shadowy form, with its lightninglike movements, its glittering hatchet, was

Wetzel. When he plunged into the midst of the other savages I distinctly



recognized him, and saw that he had a bundle, possibly his coat, wrapped round

his left arm, and his right hand held the glittering tomahawk. I saw him



strike that big Indian there, the one lying with split skull. His wonderful

daring and quickness seemed to make the savages turn at random. He broke



through the circle, swung Nell under his arm, slashed at my bonds as he passed

by, and then was gone as he had come. Not until after you were struck, and



Silvertip came up to me, was I aware my bonds were cut. Wetzel's hatchet had

severed them; it even cut my side, which was bleeding. I was free to help, to



fight, and I did not know it. Fool that I am!"

"I made an awful mess of my part of the rescue," groaned Joe. "I wonder if the



savages know it was Wetzel."

"Do they? Well, I rather think so. Did you not hear them scream that French



name? As far as I am able to judge, only two Indians were killed instantly" target="_blank" title="ad.立即，立刻">instantly.

The others died during the night. I had to sit here, tied and helpless,



listening as they groaned and called the name of their slayer, even in their

death-throes. Deathwind! They have named him well."



"I guess he nearly killed Girty."

"Evidently, but surely the evil one protects the renegade."



"Jim Girty's doomed," whispered Joe, earnestly" target="_blank" title="ad.认真地；急切地">earnestly. "He's as good as dead already.

I've lived with Wetzel, and know him. He told me Girty had murdered a settler,



a feeble old man, who lived near Fort Henry with his son. The hunter has sworn

to kill the renegade; but, mind you, he did not tell me that. I saw it in his



eyes. It wouldn't surprise me to see him jump out of these bushes at any

moment. I'm looking for it. If he knows there are only three left, he'll be



after them like a hound on a trail. Girty must hurry. Where's he taking you?"

"To the Delaware town."



"I don't suppose the chiefs will let any harm befall you; but Kate and I would

be better off dead. If we can only delay the march, Wetzel will surely



return."

"Hush! Girty's up."



The renegade staggered to an upright position, and leaned on the Shawnee's

arm. Evidently he had not been seriously injured, only stunned. Covered with



blood from a swollen, gashed lump on his temple, he certainly presented a

savage appearance.



"Where's the yellow-haired lass?" he demanded, pushing away Silvertip's

friendly arm. He glared around the glade. The Shawnee addressed him briefly,



whereupon he raged to and fro under the tree, cursing with foam-flecked lips,

and actually howling with baffled rage. His fury was so great that he became



suddenly weak, and was compelled to sit down.

"She's safe, you villainous renegade!" cried Joe.



"Hush, Joe! Do not anger him. It can do no good," interposed Jim.

"Why not? We couldn't be worse off," answered Joe.



"I'll git her, I'll git her agin," panted Girty. "I'll keep her, an' she'll

love me."



The spectacle of this perverted wretchspeaking as if he had been cheated out

of love was so remarkable, so pitiful, so monstrous, that for a moment Joe was



dumbfounded.

"Bah! You white-livered murderer!" Joe hissed. He well knew it was not wise to



give way to his passion; but he could not help it. This beast in human guise,

whining for love, maddened him. "Any white woman on earth would die a thousand



deaths and burn for a million years afterward rather than love you!"

"I'll see you killed at the stake, beggin' fer mercy, an' be feed fer



buzzards," croaked the renegade.

"Then kill me now, or you may slip up on one of your cherished



buzzard-feasts," cried Joe, with glinting eye and taunting voice. "Then go

sneaking back to your hole like a hyena, and stay there. Wetzel is on your



trail! He missed you last night; but it was because of the girl. He's after

you, Girty; he'll get you one of these days, and when he does--My God!---"



Nothing could be more revolting than that swarthy, evil face turned pale with

fear. Girty's visage was a ghastly, livid white. So earnest, so intense was



Joe's voice, that it seemed to all as if Wetzel was about to dart into the

glade, with his avenging tomahawk uplifted to wreak an awful vengeance on the



abductor. The renegade's white, craven heart contained no such thing as

courage. If he ever fought it was like a wolf, backed by numbers. The

• release [ri´li:s] vt&n.释放；放松；赦免 (初中英语单词)


• excitement [ik´saitmənt] n.兴奋；骚动；煽动 (初中英语单词)


• waiting [´weitiŋ] n.等候；伺候 (初中英语单词)


• wrought [rɔ:t] work 的过去式(分词) (初中英语单词)


• muscle [´mʌsəl] n.肌肉；体力；力量 (初中英语单词)


• feather [´feðə] n.羽毛 (初中英语单词)


• shield [ʃi:ld] n.盾牌；防御 v.保护 (初中英语单词)


• horror [´hɔrə] n.恐怖；战栗 (初中英语单词)


• sensation [sen´seiʃən] n.感觉；轰动；轰动一时 (初中英语单词)


• mystery [´mistəri] n.神秘；秘密；故弄玄虚 (初中英语单词)


• tragedy [´trædʒidi] n.悲剧；惨案；灾难 (初中英语单词)


• whisper [´wispə] v.耳语 n.低语；沙沙声 (初中英语单词)


• coward [´kauəd] n.胆怯者 a.胆小的 (初中英语单词)


• indian [´indiən] a.印度的 n.印度人 (初中英语单词)


• gently [´dʒentli] ad.温和地；静静地 (初中英语单词)


• breeze [bri:z] n.微风；不费力的事 (初中英语单词)


• instantly [´instəntli] ad.立即，立刻 (初中英语单词)


• standing [´stændiŋ] n.持续 a.直立的 (初中英语单词)


• monster [´mɔnstə] n.怪物 a.大得异常的 (初中英语单词)


• conflict [´kɔnflikt, kən´flikt] n.&vi.战斗；抵触 (初中英语单词)


• instant [´instənt] a.立即的 n.紧迫；瞬间 (初中英语单词)


• overhead [´əuvə,hed] ad.当头 a.在头上的 (初中英语单词)


• savage [´sævidʒ] a.野蛮的 n.蛮人 (初中英语单词)


• desperate [´despərit] a.拼死的；绝望的 (初中英语单词)


• beaten [´bi:tn] beat 的过去分词 (初中英语单词)


• weapon [´wepən] n.武器；斗争手段 (初中英语单词)


• useless [´ju:sləs] a.无用的，无价值的 (初中英语单词)


• intention [in´tenʃən] n.意图；打算；意义 (初中英语单词)


• fierce [fiəs] a.残忍的；强烈的 (初中英语单词)


• fearful [´fiəfəl] a.可怕的；担心的 (初中英语单词)


• moonlight [´mu:nlait] n.&a.月光(的) (初中英语单词)


• bloody [´blʌdi] a.(流)血的；血腥的 (初中英语单词)


• distress [di´stres] n.痛苦 vt.使苦恼 (初中英语单词)


• vacant [´veikənt] a.空虚的，无表情的 (初中英语单词)


• peculiar [pi´kju:liə] a.特有的；奇异的 (初中英语单词)


• freeze [fri:z] v.结冰；凝固；冷淡 (初中英语单词)


• daylight [´deilait] n.日光；黎明 (初中英语单词)


• lonely [´ləunli] a.孤独的；无人烟的 (初中英语单词)


• circle [´sə:kəl] n.圆圈 v.环绕；盘旋 (初中英语单词)


• bundle [´bʌndl] n.包，捆；包袱(裹) (初中英语单词)


• scream [skri:m] v.&n.尖叫(声) (初中英语单词)


• feeble [´fi:bəl] a.虚弱的，无力的 (初中英语单词)


• hunter [´hʌntə] n.猎人；猎狗；猎马 (初中英语单词)


• evidently [´evidəntli] ad.明显地 (初中英语单词)


• seriously [´siəriəsli] ad.严肃；严重，重大 (初中英语单词)


• temple [´tempəl] n.庙宇；寺院；太阳穴 (初中英语单词)


• actually [´æktʃuəli] ad.事实上；实际上 (初中英语单词)


• spectacle [´spektəkəl] n.展览；表演；景象 (初中英语单词)


• remarkable [ri´mɑ:kəbl] a.值得注意的；显著的 (初中英语单词)


• passion [´pæʃən] n.激情；激怒；恋爱 (初中英语单词)


• earnest [´ə:nist] a.认真的 n.认真；诚恳 (初中英语单词)


• climax [´klaimæks] n.顶点；高潮 (高中英语单词)


• thicket [´θikit] n.灌木丛；密集的东西 (高中英语单词)


• strife [straif] n.竞争；吵架；冲突 (高中英语单词)


• sprung [sprʌŋ] spring的过去分词 (高中英语单词)


• foremost [´fɔ:məust] a.最重要的；最先的 (高中英语单词)


• throng [θrɔŋ] n.群众 v.拥挤；群集 (高中英语单词)


• literally [´litərəli] ad.逐字地；实际上 (高中英语单词)


• runner [´rʌnə] n.奔跑者；走私人(船) (高中英语单词)


• consciousness [´kɔnʃəsnis] n.意识；觉悟；知觉 (高中英语单词)


• glisten [´glisən] vi.&n.闪烁，闪闪发光 (高中英语单词)


• shadowy [´ʃædəui] a.有阴影的；模糊的 (高中英语单词)


• unconscious [ʌn´kɔnʃəs] a.无意识的；不觉察的 (高中英语单词)


• bandage [´bændidʒ] n.绷带 vt.用绷带包扎 (高中英语单词)


• random [´rændəm] n.偶然的行动 (高中英语单词)


• earnestly [´ə:nistli] ad.认真地；急切地 (高中英语单词)


• befall [bi´fɔ:l] v.降临；发表(于) (高中英语单词)


• upright [´ʌprait] a.直立的 ad.直立地 (高中英语单词)


• pitiful [´pitifəl] a.可怜的；慈悲的 (高中英语单词)


• monstrous [´mɔnstrəs] a.怪异的；庞大的 (高中英语单词)


• ghastly [´gɑ:stli] a.苍白的；可怕的 (高中英语单词)


• intense [in´tens] a.强烈的；紧张的 (高中英语单词)


• vengeance [´vendʒəns] n.报复，复仇 (高中英语单词)


• anticipation [æn,tisi´peiʃən] n.预期；预料；期望 (英语四级单词)


• rapidity [rə´piditi] n.迅速；险峻；陡 (英语四级单词)


• tactics [´tæktiks] n.策略；战术 (英语四级单词)


• vicious [´viʃəs] a.不道德的；刻毒的 (英语四级单词)


• nightmare [´naitmeə] n.梦魇；恶梦 (英语四级单词)


• hoarse [hɔ:s] a.嘶哑的；嗓门粗哑的 (英语四级单词)


• trying [´traiiŋ] a.难堪的；费劲的 (英语四级单词)


• whirlwind [´wə:l,wind] n.旋风；猛烈的势力 (英语四级单词)


• superstitious [,sju:pə´stiʃəs] a.迷信的 (英语四级单词)


• hatchet [´hætʃit] n.短柄小斧 (英语四级单词)


• swollen [´swəulən] swell的过去分词 (英语四级单词)


• wretch [retʃ] n.不幸的人；卑鄙的人 (英语四级单词)


• awakening [ə´weikəniŋ] n.&a.觉醒(中的) (英语六级单词)


• hopefully [´həupfəli] ad.抱着希望地 (英语六级单词)


• willingness [´wiliŋnis] n.情愿，乐意，自愿 (英语六级单词)


• piercing [´piəsiŋ] a.刺(贯)穿的；尖刻的 (英语六级单词)


• rigidly [´ridʒidli] ad.坚硬地；不易弯地 (英语六级单词)


• posture [´pɔstʃə] n.姿势 v.故作姿态 (英语六级单词)


• fleeting [´fli:tiŋ] a.飞逝的，疾驰的 (英语六级单词)


• oppressive [ə´presiv] a.压制的；沉重的 (英语六级单词)


• pregnant [´pregnənt] a.怀孕的；含蓄的 (英语六级单词)


• taking [´teikiŋ] a.迷人的 n.捕获物 (英语六级单词)


• speaking [´spi:kiŋ] n.说话 a.发言的 (英语六级单词)


• swarthy [´swɔ:ði] a.黑皮肤的，黝黑的 (英语六级单词)


• visage [´vizidʒ] n.面容，面貌 (英语六级单词)