CHAPTER XXXII.

 While the conversation was going on between the Tory and Gray Panther, Gravity Gimp was rubbing and nursing his "game leg," with many sighs and groans², which he took care should be heard by those around him, while at the same time it did not annoy them.

 

"Sprained³ it, I s'pose," remarked Golcher, deeming it best to keep back his intentions toward the negro until after he should have extracted all the information he could.

 

"Wuss dan a strain," said Gravity, looking ruefully down at the limb and rubbing it with one hand.

 

"How can it be worse than a strain?"

 

"It's busted⁴."

 

"You talk like a fool—what do you mean by bustin' a leg?"

 

"I mean dat it ain't no use any more—ain't wuth nuffin to dance de double shuffle⁵ wid."

 

"How did you hurt it?"

 

"Got struck by a cannon-ball dis arternoon—but I recovered from dat slight inconwenience, and I strained and broke it in two or three places a little while ago."

 

"How?"

 

"In flingin' Injins ober de rocks, I wrenched⁶ it."

 

The explanation was not very clear to Golcher, but he was satisfied the limb was badly sprained, and he cared nothing further. It rendered what might have been a dangerous prisoner comparatively harmless, which was a good thing while the main party of Indians were away, engaged in entrapping⁷ the fugitives⁸, whose possession was so much more valuable.

 

"All you folks got into the cavern⁹, down among the rocks over there, thinkin' you was safe, didn't you?"

 

"We crept in dar not 'cause we thought it war safe, but 'cause it war the bestest thing we could do."

 

"Do you know anything about Fred Godfrey?"

 

"Yes; he hab de honor ob my 'quaintance."

 

"That isn't what I mean: do you know where he is?"

 

"I tink he am ober on de oder side ob de riber slewing¹¹ Injins and Tories."

 

It will be recollected¹² that Gravity left the cavern before the lieutenant¹³ put in his appearance, and the African therefore knew nothing of his presence with his friends.

 

"Wal," growled¹⁴ Golcher, finding it hard to repress the anger that was gnawing¹⁵ at his heart; "the trouble to-day has been that too many of the rebels got slewed¹⁶ themselves; if it hadn't been for that, things would have gone different; but that Godfrey will be with the party up in the rocks afore long."

 

"Guess you're 'bout¹⁰ right, Massa Golcher."

 

"Do you know," suddenly asked Golcher turning on the negro, "that we're going to have every one of that party afore daylight?"

 

"No, I didn't know it; did you?"

 

"They'll be here inside of two hours, and then there'll be fun."

 

"Reckons dere'll be a little fun afore you cotches 'em."

 

"They're in the rocks, but we can rout¹⁷ them out whenever we want to; they think we don't know what they're doing, but Gray Panther hasn't missed anything."

 

"I noticed that Massa Brainerd didn't miss either, when he plugged dem Injuns dat was trying to sneak¹⁸ in behind the rocks."

 

"See here," exclaimed Golcher, turning upon him; "you'd better keep a civil tongue in your head."

 

"Dat's all right—I was jes' joking wid you—but, if you hain't any 'bjection, Massa Golcher, I'd like to know what yer gwine to do wid me? Am yer gwine ter take me up in York State and put me to work on a farm?"

 

"If you live a couple of hours longer, you'll be put through the sprouts¹⁹."

 

"Put frough de sprouts," repeated Gimp, as if to himself; "wonder what dat means."

 

While this conversation was going on, the Indian who was keeping guard was seated on the other side the fire in a lounging attitude, and his head now and then bobbed down on his breast in a way that showed he was partly asleep.

 

Gravity Gimp did not appear to notice him, but he saw every movement, and, without appearing to do so, hitched²⁰ a little closer to the Tory.

 

The latter seemed to conclude that nothing more was to be gained from the negro, and he ceased asking him questions.

 

The servant groaned²¹ and rubbed his leg with every appearance of great pain.

 

"Massa Golcher," said he, with a groan¹, "I'd be much obliged to yer, if you'll jes pull off my shoe and rub dat ankle for half an hour."

 

And as he made this astounding²² request he moved still nearer, and thrust his enormous shoe almost in the face of the renegade, who turned savagely²³ upon him.

 

"I'll teach yer manners, you black—"

 

He rose to his feet and whipped out his knife as he spoke²⁴, but Gimp also came to the standing²⁵ position, and he was a little quicker than the Tory. Golcher had drawn²⁶ his weapon, but before he suspected the design of his assailant, Gimp lowered his head and ran like a steam-engine straight at him.

 

The iron-like skull²⁷ struck Golcher "'midships" and knocked him over backwards²⁸, his heels going up in the air, while he described an almost complete somersault, with the breath gone from his body.

 

The drowsy²⁹ Seneca roused up just in time to witness the performance, and to see the same battering-ram charging down upon him.

 

He turned to leap aside until he could draw his tomahawk, but he was a second too late, and the projectile³⁰ took him in the pit of the stomach, and banged him against a neighboring tree with such violence that the breath left his body also, and there is reason to believe it never returned.

1 groan   

vi./n.呻吟，抱怨；(发出)呻吟般的声音

参考例句：

• The wounded man uttered a groan.那个受伤的人发出呻吟。
• The people groan under the burden of taxes.人民在重税下痛苦呻吟。

2 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

参考例句：

• There were loud groans when he started to sing. 他刚开始歌唱时有人发出了很大的嘘声。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• It was a weird old house, full of creaks and groans. 这是所神秘而可怕的旧宅，到处嘎吱嘎吱作响。 来自《简明英汉词典》

3 sprained   

v.&n. 扭伤

参考例句：

• I stumbled and sprained my ankle. 我摔了一跤，把脚脖子扭了。
• When Mary sprained her ankles, John carried her piggyback to the doctors. 玛丽扭伤了足踝，约翰驮她去看医生。

4 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

参考例句：

• You are so busted! 你被当场逮住了！
• It was money troubles that busted up their marriage. 是金钱纠纷使他们的婚姻破裂了。

5 shuffle   

n.拖著脚走，洗纸牌；v.拖曳，慢吞吞地走

参考例句：

• I wish you'd remember to shuffle before you deal.我希望在你发牌前记得洗牌。
• Don't shuffle your feet along.别拖着脚步走。

6 wrenched   

v.（猛力地）扭( wrench的过去式和过去分词 )；扭伤；使感到痛苦；使悲痛

参考例句：

• The bag was wrenched from her grasp. 那只包从她紧握的手里被夺了出来。
• He wrenched the book from her hands. 他从她的手中把书拧抢了过来。 来自《简明英汉词典》

7 entrapping   

v.使陷入圈套，使入陷阱( entrap的现在分词 )

参考例句：

• Conclusion The matrine liposomes with high entrapping efficiency can be prepared by ammonium sulphate gradient method. 结论采用硫酸铵梯度法可制得包封率较高的苦参碱脂质体。 来自互联网

8 fugitives   

n.亡命者，逃命者( fugitive的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• Three fugitives from the prison are still at large. 三名逃犯仍然未被抓获。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• Members of the provisional government were prisoners or fugitives. 临时政府的成员或被捕或逃亡。 来自演讲部分

9 cavern   

n.洞穴，大山洞

参考例句：

• The cavern walls echoed his cries.大山洞的四壁回响着他的喊声。
• It suddenly began to shower,and we took refuge in the cavern.天突然下起雨来，我们在一个山洞里避雨。

10 bout   

n.侵袭，发作；一次(阵，回)；拳击等比赛

参考例句：

• I was suffering with a bout of nerves.我感到一阵紧张。
• That bout of pneumonia enfeebled her.那次肺炎的发作使她虚弱了。

11 slewing   

n.快速定向，快速瞄准v.（尤指在协议或建议中）规定，约定，讲明（条件等）( stipulate的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• Slewing bearings are basic components widely used in construction machinery industry. 回转支承是工程机械行业的重要基础件。 来自互联网
• It is used for the crane slewing bearing. 这是用于起重机的回转支承。 来自互联网

12 recollected   

adj.冷静的；镇定的；被回忆起的；沉思默想的v.记起，想起( recollect的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• I recollected that she had red hair. 我记得她有一头红发。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• His efforts, the Duke recollected many years later, were distinctly half-hearted. 据公爵许多年之后的回忆，他当时明显只是敷衍了事。 来自辞典例句

13 lieutenant   

n.陆军中尉，海军上尉；代理官员，副职官员

参考例句：

• He was promoted to be a lieutenant in the army.他被提升为陆军中尉。
• He prevailed on the lieutenant to send in a short note.他说动那个副官，递上了一张简短的便条进去。

14 growled   

v.（动物）发狺狺声， （雷）作隆隆声( growl的过去式和过去分词 )；低声咆哮着说

参考例句：

• \"They ought to be birched, \" growled the old man. 老人咆哮道：“他们应受到鞭打。” 来自《简明英汉词典》
• He growled out an answer. 他低声威胁着回答。 来自《简明英汉词典》

15 gnawing   

a.痛苦的，折磨人的

参考例句：

• The dog was gnawing a bone. 那狗在啃骨头。
• These doubts had been gnawing at him for some time. 这些疑虑已经折磨他一段时间了。

16 slewed   

adj.喝醉的v.杀死，宰杀，杀戮( slay的过去式 )( slew的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• The car skidded and slewed sideways. 汽车打滑，向一侧偏去。
• The bus slewed sideways. 公共汽车滑到了一边。 来自辞典例句

17 rout   

n.溃退，溃败；v.击溃，打垮

参考例句：

• The enemy was put to rout all along the line.敌人已全线崩溃。
• The people's army put all to rout wherever they went.人民军队所向披靡。

18 sneak   

vt.潜行(隐藏,填石缝)；偷偷摸摸做；n.潜行；adj.暗中进行

参考例句：

• He raised his spear and sneak forward.他提起长矛悄悄地前进。
• I saw him sneak away from us.我看见他悄悄地从我们身边走开。

19 sprouts   

n.新芽，嫩枝( sprout的名词复数 )v.发芽( sprout的第三人称单数 )；抽芽；出现；（使）涌现出

参考例句：

• The wheat sprouts grew perceptibly after the rain. 下了一场雨，麦苗立刻见长。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》
• The sprouts have pushed up the earth. 嫩芽把土顶起来了。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》

20 hitched   

（免费）搭乘他人之车( hitch的过去式和过去分词 )； 搭便车； 攀上； 跃上

参考例句：

• They hitched a ride in a truck. 他们搭乘了一辆路过的货车。
• We hitched a ride in a truck yesterday. 我们昨天顺便搭乘了一辆卡车。

21 groaned   

v.呻吟( groan的过去式和过去分词 )；发牢骚；抱怨；受苦

参考例句：

• He groaned in anguish. 他痛苦地呻吟。
• The cart groaned under the weight of the piano. 大车在钢琴的重压下嘎吱作响。 来自《简明英汉词典》

22 astounding   

adj.使人震惊的vt.使震惊，使大吃一惊astound的现在分词)

参考例句：

• There was an astounding 20% increase in sales. 销售量惊人地增加了20%。
• The Chairman's remarks were so astounding that the audience listened to him with bated breath. 主席说的话令人吃惊，所以听众都屏息听他说。 来自《简明英汉词典》

23 savagely   

adv. 野蛮地，残酷地

参考例句：

• The roses had been pruned back savagely. 玫瑰被狠狠地修剪了一番。
• He snarled savagely at her. 他向她狂吼起来。

24 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。

25 standing   

n.持续，地位；adj.永久的，不动的，直立的，不流动的

参考例句：

• After the earthquake only a few houses were left standing.地震过后只有几幢房屋还立着。
• They're standing out against any change in the law.他们坚决反对对法律做任何修改。

26 drawn   

v.拖，拉，拔出；adj.憔悴的，紧张的

参考例句：

• All the characters in the story are drawn from life.故事中的所有人物都取材于生活。
• Her gaze was drawn irresistibly to the scene outside.她的目光禁不住被外面的风景所吸引。

27 skull   

n.头骨；颅骨

参考例句：

• The skull bones fuse between the ages of fifteen and twenty-five.头骨在15至25岁之间长合。
• He fell out of the window and cracked his skull.他从窗子摔了出去，跌裂了颅骨。

28 backwards   

adv.往回地，向原处，倒，相反，前后倒置地

参考例句：

• He turned on the light and began to pace backwards and forwards.他打开电灯并开始走来走去。
• All the girls fell over backwards to get the party ready.姑娘们迫不及待地为聚会做准备。

29 drowsy   

adj.昏昏欲睡的，令人发困的

参考例句：

• Exhaust fumes made him drowsy and brought on a headache.废气把他熏得昏昏沉沉，还引起了头疼。
• I feel drowsy after lunch every day.每天午饭后我就想睡觉。

30 projectile   

n.投射物，发射体；adj.向前开进的；推进的；抛掷的

参考例句：

• The vertical and horizontal motions of a projectile can be treated independently.抛射体的竖直方向和水平方向的运动能够分开来处理。
• Have you altered the plans of the projectile as the telegram suggests?你已经按照电报的要求修改炮弹图样了吗?