Already cramped7 by my journey in the market-cart, I found it difficult to remain very long in any one position. What information had Burke to sell? He had refused, for some reason, to discuss the matter that evening, and now, enacting8 the part allotted9 him by Nayland Smith, he feigned10 sleep consistently, although at intervals11 he would whisper to me his doubts and fears.
[125]
All the chances were in our favour to-night; for whilst I could not doubt that Dr. Fu-Manchu was set upon the removal of the ex-officer of New York police, neither could I doubt that our presence in the farm was unknown to the agents of the Chinaman. According to Burke, constant attempts had been made to achieve Fu-Manchu's purpose, and had only been frustrated12 by his (Burke's) wakefulness. There was every probability that another attempt would be made to-night.
Any one who has been forced by circumstance to undertake such a vigil as this will be familiar with the marked changes (corresponding with phases of the earth's movement) which take place in the atmosphere, at midnight, at two o'clock, and again at four o'clock. During those four hours falls a period wherein all life is at its lowest ebb13, and every physician is aware that there is a greater likelihood of a patient's passing between midnight and 4 a.m., than at any other period during the cycle of the hours.
To-night I became specially14 aware of this lowering of vitality15, and now, with the night at that darkest phase which precedes the dawn, an indescribable dread16, such as I had known before in my dealings with the Chinaman, assailed17 me, when I was least prepared to combat it. The stillness was intense Then:
"Here it is!" whispered Burke from the bed.
The chill at the very centre of my being, which but corresponded with the chill of all surrounding nature at that hour, became intensified18, keener, at the whispered words.
I rose stealthily out of my chair, and from my nest of shadows watched—watched intently, the bright oblong of the window....
Without the slightest heralding19 sound—a black silhouette20 crept up against the pane21 ... the silhouette of a small, malformed head, a dog-like head,
[126]
deep-set in square shoulders. Malignant22 eyes peered intently in. Higher it rose—that wicked head—against the window, then crouched23 down on the sill and became less sharply defined as the creature stooped to the opening below. There was a faint sound of sniffing24.
Judging from the stark25 horror which I experienced myself, I doubted, now, if Burke could sustain the rôle allotted him. In beneath the slightly raised window came a hand, perceptible to me despite the darkness of the room. It seemed to project from the black silhouette outside the pane, to be thrust forward—and forward—and forward ... that small hand with the outstretched fingers.
The unknown possesses unique terrors; and since I was unable to conceive what manner of thing this could be, which, extending its incredibly long arms, now sought the throat of the man upon the bed, I tasted of that sort of terror which ordinarily one knows only in dreams.
"Quick, sir—quick!" screamed Burke, starting up from the pillow.
The questing hands had reached his throat!
Choking down an urgent dread that I had of touching26 the thing which had reached through the window to kill the sleeper27, I sprang across the room and grasped the rigid28, hairy forearms.
Heavens! Never have I felt such muscles, such tendons, as those beneath the hirsute29 skin! They seemed to be of steel wire, and with a sudden frightful30 sense of impotence, I realized that I was as powerless as a child to relax that strangle-hold. Burke was making the most frightful sounds and quite obviously was being asphyxiated31 before my eyes!
"Smith!" I cried, "Smith! Help! help! for God's sake!"
Despite the confusion of my mind I became aware of sounds outside and below me. Twice the thing at the window coughed; there was an incessant32,
[127]
lash-like cracking, then some shouted words which I was unable to make out; and finally the sharp report of a pistol.
Snarling33 like that of a wild beast came from the creature with the hairy arms, together with renewed coughing. But the steel grip relaxed not one iota35. I realized two things: the first, that in my terror at the suddenness of the attack I had omitted to act as prearranged: the second, that I had discredited36 the strength of the visitant, whilst Smith had foreseen it.
Desisting in my vain endeavour to pit my strength against that of the nameless thing, I sprang back across the room and took up the weapon which had been left in my charge earlier in the night, but which I had been unable to believe it would be necessary to employ. This was a sharp and heavy axe34 which Nayland Smith, when I had met him in Covent Garden, had brought with him, to the great amazement37 of Weymouth and myself.
As I leapt back to the window and uplifted this primitive38 weapon, a second shot sounded from below, and more fierce snarling, coughing, and guttural mutterings assailed my ears from beyond the pane.
Lifting the heavy blade, I brought it down with all my strength upon the nearer of those hairy arms where it crossed the window-ledge2, severing39 muscle, tendon and bone as easily as a knife might cut cheese....
A shriek40—a shriek neither human nor animal, but gruesomely compound of both—followed ... and merged41 into a choking cough. Like a flash the other shaggy arm was withdrawn42, and some vaguely43 seen body went rolling down the sloping red tiles and crashed on to the ground beneath.
With a second piercing shriek, louder than that recently uttered by Burke, wailing44 through the night from somewhere below, I turned desperately45 to the man on the bed, who now was become significantly
[128]
silent. A candle with matches, stood upon a table hard by, and, my fingers far from steady, I set about obtaining a light. This accomplished46, I stood the candle upon the little chest-of-drawers and returned to Burke's side.
"Merciful God!" I cried.
Of all the pictures which remain in my memory, some of them dark enough, I can find none more horrible than that which now confronted me in the dim candle-light. Burke lay crosswise on the bed, his head thrown back and sagging47; one rigid hand he held in the air, and with the other grasped the hairy forearm which I had severed48 with the axe; for, in a death-like grip, the dead fingers were still fastened, vice-like, at his throat.
His face was nearly black, and his eyes projected from their sockets49 horribly. Mastering my repugnance50, I seized the hideous51 piece of bleeding anatomy52 and strove to release it. It defied all my efforts; in death it was as implacable as in life. I took a knife from my pocket, and, tendon by tendon, cut away that uncanny grip from Burke's throat....
But my labour was in vain. Burke was dead!
I think I failed to realize this for some time. My clothes were sticking clammily to my body; I was bathed in perspiration53, and, shaking furiously, I clutched at the edge of the window, avoiding the bloody54 patch upon the ledge, and looked out over the roofs to where, in the more distant plantations55, I could hear excited voices. What had been the meaning of that scream which I had heard but to which in my frantic56 state of mind I had paid comparatively little attention?
There was a great stirring all about me.
"Smith!" I cried from the window; "Smith, for mercy's sake where are you?"
Footsteps came racing57 up the stairs. Behind me the door burst open and Nayland Smith stumbled into the room.
[129]
"Come downstairs," replied Smith quietly, "and see for yourself." He turned his head aside from the bed.
Very unsteadily I followed him down the stairs and through the rambling60 old house out into the stone-paved courtyard. There were figures moving at the end of a long alleyway between the glass houses, and one, carrying a lantern, stooped over something which lay upon the ground.
"That's Burke's cousin with the lantern," whispered Smith, in my ear; "don't tell him yet."
I nodded, and we hurried up to join the group. I found myself looking down at one of those thickset Burmans whom I always associated with Fu-Manchu's activities. He lay quite flat, face downward; but the back of his head was a shapeless blood-clotted mass, and a heavy stock-whip, the butt61 end ghastly because of the blood and hair which clung to it, lay beside him. I started back appalled62 as Smith caught my arm.
"It turned on its keeper!" he hissed63 in my ear. "I wounded it twice from below, and you severed one arm; in its insensate fury, its unreasoning malignity64, it returned—and there lies its second victim...."
"Then...."
"It's gone, Petrie! It has the strength of four men even now. Look!"
He stooped, and from the clenched65 left hand of the dead Burman, extracted a piece of paper and opened it.
"Hold the lantern a moment," he said.
"As I expected—a leaf of Burke's notebook; it worked by scent67." He turned to me with an odd expression in his grey eyes. "I wonder what piece of my personal property Fu-Manchu has pilfered," he said, "in order to enable it to sleuth me?"
He met the gaze of the man holding the lantern.
"Perhaps you had better return to the house," he said, looking him squarely in the eyes.
"You don't mean, sir—you don't mean...."
[130]
One wild look the man cast from Smith to me, then went off, staggering, toward the farm.
"Smith—" I began.
He turned to me with an impatient gesture.
"Weymouth has driven into Upminster," he snapped; "and the whole district will be scoured70 before morning. They probably motored here, but the sounds of the shots will have enabled whoever was with the car to make good his escape. And—exhausted from loss of blood, its capture is only a matter of time, Petrie."
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1
haze
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| n.霾，烟雾；懵懂，迷糊；vi.(over)变模糊 | |
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ledge
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| n.壁架，架状突出物；岩架，岩礁 | |
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chimerical
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| adj.荒诞不经的，梦幻的 | |
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throbbed
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| 抽痛( throb的过去式和过去分词 )； （心脏、脉搏等）跳动 | |
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laden
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| adj.装满了的；充满了的；负了重担的；苦恼的 | |
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omens
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| n.前兆，预兆( omen的名词复数 ) | |
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cramped
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| a.狭窄的 | |
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8
enacting
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| 制定（法律），通过（法案）( enact的现在分词 ) | |
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allotted
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| 分配，拨给，摊派( allot的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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feigned
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| a.假装的，不真诚的 | |
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intervals
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| n.[军事]间隔( interval的名词复数 )；间隔时间；[数学]区间；（戏剧、电影或音乐会的）幕间休息 | |
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12
frustrated
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| adj.挫败的，失意的，泄气的v.使不成功( frustrate的过去式和过去分词 )；挫败；使受挫折；令人沮丧 | |
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13
ebb
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| vi.衰退，减退；n.处于低潮，处于衰退状态 | |
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14
specially
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| adv.特定地；特殊地；明确地 | |
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vitality
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| n.活力，生命力，效力 | |
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16
dread
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| vt.担忧，忧虑；惧怕，不敢；n.担忧，畏惧 | |
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17
assailed
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| v.攻击( assail的过去式和过去分词 )；困扰；质问；毅然应对 | |
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18
intensified
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| v.（使）增强， （使）加剧( intensify的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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19
heralding
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| v.预示( herald的现在分词 )；宣布（好或重要） | |
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20
silhouette
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| n.黑色半身侧面影，影子，轮廓；v.描绘成侧面影，照出影子来，仅仅显出轮廓 | |
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21
pane
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| n.窗格玻璃，长方块 | |
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22
malignant
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| adj.恶性的，致命的；恶意的，恶毒的 | |
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23
crouched
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| v.屈膝，蹲伏( crouch的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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24
sniffing
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| n.探查法v.以鼻吸气，嗅，闻( sniff的现在分词 )；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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25
stark
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| adj.荒凉的；严酷的；完全的；adv.完全地 | |
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26
touching
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| adj.动人的，使人感伤的 | |
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27
sleeper
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| n.睡眠者，卧车，卧铺 | |
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28
rigid
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| adj.严格的，死板的；刚硬的，僵硬的 | |
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29
hirsute
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| adj.多毛的 | |
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30
frightful
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| adj.可怕的；讨厌的 | |
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31
asphyxiated
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| v.渴望的，有抱负的，追求名誉或地位的( aspirant的过去式和过去分词 )；有志向或渴望获得…的人 | |
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32
incessant
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| adj.不停的，连续的 | |
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33
snarling
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| v.（指狗）吠，嗥叫， （人）咆哮( snarl的现在分词 )；咆哮着说，厉声地说 | |
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34
axe
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| n.斧子；v.用斧头砍，削减 | |
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35
iota
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| n.些微，一点儿 | |
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36
discredited
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| 不足信的，不名誉的 | |
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37
amazement
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| n.惊奇，惊讶 | |
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38
primitive
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| adj.原始的；简单的；n.原(始)人，原始事物 | |
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39
severing
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| v.切断，断绝( sever的现在分词 )；断，裂 | |
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40
shriek
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| v./n.尖叫，叫喊 | |
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41
merged
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| （使）混合( merge的过去式和过去分词 )； 相融； 融入； 渐渐消失在某物中 | |
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42
withdrawn
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| vt.收回；使退出；vi.撤退，退出 | |
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43
vaguely
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| adv.含糊地，暖昧地 | |
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44
wailing
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| v.哭叫，哀号( wail的现在分词 )；沱 | |
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45
desperately
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| adv.极度渴望地，绝望地，孤注一掷地 | |
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46
accomplished
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| adj.有才艺的；有造诣的；达到了的 | |
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47
sagging
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| 下垂[沉，陷]，松垂，垂度 | |
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48
severed
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| v.切断，断绝( sever的过去式和过去分词 )；断，裂 | |
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49
sockets
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| n.套接字，使应用程序能够读写与收发通讯协定(protocol)与资料的程序( Socket的名词复数 )；孔( socket的名词复数 )；（电器上的）插口；托座；凹穴 | |
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50
repugnance
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| n.嫌恶 | |
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51
hideous
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| adj.丑陋的，可憎的，可怕的，恐怖的 | |
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52
anatomy
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| n.解剖学，解剖；功能，结构，组织 | |
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53
perspiration
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| n.汗水；出汗 | |
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54
bloody
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| adj.非常的的；流血的；残忍的；adv.很；vt.血染 | |
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55
plantations
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| n.种植园，大农场( plantation的名词复数 ) | |
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56
frantic
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| adj.狂乱的，错乱的，激昂的 | |
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57
racing
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| n.竞赛，赛马；adj.竞赛用的，赛马用的 | |
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58
doorway
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| n.门口，(喻)入门；门路，途径 | |
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59
hoarsely
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| adv.嘶哑地 | |
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60
rambling
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| adj.[建]凌乱的，杂乱的 | |
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61
butt
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| n.笑柄；烟蒂；枪托；臀部；v.用头撞或顶 | |
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62
appalled
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| v.使惊骇，使充满恐惧( appall的过去式和过去分词)adj.惊骇的；丧胆的 | |
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63
hissed
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| 发嘶嘶声( hiss的过去式和过去分词 )； 发嘘声表示反对 | |
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64
malignity
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| n.极度的恶意，恶毒；（病的）恶性 | |
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65
clenched
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| v.紧握，抓紧，咬紧( clench的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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66
scrap
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| n.碎片；废料；v.废弃，报废 | |
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67
scent
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| n.气味，香味，香水，线索，嗅觉；v.嗅，发觉 | |
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68
blanched
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| v.使变白( blanch的过去式 )；使（植物）不见阳光而变白；酸洗（金属）使有光泽；用沸水烫（杏仁等）以便去皮 | |
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69
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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70
scoured
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| 走遍（某地）搜寻（人或物）( scour的过去式和过去分词 )； （用力）刷； 擦净； 擦亮 | |
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