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1、TheProjectGutenbergEBookofTweenSnowandFire,byBertramMitfordThiseBookisfortheuseofanyoneanywhereatnocostandwithalmostnorestrictionswhatsoever.Youmaycopyit,giveitawayorre-useitunderthetermsoftheProjectGutenbergLicenseincludedwiththiseBookoronlineatwww.gutenberg.orgTitle:TweenSnowandFireATaleoftheLastK
2、afirWarAuthor:BertramMitfordReleaseDate:June19,2010EBook#32896Language:English*STARTOFTHISPROJECTGUTENBERGEBOOKTWEENSNOWANDFIRE*ProducedbyNickHodsonofLondon,EnglandBertramMitfordTweenSnowandFireChapterOne.TheEpisodeoftheWhiteDog.Thebuckisrunningfordearlife.Thedogissomefiftyyardsbehindthebuck.TheKafi
3、risaboutthesamedistancebehindthedog,whichdistanceheisstrivingrightmanfullytomaintain;notsounsuccessfully,either,consideringthatheispittingthespeedoftwolegsagainstthatofeight.Down the long grass slope they coursebuck, dog, and savage.The former, a game little antelope of the steinbok species, takes t
4、hegroundinaseriesoflong,flyingleaps,hiswhitetailwhiskinglikeaflagofdefiance.Thesecond,atawny,black-muzzledgrey-hound,stretchinghissnakylengthinthewakeofhisquarry,uttersnosound,aswitharrow-likevelocity he holds on his course, his cruel eyes gleaming, his jawsdrippingsalivainpleasurableanticipationoft
5、hecomingfeast.Thethird,afine,well-knityoungKafir,hisnakedbodyglisteningfromheadtofootwithredochre,urgesonhishoundwithanoccasionalshrillwhoopofencouragement,ashecoversthegroundatasurprisingpaceinhisfree,boundingstride.Heholdsaknob-kerrieinhishand,readyforuseassoonasthequarryshallbewithinhurlingdistan
6、ce.Butofthisthereseemssmallchanceatpresent.Ittakesagooddogindeedtorundownanunwoundedbuckwiththeopenveldtbeforehim,andgoodasthisoneis,itseemsprobablethathewillgetleft.Downthelonggrassslopetheycourse,buttheoppositeacclivityisthequarrysopportunity.Thepointedhoofsseemhardlytotouchgroundinthearrowyflight
7、oftheirowner.Thedistancebetweenthelatterandthepursuinghoundincreases.Alongahighridgeoverlookingthisprimitivechasegrow,atregularintervals, several circular clumps of bush. One of these conceals aspectator. The latter is seated on horseback in the very midst of thescrub,hisfeetdanglinglooselyinthestir
8、rups,hishandclosedtightlyandrathersuggestivelyroundthebreechofadoublegunrifleandsmoothborewhichrestsacrossthepommelofhissaddle.Thereisafrownupon his face, as, himself completely hidden, he watches intently theprogress of the sport. It is evident that he is more interested thanpleased.ForTomCarhayesi
9、stheownerofthisKaffrarianstockrun.InthatpartofKaffraria,gameisexceedinglyscarce,owingtothepresenceofaredundantnativepopulation.TomCarhayesisanardentsportsmanandsparesnoefforttoprotectandrestorethegameuponhisfarm.YethereisaKafirrunningdownabuckunderhisverynose.Smallwonderthathefeelsfurious.“Thatscoun
10、drelGonwe!”hemuttersbetweenhissetteeth.“Illputabulletthroughhiscur,andlicktheniggerhimselfwithinaninchofhislife!”Theoffenceisanaggravatedone.Notonlyistheactofpoachingaverycapitalcrimeinhiseyes,buttheperpetratoroughttobeatthatmomentatleastthreemilesaway,herdingaboutelevenhundredofhismasterssheep.Thes
11、ehehaslefttotakecareofthemselveswhileheindulgesinanillicitbuck-hunt.Smallwonderindeedthathissaidmaster,atnotimeagood-temperedman,vowstomakeacondignexampleofhim.Thebuckhasnearlygainedthecrestoftheridge.Onceoverithischancesaregood.Thepursuinghound,runningmorebysightthanbyscent,mayeasilybefoiled,byasud
12、denturntorightorleft,andadoubleortwo.Thedogisalongwaybehindnow,andthespectatorhastoriseinhisstirrupstocommandaviewofthesituation.Fiftyyardsmoreandthequarrywillbeovertheridgeandincomparativesafety.Butfromjustthatdistanceabovetheresuddenlydartsforthanotherdoga white one. It has sprung from a patch of
13、bush similar to thatwhichconcealsthespectator.Thebuck,thoroughlydemoralisedbytheadventofthisnewenemy,executesarapiddouble,andthuspressedbackintotheveryjawsofitsfirstpursuerhasnoalternativebuttoheadupthevalleyasfastasitslegscancarryit.Butthenewhoundisfresh,andinfactabetterdogthanthefirstone.Hepresses
14、thequarryverycloseandneedsnottheencouragingshouts of his master, who has leaped forth from his concealmentimmediatelyuponunleashinghim.Forafewmomentsthepaceiseven,thenitdecreases.Thebuckseemeddoomed.And,indeed,suchisthecaseanyhow.For,heldinwaitingatagivenpoint,readytobeletslipifnecessary,isathirddog
15、.SuchistheKafirmethodofhunting.Thebestdogeverwhelpedisnotquiteequal,eitherinspeedorstayingpower,torunningdownafull-grownbuckintheopenveldt,butbyadoptingtheabovemeansofhuntinginrelays,thechanceareequalised.Tobemoreaccurate,thequarryhasnochanceatall.On speeds the chase; the new dog, a tall white grey-
16、hound ofsurprisingenduranceandspeed,gainingrapidly;theother,lashedintoafinal spurt by the spirit of emulation, not far behind. The two Kafirs,stimulatingtheirhoundswithyellsofencouragement,arestrainingeverynervetobeinatthedeath.The buckterror and demoralisation in its soft, lustrous eyesisheading st
17、raight for the spectators hiding place. The latter raises hispiece,withtheintentionofsendingabulletthroughthefirstdogassoonasitshallcomeabreastofhisposition;theshotbarrelwillfinishofftheother.Buthedoesnotfire.Thefactis,themanissimplyshakingwithrage.Grindinghisteeth,herecogniseshisutterinabilitytohit
18、ahaystackatthatmoment,letaloneaswiftlycoursinggrey-hound.Thechasesweepsbywithinseventyyardsofhispositionbuck,dog,andKafirs.Thenanotherdiversionoccurs.Twomorenativesrise,apparentlyoutofthegrounditself.Oneofthese, poising himself erect with a peculiar springy, quivering motion,holdshiskerriereadytohur
19、l.Thebuckisbarelythirtyyardsdistant,andgoinglikethewind.“Whiggewoof!”Thehardstickhurlsthroughtheairaimednearlyasfaraheadofthequarryasthelatterisdistantfromthemarksman.Thereisasplinteringcrash,andashrill,horridscreamthenareddishbrownshape,writhingandrollinginagonyupontheground.Theaimofthesavagehasbee
20、ntrue.Allfourofthebuckslegsaresnappedandshatteredlikepipe-stems.Thetwohoundshurlthemselvesuponthestrugglingcarcase,theirsavagesnarlsminglingwiththesickening,half-humanyellemittedbytheterrifiedandtorturedsteinbok.ThefourKafirsgatherroundtheirprey.“Sukainja!”(“Getout,dog!”)criesoneofthembrutally,givin
21、gthewhitedogadigintheribswiththebutt-endofhiskerrie,andputtingthewretchedbuckoutofitsagonybyablowontheheadwiththesame.Thehound, with a snarling yelp, springs away from the carcase, and liesdownbesidehisfellow.Theirflanksareheavingandpantingaftertherun,andtheirlollingtonguesandglaringeyesturnhungrily
22、towardtheexpectedprey.Theirsavagemasters,squattedaround,arerestingaftertheirexertions,chattinginadeepbasshum.Totheconcealedspectatorthesightissimplymaddening.Hejudgesthetimeforswoopingdownuponthedelinquentshasarrived.Werehewisehewouldelecttoleavethemaloneentirely,andwouldwithdrawquietlywithoutbetray
23、inghispresence.Hemightindeedderivesome modicum of satisfaction by subsequently sjambokking thedefaultingGonwefordesertinghispost,thoughthewisdomofthatactofconsolationmaybedoubted.Butathoroughlyangrymanisseldomwise,andTomCarhayesformsnoexceptiontothegeneralrule.Withasavagecurse he breaks from his cov
24、er and rides furiously down upon theoffendinggroup.Butifheimagineshisunlookedforarrivalisgoingtostriketerrortotheheartsofthosedaringandimpudentpoachers,hesoonbecomesalivetohismistake.Twoofthem,includinghisownherd,arealreadystanding.Theothersmakenoattempttorisefromtheircarelessandsquattingposture.All
25、contemplatehimwithabsoluteunconcern,andthehalf-concealed and contemptuous grin spread across the broadcountenanceofhisretainerinnowisetendstoallayhisfury.“Whatthedevilareyoudoinghere,Gonwe?”hecries.“Getawaybacktoyourflockatonce,orIlltanyourhidetoribbons.Here.Getoutofthe light you twoIm going to shoo
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