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CHAPTER XXVII SEARCHING THE WRECK
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There was a hard struggle on the beach of lonely Cliff Island. And the boys did not have such an advantage as it would seem at first, even though the hands and feet of their mysterious prisoner were bound.

He was big and strong, and he had evidently been in tight places before, for he knew how to handle himself. Every time he got a chance, as he and his captors rolled together over the sands, he would strike out with his two hands at once. Several times he hit Frank or Andy glancing blows, and once he gave the elder lad such a box on the side of the head that the boy saw stars for a moment.

Again he hit Andy, and knocked him several feet distant so that at first Frank feared his brother had been hurt.

“I’m all right!” shouted the plucky1 Racer lad, as he jumped and came on to renew the struggle. “Hold his head down in the sand, Frank, and I’ll tie some more ropes around his feet!”

“You will not!” yelled the man, and as Frank took his brother’s advice, and pressed the man’s head down in the yielding sand, Andy endeavored to slip another noose2 about the feet, for the boys had cut the tow rope into several pieces.

Like a madman the fellow kicked out with both feet. Frank saw his object, and uttered a warning cry.

“Keep away!” shouted the elder lad. “If he hits you it will be all day with you!”

“That’s what it will!” yelled the infuriated man.

“Watch me!” cried Andy with a laugh. “I didn’t learn to throw a lasso for nothing.” He swung the noose in a circle about his head, and, as the man raised his feet in the air, to ward3 off any personal attack, Andy skillfully tossed the coils about his feet. They fell around the shoes, and in an instant Andy had pulled his end of the rope taut4, making two coils about the prisoner.

“Now I have him, Frank,” he called. “I’ll take a turn around part of the boat, and pull. Then you tie down his arms.”

It was a good plan, and well carried out. With a turn of the rope about a part of the wrecked6 motor boat, Andy pulled the man’s menacing legs down flat on the sands. He could no longer raise them.

“I have him!” exclaimed Frank a moment later, as he passed several turns of the rope he held about the still bound hands and arms of their prisoner. “Now we’ll truss him up!”

The man was practically helpless now, and he realized it. Suddenly he ceased his struggles, and when the brothers had completed their work, and raised him to a sitting position on the sand, he could do no more harm.

“Well, I guess you’ve got me,” he growled7. “What are you going to do with me?”

“It depends on what you tell us,” said Frank.

“I’ll tell you nothing!”

“Then we’ll take you where you will. I guess when Paul Gale8 sees you he’ll remember something about you that will put us on the right track.”

“Paul Gale! That’s not his name. It’s—you say he’ll remember?” and the man interrupted himself in some confusion. “Has he lost his mind?” The question was an eager one.

“He can’t remember—” began Andy, but Frank stopped him with a sudden gesture.

“When you tell us what we want to know, we’ll answer some of your questions,” the elder lad said. “Come on, Andy. Let’s have a look at the wrecked motor boat. Maybe we can find some clues there.”

“You keep away from that boat!” cried the man savagely9. “It’s mine. I order you to keep away!” He struggled desperately10 to get loose, but could not.

“We’ll do as we please now,” said Frank. “You had your way long enough. We’re going to solve this mystery. Come, Andy.”

The man glared at them, but he could not help himself. He watched them go toward the boat and muttered threats at them. But the boys were not frightened.

The interior of the motor boat, which once had been an expensive craft, was all confusion. It plainly showed the effects of the fire and explosion, and the battering11 of the sea. The hull12, however, was sound, or it would have sunk.

“What do you suppose is in it that he’s been looking for?” asked Andy.

“I don’t know,” replied Frank. “Gold perhaps, or jewels.”

“Maybe valuable papers.”

“Perhaps. Well, let’s see what we can find.”

They poked13 about in the engine cockpit, looked in all the lockers14, and took out some of the broken seats to search under them, but came upon nothing of value. There were many splintered and charred15 boards, and these they removed, but all to no purpose.

“If anything is here it’s well hidden,” remarked Frank at length.

“This is a fine boat, and with a little fixing could be made good again.”

They went on with the search. At times the man laughed at them, and again he harshly urged them to leave the wreck5 alone. But the boys searched on. The sun rose higher and the day grew hot.

“I wonder if dad will come for us?” ventured Andy.

“Sure,” asserted his brother.

“I suppose they’ll say we did wrong to come here, and run so many risks,” went on Andy.

“Well, we meant it all for the best, and it has turned out fine,” declared Frank. “They won’t worry much, I guess. I wish they’d come for us, though. I don’t know what to do with this man.”

“That’s right. Well, keep on looking. Dad may come by afternoon.”

If the boys had only known of the cutting down of their rowboat and the intense anxiety of Mr. Racer they would not have been so confident of the lack of worry on the part of those at home.

“Say, are you fellows going to keep me here like this all day, in the hot sun without shelter, and nothing to eat?” the prisoner finally exclaimed. “It’s not right!”

“Well, perhaps it isn’t,” agreed Frank, “but it wasn’t right for you to shut us in the cave, either. However, we will give you something to eat, if you promise not to attack us if we loosen your hands.”

“Loosen only one hand, and don’t trust him,” whispered Andy.

“Oh, I suppose I’ve got to promise,” grumbled16 the man. “I’m half starved.”

“So am I,” remarked Andy to his brother. “Let’s quit searching now, and go for grub. We have plenty of it at our camp, and we can bring it here. Guess we’d better camp here, too. It’s a better place, and we can’t move him down very well.”

To this Frank agreed, and they soon had their food moved to the new location. They looked well to the bonds of the prisoner before leaving him, even for a few minutes. Then, when a fire had been built, and some food prepared, they loosened the ropes from one of his hands so that he might feed himself. Andy and Frank were seated in front of him, eating, when Andy happened to turn around.

He saw that the man had in some manner, secured possession of a piece of heavy driftwood. This club he was raising to bring down on the head of Frank, who was nearest to him. There was no time to call out, for the stick was already descending17, and Andy did the next best thing.

With a quick shove of his foot he sent his brother sprawling18 over on his side in the sand, while the club came down harmlessly, but only a few inches away.

点击收听单词发音收听单词发音  

1 plucky RBOyw     
adj.勇敢的
参考例句:
  • The plucky schoolgirl amazed doctors by hanging on to life for nearly two months.这名勇敢的女生坚持不放弃生命近两个月的精神令医生感到震惊。
  • This story featured a plucky heroine.这个故事描述了一个勇敢的女英雄。
2 noose 65Zzd     
n.绳套,绞索(刑);v.用套索捉;使落入圈套;处以绞刑
参考例句:
  • They tied a noose round her neck.他们在她脖子上系了一个活扣。
  • A hangman's noose had already been placed around his neck.一个绞刑的绳圈已经套在他的脖子上。
3 ward LhbwY     
n.守卫,监护,病房,行政区,由监护人或法院保护的人(尤指儿童);vt.守护,躲开
参考例句:
  • The hospital has a medical ward and a surgical ward.这家医院有内科病房和外科病房。
  • During the evening picnic,I'll carry a torch to ward off the bugs.傍晚野餐时,我要点根火把,抵挡蚊虫。
4 taut iUazb     
adj.拉紧的,绷紧的,紧张的
参考例句:
  • The bowstring is stretched taut.弓弦绷得很紧。
  • Scarlett's taut nerves almost cracked as a sudden noise sounded in the underbrush near them. 思嘉紧张的神经几乎一下绷裂了,因为她听见附近灌木丛中突然冒出的一个声音。
5 wreck QMjzE     
n.失事,遇难;沉船;vt.(船等)失事,遇难
参考例句:
  • Weather may have been a factor in the wreck.天气可能是造成这次失事的原因之一。
  • No one can wreck the friendship between us.没有人能够破坏我们之间的友谊。
6 wrecked ze0zKI     
adj.失事的,遇难的
参考例句:
  • the hulk of a wrecked ship 遇难轮船的残骸
  • the salvage of the wrecked tanker 对失事油轮的打捞
7 growled 65a0c9cac661e85023a63631d6dab8a3     
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
参考例句:
  • \"They ought to be birched, \" growled the old man. 老人咆哮道:“他们应受到鞭打。” 来自《简明英汉词典》
  • He growled out an answer. 他低声威胁着回答。 来自《简明英汉词典》
8 gale Xf3zD     
n.大风,强风,一阵闹声(尤指笑声等)
参考例句:
  • We got our roof blown off in the gale last night.昨夜的大风把我们的房顶给掀掉了。
  • According to the weather forecast,there will be a gale tomorrow.据气象台预报,明天有大风。
9 savagely 902f52b3c682f478ddd5202b40afefb9     
adv. 野蛮地,残酷地
参考例句:
  • The roses had been pruned back savagely. 玫瑰被狠狠地修剪了一番。
  • He snarled savagely at her. 他向她狂吼起来。
10 desperately cu7znp     
adv.极度渴望地,绝望地,孤注一掷地
参考例句:
  • He was desperately seeking a way to see her again.他正拼命想办法再见她一面。
  • He longed desperately to be back at home.他非常渴望回家。
11 battering 98a585e7458f82d8b56c9e9dfbde727d     
n.用坏,损坏v.连续猛击( batter的现在分词 )
参考例句:
  • The film took a battering from critics in the US. 该影片在美国遭遇到批评家的猛烈抨击。
  • He kept battering away at the door. 他接连不断地砸门。 来自《简明英汉词典》
12 hull 8c8xO     
n.船身;(果、实等的)外壳;vt.去(谷物等)壳
参考例句:
  • The outer surface of ship's hull is very hard.船体的外表面非常坚硬。
  • The boat's hull has been staved in by the tremendous seas.小船壳让巨浪打穿了。
13 poked 87f534f05a838d18eb50660766da4122     
v.伸出( poke的过去式和过去分词 );戳出;拨弄;与(某人)性交
参考例句:
  • She poked him in the ribs with her elbow. 她用胳膊肘顶他的肋部。
  • His elbow poked out through his torn shirt sleeve. 他的胳膊从衬衫的破袖子中露了出来。 来自《简明英汉词典》
14 lockers ae9a7637cc6cf1061eb77c2c9199ae73     
n.寄物柜( locker的名词复数 )
参考例句:
  • I care about more lockers for the teachers. 我关心教师要有更多的储物柜。 来自辞典例句
  • Passengers are requested to stow their hand-baggage in the lockers above the seats. 旅客须将随身携带的行李放入座位上方的贮藏柜里。 来自辞典例句
15 charred 2d03ad55412d225c25ff6ea41516c90b     
v.把…烧成炭( char的过去式);烧焦
参考例句:
  • the charred remains of a burnt-out car 被烧焦的轿车残骸
  • The intensity of the explosion is recorded on the charred tree trunks. 那些烧焦的树干表明爆炸的强烈。 来自《简明英汉词典》
16 grumbled ed735a7f7af37489d7db1a9ef3b64f91     
抱怨( grumble的过去式和过去分词 ); 发牢骚; 咕哝; 发哼声
参考例句:
  • He grumbled at the low pay offered to him. 他抱怨给他的工资低。
  • The heat was sweltering, and the men grumbled fiercely over their work. 天热得让人发昏,水手们边干活边发着牢骚。
17 descending descending     
n. 下行 adj. 下降的
参考例句:
  • The results are expressed in descending numerical order . 结果按数字降序列出。
  • The climbers stopped to orient themselves before descending the mountain. 登山者先停下来确定所在的位置,然后再下山。
18 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


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