It was nine o'clock before Baynes drew rein4 in the clearing. Meriem had not yet arrived. The black lay down to rest. Baynes lolled in his saddle. Korak stretched himself comfortably upon a lofty limb, where he could watch those beneath him without being seen.
An hour passed. Baynes gave evidence of nervousness. Korak had already guessed that the young Englishman had come here to meet another, nor was he at all in doubt as to the identity of that other. The Killer5 was perfectly6 satisfied that he was soon again to see the nimble she who had so forcefully reminded him of Meriem.
Presently the sound of an approaching horse came to Korak's ears. She was coming! She had almost reached the clearing before Baynes became aware of her presence, and then as he looked up, the foliage7 parted to the head and shoulders of her mount and Meriem rode into view. Baynes spurred to meet her. Korak looked searchingly down upon her, mentally anathematizing the broad-brimmed hat that hid her features from his eyes. She was abreast9 the Englishman now. Korak saw the man take both her hands and draw her close to his breast. He saw the man's face concealed10 for a moment beneath the same broad brim that hid the girl's. He could imagine their lips meeting, and a twinge of sorrow and sweet recollection combined to close his eyes for an instant in that involuntary muscular act with which we attempt to shut out from the mind's eye harrowing reflections.
When he looked again they had drawn11 apart and were conversing12 earnestly. Korak could see the man urging something. It was equally evident that the girl was holding back. There were many of her gestures, and the way in which she tossed her head up and to the right, tip-tilting her chin, that reminded Korak still more strongly of Meriem. And then the conversation was over and the man took the girl in his arms again to kiss her good-bye. She turned and rode toward the point from which she had come. The man sat on his horse watching her. At the edge of the jungle she turned to wave him a final farewell.
"Tonight!" she cried, throwing back her head as she called the words to him across the little distance which separated them—throwing back her head and revealing her face for the first time to the eyes of The Killer in the tree above. Korak started as though pierced through the heart with an arrow. He trembled and shook like a leaf. He closed his eyes, pressing his palms across them, and then he opened them again and looked but the girl was gone—only the waving foliage of the jungle's rim8 marked where she had disappeared. It was impossible! It could not be true! And yet, with his own eyes he had seen his Meriem—older a little, with figure more rounded by nearer maturity13, and subtly changed in other ways; more beautiful than ever, yet still his little Meriem. Yes, he had seen the dead alive again; he had seen his Meriem in the flesh. She lived! She had not died! He had seen her—he had seen his Meriem—IN THE ARMS OF ANOTHER MAN! And that man sat below him now, within easy reach. Korak, The Killer, fondled his heavy spear. He played with the grass rope dangling14 from his gee-string. He stroked the hunting knife at his hip15. And the man beneath him called to his drowsy16 guide, bent17 the rein to his pony18's neck and moved off toward the north. Still sat Korak, The Killer, alone among the trees. Now his hands hung idly at his sides. His weapons and what he had intended were forgotten for the moment. Korak was thinking. He had noted19 that subtle change in Meriem. When last he had seen her she had been his little, half-naked Mangani—wild, savage20, and uncouth21. She had not seemed uncouth to him then; but now, in the change that had come over her, he knew that such she had been; yet no more uncouth than he, and he was still uncouth.
In her had taken place the change. In her he had just seen a sweet and lovely flower of refinement22 and civilization, and he shuddered23 as he recalled the fate that he himself had planned for her—to be the mate of an ape-man, his mate, in the savage jungle. Then he had seen no wrong in it, for he had loved her, and the way he had planned had been the way of the jungle which they two had chosen as their home; but now, after having seen the Meriem of civilized24 attire25, he realized the hideousness26 of his once cherished plan, and he thanked God that chance and the blacks of Kovudoo had thwarted27 him.
Yet he still loved her, and jealousy28 seared his soul as he recalled the sight of her in the arms of the dapper young Englishman. What were his intentions toward her? Did he really love her? How could one not love her? And she loved him, of that Korak had had ample proof. Had she not loved him she would not have accepted his kisses. His Meriem loved another! For a long time he let that awful truth sink deep, and from it he tried to reason out his future plan of action. In his heart was a great desire to follow the man and slay29 him; but ever there rose in his consciousness the thought: She loves him. Could he slay the creature Meriem loved? Sadly he shook his head. No, he could not. Then came a partial decision to follow Meriem and speak with her. He half started, and then glanced down at his nakedness and was ashamed. He, the son of a British peer, had thus thrown away his life, had thus degraded himself to the level of a beast that he was ashamed to go to the woman he loved and lay his love at her feet. He was ashamed to go to the little Arab maid who had been his jungle playmate, for what had he to offer her?
For years circumstances had prevented a return to his father and mother, and at last pride had stepped in and expunged30 from his mind the last vestige31 of any intention to return. In a spirit of boyish adventure he had cast his lot with the jungle ape. The killing32 of the crook33 in the coast inn had filled his childish mind with terror of the law, and driven him deeper into the wilds. The rebuffs that he had met at the hands of men, both black and white, had had their effect upon his mind while yet it was in a formative state, and easily influenced.
He had come to believe that the hand of man was against him, and then he had found in Meriem the only human association he required or craved. When she had been snatched from him his sorrow had been so deep that the thought of ever mingling34 again with human beings grew still more unutterably distasteful. Finally and for all time, he thought, the die was cast. Of his own volition35 he had become a beast, a beast he had lived, a beast he would die.
Now that it was too late, he regretted it. For now Meriem, still living, had been revealed to him in a guise36 of progress and advancement37 that had carried her completely out of his life. Death itself could not have further removed her from him. In her new world she loved a man of her own kind. And Korak knew that it was right. She was not for him—not for the naked, savage ape. No, she was not for him; but he still was hers. If he could not have her and happiness, he would at least do all that lay in his power to assure happiness to her. He would follow the young Englishman. In the first place he would know that he meant Meriem no harm, and after that, though jealousy wrenched38 his heart, he would watch over the man Meriem loved, for Meriem's sake; but God help that man if he thought to wrong her!
Slowly he aroused himself. He stood erect39 and stretched his great frame, the muscles of his arms gliding40 sinuously41 beneath his tanned skin as he bent his clenched42 fists behind his head. A movement on the ground beneath caught his eye. An antelope43 was entering the clearing. Immediately Korak became aware that he was empty—again he was a beast. For a moment love had lifted him to sublime44 heights of honor and renunciation.
The antelope was crossing the clearing. Korak dropped to the ground upon the opposite side of the tree, and so lightly that not even the sensitive ears of the antelope apprehended45 his presence. He uncoiled his grass rope—it was the latest addition to his armament, yet he was proficient46 with it. Often he traveled with nothing more than his knife and his rope—they were light and easy to carry. His spear and bow and arrows were cumbersome47 and he usually kept one or all of them hidden away in a private cache.
Now he held a single coil of the long rope in his right hand, and the balance in his left. The antelope was but a few paces from him. Silently Korak leaped from his hiding place swinging the rope free from the entangling48 shrubbery. The antelope sprang away almost instantly; but instantly, too, the coiled rope, with its sliding noose49, flew through the air above him. With unerring precision it settled about the creature's neck. There was a quick wrist movement of the thrower, the noose tightened50. The Killer braced51 himself with the rope across his hip, and as the antelope tautened the singing strands52 in a last frantic53 bound for liberty he was thrown over upon his back.
Then, instead of approaching the fallen animal as a roper of the western plains might do, Korak dragged his captive to himself, pulling him in hand over hand, and when he was within reach leaping upon him even as Sheeta the panther might have done, and burying his teeth in the animal's neck while he found its heart with the point of his hunting knife. Recoiling54 his rope, he cut a few generous strips from his kill and took to the trees again, where he ate in peace. Later he swung off in the direction of a nearby water hole, and then he slept.
In his mind, of course, was the suggestion of another meeting between Meriem and the young Englishman that had been borne to him by the girl's parting: "Tonight!"
He had not followed Meriem because he knew from the direction from which she had come and in which she returned that wheresoever she had found an asylum55 it lay out across the plains and not wishing to be discovered by the girl he had not cared to venture into the open after her. It would do as well to keep in touch with the young man, and that was precisely56 what he intended doing.
To you or me the possibility of locating the Hon. Morison in the jungle after having permitted him to get such a considerable start might have seemed remote; but to Korak it was not at all so. He guessed that the white man would return to his camp; but should he have done otherwise it would be a simple matter to The Killer to trail a mounted man accompanied by another on foot. Days might pass and still such a spoor would be sufficiently57 plain to lead Korak unfalteringly to its end; while a matter of a few hours only left it as clear to him as though the makers58 themselves were still in plain sight.
And so it came that a few minutes after the Hon. Morison Baynes entered the camp to be greeted by Hanson, Korak slipped noiselessly into a near-by tree. There he lay until late afternoon and still the young Englishman made no move to leave camp. Korak wondered if Meriem were coming there. A little later Hanson and one of his black boys rode out of camp. Korak merely noted the fact. He was not particularly interested in what any other member of the company than the young Englishman did.
Darkness came and still the young man remained. He ate his evening meal, afterward59 smoking numerous cigarettes. Presently he began to pace back and forth before his tent. He kept his boy busy replenishing the fire. A lion coughed and he went into his tent to reappear with an express rifle. Again he admonished60 the boy to throw more brush upon the fire. Korak saw that he was nervous and afraid, and his lip curled in a sneer61 of contempt.
Was this the creature who had supplanted62 him in the heart of his Meriem? Was this a man, who trembled when Numa coughed? How could such as he protect Meriem from the countless63 dangers of the jungle? Ah, but he would not have to. They would live in the safety of European civilization, where men in uniforms were hired to protect them. What need had a European of prowess to protect his mate? Again the sneer curled Korak's lip.
Hanson and his boy had ridden directly to the clearing. It was already dark when they arrived. Leaving the boy there Hanson rode to the edge of the plain, leading the boy's horse. There he waited. It was nine o'clock before he saw a solitary64 figure galloping65 toward him from the direction of the bungalow66. A few moments later Meriem drew in her mount beside him. She was nervous and flushed. When she recognized Hanson she drew back, startled.
"Mr. Baynes' horse fell on him and sprained67 his ankle," Hanson hastened to explain. "He couldn't very well come so he sent me to meet you and bring you to camp."
The girl could not see in the darkness the gloating, triumphant68 expression on the speaker's face.
"We had better hurry," continued Hanson, "for we'll have to move along pretty fast if we don't want to be overtaken."
"Is he hurt badly?" asked Meriem.
"Only a little sprain," replied Hanson. "He can ride all right; but we both thought he'd better lie up tonight, and rest, for he'll have plenty hard riding in the next few weeks."
"Yes," agreed the girl.
Hanson swung his pony about and Meriem followed him. They rode north along the edge of the jungle for a mile and then turned straight into it toward the west. Meriem, following, payed little attention to directions. She did not know exactly where Hanson's camp lay and so she did not guess that he was not leading her toward it. All night they rode, straight toward the west. When morning came, Hanson permitted a short halt for breakfast, which he had provided in well-filled saddle bags before leaving his camp. Then they pushed on again, nor did they halt a second time until in the heat of the day he stopped and motioned the girl to dismount.
"I had no idea the camp was so far away," said Meriem.
"I left orders that they were to move on at day break," explained the trader, "so that we could get a good start. I knew that you and I could easily overtake a laden70 safari71. It may not be until tomorrow that we'll catch up with them."
But though they traveled part of the night and all the following day no sign of the safari appeared ahead of them. Meriem, an adept72 in jungle craft, knew that none had passed ahead of them for many days. Occasionally she saw indications of an old spoor, a very old spoor, of many men. For the most part they followed this well-marked trail along elephant paths and through park-like groves73. It was an ideal trail for rapid traveling.
Meriem at last became suspicious. Gradually the attitude of the man at her side had begun to change. Often she surprised him devouring74 her with his eyes. Steadily75 the former sensation of previous acquaintanceship urged itself upon her. Somewhere, sometime before she had known this man. It was evident that he had not shaved for several days. A blonde stubble had commenced to cover his neck and cheeks and chin, and with it the assurance that he was no stranger continued to grow upon the girl.
It was not until the second day, however, that Meriem rebelled. She drew in her pony at last and voiced her doubts. Hanson assured her that the camp was but a few miles further on.
"We should have overtaken them yesterday," he said. "They must have marched much faster than I had believed possible."
"They have not marched here at all," said Meriem. "The spoor that we have been following is weeks old."
Hanson laughed.
"Oh, that's it, is it?" he cried. "Why didn't you say so before? I could have easily explained. We are not coming by the same route; but we'll pick up their trail sometime today, even if we don't overtake them."
Now, at last, Meriem knew the man was lying to her. What a fool he must be to think that anyone could believe such a ridiculous explanation? Who was so stupid as to believe that they could have expected to overtake another party, and he had certainly assured her that momentarily he expected to do so, when that party's route was not to meet theirs for several miles yet?
She kept her own counsel however, planning to escape at the first opportunity when she might have a sufficient start of her captor, as she now considered him, to give her some assurance of outdistancing him. She watched his face continually when she could without being observed. Tantalizingly76 the placing of his familiar features persisted in eluding77 her. Where had she known him? Under what conditions had they met before she had seen him about the farm of Bwana? She ran over in her mind all the few white men she ever had known. There were some who had come to her father's douar in the jungle. Few it is true, but there had been some. Ah, now she had it! She had seen him there! She almost seized upon his identity and then in an instant, it had slipped from her again.
It was mid78 afternoon when they suddenly broke out of the jungle upon the banks of a broad and placid79 river. Beyond, upon the opposite shore, Meriem described a camp surrounded by a high, thorn boma.
"Here we are at last," said Hanson. He drew his revolver and fired in the air. Instantly the camp across the river was astir. Black men ran down the river's bank. Hanson hailed them. But there was no sign of the Hon. Morison Baynes.
In accordance with their master's instructions the blacks manned a canoe and rowed across. Hanson placed Meriem in the little craft and entered it himself, leaving two boys to watch the horses, which the canoe was to return for and swim across to the camp side of the river.
Once in the camp Meriem asked for Baynes. For the moment her fears had been allayed80 by the sight of the camp, which she had come to look upon as more or less a myth. Hanson pointed81 toward the single tent that stood in the center of the enclosure.
"There," he said, and preceded her toward it. At the entrance he held the flap aside and motioned her within. Meriem entered and looked about. The tent was empty. She turned toward Hanson. There was a broad grin on his face.
"Where is Mr. Baynes?" she demanded.
"He ain't here," replied Hanson. "Leastwise I don't see him, do you? But I'm here, and I'm a damned sight better man than that thing ever was. You don't need him no more—you got me," and he laughed uproariously and reached for her.
Meriem struggled to free herself. Hanson encircled her arms and body in his powerful grip and bore her slowly backward toward the pile of blankets at the far end of the tent. His face was bent close to hers. His eyes were narrowed to two slits82 of heat and passion and desire. Meriem was looking full into his face as she fought for freedom when there came over her a sudden recollection of a similar scene in which she had been a participant and with it full recognition of her assailant. He was the Swede Malbihn who had attacked her once before, who had shot his companion who would have saved her, and from whom she had been rescued by Bwana. His smooth face had deceived her; but now with the growing beard and the similarity of conditions recognition came swift and sure.
But today there would be no Bwana to save her.
点击收听单词发音
1 forth | |
adv.向前;向外,往外 | |
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2 craved | |
渴望,热望( crave的过去式 ); 恳求,请求 | |
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3 awakened | |
v.(使)醒( awaken的过去式和过去分词 );(使)觉醒;弄醒;(使)意识到 | |
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4 rein | |
n.疆绳,统治,支配;vt.以僵绳控制,统治 | |
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5 killer | |
n.杀人者,杀人犯,杀手,屠杀者 | |
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6 perfectly | |
adv.完美地,无可非议地,彻底地 | |
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7 foliage | |
n.叶子,树叶,簇叶 | |
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8 rim | |
n.(圆物的)边,轮缘;边界 | |
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9 abreast | |
adv.并排地;跟上(时代)的步伐,与…并进地 | |
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10 concealed | |
a.隐藏的,隐蔽的 | |
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11 drawn | |
v.拖,拉,拔出;adj.憔悴的,紧张的 | |
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12 conversing | |
v.交谈,谈话( converse的现在分词 ) | |
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13 maturity | |
n.成熟;完成;(支票、债券等)到期 | |
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14 dangling | |
悬吊着( dangle的现在分词 ); 摆动不定; 用某事物诱惑…; 吊胃口 | |
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15 hip | |
n.臀部,髋;屋脊 | |
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16 drowsy | |
adj.昏昏欲睡的,令人发困的 | |
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17 bent | |
n.爱好,癖好;adj.弯的;决心的,一心的 | |
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18 pony | |
adj.小型的;n.小马 | |
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19 noted | |
adj.著名的,知名的 | |
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20 savage | |
adj.野蛮的;凶恶的,残暴的;n.未开化的人 | |
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21 uncouth | |
adj.无教养的,粗鲁的 | |
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22 refinement | |
n.文雅;高尚;精美;精制;精炼 | |
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23 shuddered | |
v.战栗( shudder的过去式和过去分词 );发抖;(机器、车辆等)突然震动;颤动 | |
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24 civilized | |
a.有教养的,文雅的 | |
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25 attire | |
v.穿衣,装扮[同]array;n.衣着;盛装 | |
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26 hideousness | |
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27 thwarted | |
阻挠( thwart的过去式和过去分词 ); 使受挫折; 挫败; 横过 | |
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28 jealousy | |
n.妒忌,嫉妒,猜忌 | |
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29 slay | |
v.杀死,宰杀,杀戮 | |
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30 expunged | |
v.擦掉( expunge的过去式和过去分词 );除去;删去;消除 | |
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31 vestige | |
n.痕迹,遗迹,残余 | |
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32 killing | |
n.巨额利润;突然赚大钱,发大财 | |
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33 crook | |
v.使弯曲;n.小偷,骗子,贼;弯曲(处) | |
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34 mingling | |
adj.混合的 | |
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35 volition | |
n.意志;决意 | |
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36 guise | |
n.外表,伪装的姿态 | |
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37 advancement | |
n.前进,促进,提升 | |
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38 wrenched | |
v.(猛力地)扭( wrench的过去式和过去分词 );扭伤;使感到痛苦;使悲痛 | |
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39 erect | |
n./v.树立,建立,使竖立;adj.直立的,垂直的 | |
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40 gliding | |
v. 滑翔 adj. 滑动的 | |
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41 sinuously | |
弯曲的,蜿蜒的 | |
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42 clenched | |
v.紧握,抓紧,咬紧( clench的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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43 antelope | |
n.羚羊;羚羊皮 | |
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44 sublime | |
adj.崇高的,伟大的;极度的,不顾后果的 | |
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45 apprehended | |
逮捕,拘押( apprehend的过去式和过去分词 ); 理解 | |
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46 proficient | |
adj.熟练的,精通的;n.能手,专家 | |
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47 cumbersome | |
adj.笨重的,不便携带的 | |
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48 entangling | |
v.使某人(某物/自己)缠绕,纠缠于(某物中),使某人(自己)陷入(困难或复杂的环境中)( entangle的现在分词 ) | |
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49 noose | |
n.绳套,绞索(刑);v.用套索捉;使落入圈套;处以绞刑 | |
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50 tightened | |
收紧( tighten的过去式和过去分词 ); (使)变紧; (使)绷紧; 加紧 | |
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51 braced | |
adj.拉牢的v.支住( brace的过去式和过去分词 );撑牢;使自己站稳;振作起来 | |
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52 strands | |
n.(线、绳、金属线、毛发等的)股( strand的名词复数 );缕;海洋、湖或河的)岸;(观点、计划、故事等的)部份v.使滞留,使搁浅( strand的第三人称单数 ) | |
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53 frantic | |
adj.狂乱的,错乱的,激昂的 | |
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54 recoiling | |
v.畏缩( recoil的现在分词 );退缩;报应;返回 | |
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55 asylum | |
n.避难所,庇护所,避难 | |
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56 precisely | |
adv.恰好,正好,精确地,细致地 | |
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57 sufficiently | |
adv.足够地,充分地 | |
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58 makers | |
n.制造者,制造商(maker的复数形式) | |
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59 afterward | |
adv.后来;以后 | |
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60 admonished | |
v.劝告( admonish的过去式和过去分词 );训诫;(温和地)责备;轻责 | |
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61 sneer | |
v.轻蔑;嘲笑;n.嘲笑,讥讽的言语 | |
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62 supplanted | |
把…排挤掉,取代( supplant的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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63 countless | |
adj.无数的,多得不计其数的 | |
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64 solitary | |
adj.孤独的,独立的,荒凉的;n.隐士 | |
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65 galloping | |
adj. 飞驰的, 急性的 动词gallop的现在分词形式 | |
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66 bungalow | |
n.平房,周围有阳台的木造小平房 | |
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67 sprained | |
v.&n. 扭伤 | |
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68 triumphant | |
adj.胜利的,成功的;狂欢的,喜悦的 | |
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69 ponies | |
矮种马,小型马( pony的名词复数 ); £25 25 英镑 | |
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70 laden | |
adj.装满了的;充满了的;负了重担的;苦恼的 | |
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71 safari | |
n.远征旅行(探险、考察);探险队,狩猎队 | |
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72 adept | |
adj.老练的,精通的 | |
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73 groves | |
树丛,小树林( grove的名词复数 ) | |
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74 devouring | |
吞没( devour的现在分词 ); 耗尽; 津津有味地看; 狼吞虎咽地吃光 | |
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75 steadily | |
adv.稳定地;不变地;持续地 | |
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76 tantalizingly | |
adv.…得令人着急,…到令人着急的程度 | |
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77 eluding | |
v.(尤指机敏地)避开( elude的现在分词 );逃避;躲避;使达不到 | |
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78 mid | |
adj.中央的,中间的 | |
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79 placid | |
adj.安静的,平和的 | |
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80 allayed | |
v.减轻,缓和( allay的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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81 pointed | |
adj.尖的,直截了当的 | |
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82 slits | |
n.狭长的口子,裂缝( slit的名词复数 )v.切开,撕开( slit的第三人称单数 );在…上开狭长口子 | |
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