A lightning-bolt exploded with a crash, and a cold, purple radiance briefly1 illuminated2 our surroundings. The air was filled with trees, wisps of grass, clods of earth. The distorted bodies of a man and a horse lay against the opposite bank of the depression—'twas they, doubtless, had stampeded our mounts. Apparently3 they had been hurled4 there by some caprice of the wind. I had a vision, too, of the strained faces of my comrades—Peter's little eyes very wide, Kachina's hair all tumbled about her face, Tawannears grimly watchful5. Then darkness again, and the steady, monotonous6 roar of the wind, no thing of puffs7 or gusts8, but a stupendous, overpowering blast of sheer strength that no living being could stand up to.
It was tricky9 and sly, ruthless and resourceful. It dropped pebbles10 and earth-clods on us. It eddied11 in the depression and created whirlpools which snatched at us lustfully12. And once there was a thud overhead and a crumbling13 of the bank—and a large tree rolled down upon us, the butt14 of the trunk missing Kachina by a hand's-breadth. But this last attack was really a blessing15 in disguise, for presently the rain came, and when the wind let up we were able to prop16 the tree against the bank, and it furnished some slight shelter, stripped though it was of leaves.
The rain was almost more terrible than the wind. For a while, indeed, the wind continued undiminished, lashing17 us with slanting18 columns of water that struck like liquid lances, the drops spurting19 up half a man's stature20 from the ground after the impact. Then, as the wind dropped, the rain came down perpendicularly21, whipping our naked bodies with icy rods. A chill permeated22 the air. We were so cold that our teeth chattered23. And the cold and the rain and the darkness continued, hour after hour.
How long it lasted I do not know, but I remember noting the lessening24 of the downpour, its swishing away in the East and the frosty twinkling of the stars. We were all too exhausted25 to think of anything except rest and we cowered26 beneath the tree-trunk, huddling27 close for warmth, and somehow slept. When we awoke the sun was rising, and the air was fresh and clear. The sky was cloudless and a soft blue. But all around us was strewn the wreckage28 of the storm.
The bodies of the man and horse the lightning-flash had revealed in the night still lay in two heaps of broken bones and pounded flesh. Three other horses, battered29 beyond recognition, were scattered30 along the bank of the shallow ravine or river-bed. Peering over the top of the bank we discovered that broad patches of the prairie had been denuded31 of grass, the underlying32 earth gouged33 up as though with a plough. The grove34 in which we had hidden was hacked35 and torn, an open swath cut through it, many trees down, all more or less mutilated.
Of the Tonkawas there was not a trace. Whatever casualties they had endured, plainly they had fled from so unlucky a spot; and that they had suffered by the storm we were convinced by ascertaining36 that the dead man the wind had blown into our hiding-place wore the hide cuirass which distinguished37 these raiders. Probably they had continued upon their way south as soon as the rain abated38 sufficiently39.
Our horses had vanished with equal completeness. The rain had washed out hoof-prints, and we had no means of tracking them. And I have often reflected upon the oddity of circumstance in twice throwing the spotted40 stallion in my path, only to separate us without warning after he had fulfilled his mission. I hope that Sunkawakan-kedeshka and his mares escaped the storm, and that he lived out his life, free and untamed, leading his herd41 upon the prairies. But I do not know. Destiny had its use for him. He served his dumb turn—and passed on.
Yet I like to think—and it may be I have imbibed42 somewhat of the red man's pagan philosophy from over-much dwelling43 in his society—that in this shadowy after-world of spirits, in which both red man and white profess44 belief, man shall find awaiting him the brave beasts that loved him on earth. There I may ride through the fields of asphodels, gripping between my knees the spirit-form of that which was Sunkawakan-kedeshka, feeling again the throb45 and strain of willing muscles, curbing46 the patient, tireless energy as I used to, watching the velvet47 ear that ever switched back for a kind word or drooped48 at a rebuke49. But I dream—as old men must.
Consider now our plight50. We who had been lately so harried51 by fate were once more exposed to its whimsies52. But recently prisoners, next free but weaponless, we were today at liberty and armed, but the horses upon which we had relied to expedite our passage of the plains were gone. Also, we required food for we had not eaten since noon of the day previous. Our nakedness I do not emphasize because Tawannears was an Indian and accustomed to it, and Peter and I had been habituated to it by years of exposure. For Kachina we had saved enough clothing to cover her, although she resented the distinction, and was as ready to bear her share of hardship as any of us.
Our food problem was solved temporarily by Peter, who insisted, and proved to our satisfaction that the flesh of the horses killed by the storm was still perfectly54 good. We ate it without avidity, tough, stringy meat, and sodden55 with moisture, but it sustained us for new efforts.
Having unburied our cache of weapons, we examined them carefully and were able to equip ourselves anew, Peter carrying the two extra quivers of arrows at his own insistence56. The two hide cuirasses, cumbrous garments of the thick neck-hide of the buffalo57 slowly dried by fire, we discarded as being too hot and confining and stinking58 of their former wearers. We likewise threw into the bed of the rivulet59 those knives and tomahawks for which we had no use, retaining four of each, of very fine Spanish steel, which the Tonkawas must have traded or ravaged60 from the Apache or other Southern tribes.
We were none of us disposed to continue eating horse-meat and we were all anxious to get as far as possible from a country which had been so singularly prolific61 in misfortune for us. So as soon as we had tested our bows and drunk deep of the brown stream that foamed62 along the gulch63, we set out northeastward, aiming to work back to the river we had been following ever since we quit the Eastern skirts of the Sky Mountains. We were governed in adopting this course by the same reasons which had influenced us before: we were afraid to venture away from water, we were more likely to find game near a river, and finally, it served as a guide to us in threading this pathless territory. To be sure, as we had proved already, there was more danger of meeting savages64 adjacent to a considerable river; but that was a risk we had to take. We were resolved to be doubly vigilant66 after our experiences with the Comanches and Tonkawas.
For three days we paralleled the river, pitching our course several miles to the south of it and approaching its banks only when we were driven to do so by need of water. During this time we fed on hares and a small animal which lived in multitudes in burrows67 under the prairies, besides a few fish which Tawannears caught in the river, employing a bone-hook he fashioned himself and a string of rawhide68 from Kachina's shirt. We saw no other men or large animals, and the country gave every indication of having been swept bare by the storm.
On the fourth day we began to sight buffalo, and supped to satisfaction on the luscious69 hump of a young cow Tawannears shot, overjoyed at this welcome change in our diet. But the buffalo were the cause of our undoing70. The small scattered herds71 that we first met were the usual advance-guards of an enormous army, grazing its way northward72, and in order not to be delayed by its slow progress we crossed the river to the North bank and hurried east, intending to loop the front of the main herd. This we succeeded in doing, and then decided73 to remain on that side of the river, inasmuch as we knew we must be far south of the point at which we sought to strike the Mississippi, and ought really to be heading rather north of east.
'Twas this move which brought fresh trouble upon us, albeit74 conducing in the long run to our salvation75. Had we remained on the south bank, we might have run the gauntlet of enemies by other means, but this story must have been shaped differently—additional evidence of the immutable76 determination of Destiny to govern the issue of our lives. And had we not been blinded by our desire for haste and the isolation77 we had found in the track of the storm we should have realized that the approach of so large a herd would be a bait for the first tribe whose scouts78 marked it down. But we were blinded—by accident or Destiny, as you please.
As I have said, we pushed on north of the river, adhering to our former plan of keeping out of sight of its channel, and scouting79 carefully the ground ahead. We never gave a thought to what was behind us, and were paralyzed when Kachina, idly surveying the country from the summit of one of the long, easy swells80 which broke the monotony of the level plains, caught Tawannears by the arm and pointed82 westward83, too surprised for words, fear and amazement84 struggling in her face.
It was the middle of the forenoon, a warm, bright Summer day, yet not warm enough to bring up the dancing heat-haze which played strange tricks with vision in these vast open spaces. The next swell81 behind us was some two or three miles distant, and over its crest85 were galloping86 a string of tiny figures—horsemen with waving lances and glaring white shields. We were as distinct to them as they were to us, and the fact that they gave no special sign of exultation87 at seeing us was proof sufficient that they had been following us for some time. They were trailing us, scores of them, ay, hundreds, as they poured over the crest of the swell in a colorful, barbaric stream of martial88 vigor—and they could travel three feet to our one. Of course, they had picked up our trail in riding down to the river to meet the buffalo herd, and had followed it with the insatiable curiosity and rapacious89 instinct of their race.
So much we reasoned in the first second of discovery. We wasted no time in conversation, but dodged90 below the crest of the swell and ran at top-speed for the river as offering the nearest available cover under its banks. But the wily savages behind us divined our plan, and when, after we had traveled a mile, Tawannears reconnoitered their positions, it was to learn that they had detached a troop to ride diagonally up the slope of the swell and so cut us off from our goal. Two hundred of them were abreast91 of us at that moment less than a mile away.
Tawannears halted.
"'Tis useless," he said brusquely. "We shall wind ourselves to no purpose. All that is left for us is to sell our lives dearly."
"Oh, Hawenneyu," he exclaimed, "and you, too, of the Honochenokeh, have you permitted Tawannears to escape all these perils93, to obtain his Lost Soul, and abandoned him at the end to Hanegoategeh? See, Tawannears calls upon you for aid. And upon you of the Deohako, Three Sisters of Sustenance94, Our Supporters! Tawannears calls upon you by right.
"Will you desert him when he has toiled95 and suffered so? Will you desert his white brothers who have been loyal through dangers no men ever dared before? Will you desert the Lost Soul who has been true to him in death, who returns with him from the land beyond the sunset, she who has traversed the Halls of Haniskaonogeh, the Dwelling-place of Evil, she who has passed with us through the lodge96 of Gaoh, lord of the winds, she who has defied Hanegoategeh?
"Oh, Tharon the Sky-holder, Tawannears calls upon you to uphold him! But if death must come, then, oh, Hawenneyu, let Tawannears and his Lost Soul die together! Let the white brothers go with us to the Halls of the Honochenokeh! Let us take with us the spirits of many warriors97! Grant us a good death, oh, Hawenneyu!"
I am a Christian98, but I thrilled to that prayer, and I called out—"Yo-hay!" after the manner of the People of the Long House.
"Whatever the gods say, we fight!" she said. "We fight where the arrow falls."
It quivered into the sod a hundred yards in front of us just under the crest of the swell.
"Ja, dot's as goodt a place as any," Peter agreed equably. "Andt now we fight, eh?"
We trotted101 up to the arrow and clustered around it as the flanking party of the attackers galloped102 over the crest between us and the river. They whooped103 their delight upon seeing they had headed us, and a warrior commenced to ride his pony104 in furious circles to signal the main body they had us at bay, whilst the rest raced back to engage us. In five minutes they had strung a ring and were drawing in closer and closer toward bowshot distance.
Of all the tribes we had seen these men were the handsomest and most imposing105. Tall, broad-shouldered, their bronze bodies shining with grease, they sat their pad-saddles, stirrupless, as though they were part of the horses under them. Their heads were shaven, except for a narrow ridge106 from forehead to scalplock, which was stiffened107 with paint and grease until it stood erect108 in semblance109 of a horn. Their faces were fierce, but intelligent. They proved their reckless valor110 by the way they overwhelmed us.
As bowmen they had no rivals. We opened upon them as soon as we thought we had a faint chance of driving a shaft111 or two home; but they, clinging to their horses, shooting sometimes from the opposite sides or even from under their bellies112, encumbered113, too, with lance and shield, were able to send in shaft for shaft, which we avoided only by rapidly shifting our ground. We saw at once that in an arrow-duel we stood no chance, and as they did not seem anxious to force conclusions immediately, at Tawannears' suggestion we suspended our fire. They promptly114 desisted from their attack, their restless circle hovering115 round and round us, ready to smother116 any attempt at escape.
"Why do they wait?" cried Kachina. "They surely do not fear us!"
"Not they!" retorted Tawannears. "These people are great warriors."
"Who are they?" I asked.
"Tawannears never saw them before, brother."
With hundreds of deep voices chanting rhythmically118, a mighty119 cavalcade120 came slowly over the summit of the swell, rank on rank of horsemen, the sunlight glinting on the white or painted surfaces of their shields, a forest of feathered lances standing121 above the horn-like headdresses. Leading them all was a warrior taller than the tallest, his chest arched like a demi-cask, the muscles playing on his huge shoulders as he controlled his mettlesome122 white horse. His face was as gravely handsome as Tawannears'; with a high forehead and a jutting123, beaked124 nose; but his eyes were the fierce, watchful eyes of a savage65, and his mouth was a cruel, thin line.
The warriors in the circle around us reined127 in their horses, tossed their lances aloft and joined their voices in the booming chant of their brethren. Two of them quirted out of the line and raced up to the chief on the white horse to report. We could see their animated128 gestures, the frequency with which they pointed at us. The chief raised his hand, the chant was stilled, and he rode through the circle, attended by the two messengers, or sub-chiefs, and halted within hail of us.
Tawannears strode forward to meet him, and I marveled at the assurance the Seneca conveyed in his attitude. It was as if he were backed by the whole force of the keepers of the Western Door.
"Who are you?" he demanded in the tone of one who holds power, speaking in the same mingled129 dialect of Comanche and Dakota he had used with the Tonkawas.
The chief on the white horse was manifestly amazed at Tawannears' assurance, but he replied quietly in the same tongue:
"They say I am Awa, war-chief of the Chahiksichahiks.* Who are you who walk on the ground with white men?"
* Men-of-men, the real name of the Pawnee, the latter name, meaning Horn-wearers, being their designation by other tribes.
"They call me Tawannears, warden130 of the Western Door of the Long House, war-chief of the Hodenosaunee," Tawannears shot back.
"Tawannears is many moons' journey from his teepee," rejoined Awa. "He did not come to our village and ask permission to cross our country."
"Why should a chief of the Long House ask permission to go on the Great Spirit's business?" returned Tawannears. "We have done your people no harm."
"If that is so," said the chief on the white horse, "render up to my people the maiden131 who is with you, and you may go free."
"Why?" asked Tawannears, bewildered.
"Every Summer Tirawa, the Old One in the Sky, sends my people a maid for a sacrifice. They say the maid with you comes to die on the scaffold under the morning star."
"They say lies," answered Tawannears with passion. "You shall not have her alive. She is holy."
Awa's reply was a gesture with his hand and a shouted order in his own language. A hundred warriors slipped from their horses in the first rank of the array outside the circle, dropped lances, shields and bows and ran toward us.
Tawannears, his face a mask of fury, ripped an arrow from his quiver and drove it at Awa's chest; but the chief on the white horse calmly interposed his shield and stopped it neatly132, and the charge of warriors on foot compelled the Seneca to run back to us. We, who had understood practically nothing of the dialogue which had passed, were uncertain what the situation meant. Tawannears, himself, was at a loss.
We loosed arrows as rapidly as we could draw from quivers and notch99 them. 'Twas impossible to miss at that point-blank range, and we killed a dozen men before they came to hand-grips. Then we used knife and hatchet134, Kachina as remorselessly as the rest of us, our assailants, evidently under Awa's orders, scrupulously135 refraining from drawing a weapon, lest they harm the girl who was destined136 for the sacrifice.
Back to back, striving to protect Kachina, we fought like wolves in famine-time, our arms aching from slaughter137, but the Pawnee would not give in. They dived betwixt the legs of their comrades who were grappling barehanded against our knives, and so pulled us down. Peter was last to go, a dozen men clinging to his limbs. Kachina, biting at her captors, was led struggling from the heap of bodies. We others were jerked to our feet, arms pinioned138 and dragged after her.
The Pawnee horsemen crowded around us and the men we had killed. The chief on the white horse stared with satisfaction at Kachina's lithe139 body, hardly covered by the rags of her garments, and grinned amusement when she spat140 at him, trying to plant her teeth in the arm of one of the men who restrained her. He turned from her to the panting, bleeding warriors who held us, and to the pile of dead around the arrow Kachina had shot into the air. It stood there yet, hub of an ill-omened wheel of corpses141, its feathers ruffling142 in the breeze. It seemed to fascinate him. His grin became a frown.
"You have made me pay a price for the girl," he said to Tawannears. "That is well. The Pawnee are not afraid to pay what Tirawa asks. But you shall pay now a price to me."
He drew his own bow from its case, and selected a shaft from the quiver at his side, notched it and aimed it at my chest.
"Awa will shoot you, one by one," he announced. "Afterward143 your hearts shall be cut out, and we will make strong medicine with them. This white man shall die first."
I had no more than time to smile at Tawannears and Peter when he pulled the bow-string taut144 and loosed. I had braced145 myself for the shock, knowing the shaft at that range must go clean through me. And certes, the blow was all that I had expected. I staggered before it. Had it not been for the warriors who held my arms I must have fallen backward.
Involuntarily I had shut my eyes. I opened them again, expecting to be in another world, marveling that the pain of an arrow in my vitals was no worse than a smart rap upon the chest. Around me I heard a gusty146 sigh, the sound made by many people expelling their breath. I looked down, wondering if I could still see myself, if the blood would be spurting or trickling147.
But I could find no wound. There was no arrow, no mark, no blood. I felt the savage holding my left arm sag53 strangely and turned to him. His face was gray, his eyes glazing148. The arrow which had struck me was projecting from his side, buried half-way to the head. He collapsed149 as I looked at him.
There was an audible gasp126 from the ranks of horsemen. I found Awa's face in the throng150, and noted151 that it was almost as ashen152 as that of the dying man beside me. The chief held the bow stiffly in his left band, right arm crooked153 as when he had loosed.
Tawannears laughed harshly.
"Strong medicine Awa has made!" he mocked. "He shot at my white brother an arm's-length away, and my brother turned the arrow against the great chief's warrior. Will Awa try again? Shall we make more medicine for him?"
Awa's arm was trembling as he returned the bow to its case.
"Your white brother has strong medicine," he admitted. "We will carry you all to our village, and our medicine-men shall try their magic upon you. Awa is a war-chief, not a maker154 of magic."
"We are both warriors and medicine-men!" Tawannears derided155 him mercilessly. "Shall we make trial of our medicine again?"
Awa abruptly156 reined his horse about, shouted an order and clattered157 off at the head of his cavalcade. Our guards first bound our arms loosely behind us, then tied strips of rawhide betwixt us and themselves, one on either side, and mounted us upon ponies158. Thus each of us was tied to a pair of the Pawnee.
I called to Tawannears as he was led by me.
"What happened? My eyes were shut. I——"
"Your Orenda is powerful, brother," he replied seriously. "It has spread its hand over our heads. Hawenneyu has used it to answer the prayer of Tawannears."
I bent161 my head. My chest was bare, unscarred. All it showed was the little deerskin pouch162 Guanaea had hung around my neck by a thong163 the day we left Deonundagaa, which had stayed by me through all our adventures. No Indian would have dreamed of taking it from me, for it contained my medicine, and the possibilities for evil inherent in interference with another man's medicine were boundless164.
I regarded the pouch idly, my mind occupied with the thought that it was practically the only possession with which I had started upon our journey that was still with me—and I was startled to see a slit165 in its front. I looked at it more closely. Yes, there was a slit, such a slit as an arrow-head might make.
What had Tawannears said?
"Your Orenda is powerful, brother."
And what had Guanaea said in hanging it there?
"That will protect you against all evils! A most powerful Orenda! I had it made by Hineogetah, the Medicine Man."
But that was ridiculous, I told myself! I had worn it to please Guanaea, and because her forethought had touched me. But was that a reason for subscribing166 to gross superstition167? This fetched me around to my starting-point. The fact remained that the bag had stopped an arrow. How? My mind cast back for further aid, and memory came to my rescue.
What had it contained?
"The fangs168 of a bull rattlesnake. That is the spirit to resist evil. The eye-tooth of a wolf. That is the spirit to resist courage."
The eye-tooth of a wolf! That had done it. I wiggled my chest-muscles and felt the protuberance under the draw-string—and beneath it a certain soreness. The arrow had driven head-on into the tooth and been diverted sideways into the warrior on my left. So mysterious as this are the wonders of Providence—or Destiny—or an Iroquois medicine man?
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briefly
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| adv.简单地，简短地 | |
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illuminated
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| adj.被照明的；受启迪的 | |
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apparently
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| adv.显然地；表面上，似乎 | |
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hurled
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| v.猛投，用力掷( hurl的过去式和过去分词 )；大声叫骂 | |
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watchful
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| adj.注意的，警惕的 | |
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monotonous
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| adj.单调的，一成不变的，使人厌倦的 | |
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puffs
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| n.吸( puff的名词复数 )；（烟斗或香烟的）一吸；一缕（烟、蒸汽等）；（呼吸或风的）呼v.使喷出( puff的第三人称单数 )；喷着汽（或烟）移动；吹嘘；吹捧 | |
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gusts
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| 一阵强风( gust的名词复数 )； （怒、笑等的）爆发； （感情的）迸发； 发作 | |
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tricky
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| adj.狡猾的，奸诈的；(工作等)棘手的，微妙的 | |
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pebbles
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| [复数]鹅卵石； 沙砾； 卵石，小圆石( pebble的名词复数 ) | |
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eddied
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| 起漩涡，旋转( eddy的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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lustfully
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crumbling
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butt
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| n.笑柄；烟蒂；枪托；臀部；v.用头撞或顶 | |
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blessing
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| n.祈神赐福；祷告；祝福，祝愿 | |
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prop
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| vt.支撑；n.支柱，支撑物；支持者，靠山 | |
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lashing
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| n.鞭打；痛斥；大量；许多v.鞭打( lash的现在分词 )；煽动；紧系；怒斥 | |
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slanting
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spurting
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| （液体，火焰等）喷出，（使）涌出( spurt的现在分词 )； （短暂地）加速前进，冲刺； 溅射 | |
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stature
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perpendicularly
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permeated
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chattered
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| （人）喋喋不休( chatter的过去式 )； 唠叨； （牙齿）打战； （机器）震颤 | |
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lessening
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| 减轻，减少，变小 | |
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exhausted
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| adj.极其疲惫的，精疲力尽的 | |
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cowered
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| v.畏缩，抖缩( cower的过去式 ) | |
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huddling
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| n. 杂乱一团, 混乱, 拥挤 v. 推挤, 乱堆, 草率了事 | |
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wreckage
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battered
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| adj.磨损的；v.连续猛击；磨损 | |
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scattered
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| adj.分散的，稀疏的；散步的；疏疏落落的 | |
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denuded
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| adj.[医]变光的，裸露的v.使赤裸( denude的过去式和过去分词 )；剥光覆盖物 | |
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underlying
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33
gouged
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| v.凿( gouge的过去式和过去分词 )；乱要价；（在…中）抠出…；挖出… | |
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34
grove
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| n.林子，小树林，园林 | |
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35
hacked
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| 生气 | |
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36
ascertaining
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| v.弄清，确定，查明( ascertain的现在分词 ) | |
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37
distinguished
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| adj.卓越的，杰出的，著名的 | |
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38
abated
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| 减少( abate的过去式和过去分词 )； 减去； 降价； 撤消（诉讼） | |
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39
sufficiently
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| adv.足够地，充分地 | |
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40
spotted
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| adj.有斑点的，斑纹的，弄污了的 | |
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41
herd
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| n.兽群，牧群；vt.使集中，把…赶在一起 | |
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42
imbibed
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| v.吸收( imbibe的过去式和过去分词 )；喝；吸取；吸气 | |
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43
dwelling
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| n.住宅，住所，寓所 | |
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44
profess
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| v.声称，冒称，以...为业，正式接受入教，表明信仰 | |
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45
throb
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| v.震颤，颤动；(急速强烈地)跳动，搏动 | |
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46
curbing
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| n.边石，边石的材料v.限制，克制，抑制( curb的现在分词 ) | |
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47
velvet
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| n.丝绒，天鹅绒；adj.丝绒制的，柔软的 | |
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48
drooped
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| 弯曲或下垂，发蔫( droop的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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49
rebuke
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| v.指责，非难，斥责 [反]praise | |
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50
plight
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| n.困境，境况，誓约，艰难；vt.宣誓，保证，约定 | |
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51
harried
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| v.使苦恼( harry的过去式和过去分词 )；不断烦扰；一再袭击；侵扰 | |
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52
whimsies
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| n.怪念头( whimsy的名词复数 )；异想天开；怪脾气；与众不同的幽默感 | |
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53
sag
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| v.下垂，下跌，消沉；n.下垂，下跌，凹陷，[航海]随风漂流 | |
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54
perfectly
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| adv.完美地，无可非议地，彻底地 | |
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55
sodden
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| adj.浑身湿透的；v.使浸透；使呆头呆脑 | |
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56
insistence
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| n.坚持；强调；坚决主张 | |
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57
buffalo
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| n.(北美)野牛；(亚洲)水牛 | |
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58
stinking
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|
| adj.臭的，烂醉的，讨厌的v.散发出恶臭( stink的现在分词 )；发臭味；名声臭；糟透 | |
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59
rivulet
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| n.小溪，小河 | |
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60
ravaged
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| 毁坏( ravage的过去式和过去分词 )； 蹂躏； 劫掠； 抢劫 | |
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61
prolific
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| adj.丰富的，大量的；多产的，富有创造力的 | |
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62
foamed
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| 泡沫的 | |
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63
gulch
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| n.深谷，峡谷 | |
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64
savages
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| 未开化的人，野蛮人( savage的名词复数 ) | |
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65
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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66
vigilant
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| adj.警觉的，警戒的，警惕的 | |
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67
burrows
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| n.地洞( burrow的名词复数 )v.挖掘（洞穴），挖洞( burrow的第三人称单数 )；翻寻 | |
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68
rawhide
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| n.生牛皮 | |
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69
luscious
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| adj.美味的；芬芳的；肉感的，引与性欲的 | |
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70
undoing
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| n.毁灭的原因，祸根；破坏，毁灭 | |
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71
herds
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| 兽群( herd的名词复数 )； 牧群； 人群； 群众 | |
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72
northward
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| adv.向北；n.北方的地区 | |
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73
decided
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| adj.决定了的，坚决的；明显的，明确的 | |
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74
albeit
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| conj.即使；纵使；虽然 | |
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75
salvation
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| n.（尤指基督）救世，超度，拯救，解困 | |
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76
immutable
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| adj.不可改变的，永恒的 | |
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77
isolation
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| n.隔离，孤立，分解，分离 | |
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78
scouts
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| 侦察员[机，舰]( scout的名词复数 )； 童子军； 搜索； 童子军成员 | |
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79
scouting
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| 守候活动，童子军的活动 | |
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80
swells
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| 增强( swell的第三人称单数 )； 肿胀； （使）凸出； 充满（激情） | |
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81
swell
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| vi.膨胀，肿胀；增长，增强 | |
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82
pointed
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|
| adj.尖的，直截了当的 | |
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83
westward
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|
| n.西方，西部；adj.西方的，向西的；adv.向西 | |
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84
amazement
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|
| n.惊奇，惊讶 | |
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85
crest
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|
| n.顶点；饰章；羽冠；vt.达到顶点；vi.形成浪尖 | |
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86
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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87
exultation
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| n.狂喜，得意 | |
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88
martial
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|
| adj.战争的，军事的，尚武的，威武的 | |
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89
rapacious
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| adj.贪婪的，强夺的 | |
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90
dodged
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| v.闪躲( dodge的过去式和过去分词 )；回避 | |
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91
abreast
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| adv.并排地；跟上(时代)的步伐，与…并进地 | |
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92
warrior
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| n.勇士，武士，斗士 | |
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93
perils
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| 极大危险( peril的名词复数 )； 危险的事（或环境） | |
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94
sustenance
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| n.食物，粮食；生活资料；生计 | |
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95
toiled
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| 长时间或辛苦地工作( toil的过去式和过去分词 )； 艰难缓慢地移动，跋涉 | |
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96
lodge
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| v.临时住宿，寄宿，寄存，容纳；n.传达室，小旅馆 | |
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97
warriors
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| 武士，勇士，战士( warrior的名词复数 ) | |
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98
Christian
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| adj.基督教徒的；n.基督教徒 | |
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99
notch
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| n.(V字形)槽口，缺口，等级 | |
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100
notched
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| a.有凹口的，有缺口的 | |
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101
trotted
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| 小跑，急走( trot的过去分词 )； 匆匆忙忙地走 | |
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102
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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103
whooped
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| 叫喊( whoop的过去式和过去分词 )； 高声说； 唤起 | |
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104
pony
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| adj.小型的；n.小马 | |
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105
imposing
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| adj.使人难忘的，壮丽的，堂皇的，雄伟的 | |
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106
ridge
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| n.山脊；鼻梁；分水岭 | |
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107
stiffened
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| 加强的 | |
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108
erect
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| n./v.树立，建立，使竖立；adj.直立的，垂直的 | |
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109
semblance
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| n.外貌，外表 | |
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110
valor
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| n.勇气，英勇 | |
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111
shaft
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| n.(工具的)柄，杆状物 | |
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112
bellies
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| n.肚子( belly的名词复数 )；腹部；（物体的）圆形或凸起部份；腹部…形的 | |
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113
encumbered
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| v.妨碍，阻碍，拖累( encumber的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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114
promptly
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| adv.及时地，敏捷地 | |
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115
hovering
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| 鸟( hover的现在分词 )； 靠近（某事物）； （人）徘徊； 犹豫 | |
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116
smother
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| vt./vi.使窒息；抑制；闷死；n.浓烟；窒息 | |
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117
spoke
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| 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 | |
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118
rhythmically
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| adv.有节奏地 | |
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119
mighty
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| adj.强有力的；巨大的 | |
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120
cavalcade
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| n.车队等的行列 | |
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121
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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122
mettlesome
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| adj.（通常指马等）精力充沛的，勇猛的 | |
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123
jutting
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| v.（使）突出( jut的现在分词 )；伸出；（从…）突出；高出 | |
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124
beaked
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| adj.有喙的，鸟嘴状的 | |
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125
gasped
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| v.喘气( gasp的过去式和过去分词 )；喘息；倒抽气；很想要 | |
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126
gasp
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| n.喘息，气喘；v.喘息；气吁吁他说 | |
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127
reined
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| 勒缰绳使（马）停步( rein的过去式和过去分词 )； 驾驭； 严格控制； 加强管理 | |
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128
animated
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| adj.生气勃勃的，活跃的，愉快的 | |
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129
mingled
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| 混合，混入( mingle的过去式和过去分词 )； 混进，与…交往[联系] | |
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130
warden
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| n.监察员，监狱长，看守人，监护人 | |
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131
maiden
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| n.少女，处女；adj.未婚的，纯洁的，无经验的 | |
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132
neatly
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| adv.整洁地，干净地，灵巧地，熟练地 | |
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133
hoarsely
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| adv.嘶哑地 | |
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134
hatchet
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| n.短柄小斧；v.扼杀 | |
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135
scrupulously
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| adv.一丝不苟地；小心翼翼地，多顾虑地 | |
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136
destined
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| adj.命中注定的；(for)以…为目的地的 | |
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137
slaughter
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| n.屠杀，屠宰；vt.屠杀，宰杀 | |
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138
pinioned
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| v.抓住[捆住]（双臂）( pinion的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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139
lithe
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| adj.(指人、身体)柔软的，易弯的 | |
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140
spat
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| n.口角，掌击；v.发出呼噜呼噜声 | |
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141
corpses
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| n.死尸，尸体( corpse的名词复数 ) | |
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142
ruffling
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| 弄皱( ruffle的现在分词 )； 弄乱； 激怒； 扰乱 | |
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143
afterward
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| adv.后来；以后 | |
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144
taut
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| adj.拉紧的，绷紧的，紧张的 | |
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145
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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146
gusty
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| adj.起大风的 | |
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147
trickling
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| n.油画底色含油太多而成泡沫状突起v.滴( trickle的现在分词 )；淌；使)慢慢走；缓慢移动 | |
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148
glazing
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| n.玻璃装配业；玻璃窗；上釉；上光v.装玻璃( glaze的现在分词 )；上釉于，上光；（目光）变得呆滞无神 | |
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149
collapsed
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| adj.倒塌的 | |
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150
throng
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| n.人群，群众；v.拥挤，群集 | |
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151
noted
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| adj.著名的，知名的 | |
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152
ashen
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| adj.灰的 | |
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153
crooked
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| adj.弯曲的；不诚实的，狡猾的，不正当的 | |
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154
maker
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| n.制造者，制造商 | |
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155
derided
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| v.取笑，嘲笑( deride的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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156
abruptly
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| adv.突然地，出其不意地 | |
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157
clattered
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| 发出咔哒声（clatter的过去式与过去分词形式） | |
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158
ponies
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| 矮种马，小型马( pony的名词复数 )； ￡25 25 英镑 | |
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159
shrilly
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| 尖声的； 光亮的，耀眼的 | |
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160
squeaked
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| v.短促地尖叫( squeak的过去式和过去分词 )；吱吱叫；告密；充当告密者 | |
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161
bent
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| n.爱好，癖好；adj.弯的；决心的，一心的 | |
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162
pouch
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| n.小袋，小包，囊状袋；vt.装...入袋中，用袋运输；vi.用袋送信件 | |
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163
thong
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| n.皮带；皮鞭；v.装皮带 | |
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164
boundless
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| adj.无限的；无边无际的；巨大的 | |
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165
slit
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| n.狭长的切口；裂缝；vt.切开，撕裂 | |
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166
subscribing
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| v.捐助( subscribe的现在分词 )；签署，题词；订阅；同意 | |
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167
superstition
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| n.迷信，迷信行为 | |
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168
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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