Seated around a roaring fire were some ten or twelve men, wrapped in their long cloaks and vainly endeavoring to warm their aching limbs. Among them was a newcomer, Adam Clotworthy, a rollicking blade whom no misfortune seemed to chill. His great round body, covered with a quilted doublet of scarlet5 cloth, rocked from side to side on legs so short there seemed no room for joints6 at the knees. Stubby black hair shot out around a face in which sly humor and common sense were blended together by an expression of human kindness. A brown eye and a blue eye, never looking in the same direction, stood sentinel on either side of a huge nose that had a trick of working at the end when he talked.
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“Draw up your long shanks a bit and give a man room to sit down.”
With a muttered growl9 Kendall made room as Adam desired. Gathering10 his cloak closely around him, Adam squashed down upon the ground like a ripe tomato, from under which two huge boots stuck out straight in front. His legs had disappeared under his mountain of flesh.
Captain Smith could not forbear joining in the shout of laughter that burst involuntarily from the rest of the company.
Not in the least disconcerted by their laughter, Adam squirmed around until he had made himself comfortable, and proceeded to open conversation with the grim and scowling12 men around him.
“By my faith, Martin, you look like a mourner at a funeral! Take heart, man; perhaps the ‘Injun’ lady you told me about will step over to-morrow with a bushel or two of corn and a brace13 of wild turkeys. Gad14, I can smell ’em roasting now.”
“Quit your talk about food, or I will break every bone in your body; that is, all that haven’t turned to grease,” said Kendall with a scowl11.
Misery15 again settled upon the faces of the men as they unconsciously licked their85 cracked lips at the mention of the savory16 turkeys.
“Jealousy17, man; pure jealousy is your disease,” returned Adam with a sly wink18 of his brown eye. “If you had more flesh on that skeleton of yours you would not be looking through blue spectacles, and we would not be compelled to study anatomy19 all the time.
“I’ll tell you a tale about a real fat man I saw once. It happened down at the ‘Three Swans’ just at Christmas time. I stopped there for dinner, and I tell you it was worth eating. First there was a roast pig—”
“Marry, man, but you are hard to please. Whoever heard of a tavern21 without food of some kind, even if it were only a posset of ale, with a roasted apple bobbing around in it as it simmers beside the fireplace. As I was saying—”
Crack, snap! silence. Crack, snap! again.
Hastily jumping to their feet, with their muskets22 ready for action, the frightened men peered into the shadows. A low, gasping23 sob24 floated out to them.
“’Tis Pocahontas,” said Captain Smith, and hastened into the shadows. He soon86 came into the light, half supporting her almost frozen body as she stumbled into the firelight. Her short deer skirt, soaked with water, clanked its frozen folds together as she walked, and her long black hair was matted with ice. Forgotten were cold and hunger as the men quickly threw their cloaks upon the ground to make her a seat, while George Percy wrapped his around her. Captain Smith seated himself beside her, and as he gently chafed25 her hands, spoke26 soothing27 words in an endeavor to check her hysterical28 sobs29.
“My little child, my doe, your father is with you. All is well. See, your friends are all around you. There now, my little one, do not speak until you are warm.”
Gradually the puckering30 lips smoothed themselves into a trembling smile as he wiped the tears away. For a moment Pocahontas forgot her errand in the delight of being with him; but with remembrance fear came rushing back, and springing to her feet she gasped31 out:
“Before another moon Powhatan will be upon you! Already men are on their way bearing gifts. Do not be deceived. Two hundred warriors32 are behind them armed with the scalping-knife. Pocahontas has traveled many miles through the snow87 and waded33 streams to bring her father warning.”
“O my little child, you have risked your life again!” cried Captain Smith as he folded her in his embrace.
“Pocahontas loves the pale face better than life,” she answered, cuddling down into his arms. “Joy sings in her heart when she dreams she is a maiden34 of your people and the daughter of her pale face father.”
The faces of the sternest men worked as they leaned on their muskets and listened to the recital35 of her brave deed.
“Faith,” said Adam, “I haven’t had so much salt water in my eye since old Father Neptune36 ploughed up his farm, coming over.”
Running their hands into their capacious pockets, the men brought forth37 bells and beads38 and offered them to her in token of gratitude39. She shook her head, and great tears welled up, splashing down upon the presents lying in her lap.
“Pocahontas dare not take them, although she likes them much. Powhatan will kill her if he learns she has given warning.”
“I have something she will take,” said Adam, drawing forth a small mirror. “I88 have yet to see the maiden who would not look at herself every chance she got.” So saying, he rocked himself forward and started to lay it in her lap.
Catching40 sight of him for the first time, she gave a shriek41 and buried her face in Smith’s breast.
“Now whatever do you make of that?” exclaimed the astonished Adam. “Who in the devil is Okee?”
“That’s just what he is, the devil,” said Kendall, laughing grimly. “Truly a fine compliment from a primitive43 Eve to an ardent44 Adam.”
“No, no, my child. No Okee,” said Captain Smith, smoothing her hair. “He is a good kind friend and likes Pocahontas.”
“Likes,” sniffed45 the discomfited46 Adam, “I never got as far as liking47. She didn’t give me time.”
Reluctantly putting aside Captain Smith’s enfolding arms, she rose to her feet.
“Pocahontas must go. Already the moon is seeking her bed.”
“You must not go by yourself, my child,” remonstrated48 Smith. “If Powhatan’s men meet you, they will take you to him and he will kill you.”
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“Pocahontas is content. Has she not saved her father and the pale faces? Also she must go alone.”
One moment she smiled upon them, and the next she had gone.
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收听单词发音
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1
shimmering
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| v.闪闪发光，发微光( shimmer的现在分词 ) | |
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brilliance
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| n.光辉，辉煌，壮丽，（卓越的）才华，才智 | |
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3
boughs
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| 大树枝( bough的名词复数 ) | |
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4
glistening
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| adj.闪耀的，反光的v.湿物闪耀，闪亮( glisten的现在分词 ) | |
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scarlet
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| n.深红色，绯红色，红衣；adj.绯红色的 | |
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6
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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7
poked
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| v.伸出( poke的过去式和过去分词 )；戳出；拨弄；与（某人）性交 | |
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8
ribs
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| n.肋骨( rib的名词复数 )；（船或屋顶等的）肋拱；肋骨状的东西；（织物的）凸条花纹 | |
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9
growl
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| v.（狗等）嗥叫，（炮等）轰鸣；n.嗥叫，轰鸣 | |
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10
gathering
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| n.集会，聚会，聚集 | |
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11
scowl
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| vi.(at)生气地皱眉，沉下脸，怒视；n.怒容 | |
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12
scowling
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| 怒视，生气地皱眉( scowl的现在分词 ) | |
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13
brace
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| n. 支柱,曲柄,大括号; v. 绷紧,顶住,(为困难或坏事)做准备 | |
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14
gad
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| n.闲逛；v.闲逛 | |
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15
misery
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| n.痛苦，苦恼，苦难；悲惨的境遇，贫苦 | |
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16
savory
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| adj.风味极佳的，可口的，味香的 | |
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jealousy
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| n.妒忌，嫉妒，猜忌 | |
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18
wink
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| n.眨眼，使眼色，瞬间；v.眨眼，使眼色，闪烁 | |
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19
anatomy
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| n.解剖学，解剖；功能，结构，组织 | |
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20
bellowed
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| v.发出吼叫声，咆哮（尤指因痛苦）( bellow的过去式和过去分词 )；（愤怒地）说出（某事），大叫 | |
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21
tavern
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| n.小旅馆，客栈；小酒店 | |
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22
muskets
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| n.火枪，（尤指）滑膛枪( musket的名词复数 ) | |
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23
gasping
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| adj. 气喘的, 痉挛的 动词gasp的现在分词 | |
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24
sob
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| n.空间轨道的轰炸机；呜咽，哭泣 | |
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25
chafed
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| v.擦热（尤指皮肤）( chafe的过去式 )；擦痛；发怒；惹怒 | |
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26
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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27
soothing
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| adj.慰藉的；使人宽心的；镇静的 | |
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28
hysterical
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| adj.情绪异常激动的，歇斯底里般的 | |
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29
sobs
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| 啜泣（声），呜咽（声）( sob的名词复数 ) | |
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30
puckering
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| v.（使某物）起褶子或皱纹( pucker的现在分词 )；小褶纹；小褶皱 | |
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31
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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32
warriors
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| 武士，勇士，战士( warrior的名词复数 ) | |
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33
waded
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| （从水、泥等）蹚，走过，跋( wade的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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34
maiden
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| n.少女，处女；adj.未婚的，纯洁的，无经验的 | |
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35
recital
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| n.朗诵，独奏会，独唱会 | |
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36
Neptune
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| n.海王星 | |
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37
forth
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| adv.向前；向外，往外 | |
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38
beads
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| n.（空心）小珠子( bead的名词复数 )；水珠；珠子项链 | |
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39
gratitude
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| adj.感激，感谢 | |
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40
catching
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| adj.易传染的，有魅力的，迷人的，接住 | |
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41
shriek
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| v./n.尖叫，叫喊 | |
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42
wailed
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| v.哭叫，哀号( wail的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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43
primitive
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| adj.原始的；简单的；n.原(始)人，原始事物 | |
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44
ardent
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| adj.热情的，热烈的，强烈的，烈性的 | |
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45
sniffed
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| v.以鼻吸气，嗅，闻( sniff的过去式和过去分词 )；抽鼻子（尤指哭泣、患感冒等时出声地用鼻子吸气）；抱怨，不以为然地说 | |
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46
discomfited
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| v.使为难( discomfit的过去式和过去分词)；使狼狈；使挫折；挫败 | |
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47
liking
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| n.爱好；嗜好；喜欢 | |
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48
remonstrated
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| v.抗议( remonstrate的过去式和过去分词 )；告诫 | |
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