登陆注册
15453100000025

第25章 XII(1)

When they had satisfied their appetites they made two large packages of dried meat and fruit, tying them securely with straw to their right arms: saddle-bags there were none.

"Not a horse," whispered Adan. "Do you think the soldiers have gone?"

"I think they are lost, and as they did not stop to tie their horses when they started after us, they won't see them again until they get back to camp. Come."

Roldan peered cautiously into each of the huts in turn; all were empty.

Then the boys started for the corral, which the soldiers would not have passed either on their way to the pueblo or in pursuit of the runaways.

They found the Indians in charge sound asleep in their hut, and did not think it worth while to awaken them. The two mustangs they led forth, vicious brutes at best, were very restless from prolonged inactivity.

Roldan's submitted to the saddle, but bolted as soon as he felt a determined pair of legs about his sides; and as our adventurer had neither whip nor spurs, all he could do was to hang on and shout to Adan to follow close. This was the only thing that Adan's mustang was willing to do, and the boys were borne blindly on, down one path, up another, plunging deeper into the black recesses of the forest until they knew no more of their whereabouts than if they had dropped from another sphere.

After many weary miles the mustangs slackened, and the boys dismounted and cut two slender but stinging whips. After that they rose once more to the proud supremacy of man over brute. But the situation was full of peril. They were hopelessly lost, the redwoods were the home of the grizzly and the panther, and they might come upon the soldiers at any moment. But there was nothing to do but to ride on, and at least they had horses and food.

They descended whenever descent was possible, for at the foot of the mountain lay the open valley; but there were no trails; in all likelihood they were where no man, red or white, had ever been before; they had to force their way where the brush was thinnest, and as often their flight was toward loftier heights.

As the day wore on the temperature fell, even in those forest depths where the sun had not penetrated for a thousand years. The beauty of the forest palled upon Roldan: those everlasting aisles with their grey motionless columns, their green sinister light, the delicate fern wood below, the dense mat of branch and leaf so high above. The redwoods oppress and terrify when they have man completely at their mercy. They look as if they could speak if they would, roar louder than the storms that have never shaken them. But they know the value of silence, and the silence of their inmost depths is awful.

After many hours the boys rode out upon a bare peak. But its outlook told them nothing. Behind rose other peaks, below was the dense primeval forest, rising and falling on other slopes. There was no glimpse of valley anywhere. The sky was heavy with the grey lurid clouds of concentrated storm.

"We will eat," said Roldan, briefly; "but not too much."

同类推荐
热门推荐
  • 狗说

    狗说

    一只狗,一群人,一段沥血回乡路!不为钱,不求权,只祈能多活一天!
  • 青涩柠檬茶

    青涩柠檬茶

    我本以为时间可以改变许多事,可是当我在看见他的那一刻起我又重新陷了进去。不过还好,当我们懵懂的心绪走向成熟时,他还是没变。
  • 这是我的新世界

    这是我的新世界

    一个世纪的开始,时代更新,是走别人的路,还是开创一条新的道路。没有对错,没有输赢;只有决心。
  • tfboys之薰衣草的约定

    tfboys之薰衣草的约定

    父母被害后,她遇到了小男孩,给了希望又给了失望,带着仇恨成为了杀手,结实了两位无话不说的好朋友,接下来······(本书是复仇文)不喜勿进
  • 乾坤墓主

    乾坤墓主

    【强烈推荐】手持神道碑、身负乾坤墓,星途之上,言辰踏歌而行,披星载月、诛仙噬神、万界为尊!
  • 穿越之三国世传

    穿越之三国世传

    一名叫星辉的宅男在家里碎觉的时候,一个雷从天而降一下子劈中电线导致主人公穿越到东汉末年的三国时期!
  • 修罗王妃:废柴要逆天

    修罗王妃:废柴要逆天

    她,21世纪的杀手之王,却不料被爱人陷害而亡,他,异世大陆的王者,腹黑冷血,却宠她入骨,再睁眼,转眼间称霸大陆,丑女?显出真容,分分钟甩那什么京都第一女子100多条街;无灵根,全灵根见过没啊,闪瞎那堆贱人的狗眼;灵兽,啥东西,我有超神兽,“媳妇,咱啥时候成亲啊?”“你这人怎么就赖上我啦”男强女强,联手称霸异世大陆!
  • 冷少,你不懂爱

    冷少,你不懂爱

    她26岁有自己的事业,生活过的也很是滋润,有空就到处旅游,唯一不如意的就是家里老妈催婚了。相亲,相亲还是相亲,为什么就找不到知道自己中意的呢?在她快崩溃的时候却意外在姐妹生日会里认识了他,一气之下就和这个认识不久的人领了证,先结婚后恋爱,结婚后的生活会怎么样呢?他们能够幸福吗?
  • 死亡之森

    死亡之森

    一座充满危险的原始森林,一份神秘的战国帛书,一场斗志斗勇的争夺战。苏周本是一名普通人,在一次旅行途中不幸流落到一座原始森林里,接下来等待他的将是与新的同伴一起为了一份记录着古墓地址的战国帛书,与凶恶残忍的盗墓贼进行斗智斗勇的争夺战。
  • 三千道法

    三千道法

    楚乾雨本来是一个地球上穷困潦倒的人,他对生活无奈,迷惘。可是生活却跟他开了一个超级大玩笑。过马路的时候不小心被飞驰而来的车辆撞飞,在死的那颗他仿佛看到了天空中有个佛像在流泪,接着灵魂脱离身体,被莫名的牵扯到了一个陌生的世界。这是一个武者的世界,充满尔虞我诈,楚乾雨的未来将会是怎样的?他与佛家有怎样的因果?