CHAPTER XXXVI RESCUED

 Meanwhile, the three prisoners on the island were passing their time dismally¹ enough. There was actually nothing for them to do except to seek enough of the produce of the island to sustain life.

This they were able to do, but they soon tired of their monotonous² bill of fare.

“I would give something for a good New England breakfast,” said Abner Titcomb, one morning.

“Baked beans and brown bread?” suggested Guy, with a smile.

“Yes; or fishcakes, rolls, and coffee—anything substantial, instead of these sweet, cloying³ fruits.”

“I think I agree with you, Abner,” said Guy.

“I am sure I do,” added Luke Clark.

It may seem strange that they had never made a second visit to the place where the treasure was concealed⁴; but it had lost its attractions for them.

They did not even speculate as to its value. It was absolutely worthless to them in their present condition.{285}

They spent most of their time on the summit of the hill, looking out to sea in search of a ship. They felt that the Osprey would be sent back for them, but it was long to wait. If they could get off sooner, so much the better.

Abner Titcomb had a marine⁵ glass with him, and this helped them.

Once with his glass he espied⁶ a ship, a mere⁷ speck⁸ in the distance, and there was hope that it would come nearer the island.

They tried to signal it, but it was too far away, and no heed⁹ was paid to the white sailcloth that they hoisted¹⁰ above the hill on a branch of a tree. This was a severe disappointment.

“John Wolf was here four years without signaling a sail,” said Luke Clark, in a tone of discouragement. “There seems to be little hope for us.”

So day followed day, and each one seemed longer than the last.

They liked to sit and talk of their New England homes, and all that made them attractive. They tried to fancy how those who were dear to them were occupied.

“My father is writing his sermon for Sunday,” Guy would say on a Saturday morning. “What would he think if he could know where I am?”{286}

“It is well he doesn’t know, since he could do you no good,” rejoined Titcomb.

“Yes; it would only make the dear old man unhappy. I don’t want him to know it till he also knows that I am safe.”

“How long is it since we were left here?” asked Luke Clark. “Have you kept the record?”

“Yes, this is the seventeenth day.”

“And we are still alive! Well that’s a comfort, any way.”

Abner Titcomb had been using his glass.

“Boys!” he said, suddenly, in a tone of excitement, “I see a sail!”

“Where?” exclaimed Guy and Luke Clark together.

Titcomb pointed¹¹ in a direction east by south.

“Look again! Notice if it seems to be approaching the island.”

There was silence for five minutes.

“Yes,” he said, “it seems to be coming toward us. Here, Guy, your eyes are better than mine; take the glass, and see whether I am right.”

Guy took the glass and turned it in the direction of the ship.

“Abner! Luke!” he said, in a tremulous voice. “I think it looks like the Osprey.”

“Give me the glass—quick!” said Luke.{287}

He took a long look seaward.

“Well, well! What do you make out?” asked Abner.

“I think Guy is right. It does look like the Osprey.”

“But it can’t be! There has not been time for her to go to Bombay and return.”

This was evident, and they felt that they could not be correct.

But half an hour later it was clear that the ship was steering¹² for the island. An hour later all were sure that it was the Osprey.

“Let us raise our signal and then go down to the beach,” said Guy.

His suggestion was followed. Leaving the signal on the summit of the hill, they made their way downward, through the belt of woods, to the shore.

Still one or another looked through the glass until doubt became certainty, and the familiar form of the Osprey was clearly to be seen.

“Thank God!” said Titcomb, fervently¹³.

No sooner was the Osprey near enough than a boat was lowered. Among those it bore were Forbush and Frank Low.

As they landed, the three prisoners rushed joyfully¹⁴ to greet them.{288}

“Then Captain Richmond relented?” said Guy. “He repented¹⁵ of his inhuman¹⁶ course?”

“Captain Richmond is dead,” said Frank Low, gravely. “Mr. Forbush is now captain.”

“But how did he die? Was he stricken with disease?”

“He fell a victim to his brutality¹⁷. He was stabbed to the heart by Leporelli, whom he had abused.”

It was Captain Forbush who said this.

“As soon as I took command I ordered the ship’s course to be reversed, and I came here in search of you. I will give you a reasonable time to find the treasure.”

“Captain Forbush, the treasure is found!” said Guy. “To-morrow I will ask you to lend me the assistance of two of your sailors to carry it on board the Osprey.”

“You shall have it,” said the captain, promptly¹⁸. “I congratulate you, Guy, on your success.”

1 dismally   

adv.阴暗地，沉闷地

参考例句：

• Fei Little Beard assented dismally. 费小胡子哭丧着脸回答。 来自子夜部分
• He began to howl dismally. 它就凄凉地吠叫起来。 来自辞典例句

2 monotonous   

adj.单调的，一成不变的，使人厌倦的

参考例句：

• She thought life in the small town was monotonous.她觉得小镇上的生活单调而乏味。
• His articles are fixed in form and monotonous in content.他的文章千篇一律，一个调调儿。

3 cloying   

adj.甜得发腻的

参考例句：

• Her cheap,cloying scent enveloped him.她那廉价香水甜腻熏人的气味一下子包围了他。
• His particular trademark is a cute and cloying sentimentality.他独特的标志是做作的、让人反感的多愁善感。

4 concealed   

a.隐藏的，隐蔽的

参考例句：

• The paintings were concealed beneath a thick layer of plaster. 那些画被隐藏在厚厚的灰泥层下面。
• I think he had a gun concealed about his person. 我认为他当时身上藏有一支枪。

5 marine   

adj.海的；海生的；航海的；海事的；n.水兵

参考例句：

• Marine creatures are those which live in the sea. 海洋生物是生存在海里的生物。
• When the war broke out,he volunteered for the Marine Corps.战争爆发时，他自愿参加了海军陆战队。

6 espied   

v.看到( espy的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• One day a youth espied her as he was hunting.She saw him and recognized him as her own son, mow grown a young man. 一日，她被一个正在行猎的小伙子看见了，她认出来这个猎手原来是自己的儿子，现在已长成为一个翩翩的少年。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• In a little while he espied the two giants. 一会儿就看见了那两个巨人。 来自辞典例句

7 mere   

adj.纯粹的；仅仅，只不过

参考例句：

• That is a mere repetition of what you said before.那不过是重复了你以前讲的话。
• It's a mere waste of time waiting any longer.再等下去纯粹是浪费时间。

8 speck   

n.微粒，小污点，小斑点

参考例句：

• I have not a speck of interest in it.我对它没有任何兴趣。
• The sky is clear and bright without a speck of cloud.天空晴朗，一星星云彩也没有。

9 heed   

v.注意，留意；n.注意，留心

参考例句：

• You must take heed of what he has told.你要注意他所告诉的事。
• For the first time he had to pay heed to his appearance.这是他第一次非得注意自己的外表不可了。

10 hoisted   

把…吊起，升起( hoist的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• He hoisted himself onto a high stool. 他抬身坐上了一张高凳子。
• The sailors hoisted the cargo onto the deck. 水手们把货物吊到甲板上。

11 pointed   

adj.尖的，直截了当的

参考例句：

• He gave me a very sharp pointed pencil.他给我一支削得非常尖的铅笔。
• She wished to show Mrs.John Dashwood by this pointed invitation to her brother.她想通过对达茨伍德夫人提出直截了当的邀请向她的哥哥表示出来。

12 steering   

n.操舵装置

参考例句：

• He beat his hands on the steering wheel in frustration. 他沮丧地用手打了几下方向盘。
• Steering according to the wind, he also framed his words more amicably. 他真会看风使舵，口吻也马上变得温和了。

13 fervently   

adv.热烈地，热情地，强烈地

参考例句：

• "Oh, I am glad!'she said fervently. “哦，我真高兴！”她热烈地说道。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• O my dear, my dear, will you bless me as fervently to-morrow?' 啊，我亲爱的，亲爱的，你明天也愿这样热烈地为我祝福么？” 来自英汉文学 - 双城记

14 joyfully   

adv. 喜悦地, 高兴地

参考例句：

• She tripped along joyfully as if treading on air. 她高兴地走着，脚底下轻飘飘的。
• During these first weeks she slaved joyfully. 在最初的几周里，她干得很高兴。

15 repented   

对（自己的所为）感到懊悔或忏悔( repent的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• He repented his thoughtlessness. 他后悔自己的轻率。
• Darren repented having shot the bird. 达伦后悔射杀了那只鸟。

16 inhuman   

adj.残忍的，不人道的，无人性的

参考例句：

• We must unite the workers in fighting against inhuman conditions.我们必须使工人们团结起来反对那些难以忍受的工作条件。
• It was inhuman to refuse him permission to see his wife.不容许他去看自己的妻子是太不近人情了。

17 brutality   

n.野蛮的行为，残忍，野蛮

参考例句：

• The brutality of the crime has appalled the public. 罪行之残暴使公众大为震惊。
• a general who was infamous for his brutality 因残忍而恶名昭彰的将军

18 promptly   

adv.及时地，敏捷地

参考例句：

• He paid the money back promptly.他立即还了钱。
• She promptly seized the opportunity his absence gave her.她立即抓住了因他不在场给她创造的机会。