It was folly2 to think of such a thing. Murder was in their hearts and the only way to wipe it out was to give them battle.
So the young inventor cried:
“Look out, friends! Stand by and don’t let them get to close quarters!”
The barbarians3 hurled4 their javelins5 with vengeful aim.
Some of them went true to the mark. But the points being only of flint or fish bone were easily turned against the armor of the white men.
So that the white men in this respect held a great advantage.
They fired almost point blank with their Winchesters. Several of the natives dropped dead.
But this did not deter6 them. Charging with such blind fury the battle could not help but be brought to close quarters.
And here it seemed for a moment as if the barbarians would win.
With their heavy battle clubs, which they swung above their heads with fearful force, they dealt terrible blows.
The armor resisted the point of the axe7, but the concussion8 was something likely to prove almost as fatal. The guns of the white men were but frail9 guards.
The only way to do was to keep up a running fire and retreat before the terrible blows. This scattered10 the fighters, and at the same time made the outlook bad for the white men.
Indeed, for a time it began to look serious enough for them.
But at this moment Frank Reade, Jr., chanced to glance upward.
He saw that the airship had drifted over the peaks and was now above the valley. Even as he looked he saw Pomp, at the rail.
Instantly Frank signaled to him.
The astute11 darky was not long in grasping the situation. Professor Gaston was now on board with him, having been picked up by Pomp.
“Golly!” gasped12 the darky, “I done fink dat Marse Frank am in a bad scrape. Jes’ yo’ hol’ on dar, Marse Gaston. I’se gwine to fix dem chaps pretty quick!”
“Mercy on us!” cried the professor, “our men are in great danger.”
“Dat dey are, sir!”
Pomp rushed into the cabin and brought out a dynamite13 bomb, an invention of Frank Reade, Jr.’s. This he dropped right in the midst of the barbarians.
Instantly there was a terrific explosion. Fully14 a dozen of the wretches15 were blown into eternity16.
Then the airship began to descend17.
The barbarians seemed to have acquired a fearful terror of the airship. At sight of it now they beat an inglorious retreat.
Up the valley they rushed, in headlong haste. The Dart18 descended19 until within one hundred feet of the ground.
“All right, Pomp!” cried Frank, “hold right where you are. We are going to invade that big, stone building. Be ready to give us help!”
“A’right, Marse Frank!” replied Pomp, readily.
The victorious20 explorers now charged the barbarians’ settlement. They deserted21 their houses and fled incontinently.
Reaching the massive stone structure they dashed through a high arched doorway22 and found themselves in a long passage.
This proved to be a perfect labyrinth23, but finally the rescuers came out in a high walled room in the centre of the structure.
And here, sitting upon the stone floor and bound hand and foot, were the three prisoners.
Lucille was pale but brave, and at sight of the rescuers gave a great cry of joy.
The next moment her bonds were cut and she was in her father’s arms, unharmed.
It was a joyful24 reunion, and among the happy ones was Jack25 Wallis.
The looks given each other by the young lovers were of the warmest description.
The airship had descended now, and Professor Gaston was exploring the huts of the barbarians.
“A strange race!” he declared. “Unlike any other on the face of the earth.”
He collected much valuable data and many specimens26. Then all returned to the deck of the airship.
The gratitude27 of the Albatross’ people to Frank Reade, Jr., was of the most intense description.
“We can never forget your kindness!” they declared. “But for your aid we would never have effected the rescue, and we should all have met death.”
“But what are your plans now?” asked Frank, with interest.
“We must return to the Albatross.”
“And then——”
“Winter here and with the first thaw29 in the spring sail for home.”
“But you have no crew!”
“That is true,” replied Captain Hardy30. “We shall be short handed. Yet if none of us die in the meanwhile the four of us could sail the ship home.”
“Yet it will be a terrible experience for you to pass the winter upon the scene of that fearful massacre31,” said Frank. “Don’t you think the ice pack could be broken up?”
“Ah!” cried Captain Hardy, eagerly. “If we could have made headway against the wind for only two miles more we should have been in the open sea!”
“So I thought,” said Frank. “You are right in the edge of the pack. It should not be difficult to get a channel through.”
But Captain Hardy shook his head.
“Too much ice!”
“If you could reach the open sea you could get north, couldn’t you?”
“Oh, yes! the current has already set northward32,” replied the captain.
“Then have courage,” cried Frank, “for I will pull you out of the hole!”
The captain was amazed.
“You?”
“Yes.”
“But—how?”
“Wait and you shall see.”
The airship took its flight from the volcanic33 valley, leaving the terrified barbarians to themselves.
As straight as the birds could fly the Dart returned to the spot, where the Albatross was nipped in the ice.
Then a descent was made.
The first move was to reverently34 bury the victims of the massacre and restore things to order aboard the ship.
Then Frank took a quick and comprehensive survey of the ice pack.
He saw that the Albatross lay between two ridges35 of block ice. It would take a century to dig a channel through with pick and shovel36.
But this was not what Frank proposed to do.
He carefully obtained the lay of the ice pack. Then Barney and Pomp began drilling holes four feet deep in the ice.
A line of these holes were drilled at intervals37 of ten feet, the whole distance of two miles to the open sea.
Then dynamite bombs were placed in them and connected with a wire aboard the airship.
Frank pressed the electric key, and a terrific explosion followed. Tons of ice rose in the air and was hurled aside.
A literal channel was made the entire distance of two miles to the open sea. It now only remained to clear this of ice.
The crew of the Albatross cheered with delight at the prospect38. The ship lay in the channel freed of ice.
But now to the gratification of every one the ice began to move out of the channel of its own accord.
The reason for this was that the Antarctic current had set to the northward and was carrying it along.
In a very few hours the channel was wholly clear.
It now only remained to get the ship out of it and into the open sea.
As there was not seaway in the channel, sail could not be made. But Frank solved the problem.
A line was carried from the ship’s bow a mile ahead and the airship was lowered and anchored firmly. Then the electric engines were set to work and one of the propellers39 was utilized40 as a drum to wind the line up on.
The engines of the airship, though delicate, were powerful, and in a very short time the ship had been towed to the end of the channel.
Here sail was made and the Albatross stood away to the northward.
Captain Hardy, Jack Wallis and Lucille stood upon the quarter deck and waved a farewell to the aerial voyagers.
“I am so glad that we were enabled to render them such a service,” said Frank. “It well repays me for my Antarctic trip.”
“Certainly. You have done a good deed,” declared Professor Gaston, warmly.
“Now for the South Pole!”
“Hurrah!”
Barney and Pomp set about their duties with a vim41.
They were bosom42 friends and yet each was engaged in constant nagging43 at the other. Many were the practical jokes they played upon each other.
“Hi, dar, yo’ big I’ishman!” cried Pomp, in an imperious way, “why don’ yo’ shine up dat brasswo’k in de engine-room?”
“Begorra, an’ phwy don’t yez make us some bread we kin28 ate?” retorted Barney, facetiously44. “Shure, the last I got hold of was that hard that I cudn’t break it wid a sledgehammer.”
“Huh! I done fink yo’ am pooty sassy, I’ish. Jes’ s’pose yo’ makes yo’ own bread fo’ awhile.”
“Bejabers, I’ll do it!”
“Yo’ will?”
“Yis, to be shure!”
“How am yo’ gwine to do it?”
“I’ll show yez!”
But Pomp blocked the galley45 door.
“No, yo’ don’ do anyfing ob de kin’! I done reckon I know wha’ yo’ want in here. Yo’ jest mix my fings all up an’ den47 Marse Frank gib me a jawing48.”
“But yez wanted me to make me own bread. Now, gimme a chance.”!
“I’ll gib yo’ a chaince to see stars, honey, if yo’ don’t go on about yo’ own biz!”
This excited Barney’s ire.
The mere49 allusion50 to a fight was enough for him. He was more than ready and willing.
In an instant he bristled51 up.
“Oh, it’s fight yez want!” he cried, spitting on his hands. “Shure, I’m jist the lad that kin accomodate yez. Whurroo!”
“Look yer, I’ish,” said Pomp, solemnly, “does yo’ see de color ob my eye?”
“Begorra, it’ll be blacker than it is now afore I get through wid it!” spluttered Barney.
“Does yo’ mean to hit me, chile?”
“If yez don’t apologize!”
“Wha’ fo’?”
“Fer insultin’ me, bejabers!”
“Gwan away. I neber ’sulted yo’.”
“Bejabers, that’s a loie! Here’s wan46 fer luck!”
With this Barney made a swoop52 at the darky. Pomp easily dodged53 it, however, and retreated a step.
Barney came at him again, hammer and tongs54. At once Africa’s blood arose.
“G’way now, yo’ sassy I’ishman, if yo’ knows what’s good fo’ yo’se’f. Whoop55 dar! Look out fo’ yo’se’f!”
With this down went Pomp’s woolly head. Forward he shot like a battering56 ram57. The result was comical enough.
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收听单词发音
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1
horde
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| n.群众，一大群 | |
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folly
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| n.愚笨，愚蠢，蠢事，蠢行，傻话 | |
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barbarians
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| n.野蛮人( barbarian的名词复数 )；外国人；粗野的人；无教养的人 | |
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hurled
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| v.猛投，用力掷( hurl的过去式和过去分词 )；大声叫骂 | |
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javelins
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| n.标枪( javelin的名词复数 ) | |
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deter
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| vt.阻止，使不敢，吓住 | |
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axe
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| n.斧子；v.用斧头砍，削减 | |
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concussion
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| n.脑震荡；震动 | |
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frail
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| adj.身体虚弱的；易损坏的 | |
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scattered
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| adj.分散的，稀疏的；散步的；疏疏落落的 | |
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astute
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| adj.机敏的，精明的 | |
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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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dynamite
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| n./vt.(用)炸药(爆破) | |
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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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wretches
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| n.不幸的人( wretch的名词复数 )；可怜的人；恶棍；坏蛋 | |
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16
eternity
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| n.不朽，来世；永恒，无穷 | |
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17
descend
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| vt./vi.传下来，下来，下降 | |
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dart
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| v.猛冲，投掷；n.飞镖，猛冲 | |
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descended
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| a.为...后裔的，出身于...的 | |
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victorious
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| adj.胜利的，得胜的 | |
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deserted
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| adj.荒芜的，荒废的，无人的，被遗弃的 | |
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doorway
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| n.门口，(喻)入门；门路，途径 | |
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labyrinth
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| n.迷宫；难解的事物；迷路 | |
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joyful
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| adj.欢乐的，令人欢欣的 | |
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jack
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| n.插座，千斤顶，男人；v.抬起，提醒，扛举；n.（Jake）杰克 | |
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26
specimens
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| n.样品( specimen的名词复数 )；范例；（化验的）抽样；某种类型的人 | |
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gratitude
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| adj.感激，感谢 | |
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kin
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| n.家族，亲属，血缘关系；adj.亲属关系的，同类的 | |
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thaw
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| v.（使）融化，（使）变得友善；n.融化，缓和 | |
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hardy
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| adj.勇敢的，果断的，吃苦的；耐寒的 | |
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massacre
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| n.残杀，大屠杀；v.残杀，集体屠杀 | |
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northward
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| adv.向北；n.北方的地区 | |
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volcanic
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| adj.火山的；象火山的；由火山引起的 | |
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reverently
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| adv.虔诚地 | |
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ridges
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| n.脊( ridge的名词复数 )；山脊；脊状突起；大气层的)高压脊 | |
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shovel
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| n.铁锨，铲子，一铲之量；v.铲，铲出 | |
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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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prospect
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| n.前景，前途；景色，视野 | |
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propellers
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| n.螺旋桨，推进器( propeller的名词复数 ) | |
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utilized
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| v.利用，使用( utilize的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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vim
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| n.精力，活力 | |
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bosom
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| n.胸，胸部；胸怀；内心；adj.亲密的 | |
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43
nagging
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| adj.唠叨的，挑剔的；使人不得安宁的v.不断地挑剔或批评（某人）( nag的现在分词 )；不断地烦扰或伤害（某人）；无休止地抱怨；不断指责 | |
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44
facetiously
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| adv.爱开玩笑地；滑稽地，爱开玩笑地 | |
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45
galley
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| n.（飞机或船上的）厨房单层甲板大帆船；军舰舰长用的大划艇； | |
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wan
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| (wide area network)广域网 | |
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den
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| n.兽穴；秘密地方；安静的小房间，私室 | |
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jawing
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| n.用水灌注 | |
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mere
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| adj.纯粹的；仅仅，只不过 | |
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allusion
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| n.暗示，间接提示 | |
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51
bristled
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| adj. 直立的，多刺毛的 动词bristle的过去式和过去分词 | |
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52
swoop
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| n.俯冲，攫取；v.抓取，突然袭击 | |
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53
dodged
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| v.闪躲( dodge的过去式和过去分词 )；回避 | |
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54
tongs
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| n.钳；夹子 | |
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whoop
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| n.大叫，呐喊，喘息声；v.叫喊，喘息 | |
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56
battering
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| n.用坏，损坏v.连续猛击( batter的现在分词 ) | |
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57
ram
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| (random access memory)随机存取存储器 | |
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