"But I shall die," said Arlee. "I shall simply die if I have to go another step upon that creature."
She said it cheerfully, but firmly, a sleepy, sunburned little nomad1, sitting cross-legged in the sands, slowly plaiting her honey-colored hair. "Even this," she announced, indicating the slight gesture of braiding, "is agony."
"It's the morning after," said Billy, testing his shoulder with wry2 grimaces3. "It's yesterday's speed—and then this infernally cold night. No wonder we're lame4. Why, I have one universal crick wherever I used to have muscles. But let me call your attention to the fact that we are in the wilds of Egypt and that tangerines are hardly a lasting5 breakfast. Something has to be done."
"Not upon camels," said Arlee fixedly6.
"They say it doesn't hurt after an hour or so more."
"I shouldn't live to find out."
"A walk," he suggested, "a slow, swaying, gently undulating walk——?"
"A long, lingering, agonizing7 death," the young lady translated. She tossed the curly end of her braid over her shoulder and rose, with sounds of lamentation8. "I ought to have known better than to sit down again when I was once up," she confided9 sadly.
"Just what," inquired her companion, "is your idea for the day? How do you expect to reach Girgeh? It can't be very far away now——"
"Then we'll walk—we'll walk," she emphasized, "and tow those ships of the desert after us. That will be bad enough, but better—what's that?"
Like a top, for all his stiffness, Billy spun10 about to stare where her finger pointed11. Over the crest12 of a hillock, far to the north—yes, something was hurrying their way.
"A man on horseback," said Arlee anxiously. "They can't have traced us, can they, all this way——?"
"Of course not—but we'll take no chances," returned Billy briskly; "no more talk of pedestrian tours now!" and promptly13 he helped the girl, no longer demurring14, into the saddle, and thwacked her camel into arising, just dodging15 the long, yellow teeth that the resentful beast tried to fasten upon his shoulder.
They started at no soothing16 walk, but at a hurrying trot17.
Worriedly, her delicate brows knitting, "It's absurd, but," said Arlee, "they could have traced us, I suppose, from my telegraphing at that little native station for my trunks to be sent."
"And mine," said Billy. "And from my trying to get my letter of credit cashed."
"That Captain could have telegraphed to all the places down the line to know if we'd been seen——"
"Even if we hadn't wired or tried to get money, our presence alone and our buying food would have aroused talk. I told everybody," the young man continued, "that I was an artist and you were my sister, and that passed all right—but if Kerissen has been making inquiries——"
"I'm desperately18 glad we didn't go back toward Assiout," she thrust in. "We'd have walked right into some trap of his!"
"Lord knows what we ought to have done! Lord knows what we ought to do now!"
"Just keep on going," she encouraged. "We can't be very far from Girgeh, can we?"
"I don't know," said Billy soberly. "It may be half a day or a whole day more—you remember how vague that old woman was last night...!" Bitterly he added, "And I'm afraid you've got a chump of a guide."
"I've the best one in the world!" she flashed indignantly.
But her assurance brought no solace19 to the young man's troubled soul. He reflected that they could have taken a train the day before. To be sure, he had not money enough for tickets to Luxor, yet he had enough for two to Girgeh. But Arlee had shrunk from entering a train in her dishevelled costume, fearful of watching eyes and gossiping tongues, and had advised riding on to Girgeh, where shops and banks would help them, and he had yielded apparently20 to her desires, but in reality to his own secret self that clung to every joyful21 contraband22 moment of this magic time with her. Sincerely he had thought their danger ended.... But those trailing horsemen—"Brute!" he raged dumbly at himself. "Dolt23! Idiot!"
Anxiously Billy looked at Arlee. It was an ordeal24 of a ride.
They had ridden on in silence, occasionally glancing back over their shoulders. At last Arlee said, quietly, "Do you see anything—over there—to the left?"
Billy had been seeing it for fifteen minutes.
"Another horseman, isn't it?" he carelessly suggested.
"He seems to be riding the same way we are."
"Well, we've no monopoly of travel in this region."
She answered, after a moment, "There's another close behind him. I just saw him on top of a little hill. I suppose they can see us?"
"Probably." Billy's face was grave. If they continued their winding25 path in from the desert to the intervening hills that shut them from the Nile valley, and the horsemen continued their course along the base of those hills, they would soon meet.
"Do you mind speeding up a little?" he asked. "I'd rather like to cross to the Nile ahead of that gentry26."
But as they speeded up the pursuers did the same, and from mere27 dots they grew to tiny figures, clearly discernible, furiously galloping28 over the sands.
Billy thought hard about his cartridges29, wishing he had more in his clothes. When he had left the hotel that Tuesday evening he had thrust the loaded revolver in his pocket, but he had already discharged it twice at the beginning of their flight.... And then he startlingly reflected that the Captain could easily cause their arrest for stealing those camels, and wild and dreadful thoughts of native jails and mixed tribunals darted31 into his harassed32 and anxious mind. As a long ridge30 of sand intervened between them and their pursuers he made a sudden decision.
"Let's turn off," he said quickly, and from the little winding path, edging southeast, they struck directly south over the trackless sand.
"You see, they'll expect us to make a railroad station as soon as possible," he explained, "and they are probably trying to nab us on the way to it—if those men have anything to do with us at all." He said nothing about his vivid fear of arrest for the camels and the tool such an arrest would be for Kerissen's designs. He merely added, "I think we'd better try to give them the slip and steer33 clear of all the little native joints34 until we get to Girgeh, which is big enough to give us some protection. There must be an English something-or-other there.... I really think we ought to go as fast as we can now, and when the way is clear, hurry across the hills into the Nile valley."
But the way did not become clear. Disconcerted by that unexpected dash off the path, and reduced for a time to mere dots again, the horsemen, three in a row now, hung persistently35 upon their left flank, keeping a parallel course between them and the hills.
The day had dawned with a promise of sultry heat, and as the sun rose higher and higher in the heavens the heat grew more and more intolerable to their ill-protected heads and thirsty tongues. The gaiety of yesterday was gone; the enchantment36 had vanished from the waste spaces, and the desert was less a friend now than an enemy. Chokingly the dust rose about them, and glaringly the gold of the burning sands beat back the glare of the down-pouring sun. From such a heat the landscape seemed to shrink and veiled itself with a faint and swimming haze37.
By noon the flask38 of water in Billy's pocket was empty. By noon their mouths were parched39 and their skins burning. And still on their left there hung the hounding dots, like prowling jackals.
Anxiously Billy looked at Arlee. This was an ordeal of a ride that tried the stuff the girl was made of. She was no princess of mystery now, crossing the moonlit sands; she was no gossamer40 wraith41 of a girl miraculously42 with him for a time; she was a very hot and human companion, worried and tired, shutting her dry mouth over any word of complaint, smiling pluckily43 at him with dusty lips from the shrouding44 hood45 of her veil. She was completely and thoroughly46 a brick.
And Billy's heart ached for her, even while his spirit exulted47 in her spirit.
"Beastly hot, isn't it?" he gasped48, pulling his insufficient49 cap down over his bloodshot eyes.
Valiantly50 she smiled. "What's a little—heat?" came joltingly back.
"And rough going."
"What's a little—roughness?"
There wasn't any word good enough for her. There wasn't any word good enough to describe such superhuman courage and sweetness. Billy had credited all beauties with being spoiled. All he had known had been distinctly spoiled, even the near-beauties, and the not-so-near ones, yet here was the most radiantly lovely girl he had ever seen behaving like an angel of grit51.
He didn't quite know what else he expected her to do—have hysterics, perhaps, or weep, or reproach him for having taken a wrong way and elected a rash course. He had known that this girl could be a very minx when piqued52. But in the graver crises of life she proved herself a thoroughbred. She would go till she dropped and never whimper.
He thought of all she must have been through in that horrible palace, and he marvelled53 at the swiftness with which her spirit had reverted54 to blitheness55 again. The disaster, that might have been so stunning56, so irremediable, had passed over her head like lightning that had not struck.... Even the horror of it had seemed yesterday to fade in her like the horror of an evil dream. That was what it had been to her—an evil dream. She was so young, so much of her was still a child, that the full terror had not touched her.
They had come to a road at last, a road which seemed to be leading in from the desert very gradually to the hills upon their left, and it seemed to Billy that it must be a caravan57 road to Girgeh, and he felt themselves upon the right track. They must keep their lead, and when that lead seemed sufficient, they must put on all possible speed to make the crossing through the hills into the Nile valley ahead of their pursuers. Once more he stirred their lagging camels into a jogging trot....
It was around the middle of the afternoon now, and it had been noon since their tongues had tasted water. Arlee felt her mouth parched and her tongue dry and curling; her skin was feverishly58 hot; her whole body burned and ached, and her head was giddy with the heat and the hunger. But she thought how little a thing it was to be hot and hungry and tired—when one was free. And she drew the silver shawl closer over her head and wrapped the silken tunic59 of her frock about her scorching60 shoulders, and clung tight to the pommel of her big saddle as her beast pounded on and on in his lurching stride.
It had been some time since they had seen the dots, and now the road ahead of them, like the former path they had abandoned, was turning more and more to the left, winding in and out the low and broken foothills, and as they followed its course with increasing security, Billy began to tell himself that their fears had been unfounded and the alarming horsemen were merely following their own route south.
And then he heard a whistle.
A prescience of danger shot through him. His fears returned a hundredfold. Sharply he scanned the way about them, but nothing was in sight. The whistle was not repeated; he could have imagined that he dreamed it. An utter stillness possessed61 the wilderness62.
And then around the corner of a jutting63 rock ahead of them a horseman trotted64, a big black man on a gray horse, and reined65 in, waiting, facing them. Arlee gave a choking cry.
"The eunuch!" she gasped out.
Behind them Billy flung a lightning glance, and over the heads of the dunes66 two more riders appeared, converging67 down upon them from the rear. Three in sight—how many more behind the rocks?
Desperately Billy gripped his bridle68 rope, and with a wrenching69 pull and a whack70 of his guiding stick he turned his camel sharply to the left, snatching at Arlee's bridle rope as the beasts bumped against each other in their surprise.
"Quick—this way," Billy commanded, and with the left hand clutching the girl's rope, with the right he wielded71 the stick furiously. Out over the sand both camels plunged72, goaded73 into wild speed by such violent measures, and a cheated yell broke from the horsemen and the outcries of pursuit.
While rage at such unreason lasted the camels went like mad, but such speed could not be for long. They had been hard ridden for two days and they were nearly spent. The horsemen behind had drawn74 together and hung on their trail like three hounds, riding cautiously in the rear, but easily keeping the distance. It occurred to Billy that these pursuers could have changed horses on the way, and must inevitably75 tire them out. And then?
On and on he beat his poor beasts, racing76 toward the hills that, just ahead of them, rose sharply from the broken ground, seeking among them some fortress77 of rocks for a defiant78 stand.
A tug79 on the bridle rope nearly jerked it from his hand. Arlee's camel had stumbled; the poor thing was lurching wearily.
"He can't go—any more," the girl cried out pitifully. "He—he's sobbing80. Don't beat him—I won't have him beaten!"
"We must get there," he called back, waving at the cliff-like rocks.
"Then go—on foot. I could—run faster."
"No, you couldn't," he shouted fiercely back.
She flared81. "Don't you hit him again!"
The maddening absurdity82 of the quarrel in the face of hostile Africa filled Billy with the futile83 fury of exasperation84. He ground his teeth, glowering85 at her, and wound her halter rope about his smarting hand. All his hope was concentrated upon the necessity of winning to that rocky shelter before their pursuers overtook them. To him the camels were nothing in the face of such necessity.
They were going slower and slower; his blows had no avail now on either beast. They plodded86 on. He turned suddenly in his saddle and saw the three riders spreading fan-shape around them, the one in the center nearest. He whipped out his gun and fired at the horse.
His own motion made the ball fly wild, but the horseman drew up instantly, and the other edged discreetly87 away. And in the ensuing moments the two fugitives88 gained the base of those cliff-like hills and perceived the dark oblong of a cave mouth.
Down from their exhausted89 camels they flung themselves, and hand in hand raced to the entrance of the cave. Coolness and blackness received them. Their eyes discovered nothing of the tunnel-like interior.
Putting Arlee some distance within, Billy went to the mouth and stood, his gun in his hand, peering watchfully90 out. He saw the horsemen draw together for a parley91, then one remained on guard while the others circled on separate ways beyond his range of sight. His fear was that one of them might steal alongside the cave and leap unexpectedly into its very mouth upon him, so with taut92 nerves he crouched93 expectant.
Behind him Arlee gave a sudden shriek94.
'Billy went to the mouth, peering watchfully out'
"Billy went to the mouth, peering watchfully out"

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收听单词发音

1
nomad
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n.游牧部落的人,流浪者,游牧民 | |
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2
wry
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adj.讽刺的;扭曲的 | |
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3
grimaces
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n.(表蔑视、厌恶等)面部扭曲,鬼脸( grimace的名词复数 )v.扮鬼相,做鬼脸( grimace的第三人称单数 ) | |
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4
lame
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adj.跛的,(辩解、论据等)无说服力的 | |
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5
lasting
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adj.永久的,永恒的;vbl.持续,维持 | |
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6
fixedly
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adv.固定地;不屈地,坚定不移地 | |
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7
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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8
lamentation
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n.悲叹,哀悼 | |
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9
confided
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v.吐露(秘密,心事等)( confide的过去式和过去分词 );(向某人)吐露(隐私、秘密等) | |
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10
spun
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v.纺,杜撰,急转身 | |
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11
pointed
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adj.尖的,直截了当的 | |
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12
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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13
promptly
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adv.及时地,敏捷地 | |
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14
demurring
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v.表示异议,反对( demur的现在分词 ) | |
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15
dodging
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n.避开,闪过,音调改变v.闪躲( dodge的现在分词 );回避 | |
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16
soothing
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adj.慰藉的;使人宽心的;镇静的 | |
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17
trot
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n.疾走,慢跑;n.老太婆;现成译本;(复数)trots:腹泻(与the 连用);v.小跑,快步走,赶紧 | |
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18
desperately
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adv.极度渴望地,绝望地,孤注一掷地 | |
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19
solace
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n.安慰;v.使快乐;vt.安慰(物),缓和 | |
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20
apparently
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adv.显然地;表面上,似乎 | |
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21
joyful
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adj.欢乐的,令人欢欣的 | |
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22
contraband
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n.违禁品,走私品 | |
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23
dolt
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n.傻瓜 | |
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24
ordeal
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n.苦难经历,(尤指对品格、耐力的)严峻考验 | |
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25
winding
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n.绕,缠,绕组,线圈 | |
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26
gentry
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n.绅士阶级,上层阶级 | |
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27
mere
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adj.纯粹的;仅仅,只不过 | |
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28
galloping
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adj. 飞驰的, 急性的 动词gallop的现在分词形式 | |
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29
cartridges
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子弹( cartridge的名词复数 ); (打印机的)墨盒; 录音带盒; (唱机的)唱头 | |
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30
ridge
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n.山脊;鼻梁;分水岭 | |
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31
darted
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v.投掷,投射( dart的过去式和过去分词 );向前冲,飞奔 | |
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32
harassed
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adj. 疲倦的,厌烦的 动词harass的过去式和过去分词 | |
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33
steer
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vt.驾驶,为…操舵;引导;vi.驾驶 | |
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34
joints
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接头( joint的名词复数 ); 关节; 公共场所(尤指价格低廉的饮食和娱乐场所) (非正式); 一块烤肉 (英式英语) | |
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35
persistently
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ad.坚持地;固执地 | |
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36
enchantment
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n.迷惑,妖术,魅力 | |
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37
haze
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n.霾,烟雾;懵懂,迷糊;vi.(over)变模糊 | |
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38
flask
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n.瓶,火药筒,砂箱 | |
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39
parched
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adj.焦干的;极渴的;v.(使)焦干 | |
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40
gossamer
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n.薄纱,游丝 | |
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41
wraith
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n.幽灵;骨瘦如柴的人 | |
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42
miraculously
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ad.奇迹般地 | |
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43
pluckily
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adv.有勇气地,大胆地 | |
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44
shrouding
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n.覆盖v.隐瞒( shroud的现在分词 );保密 | |
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45
hood
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n.头巾,兜帽,覆盖;v.罩上,以头巾覆盖 | |
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46
thoroughly
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adv.完全地,彻底地,十足地 | |
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47
exulted
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狂喜,欢跃( exult的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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48
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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49
insufficient
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adj.(for,of)不足的,不够的 | |
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50
valiantly
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adv.勇敢地,英勇地;雄赳赳 | |
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51
grit
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n.沙粒,决心,勇气;v.下定决心,咬紧牙关 | |
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52
piqued
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v.伤害…的自尊心( pique的过去式和过去分词 );激起(好奇心) | |
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53
marvelled
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v.惊奇,对…感到惊奇( marvel的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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54
reverted
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恢复( revert的过去式和过去分词 ); 重提; 回到…上; 归还 | |
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55
blitheness
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n.blithe(快乐的)的变形 | |
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56
stunning
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adj.极好的;使人晕倒的 | |
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57
caravan
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n.大蓬车;活动房屋 | |
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58
feverishly
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adv. 兴奋地 | |
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59
tunic
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n.束腰外衣 | |
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60
scorching
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adj. 灼热的 | |
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61
possessed
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adj.疯狂的;拥有的,占有的 | |
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62
wilderness
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n.杳无人烟的一片陆地、水等,荒漠 | |
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63
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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64
trotted
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小跑,急走( trot的过去分词 ); 匆匆忙忙地走 | |
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65
reined
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勒缰绳使(马)停步( rein的过去式和过去分词 ); 驾驭; 严格控制; 加强管理 | |
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66
dunes
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沙丘( dune的名词复数 ) | |
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67
converging
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adj.收敛[缩]的,会聚的,趋同的v.(线条、运动的物体等)会于一点( converge的现在分词 );(趋于)相似或相同;人或车辆汇集;聚集 | |
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68
bridle
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n.笼头,束缚;vt.抑制,约束;动怒 | |
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69
wrenching
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n.修截苗根,苗木铲根(铲根时苗木不起土或部分起土)v.(猛力地)扭( wrench的现在分词 );扭伤;使感到痛苦;使悲痛 | |
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70
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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71
wielded
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手持着使用(武器、工具等)( wield的过去式和过去分词 ); 具有; 运用(权力); 施加(影响) | |
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72
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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73
goaded
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v.刺激( goad的过去式和过去分词 );激励;(用尖棒)驱赶;驱使(或怂恿、刺激)某人 | |
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drawn
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v.拖,拉,拔出;adj.憔悴的,紧张的 | |
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inevitably
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adv.不可避免地;必然发生地 | |
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racing
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n.竞赛,赛马;adj.竞赛用的,赛马用的 | |
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fortress
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n.堡垒,防御工事 | |
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defiant
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adj.无礼的,挑战的 | |
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tug
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v.用力拖(或拉);苦干;n.拖;苦干;拖船 | |
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sobbing
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<主方>Ⅰ adj.湿透的 | |
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81
Flared
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adj. 端部张开的, 爆发的, 加宽的, 漏斗式的 动词flare的过去式和过去分词 | |
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82
absurdity
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n.荒谬,愚蠢;谬论 | |
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futile
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adj.无效的,无用的,无希望的 | |
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exasperation
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n.愤慨 | |
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glowering
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v.怒视( glower的现在分词 ) | |
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86
plodded
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v.沉重缓慢地走(路)( plod的过去式和过去分词 );努力从事;沉闷地苦干;缓慢进行(尤指艰难枯燥的工作) | |
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discreetly
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ad.(言行)审慎地,慎重地 | |
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fugitives
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n.亡命者,逃命者( fugitive的名词复数 ) | |
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89
exhausted
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adj.极其疲惫的,精疲力尽的 | |
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watchfully
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警惕地,留心地 | |
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91
parley
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n.谈判 | |
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taut
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adj.拉紧的,绷紧的,紧张的 | |
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crouched
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v.屈膝,蹲伏( crouch的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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shriek
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v./n.尖叫,叫喊 | |
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