But though he revelled10 in the exercise of his unencumbered limbs, he had a keen eye to his safety: the most wily of hunted creatures could not have been more alert and vigilant11 than he. Once from the solitary12 rock, again and again from knoll13 and barrow he surveyed the waste to learn whether any enemies were in sight, for he was well aware of their famished14 condition, and understood that they would employ the greatest stealth in attempting his capture. He kept a sharp look-out for Grey Fox, carefully examining every object that excited his least suspicion, and in his great dread15 of a stoat pack he repeatedly scrutinised the surface for the sinuous16 living line that would apprise17 him of its approach.
Once he thought he detected the eerie18 serpentine19 movement characteristic of the stoat; but he was mistaken, the three packs which infested20 his beats were miles away at the time. Though all were terrible scourges21 to the animals that supplied them with blood, the most formidable, on account of the sagacity and endurance of its leader, was the pack, numbering fourteen in all, whose main stronghold was the Lamorna cliffs. Even this pack was in peril22 of famine because of the wariness23 and scarcity24 of prey25.
In their straits they invaded the homesteads, and on the fourth day of the thaw, when the ice in the pools was the last vestige26 of the frost, the starving brutes27 came pouring over the wall of Brea farmyard and made straight for the poultry-houses.
Some sought the door of the fowls’ house, causing the rooster to shift uneasily on his perch29; the rest circled the ducks’ house without finding a way in, for Andrew had stopped the holes in the floor to which they penetrated31.
Thus baulked they entered the cattle-sheds and barn, where in the dead silence they could be heard rustling32 among the straw. Presently a rat appeared on the roof and climbed to the old weather-cock on the roof of the pigeon-cote. Two stoats followed, but failed to trace him to the forlorn refuge whence he was watching them.
Half an hour passed thus in profitless search before the leader, standing34 in the middle of the yard, uttered a shrill35 cry. This rallied the band to her, and the yard at once seemed alive with the restless creatures darting36 hither and thither37 in their impatience38 to be gone.
They took little notice of the owl28 that glided39 to and fro, screaming as it flew; yet they were so ravenous40 that they would have killed and eaten him, if they could have caught him, bird of prey though he was. The farmer’s wife lay awake wondering what ailed33 the screech-owl: the hare in the field bordering the bridle-track also wondered, but like the woman, without surmising41 the cause. The noise ceased when presently the pack left the yard and made past the sycamore towards the lane, seemingly on the way to the “curlew” moor8. When abreast42 of the broken grindstone, however, the leader, who was at her wits’ end to know where to go, suddenly turned and retraced43 her steps along the bridle-track. Abrupt44 as was her turning movement each stoat kept its place as though it were part of a snake, which in truth the long file closely resembled.
Reaching the stone steps into the field where the hare was at pasture, the leader appeared to be in two minds as to whether she should mount them or go straight on. A hedgehog brought her to a decision. He had been drawn45 from his winter quarters by the open weather, showed just then on the path and instantly attracted her. He was very sleepy, but he saw the stoats coming, immediately curled into a ball, and so awaited their onset46.
What savagery48 the famished creatures exhibited! What determined49 though futile50 efforts they made to penetrate30 the hedgehog’s defence! Blood was drawn, it is true, their heads were smeared51 with it, but it was their own blood which they licked before again falling tooth and nail on the prickly ball. Their second assault proving as unsuccessful as the first, they formed a ring around the urchin52, chattering to unnerve it and so cause it to unfold. All their efforts were vain, the hedgehog was impregnable to moral as to physical attack.
But though the blood-curdling chorus was wasted on the hedgehog, it so affrighted the hare that he broke into a panic-stricken flight, nor did he stop till he had reached the chantry. There he stood listening for the cry he dreaded53. His apprehensions54 however were unwarranted, the stoats were ignorant of his neighbourhood, and on abandoning the hedgehog retreated in the direction of the southern cliffs, slowly at first but more quickly as the night grew old, for fear of being surprised by dawn.
A faint glow suffused55 the low east when they reached Carn Boscawen, proceeded singly along ledge56 after ledge to its sea-washed face, clambered between the breaking waves up and up the wet rock and finally crept into crevices57 beyond reach of the spray.
For a while not a hair of them was to be seen, but the moment the sun rose they appeared at the mouths of the stronghold and lay with their long, gaunt bodies stretched to their full length to catch what little warmth the lurid58 orb59 vouchsafed60.
In the light of day these night marauders looked the cruel, bloodthirsty bandits they were, the three whom the spell of Arctic cold had ermined presenting an even more fiendish aspect than the others. When too the sun passed behind the angry clouds so that carn and sea, shorn of the rays that gilded62 them, lay in deep shadow, the outlawed63 crew seemed to be in harmony with their savage47 surroundings and no unfit neighbours of the kite perched on the crag above.
By and by, suddenly as they had appeared, they withdrew, curled up on the rocky floor and fell asleep.
What a contrast the hare in his seat on the hill furnished to the carnivorous bandits of the carn! He looked as fearful as they looked bold, his long, quivering ears proclaimed his timidity no less plainly than the prominent eyes that overlooked the moor all the grey afternoon till they turned towards a storm far out at sea where lightning played in a black cloud, below which presently the blood-red sun went down.
And thus was ushered64 in a night of tragedy with hare and stoats for actors, moor and cliff for setting.
At dusk the hare left his couch and descended65 the hill to his pasture on Brea Farm. There he wandered from enclosure to enclosure picking up what little herbage he could find. It took him hours to get his fill.
Meanwhile the stoats who had quitted their fastness were heading for the moor, tempted66 by the presence of some wading67 birds which they had disturbed the previous night on their return journey. On the way they turned aside here and there in the hope of securing other prey, so that it was within an hour of midnight when they reached the purlieus of the waste, that looked pitch-black beneath the stormy sky.
At the spot where they struck the heath they were two miles from the linhay field which the hare presently left for his usual gallop. So wide however was its surface that nine times out of ten the pack might have hunted and the hare enjoyed his spin without either being aware of the other’s presence; twice it had so happened during the month now within an hour of its close; but the hare’s good fortune had temporarily forsaken68 him and his time come to stand before the pack.
Black though the night was, had the hare been as alert as usual, he could hardly have failed to discern at least the ghostly forms of the white members of the band in time to secure a long start and perhaps get clean away. Immunity69 from molestation70 in the moor explains the poor look-out he kept. His lack of vigilance was to cost him dear, inasmuch as he succeeded in arresting his steps only just in time to avoid running into the pack as it showed above the slight rise that for a few seconds had effectually concealed71 it from view.
At sight of them he turned and fled, and though more frightened than ever before, did the best thing possible; he made straight for the pool, for he hoped by placing the wide water between him and his pursuers to disconcert them and put an end to the chase.
The stoats followed, forging ahead at their utmost pace, except when they checked their steps and stood still to look about them as is their wont72; why, it is impossible to say, but certainly not to give “law” to the quarry73. So several seconds ahead of them, the hare reached the pool midway between the islet and the reed-bed, plunged74 in, floundered through the shallows, and on getting beyond his depth, struck out for the opposite shore.
Ice still covered most of the surface, but following an open channel he got more than half-way across before he found himself confronted by a sheet which, thin and rotten though it was, arrested his progress.
He tried to clamber on to it but the brittle75 edge broke under his pads. His position was most critical. To make matters worse, the cry of his pursuers now sounded very distinct; they were evidently close to the pool. What if they took to the water and met him as he swam? For he must go back or drown. In the dilemma76 he turned and struck out for the shore he had left. He seemed to be swimming into the jaws77 of death. Soon however fortune befriended him. For as he swam he saw at one side a narrow strait just wide enough to admit him, and into it he turned as the pack took to the water, swimming swiftly and with heads held high. They must have viewed the hare had not the moon been completely obscured by a black cloud, which completely shut off the pallid78 beams that for a brief space had lit the moor.
Soon they passed the narrow opening and approached the barrier. No barrier did it prove to them. They landed with the greatest ease, galloped79 over the ice, gained the shore and began casting for the quarry. Meanwhile the hare had gained the reed-bed whence, owing to the conspicuousness80 of the ermined stoats, he was able to follow the movements of the pack, till presently the ghostly forms were swallowed up in the darkness as they made for the further end of the pool.
The hare seizing the opportunity made off, his face set for the “curlew” moor. No longer however does he move with full freedom of limb; the paralysing influence of the stoats is upon him. How he labours as if held back by some restraining hand, how slow his progress! He feels doomed81, for escape is impossible and refuge there is none.
Suddenly he stops, as suddenly resumes his way, but in a direction at right angles to his former course.
Across the black waste he has seen the glimmer82 of light that tells of the presence of man. He is making towards it as to a beacon83 of hope. By and by he reaches the church, from whose coloured windows the glow proceeds, and from his station amongst the tombs listens to the singing. Whilst he listens there comes from the moor the shrill cry of his pursuers. At the sound he resumes his flight, following the rude road through the village towards Sennen Green, where he halts as if loath84 to quit the abode85 of man for the wild beyond. Death is approaching, but it must overtake him; he cannot await his fate. Whilst the bells ring the old year out, the new year in, he lopes on and on past Vellandreath, past Genvor to the lonely Tregiffian cliffs. There from a rise he looks back and sees the extended file of his enemies as they gallop down the opposite slope. The ground in front is studded with rocks. Threading his way among these he finds himself within a score yards of some men lying on the turf. As they lie they form an irregular ring. Into this he passes without an instant’s hesitation86 and squats88 in their midst.
The stoats on the other hand fell to silence, stopping motionless by the rocks.
The men were smugglers and all asleep save the sentry90, who lay near the edge of the cliff watching so eagerly for the expected boat that he had not heard the stoats’ cry, though it sounded distinct above the roar of the sea.
Presently the man rose to his feet and paced up and down, his oilskins creaking as he moved. Only for a moment did he take his eyes from the dark waters below whilst he ignited the tinder and lit his pipe. Now and again a spark was blown in the direction of the stoats, but they took no more notice of that than of the cry uttered by one of the sleeping smugglers. Nothing would drive the bold, ravenous pack away, at least nothing but dawn; and that was hours and hours distant.
Suddenly a red light came and went near the foot of the cliffs; it was a signal from the boat and was answered by the watch with a hoot91 like that of a screech-owl. Immediately all was stir, the men jumping to their feet and making for the adit that communicated with the cave into which the boat with its load of kegs had already been taken.
The hare, far from being frightened by the sudden commotion92, dogged the steps of the men and sat in a recess93 in the wall of the tunnel; the stoats who had followed dared not penetrate there; so they stood and watched him from the mouth.
The smugglers worked as if for their lives; two, by means of a long rope, hauling the kegs from the cave to the adit, whilst the other five carried them to the furzebrake on the hillside and hid them amongst the bushes.
The continual passing to and fro of the men cheered the hare in his niche94, for it served to alarm the stoats and keep them at a distance.
Scarcely had the last of the kegs been hidden away when one of the smugglers, he who had cried out in his sleep, gave a false alarm, causing the others to rush to the adit, where one after the other they slid down the rope to the cave, all except the sentry, whose duty it was to haul up the line and stow it away. An old hand at the trade and a man of iron nerve, he proceeded to coil the rope in the most leisurely95 way before he came out of the adit, bringing the rope on his arm. He thought he was alone, but he was not; the hare kept as close to his heels as a dog, while the stoats followed at a short distance.
Dark though it was, the smuggler89 held along the brink96 of the cliff till compelled to swerve97 by a great pile of rocks that looked against the murky98 sky like a black wall. By and by as he skirted it he stopped and, shifting the rope to his left arm, began feeling the face of the rock with his right. He was searching for the rude steps by which he would reach the summit of the carn to hide the rope, the hare meanwhile remaining so close to his feet that once it actually grazed his sea-boots with its soft side. Presently he found the place and began the ascent99, thus leaving the hare to the mercy of the stoats.
Before the smuggler had climbed four feet the hare realised his danger. At once he fled along the edge of the cliff, the stoats, who had already begun to creep towards him, in hot pursuit.
Whilst he was free from the numbing101 sensation of fear, which had subsided102 in the friendly presence of man, his relentless103 persecutors even at their utmost speed seemed almost motionless behind him, but the moment it returned, cramping104 his powers, he lost ground.
Then he began to look anxiously about him to find a refuge, as in that lay now his only hope of escape.
The sea from half a score caverns105 bellowed106 its invitation, but he heeded107 it not. Only in the last resort would he cast himself over the cliff, so in weariness and fear he struggled on with the terrorising cry of the pack ever in his ears.
Before him lay a small and oddly shaped headland, so narrow at its base that any animal seeking the coast beyond was certain to cross the neck and avoid going round.
Not so the hare. As if fearful of losing touch of the cliff, he took no notice of the short cut, but held on round the promontory108 till, near the extreme point, he struck and followed a track laid by foxes—a treacherous109 track, that after winding110 in and out between overhanging rocks and the lip of the cliff, suddenly ended on the brink of a precipice111. He saw the predicament he was in shortly after rounding the point, and despair gripped his heart.
But when he had almost given himself up for lost, a shelf of rock that projected over the track offered asylum112 if only he could reach it. Once, twice he gathered his limbs, only to recoil113 from launching himself at the leap, for he felt that it was more than he could compass. Then he listened to the swelling114 cry; that warned him he had not a moment to lose.
Animals, like men, when face to face with death, perform feats115 seemingly beyond their powers. Thus it was with the hare, into whose mad spring was concentrated all the force that love of life could rouse. But his greatest efforts merely enabled him to get such a grip of the rock as prevented him from falling back. Frantic116 was his struggle to complete a lodgment by dragging his hind61 legs to the shelf. He succeeded just in time to squat87 as the first of the stoats came galloping117 round the point and pulled up at the spot where the trail suddenly ended. In a twinkling the rest of the band followed, and recognising the situation, looked to the leader for guidance.
No time was lost. Some went to the end of the track and stood gazing at the depths below, but the greater number followed the leader over the brink of the precipice, abreast of the ledge. The daring creatures seemed to be courting destruction in attempting the descent; their claw-grip and marvellous agility118, however, took them safely down places that might have been thought to deny foothold, and all reached the undercliff without mishap119. Now they stood at the edge of the tide, where from every point of vantage, even from the crown of the streaming rocks, they scanned the white water, appearing to imagine that the hare had leapt into the surf and was to be seen there if only their eyes could detect her. Nothing met their gaze except a splintered bowsprit, and by and by, after extending their search beyond the point, they climbed the cliff again, rejoining the others where they stood beneath the ledge.
The situation of the starving creatures was a desperate one, and for a moment the leader was as completely at a loss what to do as the rest of the pack. Suddenly it occurred to her that the hare might have returned on his trail, have leapt aside and made off inland; the next instant she sprang over the backs of the stoats surrounding her, to return to the extreme point. That was the spot from which she conjectured120 he would make his leap, and on reaching it she searched the ground near it for traces of his scent100. Nose to ground she tried rocks, fern, cushions of sea-pinks, even the heather covering the highest part of the headland, before going back to a spot near the point where she happened to be on a level with the shelf.
At that moment the moon lit up the scene, silvering the sea, revealing the narrow track and the pack clustered there with heads directed to their leader. Her attitude tells them something has excited her curiosity. Her eyes are scrutinising the strange object on the ledge, and though it lies completely shadowed by another ledge above, she presently recognises the hare, and in some way communicates her discovery to her followers121.
Thereupon they strive to reach the shelf, some by the overhanging wall, the rest by leaping; but all their efforts are in vain.
Meanwhile the leader has succeeded in gaining the higher ledge, from which by craning her neck she is able to see the hare beneath, who indeed is within a few feet of her.
The upper shelf is semicircular, and point after point of its circumference122 she examines in the hope of being able to get at her prey. Soon she discovers a notch123. From this, twisting her lissom124 body, she tries to leap to the lower shelf, only to fail, and narrowly escape falling over the precipice. She is soon back for another attempt. Once and again she is near succeeding. Had the indent125 been a little deeper, had the under ledge projected but another inch, had it only been a little lower, she must have flung herself on to it; but as it stood, it was beyond her skill.
Her resources, however, were not exhausted126. Resting her fore2 feet on the edge of the shelf, every toe extended and every claw gripping the rock, she lowered her long white body and swung it to and fro like a ghostly pendulum127. Now this way, now that, it oscillated, till presently at the full extent of her inward swing she let go—falling on her back within a few inches of the hare.
Then he showed the wonderful grit128 that was in him. As she fell he rose, lashed129 out with his powerful hind legs and sent her flying by a kick that drove her over the edge, down, down, down to the raging waters far below.
The loss of their leader discouraged the rest of the pack. As if in distress130, they kept darting up and down the track till a deluge131 of rain drove them off.
The hare was left master of the field. His flank rose and fell more quickly than its wont, the pupils of his eyes were distended132 as never before, but already he was planning his escape, and had chosen the retreat he would make for.
Hours of blinding rain followed, lightning occasionally lit up the blackness shrouding133 cliff and sea; it was no weather for any living thing to be abroad in, and indeed nothing appeared till near dawn, when a bedraggled white creature made her way with difficulty up the face of the cliff and staggered to the track. It was the leader of the stoats, who after struggling with the backwash which had nearly buffeted134 the life out of her, had managed to land, and after a long rest, come back for her followers.
Awhile she stood beneath the ledge and looked up. Too feeble to do more, she meant to return at dusk to pit her wit against the hare’s, in some way to get at him, drive her fangs135 into his great vein136 and drink deep of his blood: she was even thinking of the feast in prospect137 as she crawled away on the trail of the pack.
She was, however, reckoning without her host. In as wild a dawn as ever broke upon the Land’s End, the hare leapt from his sanctuary138 and stole over the rain-lashed moor to Chapel139 Carn Brea, where, happy in the thought that the downpour would destroy all trace of his trail, he fell soundly asleep, nor even dreamt of the terrible ordeal140 through which he had passed.
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1
thaw
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| v.（使）融化，（使）变得友善；n.融化，缓和 | |
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2
fore
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| adv.在前面；adj.先前的；在前部的；n.前部 | |
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3
boulder
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| n.巨砾；卵石，圆石 | |
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4
chattering
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| n. （机器振动发出的）咔嗒声，(鸟等)鸣，啁啾 adj. 喋喋不休的，啾啾声的 动词chatter的现在分词形式 | |
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5
fetters
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| n.脚镣( fetter的名词复数 )；束缚v.给…上脚镣，束缚( fetter的第三人称单数 ) | |
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clogging
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| 堵塞，闭合 | |
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7
gallop
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| v./n.(马或骑马等)飞奔；飞速发展 | |
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moor
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| n.荒野，沼泽；vt.(使)停泊；vi.停泊 | |
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9
spurned
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| v.一脚踢开，拒绝接受( spurn的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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revelled
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| v.作乐( revel的过去式和过去分词 )；狂欢；着迷；陶醉 | |
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vigilant
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| adj.警觉的，警戒的，警惕的 | |
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solitary
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| adj.孤独的，独立的，荒凉的；n.隐士 | |
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13
knoll
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| n.小山，小丘 | |
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famished
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| adj.饥饿的 | |
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15
dread
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| vt.担忧，忧虑；惧怕，不敢；n.担忧，畏惧 | |
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sinuous
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| adj.蜿蜒的，迂回的 | |
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apprise
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| vt.通知，告知 | |
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eerie
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| adj.怪诞的；奇异的；可怕的；胆怯的 | |
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serpentine
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| adj.蜿蜒的，弯曲的 | |
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infested
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| adj.为患的，大批滋生的（常与with搭配）v.害虫、野兽大批出没于( infest的过去式和过去分词 )；遍布于 | |
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21
scourges
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| 带来灾难的人或东西，祸害( scourge的名词复数 )； 鞭子 | |
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peril
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| n.(严重的)危险；危险的事物 | |
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wariness
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| n. 注意,小心 | |
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scarcity
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| n.缺乏，不足，萧条 | |
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prey
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| n.被掠食者，牺牲者，掠食；v.捕食，掠夺，折磨 | |
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vestige
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| n.痕迹，遗迹，残余 | |
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brutes
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| 兽( brute的名词复数 )； 畜生； 残酷无情的人； 兽性 | |
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owl
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| n.猫头鹰，枭 | |
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perch
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| n.栖木，高位，杆；v.栖息，就位，位于 | |
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penetrate
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| v.透(渗)入；刺入，刺穿；洞察，了解 | |
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penetrated
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| 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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32
rustling
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| n. 瑟瑟声，沙沙声 adj. 发沙沙声的 | |
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ailed
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| v.生病( ail的过去式和过去分词 )；感到不舒服；处境困难；境况不佳 | |
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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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shrill
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| adj.尖声的；刺耳的；v尖叫 | |
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darting
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| v.投掷，投射( dart的现在分词 )；向前冲，飞奔 | |
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thither
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| adv.向那里；adj.在那边的，对岸的 | |
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impatience
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| n.不耐烦，急躁 | |
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39
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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40
ravenous
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| adj.极饿的，贪婪的 | |
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41
surmising
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| v.臆测，推断( surmise的现在分词 )；揣测；猜想 | |
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42
abreast
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| adv.并排地；跟上(时代)的步伐，与…并进地 | |
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43
retraced
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| v.折回( retrace的过去式和过去分词 )；回忆；回顾；追溯 | |
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44
abrupt
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| adj.突然的，意外的；唐突的，鲁莽的 | |
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drawn
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| v.拖，拉，拔出；adj.憔悴的，紧张的 | |
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46
onset
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| n.进攻，袭击，开始，突然开始 | |
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47
savage
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| adj.野蛮的；凶恶的，残暴的；n.未开化的人 | |
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48
savagery
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| n.野性 | |
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49
determined
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| adj.坚定的；有决心的 | |
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50
futile
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| adj.无效的，无用的，无希望的 | |
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51
smeared
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| 弄脏； 玷污； 涂抹； 擦上 | |
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52
urchin
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| n.顽童；海胆 | |
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53
dreaded
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| adj.令人畏惧的；害怕的v.害怕，恐惧，担心( dread的过去式和过去分词) | |
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54
apprehensions
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| 疑惧 | |
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55
suffused
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| v.（指颜色、水气等）弥漫于，布满( suffuse的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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56
ledge
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| n.壁架，架状突出物；岩架，岩礁 | |
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57
crevices
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| n.（尤指岩石的）裂缝，缺口( crevice的名词复数 ) | |
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58
lurid
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| adj.可怕的；血红的；苍白的 | |
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59
orb
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| n.太阳；星球；v.弄圆；成球形 | |
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60
vouchsafed
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| v.给予，赐予( vouchsafe的过去式和过去分词 )；允诺 | |
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61
hind
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| adj.后面的，后部的 | |
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62
gilded
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| a.镀金的，富有的 | |
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63
outlawed
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| 宣布…为不合法（outlaw的过去式与过去分词形式） | |
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64
ushered
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| v.引，领，陪同( usher的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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65
descended
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| a.为...后裔的，出身于...的 | |
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66
tempted
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| v.怂恿（某人）干不正当的事；冒…的险（tempt的过去分词） | |
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67
wading
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| （从水、泥等）蹚，走过，跋( wade的现在分词 ) | |
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68
Forsaken
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| adj. 被遗忘的, 被抛弃的 动词forsake的过去分词 | |
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69
immunity
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| n.优惠；免除；豁免，豁免权 | |
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70
molestation
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| n.骚扰，干扰，调戏；折磨 | |
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71
concealed
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| a.隐藏的，隐蔽的 | |
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72
wont
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| adj.习惯于；v.习惯；n.习惯 | |
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73
quarry
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| n.采石场；v.采石；费力地找 | |
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74
plunged
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| v.颠簸( plunge的过去式和过去分词 )；暴跌；骤降；突降 | |
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75
brittle
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| adj.易碎的；脆弱的；冷淡的；(声音)尖利的 | |
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76
dilemma
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| n.困境，进退两难的局面 | |
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77
jaws
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| n.口部；嘴 | |
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78
pallid
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| adj.苍白的，呆板的 | |
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79
galloped
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| （使马）飞奔，奔驰( gallop的过去式和过去分词 )； 快速做[说]某事 | |
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80
conspicuousness
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| 显著，卓越，突出； 显著性 | |
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81
doomed
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| 命定的 | |
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82
glimmer
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| v.发出闪烁的微光；n.微光，微弱的闪光 | |
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83
beacon
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| n.烽火，（警告用的）闪火灯，灯塔 | |
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84
loath
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| adj.不愿意的；勉强的 | |
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85
abode
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| n.住处，住所 | |
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86
hesitation
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| n.犹豫，踌躇 | |
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87
squat
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| v.蹲坐，蹲下；n.蹲下；adj.矮胖的，粗矮的 | |
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88
squats
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| n.蹲坐，蹲姿( squat的名词复数 )；被擅自占用的建筑物v.像动物一样蹲下( squat的第三人称单数 )；非法擅自占用（土地或房屋）；为获得其所有权；而占用某片公共用地。 | |
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89
smuggler
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| n.走私者 | |
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90
sentry
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| n.哨兵，警卫 | |
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91
hoot
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| n.鸟叫声，汽车的喇叭声； v.使汽车鸣喇叭 | |
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92
commotion
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| n.骚动，动乱 | |
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93
recess
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| n.短期休息，壁凹（墙上装架子，柜子等凹处） | |
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94
niche
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| n.壁龛；合适的职务(环境、位置等) | |
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95
leisurely
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| adj.悠闲的；从容的，慢慢的 | |
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96
brink
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| n.(悬崖、河流等的)边缘，边沿 | |
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97
swerve
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| v.突然转向，背离；n．转向，弯曲，背离 | |
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98
murky
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| adj.黑暗的，朦胧的；adv.阴暗地，混浊地；n.阴暗；昏暗 | |
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99
ascent
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| n.(声望或地位)提高；上升，升高；登高 | |
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100
scent
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| n.气味，香味，香水，线索，嗅觉；v.嗅，发觉 | |
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101
numbing
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| adj.使麻木的，使失去感觉的v.使麻木，使麻痹( numb的现在分词 ) | |
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102
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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103
relentless
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| adj.残酷的，不留情的，无怜悯心的 | |
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104
cramping
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| 图像压缩 | |
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105
caverns
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| 大山洞，大洞穴( cavern的名词复数 ) | |
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106
bellowed
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| v.发出吼叫声，咆哮（尤指因痛苦）( bellow的过去式和过去分词 )；（愤怒地）说出（某事），大叫 | |
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107
heeded
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| v.听某人的劝告，听从( heed的过去式和过去分词 )；变平，使（某物）变平( flatten的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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108
promontory
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| n.海角；岬 | |
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109
treacherous
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| adj.不可靠的，有暗藏的危险的；adj.背叛的，背信弃义的 | |
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110
winding
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| n.绕，缠，绕组，线圈 | |
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111
precipice
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| n.悬崖，危急的处境 | |
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112
asylum
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| n.避难所，庇护所，避难 | |
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113
recoil
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| vi.退却，退缩，畏缩 | |
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114
swelling
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| n.肿胀 | |
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115
feats
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| 功绩，伟业，技艺( feat的名词复数 ) | |
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116
frantic
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| adj.狂乱的，错乱的，激昂的 | |
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117
galloping
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| adj. 飞驰的, 急性的 动词gallop的现在分词形式 | |
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118
agility
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| n.敏捷，活泼 | |
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119
mishap
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| n.不幸的事，不幸；灾祸 | |
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120
conjectured
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| 推测，猜测，猜想( conjecture的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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121
followers
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| 追随者( follower的名词复数 )； 用户； 契据的附面； 从动件 | |
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122
circumference
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| n.圆周，周长，圆周线 | |
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123
notch
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| n.(V字形)槽口，缺口，等级 | |
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124
lissom
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| adj.柔软的，轻快而优雅的 | |
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125
indent
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| n.订单，委托采购，国外商品订货单，代购订单 | |
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126
exhausted
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| adj.极其疲惫的，精疲力尽的 | |
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127
pendulum
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| n.摆，钟摆 | |
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128
grit
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| n.沙粒，决心，勇气；v.下定决心，咬紧牙关 | |
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129
lashed
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| adj.具睫毛的v.鞭打( lash的过去式和过去分词 )；煽动；紧系；怒斥 | |
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130
distress
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| n.苦恼，痛苦，不舒适；不幸；vt.使悲痛 | |
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131
deluge
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| n./vt.洪水，暴雨，使泛滥 | |
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132
distended
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| v.（使）膨胀，肿胀( distend的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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133
shrouding
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| n.覆盖v.隐瞒( shroud的现在分词 )；保密 | |
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134
buffeted
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| 反复敲打( buffet的过去式和过去分词 )； 连续猛击； 打来打去； 推来搡去 | |
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135
fangs
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| n.（尤指狗和狼的）长而尖的牙( fang的名词复数 )；（蛇的）毒牙；罐座 | |
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136
vein
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| n.血管，静脉；叶脉，纹理；情绪；vt.使成脉络 | |
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137
prospect
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| n.前景，前途；景色，视野 | |
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138
sanctuary
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| n.圣所，圣堂，寺庙；禁猎区，保护区 | |
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139
chapel
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| n.小教堂，殡仪馆 | |
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140
ordeal
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| n.苦难经历，（尤指对品格、耐力的）严峻考验 | |
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