheek；　a　strange；　sweet；　low　moaning　and　sighing　came　to　my　ears。　I　almost　thought　I　was　in　a　dream。　But　the　canyon；　now　blood…red；　was　there　in　overwhelming　reality；　a　profound；　solemn；　gloomy　thing；　but　real。　The　wind　blew　stronger；　and　then　I　was　to　a　sad；　sweet　song；　which　lulled　as　the　wind　lulled。　I　realized　at　once　that　the　sound　was　caused　by　the　wind　blowing　into　the　peculiar　formations　of　the　cliffs。　It　changed；　softened；　shaded；　mellowed；　but　it　was　always　sad。　It　rose　from　low；　tremulous；　sweetly　quavering　sighs；　to　a　sound　like　th