At the entrance of the tunnel, from which came rushing dirt-stained and powder-blackened men, Mr. Titus was met by a man who seemed to be in authority.

 

"Hello, Job!" he cried. "Glad you're back. We're in trouble!"

 

"What's the matter?" was the question. "This is my brother Walter," he said. "This is Tom Swift and Mr. Damon," thus hurriedly he introduced them. "What happened, Walter?"

 

"Premature² blast. Third one this week. Somebody is working against us!"

 

"Never mind that now," cried Job Titus. "We must see to the poor fellows who are hurt." "I guess there aren't many," his brother said. "They were on their way out when the charge went off. Some more of Blakeson & Grinder's work, I'll wager³!"

 

They were rushing in to the smoke-filled tunnel now, followed by Tom, Mr. Damon and Koku, who would follow his young master anywhere. Tom saw that the tunnel was lighted with incandescent⁴ lamps, suspended here and there from the rocky roof or sides. The electric lights were supplied with current from a dynamo run by a gasoline engine.

 

"Where is it, Serato? Where was the blast?" asked Walter Titus, of a tall Indian, who seemed to be in some authority.

 

"Back at second turn," was the answer, in fairly good English. "I go get beds."

 

"He means stretchers," translated Job. "That's our Peruvian foreman. A good fellow, but easily scared."

 

They ran on into the tunnel, Tom and Mr. Damon noticing that a small narrow-gage railroad was laid on the floor, mules⁶ being the motive

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1 bumper
n.(汽车上的)保险杠；adj.特大的，丰盛的
参考例句：
The painting represents the scene of a bumper harvest.这幅画描绘了丰收的景象。 This year we have a bumper harvest in grain.今年我们谷物丰收。

2 premature
adj.比预期时间早的；不成熟的，仓促的
参考例句：
It is yet premature to predict the possible outcome of the dialogue.预言这次对话可能有什么结果为时尚早。 The premature baby is doing well.那个早产的婴儿很健康。

3 wager
n.赌注；vt.押注，打赌
参考例句：
They laid a wager on the result of the race.他们以竞赛的结果打赌。 I made a wager that our team would win.我打赌我们的队会赢。

4 incandescent
adj.遇热发光的， 白炽的，感情强烈的
参考例句：
The incandescent lamp we use in daily life was invented by Edison.我们日常生活中用的白炽灯，是爱迪生发明的。 The incandescent quality of his words illuminated the courage of his countrymen.他炽热的语言点燃了他本国同胞的勇气。

5 mule
n.骡子，杂种，执拗的人
参考例句：
A mule is a cross between a mare and a donkey.骡子是母马和公驴的杂交后代。 He is an old mule.他是个老顽固。

6 mules
骡( mule的名词复数 )； 拖鞋； 顽固的人； 越境运毒者
参考例句：
The cart was pulled by two mules. 两匹骡子拉这辆大车。 She wore tight trousers and high-heeled mules. 她穿紧身裤和拖鞋式高跟鞋。

7 motive
n.动机，目的；adv.发动的，运动的
参考例句：
The police could not find a motive for the murder.警察不能找到谋杀的动机。 He had some motive in telling this fable.他讲这寓言故事是有用意的。

8 excavated
v.挖掘( excavate的过去式和过去分词 )；开凿；挖出；发掘
参考例句：
The site has been excavated by archaeologists. 这个遗址已被考古学家发掘出来。 The archaeologists excavated an ancient fortress. 考古学家们发掘出一个古堡。 来自《简明英汉词典》

9 gasped
v.喘气( gasp的过去式和过去分词 )；喘息；倒抽气；很想要
参考例句：
She gasped at the wonderful view. 如此美景使她惊讶得屏住了呼吸。 People gasped with admiration at the superb skill of the gymnasts. 体操运动员的高超技艺令人赞叹。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》

10 stunned
adj. 震惊的，惊讶的 动词stun的过去式和过去分词
参考例句：
The fall stunned me for a moment. 那一下摔得我昏迷了片刻。 The leaders of the Kopper Company were then stunned speechless. 科伯公司的领导们当时被惊得目瞪口呆。

11 immediate
adj.立即的；直接的，最接近的；紧靠的
参考例句：
His immediate neighbours felt it their duty to call.他的近邻认为他们有责任去拜访。 We declared ourselves for the immediate convocation of the meeting.我们主张立即召开这个会议。

12 contractors
n.（建筑、监造中的）承包人( contractor的名词复数 )
参考例句：
We got estimates from three different contractors before accepting the lowest. 我们得到3个承包商的报价后，接受了最低的报价。 来自《简明英汉词典》 Contractors winning construction jobs had to kick back 2 per cent of the contract price to the mafia. 赢得建筑工作的承包商得抽出合同价格的百分之二的回扣给黑手党。 来自《简明英汉词典》

13 toll
n.过路(桥)费；损失，伤亡人数；v.敲(钟)
参考例句：
The hailstone took a heavy toll of the crops in our village last night.昨晚那场冰雹损坏了我们村的庄稼。 The war took a heavy toll of human life.这次战争夺去了许多人的生命。

14 transcribing
（用不同的录音手段）转录( transcribe的现在分词 )； 改编（乐曲）（以适应他种乐器或声部）； 抄写； 用音标标出（声音）
参考例句：
They continue to remove molecules until the cell stops transcribing the gene. 他们继续除去分子，直到细胞不再转录基因为止。 Q: Can I use Voice-to-Text software to help with the transcribing? 问：我能使用声音-到-本文的软件帮助转换吗？

15 imps
n.（故事中的）小恶魔( imp的名词复数 )；小魔鬼；小淘气；顽童
参考例句：
Those imps are brewing mischief. 那些小淘气们正在打坏主意。 来自辞典例句 No marvel if the imps follow when the devil goes before. 魔鬼带头，难怪小鬼纷纷跟随。 来自互联网

16 disturbance
n.动乱，骚动；打扰，干扰；(身心)失调
参考例句：
He is suffering an emotional disturbance.他的情绪受到了困扰。 You can work in here without any disturbance.在这儿你可不受任何干扰地工作。

17 machinery
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。

18 labor
n.劳动，努力，工作，劳工；分娩；vi.劳动，努力，苦干；vt.详细分析；麻烦
参考例句：
We are never late in satisfying him for his labor.我们从不延误付给他劳动报酬。 He was completely spent after two weeks of hard labor.艰苦劳动两周后，他已经疲惫不堪了。

19 boilers
锅炉，烧水器，水壶( boiler的名词复数 )
参考例句：
Even then the boilers often burst or came apart at the seams. 甚至那时的锅炉也经常从焊接处爆炸或裂开。 来自英汉非文学 - 科学史 The clean coal is sent to a crusher and the boilers. 干净的煤送入破碎机和锅炉。

20 shovels
n.铲子( shovel的名词复数 )；锹；推土机、挖土机等的)铲；铲形部份v.铲子( shovel的第三人称单数 )；锹；推土机、挖土机等的)铲；铲形部份
参考例句：
workmen with picks and shovels 手拿镐铲的工人 In the spring, we plunge shovels into the garden plot, turn under the dark compost. 春天，我们用铁锨翻开园子里黑油油的沃土。 来自辞典例句

21 laborers
n.体力劳动者，工人( laborer的名词复数 )；（熟练工人的）辅助工
参考例句：
Laborers were trained to handle 50-ton compactors and giant cranes. 工人们接受操作五十吨压土机和巨型起重机的训练。 来自《现代英汉综合大词典》 Wage-labour rests exclusively on competition between the laborers. 雇佣劳动完全是建立在工人的自相竞争之上的。 来自英汉非文学 - 共产党宣言

22 desolate
adj.荒凉的，荒芜的；孤独的，凄凉的；v.使荒芜，使孤寂
参考例句：
The city was burned into a desolate waste.那座城市被烧成一片废墟。 We all felt absolutely desolate when she left.她走后，我们都觉得万分孤寂。

23 decided
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。

24 tamped
v.捣固( tamp的过去式和过去分词 )；填充；（用炮泥）封炮眼口；夯实
参考例句：
The poets, once so praised, are tamped unceremoniously together in our textbooks, in one curt chapter. 那些名噪一时的诗人，在今天的教科书里，已被毫不客气地挤在一起，列为短短的一章。 来自辞典例句 They tamped down the earth around the apple tree. 他们把苹果树周围的泥土夯实。 来自互联网

25 shaft
n.(工具的)柄，杆状物
参考例句：
He was wounded by a shaft.他被箭击中受伤。 This is the shaft of a steam engine.这是一个蒸汽机主轴。

26 herding
中畜群
参考例句：
The little boy is herding the cattle. 这个小男孩在放牛。 They have been herding cattle on the tableland for generations. 他们世世代代在这高原上放牧。

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