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首页 » 英文科幻小说 » Five Thousand Miles Underground29章节 » CHAPTER XXVII A FRIEND INDEED
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CHAPTER XXVII A FRIEND INDEED
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 Though the giants, man for man, were no match for the travelers, collectively the horde1 proved too much. They had swarmed2 about the ship, and, by passing the big cables over her, effectively held her down.
 
“Let me get out and I’ll cut ’em!” cried Andy. “We must get away from these savages3!”
 
“No, no, don’t go out!” exclaimed the professor. “They would eventually kill you, though you might fight them off for a time. We must wait and see what develops. They can have no object in harming us, as we have not injured them.”
 
“I’d rather fight ’em,” insisted the old hunter.
 
But the professor had his way and Andy was forced to obey. The giants had withdrawn4 their big feet from the side door and Washington had closed it. But nothing else had been accomplished5, and the ship could not rise. The gas and negative gravity machines were stopped, as they were only under a useless strain.
 
Suddenly, the colored lights which had been growing dimmer and dimmer, with the approach of night, went out altogether. Almost as suddenly, Mark, who was watching the giants from the conning6 tower, as they made fast the loose ends of the cables, saw them make a dash for the mound7 houses.
 
“They’re afraid of the dark!” he cried. “Come on! We can go out now and loosen the ropes!“
 
He hurried to tell the professor what he had noticed.
 
“Good!” exclaimed Mr. Henderson. “Perhaps we can escape now!”
 
They waited a few minutes, listening to the sound of many big feet running away from the ship, and then, Bill cautiously opened the side door. The others were behind him, waiting, with knives and hatchets8 in their hands, to rush out and cut the restraining cables.
 
“All ready!” called Bill. “There doesn’t seem to be a one in sight!”
 
He stepped out but no sooner had he set foot on the ground than there came a thud, and Bill went down as if some one had knocked his feet from under him.
 
“Go back! Go back!” he cried. “They hit me with something. I’m being smothered9!”
 
“Bring a light!” cried the professor, for the sally had been started in the dark.
 
Jack10 brought the portable electric it having been repaired and flashed it out of the door. In the gleam of it, Bill was seen lying prostrate11, half covered by an orange, about half as big as himself. The fruit was as soft and mushy as some of the giants themselves, or Bill would not have fared so easily.
 
Then, as the others stood watching, and while Bill arose and wiped some of the juice from his face, there came a regular shower of the monstrous12 oranges.
 
“Get inside quick! We’ll be smothered under them!” Mr. Henderson cried.
 
Pausing only to rescue Bill, the adventurers retreated inside the ship, and made fast the door. Outside they could hear the thud as the oranges were thrown, some hitting the Flying Mermaid13 and many dropping all about her.
 
“I guess they are going to have things their own way,” observed Bill, as he gazed down on his clothes, which were covered with juice from the fruit.
 
The night was one of anxiety. The travelers took turns standing14 guard, but nothing more occurred. The giants remained in their houses, and the heavy ropes still held the ship fast.
 
“We must hold a council of war,” the professor decided15 as they gathered at breakfast, which was far from a cheerful meal.
 
With the return of the colored lights the giants again made their appearance. They came swarming16 from the mound houses, and a great crowd they proved to be. Several thousand at least, Jack estimated, and when he went up into the conning tower and took a survey he could see the strange and terrible creatures pouring in from the surrounding country.
 
“I’m afraid there will be trouble,” he said, as he came down and reported what he had seen.
 
“We must hold a council of war,” repeated the professor. “Has any one anything to suggest?”
 
“Get a lot of powder and blow ’em up!” cried Andy.
 
“Arrange electric wires and shock ’em to death!” was Bill’s plan.
 
“Can’t we slip the ropes in some way and escape?” asked Jack. “I don’t believe we can successfully fight the giants. They are too many, even if they are weak, individually.”
 
“I think you’re right there,” Mr. Henderson said. “We must try some sort of strategy, but what? That is the question.”
 
For a few minutes no one spoke17. They were all thinking deeply, for their lives might hang in the balance.
 
“I think I have a plan,” said Mark, at length. “Did we bring any diving suits with us?”
 
“There may be one or two,” the professor replied. “But what good will they do?”
 
“Two of us could put them on,” continued Mark, “and, as they afford good protection from any missiles like fruit, we could crawl out on the deck of the ship. From there, armed with hatchets or knives we could cut the ropes. Then the ship could rise.”
 
“That’s a good plan!” cried the scientist. “We’ll try it at once!”
 
Search revealed that two diving suits were among the stores of the Mermaid. Jack and Mark wanted to be the ones to don them, but as the suits were rather large, and as the professor thought it would take more strength than the boys had to do the work, it was decided that Andy and Washington should make the attempt to cut the ropes.
 
The hunter and colored man lost little time in getting into the modern armor. In the meanwhile Jack, who had been posted as a lookout18, reported that there seemed to be some activity among the giants. They were running here and there, and some seemed to be going off toward the woods, that were not far away.
 
“Now work quickly,” urged the professor. “We will be on the watch, and as soon as the last rope is cut we will start the machinery19 and send the ship up. We will not wait for you to come back inside, so hold fast as best you can when the Mermaid rises.”
 
“We will,” answered Andy, just before the big copper20 helmet was fastened on his head, and Washington nodded to show he understood.
 
The two who were to attempt the rescue of their comrades were soon on deck. In the conning tower Jack and the professor kept anxious watch, while Mark, Bill and Tom were at the various machines, ready, at the signal, to start the engines.
 
The giants had now become so interested in whatever plan they had afoot, that they paid little attention to the ship. Consequently Washington and Andy, crawling along the deck in their diving suits, did not, at first attract any attention.
 
In fact they had cut several of the big ropes, and it began to look as if the plan would succeed, particularly as they were partly hidden from view by the upper gas holder21. They were working with feverish22 haste, sawing away at the big cables with keen knives.
 
“I guess we’ll beat ’em yet!” cried Jack.
 
“I hope so,” replied the professor. “It looks——”
 
He stopped short, for at that moment a cry arose from the midst of the giants, and one of them pointed23 toward the ship. An instant later the air was darkened with a flight of big oranges, which the queer creatures seemed to favor as missiles. Probably they found stones too heavy.
 
“Well, those things can’t hurt ’em much with those heavy suits on,” observed Mr. Henderson. “There, Washington got one right on the head that time, and it didn’t bother him a bit.”
 
Jack had seen the fruit strike the big copper helmet and observed that the colored man only moved his head slightly in order to get rid of the orange.
 
In fact the giants, seeing for themselves that this mode of warfare24 was not going to answer, since the two men on the ship continued to cut the restraining cables, gave it up. There was a good deal of shouting among them, and a number ran here and there, seemingly gathering25 up long poles.
 
“I wonder if they are going to try the flailing26 method, and beat poor Andy and Washington,” said Mr. Henderson. “It looks so.”
 
The two rescuers were now about a quarter through their hard task. The throwing of the oranges had ceased. But the giants were up to a new trick. They divided into two sections, one taking up a position on one side of the ship, and the other on the opposite. There were about two hundred in each crowd, while the others in the horde drew some distance back.
 
“They’re up to some queer dodge,” observed Jack. “What are they placing those sticks to their mouths for?”
 
The professor observed the throng27 curiously28 for a few seconds. Then he exclaimed:
 
“They are using blow-guns! They are going to shoot arrows at Washington and Andy! We must get them in at once!”
 
He darted29 toward a door that opened from the conning tower out on the deck.
 
“Don’t go!” cried Jack. “It’s too late! They are beginning to blow!”
 
He pointed to the throng of giants. The professor could see their cheeks puffed30 out as the big creatures filled their lungs with air and prepared to expel it through the hollow tubes.
 
Then there came a sound as if a great wind was blowing. It howled and roared over the ship, not unlike a hurricane in its fury. But there was no flight of arrows through the air, such as would have come from regular blow guns.
 
“That is strange,” said the professor. He thought for a moment. “I have it!” he cried, “They are trying to blow Washington and Andy off the ship by the power of their breaths! They are not blowing arrows at them! My, but they, must have strong lungs!”
 
And, in truth, that was the plan of the giants. The hollow tubes, made from some sort of big weed, sent a blast of air at the two men on the ship’s deck, that made them lie flat and cling with both hands to avoid being sent flying into the midst of the giants, on one side or the other. But the giants had reckoned without the weight of the diving suits, and it was those, with the big lead soles of the shoes, that helped to hold Washington and Andy in place.
 
“Come back! Come back!” cried the professor, opening the conning tower door and calling to the two brave men. “Come back, both of you! Do you hear?”
 
As the portal slid back the rush of air was almost like that of a cyclone31. Then it suddenly ceased, as the giants saw their plan was not likely to succeed.
 
But now there arose from the outer circle of the horde a shout of triumph. It was caused by the return of those who had, a little while before, hurried off to the woods. They came back bearing big trees, tall and slender, stripped of their branches, so that they resembled flag staffs. It took a dozen giants to carry each one.
 
The whole throng was soon busy laying the poles in a row in front of the ship.
 
“What can they be up to now?” asked Jack.
 
“It looks as if they were going to slide the ship along on rollers,” the professor replied.
 
Sure enough this was the giant’s plan. A few minutes later those in the Mermaid felt her moving forward, as the giants, massed behind, shoved. On to the poles she slid. The ropes were loosened to permit this, but not enough to enable the boat to rise.
 
Then the travelers felt the ship being lifted up.
 
“They are going to carry us away, with the poles for a big stretcher!” cried the professor.
 
Looking from the side windows the boys saw that a great crowd of the big men were on either side of the Mermaid, each giant grasping a pole, and lifting. Farther out were others, holding the ends of the cables which Washington and Andy had not succeeded in cutting.
 
The ship was being carried along by a thousand or more giants, as the ancient warriors32, slain33 in battle, were carried home on the spears of their comrades.
 
“This is the end of the Mermaid!” murmured Mr. Henderson in sorrowful tones.
 
As they looked from the conning tower the professor and the two boys observed a commotion34 among the leaders of the giants. They seemed to be wavering. Suddenly the forward part of the ship sank, as those ahead laid their poles down on the ground. Then those behind did the same, and the Mermaid, came to a stop, and once more rested on the earth.
 
“What does this mean?” asked the scientist in wonder.
 
All at once the entire crowd of giants threw themselves down on their faces, and there, standing at the bow of the ship, was a giant, half again as large as any of the others. He was clad in a complete suit of golden armor on which the changing lights played with beautiful effect, and in his hand he held an immense golden sword. He pointed the weapon at the ship as if he had raised it in protection, and his hand was stretched in commanding gesture over the prostrate giants.
 
“Perhaps he has come to save us!” cried Mark.

点击收听单词发音收听单词发音  

1 horde 9dLzL     
n.群众,一大群
参考例句:
  • A horde of children ran over the office building.一大群孩子在办公大楼里到处奔跑。
  • Two women were quarrelling on the street,surrounded by horde of people.有两个妇人在街上争吵,被一大群人围住了。
2 swarmed 3f3ff8c8e0f4188f5aa0b8df54637368     
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
参考例句:
  • When the bell rang, the children swarmed out of the school. 铃声一响,孩子们蜂拥而出离开了学校。
  • When the rain started the crowd swarmed back into the hotel. 雨一开始下,人群就蜂拥回了旅社。
3 savages 2ea43ddb53dad99ea1c80de05d21d1e5     
未开化的人,野蛮人( savage的名词复数 )
参考例句:
  • There're some savages living in the forest. 森林里居住着一些野人。
  • That's an island inhabited by savages. 那是一个野蛮人居住的岛屿。
4 withdrawn eeczDJ     
vt.收回;使退出;vi.撤退,退出
参考例句:
  • Our force has been withdrawn from the danger area.我们的军队已从危险地区撤出。
  • All foreign troops should be withdrawn to their own countries.一切外国军队都应撤回本国去。
5 accomplished UzwztZ     
adj.有才艺的;有造诣的;达到了的
参考例句:
  • Thanks to your help,we accomplished the task ahead of schedule.亏得你们帮忙,我们才提前完成了任务。
  • Removal of excess heat is accomplished by means of a radiator.通过散热器完成多余热量的排出。
6 conning b97e62086a8bfeb6de9139effa481f58     
v.诈骗,哄骗( con的现在分词 );指挥操舵( conn的现在分词 )
参考例句:
  • He climbed into the conning tower, his eyes haunted and sickly bright. 他爬上司令塔,两眼象见鬼似的亮得近乎病态。 来自辞典例句
  • As for Mady, she enriched her record by conning you. 对马德琳来说,这次骗了你,又可在她的光荣历史上多了一笔。 来自辞典例句
7 mound unCzhy     
n.土墩,堤,小山;v.筑堤,用土堆防卫
参考例句:
  • The explorers climbed a mound to survey the land around them.勘探者爬上土丘去勘测周围的土地。
  • The mound can be used as our screen.这个土丘可做我们的掩蔽物。
8 hatchets a447123da05b9a6817677d7eb8e95456     
n.短柄小斧( hatchet的名词复数 );恶毒攻击;诽谤;休战
参考例句:
  • Hatchets, knives, bayonets, swords, all brought to be sharpened, were all red with it. 他们带来磨利的战斧、短刀、刺刀、战刀也全都有殷红的血。 来自英汉文学 - 双城记
  • They smashed all the carved paneling with their axes and hatchets. 圣所中一切雕刻的、们现在用斧子锤子打坏了。 来自互联网
9 smothered b9bebf478c8f7045d977e80734a8ed1d     
(使)窒息, (使)透不过气( smother的过去式和过去分词 ); 覆盖; 忍住; 抑制
参考例句:
  • He smothered the baby with a pillow. 他用枕头把婴儿闷死了。
  • The fire is smothered by ashes. 火被灰闷熄了。
10 jack 53Hxp     
n.插座,千斤顶,男人;v.抬起,提醒,扛举;n.(Jake)杰克
参考例句:
  • I am looking for the headphone jack.我正在找寻头戴式耳机插孔。
  • He lifted the car with a jack to change the flat tyre.他用千斤顶把车顶起来换下瘪轮胎。
11 prostrate 7iSyH     
v.拜倒,平卧,衰竭;adj.拜倒的,平卧的,衰竭的
参考例句:
  • She was prostrate on the floor.她俯卧在地板上。
  • The Yankees had the South prostrate and they intended to keep It'so.北方佬已经使南方屈服了,他们还打算继续下去。
12 monstrous vwFyM     
adj.巨大的;恐怖的;可耻的,丢脸的
参考例句:
  • The smoke began to whirl and grew into a monstrous column.浓烟开始盘旋上升,形成了一个巨大的烟柱。
  • Your behaviour in class is monstrous!你在课堂上的行为真是丢人!
13 mermaid pCbxH     
n.美人鱼
参考例句:
  • How popular would that girl be with the only mermaid mom!和人鱼妈妈在一起,那个女孩会有多受欢迎!
  • The little mermaid wasn't happy because she didn't want to wait.小美人鱼不太高兴,因为她等不及了。
14 standing 2hCzgo     
n.持续,地位;adj.永久的,不动的,直立的,不流动的
参考例句:
  • After the earthquake only a few houses were left standing.地震过后只有几幢房屋还立着。
  • They're standing out against any change in the law.他们坚决反对对法律做任何修改。
15 decided lvqzZd     
adj.决定了的,坚决的;明显的,明确的
参考例句:
  • This gave them a decided advantage over their opponents.这使他们比对手具有明显的优势。
  • There is a decided difference between British and Chinese way of greeting.英国人和中国人打招呼的方式有很明显的区别。
16 swarming db600a2d08b872102efc8fbe05f047f9     
密集( swarm的现在分词 ); 云集; 成群地移动; 蜜蜂或其他飞行昆虫成群地飞来飞去
参考例句:
  • The sacks of rice were swarming with bugs. 一袋袋的米里长满了虫子。
  • The beach is swarming with bathers. 海滩满是海水浴的人。
17 spoke XryyC     
n.(车轮的)辐条;轮辐;破坏某人的计划;阻挠某人的行动 v.讲,谈(speak的过去式);说;演说;从某种观点来说
参考例句:
  • They sourced the spoke nuts from our company.他们的轮辐螺帽是从我们公司获得的。
  • The spokes of a wheel are the bars that connect the outer ring to the centre.辐条是轮子上连接外圈与中心的条棒。
18 lookout w0sxT     
n.注意,前途,瞭望台
参考例句:
  • You can see everything around from the lookout.从了望台上你可以看清周围的一切。
  • It's a bad lookout for the company if interest rates don't come down.如果利率降不下来,公司的前景可就不妙了。
19 machinery CAdxb     
n.(总称)机械,机器;机构
参考例句:
  • Has the machinery been put up ready for the broadcast?广播器材安装完毕了吗?
  • Machinery ought to be well maintained all the time.机器应该随时注意维护。
20 copper HZXyU     
n.铜;铜币;铜器;adj.铜(制)的;(紫)铜色的
参考例句:
  • The students are asked to prove the purity of copper.要求学生们检验铜的纯度。
  • Copper is a good medium for the conduction of heat and electricity.铜是热和电的良导体。
21 holder wc4xq     
n.持有者,占有者;(台,架等)支持物
参考例句:
  • The holder of the office of chairman is reponsible for arranging meetings.担任主席职位的人负责安排会议。
  • That runner is the holder of the world record for the hundred-yard dash.那位运动员是一百码赛跑世界纪录的保持者。
22 feverish gzsye     
adj.发烧的,狂热的,兴奋的
参考例句:
  • He is too feverish to rest.他兴奋得安静不下来。
  • They worked with feverish haste to finish the job.为了完成此事他们以狂热的速度工作着。
23 pointed Il8zB4     
adj.尖的,直截了当的
参考例句:
  • He gave me a very sharp pointed pencil.他给我一支削得非常尖的铅笔。
  • She wished to show Mrs.John Dashwood by this pointed invitation to her brother.她想通过对达茨伍德夫人提出直截了当的邀请向她的哥哥表示出来。
24 warfare XhVwZ     
n.战争(状态);斗争;冲突
参考例句:
  • He addressed the audience on the subject of atomic warfare.他向听众演讲有关原子战争的问题。
  • Their struggle consists mainly in peasant guerrilla warfare.他们的斗争主要是农民游击战。
25 gathering ChmxZ     
n.集会,聚会,聚集
参考例句:
  • He called on Mr. White to speak at the gathering.他请怀特先生在集会上讲话。
  • He is on the wing gathering material for his novels.他正忙于为他的小说收集资料。
26 flailing flailing     
v.鞭打( flail的现在分词 );用连枷脱粒;(臂或腿)无法控制地乱动;扫雷坦克
参考例句:
  • He became moody and unreasonable, flailing out at Katherine at the slightest excuse. 他变得喜怒无常、不可理喻,为点鸡毛蒜皮的小事就殴打凯瑟琳。 来自《简明英汉词典》
  • His arms were flailing in all directions. 他的手臂胡乱挥舞着。 来自辞典例句
27 throng sGTy4     
n.人群,群众;v.拥挤,群集
参考例句:
  • A patient throng was waiting in silence.一大群耐心的人在静静地等着。
  • The crowds thronged into the mall.人群涌进大厅。
28 curiously 3v0zIc     
adv.有求知欲地;好问地;奇特地
参考例句:
  • He looked curiously at the people.他好奇地看着那些人。
  • He took long stealthy strides. His hands were curiously cold.他迈着悄没声息的大步。他的双手出奇地冷。
29 darted d83f9716cd75da6af48046d29f4dd248     
v.投掷,投射( dart的过去式和过去分词 );向前冲,飞奔
参考例句:
  • The lizard darted out its tongue at the insect. 蜥蜴伸出舌头去吃小昆虫。 来自《简明英汉词典》
  • The old man was displeased and darted an angry look at me. 老人不高兴了,瞪了我一眼。 来自《简明英汉词典》
30 puffed 72b91de7f5a5b3f6bdcac0d30e24f8ca     
adj.疏松的v.使喷出( puff的过去式和过去分词 );喷着汽(或烟)移动;吹嘘;吹捧
参考例句:
  • He lit a cigarette and puffed at it furiously. 他点燃了一支香烟,狂吸了几口。 来自《简明英汉词典》
  • He felt grown-up, puffed up with self-importance. 他觉得长大了,便自以为了不起。 来自《简明英汉词典》
31 cyclone cy3x7     
n.旋风,龙卷风
参考例句:
  • An exceptionally violent cyclone hit the town last night.昨晚异常猛烈的旋风吹袭了那个小镇。
  • The cyclone brought misery to thousands of people.旋风给成千上万的人带来苦难。
32 warriors 3116036b00d464eee673b3a18dfe1155     
武士,勇士,战士( warrior的名词复数 )
参考例句:
  • I like reading the stories ofancient warriors. 我喜欢读有关古代武士的故事。
  • The warriors speared the man to death. 武士们把那个男子戳死了。
33 slain slain     
杀死,宰杀,杀戮( slay的过去分词 ); (slay的过去分词)
参考例句:
  • The soldiers slain in the battle were burried that night. 在那天夜晚埋葬了在战斗中牺牲了的战士。
  • His boy was dead, slain by the hand of the false Amulius. 他的儿子被奸诈的阿缪利乌斯杀死了。
34 commotion 3X3yo     
n.骚动,动乱
参考例句:
  • They made a commotion by yelling at each other in the theatre.他们在剧院里相互争吵,引起了一阵骚乱。
  • Suddenly the whole street was in commotion.突然间,整条街道变得一片混乱。


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