“Thou hast been busy, Death, this day, and yet
But half thy work is done! The gates of hell
Are thronged1, yet twice ten thousand spirits more
Who from their warm and healthful tenements2
Fear no divorce; must, ere the sun go down,
Southey, Roderick, the Last of the Goths, XXIV, i-6.
One experienced in the signs of the heavens, would have seen that the sun wanted but two or three minutes of the zenith, when Deerslayer landed on the point, where the Hurons were now encamped, nearly abreast5 of the castle. This spot was similar to the one already described, with the exception that the surface of the land was less broken, and less crowded with trees. Owing to these two circumstances, it was all the better suited to the purpose for which it had been selected, the space beneath the branches bearing some resemblance to a densely6 wooded lawn. Favoured by its position and its spring, it had been much resorted to by savages8 and hunters, and the natural grasses had succeeded their fires, leaving an appearance of sward in places, a very unusual accompaniment of the virgin10 forest. Nor was the margin11 of water fringed with bushes, as on so much of its shore, but the eye penetrated12 the woods immediately on reaching the strand13, commanding nearly the whole area of the projection14.
If it was a point of honor with the Indian warrior15 to redeem16 his word, when pledged to return and meet his death at a given hour, so was it a point of characteristic pride to show no womanish impatience17, but to reappear as nearly as possible at the appointed moment. It was well not to exceed the grace accorded by the generosity19 of the enemy, but it was better to meet it to a minute. Something of this dramatic effect mingles20 with most of the graver usages of the American aborigines, and no doubt, like the prevalence of a similar feeling among people more sophisticated and refined, may be referred to a principle of nature. We all love the wonderful, and when it comes attended by chivalrous21 self-devotion and a rigid22 regard to honor, it presents itself to our admiration23 in a shape doubly attractive. As respects Deerslayer, though he took a pride in showing his white blood, by often deviating24 from the usages of the red-men, he frequently dropped into their customs, and oftener into their feelings, unconsciously to himself, in consequence of having no other arbiters25 to appeal to, than their judgments26 and tastes. On the present occasion, he would have abstained28 from betraying a feverish29 haste by a too speedy return, since it would have contained a tacit admission that the time asked for was more than had been wanted; but, on the other hand, had the idea occurred to him, he would have quickened his movements a little, in order to avoid the dramatic appearance of returning at the precise instant set as the utmost limit of his absence. Still, accident had interfered30 to defeat the last intention, for when the young man put his foot on the point, and advanced with a steady tread towards the group of chiefs that was seated in grave array on a fallen tree, the oldest of their number cast his eye upward, at an opening in the trees, and pointed18 out to his companions the startling fact that the sun was just entering a space that was known to mark the zenith. A common, but low exclamation31 of surprise and admiration escaped every mouth, and the grim warriors32 looked at each other, some with envy and disappointment, some with astonishment33 at the precise accuracy of their victim, and others with a more generous and liberal feeling. The American Indian always deemed his moral victories the noblest, prizing the groans34 and yielding of his victim under torture, more than the trophy35 of his scalp; and the trophy itself more than his life. To slay4, and not to bring off the proof of victory, indeed, was scarcely deemed honorable, even these rude and fierce tenants36 of the forest, like their more nurtured37 brethren of the court and the camp, having set up for themselves imaginary and arbitrary points of honor, to supplant38 the conclusions of the right and the decisions of reason.
The Hurons had been divided in their opinions concerning the probability of their captive’s return. Most among them, indeed, had not expected it possible for a pale-face to come back voluntarily, and meet the known penalties of an Indian torture; but a few of the seniors expected better things from one who had already shown himself so singularly cool, brave and upright. The party had come to its decision, however, less in the expectation of finding the pledge redeemed39, than in the hope of disgracing the Delawares by casting into their teeth the delinquency of one bred in their villages. They would have greatly preferred that Chingachgook should be their prisoner, and prove the traitor40, but the pale-face scion41 of the hated stock was no bad substitute for their purposes, failing in their designs against the ancient stem. With a view to render their triumph as signal as possible, in the event of the hour’s passing without the reappearance of the hunter, all the warriors and scouts42 of the party had been called in, and the whole band, men, women and children, was now assembled at this single point, to be a witness of the expected scene. As the castle was in plain view, and by no means distant, it was easily watched by daylight, and, it being thought that its inmates43 were now limited to Hurry, the Delaware and the two girls, no apprehensions44 were felt of their being able to escape unseen. A large raft having a breast-work of logs had been prepared, and was in actual readiness to be used against either Ark or castle as occasion might require, so soon as the fate of Deerslayer was determined45, the seniors of the party having come to the opinion that it was getting to be hazardous46 to delay their departure for Canada beyond the coming night. In short the band waited merely to dispose of this single affair, ere it brought matters with those in the Castle to a crisis, and prepared to commence its retreat towards the distant waters of Ontario.
It was an imposing47 scene into which Deerslayer now found himself advancing. All the older warriors were seated on the trunk of the fallen tree, waiting his approach with grave decorum. On the right stood the young men, armed, while left was occupied by the women and children. In the centre was an open space of considerable extent, always canopied48 by trees, but from which the underbrush, dead wood, and other obstacles had been carefully removed. The more open area had probably been much used by former parties, for this was the place where the appearance of a sward was the most decided50. The arches of the woods, even at high noon, cast their sombre shadows on the spot, which the brilliant rays of the sun that struggled through the leaves contributed to mellow51, and, if such an expression can be used, to illuminate52. It was probably from a similar scene that the mind of man first got its idea of the effects of gothic tracery and churchly hues53, this temple of nature producing some such effect, so far as light and shadow were concerned, as the well-known offspring of human invention.
As was not unusual among the tribes and wandering bands of the Aborigines, two chiefs shared, in nearly equal degrees, the principal and primitive54 authority that was wielded55 over these children of the forest. There were several who might claim the distinction of being chief men, but the two in question were so much superior to all the rest in influence, that, when they agreed, no one disputed their mandates56, and when they were divided the band hesitated, like men who had lost their governing principle of action. It was also in conformity57 with practice, perhaps we might add in conformity with nature, that one of the chiefs was indebted to his mind for his influence, whereas the other owed his distinction altogether to qualities that were physical. One was a senior, well known for eloquence58 in debate, wisdom in council, and prudence59 in measures; while his great competitor, if not his rival, was a brave distinguished60 in war, notorious for ferocity, and remarkable61, in the way of intellect, for nothing but the cunning and expedients63 of the war path. The first was Rivenoak, who has already been introduced to the reader, while the last was called le Panth’ere, in the language of the Canadas, or the Panther, to resort to the vernacular64 of the English colonies. The appellation65 of the fighting chief was supposed to indicate the qualities of the warrior, agreeably to a practice of the red man’s nomenclature, ferocity, cunning and treachery being, perhaps, the distinctive66 features of his character. The title had been received from the French, and was prized so much the more from that circumstance, the Indian submitting profoundly to the greater intelligence of his pale-face allies, in most things of this nature. How well the sobriquet67 was merited will be seen in the sequel.
Rivenoak and the Panther sat side by side awaiting the approach of their prisoner, as Deerslayer put his moccasined foot on the strand, nor did either move, or utter a syllable68, until the young man had advanced into the centre of the area, and proclaimed his presence with his voice. This was done firmly, though in the simple manner that marked the character of the individual.
“Here I am, Mingos,” he said, in the dialect of the Delawares, a language that most present understood; “here I am, and there is the sun. One is not more true to the laws of natur’, than the other has proved true to his word. I am your prisoner; do with me what you please. My business with man and ‘arth is settled; nothing remains69 now but to meet the white man’s God, accordin’ to a white man’s duties and gifts.”
A murmur70 of approbation71 escaped even the women at this address, and, for an instant there was a strong and pretty general desire to adopt into the tribe one who owned so brave a spirit. Still there were dissenters72 from this wish, among the principal of whom might be classed the Panther, and his sister, le Sumach, so called from the number of her children, who was the widow of le Loup Cervier, now known to have fallen by the hand of the captive. Native ferocity held one in subjection, while the corroding73 passion of revenge prevented the other from admitting any gentler feeling at the moment. Not so with Rivenoak. This chief arose, stretched his arm before him in a gesture of courtesy, and paid his compliments with an ease and dignity that a prince might have envied. As, in that band, his wisdom and eloquence were confessedly without rivals, he knew that on himself would properly fall the duty of first replying to the speech of the pale-face.
“Pale-face, you are honest,” said the Huron orator74. “My people are happy in having captured a man, and not a skulking75 fox. We now know you; we shall treat you like a brave. If you have slain76 one of our warriors, and helped to kill others, you have a life of your own ready to give away in return. Some of my young men thought that the blood of a pale-face was too thin; that it would refuse to run under the Huron knife. You will show them it is not so; your heart is stout77, as well as your body. It is a pleasure to make such a prisoner; should my warriors say that the death of le Loup Cervier ought not to be forgotten, and that he cannot travel towards the land of spirits alone, that his enemy must be sent to overtake him, they will remember that he fell by the hand of a brave, and send you after him with such signs of our friendship as shall not make him ashamed to keep your company. I have spoken; you know what I have said.”
“True enough, Mingo, all true as the gospel,” returned the simple minded hunter, “you have spoken, and I do know not only what you have said, but, what is still more important, what you mean. I dare to say your warrior the Lynx was a stout-hearted brave, and worthy79 of your fri’ndship and respect, but I do not feel unworthy to keep his company, without any passport from your hands. Nevertheless, here I am, ready to receive judgment27 from your council, if, indeed, the matter was not detarmined among you afore I got back.”
“My old men would not sit in council over a pale-face until they saw him among them,” answered Rivenoak, looking around him a little ironically; “they said it would be like sitting in council over the winds; they go where they will, and come back as they see fit, and not otherwise. There was one voice that spoke78 in your favor, Deerslayer, but it was alone, like the song of the wren80 whose mate has been struck by the hawk81.”
“I thank that voice whosever it may have been, Mingo, and will say it was as true a voice as the rest were lying voices. A furlough is as binding82 on a pale-face, if he be honest, as it is on a red-skin, and was it not so, I would never bring disgrace on the Delawares, among whom I may be said to have received my edication. But words are useless, and lead to braggin’ feelin’s; here I am; act your will on me.”
Rivenoak made a sign of acquiescence83, and then a short conference was privately84 held among the chiefs. As soon as the latter ended, three or four young men fell back from among the armed group, and disappeared. Then it was signified to the prisoner that he was at liberty to go at large on the point, until a council was held concerning his fate. There was more of seeming, than of real confidence, however, in this apparent liberality, inasmuch as the young men mentioned already formed a line of sentinels across the breadth of the point, inland, and escape from any other part was out of the question. Even the canoe was removed beyond this line of sentinels, to a spot where it was considered safe from any sudden attempt. These precautions did not proceed from a failure of confidence, but from the circumstance that the prisoner had now complied with all the required conditions of his parole, and it would have been considered a commendable85 and honorable exploit to escape from his foes86. So nice, indeed, were the distinctions drawn87 by the savages in cases of this nature, that they often gave their victims a chance to evade88 the torture, deeming it as creditable to the captors to overtake, or to outwit a fugitive89, when his exertions90 were supposed to be quickened by the extreme jeopardy91 of his situation, as it was for him to get clear from so much extraordinary vigilance.
Nor was Deerslayer unconscious of, or forgetful, of his rights and of his opportunities. Could he now have seen any probable opening for an escape, the attempt would not have been delayed a minute. But the case seem’d desperate. He was aware of the line of sentinels, and felt the difficulty of breaking through it, unharmed. The lake offered no advantages, as the canoe would have given his foes the greatest facilities for overtaking him; else would he have found it no difficult task to swim as far as the castle. As he walked about the point, he even examined the spot to ascertain92 if it offered no place of concealment93, but its openness, its size, and the hundred watchful94 glances that were turned towards him, even while those who made them affected95 not to see him, prevented any such expedient62 from succeeding. The dread96 and disgrace of failure had no influence on Deerslayer, who deemed it even a point of honor to reason and feel like a white man, rather than as an Indian, and who felt it a sort of duty to do all he could that did not involve a dereliction from principle, in order to save his life. Still he hesitated about making the effort, for he also felt that he ought to see the chance of success before he committed himself.
In the mean time the business of the camp appeared to proceed in its regular train. The chiefs consulted apart, admitting no one but the Sumach to their councils, for she, the widow of the fallen warrior, had an exclusive right to be heard on such an occasion. The young men strolled about in indolent listlessness, awaiting the result with Indian patience, while the females prepared the feast that was to celebrate the termination of the affair, whether it proved fortunate or otherwise for our hero. No one betrayed feeling, and an indifferent observer, beyond the extreme watchfulness97 of the sentinels, would have detected no extraordinary movement or sensation to denote the real state of things. Two or three old women put their heads together, and it appeared unfavorably to the prospects98 of Deerslayer, by their scowling99 looks, and angry gestures; but a group of Indian girls were evidently animated100 by a different impulse, as was apparent by stolen glances that expressed pity and regret. In this condition of the camp, an hour soon glided101 away.
Suspense102 is perhaps the feeling of all others that is most difficult to be supported. When Deerslayer landed, he fully49 expected in the course of a few minutes to undergo the tortures of an Indian revenge, and he was prepared to meet his fate manfully; but, the delay proved far more trying than the nearer approach of suffering, and the intended victim began seriously to meditate103 some desperate effort at escape, as it might be from sheer anxiety to terminate the scene, when he was suddenly summoned, to appear once more in front of his judges, who had already arranged the band in its former order, in readiness to receive him.
“Killer104 of the Deer,” commenced Rivenoak, as soon as his captive stood before him, “my aged105 men have listened to wise words; they are ready to speak. You are a man whose fathers came from beyond the rising sun; we are children of the setting sun; we turn our faces towards the Great Sweet Lakes, when we look towards our villages. It may be a wide country and full of riches towards the morning, but it is very pleasant towards the evening. We love most to look in that direction. When we gaze at the east, we feel afraid, canoe after canoe bringing more and more of your people in the track of the sun, as if their land was so full as to run over. The red men are few already; they have need of help. One of our best lodges107 has lately been emptied by the death of its master; it will be a long time before his son can grow big enough to sit in his place. There is his widow; she will want venison to feed her and her children, for her sons are yet like the young of the robin108, before they quit the nest. By your hand has this great calamity109 befallen her. She has two duties; one to le Loup Cervier, and one to his children. Scalp for scalp, life for life, blood for blood, is one law; to feed her young, another. We know you, Killer of the Deer. You are honest; when you say a thing, it is so. You have but one tongue, and that is not forked, like a snake’s. Your head is never hid in the grass; all can see it. What you say, that will you do. You are just. When you have done wrong, it is your wish to do right, again, as soon as you can. Here, is the Sumach; she is alone in her wigwam, with children crying around her for food — yonder is a rifle; it is loaded and ready to be fired. Take the gun, go forth110 and shoot a deer; bring the venison and lay it before the widow of Le Loup Cervier, feed her children; call yourself her husband. After which, your heart will no longer be Delaware, but Huron; le Sumach’s ears will not hear the cries of her children; my people will count the proper number of warriors.”
“I fear’d this, Rivenoak,” answered Deerslayer, when the other had ceased speaking —“yes, I did dread that it would come to this. Howsever, the truth is soon told, and that will put an end to all expectations on this head. Mingo, I’m white and Christian111 born; ‘t would ill become me to take a wife, under red-skin forms, from among heathen. That which I wouldn’t do, in peaceable times, and under a bright sun, still less would I do behind clouds, in order to save my life. I may never marry; most likely Providence112 in putting me up here in the woods, has intended I should live single, and without a lodge106 of my own; but should such a thing come to pass, none but a woman of my own colour and gifts shall darken the door of my wigwam. As for feeding the young of your dead warrior, I would do that cheerfully, could it be done without discredit113; but it cannot, seeing that I can never live in a Huron village. Your own young men must find the Sumach in venison, and the next time she marries, let her take a husband whose legs are not long enough to overrun territory that don’t belong to him. We fou’t a fair battle, and he fell; in this there is nothin’ but what a brave expects, and should be ready to meet. As for getting a Mingo heart, as well might you expect to see gray hairs on a boy, or the blackberry growing on the pine. No — no Huron; my gifts are white so far as wives are consarned; it is Delaware, in all things touchin’ Injins.”
These words were scarcely out of the mouth of Deerslayer, before a common murmur betrayed the dissatisfaction with which they had been heard. The aged women, in particular, were loud in their expressions of disgust, and the gentle Sumach, herself, a woman quite old enough to be our hero’s mother, was not the least pacific in her denunciations. But all the other manifestations114 of disappointment and discontent were thrown into the background, by the fierce resentment115 of the Panther. This grim chief had thought it a degradation116 to permit his sister to become the wife of a pale-face of the Yengeese at all, and had only given a reluctant consent to the arrangement — one by no means unusual among the Indians, however — at the earnest solicitations of the bereaved117 widow; and it goaded118 him to the quick to find his condescension119 slighted, the honor he had with so much regret been persuaded to accord, condemned120. The animal from which he got his name does not glare on his intended prey121 with more frightful122 ferocity than his eyes gleamed on the captive, nor was his arm backward in seconding the fierce resentment that almost consumed his breast.
“Dog of the pale-faces!” he exclaimed in Iroquois, “go yell among the curs of your own evil hunting grounds!”
The denunciation was accompanied by an appropriate action. Even while speaking his arm was lifted, and the tomahawk hurled123. Luckily the loud tones of the speaker had drawn the eye of Deerslayer towards him, else would that moment have probably closed his career. So great was the dexterity124 with which this dangerous weapon was thrown, and so deadly the intent, that it would have riven the scull of the prisoner, had he not stretched forth an arm, and caught the handle in one of its turns, with a readiness quite as remarkable as the skill with which the missile had been hurled. The projectile125 force was so great, notwithstanding, that when Deerslayer’s arm was arrested, his hand was raised above and behind his own head, and in the very attitude necessary to return the attack. It is not certain whether the circumstance of finding himself unexpectedly in this menacing posture126 and armed tempted127 the young man to retaliate128, or whether sudden resentment overcame his forbearance and prudence. His eye kindled129, however, and a small red spot appeared on each cheek, while he cast all his energy into the effort of his arm, and threw back the weapon at his assailant. The unexpectedness of this blow contributed to its success, the Panther neither raising an arm, nor bending his head to avoid it. The keen little axe130 struck the victim in a perpendicular131 line with the nose, directly between the eyes, literally132 braining him on the spot. Sallying forward, as the serpent darts133 at its enemy even while receiving its own death wound, this man of powerful frame fell his length into the open area formed by the circle, quivering in death. A common rush to his relief left the captive, in a single instant, quite without the crowd, and, willing to make one desperate effort for life, he bounded off with the activity of a deer. There was but a breathless instant, when the whole band, old and young, women and children, abandoning the lifeless body of the Panther where it lay, raised the yell of alarm and followed in pursuit.
Sudden as had been the event which induced Deerslayer to make this desperate trial of speed, his mind was not wholly unprepared for the fearful emergency. In the course of the past hour, he had pondered well on the chances of such an experiment, and had shrewdly calculated all the details of success and failure. At the first leap, therefore, his body was completely under the direction of an intelligence that turned all its efforts to the best account, and prevented everything like hesitation134 or indecision at the important instant of the start. To this alone was he indebted for the first great advantage, that of getting through the line of sentinels unharmed. The manner in which this was done, though sufficiently135 simple, merits a description.
Although the shores of the point were not fringed with bushes, as was the case with most of the others on the lake, it was owing altogether to the circumstance that the spot had been so much used by hunters and fishermen. This fringe commenced on what might be termed the main land, and was as dense7 as usual, extending in long lines both north and south. In the latter direction, then, Deerslayer held his way, and, as the sentinels were a little without the commencement of this thicket136, before the alarm was clearly communicated to them the fugitive had gained its cover. To run among the bushes, however, was out of the question, and Deerslayer held his way, for some forty or fifty yards, in the water, which was barely knee deep, offering as great an obstacle to the speed of his pursuers as it did to his own. As soon as a favorable spot presented, he darted137 through the line of bushes and issued into the open woods. Several rifles were discharged at Deerslayer while in the water, and more followed as he came out into the comparative exposure of the clear forest. But the direction of his line of flight, which partially138 crossed that of the fire, the haste with which the weapons had been aimed, and the general confusion that prevailed in the camp prevented any harm from being done. Bullets whistled past him, and many cut twigs139 from the branches at his side, but not one touched even his dress. The delay caused by these fruitless attempts was of great service to the fugitive, who had gained more than a hundred yards on even the leading men of the Hurons, ere something like concert and order had entered into the chase. To think of following with rifles in hand was out of the question, and after emptying their pieces in vague hopes of wounding their captive, the best runners of the Indians threw them aside, calling out to the women and boys to recover and load them, again, as soon as possible.
Deerslayer knew too well the desperate nature of the struggle in which he was engaged to lose one of the precious moments. He also knew that his only hope was to run in a straight line, for as soon as he began to turn, or double, the greater number of his pursuers would put escape out of the question. He held his way therefore, in a diagonal direction up the acclivity, which was neither very high nor very steep in this part of the mountain, but which was sufficiently toilsome for one contending for life, to render it painfully oppressive. There, however, he slackened his speed to recover breath, proceeding141 even at a quick walk, or a slow trot142, along the more difficult parts of the way. The Hurons were whooping143 and leaping behind him, but this he disregarded, well knowing they must overcome the difficulties he had surmounted144 ere they could reach the elevation145 to which he had attained146. The summit of the first hill was now quite near him, and he saw, by the formation of the land, that a deep glen intervened before the base of a second hill could be reached. Walking deliberately147 to the summit, he glanced eagerly about him in every direction in quest of a cover. None offered in the ground, but a fallen tree lay near him, and desperate circumstances required desperate remedies. This tree lay in a line parallel to the glen, at the brow of the hill. To leap on it, and then to force his person as close as possible under its lower side, took but a moment. Previously148 to disappearing from his pursuers, however, Deerslayer stood on the height and gave a cry of triumph, as if exulting149 at the sight of the descent that lay before him. In the next instant he was stretched beneath the tree.
No sooner was this expedient adopted, than the young man ascertained151 how desperate had been his own efforts, by the violence of the pulsations in his frame. He could hear his heart beat, and his breathing was like the action of a bellows152, in quick motion. Breath was gained, however, and the heart soon ceased to throb153 as if about to break through its confinement154. The footsteps of those who toiled155 up the opposite side of the acclivity were now audible, and presently voices and treads announced the arrival of the pursuers. The foremost shouted as they reached the height; then, fearful that their enemy would escape under favor of the descent, each leaped upon the fallen tree and plunged156 into the ravine, trusting to get a sight of the pursued ere he reached the bottom. In this manner, Huron followed Huron until Natty157 began to hope the whole had passed. Others succeeded, however, until quite forty had leaped over the tree, and then he counted them, as the surest mode of ascertaining158 how many could be behind. Presently all were in the bottom of the glen, quite a hundred feet below him, and some had even ascended159 part of the opposite hill, when it became evident an inquiry160 was making as to the direction he had taken. This was the critical moment, and one of nerves less steady, or of a training that had been neglected, would have seized it to rise and fly. Not so with Deerslayer. He still lay quiet, watching with jealous vigilance every movement below, and fast regaining162 his breath.
The Hurons now resembled a pack of hounds at fault. Little was said, but each man ran about, examining the dead leaves as the hound hunts for the lost scent150. The great number of moccasins that had passed made the examination difficult, though the in-toe of an Indian was easily to be distinguished from the freer and wider step of a white man. Believing that no more pursuers remained behind, and hoping to steal away unseen, Deerslayer suddenly threw himself over the tree, and fell on the upper side. This achievement appeared to be effected successfully, and hope beat high in the bosom163 of the fugitive.
Rising to his hands and feet, after a moment lost in listening to the sounds in the glen, in order to ascertain if he had been seen, the young man next scrambled164 to the top of the hill, a distance of only ten yards, in the expectation of getting its brow between him and his pursuers, and himself so far under cover. Even this was effected, and he rose to his feet, walking swiftly but steadily165 along the summit, in a direction opposite to that in which he had first fled. The nature of the calls in the glen, however, soon made him uneasy, and he sprang upon the summit again, in order to reconnoitre. No sooner did he reach the height than he was seen, and the chase renewed. As it was better footing on the level ground, Deerslayer now avoided the side hill, holding his flight along the ridge166; while the Hurons, judging from the general formation of the land, saw that the ridge would soon melt into the hollow, and kept to the latter, as the easiest mode of heading the fugitive. A few, at the same time, turned south, with a view to prevent his escaping in that direction, while some crossed his trail towards the water, in order to prevent his retreat by the lake, running southerly.
The situation of Deerslayer was now more critical than it ever had been. He was virtually surrounded on three sides, having the lake on the fourth. But he had pondered well on all the chances, and took his measures with coolness, even while at the top of his speed. As is generally the case with the vigorous border men, he could outrun any single Indian among his pursuers, who were principally formidable to him on account of their numbers, and the advantages they possessed167 in position, and he would not have hesitated to break off in a straight line at any spot, could he have got the whole band again fairly behind him. But no such chance did, or indeed could now offer, and when he found that he was descending168 towards the glen, by the melting away of the ridge, he turned short, at right angles to his previous course, and went down the declivity169 with tremendous velocity170, holding his way towards the shore. Some of his pursuers came panting up the hill in direct chase, while most still kept on in the ravine, intending to head him at its termination.
Deerslayer had now a different, though a desperate project in view. Abandoning all thoughts of escape by the woods, he made the best of his way towards the canoe. He knew where it lay; could it be reached, he had only to run the gauntlet of a few rifles, and success would be certain. None of the warriors had kept their weapons, which would have retarded171 their speed, and the risk would come either from the uncertain hands of the women, or from those of some well grown boy; though most of the latter were already out in hot pursuit. Everything seemed propitious172 to the execution of this plan, and the course being a continued descent, the young man went over the ground at a rate that promised a speedy termination to his toil140.
As Deerslayer approached the point, several women and children were passed, but, though the former endeavoured to cast dried branches between his legs, the terror inspired by his bold retaliation173 on the redoubted Panther was so great, that none dared come near enough seriously to molest174 him. He went by all triumphantly175 and reached the fringe of bushes. Plunging176 through these, our hero found himself once more in the lake, and within fifty feet of the canoe. Here he ceased to run, for he well understood that his breath was now all important to him. He even stooped, as he advanced, and cooled his parched177 mouth by scooping178 water up in his hand to drink. Still the moments pressed, and he soon stood at the side of the canoe. The first glance told him that the paddles had been removed! This was a sore disappointment, after all his efforts, and, for a single moment, he thought of turning, and of facing his foes by walking with dignity into the centre of the camp again. But an infernal yell, such as the American savage9 alone can raise, proclaimed the quick approach of the nearest of his pursuers, and the instinct of life triumphed. Preparing himself duly, and giving a right direction to its bows, he ran off into the water bearing the canoe before him, threw all his strength and skill into a last effort, and cast himself forward so as to fall into the bottom of the light craft without materially impeding179 its way. Here he remained on his back, both to regain161 his breath and to cover his person from the deadly rifle. The lightness, which was such an advantage in paddling the canoe, now operated unfavorably. The material was so like a feather, that the boat had no momentum180, else would the impulse in that smooth and placid181 sheet have impelled182 it to a distance from the shore that would have rendered paddling with the hands safe. Could such a point once be reached, Deerslayer thought he might get far enough out to attract the attention of Chingachgook and Judith, who would not fail to come to his relief with other canoes, a circumstance that promised everything. As the young man lay in the bottom of the canoe, he watched its movements by studying the tops of the trees on the mountainside, and judged of his distance by the time and the motions. Voices on the shore were now numerous, and he heard something said about manning the raft, which, fortunately for the fugitive, lay at a considerable distance on the other side of the point.
Perhaps the situation of Deerslayer had not been more critical that day than it was at this moment. It certainly had not been one half as tantalizing183. He lay perfectly184 quiet for two or three minutes, trusting to the single sense of hearing, confident that the noise in the lake would reach his ears, did any one venture to approach by swimming. Once or twice he fancied that the element was stirred by the cautious movement of an arm, and then he perceived it was the wash of the water on the pebbles185 of the strand; for, in mimicry186 of the ocean, it is seldom that those little lakes are so totally tranquil187 as not to possess a slight heaving and setting on their shores. Suddenly all the voices ceased, and a death like stillness pervaded188 the spot: A quietness as profound as if all lay in the repose189 of inanimate life. By this time, the canoe had drifted so far as to render nothing visible to Deerslayer, as he lay on his back, except the blue void of space, and a few of those brighter rays that proceed from the effulgence190 of the sun, marking his proximity191. It was not possible to endure this uncertainty192 long. The young man well knew that the profound stillness foreboded evil, the savages never being so silent as when about to strike a blow; resembling the stealthy foot of the panther ere he takes his leap. He took out a knife and was about to cut a hole through the bark, in order to get a view of the shore, when he paused from a dread of being seen in the operation, which would direct the enemy where to aim their bullets. At this instant a rifle was fired, and the ball pierced both sides of the canoe, within eighteen inches of the spot where his head lay. This was close work, but our hero had too lately gone through that which was closer to be appalled193. He lay still half a minute longer, and then he saw the summit of an oak coming slowly within his narrow horizon.
Unable to account for this change, Deerslayer could restrain his impatience no longer. Hitching194 his body along, with the utmost caution, he got his eye at the bullet hole, and fortunately commanded a very tolerable view of the point. The canoe, by one of those imperceptible impulses that so often decide the fate of men as well as the course of things, had inclined southerly, and was slowly drifting down the lake. It was lucky that Deerslayer had given it a shove sufficiently vigorous to send it past the end of the point, ere it took this inclination195, or it must have gone ashore196 again. As it was, it drifted so near it as to bring the tops of two or three trees within the range of the young man’s view, as has been mentioned, and, indeed, to come in quite as close proximity with the extremity197 of the point as was at all safe. The distance could not much have exceeded a hundred feet, though fortunately a light current of air from the southwest began to set it slowly off shore.
Deerslayer now felt the urgent necessity of resorting to some expedient to get farther from his foes, and if possible to apprise198 his friends of his situation. The distance rendered the last difficult, while the proximity to the point rendered the first indispensable. As was usual in such craft, a large, round, smooth stone was in each end of the canoe, for the double purpose of seats and ballast; one of these was within reach of his feet. This stone he contrived199 to get so far between his legs as to reach it with his hands, and then he managed to roll it to the side of its fellow in the bows, where the two served to keep the trim of the light boat, while he worked his own body as far aft as possible. Before quitting the shore, and as soon as he perceived that the paddles were gone, Deerslayer had thrown a bit of dead branch into the canoe, and this was within reach of his arm. Removing the cap he wore, he put it on the end of this stick, and just let it appear over the edge of the canoe, as far as possible from his own person. This ruse200 was scarcely adopted before the young man had a proof how much he had underrated the intelligence of his enemies. In contempt of an artifice201 so shallow and common place, a bullet was fired directly through another part of the canoe, which actually raised his skin. He dropped the cap, and instantly raised it immediately over his head, as a safeguard. It would seem that this second artifice was unseen, or what was more probable, the Hurons feeling certain of recovering their captive, wished to take him alive.
Deerslayer lay passive a few minutes longer, his eye at the bullet hole, however, and much did he rejoice at seeing that he was drifting, gradually, farther and farther from the shore. When he looked upward, the treetops had disappeared, but he soon found that the canoe was slowly turning, so as to prevent his getting a view of anything at his peephole, but of the two extremities202 of the lake. He now bethought him of the stick, which was crooked203 and offered some facilities for rowing without the necessity of rising. The experiment succeeded on trial, better even than he had hoped, though his great embarrassment204 was to keep the canoe straight. That his present manoeuvre205 was seen soon became apparent by the clamor on the shore, and a bullet entering the stern of the canoe traversed its length, whistling between the arms of our hero, and passed out at the head. This satisfied the fugitive that he was getting away with tolerable speed, and induced him to increase his efforts. He was making a stronger push than common, when another messenger from the point broke the stick out-board, and at once deprived him of his oar206. As the sound of voices seemed to grow more and more distant, however, Deerslayer determined to leave all to the drift, until he believed himself beyond the reach of bullets. This was nervous work, but it was the wisest of all the expedients that offered, and the young man was encouraged to persevere207 in it by the circumstance that he felt his face fanned by the air, a proof that there was a little more wind.
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thronged
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| v.成群，挤满( throng的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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tenements
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| n.房屋，住户，租房子( tenement的名词复数 ) | |
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woe
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| n.悲哀，苦痛，不幸，困难；int.用来表达悲伤或惊慌 | |
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slay
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| v.杀死，宰杀，杀戮 | |
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abreast
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| adv.并排地；跟上(时代)的步伐，与…并进地 | |
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densely
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| ad.密集地；浓厚地 | |
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dense
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| a.密集的，稠密的，浓密的；密度大的 | |
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savages
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| 未开化的人，野蛮人( savage的名词复数 ) | |
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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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virgin
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| n.处女，未婚女子；adj.未经使用的；未经开发的 | |
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margin
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| n.页边空白；差额；余地，余裕；边，边缘 | |
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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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strand
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| vt.使（船）搁浅，使（某人）困于（某地） | |
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projection
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| n.发射，计划，突出部分 | |
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warrior
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| n.勇士，武士，斗士 | |
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redeem
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| v.买回，赎回，挽回，恢复，履行（诺言等） | |
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impatience
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| n.不耐烦，急躁 | |
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pointed
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| adj.尖的，直截了当的 | |
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generosity
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| n.大度，慷慨，慷慨的行为 | |
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mingles
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| 混合，混入( mingle的第三人称单数 )； 混进，与…交往[联系] | |
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chivalrous
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| adj.武士精神的；对女人彬彬有礼的 | |
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rigid
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| adj.严格的，死板的；刚硬的，僵硬的 | |
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admiration
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| n.钦佩，赞美，羡慕 | |
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deviating
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| v.偏离，越轨( deviate的现在分词 ) | |
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arbiters
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| 仲裁人，裁决者( arbiter的名词复数 ) | |
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judgments
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| 判断( judgment的名词复数 )； 鉴定； 评价； 审判 | |
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judgment
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| n.审判；判断力，识别力，看法，意见 | |
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28
abstained
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| v.戒（尤指酒），戒除( abstain的过去式和过去分词 )；弃权（不投票） | |
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feverish
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| adj.发烧的，狂热的，兴奋的 | |
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interfered
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| v.干预( interfere的过去式和过去分词 )；调停；妨碍；干涉 | |
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exclamation
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| n.感叹号，惊呼，惊叹词 | |
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warriors
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| 武士，勇士，战士( warrior的名词复数 ) | |
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astonishment
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| n.惊奇，惊异 | |
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groans
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| n.呻吟，叹息( groan的名词复数 )；呻吟般的声音v.呻吟( groan的第三人称单数 )；发牢骚；抱怨；受苦 | |
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trophy
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| n.优胜旗，奖品，奖杯，战胜品，纪念品 | |
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tenants
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| n.房客( tenant的名词复数 )；佃户；占用者；占有者 | |
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nurtured
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| 养育( nurture的过去式和过去分词 )； 培育； 滋长； 助长 | |
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supplant
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| vt.排挤；取代 | |
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redeemed
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| adj. 可赎回的，可救赎的 动词redeem的过去式和过去分词形式 | |
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traitor
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| n.叛徒，卖国贼 | |
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41
scion
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| n.嫩芽，子孙 | |
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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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43
inmates
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| n.囚犯( inmate的名词复数 ) | |
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apprehensions
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| 疑惧 | |
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45
determined
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| adj.坚定的；有决心的 | |
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46
hazardous
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| adj.(有)危险的，冒险的；碰运气的 | |
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47
imposing
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| adj.使人难忘的，壮丽的，堂皇的，雄伟的 | |
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48
canopied
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| adj. 遮有天篷的 | |
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fully
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| adv.完全地，全部地，彻底地；充分地 | |
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50
decided
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| adj.决定了的，坚决的；明显的，明确的 | |
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51
mellow
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| adj.柔和的；熟透的；v.变柔和；(使)成熟 | |
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52
illuminate
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| vt.照亮，照明；用灯光装饰；说明，阐释 | |
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53
hues
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| 色彩( hue的名词复数 )； 色调； 信仰； 观点 | |
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54
primitive
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| adj.原始的；简单的；n.原(始)人，原始事物 | |
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55
wielded
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| 手持着使用（武器、工具等）( wield的过去式和过去分词 )； 具有； 运用（权力）； 施加（影响） | |
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56
mandates
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| 托管（mandate的第三人称单数形式） | |
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57
conformity
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| n.一致，遵从，顺从 | |
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58
eloquence
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| n.雄辩；口才，修辞 | |
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59
prudence
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| n.谨慎，精明，节俭 | |
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60
distinguished
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| adj.卓越的，杰出的，著名的 | |
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remarkable
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| adj.显著的，异常的，非凡的，值得注意的 | |
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62
expedient
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| adj.有用的，有利的；n.紧急的办法，权宜之计 | |
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expedients
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| n.应急有效的，权宜之计的( expedient的名词复数 ) | |
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64
vernacular
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| adj.地方的，用地方语写成的；n.白话；行话；本国语；动植物的俗名 | |
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appellation
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| n.名称，称呼 | |
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distinctive
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| adj.特别的，有特色的，与众不同的 | |
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sobriquet
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| n.绰号 | |
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68
syllable
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| n.音节；vt.分音节 | |
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69
remains
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| n.剩余物，残留物；遗体，遗迹 | |
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murmur
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| n.低语，低声的怨言；v.低语，低声而言 | |
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approbation
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| n.称赞；认可 | |
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dissenters
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| n.持异议者，持不同意见者( dissenter的名词复数 ) | |
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corroding
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| 使腐蚀，侵蚀( corrode的现在分词 ) | |
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orator
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| n.演说者，演讲者，雄辩家 | |
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75
skulking
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| v.潜伏，偷偷摸摸地走动，鬼鬼祟祟地活动( skulk的现在分词 ) | |
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76
slain
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| 杀死，宰杀，杀戮( slay的过去分词 )； (slay的过去分词) | |
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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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worthy
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| adj.(of)值得的，配得上的；有价值的 | |
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wren
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| n.鹪鹩；英国皇家海军女子服务队成员 | |
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81
hawk
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| n.鹰，骗子；鹰派成员 | |
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82
binding
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| 有约束力的，有效的，应遵守的 | |
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83
acquiescence
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| n.默许；顺从 | |
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84
privately
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| adv.以私人的身份，悄悄地，私下地 | |
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85
commendable
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| adj.值得称赞的 | |
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86
foes
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| 敌人，仇敌( foe的名词复数 ) | |
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87
drawn
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| v.拖，拉，拔出；adj.憔悴的，紧张的 | |
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88
evade
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| vt.逃避，回避；避开，躲避 | |
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89
fugitive
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| adj.逃亡的，易逝的；n.逃犯，逃亡者 | |
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exertions
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| n.努力( exertion的名词复数 )；费力；（能力、权力等的）运用；行使 | |
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91
jeopardy
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| n.危险；危难 | |
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92
ascertain
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| vt.发现，确定，查明，弄清 | |
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93
concealment
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| n.隐藏, 掩盖，隐瞒 | |
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94
watchful
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| adj.注意的，警惕的 | |
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affected
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| adj.不自然的，假装的 | |
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96
dread
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| vt.担忧，忧虑；惧怕，不敢；n.担忧，畏惧 | |
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watchfulness
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| 警惕，留心； 警觉（性） | |
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98
prospects
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| n.希望，前途(恒为复数) | |
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99
scowling
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| 怒视，生气地皱眉( scowl的现在分词 ) | |
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100
animated
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| adj.生气勃勃的，活跃的，愉快的 | |
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101
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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102
suspense
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| n.（对可能发生的事）紧张感，担心，挂虑 | |
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103
meditate
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| v.想，考虑，（尤指宗教上的）沉思，冥想 | |
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104
killer
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| n.杀人者，杀人犯，杀手，屠杀者 | |
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105
aged
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| adj.年老的，陈年的 | |
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106
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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107
lodges
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| v.存放( lodge的第三人称单数 )；暂住；埋入；（权利、权威等）归属 | |
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108
robin
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| n.知更鸟，红襟鸟 | |
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109
calamity
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| n.灾害，祸患，不幸事件 | |
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110
forth
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| adv.向前；向外，往外 | |
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111
Christian
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| adj.基督教徒的；n.基督教徒 | |
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112
providence
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| n.深谋远虑，天道，天意；远见；节约；上帝 | |
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113
discredit
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| vt.使不可置信；n.丧失信义；不信，怀疑 | |
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114
manifestations
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| n.表示，显示（manifestation的复数形式） | |
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115
resentment
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| n.怨愤，忿恨 | |
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116
degradation
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| n.降级；低落；退化；陵削；降解；衰变 | |
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117
bereaved
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| adj.刚刚丧失亲人的v.使失去（希望、生命等）( bereave的过去式和过去分词)；（尤指死亡）使丧失（亲人、朋友等）；使孤寂；抢走（财物） | |
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118
goaded
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| v.刺激( goad的过去式和过去分词 )；激励；（用尖棒）驱赶；驱使（或怂恿、刺激）某人 | |
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119
condescension
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| n.自以为高人一等，贬低(别人) | |
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120
condemned
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| adj. 被责难的, 被宣告有罪的 动词condemn的过去式和过去分词 | |
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121
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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122
frightful
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| adj.可怕的；讨厌的 | |
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123
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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124
dexterity
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| n.(手的)灵巧，灵活 | |
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125
projectile
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| n.投射物，发射体；adj.向前开进的；推进的；抛掷的 | |
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126
posture
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| n.姿势，姿态，心态，态度；v.作出某种姿势 | |
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127
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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128
retaliate
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| v.报复，反击 | |
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129
kindled
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| （使某物）燃烧，着火( kindle的过去式和过去分词 )； 激起（感情等）； 发亮，放光 | |
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130
axe
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| n.斧子；v.用斧头砍，削减 | |
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131
perpendicular
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| adj.垂直的，直立的；n.垂直线，垂直的位置 | |
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132
literally
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| adv.照字面意义，逐字地；确实 | |
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133
darts
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| n.掷飞镖游戏；飞镖( dart的名词复数 )；急驰，飞奔v.投掷，投射( dart的第三人称单数 )；向前冲，飞奔 | |
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134
hesitation
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| n.犹豫，踌躇 | |
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135
sufficiently
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| adv.足够地，充分地 | |
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136
thicket
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| n.灌木丛，树林 | |
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137
darted
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| v.投掷，投射( dart的过去式和过去分词 )；向前冲，飞奔 | |
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138
partially
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| adv.部分地，从某些方面讲 | |
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139
twigs
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| 细枝，嫩枝( twig的名词复数 ) | |
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140
toil
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| vi.辛劳工作，艰难地行动；n.苦工，难事 | |
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141
proceeding
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| n.行动，进行，(pl.)会议录，学报 | |
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142
trot
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| n.疾走，慢跑；n.老太婆；现成译本；(复数）trots:腹泻（与the 连用）；v.小跑，快步走，赶紧 | |
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143
whooping
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| 发嗬嗬声的，发咳声的 | |
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144
surmounted
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| 战胜( surmount的过去式和过去分词 )； 克服（困难）； 居于…之上； 在…顶上 | |
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145
elevation
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| n.高度；海拔；高地；上升；提高 | |
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146
attained
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| （通常经过努力）实现( attain的过去式和过去分词 )； 达到； 获得； 达到（某年龄、水平、状况） | |
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147
deliberately
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| adv.审慎地；蓄意地；故意地 | |
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148
previously
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| adv.以前，先前（地） | |
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149
exulting
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| vi. 欢欣鼓舞，狂喜 | |
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150
scent
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| n.气味，香味，香水，线索，嗅觉；v.嗅，发觉 | |
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151
ascertained
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| v.弄清，确定，查明( ascertain的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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152
bellows
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| n.风箱；发出吼叫声，咆哮（尤指因痛苦）( bellow的名词复数 )；（愤怒地）说出（某事），大叫v.发出吼叫声，咆哮（尤指因痛苦）( bellow的第三人称单数 )；（愤怒地）说出（某事），大叫 | |
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153
throb
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| v.震颤，颤动；(急速强烈地)跳动，搏动 | |
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154
confinement
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| n.幽禁，拘留，监禁；分娩；限制，局限 | |
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155
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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156
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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157
natty
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| adj.整洁的，漂亮的 | |
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158
ascertaining
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| v.弄清，确定，查明( ascertain的现在分词 ) | |
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159
ascended
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| v.上升，攀登( ascend的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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160
inquiry
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| n.打听，询问，调查，查问 | |
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161
regain
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| vt.重新获得，收复，恢复 | |
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162
regaining
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| 复得( regain的现在分词 )； 赢回； 重回； 复至某地 | |
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163
bosom
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| n.胸，胸部；胸怀；内心；adj.亲密的 | |
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164
scrambled
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| v.快速爬行( scramble的过去式和过去分词 )；攀登；争夺；（军事飞机）紧急起飞 | |
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165
steadily
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| adv.稳定地；不变地；持续地 | |
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166
ridge
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| n.山脊；鼻梁；分水岭 | |
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167
possessed
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| adj.疯狂的；拥有的，占有的 | |
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168
descending
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| n. 下行 adj. 下降的 | |
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169
declivity
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| n.下坡，倾斜面 | |
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170
velocity
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| n.速度，速率 | |
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171
retarded
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| a.智力迟钝的，智力发育迟缓的 | |
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172
propitious
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| adj.吉利的；顺利的 | |
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173
retaliation
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| n.报复，反击 | |
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174
molest
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| vt.骚扰，干扰，调戏 | |
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175
triumphantly
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| ad.得意洋洋地；得胜地；成功地 | |
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176
plunging
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| adj.跳进的，突进的v.颠簸( plunge的现在分词 )；暴跌；骤降；突降 | |
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177
parched
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| adj.焦干的；极渴的；v.（使）焦干 | |
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178
scooping
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| n.捞球v.抢先报道( scoop的现在分词 )；（敏捷地）抱起；抢先获得；用铲[勺]等挖（洞等） | |
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179
impeding
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| a.(尤指坏事)即将发生的，临近的 | |
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180
momentum
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| n.动力，冲力，势头；动量 | |
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181
placid
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| adj.安静的，平和的 | |
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182
impelled
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| v.推动、推进或敦促某人做某事( impel的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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183
tantalizing
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| adj.逗人的；惹弄人的；撩人的；煽情的v.逗弄，引诱，折磨( tantalize的现在分词 ) | |
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184
perfectly
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| adv.完美地，无可非议地，彻底地 | |
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185
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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186
mimicry
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| n.（生物）拟态，模仿 | |
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187
tranquil
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| adj. 安静的, 宁静的, 稳定的, 不变的 | |
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188
pervaded
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| v.遍及，弥漫( pervade的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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189
repose
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| v.(使)休息；n.安息 | |
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190
effulgence
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| n.光辉 | |
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191
proximity
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| n.接近，邻近 | |
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192
uncertainty
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| n.易变，靠不住，不确知，不确定的事物 | |
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193
appalled
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| v.使惊骇，使充满恐惧( appall的过去式和过去分词)adj.惊骇的；丧胆的 | |
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194
hitching
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| 搭乘； （免费）搭乘他人之车( hitch的现在分词 )； 搭便车； 攀上； 跃上 | |
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195
inclination
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| n.倾斜；点头；弯腰；斜坡；倾度；倾向；爱好 | |
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196
ashore
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| adv.在(向)岸上，上岸 | |
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197
extremity
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| n.末端，尽头；尽力；终极；极度 | |
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198
apprise
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| vt.通知，告知 | |
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199
contrived
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| adj.不自然的，做作的；虚构的 | |
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200
ruse
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| n.诡计，计策；诡计 | |
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201
artifice
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| n.妙计，高明的手段；狡诈，诡计 | |
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202
extremities
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| n.端点( extremity的名词复数 )；尽头；手和足；极窘迫的境地 | |
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203
crooked
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| adj.弯曲的；不诚实的，狡猾的，不正当的 | |
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204
embarrassment
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| n.尴尬；使人为难的人(事物)；障碍；窘迫 | |
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205
manoeuvre
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| n.策略，调动；v.用策略，调动 | |
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206
oar
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| n.桨，橹，划手；v.划行 | |
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207
persevere
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| v.坚持，坚忍，不屈不挠 | |
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