The method by which Mr. and Mrs. Ware2 undertook to teach Henry a sense of responsibility was an increase of work. Founding a new state was no light matter, and he must do his share. Since he loved to fish, it became his duty to supply the table with fish, and that, too, at regular hours, and he also began to think of traps and snares3, which he would set in the autumn for game. It was always wise for the pioneer to save his powder and lead, the most valuable of his possessions and the hardest to obtain. Any food that could be procured5 without its use was a welcome addition.
But fishing remained his easiest task, and he did it all with a pole that he cut with his clasp knife, a string and a little piece of bent6 and stiffened7 wire. He caught perch8, bass9, suckers, trout10, sunfish, catfish11, and other kinds, the names of which he did not know. Sometimes when his hook and line had brought him all that was needed, and the day was hot, he would take off his clothing and plunge12 into the deep, cool pools. Often his friend, Paul Cotter, was with him. Paul was a year younger than Henry, and not so big. Hence the larger boy felt himself, in a certain sense, Paul's teacher and protector, which gave him a comfortable feeling, and a desire to help his comrade as much as he could.
He taught the smaller lad new tricks in swimming, and scarcely a day passed when two sunburned, barefooted boys did not go to the river, quickly throw off their clothing, and jump into the clear water. There they swam and floated for a long time, dived, and ducked each other, and then lay on the grass in the sun until they dried.
"Paul," said Henry once, as they were stretched thus on the bank, "wouldn't you like to have nothing to do, but wander through the woods just as you pleased, sleep wherever you wished, and kill game when you grew hungry, just like the Indians?"
Henry's eyes were on the black line of the forest, and the blue haze13 of the sky beyond. His spirit was away in the depths of the unknown.
"I don't know," replied Paul. "I guess a white boy has to become a white man, after a while, and they say that the difference between a white man and the Indian is that the white man has to work."
"But the Indians get along without it," said Henry.
"No they don't," replied Paul. "We win all the country because we've learned how to do things while we are working."
Yet Henry was unconvinced, and his thoughts wandered far into the black forest and the blue haze.
The cattle pastured near the deepest of the swimming holes, and it often fell to the lot of the boys to bring them into the palisade at sunset. This was a duty of no little importance, because if any of the cattle wandered away into the forest and were lost, they could not be replaced. It was now the latter half of summer, and the grass and foliage14 were fast turning brown in the heat. Late on the afternoon of one of the very hottest days Henry and Paul went to the deepest swimming hole. There had not been a breath of air stirring since morning; not a blade of grass, not a leaf quivered. The skies burned like a sheet of copper15.
The boys panted, and their clothing, wet with perspiration16, clung to them. The earth was hot under their feet. Quickly they threw off their garments and sprang into the water. How cool and grateful it felt! There they lingered long, and did not notice the sudden obscurity of the sun and darkening of the southwest.
A slight wind sprang up presently, and the dry leaves and grass began to rustle17. There was thunder in the distance and a stroke of lightning. The boys were aroused, and scrambling18 out of the water put on their clothing.
"A storm's coming," said Henry, who was weatherwise, "and we must get the cattle in."
These sons of the forest did not fear rain, but they hurried on their clothing, and they noticed, too, how rapidly the storm was gathering19. The heat had been great for days, and the earth was parched20 and thirsty. The men had talked in the evening of rain, and said how welcome it would be, and now the boys shared the general feeling. The drought would be ended. The thirsty earth would drink deep and grow green again.
The rolling clouds, drawn21 like a great curtain over the southwest, advanced and covered all the heavens. The flashes of lightning followed each other so fast that, at times, they seemed continuous; the forest groaned22 as it bent before the wind. Then the great drops fell, and soon they were beating the earth like volleys of pistol bullets. Fragments of boughs24, stripped off by the wind, swept by. Never had the boys in their Eastern home known such thunder and lightning. The roar of one was always in their ears, and the flash of the other always in their eyes.
The frightened cattle were gathered into a group, pressing close together for company and protection. The boys hurried them toward the stockade25, but one cow, driven by terror, broke from the rest and ran toward the woods. Agile26 Henry, not willing to lose a single straggler, pursued the fugitive27, and Paul, wishing to be as zealous28, followed. The rest of the cattle, being so near and obeying the force of habit, went on into the stockade.
It was the wildest cow of the herd29 that made a plunge for the woods, and Henry, knowing her nature, expected trouble. So he ran as fast as he could, and he was not aware until they were in the forest that Paul was close behind him. Then he shouted:
"Go back, Paul! I'll bring her in."
But Paul would not turn. There was fire in his blood. He considered it as much his duty to help as it was Henry's. Moreover, he would not desert his comrade.
The fugitive, driven by the storm acting30 upon its wild nature, continued at great speed, and the panting boys were not able to overtake her. So on the trio went, plunging31 through the woods, and saving themselves from falls, or collisions with trees, only by the light from the flashes of lightning. Many boys, even on the border, would have turned back, but there was something tenacious32 in Henry's nature; he had undertaken to do a thing, and he did not wish to give it up. Besides that cow was too valuable. And Paul would not leave his comrade.
Away the cow went, and behind her ran her pursuers. The rain came rushing and roaring through the woods, falling now in sheets, while overhead the lightning still burned, and the thunder still crashed, though with less frequency. Both the boys were drenched33, but they did not mind it; they did not even know it at the time. The lightning died presently, the thunder ceased to rumble34, and then the darkness fell like a great blanket over the whole forest. The chase was blotted35 out from them, and the two boys, stopping, grasped each other's hands for the sake of company. They could not see twenty feet before them, but the rain still poured.
"We'll have to give her up," said Henry reluctantly. "We couldn't follow a whole herd of buffaloes37 in all this black night."
"Maybe we can find her to-morrow," said Paul.
"Maybe so," replied Henry. "We've got to wait anyhow. Let's go home."
They started back for Wareville, keeping close together, lest they lose each other in the darkness, and they realized suddenly that they were uncomfortable. The rain was coming in such sheets directly in their faces that it half blinded them, now and then their feet sank deep in mire38 and their drenched bodies began to grow cold. The little log houses in which they lived now seemed to them palaces, fit for a king, and they hastened their footsteps, often tripping on vines or running into bushes. But Henry was trying to see through the dark woods.
"We ought to be near the clearing," he said.
They stopped and looked all about, seeking to see a light. They knew that one would be shining from the tower of the blockhouse as a guide to them. But they saw none. They had misjudged the distance, so they thought, and they pushed on a half hour longer, but there was still no light, nor did they come to a clearing. Then they paused. Dark as it was each saw a look of dismay on the face of the other.
"We've come the wrong way!" exclaimed Paul.
"Maybe we have," reluctantly admitted Henry.
But their dismay lasted only a little while. They were strong boys, used to the wilderness, and they did not fear even darkness and wandering through the woods. Moreover, they were sure that they should find Wareville long before midnight.
They changed their course and continued the search. The rain ceased by and by, the clouds left the heavens, and the moon came out, but they saw nothing familiar about them. The great woods were dripping with water, and it was the only sound they heard, besides that made by themselves. They stopped again, worn out and disconsolate39 at last. All their walking only served to confuse them the more. Neither now had any idea of the direction in which Wareville lay, and to be lost in the wilderness was a most desperate matter. They might travel a thousand miles, should strength last them for so great a journey, and never see a single human being. They leaned against the rough bark of a great oak tree, and stared blankly at each other.
"What are we to do?" asked Paul.
"I can't say," replied Henry.
The two boys still looked blank, but at last they laughed—and each laughed at the other's grewsome face. Then they began once more to cast about them. The cold had passed and warm winds were blowing up from the south. The forest was drying, and Henry and Paul, taking off their coats, wrung40 the water from them. They were strong lads, inured41 to many hardships of the border and the forest, and they did not fear ill results from a mere42 wetting. Nevertheless, they wished to be comfortable, and under the influence of the warm wind they soon found themselves dry again. But they were so intensely sleepy that they could scarcely keep their eyes open, and now the wilderness training of both came into use.
It was a hilly country, with many outcroppings of stone and cavelike openings in the sides of the steep but low hills, and such a place as this the boys now sought. But it was a long hunt and they grew more tired and sleepy at every step. They were hungry, too, but if they might only sleep they could forget that. They heard again the hooting43 of owls44 and the wind, moaning among the leaves, made strange noises. Once there was a crash in a thicket45 beside them, and they jumped in momentary46 alarm, but it was only a startled deer, far more scared than they, running through the bushes, and Henry was ashamed of his nervous impulse.
They found at last their resting place, a sheltered ledge47 of dry stone in the hollow of a hill. The stone arched above them, and it was dark in the recess48, but the boys were too tired now to worry about shadows. They crept into the hollow, and, scraping up fallen leaves to soften49 the hard stone, lay down. Both were off to slumberland in less than five minutes.
The hollow faced the East, and the bright sun, shining into their eyes, awakened50 them at last. Henry sprang up, amazed. The skies were a silky blue, with little white clouds sailing here and there. The forest, new-washed by the rain, smelt51 clean and sweet. The south wind was still blowing. The world was bright and beautiful, but he was conscious of an acute pain at the center of his being. That is, he was increasingly hungry. Paul showed equal surprise, and was a prey52 to the same annoying sensation in an important region. He looked up at the sun, and found that it was almost directly overhead, indicating noon.
All the country about them was strange, an unbroken expanse of hill and forest, and nowhere a sign of a human being. They scrutinized53 the horizon with the keen eyes of boyhood, but they saw no line of smoke, rising from the chimneys of Wareville. Whether the villages lay north or south or east or west of them they did not know, and the wind that sighed so gently through the forest never told. They were alone in the wilderness and they knew, moreover, that the wilderness was very vast and they were very small. But Henry and Paul did not despair; in fact no such thought entered Henry's mind. Instead he began to find a certain joy in the situation; it appealed to his courage. They resolved to find something to eat, and they used first a temporary cure for the pangs55 of hunger. Each had a strong clasp knife and they cut strips of the soft inner bark of the slippery-elm tree, which they chewed, drawing from it a little strength and sustenance56. They found an hour or two later some nearly ripe wild plums, which they ate in small quantities, and, later on, ripe blackberries very juicy and sweet. Paul wanted to be voracious57, but Henry restrained him, knowing well that if he indulged liberally he might suffer worse pangs than those of hunger. Slender as was this diet the boys felt much strengthened, and their spirits rose in a wonderful manner.
"We're bound to be found sooner or later," said Henry, "and it's strange if we can't live in the woods until then."
"If we only had our guns and ammunition58," said Paul, "we could get all the meat we wanted, and live as well as if we were at home."
This was true, because in the untrodden forest the game was plentiful59 all about them, but guns and ammunition they did not have, and it was vain to wish for them. They must obtain more solid food than wild plums and blackberries, if they would retain their strength, and both boys knew it. Yet they saw no way and they continued wandering until they came to a creek60. They sat a while on its banks and looked down at the fish with which it was swarming61, and which they could see distinctly in its clear waters.
"Oh, if we only had one of those fine fellows!" said Paul.
"Then why not have him?" exclaimed Henry, a sudden flash appearing in his eye.
"Yes, why not?" replied Paul with sarcasm62. "I suppose that all we have to do is to whistle and the finest of 'em will come right out here on the bank, and ask us to cook and eat 'em."
"We haven't any hooks and lines now but we might make 'em," said Henry.
"Out of our clothes," replied Henry.
Then he proceeded to show what he meant and Paul, too, when he saw him begin, was quickly taken with the idea. They drew many long strands64 from the fiber65 of their clothing—cloth in those days was often made as strong as leather—and twisted and knotted them together until they had a line fifteen feet long. It took them at least two hours to complete this task, and then they contemplated66 their work with pride. But the look of joy on Paul's face did not last long.
"How on earth are we to get a hook, Henry?" he asked.
"I'll furnish that," replied Henry, and he took the small steel buckle67 with which his trousers were fastened together at the back. Breaking this apart he bent the slenderest portion of it into the shape of a hook, and fastened it to the end of his line.
"If we get a fish on this he may slip off or he may not, but we must try," he said.
The fishing rod and the bait were easy matters. A slender stem of dogwood, cut with a clasp knife, served for the first, and, to get the latter, they had nothing to do but turn up a flat stone, and draw angle worms from the moist earth beneath.
The hook was baited and with a triumphant68 flourish Henry swung it toward the stream.
"Now," he said, "for the biggest fish that ever swam in this creek."
The boys might have caught nothing with such a rude outfit69, but doubtless that stream was never fished in before, and its inhabitants, besides being full of a natural curiosity, did not dream of any danger coming from the outer air. Therefore they bit at the curious-looking metallic70 thing with the tempting71 food upon it which was suddenly dropped from somewhere.
But the first fish slipped off as Henry had feared, and then there was nothing to do but try again. It was not until the sixth or seventh bite that he succeeded in landing a fine perch upon the bank, and then Paul uttered a cry of triumph, but Henry, as became his superior dignity at that moment, took his victory modestly. It was in reality something to rejoice over, as these two boys were perhaps in a more dangerous situation than they, with all their knowledge of the border, understood. The wilderness was full of animal life, but it was fleeter than man, and, without weapons they were helpless.
"And now to cook him," said Henry. So speaking, he took from his pocket the flint and steel that he had learned from the men always to carry, while Paul began to gather fallen brushwood.
To light the fire Henry expected to be the easiest of their tasks, but it proved to be one of the most difficult. He struck forth72 the elusive73 sparks again and again, but they went out before setting fire to the wood. He worked until his fingers ached and then Paul relieved him. It fell to the younger boy's lot to succeed. A bright spark flying forth rested a moment among the lightest and dryest of the twigs74, igniting there. A tiny point of flame appeared, then grew and leaped up. In a few moments the great pile of brushwood was in a roaring blaze, and then the boys cooked their fish over the coals. They ate it all with supreme75 content, and they believed they could feel the blood flowing in a new current through their veins76 and their strength growing, too.
But they knew that they would have to prepare for the future and draw upon all their resources of mind and body. Their hook and line was but a slender appliance and they might not have such luck with it again. Paul suggested that they make a fish trap, of sticks tied together with strips cut from their clothing, and put it in the creek, and Henry thought it was a good idea, too. So they agreed to try it on the morrow, if they should not be found meanwhile, and then they debated the subject of snares.
The undergrowth was swarming with rabbits, and they would make most toothsome food. Rabbits they must have, and again Henry led the way. He selected a small clear spot near the thick undergrowth where a rabbit would naturally love to make his nest and around a circle about six inches in diameter he drove a number of smooth pegs77. Then he tied a strong cord made of strips of their clothing to one end of a stout78 bush, which he bent over until it curved in a semicircle. The other end of the cord was drawn in a sliding loop around the pegs, and was attached to a little wooden trigger, set in the center of the inclosure.
The slightest pressure upon this trigger would upset it, cause the noose79 to slip off the pegs and close with a jerk around the neck of anything that might have its head thrust into the inclosure. The bush, too, would fly back into place and there would be the intruder, really hanged by himself. It was the common form of snare4, devised for small game by the boys of early Kentucky, and still used by them.
Henry and Paul made four of these ingenious little contrivances, and baited them with bruised80 pieces of the small plantain leaves that the rabbits love. Then they contemplated their work again with satisfaction. But Paul suddenly began to look rueful.
"If we have to pay out part of our clothes every time we get a dinner we soon won't have any left," he said.
Henry only laughed.
It was now near sunset, and, as they had worked hard they would have been thankful for supper, but there was none to be thankful for, and they were too tired to fish again. So they concluded to go to sleep, which their hard work made very easy, and dream of abundant harvests on the morrow.
They gathered great armfuls of the fallen brushwood, littering the forest, and built a heap as high as their heads, which blazed and roared in a splendid manner, sending up, too, a column of smoke that rose far above the trees and trailed off in the blue sky.
It was a most cheerful bonfire, and it was a happy thought for the boys to build it, even aside from its uses as a signal, as the coming of night in the wilderness is always most lonesome and weird81.
They lay down near each other on the soft turf, and Henry watched the red sun sink behind the black forest in the west. The strange, sympathetic feeling for the wilderness again came into his mind. He thought once more of the mysterious regions that lay beyond the line where the black and red met. He could live in the woods, he was living now without arms, even, and if he only had his rifle and ammunition he could live in luxury. And then the wonderful freedom! That old thought came to him with renewed force. To roam as he pleased, to stop when he pleased and to sleep where he pleased! He would make a canoe, and float down the great rivers to their mouths. Then he would wander far out on the vast plains, which they say lay beyond the thousand miles of forest, and see the buffalo36 in millions go thundering by. That would be a life without care.
He fell asleep presently, but he was awakened after a while by a long-drawn plaintive82 shriek83 answered by a similar cry. Once he would have been alarmed by the sound, but now he knew it was panther talking to panther. He and Paul were unarmed, but they had something as effective as guns against panthers and that was the great bonfire which still roared and blazed near them. He was glad now for a new reason that they had built it high, because the panther's cry was so uncanny and sent such a chill down one's back. He looked at Paul, but his comrade still slept soundly, a peaceful smile showing on his face. He remembered the words of Ross that no wild animal would trouble man if man did not trouble him, and, rolling a little nearer to Paul, he shut his eyes and sought sleep.
But sleep would not come, and presently he heard the cry of the panther again but much nearer. He was lying with his ear to the ground. Now the earth is a conductor of sound and Henry was sure that he heard a soft tread. He rose upon his elbow and gazed into the darkness. There he beheld84 at last a dim form moving with sinuous85 motion, and slowly it took the shape of a great cat-like animal. Then he saw just behind it another as large, and he knew that they were the two panthers whose cries he had heard.
Henry was not frightened, although there was something weird and uncanny in the spectacle of these two powerful beasts of prey, stealing about the fire, before which two unarmed boys reposed86. He knew, however, that they were drawn not by the desire to attack, but by a kind of terrified curiosity. The fire was to them the magnet that the snake is to the fascinated bird. He longed then for his gun, the faithful little rifle that was reposing87 on the hooks over his bed in his father's house. "I'd make you cry for something," he said to himself, looking at the largest of the panthers.
The animals lingered, glaring at the boys and the fire with great red eyes, and presently Henry, doing as he had done on a former occasion, picked up a blazing torch and, shouting, rushed at them.
The panthers sprang headlong through the undergrowth, in their eagerness to get away from the terrible flaming vision that was darting88 down upon them. Their flight was so quick that they disappeared in an instant and Henry knew they would not venture near the site of the fire again in a long time. He turned back and found Paul surprised and alarmed standing89 erect90 and rubbing his eyes.
"Why—why—what's the matter?" cried Paul.
"Oh, it's nothing," replied Henry.
Then he told about the panthers. Paul did not know as much as Henry concerning panthers and the affair got on his nerves. The lonely and vast grandeur91 of the wilderness did not have the attraction for him that it had for his comrade, and he wished again for the strong log walls and comfortable roofs of Wareville. But Henry reassured92 him. The testimony93 of the hunters about the timidity of wild beasts was unanimous and he need have no fears. So Paul went to sleep again, but Henry lingered as before.
He threw fresh fuel on the fire. Then he lay down again and gradually weary nature became the master of him. The woods grew dim, and faded away, the fire vanished and he was in slumberland.
When Henry awoke it was because some one was tugging94 at his shoulder. He knew now that the Indian warriors95 had come across the Ohio, and had seized him, and he sprang up ready to make a fierce resistance.
"Don't fight, Henry! It's me—Paul!" cried a boyish voice, and Henry letting his muscles relax rubbed the sleep out of his eyes. It was Paul sure enough standing beside him, and the sun again was high up in the heavens. The fire was still burning, though it had died down somewhat.
"Come, let's see if we're going to have any," said Paul, and off they went to their snares. The first had not been touched, nor had the second. The bait was gone from the third, and the loop sprung, but there was nothing in it. The hearts of the boys sank and they thought again of wild plums and blackberries which were but a light diet. But when they came to the fourth snare their triumph was complete. A fat rabbit, caught in the loop, was hanging by the neck, beside the bush.
"It's lucky the forest is so full of game that some of it falls into our trap," said Henry.
They cooked the rabbit, and again they were so hungry that they ate it all. Then they improvised96 new fishing tackle and both boys began to fish. They knew that they must devote their whole time to this problem of food, and they decided97, for the present, not to leave the creek. They were afraid to renew the search for Wareville, lest they wander deeper into the wilderness, and moreover lose the way to the creek which seemed to be the surest source of food. So they would stay a while where they were, and keep their fire burning high as a signal to searchers.
Either the fish had learned that the curiously98 shaped thing with the tempting bait upon it was dangerous, or they had gone to visit friends in distant parts of the creek, for, at least two hours passed, without either boy getting a bite. When the fish did lay hold it was usually to slip again from the rude hook, and it was at least another hour before they caught a fish. It was Paul who achieved the feat99, and it repaid him for being asleep when the panthers came, a matter that had lain upon his mind somewhat.
They persisted in this work until Henry also made a catch and then they gathered more plums and berries. They dug up, too, the root of the Indian turnip100, an herb that burnt the mouth like fire, but which Henry said they could use, after soaking it a long time in water. Then they discussed the matter of the fish trap which they thought they could make in a day's work. This would relieve them of much toil101, but they deferred102 its beginning until the morrow, and used the rest of the day in making two more snares for rabbits.
Paul now suggested that they accumulate as much food as possible, cook it and putting it on their backs follow the creek to its mouth. He had no doubt that it emptied into the river that flowed by Wareville and then by following the stream, if his surmise103 was right, they could reach home again. It was a plausible104 theory and Henry agreed with him. Meanwhile they built their fire high again and lay down for another night's rest in the woods. The next day they devoted105 to the fish trap which was successfully completed, and put in the river, and then they took their places on the turf for the third night beside the camp fire.
The day, like its predecessor106, had been close and hot. All traces of the great rain were gone. Forest and earth were again as dry as tinder. They refreshed themselves with a swim in the creek just before lying down to sleep, but they were soon panting with the heat. It seemed to hang in heavy clouds, and the forest shut out any fresh air that might be moving high up.
Despite the great heat the boys had built the fire as high as usual, because they knew that the search for them would never cease so long as there was a hope of success, and they thought that the signal should not be lacking. But now they moved away from it and into the shadow of the woods.
"If only the wind would blow!" said Henry.
"And I'd be willing to stand a rain like the one in which we got lost," said Paul.
But neither rain nor wind came, and after a while they fell asleep. Henry was awakened at an unknown hour of the night by a roaring in his ears, and at first he believed that Paul was about to have his storm. Then he was dazzled by a great rush of light in his eyes, and he sprang to his feet in sudden alarm.
"Up, Paul!" he cried, grasping his comrade by the shoulder. "The woods are on fire!"
Paul was on his feet in an instant, and the two were just in time. Sparks flew in their faces and the flames twisting into pyramids and columns leaped from tree to tree with a sound like thunder as they came. Boughs, burnt through, fell to the ground with a crash. The sparks rose in millions.
The boys had slept in their clothes or rather what was left of them, and, grasping each other's hands, they ran at full speed toward the creek, with the great fire roaring and rushing after them. Henry looked back once but the sight terrified him and the sparks scorched107 his face. He knew that the conflagration108 had been set by their own bonfire, fanned by a rising wind as they slept, but it was no time to lament109. The rush and sweep of the flames, feeding upon the dry forest and gathering strength as they came, was terrific. It was indeed like the thunder of a storm in the ears of the frightened boys, and they fairly skimmed over the ground in the effort to escape the red pursuer. They could feel its hot breath on their necks, while the smoke and the sparks flew over their heads. They dashed into the creek, and each dived down under the water which felt so cool and refreshing110.
"Let's stay here," said Paul, who enjoyed the present.
"We can't think of such a thing," replied Henry. "This creek won't stop that fire half a minute!"
A fire in a sun-dried Western forest is a terrible thing. It rushes on at a gallop111, roaring and crackling like the battle-front of an army, and destroying everything that lies before it. It leaves but blackened stumps112 and charred113 logs behind, and it stops only when there is no longer food for it to devour114.
The boys sprang out of the creek and ran up the hill. Henry paused a moment at its crest115, and looked back again. The aspect of the fire was more frightful116 than ever. The flames leaped higher than the tops of the tallest trees, and thrust out long red twining arms, like coiling serpents. Beneath was the solid red bank of the conflagration, preceded by showers of ashes and smoke and sparks. The roar increased and was like that of many great guns in battle.
"Paul!" exclaimed Henry seizing his comrade's hand again. "We've got to run, as we've never run before! It's for our lives now!"
It was in good truth for their lives, and bending low their heads, the two boys, hand in hand, raced through the forest, with the ruthless pursuer thundering after them. Henry as he ran, glanced back once more and saw that the fire was gaining upon them. The serpents of flame were coming nearer and nearer and the sparks flew over their heads in greater showers. Paul was panting, and being the younger and smaller of the two his strength was now failing. Henry felt his comrade dragging upon his hand. If he freed himself from Paul's grasp he could run faster, but he remembered his silent resolve to take Paul back to his people. Even were it not for those others at Wareville he could never desert his friend at such a moment. So he pulled on Paul's hand to hasten his speed, and together the boys went on.
The two noticed presently that they were not alone in their flight, a circumstance that had escaped them in the first hurry and confusion. Deer and rabbits, too, flew before the hurricane of fire. The deer were in a panic of terror, and a great stag ran for a few moments beside the boys, not noticing them, or, in his fear of greater evil, having no fear of human beings who were involved in the same danger. Three or four buffaloes, too, presently joined the frightened herd of game, one, a great bull running with head down and blowing steam from his nostrils117.
"I can't go on! Let me stay here and you save yourself, Henry!"
Henry looked back at the great fiery119 wall that swept over the ground, roaring like a storm. It was very near now and the smoke almost blinded him. A boy with a spirit less stanch120 than his might well have fled in a panic, leaving his companion to his death. But the nearer the danger came the more resolute121 Henry grew. He saw, too, that he must sting Paul into renewed action.
"Get up!" he exclaimed, and he jerked the fainting boy to his feet. Then, snatching a stick, he struck Paul several smart blows on his back. Paul cried out with the sudden pain, and, stimulated122 by it into physical action, began to run with renewed speed.
"That's right, Paul!" cried Henry, dropping his stick and seizing his comrade again by the hand. "One more big try and we'll get away! Just over this hill here it's open ground, and the fire will have to stop!"
It was a guess, only made to encourage Paul, and Henry had small hope that it would come true, but when they reached the brow of the hill both uttered a shout of delight. There was no forest for perhaps a quarter of a mile beyond, and down the center of the open glittered a silver streak123 that meant running water.
"See, Paul! See!" he exclaimed. "Here's safety! Now we'll run!"
How they did run! The sight gave them new strength. They shot out of that terrible forest and across the short dry grass, burnt brown by late summer days, running for life toward the flowing water. They did not stop to notice the size of the stream, but plunged125 at once into its current.
Henry sank with a mighty126 splash, and went down, down, it seemed to him, a mile. Then his feet touched a hard, rocky bottom, and he shot back to the surface, spluttering and blowing the water out of eyes, mouth and nostrils. A brown head was bobbing beside him. He seized it by the hair, pulled it up, and disclosed the features of Paul, his comrade. Paul, too, began to splutter and at the same time to try to swim.
Splash!
A heavy body struck the water beside them with a thud too great for that of a man. It was the stag leaping also for safety and he began to swim about, looking at the boys with great pathetic eyes, as if he would ask them what he ought to do next for his life. Apparently127 his fear of mankind had passed for the moment. They were bound together by the community of danger.
Splash! Splash! Splash!
The water resounded128 like the beating of a bass drum. Three more deer, a buffalo, and any number of smaller game sprang into the stream, and remained there swimming or wading129.
"Here, Paul! Here's a bar that we can stand on," said Henry who had found a footing. At the same time he grasped Paul by the wrist, and drew him to the bar. There they stood in the water to their necks, and watched the great fire as it divided at the little prairie, and swept around them, passing to left and right. It was a grim sight. All the heavens seemed ablaze130, and the clouds of smoke were suffocating131. Even there in the river the heat was most oppressive, and at times the faces of the boys were almost scorched. Then they would thrust their heads under the water, and keep them there as long as they could hold their breath, coming up again greatly refreshed. The wild game clustered near in common terror.
"It's a lucky thing for us the river and prairie are here," said Henry. "Another half mile and we'd have been ashes."
Paul was giving thanks under his breath, and watching the fire with awe-stricken eyes. It swept past them and rushed on, in a great red cloud, that ate all in its path and gave forth much noise.
It was now on the far side of the prairie, and soon began to grow smaller in the distance. Yet so great was the wall of fire that it was long in sight, dying at last in a red band under the horizon. Even then all the skies were still filled with drifting smoke and ashes.
The boys looked back at the path over which they had come, and although the joy of escape was still upon them it was with real grief that they beheld the stricken forest, lately so grand a sight. It was now but a desolate132 and blackened ruin. Here and there charred trunks stood like the chimneys of burned houses, and others lay upon the ground like fallen and smoking rafters. Scattered133 about were great beds of living coals, where the brush had been thickest, and smoke rose in columns from the burned grass and hot earth. It was all like some great temple destroyed by fire; and such it was, the grandest of all temples, the natural temple of the forest.
"I guess we did," responded Henry, "but we didn't know our spark would grow into so great a blaze."
They swam to the bank and walked toward the remains135 of the forest. But the ground was still hot to their feet, and the smoke troubled them. Near the edge of the wood they found a deer still alive and with a broken leg, tripped in its panic-stricken flight or struck by a fallen tree. Henry approached cautiously and slew136 him with his clasp knife. He felt strong pity as the fallen animal looked at him with great mournful eyes, but they were two hungry boys, and they must have a food supply if they would live in the woods.
They cleaned and dressed the deer and found that the carcass was as much as they could carry. But with great toil they lifted it over the hot ground, and then across another little prairie, until they came to woods only partially137 burned. There they hung the body to the bough23 of a tree, out of the reach of beasts of prey.
Then they took thought for the future. Barring the deer which would last some time they would now have to begin all over again, but they resolved to spend the rest of the present day, there under the shade of the trees. They were too much exhausted138 with exertion139 and excitement to undertake any new risk just yet.
Paul was afflicted140 with a great longing141 for home that afternoon. The fire and their narrow escape were still on his nerves. His muscular fiber was not so enduring as that of Henry, and the wilderness did not make so keen an appeal to him. Their hardships were beginning to weigh upon him and he thought all the time of Wareville, and the comfortable little log houses and the certain and easy supplies of food. Henry knew what was on his comrade's mind but he did not upbraid142 him for weakness of spirit. He, too, had memories of Wareville, and he pitied the grief of their people who must now be mourning them as lost forever. But he had been thinking long and hard and he had a plan. Finally he announced to Paul that they would build a raft.
"I believe this is the same river that runs by Wareville," he said. "I never heard Ross or Shif'less Sol or any of the men speak of another river, near enough for us to have reached it, since we've been wandering around. So it must be the same. Now either we are above Wareville or we are below it. We've got to guess at that and take the risk of it. We can roll a lot of the logs and timber into the river, tie 'em together, and float with the stream until we come to Wareville."
"But if we never come to it?" asked Paul.
"Then all we have to do is to get off the raft and follow the river back up the bank. Then we are sure to reach home."
This was so plausible that Paul was full of enthusiasm and they decided that they would set to work on the raft early in the morning.
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1
wilderness
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| n.杳无人烟的一片陆地、水等，荒漠 | |
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ware
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| n.(常用复数)商品，货物 | |
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3
snares
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| n.陷阱( snare的名词复数 )；圈套；诱人遭受失败（丢脸、损失等）的东西；诱惑物v.用罗网捕捉，诱陷，陷害( snare的第三人称单数 ) | |
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snare
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| n.陷阱，诱惑，圈套；（去除息肉或者肿瘤的）勒除器；响弦，小军鼓；vt.以陷阱捕获，诱惑 | |
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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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bent
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| n.爱好，癖好；adj.弯的；决心的，一心的 | |
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stiffened
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| 加强的 | |
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perch
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| n.栖木，高位，杆；v.栖息，就位，位于 | |
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bass
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| n.男低音(歌手)；低音乐器；低音大提琴 | |
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trout
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| n.鳟鱼；鲑鱼(属) | |
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catfish
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| n.鲶鱼 | |
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plunge
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| v.跳入，(使)投入，(使)陷入；猛冲 | |
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haze
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| n.霾，烟雾；懵懂，迷糊；vi.(over)变模糊 | |
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14
foliage
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| n.叶子，树叶，簇叶 | |
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copper
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| n.铜；铜币；铜器；adj.铜(制)的；(紫)铜色的 | |
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perspiration
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| n.汗水；出汗 | |
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rustle
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| v.沙沙作响；偷盗(牛、马等)；n.沙沙声声 | |
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18
scrambling
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| v.快速爬行( scramble的现在分词 )；攀登；争夺；（军事飞机）紧急起飞 | |
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gathering
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| n.集会，聚会，聚集 | |
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20
parched
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| adj.焦干的；极渴的；v.（使）焦干 | |
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drawn
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| v.拖，拉，拔出；adj.憔悴的，紧张的 | |
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groaned
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| v.呻吟( groan的过去式和过去分词 )；发牢骚；抱怨；受苦 | |
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23
bough
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| n.大树枝，主枝 | |
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boughs
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| 大树枝( bough的名词复数 ) | |
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stockade
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| n.栅栏，围栏；v.用栅栏防护 | |
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26
agile
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| adj.敏捷的，灵活的 | |
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fugitive
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| adj.逃亡的，易逝的；n.逃犯，逃亡者 | |
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28
zealous
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| adj.狂热的，热心的 | |
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herd
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| n.兽群，牧群；vt.使集中，把…赶在一起 | |
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30
acting
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| n.演戏，行为，假装；adj.代理的，临时的，演出用的 | |
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31
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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32
tenacious
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| adj.顽强的，固执的，记忆力强的，粘的 | |
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drenched
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| adj.湿透的；充满的v.使湿透( drench的过去式和过去分词 )；在某人（某物）上大量使用（某液体） | |
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34
rumble
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| n.隆隆声；吵嚷；v.隆隆响；低沉地说 | |
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35
blotted
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| 涂污( blot的过去式和过去分词 )； （用吸墨纸）吸干 | |
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36
buffalo
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| n.(北美)野牛；(亚洲)水牛 | |
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37
buffaloes
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| n.水牛（分非洲水牛和亚洲水牛两种）( buffalo的名词复数 )；（南非或北美的）野牛；威胁；恐吓 | |
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38
mire
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| n.泥沼，泥泞；v.使...陷于泥泞，使...陷入困境 | |
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39
disconsolate
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| adj.忧郁的，不快的 | |
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40
wrung
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| 绞( wring的过去式和过去分词 )； 握紧（尤指别人的手）； 把（湿衣服）拧干； 绞掉（水） | |
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41
inured
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| adj.坚强的，习惯的 | |
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mere
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| adj.纯粹的；仅仅，只不过 | |
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43
hooting
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| （使）作汽笛声响，作汽车喇叭声( hoot的现在分词 )； 倒好儿； 倒彩 | |
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44
owls
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| n.猫头鹰( owl的名词复数 ) | |
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45
thicket
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| n.灌木丛，树林 | |
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momentary
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| adj.片刻的，瞬息的；短暂的 | |
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47
ledge
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| n.壁架，架状突出物；岩架，岩礁 | |
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48
recess
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| n.短期休息，壁凹（墙上装架子，柜子等凹处） | |
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49
soften
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| v.(使)变柔软；(使)变柔和 | |
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50
awakened
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| v.（使）醒( awaken的过去式和过去分词 )；（使）觉醒；弄醒；（使）意识到 | |
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51
smelt
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| v.熔解，熔炼；n.银白鱼，胡瓜鱼 | |
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52
prey
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| n.被掠食者，牺牲者，掠食；v.捕食，掠夺，折磨 | |
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53
scrutinized
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| v.仔细检查，详审( scrutinize的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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54
pang
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| n.剧痛，悲痛，苦闷 | |
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55
pangs
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| 突然的剧痛( pang的名词复数 )； 悲痛 | |
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56
sustenance
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| n.食物，粮食；生活资料；生计 | |
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57
voracious
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| adj.狼吞虎咽的，贪婪的 | |
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58
ammunition
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| n.军火，弹药 | |
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59
plentiful
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| adj.富裕的，丰富的 | |
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60
creek
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| n.小溪，小河，小湾 | |
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61
swarming
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| 密集( swarm的现在分词 )； 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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62
sarcasm
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| n.讥讽，讽刺，嘲弄，反话 （adj.sarcastic） | |
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amazement
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| n.惊奇，惊讶 | |
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64
strands
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| n.（线、绳、金属线、毛发等的）股( strand的名词复数 )；缕；海洋、湖或河的)岸；（观点、计划、故事等的）部份v.使滞留，使搁浅( strand的第三人称单数 ) | |
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65
fiber
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| n.纤维，纤维质 | |
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66
contemplated
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| adj. 预期的 动词contemplate的过去分词形式 | |
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67
buckle
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| n.扣子，带扣；v.把...扣住，由于压力而弯曲 | |
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68
triumphant
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| adj.胜利的，成功的；狂欢的，喜悦的 | |
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outfit
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| n.（为特殊用途的）全套装备，全套服装 | |
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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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71
tempting
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| a.诱人的, 吸引人的 | |
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forth
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| adv.向前；向外，往外 | |
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73
elusive
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| adj.难以表达(捉摸)的；令人困惑的；逃避的 | |
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74
twigs
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| 细枝，嫩枝( twig的名词复数 ) | |
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75
supreme
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| adj.极度的，最重要的；至高的，最高的 | |
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76
veins
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| n.纹理；矿脉( vein的名词复数 )；静脉；叶脉；纹理 | |
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77
pegs
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| n.衣夹( peg的名词复数 )；挂钉；系帐篷的桩；弦钮v.用夹子或钉子固定( peg的第三人称单数 )；使固定在某水平 | |
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79
noose
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| n.绳套，绞索（刑）；v.用套索捉；使落入圈套；处以绞刑 | |
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80
bruised
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| [医]青肿的，瘀紫的 | |
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81
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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82
plaintive
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| adj.可怜的，伤心的 | |
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83
shriek
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| v./n.尖叫，叫喊 | |
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84
beheld
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| 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 | |
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85
sinuous
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| adj.蜿蜒的，迂回的 | |
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86
reposed
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| v.将（手臂等）靠在某人（某物）上( repose的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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87
reposing
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| v.将（手臂等）靠在某人（某物）上( repose的现在分词 ) | |
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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
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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erect
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| n./v.树立，建立，使竖立；adj.直立的，垂直的 | |
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91
grandeur
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| n.伟大，崇高，宏伟，庄严，豪华 | |
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reassured
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| adj.使消除疑虑的；使放心的v.再保证，恢复信心( reassure的过去式和过去分词) | |
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93
testimony
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| n.证词；见证，证明 | |
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94
tugging
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| n.牵引感v.用力拉，使劲拉，猛扯( tug的现在分词 ) | |
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warriors
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| 武士，勇士，战士( warrior的名词复数 ) | |
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96
improvised
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| a.即席而作的,即兴的 | |
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decided
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| adj.决定了的，坚决的；明显的，明确的 | |
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curiously
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| adv.有求知欲地；好问地；奇特地 | |
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99
feat
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| n.功绩；武艺，技艺；adj.灵巧的，漂亮的，合适的 | |
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100
turnip
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| n.萝卜，芜菁 | |
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101
toil
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| vi.辛劳工作，艰难地行动；n.苦工，难事 | |
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102
deferred
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| adj.延期的，缓召的v.拖延，延缓，推迟( defer的过去式和过去分词 )；服从某人的意愿，遵从 | |
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103
surmise
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| v./n.猜想，推测 | |
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104
plausible
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| adj.似真实的，似乎有理的，似乎可信的 | |
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105
devoted
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| adj.忠诚的，忠实的，热心的，献身于...的 | |
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106
predecessor
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| n.前辈，前任 | |
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107
scorched
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| 烧焦，烤焦( scorch的过去式和过去分词 )； 使（植物）枯萎，把…晒枯； 高速行驶； 枯焦 | |
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108
conflagration
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| n.建筑物或森林大火 | |
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lament
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| n.悲叹，悔恨，恸哭；v.哀悼，悔恨，悲叹 | |
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110
refreshing
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| adj.使精神振作的，使人清爽的，使人喜欢的 | |
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111
gallop
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| v./n.(马或骑马等)飞奔；飞速发展 | |
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112
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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113
charred
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| v.把…烧成炭( char的过去式)；烧焦 | |
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114
devour
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| v.吞没；贪婪地注视或谛听，贪读；使着迷 | |
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115
crest
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| n.顶点；饰章；羽冠；vt.达到顶点；vi.形成浪尖 | |
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116
frightful
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| adj.可怕的；讨厌的 | |
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117
nostrils
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| 鼻孔( nostril的名词复数 ) | |
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118
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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119
fiery
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| adj.燃烧着的，火红的；暴躁的；激烈的 | |
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120
stanch
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| v.止住（血等）；adj.坚固的；坚定的 | |
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resolute
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| adj.坚决的，果敢的 | |
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122
stimulated
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| a.刺激的 | |
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123
streak
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| n.条理，斑纹，倾向，少许，痕迹；v.加条纹，变成条纹，奔驰，快速移动 | |
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124
joyous
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| adj.充满快乐的；令人高兴的 | |
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125
plunged
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| v.颠簸( plunge的过去式和过去分词 )；暴跌；骤降；突降 | |
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126
mighty
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| adj.强有力的；巨大的 | |
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127
apparently
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| adv.显然地；表面上，似乎 | |
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128
resounded
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| v.（指声音等）回荡于某处( resound的过去式和过去分词 )；产生回响；（指某处）回荡着声音 | |
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129
wading
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| （从水、泥等）蹚，走过，跋( wade的现在分词 ) | |
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130
ablaze
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| adj.着火的，燃烧的；闪耀的，灯火辉煌的 | |
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131
suffocating
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| a.使人窒息的 | |
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132
desolate
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| adj.荒凉的，荒芜的；孤独的，凄凉的；v.使荒芜，使孤寂 | |
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133
scattered
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| adj.分散的，稀疏的；散步的；疏疏落落的 | |
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134
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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135
remains
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| n.剩余物，残留物；遗体，遗迹 | |
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136
slew
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| v.（使）旋转；n.大量，许多 | |
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137
partially
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| adv.部分地，从某些方面讲 | |
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138
exhausted
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| adj.极其疲惫的，精疲力尽的 | |
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139
exertion
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| n.尽力，努力 | |
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140
afflicted
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| 使受痛苦，折磨( afflict的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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141
longing
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| n.（for）渴望 | |
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142
upbraid
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| v.斥责，责骂，责备 | |
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