"Give me a belt!" he cried in irrelevant1 response to every gracious overture2 of hospitality. For although presents were heaped upon him, the official belt of the Cherokee nation was not among them, and he cast them all aside as mere3 baubles4.
Even the clever subterfuges6 of that master of statecraft, the half-king, Atta-Kulla-Kulla, might not avail. "N'tschutti!" (Dear friend) he said once in eager propitiation; "Gooch ili lehelecheu?" (Does your father yet live?) He spoke7 in a gentle voice and slowly, the Delaware language being unaccustomed to his lips. "Tell the great sakimau I well remember him!" And he laid a string of beads8 on the arm of the quivering Lenape, for their grandfather was of that nationality.
But what flout9 of Fate was this? Not the coveted10 string of wampum, the official token, its significance not to be argued away, or overlooked, or mistaken—but instead a necklace of pearls, the fine freshwater gems11 of the region, so often mentioned by the elder writers and since held to be mythical12 or exaggeration of the polish of mere shell beads till the recent discoveries have placed once more the yield of the Unio margaritiferus of the rivers of Tennessee on metropolitan13 markets.
A personal gift—of the rarest, it is true—but a mere trifle in the estimation of Tscholens, in comparison with that national recognition which he craved14 and which a tribe of warriors16 awaited.
The irate17 grandfather flung the glossy18 trinket from him down among the ashes of the fire, which glowed in the centre of the floor of the great council-house of the town of Citico, one of the dome19-shaped buildings, plastered as usual within and without with richly tinted20 red clay. The flicker21 from the coals revealed the rows of posts that like a colonnade22 upheld the roof; the cane23-wrought24 divan25 encircling the apartment between these columns and the windowless walls; the astonished faces and feather-crested heads of the conclave27 of Cherokee chiefs from half a dozen towns as they clustered around the fire and stared at Tscholens.
The grave emotion in his face dignified28 its expression despite its savagery29. Paradoxically the grandfather was young, slender, and, rated by any other standard than that of the Cherokees, an unusually tall people, would have been considered of fine height. His muscular arms were bare except for his heavy silver bracelets30; a tuft of feathers quivered high on his head; his leggings were of deerskin, embroidered31 with parti-colored quills33 of the porcupine34, and his shirt was of fine sable35 fur. His voice was sonorously36 insistent37.
"N'petalogalgun!" (I am sent as a messenger) he declared urgently. "Give me a belt."
He turned his flaming eyes directly upon Atta-Kulla-Kulla, himself in the prime of life now, in 1745, who it seemed must act definitely under this coercion38. He must either refuse to testify to the truth, which he knew, or involve his people, the Cherokees, in a quarrel which did not concern them, of which a century was tired, between the Lenni Lenape and the Mengwe.
So long ago it had begun! The Mengwe, hard pressed by other nations and long at war with the Lenape, besought39 peace of this foe40, and that they would use their influence with the others. Usually women, prompted always by the losing side, protested against the further effusion of blood and went with intercessions from one faction42 to the other. This, in view of the number and devious43 interests of the warring forces, was then impracticable, and therefore the Mengwe besought the Lenape to act as mediator44 for the occasion. Only so noted45 a race of warriors could afford this magnanimity, the Mengwe argued. It might impair46 the prestige of a less high-couraged and powerful tribe. And with these specious48 wiles49 the cat was duly belled.
But alas50 for the Lenape! Magnanimity is the most dangerous of all the virtues—to its possessor! Presently the Mengwe claimed to have conquered the Lenape in battle, and cited the well-known fact that they had inaugurated peace proposals. As the Mengwe confederation grew more powerful they assumed all the arrogance51 of a protectorate. They sold the lands of their dependents. They resented all action of the Lenape on their own account. If the Lenape went to war on some quarrel of their making, they had the Mengwe to reckon with as well as the enemy. As the years rolled by in scores, this fiction gradually assumed all the binding53 force of fact, till now it was felt that only by the avowal54 of the truth by some powerful tribe, both ancient and contemporary, such as the Cherokee,—who, although allied55 neither linguistically56 nor consanguineously, by some abstruse57 figment of Indian etiquette58 affected59 an affiliation60 to the Lenape and called them "grandfather,"—could their rightful independence be recognized, re?stablished, and maintained. Therefore, "Give me a belt!" cried Tscholens pertinaciously61, offering in exchange the official belt of the Delawares, or, as they were called, Lenni Lenape.
Nothing less would content him. He hardened himself as flint against all suave62 beguilements tending to effect a diversion of interest. He would not see the horse-race. He would not "roll the bullet." He would not witness the game of chungke, expressly played in honor of his visit. He even refused to join in the dance, although young and nimble. But it chanced that the three circles were awhirl on the sandy spaces contiguous to the "beloved square" when the first break in the cohesion63 of his pertinacity64 occurred. The red sunset was widely aflare; the dizzy rout66 of the shadows of the dancers, all gregarious67 and intricately involved in the three circles, kept the moving figures company. These successive circles, one within another, followed each a different direction in their revolutions to the music of the primitive68 flute69, fashioned of the bone of a deer (the tibia), and the stertorous70 sonorities71 of the earthen drums; and as the fantastically attired72 figures whirled around and around, their dull gray shadows whisked to and fro on the golden brown sand, all in the red sunset glow.
Tscholens, quitting the council-house, glanced but indifferently at them and then away at the lengthening73 perspective of the azure74 mountains of the Great Smoky range. The harbingers of the twilight75 were advancing in a soft blue haze76 over the purple and garnet tinted slopes near at hand, their forests all leafless now, although the autumn had lingered long, and the burnished77 golden days of the Indian summer were loath78 to go. Lights were springing up here and there in the town as the glow of the hearths79 of the dwellings80, where supper was cooking, flickered81 out to meet on the threshold the rays of the departing sun, which seemed to pause there for a farewell glance in at the open door. In the centre of the "beloved square" the fire which always burned here was slowly smouldering. It flung a red reflection on the front of the building devoted82 to the conferences of the aged47 councilors, painted a peaceful white and facing the setting sun. At this moment was emerging from it a figure which Tscholens had not before seen.
A man so old he was that even the Indian's back was bent83. His face was of weird84 effect, for amid its many wrinkles were streaks85 of parti-colored paint such as he had worn more than three quarters of a century earlier, when his fleet foot and the old war-trace were familiar. In common with all the Cherokees, his head was polled and bare save for a tuft, always spared to afford a grasp for any hand bold enough and strong enough to take the scalp; but this lock, although still dense86 and full, was of a snowy whiteness, contrasting sharply with the red paint and belying87 the warlike aspect of the red-feathered crest26 that trembled and shivered with the infirmities of his step. A heavy robe of fur reached almost to his feet, and a mantle88, curiously89 wrought of the iridescent90 feathers of the neck and breast of the wild turkey, bespoke91 his consequence and added to the singularity of his aspect; for Indians seldom attained92 such age in those wild days, the warriors being usually cut off in their prime. It is to be doubted if Tscholens had ever seen so old a man, for this was Tsiskwa of Citico, reputed then to be one hundred and ten years of age.
The step of the young grandfather, sauntering along, came to an abrupt93 halt. He stood staring, exclaiming to the Cherokee warrior15 Savanukah, "Pennau wullih! Auween won gintsch pat?" (Look yonder! Who is that who has just come?)
It was an eagle-like majesty94 which looked forth95 from the eyes of Tsiskwa of Citico, as he seated himself on the long cane-wrought divan, just within the entrance of the cabin on the eastern side of the "beloved square." Time can work but little change in such a spirit. An eagle, however old, is always an eagle.
The sage96 lifted one august claw and majestically97 waved it at the young Delaware illau (war-captain) standing99 before him, while Savanukah turned away to join the dancers. "Lenni Lenape?—I remember—I remember very well when you came from the West!"
Tscholens was not stricken with astonishment100, although that migration101 is held by investigators102 of pre-Columbian myths[11] to have occurred before the ninth century! It was formerly103 a general trait among the Indians to use the, first person singular in speaking of the tribe, and to avoid, even in its name, the plural104 termination. Tsiskwa went on with the tone of reminiscence rather than legendary105 lore32, and with an air of bated rancor106, as of one whose corroding107 grievance108 still works at the heart, to describe how the Lenni Lenape crossed the Mississippi and fell upon the widespread settlements of the Alligewi (or Tallegwi) Indians—considered identical with the Cherokee (Tsullakee)—and warred with them many years in folly109, in futility110, in hopeless defeat.
He lifted his eyes and gazed at the sun. A curve of pride steadied his old lips. His face was as resolute111, as victorious112, in looking backward as ever it had been in vaunting forecast. His was the temperament113 that always saw in prophecy or retrospect114 what he would wish to see. And that sun, now going down, had lighted him all his life along a path of conscious triumph.
And then, he continued, the Lenni Lenape, after years of futile115 war, combined with the Mengwe,[12] and before their united force the Cherokee retired116 into the impregnable stronghold of their mountains, their beautiful country, the pride of the world!
He waved his hand toward the landscape—lying out there in the lustre117 of its exquisite118 coloring, in the clarified air and the enhancing sunset; in the ideality of the contour of its majestic98 lofty mountains; in the splendor119 of its silver rivers, its phenomenally lush forests, its rich soil—pitying the rest of the world who must needs dwell elsewhere.
"And here," he went on, "the European found me two centuries ago."
He proceeded to narrate120 the advent121 of De Soto and his followers122 into the country of the Cherokees, embellishing123 his account with unrecorded particulars of their stay, especially in their digging for gold and silver, in which enterprise he himself seemed to have actively124 participated—only some two centuries previous!
Tscholens, listening, looked about absently at the "beloved square," which was vacant, with its open piazza-like building on each of the four sides. Two or three men were talking in the "war cabin," painted a vivid red. On the western side of the square the roof of the "holy cabin" showed dark against a lustrous125 reach of the shimmering126 river; despite the shadows within the broad entrance, the "sacred white seat" and the red clay transverse wall that partitioned off the sanctum sanctorum were plainly visible, but all was empty, deserted—the cheera-taghe had departed for the night.
As Tsiskwa paused to cough, the Delaware, suddenly taking heart of grace, observed that it had always been the boast of the Lenni Lenape that they were the first tribe to welcome the European, the Dutch, to the land that they now called New York.
Whereupon Tsiskwa retorted in a tempest of racking coughs that, whoever welcomed the Europeans here or there, it was no credit that the Lenape should be so forward to appropriate it! The white people were not the friends of the red man. They wanted the whole country. Finally they would have it.
"Mattapewiwak nik, schwannakwak!" (The white people are a deceiving lot!) said Tscholens, seeking some common ground on which they could meet with a mutual128 sentiment.
And at once Tsiskwa was all animation129 and as aggressive as at twenty. Well, indeed, might the Lenape say that! They were forever an easy prey—not only of the astute130 Europeans, but of the simple Indian as well. For a hundred years they had been the dupe of the Mengwe! As the mind of Tsiskwa dwelt on the various subtleties131 of the diplomatic attitude of the Mengwe toward the Lenape, its craft so appealed to him that his lips curved with relish132; a smile irradiated his blurred133 eyes and intensified134 his wrinkles; his cough, shaking the folds of his outer fur garments above his wasted chest, mingled135 with his gay chuckle136 of merriment, as young as a boy's, while he cried, "Iroquois! Iroquois!"—the characteristic exclamation137 of the Mengwe confederation, whence they take their modern and popular name, and signifying, "I have spoken! I have spoken!"
At the familiar and detested138 sound the Lenape suddenly smote139 his breast with his braceleted arms, and a strong cry involuntarily broke from him—so poignant140, so bitter, so shrill141, that it sounded high above the bleating142 flute, the guttural drone of the drum, the vibratory throb143 of the dancing feet, and brought the pastime to a sudden close. In another moment the "beloved square" was filled with crowds of the Cherokees and their huddling144 shadows, all a medley145 in the last red suffusions of the sinking sun. To the tumult146 of eager, anxious, polite questions, Tscholens faltered147 to Savanukah, who had hastily returned:—
"N'schauwihilla! N'dagotschi! Lowanneunk undchen!" (I am fainting! I am cold! The wind comes from the north!)
He looked ill enough, but Savanukah's sharp eyes scanned suspiciously the aged countenance148 of Tsiskwa of Citico. Tsiskwa was, however, the image of venerable and respected innocence149. His aged lips mumbled150 one upon the other silently. He hardly seemed to take note of the tumult. When the afflicted151 "grandfather" was being led away from the scene, Savanukah loitered to ask, with well-couched phrase and the show of deep reverence152, what had been the tenor153 of the discourse154, and it was with a galvanic jerk that the old man appeared to gather his faculties155 together.
"Of what did he talk?" Tsiskwa fixed156 august eyes upon Savanukah as he repeated the query157. "Am I to remember of what young men talk?—the mad young men?—mad, mad—all quite mad!"
For not to Savanukah, surely, would he confess; and although because of this reticence158 that discerning party believed that Tsiskwa had wittingly wounded their emotional "grandfather" in his tenderest pride till he roared like a bull, Savanukah afterward159 had cause to repudiate160 this opinion in a conviction which was less to the credit of the acumen161 of Tsiskwa than a full confession162 of his breach163 of etiquette in tormenting164 his young "grandfather" might have been. At the time Savanukah felt a certain, malicious165 pride in the old man's keenness and poise166 and capacity, and he said apart to the inquisitive167 bystanders that, as might have been expected, the big bird, Tsiskwa-yah, had pounced168 upon the little bird, Tscholen-tit—for the name of each signifies a bird in their respective languages, and the suffixes169 imply great and small. And mightily170 pleased was Savanukah with his own wit.
That night came a sudden change. A keen frost was falling soon after the sun went down, for the wind was laid, and such a chill glittering white moon came gliding171 out of the mists about the dark Great Smoky domes172 that it seemed the winter incarnate173. All adown the desert aisles174 of the leafless woods the light lay with a flocculent glister like snow, so enhanced was its whiteness in the rare air and the blackness of the forest shadows—spare, clearly drawn175, all filar and fine like the intricacies of a delicate line engraving176. Something that the daylight might have shown, blue and blurred, was about the mountains; it followed the progress of that wintry moon westward177. Presently, drawn up from across the ranges, it proved to be a purple cloud, and despite the broad section of the heavens still clear and the glittering whorls of the constellations178, that cloud held snow.
As the loitering southern winter had been long in abeyance179, many of the Cherokees of Citico Town were still in their airy summer residences, but in one of the conical "winter houses," stove-like, air-tight, windowless, plastered within and without with the impervious180 red clay of the region, after the fashion of the great rotunda181, Tscholens, in view of his sudden seizure182 and complaint of the gentle breeze of the south as freighted with the chill of the north, was consigned183 to rest. Half a dozen Cherokee braves were detailed184 to accompany him, nominally185 as a guard; but, there being no menace, this was in recognition of his importance and distinction, his escort of Delaware Indians having been billeted about in the town. There was no chimney, and although the fire which burned in the centre of the clay floor exhaled186 but little smoke, it hung in the air for the lack of the means of escape, and seemed to add to the warmth which the fuel sent forth. Now and again the superfluity of ashes encroached on the live coals. Whereupon one or another of the occupants of the restricted apartment, silent and recumbent upon the cane divan, which served now as bed and extended all ground the room between the walls and the row of posts that upheld the roof, would reach out a long stick, furnished for the purpose to each sleeper187, and touch off the incumbering ash from the glow of the embers. As the night wore deeper into the dark hours these intervals188 of waking were rarer.
Tscholens, muffled189 in bed draperies of otter190 furs and feathered mantles191, his cane-wrought couch softened192 with panther and wolf skins, heard the wind going its rounds, and he realized that the direction of the currents of the air had veered193 and it came straight from the north. With the mere suggestion his heart sank. How should he return whence it came?—baffled, denied, empty-handed!—from these specious Cherokees, who yet called the Lenape "grandfather."
The young war-captain had divined since he had been among them that the Cherokees were making ready for war against the British government; they would attack the South Carolina colonists194, and for this reason, if for no other, they would do nothing to anger the Mengwe, the Iroquois, whom, however, they had often fought: for they loved war—they loved war!
Gradually the room grew less warm. A sudden stir sounded under the divan, and a dog presently crept out to the fire, stretching lengthily195 and yawning widely as he went. He bestowed196 himself in an upright posture197 by the coals and looked down with drowsy198 gravity at the glow. His pendant ears, his long, pointed199 muzzle200, his upright, rotund body, and his pose of solemn pondering made a queer shadow on the wall. He was no Cherokee, so to speak, but was the property of a French officer, and, following his master here from Fort Toulouse, aux Alibamons, had been left in the care of a Cherokee friend to await his owner's return from a mission to Fort Chartres and other French settlements "in the Illinois." The dog spoke any language, it might seem; for when one of the braves, half-awakened by his loud, unmannerly yawn, called out a reproof201 to him in Cherokee, he wagged his tail among the cold ashes till he stirred up a cloud of gritty particles; then he made his way across the room to the speaker, wheezing202 and sniffing203, and bantering204 for a romp41, till he was caught by the muzzle and, squeaking205 and shrilling206, thrust under the divan anew.
Once more silence, save for the patrol of the wind again on its rounds. Once more the flare65 of the fire, dying gradually down to a smouldering red glow, akin52 to the smothered207 red tone of the terra-cotta wall. Once more the hot, angry eyes of the young war-captain, staring hopelessly, sleeplessly208 into the red gloom and the dull mischance of the future, sequel of the past.
Suddenly a thought struck him. It seemed at first to take his breath away. He gasped209 at the mere suggestion of its temerity210. Then it set his blood beating furiously in his veins211. After a space, in which he sought to calm himself, to still his nerves, to tame his quivering muscles, he rose slowly to a sitting posture, then stepped deftly212, lightly to the floor. Standing motionless, he glanced keenly about in the dull red gloom. All silence—no stir save the regular rise and fall of the breathing of the slumbering213 Indians. Nevertheless, with his keen perceptions all alert and tense, he felt an eye upon him. He looked back warily214 over his shoulder through the lucid215 red gloom, like a palpable medium, as one looks, through a veil or tinted glass.
It was the eye of the dog! The animal lay under the couch, his muzzle flat on the clay floor. A serious yet doubtful vigilance was in his aspect. Tscholens was already at the exit, which was a narrow winding216 passage serving as a wind-break, and with a sudden turn leading to the outer world. He heard the abrupt patter of the dog's feet on the clay floor, and a drowsy voice calling to the animal in Cherokee, admonishing217 him to be still. Tscholens waited without, and, as the dog issued and with half-aroused suspicions sniffed218 dubiously219 around him, he stooped down and patted the creature's head. It was well, after all, that he should follow; the noise of the dog's exit and return would serve to cover his own absence.
He sought craftily220 to make friends with the dog. "Mon chou! Mon cochon!" he said, aping the endearments221 addressed to dog or horse which he had heard from the French officers at Fort Chartres, where he had recently been. Then suddenly in agitation222: "Tais toi! Sois sage!"
For the animal was indeed no Cherokee. At the sound of his native tongue, as it were, he demonstrated how little he cared to be in his skin, for his joyous223 bounces almost took him out of that integument224. Luckily his gambols225 were noiseless,—for the ground was covered with snow.
Tscholens stood for a moment motionless, his brain still afire with the imminent226 emprise, but his hot heart turning cold, and failing; for the snow—oh, treacherous227 cloud!—the snow would betray his steps and the trail disclose the mystery.
"Oh, Lowannachen!" (Oh, north wind!) he moaned, holding up both hands outstretched to the north. "Oh, wischiksil! Witschemil!" (Oh, be thou vigilant228! Help me!)
Then suddenly lowering his head, he sped like the wind itself through the town, along the river bank and into the sacred precincts of the "beloved square." Ah! here he had stood this evening with what different hope and heart. Here in front of the eastern cabin he had sat beside the wily Tsiskwa of Citico, who might hardly make feeble shift to sway a reed, and yet with sharp sarcasms229 had stabbed him again and again to the very heart.
"Pihmtonheu! Oh, pihmtonheu!" (He has the crooked230 mouth! Oh, he has the crooked mouth!) Tscholens muttered between his set teeth as he crossed the open space and paused before the western "holy cabin."
But for his rage, perhaps, but for his smarting wounds, Tscholens might have labored231 with some deterrent232 sense of sacrilege. But no! With one elastic233 bound he leaped upon the "holy white seat," whence he surmounted234 the tier of places still behind and higher; then he lightly swung himself down into the intervening space in front of the inner partition formed by a red clay wall.
A momentary235 pause—a monition of caution. He looked back over his shoulder at the pallid236 world without, visible across the barrier of seats through the broad entrance of the loggia-like place. With the reflection from the drifts on the ground and the tempered radiance of the moon behind the tissues of cloud, the scene seemed more wan127, more illumined with ghastly light, because of the density237 of the gloom wherein he stood. The conical-shaped winter tenements238 had each a thatch239 of snow; the great circular council-house, with its whitened dome, glimmered240 as stately as some marble rotunda, on its high mound241, distinct against the blurring242 blue shadow of the night and the gray clouds and the bare boughs243 of the encompassing244 forest. No living creature was to be seen, save the dog that had followed him, and that had paused to investigate some real or fancied find beneath the snow,—a bone, perhaps, flung out from the feastings of overnight; perhaps some little animal, young or hurt, whelmed in the drift. Now the dog thrust down a tense, inquiring muzzle, sniffing tentatively, cautiously, and again he plied245 alternately his forefeet and his hindfeet, digging out the snow from the quarry246; then once more, with a motionless body and a straight, quivering tail, he applied247 his sensitive nostrils248 to the examination.
Tscholens with gratification noted his absorption. This was indeed well. The animal's persistent249 following further might have hampered250 his plans and revealed his intrusion. The next moment, as the illau turned to his purpose, densest251 night seemed to have encompassed252 him. The shadows cloaked all, save only the blank wall of clay and, down close to the ground, an arched opening into the sanctum sanctorum,—an opening so limited that it might barely suffice to admit a man's body, creeping prone253 upon the earth, and so whelmed in night that it seemed to give a new and adequate interpretation254 of the idea of darkness. Could he hope, all unaccustomed here, to turn in that restricted space to retrace255 the way? Could a ray of guiding light be caught from without across this high, guarding barrier of tiers of seats? And what perchance might lurk256 within instead of the object of this search?
At the mere thought of this object of search all fear, all vestige257 of anxiety vanished. Tscholens felt his heart beat fast. His blood throbbed258 in his temples. He dropped upon his knees—a sinuous259, supple260 motion, a vague rustle261, and he had passed into the unimagined dark precincts beyond the aperture262.
Absolute quietude now reigned263 in the "holy cabin." The darkness filled it with a solemnity and awe264 that made a compact with silence and accounted the slightest sound, the softest stir, as a sacrilege.
When an owl—a tiny thing, the familiar little "wahuhu" of the Cherokees—flitted down with its noiseless wings from out the sky and sat, a mere tuft of feathers and big round eyes, on one of the eaves, its shrill cry and convulsive chatter265 smote the night with a sudden affright—all the breathless listening spaces of the "beloved square" seemed to shiver at the sound, and the keen sleety266 lines of snow were tremulously vibrant267 with it as the flakes268 came slanting269 down once more from the north.
For as Tscholens plunged270 out from the sanctuary271 his first consciousness of the world without was the chill touch of the falling snow on his cheek, its moist, icy breath on his lips beating back his own quick, agitated272 respiration273. The little "wahuhu," all startled by his sudden exit, rose with a sharp, cat-like mew from the eaves above his head, dislodging a drift upon his hair, and fluttered away to a branch of a tree, still gazing after him as he sped swiftly, joyously274, to the winter house where he lodged,—the descending275 snow would soon fill the trace of his light footsteps and none be the wiser.
All danger of discovery, however, was not over-past. One of the braves in the winter house experienced a vague intimation of an entrance into the building, that peculiar276 chill which accompanies even to the warmest fireside an intruder from the outer air. It seemed explained when he roused himself and saw standing by the fire the French officer's dog, now gazing at the glow with meditative277 eyes, now diverted to industriously278 licking his sides. As the long cane of the waking Indian threw off the summit of the ashes and touched up the embers to a more cordial warmth, the dog, always relishing279 companionship, repaired to the side of the divan, and the young Cherokee, pushing him off, noticed the dripping sides of the animal where the snow had melted on the hair.
"It must be raining," he said to himself, all unaware280 that aught had entered except the dog, coming and going after the manner of his restless kind. The incident recurred281 no more to his mind save for a vague recollection of his error when he perceived in the morning that it was snow that had fallen in the night and not rain.
A new sensation pervaded282 the town upon its awakening283. The "grandfather" announced the termination of his visit.
"N'matschi!" (I shall go home) he said. And in explanation of this sudden resolution, "N'matunguam." (I have had a bad dream.)
Now a dream among the Indians was of hardly less significance than among the Hebrews of old. It was sufficient justification284 for the undertaking285 of any enterprise or for any change of intention. Thus the departure of the Delaware delegation286 was shorn of all surprise or imputation287 of discourtesy. The head-men among the Cherokees felt it very definitely a relief to be freed from the importunities of their "grandfather."
"Good speed to the journey of the illau Tscholens!" Atta-Kulla-Kulla said that evening after the departure, as the head-men of several towns sat discussing the matter around the council-fire in the great state-house of Citico.
"A turbulent 'grandfather' has a stormy voice and makes the heart of a young man like me very poor for fear!" the aged Tsiskwa coughed out, and they all greeted the great man's jest with a laugh of appreciation288, and felt it was well that one so old could at once be so sage and so merry. But there came a time when they were of a different mind.
A most important crisis had supervened in the policy of the Cherokee Indians toward the British government when their attention was diverted from their projected demonstration289 against the South Carolina colonists by a sudden attack from their ancient enemy, the Mengwe (the Iroquois, as the colonists called them). It was an altogether unprovoked attack, it seemed. The martial290 Cherokees, however, always eager to fight, demanded no explanations, but at once took the war-path with a great array of their brisk young braves, and because of this interruption, it was said, the war of the Cherokees against the British was long delayed.
When at last the casus belli of the Iroquois was disclosed it struck the Cherokees of Citico Town like a thunderbolt. The Cherokee nation, said the Mengwe, had presumed to recognize the independence of the Lenni Lenape, whom they knew to have been conquered by the Mengwe more than a century earlier.
This, of course, elicited291 from the Cherokees a denial of any such recognition. Whereupon the Lenni Lenape themselves produced in counter-asseveration the official belt of the Cherokees, given in exchange for their own, and brought to the hand of their chief sachem by their young illau Tscholens, from Citico Town, the residence of the Chief Tsiskwa.
A deep amazement292 fell upon the Cherokees of Citico—the sort of superstitious293 consternation294 that a somnambulist might feel in contemplating295 in broad daylight the deeds he had wrought in sleep-walking. As to the rest of the nation, it was in vain that Tsiskwa denied; for there were many confirmatory details in support of the incontestable fact of the official belt openly shown in the possession of the Lenni Lenape. The gossips recapitulated296 the long and solitary297 audience with Tsiskwa to which Tscholens had been admitted—that strange wild cry with which it had terminated seeming now a cry of joy, not pain; and this interpretation was borne out by the obvious affectation of illness by which he had sought to hide the true import of the interview. More than all, the matter was put beyond reasonable doubt by the discovery of the official belt of the Delawares in the sanctum sanctorum of the "holy cabin" in the "beloved square" among the treasures of the blended religion and statecraft which pertained298 to the government of the Cherokees. That Tscholens could have surreptitiously exchanged the belts, as Tsiskwa of Citico, dismayed, overwhelmed, yet blusteringly contended, was held to be preposterous299; for there was not a moment, sleeping or waking, when the Delawares were not in the company and close charge of the Cherokees, who must needs have been cognizant of any such demonstration.
Only one explanation was deemed plausible300: the old man, doubtless in his dotage301 despite his seeming mental poise, had lost sight of the political significance of the bauble5; he had bestowed it after the manner of the presents that all were unofficially heaping upon the "grandfather," and had mechanically, unthinkingly, received in exchange the Delaware belt.
After one reeling moment of doubt the town of Citico recovered its balance and loyally supported its prince, but the rest of the nation was unanimous in the acceptance of the popular interpretation.
How far extended the influence of this recognition by the Cherokees of the independence of the Lenni Lenape it is impossible to say, but it is well known that they acted independently in the American phase of the Seven Years' War and fought on behalf of the French, and in the Revolution they took the part of the Americans against the British, contrary to the policy of the Mengwe. About the time of the treaty of the United States with the Indians in 1795, the Mengwe, who had been greatly cast down by the defeat of their allies, the British, came forward of their own accord and desired publicly to acknowledge the independence of the Lenni Lenape.
The masterly political machinations of Tscholens and the mystery in which they were enveloped302 did not permanently303 impair the cordial relations existing between his tribe and the Cherokees, for so late as 1779 a delegation of fourteen Cherokees is chronicled as appearing in the country of the Lenni Lenape at their council-fire, to condole304 with them on the death of their head-chief; but neither before nor since is there any record of another visit of the turbulent "grandfather" to the banks of the Tennessee River.
The End
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1
irrelevant
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| adj.不恰当的，无关系的，不相干的 | |
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overture
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| n.前奏曲、序曲，提议，提案，初步交涉 | |
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3
mere
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| adj.纯粹的；仅仅，只不过 | |
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4
baubles
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| n.小玩意( bauble的名词复数 )；华而不实的小件装饰品；无价值的东西；丑角的手杖 | |
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bauble
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| n.美观而无价值的饰物 | |
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6
subterfuges
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| n.（用说谎或欺骗以逃脱责备、困难等的）花招，遁词( subterfuge的名词复数 ) | |
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7
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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8
beads
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| n.（空心）小珠子( bead的名词复数 )；水珠；珠子项链 | |
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flout
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| v./n.嘲弄，愚弄，轻视 | |
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10
coveted
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| adj.令人垂涎的；垂涎的，梦寐以求的v.贪求，觊觎(covet的过去分词)；垂涎；贪图 | |
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gems
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| growth； economy； management； and customer satisfaction 增长 | |
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12
mythical
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| adj.神话的；虚构的；想像的 | |
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metropolitan
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| adj.大城市的，大都会的 | |
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craved
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| 渴望，热望( crave的过去式 )； 恳求，请求 | |
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warrior
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| n.勇士，武士，斗士 | |
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16
warriors
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| 武士，勇士，战士( warrior的名词复数 ) | |
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17
irate
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| adj.发怒的，生气 | |
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18
glossy
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| adj.平滑的；有光泽的 | |
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19
dome
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| n.圆屋顶，拱顶 | |
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20
tinted
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| adj. 带色彩的 动词tint的过去式和过去分词 | |
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21
flicker
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| vi./n.闪烁，摇曳，闪现 | |
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22
colonnade
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| n.柱廊 | |
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23
cane
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| n.手杖，细长的茎，藤条；v.以杖击，以藤编制的 | |
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24
wrought
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| v.引起；以…原料制作；运转；adj.制造的 | |
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25
divan
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| n.长沙发；（波斯或其他东方诗人的）诗集 | |
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26
crest
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| n.顶点；饰章；羽冠；vt.达到顶点；vi.形成浪尖 | |
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27
conclave
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| n.秘密会议，红衣主教团 | |
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28
dignified
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| a.可敬的，高贵的 | |
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29
savagery
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| n.野性 | |
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30
bracelets
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| n.手镯，臂镯( bracelet的名词复数 ) | |
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31
embroidered
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| adj．绣花的 | |
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32
lore
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| n.传说；学问，经验，知识 | |
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33
quills
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| n.（刺猬或豪猪的）刺( quill的名词复数 )；羽毛管；翮；纡管 | |
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34
porcupine
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| n.豪猪， 箭猪 | |
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35
sable
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| n.黑貂；adj.黑色的 | |
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36
sonorously
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| adv.圆润低沉地；感人地；堂皇地；朗朗地 | |
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37
insistent
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| adj.迫切的，坚持的 | |
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38
coercion
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| n.强制，高压统治 | |
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39
besought
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| v.恳求，乞求（某事物）( beseech的过去式和过去分词 )；(beseech的过去式与过去分词) | |
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40
foe
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| n.敌人，仇敌 | |
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41
romp
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| n.欢闹；v.嬉闹玩笑 | |
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42
faction
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| n.宗派，小集团；派别；派系斗争 | |
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43
devious
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| adj.不坦率的，狡猾的；迂回的，曲折的 | |
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44
mediator
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| n.调解人，中介人 | |
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45
noted
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| adj.著名的，知名的 | |
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46
impair
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| v.损害，损伤；削弱，减少 | |
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47
aged
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| adj.年老的，陈年的 | |
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48
specious
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| adj.似是而非的；adv.似是而非地 | |
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49
wiles
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| n.（旨在欺骗或吸引人的）诡计，花招；欺骗，欺诈( wile的名词复数 ) | |
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50
alas
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| int.唉(表示悲伤、忧愁、恐惧等) | |
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51
arrogance
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| n.傲慢，自大 | |
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52
akin
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| adj.同族的，类似的 | |
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53
binding
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| 有约束力的，有效的，应遵守的 | |
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54
avowal
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| n.公开宣称，坦白承认 | |
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55
allied
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| adj.协约国的；同盟国的 | |
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56
linguistically
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| adv. 语言的, 语言学的 | |
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57
abstruse
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| adj.深奥的，难解的 | |
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58
etiquette
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| n.礼仪，礼节；规矩 | |
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59
affected
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| adj.不自然的，假装的 | |
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60
affiliation
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| n.联系，联合 | |
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61
pertinaciously
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| adv.坚持地；固执地；坚决地；执拗地 | |
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62
suave
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| adj.温和的；柔和的；文雅的 | |
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63
cohesion
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| n.团结，凝结力 | |
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64
pertinacity
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| n.执拗，顽固 | |
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65
flare
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| v.闪耀，闪烁；n.潮红；突发 | |
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66
rout
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| n.溃退，溃败；v.击溃，打垮 | |
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67
gregarious
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| adj.群居的，喜好群居的 | |
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68
primitive
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| adj.原始的；简单的；n.原(始)人，原始事物 | |
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69
flute
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| n.长笛；v.吹笛 | |
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70
stertorous
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| adj.打鼾的 | |
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71
sonorities
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| n.响亮，（声音的）响亮程度( sonority的名词复数 ) | |
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72
attired
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| adj.穿着整齐的v.使穿上衣服，使穿上盛装( attire的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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73
lengthening
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| （时间或空间）延长，伸长( lengthen的现在分词 )； 加长 | |
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74
azure
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| adj.天蓝色的，蔚蓝色的 | |
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75
twilight
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| n.暮光，黄昏；暮年，晚期，衰落时期 | |
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76
haze
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| n.霾，烟雾；懵懂，迷糊；vi.(over)变模糊 | |
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77
burnished
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| adj.抛光的，光亮的v.擦亮（金属等），磨光( burnish的过去式和过去分词 )；被擦亮，磨光 | |
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78
loath
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| adj.不愿意的；勉强的 | |
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79
hearths
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| 壁炉前的地板，炉床，壁炉边( hearth的名词复数 ) | |
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80
dwellings
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| n.住处，处所( dwelling的名词复数 ) | |
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81
flickered
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| （通常指灯光）闪烁，摇曳( flicker的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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82
devoted
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| adj.忠诚的，忠实的，热心的，献身于...的 | |
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83
bent
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| n.爱好，癖好；adj.弯的；决心的，一心的 | |
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84
weird
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| adj.古怪的，离奇的；怪诞的，神秘而可怕的 | |
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85
streaks
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| n.（与周围有所不同的）条纹( streak的名词复数 )；（通常指不好的）特征（倾向）；（不断经历成功或失败的）一段时期v.快速移动( streak的第三人称单数 )；使布满条纹 | |
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86
dense
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| a.密集的，稠密的，浓密的；密度大的 | |
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87
belying
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| v.掩饰，与…不符，使…失望；掩饰( belie的现在分词 )；证明（或显示）…为虚假；辜负；就…扯谎 | |
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88
mantle
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| n.斗篷，覆罩之物，罩子；v.罩住，覆盖，脸红 | |
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89
curiously
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| adv.有求知欲地；好问地；奇特地 | |
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90
iridescent
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| adj.彩虹色的，闪色的 | |
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91
bespoke
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| adj.（产品）订做的；专做订货的v.预定( bespeak的过去式 )；订（货）；证明；预先请求 | |
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92
attained
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| （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） | |
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93
abrupt
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| adj.突然的，意外的；唐突的，鲁莽的 | |
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94
majesty
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| n.雄伟，壮丽，庄严，威严；最高权威，王权 | |
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forth
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| adv.向前；向外，往外 | |
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96
sage
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| n.圣人，哲人；adj.贤明的，明智的 | |
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97
majestically
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| 雄伟地； 庄重地； 威严地； 崇高地 | |
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98
majestic
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| adj.雄伟的，壮丽的，庄严的，威严的，崇高的 | |
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99
standing
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| n.持续，地位；adj.永久的，不动的，直立的，不流动的 | |
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100
astonishment
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| n.惊奇，惊异 | |
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101
migration
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| n.迁移，移居，（鸟类等的）迁徙 | |
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102
investigators
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| n.调查者，审查者( investigator的名词复数 ) | |
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103
formerly
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| adv.从前，以前 | |
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104
plural
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| n.复数；复数形式；adj.复数的 | |
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105
legendary
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| adj.传奇（中）的，闻名遐迩的；n.传奇（文学） | |
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106
rancor
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| n.深仇，积怨 | |
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107
corroding
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| 使腐蚀，侵蚀( corrode的现在分词 ) | |
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108
grievance
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| n.怨愤，气恼，委屈 | |
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109
folly
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| n.愚笨，愚蠢，蠢事，蠢行，傻话 | |
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110
futility
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| n.无用 | |
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resolute
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| adj.坚决的，果敢的 | |
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112
victorious
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| adj.胜利的，得胜的 | |
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113
temperament
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| n.气质，性格，性情 | |
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114
retrospect
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| n.回顾，追溯；v.回顾，回想，追溯 | |
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115
futile
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| adj.无效的，无用的，无希望的 | |
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116
retired
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| adj.隐退的，退休的，退役的 | |
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117
lustre
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| n.光亮，光泽；荣誉 | |
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118
exquisite
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| adj.精美的；敏锐的；剧烈的，感觉强烈的 | |
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119
splendor
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| n.光彩；壮丽，华丽；显赫，辉煌 | |
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120
narrate
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| v.讲，叙述 | |
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121
advent
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| n.(重要事件等的)到来，来临 | |
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122
followers
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| 追随者( follower的名词复数 )； 用户； 契据的附面； 从动件 | |
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123
embellishing
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| v.美化( embellish的现在分词 )；装饰；修饰；润色 | |
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124
actively
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| adv.积极地，勤奋地 | |
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125
lustrous
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| adj.有光泽的；光辉的 | |
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126
shimmering
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| v.闪闪发光，发微光( shimmer的现在分词 ) | |
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127
wan
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| (wide area network)广域网 | |
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128
mutual
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| adj.相互的，彼此的；共同的，共有的 | |
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129
animation
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| n.活泼，兴奋，卡通片／动画片的制作 | |
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130
astute
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| adj.机敏的，精明的 | |
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131
subtleties
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| 细微( subtlety的名词复数 )； 精细； 巧妙； 细微的差别等 | |
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132
relish
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| n.滋味，享受，爱好，调味品；vt.加调味料，享受，品味；vi.有滋味 | |
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133
blurred
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| 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 | |
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134
intensified
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| v.（使）增强， （使）加剧( intensify的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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135
mingled
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| 混合，混入( mingle的过去式和过去分词 )； 混进，与…交往[联系] | |
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136
chuckle
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| vi.／n.轻声笑，咯咯笑 | |
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137
exclamation
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| n.感叹号，惊呼，惊叹词 | |
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138
detested
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| v.憎恶，嫌恶，痛恨( detest的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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139
smote
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| v.猛打，重击，打击( smite的过去式 ) | |
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140
poignant
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| adj.令人痛苦的，辛酸的，惨痛的 | |
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141
shrill
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| adj.尖声的；刺耳的；v尖叫 | |
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142
bleating
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| v.（羊，小牛）叫( bleat的现在分词 )；哭诉；发出羊叫似的声音；轻声诉说 | |
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143
throb
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| v.震颤，颤动；(急速强烈地)跳动，搏动 | |
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144
huddling
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| n. 杂乱一团, 混乱, 拥挤 v. 推挤, 乱堆, 草率了事 | |
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145
medley
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| n.混合 | |
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146
tumult
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| n.喧哗；激动，混乱；吵闹 | |
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147
faltered
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| （嗓音）颤抖( falter的过去式和过去分词 )； 支吾其词； 蹒跚； 摇晃 | |
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148
countenance
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| n.脸色，面容；面部表情；vt.支持，赞同 | |
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149
innocence
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| n.无罪；天真；无害 | |
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150
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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151
afflicted
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| 使受痛苦，折磨( afflict的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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152
reverence
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| n.敬畏，尊敬，尊严；Reverence:对某些基督教神职人员的尊称；v.尊敬，敬畏，崇敬 | |
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153
tenor
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| n.男高音（歌手），次中音（乐器），要旨，大意 | |
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154
discourse
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| n.论文，演说；谈话；话语；vi.讲述，著述 | |
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155
faculties
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| n.能力( faculty的名词复数 )；全体教职员；技巧；院 | |
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156
fixed
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| adj.固定的，不变的，准备好的；(计算机)固定的 | |
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157
query
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| n.疑问，问号，质问；vt.询问，表示怀疑 | |
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158
reticence
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| n.沉默，含蓄 | |
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159
afterward
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| adv.后来；以后 | |
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160
repudiate
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| v.拒绝，拒付，拒绝履行 | |
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161
acumen
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| n.敏锐，聪明 | |
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162
confession
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| n.自白，供认，承认 | |
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163
breach
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| n.违反，不履行；破裂；vt.冲破，攻破 | |
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164
tormenting
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| 使痛苦的，使苦恼的 | |
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165
malicious
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| adj.有恶意的，心怀恶意的 | |
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166
poise
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| vt./vi. 平衡，保持平衡；n.泰然自若，自信 | |
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167
inquisitive
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| adj.求知欲强的，好奇的，好寻根究底的 | |
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168
pounced
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| v.突然袭击( pounce的过去式和过去分词 )；猛扑；一眼看出；抓住机会（进行抨击） | |
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169
suffixes
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| n.后缀，词尾( suffix的名词复数 ) | |
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170
mightily
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| ad.强烈地；非常地 | |
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171
gliding
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| v. 滑翔 adj. 滑动的 | |
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172
domes
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| n.圆屋顶( dome的名词复数 )；像圆屋顶一样的东西；圆顶体育场 | |
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173
incarnate
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| adj.化身的，人体化的，肉色的 | |
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174
aisles
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| n. (席位间的)通道, 侧廊 | |
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175
drawn
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| v.拖，拉，拔出；adj.憔悴的，紧张的 | |
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176
engraving
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| n.版画；雕刻（作品）；雕刻艺术；镌版术v.在（硬物）上雕刻（字，画等）( engrave的现在分词 )；将某事物深深印在（记忆或头脑中） | |
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177
westward
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| n.西方，西部；adj.西方的，向西的；adv.向西 | |
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178
constellations
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| n.星座( constellation的名词复数 )；一群杰出人物；一系列（相关的想法、事物）；一群（相关的人） | |
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179
abeyance
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| n.搁置，缓办，中止，产权未定 | |
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180
impervious
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| adj.不能渗透的，不能穿过的，不易伤害的 | |
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181
rotunda
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| n.圆形建筑物；圆厅 | |
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182
seizure
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| n.没收；占有；抵押 | |
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183
consigned
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| v.把…置于（令人不快的境地）( consign的过去式和过去分词 )；把…托付给；把…托人代售；丟弃 | |
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184
detailed
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| adj.详细的，详尽的，极注意细节的，完全的 | |
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185
nominally
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| 在名义上，表面地； 应名儿 | |
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186
exhaled
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| v.呼出，发散出( exhale的过去式和过去分词 )；吐出（肺中的空气、烟等），呼气 | |
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187
sleeper
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| n.睡眠者，卧车，卧铺 | |
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188
intervals
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| 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 | |
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189
muffled
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| adj.（声音）被隔的；听不太清的；（衣服）裹严的；蒙住的v.压抑，捂住( muffle的过去式和过去分词 )；用厚厚的衣帽包着（自己） | |
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190
otter
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| n.水獭 | |
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191
mantles
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| vt.&vi.覆盖（mantle的第三人称单数形式） | |
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192
softened
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| （使）变软( soften的过去式和过去分词 )； 缓解打击； 缓和； 安慰 | |
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193
veered
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| v.（尤指交通工具）改变方向或路线( veer的过去式和过去分词 )；（指谈话内容、人的行为或观点）突然改变；（指风） （在北半球按顺时针方向、在南半球按逆时针方向）逐渐转向；风向顺时针转 | |
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194
colonists
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| n.殖民地开拓者，移民，殖民地居民( colonist的名词复数 ) | |
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195
lengthily
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| adv.长，冗长地 | |
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196
bestowed
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| 赠给，授予( bestow的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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197
posture
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| n.姿势，姿态，心态，态度；v.作出某种姿势 | |
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198
drowsy
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| adj.昏昏欲睡的，令人发困的 | |
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199
pointed
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| adj.尖的，直截了当的 | |
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200
muzzle
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| n.鼻口部；口套；枪(炮)口；vt.使缄默 | |
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201
reproof
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| n.斥责，责备 | |
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202
wheezing
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| v.喘息，发出呼哧呼哧的喘息声( wheeze的现在分词 )；哮鸣 | |
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203
sniffing
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| n.探查法v.以鼻吸气，嗅，闻( sniff的现在分词 )；抽鼻子（尤指哭泣、患感冒等时出声地用鼻子吸气）；抱怨，不以为然地说 | |
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204
bantering
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| adj.嘲弄的v.开玩笑，说笑，逗乐( banter的现在分词 )；（善意地）取笑，逗弄 | |
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205
squeaking
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| v.短促地尖叫( squeak的现在分词 )；吱吱叫；告密；充当告密者 | |
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206
shrilling
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| （声音）尖锐的，刺耳的，高频率的( shrill的现在分词 )； 凄厉 | |
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207
smothered
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| （使）窒息， （使）透不过气( smother的过去式和过去分词 )； 覆盖； 忍住； 抑制 | |
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208
sleeplessly
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| adv.失眠地 | |
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209
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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210
temerity
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| n.鲁莽，冒失 | |
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211
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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212
deftly
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| adv.灵巧地，熟练地，敏捷地 | |
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213
slumbering
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| 微睡，睡眠（slumber的现在分词形式） | |
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214
warily
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| adv.留心地 | |
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215
lucid
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| adj.明白易懂的，清晰的，头脑清楚的 | |
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216
winding
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| n.绕，缠，绕组，线圈 | |
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217
admonishing
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| v.劝告( admonish的现在分词 )；训诫；（温和地）责备；轻责 | |
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218
sniffed
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| v.以鼻吸气，嗅，闻( sniff的过去式和过去分词 )；抽鼻子（尤指哭泣、患感冒等时出声地用鼻子吸气）；抱怨，不以为然地说 | |
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219
dubiously
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| adv.可疑地，怀疑地 | |
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220
craftily
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| 狡猾地，狡诈地 | |
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221
endearments
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| n.表示爱慕的话语，亲热的表示( endearment的名词复数 ) | |
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222
agitation
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| n.搅动；搅拌；鼓动，煽动 | |
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223
joyous
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| adj.充满快乐的；令人高兴的 | |
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224
integument
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| n.皮肤 | |
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225
gambols
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| v.蹦跳，跳跃，嬉戏( gambol的第三人称单数 ) | |
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226
imminent
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| adj.即将发生的，临近的，逼近的 | |
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227
treacherous
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| adj.不可靠的，有暗藏的危险的；adj.背叛的，背信弃义的 | |
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228
vigilant
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| adj.警觉的，警戒的，警惕的 | |
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229
sarcasms
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| n.讥讽，讽刺，挖苦( sarcasm的名词复数 ) | |
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230
crooked
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| adj.弯曲的；不诚实的，狡猾的，不正当的 | |
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231
labored
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| adj.吃力的，谨慎的v.努力争取(for)( labor的过去式和过去分词 )；苦干；详细分析；（指引擎）缓慢而困难地运转 | |
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232
deterrent
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| n.阻碍物，制止物；adj.威慑的，遏制的 | |
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233
elastic
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| n.橡皮圈，松紧带；adj.有弹性的；灵活的 | |
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234
surmounted
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| 战胜( surmount的过去式和过去分词 )； 克服（困难）； 居于…之上； 在…顶上 | |
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235
momentary
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| adj.片刻的，瞬息的；短暂的 | |
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236
pallid
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| adj.苍白的，呆板的 | |
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237
density
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| n.密集，密度，浓度 | |
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238
tenements
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| n.房屋，住户，租房子( tenement的名词复数 ) | |
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239
thatch
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| vt.用茅草覆盖…的顶部；n.茅草(屋) | |
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240
glimmered
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| v.发闪光，发微光( glimmer的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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241
mound
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| n.土墩，堤，小山；v.筑堤，用土堆防卫 | |
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242
blurring
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| 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 | |
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243
boughs
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| 大树枝( bough的名词复数 ) | |
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244
encompassing
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| v.围绕( encompass的现在分词 )；包围；包含；包括 | |
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245
plied
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| v.使用（工具）( ply的过去式和过去分词 )；经常供应（食物、饮料）；固定往来；经营生意 | |
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246
quarry
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| n.采石场；v.采石；费力地找 | |
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247
applied
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| adj.应用的；v.应用，适用 | |
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248
nostrils
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| 鼻孔( nostril的名词复数 ) | |
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249
persistent
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| adj.坚持不懈的，执意的；持续的 | |
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250
hampered
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| 妨碍，束缚，限制( hamper的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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251
densest
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| 密集的( dense的最高级 )； 密度大的； 愚笨的； （信息量大得）难理解的 | |
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252
encompassed
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| v.围绕( encompass的过去式和过去分词 )；包围；包含；包括 | |
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253
prone
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| adj.(to)易于…的，很可能…的；俯卧的 | |
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254
interpretation
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| n.解释，说明，描述；艺术处理 | |
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255
retrace
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| v.折回；追溯，探源 | |
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256
lurk
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| n.潜伏，潜行；v.潜藏，潜伏，埋伏 | |
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257
vestige
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| n.痕迹，遗迹，残余 | |
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258
throbbed
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| 抽痛( throb的过去式和过去分词 )； （心脏、脉搏等）跳动 | |
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259
sinuous
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| adj.蜿蜒的，迂回的 | |
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260
supple
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| adj.柔软的，易弯的，逢迎的，顺从的，灵活的；vt.使柔软，使柔顺，使顺从；vi.变柔软，变柔顺 | |
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261
rustle
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| v.沙沙作响；偷盗(牛、马等)；n.沙沙声声 | |
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262
aperture
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| n.孔，隙，窄的缺口 | |
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263
reigned
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| vi.当政，统治（reign的过去式形式） | |
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264
awe
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| n.敬畏，惊惧；vt.使敬畏，使惊惧 | |
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chatter
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| vi.／n.喋喋不休；短促尖叫；(牙齿)打战 | |
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266
sleety
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| 雨夹雪的，下雨雪的 | |
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267
vibrant
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| adj.震颤的，响亮的，充满活力的，精力充沛的，(色彩)鲜明的 | |
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268
flakes
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| 小薄片( flake的名词复数 )； （尤指）碎片； 雪花； 古怪的人 | |
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slanting
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| 倾斜的，歪斜的 | |
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plunged
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| v.颠簸( plunge的过去式和过去分词 )；暴跌；骤降；突降 | |
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271
sanctuary
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| n.圣所，圣堂，寺庙；禁猎区，保护区 | |
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agitated
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| adj.被鼓动的，不安的 | |
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273
respiration
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| n.呼吸作用；一次呼吸；植物光合作用 | |
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274
joyously
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| ad.快乐地, 高兴地 | |
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275
descending
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| n. 下行 adj. 下降的 | |
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276
peculiar
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| adj.古怪的，异常的；特殊的，特有的 | |
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277
meditative
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| adj.沉思的，冥想的 | |
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278
industriously
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279
relishing
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| v.欣赏( relish的现在分词 )；从…获得乐趣；渴望 | |
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280
unaware
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| a.不知道的，未意识到的 | |
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281
recurred
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| 再发生，复发( recur的过去式和过去分词 )； 治愈 | |
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282
pervaded
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| v.遍及，弥漫( pervade的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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283
awakening
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| n.觉醒，醒悟 adj.觉醒中的；唤醒的 | |
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284
justification
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| n.正当的理由；辩解的理由 | |
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285
undertaking
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| n.保证，许诺，事业 | |
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286
delegation
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| n.代表团；派遣 | |
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287
imputation
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| n.归罪，责难 | |
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288
appreciation
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| n.评价；欣赏；感谢；领会，理解；价格上涨 | |
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289
demonstration
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| n.表明，示范，论证，示威 | |
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290
martial
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| adj.战争的，军事的，尚武的，威武的 | |
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291
elicited
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| 引出，探出( elicit的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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292
amazement
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| n.惊奇，惊讶 | |
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293
superstitious
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| adj.迷信的 | |
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294
consternation
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| n.大为吃惊，惊骇 | |
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295
contemplating
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| 深思，细想，仔细考虑( contemplate的现在分词 )； 注视，凝视； 考虑接受（发生某事的可能性）； 深思熟虑，沉思，苦思冥想 | |
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296
recapitulated
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| v.总结，扼要重述( recapitulate的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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297
solitary
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| adj.孤独的，独立的，荒凉的；n.隐士 | |
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298
pertained
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| 关于( pertain的过去式和过去分词 )； 有关； 存在； 适用 | |
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299
preposterous
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| adj.荒谬的，可笑的 | |
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300
plausible
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| adj.似真实的，似乎有理的，似乎可信的 | |
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301
dotage
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| n.年老体衰；年老昏聩 | |
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302
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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303
permanently
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| adv.永恒地，永久地，固定不变地 | |
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304
condole
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| v.同情；慰问 | |
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