Shoe-Bar Stratton - Chapter 34

In that instant of supreme ¹ horror, Mary Thorne found time to be thankful that terror struck her momentarily dumb. For now, with lips parted and a cry of warning trembling there, she saw that it was too late. Like a pointer freezing to the scent ², Lynch's whole body had stiffened ³; one hand gripped the leveled Colt, a finger caressed ⁴ the trigger. At this juncture ⁵ a cry would almost surely bring that tiny, muscular contraction ⁶ which might be fatal., ,From behind the ledge ⁷ Buck ⁸'s hat had disappeared, and a faint creak of saddle-leather told the girl that he had dismounted and by so doing must have moved a trifle out of range., ,Sick with horror and desperation, the girl's eye fell upon a stone lying at her feet--a jagged piece of granite ⁹ perhaps twice the size of a baseball. In a flash she dropped the bridle ¹⁰-reins and, bending, caught it up stealthily. Freckles ¹¹ pricked ¹² his ears forward, but with a fleeting ¹³, imploring ¹⁴ touch of one hand against his sweaty neck, Mary steadied herself for a moment, slowly drew back her arm, and, with a fervent ¹⁵, silent prayer for strength, she hurled ¹⁶ the stone., , ,"Curse you!" he frothed, springing up and rushing at her. "You--", ,"Buck!" she screamed. "Quick! His gun's gone! He--", ,He handed up the indictment to the supreme court.他把起诉书送交最高法院。,The air was filled with the scent of lilac.空气中弥漫着丁香花的芬芳 。