When the sun shone again upon the second day and a wide, open plain let the full heat of Kudu flood the chilled, brown body, Tarzan's spirits rose; but it was still a sullen9, surly brute10 that moved steadily11 onward12 into the south where he hoped again to pick up the trail of the Germans. He was now in German East Africa and it was his intention to skirt the mountains west of Kilimanjaro, whose rugged13 peaks he was quite willing to give a wide berth14, and then swing eastward15 along the south side of the range to the railway that led to Tanga, for his experience among men suggested that it was toward this railroad that German troops would be likely to converge16.
Two days later, from the southern slopes of Kilimanjaro, he heard the boom of cannon17 far away to the east. The afternoon had been dull and cloudy and now as he was passing through a narrow gorge18 a few great drops of rain began to splatter upon his naked shoulders. Tarzan shook his head and growled19 his disapproval20; then he cast his eyes about for shelter, for he had had quite enough of the cold and drenching21. He wanted to hasten on in the direction of the booming noise, for he knew that there would be Germans fighting against the English. For an instant his bosom22 swelled23 with pride at the thought that he was English and then he shook his head again viciously. "No!" he muttered, "Tarzan of the Apes is not English, for the English are men and Tarzan is Tarmangani;" but he could not hide even from his sorrow or from his sullen hatred24 of mankind in general that his heart warmed at the thought it was Englishmen who fought the Germans. His regret was that the English were human and not great white apes as he again considered himself.
"Tomorrow," he thought, "I will travel that way and find the Germans," and then he set himself to the immediate25 task of discovering some shelter from the storm. Presently he espied26 the low and narrow entrance to what appeared to be a cave at the base of the cliffs which formed the northern side of the gorge. With drawn27 knife he approached the spot warily28, for he knew that if it were a cave it was doubtless the lair29 of some other beast. Before the entrance lay many large fragments of rock of different sizes, similar to others scattered30 along the entire base of the cliff, and it was in Tarzan's mind that if he found the cave unoccupied he would barricade31 the door and insure himself a quiet and peaceful night's repose32 within the sheltered interior. Let the storm rage without—Tarzan would remain within until it ceased, comfortable and dry. A tiny rivulet33 of cold water trickled34 outward from the opening.
Close to the cave Tarzan kneeled and sniffed35 the ground. A low growl7 escaped him and his upper lip curved to expose his fighting fangs36. "Numa!" he muttered; but he did not stop. Numa might not be at home—he would investigate. The entrance was so low that the ape-man was compelled to drop to all fours before he could poke37 his head within the aperture38; but first he looked, listened, and sniffed in each direction at his rear—he would not be taken by surprise from that quarter.
His first glance within the cave revealed a narrow tunnel with daylight at its farther end. The interior of the tunnel was not so dark but that the ape-man could readily see that it was untenanted at present. Advancing cautiously he crawled toward the opposite end imbued39 with a full realization40 of what it would mean if Numa should suddenly enter the tunnel in front of him; but Numa did not appear and the ape-man emerged at length into the open and stood erect41, finding himself in a rocky cleft42 whose precipitous walls rose almost sheer on every hand, the tunnel from the gorge passing through the cliff and forming a passageway from the outer world into a large pocket or gulch43 entirely enclosed by steep walls of rock. Except for the small passageway from the gorge, there was no other entrance to the gulch which was some hundred feet in length and about fifty in width and appeared to have been worn from the rocky cliff by the falling of water during long ages. A tiny stream from Kilimanjaro's eternal snow cap still trickled over the edge of the rocky wall at the upper end of the gulch, forming a little pool at the bottom of the cliff from which a small rivulet wound downward to the tunnel through which it passed to the gorge beyond. A single great tree flourished near the center of the gulch, while tufts of wiry grass were scattered here and there among the rocks of the gravelly floor.
The bones of many large animals lay about and among them were several human skulls44. Tarzan raised his eyebrows45. "A man-eater," he murmured, "and from appearances he has held sway here for a long time. Tonight Tarzan will take the lair of the man-eater and Numa may roar and grumble46 upon the outside."
The ape-man had advanced well into the gulch as he investigated his surroundings and now as he stood near the tree, satisfied that the tunnel would prove a dry and quiet retreat for the night, he turned to retrace47 his way to the outer end of the entrance that he might block it with boulders48 against Numa's return, but even with the thought there came something to his sensitive ears that froze him into statuesque immobility with eyes glued upon the tunnel's mouth. A moment later the head of a huge lion framed in a great black mane appeared in the opening. The yellow-green eyes glared, round and unblinking, straight at the trespassing49 Tarmangani, a low growl rumbled50 from the deep chest, and lips curled back to expose the mighty51 fangs.
"Brother of Dango!" shouted Tarzan, angered that Numa's return should have been so timed as to frustrate52 his plans for a comfortable night's repose. "I am Tarzan of the Apes, Lord of the Jungle. Tonight I lair here—go!"
But Numa did not go. Instead he rumbled forth53 a menacing roar and took a few steps in Tarzan's direction. The ape-man picked up a rock and hurled54 it at the snarling55 face. One can never be sure of a lion. This one might turn tail and run at the first intimation of attack—Tarzan had bluffed56 many in his time—but not now. The missile struck Numa full upon the snout—a tender part of a cat's anatomy—and instead of causing him to flee it transformed him into an infuriated engine of wrath57 and destruction.
Up went his tail, stiff and erect, and with a series of frightful58 roars he bore down upon the Tarmangani at the speed of an express train. Not an instant too soon did Tarzan reach the tree and swing himself into its branches and there he squatted59, hurling60 insults at the king of beasts while Numa paced a circle beneath him, growling and roaring in rage.
It was raining now in earnest adding to the ape-man's discomfort61 and disappointment. He was very angry; but as only direct necessity had ever led him to close in mortal combat with a lion, knowing as he did that he had only luck and agility62 to pit against the frightful odds63 of muscle, weight, fangs, and talons64, he did not now even consider descending66 and engaging in so unequal and useless a duel67 for the mere68 reward of a little added creature comfort. And so he sat perched in the tree while the rain fell steadily and the lion padded round and round beneath, casting a baleful eye upward after every few steps.
Tarzan scanned the precipitous walls for an avenue of escape. They would have baffled an ordinary man; but the ape-man, accustomed to climbing, saw several places where he might gain a foothold, precarious69 possibly; but enough to give him reasonable assurance of escape if Numa would but betake himself to the far end of the gulch for a moment. Numa, however, notwithstanding the rain, gave no evidence of quitting his post so that at last Tarzan really began to consider seriously if it might not be as well to take the chance of a battle with him rather than remain longer cold and wet and humiliated70 in the tree.
But even as he turned the matter over in his mind Numa turned suddenly and walked majestically71 toward the tunnel without even a backward glance. The instant that he disappeared, Tarzan dropped lightly to the ground upon the far side of the tree and was away at top speed for the cliff. The lion had no sooner entered the tunnel than he backed immediately out again and, pivoting72 like a flash, was off across the gulch in full charge after the flying ape-man; but Tarzan's lead was too great—if he could find finger or foothold upon the sheer wall he would be safe; but should he slip from the wet rocks his doom73 was already sealed as he would fall directly into Numa's clutches where even the Great Tarmangani would be helpless.
With the agility of a cat Tarzan ran up the cliff for thirty feet before he paused, and there finding a secure foothold, he stopped and looked down upon Numa who was leaping upward in a wild and futile74 attempt to scale the rocky wall to his prey75. Fifteen or twenty feet from the ground the lion would scramble76 only to fall backward again defeated. Tarzan eyed him for a moment and then commenced a slow and cautious ascent77 toward the summit. Several times he had difficulty in finding holds but at last he drew himself over the edge, rose, picked up a bit of loose rock, hurled it at Numa and strode away.
Finding an easy descent to the gorge, he was about to pursue his journey in the direction of the still-booming guns when a sudden thought caused him to halt and a half-smile to play about his lips. Turning, he trotted78 quickly back to the outer opening of Numa's tunnel. Close beside it he listened for a moment and then rapidly began to gather large rocks and pile them within the entrance. He had almost closed the aperture when the lion appeared upon the inside—a very ferocious79 and angry lion that pawed and clawed at the rocks and uttered mighty roars that caused the earth to tremble; but roars did not frighten Tarzan of the Apes. At Kala's shaggy breast he had closed his infant eyes in sleep upon countless80 nights in years gone by to the savage chorus of similar roars. Scarcely a day or night of his jungle life—and practically all his life had been spent in the jungle—had he not heard the roaring of hungry lions, or angry lions, or love-sick lions. Such sounds affected81 Tarzan as the tooting of an automobile82 horn may affect you—if you are in front of the automobile it warns you out of the way, if you are not in front of it you scarcely notice it. Figuratively Tarzan was not in front of the automobile—Numa could not reach him and Tarzan knew it, so he continued deliberately83 to choke the entrance until there was no possibility of Numa's getting out again. When he was quite through he made a grimace84 at the hidden lion beyond the barrier and resumed his way toward the east. "A man-eater who will eat no more men," he soliloquized.
That night Tarzan lay up under an overhanging shelf of rock. The next morning he resumed his journey, stopping only long enough to make a kill and satisfy his hunger. The other beasts of the wild eat and lie up; but Tarzan never let his belly85 interfere86 with his plans. In this lay one of the greatest differences between the ape-man and his fellows of the jungles and forests. The firing ahead rose and fell during the day. He had noticed that it was highest at dawn and immediately after dusk and that during the night it almost ceased. In the middle of the afternoon of the second day he came upon troops moving up toward the front. They appeared to be raiding parties, for they drove goats and cows along with them and there were native porters laden87 with grain and other foodstuffs88. He saw that these natives were all secured by neck chains and he also saw that the troops were composed of native soldiers in German uniforms. The officers were white men. No one saw Tarzan, yet he was here and there about and among them for two hours. He inspected the insignia upon their uniforms and saw that they were not the same as that which he had taken from one of the dead soldiers at the bungalow89 and then he passed on ahead of them, unseen in the dense90 bush. He had come upon Germans and had not killed them; but it was because the killing91 of Germans at large was not yet the prime motive92 of his existence—now it was to discover the individual who slew93 his mate.
After he had accounted for him he would take up the little matter of slaying94 ALL Germans who crossed his path, and he meant that many should cross it, for he would hunt them precisely95 as professional hunters hunt the man-eaters.
As he neared the front lines the troops became more numerous. There were motor trucks and ox teams and all the impedimenta of a small army and always there were wounded men walking or being carried toward the rear. He had crossed the railroad some distance back and judged that the wounded were being taken to it for transportation to a base hospital and possibly as far away as Tanga on the coast.
It was dusk when he reached a large camp hidden in the foothills of the Pare Mountains. As he was approaching from the rear he found it but lightly guarded and what sentinels there were, were not upon the alert, and so it was an easy thing for him to enter after darkness had fallen and prowl about listening at the backs of tents, searching for some clew to the slayer96 of his mate.
As he paused at the side of a tent before which sat a number of native soldiers he caught a few words spoken in native dialect that riveted98 his attention instantly: "The Waziri fought like devils; but we are greater fighters and we killed them all. When we were through the captain came and killed the woman. He stayed outside and yelled in a very loud voice until all the men were killed. Underlieutenant von Goss is braver—he came in and stood beside the door shouting at us, also in a very loud voice, and bade us nail one of the Waziri who was wounded to the wall, and then he laughed loudly because the man suffered. We all laughed. It was very funny."
Like a beast of prey, grim and terrible, Tarzan crouched99 in the shadows beside the tent. What thoughts passed through that savage mind? Who may say? No outward sign of passion was revealed by the expression of the handsome face; the cold, gray eyes denoted only intense watchfulness100. Presently the soldier Tarzan had heard first rose and with a parting word turned away. He passed within ten feet of the ape-man and continued on toward the rear of the camp. Tarzan followed and in the shadows of a clump101 of bushes overtook his quarry102. There was no sound as the man beast sprang upon the back of his prey and bore it to the ground for steel fingers closed simultaneously103 upon the soldier's throat, effectually stifling104 any outcry. By the neck Tarzan dragged his victim well into the concealment106 of the bushes.
"Make no sound," he cautioned in the man's own tribal107 dialect as he released his hold upon the other's throat.
The fellow gasped108 for breath, rolling frightened eyes upward to see what manner of creature it might be in whose power he was. In the darkness he saw only a naked brown body bending above him; but he still remembered the terrific strength of the mighty muscles that had closed upon his wind and dragged him into the bushes as though he had been but a little child. If any thought of resistance had crossed his mind he must have discarded it at once, as he made no move to escape.
"What is the name of the officer who killed the woman at the bungalow where you fought with the Waziri?" asked Tarzan.
"Hauptmann Schneider," replied the black when he could again command his voice.
"Where is he?" demanded the ape-man.
"He is here. It may be that he is at headquarters. Many of the officers go there in the evening to receive orders."
"Lead me there," commanded Tarzan, "and if I am discovered I will kill you immediately. Get up!"
The black rose and led the way by a roundabout route back through the camp. Several times they were forced to hide while soldiers passed; but at last they reached a great pile of baled hay from about the corner of which the black pointed109 out a two-story building in the distance.
"Headquarters," he said. "You can go no farther unseen. There are many soldiers about."
Tarzan realized that he could not proceed farther in company with the black. He turned and looked at the fellow for a moment as though pondering what disposition110 to make of him.
"You helped to crucify Wasimbu, the Waziri," he accused in a low yet none the less terrible tone.
The black trembled, his knees giving beneath him. "He ordered us to do it," he plead.
"Who ordered it done?" demanded Tarzan.
"Underlieutenant von Goss," replied the soldier. "He, too, is here."
"I shall find him," returned Tarzan, grimly. "You helped to crucify Wasimbu, the Waziri, and, while he suffered, you laughed."
The fellow reeled. It was as though in the accusation111 he read also his death sentence. With no other word Tarzan seized the man again by the neck. As before there was no outcry. The giant muscles tensed. The arms swung quickly upward and with them the body of the black soldier who had helped to crucify Wasimbu, the Waziri, described a circle in the air—once, twice, three times, and then it was flung aside and the ape-man turned in the direction of General Kraut's headquarters.
A single sentinel in the rear of the building barred the way. Tarzan crawled, belly to the ground, toward him, taking advantage of cover as only the jungle-bred beast of prey can do. When the sentinel's eyes were toward him, Tarzan hugged the ground, motionless as stone; when they were turned away, he moved swiftly forward. Presently he was within charging distance. He waited until the man had turned his back once more and then he rose and sped noiselessly down upon him. Again there was no sound as he carried the dead body with him toward the building.
The lower floor was lighted, the upper dark. Through the windows Tarzan saw a large front room and a smaller room in rear of it. In the former were many officers. Some moved about talking to one another, others sat at field tables writing. The windows were open and Tarzan could hear much of the conversation; but nothing that interested him. It was mostly about the German successes in Africa and conjectures112 as to when the German army in Europe would reach Paris. Some said the Kaiser was doubtlessly already there, and there was a great deal of damning Belgium.
In the smaller back room a large, red-faced man sat behind a table. Some other officers were also sitting a little in rear of him, while two stood at attention before the general, who was questioning them. As he talked, the general toyed with an oil lamp that stood upon the table before him. Presently there came a knock upon the door and an aide entered the room. He saluted114 and reported: "Fr?ulein Kircher has arrived, sir."
"Bid her enter," commanded the general, and then nodded to the two officers before him in sign of dismissal.
The Fr?ulein, entering, passed them at the door. The officers in the little room rose and saluted, the Fr?ulein acknowledging the courtesy with a bow and a slight smile. She was a very pretty girl. Even the rough, soiled riding habit and the caked dust upon her face could not conceal105 the fact, and she was young. She could not have been over nineteen.
She advanced to the table behind which the general stood and, taking a folded paper from an inside pocket of her coat, handed it to him.
"Be seated, Fr?ulein," he said, and another officer brought her a chair. No one spoke97 while the general read the contents of the paper.
Tarzan appraised115 the various people in the room. He wondered if one might not be Hauptmann Schneider, for two of them were captains. The girl he judged to be of the intelligence department—a spy. Her beauty held no appeal for him—without a glimmer116 of compunction he could have wrung117 that fair, young neck. She was German and that was enough; but he had other and more important work before him. He wanted Hauptmann Schneider.
Finally the general looked up from the paper.
"Good," he said to the girl, and then to one of his aides, "Send for Major Schneider."
Major Schneider! Tarzan felt the short hairs at the back of his neck rise. Already they had promoted the beast who had murdered his mate—doubtless they had promoted him for that very crime.
The aide left the room and the others fell into a general conversation from which it became apparent to Tarzan that the German East African forces greatly outnumbered the British and that the latter were suffering heavily. The ape-man stood so concealed118 in a clump of bushes that he could watch the interior of the room without being seen from within, while he was at the same time hidden from the view of anyone who might chance to pass along the post of the sentinel he had slain119. Momentarily he was expecting a patrol or a relief to appear and discover that the sentinel was missing, when he knew an immediate and thorough search would be made.
Impatiently he awaited the coming of the man he sought and at last he was rewarded by the reappearance of the aide who had been dispatched to fetch him accompanied by an officer of medium size with fierce, upstanding mustaches. The newcomer strode to the table, halted and saluted, reporting. The general acknowledged the salute113 and turned toward the girl.
"Fr?ulein Kircher," he said, "allow me to present Major Schneider—"
Tarzan waited to hear no more. Placing a palm upon the sill of the window he vaulted120 into the room into the midst of an astounded121 company of the Kaiser's officers. With a stride he was at the table and with a sweep of his hand sent the lamp crashing into the fat belly of the general who, in his mad effort to escape cremation122, fell over backward, chair and all, upon the floor. Two of the aides sprang for the ape-man who picked up the first and flung him in the face of the other. The girl had leaped from her chair and stood flattened123 against the wall. The other officers were calling aloud for the guard and for help. Tarzan's purpose centered upon but a single individual and him he never lost sight of. Freed from attack for an instant he seized Major Schneider, threw him over his shoulder and was out of the window so quickly that the astonished assemblage could scarce realize what had occurred.
A single glance showed him that the sentinel's post was still vacant and a moment later he and his burden were in the shadows of the hay dump. Major Schneider had made no outcry for the very excellent reason that his wind was shut off. Now Tarzan released his grasp enough to permit the man to breathe.
"If you make a sound you will be choked again," he said.
Cautiously and after infinite patience Tarzan passed the final outpost. Forcing his captive to walk before him he pushed on toward the west until, late into the night, he re-crossed the railway where he felt reasonably safe from discovery. The German had cursed and grumbled124 and threatened and asked questions; but his only reply was another prod125 from Tarzan's sharp war spear. The ape-man herded126 him along as he would have driven a hog127 with the difference that he would have had more respect and therefore more consideration for a hog.
Until now Tarzan had given little thought to the details of revenge. Now he pondered what form the punishment should take. Of only one thing was he certain—it must end in death. Like all brave men and courageous128 beasts Tarzan had little natural inclination129 to torture—none, in fact; but this case was unique in his experience. An inherent sense of justice called for an eye for an eye and his recent oath demanded even more. Yes, the creature must suffer even as he had caused Jane Clayton to suffer. Tarzan could not hope to make the man suffer as he had suffered, since physical pain may never approach the exquisiteness130 of mental torture.
All through the long night the ape-man goaded131 on the exhausted132 and now terrified Hun. The awful silence of his captor wrought133 upon the German's nerves. If he would only speak! Again and again Schneider tried to force or coax134 a word from him; but always the result was the same—continued silence and a vicious and painful prod from the spear point. Schneider was bleeding and sore. He was so exhausted that he staggered at every step, and often he fell only to be prodded135 to his feet again by that terrifying and remorseless spear.
It was not until morning that Tarzan reached a decision and it came to him then like an inspiration from above. A slow smile touched his lips and he immediately sought a place to lie up and rest—he wished his prisoner to be fit now for what lay in store for him. Ahead was a stream which Tarzan had crossed the day before. He knew the ford136 for a drinking place and a likely spot to make an easy kill. Cautioning the German to utter silence with a gesture the two approached the stream quietly. Down the game trail Tarzan saw some deer about to leave the water. He shoved Schneider into the brush at one side and, squatting137 next him, waited. The German watched the silent giant with puzzled, frightened eyes. In the new dawn he, for the first time, was able to obtain a good look at his captor, and, if he had been puzzled and frightened before, those sensations were nothing to what he experienced now.
Who and what could this almost naked, white savage be? He had heard him speak but once—when he had cautioned him to silence—and then in excellent German and the well-modulated tones of culture. He watched him now as the fascinated toad138 watches the snake that is about to devour139 it. He saw the graceful140 limbs and symmetrical body motionless as a marble statue as the creature crouched in the concealment of the leafy foliage141. Not a muscle, not a nerve moved. He saw the deer coming slowly along the trail, down wind and unsuspecting. He saw a buck142 pass—an old buck—and then a young and plump one came opposite the giant in ambush143, and Schneider's eyes went wide and a scream of terror almost broke from his lips as he saw the agile144 beast at his side spring straight for the throat of the young buck and heard from those human lips the hunting roar of a wild beast. Down went the buck and Tarzan and his captive had meat. The ape-man ate his raw, but he permitted the German to build a fire and cook his portion.
The two lay up until late in the afternoon and then took up the journey once again—a journey that was so frightful to Schneider because of his ignorance of its destination that he at times groveled at Tarzan's feet begging for an explanation and for mercy; but on and on in silence the ape-man went, prodding145 the failing Hun whenever the latter faltered146.
It was noon of the third day before they reached their destination. After a steep climb and a short walk they halted at the edge of a precipitous cliff and Schneider looked down into a narrow gulch where a single tree grew beside a tiny rivulet and sparse147 grass broke from a rock-strewn soil. Tarzan motioned him over the edge; but the German drew back in terror. The Ape-man seized him and pushed him roughly toward the brink148. "Descend65," he said. It was the second time he had spoken in three days and perhaps his very silence, ominous149 in itself, had done more to arouse terror in the breast of the Boche than even the spear point, ever ready as it always was.
Schneider looked fearfully over the edge; but was about to essay the attempt when Tarzan halted him. "I am Lord Greystoke," he said. "It was my wife you murdered in the Waziri country. You will understand now why I came for you. Descend."
The German fell upon his knees. "I did not murder your wife," he cried. "Have mercy! I did not murder your wife. I do not know anything about—"
"Descend!" snapped Tarzan, raising the point of his spear. He knew that the man lied and was not surprised that he did. A man who would murder for no cause would lie for less. Schneider still hesitated and pled. The ape-man jabbed him with the spear and Schneider slid fearfully over the top and began the perilous150 descent. Tarzan accompanied and assisted him over the worst places until at last they were within a few feet of the bottom.
"Be quiet now," cautioned the ape-man. He pointed at the entrance to what appeared to be a cave at the far end of the gulch. "There is a hungry lion in there. If you can reach that tree before he discovers you, you will have several days longer in which to enjoy life and then—when you are too weak to cling longer to the branches of the tree Numa, the man-eater, will feed again for the last time." He pushed Schneider from his foothold to the ground below. "Now run," he said.
The German trembling in terror started for the tree. He had almost reached it when a horrid151 roar broke from the mouth of the cave and almost simultaneously a gaunt, hunger mad lion leaped into the daylight of the gulch. Schneider had but a few yards to cover; but the lion flew over the ground to circumvent152 him while Tarzan watched the race with a slight smile upon his lips.
Schneider won by a slender margin153, and as Tarzan scaled the cliff to the summit, he heard behind him mingled154 with the roaring of the baffled cat, the gibbering of a human voice that was at the same time more bestial155 than the beast's.
Upon the brink of the cliff the ape-man turned and looked back into the gulch. High in the tree the German clung frantically156 to a branch across which his body lay. Beneath him was Numa—waiting.
The ape-man raised his face to Kudu, the sun, and from his mighty chest rose the savage victory cry of the bull ape.
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1
torrents
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| n.倾注；奔流( torrent的名词复数 )；急流；爆发；连续不断 | |
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2
entirely
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| ad.全部地，完整地；完全地，彻底地 | |
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3
obliterated
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| v.除去( obliterate的过去式和过去分词 )；涂去；擦掉；彻底破坏或毁灭 | |
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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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5
mazes
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| 迷宫( maze的名词复数 )； 纷繁复杂的规则； 复杂难懂的细节； 迷宫图 | |
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6
chattering
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| n. （机器振动发出的）咔嗒声，(鸟等)鸣，啁啾 adj. 喋喋不休的，啾啾声的 动词chatter的现在分词形式 | |
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7
growl
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| v.（狗等）嗥叫，（炮等）轰鸣；n.嗥叫，轰鸣 | |
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8
growling
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| n.吠声, 咆哮声 v.怒吠, 咆哮, 吼 | |
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sullen
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| adj.愠怒的，闷闷不乐的，(天气等)阴沉的 | |
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10
brute
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| n.野兽，兽性 | |
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steadily
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| adv.稳定地；不变地；持续地 | |
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12
onward
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| adj.向前的，前进的；adv.向前，前进，在先 | |
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rugged
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| adj.高低不平的，粗糙的，粗壮的，强健的 | |
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berth
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| n.卧铺，停泊地，锚位；v.使停泊 | |
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eastward
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| adv.向东；adj.向东的；n.东方，东部 | |
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converge
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| vi.会合；聚集，集中；(思想、观点等)趋近 | |
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cannon
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| n.大炮，火炮；飞机上的机关炮 | |
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gorge
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| n.咽喉，胃，暴食，山峡；v.塞饱，狼吞虎咽地吃 | |
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19
growled
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| v.（动物）发狺狺声， （雷）作隆隆声( growl的过去式和过去分词 )；低声咆哮着说 | |
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20
disapproval
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| n.反对，不赞成 | |
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21
drenching
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| n.湿透v.使湿透( drench的现在分词 )；在某人（某物）上大量使用（某液体） | |
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22
bosom
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| n.胸，胸部；胸怀；内心；adj.亲密的 | |
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23
swelled
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| 增强( swell的过去式和过去分词 )； 肿胀； （使）凸出； 充满（激情） | |
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24
hatred
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| n.憎恶，憎恨，仇恨 | |
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25
immediate
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| adj.立即的；直接的，最接近的；紧靠的 | |
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26
espied
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| v.看到( espy的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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27
drawn
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| v.拖，拉，拔出；adj.憔悴的，紧张的 | |
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28
warily
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| adv.留心地 | |
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29
lair
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| n.野兽的巢穴；躲藏处 | |
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30
scattered
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| adj.分散的，稀疏的；散步的；疏疏落落的 | |
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31
barricade
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| n.路障，栅栏，障碍；vt.设路障挡住 | |
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32
repose
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| v.(使)休息；n.安息 | |
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33
rivulet
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| n.小溪，小河 | |
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34
trickled
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| v.滴( trickle的过去式和过去分词 )；淌；使)慢慢走；缓慢移动 | |
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35
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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36
fangs
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| n.（尤指狗和狼的）长而尖的牙( fang的名词复数 )；（蛇的）毒牙；罐座 | |
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37
poke
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| n.刺，戳，袋；vt.拨开，刺，戳；vi.戳，刺，捅，搜索，伸出，行动散慢 | |
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38
aperture
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| n.孔，隙，窄的缺口 | |
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39
imbued
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| v.使（某人/某事）充满或激起（感情等）( imbue的过去式和过去分词 )；使充满；灌输；激发（强烈感情或品质等） | |
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40
realization
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| n.实现；认识到，深刻了解 | |
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41
erect
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| n./v.树立，建立，使竖立；adj.直立的，垂直的 | |
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42
cleft
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| n.裂缝；adj.裂开的 | |
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43
gulch
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| n.深谷，峡谷 | |
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44
skulls
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| 颅骨( skull的名词复数 )； 脑袋； 脑子； 脑瓜 | |
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45
eyebrows
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| 眉毛( eyebrow的名词复数 ) | |
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46
grumble
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| vi.抱怨；咕哝；n.抱怨，牢骚；咕哝，隆隆声 | |
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47
retrace
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| v.折回；追溯，探源 | |
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48
boulders
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| n.卵石( boulder的名词复数 )；巨砾；（受水或天气侵蚀而成的）巨石；漂砾 | |
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49
trespassing
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| [法]非法入侵 | |
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50
rumbled
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| 发出隆隆声，发出辘辘声( rumble的过去式和过去分词 )； 轰鸣着缓慢行进； 发现…的真相； 看穿（阴谋） | |
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51
mighty
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| adj.强有力的；巨大的 | |
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52
frustrate
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| v.使失望；使沮丧；使厌烦 | |
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53
forth
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| adv.向前；向外，往外 | |
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54
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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55
snarling
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| v.（指狗）吠，嗥叫， （人）咆哮( snarl的现在分词 )；咆哮着说，厉声地说 | |
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56
bluffed
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| 以假象欺骗，吹牛( bluff的过去式和过去分词 )； 以虚张声势找出或达成 | |
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57
wrath
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| n.愤怒，愤慨，暴怒 | |
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58
frightful
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| adj.可怕的；讨厌的 | |
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59
squatted
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| v.像动物一样蹲下( squat的过去式和过去分词 )；非法擅自占用（土地或房屋）；为获得其所有权；而占用某片公共用地。 | |
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60
hurling
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| n.爱尔兰式曲棍球v.猛投，用力掷( hurl的现在分词 )；大声叫骂 | |
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61
discomfort
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| n.不舒服，不安，难过，困难，不方便 | |
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62
agility
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| n.敏捷，活泼 | |
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63
odds
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| n.让步，机率，可能性，比率；胜败优劣之别 | |
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64
talons
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| n.（尤指猛禽的）爪( talon的名词复数 )；（如爪般的）手指；爪状物；锁簧尖状突出部 | |
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65
descend
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| vt./vi.传下来，下来，下降 | |
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66
descending
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| n. 下行 adj. 下降的 | |
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67
duel
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| n./v.决斗；(双方的)斗争 | |
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68
mere
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| adj.纯粹的；仅仅，只不过 | |
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69
precarious
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| adj.不安定的，靠不住的；根据不足的 | |
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70
humiliated
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| 感到羞愧的 | |
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71
majestically
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| 雄伟地； 庄重地； 威严地； 崇高地 | |
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72
pivoting
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| n.绕轴旋转，绕公共法线旋转v.（似）在枢轴上转动( pivot的现在分词 )；把…放在枢轴上；以…为核心，围绕（主旨）展开 | |
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73
doom
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| n.厄运，劫数；v.注定，命定 | |
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74
futile
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| adj.无效的，无用的，无希望的 | |
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75
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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76
scramble
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| v.爬行，攀爬，杂乱蔓延，碎片，片段，废料 | |
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77
ascent
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| n.(声望或地位)提高；上升，升高；登高 | |
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78
trotted
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| 小跑，急走( trot的过去分词 )； 匆匆忙忙地走 | |
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79
ferocious
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| adj.凶猛的，残暴的，极度的，十分强烈的 | |
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80
countless
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| adj.无数的，多得不计其数的 | |
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81
affected
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| adj.不自然的，假装的 | |
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82
automobile
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| n.汽车，机动车 | |
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83
deliberately
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| adv.审慎地；蓄意地；故意地 | |
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84
grimace
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| v.做鬼脸，面部歪扭 | |
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85
belly
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| n.肚子，腹部；(像肚子一样)鼓起的部分，膛 | |
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86
interfere
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| v.(in)干涉，干预；(with)妨碍，打扰 | |
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87
laden
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| adj.装满了的；充满了的；负了重担的；苦恼的 | |
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88
foodstuffs
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| 食物，食品( foodstuff的名词复数 ) | |
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89
bungalow
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| n.平房，周围有阳台的木造小平房 | |
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90
dense
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| a.密集的，稠密的，浓密的；密度大的 | |
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91
killing
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| n.巨额利润；突然赚大钱，发大财 | |
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92
motive
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| n.动机，目的；adv.发动的，运动的 | |
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93
slew
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| v.（使）旋转；n.大量，许多 | |
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94
slaying
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| 杀戮。 | |
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95
precisely
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| adv.恰好，正好，精确地，细致地 | |
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96
slayer
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| n. 杀人者，凶手 | |
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97
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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98
riveted
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| 铆接( rivet的过去式和过去分词 )； 把…固定住； 吸引； 引起某人的注意 | |
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99
crouched
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| v.屈膝，蹲伏( crouch的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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100
watchfulness
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| 警惕，留心； 警觉（性） | |
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101
clump
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| n.树丛，草丛；vi.用沉重的脚步行走 | |
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102
quarry
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| n.采石场；v.采石；费力地找 | |
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103
simultaneously
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| adv.同时发生地，同时进行地 | |
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104
stifling
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| a.令人窒息的 | |
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105
conceal
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| v.隐藏，隐瞒，隐蔽 | |
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106
concealment
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| n.隐藏, 掩盖，隐瞒 | |
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107
tribal
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| adj.部族的，种族的 | |
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108
gasped
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| v.喘气( gasp的过去式和过去分词 )；喘息；倒抽气；很想要 | |
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109
pointed
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| adj.尖的，直截了当的 | |
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110
disposition
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| n.性情，性格；意向，倾向；排列，部署 | |
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111
accusation
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| n.控告，指责，谴责 | |
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112
conjectures
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| 推测，猜想( conjecture的名词复数 ) | |
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113
salute
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| vi.行礼，致意，问候，放礼炮；vt.向…致意，迎接，赞扬；n.招呼，敬礼，礼炮 | |
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114
saluted
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| v.欢迎，致敬( salute的过去式和过去分词 )；赞扬，赞颂 | |
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115
appraised
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| v.估价( appraise的过去式和过去分词 )；估计；估量；评价 | |
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116
glimmer
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| v.发出闪烁的微光；n.微光，微弱的闪光 | |
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117
wrung
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| 绞( wring的过去式和过去分词 )； 握紧（尤指别人的手）； 把（湿衣服）拧干； 绞掉（水） | |
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118
concealed
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| a.隐藏的，隐蔽的 | |
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119
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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120
vaulted
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| adj.拱状的 | |
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121
astounded
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| v.使震惊(astound的过去式和过去分词)；愕然；愕；惊讶 | |
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122
cremation
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| n.火葬，火化 | |
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123
flattened
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| [医]（水）平扁的，弄平的 | |
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124
grumbled
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| 抱怨( grumble的过去式和过去分词 )； 发牢骚； 咕哝； 发哼声 | |
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125
prod
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| vt.戳，刺；刺激，激励 | |
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126
herded
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| 群集，纠结( herd的过去式和过去分词 )； 放牧； （使）向…移动 | |
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127
hog
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| n.猪；馋嘴贪吃的人；vt.把…占为己有，独占 | |
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128
courageous
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| adj.勇敢的，有胆量的 | |
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129
inclination
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| n.倾斜；点头；弯腰；斜坡；倾度；倾向；爱好 | |
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130
exquisiteness
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131
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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132
exhausted
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| adj.极其疲惫的，精疲力尽的 | |
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133
wrought
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| v.引起；以…原料制作；运转；adj.制造的 | |
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134
coax
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| v.哄诱，劝诱，用诱哄得到，诱取 | |
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135
prodded
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| v.刺，戳( prod的过去式和过去分词 )；刺激；促使；（用手指或尖物）戳 | |
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136
Ford
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| n.浅滩，水浅可涉处；v.涉水，涉过 | |
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137
squatting
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| v.像动物一样蹲下( squat的现在分词 )；非法擅自占用（土地或房屋）；为获得其所有权；而占用某片公共用地。 | |
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138
toad
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| n.蟾蜍，癞蛤蟆 | |
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139
devour
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| v.吞没；贪婪地注视或谛听，贪读；使着迷 | |
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140
graceful
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| adj.优美的，优雅的；得体的 | |
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141
foliage
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| n.叶子，树叶，簇叶 | |
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142
buck
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| n.雄鹿，雄兔；v.马离地跳跃 | |
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143
ambush
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| n.埋伏(地点)；伏兵；v.埋伏；伏击 | |
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144
agile
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| adj.敏捷的，灵活的 | |
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145
prodding
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| v.刺，戳( prod的现在分词 )；刺激；促使；（用手指或尖物）戳 | |
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146
faltered
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| （嗓音）颤抖( falter的过去式和过去分词 )； 支吾其词； 蹒跚； 摇晃 | |
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147
sparse
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| adj.稀疏的，稀稀落落的，薄的 | |
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148
brink
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| n.(悬崖、河流等的)边缘，边沿 | |
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149
ominous
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| adj.不祥的，不吉的，预兆的，预示的 | |
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150
perilous
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| adj.危险的，冒险的 | |
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151
horrid
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| adj.可怕的；令人惊恐的；恐怖的；极讨厌的 | |
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152
circumvent
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| vt.环绕，包围；对…用计取胜，智胜 | |
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153
margin
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| n.页边空白；差额；余地，余裕；边，边缘 | |
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154
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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155
bestial
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| adj.残忍的；野蛮的 | |
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156
frantically
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| ad.发狂地, 发疯地 | |
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