"Powered gliders4 loaded with explosives?" Dave broke the silence as he mumbled6 the words aloud. "That doesn't make sense to me. It.... In fact, Freddy, something you said still doesn't make sense to me. What was all that stuff about Bristol, and the English being more advanced than the Nazis8, and stuff? I thought for a while you were just giving him double-talk, or something. But doggone if you both didn't seem to know what it was all about. What...?"
"If you'd just let that tongue of yours run down, I'd tell you!" the English youth interrupted. "Certainly we both knew what the other was talking about. I thought you had guessed it, too, Dave. The stuff I said to General von Peiplow was just to see if I had the right idea. And what he said to me was proof that I had. Blast the Nazis, anyway. Trust them, the cunning devils, to be the first to adopt a new weapon!"
"Pardon me, old thing!" Dave grated at him. "Would you like me to leave so you can go on having a nice little conversation with yourself? Snap out of it, Freddy! Stop talking riddles9! You're driving me bats. What the heck are you driving at, anyway?"
"Those gliders, you idiot!" Freddy hissed10 at him. "Didn't you see with your own eyes, Dave? Don't you know, now, how those Lockheed Hudson bombers11 were so mysteriously destroyed last Tuesday night?"
Dave took a deep breath, and slowly counted up to ten.
"No," he finally said with forced patience. "I don't catch on to a thing. Now, for cat's sake stop beating around the bush, and put it in words I can understand!"
"Very well, then," Freddy said. "Be quiet and listen. Each of those gliders, or soaring planes, is powered with a small auxiliary12 engine, and enough gas to take it up to very high altitudes. Instead of a pilot the glider5 is loaded with high explosives. When the thing reaches maximum altitude the engine cuts out, and from then on the glider is radio controlled. Understand, now, Dave? Radio controlled! Every air force in the world has been working on that for years, and it looks like the Nazis have been able to make it work on gliding13, or soaring planes. And they've got hundreds of the things in those underground hangars. This area, here, is the testing and experimental ground for radio controlled auxiliary powered gliders. You see?"
Dave sucked air into his lungs and sat perfectly14 motionless. His brain was whirling, and drops of cold sweat oozed15 out of his face.
"Sweet tripe16!" he suddenly ejaculated. "Am I dumb, and are you one bright lad, Freddy, to catch on so fast! Gosh! They can fill the air with those things, and...."
"Exactly!" the English youth interrupted excitedly. "Fill the air with hundreds and thousands of the things the factories can turn out like hot-cakes. Each glider carries a load of sudden destruction for anything that bumps into it, and the whole lot can be maneuvered17 from a radio control plane in the air, or from the ground. Right from von Peiplow's office, too, I fancy. I've fiddled18 around quite a bit, and, although I'm years and years from being an expert, I knew at once that all those gadgets19 in von Peiplow's office had to do with the radio control of planes, or something."
"Those Lockheed bombers of flare20 picture patrol last Tuesday night!" Dave breathed softly. "The Nazis heard them coming. Maybe they can even spot and locate planes at night by radio, just like we can in England. Maybe they have a hush-hush radio plane locator just like we have. Anyway, they spotted21 those Lockheeds and sent up a flock of their TNT gliders. It is a million times better than a balloon blockade, or wire nets, and that sort of stuff. A wall of TNT loaded gliders swinging around in the night sky in solid formation. All of them controlled by radio. The Lockheed boys probably never saw them. Flew right into them and were blown to bits. That's the terrific explosion you must have seen, Freddy!"
"I'm sure of it!" the English youth said through clenched22 teeth. "Hitler's new weapon is a radio controlled glider loaded with TNT, or some other high explosive. They cost little to make, and they can be turned out in great quantities in almost no time at all. No need to train pilots. No costly23 guns and instruments, and the like. No worry how many of them are destroyed. Always hundreds and hundreds coming off the factory line to fill up the gaps. And, Dave!"
"What?" the Yank asked as Freddy stopped short.
"Perhaps von Peiplow's experiments here on this glider business, mean much more than simply holding control of the air over the Occupied Countries!" the English youth said in a strained voice. "Think, Dave! Think of thousands and thousands of those gliders being directed across the Channel to England! It would be like trying to shoot down a swarm24 of bees. Every time you got one there'd be three more to fill its place. Dave! That can't happen. It mustn't happen!"
"You're telling me?" Dave grated and clenched his fists in helpless rage. "You're darn right it mustn't happen. We've got to do something, Freddy. We've got to do something that will make all of von Peiplow's tests and experiments go up in smoke. And.... Hey! That's it! The whole works go up in smoke!"
Dave had lowered his voice to a whisper as he spoke25 the last. Freddy Farmer leaned close to him and whispered back in the darkness.
"Are you crazy?" he hissed. "What in the world are you talking about? It's impossible!"
"Nuts it's impossible!" Dave shot back. "Von Peiplow let the cat out of the bag, only I'm just realizing it. Remember his bawling26 out that scared pink captain? Remember his saying it was a break that crashed glider didn't hit the hangars? How there was enough stuff there to blow the works right off the face of the earth? That's all we've got to do, Freddy. Blow this whole place right clean out of sight. Von Peiplow, Ox Face, the hired help, and all the radio equipment, and stuff, going sky high, and not coming back. That's it, Freddy!"
"Oh, quite!" the English youth groaned27. "Sounds so terribly easy, too! What would you suggest we do first? Walk out of here and bash Colonel Comstadt over the head? I'm sure he must be fast asleep, and we'd have no trouble."
"Go sell it up the next street, and shut up!" Dave growled28. "Give a guy a chance to think. I'll figure something."
"Take all the time you want, little man," Freddy grunted29. "There's no hurry. Seriously, though, Dave, if we only could think of some way. If.... What's the matter?"
Dave had reached out in the darkness and gripped Freddy's arm.
"Just keep talking," he whispered. "Talk about anything. Tell me a story. Anything, but just keep talking. A half baked idea is beginning to buzz in the old dome30. I'm going to prowl around a bit, and...."
"Dave, you madman!" Freddy hissed. "You can't get outside. You're no match for that big devil. He'll...!"
"Keep your shirt on!" Dave choked him off. "I'm not going outside. I'm going to prowl around inside, and try to find something. You just keep talking, pal31. Ox Face can hear through that door, so I want your voice to cover up any sounds I make. Okay. Start talking!"
Dave gave Freddy a reassuring32 pat on the knee and glided33 away in the darkness. He heard the English youth start telling about an experience he had when he was learning to fly, and then Freddy's voice became no more than a constant murmur34 in Dave's ears. He was down on all fours and creeping around on the dirt floor and concentrating every bit of his attention on his task. Seconds ticked by to form a minute. Then two minutes, three, four, and on up to ten.
By then Dave had explored every square inch of the dirt floor with his hands, one side wall, and the rear wall. A cloud of bitter defeat was crowding into his heart, and it was all he could do to stop from pulling a clip of matches from his pocket and striking one into light. There had to be something he could use in this deserted35 repair shed. There had to be something! An old rusty36 wrench37, or a length of stout38 timber. Something he could use as a club. Even a rock would do the trick. But his hands touched nothing that wasn't nailed or bolted fast. The dirt floor was smooth as glass, and entirely39 unbroken by a corner of rock jutting40 up.
More agonizing41 minutes ticked by and hope began to fade in Dave's heart. Then, suddenly, when he had reached a point but a few feet from the workbench upon which Freddy sat, his groping hands touched something that electrified42 him with wild joy. The something was an eighteen inch length of lead pipe that stuck out from the side of the repair shop. He explored it with his fingers and hope leaped even higher. The length of pipe, which he guessed had served as a conduit for electric wires, was not screwed tight in the connecting joint43 set flush with the shop wall. After several twists with his hands he had the thing free. He hefted the pipe in one hand and grinned happily in the darkness.
"Lady Luck, give me just one whack44!" he breathed softly. "Just one whack, that's all!"
With a nod for emphasis he got to his feet and moved over to Freddy. The English youth cut his monologue45 off short as Dave touched him on the arm.
"What is it, Dave?" he whispered. "Good grief! What's that? It feels like lead pipe."
"It is," the Yank whispered back. "Now, listen, Freddy. I've got a hunch46. I'll bet you anything you like, part of Ox Face's job outside is to listen to us ... in case we spill something talking to each other. Von Peiplow is worried, plenty worried. If he wasn't, he would have put bullets in us long ago. And, if you ask me, one reason he is worried is because Barker did get through!"
"You think so, Dave?" Freddy questioned eagerly.
"I've got a strong hunch he did," Dave replied. "Anyway, von Peiplow is in a spin, or I miss my guess. He's darn sure we know something he wants to know. So he's keeping us on ice here to break us down with fear of what Ox Face would do to us, if von Peiplow should give him the green light. Also, it's a good bet von Peiplow is playing a hunch that you and I will get talking and spill something for Comstadt's ears. Okay, now. Here's my plan.
"You and I are going to talk, see? We're going to have a sweet argument. I'm going to be in favor of spilling what we know, and saving our skins. You're to be against that, and get real sore, see? Give me the works, and shout that you'd kill me before you'd let me say a word. Got it? Raise the roof!"
"Yes, but why?" Freddy whispered. "What do you hope to happen?"
"I'm hoping that Ox Face will come barging in here to break it up," Dave said. "And the instant he sticks his head in through that door he gets this lead pipe, but good! Then we beat it."
"To where?" Freddy wanted to know. "What do you expect to do? Throw a firecracker at those hangars and blow up the TNT loaded gliders?"
"Certainly!" Dave snapped in sarcastic47 tone. "Didn't you know I always carry a pocketful of firecrackers around with me? No, you dope! We head for the landing field on the other side of these woods. Where we saw that Messerschmitt One-Ten go down."
"Then what?" the cautious English youth wanted to know.
"For cat's sake, how do I know?" Dave groaned. "We'll blow up that bridge when we come to it. The main thing is to put Ox Face bye-bye, and get out of here. Are you with me, or not?"
"What a blasted silly question!" Freddy growled. "Of course, Dave! I simply wanted to know what we were to do afterward48, that's all."
"Well, that's one I can't answer, yet," Dave grunted. "The instant we're out of here just hang onto my coat tails, pal! We'll be going places, and fast. Now, hold everything for a second or two, then play right up to what I say. And, luck, little man!"
Freddy didn't say anything. He simply reached out quickly and pressed Dave's arm hard. The Yank pulled his arm free and moved over to a point a foot or so to the right of the door. There he stopped, turned toward Freddy and cupped his hands to his lips to make his voice sound as though it came from the rear of the repair shop.
"But you're nuts, Freddy!" he said in a loud voice. "What's it going to get us? A bullet in the head, after that big baboon49 gets through tearing us apart. Well, nix on that for me! I say, tell von Peiplow what we know, and at least go on living. Heck...."
"Never, Dawson!" Freddy Farmer shouted back angrily. "And I thought you had courage, and were ready to die for England? Why...!"
"Not this way!" Dave snarled50. "Not in a rotten dump like this. Okay, so you're an Englishman. Well, go ahead and get your own head beaten off. I'm not going to. I'm going to tell von Peiplow, and that's final!"
"No, you're not!" Freddy bellowed51. "You may have been my best friend, Dawson, but I'll kill you before I'll let you say a word to von Peiplow. I warn you!"
Dave sensed rather than heard movement just outside the door. His heart was trying to burst out through his ribs52, and the blood racing53 through his veins54 was like liquid fire.
"Yeah?" he yelled back at Freddy. "You and who else? You dumb dope, what good is it for us to be dead? None! We're sunk, I tell you! Von Peiplow has us both right behind the eight ball, and.... Easy, Farmer! Stand back, I'm telling you! Lay a hand on me and I'll belt you right through that wall!"
"Then go ahead and belt, you yellow coward, you traitor55!" Freddy screamed. "I'll shut your mouth, if it's the last thing I do! I'll...."
The English youth screamed other things but Dave didn't bother listening. He heard the sound of the bolt outside being snapped back. A second later the door handle rattled56, and the door was pushed open. A shaft57 of light from a flash in Colonel Comstadt's big hand cut the darkness and started sweeping58 the interior.
"Stop it, both of you!" the Gestapo man's voice roared. "What is all...?"
At that exact instant Dave brought the lead pipe down on the big head that had moved past the edge of the door. Every ounce of Dave's strength was in the blow, and when he connected the jolt59 almost tore the length of lead pipe from his grasp. Colonel Comstadt didn't so much as let out a tired sigh. He folded to the floor in a heap of motionless bones, flesh, and fat. Dave bent60 over quickly, snapped off the flashlight, and wrenched61 it from the Nazi7's stiff fingered grip.
"Phew, you hit him a terrible one!" Freddy Farmer breathed in Dave's ear.
"I hope to kiss an alligator62, I did!" Dave panted. "It even bent the pipe. Come on! Help me haul the rest of him inside. Then we lock him up for the night, and get going. Boy! Would I like to do that over again half a dozen times, the big lug63!"
In the matter of a few seconds later the two boys had hauled the unconscious Gestapo man all the way inside the deserted repair shop, and bolted the door on the outside. For a moment more they crouched64 there motionless in the darkness of night straining their eyes and ears. They saw nothing but a couple of faint lights in the distance that probably came from General von Peiplow's office. And they heard nothing but the distant throbbing65 note of night flying Nazi planes far, far to the north. Then Dave reached out and took hold of Freddy's hand.
"To the right around this hut, Freddy!" he whispered. "Then straight through the woods to that landing field. And pray hard we have some luck when we get there!"
"Right you are!" the English youth whispered back. "And I'm jolly well afraid we're going to need a lot of it!"
Dave didn't make any comment to that. There was nothing he could say. They were free men, but that was only the beginning. With every step they took they might be moving a step nearer to final failure, and certain death. No well laid plans and preparations, now. Everything that happened from this instant on, was in the laps of the gods!
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1
hurled
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| v.猛投，用力掷( hurl的过去式和过去分词 )；大声叫骂 | |
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enveloped
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| v.包围，笼罩，包住( envelop的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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snug
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| adj.温暖舒适的，合身的，安全的；v.使整洁干净，舒适地依靠，紧贴；n.（英）酒吧里的私房 | |
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gliders
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| n.滑翔机( glider的名词复数 ) | |
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glider
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| n.滑翔机；滑翔导弹 | |
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mumbled
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| 含糊地说某事，叽咕，咕哝( mumble的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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Nazi
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| n.纳粹分子，adj.纳粹党的，纳粹的 | |
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Nazis
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| n.（德国的）纳粹党员( Nazi的名词复数 )；纳粹主义 | |
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riddles
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| n.谜（语）( riddle的名词复数 )；猜不透的难题，难解之谜 | |
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hissed
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| 发嘶嘶声( hiss的过去式和过去分词 )； 发嘘声表示反对 | |
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bombers
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| n.轰炸机( bomber的名词复数 )；投弹手；安非他明胶囊；大麻叶香烟 | |
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auxiliary
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| adj.辅助的，备用的 | |
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gliding
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| v. 滑翔 adj. 滑动的 | |
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perfectly
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| adv.完美地，无可非议地，彻底地 | |
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15
oozed
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| v.（浓液等）慢慢地冒出，渗出( ooze的过去式和过去分词 )；使（液体）缓缓流出；（浓液）渗出，慢慢流出 | |
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tripe
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| n.废话，肚子, 内脏 | |
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maneuvered
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| v.移动，用策略( maneuver的过去式和过去分词 )；操纵 | |
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fiddled
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| v.伪造( fiddle的过去式和过去分词 )；篡改；骗取；修理或稍作改动 | |
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gadgets
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| n.小机械，小器具（ gadget的名词复数 ） | |
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flare
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| v.闪耀，闪烁；n.潮红；突发 | |
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spotted
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| adj.有斑点的，斑纹的，弄污了的 | |
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clenched
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| v.紧握，抓紧，咬紧( clench的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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costly
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| adj.昂贵的，价值高的，豪华的 | |
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swarm
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| n.(昆虫)等一大群；vi.成群飞舞；蜂拥而入 | |
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25
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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26
bawling
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| v.大叫，大喊( bawl的现在分词 )；放声大哭；大声叫出；叫卖（货物） | |
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27
groaned
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| v.呻吟( groan的过去式和过去分词 )；发牢骚；抱怨；受苦 | |
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growled
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| v.（动物）发狺狺声， （雷）作隆隆声( growl的过去式和过去分词 )；低声咆哮着说 | |
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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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dome
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| n.圆屋顶，拱顶 | |
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pal
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| n.朋友，伙伴，同志；vi.结为友 | |
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reassuring
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| a.使人消除恐惧和疑虑的，使人放心的 | |
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glided
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| v.滑动( glide的过去式和过去分词 )；掠过；（鸟或飞机 ） 滑翔 | |
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murmur
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| n.低语，低声的怨言；v.低语，低声而言 | |
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deserted
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| adj.荒芜的，荒废的，无人的，被遗弃的 | |
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rusty
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| adj.生锈的；锈色的；荒废了的 | |
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wrench
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| v.猛拧；挣脱；使扭伤；n.扳手；痛苦，难受 | |
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entirely
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| ad.全部地，完整地；完全地，彻底地 | |
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jutting
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| v.（使）突出( jut的现在分词 )；伸出；（从…）突出；高出 | |
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41
agonizing
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| adj.痛苦难忍的；使人苦恼的v.使极度痛苦；折磨(agonize的ing形式) | |
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42
electrified
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| v.使电气化( electrify的过去式和过去分词 )；使兴奋 | |
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43
joint
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| adj.联合的，共同的；n.关节，接合处；v.连接，贴合 | |
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44
whack
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| v.敲击，重打，瓜分；n.重击，重打，尝试，一份 | |
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45
monologue
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| n.长篇大论，（戏剧等中的）独白 | |
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hunch
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| n.预感，直觉 | |
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sarcastic
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| adj.讥讽的，讽刺的，嘲弄的 | |
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afterward
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| adv.后来；以后 | |
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baboon
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| n.狒狒 | |
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50
snarled
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| v.（指狗）吠，嗥叫， （人）咆哮( snarl的过去式和过去分词 )；咆哮着说，厉声地说 | |
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51
bellowed
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| v.发出吼叫声，咆哮（尤指因痛苦）( bellow的过去式和过去分词 )；（愤怒地）说出（某事），大叫 | |
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52
ribs
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| n.肋骨( rib的名词复数 )；（船或屋顶等的）肋拱；肋骨状的东西；（织物的）凸条花纹 | |
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53
racing
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| n.竞赛，赛马；adj.竞赛用的，赛马用的 | |
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veins
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| n.纹理；矿脉( vein的名词复数 )；静脉；叶脉；纹理 | |
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traitor
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| n.叛徒，卖国贼 | |
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rattled
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| 慌乱的，恼火的 | |
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shaft
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| n.(工具的)柄，杆状物 | |
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sweeping
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| adj.范围广大的，一扫无遗的 | |
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59
jolt
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| v.（使）摇动，（使）震动，（使）颠簸 | |
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60
bent
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| n.爱好，癖好；adj.弯的；决心的，一心的 | |
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61
wrenched
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| v.（猛力地）扭( wrench的过去式和过去分词 )；扭伤；使感到痛苦；使悲痛 | |
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62
alligator
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| n.短吻鳄(一种鳄鱼) | |
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63
lug
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| n.柄，突出部，螺帽；(英）耳朵；（俚）笨蛋；vt.拖，拉，用力拖动 | |
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64
crouched
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| v.屈膝，蹲伏( crouch的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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65
throbbing
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| a. 跳动的,悸动的 | |
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