登陆注册
15451800000025

第25章 CHAPTER X THE CHINOOK(1)

One night in late March a sullen, faraway roar awakened Thurston in his bunk. He turned over and listened, wondering what on earth was the matter. More than anything it sounded like a hurrying freight train only the railroad lay many miles to the north, and trains do not run at large over the prairie. Gene snored peacefully an arm's length away. Outside the snow lay deep on the levels, while in the hollows were great, white drifts that at bedtime had glittered frostily in the moonlight.

On the hill- tops the gray wolves howled across coulees to their neighbors, and slinking coyotes yapped foolishly at the moon.

Thurston drew the blanket up over his ears, for the fire had died to a heap of whitening embers and the cold of the cabin made the nose of him tingle. The roar grew louder and nearer-then the cabin shivered and creaked in the suddenness of the blast that struck it. A clod of dirt plumbed down upon his shoulder, bringing with it a shower of finer particles.

"Another blizzard!" he groaned, "and the worst we've had yet, by the sound."The wind shrieked down the chimney and sought the places where the chinking was loose. It howled up the coulees, putting the wolves themselves to shame. Gene flopped over like a newly landed fish, grunted some unintelligible words and slept again.

For an hour Thurston lay and listened to the blast and selfishly thanked heaven it was his turn at the cooking. If the storm kept up like that, he told himself, he was glad he did not have to chop the wood. He lifted the blanket and sniffed tentatively, then cuddled back into cover swearing that a thermometer would register zero at that very moment on his pillow.

The storm came in gusts as the worst blizzards do at times. It made him think of the nursery story about the fifth little pig who built a cabin of rocks, and how the wolf threatened: "I'll huff and I'll puff, and I'll blow your house down!" It was as if he himself were the fifth little pig, and as if the wind were the wolf. The wolf-wind would stop for whole minutes, gather his great lungs full of air and then without warning would "huff and puff" his hardest. But though the cabin was not built of rocks, it was nevertheless a staunch little shelter and sturdily withstood the shocks.

He pitied the poor cattle still fighting famine and frost as only range-bred stock can fight. He pictured them drifting miserably before the fury of the wind or crowding for shelter under some friendly cutback, their tails to the storm, waiting stolidly for the dawn that would bring no relief. Then, with the roar and rattle in his ears, he fell asleep.

In that particular line-camp on the Missouri the cook's duties began with building a fire in the morning. Thurston waked reluctantly, shivered in anticipation under the blankets, gathered together his fortitude and crept out of his bunk.

While he was dressing his teeth chattered like castanets in a minstrel show. He lighted the fire hurriedly and stood backed close before it, listening to the rage of the wind. He was growing very tired of the monotony of winter; he could no longer see any beauty in the high-turreted, snow-clad hills, nor the bare, red faces of the cliffs frowning down upon him.

同类推荐
热门推荐
  • 你活在我的朝思暮想里
  • 惊!我们的华丽蜕变!

    惊!我们的华丽蜕变!

    我是丁晓晓,我是美女转校生。我是冷冽霖,我是霸道校草。我是冷无双,我是宅腐女神。我们一起经历了风风和雨雨,经历过了猜疑和决裂,有过甜蜜和幸福又有过难过和心痛,就算最后还是在一起,我们能否回到当初?IfIstillloveyou,willyoucomeback?IwillwaitformeInmemoryofourlove纪念我们的爱情。by丁by双by霖
  • 丹房须知

    丹房须知

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。
  • 玄魂之斗魄圣华

    玄魂之斗魄圣华

    原本处于繁华的大都市的柯炎突然穿越到几千年前的并不存在的斗魄时代中,没有任何能力的他,该如何应对?凌雷家族的大长老竟然断言柯炎是龙神天赐的万年难得一遇的人才?!本小说QQ群号:454134608。可以最快的看到本小说的更新,比别人更快一步!
  • 尚好的青春

    尚好的青春

    人心是慢慢变冷,树叶是渐渐变黄,故事是缓缓写到结局,而爱是因为失望太多,才变成不爱。
  • 踏剑之道

    踏剑之道

    天道,天人之境为剑;人道,苍生之安为剑;剑道,万物之灵为剑。这是他们的选择,是他们的信仰,这更是他们的命运——剑之路!
  • 掌碎苍穹

    掌碎苍穹

    想成为一代大侠的王天武刚入世就因为一场严重的交通事故,为救一个小孩被大巴车撞中,醒来时发现灵魂穿越到唐灵大陆。唐灵大陆魔妖兽横行,人类在魔妖兽的爪牙下艰难求存。身怀龙象般若功与降龙十八掌的王天武来到这个世界,将给这个世界带来天翻地覆的变法。“再强大的魔妖兽,本大侠照样一掌拍死!”这是王天武个格言。
  • 命运阴阳人

    命运阴阳人

    我叫张存凡,我本来叫张存稀有什么不好可是名字定终身,也没把我不平凡的命运给盖过去,十四岁干过的事被篡改,十八岁依旧步入后尘,命运因此改变,我到底是谁,为什么会这样,斗尸鬼,揽猫妖,打僵尸,命悬一线,死后三魂七魄不在,我到底是人是尸
  • 庶后:凤阙凰谋

    庶后:凤阙凰谋

    只因庶出,她在家中备受冷落。她偏不服,誓要活得尊贵。普天之下最尊贵的女子,自然是皇后。大婚夜,她被蒙住双眼,夺她身的人在她耳畔低语:若恨,记住我的声音。身陷火海,才知一切不过是长姐布的局。涅槃重生,脸上丑陋的疤痕点燃了她复仇之心。他尽心守护,她步步为营。那个改她命格的男人,究竟是她的良人还是仇人?带着恨意一路走来,烽火连天遍地狼藉,她足踏鲜血,铺就一条通向凤阙的路……
  • 圣陨神魔

    圣陨神魔

    三次灭世大战,令乾坤碎裂,天地变色!虽然神魔陨落无数,但最痛苦的还是天下生灵!是天命安排?还是劫数难逃?亦或是阴谋欺骗?难道真的不能避免吗?!不!!!因为人定“圣”天!