The Joyce-Armstrong Fragment was found in the field which is called Lower Haycock, lying one mile to the westward12 of the village of Withyham, upon the Kent and Sussex border. It was on the 15th September last that an agricultural labourer, James Flynn, in the employment of Mathew Dodd, farmer, of the Chauntry Farm, Withyham, perceived a briar pipe lying near the footpath14 which skirts the hedge in Lower Haycock. A few paces farther on he picked up a pair of broken binocular glasses. Finally, among some nettles15 in the ditch, he caught sight of a flat, canvas-backed book, which proved to be a note-book with detachable leaves, some of which had come loose and were fluttering along the base of the hedge. These he collected, but some, including the first, were never recovered, and leave a deplorable hiatus in this all-important statement. The note-book was taken by the labourer to his master, who in turn showed it to Dr. J. H. Atherton, of Hartfield. This gentleman at once recognized the need for an expert examination, and the manuscript was forwarded to the Aero Club in London, where it now lies.
The first two pages of the manuscript are missing. There is also one torn away at the end of the narrative, though none of these affect the general coherence16 of the story. It is conjectured18 that the missing opening is concerned with the record of Mr. Joyce-Armstrong’s qualifications as an aeronaut, which can be gathered from other sources and are admitted to be unsurpassed among the air-pilots of England. For many years he has been looked upon as among the most daring and the most intellectual of flying men, a combination which has enabled him to both invent and test several new devices, including the common gyroscopic attachment19 which is known by his name. The main body of the manuscript is written neatly20 in ink, but the last few lines are in pencil and are so ragged21 as to be hardly legible — exactly, in fact, as they might be expected to appear if they were scribbled22 off hurriedly from the seat of a moving aeroplane. There are, it may be added, several stains, both on the last page and on the outside cover which have been pronounced by the Home Office experts to be blood — probably human and certainly mammalian. The fact that something closely resembling the organism of malaria23 was discovered in this blood, and that Joyce-Armstrong is known to have suffered from intermittent24 fever, is a remarkable25 example of the new weapons which modern science has placed in the hands of our detectives.
And now a word as to the personality of the author of this epoch-making statement. Joyce-Armstrong, according to the few friends who really knew something of the man, was a poet and a dreamer, as well as a mechanic and an inventor. He was a man of considerable wealth, much of which he had spent in the pursuit of his aeronautical26 hobby. He had four private aeroplanes in his hangars near Devizes, and is said to have made no fewer than one hundred and seventy ascents28 in the course of last year. He was a retiring man with dark moods, in which he would avoid the society of his fellows. Captain Dangerfield, who knew him better than anyone, says that there were times when his eccentricity29 threatened to develop into something more serious. His habit of carrying a shot-gun with him in his aeroplane was one manifestation30 of it.
Another was the morbid effect which the fall of Lieutenant Myrtle had upon his mind. Myrtle, who was attempting the height record, fell from an altitude of something over thirty thousand feet. Horrible to narrate31, his head was entirely32 obliterated33, though his body and limbs preserved their configuration34. At every gathering35 of airmen, Joyce-Armstrong, according to Dangerfield, would ask, with an enigmatic smile: “And where, pray, is Myrtle’s head?”
On another occasion after dinner, at the mess of the Flying School on Salisbury Plain, he started a debate as to what will be the most permanent danger which airmen will have to encounter. Having listened to successive opinions as to air-pockets, faulty construction, and over-banking, he ended by shrugging his shoulders and refusing to put forward his own views, though he gave the impression that they differed from any advanced by his companions.
It is worth remarking that after his own complete disappearance36 it was found that his private affairs were arranged with a precision which may show that he had a strong premonition of disaster. With these essential explanations I will now give the narrative exactly as it stands, beginning at page three of the blood-soaked note-book:
“Nevertheless, when I dined at Rheims with Coselli and Gustav Raymond I found that neither of them was aware of any particular danger in the higher layers of the atmosphere. I did not actually say what was in my thoughts, but I got so near to it that if they had any corresponding idea they could not have failed to express it. But then they are two empty, vainglorious37 fellows with no thought beyond seeing their silly names in the newspaper. It is interesting to note that neither of them had ever been much beyond the twenty-thousand-foot level. Of course, men have been higher than this both in balloons and in the ascent27 of mountains. It must be well above that point that the aeroplane enters the danger zone — always presuming that my premonitions are correct.
“Aeroplaning has been with us now for more than twenty years, and one might well ask: Why should this peril38 be only revealing itself in our day? The answer is obvious. In the old days of weak engines, when a hundred horse-power Gnome39 or Green was considered ample for every need, the flights were very restricted. Now that three hundred horse-power is the rule rather than the exception, visits to the upper layers have become easier and more common. Some of us can remember how, in our youth, Garros made a world-wide reputation by attaining40 nineteen thousand feet, and it was considered a remarkable achievement to fly over the Alps. Our standard now has been immeasurably raised, and there are twenty high flights for one in former years. Many of them have been undertaken with impunity41. The thirty-thousand-foot level has been reached time after time with no discomfort42 beyond cold and asthma43. What does this prove? A visitor might descend44 upon this planet a thousand times and never see a tiger. Yet tigers exist, and if he chanced to come down into a jungle he might be devoured45. There are jungles of the upper air, and there are worse things than tigers which inhabit them. I believe in time they will map these jungles accurately46 out. Even at the present moment I could name two of them. One of them lies over the Pau-Biarritz district of France. Another is just over my head as I write here in my house in Wiltshire. I rather think there is a third in the Homburg-Wiesbaden district.
“It was the disappearance of the airmen that first set me thinking. Of course, everyone said that they had fallen into the sea, but that did not satisfy me at all. First, there was Verrier in France; his machine was found near Bayonne, but they never got his body. There was the case of Baxter also, who vanished, though his engine and some of the iron fixings were found in a wood in Leicestershire. In that case, Dr. Middleton, of Amesbury, who was watching the flight with a telescope, declares that just before the clouds obscured the view he saw the machine, which was at an enormous height, suddenly rise perpendicularly48 upwards49 in a succession of jerks in a manner that he would have thought to be impossible. That was the last seen of Baxter. There was a correspondence in the papers, but it never led to anything. There were several other similar cases, and then there was the death of Hay Connor. What a cackle there was about an unsolved mystery of the air, and what columns in the halfpenny papers, and yet how little was ever done to get to the bottom of the business! He came down in a tremendous vol-plane from an unknown height. He never got off his machine and died in his pilot’s seat. Died of what? ‘Heart disease,’ said the doctors. Rubbish! Hay Connor’s heart was as sound as mine is. What did Venables say? Venables was the only man who was at his side when he died. He said that he was shivering and looked like a man who had been badly scared. ‘Died of fright,’ said Venables, but could not imagine what he was frightened about. Only said one word to Venables, which sounded like ‘Monstrous.’ They could make nothing of that at the inquest. But I could make something of it. Monsters! That was the last word of poor Harry50 Hay Connor. And he DID die of fright, just as Venables thought.
“And then there was Myrtle’s head. Do you really believe — does anybody really believe — that a man’s head could be driven clean into his body by the force of a fall? Well, perhaps it may be possible, but I, for one, have never believed that it was so with Myrtle. And the grease upon his clothes —‘all slimy with grease,’ said somebody at the inquest. Queer that nobody got thinking after that! I did — but, then, I had been thinking for a good long time. I’ve made three ascents — how Dangerfield used to chaff51 me about my shot-gun — but I’ve never been high enough. Now, with this new, light Paul Veroner machine and its one hundred and seventy-five Robur, I should easily touch the thirty thousand tomorrow. I’ll have a shot at the record. Maybe I shall have a shot at something else as well. Of course, it’s dangerous. If a fellow wants to avoid danger he had best keep out of flying altogether and subside52 finally into flannel53 slippers54 and a dressing-gown. But I’ll visit the air-jungle tomorrow — and if there’s anything there I shall know it. If I return, I’ll find myself a bit of a celebrity55. If I don’t this note-book may explain what I am trying to do, and how I lost my life in doing it. But no drivel about accidents or mysteries, if YOU please.
“I chose my Paul Veroner monoplane for the job. There’s nothing like a monoplane when real work is to be done. Beaumont found that out in very early days. For one thing it doesn’t mind damp, and the weather looks as if we should be in the clouds all the time. It’s a bonny little model and answers my hand like a tender-mouthed horse. The engine is a ten-cylinder rotary56 Robur working up to one hundred and seventy-five. It has all the modern improvements — enclosed fuselage, high-curved landing skids57, brakes, gyroscopic steadiers, and three speeds, worked by an alteration58 of the angle of the planes upon the Venetian-blind principle. I took a shot-gun with me and a dozen cartridges59 filled with buck-shot. You should have seen the face of Perkins, my old mechanic, when I directed him to put them in. I was dressed like an Arctic explorer, with two jerseys60 under my overalls61, thick socks inside my padded boots, a storm-cap with flaps, and my talc goggles62. It was stifling63 outside the hangars, but I was going for the summit of the Himalayas, and had to dress for the part. Perkins knew there was something on and implored64 me to take him with me. Perhaps I should if I were using the biplane, but a monoplane is a one-man show — if you want to get the last foot of life out of it. Of course, I took an oxygen bag; the man who goes for the altitude record without one will either be frozen or smothered65 — or both.
“I had a good look at the planes, the rudder-bar, and the elevating lever before I got in. Everything was in order so far as I could see. Then I switched on my engine and found that she was running sweetly. When they let her go she rose almost at once upon the lowest speed. I circled my home field once or twice just to warm her up, and then with a wave to Perkins and the others, I flattened66 out my planes and put her on her highest. She skimmed like a swallow down wind for eight or ten miles until I turned her nose up a little and she began to climb in a great spiral for the cloud-bank above me. It’s all-important to rise slowly and adapt yourself to the pressure as you go.
“It was a close, warm day for an English September, and there was the hush67 and heaviness of impending68 rain. Now and then there came sudden puffs69 of wind from the south-west — one of them so gusty70 and unexpected that it caught me napping and turned me half-round for an instant. I remember the time when gusts71 and whirls and air-pockets used to be things of danger — before we learned to put an overmastering power into our engines. Just as I reached the cloud-banks, with the altimeter marking three thousand, down came the rain. My word, how it poured! It drummed upon my wings and lashed72 against my face, blurring73 my glasses so that I could hardly see. I got down on to a low speed, for it was painful to travel against it. As I got higher it became hail, and I had to turn tail to it. One of my cylinders74 was out of action — a dirty plug, I should imagine, but still I was rising steadily75 with plenty of power. After a bit the trouble passed, whatever it was, and I heard the full, deep-throated purr — the ten singing as one. That’s where the beauty of our modern silencers comes in. We can at last control our engines by ear. How they squeal76 and squeak77 and sob78 when they are in trouble! All those cries for help were wasted in the old days, when every sound was swallowed up by the monstrous racket of the machine. If only the early aviators80 could come back to see the beauty and perfection of the mechanism81 which have been bought at the cost of their lives!
“About nine-thirty I was nearing the clouds. Down below me, all blurred82 and shadowed with rain, lay the vast expanse of Salisbury Plain. Half a dozen flying machines were doing hackwork at the thousand-foot level, looking like little black swallows against the green background. I dare say they were wondering what I was doing up in cloud-land. Suddenly a grey curtain drew across beneath me and the wet folds of vapours were swirling83 round my face. It was clammily cold and miserable84. But I was above the hail-storm, and that was something gained. The cloud was as dark and thick as a London fog. In my anxiety to get clear, I cocked her nose up until the automatic alarm-bell rang, and I actually began to slide backwards85. My sopped86 and dripping wings had made me heavier than I thought, but presently I was in lighter87 cloud, and soon had cleared the first layer. There was a second — opal-coloured and fleecy — at a great height above my head, a white, unbroken ceiling above, and a dark, unbroken floor below, with the monoplane labouring upwards upon a vast spiral between them. It is deadly lonely in these cloud-spaces. Once a great flight of some small water-birds went past me, flying very fast to the westwards. The quick whir of their wings and their musical cry were cheery to my ear. I fancy that they were teal, but I am a wretched zoologist88. Now that we humans have become birds we must really learn to know our brethren by sight.
“The wind down beneath me whirled and swayed the broad cloud-plain. Once a great eddy89 formed in it, a whirlpool of vapour, and through it, as down a funnel90, I caught sight of the distant world. A large white biplane was passing at a vast depth beneath me. I fancy it was the morning mail service betwixt Bristol and London. Then the drift swirled91 inwards again and the great solitude92 was unbroken.
“Just after ten I touched the lower edge of the upper cloud-stratum. It consisted of fine diaphanous93 vapour drifting swiftly from the westwards. The wind had been steadily rising all this time and it was now blowing a sharp breeze — twenty-eight an hour by my gauge94. Already it was very cold, though my altimeter only marked nine thousand. The engines were working beautifully, and we went droning steadily upwards. The cloud-bank was thicker than I had expected, but at last it thinned out into a golden mist before me, and then in an instant I had shot out from it, and there was an unclouded sky and a brilliant sun above my head — all blue and gold above, all shining silver below, one vast, glimmering95 plain as far as my eyes could reach. It was a quarter past ten o’clock, and the barograph needle pointed96 to twelve thousand eight hundred. Up I went and up, my ears concentrated upon the deep purring of my motor, my eyes busy always with the watch, the revolution indicator97, the petrol lever, and the oil pump. No wonder aviators are said to be a fearless race. With so many things to think of there is no time to trouble about oneself. About this time I noted98 how unreliable is the compass when above a certain height from earth. At fifteen thousand feet mine was pointing east and a point south. The sun and the wind gave me my true bearings.
“I had hoped to reach an eternal stillness in these high altitudes, but with every thousand feet of ascent the gale99 grew stronger. My machine groaned100 and trembled in every joint101 and rivet102 as she faced it, and swept away like a sheet of paper when I banked her on the turn, skimming down wind at a greater pace, perhaps, than ever mortal man has moved. Yet I had always to turn again and tack103 up in the wind’s eye, for it was not merely a height record that I was after. By all my calculations it was above little Wiltshire that my air-jungle lay, and all my labour might be lost if I struck the outer layers at some farther point.
“When I reached the nineteen-thousand-foot level, which was about midday, the wind was so severe that I looked with some anxiety to the stays of my wings, expecting momentarily to see them snap or slacken. I even cast loose the parachute behind me, and fastened its hook into the ring of my leathern belt, so as to be ready for the worst. Now was the time when a bit of scamped work by the mechanic is paid for by the life of the aeronaut. But she held together bravely. Every cord and strut104 was humming and vibrating like so many harp-strings, but it was glorious to see how, for all the beating and the buffeting105, she was still the conqueror106 of Nature and the mistress of the sky. There is surely something divine in man himself that he should rise so superior to the limitations which Creation seemed to impose — rise, too, by such unselfish, heroic devotion as this air-conquest has shown. Talk of human degeneration! When has such a story as this been written in the annals of our race?
“These were the thoughts in my head as I climbed that monstrous, inclined plane with the wind sometimes beating in my face and sometimes whistling behind my ears, while the cloud-land beneath me fell away to such a distance that the folds and hummocks107 of silver had all smoothed out into one flat, shining plain. But suddenly I had a horrible and unprecedented108 experience. I have known before what it is to be in what our neighbours have called a tourbillon, but never on such a scale as this. That huge, sweeping109 river of wind of which I have spoken had, as it appears, whirlpools within it which were as monstrous as itself. Without a moment’s warning I was dragged suddenly into the heart of one. I spun110 round for a minute or two with such velocity111 that I almost lost my senses, and then fell suddenly, left wing foremost, down the vacuum funnel in the centre. I dropped like a stone, and lost nearly a thousand feet. It was only my belt that kept me in my seat, and the shock and breathlessness left me hanging half-insensible over the side of the fuselage. But I am always capable of a supreme112 effort — it is my one great merit as an aviator79. I was conscious that the descent was slower. The whirlpool was a cone113 rather than a funnel, and I had come to the apex114. With a terrific wrench115, throwing my weight all to one side, I levelled my planes and brought her head away from the wind. In an instant I had shot out of the eddies116 and was skimming down the sky. Then, shaken but victorious117, I turned her nose up and began once more my steady grind on the upward spiral. I took a large sweep to avoid the danger-spot of the whirlpool, and soon I was safely above it. Just after one o’clock I was twenty-one thousand feet above the sea-level. To my great joy I had topped the gale, and with every hundred feet of ascent the air grew stiller. On the other hand, it was very cold, and I was conscious of that peculiar118 nausea119 which goes with rarefaction of the air. For the first time I unscrewed the mouth of my oxygen bag and took an occasional whiff of the glorious gas. I could feel it running like a cordial through my veins120, and I was exhilarated almost to the point of drunkenness. I shouted and sang as I soared upwards into the cold, still outer world.
“It is very clear to me that the insensibility which came upon Glaisher, and in a lesser121 degree upon Coxwell, when, in 1862, they ascended122 in a balloon to the height of thirty thousand feet, was due to the extreme speed with which a perpendicular47 ascent is made. Doing it at an easy gradient and accustoming123 oneself to the lessened124 barometric125 pressure by slow degrees, there are no such dreadful symptoms. At the same great height I found that even without my oxygen inhaler I could breathe without undue126 distress127. It was bitterly cold, however, and my thermometer was at zero, Fahrenheit128. At one-thirty I was nearly seven miles above the surface of the earth, and still ascending129 steadily. I found, however, that the rarefied air was giving markedly less support to my planes, and that my angle of ascent had to be considerably130 lowered in consequence. It was already clear that even with my light weight and strong engine-power there was a point in front of me where I should be held. To make matters worse, one of my sparking-plugs was in trouble again and there was intermittent misfiring in the engine. My heart was heavy with the fear of failure.
“It was about that time that I had a most extraordinary experience. Something whizzed past me in a trail of smoke and exploded with a loud, hissing131 sound, sending forth133 a cloud of steam. For the instant I could not imagine what had happened. Then I remembered that the earth is for ever being bombarded by meteor stones, and would be hardly inhabitable were they not in nearly every case turned to vapour in the outer layers of the atmosphere. Here is a new danger for the high-altitude man, for two others passed me when I was nearing the forty-thousand-foot mark. I cannot doubt that at the edge of the earth’s envelope the risk would be a very real one.
“My barograph needle marked forty-one thousand three hundred when I became aware that I could go no farther. Physically134, the strain was not as yet greater than I could bear but my machine had reached its limit. The attenuated135 air gave no firm support to the wings, and the least tilt136 developed into side-slip, while she seemed sluggish137 on her controls. Possibly, had the engine been at its best, another thousand feet might have been within our capacity, but it was still misfiring, and two out of the ten cylinders appeared to be out of action. If I had not already reached the zone for which I was searching then I should never see it upon this journey. But was it not possible that I had attained138 it? Soaring in circles like a monstrous hawk139 upon the forty-thousand-foot level I let the monoplane guide herself, and with my Mannheim glass I made a careful observation of my surroundings. The heavens were perfectly140 clear; there was no indication of those dangers which I had imagined.
“I have said that I was soaring in circles. It struck me suddenly that I would do well to take a wider sweep and open up a new airtract. If the hunter entered an earth-jungle he would drive through it if he wished to find his game. My reasoning had led me to believe that the air-jungle which I had imagined lay somewhere over Wiltshire. This should be to the south and west of me. I took my bearings from the sun, for the compass was hopeless and no trace of earth was to be seen — nothing but the distant, silver cloud-plain. However, I got my direction as best I might and kept her head straight to the mark. I reckoned that my petrol supply would not last for more than another hour or so, but I could afford to use it to the last drop, since a single magnificent vol-plane could at any time take me to the earth.
“Suddenly I was aware of something new. The air in front of me had lost its crystal clearness. It was full of long, ragged wisps of something which I can only compare to very fine cigarette smoke. It hung about in wreaths and coils, turning and twisting slowly in the sunlight. As the monoplane shot through it, I was aware of a faint taste of oil upon my lips, and there was a greasy141 scum upon the woodwork of the machine. Some infinitely142 fine organic matter appeared to be suspended in the atmosphere. There was no life there. It was inchoate143 and diffuse144, extending for many square acres and then fringing off into the void. No, it was not life. But might it not be the remains145 of life? Above all, might it not be the food of life, of monstrous life, even as the humble146 grease of the ocean is the food for the mighty147 whale? The thought was in my mind when my eyes looked upwards and I saw the most wonderful vision that ever man has seen. Can I hope to convey it to you even as I saw it myself last Thursday?
“Conceive a jelly-fish such as sails in our summer seas, bell-shaped and of enormous size — far larger, I should judge, than the dome148 of St. Paul’s. It was of a light pink colour veined with a delicate green, but the whole huge fabric149 so tenuous150 that it was but a fairy outline against the dark blue sky. It pulsated151 with a delicate and regular rhythm. From it there depended two long, drooping152, green tentacles154, which swayed slowly backwards and forwards. This gorgeous vision passed gently with noiseless dignity over my head, as light and fragile as a soap-bubble, and drifted upon its stately way.
“I had half-turned my monoplane, that I might look after this beautiful creature, when, in a moment, I found myself amidst a perfect fleet of them, of all sizes, but none so large as the first. Some were quite small, but the majority about as big as an average balloon, and with much the same curvature at the top. There was in them a delicacy155 of texture156 and colouring which reminded me of the finest Venetian glass. Pale shades of pink and green were the prevailing157 tints158, but all had a lovely iridescence159 where the sun shimmered160 through their dainty forms. Some hundreds of them drifted past me, a wonderful fairy squadron of strange unknown argosies of the sky — creatures whose forms and substance were so attuned161 to these pure heights that one could not conceive anything so delicate within actual sight or sound of earth.
“But soon my attention was drawn162 to a new phenomenon — the serpents of the outer air. These were long, thin, fantastic coils of vapour-like material, which turned and twisted with great speed, flying round and round at such a pace that the eyes could hardly follow them. Some of these ghost-like creatures were twenty or thirty feet long, but it was difficult to tell their girth, for their outline was so hazy163 that it seemed to fade away into the air around them. These air-snakes were of a very light grey or smoke colour, with some darker lines within, which gave the impression of a definite organism. One of them whisked past my very face, and I was conscious of a cold, clammy contact, but their composition was so unsubstantial that I could not connect them with any thought of physical danger, any more than the beautiful bell-like creatures which had preceded them. There was no more solidity in their frames than in the floating spume from a broken wave.
“But a more terrible experience was in store for me. Floating downwards164 from a great height there came a purplish patch of vapour, small as I saw it first, but rapidly enlarging as it approached me, until it appeared to be hundreds of square feet in size. Though fashioned of some transparent165, jelly-like substance, it was none the less of much more definite outline and solid consistence than anything which I had seen before. There were more traces, too, of a physical organization, especially two vast, shadowy, circular plates upon either side, which may have been eyes, and a perfectly solid white projection166 between them which was as curved and cruel as the beak167 of a vulture.
“The whole aspect of this monster was formidable and threatening, and it kept changing its colour from a very light mauve to a dark, angry purple so thick that it cast a shadow as it drifted between my monoplane and the sun. On the upper curve of its huge body there were three great projections168 which I can only describe as enormous bubbles, and I was convinced as I looked at them that they were charged with some extremely light gas which served to buoy169 up the misshapen and semi-solid mass in the rarefied air. The creature moved swiftly along, keeping pace easily with the monoplane, and for twenty miles or more it formed my horrible escort, hovering170 over me like a bird of prey171 which is waiting to pounce172. Its method of progression — done so swiftly that it was not easy to follow — was to throw out a long, glutinous173 streamer in front of it, which in turn seemed to draw forward the rest of the writhing174 body. So elastic175 and gelatinous was it that never for two successive minutes was it the same shape, and yet each change made it more threatening and loathsome176 than the last.
“I knew that it meant mischief177. Every purple flush of its hideous178 body told me so. The vague, goggling179 eyes which were turned always upon me were cold and merciless in their viscid hatred180. I dipped the nose of my monoplane downwards to escape it. As I did so, as quick as a flash there shot out a long tentacle153 from this mass of floating blubber, and it fell as light and sinuous181 as a whip-lash across the front of my machine. There was a loud hiss132 as it lay for a moment across the hot engine, and it whisked itself into the air again, while the huge, flat body drew itself together as if in sudden pain. I dipped to a vol-pique, but again a tentacle fell over the monoplane and was shorn off by the propeller182 as easily as it might have cut through a smoke wreath. A long, gliding183, sticky, serpent-like coil came from behind and caught me round the waist, dragging me out of the fuselage. I tore at it, my fingers sinking into the smooth, glue-like surface, and for an instant I disengaged myself, but only to be caught round the boot by another coil, which gave me a jerk that tilted184 me almost on to my back.
“As I fell over I blazed off both barrels of my gun, though, indeed, it was like attacking an elephant with a pea-shooter to imagine that any human weapon could cripple that mighty bulk. And yet I aimed better than I knew, for, with a loud report, one of the great blisters185 upon the creature’s back exploded with the puncture186 of the buck-shot. It was very clear that my conjecture17 was right, and that these vast, clear bladders were distended187 with some lifting gas, for in an instant the huge, cloud-like body turned sideways, writhing desperately188 to find its balance, while the white beak snapped and gaped189 in horrible fury. But already I had shot away on the steepest glide190 that I dared to attempt, my engine still full on, the flying propeller and the force of gravity shooting me downwards like an aerolite. Far behind me I saw a dull, purplish smudge growing swiftly smaller and merging191 into the blue sky behind it. I was safe out of the deadly jungle of the outer air.
“Once out of danger I throttled192 my engine, for nothing tears a machine to pieces quicker than running on full power from a height. It was a glorious, spiral vol-plane from nearly eight miles of altitude — first, to the level of the silver cloud-bank, then to that of the storm-cloud beneath it, and finally, in beating rain, to the surface of the earth. I saw the Bristol Channel beneath me as I broke from the clouds, but, having still some petrol in my tank, I got twenty miles inland before I found myself stranded193 in a field half a mile from the village of Ashcombe. There I got three tins of petrol from a passing motor-car, and at ten minutes past six that evening I alighted gently in my own home meadow at Devizes, after such a journey as no mortal upon earth has ever yet taken and lived to tell the tale. I have seen the beauty and I have seen the horror of the heights — and greater beauty or greater horror than that is not within the ken13 of man.
“And now it is my plan to go once again before I give my results to the world. My reason for this is that I must surely have something to show by way of proof before I lay such a tale before my fellow-men. It is true that others will soon follow and will confirm what I have said, and yet I should wish to carry conviction from the first. Those lovely iridescent194 bubbles of the air should not be hard to capture. They drift slowly upon their way, and the swift monoplane could intercept195 their leisurely196 course. It is likely enough that they would dissolve in the heavier layers of the atmosphere, and that some small heap of amorphous197 jelly might be all that I should bring to earth with me. And yet something there would surely be by which I could substantiate198 my story. Yes, I will go, even if I run a risk by doing so. These purple horrors would not seem to be numerous. It is probable that I shall not see one. If I do I shall dive at once. At the worst there is always the shot-gun and my knowledge of . . . ”
Here a page of the manuscript is unfortunately missing. On the next page is written, in large, straggling writing:
“Forty-three thousand feet. I shall never see earth again. They are beneath me, three of them. God help me; it is a dreadful death to die!”
Such in its entirety is the Joyce-Armstrong Statement. Of the man nothing has since been seen. Pieces of his shattered monoplane have been picked up in the preserves of Mr. Budd-Lushington upon the borders of Kent and Sussex, within a few miles of the spot where the note-book was discovered. If the unfortunate aviator’s theory is correct that this air-jungle, as he called it, existed only over the south-west of England, then it would seem that he had fled from it at the full speed of his monoplane, but had been overtaken and devoured by these horrible creatures at some spot in the outer atmosphere above the place where the grim relics199 were found. The picture of that monoplane skimming down the sky, with the nameless terrors flying as swiftly beneath it and cutting it off always from the earth while they gradually closed in upon their victim, is one upon which a man who valued his sanity200 would prefer not to dwell. There are many, as I am aware, who still jeer201 at the facts which I have here set down, but even they must admit that Joyce-Armstrong has disappeared, and I would commend to them his own words: “This note-book may explain what I am trying to do, and how I lost my life in doing it. But no drivel about accidents or mysteries, if YOU please.”
点击
收听单词发音
收听单词发音 |
1
narrative
|
|
| n.叙述，故事；adj.叙事的，故事体的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
2
perverted
|
|
| adj.不正当的v.滥用( pervert的过去式和过去分词 )；腐蚀；败坏；使堕落 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
3
sinister
|
|
| adj.不吉利的，凶恶的，左边的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
4
macabre
|
|
| adj.骇人的，可怖的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
5
morbid
|
|
| adj.病的；致病的；病态的；可怕的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
6
tragic
|
|
| adj.悲剧的，悲剧性的，悲惨的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
7
monstrous
|
|
| adj.巨大的；恐怖的；可耻的，丢脸的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
8
precarious
|
|
| adj.不安定的，靠不住的；根据不足的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
9
margin
|
|
| n.页边空白；差额；余地，余裕；边，边缘 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
10
lieutenant
|
|
| n.陆军中尉，海军上尉；代理官员，副职官员 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
11
undoubtedly
|
|
| adv.确实地，无疑地 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
12
westward
|
|
| n.西方，西部；adj.西方的，向西的；adv.向西 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
13
ken
|
|
| n.视野，知识领域 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
14
footpath
|
|
| n.小路，人行道 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
15
nettles
|
|
| n.荨麻( nettle的名词复数 ) | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
16
coherence
|
|
| n.紧凑；连贯；一致性 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
17
conjecture
|
|
| n./v.推测，猜测 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
18
conjectured
|
|
| 推测，猜测，猜想( conjecture的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
19
attachment
|
|
| n.附属物，附件；依恋；依附 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
20
neatly
|
|
| adv.整洁地，干净地，灵巧地，熟练地 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
21
ragged
|
|
| adj.衣衫褴褛的，粗糙的，刺耳的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
22
scribbled
|
|
| v.潦草的书写( scribble的过去式和过去分词 )；乱画；草草地写；匆匆记下 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
23
malaria
|
|
| n.疟疾 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
24
intermittent
|
|
| adj.间歇的，断断续续的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
25
remarkable
|
|
| adj.显著的，异常的，非凡的，值得注意的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
26
aeronautical
|
|
| adj.航空（学）的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
27
ascent
|
|
| n.(声望或地位)提高；上升，升高；登高 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
28
ascents
|
|
| n.上升( ascent的名词复数 )；（身份、地位等的）提高；上坡路；攀登 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
29
eccentricity
|
|
| n.古怪，反常，怪癖 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
30
manifestation
|
|
| n.表现形式；表明；现象 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
31
narrate
|
|
| v.讲，叙述 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
32
entirely
|
|
| ad.全部地，完整地；完全地，彻底地 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
33
obliterated
|
|
| v.除去( obliterate的过去式和过去分词 )；涂去；擦掉；彻底破坏或毁灭 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
34
configuration
|
|
| n.结构，布局，形态，(计算机)配置 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
35
gathering
|
|
| n.集会，聚会，聚集 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
36
disappearance
|
|
| n.消失，消散，失踪 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
37
vainglorious
|
|
| adj.自负的；夸大的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
38
peril
|
|
| n.(严重的)危险；危险的事物 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
39
gnome
|
|
| n.土地神；侏儒，地精 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
40
attaining
|
|
| （通常经过努力）实现( attain的现在分词 )； 达到； 获得； 达到（某年龄、水平、状况） | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
41
impunity
|
|
| n.(惩罚、损失、伤害等的)免除 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
42
discomfort
|
|
| n.不舒服，不安，难过，困难，不方便 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
43
asthma
|
|
| n.气喘病，哮喘病 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
44
descend
|
|
| vt./vi.传下来，下来，下降 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
45
devoured
|
|
| 吞没( devour的过去式和过去分词 )； 耗尽； 津津有味地看； 狼吞虎咽地吃光 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
46
accurately
|
|
| adv.准确地，精确地 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
47
perpendicular
|
|
| adj.垂直的，直立的；n.垂直线，垂直的位置 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
48
perpendicularly
|
|
| adv. 垂直地, 笔直地, 纵向地 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
49
upwards
|
|
| adv.向上，在更高处...以上 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
50
harry
|
|
| vt.掠夺，蹂躏，使苦恼 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
51
chaff
|
|
| v.取笑，嘲笑；n.谷壳 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
52
subside
|
|
| vi.平静，平息；下沉，塌陷，沉降 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
53
flannel
|
|
| n.法兰绒；法兰绒衣服 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
54
slippers
|
|
| n. 拖鞋 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
55
celebrity
|
|
| n.名人，名流；著名，名声，名望 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
56
rotary
|
|
| adj.(运动等)旋转的；轮转的；转动的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
57
skids
|
|
| n.滑向一侧( skid的名词复数 )；滑道；滚道；制轮器v.（通常指车辆） 侧滑( skid的第三人称单数 )；打滑；滑行；（住在）贫民区 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
58
alteration
|
|
| n.变更，改变；蚀变 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
59
cartridges
|
|
| 子弹( cartridge的名词复数 )； （打印机的）墨盒； 录音带盒； （唱机的）唱头 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
60
jerseys
|
|
| n.运动衫( jersey的名词复数 ) | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
61
overalls
|
|
| n.（复）工装裤；长罩衣 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
62
goggles
|
|
| n.护目镜 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
63
stifling
|
|
| a.令人窒息的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
64
implored
|
|
| 恳求或乞求（某人）( implore的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
65
smothered
|
|
| （使）窒息， （使）透不过气( smother的过去式和过去分词 )； 覆盖； 忍住； 抑制 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
66
flattened
|
|
| [医]（水）平扁的，弄平的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
67
hush
|
|
| int.嘘，别出声；n.沉默，静寂；v.使安静 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
68
impending
|
|
| a.imminent, about to come or happen | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
69
puffs
|
|
| n.吸( puff的名词复数 )；（烟斗或香烟的）一吸；一缕（烟、蒸汽等）；（呼吸或风的）呼v.使喷出( puff的第三人称单数 )；喷着汽（或烟）移动；吹嘘；吹捧 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
70
gusty
|
|
| adj.起大风的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
71
gusts
|
|
| 一阵强风( gust的名词复数 )； （怒、笑等的）爆发； （感情的）迸发； 发作 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
72
lashed
|
|
| adj.具睫毛的v.鞭打( lash的过去式和过去分词 )；煽动；紧系；怒斥 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
73
blurring
|
|
| n.模糊，斑点甚多，（图像的）混乱v.（使）变模糊( blur的现在分词 )；（使）难以区分 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
74
cylinders
|
|
| n.圆筒( cylinder的名词复数 )；圆柱；汽缸；（尤指用作容器的）圆筒状物 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
75
steadily
|
|
| adv.稳定地；不变地；持续地 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
76
squeal
|
|
| v.发出长而尖的声音；n.长而尖的声音 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
77
squeak
|
|
| n.吱吱声，逃脱；v.（发出）吱吱叫，侥幸通过；（俚）告密 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
78
sob
|
|
| n.空间轨道的轰炸机；呜咽，哭泣 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
79
aviator
|
|
| n.飞行家，飞行员 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
80
aviators
|
|
| 飞机驾驶员，飞行员( aviator的名词复数 ) | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
81
mechanism
|
|
| n.机械装置；机构，结构 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
82
blurred
|
|
| v.（使）变模糊( blur的过去式和过去分词 )；（使）难以区分；模模糊糊；迷离 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
83
swirling
|
|
| v.旋转，打旋( swirl的现在分词 ) | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
84
miserable
|
|
| adj.悲惨的，痛苦的；可怜的，糟糕的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
85
backwards
|
|
| adv.往回地，向原处，倒，相反，前后倒置地 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
86
sopped
|
|
| adj.湿透的，浸透的v.将（面包等）在液体中蘸或浸泡( sop的过去式和过去分词 )；用海绵、布等吸起（液体等） | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
87
lighter
|
|
| n.打火机，点火器；驳船；v.用驳船运送；light的比较级 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
88
zoologist
|
|
| n.动物学家 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
89
eddy
|
|
| n.漩涡，涡流 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
90
funnel
|
|
| n.漏斗；烟囱；v.汇集 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
91
swirled
|
|
| v.旋转，打旋( swirl的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
92
solitude
|
|
| n. 孤独; 独居,荒僻之地,幽静的地方 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
93
diaphanous
|
|
| adj.(布)精致的，半透明的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
94
gauge
|
|
| v.精确计量；估计；n.标准度量；计量器 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
95
glimmering
|
|
| n.微光，隐约的一瞥adj.薄弱地发光的v.发闪光，发微光( glimmer的现在分词 ) | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
96
pointed
|
|
| adj.尖的，直截了当的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
97
indicator
|
|
| n.指标；指示物，指示者；指示器 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
98
noted
|
|
| adj.著名的，知名的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
99
gale
|
|
| n.大风，强风，一阵闹声（尤指笑声等） | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
100
groaned
|
|
| v.呻吟( groan的过去式和过去分词 )；发牢骚；抱怨；受苦 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
101
joint
|
|
| adj.联合的，共同的；n.关节，接合处；v.连接，贴合 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
102
rivet
|
|
| n.铆钉；vt.铆接，铆牢；集中(目光或注意力) | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
103
tack
|
|
| n.大头钉；假缝，粗缝 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
104
strut
|
|
| v.肿胀，鼓起；大摇大摆地走；炫耀；支撑；撑开；n.高视阔步；支柱，撑杆 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
105
buffeting
|
|
| 振动 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
106
conqueror
|
|
| n.征服者，胜利者 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
107
hummocks
|
|
| n.小丘，岗( hummock的名词复数 ) | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
108
unprecedented
|
|
| adj.无前例的，新奇的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
109
sweeping
|
|
| adj.范围广大的，一扫无遗的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
110
spun
|
|
| v.纺，杜撰，急转身 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
111
velocity
|
|
| n.速度，速率 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
112
supreme
|
|
| adj.极度的，最重要的；至高的，最高的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
113
cone
|
|
| n.圆锥体，圆锥形东西，球果 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
114
apex
|
|
| n.顶点，最高点 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
115
wrench
|
|
| v.猛拧；挣脱；使扭伤；n.扳手；痛苦，难受 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
116
eddies
|
|
| （水、烟等的）漩涡，涡流( eddy的名词复数 ) | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
117
victorious
|
|
| adj.胜利的，得胜的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
118
peculiar
|
|
| adj.古怪的，异常的；特殊的，特有的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
119
nausea
|
|
| n.作呕，恶心；极端的憎恶(或厌恶) | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
120
veins
|
|
| n.纹理；矿脉( vein的名词复数 )；静脉；叶脉；纹理 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
121
lesser
|
|
| adj.次要的，较小的；adv.较小地，较少地 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
122
ascended
|
|
| v.上升，攀登( ascend的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
123
accustoming
|
|
| v.（使）习惯于( accustom的现在分词 ) | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
|
124
lessened
|
|
| 减少的，减弱的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
125
barometric
|
|
| 大气压力 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
126
undue
|
|
| adj.过分的；不适当的；未到期的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
127
distress
|
|
| n.苦恼，痛苦，不舒适；不幸；vt.使悲痛 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
128
Fahrenheit
|
|
| n./adj.华氏温度；华氏温度计(的) | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
129
ascending
|
|
| adj.上升的，向上的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
130
considerably
|
|
| adv.极大地；相当大地；在很大程度上 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
131
hissing
|
|
| n. 发嘶嘶声, 蔑视 动词hiss的现在分词形式 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
132
hiss
|
|
| v.发出嘶嘶声；发嘘声表示不满 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
133
forth
|
|
| adv.向前；向外，往外 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
134
physically
|
|
| adj.物质上，体格上，身体上，按自然规律 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
135
attenuated
|
|
| v.（使）变细( attenuate的过去式和过去分词 )；（使）变薄；（使）变小；减弱 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
136
tilt
|
|
| v.(使)倾侧；(使)倾斜；n.倾侧；倾斜 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
137
sluggish
|
|
| adj.懒惰的，迟钝的，无精打采的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
138
attained
|
|
| （通常经过努力）实现( attain的过去式和过去分词 )； 达到； 获得； 达到（某年龄、水平、状况） | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
139
hawk
|
|
| n.鹰，骗子；鹰派成员 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
140
perfectly
|
|
| adv.完美地，无可非议地，彻底地 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
141
greasy
|
|
| adj. 多脂的，油脂的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
142
infinitely
|
|
| adv.无限地，无穷地 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
143
inchoate
|
|
| adj.才开始的，初期的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
144
diffuse
|
|
| v.扩散；传播；adj.冗长的；四散的，弥漫的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
145
remains
|
|
| n.剩余物，残留物；遗体，遗迹 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
146
humble
|
|
| adj.谦卑的，恭顺的；地位低下的；v.降低，贬低 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
147
mighty
|
|
| adj.强有力的；巨大的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
148
dome
|
|
| n.圆屋顶，拱顶 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
149
fabric
|
|
| n.织物，织品，布；构造，结构，组织 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
150
tenuous
|
|
| adj.细薄的，稀薄的，空洞的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
151
pulsated
|
|
| v.有节奏地舒张及收缩( pulsate的过去式和过去分词 )；跳动；脉动；受（激情）震动 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
152
drooping
|
|
| adj. 下垂的，无力的 动词droop的现在分词 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
153
tentacle
|
|
| n.触角，触须，触手 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
154
tentacles
|
|
| n.触手( tentacle的名词复数 )；触角；触须；触毛 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
155
delicacy
|
|
| n.精致，细微，微妙，精良；美味，佳肴 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
156
texture
|
|
| n.(织物)质地；(材料)构造；结构；肌理 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
157
prevailing
|
|
| adj.盛行的；占优势的；主要的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
158
tints
|
|
| 色彩( tint的名词复数 )； 带白的颜色； （淡色）染发剂； 痕迹 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
159
iridescence
|
|
| n.彩虹色；放光彩；晕色；晕彩 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
160
shimmered
|
|
| v.闪闪发光，发微光( shimmer的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
161
attuned
|
|
| v.使协调( attune的过去式和过去分词 )；调音 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
162
drawn
|
|
| v.拖，拉，拔出；adj.憔悴的，紧张的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
163
hazy
|
|
| adj.有薄雾的，朦胧的；不肯定的，模糊的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
164
downwards
|
|
| adj./adv.向下的（地），下行的（地） | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
165
transparent
|
|
| adj.明显的，无疑的；透明的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
166
projection
|
|
| n.发射，计划，突出部分 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
167
beak
|
|
| n.鸟嘴，茶壶嘴，钩形鼻 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
168
projections
|
|
| 预测( projection的名词复数 )； 投影； 投掷； 突起物 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
169
buoy
|
|
| n.浮标；救生圈；v.支持，鼓励 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
170
hovering
|
|
| 鸟( hover的现在分词 )； 靠近（某事物）； （人）徘徊； 犹豫 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
171
prey
|
|
| n.被掠食者，牺牲者，掠食；v.捕食，掠夺，折磨 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
172
pounce
|
|
| n.猛扑；v.猛扑，突然袭击，欣然同意 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
173
glutinous
|
|
| adj.粘的，胶状的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
174
writhing
|
|
| （因极度痛苦而）扭动或翻滚( writhe的现在分词 ) | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
175
elastic
|
|
| n.橡皮圈，松紧带；adj.有弹性的；灵活的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
176
loathsome
|
|
| adj.讨厌的，令人厌恶的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
177
mischief
|
|
| n.损害，伤害，危害；恶作剧，捣蛋，胡闹 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
178
hideous
|
|
| adj.丑陋的，可憎的，可怕的，恐怖的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
179
goggling
|
|
| v.睁大眼睛瞪视， （惊讶的）转动眼珠( goggle的现在分词 ) | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
|
180
hatred
|
|
| n.憎恶，憎恨，仇恨 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
181
sinuous
|
|
| adj.蜿蜒的，迂回的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
182
propeller
|
|
| n.螺旋桨，推进器 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
183
gliding
|
|
| v. 滑翔 adj. 滑动的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
184
tilted
|
|
| v. 倾斜的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
185
blisters
|
|
| n.水疱( blister的名词复数 )；水肿；气泡 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
186
puncture
|
|
| n.刺孔，穿孔；v.刺穿，刺破 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
187
distended
|
|
| v.（使）膨胀，肿胀( distend的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
188
desperately
|
|
| adv.极度渴望地，绝望地，孤注一掷地 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
189
gaped
|
|
| v.目瞪口呆地凝视( gape的过去式和过去分词 )；张开，张大 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
190
glide
|
|
| n./v.溜，滑行；(时间)消逝 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
191
merging
|
|
| 合并（分类） | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
192
throttled
|
|
| v.扼杀( throttle的过去式和过去分词 )；勒死；使窒息；压制 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
193
stranded
|
|
| a.搁浅的，进退两难的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
194
iridescent
|
|
| adj.彩虹色的，闪色的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
195
intercept
|
|
| vt.拦截，截住，截击 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
196
leisurely
|
|
| adj.悠闲的；从容的，慢慢的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
197
amorphous
|
|
| adj.无定形的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
198
substantiate
|
|
| v.证实；证明...有根据 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
199
relics
|
|
| [pl.］n.遗物，遗迹，遗产；遗体，尸骸 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
200
sanity
|
|
| n.心智健全，神智正常，判断正确 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
201
jeer
|
|
| vi.嘲弄，揶揄；vt.奚落；n.嘲笑，讥评 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
| 欢迎访问英文小说网 |