They all looked up apprehensively9, and also started away from the tree; for they expected to see him come tumbling down in their midst. But no; he was still standing10 firm upon the last made round of the ladder, and in an erect11 attitude, as if he had no fear of falling. With one hand he held the axe12, the other gently grasping the upright bamboo that served him for a support. Instead of looking down to them, to call out or claim their assistance, they saw that his eyes were turned upward and fixed13, as if on some object directly over his head. It did not appear to be among the branches of the durion, but as if in the trunk of the tree; and in the interval14 of silence that succeeded his first quick exclamation, they could hear a hissing15 sound, such as might proceed from the throat of a goose when some stranger intrudes16 upon the domain17 of the farmyard. As it was carried down the smooth stem of the durion, which acted as a conductor, the spectators underneath18 guessed it was not a goose, but some creature of a less innocent kind.
“A snake, be japers!” was the conjecture19 that dropped from the ship-carpenter’s lips, while the same thought occurred simultaneously20 to the others; for they could think of no living thing, other than a serpent, capable of sending forth21 such a sibilant sound as that just heard.
“What is it, Saloo?” hailed Captain Redwood; “are you in any danger?”
“No dangee, cappen; only little bit good luck, that all,” was the cheering response that restored their confidence.
“How good luck?” asked the captain, puzzled to think of what fortune could have turned up in their favour so high above their heads.
“You see soon,” rejoined the Malay, taking a fresh peg3 from his girdle, and once more resuming his task at stair-making.
While he was engaged in hammering, and between the resounding22 strokes, they at the bottom of the tree repeatedly heard the same hissing sound they had taken for the sibilations of a snake, and which they might still have believed to be this, but for a hoarse23 croaking24 voice, mingling25 with the sibilation, which reached their ears at intervals26, evidently proceeding27 from the same throat.
Moreover, as they continued to gaze upward, watching Saloo at his work, they caught sight of something in motion on the trunk, and about a foot above his face. It was something of a whitish colour and slender shape, pointed28 like one of the bamboo pegs he was busily driving at. Now they saw it, and now they did not see it; for whatever it was, it was sunk inside the trunk of the durion-tree, alternately protruding29 and drawing back. It was also clear to them, that from this sharp-pointed thing, whether beast, bird, or reptile30, came the hissing and hoarse croaking that puzzled them.
“What is it?” again asked the captain, now no longer anxious or alarmed, but only curious to know what the strange creature could be.
“Buld, cappen—biggee buld.”
“Oh, a bird, that’s all; what sort of bird?”
“Honbill; ole hen hornbill. She on ha ness inside, hatchee egg; she built up in dat; ole cock he shuttee up with mud.”
“Oh, a hornbill!” said the captain, repeating the name of the bird for the information of those around him; and now that they more narrowly scrutinised the spot where the white-pointed beak31 was still bobbing out and in, they could perceive that there was a patch or space of irregular roundish shape, slightly elevated above the bark, having a plastered appearance, and of the colour of dry mud. They had barely time to make this last observation, when Saloo, having got another peg planted so as to enable him to ascend1 high enough, turned the edge of his axe against the trunk of the durion, and commenced chipping off the mud, that now fell in flakes32 to the bottom of the tree.
It took him only a very short time to effect a breach33 into the barricaded34 nest—one big enough to admit his hand with the fingers at fall spread.
His arm was at once thrust in up to the elbow; and as his digits35 closed fearlessly around the throat of the old hen hornbill, she was drawn36 forth from her place of imprisonment37.
For a time she was seen in Saloo’s hands, convulsively writhing38 and flopping39 her great wings, like a turkey gobbler with his head suddenly cut off. There was some screaming, hissing, and croaking, but to all these sounds Saloo quickly put an end, by taking a fresh grasp of the throat of the great bird, choking the breath out of it until the wings ceased fluttering; and then he flung its body down at the feet of the spectators.
Saloo did not descend40 immediately, but once more thrust his hand into the nest, hoping, no doubt, to find an egg or eggs in it. Instead of these, the contents proved to be a bird—and only one—a chick recently hatched, about the size of a squab-pigeon, and fat as a fed ortolan. Unlike the progeny41 of the megapodes, hatched in the hot sand, the infant hornbill was without the semblance42 of a feather upon its skin, which was all over of a green, yellowish hue43. There was not even so much as a show of down upon it.
For a moment Saloo held it in his hand, hissing as it was in his own tiny way. Then chucking it down after its murdered mother, where it fell not only killed, but “squashed,” he prepared to descend in a less hasty manner. He now saw no particular need for their dining on durions, at least on that particular day; and therefore discontinued his task upon the bamboo ladder, which could be completed on the morrow, or whenever the occasion called for it.
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1
ascend
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| vi.渐渐上升，升高；vt.攀登，登上 | |
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2
ascended
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| v.上升，攀登( ascend的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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3
peg
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| n.木栓，木钉；vt.用木钉钉，用短桩固定 | |
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4
pegs
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| n.衣夹( peg的名词复数 )；挂钉；系帐篷的桩；弦钮v.用夹子或钉子固定( peg的第三人称单数 )；使固定在某水平 | |
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binding
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| 有约束力的，有效的，应遵守的 | |
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ascent
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| n.(声望或地位)提高；上升，升高；登高 | |
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7
abruptly
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| adv.突然地，出其不意地 | |
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8
exclamation
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| n.感叹号，惊呼，惊叹词 | |
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9
apprehensively
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| adv.担心地 | |
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standing
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| n.持续，地位；adj.永久的，不动的，直立的，不流动的 | |
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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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12
axe
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| n.斧子；v.用斧头砍，削减 | |
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fixed
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| adj.固定的，不变的，准备好的；(计算机)固定的 | |
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14
interval
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| n.间隔，间距；幕间休息，中场休息 | |
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15
hissing
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| n. 发嘶嘶声, 蔑视 动词hiss的现在分词形式 | |
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16
intrudes
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| v.侵入，侵扰，打扰( intrude的第三人称单数 )；把…强加于 | |
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17
domain
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| n.(活动等)领域，范围；领地，势力范围 | |
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18
underneath
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| adj.在...下面，在...底下；adv.在下面 | |
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19
conjecture
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| n./v.推测，猜测 | |
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simultaneously
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| adv.同时发生地，同时进行地 | |
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forth
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| adv.向前；向外，往外 | |
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resounding
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| adj. 响亮的 | |
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hoarse
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| adj.嘶哑的，沙哑的 | |
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24
croaking
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| v.呱呱地叫( croak的现在分词 )；用粗的声音说 | |
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25
mingling
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| adj.混合的 | |
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26
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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proceeding
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| n.行动，进行，(pl.)会议录，学报 | |
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pointed
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| adj.尖的，直截了当的 | |
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29
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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30
reptile
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| n.爬行动物；两栖动物 | |
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31
beak
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| n.鸟嘴，茶壶嘴，钩形鼻 | |
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32
flakes
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| 小薄片( flake的名词复数 )； （尤指）碎片； 雪花； 古怪的人 | |
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33
breach
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| n.违反，不履行；破裂；vt.冲破，攻破 | |
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34
barricaded
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| 设路障于，以障碍物阻塞( barricade的过去式和过去分词 )； 设路障[防御工事]保卫或固守 | |
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35
digits
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| n.数字( digit的名词复数 )；手指，足趾 | |
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36
drawn
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| v.拖，拉，拔出；adj.憔悴的，紧张的 | |
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37
imprisonment
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| n.关押，监禁，坐牢 | |
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38
writhing
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| （因极度痛苦而）扭动或翻滚( writhe的现在分词 ) | |
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39
flopping
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| n.贬调v.（指书、戏剧等）彻底失败( flop的现在分词 )；（因疲惫而）猛然坐下；（笨拙地、不由自主地或松弛地）移动或落下；砸锅 | |
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40
descend
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| vt./vi.传下来，下来，下降 | |
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41
progeny
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| n.后代，子孙；结果 | |
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42
semblance
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| n.外貌，外表 | |
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43
hue
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| n.色度；色调；样子 | |
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