It is needful now to return to Fort Dunregan.
The long winter is not yet past, but there are symptoms, as I have said, that it is coming to a close. Snow and ice are still indeed the prevailing1 characteristic of the region, but the air is no longer intensely cold. On the contrary, a genial2 warmth prevails, inducing the inhabitants to discard flannel-lined leathern capotes and fur caps for lighter3 garments. There is a honeycombed look about the snow-drifts, which gives them an aged4 appearance; and, above all, there is an occasional dropping of water—yes, actual water—from the points of huge icicles! This is such an ancient memory that we can scarce believe our senses. We sniff5, too, as we walk about; for there are scents6 in the air—old familiar smells of earth and vegetation—which we had begun to fancy we had almost forgotten.
The excitement caused by the arrival of the winter packet had also by that time passed almost out of memory, and we had sunk back into that calm state of patient waiting which may probably be familiar to the convict who knows that some months of monotonous7 existence still lie before him; for, not until the snow and ice should completely clear away and the summer be pretty well advanced could we hope for the blessed sight of a new face and the cheering sound of a fresh human voice. Of course we had the agreeable prospect8 of hearing ere long the voices of wild-fowl in their noisy northern flight, but such a prospect was not sufficient to satisfy poor secluded9 humanity.
“Oh that I were a bird!” exclaimed Spooner, one morning as we were seated round the Carron stove in our hall.
“No need to wish that,” said Lumley, “for you’re a goose already!”
“Well, I’d even consent to be a real goose,” continued Spooner, “if I could only thereby10 use my wings to fly away over the snowy wilderness11 and alight in my old home.”
“What a surprise you’d give them if you did!” said Lumley, “especially if you came down with your ruffled12 feathers as clumsily as you tumbled into the saw-pit the other day when—”
He stopped, for at that moment I said “Hush!” and held up a finger.
“Sleigh-bells!” exclaimed Spooner, with a catch of his breath.
“Nothing new in that,” said Lumley: “we hear them every day.”
“Nothing new,” I retorted, “to your unmusical ear, but these bells are not our bells—listen!”
Clear and pleasant they rang, like the music of a sweet new song. We all gave a shout, clapped on our caps, and ran out to the fort gate. There an almost new sensation thrilled us, for we beheld14 a team of dogs coming up weary and worn out of the wilderness, preceded by a gaunt yet majestic15 Indian, whose whole aspect—haggard expression of countenance16, soiled and somewhat tattered17 garments, and weary gait—betokened severe exhaustion18. On the sled, drawn19 by four lanky20 dogs, we could see the figure of a man wrapped in blankets and strapped21 to the conveyance22.
“Who can it be?” exclaimed Lumley, as he hastened out to meet the new arrivals.
“A sick man from somewhere,” suggested Spooner.
“Perhaps the governor,” said I, “on an unexpected tour of inspection23.”
As we drew near we could see that the recumbent figure waved a hand and cheered.
“Macnab,” said I, as the familiar voice struck my ear.
“No dying man ever cheered like that!” cried Lumley, “except a hero of romance in the hour of death and victory!”
A few seconds more and the matter was put at rest, while we warmly shook the hearty26 and genial Highlander27 by both hands.
“Help me out, boys,” he said; “I’m tired o’ this sled, and think I can do the little remaining bit o’ the journey on foot with your help.”
“Hold on, Lumley,” he said, with a smile on his haggard and unshaven face, “I want to embrace you, like the Frenchmen. There—my arm round your neck—so. Now, Max, I want to embrace you likewise wi’ the other arm. I’ve grown awful affectionate in my old age. You are rather short, Max, for a good crutch29, but you’re better than nothing. You see, I’ve only got one good leg.”
“But what has happened to the other—when, how, and where?” we exclaimed in chorus.
Macnab answered the questions to our chief, who came forward at the moment with welcome in his visage and extended hands.
“It’s only a cut, sir, stupidly done with my own hatchet30 when we had been but a few days out. But rest will soon put me to rights. My poor man, Big Otter31, is more to be pitied than I. But for him I should have perished in the snow.”
“What cheer? what cheer?” said our chief, grasping the Indian’s hand on hearing this.
“What cheer?” we all exclaimed, following his example.
“Watchee! watchee!” echoed Big Otter, returning the hearty salutation as well as his tongue could manage it, and giving us each a powerful squeeze with his huge bony hand, which temporary exhaustion had not appreciably32 reduced in strength.
The native was obviously a sociable33, well-disposed man, for his eyes glittered and his white teeth gleamed and his bronzed visage shone with pleasure when Macnab explained the cause of our sudden burst of affection for him.
Thus chatting and limping we got the Highlander slowly up to the hall, set him down in our only armchair—a wooden one without stuffing—and fetched him a basin of hot soup, that being a liquid which our cook had always more or less frequently on hand.
“Ha! boys!” cried Macnab, smacking34 his lips, “that’s the thing to put life into a man! I’ve not had anything like it for many a day. You see, we had a small misfortune soon after my accident, which cost us our kettle, and rendered soup or tea impossible.”
“How was that?” inquired our chief, sitting down, while we gathered round the stove to listen.
“Well, you see, sir, not long after my accident, there came a sharp frost which made the surface of the snow hard after the thaw36, so the dogs could run on the top of the crust without breaking it, but Big Otter, bein’ heavy, broke through—by the way, I hope he’s bein’ looked after.”
“You may be sure of that,” said Spooner. “I saw him safely placed in the men’s house, and Salamander, who, it turns out, is a sort of relation of his, set to work to stuff him with the same sort of soup you think so much of. I only hope they’ve enough to keep him going, for before I left the house he had drunk off two bowls of it almost without taking breath, though it was scalding hot.”
“Good. He’ll do it ample justice,” returned Macnab, taking another pull at his own bowl. “I hope you’re well provisioned, for Big Otter’s an awful consumer of victuals37. Well, as I was saying, the surface of the snow got frozen thinly, and the work o’ tramping after the sled and holding on to the tail-line was uncommonly38 hard, as I could see, for I lay with my head to the front, looping back on the poor man. But it was on the exposed places and going down the slopes that the greatest difficulty lay, for there the dogs were keen to run away. Once or twice they did fairly get off, and gave me some rough as well as long runs before my man could catch them up. At last we came one afternoon to an open plain where the snow had felt the thaw and been frozen again pretty hard. The moment we got on it away went the dogs. Big Otter tried to run, but one of his shoes went through the crust and the other didn’t, so down he came, and had to let go the line. I felt easy enough at first, for the plain was level, but after a time it became lumpy, and I got some ugly bumps. ‘Never mind,’ thought I, ‘they’ll be sure to come to some bushes, and that’ll pull them up.’ Just as I thought so, we came to a slope, and the team went slap over a bank. The sled and I threw a complete somersault. Fortunately we came down on the dogs, which broke our fall, though it half killed them!
“When Big Otter came and turned me right side up, I found that I had sustained no damage whatever, but, woe’s me! our tin kettle was almost knocked flat. The worst of it was that in trying to put it right we drove a big hole in the bottom of it, so we had to bid farewell to hot food, except what we roasted. We could also melt snow by plastering up the hole so as to get enough to drink, but boiling water was quite out of the question.”
“Well, Macnab,” said our chief, rising, “since you have got the soup over at last, come along with me and let’s hear about your Indian friend’s proposals.”
We assisted our visitor into the mess-room, which was also our principal council-chamber, and there left him to talk business with Mr Strang while we returned to Bachelors’ Hall to let off our effervescing39 spirits by indulging in a running commentary on the unexpected visit, and a minute analysis of the characters of Macnab and Big Otter, which, I must add, was decidedly favourable40.
“It seems to me a piece of good luck that he has got here at all,” said Lumley, after we had finished the analysis.
“Why so?” asked Spooner.
“Because there are some unmistakable symptoms that winter is about over, and that snow-shoe and dog-sleigh travelling will soon be impossible.”
That Lumley was right, the change of weather during the next few days clearly proved, for a thaw set in with steady power. The sun became at last warm enough to melt ice and snow visibly. We no longer listened with interest to the sounds of dropping water from eaves and trees, for these had become once more familiar, and soon our ears were greeted with the gurgling of rills away in mysterious depths beneath the snow. The gurgling ere long gave place to gushing41, and it seemed as if all nature were dissolving into liquid.
While this pleasant change was going on we awoke with song and laugh and story the echoes of Bachelors’ Hall—at no time very restful echoes, save perhaps in the dead hours of early morning; and even then they were more or less disturbed by snoring. For our sociable Highlander, besides having roused our spirits by his mere42 presence to the effervescing point, was himself much elated by the mighty43 change from prolonged solitude44 to joyous45 companionship.
“My spirit feels inclined,” he remarked one day, “to jump clean out of my body.”
“You’d better not let it then,” said Lumley, “for you know it might catch cold or freeze.”
“Not in this weather, surely,” retorted Macnab, “and if I did feel coldish in the circumstances, couldn’t I borrow Spooner’s blanket-capote? it might fit me then, for I’d probably be a few sizes smaller.”
“Come, Mac,” said I, “give us a song. You know I’m wildly fond of music; and, most unfortunately, not one of us three can sing a note.”
Our visitor was quite willing, and began at once to sing a wild ditty, in the wilder language of his native land.
He had a sweet, tuneful, sympathetic voice, which was at the same time powerful, so that we listened to him, sometimes with enthusiasm swelling46 our hearts, at other times with tears dimming our eyes. No one, save he who has been banished47 to a wilderness and long bereft48 of music, can understand the nature of our feelings—of mine, at least.
One evening, after our wounded man had charmed us with several songs, and we all of us had done what we could, despite our incapacity, to pay him back in kind, he pulled a sheet of crumpled49 paper out of his pocket.
“Come,” said he, unfolding it, “I’ve got a poet among the men of Muskrat50 House, who has produced a song, which, if not marked by sublimity51, is at least distinguished52 by much truth. He said he composed it at the rate of about one line a week during the winter, and his comrades said that it was quite a picture to see him agonising over the rhymes. Before they found out what was the matter with him they thought he was becoming subject to fits of some sort. Now, then, let’s have a good chorus. It’s to the tune35 of ‘The British Grenadiers.’”
The World of Ice and Snow.
Come listen all good people who dwell at home at ease,
I’ll tell you of the sorrows of them that cross the seas
Where arctic tempests blow—
Where your toes are froze,
In the world of Ice and Snow.
You’ve eight long months of winter an’ solitude profound,
The snow at your feet is ten feet deep and frozen hard the ground.
And all the lakes are solid cakes,
And the rivers all cease to flow—
Where your toes are froze,
An’ the pint o’ your nose,
In the world of Ice and Snow.
No female near to love or cheer with pure domestic light;
No books to read; no cause to plead;
No music, fun, nor go—
Ne’er a shillin’, nor a stiver,
Nor nothin’ whatsomediver,
In the world of Ice and Snow.
Your feelin’s take to freezin’, so likewise takes your brain;
You go about grump-and-wheezin’, like a wretched dog in pain;
You long for wings, or some such things,
But they’re not to be had—oh! no—
For there you are,
Like a fixéd star,
In the world of Ice and Snow.
If you wished you could—you would not, for the very wish
would die.
If you thought you would—you could not, for you wouldn’t
have heart to try.
Confusion worse confounded,
That you’d tumble down
On the frozen ground
In the world of Ice and Snow.
But “never-give-in” our part is—let British pluck have sway
And “never-say-die,” my hearties—it’s that what wins the day.
To face our fate in every state,
Is what we’ve got to do,
An’ laugh at our trouble
In the world of Ice and Snow.
Now all ye sympathisers, and all ye tender souls;
Ye kind philanthropisers, who dwell between the poles,
Embrace in your affections
Those merry merry men who go—
Where your toes are froze,
An’ the pint o’ your nose,
In the world of Ice and Snow.
It almost seemed as though the world of ice and snow itself had taken umbrage57 at Macnab’s song, for, while we were yet in the act of enthusiastically prolonging the last “sno–o–ow,” there sounded in our ears a loud report, as if of heavy artillery58 close at hand.
We all leaped up in excitement, as if an enemy were at our doors.
“There it goes at last!” cried Lumley, rushing out of the house followed by Spooner.
I was about to follow when Macnab stopped me.
“Don’t get excited, Max, there’s no hurry!”
“It’s the river going to break up,” said I, looking back impatiently.
“Yes, I know that, but it won’t break up to-night, depend on it.”
I was too eager to wait for more, but ran to the banks of the river, which at that place was fully59 a mile wide. The moon was bright, and we could see the familiar sheet of ice as still and cold as we had seen it every day for many months past.
“Macnab’s right,” said I, “there will be no breakup to-night.”
“Not so sure of that,” returned Lumley; “the weather has been very warm of late; melting snow has been gushing into it in thousands of streams, and the strain on the ice—six feet thick though it is—must be tremendous.”
He was checked by another crashing report; but again silence ensued, and we heard no more till next morning. Of course we were all up and away to the river bank long before breakfast, but it was not till after that meal that the final burst-up occurred. It was preceded by many reports—towards the end by what seemed quite a smart artillery fire. The whole sheet of ice on the great river seemed to be rising bodily upwards60 from the tremendous hydraulic61 pressure underneath62. But though the thaws63 of spring had converted much snow into floods of water, they had not greatly affected64 the surface of the ice, which still lay hard and solid in all its wintry strength.
A greater Power, however, was present. If the ice had been made of cast-iron six feet in thickness, it must have succumbed65 sooner or later.
At last, as Macnab said, “She went!” but who shall describe how she went? It seemed as if the mighty cake had been suddenly struck from below and shattered. Then the turmoil66 that ensued was grand and terrible beyond conception. It was but an insignificant67 portion of God’s waters at which we gazed, but how overwhelming it seemed to us! Mass rose upon mass of ice, the cold grey water bursting through and over all, hurling68 morsels69 as large as the side of a house violently on each other, till a mighty pile was raised which next moment fell with a crash into the boiling foam70. Then, in one direction there was a rush which seemed about to carry all before it, but instead of being piled upwards, some of the masses were driven below, were thrust deep into the mud, and a jam took place. In a few minutes the ice burst upwards again, and the masses were swept on to join the battalions71 that were already on their way towards the distant lake amid noise and crash and devastation72. It seemed as if ice and snow and water had combined to revive the picture if not the reality of ancient chaos73!
Thus the drapery of winter was rudely swept away, and next morning we had the joy of seeing our river sweeping74 grandly on in all the liquid beauty of early and welcome spring.
点击
收听单词发音
收听单词发音 |
1
prevailing
|
|
| adj.盛行的；占优势的；主要的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
2
genial
|
|
| adj.亲切的，和蔼的，愉快的，脾气好的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
3
lighter
|
|
| n.打火机，点火器；驳船；v.用驳船运送；light的比较级 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
4
aged
|
|
| adj.年老的，陈年的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
5
sniff
|
|
| vi.嗅…味道；抽鼻涕；对嗤之以鼻，蔑视 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
6
scents
|
|
| n.香水( scent的名词复数 )；气味；（动物的）臭迹；（尤指狗的）嗅觉 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
7
monotonous
|
|
| adj.单调的，一成不变的，使人厌倦的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
8
prospect
|
|
| n.前景，前途；景色，视野 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
9
secluded
|
|
| adj.与世隔绝的；隐退的；偏僻的v.使隔开，使隐退( seclude的过去式和过去分词) | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
10
thereby
|
|
| adv.因此，从而 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
11
wilderness
|
|
| n.杳无人烟的一片陆地、水等，荒漠 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
12
ruffled
|
|
| adj. 有褶饰边的, 起皱的 动词ruffle的过去式和过去分词 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
13
spoke
|
|
| n.（车轮的）辐条；轮辐；破坏某人的计划；阻挠某人的行动 v.讲，谈（speak的过去式）；说；演说；从某种观点来说 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
14
beheld
|
|
| 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 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
15
majestic
|
|
| adj.雄伟的，壮丽的，庄严的，威严的，崇高的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
16
countenance
|
|
| n.脸色，面容；面部表情；vt.支持，赞同 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
17
tattered
|
|
| adj.破旧的，衣衫破的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
18
exhaustion
|
|
| n.耗尽枯竭，疲惫，筋疲力尽，竭尽，详尽无遗的论述 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
19
drawn
|
|
| v.拖，拉，拔出；adj.憔悴的，紧张的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
20
lanky
|
|
| adj.瘦长的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
21
strapped
|
|
| adj.用皮带捆住的，用皮带装饰的；身无分文的；缺钱；手头紧v.用皮带捆扎(strap的过去式和过去分词)；用皮带抽打；包扎；给…打绷带 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
22
conveyance
|
|
| n.(不动产等的)转让，让与；转让证书；传送；运送；表达；（正）运输工具 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
23
inspection
|
|
| n.检查，审查，检阅 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
24
bent
|
|
| n.爱好，癖好；adj.弯的；决心的，一心的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
25
gasped
|
|
| v.喘气( gasp的过去式和过去分词 )；喘息；倒抽气；很想要 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
26
hearty
|
|
| adj.热情友好的；衷心的；尽情的，纵情的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
27
highlander
|
|
| n.高地的人，苏格兰高地地区的人 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
28
sledge
|
|
| n.雪橇，大锤；v.用雪橇搬运，坐雪橇往 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
29
crutch
|
|
| n.T字形拐杖；支持，依靠，精神支柱 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
30
hatchet
|
|
| n.短柄小斧；v.扼杀 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
31
otter
|
|
| n.水獭 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
32
appreciably
|
|
| adv.相当大地 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
33
sociable
|
|
| adj.好交际的，友好的，合群的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
34
smacking
|
|
| 活泼的，发出响声的，精力充沛的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
35
tune
|
|
| n.调子；和谐，协调；v.调音，调节，调整 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
36
thaw
|
|
| v.（使）融化，（使）变得友善；n.融化，缓和 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
37
victuals
|
|
| n.食物；食品 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
38
uncommonly
|
|
| adv. 稀罕(极，非常) | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
39
effervescing
|
|
| v.冒气泡，起泡沫( effervesce的现在分词 ) | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
40
favourable
|
|
| adj.赞成的，称赞的，有利的，良好的，顺利的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
41
gushing
|
|
| 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 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
42
mere
|
|
| adj.纯粹的；仅仅，只不过 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
43
mighty
|
|
| adj.强有力的；巨大的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
44
solitude
|
|
| n. 孤独; 独居,荒僻之地,幽静的地方 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
45
joyous
|
|
| adj.充满快乐的；令人高兴的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
46
swelling
|
|
| n.肿胀 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
47
banished
|
|
| v.放逐，驱逐( banish的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
48
bereft
|
|
| adj.被剥夺的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
49
crumpled
|
|
| adj. 弯扭的, 变皱的 动词crumple的过去式和过去分词形式 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
50
muskrat
|
|
| n.麝香鼠 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
51
sublimity
|
|
| 崇高，庄严，气质高尚 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
52
distinguished
|
|
| adj.卓越的，杰出的，著名的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
53
penetrate
|
|
| v.透(渗)入；刺入，刺穿；洞察，了解 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
54
pint
|
|
| n.品脱 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
55
foe
|
|
| n.敌人，仇敌 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
56
aggravate
|
|
| vt.加重(剧)，使恶化；激怒，使恼火 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
57
umbrage
|
|
| n.不快；树荫 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
58
artillery
|
|
| n.(军)火炮，大炮；炮兵(部队) | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
59
fully
|
|
| adv.完全地，全部地，彻底地；充分地 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
60
upwards
|
|
| adv.向上，在更高处...以上 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
61
hydraulic
|
|
| adj.水力的；水压的，液压的；水力学的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
62
underneath
|
|
| adj.在...下面，在...底下；adv.在下面 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
63
thaws
|
|
| n.（足以解冻的）暖和天气( thaw的名词复数 )；（敌对国家之间）关系缓和v.（气候）解冻( thaw的第三人称单数 )；（态度、感情等）缓和；（冰、雪及冷冻食物）溶化；软化 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
64
affected
|
|
| adj.不自然的，假装的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
65
succumbed
|
|
| 不再抵抗（诱惑、疾病、攻击等）( succumb的过去式和过去分词 )； 屈从； 被压垮； 死 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
66
turmoil
|
|
| n.骚乱，混乱，动乱 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
67
insignificant
|
|
| adj.无关紧要的，可忽略的，无意义的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
68
hurling
|
|
| n.爱尔兰式曲棍球v.猛投，用力掷( hurl的现在分词 )；大声叫骂 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
69
morsels
|
|
| n.一口( morsel的名词复数 )；（尤指食物）小块，碎屑 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
70
foam
|
|
| v./n.泡沫，起泡沫 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
71
battalions
|
|
| n.（陆军的）一营（大约有一千兵士）( battalion的名词复数 )；协同作战的部队；军队；（组织在一起工作的）队伍 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
72
devastation
|
|
| n.毁坏；荒废；极度震惊或悲伤 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
73
chaos
|
|
| n.混乱，无秩序 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
74
sweeping
|
|
| adj.范围广大的，一扫无遗的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
| 欢迎访问英文小说网 |