×

We use cookies to help make LingQ better. By visiting the site, you agree to our cookie policy.


image

The Untamed by Max Brand, I. Pan of the Desert

I. Pan of the Desert

Even to a high-flying bird this was a country to be passed over quickly. It was burned and brown, littered with fragments of rock, whether vast or small, as if the refuse were tossed here after the making of the world. A passing shower drenched the bald knobs of a range of granite hills and the slant morning sun set the wet rocks aflame with light. In a short time the hills lost their halo and resumed their brown. The moisture evaporated. The sun rose higher and looked sternly across the desert as if he searched for any remaining life which still struggled for existence under his burning course.

And he found life. Hardy cattle moved singly or in small groups and browsed on the withered bunch grass. Summer scorched them, winter humped their backs with cold and arched up their bellies with famine, but they were a breed schooled through generations for this fight against nature. In this junk-shop of the world, rattlesnakes were rulers of the soil. Overhead the buzzards, ominous black specks pendant against the white-hot sky, ruled the air.

It seemed impossible that human beings could live in this rock-wilderness. If so, they must be to other men what the lean, hardy cattle of the hills are to the corn-fed stabled beeves of the States.

Over the shoulder of a hill came a whistling which might have been attributed to the wind, had not this day been deathly calm. It was fit music for such a scene, for it seemed neither of heaven nor earth, but the soul of the great god Pan come back to earth to charm those nameless rocks with his wild, sweet piping. It changed to harmonious phrases loosely connected. Such might be the exultant improvisations of a master violinist.

A great wolf, or a dog as tall and rough coated as a wolf, trotted around the hillside. He paused with one foot lifted and lolling, crimson tongue, as he scanned the distance and then turned to look back in the direction from which he had come. The weird music changed to whistled notes as liquid as a flute. The sound drew closer. A horseman rode out on the shoulder and checked his mount. One could not choose him at first glance as a type of those who fight nature in a region where the thermometer moves through a scale of a hundred and sixty degrees in the year to an accompaniment of cold-stabbing winds and sweltering suns. A thin, handsome face with large brown eyes and black hair, a body tall but rather slenderly made—he might have been a descendant of some ancient family of Norman nobility; but could such proud gentry be found riding the desert in a tall-crowned sombrero with chaps on his legs and a red bandana handkerchief knotted around his throat? That first glance made the rider seem strangely out of place in such surroundings. One might even smile at the contrast, but at the second glance the smile would fade, and at the third, it would be replaced with a stare of interest. It was impossible to tell why one respected this man, but after a time there grew a suspicion of unknown strength in this lone rider, strength like that of a machine which is stopped but only needs a spark of fire to plunge it into irresistible action. Strangely enough, the youthful figure seemed in tune with that region of mighty distances, with that white, cruel sun, with that bird of prey hovering high, high in the air.

It required some study to guess at these qualities of the rider, for they were such things as a child feels more readily than a grown man; but it needed no expert to admire the horse he bestrode. It was a statue in black marble, a steed fit for a Shah of Persia! The stallion stood barely fifteen hands, but to see him was to forget his size. His flanks shimmered like satin in the sun. What promise of power in the smooth, broad hips! Only an Arab poet could run his hand over that shoulder and then speak properly of the matchless curve. Only an Arab could appreciate legs like thin and carefully drawn steel below the knees; or that flow of tail and windy mane; that generous breast with promise of the mighty heart within; that arched neck; that proud head with the pricking ears, wide forehead, and muzzle, as the Sheik said, which might drink from a pint-pot.

A rustling like dried leaves came from among the rocks and the hair rose bristling around the neck of the wolflike dog. With outstretched head he approached the rocks, sniffing, then stopped and turned shining eyes upon his master, who nodded and swung from the saddle. It was a little uncanny, this silent interchange of glances between the beast and the man. The cause of the dog's anxiety was a long rattler which now slid out from beneath a boulder, and giving its harsh warning, coiled, ready to strike. The dog backed away, but instead of growling he looked to the man.

Cowboys frequently practise with their revolvers at snakes, but one of the peculiarities of this rider was that he carried no gun, neither six-shooter nor rifle. He drew out a short knife which might be used to skin a beef or carve meat, though certainly no human being had ever used such a weapon against a five-foot rattler. He stooped and rested both hands on his thighs. His feet were not two paces from the poised head of the snake. As if marvelling at this temerity, the big rattler tucked back his head and sounded the alarm again. In response the cowboy flashed his knife in the sun. Instantly the snake struck but the deadly fangs fell a few inches short of the riding boots. At the same second the man moved. No eye could follow the leap of his hand as it darted down and fastened around the snake just behind the head. The long brown body writhed about his wrist, with rattles clashing. He severed the head deftly and tossed the twisting mass back on the rocks.

Then, as if he had performed the most ordinary act, he rubbed his gloves in the sand, cleansed his knife in a similar manner, and stepped back to his horse. Contrary to the rules of horse-nature, the stallion had not flinched at sight of the snake, but actually advanced a high-headed pace or two with his short ears laid flat on his neck, and a sudden red fury in his eyes. He seemed to watch for an opportunity to help his master. As the man approached after killing the snake the stallion let his ears go forward again and touched his nose against his master's shoulder. When the latter swung into the saddle, the wolf-dog came to his side, reared, and resting his forefeet on the stirrup stared up into the rider's face. The man nodded to him, whereat, as if he understood a spoken word, the dog dropped back and trotted ahead. The rider touched the reins and galloped down the easy slope. The little episode had given the effect of a three-cornered conversation. Yet the man had been as silent as the animals.

In a moment he was lost among the hills, but still his whistling came back, fainter and fainter, until it was merely a thrilling whisper that dwelt in the air but came from no certain direction.

His course lay towards a road which looped whitely across the hills. The road twisted over a low ridge where a house stood among a grove of cottonwoods dense enough and tall enough to break the main force of any wind. On the same road, a thousand yards closer to the rider of the black stallion, was Morgan's place.

I. Pan of the Desert I. Sartén del Desierto I. Dykumos ponas I. Pan do Deserto I. Пан пустыни 一、沙漠之盘

Even to a high-flying bird this was a country to be passed over quickly. Mesmo para um pássaro voando alto, este era um país para ser ignorado rapidamente. Даже для высоколетящей птицы эту страну нужно было быстро облететь. Tudi za visokoletečega ptiča je bila to dežela, ki jo je bilo treba hitro preleteti. 即使对高飞的鸟儿来说,这也是一个很快就会掠过的国家。 It was burned and brown, littered with fragments of rock, whether vast or small, as if the refuse were tossed here after the making of the world. Estava queimado e marrom, cheio de fragmentos de rocha, grandes ou pequenos, como se o lixo fosse jogado aqui depois da criação do mundo. Оно было обожженным и коричневым, усыпанным осколками камня, огромными или маленькими, как будто мусор был сброшен сюда после сотворения мира. Bila je ožgana in rjava, posuta z drobci skal, velikimi ali majhnimi, kot da so jih sem odvrgli po nastanku sveta. A passing shower drenched the bald knobs of a range of granite hills and the slant morning sun set the wet rocks aflame with light. Procházející přeháňka zalila lysé vrcholky řady žulových kopců a šikmé ranní slunce zapálilo vlhké kameny světlem. Uma chuva passageira encharcava as protuberâncias calvas de uma série de colinas de granito e o sol oblíquo da manhã incendiava as rochas molhadas com a luz. Minevajoči dež je namočil plešaste grebene granitnih hribov in poševno jutranje sonce je z lučjo obsijalo mokre skale. In a short time the hills lost their halo and resumed their brown. Em pouco tempo as colinas perderam sua auréola e retomaram seu marrom. V kratkem času so hribi izgubili svojo aureolo in se vrnili k rjavi barvi. The moisture evaporated. A umidade evaporou. Vlaga je izhlapela. The sun rose higher and looked sternly across the desert as if he searched for any remaining life which still struggled for existence under his burning course. O sol subiu mais alto e olhou severamente através do deserto como se procurasse por qualquer vida remanescente que ainda lutava pela existência sob seu curso ardente. Sonce se je vzpenjalo višje in strogo gledalo čez puščavo, kot bi iskalo preostalo življenje, ki se je še borilo za obstoj pod njegovim žgočim tekom.

And he found life. Hardy cattle moved singly or in small groups and browsed on the withered bunch grass. El ganado se desplazaba solo o en pequeños grupos y se alimentaba de la hierba seca. O gado resistente movia-se sozinho ou em pequenos grupos e pastava na grama murcha. Summer scorched them, winter humped their backs with cold and arched up their bellies with famine, but they were a breed schooled through generations for this fight against nature. O verão os escaldava, o inverno corcundava suas costas com o frio e arqueava suas barrigas com a fome, mas eles eram uma raça educada por gerações para essa luta contra a natureza. In this junk-shop of the world, rattlesnakes were rulers of the soil. Nesse brechó do mundo, as cascavéis dominavam o solo. Overhead the buzzards, ominous black specks pendant against the white-hot sky, ruled the air. No alto, os urubus, manchas pretas sinistras penduradas contra o céu branco e quente, dominavam o ar.

It seemed impossible that human beings could live in this rock-wilderness. Parecia impossível que seres humanos pudessem viver neste deserto rochoso. If so, they must be to other men what the lean, hardy cattle of the hills are to the corn-fed stabled beeves of the States. Se assim for, eles devem ser para os outros homens o que o gado magro e robusto das colinas é para as vacas alimentadas com milho dos Estados Unidos.

Over the shoulder of a hill came a whistling which might have been attributed to the wind, had not this day been deathly calm. Sobre o ombro de uma colina veio um assobio que poderia ter sido atribuído ao vento, se este dia não estivesse mortalmente calmo. It was fit music for such a scene, for it seemed neither of heaven nor earth, but the soul of the great god Pan come back to earth to charm those nameless rocks with his wild, sweet piping. Era uma música adequada para tal cena, pois não parecia nem do céu nem da terra, mas a alma do grande deus Pã voltou à terra para encantar aquelas rochas sem nome com sua doce e selvagem flauta. It changed to harmonious phrases loosely connected. Mudou para frases harmoniosas frouxamente conectadas. Such might be the exultant improvisations of a master violinist. Tais podem ser as improvisações exultantes de um mestre violinista.

A great wolf, or a dog as tall and rough coated as a wolf, trotted around the hillside. Um grande lobo, ou um cão tão alto e de pelagem áspera como um lobo, trotava pela encosta. He paused with one foot lifted and lolling, crimson tongue, as he scanned the distance and then turned to look back in the direction from which he had come. Ele parou com um pé levantado e pendendo, língua carmesim, enquanto examinava a distância e então se virou para olhar para trás na direção de onde tinha vindo. The weird music changed to whistled notes as liquid as a flute. A música estranha mudou para notas assobiadas tão líquidas quanto uma flauta. The sound drew closer. O som se aproximou. A horseman rode out on the shoulder and checked his mount. Um cavaleiro saiu no ombro e verificou sua montaria. One could not choose him at first glance as a type of those who fight nature in a region where the thermometer moves through a scale of a hundred and sixty degrees in the year to an accompaniment of cold-stabbing winds and sweltering suns. Não se poderia escolhê-lo à primeira vista como um tipo daqueles que lutam contra a natureza em uma região onde o termômetro percorre uma escala de cento e sessenta graus no ano ao acompanhamento de ventos frios cortantes e sóis sufocantes. A thin, handsome face with large brown eyes and black hair, a body tall but rather slenderly made—he might have been a descendant of some ancient family of Norman nobility; but could such proud gentry be found riding the desert in a tall-crowned sombrero with chaps on his legs and a red bandana handkerchief knotted around his throat? Um rosto magro e bonito, com grandes olhos castanhos e cabelos pretos, um corpo alto, mas bastante esbelto — ele poderia ser descendente de alguma antiga família da nobreza normanda; mas será que uma nobreza tão orgulhosa pode ser encontrada cavalgando no deserto em um sombrero de coroa alta com rachaduras nas pernas e um lenço de bandana vermelho amarrado no pescoço? That first glance made the rider seem strangely out of place in such surroundings. One might even smile at the contrast, but at the second glance the smile would fade, and at the third, it would be replaced with a stare of interest. Pode-se até sorrir com o contraste, mas no segundo olhar o sorriso desapareceria e, no terceiro, seria substituído por um olhar de interesse. It was impossible to tell why one respected this man, but after a time there grew a suspicion of unknown strength in this lone rider, strength like that of a machine which is stopped but only needs a spark of fire to plunge it into irresistible action. Era impossível dizer por que se respeitava esse homem, mas depois de um tempo cresceu a suspeita de uma força desconhecida nesse cavaleiro solitário, força como a de uma máquina que está parada, mas precisa apenas de uma faísca de fogo para mergulhá-la em ação irresistível. Strangely enough, the youthful figure seemed in tune with that region of mighty distances, with that white, cruel sun, with that bird of prey hovering high, high in the air. Curiosamente, a figura jovem parecia em sintonia com aquela região de grandes distâncias, com aquele sol branco e cruel, com aquela ave de rapina pairando alto, alto no ar.

It required some study to guess at these qualities of the rider, for they were such things as a child feels more readily than a grown man; but it needed no expert to admire the horse he bestrode. Foi necessário algum estudo para adivinhar essas qualidades do cavaleiro, pois eram coisas que uma criança sente mais prontamente do que um homem adulto; mas não era preciso nenhum especialista para admirar o cavalo que montava. It was a statue in black marble, a steed fit for a Shah of Persia! Era uma estátua de mármore preto, um corcel digno de um Xá da Pérsia! The stallion stood barely fifteen hands, but to see him was to forget his size. O garanhão mal tinha quinze palmos, mas vê-lo era esquecer seu tamanho. His flanks shimmered like satin in the sun. Seus flancos brilhavam como cetim ao sol. What promise of power in the smooth, broad hips! Que promessa de poder nos quadris lisos e largos! Only an Arab poet could run his hand over that shoulder and then speak properly of the matchless curve. Só um poeta árabe poderia passar a mão por aquele ombro e depois falar bem da curva incomparável. Only an Arab could appreciate legs like thin and carefully drawn steel below the knees; or that flow of tail and windy mane; that generous breast with promise of the mighty heart within; that arched neck; that proud head with the pricking ears, wide forehead, and muzzle, as the Sheik said, which might drink from a pint-pot. Só um árabe poderia apreciar pernas como aço fino e cuidadosamente desenhado abaixo dos joelhos; ou aquele fluxo de cauda e crina ventosa; aquele peito generoso com a promessa do coração poderoso dentro; aquele pescoço arqueado; aquela cabeça orgulhosa de orelhas em pé, testa larga e focinho, como disse o Sheik, que poderia beber de uma caneca de cerveja.

A rustling like dried leaves came from among the rocks and the hair rose bristling around the neck of the wolflike dog. Um farfalhar como folhas secas veio de entre as rochas e o cabelo se eriçou ao redor do pescoço do cão lobo. With outstretched head he approached the rocks, sniffing, then stopped and turned shining eyes upon his master, who nodded and swung from the saddle. Com a cabeça estendida, ele se aproximou das rochas, farejando, então parou e virou os olhos brilhantes para seu mestre, que assentiu e balançou da sela. It was a little uncanny, this silent interchange of glances between the beast and the man. Era um pouco estranho, essa troca silenciosa de olhares entre a fera e o homem. The cause of the dog's anxiety was a long rattler which now slid out from beneath a boulder, and giving its harsh warning, coiled, ready to strike. A causa da ansiedade do cão era uma longa cascavel que agora deslizou de debaixo de uma pedra, e dando seu duro aviso, enrolada, pronta para atacar. The dog backed away, but instead of growling he looked to the man. O cachorro recuou, mas em vez de rosnar ele olhou para o homem.

Cowboys frequently practise with their revolvers at snakes, but one of the peculiarities of this rider was that he carried no gun, neither six-shooter nor rifle. Os vaqueiros praticam frequentemente com seus revólveres em cobras, mas uma das peculiaridades desse cavaleiro era que ele não carregava nenhuma arma, nem de seis tiros nem de fuzil. He drew out a short knife which might be used to skin a beef or carve meat, though certainly no human being had ever used such a weapon against a five-foot rattler. Ele sacou uma faca curta que poderia ser usada para esfolar uma carne ou cortar carne, embora certamente nenhum ser humano jamais tivesse usado tal arma contra uma cascavel de um metro e meio. He stooped and rested both hands on his thighs. Ele se abaixou e descansou ambas as mãos em suas coxas. His feet were not two paces from the poised head of the snake. Seus pés não estavam a dois passos da cabeça da cobra. As if marvelling at this temerity, the big rattler tucked back his head and sounded the alarm again. Como se maravilhado com essa temeridade, a grande cascavel enfiou a cabeça para trás e soou o alarme novamente. In response the cowboy flashed his knife in the sun. Em resposta, o caubói mostrou sua faca ao sol. Instantly the snake struck but the deadly fangs fell a few inches short of the riding boots. Instantaneamente a cobra atacou, mas as presas mortais caíram a poucos centímetros das botas de montaria. At the same second the man moved. No eye could follow the leap of his hand as it darted down and fastened around the snake just behind the head. Nenhum olho podia seguir o salto de sua mão quando ela desceu e se prendeu ao redor da cobra logo atrás da cabeça. The long brown body writhed about his wrist, with rattles clashing. O longo corpo marrom se contorcia em torno de seu pulso, com chocalhos chocando. He severed the head deftly and tossed the twisting mass back on the rocks. Ele cortou a cabeça habilmente e jogou a massa retorcida de volta nas rochas.

Then, as if he had performed the most ordinary act, he rubbed his gloves in the sand, cleansed his knife in a similar manner, and stepped back to his horse. Então, como se tivesse feito o ato mais comum, esfregou as luvas na areia, limpou a faca de maneira semelhante e voltou para o cavalo. Contrary to the rules of horse-nature, the stallion had not flinched at sight of the snake, but actually advanced a high-headed pace or two with his short ears laid flat on his neck, and a sudden red fury in his eyes. Contrariando as regras da natureza dos cavalos, o garanhão não se encolheu ao ver a cobra, mas na verdade avançou um ou dois passos de cabeça alta com as orelhas curtas apoiadas no pescoço e uma fúria repentina nos olhos. He seemed to watch for an opportunity to help his master. As the man approached after killing the snake the stallion let his ears go forward again and touched his nose against his master's shoulder. When the latter swung into the saddle, the wolf-dog came to his side, reared, and resting his forefeet on the stirrup stared up into the rider's face. Quando este subiu na sela, o cão-lobo aproximou-se dele, empinou-se e, apoiando as patas dianteiras no estribo, olhou para o rosto do cavaleiro. The man nodded to him, whereat, as if he understood a spoken word, the dog dropped back and trotted ahead. O homem acenou para ele e, como se tivesse entendido uma palavra falada, o cachorro recuou e trotou à frente. The rider touched the reins and galloped down the easy slope. O cavaleiro tocou as rédeas e galopou pela encosta fácil. The little episode had given the effect of a three-cornered conversation. O pequeno episódio deu o efeito de uma conversa de três cantos. Yet the man had been as silent as the animals.

In a moment he was lost among the hills, but still his whistling came back, fainter and fainter, until it was merely a thrilling whisper that dwelt in the air but came from no certain direction. Em um momento ele estava perdido entre as colinas, mas ainda assim seu assobio voltou, cada vez mais fraco, até que era apenas um sussurro emocionante que pairava no ar, mas não vinha de uma direção certa.

His course lay towards a road which looped whitely across the hills. Seu curso era em direção a uma estrada que serpenteava branca pelas colinas. The road twisted over a low ridge where a house stood among a grove of cottonwoods dense enough and tall enough to break the main force of any wind. A estrada serpenteava sobre um cume baixo onde uma casa ficava entre um bosque de choupos denso e alto o suficiente para quebrar a força principal de qualquer vento. On the same road, a thousand yards closer to the rider of the black stallion, was Morgan's place. Na mesma estrada, mil jardas mais perto do cavaleiro do garanhão preto, estava a casa de Morgan.