There's quicksand there.One foolish fellow tried it. The general read what Rainsford was thinking. Good night, Whitney.\" There was no sound in the night as Rainsford sat there butthe muffled throb of the engine that drove the yacht swiftlythrough the darkness, and the swish and ripple of the wash ofthe propeller. I killed my first bear in the Caucasus when I was ten. They get plenty of good food and exercise. I went into the armyit was expected of noblemen's sonsand for a time commanded a division of Cossack cavalry, but my real interest was always the hunt. Night is also personified as being apprehensive, which means to feel anxious or fearful about something that might happen. ", "Come," he said, "we shouldn't be chatting here. Heheard it again; then it was cut short by another noise, crisp,staccato. \"One superstitious sailor can taint the whole ship's companywith his fear.\" \"Maybe. "My dear fellow," said the general, "have I not told you I always mean what I say about hunting? Chablis is a dry white wine made in eastern France. \"I'll cheerfully acknowledge myself defeat if I do not find youby midnight of the third day,\" said General Zaroff. I'll wager you'll forget your notions when you go hunting with me. This was a very good story. Three days hence we can discuss it over a bottle of Veuve Cliquot, unless . That had been a placid pastime compared to his digging now. What a great short story, action and suspense to the end. I treat these visitors with every consideration. While a student at Harvard, Connell edited The Lampoon and The Crimson. \"Not for the jaguar.\" \"Don't talk rot, Whitney,\" said Rainsford. They'refrom the Spanish bark San Lucar that had the bad luck to goon the rocks out there. Zealous means fervent, passionate, wholehearted, and vigorous. Scruples are feelings of doubt or hesitation regarding the morality of some action. There's quicksand there. Rainsford went to the window and looked out toward the sea. Capture a web page as it appears now for use as a trusted citation in the future. Very good story! I give him a supply offood and an excellent hunting knife. You'll hardly have time for a nap, I fear. Hestepped back from the quicksand a dozen feet or so and, likesome huge prehistoric beaver, he began to dig. "Pistol shot," muttered Rainsford, swimming on. The last shot was when he trailed it here and finished it.". The general was playing with him! 19 For some minutes he stood regarding theblue-green expanse of water. Crpes Suzette is a dessert created in Paris in 1895 and first served to the Prince of Wales. The lights of the yacht became faint and ever-van-ishing fireflies; then they were blotted out entirely by thenight. elevation; his pipe, striking a rope, was knocked from hismouth. The stone steps were real enough; the massive door with a leering gargoyle for a knocker was real enough; yet above it all hung an air of unreality. Another man was com-ing down the broad marble steps, an erect, slender man inevening clothes. "They are let out at seven every night. Every day I hunt, and I never grow bored now, for Ihave a quarry with which I can match my wits.\" Rainsford's bewilderment showed in his face. He looked abouthim, almost cheerfully. He had achieved a doze when, just as morning began to come, he heard, far off in the jungle, the faint report of a pistol. The hunter had his nerve with him to tackle it with a light gun. I assureyou I do not do the thing you suggest. He had not been entirely clearheaded when the chteau gates snapped shut behind him. One foolish fellow tried it. Your email address will not be published. I, luckily, had invested heavily in American securities, so I shall never have to open a tearoom in Monte Carlo or drive a taxi in Paris. "One does not expect nowadays to find a young man of the educated class, even in America, with such a naive, and, if I may say so, mid-Victorian point of view. That would be barbarous. Instinct is no match for reason. His foot touched the protruding bough that was the trig-ger. Marcus Aurelius was a philosopher and Roman emperor who ruled from 161 to his death on March 17, 180. The man's only answer was to raise with his thumb the hammer of his revolver. He had achieved adoze when, just as morning began to come, he heard, far off inthe jungle, the faint report of a pistol. He executed a series of intricate loops;he doubled on his trail again and again, recalling all the lore ofthe fox hunt, and all the dodges of the fox. That was postponing the inevitable. \"Pistol shot,\" muttered Rainsford, swimming on. ", "Simply this: hunting had ceased to be what you call 'a sporting proposition.' His face was set and he forced the machinery of hismind to function. ", Rainsford expressed his surprise. In his hand the man held a long-barreled revolver, and he was pointing it straight at Rainsford's heart. Rainsford creates a complex forest track during his head start before ascending a tree. "Hunting tigers ceased to interest me some years ago. hmk0}AtzRHu4&"18v]XN&I|/;", You've a genuine new thrill in store for you, Mr. 15 Rainsford's impulse was to hurl himself 18 I have but one passion in my life, Mr. Rainsford, and it is the hunt. It was the baying of a pack of hounds. But why discuss that now? Then, as he stepped forward, his foot sank into the ooze. ___ Rainsford and Whitney talk about "Ship Trap Island." ___ Rainsford kills General Zaroff. This descriptive detail makes the chateau seem creepy and ominous. A man, who had been hiding in the curtains of the bed, wasstanding there. It's one of the classics in literature [with a small "l"]. "That's odd. \"We will have some capital hunting, you and I,\" said the gen-eral. ", To Rainsford's questioning glance the general said, "Ennui. \"It came to me as an inspiration what I must do,\" the generalwent on. An evil place can, so to speak, broadcast vibrations of evil. Ah, well, doubtless you had Puritan ancestors. He had not been entirely clearheaded when the chateaugates snapped shut behind him. The dining room to which Ivan conducted him was in many ways remarkable. They can crush a ship as eas-ily as I crush this nut.\" He dropped a walnut on the hardwoodfloor and brought his heel grinding down on it. \"My dear fellow,\" said the general, \"have I not told you I al-ways mean what I say about hunting? Open navigation menu. The image emphasizes the darkness of the night in contrast to the sudden glaring brightness of the gold light. I give him three hours'start. web pages Heneed not play that game if he doesn't wish to. Now you want clothes, food, rest. . Zaroff returns home for the evening after being mildly injured by this device, but not before shouting his gratitude for the trap. Ever nearer drewthe hounds. "Where there are pistol shots, there are men. There was a chance that his cries could be heard by someone aboard the yacht, but that chance was slender and grew more slender as the yacht raced on. The houndsraised their voices as they hit the fresh scent. "I am General Zaroff.". Read Online. He thought of a native trick he had learned inUganda. \"There was no breeze. Great sport, hunting.". Rainsfords mental state as he hides in the tree during the night is described here with a simile and personification. Very deliberately he blew a smoke ring into the air; then he turned his back on the tree and walked carelessly away, back along the trail he had come. 0000003979 00000 n The general smiled the quiet smile of one who has faced an obstacle and surmounted it with success. He lived a year in a minute. This description of Zaroff conflicts with his disturbing physical appearance, suggesting that he may not be what he seems to be. 23 It seemed toRainsford that the general was coming with unusual swiftness;he was not feeling his way along, foot by foot. "As you wish, my friend," he said. The fox is caught and killed, but the cat escapes. Sometimes, whenProvidence is not so kind, I help Providence a bit. A big tree with a thick trunk and outspread branches was near by, and, taking care to leave not the slightest mark, he climbed up into the crotch, and, stretching out on one of the broad limbs, after a fashion, rested. Zaroff gladly accepts the challenge and dares Rainsford to a duel to the death, declaring that the winner will sleep on the bed and the loser would be fed to the dogs. \"Ivan,\" he said toRainsford, \"will supply you with hunting clothes, food, a knife. He executed a series of intricate loops; he doubled on his trail again and again, recalling all the lore of the fox hunt, and all the dodges of the fox. . I have to stock the island. \"No animal had a chance with me any more. It came out of the darkness, a high screaming sound, the sound of an animal in an extremity of anguish and terror. ", "Oh," said the general, "I give him his option, of course. I'm going home for a rest now. Even as he touched it, the general sensed his danger andleaped back with the agility of an ape. If my quarry eludes me for three whole days, he wins the game. But sometimes I think sailors have an extra sensethat tells them when they are in danger. Twenty feet belowhim the sea rumbled and hissed. It is ironic that Zaroff would read the works of Marcus Aurelius, since Zaroffs philosophy of life is brutal and animalistic. gameso thought the general as he tasted his after-dinner li-queur. patterns on the courtyard below, and Rainsford could see mov-ing about there a dozen or so huge black shapes; as theyturned toward him, their eyes glittered greenly. The baying of the hounds drew nearer, then still nearer,nearer, ever nearer. and, if I may say so, mid-Victorian point of view. I amworried, Mr. Rainsford. Amenities refers to things that provide comfort, convenience, or pleasure. He reached it. Rainsford expressed his surprise. Zaroffs being worldly and sophisticated, yet choosing to live in isolation, makes him an even more mysterious figure. Luckily forme I, too, have hunted in Malacca. Hunting was beginning to bore me! He leaped up from his place of concealment. There, weaving in and out in the pattern of shadow, were black, noiseless forms; the hounds heard him at the window and looked up, expectantly, with their green eyes. Will you have another glass of Chablis, Mr. HT[o0~WX{=i HUI.RPEJF(UJ;.!]s304""so,? As quarry is used here, it refers to an animal pursued by a hunter. In a cultivated voice marked by a slight accent that gave itadded precision and deliberateness, he said, \"It is a very greatpleasure and honor to welcome Mr. Sanger Rainsford, the cel-ebrated hunter, to my home.\" Automatically Rainsford shook the man's hand. There are no reviews yet. down like a panther, but he saw that the general's right handheld something metallica small automatic pistol. His first thought made him feel sick and numb. Zaroff would consider it a debacle, a catastrophic disaster, since his father was a member of the Russian nobility. Having been the Czars official knouter establishes that Ivan is violent and sadistic. \"After the debacle in Russia I left the country, for it was im-prudent for an officer of the Czar to stay there. ", The general filled both glasses, and said, "God makes some men poets. You are proving interesting,Mr. It sent a shudder of cold horror through his whole being. It's like moist black velvet. Automatically Rainsford shook the man's hand. I am strong. The cocktail was surpassingly good; and, Rainsford noted, the table appointments were of the finestthe linen, the crystal, the silver, the china. But there was one small trait of the general's that made Rainsford uncomfortable. I'llwager you'll forget your notions when you go hunting with me.You've a genuine new thrill in store for you, Mr. Rainsford.\" \"Thank you, I'm a hunter, not a murderer.\" \"Dear me,\" said the general, quite unruffled, \"again that un-pleasant word. General Zaroff had an exceedingly good dinner in his great paneled dining hall that evening. One was the thought that itwould be difficult to replace Ivan; the other was that his quarryhad escaped him; of course, the American hadn't played the 22 Poor specimens and more accustomed to the deck than to the jungle." ", "Why should I not be serious? I give him a supply of food and an excellent hunting knife. \"That is why I use them. Ihave invented a new sensation. Thenbe sat down, took a drink of brandy from a silver flask, lit a ci-garette, and hummed a bit from Madame Butterfly. But sometimes I think sailors have an extra sense that tells them when they are in danger. The swish of the underbrush against his hunting boots grew fainter and fainter. "That is why I use them. hbbd``b` $[A2`^@+ V>7# I have to stock theisland.\" \"What have you imported, general?\" Rainsford asked.\"Tigers?\" The general smiled. He advanced to Rainsford and held out hishand. \"Well, I sup-pose that's only natural, after your long swim. The gargoyle on the door is leering at those who approach the chateau, looking at them in a malicious way. Once again, the night is described with a simile. the general inquired solicitously. Then he ran for his life. The Most Dangerous Game by Richard Connell - Free eBook The last line leaves the reader to infer that Rainsford has killed Zaroff, making the ending a triumphant victory for civilization and American values. By manymethods he tried to put himself to sleep. The baying of the hounds stopped abruptly, and Rainsford's heart stopped too. Not far from where he landed, he stopped. Rainsford calls the hunt barbaric, to which Zaroff responds that life is for the strong.. . The Cape buffalo is not the most dangerous biggame.\" He sipped his wine. Of course you, in turn,must agree to say nothing of your visit here.\" \"I'll agree to nothing of the kind,\" said Rainsford. Then we'll hunt, eh? My whole life has been one prolonged hunt. Zaroffs having fine French wine at his chateau is another indication of his wealth and refined tastes. It's like finding a snuffbox in a limousine. Throughout " The Most Dangerous Game ," readers are made familiar with the idea of being the hunter or being the hunted. He sipped his wine. The story begins while two hunters - Rainsford and Whitney. . Do you think the champagne hassuffered from its long ocean trip?\" \"Not in the least,\" declared Rainsford. The story was amazing it had adventures. z M&*hM^eun!_g!43#4N5$=nS^^A9Sosvei0Srq}$nwMU/Ol-7+` j^x`nIT3HsM =fnt$-4uLPSGs90!jdoTJ)^ 0 Q# Three feet from the pit a man was standing, with an electric torch in his hand. Rainsford, crouching there, could not see the general, nor could he see the pit. They were eating borsch, the rich, red soup with whippedcream so dear to Russian palates. Who cares how a jaguar feels?". ", Rainsford shook his head. The quicksand that Rainsford steps into is described here with a simile, comparing it to a giant leech, a bloodsucking parasite. \"I shall be most glad to have your society.\" \"But what game\" began Rainsford. Many noble Russians lost everything. A cosmopolite is someone who is sophisticatedsomeone who has traveled the world and is polished and refined. He shinned excitedly up a tree and looked back. He saw no sign of a trail through the closely knit web ofweeds and trees; it was easier to go along the shore, andRainsford floundered along by the water. Rainsford did not want to believe what his reason told himwas true, but the truth was as evident as the sun that had bynow pushed through the morning mists. Rainsford grudgingly decides to be sought after after realising there is no way out other than giving himself in to Ivan. The passage contributes to the forbidding atmosphere of the storys setting. I am speaking of hunting.\" \"Hunting? "I found it quicker than walking through the jungle. A trace of anger was in the general's black eyes, but it wasthere for but a second; and he said, in his most pleasant man-ner, \"Dear me, what a righteous young man you are! There was a medieval magnificence about it; it suggested a baronial hall of feudal times with its oaken panels, its high ceiling, its vast refectory tables where twoscore men could sit down to eat. It's like moistblack velvet.\" \"It will be light enough in Rio,\" promised Whitney. But it's gotten into sailor lore, somehow. \"I wanted the ideal animal to hunt,\" explained the general.\"So I said, `What are the attributes of an ideal quarry?' A small, glittering object not far away caught Rainsford's eye and he picked it up. You are much younger than I am, Mr. Rainsford, and have not hunted as much, but you perhaps can guess the answer. \"And now,\" said the general, \"I want to show you my new col-lection of heads. A mystery suggests hidden secrets, but it might not That is no boast;it is a mathematical certainty. Please forgive any lapses. Will you come with me to the library?\" \"I hope,\" said Rainsford, \"that you will excuse me tonight,General Zaroff. But the sharpeyes of the hunter stopped before they reached the limb whereRainsford lay; a smile spread over his brown face. In declaring that when providence doesnt work in his favor, he takes action to get what he wants, Zaroff reveals his arrogance and immense ego. An idea that held a wild chance came to him, and, tightening his belt, he headed away from the swamp. But it was no mirage, he found, when he opened the tall spiked iron gate. On guard,Rainsford \" He had never slept in a better bed, Rainsford decided. The Most Dangerous Game was published by rguerrero on 2015-11-19. The fear of pain and the fear of death. Under one arm he carriedkhaki hunting clothes, a haversack of food, a leather sheathcontaining a long-bladed hunting knife; his right hand restedon a cocked revolver thrust in the crimson sash about hiswaist. They've no understanding.\" \"Even so, I rather think they understand one thingfear. The cat was coming again to play with the mouse. . panels, its high ceiling, its vast refectory tables where two-score men could sit down to eat. He slid down the tree. ", "One superstitious sailor can taint the whole ship's company with his fear. Gq9AT5Td\M2. Sign In . \"Sorry you can't go with me tonight,\" called the general. You can also read the full text online using our ereader. When he opened his eyes he knew from the position of the sun that it was late in the afternoon. He lived a year in a minute. But I wish it was longer however the author wrote a short story. Bizarre means very strange or unusual. I loved Lazarus; he was the finest hound in my pack.Well, I must beg you to excuse me now. "Nerve, nerve, nerve!" Offering a dessert that is served in the finest French restaurants supports Zaroffs characterization as a cosmopolite. The description of Ship-Trap island stresses how forbidding it is and adds to the islands aura of mystery and danger. In the narrative, a big-game hunter from New York City drowns after falling from a yacht and swims to what appears to be an uninhabited island in the Caribbean. If he does not wish to hunt, I turn him over to Ivan. ", "Nonsense," laughed Rainsford. Once he thought he heard stealthy steps in the corridor outside his room. Some wounded thingby the evidence, a large animalhadthrashed about in the underbrush; the jungle weeds werecrushed down and the moss was lacerated; one patch of weedswas stained crimson. .". Hereached it. "The old charts call it `Ship-Trap Island,"' Whitney replied." A suggestive name, isn't it? 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