CHAPTER IV. TWO IN A DESERT.

Smith roused Mandeville two hours before dawn, and they boiled a quart-pot of tea, for the water would run to no more. They had to husband it. But before they drank Smith spoke¹ to his chum seriously.

 

"Do you know the odds² are against us, Mandy, old boy? I didn't put it right last night. Though it's bad going back, that chance is much the best."

 

"I'll do what you do," said the Baker³ obstinately⁴, brushing away a fly. "It's all one to me, old man."

 

"I'm going on," said Smith, with a curious, hard determination; "and I'll tell you why. I believe in this; I believe I'm going to strike it. I know there's gold out here. Yes, I know it as if I'd seen it, Mandy."

 

He drank a little tea, and munched⁵ a bit of damper.

 

"I want it, Mandy, bad. There's the devil to pay in England, and no pitch hot. I half-ruined my folks before I was twenty, and I heard last mail that everything was wrong; the old man crazy, and my mother living as she never lived before. And there's another woman in it, too. I'll tell you about it some day."

 

"But," asked Mandeville, "suppose you go under, Smith?"

 

"I sha'n't," said Smith; "and if I do, they'll know I'm dead, and can't help 'em. I've been a bad hat, old man, and if I rot in the sun it will serve me right."

 

Mandeville stopped rolling up his swag.

 

"You may be what you like, but you're a blooming good pal⁶," said he, "and if you're to corpse⁷ it here, I'll corpse it too. You stuck by me when I wanted a friend bad in Albany and at New Find. And that's enough say. If you're in it, I'm on."

 

He brought up the horses, which were not in such bad case as they might have been.

 

"They don't look so bloomin' bad," said the Baker.

 

"I'll tell you what, Smith, I believe there's a drop o' water round here somewhere. I heard a mosquito this morning, and it's a deal too dry for them if there ain't water."

 

He went to look, and at the end of the patch of timber, and just under the roots of a tree, he found mud marked with trampling⁸ hoofs⁹.

 

"It's a pity they didn't leave some, and then we could have filled up the bags," said the Baker. He went back and told his chum.

 

"We're in luck's way," said Smith, who was in a fever of suppressed excitement. "That saves a quart of water. I'd have given the poor devils a pint¹⁰ apiece, if we'd died ourselves."

 

And an hour before dawn they got away and travelled fast.

 

For two or three hours their north-east way led them through much the same country as they had passed through before, for it was as flat as a calm sea, and bare of scrub higher than a horse's knee. But when the sun was two hours up they came to a more rolling country, which was here and there broken by a dried creek¹¹ bed. Yet sign of water was none. It seemed that the heavy rain which had tempted¹² them out had not fallen there. Yet right ahead of them was a low range which looked timbered.

 

"How far is it?" asked the Baker.

 

"I should guess thirty miles," said Smith.

 

"Then it's not for to-day?"

 

"No," said Smith.

 

They rode on for an hour.

 

"If we get no water to-night, it's all up with the gee-gees," said the Baker.

 

And when they had ridden half a mile, Smith spoke.

 

"Yes, you're right," said he.

 

As he rode, his face twitched¹³, and his expression changed a thousand times. For he was wrought¹⁴ up to a strange pitch, and his nerves were tried. His face, which was thin and brown, and very finely cut, showed every thought in his mind, and the poor Baker watched it wonderingly.

 

"I wonder what's in his 'ead," said he. For just then Smith looked very gloomy.

 

"What's wrong?" he asked.

 

Smith turned in his saddle, and smiled an odd, far-away smile.

 

"I was thinking of champagne¹⁵ with ice in it. Oh, but it's well this moment that I'm not with it," he said.

 

"You're wonderful h'awkward to deal with when you're blind," said the Baker.

 

And Smith nodded.

 

"It's damned hard lines," said he presently.

 

"What's 'ard?"

 

"That my father drank," said Smith.

 

This took Mandeville aback.

 

"What!" he cried. "But I thort you said your father was a clergyman?"

 

Smith nodded.

 

"There's many a parson doing time," said he.

 

"What for?" asked the Baker in rather contemptuous disbelief.

 

But Smith did not answer.

 

"Shall we drink?" he asked.

 

And they wetted their parched¹⁶ throats. When the horses heard the terrible sound of pouring water, they turned their heads and whinnied pitifully.

 

"Poor, poor devils," said Smith. But he rode a bit harder.

 

Yet he gave them their pint at noon. It only aggravated¹⁷ their thirst, and when, after a little rest, they went on, they showed every sign of terrible distress¹⁸.

 

That night they camped in a dry gully in a broken country. With all their searching they could find no sign of water. They rose at midnight, and travelled north-east still, having now a little over a quart of water between them.

 

The next night they were across the first range, and Smith's horse fell and died. They cut the throat of Mandeville's horse in the morning, for they had no water left. But they did not speak, and looked half-askance at each other. It seemed an intolerable and brutal¹⁹ murder.

 

They now walked straight ahead in a fairly timbered country. Smith kept his eyes open for any sign of a native well; but he saw nothing.

 

"It's all a dream, Baker," said Smith. "I could believe anything. We are where no white man ever was. No one has been within two hundred miles of this place."

 

"Where are the others now?" asked the choking Baker.

 

But Smith spat²⁰ thickly.

 

"God knows."

 

And they walked for hours in bitter anguish²¹.

 

"It's a country of black enchantment," said Smith. "I daresay it doesn't exist; perhaps we don't exist. Perhaps we are only dreaming. It's devilish hot, Baker."

 

And Baker nodded painfully.

 

"What do you talk for?" he murmured.

 

"Because I must," answered his pal. "And there's gold here; I smell it. but I've brought you to your death, Baker."

 

Poor Mandeville laid his hand on Smith's arm, and looked at him like a dumb animal in pain.

 

"Never mind, old man. But my name's Baker, and I'm baked."

 

He turned blind as he spoke, and stumbled.

 

"Hold up, damn it," cried Smith, in agony which sounded like anger.

 

And he could have cried, if his thickening blood had not sucked every tear out of him. He put his arm round Baker, and they stumbled on till they came to a shady tree.

 

"I'm done," mumbled²² Mandeville, and he fell on his knees.

 

Smith got down by him.

 

"Oh," said the Baker, and he was half-unconscious. But he spoke.

 

Smith bent²³ down to catch what he said, but heard nothing.

 

 

 

And Smith laughed with a thin, dry laugh, and bending down, he kissed the Baker upon the low forehead, which held a faithful little soul now in the valley of the shadow of a horrible death.

 

Then Smith shook him.

 

"Rouse up, Baker."

 

And Mandeville drew back his mind to the bitter earth.

 

"Yes, old man."

 

"There may be water within reach, Baker. Now, listen and get hold of it. I'm going to look for water. If I don't come back, we're done. Do you understand?"

 

The Baker nodded, looking wistfully at his mate. Smith stooped and kissed him again. And the Baker smiled, as Smith went off towards the thicker timber.

1 spoke   

n.（车轮的）辐条；轮辐；破坏某人的计划；阻挠某人的行动 v.讲，谈（speak的过去式）；说；演说；从某种观点来说

参考例句：

• They sourced the spoke nuts from our company.他们的轮辐螺帽是从我们公司获得的。
• The spokes of a wheel are the bars that connect the outer ring to the centre.辐条是轮子上连接外圈与中心的条棒。

2 odds   

n.让步，机率，可能性，比率；胜败优劣之别

参考例句：

• The odds are 5 to 1 that she will win.她获胜的机会是五比一。
• Do you know the odds of winning the lottery once?你知道赢得一次彩票的几率多大吗？

3 baker   

n.面包师

参考例句：

• The baker bakes his bread in the bakery.面包师在面包房内烤面包。
• The baker frosted the cake with a mixture of sugar and whites of eggs.面包师在蛋糕上撒了一层白糖和蛋清的混合料。

4 obstinately   

ad.固执地，顽固地

参考例句：

• He obstinately asserted that he had done the right thing. 他硬说他做得对。
• Unemployment figures are remaining obstinately high. 失业数字仍然顽固地居高不下。

5 munched   

v.用力咀嚼（某物），大嚼( munch的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• She munched on an apple. 她在大口啃苹果。
• The rabbit munched on the fresh carrots. 兔子咯吱咯吱地嚼着新鲜胡萝卜。 来自辞典例句

6 pal   

n.朋友，伙伴，同志；vi.结为友

参考例句：

• He is a pal of mine.他是我的一个朋友。
• Listen,pal,I don't want you talking to my sister any more.听着，小子，我不让你再和我妹妹说话了。

7 corpse   

n.尸体，死尸

参考例句：

• What she saw was just an unfeeling corpse.她见到的只是一具全无感觉的尸体。
• The corpse was preserved from decay by embalming.尸体用香料涂抹以防腐烂。

8 trampling   

踩( trample的现在分词 )； 践踏； 无视； 侵犯

参考例句：

• Diplomats denounced the leaders for trampling their citizens' civil rights. 外交官谴责这些领导人践踏其公民的公民权。
• They don't want people trampling the grass, pitching tents or building fires. 他们不希望人们踩踏草坪、支帐篷或生火。

9 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：

• The stamp of the horse's hoofs on the wooden floor was loud. 马蹄踏在木头地板上的声音很响。 来自辞典例句
• The noise of hoofs called him back to the other window. 马蹄声把他又唤回那扇窗子口。 来自辞典例句

10 pint   

n.品脱

参考例句：

• I'll have a pint of beer and a packet of crisps, please.我要一品脱啤酒和一袋炸马铃薯片。
• In the old days you could get a pint of beer for a shilling.从前，花一先令就可以买到一品脱啤酒。

11 creek   

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。

12 tempted   

v.怂恿（某人）干不正当的事；冒…的险（tempt的过去分词）

参考例句：

• I was sorely tempted to complain, but I didn't. 我极想发牢骚，但还是没开口。
• I was tempted by the dessert menu. 甜食菜单馋得我垂涎欲滴。

13 twitched   

vt.& vi.（使）抽动，（使）颤动（twitch的过去式与过去分词形式）

参考例句：

• Her lips twitched with amusement. 她忍俊不禁地颤动着嘴唇。
• The child's mouth twitched as if she were about to cry. 这小孩的嘴抽动着，像是要哭。 来自《简明英汉词典》

14 wrought   

v.引起；以…原料制作；运转；adj.制造的

参考例句：

• Events in Paris wrought a change in British opinion towards France and Germany.巴黎发生的事件改变了英国对法国和德国的看法。
• It's a walking stick with a gold head wrought in the form of a flower.那是一个金质花形包头的拐杖。

15 champagne   

n.香槟酒；微黄色

参考例句：

• There were two glasses of champagne on the tray.托盘里有两杯香槟酒。
• They sat there swilling champagne.他们坐在那里大喝香槟酒。

16 parched   

adj.焦干的；极渴的；v.（使）焦干

参考例句：

• Hot winds parched the crops.热风使庄稼干透了。
• The land in this region is rather dry and parched.这片土地十分干燥。

17 aggravated   

使恶化( aggravate的过去式和过去分词 )； 使更严重； 激怒； 使恼火

参考例句：

• If he aggravated me any more I shall hit him. 假如他再激怒我，我就要揍他。
• Far from relieving my cough, the medicine aggravated it. 这药非但不镇咳，反而使我咳嗽得更厉害。

18 distress   

n.苦恼，痛苦，不舒适；不幸；vt.使悲痛

参考例句：

• Nothing could alleviate his distress.什么都不能减轻他的痛苦。
• Please don't distress yourself.请你不要忧愁了。

19 brutal   

adj.残忍的，野蛮的，不讲理的

参考例句：

• She has to face the brutal reality.她不得不去面对冷酷的现实。
• They're brutal people behind their civilised veneer.他们表面上温文有礼，骨子里却是野蛮残忍。

20 spat   

n.口角，掌击；v.发出呼噜呼噜声

参考例句：

• Her parents always have spats.她的父母经常有些小的口角。
• There is only a spat between the brother and sister.那只是兄妹间的小吵小闹。

21 anguish   

n.(尤指心灵上的)极度痛苦，烦恼

参考例句：

• She cried out for anguish at parting.分手时，她由于痛苦而失声大哭。
• The unspeakable anguish wrung his heart.难言的痛苦折磨着他的心。

22 mumbled   

含糊地说某事，叽咕，咕哝( mumble的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• He mumbled something to me which I did not quite catch. 他对我叽咕了几句话，可我没太听清楚。
• George mumbled incoherently to himself. 乔治语无伦次地喃喃自语。

23 bent   

n.爱好，癖好；adj.弯的；决心的，一心的

参考例句：

• He was fully bent upon the project.他一心扑在这项计划上。
• We bent over backward to help them.我们尽了最大努力帮助他们。