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CHAPTER XX. The Journey Homeward.
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NEXT morning, as soon as they had finished their breakfast, in accordance with the promise they had made their parents before starting, that they would be at home before the holidays, the boys began to make preparations to leave the woods. The sled was brought around to the door, and, while George and Harry1 were engaged in loading it, Frank and his cousin went to the barn to harness the young moose, which had become very tractable2, and would trot3 off with a load as well as a horse. Their traps and guns, together with the furs they had taken, were stowed carefully away in the bottom of the sled; then came the cubs4, and the skins of the moose, bear, white buck5, and panther, and the whole was crowned by the huge antlers of the moose, to give it, as Harry said, “an imposing6 appearance.”
 
After the moose had been hitched7 to the sled, and all was ready for the start, the boys turned to shake hands with Uncle Joe and the trapper. Dick seemed to regret their parting very much. After drawing his coat-sleeve across his eyes, he seized Frank’s hand, and said:
 
“Good-by, youngster! We have had some good times in these yere woods this winter. I’m sorry that the partin’ time has come, for I hate to have you leave us. You are a gritty feller—jest sich a one as I like to see; an’ I have tuk to you jest the same as poor ole Bill Lawson onct tuk to me. As soon as spring opens I shall start agin for the prairy. The woods here are too small for me. We prob’bly shall never meet agin, but I hope you won’t forget your ole friend, Dick Lewis. Good-by! an’ may your trail never be as rugged8 an’ rough as mine has been.”
 
“I shall never forget you, Dick,” replied Frank, as he returned the trapper’s hearty9 grasp. “You saved my life.”
 
At length the farewells had all been said, and the boys got into the sled. Frank took up the reins10, and the moose broke into a rapid trot, that soon carried them out of sight of the cabin.
 
There was no danger that the boys would soon forget the wild scenes through which they had passed during their short sojourn11 in the woods. Each had something to remind him of some exciting hunt which he had gone through. Frank thought of his desperate struggle with the buck, during which he had received scars that would go with him through life. Harry remembered his adventure with the wolves. George shivered as he thought of his cold bath in the pond. And Archie, in imagination, was again in pursuit of the black fox.
 
“Well,” said the latter, at length, “we’ve had some fine times since we traveled over this road.”
 
“Yes,” said George, “and I should like to go through them again—ducking and all.”
 
“I had rather be excused,” said Frank.
 
“So had I,” chimed in Harry.
 
“I shouldn’t like the idea of going through the fight with that moose again,” continued Frank.
 
“Nor I shouldn’t like to meet those wolves again, and have them pull off my boots as I was climbing up a tree,” said Harry.
 
 
“I wonder what the folks will think, when they see us coming home in this rig?” said Archie.
 
That question was answered when, about an hour before dark, they turned up off the creek12 into the road, in full view of the cottage.
 
They were first discovered by Aunt Hannah, who, after shading her eyes with her hand, and gazing at them a few moments, ran into the house. A moment afterward13 the whole family appeared at the door.
 
“There’s my folks!” exclaimed Archie. “I thought they would be here to spend the holidays. Show them what we can do, Frank.”
 
His cousin accordingly put the moose through his best paces, and in a few moments they whirled through the gate, and drew up before the door.
 
“Well, boys, I’m glad to see you all back safe,” said Mr. Winters, as soon as the greeting was over. “It’s a wonder that Archie didn’t shoot some of you—he’s so careless with his gun.”
 
“O no, father,” replied the boy, “I’ve got over that. I always hold my gun muzzle14 down, as you told me.”
 
The boys began to unload the sled, and one after another of the articles were taken out and laid on the portico15. Finally, Harry drew out the panther’s skin.
 
“A panther!” exclaimed Mr. Winters. “Where did you buy that skin?”
 
“Buy it!” repeated Archie. “We didn’t buy it. Frank killed the panther that once wore this skin; with a shot-gun, too; and that isn’t all he killed, either. Look here!” and he threw out the bear and moose-skins, and finally the cubs. “He had a nice time killing16 that moose,” Archie went on to say, “and he came near being”——
 
Here he was interrupted by a look from his cousin. He was about to say, “and came near being killed himself;” but finished his sentence by saying, “He came near killing the moose at the first shot, but didn’t quite.”
 
Mr. Winters had seen the glances that the boys exchanged, and knew that it meant something more than they were willing to reveal; but he made no remark. After the things had all been taken out, with the exception of those that belonged to George and Harry, and the cubs had been taken into the kitchen and delivered into Aunt Hannah’s especial charge, the boys got into the sled again and started for Mr. Butler’s.
 
Their appearance in the village created a great commotion17. After driving around to the post-office for the mail, as well as to show off the qualities of their horned horse, they started home again.
 
That evening was passed in a pleasant manner, in the recital18 of the boys’ adventures in the woods, which also formed the topic of conversation for many days. In spite of the emphatic19 instructions Frank had given his companions “not to say a word about his fight with the moose,” it gradually “leaked out somewhere,” as Archie expressed it, and Frank became a hero in his own family, and in the village.
 
Here we will leave them, only to introduce them again in other and more stirring scenes on the Western Prairies.
 

点击收听单词发音收听单词发音  

1 harry heBxS     
vt.掠夺,蹂躏,使苦恼
参考例句:
  • Today,people feel more hurried and harried.今天,人们感到更加忙碌和苦恼。
  • Obama harried business by Healthcare Reform plan.奥巴马用医改掠夺了商界。
2 tractable GJ8z4     
adj.易驾驭的;温顺的
参考例句:
  • He was always tractable and quiet.他总是温顺、恬静。
  • Gold and silver are tractable metals.金和银是容易加工的金属。
3 trot aKBzt     
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
参考例句:
  • They passed me at a trot.他们从我身边快步走过。
  • The horse broke into a brisk trot.马突然快步小跑起来。
4 cubs 01d925a0dc25c0b909e51536316e8697     
n.幼小的兽,不懂规矩的年轻人( cub的名词复数 )
参考例句:
  • a lioness guarding her cubs 守护幼崽的母狮
  • Lion cubs depend on their mother to feed them. 狮子的幼仔依靠母狮喂养。 来自《简明英汉词典》
5 buck ESky8     
n.雄鹿,雄兔;v.马离地跳跃
参考例句:
  • The boy bent curiously to the skeleton of the buck.这个男孩好奇地弯下身去看鹿的骸骨。
  • The female deer attracts the buck with high-pitched sounds.雌鹿以尖声吸引雄鹿。
6 imposing 8q9zcB     
adj.使人难忘的,壮丽的,堂皇的,雄伟的
参考例句:
  • The fortress is an imposing building.这座城堡是一座宏伟的建筑。
  • He has lost his imposing appearance.他已失去堂堂仪表。
7 hitched fc65ed4d8ef2e272cfe190bf8919d2d2     
(免费)搭乘他人之车( hitch的过去式和过去分词 ); 搭便车; 攀上; 跃上
参考例句:
  • They hitched a ride in a truck. 他们搭乘了一辆路过的货车。
  • We hitched a ride in a truck yesterday. 我们昨天顺便搭乘了一辆卡车。
8 rugged yXVxX     
adj.高低不平的,粗糙的,粗壮的,强健的
参考例句:
  • Football players must be rugged.足球运动员必须健壮。
  • The Rocky Mountains have rugged mountains and roads.落基山脉有崇山峻岭和崎岖不平的道路。
9 hearty Od1zn     
adj.热情友好的;衷心的;尽情的,纵情的
参考例句:
  • After work they made a hearty meal in the worker's canteen.工作完了,他们在工人食堂饱餐了一顿。
  • We accorded him a hearty welcome.我们给他热忱的欢迎。
10 reins 370afc7786679703b82ccfca58610c98     
感情,激情; 缰( rein的名词复数 ); 控制手段; 掌管; (成人带着幼儿走路以防其走失时用的)保护带
参考例句:
  • She pulled gently on the reins. 她轻轻地拉着缰绳。
  • The government has imposed strict reins on the import of luxury goods. 政府对奢侈品的进口有严格的控制手段。
11 sojourn orDyb     
v./n.旅居,寄居;逗留
参考例句:
  • It would be cruel to begrudge your sojourn among flowers and fields.如果嫉妒你逗留在鲜花与田野之间,那将是太不近人情的。
  • I am already feeling better for my sojourn here.我在此逗留期间,觉得体力日渐恢复。
12 creek 3orzL     
n.小溪,小河,小湾
参考例句:
  • He sprang through the creek.他跳过小河。
  • People sunbathe in the nude on the rocks above the creek.人们在露出小溪的岩石上裸体晒日光浴。
13 afterward fK6y3     
adv.后来;以后
参考例句:
  • Let's go to the theatre first and eat afterward. 让我们先去看戏,然后吃饭。
  • Afterward,the boy became a very famous artist.后来,这男孩成为一个很有名的艺术家。
14 muzzle i11yN     
n.鼻口部;口套;枪(炮)口;vt.使缄默
参考例句:
  • He placed the muzzle of the pistol between his teeth.他把手枪的枪口放在牙齿中间。
  • The President wanted to muzzle the press.总统企图遏制新闻自由。
15 portico MBHyf     
n.柱廊,门廊
参考例句:
  • A large portico provides a suitably impressive entrance to the chapel.小教堂入口处宽敞的柱廊相当壮观。
  • The gateway and its portico had openings all around.门洞两旁与廊子的周围都有窗棂。
16 killing kpBziQ     
n.巨额利润;突然赚大钱,发大财
参考例句:
  • Investors are set to make a killing from the sell-off.投资者准备清仓以便大赚一笔。
  • Last week my brother made a killing on Wall Street.上个周我兄弟在华尔街赚了一大笔。
17 commotion 3X3yo     
n.骚动,动乱
参考例句:
  • They made a commotion by yelling at each other in the theatre.他们在剧院里相互争吵,引起了一阵骚乱。
  • Suddenly the whole street was in commotion.突然间,整条街道变得一片混乱。
18 recital kAjzI     
n.朗诵,独奏会,独唱会
参考例句:
  • She is going to give a piano recital.她即将举行钢琴独奏会。
  • I had their total attention during the thirty-five minutes that my recital took.在我叙述的35分钟内,他们完全被我吸引了。
19 emphatic 0P1zA     
adj.强调的,着重的;无可置疑的,明显的
参考例句:
  • Their reply was too emphatic for anyone to doubt them.他们的回答很坚决,不容有任何人怀疑。
  • He was emphatic about the importance of being punctual.他强调严守时间的重要性。


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