The astounded4 lad instantly stopped laughing, and, dropping his gun and torch, grasped at something to sustain himself against the peril5, the nature of which he could hardly guess.
The hog had struck him from the front, so that Nick was seated in reverse position on his back. The object which he grasped was the spiral tail of the animal, but, before he could make his grip certain, the porker swerved6 so suddenly to one side that Nick rolled off and bumped against a tree.
His body was not hurt to one half the extent that his feelings were, for he heard Sam Harper roaring with mirth, loud enough to be heard half a mile; and as Nick hastily clambered upon his feet, he was certain Herbert's cracked laugh was also rending7 the night air.
The porker, having made the round and paid his tribute to each member of the company in turn, whisked off into the woods, with a triumphant8 grunt9, as if to say, "I guess you folks and your dog will let me alone now."
As soon as the boys found their guns, and restored two of the torches to a blaze, they looked at each other and gave way to their unrestrained mirth for several minutes before they could speak so as to be understood.
Never had a pompous10 expedition ended more ignobly11: they had started out to attack a fierce black bear, and unexpectedly were overturned by a large-sized pig, which resented the interference with his slumber12.
Some naturalists13 maintain that many animals possess a sense of the humorous, and it looked as though the sluggish14 Bowser enjoyed the joke as much as did the victims; for, when the latter made their way back to the camp fire, they saw the hound stretched out close to the warm blaze with his head between his paws and apparently15 asleep; but, watching him closely, he was seen to open one of his eyes, just a little ways, and, surveying them a minute, he closed it to open again a minute later.
No animal could have said more plainly:
"I've got the joke on you this time, boys, and I'm laughing so hard that I can't keep my eyes open."
"I tell you there is a good deal more in the heads of brutes16 than many of us think," said Nick Ribsam, after he had studied the actions of the hound; "I believe he wanted to make us believe there was some sort of game out there so as to play the fool with us."
"Do you think he foresaw the trick of the hog?" asked Herbert, who was rubbing his bruised17 elbows and knees.
"That would have been impossible, for we could not have foreseen it ourselves if we had arranged the joke; he simply meant to mislead us, and then we acted the fool for his amusement."
It looked very much as if Nick Ribsam was correct in his supposition, and that Bowser enjoyed even more than they the shrewd trick he had played on them.
"I suppose there are several hundred hogs18 wandering through the woods," said Nick, "picking up acorns19 and nuts that have fallen off the trees, and making a good living at it."
"Yes, lots of them have been running wild for weeks and months," added Sam, "and when their owners try to gather them in, there will be trouble, for it doesn't take hogs long to become savage20."
"It didn't take that hog very long, I'm sure," observed Herbert, sitting down with care upon the ground.
"But how was it there was but one?" asked Sam.
"There wasn't need of any more than one," said Nick; "he had no trouble in doing as he pleased with us."
"But hogs go in droves, and you wouldn't be apt to find one of them by himself in the woods."
"There were others close by, for I am sure I heard them; but it is a little curious that they didn't attack us, for hogs don't know as much as dogs, and they had no reason to feel that one of their number was more than enough for us."
"I don't see the use in talking about it," remarked Herbert, who gently tipped his body to the other side, so as to rest differently on the ground; "I am sure I never was so upset in all my life."
"Nor were we," added Nick; "hogs are queer creatures; if a drove finds it is going to be attacked by an enemy, the boars will place themselves on the outside, with the sows and younger ones within, so as to offer the best resistance to the bear or whatever it is, and they will fight with great fury. In a wild state, they can run fast, and when the tusks21 of the boars get to be six or eight inches long, as they do in time, they are afraid of no animal in the woods."
"How is that?" asked Herbert, again shifting his position with great care, but feeling interested in what the lad was telling.
"I suppose because they haven't any reason to be afraid. With those frightful22 tusks curving upward from the lower jaw23, and with a strength like Sampson in their necks, they can rip up a bear, a tiger, or any animal that dare attack them."
"I s'pose they're very strong, Nick?" continued Herbert.
"So strong, indeed, that one of the wild boars in Germany has run under the horse of a hunter, and, lifting both clear from the ground, trotted24 fifty yards with them, before the struggling animal could get himself loose."
Herbert looked fixedly25 at the narrator for a moment, then solemnly reached out his hand to Sam, for him to shake over the last astounding26 statement, which was altogether too much for him to credit.
Sam Harper grasped the hand and wabbled it once or twice, but said:
"It's as true as gospel, Herbert; I don't know anything about it myself, but when Nick Ribsam tells you anything for truth, you can make up your mind it is the truth and nothing else."
The friends lay for a long time by the camp fire, talking over the events of the day, while Nick Ribsam gave them many wonderful facts concerning the various wild animals found in different parts of the world. The lad read everything he could obtain relating to natural history, and his strong memory retained nearly all the facts.
But, as the night wore on, all three began to feel drowsy27, and they made ready to sleep.
The arrangements for doing this were not so perfect as they could wish. Not one of them had anything like a blanket, and, though it was the time of the balmy Indian summer, the nights were quite cold.
There was an abundance of wood around them, and they gathered all they could possibly need. Then they heaped up a big lot of leaves and lay down as close to each other as possible.
This was the best that could be done; but it gave a great advantage to the one who lay in the middle, as the warmth of the others kept him comfortable, while they were forced to turn one side to the cold air.
By changing about, however, they got along quite well until past midnight, when the pile of leaves caught fire and caused them to leap to their feet with so much vigor1 that the outside ones got sufficiently28 warm to last till daylight.
The friends were glad enough when it began growing red in the east. They rose early, washed their hands and faces in the clear brook29, which flowed near at hand, using their handkerchiefs for towels. Then a rabbit and couple of squirrels were shot, and, with the same wolf-like appetites, they made a nourishing and substantial meal.
The brook, from which they took a draught30 of clear, strengthening water, lay a short distance to the south of their camp, that is, between it and Shark Pond, which they passed the day before.
The three were standing31 by this stream, considering the best thing to be done to get on the track of the bear, when Sam Harper suddenly stopped talking and looked fixedly at a point a few yards away. Then he walked slowly to it, without removing his gaze, stooped down, and attentively32 scrutinized33 the ground.
Without speaking, he turned and beckoned34 to the others to approach.
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收听单词发音
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1
vigor
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| n.活力，精力，元气 | |
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hog
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| n.猪；馋嘴贪吃的人；vt.把…占为己有，独占 | |
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3
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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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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peril
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| n.(严重的)危险；危险的事物 | |
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swerved
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| v.（使）改变方向，改变目的( swerve的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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7
rending
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| v.撕碎( rend的现在分词 )；分裂；（因愤怒、痛苦等而）揪扯（衣服或头发等）；（声音等）刺破 | |
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8
triumphant
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| adj.胜利的，成功的；狂欢的，喜悦的 | |
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grunt
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| v.嘟哝；作呼噜声；n.呼噜声，嘟哝 | |
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10
pompous
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| adj.傲慢的，自大的；夸大的；豪华的 | |
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ignobly
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| 卑贱地，下流地 | |
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slumber
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| n.睡眠，沉睡状态 | |
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13
naturalists
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| n.博物学家( naturalist的名词复数 )；（文学艺术的）自然主义者 | |
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14
sluggish
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| adj.懒惰的，迟钝的，无精打采的 | |
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apparently
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| adv.显然地；表面上，似乎 | |
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brutes
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| 兽( brute的名词复数 )； 畜生； 残酷无情的人； 兽性 | |
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17
bruised
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| [医]青肿的，瘀紫的 | |
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18
hogs
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| n.（尤指喂肥供食用的）猪( hog的名词复数 )；（供食用的）阉公猪；彻底地做某事；自私的或贪婪的人 | |
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acorns
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| n.橡子，栎实( acorn的名词复数 ) | |
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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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21
tusks
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| n.（象等动物的）长牙( tusk的名词复数 )；獠牙；尖形物；尖头 | |
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frightful
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| adj.可怕的；讨厌的 | |
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jaw
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| n.颚，颌，说教，流言蜚语；v.喋喋不休，教训 | |
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24
trotted
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| 小跑，急走( trot的过去分词 )； 匆匆忙忙地走 | |
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fixedly
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| adv.固定地；不屈地，坚定不移地 | |
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astounding
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| adj.使人震惊的vt.使震惊，使大吃一惊astound的现在分词) | |
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drowsy
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| adj.昏昏欲睡的，令人发困的 | |
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sufficiently
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| adv.足够地，充分地 | |
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brook
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| n.小河，溪；v.忍受，容让 | |
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30
draught
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| n.拉，牵引，拖；一网（饮，吸，阵)；顿服药量，通风；v.起草，设计 | |
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31
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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attentively
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| adv.聚精会神地；周到地；谛；凝神 | |
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scrutinized
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| v.仔细检查，详审( scrutinize的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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beckoned
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| v.（用头或手的动作）示意，召唤( beckon的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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