They expected to see the boy fall beneath the feet of the plunging2 pony3, where he would be likely to be trampled4 and kicked to death.
But Phil had looked before he leaped. He had measured his distance well—had made up his mind exactly what he was going to do, or rather what he was going to try to do.
The pony, catching5 a brief glimpse of the dark figure that was being hurled6 through the air directly toward him, made a swift leap to one side. But the animal was not quick enough. The boy landed against the broncho with a jolt7 that nearly knocked the little animal over, while to Phil the impact could not have been much more severe, it seemed to him, had he collided with a locomotive.
That was exactly what he intended to do.
The cloud of dust, with Mr. Sparling in the center of it, had not reached them, but his keen eyes already had observed what was going on.
“G-g-g-grab the woman!” shouted Phil.
His left arm had been thrown about the broncho’s neck, while his right hand was groping frantically9 for the animal’s nose. But during all this time the pony was far from idle. He was plunging like a ship in a gale10, cracking the whip with Phil Forrest until it seemed as if every bone in the lad’s body would be broken. He could hear his own neck snap with every jerk.
With a howl Miaco, the head clown, launched himself from the wagon, too. Darting11 in among the flying hoofs12—there seemed to be a score of them—he caught the woman, jerked her foot free of the stirrup and dragged her quickly from her perilous13 position.
“She’s free. Let go!” he roared to the boy holding the pony.
But by this time Phil had fastened his right hand on the pony’s nostrils14, and with a quick pressure shut off the animal’s wind. He had heard the warning cry. The lad’s grit15 had been aroused, however, and he was determined16 that he would not let go until he should have conquered the fighting broncho.
With a squeal17 of rage, the pony leaped sideways. A deep ditch led along by the side of the road, but this the enraged18 animal had not noticed. Into it he went, kicking and fighting, pieces of Phil’s yellow robe streaming from his hoofs.
The lad’s body was half under the neck of the pony, but he was clinging to the neck and the nose of the beast with desperate courage.
“Get the boy out of there!” thundered Mr. Sparling, dashing up and leaping from his pony. “Want to let him be killed?”
By this time others had ridden up, and some of the real horsemen in the outfit19 sprang off and rushed to Phil Forrest’s assistance. Ropes were cast over the flying hoofs before the men thought it wise to get near them. Then they hauled Phil out, very much the worse for wear.
“Is the boy hurt?” he called.
“No, I’m all right, thank you,” answered Phil, smiling bravely, though he was bruised21 from head to foot and his clothing hung in tatters. His peaked clown’s cap someone picked up in a field over the fence and returned to him. That was about all that was left of Phil Forrest’s gaudy22 makeup23, save the streaks24 on his face, which by now had become blotches25 of white and red.
The clowns picked him up and boosted him to the wagon, jabbering26 like a lot of sparrows perched on a telephone wire.
“See you later!” shouted the voice of Mr. Sparling as he drove rapidly away.
Phil found his horn, and despite his aches and pains he began blowing it lustily. The story of his brave rescue had gone on ahead, however, and as the clowns’ wagon moved on it was greeted by tremendous applause.
The onlookers27 had no difficulty in picking out the boy who had saved the woman’s life, and somehow the word had been passed around as to his identity.
“Hooray for Phil Forrest!” shouted the multitude.
Phil flushed under the coating of powder and paint, and sought to crouch28 down in the wagon out of sight.
“Here, get up there where they can see you!” admonished29 a clown. “If you’re going to be a showman you mustn’t be afraid to get yourself in the spotlight30.”
Two of them hoisted31 the blushing Phil to their shoulders and broke into a rollicking song, swaying their bodies in imitation of the movements of an elephant as they sang.
At this the populace fairly howled with delight.
“Handsome is as handsome does!” retorted a clown in a loud voice, and the people cheered.
After this the parade went on without further incident, though there could be no doubt that the exciting dash and rescue by one of their own boys had aroused the town to a high pitch of excitement. And the showmen smiled, for they knew what that meant.
“Bet we’ll have a turn-away this afternoon,” announced a clown.
“Looks that way,” agreed another, “and all on account of the kid.”
“What’s a turn-away?” asked Phil.
“That’s when there are more people want to get in than the tent will hold. And it means, too, that the boss will be good natured till it rains again, and the wagons33 get stuck in the mud so that we’ll make the next town behind time. At such times he can make more noise than the steam calliope.”
“He seems to me to be a pretty fine sort of a man, even if he is gruff,” suggested Phil.
“The best ever,” agreed several clowns. “You’ll look a long way before you’ll find a better showman, or a better man to his help, than Jim Sparling. Ever been in the show business, kid?”
Phil shook his head.
“Anybody’d think you always had been, the way you take hold of things. I’ll bet you’ll be in it before you are many years older.”
“I’d like to,” glowed the lad.
“Ask the boss.”
“No, he wouldn’t want me. There is nothing I could do now, I guess.”
Further conversation was interrupted by the bugle’s song announcing the disbanding of the parade, the right of the line having already reached the circus lot.
The clowns piled from the hayrack like a cataract34, the cataract having all the colors of the rainbow.
Phil, not to be behind, followed suit, though he did not quite understand what the rush was about. He ran until he caught up with Miaco.
“What’s the hurry about?” he questioned.
“Parade’s over. Got to hurry and get dinner, so as to be ready for the afternoon performance.”
Phil was halted by the assistant manager.
The lad glanced down rather sheepishly at his costume, which was hanging in tatters, then up at the quizzically smiling face of the showman.
“I—I’m sorry I’ve spoiled it, sir, but I couldn’t help it.”
“Don’t worry about that, young man. How did it happen?” he questioned, pretending not to know anything about the occurrence in which Phil had played a leading part.
“Well, you see, there was a horse ran away, and I happened to get in the way of it. I—”
“Yes, Forrest, I understand all about it. Somebody did something to that animal to make it run away and the boss is red headed over it.”
“I—I didn’t.”
“No, that’s right. It was lucky that there was one person in the parade who had some sense left, or there would have been a dead woman with this outfit,” growled36 the assistant.
“Was she badly hurt?”
“No. Only bruised up a bit. These show people get used to hard knocks.”
“I’m glad she is all right. Who is she?”
“Don’t you know?”
“No.”
“That was Mr. Sparling’s wife whose life you saved, and I reckon the boss will have something to say to you when he gets sight of you again.”
点击
收听单词发音
收听单词发音 |
1
gasped
|
|
| v.喘气( gasp的过去式和过去分词 )；喘息；倒抽气；很想要 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
2
plunging
|
|
| adj.跳进的，突进的v.颠簸( plunge的现在分词 )；暴跌；骤降；突降 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
3
pony
|
|
| adj.小型的；n.小马 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
4
trampled
|
|
| 踩( trample的过去式和过去分词 )； 践踏； 无视； 侵犯 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
5
catching
|
|
| adj.易传染的，有魅力的，迷人的，接住 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
6
hurled
|
|
| v.猛投，用力掷( hurl的过去式和过去分词 )；大声叫骂 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
7
jolt
|
|
| v.（使）摇动，（使）震动，（使）颠簸 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
8
wagon
|
|
| n.四轮马车，手推车，面包车；无盖运货列车 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
9
frantically
|
|
| ad.发狂地, 发疯地 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
10
gale
|
|
| n.大风，强风，一阵闹声（尤指笑声等） | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
11
darting
|
|
| v.投掷，投射( dart的现在分词 )；向前冲，飞奔 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
12
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 ) | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
13
perilous
|
|
| adj.危险的，冒险的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
14
nostrils
|
|
| 鼻孔( nostril的名词复数 ) | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
15
grit
|
|
| n.沙粒，决心，勇气；v.下定决心，咬紧牙关 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
16
determined
|
|
| adj.坚定的；有决心的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
17
squeal
|
|
| v.发出长而尖的声音；n.长而尖的声音 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
18
enraged
|
|
| 使暴怒( enrage的过去式和过去分词 )； 歜； 激愤 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
19
outfit
|
|
| n.（为特殊用途的）全套装备，全套服装 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
20
helping
|
|
| n.食物的一份&adj.帮助人的，辅助的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
21
bruised
|
|
| [医]青肿的，瘀紫的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
22
gaudy
|
|
| adj.华而不实的；俗丽的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
23
makeup
|
|
| n.组织；性格；化装品 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
24
streaks
|
|
| n.（与周围有所不同的）条纹( streak的名词复数 )；（通常指不好的）特征（倾向）；（不断经历成功或失败的）一段时期v.快速移动( streak的第三人称单数 )；使布满条纹 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
25
blotches
|
|
| n.（皮肤上的）红斑，疹块( blotch的名词复数 )；大滴 [大片]（墨水或颜色的）污渍 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
26
jabbering
|
|
| v.急切而含混不清地说( jabber的现在分词 )；急促兴奋地说话；结结巴巴 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
27
onlookers
|
|
| n.旁观者，观看者( onlooker的名词复数 ) | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
28
crouch
|
|
| v.蹲伏，蜷缩，低头弯腰；n.蹲伏 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
29
admonished
|
|
| v.劝告( admonish的过去式和过去分词 )；训诫；（温和地）责备；轻责 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
30
spotlight
|
|
| n.公众注意的中心，聚光灯，探照灯，视听，注意，醒目 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
31
hoisted
|
|
| 把…吊起，升起( hoist的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
32
jeered
|
|
| v.嘲笑( jeer的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
33
wagons
|
|
| n.四轮的运货马车( wagon的名词复数 )；铁路货车；小手推车 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
34
cataract
|
|
| n.大瀑布，奔流，洪水，白内障 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
35
dressing
|
|
| n.(食物)调料；包扎伤口的用品，敷料 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
36
growled
|
|
| 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 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
| 欢迎访问英文小说网 |