The redskin was caught at so great disadvantage, that he was hurled1 from the roof before he could check himself or make use of the knife he had snatched from his girdle. Indeed, it was at the instant of striking his vicious blow that he went over the eaves. This preserved his awkwardness of posture2, and prevented his making any preparation for the violent fall.
The miscreant4 would have struck the ground with a “dull thud,” but for an unexpected buffer5 in the shape of one of his brother warriors6, who happened to be standing7 directly under. As a consequence, the sprawling8 figure came down on the head and shoulders of the astounded9 Comanche, who collapsed10 86with a feeling that must have made him suspect the house had fallen on him.
The mishap11 saved the victim of Dinah’s wrath12, but at a stunning13 cost to the under fellow, who lay for a minute or two as if dead, before he was able to regain14 his breath and climb to his feet.
In the meantime, the author of this catastrophe15 was wise enough to improve the moments.
“Dar!” she muttered, checking herself on the edge of the roof, “I reckons you know a blamed sight more dan you eber did afore, and arter dis, when you tries to steal into a ’spectable lady’s room, you’ll knock at de doah fust.”
It was not to be supposed that in the darkness the Comanches below would grasp the situation offhand16, and, before they could do so, Dinah scurried17 over the peak of the roof to the scuttle18, which of course was still open, and descended19. In her haste, she stepped upon the back of the chair, which tripped over, and she went down with a crash that shook the entire building.
87
Mrs. Shirril dashed into the room, in consternation20.
“What in Heaven’s name is the matter, Dinah?”
“Nuffin’s de matter wid me, but I guess it am all day wid dat cheer, howsumeber.”
The captain hurried up the ladder, flung back the covering, and leaped into the apartment.
“Nuffin,” replied the servant, impatient with the continued questioning; “I’s been promenadin’ a little on de roof and de cheer flopped22 ober when I sot my foot on it.”
Everything being in darkness, the eyes of the party were useless. The captain groped around to help Dinah to her feet, but she was already there, sound in limb and body.
“If you wants sumfin to do, capting,” said she, “jes’ fasten dat doah above yer head.”
“How came it open?” he asked, as he hastily complied, still unable to comprehend what had taken place.
88
“Habent I jes’ tole yer dat I’s been out on de roof?”
“I heard her there,” said the wife, “and was on my way to learn what it meant, when the crash came.”
In answer to the questions of the couple, Dinah soon made clear what had taken place. Her employers were filled with admiration23 of her pluck, and wonder at its brilliant success. That she had saved the dwelling24 from burning and averted25 a frightful26 death from them all was evident. They praised her highly, though the captain insisted that she ought to have told him of her intention before climbing through upon the roof.
“Cotch me doin’ dat,” she chuckled27, “when I knowed dat you would hab stopped me. Dinah aint as big a fool as she looks.”
“No one certainly could have managed it with the skill shown by you. I would have kept within the opening and shot the scamp.”
“And what would you hab done wid de fiah, eh?”
“Put it out in some way.”
“And got shot yourself! Your fut isn’t 89as promisc’us as mine and it would hab tooken you longer; it wanted only one slap ob my shoe and de bus’ness war done.”
“Perhaps you were right,” said the captain with a laugh; “but I am afraid we are not through with those attempts; they came so near succeeding that they will soon try it again.”
“I don’t t’ink dat black rascal28 will try it wery soon, ’cause I gib him a shookin’ up dat he wont29 git ober for a week.”
“I have no doubt of that, but there are others just as venturesome as he, and they will try it.”
“Is not that the only source of danger?” asked the wife.
“It can hardly be said to be so, but it’s the chief source; I will stay here, and you, Edna, had better go below; the room is so well cleared of smoke that it will cause you little trouble.”
“And what is I gwine to do?” asked Dinah.
“You may accompany your mistress; if I find myself in need of you I will call.”
90
“I’s afeard you won’t t’ink yourself in need ob me, if some more ob dem scamps come pokin’ round de doah up dere.”
“Well, I will try to take care of them myself, but I give you my word if your help is needed it will be asked.”
This was the most that the servant could get from her master, and she had no choice but to do as directed. Mrs. Shirril led the way down the ladder, followed by her servant, and they quickly found themselves on the lower floor.
Enough smoke remained in the room to cause Dinah another fit of sneezing, but the shattered window and the opening of the door at the head of the primitive30 stairs gave such good vent3 that a rapid improvement took place.
“I don’t see that there is much for us to do,” remarked the mistress, taking her place near the door, and out of range of either of the windows, “but they may try something of which we have no suspicion, and, if so, we shall have the chance to do better service here than above stairs.”
91
The smothering32 blanket by this time was so far consumed that the embers showed beneath, though with less strength than at first. They diffused33 a slight illumination through the room, and enabled the two women to see each other’s figures dimly, as they moved silently about, alert, listening, and watchful34.
The embers could have been extinguished by making use of the same means as before, but the certainty of a denser35 volume of strangling smoke, to say nothing of the loss of the valuable article, prevented any use of the remedy.
“Bress my soul, if dar isn’t anoder warmint!”
Dinah, rifle in hand, had stationed herself by the heavy door, against which she slightly leaned. As she did so, she felt an almost insensible yielding on its part, as though a powerful pressure on the outside was being exerted to force it inward.
92
“How can you know that?” asked her mistress, stepping to her side.
“Jes put your hand right here and feel for yourself.”
The delicate hand of the lady was placed against the structure, and there could be no doubt that someone was pushing strongly against the other side.
“Yes,” said she in a low voice, “they are there, but they can do no harm, as long as they confine themselves to that.”
“It will be worse for their heads than for the door, but I think your people are the only ones who work that way.”
“Dat’s ’cause we hab de hardest kind ob heads,” was the truthful37 response; “but mebbe dey’s usin’ somethin’ else to break in de door.”
“It can do no injury if they do,” replied Mrs. Shirril, who could not shake off a feeling of uneasiness because of the discovery.
While it was apparent that the door could not be forced by any conceivable means at the command of the Comanches, there was a 93doubt as to their precise intentions that troubled the good woman. She had the proof that their relentless38 enemies were busy, and their well-known cunning was likely to suggest ways of reaching their end, which, for a time at least, must remain unsuspected by the defenders39 of the cabin.
点击
收听单词发音
收听单词发音 |
1
hurled
|
|
| v.猛投，用力掷( hurl的过去式和过去分词 )；大声叫骂 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
2
posture
|
|
| n.姿势，姿态，心态，态度；v.作出某种姿势 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
3
vent
|
|
| n.通风口，排放口；开衩；vt.表达，发泄 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
4
miscreant
|
|
| n.恶棍 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
5
buffer
|
|
| n.起缓冲作用的人(或物)，缓冲器；vt.缓冲 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
6
warriors
|
|
| 武士，勇士，战士( warrior的名词复数 ) | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
7
standing
|
|
| n.持续，地位；adj.永久的，不动的，直立的，不流动的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
8
sprawling
|
|
| adj.蔓生的，不规则地伸展的v.伸开四肢坐[躺]( sprawl的现在分词 )；蔓延；杂乱无序地拓展；四肢伸展坐着（或躺着） | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
9
astounded
|
|
| v.使震惊(astound的过去式和过去分词)；愕然；愕；惊讶 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
10
collapsed
|
|
| adj.倒塌的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
11
mishap
|
|
| n.不幸的事，不幸；灾祸 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
12
wrath
|
|
| n.愤怒，愤慨，暴怒 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
13
stunning
|
|
| adj.极好的；使人晕倒的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
14
regain
|
|
| vt.重新获得，收复，恢复 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
15
catastrophe
|
|
| n.大灾难，大祸 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
16
offhand
|
|
| adj.临时，无准备的；随便，马虎的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
17
scurried
|
|
| v.急匆匆地走( scurry的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
18
scuttle
|
|
| v.急赶，疾走，逃避；n.天窗；舷窗 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
19
descended
|
|
| a.为...后裔的，出身于...的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
20
consternation
|
|
| n.大为吃惊，惊骇 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
21
gasped
|
|
| v.喘气( gasp的过去式和过去分词 )；喘息；倒抽气；很想要 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
22
flopped
|
|
| v.（指书、戏剧等）彻底失败( flop的过去式和过去分词 )；（因疲惫而）猛然坐下；（笨拙地、不由自主地或松弛地）移动或落下；砸锅 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
23
admiration
|
|
| n.钦佩，赞美，羡慕 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
24
dwelling
|
|
| n.住宅，住所，寓所 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
25
averted
|
|
| 防止，避免( avert的过去式和过去分词 )； 转移 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
26
frightful
|
|
| adj.可怕的；讨厌的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
27
chuckled
|
|
| 轻声地笑( chuckle的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
28
rascal
|
|
| n.流氓；不诚实的人 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
29
wont
|
|
| adj.习惯于；v.习惯；n.习惯 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
30
primitive
|
|
| adj.原始的；简单的；n.原(始)人，原始事物 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
31
flare
|
|
| v.闪耀，闪烁；n.潮红；突发 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
32
smothering
|
|
| （使）窒息， （使）透不过气( smother的现在分词 )； 覆盖； 忍住； 抑制 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
33
diffused
|
|
| 散布的，普及的，扩散的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
34
watchful
|
|
| adj.注意的，警惕的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
35
denser
|
|
| adj. 不易看透的, 密集的, 浓厚的, 愚钝的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
36
butt
|
|
| n.笑柄；烟蒂；枪托；臀部；v.用头撞或顶 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
37
truthful
|
|
| adj.真实的，说实话的，诚实的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
38
relentless
|
|
| adj.残酷的，不留情的，无怜悯心的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
39
defenders
|
|
| n.防御者( defender的名词复数 )；守卫者；保护者；辩护者 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
| 欢迎访问英文小说网 |