desert gold-第54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！


followers　were　plainly　in　sight　for　perhaps　a　quarter　of　an　hour。　　Then　they　disappeared　behind　another　ridge。　　Gale　kept　watching　sure　they　would　come　out　farther　on。　　A　tense　period　of　waiting　passed；　then　a　suddenly　electrifying　pressure　of　Yaqui's　hand　made　Gale　tremble　with　excitement。

Very　cautiously　he　shifted　his　position。　　There；　not　fifty　feet　distant　upon　a　high　mound　of　lava；　stood　the　leader　of　the　sheep。　His　size　astounded　Gale。　　He　seemed　all　horns。　　But　only　for　a　moment　did　the　impression　of　horns　overbalancing　body　remain　with　Gale。　　The　sheep　was　graceful；　sinewy；　slender；　powerfully　built；　and　in　poise　magnificent。　　As　Gale　watched；　spellbound；　the　second　ram　leaped　lightly　upon　the　mound；　and　presently　the　three　others　did　likewise。

Then；　indeed；　Gale　feasted　his　eyes　with　a　spectacle　for　a　hunter。　It　came　to　him　suddenly　that　there　had　been　something　he　expected　to　see　in　this　Rocky　Mountain　bighorn；　and　it　was　lacking。　　They　were　beautiful；　as　wonderful　as　even　Ladd's　encomiums　had　led　him　to　suppose。　　He　thought　perhaps　it　was　the　contrast　these　soft；　sleek；　short…furred；　graceful　animals　afforded　to　what　he　imagined　the　barren；　terrible　lava　mountains　might　develop。

The　splendid　leader　stepped　closer；　his　round；　protruding　amber　eyes；　which　Gale　could　now　plainly　see；　intent　upon　that　fatal　red　flag。　　Like　automatons　the　other　four　crowded　into　his　tracks。　A　few　little　slow　steps；　then　the　leader　halted。

At　this　instant　Gale's　absorbed　attention　was　directed　by　Yaqui　to　the　rifle；　and　so　to　the　purpose　of　the　climb。　　A　little　cold　shock　affronted　Gale's　vivid　pleasure。　　With　it　dawned　a　realization　of　what　he　had　imagined　was　lacking　in　these　animals。　　They　did　not　look　wild！　　the　so…called　wildest　of　wild　creatures　appeared　tamer　than　sheep　he　had　followed　on　a　farm。　　It　would　be　little　less　than　murder　to　kill　them。　　Gale　regretted　the　need　of　slaughter。　　Nevertheless；　he　could　not　resist　the　desire　to　show　himself　and　see　how　tame　they　really　were。

He　reached　for　the　。405；　and　as　he　threw　a　shell　into　the　chamber　the　slight　metallic　click　made　the　sheep　jump。　　Then　Gale　rose　quickly　to　his　feet。

The　noble　ram　and　his　band　simply　stared　at　Gale。　　They　had　never　seen　a　man。　　They　showed　not　the　slightest　indication　of　instinctive　fear。　　Curiosity；　surprise；　even　friendliness；　seemed　to　mark　their　attitude　of　attention。　　Gale　imagined　that　they　were　going　to　step　still　closer。　　He　did　not　choose　to　wait　to　see　if　this　were　true。　　Certainly　it　already　took　a　grim　resolution　to　raise　the　heavy　。405。

His　shot　killed　the　big　leader。　　The　others　bounded　away　with　remarkable　nimbleness。　　Gale　used　up　the　remaining　four　shells　to　drop　the　second　ram；　and　by　the　time　he　had　reloaded　the　others　were　out　of　range。



The　Yaqui's　method　of　hunting　was　sure　and　deadly　and　saving　of　energy；　but　Gale　never　would　try　it　again。　　He　chose　to　stalk　the　game。　　This　entailed　a　great　expenditure　of　strength；　the　eyes　and　lungs　of　a　mountaineer；　and；　as　Gale　put　it　to　Ladd；　the　need　of　seven…league　boots。　　After　being　hunted　a　few　times　and　shot　at；　the　sheep　became　exceedingly　difficult　to　approach。　　Gale　learned　to　know　that　their　fame　as　the　keenest…eyed　of　all　animals　was　well　founded。　　If　he　worked　directly　toward　a　flock；　crawling　over　the　sharp　lava；　always　a　sentinel　ram　espied　him　before　he　got　within　range。　　The　only　method　of　attack　that　he　found　successful　was　to　locate　sheep　with　his　glass；　work　round　to　windward　of　them；　and　then；　getting　behind　a　ridge　or　buttress；　crawl　like　a　lizard　to　a　vantage　point。　　He　failed　often。　　The　stalk　called　forth　all　that　was　in　him　of　endurance；　cunning；　speed。　As　the　days　grew　hotter　he　hunted　in　the　early　morning　hours　and　a　while　before　the　sun　went　down。　　More　than　one　night　he　lay　out　on　the　lava；　with　the　great　stars　close　overhead　and　the　immense　void　all　beneath　him。　　This　pursuit　he　learned　to　love。　Upon　those　scarred　and　blasted　slopes　the　wild　spirit　that　was　in　him　had　free　rein。　　And　like　a　shadow　the　faithful　Yaqui　tried　ever　to　keep　at　his　heels。

One　morning　the　rising　sun　greeted　him　as　he　surmounted　the　higher　cone　of　the　volcano。　　He　saw　the　vastness　of　the　east　algow　with　a　glazed　rosy　whiteness；　like　the　changing　hue　of　an　ember。　　At　this　height　there　was　a　sweeping　wind；　still　cool。　　The　western　slopes　of　lava　lay　dark；　and　all　that　world　of　sand　and　gulf　and　mountain　barrier　beyond　was　shrouded　in　the　mystic　cloud　of　distance。　　Gale　had　assimilated　much　of　the　loneliness　and　the　sense　of　ownership　and　the　love　of　lofty　heights　that　might　well　belong　to　the　great　condor　of　the　peak。　　Like　this　wide…winged　bird；　he　had　an　unparalleled　range　of　vision。　　The　very　corners　whence　came　the　winds　seemed　pierced　by　Gale's　eyes。

Yaqui　spied　a　flock　of　sheep　far　under　the　curved　broken　rim　of　the　main　crater。　　Then　began　the　stalk。　　Gale　had　taught　the　Yaqui　somethingthat　speed　might　win　as　well　as　patient　cunning。　　Keeping　out　of　sight；　Gale　ran　over　the　spike…crusted　lava；　leaving　the　Indian　far　behind。　　His　feet　were　magnets；　attracting　supporting　holds　and　he　passed　over　them　too　fast　to　fall。　　The　wind；　the　keen　air　of　the　heights；　the　red　lava；　the　boundless　surrounding　blue；　all　seemed　to　have　something　to　do　with　his　wildness。　　Then；　hiding；　slipping；　creeping；　crawling；　he　closed　in　upon　his　quarry　until　the　long　rifle　grew　like　stone　in　his　grip；　and　the　whipping　〃spang〃　ripped　the　silence；　and　the　strange　echo　boomed　deep　in　the　crater；　and　rolled　around；　as　if　in　hollow　mockery　at　the　hopelessness　of　escape。

Gale's　exultant　yell　was　given　as　much　to　free　himself　of　some　bursting　joy　of　action　as　it　was　to　call　the　slower　Yaqui。　Then　he　liked　the　strange　echoes。　　It　was　a　maddening　whirl　of　sound　that　bored　deeper　and　deeper　along　the　whorled　and　caverned　walls　of　the　crater。　　It　was　as　if　these　aged　walls　resented　the　violating　of　their　silent　sanctity。　　Gale　felt　himself　a　man；　a　thing　alive；　something　superior　to　all　this　savage；　dead；　upflung　world　of　iron；　a　master　even　of　all　this　grandeur　and　sublimity　because　he　had　a　soul。

He　waited　beside　his　quarry；　and　breathed　deep；　and　swept　the　long　slopes　with　searching　eyes　of　habit。

When　Yaqui　came　up　they　set　about　the　hardest　task　of　all；　to　pack　the　best　of　that　heavy　sheep　down　miles　of　steep；　ragged；　choya…covered　lava。　　But　even　in　this　Gale　rejoiced。　　The　heat　was　nothing；　the　millions　of　little　pits　which　could　hold　and　twist　a　foot　were　nothing；　the　blade…edged　crusts　and　the　deep　fissures　and　the　choked　canyons　and　the　tangled；　dwarfed　mesquites；　all　these　were　as　nothing　but　obstacles　to　be　cheerfully　overcome。　　Only　the　choya　hindered　Dick　Gale。

When　his　heavy　burden　pulled　him　out　of　sure…footedness；　and　he　plunged　into　a　choya；　or　when　the　strange；　deceitful；　uncanny；　almost　invisible　frosty　thorns　caught　and　pierced　him；　then　there　was　call　for　all　of　fortitude　and　endurance。　　For　this　cactus　had　a　malignant　power　of　torture。　　Its　pain　was　a　stinging；　blinding；　burning；　sickening　poison　in　the　blood。　　If　thorns　pierced　his　legs　he　felt　the　pain　all　over　his　body；　if　his　hands　rose　from　a　fall　full　of　the　barbed　joints；　he　was　helpless　and　quivering　till　Yaqui　tore　them　out。

But　this　one　peril；　dreaded　more　than　dizzy　height　of　precipice　or　sunblindness　on　the　glistening　peak；　did　not　daunt　Gale。　　His　teacher　was　the　Yaqui；　and　always　before　him　was　an　example　that　made　him　despair　of　a　white　man's　equality。　　Color；　race；　blood；　breedingwhat　were　these　in　the　wilderness？　　Verily；　Dick　Gale　had　come　to　learn　the　use　of　his　hands。

So　in　a　descent　of　hours　he　toiled　down　the　lava　slope；　to　stalk　into　the　arroyo　like　a　burdened　giant；　wringing　wet；　panting；　clear…eyed　and　dark…faced；　his　ragged　clothes　and　boots　white　with　choya　thorns。

The　gaunt　Ladd　rose　from　his　shaded　seat；　and　removed　his　pipe　from　smiling　lips；　and　turned　to　nod　at　Jim；　and　then　looked　back　again。

The　torrid　summer　heat　came　imperceptibly；　or　it　could　never　have　been　borne　by　white　men。　　It　changed　the　lives　of　the　fugitives；　making　them　partly　nocturnal　in　habit。　　The　nights　had　the　balmly　coolness　of　spring；　and　would　have　been　delightful　for　sleep；　but　that　would　have　made　the　blazing　days　unendurable。

The　sun　rose　in　a　vast　white　flame。　　With　it　came　the　blasting；　withering　wind　from　the　gulf。　　A　red　haze；　like　that　of　earlier　sunsets；　seemed　to　come　sweeping　on　the　wind；　and　it　roared　up　the　arroyo；　and　went　bellowing　into　the　crater；　and　rushed　on　in　fury　to　lash　the　peaks。

During　these　hot；　windy　hours　the　desert…bound　party　slept　in　deep　recesses　in　the　lava；　and　if　necessity　brought　them　forth　they　could　not　remain　out　long。　　the　sand　burned　through　boots；　and　a　touch　of　bare　hand　on　lava　raised　a　blister。

A　short　while　before　sundown　the　Yaqui　went　forth　to　build　a　campfire；　and　soon　the　others　came　out；　heat…dazed；　half　blinded；　with　parching　throats　to　allay　and　hunger　that　was　never　satisfied。　　A　little　action　and　a　cooling　of　the　air　revived　them；　and　when　night　set　in　they　were　comfortable　round　the　campfire。

As　Ladd　had　said；　one　of　their　greatest　problems　was　the　passing　of　time。　　The　nights　were　interminably　long；　but　they　had　to　be　passed　in　work　o