This habit on the part of the Peruvian workers was not unusual. In fact, the Titus brothers had to maintain a sort of permanent employment agency in Lima to replace the deserters. But they were used to this. The difference was that the Indians used to vanish from camp at night, and invariably after pay-day.

 

"And that's the only reason I have a slight doubt that they walked out of the tunnel," said Job Titus. "There was money due em."

 

"They never came out of the front entrance of the tunnel," said Tom. "Of that I'm positive."

 

But there was no way of proving his assertion.

 

The third blast, while not as successful as the second in the amount of rock loosened, was better than the first, and made a big advance in the tunnel progress. Tom was beginning to understand the nature of the mountain into which the big shaft³ was being driven and he learned how better to apply the force of his explosive.

 

That was the work which he had charge of—the placing of the giant powder so it would do the most effective work. Then, when the fumes⁴ from the blast had cleared away, in would surge the workmen to clear away the debris⁵.

 

Under the direction of Mr. Swift, left at Shopton to oversee⁶ the manufacture of the explosive, new shipments came on promptly⁷ to Lima, and were brought out to the tunnel on the backs of mules9

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1 disappearance
n.消失，消散，失踪
参考例句：
He was hard put to it to explain her disappearance.他难以说明她为什么不见了。 Her disappearance gave rise to the wildest rumours.她失踪一事引起了各种流言蜚语。

2 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

3 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。

4 fumes
n.(强烈而刺激的)气味，气体
参考例句：
The health of our children is being endangered by exhaust fumes. 我们孩子们的健康正受到排放出的废气的损害。 Exhaust fumes are bad for your health. 废气对健康有害。

5 debris
n.瓦砾堆，废墟，碎片
参考例句：
After the bombing there was a lot of debris everywhere.轰炸之后到处瓦砾成堆。 Bacteria sticks to food debris in the teeth,causing decay.细菌附着在牙缝中的食物残渣上，导致蛀牙。

6 oversee
vt.监督，管理
参考例句：
Soldiers oversee the food handouts.士兵们看管着救济食品。 Use a surveyor or architect to oversee and inspect the different stages of the work.请一位房产检视员或建筑师来监督并检查不同阶段的工作。

7 promptly
adv.及时地，敏捷地
参考例句：
He paid the money back promptly.他立即还了钱。 She promptly seized the opportunity his absence gave her.她立即抓住了因他不在场给她创造的机会。

8 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。

9 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。

10 brutes
兽( brute的名词复数 )； 畜生； 残酷无情的人； 兽性
参考例句：
They're not like dogs; they're hideous brutes. 它们不像狗，是丑陋的畜牲。 Suddenly the foul musty odour of the brutes struck his nostrils. 突然，他的鼻尖闻到了老鼠的霉臭味。 来自英汉文学

11 gathering
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。

12 bribe
n.贿赂；v.向…行贿，买通
参考例句：
He tried to bribe the policeman not to arrest him.他企图贿赂警察不逮捕他。 He resolutely refused their bribe.他坚决不接受他们的贿赂。

13 mighty
adj.强有力的；巨大的
参考例句：
A mighty force was about to break loose.一股巨大的力量即将迸发而出。 The mighty iceberg came into view.巨大的冰山出现在眼前。

14 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。

15 forth
adv.向前；向外，往外
参考例句：
The wind moved the trees gently back and forth.风吹得树轻轻地来回摇晃。 He gave forth a series of works in rapid succession.他很快连续发表了一系列的作品。

16 delightful
adj.令人高兴的，使人快乐的
参考例句：
We had a delightful time by the seashore last Sunday.上星期天我们在海滨玩得真痛快。 Peter played a delightful melody on his flute.彼得用笛子吹奏了一支欢快的曲子。

17 wilderness
n.杳无人烟的一片陆地、水等，荒漠
参考例句：
She drove the herd of cattle through the wilderness.她赶着牛群穿过荒野。 Education in the wilderness is not a matter of monetary means.荒凉地区的教育不是钱财问题。

18 wireless
adj.无线的；n.无线电
参考例句：
There are a lot of wireless links in a radio.收音机里有许多无线电线路。 Wireless messages tell us that the ship was sinking.无线电报告知我们那艘船正在下沉。

19 dynamite
n./vt.(用)炸药(爆破)
参考例句：
The workmen detonated the dynamite.工人们把炸药引爆了。 The philosopher was still political dynamite.那位哲学家仍旧是政治上的爆炸性人物。

20 mused
v.沉思，冥想( muse的过去式和过去分词 )；沉思自语说（某事）
参考例句：
\"I wonder if I shall ever see them again, \"he mused. “我不知道是否还可以再见到他们，”他沉思自问。 来自《简明英汉词典》 \"Where are we going from here?\" mused one of Rutherford's guests. 卢瑟福的一位客人忍不住说道：‘我们这是在干什么？” 来自英汉非文学 - 科学史

21 despondent
adj.失望的，沮丧的，泄气的
参考例句：
He was up for a time and then，without warning,despondent again.他一度兴高采烈，但忽然又情绪低落下来。 I feel despondent when my work is rejected.作品被拒后我感到很沮丧。

22 engendered
v.产生（某形势或状况），造成，引起( engender的过去式和过去分词 )
参考例句：
The issue engendered controversy. 这个问题引起了争论。 The meeting engendered several quarrels. 这次会议发生了几次争吵。 来自《简明英汉词典》

23 rumors
n.传闻( rumor的名词复数 )；[古]名誉；咕哝；[古]喧嚷v.传闻( rumor的第三人称单数 )；[古]名誉；咕哝；[古]喧嚷
参考例句：
Rumors have it that the school was burned down. 有谣言说学校给烧掉了。 来自《简明英汉词典》 Rumors of a revolt were afloat. 叛变的谣言四起。 来自《简明英汉词典》

24 hamper
vt.妨碍，束缚，限制；n.(有盖的)大篮子
参考例句：
There are some apples in a picnic hamper.在野餐用的大篮子里有许多苹果。 The emergence of such problems seriously hamper the development of enterprises.这些问题的出现严重阻碍了企业的发展。

25 bonded
n.有担保的，保税的，粘合的
参考例句：
The whisky was taken to bonded warehouses at Port Dundee.威士忌酒已送到邓迪港的保稅仓库。 This adhesive must be applied to both surfaces which are to be bonded together.要粘接的两个面都必须涂上这种黏合剂。

26 premium
n.加付款；赠品；adj.高级的；售价高的
参考例句：
You have to pay a premium for express delivery.寄快递你得付额外费用。 Fresh water was at a premium after the reservoir was contaminated.在水库被污染之后，清水便因稀而贵了。

27 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》

28 stationary
adj.固定的，静止不动的
参考例句：
A stationary object is easy to be aimed at.一个静止不动的物体是容易瞄准的。 Wait until the bus is stationary before you get off.你要等公共汽车停稳了再下车。

29 hoisting
起重，提升
参考例句：
The hoisting capacity of that gin pole (girder pole, guy derrick) is sixty tons. 那个起重抱杆（格状抱杆、转盘抱杆）的起重能力为60吨。 来自口语例句 We must use mechanical hoisting to load the goods. 我们必须用起重机来装载货物。

30 ragged
adj.衣衫褴褛的，粗糙的，刺耳的
参考例句：
A ragged shout went up from the small crowd.这一小群人发出了刺耳的喊叫。 Ragged clothing infers poverty.破衣烂衫意味着贫穷。

31 applied
adj.应用的；v.应用，适用
参考例句：
She plans to take a course in applied linguistics.她打算学习应用语言学课程。 This cream is best applied to the face at night.这种乳霜最好晚上擦脸用。

32 wink
n.眨眼，使眼色，瞬间；v.眨眼，使眼色，闪烁
参考例句：
He tipped me the wink not to buy at that price.他眨眼暗示我按那个价格就不要买。 The satellite disappeared in a wink.瞬息之间，那颗卫星就消失了。

33 accosted
v.走过去跟…讲话( accost的过去式和过去分词 )；跟…搭讪；（乞丐等）上前向…乞讨；（妓女等）勾搭
参考例句：
She was accosted in the street by a complete stranger. 在街上，一个完全陌生的人贸然走到她跟前搭讪。 His benevolent nature prevented him from refusing any beggar who accosted him. 他乐善好施的本性使他不会拒绝走上前向他行乞的任何一个乞丐。 来自《简明英汉词典》

34 winked
v.使眼色( wink的过去式和过去分词 )；递眼色（表示友好或高兴等）；（指光）闪烁；闪亮
参考例句：
He winked at her and she knew he was thinking the same thing that she was. 他冲她眨了眨眼，她便知道他的想法和她一样。 He winked his eyes at her and left the classroom. 他向她眨巴一下眼睛走出了教室。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》

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