“It’s as plain as a handspike,” remarked Dick, as he and Bob made their way along the path, “that Jordan and the others took a slant1 in this direction.”
“That’s the kind of a guess I’d make,” said Bob. “By following the path, though, we don’t want to forget that they got into trouble. When you’re on a road that leads to trouble, Dick, you’ve either got to leave it or else be mighty2 careful.”
“I don’t know how we’d get through this jungle if we didn’t follow the path. Tirzal claims to know the country. If that’s a fact, then it’s queer he couldn’t pilot Jordan and Speake around any stray groups of insurrectos.”
“Our failure to see anything of the schooner3 while we were off the coast, or anything of a launch from the schooner while we were coming up the river, rather gave Jordan the idea that Fingal and Cassidy were on the wrong track. But I’m inclined to think Jordan was wide of his trail. They must have sent word here and enabled the revolutionists to fix up some sort of a trap.”
“I can’t begin to tell you how surprised I am at the way Cassidy is acting—that is, if he’s gone into partnership4 with Fingal, for the purpose of backcapping our plans to save one of our own countrymen. What57 sort of a two-faced rascal6 is Cassidy, anyhow? He must be mighty sore to act like that. But maybe you’re mistaken, Bob.”
“I hope I am,” returned Bob gravely. “I always liked Cassidy, and I hate to see a good man go wrong in such a way as that.”
The boys had dropped their voices to an undertone. While they talked, they hurried along the dim, winding7 path, keeping their eyes constantly ahead.
Owing to the close growth of trees, but very little sun filtered to the ground below, and a twilight8 gloom hovered9 over the narrow way. Bob was in advance, and suddenly he halted, whirled on Dick and pulled him behind a matted vine that hung from a tree beside the path.
“Hist!” whispered Bob, in his chum’s ear. “I can hear voices around the turn in the path ahead. Some one is coming this way. Crouch10 down and perhaps they’ll go past without seeing us.”
Scarcely breathing, the two boys knelt behind the matted vine, each holding his weapon ready in case they should be discovered and compelled to fight for their freedom.
It was not long before the men whom Bob had heard came straggling around the turn in the path. To their amazement11, no less a person than Fingal was at the head of the column. The light was none too good for making observations at a distance, but there could be no mistaking the burly form in the dingy12 blue cap and coat and dungaree trousers.
Fingal slouched along with the thwartship roll of a sailor with stable ground under him. At his back came half a dozen nondescript men, of various shades of color from coal black to light yellow.
These men, no doubt, formed part of the rebel army. They were all barefooted, their clothes were ragged,58 and they wore straw hats. Each had a machete strapped13 about his waist, but there the uniformity of their accouterments ceased. Two had no arms apart from the machetes; one of the remaining four had a long-barreled, muzzle-loading rifle, and the other three had revolvers. Fingal had no rifle, but there was a belt about his waist that supported a six-shooter over his hip5.
The file was still talking as it passed the two boys, but it was Spanish talk, and neither Bob nor Dick could understand anything that was said.
Without seeing the boys, the file swept on and vanished around another bend. Bob drew a long breath of relief.
“We’re out of that mess, Dick,” he murmured, getting up and stepping back into the path. “I guess we’ve settled all doubts about Cassidy and Fingal. Fingal’s here, and I’ll bet something handsome Cassidy can’t be very far off.”
“Cassidy’s trying to down us,” growled14 Dick, “and that’s as plain as the nose on your face. The old scoundrel! He ought to be trussed up at a grating and pounded with the ‘cat’ for this. I never thought it of him! Where do you suppose that pack is going?”
“They’re looking for the Grampus, I guess.”
“And the old Grampus is ten feet under water! If Gaines is next to his job, he’s fixed15 things so they won’t be able to see even the periscope16 ball.”
“Trust Gaines to do everything possible. I don’t think the submarine is in any particular danger, but we couldn’t help her any if she were. We’ll keep on and see where this trouble road lands us.”
“All right! Luck seems to be on our side, so far, and here’s hoping that it will stay with us.”
Bob once more took the lead and set the pace. The ground they were covering had a slight inclination17 up59ward, and the path continued to wriggle18, serpent fashion, through the dense19 growth of timber.
It was the almost impenetrable screen of the woods that suddenly plunged20 the boys into difficulties. Rounding an abrupt21 turn, beyond which it was impossible to see because of the dense foliage22, Bob and Dick plunged recklessly into full view of an encampment. It was a large encampment, too, and pitched in the midst of a big clearing. The place was not a hundred yards off, and Bob, pulling himself short up, got a glimpse of black soldiers lolling and smoking under rough canvas shelters.
For an instant he halted and stared; then whirled face about.
“Back, Dick!” he exclaimed. “Run, run for your life!”
The words were hardly necessary. The boys had been seen and a wild clamor came from the encampment. A fizzing sputter23 of firearms awoke echoes in the timber, and scraps24 of lead could be heard slapping and zipping through the leaves.
“We might be good for three or four,” panted Dick, as he stretched his legs along the path, “but we have to knock under when the whole rebel army gets after us.”
“Save your breath!” cried Bob. “Run!”
“Where? That other pack, with Fingal, is ahead.”
“Never mind. The largest force is behind.”
The dark-skinned rebels were tearing along like madmen. The boys, looking over their shoulders, could see them wherever the path straightened out into a short, straightaway stretch. At such times, too, some one of the pursuing rabble25 let fly with a bullet. The bullets went wild, for there is no such thing as accurate shooting by a man who is on the run.
60
The boys were holding their own—perhaps doing a little better.
“We can distance ’em,” puffed26 Dick, “if they’ll only give us a little time. We’ll be around the next turn and halfway27 to the one beyond before they show up again.”
Dick had hardly finished speaking before he came to a sudden halt.
“Keep on!” panted Bob.
“Can’t! We’re between two fires! That other gang has heard the firing and is coming back. Let’s get behind trees and do the best we can for ourselves. Oh, this is a fix!”
Bob was able to hear the men racing28 along in advance of them, and the larger force behind was drawing nearer and nearer.
The outlook was dark, and the only thing left for the boys to do seemed to be to dig into the dense undergrowth and take their chances of being tracked down.
With one accord they sprang toward the left-hand side of the path. The timber, in that direction, seemed a trifle less thick than on the right.
Before they had vanished they heard a guarded voice calling from the right:
“Bob! Bob Steele!”
Startled at hearing his name, the young fellow paused and whirled about. His astonishment29 grew. A woman—a young woman—had emerged through the trailing creepers and was beckoning30 wildly.
“This way!” she called, still in the same guarded tone. “Quick, if you want to save yourselves.”
A moment more, and Bob and Dick both recognized the speaker. She was not one whom they would have trusted had circumstances been other than they were. Just then, however, but little choice was left them.
61
“It’s that or nothing,” muttered Dick, and he and Bob charged back across the path and followed the girl into a tangle31 of bushes.
Hardly had they vanished when both parties of pursuers pushed into sight from right and left.
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1
slant
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v.倾斜,倾向性地编写或报道;n.斜面,倾向 | |
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2
mighty
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adj.强有力的;巨大的 | |
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3
schooner
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n.纵帆船 | |
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4
partnership
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n.合作关系,伙伴关系 | |
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5
hip
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n.臀部,髋;屋脊 | |
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6
rascal
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n.流氓;不诚实的人 | |
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7
winding
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n.绕,缠,绕组,线圈 | |
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8
twilight
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n.暮光,黄昏;暮年,晚期,衰落时期 | |
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9
hovered
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鸟( hover的过去式和过去分词 ); 靠近(某事物); (人)徘徊; 犹豫 | |
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10
crouch
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v.蹲伏,蜷缩,低头弯腰;n.蹲伏 | |
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11
amazement
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n.惊奇,惊讶 | |
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12
dingy
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adj.昏暗的,肮脏的 | |
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13
strapped
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adj.用皮带捆住的,用皮带装饰的;身无分文的;缺钱;手头紧v.用皮带捆扎(strap的过去式和过去分词);用皮带抽打;包扎;给…打绷带 | |
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14
growled
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v.(动物)发狺狺声, (雷)作隆隆声( growl的过去式和过去分词 );低声咆哮着说 | |
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15
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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16
periscope
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n. 潜望镜 | |
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17
inclination
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n.倾斜;点头;弯腰;斜坡;倾度;倾向;爱好 | |
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18
wriggle
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v./n.蠕动,扭动;蜿蜒 | |
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19
dense
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a.密集的,稠密的,浓密的;密度大的 | |
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20
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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21
abrupt
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adj.突然的,意外的;唐突的,鲁莽的 | |
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22
foliage
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n.叶子,树叶,簇叶 | |
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23
sputter
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n.喷溅声;v.喷溅 | |
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24
scraps
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油渣 | |
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25
rabble
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n.乌合之众,暴民;下等人 | |
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26
puffed
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adj.疏松的v.使喷出( puff的过去式和过去分词 );喷着汽(或烟)移动;吹嘘;吹捧 | |
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27
halfway
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adj.中途的,不彻底的,部分的;adv.半路地,在中途,在半途 | |
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28
racing
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n.竞赛,赛马;adj.竞赛用的,赛马用的 | |
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29
astonishment
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n.惊奇,惊异 | |
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30
beckoning
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adj.引诱人的,令人心动的v.(用头或手的动作)示意,召唤( beckon的现在分词 ) | |
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31
tangle
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n.纠缠;缠结;混乱;v.(使)缠绕;变乱 | |
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