"My gracious! this won't do," he exclaimed, with a shuddering6 sense of the danger he was running. "A bear might steal right up to me and eat me up before I could help myself. If I'm going to play sentinel, I must do it like a man."
Straightway he began pacing back and forth7 in front of the blaze, his beat extending some twenty feet back and forth. He carried his rifle on his shoulder and proved the thoroughness of his vigilance by an occasional glance at the top of the rock, from which the mountain wolf had made its death leap. The coast remained clear. The far-off sounds which had attracted his attention a short time before were not repeated, and, as the labor8 of walking back and forth grew a little wearisome, he began to argue the question with himself.
"I wonder whether there isn't some way of resting without working? If I've got to walk all night, what shall I be good for to-morrow? I don't see any fun in this sort of business. Ah, I know how I'll fix it; I'll kindle9 two fires."
He acted upon the idea at once. He had gathered such an abundance of fuel that he had no fear of the supply running out. In a few minutes he had a second fire started, about a dozen feet from the other, while he stowed himself away directly between them. His position, he soon discovered, was rather warmer than he anticipated, but he speedily remedied this by permitting each fire to subside10 in a slight degree.
"This is nice," he muttered, shrinking up against the rock. "I don't think any wild creature would harm me unless he tumbled over the top of the rock there and dropped on my head. Even then I think I should wake up soon enough to use my gun on him. But then, I guess I won't go to sleep."
Five minutes later his head was nodding again, and utter unconsciousness speedily followed. But one of the brands in the fire on his right fell, and there was a slight crackling explosion of the embers—as is often the case. A glowing spark flew outward and dropped upon the limp hand of the sleeping youngster.
Simultaneously11 there was a yell, and the lad leaped several feet from the ground, dancing about like a rejoicing warrior12 and flinging his hand as if he were trying to shake off some clinging reptile13.
"I should like to know who did that?" he exclaimed, a little confused by the startling manner in which he had been aroused. "I guess I understand how it all came about, though," he added, as he examined the stinging blister14 upon the back of his hand.
The pain from this little wound effectually banished15 all sleep for the time. Ned busied himself in replenishing the fire, and then walked out in the gloom and looked about. Everything was the same. The night was dark,—no moon being visible,—and an oppressive sultriness was in the atmosphere. It seemed as if some elemental disturbance16 were close at hand, but in looking to the sky no presage17 of it could be discovered.
After wandering about for some time, the lad spat18 upon some earth, and, plastering it over the smarting blister, succeeded in shutting out the air from it and secured considerable relief.
"It must be that I am all alone," he added, standing19 still and listening. "No one is near and no one sees me but God. He has taken care of me in the past, and He will not forsake20 me in future," he added, looking reverently21 upward.
The old feeling of drowsiness22 again stole over him and he determined23 to secure a night's rest—that is, during the portion of the night that remained. Still the fact that the fires had run down somewhat raised the inquiry24 in his mind as to what was likely to happen in case they went out altogether. If any more grizzly25 bears should put in an appearance, his situation would not be of the most inviting26 nature, but he had argued himself into the belief that no further peril27 of this character threatened. By placing a goodly amount of fuel upon the fires he hoped to keep them going until daylight, or until his slumber28 was over. Had he been able to find a suitable tree, he would have made his bed in that, even at the risk of another disagreeable fall, but nothing of the kind could be seen, and he had already grown weary of hunting for some hiding place among the rocks. Accordingly, the camp fires were replenished29 and he resumed his former position between them, covering his hands very carefully, lest another spark should drop in the same place.
"I wish it was colder!" he exclaimed, when he found the place growing uncomfortably warm. "If it was winter now, I shouldn't want anything nicer."
He stood it like a hero, however, and by and by his place became more pleasant, for the reason that the fuel was rapidly burning down. About this time sleep regained30 possession of his senses, and, cramped31 up though he was, with his back against the rock, his slumber was scarcely less sound than if he were stretched out upon his blanket beneath a tree in the forest.
At the time young Chadmund relapsed into unconsciousness it was nearly midnight, and for nearly two hours following there was scarcely the slightest change in the surroundings. The fires burned low, until the figure of the lad braced32 up against the rock grew dim and shadowy in the deepening gloom. Scarcely a breath of air stirred the vegetation about him, and everything seemed to be calculated to lull33 one into a deep, soothing34, dreamless sleep. But at the end of the time mentioned, something came out of the undergrowth and advanced stealthily toward him. It was vague, shadowy, and so dimly outlined that at first its form could not be recognized; but as it glided35 closer to the fire, there was enough light remaining to disclose the figure of another wolf.
Like a phantom36 born of the gloom itself, it moved toward the unconscious lad, until scarcely a dozen feet intervened. Then, as if directed by Providence37, one of the embers snapped apart, throwing out a sudden flame, which momentarily lit up the surrounding darkness. Like a flash the wolf slunk back, and then, pausing, stood and stared at the lad, licking his jaws38 as if in anticipation39 of the feast he expected to enjoy upon him.
As the flames subsided40 again, and the same gloom crept over the scene, the hideous41 creature stole up again, resolved to have the meal displayed so temptingly before him. Once more he was within reach, still advancing with jaws distended—ready to leap upon him. The boy slumbered42 dreamlessly on. Still nearer crept the wolf until Ned was at his mercy.
At this critical juncture43, something whizzed from the upper surface of the rock, with the velocity44 almost of a bullet. It was a tomahawk, which, speeding true to its aim, struck the unsuspicious wolf fairly and with such terrific force that his skull45 was cloven in twain as completely as if smitten46 by the headsman's ax. There was scarcely time for the wild yelp47 as he tumbled over backward. But, such as it was, it aroused Ned, who sprang to his feet and gazed about him with an alarmed and bewildered air. Before he could fairly comprehend what had taken place he saw figures descending48 and approaching. It was too late to retreat. He was surrounded.
"I'm a goner now!" he muttered.
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1
vessel
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| n.船舶；容器，器皿；管，导管，血管 | |
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faculties
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| n.能力( faculty的名词复数 )；全体教职员；技巧；院 | |
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3
insidiously
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| 潜在地，隐伏地，阴险地 | |
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4
watchfulness
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| 警惕，留心； 警觉（性） | |
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5
inevitable
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| adj.不可避免的，必然发生的 | |
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6
shuddering
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| v.战栗( shudder的现在分词 )；发抖；（机器、车辆等）突然震动；颤动 | |
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7
forth
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| adv.向前；向外，往外 | |
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8
labor
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| n.劳动，努力，工作，劳工；分娩；vi.劳动，努力，苦干；vt.详细分析；麻烦 | |
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9
kindle
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| v.点燃，着火 | |
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10
subside
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| vi.平静，平息；下沉，塌陷，沉降 | |
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11
simultaneously
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| adv.同时发生地，同时进行地 | |
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12
warrior
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| n.勇士，武士，斗士 | |
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13
reptile
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| n.爬行动物；两栖动物 | |
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14
blister
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| n.水疱；(油漆等的)气泡；v.(使)起泡 | |
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15
banished
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| v.放逐，驱逐( banish的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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16
disturbance
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| n.动乱，骚动；打扰，干扰；(身心)失调 | |
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17
presage
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| n.预感，不祥感；v.预示 | |
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18
spat
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| n.口角，掌击；v.发出呼噜呼噜声 | |
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19
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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20
forsake
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| vt.遗弃，抛弃；舍弃，放弃 | |
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reverently
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| adv.虔诚地 | |
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drowsiness
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| n.睡意；嗜睡 | |
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23
determined
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| adj.坚定的；有决心的 | |
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24
inquiry
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| n.打听，询问，调查，查问 | |
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25
grizzly
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| adj.略为灰色的，呈灰色的；n.灰色大熊 | |
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inviting
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| adj.诱人的，引人注目的 | |
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peril
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| n.(严重的)危险；危险的事物 | |
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28
slumber
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| n.睡眠，沉睡状态 | |
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29
replenished
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| 补充( replenish的过去式和过去分词 )； 重新装满 | |
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30
regained
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| 复得( regain的过去式和过去分词 )； 赢回； 重回； 复至某地 | |
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31
cramped
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| a.狭窄的 | |
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32
braced
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| adj.拉牢的v.支住( brace的过去式和过去分词 )；撑牢；使自己站稳；振作起来 | |
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33
lull
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| v.使安静，使入睡，缓和，哄骗；n.暂停，间歇 | |
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34
soothing
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| adj.慰藉的；使人宽心的；镇静的 | |
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35
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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36
phantom
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| n.幻影，虚位，幽灵；adj.错觉的，幻影的，幽灵的 | |
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37
providence
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| n.深谋远虑，天道，天意；远见；节约；上帝 | |
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38
jaws
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| n.口部；嘴 | |
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39
anticipation
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| n.预期，预料，期望 | |
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40
subsided
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| v.（土地）下陷（因在地下采矿）( subside的过去式和过去分词 )；减弱；下降至较低或正常水平；一下子坐在椅子等上 | |
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41
hideous
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| adj.丑陋的，可憎的，可怕的，恐怖的 | |
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42
slumbered
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| 微睡，睡眠（slumber的过去式与过去分词形式） | |
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43
juncture
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| n.时刻，关键时刻，紧要关头 | |
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44
velocity
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| n.速度，速率 | |
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45
skull
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| n.头骨；颅骨 | |
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46
smitten
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| 猛打，重击，打击( smite的过去分词 ) | |
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47
yelp
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| vi.狗吠 | |
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48
descending
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| n. 下行 adj. 下降的 | |
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49
kindly
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| adj.和蔼的，温和的，爽快的；adv.温和地，亲切地 | |
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