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首页 » 英文短篇小说 » Bob Steele In Strange Waters or, Aboard a Strange Craft » CHAPTER XXXVIII. VILLAINOUS WORK.
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CHAPTER XXXVIII. VILLAINOUS WORK.
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 Gaines and Ah Sin were also sleeping in the torpedo1 room. As soon as Clackett had left, Bob bent2 down over the Chinaman and shook him roughly. The Celestial3 started up and stared blankly into the stern face of the young motorist.
 
“Wha’chee want?” he asked.
 
“Is this yours?” inquired Bob, producing the chopstick and studying the Chinaman’s face attentively4 as he did so.
 
The brim of the old slouch hat—which the yellow man had kept on while sleeping—shaded his eyes, so that Bob’s view was not as good as he would have liked to have it. So far as Bob could discover, not a shadow of guilt5 crossed Ah Sin’s face. Thrusting one hand into the breast of his blouse he drew out the mate to the chopstick Bob was holding, a grateful grin split his countenance6, and he caught the piece of ebony out of Bob’s hand.
 
“Me losee um, huh?” he chuckled7. “My no savvy8 how me losee um.”
 
“Go up the hatch to the periscope9 room,” ordered Bob.
 
If Ah Sin was surprised at the command he cloaked his feelings admirably.
 
Without a word he left the torpedo room, climbed to the deck above, and gained the periscope chamber10. Bob pounded on the door of Glennie’s quarters, and the ensign quickly opened the door.
 
“What’s wanted?” he asked.
 
“Take this Chinaman in there with you, Mr. Glennie,” said Bob, “and watch him.”
 
241
 
“What’s he been doing?”
 
“I don’t know that he’s been doing anything. I just want him watched, that’s all, and you can do it better than any one else.”
 
Glennie stared for a moment, then jerked the Chinaman inside and closed the door.
 
As Bob turned away, he was conscious of the steady song of the cylinders11. Again the motor had taken up its cycle properly—proof that the gasoline secured by Dick in Port of Spain was of the right sort.
 
“I’ll take the wheel, Speake,” said Bob. “Go to the torpedo room and turn in.”
 
“What was wrong with the motor?” queried12 Speake, as he gave up the wheel.
 
“Water in the carburetor.”
 
“Chink put it there?”
 
“Why should he do that?” returned Bob.
 
“That’s too much for me, Bob, unless he did it by mistake, same as he exploded the gas in that reserve tank.”
 
“I don’t know how the water got in the tank, Speake, and it may have been accident quite as much as design.”
 
Speake left Bob to his lonely vigil. The gleam of the little searchlight, reaching out ahead of the submarine, flung an odd picture on the periscope mirror. The edges of the mirror were shrouded13 in darkness, out of which jumped the smooth, oily billows. The waves flashed like gold in the pencil of light.
 
Bob, holding the Grampus to her course, looked into the periscope absently. He was thinking of the motor’s recent trouble, and of the chopstick lying by the gasoline tank, turning both over in his mind and wondering aimlessly.
 
Suddenly he lifted his head. An odd note was mixing itself with the croon of the motor and the whir of242 the ventilator fans. The noise was not caused by anything aboard the submarine; of that Bob was positive. It was like the thrashing of a large propeller14, growing rapidly in volume as Bob listened.
 
Under water sounds are carried far. The noise Bob heard was caught by the submerged hulk of the Grampus and re?choed as by a sounding board.
 
“Half speed, Dick,” he called through the engine-room tube.
 
As the pace slackened, Bob’s eyes again sought the periscope mirror. Abruptly15, out of the gloom that walled in the glow of the searchlight, rushed a steamer, its blotted16 outline crossing directly the submarine’s course. There were lights along the steamer’s rail, but it was plain her lookouts17 were asleep or they would have seen the Grampus’ searchlight.
 
Instantly the young fellow was stirred into strenuous18 activity.
 
“Full speed astern—on your life!” he shouted to Dick.
 
At the same time Bob put the wheel over, hoping to make a turn and get the Grampus on a parallel course with the steamer.
 
But there was not room, nor time, enough for the turn. Unless the motor stayed the Grampus she was bound to crash into the other vessel19.
 
Dick, however, got the propeller to turning the other way just at the critical moment. The speed of the submarine slackened in answer to the reverse pull, and the stern of the steamer swung by into the gloom with a margin20 of scarce a dozen feet, leaving the Grampus bobbing in her troubled wake.
 
“All right now, Dick,” called Bob, in a voice that shook somewhat. “Drive her ahead.”
 
“What was wrong?” inquired Dick.
 
243
 
“We just missed a collision with a steamer. Your quick work saved us.”
 
Dick gave a long whistle, and went on with his work. “A miss is as good as a hundred fathoms21, sometimes,” he answered lightly.
 
The ringing orders and quick work with the engine had aroused none of the sleepers22. Carl could be heard babbling23 excitedly in the tank room, but otherwise the ship’s complement25 was quiet.
 
It was with a distinct feeling of relief that Bob caught the first gleam of day as it was reflected by the periscope. As the morning advanced and brightened, he raised a black smudge, as of steamer smoke, on the port quarter. The smoke was bearing along in the direction the submarine was going, and Bob wondered if that was the steamer they had barely missed running into during the night.
 
Gaines relieved Dick, Clackett took Carl’s place, and Speake came after Ah Sin and ordered him below to get breakfast. When the Chinaman was fairly at work, Speake returned to the engine room and took the wheel. Glennie showed himself when breakfast was ready, and he, Bob, Dick, Carl, and Speake ate their breakfast in the periscope room.
 
“We must be off British Guiana,” remarked Glennie, stirring the condensed milk and sugar into his coffee. “Will you put in at Georgetown, Mr. Steele?”
 
“We won’t have to do that, now that we’ve picked you up at Port of Spain,” replied Bob. “We’ve got to make quick time to the Amazon.”
 
“Iss dot shdeamer der vone ve come pooty near running indo lasdt night?” queried Carl, taking a look into the periscope.
 
“It’s about an even guess whether it is or not.”
 
As Sin, who happened to be in the room, took a look at the periscope for himself.
 
244
 
“Did we come near having a collision last night?” queried Glennie, looking up quickly.
 
Bob, who wished to be agreeable, narrated26 the incident.
 
“We made a lucky miss of it,” remarked the ensign, when Bob had finished. “I’ve no desire to go to the bottom in a steel sarcophagus like the Grampus. Strange I slept through it all, but I was tired, and I suppose I slept rather sounder than usual. That chink,” he added, putting down his cup, “is a poor coffee maker27. Or is it the coffee itself that tastes so rank?”
 
“It’s poor stuff,” spoke28 up Speake, “an’ I was jest goin’ to say something about the taste. The chink did better yesterday than he’s doin’ this mornin’.”
 
“Id purns ven id goes town, like id vas a torchlight brocession,” observed Carl luminously29. “I don’d like dot, but I vas hungry, so I trink it. Whoosh30!”
 
“It’s certainly hot and bitter,” said Bob, and put down his cup after two or three swallows.
 
“That steamer is gettin’ closer to us, Bob,” announced Speake, fumbling31 with the wheel and looking at the periscope.
 
“Steady, there, Speake!” cautioned Bob.
 
“I don’t know what’s the matter with me,” muttered Speake, “but my nerves are all in a quiver. She’s small, that steamer; one funnel32, black, with a red band. I don’t jest recollect33 what line—that—is.”
 
He drawled out the last words.
 
“Py Jove!” said Carl; “I feel sick py der shdomach, und eferyt’ing iss virling und virling.”
 
“I’m dizzy, too!” put in Dick.
 
“And I,” murmured Glennie, setting aside his plate and empty cup. “I—I believe I’ll lie down.”
 
He got up from the stool on which he was sitting, and floundered to the tap of the locker34. Pushing a245 hand around to his hip24 pocket, he drew out a revolver that interfered35 with his comfort, dropped it on the floor, and fell back limply.
 
Dick tried to get to his feet, but his limbs gave out, and he fell sprawling36 upon Carl. At the same moment Carl straightened out with a gasp37, and Speake let go of the wheel and pitched forward to his knees. There he swayed unsteadily for an instant, trying to speak, but the effort was beyond him, and he slowly crumpled38 downward.
 
A horrible sensation of helplessness was growing upon Bob, and with it there dawned on his mind a hazy39 suspicion of villainous work. He struggled upright and staggered to the wheel.
 
“Gaines!” he called huskily through the motor-room tube.
 
No answer was returned. Glennie floundered up on one knee.
 
“What—in the fiend’s—name—is the matter?” he gasped40 chokingly.
 
“Clackett!” cried Bob, through the tank-room tube.
 
Still there was no answer. At just that moment, when Bob was positively41 sure that all on the ship were caught in the awful spell, Ah Sin shambled through the door.
 
With all his failing strength Bob flung himself on the Chinaman. Before Ah Sin could dodge42 out of the way Bob’s arms went round him and his slouch hat was jerked off.
 
With the hat came the long queue, leaving Ah Sin’s closely cropped head in plain sight.
 
“T—Tolo!” gurgled Glennie, a wild, incredulous look crossing his face.
 
He made a superhuman effort to get off the locker, but the last particle of strength left him in a flash, and he rolled backward.

点击收听单词发音收听单词发音  

1 torpedo RJNzd     
n.水雷,地雷;v.用鱼雷破坏
参考例句:
  • His ship was blown up by a torpedo.他的船被一枚鱼雷炸毁了。
  • Torpedo boats played an important role during World War Two.鱼雷艇在第二次世界大战中发挥了重要作用。
2 bent QQ8yD     
n.爱好,癖好;adj.弯的;决心的,一心的
参考例句:
  • He was fully bent upon the project.他一心扑在这项计划上。
  • We bent over backward to help them.我们尽了最大努力帮助他们。
3 celestial 4rUz8     
adj.天体的;天上的
参考例句:
  • The rosy light yet beamed like a celestial dawn.玫瑰色的红光依然象天上的朝霞一样绚丽。
  • Gravity governs the motions of celestial bodies.万有引力控制着天体的运动。
4 attentively AyQzjz     
adv.聚精会神地;周到地;谛;凝神
参考例句:
  • She listened attentively while I poured out my problems. 我倾吐心中的烦恼时,她一直在注意听。 来自《简明英汉词典》
  • She listened attentively and set down every word he said. 她专心听着,把他说的话一字不漏地记下来。 来自《简明英汉词典》
5 guilt 9e6xr     
n.犯罪;内疚;过失,罪责
参考例句:
  • She tried to cover up her guilt by lying.她企图用谎言掩饰自己的罪行。
  • Don't lay a guilt trip on your child about schoolwork.别因为功课责备孩子而使他觉得很内疚。
6 countenance iztxc     
n.脸色,面容;面部表情;vt.支持,赞同
参考例句:
  • At the sight of this photograph he changed his countenance.他一看见这张照片脸色就变了。
  • I made a fierce countenance as if I would eat him alive.我脸色恶狠狠地,仿佛要把他活生生地吞下去。
7 chuckled 8ce1383c838073977a08258a1f3e30f8     
轻声地笑( chuckle的过去式和过去分词 )
参考例句:
  • She chuckled at the memory. 想起这件事她就暗自发笑。
  • She chuckled softly to herself as she remembered his astonished look. 想起他那惊讶的表情,她就轻轻地暗自发笑。
8 savvy 3CkzV     
v.知道,了解;n.理解能力,机智,悟性;adj.有见识的,懂实际知识的,通情达理的
参考例句:
  • She was a pretty savvy woman.她是个见过世面的漂亮女人。
  • Where's your savvy?你的常识到哪里去了?
9 periscope IMhx2     
n. 潜望镜
参考例句:
  • The captain aligned the periscope on the bearing.船长使潜望镜对准方位。
  • Now,peering through the periscope he remarked in businesslike tones.现在,他一面从潜望镜里观察,一面用精干踏实的口吻说话。
10 chamber wnky9     
n.房间,寝室;会议厅;议院;会所
参考例句:
  • For many,the dentist's surgery remains a torture chamber.对许多人来说,牙医的治疗室一直是间受刑室。
  • The chamber was ablaze with light.会议厅里灯火辉煌。
11 cylinders fd0c4aab3548ce77958c1502f0bc9692     
n.圆筒( cylinder的名词复数 );圆柱;汽缸;(尤指用作容器的)圆筒状物
参考例句:
  • They are working on all cylinders to get the job finished. 他们正在竭尽全力争取把这工作干完。 来自《简明英汉词典》
  • That jeep has four cylinders. 那辆吉普车有4个汽缸。 来自《简明英汉词典》
12 queried 5c2c5662d89da782d75e74125d6f6932     
v.质疑,对…表示疑问( query的过去式和过去分词 );询问
参考例句:
  • She queried what he said. 她对他说的话表示怀疑。 来自《简明英汉词典》
  • \"What does he have to do?\" queried Chin dubiously. “他有什么心事?”琴向觉民问道,她的脸上现出疑惑不解的神情。 来自汉英文学 - 家(1-26) - 家(1-26)
13 shrouded 6b3958ee6e7b263c722c8b117143345f     
v.隐瞒( shroud的过去式和过去分词 );保密
参考例句:
  • The hills were shrouded in mist . 这些小山被笼罩在薄雾之中。
  • The towers were shrouded in mist. 城楼被蒙上薄雾。 来自《简明英汉词典》
14 propeller tRVxe     
n.螺旋桨,推进器
参考例句:
  • The propeller started to spin around.螺旋桨开始飞快地旋转起来。
  • A rope jammed the boat's propeller.一根绳子卡住了船的螺旋桨。
15 abruptly iINyJ     
adv.突然地,出其不意地
参考例句:
  • He gestured abruptly for Virginia to get in the car.他粗鲁地示意弗吉尼亚上车。
  • I was abruptly notified that a half-hour speech was expected of me.我突然被通知要讲半个小时的话。
16 blotted 06046c4f802cf2d785ce6e085eb5f0d7     
涂污( blot的过去式和过去分词 ); (用吸墨纸)吸干
参考例句:
  • She blotted water off the table with a towel. 她用毛巾擦干桌上的水。
  • The blizzard blotted out the sky and the land. 暴风雪铺天盖地而来。
17 lookouts 7926b742eec0dc62641ba32374f99780     
n.寻找( 某人/某物)( lookout的名词复数 );是某人(自己)的问题;警戒;瞭望台
参考例句:
  • Lookouts were spotted all along the coast. 沿海岸都布置了监视哨。 来自《现代英汉综合大词典》
  • Lookouts and leadsmen in bulky life jackets stumbled and slipped after him. 监视哨和测深员穿着饱鼓鼓的救生衣,跌跌撞撞地跟在他后面。 来自辞典例句
18 strenuous 8GvzN     
adj.奋发的,使劲的;紧张的;热烈的,狂热的
参考例句:
  • He made strenuous efforts to improve his reading. 他奋发努力提高阅读能力。
  • You may run yourself down in this strenuous week.你可能会在这紧张的一周透支掉自己。
19 vessel 4L1zi     
n.船舶;容器,器皿;管,导管,血管
参考例句:
  • The vessel is fully loaded with cargo for Shanghai.这艘船满载货物驶往上海。
  • You should put the water into a vessel.你应该把水装入容器中。
20 margin 67Mzp     
n.页边空白;差额;余地,余裕;边,边缘
参考例句:
  • We allowed a margin of 20 minutes in catching the train.我们有20分钟的余地赶火车。
  • The village is situated at the margin of a forest.村子位于森林的边缘。
21 fathoms eef76eb8bfaf6d8f8c0ed4de2cf47dcc     
英寻( fathom的名词复数 )
参考例句:
  • The harbour is four fathoms deep. 港深为四英寻。
  • One bait was down forty fathoms. 有个鱼饵下沉到四十英寻的深处。
22 sleepers 1d076aa8d5bfd0daecb3ca5f5c17a425     
n.卧铺(通常以复数形式出现);卧车( sleeper的名词复数 );轨枕;睡觉(呈某种状态)的人;小耳环
参考例句:
  • He trod quietly so as not to disturb the sleepers. 他轻移脚步,以免吵醒睡着的人。 来自辞典例句
  • The nurse was out, and we two sleepers were alone. 保姆出去了,只剩下我们两个瞌睡虫。 来自辞典例句
23 babbling babbling     
n.胡说,婴儿发出的咿哑声adj.胡说的v.喋喋不休( babble的现在分词 );作潺潺声(如流水);含糊不清地说话;泄漏秘密
参考例句:
  • I could hear the sound of a babbling brook. 我听得见小溪潺潺的流水声。 来自《简明英汉词典》
  • Infamy was babbling around her in the public market-place. 在公共市场上,她周围泛滥着对她丑行的种种议论。 来自英汉文学 - 红字
24 hip 1dOxX     
n.臀部,髋;屋脊
参考例句:
  • The thigh bone is connected to the hip bone.股骨连着髋骨。
  • The new coats blouse gracefully above the hip line.新外套在臀围线上优美地打着褶皱。
25 complement ZbTyZ     
n.补足物,船上的定员;补语;vt.补充,补足
参考例句:
  • The two suggestions complement each other.这两条建议相互补充。
  • They oppose each other also complement each other.它们相辅相成。
26 narrated 41d1c5fe7dace3e43c38e40bfeb85fe5     
v.故事( narrate的过去式和过去分词 )
参考例句:
  • Some of the story was narrated in the film. 该电影叙述了这个故事的部分情节。 来自《简明英汉词典》
  • Defoe skilfully narrated the adventures of Robinson Crusoe on his desert island. 笛福生动地叙述了鲁滨逊·克鲁索在荒岛上的冒险故事。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》
27 maker DALxN     
n.制造者,制造商
参考例句:
  • He is a trouble maker,You must be distant with him.他是个捣蛋鬼,你不要跟他在一起。
  • A cabinet maker must be a master craftsman.家具木工必须是技艺高超的手艺人。
28 spoke XryyC     
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
参考例句:
  • They sourced the spoke nuts from our company.他们的轮辐螺帽是从我们公司获得的。
  • The spokes of a wheel are the bars that connect the outer ring to the centre.辐条是轮子上连接外圈与中心的条棒。
29 luminously a104a669cfb7412dacab99f548efe90f     
发光的; 明亮的; 清楚的; 辉赫
参考例句:
  • an alarm clock with a luminous dial 夜光闹钟
  • luminous hands on a clock 钟的夜光指针
30 whoosh go7yy     
v.飞快地移动,呼
参考例句:
  • It goes whoosh up and whoosh down.它呼一下上来了,呼一下又下去了。
  • Whoosh!The straw house falls down.呼!稻草房子倒了。
31 fumbling fumbling     
n. 摸索,漏接 v. 摸索,摸弄,笨拙的处理
参考例句:
  • If he actually managed to the ball instead of fumbling it with an off-balance shot. 如果他实际上设法拿好球而不是fumbling它。50-balance射击笨拙地和迅速地会开始他的岗位移动,经常这样结束。
  • If he actually managed to secure the ball instead of fumbling it awkwardly an off-balance shot. 如果他实际上设法拿好球而不是fumbling它。50-50提议有时。他从off-balance射击笨拙地和迅速地会开始他的岗位移动,经常这样结束。
32 funnel xhgx4     
n.漏斗;烟囱;v.汇集
参考例句:
  • He poured the petrol into the car through a funnel.他用一个漏斗把汽油灌入汽车。
  • I like the ship with a yellow funnel.我喜欢那条有黄烟囱的船。
33 recollect eUOxl     
v.回忆,想起,记起,忆起,记得
参考例句:
  • He tried to recollect things and drown himself in them.他极力回想过去的事情而沉浸于回忆之中。
  • She could not recollect being there.她回想不起曾经到过那儿。
34 locker 8pzzYm     
n.更衣箱,储物柜,冷藏室,上锁的人
参考例句:
  • At the swimming pool I put my clothes in a locker.在游泳池我把衣服锁在小柜里。
  • He moved into the locker room and began to slip out of his scrub suit.他走进更衣室把手术服脱下来。
35 interfered 71b7e795becf1adbddfab2cd6c5f0cff     
v.干预( interfere的过去式和过去分词 );调停;妨碍;干涉
参考例句:
  • Complete absorption in sports interfered with his studies. 专注于运动妨碍了他的学业。 来自《简明英汉词典》
  • I am not going to be interfered with. 我不想别人干扰我的事情。 来自《简明英汉词典》
36 sprawling 3ff3e560ffc2f12f222ef624d5807902     
adj.蔓生的,不规则地伸展的v.伸开四肢坐[躺]( sprawl的现在分词 );蔓延;杂乱无序地拓展;四肢伸展坐着(或躺着)
参考例句:
  • He was sprawling in an armchair in front of the TV. 他伸开手脚坐在电视机前的一张扶手椅上。
  • a modern sprawling town 一座杂乱无序拓展的现代城镇
37 gasp UfxzL     
n.喘息,气喘;v.喘息;气吁吁他说
参考例句:
  • She gave a gasp of surprise.她吃惊得大口喘气。
  • The enemy are at their last gasp.敌人在做垂死的挣扎。
38 crumpled crumpled     
adj. 弯扭的, 变皱的 动词crumple的过去式和过去分词形式
参考例句:
  • She crumpled the letter up into a ball and threw it on the fire. 她把那封信揉成一团扔进了火里。
  • She flattened out the crumpled letter on the desk. 她在写字台上把皱巴巴的信展平。
39 hazy h53ya     
adj.有薄雾的,朦胧的;不肯定的,模糊的
参考例句:
  • We couldn't see far because it was so hazy.雾气蒙蒙妨碍了我们的视线。
  • I have a hazy memory of those early years.对那些早先的岁月我有着朦胧的记忆。
40 gasped e6af294d8a7477229d6749fa9e8f5b80     
v.喘气( gasp的过去式和过去分词 );喘息;倒抽气;很想要
参考例句:
  • She gasped at the wonderful view. 如此美景使她惊讶得屏住了呼吸。
  • People gasped with admiration at the superb skill of the gymnasts. 体操运动员的高超技艺令人赞叹。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》
41 positively vPTxw     
adv.明确地,断然,坚决地;实在,确实
参考例句:
  • She was positively glowing with happiness.她满脸幸福。
  • The weather was positively poisonous.这天气着实讨厌。
42 dodge q83yo     
v.闪开,躲开,避开;n.妙计,诡计
参考例句:
  • A dodge behind a tree kept her from being run over.她向树后一闪,才没被车从身上辗过。
  • The dodge was coopered by the police.诡计被警察粉碎了。


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