further adventures of lad-第21部分

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！



〃But　that　time；　he　was　only　sulky；〃　said　the　Mistress。　〃Not　insanely　angry；　as　he　is　now。　I　do　hope〃

〃Stop　worrying！〃　adjured　the　Master。　〃He's　all　right。〃

Which　proved；　for　perhaps　the　trillionth　time　in　history；　that　a　woman's　intuitions　are　better　worth　following　than　a　man's　saner　logic。　For　Cyril　was　not　all　right。　And；　at　every　passing　minute　he　was　less　and　less　all　right；　until　presently　he　was　all　wrong。

For　the　best　part　of　an　hour；　in　pursuance　of　her　husband's　counsel；　the　Mistress　sat　and　waited　for　the　prodigal's　return。　Then；　surreptitiously；　she　made　a　round　of　the　house；　sent　a　man　to　ransack　the　stables；　telephoned　to　the　gate　lodge；　and　finally　came　into　the　Master's　study；　big…eyed　and　pale。

〃He　isn't　anywhere　around；〃　she　reported；　frightened。　〃It's　dinner　time。　He's　been　gone　in　hour。　Nobody's　seen　him。　He　isn't　on　the　Place。　Oh；　I　wonder　if〃

〃H'm！〃　grumbled　her　husband。　〃He's　engineering　an　endurance　contest；　eh？　Well；　if　he　can　stand　it；　we　can。〃

But　at　sight　of　the　deepening　trouble　in　his　wife's　face；　he　got　up　from　his　desk。　Going　out　into　the　hall；　he　summoned　Lad。

〃We　might　shout　our　heads　off；〃　he　said；　〃and　he'd　never　answer；　if　he's　really　trying　to　scare　us。　That's　part　of　his　lovable　nature。　There's　just　one　way　to　track　him；　in　double　time。　LAD！〃

The　Master　had　been　drawing　on　his　mackinaw　and　hipboots　as　he　spoke。　Now　he　opened　the　front　door。

〃Laddie！〃　he　said；　very　slowly　and　incisively　to　the　expectantly　eager　collie。　〃Cyril！　Find　CYRIL！　FIND　him！〃

To　the　super…wise　collie；　there　was　nothing　confusing　in　the　command。　Like　many　another　good　dog；　he　knew　the　humans　of　the　household　by　their　names；　as　well　as　did　any　fellow…human。　And　he　knew　from　long　experience　the　meaning　of　the　word；　〃Find！〃

Countless　times　that　word　had　been　used　in　games　and　in　earnest。　Its　significance；　now；　was　perfectly　plain　to　him。　The　Master　wanted　him　to　hunt　for　the　obnoxious　child　who　so　loved　to　annoy　and　hurt　him。

Lad　would　rather　have　found　anyone　else；　at　the　Master's　behest。　But　it　did　not　occur　to　the　trained　collie　to　disobey。　With　a　visible　diminishing　of　his　first　eager　excitement；　but　with　submissive　haste；　the　big　dog　stepped　out　on　to　the　veranda　and　began　to　cast　about　in　the　drifts　at　the　porch　edge。

Immediately；　he　struck　Cyril's　shuffling　trail。　And；　immediately；　he　trotted　off　along　the　course。

The　task　was　less　simple　than　ordinarily。　For；　the　snow　was　coming　down　in　hard…driven　sheets；　blotting　out　scent　almost　as　effectively　as　sight。　But　not　for　naught　had　a　thousand　generations　of　Lad's　thoroughbred　ancestors　traced　lost　sheep　through　snowstorms　on　the　Scottish　moors。　To　their　grand　descendant　they　had　transmitted　their　weird　trailing　power；　to　the　full。　And　the　scent　of　Cyril；　though　faint　and　fainter；　and　smothered　under　swirling　snow；　was　not　too　dim　for　Lad's　sensitive　nostrils　to　catch　and　hold　it。

The　Master　lumbered　along；　through　the　rising　drifts；　as　fast　as　he　could。　But　the　way　was　rough　and　the　night　was　as　black　dark　as　it　was　cold。　In　a　few　rods；　the　dog　had　far　outdistanced　him。　And；　knowing　how　hard　must　be　the　trail　to　follow　by　sense　of　smell；　he　forbore　to　call　back　the　questing　collie；　lest　Lad　lose　the　clew　altogether。　He　knew　the　dog　was　certain　to　bark　the　tidings　when　he　should　come　up　with　the　fugitive。

The　Master　by　this　time　began　to　share　his　wife's　worry。　For　the　trail　Lad　was　following　led　out　of　the　grounds　and　across　the　highway；　toward　the　forest。

The　newborn　snowstorm　was　developing　into　a　very　promising　little　blizzard。　And　the　icy　lash　of　the　wind　proved　the　fallacy　of　the　old　theory；　〃too　cold　to　snow。〃　Even　by　daylight　it　would　have　been　no　light　task　to　steer　a　true　course　through　the　whirling　and　blinding　storm。　In　the　darkness；　the　man　found　himself　stumbling　along　with　drunkenly　zigzag　steps；　his　buffeted　ears　strained；　through　the　noise　of　the　wind　for　sound　of　Lad's　bark。

But　no　such　sound　came　to　him。　And；　he　realized　that　snow　and　adverse　winds　can　sometimes　muffle　even　the　penetrating　bark　of　a　collie。　The　man　grew　frightened。　Halting；　he　shouted　with　all　the　power　of　his　lungs。　No　whimper　from　Cyril　answered　the　hail。　Nor；　at　his　master's　summons；　did　Lad　come　bounding　back　through　the　drifts。　Again　and　again；　the　Master　called。

For　the　first　time　in　his　obedient　life；　Lad　did　not　respond　to　the　call。　And　the　Master　knew　his　own　voice　could　not　carry；　for　a　single　furlong；　against　wind　and　snowfall。

〃I'll　go　on　for　another　half…hour；〃　he　told　himself；　as　he　sought　to　discern　the　dog's　all…but　obliterated　footsteps　through　the　deepening　snow。　〃And　then　I'll　go　back　and　raise　a　search　party。〃

He　came　to　a　bewildered　stop。　Fainter　and　more　indistinguishable　had　Lad's　floundering　tracks　become。　Now；by　dint　of　distance　and　snow；they　ceased　to　be　visible　in　the　welter　of　drifted　whiteness　under　the　glare　of　the　Master's　flashlight。

〃This　means　a　search…party；〃　decided　the　man。

And　he　turned　homeward；　to　telephone　for　a　posse　of　neighbors。

Lad；　being　only　a　dog；　had　no　such　way　of　sharing　his　burden。　He　had　been　told　to　find　the　child。　And　his　simple　code　of　life　and　of　action　left　him　no　outlet　from　doing　his　duty；　be　that　duty　irksome　or　easy。　So　he　kept　on。　Far　ahead　of　the　Master；　his　keen　ears　had　not　caught　the　sound　of　the　shouts。　The　gale　and　the　snow　muffled　them　and　drove　them　back　into　the　shouter's　throat。　Cyril；　naturally；　had　not　had　the　remotest　intent　of　laboring　through　the　bitter　cold　and　the　snow　to　the　house　of　any　neighbor；　there　to　tell　his　woeful　tale　of　oppression。　The　semblance　of　martyrdom；　without　its　bothersome　actuality；　was　quite　enough　for　his　purpose。　Once　before；　at　home；　when　his　father　had　administered　a　mild　and　much…needed　spanking；　Cyril　had　made　a　like　threat；　and　had　then　gone　to　hide　in　a　chum's　home；　for　half　a　day；　returning　to　find　his　parents　in　agonies　of　remorse　and　fear；　and　ready　to　load　him　with　peace…offerings。　The　child　saw　no　reason　why　the　same　tactics　should　not　serve　every　bit　as　triumphantly；　in　the　present　case。

He　knew　the　maids　were　in　the　kitchen　and　at　least　one　man　was　in　the　stables。　He　did　not　want　his　whereabouts　to　be　discovered　before　he　should　have　been　able　to　raise　a　healthy　and　dividend…bringing　crop　of　remorse　in　the　hearts　of　the　Mistress　and　the　Master；　so　he　resolved　to　go　farther　afield。

In　the　back　of　the　meadow；　across　the　road；　and　on　the　hither　side　of　the　forest；　was　a　disused　cattle…barrack；　with　two　stalls　under　its　roof…pile　of　hay。　The　barrack　was　one　of　Cyril's　favorite　playhouses。　It　was　dry　and　tight。　Through　his　thick　clothing　he　was　not　likely　to　be　very　cold；　there；　for　an　hour　or　two。　He　could　snuggle　down　in　the　warm　hay　and　play　Indians；　with　considerable　comfort；　until　such　time　as　the　fright　and　penitence　of　his　hosts　should　have　come　to　a　climax　and　make　his　return　an　ovation。

Meanwhile；　it　would　be　fun　to　picture　their　uneasiness　and　fear　for　his　safety；　and　to　visualize　their　journeyings　through　the　snow　to　the　houses　of　various　neighbors；　in　search　of　the　lost　child。

Buoyed　up　by　such　happy　thoughts　as　these；　Cyril　struck　out　at　a　lively　pace　for　the　highroad　and　into　the　field　beyond。　The　barrack；　he　knew；　lay　diagonally　across　the　wide　meadow；　and　near　the　adjoining　woods。　Five　minutes　of　tramping　through　the　snow　ought　to　bring　him　to　it。　And　he　set　off；　diagonally。

But；　before　he　had　gone　a　hundred　yards；　he　lost　his　first　zest　in　the　adventure。　The　darkness　had　thickened；　and　the　vagrant　wind…gusts　had　tightened　into　a　steady　gale；　a　gale　which　carried　before　it　a　blinding　wrack　of　stingingly　hard…driven　snow。

The　gray　of　the　dying　dusk　was　blotted　out。　The　wind　smote　and　battered　the　spindling　child。　Mechanically；　he　kept　on　for　five　or　six　minutes；　making　scant　and　irregular　progress。　Then；　his　spirit　wavered。　Splendid　as　it　would　be　to　scare　these　hateful　people；　there　was　nothing　splendid　in　the　weather　that　numbed　him　with　cold　and　took　away　his　breath　and　half…blinded　him　with　snow。

What　was　the　fun　of　making　others　suffer；　if　he　himself　were　suffering　tenfold　more？　And；　on　reaching　the　barrack；　he　would　have　all　that　freezing　and　blast…hammering　trip　back　again。　Aw；　what　was　the　use？

And　Cyril　came　to　a　halt。　He　had　definitely　abandoned　his　high　enterprise。　Turning　around；　he　began　to　retrace　his　stumbling　steps。　But；　at　best；　in　a　large　field；　in　a　blizzard　and　in　pitch　darkness；　and　with　no　visible　landmarks；　it　is　not　easy　to　double　back　on　one's　route；　with　any　degree　of　accuracy。　In　Cyril's　case；　the　thing　was　wholly　impossible。

Blindly；　he　had　been　traveling　in　an　erratic　half…circle。　Another　minute　of　walking　would　have　brought　him　to　the　highroad；　not　far　from　the　Place's　gateway。　And；　as　he　changed　his　course；　to　seek　the　road；　he　moved　at　an　obtuse　angle　to　his　former　line　of　march。

Thus；　another　period　of　exhausting　progress　brought　him　up　with　a　bump　against　a　solid　barrier。　His　chilled　face　came　into　rough　contact　with　the　top　rail　of　a　line　fence。

So　relieved　was　the　startled　child　by　this　encounter　that　he　forgot　to　whine　at　the　abrasion　wrought　upon　his　cheek　by　the　rail。　He　had　begun　to　feel　the　first　gnawings　of　panic。　Now；　at　once；　he　was　calm　again。　For　he　knew　where　he　was。　This　was　the　line　fence　between　the　Place's　upper　section　and　the　land　of　the　next　neighbor。

All　he　need　do　was　to　walk　along　in　the　shelter　of　it；　touching　the　rails　now　and　then　to　make　certain　of　not　straying；　until　he　should　come　out　on　the　road；　at　the　gate　lodge。　It　was　absurdly　easy；　compared　to　what　he　had　been　undergoing。　Besides；　the　lee　of　the　fence　afforded　a　certain　shelter　from　wind　and　snow。　The　child　realized　he　had　been　turned　about　in　the　dark；　and　had　been　going　in　the　wrong　direction。　But　now；　at　last；　his　course　seemed　plain　to　him。

So　he　set　off　briskly；　close　to　the　fence；and　directly　away　from　the　nearby　road。

For　another　half…hour　he　continued　his　inexplicably　long　tramp；　always　buoyed　up　by　the　hope　of　coming　to　the　road　in　a　few　more　steps；　and　doggedly　sure　of　his　bearings。　Then；　turning　out　from　the　fence；　in　order　to　skirt　a　wide　hazel　thicket；　he　tripped　over　an　outcrop　of　rock；　and　tumbled　into　a　drift。　Getting　to　his