The 7th August being a Wednesday, at 11 A.M. the usual picnic party set off for the pine woods. The majority never dreamt for a moment of the intention of twenty-five officers—a quarter of all the officers in the camp—to escape that night. Their departure was the signal for feverish3 activity in completing preparations which, by their nature, had to be left until the last day. Such, in the house then occupied by the present writers, called Hospital House, was the screwing together of the ladders required in[84] case an alternative scheme for getting out of the camp should prove necessary. Then there were rucksacks and haversacks to be finally made up, and the whole "Christmas Tree" to be tried on to ensure that there was no rattling4. For reasons which will appear, it was necessary too for the Old Man and Looney to convey their kits6 across the alley7 into the fowl-house and there leave them concealed8, the one in a blanket and the other in a box. Meanwhile, Grunt9 and Perce put the finishing touches to the hole commenced, as previously10 described, in the fowl-house wall, until daylight could be seen through every joint11 in the outer skin of masonry12, and until it was as certain as such things could be that the remaining stones would come away easily. Watches had to be synchronised to ensure that all six parties should start simultaneously13; the fresh meat for the first two days to be issued, and so on almost ad infinitum. It was at this stage that we discovered the maggots in the "pastomar" or "biltong," to which reference has already been made.
That evening, before the hour when intercommunication between houses was supposed to cease, there were many visits from well-wishers living in other houses who knew of our intentions, and last arrangements were made with our British orderlies to play their part. Doubtless they did it well. One can imagine the delight with which they would[85] put some of our dummies14 to bed after our departure, and as we left we heard their efforts in the house to cover our exit with the noise of a sing-song. If no alarm occurred before daylight, they were to remove the dummies after these had served their purpose at the 4 A.M. "rounds." One orderly had also volunteered to build up the hole in the wall as soon as the house and kitchen doors were unlocked next morning.
At last all was ready, and we sat down to what, we hoped, would be our last full meal for many a day. Twenty minutes to eight came and went, the time when the onbashi, or Turkish corporal, usually took roll-call; but it was not till eight o'clock that evening that the six of the party in our house, who, with a Major A—— and the "King of Oireland," another escaper, formed the mess on the top floor, heard his footsteps on the stairs. We returned his good-night with rather more than usual gusto, and waited till he had disappeared, as his custom was, into the next room. Now was the moment. Old Man and Looney slipped out of the room and downstairs into the kitchen, the door of which, with the side-door of the house, was allowed to remain open every night until our orderlies had "washed up." These two were to go across in their shirt sleeves and carrying plates, so that, if he noticed them at all, the sentry15 posted over the alley separating the main building from the outhouse[86] would naturally mistake them for orderlies. In the excitement of the moment, however, Old Man had forgotten to bring down his coat; and Looney, now safely ensconced in the fowl-house, wondered why he had not followed him across. Next minute there was a tremendous crash and a tinkle16 of broken crockery. The Old Man, discovering his loss, had turned back and slipped on the stairs. Nothing could have exceeded in realism this unintentional imitation of an orderly. As he picked himself up, he saw the feet of the onbashi descending17 the stairs above him, with the result that he lost no further time in crossing to the kitchen. Orderly M—— was sent back to fetch the missing article, which arrived in due course.
Now followed an anxious few minutes. Sometimes it happened that the onbashi would miscount an officer or man, or count one twice over, and the check would then be repeated throughout the house. We realised that if this occurred on the present night it would be necessary for Old Man and Looney to reappear from the kitchen, and for scheme No. 2 to come into operation. Incidentally their kits, then in the outhouse, would have to be brought back in the blanket and box by our orderlies. Scheme No. 2 was to leave the house, carrying ladders, through a window on the eastern side; after which would follow a ticklish19 crawl between two sentries20 forty yards apart to the garden wall nine feet in height.[87] The bars of the window in question had been loosened and cracked by Looney, with Old Man watching the sentries' movements, during some amateur theatricals21 held in the house on the previous night. To our relief, however, this plan had not to be put into execution.
As was his custom, when the orderlies had finished their work, the onbashi locked the house and kitchen doors. No sooner had his footsteps died away than the advance-guard of our party set to work to complete the opening of the wall. It was now about 8.15 P.M. The work went on quickly but quietly. A few minutes only and the clear starlit sky was visible through the rapidly enlarging aperture22.
Then came another anxious moment. As the two were relieving one another at the work, there suddenly appeared at the half-completed task the head of a mongrel dog. One growl23 or bark would suffice to draw the attention of the watchmen over the vegetable gardens outside, who did not hesitate to fire off their ancient rifles on the slightest alarm; but the dog after one look in at the hole strolled on, and the good work was resumed.
There was one large stone which seemed likely to give trouble; indeed it had almost been decided24 to let it remain, when it suddenly came away and crashed noisily to the ground. But the sound, if heard at all, fell on deaf ears—although it must have been at about this very time that some of the party, still in the house and overlooking the[88] wall, saw a man standing25 within a score of yards from the hole.
Their work completed, Old Man and Looney proceeded to screen it from any one passing casually26 along, by affixing27 a square of canvas over the outside with "blobs" of beeswax. It now only remained to arrange for the easy withdrawal28 of the staple29 of the kitchen door, so that the latter could be opened from the outside, although padlocked; then, having donned haversack, water-bottle, and pack, to await the arrival of the remaining six from this house, four of our own and two of another party.
When Old Man and Looney had stepped off to the kitchen the other six of the second-floor mess had remained at table, talking and smoking as usual. The Turkish corporal taking roll-call reappeared from the room beyond the dining-room, and was told not to forget the "yourt" for the next day. "Yourt," a kind of junket, is a staple diet of the Turk, and most of the prisoners became very partial to it. As it was hard to come by except through the medium of a sentry, it was their custom to remind him each evening, so that he might have some faint chance of remembering about it next morning.
A few minutes later they heard the kitchen door being locked, and heaved a sigh of relief. The advance-party had had enough time to get across to the kitchen, and roll had been correctly called the first time. Major A——[89] in our mess, who was not escaping, had offered to watch the Upper House for the alarm-signal, and he was left sitting in the mess-room while the others set to work on various jobs. Grunt and Perce removed all obstructions30 to exit from the carpenter's shop door, while Nobby and Johnny took the four ladders from their hiding-place in a wood-store and tied bits of felt round the ends to deaden the sound when they should be placed against the wall. After this the ladders were taken into the cellar, whence scheme No. 2 might have to be worked. They then went upstairs to the bedroom, where their escape paraphernalia31 was stored. Here they hung towels and blankets over the windows, and started to dress by the light of a candle. It was a queer sight indeed. They were, at this point, joined by Sheridan, who belonged to a downstair mess, and one Pat. The latter was dresser-in-chief, and helped them on with their equipment. He was very miserable32 that he was not going himself, but he had a crocked knee and it would have been madness for him to think of marching over broken country by night.
He now employed spare moments repeating certain sentences that he had learnt in order to call away the sentry over the alley: on this depended the best scheme of getting out of the house. The bedroom was the one in which Old Man, Grunt, and Johnny slept, and those in the room now set to work to[90] make up the dummies in the three beds. The heads had already been fashioned, and, with a few clothes stuffed under the blankets and the heads placed in position, the beds were soon occupied by three graceful33 figures in attitudes of deep repose34. The small piece of towel forehead that could be seen over the edge of the blanket looked perhaps a trifle pale, but, apart from that, the beds seemed quite natural. They could not resist the temptation of calling the Major away from the mess window for a moment, just to have a look at the sleeping beauties, and he returned chuckling35 to his post.
Water-bottles were then partially36 filled with a thick paste of cocoa. Although water was not to be carried at the start, on account of the impossibility of preventing a gurgle in the water-bottle, the cocoa paste was permissible37, for, being only just liquid enough to pour, it made no noise. It had been decided that morning that it would be best to leave the bedroom before 9 P.M., at which time the sentries changed. A few minutes before this hour, therefore, the six officers gave their feet a gouty appearance by tying felt padding on to their boots, and then started down to the ground-floor. On the way, Johnny turned into the orderlies' room to say good-bye, thanking them hurriedly for their help, without which the preparations for the escape would have been almost impossible. A few days later he found in the pocket of his[91] jersey38, which had been mended by an orderly belonging to the Norfolk regiment39, a small piece of paper on which was written, "Good-bye, and good luck, sir.—B.," and he still has it in his possession. Going downstairs they met an officer prisoner, who, not having been admitted to the secret, nearly had a fit at the sight of six such extraordinary objects.
Grunt looked in at another orderlies' room above the exit, and asked them to blow out their lamp and make a noise. The six then crept quietly into the prearranged room, and waited breathlessly by the door.
Sentries were changed, and once again all became still. One lived every second of that waiting.
Their plan now depended on the aid of Pat. Although debarred from escaping himself, he was willing to help others to liberty at considerable risk to himself. Punctually at 9.15, the hour at which the parties in the different houses were allowed to start, Pat's clear tones could be heard calling to the sentry on the alley-way—
"Nebuchi, nebuchi, jigara dushdu." ("Sentry, sentry, I've dropped my cigarettes.")
And indeed he had: a hundred scattered40 about a cabbage-bed should keep the sentry busy for some time. But the wretched man nearly upset all calculations. Wearied with a quarter of an hour's duty, he was already almost asleep.
[92]
It was a moment of terrible suspense41 for the six officers waiting, ready loaded up with their kits, in the ground-floor room opposite to the kitchen. The door of this led on to the alley-way; normally it was disused and kept locked, but the lock had now been picked and the door could be opened in a moment.
Would the sentry hear Pat calling? And would he desert his post even if he did hear?
They had heard Pat's first sentence. No reply.
It was repeated, then again and again.
After they had heard him shouting for many hours (perhaps thirty seconds, as time is reckoned by a watch), the sentry answered.
His form was just visible as he passed by a small iron-barred window, and now was the opportunity. They could cross unobserved to the kitchen. An open door, three steps across the alley-way, a fumble42 with the kitchen door staple; another open door, a turn to the left, bend down or you'll knock your head off getting into the fowl-house, starlight showing in a black wall, through head first and almost on your face into long grass, and there you are—a free man.
Meanwhile Pat was no doubt explaining to the delighted old sentry from the upper window how he could have a few cigarettes himself and return the remainder next morning. We sometimes wonder whether the sentry was foolish enough to mention to his relief about the cigarettes he had been given.[93] At the time of writing we are still ignorant how long it was before our departure was discovered.[9]
Looney and Old Man, being already on the spot, had been granted the privilege of leading through the hole, the remainder following in an order arranged by lot, since ours was not the only party represented. It so happened that the two of the other party were sandwiched between the other four of ours. This caused a temporary separation; for at the best it took an appreciable43 time to crawl through the wall and pick oneself up on the other side, but these two were especially slow. Grunt too had lost time when it came to his turn. Impatiently waiting to see the starry44 sky once more when the then broad form of Johnny should have ceased to obscure the hole, he eventually discovered that the cause of the darkness was not that Johnny had jammed, but that the canvas flap had fallen, and was covering the hole all too effectively.
[94]
Our main object at this stage was to avoid disturbing the garden chowkidars, and therefore each as he emerged lost no time in creeping along the high garden wall, and dropping down into the friendly shelter of the river bed. For all its "hundred springs"—the meaning of the name "Yozgad"—the river for the greater part of the year consisted merely of a shallow and dirty stream, not more than ten feet broad, although its banks were as many yards apart, and from five to eight feet in height. It was along this that we all turned down-stream, Johnny now taking the lead. A few days previously he had suddenly developed a passionate45 interest in natural history. A polite letter, in which the word "ornithological46" played a great part, was written to the commandant, and Johnny was permitted to join two real naturalists47 in an expedition starting at 4 A.M. on our last Sunday morning at Yozgad.
These two had been at Changri with us, and knew we had intentions of escaping, so Johnny told them in which direction his party wished to start off, and this direction was now taken. Johnny counted his steps, noted48 landmarks49 which would be visible by starlight, and was able to draw a rough map of the country. All three dug at intervals50 for imaginary field-mice, until the sentry with them thought they were more insane than even the average Englishman, and said so. In the end, however, the strain of this great thought overpowered him and he fell asleep, giving Johnny the opportunity he required. He climbed a hill, took bearings, and was able to see our future route to within half a mile of a rugged51 piece of country known to the local hunt club as "Hades." On the return journey the three came back along the edge of the stream which ran past the bottom of our garden wall, and in which we have just left the six of our party.
In accordance with the plan then settled we follow the river-bed until almost clear of the most westerly houses of the town, then turn right-handed up a stony52 track, passing between two high walls till the track ends. A few more paces to the west and we shall be safe in the open country. These few paces, however, will be along a main road directly in front of two or three houses on the outskirts53 of the town, but the alternative of following the river-bed farther and then turning up would necessitate54 passing through vegetable gardens, which, as already mentioned, are jealously guarded.
In the event, the original plan was justified55 by success, although the six of us, at this time unintentionally split up into parties of four and two, passed fully56 in view of a man sitting on one of the verandahs[96] overlooking the road. It was probably thanks to our fezes that we escaped detection, for other disguise we had none. It was lucky that we had taken the precaution to cover our boots with felt pads, for the ring of an Englishman's boots on a metalled road would, we know, have aroused the envy and suspicion of any Turk who heard it, accustomed as he is to the soft footfall of the country sandal or "chariq."
Once comfortably clear of the town, the leading four could afford to wait for the other two to come up, and with their arrival we began to enjoy our first taste of freedom from Turkish toils57. The only question to disturb us now was whether Cochrane and Ellis had got out safely from their house. So far, at any rate, there had been no sounds of an alarm. We therefore lost no time in setting off to the rendezvous58, where we hoped to join up as a complete party of eight. This was to be at the bottom of the "Hades" ravine, at the point where it was crossed by the telegraph line to Angora. The distance from our houses, as the crow flies, was perhaps two miles. For this, taking into consideration the darkness of the night and the difficulty of the country, we had allowed two and a quarter hours. At 11.30 P.M., any one who had failed to appear was to be considered recaptured or lost, and those who had arrived were to go on. An absurdly liberal allowance of time you may say; but even the six[97] whose movements we have followed, and who had the advantage of Johnny's guidance over a route reconnoitred by day, took till 11 P.M. to cover these two miles. We were experiencing, some of us for the first time, the difficulties of a night march. In addition, it was our first trial of carrying our loads, weighing nearly fifty pounds, anywhere outside a cupboard. No wonder then that our progress was slow, and at one time we began to think that we must have already crossed the line of telegraph which was to lead us down into "Hades" itself. But there it was at last, and we were soon slipping down—only too literally—into the ravine.
Our first act, after quenching59 our thirst, was to fill up our water-bottles. As 11.30 approached, with still no sign of Cochrane and Ellis, we began to wonder whether, perhaps, they might not have gone on to another ravine in "Hades," and be awaiting the rest of us there; so some commenced scouting61 around, while others remained to show their position by periodical flashes with a cigarette lighter62. This was so desolate63 a bit of country that the flashes entailed64 no appreciable risk.
At 11.30 we decided to give them another quarter of an hour; to delay after that would be to jeopardise the remainder of the party, for it was already only four hours to dawn. Great, therefore, was our relief when, at the last moment of this time of grace, we saw two forms appear on the skyline, and presently[98] heard the rattle65 of loose shale66 as they picked their way towards our flashes. So far so good; and we were soon exchanging mutual67 congratulations on joining up, and saying that even this one night's breath of freedom, after two and a half years' captivity68, would be worth all the trouble of our preparations.
But we must go back for a moment and narrate69 the experiences of the late-comers in leaving their house.
This was called the Upper House, and to the east overlooked the main street below, but was separated from it by three shallow terraces, which boasted some treasured vegetables and a few fruit trees. To the north the ground fell steeply by three higher terraces to a small patch of ground enclosed by walls. It was here that we used to play the four-a-side hockey. The upper terrace on this northern face was visible to a sentry at the main gate of the Hospital House, which was on the other side of a road running along the hockey ground wall. The two remaining sides of the house abutted70 on tumble-down cottages, from which they were separated by a narrow alley. At the north-western and south-western corners sentries were posted.
The number of officers escaping from this house was five. The bars of a window on the side facing the main street had been cut with the aid of a steel saw, and at 9.15 P.M. the five climbed down a rope-ladder to the ground. Skirting the edge of the house at intervals of two minutes they crept quietly through the garden and reached the second of the three terraces on the north side, keeping well under the high bank. Here they passed within three yards of the sentry's box, on the top of the bank above them. Absolute silence was necessary, and this was the reason that the two had been so late in arriving at the rendezvous, for each step had to be taken with extreme care.
The terrace a few yards beyond the sentry's box sloped down into the large market-garden to the west of the Hospital House. On the south side of this was a wall, along which they picked their way. Here, too, great caution was required. Look-out huts had to be passed within a few yards, but finally they were across the garden. A high wall had now to be climbed, but fortunately it was in bad repair and afforded good footholds.
Here Cochrane and Ellis heard voices. An old woman had seen Stockley and Rich and was wanting to know what they were doing. Our two did not wait to hear much more. Turning right, they were on the same stony track up which the first party had turned from the river-bed, and now they followed Johnny's route till they finally struck the telegraph post and arrived at "Hades."
Ellis had arrived puffing71 and blowing, but there was no time to be lost if we were to be at anything like a safe distance from Yozgad before dawn broke.
[100]
Five minutes before midnight, then, we started off a complete party, and were soon scrambling72 up the northern side of "Hades" on to the plateau above. Having left the line of telegraph poles for the sake of an easier ascent73, we were unable at once to find it again. Although it had been our original intention to follow the telegraph wires as likely to lead over a passable line of country, it was decided to waste no further time in a search for them. Instead we would set off by compass and stars in a due westerly direction, and hope to pick them up again later on. The ground proved favourable74: our course took us over fairly level country, a considerable portion of which was under cultivation75, and for some time we were walking over stubble. Although there was no moon, our eyes rapidly accustomed themselves to the bright starlight, and hopeful progress was made, but not without occasional alarms.
The first occurred within an hour of leaving "Hades." Looney was temporarily relieving Cochrane of his task of guiding the party, when the leading six suddenly found that the other two had disappeared, and inwardly cursed them for straggling. In reality, what had happened was this: the party, moving in no regular formation, had got a little separated, when suddenly the two in the rear had seen the glowing tip of a cigarette moving obliquely76 towards them, and immediately[101] afterwards descried77 the shadowy forms of three mounted men. Quick as thought they lay down and waited till the horsemen had passed; the rest moved on in blissful ignorance of their danger, until, on turning for the others, they too saw the cigarette and realised what had happened. Those three men were almost certainly gendarmes78. Apart from this, we occasionally found ourselves coming upon little groups of huts and villages, and these entailed wasteful79 detours80. We had, in addition, an uncomfortable feeling that we were leaving behind us a rather obvious track through the crops where yet uncut.
About 2 A.M. we once more picked up the line of telegraph poles. We were all the more glad to follow them as we saw difficult country ahead, and they were likely to lie along a practicable route. Practicable it was, but then it is practicable to reach the bottom of most slopes if you are prepared to sit down and slide; for that is what we had to do for the latter part of the descent into the steep-sided ravine, across which our telegraph line now led us. At least, however, we had the satisfaction of a much-needed drink from the crystal-clear water of a mountain stream.
Here indeed would have been an ideal hiding-place for the coming day; we could have bathed and drunk to our hearts' content, shielded both from sun and view by enormous rocks which towered above us, almost on the water's edge. But we were only seven or[102] eight miles from Yozgad, and an hour lost now meant one to be made up later on. After a drink, then, we clambered up the farther slope, to find as we struggled on that we were once more coming into open country, with less and less prospect81 of a suitable hiding-place. To turn back was out of the question. The first light of dawn caught us still moving forward, and within sight of a village. The sun had not risen before men and women were on every side of us, going out to work in their fields. We came to a stream running through a grove82 of trees, but it was too near the village to remain there. Our freedom was to be short-lived, we thought, as we took a hurried drink and proceeded across more open country. Eventually, at 4.50, we dropped down into a tiny nullah on the open hillside. The only merit of this spot was that it was not directly visible from the village.
It was obvious that we could not hope still further to escape observation from the fields if we continued to lie there all day, so Looney went off to scout60 around for something better. A more hopeful nullah, with banks in places five feet high, was reported half a mile beyond the next low crest83. To that therefore we moved in broad daylight, glad to find that we should at least have some water, for a muddy trickle84 flowed down the nullah bed. Without this the heat would have been intolerable, for, until late in the day, the banks proved too shelving to provide shade from the sun. Even with water, Turkish-bath[103] conditions are conducive85 neither to sleep nor appetite. Not one of us slept a wink86 that day. As to the day's ration2, it was with difficulty that we forced ourselves to eat a quarter of a pound of salted meat and nine ounces of home-made biscuit—not an excessive amount, even when you add to it one and a half ounces a head of chocolate, which Grunt produced from the store of extras he was voluntarily carrying.
We reckoned that we were perhaps ten miles' distance from Yozgad. After the events of the morning we entertained little hope of our whereabouts not having been reported, but we were to learn that we flattered ourselves as to the interest we aroused among the country people. The fact at least remained, that we were left undisturbed in our somewhat obvious hiding-place: the only signs of life that we saw during the day were a shepherd with his flock of sheep grazing a quarter of a mile away, and a Turkish soldier who, in the early evening, came down to our nullah a little below us, and was probably himself a deserter and so a fugitive87 like ourselves. Towards dusk we stood up and watched a stream of men and carts returning to their villages after the day's work in the fields.
By 7.30 all was clear, and we lost no time in making our way to the line of telegraph poles which we could see disappearing over the crest of the next rise. Alongside we found a splendid track, which we were able[104] to follow over undulating country for several miles. Nobby was in trouble with his "chariqs"; in spite of experiments carried out for weeks beforehand he had not succeeded in getting a pair which did not now gall88 him in one place or another. This was serious, as he was relying on these country sandals to carry him down to the coast; strong English boots were hard to come by. On this night, after several delays as one after another of his spares was tried and rejected, he was eventually able to wear a pair lent him by Cochrane.
Twilight89 had now faded, and we were dependent once more on the light of the stars. The track, easily distinguishable while it kept to the telegraph poles, had begun to wind about as the country became more undulating. In a little while it could no longer be followed with any certainty. We therefore ceased to worry about the track and trusted to the telegraph to lead us towards Angora, until this too failed us, for it went too much to the north of west. We thereupon proceeded on our proper course by compass.
We had started in the evening feeling unexpectedly fresh, and it says much for our training that the first night's march had left none of us in the least bit stiff. Nevertheless the day in the hot sun and the lack of all sleep had tried us more severely90 than we thought, and we were now beginning to feel the effects. The idea had been to have the regulation five minutes' halt at the end of every hour's marching, but we soon found[105] that we were taking ten minutes' rest every half-hour. We were, moreover, consumed with an appalling91 thirst; even at night the heat off the ground in this arid92 track of land was stifling93, while the parched94 and cracked surface held out little hope of there being water in the vicinity. At 11.30 we decided we must have a long halt, in the hopes of a little sleep; two volunteers shared the watch. Shortly after midnight we marched on again considerably95 refreshed, the main anxiety now being for water. Two hours later we saw looming96 ahead a low ridge97 of hills, and decided to go and wait there until dawn should reveal the most likely direction for a drink. A little searching round then showed us a fair-sized stream in the next valley to the south-west: in Asia Minor98, however, where there is a perennial99 stream, there is fairly certain to be a village or two, and so it proved in this case; but water we must have; besides, on the hillside, where we had rested till daylight, there now appeared a shepherd with his flock. Hastily gathering100 up our kit5, we dodged101 up dry and rocky nullahs and over the next ridge. Once more it was broad daylight before we settled down for the day in our hiding-place, in rocky ground intersected with crevices102 just wide enough for a man to lie in. On the way we had to descend18 a steep slope covered with loose shale, and this proved a sore test for important portions of our clothing, for it was impossible to keep to one's feet.
[106]
When four of the party went to the stream below us to fill up the water-bottles, they found they were within a few hundred yards of another village, so that one visit to water had to suffice for the rest of the day. They had been seen by at least one boy who was looking after a flock of sheep near the stream.
We were lucky, however, to discover, close above our hiding-place, a tiny spring. From this, thanks to a couple of water-holes dug with the adze by Perce, it was possible to collect about a mugful of water in an hour. Cochrane now told off the party into watches by pairs; but, on watch or off, there was little or no sleep to be had. During the morning we made a fire and "brewed103" some arrowroot and cocoa, and had three ounces of chocolate apiece. All of these Grunt and Ellis had carried in addition to their ordinary share of rations1, and, try as we would, we found that, owing to the heat, we could not eat more than one and a half out of the ration of three biscuits allowed for that day. Of course this saved food, but it also meant the gradual exhaustion104 of one's strength, and no reduction in the weight to be carried next day.
Our progress on the first two nights had not been up to expectation: we reckoned that we were still within eighteen miles of Yozgad, whereas we had hoped to cover something over twelve miles a day. If we were unable to maintain our average when we were fresh and not yet pinched for food, we could hardly hope to do better after days[107] of marching and semi-starvation. Our advance on the third night was to provide little encouragement, for we barely made good another eight miles.
Having waited until 8 P.M. before we dared to descend to the stream, we halted there in the dark for a deep drink and the refilling of our water-vessels. Half an hour later we left the valley and found ourselves in a network of hills. From these we only emerged into open country shortly before eleven o'clock, passing but one small channel of very bad water on the down-stream side of a village. Our course now lay across an arid plain, featureless except for a few village tracks and low cone-shaped hills; and we began to wonder whether dawn would not find us without water or cover, when at 2 A.M. we dropped into a patch of broken country, and decided we would rest there till daylight. As a look round then disclosed no better hiding-place, we settled down where we were for the day. The remains105 of an old spring were found, but it was dry. Thanks to the chargals, most of our water-bottles were still three-quarters full; but this was little enough with which to start a day in the almost tropical sun. Most of us rigged ourselves partial shelters with our towels and spare shirts, supported on khud-sticks. These, however, provided little protection against the fierce rays. But all things come to an end—even this seemingly interminable day; yet it was to be nothing compared to the night which followed.
FOOTNOTE:
[9]Since writing the above, we have learnt that the officers escaping from one of the other houses were unable to leave it until after 11 P.M., and even then were at once seen, but took to their heels and got clear. For some unaccountable reason the Turks only proceeded to check the officers of that particular house. At dawn, the chaouse taking rounds in the Hospital House was completely deceived by the dummies; not so, however, an interpreter, who had seen the same game played when Keeling's party escaped. We thus enjoyed about 6½ hours' start.
The Turks were completely at a loss to know how the eight from Hospital House had got out of the garden. The only possible means seemed to them to be that we had got over the wall by means of nets flung out from a top window of the main building right over the outhouse. The hole in the wall they took to be merely a blind! The nets were simply goal nets made while at Changri, and of course used for none but their original purpose.
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| adj.发烧的，狂热的，兴奋的 | |
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rattling
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| adj. 格格作响的, 活泼的, 很好的 adv. 极其, 很, 非常 动词rattle的现在分词 | |
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5
kit
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| n.用具包，成套工具；随身携带物 | |
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kits
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| 衣物和装备( kit的名词复数 )； 成套用品； 配套元件 | |
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7
alley
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| n.小巷，胡同；小径，小路 | |
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8
concealed
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| a.隐藏的，隐蔽的 | |
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9
grunt
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| v.嘟哝；作呼噜声；n.呼噜声，嘟哝 | |
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previously
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| adv.以前，先前（地） | |
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joint
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| adj.联合的，共同的；n.关节，接合处；v.连接，贴合 | |
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12
masonry
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| n.砖土建筑；砖石 | |
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13
simultaneously
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| adv.同时发生地，同时进行地 | |
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14
dummies
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| n.仿制品( dummy的名词复数 )；橡皮奶头；笨蛋；假传球 | |
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15
sentry
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| n.哨兵，警卫 | |
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16
tinkle
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| vi.叮当作响；n.叮当声 | |
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17
descending
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| n. 下行 adj. 下降的 | |
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18
descend
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| vt./vi.传下来，下来，下降 | |
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19
ticklish
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| adj.怕痒的；问题棘手的；adv.怕痒地；n.怕痒，小心处理 | |
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20
sentries
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| 哨兵，步兵( sentry的名词复数 ) | |
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21
theatricals
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| n.（业余性的）戏剧演出，舞台表演艺术；职业演员；戏剧的( theatrical的名词复数 )；剧场的；炫耀的；戏剧性的 | |
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22
aperture
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| n.孔，隙，窄的缺口 | |
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23
growl
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| v.（狗等）嗥叫，（炮等）轰鸣；n.嗥叫，轰鸣 | |
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24
decided
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| adj.决定了的，坚决的；明显的，明确的 | |
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25
standing
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| n.持续，地位；adj.永久的，不动的，直立的，不流动的 | |
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casually
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| adv.漠不关心地，无动于衷地，不负责任地 | |
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27
affixing
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| v.附加( affix的现在分词 )；粘贴；加以；盖（印章） | |
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28
withdrawal
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| n.取回，提款；撤退，撤军；收回，撤销 | |
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29
staple
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| n.主要产物，常用品，主要要素，原料，订书钉，钩环；adj.主要的，重要的；vt.分类 | |
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30
obstructions
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| n.障碍物( obstruction的名词复数 )；阻碍物；阻碍；阻挠 | |
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31
paraphernalia
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| n.装备；随身用品 | |
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32
miserable
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| adj.悲惨的，痛苦的；可怜的，糟糕的 | |
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graceful
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| adj.优美的，优雅的；得体的 | |
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34
repose
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| v.(使)休息；n.安息 | |
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35
chuckling
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| 轻声地笑( chuckle的现在分词 ) | |
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36
partially
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| adv.部分地，从某些方面讲 | |
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37
permissible
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| adj.可允许的，许可的 | |
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38
jersey
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| n.运动衫 | |
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39
regiment
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| n.团，多数，管理；v.组织，编成团，统制 | |
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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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41
suspense
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| n.（对可能发生的事）紧张感，担心，挂虑 | |
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42
fumble
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| vi.笨拙地用手摸、弄、接等，摸索 | |
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43
appreciable
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| adj.明显的，可见的，可估量的，可觉察的 | |
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44
starry
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| adj.星光照耀的, 闪亮的 | |
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45
passionate
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| adj.热情的，热烈的，激昂的，易动情的，易怒的，性情暴躁的 | |
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46
ornithological
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| adj.鸟类学的 | |
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47
naturalists
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| n.博物学家( naturalist的名词复数 )；（文学艺术的）自然主义者 | |
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noted
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| adj.著名的，知名的 | |
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49
landmarks
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| n.陆标( landmark的名词复数 )；目标；（标志重要阶段的）里程碑 ~ (in sth)；有历史意义的建筑物（或遗址） | |
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50
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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51
rugged
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| adj.高低不平的，粗糙的，粗壮的，强健的 | |
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52
stony
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| adj.石头的，多石头的，冷酷的，无情的 | |
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53
outskirts
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| n.郊外，郊区 | |
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54
necessitate
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| v.使成为必要，需要 | |
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55
justified
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| a.正当的，有理的 | |
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56
fully
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| adv.完全地，全部地，彻底地；充分地 | |
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57
toils
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| 网 | |
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58
rendezvous
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| n.约会，约会地点，汇合点；vi.汇合，集合；vt.使汇合，使在汇合地点相遇 | |
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59
quenching
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| 淬火，熄 | |
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60
scout
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| n.童子军，侦察员；v.侦察，搜索 | |
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61
scouting
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| 守候活动，童子军的活动 | |
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62
lighter
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| n.打火机，点火器；驳船；v.用驳船运送；light的比较级 | |
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63
desolate
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| adj.荒凉的，荒芜的；孤独的，凄凉的；v.使荒芜，使孤寂 | |
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64
entailed
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| 使…成为必要( entail的过去式和过去分词 )； 需要； 限定继承； 使必需 | |
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65
rattle
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| v.飞奔，碰响；激怒；n.碰撞声；拨浪鼓 | |
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66
shale
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| n.页岩，泥板岩 | |
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67
mutual
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| adj.相互的，彼此的；共同的，共有的 | |
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68
captivity
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| n.囚禁；被俘；束缚 | |
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69
narrate
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| v.讲，叙述 | |
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70
abutted
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| v.（与…）邻接( abut的过去式和过去分词 )；（与…）毗连；接触；倚靠 | |
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71
puffing
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| v.使喷出( puff的现在分词 )；喷着汽（或烟）移动；吹嘘；吹捧 | |
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72
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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73
ascent
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| n.(声望或地位)提高；上升，升高；登高 | |
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74
favourable
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| adj.赞成的，称赞的，有利的，良好的，顺利的 | |
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75
cultivation
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| n.耕作，培养，栽培（法），养成 | |
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76
obliquely
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| adv.斜； 倾斜； 间接； 不光明正大 | |
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77
descried
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| adj.被注意到的，被发现的，被看到的 | |
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78
gendarmes
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| n.宪兵，警官( gendarme的名词复数 ) | |
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79
wasteful
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| adj.（造成）浪费的，挥霍的 | |
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80
detours
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| 绕行的路( detour的名词复数 )； 绕道，兜圈子 | |
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81
prospect
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| n.前景，前途；景色，视野 | |
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82
grove
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| n.林子，小树林，园林 | |
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83
crest
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| n.顶点；饰章；羽冠；vt.达到顶点；vi.形成浪尖 | |
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84
trickle
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| vi.淌，滴，流出，慢慢移动，逐渐消散 | |
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85
conducive
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| adj.有益的，有助的 | |
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86
wink
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| n.眨眼，使眼色，瞬间；v.眨眼，使眼色，闪烁 | |
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87
fugitive
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| adj.逃亡的，易逝的；n.逃犯，逃亡者 | |
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88
gall
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| v.使烦恼，使焦躁，难堪；n.磨难 | |
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89
twilight
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| n.暮光，黄昏；暮年，晚期，衰落时期 | |
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90
severely
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| adv.严格地；严厉地；非常恶劣地 | |
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91
appalling
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| adj.骇人听闻的，令人震惊的，可怕的 | |
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92
arid
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| adj.干旱的；(土地)贫瘠的 | |
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93
stifling
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| a.令人窒息的 | |
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94
parched
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| adj.焦干的；极渴的；v.（使）焦干 | |
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95
considerably
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| adv.极大地；相当大地；在很大程度上 | |
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96
looming
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| n.上现蜃景（光通过低层大气发生异常折射形成的一种海市蜃楼）v.隐约出现，阴森地逼近( loom的现在分词 )；隐约出现，阴森地逼近 | |
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97
ridge
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| n.山脊；鼻梁；分水岭 | |
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98
minor
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| adj.较小(少)的，较次要的；n.辅修学科；vi.辅修 | |
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99
perennial
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| adj.终年的；长久的 | |
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100
gathering
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| n.集会，聚会，聚集 | |
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101
dodged
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| v.闪躲( dodge的过去式和过去分词 )；回避 | |
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102
crevices
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| n.（尤指岩石的）裂缝，缺口( crevice的名词复数 ) | |
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103
brewed
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| 调制( brew的过去式和过去分词 )； 酝酿； 沏（茶）； 煮（咖啡） | |
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104
exhaustion
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| n.耗尽枯竭，疲惫，筋疲力尽，竭尽，详尽无遗的论述 | |
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105
remains
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| n.剩余物，残留物；遗体，遗迹 | |
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