Of that instant Ralph took good advantage. He bounded at full speed toward the nearest tree which looked as if it might sustain his weight. Luckily, there was one not far off—a dead cedar2. He managed to reach it just ahead of the lynx and began scrambling3 into the low growing branches. The rifle that had failed him in that critical moment, he abandoned as useless; anyhow he could not have climbed, encumbered4 with the heavy weapon.
“If I ever get out of this I’ll stick to the old-fashioned[64] repeater,” was his thought as he flung the weapon full at the head of the lynx, missing her, in his agitation6, by a good foot.
Under the circumstances, Ralph had done what he thought best in making for the tree. In reality, though, had he had time for reflection, he would better have taken his chances in a race toward his companions, for of course a lynx can climb as well as any wild cat. In fact, Ralph had hardly gained a second’s security before the creature flung herself furiously against the foot of the tree and began climbing after the boy.
“She’s coming after me, sure as fate!” gasped7 Ralph desperately8. “Gracious, look at those claws! I’ve got to stop her in some way; but I’d like to know how.”
By this time he had clambered some distance up the tree, an easy task, for the branches grew fairly thick, and as the tree was dead there were no leafy boughs9 to encumber5 his progress. But unfortunately, this made it equally easy for his[65] assailant to pursue him. Ralph saw that unless he did something decisive pretty quickly, he would be driven to the upper part of the tree where it would be unsafe for his weight.
Just above him, at this juncture10, he spied a fairly heavy branch which, it seemed, he might break off easily. Reaching above him, the boy gave it a stout11 tug12, and found that he had at least a good, thick club in his possession.
The lynx was just below him. Ralph raised his luckily found weapon and brought it down with a resounding13 crack on her skull14.
With a howl of rage the creature dropped; but caught on a lower branch and clinging there, glared up at him more menacingly than before. Far from injuring her as the boy had hoped, the blow had only served to infuriate the creature.
Suddenly, as if determined15 to bring the contest to a speedy termination, the lynx began climbing again. Once more Ralph raised his club[66] and as the animal came within striking distance he brought it down again with all his force.
“I hope I crack your ugly head,” he muttered vindictively16 as he struck.
But by bad luck, Ralph’s hopes were doomed17 to be blasted. He had struck a good, hard blow and one that sent the lynx, snarling19 and spitting, scurrying20 down the tree. But with such good will had he delivered the blow that his club had broken in two. The best part of it went crashing to the ground, leaving him with only a stump21 in his hand.
“If she comes back at me now, I’m done for,” thought Ralph, as he looked downward.
But for the moment it appeared that the creature had no such intention. Perhaps the two blows had stunned22 and confused her. At any rate she lay on one of the lower boughs seemingly stupefied. As Ralph gingerly prepared to descend23, however, hoping to pass by the brute24, she gave a snarl18 and slipped with cat-like agility[67] to the ground. There, at the foot of the tree she lay, gazing upward with malicious25 eyes. Evidently she had given up her first method of attack, but meant to lie there like a sentinel and let Ralph make the next move.
“Gracious!” thought the boy as he saw this, “I am in a fine pickle26. I can’t fire any shots to attract the attention of the bunch and I guess shouting won’t do much good. They may come to look for me, but they won’t know in what direction to search.”
Nevertheless, Ralph inhaled27 a good, deep breath and shouted with all his lung power. But no result was manifest, except that the lynx growled28 and snarled29 and lashed30 its stumpy tail angrily. Once it set up a dreary31 howl and the unpleasant thought occurred to Ralph that the creature might be calling its mate.
“If two of them come at me—” he thought; but he didn’t dwell on that thought.
Instead, he cut himself another club and then[68] sitting back, thought the situation over with all his might. As if in search of an inspiration he began rummaging32 his pockets. How he wished he had brought his revolver along, or even the ammonia “squirt-gun” that he carried occasionally when traveling as a protection against ugly-natured dogs. All at once, in an inside pocket, his hand encountered a small bottle. Ralph almost uttered a cry of joy. A sudden flash of inspiration had come to him. In the bottle was some concentrated ammonia. He had filled his “squirt-gun” that morning before placing it in the pack, and in the hurry of leaving the train at Pine Pass had shoved the bottle into his pocket.
“It’s an awfully33 long chance,” he thought as he drew out the bottle, “but, by Jove, I’ll try it. Desperate situations call for desperate remedies, and this is sure a tough predicament that I’m in.”
His movements had attracted the attention of the lynx, and it reared up on its hind34 legs and began clambering toward him once more. With[69] trembling fingers Ralph drew the cork35 of the bottle, and a pungent36 odor filled the air. The reek37 of the ardent38 drug made the boy’s eyes water; but he was glad the stuff was so strong. It suited his purpose all the better.
What he had to do now was nerve-racking in the extreme. He did not dare to try to put his plan into execution till the lynx got closer to him, and to sit still and watch the ugly brute clambering toward him was enough to upset the stoutest39 nature. Ralph waited till the animal was on a branch directly below him and was glaring up at him as if making up its mind for the final onslaught.
Then suddenly he cried out:
“Take that, you brute!”
With a swift, sure aim he doused40 the contents of the ammonia bottle full in the face of the lynx. The effect was immediate41 and startling. With a scream of rage and pain the blinded animal dropped, clawing and scratching through the[70] dead limbs, to the ground. Landing on all fours she began clawing up the earth in a frenzy42 of pain. The sharp, pungent ammonia was eating into her eyes like a red-hot flame.
Suddenly, above the yelps43 and howls of the maddened creature, there came another sound, a hail off in the woods.
“Ralph! oh, Ralph!”
“Here I am, fellows! This way! Come on quick!” shouted Ralph at the top of his voice.
Then as they grew closer, still shouting, he added a word of caution:
“Have your guns ready! I’m treed by a lynx!”
Through the trees the two boys burst into view. At the same instant the lynx dashed madly off toward the trail. As she dashed along she pawed her tingling44 eyes, trying in vain to rid them of the smarting fluid that Ralph’s lucky throw had filled them with.
Ralph slid to the ground and picking up his faithless rifle joined his chums in a wild chase[71] after the animal. Yelling like Comanches they dashed after, making the uproar45 that had alarmed and startled the professor and Mountain Jim and their young companion. But it was not till they reached the trail, beyond the now tethered horses, that they came within shooting distance of it. Then Persimmons raised his rifle and fired.
As the shot echoed across the muskeg the lynx bounded into the air, turned a somersault, and just as the rest of the party rode up, lay twitching46 in death with Persimmons bending proudly over it.
“Larruping lynxes,” he was shouting, “I guess we’ve got at least one skin to take home!”
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1
molecule
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| n.分子，克分子 | |
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cedar
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| n.雪松，香柏(木) | |
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3
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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4
encumbered
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| v.妨碍，阻碍，拖累( encumber的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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encumber
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| v.阻碍行动，妨碍，堆满 | |
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6
agitation
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| n.搅动；搅拌；鼓动，煽动 | |
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7
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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8
desperately
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| adv.极度渴望地，绝望地，孤注一掷地 | |
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boughs
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| 大树枝( bough的名词复数 ) | |
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10
juncture
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| n.时刻，关键时刻，紧要关头 | |
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12
tug
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| v.用力拖(或拉)；苦干；n.拖；苦干；拖船 | |
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13
resounding
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| adj. 响亮的 | |
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skull
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| n.头骨；颅骨 | |
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determined
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| adj.坚定的；有决心的 | |
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vindictively
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| adv.恶毒地；报复地 | |
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17
doomed
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| 命定的 | |
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18
snarl
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| v.吼叫，怒骂，纠缠，混乱；n.混乱，缠结，咆哮 | |
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snarling
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| v.（指狗）吠，嗥叫， （人）咆哮( snarl的现在分词 )；咆哮着说，厉声地说 | |
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20
scurrying
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| v.急匆匆地走( scurry的现在分词 ) | |
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21
stump
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| n.残株，烟蒂，讲演台；v.砍断，蹒跚而走 | |
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stunned
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| adj. 震惊的，惊讶的 动词stun的过去式和过去分词 | |
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23
descend
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| vt./vi.传下来，下来，下降 | |
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brute
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| n.野兽，兽性 | |
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malicious
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| adj.有恶意的，心怀恶意的 | |
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pickle
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| n.腌汁，泡菜；v.腌，泡 | |
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inhaled
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| v.吸入( inhale的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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growled
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| v.（动物）发狺狺声， （雷）作隆隆声( growl的过去式和过去分词 )；低声咆哮着说 | |
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29
snarled
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| v.（指狗）吠，嗥叫， （人）咆哮( snarl的过去式和过去分词 )；咆哮着说，厉声地说 | |
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30
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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dreary
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| adj.令人沮丧的，沉闷的，单调乏味的 | |
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rummaging
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| 翻找，搜寻( rummage的现在分词 )； 海关检查 | |
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awfully
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| adv.可怕地，非常地，极端地 | |
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hind
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| adj.后面的，后部的 | |
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cork
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| n.软木，软木塞 | |
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pungent
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| adj.（气味、味道）刺激性的，辛辣的；尖锐的 | |
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reek
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| v.发出臭气；n.恶臭 | |
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38
ardent
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| adj.热情的，热烈的，强烈的，烈性的 | |
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stoutest
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| 粗壮的( stout的最高级 )； 结实的； 坚固的； 坚定的 | |
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40
doused
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| v.浇水在…上( douse的过去式和过去分词 )；熄灯[火] | |
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41
immediate
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| adj.立即的；直接的，最接近的；紧靠的 | |
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42
frenzy
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| n.疯狂，狂热，极度的激动 | |
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43
yelps
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| n.（因痛苦、气愤、兴奋等的）短而尖的叫声( yelp的名词复数 )v.发出短而尖的叫声( yelp的第三人称单数 ) | |
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44
tingling
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| v.有刺痛感( tingle的现在分词 ) | |
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45
uproar
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| n.骚动，喧嚣，鼎沸 | |
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46
twitching
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| n.颤搐 | |
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