登陆注册
15457100000026

第26章 CHAPTER VI. THE MILL-WHEEL OF STEERS(5)

"Lassiter, I'll die before I ever bend my knees. I might be led I won't be driven. Do you expect the herd to bolt?"

"I don't like the looks of them big steers. But you can never tell. Cattle sometimes stampede as easily as buffalo. Any little flash or move will start them. A rider gettin' down an' walkin' toward them sometimes will make them jump an' fly. Then again nothin' seems to scare them. But I reckon that white flare will do the biz. It's a new one on me, an' I've seen some ridin' an' rustlin'. It jest takes one of them God-fearin' Mormons to think of devilish tricks."

"Lassiter, might not this trick be done by Oldring's men?" asked Jane, ever grasping at straws.

"It might be, but it ain't," replied Lassiter. "Oldring's an honest thief. He don't skulk behind ridges to scatter your cattle to the four winds. He rides down on you, an' if you don't like it you can throw a gun."

Jane bit her tongue to refrain from championing men who at the very moment were proving to her that they were little and mean compared even with rustlers.

"Look!...Jane, them leadin' steers have bolted. They're drawin' the stragglers, an' that'll pull the whole herd."

Jane was not quick enough to catch the details called out by Lassiter, but she saw the line of cattle lengthening. Then, like a stream of white bees pouring from a huge swarm, the steers stretched out from the main body. In a few moments, with astonishing rapidity, the whole herd got into motion. A faint roar of trampling hoofs came to Jane's ears, and gradually swelled; low, rolling clouds of dust began to rise above the sage.

"It's a stampede, an' a hummer," said Lassiter.

"Oh, Lassiter! The herd's running with the valley! It leads into the canyon! There's a straight jump-off!"

"I reckon they'll run into it, too. But that's a good many miles yet. An', Jane, this valley swings round almost north before it goes east. That stampede will pass within a mile of us."

The long, white, bobbing line of steers streaked swiftly through the sage, and a funnel-shaped dust-cloud arose at a low angle. A dull rumbling filled Jane's ears.

"I'm thinkin' of millin' that herd," said Lassiter. His gray glance swept up the slope to the west. "There's some specks an' dust way off toward the village. Mebbe that's Judkins an' his boys. It ain't likely he'll get here in time to help. You'd better hold Black Star here on this high ridge."

He ran to his horse and, throwing off saddle-bags and tightening the cinches, he leaped astride and galloped straight down across the valley.

Jane went for Black Star and, leading him to the summit of the ridge, she mounted and faced the valley with excitement and expectancy. She had heard of milling stampeded cattle, and knew it was a feat accomplished by only the most daring riders.

同类推荐
  • 台海使槎录

    台海使槎录

    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。
  • 王明阳集

    王明阳集

    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。
  • 全金元词

    全金元词

    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。
  • 李星沅日记选录

    李星沅日记选录

    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。
  • 洞玄子

    洞玄子

    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
  • 强势攻妻:老公夜夜撩

    强势攻妻:老公夜夜撩

    婚礼前夜,她亲眼目睹未婚夫和妹妹在他们的婚床上翻滚,怒极的她亲手导演了一场让那对不要脸的渣男贱女声明扫地的好戏。她却不知,这会引起世上最可怕的男人对她感兴趣。一夜酒醉,她与他缠绵到天亮,他许她婚姻,她许他孩子,各取所需。后来她才知,他娶她是交易中的交易,她嫁他是套中有套。她带着孩子远走他乡,“睡了我就想跑?”她气急败坏,“明明是我吃了亏!”男人瞥了她眼,“嫁我,委屈你了?”她想哭:“不,不委屈……”
  • 天才宝宝:妈咪爱上淡定总裁哥哥

    天才宝宝:妈咪爱上淡定总裁哥哥

    12月28日便是我的生日了!那天晚上我爬上了哥哥的床,理由是一个人害怕。十二岁,突然下身留了一床的血吓得打哥哥的电话说自己要死了,哥哥连忙从公司赶回来了,苦笑的帮我收拾一切。15岁,突然发现自己居然爱上了哥哥,每每躲避他,直到好朋友出良华策,才知道如何办理。18岁,勇敢跟哥哥表白惨遭拒绝。但却并未放弃,想献身给哥哥,突然他的女朋友回来了!叶铃幽绝望了,把自己的身体交给了哥哥,就跟哥哥说出国了。”5年后学成归来,身边一批批爱慕者,哥哥羡慕嫉妒恨了,怒了................
  • 亲爱的,我们离婚吧

    亲爱的,我们离婚吧

    小姑子一通电话,把我喊到某现场。在那里,我看到我的亲妈和公公举止亲密。惊天大雷。婆婆由此丧命。至此,我跌进了命运的沼泽地……情节虚构,请勿模仿
  • 大预言

    大预言

    得到预言水晶球,从此就是金口玉言。他说:“要有光!”黑夜中便会出现光明。他说:“要有雨!”瓢泼大雨便会倾刻而下。利用大预言术还可以预测未来、洞悉过去;强壮自己的身体;控制他人的寿命;可以让人幸运加身,也能让人霉运连连;加快古武的修炼速度,快速让异能进阶,就连修真也能一日千里;除此之外,还有更多神奇作用。有了大预言术,生活从此与众不同!新书急需大家的支持,求推荐,求收藏!
  • 白色眷恋

    白色眷恋

    因为不满皇马6比2的比分,中国青年律师沈星怒砸啤酒瓶,结果电光火石间,他穿越成了佛罗伦蒂诺的儿子,且看来自09年的小伙子如何玩转03年的欧洲足坛
  • 青少年应该知道的互联网

    青少年应该知道的互联网

    本书主要介绍全球性的信息系统——互联网。从它的发展历程入手,进一步介绍互联网的结构、原理、作用、影响以及未来发展趋势。
  • 糖尿病饮食与防治(生活必备丛书)

    糖尿病饮食与防治(生活必备丛书)

    糖尿病是一种全身性的常见的代谢内分泌疾病,是由于体内胰岛素绝对或相对分泌不足引起的糖、脂肪、蛋白质三大物质代谢紊乱的疾病。糖尿病是仅次于心脑血管疾病、癌症、艾滋病而位列第四的世界流行性疾病,十分普遍。据有关报道,其发病率国外约5%,国内约2%,世界上糖尿病患者近2亿,其中我国患者就达到3000万,而且还在不断增加。据预计,15年后,亚洲糖尿病患者将增加3倍,到2010年患者将达到1.5亿,特别是我国患者将增加到15%,这个可怕的病魔严重地威胁着世人的生命健康,人们必须给予高度的重视。
  • 绝色校草:不做你的傀儡女友

    绝色校草:不做你的傀儡女友

    (QQ群号:85112446)天地良心,她真的不知道他就是她们学校的骨灰级的校草好不好?也不知道自己第一次翻墙头进学校,就会那么糗的在墙头上勾破了自己的裙子,甚至摔在了他的身上,最后还被他看光了自己的‘小草莓内裤’OK?她才是最委屈的吧?可是为什么他就偏偏的认定了,她是故意的,认定了她是在勾引她?拜托,她没那个鸟时间,OK?什么?什么?学校的八卦这么强大?因为她很可耻的借走了他的校服,来遮掩自己破了的裙子,就被传出了她跟那个家伙‘有一腿?’还被一群‘疯子’群殴?吼,天啊,杀了她吧!靠,她非得逮住那个家伙,让他证明她跟他毫无瓜葛,可是为什么在学校礼堂里面,他当着众人的面给偷走了她的初吻?不是……不是去证明她亲白的吗?为什么变成被了这样?吼,这个流氓,到底想干什么……..她可是已经有了心仪的男生了呀,而且等了好多年了哇……..(好友梦雨馨生日文,馨,生日快乐!送上破冰迟来的祝福,不是回老家,文真的早就送给乃鸟,所以说一声saysorry)
  • 世界科普故事精华:科学之谜故事卷

    世界科普故事精华:科学之谜故事卷

    本书涉及的科普知识具有很强的科学性、知识性、前沿性、可读性和系统性, 是我们了解科技、增长知识、开阔视野、提高素质、激发探索和启迪智慧的良好科谱读物, 也是各级图书馆珍藏的最佳版本。
  • 赐异录

    赐异录

    上古时代,天降奇石,刻有异文,众人膜拜,奉为赐异石。