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He cut spruce boughs and made a bed in the largest cave and laid
the girl there. The first intimation that he had of her being
aroused from sleep or lethargy was a low call for water.
He hurried down into the ravine with his canteen. It was a
shallow, grass-green place with aspens growing up everywhere. To
his delight he found a tiny brook of swift-running water. Its
faint tinge of amber reminded him of the spring at Cottonwoods,
and the thought gave him a little shock. The water was so cold it
made his fingers tingle as he dipped the canteen. Having returned
to the cave, he was glad to see the girl drink thirstily. This
time he noted that she could raise her head slightly without his
help.
"You were thirsty," he said. "It's good water. I've found a fine
place. Tell me--how do you feel?"
"There's pain--here," she replied, and moved her hand to her left
side.
"Why, that's strange! Your wounds are on your right side. I
believe you're hungry. Is the pain a kind of dull ache--a
gnawing?"
"It's like--that."
"Then it's hunger." Venters laughed, and suddenly caught himself
with a quick breath and felt again the little shock. When had he
laughed? "It's hunger," he went on. "I've had that gnaw many a
time. I've got it now. But you mustn't eat. You can have all the
water you want, but no food just yet."
"Won't I--starve?"
"No, people don't starve easily. I've discovered that. You must
lie perfectly still and rest and sleep--for days."
"My hands--are dirty; my face feels--so hot and sticky; my boots
hurt." It was her longest speech as yet, and it trailed off in a
whisper.
"Well, I'm a fine nurse!"
It annoyed him that he had never thought of these things. But
then, awaiting her death and thinking of her comfort were vastly
different matters. He unwrapped the blanket which covered her.
What a slender girl she was! No wonder he had been able to carry
her miles and pack her up that slipperyladder of stone. Her
boots were of soft, fine leather, reaching clear to her knees. He
recognized the make as one of a boot- maker in Sterling. Her
spurs, that he had stupidly neglected to remove, consisted of
silver frames and gold chains, and the rowels, large as silver
dollars, were fancifully engraved. The boots slipped off rather
hard. She wore heavy woollen rider's stockings, half length, and
these were pulled up over the ends of her short trousers. Venters
took off the stockings to note her little feet were red and
swollen. He bathed them. Then he removed his scarf and bathed her
face and hands.
"I must see your wounds now," he said, gently.
She made no reply, but watched him steadily as he opened her
blouse and untied the bandage. His strong fingers trembled a
little as he removed it. If the wounds had reopened! A chill
struck him as he saw the angry red bullet-mark, and a tiny stream
of blood winding from it down her white breast. Very carefully he
lifted her to see that the wound in her back had closed
perfectly. Then he washed the blood from her breast, bathed the
wound, and left it unbandaged, open to the air.
Her eyes thanked him.
"Listen," he said, earnestly" target="_blank" title="ad.认真地；急切地">earnestly. "I've had some wounds, and I've
seen many. I know a little about them. The hole in your back has
closed. If you lie still three days the one in your breast will
close and you'll be safe. The danger from hemorrhage will be
over."
He had spoken with earnestsincerity, almost eagerness.
"Why--do you--want me--to get well?" she asked, wonderingly.
The simple question seemed unanswerable except on grounds of
humanity. But the circumstances under which he had shot this
strange girl, the shock and realization, the waiting for death,
the hope, had resulted in a condition of mind wherein Venters
wanted her to live more than he had ever wanted anything. Yet he
could not tell why. He believed the killing of the rustler and
the subsequentexcitement had disturbed him. For how else could
he explain the throbbing of his brain, the heat of his blood, the
undefined sense of full hours, charged, vibrant with pulsating
mystery where once they had dragged in loneliness?
"I shot you," he said, slowly, "and I want you to get well so I
the girl there. The first intimation that he had of her being
aroused from sleep or lethargy was a low call for water.
He hurried down into the ravine with his canteen. It was a
shallow, grass-green place with aspens growing up everywhere. To
his delight he found a tiny brook of swift-running water. Its
faint tinge of amber reminded him of the spring at Cottonwoods,
and the thought gave him a little shock. The water was so cold it
made his fingers tingle as he dipped the canteen. Having returned
to the cave, he was glad to see the girl drink thirstily. This
time he noted that she could raise her head slightly without his
help.
"You were thirsty," he said. "It's good water. I've found a fine
place. Tell me--how do you feel?"
"There's pain--here," she replied, and moved her hand to her left
side.
"Why, that's strange! Your wounds are on your right side. I
believe you're hungry. Is the pain a kind of dull ache--a
gnawing?"
"It's like--that."
"Then it's hunger." Venters laughed, and suddenly caught himself
with a quick breath and felt again the little shock. When had he
laughed? "It's hunger," he went on. "I've had that gnaw many a
time. I've got it now. But you mustn't eat. You can have all the
water you want, but no food just yet."
"Won't I--starve?"
"No, people don't starve easily. I've discovered that. You must
lie perfectly still and rest and sleep--for days."
"My hands--are dirty; my face feels--so hot and sticky; my boots
hurt." It was her longest speech as yet, and it trailed off in a
whisper.
"Well, I'm a fine nurse!"
It annoyed him that he had never thought of these things. But
then, awaiting her death and thinking of her comfort were vastly
different matters. He unwrapped the blanket which covered her.
What a slender girl she was! No wonder he had been able to carry
her miles and pack her up that slipperyladder of stone. Her
boots were of soft, fine leather, reaching clear to her knees. He
recognized the make as one of a boot- maker in Sterling. Her
spurs, that he had stupidly neglected to remove, consisted of
silver frames and gold chains, and the rowels, large as silver
dollars, were fancifully engraved. The boots slipped off rather
hard. She wore heavy woollen rider's stockings, half length, and
these were pulled up over the ends of her short trousers. Venters
took off the stockings to note her little feet were red and
swollen. He bathed them. Then he removed his scarf and bathed her
face and hands.
"I must see your wounds now," he said, gently.
She made no reply, but watched him steadily as he opened her
blouse and untied the bandage. His strong fingers trembled a
little as he removed it. If the wounds had reopened! A chill
struck him as he saw the angry red bullet-mark, and a tiny stream
of blood winding from it down her white breast. Very carefully he
lifted her to see that the wound in her back had closed
perfectly. Then he washed the blood from her breast, bathed the
wound, and left it unbandaged, open to the air.
Her eyes thanked him.
"Listen," he said, earnestly" target="_blank" title="ad.认真地；急切地">earnestly. "I've had some wounds, and I've
seen many. I know a little about them. The hole in your back has
closed. If you lie still three days the one in your breast will
close and you'll be safe. The danger from hemorrhage will be
over."
He had spoken with earnestsincerity, almost eagerness.
"Why--do you--want me--to get well?" she asked, wonderingly.
The simple question seemed unanswerable except on grounds of
humanity. But the circumstances under which he had shot this
strange girl, the shock and realization, the waiting for death,
the hope, had resulted in a condition of mind wherein Venters
wanted her to live more than he had ever wanted anything. Yet he
could not tell why. He believed the killing of the rustler and
the subsequentexcitement had disturbed him. For how else could
he explain the throbbing of his brain, the heat of his blood, the
undefined sense of full hours, charged, vibrant with pulsating
mystery where once they had dragged in loneliness?
"I shot you," he said, slowly, "and I want you to get well so I
- swiftly [´swiftli]
ad.迅速地，敏捷地 (初中英语单词) - upward [´ʌpwəd] a.&ad.向上(的)；以上 (初中英语单词)
- movement [´mu:vmənt] n.活动；运动；动作 (初中英语单词)
- interval [´intəvəl] n.间隙；(工间)休息 (初中英语单词)
- rabbit [´ræbit] n.兔子，野兔 (初中英语单词)
- conscious [´kɔnʃəs] a.意识的；自觉的 (初中英语单词)
- softly [´sɔftli] ad.软化地；柔和地 (初中英语单词)
- cunning [´kʌniŋ] a.&n.狡猾(诡诈)的 (初中英语单词)
- lonely [´ləunli] a.孤独的；无人烟的 (初中英语单词)
- daylight [´deilait] n.日光；黎明 (初中英语单词)
- valley [´væli] n.谷；河谷；流域 (初中英语单词)
- awaken [ə´weikən] v.唤起，叫醒 (初中英语单词)
- equally [´i:kwəli] ad.相等地；平等地 (初中英语单词)
- silently [´sailəntli] ad.寂静地；沉默地 (初中英语单词)
- waiting [´weitiŋ] n.等候；伺候 (初中英语单词)
- plunge [plʌndʒ] v.插进 n.投入；冲击 (初中英语单词)
- evidently [´evidəntli] ad.明显地 (初中英语单词)
- injury [´indʒəri] n.伤害；毁坏；侮辱 (初中英语单词)
- presently [´prezəntli] ad.不久；目前 (初中英语单词)
- magnificent [mæg´nifisənt] a.壮丽的；豪华的 (初中英语单词)
- glorious [´glɔ:riəs] a.光荣的；辉煌的 (初中英语单词)
- stream [stri:m] n.河 vi.流出；飘扬 (初中英语单词)
- mysterious [mi´stiəriəs] a.神秘的；难以理解的 (初中英语单词)
- tremendous [tri´mendəs] a.可怕的；巨大的 (初中英语单词)
- height [hait] n.高度；顶点；卓越 (初中英语单词)
- opening [´əupəniŋ] n.开放；开端 a.开始的 (初中英语单词)
- running [´rʌniŋ] a.奔跑的；流动的 (初中英语单词)
- slender [´slendə] a.细长的；微薄的 (初中英语单词)
- slightly [´slaitli] ad.轻微地；细长的 (初中英语单词)
- breath [breθ] n.呼吸；气息 (初中英语单词)
- starve [stɑ:v] v.(使)饥饿 (初中英语单词)
- trousers [´trauzəz] n.裤子，长裤 (初中英语单词)
- steadily [´stedili] ad.坚定地；不断地 (初中英语单词)
- spoken [´spəukən] speak的过去分词 (初中英语单词)
- earnest [´ə:nist] a.认真的 n.认真；诚恳 (初中英语单词)
- realization [,riəlai´zeiʃən] n.实现；认识 (初中英语单词)
- excitement [ik´saitmənt] n.兴奋；骚动；煽动 (初中英语单词)
- repeated [ri´pi:tid] a.反复的；重复的 (高中英语单词)
- shrill [ʃril] a.(声音)尖锐的 (高中英语单词)
- strife [straif] n.竞争；吵架；冲突 (高中英语单词)
- studied [´stʌdid] a.故意的；有计划的 (高中英语单词)
- radiant [´reidiənt] a.发光的 n.光源(体) (高中英语单词)
- spruce [spru:s] n.云杉木 a.&v.整洁 (高中英语单词)
- descent [di´sent] n.出身，家世 (高中英语单词)
- rugged [´rʌgid] a.不平的；粗犷的 (高中英语单词)
- accomplishment [ə´kʌmpliʃmənt] n.完成；成就；才艺 (高中英语单词)
- outlet [´autlet] n.出口；出路；通风口 (高中英语单词)
- concerned [kən´sə:nd] a.有关的；担心的 (高中英语单词)
- sunrise [´sʌnraiz] n.日出，黎明 (高中英语单词)
- shadowy [´ʃædəui] a.有阴影的；模糊的 (高中英语单词)
- strode [strəud] stride的过去式 (高中英语单词)
- terrace [´terəs] n.梯田 vt.使成梯田 (高中英语单词)
- hurried [´hʌrid] a.仓促的，慌忙的 (高中英语单词)
- perfectly [´pə:fiktli] ad.理想地；完美地 (高中英语单词)
- slippery [´slipəri] a.滑的；不稳固的 (高中英语单词)
- ladder [´lædə] n.梯子；阶梯 (高中英语单词)
- bandage [´bændidʒ] n.绷带 vt.用绷带包扎 (高中英语单词)
- earnestly [´ə:nistli] ad.认真地；急切地 (高中英语单词)
- wherein [weər´in] ad.那里面 (高中英语单词)
- subsequent [´sʌbsikwənt] a.其次的；其后的 (高中英语单词)
- exertion [ig´zə:ʃən] n.努力；行使；活动 (英语四级单词)
- lighting [´laitiŋ] n.照明，发光 (英语四级单词)
- boulder [´bəuldə] n.大石头，卵石；巨砾 (英语四级单词)
- grassy [´grɑ:si] a.多草的；青草味的 (英语四级单词)
- ravine [rə´vi:n] n.沟壑；深谷 (英语四级单词)
- tingle [´tiŋgəl] vt.&n.刺痛；激动 (英语四级单词)
- sterling [´stə:liŋ] a.真正的 n.英国货币 (英语四级单词)
- sincerity [sin´seriti] n.真诚；诚意 (英语四级单词)
- holding [´həuldiŋ] n.保持，固定，存储 (英语六级单词)
- securely [si´kjuəli] ad.安全地；无疑地 (英语六级单词)
- deception [di´sepʃən] n.欺骗，诈骗；骗术 (英语六级单词)
- sticky [´stiki] a.胶粘的；顽固的 (英语六级单词)
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章节正文
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