For two days the boys wrought6 incessantly7. They had learned how to wash and purify the gold in the crude way taught them by the old miner, and the rich reward for their labor8 continued. Jeff had brought back on his previous visit to Dawson City an abundant supply of strong canvas bags, in which the gold was placed, with the tops securely tied. These were regularly deposited in the cavern9 where the party made their home, until a row of them lined one side of the place. It was a striking proof of the wonderful richness of their find, that one of these bags was filled wholly with nuggets, which must have been worth fifteen or twenty thousand dollars.
Early on the afternoon of the third day another thought struck Frank Mansley, and he ceased shovelling11 gravel12 into the rocker for his companion.
"What is it now?" asked Roswell with a smile.
"Don't you remember that on the first day we arrived here, while we were prospecting13 up the little stream, we saw that friend of Ike Hardman?"
"Yes, of course."
"Well, we never told Jeff about it."
"I declare!" exclaimed Roswell. "How came we to forget it?"
"This gold drove it out of our minds. I never thought of it until this minute. I tell you, Roswell, I believe something has gone wrong."
And Frank sat down, removed his cap, and wiped his moist forehead with his handkerchief.
"What could have gone wrong?" asked the other lad, who, despite his jauntiness14, shared in a degree the anxiety of his friend.
"All the gold we have gathered is in the cavern. I believe Hardman and those fellows are in the neighborhood and mean to steal it."
"It's a pity we didn't think of this before," said Roswell, laying down his shovel10. "Let's go back to the cavern and keep watch till Jeff comes back."
Inspired by their new dread15, they hastily gathered up what gold had been washed out, stowed it into another canvas bag, and then Frank slung16 it half filled over his shoulder and started for the cavern, something more than an eighth of a mile away.
They walked fast and in silence, for the thought in the mind of both was the same. From the first the most imprudent carelessness had been shown, and they could not understand how Jeff ever allowed the valuable store to remain unguarded. It is true, as has already been stated, that the section, despite the rush of lawless characters that have flocked thither17, is one of the best governed in the world, and no officers could be more watchful18 and effective than the mounted police of the Northwest; but the course of our friends had much the appearance of a man leaving his pocketbook in the middle of the street and expecting to find it again the next day.
A bitter reflection of the boys was that this never would have been the case had they told Jeff of the presence of the suspicious individual in the neighborhood. If anything went amiss, they felt that the blame must rest with them If matters were found right, they would not leave the cavern until one or both of their friends returned.
When half the distance was passed, Roswell, who was in the load, broke into a lope, with Frank instantly doing the same. A minute later they had to slacken their pace because of the need to climb some bowlders and make their way through an avenue between massive rocks, but the instant it was possible they were trotting19 again.
It had been the custom for the gold-seekers to take a lunch with them to the diggings. This saved time, and their real meal was eaten in the evening after their return home.
The moment Roswell caught sight of the round, irregular opening which served as the door of their dwelling20, he anxiously scanned it and the pile of wood and embers on the outside, where the fire was kindled21 for cooking purposes. The fact that he saw nothing amiss gave him hope, but did not remove the singular distrust that had brought both in such haste from the diggings.
He ran faster, while Frank, discommoded by the heavy, bouncing bag over his shoulder, stumbled, and his hat fell off. With an impatient exclamation22 he caught it up, recovered himself, and was off again.
As he looked ahead he saw Roswell duck his head and plunge23 through the opening.
"Is everything right?" shouted Frank, whose dread intensified24 with each passing second.
Before he could reach the door out came his cousin, as if fired by a catapult. His eyes were staring and his face as white as death.
"Right!" he gasped25; "we have been robbed! All the gold is gone!"
"WE HAVE BEEN ROBBED! ALL THE GOLD IS GONE."
"WE HAVE BEEN ROBBED! ALL THE GOLD IS GONE."
And overcome by the shock the poor fellow collapsed26 and sank to the ground as weak as a kitten. Frank let the bag fall and straightened up.
"No; it cannot be," he said in a husky voice.
"Look for yourself," replied Roswell, swallowing a lump in his throat and turning his eyes pitifully toward his comrade.
A strange fear held Frank motionless for several seconds. Despite the startling declaration of his cousin, a faint hope thrilled him that he was mistaken, and yet he dared not peer into the interior through dread of finding he was not.
Reflecting, however, upon the childish part he was playing, he pulled himself together, and with the deliberation of Jeff Graham himself bent27 his head and passed through the door.
Enough sunlight penetrated28 the cavern to reveal the whole interior in the faint illumination. When they left that morning the row of canvas bags was neatly29 arranged along the farther wall, where they stood like so many corpulent little brownies.
Every one had vanished.
Frank Mansley stared for a moment in silence. Then he stepped forward and called in a strong, firm voice:
"Come, Roswell, quick!"
The other roused himself and hastily advanced.
"Take your revolver," said Frank, as he shoved his own into his hip-pocket, and begun strapping30 Jeff's cartridge31 belt around his waist. As Roswell obeyed, his cousin took the Winchester from where it leaned in one corner.
"Now for those thieves, and we don't come back till we find them."
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收听单词发音
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1
perspired
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| v.出汗，流汗( perspire的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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2
unbearable
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| adj.不能容忍的；忍受不住的 | |
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frantic
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| adj.狂乱的，错乱的，激昂的 | |
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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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torment
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| n.折磨；令人痛苦的东西(人)；vt.折磨；纠缠 | |
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wrought
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| v.引起；以…原料制作；运转；adj.制造的 | |
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7
incessantly
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| ad.不停地 | |
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8
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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cavern
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| n.洞穴，大山洞 | |
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10
shovel
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| n.铁锨，铲子，一铲之量；v.铲，铲出 | |
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11
shovelling
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| v.铲子( shovel的现在分词 )；锹；推土机、挖土机等的)铲；铲形部份 | |
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12
gravel
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| n.砂跞；砂砾层；结石 | |
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13
prospecting
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| n.探矿 | |
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14
jauntiness
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| n.心满意足；洋洋得意；高兴；活泼 | |
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15
dread
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| vt.担忧，忧虑；惧怕，不敢；n.担忧，畏惧 | |
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slung
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| 抛( sling的过去式和过去分词 )； 吊挂； 遣送； 押往 | |
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thither
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| adv.向那里；adj.在那边的，对岸的 | |
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watchful
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| adj.注意的，警惕的 | |
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trotting
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| 小跑，急走( trot的现在分词 )； 匆匆忙忙地走 | |
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dwelling
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| n.住宅，住所，寓所 | |
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21
kindled
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| （使某物）燃烧，着火( kindle的过去式和过去分词 )； 激起（感情等）； 发亮，放光 | |
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exclamation
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| n.感叹号，惊呼，惊叹词 | |
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plunge
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| v.跳入，(使)投入，(使)陷入；猛冲 | |
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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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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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collapsed
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| adj.倒塌的 | |
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bent
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| n.爱好，癖好；adj.弯的；决心的，一心的 | |
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28
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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29
neatly
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| adv.整洁地，干净地，灵巧地，熟练地 | |
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30
strapping
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| adj. 魁伟的, 身材高大健壮的 n. 皮绳或皮带的材料, 裹伤胶带, 皮鞭 动词strap的现在分词形式 | |
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31
cartridge
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| n.弹壳，弹药筒；(装磁带等的)盒子 | |
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