He sat upon the very topmost perch1 under the open-work dome2 of his spacious3 and lofty cage. This perch was one of three or four lopped limbs jutting4 from a dead tree-trunk erected5 in the centre of the cage—a perch far other than that great branch of thunder-blasted pine, out-thrust from the seaward-facing cliff, whereon he had been wont6 to sit in his own land across the ocean.
He sat with his snowy, gleaming, flat-crowned head drawn7 back between the dark shoulders of his slightly uplifted wings. His black and yellow eyes, unwinking, bright and hard like glass, stared out from under his overhanging brows with a kind of darting9 and defiant10 inquiry11 quite unlike their customary expression of tameless despair. That dull world outside the bars of his cage, that hated, gaping12, inquisitive13 world which he had ever tried to ignore by staring at the sun or gazing into the deeps of sky overhead, how it had changed since yesterday! The curious crowds, the gabbling voices were gone. Even the high buildings of red brick or whitish-grey stone, beyond the iron palings of the park, were going, toppling down with a slow, dizzy lurch14, or leaping suddenly into the air with a roar and a huge belch15 of brown and orange smoke and scarlet16 flame. Here and there he saw men running wildly. Here and there he saw other men lying quite still—sprawling17, inert18 shapes an the close-cropped grass, or the white asphalted walks, or the tossed pavement of the street. He knew that these inert, sprawling shapes were men, and that the men were dead; and the sight filled his exile heart with triumph. Men were his enemies, his gaolers, his opponents, and now at last—he knew not how—he was tasting vengeance19. The once smooth green turf around his cage was becoming pitted with strange yellow-brown holes. These holes, he had noticed, always appeared after a burst of terrific noise, and livid flame, and coloured smoke, followed by a shower of clods and pebbles20, and hard fragments which sometimes flew right through his cage with a vicious hum. There was a deadly force in these humming fragments. He knew it, for his partner in captivity21, a golden eagle of the Alps, had been hit by one of them, and now lay dead on the littered floor below him, a mere22 heap of bloody23 feathers. Certain of the iron bars of the cage, too, had been struck and cut through, as neatly24 as his own hooked beak25 would sever26 the paw of a rabbit.
The air was full of tremendous crashing, buffeting27 sounds and sudden fierce gusts28, which forced him to tighten29 the iron grip of his talons31 upon the perch. In the centre of the little park pond, some fifty feet from his cage, clustered a panic-stricken knot of eight or ten fancy ducks and two pairs of red-billed coot, all that remained of the flock of water-birds which had formerly32 screamed and gabbled over the pool. This little cluster was in a state of perpetual ferment33, those on the outside struggling to get into the centre, those on the inside striving to keep their places. From time to time one or two on the outer ring would dive under and force their way up in the middle of the press, where they imagined themselves more secure. But presently they would find themselves on the outside again, whereupon, in frantic34 haste, they would repeat the manoeuvre35. The piercing glance of the eagle took in and dismissed this futile36 panic with immeasurable scorn. With like scorn, too, he noted37 the three gaunt cranes which had been wont to stalk so arrogantly38 among the lesser39 fowl40 and drive them from their meals. These once domineering birds were now standing41 huddled42, their drooped43 heads close together, beneath a dense44 laurel thicket45 just behind the cage, their long legs quaking at every explosion.
Amid all this destroying tumult46 and flying death the eagle had no fear. He was merely excited by it. If a fragment of shell sang past his head, he never flinched47, his level stare never even filmed or wavered. The roar and crash, indeed, and the monstrous48 buffetings of tormented49 air, seemed to assuage50 the long ache of his home-sickness. They reminded him of the hurricane racing51 past his ancient pine, of the giant waves shattering themselves with thunderous jar upon the cliff below. From time to time, as if his nerves were straining with irresistible52 exultation53, he would lift himself to his full height, half spread his wings, stretch forward his gleaming white neck, and give utterance54 to a short, strident, yelping55 cry. Then he would settle back upon his perch again, and resume his fierce contemplation of the ruin that was falling on the city.
Suddenly an eleven-inch shell dropped straight in the centre of the pool and exploded on the concrete bottom which underlay56 the mud. Half the pool went up in the colossal57 eruption58 of blown flame and steam and smoke. Even here on his perch the eagle found himself spattered and drenched60. When the shrunken surface of the pool had closed again over the awful vortex, and the smoke had drifted off to join itself to the dark cloud which hung over the city, the little flock of ducks and coot was nowhere to be seen. It simply was not. But a bleeding fragment of flesh, with some purple-and-chestnut feathers clinging to it, lay upon the bottom of the cage. This morsel61 caught the eagle's eye. He had been forgotten for the past two days—the old one-legged keeper of the cages having vanished—and he was ravenous62 with hunger. He hopped63 down briskly to the floor, grabbed the morsel, and gulped64 it. Then he looked around hopefully for more. There were no more such opportune66 tit-bits within the cage, but just outside he saw the half of a big carp, which had been torn in twain by a caprice of the explosion and tossed up here upon the grass. This was just such a morsel as he was craving67. He thrust one great talon30 out between the bars and clutched at the prize. But it was beyond his reach. Disappointed, he tried the other claw, balancing himself on one leg with widespread wings. Stretch and struggle as he would, it was all in vain. The fish lay too far off. Then he tried reaching through the bars with his head. He elongated68 his neck till he almost thought he was a heron, and till his great beak was snapping hungrily within an inch or two of the prize. But not a hair's-breadth closer could he get. At last, in a cold fury, he gave it up, and drew back, and shook himself to rearrange the much dishevelled feathers of his neck.
Just at this moment, while he was still on the floor of the cage, a high-velocity shell came by. With its flat trajectory69 it passed just overhead, swept the dome of the cage clean out of existence, and whizzed onwards to explode, with a curious grunting70 crash, some hundreds of yards beyond. The eagle looked up and gazed for some seconds before realizing that his prison was no longer a prison. The path was clear above him to the free spaces of the air. But he was in no unseemly haste. His eye measured accurately71 the width of the exit, and saw that it was awkwardly narrow for his great spread of wing. He could not essay it directly from the ground, his quarters being too straitened for free flight. Hopping72 upwards73 from limb to limb of the roosting-tree, he regained75 the topmost perch, and found that, though split by a stray splinter of the cage, it was still able to bear his weight. From this point he sprang straight upwards, with one beat of his wings. But the wing-tips struck violently against each side of the opening, and he was thrown back with such force that only by a furious flopping76 and struggle could he regain74 his footing on the perch.
After this unexpected rebuff he sat quiet for perhaps half a minute, staring fixedly77 at the exit. He was not going to fail again through misjudgment. The straight top of the roosting-tree extended for about three feet above his perch, but this extension being of no use to him, he had never paid any heed79 to it hitherto. Now, however, he marked it with new interest. It was close below the hole in the roof. He flopped80 up to it, balanced himself for a second, and once more sprang for the opening, but this time with a short, convulsive beat of wings only half spread. The leap carried him almost through, but not far enough for him to get another stroke of his wings. Clutching out wildly with stretched talons, he succeeded in catching81 the end of a broken bar. Desperately82 he clung to it, resisting the natural impulse to help himself by flapping his wings. Reaching out with his beak, he gripped another bar, and so steadied himself till he could gain a foothold with both talons. Then slowly, like a dog getting over a wall, he dragged himself forth83, and stood at last free on the outer side of the bars which had been so long his prison.
But the first thing he thought of was not freedom. It was fish. For perhaps a dozen seconds he gazed about him majestically84, and scanned with calm the toppling and crashing world. Then spreading his splendid wings to their fullest extent, with no longer any fear of them striking against iron bars, he dropped down to the grass beside the cage and clutched the body of the slain85 carp. He was no more than just in time, for a second later a pair of mink86, released from their captivity in perhaps the same way as he had been, came gliding87 furtively88 around the base of the cage, intent upon the same booty. He turned his head over his shoulder and gave them one look, then fell to tearing and gulping89 his meal as unconcernedly as if the two savage90 little beasts had been field mice. The mink stopped short, flashed white fangs91 at him in a soundless snarl92 of hate, and whipped about to forage93 in some more auspicious94 direction.
When the eagle had finished his meal—which took him, indeed, scarcely more time than takes to tell of it—he wiped his great beak meticulously95 on the turf. While he was doing so, a shell burst so near him that he was half smothered96 in dry earth. Indignantly he shook himself, hopped a pace or two aside, ruffled97 up his feathers, and proceeded to make his toilet as scrupulously98 as if no shells or sudden death were within a thousand miles of him.
The toilet completed to his satisfaction, he took a little flapping run and rose into the air. He flew straight for the highest point within his view, which chanced to be the slender, soaring spire99 of a church somewhere about the centre of the city. As he mounted on a long slant100, he came into the level where most of the shells were travelling, for their objective was not the little park with its "Zoo," but a line of fortifications some distance beyond. Above, below, around him streamed the terrible projectiles101, whinnying or whistling, shrieking102 or roaring, each according to its calibre and its type. It seemed a miracle that he should come through that zone unscathed; but his vision was so powerful and all-embracing, his judgment78 of speed and distance so instantaneous and unerring, that he was able to avoid, without apparent effort, all but the smallest and least visible shells, and these latter, by the favour of Fate, did not come his way. He was more annoyed, indeed, by certain volleys of debris103 which occasionally spouted104 up at him with a disagreeable noise, and by the evil-smelling smoke clouds, which came volleying about him without any reason that he could discern. He flapped up to a higher level to escape these annoyances105, and so found himself above the track of the shells. Then he made for the church spire, and perched himself upon the tip of the great weather-vane. It was exactly what he wanted—a lofty observation post from which to view the country round about before deciding in which direction he would journey.
From this high post he noticed that, while he was well above one zone of shells, there was still another zone of them screaming far overhead. These projectiles of the upper strata106 of air were travelling in the opposite direction. He marked that they came from a crowded line of smoke-bursts and blinding flashes just beyond the boundary of the city. He decided107 that, upon resuming his journey, he would fly at the present level, and so avoid traversing again either of the zones of death.
Much to his disappointment, he found that his present observation post did not give him as wide a view as he had hoped for. The city of his captivity, he now saw, was set upon the loop of a silver stream in the centre of a saucer-like valley. In every direction his view was limited by low, encircling hills. Along one sector108 of this circuit—that from which the shells of the lower stratum109 seemed to him to be issuing—the hill-rim and the slopes below it were fringed with vomiting110 smoke-clouds and biting spurts111 of fire. This did not, however, influence in the least his choice of the direction in which to journey. Instinct, little by little, as he sat there on the slowly veering112 vane, was deciding that point for him. His gaze was fixing itself more and more towards the north, or, rather, the north-west; for something seemed to whisper in his heart that there was where he would find the wild solitudes114 which he longed for. The rugged115 and mist-wreathed peaks of Scotland or North Wales, though he knew them not, were calling to him in his new-found freedom.
The call, however, was not yet strong enough to be determining, so, having well fed and being beyond measure content with his liberty, he lingered on his skyey perch and watched the crash of the opposing bombardments. The quarter of the town immediately beneath him had so far suffered little from the shells, and the church showed no signs of damage except for one gaping hole in the roof. But along the line of the fortifications there seemed to be but one gigantic boiling of smoke and flames, with continual spouting116 fountains of debris. This inexplicable117 turmoil118 held his interest for a few moments. Then, while he was wondering what it all meant, an eleven-inch shell struck the church spire squarely about thirty feet below him.
The explosion almost stunned119 him. The tip of the spire—with the weather-cock, and the eagle still clinging to it—went rocketing straight up into the air amid a stifling120 cloud of black smoke, while the rest of the structure, down to a dozen feet below the point of impact, was blown to the four winds. Half stunned though he was, the amazed bird kept his wits about him, and clutched firmly to his flying perch till it reached the end of its flight and turned to fall. Then he spread his wings wide and let go. The erratic121 mass of wood and metal dropped away, and left him floating, half-blinded, in the heart of the smoke-cloud. A couple of violent wing-beats, however, carried him clear of the cloud; and at once he shaped his course upwards, as steeply as he could mount, smitten122 with a sudden desire for the calm and the solitude113 which were associated in his memory with the uppermost deeps of air.
The fire from the city batteries had just now slackened for a little, and the great bird's progress carried him through the higher shell zone without mishap123. In a minute or two he was far above those strange flocks which flew so straight and swift, and made such incomprehensible noises in their flight. Presently, too, he was above the smoke, the very last wisps of it having thinned off into the clear, dry air. He now began to find that he had come once more into his own peculiar124 realm, the realm of the upper sky, so high that, as he thought, no other living creature could approach him. He arrested his ascent125, and began to circle slowly on still wings, surveying the earth.
But now he received, for the first time, a shock. Hitherto the most astounding126 happenings had failed to startle him, but now a pang127 of something very like fear shot through his stout128 heart. A little to southward of the city he saw a vast pale-yellow elongated form rising swiftly, without any visible effort, straight into the sky. Had he ever seen a sausage, he would have thought that this yellow monster was shaped like one. Certain fine cords descended129 from it, reaching all the way to the earth, and below its middle hung a basket, with a man in it. It rose to a height some hundreds of feet beyond the level on which the eagle had been feeling himself supreme131. Then it came to rest, and hung there, swaying slowly in the mild wind.
His apprehension132 speedily giving way to injured pride, the eagle flew upwards, in short, steep spirals, as fast as his wings could drive him. Not till he could once more look down upon the fat back of the glistening133 yellow monster did he regain his mood of unruffled calm. But he regained it only to have it stripped from him, a minute later, with tenfold lack of ceremony. For far above him—so high that even his undaunted wings would never venture thither—he heard a fierce and terrible humming sound. He saw something like a colossal bird—or rather, it was more suggestive of a dragonfly than a bird—speeding towards him with never a single beat of its vast, pale wings. Its speed was appalling134. The eagle was afraid, but not with any foolish panic. He knew that even as a sparrow would be to him, so would he be to this unheard-of sovereign of the skies. Therefore it was possible the sovereign of the skies would ignore him and seek a more worthy135 opponent. Yes, it was heading towards the giant sausage. And the sausage, plainly, had no stomach for the encounter. It seemed to shrink suddenly; and with sickening lurches it began to descend130, as if strong hands were tugging136 upon the cords which anchored it to earth. The eagle winged off modestly to one side, but not far enough to miss anything of the stupendous encounter which he felt was coming. Here, at last, were events of a strangeness and a terror to move even his cool spirit out of its indifference137.
Now the giant insect was near enough for the eagle to mark that it had eyes on the under-sides of its wings—immense, round, coloured eyes of red and white and blue. Its shattering hum shook the eagle's nerves, steady and seasoned though they were. Slanting138 slightly downwards139, it darted140 straight toward the sausage, which was now wallowing fatly in its convulsive efforts to descend. At the same time the eagle caught sight of another of the giant birds, or insects, somewhat different in shape and colour from the first, darting up from the opposite direction. Was it, too, he wondered, coming to attack the terrified sausage, or to defend it?
Before he could find an answer to this exciting question, the first monster had arrived directly above the sausage and was circling over it at some height, glaring down upon it with those great staring eyes of its wings. Something struck the sausage fairly in the back. Instantly, with a tremendous windy roar, the sausage vanished in a sheet of flame. The monster far above it rocked and plunged141 in the uprush of tormented air, the waves of which reached even to where the eagle hung poised143, and forced him to flap violently in order to keep his balance against them.
A few moments later the second monster arrived. The eagle saw at once that the two were enemies. The first dived headlong at the second, spitting fire, with a loud and dreadful rap-rap-rapping noise, from its strange blunt muzzle144. The two circled around each other, and over and under each other, at a speed which made even the eagle dizzy with amazement145; and he saw that it was something more deadly than fire which spurted146 from their blunt snouts; for every now and then small things, which travelled too fast for him to see, twanged past him with a vicious note which he knew for the voice of death. He edged discreetly147 farther away. Evidently this battle of the giants was dangerous to spectators. His curiosity was beginning to get sated. He was on the point of leaving the danger area altogether, when the dreadful duel148 came suddenly to an end. He saw the second monster plunge142 drunkenly, in wild, ungoverned lurches, and then drop head first, down, down, down, straight as a stone, till it crashed into the earth and instantly burst into flame. He saw the great still eyes of the victor staring down inscrutably upon the wreck149 of its foe150. Then he saw it whirl sharply—tilting its rigid151 wings at so steep an angle that it almost seemed about to overturn—and dart8 away again in the direction from which it had come. He saw the reason for this swift departure. A flock of six more monsters, of the breed of the one just slain, came sweeping152 up from the south to take vengeance for their comrade's defeat.
The eagle had no mind to await them. He had had enough of wonders, and the call in his heart had suddenly grown clear and intelligible153. Mounting still upward till he felt the air growing thin beneath his wing-beats, he headed northwards as fast as he could fly. He had no more interest now in the amazing panorama154 which unrolled beneath him, in the thundering and screaming flights of shell which sped past in the lower strata of the air. He was intent only upon gaining the wild solitudes of which he dreamed. He marked others of the monsters which he so dreaded155, journeying sometimes alone, sometimes in flocks, but always with the same implacable directness of flight, always with that angry and menacing hum which, of all the sounds he had ever heard, alone had power to shake his bold heart. He noticed that sometimes the sky all about these monsters would be filled with sudden bursts of fleecy cloud, looking soft as wool; and once he saw one of these apparently156 harmless clouds burst full on the nose of one of the monsters, which instantly flew apart and went hurtling down to earth in revolving157 fragments. But he was no longer curious. He gave them all as wide a berth158 as possible, and sped on, without delaying to note their triumphs or their defeats.
At last the earth grew green again below him. The monsters, the smoke, the shells, the flames, the thunders, were gradually left behind, and far ahead at last he saw the sea, flashing gold and sapphire159 beneath the summer sun. Soon—for he flew swiftly—it was almost beneath him. His heart exulted160 at the sight. Then across that stretch of gleaming tide he saw a dim line of cliffs—white cliffs, such cliffs as he desired.
But at this point, when he was so near his goal, that Fate which had always loved to juggle161 with him decided to show him a new one of her tricks. Two more monsters appeared, diving steeply from the blue above him. One was pursuing the other. Quite near him the pursuer overtook its quarry162, and the two spat59 fire at each other with that strident rap-rap-rapping sound which he so disliked. He swerved163 as wide as possible from the path of their terrible combat, and paid no heed to its outcome. But, as he fled, something struck him near the tip of his left wing.
The shock went through him like a needle of ice or fire, and he dropped, leaving a little cloud of feathers in the air above to settle slowly after him. He turned once completely over as he fell. But presently; with terrific effort, he succeeded in regaining164 a partial balance. He could no longer fully65 support himself, still less continue his direct flight; but he managed to keep on an even keel and to delay his fall. He knew that to drop into the sea below him was certain death. But he had marked that the sea was dotted with peculiar-looking ships—long, narrow, dark ships—which travelled furiously, vomiting black smoke and carrying a white mass of foam165 in their teeth, Supporting himself, with the last ounce of his strength, till one of these rushing ships was just about to pass below him, he let himself drop, and landed sprawling on the deck.
Half stunned though he was, he recovered himself almost instantly, clawed up to his feet, steadied himself with one outstretched wing against the pitching of the deck, and defied, with hard, undaunted eye and threatening beak, a tall figure in blue, white-capped and gold-braided, which stood smiling down upon him.
"By Jove," exclaimed Sub-Lieutenant James Smith, "here's luck: Uncle Sam's own chicken, which he's sent us as a mascot166 till his ships can get over and take a hand in the game with us: Delighted to see you, old bird: You've come to the right spot, you have, and we'll do the best we can to make you comfortable."
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1
perch
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| n.栖木，高位，杆；v.栖息，就位，位于 | |
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dome
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| n.圆屋顶，拱顶 | |
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spacious
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| adj.广阔的，宽敞的 | |
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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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ERECTED
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| adj. 直立的，竖立的，笔直的 vt. 使 ... 直立，建立 | |
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wont
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| adj.习惯于；v.习惯；n.习惯 | |
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7
drawn
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| v.拖，拉，拔出；adj.憔悴的，紧张的 | |
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dart
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| v.猛冲，投掷；n.飞镖，猛冲 | |
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darting
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| v.投掷，投射( dart的现在分词 )；向前冲，飞奔 | |
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10
defiant
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| adj.无礼的，挑战的 | |
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inquiry
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| n.打听，询问，调查，查问 | |
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gaping
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| adj.口的；张口的；敞口的；多洞穴的v.目瞪口呆地凝视( gape的现在分词 )；张开，张大 | |
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inquisitive
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| adj.求知欲强的，好奇的，好寻根究底的 | |
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lurch
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| n.突然向前或旁边倒；v.蹒跚而行 | |
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15
belch
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| v.打嗝，喷出 | |
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scarlet
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| n.深红色，绯红色，红衣；adj.绯红色的 | |
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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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inert
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| adj.无活动能力的，惰性的；迟钝的 | |
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vengeance
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| n.报复，报仇，复仇 | |
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pebbles
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| [复数]鹅卵石； 沙砾； 卵石，小圆石( pebble的名词复数 ) | |
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captivity
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| n.囚禁；被俘；束缚 | |
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mere
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| adj.纯粹的；仅仅，只不过 | |
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bloody
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| adj.非常的的；流血的；残忍的；adv.很；vt.血染 | |
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neatly
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| adv.整洁地，干净地，灵巧地，熟练地 | |
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beak
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| n.鸟嘴，茶壶嘴，钩形鼻 | |
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sever
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| v.切开，割开；断绝，中断 | |
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buffeting
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| 振动 | |
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gusts
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| 一阵强风( gust的名词复数 )； （怒、笑等的）爆发； （感情的）迸发； 发作 | |
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tighten
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| v.(使)变紧；(使)绷紧 | |
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talon
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| n.爪；（如爪般的）手指；爪状物 | |
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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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formerly
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| adv.从前，以前 | |
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ferment
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| vt.使发酵；n./vt.（使）激动，（使）动乱 | |
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frantic
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| adj.狂乱的，错乱的，激昂的 | |
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manoeuvre
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| n.策略，调动；v.用策略，调动 | |
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futile
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| adj.无效的，无用的，无希望的 | |
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noted
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| adj.著名的，知名的 | |
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arrogantly
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| adv.傲慢地 | |
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lesser
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| adj.次要的，较小的；adv.较小地，较少地 | |
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40
fowl
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| n.家禽，鸡，禽肉 | |
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41
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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42
huddled
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| 挤在一起（huddle的过去式与过去分词形式） | |
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43
drooped
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| 弯曲或下垂，发蔫( droop的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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44
dense
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| a.密集的，稠密的，浓密的；密度大的 | |
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45
thicket
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| n.灌木丛，树林 | |
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46
tumult
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| n.喧哗；激动，混乱；吵闹 | |
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47
flinched
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| v.（因危险和痛苦）退缩，畏惧( flinch的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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48
monstrous
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| adj.巨大的；恐怖的；可耻的，丢脸的 | |
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49
tormented
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| 饱受折磨的 | |
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50
assuage
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| v.缓和，减轻，镇定 | |
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51
racing
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| n.竞赛，赛马；adj.竞赛用的，赛马用的 | |
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52
irresistible
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| adj.非常诱人的，无法拒绝的，无法抗拒的 | |
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53
exultation
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| n.狂喜，得意 | |
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54
utterance
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| n.用言语表达，话语，言语 | |
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55
yelping
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| v.发出短而尖的叫声( yelp的现在分词 ) | |
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56
underlay
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| v.位于或存在于（某物）之下( underlie的过去式 )；构成…的基础（或起因），引起n.衬垫物 | |
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57
colossal
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| adj.异常的，庞大的 | |
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58
eruption
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| n.火山爆发；（战争等）爆发；（疾病等）发作 | |
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59
spat
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| n.口角，掌击；v.发出呼噜呼噜声 | |
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60
drenched
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| adj.湿透的；充满的v.使湿透( drench的过去式和过去分词 )；在某人（某物）上大量使用（某液体） | |
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61
morsel
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| n.一口，一点点 | |
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62
ravenous
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| adj.极饿的，贪婪的 | |
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63
hopped
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| 跳上[下]( hop的过去式和过去分词 )； 单足蹦跳； 齐足（或双足）跳行； 摘葎草花 | |
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64
gulped
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| v.狼吞虎咽地吃，吞咽( gulp的过去式和过去分词 )；大口地吸（气）；哽住 | |
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65
fully
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| adv.完全地，全部地，彻底地；充分地 | |
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66
opportune
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| adj.合适的，适当的 | |
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67
craving
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| n.渴望,热望 | |
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68
elongated
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| v.延长，加长( elongate的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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69
trajectory
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| n.弹道，轨道 | |
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70
grunting
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| 咕哝的，呼噜的 | |
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71
accurately
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| adv.准确地，精确地 | |
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72
hopping
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| n. 跳跃 动词hop的现在分词形式 | |
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73
upwards
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| adv.向上，在更高处...以上 | |
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74
regain
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| vt.重新获得，收复，恢复 | |
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75
regained
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| 复得( regain的过去式和过去分词 )； 赢回； 重回； 复至某地 | |
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76
flopping
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| n.贬调v.（指书、戏剧等）彻底失败( flop的现在分词 )；（因疲惫而）猛然坐下；（笨拙地、不由自主地或松弛地）移动或落下；砸锅 | |
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77
fixedly
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| adv.固定地；不屈地，坚定不移地 | |
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78
judgment
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| n.审判；判断力，识别力，看法，意见 | |
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79
heed
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| v.注意，留意；n.注意，留心 | |
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80
flopped
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| v.（指书、戏剧等）彻底失败( flop的过去式和过去分词 )；（因疲惫而）猛然坐下；（笨拙地、不由自主地或松弛地）移动或落下；砸锅 | |
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81
catching
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| adj.易传染的，有魅力的，迷人的，接住 | |
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82
desperately
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| adv.极度渴望地，绝望地，孤注一掷地 | |
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83
forth
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| adv.向前；向外，往外 | |
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84
majestically
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| 雄伟地； 庄重地； 威严地； 崇高地 | |
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85
slain
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| 杀死，宰杀，杀戮( slay的过去分词 )； (slay的过去分词) | |
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86
mink
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| n.貂，貂皮 | |
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87
gliding
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| v. 滑翔 adj. 滑动的 | |
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88
furtively
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| adv. 偷偷地, 暗中地 | |
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89
gulping
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| v.狼吞虎咽地吃，吞咽( gulp的现在分词 )；大口地吸（气）；哽住 | |
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90
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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91
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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92
snarl
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| v.吼叫，怒骂，纠缠，混乱；n.混乱，缠结，咆哮 | |
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93
forage
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| n.(牛马的)饲料，粮草；v.搜寻，翻寻 | |
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94
auspicious
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| adj.吉利的；幸运的，吉兆的 | |
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95
meticulously
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| adv.过细地，异常细致地；无微不至；精心 | |
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96
smothered
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| （使）窒息， （使）透不过气( smother的过去式和过去分词 )； 覆盖； 忍住； 抑制 | |
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97
ruffled
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| adj. 有褶饰边的, 起皱的 动词ruffle的过去式和过去分词 | |
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98
scrupulously
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| adv.一丝不苟地；小心翼翼地，多顾虑地 | |
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99
spire
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| n.(教堂)尖顶，尖塔，高点 | |
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100
slant
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| v.倾斜，倾向性地编写或报道；n.斜面，倾向 | |
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101
projectiles
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| n.抛射体( projectile的名词复数 )；（炮弹、子弹等）射弹，（火箭等）自动推进的武器 | |
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102
shrieking
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| v.尖叫( shriek的现在分词 ) | |
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103
debris
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| n.瓦砾堆，废墟，碎片 | |
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104
spouted
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| adj.装有嘴的v.（指液体）喷出( spout的过去式和过去分词 )；滔滔不绝地讲；喋喋不休地说；喷水 | |
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105
annoyances
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| n.恼怒( annoyance的名词复数 )；烦恼；打扰；使人烦恼的事 | |
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106
strata
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| n.地层（复数）；社会阶层 | |
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107
decided
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| adj.决定了的，坚决的；明显的，明确的 | |
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108
sector
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| n.部门，部分；防御地段，防区；扇形 | |
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109
stratum
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| n.地层，社会阶层 | |
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110
vomiting
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| 吐 | |
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111
spurts
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| 短暂而突然的活动或努力( spurt的名词复数 )； 突然奋起 | |
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112
veering
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| n.改变的；犹豫的；顺时针方向转向；特指使船尾转向上风来改变航向v.（尤指交通工具）改变方向或路线( veer的现在分词 )；（指谈话内容、人的行为或观点）突然改变；（指风） （在北半球按顺时针方向、在南半球按逆时针方向）逐渐转向；风向顺时针转 | |
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113
solitude
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| n. 孤独; 独居,荒僻之地,幽静的地方 | |
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114
solitudes
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| n.独居( solitude的名词复数 )；孤独；荒僻的地方；人迹罕至的地方 | |
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115
rugged
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| adj.高低不平的，粗糙的，粗壮的，强健的 | |
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116
spouting
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| n.水落管系统v.（指液体）喷出( spout的现在分词 )；滔滔不绝地讲；喋喋不休地说；喷水 | |
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117
inexplicable
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| adj.无法解释的，难理解的 | |
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118
turmoil
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| n.骚乱，混乱，动乱 | |
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119
stunned
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| adj. 震惊的，惊讶的 动词stun的过去式和过去分词 | |
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120
stifling
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| a.令人窒息的 | |
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121
erratic
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| adj.古怪的，反复无常的，不稳定的 | |
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122
smitten
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| 猛打，重击，打击( smite的过去分词 ) | |
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123
mishap
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| n.不幸的事，不幸；灾祸 | |
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124
peculiar
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| adj.古怪的，异常的；特殊的，特有的 | |
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125
ascent
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| n.(声望或地位)提高；上升，升高；登高 | |
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126
astounding
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| adj.使人震惊的vt.使震惊，使大吃一惊astound的现在分词) | |
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127
pang
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| n.剧痛，悲痛，苦闷 | |
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129
descended
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| a.为...后裔的，出身于...的 | |
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130
descend
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| vt./vi.传下来，下来，下降 | |
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131
supreme
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| adj.极度的，最重要的；至高的，最高的 | |
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132
apprehension
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| n.理解，领悟；逮捕，拘捕；忧虑 | |
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133
glistening
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| adj.闪耀的，反光的v.湿物闪耀，闪亮( glisten的现在分词 ) | |
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134
appalling
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| adj.骇人听闻的，令人震惊的，可怕的 | |
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135
worthy
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| adj.(of)值得的，配得上的；有价值的 | |
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136
tugging
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| n.牵引感v.用力拉，使劲拉，猛扯( tug的现在分词 ) | |
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137
indifference
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| n.不感兴趣，不关心，冷淡，不在乎 | |
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138
slanting
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| 倾斜的，歪斜的 | |
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139
downwards
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| adj./adv.向下的（地），下行的（地） | |
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140
darted
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| v.投掷，投射( dart的过去式和过去分词 )；向前冲，飞奔 | |
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141
plunged
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| v.颠簸( plunge的过去式和过去分词 )；暴跌；骤降；突降 | |
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142
plunge
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| v.跳入，(使)投入，(使)陷入；猛冲 | |
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143
poised
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| a.摆好姿势不动的 | |
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144
muzzle
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| n.鼻口部；口套；枪(炮)口；vt.使缄默 | |
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145
amazement
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| n.惊奇，惊讶 | |
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146
spurted
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| （液体，火焰等）喷出，（使）涌出( spurt的过去式和过去分词 )； （短暂地）加速前进，冲刺 | |
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147
discreetly
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| ad.(言行)审慎地，慎重地 | |
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148
duel
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| n./v.决斗；(双方的)斗争 | |
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149
wreck
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| n.失事，遇难；沉船；vt.(船等)失事，遇难 | |
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150
foe
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| n.敌人，仇敌 | |
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151
rigid
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| adj.严格的，死板的；刚硬的，僵硬的 | |
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152
sweeping
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| adj.范围广大的，一扫无遗的 | |
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153
intelligible
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| adj.可理解的，明白易懂的，清楚的 | |
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154
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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155
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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156
apparently
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| adv.显然地；表面上，似乎 | |
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157
revolving
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| adj.旋转的，轮转式的；循环的v.（使）旋转( revolve的现在分词 )；细想 | |
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158
berth
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| n.卧铺，停泊地，锚位；v.使停泊 | |
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159
sapphire
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| n.青玉，蓝宝石；adj.天蓝色的 | |
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160
exulted
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| 狂喜，欢跃( exult的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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161
juggle
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| v.变戏法，纂改，欺骗，同时做；n.玩杂耍，纂改，花招 | |
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162
quarry
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| n.采石场；v.采石；费力地找 | |
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163
swerved
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| v.（使）改变方向，改变目的( swerve的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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164
regaining
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| 复得( regain的现在分词 )； 赢回； 重回； 复至某地 | |
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165
foam
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| v./n.泡沫，起泡沫 | |
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166
mascot
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| n.福神，吉祥的东西 | |
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