Medóko had been hurried from the presence, and urged along the rough road with as much rapidity as possible; but people are seldom so unfortunate as they suppose themselves to be. His fate was not as yet accomplished1, and a slight diversion had been already made in his favour. A faithful follower2, alarmed at the protracted3 stay of his chief, had silently stationed himself at the secret outlet4 of the palace, whence he witnessed the progress of his beloved master. A devoted5 band, having hastily collected, followed close on the footsteps of the guard; and as the prisoner passed through the thick forest of Aferbeine, the shrill6 note of the Galla henchman more than once fell on his attentive7 ear, to convey the welcome tidings that he was not altogether deserted8 in this his hour of distress9.
As the party climbed the rocky steep, the moon was fast sinking behind the great mountains, and her pale beams fell cold over the isolated10 rock of Góncho, on the summit of which is perched the state prison of the kingdom. The lower extremity11 of this hill is rent and furrowed12 by many tangled13 ravines, and the bare craggy scarp frowns over the wide-spreading valleys which stretch on either side. Sharp palisades guard the approach, and strong gateways14 lead through well-defended courtyards to a cluster of edifices15 which form the residence of the frontier governor, and the entrance to the places of confinement16.
Vanquished17 by fate, yet refusing to yield, a spasm18 of painful emotion covered with cold dew the brow of the haughty19 chief, as he passed the rocky threshold of the prison. But the thoughts of a free foot on the mountain-side, and the signal vengeance20 that would follow, banished21 from his stout22 heart the usual feelings of despair, and in ironical23 words he returned the salutations of his brother Abogáz, into whose keeping he was about to be consigned24.
Wulásma Mohammad was a fat imperious personage, of most sinister25 expression of countenance26, and much more feared than either loved or respected. The cool healthy air of his mountain fortress27, and a quiet life of inactivity, had filled his veins28 with a rich flow of blood, and he spent the greater portion of the day over a jar of potent29 hydromel. His body had become bloated and his mind bewildered by the fumes30 of the liquor; and dividing his time between dreaming and drinking, he left the charge of his bolts and avocations31 to his burly brother Jhalia, who, fortunately for the prisoner, was now engaged on the frontier in quelling32 a disturbance33 which had been induced by the stupidity of his superior.
The vulture eye of the Abogáz brightened up on the arrival of the illustrious Medóko; and being at the moment unable to comprehend whether he came as a prisoner or as a guest, an order for entertainment and wine rung through the apartment, instead of chains and fetters35 for the malefactor36. Relieved from the ropes which had hitherto confined his movements, the chief was ushered37 with all ceremony into the great hall of the court; nor was it until after reiterated38 requests on the part of the guard, and a solemn adjuration39 by the life of the king, that the blinking gaoler, cheated out of his expected carouse40, consented to take some measures of precaution.
Built on the only sloping face of the hill, the governor’s houses stretch entirely41 across the outlet from scarp to scarp, and from his immediate42 bedchamber two trap-doors cover the passages to the inner recesses43 of the prison. A staircase descends44 from one into the vaults45 underground, where immured46 in chains are the state criminals, and the younger branches of the royal family; and a passage leads through the other to a series of small apartments erected47 upon the upper surface of the hill, but surrounded by strong palisades to the very verge48 of the precipice49. The scarp was of considerable height, and had never yet been attempted by those offenders50 whose lighter51 crimes had enforced a residence in these more agreeable locations; and the besotted Wulásma being in no mood to reflect on the strength and daring of his present charge, merely conducted him to one of these places of security, and barring the door on the outside, retired52 grumbling53 to the crown officials, after leaving an ample repast for the entertainment of his distinguished54 prisoner.
The rude wax taper55 was flaming and sinking at intervals56 over the untouched food, as one quarter of an hour was passed in attentive musing57; but the peculiarities58 of the prisoner’s situation were too striking not to be immediately taken advantage of, and he accordingly braced59 up his spirits for the enterprise. Having contrived60 with his host’s knife to remove the thongs61 and sticks which composed the walls of his flimsy dungeon62, he crept into an outer apartment, where the stars could be perceived twinkling brightly through an aperture63. To wrench64 the iron bars from the window was the work of a moment; and leaping from a considerable height, Medóko stood unshackled in the cool air of heaven. There remained still many hours of the night, and the darkness favoured his undertaking65, although otherwise little suited to the task to be performed; but palisade and paling gradually yielded to his strength, and after an anxious hour of exertion66, he reached the dark precipice unnoticed and undiscovered.
Nought67 broke the stillness of the scene save the sound of the wind whistling over the bleak68 crags; and as the daring fugitive69 stood for a time in meditation70 before venturing the awful leap, an owl71, brushing his cheek, soared away on noiseless pinion72; its hoot73 which re-echoed from below seeming as the voice of a spirit calling to follow without fear. Quickly recovering his confidence at the omen34, and nerving himself for the perilous74 task, he slid down the face of the precipice, and recommending his soul to the Holy Virgin75, quitted hold of the last tuft of grass which sustained him over the yawning gulf76. Down, down dropped the chief, until his very senses reeled again; but his flowing cotton robe materially assisted the miraculous77 descent, by catching78 the sharp points, and restraining for a moment the rapidity of his flight. The strength of his long brawny79 arms served him well in this hour of need, as clutching the rocks he retained his hold for a second, in order to gain breath for the next dread80 plunge81 into the gloomy abyss. Then bounding again like the falling stone, he pursued his flight, till at length, bruised82 and bleeding, he reached the bottom of the rocky scarp, hitherto untraversed except by the sticky foot of the lizard83.
The shrill note for assistance, well known to every Galla ear, was speedily answered by his watchful84 followers85. Crowding round their beloved chief, they quickly bound up his wounds, and after a short rest the party recovered the beaten track. Placed once again on his own good steed, he raised his form in the stirrups, and shouted his battle-cry of defiance86. Each bridle87 was laid loose upon the mane, and the wild riders plunged88 at speed down the flinty ravine, now partially89 illumined by the flash of matchlocks from the alarmed garrison90. A brave spirit is not to be subdued91 by exile, for every soil forms his home and his country; and away to the free plains of the Galla the headlong course was bent92, where Medóko was well assured of receiving every sympathy and protection.
点击收听单词发音
1 accomplished | |
adj.有才艺的;有造诣的;达到了的 | |
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2 follower | |
n.跟随者;随员;门徒;信徒 | |
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3 protracted | |
adj.拖延的;延长的v.拖延“protract”的过去式和过去分词 | |
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4 outlet | |
n.出口/路;销路;批发商店;通风口;发泄 | |
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5 devoted | |
adj.忠诚的,忠实的,热心的,献身于...的 | |
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6 shrill | |
adj.尖声的;刺耳的;v尖叫 | |
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7 attentive | |
adj.注意的,专心的;关心(别人)的,殷勤的 | |
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8 deserted | |
adj.荒芜的,荒废的,无人的,被遗弃的 | |
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9 distress | |
n.苦恼,痛苦,不舒适;不幸;vt.使悲痛 | |
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10 isolated | |
adj.与世隔绝的 | |
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11 extremity | |
n.末端,尽头;尽力;终极;极度 | |
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12 furrowed | |
v.犁田,开沟( furrow的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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13 tangled | |
adj. 纠缠的,紊乱的 动词tangle的过去式和过去分词 | |
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14 gateways | |
n.网关( gateway的名词复数 );门径;方法;大门口 | |
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15 edifices | |
n.大建筑物( edifice的名词复数 ) | |
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16 confinement | |
n.幽禁,拘留,监禁;分娩;限制,局限 | |
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17 vanquished | |
v.征服( vanquish的过去式和过去分词 );战胜;克服;抑制 | |
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18 spasm | |
n.痉挛,抽搐;一阵发作 | |
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19 haughty | |
adj.傲慢的,高傲的 | |
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20 vengeance | |
n.报复,报仇,复仇 | |
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21 banished | |
v.放逐,驱逐( banish的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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23 ironical | |
adj.讽刺的,冷嘲的 | |
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24 consigned | |
v.把…置于(令人不快的境地)( consign的过去式和过去分词 );把…托付给;把…托人代售;丟弃 | |
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25 sinister | |
adj.不吉利的,凶恶的,左边的 | |
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26 countenance | |
n.脸色,面容;面部表情;vt.支持,赞同 | |
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27 fortress | |
n.堡垒,防御工事 | |
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28 veins | |
n.纹理;矿脉( vein的名词复数 );静脉;叶脉;纹理 | |
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29 potent | |
adj.强有力的,有权势的;有效力的 | |
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30 fumes | |
n.(强烈而刺激的)气味,气体 | |
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31 avocations | |
n.业余爱好,嗜好( avocation的名词复数 );职业 | |
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32 quelling | |
v.(用武力)制止,结束,镇压( quell的现在分词 ) | |
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33 disturbance | |
n.动乱,骚动;打扰,干扰;(身心)失调 | |
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34 omen | |
n.征兆,预兆;vt.预示 | |
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35 fetters | |
n.脚镣( fetter的名词复数 );束缚v.给…上脚镣,束缚( fetter的第三人称单数 ) | |
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36 malefactor | |
n.罪犯 | |
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37 ushered | |
v.引,领,陪同( usher的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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38 reiterated | |
反复地说,重申( reiterate的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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39 adjuration | |
n.祈求,命令 | |
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40 carouse | |
v.狂欢;痛饮;n.狂饮的宴会 | |
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41 entirely | |
ad.全部地,完整地;完全地,彻底地 | |
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42 immediate | |
adj.立即的;直接的,最接近的;紧靠的 | |
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43 recesses | |
n.壁凹( recess的名词复数 );(工作或业务活动的)中止或暂停期间;学校的课间休息;某物内部的凹形空间v.把某物放在墙壁的凹处( recess的第三人称单数 );将(墙)做成凹形,在(墙)上做壁龛;休息,休会,休庭 | |
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44 descends | |
v.下来( descend的第三人称单数 );下去;下降;下斜 | |
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45 vaults | |
n.拱顶( vault的名词复数 );地下室;撑物跳高;墓穴 | |
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46 immured | |
v.禁闭,监禁( immure的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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47 ERECTED | |
adj. 直立的,竖立的,笔直的 vt. 使 ... 直立,建立 | |
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48 verge | |
n.边,边缘;v.接近,濒临 | |
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49 precipice | |
n.悬崖,危急的处境 | |
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50 offenders | |
n.冒犯者( offender的名词复数 );犯规者;罪犯;妨害…的人(或事物) | |
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51 lighter | |
n.打火机,点火器;驳船;v.用驳船运送;light的比较级 | |
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52 retired | |
adj.隐退的,退休的,退役的 | |
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53 grumbling | |
adj. 喃喃鸣不平的, 出怨言的 | |
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54 distinguished | |
adj.卓越的,杰出的,著名的 | |
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55 taper | |
n.小蜡烛,尖细,渐弱;adj.尖细的;v.逐渐变小 | |
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56 intervals | |
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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57 musing | |
n. 沉思,冥想 adj. 沉思的, 冥想的 动词muse的现在分词形式 | |
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58 peculiarities | |
n. 特质, 特性, 怪癖, 古怪 | |
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59 braced | |
adj.拉牢的v.支住( brace的过去式和过去分词 );撑牢;使自己站稳;振作起来 | |
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60 contrived | |
adj.不自然的,做作的;虚构的 | |
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61 thongs | |
的东西 | |
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62 dungeon | |
n.地牢,土牢 | |
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63 aperture | |
n.孔,隙,窄的缺口 | |
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64 wrench | |
v.猛拧;挣脱;使扭伤;n.扳手;痛苦,难受 | |
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65 undertaking | |
n.保证,许诺,事业 | |
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66 exertion | |
n.尽力,努力 | |
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67 nought | |
n./adj.无,零 | |
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68 bleak | |
adj.(天气)阴冷的;凄凉的;暗淡的 | |
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69 fugitive | |
adj.逃亡的,易逝的;n.逃犯,逃亡者 | |
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70 meditation | |
n.熟虑,(尤指宗教的)默想,沉思,(pl.)冥想录 | |
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71 owl | |
n.猫头鹰,枭 | |
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72 pinion | |
v.束缚;n.小齿轮 | |
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73 hoot | |
n.鸟叫声,汽车的喇叭声; v.使汽车鸣喇叭 | |
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74 perilous | |
adj.危险的,冒险的 | |
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75 virgin | |
n.处女,未婚女子;adj.未经使用的;未经开发的 | |
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76 gulf | |
n.海湾;深渊,鸿沟;分歧,隔阂 | |
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77 miraculous | |
adj.像奇迹一样的,不可思议的 | |
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78 catching | |
adj.易传染的,有魅力的,迷人的,接住 | |
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79 brawny | |
adj.强壮的 | |
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80 dread | |
vt.担忧,忧虑;惧怕,不敢;n.担忧,畏惧 | |
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81 plunge | |
v.跳入,(使)投入,(使)陷入;猛冲 | |
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82 bruised | |
[医]青肿的,瘀紫的 | |
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83 lizard | |
n.蜥蜴,壁虎 | |
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84 watchful | |
adj.注意的,警惕的 | |
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85 followers | |
追随者( follower的名词复数 ); 用户; 契据的附面; 从动件 | |
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86 defiance | |
n.挑战,挑衅,蔑视,违抗 | |
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87 bridle | |
n.笼头,束缚;vt.抑制,约束;动怒 | |
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88 plunged | |
v.颠簸( plunge的过去式和过去分词 );暴跌;骤降;突降 | |
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89 partially | |
adv.部分地,从某些方面讲 | |
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90 garrison | |
n.卫戍部队;驻地,卫戍区;vt.派(兵)驻防 | |
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91 subdued | |
adj. 屈服的,柔和的,减弱的 动词subdue的过去式和过去分词 | |
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92 bent | |
n.爱好,癖好;adj.弯的;决心的,一心的 | |
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