the last of the plainsmen- 第32部分

I　faced　my　course；　and　was　delighted　to　see；　through　an　opening　where　the　ravine　cut　out　of　the　forest；　the　red…tipped　peaks　of　the　canyon；　and　the　vaulted　dome　I　had　named　St。　Marks。　As　I　started；　a　new　and　unexpected　after…feature　of　the　storm　began　to　manifest　itself。　The　sun　being　warm；　even　to　melt　the　snow；　and　under　the　trees　a　heavy　rain　fell；　and　in　the　glades　and　hollows　a　fine　mist　blew。　Exquisite　rainbows　hung　from　white…tipped　branches　and　curved　over　the　hollows。　Glistening　patches　of　snow　fell　from　the　pines；　and　broke　the　showers。

In　a　quarter　of　an　hour；　I　rode　out　of　the　forest　to　the　rim　wall　on　dry　ground。　Against　the　green　pinyons　Frank's　white　horse　stood　out　conspicuously；　and　near　him　browsed　the　mounts　of　Jim　and　Wallace。　The　boys　were　not　in　evidence。　Concluding　they　had　gone　down　over　the　rim；　I　dismounted　and　kicked　off　my　chaps；　and　taking　my　rifle　and　camera；　hurried　to　look　the　place　over。

To　my　surprise　and　interest；　I　found　a　long　section　of　rim　wall　in　ruins。　It　lay　in　a　great　curve　between　the　two　giant　capes；　and　many　short；　sharp；　projecting　promontories；　like　the　teeth　of　a　saw；　overhung　the　canyon。　The　slopes　between　these　points　of　cliff　were　covered　with　a　deep　growth　of　pinyon；　and　in　these　places　descent　would　be　easy。　Everywhere　in　the　corrugated　wall　were　rents　and　rifts；　cliffs　stood　detached　like　islands　near　a　shore；　yellow　crags　rose　out　of　green　clefts；　jumble　of　rocks；　and　slides　of　rim　wall；　broken　into　blocks；　massed　under　the　promontories。

The　singular　raggedness　and　wildness　of　the　scene　took　hold　of　me；　and　was　not　dispelled　until　the　baying　of　Sounder　and　Don　roused　action　in　me。　Apparently　the　hounds　were　widely　separated。　Then　I　heard　Jim's　yell。　But　it　ceased　when　the　wind　lulled；　and　I　heard　it　no　more。　Running　back　from　the　point；　I　began　to　go　down。　The　way　was　steep；　almost　perpendicular；　but　because　of　the　great　stones　and　the　absence　of　slides；　was　easy。　I　took　long　strides　and　jumps；　and　slid　over　rocks；　and　swung　on　pinyon　branches；　and　covered　distance　like　a　rolling　stone。　At　the　foot　of　the　rim　wall；　or　at　a　line　where　it　would　have　reached　had　it　extended　regularly；　the　slope　became　less　pronounced。　I　could　stand　up　without　holding　on　to　a　support。　The　largest　pinyons　I　had　seen　made　a　forest　that　almost　stood　on　end。　These　trees　grew　up；　down；　and　out；　and　twisted　in　curves；　and　many　were　two　feet　in　thickness。　During　my　descent；　I　halted　at　intervals　to　listen；　and　always　heard　one　of　the　hounds；　sometimes　several。　But　as　I　descended　for　a　long　time；　and　did　not　get　anywhere　or　approach　the　dogs；　I　began　to　grow　impatient。

A　large　pinyon；　with　a　dead　top；　suggested　a　good　outlook；　so　I　climbed　it；　and　saw　I　could　sweep　a　large　section　of　the　slope。　It　was　a　strange　thing　to　look　down　hill；　over　the　tips　of　green　trees。　Below；　perhaps　four　hundred　yards；　was　a　slide　open　for　a　long　way；　all　the　rest　was　green　incline；　with　many　dead　branches　sticking　up　like　spars；　and　an　occasional　crag。　From　this　perch　I　heard　the　hounds；　then　followed　a　yell　I　thought　was　Jim's；　and　after　it　the　bellowing　of　Wallace's　rifle。　Then　all　was　silent。　The　shots　had　effectually　checked　the　yelping　of　the　hounds。　I　let　out　a　yell。　Another　cougar　that　Jones　would　not　lasso！　All　at　once　I　heard　a　familiar　sliding　of　small　rocks　below　me；　and　I　watched　the　open　slope　with　greedy　eyes。

Not　a　bit　surprised　was　I　to　see　a　cougar　break　out　of　the　green；　and　go　tearing　down　the　slide。　In　less　than　six　seconds；　I　had　sent　six　steel…jacketed　bullets　after　him。　Puffs　of　dust　rose　closer　and　closer　to　him　as　each　bullet　went　nearer　the　mark　and　the　last　showered　him　with　gravel　and　turned　him　straight　down　the　canyon　slope。

I　slid　down　the　dead　pinyon　and　jumped　nearly　twenty　feet　to　the　soft　sand　below；　and　after　putting　a　loaded　clip　in　my　rifle；　began　kangaroo　leaps　down　the　slope。　When　I　reached　the　point　where　the　cougar　had　entered　the　slide；　I　called　the　hounds；　but　they　did　not　come　nor　answer　me。　Notwithstanding　my　excitement；　I　appreciated　the　distance　to　the　bottom　of　the　slope　before　I　reached　it。　In　my　haste；　I　ran　upon　the　verge　of　a　precipice　twice　as　deep　as　the　first　rim　wall；　but　one　glance　down　sent　me　shatteringly　backward。

With　all　the　breath　I　had　left　I　yelled：　〃Waa…hoo！　Waa…hoo！〃　From　the　echoes　flung　at　me；　I　imagined　at　first　that　my　friends　were　right　on　my　ears。　But　no　real　answer　came。　The　cougar　had　probably　passed　along　this　second　rim　wall　to　a　break；　and　had　gone　down。　His　trail　could　easily　be　taken　by　any　of　the　hounds。　Vexed　and　anxious；　I　signaled　again　and　again。　Once；　long　after　the　echo　had　gone　to　sleep　in　some　hollow　canyon；　I　caught　a　faint　〃Wa…a…ho…o…o！〃　But　it　might　have　come　from　the　clouds。　I　did　not　hear　a　hound　barking　above　me　on　the　slope；　but　suddenly；　to　my　amazement；　Sounder's　deep　bay　rose　from　the　abyss　below。　I　ran　along　the　rim；　called　till　I　was　hoarse；　leaned　over　so　far　that　the　blood　rushed　to　my　head；　and　then　sat　down。　I　concluded　this　canyon　hunting　could　bear　some　sustained　attention　and　thought；　as　well　as　frenzied　action。

Examination　of　my　position　showed　how　impossible　it　was　to　arrive　at　any　clear　idea　of　the　depth　or　size；　or　condition　of　the　canyon　slopes　from　the　main　rim　wall　above。　The　second　walla　stupendous；　yellow…faced　cliff　two　thousand　feet　highcurved　to　my　left　round　to　a　point　in　front　of　me。　The　intervening　canyon　might　have　been　a　half　mile　wide；　and　it　might　have　been　ten　miles。　I　had　become　disgusted　with　judging　distance。　The　slope　above　this　second　wall　facing　me　ran　up　far　above　my　head；　it　fairly　towered；　and　this　routed　all　my　former　judgments；　because　I　remembered　distinctly　that　from　the　rim　this　yellow　and　green　mountain　had　appeared　an　insignificant　little　ridge。　But　it　was　when　I　turned　to　gaze　up　behind　me　that　I　fully　grasped　the　immensity　of　the　place。　This　wall　and　slope　were　the　first　two　steps　down　the　long　stairway　of　the　Grand　Canyon；　and　they　towered　over　me；　straight　up　a　half…mile　in　dizzy　height。　To　think　of　climbing　it　took　my　breath　away。

Then　again　Sounder's　bay　floated　distinctly　to　me；　but　it　seemed　to　come　from　a　different　point。　I　turned　my　ear　to　the　wind；　and　in　the　succeeding　moments　I　was　more　and　more　baffled。　One　bay　sounded　from　below　and　next　from　far　to　the　right；　another　from　the　left。　I　could　not　distinguish　voice　from　echo。　The　acoustic　properties　of　the　amphitheater　beneath　me　were　too　wonderful　for　my　comprehension。

As　the　bay　grew　sharper；　and　correspondingly　more　significant；　I　became　distracted；　and　focused　a　strained　vision　on　the　canyon　deeps。　I　looked　along　the　slope　to　the　notch　where　the　wall　curved　and　followed　the　base　line　of　the　yellow　cliff。　Quite　suddenly　I　saw　a　very　small　black　object　moving　with　snail…like　slowness。　Although　it　seemed　impossible　for　Sounder　to　be　so　small；　I　knew　it　was　he。　Having　something　now　to　judge　distance　from；　I　conceived　it　to　be　a　mile；　without　the　drop。　If　I　could　hear　Sounder；　he　could　hear　me；　so　I　yelled　encouragement。　The　echoes　clapped　back　at　me　like　so　many　slaps　in　the　face。　I　watched　the　hound　until　he　disappeared　among　broken　heaps　of　stone；　and　long　after　that　his　bay　floated　to　me。

Having　rested；　I　essayed　the　discovery　of　some　of　my　lost　companions　or　the　hounds；　and　began　to　climb。　Before　I　started；　however；　I　was　wise　enough　to　study　the　rim　wall　above；　to　familiarize　myself　with　the　break　so　I　would　have　a　landmark。　Like　horns　and　spurs　of　gold　the　pinnacles　loomed　up。　Massed　closely　together；　they　were　not　unlike　an　astounding　pipe…organ。　I　had　a　feeling　of　my　littleness；　that　I　was　lost；　and　should　devote　every　moment　and　effort　to　the　saving　of　my　life。　It　did　not　seem　possible　I　could　be　hunting。　Though　I　climbed　diagonally；　and　rested　often；　my　heart　pumped　so　hard　I　could　hear　it。　A　yellow　crag；　with　a　round　head　like　an　old　man's　cane；　appealed　to　me　as　near　the　place　where　I　last　heard　from　Jim；　and　toward　it　I　labored。　Every　time　I　glanced　up；　the　distance　seemed　the　same。　A　climb　which　I　decided　would　not　take　more　than　fifteen　minutes；　required　an　hour。

While　resting　at　the　foot　of　the　crag；　I　heard　more　baying　of　hounds；　but　for　my　life　I　could　not　tell　whether　the　sound　came　from　up　or　down；　and　I　commenced　to　feel　that　I　did　not　much　care。　Having　signaled　till　I　was　hoarse；　and　receiving　none　but　mock　answers；　I　decided　that　if　my　companions　had　not　toppled　over　a　cliff；　they　were　wisely　withholding　their　breath。

Another　stiff　pull　up　the　slope　brought　me　under　the　rim　wall；　and　there　I　groaned；　because　the　wall　was　smooth　and　shiny；　without　a　break。　I　plodded　slowly　along　the　base；　with　my　rifle　ready。　Cougar　tracks　were　so　numerous　I　got　tired　of　looking　at　them；　but　I　did　not　forget　that　I　might　meet　a　tawny　fellow　or　two　among　those　narrow　passes　of　shattered　rock；　and　under　the　thick；　dark　pinyons。　Going　on　in　this　way；　I　ran　point…blank　into　a　pile　of　bleached　bones　before　a　cave。　I　had　stumbled　on　the　lair　of　a　lion　and　from　the　looks　of　it　one　like　that　of　Old　Tom。　I　flinched　twice　before　I　threw　a　stone　into　the　dark…mouthed　cave。　What　impressed　me　as　soon　as　I　found　I　was　in　no　danger　of　being　pawed　and　clawed　round　the　gloomy　spot；　was　the　fact　of　the　bones　being　there。　How　did　they　come　on　a　slope　where　a　man　could　hardly　walk？　Only　one　answer　seemed　feasible。　The　lion　had　made　his　kill　one　thousand　feet　above；　had　pulled　his　quarry　to　the　rim　and　pushed　it　over。　In　view　of　the　theory　that　he　might　have　had　to　drag　his　victim　from　the　forest；　and　that　very　seldom　two　lions　worked　together；　the　fact　of　the　location　of　the　bones　as　startling。　Skulls　of　wild　horses　and　deer；　antlers　and　countless　bones；　all　crushed　into　shapelessness；　furnished　indubitable　proof　that　the　carcasses　had　fallen　from　a　great　height。　Most　remarkable　of　all　was　the　skeleton　of　a　cougar　lying　across　that　of　a　horse。　I　believedI　could　not　help　but　believe　that　the　cougar　had　fallen　with　his　last　victim。

Not　many　rods　beyond　the　lion　den；　the　rim　wall　split　into　towers；　crags　and　pinnacles。　I　thought　I　had　found　my　pipe　organ；　and　began　to　climb　toward　a　narrow　opening　in　the　rim。　But　I　lost　it。　The　extraordinarily　cut…up　condition　of　the　wall　made　holding　to　one　direction　imp