儿童英语读物《神奇树屋》 第十册 Ghost Town at Sundown 04
“It’s the colt!” said Annie. “He’s looking for his mother!”
She ran toward the wild-eyed little horse.
“Wait!” called Jack. “Oh， brother.” He pulled the book out of his pack.
He found a chapter titled “Horses of the Wild West.” He started reading.
At the end of the 1800s，over a millionwild horses， called mustangs， wandered the West.These tough， fast horses were descendants of runaway Spanish horses. Mustang herders captured them and sold them to ranchers.Breaking a wild mustang took great skill.
Jack turned the page. There was a picture of a herd of horses. Two of them even looked like the beautiful mare and her colt.
“Hey， Annie，” Jack called. “You should see this picture.”
Annie didn’t answer.
Jack looked up.
Annie was trying to get close to the young mustang， but he kept darting away.
“Watch it!He’s wild!” said Jack.
Annie was speaking softly to the colt.
She slowly reached out and grabbed the end of his rope. Still talking to him， she led him to a broad wooden post.
“Stop!Don’t do anything!” said Jack.
He flipped the pages of his book. He found a section called “How to Treat a Horse.”
The basic rules on how to treat a horse are simple：a soft hand， a firm voice， a sunny attitude， praise， and reward.
“I’ve got the rules!” shouted Jack. “Don’t do anything before I write them down!”
Jack pulled out his notebook and pencil.He wrote：
Horse Rules
1.soft hand
2.firm voice
3.sunny attitude
4.praise
5.reward
“Okay， listen—” Jack looked up.
But Annie was already sitting on the colt’s back!
Jack froze. He held his breath.
The mustang whinnied and pawed the ground.He snorted and tossed his head.
Annie kept patting his neck and talking softly.
Finally the young horse grew still.
Annie smiled at Jack. “I named him Sunset，” she said.
Jack let out his breath.
“Let’s go，” said Annie. “We have to take him to his mom.”
“Are you nuts?” said Jack. “We have to solve our riddle. It’ll be dark soon. And those guys were real bad guys， I could tell.”
“We don’t have any choice，” said Annie.
“Oh， brother.” Jack knew she wouldn’t change her mind. “Let’s see what the book says.” He read more about mustangs：
Wild mustangs live together in families.The bond between a mare and her young is very strong. His sounds of distress or hunger will always bring her to him. A mustang cannot bear to wander alone.
Jack groaned. He looked at Sunset. The young mustang did have a sad look in his eyes.
“Okay， we’ll make a plan，” he said. “But first I have to get out of these boots.”
Jack grabbed one of his boots and pulled.
“Hurry!” said Annie.
“I can’t even think in these things!” said Jack.
He huffed and puffed and pulled. Then a deep voice stopped him cold：“Hands up—or I’ll shoot!”
Jack let go of his boot. He raised his hands in the air. So did Annie.
A cowboy rode out of an alley. His face was bony and tanned. He was riding a gray horse and pointing a six-shooter.
“I reckon you’re the smallest horse thieves I’ve ever come across，” he said.
4举起手来
“是小马!”安妮说，“它在找它妈妈!”
她说着便跑向那匹眼神中充满野性的小马。
“等等!”杰克喊道，随即从背包里又拿出了那本书。
他翻到了题为“狂野西部的马匹”那一章，读了起来：
在19世纪末，有超过100万匹“野马”在西部游荡。这些暴烈而速度极快的马匹是逃跑的西班牙马匹的后代。野马捕猎者把它们捉住后卖给牧场主。而要驯服一匹野马是需要极高技巧的。
杰克翻过一页，书页上画着一群马，其中的两匹看起来很像那匹漂亮的母马和它的孩子。
“嘿，安妮。”杰克喊着，“你过来看看这幅画!”
安妮没有回答。
杰克抬起头。
安妮正试图接近那匹小野马，但小马却总是想躲开。
“小心啊!这马可烈呢!”杰克说。
安妮正轻柔地和小马说着什么。
安妮慢慢地伸出手去，抓住了马脖上绳索的一端。她一面和马儿说话，一面把它带到了一个大木桩前。
“停!什么也别做!”杰克说。
他翻着手上的那本书，找到了“如何对待马匹”的那一节，上面写着：
对待马匹的基本原则很简单：手要轻柔，声音要坚定，态度要热情，要赞扬和奖励它。
“我这里有方法!”杰克喊道，“在我把它们写下来之前你什么也别做哦!”
杰克掏出笔记本和铅笔，写道：
驯马方法
1.手要轻柔
2.声音要坚定
3.态度要热情
4.赞扬
5.奖励
“好了，听着——”杰克抬起头一看。
可这时安妮早已经坐在小马背上了。
杰克愣住了，不禁屏住了呼吸。
小野马一面叫着，一面用蹄子蹬踏着地面，它的鼻子里发出呼哧的声音，头扭来扭去。
安妮不断地轻拍着小马的脖子，和它轻声地说着话。
终于，小马安静下来了。
安妮冲杰克笑了笑，说：“我给它起了个名叫‘日落’。”
杰克舒了口气。
安妮说：“咱们走吧，我们还要带它去找妈妈呢。”
“你糊涂了吧?”杰克说，“我们还得解开谜语呢。天就要黑了。而那些人肯定是坏人，我一看就知道。”
“我们没有选择啊。”安妮说。
“哦，天啊!”杰克明白安妮是不会改变主意的了。“咱们看看书里写了些什么。”他又继续读起了关于野马的叙述。
野马以家庭为单位生活在一起。母马与小马之间的联系相当紧密。一旦小马发出表达沮丧或饥饿的声音，母马就会来到它的身边。野马往往无法忍受独自流浪。
杰克嘟囔着，看了看“日落”。那匹小马的眸子里真的带着一种忧伤的神气。
“好，咱们来做个计划。”杰克说，“不过我首先得把这靴子脱了。”
杰克抓住其中一只靴子使劲地拽着。
“快点啊!”安妮说。
“穿着这鬼东西我的脑子都不转了!”杰克说。
他鼓着腮帮子往外呼着气，一面使劲拽着。突然一个深沉的声音冷冷地止住了他手上的动作：“举起手来——要不我就开枪了!”
杰克松开了靴子。他把手举了起来，安妮也举起了手。
一个牛仔从小巷里飞奔而出，那人脸型瘦削，晒得黑黑的，骑着一匹灰马，手里的六弹手枪正指着他们。
“看来，你们是我见过的最小的盗马贼了。”他说。
