necessity of an
ambush keeping itself under covert.
The moon gleamed on the broken
pathway, and on the projecting
cliffs of rock round which it winded, its light intercepted here
and there by the branches of bushes and dwarf-trees, which,
finding
nourishment in the crevices of the rocks, in some places
overshadowed the brow and ledge of the
precipice. Below, a thick
copse-wood lay in deep and dark shadow, somewhat resembling the
billows of a half-seen ocean. From the bosom of that darkness,
and close to the bottom of the
precipice, the hound was heard at
intervals baying fearfully, sounds which were redoubled by the
echoes of the woods and rocks around. At intervals, these sunk
into deep silence, interrupted only by the plashing noise of a
small runnel of water, which
partly fell from the rock,
partlyfound a more silent passage to the bottom along its projecting
surface. Voices of men were also heard in stifled converse
below; it seemed as if the
pursuers had not discovered the narrow
path which led to the top of the rock, or that, having discovered
it, the peril of the
ascent, joined to the
imperfect light, and
the
uncertainty whether it might not be defended, made them
hesitate to attempt it.
At length a
shadowy figure was seen, which raised itself up from
the abyss of darkness below, and, emerging into the pale
moonlight, began
cautiously and slowly to
ascend the rocky path.
The
outline was so
distinctly marked, that Captain Dalgetty could
discover not only the person of a Highlander, but the long gun
which he carried in his hand, and the plume of feathers which
decorated his
bonnet. "TAUSEND TEIFLEN! that I should say so,
and so like to be near my latter end!" ejaculated the Captain,
but under his
breath, "what will become of us, now they have
brought musketry to
encounter our archers?"
But just as the
pursuer had attained a projecting piece of rock
about half way up the
ascent, and, pausing, made a signal for
those who were still at the bottom to follow him, an arrow
whistled from the bow of one of the Children of the Mist, and
transfixed him with so fatal a wound, that, without a single
effort to save himself, he lost his balance, and fell headlong
from the cliff on which he stood, into the darkness below. The
crash of the boughs which received him, and the heavy sound of
his fall from
thence to the ground, was followed by a cry of
horror and surprise, which burst from his
followers. The
Children of the Mist, encouraged in
proportion to the alarm this
first success had caused among the
pursuers, echoed back the
clamour with a loud and
shrill yell of
exultation, and, showing
themselves on the brow of the
precipice, with wild cries and
vindictive gestures, endeavoured to
impress on their enemies a
sense at once of their courage, their numbers, and their state of
defence. Even Captain Dalgetty's military
prudence did not
prevent his rising up, and
calling out to Ranald, more loud than
prudence warranted, "CAROCCO, comrade, as the Spaniard says! The
long-bow for ever! In my poor
apprehension now, were you to
order a file to advance and take position--"
"The Sassenach!" cried a voice from beneath, "mark the Sassenach
sidier! I see the
glitter of his breastplate." At the same time
three muskets were dis
charged; and while one ball rattled against
the corslet of proof, to the strength of which our valiant
Captain had been more than once
indebted for his life, another
penetrated the
armour which covered the front of his left thigh,
and stretched him on the ground. Ranald
instantly seized him in
his arms, and bore him back from the edge of the
precipice, while
he dolefully ejaculated, "I always told the
immortal Gustavus,
Wallenstein, Tilly, and other men of the sword, that, in my poor
mind, taslets ought to be made musket-proof."
With two or three
earnest words in Gaelic, MacEagh commended the
wounded man to the
charge of the females, who were in the rear of
his little party, and was then about to return to the contest.
But Dalgetty detained him, grasping a firm hold of his plaid.--"I
know not how this matter may end--but I request you will inform
Montrose, that I died like a
follower of the
immortal Gustavus
--and I pray you, take heed how you quit your present strength,
even for the purpose of pursuing the enemy, if you gain any
- spoken [´spəukən] speak的过去分词 (初中英语单词)
- pardon [´pɑ:dən] n.&vt.原谅;饶恕;赦免 (初中英语单词)
- instinct [´instiŋkt] n.本能;直觉;天资 (初中英语单词)
- variety [və´raiəti] n.变化;多样(性);种类 (初中英语单词)
- considerable [kən´sidərəbəl] a.重要的;值得重视 (初中英语单词)
- opening [´əupəniŋ] n.开放;开端 a.开始的 (初中英语单词)
- throat [θrəut] n.咽喉;嗓子;出入口 (初中英语单词)
- softly [´sɔftli] ad.软化地;柔和地 (初中英语单词)
- companion [kəm´pæniən] n.同伴;同事;伴侣 (初中英语单词)
- sensible [´sensəbəl] a.感觉得到的 (初中英语单词)
- hastily [´heistili] ad.急速地;草率地 (初中英语单词)
- gratitude [´grætitju:d] n.感激,感谢 (初中英语单词)
- garment [´gɑ:mənt] n.衣服,外衣 (初中英语单词)
- immortal [i´mɔ:təl] a.不死的n.不朽的人物 (初中英语单词)
- doubtless [´dautlis] ad.无疑地;大概,多半 (初中英语单词)
- worthy [´wə:ði] a.有价值的;值得的 (初中英语单词)
- honourable [´ɔnərəbəl] a.荣誉的;正直的 (初中英语单词)
- cannon [´kænən] n.大炮 (初中英语单词)
- disposition [,dispə´ziʃən] n.安排;性情;倾向 (初中英语单词)
- sleeve [sli:v] n.袖子;袖套 (初中英语单词)
- occasionally [ə´keiʒənəli] ad.偶然地;非经常地 (初中英语单词)
- obviously [´ɔbviəsli] ad.明显地;显而易见地 (初中英语单词)
- meantime [´mi:ntaim] n.&ad.其间;同时 (初中英语单词)
- armour [´ɑ:mə] (=armor) n.甲胄,盔甲 (初中英语单词)
- transport [træn´spɔ:t] n.运输;流放 (初中英语单词)
- regiment [´redʒimənt] n.团;一大群 (初中英语单词)
- nevertheless [,nevəðə´les] conj.&ad.然而;不过 (初中英语单词)
- obtain [əb´tein] v.获得;买到;得到承认 (初中英语单词)
- endure [in´djuə] vt.忍耐,忍受;坚持 (初中英语单词)
- observation [,ɔbzə´veiʃən] n.观测;注意;意义 (初中英语单词)
- partly [´pɑ:tli] ad.部分地;不完全地 (初中英语单词)
- ascend [ə´send] v.登;上升;追溯 (初中英语单词)
- outline [´autlain] n.外形 vt.画出…轮廓 (初中英语单词)
- distinctly [di´stiŋktli] ad.清楚地,明晰地 (初中英语单词)
- breath [breθ] n.呼吸;气息 (初中英语单词)
- encounter [in´kauntə] vt.&n.偶然相遇;冲突 (初中英语单词)
- thence [ðens] ad.从那里;因此 (初中英语单词)
- proportion [prə´pɔ:ʃən] n.比率 vt.使成比例 (初中英语单词)
- impress [im´pres, ´impres] v.铭刻 n.印记;特征 (初中英语单词)
- spaniard [´spænjəd] n.西班牙人 (初中英语单词)
- glitter [´glitə] n.光辉 vi.闪烁,炫耀 (初中英语单词)
- instantly [´instəntli] ad.立即,立刻 (初中英语单词)
- earnest [´ə:nist] a.认真的 n.认真;诚恳 (初中英语单词)
- charge [tʃɑ:dʒ] v.收费;冲锋 n.费用 (初中英语单词)
- follower [´fɔləuə] n.追随者,信徒;执行者 (初中英语单词)
- impatient [im´peiʃənt] a.不耐烦的,急躁的 (高中英语单词)
- saying [´seiŋ, ´sei-iŋ] n.言语;言论;格言 (高中英语单词)
- anxiously [´æŋkʃəsli] ad.挂念地;渴望地 (高中英语单词)
- plight [plait] n.境况;困境;苦境 (高中英语单词)
- rebuke [ri´bju:k] vt.&n.指责;训斥 (高中英语单词)
- vengeance [´vendʒəns] n.报复,复仇 (高中英语单词)
- artillery [ɑ:´tiləri] n.炮兵部队 (高中英语单词)
- civilized [´sivilaizd] a.先进的;文明的 (高中英语单词)
- gladly [´glædli] ad.愉快地,高兴地 (高中英语单词)
- combat [´kɔmbæt] v.&n.斗争;战斗;争斗 (高中英语单词)
- learned [´lə:nid] a.有学问的,博学的 (高中英语单词)
- baggage [´bægidʒ] n.行李 (高中英语单词)
- prejudice [´predʒədis] n.偏见;不利 vt.损害 (高中英语单词)
- presume [pri´zju:m] v.假定;推测;以为 (高中英语单词)
- ascent [ə´sent] n.上升;攀登;上坡路 (高中英语单词)
- shadowy [´ʃædəui] a.有阴影的;模糊的 (高中英语单词)
- cautiously [´kɔ:ʃəsli] ad.小心地;谨慎地 (高中英语单词)
- bonnet [´bɔnit] n.无边女帽;童帽 (高中英语单词)
- shrill [ʃril] a.(声音)尖锐的 (高中英语单词)
- apprehension [,æpri´henʃən] n.理解;忧虑;逮捕 (高中英语单词)
- wasting [´weistiŋ] a.&n.浪费(的) (英语四级单词)
- cavalier [,kævə´liə] n.骑士;勋章获得者 (英语四级单词)
- trusty [´trʌsti] a.可靠的 n.可信任的 (英语四级单词)
- mountaineer [,maunti´niə] n.山地人 vi.爬山 (英语四级单词)
- accurately [´ækjuritli] ad.准确地;精密地 (英语四级单词)
- drawing [´drɔ:iŋ] n.画图;制图;图样 (英语四级单词)
- exclamation [,eksklə´meiʃən] n.喊(惊)叫;感叹词 (英语四级单词)
- accommodation [ə,kɔmə´deiʃən] n.供应;调解;贷款 (英语四级单词)
- ambush [´æmbuʃ] n.埋伏(地点);伏兵 (英语四级单词)
- pathway [´pɑ:θwei] n.小路 (英语四级单词)
- nourishment [´nʌriʃmənt] n.食物;营养品(情况) (英语四级单词)
- precipice [´presipis] n.悬崖;危急的处境 (英语四级单词)
- imperfect [im´pə:fikt] a.不完全的;未完成的 (英语四级单词)
- uncertainty [ʌn´sə:tənti] n.不可靠;不确定的事 (英语四级单词)
- prudence [´pru:dəns] n.谨慎;慎重;节俭 (英语四级单词)
- ponderous [´pɔndərəs] a.沉重的;冗长的 (英语六级单词)
- clamorous [´klæmərəs] a.喧闹的;吵吵嚷嚷的 (英语六级单词)
- taking [´teikiŋ] a.迷人的 n.捕获物 (英语六级单词)
- pursuer [pə´sju:ə] n.追赶者;追求者;从事者 (英语六级单词)
- exultation [egzʌl´teiʃən] n.欢腾,狂欢 (英语六级单词)
- calling [´kɔ:liŋ] n.点名;职业;欲望 (英语六级单词)
- indebted [in´detid] a.负债的;感恩的 (英语六级单词)