Алая чума
Chapter 1
Withoutconsciouseffort,heheardalltheslightsoundsintheapparentquiet—heard,anddifferentiated,andclassifiedthesesounds—whethertheywereofthewindrustlingtheleaves,ofthehummingofbeesandgnats,ofthedistantrumbleoftheseathatdriftedtohimonlyinlulls,orofthegopher,justunderhisfoot,shovingapouchfulofearthintotheentranceofhishole.
Suddenlyhebecamealertlytense. Sound,sight,andodorhadgivenhimasimultaneouswarning. Hishandwentbacktotheoldman,touchinghim,andthepairstoodstill. Ahead,atonesideofthetopoftheembankment,aroseacracklingsound,andtheboy’sgazewasfixedonthetopsoftheagitatedbushes. Thenalargebear,agrizzly,crashedintoview,andlikewisestoppedabruptly,atsightofthehumans. Hedidnotlikethem,andgrowledquerulously. Slowlytheboyfittedthearrowtothebow,andslowlyhepulledthebowstringtaut. Butheneverremovedhiseyesfromthebear.
Theoldmanpeeredfromunderhisgreenleafatthedanger,andstoodasquietlyastheboy. Forafewsecondsthismutualscrutinizingwenton;then,thebearbetrayingagrowingirritability,theboy,withamovementofhishead,indicatedthattheoldmanmuststepasidefromthetrailandgodowntheembankment. Theboyfollowed,goingbackward,stillholdingthebowtautandready. Theywaitedtillacrashingamongthebushesfromtheoppositesideoftheembankmenttoldthemthebearhadgoneon. Theboygrinnedasheledbacktothetrail.
“Abigun,Granser,”hechuckled.
Theoldmanshookhishead.
