"The Uhlans have passed this way," said the girl, staring up and down the road.
"But," stammered5 Stewart, wiping his wet forehead, "but I don't understand. Germany is a civilized7 nation—war is no longer the brutal8 thing it once was."
"War is always brutal, I fear," said the girl, sadly; "and of course, among a million men, there are certain to be some—like that! I am no longer hungry. Let us press on."
Stewart, nodding, followed along beside her, across fields, over little streams, up and down stretches of rocky hillside, always westward9. But he saw nothing; his mind was full of other things—of the gray-clad thousands singing as they marched; of the radiant face of the Crown Prince; of that poor murdered woman, who had risen happily this Sunday morning, glad of a day of rest, and looked up to see strange faces at the door——
And this was war. A thousand other women would suffer the same fate; thousands and thousands more would be thrown stripped and defenseless on the world, to live or die as chance might will; a hundred thousand children would be fatherless; a hundred thousand girls, now ripening10 into womanhood, would be denied their rightful destiny of marriage and children of their own——
Stewart shook the thought away. The picture his imagination painted was too horrible; it could never come true—not all the emperors on earth could make it come true!
He looked about him at the mellow11 landscape. Nowhere was there a sign of life. The yellow wheat stood ripe for the harvest. The pastures stretched lush and green—and empty. Here and there above the trees he caught a glimpse of farmhouse12 chimneys, but no reassuring13 smoke floated above then. A peaceful land, truly, so he told himself—peaceful as death!
Gradually the country grew rougher and more broken, and ahead of them they could see steep and rocky hillsides, cleft14 by deep valleys and covered by a thick growth of pine.
"We must find a road," said Stewart at last; "we can't climb up and down those hills. And we must find out where we are. There is a certain risk, but we must take it. It is foolish to stumble forward blindly."
"You are right," his companion agreed, and when presently, far below them at the bottom of a valley, they saw a white road winding15, they made their way down to it. Almost at once they came to a house, in whose door stood a buxom16, fair-haired woman, with a child clinging to her skirts.
The woman watched them curiously17 as they approached, and her face seemed to Stewart distinctly friendly.
"Good-morning," he said, stopping before the door-step and lifting his hat—an unaccustomed salutation at which the woman stared. "We seem to have lost our way. Can you tell us——"
The woman shook her head.
"My brother and I have lost our way," said his companion, in rapid French. "We have been tramping the hills all morning. How far is it to the nearest village?"
"The nearest village is Battice," answered the woman in the same language. "It is three kilometers from here."
"Has it a railway station?"
"But certainly. How is it you do not know?"
"We come from the other direction."
"From Germany?"
"Then you are fugitives19? Ah, do not fear to tell me," she added, as the girl hesitated. "I have no love for the Germans. I have lived near them too long!"
There could be no doubting the sincerity21 of the words, nor the grimace22 of disgust which accompanied them.
"Yes," assented23 the girl, "we are fugitives. We are trying to get to Liège. Have the Germans been this way?"
"No; I have seen nothing of them, but I have heard that a great army has passed along the road through Verviers."
"Where is your man?"
"He has joined the army, as have all the men in this neighborhood."
"The German army?"
"Oh, no; the Belgian army. It is doing what it can to hold back the Germans."
The girl's face lighted with enthusiasm.
"Oh, how splendid!" she cried. "How splendid for your brave little country to defy the invader24! Bravo, Belgium!"
The woman smiled at her enthusiasm, but shook her head doubtfully.
"I do not know," she said, simply. "I do not understand these things. I only know that my man has gone, and that I must harvest our grain and cut our winter wood by myself. But will you not enter and rest yourselves?"
"Thank you. And we are very hungry. We have money to pay for food, if you can let us have some."
An hour later, rested, refreshed, with a supply of sandwiches in their pockets, and armed with a rough map drawn26 from the directions of their hostess, they were ready to set out westward again. She was of the opinion that they could pass safely through Battice, which was off the main road of the German advance, and that they might even secure there a vehicle of some sort to take them onward27. The trains, she understood, were no longer running. Finally they thanked her for the twentieth time and bade her good-by. She wished them God-speed, and stood watching them from the door until they disappeared from view.
They pushed forward briskly, and presently, huddled28 in the valley below them, caught sight of the gabled roofs of the village. A bell was ringing vigorously, and they could see the people—women and children for the most part—gathering in toward the little church, crowned by its gilded29 cross. Evidently nothing had occurred to disturb the serenity30 of Battice.
Reassured31, the two were about to push on down the road, when suddenly, topping the opposite slope, they saw a squadron of horsemen, perhaps fifty strong. They were clad in greenish-gray, and each of them bore upright at his right elbow a long lance.
"Uhlans!" cried the girl, and the fugitives stopped short, watching with bated breath.
The troop swung down the road toward the village at a sharp trot33, and presently Stewart could distinguish their queer, flat-topped helmets, reminding him of the mortar-board of his university days. Right at the edge of the village, in the shadow of some trees, the horsemen drew rein34 and waited until the bell ceased ringing and the last of the congregation had entered the church; then, at the word of command, they touched spur to flank and swept through the empty street.
A boy saw them first and raised a shout of alarm; then a woman, hurrying toward the church, heard the clatter35 of hoofs36, cast one glance behind her, and ran on, screaming wildly. The screams penetrated37 the church, and in a moment the congregation came pouring out, only to find themselves hemmed38 in by a semicircle of lowered lances.
The lieutenant39 shouted a command, and four of his men threw themselves from the saddle and disappeared into the church. They were back in a moment, dragging between them a white-haired priest clad in stole and surplice, and a rosy-faced old man, who, even in this trying situation, managed to retain his dignity.
The two were placed before the officer, and a short conference followed, with the townspeople pressing anxiously around, listening to every word. Suddenly there was an outburst of protest and despair, which the priest quieted with a motion of his hand, and the conference was resumed.
"What is it the fellow wants?" asked Stewart.
"Money and supplies, I suppose."
"Money and supplies? But that's robbery!"
"Oh, no; it is a part of the plan of the German General Staff. How many times have I heard Prussian officers boast that a war would cost Germany nothing—that her enemies would be made to bear the whole burden! It has all been arranged—the indemnity40 which each village, even the smallest, must pay—the amount of supplies which each must furnish, the ransom41 which will be assessed on each individual. This lieutenant of Uhlans is merely carrying out his instructions!"
"Who is the old man?"
"The burgomaster, doubtless. He and the priest are always the most influential42 men in a village."
The conference was waxing warmer, the lieutenant was talking in a loud voice, and once he shook his fist menacingly; again there was a wail43 of protest from the crowd—women were wringing44 their hands——
"He is demanding more than the village can supply," remarked the girl. "That is not surprising," she added, with a bitter smile. "They will always demand more than can be supplied. But come; we must be getting on."
Stewart would have liked to see the end of the drama, but he followed his companion over the wall at the side of the road, and then around the village and along the rough hillside. Suddenly from the houses below arose a hideous45 tumult—shouts, curses, the smashing of glass—and in a moment, a flood of people, wailing46, screaming, shaking their fists in the air, burst from the town and swept along the road in the direction of Herve.
"They would better have given all that was demanded," said the girl, looking down at them. "Now they will be made to serve as an example to other villages—they will lose everything—even their houses—see!"
Following the direction of her pointing finger, Stewart saw a black cloud of smoke bulging47 up from one end of the village.
"Why not?"
"Isn't looting prohibited by the rules of war?"
"Certainly—looting and the destruction of property of non-combatants."
"Well, then——"
But he stopped, staring helplessly. The cloud of smoke grew in volume, and below it could be seen red tongues of flame. There before him was the hideous reality—and he suddenly realized how futile49 it was to make laws for anything so essentially50 lawless as war, or to expect niceties of conduct from men thrown back into a state of barbarism.
"What do the rules of war matter to a nation which considers treaties mere6 scraps51 of paper?" asked the girl, in a hard voice. "Their very presence here in Belgium is a violation52 of the rules of war. Besides, it is the German theory that war should be ruthless—that the enemy must be intimidated53, ravaged54, despoiled55 in every possible way. They say that the more merciless it is, the briefer it will be. It is possible that they are not altogether wrong."
"True," muttered Stewart. "But it is a heartless theory."
"War is a heartless thing," commented his companion, turning away. "It is best not to think too much about it. Come—we must be going on."
They pushed forward again, keeping the road, with its rabble56 of frenzied57 fugitives, at their right. It was a wild and beautiful country, and under other circumstances, Stewart would have gazed in admiring wonder at its rugged58 cliffs, its deep precipitous valleys, its thickly-wooded hillsides; but now these appeared to him only as so many obstacles between him and safety.
At last the valley opened out, and below them they saw the clustered roofs of another village, which could only be Herve. Around it were broad pastures and fields of yellow grain, and suddenly the girl caught Stewart by the arm.
A number of old men, women, and children were cutting the grain, tying it into sheaves, and piling the sheaves into stacks, under the supervision60 of four men. Those four men were clothed in greenish-gray and carried rifles in their hands! The invaders61 were stripping the grain from the fields in order to feed their army!
As he contemplated62 this scene, Stewart felt, mixed with his horror and detestation, a sort of unwilling63 admiration64. Evidently, as his companion had said, when Germany made war, she made war. She was ruthlessly thorough. She allowed no sentiment, no feeling of pity, no weakening compassion65, to interfere66 between her and her goal. She went to war with but one purpose: to win; and she was determined67 to win, no matter what the cost! Stewart shivered at the thought. Whether she won or lost, how awful that cost must be!
The fugitives went on again at last, working their way around the village, keeping always in the shelter of the woods along the hillsides, and after a weary journey, came out on the other side above the line of the railroad. A sentry68, with fixed69 bayonet, stood guard over a solitary70 engine; except for him, the road seemed quite deserted71. For half a mile they toiled72 along over the rough hillside above it without seeing anyone else.
"We can't keep this up," said Stewart, flinging himself upon the ground. "We shall have to take to the road if we are to make any progress. Do you think we'd better risk it?"
"Let us watch it for a while," the girl suggested, so they sat and watched it and munched73 their sandwiches, and talked in broken snatches. Ten minutes passed, but no one came in sight.
"It seems quite safe," she said at last, and together they made their way down to it.
"The next village is Fléron," said Stewart, consulting his rough map. "It is apparently74 about four miles from here. Liège is about ten miles further. Can we make it to-night?"
"We must!" said the girl, fiercely. "Come!"
The road descended75 steadily76 along the valley of a pretty river, closed in on either side by densely-wooded hills. Here and there among the trees, they caught glimpses of white villas77; below them, along the river, there was an occasional cluster of houses; but they saw few people. Either the inhabitants of this land had fled before the enemy, or were keeping carefully indoors out of his way.
Once the fugitives had an alarm, for a hand-car, manned by a squad32 of German soldiers, came spinning past; but fortunately Stewart heard it singing along the rails in time to pull his companion into a clump78 of underbrush. A little later, along the highway by the river, they saw a patrol of Uhlans riding, and then they came to Fléron and took to the hills to pass around it. Here, too, clouds of black smoke hung heavy above certain of the houses, which, for some reason, had been made the marks of German reprisals79; and once, above the trees to their right, they saw a column of smoke drifting upward, marking the destruction of some isolated80 dwelling81.
The sun was sinking toward the west by the time they again reached the railroad, and they were both desperately82 weary; but neither had any thought of rest. The shadows deepened rapidly among the hills, but the darkness was welcome, for it meant added safety. By the time they reached Bois de Breux, night had come in earnest, so they made only a short détour, and were soon back on the railroad again, with scarcely five miles to go. For an hour longer they plodded83 on through the darkness, snatching a few minutes' rest once or twice; too weary to talk, or to look to right or left.
Then, as they turned a bend in the road, they drew back in alarm; for just ahead of them, close beside the track, a bright fire was burning, lighting84 up the black entrance of a tunnel, before which stood a sentry leaning on his rifle. Five or six other soldiers, wearing flat fatigue85 caps, were lolling about the fire, smoking and talking in low tones.
Stewart surveyed them curiously. They were big, good-humored-looking fellows, fathers of families doubtless—honest men with kindly86 hearts. It seemed absurd to suppose that such men as these would loot villages and burn houses and outrage87 women; it seemed absurd that anyone should fear them or hide from them. Stewart, with a feeling that all this threat of war was a chimera88, had an impulse to go forward boldly and join them beside the fire. He was sure they would welcome him, make a place for him——
"Wer da?" called, sharply, a voice behind him, and he spun89 around to find himself facing a leveled rifle, behind which he could see dimly the face of a man wearing a spiked90 helmet—a patrol, no doubt, who had seen them as they stood carelessly outlined against the fire, and who had crept upon them unheard.
"We are friends," Stewart answered, hastily.
The soldier motioned them forward to the fire. The men there had caught up their rifles at the sound of the challenge, and stood peering anxiously out into the darkness. But when the two captives came within the circle of light cast by the fire, they stacked their guns and sat down again. Evidently they saw nothing threatening in the appearance of either Stewart or his companion.
Their captor added his gun to the stack and motioned them to sit down. Then he doffed91 his heavy helmet with evident relief and hung it on his rifle, got out a soft cap like the others', and finally sat down opposite his prisoners and looked at them closely.
"What are you doing here?" he demanded in German.
"We are trying to get through to Brussels," answered Stewart, in the best German he could muster92. "I have not much German. Do you speak English?"
"No. Are you English?" And the blue eyes glinted with an unfriendly light which Stewart was at a loss to understand.
"We are Americans," and Stewart saw with relief that the man's face softened93 perceptibly. On the chance that, if the soldier could not speak English, neither could he read it, he impressively produced his passport. "Here is our safe-conduct from our Secretary of State," he said. "You will see that it is sealed with the seal of the United States. My brother and I were passed at Herbesthal, but could find no conveyance94 and started to walk. We lost our way, but stumbled upon the railroad some miles back and decided95 to follow it until we came to a village. How far away is the nearest village?"
"I do not know," said the man, curtly96; but he took the passport and stared at it curiously. Then he passed it around the circle, and it finally came back to its owner, who placed it in his pocket.
"You find it correct?" Stewart inquired.
"I know nothing about it. You must wait until our officer arrives."
Stewart felt a sickening sensation at his heart, but he managed to smile.
"He will not be long, I hope," he said. "We are very tired and hungry."
"He will not be long," answered the other, shortly, and got out a long pipe, but Stewart stopped him with a gesture.
"Try one of these," he said, quickly, and brought out his handful of cigars and passed them around.
The men grinned their thanks, and were soon puffing97 away with evident enjoyment98. But to Stewart the single cigar he had kept for himself seemed strangely savorless. He glanced at his companion. She was sitting hunched99 up, her arms about her knees, staring thoughtfully at the fire.
"This man says we must wait here until their officer arrives," he explained in English. "My brother does not understand German," he added to the men.
"How stupid!" said the girl. "I am so tired and stiff!"
"It is no use to argue with them, I suppose?"
"No. They will refuse to decide anything for themselves. They rely wholly upon their officers."
She rose wearily, stretched herself, stamped her foot as if it were asleep, and then sat down again and closed her eyes. She looked very young and fragile, and was shivering from head to foot.
"My brother is not strong," said Stewart to the attentive100 group. "I fear all this hardship and exposure will be more than he can bear."
One of the men, with a gesture of sympathy, rose, unrolled his blanket, and spread it on the bank behind the fire.
"Let the young man lie down there," he said.
"Oh, thank you!" cried Stewart. "Come, Tommy," he added, touching101 the girl on the arm. "Suppose you lie down till the officer comes."
She opened her eyes, saw the blanket, nodded sleepily, and, still shivering, followed Stewart to it, lay down, permitted him to roll her in it, and apparently dropped off to sleep on the instant. Stewart returned to the circle about the fire, nodding his satisfaction. They all smiled, as men do who have performed a kind action.
But Stewart, though doing his best to keep a placid102 countenance, was far from easy in his mind. One thing was certain—they must escape before the officer arrived. He, no doubt, would be able both to read and speak English, and the passport would betray them at once. For without question, a warning had been flashed from headquarters to every patrol to arrest the holder103 of that passport, and to send him and his companion, under close guard, back to Herbesthal. But how to escape!
Stewart glanced carefully about him, cursing the carelessness that had brought them into this trap, the imbecility which had held them staring at this outpost, instead of taking instantly to the woods, as they should have done. They deserved to be captured! Nevertheless——
The sentry was pacing slowly back and forth104 at the tunnel entrance, fifteen yards away; the other men were lolling about the fire, half-asleep. It would be possible, doubtless, to bolt into the darkness before they could grab their rifles, so there was only the sentry to fear, and the danger from him would not be very great. But it would be necessary to keep to the track for some distance, because, where it dropped into the tunnel, its sides were precipices105 impossible to scale in the darkness. The danger, then, lay in the fact that the men might have time to snatch up their rifles and empty them along the track before the fugitives would be able to leave it. But it was a danger which must be faced—there was no other way. Once in the woods, they would be safe.
Stewart, musing106 over the situation with eyes half-closed, recalled dim memories of daring escapes from Indians and outlaws107, described in detail in the blood-and-thunder reading of his youth. There was always one ruse108 which never failed—just as the pursuers were about to fire, the fugitive20 would fling himself flat on his face, and the bullets would fly harmlessly over him; then he would spring to his feet and go safely on his way. Stewart smiled to remember how religiously he had believed in that stratagem109, and how he had determined to practice it, if ever need arose! He had never contemplated the possibility of having to flee from a squad of men armed with magazine rifles, capable of firing twenty-five shots a minute!
Then he shook these thoughts away; there was no time to be lost. He must warn his companion, for they must make the dash at the same instant. He glanced toward where she lay in the shadow of the cliff, and saw that she was turning restlessly from side to side, as though fevered. With real anxiety, he hastened to her, knelt beside her, and placed his hand gently on her forehead. At the touch, she opened her eyes and stared dazedly110 up at him.
"Ask for some water," she said, weakly; and then, in the same tone, "we must flee at the moment they salute111 their officer."
Stewart turned to the soldiers, who were listening with inquiring faces.
"My brother is feverish," he explained. "He asks for a drink of water."
One of the men was instantly on his feet, unscrewing his canteen and holding it to the eager lips while Stewart supported his comrade's head. She drank eagerly and then dropped back with a sigh of satisfaction, and closed her eyes.
"He will go to sleep now," said Stewart. "Thank you," and he himself took a drink from the proffered112 flask113.
He was surprised to find how cool and fresh the water tasted, and when he looked at the flask more closely, he saw that it was made like a Thermos114 bottle, with outer and inner shells. He handed it back to its owner with a nod of admiration.
"That is very clever," he said. "Everything seems to have been thought of."
"Yes, everything," agreed the other. "No army Is equipped like ours. I am told that the French are in rags."
"I don't know," said Stewart, cautiously, "I have never seen them."
"And their army is not organized; we shall be in Paris before they can mobilize. It will be 1870 over again. The war will be ended in two or three months. It has been promised us that we shall be home again for Christmas without fail."
"I hope you will," Stewart agreed; and there was a moment's silence. "How much longer shall we have to wait?" he asked, at last.
"Our officer should be here at any moment."
"It is absolutely necessary that we wait for him?"
"Yes, absolutely."
"We are very hungry," Stewart explained.
The soldier pondered for a moment, and then rose to his feet.
"I think I can give you food," he said. "It is permitted to give food, is it not?" he asked his comrades; and when they nodded, he opened his knapsack and took out a package of hard, square biscuits and a thick roll of sausage. He cut the sausage into generous slices, while Stewart watched with watering mouth, placed a slice on each of the biscuits, and passed them over.
"Splendid!" cried Stewart. "I don't know how to thank you. But at least I can pay you," and he dove into his pocket and produced a ten-mark piece—his last. The soldier shook his head. "It is for the whole squad," added Stewart, persuasively115. "You will be needing tobacco some day, and this will come in handy!"
The soldier smiled, took the little coin, and placed it carefully in his pocket.
"You are right about the tobacco," he said. "I thank you."
He sat down again before the fire, while Stewart hastened to his companion and dropped to his knees beside her.
"See what I've got!" he cried. "Food!"
She opened her eyes, struggled to a sitting posture116, and held out an eager hand. A moment later, they were both munching117 the sausage and biscuits as though they had never tasted anything so delicious—as, indeed, they never had!
"Oh, how good that was!" she said, when the last crumb118 was swallowed, and she waved her thanks to the watching group about the fire. "Remember," she added, in a lower tone, as she sank back upon her elbow, "the instant——"
She stopped, staring toward the tunnel, one hand grasping the blanket.
Stewart, following her look, saw the sentry stiffen119, turn on his heel, and hold his rifle rigidly120 in front of him, as a tall figure, clad in a long gray coat and carrying an electric torch, stepped out of the darkness of the tunnel. At the same instant, the men about the fire sprang to their feet.
"Now!" cried the girl, and threw back the blanket.
点击收听单词发音
1 countenance | |
n.脸色,面容;面部表情;vt.支持,赞同 | |
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2 imprinted | |
v.盖印(imprint的过去式与过去分词形式) | |
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3 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) | |
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4 desecrated | |
毁坏或亵渎( desecrate的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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5 stammered | |
v.结巴地说出( stammer的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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6 mere | |
adj.纯粹的;仅仅,只不过 | |
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7 civilized | |
a.有教养的,文雅的 | |
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8 brutal | |
adj.残忍的,野蛮的,不讲理的 | |
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9 westward | |
n.西方,西部;adj.西方的,向西的;adv.向西 | |
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10 ripening | |
v.成熟,使熟( ripen的现在分词 );熟化;熟成 | |
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11 mellow | |
adj.柔和的;熟透的;v.变柔和;(使)成熟 | |
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12 farmhouse | |
n.农场住宅(尤指主要住房) | |
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13 reassuring | |
a.使人消除恐惧和疑虑的,使人放心的 | |
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14 cleft | |
n.裂缝;adj.裂开的 | |
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15 winding | |
n.绕,缠,绕组,线圈 | |
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16 buxom | |
adj.(妇女)丰满的,有健康美的 | |
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17 curiously | |
adv.有求知欲地;好问地;奇特地 | |
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18 scrutiny | |
n.详细检查,仔细观察 | |
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19 fugitives | |
n.亡命者,逃命者( fugitive的名词复数 ) | |
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20 fugitive | |
adj.逃亡的,易逝的;n.逃犯,逃亡者 | |
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21 sincerity | |
n.真诚,诚意;真实 | |
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22 grimace | |
v.做鬼脸,面部歪扭 | |
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23 assented | |
同意,赞成( assent的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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24 invader | |
n.侵略者,侵犯者,入侵者 | |
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25 bustled | |
闹哄哄地忙乱,奔忙( bustle的过去式和过去分词 ); 催促 | |
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26 drawn | |
v.拖,拉,拔出;adj.憔悴的,紧张的 | |
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27 onward | |
adj.向前的,前进的;adv.向前,前进,在先 | |
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28 huddled | |
挤在一起(huddle的过去式与过去分词形式) | |
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29 gilded | |
a.镀金的,富有的 | |
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30 serenity | |
n.宁静,沉着,晴朗 | |
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31 reassured | |
adj.使消除疑虑的;使放心的v.再保证,恢复信心( reassure的过去式和过去分词) | |
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32 squad | |
n.班,小队,小团体;vt.把…编成班或小组 | |
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33 trot | |
n.疾走,慢跑;n.老太婆;现成译本;(复数)trots:腹泻(与the 连用);v.小跑,快步走,赶紧 | |
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34 rein | |
n.疆绳,统治,支配;vt.以僵绳控制,统治 | |
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35 clatter | |
v./n.(使)发出连续而清脆的撞击声 | |
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36 hoofs | |
n.(兽的)蹄,马蹄( hoof的名词复数 )v.(兽的)蹄,马蹄( hoof的第三人称单数 ) | |
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37 penetrated | |
adj. 击穿的,鞭辟入里的 动词penetrate的过去式和过去分词形式 | |
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38 hemmed | |
缝…的褶边( hem的过去式和过去分词 ); 包围 | |
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39 lieutenant | |
n.陆军中尉,海军上尉;代理官员,副职官员 | |
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40 indemnity | |
n.赔偿,赔款,补偿金 | |
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41 ransom | |
n.赎金,赎身;v.赎回,解救 | |
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42 influential | |
adj.有影响的,有权势的 | |
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43 wail | |
vt./vi.大声哀号,恸哭;呼啸,尖啸 | |
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44 wringing | |
淋湿的,湿透的 | |
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45 hideous | |
adj.丑陋的,可憎的,可怕的,恐怖的 | |
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46 wailing | |
v.哭叫,哀号( wail的现在分词 );沱 | |
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47 bulging | |
膨胀; 凸出(部); 打气; 折皱 | |
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48 gasped | |
v.喘气( gasp的过去式和过去分词 );喘息;倒抽气;很想要 | |
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49 futile | |
adj.无效的,无用的,无希望的 | |
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50 essentially | |
adv.本质上,实质上,基本上 | |
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51 scraps | |
油渣 | |
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52 violation | |
n.违反(行为),违背(行为),侵犯 | |
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53 intimidated | |
v.恐吓;威胁adj.害怕的;受到威胁的 | |
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54 ravaged | |
毁坏( ravage的过去式和过去分词 ); 蹂躏; 劫掠; 抢劫 | |
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55 despoiled | |
v.掠夺,抢劫( despoil的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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56 rabble | |
n.乌合之众,暴民;下等人 | |
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57 frenzied | |
a.激怒的;疯狂的 | |
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58 rugged | |
adj.高低不平的,粗糙的,粗壮的,强健的 | |
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59 pointed | |
adj.尖的,直截了当的 | |
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60 supervision | |
n.监督,管理 | |
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61 invaders | |
入侵者,侵略者,侵入物( invader的名词复数 ) | |
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62 contemplated | |
adj. 预期的 动词contemplate的过去分词形式 | |
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63 unwilling | |
adj.不情愿的 | |
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64 admiration | |
n.钦佩,赞美,羡慕 | |
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65 compassion | |
n.同情,怜悯 | |
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66 interfere | |
v.(in)干涉,干预;(with)妨碍,打扰 | |
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67 determined | |
adj.坚定的;有决心的 | |
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68 sentry | |
n.哨兵,警卫 | |
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69 fixed | |
adj.固定的,不变的,准备好的;(计算机)固定的 | |
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70 solitary | |
adj.孤独的,独立的,荒凉的;n.隐士 | |
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71 deserted | |
adj.荒芜的,荒废的,无人的,被遗弃的 | |
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72 toiled | |
长时间或辛苦地工作( toil的过去式和过去分词 ); 艰难缓慢地移动,跋涉 | |
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73 munched | |
v.用力咀嚼(某物),大嚼( munch的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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74 apparently | |
adv.显然地;表面上,似乎 | |
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75 descended | |
a.为...后裔的,出身于...的 | |
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76 steadily | |
adv.稳定地;不变地;持续地 | |
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77 villas | |
别墅,公馆( villa的名词复数 ); (城郊)住宅 | |
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78 clump | |
n.树丛,草丛;vi.用沉重的脚步行走 | |
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79 reprisals | |
n.报复(行为)( reprisal的名词复数 ) | |
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80 isolated | |
adj.与世隔绝的 | |
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81 dwelling | |
n.住宅,住所,寓所 | |
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82 desperately | |
adv.极度渴望地,绝望地,孤注一掷地 | |
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83 plodded | |
v.沉重缓慢地走(路)( plod的过去式和过去分词 );努力从事;沉闷地苦干;缓慢进行(尤指艰难枯燥的工作) | |
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84 lighting | |
n.照明,光线的明暗,舞台灯光 | |
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85 fatigue | |
n.疲劳,劳累 | |
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86 kindly | |
adj.和蔼的,温和的,爽快的;adv.温和地,亲切地 | |
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87 outrage | |
n.暴行,侮辱,愤怒;vt.凌辱,激怒 | |
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88 chimera | |
n.神话怪物;梦幻 | |
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89 spun | |
v.纺,杜撰,急转身 | |
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90 spiked | |
adj.有穗的;成锥形的;有尖顶的 | |
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91 doffed | |
v.脱去,(尤指)脱帽( doff的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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92 muster | |
v.集合,收集,鼓起,激起;n.集合,检阅,集合人员,点名册 | |
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93 softened | |
(使)变软( soften的过去式和过去分词 ); 缓解打击; 缓和; 安慰 | |
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94 conveyance | |
n.(不动产等的)转让,让与;转让证书;传送;运送;表达;(正)运输工具 | |
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95 decided | |
adj.决定了的,坚决的;明显的,明确的 | |
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96 curtly | |
adv.简短地 | |
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97 puffing | |
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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98 enjoyment | |
n.乐趣;享有;享用 | |
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99 hunched | |
(常指因寒冷、生病或愁苦)耸肩弓身的,伏首前倾的 | |
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100 attentive | |
adj.注意的,专心的;关心(别人)的,殷勤的 | |
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101 touching | |
adj.动人的,使人感伤的 | |
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102 placid | |
adj.安静的,平和的 | |
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103 holder | |
n.持有者,占有者;(台,架等)支持物 | |
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104 forth | |
adv.向前;向外,往外 | |
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105 precipices | |
n.悬崖,峭壁( precipice的名词复数 ) | |
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106 musing | |
n. 沉思,冥想 adj. 沉思的, 冥想的 动词muse的现在分词形式 | |
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107 outlaws | |
歹徒,亡命之徒( outlaw的名词复数 ); 逃犯 | |
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108 ruse | |
n.诡计,计策;诡计 | |
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109 stratagem | |
n.诡计,计谋 | |
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110 dazedly | |
头昏眼花地,眼花缭乱地,茫然地 | |
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111 salute | |
vi.行礼,致意,问候,放礼炮;vt.向…致意,迎接,赞扬;n.招呼,敬礼,礼炮 | |
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112 proffered | |
v.提供,贡献,提出( proffer的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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113 flask | |
n.瓶,火药筒,砂箱 | |
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114 thermos | |
n.保湿瓶,热水瓶 | |
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115 persuasively | |
adv.口才好地;令人信服地 | |
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116 posture | |
n.姿势,姿态,心态,态度;v.作出某种姿势 | |
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117 munching | |
v.用力咀嚼(某物),大嚼( munch的现在分词 ) | |
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118 crumb | |
n.饼屑,面包屑,小量 | |
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119 stiffen | |
v.(使)硬,(使)变挺,(使)变僵硬 | |
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120 rigidly | |
adv.刻板地,僵化地 | |
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121 glided | |
v.滑动( glide的过去式和过去分词 );掠过;(鸟或飞机 ) 滑翔 | |
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