Scarcely had she got fairly into it, however, before the beasts closed in behind her, and she found herself completely embedded in the moving stream of fierce-eyed, long-horned bullocks.
但是,当她刚刚进入牛群,后面的牛就都挤拢了来,她立刻发觉自己已陷入了一群牛海之中,到处都是突睛长角的庞然大物在蜂拥钻动。
Accustomed as she was to deal with cattle, she was not alarmed at her situation, but took advantage of every opportunity to urge her horse on, in the hopes of pushing her way through the cavalcade.
她平日也是和牛群相处惯了的,因此,虽然处在这种境地中,也并没有感到惊慌,仍是抓紧空隙催马前进,打算从中穿过。
Unfortunately the horns of one of the creatures, either by accident or design, came in violent contact with the flank of the mustang, and excited it to madness.
可是不巧,一头牛有意无意地用角猛触了一下马的侧腹,马受惊立刻狂怒起来。
In an instant it reared up upon its hind legs with a snort of rage, and pranced and tossed in a way that would have unseated any but a skilful rider.
它立刻将前蹄腾跃而起,狂嘶不已;它颠簸摇摆得十分厉害,若不是头等起手,任何人都难免被摔下马来。
The situation was full of peril. Every plunge of the excited horse brought it against the horns again, and goaded it to fresh madness.
当时情况十分危险。惊马每跳动一次,就免不了又一次受到牛角的抵触,这就越发使它暴跳不已。
It was all that the girl could do to keep herself in the saddle, yet a slip would mean a terrible death under the hoofs of the unwieldy and terrified animals.
这时,露茜只有紧贴马鞍,毫无其他办法。稍一失手,就要落在乱蹄之下,被踩得粉碎。
Unaccustomed to sudden emergencies, her head began to swim, and her grip upon the bridle to relax.
由于她没有经历过意外,这时,便感到头昏眼花起来,手中紧紧拉着的缰绳,眼看就要放松。
Choked by the rising cloud of dust and by the steam from the struggling creatures, she might have abandoned her efforts in despair, but for a kindly voice at her elbow which assured her of assistance.
同时尘土飞扬,再加上拥挤的兽群里蒸发出来的气味使人透不过起来。在这紧要关头,如果不是身旁出现了一种亲切的声音,使她确信有人前来相助,露茜眼看就要绝望,不能再坚持下去了。
At the same moment a sinewy brown hand caught the frightened horse by the curb, and forcing a way through the drove, soon brought her to the outskirts.
这时,一只强有力的棕色大手,一把捉住了惊马的嚼环,并且在牛群中挤出了一条出路,不大功夫,就把她带到了兽群之外。
"You're not hurt, I hope, miss," said her preserver, respectfully.
这位救星彬彬有礼地问道:"小姐,但愿你没有受伤。"
She looked up at his dark, fierce face, and laughed saucily.
她抬起头来,瞧了一下他那张黧黑而粗犷的脸,毫不在乎地笑了起来。
"I'm awful frightened," she said, naively; "whoever would have thought that Poncho would have been so scared by a lot of cows?"
她天真地说:"真把我吓坏了。谁会想到旁乔这马儿竟会被一群牛吓成这个样子!"
"Thank God, you kept your seat," the other said, earnestly.
他诚恳地说:"谢天谢地,幸亏你抱紧了马鞍子。"