The rustlers--four--five--seven--eight in all, were approaching, but not directly in line with him. That was relief for a cold deadness which seemed to be creeping inward along his veins. He crouched down with bated breath and held the bristling dog. He heard the click of iron-shod hoofs on stone, the coarse laughter of men, and then voices gradually dying away. Long moments passed. Then he rose. The rustlers were riding into a canyon. Their horses were tired, and they had several pack animals; evidently they had traveled far.英文原著 · 《Riders of the Purple Sage》
Venters doubted that they were the rustlers who had driven the red herd. Olding's band had split. Venters watched these horsemen disappear under a bold canyon wall. The rustlers had come from the northwest side of the oval. Venters kept a steady gaze in that direction, hoping, if there were more, to see from what canyon they rode. A quarter of an hour went by. Reward for his vigilance came when he descried three more mounted men, far over to the north. But out of what canyon they had ridden it was too late to tell.英文原著 · 《Riders of the Purple Sage》
But, guarded as his action was, the first horse detected it. He stopped short, snorted, and shot up his ears. The rustler bent forward, as if keenly peering ahead. Then, with a swift sweep, he jerked a gun from its sheath and fired. The bullet zipped through the sage-brush. Flying bits of wood struck Venters, and the hot, stinging pain seemed to lift him in one leap. Like a flash the blue barrel of his rifle gleamed level and he shot once--twice. The foremost rustler dropped his weapon and toppled from his saddle, to fall with his foot catching in a stirrup.英文原著 · 《Riders of the Purple Sage》
"She was only a girl," he soliloquized. "What was she to Oldring? Rustlers don't have wives nor sisters nor daughters. She was bad--that's all. But somehow...well, she may not have willingly become the companion of rustlers. That prayer of hers to God for mercy!...Life is strange and cruel. I wonder if other members of Oldring's gang are women? Likely enough.英文原著 · 《Riders of the Purple Sage》
"Dad figures this way," put in Dave." On the one hand we lose our water and stock without bloodshed. We have a living in the oasis. There's little here to attract rustlers, so we may live in peace if we give up our rights. On the other hand, suppose Dad gets the Navajos down here and we join them and go after Holderness and his gang. There's going to be an all-fired bloody fight. Of course we'd wipe out the rustlers, but some of us would get killed--and there are the wives and kids.英文原著 · 《The Heritage of the Desert》
"Father!-- Father!" she panted. "Come--quick--the rustlers!--the rustlers! Snap!--Dene--Oh--hurry! They've killed Dave--they've got Mescal!"英文原著 · 《The Heritage of the Desert》
You know, back before Texas was civilized, if you were a Ranger and one of your compatriots fell at the hands of a rustler, you'd bring that rustler in dead if you brought him in at all.美剧 · 《Billions》
It's probably that rustler stuff that made you ask me to cancel my morning and come here.美剧 · 《Billions》