章节正文
"Git a move on, Bill," called this fellow; and he took a hasty
glance backward. A stamp of hoofs came from outside. Of course
the robbers had horses waiting. The one called Bill strode
across the room, and with brutal, careless haste began to prod
the two men with his weapon and to search them. The robber in
the doorway called "Rustle!" and disappeared.
Duane wondered where the innkeeper was, and Colonel Longstreth
and the other two passengers. The bearded robber quickly got
through with his searching, and from his growls Duane gathered
he had not been well remunerated. Then he wheeled once more.
Duane had not moved a muscle, stood perfectly calm with his
arms high. The robberstrode back with his bloodshot eyes
fastened upon the girls. Miss Longstreth never flinched, but
the little girl appeared about to faint.
"Don't yap, there!" he said, low and hard. He thrust the gun
close to Ruth. Then Duane knew for sure that he was no knight
of the road, but a plain cutthroat robber. Danger always made
Duane exult in a kind of cold glow. But now something hot
worked within him. He had a little gun in his pocket. The
robber had missed it. And he began to calculate chances.
"Any money, jewelry, diamonds!" ordered the ruffian, fiercely.
Miss Ruth collapsed. Then he made at Miss Longstreth. She stood
with her hands at her breast. Evidently the robber took this
position to mean that she had valuables concealed there. But
Duane fancied she had instinctively pressed her hands against a
throbbing heart.
"Come out with it!" he said, harshly, reaching for her.
"Don't dare touch me!" she cried, her eyes ablaze. She did not
move. She had nerve.
It made Duane thrill. He saw he was going to get a chance.
Waiting had been a science with him. But here it was hard. Miss
Ruth had fainted, and that was well. Miss Longstreth had fight
in her, which fact helped Duane, yet made injury possible to
her. She eluded two lunges the man made at her. Then his rough
hand caught her waist, and with one pull ripped it asunder,
exposing her beautiful shoulder, white as snow.
She cried out. The prospect of being robbed or even killed had
not shaken Miss Longstreth's nerve as had this brutal tearing
off of half her waist.
The ruffian was only turned partially away from Duane. For
himself he could have waited no longer. But for her! That gun
was still held dangerouslyupward close to her. Duane watched
only that. Then a bellow made him jerk his head. Colonel
Longstreth stood in the doorway in a magnificent rage. He had
no weapon. Strange how he showed no fear! He bellowed something
again.
Duane's shifting glance caught the robber's sudden movement. It
was a kind of start. He seemed stricken. Duane expected him to
shoot Longstreth. Instead the hand that clutched Miss
Longstreth's torn waist loosened its hold. The other hand with
its cocked weapon slowly dropped till it pointed to the floor.
That was Duane's chance.
Swift as a flash he drew his gun and fired. Thud! went his
bullet, and he could not tell on the instant whether it hit the
robber or went into the ceiling. Then the robber's gun boomed
harmlessly. He fell with blood spurting over his face. Duane
realized he had hit him, but the small bullet had glanced.
Miss Longstreth reeled and might have fallen had Duane not
supported her. It was only a few steps to a couch, to which he
half led, half carried her. Then he rushed out of the room,
across the patio, through the bar to the yard. Nevertheless, he
was cautious. In the gloom stood a saddled horse, probably the
one belonging to the fellow he had shot. His comrade had
escaped. Returning to the sitting-room, Duane found a condition
approaching pandemonium.
The innkeeper rushed in, pitchfork in hands. Evidently he had
been out at the barn. He was now shouting to find out what had
happened. Joel, the stage-driver, was trying to quiet the men
who had been robbed. The woman, wife of one of the men, had
come in, and she had hysterics. The girls were still and white.
The robber Bill lay where he had fallen, and Duane guessed he
had made a fair shot, after all. And, lastly, the thing that
struck Duane most of all was Longstreth's rage. He never saw
such passion. Like a caged lion Longstreth stalked and roared.
There came a quieter moment in which the innkeeper shrilly
protested:
"Man, what're you ravin' aboot? Nobody's hurt, an' thet's
lucky. I swear to God I hadn't nothin' to do with them
fellers!"
"I ought to kill you anyhow!" replied Longstreth. And his voice
now astounded Duane, it was so full of power.
Upon examination Duane found that his bullet had furrowed the
robber's temple, torn a great piece out of his scalp, and, as
Duane had guessed, had glanced. He was not seriously injured,
and already showed signs of returning consciousness.
"Drag him out of here!" ordered Longstreth; and he turned to
his daughter.
Before the innkeeper reached the robber Duane had secured the
money and gun taken from him; and presently recovered the
property of the other men. Joel helped the innkeeper carry the
injured man somewhere outside.
Miss Longstreth was sitting white but composed upon the couch,
where lay Miss Ruth, who evidently had been carried there by
the Colonel. Duane did not think she had wholly lost
consciousness, and now she lay very still, with eyes dark and
shadowy, her face pallid and wet. The Colonel, now that he
finally remembered his women-folk, seemed to be gentle and
kind. He talked soothingly to Miss Ruth, made light of the
adventure, said she must learn to have nerve out here where
things happened.
"Can I be of any service?" asked Duane, solicitously.
"Thanks; I guess there's nothing you can do. Talk to these
frightened girls while I go see what's to be done with that
thick-skulled robber," he replied, and, telling the girls that
there was no more danger, he went out.
Miss Longstreth sat with one hand holding her torn waist in
place; the other she extended to Duane. He took it awkwardly,
and he felt a strange thrill.
"You saved my life," she said, in grave, sweet seriousness.
"No, no!" Duane exclaimed. "He might have struck you, hurt you,
but no more."
"I saw murder in his eyes. He thought I had jewels under my
dress. I couldn't bear his touch. The beast! I'd have fought.
Surely my life was in peril."
"Did you kill him?" asked Miss Ruth, who lay listening.
"Oh no. He's not badly hurt."
"I'm very glad he's alive," said Miss Longstreth, shuddering.
"My intention was bad enough," Duane went on. "It was a
ticklish place for me. You see, he was half drunk, and I was
afraid his gun might go off. Fool careless he was!"
"Yet you say you didn't save me," Miss Longstreth returned,
quickly.
"Well, let it go at that," Duane responded. "I saved you
something."
"Tell me all about it?" asked Miss Ruth, who was fast
recovering.
Rather embarrassed, Duane briefly told the incident from his
point of view.
"Then you stood there all the time with your hands up thinking
of nothing--watching for nothing except a little moment when
you might draw your gun?" asked Miss Ruth.
"I guess that's about it," he replied.
"Cousin," said Miss Longstreth, thoughtfully, "it was fortunate
for us that this gentleman happened to be here. Papa
scouts--laughs at danger. He seemed to think there was no
danger. Yet he raved after it came."
"Go with us all the way to Fairdale--please?" asked Miss Ruth,
sweetly offering her hand. "I am Ruth Herbert. And this is my
cousin, Ray Longstreth."
"I'm traveling that way," replied Duane, in great confusion. He
did not know how to meet the situation.
Colonel Longstreth returned then, and after bidding Duane a
good night, which seemed rather curt by contrast to the
graciousness of the girls, he led them away.
Before going to bed Duane went outside to take a look at the
injured robber and perhaps to ask him a few questions. To
Duane's surprise, he was gone, and so was his horse. The
innkeeper was dumfounded. He said that he left the fellow on
the floor in the bar-room.
"Had he come to?" inquired Duane.
"Sure. He asked for whisky."
"Did he say anything else?"
"Not to me. I heard him talkin' to the father of them girls."
"You mean Colonel Longstreth?"
"I reckon. He sure was some riled, wasn't he? Jest as if I was
to blame fer that two-bit of a hold-up!"
"What did you make of the old gent's rage?" asked Duane,
watching the innkeeper. He scratched his head dubiously. He was
sincere, and Duane believed in his honesty.
"Wal, I'm doggoned if I know what to make of it. But I reckon
he's either crazy or got more nerve than most Texans."
"More nerve, maybe," Duane replied. "Show me a bed now,
innkeeper."
Once in bed in the dark, Duane composed himself to think over
the several events of the evening. He called up the details of
the holdup and carefully revolved them in mind. The Colonel's
wrath, under circumstances where almost any Texan would have
been cool, nonplussed Duane, and he put it down to a choleric
temperament. He pondered long on the action of the robber when
Longstreth's bellow of rage burst in upon him. This ruffian, as
bold and mean a type as Duane had ever encountered, had, from
some cause or other, been startled. From whatever point Duane
viewed the man's strange indecision he could come to only one
conclusion--his start, his check, his fear had been that of
recognition. Duane compared this effect with the suddenly
acquired sense he had gotten of Colonel Longstreth's powerful
personality. Why had that desperaterobber lowered his gun and
stood paralyzed at sight and sound of the Mayor of Fairdale?
This was not answerable. There might have been a number of
reasons, all to Colonel Longstreth's credit, but Duane could
not understand. Longstreth had not appeared to see danger for
his daughter, even though she had been roughly handled, and had
advanced in front of a cocked gun. Duane probed deep into this
singular fact, and he brought to bear on the thing all his
knowledge and experience of violent Texas life. And he found
that the instant Colonel Longstreth had appeared on the scene
there was no further danger threatening his daughter. Why? That
likewise Duane could not answer. Then his rage, Duane
concluded, had been solely at the idea of HIS daughter being
assaulted by a robber. This deduction was indeed a
thought-disturber, but Duane put it aside to crystallize and
for more careful consideration.
Next morning Duane found that the little town was called
Sanderson. It was larger than he had at first supposed. He
walked up the main street and back again. Just as he arrived
some horsemen rode up to the inn and dismounted. And at this
juncture the Longstreth party came out. Duane heard Colonel
Longstreth utter an exclamation. Then he saw him shake hands
with a tall man. Longstreth looked surprised and angry, and he
spoke with force; but Duane could not hear what it was he said.
The fellow laughed, yet somehow he struck Duane as sullen,
glance backward. A stamp of hoofs came from outside. Of course
the robbers had horses waiting. The one called Bill strode
across the room, and with brutal, careless haste began to prod
the two men with his weapon and to search them. The robber in
the doorway called "Rustle!" and disappeared.
Duane wondered where the innkeeper was, and Colonel Longstreth
and the other two passengers. The bearded robber quickly got
through with his searching, and from his growls Duane gathered
he had not been well remunerated. Then he wheeled once more.
Duane had not moved a muscle, stood perfectly calm with his
arms high. The robberstrode back with his bloodshot eyes
fastened upon the girls. Miss Longstreth never flinched, but
the little girl appeared about to faint.
"Don't yap, there!" he said, low and hard. He thrust the gun
close to Ruth. Then Duane knew for sure that he was no knight
of the road, but a plain cutthroat robber. Danger always made
Duane exult in a kind of cold glow. But now something hot
worked within him. He had a little gun in his pocket. The
robber had missed it. And he began to calculate chances.
"Any money, jewelry, diamonds!" ordered the ruffian, fiercely.
Miss Ruth collapsed. Then he made at Miss Longstreth. She stood
with her hands at her breast. Evidently the robber took this
position to mean that she had valuables concealed there. But
Duane fancied she had instinctively pressed her hands against a
throbbing heart.
"Come out with it!" he said, harshly, reaching for her.
"Don't dare touch me!" she cried, her eyes ablaze. She did not
move. She had nerve.
It made Duane thrill. He saw he was going to get a chance.
Waiting had been a science with him. But here it was hard. Miss
Ruth had fainted, and that was well. Miss Longstreth had fight
in her, which fact helped Duane, yet made injury possible to
her. She eluded two lunges the man made at her. Then his rough
hand caught her waist, and with one pull ripped it asunder,
exposing her beautiful shoulder, white as snow.
She cried out. The prospect of being robbed or even killed had
not shaken Miss Longstreth's nerve as had this brutal tearing
off of half her waist.
The ruffian was only turned partially away from Duane. For
himself he could have waited no longer. But for her! That gun
was still held dangerouslyupward close to her. Duane watched
only that. Then a bellow made him jerk his head. Colonel
Longstreth stood in the doorway in a magnificent rage. He had
no weapon. Strange how he showed no fear! He bellowed something
again.
Duane's shifting glance caught the robber's sudden movement. It
was a kind of start. He seemed stricken. Duane expected him to
shoot Longstreth. Instead the hand that clutched Miss
Longstreth's torn waist loosened its hold. The other hand with
its cocked weapon slowly dropped till it pointed to the floor.
That was Duane's chance.
Swift as a flash he drew his gun and fired. Thud! went his
bullet, and he could not tell on the instant whether it hit the
robber or went into the ceiling. Then the robber's gun boomed
harmlessly. He fell with blood spurting over his face. Duane
realized he had hit him, but the small bullet had glanced.
Miss Longstreth reeled and might have fallen had Duane not
supported her. It was only a few steps to a couch, to which he
half led, half carried her. Then he rushed out of the room,
across the patio, through the bar to the yard. Nevertheless, he
was cautious. In the gloom stood a saddled horse, probably the
one belonging to the fellow he had shot. His comrade had
escaped. Returning to the sitting-room, Duane found a condition
approaching pandemonium.
The innkeeper rushed in, pitchfork in hands. Evidently he had
been out at the barn. He was now shouting to find out what had
happened. Joel, the stage-driver, was trying to quiet the men
who had been robbed. The woman, wife of one of the men, had
come in, and she had hysterics. The girls were still and white.
The robber Bill lay where he had fallen, and Duane guessed he
had made a fair shot, after all. And, lastly, the thing that
struck Duane most of all was Longstreth's rage. He never saw
such passion. Like a caged lion Longstreth stalked and roared.
There came a quieter moment in which the innkeeper shrilly
protested:
"Man, what're you ravin' aboot? Nobody's hurt, an' thet's
lucky. I swear to God I hadn't nothin' to do with them
fellers!"
"I ought to kill you anyhow!" replied Longstreth. And his voice
now astounded Duane, it was so full of power.
Upon examination Duane found that his bullet had furrowed the
robber's temple, torn a great piece out of his scalp, and, as
Duane had guessed, had glanced. He was not seriously injured,
and already showed signs of returning consciousness.
"Drag him out of here!" ordered Longstreth; and he turned to
his daughter.
Before the innkeeper reached the robber Duane had secured the
money and gun taken from him; and presently recovered the
property of the other men. Joel helped the innkeeper carry the
injured man somewhere outside.
Miss Longstreth was sitting white but composed upon the couch,
where lay Miss Ruth, who evidently had been carried there by
the Colonel. Duane did not think she had wholly lost
consciousness, and now she lay very still, with eyes dark and
shadowy, her face pallid and wet. The Colonel, now that he
finally remembered his women-folk, seemed to be gentle and
kind. He talked soothingly to Miss Ruth, made light of the
adventure, said she must learn to have nerve out here where
things happened.
"Can I be of any service?" asked Duane, solicitously.
"Thanks; I guess there's nothing you can do. Talk to these
frightened girls while I go see what's to be done with that
thick-skulled robber," he replied, and, telling the girls that
there was no more danger, he went out.
Miss Longstreth sat with one hand holding her torn waist in
place; the other she extended to Duane. He took it awkwardly,
and he felt a strange thrill.
"You saved my life," she said, in grave, sweet seriousness.
"No, no!" Duane exclaimed. "He might have struck you, hurt you,
but no more."
"I saw murder in his eyes. He thought I had jewels under my
dress. I couldn't bear his touch. The beast! I'd have fought.
Surely my life was in peril."
"Did you kill him?" asked Miss Ruth, who lay listening.
"Oh no. He's not badly hurt."
"I'm very glad he's alive," said Miss Longstreth, shuddering.
"My intention was bad enough," Duane went on. "It was a
ticklish place for me. You see, he was half drunk, and I was
afraid his gun might go off. Fool careless he was!"
"Yet you say you didn't save me," Miss Longstreth returned,
quickly.
"Well, let it go at that," Duane responded. "I saved you
something."
"Tell me all about it?" asked Miss Ruth, who was fast
recovering.
Rather embarrassed, Duane briefly told the incident from his
point of view.
"Then you stood there all the time with your hands up thinking
of nothing--watching for nothing except a little moment when
you might draw your gun?" asked Miss Ruth.
"I guess that's about it," he replied.
"Cousin," said Miss Longstreth, thoughtfully, "it was fortunate
for us that this gentleman happened to be here. Papa
scouts--laughs at danger. He seemed to think there was no
danger. Yet he raved after it came."
"Go with us all the way to Fairdale--please?" asked Miss Ruth,
sweetly offering her hand. "I am Ruth Herbert. And this is my
cousin, Ray Longstreth."
"I'm traveling that way," replied Duane, in great confusion. He
did not know how to meet the situation.
Colonel Longstreth returned then, and after bidding Duane a
good night, which seemed rather curt by contrast to the
graciousness of the girls, he led them away.
Before going to bed Duane went outside to take a look at the
injured robber and perhaps to ask him a few questions. To
Duane's surprise, he was gone, and so was his horse. The
innkeeper was dumfounded. He said that he left the fellow on
the floor in the bar-room.
"Had he come to?" inquired Duane.
"Sure. He asked for whisky."
"Did he say anything else?"
"Not to me. I heard him talkin' to the father of them girls."
"You mean Colonel Longstreth?"
"I reckon. He sure was some riled, wasn't he? Jest as if I was
to blame fer that two-bit of a hold-up!"
"What did you make of the old gent's rage?" asked Duane,
watching the innkeeper. He scratched his head dubiously. He was
sincere, and Duane believed in his honesty.
"Wal, I'm doggoned if I know what to make of it. But I reckon
he's either crazy or got more nerve than most Texans."
"More nerve, maybe," Duane replied. "Show me a bed now,
innkeeper."
Once in bed in the dark, Duane composed himself to think over
the several events of the evening. He called up the details of
the holdup and carefully revolved them in mind. The Colonel's
wrath, under circumstances where almost any Texan would have
been cool, nonplussed Duane, and he put it down to a choleric
temperament. He pondered long on the action of the robber when
Longstreth's bellow of rage burst in upon him. This ruffian, as
bold and mean a type as Duane had ever encountered, had, from
some cause or other, been startled. From whatever point Duane
viewed the man's strange indecision he could come to only one
conclusion--his start, his check, his fear had been that of
recognition. Duane compared this effect with the suddenly
acquired sense he had gotten of Colonel Longstreth's powerful
personality. Why had that desperaterobber lowered his gun and
stood paralyzed at sight and sound of the Mayor of Fairdale?
This was not answerable. There might have been a number of
reasons, all to Colonel Longstreth's credit, but Duane could
not understand. Longstreth had not appeared to see danger for
his daughter, even though she had been roughly handled, and had
advanced in front of a cocked gun. Duane probed deep into this
singular fact, and he brought to bear on the thing all his
knowledge and experience of violent Texas life. And he found
that the instant Colonel Longstreth had appeared on the scene
there was no further danger threatening his daughter. Why? That
likewise Duane could not answer. Then his rage, Duane
concluded, had been solely at the idea of HIS daughter being
assaulted by a robber. This deduction was indeed a
thought-disturber, but Duane put it aside to crystallize and
for more careful consideration.
Next morning Duane found that the little town was called
Sanderson. It was larger than he had at first supposed. He
walked up the main street and back again. Just as he arrived
some horsemen rode up to the inn and dismounted. And at this
juncture the Longstreth party came out. Duane heard Colonel
Longstreth utter an exclamation. Then he saw him shake hands
with a tall man. Longstreth looked surprised and angry, and he
spoke with force; but Duane could not hear what it was he said.
The fellow laughed, yet somehow he struck Duane as sullen,
- backward [´bækwəd]
ad.向后 a.向后的 (初中英语单词) - waiting [´weitiŋ] n.等候；伺候 (初中英语单词)
- careless [´keəlis] a.粗心的；草率的 (初中英语单词)
- weapon [´wepən] n.武器；斗争手段 (初中英语单词)
- robber [´rɔbə] n.强盗；盗贼 (初中英语单词)
- doorway [´dɔ:wei] n.门口 (初中英语单词)
- muscle [´mʌsəl] n.肌肉；体力；力量 (初中英语单词)
- thrust [θrʌst] v.&n.猛推；冲；刺；挤进 (初中英语单词)
- evidently [´evidəntli] ad.明显地 (初中英语单词)
- thrill [θril] v.震惊；激动；刺激 (初中英语单词)
- injury [´indʒəri] n.伤害；毁坏；侮辱 (初中英语单词)
- prospect [´prɔspekt, prəs´pekt] n.景色；境界 v.勘察 (初中英语单词)
- shaken [´ʃeikən] shake的过去分词 (初中英语单词)
- upward [´ʌpwəd] a.&ad.向上(的)；以上 (初中英语单词)
- magnificent [mæg´nifisənt] a.壮丽的；豪华的 (初中英语单词)
- movement [´mu:vmənt] n.活动；运动；动作 (初中英语单词)
- pointed [´pɔintid] a.尖(锐)的；中肯的 (初中英语单词)
- instant [´instənt] a.立即的 n.紧迫；瞬间 (初中英语单词)
- bullet [´bulit] n.子弹 (初中英语单词)
- nevertheless [,nevəðə´les] conj.&ad.然而；不过 (初中英语单词)
- passion [´pæʃən] n.激情；激怒；恋爱 (初中英语单词)
- examination [ig,zæmi´neiʃən] n.检查；考试；检验 (初中英语单词)
- temple [´tempəl] n.庙宇；寺院；太阳穴 (初中英语单词)
- seriously [´siəriəsli] ad.严肃；严重，重大 (初中英语单词)
- presently [´prezəntli] ad.不久；目前 (初中英语单词)
- wholly [´həul-li] ad.完全，十足；统统 (初中英语单词)
- intention [in´tenʃən] n.意图；打算；意义 (初中英语单词)
- briefly [´bri:fli] ad.简短地；简略地 (初中英语单词)
- incident [´insidənt] n.小事件；事变 (初中英语单词)
- confusion [kən´fju:ʒən] n.混乱(状态)；骚乱 (初中英语单词)
- contrast [´kɔntrɑ:st] n.对比 v.使对比(照) (初中英语单词)
- reckon [´rekən] v.计算；认为；估计 (初中英语单词)
- whatever [wɔt´evə] pron.&a.无论什么 (初中英语单词)
- desperate [´despərit] a.拼死的；绝望的 (初中英语单词)
- violent [´vaiələnt] a.强暴的；猛烈的 (初中英语单词)
- supposed [sə´pəuzd] a.想象的；假定的 (初中英语单词)
- colonel [´kə:nəl] n.海(陆)军上校 (高中英语单词)
- perfectly [´pə:fiktli] ad.理想地；完美地 (高中英语单词)
- strode [strəud] stride的过去式 (高中英语单词)
- jewelry [´dʒu:əlri] n.珠宝(饰物) (高中英语单词)
- bellow [´beləu] v.吼叫；轰鸣 (高中英语单词)
- stricken [´strikən] strike的过去分词 (高中英语单词)
- thoughtfully [´θɔ:tfuli] ad.深思地；体贴地 (高中英语单词)
- offering [´ɔfəriŋ] n.提供；礼物；捐献 (高中英语单词)
- roughly [´rʌfli] ad.粗糙地；毛糙地 (高中英语单词)
- solely [´səulli] ad.唯一；单独；完全 (高中英语单词)
- sullen [´sʌlən] a.不高兴的 (高中英语单词)
- brutal [´bru:tl] a.兽性的；残暴的 (英语四级单词)
- instinctively [in´stiŋktivli] ad.本能地 (英语四级单词)
- partially [´pɑ:ʃəli] ad.部分地；局部地 (英语四级单词)
- cautious [´kɔ:ʃəs] a.小心的；谨慎的 (英语四级单词)
- trying [´traiiŋ] a.难堪的；费劲的 (英语四级单词)
- lastly [´lɑ:stli] ad.最后，终于 (英语四级单词)
- composed [kəm´pəuzd] a.镇静自若的 (英语四级单词)
- gotten [´gɔtn] get的过去分词 (英语四级单词)
- exclamation [,eksklə´meiʃən] n.喊(惊)叫；感叹词 (英语四级单词)
- ruffian [´rʌfiən] n.流氓 a.残暴的 (英语六级单词)
- harshly [´hɑ:ʃli] ad.粗糙地，冷酷地 (英语六级单词)
- dangerously [´deindʒrəsli] ad.危险 (英语六级单词)
- holding [´həuldiŋ] n.保持，固定，存储 (英语六级单词)
- extended [iks´tendid] a.伸长的；广大的 (英语六级单词)
- crystallize [´kristəlaiz] v.(使)结晶，具体化 (英语六级单词)
文章标签:名著
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