the last of the plainsmen-第35节

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A　thousand　feet　or　more　above　the　level　bench；　the　character　of　the　forest　changed；　the　pines　grew　thicker；　and　interspersed　among　them　were　silver　spruces　and　balsams。　Here　in　the　clumps　of　small　trees　and　underbrush；　we　began　to　jump　deer；　and　in　a　few　moments　a　greater　number　than　I　had　ever　seen　in　all　my　hunting　experiences　loped　within　range　of　my　eye。　I　could　not　look　out　into　the　forest　where　an　aisle　or　lane　or　glade　stretched　to　any　distance；　without　seeing　a　big　gray　deer　cross　it。　Jones　said　the　herds　had　recently　come　up　from　the　breaks；　where　they　had　wintered。　These　deer　were　twice　the　size　of　the　Eastern　species；　and　as　fat　as　well…fed　cattle。　They　were　almost　as　tame；　too。　A　big　herd　ran　out　of　one　glade；　leaving　behind　several　curious　does；　which　watched　us　intently　for　a　moment；　then　bounded　off　with　the　stiff；　springy　bounce　that　so　amused　me。

Sounder　crossed　fresh　trails　one　after　another；　Jude；　Tige　and　Ranger　followed　him；　but　hesitated　often；　barked　and　whined；　Don　started　off　once；　to　come　sneaking　back　at　Jones's　stern　call。　But　surly　old　Moze　either　would　not　or　could　not　obey；　and　away　he　dashed。　Bang！　Jones　sent　a　charge　of　fine　shot　after　him。　He　yelped；　doubled　up　as　if　stung；　and　returned　as　quickly　as　he　had　gone。

〃Hyar；　you　white　and　black　coon　dog；〃　said　Jones；　〃get　in　behind；　and　stay　there。〃

We　turned　to　the　right　after　a　while　and　got　among　shallow　ravines。　Gigantic　pines　grew　on　the　ridges　and　in　the　hollows；　and　everywhere　bluebells　shone　blue　from　the　white　frost。　Why　the　frost　did　not　kill　these　beautiful　flowers　was　a　mystery　to　me。　The　horses　could　not　step　without　crushing　them。

Before　long；　the　ravines　became　so　deep　that　we　had　to　zigzag　up　and　down　their　sides；　and　to　force　our　horses　through　the　aspen　thickets　in　the　hollows。　Once　from　a　ridge　I　saw　a　troop　of　deer；　and　stopped　to　watch　them。　Twenty…seven　I　counted　outright；　but　there　must　have　been　three　times　that　number。　I　saw　the　herd　break　across　a　glade；　and　watched　them　until　they　were　lost　in　the　forest。　My　companions　having　disappeared；　I　pushed　on；　and　while　working　out　of　a　wide；　deep　hollow；　I　noticed　the　sunny　patches　fade　from　the　bright　slopes；　and　the　golden　streaks　vanish　among　the　pines。　The　sky　had　become　overcast；　and　the　forest　was　darkening。　The　〃Waa…hoo；〃　I　cried　out　returned　in　echo　only。　The　wind　blew　hard　in　my　face；　and　the　pines　began　to　bend　and　roar。　An　immense　black　cloud　enveloped　Buckskin。

Satan　had　carried　me　no　farther　than　the　next　ridge；　when　the　forest　frowned　dark　as　twilight；　and　on　the　wind　whirled　flakes　of　snow。　Over　the　next　hollow；　a　white　pall　roared　through　the　trees　toward　me。　Hardly　had　I　time　to　get　the　direction　of　the　trail；　and　its　relation　to　the　trees　nearby；　when　the　storm　enfolded　me。　Of　his　own　accord　Satan　stopped　in　the　lee　of　a　bushy　spruce。　The　roar　in　the　pines　equaled　that　of　the　cave　under　Niagara；　and　the　bewildering；　whirling　mass　of　snow　was　as　difficult　to　see　through　as　the　tumbling；　seething　waterfall。

I　was　confronted　by　the　possibility　of　passing　the　night　there；　and　calming　my　fears　as　best　I　could；　hastily　felt　for　my　matches　and　knife。　The　prospect　of　being　lost　the　next　day　in　a　white　forest　was　also　appalling；　but　I　soon　reassured　myself　that　the　storm　was　only　a　snow　squall；　and　would　not　last　long。　Then　I　gave　myself　up　to　the　pleasure　and　beauty　of　it。　I　could　only　faintly　discern　the　dim　trees；　the　limbs　of　the　spruce；　which　partially　protected　me；　sagged　down　to　my　head　with　their　burden；　I　had　but　to　reach　out　my　hand　for　a　snowball。　Both　the　wind　and　snow　seemed　warm。　The　great　flakes　were　like　swan　feathers　on　a　summer　breeze。　There　was　something　joyous　in　the　whirl　of　snow　and　roar　of　wind。　While　I　bent　over　to　shake　my　holster；　the　storm　passed　as　suddenly　as　it　had　come。　When　I　looked　up；　there　were　the　pines；　like　pillars　of　Parian　marble；　and　a　white　shadow；　a　vanishing　cloud　fled；　with　receding　roar；　on　the　wings　of　the　wind。　Fast　on　this　retreat　burst　the　warm；　bright　sun。

I　faced　my　course；　and　was　delighted　to　see；　through　an　opening　where　the　ravine　cut　out　of　the　forest；　the　red…tipped　peaks　of　the　canyon；　and　the　vaulted　dome　I　had　named　St。　Marks。　As　I　started；　a　new　and　unexpected　after…feature　of　the　storm　began　to　manifest　itself。　The　sun　being　warm；　even　to　melt　the　snow；　and　under　the　trees　a　heavy　rain　fell；　and　in　the　glades　and　hollows　a　fine　mist　blew。　Exquisite　rainbows　hung　from　white…tipped　branches　and　curved　over　the　hollows。　Glistening　patches　of　snow　fell　from　the　pines；　and　broke　the　showers。

In　a　quarter　of　an　hour；　I　rode　out　of　the　forest　to　the　rim　wall　on　dry　ground。　Against　the　green　pinyons　Frank's　white　horse　stood　out　conspicuously；　and　near　him　browsed　the　mounts　of　Jim　and　Wallace。　The　boys　were　not　in　evidence。　Concluding　they　had　gone　down　over　the　rim；　I　dismounted　and　kicked　off　my　chaps；　and　taking　my　rifle　and　camera；　hurried　to　look　the　place　over。

To　my　surprise　and　interest；　I　found　a　long　section　of　rim　wall　in　ruins。　It　lay　in　a　great　curve　between　the　two　giant　capes；　and　many　short；　sharp；　projecting　promontories；　like　the　teeth　of　a　saw；　overhung　the　canyon。　The　slopes　between　these　points　of　cliff　were　covered　with　a　deep　growth　of　pinyon；　and　in　these　places　descent　would　be　easy。　Everywhere　in　the　corrugated　wall　were　rents　and　rifts；　cliffs　stood　detached　like　islands　near　a　shore；　yellow　crags　rose　out　of　green　clefts；　jumble　of　rocks；　and　slides　of　rim　wall；　broken　into　blocks；　massed　under　the　promontories。

The　singular　raggedness　and　wildness　of　the　scene　took　hold　of　me；　and　was　not　dispelled　until　the　baying　of　Sounder　and　Don　roused　action　in　me。　Apparently　the　hounds　were　widely　separated。　Then　I　heard　Jim's　yell。　But　it　ceased　when　the　wind　lulled；　and　I　heard　it　no　more。　Running　back　from　the　point；　I　began　to　go　down。　The　way　was　steep；　almost　perpendicular；　but　because　of　the　great　stones　and　the　absence　of　slides；　was　easy。　I　took　long　strides　and　jumps；　and　slid　over　rocks；　and　swung　on　pinyon　branches；　and　covered　distance　like　a　rolling　stone。　At　the　foot　of　the　rim　wall；　or　at　a　line　where　it　would　have　reached　had　it　extended　regularly；　the　slope　became　less　pronounced。　I　could　stand　up　without　holding　on　to　a　support。　The　largest　pinyons　I　had　seen　made　a　forest　that　almost　stood　on　end。　These　trees　grew　up；　down；　and　out；　and　twisted　in　curves；　and　many　were　two　feet　in　thickness。　During　my　descent；　I　halted　at　intervals　to　listen；　and　always　heard　one　of　the　hounds；　sometimes　several。　But　as　I　descended　for　a　long　time；　and　did　not　get　anywhere　or　approach　the　dogs；　I　began　to　grow　impatient。

A　large　pinyon；　with　a　dead　top；　suggested　a　good　outlook；　so　I　climbed　it；　and　saw　I　could　sweep　a　large　section　of　the　slope。　It　was　a　strange　thing　to　look　down　hill；　over　the　tips　of　green　trees。　Below；　perhaps　four　hundred　yards；　was　a　slide　open　for　a　long　way；　all　the　rest　was　green　incline；　with　many　dead　branches　sticking　up　like　spars；　and　an　occasional　crag。　From　this　perch　I　heard　the　hounds；　then　followed　a　yell　I　thought　was　Jim's；　and　after　it　the　bellowing　of　Wallace's　rifle。　Then　all　was　silent。　The　shots　had　effectually　checked　the　yelping　of　the　hounds。　I　let　out　a　yell。　Another　cougar　that　Jones　would　not　lasso！　All　at　once　I　heard　a　familiar　sliding　of　small　rocks　below　me；　and　I　watched　the　open　slope　with　greedy　eyes。

Not　a　bit　surprised　was　I　to　see　a　cougar　break　out　of　the　green；　and　go　tearing　down　the　slide。　In　less　than　six　seconds；　I　had　sent　six　steel…jacketed　bullets　after　him。　Puffs　of　dust　rose　closer　and　closer　to　him　as　each　bullet　went　nearer　the　mark　and　the　last　showered　him　with　gravel　and　turned　him　straight　down　the　canyon　slope。

I　slid　down　the　dead　pinyon　and　jumped　nearly　twenty　feet　to　the　soft　sand　below；　and　after　putting　a　loaded　clip　in　my　rifle；　began　kangaroo　leaps　down　the　slope。　When　I　reached　the　point　where　the　cougar　had　entered　the　slide；　I　called　the　hounds；　but　they　did　not　come　nor　answer　me。　Notwithstanding　my　excitement；　I　appreciated　the　distance　to　the　bottom　of　the　slope　before　I　reached　it。　In　my　haste；　I　ran　upon　the　verge　of　a　precipice　twice　as　deep　as　the　first　rim　wall；　but　one　glance　down　sent　me　shatteringly　backward。

With　all　the　breath　I　had　left　I　yelled：　〃Waa…hoo！　Waa…hoo！〃　From　the　echoes　flung　at　me；　I　imagined　at　first　that　my　friends　were　right　on　my　ears。　But　no　real　answer　came。　The　cougar　had　probably　passed　along　this　second　rim　wall　to　a　break；　and　had　gone　down。　His　trail　could　easily　be　taken　by　any　of　the　hounds。　Vexed　and　anxious；　I　signaled　again　and　again。　Once；　long　after　the　echo　had　gone　to　sleep　in　some　hollow　canyon；　I　caught　a　faint　〃Wa…a…ho…o…o！〃　But　it　might　have　come　from　the　clouds。　I　did　not　hear　a　hound　barking　above　me　on　the　slope；　but　suddenly；　to　my　amazement；　Sounder's　deep　bay　rose　from　the　abyss　below。　I　ran　along　the　rim；　called　till　I　was　hoarse；　leaned　over　so　far　that　the　blood　rushed　to　my　head；　and　then　sat　down。　I　concluded　this　canyon　hunting　could　bear　some　sustained　attention　and　thought；　as　well　as　frenzied　action。

Examination　of　my　position　showed　how　impossible　it　was　to　arrive　at　any　clear　idea　of　the　depth　or　size；　or