CHAPTER XXVII.

 Rejoicings--The feast at the block-house--Grumps andCrusoe come out strong--The closing scene.

The day of Dick's arrival with his companions wasa great day in the annals of the Mustang Valley,and Major Hope resolved to celebrate it by an impromptufestival at the old block-house; for many hearts in thevalley had been made glad that day, and he knew fullwell that, under such circumstances, some safety-valvemust be devised for the escape of overflowing¹ excitement.

A messenger was sent round to invite the populationto assemble without delay in front of the block-house.

With backwoods-like celerity the summons was obeyed;men, women, and children hurried towards the centralpoint, wondering, yet more than half suspecting, whatwas the major's object in calling them together.

They were not long in doubt. The first sight thatpresented itself, as they came trooping up the slope infront of the log-hut, was an ox roasting whole beforea gigantic bonfire. Tables were being extemporized² onthe broad level plot in front of the gate. Other firesthere were, of smaller dimensions, on which sundrysteaming pots were placed, and various joints³ of wildhorse, bear, and venison roasted, and sent forth⁴ a savouryodour as well as a pleasant hissing⁵ noise. Theinhabitants of the block-house were self-taught brewers,and the result of their recent labours now stood displayedin a row of goodly casks of beer--the onlybeverage with which the dwellers⁶ in these far-off regionswere wont⁷ to regale⁸ themselves.

The whole scene, as the cooks moved actively⁹ aboutupon the lawn, and children romped¹⁰ round the fires,and settlers came flocking through the forests, mighthave recalled the revelry of merry England in the oldentime, though the costumes of the far west were perhapssomewhat different from those of old England.

No one of all the band assembled there on that dayof rejoicing required to ask what it was all about. Hadany one been in doubt for a moment, a glance at thecentre of the crowd assembled round the gate of thewestern fortress¹¹ would have quickly enlightened him.

For there stood Dick Varley, and his mild-looking mother,and his loving dog Crusoe. There, too, stood Joe Blunt,like a bronzed warrior¹² returned from the fight, turningfrom one to another as question poured in upon questionalmost too rapidly to permit of a reply. There, too,stood Henri, making enthusiastic speeches to whoeverchose to listen to him--now glaring at the crowd withclenched fists and growling¹³ voice, as he told of how Joeand he had been tied hand and foot, and lashed¹⁴ to poles,and buried in leaves, and threatened with a slow deathby torture; at other times bursting into a hilarious¹⁵ laughas he held forth on the predicament of Mahtawa, whenthat wily chief was treed by Crusoe in the prairie.

Young Marston was there, too, hanging about Dick,whom he loved as a brother and regarded as a perfecthero. Grumps, too, was there, and Fan. Do youthink, reader, that Grumps looked at any one butCrusoe? If you do, you are mistaken. Grumps onthat day became a regular, an incorrigible¹⁶, utter, andperfect nuisance to everybody--not excepting himself,poor beast! Grumps was a dog of one idea, and thatidea was Crusoe. Out of that great idea there grew onelittle secondary idea, and that idea was that the onlyjoy on earth worth mentioning was to sit on his haunches,exactly six inches from Crusoe's nose, and gaze steadfastlyinto his face. Wherever Crusoe went Grumps went.

If Crusoe stopped, Grumps was down before him in aninstant. If Crusoe bounded away, which in the exuberanceof his spirits he often did, Grumps was after himlike a bundle of mad hair. He was in everybody'sway, in Crusoe's way, and being, so to speak, "besidehimself," was also in his own way. If people trod uponhim accidentally, which they often did, Grumps uttereda solitary¹⁷ heart-rending yell proportioned in intensityto the excruciating nature of the torture he endured,then instantly resumed his position and his fascinatedstare. Crusoe generally held his head up, and gazedover his little friend at what was going on around him;but if for a moment he permitted his eye to rest on thecountenance of Grumps, that creature's tail becamesuddenly imbued¹⁸ with an amount of wriggling¹⁹ vitalitythat seemed to threaten its separation from the body.

It was really quite interesting to watch this unblushing,and disinterested²⁰, and utterly²¹ reckless display ofaffection on the part of Grumps, and the amiable²² wayin which Crusoe put up with it. We say put up withit advisedly, because it must have been a very greatinconvenience to him, seeing that if he attempted tomove, his satellite moved in front of him, so that hisonly way of escaping temporarily was by jumping overGrumps's head.

Grumps was everywhere all day. Nobody, almost,escaped trampling²³ on part of him. He tumbled overeverything, into everything, and against everything.

He knocked himself, singed²⁴ himself, and scalded himself,and in fact forgot himself altogether; and when,late that night, Crusoe went with Dick into his mother'scottage, and the door was shut, Grumps stretched hisruffled, battered²⁵, ill-used, and dishevelled little bodydown on the door-step, thrust his nose against theopening below the door, and lay in humble²⁶ contentmentall night, for he knew that Crusoe was there.

Of course such an occasion could not pass withouta shooting-match. Rifles were brought out after thefeast was over, just before the sun went down into itsbed on the western prairies, and "the nail" was soonsurrounded by bullets, tipped by Joe Blunt and JimScraggs, and of course driven home by Dick Varley,whose "silver rifle" had now become in its owner's handa never-failing weapon. Races, too, were started, andhere again Dick stood pre-eminent; and when nightspread her dark mantle²⁷ over the scene, the two bestfiddlers in the settlement were placed on empty beer-casks,and some danced by the light of the monster fires,while others listened to Joe Blunt as he recounted theiradventures on the prairies and among the Rocky Mountains.

There were sweethearts, and wives, and lovers at thefeast, but we question if any heart there was so full oflove, and admiration²⁸, and gratitude²⁹, as that of theWidow Varley as she watched her son Dick throughoutthat merry evening.

      *       *       *       *       *Years rolled by, and the Mustang Valley prospered³⁰.

Missionaries³¹ went there, and a little church was built,and to the blessings³² of a fertile land were added thefar greater blessings of Christian³³ light and knowledge.

One sad blow fell on the Widow Varley's heart. Heronly brother, Daniel Hood³⁴, was murdered by the Indians.

Deeply and long she mourned, and it required all Dick'sefforts and those of the pastor³⁵ of the settlement tocomfort her. But from the first the widow's heart wassustained by the loving Hand that dealt the blow, andwhen time blunted the keen edge of her feelings herface became as sweet and mild, though not so lightsome,as before.

Joe Blunt and Henri became leading men in thecouncils of the Mustang Valley; but Dick Varley preferredthe woods, although, as long as his mother lived,he hovered³⁶ round her cottage--going off sometimes fora day, sometimes for a week, but never longer. Afterher head was laid in the dust, Dick took altogether tothe woods, with Crusoe and Charlie, the wild horse, ashis only companions, and his mother's Bible in thebreast of his hunting-shirt. And soon Dick, the boldhunter, and his dog Crusoe became renowned³⁷ in thefrontier settlements from the banks of the YellowstoneRiver to the Gulf³⁸ of Mexico.

Many a grizzly³⁹ bear did the famous "silver rifle" laylow, and many a wild, exciting chase and adventure didDick go through; but during his occasional visits to theMustang Valley he was wont to say to Joe Blunt andHenri--with whom he always sojourned--that "nothin'

he ever felt or saw came up to his first grand dash overthe western prairies into the heart of the Rocky Mountains."And in saying this, with enthusiasm in his eyeand voice, Dick invariably appealed to, and received aready affirmative glance from, his early companion andhis faithful loving friend, the dog Crusoe.

 

THE END.

1 overflowing   

n. 溢出物,溢流 adj. 充沛的，充满的 动词overflow的现在分词形式

参考例句：

• The stands were overflowing with farm and sideline products. 集市上农副产品非常丰富。
• The milk is overflowing. 牛奶溢出来了。

2 extemporized   

v.即兴创作，即席演奏( extemporize的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• He completely departed from the text and extemporized in a very energetic fashion. 他完全脱稿，慷慨激昂地进行即席演说。 来自辞典例句
• The president extemporized a speech after the working dinner. 总裁即席发表了一篇工作餐后演说。 来自互联网

3 joints   

接头( joint的名词复数 )； 关节； 公共场所（尤指价格低廉的饮食和娱乐场所） （非正式）； 一块烤肉 （英式英语）

参考例句：

• Expansion joints of various kinds are fitted on gas mains. 各种各样的伸缩接头被安装在煤气的总管道上了。
• Expansion joints of various kinds are fitted on steam pipes. 各种各样的伸缩接头被安装在蒸气管道上了。

4 forth   

adv.向前；向外，往外

参考例句：

• The wind moved the trees gently back and forth.风吹得树轻轻地来回摇晃。
• He gave forth a series of works in rapid succession.他很快连续发表了一系列的作品。

5 hissing   

n. 发嘶嘶声, 蔑视 动词hiss的现在分词形式

参考例句：

• The steam escaped with a loud hissing noise. 蒸汽大声地嘶嘶冒了出来。
• His ears were still hissing with the rustle of the leaves. 他耳朵里还听得萨萨萨的声音和屑索屑索的怪声。 来自汉英文学 - 春蚕

6 dwellers   

n.居民，居住者( dweller的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• City dwellers think country folk have provincial attitudes. 城里人以为乡下人思想迂腐。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• They have transformed themselves into permanent city dwellers. 他们已成为永久的城市居民。 来自《简明英汉词典》

7 wont   

adj.习惯于；v.习惯；n.习惯

参考例句：

• He was wont to say that children are lazy.他常常说小孩子们懒惰。
• It is his wont to get up early.早起是他的习惯。

8 regale   

v.取悦，款待

参考例句：

• He was constantly regaled with tales of woe.别人老是给他讲些倒霉事儿来逗他开心。
• He loved to regale his friends with tales about the many memorable characters he had known as a newspaperman.他喜欢讲些他当记者时认识的许多名人的故事给朋友们消遣。

9 actively   

adv.积极地，勤奋地

参考例句：

• During this period all the students were actively participating.在这节课中所有的学生都积极参加。
• We are actively intervening to settle a quarrel.我们正在积极调解争执。

10 romped   

v.嬉笑玩闹( romp的过去式和过去分词 )；（尤指在赛跑或竞选等中）轻易获胜

参考例句：

• Children romped on the playground. 孩子们在操场上嬉笑玩闹。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• John romped home well ahead of all the other runners. 约翰赛马跑时轻而易举地战胜了所有的选手。 来自辞典例句

11 fortress   

n.堡垒，防御工事

参考例句：

• They made an attempt on a fortress.他们试图夺取这一要塞。
• The soldier scaled the wall of the fortress by turret.士兵通过塔车攀登上了要塞的城墙。

12 warrior   

n.勇士，武士，斗士

参考例句：

• The young man is a bold warrior.这个年轻人是个很英勇的武士。
• A true warrior values glory and honor above life.一个真正的勇士珍视荣誉胜过生命。

13 growling   

n.吠声, 咆哮声 v.怒吠, 咆哮, 吼

参考例句：

• We heard thunder growling in the distance. 我们听见远处有隆隆雷声。
• The lay about the deck growling together in talk. 他们在甲板上到处游荡，聚集在一起发牢骚。

14 lashed   

adj.具睫毛的v.鞭打( lash的过去式和过去分词 )；煽动；紧系；怒斥

参考例句：

• The rain lashed at the windows. 雨点猛烈地打在窗户上。
• The cleverly designed speech lashed the audience into a frenzy. 这篇精心设计的演说煽动听众使他们发狂。 来自《简明英汉词典》

15 hilarious   

adj.充满笑声的，欢闹的；[反]depressed

参考例句：

• The party got quite hilarious after they brought more wine.在他们又拿来更多的酒之后，派对变得更加热闹起来。
• We stop laughing because the show was so hilarious.我们笑个不停，因为那个节目太搞笑了。

16 incorrigible   

adj.难以纠正的，屡教不改的

参考例句：

• Because he was an incorrigible criminal,he was sentenced to life imprisonment.他是一个死不悔改的罪犯，因此被判终生监禁。
• Gamblers are incorrigible optimists.嗜赌的人是死不悔改的乐天派。

17 solitary   

adj.孤独的，独立的，荒凉的；n.隐士

参考例句：

• I am rather fond of a solitary stroll in the country.我颇喜欢在乡间独自徜徉。
• The castle rises in solitary splendour on the fringe of the desert.这座城堡巍然耸立在沙漠的边际，显得十分壮美。

18 imbued   

v.使（某人/某事）充满或激起（感情等）( imbue的过去式和过去分词 )；使充满；灌输；激发（强烈感情或品质等）

参考例句：

• Her voice was imbued with an unusual seriousness. 她的声音里充满着一种不寻常的严肃语气。
• These cultivated individuals have been imbued with a sense of social purpose. 这些有教养的人满怀着社会责任感。 来自《简明英汉词典》

19 wriggling   

v.扭动，蠕动，蜿蜒行进( wriggle的现在分词 )；（使身体某一部位）扭动；耍滑不做，逃避（应做的事等）；蠕蠕

参考例句：

• The baby was wriggling around on my lap. 婴儿在我大腿上扭来扭去。
• Something that looks like a gray snake is wriggling out. 有一种看来象是灰蛇的东西蠕动着出来了。 来自辞典例句

20 disinterested   

adj.不关心的，不感兴趣的

参考例句：

• He is impartial and disinterested.他公正无私。
• He's always on the make,I have never known him do a disinterested action.他这个人一贯都是唯利是图，我从来不知道他有什么无私的行动。

21 utterly   

adv.完全地，绝对地

参考例句：

• Utterly devoted to the people,he gave his life in saving his patients.他忠于人民，把毕生精力用于挽救患者的生命。
• I was utterly ravished by the way she smiled.她的微笑使我完全陶醉了。

22 amiable   

adj.和蔼可亲的，友善的，亲切的

参考例句：

• She was a very kind and amiable old woman.她是个善良和气的老太太。
• We have a very amiable companionship.我们之间存在一种友好的关系。

23 trampling   

踩( trample的现在分词 )； 践踏； 无视； 侵犯

参考例句：

• Diplomats denounced the leaders for trampling their citizens' civil rights. 外交官谴责这些领导人践踏其公民的公民权。
• They don't want people trampling the grass, pitching tents or building fires. 他们不希望人们踩踏草坪、支帐篷或生火。

24 singed   

v.浅表烧焦( singe的过去式和过去分词 )；（毛发）燎，烧焦尖端[边儿]

参考例句：

• He singed his hair as he tried to light his cigarette. 他点烟时把头发给燎了。
• The cook singed the chicken to remove the fine hairs. 厨师把鸡燎一下，以便去掉细毛。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》

25 battered   

adj.磨损的；v.连续猛击；磨损

参考例句：

• He drove up in a battered old car.他开着一辆又老又破的旧车。
• The world was brutally battered but it survived.这个世界遭受了惨重的创伤,但它还是生存下来了。

26 humble   

adj.谦卑的，恭顺的；地位低下的；v.降低，贬低

参考例句：

• In my humble opinion,he will win the election.依我拙见，他将在选举中获胜。
• Defeat and failure make people humble.挫折与失败会使人谦卑。

27 mantle   

n.斗篷，覆罩之物，罩子；v.罩住，覆盖，脸红

参考例句：

• The earth had donned her mantle of brightest green.大地披上了苍翠欲滴的绿色斗篷。
• The mountain was covered with a mantle of snow.山上覆盖着一层雪。

28 admiration   

n.钦佩，赞美，羡慕

参考例句：

• He was lost in admiration of the beauty of the scene.他对风景之美赞不绝口。
• We have a great admiration for the gold medalists.我们对金牌获得者极为敬佩。

29 gratitude   

adj.感激，感谢

参考例句：

• I have expressed the depth of my gratitude to him.我向他表示了深切的谢意。
• She could not help her tears of gratitude rolling down her face.她感激的泪珠禁不住沿着面颊流了下来。

30 prospered   

成功，兴旺( prosper的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• The organization certainly prospered under his stewardship. 不可否认，这个组织在他的管理下兴旺了起来。
• Mr. Black prospered from his wise investments. 布莱克先生由于巧妙的投资赚了不少钱。

31 missionaries   

n.传教士( missionary的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• Some missionaries came from England in the Qing Dynasty. 清朝时，从英国来了一些传教士。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• The missionaries rebuked the natives for worshipping images. 传教士指责当地人崇拜偶像。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》

32 blessings   

n.（上帝的）祝福( blessing的名词复数 )；好事；福分；因祸得福

参考例句：

• Afflictions are sometimes blessings in disguise. 塞翁失马，焉知非福。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• We don't rely on blessings from Heaven. 我们不靠老天保佑。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》

33 Christian   

adj.基督教徒的；n.基督教徒

参考例句：

• They always addressed each other by their Christian name.他们总是以教名互相称呼。
• His mother is a sincere Christian.他母亲是个虔诚的基督教徒。

34 hood   

n.头巾，兜帽，覆盖；v.罩上，以头巾覆盖

参考例句：

• She is wearing a red cloak with a hood.她穿着一件红色带兜帽的披风。
• The car hood was dented in.汽车的发动机罩已凹了进去。

35 pastor   

n.牧师，牧人

参考例句：

• He was the son of a poor pastor.他是一个穷牧师的儿子。
• We have no pastor at present:the church is run by five deacons.我们目前没有牧师：教会的事是由五位执事管理的。

36 hovered   

鸟( hover的过去式和过去分词 )； 靠近（某事物）； （人）徘徊； 犹豫

参考例句：

• A hawk hovered over the hill. 一只鹰在小山的上空翱翔。
• A hawk hovered in the blue sky. 一只老鹰在蓝色的天空中翱翔。

37 renowned   

adj.著名的，有名望的，声誉鹊起的

参考例句：

• He is one of the world's renowned writers.他是世界上知名的作家之一。
• She is renowned for her advocacy of human rights.她以提倡人权而闻名。

38 gulf   

n.海湾；深渊，鸿沟；分歧，隔阂

参考例句：

• The gulf between the two leaders cannot be bridged.两位领导人之间的鸿沟难以跨越。
• There is a gulf between the two cities.这两座城市间有个海湾。

39 grizzly   

adj.略为灰色的，呈灰色的；n.灰色大熊

参考例句：

• This grizzly liked people.这只灰熊却喜欢人。
• Grizzly bears are not generally social creatures.一般说来，灰熊不是社交型动物。