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CHAPTER XV
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Despite the nerve and body-racking experiences of the day before, Howard was up and on deck the next morning at the first peep of day, straining his eyes for sight of Jackson and the Joyces.
 
The need for instant action was strong upon him. He did not doubt that Forbes had sent the snake upon him, just as (judging from Mother Joyce’s tale to Dorothy) he had before sent it against one of Prudence1 Gallegher’s ill-fated husbands, and he only wondered that the doughty2 captain had not followed up the attack.
 
“I suppose the fellow didn’t know how devilish near he came to succeeding,” he muttered to himself grimly. “But he’ll bring his men next time, and we must fight or get out of his reach in a hurry. If Jackson and the others were only here!”
 
[193]But neither Jackson nor the Joyces were there. Strain his eyes as he might, Howard could see no moving figures anywhere on the wreck-pack, and, with an anxious sigh, he turned away to inspect the scene of the last night’s encounter.
 
Half submerged in the weed at the foot of the sloping deck he made out the great body of the snake, terrible even in death, and shuddered3 as he thought of what would inevitably4 have been his fate had Dorothy been less courageous5 or the iron stanchions been less honestly wrought6; these last, bent7 almost double, gave mute but effective evidence of the mighty8 power of the reptile9.
 
Wishing to save Dorothy, as far as he could, from all reminders10 of the contest, Howard lowered himself to the water’s edge and poked11 the snake down beneath the weed; then he climbed back to the taffrail and again searched the horizon for sight of Jackson.
 
This time his quest was successful. Approaching[194] over the wreckage12, quite near at hand, were four figures. As they drew nearer he recognized Jackson, the minister who had married him the day before, Mother Joyce, and his jailer of the day before. Each of the men carried several rifles over his shoulder, and was girt about with belts of cartridges13. Mother Joyce bore a less and indeterminable weight.
 
At Howard’s call, Dorothy came on deck to greet the newcomers. Rosy14 and smiling, with head erect15 and sparkling eyes, she looked little like the woebegone maiden16 who had answered Forbes’s call the day before.
 
Mother Joyce’s sharp eyes quickly spied the difference. “Holy mither! What’s this?” she cried. “And was it you, miss, that didn’t want to marry at all, at all? And was it you that was so sure that you and Mr. Howard could niver be anything to each other? Faith, look at the bright eyes and the blushing cheeks[195] of her! Sure, Tim, man, it carries me back forty years, so it does!” With a fond look she turned to the man beside her.
 
“Thrue for you, Kathleen, darlint,” he replied. “The top of the mornin’ to you, ma’am, and may you live a million years and have a hundred——”
 
“Arrah! Be still with your foolishness, Tim. Sure, you make the young lady blush.”
 
Meanwhile Jackson was explaining matters to Howard. He had, he said, circled round to the other side of the village and lurked17 there for several hours, waiting his chance. Then he had slipped up on the deck and run directly into Mother Joyce, who promptly18 whisked him below. “Cap’n Forbes’s big snake had got away, and he had gone after it,” continued the policeman, “and——”
 
Howard held up his hand. “It won’t get away again,” he interjected. “It came here.”
 
[196]“Here?”
 
Howard nodded. “Yes, it came here,” he repeated. “Came here and attacked me. It was a very intelligent snake—from Forbes’s standpoint. It would have killed me, beyond a doubt, but for Miss Fair—but for my wife. She shot it with your pistol, Jackson. But we haven’t time to talk about it now,” he concluded with some impatience19. “Go on with your story.”
 
Jackson, however, had little more to tell. In Forbes’s absence, it seems, he and the others had had no difficulty in getting at the rifles and ammunition20. Further, under Mother Joyce’s direction, he had broken open the captain’s private storeroom and procured21 a compass, sextant, and a chronometer22, which Mother Joyce had declared would enable them to navigate23 a boat as soon as they found one. “An’,” concluded Jackson, “I think we’d better be findin’ it soon, for Gallegher has gotten out a Gatling gun,[197] and is making every preparation to do us up for fair.”
 
“I expected something of the sort,” said Howard, nodding. “We shall be ready to leave the Queen the moment we have had breakfast. So, now, if you’ll come below——”
 
At the breakfast-table Howard unfolded his plan.
 
“None of us want to fight if we can help it,” he declared. “We haven’t anything to gain by it, and everything to lose. And we don’t want to stay near here. From all I can learn, Forbes has destroyed all the boats within fifty miles or so, and we must go at least that far away to have any chance of finding one. Now, what I propose is this: We will leave now in a few minutes, but instead of going north along the coast, which is what Forbes will expect us to do, we will go east straight into the pack, make a detour24 around the village, and come back to the coast to the south. By this means I think[198] we will outwit him, and can make our preparations in peace. Without a compass, I might have hesitated to go into the depths of the pack, but since Mother Joyce has brought us one, we can afford to risk it. As there will probably be nothing to eat there, we must take food and water enough to carry us through. I have already made up three bundles of these, and it will take only a few moments to prepare three more. Then we can be off.”
 
Ten minutes later the party left the Queen forever. Dorothy’s eyes were streaming wet as she looked at the vessel25 for the last time.
 
“Frank! Frank!” she murmured. “We’ve been happy on her, after all. Shall we be equally happy elsewhere? I—I would be glad to stay here with you if— Oh! I know it’s impossible, of course. We must go back to the world and clear your name. Yes, we will! We must! God is good. I have confidence in His justice.[199] He would not have let me love you so much if He didn’t mean to clear you.”
 
Hand in hand the two followed the others, already well ahead, plunging26 straight into the wreck-pack. Howard drew a long breath when they were well away without having seen any sign of Forbes or his companions. Unfortunately, though he saw no one, he did not go unseen. As the little party vanished among the tangle27 of masts and sails, a man rose from behind a deckhouse, where he had been lurking28, and peered after it till certain of its course, then he set off for the village as fast as he could go.

点击收听单词发音收听单词发音  

1 prudence 9isyI     
n.谨慎,精明,节俭
参考例句:
  • A lack of prudence may lead to financial problems.不够谨慎可能会导致财政上出现问题。
  • The happy impute all their success to prudence or merit.幸运者都把他们的成功归因于谨慎或功德。
2 doughty Jk5zg     
adj.勇猛的,坚强的
参考例句:
  • Most of successful men have the characteristics of contumacy and doughty.绝大多数成功人士都有共同的特质:脾气倔强,性格刚强。
  • The doughty old man battled his illness with fierce determination.坚强的老人用巨大毅力与疾病作斗争。
3 shuddered 70137c95ff493fbfede89987ee46ab86     
v.战栗( shudder的过去式和过去分词 );发抖;(机器、车辆等)突然震动;颤动
参考例句:
  • He slammed on the brakes and the car shuddered to a halt. 他猛踩刹车,车颤抖着停住了。 来自《简明英汉词典》
  • I shuddered at the sight of the dead body. 我一看见那尸体就战栗。 来自《简明英汉词典》
4 inevitably x7axc     
adv.不可避免地;必然发生地
参考例句:
  • In the way you go on,you are inevitably coming apart.照你们这样下去,毫无疑问是会散伙的。
  • Technological changes will inevitably lead to unemployment.技术变革必然会导致失业。
5 courageous HzSx7     
adj.勇敢的,有胆量的
参考例句:
  • We all honour courageous people.我们都尊重勇敢的人。
  • He was roused to action by courageous words.豪言壮语促使他奋起行动。
6 wrought EoZyr     
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。
7 bent QQ8yD     
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。
8 mighty YDWxl     
adj.强有力的;巨大的
参考例句:
  • A mighty force was about to break loose.一股巨大的力量即将迸发而出。
  • The mighty iceberg came into view.巨大的冰山出现在眼前。
9 reptile xBiz7     
n.爬行动物;两栖动物
参考例句:
  • The frog is not a true reptile.青蛙并非真正的爬行动物。
  • So you should not be surprised to see someone keep a reptile as a pet.所以,你不必惊奇有人养了一只爬行动物作为宠物。
10 reminders aaaf99d0fb822f809193c02b8cf69fba     
n.令人回忆起…的东西( reminder的名词复数 );提醒…的东西;(告知该做某事的)通知单;提示信
参考例句:
  • The film evokes chilling reminders of the war. 这部电影使人们回忆起战争的可怕场景。
  • The strike has delayed the mailing of tax reminders. 罢工耽搁了催税单的投寄。
11 poked 87f534f05a838d18eb50660766da4122     
v.伸出( poke的过去式和过去分词 );戳出;拨弄;与(某人)性交
参考例句:
  • She poked him in the ribs with her elbow. 她用胳膊肘顶他的肋部。
  • His elbow poked out through his torn shirt sleeve. 他的胳膊从衬衫的破袖子中露了出来。 来自《简明英汉词典》
12 wreckage nMhzF     
n.(失事飞机等的)残骸,破坏,毁坏
参考例句:
  • They hauled him clear of the wreckage.他们把他从形骸中拖出来。
  • New states were born out of the wreckage of old colonial empires.新生国家从老殖民帝国的废墟中诞生。
13 cartridges 17207f2193d1e05c4c15f2938c82898d     
子弹( cartridge的名词复数 ); (打印机的)墨盒; 录音带盒; (唱机的)唱头
参考例句:
  • computer consumables such as disks and printer cartridges 如磁盘、打印机墨盒之类的电脑耗材
  • My new video game player came with three game cartridges included. 我的新电子游戏机附有三盘游戏带。
14 rosy kDAy9     
adj.美好的,乐观的,玫瑰色的
参考例句:
  • She got a new job and her life looks rosy.她找到一份新工作,生活看上去很美好。
  • She always takes a rosy view of life.她总是对生活持乐观态度。
15 erect 4iLzm     
n./v.树立,建立,使竖立;adj.直立的,垂直的
参考例句:
  • She held her head erect and her back straight.她昂着头,把背挺得笔直。
  • Soldiers are trained to stand erect.士兵们训练站得笔直。
16 maiden yRpz7     
n.少女,处女;adj.未婚的,纯洁的,无经验的
参考例句:
  • The prince fell in love with a fair young maiden.王子爱上了一位年轻美丽的少女。
  • The aircraft makes its maiden flight tomorrow.这架飞机明天首航。
17 lurked 99c07b25739e85120035a70192a2ec98     
vi.潜伏,埋伏(lurk的过去式与过去分词形式)
参考例句:
  • The murderers lurked behind the trees. 谋杀者埋伏在树后。 来自《简明英汉词典》
  • Treachery lurked behind his smooth manners. 他圆滑姿态的后面潜伏着奸计。 来自《现代英汉综合大词典》
18 promptly LRMxm     
adv.及时地,敏捷地
参考例句:
  • He paid the money back promptly.他立即还了钱。
  • She promptly seized the opportunity his absence gave her.她立即抓住了因他不在场给她创造的机会。
19 impatience OaOxC     
n.不耐烦,急躁
参考例句:
  • He expressed impatience at the slow rate of progress.进展缓慢,他显得不耐烦。
  • He gave a stamp of impatience.他不耐烦地跺脚。
20 ammunition GwVzz     
n.军火,弹药
参考例句:
  • A few of the jeeps had run out of ammunition.几辆吉普车上的弹药已经用光了。
  • They have expended all their ammunition.他们把弹药用光。
21 procured 493ee52a2e975a52c94933bb12ecc52b     
v.(努力)取得, (设法)获得( procure的过去式和过去分词 );拉皮条
参考例句:
  • These cars are to be procured through open tender. 这些汽车要用公开招标的办法购买。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》
  • A friend procured a position in the bank for my big brother. 一位朋友为我哥哥谋得了一个银行的职位。 来自《用法词典》
22 chronometer CVWyh     
n.精密的计时器
参考例句:
  • Murchison followed with his eye the hand of his chronometer.莫奇生的眼睛追随着他的时计的秒针。
  • My watch is more expensive because it's a chronometer.我的手表是精密型的,所以要比你的贵。
23 navigate 4Gyxu     
v.航行,飞行;导航,领航
参考例句:
  • He was the first man to navigate the Atlantic by air.他是第一个飞越大西洋的人。
  • Such boats can navigate on the Nile.这种船可以在尼罗河上航行。
24 detour blSzz     
n.绕行的路,迂回路;v.迂回,绕道
参考例句:
  • We made a detour to avoid the heavy traffic.我们绕道走,避开繁忙的交通。
  • He did not take the direct route to his home,but made a detour around the outskirts of the city.他没有直接回家,而是绕到市郊兜了个圈子。
25 vessel 4L1zi     
n.船舶;容器,器皿;管,导管,血管
参考例句:
  • The vessel is fully loaded with cargo for Shanghai.这艘船满载货物驶往上海。
  • You should put the water into a vessel.你应该把水装入容器中。
26 plunging 5fe12477bea00d74cd494313d62da074     
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:
  • War broke out again, plunging the people into misery and suffering. 战祸复发,生灵涂炭。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》
  • He is plunging into an abyss of despair. 他陷入了绝望的深渊。 来自《简明英汉词典》
27 tangle yIQzn     
n.纠缠;缠结;混乱;v.(使)缠绕;变乱
参考例句:
  • I shouldn't tangle with Peter.He is bigger than me.我不应该与彼特吵架。他的块头比我大。
  • If I were you, I wouldn't tangle with them.我要是你,我就不跟他们争吵。
28 lurking 332fb85b4d0f64d0e0d1ef0d34ebcbe7     
潜在
参考例句:
  • Why are you lurking around outside my house? 你在我房子外面鬼鬼祟祟的,想干什么?
  • There is a suspicious man lurking in the shadows. 有一可疑的人躲在阴暗中。 来自《现代英汉综合大词典》


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