登陆注册
6155600000016

第16章 A MYSTERIOUS GUEST(5)

Of course,as soon as his eyes could penetrate the semi-gloom sufficiently to distinguish small objects,he saw the proof;but even before that,the air seemed tingling with some strange personality.He stood like a statue,gazing fixedly.His alert eyes,always on guard,had assured him that the cove was deserted--there was no use to look behind him.Whoever had been there must have scaled the mountain,and had either crossed to the plain on the north,or was hiding behind the rocks.What held his eyes to the stove was a heap of tobacco,and a clay pipe beside it.Among the stores removed from the wagon,tobacco had been found in generous quantity,but during the month now elapsed,bad been sadly reduced.Willock,however,was not pleased to find the new supply;on the contrary his emotions were confused and alarmed.Had the tobacco been ten times as much,it could not have solaced him for the knowledge that the dugout had been visited.

After a few minutes of immobility,he entered,placed the meat on a box,and departed softly,closing the door behind him.Casting apprehensive glances along the mountainside,he stole toward it,and made his way up the gully,completely hidden by the straggling line of trees and underbrush,till he stood on the summit.He approached each ridge with extreme caution,as if about to storm the barricade of an enemy;thus he traveled over the range without coming on the traces of his mysterious visitor.Not pausing at the crevice,he went on to the outer northern ridge of the range,and lying flat among some high rocks,looked down.

He counted seventeen men near the spot from which he had removed the wagon.Fifteen were on horseback and two riderless horses explained the presence of the two on foot.All of them had drawn up in a circle about the heap of stones that covered the woman's burial-place.Of the seventeen,sixteen were Indians,painted and adorned for the war-path.The remaining man,he who stood at the heap of stones beside the chief,was a white man,and at the first glance,Willock recognized him;he was the dead woman's husband,Henry Gledware.

Brick's mind was perplexed with vain questionings:Was it Gledware who had visited his dugout,or the Indians?Did the pipe and tobacco indicate a peace-offering?What was the relationship between Gledware and these Indians?Was he their prisoner,and were they about to burn him upon the heap of stones?He did not seem alarmed.Had he made friends with the chief by promising to conduct him to the deserted wagon?If so,what would they think in regard to the wagon's disappearance?Had the dugout persuaded them that there was no other retreat in the mountains?

While Brick watched in agitated suspense,several Indians leaped to the ground at a signal from the chief and advanced toward the white man.The chief turned his back upon the company,and started toward the mountain,his face turned toward Brick's place of observation.He began climbing upward,the red feather in his hair gleaming against the green of the cedars.Brick had but to remain where he was,to reach forth his hand presently and seize the warrior--but in that case,those on the plain would come swarming up the ascent for vengeance.

Brick darted from his post,swept like a dipping swallow across the ravine,and snatching up the rope-ladder from its nook under the boulder,scurried down into the granite chamber.Having removed the ladder,he crept to the extremity of the excavation,and with his back against the wall and his gun held in readiness,awaited the coming of the chief.After the lapse of many minutes he grew reassured;the Indian,thinking the dugout his only home,had passed the crevice without the slightest suspicion.

However,lest in thrusting forth his head,he call attention to his home in the rock,he kept in retreat the rest of that day,nor did he venture forth that night.After all,the housewarming did not take place.The stove remained cold,the tobacco and pipe upon it were undisturbed,and the evening meal consisted notably of plums.

同类推荐
热门推荐
  • 倾尽时光忆流年

    倾尽时光忆流年

    “你会陪我多久。”“永远。”“真的吗,不准骗我哦。”“嗯。”......死生挈阔,与子成说;执子之手,与子偕老。
  • 噬命之主

    噬命之主

    鸿蒙仙宇之中万界树立,互相争斗,但又互相牵制。万界之灵源界,万法纵横。大陆之多,可谓繁星之数。在此修炼圣地,且看他如何一破天地。
  • 仙佛争霸

    仙佛争霸

    手持玲珑宝塔,杖点仙佛妖魔,斩断爱恨纠葛,破红尘化佛陀。李靖,身处因果旋涡,凭借无畏的勇气,绝对的力量,坚韧的毅力,超然的智慧,坚贞的情义,追求一段荡气回肠的永恒爱情,演绎一个普渡众生的无量功德。
  • 向往的蘑菇屋

    向往的蘑菇屋

    娱乐圈巨星林之诺由于疲劳工作,以至猝死,因此赶上潮流,魂穿平行世界,附身在一名北漂流浪歌手身上。重活一世的林之诺不想活得再像前世那样疲惫,回归乡村,过着向阳的生活是林之诺这一世的选择。蜗居乡村老家,没事教教学,喝喝茶,溜溜弯,钓钓鱼,挖挖土……缺钱了,就在网上发布一首歌,写本小说,又或则……(ps:轻松娱乐文,不强行装13,不后宫……)
  • 黑色情人眼

    黑色情人眼

    传说在大漠深处,有一种花,以血为食,偿你所愿……他是预言中会杀了她的男人她拼尽全力,只为抵抗宿命,最后却倒在他枪下。
  • 史上最难攻略的女BOSS

    史上最难攻略的女BOSS

    她是BUG一样的存在,史上最难攻略的女BOSS,没有之一。一句话来说:这是一个土著女BOSS对抗“穿越者”“重生者”“任务者”的故事……欢迎加入安妮普通书友群,群聊号码:697934386
  • 超现实灵异游戏

    超现实灵异游戏

    当有一天,你身边熟悉的一切都改变了,你处在一个完全陌生的世界里。亲人、朋友全部不见了,甚至你所熟知的并赖以生存的常识都被打破,你要怎么生存下去。
  • 老大,雨夜,该开荤了

    老大,雨夜,该开荤了

    有残暴血腥的黑心“莫显扬”,有神秘忧伤的“欧阳逸”,有走错门的“方轩昂”。三个男主,各有精彩。
  • 霸道小吃高冷校花

    霸道小吃高冷校花

    受过朋友的伤害,李瑜为了让自己不再受伤害,而变得高冷起来。高冷校花李瑜巧遇霸道校草林宇浩,与之间发生摩擦。高冷的李瑜霸道的林宇浩做事处处作对。经过发生的一系列事情,李瑜渐渐退去高冷的包裹,展现出开朗的自己。也不知是月下老人喝醉了酒,牵错了线还是丘比特不小心射错了箭,爱的火花竟然在这俩人身上发生了……
  • 仙灵之地

    仙灵之地

    如果我不开心,那这场重生将有何意义~开开心心打怪兽。欢欢乐乐养萝莉。美美滋滋泡御姐。