“No, my dear, except that he went to California in the steerage, I believe. I suspect he was very destitute1.”
“I am glad of it,” said Mrs. Middleton emphatically. “It does me good to see pride have a fall, and that boy was the proudest upstart I ever met.”
“He certainly had a great appetite, my dear, and was very particular about his accommodations.”
“Well, my dear, we got very high board for him.”
“Very true; I wouldn’t have stood his impudence4 otherwise. Squire5 Davenport’s family got disgusted with him. He put on his airs even with them. So he went in the steerage, did he?”
“So I heard.”
“I warrant he would have been glad to get back to our home, much as he turned up his nose at it.”
“Good gracious!” ejaculated Mr. Middleton. “Is it you, Thomas?”
“Yes, sir,” said Tom; “here I am, alive and kicking. I didn’t think you’d remember me. How do you do, Mrs. Middleton?”
“I am well,” said the lady stiffly.
“I thought you were in California, Thomas,” said Mr. Middleton.
“So I was.”
“We heard that you were reduced to going by steerage,” remarked Mrs. Middleton with spiteful triumph.
“You were misinformed,” said Tom coolly, “I went first-class, and returned in the same way.”
“Oh, indeed. I heard that you had a few hundred dollars left. You must have spent it all by this time.”
“You will doubtless be glad to learn that I have got my fortune all back,” said Tom, glancing mischievously7 at the faces of his friends, in which surprise contended with mortification8.
“Is that so?” ejaculated Mr. Middleton.
“Quite so. The ship supposed to be lost has returned; Mr. Armstrong has recovered sufficiently9 to pay me back my ten thousand dollars, and the mining stock turns out to be good. Besides that I have been adopted by a rich man, who has made me his heir.”
“My dear Tom,” exclaimed Mr. Middleton, whose opinion of our hero had risen about a hundred degrees, “permit me to congratulate you. I always felt a deep, a paternal10 interest in the welfare of my dear friend’s son. I am truly glad to hear that your fortune is recovered. If you would be content again to share our humble11 home, we would gladly receive you back on the same terms as before.” And he pressed Tom’s hand very cordially.
“Mr. Temple,” said Mrs. Middleton, her face wreathed in smiles, “won’t you stay to dinner at least? I shall be truly glad to have you.”
“Thank you,” said Tom. “Since you are so pressing I will; but I am afraid I can’t come back to board, as my uncle wishes me to reside with him.”
Before Mr. Middleton could express his disappointment, Squire Davenport was ushered13 into the room. He stopped short at the sight of Tom, and frowned slightly, looking to Mr. Middleton for an explanation.
“Squire Davenport,” said Nathan, “you will be glad to hear that our young friend has recovered his fortune. Indeed he tells me that he is richer than ever. Isn’t it so, Thomas?”
“Yes, sir, I believe so.”
“Ahem!” said the squire, pausing long enough to change his voice and expression. “I am very glad to hear it. Master Temple, you were once intimate at my house. Won’t you come to tea this evening?”
“They will all be delighted to see you,” said the squire hastily.
“Thank you, I’ll come,” said Tom.
To judge by Tom’s reception, all the Davenports were very fond of him. And yet the day before they would have vied with one another in speaking contemptuously of him. But then he was supposed to be poor. Now he was master of one fortune, and heir to another. It is only the way of the world.
There was one of the family whom Tom was really glad to meet, and that was Mary Somers, to whom he paid much more attention than to Imogene, greatly to the latter’s disgust. Poor Mary had to submit to more than one covert15 sneer16, but Tom paid his chief attention to her for all that.
Ten years have passed by. Tom is a young merchant, bold, enterprising and successful. Mary Somers is his wife, and Mr. Stoddard, happy in their love and respect, lives with them. The Davenports are proud of their connection with their once despised poor relation, and thankfully accept her invitations. Imogene is unmarried and is likely to become a sour old maid. James Davenport is a clerk in the employ of Tom, through poverty being forced to work, very much to his disgust. Mr. and Mrs. Middleton still live. They have become more penurious18 than ever, but their opinion of Tom has changed. “My dear young friend, Tom Temple, once an inmate19 of my family,” says Nathan, and his wife echoes it. How gold reveals the virtues20 of those about us! As for Tom, he has greatly improved. The bold, aggressive qualities which once made him a bully21 have been diverted to business, and have made him energetic and enterprising. So we leave him better than we found him, and with every prospect22 of a happy and prosperous career.
OVER AND UNDER.
BY CAPTAIN R. M. HAWTHORNE.
UD JARVIS attained23 the eighteenth anniversary of his birth last November, and found it the most memorable24 day of his life.
He had been hunting in the woods along the upper Kanama river, had eaten his lunch, and now, finding himself a good six miles from home, began working his way back, hoping to gain a second shot at the stag that had dashed off at such speed that the youthful hunter was quickly left behind. Although deer were once plentiful26 in that section, they were now so scarce that it was quite an exploit for the best marksman to bring one down. Jud took his dog along, but just before starting the game, he scurried27 off on a false scent28, and had not been heard or seen since.
The weather was unusually mild for the season, and Jud stood on the margin29 of the swift Kanama that was free from ice, debating whether he should cross in the dugout at his feet, in the hope of finding the game on the other shore, or whether he should turn about and search for the animal on the same side of the stream.
“He ran straight for the water, and most likely swam across; I think he was hit hard and will not go far, but it is so late that I may not come up with him before dark—helloa!”
A crashing of the undergrowth on his left was followed by a bound that carried the stag a dozen feet into the water. Like a diver, he sank out of sight, even his spreading antlers disappearing from view, but almost instantly the noble head came up over a rod away, the wealth of prongs spreading above the wet snout like the disjointed rigging of a ship. He swam with such powerful strokes that a deep wave opened out behind him. He was fully17 fifty feet from shore, before Jud rallied from his amazement30.
“I’ve got you this time, my fine fellow,” he muttered, bringing his gun to his shoulder.
In the flurry of the moment, he did not recognize the meaning of a humming shriek31 which accompanied the report of his weapon. But the cartridge32 driven from his breech-loader was a defective33 one. There was a depression in one side of the lead which caused it to give out a quick, intense noise like that of a common nail when thrown in the peculiar34 manner known to all boys. Not only that, but the defect in the missile caused it to deflect35 just enough to make a clean miss.
Quite sure, though, that he had inflicted36 a mortal hurt, Jud was afraid the stag would reach land and get too far away to be overtaken before night. He shoved the dugout into the water, threw his gun in, followed it himself, caught up the paddle and worked with might and main to overtake the game.
Swiftly as a stag can swim, he is no match for a man in a dugout. Jud gained fast, and, before the middle of the stream was reached, he was abreast37 of the deer, but a dozen yards or so above. He curved down toward him, and had passed half the intervening distance, when the fugitive38 wheeled about, or headed toward the shore he had left a few minutes before.
His protruding39 eyes, and the whiffing snort which sent a fine spray from his nostrils40, proved that he saw his peril41 and was desperately42 swimming away from it.
Now was the time for another shot. Jud hastily pulled the lever to throw out the old shell and push a new cartridge into place; but every one knows the “obduracy of inanimate things” at such times. Something got out of order, and, with an impatient exclamation43, he lowered his piece to adjust it.
Before he could do so, the angry snort that he had heard before sounded so close at his elbow that he looked around. That which he saw was startling indeed. The stag was plowing44 like a steam-tug through the water and coming straight for the boat. His fierce front left no doubt of his earnestness, and Jud Jarvis awoke to the fact that while he was hunting the stag, the stag had turned about to hunt him.
The movement was so unexpected that the usually clear-headed youth was thrown into a panic. His gun could not be fired until the hitch45 was removed, and believing he had no time to do that, he plunged46 overboard.
In that trying moment, Jud could not forget the valuable rifle in his hand. He meant to hold fast to that, come what might. He was a strong swimmer, and he went down until one foot touched the pebbly47 bottom. Immediately he gave a light spring, which sent him upward like a cork48. Flirting49 the water from his eyes he looked about him.
The dugout almost touched his nose, so that for the moment he saw nothing of the stag. If the latter had struck the craft with his antlers he had failed to overturn it.
“I may as well make some use of you,” reflected Jud, catching50 hold of the gunwale with one hand, and placing his rifle within; “I think the gun will be as safe there as anywhere.”
He swam to the stern with the intention of climbing into the rude craft, when the stag came into view. He was moving around the boat, intently looking for the youth that had dared to shoot at him. With a sagacity hardly to be expected, he discerned the guilty from the innocent, and, instead of making a blind assault upon the dugout, he waited for the hunter to reappear. When he did so, he gave him his undivided attention.
Jud’s panic was gone. His hands were free and he was afraid of no animal in the water. The current was cold, for the autumn was well along, but he cared nothing for that. He “trod water” until the bouquet51 of prongs was almost upon him. He did not fear them, for, as is well known, the most effectual weapons of the deer species at certain times are his fore12 feet. Rearing on his hind25 legs, he brings his forward hoofs52 close together, the fronts turned down so that they become a couple of joined knives, capable of inflicting53 a frightful54 gash55. The stag of course appeals to his antlers, and they are formidable in the way of defense56, but when his sharp hoofs will serve him better, he is quick to use them.
It was these hoofs that Jarvis feared. He was in front of them, and their movement while swimming was such as to gouge57 his chest if he should be struck. Therefore, at the right moment, he dived under the stag.
Touching58 bottom as before, Jud opened his eyes and looked toward the sky. The water was of such crystalline clearness that, when paddling along, he could see the pebbly bed, except in the very deepest portion. He had subjected his eyes, however, to a most trying ordeal59. The contact of the water with the sensitive organs caused a smarting sensation, and the former assumed a yellow tinge60 which interfered61 with his vision.
But he was blessed with unusually strong eyes, and when he looked up he saw the stag over his head. He seemed to be a huge, grotesque62 creature walking through the translucent63 atmosphere on his hind legs. His body was almost erect64, and the swiftly moving legs churned the water, as if they were beating the air.
The fact that he hardly shifted his position showed that he was holding himself almost stationary65 until his foe66 should reappear. He had turned upon his persecutor67, and was waiting to destroy him.
The latter now did a clever thing. He came up so noiselessly that the brute68 did not hear him. He had to blink pretty hard to clear the moisture from his smarting eyes, but when he did so, it was as he expected; he was within six feet of the game, but directly behind him. The dugout was fifty feet down stream.
One long stroke carried Jud across the space. The stag heard the soft swash, and possibly caught sight of the figure stealing upon him, but, before he could turn his head, each hand grasped an antler with iron grip.
“Now, swim, old fellow, but you’ve got to take me along.”
It was the turn of the stag to fall into a panic. He flirted69 his head and whirled round and round in his effort to dislodge the incubus70, but he could not do so. Jud laughed at the discomfiture71 of the animal.
“You’re doing quite well, but not so well as you think you can do.”
Jud’s expectation was that the stag would tire himself out, and then, finding he could not free himself of his load, would make for shore again. The youth meant to let go as soon as land was reached. No doubt by that time the animal would be glad enough to make off. He would be likely to escape altogether, for he certainly showed no signs of being badly wounded, if indeed he had been hit at all. If he should turn to assail72 Jud, after the latter let go his horns, he could easily avoid him in the water.
It looked as if Jud’s theory was to be verified, for, after a few blind circlings, the stag, with a disgusted sniff73, made for the bank toward which he had headed on entering the river.
Peering through the little forest of antlers in front, the lad noticed that the trees along the shore were sweeping74 backward with amazing velocity75; then he caught a roar, rapidly swelling76 into a deep boom, and gazing to the left, he saw the dugout bowing, dancing and turning on its own center in a cloud of rising mist. It was on the very point of plunging77 over the falls.
Jud thought no more of the stag. Unless he could reach shore within a few seconds, he must follow the dugout or be drowned. Releasing the antlers, he dropped to the bottom of the river, impelled78 to do so by a curious hope that he would thus gain a chance to help himself along.
The depth was nearly as great as in the middle of the stream. He tried to catch hold of the stony79 bottom, but it glided80 so swiftly from his grasp that he felt the pain of the friction81. The slight reaction sent him upward again, and he struggled fiercely to reach shore. He had about the same distance to travel as the stag, but the latter was a rod further down stream.
The youth strove as only one can who is striving for his life, but he was closer to the falls than he was to land, and he quickly saw that nothing could save him from going over. To struggle longer could only exhaust his strength without giving him any advantage. With great coolness, he turned to the left, so as to face the falls, and braced82 himself for the ordeal.
“I have never heard whether any one can go over them and live to tell of it, but the question will be settled in the next two minutes.”
The river where it poured over the rocks was compressed into a volume less than a hundred feet in width. The mass of water was ten feet in depth, and the descent was three times as great. The narrowing of the stream gave it great velocity, and the churning of the enormous mass at the base sent up continual clouds of mist, which, when penetrated83 by the sun’s rays, showed a beautiful rainbow.
At the point where Jud put out in a boat, it was safe to paddle across, but he had been so absorbed in his hunt for the stag, that he forgot all about the falls until it was too late to extricate84 himself.
Curious thoughts often come to a person when in such extremity85. Jud saw the dugout bobbing up and down like the cork of a fishing line, until it vanished from sight. He wondered how many times it would turn over, and whether it was possible for it to keep upright, and in case it was not capsized what would become of his fine rifle? If that were saved, into whose hands would it fall? What did the stag think of the situation, and did he appreciate what zanies he and Jud had made of themselves in their eagerness to destroy each other? How delicately beautiful was the faint rainbow spanning the mist! Would his father and mother understand the means by which he had lost his life? He was their only child, and the pang86 of sorrow which pierced his heart was because he knew they would never recover from their grief over his loss.
Other singular fancies were crowding upon him, but he was now so close to the falls that they occupied all his thoughts. He saw that the stag was struggling with that blind instinct which all animals show in the extremity of peril. His savage87 efforts had carried him a little closer to shore, but it availed nothing, and he swept toward the falls broadside on. By some mischance that can hardly be understood, the animal, on the very rim88 of the overflow89, turned on his back, after the manner of a horse when he lies down to roll. The legs were seen for an instant sawing the air, and then hoofs, body, and antlers, were mixed in one general swirl90 and over they went.
Jud Jarvis was thrilled, as he shot with arrowy swiftness toward the battle of the waters. He uttered the same prayer that he had uttered night and morning since his infancy91, and compressing his lips, and drawing a deep inspiration, bravely awaited the issue.
Just then it seemed to him that the vast bulk of water, in which he hung suspended, had become motionless, and the rocky wall below was fighting its way up current with a vicious fury that caused all the turmoil92; then the rushing Kanama, accepting the challenge, leaped at the rocks to beat them back. But the lad was borne forward with a dizzying sweep, as if hauled through mid-air, and then he shot downward, into the smothering93 foam94 and shivering water, amid a war like that of thousands of cannon95.
Through it all Jud never lost consciousness, nor his presence of mind. He held his breath until it seemed his lungs must burst. He knew that the continual hammering of the waters at the base of the falls had worn a cavity of great depth, to the bottom of which he had been carried by the mountainous mass above. But this had to hurry out to make room for that which was forever rushing after it, and he went with it.
He felt faint and strange, and there was one moment when a singular ringing in his ears and a strangling sensation warned him that he was “on the line,” and that one step more meant unconsciousness, to be quickly followed by death. By a mighty96 effort, however, he rallied, and retained command of himself.
“A man can go over these falls and live to tell of it,” he thought; “and that’s what I am going to do.”
The gasp97 which he gave brought the cool, life-giving air to his lungs, and the staring eyes saw that though the water was still agitated98, the yeasty foam was so small a portion that he could support himself. It was becoming clearer every minute, and the falls were rapidly receding99 behind him.
After drifting several rods, Jud caught sight of the dugout, almost within reach.
“And it is right side up!” he exclaimed, with delight; “can it be—I shall soon know.”
A few strokes carried him to the hollowed out log, which was not riding so high as when he saw it above the falls. Peeping over the gunwales he observed that it was so nearly full of water that it was floating because of the buoyancy of the log itself. A shout of delight escaped him when he saw his rifle lying in the water at the bottom. By a run of good fortune that could hardly happen again, it was saved to him.
Holding the stern with one hand, Jud began working the boat toward shore. The water rapidly became calmer, and the task was not difficult.
“I wonder how the stag made out,” he said, as the nose of the dugout struck land; “he went over in a style of his own, and I am afraid—Well, if that doesn’t beat everything!”
At that very moment the body of the stag heaved up from the water, and he walked out not more than twenty feet away. As soon as he was clear of the river he stopped, lowered his head, and a sort of earthquake shook his whole system, the drops of water flying in a shower from every part of his body. Having flirted off most of the moisture, he slowly turned halfway100 round, and surveyed the dripping biped, as if seeking to find out whether he was the young man who was responsible for this wholesale101 overturning of things.
Meanwhile, Jud was doing his utmost to get his rifle in shape for service. He gave as much attention to the stag as to his weapon, in case the brute charged before the youth was ready, he meant to take to the stream again, for he had already proven that he was safe there.
The cartridges102 had kept dry in their waterproof103 chamber104, and the slight disarrangement was quickly made right. The barrel was freed from most of the moisture, and the weapon was again ready for service. Jud had missed his two previous shots, but he was confident it could not happen again. The game was now his own.
Possibly the stag could not satisfy himself as to the identity of the youth, for after a prolonged stare he swung back his head and slouched off toward the woods. Jud raised his breech-loader and took careful aim at the head held so proudly aloft. The finger was pressing the trigger, when the rifle was lowered again.
“We’ll call it square; you’ve saved your life; you may go; good-by!”
A STRANGE CRAFT.
BY GEOFFREY RANDOLPH.
Y young friends Jim and Joe Allison are emphatic2 in declaring that they will never, never forget their adventure in Florida last summer. When you come to learn the particulars, I am sure you will take the same view of it that they do.
Jim and Joe are brothers, the first sixteen and the second fourteen years old. Last autumn they came to the north to attend school, and perhaps some of the readers of boys’ papers have made their acquaintance. If so, you will agree with me that they are bright, manly105 fellows, who, if their lives are spared, will become useful and popular citizens.
The father of the Allison boys was an officer of the Confederacy. With the wreck106 of a once handsome fortune, he went back to his old home in Florida, after the close of the war. He was still a young man, and had been fortunate enough to go through the whole “unpleasantness” without a scratch. He married an estimable lady from the north, who, in addition to her many fine qualities, had the not objectionable one of considerable wealth. So it came about that Colonel Allison bought a fine orange plantation107 in the land of flowers, and it was there that his daughter and two sons were born.
Like the boys of the south and west, Jim and Joe were accustomed to horses, guns and roughing it from earliest boyhood, though rather curiously108 neither of them could swim a stroke. They spent many an hour in the pulseless pine forests, in the oozy109 swamps and the dry barrens, finding enjoyment110 and sport where you and I would see nothing but wretchedness.
Only a few weeks before they went to the north they engaged in the memorable hunt of which I am going to tell you. Suspecting that it would be the last one they would be able to have together for a long time (for they were busy with their preparations for leaving home), they agreed to make it a thorough one so far as it was in their power to do so.
They told their parents not to be anxious if they saw nothing of them for two or three days, for they meant to go a long distance up the St. John’s and had resolved not to come back until they had obtained some experience worth the telling.
An hour later the boys had entered their dugout, in which they put up a sail, and with a mild but favoring breeze they moved at a fair rate up the river, which is probably the most widely known of any in Florida. They were provided with a substantial lunch, for though professional sportsmen might have scorned to make a provision that implied their own lack of skill, the brothers had no compunctions in the matter.
There was nothing in the woods that could take the place of Dinah’s corn cake, nor was there any game which the boys could prepare by the camp fire to be compared to the cold roast chicken which the same skillful cook took such pains to make ready for them. So, in going this long hunt, the boys did not mean to place any dependence111 on their guns for food.
It was quite early in the morning when they started. The St. John’s, with its shores sometimes wooded, and often low and marshy112, wound in and out through the forest, but the current was sluggish113, and it was not a difficult task to paddle the light dugout.
Now and than the youths took a shot at some of the game of which they caught a glimpse along the shore. It was not yet noon when they met a steamer, whose sputtering114 wheel at the stern churned the water into muddy foam, and whose deck was filled with excursionists. Many of these waved their handkerchiefs at the boys, who returned the salute115.
By and by Jim remarked that if they meant to have a genuine old-fashioned hunt, they would have to leave the main river, where they met too many people. So they turned up the next tributary116 they saw.
Jim used the paddle until tired, and then Joe did the same. By this time it was high noon, and observing a small island ahead they agreed to make a landing there and take lunch. They could have done this just as well in the boat, but they had been in their cramped117 posture118 so long that they wanted to “stretch their legs.”
The island on which they landed was a small one, being no more than a hundred feet in length, and its widest portion was less than half of that. The middle was perhaps three or four feet above the level of the water, so that the patch of land resembled one of those patent door mats, which, being raised in the center, shed all the water that falls upon them.
There was not a particle of vegetation on the island—not so much even as a spear of grass. There were a few twigs119 and bits of limbs that had floated down and lodged120 against the upper point, but altogether there was not an armful.
It was of no concern to the boys that they found this strip of sand so uninviting, for they did not mean to stay there more than an hour or two at the most. The sun was hot, and they would have enjoyed the luxury of stretching beneath some shady tree; but since that was out of the question they did not bemoan121 it. The umbrella which they had brought answered very well as a substitute. Its long handle was jammed into the sand near the middle of the island, and its shade almost sheltered their bodies.
Protected in this fashion, they brought forth122 their big lunch basket, and fell to with an appetite such as I trust all of you possess.
In making their way to the camping site, as it may be called, Jim Allison carried the umbrella and lunch basket. More from habit than anything else Joe brought the rifles with him. He did not dream that any necessity would arise for their use, but had some idea that he might lie under the shade of his umbrella, and pick off something in the river or along shore.
The division of the stream, produced originally by the sandy bar or island, caused the curving water to wear away the main shores on either side, until the river at that portion took upon itself the character of a lake or lagoon123. From the island to either bank was a distance of fully two hundred yards, so that it would have taken good marksmanship on the part of the boys to bring down anything on the main land.
One peculiarity124 had been noted125 by both. The region seemed to be a favorite one with alligators127. They could be seen basking128 in the sun along the banks, with here and there a snout moving lazily over the water in quest of prey129. They were not liable to disturb the boys so long as they remained in the dugout, but if by some chance they should be capsized among a school of them, it might have gone ill with our young friends.
“I think,” remarked Jim, speaking as well as he could with his mouth full of corn cake, “that after ascending130 a few miles further we’ll land and take to the woods.”
“Not a bad idea,” spluttered Joe, from behind the cold chicken that threatened to suffocate131 him; “we can build a fire and sleep in the woods to-night; then we’ll have all day to-morrow for the hunt, and can go home the next day.”
“Yes; there isn’t much in this sort of business; we must have a time that we can tell the boys about when we go up north.”
Just then the speaker happened to look down stream, and noticed a boat that appeared to be approaching.
“Who can that be?” he asked in astonishment132.
Such was the fact. They had left it drawn134 up so slightly on the shingle135, that it had swung loose, and was already a hundred feet below the island.
The astounded136 lads looked in each other’s face, speechless for a full minute. Well might they ask themselves what should be done, for you will bear in mind that neither of them knew how to swim, that they were in a lonely region where they could not be certain of any person passing for days or weeks, and that there was nothing on the island from which anything in the nature of a raft or float could be constructed.
The boys were plucky137, and had either one of them known how to swim, he could have helped the other to the main land, and they would have considered the adventure of a nature that need cause little misgiving138. They concluded that the only thing to be done was to fire their guns and shout, in the faint hope of attracting the attention of some one within call.
Accordingly, they discharged their rifles, and yelled and whistled until the sun sank in the west, but without the slightest evidence of success.
As the day advanced, the alligators showed more signs of life. They swam back and forth in the river, and at one or two points a number engaged in a fierce fight, causing no little splashing and turmoil in the water. Occasionally one of them would run his hideous139 snout against the island, but they did nothing more than stare at the youngsters, when they whirled about and swam into deep water again.
While the brothers had no special fear of these huge reptiles141, they were not without misgiving, for they well knew that they occasionally attacked persons. They kept close watch, therefore, and it was well that they did.
Just as the sun was sinking, and while the river glowed with the yellow, horizontal rays, they were startled by the approach of the largest alligator126 on which they had ever looked. They did not see him until he was close to the island, and indeed in the act of leaving the water and coming toward them. He was fully eighteen feet long, and there could be no doubt that he meant to attack the boys. His size, age, and appetite, would not permit him to stop at trifles.
“I’ll take the right eye,” said Jim.
“And I the left,” said Joe in an undertone.
The boys had cast aside their umbrella, and kneeling on one knee they took careful aim at the monster. Like the patriots142 at Bunker Hill, they waited until they saw the whites of the enemy’s eyes, and then they fired together.
The distance was short, and the aim so true, that either bullet would have proved fatal. As it was, the alligator, with a horrible whiffing snort, swung spasmodically about, clawed the sand into showers, and then died, as any creature must whose brain has been bored through by two leaden pellets.
That was a dismal143 night to Jim and Joe. They feared that the other reptiles would come upon the island to attack the slain144 monarch145, in which case they were likely to give some unpleasant attention to the boys. But fortunately the saurians did not do so, and when the sun rose in the morning, matters may be said to have been in statu quo.
The main suffering of the boys was for water. They had brought a bottle with them, but that was exhausted146 on the first day, and they waited until they were extremely thirsty before drinking from the muddy current that swept sluggishly147 by.
By noon, they began to feel serious alarm. They had used up nearly all their ammunition148, and had shouted and yelled till their heads ached and their voices were husky. There were no more signs of any one else being in the solitude149 than there would have been in the middle of Sahara.
Disconsolate150 Joe was leaning on his elbow under the shade of the umbrella, wondering how many days it would be before their parents would miss them, how many weeks before the party of search would set out, and how many months before their remains151 would be found bleaching152 upon the sandy island—that is, provided the alligators did not make a feast upon them.
He happened to be looking at the huge carcass of the reptile140, when he noticed that beneath the flaming heat it was distended153 to double its natural size. It was a frightful looking sight indeed.
“Let’s try it then,” said he, brightening up; “the other alligators are asleep, and it’s the best hour out of the twenty-four.”
Inspired by the new thought, they ran to the bloated mass and made the attempt to get it into the water. It was an exhausting task, and they could not have moved it far, but by great labor155 they succeeded in swinging it into the current. It proved to be wonderfully buoyant, and when the boys perched themselves upon the back their combined weight did not sink it more than half under water.
Their hearts throbbed156 fast when they found themselves at last floating with the current. They were not without dread157 that the scent of the carcass would bring others to the spot, but the voyage of the singular boat was so quiet that the siesta158 of the other alligators was not disturbed. They floated down stream until, at a bend in the river, they swung so close to land that they saw the water was shallow; and springing off they waded159 ashore160.
Jim and Joe discovered nothing of their dugout, and were obliged to make their way down to the St. John’s, where they were fortunate enough to hail a passing steamer, which landed them near their home.
The End
The End
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| adj.缺乏的；穷困的 | |
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2
emphatic
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| adj.强调的，着重的；无可置疑的，明显的 | |
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3
mattress
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| n.床垫，床褥 | |
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4
impudence
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| n.厚颜无耻；冒失；无礼 | |
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5
squire
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| n.护卫, 侍从, 乡绅 | |
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6
ushering
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| v.引，领，陪同( usher的现在分词 ) | |
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7
mischievously
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| adv.有害地；淘气地 | |
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8
mortification
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| n.耻辱，屈辱 | |
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9
sufficiently
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| adv.足够地，充分地 | |
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10
paternal
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| adj.父亲的，像父亲的，父系的，父方的 | |
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11
humble
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| adj.谦卑的，恭顺的；地位低下的；v.降低，贬低 | |
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12
fore
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| adv.在前面；adj.先前的；在前部的；n.前部 | |
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13
ushered
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| v.引，领，陪同( usher的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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14
demurely
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| adv.装成端庄地，认真地 | |
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15
covert
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| adj.隐藏的；暗地里的 | |
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16
sneer
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| v.轻蔑；嘲笑；n.嘲笑，讥讽的言语 | |
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17
fully
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| adv.完全地，全部地，彻底地；充分地 | |
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18
penurious
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| adj.贫困的 | |
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19
inmate
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| n.被收容者；(房屋等的)居住人；住院人 | |
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20
virtues
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| 美德( virtue的名词复数 )； 德行； 优点； 长处 | |
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21
bully
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| n.恃强欺弱者，小流氓；vt.威胁，欺侮 | |
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22
prospect
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| n.前景，前途；景色，视野 | |
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23
attained
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| （通常经过努力）实现( attain的过去式和过去分词 )； 达到； 获得； 达到（某年龄、水平、状况） | |
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24
memorable
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| adj.值得回忆的，难忘的，特别的，显著的 | |
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25
hind
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| adj.后面的，后部的 | |
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26
plentiful
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| adj.富裕的，丰富的 | |
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27
scurried
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| v.急匆匆地走( scurry的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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28
scent
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| n.气味，香味，香水，线索，嗅觉；v.嗅，发觉 | |
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29
margin
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| n.页边空白；差额；余地，余裕；边，边缘 | |
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30
amazement
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| n.惊奇，惊讶 | |
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31
shriek
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| v./n.尖叫，叫喊 | |
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32
cartridge
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| n.弹壳，弹药筒；(装磁带等的)盒子 | |
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33
defective
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| adj.有毛病的，有问题的，有瑕疵的 | |
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34
peculiar
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| adj.古怪的，异常的；特殊的，特有的 | |
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35
deflect
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| v.(使)偏斜，(使)偏离，(使)转向 | |
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36
inflicted
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| 把…强加给，使承受，遭受( inflict的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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37
abreast
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| adv.并排地；跟上(时代)的步伐，与…并进地 | |
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38
fugitive
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| adj.逃亡的，易逝的；n.逃犯，逃亡者 | |
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39
protruding
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| v.（使某物）伸出，（使某物）突出( protrude的现在分词 )；凸 | |
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40
nostrils
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| 鼻孔( nostril的名词复数 ) | |
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41
peril
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| n.(严重的)危险；危险的事物 | |
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42
desperately
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| adv.极度渴望地，绝望地，孤注一掷地 | |
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43
exclamation
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| n.感叹号，惊呼，惊叹词 | |
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44
plowing
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| v.耕( plow的现在分词 )；犁耕；费力穿过 | |
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45
hitch
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| v.免费搭(车旅行)；系住；急提；n.故障；急拉 | |
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46
plunged
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| v.颠簸( plunge的过去式和过去分词 )；暴跌；骤降；突降 | |
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47
pebbly
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| 多卵石的，有卵石花纹的 | |
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48
cork
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| n.软木，软木塞 | |
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49
flirting
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| v.调情，打情骂俏( flirt的现在分词 ) | |
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50
catching
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| adj.易传染的，有魅力的，迷人的，接住 | |
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51
bouquet
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| n.花束，酒香 | |
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52
hoofs
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| n.（兽的）蹄，马蹄( hoof的名词复数 )v.（兽的）蹄，马蹄( hoof的第三人称单数 ) | |
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53
inflicting
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| 把…强加给，使承受，遭受( inflict的现在分词 ) | |
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54
frightful
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| adj.可怕的；讨厌的 | |
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55
gash
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| v.深切，划开；n.(深长的)切(伤)口；裂缝 | |
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56
defense
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| n.防御，保卫；[pl.]防务工事；辩护，答辩 | |
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57
gouge
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| v.凿；挖出；n.半圆凿；凿孔；欺诈 | |
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58
touching
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| adj.动人的，使人感伤的 | |
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59
ordeal
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| n.苦难经历，（尤指对品格、耐力的）严峻考验 | |
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60
tinge
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| vt.(较淡)着色于，染色；使带有…气息；n.淡淡色彩，些微的气息 | |
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61
interfered
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| v.干预( interfere的过去式和过去分词 )；调停；妨碍；干涉 | |
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62
grotesque
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| adj.怪诞的，丑陋的；n.怪诞的图案，怪人（物） | |
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63
translucent
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| adj.半透明的；透明的 | |
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64
erect
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| n./v.树立，建立，使竖立；adj.直立的，垂直的 | |
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65
stationary
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| adj.固定的，静止不动的 | |
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66
foe
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| n.敌人，仇敌 | |
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67
persecutor
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| n. 迫害者 | |
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68
brute
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| n.野兽，兽性 | |
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69
flirted
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| v.调情，打情骂俏( flirt的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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70
incubus
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| n.负担；恶梦 | |
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71
discomfiture
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| n.崩溃；大败；挫败；困惑 | |
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72
assail
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| v.猛烈攻击，抨击，痛斥 | |
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73
sniff
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| vi.嗅…味道；抽鼻涕；对嗤之以鼻，蔑视 | |
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74
sweeping
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| adj.范围广大的，一扫无遗的 | |
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75
velocity
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| n.速度，速率 | |
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76
swelling
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| n.肿胀 | |
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77
plunging
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| adj.跳进的，突进的v.颠簸( plunge的现在分词 )；暴跌；骤降；突降 | |
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78
impelled
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| v.推动、推进或敦促某人做某事( impel的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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79
stony
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| adj.石头的，多石头的，冷酷的，无情的 | |
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80
glided
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| v.滑动( glide的过去式和过去分词 )；掠过；（鸟或飞机 ） 滑翔 | |
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81
friction
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| n.摩擦，摩擦力 | |
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82
braced
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| adj.拉牢的v.支住( brace的过去式和过去分词 )；撑牢；使自己站稳；振作起来 | |
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83
penetrated
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| adj. 击穿的，鞭辟入里的 动词penetrate的过去式和过去分词形式 | |
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84
extricate
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| v.拯救，救出；解脱 | |
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85
extremity
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| n.末端，尽头；尽力；终极；极度 | |
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86
pang
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| n.剧痛，悲痛，苦闷 | |
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87
savage
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| adj.野蛮的；凶恶的，残暴的；n.未开化的人 | |
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88
rim
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| n.(圆物的)边，轮缘；边界 | |
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89
overflow
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| v.(使)外溢，(使)溢出；溢出，流出，漫出 | |
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90
swirl
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| v.(使)打漩，(使)涡卷；n.漩涡，螺旋形 | |
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91
infancy
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| n.婴儿期；幼年期；初期 | |
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92
turmoil
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| n.骚乱，混乱，动乱 | |
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93
smothering
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| （使）窒息， （使）透不过气( smother的现在分词 )； 覆盖； 忍住； 抑制 | |
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94
foam
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| v./n.泡沫，起泡沫 | |
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95
cannon
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| n.大炮，火炮；飞机上的机关炮 | |
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96
mighty
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| adj.强有力的；巨大的 | |
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97
gasp
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| n.喘息，气喘；v.喘息；气吁吁他说 | |
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98
agitated
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| adj.被鼓动的，不安的 | |
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99
receding
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| v.逐渐远离( recede的现在分词 )；向后倾斜；自原处后退或避开别人的注视；尤指问题 | |
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100
halfway
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| adj.中途的，不彻底的，部分的；adv.半路地，在中途，在半途 | |
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101
wholesale
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| n.批发；adv.以批发方式；vt.批发，成批出售 | |
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102
cartridges
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| 子弹( cartridge的名词复数 )； （打印机的）墨盒； 录音带盒； （唱机的）唱头 | |
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103
waterproof
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| n.防水材料；adj.防水的；v.使...能防水 | |
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104
chamber
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| n.房间，寝室；会议厅；议院；会所 | |
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105
manly
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| adj.有男子气概的；adv.男子般地，果断地 | |
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106
wreck
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| n.失事，遇难；沉船；vt.(船等)失事，遇难 | |
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107
plantation
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| n.种植园，大农场 | |
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108
curiously
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| adv.有求知欲地；好问地；奇特地 | |
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109
oozy
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| adj.软泥的 | |
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110
enjoyment
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| n.乐趣；享有；享用 | |
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111
dependence
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| n.依靠，依赖；信任，信赖；隶属 | |
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112
marshy
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| adj.沼泽的 | |
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113
sluggish
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| adj.懒惰的，迟钝的，无精打采的 | |
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114
sputtering
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| n.反应溅射法；飞溅；阴极真空喷镀；喷射v.唾沫飞溅( sputter的现在分词 )；发劈啪声；喷出；飞溅出 | |
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115
salute
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| vi.行礼，致意，问候，放礼炮；vt.向…致意，迎接，赞扬；n.招呼，敬礼，礼炮 | |
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116
tributary
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| n.支流；纳贡国；adj.附庸的；辅助的；支流的 | |
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117
cramped
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| a.狭窄的 | |
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118
posture
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| n.姿势，姿态，心态，态度；v.作出某种姿势 | |
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119
twigs
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| 细枝，嫩枝( twig的名词复数 ) | |
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120
lodged
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| v.存放( lodge的过去式和过去分词 )；暂住；埋入；（权利、权威等）归属 | |
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121
bemoan
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| v.悲叹，哀泣，痛哭；惋惜，不满于 | |
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122
forth
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| adv.向前；向外，往外 | |
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123
lagoon
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| n.泻湖，咸水湖 | |
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124
peculiarity
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| n.独特性，特色；特殊的东西；怪癖 | |
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125
noted
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| adj.著名的，知名的 | |
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126
alligator
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| n.短吻鳄(一种鳄鱼) | |
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127
alligators
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| n.短吻鳄( alligator的名词复数 ) | |
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128
basking
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| v.晒太阳，取暖( bask的现在分词 )；对…感到乐趣；因他人的功绩而出名；仰仗…的余泽 | |
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129
prey
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| n.被掠食者，牺牲者，掠食；v.捕食，掠夺，折磨 | |
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130
ascending
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| adj.上升的，向上的 | |
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131
suffocate
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| vt.使窒息，使缺氧，阻碍；vi.窒息，窒息而亡，阻碍发展 | |
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132
astonishment
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| n.惊奇，惊异 | |
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133
gasped
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| v.喘气( gasp的过去式和过去分词 )；喘息；倒抽气；很想要 | |
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134
drawn
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| v.拖，拉，拔出；adj.憔悴的，紧张的 | |
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135
shingle
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| n.木瓦板；小招牌(尤指医生或律师挂的营业招牌)；v.用木瓦板盖（屋顶）；把（女子头发）剪短 | |
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136
astounded
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| v.使震惊(astound的过去式和过去分词)；愕然；愕；惊讶 | |
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137
plucky
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| adj.勇敢的 | |
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138
misgiving
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| n.疑虑，担忧，害怕 | |
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139
hideous
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| adj.丑陋的，可憎的，可怕的，恐怖的 | |
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140
reptile
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| n.爬行动物；两栖动物 | |
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141
reptiles
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| n.爬行动物，爬虫( reptile的名词复数 ) | |
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142
patriots
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| 爱国者，爱国主义者( patriot的名词复数 ) | |
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143
dismal
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| adj.阴沉的，凄凉的，令人忧郁的，差劲的 | |
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144
slain
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| 杀死，宰杀，杀戮( slay的过去分词 )； (slay的过去分词) | |
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145
monarch
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| n.帝王，君主，最高统治者 | |
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146
exhausted
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| adj.极其疲惫的，精疲力尽的 | |
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147
sluggishly
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| adv.懒惰地；缓慢地 | |
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148
ammunition
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| n.军火，弹药 | |
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149
solitude
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| n. 孤独; 独居,荒僻之地,幽静的地方 | |
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150
disconsolate
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| adj.忧郁的，不快的 | |
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151
remains
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| n.剩余物，残留物；遗体，遗迹 | |
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152
bleaching
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| 漂白法，漂白 | |
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153
distended
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| v.（使）膨胀，肿胀( distend的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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154
swollen
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| adj.肿大的，水涨的；v.使变大，肿胀 | |
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155
labor
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| n.劳动，努力，工作，劳工；分娩；vi.劳动，努力，苦干；vt.详细分析；麻烦 | |
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156
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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157
dread
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| vt.担忧，忧虑；惧怕，不敢；n.担忧，畏惧 | |
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158
siesta
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| n.午睡 | |
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159
waded
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| （从水、泥等）蹚，走过，跋( wade的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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ashore
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| adv.在(向)岸上，上岸 | |
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