"Say, are these people kiddin' me?" he inquired, confidentially2, of Poleon.
"W'y? Wat you mean?"
"Well, there's a feller makin' a speech about me down by the landing."
"Wat he say?"
"It ain't nothin' to fight over. He says I'm another Dan'l Boom, leadin' the march of empire westward3."
"Dat's nice, for sure."
"Certainly sounds good, but is it on the level?"
"Wal, I guess so," admitted Poleon.
The scanty6 ounce or two of gold from his claim lay in the scales at the post, where every new-comer might examine it, and, realizing that he was a never-ending source of information, they fawned7 on him for his tips, bribing8 him with newspapers, worth a dollar each, or with cigars, which he wrapped up carefully and placed in his mackinaw till every pocket of the rusty9 garment bulged10 so that he could not sit without losing them. They dwelt upon his lightest word, and stood him up beside the bar where they filled him with proofs of friendliness11 until he shed tears from his one good eye.
He had formed a habit of parsimony12 born of his years of poverty, and was so widely known as a tight man by the hundreds who had lent to him that his creditors13 never at any time hoped for a reckoning. And he never offered one; on the contrary, he had invariably flown into a rage when dunned, and exhibited such resentment14 as to discourage the practice. Now, however, the surly humor of the man began to mellow15, and in gradual stages he unloosened, the process being attended by a disproportionate growth of the trader's cash receipts. Cautiously, at first he let out his wit, which was logy from long disuse, and as heavy on its feet as the Jumping Frog of Calaveras, but when they laughed at its labored16 leaps and sallies his confidence grew. With the regularity17 of a clock he planted cigars and ordered "a little more hard stuff," while his roving eye rejoiced in lachrymose18 profusion19, its over-burden losing itself in the tangle20 of his careless beard. By-and-by he wandered through the town, trailed by a troop of tenderfeet, till the women marked him, whereupon he fled back to the post and hugged the bar, for he was a bashful man. When Stark21's new place opened it offered him another retreat of which he availed himself for some time. But late in the evening he reappeared at Old Man Gale22's store, walking a bit unsteadily, and as he mounted the flight of logs to the door he stepped once too often.
"What's become of that fourth step?" he demanded, sharply, of Poleon.
"Dere she is," said the Frenchman.
"I'm damned if it is. You moved it since I was here."
"I'll have 'im put back," laughed the other.
"Say! It's a grand thing to be rich, ain't it?"
"I don' know, I ain' never try it."
"Well, it is; and now that I've arrived, I'm goin' to change my ways complete. No more extravagance in mine—I'll never lend another cent."
"No more hard-luck stories and 'hurry-ups' for mine. I'm the stony-hearted jailer, I am, from now, henceforth, world 'thout end, amen! No busted25 miners need apply. I've been a good thing, but to-night I turn on the time-lock."
"Ba gosh! You're fonny feller," laughed Poleon, who had lent the one-eyed man much money in the past and, like others, regarded him not merely as a bad risk but as a total loss. "Mebbe you t'ink you've been a spen't'rif all dese year."
"I've certainly blowed a lot of money on my friends," Lee acknowledged, "and they're welcome to what they've got so far, but I'm goin' to chop all them prodigal27 habits and put on the tin vest. I'll run the solderin'-iron up my seams so they can't get to me without a can-opener. I'm air-tight for life, I am." He fumbled28 in his pockets and unwrapped a gift cigar, then felt for a match. Poleon tossed one on the bar, and he reached for it twice, missing it each time.
"I guess dose new frien' of yours is mak' you purty full, M'sieu' Tin Vest."
"Nothin' of the sort. I've got a bad dose of indigestion."
"Dat's 'orrible disease! Dere's plaintee riche man die on dat seecknesse. You better lie down."
Doret took the hero of the day by the arm and led him to the rear of the store, where he bedded him on a pile of flour sacks, but he had hardly returned to the bar when Lee came veering29 out of the dimness, making for the light like a ship tacking30 towards a beacon31.
"What kind of flour is that?" he spluttered.
"Dat's just plain w'eat flour."
"Not on your life," said the miner, with the firmness of a great conviction. "It's full of yeast32 powders. Why, it's r'arin' and risin' like a buckin' hoss. I'm plumb33 sea-sick." He laid a zigzag34 course for the door.
"W'ere you goin'?" asked Poleon.
"I'm goin' to get somethin' for this stomach trouble. It's fierce." He descended35 into the darkness boldly, and stepped off with confidence—this time too soon. Poleon heard him floundering about, his indignant voice raised irascibly, albeit36 with a note of triumph.
"Wha'd I tell you? You put it back while I was ashleep." Then whistling blithely37, if somewhat out of tune38, he steered39 for the new saloon to get something for his "stomach trouble."
At Stark's he found a large crowd of the new men who welcomed him heartily40, plying41 him with countless42 questions, and harking to his maudlin43 tales of this new country which to him was old. He had followed the muddy river from Crater44 Lake to the Delta46, searching the bars and creek-beds in a tireless quest, till he knew each stream and tributary47, for he had been one of the hardy48 band that used to venture forth24 from Juneau on the spring snows, disappearing into the uncharted valley of the Yukon, to return when the river clogged49 and grew sluggish50, and, like Gale, he had lived these many years ahead of the law where each man was his own court of appeals and where crime was unknown. He had helped to build camps like Forty Mile and Circle; he knew by heart the by-laws and rules that governed every town and mining district in the country; he knew every man and child by name, but, while many of his friends had prospered51, unceasing ill-luck had dogged him. Yet he had held to honesty and hard work, measuring a man by his ability to swing an axe52 or a shovel53, and, despite his impecuniosity54, regarding theft as the one crime deserving capital punishment.
"Oh, there's lots of countries worse'n this," he declared. "We may not be very han'some to the naked eye, and we may not wear our handk'chiefs in our shirt cuffs55, but there ain't no widders and orphans56 doin' our washin', and a man can walk away from his house, stay a month, and find it there when he comes back."
"Those days are past," said Stark, who had joined in the discussion. "There's too many new people coming in for all of them to be honest."
"They'd better be," said Lee, aggressively. "We ain't got no room for stealers. Why, I had a hand in makin' the by-laws of this camp myself, 'long with John Gale, and they stip'lates that any person caught robbin' a cache is to be publicly whipped in front of the tradin'-post, then, if it's winter time, he's to be turned loose on the ice barefooted, or, if it's summer, he's to be set adrift on a log with his shirt off."
"Either one would mean certain death," said a stranger. "Frost in winter, mosquitoes in summer!"
"That's all right," another bystander declared. "A man's life depends on his grub up here, and I'd be in favor of enforcing that punishment to the letter if we caught any one thieving."
"All the same, I take no chances," said Stark. "There's too many strangers here. Just to show you how I stand, I've put Runnion on guard over my pile of stuff, and I'll be glad when it's under cover. It isn't the severity of punishment that keeps a man from going wrong, it's the certainty of it."
"Well, he'd sure get it, and get it proper in this camp," declared Lee; and at that moment, as if his words had been a challenge, the flaps of the great tent were thrust aside, and Runnion half led, half threw a man into the open space before the bar.
"Let's have a look at you," he panted. "Well, if it ain't a nigger!"
"What's up?" cried the men, crowding about the prisoner, who crouched57, terror-stricken, in the trampled58 mud and moss59, while those playing roulette and "bank" left the tables, followed by the dealers60.
"He's a thief," said Runnion, mopping the sweat from his brow. "I caught him after your grub pile, Stark."
"In my cache?"
"Yes. He dropped a crate45 of hams when I came up on him, and tried to run, but I dropped him." He held his Colt in his right hand, and a trickle61 of blood from the negro's head showed how he had been felled.
"Why didn't you shoot?" growled62 Stark, angrily, at which the negro half arose and broke into excited denials of his guilt63. Runnion kicked him savagely64, and cursed him, while the crowd murmured approval.
"Le' me see him," said Lee, elbowing his way through the others. Fixing his one eye upon the wretch65, he spoke66 impressively.
"You're the first downright thief I ever seen. Was you hungry?"
"No, he's got plenty," answered one of the tenderfeet, who had evidently arrived on the boat with the darky. "He's got a bigger outfit67 than I have."
"Then I reckon it's a divine manifestation," said "No Creek" Lee, tearfully. "This black party is goin' to furnish an example as will elevate the moral tone of our community for a year."
"Let me take him outside," cried Stark, reaching under the bar for a weapon. His eyes were cruel, and he had the angry pallor of a dangerous man. "I'll save you a lot of trouble."
"Why not do it legal?" expostulated Lee. "It's just as certain."
"We're goin' to try you," announced the one-eyed miner, "and if you're found guilty, as you certainly are goin' to be, you'll be flogged. After which perdicament you'll have a nice ride down-stream on a saw-log without your laundry."
"But the mosquitoes—"
"Too bad you didn't think of them before. Let's get at this, boys, and have it over with."
In far countries, where men's lives depend upon the safety of their food supply, a side of bacon may mean more than a bag of gold; therefore, protection is a strenuous71 necessity. And though any one of those present would have gladly fed the negro had he been needy72, each of them likewise knew that unless an example were made of him no tent or cabin would be safe. The North being a gameless, forbidding country, has ever been cruel to thieves, and now it was heedless of the black man's growing terror as it set about to try him. A miners' meeting was called on the spot, and a messenger sent hurrying to the post for the book in which was recorded the laws of the men who had made the camp. The crowd was determined73 that this should be done legally and as prescribed by ancient custom up and down the river. So, to make itself doubly sure, it gave Runnion's evidence a hearing; then, taking lanterns, went down to the big tarpaulin-covered pile beside the river, where it found the crate of hams and the negro's tracks. There was no defence for the culprit and he offered none, being too scared by now to do more than plead. The proceedings74 were simple and quiet and grim, and were wellnigh over when Lieutenant75 Burrell walked into the tent saloon. He had been in his quarters all day, fighting a fight with himself, and in the late evening, rebelling against his cramped76 conditions and the war with his conscience, he had sallied out, and, drawn77 by the crowd in Stark's place, had entered.
A man replied to his whispered question, giving him the story, for the meeting was under Lee's domination, and the miners maintained an orderly and business-like procedure. The chairman's indigestion had vanished with his sudden assumption of responsibility, and he showed no trace of drink in his bearing. Beneath a lamp one was binding78 four-foot lengths of cotton tent-rope to a broomstick for a knout, while others, whom Lee had appointed, were drawing lots to see upon whom would devolve the unpleasant duty of flogging the captive. The matter-of-fact, relentless79 expedition of the affair shocked Burrell inexpressibly, and seeing Poleon and Gale near by, he edged towards them, thinking that they surely could not be in sympathy with this barbarous procedure.
"You don't understand, Lieutenant," said Gale, in a low voice. "This nigger is a THIEF!"
"You can't kill a man for stealing a few hams."
"It ain't so much WHAT he stole; it's the idea, and it's the custom of the country."
"Whipping is enough, without the other."
"Dis stealin' she's bad biznesse," declared Poleon. "Mebbe dose ham is save some poor feller's life."
"It's mob law," said the Lieutenant, indignantly, "and I won't stand for it."
Gale turned a look of curiosity upon the officer. "How are you going to help yourself?" said he; but the young man did not wait to reply. Quickly he elbowed his way towards the centre of the scene with that air of authority and determination before which a crowd melts and men stand aside. Gale whispered to his companion:
"Keep your eye open, lad. There's going to be trouble." They stood on tiptoe, and watched eagerly.
"Gentlemen," announced Burrell, standing80 near the ashen-gray wretch, and facing the tentful of men, "this man is a thief, but you can't kill him!"
Stark leaned across the bar, his eyes blazing, and touched the Lieutenant on the shoulder.
"Do you mean to take a hand in all of my affairs?"
"This isn't your affair; it's mine," said the officer. "This is what I was sent here for, and it's my particular business. You seem to have overlooked that important fact."
"He stole my stuff, and he'll take his medicine."
"I say he won't!"
For the second time in their brief acquaintance these two men looked fair into each other's eyes. Few men had dared to look at Stark thus and live; for when a man has once shed the blood of his fellow, a mania81 obsesses82 him, a disease obtains that is incurable83. There is an excitation of every sense when a hunter stands up before big game; it causes a thrill and flutter of undiscovered nerves, which nothing else can conjure84 up, and which once lived leaves an incessant85 hunger. But the biggest game of all is man, and the fiercest sensation is hate. Stark had been a killer86, and his brain had been seared with the flame till the scar was ineradicable. He had lived those lurid87 seconds when a man gambles his life against his enemy's, and, having felt the great sensation, it could never die; yet with it all he was a cautious man, given more to brooding on his injuries and building up a quarrel than to reckless paroxysms of passion, and experience had taught him the value of a well-handled temper as well as the wisdom of knowing when to use it and put it in action. He knew intuitively that his hour with Burrell had not yet come.
The two men battled with their eyes for an opening. Lee and the others mastered their surprise at the interruption, and then began to babble88 until Burrell turned from the gambler and threw up his arm for silence.
"There's no use arguing," he told the mob. "You can't do it. I'll hold him till the next boat comes, then I'll send him down-river to St. Michael's."
He laid his hand upon the negro and made for the door, with face set and eyes watchful89 and alert, knowing that a hair's weight might shift the balance and cause these men to rive him like wolves.
Lee's indignation at this miscarriage90 of justice had him so by the throat as to strangle expostulation for a moment, till he saw the soldier actually bearing off his quarry91. Then he broke into a flood of invective92.
"Stop that!" he bellowed93. "To hell with YOUR law—we're goin' accordin' to our own." An ominous94 echo arose, and in the midst of it the miner, in his blind fury forgetting his exalted95 position, took a step too near the edge of the bar, and fell off into the body of the meeting. With him fell the dignity of the assemblage. Some one laughed; another took it up; the nervous tension broke, and a man cried:
"The soldier is right. You can't blame a dinge for stealing," and another: "Sure! Hogs96 and chickens are legitimate97 prey98."
Lee was helped back to his stand, and called for order; but the crowd poked99 fun at him, and began moving about restlessly till some one shouted a motion to adjourn100, and there arose a chorus of seconders. A few dissenting101 voices opposed them, but in the meantime Burrell was gone, and with him the cause of the tumult102; so the meeting broke up of its own weight a moment later.
As Poleon and Gale walked home, the Frenchman said, "Dat was nervy t'ing to do."
The trader made no answer, and the other continued, "Stark is goin' for kill 'im, sure."
"It's a cinch," agreed Gale, "unless somebody gets Stark first."
When they were come to his door the trader paused, and, looking back over the glowing tents and up at the star-sprinkled heavens, remarked, as if concluding some train of thought, "If that boy has got the nerve to take a nigger thief out of a miners' meeting and hold him against this whole town, he wouldn't hesitate much at taking a white man, would he?"
"Wal," hesitated the other, "mebbe dat would depen' on de crime."
"Suppose it was—murder?"
"Ha! We ain' got no men lak' dat in Flambeau."
They said good-night, and the old man entered his house to find Alluna waiting for him, a look of worry on her stolid103 face.
"What's wrong?" he inquired.
"All night Necia has been weeping."
"Is she sick?" He started for the girl's door, but Alluna stopped him.
"No! It is not that kind of weeping; this comes from the heart. It is there she is sick. I went to her, but she grew angry, and said I had a black skin and could not understand; then she went out-doors and has not returned."
Gale sat down dejectedly. "Yes, she's sick in her heart, all right, and so am I, Alluna. When did she go out?"
"An hour ago."
"Where is she?"
"Out by the river-bank—I followed her in the shadows. It is best for her to stay there till she is calm."
"I know what ails104 her," said the father. "She's found that she's not like other girls. She's found that a white soul doesn't count with white people; they never go below the skin." Then he told her of the scene that morning in the store, adding that he believed she loved Lieutenant Burrell.
"Did she say so?"
"No, she denied it, now that she knows she hasn't got his kind of blood in her."
"Blood makes no difference," said the woman, stubbornly. "If he loves her, he will take her; if he does not—that is all."
Gale looked up at her, and was about to explain, when the utter impossibility of her comprehending him made him desist, and he fell moody105 again. At last he said, "I've got to tell her, Alluna."
"No, no!" cried the woman, aghast. "Don't tell her the truth! Nothing could be worse than that!"
But he continued, deliberately106: "Love is the biggest thing in the world; it's the only thing worth while, and she has got to have a fair show at it. This has been on my mind for weeks, and I've put it away, hoping I wouldn't have to do it; but to-day I came face to face with it again, and it's up to me. She'll have to know some time, so the sooner the better."
"She would not believe you," said the woman, at which he started.
"I never thought of that. I wonder if she would doubt! I couldn't stand that."
"There is no proof, and it would mean your life. A good man's life is a great price to pay for the happiness of one girl—"
"I gave it once before," said Gale, a trifle bitterly, "and now that the game is started I've got to play the string out; but—I wonder if she would doubt—" He paused for a long moment. "Well, I'll have to risk it. However, I've got a lot of things to do first—you and the youngsters must be taken care of."
"And Stark?" said Alluna.
"Yes, and Stark."
Burrell took his prisoner to the barracks, where he placed him under guard, giving instructions to hold him at any cost, not knowing what wild and reckless humor the new citizens of Flambeau might develop during the night, for it is men who have always lived with the halter of the law tight upon their necks who run wildest when it is removed. Men grown old on the frontier adhere more closely to a rigid107 code than do tenderfeet who feel for the first time the liberty and license108 of utter unrestraint, and it was these strangers whom the soldier feared rather than men like Gale and "No Creek" Lee, who would recognize the mercy of his intervention109 and let the matter drop.
After he had taken every precaution he went out into the night again, and fought with himself as he had fought all that day and all the night before; in fact, ever since old Thomas had come to him after leaving Necia, and had so cunningly shaped his talk that Burrell never suspected his object until he perceived his position in such a clear light that the young man looked back upon his work with startled eyes. The Corporal had spoken garrulously110 of his officer's family; of their pride, and of their love for his profession; had dwelt enthusiastically upon the Lieutenant's future and the length he was sure to go, and finally drifted into the same story he had told Necia. Burrell at last sensed the meaning of the crafty111 old soldier's strategy and dismissed him, but not before his work had been accomplished112. If a coarse-fibred, calloused113 old campaigner like Corporal Thomas could recognize the impossibility of a union between Necia and himself, then the young man must have been blind indeed not to have seen it for himself. The Kentuckian was a man of strong and virile114 passions, but he was also well balanced, and had ever followed his head rather than his heart, holding, as he did, a deep-seated contempt for weak men who laid their courses otherwise. The generations of discipline back of him spoke to his conscience. He had allowed himself to become attached to this girl until—yes, he knew now he loved her. If only he had not awakened115 her and himself with that first hot kiss; if only—But there was no going back now, no use for regrets, only the greater necessity of mapping out a course that would cause her least unhappiness. If he could have run away he would have done so gladly, but he was bound here to this camp, with no possibility of avoiding her.
When he drove his reason with firm hands he saw but one course to follow; but, when his mind went slack for a moment, the old desire to have her returned more strongly than ever, and he heard voices arguing, pleading, persuading—she was the equal of any woman in the world, they said, in mind, in purity, and in innocence116. He hated himself for hesitating; he railed at his own indecision; and then, when he had justified117 his love and persuaded himself that he was right in seeking this union, there would rise again the picture of his people, their chagrin118, and what would result from such a marriage. He knew how they would take it; he knew what his friends would say, and how he would be treated as the husband of a half-breed Indian; for in his country one drop of colored blood made a negro, and his people saw but little difference between the red and the black. It would mean his social ostracism119; he would be shunned120 by his brother officers, and his career would be at an end. He swore aloud in the darkness that this was too great a price to pay for love, that he owed it to himself and to his dear ones at home to give up this dark-eyed maid who had bewitched him.
He had wandered far during this debate, clear past the town, and out through the Indian village; but now that he believed he had come to an understanding with himself, he turned back towards his quarters. He knew it would be hard to give her up; but he had irrevocably decided121, and his path began to unfold itself so clear and straight that he marvelled122 how he could have failed to see it. He was glad he had conquered, although the pain was still sharp. He felt a better man for it, and, wrapped in this complacent123 optimism, he passed close by the front of the trader's store, where Necia had crept to be alone with her misery124.
The high moon cast a deep, wide shadow upon the store steps where the girl sat huddled125, staring out into the unreal world, waiting for the night wind to blow away the fears and forebodings that would not let her sleep. It was late, and the hush126 of a summer midnight lay upon the distant hills. Burrell had almost passed her when he was startled by the sound of his name breathed softly; then, to his amazement, he saw her come forth like a spirit into the silver sheen.
"Necia!" he cried, "what are you doing here at this hour?" She looked up at him sadly; he saw that her cheeks were wet, and something inside him snapped and broke. Without a word he took her in his arms, meeting her lips in a long kiss, while she, trembling with the joy of his strong embrace, drew closer and closer and rested her body wearily against his.
"Little girl! little girl!" he whispered, over and over, his tone conveying every shade of sympathy, love, and understanding she had craved127. He knew what had made her sad, and she knew that he knew. There was no need for words; the anguish128 of this long day had whetted129 the edge of their desire, and they were too deeply, too utterly130 lost in the ecstasy131 of meeting to care for speech.
As she lay cradled in his arms, which alternately held her with the soft tenderness of a mother and crushed her with the fierce ardor132 of a lover, she lost herself in the bliss133 of a woman's surrender, and forgot all her terrifying doubts and fears. What were questions of breed or birth or color now, when she knew he loved her? Mere26 vapors134 that vanished with the first flutter of warm wings.
Nor did Meade Burrell recall his recent self-conquest or pause to reason why he should not love this little wisp of the wilderness135. The barriers he had built went down in the sight and touch of his love and disappeared; his hesitation136 and infirmity seemed childish now—yes, more than that, cowardly. He realized all in a moment that he had been supremely137 selfish, that his love was a covenant138, a compact, which he had entered into with her and had no right to dissolve without her consent, and, strangely enough, now that he acknowledged the bond to himself, it became very sweet and satisfying.
"Your lips cling so that I can't get free," sighed the girl, at last.
"You never shall," he whispered. But when she smiled up at him piteously, her eyes swimming, and said, "I must," he wrenched139 himself away and let her go.
As he went lightly towards the barracks through the far-stretching shadows, for the moon was yellow now, Meade Burrell sighed gladly to himself. Again his course ran clear and straight before him though wholly at variance140 with the one he had decided upon so recently. But he knew not that his vision was obscured and that the moon-madness was upon him.
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1
creek
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| n.小溪，小河，小湾 | |
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confidentially
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| ad.秘密地，悄悄地 | |
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westward
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| n.西方，西部；adj.西方的，向西的；adv.向西 | |
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prospector
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| n.探矿者 | |
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swelled
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| 增强( swell的过去式和过去分词 )； 肿胀； （使）凸出； 充满（激情） | |
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scanty
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| adj.缺乏的，仅有的，节省的，狭小的，不够的 | |
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7
fawned
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| v.（尤指狗等）跳过来往人身上蹭以示亲热( fawn的过去式和过去分词 )；巴结；讨好 | |
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bribing
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| 贿赂 | |
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rusty
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| adj.生锈的；锈色的；荒废了的 | |
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10
bulged
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| 凸出( bulge的过去式和过去分词 )； 充满； 塞满（某物） | |
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11
friendliness
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| n.友谊，亲切，亲密 | |
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parsimony
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| n.过度节俭，吝啬 | |
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13
creditors
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| n.债权人，债主( creditor的名词复数 ) | |
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14
resentment
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| n.怨愤，忿恨 | |
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mellow
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| adj.柔和的；熟透的；v.变柔和；(使)成熟 | |
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16
labored
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| adj.吃力的，谨慎的v.努力争取(for)( labor的过去式和过去分词 )；苦干；详细分析；（指引擎）缓慢而困难地运转 | |
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regularity
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| n.规律性，规则性；匀称，整齐 | |
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lachrymose
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| adj.好流泪的，引人落泪的；adv.眼泪地，哭泣地 | |
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profusion
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| n.挥霍；丰富 | |
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tangle
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| n.纠缠；缠结；混乱；v.(使)缠绕；变乱 | |
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21
stark
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| adj.荒凉的；严酷的；完全的；adv.完全地 | |
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22
gale
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| n.大风，强风，一阵闹声（尤指笑声等） | |
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23
amazement
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| n.惊奇，惊讶 | |
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24
forth
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| adv.向前；向外，往外 | |
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25
busted
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| 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 | |
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26
mere
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| adj.纯粹的；仅仅，只不过 | |
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27
prodigal
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| adj.浪费的，挥霍的，放荡的 | |
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28
fumbled
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| （笨拙地）摸索或处理（某事物）( fumble的过去式和过去分词 )； 乱摸，笨拙地弄； 使落下 | |
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29
veering
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| n.改变的；犹豫的；顺时针方向转向；特指使船尾转向上风来改变航向v.（尤指交通工具）改变方向或路线( veer的现在分词 )；（指谈话内容、人的行为或观点）突然改变；（指风） （在北半球按顺时针方向、在南半球按逆时针方向）逐渐转向；风向顺时针转 | |
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30
tacking
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| （帆船）抢风行驶，定位焊[铆]紧钉 | |
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31
beacon
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| n.烽火，（警告用的）闪火灯，灯塔 | |
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32
yeast
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| n.酵母；酵母片；泡沫；v.发酵；起泡沫 | |
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33
plumb
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| adv.精确地，完全地；v.了解意义，测水深 | |
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34
zigzag
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| n.曲折，之字形；adj.曲折的，锯齿形的；adv.曲折地，成锯齿形地；vt.使曲折；vi.曲折前行 | |
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35
descended
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| a.为...后裔的，出身于...的 | |
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36
albeit
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| conj.即使；纵使；虽然 | |
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37
blithely
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| adv.欢乐地，快活地，无挂虑地 | |
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38
tune
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| n.调子；和谐，协调；v.调音，调节，调整 | |
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39
steered
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| v.驾驶( steer的过去式和过去分词 )；操纵；控制；引导 | |
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40
heartily
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| adv.衷心地，诚恳地，十分，很 | |
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41
plying
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| v.使用（工具）( ply的现在分词 )；经常供应（食物、饮料）；固定往来；经营生意 | |
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42
countless
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| adj.无数的，多得不计其数的 | |
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43
maudlin
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| adj.感情脆弱的，爱哭的 | |
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44
crater
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| n.火山口，弹坑 | |
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45
crate
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| vt.(up)把…装入箱中；n.板条箱，装货箱 | |
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46
delta
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| n.（流的）角洲 | |
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47
tributary
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| n.支流；纳贡国；adj.附庸的；辅助的；支流的 | |
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48
hardy
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| adj.勇敢的，果断的，吃苦的；耐寒的 | |
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49
clogged
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| （使）阻碍( clog的过去式和过去分词 )； 淤滞 | |
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50
sluggish
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| adj.懒惰的，迟钝的，无精打采的 | |
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51
prospered
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| 成功，兴旺( prosper的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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52
axe
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| n.斧子；v.用斧头砍，削减 | |
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53
shovel
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| n.铁锨，铲子，一铲之量；v.铲，铲出 | |
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54
impecuniosity
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| n.（经常）没有钱，身无分文，贫穷 | |
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55
cuffs
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| n.袖口( cuff的名词复数 )v.掌打，拳打( cuff的第三人称单数 ) | |
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56
orphans
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| 孤儿( orphan的名词复数 ) | |
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57
crouched
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| v.屈膝，蹲伏( crouch的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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58
trampled
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| 踩( trample的过去式和过去分词 )； 践踏； 无视； 侵犯 | |
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59
moss
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| n.苔，藓，地衣 | |
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60
dealers
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| n.商人( dealer的名词复数 )；贩毒者；毒品贩子；发牌者 | |
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61
trickle
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| vi.淌，滴，流出，慢慢移动，逐渐消散 | |
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62
growled
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| 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 | |
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63
guilt
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| n.犯罪；内疚；过失，罪责 | |
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64
savagely
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| adv. 野蛮地，残酷地 | |
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65
wretch
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| n.可怜的人，不幸的人；卑鄙的人 | |
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66
spoke
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| 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 | |
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67
outfit
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| n.（为特殊用途的）全套装备，全套服装 | |
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68
sullenly
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| 不高兴地，绷着脸，忧郁地 | |
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69
bent
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| n.爱好，癖好；adj.弯的；决心的，一心的 | |
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70
whined
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| v.哀号( whine的过去式和过去分词 )；哀诉，诉怨 | |
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71
strenuous
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| adj.奋发的，使劲的；紧张的；热烈的，狂热的 | |
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72
needy
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| adj.贫穷的，贫困的，生活艰苦的 | |
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73
determined
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| adj.坚定的；有决心的 | |
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74
proceedings
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| n.进程，过程，议程；诉讼(程序)；公报 | |
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75
lieutenant
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| n.陆军中尉，海军上尉；代理官员，副职官员 | |
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76
cramped
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| a.狭窄的 | |
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77
drawn
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| v.拖，拉，拔出；adj.憔悴的，紧张的 | |
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78
binding
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| 有约束力的，有效的，应遵守的 | |
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79
relentless
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| adj.残酷的，不留情的，无怜悯心的 | |
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80
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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81
mania
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| n.疯狂；躁狂症，狂热，癖好 | |
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82
obsesses
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| v.时刻困扰( obsess的第三人称单数 )；缠住；使痴迷；使迷恋 | |
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83
incurable
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| adj.不能医治的，不能矫正的，无救的；n.不治的病人，无救的人 | |
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84
conjure
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| v.恳求，祈求；变魔术，变戏法 | |
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85
incessant
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| adj.不停的，连续的 | |
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86
killer
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| n.杀人者，杀人犯，杀手，屠杀者 | |
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87
lurid
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| adj.可怕的；血红的；苍白的 | |
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88
babble
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| v.含糊不清地说，胡言乱语地说，儿语 | |
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89
watchful
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| adj.注意的，警惕的 | |
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90
miscarriage
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| n.失败，未达到预期的结果；流产 | |
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91
quarry
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| n.采石场；v.采石；费力地找 | |
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92
invective
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| n.痛骂，恶意抨击 | |
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93
bellowed
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| v.发出吼叫声，咆哮（尤指因痛苦）( bellow的过去式和过去分词 )；（愤怒地）说出（某事），大叫 | |
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94
ominous
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| adj.不祥的，不吉的，预兆的，预示的 | |
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95
exalted
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| adj.(地位等)高的，崇高的；尊贵的，高尚的 | |
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96
hogs
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| n.（尤指喂肥供食用的）猪( hog的名词复数 )；（供食用的）阉公猪；彻底地做某事；自私的或贪婪的人 | |
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97
legitimate
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| adj.合法的，合理的，合乎逻辑的；v.使合法 | |
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98
prey
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| n.被掠食者，牺牲者，掠食；v.捕食，掠夺，折磨 | |
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99
poked
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| v.伸出( poke的过去式和过去分词 )；戳出；拨弄；与（某人）性交 | |
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100
adjourn
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| v.（使）休会，（使）休庭 | |
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101
dissenting
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| adj.不同意的 | |
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102
tumult
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| n.喧哗；激动，混乱；吵闹 | |
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103
stolid
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| adj.无动于衷的，感情麻木的 | |
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104
ails
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| v.生病( ail的第三人称单数 )；感到不舒服；处境困难；境况不佳 | |
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105
moody
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| adj.心情不稳的，易怒的，喜怒无常的 | |
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106
deliberately
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| adv.审慎地；蓄意地；故意地 | |
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107
rigid
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| adj.严格的，死板的；刚硬的，僵硬的 | |
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108
license
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| n.执照，许可证，特许；v.许可，特许 | |
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109
intervention
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| n.介入，干涉，干预 | |
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110
garrulously
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111
crafty
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| adj.狡猾的，诡诈的 | |
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112
accomplished
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| adj.有才艺的；有造诣的；达到了的 | |
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113
calloused
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| adj.粗糙的，粗硬的，起老茧的v.（使）硬结，（使）起茧( callous的过去式和过去分词 )；（使）冷酷无情 | |
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114
virile
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| adj.男性的；有男性生殖力的；有男子气概的；强有力的 | |
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115
awakened
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| v.（使）醒( awaken的过去式和过去分词 )；（使）觉醒；弄醒；（使）意识到 | |
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116
innocence
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| n.无罪；天真；无害 | |
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117
justified
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| a.正当的，有理的 | |
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118
chagrin
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| n.懊恼；气愤；委屈 | |
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119
ostracism
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| n.放逐；排斥 | |
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120
shunned
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| v.避开，回避，避免( shun的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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121
decided
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| adj.决定了的，坚决的；明显的，明确的 | |
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122
marvelled
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| v.惊奇，对…感到惊奇( marvel的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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123
complacent
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| adj.自满的；自鸣得意的 | |
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124
misery
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| n.痛苦，苦恼，苦难；悲惨的境遇，贫苦 | |
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125
huddled
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| 挤在一起（huddle的过去式与过去分词形式） | |
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126
hush
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| int.嘘，别出声；n.沉默，静寂；v.使安静 | |
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127
craved
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| 渴望，热望( crave的过去式 )； 恳求，请求 | |
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128
anguish
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| n.(尤指心灵上的)极度痛苦，烦恼 | |
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129
whetted
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| v.（在石头上）磨（刀、斧等）( whet的过去式和过去分词 )；引起，刺激（食欲、欲望、兴趣等） | |
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130
utterly
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| adv.完全地，绝对地 | |
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131
ecstasy
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| n.狂喜，心醉神怡，入迷 | |
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132
ardor
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| n.热情，狂热 | |
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133
bliss
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| n.狂喜，福佑，天赐的福 | |
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134
vapors
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| n.水汽，水蒸气，无实质之物( vapor的名词复数 )；自夸者；幻想 [药]吸入剂 [古]忧郁（症）v.自夸，（使）蒸发( vapor的第三人称单数 ) | |
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135
wilderness
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| n.杳无人烟的一片陆地、水等，荒漠 | |
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136
hesitation
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| n.犹豫，踌躇 | |
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137
supremely
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| adv.无上地，崇高地 | |
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138
covenant
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| n.盟约，契约；v.订盟约 | |
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139
wrenched
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| 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 | |
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140
variance
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| n.矛盾，不同 | |
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