animal heroes-第21节

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perils　of　men；　guns；　Dogs；　and　impassable　fences　are　much
increased。　Yet　those　who　knew　Warhorse　best　were　not　at　all
surprised　to　find　that　he　had　made　a　form　in　the　middle　of　a
market…gardener's　melon…patch。　A　score　of　dangers　beset　him　here；
but　there　was　also　a　score　of　unusual　delights　and　a　score　of
holes　in　the　fence　for　times　when　he　had　to　fly；　with　at　least
twoscore　of　expedients　to　help　him　afterward。


III

Newchusen　was　a　typical　Western　town。　Everywhere　in　it；　were　to
be　seen　strenuous　efforts　at　uglification；　crowned　with
unmeasured　success。　The　streets　were　straight　level　lanes　without
curves　or　beauty…spots。　The　houses　were　cheap　and　mean　structures
of　flimsy　boards　and　tar　paper；　and　not　even　honest　in　their
ugliness；　for　each　of　them　was　pretending　to　be　something　better
than　itself。　One　had　a　false　front　to　make　it　look　like　two
stories；　another　was　of　imitation　brick；　a　third　pretended　to　be
a　marble　temple。

But　all　agreed　in　being　the　ugliest　things　ever　used　as　human
dwellings；　and　in　each　could　be　read　the　owner's　secret
thoughtto　stand　it　for　a　year　or　so；　then　move　out　somewhere
else。　The　only　beauties　of　the　place；　and　those　unintentional；
were　the　long　lines　of　hand…planted　shade…trees；　uglified　as　far
as　possible　with　whitewashed　trunks　and　croppy　heads；　but　still
lovable；　growing；　living　things。

The　only　building　in　town　with　a　touch　of　picturesqueness　was　the
grain　elevator。　It　was　not　posing　as　a　Greek　temple　or　a　Swiss
chalet；　but　simply　a　strong；　rough；　honest；　grain　elevator。　At
the　end　of　each　street　was　a　vista　of　the　prairie；　with　its
farm…houses；　windmill　pumps；　and　long　lines　of　Osage…orange
hedges。　Here　at　least　was　something　of　interestthe　gray…green
hedges；　thick；　sturdy；　and　high；　were　dotted　with　their　golden
mock…oranges；　useless　fruit；　but　more　welcome　here　than　rain　in　a
desert；　for　these　balls　were　things　of　beauty；　and　swung　on　their
long　tough　boughs　they　formed　with　the　soft　green　leaves　a
color…chord　that　pleased　the　weary　eye。

Such　a　town　is　a　place　to　get　out　of；　as　soon　as　possible；　so
thought　the　traveller　who　found　himself　laid　over　here　for　two
days　in　late　winter。　He　asked　after　the　sights　of　the　place。　A
white　Muskrat　stuffed　in　a　case　〃down　to　the　saloon〃；　old　Baccy
Bullin；　who　had　been　scalped　by　the　Indians　forty　years　ago；　and
a　pipe　once　smoked　by　Kit　Carson；　proved　unattractive；　so　he
turned　toward　the　prairie；　still　white　with　snow。

A　mark　among　the　numerous　Dog　tracks　caught　his　eye：　it　was　the
track　of　a　large　Jack…rabbit。　He　asked　a　passer…by　if　there　were
any　Rabbits　in　town。

〃No；　I　reckon　not。　I　never　seen　none；〃　was　the　answer。　A
mill…hand　gave　the　same　reply；　but　a　small　boy　with　a　bundle　of
newspapers　said：　〃You　bet　there　is；　there's　lots　of　them　out
there　on　the　prairie；　and　they　come　in　town　a…plenty。　Why；
there's　a　big；　big　feller　lives　right　round　Si　Kalb's
melon…patchoh；　an　awful　big　feller；　and　just　as　black　and　as
white　as　checkers！〃　and　thus　he　sent　the　stranger　eastward　on　his
walk。

The　〃big；　big；　awful　big　one〃　was　the　Little　Warhorse　himself。　He
didn't　live　in　Kalb's　melon…patch；　he　was　there　only　at　odd
times。　He　was　not　there　now；　he　was　in　his　west…fronting　form　or
bed；　because　a　raw　east　wind　was　setting　in。　It　was　due　east　of
Madison　Avenue；　and　as　the　stranger　plodded　that　way　the　Rabbit
watched　him。　As　long　as　the　man　kept　the　road　the　Jack　was　quiet；
but　the　road　turned　shortly　to　the　north；　and　the　man　by　chance
left　it　and　came　straight　on。　Then　the　Jack　saw　trouble　ahead。
The　moment　the　man　left　the　beaten　track；　he　bounded　from　his
form；　and　wheeling；　he　sailed　across　the　prairie　due　east。

A　Jack…rabbit　running　from　its　enemy　ordinarily　covers　eight　or
nine　feet　at　a　bound；　and　once　in　five　or　six　bounds；　it　makes　an
observation　hop；　leaping　not　along；　but　high　in　the　air；　so　as　to
get　above　all　herbage　and　bushes　and　take　in　the　situation。　A
silly　young　Jack　will　make　an　observation　hop　as　often　as　one　in
four；　and　so　waste　a　great　deal　of　time。　A　clever　Jack　will　make
one　hop　in　eight　or　nine；　do　for　observation。　But　Jack　Warhorse
as　he　sped；　got　all　the　information　he　needed；　in　one　hop　out　of
a　dozen；　while　ten　to　fourteen　feet　were　covered　by　each　of　his
flying　bounds。　Yet　another　personal　peculiarity　showed　in　the
trail　he　left。　When　a　Cottontail　or　a　Wood…hare　runs；　his　tail　is
curled　up　tight　on　his　back；　and　does　not　touch　the　snow。　When　a
Jack　runs；　his　tail　hangs　downward　or　backward；　with　the　tip
curved　or　straight；　according　to　the　individual；　in　some；　it
points　straight　down；　and　so；　often　leaves　a　little　stroke　behind
the　foot…marks。　The　Warhorse's　tail　of　shining　black；　was　of
unusual　length；　and　at　every　bound；　it　left　in　the　snow；　a　long
stroke；　so　long　that　that　alone　was　almost　enough　to　tell　which
Rabbit　had　made　the　track。

Now　some　Rabbits　seeing　only　a　man　without　any　Dog　would　have
felt　little　fear；　but　Warhorse；　remembering　some　former　stinging
experiences　with　a　far…killer；　fled　when　the　foe　was　seventy…five
yards　away；　and　skimming　low；　he　ran　southeast　to　a　fence　that
ran　easterly。　Behind　this　he　went　like　a　low…flying　Hawk；　till　a
mile　away　he　reached　another　of　his　beds；　and　here；　after　an
observation　taken　　　as　he　stood　on　his　heels；　he　settled　again　to
rest。　

But　not　for　long。　In　twenty　minutes　his　great　megaphone　ears；　so
close　to　the　ground；　caught　a　regular　sound　…crunch；　crunch；
crunchthe　tramp　of　a　human　foot；　and　he　started　up　to　see　the
man　with　the　shining　stick　in　his　hand；　now　drawing　near。

Warhorse　bounded　out　and　away　for　the　fence。　Never　once　did　he
rise　to　a　〃spy…hop〃　till　the　wire　and　rails　were　between　him　and
his　foe；　an　unnecessary　precaution　as　it　chanced；　for　the　man　was
watching　the　trail　and　saw　nothing　of　the　Rabbit。

Jack　skimmed　along；　keeping　low　and　looking　out　for　other
enemies。　He　knew　now　that　the　man　was　on　his　track；　and　the　old
instinct　born　of　ancestral　trouble　with　Weasels　was　doubtless
what　prompted　him　to　do　the　double　trail。　He　ran　in　a　long；
straight　course　to　a　distant　fence；　followed　its　far　side　for
fifty　yards；　then　doubling　back　he　retraced　his　trail　and　ran　off
in　a　new　direction　till　he　reached　another　of　his　dens　or　forms。
He　had　been　out　all　night　and　was　very　ready　to　rest；　now　that
the　sun　was　ablaze　on　the　snow；　but　he　had　hardly　got　the　place　a
little　warmed　when　the　〃tramp；　tramp；　tramp〃　announced　the　enemy；
and　he　hurried　away。

After　a　half…a…mile　run　he　stopped　on　a　slight　rise　and　marked
the　man　still　following；　so　he　made　a　series　of　wonderful　quirks
in　his　trail；　a　succession　of　blind　zigzags　that　would　have
puzzled　most　trailers；　then　running　a　hundred　yards　past　a
favorite　form；　he　returned　to　it　from　the　other　side；　and　settled
to　rest；　sure　that　now　the　enemy　would　be　finally　thrown　off　the
scent。

It　was　slower　than　before；　but　still　it　came〃tramp；　tramp；
tramp。〃

Jack　awoke；　but　sat　still。　The　man　tramped　by　on　the　trail　one
hundred　yards　in　front　of　him；　and　as　he　went　on；　Jack　sprang　out
unseen；　realizing　that　this　was　an　unusual　occasion　needing　a
special　effort。　They　had　gone　in　a　vast　circle　around　the　home
range　of　the　Warhorse　and　now　were　less　than　a　mile　from　the
farm…house　of　the　black　Dog。　There　was　that　wonderful　board　fence
with　the　happily　planned　hen…hole。　It　was　a　place　of　good
memoryhere　more　than　once　he　had　won；　here　especially　he　had
baffled　the　Greyhound。

These　doubtless　were　the　motive　thoughts　rather　than　any　plan　of
playing　one　enemy　against　another；　and　Warhorse　bounded　openly
across　the　snow　to　the　fence　of　the　big　black　Dog。

The　hen…hole　was　shut；　and　Warhorse；　not　a　little　puzzled；
sneaked　around　to　find　another；　without　success；　until；　around
the　front；　here　was　the　gate　wide　open；　and　inside　lying　on　some
boards　was　the　big　Dog；　fast　asleep。　The　Hens　were　sitting
hunched　up　in　the　warmest　corner　of　the　yard。　The　house　Cat　was
gingerly　picking　her　way　from　barn　to　kitchen；　as　Warhorse　halted
in　the　gateway。

The　black　form　of　his　pursuer　was　crawling　down　the　far　white
prairie　slope。　Jack　hopped　quietly　into　the　yard。　A　long…legged
Rooster；　that　ought　to　have　minded　his　own　business；　uttered　a
loud　cackle　as　he　saw　the　Rabbit　hopping　near。　The　Dog　lying　in
the　sun　raised　his　head　and　stood　up；　and　Jack's　peril　was　dire。
He　squatted　low　and　turned　himself　into　a　gray　clod。　He　did　it
cleverly；　but　still　might　have　been　lost　but　for　the　Cat。
Unwittingly；　unwillingly；　she　saved　him。　The　black　Dog　had　taken
three　steps　toward　the　Warhorse；　though　he　did　not　know　the
Rabbit　was　there；　and　was　now　blocking　the　only　way　of　escape
from　the　yard；　when　the　Cat　came　round　the　corner　of　the　house；
and　leaping　to　a　window…ledge　brought　a　flower…pot　rolling　down。
By　that　single　awkward　act　she　disturbed　the　armed　neutrality
existing　between　herself　and　the　Dog。　She　fled　to　the　barn；　and
of　course　a　flying　foe　is　all　that　is　needed　to　send　a　Dog　on　the
war…path。　They　passed　within　thirty　feet　of　the　crouching　Rabbit。
As　soon　as　they　were　well　gone；　Jack　turned；　and　with…out　even　a
〃Thank　you；　Pussy；〃　he　fled　to　the　open　and　away　on　the
hard…beaten　ro