As there was an old well in the field at the side of which we had been hidden all day, we went to it in hopes of finding water. This we were fortunate enough to get. It was the kind of water that would only be drunk by cattle and escaped prisoners.
After filling our water bottles we commenced our march westwards. Very soon we struck a rather wild stretch of country and were startled by the sight of fireworks not far from us. After various rockets and Roman candles had fizzled themselves out, we came to the conclusion that this display constituted [135]no additional risk to us, and pushed ahead. This stretch of rough country began to take a slope, and not long after we began the ascent2 of this incline we debouched on to an open plain. The weather had begun to look threatening about half an hour previously3. Now it was clear to us that we were in for a wetting.
Striking westwards across this plateau we soon got into difficulties. Parts of it were decidedly boggy4 even after the great drought. Several streams and dykes6 intersected the country and barbed-wire fences were common and difficult to climb.
We had covered about four miles since our start, when suddenly the rain began to descend7. Mutterings of thunder and odd flickers8 of lightning in the west boded9 ill for the coming hours. Soon the rain, which had begun falling fairly gently, increased its unwelcome efforts.
The thunderstorm very quickly established itself right over our heads and lightning [136]flashed every second or so. It had got exceedingly dark, and in addition the rain, now descending10 in torrents11, had made the hitherto dry ground into a morass12. We were absolutely unable to make headway in the inky blackness which now reigned13, so we got under some thick trees and sat down. These trees did not shelter us much, and it was not long before we were all soaked to the skin and shivering from head to foot. It was an ideal moment for discussing our future and its chances, and we did it, in a thoroughly14 depressed15 and miserable16 way. We quite envied our late companions their warm if hard apologies for beds at Schwarmstedt. However, all things have an end, and the rain eventually ceased and the darkness lifted somewhat.
Owing to the sodden17 state of the ground now the swampy18 bits had become really things of awe-inspiring proportions, which made us return eastwards19 for a mile or so in search of a road or track along which we [137]could travel in the right direction. This we found and took, doing some three miles or so before the storm returned once more and we were again handicapped by the darkness. So dark was it in fact that we never noticed a bend in the road, and we continued in the same direction only to walk slap into a ditch bristling20 with barbed-wire. This decided us to halt again for a time. The same misery21 repeated itself, but this time tired nature asserted itself in the case of Blank, who slept like a log in the soaking ditch. We waited in this pretty state till the grey light of dawn gave us sufficient seeing-power to enable us to continue without risk of falling into ditches.
Friday, 22nd June. We naturally put on the pace after all this delay, and we soon got warm from hard walking.
Passing through a village and striking across country afterwards for lack of a track to follow, we hit a small river. This we waded22 through and got to rough heath country on the other side.
[138]It was drizzling23 at intervals24 now, and we very much wished to find a dry and sheltered spot in which to lie up during the day.
We thought we had found something suitable in this line and called a halt at a dense25 clump26 of bushes and undergrowth of all kinds. We were disappointed in our place very soon, as the rain came through freely. After boiling some water and drinking the coffee we made with it, we decided to continue our trek27, reasoning that an atrocious day like this would effectually keep early risers in-doors until a later hour at any rate. We were right in our conjecture28, as, although we walked along the roads which are not safe places at 6 o'clock in the morning, we neither saw anyone nor any tracks in the mud which abounded29 everywhere.
Striking more north-west after an hour or so, we again hit a wild trackless moor30. This we began to cross and soon came upon peat-cuttings.
[139]Shortly after this we spied three huts. These at first interested and then fascinated us. At last, plucking up courage, we examined them. Their dry interiors and the lack of all traces of recent visits from human beings, decided us to do rather a risky31 thing, namely, to use them. Having begun risking we went the whole way and made a wood fire in the huts, from splinters torn from the benches, etc. Drying our clothes and cooking hot food of the oxo variety occupied considerable time. We took it in turns to sleep on the floor. This involved practically lying in the fire, but it had the advantage of allowing one to become thoroughly warm. There was a pond of excellent water by the hut we had chosen, so we had quite a number of drinks of coffee and beef tea, etc.
In the afternoon the sun came out to cheer us up a bit, but the scudding32 clouds did not give us much hope of a dry night. We intended to start at 10 o'clock, all being [140]well. At about six I was suddenly taken ill, and for half an hour or so felt extremely miserable. I suppose it was a chill I had got, but fortunately it passed off fairly soon and I was able to eat and have some oxo two hours later. At ten o'clock we actually did start, but we were unfortunate in having pitch-darkness again in which to negotiate extremely difficult ground, as it had set in to rain once more in a thoroughly steady, lasting33 manner.
We had a bad fright over my compass—the best one. When I was ill the compass must have fallen out of my pocket, and although we searched diligently34 everywhere, it was only by the merest chance that I saw a piece of it showing up in the heather in which it was lost. Truly, a marvellous stroke of luck.
We had done about an hour's hard work ploughing through the rough boggy land, when we decided that we had better return to our hut once more, and tackle the bog5 next morning.
[141]This delay meant that we should lose the night's march, a serious affair when food reserves are limited and long distances remain to be covered. However, the night's rest we got as the result of this delay was extremely valuable as a matter of fact, as we woke up in a much fresher state after sleeping till 7 a.m.
Saturday, 23rd June. Comfortably smoking our pipes in the dry warmth of our hut, after a breakfast of tinned beef, biscuit, and hot oxo, we were able to look on the bright side of things, and our fears on the subject of the crossing of the river Weser, to be undertaken within the next twenty-four hours, dwindled36 in strength until we were able to imagine it a trifling37 obstacle. We intended to make a raft and swim it over, should no boat be forthcoming during a short search.
While we were discussing these and sundry38 other matters, Fox suddenly saw two men in dark clothes running across the heath some thousand yards away from us. Who could [142]they be? On they ran, one about thirty yards behind the other, until they both disappeared into a clump of stunted39 pine trees.
After a minute or two's discussion we agreed that probably they were also escaped prisoners.
If so, from what were they running? This question was answered shortly afterwards. A cart driven by two men suddenly came into sight not very far from the place where we had first seen the two running men.
This cart was coming towards our hut, and soon began to fill us with something stronger than mere35 interest in its movements.
It came to within 150 yards of us and then stopped. The men got out and began filling the cart with peat from the piles of this commodity lying about.
We by this time were lying on the bottom of the hut, or squashed up against the back [143]of the door, not daring to move. We prayed that it would not come on to rain heavily, as the men would be certain then to take shelter in one of the huts, and ours was the nearest to them. This suspense40 continued for about half an hour, and then, with the cart filled, the two men departed the way they had come.
At about noon we made up our minds that we could safely attempt the crossing of the moor by day. Accordingly, after clearing the hut of all traces of our occupation we packed up our kit41, shouldered our packs and set off. We had torn up the benches and taken planks42 off the back of one of the other huts, intending to carry them with us to serve as material for our raft for the crossing of the Weser, but now that we actually began our march we found that the weight of all this wood was very considerable and so at the last moment left the whole lot behind. We were fortunate in so doing, as the distance was much greater than we [144]had realised, and, as it turned out, it would have been a case of carrying coals to Newcastle.
We proceeded to negotiate the same ground as that which we had attempted to cross and failed over the night before, and now realised how impossible a task it would have been in the inky blackness of the night, proving as it did a sufficiently43 difficult task even by daylight.
Two or three miles of boggy rough ground had to be covered, and during the last few hundred yards of this, before we reached the lowest slopes of a range of hills, we were continually going through the spongy soil up to our knees.
Fox, who was brought up amidst Irish bogs44, chose the line, and we followed as nearly in his tracks as we possibly could. We were not sorry to get off this bit of difficult country, and we wondered what would have happened if we had continued our attempt the night before.
[145]The range of hills we had now reached ran in a westerly direction for a few miles before sloping down to the valley of the Weser. They were covered with fine pine and fir woods, cut up every now and then into squares by drives made through them.
We saw several deer, and the additional presence of things that looked like shooting butts45 made us think that this area was probably some special deer-forest. None of us felt very safe, as deer-forests mean forest-guards. The lack of food in Germany has probably increased the numbers of the poaching fraternity, and the German authorities are sure not to have reduced the establishment of forest-guards. These ideas caused us usually to feel very nervous in woods, fine cover though they afford.
By 3 o'clock we had reached the western end of these hills and were able to look out over the Weser valley. Our enjoyment46 of the scenery was cut short by our hearing children's voices not far behind us. We [146]bolted into cover like scared rabbits. The place we chose was a very thick plantation47 of young fir-trees. The shelter given us by this was excellent and we afterwards endeavoured to find similar places for our daily rests.
It had become pleasantly warm by now so we all got a little sleep and were very comfortable till about 8 o'clock, when it got cold and we naturally became anxious to move on again. I entered up my rough diary, and we found that we had little reason to be pleased at the pace at which we had travelled up to then.
Fox's right heel and my left ankle had got rubbed a day or so before, and by now had begun to get really troublesome. Providentially we had with us a small tin of boracic ointment48 with which we plastered these sore places every daily halt. At this halting-place we had a thorough overhaul49 of our possessions, and I mended my pack with string, as the great weight of its contents had begun to tell on its seams.
[147]The children's voices continued to make themselves heard all round us, and one was forced to wonder what they found to scream and shout at for such hours on end. Of course Germany is the land of children, they are much more important in that country it appears than elsewhere. The grown-ups seem to understand them better, and certainly the kids themselves always seem to be extremely happy. This particular batch50 of brats51 was just playing in the woods I suppose, but their laughter and shouts caused us some alarm at first, until we got accustomed to the noise.
At about 9 p.m. we decided to commence our march, as we were particularly desirous of striking the Weser bank as soon as possible after complete darkness set in.
Pushing forward through thick undergrowth we had travelled some distance westwards, when we were forced to halt while several military wagons52 passed along a road a short distance in front of us. After they [148]had left our immediate53 neighbourhood I went forward to reconnoitre the main-road which we were bound to cross in the next hundred yards or so. My costume lent itself better to this kind of work than did the garb54 of either of my companions, being as it was of a light brown colour whereas theirs was dark blue or black.
The road was all clear and we got across safely, and continued our march until we reached another road which we crossed safely also, but this time only just in time to avoid a woman on a bicycle.
Blank then went along the edge of the road to look at the sign-post near by, and we two lay fifty yards from the side of the road, bitten all over by the mosquitos which swarmed55 here.
He returned with his information, and off we went.
From this place we made our way so as to pass to the north of a village and strike the Weser bank immediately north of a [149]small town, from which we hoped to steal a boat. We were now among cornfields and got held up until it became quite dark by the presence of various Germans in the fields. We had our evening meal while we waited and felt that the local Germans were very inconsiderate in being in their fields at this hour. However, it was a Saturday night, so it was not so surprising after all that they kept such late hours.
When all was quiet we continued our advance, cutting across corn-fields and getting nice and wet from the dew in so doing.
Striking a village, we walked through it and then took the wrong road for a mile or so before finding out our mistake. On getting on to our correct line again we crossed a level-crossing and began to pass through the outskirts56 of a small town. Turning north to avoid this we arrived at another level-crossing, where we halted to discuss our route. Suddenly the door of the cottage by the level-crossing opened [150]and a man came out. He stood and stared at us, ten paces away.
We quietly moved off and got to the edge of a dense copse, where we doubled on our tracks as quickly as possible, crossing the railway some two hundred yards from the cottage. In crossing a railway one has to be particularly careful not to trip over the signal wires in the darkness. We made some noise on this occasion, as we did not know of the wire's existence and naturally crashed right into it. We did not wait to see if our noise had drawn57 anyone or not, but pushed ahead rapidly. A few hundred yards and we were on the bank of the river which flowed swiftly by, looking a pretty formidable obstacle in the light of the moon.
We had agreed to have a rapid search for a boat, and then, if we had no luck, to swim the river as soon as possible. Fortune favoured us, however, and we found a large ferry-boat moored58 to a post within one [151]hundred yards of the place where we had first debouched on the river's bank. It did not take us long to get aboard and push off into the middle of the stream. Fox, an expert punter, took on the task of getting the boat across, although his bad hands suffered somewhat in the process. Enjoying our ride in the boat we let her drift down-stream for a mile or so. We felt extremely happy at this piece of good fortune and discussed quite seriously what we should have for dinner the first night in town, when we got back. The banks fairly flew past and it was not very long before we had left the farm, near to which we had discovered our boat, a long way behind us. Our free ride over, we chose a landing-place.
Fox brought the boat in towards the western side, and I agreed to go up the bank first in order to make sure that there were no Boche sentries59 patrolling the top of it. When the boat struck the bank where it [152]was covered with bushes, I jumped out and forced my way up to the top, to find it all clear of Germans.
Now occurred what nearly proved to be a tragic60 episode, but it fortunately ended more comically than otherwise.
Coming down the slope again I put my foot on a rotten piece of bank which gave way, with the result that I went crashing into the bushes. Fox, thinking that the Germans had seized me, and that the noise he heard was made by my fighting with them, pushed the boat off into the river again, he and Blank lying flat on the bottom of it. When I got up I saw the boat swirling61 away down-stream, apparently62 empty and absolutely out of control.
For an awful moment I imagined that Blank had fallen overboard and had clutched Fox in doing so, and that now the two of them were drowning each other in the mud at the bottom of the river. I shouted, softly at first, and then louder and louder, [153]but got no answer. The boat still drifted down-stream until it was lost to sight round a bend.
Here was a pretty state of affairs; all the water bottles were in the boat I knew, and my companions were Heaven knows where. Thinking it over, I decided that they might still be in the boat and that they had seen Germans or heard their voices. This decided me to remain still and quiet for an hour in the hopes of something turning up.
After half-an-hour or so, I saw two figures coming along the bank towards me and found on shouting to them, that it was indeed Fox and Blank. They had heard me shout before, but had thought it was meant for a warning to tell them to clear out. We were very relieved to have this episode over. They had brought all the water-bottles on with them and then turned the boat adrift, and watched it float down-stream. We could afford now to laugh at [154]the whole thing, but for all that it was a far from pleasant experience.
However, the main thing which ran through our minds was the fact that the difficult crossing of the Weser was a thing of the past, and we could now reasonably hope to reach the frontier and have a chance to compete with its special difficulties, whereas prior to crossing the Weser it had been a presumption63 to do so.
点击
收听单词发音
收听单词发音 |
1
decided
|
|
| adj.决定了的，坚决的；明显的，明确的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
2
ascent
|
|
| n.(声望或地位)提高；上升，升高；登高 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
3
previously
|
|
| adv.以前，先前（地） | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
4
boggy
|
|
| adj.沼泽多的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
5
bog
|
|
| n.沼泽；室...陷入泥淖 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
6
dykes
|
|
| abbr.diagonal wire cutters 斜线切割机n.堤( dyke的名词复数 )；坝；堰；沟 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
7
descend
|
|
| vt./vi.传下来，下来，下降 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
8
flickers
|
|
| 电影制片业； （通常指灯光）闪烁，摇曳( flicker的名词复数 ) | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
9
boded
|
|
| v.预示，预告，预言( bode的过去式和过去分词 )；等待，停留( bide的过去分词 )；居住；（过去式用bided）等待 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
10
descending
|
|
| n. 下行 adj. 下降的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
11
torrents
|
|
| n.倾注；奔流( torrent的名词复数 )；急流；爆发；连续不断 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
12
morass
|
|
| n.沼泽，困境 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
13
reigned
|
|
| vi.当政，统治（reign的过去式形式） | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
14
thoroughly
|
|
| adv.完全地，彻底地，十足地 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
15
depressed
|
|
| adj.沮丧的，抑郁的，不景气的，萧条的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
16
miserable
|
|
| adj.悲惨的，痛苦的；可怜的，糟糕的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
17
sodden
|
|
| adj.浑身湿透的；v.使浸透；使呆头呆脑 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
18
swampy
|
|
| adj.沼泽的，湿地的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
19
eastwards
|
|
| adj.向东方（的），朝东（的）；n.向东的方向 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
20
bristling
|
|
| a.竖立的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
21
misery
|
|
| n.痛苦，苦恼，苦难；悲惨的境遇，贫苦 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
22
waded
|
|
| （从水、泥等）蹚，走过，跋( wade的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
23
drizzling
|
|
| 下蒙蒙细雨，下毛毛雨( drizzle的现在分词 ) | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
24
intervals
|
|
| n.[军事]间隔( interval的名词复数 )；间隔时间；[数学]区间；（戏剧、电影或音乐会的）幕间休息 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
25
dense
|
|
| a.密集的，稠密的，浓密的；密度大的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
26
clump
|
|
| n.树丛，草丛；vi.用沉重的脚步行走 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
27
trek
|
|
| vi.作长途艰辛的旅行；n.长途艰苦的旅行 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
28
conjecture
|
|
| n./v.推测，猜测 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
29
abounded
|
|
| v.大量存在，充满，富于( abound的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
30
moor
|
|
| n.荒野，沼泽；vt.(使)停泊；vi.停泊 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
31
risky
|
|
| adj.有风险的，冒险的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
32
scudding
|
|
| n.刮面v.（尤指船、舰或云彩）笔直、高速而平稳地移动( scud的现在分词 ) | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
33
lasting
|
|
| adj.永久的，永恒的；vbl.持续，维持 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
34
diligently
|
|
| ad.industriously;carefully | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
35
mere
|
|
| adj.纯粹的；仅仅，只不过 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
36
dwindled
|
|
| v.逐渐变少或变小( dwindle的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
37
trifling
|
|
| adj.微不足道的；没什么价值的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
38
sundry
|
|
| adj.各式各样的，种种的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
39
stunted
|
|
| adj.矮小的；发育迟缓的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
40
suspense
|
|
| n.（对可能发生的事）紧张感，担心，挂虑 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
41
kit
|
|
| n.用具包，成套工具；随身携带物 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
42
planks
|
|
| （厚）木板( plank的名词复数 )； 政纲条目，政策要点 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
43
sufficiently
|
|
| adv.足够地，充分地 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
44
bogs
|
|
| n.沼泽，泥塘( bog的名词复数 )；厕所v.（使）陷入泥沼， （使）陷入困境( bog的第三人称单数 )；妨碍，阻碍 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
45
butts
|
|
| 笑柄( butt的名词复数 )； （武器或工具的）粗大的一端； 屁股； 烟蒂 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
46
enjoyment
|
|
| n.乐趣；享有；享用 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
47
plantation
|
|
| n.种植园，大农场 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
48
ointment
|
|
| n.药膏，油膏，软膏 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
49
overhaul
|
|
| v./n.大修，仔细检查 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
50
batch
|
|
| n.一批(组，群)；一批生产量 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
51
brats
|
|
| n.调皮捣蛋的孩子( brat的名词复数 ) | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
52
wagons
|
|
| n.四轮的运货马车( wagon的名词复数 )；铁路货车；小手推车 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
53
immediate
|
|
| adj.立即的；直接的，最接近的；紧靠的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
54
garb
|
|
| n.服装，装束 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
55
swarmed
|
|
| 密集( swarm的过去式和过去分词 )； 云集； 成群地移动； 蜜蜂或其他飞行昆虫成群地飞来飞去 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
56
outskirts
|
|
| n.郊外，郊区 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
57
drawn
|
|
| v.拖，拉，拔出；adj.憔悴的，紧张的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
58
moored
|
|
| adj. 系泊的 动词moor的过去式和过去分词形式 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
59
sentries
|
|
| 哨兵，步兵( sentry的名词复数 ) | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
60
tragic
|
|
| adj.悲剧的，悲剧性的，悲惨的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
61
swirling
|
|
| v.旋转，打旋( swirl的现在分词 ) | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
62
apparently
|
|
| adv.显然地；表面上，似乎 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
63
presumption
|
|
| n.推测，可能性，冒昧，放肆，[法律]推定 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
| 欢迎访问英文小说网 |