Brent never had worked so hard in his life as during the days that followed his strange engagement for the pursuit of fabulous1 treasure. The disabled Fraser, none too patient in his irksome imprisonment2, directed most of the young man’s movements. His first efforts were in search of a suitable ship for a coasting and trading trip of indefinite length. He succeeded after a few days in finding a trim schooner4 of about two hundred and fifty tons which seemed to be just what was needed. Her owners were unwilling5 at first to charter her for an indefinite voyage that might last three months or possibly six. On Brent’s description of her, the Scotchman was willing to buy the craft outright7 if necessary, but a liberal offer finally secured possession of her for six months.
Fraser hoped they might succeed in returning to Buenos Ayres by the middle of February at latest. Casimiro had told him the gold was about one hundred miles from the coast, so that the task of transportation of the immense quantity he had described{35} would be slow and difficult. But he had explained that it was near a river, easily navigable for canoes or rafts down stream but almost impossible of ascent8 by either means, so rapid was the current at many places. He had promised to make such preparations as he could with the primitive9 means at his command during the Scotchman’s absence. Fraser hoped, therefore, that with the assistance of the Patagonians the treasure might be brought to tide-water within a month of his arrival at the nearest point on the coast.
One point in their problem troubled both Fraser and Brent for some little time. How were they to load the gold (provided they got it) upon the schooner, bring it to Buenos Ayres, and transship it to England or New York without the crew’s or other handlers’ discovering the nature of the cargo12? Both men agreed that every precaution must be taken to prevent the disclosure of such a secret. They finally decided14 that before being put upon the schooner the metal must be packed in strong boxes securely made and practically unbreakable. When they came to figure a little they found that on the basis of the chief’s calculation of the quantity of gold, it would require a good many boxes to contain it. Even if five hundred pounds should be packed in each case, which would be as great a weight as could be conveniently handled, there would be no less than{36} four hundred boxes necessary to contain the two hundred thousand pounds which Casimiro had roughly indicated to be the amount of the treasure. The boxes would still be very small. The specific gravity of gold is so high that it occupies about one fourth the space of iron, weight for weight.
They determined15 that the boxes should be made of heavy two-inch timber, and that they should be lined with sheet iron and fastened with long stout16 screws. It was not an easy thing to procure17 the manufacture of such boxes, four hundred of them, at short notice. Brent divided the work among half a dozen carpenter shops and required that the work should be completed according to specification18 within ten days. He bought a large yawl which was put aboard the schooner. He hoped to use it for carrying the gold-packed cases, six at a time, from the shore to the ship as she lay at anchor. He procured19 also a windlass with necessary tackle for hoisting20 aboard the heavy cases from the small boat.
The schooner was thoroughly21 overhauled22 and refitted. Brent was fortunate in finding an English captain, who picked up a crew of Englishmen and Americans, four men only besides the mate and cook. They were good seamen23, the captain assured Brent, and glad to ship for such a trip under promise of a bonus if the voyage was successful. The purchase{37} of supplies in great variety occupied several days, and it was not until the very last week in the month that preparations for departure were practically completed. They were still delayed two or three days by the non-delivery of a few of the peculiar24 boxes that puzzled the sailors so much as they stowed them away in the hold.
Fraser, meantime, had been mending rapidly. On the day before going aboard the schooner, his damaged leg was taken out of its plaster cast, and the surgeon promised him that at the end of another month it would be as good as the other if he treated it properly. He was delighted with the schooner when he went aboard on the morning of sailing. He insisted on hobbling about the deck a little upon his new crutches25 and inspecting all the equipment of the trim little craft.
It was a beautiful spring day, the 31st of October, when the schooner picked her way gracefully26 among the shipping28 and out of Buenos Ayres harbor before a light wind. There was speed as well as seaworthiness in the craft, as the owners had promised, and the two fortune-hunters, who were her only passengers, were enthusiastic over the happy auspices29 under which they started on their extraordinary quest. The voyage was not eventful. Storms and calms, head winds and currents, made it a trip that taxed the{38} patience of men with minds full of tremendous possibilities. Still it was no use grumbling30, as Fraser explained to his companion. Nothing could be done until the 6th of December and they might as well spend the time at sea as at Rio Negro.
There were still ten days to spare when they dropped anchor off the Rio Negro settlement. They went ashore31, and the Scotchman was heartily32 welcomed by his friends in the little colony. He made inquiries33 about the Indians, and learned that Casimiro had not been seen by any of the colonists34 since Fraser’s departure six months before. None of the natives had appeared often at the settlement within the same period, and trade with them had almost ceased. Fraser did not regard this as a bad sign.
Brent found the ten days’ waiting far from dull amid the picturesque35 scenery of the wild coast and the primitive colonial life which was all a charming novelty in his eyes. His partner was not yet able to make very active use of his convalescent limb, and an Englishman in the colony accompanied the young man on several long tramps through what was to him a delightful36 country.
On the morning of the 6th of December, Fraser and Brent set off together on foot at about ten o’clock. The Scotchman had almost discarded his crutches, but he carried them with him on this occasion. They{39} would help to explain Brent’s presence to the chief, he intimated. The rendezvous37 was at a small spring in the hills, about four miles from the settlement, where Fraser and the Patagonian had often refreshed themselves on their tramps. High noon was to be the hour of meeting. They were fully27 an hour in advance of the time, and when they sat down by the pool of bubbling water in a charming little hollow among the rugged38 hills, there was no sign of any living creature hear them. They talked together for half an hour or more about the possible results of their venture, and then the younger man began to be anxious. He was feverishly39 impatient to see the strange man upon whose simple, unsecured promise they had based weeks of time and effort. As the minutes passed and they saw and heard nothing save nature’s face and voice about them, Brent was unable to conceal40 his fears of disappointment.
“Do you think he will come?” he asked impatiently looking again at his watch and noting that the hands were close to the meridian41.
“I wish I was as sure of getting the gold as I am that Casimiro will keep his appointment,” said Fraser smiling. “Don’t judge him by your watch. The sun will govern his movements.”
Scarcely had he spoken when the Scotchman sprang suddenly to his feet and started rapidly upon his{40} crutches toward a group of trees about two hundred yards away on the opposite side of the little valley. Brent looked and saw a man standing43 there motionless. Uncertain of his welcome, the young man waited until his friend should explain his unexpected appearance at the tryst44. He saw the two men meet, greet each other, and engage in conversation. Then they came slowly toward the spring, talking earnestly together.
As they drew near, Brent watched the splendid figure of the Patagonian with growing surprise and admiration45. He could not believe it was a man of ninety, this proud, unbent form with the bearing of an athlete, the reserved vigor46 of a retired47 gladiator. His face alone and the white hair upon his great bare breast gave token of age. His features were Caucasian in type, almost Grecian in mold. The eyes were dark, still brilliant and searching, but they had in them even greater depths of melancholy48 than Fraser had described. Brent felt before a word had been spoken an involuntary springing up within him of the same implicit49 confidence in this man which he had been unable to understand in his friend. He felt himself in the presence of one who commanded something deeper than respect—a savage50 perhaps, but a personified force and power and wisdom such as the young man had never encountered before. He ap{41}proached the newcomer with a deference51 which was not assumed and greeted him with some words in the native tongue which Fraser had taught him.
Casimiro received him gravely but kindly52. He accepted the outstretched hand and said a word or two of welcome which Brent was delighted to find he could understand.
“I have told Cacique Casimiro,” said Fraser, “that it is to your assistance that I owe my ability to keep my promise here to-day, that I owe you much in many ways, that I have made you my friend and partner, that in all things you will be to him and his people as I am, and that you are more worthy53 than I to be intrusted with the mission he has offered me.”
Brent endeavored in a mixture of Spanish and the native language of the Patagonian to express his thanks for the welcome and his desire to render to him and to his people every service in his power. Casimiro watched the young man keenly for some moments. Presently he said gravely:
“Your words are good, young man, which is nothing. Your face is true, which is much. I trust your friend, who is my friend, therefore I trust you. It shall be as he says.” And the old chief offered his hand, which the young man took with genuine pride at the honor which he felt had been conferred upon him.{42}
Casimiro said no more upon the subject but forthwith asked the Scotchman for an account of his adventures and stewardship54, which the latter gave at some length. The chief listened attentively55 but made no comments until the story was finished. He expressed himself as perfectly56 satisfied with what had been done. Then he sat very silent and very grave for some time. Both Brent and Fraser grew a little apprehensive57 of what might be coming and they were startled at Casimiro’s first words when he finally spoke42.
“I bring bad news for my people,” he began sadly. “We cannot, I fear, expel from our country the gold which will surely crush us and blot58 us out.” He noticed the involuntary dismay upon the faces of both the white men. He went on with a touch of bitterness in his voice: “Do not fear. You shall have all I promised and more. The gold is more, much more, than I told you. We have been digging it up and storing it, that you might take it away easily. We cannot move it all, not with many horses, in many weeks. Many rafts cannot float it. The white men’s biggest ship cannot carry it away. I fear we are lost.”
The two listeners were haggard with astonishment59 at the chief’s words. They looked at him confused, half comprehending. When the significance of the{43} stern old Patagonian’s utterance60 came home to them its inherent improbability did not arouse doubts of his truthfulness61. There was an intrinsic honesty about the man that disarmed63 suspicion and compelled confidence. So it was that the minds of both his companions did not stop to question his almost incredible declarations, but turned at once to the problem which his statement presented. The Scotchman was the first to find his tongue, and speaking in Spanish, which all three understood fairly well, he said:
“Your words amaze us beyond expression, Casimiro. It is difficult for us to conceive of so great a quantity of gold as you describe. It is impossible for us to believe the amount is greater than can be moved. The white man’s skill in such tasks is beyond anything that can be known to you. He makes rivers where before was dry land, he digs a path through the heart of vast mountains, he forces back the sea from the shore, he builds ships larger by fifty or a hundred fold than those which come to your coast. The task you set for us will not be impossible. Neither shall we find it necessary to bring other white men for its execution, which would be an offense64 to you and your people. We will accomplish it with the help of your own strong men. We have brought tools, which you will easily learn to use. We will{44} build rafts so large that they will carry more than five hundred horses can draw. Many of these rafts will float your gold to the sea. We will bring a ship so great that her length will stretch from this spot as far as yonder trees where you appeared to us. You and your people shall yourselves put the gold upon this ship, and no white man on board her shall put foot upon your shores or ever again return to disturb you. Believe me, the undertaking65 is not beyond our powers.”
“You speak of riddles66 and wonders, of works of God and not of men,” responded Casimiro in incredulous awe67, but deeply impressed nevertheless by the Scotchman’s earnest confidence. Turning suddenly to a steep cliff towering nearly one hundred feet above them, the chief raised his arm toward it and asked, “Could you cut down yonder rock and carry it away?”
“Aye, ’tis often done and greater works than that in building the iron path for the locomotive, which you know runs with faster speed than horses between the white men’s settlements not very far now to the north,” the Scotchman answered.
“Yes, my young men have seen it and told me of it,” said the chief. “Your words give me hope. We will go to the spot where my people are still at work separating the gold from the earth. You shall{45} judge for yourselves whether the task is too great for you.”
They decided to go immediately to the harbor and sail at once to the mouth of the river which Casimiro had described as flowing from the hiding-place of his treasure. Fraser judged from the chief’s words that the point was two hundred miles or more down the coast. They reached the settlement in an hour’s time and went on board the schooner. Instructions had been given in advance for everything to be in readiness for immediate68 departure, and before three o’clock the anchor was up and they were under way.
Under baffling breezes and with the necessity for keeping within sight of the coast that Casimiro might not lose the bearings, the voyage was a slow one. On the fifth day, the chief sighted a landmark69 which he said was close to their destination. The schooner soon ran into a large, well-protected, natural harbor. The coast was still rugged and forbidding and not a sign of human handiwork or habitation was visible. It was not until they were well within the little bay that they discovered that it concealed70 the mouth of a river of considerable size, which found its way somehow through what appeared to be an impenetrable wall of rocky hills. A quiet anchorage was found about two hundred yards from the shore, but as it was nearly dusk no attempt was made to land that night.{46}
At daybreak the next morning Casimiro was on deck eagerly scanning the shore near the mouth of the large stream, whose current swept into the bay several hundred yards from where the ship lay. At length the old chief sprang upon the railing and waved his arms as though signaling. A few minutes later a boat or native canoe put out from the shore and came rapidly toward the ship. Three Patagonians soon came on board. They stood talking for a long time with Casimiro in the bow of the schooner, while all others on board were still below and asleep. Their consultation71 seemed to result in an agreement of some sort and, when it was finished, Casimiro went below and aroused Fraser and Brent. It was not yet six o’clock although the sun was almost two hours high. The two men soon made their appearance, surprised to find guests already on board. The Scotchman quickly recognized the three Indians as the chiefs who had joined in their council eight months before and he greeted them warmly. Brent was presented to them and they received him not unkindly. They were all younger men than Casimiro, but past middle life and in the prime of physical vigor. Each was more than six feet tall, well built, muscular, and splendidly developed. In color they were neither as coppery as the North American aborigines, nor as brown as the mulatto.{47}
Their features were of the same general type as Casimiro’s, neither sharply aquiline72 nor round like a Teuton’s.
Casimiro said to the two white men that he had explained the situation to his brother caciques, including what Fraser had said about the removal of the gold, and that they joined in his own opinions. The younger chiefs expressed immediate interest in the cargo which the ship contained, and while breakfast was being prepared Fraser and Brent displayed to them many of the articles that they had brought. The Indians said that a large number of horses and several of their tribesmen were on shore near by ready to transport the supplies into the interior. The Scotchman assured them that the work should begin that very day.
They ate upon deck, the visitors preferring to squat73 cross-legged upon the white floor and take their food in native fashion. The captain of the schooner in a spirit of hospitality brought out a bottle of Scotch6 whisky, with which he was about to regale74 his savage guests when Fraser caught sight of it. He astonished the skipper with a sharp request to put the liquor quickly out of sight. He explained in English that the chiefs were much prejudiced against white men’s liquors, which had worked great havoc75 with many of their followers76, and that the{48} chances of profitable trading would be much diminished if whisky should be offered to any Indians who might come on board.
In answer to Fraser’s questions, Casimiro said that there were about one hundred members of his tribe in the hills near by and that they had with them some two hundred horses which could be used to carry inland much of the schooner’s cargo. Nearly all the other male Caillitchets were in the vicinity of the Bed of Gold, where they had been engaged for weeks in gathering77 up and putting the bright metal into caches. The spot lay two days’ journey to the southwest. The chief proposed that a portion of the ship’s cargo should be landed at once, its transportation arranged for, and then the four caciques with Fraser and Brent should ride on ahead to the goal the two white men were so anxious to reach. The plan was adopted.
The Scotchman decided to land first the tools and materials for mining and raft-building. He had brought for the latter purpose nearly one hundred axes, some saws, a large supply of heavy spikes78, and a liberal quantity of small wire rope. The Indians were much interested as these articles were brought out and their uses explained. They began evidently to credit more fully Fraser’s confident assertion that the difficulties which had been described were not insurmountable. A yawl-load of miscellaneous articles{49} was made ready at once and with Fraser and Brent on board they followed the canoe of the four chiefs to a landing place about six hundred yards from the ship. They found it in a tiny rock-bound cove11 with a narrow beach so steep that as the heavy boat ran upon it, the occupants were able to step dry-shod from the bows.
It was a novel experience for Brent, a New Yorker blasé to all the fin3 de siècle features of civilization, but ignorant a few days before of all but the existence of these savages79 and their wild, almost untrodden country. Prudence80 suggested treachery and danger in placing himself thus at the mercy of untried barbarians81. He felt no alarm. The streets of New York or Paris or London did not seem to him safer than this virgin82 wilderness83 under the protection of its dark-skinned sons. There appeared presently along a faint trail winding84 up among the rocks others of the Patagonians. They greeted their caciques with a gutteral sound or two and at once assisted in unloading the boat, whose contents they examined with great curiosity.
Casimiro suggested that while the boat returned to the ship for another load, they should visit the native camp not far away. Fraser and Brent followed the old chief for nearly a mile up the steep trail until they came suddenly upon a little plateau still surrounded{50} by hills. The American was astonished to find grazing upon the luxuriant grass a large herd85 of the finest horses he had ever seen assembled together. His exclamations86 of admiration pleased the Patagonian. The old man proudly made known to him that his people were the best horsemen and possessed88 the best horses in all the world. Brent was a lover of horses and a good judge of their qualities. He had not been among the Patagonians twenty-four hours before he was willing to admit without reservation both points of Casimiro’s somewhat sweeping89 boast. Horsemanship that was a marvel90 of skill, strength, bravery, recklessness, and endurance was matched only by the speed, training, intelligence, and beauty of the splendid animals that made the wonderful exploits possible.
The American’s attention was divided between the horses and their masters. Three or four score Indians were in the camp, and they watched the white visitors curiously91. Nearly all these natives were men of superior physical qualities. Brent thought they would average somewhat greater in height and general proportions than a similar number of Americans or Englishmen, but they were by no means giants. He went about among them without hesitation92, and tried to profit by a month’s instruction from Fraser in their native language by ex{51}pressing his admiration of the horses. Their stoical silence soon gave way to evident surprise and pleasure, both at hearing their own tongue spoken by a white man and by his tribute to their one great pride. The Indians caught several of the finest horses and led them up to the young man for his inspection93. He was delighted and his pleasure was so manifest that it soon won the confidence and friendship of the Patagonians. Several of them mounted and performed feats94 in riding that he had never seen attempted even in the circus-ring. He was so absorbed in the exciting scenes that he was quite loth to accompany his friend back to the boat and would not believe it when he was told he had been for three hours admiring Patagonian horses and horsemanship.
With the help of the Indians and four or five canoes, besides the big yawl, rapid progress was made in discharging the schooner’s cargo. The boxes intended for packing with gold, it was decided to leave on board until after the trip to the interior. On the third day, Brent, Fraser, and the four chiefs started on their journey toward the Cordilleras. Mounted on six of the best horses in the herd they set off at a sharp lope soon after daybreak. Brent had a blanket for a saddle, and the others rode bareback. The two white men and one of the Indians carried rifles; the others were contented95 with the{52} bolas with which all the Indians were armed. It is a peculiar weapon, if weapon it be called. It consists of two heavy balls of metal or stone connected with a strong thong96 or cord. The Indians are wonderfully expert in using it against all manner of game or human enemies. They bring down a wild horse at an almost incredible distance. The bola goes flying through the air and twists itself about the fore10 or hind97 legs of the running animal throwing it violently to the ground. It is sometimes used also with deadly effect as a single or double slung-shot, the wielder98 holding the cord in the middle.
The route for many miles over a faint trail was rough and difficult. The country through which they passed was picturesque almost to grandeur99. It was far from being the “bleak and uninhabitable region” which the geographies only a few years ago would have us believe was a truthful62 description of Patagonia. Late in the day the path became smoother and the landscape more even. They were upon a high table-land, fertile and delightful. But nature’s charms had few attractions for Brent during the last three or four hours of the drive. Riding without a saddle for ten or eleven hours with only a brief halt at midday was no joke to a man who had not been on horseback for six months and who was physically100 quite out of training. For the others in the party,{53} even Fraser, there seemed to be little fatigue101 in the trip, and Brent did his best to conceal his feelings. There was something very like a twinkle in the eye of old Casimiro, when they finally halted for the night and the American limped very unsteadily from his horse to the spot chosen for a camp-fire. The chief made no comment at the time.
It was a hungry group that did full justice to the supper Cuastro prepared. Some few delicacies102 from the schooner’s stores had been brought along for the benefit of the two strangers, but the viand which Brent enjoyed most of all was a liberal piece of a tender fillet or steak which was roasted over hot embers. The young man remarked enthusiastically that it was the most appetizing morsel103 he had tasted for many a day.
“Do you know what it was?” asked Fraser with a peculiar smile.
“No, why?” replied Brent noticing the odd expression on the face of his friend.
“It was one of the best cuts from a well-fatted mare,” said the Scotchman. “Nearly all the meat the Patagonians eat is horseflesh and they think it the best in the world. I’m glad you like it.”
Brent turned pale, but he rallied bravely before his feelings could overcome him. “Great Scott,” he exclaimed, “have I been eating horseflesh? {54}I’m glad you didn’t tell me before. Perhaps it was hunger that made it seem so good. It thinks bad, but it didn’t taste bad.”
Fraser laughed heartily. “I was afraid you wouldn’t eat it if I told you, and I didn’t want you to offend the chiefs,” he said. “Really there is nothing unwholesome about it. It isn’t as though it were an old, worn-out animal that had spent its life in city streets. They prepare horses for food with more care than we do beef and mutton. Animals that do not come up to their high standards of speed and strength furnish the most esteemed104 delicacies of their bill of fare.”
Soon after eating, Brent was fain to wrap himself in his blanket and rest his aching limbs. Casimiro called him away from the fire and suggested that they should walk for a time. The young man pleaded fatigue and he felt indeed scarcely able to keep his feet. The chief explained partly by signs that if he would walk briskly until the cramped105 muscles were limbered up, he would be much better able to continue the journey in comfort on the morrow; otherwise he would have a painful experience. Brent acted on the advice, though at the expense of an uncomfortable half-hour. He felt better for the exercise even before he slept.
The next day’s journey was easier and more rapid.{55} Their destination lay, the chiefs said, in a group of high mountains which were in sight all day. They were a spur or offshoot of the Cordilleras of the Andes, the main range lying still two or three hundred miles to the west. In the afternoon the landscape again became broken. At length Casimiro led the party into a narrow defile106 which grew wilder and grander with every furlong. The trail, which no stranger could have discovered, crept along the side of a mountain, craggy and bare. For a time they were just above the verdure of a narrow valley, which below was bright and fresh along the banks of a twisting river, while over them hung black and threatening masses, flung into grotesque107 and insecure shapes by some not remote cataclysm108 of nature.
The path became narrow and shelf-like. The verdure below them disappeared. The valley grew narrower and more wild. The river was condensed almost out of sight between steep black precipices110. Their horses walked in single file and the riders made no attempt to guide them. The strange scene awoke a conflict of emotion in the minds of the two white men. The sense of danger could not overcome the mingled111 admiration and awe which some of nature’s weird112 manifestations113 aroused in them. The marks of a terrific convulsion of gigantic forces were all about them. There were no signs of volcanic114 action, but{56} the disturbance115 seemed to have been even more violent than that which accompanies the eruption116 of a volcano.
Turning after a time a bend in the trail, the leader of the file suddenly stopped, waited till the white men had approached, and then pointed117 silently with his long arm to the opposite side of the gorge118. Brent gave an exclamation87 of amazement119. His companion was too astonished to speak. They saw the opposite mountain, which had seemed more massive and regular than the one they were circling, apparently120 cleft121 in two by a narrow line from peak to deepest base. It was as though the stroke of a mighty122 knife or the blow of a colossal123 ax had split the vast mass in twain. The heart of the great mountain had become transparent124 and they looked through it to bright sunshine and green fields in the plain beyond. It was a narrow glimpse, a single, thin column of light that pierced the black cone125 from summit to foundation. If they moved a few steps forward or back the phenomenon was not visible, the mountain became as dense109 and impenetrable as the rock upon which they were standing.
The two white men gazed in silent wonder at this evidence before them of a fit of mighty fury to which some natural or supernatural power had given vent13. Nature’s wildest, maddest chaos126 was all about them.{57} Even the Indians, to whom the scene was not new, were awed127 by the grim grandeur, the anarchy128 of matter that reigned129 supreme130 in this domain131 of Titanic132 wrath133. The six horsemen grouped themselves in a small niche134, where the pathway widened into the side of the mountain. The horses seemed to partake of the mute solemnity of the spot. They stood silent and statue-like as though the intrusion of life was a desecration135 amid these monuments of a vanished rage. Minutes passed without a word being spoken. At length, when the first spell of a dead but mighty power had relaxed its hold upon them, Casimiro raised his hand, pointed with long, bony finger into the heart of the valley below them, and said:
“White men, there lies the curse from which you must rescue my people.”
They looked and amid the gathering shadows in the depths they saw a single gleam of white. And presently they hurried on.
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fabulous
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| adj.极好的；极为巨大的；寓言中的，传说中的 | |
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imprisonment
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| n.关押，监禁，坐牢 | |
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fin
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| n.鳍；(飞机的)安定翼 | |
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schooner
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| n.纵帆船 | |
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unwilling
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| adj.不情愿的 | |
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scotch
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| n.伤口，刻痕；苏格兰威士忌酒；v.粉碎，消灭，阻止；adj.苏格兰(人)的 | |
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outright
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| adv.坦率地；彻底地；立即；adj.无疑的；彻底的 | |
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ascent
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| n.(声望或地位)提高；上升，升高；登高 | |
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primitive
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| adj.原始的；简单的；n.原(始)人，原始事物 | |
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fore
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| adv.在前面；adj.先前的；在前部的；n.前部 | |
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cove
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| n.小海湾，小峡谷 | |
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cargo
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| n.(一只船或一架飞机运载的)货物 | |
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vent
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| n.通风口，排放口；开衩；vt.表达，发泄 | |
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decided
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| adj.决定了的，坚决的；明显的，明确的 | |
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determined
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| adj.坚定的；有决心的 | |
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procure
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| vt.获得，取得，促成；vi.拉皮条 | |
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specification
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| n.详述；[常pl.]规格，说明书，规范 | |
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procured
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| v.（努力）取得， （设法）获得( procure的过去式和过去分词 )；拉皮条 | |
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hoisting
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| 起重，提升 | |
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thoroughly
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| adv.完全地，彻底地，十足地 | |
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22
overhauled
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| v.彻底检查( overhaul的过去式和过去分词 )；大修；赶上；超越 | |
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23
seamen
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| n.海员 | |
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24
peculiar
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| adj.古怪的，异常的；特殊的，特有的 | |
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25
crutches
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| n.拐杖, 支柱 v.支撑 | |
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26
gracefully
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| ad.大大方方地；优美地 | |
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fully
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| adv.完全地，全部地，彻底地；充分地 | |
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28
shipping
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| n.船运（发货，运输，乘船） | |
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29
auspices
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| n.资助，赞助 | |
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30
grumbling
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| adj. 喃喃鸣不平的, 出怨言的 | |
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31
ashore
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| adv.在(向)岸上，上岸 | |
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32
heartily
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| adv.衷心地，诚恳地，十分，很 | |
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33
inquiries
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| n.调查( inquiry的名词复数 )；疑问；探究；打听 | |
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34
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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35
picturesque
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| adj.美丽如画的，（语言）生动的，绘声绘色的 | |
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36
delightful
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| adj.令人高兴的，使人快乐的 | |
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37
rendezvous
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| n.约会，约会地点，汇合点；vi.汇合，集合；vt.使汇合，使在汇合地点相遇 | |
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38
rugged
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| adj.高低不平的，粗糙的，粗壮的，强健的 | |
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39
feverishly
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| adv. 兴奋地 | |
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40
conceal
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| v.隐藏，隐瞒，隐蔽 | |
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41
meridian
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| adj.子午线的；全盛期的 | |
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42
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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43
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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44
tryst
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| n.约会；v.与…幽会 | |
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45
admiration
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| n.钦佩，赞美，羡慕 | |
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46
vigor
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| n.活力，精力，元气 | |
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47
retired
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| adj.隐退的，退休的，退役的 | |
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48
melancholy
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| n.忧郁，愁思；adj.令人感伤（沮丧）的，忧郁的 | |
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49
implicit
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| a.暗示的，含蓄的，不明晰的，绝对的 | |
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50
savage
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| adj.野蛮的；凶恶的，残暴的；n.未开化的人 | |
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51
deference
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| n.尊重，顺从；敬意 | |
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52
kindly
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| adj.和蔼的，温和的，爽快的；adv.温和地，亲切地 | |
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53
worthy
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| adj.(of)值得的，配得上的；有价值的 | |
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54
stewardship
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| n. n. 管理工作；管事人的职位及职责 | |
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55
attentively
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| adv.聚精会神地；周到地；谛；凝神 | |
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56
perfectly
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| adv.完美地，无可非议地，彻底地 | |
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57
apprehensive
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| adj.担心的，恐惧的，善于领会的 | |
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58
blot
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| vt.弄脏（用吸墨纸）吸干；n.污点，污渍 | |
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59
astonishment
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| n.惊奇，惊异 | |
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60
utterance
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| n.用言语表达，话语，言语 | |
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61
truthfulness
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| n. 符合实际 | |
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62
truthful
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| adj.真实的，说实话的，诚实的 | |
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63
disarmed
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| v.裁军( disarm的过去式和过去分词 )；使息怒 | |
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64
offense
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| n.犯规，违法行为；冒犯，得罪 | |
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65
undertaking
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| n.保证，许诺，事业 | |
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66
riddles
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| n.谜（语）( riddle的名词复数 )；猜不透的难题，难解之谜 | |
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67
awe
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| n.敬畏，惊惧；vt.使敬畏，使惊惧 | |
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68
immediate
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| adj.立即的；直接的，最接近的；紧靠的 | |
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69
landmark
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| n.陆标，划时代的事，地界标 | |
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70
concealed
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| a.隐藏的，隐蔽的 | |
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71
consultation
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| n.咨询；商量；商议；会议 | |
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72
aquiline
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| adj.钩状的，鹰的 | |
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73
squat
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| v.蹲坐，蹲下；n.蹲下；adj.矮胖的，粗矮的 | |
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74
regale
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| v.取悦，款待 | |
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75
havoc
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| n.大破坏，浩劫，大混乱，大杂乱 | |
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76
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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77
gathering
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| n.集会，聚会，聚集 | |
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78
spikes
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| n.穗( spike的名词复数 )；跑鞋；（防滑）鞋钉；尖状物v.加烈酒于( spike的第三人称单数 )；偷偷地给某人的饮料加入（更多）酒精（ 或药物）；把尖状物钉入；打乱某人的计划 | |
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79
savages
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| 未开化的人，野蛮人( savage的名词复数 ) | |
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80
prudence
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| n.谨慎，精明，节俭 | |
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81
barbarians
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| n.野蛮人( barbarian的名词复数 )；外国人；粗野的人；无教养的人 | |
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82
virgin
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| n.处女，未婚女子；adj.未经使用的；未经开发的 | |
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83
wilderness
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| n.杳无人烟的一片陆地、水等，荒漠 | |
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84
winding
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| n.绕，缠，绕组，线圈 | |
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85
herd
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| n.兽群，牧群；vt.使集中，把…赶在一起 | |
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86
exclamations
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| n.呼喊( exclamation的名词复数 )；感叹；感叹语；感叹词 | |
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87
exclamation
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| n.感叹号，惊呼，惊叹词 | |
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88
possessed
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| adj.疯狂的；拥有的，占有的 | |
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89
sweeping
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| adj.范围广大的，一扫无遗的 | |
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90
marvel
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| vi.(at)惊叹vt.感到惊异；n.令人惊异的事 | |
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91
curiously
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| adv.有求知欲地；好问地；奇特地 | |
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92
hesitation
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| n.犹豫，踌躇 | |
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93
inspection
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| n.检查，审查，检阅 | |
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94
feats
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| 功绩，伟业，技艺( feat的名词复数 ) | |
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95
contented
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| adj.满意的，安心的，知足的 | |
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96
thong
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| n.皮带；皮鞭；v.装皮带 | |
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97
hind
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| adj.后面的，后部的 | |
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98
wielder
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| 行使者 | |
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99
grandeur
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| n.伟大，崇高，宏伟，庄严，豪华 | |
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100
physically
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| adj.物质上，体格上，身体上，按自然规律 | |
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101
fatigue
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| n.疲劳，劳累 | |
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102
delicacies
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| n.棘手( delicacy的名词复数 )；精致；精美的食物；周到 | |
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103
morsel
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| n.一口，一点点 | |
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104
esteemed
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| adj.受人尊敬的v.尊敬( esteem的过去式和过去分词 )；敬重；认为；以为 | |
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105
cramped
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| a.狭窄的 | |
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106
defile
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| v.弄污，弄脏；n.(山间)小道 | |
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107
grotesque
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| adj.怪诞的，丑陋的；n.怪诞的图案，怪人（物） | |
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108
cataclysm
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| n.洪水，剧变，大灾难 | |
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109
dense
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| a.密集的，稠密的，浓密的；密度大的 | |
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110
precipices
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| n.悬崖，峭壁( precipice的名词复数 ) | |
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111
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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112
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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113
manifestations
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| n.表示，显示（manifestation的复数形式） | |
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114
volcanic
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| adj.火山的；象火山的；由火山引起的 | |
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115
disturbance
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| n.动乱，骚动；打扰，干扰；(身心)失调 | |
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116
eruption
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| n.火山爆发；（战争等）爆发；（疾病等）发作 | |
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117
pointed
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| adj.尖的，直截了当的 | |
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118
gorge
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| n.咽喉，胃，暴食，山峡；v.塞饱，狼吞虎咽地吃 | |
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119
amazement
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| n.惊奇，惊讶 | |
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120
apparently
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| adv.显然地；表面上，似乎 | |
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121
cleft
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| n.裂缝；adj.裂开的 | |
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122
mighty
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| adj.强有力的；巨大的 | |
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123
colossal
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| adj.异常的，庞大的 | |
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124
transparent
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| adj.明显的，无疑的；透明的 | |
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125
cone
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| n.圆锥体，圆锥形东西，球果 | |
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126
chaos
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| n.混乱，无秩序 | |
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127
awed
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| adj.充满敬畏的，表示敬畏的v.使敬畏，使惊惧( awe的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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128
anarchy
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| n.无政府状态；社会秩序混乱，无秩序 | |
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129
reigned
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| vi.当政，统治（reign的过去式形式） | |
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130
supreme
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| adj.极度的，最重要的；至高的，最高的 | |
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131
domain
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| n.(活动等)领域，范围；领地，势力范围 | |
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132
titanic
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| adj.巨人的，庞大的，强大的 | |
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133
wrath
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| n.愤怒，愤慨，暴怒 | |
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134
niche
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| n.壁龛；合适的职务(环境、位置等) | |
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135
desecration
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| n. 亵渎神圣, 污辱 | |
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