wyoming(怀俄明)-第1章
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WYOMING：A STORY OF THE OUTDOOR WEST
WYOMING
A STORY OF THE OUTDOOR WEST
William MacLeod Raine
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WYOMING：A STORY OF THE OUTDOOR WEST
CHAPTER 1。 A DESERT
MEETING
An automobile shot out from a gash in the hills and slipped swiftly
down to the butte。 Here it came to a halt on the white； dusty road； while its
occupant gazed with eager； unsated eyes on the great panorama that
stretched before her。 The earth rolled in waves like a mighty sea to the
distant horizon line。 From a wonderful blue sky poured down upon the
land a bath of sunbeat。 The air was like wine； pure and strong； and above
the desert swam the rare； untempered light of Wyoming。 Surely here was a
peace primeval； a silence unbroken since the birth of creation。
It was all new to her； and wonderfully exhilarating。 The infinite roll of
plain； the distant shining mountains； the multitudinous voices of the desert
drowned in a sunlit sea of spacethey were all details of the situation that
ministered to a large serenity。
And while she breathed deeply the satisfaction of it； an exploding rifle
echo shattered the stillness。 With excited sputtering came the prompt
answer of a fusillade。 She was new to the West； but some instinct stronger
than reason told the girl that here was no playful puncher shooting up the
scenery to ventilate his exuberance。 Her imagination conceived something
more deadly； a sinister picture of men pumping lead in a grim； close…
lipped silence； a lusty plainsman； with murder in his heart； crumpling into
a lifeless heap； while the thin smoke…spiral curled from his hot rifle。
So the girl imagined the scene as she ran swiftly forward through the
pines to the edge of the butte bluff whence she might look down upon the
coulee that nestled against it。 Nor had she greatly erred； for her first
sweeping glance showed her the thing she had dreaded。
In a semicircle； well back from the foot of the butte； half a dozen men
crouched in the cover of the sage…brush and a scattered group of
cottonwoods。 They were perhaps fifty yards apart； and the attention of all
of them was focused on a spot directly beneath her。 Even as she looked； in
that first swift moment of apprehension； a spurt of smoke came from one
of the rifles and was flung back from the forked pine at the bottom of the
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WYOMING：A STORY OF THE OUTDOOR WEST
mesa。 She saw him then； kneeling behind his insufficient shelter； a trapped
man making his last stand。
》From where she stood the girl distinguished him very clearly； and
under the field…glasses that she turned on him the details leaped to life。
Tall； strong； slender； with the lean； clean build of a greyhound； he seemed
as wary and alert as a panther。 The broad； soft hat； the scarlet handkerchief
loosely knotted about his throat； the gray shirt； spurs and overalls；
proclaimed him a stockman； just as his dead horse at the entrance to the
coulee told of an accidental meeting in the desert and a hurried run for
cover。
That he had no chance was quite plain； but no plainer than the cool
vigilance with which he proposed to make them pay。 Even in the matter of
defense he was worse off than they were； but he knew how to make the
most of what he had； knew how to avail himself of every inch of
sagebrush that helped to render him indistinct to their eyes。
One of the attackers； eager for a clearer shot； exposed himself a trifle
too far in taking aim。 Without any loss of time in sighting； swift as a
lightning…flash； the rifle behind the forked pine spoke。 That the bullet
reached its mark she saw with a gasp of dismay。 For the man suddenly
huddled down and rolled over on his side。
His comrades appeared to take warning by this example。 The men at
both ends of the crescent fell back； and for a minute the girl's heart leaped
with the hope that they were about to abandon the siege。 Apparently the
man in the scarlet kerchief had no such expectation。 He deserted his
position behind the pine and ran back； crouching low in the brush； to
another little clump of trees closer to the bluff。 The reason for this was at
first not apparent to her； but she understood presently when the men who
had fallen back behind the rolling hillocks appeared again well in to the
edge of the bluff。 Only by his timely retreat had the man saved himself
from being outflanked。
It was very plain that the attackers meant to take their time to finish
him in perfect safety。 He was surrounded on every side by a cordon of
rifles； except where the bare face of the butte hung down behind him。 To
attempt to scale it would have been to expose himself as a mark for every
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WYOMING：A STORY OF THE OUTDOOR WEST
gun to certain death。
It was now that she heard the man who seemed to be directing the
attack call out to another on his right。 She was too far to make out the
words； but their effect was clear to her。 He pointed to the brow of the butte
above； and a puncher in white woolen chaps dropped back out of range
and swung to the saddle upon one of the ponies bunched in the rear。 He
cantered round in a wide circle and made for the butte。 His purpose was
obviously to catch their victim in the unprotected rear； and fire down upon
him from above。
The young woman shouted a warning； but her voice failed to carry。
For a moment she stood with her hands pressed together in despair； then
turned and swiftly scudded to her machine。 She sprang in； swept forward；
reached the rim of the mesa； and plunged down。 Never before had she
attempted so precarious a descent in such wild haste。 The car fairly leaped
into space； and after it struck swayed dizzily as it shot down。 The girl hung
on； her face white and set； the pulse in her temple beating wildly。 She
could do nothing； as the machine rocked down； but hope against many
chances that instant destruction might be averted。
Utterly beyond her control； the motor…car thundered down； reached the
foot of the butte； and swept over a little hill in its wild flight。 She rushed
by a mounted horseman in the thousandth part of a second。 She was still
speeding at a tremendous velocity； but a second hill reduced this
somewhat。 She had not yet recovered control of the machine； but； though
her eyes instinctively followed the white road that flashed past； she again
had photographed on her brain the scene of the turbid tragedy in which she
was intervening。
At the foot of the butte the road circled and dipped into the coulee。 She
braced herself for the shock； but； though the wheels skidded till her heart
was in her throat； the automobile； hanging on the balance of disaster；
swept round in safety。
Her horn screamed an instant warning to the trapped man。 She could
not see him； and for an instant her heart sank with the fear that they had
killed him。 But she saw then that they were still firing； and she continued
her honking invitation as the car leaped forward into the zone of spitting
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bullets。
By this time she was recovering control of the motor； and she dared
not let her attention wander； but out of the corner of her eye she
appreciated the situation。 Temporarily； out of sheer amaze at this
apparition from the blue； the guns ceased their sniping。 She became aware
that a light curly head； crouched low in the sage…brush； was moving
rapidly to meet her at right angles； and in doing so was approaching
directly the line of fire。 She could see him dodging to and fro as he moved
forward； for the rifles were again barking。
She was within two hundred yards of him； still going rapidly； but not
with the same headlong rush as before； when the curly head disappeared in
the sage…brush。 It was up again presently； but she could see that the man
came limping； and so uncertainly that twice he pitched forward to the
ground。 Incautionsly one of his assailants ran forward with a shout the
second time his head went down。 Crack！ The unerring rifle rang out； and
the impetuous one dropped in his tracks。
As she approached； the young woman slowed without stopping； and as
the car swept past Curly Head flung himself in headlong。 He picked
himself up from her feet； crept past her to the seat beyond； and almost
instantly whipped his rifle to his shoulder in prompt defiance of the fire
that was now converged on them。
Yet in a few moments the sound died away； for a voice midway in the
crescent had shouted an amazed discovery：
〃By God； it's a woman！〃
The car skimmed forward over the uneven ground toward the end of
the semicircle； and passed within fifty yards of the second man from the
end； the one she had picked out as the leader of the party。 He was a black；
swarthy fellow in plain leather chaps and blue shirt。 As they passed he
took a long； steady aim。
〃Duck！〃 shouted the man beside her； and dragged her down on the seat
so that his body covered hers。
A puff of wind fanned the girl's cheek。
〃Near thing；〃 her companion said coolly。 He looked back at the
swarthy man and laughed softly。 〃Some day you'll mebbe wish you had
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sent your pills straighter； Mr。 Judd Morgan。〃
Yet a few wheel…turns and they had dipped forward out of range
among the great land waves that seem
