"What's it like outside?" was Alwyn's first question.
"Quiet," replied Phil. "What little wind there is is off shore for us, an' there's just about enough starlight. I've got the pickets3 and the block, Withers has the rope, and Minalto and Twill are outside."
Although, with one exception, every officer, passenger and man of the Donibristle knew of what was about to take place, and offers of assistance had simply poured in, Burgoyne had been compelled to limit the exploring-party to five. It was the absolute maximum and minimum, since two were required to descend4 the cliff, and three to man the rope by which the others were to be lowered and hauled up again.
The only one not in the secret was the Canuk, Miles. One night recently he had not been in the compound, and, putting two and two together, Captain Blair had concluded that the fellow was in touch with one section of the pirate crew. On that occasion the prisoners had been numbered off both in leaving and returning to the compound, and although one was missing, the fact did not appear to trouble the custodians5 of the gate. When Captain Blair taxed the delinquent6, and demanded an explanation, Miles pitched in a plausible7 yarn8 to the effect that he had been working down below on board the Donibristle, and had failed to hear the signal for the working-parties to go ashore9. Then, afraid of being found on board by the pirates, he had lain low till the following day.
The Old Man accepted the statement without comment, but he fully10 expected that any day the "drummer" would openly join the pirates.
To prevent him from "walking in his sleep" and stumbling across the men working on the edge of the cliff, Miles was now closely watched by three of the Donibristle's crew, with instructions from the Old Man that if the fellow attempted to leave his hut before daybreak he was to be forcibly detained.
"I can't do more simply on suspicion," the skipper confided11 to Burgoyne. "If I were sure that the miserable12 blighter was playing a dirty trick, over the cliff he'd go one dark night, or my name's not Roger Blair."
In single file and with the utmost caution the five adventurers made their way to the cliff immediately above the caves that Burgoyne had noticed during the fishing expedition. From the huts where the pirates lived when ashore came the sounds of boisterous13 revelry. Not a light was visible on the island, but the silhouette14 of the look-out hill stood out sharply against the starry15 sky. There were alert men stationed on that lofty perch16, but whether they could discern the five figures working silently on the edge of the cliff was extremely doubtful, since the latter did not cut the sky-line. Nor could the pirates on the hill command the expanse of beach below the cliff.
Muffling17 the head of one of the crow-bars with a piece of wet canvas Jasper Minalto drove the iron rod deeply into the ground. The operation was anxiously watched by the rest, fearful lest even the dull thuds of the wood that served as a maul would betray their presence.
"All right, so far," declared Alwyn. "Carry on, Minalto."
A second crow-bar was driven home at about a foot from the first and parallel with the edge of the cliff. Between these and about six inches from the ground the third bar was lashed18 horizontally. Under the fork thus formed a stout19 beam was thrust, until its end projected three feet into space, with fifteen feet left resting on the turf. The beam had been removed under cover of darkness from one of the tumble-down huts, and must needs be replaced before dawn.
To the outward end of the projecting piece of timber the snatch-block had been securely strapped20. Then the end of the coil of rope was pressed over the sheave, a "bowline on the bight" having been made to accommodate the descending21 man.
"All ready, I think," said Burgoyne quietly. "Stand by, and when I'm ready, lower away handsomely."
With four men holding on to the rope the Third Officer slipped into the bowline. The rope ran slowly through the well-oiled block, and Alwyn vanished from sight.
It was an eerie22 sensation dangling23 at the end of a rope over a cliff more than two hundred feet high. The darkness destroyed the idea of distance, but the descent was none the less hazardous24 on that account. Although every care had been taken in the surreptitious making of the rope, and every precaution taken to test it, there might be a weak spot that had escaped detection.
Almost from the first of the descent the rope began to turn until he was spinning giddily; then, as the length of rope increased, a swaying motion was additionally imparted, until several times Alwyn bumped heavily against the face of the cliff. He was thus able to check the rotary25 motion at the expense of sundry26 and various bruises27.
"By Jove," he soliloquized, in the midst of this human punch-ball performance, "it'll be rough on Young Bill if we ever have to lower her down. It would scare her stiff right away."
The actual descent took four minutes. To Burgoyne it seemed much longer, and it was with considerable relief that he felt his feet touch the soft sand, and was able to extricate28 his cramped29 and bruised30 frame from the embraces of the bowline.
There was no need to shout to the others to "'vast paying out!" The release of the tension on the rope told them that the descent was accomplished31. Then, like a phantom32, the bowline vanished as the helpers hauled the rope to the top of the cliff. Within five minutes Jasper Minalto joined Burgoyne on the beach. Since there was the possibility of the rope's shortening with the release of his weight, and contracting by the heavy dew, he took the precaution of bending in a length of light line and weighting it with a lump of coral.
Burgoyne was not likely to fail through lack of precaution or by neglecting to take proper steps to facilitate his return.
The cave exceeded the Third Officer's expectations. It was for the most part dry, the floor being above high-water mark, and the undisturbed sand at its mouth pointed33 to the fact that a long time had elapsed since human feet had trodden it. Darkness prevented a minute examination, and it was only by a sense of touch that the two men were able to make their investigations34.
About eighty feet in length, and with a gradually shelving floor, the cave was less than five feet in height at its entrance, but soon increased until Minalto was unable to touch the roof even with his enormous reach. In width it averaged about twelve feet when half a dozen paces inside its mouth.
There was water, too. Eagerly Burgoyne groped for and found the steady trickle35. Holding his hands cup-fashion he filled his palms with water and held the liquid to his lips.
"Fresh!" he exclaimed to his companion. "We're in luck this time."
"But we've nothin' in the barrel line for tu put et in," added Jasper.
"Not even a petrol tin," added Alwyn. "Ever drunk water out of a petrol tin, Minalto?"
The Scilly Islander shook his head.
"Leave ut tu you, sir," he replied. "I've a-drunk water wi' three inches o' paraffin on top of ut on the West Coast—Accra way. That wur enough for I."
Gently jerking the rope, as a signal to Branscombe for the stock of emergency rations36 to be sent down, Burgoyne gave his companion instructions to bury the stuff in the cave. Leaving Minalto to carry on, the Third Officer walked down to the water's edge, then, turning abruptly38 to the left, followed the line of wet sand left by the receding39 tide.
At every possible spot where the cliff might be scalable he approached the base of the rocks, always without the desired result. Carefully obliterating40 his footprints on the dry sand, he continued his way until farther progress was barred by the abrupt37 ending of the beach at a point beyond which the cliff rose sheer from the lagoon41.
The secret base was an unscalable plateau with only one approach—except by means of a rope—and that was the carefully-guarded tunnel, where more than likely (although Burgoyne was not certain on that point) the double portcullis was lowered every night.
Disappointed but by no means disheartened Burgoyne returned to the cave, where Jasper had completed his task and was awaiting him. To him Alwyn related the results of his investigations.
"Lawks!" exclaimed Minalto. "You can swim, can't you, sir? What's wrong with the reef? Can't us swim off to 'en and walk round to t' harbour? I'd do it now, on my head like, if you're in no particular hurry."
"Sharks?" queried42 Alwyn.
"Sharks!" repeated Jasper. "Ain't seen none since I've bin43 on the island, an' many's the time I've watched the water an' within' I could have a swim. What d'ye say, sir. Might I go?"
Burgoyne was fired by the man's enthusiasm. It was now midnight. Allowing three hours to cover a distance of six or seven miles, Minalto ought with luck to be back well before four. This would give the party an hour and a half before dawn in which to "pack up", replace gear, remove all traces of the night's work, and regain44 their quarters.
"All right," agreed the Third Officer. "I'll come with you as far as the end of the bay. Wish I could do the whole thing, only the others would be scared stiff and think we'd done ourselves in. When I return I'll get myself hauled up and wait on the top of the cliff. You know the signal? Right, and don't forget to wipe out your footprints. The tide will be at quarter flood on your return."
With many other cautions and suggestions, Burgoyne accompanied the stout-hearted seaman45 to a spot where the reef approached to within three hundred yards of the shore.
Taking off his shoes, and slinging46 them round his neck, Minalto waded47 waist-deep into the water and struck out for the line of milk-white foam48 that marked the reef. Burgoyne remained at the edge of the lagoon until the phosphorescent swirl49 that marked the swimmer's progress was merged50 into the darkness. He had no indication that Minalto had reached the reef, for his white-clad form would be indistinguishable against the ever-breaking wall of foam.
Retracing51 his way to the cave Burgoyne slipped into the bowline and tugged52 three times at the rope. The signal was promptly53 answered, and the swaying, roundabout ascent54 commenced.
"Well?" inquired Branscombe anxiously, when Alwyn landed safely on the top of the cliff.
"All serene," replied the Third Officer, a little breathlessly. "We'll have to stand by for a few hours. Minalto has gone on a voyage of exploration. That chap gave me a thundering good idea. I was getting a bit tied up in knots when I found there was no way up from the beach, so he suggested walking along the reef—and he's gone and done it," he added vernacularly55.
Dispatching Twill to inform Captain Blair of the alteration56 of plans, so that the Old Man would not be unduly57 anxious about their failure to return at the suggested time, the three officers prepared to make the best of their long vigil. They took fifteen minutes' shifts to tend the rope, so that should Minalto return before they expected there would be no delay in receiving his signal and hauling him up.
"Can you get hold of another length of signal halyard, Phil?" asked Alwyn. "Another three hundred feet of it."
"I dare say," replied Branscombe. "I'll have a jolly good shot at getting it, anyway. What's the scheme?"
Burgoyne rubbed his aching shoulders.
"If you'd been barged into the cliff umpteen58 times, old son, you'd know," he declared grimly. "We want a guide-line, stretched taut60 and about eighteen inches inside the rope. That'll prevent anyone being bumped, and also spare them the luxury of an impromptu61 merry-go-round. We'll have to lower Young Bill, and we may as well make things as comfortable as possible for her."
"Quite so," agreed Phil. "I'll get some line tomorrow, even if it makes my figure look like that of a portly alderman. It wouldn't be a bad idea either to get hold of some spare canvas. You'll want some sort of awning62 or tent for the boat, and it will come in handy. For one thing, we can wrap Miss Vivian up in it when we lower her."
"What for?" asked Withers.
"To protect her in case any loose stones fall from the cliff," explained Branscombe. "'Sides, if she's covered up she won't be quite so frightened when she's being lowered. At least, I shouldn't think so."
For some minutes silence reigned63, save for the ever-present dull rumble64 of the surf. Then Withers apparently65 without any reason, began chuckling66 to himself.
"What is it?" asked Phil.
"What's the joke," added Alwyn. "Out with it."
"Nothing much," replied Withers. "Only a reminiscence. This cliff recalled it."
He paused, his eyes fixed67 seaward.
"Let's have it, old son," prompted Branscombe.
"I thought I saw a vessel68's masthead light out there," declared the Second Engineer. "Must have been mistaken.... The yarn? Oh, it was merely an incident. It was in '14, just after war broke out. I was on a collier awaiting orders at Whitby. Everyone was on thorns over the spy scare. Well, one night, there was a report that lights were flashing on the cliff, and a crowd of fellows went off to investigate. Having nothing better to do that evening, I went too. Sure enough there were lights about every half minute. About two miles from Whitby we ran full tilt69 into a couple of men striking matches, so they were promptly collared."
The narrator paused and looked seaward again.
"What happened?" asked Burgoyne.
"Nothing—they were released," replied Withers.
"I can't see anything funny in that," remarked Phil.
"Well, it was funny—and pathetic, too," explained Withers. "They were deaf mutes. One lived in a small cottage near Kettleness, and the other's home was in York. They had missed the last train for Kettleness and were walking along the cliff path to Whitby. Their only means of communicating with each other was by lip-reading, and since it was dark they stopped and struck matches whenever they wanted to converse70. They had used up three boxes of matches by the time we came up. Poor blighters! As likely as not they didn't know there was a war on; if they did it was obvious they hadn't heard about the regulations concerning coastwise lights. But, by Jove! surely those are vessel's steaming lights?"
"It is, by smoke!" exclaimed Burgoyne. "A steamer going south. I can just distinguish her port light."
"The Malfilio perhaps?" suggested Branscombe.
"Not she," declared Withers. "That steam pipe of hers will take at least two days more before it's patched up."
"I can see her green, now," announced Alwyn "She's altering course. If she holds on she'll pile herself upon the reef."
Helpless to warn the on-coming vessel—for even had the three officers been provided with means of signalling they would have incurred71 heavy penalties by the pirates and the wrecking72 of all the formers' carefully laid plans—the watchers on the cliff awaited events.
The vessel was now steaming dead slow—at least she took an unconscionable time in approaching. That was in her favour. It might give the look-outs the opportunity to hear the roar of the surf; while, even if she did strike, and were held by the coral reef, she would not be likely to sustain serious damage.
Suddenly a dazzling glare leapt from the vessel and the giant beam of a searchlight swept the island. From where the three officers lay prone73 on the grass they could see the rim59 of the cliff outlined in silver. The crest74 of the Observation Hill was bathed in the electric gleams, but elsewhere, owing to the depression towards the centre of the plateau, the island was in darkness. So carefully chosen was the site of the various buildings that nowhere from seaward could they be visible.
"A warship75!" declared Burgoyne. "I say, this complicates76 matters. Let's get back to the huts, or we'll be missed. We can return before dawn."
Cautiously the three officers made their way down the slight slope, where the darkness, by contrast with the slowly traversing beam of light overhead, was intense.
When within fifty yards of the nearest of the prisoners' huts Burgoyne gripped his companions' arms.
"Lie down!" he whispered.
Both officers obeyed promptly. Alwyn, on hands and knees, went on. Presently he rejoined them.
"It's too late," he said in a low voice. "There is an armed pirate outside every hut."
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收听单词发音
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1
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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withers
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| 马肩隆 | |
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pickets
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| 罢工纠察员( picket的名词复数 ) | |
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descend
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| vt./vi.传下来，下来，下降 | |
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custodians
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| n.看守人，保管人( custodian的名词复数 ) | |
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delinquent
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| adj.犯法的，有过失的；n.违法者 | |
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7
plausible
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| adj.似真实的，似乎有理的，似乎可信的 | |
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yarn
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| n.纱，纱线，纺线；奇闻漫谈，旅行轶事 | |
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ashore
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| adv.在(向)岸上，上岸 | |
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fully
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| adv.完全地，全部地，彻底地；充分地 | |
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confided
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| v.吐露（秘密，心事等）( confide的过去式和过去分词 )；（向某人）吐露（隐私、秘密等） | |
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miserable
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| adj.悲惨的，痛苦的；可怜的，糟糕的 | |
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boisterous
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| adj.喧闹的，欢闹的 | |
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14
silhouette
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| n.黑色半身侧面影，影子，轮廓；v.描绘成侧面影，照出影子来，仅仅显出轮廓 | |
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starry
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| adj.星光照耀的, 闪亮的 | |
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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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muffling
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| v.压抑，捂住( muffle的现在分词 )；用厚厚的衣帽包着（自己） | |
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lashed
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| adj.具睫毛的v.鞭打( lash的过去式和过去分词 )；煽动；紧系；怒斥 | |
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strapped
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| adj.用皮带捆住的，用皮带装饰的；身无分文的；缺钱；手头紧v.用皮带捆扎(strap的过去式和过去分词)；用皮带抽打；包扎；给…打绷带 | |
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descending
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| n. 下行 adj. 下降的 | |
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eerie
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| adj.怪诞的；奇异的；可怕的；胆怯的 | |
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dangling
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| 悬吊着( dangle的现在分词 )； 摆动不定； 用某事物诱惑…； 吊胃口 | |
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hazardous
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| adj.(有)危险的，冒险的；碰运气的 | |
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rotary
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| adj.(运动等)旋转的；轮转的；转动的 | |
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sundry
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| adj.各式各样的，种种的 | |
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bruises
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| n.瘀伤，伤痕，擦伤( bruise的名词复数 ) | |
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extricate
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| v.拯救，救出；解脱 | |
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cramped
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| a.狭窄的 | |
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bruised
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| [医]青肿的，瘀紫的 | |
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accomplished
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| adj.有才艺的；有造诣的；达到了的 | |
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phantom
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| n.幻影，虚位，幽灵；adj.错觉的，幻影的，幽灵的 | |
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pointed
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| adj.尖的，直截了当的 | |
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investigations
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| （正式的）调查( investigation的名词复数 )； 侦查； 科学研究； 学术研究 | |
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trickle
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| vi.淌，滴，流出，慢慢移动，逐渐消散 | |
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rations
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| 定量( ration的名词复数 )； 配给量； 正常量； 合理的量 | |
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abrupt
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| adj.突然的，意外的；唐突的，鲁莽的 | |
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abruptly
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| adv.突然地，出其不意地 | |
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receding
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| v.逐渐远离( recede的现在分词 )；向后倾斜；自原处后退或避开别人的注视；尤指问题 | |
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obliterating
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| v.除去( obliterate的现在分词 )；涂去；擦掉；彻底破坏或毁灭 | |
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41
lagoon
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| n.泻湖，咸水湖 | |
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queried
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| v.质疑，对…表示疑问( query的过去式和过去分词 )；询问 | |
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43
bin
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| n.箱柜；vt.放入箱内；[计算机] DOS文件名:二进制目标文件 | |
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44
regain
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| vt.重新获得，收复，恢复 | |
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45
seaman
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| n.海员，水手，水兵 | |
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46
slinging
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| 抛( sling的现在分词 )； 吊挂； 遣送； 押往 | |
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47
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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48
foam
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| v./n.泡沫，起泡沫 | |
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49
swirl
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| v.(使)打漩，(使)涡卷；n.漩涡，螺旋形 | |
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50
merged
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| （使）混合( merge的过去式和过去分词 )； 相融； 融入； 渐渐消失在某物中 | |
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51
retracing
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| v.折回( retrace的现在分词 )；回忆；回顾；追溯 | |
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52
tugged
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| v.用力拉，使劲拉，猛扯( tug的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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53
promptly
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| adv.及时地，敏捷地 | |
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54
ascent
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| n.(声望或地位)提高；上升，升高；登高 | |
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55
vernacularly
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| n.白话；行话；本国语；动植物的俗名adj.本国语的；白话的；方言的；本国的 | |
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56
alteration
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| n.变更，改变；蚀变 | |
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57
unduly
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| adv.过度地，不适当地 | |
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58
umpteen
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| adj.多的，大量的；n.许许多多 | |
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59
rim
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| n.(圆物的)边，轮缘；边界 | |
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60
taut
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| adj.拉紧的，绷紧的，紧张的 | |
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61
impromptu
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| adj.即席的，即兴的；adv.即兴的(地)，无准备的(地) | |
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62
awning
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| n.遮阳篷；雨篷 | |
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63
reigned
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| vi.当政，统治（reign的过去式形式） | |
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64
rumble
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| n.隆隆声；吵嚷；v.隆隆响；低沉地说 | |
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65
apparently
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| adv.显然地；表面上，似乎 | |
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66
chuckling
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| 轻声地笑( chuckle的现在分词 ) | |
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67
fixed
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| adj.固定的，不变的，准备好的；(计算机)固定的 | |
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68
vessel
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| n.船舶；容器，器皿；管，导管，血管 | |
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69
tilt
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| v.(使)倾侧；(使)倾斜；n.倾侧；倾斜 | |
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70
converse
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| vi.谈话，谈天，闲聊；adv.相反的，相反 | |
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71
incurred
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| [医]招致的，遭受的； incur的过去式 | |
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72
wrecking
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| 破坏 | |
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73
prone
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| adj.(to)易于…的，很可能…的；俯卧的 | |
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74
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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75
warship
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| n.军舰，战舰 | |
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76
complicates
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| 使复杂化( complicate的第三人称单数 ) | |
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