When he woke again, it was from a dream of fleeing through empty air swifter than the wind with a wolf-dog looming11 behind him out of space, but presently he found that he was lying in a bed with a stream of sunlight washing across a white coverlet. A door at his right swung open and there in the entrance stood the wolf-dog of his vision with a five-year-old girl upon its back.
“Don't go in there, Bart!” whispered the child. “Go on back!”
She took one of those pointed12 wolf-ears in her chubby13 fist and tugged14 to swing him around, but Bart, with a speed which the eye could not follow, twisted his head and the rows of great teeth closed over her hand. It was so horrible that the cry froze in the throat of Gregg, yet the child, with only a little murmur15 of anger, reached over with her other hand and caught the wolf by the nose.
“Bad Bart!” she whispered, and raised the hand which he instantly released. White marks showed on the pudgy tan. “Bad dog!” she repeated, and beat his neck with an impotent little fist. The wolf-dog cringed, and turned from the door.
“Come in,” invited Gregg. He was surprised to find his voice thin, apt to swing up to a high pitch beyond his control. A shower of golden curls tossed away from her face as she looked to him. “Oh!” she cried, still with a guarded voice. She leaned far over, one hand buried in the ruff of Bart's neck to secure her balance, and with the other she laid hold of his right ear and drew him around facing the door once more. This time he showed his teeth but submitted, only twitching16 the ear back and forth a time or two when she relaxed her hold.
“Come in,” repeated Gregg.
She canted her head to one side and considered him with fearless blue eyes.
“I want to,” she sighed.
“Why can't you, honey?”
“Munner says no.”
He attempted to turn further towards her, but the pain in his right shoulder prevented. He found that his arm was bandaged to the elbow and held close to his side by a complex swathing.
“Who is your mother?” asked Vic.
“Munner?” she repeated, frowning in wonder. “Why, munner is—my munner.”
“Oh,” smiled he, “and who's your pa?”
“What?”
“Who's your father? Who's your dad?”
“Daddy Dan. You ask a lot of things,” she added, disapprovingly17.
“Come on in,” pleaded Vic Gregg, “and I won't ask nothin' more about you.”
“Munner says no,” she repeated.
She employed the moment of indecision by plucking at the hair of Bart's shoulders; he growled18 softly, terribly, but she paid not the slightest heed20.
“Your mother won't care,” asserted Vic.
“I know,” she nodded, “but Daddy will.”
“Spanking?”
She looked blankly at him.
“What will he do, then, if you come in to see me?”
“He'll look at me.” She grew breathless at the thought, and cast a guilty glance over her shoulder.
“Honey,” chuckled21 Gregg, weakly, “I'll take all the blame. Just you come along in and he'll do his lookin' at me.”
He thought of the slender fellow who had rescued him and his large, gentle brown eyes, but to a child even those mild eyes might seem terrible with authority.
“Will you, true?” said the child, wistfully.
“Honest and true.”
“All right.” She made up her mind instantly, her face shining with excitement. “Giddap, Bart.” And she thumped22 the wolf-dog vigorously with her heels.
He carried her in with a few gliding23 steps, soundless, except for the light rattle24 of claws on the floor, but he stopped well out of reach of the bed and when Vic held his left hand as far as he could across his chest, Bart winced25 and gave harsh warning. Vic had seen vicious dogs in his day, seen them fighting, seen them playing, but he had never heard one of them growl19 like this. The upper lips of the animal twitched26 dangerously back and the sound came from the very depths of his body. It made the flesh crawl along Vic's back; one rip of those great teeth could tear a man's throat open. The child thudded her heels against the ribs27 of Bart again.
“Giddap!” she cried.
“Naughty Bart!” She slipped off to the floor. “I'll make him come,” she said.
“If it's the same to you,” said Vic, rather hastily, “I'd just as soon he stayed where he is.”
“He's got to do what I want,” she answered. She shook a tiny forefinger30 at him. “Bart, you just come here!”
The dog turned his blazing eyes on her and replied with a growl that shook his sides.
“Stop!” she ordered, and struck him sharply on the nose. He blinked and lowered his head under the blow, but though the snarling31 stopped his teeth flashed. She caught him by both jowls and tugged him forward.
“Let him be!” urged Vic.
“He's got to come!”
And come he did, step by halting step, while she hauled him, and now the snarling hoarse32 intakes33 of breath filled the room. Once she moved a little to one side and Vic caught the glint of two eyes, red-stained, which were fixed34 undeviatingly upon her face. Mixed with Vic's alarm at the great fighting beast was a peculiar35 uneasiness, for there was something uncanny in the determination, the fearlessness of this infant. When she stepped away the wolf-dog stood trembling visibly but his eyes were still not upon the man he hated or feared to approach but upon the child's face.
“Can you pat him now?” she asked, not for an instant turning to Gregg.
“No, but it's close enough,” he assured her. “I don't want him any closer.”
“He's got to come.” She stamped. “Bart, you come here!”
He flinched36 forward, an inch. “Bart!” Her hands were clenched37 and her little body quivered with resolution; the snake-like head came to the very edge of the bed.
“Now pat him!” she commanded.
“He won't bite you one bit,” declared the child. “But I'll hold his nose if you're afraid.” And instantly she clasped the pointed muzzle40 between her hands.
Even when Vic's hand hovered41 above his head Bart had no eye for him, could not divert his gaze from the face of the child. Once, twice and again, delicately as one might handle bubbles, Gregg touched that scarred forehead.
“I made him come, didn't I?” she cried in triumph, and turned a tense little face towards Vic, but the instant her eyes moved the wolf-dog leaped away half the width of the room, and stood shivering, more devilish than ever. She stamped again.
“Bad, bad, bad Bart,” she said angrily. “Shall I make him come again?”
“Leave him be,” muttered Vic, closing his eyes. “Leave him be where he is. I don't want him.”
“Oh,” she said, “it's hard to make him do things, sometimes. But Daddy Dan can make him do anything.”
“Humph!” grunted42 Vic. He was remembering how, at the master's order, Bart had crouched43 at his feet in the wood, an unchained murderer hungrily waiting for an excuse to kill. There was something very odd about the people of this house; and it would be a long time before he rid himself of the impression of the cold, steady eyes which had flashed up to him a moment before out of that baby face.
“Joan!” called a voice from beyond, and the soft fiber44 of it made Vic certain that it belonged to the rider of the black stallion. The little girl ran a step towards the door, and then stopped and shrank back against the bed.
“If you're afraid your Dad'll find you here,” said Vic, “just you run along.”
“Daddy Dan'll know,” she whispered without turning. “And—and—he won't let me be afraid—-even of him!”
A small hand slipped up, fumbled46 a bit, found the thumb of Vic Gregg, and closed softly over it. With this to steady her, she waited, facing the door.
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收听单词发音
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1
numbed
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| v.使麻木，使麻痹( numb的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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2
vaguely
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| adv.含糊地，暖昧地 | |
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3
erect
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| n./v.树立，建立，使竖立；adj.直立的，垂直的 | |
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4
flopped
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| 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 | |
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forth
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| adv.向前；向外，往外 | |
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torment
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| n.折磨；令人痛苦的东西(人)；vt.折磨；纠缠 | |
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7
jolt
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| v.（使）摇动，（使）震动，（使）颠簸 | |
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glided
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| 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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9
eternity
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| n.不朽，来世；永恒，无穷 | |
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10
syllable
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| n.音节；vt.分音节 | |
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11
looming
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| n.上现蜃景（光通过低层大气发生异常折射形成的一种海市蜃楼）v.隐约出现，阴森地逼近( loom的现在分词 )；隐约出现，阴森地逼近 | |
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12
pointed
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| adj.尖的，直截了当的 | |
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13
chubby
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| adj.丰满的，圆胖的 | |
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14
tugged
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| v.用力拉，使劲拉，猛扯( tug的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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15
murmur
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| n.低语，低声的怨言；v.低语，低声而言 | |
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16
twitching
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| n.颤搐 | |
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17
disapprovingly
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| adv.不以为然地，不赞成地，非难地 | |
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18
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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19
growl
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| v.（狗等）嗥叫，（炮等）轰鸣；n.嗥叫，轰鸣 | |
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20
heed
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| v.注意，留意；n.注意，留心 | |
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21
chuckled
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| 轻声地笑( chuckle的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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22
thumped
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| v.重击， （指心脏）急速跳动( thump的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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23
gliding
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| v. 滑翔 adj. 滑动的 | |
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24
rattle
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| v.飞奔，碰响；激怒；n.碰撞声；拨浪鼓 | |
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25
winced
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| 赶紧避开，畏缩( wince的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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26
twitched
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| vt.& vi.（使）抽动，（使）颤动（twitch的过去式与过去分词形式） | |
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27
ribs
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| n.肋骨( rib的名词复数 )；（船或屋顶等的）肋拱；肋骨状的东西；（织物的）凸条花纹 | |
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28
shuddered
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| v.战栗( shudder的过去式和过去分词 )；发抖；（机器、车辆等）突然震动；颤动 | |
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29
budge
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| v.移动一点儿；改变立场 | |
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30
forefinger
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| n.食指 | |
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31
snarling
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| v.（指狗）吠，嗥叫， （人）咆哮( snarl的现在分词 )；咆哮着说，厉声地说 | |
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32
hoarse
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| adj.嘶哑的，沙哑的 | |
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33
intakes
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| 吸入( intake的名词复数 )； （液体等）进入口； （一定时期内）进入或纳入的人数； （采煤）进风巷道 | |
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34
fixed
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| adj.固定的，不变的，准备好的；(计算机)固定的 | |
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35
peculiar
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| adj.古怪的，异常的；特殊的，特有的 | |
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36
flinched
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| v.（因危险和痛苦）退缩，畏惧( flinch的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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37
clenched
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| v.紧握，抓紧，咬紧( clench的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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38
growling
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| n.吠声, 咆哮声 v.怒吠, 咆哮, 吼 | |
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39
utterly
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| adv.完全地，绝对地 | |
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40
muzzle
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| n.鼻口部；口套；枪(炮)口；vt.使缄默 | |
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41
hovered
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| 鸟( hover的过去式和过去分词 )； 靠近（某事物）； （人）徘徊； 犹豫 | |
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42
grunted
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| （猪等）作呼噜声( grunt的过去式和过去分词 )； （指人）发出类似的哼声； 咕哝着说 | |
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43
crouched
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| v.屈膝，蹲伏( crouch的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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44
fiber
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| n.纤维，纤维质 | |
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45
nervously
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| adv.神情激动地，不安地 | |
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46
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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