Chapter 13 Three Young Sportsmen

Philip turned and surveyed the newcomers in apparent surprise.

"Are you out gunning?" he asked.

"Yes. I have secured a guide, as you see, fearing I might get lost in the woods. I believe you know him?"

"I have that honor," said Philip, superciliously¹.

This was so much in Philip's ordinary style that Harry² did not dream there was any collusion between them, and that Philip was here by appointment.

"You haven't explained how you happen to be here," said Congreve.

"I? Oh, I had a little headache, and I thought I would take a walk in the fresh air."

"Won't you join us?" asked Congreve.

"I don't know," said Philip, irresolutely³.

Harry, supposing his indecision might spring from a dislike to his presence, here spoke⁴ up:

"Perhaps you won't want me any longer, as you have met Philip."

"Oh, yes I do. He may not care to stay with me all the afternoon, as he has a headache."

"Probably I shan't be with you more than half an hour," said Philip. "I'll walk a little way into the wood."

"Come along, then."

So the three passed into the woods together, Congreve in the middle, with Philip on one side and Harry on the other.

Philip and Congreve engaged in conversation, the latter apparently⁵ forgetting that he had a gun on his shoulder. Harry, however, remembered that he was guide to a sportsman, and kept on the lookout⁶ for birds.

"Hush⁷! There's a partridge," he said, touching⁸ Congreve's arm and pointing to the bird.

James Congreve quickly brought his gun to rest and fired. He had very little skill, however, and the startled bird flew away, in less danger than if the gun had been in the hands of Harry.

"I didn't have time to take aim," said Congreve, apologetically. "Can you shoot?"

"A little," answered Harry, modestly.

"If I had had the gun the bird wouldn't have got away," said Philip, boastfully.

"Take it, then," said Congreve.

"All right!"

So Philip took the gun and began to look out for birds.

He soon had an opportunity to show his skill. A bird was seen flying slowly through the air.

"There's your chance, Phil!" said Congreve, quickly.

Philip raised the gun awkwardly, and it went off in quite a different direction from the one contemplated⁹. But, as luck would have it, a foolish crow got in the way just at the critical moment, and received the charge meant for another object.

"There; do you see that?" exclaimed Philip, triumphantly¹⁰.

"You don't mean to say you intended to shoot that crow?" asked Congreve.

"Of course I did!" answered Philip shortly, determined¹¹ to get the credit of his success.

Harry could not help smiling. "What are you laughing at?" demanded Philip, scowling¹².

"At the mistake I made," answered Harry, good-humoredly. "I thought you were firing at the partridge."

"You see you were mistaken," said Philip, offensively.

"I see I was," returned Harry, quietly.

He thought it was foolish to get angry about such a trifle.

"Go and get the crow," said Philip, arrogantly¹³.

It had fallen among some underbrush not far away.

"Shall I?" asked Harry, turning to Congreve, whom he recognized as his employer, and the only one entitled to order him about.

"What do you want it for, Philip?" asked Congreve. "It's only a crow--good for nothing."

"Never mind; I want it," answered Philip.

In truth, it was the first bird he had ever succeeded in shooting, though he would not have been willing to acknowledge this, and he wanted to display it at home as a trophy¹⁴ of his skill.

"Then you may get it," said Congreve, who, in spite of his dishonorable character, was, in manners, more of a gentleman than Philip.

Harry at once plunged¹⁵ into the thicket¹⁶, and not without difficulty succeeded in finding the crow, which he brought out and delivered to Philip. The latter only consented to carry it on account of the pride he felt in his success as a sportsman.

"Here, take this gun, Gilbert, and try your luck next," said Congreve.

"I suppose he will eclipse us all," Philip remarked, with a sneer¹⁷.

"I don't know about that," returned Harry, good-naturedly. "I haven't been out many times, not having any gun of my own."

"Look out that you don't shoot either of us," said Philip.

"I am not after such game as that," said Harry.

He took the gun, and began to look attentively¹⁸ in different directions, lest any chance should escape him. At length he espied¹⁹ a partridge. He raised his gun quickly, took instant but accurate aim, and fired. The bird was seen to flutter an instant and then fall.

"You've got him!" exclaimed Congreve, excitedly.

Harry ran in the direction of the bird's fall, and returned, flushed with success. Philip's envy was aroused, inasmuch as a partridge was a more valuable prize than a crow.

"You were lucky," he said, with his usual sneer. "It was fortunate for you that the bird got in the way."

"Rather unfortunate for the partridge, though!" said Harry, coolly.

"It wouldn't happen once in fifty times," continued Philip.

"This isn't the first partridge I've shot," answered Harry, quietly.

"Oh, I don't doubt you're a first-class gunner."

"I have great doubts on that subject myself," said Harry.

"You've both of you succeeded, while I shall have to go home empty-handed," said Congreve, who had no particular ambition to shine as a sportsman.

"You'll have a chance soon to try again," said Harry.

By this time they had penetrated²⁰ a considerable distance into the wood, and Philip grew impatient to carry out the plan which, from the first, they had had in view.

"Isn't it about time?" he asked, significantly.

"Just as you say," replied Congreve, indifferently.

As he spoke he drew from his pocket a ball of strong cord, and both boys--if Congreve can be called one--looked significantly at our hero.

"What's coming?" thought Harry, perplexed²¹.

He found out soon enough.

1 superciliously   

adv.高傲地；傲慢地

参考例句：

• Madame Defarge looked superciliously at the client, and nodded in confirmation. 德伐日太太轻蔑地望了望客人，点头同意。 来自英汉文学 - 双城记

2 harry   

vt.掠夺，蹂躏，使苦恼

参考例句：

• Today,people feel more hurried and harried.今天，人们感到更加忙碌和苦恼。
• Obama harried business by Healthcare Reform plan.奥巴马用医改掠夺了商界。

3 irresolutely   

adv.优柔寡断地

参考例句：

• He followed irresolutely for a little distance, half a pace behind her. 他犹豫地跟了短短的一段距离，落在她身后半步路。 来自英汉文学
• She arose and stood irresolutely at the foot of the stairs. 她起身来到楼梯脚下，犹豫不定地站在那里。 来自飘（部分）

4 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

参考例句：

• They sourced the spoke nuts from our company.他们的轮辐螺帽是从我们公司获得的。
• The spokes of a wheel are the bars that connect the outer ring to the centre.辐条是轮子上连接外圈与中心的条棒。

5 apparently   

adv.显然地；表面上，似乎

参考例句：

• An apparently blind alley leads suddenly into an open space.山穷水尽，豁然开朗。
• He was apparently much surprised at the news.他对那个消息显然感到十分惊异。

6 lookout   

n.注意，前途，瞭望台

参考例句：

• You can see everything around from the lookout.从了望台上你可以看清周围的一切。
• It's a bad lookout for the company if interest rates don't come down.如果利率降不下来，公司的前景可就不妙了。

7 hush   

int.嘘，别出声；n.沉默，静寂；v.使安静

参考例句：

• A hush fell over the onlookers.旁观者们突然静了下来。
• Do hush up the scandal!不要把这丑事声张出去！

8 touching   

adj.动人的，使人感伤的

参考例句：

• It was a touching sight.这是一幅动人的景象。
• His letter was touching.他的信很感人。

9 contemplated   

adj. 预期的 动词contemplate的过去分词形式

参考例句：

• The doctor contemplated the difficult operation he had to perform. 医生仔细地考虑他所要做的棘手的手术。
• The government has contemplated reforming the entire tax system. 政府打算改革整个税收体制。

10 triumphantly   

ad.得意洋洋地；得胜地；成功地

参考例句：

• The lion was roaring triumphantly. 狮子正在发出胜利的吼叫。
• Robert was looking at me triumphantly. 罗伯特正得意扬扬地看着我。

11 determined   

adj.坚定的；有决心的

参考例句：

• I have determined on going to Tibet after graduation.我已决定毕业后去西藏。
• He determined to view the rooms behind the office.他决定查看一下办公室后面的房间。

12 scowling   

怒视，生气地皱眉( scowl的现在分词 )

参考例句：

• There she was, grey-suited, sweet-faced, demure, but scowling. 她就在那里，穿着灰色的衣服，漂亮的脸上显得严肃而忧郁。 来自英汉文学 - 嘉莉妹妹
• Scowling, Chueh-hui bit his lips. 他马上把眉毛竖起来。 来自汉英文学 - 家（1-26） - 家（1-26）

13 arrogantly   

adv.傲慢地

参考例句：

• The consular porter strode arrogantly ahead with his light swinging. 领事馆的门房提着摇来晃去的灯，在前面大摇大摆地走着。
• It made his great nose protrude more arrogantly. 这就使得他的大鼻子更加傲慢地翘起来。

14 trophy   

n.优胜旗，奖品，奖杯，战胜品，纪念品

参考例句：

• The cup is a cherished trophy of the company.那只奖杯是该公司很珍惜的奖品。
• He hung the lion's head as a trophy.他把那狮子头挂起来作为狩猎纪念品。

15 plunged   

v.颠簸( plunge的过去式和过去分词 )；暴跌；骤降；突降

参考例句：

• The train derailed and plunged into the river. 火车脱轨栽进了河里。
• She lost her balance and plunged 100 feet to her death. 她没有站稳，从100英尺的高处跌下摔死了。

16 thicket   

n.灌木丛，树林

参考例句：

• A thicket makes good cover for animals to hide in.丛林是动物的良好隐蔽处。
• We were now at the margin of the thicket.我们现在已经来到了丛林的边缘。

17 sneer   

v.轻蔑；嘲笑；n.嘲笑，讥讽的言语

参考例句：

• He said with a sneer.他的话中带有嘲笑之意。
• You may sneer,but a lot of people like this kind of music.你可以嗤之以鼻，但很多人喜欢这种音乐。

18 attentively   

adv.聚精会神地；周到地；谛；凝神

参考例句：

• She listened attentively while I poured out my problems. 我倾吐心中的烦恼时，她一直在注意听。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• She listened attentively and set down every word he said. 她专心听着，把他说的话一字不漏地记下来。 来自《简明英汉词典》

19 espied   

v.看到( espy的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• One day a youth espied her as he was hunting.She saw him and recognized him as her own son, mow grown a young man. 一日，她被一个正在行猎的小伙子看见了，她认出来这个猎手原来是自己的儿子，现在已长成为一个翩翩的少年。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• In a little while he espied the two giants. 一会儿就看见了那两个巨人。 来自辞典例句

20 penetrated   

adj. 击穿的，鞭辟入里的 动词penetrate的过去式和过去分词形式

参考例句：

• The knife had penetrated his chest. 刀子刺入了他的胸膛。
• They penetrated into territory where no man had ever gone before. 他们已进入先前没人去过的地区。

21 perplexed   

adj.不知所措的

参考例句：

• The farmer felt the cow,went away,returned,sorely perplexed,always afraid of being cheated.那农民摸摸那头牛，走了又回来，犹豫不决，总怕上当受骗。
• The child was perplexed by the intricate plot of the story.这孩子被那头绪纷繁的故事弄得迷惑不解。