"01 - Princess of Mars, A" - читать интересную книгу автора (Burroughs Edgar Rice)

Since we had entered the territory we had not seen a
hostile Indian, and we had, therefore, become careless in the
extreme, and were wont to ridicule the stories we had
heard of the great numbers of these vicious marauders that
were supposed to haunt the trails, taking their toll in lives
and torture of every white party which fell into their
merciless clutches.

Powell, I knew, was well armed and, further, an
experienced Indian fighter; but I too had lived and fought
for years among the Sioux in the North, and I knew that his
chances were small against a party of cunning trailing
Apaches. Finally I could endure the suspense no longer,
and, arming myself with my two Colt revolvers and a
carbine, I strapped two belts of cartridges about me and
catching my saddle horse, started down the trail taken by
Powell in the morning.

As soon as I reached comparatively level ground I urged
my mount into a canter and continued this, where the going
permitted, until, close upon dusk, I discovered the point
where other tracks joined those of Powell. They were the
tracks of unshod ponies, three of them, and the ponies had
been galloping.

I followed rapidly until, darkness shutting down, I was
forced to await the rising of the moon, and given an opportunity
to speculate on the question of the wisdom of my chase.
Possibly I had conjured up impossible dangers, like
some nervous old housewife, and when I should catch up
with Powell would get a good laugh for my pains.
However, I am not prone to sensitiveness, and the following
of a sense of duty, wherever it may lead, has always been a
kind of fetich with me throughout my life; which may account
for the honors bestowed upon me by three republics and the
decorations and friendships of an old and powerful emperor
and several lesser kings, in whose service my sword has
been red many a time.

About nine o'clock the moon was sufficiently bright for
me to proceed on my way and I had no difficulty in following
the trail at a fast walk, and in some places at a brisk
trot until, about midnight, I reached the water hole where
Powell had expected to camp. I came upon the spot unexpectedly,
finding it entirely deserted, with no signs of having been
recently occupied as a camp.

I was interested to note that the tracks of the pursuing
horsemen, for such I was now convinced they must be, continued