Early as it was, he was up and about, for the Wigtown peasants are an early rising race. We explained our mission to him in as few words as possible, and having made his bargain — what Scot ever neglected that preliminary?— he agreed not only to let us have the use of his dog but to come with us himself.
Mordaunt, in his desire for privacy, would have demurred4 at this arrangement, but I pointed5 out to him that we had no idea what was in store for us, and the addition of a strong, able-bodied man to our party might prove to be of the utmost consequence.
Again, the dog was less likely to give us trouble if we had its master to control it. My arguments carried the day, and the biped accompanied us as well as his four-footed companion.
There was some little similarity between the two, for the man was a towsy-headed fellow with a great mop of yellow hair and a straggling beard, while the dog was of the long-haired, unkempt breed looking like an animated6 bundle of oakum.
All our way to the Hall its owner kept retailing7 instances of the creature’s sagacity and powers of scent8, which, according to his account, were little less than miraculous9. His anecdotes10 had a poor audience, I fear, for my mind was filled with the strange story which I had been reading, while Mordaunt strode on with wild eyes and feverish11 cheeks, without a thought for anything but the problem which we had to solve.
Again and again as we topped an eminence12 I saw him look eagerly round him in the faint hope of seeing some trace of the absentee, but over the whole expanse of moorland there was no sign of movement or of life. All was dead and silent and deserted13.
Our visit to the Hall was a very brief one, for every minute now was of importance. Mordaunt rushed in and emerged with an old coat of his father’s, which he handed to Fullarton, who held it out to the dog.
The intelligent brute14 sniffed15 at it all over, then ran whining17 a little way down the avenue, came back to sniff16 the coat again, and finally elevating its stump18 of a tail in triumph, uttered a succession of sharp yelps19 to show that it was satisfied that it had struck the trail. Its owner tied a long cord to its collar to prevent it from going too fast for us, and we all set off upon our search, the dog tugging20 and training at its leash21 in its excitement as it followed in the general’s footsteps.
Our way lay for a couple of hundred yards along the high road, and then passed through a gap In the hedge and on to the moor1, across which we were led in a bee-line to the northward22.
The sun had by this time risen above the horizon, and the whole countryside looked so fresh and sweet, from the blue, sparkling sea to the purple mountains, that it was difficult to realise how weird24 and uncanny was the enterprise upon which we were engaged.
The scent must have lain strongly upon the ground, for the dog never hesitated nor stopped, dragging its master along at a pace which rendered conversation impossible.
At one place, in crossing a small stream, we seemed to get off the trail for a few minutes, but our keen-nosed ally soon picked it up on the other side and followed it over the trackless moor, whining and yelping25 all the time in its eagerness. Had we not all three been fleet of foot and long of wind, we could not have persisted in the continuous, rapid journey over the roughest of ground, with the heather often well-nigh up to our waists.
For my own part, I have no idea now, looking back, what goal it was which I expected to reach at the end of our pursuit. I can remember that my mind was full of the vaguest and most varying speculations26.
Could it be that the three Buddhists27 had had a craft in readiness off the coast, and had embarked29 with their prisoners for the East? The direction of their track seemed at first to favour this supposition, for it lay in the line of the upper end of the bay, but it ended by branching off and striking directly inland. Clearly the ocean was not to be our terminus.
By ten o’clock we had walked close upon twelve miles, and were compelled to call a halt for a few minutes to recover our breath, for the last mile or two we had been breasting the long, wearying slope of the Wigtown hills.
From the summit of this range, which is nowhere more than a thousand feet in height, we could see, looking northward, such a scene of bleakness30 and desolation as can hardly be matched in any country.
Right away to the horizon stretched the broad expanse of mud and of water, mingled31 and mixed together in the wildest chaos32, like a portion of some world in the process of formation. Here and there on the dun-coloured surface of this great marsh33 there had burst out patches of sickly yellow reeds and of livid, greenish scum, which only served to heighten and intensify34 the gloomy effect of the dull, melancholy35 expanse.
On the side nearest to us some abandoned peat-cuttings showed that ubiquitous man had been at work there, but beyond these few petty scars there was no sign anywhere of human life. Not even a crow nor a seagull flapped its way over that hideous36 desert.
This is the great Bog37 of Cree. It is a salt-water marsh formed by an inroad of the sea, and so intersected is it with dangerous swamps and treacherous38 pitfalls39 of liquid mud, that no man would venture through it unless he had the guidance of one of the few peasants who retain the secret of its paths.
As we approached the fringe of rushes which marked its border, a foul40, dank smell rose up from the stagnant41 wilderness42, as from impure43 water and decaying vegetation — an earthy, noisome44 smell which poisoned the fresh upland air.
So forbidding and gloomy was the aspect of the place that our stout45 crofter hesitated, and it was all that we could do to persuade him to proceed. Our lurcher, however, not being subject to the delicate impressions of our higher organisation46, still ran yelping along with its nose on the ground and every fibre of its body quivering with excitement and eagerness.
There was no difficulty about picking our way through the morass47, for wherever the five could go we three could follow.
If we could have had any doubts as to our dog’s guidance they would all have been removed now, for in the soft, black, oozing48 soil we could distinctly trace the tracks of the whole party. From these we could see that they had walked abreast49, and, furthermore, that each was about equidistant from the other. Clearly, then, no physical force had been used in taking the general and his companion along. The compulsion had been psychical50 and not material.
Once within the swamp, we had to be careful not to deviate51 from the narrow track, which offered a firm foothold.
On each side lay shallow sheets of stagnant water overlying a treacherous bottom of semi-fluid mud, which rose above the surface here and there in moist, sweltering banks, mottled over with occasional patches of unhealthy vegetation. Great purple and yellow fungi52 had broken out in a dense54 eruption55, as though Nature were afflicted56 with a foul disease, which manifested itself by this crop of plague spots.
Here and there dark, crab-like creatures scuttled57 across our path, and hideous, flesh-coloured worms wriggled58 and writhed59 amid the sickly reeds. Swarms60 of buzzing, piping insects rose up at every step and formed a dense cloud around our heads, settling on our hands and faces and inoculating61 us with their filthy62 venom63. Never had I ventured into so pestilent and forbidding a place.
Mordaunt Heatherstone strode on, however, with a set purpose upon his swarthy brow, and we could but follow him, determined64 to stand by him to the end of the adventure. As we advanced, the path grew narrower and narrower until, as we saw by the tracks, our predecessors65 had been compelled to walk in single file. Fullarton was leading us with the dog, Mordaunt behind him, while I brought up the rear. The peasant had been sulky and surly for a little time back, hardly answering when spoken to, but he now stopped short and positively66 refused to go a step farther.
“It’s no’ canny,” he said, “besides I ken53 where it will lead us tae’”
“Where, then?” I asked.
“Tae the Hole o’ Cree,” he answered. “It’s no far frae here, I’m thinking.”
“The Hole of Cree! What is that, then?”
“It’s a great, muckle hole in the ground that gangs awa’ doon so deep that naebody could ever reach the bottom. Indeed there are folk wha says that it’s just a door leadin’ intae the bottomless pit itsel’”
“You have been there, then?” I asked.
“Been there!” he cried. “What would I be doin’ at the Hole o’ Cree? No, I’ve never been there, nor any other man in his senses.”
“How do you know about it, then?”
“My great-grandfeyther had been there, and that’s how I ken,” Fullarton answered. “He was fou’ one Saturday nicht and he went for a bet. He didna like tae talk aboot it afterwards, and he wouldna tell a’ what befell him, but he was aye feared o’ the very name. He’s the first Fullarton that’s been at the Hole o’ Cree, and he’ll be the last for me. If ye’ll tak’ my advice ye’ll just gie the matter up and gang name again, for there’s na guid tae be got oot o’ this place.”
“We shall go on with you or without you,” Mordaunt answered. “Let us have your dog and we can pick you up on our way back.”
“Na, na,” he cried, “I’ll no’ hae my dog scaret wi’ bogles, and running down Auld67 Nick as if he were a hare. The dog shall bide68 wi’ me.”
“The dog shall go with us,” said my companion, with his eyes blazing. “We have no time to argue with you. Here’s a five-pound note. Let us have the dog, or, by Heaven, I shall take it by force and throw you in the bog if you hinder us.”
I could realise the Heatherstone of forty years ago when I saw the fierce and sudden wrath69 which lit up the features of his son.
Either the bribe70 or the threat had the desired effect, for the fellow grabbed at the money with one hand while with the other he surrendered the leash which held the lurcher. Leaving him to retrace71 his steps, we continued to make our way into the utmost recesses72 of the great swamp.
The tortuous73 path grew less and less defined as we proceeded, and was even covered in places with water, but the increasing excitement of the hound and the sight of the deep footmarks in the mud stimulated74 us to push on. At last, after struggling through a grove75 of high bulrushes, we came on a spot the gloomy horror of which might have furnished Dante with a fresh terror for his “Inferno.”
The whole bog in this part appeared to have sunk in, forming a great, funnel-shaped depression, which terminated in the centre in a circular rift76 or opening about forty feet in diameter. It was a whirlpool — a perfect maelstrom77 of mud, sloping down on every side to this silent and awful chasm78.
Clearly this was the spot which, under the name of the Hole of Cree, bore such a sinister79 reputation among the rustics80. I could not wonder at its impressing their imagination, for a more weird or gloomy scene, or one more worthy81 of the avenue which led to it, could not be conceived.
The steps passed down the declivity82 which surrounded the abyss, and we followed them with a sinking feeling in our hearts, as we realised that this was the end of our search.
A little way from the downward path was the return trail made by the feet of those who had come back from the chasm’s edge. Our eyes fell upon these tracks at the same moment, and we each gave a cry of horror, and stood gazing speechlessly at them. For there, in those blurred83 footmarks, the whole drama was revealed.
Five_had_gone_down,but_only_three_had_returned.
None shall ever know the details of that strange tragedy. There was no mark of struggle nor sign of attempt at escape. We knelt at the edge of the Hole and endeavoured to pierce the unfathomable gloom which shrouded85 it. A faint, sickly exhalation seemed to rise from its depths, and there was a distant hurrying, clattering86 sound as of waters in the bowels87 of the earth.
A great stone lay embedded88 in the mud, and this I hurled89 over, but we never heard thud or splash to show that it had reached the bottom.
As we hung over the noisome chasm a sound did at last rise to our ears out of its murky90 depths. High, clear, and throbbing91, it tinkled92 for an instant out of the abyss, to be succeeded by the same deadly stillness which had preceded it.
I did not wish to appear superstitious93, or to put down to extraordinary causes that which may have a natural explanation. That one keen note may have been some strange water sound produced far down in the bowels of the earth. It may have been that or it may have been that sinister bell of which I had heard so much. Be this as it may, it was the only sign that rose to us from the last terrible resting-place of the two who had paid the debt which had so long been owing.
We joined our voices in a call with the unreasoning obstinacy94 with which men will cling to hope, but no answer came back to us save a hollow moaning from the depths beneath. Footsore and heart-sick, we retraced95 our steps and climbed the slimy slope once more.
“What shall we do, Mordaunt?” I asked, in a subdued96 voice. “We can but pray that their souls may rest in peace.”
Young Heatherstone looked at me with flashing eyes.
“This may be all according to occult laws,” he cried, “but we shall see what the laws of England have to say upon it. I suppose a chela may be hanged as well as any other man. It may not be too late yet to run them down. Here, good dog, good dog-here!”
He pulled the hound over and set it on the track of the three men. The creature sniffed at it once or twice, and then, falling upon its stomach, with bristling97 hair and protruding98 tongue, it lay shivering and trembling, a very embodiment of canine99 terror.
“You see,” I said, “it is no use contending against those who have powers at their command to which we cannot even give a name. There is nothing for it but to accept the inevitable100, and to hope that these poor men may meet with some compensation in another world for all that they have suffered in this.”
“And be free from all devilish religions and their murderous worshippers!” Mordaunt cried furiously.
Justice compelled me to acknowledge in my own heart that the murderous spirit had been set on foot by the Christian101 before it was taken up by the Buddhists, but I forbore to remark upon it, for fear of irritating my companion.
For a long time I could not draw him away from the scene of his father’s death, but at last, by repeated arguments and reasonings, I succeeded in making him realise how useless and unprofitable any further efforts on our part must necessarily prove, and in inducing him to return with me to Cloomber.
Oh, the wearisome, tedious journey! It had seemed long enough when we had some slight flicker102 of hope, or at least of expectation, before us, but now that our worst fears were fulfilled it appeared interminable.
We picked up our peasant guide at the outskirts103 of the marsh, and having restored his dog we let him find his own way home, without telling him anything of the results of our expedition. We ourselves plodded104 all day over the moors with heavy feet and heavier hearts until we saw the ill-omened tower of Cloomber, and at last, as the sun was setting, found ourselves once more beneath its roof.
There is no need for me to enter into further details, nor to describe the grief which our tidings conveyed to mother and to daughter. Their long expectation of some calamity105 was not sufficient to prepare them for the terrible reality.
For weeks my poor Gabriel hovered106 between life and death, and though she came round al last, thanks to the nursing of my sister and the professional skill of Dr. John Easterling, she has never to this day entirely107 recovered her former vigour108. Mordaunt, too, suffered much for some time, and it was only after our removal to Edinburgh that he rallied from the shock which he had undergone.
As to poor Mrs. Heatherstone, neither medical attention nor change of air can ever have a permanent effect upon her. Slowly and surely, but very placidly109, she has declined in health and strength, until it is evident that in a very few weeks at the most she will have rejoined her husband and restored to him the one thing which he must have grudged110 to leave behind.
The Laird of Branksome came home from Italy restored in health, with the result that we were compelled to return once more to Edinburgh.
The change was agreeable to us, for recent events had cast a cloud over our country life and had surrounded us with unpleasant associations. Besides, a highly honourable111 and remunerative112 appointment in connection with the University library had become vacant, and had, through the kindness of the late Sir Alexander Grant, been offered to my father, who, as may be imagined, lost no time in accepting so congenial a post.
In this way we came back to Edinburgh very much more important people than we left it, and with no further reason to be uneasy about the details of housekeeping. But, in truth, the whole household has been dissolved, for I have been married for some months to my dear Gabriel, and Esther is to become Mrs. Heatherstone upon the 23rd of the month. If she makes him as good a wife as his sister has made me, we may both set ourselves down as fortunate men.
These mere113 domestic episodes are, as I have already explained, introduced only because I cannot avoid alluding114 to them.
My object in drawing up this statement and publishing the evidence which corroborates115 it, was certainly not to parade my private affairs before the public, but to leave on record an authentic116 narrative117 of a most remarkable118 series of events. This I have endeavoured to do in as methodical a manner as possible, exaggerating nothing and suppressing nothing.
The reader has now the evidence before him, and can form his own opinions unaided by me as to the causes of the disappearance119 and death of Rufus Smith and of John Berthier Heatherstone, V.C., C.B.
There is only one point which is still dark to me. Why the chelas of Ghoolab Shah should have removed their victims to the desolate120 Hole of Cree instead of taking their lives at Cloomber, is, I confess, a mystery to me.
In dealing121 with occult laws, however, we must allow for our own complete ignorance of the subject. Did we know more we might see that there was some analogy between that foul bog and the sacrilege which had been committed, and that their ritual and customs demanded that just such a death was the one appropriate to the crime.
On this point I should be sorry to be dogmatic, but at least we must allow that the Buddhist28 priests must have had some very good cause for the course of action which they so deliberately122 carried out.
Months afterwards I saw a short paragraph in the Star_of_India announcing that three eminent123 Buddhists — Lal Hoomi, Mowdar Khan, and Ram84 Singh — had just returned in the steamship124 Deccan from a short trip to Europe. The very next item was devoted125 to an account of the life and services of Major-General Heatherstone, “who has lately disappeared from his country house in Wigtownshire, and who, there is too much reason to fear, has been drowned.”
I wonder if by chance there was any other human eye but mine which traced a connection between these paragraphs. I never showed them to my wife or to Mordaunt, and they will only know of their existence when they read these pages.
I don’t know that there is any other point which needs clearing up. The intelligent reader will have already seen the reasons for the general’s fear of dark faces, of wandering men (not knowing how his pursuers might come after him), and of visitors (from the same cause and because his hateful bell was liable to sound at all times).
His broken sleep led him to wander about the house at night, and the lamps which he burnt in every room were no doubt to prevent his imagination from peopling the darkness with terrors. Lastly, his elaborate precautions were, as he has himself explained, rather the result of a feverish desire to do something than in the expectation that he could really ward23 off his fate.
Science will tell you that there are no such powers as those claimed by the Eastern mystics. I, John Fothergill West, can confidently answer that science is wrong.
For what is science? Science is the consensus126 of opinion of scientific men, and history has shown that it is slow to accept a truth. Science sneered127 at Newton for twenty years. Science proved mathematically that an iron ship could not swim, and science declared that a steamship could not cross the Atlantic.
Like Goethe’s Mephistopheles, our wise professor’s forte128 is “stets verneinen.” Thomas Didymus is, to use his own jargon129, his prototype. Let him learn that if he will but cease to believe in the infallibility of his own methods, and will look to the East, from which all great movements come, he will find there a school of philosophers and of savants who, working on different lines from his own, are many thousand years ahead of him in all the essentials of knowledge.
The End
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1
moor
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| n.荒野，沼泽；vt.(使)停泊；vi.停泊 | |
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moors
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| v.停泊，系泊（船只）( moor的第三人称单数 ) | |
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lighter
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| n.打火机，点火器；驳船；v.用驳船运送；light的比较级 | |
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demurred
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| v.表示异议，反对( demur的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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pointed
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| adj.尖的，直截了当的 | |
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animated
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| adj.生气勃勃的，活跃的，愉快的 | |
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retailing
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| n.零售业v.零售(retail的现在分词) | |
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scent
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| n.气味，香味，香水，线索，嗅觉；v.嗅，发觉 | |
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9
miraculous
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| adj.像奇迹一样的，不可思议的 | |
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anecdotes
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| n.掌故，趣闻，轶事( anecdote的名词复数 ) | |
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feverish
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| adj.发烧的，狂热的，兴奋的 | |
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eminence
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| n.卓越，显赫；高地，高处；名家 | |
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deserted
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| adj.荒芜的，荒废的，无人的，被遗弃的 | |
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brute
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| n.野兽，兽性 | |
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sniffed
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| v.以鼻吸气，嗅，闻( sniff的过去式和过去分词 )；抽鼻子（尤指哭泣、患感冒等时出声地用鼻子吸气）；抱怨，不以为然地说 | |
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sniff
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| vi.嗅…味道；抽鼻涕；对嗤之以鼻，蔑视 | |
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whining
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| n. 抱怨，牢骚 v. 哭诉，发牢骚 | |
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stump
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| n.残株，烟蒂，讲演台；v.砍断，蹒跚而走 | |
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yelps
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| n.（因痛苦、气愤、兴奋等的）短而尖的叫声( yelp的名词复数 )v.发出短而尖的叫声( yelp的第三人称单数 ) | |
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tugging
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| n.牵引感v.用力拉，使劲拉，猛扯( tug的现在分词 ) | |
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leash
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| n.牵狗的皮带，束缚；v.用皮带系住 | |
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northward
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| adv.向北；n.北方的地区 | |
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ward
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| n.守卫，监护，病房，行政区，由监护人或法院保护的人（尤指儿童）；vt.守护，躲开 | |
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weird
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| adj.古怪的，离奇的；怪诞的，神秘而可怕的 | |
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yelping
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| v.发出短而尖的叫声( yelp的现在分词 ) | |
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speculations
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| n.投机买卖( speculation的名词复数 )；思考；投机活动；推断 | |
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Buddhists
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| n.佛教徒( Buddhist的名词复数 ) | |
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Buddhist
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| adj./n.佛教的，佛教徒 | |
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embarked
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| 乘船( embark的过去式和过去分词 )； 装载； 从事 | |
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bleakness
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| adj. 萧瑟的, 严寒的, 阴郁的 | |
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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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chaos
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| n.混乱，无秩序 | |
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marsh
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| n.沼泽，湿地 | |
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intensify
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| vt.加强；变强；加剧 | |
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melancholy
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| n.忧郁，愁思；adj.令人感伤（沮丧）的，忧郁的 | |
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hideous
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| adj.丑陋的，可憎的，可怕的，恐怖的 | |
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bog
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| n.沼泽；室...陷入泥淖 | |
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treacherous
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| adj.不可靠的，有暗藏的危险的；adj.背叛的，背信弃义的 | |
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pitfalls
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| （捕猎野兽用的）陷阱( pitfall的名词复数 )； 意想不到的困难，易犯的错误 | |
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foul
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| adj.污秽的；邪恶的；v.弄脏；妨害；犯规；n.犯规 | |
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41
stagnant
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| adj.不流动的，停滞的，不景气的 | |
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42
wilderness
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| n.杳无人烟的一片陆地、水等，荒漠 | |
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43
impure
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| adj.不纯净的，不洁的；不道德的，下流的 | |
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44
noisome
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| adj.有害的，可厌的 | |
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46
organisation
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| n.组织，安排，团体，有机休 | |
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morass
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| n.沼泽，困境 | |
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48
oozing
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| v.（浓液等）慢慢地冒出，渗出( ooze的现在分词 )；使（液体）缓缓流出；（浓液）渗出，慢慢流出 | |
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49
abreast
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| adv.并排地；跟上(时代)的步伐，与…并进地 | |
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50
psychical
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| adj.有关特异功能现象的；有关特异功能官能的；灵魂的；心灵的 | |
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51
deviate
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| v.(from)背离，偏离 | |
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52
fungi
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| n.真菌，霉菌 | |
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53
ken
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| n.视野，知识领域 | |
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54
dense
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| a.密集的，稠密的，浓密的；密度大的 | |
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55
eruption
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| n.火山爆发；（战争等）爆发；（疾病等）发作 | |
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56
afflicted
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| 使受痛苦，折磨( afflict的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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57
scuttled
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| v.使船沉没( scuttle的过去式和过去分词 )；快跑，急走 | |
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58
wriggled
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| v.扭动，蠕动，蜿蜒行进( wriggle的过去式和过去分词 )；（使身体某一部位）扭动；耍滑不做，逃避（应做的事等） | |
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59
writhed
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| （因极度痛苦而）扭动或翻滚( writhe的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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60
swarms
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| 蜂群，一大群( swarm的名词复数 ) | |
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61
inoculating
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| v.给…做预防注射( inoculate的现在分词 ) | |
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62
filthy
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| adj.卑劣的；恶劣的，肮脏的 | |
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63
venom
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| n.毒液，恶毒，痛恨 | |
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64
determined
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| adj.坚定的；有决心的 | |
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65
predecessors
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| n.前任( predecessor的名词复数 )；前辈；（被取代的）原有事物；前身 | |
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positively
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| adv.明确地，断然，坚决地；实在，确实 | |
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67
auld
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| adj.老的，旧的 | |
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68
bide
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| v.忍耐；等候；住 | |
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wrath
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| n.愤怒，愤慨，暴怒 | |
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bribe
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| n.贿赂；v.向…行贿，买通 | |
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retrace
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| v.折回；追溯，探源 | |
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72
recesses
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| n.壁凹( recess的名词复数 )；（工作或业务活动的）中止或暂停期间；学校的课间休息；某物内部的凹形空间v.把某物放在墙壁的凹处( recess的第三人称单数 )；将（墙）做成凹形，在（墙）上做壁龛；休息，休会，休庭 | |
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tortuous
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| adj.弯弯曲曲的，蜿蜒的 | |
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stimulated
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| a.刺激的 | |
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75
grove
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| n.林子，小树林，园林 | |
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76
rift
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| n.裂口，隙缝，切口；v.裂开，割开，渗入 | |
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maelstrom
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| n.大乱动；大漩涡 | |
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chasm
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| n.深坑，断层，裂口，大分岐，利害冲突 | |
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sinister
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| adj.不吉利的，凶恶的，左边的 | |
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rustics
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| n.有农村或村民特色的( rustic的名词复数 )；粗野的；不雅的；用粗糙的木材或树枝制作的 | |
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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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declivity
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| n.下坡，倾斜面 | |
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blurred
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| v.（使）变模糊( blur的过去式和过去分词 )；（使）难以区分；模模糊糊；迷离 | |
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84
ram
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| (random access memory)随机存取存储器 | |
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shrouded
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| v.隐瞒( shroud的过去式和过去分词 )；保密 | |
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clattering
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| 发出咔哒声（clatter的现在分词形式） | |
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bowels
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| n.肠，内脏，内部；肠( bowel的名词复数 )；内部，最深处 | |
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embedded
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| a.扎牢的 | |
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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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murky
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| adj.黑暗的，朦胧的；adv.阴暗地，混浊地；n.阴暗；昏暗 | |
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throbbing
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| a. 跳动的,悸动的 | |
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92
tinkled
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| （使）发出丁当声，（使）发铃铃声( tinkle的过去式和过去分词 )； 叮当响着发出，铃铃响着报出 | |
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93
superstitious
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| adj.迷信的 | |
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obstinacy
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| n.顽固；（病痛等）难治 | |
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95
retraced
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| v.折回( retrace的过去式和过去分词 )；回忆；回顾；追溯 | |
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subdued
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| adj. 屈服的，柔和的，减弱的 动词subdue的过去式和过去分词 | |
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bristling
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| a.竖立的 | |
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98
protruding
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| v.（使某物）伸出，（使某物）突出( protrude的现在分词 )；凸 | |
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canine
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| adj.犬的，犬科的 | |
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100
inevitable
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| adj.不可避免的，必然发生的 | |
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101
Christian
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| adj.基督教徒的；n.基督教徒 | |
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102
flicker
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| vi./n.闪烁，摇曳，闪现 | |
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103
outskirts
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| n.郊外，郊区 | |
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104
plodded
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| v.沉重缓慢地走（路）( plod的过去式和过去分词 )；努力从事；沉闷地苦干；缓慢进行（尤指艰难枯燥的工作） | |
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105
calamity
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| n.灾害，祸患，不幸事件 | |
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106
hovered
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| 鸟( hover的过去式和过去分词 )； 靠近（某事物）； （人）徘徊； 犹豫 | |
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107
entirely
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| ad.全部地，完整地；完全地，彻底地 | |
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108
vigour
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| （=vigor）n.智力，体力，精力 | |
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109
placidly
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| adv.平稳地，平静地 | |
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110
grudged
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| 怀恨（grudge的过去式与过去分词形式） | |
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111
honourable
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| adj.可敬的；荣誉的，光荣的 | |
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112
remunerative
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| adj.有报酬的 | |
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113
mere
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| adj.纯粹的；仅仅，只不过 | |
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114
alluding
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| 提及，暗指( allude的现在分词 ) | |
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115
corroborates
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| v.证实，支持（某种说法、信仰、理论等）( corroborate的第三人称单数 ) | |
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116
authentic
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| a.真的，真正的；可靠的，可信的，有根据的 | |
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117
narrative
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| n.叙述，故事；adj.叙事的，故事体的 | |
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118
remarkable
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| adj.显著的，异常的，非凡的，值得注意的 | |
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119
disappearance
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| n.消失，消散，失踪 | |
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120
desolate
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| adj.荒凉的，荒芜的；孤独的，凄凉的；v.使荒芜，使孤寂 | |
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121
dealing
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| n.经商方法，待人态度 | |
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122
deliberately
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| adv.审慎地；蓄意地；故意地 | |
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123
eminent
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| adj.显赫的，杰出的，有名的，优良的 | |
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124
steamship
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| n.汽船，轮船 | |
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125
devoted
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| adj.忠诚的，忠实的，热心的，献身于...的 | |
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126
consensus
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| n.(意见等的)一致，一致同意，共识 | |
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127
sneered
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| 讥笑，冷笑( sneer的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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128
forte
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| n.长处，擅长；adj.(音乐)强音的 | |
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129
jargon
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| n.术语，行话 | |
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