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第16课 |
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我们大约早上8点离开了水牛的栖息地，经过两个小时充满艰辛的长途跋涉翻过了山脊。整个山脊都杂乱地覆盖着高高低低的橡树林，深深的峡谷把它划得支离破碎。
早上10点左右，我们脚下崎岖的山路变得平缓起来，一直向下延伸直至一个山谷，在那里静静流淌着红河的北部支流。沿着山脚向前有一片约半英里宽、两三英里长的美丽草地，在秋日黄色花朵的点缀下显得分外美丽。河对面的岸边围着高耸的白杨树，它那一簇簇明亮的叶子让我们因为长时间凝视那荒芜的棕色树林而疲惫不堪的眼睛为之一振。
各种各样的丛林和灌木分布恰到好处，使得草地显得丰富多彩，看起来像是经过艺术之手精心布置过似的。当我们的眼睛流连于这片清新美丽的山谷时，我们发现一群野马正在右边约一英里外的绿色草地上安静地吃着草。与此同时，我们的左边约一英里外有一些水牛，有些在吃草，其他的则在白杨树阴下的肥美牧草中美美地打着盹或是细细地咀嚼食物。整个看起来就像是某位高雅的农场主精心装点过的牧场，如此的广阔美丽，还有成群的牛马在草地上自在地吃着草。
眼下正在召开一场有关战争的会议。在如此有利的条件下，我们一定可以有所收获。我们决定试一试名为“围捕野马”的伟大捕猎策略。这要求一大队装备齐全的骑马人彼此相距一定的距离，向各个方向跑出去，直至逐渐形成一个周长二到三英里的包围圈，从而把猎物团团围住。做这一切都必须非常小心，因为野马是这草原上警惕性最高的动物，如果顺风，在很远以外他们就能嗅到捕猎者的气味。
包围圈正在形成，两三个人向已经开始向另一方向移动的马群骑去。只要野马靠近包围圈的边缘，一个捕猎者就会出现，并把马匹赶回去。这样野马前进的路线就会受到阻碍，它们在每个方向都会被赶回来，只能在这个神奇的圈子里不停地狂奔，直至筋疲力尽。这时对于捕猎者来说，骑上马背用缰绳套住它们的头就十分容易了。然而，拥有最快速度、最大勇气和最好体力的头等马往往可以冲出重围逃之夭夭，所以，捉到的大多是二等马。
我们现在就在为这样的捕猎做着准备，把背着包裹的马匹牵进树林里，牢牢地拴在树干上，以免一会儿它们在混乱中挣脱逃走。然后，25个人在一名中尉的指挥下，在山脚下狭长的树林地带里沿着山谷边缘偷偷地开始行动了。每50码会安排一名捕猎者，他们必须藏在树林的边上，直到野马朝这个方向冲过来他们才能出现或采取行动。另外25个人去了山谷的另一边，在对面以同样的方法沿着河岸埋伏在树林里。
相同人数的第三队人马将会形成一条一直延伸至山谷低处的防线，这样就可以把两翼连接起来。比德和我们另外一名混血儿安东尼，连同总是爱管闲事的多尼斯将会穿过树林形成一个环线到达山谷的高处，这样就可以在野马的后方把它们赶进我们布好的口袋里。同时，两翼也应该参与进来，形成一个完整的包围圈。
侧翼部队已经悄悄地部署在山谷的两边，从视野中消失了。剩下的人也跑到自己合适的位置作为包围圈中必要的连接。这时，野马好像也闻到了身旁有敌人存在，使劲地嗅着空气，喷着响鼻，四处张望。最后，它们跳跃着慢慢地向河边走去，在绿色的岸边后面消失了。
此时，按照刚才提到的围捕规则，树林中埋伏着的一名捕猎者将会不声不响地出来阻断马匹的去路，并把它们赶回来。然而不幸的是，我们的法国小子成了害群之马。他本该安静地守护在山谷的右上方，居高临下包围野马，可他一看到野马向河边移动就跳出了树林的掩护，疯狂地跑过草地追逐着野马。这下我们所有的布置都完蛋了。混血儿们和10名包围圈里的捕猎者也加入了这场追逐之中。
他们都越过了绿色的河岸。过了一会儿，野马群又出现了，轰隆隆地向山谷下奔去。那些法国小子、混血儿和骑在马上的捕猎者都跟在后面疾驰，嘴里还大声咆哮着。在山谷中横向布置的那道防线试图阻止马群前进，并把那些急着逃命的家伙赶回去，但一切都是徒劳。野马们被捕猎者们追得太紧了，惊慌失措拚命向前狂奔，冲破了防线，呼啦啦地跑下了草地。
所有的人都参与了这场惊天动地的急匆匆的追捕。一些捕猎者没有戴帽子，头发在耳际飞扬，另一些则在额头上扎着头巾。刚才还在牧草中悠闲咀嚼食物的水牛们此时费劲儿地支撑起他们庞大的身躯，盯着草原上正发生的这场骚乱看了一会儿，然后调转头去艰难地开始逃亡，整个大地似乎都在震颤。然而很快捕猎者们就追上了它们。山谷渐渐变窄，那乱哄哄的一群牛马不得不挤成一团向前奔去。一时间，野水牛、野马、狂野的捕猎者们飞奔着，疾驰着，叫嚷着，相互招呼着，哗啦啦轰隆隆的声音响彻整个树林。
最后，水牛们调转方向，向河岸上的绿色矮丛林奔去，而野马群则在捕猎者的步步紧逼之下冲上了山上的一条窄道。比德看了几匹马，目光停留在一匹上等的波尼马身上，那匹马的耳朵已经撕裂，背上还有马鞍的痕迹。比德大胆地紧紧追着它，但还是在树林里不见了它的踪迹。
在野马群中有一匹上等的黑色母马，在攀爬那窄窄的山道时失足跌落了下来。一名年轻的捕猎者从自己的马上跳过去，抓着它的鬃毛给它带上了口套。另一名捕猎者也跳下马来帮忙。那匹母马拚命挣扎，又踢又咬，疯狂地扬着前足，但它的头上已套有一个套索，所有的挣扎都无济于事了。
然而，过了好久，这匹母马才慢慢平静下来，不再前冲后踢，左右开弓。两名捕猎者这才领着它沿着山谷向前走，但他们手中都牵着结实的套索和缰绳，这样就可以在两边和它保持一定的距离以免被其蹄子踢中。一旦母马向一面发动袭击，另一面的人就可以猛拉缰绳把它控制住。这样它的坏性子渐渐平复了。
至于因自己的仓促急躁而坏了大局的多尼斯，他拿到的可比应得的多。他成功地抓到了一匹奶油色小雄驹，它大概只有7个月，还没有足够的力量跟上同伴。这活泼的法国小子可乐坏了。看到他和他的战利品在一起真是很有趣。小马驹又踢又拱，挣扎着想获得自由，而多尼斯则抓住它的脖子，和它玩起了摔跤，或是跳上马背，像猴子逗小猫一样做出各种各样的滑稽动作。
然而，最让我惊讶的是，我亲眼目睹了这些可怜的动物就这样离开了无拘无束的草原生活，屈服于人的统治。两三天后，那匹母马和小马驹就十分驯服地和领队的马匹一起前进了。
（华盛顿·欧文）
We left the buffalo camp about eight o'clock, and had a toilsome and harassing march of two hours, over ridges ofhills covered with a ragged forest of scrub oaks, and broken by deep gullies.
About ten o'clock in the morning we came to where this line of rugged hills swept down into a valley, through which flowed the north fork ofRed River.A beautiful meadow, about half a mile wide, enameled with yellow, autumnal flowers, stretched for two or three miles along the foot ofthe hills, bordered on the opposite side by the river, whose banks were fringed with cottonwood trees, the bright foliage ofwhich refreshed and delighted the eye, after being wearied by the contemplation ofmonotonous wastes ofbrown forest.
The meadow was finely diversified by groves and clumps oftrees, so happily dispersed that they seemed as ifset out by the hand ofart.As we cast our eyes over this fresh and delightful valley, we beheld a troop of wild horses quietly grazing on a green lawn, about a mile distant, to our right, while to our left, at nearly the same distance, were several buffaloes; some feeding, others reposing, and ruminating among the high, rich herbage, under the shade of a clump of cottonwood trees.The whole had the appearance of a broad, beautiful tract of pasture land, on the highly ornamented estate of some gentleman farmer, with his cattle grazing about the lawns and meadows.
A council ofwar was now held, and it was determined to profit by the present favorable opportunity, and try our hand at the grand hunting maneuver which is called“ringing the wild horse.”This requires a large party of horsemen, well mounted.They extend themselves in each direction, at a certain distance apart, and gradually form a ring of two or three miles in circumference, so as to surround the game.This must be done with extreme care, for the wild horse is the most readily alarmed inhabitant ofthe prairie, and can scent a hunter a great distance, if to windward.
The ring being formed, two or three ride toward the horses, which start off in an opposite direction.Whenever they approach the bounds ofthe ring, however, a huntsman presents himself, and turns them from their course.In this way they are checked, anddriven back at everypoint, andkept galloping round and round this magic circle, until, being completely tired down, it is easy for hunters to ride up beside them and throw the lariat over their heads.The prime horses of the most speed, courage, and bottom, however, are apt to break through and escape, so that, in general, it is the second-rate horses that are taken.
Preparations were now made for a hunt ofthis kind.The pack horses were now taken into the woods and firmly tied to trees, lest in a rush ofthe wild horses they should break away.Twenty-five men were then sent under the command of a lieutenant to steal along the edge of the valley within the strip of wood that skirted the hills.They were to station themselves about fifty yards apart, within the edge of the woods, and not advance or show themselves until the horses dashed in that direction.Twenty-five men were sent across the valley to steal in like manner along the river bank that bordered the opposite side, and to station themselves among the trees.
A third party of about the same number was to form a line, stretchingacross the lower part of the valley, so as to connect the two wings.Beatte and our other half-breed, Antoine, together with the ever-officious Tonish, were to make a circuit through the woods so as to get to the upper part ofthe valley, in the rear ofthe horses, and drive them forward into the kind of sack that we had formed, while the two wings shouldjoin behind them and make a complete circle.
The flanking parties were quietly extending themselves out of sight, on each side of the valley, and the residue were stretching themselves like the links of a chain across it, when the wild horses gave signs that they scented an enemy; snuffing the air, snorting, and looking about.At length they pranced off slowly toward the river, and disappeared behind a green bank.
Here, had the regulations of the chase been observed, they would have been quietly checked and turned back by the advance of a hunter from among the trees.Unluckily, however, we had our wildfire, Jack-o'-lantern little Frenchman to deal with.Instead ofkeeping quietly up the right side ofthe valley, to get above the horses, the moment he saw them move toward the river he broke out of the covert ofwoods and dashed furiously across the plain in pursuit of them.This put an end to all system.The half-breeds, and half a score of rangers, joined in the chase.
A way they all went over the green bank.In a moment or two the wild horses reappeared, and came thundering down the valley, with Frenchman, halfbreeds, and rangers galloping and bellowing behind them.It was in vain that the line drawn across the valley attempted to check and turn back the fugitives; they were too hotly pressed by their pursuers:in their panic they dashed through the line, and clattered down the plain.
The whole troopjoined in the headlong chase, some ofthe rangers without hats or caps, their hair flying about their ears, and others with handkerchiefs tied round their heads.The buffaloes, which had been calmly ruminating among the herbage, heaved up their huge forms, gazed for a moment at the tempest that came scouring down the meadow, then turned and took to heavy, rolling flight.They were soon overtaken; the promiscuous throng were pressed together by the contracting sides of the valley, and away they went, pellmell, hurry-skurry, wild buffalo, wild horse, wild huntsman, with clang and clatter, and whoop and halloo, that made the forests ring.
At length the buffaloes turned into a green brake, on the river bank, while the horses dashed up a narrow defile of the hills, with their pursuers close totheir heels.Beatte passed several of them, having fixed his eye upon a fine Pawnee horse that had his ears slit and saddle marks upon his back.He pressed him gallantly, but lost him in the woods.
Among the wild horses was a fine black mare, which in scrambling up the defile tripped and fell.A young ranger sprang from his horse and seized her by the mane and muzzle.Another ranger dismounted and came to his assistance.The mare struggled fiercely, kicking and biting, and striking with her fore feet, but a noose was slipped over her head, and her struggles were in vain.
It was some time, however, before she gave over rearing and plunging, and lashing out with her feet on every side.The two rangers then led her along the valley, by two strong lariats, which enabled them to keep at a sufficient distance on each side to be out of the reach ofher hoofs, and whenever she struck out in one direction she wasjerked in the other.In this way her spirit was gradually subdued.
As to Tonish, who had marred the whole scene by his precipitancy, he had been more successful than he deserved, having managed to catch a beautiful cream-colored colt about seven months old, that had not strength to keep up with its companions.The mercurial little Frenchman was beside himself with exultation.It was amusing to see him with his prize.The colt would rear and kick, and struggle to get free, when Tonish would take him about the neck, wrestle with him, jump on his back, and cut as many antics as a monkey with a kitten.
Nothing surprised me more, however, than to witness how soon these poor animals, thus taken from the unbounded freedom of the prairie, yielded to the dominion ofman.In the course oftwo or three days the mare and colt went with the led horses and became quite docile.
（ Washington Irving ）
