“Hurry up where?”
“I’ve got a plan in my head.”
“What is it?”
“There’s no sense in our hanging about this hot town which, so far as I can see, is very much like any other town.”
“I agree with you, Ned. What’s your idea?”
“We ought to take a look at that volcano while we are here. They say the crater1 is wonderful. The Hawaiian word for it is ‘Sea of Fire.’”
[196]
“Humph! What guarantee have we that the thing won’t blow up while we’re there?”
“That’s very unlikely to happen. We won’t be taking any more of a chance than the people who go to see Mount Vesuvius all the time.”
“How do we get up there?”
“We go by rail to a place called Glenwood, near the foot of the volcano.”
“And then?”
“All right. Let’s start. I’m ready.”
A short trip on a wheezy train landed them in Glenwood and then the boys set off for the place where Ned had been told that guides could be procured4. They soon found it and discovered that the men who made a business of taking parties up the volcano were not so moderate in their prices as Ned had been led to believe. However, they managed to strike a bargain with an old Kanaka named Okeechee and soon after they rode out of the town in high spirits.
[197]
Behind Herc’s pony5 trailed Blue Lightning. He was at first unwilling6 to accompany the tourists, but a few yanks on the long rope to which Herc had him hitched7 soon persuaded him to follow. The boys shouted greetings to pedestrians8 as they passed, in great good humor. They felt like two school boys off on a picnic.
The road soon began to climb the mountain side. It hung on the edge of the steep hills behind the town like an eyebrow9. All sorts of luxuriant tropical fruits and flowers overhung the dizzy path. Below them was spread a magnificent panorama10,—the American fleet at anchor in the bay with smoke lazily drifting from the banked fires. The flags made brilliant spots of color as ship signaled to ship along the line, transmitting the orders spelled out in bunting by the flag-ship.
“Doesn’t that make you proud you are an American, Herc?” asked Ned, pointing to the inspiring panorama of sea, sky and grim, drab fighting-ships.
[198]
“It makes me think I’m glad we don’t have to work for forty-eight hours,” rejoined Herc, thumping11 his pony with his heels.
Up and up they climbed till they surmounted12 that ridge13. Then they dipped into a valley of rare beauty, above which towered the frowning sides of the smoking mountain in majestic14 splendor15. As they descended16 the trail, they came upon an odd picture. In a patch below the road some native men and women, who had been working in a cocoanut grove17, were seated on the ground eating out of gourd18 dishes a native food called poi.
“Hullo, there’s a picnic party!” cried Herc, as he saw the group, the women of which were begarlanded with flowers after the pretty custom of the South Seas.
“Oh, glory! Look at that, will you!”
Blue Lightning had broken loose from Herc’s[199] grip, which had relaxed as he gazed on the Arcadian scene. With a grunt20 and a jump the goat, trailing several yards of rope behind him, dashed straight down on the unconscious diners. Maybe the sight of food had excited his appetite, or maybe he was actuated just by pure goatishness. Anyhow, like a torpedo-boat bearing down on a squadron, he dashed at the group below.
“Hey! Wow! Look out! Jump! Scat! Vamoose! Beat it!” howled Herc.
But no attention was paid to him. In another instant pandemonium21 burst into that peaceful scene. Herc had thrown himself off his pony and managed to grab the end of the rope, but the impetus22 of Blue Lightning’s rush had jerked him off his feet. He rolled down the embankment, landing with a crash in the midst of the luncheon23 party at just about the same instant that the Manhattan’s mascot24 made his presence known by butting25 a dignified27 old gentleman into a big bowl of the soft sticky poi.
[200]
The islanders yelled in terror at the sudden apparition28, Herc shouted as he went rolling and crashing among a variety of dishes, and above them Ned and the guide shouted advice and directions. Recovering from their first surprise, the islanders massed angrily and made a concerted rush for Herc. Some of them wielded29 clubs and stones.
“It’s all a mistake. Don’t hit me. I’ll make it all right!” cried the Dreadnought Boy, trying to brush the sticky remnants of poi and custard-apples from his uniform.
The islanders buzzed like a hive of angry bees. They did not understand him. All they knew was that a peaceful meal had been rudely interrupted by a red-headed sailor and a goat with a butt26 like an eight-inch shell.
“See here——” shouted Herc.
A stone struck him on the forehead. Another and another began to whiz about him.
He dodged30 them as best he could and began[201] running for the road. But he had reckoned without Blue Lightning. The animal had been hit by a rock and had faced straight about. With lowered head it began rushing at the Hawaiians. Behind it trailed the rope.
Down went one of the men in a heap as the goat collided with him. The rope tangled32 into many loops, and convolutions caught the ankles of two more and down they went with a yell.
“Wow! Charge ’em! Never say die! Good for you!” roared Herc enthusiastically.
Blue Lightning needed no urging. Right and left he sped with lowered horns, spreading disaster whenever he encountered a solid body. The women had fled screaming, and only the men were in the danger zone. At last the men all took to their heels, too, and Herc, running forward, grabbed the goat’s rope and began hauling the creature up the slope.
[202]
“Whee! Whoop!” he yelled, as he clambered back to the road. “Didn’t that beat any circus you ever saw? Wasn’t it fun?”
“I’m afraid it may have serious consequences,” commented Ned, who, however, couldn’t keep from laughing. “The guide tells me that he heard one of the men shouting in Hawaiian that they would have us arrested.”
“In that case, we’d better stay up by the volcano,” said the irrepressible Herc. “Under such circumstances I’d rather face it than the old man.”
点击
收听单词发音
收听单词发音 |
1
crater
|
|
| n.火山口，弹坑 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
2
inquiries
|
|
| n.调查( inquiry的名词复数 )；疑问；探究；打听 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
3
ponies
|
|
| 矮种马，小型马( pony的名词复数 )； ￡25 25 英镑 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
4
procured
|
|
| v.（努力）取得， （设法）获得( procure的过去式和过去分词 )；拉皮条 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
5
pony
|
|
| adj.小型的；n.小马 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
6
unwilling
|
|
| adj.不情愿的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
7
hitched
|
|
| （免费）搭乘他人之车( hitch的过去式和过去分词 )； 搭便车； 攀上； 跃上 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
8
pedestrians
|
|
| n.步行者( pedestrian的名词复数 ) | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
9
eyebrow
|
|
| n.眉毛，眉 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
10
panorama
|
|
| n.全景，全景画，全景摄影，全景照片[装置] | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
11
thumping
|
|
| adj.重大的，巨大的；重击的；尺码大的；极好的adv.极端地；非常地v.重击(thump的现在分词)；狠打；怦怦地跳；全力支持 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
12
surmounted
|
|
| 战胜( surmount的过去式和过去分词 )； 克服（困难）； 居于…之上； 在…顶上 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
13
ridge
|
|
| n.山脊；鼻梁；分水岭 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
14
majestic
|
|
| adj.雄伟的，壮丽的，庄严的，威严的，崇高的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
15
splendor
|
|
| n.光彩；壮丽，华丽；显赫，辉煌 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
16
descended
|
|
| a.为...后裔的，出身于...的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
17
grove
|
|
| n.林子，小树林，园林 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
18
gourd
|
|
| n.葫芦 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
19
whoop
|
|
| n.大叫，呐喊，喘息声；v.叫喊，喘息 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
20
grunt
|
|
| v.嘟哝；作呼噜声；n.呼噜声，嘟哝 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
21
pandemonium
|
|
| n.喧嚣，大混乱 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
22
impetus
|
|
| n.推动，促进，刺激；推动力 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
23
luncheon
|
|
| n.午宴，午餐，便宴 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
24
mascot
|
|
| n.福神，吉祥的东西 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
25
butting
|
|
| 用头撞人（犯规动作） | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
26
butt
|
|
| n.笑柄；烟蒂；枪托；臀部；v.用头撞或顶 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
27
dignified
|
|
| a.可敬的，高贵的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
28
apparition
|
|
| n.幽灵，神奇的现象 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
29
wielded
|
|
| 手持着使用（武器、工具等）( wield的过去式和过去分词 )； 具有； 运用（权力）； 施加（影响） | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
30
dodged
|
|
| v.闪躲( dodge的过去式和过去分词 )；回避 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
31
fray
|
|
| v.争吵；打斗；磨损，磨破；n.吵架；打斗 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
32
tangled
|
|
| adj. 纠缠的，紊乱的 动词tangle的过去式和过去分词 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
| 欢迎访问英文小说网 |