In the time of spring and autumn floods, when the cedar swamps were impenetrable to all save mink15, otter16, and musk-rat, the only way from the western plateau to the group of lakes that formed the source of the Ottanoonsis, on the east, was by a high, nerve-testing trail across the wind-swept brow of Old Bald Face. The trail followed a curious ledge17, sometimes wide enough to have accommodated an ox-wagon, at other times so narrow and so perilous18 that even the sure-eyed caribou19 went warily20 in traversing it.
The only inhabitants of Bald Face were the eagles, three pairs of them, who had their nests, widely separated from each other in haughty21 isolation22, on jutting23 shoulders and pinnacles accessible to no one without wings. Though the ledge-path at its highest point was far above the nests, and commanded a clear view of one of them, the eagles had learned to know that those who traversed the pass were not troubling themselves about eagles' nests. They had also observed another thing—of interest to them only because their keen eyes and suspicious brains were wont24 to note and consider everything that came within their purview—and that was that the scanty25 traffic by the pass had its more or less regular times and seasons. In seasons of drought or hard frost it vanished altogether. In seasons of flood it increased the longer the floods lasted. And whenever there was any passing at all, the movement was from east to west in the morning, from west to east in the afternoon. This fact may have been due to some sort of dimly recognized convention among the wild kindreds, arrived at in some subtle way to avoid unnecessary—and necessarily deadly—misunderstanding and struggle. For the creatures of the wild seldom fight for fighting's sake. They fight for food, or, in the mating season, they fight in order that the best and strongest may carry off the prizes. But mere26 purposeless risk and slaughter27 they instinctively28 strive to avoid. The airy ledge across Bald Face was not a place where the boldest of the wild kindred—the bear or the bull-moose, to say nothing of lesser29 champions—would wilfully30 invite the doubtful combat. If, therefore, it had been somehow arrived at that there should be no disastrous31 meetings, no face-to-face struggles for the right of way, at a spot where dreadful death was inevitable33 for one or both of the combatants, that would have been in no way inconsistent with the accepted laws and customs of the wilderness. On the other hand, it is possible that this alternate easterly and westerly drift of the wild creatures—a scanty affair enough at best of times—across the front of Bald Face was determined34 in the first place, on clear days, by their desire not to have the sun in their eyes in making the difficult passage, and afterwards hardened into custom. It was certainly better to have the sun behind one in treading the knife-edge pass above the eagles. Joe Peddler found it troublesome enough, that strong, searching glare from the unclouded sun of early morning full in his eyes, as he worked over toward the Ottanoonsis lakes. He had never attempted the crossing of Old Bald Face before, and he had always regarded with some scorn the stories told by Indians of the perils35 of that passage. But already, though he had accomplished36 but a small portion of his journey and was still far from the worst of the pass, he had been forced to the conclusion that report had not exaggerated the difficulties of his venture. However, he was steady of head and sure of foot, and the higher he went in that exquisitely37 clear, crisp air, the more pleased he felt with himself. His great lungs drank deep of the tonic38 wind which surged against him rhythmically39, and seemed to him to come unbroken from the outermost40 edges of the world. His eyes widened and filled themselves, even as his lungs, with the ample panorama41 that unfolded before them. He imagined—for the woodsman, dwelling42 so much alone, is apt to indulge some strange imaginings—that he could feel his very spirit enlarging, as if to take full measure of these splendid breadths of sunlit, wind-washed space.
Presently, with a pleasant thrill, he observed that just ahead of him the ledge went round an abrupt43 shoulder of the rockface at a point where there was a practically sheer drop of many hundreds of feet into what appeared a feather-soft carpet of treetops. He looked shrewdly to the security of his footing as he approached, and also to the roughnesses of the rock above the ledge, in case a sudden violent gust44 should chance to assail45 him just at the turn. He felt that at such a spot it would be so easy—indeed, quite natural—to be whisked off by the sportive wind, whirled out into space, and dropped into that green carpet so far below. In his flexible oil-tanned "larrigans" of thick cow-hide, Peddler moved noiselessly as a wild-cat, even over the bare stone of the ledge. He was like a grey shadow drifting slowly across the bleached face of the precipice46. As he drew near the bend of the trail, of which not more than eight or ten paces were now visible to him, he felt every nerve grow tense with exhilarating expectation. Yet, even so, what happened was the utterly47 unexpected.
Around the bend before him, stepping daintily on her fine hooves, came a young doe. She completely blocked the trail just on that dizzy edge.
Peddler stopped short, tried to squeeze himself to the rock like a limpet, and clutched with fingers of iron at a tiny projection48.
The doe, for one second, seemed petrified49 with amazement50. It was contrary to all tradition that she should be confronted on that trail. Then, her amazement instantly dissolving into sheer madness of panic, she wheeled about violently to flee. But there was no room for even her lithe51 body to make the turn. The inexorable rock-face bounced her off, and with an agonized52 bleat53, legs sprawling54 and great eyes starting from their sockets55, she went sailing down into the abyss.
With a heart thumping56 in sympathy, Peddler leaned outward and followed that dreadful flight, till she reached that treacherously57 soft-looking carpet of treetops and was engulfed58 by it. A muffled59 crash came up to Peddler's ears.
"Poor leetle beggar!" he muttered. "I wish't I hadn't scared her so. But I'd a sight rather it was her than me!"
Peddler's exhilaration was now considerably60 damped. He crept cautiously to the dizzy turn of the ledge and peered around. The thought upon which his brain dwelt with unpleasant insistence61 was that if it had been a surly old bull-moose or a bear which had confronted him so unexpectedly, instead of that nervous little doe, he might now be lying beneath that deceitful green carpet in a state of dilapidation62 which he did not care to contemplate63.
Beyond the turn the trail was clear to his view for perhaps a couple of hundred yards. It climbed steeply through a deep re-entrant, a mighty64 perpendicular65 corrugation of the rock-face, and then disappeared again around another jutting bastion. He hurried on rather feverishly66, not liking67 that second interruption to his view, and regretting, for the first time, that he had no weapon with him but his long hunting-knife. He had left his rifle behind him as a useless burden to his climbing. No game was now in season, no skins in condition to be worth the shooting, and he had food enough for the journey in his light pack. He had not contemplated68 the possibility of any beast, even bear or bull-moose, daring to face him, because he knew that, except in mating-time, the boldest of them would give a man wide berth69. But, as he now reflected, here on this narrow ledge even a buck70 or a lynx would become dangerous, finding itself suddenly at bay.
The steepness of the rise in the trail at this point almost drove Peddler to helping71 himself with his hands. As he neared the next turn, he was surprised to note, far out to his right, a soaring eagle, perhaps a hundred feet below him. He was surprised, too, by the fact that the eagle was paying no attention to him whatever, in spite of his invasion of the great bird's aerial domain72. Instinctively he inferred that the eagle's nest must be in some quite inaccessible73 spot at safe distance from the ledge. He paused to observe from above, and thus fairly near at hand, the slow flapping of those wide wings, as they employed the wind to serve the majesty74 of their flight. While he was studying this, another deduction75 from the bird's indifference76 to his presence flashed upon his mind. There must be a fairly abundant traffic of the wild creatures across this pass, or the eagle would not be so indifferent to his presence. At this thought he lost his interest in problems of flight, and hurried forward again, anxious to see what might be beyond the next turn of the trail.
His curiosity was gratified all too abruptly77 for his satisfaction. He reached the turn, craned his head around it, and came face to face with an immense black bear.
The bear was not a dozen feet away. At sight of Peddler's gaunt dark face and sharp blue eyes appearing thus abruptly and without visible support around the rock, he shrank back upon his haunches with a startled "Woof!"
As for Peddler, he was equally startled, but he had too much discretion78 and self-control to show it. Never moving a muscle, and keeping his body out of sight so that his face seemed to be suspended in mid-air, he held the great beast's eyes with a calm, unwinking gaze.
The bear was plainly disconcerted. After a few seconds he glanced back over his shoulder, and seemed to contemplate a strategic movement to the rear. As the ledge at this point was sufficiently79 wide for him to turn with due care, Peddler expected now to see him do so. But what Peddler did not know was that dim but cogent80 "law of the ledge," which forbade all those who travelled by it to turn and retrace81 their steps, or to pass in the wrong direction at the wrong time. He did not know what the bear knew—namely, that if that perturbed82 beast should turn, he was sure to be met and opposed by other wayfarers83, and thus to find himself caught between two fires.
Watching steadily84, Peddler was unpleasantly surprised to see the perturbation in the bear's eyes slowly change into a savage85 resentment—resentment at being baulked in his inalienable right to an unopposed passage over the ledge. To the bear's mind that grim, confronting face was a violation86 of the law which he himself obeyed loyally and without question. To be sure, it was the face of man, and therefore to be dreaded87. It was also mysterious, and therefore still more to be dreaded. But the sense of bitter injustice88, with the realization89 that he was at bay and taken at a disadvantage, filled him with a frightened rage which swamped all other emotion. Then he came on.
His advance was slow and cautious by reason of the difficulty of the path and his dread32 lest that staring, motionless face should pounce90 upon him just at the perilous turn and hurl91 him over the brink92. But Peddler knew that his bluff93 was called, and that his only chance was to avoid the encounter. He might have fled by the way he had come, knowing that he would have every advantage in speed on that narrow trail. But before venturing up to the turn he had noted94 a number of little projections95 and crevices96 in the perpendicular wall above him. Clutching at them with fingers of steel and unerring toes, he swarmed97 upwards98 as nimbly as a climbing cat. He was a dozen feet up before the bear came crawling and peering around the turn.
Elated at having so well extricated99 himself from so dubious100 a situation, Peddler gazed down upon his opponent and laughed mockingly. The sound of that confident laughter from straight above his head seemed to daunt101 the bear and thoroughly102 damp his rage. He crouched103 low, and scurried104 past growling105. As he hurried along the trail at a rash pace, he kept casting anxious glances over his shoulder, as if he feared the man were going to chase him. Peddler lowered himself from his friendly perch106 and continued his journey, cursing himself more than ever for having been such a fool as not to bring his rifle.
In the course of the next half-hour he gained the highest point of the ledge, which here was so broken and precarious107 that he had little attention to spare for the unparalleled sweep and splendour of the view. He was conscious, however, all the time, of the whirling eagles, now far below him, and his veins108 thrilled with intense exhilaration. His apprehensions109 had all vanished under the stimulus110 of that tonic atmosphere. He was on the constant watch, however, scanning not only the trail ahead—which was now never visible for more than a hundred yards or so at a time—and also the face of the rock above him, to see if it could be scaled in an emergency.
He had no expectation of an emergency, because he knew nothing of the law of the ledge. Having already met a doe and a bear, he naturally inferred that he would not be likely to meet any other of the elusive111 kindreds of the wild, even in a whole week of forest faring. The shy and wary112 beasts are not given to thrusting themselves upon man's dangerous notice, and it was hard enough to find them, with all his woodcraft, even when he was out to look for them. He was, therefore, so surprised that he could hardly believe his eyes when, on rounding another corrugation of the rock-face, he saw another bear coming to meet him.
"Gee113!" muttered Peddler to himself. "Who's been lettin' loose the menagerie? Or hev I got the nightmare, mebbe?"
The bear was about fifty yards distant—a smaller one than its predecessor114, and much younger also, as was obvious to Peddler's initiated115 eye by the trim glossiness116 of its coat. It halted the instant it caught sight of Peddler. But Peddler, for his part, kept right on, without showing the least sign of hesitation117 or surprise. This bear, surely, would give way before him. The beast hesitated, however. It was manifestly afraid of the man. It backed a few paces, whimpering in a worried fashion, then stopped, staring up the rock-wall above it, as if seeking escape in that impossible direction.
"If ye're so skeered o' me as ye look," demanded Peddler, in a crisp voice, "why don't ye turn an' vamoose, 'stead o' backin' an' fillin' that way? Ye can't git up that there rock, 'less ye're a fly!"
The ledge at that point was a comparatively wide and easy path, and the bear at length, as if decided118 by the easy confidence of Peddler's tones, turned and retreated. But it went off with such reluctance119, whimpering anxiously the while, that Peddler was forced to the conclusion there must be something coming up the trail which it was dreading120 to meet. At this idea Peddler was delighted, and hurried on as closely as possible at the retreating animal's heels. The bear, he reflected, would serve him as an excellent advance guard, protecting him perfectly121 from surprise, and perhaps, if necessary, clearing the way for him. He chuckled122 to himself as he realized the situation, and the bear, catching123 the incomprehensible sound, glanced nervously124 over its shoulder and hastened its retreat as well as the difficulties of the path would allow.
The trail was now descending125 rapidly, though irregularly, towards the eastern plateau. The descent was broken by here and there a stretch of comparatively level going, here and there a sharp though brief rise, and at one point the ledge was cut across by a crevice some four feet in width. As a jump, of course, it was nothing to Peddler; but in spite of himself he took it with some trepidation126, for the chasm11 looked infinitely127 deep, and the footing on the other side narrow and precarious. The bear, however, had seemed to take it quite carelessly, almost in its stride, and Peddler, not to be outdone, assumed a similar indifference.
It was not long, however, before the enigma128 of the bear's reluctance to retrace its steps was solved. The bear, with Peddler some forty or fifty paces behind, was approaching one of those short steep rises which broke the general descent. From the other side of the rise came a series of heavy breathings and windy grunts129.
"Moose, by gum!" exclaimed Peddler. "Now, I'd like to know if all the critters hev took it into their heads to cross Old Bald Face to-day!"
The bear heard the gruntings also, and halted unhappily, glancing back at Peddler.
"Git on with it!" ordered Peddler sharply. And the bear, dreading man more than moose, got on.
The next moment a long, dark, ominous130 head, with massive, overhanging lip and small angry eyes, appeared over the rise. Behind this formidable head laboured up the mighty humped shoulders and then the whole towering form of a moose-bull. Close behind him followed two young cows and a yearling calf131.
"Huh! I guess there's goin' to be some row!" muttered Peddler, and cast his eyes up the rock-face, to look for a point of refuge in case his champion should get the worst of it.
At sight of the bear the two cows and the yearling halted, and stood staring, with big ears thrust forward anxiously, at the foe132 that barred their path. But the arrogant133 old bull kept straight on, though slowly, and with the wariness134 of the practised duellist135. At this season of the year his forehead wore no antlers, indeed, but in his great knife-edged fore-hooves he possessed136 terrible weapons which he could wield137 with deadly dexterity138. Marking the confidence of his advance, Peddler grew solicitous139 for his own champion, and stood motionless, dreading to distract the bear's attention.
But the bear, though frankly140 afraid to face man, whom he did not understand, had no such misgivings141 in regard to moose. He knew how to fight moose, and he had made more than one good meal, in his day, on moose calf. He was game for the encounter. Reassured142 to see that the man was not coming any nearer, and possibly even sensing instinctively that the man was on his side in this matter, he crouched close against the rock and waited, with one huge paw upraised, like a boxer143 on guard, for the advancing bull to attack.
He had not long to wait.
The bull drew near very slowly, and with his head held high as if intending to ignore his opponent. Peddler, watching intently, felt some surprise at this attitude, even though he knew that the deadliest weapon of a moose was its fore-hooves. He was wondering, indeed, if the majestic144 beast expected to press past the bear without a battle, and if the bear, on his part, would consent to this highly reasonable arrangement. Then like a flash, without the slightest warning, the bull whipped up one great hoof145 to the height of his shoulder and struck at his crouching146 adversary147.
The blow was lightning swift, and with such power behind it that, had it reached its mark, it would have settled the whole matter then and there. But the bear's parry was equally swift. His mighty forearm fended148 the stroke so that it hissed149 down harmlessly past his head and clattered150 on the stone floor of the trail. At the same instant, before the bull could recover himself for another such pile-driving blow, the bear, who had been gathered up like a coiled spring, elongated151 his body with all the force of his gigantic hindquarters, thrusting himself irresistibly152 between his adversary and the face of the rock, and heaving outwards153.
These were tactics for which the great bull had no precedent154 in all his previous battles. He was thrown off his balance and shouldered clean over the brink. By a terrific effort he turned, captured a footing upon the edge with his fore-hooves, and struggled frantically155 to drag himself up again upon the ledge. But the bear's paw struck him a crashing buffet156 straight between the wildly staring eyes. He fell backwards157, turning clean over, and went bouncing, in tremendous sprawling curves, down into the abyss.
Upon the defeat of their leader the two cows and the calf turned instantly—which the ledge at their point was wide enough to permit—and fled back down the trail at a pace which seemed to threaten their own destruction. The bear followed more prudently158, with no apparent thought of trying to overtake them. And Pedler kept on behind him, taking care, however, after this exhibition of his champion's prowess, not to press him too closely.
The fleeing herd159 soon disappeared from view. It seemed to have effectually cleared the trail before it, for the curious procession of the bear and Peddler encountered no further obstacles.
After about an hour the lower slopes of the mountain were reached. The ledge widened and presently broke up, with trails leading off here and there among the foothills. At the first of these that appeared to offer concealment160 the bear turned aside and vanished into a dense161 grove162 of spruce with a haste which seemed to Peddler highly amusing in a beast of such capacity and courage. He was well content, however, to be so easily quit of his dangerous advance guard.
"A durn good thing for me," he mused163, "that that there b'ar never got up the nerve to call my bluff, or I might 'a' been layin' now where that onlucky old bull-moose is layin', with a lot o' flies crawlin' over me!"
And as he trudged164 along the now easy and ordinary trail, he registered two discreet165 resolutions—first, that never again would he cross Old Bald Face without his gun and his axe166; and, second, that never again would he cross Old Bald Face at all, unless he jolly well had to.
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1
stark
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| adj.荒凉的；严酷的；完全的；adv.完全地 | |
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scorched
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| 烧焦，烤焦( scorch的过去式和过去分词 )； 使（植物）枯萎，把…晒枯； 高速行驶； 枯焦 | |
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3
scourged
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| 鞭打( scourge的过去式和过去分词 )； 惩罚，压迫 | |
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4
bleached
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| 漂白的，晒白的，颜色变浅的 | |
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5
ashen
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| adj.灰的 | |
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wilderness
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| n.杳无人烟的一片陆地、水等，荒漠 | |
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cedar
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| n.雪松，香柏(木) | |
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8
jumble
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| vt.使混乱，混杂；n.混乱；杂乱的一堆 | |
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gorges
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| n.山峡，峡谷( gorge的名词复数 )；咽喉v.（用食物把自己）塞饱，填饱( gorge的第三人称单数 )；作呕 | |
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10
pinnacles
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| 顶峰( pinnacle的名词复数 )； 顶点； 尖顶； 小尖塔 | |
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chasm
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| n.深坑，断层，裂口，大分岐，利害冲突 | |
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12
chasms
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| 裂缝( chasm的名词复数 )； 裂口； 分歧； 差别 | |
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13
crevice
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| n.(岩石、墙等)裂缝；缺口 | |
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14
desperately
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| adv.极度渴望地，绝望地，孤注一掷地 | |
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mink
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| n.貂，貂皮 | |
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otter
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| n.水獭 | |
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ledge
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| n.壁架，架状突出物；岩架，岩礁 | |
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perilous
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| adj.危险的，冒险的 | |
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caribou
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| n.北美驯鹿 | |
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warily
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| adv.留心地 | |
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21
haughty
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| adj.傲慢的，高傲的 | |
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22
isolation
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| n.隔离，孤立，分解，分离 | |
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23
jutting
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| v.（使）突出( jut的现在分词 )；伸出；（从…）突出；高出 | |
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24
wont
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| adj.习惯于；v.习惯；n.习惯 | |
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25
scanty
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| adj.缺乏的，仅有的，节省的，狭小的，不够的 | |
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mere
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| adj.纯粹的；仅仅，只不过 | |
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27
slaughter
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| n.屠杀，屠宰；vt.屠杀，宰杀 | |
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instinctively
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| adv.本能地 | |
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29
lesser
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| adj.次要的，较小的；adv.较小地，较少地 | |
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30
wilfully
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| adv.任性固执地；蓄意地 | |
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31
disastrous
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| adj.灾难性的，造成灾害的；极坏的，很糟的 | |
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32
dread
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| vt.担忧，忧虑；惧怕，不敢；n.担忧，畏惧 | |
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33
inevitable
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| adj.不可避免的，必然发生的 | |
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34
determined
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| adj.坚定的；有决心的 | |
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35
perils
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| 极大危险( peril的名词复数 )； 危险的事（或环境） | |
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36
accomplished
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| adj.有才艺的；有造诣的；达到了的 | |
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37
exquisitely
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| adv.精致地；强烈地；剧烈地；异常地 | |
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38
tonic
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| n./adj.滋补品，补药，强身的，健体的 | |
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39
rhythmically
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| adv.有节奏地 | |
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40
outermost
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| adj.最外面的，远离中心的 | |
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41
panorama
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| n.全景，全景画，全景摄影，全景照片[装置] | |
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42
dwelling
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| n.住宅，住所，寓所 | |
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43
abrupt
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| adj.突然的，意外的；唐突的，鲁莽的 | |
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44
gust
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| n.阵风，突然一阵（雨、烟等），（感情的）迸发 | |
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45
assail
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| v.猛烈攻击，抨击，痛斥 | |
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46
precipice
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| n.悬崖，危急的处境 | |
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47
utterly
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| adv.完全地，绝对地 | |
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48
projection
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| n.发射，计划，突出部分 | |
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49
petrified
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| adj.惊呆的；目瞪口呆的v.使吓呆，使惊呆；变僵硬；使石化(petrify的过去式和过去分词) | |
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50
amazement
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| n.惊奇，惊讶 | |
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51
lithe
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| adj.(指人、身体)柔软的，易弯的 | |
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52
agonized
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| v.使（极度）痛苦，折磨( agonize的过去式和过去分词 )；苦斗；苦苦思索；感到极度痛苦 | |
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53
bleat
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| v.咩咩叫，(讲)废话，哭诉；n.咩咩叫，废话，哭诉 | |
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54
sprawling
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| adj.蔓生的，不规则地伸展的v.伸开四肢坐[躺]( sprawl的现在分词 )；蔓延；杂乱无序地拓展；四肢伸展坐着（或躺着） | |
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55
sockets
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| n.套接字，使应用程序能够读写与收发通讯协定(protocol)与资料的程序( Socket的名词复数 )；孔( socket的名词复数 )；（电器上的）插口；托座；凹穴 | |
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56
thumping
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| adj.重大的，巨大的；重击的；尺码大的；极好的adv.极端地；非常地v.重击(thump的现在分词)；狠打；怦怦地跳；全力支持 | |
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57
treacherously
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| 背信弃义地； 背叛地； 靠不住地； 危险地 | |
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58
engulfed
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| v.吞没，包住( engulf的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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59
muffled
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| adj.（声音）被隔的；听不太清的；（衣服）裹严的；蒙住的v.压抑，捂住( muffle的过去式和过去分词 )；用厚厚的衣帽包着（自己） | |
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60
considerably
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| adv.极大地；相当大地；在很大程度上 | |
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61
insistence
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| n.坚持；强调；坚决主张 | |
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62
dilapidation
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| n.倒塌；毁坏 | |
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63
contemplate
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| vt.盘算，计议；周密考虑；注视，凝视 | |
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64
mighty
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| adj.强有力的；巨大的 | |
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65
perpendicular
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| adj.垂直的，直立的；n.垂直线，垂直的位置 | |
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66
feverishly
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| adv. 兴奋地 | |
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67
liking
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| n.爱好；嗜好；喜欢 | |
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68
contemplated
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| adj. 预期的 动词contemplate的过去分词形式 | |
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69
berth
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| n.卧铺，停泊地，锚位；v.使停泊 | |
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70
buck
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| n.雄鹿，雄兔；v.马离地跳跃 | |
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71
helping
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| n.食物的一份&adj.帮助人的，辅助的 | |
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72
domain
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| n.(活动等)领域，范围；领地，势力范围 | |
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73
inaccessible
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| adj.达不到的，难接近的 | |
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74
majesty
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| n.雄伟，壮丽，庄严，威严；最高权威，王权 | |
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75
deduction
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| n.减除，扣除，减除额；推论，推理，演绎 | |
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76
indifference
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| n.不感兴趣，不关心，冷淡，不在乎 | |
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77
abruptly
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| adv.突然地，出其不意地 | |
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78
discretion
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| n.谨慎；随意处理 | |
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79
sufficiently
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| adv.足够地，充分地 | |
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80
cogent
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| adj.强有力的，有说服力的 | |
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81
retrace
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| v.折回；追溯，探源 | |
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82
perturbed
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| adj.烦燥不安的v.使（某人）烦恼，不安( perturb的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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83
wayfarers
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| n.旅人，（尤指）徒步旅行者( wayfarer的名词复数 ) | |
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84
steadily
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| adv.稳定地；不变地；持续地 | |
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85
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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86
violation
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| n.违反(行为)，违背(行为)，侵犯 | |
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87
dreaded
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| adj.令人畏惧的；害怕的v.害怕，恐惧，担心( dread的过去式和过去分词) | |
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88
injustice
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| n.非正义，不公正，不公平，侵犯（别人的）权利 | |
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89
realization
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| n.实现；认识到，深刻了解 | |
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90
pounce
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| n.猛扑；v.猛扑，突然袭击，欣然同意 | |
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91
hurl
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| vt.猛投，力掷，声叫骂 | |
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92
brink
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| n.(悬崖、河流等的)边缘，边沿 | |
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93
bluff
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| v.虚张声势，用假象骗人；n.虚张声势，欺骗 | |
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94
noted
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| adj.著名的，知名的 | |
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95
projections
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| 预测( projection的名词复数 )； 投影； 投掷； 突起物 | |
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96
crevices
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| n.（尤指岩石的）裂缝，缺口( crevice的名词复数 ) | |
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97
swarmed
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| 密集( swarm的过去式和过去分词 )； 云集； 成群地移动； 蜜蜂或其他飞行昆虫成群地飞来飞去 | |
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98
upwards
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| adv.向上，在更高处...以上 | |
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99
extricated
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| v.使摆脱困难，脱身( extricate的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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100
dubious
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| adj.怀疑的，无把握的；有问题的，靠不住的 | |
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101
daunt
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| vt.使胆怯，使气馁 | |
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102
thoroughly
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| adv.完全地，彻底地，十足地 | |
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103
crouched
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| v.屈膝，蹲伏( crouch的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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104
scurried
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| v.急匆匆地走( scurry的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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105
growling
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| n.吠声, 咆哮声 v.怒吠, 咆哮, 吼 | |
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106
perch
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| n.栖木，高位，杆；v.栖息，就位，位于 | |
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107
precarious
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| adj.不安定的，靠不住的；根据不足的 | |
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108
veins
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| n.纹理；矿脉( vein的名词复数 )；静脉；叶脉；纹理 | |
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109
apprehensions
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| 疑惧 | |
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110
stimulus
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| n.刺激，刺激物，促进因素，引起兴奋的事物 | |
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111
elusive
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| adj.难以表达(捉摸)的；令人困惑的；逃避的 | |
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112
wary
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| adj.谨慎的，机警的，小心的 | |
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113
gee
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| n.马；int.向右！前进！，惊讶时所发声音；v.向右转 | |
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114
predecessor
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| n.前辈，前任 | |
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115
initiated
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| n. 创始人 adj. 新加入的 vt. 开始，创始，启蒙，介绍加入 | |
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116
glossiness
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| 有光泽的； 光泽度 | |
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117
hesitation
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| n.犹豫，踌躇 | |
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118
decided
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| adj.决定了的，坚决的；明显的，明确的 | |
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119
reluctance
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| n.厌恶，讨厌，勉强，不情愿 | |
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120
dreading
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| v.害怕，恐惧，担心( dread的现在分词 ) | |
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121
perfectly
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| adv.完美地，无可非议地，彻底地 | |
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122
chuckled
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| 轻声地笑( chuckle的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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123
catching
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| adj.易传染的，有魅力的，迷人的，接住 | |
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124
nervously
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| adv.神情激动地，不安地 | |
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125
descending
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| n. 下行 adj. 下降的 | |
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126
trepidation
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| n.惊恐，惶恐 | |
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127
infinitely
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| adv.无限地，无穷地 | |
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128
enigma
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| n.谜，谜一样的人或事 | |
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129
grunts
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| （猪等）作呼噜声( grunt的第三人称单数 )； （指人）发出类似的哼声； 咕哝着说； 石鲈 | |
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130
ominous
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| adj.不祥的，不吉的，预兆的，预示的 | |
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131
calf
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| n.小牛，犊，幼仔，小牛皮 | |
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132
foe
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| n.敌人，仇敌 | |
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133
arrogant
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| adj.傲慢的，自大的 | |
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134
wariness
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| n. 注意,小心 | |
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135
duellist
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| n.决斗者；[体]重剑运动员 | |
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136
possessed
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| adj.疯狂的；拥有的，占有的 | |
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137
wield
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| vt.行使，运用，支配；挥，使用(武器等) | |
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138
dexterity
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| n.(手的)灵巧，灵活 | |
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139
solicitous
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| adj.热切的，挂念的 | |
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140
frankly
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| adv.坦白地，直率地；坦率地说 | |
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141
misgivings
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| n.疑虑，担忧，害怕；疑虑，担心，恐惧( misgiving的名词复数 )；疑惧 | |
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142
reassured
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| adj.使消除疑虑的；使放心的v.再保证，恢复信心( reassure的过去式和过去分词) | |
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143
boxer
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| n.制箱者，拳击手 | |
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144
majestic
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| adj.雄伟的，壮丽的，庄严的，威严的，崇高的 | |
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145
hoof
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| n.(马，牛等的)蹄 | |
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146
crouching
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| v.屈膝，蹲伏( crouch的现在分词 ) | |
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147
adversary
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| adj.敌手，对手 | |
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148
fended
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| v.独立生活，照料自己( fend的过去式和过去分词 )；挡开，避开 | |
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149
hissed
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| 发嘶嘶声( hiss的过去式和过去分词 )； 发嘘声表示反对 | |
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150
clattered
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| 发出咔哒声（clatter的过去式与过去分词形式） | |
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151
elongated
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| v.延长，加长( elongate的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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152
irresistibly
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| adv.无法抵抗地，不能自持地；极为诱惑人地 | |
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153
outwards
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| adj.外面的，公开的，向外的；adv.向外；n.外形 | |
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154
precedent
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| n.先例，前例；惯例；adj.在前的，在先的 | |
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155
frantically
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| ad.发狂地, 发疯地 | |
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156
buffet
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| n.自助餐；饮食柜台；餐台 | |
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157
backwards
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| adv.往回地，向原处，倒，相反，前后倒置地 | |
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158
prudently
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| adv. 谨慎地，慎重地 | |
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159
herd
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| n.兽群，牧群；vt.使集中，把…赶在一起 | |
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160
concealment
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| n.隐藏, 掩盖，隐瞒 | |
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161
dense
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| a.密集的，稠密的，浓密的；密度大的 | |
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162
grove
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| n.林子，小树林，园林 | |
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163
mused
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| v.沉思，冥想( muse的过去式和过去分词 )；沉思自语说（某事） | |
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164
trudged
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| vt.& vi.跋涉，吃力地走（trudge的过去式与过去分词形式） | |
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165
discreet
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| adj.(言行)谨慎的；慎重的；有判断力的 | |
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166
axe
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| n.斧子；v.用斧头砍，削减 | |
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