(原版)澳大利亞語文第二冊 LESSON 68

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LESSON 68 A BUSH FIRE

A BUSH FIRE

Ⅱ

laughed sign pain-ful

burst peep-ing sound

dodged reached si-lent

1. Just at the time that Tom was hiding Dot and himself by the waterhole, Mr. Carr and Mr. May rode back from their fight with the fire. The fire had taken a sudden turn 〔1〕 , as it often will do, and had gone right away from Mr. May's farm. As the two men rode up the paddock, Mrs. Carr ran to meet them. Her face was very white.

2. "Oh! Jim," she cried to her husband, "the children are lost." She told him how she had found the sliprail down, and the children gone. She and Mrs. May had been hunting all about the farm, but could find no sign of them.

3. Mr. Carr began to search at once, and soon found the footprints of the children. He and his friend followed the signs, for Mr. Carr was a good bushman, and could follow a track very well.

4. The two men went as fast as they could after the children, but they felt very sad. Both of them knew that a big fire had passed through the bush not far away, but Mr. Carr did not say a word, and Mr. May also was silent.

5. On and on they went, and at last they reached the big waterhole. Here the marks of the children's feet were lost in a great black patch of burnt grass. The fire had swept along one side of the waterhole, but the other side was not touched.

6. When Mr. Carr saw that the track ran straight into the black patch, he stopped and gave a great cry of grief. "It's all over, May," he said. "My children are lost. They have walked into the path of the fire, and there is no hope for them."

7. Mr. May did not know what to say to comfort the poor father. He could not see any chance of escape for Tom and Dot. The two men walked slowly forward, then stopped.

8. "What is the use of going on?" cried Mr. Carr. "The fire has hidden the track. We do not know which way they have turned."

9. But just at this moment the two men leaped as if they had been shot. From a patch of rocks behind them came the sound of a sweet little voice.

Glad to see you, piped 〔2〕 Dot.

10. Oh, what a cry of joy burst from the father's lips as he ran to the hole from which Dot was peeping!

Dot, Dot! he cried. "Where's Tom?"

He's gone to look for the road, said Dot; "soon come back."

11. At this moment the two men heard a shout of joy, and saw Tom running down the hill. He had gone to see if the way was clear, and had told Dot to stay in the hole. This she had done till she had heard her father's voice.

12. Tom soon told his story, and the two men patted his back, and praised him over and over again.

Well done, Tom, my brave boy! said his father. "You have saved your little sister and yourself from a painful death. Now we must hurry home, for until we get back your mother will be afraid of the worst 〔3〕 ."

13. "Tom, my lad," said Mr. May, "there is many a man who has been in the bush for years who would not have dodged 〔4〕 the fire so well as that."

Tom laughed. "I want to be a good bushman, Mr. May," he said.

And so you will be, my boy, said Mr. May; "so you will be."

14. Mr. Carr and Mr. May had left their horses tied up not far away. Soon they were on their way home, with Dot and Tom each on the front of a saddle. How glad Mrs. Carr was to see them ride up with the children safe and sound!

—Black's Literary Readers

注釋

〔1〕 sudden turn: A quick change in its course.

〔2〕 piped: Called out.

〔3〕 afraid of the worst: In fear that the children were burned to death.

〔4〕 dodged: Escaped from.