Now, although we have said that Jim Slagg knew how to pull a trigger, it does not follow that he knew how to avoid pulling that important little piece of metal. He was aware, of course, that the keeping of his forefinger1 off the trigger was a point of importance, but how to keep it off when in a state of nervous expectation, he knew not, because his memory and the forefinger of his right hand appeared to get disconnected at such times, and it did not occur to him, just at first, that there was such an arrangement in gun-locks as half-cock.
Flinn reminded him of the fact, however, when, soon after entering the jungle, his straw hat was blown off his head by an accidental discharge of Slagg’s gun.
“Niver mention it,” said Flinn, picking up his riven headpiece, while poor Slagg overwhelmed him with protestations and apologies, and the black boy stood behind exposing his teeth, and gums and the whites of his eyes freely; “niver mention it, Mr Slagg; accidents will happen, you know, in the best regulated families. As for me beaver3, it’s better riddled4 than whole in this warm weather. Maybe you’d as well carry your gun at what sodgers call ‘the showlder,’ wid the muzzle5 pintin’ at the moon—so; that’s it. Don’t blame yoursilf, Mr Slagg. Sure, it’s worse than that I was when I begood, for the nasty thing I carried wint off somehow of its own accord, an’ I shot me mother’s finest pig—wan7 barrel into the tail, an’ the other into the hid. You see, they both wint off a’most at the same moment. We must learn by exparience, av coorse. You’ve not had much shootin’ yet, I suppose?”
Poor, self-condemned Slagg admitted that he had not, and humbly8 attended to Flinn’s instructions, after which they proceeded on their way; but it might have been observed that Flinn kept a corner of his eye steadily9 on his new friend during the remainder of that day, while the attenuated10 black kept so close to Slagg’s elbow as to render the pointing of the muzzle of his gun at him an impossibility.
Presently there was heard among the bushes a whirring of wings, and up flew a covey of large birds of the turkey species. Flinn stepped briskly aside, saying, “Now thin, let drive!” while the attenuated black fell cautiously in rear.
Bang! bang! went Slagg’s gun.
“Oh!” he cried, conscience-stricken; “there, if I haven’t done it again!”
“Done it! av coorse ye have!” cried Flinn, picking up an enormous bird; “it cudn’t have bin11 nater done by a sportin’ lord.”
“Then it ain’t a tame one?” asked Slagg eagerly.
“No more a tame wan than yoursilf, an’ the best of aitin’ too,” said. Flinn.
Jim Slagg went on quietly loading his gun, and did not think it necessary to explain that he had supposed the birds to be tame turkeys, that his piece had a second time gone off by accident, and that he had taken no aim at all!
After that, however, he managed to subdue12 his feelings a little, and accidentally bagged a few more birds of strange form and beautiful plumage, by the simple process of shutting his eyes and firing into the middle of flocks, to the immense satisfaction of Flinn, who applauded all his successes and explained away all his failures in the most amiable13 manner.
If the frequent expanding of the mouth from ear to ear, the exposure of white teeth and red gums, and the shutting up of glittering eyes, indicated enjoyment14, the attenuated boy must have been in a blissful condition that day.
“Why don’t ye shoot yerself, Mister Flinn?” asked Slagg on one occasion while reloading.
“Bekaise it shuits me better to look on,” answered the self-denying man. “You see, I’m used to it; besides, I’m a marciful man, and don’t care to shoot only for divarshion.”
“What’s that?” cried Slagg, suddenly pointing his gun straight upwards15 at two brilliant black eyes which were gazing straight down at him.
“Howld on—och! don’t—”
Flinn thrust the gun aside, but he was too late to prevent the explosion, which was followed by a lamentable16 cry, as a huge monkey fell into Slagg’s arms, knocked him over with the shock, and bounded off his breast into its native woods, shrieking17.
“Arrah! he’s niver a bit the worse,” cried Flinn, laughing, in spite of his native politeness, “it was the fright knocked him off the branch. If you’d only given him wan shot he might have stud it, but two was too much for him. But plaise, Mister Slagg, don’t fire at monkeys again. I niver do it mesilf, an’ can’t stand by to see it. It’s so like murther, an’ the only wan I iver shot in me life was so like me own owld gran’mother that I’ve niver quite got over it.”
Slagg willingly promised never again to fire at monkeys, and they proceeded on their way.
They had not gone far, when another whirring of wings was heard, but this time the noise was greater than on other occasions.
“What is it?” asked Slagg eagerly, preparing for action.
“Sure it’s a pay-cock,” said Flinn.
“A what-cock?” asked Slagg, who afterwards described the noise to be like the flapping of a mainsail.
“A pay-cock. Splendid aitin’. Fire, avic!”
“What! fire at that?” cried Slagg, as a creature of enormous size and gorgeous plumage rose above the bushes. “Ye must be jokin’. I couldn’t fire at that.”
“Faix, an’ ye naidn’t fire at it now,” returned Flinn with a quiet smile, “for it’s a mile out o’ range by this time. Better luck—och! if there isn’t another. Now, thin, don’t be in a hurry. Be aisy. Whatever ye do, be aisy.”
While he spoke18 another huge bird appeared, and as Slagg beheld19 its size and spreading wings and tail, he took aim with the feelings of a cold-blooded murderer. That is to say, he shut both eyes and pulled both triggers. This double action had become a confirmed habit by that time, and Flinn commended it on the principle that there was “nothin’ like makin’ cocksure of everything!”
Re-opening his eyes and lowering his gun, Slagg beheld the peacock sailing away in the far distance.
“Sure ye’ve missed it, but after all it’s a most awkward bird to hit—specially when ye don’t pint6 the gun quite straight. An’ the tail, too, is apt to throw even a crack-shot out—so it is. Niver mind; there’s plenty more where that wan came from.”
Thus encouraged, our sportsman reloaded and continued his progress.
It is said that fortune favours the brave, and on that occasion the proverb was verified. There can be no question that our friend Jim Slagg was brave. All Irishmen are courageous20, therefore it is equally certain that Flinn was brave, and the attenuated black could not have been otherwise than brave, else he would not have continued to enjoy himself in the dangerous neighbourhood of Slagg’s gun. As a consequence, therefore, fortune did favour the sportsmen that day, for it brought them unexpectedly into the presence of the king of India’s forests—a royal Bengal tiger—tawny skin, round face, glaring eyes, and black stripes complete from nose to tail!
There was no doubt in Flinn’s mind about it, as his actions proved, but there were considerable doubts in Slagg’s mind, as was evinced by his immediate21 petrifaction—not with fear, of course, but with something or other remarkably22 similar.
Slagg chanced to be walking in advance at the time, making his way with some trouble through a rather dense23 bit of jungle. He had by that time recovered his self-possession so much that he was able to let his mind wander to other subjects besides sport.
At the moment when the rencontre occurred he chanced to be wandering in spirit among the groves24 of Pirate Island. On turning sharp round a bend in the track, he found himself face to face with the tiger, which crouched25 instantly for a spring. As we have said, the sportsman was instantly petrified26. He could not believe his eyes! He must have believed something, however, else he would not have gazed with such dreadful intensity27. Yes, there, a few feet before him, crouched the tenant28 of the menagerie, without the cage—the creature of picture story-books endued29 with life!
Had Slagg’s life depended on his putting his gun to his shoulder he would have lost it, for he could not move. His fingers, however, were gifted with independent action. They gave a spasmodic jerk, and both barrels, chancing to be levelled correctly, sent their charges full into the tiger’s face.
Small shot may tickle30 a tiger but it cannot kill. With a roar like thunder the brute31 sprang on its audacious enemy. Fortunately Slagg made an involuntary step to the rear at the moment, and fell on his back, so that the animal, half-blinded by shot and smoke, went over him, and alighted almost at the feet of Flinn.
That worthy32 was equal to the occasion. At the sound of his friend’s double shot he had seized the large rifle and leaped forward in time to meet the baffled tiger. Quick as light his practised hand discharged the heavy bullet, which, passing over the animal’s head, went into its spine33 near the haunches, so that when it tried a second spring its hind2 legs refused their office, and it rolled over fuming34 and struggling in an agony of pain and rage.
Flinn ran a few paces backward so as to reload in comparative safety, while Slagg followed his example, but in desperate haste. Before he had half charged the first barrel, a second shot from the heavy rifle laid the royal monster dead on the ground.
“Well done!” cried Flinn, seizing his friend’s hand and wringing35 it. “It’s Nimrod you are, no less. I niver saw a purtier shot. An’, faix, it’s not every man that kills a tiger his first day out.”
“But I didn’t kill it,” said Slagg modestly.
“Sure but ye drew first blood, me boy, so the tiger’s yours, an’ I wish you joy. Come, we’ll go home now an’ git help to fetch the carcass. Won’t they open their two eyes aich of them whin they see it! Here, ye black spalpeen, take the rifle an’ give me the gun.”
In a few minutes the fortunate hunters were wending their way rapidly homeward, and that night the whole party, while enjoying their supper, feasted their eyes on the magnificent form of the royal Bengal tiger as it lay on the verandah, in front of the electricians’ bungalow36.
点击
收听单词发音
收听单词发音 |
1
forefinger
|
|
| n.食指 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
2
hind
|
|
| adj.后面的，后部的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
3
beaver
|
|
| n.海狸，河狸 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
4
riddled
|
|
| adj.布满的；充斥的；泛滥的v.解谜，出谜题(riddle的过去分词形式) | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
5
muzzle
|
|
| n.鼻口部；口套；枪(炮)口；vt.使缄默 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
6
pint
|
|
| n.品脱 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
7
wan
|
|
| (wide area network)广域网 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
8
humbly
|
|
| adv. 恭顺地，谦卑地 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
9
steadily
|
|
| adv.稳定地；不变地；持续地 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
10
attenuated
|
|
| v.（使）变细( attenuate的过去式和过去分词 )；（使）变薄；（使）变小；减弱 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
11
bin
|
|
| n.箱柜；vt.放入箱内；[计算机] DOS文件名:二进制目标文件 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
12
subdue
|
|
| vt.制服，使顺从，征服；抑制，克制 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
13
amiable
|
|
| adj.和蔼可亲的，友善的，亲切的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
14
enjoyment
|
|
| n.乐趣；享有；享用 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
15
upwards
|
|
| adv.向上，在更高处...以上 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
16
lamentable
|
|
| adj.令人惋惜的，悔恨的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
17
shrieking
|
|
| v.尖叫( shriek的现在分词 ) | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
18
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： |
|
|
|
|
19
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： |
|
|
|
|
20
courageous
|
|
| adj.勇敢的，有胆量的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
21
immediate
|
|
| adj.立即的；直接的，最接近的；紧靠的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
22
remarkably
|
|
| ad.不同寻常地，相当地 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
23
dense
|
|
| a.密集的，稠密的，浓密的；密度大的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
24
groves
|
|
| 树丛，小树林( grove的名词复数 ) | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
25
crouched
|
|
| v.屈膝，蹲伏( crouch的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
26
petrified
|
|
| adj.惊呆的；目瞪口呆的v.使吓呆，使惊呆；变僵硬；使石化(petrify的过去式和过去分词) | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
27
intensity
|
|
| n.强烈，剧烈；强度；烈度 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
28
tenant
|
|
| n.承租人；房客；佃户；v.租借，租用 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
29
endued
|
|
| v.授予，赋予（特性、才能等）( endue的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
30
tickle
|
|
| v.搔痒，胳肢；使高兴；发痒；n.搔痒，发痒 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
31
brute
|
|
| n.野兽，兽性 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
32
worthy
|
|
| adj.(of)值得的，配得上的；有价值的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
33
spine
|
|
| n.脊柱，脊椎；(动植物的)刺；书脊 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
34
fuming
|
|
| 愤怒( fume的现在分词 )； 大怒； 发怒； 冒烟 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
35
wringing
|
|
| 淋湿的，湿透的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
36
bungalow
|
|
| n.平房，周围有阳台的木造小平房 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
| 欢迎访问英文小说网 |