登陆注册
5381600000021

第21章

Now for a shot.I must have one, though he is going like an arrow, and a hundred yards away and more.By Jove! over and over and over! "Well, I think I've wiped your eye there, Master Leo," I say, struggling against the ungenerous exultation that in such a supreme moment of one's existence will rise in the best-mannered sportsman's breast.

"Confound you, yes," growled Leo; and then, with that quick smile that is one of his charms lighting up his handsome face with a ray of light, "I beg your pardon, old fellow.I congratulate you; it was a lovely shot, and mine were vile."We got out of the boat and ran to the buck, which was shot through the spine and stone dead.It took us a quarter of an hour or more to clean it and cut off as much of the best meat as we could carry, and, having packed this away, we had barely light enough to row up into the lagoon-like space, into which, there being a hollow in the swamp, the river here expanded.Just as the light vanished we cast anchor about thirty fathoms from the edge of the lake.We did not dare to go ashore, not knowing if we should find dry ground to camp on, and greatly fearing the poisonous exhalations from the marsh, from which we thought we should be freer on the water.So we lighted a lantern, and made our evening meal off another potted tongue in the best fashion that we could, and then prepared to go to sleep, only, however, to find that sleep was impossible.For, whether they were attracted by the lantern, or by the unaccustomed smell of a white man, for which they had been waiting for the last thousand years or so, I know not; but certainly we were presently attacked by tens of thousands of the most bloodthirsty, pertinacious, and huge mosquitoes that Iever saw or read of.In clouds they came, and pinged and buzzed and bit till we were nearly mad.Tobacco smoke only seemed to stir them into a merrier and more active life, till at length we were driven to covering ourselves with blankets, head and all, and sitting to slowly stew and continually scratch and swear beneath them.And as we sat, suddenly rolling out like thunder through the silence came the deep roar of a lion, and then of a second lion, moving among the reeds within sixty yards of us.

"I say," said Leo, sticking his head out from under his blanket, "lucky we ain't on the bank, eh, avuncular?" (Leo sometimes addressed me in this disrespectful way.) "Curse it! a mosquito has bitten me on the nose," and the head vanished again.

Shortly, after this the moon came up, and notwithstanding every variety of roar that echoed over the water to us from the lions on the banks, we began, thinking ourselves perfectly secure, to gradually doze off.

I do not quite know what it was that made me poke my head out of the friendly shelter of the blanket, perhaps because I found that the mosquitoes were biting right through it.Anyhow, as I did so I heard Job whisper, a frightened voice"Oh, my stars, look there!"

Instantly we all of us looked, and this was what we saw in the moonlight.Near the shore were two wide and ever-widening circles of concentric rings rippling away across the surface of the water, and in the heart and centre of the circles were two dark moving objects.

同类推荐
  • 蓝涧集

    蓝涧集

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 词品-郭麟

    词品-郭麟

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 禅门要略

    禅门要略

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 黄帝内经素问校义

    黄帝内经素问校义

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 盂兰盆经疏

    盂兰盆经疏

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
热门推荐
  • 咏而归

    咏而归

    《咏而归》是李敬泽全新作品集。本书收录了李敬泽历年来所写的有关古人古典的短文,长文一概不取。以春秋先秦为主,兴之所至,迤逦而下,至于现代乡野。最后落到几篇谈闲情的文章上去,由家国天下,归结到春水春风、此身此心。李敬泽在书中与古人对话,从春秋到明清,从明清到现在,从孔子、孟子到笔记小说,李敬泽用活泼的语言叙述历史和文化,去领略古人的精神,去追怀古人的风致。阅读经典,不止是正襟危坐,更可以像古人一样,轻松、快乐、自由。编这一本《咏而归》,不外乎是,从古人的选择和决断中,从他们对生命丰沛润泽的领会中,学习安顿自己,找到一个归处。引古人之精神,接通此时之人的心与眼,使心有所安,使眼有所归。
  • 类证活人书

    类证活人书

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 鬼王的魔妃

    鬼王的魔妃

    他,是墨龙王朝的三皇子,凶狠嗜血,喜怒无常,暴戾乖张,有修罗鬼王之称。传闻,他是天煞孤星的大凶之命,短短两年时间,死在他床上的女人,就有六个之多。她,是太傅府性子最懦弱最不受待见的六小姐,是街边乞丐都会嫌恶的丑丫头,是琴棋书画一无所通的白痴。但是暗地里,她却是黑暗世界的绝色罗刹,是横行天下的锦衣大盗,是天下第一楼的大红头牌,是黑白两道闻之丧胆的杀手。十六岁那年,因为皇后的一句话,她成为了他的第七个冲喜小皇妃。他说:“丑丫头,在王府,你最好给我老实点,不然我用一根手指就可以压死你。”她龇牙咧嘴的回应:“笨蛋宁王,你最好也给我老实点,不然我就天天去逛青楼,同样用绿帽子压死你。”当倾世修罗遇到百变魔女,到底会碰撞出什么样的火花呢!!!
  • 青希莲心

    青希莲心

    准备成为幸福的新娘时,却意外出车祸,让她穿越到了别的时空,并且遇到了未婚夫一摸一样的人。本以为未婚夫会与现代一样热爱她,却发现爱之人的性格与她完全相反,看到未婚夫热烈的眼神望着别的女人,心里狠狠地发誓,必定要夺得未婚夫的心!
  • 豪门宠媳

    豪门宠媳

    花花新文《寒门嫡女》三岁:一起洗澡的南宫小小盯着南宫逸的裸-体,疑惑的问道:“为什么哥哥长着小尾巴?”南宫逸脸一黑,“因为哥哥小时候不洗澡,生病了!”“耶,我也不要洗澡,我要长小尾巴。”南宫小小兴奋的叫道。于是某人第一次泪奔了。五岁:无聊的南宫小小开始在某人熟睡的脸上画着老师新教的兔子,不过怎么越画越像两团baba,最后干脆笔一丢,跑了。于是睡梦中的某人由于急事而清醒后,‘光荣’的带着两团baba上班去了。这一天全公司有一半以上的人,撇坏了自己,还有一少半的人笑出了内伤。七岁:打架完后的南宫小小,回家向南宫逸添油加醋的描绘了自己‘被打’的经过,于是愤怒中的南宫逸带着一百人的阻击队前往那个罪魁祸首家,不过却在床上看到了‘打’南宫小小的那个女孩。只见人家全身上下绑着绷带,唯一没有绷带的地方也有顶着两个大大的黑眼圈。九岁:收到无数情书的南宫小小得意的向面色发青的南宫逸炫耀着。第二天,送南宫小小情书的人全都躺进了医院,从此人见人爱的南宫小小变成了人见人躲的南宫小小。而我们的肇事者,此时正悠闲的想着他的下一步‘计划’。十一岁:......——————她,南宫小小,除了长得漂亮,脑袋聪明点,其她女人的所有缺点她都具有。他,南宫逸,除了冷酷无情,和对小小溺爱了一点,其他男人所有的优点他都有。——————长大后的南宫小小开始叛逆1、南宫逸让她向左走,她绝对不会向右走,因为她站在原地没有动。2、南宫逸让她给个亲亲,她绝对给个大么么,只是这个么么的地方不大对。3、南宫逸小小惩罚她一下,她绝对不会惩罚南宫逸,因为她会把整个南宫家搞的鸡飞狗跳。4、南宫逸来个花边新闻,她绝对不会搞个花边新闻,因为她都是直接上的。5、......总之,南宫小小就是在南宫逸的宠爱下变得无法无天,打遍整个A城无人敢还手的宠媳。————————其实她是一只蝙蝠,而他则是一只狼,想知道为什么吗?请点击阅读.————————《极品弃妃》一道圣旨,让她成为他的妻子;一张休书,让她成了弃妇。“王爷,妾身…”可怜地轻声,带着几分的恳求,还有几分哭意。那张小脸垂垂低下,身子还不断的抖擞,众人一致以为她伤心难过,其实那是因她一直强忍着笑意。
  • 侦探故事(语文新课标必读书目·第12辑)

    侦探故事(语文新课标必读书目·第12辑)

    世界文学名著是世界各国社会和生活的结晶,是高度艺术化的精神产品,是人类共有的文化财富,具有永久的魅力,非常集中、非常形象,是中、小学生了解世界和社会的窗口,是走向世界、观摩社会的最佳捷径,也是培养人文素质,养成优雅风度,形成高尚思想品格的好教材。这些世界文学名著,伴随着世界各国一代又一代的青少年茁壮成长,具有广泛的影响和深远的意义。特别是带着有趣的欣赏的心态阅读这些美丽的世界名著,非常有利于培养青少年积极的和健康向上的心理、性格、思维和修养,有利于青少年了解世界各国的社会和生活,不断提高语言表达和社会交往的才能,这样就可以早日走向社会,走向世界。
  • 解蔽

    解蔽

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 名人传记丛书:恺撒

    名人传记丛书:恺撒

    名人传记丛书——恺撒——罗马帝国的无冕之皇:“立足课本,超越课堂”,以提高中小学生的综合素质为目的,让中小学生从课内受益到课外,是一生的良师益友。
  • 武碎天穹

    武碎天穹

    九州世界,宗门林立,武道之极,乃是世人地位高下之阶。少年秦朗俯身豪门庶子,资质羸弱,偶得上古天法,修肉身,练神通。岂看,豪门庶子,如何于草根之末,迎难而上,登凌绝颠!
  • 梦的衣裳

    梦的衣裳

    当父亲再娶了几乎和她同年纪的曼如后,雅晴就不再是父亲唯一的爱了。她不愿待在家里而到处闲逛,却因此遇见桑尔旋,一连串的变化,从此改变了她的一生。她能扮演好桑桑的角色吗?在桑尔旋和万皓然之间,她又将情归何处呢?