登陆注册
15462900000056

第56章 CHAPTER XIX. PEACE TALK(1)

Across the Frying-pan an Indian stood boldly out upon a jutting point of rock and raised a hand in the sweeping upward motion of the peace-sign. The questing bullets that came seeking for bone and flesh among the rocks and bushes came no more when the signal was passed from those who saw to those farther back who could not see the figure silhouetted against the brilliant blue of the sky. A moment he stood, made the sign again, and waited.

"That's peace-sign, sure as you're born!" Luck cried breathlessly, and went scrambling through the bushes to where he might stand in the open, on the very rim of the basin. Applehead yelled to him to come back and not make a dang fool of himself, but luck gave no heed to the warning. He stood out in the blazing sunshine and gave the peace-sign in reply.

On the-rim rock the Indian stood motionless while he might have taken three or four breaths. Then with his hand he gave the sign for "pow-wow" and waited again.

Luck, his pulse thrilling at the once familiar gesture which his tribal "father," old chief Big Turkey, used to give when he came stalking up for his daily confab with his adopted son, gave back the sign with a hand that trembled noticeably. Whereupon the Indian on the farther rim turned and began dignifiedly to climb through a rift in the ledge down into the Frying-pan.

"He wants a pow-wow," Luck called back to the bunch. "You fellows stay where you're at I'm going out there in the middle and talk to him.""Now, Luck, don't let 'em make a dang monkey outa ye," Applehead protested anxiously. "Injuns is tricky--""That's all right. You can keep a couple of rifles sighted on that old chief--that's what he is, I take it, from his actions and his talking 'sign' and then if they pot me, you can pot him. But they won't. I know Injuns better than you do, Applehead. He just wants to talk things over--and I'm certainly willing that he should!""Well, Lite, you keep your sights lined up on that Injun, then. 'N' if they's a crooked move made towards Luck, you cut loose--'n' say! You shoot to kill, this time!" He shook his finger in Lite's face admonishingly. "'S all right t' nip "em here 'n' take a hunk out there jest t' kinda take their minds off'n us---'s all right enough so fur, 'n' I ain't kickin' none 'cause yuh ain't killed off yuh hit. But if this here's a trick t' git Luck, you KILL that Injun. 'N' if you don't do it I'll go out there m'self 'n' choke the dang skunk t' death!""I'll kill him--don't worry about that," Lite promised--and the look in his eyes told them that the Indian was doomed at the first sign of treachery.

"You fellers wanta keep an eye peeled fer them in the grove," Applehead warned. "We ain't goin' t' give 'em no chanst t' sneak up 'n' skulp us whilst we're watchin' Luck 'n' his dang-fool pow-wowin' out there in the middle.""Aw, gwan! They wouldn't DAST skelp white folks!" There was a wail in the voice of Happy Jack.

"They dast if they git the chanst," Applehead retorted fretfully. "'N' if you don't wanta loose that there red mop uh yourn ye better keep yer eyes open, now I'm tellin' yuh!" He refilled his rifle magazine and took up his station beside Lite Avery where he could watch the Frying-pan through the bushes without exposing himself to a treacherous shot from the rim-rock.

At the foot of the sandstone ledge the Indian stood with his bright red blanket wrapped around him watching Luck. On his own side Luck stood just clear of the rock huddle and watched the Indian. Presently he of the red blanket lifted his hand in the gesture of peace, and started deliberately out across the bare little basin. From his own side, Luck, returning again the gesture, went out to meet him. In the center they met, and eyed each other frankly. Still eyeing Luck, the old Indian put out his hand Indian fashion, and Luck grave it one downward shake and let go.

"How?" he grunted; and in the Indian custom of preparing for a leisurely pow-wow as he had been taught by the Sioux, he squatted upon his boot heels and reached for his cigarette papers and tobacco.

"How?" replied the Navajo, a flicker of interest in his eyes at these little Indian touches in Luck's manner, and sat himself down cross-legged on the hot sand. Luck rolled a cigarette and passed the "makings" to the other, who received it gravely and proceeded to help himself. luck scratched a match on a stone that lay beside him, lighted the Indian's cigarette and then his own, took four puffs and blew the smoke upward, watching it spread and drift away, and made the gesture that meant "Our pow-wow will be good," as he had seen the Sioux medicine men do before a council. Afterwards he began placidly to smoke and meditate.

From his manner you would never have guessed that his life and the lives of the Happy Family hung upon the outcome of this meeting. You would not have surmised that his stomach was gnawing at his nerves, sending out insistently the call for food; or that his thirst tormented him; or that the combination of hunger, heat, thirst and mental strain had bred a jumping headache that was knotting the veins in his temples. All these nagging miseries beset him--but he knew the ways of the Indians and he meant to impress this old man first of all with his plains-Indian training; so he schooled himself to patience.

The Indian eyed him furtively from under heavy eyebrows while he smoked. And the sun beat savagely down upon the sand of that basin, and Luck's vision blurred with the pain that throbbed behind his eyes. But the facial discipline of the actor was his to command, and he permitted his face to give no sign of what he felt or thought.

同类推荐
热门推荐
  • 混沌灵者

    混沌灵者

    一个人的出现并不是偶然,而是天道冥冥中自有定数。有甲必有乙,一个人太完美,必须有人来互相制约。混沌中心出世的龙战天太过完美,独霸整个仙界。一家独大天道岂会让他为所欲为,便有冷逸横空出世,肩负天下苍生的重任,劫难重重,且看他如何克服磨难,为苍生带来希望的曙光,尽在混沌灵者!
  • 九重春:青城笙歌

    九重春:青城笙歌

    医仙伴毒鬼随,且看草民逆袭惊艳四方她是冷倾城亦是秋雨夜不怕扶摇直上九万里,只怕你当我是鹏
  • 梦牵何方

    梦牵何方

    修道亦修心,修道之人也是凡人,七情六欲、喜怒哀乐都与常人无二。但是要负担起拯救苍生的重任,就不得不将自身放下,而其中最难放下的便是一个情字。
  • 带上写轮眼去异界

    带上写轮眼去异界

    一对基友双双毙命在那个世界的故事.....
  • 珍藏一生的经典散文:激情挥洒青春的气息

    珍藏一生的经典散文:激情挥洒青春的气息

    “读一部好书,就是和许多高尚的人谈话”一样,读名家名作就是和大师的心灵在晤谈。通过阅读本书,可以让你在轻松愉快的氛围中,开阔文学视野,提高审美意识,触动写作灵感,陶冶思想情操,提升人生品位,徜徉经典,收获无限。一个人在其一生中,阅读一些立意深远、具有丰富哲学思考的散文,不仅可以开阔视野,重新认识历史、社会、人生和自然,获得思想上的盎然新意,而且还可以学习中外散文名家高超而成熟的创作技巧。
  • 校花的全能未婚夫

    校花的全能未婚夫

    天才少年,全能王者,为完成婚约,一脚踏入红尘都市,流连于花丛之中,与各种敌人交手,终于完成师门任务。嘿嘿,师门任务终于完成啦!什么?少年图样图森破呀!这才只是开始……
  • 江利梅的爱情生活

    江利梅的爱情生活

    平凡女人江利梅的感情生活。
  • 豪门爱恋之你到底是谁

    豪门爱恋之你到底是谁

    曾经我们是那么相爱,可你却抛弃了我,和她在一起,还亲手把我推向了死亡…辛亏老天同情我,让我重生,让我回来复仇…
  • 日渐远逝的记忆

    日渐远逝的记忆

    来到这儿,你别无选择可选的太多,让你不知道该怎么选因为这是一个完完全全,你所在的世界,这个世界而存在的你——自己所谓行行出状元,要你去干服务员,要你去做保安,你会吗?就算是不会,这个世界许多的人仍旧“被迫”去做,去扮演了“他”或“她”自己的角色,有高贵、有平庸、有卑微.....多数都不满足现在的自己他们都别无选择,为了生存继续扮演自己不愿演绎的角色都希望自己如同美式电影中的主角一样别给跟我说什么公平,这玩意鬼知道是谁,闲得蛋疼创造出来的词语我也一样,都是自己.......但愿曾经离散的兄弟姐妹们,一生好运,做自己那个圆圈中的主角的....嗯,那是肯定的
  • 皮的小star:幼稚昂

    皮的小star:幼稚昂

    【预防针:各位小可爱最好从第120章起看哈】囧。“昂?你又讹我呢啊?!你这人怎么比蛇妖还要讨厌,讨厌死你了,哼唧!”某人挑挑眉,说道:“哈?我是不是上辈子欠了你的,至于说你家脑公嘛?”她说,“对啊!你就是欠了我的……”某人突然大笑,并说了她是幼稚鬼。喜欢你,一起执手走天涯。(求收藏求吐槽各种求,无坑信不?欢迎入住幼稚客栈)