As the moon arose and the stars began to glimmer6 in the sky, I observed, to my dismay, that all kinds of noxious7 creatures and creeping things began to move about, and strange hissing8 sounds and low dismal9 hootings and wails10 were heard at times indistinctly, as if the place were the abode11 of evil spirits, who were about to wake up to indulge in their midnight orgies.
“Oh! Jack12,” said I, shuddering13 violently, as I stopped and seized my companion by the arm. “I can’t tell what it is that fills me with an unaccountable sensation of dread14. I—I feel as if we should never more get out of this horrible swamp, or see again the blessed light of day. See! see! what horrid15 creature is that?”
“Pooh! man,” interrupted Jack, with a degree of levity16 in his tone which surprised me much. “It’s only a serpent. All these kind o’ things are regular cowards. Only let them alone and they’re sure to let you alone. I should like above all things to tickle17 up one o’ these brutes18, and let him have a bite at my wooden toe! It would be rare fun, wouldn’t it, Bob, eh? Come, let us push on, and see that you keep me straight, old fellow!”
I made no reply for some time. I was horrified20 at my comrade’s levity in such circumstances. Then, as I heard him continue to chuckle21 and remark in an undertone on the surprise the serpent would get on discovering the exceeding toughness of his toe, it for the first time flashed across my mind that his sufferings had deranged22 my dear companion’s intellect.
The bare probability of such a dreadful calamity23 was sufficient to put to flight all my previous terrors. I now cared nothing whatever for the loathsome24 reptiles26 that wallowed in the swamps around me, and the quiet glidings and swelterings of whose hideous27 forms were distinctly audible in the stillness of approaching night. My whole anxiety was centred on Jack. I thought that if I could prevail on him to rest he might recover, and proposed that we should encamp; but he would not hear of this. He kept plunging28 on, staggering through brake and swamp, reedy pond and quaking morass2, until I felt myself utterly29 unable to follow him a step farther.
“Bob, my boy, we’ll camp here.”
It was a fearful spot. Dark, dismal, and not a square foot of dry ground.
“Here, Jack?”
“Ay, here.”
“But it’s—it’s all wet. Excuse me, my dear comrade, I’ve not yet acquired the habit of sleeping in water.”
“No more have I, Bob; we shall sleep on a fallen tree, my boy. Did you never hear of men sleeping in a swamp on the top of a log? It’s often done, I assure you, and I mean to do it to-night. See, here is a good large one, three feet broad by twenty feet long, with lots of stumps32 of broken branches to keep us from rolling off. Come, let’s begin.”
We immediately began to make our arrangements for the night. With the aid of our clasp-knives we cut a quantity of leafy branches, and spread them on the trunk of a huge prostrated33 tree, the half of which was sunk in the swamp, but the other half was sufficiently34 elevated to raise us well out of the water. The bed was more comfortable than one would suppose; and, being very tired, we lay down on it as soon as it was made, and tried to sleep: having nothing to eat, we thought it well to endeavour to obtain all the refreshment35 we could out of sleep.
We had not lain long, when I started up in a fright, and cried—
“Hallo! Jack, what’s that? See, through the reeds; it creeps slowly. Oh; horror! it comes towards us!”
Jack looked at it sleepily. “It’s an alligator36,” said he. “If it approaches too close, just wake me; but, pray, don’t keep howling at every thing that comes to peep at us.”
Just at that moment, the hideous reptile25 drew near, and, opening its jaws37, let them come together with a snap! Even Jack was not proof against this. He started up, and looked about for a defensive38 weapon. We had nothing but our clasp-knives. The alligator wallowed towards us.
The brute19 was within a few yards of us now. I was transfixed with horror. Suddenly an idea occurred to me.
“Your leg, Jack, your leg!”
He understood me. One sweep of his clasp-knife cut all the fastenings—the next moment he grasped the toe in both hands, and, swaying the heavy butt41 of the limb in the air, brought it down with all his force on the skull42 of the alligator. It rang like the sound of a blow on an empty cask. Again the limb was swayed aloft, and descended43 with extraordinary violence on the extreme point of the alligator’s snout. There was a loud crash, as if of small bones being driven in. The animal paused, put its head on one side, and turning slowly round waddled44 away into the noisome45 recesses46 of its native swamp.
Scarcely had we recovered from the effects of this, when we heard in the distance shouts and yells and the barking of dogs. Crouching47 in our nest we listened intently. The sounds approached, but while those who made them were yet at some distance we were startled by the sudden approach of a dark object, running at full speed. It seemed like a man, or rather a huge ape, for it was black, and as it came tearing towards us, running on its hind-legs, we could see its eyes glaring in the moonlight, and could hear its labouring breath. It was evidently hard pressed by its pursuers, for it did not see what lay before it, and had well-nigh run over our couch ere it observed Jack standing48 on one leg, with the other limb raised in a threatening attitude above his head. It was too late to turn to avoid the blow.
Uttering a terrible cry the creature fell on its knees, and, trembling violently, cried—
“Silence, you noisy villain,” cried Jack, seizing the negro by the hair of the head.
“Yis, massa,” gasped the man, while his teeth chattered50 and the whites of his eyes rolled fearfully.
“What are you? Where d’ye come from? Who’s after ye?”
To these abrupt30 questions, the poor negro replied as briefly51, that he was a runaway slave, and that his master and bloodhounds were after him.
We had guessed as much, and the deep baying of the hounds convinced us of the truth of his statement.
“Quick,” cried Jack, dragging the black to the edge of our log, “get under there; lie flat; keep still;” so saying he thrust the negro under the branches that formed our couch. We covered him well up and then sat down on him. Before we had well finished our task the foremost of the bloodhounds came bounding towards us, with its eyeballs glaring and its white fangs52 glittering in the dim light like glow-worms in a blood-red cavern53. It made straight for the spot where the negro was concealed54, and would have seized him in another instant, had not Jack, with one blow of his leg, beat in its skull.
“Shove him out of sight, Bob.”
I seized the dead hound and obeyed, while my comrade prepared to receive the second dog. But that animal seemed more timid. It swerved55 as the blow was delivered, received on its haunches, and fled away howling in another direction.
Jack at once laid down his leg and sat down on the negro, motioning me to do the same. Then pulling an old tobacco-pipe out of his pocket, he affected56 to be calmly employed in filling it when the pursuers came up. There were two of them, in straw hats and nankeen pantaloons, armed with cudgels, and a more ruffianly pair of villains57 I never saw before or since.
“Hallo! strangers,” cried one, as they halted for a few moments on observing us. “Queer place to camp. Fond o’ water and dirt, I guess?”
“You seem fond o’ dirt and not o’ water, to judge from your faces,” replied Jack, calmly, attempting to light his pipe, which was rather a difficult operation, seeing that it was empty and he had no fire. “Ah! my light’s out. Could you lend us a match, friend?”
“No, we can’t. No time. Hain’t got none. Did you see a nigger pass this way?”
“Ha! you’re after him, are you?” cried Jack, indignantly. “Do you suppose I’d tell you if I did? Go and find him for yourselves.”
The two men frowned fiercely at this, and appeared about to attack us. But they changed their minds, and said, “Mayhap you’ll tell us if ye saw two hounds, then?”
“Yes, I did.”
“Which way did they pass?”
“They haven’t passed yet,” replied Jack, with deep sarcasm58, at the same time quietly lifting his leg, and swaying it gently to and fro; “whether they’ll pass without a licking remains59 to be seen.”
“Look ’ee, lads, we’ll pay you for this,” shouted the men as they turned away. “We’ve not time to waste now, but we’ll come back.”
I remonstrated60 with my friend. “You’re too rash, Jack.”
“Why? We don’t need to fear two men!”
“Ay, but there may be more in the woods.”
My surmise61 was correct. Half an hour after, the hound was heard returning. It came straight at us, followed by at least a dozen men. Jack killed the dog with one blow, and felled the first man that came up, but we were overwhelmed by numbers, and, in a much shorter time than it takes to tell it, both of us were knocked into the mud and rendered insensible.
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1
ashore
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| adv.在(向)岸上，上岸 | |
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morass
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| n.沼泽，困境 | |
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morasses
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| n.缠作一团( morass的名词复数 )；困境；沼泽；陷阱 | |
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abounded
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| v.大量存在，充满，富于( abound的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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steer
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| vt.驾驶，为…操舵；引导；vi.驾驶 | |
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glimmer
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| v.发出闪烁的微光；n.微光，微弱的闪光 | |
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noxious
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| adj.有害的，有毒的；使道德败坏的，讨厌的 | |
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8
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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9
dismal
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| adj.阴沉的，凄凉的，令人忧郁的，差劲的 | |
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wails
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| 痛哭，哭声( wail的名词复数 ) | |
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abode
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| n.住处，住所 | |
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jack
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| n.插座，千斤顶，男人；v.抬起，提醒，扛举；n.（Jake）杰克 | |
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13
shuddering
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| v.战栗( shudder的现在分词 )；发抖；（机器、车辆等）突然震动；颤动 | |
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14
dread
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| vt.担忧，忧虑；惧怕，不敢；n.担忧，畏惧 | |
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15
horrid
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| adj.可怕的；令人惊恐的；恐怖的；极讨厌的 | |
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levity
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| n.轻率，轻浮，不稳定，多变 | |
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tickle
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| v.搔痒，胳肢；使高兴；发痒；n.搔痒，发痒 | |
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18
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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brute
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| n.野兽，兽性 | |
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horrified
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| a.(表现出)恐惧的 | |
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chuckle
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| vi.／n.轻声笑，咯咯笑 | |
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22
deranged
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| adj.疯狂的 | |
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calamity
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| n.灾害，祸患，不幸事件 | |
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24
loathsome
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| adj.讨厌的，令人厌恶的 | |
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25
reptile
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| n.爬行动物；两栖动物 | |
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reptiles
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| n.爬行动物，爬虫( reptile的名词复数 ) | |
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27
hideous
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| adj.丑陋的，可憎的，可怕的，恐怖的 | |
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28
plunging
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| adj.跳进的，突进的v.颠簸( plunge的现在分词 )；暴跌；骤降；突降 | |
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29
utterly
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| adv.完全地，绝对地 | |
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abrupt
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| adj.突然的，意外的；唐突的，鲁莽的 | |
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31
abruptly
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| adv.突然地，出其不意地 | |
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32
stumps
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| （被砍下的树的）树桩( stump的名词复数 )； 残肢； （板球三柱门的）柱； 残余部分 | |
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33
prostrated
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| v.使俯伏，使拜倒( prostrate的过去式和过去分词 )；（指疾病、天气等）使某人无能为力 | |
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34
sufficiently
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| adv.足够地，充分地 | |
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refreshment
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| n.恢复，精神爽快，提神之事物；（复数）refreshments:点心，茶点 | |
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36
alligator
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| n.短吻鳄(一种鳄鱼) | |
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jaws
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| n.口部；嘴 | |
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38
defensive
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| adj.防御的；防卫的；防守的 | |
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axe
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| n.斧子；v.用斧头砍，削减 | |
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40
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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41
butt
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| n.笑柄；烟蒂；枪托；臀部；v.用头撞或顶 | |
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42
skull
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| n.头骨；颅骨 | |
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43
descended
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| a.为...后裔的，出身于...的 | |
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44
waddled
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| v.（像鸭子一样）摇摇摆摆地走( waddle的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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45
noisome
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| adj.有害的，可厌的 | |
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46
recesses
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| n.壁凹( recess的名词复数 )；（工作或业务活动的）中止或暂停期间；学校的课间休息；某物内部的凹形空间v.把某物放在墙壁的凹处( recess的第三人称单数 )；将（墙）做成凹形，在（墙）上做壁龛；休息，休会，休庭 | |
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47
crouching
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| v.屈膝，蹲伏( crouch的现在分词 ) | |
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48
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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49
runaway
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| n.逃走的人，逃亡，亡命者；adj.逃亡的，逃走的 | |
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50
chattered
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| （人）喋喋不休( chatter的过去式 )； 唠叨； （牙齿）打战； （机器）震颤 | |
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51
briefly
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| adv.简单地，简短地 | |
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52
fangs
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| n.（尤指狗和狼的）长而尖的牙( fang的名词复数 )；（蛇的）毒牙；罐座 | |
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53
cavern
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| n.洞穴，大山洞 | |
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54
concealed
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| a.隐藏的，隐蔽的 | |
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55
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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56
affected
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| adj.不自然的，假装的 | |
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57
villains
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| n.恶棍( villain的名词复数 )；罪犯；（小说、戏剧等中的）反面人物；淘气鬼 | |
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58
sarcasm
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| n.讥讽，讽刺，嘲弄，反话 （adj.sarcastic） | |
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59
remains
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| n.剩余物，残留物；遗体，遗迹 | |
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60
remonstrated
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| v.抗议( remonstrate的过去式和过去分词 )；告诫 | |
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61
surmise
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| v./n.猜想，推测 | |
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