the last of the plainsmen-第37章

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he　last　woeful；　despairing　wail　of　a　woman。　It　was　the　song　of　the　sea　sirens　and　the　music　of　the　waves；　it　had　the　soft　sough　of　the　night　wind　in　the　trees；　and　the　haunting　moan　of　lost　spirits。

With　reluctance　I　turned　my　back　to　the　gorgeously　changing　spectacle　of　the　canyon　and　crawled　in　to　the　rim　wall。　At　the　narrow　neck　of　stone　I　peered　over　to　look　down　into　misty　blue　nothingness。

That　night　Jones　told　stories　of　frightened　hunters；　and　assuaged　my　mortification　by　saying　〃buck…fever〃　was　pardonable　after　the　danger　had　passed；　and　especially　so　in　my　case；　because　of　the　great　size　and　fame　of　Old　Tom。

〃The　worst　case　of　buck…fever　I　ever　saw　was　on　a　buffalo　hunt　I　had　with　a　fellow　named　Williams；〃　went　on　Jones。　〃I　was　one　of　the　scouts　leading　a　wagon…train　west　on　the　old　Santa　Fe　trail。　This　fellow　said　he　was　a　big　hunter；　and　wanted　to　kill　buffalo；　so　I　took　him　out。　I　saw　a　herd　making　over　the　prairie　for　a　hollow　where　a　brook　ran；　and　by　hard　work；　got　in　ahead　of　them。　I　picked　out　a　position　just　below　the　edge　of　the　bank；　and　we　lay　quiet；　waiting。　From　the　direction　of　the　buffalo；　I　calculated　we'd　be　just　about　right　to　get　a　shot　at　no　very　long　range。　As　it　was；　I　suddenly　heard　thumps　on　the　ground；　and　cautiously　raising　my　head；　saw　a　huge　buffalo　bull　just　over　us；　not　fifteen　feet　up　the　bank。　I　whispered　to　Williams：　'For　God's　sake；　don't　shoot；　don't　move！'　The　bull's　little　fiery　eyes　snapped；　and　he　reared。　I　thought　we　were　goners；　for　when　a　bull　comes　down　on　anything　with　his　forefeet；　it's　done　for。　But　he　slowly　settled　back；　perhaps　doubtful。　Then；　as　another　buffalo　came　to　the　edge　of　the　bank；　luckily　a　little　way　from　us；　the　bull　turned　broadside；　presenting　a　splendid　target。　Then　I　whispered　to　Williams：　〃Now's　your　chance。　Shoot！'　I　waited　for　the　shot；　but　none　came。　Looking　at　Williams；　I　saw　he　was　white　and　trembling。　Big　drops　of　sweat　stood　out　on　his　brow　his　teeth　chattered；　and　his　hands　shook。　He　had　forgotten　he　carried　a　rifle。〃

〃That　reminds　me；〃　said　Frank。　〃They　tell　a　story　over　at　Kanab　on　a　Dutchman　named　Schmitt。　He　was　very　fond　of　huntin'；　an'　I　guess　had　pretty　good　success　after　deer　an'　small　game。　One　winter　he　was　out　in　the　Pink　Cliffs　with　a　Mormon　named　Shoonover；　an'　they　run　into　a　lammin'　big　grizzly　track；　fresh　an'　wet。　They　trailed　him　to　a　clump　of　chaparral；　an'　on　goin'　clear　round　it；　found　no　tracks　leadin'　out。　Shoonover　said　Schmitt　commenced　to　sweat。　They　went　back　to　the　place　where　the　trail　led　in；　an'　there　they　were；　great　big　silver　tip　tracks；　bigger'n　hoss…tracks；　so　fresh　thet　water　was　oozin'　out　of　'em。　Schmitt　said：　'Zake；　you　go　in　und　ged　him。　I　hef　took　sick　right　now。'〃

Happy　as　we　were　over　the　chase　of　Old　Tom；　and　our　prospects　for　Sounder；　Jude　and　Moze　had　seen　a　lion　in　a　treewe　sought　our　blankets　early。　I　lay　watching　the　bright　stars；　and　listening　to　the　roar　of　the　wind　in　the　pines。　At　intervals　it　lulled　to　a　whisper；　and　then　swelled　to　a　roar；　and　then　died　away。　Far　off　in　the　forest　a　coyote　barked　once。　Time　and　time　again；　as　I　was　gradually　sinking　into　slumber；　the　sudden　roar　of　the　wind　startled　me。　I　imagined　it　was　the　crash　of　rolling；　weathered　stone；　and　I　saw　again　that　huge　outspread　flying　lion　above　me。

I　awoke　sometime　later　to　find　Moze　had　sought　the　warmth　of　my　side；　and　he　lay　so　near　my　arm　that　I　reached　out　and　covered　him　with　an　end　of　the　blanket　I　used　to　break　the　wind。　It　was　very　cold　and　the　time　must　have　been　very　late；　for　the　wind　had　died　down；　and　I　heard　not　a　tinkle　from　the　hobbled　horses。　The　absence　of　the　cowbell　music　gave　me　a　sense　of　loneliness；　for　without　it　the　silence　of　the　great　forest　was　a　thing　to　be　felt。

This　oppressiveness；　however；　was　broken　by　a　far…distant　cry；　unlike　any　sound　I　had　ever　heard。　Not　sure　of　myself；　I　freed　my　ears　from　the　blanketed　hood　and　listened。　It　came　again；　a　wild　cry；　that　made　me　think　first　of　a　lost　child；　and　then　of　the　mourning　wolf　of　the　north。　It　must　have　been　a　long　distance　off　in　the　forest。　An　interval　of　some　moments　passed；　then　it　pealed　out　again；　nearer　this　time；　and　so　human　that　it　startled　me。　Moze　raised　his　head　and　growled　low　in　his　throat　and　sniffed　the　keen　air。

〃Jones；　Jones；〃　I　called；　reaching　over　to　touch　the　old　hunter。

He　awoke　at　once；　with　the　clear…headedness　of　the　light　sleeper。

〃I　heard　the　cry　of　some　beast；〃　I　said；　〃And　it　was　so　weird；　so　strange。　I　want　to　know　what　it　was。〃

Such　a　long　silence　ensued　that　I　began　to　despair　of　hearing　the　cry　again；　when；　with　a　suddenness　which　straightened　the　hair　on　my　head；　a　wailing　shriek；　exactly　like　a　despairing　woman　might　give　in　death　agony；　split　the　night　silence。　It　seemed　right　on　us。

〃Cougar！　Cougar！　Cougar！〃　exclaimed　Jones。

〃What's　up？〃　queried　Frank；　awakened　by　the　dogs。

Their　howling　roused　the　rest　of　the　party；　and　no　doubt　scared　the　cougar；　for　his　womanish　screech　was　not　repeated。　Then　Jones　got　up　and　gatherered　his　blankets　in　a　roll。

〃Where　you　oozin'　for　now？〃　asked　Frank；　sleepily。

〃I　think　that　cougar　just　came　up　over　the　rim　on　a　scouting　hunt；　and　I'm　going　to　go　down　to　the　head　of　the　trail　and　stay　there　till　morning。　If　he　returns　that　way；　I'll　put　him　up　a　tree。〃

With　this；　he　unchained　Sounder　and　Don；　and　stalked　off　under　the　trees；　looking　like　an　Indian。　Once　the　deep　bay　of　Sounder　rang　out；　Jones's　sharp　command　followed；　and　then　the　familiar　silence　encompassed　the　forest　and　was　broken　no　more。

When　I　awoke　all　was　gray；　except　toward　the　canyon；　where　the　little　bit　of　sky　I　saw　through　the　pines　glowed　a　delicate　pink。　I　crawled　out　on　the　instant；　got　into　my　boots　and　coat；　and　kicked　the　smoldering　fire。　Jim　heard　me；　and　said：

〃Shore　you're　up　early。〃

〃I'm　going　to　see　the　sunrise　from　the　north　rim　of　the　Grand　Canon；〃　I　said；　and　knew　when　I　spoke　that　very　few　men；　out　of　all　the　millions　of　travelers；　had　ever　seen　this；　probably　the　most　surpassingly　beautiful　pageant　in　the　world。　At　most；　only　a　few　geologists；　scientists；　perhaps　an　artist　or　two；　and　horse　wranglers；　hunters　and　prospectors　have　ever　reached　the　rim　on　the　north　side；　and　these　men；　crossing　from　Bright　Angel　or　Mystic　Spring　trails　on　the　south　rim；　seldom　or　never　get　beyond　Powell's　Plateau。

The　frost　cracked　under　my　boots　like　frail　ice；　and　the　bluebells　peeped　wanly　from　the　white。　When　I　reached　the　head　of　Clarke's　trail　it　was　just　daylight；　and　there；　under　a　pine；　I　found　Jones　rolled　in　his　blankets；　with　Sounder　and　Moze　asleep　beside　him。　I　turned　without　disturbing　him；　and　went　along　the　edge　of　the　forest；　but　back　a　little　distance　from　the　rim　wall。

I　saw　deer　off　in　the　woods；　and　tarrying；　watched　them　throw　up　graceful　heads；　and　look　and　listen。　The　soft　pink　glow　through　the　pines　deepened　to　rose；　and　suddenly　I　caught　a　point　of　red　fire。　Then　I　hurried　to　the　place　I　had　named　Singing　Cliffs；　and　keeping　my　eyes　fast　on　the　stone　beneath　me；　trawled　out　to　the　very　farthest　point；　drew　a　long；　breath；　and　looked　eastward。

The　awfulness　of　sudden　death　and　the　glory　of　heaven　stunned　me！　The　thing　that　had　been　mystery　at　twilight；　lay　clear；　pure；　open　in　the　rosy　hue　of　dawn。　Out　of　the　gates　of　the　morning　poured　a　light　which　glorified　the　palaces　and　pyramids；　purged　and　purified　the　afternoon's　inscrutable　clefts；　swept　away　the　shadows　of　the　mesas；　and　bathed　that　broad；　deep　world　of　mighty　mountains；　stately　spars　of　rock；　sculptured　cathedrals　and　alabaster　terraces　in　an　artist's　dream　of　color。　A　pearl　from　heaven　had　burst；　flinging　its　heart　of　fire　into　this　chasm。　A　stream　of　opal　flowed　out　of　the　sun；　to　touch　each　peak；　mesa；　dome；　parapet；　temple　and　tower；　cliff　and　cleft　into　the　new…born　life　of　another　day。

I　sat　there　for　a　long　time　and　knew　that　every　second　the　scene　changed；　yet　I　could　not　tell　how。　I　knew　I　sat　high　over　a　hole　of　broken；　splintered；　barren　mountains；　I　knew　I　could　see　a　hundred　miles　of　the　length　of　it；　and　eighteen　miles　of　the　width　of　it；　and　a　mile　of　the　depth　of　it；　and　the　shafts　and　rays　of　rose　light　on　a　million　glancing；　many…hued　su