登陆注册
5247100000034

第34章 CHAPTER VIII(5)

"We won't have venison steak off him, that's certain,"remarked Dale, dryly. "An' maybe none off any deer, if Roy does the shootin'."They resumed travel, sheering off to the right and keeping to the edge of the intersecting canuon. At length they rode down to the bottom, where a tiny brook babbled through willows, and they followed this for a mile or so down to where it flowed into the larger stream. A dim trail overgrown with grass showed at this point.

"Here's where we part," said Dale. "You'll beat me into my camp, but I'll get there sometime after dark.""Hey, Milt, I forgot about thet darned pet cougar of yours an' the rest of your menagerie. Reckon they won't scare the girls? Especially old Tom?""You won't see Tom till I get home," replied Dale.

"Ain't he corralled or tied up?"

"No. He has the run of the place."

"Wal, good-by, then, an' rustle along."

Dale nodded to the girls, and, turning his horse, he drove the pack-train before him up the open space between the stream and the wooded slope.

Roy stepped off his horse with that single action which appeared such a feat to Helen.

"Guess I'd better cinch up," he said, as he threw a stirrup up over the pommel of his saddle. "You girls are goin' to see wild country.""Who's old Tom?" queried Bo, curiously.

"Why, he's Milt's pet cougar."

"Cougar? That's a panther -- a mountain-lion, didn't he say?""Shore is. Tom is a beauty. An' if he takes a likin' to you he'll love you, play with you, maul you half to death."Bo was all eyes.

"Dale has other pets, too?" she questioned, eagerly.

"I never was up to his camp but what it was overrun with birds an' squirrels an' vermin of all kinds, as tame as tame as cows. Too darn tame, Milt says. But I can't figger thet.

You girls will never want to leave thet senaca of his.""What's a senaca?" asked Helen, as she shifted her foot to let him tighten the cinches on her saddle.

"Thet's Mexican for park, I guess," he replied. "These mountains are full of parks; an', say, I don't ever want to see no prettier place till I get to heaven. . . . There, Ranger, old boy, thet's tight."He slapped the horse affectionately, and, turning to his own, he stepped and swung his long length up.

"It ain't deep crossin' here. Come on," he called, and spurred his bay.

The stream here was wide and it looked deep, but turned out to be deceptive.

"Wal, girls, here beginneth the second lesson," he drawled, cheerily. "Ride one behind the other -- stick close to me --do what I do -- an' holler when you want to rest or if somethin' goes bad."With that he spurred into the thicket. Bo went next and Helen followed. The willows dragged at her so hard that she was unable to watch Roy, and the result was that a low-sweeping branch of a tree knocked her hard on the head.

It hurt and startled her, and roused her mettle. Roy was keeping to the easy trot that covered ground so well, and he led up a slope to the open pine forest. Here the ride for several miles was straight, level, and open. Helen liked the forest to-day. It was brown and green, with patches of gold where the sun struck. She saw her first bird -- big blue grouse that whirred up from under her horse, and little checkered gray quail that appeared awkward on the wing.

Several times Roy pointed out deer flashing gray across some forest aisle, and often when he pointed Helen was not quick enough to see.

Helen realized that this ride would make up for the hideous one of yesterday. So far she had been only barely conscious of sore places and aching bones. These she would bear with.

She loved the wild and the beautiful, both of which increased manifestly with every mile. The sun was warm, the air fragrant and cool, the sky blue as azure and so deep that she imagined that she could look far up into it.

Suddenly Roy reined in so sharply that he pulled the bay up short.

"Look!" he called, sharply.

Bo screamed.

"Not thet way! Here! Aw, he's gone!"

"Nell! It was a bear! I saw it! Oh! not like circus bears at all!" cried Bo.

Helen had missed her opportunity.

"Reckon he was a grizzly, an' I'm jest as well pleased thet he loped off," said Roy. Altering his course somewhat, he led to an old rotten log that the bear had been digging in.

"After grubs. There, see his track. He was a whopper shore enough."They rode on, out to a high point that overlooked canuon and range, gorge and ridge, green and black as far as Helen could see. The ranges were bold and long, climbing to the central uplift, where a number of fringed peaks raised their heads to the vast bare dome of Old Baldy. Far as vision could see, to the right lay one rolling forest of pine, beautiful and serene. Somewhere down beyond must have lain the desert, but it was not in sight.

"I see turkeys 'way down there," said Roy, backing away.

"We'll go down and around an' mebbe I'll get a shot."Descent beyond a rocky point was made through thick brush.

This slope consisted of wide benches covered with copses and scattered pines and many oaks. Helen was delighted to see the familiar trees, although these were different from Missouri oaks. Rugged and gnarled, but not tall, these trees spread wide branches, the leaves of which were yellowing.

Roy led into a grassy glade, and, leaping off his horse, rifle in hand, he prepared to shoot at something. Again Bo cried out, but this time it was in delight. Then Helen saw an immense flock of turkeys, apparently like the turkeys she knew at home, but these had bronze and checks of white, and they looked wild. There must have been a hundred in the flock, most of them hens. A few gobblers on the far side began the flight, running swiftly off. Helen plainly heard the thud of their feet. Roy shot once -- twice -- three times. Then rose a great commotion. and thumping, and a loud roar of many wings. Dust and leaves whirling in the air were left where the turkeys had been.

同类推荐
  • 仄韵声律启蒙

    仄韵声律启蒙

    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。
  • 诸法无诤三昧法门

    诸法无诤三昧法门

    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。
  • 高峰乔松亿禅师语录

    高峰乔松亿禅师语录

    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 Professor at the Breakfast Table

    The Professor at the Breakfast Table

    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。
  • 秘传外科方

    秘传外科方

    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
  • 帝君大人,么么哒

    帝君大人,么么哒

    推荐我的新书,《萌妻2号,老公快过来》本文不长,有甜有虐他是这个大陆的身份地位最高的统治者,有着惊为天人的容貌,但世人皆知,荒神域的帝君最是无情,千万年来靠近他的女人不是死就是残她,是穿过的小白菜,没有金手指就算了,还是个原本本的废材,虽然爹爹疼,娘亲爱,但是那个整天逼着她背医书的臭老头哪里来的?两人第一次相遇以后,某女发誓这个男人她要了,都说女追男,隔层纱,反正她脸皮厚,实在不行,直接下药。后来的后来,“夫人这是想要去哪里啊?”某帝君似非似笑的看着身下的女子“呵呵,我觉得你长得太帅,我太丑,准备退位让贤!”(中间有一部分写得有点菜,大家可以跳章阅读)
  • 文殊师利佛土严净经

    文殊师利佛土严净经

    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。
  • 华夏童儿失踪了

    华夏童儿失踪了

    本书以五千年发生的重点文化事件为主线,以现代少年儿童独特的视野和寻踪探秘的猎奇心理,编织起尊重史料并将主人公巧妙融入史事的全新故事,展示出一幅集知识性、趣味性和现代审美取向的动漫特色的历史长卷。
  • 惊世魔妃:废柴二小姐

    惊世魔妃:废柴二小姐

    一部凤吟决,男友夺她家产,害她爷爷,将她囚禁起来折磨三年。三年隐忍,本以为大仇得报,却不曾想那才是真正的末日…一朝穿越,她是没有灵力人人唾弃的废物。可事实上,她聪慧有心机,冰冷且无情,手段利落狠辣,杀人于无形。独一无二的凤吟决,双灵印,废物二字,从来都不是她的代名词。宫殿之中,她一袭红衣妖娆似火,一双漆黑星眸却是冷若冰霜,“世于我不仁,我留世何用!”那些曾经欺她辱她、伤她害她的人,她一个都不会放过!无意间救回的邪魅男子,从第一次见面就对她百般呵护,万般宠爱,一次次接近她,却被她一次次推开。“我不信一个人会无缘无故地对一个陌生人好,所以,我不信你。”这场爱的角逐,是真的一见钟情?还是另有所图?
  • 我和小奶狗有个约

    我和小奶狗有个约

    翌日,叶雅鹿在厕所梳头突然某人闯进来霸道的拿过梳子一边梳一边说“一梳长命百岁,二梳白头偕老,三梳子孙满堂,以后就由我来为你梳头”叶雅鹿一脸茫然无措的样子道“吃错药了?突然这么煽情”唐哲放下梳子双手握住叶雅鹿的脸低下头额头贴着额头说“三生有幸能遇见你”(1vs1甜文)
  • 佛果克勤禅师心要

    佛果克勤禅师心要

    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。
  • 哲学导论

    哲学导论

    本书主要收录了两种在世结构在中西哲学史上的表现、两种在世结构在西方哲学史上的表现、两种在世结构在中国哲学史上的表现、对于人与世界关系问题的具体回答、精神发展的阶段、划分精神发展阶段的原则等内容。
  • 优雅女人的16堂投资理财课

    优雅女人的16堂投资理财课

    作为一个女人,有钱意味着什么?有钱可以让女人做自己想做的事,可以让生活更有品味更优雅!可以让别人更尊重更欣赏自己,从而让自己实现自己的价值,但最重要的还是有钱能让自己很快乐,从方方面面来表达自己的快乐!女人有钱能让自己更美丽;女人有钱才能够真正独立不再依靠男人;女人有钱可以环游自己梦里都想去的地方;女人有钱可以帮助很多人,成为那些得到你帮助的人心中的太阳;女人有钱可过自己想要的生活……如果你现在还与金钱无缘的话,该怎样改变这种状态呢?本书就教你如何做一个有钱的女人,如何去理财,如何让自己活得更精彩。
  • 大秦游戏攻略

    大秦游戏攻略

    亲爱的玩家,欢迎来到《大秦》您可以根据自身资产状况自由选择想要加入的阵营。千古一帝,名臣良将,至圣先师,蛮族之王,十凶九瑞【系统禁选】可选阵营:一级势力:【要求一万积分】百家弟子大秦兵卒二级势力:【要求一百积分】六国叛逆北地蛮兵域外国度三级势力:【要求一积分】域外凶兽海上人族四级势力:【无积分要求】随机流民注意:一积分兑换十万软妹币。······秦舞阳瞟了一眼账户余额,叹了口气,躺在床板上点了一支烟。氪金还是氪命,这是一个问题。【作者小扑街,考据党,合理党轻点儿喷,手动感谢。】
  • 穿越最强荣耀

    穿越最强荣耀

    【2018王者荣耀文学大赛·征文参赛作品】穿越到王者荣耀世界之中,手无缚鸡之力的李枫如何与强大的英雄抗衡?“震惊大唐第一拳,野王裴擒虎!”“巾帼女帝,艳冠无双!女帝武则天!”“斗战魔圣,孙悟空!”且看,李枫如何在这英雄横杀之中,逆境崛起,攀向王者之巅!