Fitz Mee let out a frantic1 yell as he descended2; Bob echoed it. “I’m a goner!” squeaked3 the goblin as he alighted on the lion’s back.
“Goner!” screamed the boy, in unison4.
The lion, no doubt coupling the sudden arrival of the little green sprite with the unusual condition of the spring he had always known, went mad with fright. He stuck his tail between his hind5 legs, gave a snort, followed by a prolonged and doleful whine6, and scampered7 away among the trees and across the sands of the desert, the goblin clinging to his mane.
“Oh, dear—dear!” moaned the boy. “What am I to do? What can I do? Poor old Fitz Mee! Poor old Convulsions! The lion’ll shake him off out there—and—and eat him up! And I can’t help him! I don’t dare to go to his aid; the other beasts would eat me! Was ever a boy in such a pickle8! Oh, I wish I was back home! I do—I do! I was a fool to come on such a wild adventurous9 trip, anyhow! Poor old Fitz Mee! Poor old Epilepsy! Gone! Lost! And here I am down here in the desert—with miles of trackless sands[118] all around me; and with no means of getting away—except an old balky balloon! Oh, dear—dear!”
He wrung10 his hands and wept. At last, however, he muttered sleepily: “Poor unlucky old Fitz! He’s always getting into trouble and danger; he’s always tumbling out of the balloon. I’ve rescued him two or three times; but I can’t go on rescuing him every few hours. He’ll have to look out for himself this time; I can’t do anything for him. And,”—yawning,—“I’m so—so sleepy. I’ve just got to—sleep; that’s all—all—there is—”
He sank upon the bottom of the car and lost all sense of his surroundings.
“Bob! Oh, Bob!” Someone was calling him—someone in the far distance, he thought.
“Huh!” ever so drowsily11.
“Bob! Bob Taylor! Wake up!”
“Hel—hello!” the boy grunted12.
“Here! Wake up, you lazy pest! Do you hear me? Ah-hah! Do you feel me?”
“Ouch!”—petulantly—“Quit! Quit, I say!”
Someone was twitching13 and pinching the lad’s ear. He stirred, opened his eyes, flounced over upon his stomach and raised his head. There stood the Little Green Goblin of Goblinville, grinning down at him.
[119]
“Fitz!” the boy cried, springing to his feet and holding out his hand.
“Fitz Mee!”
The goblin continued to grin and bat his pop eyes—saucily, perversely14. Daylight was just breaking.
“When—when did you get back?” Bob inquired, embarrassed by his comrade’s manner.
“Just got back, my friend,” Fitz croaked15 hoarsely16; “and a time I’ve had getting you awake. I called and called from the ground, but you slept on. So I had to climb the tree; and then yell at you—and yell again and again, and shake you, and pinch you. You must have been greatly worried over my disappearance17 and danger! Oh, yes! Sure! You couldn’t sleep at all, you were so worried!”
“Fitz, I was worried,” the boy replied sheepishly.
“Of course!” the goblin sneered18. “That’s what I said—you were so worried you couldn’t sleep!”
“You may say what you please,” Bob insisted, “but I was worried—worried like everything. I thought I’d never see you again.”
“And no doubt you searched for me, seeking to rescue me from my perilous19 position!” Fitz continued sarcastically20. “Why, to be sure you did! Oh, my!—yes, indeed!”
“No, I didn’t hunt for you,” Bob returned thickly, a hint of tears in his voice.
[120]
“You didn’t?” snappishly.
“No.”
“Well, why didn’t you—huh?”
“How could I, Fitz, with wild beasts all around me?”
“Well,”—crustily,—“maybe there wasn’t wild beasts all around me! Hey, Bob Taylor!”
“You’re unreasonable21, Fitz!” angry now. “Of course, you were in danger. But what would have been the use of my rushing into danger when I couldn’t help you a bit by doing it? I couldn’t whip all those wild animals and snatch you away from them. Now, could I?”
“No, I suppose you couldn’t,”—sullenly and rather reluctantly admitting the truth. “But it did make me mad, Bob, to find you sleeping so comfortably and soundly after the terrible time I’ve had.”
“Did you have a bad time, Fitz?”
“Did I? Well, I rather guess I did!”
“How far did the lion carry you?”
“About a hundred miles.”
“Oh, not that far!”
[121]
“How do you know, smarty? You weren’t there!”
“Well—well! Maybe he did. But why didn’t you stop him before he went so far?”
“Stop him! Bob Taylor, I just wish you’d have to take a ride on a lion once! Stop him! I did try to. I yelled and yelled at him to stop; but he just went the faster.”
“Well, why didn’t you let loose and roll off, then?”
“Just because I couldn’t—that’s why.”
“You couldn’t?”
“No, I couldn’t!” irritably22.
“Why?”
“Why? Bob, you’re foolish! Just because he went so fast I was afraid to let loose—afraid the fall might hurt me.”
Bob laughed.
“Laugh!” muttered Fitz, gritting23 his teeth. “You think you’re smart!”
“But how did you get off? How did you get away from the lion?” the boy suggested.
“He stumbled and fell—and threw me off.”
“Oh!”
“Uh-huh.”
“Well, didn’t he try to eat you up, then?”
“Eat me up? No, he was dead.”
[122]
“Dead?”
“That’s what I said.”
“Why, what killed him?”
“I don’t know; I didn’t stop to find out.”
“What do you think killed him?”
“I think he just ran himself to death.”
“Oh, Fitz!”
“Or he was scared to death.”
“Take care!”
“Or died from heart disease.”
“Fitz Mee, you’re yarning25 to me; you’ve been yarning to me about your adventure all the way through.”
“Look here!” Fitz cried, grinning impishly. “Wasn’t I on the lion’s back the last you saw of me?”
“Yes.”
“And wasn’t he carrying me off across the sands?”
“Yes.”
“Well, haven’t I come back alive—without a hurt or scratch?”
“Yes, I guess so.”
“Well, then, you’ve no good reason to doubt my story. And, Bob, I can tell you something else—something that will surprise you and test your credulity.”
“Let’s hear it.”
[123]
“How did I get back here—from a hundred miles away, do you suppose?”
“I’ve no idea.”
“I fell in with a caravan26 of Arabs, and they brought me.”
“What!”
“Yes.”
“Where are the Arabs now?”
“Right out there. See ’em?”
Bob looked in the direction indicated. There, sure enough, was a number of Arabs with horses and camels rapidly approaching the oasis27.
The boy turned to his companion and murmured reproachfully: “Fitz, you’re a big story-teller—that’s what you are. Just now you happened to see those Arabs, and you put them into your story. You’ve been spinning a big yarn24 to me. I’ll bet the lion didn’t carry you but a short distance out on the sands; then you came to your senses, got over your surprise, and rolled off and made your way back. I believe you’ve been here ever since shortly after I went to sleep. Now, haven’t you?”
Fitz Mee grinned broadly; but would make no reply to the charge. Instead, he said:
“Bob, we’d better be getting away from here. Those Arabs have been travelling all night, taking advantage of the cool air; and now[124] they’ll spend the hot hours of the day under the trees of this oasis near this spring.”
“My!” Bob ejaculated sharply.
“What?” his companion asked, in keen concern.
“I was just thinking about the spring—about its being charged with electricity.”
“Whew!” whistled the goblin. “I hadn’t thought of that. We’d better get away from here before those Arabs discover what we’ve done to the spring, Bob. They’ll be mad when they find out; and they might shoot us with the long guns they carry. Sh! There comes one with a camel now.”
The two aëronauts kept perfectly28 quiet. The Arab swiftly approached the spring, leading his camel and hugging an empty waterskin to his breast. The beast of burden tried to get at the tempting29 water, and its owner tried to keep it back, scolding and jerking at the halter-rope. But the camel succeeded[125] in touching30 the water with its nose; and immediately it surged backward, coughing and shivering. The Arab, in an effort to control the frightened animal, chanced to set his foot in the edge of the pool. Then he gave a startled yell and danced about on one leg, grimacing31 and grunting32. The whole thing was so funny that Bob could not restrain a snort of laughter. The Arab cast his gaze aloft. Then he yelled louder than before, dropped the halter-rope, and sped away to tell his companions of his wonderful experience and discovery.
“You’ve played the mischief33, Bob!” Fitz Mee grumbled34, but grinning in spite of himself. “Untie that rope; let’s get out of here.”
The boy was prompt to obey. Fitz released the air; and the balloon began to rise slowly, steadily35, floating out over the shining sands. At that moment, however, the whole band of Arabs put in an appearance at the edge of the oasis; and, with shouts and imprecations, raised their guns and fired at the rising air-ship. The bullets whistled around the two adventurers, causing them to drop precipitately36 to the bottom of the car.
“You hurt, Bob?” Fitz inquired.
“No. You?”
“No.”
“Bully!”
“That’s what I say!”
[126]
“But, Fitz, that was a close shave.”
“Too close for comfort.”
“Look here! One bullet went through the basket.”
“Yes and look there! Another one went through the balloon-bag.”
“They didn’t do any harm, though—eh?”
“No.”
“I’m glad they didn’t. And now I want to get out of this country; I’m tired of it.”
“So am I. And I’ll set the needle north-east, for Goblinville; and away we’ll go. Hurrah37!”
“Hurrah!” the boy echoed.
“Well—well!” the goblin mumbled38 irritably, fumbling39 at the selector.
“What’s the matter now, Fitz?” Bob cried impatiently, stooping to ascertain40 the cause of his companion’s exclamatory remark.
“The selector’s out of fix again, Bob. The needle won’t point any way but south.”
“And—and, Fitz!”
“Huh!” springing erect41.
“See how fast we’re going directly south.”
“Yes,” nodding gravely, “and there’s hardly any power at all turned on.”
[127]
“Shut it all off, Fitz.”
“I will,” croaked the goblin. And he did so. Still the balloon slowly drifted southward.
“What are we to do, Fitz?”
“Indeed I don’t know,” the little green fellow answered dejectedly.
“We’re going faster again.”
“I see.”
“Well, we’ve got to do some—” The boy broke off abruptly42; then cried in great excitement: “Look! Look, Fitz!”
“What?” screeched43 Fitz Mee, nervously44 dancing up and down. “What? Where?”
“A mountain!” yelled Bob. “See it? Away to the south! A big shiny mountain!”
“Yes!” moaned the goblin. “And that’s what’s drawing us!” He cast a despairing look behind them.
“Why—why,” he jerked out, “Bob, the Arabs are following us!”
“Oh, dear—dear!” muttered the boy. “Now we are lost!”
“We don’t dare to stop,” Fitz whimpered; “the Arabs’ll get us!”
“And we don’t dare to go ahead,” Bob whined45; “we’ll fly against the side of that mountain and burst ourselves all to pieces!”
“Oh, dear!” groaned46 the goblin.
“Oh, dear!” moaned the boy.
[128]
“Bob!”
“What, Fitz?”
“Which would you rather—be eaten up by the Arabs, or bursted up by the mountain?”
“Why, neither, you silly old thing!” pettishly47.
“We’ve got to choose, Bob.”
“Well, we haven’t!”
“What else can we do, Bob?”
“I know!” brightly. “An idea has just come to me, Fitz.”
“Oh! what is it, Bob?” joyfully48.
“You’ll see—in time. Stop the balloon.”
“Bob, I can’t stop it!”
“That’s so. Well, pump up the tank and send the balloon to the ground.”
“It’ll spill us out, Bob, at the rate we’re going.”
“Let it spill!”—recklessly.
“All right! Here goes!”
Fitz worked industriously49 at the pump; and the air-ship began to drop swiftly. Soon it was within a few feet of the ground, flying along rapidly.
“Hold on to the car when it strikes,” Bob cautioned his companion, “or the balloon, relieved of our weight, will fly up—and away from us.”
[129]
“I understand,” Fitz replied.
Bump! The car struck the earth, throwing its occupants sprawling50; but they hung on. Bump! Bump! Then it dragged along the sand for some distance; and at last came to a stop.
“Pump the air-tank up good and tight, Fitz,” Bob commanded; “we don’t want to lose our air-ship and be left out here in the desert.”
“But the Arabs’ll get us, anyhow,” Fitz complained disconsolately51. “There they come—only a few miles away!”
“Let ’em come!” the boy cried gleefully. “They’ll be sorry! Let me have that hand-satchel.”
“But what’re you going to do, Bob?”
“Just wait and see!” was the tantalizing52 answer.
点击
收听单词发音
收听单词发音 |
1
frantic
|
|
| adj.狂乱的，错乱的，激昂的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
2
descended
|
|
| a.为...后裔的，出身于...的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
3
squeaked
|
|
| v.短促地尖叫( squeak的过去式和过去分词 )；吱吱叫；告密；充当告密者 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
4
unison
|
|
| n.步调一致，行动一致 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
5
hind
|
|
| adj.后面的，后部的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
6
whine
|
|
| v.哀号，号哭；n.哀鸣 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
7
scampered
|
|
| v.蹦蹦跳跳地跑，惊惶奔跑( scamper的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
8
pickle
|
|
| n.腌汁，泡菜；v.腌，泡 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
9
adventurous
|
|
| adj.爱冒险的；惊心动魄的，惊险的，刺激的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
10
wrung
|
|
| 绞( wring的过去式和过去分词 )； 握紧（尤指别人的手）； 把（湿衣服）拧干； 绞掉（水） | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
11
drowsily
|
|
| adv.睡地，懒洋洋地，昏昏欲睡地 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
12
grunted
|
|
| （猪等）作呼噜声( grunt的过去式和过去分词 )； （指人）发出类似的哼声； 咕哝着说 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
13
twitching
|
|
| n.颤搐 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
14
perversely
|
|
| adv. 倔强地 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
15
croaked
|
|
| v.呱呱地叫( croak的过去式和过去分词 )；用粗的声音说 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
16
hoarsely
|
|
| adv.嘶哑地 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
17
disappearance
|
|
| n.消失，消散，失踪 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
18
sneered
|
|
| 讥笑，冷笑( sneer的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
19
perilous
|
|
| adj.危险的，冒险的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
20
sarcastically
|
|
| adv.挖苦地，讽刺地 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
21
unreasonable
|
|
| adj.不讲道理的，不合情理的，过度的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
22
irritably
|
|
| ad.易生气地 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
23
gritting
|
|
| v.以沙砾覆盖（某物），撒沙砾于( grit的现在分词 )；咬紧牙关 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
24
yarn
|
|
| n.纱，纱线，纺线；奇闻漫谈，旅行轶事 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
25
yarning
|
|
| vi.讲故事（yarn的现在分词形式） | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
26
caravan
|
|
| n.大蓬车；活动房屋 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
27
oasis
|
|
| n.（沙漠中的）绿洲，宜人的地方 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
28
perfectly
|
|
| adv.完美地，无可非议地，彻底地 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
29
tempting
|
|
| a.诱人的, 吸引人的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
30
touching
|
|
| adj.动人的，使人感伤的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
31
grimacing
|
|
| v.扮鬼相，做鬼脸( grimace的现在分词 ) | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
32
grunting
|
|
| 咕哝的，呼噜的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
33
mischief
|
|
| n.损害，伤害，危害；恶作剧，捣蛋，胡闹 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
34
grumbled
|
|
| 抱怨( grumble的过去式和过去分词 )； 发牢骚； 咕哝； 发哼声 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
35
steadily
|
|
| adv.稳定地；不变地；持续地 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
36
precipitately
|
|
| adv.猛进地 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
37
hurrah
|
|
| int.好哇，万岁，乌拉 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
38
mumbled
|
|
| 含糊地说某事，叽咕，咕哝( mumble的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
39
fumbling
|
|
| n. 摸索,漏接 v. 摸索,摸弄,笨拙的处理 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
40
ascertain
|
|
| vt.发现，确定，查明，弄清 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
41
erect
|
|
| n./v.树立，建立，使竖立；adj.直立的，垂直的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
42
abruptly
|
|
| adv.突然地，出其不意地 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
43
screeched
|
|
| v.发出尖叫声( screech的过去式和过去分词 )；发出粗而刺耳的声音；高叫 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
44
nervously
|
|
| adv.神情激动地，不安地 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
45
whined
|
|
| v.哀号( whine的过去式和过去分词 )；哀诉，诉怨 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
46
groaned
|
|
| v.呻吟( groan的过去式和过去分词 )；发牢骚；抱怨；受苦 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
47
pettishly
|
|
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
48
joyfully
|
|
| adv. 喜悦地, 高兴地 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
49
industriously
|
|
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
50
sprawling
|
|
| 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： |
|
|
|
|
51
disconsolately
|
|
| adv.悲伤地，愁闷地；哭丧着脸 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
52
tantalizing
|
|
| adj.逗人的；惹弄人的；撩人的；煽情的v.逗弄，引诱，折磨( tantalize的现在分词 ) | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
| 欢迎访问英文小说网 |