The ape-man aroused the mate and gave instructions that the Kincaid sail at the earliest possible moment. The remaining members of the crew, safe in Lord Greystoke's assurance that they would not be prosecuted2 for their share in the villainies of the two Russians, hastened with cheerful alacrity3 to their several duties.
The beasts, liberated4 from the confinement5 of the hold, wandered about the deck, not a little to the discomfiture6 of the crew in whose minds there remained a still vivid picture of the savagery7 of the beasts in conflict with those who had gone to their deaths beneath the fangs8 and talons9 which even now seemed itching10 for the soft flesh of further prey11.
Beneath the watchful12 eyes of Tarzan and Mugambi, however, Sheeta and the apes of Akut curbed13 their desires, so that the men worked about the deck amongst them in far greater security than they imagined.
At last the Kincaid slipped down the Ugambi and ran out upon the shimmering14 waters of the Atlantic. Tarzan and Jane Clayton watched the verdure-clad shore-line receding15 in the ship's wake, and for once the ape-man left his native soil without one single pang16 of regret.
No ship that sailed the seven seas could have borne him away from Africa to resume his search for his lost boy with half the speed that the Englishman would have desired, and the slow-moving Kincaid seemed scarce to move at all to the impatient mind of the bereaved17 father.
Yet the vessel18 made progress even when she seemed to be standing19 still, and presently the low hills of Jungle Island became distinctly visible upon the western horizon ahead.
In the cabin of Alexander Paulvitch the thing within the black box ticked, ticked, ticked, with apparently20 unending monotony; but yet, second by second, a little arm which protruded21 from the periphery22 of one of its wheels came nearer and nearer to another little arm which projected from the hand which Paulvitch had set at a certain point upon the dial beside the clockwork. When those two arms touched one another the ticking of the mechanism23 would cease—for ever.
Jane and Tarzan stood upon the bridge looking out toward Jungle Island. The men were forward, also watching the land grow upward out of the ocean. The beasts had sought the shade of the galley24, where they were curled up in sleep. All was quiet and peace upon the ship, and upon the waters.
Suddenly, without warning, the cabin roof shot up into the air, a cloud of dense25 smoke puffed26 far above the Kincaid, there was a terrific explosion which shook the vessel from stem to stern.
Instantly pandemonium27 broke loose upon the deck. The apes of Akut, terrified by the sound, ran hither and thither28, snarling29 and growling30. Sheeta leaped here and there, screaming out his startled terror in hideous31 cries that sent the ice of fear straight to the hearts of the Kincaid's crew.
Mugambi, too, was trembling. Only Tarzan of the Apes and his wife retained their composure. Scarce had the debris32 settled than the ape-man was among the beasts, quieting their fears, talking to them in low, pacific tones, stroking their shaggy bodies, and assuring them, as only he could, that the immediate33 danger was over.
An examination of the wreckage34 showed that their greatest danger, now, lay in fire, for the flames were licking hungrily at the splintered wood of the wrecked35 cabin, and had already found a foothold upon the lower deck through a great jagged hole which the explosion had opened.
By a miracle no member of the ship's company had been injured by the blast, the origin of which remained for ever a total mystery to all but one—the sailor who knew that Paulvitch had been aboard the Kincaid and in his cabin the previous night. He guessed the truth; but discretion36 sealed his lips. It would, doubtless, fare none too well for the man who had permitted the arch enemy of them all aboard the ship in the watches of the night, where later he might set an infernal machine to blow them all to kingdom come. No, the man decided37 that he would keep this knowledge to himself.
As the flames gained headway it became apparent to Tarzan that whatever had caused the explosion had scattered38 some highly inflammable substance upon the surrounding woodwork, for the water which they poured in from the pump seemed rather to spread than to extinguish the blaze.
Fifteen minutes after the explosion great, black clouds of smoke were rising from the hold of the doomed39 vessel. The flames had reached the engine-room, and the ship no longer moved toward the shore. Her fate was as certain as though the waters had already closed above her charred40 and smoking remains41.
"It is useless to remain aboard her longer," remarked the ape-man to the mate. "There is no telling but there may be other explosions, and as we cannot hope to save her, the safest thing which we can do is to take to the boats without further loss of time and make land."
Nor was there other alternative. Only the sailors could bring away any belongings42, for the fire, which had not yet reached the forecastle, had consumed all in the vicinity of the cabin which the explosion had not destroyed.
Two boats were lowered, and as there was no sea the landing was made with infinite ease. Eager and anxious, the beasts of Tarzan sniffed43 the familiar air of their native island as the small boats drew in toward the beach, and scarce had their keels grated upon the sand than Sheeta and the apes of Akut were over the bows and racing44 swiftly toward the jungle. A half-sad smile curved the lips of the ape-man as he watched them go.
"Good-bye, my friends," he murmured. "You have been good and faithful allies, and I shall miss you."
"They will return, will they not, dear?" asked Jane Clayton, at his side.
"They may and they may not," replied the ape-man. "They have been ill at ease since they were forced to accept so many human beings into their confidence. Mugambi and I alone affected45 them less, for he and I are, at best, but half human. You, however, and the members of the crew are far too civilized46 for my beasts—it is you whom they are fleeing. Doubtless they feel that they cannot trust themselves in the close vicinity of so much perfectly47 good food without the danger that they may help themselves to a mouthful some time by mistake."
Jane laughed. "I think they are just trying to escape you," she retorted. "You are always making them stop something which they see no reason why they should not do. Like little children they are doubtless delighted at this opportunity to flee from the zone of parental48 discipline. If they come back, though, I hope they won't come by night."
"Or come hungry, eh?" laughed Tarzan.
For two hours after landing the little party stood watching the burning ship which they had abandoned. Then there came faintly to them from across the water the sound of a second explosion. The Kincaid settled rapidly almost immediately thereafter, and sank within a few minutes.
The cause of the second explosion was less a mystery than that of the first, the mate attributing it to the bursting of the boilers49 when the flames had finally reached them; but what had caused the first explosion was a subject of considerable speculation50 among the stranded51 company.
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abated
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减少( abate的过去式和过去分词 ); 减去; 降价; 撤消(诉讼) | |
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prosecuted
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a.被起诉的 | |
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alacrity
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n.敏捷,轻快,乐意 | |
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liberated
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a.无拘束的,放纵的 | |
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confinement
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n.幽禁,拘留,监禁;分娩;限制,局限 | |
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discomfiture
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n.崩溃;大败;挫败;困惑 | |
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savagery
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n.野性 | |
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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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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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10
itching
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adj.贪得的,痒的,渴望的v.发痒( itch的现在分词 ) | |
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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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watchful
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adj.注意的,警惕的 | |
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13
curbed
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v.限制,克制,抑制( curb的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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shimmering
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v.闪闪发光,发微光( shimmer的现在分词 ) | |
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15
receding
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v.逐渐远离( recede的现在分词 );向后倾斜;自原处后退或避开别人的注视;尤指问题 | |
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pang
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n.剧痛,悲痛,苦闷 | |
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bereaved
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adj.刚刚丧失亲人的v.使失去(希望、生命等)( bereave的过去式和过去分词);(尤指死亡)使丧失(亲人、朋友等);使孤寂;抢走(财物) | |
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vessel
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n.船舶;容器,器皿;管,导管,血管 | |
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standing
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n.持续,地位;adj.永久的,不动的,直立的,不流动的 | |
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apparently
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adv.显然地;表面上,似乎 | |
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protruded
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v.(使某物)伸出,(使某物)突出( protrude的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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22
periphery
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n.(圆体的)外面;周围 | |
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23
mechanism
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n.机械装置;机构,结构 | |
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24
galley
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n.(飞机或船上的)厨房单层甲板大帆船;军舰舰长用的大划艇; | |
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25
dense
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a.密集的,稠密的,浓密的;密度大的 | |
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26
puffed
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adj.疏松的v.使喷出( puff的过去式和过去分词 );喷着汽(或烟)移动;吹嘘;吹捧 | |
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27
pandemonium
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n.喧嚣,大混乱 | |
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thither
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adv.向那里;adj.在那边的,对岸的 | |
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29
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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30
growling
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n.吠声, 咆哮声 v.怒吠, 咆哮, 吼 | |
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31
hideous
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adj.丑陋的,可憎的,可怕的,恐怖的 | |
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32
debris
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n.瓦砾堆,废墟,碎片 | |
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immediate
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adj.立即的;直接的,最接近的;紧靠的 | |
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34
wreckage
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n.(失事飞机等的)残骸,破坏,毁坏 | |
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wrecked
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adj.失事的,遇难的 | |
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discretion
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n.谨慎;随意处理 | |
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decided
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adj.决定了的,坚决的;明显的,明确的 | |
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scattered
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adj.分散的,稀疏的;散步的;疏疏落落的 | |
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doomed
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命定的 | |
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40
charred
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v.把…烧成炭( char的过去式);烧焦 | |
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41
remains
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n.剩余物,残留物;遗体,遗迹 | |
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42
belongings
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n.私人物品,私人财物 | |
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43
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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44
racing
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n.竞赛,赛马;adj.竞赛用的,赛马用的 | |
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45
affected
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adj.不自然的,假装的 | |
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civilized
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a.有教养的,文雅的 | |
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47
perfectly
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adv.完美地,无可非议地,彻底地 | |
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48
parental
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adj.父母的;父的;母的 | |
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49
boilers
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锅炉,烧水器,水壶( boiler的名词复数 ) | |
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50
speculation
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n.思索,沉思;猜测;投机 | |
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51
stranded
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a.搁浅的,进退两难的 | |
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