CHAPTER XLVII.

 Lieutenant¹ Godfrey and Gravity Gimp shook hands warmly, for they were overjoyed to meet in this manner, after their enforced parting a brief while before.

 

"It's a wonder that your signaling did not bring some of the Senecas to you," said the young officer.

 

"Dat's jist what it done."

 

"And how did you manage it?"

 

"When dey come I left, and I took such a path dat if dey tried to foller, dey run agin de trees, or fell ober de rocks and broke dar necks."

 

"Well, Gravity, you heard my gun, and I'll tell you how it was."

 

Thereupon the lieutenant gave the particulars of the taking off of the vengeful warrior² known as Black Turtle, the Seneca, the African listening, meanwhile, with open mouth and staring eyes.

 

"Dat's wery cheerin'," said he. "Some ob dem Senekers am so stupid dat you've got to knock dere heads off afore dey knows anything; but, leftenant, I's got 'portant news to tell you."

 

"What is it?"

 

"Dar's somebody out in de woods dat ain't Injuns."

 

"Explain what you mean?" said Godfrey, with a thrill of hope.

 

"Afore you fired dat gun, and when eberyting was still, I heerd somebody talking out dare; dey kind ob whistled, like I's been doing, den³ I heerd whispers, and den de sound ob feet."

 

This was stirring news, indeed, to Fred. If it so proved that these strangers were white men, he might be able to rally them to the attack of Golcher and his Indian allies.

 

But, alas⁴! if they should prove to be that portion of the band which withdrew a short time previous, their presence would settle forever all prospects⁵ of a rescue.

 

"How far off are they?" he asked.

 

"Only a short distance; foller me."

 

"Don't forget, Gravity," said the lieutenant, as he started with him, "that we're likely to run afoul of some of the Senecas, who are out hunting for me."

 

"I understand dat."

 

A few minutes later the African came to a stop, and said, in a husky undertone:

 

"Dis am de spot."

 

It was hard to imagine how the servant could identify it, for it was in the shadow of the trees, though a small, natural clearing was in sight, that itself being the guiding landmark⁶.

 

But nothing was seen or heard that could justify⁷ the declaration of Gravity, who stood intently listening.

 

"I don't hear nuffin'," said he, a moment later. "I guess dey hab gone to sleep, and am snorin'. You ain't skeered, be you, lieutenant?"

 

"What is there to scare us?" asked Fred.

 

"I don't know ob nuffin, but I thought mebbe you knowed."

 

Just then Gimp got down on the ground, and pressed his ear to the earth. Immediately he called out:

 

"I hear footsteps—plain as day—jes' listen!"

 

Fred Godfrey knelt, and, Indian-like, touched his ear to the ground. As he did so, he caught sounds as if made by the feet of persons moving near them.

 

"I believe they are white men—God grant they are! Don't make any noise and we will soon find out."

 

Although he had little experience as a woodman, Fred believed, from the peculiarity⁸ of the slight noises that reached his ear, that they were those of his own race.

 

As a quick way to settle it, though it was an act of imprudence, he called out, in a guarded voice:

 

"Halloa there, friends!"

 

"Halloa; are you white?"

 

"Yes—"

 

"What's de use ob lyin' so shamefully⁹ as dat?" broke in Gimp; "if I'm white den you're black."

 

"I declare, Gravity, I forgot all about it!" laughed the lieutenant, and then, raising his voice, he said:

 

"We are one black and one white, fugitives¹⁰ from Wyoming, and hunting for friends."

 

"That hits us," was the response; and the next moment, to the surprise and delight of Godfrey, seven men came to view in the small moonlit clearing, and waited for him to advance and show himself.

 

He lost no time in doing so, and, as briefly¹¹ as possible, explained how it was he and the African were there, and how necessary it was that help should be immediately sent their friends, in the custody¹² of Jake Golcher, the Tory, and his Senecas.

 

"Now you're shouting," was the hearty¹³ response of the leader of the seven, who announced his name as Dick Durkee; "that's what we're here for, though we're a little behind time."

 

"Where did you come from?"

 

"I live pretty well back in the country toward Stroudsburg, and I heered two days ago that trouble was coming into Wyoming Valley. You see I got the matter so straight from a friendly Indian that I knowed there could be no mistake. It worried me so that I couldn't sleep, and I told my wife that I was bound to take a hand in it. So I scoured¹⁴ through the country and got my six friends, all true and tried, and set out. We got here only a little while ago, when things looked so squally that I concluded to stop and find out something before going furder; that's the way it stands."

 

"Then you will help our friends out of their trouble?"

 

"That's just what we come for, and we don't propose to back out now."

 

"Give me your hand on that!" exclaimed the delighted Fred.

 

While the two were saluting¹⁵ each other in this effusive¹⁶ fashion, Gravity Gimp walked out in front of them on the clearing, and solemnly pressing the crown of his head against the ground, elevated his enormous feet in the air, and chuckled¹⁷ as he kicked:

 

"Reckon dere's gwine to be somethin' like a s'prise party for Mr. Jacob Golcher!"

 

1 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。

2 warrior   

n.勇士，武士，斗士

参考例句：

• The young man is a bold warrior.这个年轻人是个很英勇的武士。
• A true warrior values glory and honor above life.一个真正的勇士珍视荣誉胜过生命。

3 den   

n.兽穴；秘密地方；安静的小房间，私室

参考例句：

• There is a big fox den on the back hill.后山有一个很大的狐狸窝。
• The only way to catch tiger cubs is to go into tiger's den.不入虎穴焉得虎子。

4 alas   

int.唉(表示悲伤、忧愁、恐惧等)

参考例句：

• Alas!The window is broken!哎呀！窗子破了！
• Alas,the truth is less romantic.然而，真理很少带有浪漫色彩。

5 prospects   

n.希望，前途(恒为复数)

参考例句：

• There is a mood of pessimism in the company about future job prospects. 公司中有一种对工作前景悲观的情绪。
• They are less sanguine about the company's long-term prospects. 他们对公司的远景不那么乐观。

6 landmark   

n.陆标，划时代的事，地界标

参考例句：

• The Russian Revolution represents a landmark in world history.俄国革命是世界历史上的一个里程碑。
• The tower was once a landmark for ships.这座塔曾是船只的陆标。

7 justify   

vt.证明…正当(或有理)，为…辩护

参考例句：

• He tried to justify his absence with lame excuses.他想用站不住脚的借口为自己的缺席辩解。
• Can you justify your rude behavior to me?你能向我证明你的粗野行为是有道理的吗？

8 peculiarity   

n.独特性，特色；特殊的东西；怪癖

参考例句：

• Each country has its own peculiarity.每个国家都有自己的独特之处。
• The peculiarity of this shop is its day and nigth service.这家商店的特点是昼夜服务。

9 shamefully   

可耻地； 丢脸地； 不体面地； 羞耻地

参考例句：

• He misused his dog shamefully. 他可耻地虐待自己的狗。
• They have served me shamefully for a long time. 长期以来，他们待我很坏。

10 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

11 briefly   

adv.简单地，简短地

参考例句：

• I want to touch briefly on another aspect of the problem.我想简单地谈一下这个问题的另一方面。
• He was kidnapped and briefly detained by a terrorist group.他被一个恐怖组织绑架并短暂拘禁。

12 custody   

n.监护，照看，羁押，拘留

参考例句：

• He spent a week in custody on remand awaiting sentence.等候判决期间他被还押候审一个星期。
• He was taken into custody immediately after the robbery.抢劫案发生后，他立即被押了起来。

13 hearty   

adj.热情友好的；衷心的；尽情的，纵情的

参考例句：

• After work they made a hearty meal in the worker's canteen.工作完了，他们在工人食堂饱餐了一顿。
• We accorded him a hearty welcome.我们给他热忱的欢迎。

14 scoured   

走遍（某地）搜寻（人或物）( scour的过去式和过去分词 )； （用力）刷； 擦净； 擦亮

参考例句：

• We scoured the area for somewhere to pitch our tent. 我们四处查看，想找一个搭帐篷的地方。
• The torrents scoured out a channel down the hill side. 急流沿着山腰冲刷出一条水沟。

15 saluting   

v.欢迎，致敬( salute的现在分词 )；赞扬，赞颂

参考例句：

• 'Thank you kindly, sir,' replied Long John, again saluting. “万分感谢，先生。”高个子约翰说着又行了个礼。 来自英汉文学 - 金银岛
• He approached the young woman and, without saluting, began at once to converse with her. 他走近那年青女郎，马上就和她攀谈起来了，连招呼都不打。 来自辞典例句

16 effusive   

adj.热情洋溢的；感情(过多)流露的

参考例句：

• Every visitor noticed that her effusive welcome was not sincere.所有的客人都看出来她那过分热情的欢迎是不真诚的。
• Her effusive thanks embarrassed everybody.她道谢时非常激动，弄得大家不好意思。

17 chuckled   

轻声地笑( chuckle的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• She chuckled at the memory. 想起这件事她就暗自发笑。
• She chuckled softly to herself as she remembered his astonished look. 想起他那惊讶的表情，她就轻轻地暗自发笑。