The Hurricane.--A Forced Departure.--Loss of an Anchor.--Melancholy¹ Reflections.--The Resolution adopted.--The Sand-Storm.--The Buried Caravan².--A Contrary yet Favorable Wind.--The Return southward.--Kennedy at his Post.

At three o'clock in the morning the wind was raging. It beat down with such violence that the Victoria could not stay near the ground without danger. It was thrown almost flat over upon its side, and the reeds chafed³ the silk so roughly that it seemed as though they would tear it.

"We must be off, Dick," said the doctor; "we cannot remain in this situation."

"But, doctor, what of Joe?"

"I am not likely to abandon him. No, indeed! and should the hurricane carry me a thousand miles to the northward⁴, I will return! But here we are endangering the safety of all."

"Must we go without him?" asked the Scot, with an accent of profound grief.

"And do you think, then," rejoined Ferguson, "that my heart does not bleed like your own? Am I not merely obeying an imperious necessity?"

"I am entirely⁵ at your orders," replied the hunter; "let us start!"

But their departure was surrounded with unusual difficulty. The anchor, which had caught very deeply, resisted all their efforts to disengage it; while the balloon, drawing in the opposite direction, increased its tension. Kennedy could not get it free. Besides, in his present position, the manoeuvre⁶ had become a very perilous⁷ one, for the Victoria threatened to break away before he should be able to get into the car again.

The doctor, unwilling⁹ to run such a risk, made his friend get into his place, and resigned himself to the alternative of cutting the anchor-rope. The Victoria made one bound of three hundred feet into the air, and took her route directly northward.

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1 melancholy
n.忧郁，愁思；adj.令人感伤（沮丧）的，忧郁的
参考例句：
All at once he fell into a state of profound melancholy.他立即陷入无尽的忧思之中。 He felt melancholy after he failed the exam.这次考试没通过，他感到很郁闷。

2 caravan
n.大蓬车；活动房屋
参考例句：
The community adviser gave us a caravan to live in.社区顾问给了我们一间活动住房栖身。 Geoff connected the caravan to the car.杰弗把旅行用的住屋拖车挂在汽车上。

3 chafed
v.擦热（尤指皮肤）( chafe的过去式 )；擦痛；发怒；惹怒
参考例句：
Her wrists chafed where the rope had been. 她的手腕上绳子勒过的地方都磨红了。 She chafed her cold hands. 她揉搓冰冷的双手使之暖和。 来自《现代英汉综合大词典》

4 northward
adv.向北；n.北方的地区
参考例句：
He pointed his boat northward.他将船驶向北方。 I would have a chance to head northward quickly.我就很快有机会去北方了。

5 entirely
ad.全部地，完整地；完全地，彻底地
参考例句：
The fire was entirely caused by their neglect of duty. 那场火灾完全是由于他们失职而引起的。 His life was entirely given up to the educational work. 他的一生统统献给了教育工作。

6 manoeuvre
n.策略，调动；v.用策略，调动
参考例句：
Her withdrawal from the contest was a tactical manoeuvre.她退出比赛是一个战术策略。 The clutter of ships had little room to manoeuvre.船只橫七竖八地挤在一起，几乎没有多少移动的空间。

7 perilous
adj.危险的，冒险的
参考例句：
The journey through the jungle was perilous.穿过丛林的旅行充满了危险。 We have been carried in safety through a perilous crisis.历经一连串危机，我们如今已安然无恙。

8 peril
n.(严重的)危险；危险的事物
参考例句：
The refugees were in peril of death from hunger.难民有饿死的危险。 The embankment is in great peril.河堤岌岌可危。

9 unwilling
adj.不情愿的
参考例句：
The natives were unwilling to be bent by colonial power.土著居民不愿受殖民势力的摆布。 His tightfisted employer was unwilling to give him a raise.他那吝啬的雇主不肯给他加薪。

10 scud
n.疾行；v.疾行
参考例句：
The helpers came in a scud.救援者飞奔而来。 Rabbits scud across the turf.兔子飞快地穿过草地。

11 tempting
a.诱人的, 吸引人的
参考例句：
It is tempting to idealize the past. 人都爱把过去的日子说得那么美好。 It was a tempting offer. 这是个诱人的提议。

12 providence
n.深谋远虑，天道，天意；远见；节约；上帝
参考例句：
It is tempting Providence to go in that old boat.乘那艘旧船前往是冒大险。 To act as you have done is to fly in the face of Providence.照你的所作所为那样去行事，是违背上帝的意志的。

13 spoke
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
参考例句：
They sourced the spoke nuts from our company.他们的轮辐螺帽是从我们公司获得的。 The spokes of a wheel are the bars that connect the outer ring to the centre.辐条是轮子上连接外圈与中心的条棒。

14 kindly
adj.和蔼的，温和的，爽快的；adv.温和地，亲切地
参考例句：
Her neighbours spoke of her as kindly and hospitable.她的邻居都说她和蔼可亲、热情好客。 A shadow passed over the kindly face of the old woman.一道阴影掠过老太太慈祥的面孔。

15 disposition
n.性情，性格；意向，倾向；排列，部署
参考例句：
He has made a good disposition of his property.他已对财产作了妥善处理。 He has a cheerful disposition.他性情开朗。

16 candid
adj.公正的，正直的；坦率的
参考例句：
I cannot but hope the candid reader will give some allowance for it.我只有希望公正的读者多少包涵一些。 He is quite candid with his friends.他对朋友相当坦诚。

17 din
n.喧闹声，嘈杂声
参考例句：
The bustle and din gradually faded to silence as night advanced.随着夜越来越深，喧闹声逐渐沉寂。 They tried to make themselves heard over the din of the crowd.他们力图让自己的声音盖过人群的喧闹声。

18 calamities
n.灾祸，灾难( calamity的名词复数 )；不幸之事
参考例句：
They will only triumph by persevering in their struggle against natural calamities. 他们只有坚持与自然灾害搏斗，才能取得胜利。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》 One moment's false security can bring a century of calamities. 图一时之苟安，贻百年之大患。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》

19 prosecuting
检举、告发某人( prosecute的现在分词 )； 对某人提起公诉； 继续从事（某事物）； 担任控方律师
参考例句：
The witness was cross-examined by the prosecuting counsel. 证人接受控方律师的盘问。 Every point made by the prosecuting attorney was telling. 检查官提出的每一点都是有力的。

20 streaked
adj.有条斑纹的，不安的v.快速移动( streak的过去式和过去分词 )；使布满条纹
参考例句：
The children streaked off as fast as they could. 孩子们拔脚飞跑 来自《现代英汉综合大词典》 His face was pale and streaked with dirt. 他脸色苍白，脸上有一道道的污痕。 来自辞典例句

21 caravans
（可供居住的）拖车（通常由机动车拖行）( caravan的名词复数 )； 篷车； （穿过沙漠地带的）旅行队（如商队）
参考例句：
Old-fashioned gypsy caravans are painted wooden vehicles that are pulled by horses. 旧式的吉卜赛大篷车是由马拉的涂了颜色的木质车辆。 Old-fashioned gypsy caravans are painted wooden vehicles. 旧时的吉普赛大篷车是涂了颜色的木质车辆。

22 oasis
n.（沙漠中的）绿洲，宜人的地方
参考例句：
They stopped for the night at an oasis.他们在沙漠中的绿洲停下来过夜。 The town was an oasis of prosperity in a desert of poverty.该镇是贫穷荒漠中的一块繁荣的“绿洲”。

23 solitude
n. 孤独; 独居,荒僻之地,幽静的地方
参考例句：
People need a chance to reflect on spiritual matters in solitude. 人们需要独处的机会来反思精神上的事情。 They searched for a place where they could live in solitude. 他们寻找一个可以过隐居生活的地方。

24 dense
a.密集的，稠密的，浓密的；密度大的
参考例句：
The general ambushed his troops in the dense woods. 将军把部队埋伏在浓密的树林里。 The path was completely covered by the dense foliage. 小路被树叶厚厚地盖了一层。

25 impelled
v.推动、推进或敦促某人做某事( impel的过去式和过去分词 )
参考例句：
He felt impelled to investigate further. 他觉得有必要作进一步调查。 I feel impelled to express grave doubts about the project. 我觉得不得不对这项计划深表怀疑。 来自《简明英汉词典》

26 tornado
n.飓风，龙卷风
参考例句：
A tornado whirled into the town last week.龙卷风上周袭击了这座城市。 The approaching tornado struck awe in our hearts.正在逼近的龙卷风使我们惊恐万分。

27 overthrown
adj. 打翻的，推倒的，倾覆的 动词overthrow的过去分词
参考例句：
The president was overthrown in a military coup. 总统在军事政变中被赶下台。 He has overthrown the basic standards of morality. 他已摒弃了基本的道德标准。

28 avalanche
n.雪崩，大量涌来
参考例句：
They were killed by an avalanche in the Swiss Alps.他们在瑞士阿尔卑斯山的一次雪崩中罹难。 Higher still the snow was ready to avalanche.在更高处积雪随时都会崩塌。

29 groans
n.呻吟，叹息( groan的名词复数 )；呻吟般的声音v.呻吟( groan的第三人称单数 )；发牢骚；抱怨；受苦
参考例句：
There were loud groans when he started to sing. 他刚开始歌唱时有人发出了很大的嘘声。 来自《简明英汉词典》 It was a weird old house, full of creaks and groans. 这是所神秘而可怕的旧宅，到处嘎吱嘎吱作响。 来自《简明英汉词典》

30 stifling
a.令人窒息的
参考例句：
The weather is stifling. It looks like rain. 今天太闷热，光景是要下雨。 We were stifling in that hot room with all the windows closed. 我们在那间关着窗户的热屋子里，简直透不过气来。

31 chaos
n.混乱，无秩序
参考例句：
After the failure of electricity supply the city was in chaos.停电后，城市一片混乱。 The typhoon left chaos behind it.台风后一片混乱。

32 hues
色彩( hue的名词复数 )； 色调； 信仰； 观点
参考例句：
When the sun rose a hundred prismatic hues were reflected from it. 太阳一出，更把它映得千变万化、异彩缤纷。 Where maple trees grow, the leaves are often several brilliant hues of red. 在枫树生长的地方，枫叶常常呈现出数种光彩夺目的红色。

33 shrieking
v.尖叫( shriek的现在分词 )
参考例句：
The boxers were goaded on by the shrieking crowd. 拳击运动员听见观众的喊叫就来劲儿了。 来自《简明英汉词典》 They were all shrieking with laughter. 他们都发出了尖锐的笑声。 来自《简明英汉词典》

34 ridgy
adj.有脊的；有棱纹的；隆起的；有埂的
参考例句：
The ridgy rock, the woods that crown its steep. 参天的岩石，山麓的树木。 来自互联网

35 pallid
adj.苍白的，呆板的
参考例句：
The moon drifted from behind the clouds and exposed the pallid face.月亮从云朵后面钻出来，照着尸体那张苍白的脸。 His dry pallid face often looked gaunt.他那张干瘪苍白的脸常常显得憔悴。

36 eddies
（水、烟等的）漩涡，涡流( eddy的名词复数 )
参考例句：
Viscosity overwhelms the smallest eddies and converts their energy into heat. 粘性制服了最小的旋涡而将其能量转换为热。 But their work appears to merge in the study of large eddies. 但在大旋涡的研究上，他们的工作看来却殊途同归。

37 spun
v.纺，杜撰，急转身
参考例句：
His grandmother spun him a yarn at the fire.他奶奶在火炉边给他讲故事。 Her skilful fingers spun the wool out to a fine thread.她那灵巧的手指把羊毛纺成了细毛线。

38 awning
n.遮阳篷；雨篷
参考例句：
A large green awning is set over the glass window to shelter against the sun.在玻璃窗上装了个绿色的大遮棚以遮挡阳光。 Several people herded under an awning to get out the shower.几个人聚集在门栅下避阵雨

39 clattered
发出咔哒声（clatter的过去式与过去分词形式）
参考例句：
He dropped the knife and it clattered on the stone floor. 他一失手，刀子当啷一声掉到石头地面上。 His hand went limp and the knife clattered to the ground. 他的手一软，刀子当啷一声掉到地上。

40 bent
n.爱好，癖好；adj.弯的；决心的，一心的
参考例句：
He was fully bent upon the project.他一心扑在这项计划上。 We bent over backward to help them.我们尽了最大努力帮助他们。

41 regained
复得( regain的过去式和过去分词 )； 赢回； 重回； 复至某地
参考例句：
The majority of the people in the world have regained their liberty. 世界上大多数人已重获自由。 She hesitated briefly but quickly regained her poise. 她犹豫片刻，但很快恢复了镇静。

42 countenance
n.脸色，面容；面部表情；vt.支持，赞同
参考例句：
At the sight of this photograph he changed his countenance.他一看见这张照片脸色就变了。 I made a fierce countenance as if I would eat him alive.我脸色恶狠狠地，仿佛要把他活生生地吞下去。

43 abruptly
adv.突然地，出其不意地
参考例句：
He gestured abruptly for Virginia to get in the car.他粗鲁地示意弗吉尼亚上车。 I was abruptly notified that a half-hour speech was expected of me.我突然被通知要讲半个小时的话。

44 uneven
adj.不平坦的，不规则的，不均匀的
参考例句：
The sidewalk is very uneven—be careful where you walk.这人行道凹凸不平—走路时请小心。 The country was noted for its uneven distribution of land resources.这个国家以土地资源分布不均匀出名。

45 indented
adj.锯齿状的，高低不平的；缩进排版
参考例句：
His voyage was down Chile's indented coastline.他的航行沿智利参差曲折的海岸线行进。 Each paragraph of the body is usually indented five blocks.正文每段开始，一般缩进五个英文字母。

46 frightful
adj.可怕的；讨厌的
参考例句：
How frightful to have a husband who snores!有一个发鼾声的丈夫多讨厌啊！ We're having frightful weather these days.这几天天气坏极了。

47 fatigues
n.疲劳( fatigue的名词复数 )；杂役；厌倦；（士兵穿的）工作服
参考例句：
The patient fatigues easily. 病人容易疲劳。 来自《现代英汉综合大词典》 Instead of training the men were put on fatigues/fatigue duty. 那些士兵没有接受训练，而是派去做杂务。 来自辞典例句

48 attentively
adv.聚精会神地；周到地；谛；凝神
参考例句：
She listened attentively while I poured out my problems. 我倾吐心中的烦恼时，她一直在注意听。 来自《简明英汉词典》 She listened attentively and set down every word he said. 她专心听着，把他说的话一字不漏地记下来。 来自《简明英汉词典》