登陆注册
5421300000072

第72章

The night was very still and very dark, the stars very bright in their candle-like glow. The man, loping steadily on through the darkness, recalled that other night, equally still, equally dark, equally starry, when he had driven out from his accustomed life into the unknown with a woman by his side, the sight of whom asleep had made him feel "almost holy." He uttered a short laugh.

The pony was a good one, well equal to twice the distance he would be called upon to cover this night. Senor Johnson managed him well. By long experience and a natural instinct he knew just how hard to push his mount, just how to keep inside the point where too rapid exhaustion of vitality begins.

Toward the hour of sunrise he drew rein to look about him. The desert, till now wrapped in the thousand little noises that make night silence, drew breath in preparation for the awe of the daily wonder. It lay across the world heavy as a sea of lead, and as lifeless; deeply unconscious, like an exhausted sleeper.

The sky bent above, the stars paling. Far away the mountains seemed to wait. And then, imperceptibly, those in the east became blacker and sharper, while those in the west became faintly lucent and lost the distinctness of their outline. The change was nothing, yet everything. And suddenly a desert bird sprang into the air and began to sing.

Senor Johnson caught the wonder of it. The wonder of it seemed to him wasted, useless, cruel in its effect. He sighed impatiently, and drew his hand across his eyes.

The desert became grey with the first light before the glory. In the illusory revealment of it Senor Johnson's sharp frontiersman's eyes made out an object moving away from him in the middle distance. In a moment the object rose for a second against the sky line, then disappeared. He knew it to be the buckboard, and that the vehicle had just plunged into the dry bed of an arroyo.

Immediately life surged through him like an electric shock. He unfastened the riata from its sling, shook loose the noose, and moved forward in the direction in which he had last seen the buckboard.

At the top of the steep little bank he stopped behind the mesquite, straining his eyes; luck had been good to him. The buckboard had pulled up, and Brent Palmer was at the moment beginning a little fire, evidently to make the morning coffee.

Senor Johnson struck spurs to his horse and half slid, half fell, clattering, down the steep clay bank almost on top of the couple below.

Estrella screamed. Brent Palmer jerked out an oath, and reached for his gun. The loop of the riata fell wide over him, immediately to be jerked tight, binding his arms tight to his side.

The bronco-buster, swept from his feet by the pony's rapid turn, nevertheless struggled desperately to wrench himself loose.

Button, intelligent at all rope work, walked steadily backward, step by step, taking up the slack, keeping the rope tight as he had done hundreds of times before when a steer had struggled as this man was struggling now. His master leaped from the saddle and ran forward. Button continued to walk slowly back. The riata remained taut. The noose held.

Brent Palmer fought savagely, even then. He kicked, he rolled over and over, he wrenched violently at his pinioned arms, he twisted his powerful young body from Senor Johnson's grasp again and again. But it was no use. In less than a minute he was bound hard and fast. Button promptly slackened the rope. The dust settled. The noise of the combat died. Again could be heard the single desert bird singing against the dawn.

同类推荐
  • 思陵翰墨志

    思陵翰墨志

    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。
  • Grettir the Strong

    Grettir the Strong

    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。
  • 唐六典

    唐六典

    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。
  • 常言道

    常言道

    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。
  • 大乘止观法门释要

    大乘止观法门释要

    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。
热门推荐
  • 灵媒皇后:小心后宫有鬼

    灵媒皇后:小心后宫有鬼

    作为灵媒,她非常不专业地穿了。打入冷宫?无所谓!这种白吃白睡的日子有什么不好!跟她斗?她一天就逼疯了同住冷宫的妃子。人和鬼斗,也要看能耐!就算皇帝也不例外。整个皇宫中,哪里还有比冷宫更适合随时与鬼交流的地方。家仇?不关她事!国仇?大哥,洗洗睡吧……都说后宫如战场,不是你死就是我亡今天你中毒,明天我挨刀冤魂游魂一缕缕,厉鬼恶鬼到处飘……现代灵媒,腹黑帝王,还有神秘的捉妖少年,妖孽的鬼魅男子……生命,总是注定不甘平凡的
  • 绝色逃妃

    绝色逃妃

    ***意外穿越,她本无欲无求,却不想撩起了他的追逐。
  • 薄情后夫别动我

    薄情后夫别动我

    一个对婚姻绝望的逃亡者,面对前夫的出轨,面对独自异乡生活的艰难和寂寞,和一个离异男人组建了再婚家庭。原本以为没有爱也能凑合过日子,却在刁钻恶劣的继子和难缠苛刻的婆婆面前,面目全非。前夫的出现,彻底把这场不牢靠的婚姻推向了危险的断崖。再婚家庭,最终要如何收场?
  • 老祖如此多娇

    老祖如此多娇

    “那个活了五百多年的祸害终于翘辫子了!”一时间,修真界轰动。某峰主:“灵兽终于不会被偷了。”某宗主:“宗卷终于不会被烧了。”某杀手阁:“终于不用被奴役了!”夙七活了五百多年,已是一方大能。但是修仙何其无聊,还不如找点乐子。于是整个修真界都被祸害了。看着别人恨自己恨得牙痒痒,但又奈何不了,那感觉,苏爽。但这种乐子才持续了几十年,她忽然觉得人生好无趣,自爆了。巧的是,没死成,还缩水成了个奶娃娃,夙七职业假笑,“换个方式继续造作。”我怕不是天道的亲闺女
  • 予你一生安

    予你一生安

    八岁的顾了天真烂漫,那一年父母双亡,十二岁的顾了学会了沉默寡言,那一年外婆去世,十九岁顾了冷漠厌世,死于在了一次车祸。重生回到三个月前,顾了遇到慕予安。 这个不苟言笑的男人,用无尽的包容教会了她成长教会了她爱。他说,人间蹉跎,你是唯一的值得。前期略黑暗,依旧是个温暖的故事。
  • 天选者游戏

    天选者游戏

    这是一片被‘天道’所影响着的世界。被‘天道’所选中的人,叫天选者。天选者们进入一片叫做‘大千界’的奇异世界冒险、成长、试炼。其中的佼佼者,将获得种种不可思议的力量,拥有掌控世界的能力。失败者,则一无所有,甚至是坠入深渊,无声无息的死去……——————新书启航,希望新老朋友们,能够继续支持我,谢谢!
  • 澎湖台湾纪略

    澎湖台湾纪略

    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。
  • 皇后的新衣

    皇后的新衣

    苏家世代将门,曾经立下过无数赫赫战功,是京城百姓争相称颂的名门望族。身为苏家最小的女儿,苏禧人前是气质高华的大美人,人后是娇气任性的九姑娘。苏禧自认已经够表里不一了,直到她遇见了更加表里不一的卫沨!卫沨是世人眼中彬彬有礼、清冷尊贵的藩王世子,谁若能嫁给他,定是修了八辈子的福气。唯有苏禧知道,私底下,此人有多么“恶劣”……
  • 白契

    白契

    “那个,大家好,我是这本书的主角白契。”“首先呢这本书设定比较老套文笔也没啥水准,估计又臭又长。”“文风因为作者是个老不正经所以大概会比较欢乐。”“然后就是,大概会有金手指?随便吧反正我也不知道作者会怎么搞我。”“呃……我好像没什么要说的了,反正这本书是作者写来玩的,不怎么好看,各位请便吧。”
  • 网游之邪魅痞神

    网游之邪魅痞神

    进入武魂游戏世界,机缘巧合下进入隐藏地图生死界,破解生死棋局失败得到一本技能书,从此踏上成神之路。不一样的设定一样的精彩,告别传统网游,给你不一样的感觉,2013,最热血,最暧昧,最风骚网游爽文。情节虚构,请勿模仿