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the twins of table mountain-第18部分
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the Vigilantes at Deadwood。〃
PART II。
The spring of 1874 was retarded in the California sierras; so much
so; that certain Eastern tourists who had early ventured into the
Yo Semite Valley found themselves; one May morning; snow…bound
against the tempestuous shoulders of El Capitan。 So furious was
the onset of the wind at the Upper Merced Canyon; that even so
respectable a lady as Mrs。 Rightbody was fain to cling to the neck
of her guide to keep her seat in the saddle; while Miss Alice;
scorning all masculine assistance; was hurled; a lovely chaos;
against the snowy wall of the chasm。 Mrs。 Rightbody screamed; Miss
Alice raged under her breath; but scrambled to her feet again in
silence。
〃I told you so!〃 said Mrs。 Rightbody; in an indignant whisper; as
her daughter again ranged beside her。 〃I warned you especially;
Alicethatthat〃
〃What?〃 interrupted Miss Alice curtly。
〃That you would need your chemiloons and high boots;〃 said Mrs。
Rightbody; in a regretful undertone; slightly increasing her
distance from the guides。
Miss Alice shrugged her pretty shoulders scornfully; but ignored
her mother's implication。
〃You were particularly warned against going into the valley at this
season;〃 she only replied grimly。
Mrs。 Rightbody raised her eyes impatiently。
〃You know how anxious I was to discover your poor father's strange
correspondent; Alice。 You have no consideration。〃
〃But when YOU HAVE discovered himwhat then?〃 queried Miss Alice。
〃What then?〃
〃Yes。 My belief is; that you will find the telegram only a mere
business cipher; and all this quest mere nonsense。〃
〃Alice! Why; YOU yourself thought your father's conduct that night
very strange。 Have you forgotten?〃
The young lady had NOT; but; for some far…reaching feminine reason;
chose to ignore it at that moment; when her late tumble in the snow
was still fresh in her mind。
〃And this woman; whoever she may be〃 continued Mrs。 Rightbody。
〃How do you know there's a woman in the case?〃 interrupted Miss
Alice; wickedly I fear。
〃How doIknowthere's a woman?〃 slowly ejaculated Mrs。
Rightbody; floundering in the snow and the unexpected possibility
of such a ridiculous question。 But here her guide flew to her
assistance; and estopped further speech。 And; indeed; a grave
problem was before them。
The road that led to their single place of refugea cabin; half
hotel; half trading…post; scarce a mile awayskirted the base of
the rocky dome; and passed perilously near the precipitous wall of
the valley。 There was a rapid descent of a hundred yards or more
to this terrace…like passage; and the guides paused for a moment of
consultation; cooly oblivious; alike to the terrified questioning
of Mrs。 Rightbody; or the half…insolent independence of the
daughter。 The elder guide was russet…bearded; stout; and humorous:
the younger was dark…bearded; slight; and serious。
〃Ef you kin git young Bunker Hill to let you tote her on your
shoulders; I'll git the Madam to hang on to me;〃 came to Mrs。
Rightbody's horrified ears as the expression of her particular
companion。
〃Freeze to the old gal; and don't reckon on me if the daughter
starts in to play it alone;〃 was the enigmatical response of the
younger guide。
Miss Alice overheard both propositions; and; before the two men
returned to their side; that high…spirited young lady had urged her
horse down the declivity。
Alas! at this moment a gust of whirling snow swept down upon her。
There was a flounder; a mis…step; a fatal strain on the wrong rein;
a fall; a few plucky but unavailing struggles; and both horse and
rider slid ignominiously down toward the rocky shelf。 Mrs。
Rightbody screamed。 Miss Alice; from a confused debris of snow and
ice; uplifted a vexed and coloring face to the younger guide; a
little the more angrily; perhaps; that she saw a shade of impatience
on his face。
〃Don't move; but tie one end of the 'lass' under your arms; and
throw me the other;〃 he said quietly。
〃What do you mean by 'lass'the lasso?〃 asked Miss Alice
disgustedly。
〃Yes; ma'am。〃
〃Then why don't you say so?〃
〃O Alice!〃 reproachfully interpolated Mrs。 Rightbody; encircled by
the elder guide's stalwart arm。
Miss Alice deigned no reply; but drew the loop of the lasso over
her shoulders; and let it drop to her round waist。 Then she
essayed to throw the other end to her guide。 Dismal failure! The
first fling nearly knocked her off the ledge; the second went all
wild against the rocky wall; the third caught in a thorn…bush;
twenty feet below her companion's feet。 Miss Alice's arm sunk
helplessly to her side; at which signal of unqualified surrender;
the younger guide threw himself half way down the slope; worked his
way to the thorn…bush; hung for a moment perilously over the
parapet; secured the lasso; and then began to pull away at his
lovely burden。 Miss Alice was no dead weight; however; but
steadily half…scrambled on her hands and knees to within a foot or
two of her rescuer。 At this too familiar proximity; she stood up;
and leaned a little stiffly against the line; causing the guide to
give an extra pull; which had the lamentable effect of landing her
almost in his arms。
As it was; her intelligent forehead struck his nose sharply; and I
regret to add; treating of a romantic situation; caused that
somewhat prominent sign and token of a hero to bleed freely。 Miss
Alice instantly clapped a handful of snow over his nostrils。
〃Now elevate your right arm;〃 she said commandingly。
He did as he was bidden; but sulkily。
〃That compresses the artery。〃
No man; with a pretty woman's hand and a handful of snow over his
mouth and nose; could effectively utter a heroic sentence; nor;
with his arm elevated stiffly over his head; assume a heroic
attitude。 But; when his mouth was free again; he said half…
sulkily; half…apologetically;
〃I might have known a girl couldn't throw worth a cent。〃
〃Why?〃 demanded Miss Alice sharply。
〃Becausewhybecauseyou seethey haven't got the experience;〃
he stammered feebly。
〃Nonsense! they haven't the CLAVICLEthat's all! It's because I'm
a woman; and smaller in the collar…bone; that I haven't the play of
the fore…arm which you have。 See!〃 She squared her shoulders
slightly; and turned the blaze of her dark eyes full on his。
〃Experience; indeed! A girl can learn anything a boy can。〃
Apprehension took the place of ill…humor in her hearer。 He turned
his eyes hastily away; and glanced above him。 The elder guide had
gone forward to catch Miss Alice's horse; which; relieved of his
rider; was floundering toward the trail。 Mrs。 Rightbody was
nowhere to be seen。 And these two were still twenty feet below the
trail!
There was an awkward pause。
〃Shall I put you up the same way?〃 he queried。 Miss Alice looked
at his nose; and hesitated。 〃Or will you take my hand?〃 he added
in surly impatience。 To his surprise; Miss Alice took his hand;
and they began the ascent together。
But the way was difficult and dangerous。 Once or twice her feet
slipped on the smoothly…worn rock beneath; and she confessed to an
inward thankfulness when her uncertain feminine hand…grip was
exchanged for his strong arm around her waist。 Not that he was
ungentle; but Miss Alice angrily felt that he had once or twice
exercised his superior masculine functions in a rough way; and yet
the next moment she would have probably rejected the idea that she
had even noticed it。 There was no doubt; however; that he WAS a
little surly。
A fierce scramble finally brought them back in safety to the trail;
but in the action Miss Alice's shoulder; striking a projecting
bowlder; wrung from her a feminine cry of pain; her first sign of
womanly weakness。 The guide stopped instantly。
〃I am afraid I hurt you?〃
She raised her brown lashes; a trifle moist from suffering; looked
in his eyes; and dropped her own。 Why; she could not tell。 And
yet he had certainly a kind face; despite its seriousness; and a
fine face; albeit unshorn and weather…beaten。 Her own eyes had
never been so near to any man's before; save her lover's; and yet
she had never seen so much in even his。 She slipped her hand away;
not with any reference to him; but rather to ponder over this
singular experience; and somehow felt uncomfortable thereat。
Nor was he less so。 It was but a few days ago that he had accepted
the charge of this young woman from the elder guide; who was the
recognized escort of the Rightbody party; having been a former
correspondent of her father's。 He had been hired like any other
guide; but had undertaken the task with that chivalrous enthusiasm
which the average Californian always extends to the sex so rare to
him。 But the illusion had passed; and he had dropped into a sulky;
practical sense of his situation; perhaps fraught with less danger
to himself。 Only when appealed to by his manhood or her weakness;
he had forgotten his wounded vanity。
He strode moodily ahead; dutifully breaking the path for her in the
direction of the distant canyon; where Mrs。 Rightbody and her
friend awaited them。 Miss Alice was first to speak。 In this
trackless; uncharted terra incognita of
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