tales of trail and town-第8章

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〃A　nation；and　on　their　own　ground；that's　just　whar　you've　hit

it；　Softy。　　That's　the　argument　of　that　Congressman　Atherly；　as

I've　heard　him　talk　with　the　kernel。〃



〃And　what　did　the　kernel　say？〃



〃The　kernel　reckoned　it　was　his　business　to　obey　orders；and　so

should　you。　　So　shut　your　head！　　If　ye　wanted　to　talk　about

gov'ment　ye　might　say　suthin'　about　its　usin'　us　to　convoy　picnics

and　excursion　parties　around；　who　come　out　here　to　have　a　day's

shootin'；　under　some　big…wig　of　a　political　boss　or　a　railroad

president；　with　a　letter　to　the　general。　　And　WE'RE　told　off　to

look　arter　their　precious　skins；　and　keep　the　Injins　off　'em；and

they　shootin'　or　skeerin'　off　the　Injins'　nat'ral　game；　and　our

provender！　　Darn　my　skin　ef　there'll　be　much　to　scout　for　ef　this

goes　on。　　And　b'gosh！of　they　aren't　now　ringin'　in　a　lot　of

titled　forriners　to　hunt　'big　game；'　as　they　call　it；Lord　This…

and…That　and　Count　So…and…So；all　of　'em　with　letters　to　the

general　from　the　Washington　cabinet　to　show　'hospitality；'　or　from

millionaires　who've　bin　hobnobbin'　with　'em　in　the　old　country。

And　darn　my　skin　ef　some　of　'em　ain't　bringin'　their　wives　and

sisters　along　too。　　There　was　a　lord　and　lady　passed　through　here

under　escort　last　week；　and　we're　goin'　to　pick　up　some　more　of　'em

at　Fort　Biggs　tomorrow；and　I　reckon　some　of　us　will　be　told　off

to　act　as　ladies'　maids　or　milliners。　　Nothin'　short　of　a　good

Injin　scare；　I　reckon；　would　send　them　and　us　about　our　reg'lar

business。　　Whoa；　then；　will　ye？　　At　it　again；　are　ye？　　What's　gone

of　the　dd　critter？〃



Here　the　fractious　near　horse　was　again　beginning　to　show　signs　of

disturbance　and　active　terror。　　His　quivering　nostrils　were　turned

towards　the　wind；　and　he　almost　leaped　the　centre　pole　in　his

frantic　effort　to　avoid　it。　　The　eyes　of　the　two　men　were　turned

instinctively　in　that　direction。　　Nothing　was　to　be　seen；the

illimitable　plain　and　the　sinking　sun　were　all　that　met　the　eye。

But　the　horse　continued　to　struggle；　and　the　wagon　stopped。　　Then

it　was　discovered　that　the　horse　of　an　adjacent　trooper　was　also

laboring　under　the　same　mysterious　excitement；　and　at　the　same

moment　wagon　No。　3　halted。　　The　infection　of　some　inexplicable

terror　was　spreading　among　them。　　Then　two　non…commissioned

officers　came　riding　down　the　line　at　a　sharp　canter；　and　were

joined　quickly　by　the　young　lieutenant；　who　gave　an　order。　　The

trumpeter　instinctively　raised　his　instrument　to　his　lips；　but　was

stopped　by　another　order。



And　then；　as　seen　by　a　distant　observer；　a　singular　spectacle　was

unfolded。　　The　straggling　train　suddenly　seemed　to　resolve　itself

into　a　large　widening　circle　of　horsemen；　revolving　round　and

partly　hiding　the　few　heavy　wagons　that　were　being　rapidly　freed

from　their　struggling　teams。　　These；　too；　joined　the　circle；　and

were　driven　before　the　whirling　troopers。　　Gradually　the　circle

seemed　to　grow　smaller　under　the　〃winding…up〃　of　those　evolutions；

until　the　horseless　wagons　reappeared　again；　motionless；　fronting

the　four　points　of　the　compass；　thus　making　the　radii　of　a　smaller

inner　circle；　into　which　the　teams　of　the　wagons　as　well　as　the

troopers'　horses　were　closely　〃wound　up〃　and　densely　packed

together　in　an　immovable　mass。　　As　the　circle　became　smaller　the

troopers　leaped　from　their　horses；which；　however；　continued　to

blindly　follow　each　other　in　the　narrower　circle；and　ran　to　the

wagons；　carbines　in　hand。　　In　five　minutes　from　the　time　of　giving

the　order　the　straggling　train　was　a　fortified　camp；　the　horses

corralled　in　the　centre；　the　dismounted　troopers　securely　posted

with　their　repeating　carbines　in　the　angles　of　the　rude　bastions

formed　by　the　deserted　wagons；　and　ready　for　an　attack。　　The

stampede；　if　such　it　was；　was　stopped。



And　yet　no　cause　for　it　was　to　be　seen！　　Nothing　in　earth　or　sky

suggested　a　reason　for　this　extraordinary　panic；　or　the　marvelous

evolution　that　suppressed　it。　　The　guide；　with　three　men　in　open

order；　rode　out　and　radiated　across　the　empty　plain；　returning　as

empty　of　result。　　In　an　hour　the　horses　were　sufficiently　calmed

and　fed；　the　camp　slowly　unwound　itself；　the　teams　were　set　to　and

were　led　out　of　the　circle；　and　as　the　rays　of　the　setting　sun

began　to　expand　fanlike　across　the　plain　the　cavalcade　moved　on。

But　between　them　and　the　sinking　sun；　and　visible　through　its　last

rays；　was　a　faint　line　of　haze　parallel　with　their　track。　　Yet　even

this；　too；　quickly　faded　away。



Had　the　guide；　however；　penetrated　half　a　mile　further　to　the　west

he　would　have　come　upon　the　cause　of　the　panic；　and　a　spectacle

more　marvelous　than　that　he　had　just　witnessed。　　For　the

illimitable　plain　with　its　monotonous　prospect　was　far　from　being

level；　a　hundred　yards　further　on　he　would　have　slowly　and

imperceptibly　descended　into　a　depression　nearly　a　mile　in　width。

Here　he　not　only　would　have　completely　lost　sight　of　his　own

cavalcade；　but　have　come　upon　another　thrice　its　length。　　For　here

was　a　trailing　line　of　jog…trotting　dusky　shapes；　some　crouching　on

dwarf　ponies　half　their　size；　some　trailing　lances；　lodge…poles；

rifles；　women　and　children　after　them；　all　moving　with　a　monotonous

rhythmic　motion　as　marked　as　the　military　precision　of　the　other

cavalcade；　and　always　on　a　parallel　line　with　it。　　They　had　done　so

all　day；　keeping　touch　and　distance　by　stealthy　videttes　that　crept

and　crawled　along　the　imperceptible　slope　towards　the　unconscious

white　men。　　It　was；　no　doubt；　the　near　proximity　of　one　of　those

watchers　that　had　touched　the　keen　scent　of　the　troopers'　horses。



The　moon　came　up；　the　two　cavalcades；　scarcely　a　mile　apart；　moved

on　in　unison　together。　　Then　suddenly　the　dusky　caravan　seemed　to

arise；　stretch　itself　out；　and　swept　away　like　a　morning　mist

towards　the　west。　　The　bugles　of　Fort　Biggs　had　just　rung　out。



　　　　　　　　。　　　　　　　　。　　　　　　　　。　　　　　　　　。　　　　　　　　。　　　　　　　　。



Peter　Atherly　was　up　early　the　next　morning　pacing　the　veranda　of

the　commandant's　house　at　Fort　Biggs。　　It　had　been　his　intention　to

visit　the　new　Indian　Reservation　that　day；　but　he　had　just　received

a　letter　announcing　an　unexpected　visit　from　his　sister；　who　wished

to　join　him。　　He　had　never　told　her　the　secret　of　their　Indian

paternity；　as　it　had　been　revealed　to　him　from　the　scornful　lips　of

Gray　Eagle　a　year　ago；　he　knew　her　strangely　excitable　nature；

besides；　she　was　a　wife　now；　and　the　secret　would　have　to　be　shared

with　her　husband。　　When　he　himself　had　recovered　from　the　shock　of

the　revelation；　two　things　had　impressed　themselves　upon　his

reserved　and　gloomy　nature：　a　horror　of　his　previous　claim　upon　the

Atherlys；　and　an　infinite　pity　and　sense　of　duty　towards　his　own

race。　　He　had　devoted　himself　and　his　increasing　wealth　to　this　one

object；　it　seemed　to　him　at　times　almost　providential　that　his

position　as　a　legislator；　which　he　had　accepted　as　a　whim　or　fancy；

should　have　given　him　this　singular　opportunity。



Yet　it　was　not　an　easy　task　or　an　enviable　position。　　He　was

obliged　to　divorce　himself　from　his　political　party　as　well　as　keep

clear　of　the　wild　schemes　of　impractical　enthusiasts；　too　practical

〃contractors；〃　and　the　still　more　helpless　bigotry　of　Christian

civilizers；　who　would　have　regenerated　the　Indian　with　a　text　which

he　did　not　understand　and　they　were　unable　to　illustrate　by

example。　　He　had　expected　the　opposition　of　lawless　frontiersmen

and　ignorant　settlersas　roughly　indicated　in　the　conversation

already　recorded；　indeed　he　had　felt　it　difficult　to　argue　his

humane　theories　under　the　smoking　roof　of　a　raided　settler's　cabin；

whose　owner；　however；　had　forgotten　his　own　repeated　provocations；

or　the　trespass　of　which　he　was　proud。　　But　Atherly's　unaffected

and　unobtrusive　zeal；　his　fixity　of　purpose；　his　undoubted　courage；

his　self…abnegation；　and　above　all　the　gentle　melancholy　and　half…

philosophical　wisdom　of　this　new　missionary；　won　him　the　respect