登陆注册
5240500000027

第27章 CHAPTER VI. THE MILL-WHEEL OF STEERS(6)

The white herd was now strung out in a line two miles long. The dull rumble of thousands of hoofs deepened into continuous low thunder, and as the steers swept swiftly closer the thunder became a heavy roll. Lassiter crossed in a few moments the level of the valley to the eastern rise of ground and there waited the coming of the herd. Presently, as the head of the white line reached a point opposite to where Jane stood, Lassiter spurred his black into a run Jane saw him take a position on the off side of the leaders of the stampede, and there he rode. It was like a race. They swept on down the valley, and when the end of the white line neared Lassiter's first stand the head had begun to swing round to the west. It swung slowly and stubbornly, yet surely, and gradually assumed a long, beautiful curve of moving white. To Jane's amaze she saw the leaders swinging, turning till they headed back toward her and up the valley. Out to the right of these wild plunging steers ran Lassiter's black, and Jane's keen eye appreciated the fleet stride and sure-footedness of the blind horse. Then it seemed that the herd moved in a great curve, a huge half-moon with the points of head and tail almost opposite, and a mile apart But Lassiter relentlessly crowded the leaders, sheering them to the left, turning them little by little. And the dust-blinded wild followers plunged on madly in the tracks of their leaders. This ever-moving, ever-changing curve of steers rolled toward Jane and when below her, scarce half a mile, it began to narrow and close into a circle. Lassiter had ridden parallel with her position, turned toward her, then aside, and now he was riding directly away from her, all the time pushing the head of that bobbing line inward.

It was then that Jane, suddenly understanding Lassiter's feat stared and gasped at the riding of this intrepid man. His horse was fleet and tireless, but blind. He had pushed the leaders around and around till they were about to turn in on the inner side of the end of that line of steers. The leaders were already running in a circle; the end of the herd was still running almost straight. But soon they would be wheeling. Then, when Lassiter had the circle formed, how would he escape? With Jane Withersteen prayer was as ready as praise; and she prayed for this man's safety. A circle of dust began to collect. Dimly, as through a yellow veil, Jane saw Lassiter press the leaders inward to close the gap in the sage. She lost sight of him in the dust, again she thought she saw the black, riderless now, rear and drag himself and fall. Lassiter had been thrown--lost! Then he reappeared running out of the dust into the sage. He had escaped, and she breathed again.

Spellbound, Jane Withersteen watched this stupendous millwheel of steers. Here was the milling of the herd. The white running circle closed in upon the open space of sage. And the dust circles closed above into a pall. The ground quaked and the incessant thunder of pounding hoofs rolled on. Jane felt deafened, yet she thrilled to a new sound. As the circle of sage lessened the steers began to bawl, and when it closed entirely there came a great upheaval in the center, and a terrible thumping of heads and clicking of horns. Bawling, climbing, goring, the great mass of steers on the inside wrestled in a crashing din, heaved and groaned under the pressure. Then came a deadlock. The inner strife ceased, and the hideous roar and crash. Movement went on in the outer circle, and that, too, gradually stilled. The white herd had come to a stop, and the pall of yellow dust began to drift away on the wind.

Jane Withersteen waited on the ridge with full and grateful heart. Lassiter appeared, making his weary way toward her through the sage. And up on the slope Judkins rode into sight with his troop of boys. For the present, at least, the white herd would be looked after.

When Lassiter reached her and laid his hand on Black Star's mane, Jane could not find speech.

"Killed--my--hoss," he panted.

"Oh! I'm sorry," cried Jane. "Lassiter! I know you can't replace him, but I'll give you any one of my racers--Bells, or Night, even Black Star."

"I'll take a fast hoss, Jane, but not one of your favorites," he replied. "Only--will you let me have Black Star now an' ride him over there an' head off them fellers who stampeded the herd?"

He pointed to several moving specks of black and puffs of dust in the purple sage.

"I can head them off with this hoss, an' then--"

"Then, Lassiter?"

"They'll never stampede no more cattle."

"Oh! No! No!...Lassiter, I won't let you go!"

But a flush of fire flamed in her cheeks, and her trembling hands shook Black Star's bridle, and her eyes fell before Lassiter's.

同类推荐
热门推荐
  • 仓前轶事

    仓前轶事

    二零零四年一月二十七日,春节长假的第六天。一个大早我就乘公交车去老余杭。我在镇上转来转去,找到了苕溪上的千年古迹“通济桥”和宝塔山上的“小白菜”墓。吃了午饭,我乘中巴车去仓前。仓前离余杭镇才十来里路。中巴车一晃就到。下了车我赶忙打听,章太炎故居往哪里走?一位小个子老人站到了我面前,他是与我同车而来的乘客。他说,侬要去章太炎故居?我陪侬去。老人自称姓吴,退休,在仓前街上工作了十八年。我用戒备的眼光打量他。请原谅我的小人之心:凭什么自告奋勇,对不认识的人这么热情?
  • 会说会听会沟通:高效经理人沟通技能培训与自修教程

    会说会听会沟通:高效经理人沟通技能培训与自修教程

    在当前的管理界,一个很有意义的争论就是管理究竟是技术还是艺术?本书作者认为,管理首先是技术,然后才是艺术。管理有具体的方法和技巧,而这些方法和技巧在不同场合下可能表现为不同的形式。目前国内的管理教育,基本上以MBA为主流,集中理论知识的传授和讲解管理者自我提升所必需的技能。书中原理的阐述与技能的结合,案例分析与管理游戏相交融,使读者能从概念和原理上得以提升,又可以在具体技术和方法上有所改善。这是第一批,包括了7个专题的基本内容,从管理沟通、谈判技能、问题解决技能,到团队建设技能、激励下属技能,再到个的时间管理、个人压力调节等,都是管理者自我提升所必需的基本技能。后面还会不断推出新的专题。
  • 重生卦师:第一神算妃

    重生卦师:第一神算妃

    没心没肺的特工叶漓穿越成异世大陆落魄的天才少女,仇恨值可谓相当的高,斗渣男,踩贱女,还嫁了一位毒舌的相公。穿越而来,自带算卦技能,未卜先知,天机在手。“王妃不如给本王算一卦?”某人嘴角含笑,柔声说道。“王爷想算什么?”“姻缘”“那不必算了,这辈子你的姻缘都被我承包了。”叶漓不可一世的说道。诸天星辰变幻,纷争迭起,山海重现,命运的棋盘已悄然拉开帷幕。归于混沌亦或是掌控天道?且看她搅动风云,执掌命运,这天机还就非泄不可了!(1v1女强男更强)
  • 喃语呓梦

    喃语呓梦

    生活笔录,心情感受,阳光的我们,沮丧的我们,在这儿你会发现另一个自己,唯美而又浪漫。
  • 阮阮不软

    阮阮不软

    顾城:“这辈子你只能是我的,要是谁敢跟我抢,我就弄死他。”木槿年:“我想陪你作诗看景,为你画地为牢。”一个是高冷霸气的总裁,一个是温润如玉的谦谦君子,这两个人掐在一起,让生活原本平静的阮阮开始头疼了……
  • 我们在路上热泪盈眶

    我们在路上热泪盈眶

    旅行是个好东西。只有在离得最远的时候,才能把曾经走过的那段日子、经历过的那段情,看得最清楚。更重要的是,在路途中,我学会了如何去面对生活。
  • 剑皇之神

    剑皇之神

    少年沈宇,生在星源大陆,随养父母长大,身聚五行属性,十四岁拜入幻剑宗,一路修行,奇遇连连,终究成就无上强者,多次力挽狂澜,救宗门于为难之中……
  • 花儿为什么这样红:经典散文中的万物生灵

    花儿为什么这样红:经典散文中的万物生灵

    银杏、白杨礼赞、秃的梧桐、两株树、爱竹、梧桐树、杨柳、那树、说树、仙人掌、榕树的美髯……郭沫若、矛盾、周作人、丰子恺、汪曾祺、巴金、瓦·沙拉莫夫、约翰·缪尔……《花儿为什么这样红》中,古今中外的众多文学大师为你呈现大千世界中的万物生灵。《花儿为什么这样红》收录了萤、爱竹、天鹅、巨人树、冬之兽等精彩散文篇章。
  • 上清太上九真中经绛生神丹诀

    上清太上九真中经绛生神丹诀

    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。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 审计理论与实务

    审计理论与实务

    随着我国社会主义市场经济的发展与经济全球化进程的加快,加强审计监督,完善审计监督体系,成为全社会的共识,也为审计监督的发展提供了更大的空间。审计监督在规范经济行为、打击经济犯罪活动、维护正常经济秩序、保证社会主义市场经济旳健康发展、促进企事业单位改善经营管理、提高经济效益、保护社会公众的利益等方面发挥着越来越重要的作用。