登陆注册
14730500000025

第25章

Pine Ridge Range Ablaze.

At dusk that night a glow was in the southern sky, and the wind carried the pungent odor of burning grass. Dick went out on the porch after dinner, and sniffed the air uneasily.

"I don't much like the look of it," he admitted to Sir Redmond. "It smells pretty strong, to be across the river. I sent a couple of the boys out to look a while ago. If it's this side of the river we'll have to get a move on.""It will be the range land, I take it, if it's on this side," Sir Redmond remarked.

Just then a man thundered through the lane and up to the very steps of the porch, and when he stopped the horse he was riding leaned forward and his legs shook with exhaustion.

"The Pine Ridge Range is afire, Mr. Lansell," the man announced quietly.

Dick took a long pull at his cigar and threw it away. "Have the boys throw some barrels and sacks into a wagon--and git!" He went inside and grabbed his hat, and when he turned Sir Redmond was at his elbow.

"I'm going, too, Dick," cried Beatrice, who always seemed to hear anything that promised excitement. "I never saw a prairie-fire in my life.""It's ten miles off," said Dick shortly, taking the steps at a jump.

"I don't care if it's twenty--I'm going. Sir Redmond, wait for me!""Be-atrice!" cried her mother detainingly; but Beatrice was gone to get ready. A quick job she made of it; she threw a dark skirt over her thin, white one, slipped into the nearest jacket, snatched her riding-gauntlets off a chair where she had thrown them, and then couldn't find her hat. That, however, did not trouble her. Down in the hall she appropriated one of Dick's, off the hall tree, and announced herself ready. Sir Redmond laughed, caught her hand, and they raced together down to the stables before her mother had fully grasped the situation.

"Isn't Rex saddled, Dick?"

Dick, his foot in the stirrup, stopped long enough to glance over his shoulder at her. "You ready so soon? Jim, saddle Rex for Miss Lansell."He swung up into the saddle.

"Aren't you going to wait, Dick?"

"Can't. Milord can bring you." And Dick was away on the run.

Men were hurrying here and there, every move counting something done.

While she stood there a wagon rattled out from the shadow of a haystack, with empty water-barrels dancing a mad jig behind the high seat, where the driver perched with feet braced and a whip in his hand. After him dashed four or five riders, silent and businesslike. In a moment they were mere fantastic shadows galloping up the hill through the smothery gloom.

Then came Jim, leading Rex and a horse for himself; Sir Redmond had saddled his gray and was waiting. Beatrice sprang into the saddle and took the lead, with nerves a-tingle. The wind that rushed against her face was hot and reeking with smoke. Her nostrils drank greedily the tang it carried.

"You gipsy!" cried Sir Redmond, peering at her through the murky gloom.

"This--is living!" she laughed, and urged Rex faster.

So they raced recklessly over the hills, toward where the night was aglow. Before them the wagon pounded over untrailed prairie sod, with shadowy figures fleeing always before.

Here, wild cattle rushed off at either side, to stop and eye them curiously as they whirled past. There, a coyote, squatting unseen upon a distant pinnacle, howled, long-drawn and quavering, his weird protest against the solitudes in which he wandered.

The dusk deepened to dark, and they could no longer see the racing shadows. The rattle of the wagon came mysteriously back to them through the black.

Once Rex stumbled over a rock and came near falling, but Beatrice only laughed and urged him on, unheeding Sir Redmond's call to ride slower.

They splashed through a shallow creek, and came upon the wagon, halted that the cowboys might fill the barrels with water. Then they passed by, and when they heard them following the wagon no longer rattled glibly along, but chuckled heavily under its load.

The dull, red glow brightened to orange. Then, breasting at last a long hill, they came to the top, and Beatrice caught her breath at what lay below.

A jagged line of leaping flame cut clean through the dark of the coulee. The smoke piled rosily above and before, and the sullen roar of it clutched the senses--challenging, sinister. Creeping stealthily, relentlessly, here a thin gash of yellow hugging close to the earth, there a bold, bright wall of fire, it swept the coulee from rim to rim.

"The wind is carrying it from us," Sir Redmond was saying in her ear.

"Are you afraid to stop here alone? I ought to go down and lend a hand."Beatrice drew a long gasp. "Oh, no, I'm not afraid. Go; there is Dick, down there.""You're sure you won't mind?" He hesitated, dreading to leave her.

"No, no! Go on--they need you."

Sir Redmond turned and rode down the ridge toward the flames. His straight figure was silhouetted sharply against the glow.

Beatrice slipped off her horse and sat down upon a rock, dead to everything but the fiendish beauty of the scene spread out below her.

Millions of sparks danced in and out among the smoke wreaths which curled upward--now black, now red, now a dainty rose. Off to the left a coyote yapped shrilly, ending with his mournful howl.

Beatrice shivered from sheer ecstasy. This was a world she had never before seen--a world of hot, smoke-sodden wind, of dead-black shadows and flame-bright light; of roar and hoarse bellowing and sharp crackles;of calm, star-sprinkled sky above--and in the distance the uncanny howling of a coyote.

同类推荐
  • Child Christopher

    Child Christopher

    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。
  • 春明丛说

    春明丛说

    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。
  • 先觉集

    先觉集

    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。
  • Vailima Letters

    Vailima Letters

    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。
  • MARTIN EDEN

    MARTIN EDEN

    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。
热门推荐
  • 福妻驾到

    福妻驾到

    现代饭店彪悍老板娘魂穿古代。不分是非的极品婆婆?三年未归生死不明的丈夫?心狠手辣的阴毒亲戚?贪婪而好色的地主老财?吃上顿没下顿的贫困宭境?不怕不怕,神仙相助,一技在手,天下我有!且看现代张悦娘,如何身带福气玩转古代,开面馆、收小弟、左纳财富,右傍美男,共绘幸福生活大好蓝图!!!!快本新书《天媒地聘》已经上架开始销售,只要3.99元即可将整本书抱回家,你还等什么哪,赶紧点击下面的直通车,享受乐乐精心为您准备的美食盛宴吧!)
  • 璘光园

    璘光园

    胡闹的命运,胡闹的城市,光怪陆离的事件接踵而至,三教九流的怪人层出不穷,在破碎的新世界中,少年最终发现一切都和那家糕点店紧密相关。
  • 梦乾阁

    梦乾阁

    创世主一统三界,并且用封印之门将异界(类似现代世界,战士都是异能者)、灵界、魔界分开,避免互相勾结威胁到他的霸主之位,后来创世主因为后世主功高盖主,聚合三界之高手,将其株连九族,后世主之下有二十四世主,其中八世主妖乐(yue),只救出后世主三子,并于最后逃亡至灵界的断崖山处,将其三子扔下断崖涧,自己与前来的追敌同归于尽。故事自此展开了,一个少年踏向了复仇之路,只是一开始他并不清楚自己是谁。。。。。。(故事涉及了古代世界、现代都市、远古蛮荒用三界囊括。)
  • 时光守护人:我的男神请吻我

    时光守护人:我的男神请吻我

    这是一本万穿攻略。嗯?傲娇男神?嗯?腹黑相公,看她如何手到擒来,嗨,这本书还在继续吗?帅的人都在看了哦~
  • 神婚颠倒

    神婚颠倒

    一周八卦热点:最新狗仔跟拍:《豪门富少沈沣劈腿女明星,妻子孙廷雅路遇装看不见》;天涯热帖TOP1,匿名网友求助:《结婚一年,老婆还是记不住我的脸》;知名女作家孙廷雅新书上市:《一个脸盲症患者的自我修养》。“我曾经以为爱情是你们这些作家编出来的消遣,直到遇见你才明白,原来人真的会为另一个人神魂颠倒。”
  • 庄花等我

    庄花等我

    段乐儿的一生都在亏欠,她在死后曾以自己的机缘回报自己所欠下的一切,然后就安心去完成自己死后的任务(兼谈恋爱),却在任务中发现自己被摆了一道......
  • 重生之侯府良女

    重生之侯府良女

    顾雨绮,出身名门,是侯府嫡女,姿容娇美文武双全心比天高。她对他一见钟情,执意请嫁哪怕是侧室,她甘之若怡。她为他一生谋划,鞠躬尽瘁,助他步步青云,成为天下至尊。可最后她落的什么下场?十年屈辱,一座冷宫当她心灰意冷饮下鸩酒纵火烧宫后,却发觉自己回到了十岁那年。那年她才刚刚穿越,随母入京一切都还来得及。云恪前一世若是有什么遗憾的话那就是惦念一个死了的女人好几十年。所以他在自己死前悄悄的将那个女人的骨灰压在了他的棺椁之下。身为帝皇,这天下都是他说的算,又哪里容的了那个女人在他面前嚣张?就是死,他都会压着她。可没成想他也重生了…当穿越的重生女遇到古代重生男,顾雨绮只想仰天大骂一句,你特么这是在玩儿我的咩
  • 我的极品女神

    我的极品女神

    其实神也是人,只是他做到了一些人做不到的事情,所以他成为了神!一次意外,让他融合了神猪精血,同时邂逅了生命中最重要的一个女人,智斗最显赫家族,血拼情敌,为红颜,上天入地,翻云覆雨终成神……
  • 尤氏喉科秘书

    尤氏喉科秘书

    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。
  • 我的存在只为遇见你

    我的存在只为遇见你

    你喜欢我,那我就喜欢你,你不喜欢我,那我还是喜欢你,我喜欢谁跟你没关系,那我喜欢你是我的事,和你自然也没关系。