Part 2 Reading for pleasure and reflection

On the great prairie of Texas the hot sun is shining in the blue sky. Under the golden light appears a group of wagons. There are 10 of them. In the wagons there are provisions, clothes, furniture; coloured women and chil­dren are sitting in them; the men are walking by the wagons or behind them. In front there is a carriage. This caravan belongs to a rich planter who has bought some land in the west and is now travelling to his new estate which is called Casa del Corvo, or the House of the Curve.

The planter himself — Woodley Poindexter — is riding at the head of the caravan. He is a tall thin man of fifty, with a proud face. Two horsemen are tiding together with him — one on the right, the other on the left — a youth of about 20, the planter's son Henry, and a young man 6 or 7 years older his nephew Cassias Calhoun. The youth has an open cheerful face. He is dressed in a blue shirt and blue trousers. His cousin wears a military uniform. He is an officer in the army. His face is proud and sinister. In the carriage there are two passengers: Louise, the daughter of Woodley Poindexter and her maid.

The caravan moves on slowly. There is no road. There are only the tracks of some wagons that have passed before. The planter hopes to reach the end of his journey before night. Suddenly the caravan stops. Far as the eye can

reach the country is of one colour — black. There has been a fire in the prairie and all the grass is burnt. The travellers began to cross the burnt place and lost their way. They stopped because they did not know in what direction to

move. As they were standing there and thinking what to do they saw a man on horseback who was riding towards them. The stranger soon came up to the planter. "I see you have lost your way.” he said. "Yes, sir.” answered the plan­ter.

"My name is Woodley Poindexter. I have bought some land on the Leona river, near Fort Inge. We hoped to reach the place before night. Canwe do so?"

"Of course, if you do what I tell you”.

The stranger was sitting on a good horse. He was a young man not more than 25 with a pleasant face. He was dressed in Mexican style. He had a large sombrero on his head and sarape on his shoulders. "I am sorry, Mr Poindexter, I can't go with you because I am in a hurry. You follow the track of my, lasso. With these words the young man threw one end of his long lasso on the ground, said goodbye and rode forward. The track of his lasso was easily seen on the black ground, and the caravan moved slowly on. "Look, fa­ther, what is that?" said Henry sud­denly. They looked back d saw great black columns behind them. They were moving towards the wagons. The sky was now dark. Sud­denly they saw the stranger in front of them. He had come back.

"Drive faster, faster!" he cried as he rode up. But the horses were tired.

"What is it?" asked the planter, "Is there a danger?"

"Yes, there is,” said the young man. "It is the Northern is dangerous,” intercepted Calhoun, who didn't like the young man.

"You will soon see that it is, sir, Mr Poindexter, I tell you that you are in danger.

Quick, sir: order your men to muffle the horses' heads — or the dust will get in their eyes, the animals will be blinded and go mad.All the men must get inside the

He rode up to the carriage. "Madam,” he said to the planter's daughter, "you must close all the curtains. You, gentlemen,” he said to Henry and Calhoun, "and you, sir,” to Poindexter, "must get inside. Lose no time. In a few sec­onds the storm will be here. The men got inside the carriage. The young man tied his horse's eyes. Then he took off his scarf and tied his sombrero to his head. No pen can describe what followed. One of the black columns approached the caravan and broke. A shower of black dust came down. In another moment the Northern was around them.

Nothing more was seen, nothing more was heard, ex­cept the noise of the wind. The travellers remained in the carriage more than an hour. At last they were allowed to come out. "Sir,” said the planter, "we must thank you for — for ….” "Our lives, Father!" cried Henry. "I hope, sir, you'll tell us your name.” "Maurice Gerald,” said the stranger, "but at the Fort they know me better as Maurice the mustanger. Now I must say good bye, but you will find your way by the track of my lasso.”

On the bank of a little river, in a picturesque place some distance from Fort Inge there was a little hut with a roof of grass and a door of horse skin. Near the hut was a "corral" for wild horses-mustangs. The furniture of the hut consisted of a bed, two stools, a table. Such was the home of the mustanger. A man, not the mustanger himself, was sitting on one of the stools. He was talking to a big dog which was lying on a piece of horse skin. "Oh, Tara, wouldn't you like to be back in Ireland, in the old castle? I myself would like to be there. But who knows when the young master will go back and take us with him! Never mind, Tara! He is going to the Fort again soon, and he has promised to take us with him. He says he'll go there as soon as he catches that spotted mustang. Hush! What's that?"

"Phelim!" came a voice from outside.

"Phelim!" The dog ran to the door.

"It's the master.” said Phelim and followed the dog.

Phelim was right. It was the voice of his master, Mau­rice Gerald. When the servant went out, he saw Maurice on horse­back. His master was not alone. At the end of the lasso was a captive. It was a mustang of dark chocolate colour with white spots. "Hooray!" cried Phelim. "You have caught the spotted mustang at last.” The mustang was put into the shed. Maurice went into the hut and threw himself on the bed. He was tired. Suddenly Tara began to bark. Phelim looked out and said, "It's old Zeb Stump.” Zeb Stump was a tall man of about fifty, big and strong. He was a hunter and a great friend of the mustanger.

"Good evening, Mr Stump.” said Maurice. "Come in and take a seat".

"Will you have something to eat? Phelim will make sup­per.

I'm sorry I can't offer you anything very good — I haven't hunted for a long time. I was very busy: I was trying to catch a very curious mustang.”

"What kind of mustang?" asked the hunter with inter­est. "A mustang of dark chocolate colour with white spots.” "Why, young man! That's the very business about which I have come to you.” "Indeed!" "I have seen that mustang, and I wanted to tell you to try and catch it. I'll tell you why. I've been to the Fort. Well, there is a man there. I knew him before. His name is Poindexter.”

"Poindexter?"

"Yes. He is a rich planter. He has come from the Missis­sippi with his nephew Calhoun by name, who is also rich and he gives money to his uncle, and he has his reason for it. They have a big estate near the Leona river. It is called Casa del Corvo. Now, young man I'll tell you why I wanted to see you. That planter has a daughter who is fond of horses. She heard how I told the old man about the spotted mustang. She wanted to have it, and her father promised to give two hundred dollars for the animal. So I went to you. Catch that mustang and you'll get the money. The young man took the hunter to the shed and showed him the mustang. "Why, you have caught it already! Miss Poindexter will be pleased! And you'll have your two hundred dollars.”

Exercises

1. Вставьте артиклі.

On_____ great prairie of Texas _____ hot sun is shining in ___ blue sky. Under ____ golden light appears ___ group of wagons. There are 10 of them. In ____ wagons there are provisions, clothes, furniture; coloured women and chil­dren are sitting in them; ____ men are walking by ____ wagons or behind them. In front there is____ carriage. This caravan belongs to____ rich planter who has bought some land in ____ west and is now travelling to his new estate which is called Casa del Corvo, or ____ House of ____ Curve.

The planter himself — Woodley Poindexter — is riding ____ the head ____the caravan.

He is a tall thin man ____ fifty, ____ a proud face.

Two horsemen are tiding together ____ him — one ____ the right, the other ____ the left — a youth ___ about 20, the planter's son Henry, and a young man 6 or 7 years older his nephew Cassias Calhoun.

The youth has an open _________ face. He is __________ in a blue shirt and ______ trousers. His cousin _______ a military _________. He is an ________ in the army. His face is proud and ________. In the carriage there are ______ passengers: Louise, the daughter of _________ Poindexter and her maid. The ___________ moves on slowly. There is ______ road. There are only the tracks of some ______that have passed before.

The planter ( to hope) __________ to reach the end of his journey before night.

Suddenly the caravan ( to stop) ___________. Far as the eye can reach the country (to be) _________ of one colour — black. There has been a fire in the prairie and all the grass ( to be ) _____ burnt.

The travellers ( to begin) __________ to cross the burnt place and

( to lost) _________ their way. They ( to stop) _______ because they ( not to know) _________ in what direction to move. As they ( to stand) _________ there and ( to think) ___________ what to do they ( to see) _________ a man on horseback who ( to ride) _______ towards them.

5. Виберіть правильний варіант.

• 
  The stranger soon came up to the a) hostess, b)planter, c) mustanger.
  
• 
  "I see you have lost you’re a) purse, b) mind, c) way.” he said.
  
• 
  I have bought some a) fish, b) land, c) house on the Leona river.
  
• 
  We hoped to reach the place before a) morning, b) midnight, c) night.
  

___________________ "Of course, if you do what I tell you”.

"Look, fa­ther, what is that?" said _____________________

"Drive faster, faster!" ____________ cried

"Our lives, Father!" cried _____________________.

- Maurice Gerald

________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
- Mr Poindexter

_________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Near the hut was a "corral" for wild horses-mustangs.

"Drive faster, faster!" he cried as he rode up. But the horses were tired.

“And you'll have your two hundred dollars.”

He is going to the Fort again soon, and he has promised to take us with him

The stranger was sitting on a good horse.

"Come in and take a seat".

“You follow the track of my lasso.”

The stranger sitting on _____________________________________.

He was a young man not more than _______________________________

____________________________________________________________.

He had a large sombrero on his___________________________________ __________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________.

"I am sorry, Mr Poindexter, I can't go with you_____________________

___________________________________________________________.

With these words the young man ________________________________

____________________________________________________________.

The track of his lasso was easily seen on the________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________