CHAPTER XII GEORGE FIGHTS FOR FREEDOM

 The day after George and Eliza met each other once more at the end of so many sad months of parting, was a very happy one in the Quaker house.

 

The two had much to say to each other. George had to tell how he had escaped from his cruel master, and how he had followed Eliza all the way and at last found her. Then there were plans to make for going on towards Canada. It was arranged that they should start that night at ten o'clock. 'The pursuers are hard after thee, we must not delay,' said Simeon.

 

Rachel was happy and busy, packing up food and clothes for them to take on the journey.

 

Late in the afternoon another Quaker, called Phineas, came with the dreadful¹ news that the wicked men, whom Haley had sent to catch Eliza, were only a few miles away.

 

So George and Eliza decided² to start as soon as it was dark. A little while after supper a large covered waggon³ drew up before the door. They got in and the waggon drove off.

 

On and on, all through the dark night they drove. About three o'clock, George heard the click of a horse's hoof⁴ coming behind them.

 

'That's Simeon,' said Phineas, who was driving, as he pulled up the horses to listen.

 

'Halloa, there, Simeon,' he shouted, 'what news? Are they coming?'

 

'Yes, right on behind, eight or ten of them.'

 

'Oh! what shall we do?' groaned⁵ Eliza.

 

But Phineas knew the road well. He lashed⁶ the horses till they flew along, the waggon rattling⁷ and jumping over the hard road behind them.

 

On they went till they came to a place where the rocks rose straight up from the road like a wall. It seemed impossible for any one to climb up there. But Phineas knew a way.

 

He stopped the horses. 'Here, Simeon,' he said, 'take the waggon, and drive on as fast as thou canst, and bring back help. Now follow me,' he said to the others, 'quick, for your lives. Run now, if you you ever did run.'

 

Quicker than we can say it, they were following him up a tiny narrow path to the top of the rocks, and Simeon was galloping⁸ the horses with the empty waggon along the road.

 

'We are pretty safe here,' said Phineas, when they had reached the top. 'Only one person can come up that path at a time. If any one tries it, shoot him.'

 

The men who were chasing them had now arrived at the foot of of the rocks. They were led by a big man called Tom Loker, and another mean-looking little man, whom Haley had sent.

 

After some hunting about, they found the path, and, headed by Tom Loker, began to climb up.

 

'Come up if you like,' George called out, 'but if you do we will shoot you.'

 

For answer, the little man took aim at George, and fired.

 

Eliza screamed, but the shot did not hurt him. It passed close to his hair, nearly touched her cheek, and, struck a tree behind.

 

Tom Loker came on. George waited until he was near enough, then he fired. The shot hit him in the side. But, though wounded, he would not go back. With a yell⁹ like that of a mad bull¹⁰ he came leaping on, and sprang right in among them.

 

Quakers are not allowed to use guns and pistols¹¹, so Phineas had been standing¹² back while George shot. Now he sprang forward. As Tom Loker landed in the middle of them, he gave him a great push, saying, 'Friend, thee isn't wanted here.'

 

Down fell Tom Loker, down, down the steep side of the rock. He crashed and crackled among trees, bushes, logs, loose stones, till he lay bruised¹³ and groaning¹⁴ far below. The fall might have killed him, had it not been broken by his clothes catching¹⁵ on the branches of a large tree.

 

Cruel people are, very often, cowardly too. When the men saw their leader first wounded, and then thrown down, they all ran away.

 

Mounting¹⁶ their horses, they rode off as fast as they could, leaving Tom Loker lying on the ground wounded and groaning with pain.

 

As soon as Phineas and the others saw that the wicked men had really ridden away, they climbed down, meaning to walk along the road till they met Simeon.

 

They had just reached the bottom, when they saw him coming back with the waggon and two other men.

 

'Now we are safe,' cried Phineas joyfully¹⁷.

 

'Well, do stop then,' said Eliza, 'and do something for that poor man. He is groaning dreadfully.'

 

'It would be no more than Christian,' said George. 'Let us take him with us.'

 

They lifted the wounded man gently, as if he had been a friend instead of a cruel enemy, and laid him in the waggon. Then they all set out once more.

 

A drive of about an hour brought them to a neat farm-house. There the tired travellers were kindly¹⁸ received and given a good breakfast.

 

Tom Loker was put into a comfortable bed, far cleaner and softer than any he had ever slept in before. George and Eliza walked about the garden hand-in-hand, feeling happy together, and almost safe. They were so near Canada now.

1 dreadful   

adj.糟透了的，极端的，可怕的，令人畏惧的

参考例句：

• I cannot imagine what to do in this dreadful situation.我不能想像在这么糟的情况下该怎么办。
• I must apologize for the dreadful mistake I made.我为我所犯的严重错误深表歉意。

2 decided   

adj.决定了的，坚决的；明显的，明确的

参考例句：

• This gave them a decided advantage over their opponents.这使他们比对手具有明显的优势。
• There is a decided difference between British and Chinese way of greeting.英国人和中国人打招呼的方式有很明显的区别。

3 waggon   

n.运货马车，运货车；敞篷车箱

参考例句：

• The enemy attacked our waggon train.敌人袭击了我们的运货马车队。
• Someone jumped out from the foremost waggon and cried aloud.有人从最前面的一辆大车里跳下来，大声叫嚷。

4 hoof   

n.(马，牛等的)蹄

参考例句：

• Suddenly he heard the quick,short click of a horse's hoof behind him.突然间，他听见背后响起一阵急骤的马蹄的得得声。
• I was kicked by a hoof.我被一只蹄子踢到了。

5 groaned   

v.呻吟( groan的过去式和过去分词 )；发牢骚；抱怨；受苦

参考例句：

• He groaned in anguish. 他痛苦地呻吟。
• The cart groaned under the weight of the piano. 大车在钢琴的重压下嘎吱作响。 来自《简明英汉词典》

6 lashed   

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

参考例句：

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

7 rattling   

adj. 格格作响的, 活泼的, 很好的 adv. 极其, 很, 非常 动词rattle的现在分词

参考例句：

• This book is a rattling good read. 这是一本非常好的读物。
• At that same instant,a deafening explosion set the windows rattling. 正在这时，一声震耳欲聋的爆炸突然袭来，把窗玻璃震得当当地响。

8 galloping   

adj. 飞驰的, 急性的 动词gallop的现在分词形式

参考例句：

• The horse started galloping the moment I gave it a good dig. 我猛戳了马一下，它就奔驰起来了。
• Japan is galloping ahead in the race to develop new technology. 日本在发展新技术的竞争中进展迅速，日新月异。

9 yell   

vi./n.号叫，叫喊

参考例句：

• This gave them a chance to yell.这给了他们大声喊叫的机会。
• When his schoolmate made the last goal,the boy gave out with an untrammeled yell.那个男孩在他的同学踢进最后一球时不禁纵声欢呼。

10 bull   

n.公牛，买进证券投机图利者，看涨的人

参考例句：

• It's only a hair off a bull's back to them.这对他们来说，不过九牛一毛。
• Many dogs closed around the bull.很多狗渐渐地把那只牛围了起来。

11 pistols   

n.手枪( pistol的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• Meantime he was loading the pistols. 而同时他在往手枪里装子弹。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• Two strangers menaced him with pistols and forced him to give up his money. 两个陌生人用手枪威胁他并强迫他拿出所有的钱。 来自《简明英汉词典》

12 standing   

n.持续，地位；adj.永久的，不动的，直立的，不流动的

参考例句：

• After the earthquake only a few houses were left standing.地震过后只有几幢房屋还立着。
• They're standing out against any change in the law.他们坚决反对对法律做任何修改。

13 bruised   

[医]青肿的，瘀紫的

参考例句：

• his bruised and bloodied nose 他沾满血的青肿的鼻子
• She had slipped and badly bruised her face. 她滑了一跤，摔得鼻青脸肿。

14 groaning   

adj. 呜咽的, 呻吟的 动词groan的现在分词形式

参考例句：

• She's always groaning on about how much she has to do. 她总抱怨自己干很多活儿。
• The wounded man lay there groaning, with no one to help him. 受伤者躺在那里呻吟着，无人救助。

15 catching   

adj.易传染的，有魅力的，迷人的，接住

参考例句：

• There are those who think eczema is catching.有人就是认为湿疹会传染。
• Enthusiasm is very catching.热情非常富有感染力。

16 mounting   

n.装备；衬托纸；登上；乘骑adj.上升的，增长的v.登上，骑上( mount的现在分词 )；增加，上升；上演；准备

参考例句：

• There is mounting tension along the border. 边境局势日趋紧张。
• Though he felt his anger mounting, he kept perfect control of himself. 虽然他觉得越来越生气，但还是很好地控制住了自己。 来自《现代英汉综合大词典》

17 joyfully   

adv. 喜悦地, 高兴地

参考例句：

• She tripped along joyfully as if treading on air. 她高兴地走着，脚底下轻飘飘的。
• During these first weeks she slaved joyfully. 在最初的几周里，她干得很高兴。

18 kindly   

adj.和蔼的，温和的，爽快的；adv.温和地，亲切地

参考例句：

• Her neighbours spoke of her as kindly and hospitable.她的邻居都说她和蔼可亲、热情好客。
• A shadow passed over the kindly face of the old woman.一道阴影掠过老太太慈祥的面孔。