登陆注册
5234100000038

第38章 CHAPTER XVIII. SOMETHING LIKE A WHITE ELEPHANT.(1)

Only a lad, slight-limbed and slenderly framed to the eye, yet for all that gifted with a gallant heart, else he surely must have been cowed to terror by the huge bulk of such a dire adversary at close quarters.

Instead of trying to find safety in headlong flight, the Indian stood at bay, with both hands firmly gripping the shaft of his copper-bladed spear, at far too close quarters for employing bow and arrows, while the copper knife in his sash was held in reserve for still closer work.

Snarling, growling, displaying its great teeth while clumsily waving enormous paws which bore talons of more than a finger-length, the bear was balanced upon its hindquarters, evidently just ready to lurch forward with striking paws and gnashing teeth.

Its enormous weight would prove more than sufficient to end the contest ere it fairly began, while a slight stroke from those taloned paws would both slay and mutilate.

No one was better aware of all this than the Indian lad himself, yet he took the initiative, swiftly darting his spear forward, lending to its keen point all the power of both arms and body. Asuicidal act it certainly appeared, yet one which could scarcely make his position more perilous.

An awful roar burst from bruin as he felt that thrust, the blade sinking deep and biting shrewdly; but then he plunged forward, striking savagely as he dropped.

The Indian strove to leap backward an instant after delivering his stroke, but still clung to the spear-shaft. This hampered his action to a certain degree, yet in all probability that stout ashen shaft preserved his life, which that wound would otherwise have forfeited.

The stroke but brushed a shoulder, nor did a claw take fair effect, yet the stripling was felled to earth as though smitten by a thunderbolt.

All this before the brothers could solve the enigma thus offered them so unexpectedly; but that fall, and the awful rage displayed by the wounded grizzly as he briefly reared erect to grind asunder the spearshaft, decided the white lads, and, temporarily forgetting how dangerously nigh were yonder Aztecan hosts, both Bruno and Waldo opened fire with their Winchester rifles, sending shot after shot in swift succession into the bulky brute, fairly beating him backward under their storm of lead.

Victory came right speedily, but its finale was thrilling, if not fatal, the huge beast toppling forward to drop heavily upon the young savage, just as he was recovering sufficiently from shock and surprise to begin a struggle for his footing.

Firing another couple of shots while rifle-muzzle almost touched an ear, the brothers quickly turned attention towards the fallen Indian, more than half believing him a corpse, crushed out of shape upon the underlying rocks by that enormous carcass.

Fortunately for all concerned, the young Aztec was lying in a natural depression between two firm rocks, and while his extrication proved to be a matter of both time and difficulty, saying nothing of main strength, success finally rewarded the efforts of our young Samaritans.

The grizzly was stone-dead. The Indian seemed but a trifle better, though that came through compression rather than any actual wounds from tooth or talon. And the brothers themselves were fairly dismayed.

Not until that rescue was finally accomplished did either lad give thought to what might follow; but now they drew back a bit, interchanging looks of puzzled doubt and worry.

"Right in it, up to our necks, old man! And we can't very well kill the critter, can we?""Of course not; but it may cause us sore trouble if--"Just then the young Aztec rallied sufficiently to move, drawing a step nearer the brothers, right hand coming out in greeting, while left palm was pressed close above his heart. And--still greater marvel!

"Much obliged--me, you, brother!"

If yonder bleeding grizzly had risen erect and made just such a salutation as this, it could scarcely have caused greater surprise to either Bruno or Waldo, looking upon this being, as they quite naturally did, in the light of a genuine "heathen,"hence incapable of speaking any known tongue, much less the glorious Americanese.

True, there was a certain odd accent, a curious dwelling upon each syllable, but the words themselves were distinctly pronounced and beyond misapprehension.

"Why, I took you for a howling Injun!" fairly exploded Waldo, then stepping forward to clasp the proffered member, giving it a regular "pump-handle shake" by way of emphasis. "And here you are, slinging the pure United States around just as though it didn't cost a cent, and you held a mortgage on the whole dictionary! Why, I can't--well, well, now!"For once in a way the glib-tongued lad was at a loss just what to say and how to say it. For, after all, this surely was a redskin, and the professor had explicitly warned them against--oh, dear!

同类推荐
  • 虚劳门

    虚劳门

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • Orthodoxy

    Orthodoxy

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • The Last Stetson

    The Last Stetson

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • Abraham Lincoln and the Union

    Abraham Lincoln and the Union

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 弇山堂别集

    弇山堂别集

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
热门推荐
  • 霸宠无度:娘子,快跟我回家

    霸宠无度:娘子,快跟我回家

    徐穆清就像一只蜗牛,即便是前世的仇敌,不见面也不会刻意去想起。她心心念念的,只有自己的家人朋友,是不是平安幸福。但是某天,她的重生不止救了父母,还害了许多人......宋俞念好似着了魔一样,喜欢上了认识没多久的她。她虽然不坚强,不霸道,但是有好多秘密。频频受伤,频频被欺,哼,是不知道她是他的人吗?那就休怪他不客气了!
  • 陈白沙集

    陈白沙集

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 超级富翁的9个习惯:古巴比伦的理财圣经

    超级富翁的9个习惯:古巴比伦的理财圣经

    6000年前的巴比伦,是当时世界上最富裕、最繁华的城市,每个巴比伦人都了解金钱的价值,并懂得如何让自己变得富有。完备的理财原则指导他们致富、储蓄、投资赚钱,他们的收入像汛期的河水一样源源不息,为他们的富有生活提供保障。而这些简易朴实的理财智慧,沿用至今也不显得过时。作者乔治·塞缪尔·克拉森很荣幸能够有越来越多的人参与到这项财富运动中,从而完成他们的愿望。而《超级富翁的9个习惯:古巴比伦的理财圣经》更是用许多有趣的故事来更具体地解答读者最关心的问题,鼓励读者增加存款数目,积累财富,在解决个人财务难题等方面给予读者最真切的启发。
  • 妃要自由:王妃很抢手

    妃要自由:王妃很抢手

    王妃要自由同王爷约法三章:我不管你,你不管我王妃时尔搞笑,时尔腹黑,时尔装傻,时尔呆萌。。。。。那就要看王妃遇上什么人啦但她最重要的是,我需要自由,自由路上,人不惹我,我不惹人,人若惹急了我,嘿嘿。。。。。我也是心狠手辣的,要不,试试这是本妃第一次写作,希望大家我多支持啦,多给意见,多收藏。。。那都是动力啦。开始在文章里见吧。
  • 快穿之潇洒人生

    快穿之潇洒人生

    舒妤明明是在测试闺蜜公司的游戏bug,怎么突然来了个初级系统说自己挂了!什么鬼?想回去就要帮别人收拾烂摊子?得,你牛掰你说了算!然后舒妤在六道之内转了个遍,最后发现系统之上其实有更大的阴谋。。。看舒妤如何潇洒在各个时空。本文不走女主情感路线。
  • 这个血族有点儿怪

    这个血族有点儿怪

    起初,她以为那个浑身透出诡异的男人接近她是为了猎食,然而一切没有那么简单,她的身上承载着整个人类的宿命。那些人类全都背叛了她,唯独他不行。他和她的命运,究竟会如何?“一旦她封印被解开,谁也阻不住了她!”“当初她没有魔力的时候,你就该杀了她!万一她的封印被冲破,离开了城堡。便是我们的末日。”“人类是三岁开始便有记忆,不能把对人类的了解套用在她身上,她是特别的,独一无二的。”杀掉她,他做不到,放了她,他更加做不到。“别忘了,摧毁她一切的人,是你。她若记起的话,你猜她会放过你吗?”“杀了她。或是让她杀掉你。”
  • 天地人间

    天地人间

    尹守国,2006年开始小说创作,发表中短篇小说70多万字,作品多次被《新华文摘》、《小说选刊》、《北京文学中篇小说月报》等选载,中国作家协会会员,辽宁省作协签约作家。
  • 微信红包群

    微信红包群

    穿越异界,手持IPhone10S加入玄幻世界顶级聊天群!九阳神王:我这有一本至阳功法,修行一日千里!金鹏妖王:来来来,你们都没宠物吧,发紫金御兽法决,大家抢红包了!合欢神童:我这有几个女弟子要双修了,装红包发给你们,注意接收……绝世丹君:升级神丹,抢到手软,六味地黄丸专门双修!让我来摇一摇?九天神女:约么?
  • 开心故事

    开心故事

    无数事实、经验和理性已经证明:好故事可以影响人的一生。而以我们之见,所谓好故事,在内容上讲述的应是做人与处世的道理,在形式上也应听得进、记得住、讲得出、传得开,而且不会因时代的变迁而失去她的本质特征和艺术光彩。为了让更多的读者走进好故事,阅读好故事,欣赏好故事,珍藏好故事,传播好故事,我们特编选了一套“故事会5元精品系列”以飨之。其选择标准主要有以下三点:一、在《故事会》杂志上发表的作品。二、有过目不忘的艺术感染力。三、有恒久的趣味,对今天的读者仍有启迪作用。愿好故事伴随你的一生!
  • 改变生活的科学发现

    改变生活的科学发现

    《改变生活的科学发现》是《话说世界》系列丛书的第25卷。全书给大家从不同方面去讲述一些改变生活的发现,其内容有“扁鹊与中医脉诊的发现”、“孙思邈与中医药价值的发现”、“元素周期律的发现”等。