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to the last man-第50部分
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away from the cabins into the border of spruce trees at the foot of
the canyon wall。
〃Colterwhereoh; where are Y'u takin' me?〃 she found voice to cry out。
〃By God! I don't know;〃 he replied; with strong; vibrant passion。
〃I was a fool not to carry y'u off long ago。 But I waited。 I was
hopin' y'u'd love me! 。 。 。 An' now that Isbel gang has corralled us。
Somers seen the half…breed up on the rocks。 An' Springer seen the
rest of them sneakin' around。 I run back after my horse an' y'u。〃
〃But Uncle Tad! 。 。 。 We mustn't leave him alone;〃 cried Ellen。
〃We've got to;〃 replied Colter; grimly。 〃Tad shore won't worry y'u
no moresoon as Jean Isbel gets to him。〃
〃Oh; let me stay;〃 implored Ellen。 〃I will save him。〃
Colter laughed at the utter absurdity of her appeal and claim。
Suddenly he set her down upon her feet。 〃Stand still;〃 he ordered。
Ellen saw his big bay horse; saddled; with pack and blanket; tied
there in the shade of a spruce。 With swift hands Colter untied him
and mounted him; scarcely moving his piercing gaze from Ellen。 He
reached to grasp her。 〃Up with y'u! 。 。 。 Put your foot in the
stirrup!〃 His will; like his powerful arm; was irresistible for Ellen
at that moment。 She found herself swung up behind him。 Then the horse
plunged away。 What with the hard motion and Colter's iron grasp on her
Ellen was in a painful position。 Her knees and feet came into violent
contact with branches and snags。 He galloped the horse; tearing through
the dense thicket of willows that served to hide the entrance to the
side canyon; and when out in the larger and more open canyon he urged
him to a run。 Presently when Colter put the horse to a slow rise of
ground; thereby bringing him to a walk; it was just in time to save
Ellen a serious bruising。 Again the sunlight appeared to shade over。
They were in the pines。 Suddenly with backward lunge Colter halted
the horse。 Ellen heard a yell。 She recognized Queen's voice。
〃Turn back; Colter! Turn back!〃
With an oath Colter wheeled his mount。 〃If I didn't run plump into
them;〃 he ejaculated; harshly。 And scarcely had the goaded horse gotten
a start when a shot rang out。 Ellen felt a violent shock; as if her
momentum had suddenly met with a check; and then she felt herself
wrenched from Colter; from the saddle; and propelled into the air。
She alighted on soft ground and thick grass; and was unhurt save for
the violent wrench and shaking that had rendered her breathless。 Before
she could rise Colter was pulling at her; lifting her to her feet。 She
saw the horse lying with bloody head。 Tall pines loomed all around。
Another rifle cracked。 〃Run!〃 hissed Colter; and he bounded off;
dragging her by the hand。 Another yell pealed out。 〃Here we are;
Colter!〃。 Again it was Queen's shrill voice。 Ellen ran with all her
might; her heart in her throat; her sight failing to record more than
a blur of passing pines and a blank green wall of spruce。 Then she
lost her balance; was falling; yet could not fall because of that steel
grip on her hand; and was dragged; and finally carried; into a dense
shade。 She was blinded。 The trees whirled and faded。 Voices and shots
sounded far away。 Then something black seemed to be wiped across her
feeling。
It turned to gray; to moving blankness; to dim; hazy objects; spectral
and tall; like blanketed trees; and when Ellen fully recovered
consciousness she was being carried through the forest。
〃Wal; little one; that was a close shave for y'u;〃 said Colter's hard
voice; growing clearer。 〃Reckon your keelin' over was natural enough。〃
He held her lightly in both arms; her head resting above his left elbow。
Ellen saw his face as a gray blur; then taking sharper outline; until
it stood out distinctly; pale and clammy; with eyes cold and wonderful
in their intense flare。 As she gazed upward Colter turned his head to
look back through the woods; and his motion betrayed a keen; wild
vigilance。 The veins of his lean; brown neck stood out like whipcords。
Two comrades were stalking beside him。 Ellen heard their stealthy
steps; and she felt Colter sheer from one side or the other。 They were
proceeding cautiously; fearful of the rear; but not wholly trusting to
the fore。
〃Reckon we'd better go slow an' look before we leap;〃 said one whose
voice Ellen recognized as Springer's。
〃Shore。 That open slope ain't to my likin'; with our Nez Perce friend
prowlin' round;〃 drawled Colter; as he set Ellen down on her feet。
Another of the rustlers laughed。 〃Say; can't he twinkle through the
forest? I had four shots at him。 Harder to hit than a turkey runnin'
crossways。〃
This facetious speaker was the evil…visaged; sardonic Somers。
He carried two rifles and wore two belts of cartridges。
〃Ellen; shore y'u ain't so daid white as y'u was;〃 observed Colter;
and he chucked her under the chin with familiar hand。 〃Set down heah。
I don't want y'u stoppin' any bullets。 An' there's no tellin'。〃
Ellen was glad to comply with his wish。 She had begun to recover wits
and strength; yet she still felt shaky。 She observed that their position
then was on the edge of a well…wooded slope from which she could see the
grassy canyon floor below。 They were on a level bench; projecting out
from the main canyon wall that loomed gray and rugged and pine fringed。
Somers and Cotter and Springer gave careful attention to all points of
the compass; especially in the direction from which they had come。
They evidently anticipated being trailed or circled or headed off;
but did not manifest much concern。 Somers lit a cigarette; Springer
wiped his face with a grimy hand and counted the shells in his belt;
which appeared to be half empty。 Colter stretched his long neck like
a vulture and peered down the slope and through the aisles of the forest
up toward the canyon rim。
〃Listen!〃 he said; tersely; and bent his head a little to one side;
ear to the slight breeze。
They all listened。 Ellen heard the beating of her heart; the rustle
of leaves; the tapping of a woodpecker; and faint; remote sounds that
she could not name。
〃Deer; I reckon;〃 spoke up Somers。
〃Ahuh! Wal; I reckon they ain't trailin' us yet;〃 replied Colter。
〃We gave them a shade better 'n they sent us。〃
〃Short an' sweet!〃 ejaculated Springer; and he removed his black
sombrero to poke a dirty forefinger through a buffet hole in the crown。
〃Thet's how close I come to cashin'。 I was lyin' behind a log;
listenin' an' watchin'; an' when I stuck my head up a littlezam!
Somebody made my bonnet leak。〃
〃Where's Queen?〃 asked Colter。
〃He was with me fust off;〃 replied Somers。 〃An' then when the shootin'
slackedafter I'd plugged thet big; red…faced; white…haired pal of
Isbel's〃
〃Reckon thet was Blaisdell;〃 interrupted Springer。
〃Queenhe got tired layin' low;〃 went on Somers。 〃He wanted action。
I heerd him chewin' to himself; an' when I asked him what was eatin'
him he up an' growled he was goin' to quit this Injun fightin'。
An' he slipped off in the woods。〃
〃Wal; that's the gun fighter of it;〃 declared Colter; wagging his head;
〃Ever since that cowman; Blue; braced us an' said he was King Fisher;
why Queen has been sulkier an' sulkier。 He cain't help it。 He'll do
the same trick as Blue tried。 An' shore he'll get his everlastin'。
But he's the Texas breed all right。〃
〃Say; do you reckon Blue really is King Fisher?〃 queried Somers。
〃Naw!〃 ejaculated Colter; with downward sweep of his hand。 〃Many a
would…be gun slinger has borrowed Fisher's name。 But Fisher is daid
these many years。〃
〃Ahuh! Wal; mebbe; but don't you fergit itthet Blue was no would…be;〃
declared Somers。 〃He was the genuine article。〃
〃I should smile!〃 affirmed Springer。
The subject irritated Colter; and he dismissed it with another forcible
gesture and a counter question。
〃How many left in that Isbel outfit?〃
〃No tellin'。 There shore was enough of them;〃 replied Somers。 〃Anyhow;
the woods was full of flyin' bullets。 。 。 。 Springer; did you account
for any of them?〃
〃Nopenot thet I noticed;〃 responded Springer; dryly。 〃I had my
chance at the half…breed。 。 。 。 Reckon I was nervous。〃
〃Was Slater near you when he yelled out?〃
〃No。 He was lyin' beside Somers。〃
〃Wasn't thet a queer way fer a man to act?〃 broke in Somers。 〃A bullet
hit Slater; cut him down the back as he was lyin' flat。 Reckon it wasn't
bad。 But it hurt him so thet he jumped right up an' staggered around。
He made a target big as a tree。 An' mebbe them Isbels didn't riddle him!〃
〃That was when I got my crack at Bill Isbel;〃 declared Colter; with grim
satisfaction。 〃When they shot my horse out from under me I had Ellen to
think of an' couldn't get my rifle。 Shore had to run; as yu seen。 Wal;
as I only had my six…shooter; there was nothin' for me to do but lay low
an' listen to the sping of lead。 Wells was standin' up behind a tree
about thirty yards off。 He got plugged; an' fallin' over he began to
crawl my way; still holdin' to his rifle。 I crawled along the log to
meet him。 But he dropped aboot half…way。 I went on an' took his rifle
an' belt。 When I peeped out from behind a spruce bush then
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