Drizzling2 rain had commenced just as the wrecked3 party landed. The tarpaulin5 had been set up as a slight though very imperfect shelter; the ground underneath6 had been strewn with twigs7 and grass, and a large pile of dead branches had been arranged to receive the vital spark before any attempt was made to create it.
“Everything must be quite ready, first,” said Hayward to Tomlin, “for our very lives depend, under God, on our securing fire; so keep the matches snug8 in your pocket till I ask for them.”
“I will,” replied Tomlin, “D’you know it never occurred to me before how tremendously important the element of fire is? But how will you ever manage to make the branches catch, everything being so thoroughly9 soaked?”
“You shall see. I have had to make a fire in worse circumstances than the present,” returned Hayward, “though I admit they are bad enough. Have you got the small twigs broken and ready, Slag10?”
“All ready, sir.”
“Now look here, Tomlin.”
As he spoke11, the doctor picked up a dead but wet branch, and, sheltering himself under the tarpaulin, began to whittle12 it with his penknife. He found, of course, that the interior of the branch was dry. The thin morsels14 which he sliced off were handed to Slag, who placed them with great care in the heart of a bundle of very small twigs resembling a crow’s nest. A place had been reserved for this bundle or nest, in the heart of the large pile of branches lying on the ground. Meanwhile, Slag held the nest ready in his hands.
“Now, Tomlin, get out your matches,” said the doctor.
With the utmost care the anxious man unfolded the kerchief, and, opening the box, looked into it earnestly.
“Wet?” asked Hayward.
Tomlin shook his head. “I fear they are.” He took one out, while the whole party assembled round him to note the result.
The first match dropped its head like a piece of soft putty when scraped on the lid. The second did the same, and a suppressed groan15 escaped from the little group, for it could be seen that there were not more than ten or twelve matches in the box altogether. Again and again a match was struck with similar result. The fifth, however, crackled a little, and rekindled16, sinking hope in the observers, though it failed to kindle17 itself. The seventh burst at once into a bright blaze and almost drew forth19 a cheer, which, however, was checked when a puff20 of wind blew out the new-born flame.
“Och! let Bob Massey try it!” cried O’Connor. “Sure he’s used to workin’ in throublesome weather.”
“Right, boy,” said Slag, “hand it to the coxs’n.”
Tomlin readily obeyed, only too glad to get some of the failure shifted to other shoulders.
Massey readily undertook the task, and success attended his first effort.
“I knowed it!” said Nellie, in a quiet tone, as she saw the bright flame leap up and almost set her husband’s beard on fire. “Bob never fails!”
The burning match was quickly plunged21 into Hayward’s handful of shavings, which blazed up as he thrust it into Slag’s nest; and Slag, holding the nest with the tender care of a loving sick-nurse and the cool indifference22 of a salamander till it was a flaming ball, crammed23 it into the heart of the pile of sticks. Tremendous was the volume of smoke that arose from the pile, and anxious were the looks riveted24 on it.
“Oh, me!” sighed Peggy in a voice of mild despair.
“No fear, it’s all right,” said Massey, in a confident tone, while Joe Slag, on his knees, with cheeks inflated27 and nose all but kindling28, blew at the glowing heart with unwearied determination, regardless alike of friend and foe29.
“Any child might tell that,” said Nellie, with a light laugh.
The laugh seemed infectious, for the whole party joined in as a glorious gush31 of flame rushed among the sticks, dried up the dampness, and effectually changed the pillar of smoke into a pillar of fire.
The fire thus kindled18 was rightly deemed of such vital importance that it was not permitted to go out thereafter for many months, being watched night and day by members of the party appointed to the duty by turns. It had, indeed, not a few narrow escapes, and more than once succeeded in reaching what appeared to be its last spark, but was always caught in time and recovered, and thus was kept burning until a discovery was made which rendered such constant attendance and care unnecessary.
“Now,” said Dr Hayward, when the fire was safely established, “we have not much daylight left, so it behoves us to make the most of it. You are a man of action and experience, Robert Massey, what would you advise us to do first?”
“Well, doctor, since you’re good enough to ask me, I would advise that we should appoint a leader. You see, mates,” he continued, addressing himself to the company in general, “there’s no possibility of a ship gettin’ along without a captain, or an army without a general. If we was going off to a wreck4 now, with or without a lifeboat, I would claim a sort o’ right to be coxswain in virtue32 o’ past experience; but, as we’ve now begun a sort o’ shore-goin’ business, which requires a deal o’ general knowledge, besides seamanship, an’ as Dr Hayward has got that by edication, I move that we make him our leader.”
“Right you are, Bob,” said Joe Slag. (“As he always is,” said Nellie, sotto voce.) “So I second the move—if that’s the reg’lar way to do it.”
“Hear, hear!” said every one with right good will, and a gleam of pride flashed from Eva’s pretty brown eyes as her husband was thus unanimously appointed leader of the shipwrecked band.
Like a sensible man, knowing his capacity, he at once accepted the command without any display of undue33 modesty34, and proved his fitness by at once going to work.
“The first thing, then, is to thank God for our deliverance, which we all do, I am sure, most heartily35.”
This was received with a responsive “Amen” from every one—not even excepting Black Ned.
“Next, we must find fresh water and boil a bit of pork—”
“Ah, then, we haven’t a kittle!” exclaimed O’Connor.
“Haven’t we a big baling-dish, Terrence?” said Hayward.
“Well, then, you go fetch it; wash it well out and get the pork ready. Jarring and Tomlin will gather as much dead wood as they can find and pile it beside the fire. Mitford will search for fresh water—there must be a spring or brook37 not far off—and Massey and I will rig up some sort of shelter for the night.”
“Please, sir, may I go with Mitford to seek for water?” asked Nellie.
“By all means, if you wish to.”
“And I will keep you company, Nell,” said Mrs Hayward energetically.
“So will I,” chimed in little Mrs Mitford, feebly. “I was always fond of water. As a child I used to paddle about in it continually, an’ sometimes tumbled into it, for of course young people will—”
“No, Peggy, you must sit by the fire with my wife,” said the doctor. “Neither of you is fit for work of any kind yet, so sit down and warm yourselves.”
Eva was too wise and Peggy too weak to offer objection, so these two sat by the fire while the others went to work.
Energy of action tends to lighten the burdens that may be laid on human spirits, and to induce the most favourable38 view of the worst circumstances. The toil39 which the party now undertook was such a blessed relief to them after the prolonged exposure to cold and comparative inaction in the boat, that all returned to the camp-fire in a much more cheerful state of mind than they left it. The searchers for water came back first, having found what they sought close at hand; and Terrence, filling his baling-dish, soon had the pork boiling, along with some mysterious herbs gathered by the doctor to convert the liquid into soup. Tomlin and Black Ned returned heavily laden40 with firewood, and Bob Massey discovered a tree with branches sufficiently41 spreading and leafy to protect them to some extent from rain.
“’Tis as well we have found overhead protection, Massey,” said the doctor, when our coxswain led him to the spot, “for I have been thinking that as we have no blankets, we shall be obliged to use our tarpaulin as a quilt rather than an umbrella.”
“That’s true, sir,” returned Massey, “but how about the women?”
“Well, I’ve been thinking about that,” said Hayward, “and I’ve devised a plan for to-night at least; to-morrow I hope to hit on a better arrangement. First of all, we’ll spread in front of a fire, which we will kindle beneath this tree, a layer of branches and grass. In the middle of this the women will lie down side by side, after having dried and warmed themselves thoroughly at the fire. Then we’ll take two of the floor planks42 from the boat, and put one on each side of them—partially frame them, as it were. Then one half of us men will lie down on one side of the frame, the other half on the other side, and we’ll draw the tarpaulin over us all.”
“Hm! not very comfortable,” said Massey, “for the poor women to be framed like that.”
“Admitted; but what else can we do?” said Hayward. “It would risk our lives to sleep without covering of any kind in such cold weather, and with sleet43 falling as it does now. Better have the sheet spread upon us than merely over our heads. So now let’s kindle another fire, and do you arrange our couch, Bob.”
In spite of the cold and the sleet, things looked much more cosy44 than persons unacquainted with “roughing it” could believe possible, and they became comparatively happy when the couch was spread, and they were seated under the sheltering tree, with the fire blazing and crackling in front of them, suffusing45 their faces and persons and the leaf-canopy overhead with a deep red glare, that contrasted well with the ebony-black surroundings, while a rich odour of pork soup exhaled46 from the baling-dish.
“Ah! now there’s nothin’ wantin’ to produce parfit felicity but a pipe,” said O’Connor with a sigh.
“That’s so, lad,” assented47 Tomlin, echoing the sigh, and feeling in his pocket from force of habit, though he knew too well that nothing was to be found there.
“Here, Terrence,” said Massey, handing him an empty pipe, at the same time asking him to shut his eyes and draw, and try to imagine himself smoking, but Terrence shook his head.
“I couldn’t do that, Bob,” he said, “but I’ll sing ye a stave in praise o’ the weed.”
“Oh! it’s ’baccy as is my chief joy,
At mornin’, noon and night;
An’ it’s verily my belief, boy,
That I love it with all my might.
If your liver an’ lungs are squeakin’,
An’ your head is growin’ cracky,
There’s nothin’ so sure to kill or cure,
“If it would improve your voice, Terrence,” observed Mr Mitford, meekly50, “I’m sure I wish ye had pounds of it, for it’s that harsh—though, of course, I make no pretence51 to music myself, but—”
“Just listen to that now, ‘Harsh!’ an’ that to a man whose own mother, by the father’s side, towld him he shud make music his purfession! Arrah, howld on, Black Ned, ye spalpeen; ye’ve had two helpin’s already!”
This latter remark had reference to the baling-dish of soup which was being passed round the party, so that each might help himself to two mouthfuls of soup before passing it on. As they had no spoons, the doctor had extemporised ladles of folded bark which served the purpose pretty well.
“Haven’t ye a small bit o’ ’baccy in the corner o’ wan o’ yer pockets, doctor, dear?” asked Terrence, insinuatingly52. “May be ye’d find a morsel13 if ye’d try.”
“Quite useless to try, my poor fellow,” returned the doctor, with a look of affected53 pity, “for I’m a non-smoker. I never indulge in such an absurdity54.”
“Sure, it’s a true proverb that says ‘doctor’s differ,’” retorted O’Connor, “for most o’ the saw-bones of my acquaintance have smoked like lime kilns55.”
“More’s the pity, Terrence, but if you’ll heave on some more firewood you’ll have a smoke that may do as a substitute at present.”
By heaping quantities of fresh branches on the fire till it was large enough to roast an ox, the party managed to pass the night in comparative comfort, in spite of cold and sleet. Hayward watched the fire during the first part of the night. Then he was relieved by our coxswain, who was succeeded by Joe Slag, and no Vestal virgins56 ever tended their fire with more anxious solicitude57 than those three men guarded theirs during that first night on the island.
As if to make up for the sufferings of the past few days, the morning that followed broke with unclouded splendour, and the rising sun shone upon as beautiful a scene as could well be imagined, for it revealed an island richly clothed with verdure, which, rising out of a calm blue sea, sloped gradually upwards58, until its western ridge59 met the bright sky. Evidently that terminating ridge was the place whence descended60 the precipitous cliffs, along which they had sailed immediately after leaving the cave of the wreck.
There is no accounting61 for the eccentricities62 of weak-minded females, whether pretty or plain. The first thing that pretty little Mrs Mitford exclaimed on opening her eyes and beholding63 the glorious view was—
If she had expressed a desire for elephant chops, she could not have taken Eva Hayward more by surprise. As for Nell Massey, she went off into a hilarious65 giggle66.
“I fear there are no oysters hereabouts,” said Hayward, “but I shouldn’t wonder if we were to find mussels and things of that sort. Come, lads, we’ll go and have a search for them, while the ladies fill and boil our kettle.”
Limpets, mussels, and other shell-fish were found in great abundance. With these warm soup was soon made, and after a hearty67 breakfast, Hayward organised the party in two bands which were sent off in different directions to explore the island, Peggy and her husband being left behind to cook the dinner and keep up the fire.
点击
收听单词发音
收听单词发音 |
1
evoked
|
|
| [医]诱发的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
2
drizzling
|
|
| 下蒙蒙细雨，下毛毛雨( drizzle的现在分词 ) | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
3
wrecked
|
|
| adj.失事的，遇难的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
4
wreck
|
|
| n.失事，遇难；沉船；vt.(船等)失事，遇难 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
5
tarpaulin
|
|
| n.涂油防水布，防水衣，防水帽 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
6
underneath
|
|
| adj.在...下面，在...底下；adv.在下面 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
7
twigs
|
|
| 细枝，嫩枝( twig的名词复数 ) | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
8
snug
|
|
| adj.温暖舒适的，合身的，安全的；v.使整洁干净，舒适地依靠，紧贴；n.（英）酒吧里的私房 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
9
thoroughly
|
|
| adv.完全地，彻底地，十足地 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
10
slag
|
|
| n.熔渣，铁屑，矿渣；v.使变成熔渣，变熔渣 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
11
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： |
|
|
|
|
12
whittle
|
|
| v.削（木头），削减；n.屠刀 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
13
morsel
|
|
| n.一口，一点点 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
14
morsels
|
|
| n.一口( morsel的名词复数 )；（尤指食物）小块，碎屑 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
15
groan
|
|
| vi./n.呻吟，抱怨；(发出)呻吟般的声音 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
16
rekindled
|
|
| v.使再燃( rekindle的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
17
kindle
|
|
| v.点燃，着火 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
18
kindled
|
|
| （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 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
19
forth
|
|
| adv.向前；向外，往外 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
20
puff
|
|
| n.一口(气)；一阵(风)；v.喷气，喘气 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
21
plunged
|
|
| v.颠簸( plunge的过去式和过去分词 )；暴跌；骤降；突降 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
22
indifference
|
|
| n.不感兴趣，不关心，冷淡，不在乎 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
23
crammed
|
|
| adj.塞满的，挤满的；大口地吃；快速贪婪地吃v.把…塞满；填入；临时抱佛脚( cram的过去式) | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
24
riveted
|
|
| 铆接( rivet的过去式和过去分词 )； 把…固定住； 吸引； 引起某人的注意 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
25
smothered
|
|
| （使）窒息， （使）透不过气( smother的过去式和过去分词 )； 覆盖； 忍住； 抑制 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
26
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： |
|
|
|
|
27
inflated
|
|
| adj.（价格）飞涨的；（通货）膨胀的；言过其实的；充了气的v.使充气（于轮胎、气球等）( inflate的过去式和过去分词 )；（使）膨胀；（使）通货膨胀；物价上涨 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
28
kindling
|
|
| n. 点火, 可燃物 动词kindle的现在分词形式 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
29
foe
|
|
| n.敌人，仇敌 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
30
dismal
|
|
| adj.阴沉的，凄凉的，令人忧郁的，差劲的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
31
gush
|
|
| v.喷，涌；滔滔不绝(说话)；n.喷，涌流；迸发 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
32
virtue
|
|
| n.德行，美德；贞操；优点；功效，效力 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
33
undue
|
|
| adj.过分的；不适当的；未到期的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
34
modesty
|
|
| n.谦逊，虚心，端庄，稳重，羞怯，朴素 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
35
heartily
|
|
| adv.衷心地，诚恳地，十分，很 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
36
wan
|
|
| (wide area network)广域网 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
37
brook
|
|
| n.小河，溪；v.忍受，容让 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
38
favourable
|
|
| adj.赞成的，称赞的，有利的，良好的，顺利的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
39
toil
|
|
| vi.辛劳工作，艰难地行动；n.苦工，难事 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
40
laden
|
|
| adj.装满了的；充满了的；负了重担的；苦恼的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
41
sufficiently
|
|
| adv.足够地，充分地 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
42
planks
|
|
| （厚）木板( plank的名词复数 )； 政纲条目，政策要点 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
43
sleet
|
|
| n.雨雪；v.下雨雪，下冰雹 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
44
cosy
|
|
| adj.温暖而舒适的，安逸的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
45
suffusing
|
|
| v.（指颜色、水气等）弥漫于，布满( suffuse的现在分词 ) | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
46
exhaled
|
|
| v.呼出，发散出( exhale的过去式和过去分词 )；吐出（肺中的空气、烟等），呼气 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
47
assented
|
|
| 同意，赞成( assent的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
48
jovial
|
|
| adj.快乐的，好交际的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
49
fumes
|
|
| n.(强烈而刺激的)气味，气体 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
50
meekly
|
|
| adv.温顺地，逆来顺受地 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
51
pretence
|
|
| n.假装，作假；借口，口实；虚伪；虚饰 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
52
insinuatingly
|
|
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
53
affected
|
|
| adj.不自然的，假装的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
54
absurdity
|
|
| n.荒谬，愚蠢；谬论 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
55
kilns
|
|
| n.窑( kiln的名词复数 )；烧窑工人 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
56
virgins
|
|
| 处女，童男( virgin的名词复数 )； 童贞玛利亚（耶稣之母） | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
57
solicitude
|
|
| n.焦虑 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
58
upwards
|
|
| adv.向上，在更高处...以上 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
59
ridge
|
|
| n.山脊；鼻梁；分水岭 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
60
descended
|
|
| a.为...后裔的，出身于...的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
61
accounting
|
|
| n.会计，会计学，借贷对照表 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
62
eccentricities
|
|
| n.古怪行为( eccentricity的名词复数 )；反常；怪癖 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
63
beholding
|
|
| v.看，注视( behold的现在分词 )；瞧；看呀；（叙述中用于引出某人意外的出现）哎哟 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
64
oysters
|
|
| 牡蛎( oyster的名词复数 ) | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
65
hilarious
|
|
| adj.充满笑声的，欢闹的；[反]depressed | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
66
giggle
|
|
| n.痴笑，咯咯地笑；v.咯咯地笑着说 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
67
hearty
|
|
| adj.热情友好的；衷心的；尽情的，纵情的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
| 欢迎访问英文小说网 |