the last of the plainsmen-第42节

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pushed　it　back　and　twisted　it　tight　Following　this；　all　done　with　speed　and　precision；　he　took　from　his　pocket　a　piece　of　steel　rod；　perhaps　one…quarter　of　an　inch　thick；　and　five　inches　long。　He　pushed　this　between　Kitty's　jaws；　just　back　of　her　great　white　fangs；　and　in　front　of　the　copper　wire。　She　had　been　shorn　of　her　sharp　weapons；　she　was　muzzled；　bound；　helpless；　an　object　to　pity。

Lastly　Jones　removed　the　three　lassoes。　Kitty　slowly　gathered　her　lissom　body　in　a　ball　and　lay　panting；　with　the　same　brave　wildfire　in　her　eyes。　Jones　stroked　her　black…tipped　ears　and　ran　his　hand　down　her　glossy　fur。　All　the　time　he　had　kept　up　a　low　monotone；　talking　to　her　in　the　strange　language　he　used　toward　animals。　Then　he　rose　to　his　feet。

〃We'll　go　back　to　camp　now；　and　get　a　pack；　saddle　and　horse；〃　he　said。　〃She'll　be　safe　here。　We'll　rope　her　again；　tie　her　up；　throw　her　over　a　pack…saddle；　and　take　her　to　camp。〃

To　my　utter　bewilderment　the　hounds　suddenly　commenced　fighting　among　themselves。　Of　all　the　vicious　bloody　dog…fights　I　ever　saw　that　was　the　worst。　I　began　to　belabor　them　with　a　club；　and　Frank　sprang　to　my　assistance。　Beating　had　no　apparent　effect。　We　broke　a　dozen　sticks；　and　then　Frank　grappled　with　Moze　and　I　with　Sounder。　Don　kept　on　fighting　either　one　till　Jones　secured　him。　Then　we　all　took　a　rest；　panting　and　weary。

〃What's　it　mean？〃　I　ejaculated；　appealing　to　Jones。

〃Jealous；　that's　all。　Jealous　over　the　lion。〃

We　all　remained　seated；　men　and　hounds；　a　sweaty；　dirty；　bloody；　ragged　group。　I　discovered　I　was　sorry　for　Kitty。　I　forgot　all　the　carcasses　of　deer　and　horses；　the　brutality　of　this　species　of　cat；　and　even　forgot　the　grim；　snarling　yellow　devil　that　had　leaped　at　me。　Kitty　was　beautiful　and　helpless。　How　brave　she　was；　too！　No　sign　of　fear　shone　in　her　wonderful　eyes；　only　hate；　defiance；　watchfulness。

On　the　ride　back　to　camp　Jones　expressed　himself　thus：　〃How　happy　I　am　that　I　can　keep　this　lion　and　the　others　we　are　going　to　capture；　for　my　own。　When　I　was　in　the　Yellowstone　Park　I　did　not　get　to　keep　one　of　the　many　I　captured。　The　military　officials　took　them　from　me。〃

When　we　reached　camp　Lawson　was　absent；　but　fortunately　Old　Baldy　browsed　near　at　hand；　and　was　easily　caught。　Frank　said　he　would　rather　take　Old　Baldy　for　the　cougar　than　any　other　horse　we　had。　Leaving　me　in　camp；　he　and　Jones　rode　off　to　fetch　Kitty。

About　five　o'clock　they　came　trotting　up　through　the　forest　with　Jim；　who　had　fallen　in　with　them　on　the　way。　Old　Baldy　had　remained　true　to　his　famenothing；　not　even　a　cougar　bothered　him。　Kitty；　evidently　no　worse　for　her　experience；　was　chained　to　a　pine　tree　about　fifty　feet　from　the　campfire。

Wallace　came　riding　wearily　in；　and　when　he　saw　the　captive；　he　greeted　us　with　an　exultant　yell。　He　got　there　just　in　time　to　see　the　first　special　features　of　Kitty's　captivity。　The　hounds　surrounded　her；　and　could　not　be　called　off。　We　had　to　beat　them。　Whereupon　the　six　jealous　canines　fell　to　fighting　among　themselves；　and　fought　so　savagely　as　to　be　deaf　to　our　cries　and　insensible　to　blows。　They　had　to　be　torn　apart　and　chained。

About　six　o'clock　Lawson　loped　in　with　the　horses。　Of　course　he　did　not　know　we　had　a　cougar；　and　no　one　seemed　interested　enough　to　inform　him。　Perhaps　only　Frank　and　I　thought　of　it；　but　I　saw　a　merry　snap　in　Frank's　eyes；　and　kept　silent。　Kitty　had　hidden　behind　the　pine　tree。　Lawson；　astride　Jones'　pack　horse；　a　crochety　animal；　reined　in　just　abreast　of　the　tree；　and　leisurely　threw　his　leg　over　the　saddle。　Kitty　leaped　out　to　the　extent　of　her　chain；　and　fairly　exploded　in　a　frightful　cat…spit。

Lawson　had　stated　some　time　before　that　he　was　afraid　of　cougars；　which　was　a　weakness　he　need　not　have　divulged　in　view　of　what　happened。　The　horse　plunged；　throwing　him　ten　feet；　and　snorting　in　terror；　stampeded　with　the　rest　of　the　bunch　and　disappeared　among　the　pines。

〃Why　the　hell　didn't　you　tell　a　feller？〃　reproachfully　growled　the　Arizonian。　Frank　and　Jim　held　each　other　upright；　and　the　rest　of　us　gave　way　to　as　hearty　if　not　as　violent　mirth。

We　had　a　gay　supper；　during　which　Kitty　sat　her　pine　and　watched　our　every　movement。

〃We'll　rest　up　for　a　day　or　two；〃　said　Jones　〃Things　have　commenced　to　come　our　way。　If　I'm　not　mistaken　we'll　bring　an　old　Tom　alive　into　camp。　But　it　would　never　do　for　us　to　get　a　big　Tom　in　the　fix　we　had　Kitty　to…day。　You　see；　I　wanted　to　lasso　her　front　paw；　pull　her　off　the　limb；　tie　my　end　of　the　lasso　to　the　tree；　and　while　she　hung　I'd　go　down　and　rope　her　hind　paws。　It　all　went　wrong　to…day；　and　was　as　tough　a　job　as　I　ever　handled。〃

Not　until　late　next　morning　did　Lawson　corral　all　the　horses。　That　day　we　lounged　in　camp　mending　broken　bridles；　saddles；　stirrups；　lassoes；　boots；　trousers；　leggins；　shirts　and　even　broken　skins。

During　this　time　I　found　Kitty　a　most　interesting　study。　She　reminded　me　of　an　enormous　yellow　kitten。　She　did　not　appear　wild　or　untamed　until　approached。　Then　she　slowly　sank　down；　laid　back　her　ears；　opened　her　mouth　and　hissed　and　spat；　at　the　same　time　throwing　both　paws　out　viciously。　Kitty　may　have　rested；　but　did　not　sleep。　At　times　she　fought　her　chain；　tugging　and　straining　at　it；　and　trying　to　bite　it　through。　Everything　in　reach　she　clawed；　particularly　the　bark　of　the　tree。　Once　she　tried　to　hang　herself　by　leaping　over　a　low　limb。　When　any　one　walked　by　her　she　crouched　low；　evidently　imagining　herself　unseen。　If　one　of　us　walked　toward　her；　or　looked　at　her；　she　did　not　crouch。　At　other　times；　noticeably　when　no　one　was　near；　she　would　roll　on　her　back　and　extend　all　four　paws　in　the　air。　Her　actions　were　beautiful；　soft；　noiseless；　quick　and　subtle。

The　day　passed；　as　all　days　pass　in　camp；　swiftly　and　pleasantly；　and　twilight　stole　down　upon　us　round　the　ruddy　fire。　The　wind　roared　in　the　pines　and　lulled　to　repose；　the　lonesome；　friendly　coyote　barked；　the　bells　on　the　hobbled　horses　jingled　sweetly；　the　great　watch　stars　blinked　out　of　the　blue。

The　red　glow　of　the　burning　logs　lighted　up　Jones's　calm；　cold　face。　Tranquil；　unalterable　and　peaceful　it　seemed；　yet　beneath　the　peace　I　thought　I　saw　a　suggestion　of　wild　restraint；　of　mystery；　of　unslaked　life。

Strangely　enough；　his　next　words　confirmed　my　last　thought。

〃For　forty　years　I've　had　an　ambition。　It's　to　get　possession　of　an　island　in　the　Pacific；　somewhere　between　Vancouver　and　Alaska；　and　then　go　to　Siberia　and　capture　a　lot　of　Russian　sables。　I'd　put　them　on　the　island　and　cross　them　with　our　silver　foxes。　I'm　going　to　try　it　next　year　if　I　can　find　the　time。〃

The　ruling　passion　and　character　determine　our　lives。　Jones　was　sixty…three　years　old；　yet　the　thing　that　had　ruled　and　absorbed　his　mind　was　still　as　strong　as　the　longing　for　freedom　in　Kitty's　wild　heart。

Hours　after　I　had　crawled　into　my　sleeping…bag；　in　the　silence　of　night　I　heard　her　working　to　get　free。　In　darkness　she　was　most　active；　restless；　intense。　I　heard　the　clink　of　her　chain；　the　crack　of　her　teeth；　the　scrape　of　her　claws。　How　tireless　she　was。　I　recalled　the　wistful　light　in　her　eyes　that　saw；　no　doubt；　far　beyond　the　campfire　to　the　yellow　crags；　to　the　great　downward　slopes；　to　freedom。　I　slipped　my　elbow　out　of　the　bag　and　raised　myself。　Dark　shadows　were　hovering　under　the　pines。　I　saw　Kitty's　eyes　gleam　like　sparks；　and　I　seemed　to　see　in　them　the　hate；　the　fear；　the　terror　she　had　of　the　clanking　thing　that　bound　her！

I　shivered；　perhaps　from　the　cold　night　wind　which　moaned　through　the　pines；　I　saw　the　stars　glittering　pale　and　far　off；　and　under　their　wan　light　the　still；　set　face　of　Jones；　and　blanketed　forms　of　my　other　companions。

The　last　thing　I　remembered　before　dropping　into　dreamless　slumber　was　hearing　a　bell　tinkle　in　the　forest；　which　I　recognized　as　the　one　I　had　placed　on　Satan。


CHAPTER　17。　CONCLUSION

Kitty　was　not　the　only　cougar　brought　into　camp　alive。　The　ensuing　days　were　fruitful　of　cougars　and　adventure。　There　were　more　wild　rides　to　the　music　of　the　baying　hounds；　and　more　heart…breaking　canyon　slopes　to　conquer；　and　more　swinging；　tufted　tails　and　snarling　savage　faces　in　the　pinyons。　Once　again；　I　am　sorry　to　relate；　I　had　to　glance　down　the　sights　of　the　little　Remington；　and　I　saw　blood　on　the　stones。　Those　eventful　days　sped　by　all　too　soon。

When　the　time　for　parting　came　it　took　no　little　discussion　to　decide　on　the　quickest　way　of　getting　me　to　a　railroad。　I　never　fully　appreciated　the　inaccessibility　of　the　Siwash　until　the　question　arose　of　finding　a　way　out。　To　return　on　our　back　trail　would　require　two　weeks；　and　to　go　out　by　the　trail　north　to　Utah　meant　half　as　much　time　over　the　same　kind　of　desert。　Lawson　came　to　our　help；　however；　with　the　information　that　an　occasional　prospector　or　horse　hunter　crossed　the　canyon　from　the　Saddle；　where　a　trail　led　down　to　the　river。

〃I've　heard　the　trail　is　a　bad　one；〃　said　Lawson；　〃an'　though　I　never　seen　it；　I　reckon　it　could　be　found。　After　we　get　to　the　Saddle　we'll　build　two　fires　on　one　of　the　high　points　an'　keep　them　burnin'　well　after　dark。　If　Mr。　Bass；　who　lives　on　the　other　side；　sees　the　fires　he'll　come　down　his　trail　next　mornin'　an'　meet　us　at　the　river。　He　keeps