Leaving this village immediately after the slaying1 of the tiger, the party continued to journey almost by forced marches, for not only was Nigel Roy very anxious to keep tryst2 with his father, and to settle the question of Kathleen's identity by bringing father and daughter together, but Van der Kemp himself, strange to say, was filled with intense and unaccountable anxiety to get back to his island home.
"I don't know how it is," he said to Nigel as they walked side by side through the forest, followed by Moses and the professor, who had become very friendly on the strength of a certain amount of vacant curiosity displayed by the former in regard to scientific matters—"I don't know how it is, but I feel an unusually strong desire to get back to my cave. I have often been absent from home for long periods at a time, but have never before experienced these strange longings3. I say strange, because there is no such thing as an effect without a cause."
"May not the cause be presentiment4?" suggested Nigel, who, knowing what a tremendous possibility for the hermit5 lay in the future, felt a little inclined to be superstitious6. It did not occur to him just then that an equally, if not more, tremendous possibility lay in the future for himself—touching his recent discovery or suspicion!
"I do not believe in presentiments," returned the hermit. "They are probably the result of indigestion or a disordered intellect, from neither of which complaints do I suffer—at least not consciously!"
"But you have never before left home in such peculiar7 circumstances," said Nigel. "Have you not told me that this is the first time for about two hundred years that Krakatoa has broken out in active eruption8?"
"True, but that cannot be to me the cause of longings or anxieties, for I have seen many a long-dormant crater9 become active without any important result either to me or to any one else."
"Stop, stop!" cried Professor Verkimier in a hoarse10 whisper at that moment; "look! look at zee monkeys!"
Monkeys are very abundant in Sumatra, but the nest of them which the travellers discovered at that time, and which had called forth11 the professor's admiration12, was enough—as Moses said—to make a "renocerus laugh." The trees around absolutely swarmed13 with monkeys; those of a slender form and with very long tails being most numerous. They were engaged in some sort of game, swinging by arms, legs, and tails from branches, holding on to or chasing each other, and taking the most astonishing leaps in circumstances where a slip would have no doubt resulted in broken limbs or in death.
"Stand still! Oh! do stand still—like you vas petrivied," said the professor in a low voice of entreaty14.
Being quite willing to humour him, the whole party stood immovable, like statues, and thus avoided attracting the attention of the monkeys, who continued their game. It seemed to be a sort of "follow my leader," for one big strong fellow led off with a bound from one branch to another which evidently tried the nerves of his more timid and less agile15 companions. They all succeeded, however, from the largest even to the smallest—which last was a very tiny creature with a pink face, a sad expression, and a corkscrew tail.
For a time they bounded actively16 among the branches, now high now low, till suddenly the big leader took a tremendous leap, as if for the express purpose of baffling or testing his companions. It was immensely amusing to see the degrees of trepidation17 with which the others followed. The last two seemed quite unable to make up their minds to the leap, until the others seemed about to disappear, when one of them took heart and bounded wildly across. Thus little pink-face with the corkscrew tail was left alone! Twice did that little monkey make a desperate resolution to jump, and twice did its little heart fail as it measured the distance between the branches and glanced at the abyss below. Its companions seemed to entertain a feeling of pity for it. Numbers of them came back, as if to watch the jump and encourage the little one. A third time it made an abortive18 effort to spring, and looked round pitifully, whereupon Moses gave vent19 to an uncontrollable snort of suppressed laughter.
"Vat20 you mean by zat?" growled22 the professor angrily.
The growl21 and snort together revealed the intruders, and all the monkeys, except pink-face, crowding the trees above the spot where they stood, gazed down upon them with expressions in which unparalleled indignation and inconceivable surprise struggled for the mastery.
Then, with a wild shriek23, the whole troop fled into the forest.
This was too much for poor, half-petrified pink-face with the twisted tail. Seeing that its comrades were gone in earnest, it became desperate, flung itself frantically24 into the air with an agonising squeak25, missed its mark, went crashing through the slender branches and fell to the ground.
Fortunately these branches broke its fall so that it arose unhurt, bounded into a bush, still squeaking26 with alarm, and made after its friends.
"Why did you not shoot it, professor?" asked Nigel, laughing as much at Verkimier's grave expression as at the little monkey's behaviour.
"Vy did I not shot it?" echoed the professor. "I vould as soon shot a baby. Zee pluck of zat leetle creature is admirable. It vould be a horrible shame to take his life. No! I do love to see ploock vezer in man or beast! He could not shoomp zat. He knew he could not shoomp it, but he tried to shoomp it. He vould not be beat, an' I vould not kill him—zough I vant 'im very mooch for a specimen27."
It seemed as if the professor was to be specially28 rewarded for his generous self-denial on this occasion, for while he was yet speaking, a soft "hush29!" from Van der Kemp caused the whole party to halt in dead silence and look at the hermit inquiringly.
"You are in luck, professor," he murmured, in a soft, low voice—very different from that hissing31 whisper which so many people seem to imagine is an inaudible utterance32. "I see a splendid Argus pheasant over there making himself agreeable to his wife!"
"Vare? oh! vare?" exclaimed the enthusiast33 with blazing eyes, for although he had already seen and procured34 specimens35 of this most beautiful creature, he had not yet seen it engage in the strange love-dance—if we may so call it—which is peculiar to the bird.
"You'll never get near enough to see it if you hiss30 like a serpent," said the hermit. "Get out your binoculars36, follow me, and hold your tongue, all of you—that will be the safest plan. Tread lightly."
It was a sight to behold37 the professor crouching38 almost double in order to render himself less conspicuous39, with his hat pushed back, and the blue glasses giving him the appearance of a great-eyed seal. He carried his butterfly-net in one hand, and the unfailing rifle in the other.
Fortunately the hermit's sharp and practised eye had enabled him to distinguish the birds in the distance before their advance had alarmed them, so that they were able to reach a mound41 topped with low bushes over which they could easily watch the birds.
"Zat is very koorious an' most interesting," murmured the professor after a short silence.
He was right. There were two Argus pheasants, a male and female—the male alone being decorated superbly. The Argus belongs to the same family as the peacock, but is not so gaudy42 in colouring, and therefore, perhaps, somewhat more pleasing. Its tail is formed chiefly by an enormous elongation of the two tail quills43, and of the secondary wing feathers, no two of which are exactly the same, and the closer they are examined the greater is seen to be the extreme beauty of their markings, and the rich varied44 harmony of their colouring.
When a male Argus wishes to show off his magnificence to his spouse—or when she asks him to show it off, we know not which—he makes a circle in the forest some ten or twelve feet in diameter, which he clears of every leaf, twig45, and branch. On the margin46 of this circus there is invariably a projecting branch, or overarching root a few feet above the ground, on which the female takes her place to watch the exhibition. This consists of the male strutting47 about, pluming48 his feathers, and generally displaying his gorgeous beauty.
"Vat ineffable49 vanity!" exclaimed the professor, after gazing for some time in silence.
His own folly50 in thus speaking was instantly proved by the two birds bringing the exhibition to an abrupt51 close and hastily taking wing.
Not long after seeing this they came to a small but deep and rapid river, which for a time checked their progress, for there was no ford52, and the porters who carried Verkimier's packages seemed to know nothing about a bridge, either natural or artificial. After wandering for an hour or so along its banks, however, they found a giant tree which had fallen across the stream and formed a natural bridge.
On the other side of the stream the ground was more rugged53 and the forest so dense54 that they had to walk in a sort of twilight—only a glimpse of blue sky being visible here and there through the tree-tops. In some places, however, there occurred bright little openings which swarmed with species of metallic55 tiger-beetles and sand-bees, and where sulphur, swallow-tailed, and other butterflies sported their brief life away over the damp ground by the water's edge.
The native forest path which they followed was little better than a tunnel cut through a grove56 of low rattan-palms, the delicate but exceedingly tough tendrils of which hung down in all directions. These were fringed with sharp hooks which caught their clothing and tore it, or held on unrelentingly, so that the only way of escape was to step quietly back and unhook themselves. This of itself would have rendered their progress slow as well as painful, but other things tended to increase the delay. At one place they came to a tree about seven feet in diameter which lay across the path and had to be scrambled57 over, and this was done with great difficulty. At another, a gigantic mud-bath—the wallowing hole of a herd58 of elephants—obstructed the way, and a yell from one of the porters told that in attempting to cross it he had fallen in up to the waist. A comrade in trying to pull him out also fell in and sank up to the armpits. But they got over it—as resolute59 men always do—somehow!
"Zis is horrible!" exclaimed the professor, panting from his exertions60, and making a wild plunge61 with his insect-net at some living creature. "Hah! zee brute62! I have 'im."
The man of science was flat on his stomach as he spoke63, with arm outstretched and the net pressed close to the ground, while a smile of triumph beamed through the mud and scratches on his face.
"What have you got?" asked Nigel, doing his best to restrain a laugh.
"A splendid Ornit'optera a day-flying moss'," said Verkimier as he cautiously rose, "vich mimics64 zee Trepsichrois mulciber. Ant zis very morning I caught von Leptocircus virescens, vich derives65 protection from mimicking66 zee habits ant appearance of a dragon-fly."
"What rubbish dat purfesser do talk!" remarked Moses in an undertone to the hermit as they moved on again.
"Not such rubbish as it sounds to you, Moses. These are the scientific names of the creatures, and you know as well as he does that many creatures think they find it advantageous67 to pretend to be what they are not. Man himself is not quite free from this characteristic. Indeed, you have a little of it yourself," said the hermit with one of his twinkling glances. "When you are almost terrified of your wits don't you pretend that there's nothing the matter with you?"
"Nebber, massa, nebber!" answered the negro with remonstrative68 gravity. "When I's nigh out ob my wits, so's my innards feels like nuffin' but warmish water, I gits whitey-grey in de chops, so I's told, an' blue in de lips, an' I pretends nuffin'—I don't care who sees it!"
The track for some distance beyond this point became worse and worse. Then the nature of the ground changed somewhat—became more hilly, and the path, if such it could be styled, more rugged in some places, more swampy69 in others, while, to add to their discomfort70, rain began to fall, and night set in dark and dismal71 without any sign of the village of which they were in search. By that time the porters who carried Verkimier's boxes seemed so tired that the hermit thought it advisable to encamp, but the ground was so wet and the leeches72 were so numerous that they begged him to go on, assuring him that the village could not be far distant. In another half-hour the darkness became intense, so that a man could scarcely see his fellow even when within two paces of him. Ominous73 mutterings and rumblings like distant thunder also were heard, which appeared to indicate an approaching storm. In these circumstances encamping became unavoidable, and the order was given to make a huge fire to scare away the tigers, which were known to be numerous, and the elephants whose fresh tracks had been crossed and followed during the greater part of the day. The track of a rhinoceros74 and a tapir had also been seen, but no danger was to be anticipated from those creatures.
"Shall we have a stormy night, think you?" asked Nigel, as he assisted in striking a light.
"It may be so," replied the hermit, flinging down one after another of his wet matches, which failed to kindle75. "What we hear may be distant thunder, but I doubt it. The sounds seem to me more like the mutterings of a volcano. Some new crater may have burst forth in the Sumatran ranges. This thick darkness inclines me to think so—especially after the new activity of volcanic76 action we have seen so recently at Krakatoa. Let me try your matches, Nigel, perhaps they have escaped—mine are useless."
But Nigel's matches were as wet as those of the hermit. So were those of the professor. Luckily Moses carried the old-fashioned flint and steel, with which, and a small piece of tinder, a spark was at last kindled77, but as they were about to apply it to a handful of dry bamboo scrapings, an extra spirt of rain extinguished it. For an hour and more they made ineffectual attempts to strike a light. Even the cessation of the rain was of no avail.
"Vat must ve do now?" asked the professor in tones that suggested a wo-begone countenance78, though there was no light by which to distinguish it.
"Grin and bear it," said Nigel, in a voice suggestive of a slight expansion of the mouth—though no one could see it.
"Dere's nuffin' else left to do," said Moses, in a tone which betrayed such a very wide expansion that Nigel laughed outright79.
"Hah! you may laugh, my yoong frond80, hot if zee tigers find us out or zee elephants trample81 on us, your laughter vill be turned to veeping. Vat is zat? Is not zat vonderful?"
The question and exclamation82 were prompted by the sudden appearance of faint mysterious lights among the bushes. That the professor viewed them as unfriendly lights was clear from the click of his rifle-locks which followed.
"It is only phosphoric light," explained Van der Kemp. "I have often seen it thus in electric states of the atmosphere. It will probably increase—meanwhile we must seat ourselves on our boxes and do the best we can till daylight. Are you there, boys?"
This question, addressed to the bearers in their native tongue, was not answered, and it was found, on a feeling examination, that, in spite of leeches, tigers, elephants, and the whole animal creation, the exhausted83 porters had flung themselves on the wet ground and gone to sleep while their leaders were discussing the situation.
Dismal though the condition of the party was, the appearances in the forest soon changed the professor's woe84 into eager delight, for the phosphorescence became more and more pronounced, until every tree-stem blinked with a palish green light, and it trickled85 like moonlight over the ground, bringing out thick dumpy mushrooms like domes86 of light. Glowing caterpillars87 and centipedes crawled about, leaving a trail of light behind them, and fireflies darting88 to and fro peopled the air and gave additional animation89 to the scene.
In the midst of the darkness, thus made singularly visible, the white travellers sat dozing90 and nodding on their luggage, while the cries of metallic-toned horned frogs and other nocturnal sounds peculiar to that weird91 forest formed their appropriate lullaby.
But Moses neither dozed92 nor nodded. With a pertinacity93 peculiarly his own he continued to play a running accompaniment to the lullaby with his flint and steel, until his perseverance94 was rewarded with a spark which caught on a dry portion of the tinder and continued to burn. By that time the phosphoric lights had faded, and his spark was the only one which gleamed through intense darkness.
How he cherished that spark! He wrapped it in swaddling clothes of dry bamboo scrapings with as much care as if it had been the essence of his life. He blew upon it tenderly as though to fan its delicate brow with the soft zephyrs95 of a father's affection. Again he blew more vigorously, and his enormous pouting96 lips came dimly into view. Another blow and his flat nose and fat cheeks emerged from darkness. Still another—with growing confidence—and his huge eyes were revealed glowing with hope. At last the handful of combustible97 burst into a flame, and was thrust into a prepared nest of twigs98. This, communicating with a heap of logs, kindled a sudden blaze which scattered99 darkness out of being, and converted thirty yards of the primeval forest into a chamber100 of glorious light, round which the human beings crowded with joy enhanced by the unexpectedness of the event, and before which the wild things of the wilderness101 fled away.
When daylight came at last, they found that the village for which they had been searching was only two miles beyond the spot where they had encamped.
Here, being thoroughly102 exhausted, it was resolved that they should spend that day and night, and, we need scarcely add, they spent a considerable portion of both in sleep—at least such parts of both as were not devoted103 to food. And here the professor distinguished104 himself in a way that raised him greatly in the estimation of his companions and caused the natives of the place to regard him as something of a demi-god. Of course we do not vouch105 for the truth of the details of the incident, for no one save himself was there to see, and although we entertained the utmost regard for himself, we were not sufficiently106 acquainted with his moral character to answer for his strict truthfulness107. As to the main event, there was no denying that. The thing happened thus:—
Towards the afternoon of that same day the travellers began to wake up, stretch themselves, and think about supper. In the course of conversation it transpired108 that a tiger had been prowling about the village for some days, and had hitherto successfully eluded109 all attempts to trap or spear it. They had tethered a goat several times near a small pond and watched the spot from safe positions among the trees, with spears, bows and arrows, and blow-pipes ready, but when they watched, the tiger did not come, and when they failed to watch, the tiger did come and carried off the goat. Thus they had been baffled.
"Mine frond," said the professor to the hermit on hearing this. "I vill shot zat tiger! I am resolved. Vill you ask zee chief to show me zee place ant zen tell his people, on pain of def, not to go near it all night, for if zey do I vill certainly shot zem—by accident of course!"
The hermit did as he was bid, but advised his sanguine110 friend against exposing himself recklessly. The chief willingly fell in with his wishes.
"Won't you tell us what you intend to do, professor?" asked Nigel, "and let us help you."
"No, I vill do it all by mineself—or die! I vill vant a shofel or a spade of some sort."
The chief provided the required implement111, conducted his visitor a little before sunset to the spot, just outside the village, and left him there armed with his rifle, a revolver, and a long knife or kriss, besides the spade.
When alone, the bold man put off his glasses, made a careful inspection112 of the ground, came to a conclusion—founded on scientific data no doubt—as to the probable spot whence the tiger would issue from the jungle when about to seize the goat, and, just opposite that spot, on the face of a slope about ten yards from the goat, he dug a hole deep enough to contain his own person. The soil was sandy easy to dig, and quite dry. It was growing dusk when the professor crept into this rifle-pit, drew his weapons and the spade in after him, and closed the mouth of the pit with moist earth, leaving only a very small eye-hole through which he could see the goat standing113 innocently by the brink114 of the pool.
"Now," said he, as he lay resting on his elbows with the rifle laid ready to hand and the revolver beside it; "now, I know not vezer you can smell or not, but I have buried mineself in eart', vich is a non-conductor of smell. Ve shall see!"
It soon became very dark, for there was no moon, yet not so dark but that the form of the goat could be seen distinctly reflected in the pond. Naturally the professor's mind reverted115 to the occasion when Nigel had watched in the branches of a tree for another tiger. The conditions were different, and so, he thought, was the man!
"Mine yoong frond," he said mentally, "is brav', oondoubtedly, but his nerves have not been braced116 by experience like mine. It is vell, for zere is more dancher here zan in a tree. It matters not. I am resolf to shot zat tigre—or die!"
In this resolute and heroic frame of mind he commenced his vigil.
It is curious to note how frequently the calculations of men fail them—even those of scientific men! The tiger came indeed to the spot, but he came in precisely117 the opposite direction from that which the watcher expected, so that while Verkimier was staring over the goat's head at an opening in the jungle beyond the pond, the tiger was advancing stealthily and slowly through the bushes exactly behind the hole in which he lay.
Suddenly the professor became aware of something! He saw nothing consciously, he heard nothing, but there stole over him, somehow, the feeling of a dread118 presence!
Was he asleep? Was it nightmare? No, it was night-tiger! He knew it, somehow; he felt it—but he could not see it.
To face death is easy enough—according to some people—but to face nothing at all is at all times trying. Verkimier felt it to be so at that moment. But he was a true hero and conquered himself.
"Come now," he said mentally, "don't be an ass40! Don't lose your shance by voomanly fears. Keep kviet."
Another moment and there was a very slight sound right over his head. He glanced upwards—as far as the little hole would permit—and there, not a foot from him, was a tawny119 yellow throat! with a tremendous paw moving slowly forward—so slowly that it might have suggested the imperceptible movement of the hour-hand of a watch, or of a glacier120. There was indeed motion, but it was not perceptible.
The professor's perceptions were quick. He did not require to think. He knew that to use the rifle at such close quarters was absolutely impossible. He knew that the slightest motion would betray him. He could see that as yet he was undiscovered, for the animal's nose was straight for the goat, and he concluded that either his having buried himself was a safeguard against being smelt121, or that the tiger had a cold in its head. He thought for one moment of bursting up with a yell that would scare the monster out of his seven senses—if he had seven—but dismissed the thought as cowardly, for it would be sacrificing success to safety. He knew not what to do, and the cold perspiration122 consequent upon indecision at a supreme123 moment broke out all over him. Suddenly he thought of the revolver!
Like lightning he seized it, pointed124 it straight up and fired. The bullet—a large army revolver one—entered the throat of the animal, pierced the root of the tongue, crashed through the palate obliquely125, and entered the brain. The tiger threw one indescribable somersault and fell—fell so promptly126 that it blocked the mouth of the pit, all the covering earth of which had been blown away by the shot, and Verkimier could feel the hairy side of the creature, and hear the beating of its heart as it gasped127 its life away. But in his cramped128 position he could not push it aside. Well aware of the tenacity129 of life in tigers, he thought that if the creature revived it would certainly grasp him even in its dying agonies, for the weight of its body and its struggles were already crushing in the upper part of the hole.
To put an end to its sufferings and his own danger, he pointed the revolver at its side and again fired. The crash in the confined hole was tremendous—so awful that the professor thought the weapon must have burst. The struggles of the, tiger became more violent than ever, and its weight more oppressive as the earth crumbled130 away. Again the cold perspiration broke out all over the man, and he became unconscious.
It must not be supposed that the professor's friends were unwatchful. Although they had promised not to disturb him in his operations, they had held themselves in readiness with rifle, revolver, and spear, and the instant the first shot was heard, they ran down to the scene of action. Before reaching it the second shot quickened their pace as they ran down to the pond—a number of natives yelling and waving torches at their heels.
"Here he is," cried Moses, who was first on the scene, "dead as mutton!"
"What! the professor?" cried Nigel in alarm.
"No; de tiger."
"Where's Verkimier?" asked the hermit as he came up.
"I dun know, massa," said Moses, looking round him vacantly.
"Search well, men, and be quick, he may have been injured," cried Van der Kemp, seizing a torch and setting the example.
"Let me out!" came at that moment from what appeared to be the bowels131 of the earth, causing every one to stand aghast gazing in wonder around and on each other.
"Zounds! vy don't you let me out?" shouted the voice again.
There was an indication of a tendency to flight on the part of the natives, but Nigel's asking "Where are you?" had the effect of inducing them to delay for the answer.
"Here—oonder zee tigre! Kveek, I am suffocat!"
Instantly Van der Kemp seized the animal by the 'tail, and, Avith a force worthy132 of Hercules, heaved it aside as if it had been a dead cat, revealing the man of science underneath—alive and well, but dishevelled, scratched, and soiled—also, as deaf as a door-post!
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slaying
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| 杀戮。 | |
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tryst
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| n.约会；v.与…幽会 | |
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longings
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| 渴望，盼望( longing的名词复数 ) | |
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presentiment
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| n.预感，预觉 | |
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hermit
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| n.隐士，修道者；隐居 | |
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superstitious
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peculiar
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| adj.古怪的，异常的；特殊的，特有的 | |
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eruption
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| n.火山爆发；（战争等）爆发；（疾病等）发作 | |
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crater
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| n.火山口，弹坑 | |
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hoarse
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| adj.嘶哑的，沙哑的 | |
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forth
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admiration
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| n.钦佩，赞美，羡慕 | |
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swarmed
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| 密集( swarm的过去式和过去分词 )； 云集； 成群地移动； 蜜蜂或其他飞行昆虫成群地飞来飞去 | |
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entreaty
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agile
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| adj.敏捷的，灵活的 | |
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actively
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trepidation
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abortive
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vent
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| n.通风口，排放口；开衩；vt.表达，发泄 | |
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vat
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| n.(=value added tax)增值税，大桶 | |
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growl
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| v.（狗等）嗥叫，（炮等）轰鸣；n.嗥叫，轰鸣 | |
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growled
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| v.（动物）发狺狺声， （雷）作隆隆声( growl的过去式和过去分词 )；低声咆哮着说 | |
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shriek
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frantically
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squeak
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squeaking
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specimen
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specially
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hush
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| int.嘘，别出声；n.沉默，静寂；v.使安静 | |
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hiss
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| v.发出嘶嘶声；发嘘声表示不满 | |
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31
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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32
utterance
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| n.用言语表达，话语，言语 | |
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33
enthusiast
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| n.热心人，热衷者 | |
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34
procured
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| v.（努力）取得， （设法）获得( procure的过去式和过去分词 )；拉皮条 | |
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35
specimens
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| n.样品( specimen的名词复数 )；范例；（化验的）抽样；某种类型的人 | |
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36
binoculars
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| n.双筒望远镜 | |
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37
behold
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| v.看，注视，看到 | |
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38
crouching
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| v.屈膝，蹲伏( crouch的现在分词 ) | |
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39
conspicuous
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| adj.明眼的，惹人注目的；炫耀的，摆阔气的 | |
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40
ass
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| n.驴；傻瓜，蠢笨的人 | |
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41
mound
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| n.土墩，堤，小山；v.筑堤，用土堆防卫 | |
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42
gaudy
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| adj.华而不实的；俗丽的 | |
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43
quills
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| n.（刺猬或豪猪的）刺( quill的名词复数 )；羽毛管；翮；纡管 | |
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44
varied
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| adj.多样的，多变化的 | |
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45
twig
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| n.小树枝，嫩枝；v.理解 | |
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46
margin
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| n.页边空白；差额；余地，余裕；边，边缘 | |
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47
strutting
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| 加固，支撑物 | |
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48
pluming
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| 用羽毛装饰（plume的现在分词形式） | |
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49
ineffable
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| adj.无法表达的，不可言喻的 | |
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50
folly
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| n.愚笨，愚蠢，蠢事，蠢行，傻话 | |
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51
abrupt
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| adj.突然的，意外的；唐突的，鲁莽的 | |
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52
Ford
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| n.浅滩，水浅可涉处；v.涉水，涉过 | |
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53
rugged
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| adj.高低不平的，粗糙的，粗壮的，强健的 | |
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54
dense
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| a.密集的，稠密的，浓密的；密度大的 | |
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55
metallic
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| adj.金属的；金属制的；含金属的；产金属的；像金属的 | |
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56
grove
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| n.林子，小树林，园林 | |
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57
scrambled
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| v.快速爬行( scramble的过去式和过去分词 )；攀登；争夺；（军事飞机）紧急起飞 | |
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58
herd
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| n.兽群，牧群；vt.使集中，把…赶在一起 | |
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59
resolute
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| adj.坚决的，果敢的 | |
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60
exertions
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| n.努力( exertion的名词复数 )；费力；（能力、权力等的）运用；行使 | |
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61
plunge
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| v.跳入，(使)投入，(使)陷入；猛冲 | |
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62
brute
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| n.野兽，兽性 | |
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63
spoke
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| 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 | |
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64
mimics
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| n.模仿名人言行的娱乐演员，滑稽剧演员( mimic的名词复数 )；善于模仿的人或物v.（尤指为了逗乐而）模仿( mimic的第三人称单数 )；酷似 | |
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65
derives
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| v.得到( derive的第三人称单数 )；（从…中）得到获得；源于；（从…中）提取 | |
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66
mimicking
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| v.（尤指为了逗乐而）模仿( mimic的现在分词 )；酷似 | |
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67
advantageous
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| adj.有利的；有帮助的 | |
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68
remonstrative
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| adj.抗议的，忠告的 | |
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69
swampy
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| adj.沼泽的，湿地的 | |
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70
discomfort
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| n.不舒服，不安，难过，困难，不方便 | |
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71
dismal
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| adj.阴沉的，凄凉的，令人忧郁的，差劲的 | |
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72
leeches
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| n.水蛭( leech的名词复数 )；蚂蟥；榨取他人脂膏者；医生 | |
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73
ominous
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| adj.不祥的，不吉的，预兆的，预示的 | |
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74
rhinoceros
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| n.犀牛 | |
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75
kindle
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| v.点燃，着火 | |
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76
volcanic
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| adj.火山的；象火山的；由火山引起的 | |
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77
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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78
countenance
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| n.脸色，面容；面部表情；vt.支持，赞同 | |
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79
outright
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| adv.坦率地；彻底地；立即；adj.无疑的；彻底的 | |
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80
frond
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| n.棕榈类植物的叶子 | |
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81
trample
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| vt.踩，践踏；无视，伤害，侵犯 | |
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82
exclamation
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| n.感叹号，惊呼，惊叹词 | |
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83
exhausted
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| adj.极其疲惫的，精疲力尽的 | |
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84
woe
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| n.悲哀，苦痛，不幸，困难；int.用来表达悲伤或惊慌 | |
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85
trickled
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| v.滴( trickle的过去式和过去分词 )；淌；使)慢慢走；缓慢移动 | |
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86
domes
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| n.圆屋顶( dome的名词复数 )；像圆屋顶一样的东西；圆顶体育场 | |
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87
caterpillars
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| n.毛虫( caterpillar的名词复数 )；履带 | |
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88
darting
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| v.投掷，投射( dart的现在分词 )；向前冲，飞奔 | |
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89
animation
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| n.活泼，兴奋，卡通片／动画片的制作 | |
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90
dozing
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| v.打瞌睡,假寐 n.瞌睡 | |
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91
weird
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| adj.古怪的，离奇的；怪诞的，神秘而可怕的 | |
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92
dozed
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| v.打盹儿，打瞌睡( doze的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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93
pertinacity
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| n.执拗，顽固 | |
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94
perseverance
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| n.坚持不懈，不屈不挠 | |
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95
zephyrs
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| n.和风，微风( zephyr的名词复数 ) | |
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96
pouting
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| v.撅（嘴）( pout的现在分词 ) | |
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97
combustible
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| a. 易燃的,可燃的; n. 易燃物,可燃物 | |
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98
twigs
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| 细枝，嫩枝( twig的名词复数 ) | |
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99
scattered
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| adj.分散的，稀疏的；散步的；疏疏落落的 | |
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100
chamber
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| n.房间，寝室；会议厅；议院；会所 | |
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101
wilderness
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| n.杳无人烟的一片陆地、水等，荒漠 | |
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102
thoroughly
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| adv.完全地，彻底地，十足地 | |
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103
devoted
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| adj.忠诚的，忠实的，热心的，献身于...的 | |
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104
distinguished
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| adj.卓越的，杰出的，著名的 | |
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105
vouch
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| v.担保；断定；n.被担保者 | |
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106
sufficiently
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| adv.足够地，充分地 | |
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107
truthfulness
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| n. 符合实际 | |
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108
transpired
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| （事实，秘密等）被人知道( transpire的过去式和过去分词 )； 泄露； 显露； 发生 | |
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109
eluded
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| v.（尤指机敏地）避开( elude的过去式和过去分词 )；逃避；躲避；使达不到 | |
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110
sanguine
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| adj.充满希望的，乐观的，血红色的 | |
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111
implement
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| n.(pl.)工具，器具；vt.实行，实施，执行 | |
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112
inspection
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| n.检查，审查，检阅 | |
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113
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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114
brink
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| n.(悬崖、河流等的)边缘，边沿 | |
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115
reverted
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| 恢复( revert的过去式和过去分词 )； 重提； 回到…上； 归还 | |
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116
braced
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| adj.拉牢的v.支住( brace的过去式和过去分词 )；撑牢；使自己站稳；振作起来 | |
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117
precisely
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| adv.恰好，正好，精确地，细致地 | |
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118
dread
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| vt.担忧，忧虑；惧怕，不敢；n.担忧，畏惧 | |
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119
tawny
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| adj.茶色的，黄褐色的；n.黄褐色 | |
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120
glacier
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| n.冰川，冰河 | |
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121
smelt
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| v.熔解，熔炼；n.银白鱼，胡瓜鱼 | |
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122
perspiration
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| n.汗水；出汗 | |
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123
supreme
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| adj.极度的，最重要的；至高的，最高的 | |
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124
pointed
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| adj.尖的，直截了当的 | |
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125
obliquely
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| adv.斜； 倾斜； 间接； 不光明正大 | |
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126
promptly
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| adv.及时地，敏捷地 | |
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127
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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128
cramped
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| a.狭窄的 | |
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129
tenacity
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| n.坚韧 | |
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130
crumbled
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| （把…）弄碎， （使）碎成细屑( crumble的过去式和过去分词 )； 衰落； 坍塌； 损坏 | |
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131
bowels
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| n.肠，内脏，内部；肠( bowel的名词复数 )；内部，最深处 | |
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worthy
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| adj.(of)值得的，配得上的；有价值的 | |
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