BUT FINALLY GET TO THE MILL.
THE time and the surroundings were such as to bring the spirits of the boys to their lowest ebb1.
The gloomy, mysterious woods seemed a world's distance away from their homes, friends and assistance.
The long, tiresome2 tramp, the violent rainstorm, which had soaked them to their skins, and apparently4 found its way to their hearts; the muddy, slippery road, with torrents5 rushing across it, the splashing, searching rivulets6 from the boughs7 overhead, were all deeply depressing.
The boys huddled8 together, as if to gain courage by closer contact.
"Gracious, I never supposed they'd pull off a fight at night, when everybody was tired to death and soaked to a gruel9," said Alf Russell in a shivery whisper.
"They fought at Hohenlinden at night, and on the snow," answered Monty Scruggs. "But snow's not so bad as rain, and, then, they didn't have these awful woods. I'd feel much better if we was out in a clearing somewhere."
"Come into line to the left, there," commanded Si, in a low tone. "Deploy10, one pace apart. Shorty, take the left out there in the bushes. Don't make no noise, step carefully, and don't shoot till I do."
"Keep near me, Pete, and you won't git lost," said Shorty, as he stepped off into the brush.
—"Must I shoot the same time you do, or wait till you shoot?" asked Pete, who seemed less depressed11 by his surroundings than the others, and mainly eager to get a chance to shoot.
"Don't watch me," cautioned Shorty. "Watch the fellers you are shootin' at, and try to hit 'em. Fire just as soon as you want to after you hear the others."
"I'll bet I'll hit a rebel if anybody does," said Pete with hopeful animation12.
They tramped forward a few steps over the spongy ground, and through the dripping bushes.
The musketry fire continued fitfully around the mill in the distance.
They came to the summit of the little rise.
"Hist—halt; lay down, quick," called the watchful14 Si, in a penetrating15 voice. "They've loaded agin', and are about to shoot."
He and Shorty were down on their faces as he spoke16. The others obeyed more slowly and clumsily. The rebel volley cut the limbs and bushes over their heads, and whistled viciously through the damp air and the darkness.
As little Pete dropped to the ground, his nervous finger touched the trigger and his gun went off up in the air. The others took this as a cue, and banged away as rapidly as they could get their muskets17 off.
Only Si and Shorty, in dropping, had kept the lay of the ground in view, and without rising they deliberately18 aimed their pieces whither the volley had come and fired. A suppressed yell of pain came from the other side.
"We salted one of 'em, anyway," chuckled19 Shorty, as he raised on his knee to reload his gun.
"Gosh all Chrismus," said Si, using his most formidable swear-word, for he was very angry. "What was you brats20 shootin' at? Squirrels or angels? A rebel'd had to be 80 cubits high, like old Haman, for one o' you to've hit him. Lots o' good o' your packin' around guns and cartridges21, if you're goin' to waste your ammynition on the malaria22 in the clouds. Load agin, now, carefully, and when you shoot agin be sure to fetch something. I'll take my ramrod to the next boy that I ketch shootin' higher'n a man's head. This ain't no Fourth-o'-July business. Our job's te kill them whangdoodles over there, and I want you to 'tend strictly23 to that."
The threat of a real boyish thrashing and the cool, matter-of-fact way that Si and Shorty conducted themselves—precisely as if chopping trees or mowing24 a field—steadied the boys wonderfully.
"They're about ready to shoot agin," Si spoke down the line, in a penetrating whisper. "Everybody hug the ground, and watch the flashes. Each feller git a good line on the flash straight in front of him, and let the hound have a chunk25 o' lead just below his belt. If you're all real good, and shoot just right, I'll take you on a rush right at them fellers, and we'll scatter26 what's left like a flock o' quail27. Lay low. There it comes agin. Lay low."
An irregular volley burnt out in the blackness beyond. The bullets sang around much closer than before, and several of them struck near Si, one landing in the leaves and moss28 directly in front of him, and throwing a wet sprinkle in his face.
"Like the parrot, I was talkin' too much and too loud," thought Si. "They wuz all reachin' for me, and one feller made a mighty29 good line shot. Le's see if I can't better him."
He drew down in his sights as carefully as he could in the darkness, and pulled the trigger. As the smoke thinned out a little he thought he saw something beyond which indicated a man staggering and falling.
This time the boys seemed to be firing effectively. There was a commotion30 in the woods beyond, and the sound of groans31 on the damp air.
"Raise up!" shouted Si. "Forward! Forward! Jump 'em. Jump 'em before they kin3 load agin!"
Loading his gun with the practiced ease of a veteran as he rushed forward, Si led his squad32 directly against the position of the rebels. Part of the rebels had promptly33 run away, as they heard Si order the charge, but part boldly stood their ground, and were nervously34 reloading, or fixing bayonets, as the squad came crashing through the brush. One of the rebels fired a hasty, ineffectual shot, and by its light Shorty saw the nervous little Pete, who had torn off his cumbering haversack, letting his hat go with it, slip between him and Si, and gain a pace in advance.
"Git back, you little rat," said Shorty, reaching out a long arm, catching35 the boy by the collar, and yanking him back. "Git behind me and stay there."
The flash revealed another rebel fumbling36 for a cap. Shorty's gun came down, and the rebel fell, shot through the shoulder. The rebel leader, a long haired, lathy man, with the quickness of a wildcat, sprang at Si with his bayonet fixed37. Heavy-footed and deliberate as Si usually was, when the electricity of a fight was in him there was no lack of celerity. He caught the rebel's bayonet on his musket13-barrel and warded38 it off so completely that the rebel shot by him in the impetus39 of his own rush. As he passed Si delivered a stunning40 blow on the back of his head with his gun-barrel.
"That zouave drill was a mighty good thing, after all," thought Si, as he turned from his prostrate41 foe42 to the others.
While this was going on, the boys were imitating Shorty's example, getting their guns loaded, and banging away as fast as they did so into the rebels, who went down under the shots, or ran off, leaving one of their number, a tall, lank43 mountaineer, who seemed beside himself with rage. He had grasped his empty gun by the stock, and was swinging it around his head, yelling fierce insults and defiance44 to the whole race o' Yankees.
"Come on, you infernal pack o' white-livered, nigger-stealin', house-robbin', hell-desarvin' hypocrites," he shouted. "I kin lick the hull46 bilin' o' yo'uns. This is my wounded pardner here, and yo'uns can't have neither me nor him till yo'uns down me, which y' can't do. Come on, y' pigeon-livered cowards."
The boys who had pressed lip near him, shrank back a little, out of possible range of that violently brandished47 musket, and began loading their guns.
Shorty had stopped for an instant to turn over into an easier position the rebel he had shot.
Si paced up. His gun was loaded, and he could have easily brought the rebel down. But the rebel's devotion to his partner touched him.
Don't Anybody Shoot. 119
"Don't shoot, boys," he commanded; "leave me to 'tend to him. Say, Johnny," he addressed the rebel, in a placatory48 way, "don't make a fool o' yourself. Come down, we've got you, dead. drop that gun."
"Go to brimstone blazes," shouted the rebel. "If yo'uns have got me, why don't y' take me. I kin lick the hull caboodle o' y' sneakin' mulatters. Come on, why don't y'?"
"Give him a wad, Si," said Shorty, reloading his own gun. "We haint no time to lose. They need us over there."
"No, don't anybody shoot," commanded Si; "he's just crazy about his partner. He's too brave a man to kill. Say, Johnny, have a little sense. We haint goin' to hurt your partner, nor you, if you'll behave. drop that gun at once, and surrender."
"Go to blazes," retorted the rebel, swinging his gun more wildly than ever. "Yo'uns is all liars49. No dependence50 kin be placed on y'. If y' want me, come and git me."'
Shorty had begun to think the thing somewhat humorous. "Look here, Johnny," said he, "wouldn't you like a big chaw o' navy terbacker—bright plug. Genuine Yankee plug? Swingin' that ere gun that way is awful tiresome."
"Eh—What's that?" said the rebel, startled by the new proposition and its coolness.
"I say, don't you want a big chaw o' terbacker? You must need it. I always do after I've bin45 workin' hard. drop your gun, and have one with me. We're Injiannians, and we don't mean no harm to your partner, nor to you. We'll take care o' him, if he's hurt. Here, cut your own chaw."
"Air yo'uns from Injianny?" said the rebel, bringing his gun down to a less menacing attitude. "I've done got two brothers in Injianny, and I hear they'uns 've done inlisted in Yankee rijiments. Mebbe yo'uns know 'em."
"Mebbe we do," said Shorty, handing him a long plug and his knife. "But we hain't time to talk it over now. We'll do that in the mornin', when business ain't so pressin'. Le' me hold your gun while you cut your terbacker."
"Now, look here," said Si, "time's jumpin', and we must talk quick. If we parole you, will you stay here, and take care o' your partner and the others, and be here in the mornin', when we send for you?"
"You won't send for me, if yo'uns is a-gwine on ter fout we'uns up at the mill. We'uns chaw yo'uns up, or run y' outen the country."
"We'll take care o' that," said Si sharply. "Will you promise on your honor to stay with these men, and take care o' them till daylight, if we don't come sooner?"
"Sartin,—'pon honor," answered the rebel, with his mouth full of tobacco.
"All right, then. Load at will. Load! Forward!—March!" commanded Si.
Si moved on cautiously, for he feared that the runaways51 had told those attacking the mill about his advance, and would bring them all down upon him. The dying down of the firing about the mill confirmed this opinion. He warned his boys to make as little noise as possible, and went ahead of them some distance, to reconnoiter, slipping along the side of the road, under the shadow of the trees. He arranged a system of signals with Shorty, by which one click of his gunlock meant halt, and two to come ahead. Presently he came in sight of the broad race which ran to the mill. The starlight was sufficient to show its width and its banks, with the logs lying along, which had been cut when it was dug. A bridge crossed the race for the road to the mill. Beyond the ground rose sharply, and looking at the crest52 against the sky, he could see the rebels, one by one, file over, and come down to where they could crouch53 behind the logs and ambuscade the bridge.
Si clicked his gunlock, and waited till he had counted 25 rebels gathered there, which seemed to be all, as no more appeared. Then he slipped back to Shorty, and hurriedly explained the situation.
The boys listened with sinking hearts. More than three times as many rebels as they themselves numbered, and perhaps fiercer and stronger than those they had already encountered.
The elation54 of their recent victory subsided55. Again the woods became ominously56 dark and gloomy, the soaking dampness very depressing. They huddled together to brace57 each other up.
"Si," said Shorty, "didn't you say that it was a squad o' the Maumee Muskrats58 in the mill, and that we wuz goin' to relieve 'em."
"Yes, and the Orderly said that railroad 'Mick'—Hennessey—was the Sarjint in command."
"O, that bog-trottin' old section boss, that hairy-handed artist with the long shovel59, is there, is he with his crucifix and his prayers to the Saints. That's all right. He's bin stormin' and swearin' ever since the fight begun; because he's bin obliged to stay inside and shoot, and instid of making a grand rush and settling things, according to Donnybrook Fair rules. I tell you what you do. You work the boys carefully down through the brush toward the race, and git 'em into position in easy range of the rebels, covering 'em behind logs. I'll take a circuit around to the left, and git over to the hill, behind the rebels, and near enough the mill for Hennessey to hear me. Then I'll fire a shot and yell for Hennessey. He knows my voice, and he'll bring his men out like a pack o' hornets. Then you let into the rebels from your side. They can't git across the race at you, and we'll have 'em where we kin whipsaw 'em."
"Shorty," said Si admiringly, "Gen. Grant 'll hear o' you some day, and then Co. Q will lose its brightest star, but the army'll gain a great General."
"I know it; I know it," said Shorty, modestly; "but don't stop to talk about it now. I think I've got the lay o' the mill in mind. I'll just cut around that way. Don't shoot till you hear me."
Si quietly deployed60 his boys to the left of the road, and worked them through the brush until they came to the crest overlooking the mill-race. They took readily to this sort of work. They had all hunted rabbits over the hills of southern Indiana, and they came into position so softly that the rebels beyond did not suspect their presence.
Then came a long wait for the signal from Shorty. The rebels seemed to get tired first. Presently they could be seen moving around, and Si had hard work restraining his squad from shooting at the tempting61 marks. Then the rebels began talking, at first in murmurs62, and then louder. There seemed to be a division of opinion among them. Those who had been run back were sure that the Yankee were coming on to the relief of their comrades in the mill. The others thought that their comrades had run the other away just as fast.
"I tell you, hit's no use to wait for they'uns no longer," said one strong voice. "Them Yankees is runnin' back to their camps as fast as they'uns's legs 'll carry they'uns. If yo'uns 'd had any sand, and stood yer ground, you'd 'a seed 'em. But yo' yaller hammers allers git the ager when ever a cap's busted63, and run yer rabbit-gizzards out."
"Y're a liar," hotly responded another voice. "Thar was more'n 50 o' them Yankees, if thar was a man. We fit 'em awful, before we give away, and they'd killed Burt Dolson and Bob Whittyker, and I don't know how many more. They come bulgin' right on toward the mill, arter they'd reformed. I know hit, bekase Eph and me staid and watched 'em, and shot at 'em, till we thought hit best to run back and warn ye."
"Ye wuz in a powerful hurry to warn us," sneered64 the other. "Well, thar's no Yankees over thar, and none haint a-comin' till daylight. I've ketched all the ager and rhematiz here that I'm a-gwine ter. Le's go back and salivate them fellers in the mill, and set fire to it."
This seemed to be the prevailing65 sentiment, and Si began to fear that they would all go, and might intercept66 Shorty. He was on the point of ordering the boys to fire, and attract their attention, when Shorty's rifle rang out, and the next instant came a roar from Shorty's powerful lungs, with each word clear and distinct:
"Hennessy—you—red—mouthed—Mick—come out. The 200th Injianny is—here. Come out—with a rush—you—imported spalpeen—and jump—'em—in—the—rear!"
"Now, boys," commanded Si, "keep cool, pick your man, and fire low. I'm goin' to take the feller that's bin doin' the big talkin'."
Each of the boys had already picked his man, and was eagerly waiting the word. Their fire threw their enemies into confusion, and as their guns rattled67, the barricaded68 doors of the mill were thrown open, and Hennessey rushed out with a wild Irish "hurroo." The rebels incontinently fled, without an attempt at resistance.
After it was ascertained69 that every unhurt rebel was running for dear life to get away, after Hennessey and his squad had gathered up the wounded and carried them into the mill, and after the boys had yelled themselves hoarse70 over their victory gained with such unexpected ease, they suddenly remembered that they were so tired that they could scarcely drag one foot after another, and hungrier than young wolves at the end of a hard Winter.
"Gewhillikins," murmured Jim Humphreys, "I wonder when we're going to have supper. I'm as holler as a stovepipe."
"You've got your suppers in your haversacks," said Si. "We'll go into the mill and build a fire and make some coffee and fry some meat."
"In my haversack," said Jim ruefully, after they had entered the mill, and he had run his hand into his forgotten haversack, and withdrawn71 it covered with a viscid greasy72 mush. "My haversack's full o' water, that's soaked everything else in it to a gruel."
"So's mine; so's mine," echoed the rest, as they examined.
"Confound it," said Si' wrathfully, as he looked into one after another. "Didn't none o' you have sense enough to fasten down the covers carefully, so's to keep the water out? Here it is—salt and sugar and coffee, bread and greasy pork all in one nasty mess. I declare, you don't seem to have the sense you wuz born with. You've bin breakin' yourselves down luggin' around 10 or 15 pounds o' water, besides spilin' your rations73."
"Probably Sarjint Hennessey has some rations that he kin give us," suggested Shorty, who was genuinely sorry for the poor boys.
"Dade I haint—not a smidgeon," answered Hennessey. "We ixpicted ye's to git here this forenoon and relieve us, and we et up ivery spoonful of our grub for breakfast, so's to lighten us for a quick march back to camp. They've not bin runnin' in the mill for several days, and've carted off ivery bit of the male they ground. We're nigh starved oursilves, but we've had a lovely little foight, and we forgive ye's for not coming airlier. Oi wouldn't 've missed that last rush on thim divil's for a month's double rations."
"Well," said Si, encouragingly, "we'll have to make mine and Shorty's rations go around as well as they kin, among all of you. Fish the meat out o' your haversacks, boys, and wash the dope off it. It ain't spiled, anyway. We kin each of us have a little to eat tonight, and we'll trust to Providence74 for termorrer."
点击收听单词发音
1 ebb | |
vi.衰退,减退;n.处于低潮,处于衰退状态 | |
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2 tiresome | |
adj.令人疲劳的,令人厌倦的 | |
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3 kin | |
n.家族,亲属,血缘关系;adj.亲属关系的,同类的 | |
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4 apparently | |
adv.显然地;表面上,似乎 | |
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5 torrents | |
n.倾注;奔流( torrent的名词复数 );急流;爆发;连续不断 | |
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6 rivulets | |
n.小河,小溪( rivulet的名词复数 ) | |
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7 boughs | |
大树枝( bough的名词复数 ) | |
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8 huddled | |
挤在一起(huddle的过去式与过去分词形式) | |
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9 gruel | |
n.稀饭,粥 | |
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10 deploy | |
v.(军)散开成战斗队形,布置,展开 | |
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11 depressed | |
adj.沮丧的,抑郁的,不景气的,萧条的 | |
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12 animation | |
n.活泼,兴奋,卡通片/动画片的制作 | |
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13 musket | |
n.滑膛枪 | |
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14 watchful | |
adj.注意的,警惕的 | |
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15 penetrating | |
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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16 spoke | |
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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17 muskets | |
n.火枪,(尤指)滑膛枪( musket的名词复数 ) | |
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18 deliberately | |
adv.审慎地;蓄意地;故意地 | |
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19 chuckled | |
轻声地笑( chuckle的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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20 brats | |
n.调皮捣蛋的孩子( brat的名词复数 ) | |
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21 cartridges | |
子弹( cartridge的名词复数 ); (打印机的)墨盒; 录音带盒; (唱机的)唱头 | |
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22 malaria | |
n.疟疾 | |
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23 strictly | |
adv.严厉地,严格地;严密地 | |
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24 mowing | |
n.割草,一次收割量,牧草地v.刈,割( mow的现在分词 ) | |
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25 chunk | |
n.厚片,大块,相当大的部分(数量) | |
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26 scatter | |
vt.撒,驱散,散开;散布/播;vi.分散,消散 | |
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27 quail | |
n.鹌鹑;vi.畏惧,颤抖 | |
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28 moss | |
n.苔,藓,地衣 | |
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29 mighty | |
adj.强有力的;巨大的 | |
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30 commotion | |
n.骚动,动乱 | |
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31 groans | |
n.呻吟,叹息( groan的名词复数 );呻吟般的声音v.呻吟( groan的第三人称单数 );发牢骚;抱怨;受苦 | |
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32 squad | |
n.班,小队,小团体;vt.把…编成班或小组 | |
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33 promptly | |
adv.及时地,敏捷地 | |
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34 nervously | |
adv.神情激动地,不安地 | |
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35 catching | |
adj.易传染的,有魅力的,迷人的,接住 | |
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36 fumbling | |
n. 摸索,漏接 v. 摸索,摸弄,笨拙的处理 | |
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37 fixed | |
adj.固定的,不变的,准备好的;(计算机)固定的 | |
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38 warded | |
有锁孔的,有钥匙榫槽的 | |
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39 impetus | |
n.推动,促进,刺激;推动力 | |
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40 stunning | |
adj.极好的;使人晕倒的 | |
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41 prostrate | |
v.拜倒,平卧,衰竭;adj.拜倒的,平卧的,衰竭的 | |
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42 foe | |
n.敌人,仇敌 | |
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43 lank | |
adj.瘦削的;稀疏的 | |
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44 defiance | |
n.挑战,挑衅,蔑视,违抗 | |
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45 bin | |
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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46 hull | |
n.船身;(果、实等的)外壳;vt.去(谷物等)壳 | |
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47 brandished | |
v.挥舞( brandish的过去式和过去分词 );炫耀 | |
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48 placatory | |
adj.安抚的,抚慰的 | |
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49 liars | |
说谎者( liar的名词复数 ) | |
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50 dependence | |
n.依靠,依赖;信任,信赖;隶属 | |
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51 runaways | |
(轻而易举的)胜利( runaway的名词复数 ) | |
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52 crest | |
n.顶点;饰章;羽冠;vt.达到顶点;vi.形成浪尖 | |
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53 crouch | |
v.蹲伏,蜷缩,低头弯腰;n.蹲伏 | |
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54 elation | |
n.兴高采烈,洋洋得意 | |
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55 subsided | |
v.(土地)下陷(因在地下采矿)( subside的过去式和过去分词 );减弱;下降至较低或正常水平;一下子坐在椅子等上 | |
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56 ominously | |
adv.恶兆地,不吉利地;预示地 | |
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57 brace | |
n. 支柱,曲柄,大括号; v. 绷紧,顶住,(为困难或坏事)做准备 | |
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58 muskrats | |
n.麝鼠(产于北美,毛皮珍贵)( muskrat的名词复数 ) | |
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59 shovel | |
n.铁锨,铲子,一铲之量;v.铲,铲出 | |
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60 deployed | |
(尤指军事行动)使展开( deploy的过去式和过去分词 ); 施展; 部署; 有效地利用 | |
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61 tempting | |
a.诱人的, 吸引人的 | |
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62 murmurs | |
n.低沉、连续而不清的声音( murmur的名词复数 );低语声;怨言;嘀咕 | |
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63 busted | |
adj. 破产了的,失败了的,被降级的,被逮捕的,被抓到的 动词bust的过去式和过去分词 | |
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64 sneered | |
讥笑,冷笑( sneer的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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65 prevailing | |
adj.盛行的;占优势的;主要的 | |
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66 intercept | |
vt.拦截,截住,截击 | |
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67 rattled | |
慌乱的,恼火的 | |
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68 barricaded | |
设路障于,以障碍物阻塞( barricade的过去式和过去分词 ); 设路障[防御工事]保卫或固守 | |
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69 ascertained | |
v.弄清,确定,查明( ascertain的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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70 hoarse | |
adj.嘶哑的,沙哑的 | |
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71 withdrawn | |
vt.收回;使退出;vi.撤退,退出 | |
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72 greasy | |
adj. 多脂的,油脂的 | |
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73 rations | |
定量( ration的名词复数 ); 配给量; 正常量; 合理的量 | |
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74 providence | |
n.深谋远虑,天道,天意;远见;节约;上帝 | |
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