章节正文
文章总共2页
her? He ran into camp, frightening the dogs.
The girl lay with wide-open, dark eyes, and they dilated when he
knelt beside her. The flush of fever shone in her cheeks. He
lifted her and held water to her dry lips, and felt an
inexplicable sense of lightness as he saw her swallow in a slow,
choking gulp. Gently he laid her back.
"Who--are--you?" she whispered, haltingly.
"I'm the man who shot you," he replied.
"You'll--not--kill me--now?"
"No, no."
"What--will--you--do--with me?"
"When you get better--strong enough--I'll take you back to the
canyon where the rustlers ride through the waterfall."
As with a faint shadow from a flitting wing overhead, the marble
whiteness of her face seemed to change.
"Don't--take--me--back--there!"
CHAPTER VI. THE MILL-WHEEL OF STEERS
Meantime, at the ranch, when Judkins's news had sent Venters on
the trail of the rustlers, Jane Withersteen led the injured man
to her house and with skilled fingers dressed the gunshot wound
in his arm.
"Judkins, what do you think happened to my riders?"
"I--I d rather not say," he replied.
"Tell me. Whatever you'll tell me I'll keep to myself. I'm
beginning to worry about more than the loss of a herd of cattle.
Venters hinted of-- but tell me, Judkins."
"Well, Miss Withersteen, I think as Venters thinks--your riders
have been called in."
"Judkins!...By whom?"
"You know who handles the reins of your Mormon riders."
"Do you dare insinuate that my churchmen have ordered in my
riders?"
"I ain't insinuatin' nothin', Miss Withersteen," answered
Judkins, with spirit. "I know what I'm talking about. I didn't
want to tell you."
"Oh, I can't believe that! I'll not believe it! Would Tull leave
my herds at the mercy of rustlers and wolves just
because--because--? No, no! It's unbelievable."
"Yes, thet particular thing's onheard of around Cottonwoods But,
beggin' pardon, Miss Withersteen, there never was any other rich
Mormon woman here on the border, let alone one thet's taken the
bit between her teeth."
That was a bold thing for the reserved Judkins to say, but it did
not anger her. This rider's crude hint of her spirit gave her a
glimpse of what others might think. Humility and obedience had
been hers always. But had she taken the bit between her teeth?
Still she wavered. And then, with quick spurt of warm blood along
her veins, she thought of Black Star when he got the bit fast
between his iron jaws and ran wild in the sage. If she ever
started to run! Jane smothered the glow and burn within her,
ashamed of a passion for freedom that opposed her duty.
"Judkins, go to the village," she said, "and when you have
learned anything definite about my riders please come to me at
once."
When he had gone Jane resolutelyapplied her mind to a number of
tasks that of late had been neglected. Her father had trained her
in the management of a hundred employees and the working of
gardens and fields; and to keep record of the movements of cattle
and riders. And beside the many duties she had added to this work
was one of extremedelicacy, such as required all her tact and
ingenuity. It was an unobtrusive, almost secret aid which she
rendered to the Gentile families of the village. Though Jane
Withersteen never admitted so to herself, it amounted to no less
than a system of charity. But for her invention of numberless
kinds of employment, for which there was no actual need, these
families of Gentiles, who had failed in a Mormon community, would
have starved.
In aiding these poor people Jane thought she deceived her keen
churchmen, but it was a kind of deceit for which she did not pray
to be forgiven. Equally as difficult was the task of deceiving
the Gentiles, for they were as proud as they were poor. It had
been a great grief to her to discover how these people hated her
people; and it had been a source of great joy that through her
The girl lay with wide-open, dark eyes, and they dilated when he
knelt beside her. The flush of fever shone in her cheeks. He
lifted her and held water to her dry lips, and felt an
inexplicable sense of lightness as he saw her swallow in a slow,
choking gulp. Gently he laid her back.
"Who--are--you?" she whispered, haltingly.
"I'm the man who shot you," he replied.
"You'll--not--kill me--now?"
"No, no."
"What--will--you--do--with me?"
"When you get better--strong enough--I'll take you back to the
canyon where the rustlers ride through the waterfall."
As with a faint shadow from a flitting wing overhead, the marble
whiteness of her face seemed to change.
"Don't--take--me--back--there!"
CHAPTER VI. THE MILL-WHEEL OF STEERS
Meantime, at the ranch, when Judkins's news had sent Venters on
the trail of the rustlers, Jane Withersteen led the injured man
to her house and with skilled fingers dressed the gunshot wound
in his arm.
"Judkins, what do you think happened to my riders?"
"I--I d rather not say," he replied.
"Tell me. Whatever you'll tell me I'll keep to myself. I'm
beginning to worry about more than the loss of a herd of cattle.
Venters hinted of-- but tell me, Judkins."
"Well, Miss Withersteen, I think as Venters thinks--your riders
have been called in."
"Judkins!...By whom?"
"You know who handles the reins of your Mormon riders."
"Do you dare insinuate that my churchmen have ordered in my
riders?"
"I ain't insinuatin' nothin', Miss Withersteen," answered
Judkins, with spirit. "I know what I'm talking about. I didn't
want to tell you."
"Oh, I can't believe that! I'll not believe it! Would Tull leave
my herds at the mercy of rustlers and wolves just
because--because--? No, no! It's unbelievable."
"Yes, thet particular thing's onheard of around Cottonwoods But,
beggin' pardon, Miss Withersteen, there never was any other rich
Mormon woman here on the border, let alone one thet's taken the
bit between her teeth."
That was a bold thing for the reserved Judkins to say, but it did
not anger her. This rider's crude hint of her spirit gave her a
glimpse of what others might think. Humility and obedience had
been hers always. But had she taken the bit between her teeth?
Still she wavered. And then, with quick spurt of warm blood along
her veins, she thought of Black Star when he got the bit fast
between his iron jaws and ran wild in the sage. If she ever
started to run! Jane smothered the glow and burn within her,
ashamed of a passion for freedom that opposed her duty.
"Judkins, go to the village," she said, "and when you have
learned anything definite about my riders please come to me at
once."
When he had gone Jane resolutelyapplied her mind to a number of
tasks that of late had been neglected. Her father had trained her
in the management of a hundred employees and the working of
gardens and fields; and to keep record of the movements of cattle
and riders. And beside the many duties she had added to this work
was one of extremedelicacy, such as required all her tact and
ingenuity. It was an unobtrusive, almost secret aid which she
rendered to the Gentile families of the village. Though Jane
Withersteen never admitted so to herself, it amounted to no less
than a system of charity. But for her invention of numberless
kinds of employment, for which there was no actual need, these
families of Gentiles, who had failed in a Mormon community, would
have starved.
In aiding these poor people Jane thought she deceived her keen
churchmen, but it was a kind of deceit for which she did not pray
to be forgiven. Equally as difficult was the task of deceiving
the Gentiles, for they were as proud as they were poor. It had
been a great grief to her to discover how these people hated her
people; and it had been a source of great joy that through her
- amount [ə´maunt]
n.总数；数量 v.合计 (初中英语单词) - frequent [´fri:kwənt] a.常见的，频繁的 (初中英语单词)
- formerly [´fɔ:məli] ad.从前，以前 (初中英语单词)
- belief [bi´li:f] n.相信；信仰，信条 (初中英语单词)
- mystery [´mistəri] n.神秘；秘密；故弄玄虚 (初中英语单词)
- fierce [fiəs] a.残忍的；强烈的 (初中英语单词)
- resistance [ri´zistəns] n.抵抗；抵制；耐力 (初中英语单词)
- conceal [kən´si:l] vt.藏；隐瞒 (初中英语单词)
- indian [´indiən] a.印度的 n.印度人 (初中英语单词)
- valley [´væli] n.谷；河谷；流域 (初中英语单词)
- hidden [´hid(ə)n] hide 的过去分词 (初中英语单词)
- volume [´vɔlju:m, ´vɑljəm] n.卷；书籍；体积；容量 (初中英语单词)
- stream [stri:m] n.河 vi.流出；飘扬 (初中英语单词)
- opening [´əupəniŋ] n.开放；开端 a.开始的 (初中英语单词)
- height [hait] n.高度；顶点；卓越 (初中英语单词)
- astonishment [ə´stɔniʃmənt] n.吃惊；惊异 (初中英语单词)
- therefore [´ðeəfɔ:] ad.&conj.因此；所以 (初中英语单词)
- immense [i´mens] a.广大的，无限的 (初中英语单词)
- actually [´æktʃuəli] ad.事实上；实际上 (初中英语单词)
- anxiety [æŋ´zaiəti] n.挂念；渴望；焦虑的事 (初中英语单词)
- system [´sistəm] n.系统，体系，制度 (初中英语单词)
- despite [di´spait] prep.尽管 (初中英语单词)
- forehead [´fɔrid] n.额，前部 (初中英语单词)
- distinct [di´stiŋkt] a.清楚的；独特的 (初中英语单词)
- splash [splæʃ] v.&n.溅水声；涉水而进 (初中英语单词)
- anywhere [´eniweə] ad.无论何处；任何地方 (初中英语单词)
- retreat [ri´tri:t] v.&n.退却；撤退；放弃 (初中英语单词)
- faithful [´feiθfəl] a.忠实的；可靠的 (初中英语单词)
- relief [ri´li:f] n.救济；援救；减轻 (初中英语单词)
- instant [´instənt] a.立即的 n.紧迫；瞬间 (初中英语单词)
- breath [breθ] n.呼吸；气息 (初中英语单词)
- abundant [ə´bʌndənt] a.丰富的；充分的 (初中英语单词)
- circle [´sə:kəl] n.圆圈 v.环绕；盘旋 (初中英语单词)
- observation [,ɔbzə´veiʃən] n.观测；注意；意义 (初中英语单词)
- advanced [əd´vɑ:nst] a.先进的；高级的 (初中英语单词)
- swallow [swɔləu] n.燕子 v.吞，咽；淹没 (初中英语单词)
- gently [´dʒentli] ad.温和地；静静地 (初中英语单词)
- overhead [´əuvə,hed] ad.当头 a.在头上的 (初中英语单词)
- whatever [wɔt´evə] pron.&a.无论什么 (初中英语单词)
- pardon [´pɑ:dən] n.&vt.原谅；饶恕；赦免 (初中英语单词)
- passion [´pæʃən] n.激情；激怒；恋爱 (初中英语单词)
- definite [´definit] a.确定的，明确的 (初中英语单词)
- management [´mænidʒmənt] n.管理；处理；经营 (初中英语单词)
- working [´wə:kiŋ] a.工人的；劳动的 (初中英语单词)
- extreme [ik´stri:m] a.尽头的 n.极端 (初中英语单词)
- invention [in´venʃən] n.创造；发明；虚构 (初中英语单词)
- employment [im´plɔimənt] n.工作；职业；雇用 (初中英语单词)
- actual [´æktʃuəl] a.现实的；实际的 (初中英语单词)
- equally [´i:kwəli] ad.相等地；平等地 (初中英语单词)
- learned [´lə:nid] a.有学问的，博学的 (高中英语单词)
- caution [´kɔ:ʃən] n.&vt.小心；告诫；警告 (高中英语单词)
- waterfall [´wɔ:təfɔ:l] n.瀑布 (高中英语单词)
- saying [´seiŋ, ´sei-iŋ] n.言语；言论；格言 (高中英语单词)
- finding [´faindiŋ] n.发现物；判断；结果 (高中英语单词)
- define [di´fain] vt.解释；说明；限定 (高中英语单词)
- eagerness [´i:gənis] n.渴望；热忱 (高中英语单词)
- thicket [´θikit] n.灌木丛；密集的东西 (高中英语单词)
- skilled [skild] a.有技能的，熟练的 (高中英语单词)
- obedience [ə´bi:djəns] n.服从；顺从 (高中英语单词)
- delicacy [´delikəsi] n.精美；娇弱，微妙 (高中英语单词)
- charity [´tʃæriti] n.施舍；慈悲；博爱 (高中英语单词)
- community [kə´mju:niti] n.团体；社区；公众 (高中英语单词)
- conjecture [kən´dʒektʃə] n.&v.猜测(想)；设想 (英语四级单词)
- canyon [´kænjən] n.峡谷 (英语四级单词)
- unnatural [,ʌn´nætʃərəl] a.不自然的 (英语四级单词)
- arduous [´ɑ:djuəs] a.费力的；陡峭的 (英语四级单词)
- humility [hju:´militi] n.谦逊，谦让 (英语四级单词)
- deceit [di´si:t] n.欺骗 (英语四级单词)
- forgiven [fə´givn] forgive的过去分词 (英语四级单词)
- incessant [in´sesənt] a.不断的，不停的 (英语六级单词)
- presumably [pri´zju:məbli] ad.推测起来；大概 (英语六级单词)
- deception [di´sepʃən] n.欺骗，诈骗；骗术 (英语六级单词)
- deceitful [di´si:tful] a.欺骗的，骗人的 (英语六级单词)
- coolness [´ku:lnis] n.凉，凉爽；冷静 (英语六级单词)
- fleecy [´fli:si] a.羊毛似的 (英语六级单词)
- passageway [´pæsidʒwei] n.走廊；过道 (英语六级单词)
- insinuate [in´sinjueit] 迂回进入；暗示 (英语六级单词)
- resolutely [´rezəlju:tli] ad.坚决地；果断地 (英语六级单词)
- applied [ə´plaid] a.实用的，应用的 (英语六级单词)
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章节正文
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