“A shell!” echoed Ned.
As he spoke1 there came another screaming rush, and this time it was followed by a reverberating2 crash. The earth shook. The projectile3 had burst near at hand.
“Thought I hadn’t forgotten the tune,” muttered Stanley.
“There must be a ship to seaward pumping metal into this wasp4 nest!” exclaimed Midshipman Stark5, his face burning with excitement.
“That’s it, sir, I think. Here, Strong, give me a leg up—so.”
Once more Stanley peered through the window, supporting himself as before.
“There’s some sort of craft out yonder,” he announced, fairly sputtering6 out his words in his excitement. “She’s firing so fast I can’t see her for smoke.”
Explosion followed explosion now. Bugle7 calls resounded8 amid the noise of falling buildings. The inmates9 of the prison could hear the clash of accouterments as troops raced by. Hoarse10 commands sounded near and far.
“There’s a fine picnic now, I’m thinking,” grinned Stanley, “and—Great Scott!”
An explosion louder than any of the preceding ones sounded. A choking dust filled the air. It drifted in through the window.
“Great Dewey! they’re shelling this building!” yelled Midshipman Stark.
Cr-as-h!
The place shook as if an earthquake had passed beneath it. Mingling12 with the roar of the exploding shell and the scream of the projectiles13 that were now pumping into the city came a sound of splintering and smashing.
“Those fellows have the range,” shouted Ned above the uproar14.
“Yes, and if we don’t get out of here quick we’ll find a grave in the ruins,” roared the midshipman.
As he spoke the building shook to its foundations once more, and a heavy explosion rent the air.
“Too close for comfort,” decided15 Stanley. “Come on, we’ll try the door.”
Together the Americans rushed the portal. The strong oak withstood their united assault without a tremor16, however.
“We’ll be killed like rats if we don’t escape!” exclaimed Herc despairingly.
“What are we to do?” gasped17 Ned, as they stood in the center of the prison, with the sweat streaming from them. Outside the bombardment grew heavier. It seemed incessant18 now. Suddenly Stanley gave an exclamation19. His companions, gazing at him, saw that his cheeks were white.
“Do you smell something?” he choked out.
A pungent20 odor had filled the air of the prison within the last few minutes.
“Yes, smells like burning,” assented21 the middy.
“It is burning. The place is on fire.”
“On fire!”
“And burning like a dry haystack. If we’re not out of here in a few minutes we’re goners.”
Even while he spoke the sinister22 odor grew stronger. Now their horrified23 ears caught the crackle of the flames as they ate their way toward them. Sparks drifted in through the window and lay glowing on the floor of the place.
“The door! Try it once more. It’s our last chance!”
It was Stanley who spoke. His words came chokingly in the reek24 of the burning building. But as once more their shoulders crashed against the heavy portal they fell back with a groan25 of despair. They had made no more impression on it than if it had been made of boiler26 plate.
Suddenly an explosion, sharper and more ear-splitting than its predecessors27, detonated—in their very faces, as it seemed. They were flung reeling in every direction, while suffocating28 fumes29 and dust filled the air.
Ned felt a sharp pain in his leg and put down his hand. It came away red and sticky. A flying splinter had struck him. Anxiously he gazed about him. His companions lay as they had been flung. But an instant later they began scrambling30 to their feet.
“W-what happened?” gasped Ned.
“A shell burst in our faces almost—and look!”
Stanley’s voice broke off in a joyous31 yell.
The oaken door, riven and splintered by the projectile, hung saggingly on one hinge. A child could have pushed it open.
“I’d give six months’ pay to the fellow who aimed that gun!” cried Stanley, as the Americans charged in a body on the tottering32 portal. It was swept aside with a crash, and out they poured into the street. Their guards had long since fled. The only visible inhabitants about were the pigs. Here and there these horrible creatures were nosing huddled33 forms, which the boys realized with a chill were those of victims of the bombardment. It was the first glimpse of war at close quarters for Ned and Herc. They felt rather sickened.
But it was no time for indulging in such thoughts. All about them shells were bursting.[200] More screamed past overhead. The air was filled with choking dust and acrid34 powder fumes.
Suddenly a sullen35 sound of firing sounded off to the right and below them. It was quite near at hand.
“The shore batteries!” cried Stanley. “Come on, we’ve got no time to lose.”
“Where can we go?” exclaimed Midshipman Stark. “If we go toward Boca del Sierras we’ll run right into the arms of the insurgents36.”
“We’ll head for the shore!” exclaimed Stanley. “Come on.”
Suiting the action to the word, he started off, followed by the others. What a sight they presented! How different from the trim man-of-war’s men of every-day life! With faces grimed where dirt had rubbed into sweat, their clothes half in ribbons, cut and bleeding from scratches received when the providential shell burst, they looked more like savage37 combatants in a desperate fight for life than American sailors.
As they ran the disastrous38 effects of the bombardment were everywhere apparent. Houses[201] which a short time before had been occupied,—gaped like open dolls’ houses, exposing to view the contents of every floor. Natives, some of them wounded and bleeding, staggered about under loads of cherished household goods. Once they passed a man half frenzied39 from fright, dashing aimlessly about with a parrot in a cage. More pathetic were the groups of women and children deserted40 by their cowardly men folk. These cowered41 in the shadow of the shell-riven buildings, in imminent42 danger of having the tottering structures collapse43 on them.
More than one of these latter groups the Americans found time to warn of their danger. But it was a hurried dash, with little time for acts of mercy or kindness. Curiously44 enough, above all other sounds, the squealing45 of the town pigs predominated. The creatures, frenzied by the confusion and noise, dashed about open-mouthed. They looked as dangerous as wild boars.
On dashed the Americans, and now a wandering breeze swept aside for a moment the clouds of heavy smoke enveloping46 the attacking ship,[202] and they recognized her with a cry of surprise as the destroyer General Barrill, which they had last seen at Hermillo. Her decks flashed incessantly47 as her guns were worked. Stanley looked on approvingly.
“They’ll make a mess of this place.”
“I don’t know,” cried the middy suddenly, as a shell shrieked48 toward the courageous49 little craft. “The land batteries have opened fire.”
“And, by Christopher Columbus, they’ve got the range, too!” exclaimed Stanley, as a shell struck the water near the adventurous50 little destroyer.
“If only we were aboard her we would be safe for a while,” breathed Ned, as they perceived the red, white and blue, with the gold star, of the Costavezan republic floating at the bombarding vessel’s stern.
“It was my idea to make for her,” rejoined Stanley. “Come on, let’s get down on that little wharf51 there and wave to her. If we can attract their attention they’ll take us on board.”
“If the fire from the fort doesn’t get too hot,[203] and they have to skedaddle first,” observed the middy.
There was good reason for his fear. Shells were now breaking all about the destroyer. So far, however, she seemed uninjured.
They gained the wharf that Stanley had indicated in a few minutes. As they stood breathless on the slender timbers Stanley gave a shout.
“A boat!” he exclaimed, pointing to a small dinghy moored52 below.
“Come on, we’ll row out!” cried the middy. “Get aboard there, men. Slippy now!”
In another moment they had put several boats’ lengths between themselves and the wharf.
“Hooray!” Ned could not help shouting, as the boat moved rapidly over the water. His enthusiasm received an abrupt53 check. Not a hundred yards from them a shell from the fort struck the water.
“They’ve seen us!” cried the middy.
“That may have been a chance shot, sir,” observed Stanley. “If they fire any more we’ll know then what their target is.”
Even as he spoke another shell whizzed toward them. It exploded in a “raying” smother54 of brown smoke.
“Wow! that was close,” exclaimed the boatswain’s mate, as the spray showered them.
“Another one like that——”
Boom!
The explosion cut short Ned’s words.
“They’re getting the range. That one wasn’t a hundred feet away,” grunted55 Stanley. “Give way now, boys.”
He suited the action to the word. His great muscles strained till the oar11 bent56 under his pull, but fast as the boat leaped through the water there was still a lamentably57 large space separating her from the torpedo-boat destroyer.
The General Barrill all this time had been firing away unceasingly at the shore, but without apparently58 succeeding in silencing one of the guns.
“I hope that our old general is up in that battery,” observed the middy, as a shell from the destroyer burst in clouds of dust right inside the fortifications, as it seemed.
“If he is, he swallowed some dust that time,” laughed Stanley. He glanced over his shoulder.
The General Barrill was not far now. They could see figures on her decks waving them encouragingly on.
“Come on, boys,” shouted Stanley, “a little more steam. That’s it. Now, we won’t be——”
A blinding flash filled the air about them. Involuntarily Ned and Herc threw their hands in front of their eyes. It was well they did so, for the quick movement threw Ned out of the path of a jagged piece of metal. It whisked past his ear viciously. A shell had exploded almost alongside them.
Before they could uncover their eyes the resulting swell59 swept down on the boat. Overloaded60 as she was, the water poured in over her gunwales in a torrent61. It was useless to attempt to bail62.
The detonation63 of the shell had hardly ceased ringing in their ears before the Americans were struggling in the water, with shells screaming and exploding all about them.
The Americans were struggling in the water, with shells screaming and exploding all about them.
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收听单词发音
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1
spoke
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| n.（车轮的）辐条；轮辐；破坏某人的计划；阻挠某人的行动 v.讲，谈（speak的过去式）；说；演说；从某种观点来说 | |
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2
reverberating
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| 回响，回荡( reverberate的现在分词 )； 使反响，使回荡，使反射 | |
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3
projectile
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| n.投射物，发射体；adj.向前开进的；推进的；抛掷的 | |
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4
wasp
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| n.黄蜂，蚂蜂 | |
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stark
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| adj.荒凉的；严酷的；完全的；adv.完全地 | |
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6
sputtering
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| n.反应溅射法；飞溅；阴极真空喷镀；喷射v.唾沫飞溅( sputter的现在分词 )；发劈啪声；喷出；飞溅出 | |
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7
bugle
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| n.军号，号角，喇叭；v.吹号，吹号召集 | |
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8
resounded
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| v.（指声音等）回荡于某处( resound的过去式和过去分词 )；产生回响；（指某处）回荡着声音 | |
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9
inmates
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| n.囚犯( inmate的名词复数 ) | |
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10
hoarse
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| adj.嘶哑的，沙哑的 | |
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11
oar
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| n.桨，橹，划手；v.划行 | |
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mingling
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| adj.混合的 | |
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projectiles
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| n.抛射体( projectile的名词复数 )；（炮弹、子弹等）射弹，（火箭等）自动推进的武器 | |
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14
uproar
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| n.骚动，喧嚣，鼎沸 | |
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15
decided
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| adj.决定了的，坚决的；明显的，明确的 | |
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tremor
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| n.震动，颤动，战栗，兴奋，地震 | |
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17
gasped
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| v.喘气( gasp的过去式和过去分词 )；喘息；倒抽气；很想要 | |
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18
incessant
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| adj.不停的，连续的 | |
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exclamation
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| n.感叹号，惊呼，惊叹词 | |
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20
pungent
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| adj.（气味、味道）刺激性的，辛辣的；尖锐的 | |
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21
assented
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| 同意，赞成( assent的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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22
sinister
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| adj.不吉利的，凶恶的，左边的 | |
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23
horrified
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| a.(表现出)恐惧的 | |
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reek
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| v.发出臭气；n.恶臭 | |
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25
groan
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| vi./n.呻吟，抱怨；(发出)呻吟般的声音 | |
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26
boiler
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| n.锅炉；煮器(壶，锅等) | |
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27
predecessors
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| n.前任( predecessor的名词复数 )；前辈；（被取代的）原有事物；前身 | |
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28
suffocating
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| a.使人窒息的 | |
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29
fumes
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| n.(强烈而刺激的)气味，气体 | |
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30
scrambling
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| v.快速爬行( scramble的现在分词 )；攀登；争夺；（军事飞机）紧急起飞 | |
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31
joyous
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| adj.充满快乐的；令人高兴的 | |
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32
tottering
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| adj.蹒跚的，动摇的v.走得或动得不稳( totter的现在分词 )；踉跄；蹒跚；摇摇欲坠 | |
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33
huddled
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| 挤在一起（huddle的过去式与过去分词形式） | |
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34
acrid
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| adj.辛辣的，尖刻的，刻薄的 | |
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35
sullen
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| adj.愠怒的，闷闷不乐的，(天气等)阴沉的 | |
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36
insurgents
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| n.起义，暴动，造反( insurgent的名词复数 ) | |
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37
savage
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| adj.野蛮的；凶恶的，残暴的；n.未开化的人 | |
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38
disastrous
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| adj.灾难性的，造成灾害的；极坏的，很糟的 | |
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39
frenzied
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| a.激怒的；疯狂的 | |
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40
deserted
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| adj.荒芜的，荒废的，无人的，被遗弃的 | |
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41
cowered
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| v.畏缩，抖缩( cower的过去式 ) | |
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42
imminent
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| adj.即将发生的，临近的，逼近的 | |
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43
collapse
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| vi.累倒；昏倒；倒塌；塌陷 | |
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44
curiously
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| adv.有求知欲地；好问地；奇特地 | |
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45
squealing
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| v.长声尖叫，用长而尖锐的声音说( squeal的现在分词 ) | |
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46
enveloping
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| v.包围，笼罩，包住( envelop的现在分词 ) | |
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47
incessantly
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| ad.不停地 | |
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48
shrieked
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| v.尖叫( shriek的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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49
courageous
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| adj.勇敢的，有胆量的 | |
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50
adventurous
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| adj.爱冒险的；惊心动魄的，惊险的，刺激的 | |
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51
wharf
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| n.码头，停泊处 | |
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52
moored
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| adj. 系泊的 动词moor的过去式和过去分词形式 | |
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53
abrupt
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| adj.突然的，意外的；唐突的，鲁莽的 | |
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54
smother
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| vt./vi.使窒息；抑制；闷死；n.浓烟；窒息 | |
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55
grunted
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| （猪等）作呼噜声( grunt的过去式和过去分词 )； （指人）发出类似的哼声； 咕哝着说 | |
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56
bent
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| n.爱好，癖好；adj.弯的；决心的，一心的 | |
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57
lamentably
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| adv.哀伤地，拙劣地 | |
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58
apparently
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| adv.显然地；表面上，似乎 | |
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59
swell
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| vi.膨胀，肿胀；增长，增强 | |
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60
overloaded
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| a.超载的，超负荷的 | |
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61
torrent
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| n.激流，洪流；爆发，(话语等的)连发 | |
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62
bail
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| v.舀（水），保释；n.保证金，保释，保释人 | |
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63
detonation
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| n.爆炸；巨响 | |
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