The tall youth, turning to the right, went down a gentle slope until he came to a little stream, where he knelt and drank. Despite his weariness, his thirst and his danger he noticed the silvery color of the water, and its soft sighing sound, as it flowed over its pebbly1 bed, made a pleasant murmur2 in his ear. Robert Lennox always had an eye for the beautiful, and the flashing brook3, in its setting of deep, intense forest green, soothed4 his senses, speaking to him of comfort and hope.
He drank again and then sat back among the bushes, still breathing heavily, but with much more freedom. The sharp pain left his chest, new strength began to flow into his muscles, and, as the body was renewed, so the spirit soared up and became sanguine5 once more. He put his ear to the earth and listened long, but heard nothing, save sounds natural to the wilderness6, the rustling7 of leaves before the light wind, the whisper of the tiny current, and the occasional sweet note of a bird in brilliant dress, pluming8 itself on a bough9 in its pride. He drew fresh courage from the peace of the woods, and resolved to remain longer there by the stream. Settling himself into the bushes and tall grass, until he was hidden from all but a trained gaze, he waited, body and soul alike growing steadily10 in vigor11.
The forest was in its finest colors. Spring had never brought to it a more splendid robe, gorgeous and glowing, its green adorned12 with wild flowers, and the bloom of bush and tree like a gigantic stretch of tapestry13. The great trunks of oak and elm and maple14 grew in endless rows and overhead the foliage15 gleamed, a veil of emerald lace before the sun.
Robert drank in the glory, eye and ear, but he never failed to watch the thickets16, and to listen for hostile sounds. He knew full well that his life rested upon his vigilance and, often as he had been in danger in the great northern woods, he valued too much these precious days of his youth to risk their sudden end through any neglect of his own.
He looked now and then at the bird which still preened18 itself on a little bough. When the shadows from the waving foliage fell upon its feathers it showed a bright purple, but when the sunlight poured through, it glowed a glossy19 blue. He did not know its name, but it was a brave bird, a gay bird. Now and then it ceased its hopping20 back and forth21, raised its head and sent forth a deep, sweet, thrilling note, amazing in volume to come from so small a body. Had he dared to make a sound Robert would have whistled a bar or two in reply. The bird was a friend to one alone and in need, and its dauntless melody made his own heart beat higher. If a creature so tiny was not afraid in the wilderness why should he be!
He had learned to take sharp notice of everything. On the border and in such times, man was compelled to observe with eye and ear, with all the five senses; and often too with a sixth sense, an intuition, an outgrowth of the other five, developed by long habit and training, which the best of the rangers22 possessed23 to a high degree, and in which the lad was not lacking. He knew that the minutest trifle must not escape his attention, or the forfeit24 might be his life.
While he relaxed his own care not at all, he felt that the bird was a wary25 sentinel for him. He knew that if an enemy came in haste through the undergrowth it would fly away before him. He had been warned in that manner in another crisis and he had full faith now in the caution of the valiant26 little singer. His trust, in truth, was so great that he rose from his covert27 and bent28 down for a third drink of the clear cool water. Then he stood up, his figure defiant29, and took long, deep breaths, his heart now beating smoothly30 and easily, as if it had been put to no painful test. Still no sound of a foe31, and he thought that perhaps the pursuit had died down, but he knew enough of the warriors32 of the woods to make sure, before he resumed a flight that would expose him in the open.
He crept back into the thicket17, burying himself deep, and was careful not to break a twig34 or brush a leaf which to the unerring eyes of those who followed could mark where he was. Hidden well, but yet lying where he could see, he turned his gaze back to the bird. It was now pouring out an unbroken volume of song as it swayed on a twig, like a leaf shaken in the wind. Its voice was thrillingly sweet, and it seemed mad with joy, as its tiny throat swelled35 with the burden of its melody. Robert, in the thicket, smiled, because he too shared in so much gladness.
A faint sound out of the far west came to him. It was so slight that it was hard to tell it from the whisper of the wind. It barely registered on the drum of the ear, but when he listened again and with all his powers he was sure that it was a new and foreign note. Then he separated it from the breeze among the leaves, and it seemed to him to contain a quality like that of the human voice. If so, it might be hostile, because his friends, Willet, the hunter, and Tayoga, the Onondaga, were many miles away. He had left them on the shore of the lake, called by the whites, George, but more musically by the Indians, Andiatarocte, and there was nothing in their plans that would now bring them his way. However welcome they might be he could not hope for them; foes36 only were to be expected.
The faint cry, scarcely more than a variation of the wind, registered again though lightly on the drum of his ear, and now he knew that it came from the lungs of man, man the pursuer, man the slayer37, and so, in this case, the red man, perhaps Tandakora, the fierce Ojibway chief himself. Doubtless it was a signal, one band calling to another, and he listened anxiously for the reply, but he did not hear it, the point from which it was sent being too remote, and he settled back into his bed of bushes and grass, resolved to keep quite still until he could make up his mind about the next step. On the border as well as elsewhere it was always wise, when one did not know what to do, to do nothing.
But the tall youth was keenly apprehensive38. The signals indicated that the pursuing force had spread out, and it might enclose him in a fatal circle. His eager temperament39, always sensitive to impressions, was kindled40 into fire, and his imagination painted the whole forest scene in the most vivid colors. A thought at first, it now became a conviction with him that Tandakora led the pursuit. The red leader had come upon his trail in some way, and, venomous from so many failures, would follow now for days in an effort to take him. He saw the huge Ojibway again with all the intensity42 of reality, his malignant43 face, his mighty44 body, naked to the waist and painted in hideous45 designs. He saw too the warriors who were with him, many of them, and they were fully46 as eager and fierce as their chief.
But his imagination which was so vital a part of him did not paint evil and danger alone; it drew the good in colors no less deep and glowing. It saw himself refreshed, stronger of body and keener of mind than ever, escaping every wile47 and snare48 laid for his ruin. It saw him making a victorious49 flight through the forest, his arrival at the shining lake, and his reunion with Willet and Tayoga, those faithful friends of many a peril50.
He knew that if he waited long enough he would hear the Indian call once more, as the bands must talk to one another if they carried out a concerted pursuit, and he decided51 that when it came he would go. It would be his signal too. The only trouble lay in the fact that they might be too near when the cry was sent. Yet he must take the risk, and there was his sentinel bird still pluming itself in brilliant colors on its waving bough.
The bird sang anew, pouring forth a brilliant tune52, and Robert from his covert smiled up at it again. It had a fine spirit, a gay spirit like his own and now it would surely warn him if danger crept too close. While the thought was fresh in his mind the third signal came, and now it was so clear and distinct that it indicated a rapid approach. But he was still unable to choose a way for his flight and he lingered for a sign from the bird. If the warriors were stealing through the bushes it would fly directly from them. At least he believed so, and fancy had so much power over him, especially in such a situation that belief became conviction.
The bird stopped singing suddenly, but kept his perch53 on the waving bough. Robert always insisted that it looked straight at him before it uttered two or three sharp notes, and then, rising in the air, hovered54 for a few minutes above the bough. It was obvious to him that his call had come. Steeped in Indian lore55 he had seen earth and air work miracles, and it was not less wonderful that a living creature should perform one now, and in his behalf.
For a breathless instant or two he forgot the warriors and watched the bird, a flash of blue flame against the green veil of the forest. It was perched there in order to be sure that he saw, and then it would show the way! With every pulse beating hard he stood up silently, his eyes still on the blue flash, confident that a new miracle was at hand.
The bird uttered three or four notes, not short or sharp now, but soft, long and beckoning56, dying away in the gentlest of echoes. His imagination, as vivid as ever, translated it into a call to him to come, and he was not in the least surprised, when the blue flame like the pillow of cloud by day moved slowly to the northeast, and toward the lake. Stepping cautiously he followed his sign, thrilled at the doing of the miracle, his eyes on his flying guide, his ears attuned57 to warn him if any danger threatened from the forest so near.
It never occurred to Robert that he might not be led aright. His faith and confidence were supreme58. He had lived too much with Tayoga not to share his belief that the hand of Manitou was stretched forth now to lead those who put their trust in him.
The blue flame that was a living bird flew slowly on, pausing an instant or two on a bough, turning for a short curve to right or left, but always coming back to the main course that pointed59 toward Andiatarocte.
He walked beside the little brook from which he had drunk, then across it and over a low hill, into a shallow valley, the forest everywhere, but the undergrowth not too dense60 for easy passage. His attentive61 ear brought no sound from either flank save those natural to the woods, though he was sure that a hostile call would come soon. It would be time for the bands to talk to one another. But he had no fear. The supreme intervention62 had been made in his favor, and he kept his eyes on his flying guide.
They crossed the valley and began the ascent63 of another and high hill, rough with rocky outcrops and a heavy growth of briars and vines. His pace became slower of necessity and once or twice he thought he had lost the blue flame, but it always reappeared, and, for the first time since its flight from the bough, it sang a few notes, a clear melodious64 treble, carrying far through the windy forest.
The lad believed that the song was meant for him. Clearly it said to him to follow, and, with equal clearness, it told him that safety lay only in the path he now traveled. He believed, with all the ardor65 of his soul, and there was no weariness in his body as he climbed the high hill. Near the summit, he heard on his right the long dying Indian cry so full of menace, its answer to the left, and then a third shout directly behind him. He understood. He was between the horns of a crescent, and they were not far away. He left faint traces only as he fled, but they had so much skill they could follow with speed, and he was quite sure they expected to take him. This belief did not keep his heart from beating high. They did not know how he was protected and led, and there was the blue flame before him always showing him the way. He reached the crest66 of the hill, and saw other hills, fold on fold, lying before him. He had hoped to catch a glimpse of the lake from the summit, but no glint of its waters came, and then he knew it must yet be miles away. His heart sank for a moment. Andiatarocte had appealed to him as a refuge. Just why he did not know, but he vaguely67 expected to find safety there. Perhaps he would meet Willet and Tayoga by its shore, and to him the three united always seemed invincible68.
His courage was gone only an instant or two. Then it came back stronger than ever. The note of his guide, clear and uplifting, rose again, and he increased his speed, lest he be enclosed within those horns. The far slope was rocky and he leaped from one stony69 outcrop to another. Even if he could hide his trail only a few yards it would be so much time gained while they were compelled to seek it. He was forced to watch his steps here, but, when he was at the bottom and looked up, the blue flame was still before him. On it went over the next slope and he followed at speed, noticing with joy that the rocky nature of the ground continued, and the most skillful warrior33 who ever lived must spend many minutes hunting his traces. He had no doubt that he was gaining and he had proof of it in the fact that the pursuers now uttered no cry. Had they been closing in on him they would have called to one another in triumph.
Well for him that he was so strong and sound of heart and lung! Well for him too that he was borne up by a great spirit and by his belief that a supreme power was working in his behalf. He felt little weariness as he climbed a ridge70. His breath was easy and regular and his steps were long and swift. His guide was before him. Whatever his pace, whether fast or slow, the distance between them never seemed to change. The bird would dart71 aside, perhaps to catch an insect, but it always returned promptly72 to its course.
His eyes caught a gleam of silver from the crest of the fourth ridge that he crossed, and he knew it was a ray of sunlight striking upon the waters of the lake. Now his coveted73 haven74 was not so far away, and the great pulses in his temples throbbed75. He would reach the lake, and he would find refuge. Tandakora, in all his malice77, would fail once more. The thought was so pleasant to him that he laughed aloud, and now feeling the need to use the strength he had saved with such care he began to run as fast as he could. It was his object to open up a wide gap between himself and the warriors, one so great that, if occasion came, he might double or turn without being seen.
The forest remained dense, a sea of trees with many bushes and clinging vines in which an ignorant or incautious runner would have tripped and fallen, but Robert was neither, and he did not forget, as he fled, to notice where his feet fell. His skill and presence of mind kept him from stumbling or from making any noise that would draw the attention of possible pursuers who might have crept up on his flank. While they had only his faint trail to guide them the pursuit was impeded78, and, as long as they did not see him, his chance to hide was far greater.
He lost sight of his feathered guide two or three times, but the bird never failed to reappear, a brilliant blue flame against the green wall of the wilderness, his emblem79 of hope, leading him over the hills and valleys toward Andiatarocte. Now he saw the lake from a crest, not a mere80 band of silver showing through the trees, but a broad surface reflecting the sunlight in varied81 colors. It was a beacon82 to him, and, summoning the last ounce of his strength and will, he ran at amazing speed. Once more he heard the warriors behind him calling to one another, and they were much farther away. His mighty effort had not been in vain. His pulses beat hard with the throb76 of victory not yet won, but of which he felt sure, and he rejoiced too, because he had come again upon rocky ground, where his flight left so little trace that Tandakora himself would be baffled for a while.
He knew that the shores of the lake at the point he was nearing were comparatively low, and a vague plan to hide in the dense foliage at the water's edge came into his mind. He did not know just how he would do it, but he would be guided by events as they developed. The bird surely would not lead him on unless less to safety, and no doubt entered his mind. But it was highly important to widen yet more the distance between him and the warriors, and he still ran with all the speed at his command.
The last crest was reached and before him spread the splendid lake in its deep green setting, a glittering spectacle that he never failed to admire, and that he admired even now, when his life was in peril, and instants were precious. The bird perched suddenly on a bough, uttered a few thrilling notes, and was then gone, a last blue flash into the dense foliage. He did not see it again, and he did not expect to do so. Its work was done. Strong in the faith of the wilderness, he believed and always believed.
He crouched83 a few moments on a ledge84 and looked back. Tandakora and his men had not yet come in sight, nor could he hear them. Doubtless they had lost his trail, when he leaped from one stone to another, and were now looking for it. His time to hide, if he were to have one, was at hand, and he meant to make the most of the chance. He bent lower and remained there until his breathing became regular and easy after his mighty effort, all his five senses and the sixth that was instinct or divination85, alert to every sound.
Two or three birds began to sing, but they were not his bird and he gave them no attention. A rabbit leaped from its nest under the bushes and ran. It went back on his trail and he considered it a sure sign that his pursuers were yet distant. He might steal another precious minute or two for his overworked lungs and heart. He knew the need of doing everything to gain a little more strength. It was his experience in border war and the stern training of Willet and Tayoga that made him able to do so, and he was ruler enough of himself to wait yet a little longer than he had planned. Then when he felt that Tandakora must be near, he straightened up, though not to his full height, and ran swiftly down the long slope to the lake.
He found at the bottom a narrow place between cliff and water, grown thickly with bushes, and he followed it at least half a mile, until the shores towered above him dark and steep, and the lake came up against them like a wall. He could go no farther and he waded86 into a dense growth of bushes and weeds, where he stood up to his waist in water and waited, hidden well.
He knew that if the warriors followed and saw him he would have little opportunity to escape, but the chances were a hundred to one against their finding him in such a covert. Rock and water had blotted87 out his trail and he felt safe. He secured his belt, containing his smaller weapons and ammunition88, about his shoulders beyond touch of water, and put his rifle in the forks of two bushes, convenient to his hands.
It was a luxury to rest, even if one did stand half-sunken in a lake. The water was cold, but he did not yet feel the chill, and he listened for possible sounds of pursuit. He heard, after a while, the calls of warriors to one another and he laughed softly to himself. The shouts were faint and moreover they came from the crest of the cliff. They had not found his trail down the slope and they were hunting for him on the heights. He laughed again with sheer satisfaction. He had been right. Rock and water had come to his aid, and he was too well hidden even for the eager eyes of Tandakora and his warriors to follow him.
He waited a long time. He heard the cries nearer him, then farther away, and, at last, at such a great distance that they could barely be separated from the lap of the waters. He was growing cold now; the chill from the lake was rising in his body, but with infinite patience bred by long practice of the wilderness he did not stir. He knew that silence could be deceptive89. Some of the warriors might come back, and might wait in a thicket, hoping that he would rise and disclose himself, thinking the danger past. More than one careless wanderer in the past had been caught in such a manner, and he was resolved to guard against the trick. Making the last call upon his patience, he stood motionless, while the chill crept steadily upward through his veins90 and muscles.
He could see the surface of the open lake through the veil of bushes and tall grass. The water broke in gentle waves under a light wind, and kept up a soft sighing that was musical and soothing91. Had he been upon dry land he could have closed his eyes and gone to sleep, but, as it was, he did not complain, since he had found safety, if not comfort. He even found strength in himself, despite his situation, to admire the gleaming expanse of Andiatarocte with its shifting colors, and the far cliffs lofty and dim.
Much of Robert's life, much of its most eventful portion, was passing around this lake, and he had a peculiar92 affection for it. It always aroused in him a sense of beauty, of charm and of majesty93, and he had grown too to look upon it as a friend and protector. He believed that it had brought him good luck, and he did not doubt that it would do so again.
He looked for a canoe, one perhaps that might contain Willet and Tayoga, seeking him and keeping well beyond the aim of a lurking94 marksman on the shore, but he saw no shadow on the water, nothing that could be persuaded into the likeness95 of a boat, only wild fowl96 circling and dipping, and, now and then, a gleam where a fish leaped up to fall swiftly back again. He was alone, and he must depend upon himself only.
He began to move a little, to lift one foot and then the other, careful to make no splash in the water, and the slight exercise checked the creeping chill. Encouraged, he increased it, stopping at intervals97 to listen for the approach of a foe. There was no sound and he walked back and forth a little. Presently his eyes, trained to observe all things, noticed a change in the air. A gray tint98, so far a matter of quality rather than color, was coming into it, and his heart leaped with joy. Absorbed in his vital struggle he had failed to reckon the passage of time. The day was closing and blessed, covering night was at hand. Robert loved the day and the sun, but darkness was always a friend of those who fled, and now he prayed that it would come thick and dark.
The sun still hung over the eastern shores, red and blazing, but before long it went down, seeming to sink into the lake, and the night that Robert had wished, heavy and black, swept over the earth. Then he left the water, and stood upon dry land, the narrow ledge between the cliff and the waves, where he took off his lower garments, wrung99 them as nearly dry as he could, and, hanging them on the bushes, waited for the wind to do the rest. His sense of triumph had never been so strong. Alone and relying only upon his own courage and skill, he had escaped the fierce Tandakora and his persistent100 warriors. He could even boast of it to Willet and Tayoga, when he found them again.
It was wonderful to feel safe, after great peril, and his bright imagination climbed the heights. As he had escaped them then, so he would slip always from the snares101 of his foes. It was this quality in him, the spirit of eternal hope, that appealed so strongly to all who knew him, and that made him so attractive.
After a while, he took venison and hominy from his knapsack and ate with content. Then he resumed his clothing, now dried completely by the wind, and felt that he had never been stronger or more fitted to cope with attack.
The darkness was intense and the surface of the lake showed through it, only a fitful gray. The cliff behind him was now a black bank, and its crest could not be seen at all. He was eager to go, but he still used the patience so necessary in the wilderness, knowing that the longer he waited the less likely he was to meet the band of Tandakora.
He lay down in a thicket of tall grass and bushes, resolved not to start before midnight, and he felt so much at peace that before he knew he was going to sleep he was sleeping. When he awoke he felt a little dismay at first, but it was soon gone. After all, he had passed the time of waiting in the easiest way, and no enemy had come. The moon and stars were not to be seen, but instinct told him that it was not beyond midnight.
He arose to go, but a slight sound came from the lake, and he stayed. It was merely the cry of the night bird, calling to its mate, one would have said, but Robert's attention was attracted by an odd inflection in it, a strain that seemed familiar. He listened with the utmost attention, and when it came a second time, he was so sure that his pulses beat very fast.
Willet and Tayoga, as he had hoped in the day, were out there on the lake. It had been foolish of him to think they would come in the full sunlight, exposed to every hostile eye. It was their natural course to approach in the dark and send a signal that he would know. He imitated the call, a soft, low note, but one that traveled far, and soon the answer came. No more was needed. The circle was complete. Willet and Tayoga were on the lake and they knew that he was at the foot of the cliff, waiting.
He took a long breath of intense relief and delight. Tandakora would resume the search for him in the morning, hunting along the crest, and he might even find his way to the narrow ledge on which Robert now stood, but the lad would be gone across the waters, where he left no trail.
He saw a stout102 young bush growing on the edge of the lake, and, leaning far out while he held on to it with one hand, he watched. He did not repeat the call. One less cautious would have done so, but he knew that his friends had located him already and he meant to run no risk of telling the warriors also where he stood. Meanwhile, he listened attentively103 for the sound of the paddles, but many long minutes passed before he heard the faint dip, dip that betokened104 the approach of Willet and Tayoga. He never doubted for an instant that it was their canoe and again his heart felt that triumphant105 feeling. Surely no man ever had more loyal or braver comrades! If he had malignant enemies he also had staunch friends who more than offset106 them.
He saw presently a faint shadow, a deeper dark in the darkness, and he uttered very low the soft note of the bird. In an instant came the answer, and then the shadow, turning, glided107 toward him. A canoe took form and shape and he saw in it two figures, which were unmistakably those of Willet and Tayoga, swinging their paddles with powerful hands. Again he felt a thrill of joy because these two trusty comrades had come. But it was absurd ever to doubt for an instant that they would come!
He leaned out from the tree to the last inch, and called in a penetrating108 whisper:
"Dave! Tayoga! This way!"
The canoe shifted its course a little, and entered the bushes by the side of Robert, the hunter and the Onondaga putting down their dripping paddles, and stepping out in the shallow water. In the dusk the great figure of Willet loomed109 up, more than ever a tower of strength, and the slender but muscular form of Tayoga, the very model of a young Indian warrior, seemed to be made of gleaming bronze. Had Robert needed any infusion110 of courage and will their appearance alone would have brought it with them.
"And we have found Dagaeoga again!" said the Onondaga, in a whimsical tone.
"No I have found you," said Robert. "You were lost from me, I was not lost from you."
"It is the same, and I think by your waiting here at midnight that you have been in great peril."
"So I have been, and I may be yet—and you too. I have been pursued by warriors, Tandakora at their head. I have not seen them, but I know from the venom41 and persistence111 of the pursuit that he leads them. I eluded112 them by coming down the cliff and hiding among the bushes here. I stood in the water all the afternoon."
"We thought you might be somewhere along the western shore. After we divided for our scout113 about the lake, the Great Bear and I met as we had arranged, but you did not come. We concluded that the enemy had got in the way, and so we took from its hiding place a canoe which had been left on a former journey, and began to cruise upon Andiatarocte, calling at far intervals for you."
He spoke114 in his usual precise school English and in a light playful tone, but Robert knew the depth of his feelings. The friendship of the white lad and the red was held by hooks of steel like that of Damon and Pythias of old.
"I think I heard your first call," said Robert. "It wasn't very loud, but never was a sound more welcome, nor can I be too grateful for that habit you have of hiding canoes here and there in the wilderness. It's saved us all more than once."
"It is merely the custom of my people, forced upon us by need, and I but follow."
"So it is, Dagaeoga. You can enter it. Take my paddle and work."
The three adjusted their weight in the slender craft, and Robert, taking Willet's paddle instead of Tayoga's, they pushed out into the lake, while the great hunter sat with his long rifle across his knees, watching for the least sign that the warriors might be coming.
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pebbly
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| 多卵石的，有卵石花纹的 | |
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murmur
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| n.低语，低声的怨言；v.低语，低声而言 | |
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brook
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| n.小河，溪；v.忍受，容让 | |
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soothed
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| v.安慰( soothe的过去式和过去分词 )；抚慰；使舒服；减轻痛苦 | |
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sanguine
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| adj.充满希望的，乐观的，血红色的 | |
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wilderness
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| n.杳无人烟的一片陆地、水等，荒漠 | |
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rustling
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| n. 瑟瑟声，沙沙声 adj. 发沙沙声的 | |
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pluming
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| 用羽毛装饰（plume的现在分词形式） | |
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bough
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| n.大树枝，主枝 | |
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steadily
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| adv.稳定地；不变地；持续地 | |
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vigor
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| n.活力，精力，元气 | |
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adorned
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| [计]被修饰的 | |
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tapestry
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| n.挂毯，丰富多采的画面 | |
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maple
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| n.槭树，枫树，槭木 | |
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foliage
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| n.叶子，树叶，簇叶 | |
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thickets
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| n.灌木丛( thicket的名词复数 )；丛状物 | |
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thicket
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| n.灌木丛，树林 | |
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preened
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| v.（鸟）用嘴整理（羽毛）( preen的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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glossy
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| adj.平滑的；有光泽的 | |
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hopping
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| n. 跳跃 动词hop的现在分词形式 | |
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forth
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| adv.向前；向外，往外 | |
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rangers
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| 护林者( ranger的名词复数 )； 突击队员 | |
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23
possessed
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| adj.疯狂的；拥有的，占有的 | |
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24
forfeit
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| vt.丧失；n.罚金，罚款，没收物 | |
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25
wary
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| adj.谨慎的，机警的，小心的 | |
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26
valiant
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| adj.勇敢的，英勇的；n.勇士，勇敢的人 | |
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covert
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| adj.隐藏的；暗地里的 | |
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28
bent
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| n.爱好，癖好；adj.弯的；决心的，一心的 | |
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29
defiant
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| adj.无礼的，挑战的 | |
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30
smoothly
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| adv.平滑地，顺利地，流利地，流畅地 | |
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31
foe
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| n.敌人，仇敌 | |
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32
warriors
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| 武士，勇士，战士( warrior的名词复数 ) | |
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33
warrior
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| n.勇士，武士，斗士 | |
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34
twig
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| n.小树枝，嫩枝；v.理解 | |
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35
swelled
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| 增强( swell的过去式和过去分词 )； 肿胀； （使）凸出； 充满（激情） | |
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36
foes
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| 敌人，仇敌( foe的名词复数 ) | |
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37
slayer
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| n. 杀人者，凶手 | |
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38
apprehensive
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| adj.担心的，恐惧的，善于领会的 | |
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39
temperament
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| n.气质，性格，性情 | |
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40
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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41
venom
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| n.毒液，恶毒，痛恨 | |
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42
intensity
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| n.强烈，剧烈；强度；烈度 | |
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43
malignant
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| adj.恶性的，致命的；恶意的，恶毒的 | |
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44
mighty
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| adj.强有力的；巨大的 | |
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45
hideous
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| adj.丑陋的，可憎的，可怕的，恐怖的 | |
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46
fully
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| adv.完全地，全部地，彻底地；充分地 | |
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47
wile
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| v.诡计，引诱；n.欺骗，欺诈 | |
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48
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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49
victorious
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| adj.胜利的，得胜的 | |
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50
peril
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| n.(严重的)危险；危险的事物 | |
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51
decided
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| adj.决定了的，坚决的；明显的，明确的 | |
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52
tune
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| n.调子；和谐，协调；v.调音，调节，调整 | |
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53
perch
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| n.栖木，高位，杆；v.栖息，就位，位于 | |
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54
hovered
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| 鸟( hover的过去式和过去分词 )； 靠近（某事物）； （人）徘徊； 犹豫 | |
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lore
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| n.传说；学问，经验，知识 | |
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56
beckoning
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| adj.引诱人的，令人心动的v.（用头或手的动作）示意，召唤( beckon的现在分词 ) | |
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57
attuned
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| v.使协调( attune的过去式和过去分词 )；调音 | |
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58
supreme
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| adj.极度的，最重要的；至高的，最高的 | |
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59
pointed
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| adj.尖的，直截了当的 | |
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60
dense
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| a.密集的，稠密的，浓密的；密度大的 | |
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61
attentive
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| adj.注意的，专心的；关心(别人)的，殷勤的 | |
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62
intervention
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| n.介入，干涉，干预 | |
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63
ascent
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| n.(声望或地位)提高；上升，升高；登高 | |
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melodious
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| adj.旋律美妙的，调子优美的，音乐性的 | |
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ardor
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| n.热情，狂热 | |
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66
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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vaguely
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| adv.含糊地，暖昧地 | |
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68
invincible
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| adj.不可征服的，难以制服的 | |
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69
stony
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| adj.石头的，多石头的，冷酷的，无情的 | |
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70
ridge
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| n.山脊；鼻梁；分水岭 | |
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71
dart
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| v.猛冲，投掷；n.飞镖，猛冲 | |
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promptly
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| adv.及时地，敏捷地 | |
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73
coveted
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| adj.令人垂涎的；垂涎的，梦寐以求的v.贪求，觊觎(covet的过去分词)；垂涎；贪图 | |
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74
haven
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| n.安全的地方，避难所，庇护所 | |
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75
throbbed
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| 抽痛( throb的过去式和过去分词 )； （心脏、脉搏等）跳动 | |
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76
throb
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| v.震颤，颤动；(急速强烈地)跳动，搏动 | |
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77
malice
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| n.恶意，怨恨，蓄意；[律]预谋 | |
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78
impeded
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| 阻碍，妨碍，阻止( impede的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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79
emblem
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| n.象征，标志；徽章 | |
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80
mere
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| adj.纯粹的；仅仅，只不过 | |
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81
varied
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| adj.多样的，多变化的 | |
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82
beacon
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| n.烽火，（警告用的）闪火灯，灯塔 | |
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83
crouched
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| v.屈膝，蹲伏( crouch的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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84
ledge
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| n.壁架，架状突出物；岩架，岩礁 | |
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85
divination
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| n.占卜，预测 | |
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86
waded
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| （从水、泥等）蹚，走过，跋( wade的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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87
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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88
ammunition
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| n.军火，弹药 | |
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89
deceptive
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| adj.骗人的，造成假象的，靠不住的 | |
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90
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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91
soothing
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| adj.慰藉的；使人宽心的；镇静的 | |
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92
peculiar
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| adj.古怪的，异常的；特殊的，特有的 | |
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93
majesty
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| n.雄伟，壮丽，庄严，威严；最高权威，王权 | |
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94
lurking
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| 潜在 | |
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95
likeness
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| n.相像，相似（之处） | |
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96
fowl
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| n.家禽，鸡，禽肉 | |
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97
intervals
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| n.[军事]间隔( interval的名词复数 )；间隔时间；[数学]区间；（戏剧、电影或音乐会的）幕间休息 | |
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98
tint
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| n.淡色，浅色；染发剂；vt.着以淡淡的颜色 | |
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99
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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100
persistent
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| adj.坚持不懈的，执意的；持续的 | |
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101
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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103
attentively
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| adv.聚精会神地；周到地；谛；凝神 | |
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104
betokened
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| v.预示，表示( betoken的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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105
triumphant
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| adj.胜利的，成功的；狂欢的，喜悦的 | |
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106
offset
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| n.分支，补偿；v.抵消，补偿 | |
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107
glided
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| v.滑动( glide的过去式和过去分词 )；掠过；（鸟或飞机 ） 滑翔 | |
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108
penetrating
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| adj.（声音）响亮的，尖锐的adj.（气味）刺激的adj.（思想）敏锐的，有洞察力的 | |
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109
loomed
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| v.隐约出现，阴森地逼近( loom的过去式和过去分词 )；隐约出现，阴森地逼近 | |
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110
infusion
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| n.灌输 | |
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111
persistence
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| n.坚持，持续，存留 | |
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112
eluded
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| v.（尤指机敏地）避开( elude的过去式和过去分词 )；逃避；躲避；使达不到 | |
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113
scout
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| n.童子军，侦察员；v.侦察，搜索 | |
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114
spoke
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| 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 | |
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115
gratitude
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| adj.感激，感谢 | |
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