At least Nelly Gore7 thought so when she awoke and beheld, from the floor of the hut where she lay, a flood of yellow glory gushing8 through a valley, turning Silver Lake into gold, tipping the trees with fire, and blazing full in Roy’s face, which was at that moment turned up to the sky with the mouth open, and the nose snoring.
“Oh, how beautiful!” screamed Nelly, in the exuberance9 of her delight.
“Hallo! murder! come on, ye black varmints,” shouted Roy, as he sprang up and seized the axe10 which lay at his side. “Oh, it’s only you, what a yell you do give, Nelly! why, one would think you were a born Injun; what is’t all about, lass? Ye-a-ow! how sleepy I am—too late to have another nap, I suppose, eh?”
“Oh yes, lazy thing! get up and come out quick!” cried the other, as she sprang up and ran out of the hut to enjoy the full blaze of the sunshine, and the fresh morning air.
That morning Nelly could do little but ramble11 about in a wild sort of fashion, trying to imagine that she was queen of the world around her! She sobered down, however, towards noon, and went diligently12 about the work which Roy had given her to do. She had the internal arrangements of the hut to complete and improve, some pairs of mocassins to mend, and several arrows to feather, besides other matters.
Meanwhile Roy went out to hunt.
Determined13 not to use his fast-diminishing ammunition14, except on large game, and anxious to become more expert with the bow, he set to work the first thing that day, and made a new bow. Armed with this and a dozen arrows, he sallied forth15.
Some of his arrows were pointed16 with ivory, some with iron, and some had no points at all, but blunt heavy heads instead. These latter were, and still are, used by Indians in shooting game that is tame and easily killed. Grouse17 of various kinds, for instance, if hit with full force from a short range by a blunt-headed arrow, will be effectually stunned18, especially if hit on the head.
At first Roy walked along the shores of the lake, but was not very successful, because the ducks and geese were hid among reeds, and rose suddenly with a distracting whirr, usually flying off over the water. To have let fly at these would have cost him an arrow every shot, so, after losing one, he wisely restrained himself.
After a time, he turned into the woods, resolving to try his fortune where his arrows were not so likely to be lost. He had not gone far, when a tree-grouse sprang into the air and settled on a neighbouring pine.
Roy became excited, for he was anxious not to return to the hut empty-handed a second time. He fitted a sharp-headed arrow to the string, and advanced towards the bird cautiously. His anxiety to make little noise was so great, that he tripped over a root and fell with a hideous19 crash into the middle of a dead bush, the branches of which snapped like a discharge of little crackers20. Poor Roy got up disgusted, but on looking up found that the grouse was still sitting there, filled apparently21 with more curiosity than alarm. Seeing this he advanced to within a few yards of the bird, and, substituting a blunt arrow for the sharp one, discharged it with vigour22. It hit the grouse on the left eye, and brought it to the ground like a stone.
“Good, that’s ‘number one,’” muttered the lad as he fastened the bird to his belt; “hope ‘number two’ is not far off.”
“Number two” was nearer than he imagined, for four other birds of the same kind rose a few yards ahead of him, with all the noise and flurry that is characteristic of the species.
They settled on a tree not far off, and looked about them.
“Sit there, my fine fellows, till I come up,” muttered Roy. (The lad had a habit of speaking to himself while out hunting.)
They obeyed the order, and sat until he was close to them. Again was the blunt arrow fitted to the string; once more it sped true to its mark, and “number two” fell fluttering to the ground.
Now, the grouse of North America is sometimes a very stupid creature. It literally23 sits still to be shot, if the hunter is only careful to fire first at the lowest bird of the group. If he were to fire at the topmost one, its fluttering down amongst the others would start them off.
Roy was aware of this fact, and had aimed at the bird that sat lowest on the tree. Another arrow was discharged, and “number three” lay sprawling24 on the ground. The blunt arrows being exhausted25, he now tried a sharp one, but missed. The birds stretched their necks, turned their heads on one side, and looked at the lad, as though to say, “It won’t do,—try again!”
Another shaft26 was more successful. It pierced the heart of “number four,” and brought it down like a lump of lead. “Number five” seemed a little perplexed27 by this time, and made a motion as though it were about to fly off, but an arrow caught it in the throat, and cut short its intentions and its career. Thus did Roy bag, or rather belt, five birds consecutively28. (See note one.)
Our hero was not one of those civilised sportsmen who slaughter29 as much game as they can. He merely wanted to provide food for a day or two. He therefore turned his steps homeward—if we may be allowed the expression—being anxious to assist his sister in making the hut comfortable.
As he walked along, his active mind ran riot in many eccentric channels. Those who take any interest in the study of mind, know that it is not only the mind of a romantic boy that does this, but that the mind of man generally is, when left to itself, the veriest acrobat30, the most unaccountable harlequin, that ever leaped across the stage of fancy.
Roy’s mind was now in the clouds, now on the earth. Anon it was away in the far-off wilderness31, or scampering32 through the settlements, and presently it was deep down in Silver Lake playing with the fish. Roy himself muttered a word or so, now and then, as he walked along, which gave indication of the whereabouts of his mind at the time.
“Capital fun,” said he, “only it won’t do to stay too long. Poor mother, how she’ll be wearin’ for us! Hallo! ducks, you’re noisy coons, wonder why you get up with such a bang. Bang! that reminds me of the gun. No more banging of you, old chap, if my hand keeps in so well with the bow. Eh! duck, what’s wrong?”
This latter question was addressed to a small duck which seemed in an anxious state of mind, to judge from its motions. Presently a head, as if of a fish, broke the surface of the lake, and the duck disappeared!
“Oh the villain,” exclaimed Roy, “a fish has bolted him!”
After this the lad walked on in silence, looking at the ground, and evidently pondering deeply.
“Nelly,” said he, entering the hut and throwing the grouse at her feet, “here is dinner, supper, and breakfast for you, and please get the first ready as fast as you can, for I’m famishing.”
“Oh, how nice! how did you get them?”
“I’ll tell you presently, but my head’s full of a notion about catching33 ducks just now.”
“Catching ducks, Roy, what is the notion?”
“Never mind, Nelly, I han’t scratched it out o’ my brain yet, but I’ll tell ’ee after dinner, and we’ll try the plan to-morrow mornin’.”
Note 1. The author has himself, in the backwoods, taken four birds in succession off a tree in this fashion with a fowling-piece.
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收听单词发音
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1
mingled
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| 混合，混入( mingle的过去式和过去分词 )； 混进，与…交往[联系] | |
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2
awakened
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| v.（使）醒( awaken的过去式和过去分词 )；（使）觉醒；弄醒；（使）意识到 | |
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3
depressed
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| adj.沮丧的，抑郁的，不景气的，萧条的 | |
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4
latitudes
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| 纬度 | |
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5
beheld
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| v.看，注视( behold的过去式和过去分词 )；瞧；看呀；（叙述中用于引出某人意外的出现）哎哟 | |
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6
undoubtedly
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| adv.确实地，无疑地 | |
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7
gore
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| n.凝血，血污；v.（动物）用角撞伤，用牙刺破；缝以补裆；顶 | |
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8
gushing
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| adj.迸出的；涌出的；喷出的；过分热情的v.喷，涌( gush的现在分词 )；滔滔不绝地说话 | |
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9
exuberance
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| n.丰富；繁荣 | |
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10
axe
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| n.斧子；v.用斧头砍，削减 | |
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11
ramble
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| v.漫步，漫谈，漫游；n.漫步，闲谈，蔓延 | |
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12
diligently
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| ad.industriously;carefully | |
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13
determined
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| adj.坚定的；有决心的 | |
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14
ammunition
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| n.军火，弹药 | |
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15
forth
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| adv.向前；向外，往外 | |
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16
pointed
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| adj.尖的，直截了当的 | |
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17
grouse
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| n.松鸡；v.牢骚，诉苦 | |
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18
stunned
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| adj. 震惊的，惊讶的 动词stun的过去式和过去分词 | |
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19
hideous
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| adj.丑陋的，可憎的，可怕的，恐怖的 | |
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20
crackers
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| adj.精神错乱的，癫狂的n.爆竹( cracker的名词复数 )；薄脆饼干；（认为）十分愉快的事；迷人的姑娘 | |
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21
apparently
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| adv.显然地；表面上，似乎 | |
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22
vigour
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| （=vigor）n.智力，体力，精力 | |
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23
literally
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| adv.照字面意义，逐字地；确实 | |
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24
sprawling
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| adj.蔓生的，不规则地伸展的v.伸开四肢坐[躺]( sprawl的现在分词 )；蔓延；杂乱无序地拓展；四肢伸展坐着（或躺着） | |
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25
exhausted
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| adj.极其疲惫的，精疲力尽的 | |
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26
shaft
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| n.(工具的)柄，杆状物 | |
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27
perplexed
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| adj.不知所措的 | |
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28
consecutively
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| adv.连续地 | |
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29
slaughter
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| n.屠杀，屠宰；vt.屠杀，宰杀 | |
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30
acrobat
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| n.特技演员，杂技演员 | |
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31
wilderness
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| n.杳无人烟的一片陆地、水等，荒漠 | |
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32
scampering
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| v.蹦蹦跳跳地跑，惊惶奔跑( scamper的现在分词 ) | |
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33
catching
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| adj.易传染的，有魅力的，迷人的，接住 | |
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