the heritage of the sioux-第28节

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！



worriedly　ahead　of　them　again。　〃Uh　course；　they　might　a　picked　up　fresh

horses；〃　he　admitted。　〃I　calc'late　they　needed　'em　bad　enough；　if　they　ain't

been　grainin'　their　own　on　the　trip。〃



〃We　didn't　see　any　signs　of　their　horses　being　turned　loose　anywhere　along；〃

Lite　pointed　out　with　a　calm　confidence　that　he　was　right。



Still；　they　followed　the　footprints　even　though　they　were　beginning　to　admit

with　perfect　frankness　their　uneasiness。　They　were　swinging　gradually　toward

one　of　those　isolated　bumps　of　red　rockridges　which　you　will　find　scattered　at

random　through　certain　parts　of　the　southwest。　Perhaps　they　held　some　faint

hope　that　what　lay　on　the　other　side　of　the　ridge　would　be　more　promising；

just　as　we　all　find　ourselves　building　air…castles　upon　what　lies　just　over

the　horizon　which　divides　present　facts　from　future　possibilities。　Besides；

these　flat…faced　ledges　frequently　formed　a　sharp　dividing　line　between　barren

land　and　fertile；　and　the　hoofprints　led　that　way；　so　it　was　with　a　tacit

understanding　that　they　would　see　what　lay　beyond　the　ridge　that　they　rode

forward。



Suddenly　Applehead；　eyeing　the　rocks　speculatively；　turned　his　head　suddenly

to　look　behind　and　to　either　side　like　one　who　seeks　a　way　of　escape　from

sudden　peril。



〃Don't　make　no　quick　moves；　boys；〃　he　said；　waving　one　gloved　band

nonchalantly　toward　the　flat　land　from　which　they　were　turning；　〃but　foller　my

lead　'n'　angle　down　into　that　draw　off　here。　Mebbe　it's　deep　enough　to　put　us

outa　sight；　'n'　mebbe　it　ain't。　But　we'll　try　it。〃



〃What's　up？　What　did　yuh　see？〃　Pink　and　Weary　spoke　in　a　duet；　urging　their

horses　a　little　closer。



〃You　fellers　keep　back　thar　'n'　don't　act　excited！〃　Applehead　eyed　them

sternly　over　his　shoulder。　〃I　calc'late　we're　just　about　t'　walk　into　a　trap。〃

He　benton　the　side　away　from　the　ridgelow　over　his　horse's　shoulder　and

spoke　while　he　appeared　to　be　scanning　the　ground。　〃I　seen　gun…shine　up　among

them　rocks；　er　I'm　a　goat。　'N'　if　it's　Navvies；　you　kin　bet　they　got　guns　as

good　as　ours；　and　kin　shoot　mighty　nigh　as　straight　as　the　best　of　usexcept

Lite；　uh　course；　that's　a　expert。〃　He　pointed　aimlessly　at　the　ground　and

edged　toward　the　draw。



〃Ef　they　think　we're　jest　follerin'　a　stray　track；　they'll　likely　hold　off

till　we　git　back　in　the　trail　'n'　start　comin'　on　agin；〃　he　explained

craftily；　still　pointing　at　the　ground　ahead　of　him　and　still　urging　his　horse

to　the　draw。　〃Ef　they　suspicion　't　we're　shyin'　off　from　the　ridge；　they'll

draw　a　fine　bead　'n'　cut　loose。　I　knowed　it；〃　he　added　with　a　lugubrious

complacency。　〃I　told　ye　all　day　that　I　could　smell　trouble　a…comin'；　I　knowed

dang　well　't　we'd　stir　up　a　mess　uh　fightin'　over　here。　I　never　come　onto　this

dang　res'vation　yit；　that　I　didn't　have　t'　kill　off　a　mess　uh　Navvies　before　I

got　offen　it　agin。



〃Now；〃　he　said　when　they　reached　the　edge　of　the　sandy　depression　that　had

been　gouged　deeper　by　freshets　and　offered　some　shelter　in　case　of　attack；

〃you　boys　jest　fool　around　here　on　the　aidge　'n'　foller　me　down　here　like　you

was　jest　curiouslike　over　what　I'm　locatin'。　That'll　keep　them　babies　up　there

guessin'　till　we're　all　outa　sight　MEBBY！〃　He　pulled　down　the　corners　of　his

mouth　till　his　mustache…ends　dropped　a　full　inch；　and　lifted　himself　off　his

horse　with　a　bored　deliberation　that　was　masterly　in　its　convincingness。　He

stood　looking　at　the　ground　for　a　moment　and　then　began　to　descend　leisurely

into　the　draw；　leading　his　horse　behind　him。



〃You　go　next；　Pink；〃　Weary　said　shortly；　and　with　his　horse　began　edging　him

closer　to　the　bank　until　Pink；　unless　he　made　some　unwise　demonstration　of

unwillingness；　was　almost　forced　to　ride　down　the　steep　little　slope。



〃Don't　look　towards　the　ridge；　boys；〃　Applehead　warned　from　below。　〃Weary；　you

come　on　down　here　next。　Lite　kin　might'　nigh　shoot　the　dang　triggers　offen

their　guns　'fore　they　kin　pull；　if　they　go　t'　work　'n'　start　anything。〃



So　Weary；　leaving　Lite　up　there　grinning　sheepishly　over　the　compliment；　rode

down　because　he　was　told　to　do　so　by　the　man　in　command。　〃You　seem　to　forget

that　Lite's　got　a　wife　on　his　hands；〃　he　reproved　as　he　went。



〃Lite's　a…comin'　right　now；〃　Applehead　retorted；　peering　at　the　ridge　a　couple

of　hundred　yards　distant。　〃Git　back　down　the　draw　's　fur's　yuh　kin　b'fore　yuh

take　out　into　the　open　agin。　I'll　wait　a　minute　'n'　see〃



〃Ping…NG…NG！〃　a　bullet；　striking　a　rock　on　the　edge　of　the　draw　fifty　feet

short　of　the　mark；　glanced　and　went　humming　over　the　hot　waste。



〃Well；　now；　that　shows　they　got　a　lookout　up　high；　't　seen　me　watchin'　that

way。　But　it's　hard　t'　git　the　range　shootin'　down；　like　that；〃　Applehead

remarked；　pulling　his　horse　behind　a　higher　part　of　the　bank。



Close　beside　him　Lite's　rifle　spoke；　its　little　steelshod　message　flying

straight　as　a　homing　honeybee　for　the　spitting　flash　be　had　glimpsed　up　there

among　the　rocks。　Whether　he　did　any　damage　or　not；　a　dozen　rifles　answered

venomously　and　flicked　up　tiny　spurts　of　sand　in　the　close　neighborhood　of　the

four。



〃If　they　keep　on　trying；〃　Lite　commented　drily；　〃they　might　make　a　killing；

soon　as　they　learn　how　to　shoot　straight。〃



〃'S　jest　like　them　dang　Injuns！〃　Applehead　grumbled；　shooing　the　three　before

him　down　the　draw。　〃Four　t'　our　oneit　takes　jest　about　that　big　a　majority

'fore　they　feel　comf　table　about　buildin'　up　a　fight。　Lead　yore　bosses　down

till　we're　outa　easy　shootin'　distance；　boys；　'n'　then　we'll　head　out　fer

where　Luck　ought　t'　be。　If　they　fixed　a　trap　fer　us；　they've　fixed　another　fer

him；　chances　is；　'n！　the　sooner　us　fellers　git　t'gether　the　better　show　we'll

all　of　us　have。　You　kin　see；　the　way　they　worked　it　to　split　the　bunch；　that

they　ain't　so　dang　anxious　t'　tie　into　us　when　we're　t'gether'n'　that's　why

we　can't　git　t'　Luck　a　dang　bit　too　soon；　now　I'm　tellin'　yuh！〃



Weary　and　Pink　were　finding　things　to　say；　also；　but　old　Applehead　went　on

with　his　monologue　just　as　though　they　were　listening。　Lite　showed　a

disposition　to　stop　and　take　issue　with　the　shooters　who　kept　up　a　spiteful

firing　from　the　ridge。　But　Applehead　stopped　him　as　he　was　leveling　his　rifle。



〃If　yuh　shoot；〃　he　pointed　out；　〃they'll　know　jest　where　we　air　and　how　fast

we're　gittin'　outa　here。　If　yuh　don't；　unless　their　lookout　kin　see　us　movin'

out；　they　got　t'　do　a　heap　uh　guessin'　in　the　next　few　minutes。　They　only　got

one　chancet　in　three　uh　guessin'　right；　'cause　we　might　be　camped　in　one　spot；

'n'　then　agin　we　might　be　crawlin'　up　closer；　fer　all　they　kin　tell。〃



If　they　were　guessing；　they　must　have　guessed　right；　for　presently　the　four

heard　faint　yells　from　behind　them；　and　Applehead　crawled　up　the　bank　to　where

he　could　look　out　across　the　level。　What　he　saw　made　him　slide　hastily　to　the

bottom　again。



〃They've　clumb　down　and　straddled　their　ponies；〃　he　announced　grimly。　〃An'

about　a　dozen　is　comin'　down　this　way；　keepin'　under　cover　all　they　kin。　I

calc'late　mebby　we　better　crawl　our　bosses　'n'　do　some　ridin'　ourselves；

boys。〃　And　he　added　grimly；　〃They　ain't　in　good　shootin'　distance　yit；　'n'

they　dassent　show　theirselves　neither。　We'll　keep　in　this　draw　long　as　we　kin。

They're　bound　t'　come　careful　till　they　git　us　located。〃



The　footing　was　none　the　best；　but　the　horses　they　rode　had　been　running　over

untracked　mesaland　since　they　were　bandy…legged　colts。　They　loped　along

easily；　picking　automatically　the　safest　places　whereon　to　set　their　feet；　and

leaving　their　riders　free　to　attend　to　other　important　matters　which　proved

their　true　value　as　horses　that　knew　their　business。



Soon　the　draw　shallowed　until　they　found　themselves　out　in　the　open；　with　the

square…topped　mountain　five　miles　or　so　ahead　and　a　little　to　the　left；　a

high；　untraversable　sandstone　ledge　to　their　right；　and　what　looked　like　plain

sailing　straight　ahead　past　the　mountain。



Applehead　twisted　his　body　in　the　saddle　and　gave　a　grunt。　〃Throw　some　lead

back　at　them　hombres；　Lite；〃　he　snapped。　〃And　make　a　killin'　if　yuh　kin。　It'll

make　'em　mad；　but　it'll　hold　'em　back　fer　a　spell。〃



Lite；　the　crack　rifle…shot　of　Luck's　company　and　the　man　who　had　taught　Jean

Douglas　to　shoot　with　such　wonderful　precision；　wheeled　his　horse　short　around

and　pulled　him　to　a　stand；　lined　up　his　rifle　sights　and　crooked　his　finger　on

the　trigger。　And　away　back　there　among　the　Indians　a　pony　reared；　and　then

pitched　forward。



〃I　sure　do　bate　to　shoot　down　a　horse；〃　Lite　explained　shamefacedly；　〃but　I

never　did　kill　a　man〃



〃We…ell；　I　calc'late　mebby　yuh　will；　'fore　you're　let　out　from　this　yere

meetin'；〃　Applehead　prophesied　drily。　〃Now；　dang　it；　RIDE！〃





CHAPTER　XVI。　ANNIE…MANY…PONIES　WAITS



In　the　magic　light　of　many　unnamable　soft　shades　which　the　sun　leaves　in　New

Mexico　as　a　love　token　for　his　dark　mistress　night；　Annie…Many…Ponies　sat　with

her　back　against　a　high；　flat　rock　at　the　place　wher