the most dangerous game · 2019-11-18 · the most dangerous game 7 1. purdey’s (p∞r√d≤z):...

4 Collection 1: Plot and SettingPart 1

Get ready to take part in a shocking hunt. “The Most Dangerous Game”

is a short story full of suspense and surprises that will keep you on the

edge of your seat.

LITERARY FOCUS: FORESHADOWINGThe plot of a story is a series of related events. These events take place as

one or more characters take steps to resolve a conflict, or problem of some

kind. Some events are hinted at through the use of foreshadowing.

• Each event in this story will make you curious about what will happen

next. That curiosity is called suspense.

• As you read, look for examples of foreshadowing that hint at what might

happen later in the plot.

READING SKILLS: MAKING PREDICTIONSBefore you read “The Most Dangerous Game,” take a few minutes to make

predictions using a “plot impression.” Plot impressions work like this: You

are given some details from the story. Then you weave the details together

to create an impression of the plot as you predict it might be. Here are the

details for your plot impression of “The Most Dangerous Game.” What do

you predict “the most dangerous game” is?

Key Details

Rainsford, a big-game hunter General Zaroff, another hunter

man overboard fierce dogs

Ship-Trap Island a trap

Plot ImpressionC

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The Most Dangerous Game by Richard Connell

Literary SkillsUnderstand

foreshadowing.

ReadingSkillsMake

predictions.

VocabularySkills

Use prefixes tounderstand

word meanings.

HRS9C01_001_049d 4/11/03 1:48 PM Page 4 impos06 108:hrhrs9:hrhrs9ch01:hrs9ch01%0:

The Most Dangerous Game 5

receding (ri≈s≤d√i«) v. used as adj.: becoming

more distant.

He could see the ship going away from him,receding in the distance.

disarming (dis·ärm√i«) adj.: removing or

lessening suspicions or fears.

“Don’t be alarmed,” said Rainsford, with a smile he hoped was disarming.

prolonged (pr£·lô«d√) v. used as adj.: extended.

Zaroff ’s whole life was one prolonged hunt.

imprudent (im·prºd√¥nt) adj.: unwise.

After the revolution in Russia, Zaroff left thecountry, for it was imprudent for an officer of the czar to stay there.

surmounted (s¥r·m¡nt√id) v.: overcame.

The general smiled the quiet smile of one who has faced an obstacle and surmountedit with success.

unruffled (un·ruf√¥ld) adj.: calm; not disturbed.

Zaroff appeared unruffled, even when Rainsfordcalled him a murderer.

invariably (in·ver√≤·¥·bl≤) adv.: always;

without changing.

Zaroff said that his captives invariablychoose the hunt.

diverting (d¥·v∞rt√i«) adj.: entertaining.

The deadly hunt was a diverting game to Zaroff.

impulse (im√puls≈) n.: sudden desire to do

something.

Rainsford had to control his impulse to run.

protruding (pr£·trºd√i«) v. used as adj.:

sticking out.

The protruding cliffs blocked Rainsford’s sight of the ocean.

PREVIEW SELECTION VOCABULARYPreview the following words from the story before you begin reading:

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PREFIXES: IMPORTANT BEGINNINGSPrefixes are word parts added to the

beginnings of words. Although prefixes

consist of just a few letters, they are

powerful and can greatly change the

meaning of a word. To the right are

prefixes you’ll come across often in your

reading. Recognizing these prefixes will

help you figure out the meanings of

many words that might be new to you.

Prefix Meaning Example

pre- before preview,

“view before”

inter- between interaction,

“action between”

un- not unpopular,

“not popular”

mis- badly; mismatch, “bad match”

wrong

re- again replay, “play again”


“Off there to the right—somewhere—is a large island,” said

Whitney. “It’s rather a mystery—”

“What island is it?” Rainsford asked.

“The old charts call it Ship-Trap Island,” Whitney replied.

“A suggestive name, isn’t it? Sailors have a curious dread of the

place. I don’t know why. Some superstition—”

“Can’t see it,” remarked Rainsford, trying to peer through

the dank tropical night that was palpable as it pressed its thick

warm blackness in upon the yacht.

“You’ve good eyes,” said Whitney, with a laugh, “and I’ve

seen you pick off a moose moving in the brown fall bush at four

hundred yards, but even you can’t see four miles or so through a

moonless Caribbean night.”

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Underline the name of theisland in line 4. What do youpredict will happen in thestory, based on this name?

Richard Connell

Corel.

“The Most Dangerous Game” by Richard Connell. Copyright 1924 by Richard Connell; copyright renewed ©1952 by Louise Fox Connell. Reprinted by permission of Brandt & Hochman Literary Agents, Inc.


“Nor four yards,” admitted Rainsford. “Ugh! It’s like moist

black velvet.”

“It will be light in Rio,” promised Whitney. “We should

make it in a few days. I hope the jaguar guns have come from

Purdey’s.1 We should have some good hunting up the Amazon.

Great sport, hunting.”

“The best sport in the world,” agreed Rainsford.

“For the hunter,” amended Whitney. “Not for the jaguar.”

“Don’t talk rot, Whitney,” said Rainsford. “You’re a big-game

hunter, not a philosopher. Who cares how a jaguar feels?”

“Perhaps the jaguar does,” observed Whitney.

“Bah! They’ve no understanding.”

“Even so, I rather think they understand one thing—fear.

The fear of pain and the fear of death.”

“Nonsense,” laughed Rainsford. “This hot weather is mak-

ing you soft, Whitney. Be a realist. The world is made up of two

classes—the hunters and the huntees. Luckily, you and I are the

hunters. Do you think we’ve passed that island yet?”

“I can’t tell in the dark. I hope so.”

“Why?” asked Rainsford.

“The place has a reputation—a bad one.”

“Cannibals?” suggested Rainsford.

“Hardly. Even cannibals wouldn’t live in such a

Godforsaken place. But it’s gotten into sailor lore, somehow.

Didn’t you notice that the crew’s nerves seemed a bit jumpy

today?”

“They were a bit strange, now you mention it. Even

Captain Nielsen—”

“Yes, even that tough-minded old Swede, who’d go up to

the devil himself and ask him for a light. Those fishy blue eyes

held a look I never saw there before. All I could get out of him

was: ‘This place has an evil name among seafaring men, sir.’

Then he said to me, very gravely: ‘Don’t you feel anything?’—

as if the air about us was actually poisonous. Now, you mustn’t

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1. Purdey’s (p∞r√d≤z): British manufacturer of hunting equipment.

Circle the words in lines 7-15that describe the setting.What mood, or feeling, dothese words create in you?

Underline the sentences inlines 20-27 that tell howRainsford feels about huntinganimals. Circle the sentencesthat tell how Whitney feelsabout hunting animals.


laugh when I tell you this—I did feel something like a sudden

chill.

“There was no breeze. The sea was as flat as a plate-glass

window. We were drawing near the island then. What I felt

was a—a mental chill, a sort of sudden dread.”

“Pure imagination,” said Rainsford. “One superstitious

sailor can taint the whole ship’s company with his fear.”

“Maybe. But sometimes I think sailors have an extra sense

that tells them when they are in danger. Sometimes I think evil

is a tangible thing—with wavelengths, just as sound and light

have. An evil place can, so to speak, broadcast vibrations of evil.

Anyhow, I’m glad we’re getting out of this zone. Well, I think

I’ll turn in now, Rainsford.”

“I’m not sleepy,” said Rainsford. “I’m going to smoke

another pipe on the afterdeck.”

“Good night, then, Rainsford. See you at breakfast.”

“Right. Good night, Whitney.”

There was no sound in the night as Rainsford sat there

but the muffled throb of the engine that drove the yacht swiftly

through the darkness, and the swish and ripple of the wash

of the propeller.

Rainsford, reclining in a steamer chair, indolently2 puffed

on his favorite brier.3 The sensuous drowsiness of the night was

on him. “It’s so dark,” he thought, “that I could sleep without

closing my eyes; the night would be my eyelids—”

An abrupt sound startled him. Off to the right he heard it,

and his ears, expert in such matters, could not be mistaken.

Again he heard the sound, and again. Somewhere, off in the

blackness, someone had fired a gun three times.

Rainsford sprang up and moved quickly to the rail,

mystified. He strained his eyes in the direction from which the

reports had come, but it was like trying to see through a blanket.

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Underline details in lines 42-60 that describe the setting and its effect onWhitney. What mood dothese details help create?

Pause at line 76. What doyou predict will happen?

2. indolently (in√d¥·l¥nt·l≤) adv.: lazily.3. brier (br¢√¥r) n.: tobacco pipe made from the root of a

brier bush or tree.


He leapt upon the rail and balanced himself there, to get greater

elevation; his pipe, striking a rope, was knocked from his mouth.

He lunged for it; a short, hoarse cry came from his lips as

he realized he had reached too far and had lost his balance.

The cry was pinched off short as the blood-warm waters of

the Caribbean Sea closed over his head.

He struggled up to the surface and tried to cry out, but

the wash from the speeding yacht slapped him in the face and

the salt water in his open mouth made him gag and strangle.

Desperately he struck out with strong strokes after the receding

lights of the yacht, but he stopped before he had swum fifty feet.

A certain coolheadedness had come to him; it was not the first

time he had been in a tight place. 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.

He wrestled himself out of his clothes and shouted with all his

power. The lights of the yacht became faint and ever-vanishing

fireflies; then they were blotted out entirely by the night.

Rainsford remembered the shots. They had come from the

right, and doggedly he swam in that direction, swimming with

slow, deliberate strokes, conserving his strength. For a seemingly

endless time he fought the sea. He began to count his strokes;

he could do possibly a hundred more and then—

Rainsford heard a sound. It came out of the darkness, a

high screaming sound, the sound of an animal in an extremity

of anguish and terror.

He did not recognize the animal that made the sound; he did

not try to; with fresh vitality he swam toward the sound. He heard

it again; then it was cut short by another noise, crisp, staccato.

“Pistol shot,” muttered Rainsford, swimming on.

Ten minutes of determined effort brought another sound to

his ears—the most welcome he had ever heard—the muttering

and growling of the sea breaking on a rocky shore. He was almost

on the rocks before he saw them; on a night less calm he would

have been shattered against them. With his remaining strength he

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Pause at line 85. What hashappened to Rainsford?What do you predict willhappen next?

receding (ri≈s≤d√i«) v. used asadj.: becoming more distant.

What connection do you seebetween the story’s title andlines 103-109?


dragged himself from the swirling waters. Jagged crags appeared

to jut into the opaqueness.4

He forced himself upward, hand over hand. Gasping,

his hands raw, he reached a flat place at the top. Dense jungle

came down to the very edge of the cliffs. What perils that tangle

of trees and underbrush might hold for him did not concern

Rainsford just then. All he knew was that he was safe from his

enemy, the sea, and that utter weariness was on him. He flung

himself down at the jungle edge and tumbled headlong into

the deepest sleep of his life.

When he opened his eyes, he knew from the position of the

sun that it was late in the afternoon. Sleep had given him new

vigor; a sharp hunger was picking at him. He looked about him,

almost cheerfully.

“Where there are pistol shots, there are men. Where there

are men, there is food,” he thought. But what kind of men, he

wondered, in so forbidding a place? An unbroken front of

snarled and ragged jungle fringed the shore.

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Pause at line 124. Where isRainsford now?

4. opaqueness (£·p†k√nis) n.: here, darkness. Something opaque doesnot let light pass through.

© Kevin Schafer/Getty Images.


He saw no sign of a trail through the closely knit web

of weeds and trees; it was easier to go along the shore, and

Rainsford floundered along by the water. Not far from where

he had landed, he stopped.

Some wounded thing, by the evidence a large animal, had

thrashed about in the underbrush; the jungle weeds were crushed

down and the moss was lacerated; one patch of weeds was

stained crimson. A small, glittering object not far away caught

Rainsford’s eye and he picked it up. It was an empty cartridge.

“A twenty-two,” he remarked. “That’s odd. It must have

been a fairly large animal too. The hunter had his nerve with

him to tackle it with a light gun. It’s clear that the brute put

up a fight. I suppose the first three shots I heard was when the

hunter flushed his quarry5 and wounded it. The last shot was

when he trailed it here and finished it.”

He examined the ground closely and found what he had

hoped to find—the print of hunting boots. They pointed along

the cliff in the direction he had been going. Eagerly he hurried

along, now slipping on a rotten log or a loose stone, but making

headway; night was beginning to settle down on the island.

Bleak darkness was blacking out the sea and jungle when

Rainsford sighted the lights. He came upon them as he turned

a crook in the coastline, and his first thought was that he had

come upon a village, for there were many lights. But as he forged

along, he saw to his great astonishment that all the lights were in

one enormous building—a lofty structure with pointed towers

plunging upward into the gloom. His eyes made out the shad-

owy outlines of a palatial château;6 it was set on a high bluff,

and on three sides of it cliffs dived down to where the sea licked

greedy lips in the shadows.

“Mirage,” thought Rainsford. But it was no mirage, he

found, when he opened the tall spiked iron gate. The stone steps

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5. flushed his quarry: drove the animal he was hunting out of its hiding place.

6. château (◊a·t£√) n.: large country house.

Lines 137-141 create sus-pense by leaving questions inour minds. What questionswould you like answered?

Personification is a kind offigurative language in whicha nonhuman thing or some-thing inanimate (not alive) is talked about as if it werehuman or alive. Underlinethe detail in lines 161-162that gives the sea a humanquality. What kind of “per-son” is this sea?


were real enough; the massive door with a leering gargoyle for a

knocker was real enough; yet about it all hung an air of unreality.

He lifted the knocker, and it creaked up stiffly, as if it had

never before been used. He let it fall, and it startled him with its

booming loudness.

He thought he heard steps within; the door remained

closed. Again Rainsford lifted the heavy knocker and let it fall.

The door opened then, opened as suddenly as if it were on a

spring, and Rainsford stood blinking in the river of glaring gold

light that poured out. The first thing Rainsford’s eyes discerned

was the largest man Rainsford had ever seen—a gigantic crea-

ture, solidly made and black-bearded to the waist. In his hand

the man held a long-barreled revolver, and he was pointing it

straight at Rainsford’s heart.

Out of the snarl of beard two small eyes regarded

Rainsford.

“Don’t be alarmed,” said Rainsford, with a smile which

he hoped was disarming. “I’m no robber. I fell off a yacht. My

name is Sanger Rainsford of New York City.”

The menacing look in the eyes did not change. The revolver

pointed as rigidly as if the giant were a statue. He gave no sign

that he understood Rainsford’s words or that he had even heard

them. He was dressed in uniform, a black uniform trimmed

with gray astrakhan.7

“I’m Sanger Rainsford of New York,” Rainsford began

again. “I fell off a yacht. I am hungry.”

The man’s only answer was to raise with his thumb the

hammer of his revolver. Then Rainsford saw the man’s free hand

go to his forehead in a military salute, and he saw him click his

heels together and stand at attention. Another man was coming

down the broad marble steps, an erect, slender man in evening

clothes. He advanced to Rainsford and held out his hand.

In a cultivated voice marked by a slight accent that gave

it added precision and deliberateness, he said: “It is a very great

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Here’s a conflict in lines 176-178. Is it external orinternal? Explain.

disarming (dis•ärm≈i«) adj.:removing or lessening suspi-cions or fears.

Dis- is a prefix meaning“take away; deprive of.”Literally, disarm means “takeaway weapons or arms.”What does discomfort mean?

7. astrakhan (as√tr¥·k¥n) n.: curly fur of very young lambs.


pleasure and honor to welcome Mr. Sanger Rainsford, the cele-

brated hunter, to my home.”

Automatically Rainsford shook the man’s hand.

“I’ve read your book about hunting snow leopards in Tibet,

you see,” explained the man. “I am General Zaroff.”

Rainsford’s first impression was that the man was singularly

handsome; his second was that there was an original, almost

bizarre quality about the general’s face. He was a tall man past

middle age, for his hair was a vivid white; but his thick eyebrows

and pointed military moustache were as black as the night from

which Rainsford had come. His eyes, too, were black and very

bright. He had high cheekbones, a sharp-cut nose, a spare, dark

face, the face of a man used to giving orders, the face of an aris-

tocrat. Turning to the giant in uniform, the general made a sign.

The giant put away his pistol, saluted, withdrew.

“Ivan is an incredibly strong fellow,” remarked the general,

“but he has the misfortune to be deaf and dumb. A simple

fellow, but, I’m afraid, like all his race, a bit of a savage.”

“Is he Russian?”

“He is a Cossack,”8 said the general, and his smile showed

red lips and pointed teeth. “So am I.”

“Come,” he said, “we shouldn’t be chatting here. We can

talk later. Now you want clothes, food, rest. You shall have them.

This is a most restful spot.”

Ivan had reappeared, and the general spoke to him with

lips that moved but gave forth no sound.

“Follow Ivan, if you please, Mr. Rainsford,” said the general.

“I was about to have my dinner when you came. I’ll wait for

you. You’ll find that my clothes will fit you, I think.”

It was to a huge, beam-ceilinged bedroom with a canopied

bed big enough for six men that Rainsford followed the silent

giant. Ivan laid out an evening suit, and Rainsford, as he put it

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8. Cossack (käs√ak≈): member of a group from Ukraine, many of whomserved as horsemen to the Russian czars and were famed for theirfierceness in battle.

Notes

Circle the word in line 216that Zaroff uses to describeCossacks. Now, read onthrough line 219. What doZaroff’s remarks suggestabout how he himself willbehave later in the story?

Notes


on, noticed that it came from a London tailor who ordinarily

cut and sewed for none below the rank of duke.

The dining room to which Ivan conducted him was in

many ways remarkable. 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 table where

two-score men could sit down to eat. About the hall were the

mounted heads of many animals—lions, tigers, elephants,

moose, bears; larger or more perfect specimens Rainsford had

never seen. At the great table the general was sitting, alone.

“You’ll have a cocktail, Mr. Rainsford,” he suggested. The

cocktail was surpassingly good; and, Rainsford noted, the table

appointments were of the finest—the linen, the crystal, the

silver, the china.

They were eating borscht, the rich red soup with sour

cream so dear to Russian palates. Half apologetically General

Zaroff said: “We do our best to preserve the amenities9 of civi-

lization here. Please forgive any lapses. We are well off the beaten

track, you know. Do you think the champagne has suffered from

its long ocean trip?”

“Not in the least,” declared Rainsford. He was finding the

general a most thoughtful and affable host, a true cosmopolite.10

But there was one small trait of the general’s that made

Rainsford uncomfortable. Whenever he looked up from his plate

he found the general studying him, appraising him narrowly.

“Perhaps,” said General Zaroff, “you were surprised that

I recognized your name. You see, I read all books on hunting

published in English, French, and Russian. I have but one

passion in my life, Mr. Rainsford, and it is the hunt.”

“You have some wonderful heads here,” said Rainsford

as he ate a particularly well-cooked filet mignon. “That Cape

buffalo is the largest I ever saw.”

“Oh, that fellow. Yes, he was a monster.”

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Read the boxed passagealoud two times. Try toimprove the speed andsmoothness of your deliveryon your second read.

When you appraise some-thing, you estimate its value.Why might the general beappraising Rainsford (line255)?

9. amenities (¥·men√¥·t≤z) n.: comforts and conveniences.10. cosmopolite (käz·mäp√¥·l¢t≈) n.: knowledgeable citizen of the world.


“Did he charge you?”

“Hurled me against a tree,” said the general. “Fractured my

skull. But I got the brute.”

“I’ve always thought,” said Rainsford, “that the Cape buffalo

is the most dangerous of all big game.”

For a moment the general did not reply; he was smiling

his curious red-lipped smile. Then he said slowly: “No. You are

wrong, sir. The Cape buffalo is not the most dangerous big

game.” He sipped his wine. “Here in my preserve on this island,”

he said in the same slow tone, “I hunt more dangerous game.”

Rainsford expressed his surprise. “Is there big game on

this island?”

The general nodded. “The biggest.”

“Really?”

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Cape buffalo.Corel.

NotesNotes

Pause at line 273. What doyou predict the most danger-ous game will be?


“Oh, it isn’t here naturally, of course. I have to stock

the island.”

“What have you imported, general?” Rainsford asked.

“Tigers?”

The general smiled. “No,” he said. “Hunting tigers ceased

to interest me some years ago. I exhausted their possibilities,

you see. No thrill left in tigers, no real danger. I live for danger,

Mr. Rainsford.”

The general took from his pocket a gold cigarette case and

offered his guest a long black cigarette with a silver tip; it was

perfumed and gave off a smell like incense.

“We will have some capital hunting, you and I,” said the

general. “I shall be most glad to have your society.”

“But what game—” began Rainsford.

“I’ll tell you,” said the general. “You will be amused, I know.

I think I may say, in all modesty, that I have done a rare thing. I

have invented a new sensation. May I pour you another glass of

port, Mr. Rainsford?”

“Thank you, general.”

The general filled both glasses and said: “God makes some

men poets. Some He makes kings, some beggars. Me He made

a hunter. My hand was made for the trigger, my father said.

He was a very rich man, with a quarter of a million acres in the

Crimea,11 and he was an ardent sportsman. When I was only five

years old, he gave me a little gun, specially made in Moscow for

me, to shoot sparrows with. When I shot some of his prize

turkeys with it, he did not punish me; he complimented me on

my marksmanship. I killed my first bear in the Caucasus12 when

I was ten. My whole life has been one prolonged hunt. I went

into the army—it was expected of noblemen’s sons—and for

a time commanded a division of Cossack cavalry, but my real

interest was always the hunt. I have hunted every kind of game

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NotesNotes

Notice the sequence ofevents as Zaroff tells abouthis past. Underline the wordsin lines 301-302 that tellwhen he received his firstgun. Underline the words inlines 305-306 that tell whenhe shot his first bear.Underline the words in line313 that tell when he leftRussia.

prolonged (pr£•lo«d√) v. used as adj.: extended. 11. Crimea (kr¢·m≤√¥): peninsula in Ukraine jutting into the Black Sea.

12. Caucasus (kô√k¥·s¥s): mountainous region between southeasternEurope and western Asia.


in every land. It would be impossible for me to tell you how

many animals I have killed.”

The general puffed at his cigarette.

“After the debacle13 in Russia I left the country, for it was

imprudent for an officer of the czar to stay there. Many noble

Russians lost everything. I, luckily, had invested heavily in

American securities, so I shall never have to open a tearoom

in Monte Carlo14 or drive a taxi in Paris. Naturally, I continued

to hunt—grizzlies in your Rockies, crocodiles in the Ganges,15

rhinoceroses in East Africa. It was in Africa that the Cape buffalo

hit me and laid me up for six months. As soon as I recovered

I started for the Amazon to hunt jaguars, for I had heard they

were unusually cunning. They weren’t.” The Cossack sighed.

“They were no match at all for a hunter with his wits about him

and a high-powered rifle. I was bitterly disappointed. I was lying

in my tent with a splitting headache one night when a terrible

thought pushed its way into my mind. Hunting was beginning

to bore me! And hunting, remember, had been my life. I have

heard that in America businessmen often go to pieces when they

give up the business that has been their life.”

“Yes, that’s so,” said Rainsford.

The general smiled. “I had no wish to go to pieces,” he

said. “I must do something. Now, mine is an analytical mind,

Mr. Rainsford. Doubtless that is why I enjoy the problems of

the chase.”

“No doubt, General Zaroff.”

“So,” continued the general, “I asked myself why the hunt

no longer fascinated me. You are much younger than I am,

Mr. Rainsford, and have not hunted as much, but you perhaps

can guess the answer.”

“What was it?”

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13. debacle (di·bä√k¥l) n.: overwhelming defeat. Zaroff is referring to theRussian Revolution of 1917, in which the czar and his governmentwere overthrown.

14. Monte Carlo (mänt√¥ kär≈l£): gambling resort in Monaco, a countryon the Mediterranean Sea.

15. Ganges (gan√j≤z): river in northern India and Bangladesh.

imprudent (im•prºd≈¥nt)adj.: unwise.

Im- is a prefix meaning“not.” Imprudent means“not prudent.” What doesimmature mean?

An idiom is an expressionthat means something differ-ent from the literal defini-tions of its parts. Circle theidiom in line 328. What doesit mean?


“Simply this: Hunting had ceased to be what you call a

sporting proposition. It had become too easy. I always got my

quarry. Always. There is no greater bore than perfection.”

The general lit a fresh cigarette.

“No animal had a chance with me anymore. That is no

boast; it is a mathematical certainty. The animal had nothing

but his legs and his instinct. Instinct is no match for reason.

When I thought of this, it was a tragic moment for me, I can

tell you.”

Rainsford leaned across the table, absorbed in what his host

was saying.

“It came to me as an inspiration what I must do,” the

general went on.

“And that was?”

The general smiled the quiet smile of one who has faced an

obstacle and surmounted it with success. “I had to invent a new

animal to hunt,” he said.

“A new animal? You’re joking.”

“Not at all,” said the general. “I never joke about hunting.

I needed a new animal. I found one. So I bought this island,

built this house, and here I do my hunting. The island is perfect

for my purposes—there are jungles with a maze of trails in

them, hills, swamps—”

“But the animal, General Zaroff?”

“Oh,” said the general, “it supplies me with the most excit-

ing hunting in the world. No other hunting compares with it for

an instant. Every day I hunt, and I never grow bored now, for

I have a quarry with which I can match my wits.”

Rainsford’s bewilderment showed in his face.

“I wanted the ideal animal to hunt,” explained the general.

“So I said: ‘What are the attributes of an ideal quarry?’ And the

answer was, of course: ‘It must have courage, cunning, and,

above all, it must be able to reason.’ ”

“But no animal can reason,” objected Rainsford.

“My dear fellow,” said the general, “there is one that can.”

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NotesNotes

surmounted (s¥r•m¡nt√id) v.:overcame.

Pause at line 357. Whatcould this “new animal” be?


“But you can’t mean—” gasped Rainsford.

“And why not?”

“I can’t believe you are serious, General Zaroff. This is a

grisly joke.”

“Why should I not be serious? I am speaking of hunting.”

“Hunting? Good God, General Zaroff, what you speak of

is murder.”

The general laughed with entire good nature. He regarded

Rainsford quizzically. “I refuse to believe that so modern and

civilized a young man as you seem to be harbors romantic

ideas about the value of human life. Surely your experiences

in the war—”

“Did not make me condone16 coldblooded murder,”

finished Rainsford stiffly.

Laughter shook the general. “How extraordinarily droll

you are!” he said. “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. It’s like

finding a snuffbox in a limousine. Ah, well, doubtless you had

Puritan ancestors. So many Americans appear to have had. I’ll

wager 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

unpleasant word. But I think I can show you that your scruples17

are quite ill-founded.”

“Yes?”

“Life is for the strong, to be lived by the strong, and if need

be, taken by the strong. The weak of the world were put here to

give the strong pleasure. I am strong. Why should I not use my

gift? If I wish to hunt, why should I not? I hunt the scum of the

earth—sailors from tramp ships—lascars,18 blacks, Chinese,

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Pause at line 382, and con-firm your prediction. What isthe game that Zaroff hunts?

unruffled (un•ruf√¥ld) adj.:calm; not disturbed.

Un- is a prefix meaning“not.” What word in line 400also uses this prefix? Use un- to give these words the opposite meaning: kind,necessary, able.

16. condone (k¥n·d£n√) v.: overlook an offense; excuse.17. scruples (skrº√p¥lz) n.: feelings of doubt or guilt about a suggested

action.18. lascars (las√k¥rz) n.: East Indian sailors employed on European ships.


whites, mongrels—a thoroughbred horse or hound is worth

more than a score of them.”

“But they are men,” said Rainsford hotly.

“Precisely,” said the general. “That is why I use them.

It gives me pleasure. They can reason, after a fashion. So they

are dangerous.”

“But where do you get them?”

The general’s left eyelid fluttered down in a wink. “This

island is called Ship-Trap,” he answered. “Sometimes an angry

god of the high seas sends them to me. Sometimes, when

Providence is not so kind, I help Providence a bit. Come to

the window with me.”

Rainsford went to the window and looked out toward

the sea.

“Watch! Out there!” exclaimed the general, pointing into

the night. Rainsford’s eyes saw only blackness, and then, as the

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Pause at line 410. It’s clearthat Rainsford and Zaroff dis-agree about the “sport” ofhunting men. How do youthink they will solve theirconflict?

Corel.


general pressed a button, far out to sea Rainsford saw the flash

of lights.

The general chuckled. “They indicate a channel,” he said,

“where there’s none; giant rocks with razor edges crouch like a

sea monster with wide-open jaws. They can crush a ship as easi-

ly as I crush this nut.” He dropped a walnut on the hardwood

floor and brought his heel grinding down on it. “Oh, yes,” he

said, casually, as if in answer to a question, “I have electricity.

We try to be civilized here.”

“Civilized? And you shoot down men?”

A trace of anger was in the general’s black eyes, but it was

there for but a second, and he said, in his most pleasant manner:

“Dear me, what a righteous young man you are! I assure you

I do not do the thing you suggest. That would be barbarous.

I treat these visitors with every consideration. They get plenty

of good food and exercise. They get into splendid physical con-

dition. You shall see for yourself tomorrow.”

“What do you mean?”

“We’ll visit my training school,” smiled the general. “It’s in

the cellar. I have about a dozen pupils down there now. They’re

from the Spanish bark San Lucar that had the bad luck to go on

the rocks out there. A very inferior lot, I regret to say. Poor

specimens and more accustomed to the deck than to the jungle.”

He raised his hand, and Ivan, who served as waiter, brought

thick Turkish coffee. Rainsford, with an effort, held his tongue

in check.

“It’s a game, you see,” pursued the general blandly. “I suggest

to one of them that we go hunting. I give him a supply of food

and an excellent hunting knife. I give him three hours’ start. I am

to follow, armed only with a pistol of the smallest caliber and

range. If my quarry eludes me for three whole days, he wins the

game. If I find him”—the general smiled—“he loses.”

“Suppose he refuses to be hunted?”

“Oh,” said the general, “I give him his option, of course.

He need not play that game if he doesn’t wish to. If he does not

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How does Zaroff find men tohunt (lines 422-432)?

The word game in line 450means “competition foramusement.” What associa-tions come to mind whenyou hear the word game?What impression do youform of Zaroff when he uses this word to describehunting men?


wish to hunt, I turn him over to Ivan. Ivan once had the honor

of serving as official knouter19 to the Great White Czar, and he

has his own ideas of sport. Invariably, Mr. Rainsford, invariably

they choose the hunt.”

“And if they win?”

The smile on the general’s face widened. “To date I have not

lost,” he said.

Then he added, hastily: “I don’t wish you to think me a

braggart, Mr. Rainsford. Many of them afford only the most

elementary sort of problem. Occasionally I strike a tartar.20 One

almost did win. I eventually had to use the dogs.”

“The dogs?”

“This way, please. I’ll show you.”

The general steered Rainsford to a window. The lights from

the windows sent a flickering illumination that made grotesque

patterns on the courtyard below, and Rainsford could see mov-

ing about there a dozen or so huge black shapes; as they turned

toward him, their eyes glittered greenly.

“A rather good lot, I think,” observed the general. “They

are let out at seven every night. If anyone should try to get

into my house—or out of it—something extremely regrettable

would occur to him.” He hummed a snatch of song from the

Folies-Bergère.21

“And now,” said the general, “I want to show you my new

collection of heads. Will you come with me to the library?”

“I hope,” said Rainsford, “that you will excuse me tonight,

General Zaroff. I’m really not feeling at all well.”

“Ah, indeed?” the general inquired solicitously.22 “Well, I sup-

pose that’s only natural, after your long swim. You need a good,

restful night’s sleep. Tomorrow you’ll feel like a new man, I’ll

wager. Then we’ll hunt, eh? I’ve one rather promising prospect—”

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invariably (in•ver≈≤•¥•bl≤)adv.: always; without changing.

Re-read lines 482-490. Whatdo you predict Rainsford willdo next?

19. knouter (n¡t√¥r) n.: person who beats criminals with a knout, a kindof leather whip.

20. strike a tartar: get more than one bargained for. A tartar is a violent,unmanageable person.

21. Folies-Bergère (fô√l≤ ber·¤er≈): famous nightclub in Paris.22. solicitously (s¥·lis√¥·t¥s·l≤) adv.: in a concerned manner.


Rainsford was hurrying from the room.

“Sorry you can’t go with me tonight,” called the general.

“I expect rather fair sport—a big, strong black. He looks

resourceful— Well, good night, Mr. Rainsford; I hope you have

a good night’s rest.”

The bed was good and the pajamas of the softest silk, and

he was tired in every fiber of his being, but nevertheless

Rainsford could not quiet his brain with the opiate23 of sleep.

He lay, eyes wide open. Once he thought he heard stealthy steps

in the corridor outside his room. He sought to throw open the

door; it would not open. He went to the window and looked

out. His room was high up in one of the towers. The lights of

the château were out now, and it was dark and silent, but there

was a fragment of sallow moon, and by its wan light he could

see, dimly, the courtyard; there, weaving in and out in the pat-

tern of shadow, were black, noiseless forms; the hounds heard

him at the window and looked up, expectantly, with their green

eyes. Rainsford went back to the bed and lay down. By many

methods he tried to put himself to sleep. 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.

General Zaroff did not appear until luncheon. He was

dressed faultlessly in the tweeds of a country squire. He was

solicitous about the state of Rainsford’s health.

“As for me,” sighed the general, “I do not feel so well. I am

worried, Mr. Rainsford. Last night I detected traces of my old

complaint.”

To Rainsford’s questioning glance the general said: “Ennui.

Boredom.”

Then, taking a second helping of crêpes suzette,24 the

general explained: “The hunting was not good last night. The

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23. opiate (£√p≤·it) n.: anything that tends to soothe or calm someone.An opiate may also be a medicine containing opium or a relateddrug used to relieve pain.

24. crêpes suzette (kr†p sº·zet√) n.: thin pancakes folded in a hotorange-flavored sauce and served in flaming brandy.

What context clue tells youthe meaning of ennui(än√w≤≈) in line 517?Underline it.

Describe the mood created bythis setting (lines 498-510).


fellow lost his head. He made a straight trail that offered no

problems at all. That’s the trouble with these sailors; they have

dull brains to begin with, and they do not know how to get

about in the woods. They do excessively stupid and obvious

things. It’s most annoying. Will you have another glass of

Chablis, Mr. Rainsford?”

“General,” said Rainsford firmly, “I wish to leave this island

at once.”

The general raised his thickets of eyebrows; he seemed

hurt. “But, my dear fellow,” the general protested, “you’ve only

just come. You’ve had no hunting—”

“I wish to go today,” said Rainsford. He saw the dead black

eyes of the general on him, studying him. General Zaroff ’s face

suddenly brightened.

He filled Rainsford’s glass with venerable Chablis from a

dusty bottle.

“Tonight,” said the general, “we will hunt—you and I.”

Rainsford shook his head. “No, general,” he said. “I will

not hunt.”

The general shrugged his shoulders and delicately ate a

hothouse grape. “As you wish, my friend,” he said. “The choice

rests entirely with you. But may I not venture to suggest that

you will find my idea of sport more diverting than Ivan’s?”

He nodded toward the corner where the giant stood, scowl-

ing, his thick arms crossed on his hogshead of chest.

“You don’t mean—” cried Rainsford.

“My dear fellow,” said the general, “have I not told you

I always mean what I say about hunting? This is really an inspi-

ration. I drink to a foeman worthy of my steel—at last.”

The general raised his glass, but Rainsford sat staring

at him.

“You’ll find this game worth playing,” the general said

enthusiastically. “Your brain against mine. Your woodcraft

against mine. Your strength and stamina against mine. Outdoor

chess! And the stake is not without value, eh?”

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NotesNotes

diverting (d¥•v∞rt≈i«) v. usedas adj.: entertaining.

In lines 540-549, the centralconflict is established. Whowill be the general’s nextvictim?


“And if I win—” began Rainsford huskily.

“I’ll cheerfully acknowledge myself defeated if I do not

find you by midnight of the third day,” said General Zaroff.

“My sloop will place you on the mainland near a town.”

The general read what Rainsford was thinking.

“Oh, you can trust me,” said the Cossack. “I will give you

my word as a gentleman and a sportsman. Of course you, in

turn, must agree to say nothing of your visit here.”

“I’ll agree to nothing of the kind,” said Rainsford.

“Oh,” said the general, “in that case— But why discuss that

now? Three days hence we can discuss it over a bottle of Veuve

Clicquot,25 unless—”

The general sipped his wine.

Then a businesslike air animated him. “Ivan,” he said to

Rainsford, “will supply you with hunting clothes, food, a knife.

I suggest you wear moccasins; they leave a poorer trail. I suggest

too that you avoid the big swamp in the southeast corner of

the island. We call it Death Swamp. There’s quicksand there.

One foolish fellow tried it. The deplorable26 part of it was

that Lazarus followed him. You can imagine my feelings,

Mr. Rainsford. I loved Lazarus; he was the finest hound in my

pack. Well, I must beg you to excuse me now. I always take a

siesta after lunch. You’ll hardly have time for a nap, I fear.

You’ll want to start, no doubt. I shall not follow till dusk.

Hunting at night is so much more exciting than by day, don’t

you think? Au revoir27, Mr. Rainsford, au revoir.”

General Zaroff, with a deep, courtly bow, strolled from

the room.

From another door came Ivan. Under one arm he carried

khaki hunting clothes, a haversack of food, a leather sheath

containing a long-bladed hunting knife; his right hand rested on

a cocked revolver thrust in the crimson sash about his waist. . . .

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25. Veuve Clicquot (vöv kl≤·k»√): brand of fine champagne.26. deplorable (d≤·plôr√¥·b¥l) adj.: regrettable; very bad.27. au revoir (£’r¥·vwär√): French for “goodbye.”

Pause at line 559. What doesRainsford have to do to winthe game?

A sloop (line 559) is a kind ofship. Circle the context cluesthat help you figure out theword’s meaning.

Au revoir (line 581) is Frenchfor “until we meet again.”Read on, and underline thecontext clues that help youfigure out the meaning ofthe phrase.

Underline the name of the place in line 573 thatZaroff tells Rainsford toavoid. What might thesuggestive name of this place foreshadow?


Rainsford had fought his way through the bush for two hours.

“I must keep my nerve. I must keep my nerve,” he said through

tight teeth.

He had not been entirely clearheaded when the château

gates snapped shut behind him. His whole idea at first was to

put distance between himself and General Zaroff, and, to this

end, he had plunged along, spurred on by the sharp rowels28

of something very like panic. Now he had got a grip on himself,

had stopped, and was taking stock of himself and the situation.

He saw that straight flight was futile; inevitably it would

bring him face to face with the sea. He was in a picture with

a frame of water, and his operations, clearly, must take place

within that frame.

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NotesNotes

At line 588 the plot flashesforward. When do the eventsbeginning in line 588 occur?

28. rowels (r¡√¥lz) n.: small wheels with spurs that horseback riderswear on their heels.


“I’ll give him a trail to follow,” muttered Rainsford, and he

struck off from the rude paths he had been following into the

trackless wilderness. 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. Night found him leg-

weary, with hands and face lashed by the branches, on a thickly

wooded ridge. He knew it would be insane to blunder on

through the dark, even if he had the strength. His need for rest

was imperative and he thought: “I have played the fox; now

I must play the cat of the fable.” A big tree with a thick trunk

and outspread branches was nearby, 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. Rest

brought him new confidence and almost a feeling of security.

Even so zealous a hunter as General Zaroff could not trace him

there, he told himself; only the devil himself could follow that

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Corel.

Re-read lines 601-613. Howdoes Rainsford avoid beingcaptured and killed?

HRS9C01_001_049d 8/26/03 11:53 AM Page 27 impos06 108:hrhrs9r1:hrhrs9ch01:hrs9ch01%0:

complicated trail through the jungle after dark. But, perhaps,

the general was a devil—

An apprehensive night crawled slowly by like a wounded

snake, and sleep did not visit Rainsford, although the silence of

a dead world was on the jungle. Toward morning, when a dingy

gray was varnishing the sky, the cry of some startled bird

focused Rainsford’s attention in that direction. Something was

coming through the bush, coming slowly, carefully, coming by

the same winding way Rainsford had come. He flattened himself

down on the limb, and through a screen of leaves almost as

thick as tapestry, he watched. The thing that was approaching

was a man.

It was General Zaroff. He made his way along with his eyes

fixed in utmost concentration on the ground before him. He

paused, almost beneath the tree, dropped to his knees and

studied the ground. Rainsford’s impulse was to hurl himself

down like a panther, but he saw the general’s right hand held

something metallic—a small automatic pistol.

The hunter shook his head several times, as if he were puz-

zled. Then he straightened up and took from his case one of his

black cigarettes; its pungent incenselike smoke floated up to

Rainsford’s nostrils.

Rainsford held his breath. The general’s eyes had left the

ground and were traveling inch by inch up the tree. Rainsford

froze there, every muscle tensed for a spring. But the sharp eyes

of the hunter stopped before they reached the limb where

Rainsford lay; a smile spread over his brown face. Very deliber-

ately 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. The swish of the underbrush against his hunting

boots grew fainter and fainter.

Then pent-up air burst hotly from Rainsford’s lungs. His

first thought made him feel sick and numb. The general could

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Pause at line 628. Who iscoming through the bush?

impulse (im√puls≈) n.: suddendesire to do something.

Underline the details in lines637-647 that add to thesuspense of the plot. Whydoes Zaroff smile?


follow a trail through the woods at night; he could follow an

extremely difficult trail; he must have uncanny powers; only by

the merest chance had the Cossack failed to see his quarry.

Rainsford’s second thought was even more terrible. It sent

a shudder of cold horror through his whole being. Why had the

general smiled? Why had he turned back?

Rainsford did not want to believe what his reason told him

was true, but the truth was as evident as the sun that had by

now pushed through the morning mists. The general was play-

ing with him! The general was saving him for another day’s

sport! The Cossack was the cat; he was the mouse. Then it was

that Rainsford knew the full meaning of terror.

“I will not lose my nerve. I will not.”

He slid down from the tree and struck off again into the

woods. His face was set and he forced the machinery of his

mind to function. Three hundred yards from his hiding place

he stopped where a huge dead tree leaned precariously29 on a

smaller living one. Throwing off his sack of food, Rainsford took

his knife from its sheath and began to work with all his energy.

The job was finished at last, and he threw himself down

behind a fallen log a hundred feet away. He did not have to wait

long. The cat was coming again to play with the mouse.

Following the trail with the sureness of a bloodhound came

General Zaroff. Nothing escaped those searching black eyes, no

crushed blade of grass, no bent twig, no mark, no matter how

faint, in the moss. So intent was the Cossack on his stalking that

he was upon the thing Rainsford had made before he saw it.

His foot touched the protruding bough that was the trigger.

Even as he touched it, the general sensed his danger and leapt

back with the agility of an ape. But he was not quite quick

enough; the dead tree, delicately adjusted to rest on the cut liv-

ing one, crashed down and struck the general a glancing blow

on the shoulder as it fell; but for his alertness, he must have been

smashed beneath it. He staggered, but he did not fall; nor did he

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Pause at line 661. The firststage of the hunt is over.Who has won? What doesRainsford now know that hedidn’t know at the beginningof the story?

protruding (pr£•trºd≈i«) v.used as adj.: sticking out.

29. precariously (pri·ker√≤·¥s·l≤) adv.: unsteadily; in an unstable manner.


drop his revolver. He stood there, rubbing his injured shoulder,

and Rainsford, with fear again gripping his heart, heard the gen-

eral’s mocking laugh ring through the jungle.

“Rainsford,” called the general, “if you are within the sound

of my voice, as I suppose you are, let me congratulate you. Not

many men know how to make a Malay man-catcher. Luckily for

me, I too have hunted in Malacca.30 You are proving interesting,

Mr. Rainsford. I am going now to have my wound dressed; it’s

only a slight one. But I shall be back. I shall be back.”

When the general, nursing his bruised shoulder, had gone,

Rainsford took up his flight again. It was flight now, a desperate,

hopeless flight, that carried him on for some hours. Dusk came,

then darkness, and still he pressed on. The ground grew softer

under his moccasins; the vegetation grew ranker, denser; insects

bit him savagely. Then, as he stepped forward, his foot sank into

the ooze. He tried to wrench it back, but the muck sucked

viciously at his foot as if it were a giant leech. With a violent

effort, he tore loose. He knew where he was now. Death Swamp

and its quicksand.

His hands were tight closed as if his nerve were something

tangible that someone in the darkness was trying to tear from

his grip. The softness of the earth had given him an idea. He

stepped back from the quicksand a dozen feet or so, and, like

some huge prehistoric beaver, he began to dig.

Rainsford had dug himself in in France,31 when a second’s

delay meant death. That had been a placid pastime compared

to his digging now. The pit grew deeper; when it was above his

shoulders, he climbed out and from some hard saplings cut

stakes and sharpened them to a fine point. These stakes he

planted in the bottom of the pit with the points sticking up.

With flying fingers he wove a rough carpet of weeds and

branches and with it he covered the mouth of the pit. Then,

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Pause at line 692. Who winsthe second stage of thisconflict?

Pause at line 707. What doyou predict Rainsford’s“idea” will be?

The adjective placid (plas≈id)in line 709 means “calm.” 30. Malacca (m¥·lak√¥): state in what is now the nation of Malaysia in

southeastern Asia.31. dug himself in in France: dug a hole for shelter from gunfire during

World War I (1914-1918).


wet with sweat and aching with tiredness, he crouched behind

the stump of a lightning-charred tree.

He knew his pursuer was coming; he heard the padding

sound of feet on the soft earth, and the night breeze brought

him the perfume of the general’s cigarette. It seemed to

Rainsford that the general was coming with unusual swiftness;

he was not feeling his way along, foot by foot. Rainsford,

crouching there, could not see the general, nor could he see the

pit. He lived a year in a minute. Then he felt an impulse to cry

aloud with joy, for he heard the sharp crackle of the breaking

branches as the cover of the pit gave way; he heard the sharp

scream of pain as the pointed stakes found their mark. He leapt

up from his place of concealment. Then he cowered back. Three

feet from the pit a man was standing, with an electric torch in

his hand.

“You’ve done well, Rainsford,” the voice of the general

called. “Your Burmese tiger pit has claimed one of my best dogs.

Again you score. I think, Mr. Rainsford, I’ll see what you can do

against my whole pack. I’m going home for a rest now. Thank

you for a most amusing evening.”

At daybreak Rainsford, lying near the swamp, was awakened by

the sound that made him know that he had new things to learn

about fear. It was a distant sound, faint and wavering, but he

knew it. It was the baying of a pack of hounds.

Rainsford knew he could do one of two things. He could

stay where he was and wait. That was suicide. He could flee.

That was postponing the inevitable. For a moment he stood

there, thinking. An idea that held a wild chance came to him,

and, tightening his belt, he headed away from the swamp.

The baying of the hounds drew nearer, then still nearer,

nearer, ever nearer. On a ridge Rainsford climbed a tree. Down

a watercourse, not a quarter of a mile away, he could see the

bush moving. Straining his eyes, he saw the lean figure of

General Zaroff; just ahead of him Rainsford made out another

figure whose wide shoulders surged through the tall jungle

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Pause at line 730. Who is inthe trap? Has Rainsford won?

Pause at line 735. Who winsthe third stage of this conflict? According to Zaroff, what will happen the next day?


weeds. It was the giant Ivan, and he seemed pulled forward by

some unseen force. Rainsford knew that Ivan must be holding

the pack in leash.

They would be on him any minute now. His mind worked

frantically. He thought of a native trick he had learned in

Uganda. He slid down the tree. He caught hold of a springy

young sapling and to it he fastened his hunting knife, with the

blade pointing down the trail; with a bit of wild grapevine he

tied back the sapling. Then he ran for his life. The hounds raised

their voices as they hit the fresh scent. Rainsford knew now how

an animal at bay feels.

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Pause at line 761, and recallRainsford’s earlier ideasabout hunting (lines 19-31).Why is Rainsford’s situationironic, or surprising?

© John Lund/Getty Images.


He had to stop to get his breath. The baying of the hounds

stopped abruptly, and Rainsford’s heart stopped too. They must

have reached the knife.

He shinnied excitedly up a tree and looked back. His pur-

suers had stopped. But the hope that was in Rainsford’s brain

when he climbed died, for he saw in the shallow valley that

General Zaroff was still on his feet. But Ivan was not. The knife,

driven by the recoil of the springing tree, had not wholly failed.

“Nerve, nerve, nerve!” he panted, as he dashed along.

A blue gap showed between the trees dead ahead. Ever nearer

drew the hounds. Rainsford forced himself on toward that gap.

He reached it. It was the shore of the sea. Across a cove he could

see the gloomy gray stone of the château. Twenty feet below

him the sea rumbled and hissed. Rainsford hesitated. He heard

the hounds. Then he leapt far out into the sea. . . .

When the general and his pack reached the place by the sea,

the Cossack stopped. For some minutes he stood regarding the

blue-green expanse of water. He shrugged his shoulders. Then

he sat down, took a drink of brandy from a silver flask, lit a per-

fumed cigarette, and hummed a bit from Madama Butterfly.32

General Zaroff had an exceedingly good dinner in his great

paneled dining hall that evening. With it he had a bottle of

Pol Roger and half a bottle of Chambertin. Two slight annoy-

ances kept him from perfect enjoyment. One was the thought

that it would be difficult to replace Ivan; the other was that his

quarry had escaped him; of course the American hadn’t played

the game—so thought the general as he tasted his after-dinner

liqueur. In his library he read, to soothe himself, from the works

of Marcus Aurelius.33 At ten he went up to his bedroom. He

was deliciously tired, he said to himself as he locked himself in.

There was a little moonlight, so before turning on his light,

he went to the window and looked down at the courtyard.

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32. Madama Butterfly: famous Italian opera by Giacomo Puccini (1858-1924).

33. Marcus Aurelius (mär√k¥s ô·r≤√l≤·¥s): emperor of Rome from A.D. 161 to 180, who wrote about the philosophy of Stoicism, whichheld that people should make themselves indifferent to both painand pleasure.

Pause at line 769. What doesRainsford hope to see whenhe climbs up the tree? Whatdoes he actually see?

Pause at line 776. Trappedbetween his deadly pursuerand the sea, Rainsford jumps.Is the game over? What do you predict will happennext?


He could see the great hounds, and he called: “Better luck

another time,” to them. Then he switched on the light.

A man, who had been hiding in the curtains of the bed,

was standing there.

“Rainsford!” screamed the general. “How in God’s name

did you get here?”

“Swam,” said Rainsford. “I found it quicker than walking

through the jungle.”

The general sucked in his breath and smiled. “I congratu-

late you,” he said. “You have won the game.”

Rainsford did not smile. “I am still a beast at bay,” he said,

in a low, hoarse voice. “Get ready, General Zaroff.”

The general made one of his deepest bows. “I see,” he

said. “Splendid! One of us is to furnish a repast34 for the

hounds. The other will sleep in this very excellent bed. On

guard, Rainsford. . . .”

He had never slept in a better bed, Rainsford decided.

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Underline the passage onthis page that reveals the climax of this conflict.

How is the conflict finallyresolved?

© George D. Lepp/CORBIS.

34. repast (ri·past√) n: meal.



The Most Dangerous GamePlot Diagram Review the plot structure of “The Most Dangerous Game.”

Then, fill in the plot diagram below with key story events.

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Main events(Complications)

Climax:

6.

5.

4. Resolution:

Basic situation:

Setting:

3.

1.

2.


Sharpen your test-taking skills. Complete the sample test item below. Then, check

your answer, and read the explanation that appears in the right-hand column.

The Most Dangerous Game

Skills ReviewSkills Review


Explanation of the Correct Answer

The correct answer is C.

Rainsford struggles against the ocean,

encounters quicksand in the Death

Swamp, and must fight through the

jungle. There is no freezing cold;

Rainsford is in the tropics.

Sample Test Item

Which of the following elements of

setting does Rainsford not have to

struggle against?

A The ocean

B Quicksand

C Freezing cold

D The jungle

3. Which of the following events

happens first?

A Rainsford kills Ivan.

B Rainsford kills one of Zaroff’s dogs.

C Rainsford wounds Zaroff.

D Rainsford dives into the sea.

4. Which of the following events

happens last?

F Rainsford and Zaroff fight in

the bedroom.

G Rainsford builds a Burmese

tiger pit.

H Rainsford builds a Malay man-

catcher.

J Rainsford falls overboard.

1. Which of the following passages

from the story foreshadows danger?

A “You’ve good eyes,” Whitney said.

B “It will be light in Rio,” promised

Whitney.

C “What island is it?” Rainsford

asked.

D “The old charts call it Ship-Trap

Island,” Whitney replied.

2. What is the setting for most of the

action in this story?

F A yacht

G A castle

H A jungle

J The sea

DIRECTIONS: Circle the letter of each correct response.

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Literary SkillsAnalyze plot

structure andforeshadowing.



Skills ReviewSkills Review

1. pre- a. not

2. inter- b. between

3. un- c. before

4. re- d. badly; wrong

5. mis- e. again

Prefixes: Important Beginnings

DIRECTIONS: Match the prefixes with their meanings. Write the letter of the

correct meaning on each line.

The Most Dangerous Game

Vocabulary in Context

DIRECTIONS: Complete the paragraph below by writing a word from

the word box in each numbered blank. Not all words from the box will be

used.

receding

disarming

prolonged

imprudent

surmounted

unruffled

invariably

diverting

impulse

protruding

Word BoxWord Box The rock climber was guided by a sudden desire, an

(1) to climb Forbidden Cliff. Although the

rocky path was covered in slippery moss, he remained

(2) and calm. He almost lost his footing, however,

when a (3) rock nearly tripped him. Just when he

reached the top, a park ranger caught him and scolded him, saying the climb

was not only unwise but (4) . Not charmed or

swayed by the climber’s (5) smile, the park ranger

gave him a ticket.

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VocabularySkillsIdentify prefixesand theirmeanings.Use words incontext.


4 The Holt Reader: Teacher’s Manual

The

Mo

st D

ang

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us

Gam

e

5

rece

din

g(r

i≈s≤d

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v. u

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as

adj.:

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coul

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ip g

oing

aw

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om h

im,

rece

din

gin

the

dis

tanc

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ing

(dis

·ärm

√i«)

adj.:

rem

ovi

ng

or

less

enin

g s

usp

icio

ns

or

fear

s.

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,”sa

id R

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ford

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as d

isar

min

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pro

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ged

(pr£

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life

was

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hunt

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wit

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ut

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offs

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s in

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he h

unt.

div

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(d¥·

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dea

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was

a d

iver

tin

gga

me

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arof

f.

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m√p

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dd

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som

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im

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pro

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PREV

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BULA

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evie

w t

he

follo

win

g w

ord

s fr

om

th

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bef

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yo

u b

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rea

din

g:

Copyright © by Holt,Rinehart and Winston.All rights reserved.

PREF

IXES

: IM

PORT

ANT

BEGI

NNIN

GSPr

efixe

sar

e w

ord

par

ts a

dd

ed t

o t

he

beg

inn

ing

s o

f w

ord

s. A

lth

ou

gh

pre

fixe

s

con

sist

of

just

a f

ew le

tter

s, t

hey

are

po

wer

ful a

nd

can

gre

atly

ch

ang

e th

e

mea

nin

g o

f a

wo

rd. T

o t

he

rig

ht

are

pre

fixe

s yo

u’ll

co

me

acro

ss o

ften

in y

ou

r

read

ing

. Rec

og

niz

ing

th

ese

pre

fixe

s w

ill

hel

p y

ou

fig

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ou

t th

e m

ean

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s o

f

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ou

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am

ple

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ore

pre

view

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re”

inte

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een

inte

ract

ion

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wee

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un-

no

tu

np

op

ula

r,

“no

t p

op

ula

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mis-

bad

ly;

mis

mat

ch,“

bad

mat

ch”

wro

ng

re-

agai

nre

pla

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lay

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n”

4C

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ctio

n 1

:Pl

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Set

tin

gPa

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rea

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to t

ake

par

t in

a s

ho

ckin

g h

un

t. “

The

Mo

st D

ang

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Gam

e”

is a

sh

ort

sto

ry f

ull

of

susp

ense

an

d s

urp

rise

s th

at w

ill k

eep

yo

u o

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he

edg

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ur

seat

.

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FO

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FO

RESH

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e p

lot

of

a st

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is a

ser

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of

rela

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eve

nts

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ese

even

ts t

ake

pla

ce a

s

on

e o

r m

ore

ch

arac

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tak

e st

eps

to r

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lve

a co

nfl

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or

pro

ble

m o

f so

me

kin

d. S

om

e ev

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are

hin

ted

at

thro

ug

h t

he

use

of

fore

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.

•Ea

ch e

ven

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th

is s

tory

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mak

e yo

u c

uri

ou

s ab

ou

t w

hat

will

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t. T

hat

cu

rio

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alle

d s

usp

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s yo

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ok

for

exam

ple

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ado

win

gth

at h

int

at w

hat

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pen

late

r in

th

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lot.

READ

ING

SKIL

LS:

MAK

ING

PRED

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Bef

ore

yo

u r

ead

“Th

e M

ost

Dan

ger

ou

s G

ame,

” ta

ke a

few

min

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s to

mak

e

pre

dic

tio

ns

usi

ng

a “

plo

t im

pre

ssio

n.”

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t im

pre

ssio

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wo

rk li

ke t

his

: Yo

u

are

giv

en s

om

e d

etai

ls f

rom

th

e st

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en y

ou

wea

ve t

he

det

ails

to

get

her

to c

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imp

ress

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of

the

plo

t as

yo

u p

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it m

igh

t b

e. H

ere

are

the

det

ails

fo

r yo

ur

plo

t im

pre

ssio

n o

f “T

he

Mo

st D

ang

ero

us

Gam

e.”

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at d

o

you

pre

dic

t “t

he

mo

st d

ang

ero

us

gam

e” is

?

Ke

y D

eta

ils

Rai

nsf

ord

, a b

ig-g

ame

hu

nte

rG

ener

al Z

aro

ff, a

no

ther

hu

nte

r

man

ove

rbo

ard

fier

ce d

og

s

Ship

-Tra

p Is

lan

da

trap

Plo

t Im

pre

ssio

n


The

Mos

t Da

nger

ous

Gam

e by

Ric

hard

Con

nell

Lit

era

ry S

kills

Und

erst

and

fore

shad

owin

g.

Readin

gSkills

Mak

epr

edic

tion

s.

Voca

bula

rySkills

Use

pre

fixe

s to

unde

rsta

ndw

ord

mea

ning

s.

The

actu

al p

lot:

Rai

nsf

ord

,a b

ig-g

ame

hu

nte

r,fa

lls o

ver-

bo

ard

an

d s

wim

s to

Sh

ip-T

rap

Isla

nd

.Th

ere

he

fin

ds

ano

ther

hu

nte

r,n

amed

Zar

off

.Wh

en Z

aro

ff s

ho

ws

Rai

nsf

ord

th

efi

erce

do

gs

gu

ard

ing

his

ch

atea

u, R

ain

sfo

rd r

ealiz

es h

e is

aca

pti

ve. Z

aro

ff h

un

ts t

he

mo

st d

ang

ero

us

gam

e—m

an.

Zaro

ff o

ffer

s R

ain

sfo

rd a

sp

ort

ing

pro

po

siti

on

. Zar

off

will

hu

nt

Rai

nsf

ord

. If

Rai

nsf

ord

get

s aw

ay, h

e w

ill b

e fr

ee.

Rai

nsf

ord

tu

rns

the

tab

les

and

set

s a

trap

for

Zaro

ff. I

n t

he

end

, Rai

nsf

ord

win

s “t

he

mo

st d

ang

ero

us

gam

e.”

Collection 1Student pages 4–5

Student Pages with Answers 5

“Nor

fou

r ya

rds,”

adm

itte

d R

ain

sfor

d.“U

gh! I

t’s li

ke m

oist

blac

k ve

lvet

.”

“It

will

be

ligh

t in

Rio

,”pr

omis

ed W

hit

ney

.“W

e sh

ould

mak

e it

in a

few

day

s.I

hop

e th

e ja

guar

gu

ns

hav

e co

me

from

Pu

rdey

’s.1

We

shou

ld h

ave

som

e go

od h

un

tin

g u

p th

e A

maz

on.

Gre

at s

port

,hu

nti

ng.

”

“Th

e be

st s

port

in t

he

wor

ld,”

agre

ed R

ain

sfor

d.

“For

th

e hu

nte

r,”am

ende

d W

hit

ney

.“N

ot f

or t

he

jagu

ar.”

“Don

’t ta

lk r

ot,W

hitn

ey,”

said

Rai

nsf

ord.

“You

’re

a bi

g-ga

me

hun

ter,

not

a p

hilo

soph

er.W

ho c

ares

how

a ja

guar

fee

ls?”

“Per

hap

s th

e ja

guar

doe

s,”ob

serv

ed W

hit

ney

.

“Bah

! Th

ey’v

e n

o u

nde

rsta

ndi

ng.

”

“Eve

n s

o,I

rath

er t

hin

k th

ey u

nde

rsta

nd

one

thin

g—fe

ar.

Th

e fe

ar o

fpa

in a

nd

the

fear

of

deat

h.”

“Non

sen

se,”

lau

ghed

Rai

nsf

ord.

“Th

is h

ot w

eath

er is

mak

-

ing

you

sof

t,W

hit

ney

.Be

a re

alis

t.T

he

wor

ld is

mad

e u

p of

two

clas

ses—

the

hun

ters

an

d th

e hu

nte

es.L

uck

ily,y

ou a

nd

I ar

e th

e

hun

ters

.Do

you

th

ink

we’

ve p

asse

d th

at is

lan

d ye

t?”

“I c

an’t

tel

l in

th

e da

rk.I

hop

e so

.”

“Why

?”as

ked

Rai

nsf

ord.

“Th

e pl

ace

has

a r

epu

tati

on—

a ba

d on

e.”

“Can

nib

als?

”su

gges

ted

Rai

nsf

ord.

“Har

dly.

Even

can

nib

als

wou

ldn’

t liv

e in

su

ch a

God

fors

aken

pla

ce.B

ut

it’s

got

ten

into

sai

lor

lore

,som

ehow

.

Did

n’t

you

not

ice

that

th

e cr

ew’s

ner

ves

seem

ed a

bit

jum

py

toda

y?”

“Th

ey w

ere

a bi

t st

ran

ge,n

ow y

ou m

enti

on it

.Eve

n

Cap

tain

Nie

lsen—

”

“Yes

,eve

n t

hat

tou

gh-m

inde

d ol

d Sw

ede,

wh

o’d

go u

p to

the

devi

l him

self

and

ask

him

for

a li

ght.

Th

ose

fish

y bl

ue

eyes

hel

d a

look

In

ever

saw

th

ere

befo

re.A

ll I

cou

ld g

et o

ut

ofh

im

was

:‘T

his

pla

ce h

as a

n e

vil n

ame

amon

g se

afar

ing

men

,sir

.’

Th

en h

e sa

id t

o m

e,ve

ry g

rave

ly:‘

Don

’t y

ou f

eel a

nyth

ing?

’—

as if

the

air

abou

t u

s w

as a

ctu

ally

poi

son

ous.

Now

,you

mu

stn’

t

20 30 40Copyright © by Holt,Rinehart and Winston.All rights reserved.

The

Mo

st D

ang

ero

us

Gam

e

7

1.Pu

rdey

’s(p

∞r√

d≤z

): B

riti

sh m

anu

fact

ure

r o

f h

un

tin

g e

qu

ipm

ent.

Cir

cle

the

wo

rds

in li

nes

7-

15th

at d

escr

ibe

the

sett

ing

.W

hat

mo

od

, or

feel

ing

, do

thes

e w

ord

s cr

eate

in y

ou

?

Un

der

line

the

sen

ten

ces

inlin

es 2

0 -27

th

at t

ell h

ow

Rai

nsf

ord

fee

ls a

bo

ut

hu

nti

ng

anim

als.

Cir

cle

the

sen

ten

ces

that

tel

l ho

w W

hit

ney

fee

lsab

ou

t h

un

tin

g a

nim

als.

Sug

ges

ted

res

po

nse

:

The

sett

ing

cre

ates

a

mys

teri

ou

s m

oo

d.

“Off

ther

e to

th

e ri

ght—

som

ewh

ere—

is a

larg

e is

lan

d,”

said

Wh

itn

ey.“

It’s

rat

her

a m

yste

ry—

”

“Wh

at is

lan

d is

it?”

Rai

nsf

ord

aske

d.

“Th

e ol

d ch

arts

cal

l it

Ship

-Tra

p Is

lan

d,”

Wh

itn

ey r

eplie

d.

“A s

ugg

esti

ve n

ame,

isn’

t it

? Sa

ilors

hav

e a

curi

ous

drea

d of

the

plac

e.I

don’

t kn

ow w

hy.S

ome

supe

rsti

tion—

”

“Can

’t s

ee it

,”re

mar

ked

Rai

nsf

ord,

tryi

ng

to p

eer

thro

ugh

the

dan

k tr

opic

al n

igh

t th

at w

as p

alpa

ble

as it

pre

ssed

its

thic

k

war

m b

lack

nes

s in

upo

n t

he

yach

t.

“You

’ve

good

eye

s,”sa

id W

hit

ney

,wit

h a

lau

gh,“

and

I’ve

seen

you

pic

k of

fa

moo

se m

ovin

g in

th

e br

own

fal

l bu

sh a

t fo

ur

hun

dred

yar

ds,b

ut

even

you

can

’t s

ee f

our

mile

s or

so

thro

ugh

a

moo

nle

ss C

arib

bean

nig

ht.”

10


6C

olle

ctio

n 1

:Pl

ot

and

Set

tin

gPa

rt 1

Un

der

line

the

nam

e o

f th

eis

lan

d in

lin

e 4.

Wh

at d

o y

ou

pre

dic

tw

ill h

app

en in

th

est

ory

, bas

ed o

n t

his

nam

e?

Ric

har

d C

on

nel

l

Co

rel.

“Th

e M

ost

Dan

ger

ou

s G

ame”

by

Ric

har

d C

on

nel

l. C

op

yrig

ht

1924

by

Ric

har

d C

on

nel

l; co

pyr

igh

t re

new

ed ©

1952

by

Lou

ise

Fox

Co

nn

ell.

Rep

rin

ted

by

per

mis

sio

n o

f B

ran

dt

& H

och

man

Lit

erar

y A

gen

ts, I

nc.

Stu

den

ts m

igh

t

pre

dic

t th

at R

ain

sfo

rd

and

Wh

itn

ey w

ill

be

ship

wre

cked

on

Ship

-Tra

p Is

lan

d.



He

leap

t u

pon

th

e ra

il an

d ba

lan

ced

him

self

ther

e,to

get

gre

ater

elev

atio

n;h

is p

ipe,

stri

kin

g a

rope

,was

kn

ocke

d fr

om h

is m

outh

.

He

lun

ged

for

it;a

sh

ort,

hoa

rse

cry

cam

e fr

om h

is li

ps a

s

he

real

ized

he

had

rea

ched

too

far

an

d h

ad lo

st h

is b

alan

ce.

Th

e cr

y w

as p

inch

ed o

ffsh

ort

as t

he

bloo

d-w

arm

wat

ers

of

the

Car

ibbe

an S

ea c

lose

d ov

er h

is h

ead.

He

stru

ggle

d u

p to

th

e su

rfac

e an

d tr

ied

to c

ry o

ut,

but

the

was

h f

rom

th

e sp

eedi

ng

yach

t sl

appe

d h

im in

th

e fa

ce a

nd

the

salt

wat

er in

his

ope

n m

outh

mad

e h

im g

ag a

nd

stra

ngl

e.

Des

pera

tely

he

stru

ck o

ut

wit

h s

tron

g st

roke

s af

ter

the

rece

din

g

ligh

ts o

fth

e ya

cht,

but

he

stop

ped

befo

re h

e h

ad s

wu

m fi

fty

feet

.

A c

erta

in c

oolh

eade

dnes

s h

ad c

ome

to h

im;i

t w

as n

ot t

he

firs

t

tim

e h

e h

ad b

een

in a

tig

ht

plac

e.T

her

e w

as a

ch

ance

th

at h

is

crie

s co

uld

be

hea

rd b

y so

meo

ne

aboa

rd t

he

yach

t,bu

t th

at

chan

ce w

as s

len

der

and

grew

mor

e sl

ende

r as

th

e ya

cht

race

d on

.

He

wre

stle

d h

imse

lfou

t of

his

clo

thes

an

d sh

oute

d w

ith

all

his

pow

er.T

he

ligh

ts o

fth

e ya

cht

beca

me

fain

t an

d ev

er-v

anis

hin

g

fire

flie

s;th

en t

hey

wer

e bl

otte

d ou

t en

tire

ly b

y th

e n

igh

t.

Rai

nsf

ord

rem

embe

red

the

shot

s.T

hey

had

com

e fr

om t

he

righ

t,an

d do

gged

ly h

e sw

am in

th

at d

irec

tion

,sw

imm

ing

wit

h

slow

,del

iber

ate

stro

kes,

con

serv

ing

his

str

engt

h.F

or a

see

min

gly

endl

ess

tim

e h

e fo

ugh

t th

e se

a.H

e be

gan

to

cou

nt

his

str

okes

;

he

cou

ld d

o po

ssib

ly a

hu

ndr

ed m

ore

and

then—

Rai

nsf

ord

hea

rd a

sou

nd.

It c

ame

out

ofth

e da

rkn

ess,

a

hig

h s

crea

min

g so

un

d,th

e so

un

d of

an a

nim

al in

an

ext

rem

ity

ofan

guis

h a

nd

terr

or.

He

did

not

rec

ogn

ize

the

anim

al t

hat

mad

e th

e so

und;

he d

id

not

try

to;

wit

h fr

esh

vita

lity

he s

wam

tow

ard

the

soun

d.H

e he

ard

it a

gain

;the

n it

was

cut

sho

rt b

y an

othe

r n

oise

,cri

sp,s

tacc

ato.

“Pis

tol s

hot

,”m

utt

ered

Rai

nsf

ord,

swim

min

g on

.

Ten

min

ute

s of

dete

rmin

ed e

ffor

t br

ough

t an

othe

r so

un

d to

his

ears—

the

mos

t w

elco

me

he h

ad e

ver

hear

d—th

e m

utt

erin

g

and

grow

ling

ofth

e se

a br

eaki

ng

on a

roc

ky s

hore

.He

was

alm

ost

on t

he r

ocks

bef

ore

he s

aw t

hem

;on

a n

ight

less

cal

m h

e w

ould

have

bee

n s

hatt

ered

aga

inst

the

m.W

ith

his

rem

ain

ing

stre

ngt

h he

80 90 100

110


The

Mo

st D

ang

ero

us

Gam

e

9

Pau

se a

t lin

e 85

. Wh

at h

ash

app

ened

to

Rai

nsf

ord

?W

hat

do

yo

u p

red

ict

will

hap

pen

nex

t?

rece

din

g(r

i≈s≤d

√i«)

v. u

sed

as

adj.:

bec

om

ing

mo

re d

ista

nt.

Wh

at c

on

nec

tio

n d

o y

ou

see

bet

wee

n t

he

sto

ry’s

tit

le a

nd

lines

103-

109?

Poss

ible

res

po

nse

:

The

cry

Rai

nsf

ord

hea

rs m

ay b

e fr

om

the

“gam

e” r

efer

red

to in

th

e ti

tle.

Sug

ges

ted

res

po

nse

:

He

has

fal

len

ove

r-

bo

ard

. Mo

st li

kely

he

will

sw

im t

o t

he

isla

nd

.

lau

gh w

hen

Ite

ll yo

u t

his—

I di

d fe

el s

omet

hin

g lik

e a

sudd

en

chill

. “Th

ere

was

no

bree

ze.T

he

sea

was

as

flat

as

a pl

ate-

glas

s

win

dow

.We

wer

e dr

awin

g n

ear

the

isla

nd

then

.Wh

at I

felt

was

a—

a m

enta

l ch

ill,a

sor

t of

sudd

en d

read

.”

“Pu

re im

agin

atio

n,”

said

Rai

nsf

ord.

“On

e su

per

stit

iou

s

sailo

r ca

n t

ain

t th

e w

hol

e sh

ip’s

com

pany

wit

h h

is f

ear.”

“May

be.B

ut

som

etim

es I

th

ink

sailo

rs h

ave

an e

xtra

sen

se

that

tel

ls t

hem

wh

en t

hey

are

in d

ange

r.So

met

imes

I t

hin

k ev

il

is a

tan

gibl

e th

ing—

wit

h w

avel

engt

hs,

just

as

sou

nd

and

ligh

t

hav

e.A

n e

vil p

lace

can

,so

to s

peak

,bro

adca

st v

ibra

tion

s of

evil.

Any

how

,I’m

gla

d w

e’re

get

tin

g ou

t of

this

zon

e.W

ell,

I th

ink

I’ll

turn

in n

ow,R

ain

sfor

d.”

“I’m

not

sle

epy,”

said

Rai

nsf

ord.

“I’m

goi

ng

to s

mok

e

anot

her

pip

e on

th

e af

terd

eck.

”

“Goo

d n

igh

t,th

en,R

ain

sfor

d.Se

e yo

u a

t br

eakf

ast.”

“Rig

ht.

Goo

d n

igh

t,W

hit

ney

.”

Th

ere

was

no

sou

nd

in t

he

nig

ht

as R

ain

sfor

d sa

t th

ere

but

the

mu

ffled

th

rob

ofth

e en

gin

e th

at d

rove

th

e ya

cht

swif

tly

thro

ugh

th

e da

rkn

ess,

and

the

swis

h a

nd

ripp

le o

fth

e w

ash

ofth

e pr

opel

ler.

Rai

nsf

ord,

recl

inin

g in

a s

team

er c

hai

r,in

dole

ntl

y2pu

ffed

on h

is f

avor

ite

brie

r.3

Th

e se

nsu

ous

drow

sin

ess

ofth

e n

igh

t w

as

on h

im.“

It’s

so

dark

,”h

e th

ough

t,“t

hat

I c

ould

sle

ep w

ith

out

clos

ing

my

eyes

;th

e n

igh

t w

ould

be

my

eyel

ids—

”

An

abr

upt

sou

nd

star

tled

him

.Off

to t

he

righ

t h

e h

eard

it,

and

his

ear

s,ex

pert

in s

uch

mat

ters

,cou

ld n

ot b

e m

ista

ken

.

Aga

in h

e h

eard

th

e so

un

d,an

d ag

ain

.Som

ewh

ere,

off

in t

he

blac

knes

s,so

meo

ne

had

fire

d a

gun

th

ree

tim

es.

Rai

nsf

ord

spra

ng

up

and

mov

ed q

uic

kly

to t

he

rail,

mys

tifi

ed.H

e st

rain

ed h

is e

yes

in t

he

dire

ctio

n f

rom

wh

ich

th

e

repo

rts

had

com

e,bu

t it

was

like

try

ing

to s

ee t

hro

ugh

a b

lan

ket.

50 60 70


8C

olle

ctio

n 1

:Pl

ot

and

Set

tin

gPa

rt 1

Un

der

line

det

ails

in li

nes

42-

60 t

hat

des

crib

e th

e se

ttin

g a

nd

its

effe

ct o

nW

hit

ney

. Wh

at m

oo

dd

oth

ese

det

ails

hel

p c

reat

e?

Pau

se a

t lin

e 76

. Wh

at d

oyo

u p

red

ict

will

hap

pen

?

2.in

do

len

tly

(in

√d¥·

l¥n

t·l≤

) ad

v.:l

azily

.3.

bri

er(b

r¢√¥

r) n

.:to

bac

co p

ipe

mad

e fr

om

th

e ro

ot

of

a b

rier

bu

sh o

r tr

ee.

Sug

ges

ted

res

po

nse

:

The

det

ails

cre

ate

a

chill

ing

mo

od

of

dan

ger

an

d e

vil.

Stu

den

ts m

ay p

red

ict

Rai

nsf

ord

will

get

sh

ot

or

fin

d h

imse

lf in

dan

ger

.



He

saw

no

sign

of

a tr

ail t

hro

ugh

th

e cl

osel

y kn

it w

eb

ofw

eeds

an

d tr

ees;

it w

as e

asie

r to

go

alon

g th

e sh

ore,

and

Rai

nsf

ord

flou

nde

red

alon

g by

th

e w

ater

.Not

far

fro

m w

her

e

he

had

lan

ded,

he

stop

ped.

Som

e w

oun

ded

thin

g,by

the

evi

den

ce a

larg

e an

imal

,had

thra

shed

abo

ut

in t

he u

nde

rbru

sh;t

he ju

ngl

e w

eeds

wer

e cr

ush

ed

dow

n a

nd

the

mos

s w

as la

cera

ted;

one

patc

h of

wee

ds w

as

stai

ned

cri

mso

n.A

sm

all,

glit

teri

ng

obje

ct n

ot f

ar a

way

cau

ght

Rai

nsf

ord’

s ey

e an

d he

pic

ked

it u

p.It

was

an

em

pty

cart

ridg

e.

“A t

wen

ty-t

wo,

”h

e re

mar

ked.

“Th

at’s

odd

.It

mu

st h

ave

been

a f

airl

y la

rge

anim

al t

oo.T

he

hun

ter

had

his

ner

ve w

ith

him

to

tack

le it

wit

h a

ligh

t gu

n.I

t’s c

lear

th

at t

he

bru

te p

ut

up

a fi

ght.

Isu

ppos

e th

e fi

rst

thre

e sh

ots

I h

eard

was

wh

en t

he

hun

ter

flu

shed

his

qu

arry

5an

d w

oun

ded

it.T

he

last

sh

ot w

as

wh

en h

e tr

aile

d it

her

e an

d fi

nis

hed

it.”

He

exam

ined

th

e gr

oun

d cl

osel

y an

d fo

un

d w

hat

he

had

hop

ed t

o fi

nd—

the

prin

t of

hun

tin

g bo

ots.

Th

ey p

oin

ted

alon

g

the

clif

fin

th

e di

rect

ion

he

had

bee

n g

oin

g.E

ager

ly h

e hu

rrie

d

alon

g,n

ow s

lippi

ng

on a

rot

ten

log

or a

loos

e st

one,

but

mak

ing

hea

dway

;nig

ht

was

beg

inn

ing

to s

ettl

e do

wn

on

th

e is

lan

d.

Ble

ak d

arkn

ess

was

bla

ckin

g ou

t th

e se

a an

d ju

ngl

e w

hen

Rai

nsf

ord

sigh

ted

the

ligh

ts.H

e ca

me

upo

n t

hem

as

he

turn

ed

a cr

ook

in t

he

coas

tlin

e,an

d h

is fi

rst

thou

ght

was

th

at h

e h

ad

com

e u

pon

a v

illag

e,fo

r th

ere

wer

e m

any

ligh

ts.B

ut

as h

e fo

rged

alon

g,h

e sa

w t

o h

is g

reat

ast

onis

hm

ent

that

all

the

ligh

ts w

ere

in

one

enor

mou

s bu

ildin

g—a

loft

y st

ruct

ure

wit

h p

oin

ted

tow

ers

plu

ngi

ng

upw

ard

into

th

e gl

oom

.His

eye

s m

ade

out

the

shad

-

owy

outl

ines

of

a pa

lati

al c

hât

eau

;6it

was

set

on

a h

igh

blu

ff,

and

on t

hre

e si

des

ofit

clif

fs d

ived

dow

n t

o w

her

e th

e se

a lic

ked

gree

dy li

ps in

th

e sh

adow

s.

“Mir

age,

”th

ough

t R

ain

sfor

d.B

ut

it w

as n

o m

irag

e,he

fou

nd,

whe

n h

e op

ened

the

tal

l spi

ked

iron

gat

e.T

he s

ton

e st

eps

140

150

160


The

Mo

st D

ang

ero

us

Gam

e

11

5.fl

ush

ed h

is q

uar

ry:d

rove

th

e an

imal

he

was

hu

nti

ng

ou

t o

f it

s h

idin

g p

lace

.6.

chât

eau

(◊a·

t£√)

n.:

larg

e co

un

try

ho

use

.

Lin

es 1

37-

141

crea

te s

us-

pen

seb

y le

avin

g q

ues

tio

ns

ino

ur

min

ds.

Wh

at q

ues

tio

ns

wo

uld

yo

u li

ke a

nsw

ered

?

Pers

on

ifica

tio

nis

a k

ind

of

fig

ura

tive

lan

gu

age

in w

hic

ha

no

nh

um

an t

hin

g o

r so

me-

thin

g in

anim

ate

(no

t al

ive)

is

tal

ked

ab

ou

t as

if it

wer

eh

um

an o

r al

ive.

Un

der

line

the

det

ail i

n li

nes

161-

162

that

giv

es t

he

sea

a h

um

anq

ual

ity.

Wh

at k

ind

of

“per

-so

n”

is t

his

sea

?

Poss

ible

res

po

nse

: a

hu

ng

ry, g

reed

y an

imal

Sug

ges

ted

res

po

nse

:

Wh

o is

th

e h

un

ter?

Wh

at w

as k

illed

?

drag

ged

him

self

from

the

sw

irlin

g w

ater

s.Ja

gged

cra

gs a

ppea

red

to ju

t in

to t

he o

paqu

enes

s.4

He

forc

ed h

imse

lfu

pwar

d,h

and

over

han

d.G

aspi

ng,

his

han

ds r

aw,h

e re

ach

ed a

fla

t pl

ace

at t

he

top.

Den

se ju

ngl

e

cam

e do

wn

to

the

very

edg

e of

the

clif

fs.W

hat

per

ils t

hat

tan

gle

oftr

ees

and

un

derb

rush

mig

ht

hol

d fo

r h

im d

id n

ot c

once

rn

Rai

nsf

ord

just

th

en.A

ll h

e kn

ew w

as t

hat

he

was

saf

e fr

om h

is

enem

y,th

e se

a,an

d th

at u

tter

wea

rin

ess

was

on

him

.He

flu

ng

him

self

dow

n a

t th

e ju

ngl

e ed

ge a

nd

tum

bled

hea

dlon

g in

to

the

deep

est

slee

p of

his

life

.

Wh

en h

e op

ened

his

eye

s,h

e kn

ew f

rom

th

e po

siti

on o

fth

e

sun

th

at it

was

late

in t

he

afte

rnoo

n.S

leep

had

giv

en h

im n

ew

vigo

r;a

shar

p hu

nge

r w

as p

icki

ng

at h

im.H

e lo

oked

abo

ut

him

,

alm

ost

chee

rfu

lly.

“Wh

ere

ther

e ar

e pi

stol

sh

ots,

ther

e ar

e m

en.W

her

e th

ere

are

men

,th

ere

is f

ood,

”h

e th

ough

t.B

ut

wh

at k

ind

ofm

en,h

e

won

dere

d,in

so

forb

iddi

ng

a pl

ace?

An

un

brok

en f

ron

t of

snar

led

and

ragg

ed ju

ngl

e fr

inge

d th

e sh

ore.

120

130


10

Co

llect

ion

1:

Plo

t an

d S

etti

ng

Part

1

Pau

se a

t lin

e 12

4. W

her

e is

Rai

nsf

ord

no

w?

4.o

paq

uen

ess

(£·p

†k√n

is)

n.:

her

e, d

arkn

ess.

So

met

hin

g o

paq

ue

do

esn

ot

let

ligh

t p

ass

thro

ug

h.

© K

evin

Sch

afer

/Get

ty Im

ages

.

He

is o

n a

jun

gle

like

isla

nd

.



plea

sure

an

d h

onor

to

wel

com

e M

r.Sa

nge

r R

ain

sfor

d,th

e ce

le-

brat

ed h

un

ter,

to m

y h

ome.

”

Au

tom

atic

ally

Rai

nsf

ord

shoo

k th

e m

an’s

han

d.

“I’v

e re

ad y

our

book

abo

ut

hun

tin

g sn

ow le

opar

ds in

Tib

et,

you

see

,”ex

plai

ned

th

e m

an.“

I am

Gen

eral

Zar

off.”

Rai

nsf

ord’

s fi

rst

impr

essi

on w

as t

hat

th

e m

an w

as s

ingu

larl

y

han

dsom

e;h

is s

econ

d w

as t

hat

th

ere

was

an

ori

gin

al,a

lmos

t

biza

rre

qual

ity

abou

t th

e ge

ner

al’s

fac

e.H

e w

as a

tal

l man

pas

t

mid

dle

age

,for

his

hai

r w

as a

viv

id w

hit

e;bu

t h

is t

hic

k ey

ebro

ws

and

poin

ted

mili

tary

mou

stac

he

wer

e as

bla

ck a

s th

e n

igh

t fr

om

wh

ich

Rai

nsf

ord

had

com

e.H

is e

yes,

too,

wer

e bl

ack

and

very

brig

ht.

He

had

hig

h c

hee

kbon

es,a

sh

arp-

cut

nos

e,a

spar

e,da

rk

face

,th

e fa

ce o

fa

man

use

d to

giv

ing

orde

rs,t

he

face

of

an a

ris-

tocr

at.T

urn

ing

to t

he

gian

t in

un

ifor

m,t

he

gen

eral

mad

e a

sign

.

Th

e gi

ant

put

away

his

pis

tol,

salu

ted,

wit

hdr

ew.

“Iva

n is

an

incr

edib

ly s

tron

g fe

llow

,”re

mar

ked

the

gen

eral

,

“bu

t h

e h

as t

he

mis

fort

un

e to

be

deaf

and

dum

b.A

sim

ple

fello

w,b

ut,

I’m

afr

aid,

like

all h

is r

ace,

a bi

t of

a sa

vage

.”

“Is

he

Ru

ssia

n?”

“He

is a

Cos

sack

,”8

said

th

e ge

ner

al,a

nd

his

sm

ile s

how

ed

red

lips

and

poin

ted

teet

h.“

So a

m I

.”

“Com

e,”

he

said

,“w

e sh

ould

n’t

be c

hat

tin

g h

ere.

We

can

talk

late

r.N

ow y

ou w

ant

clot

hes

,foo

d,re

st.Y

ou s

hal

l hav

e th

em.

Th

is is

a m

ost

rest

ful s

pot.”

Ivan

had

rea

ppea

red,

and

the

gen

eral

spo

ke t

o h

im w

ith

lips

that

mov

ed b

ut

gave

for

th n

o so

un

d.

“Fol

low

Iva

n,i

fyo

u p

leas

e,M

r.R

ain

sfor

d,”

said

th

e ge

ner

al.

“I w

as a

bou

t to

hav

e m

y di

nn

er w

hen

you

cam

e.I’

ll w

ait

for

you

.You

’ll fi

nd

that

my

clot

hes

will

fit

you

,I t

hin

k.”

It w

as t

o a

huge

,bea

m-c

eilin

ged

bedr

oom

wit

h a

can

opie

d

bed

big

enou

gh f

or s

ix m

en t

hat

Rai

nsf

ord

follo

wed

th

e si

len

t

gian

t.Iv

an la

id o

ut

an e

ven

ing

suit

,an

d R

ain

sfor

d,as

he

put

it

200

210

220

230


The

Mo

st D

ang

ero

us

Gam

e

13

8.C

oss

ack

(käs

√ak≈

): m

emb

er o

f a

gro

up

fro

m U

krai

ne,

man

y o

f w

ho

mse

rved

as

ho

rsem

en t

o t

he

Ru

ssia

n c

zars

an

d w

ere

fam

ed f

or

thei

rfi

erce

nes

s in

bat

tle.

Notes

Cir

cle

the

wo

rd in

lin

e 21

6th

at Z

aro

ff u

ses

to d

escr

ibe

Co

ssac

ks. N

ow

, rea

d o

nth

rou

gh

lin

e 21

9. W

hat

do

Zaro

ff’s

rem

arks

su

gg

est

abo

ut

ho

w h

e h

imse

lf w

illb

ehav

e la

ter

in t

he

sto

ry?

Notes

Zaro

ff w

ill p

rob

ably

beh

ave

like

a ru

thle

ss

sava

ge.

wer

e re

al e

nou

gh;t

he m

assi

ve d

oor

wit

h a

leer

ing

garg

oyle

for

a

knoc

ker

was

rea

l en

ough

;yet

abo

ut

it a

ll hu

ng

an a

ir o

fu

nre

alit

y.

He

lifte

d th

e kn

ocke

r,an

d it

cre

aked

up

stif

fly,

as if

it h

ad

nev

er b

efor

e be

en u

sed.

He

let

it f

all,

and

it s

tart

led

him

wit

h it

s

boom

ing

lou

dnes

s.

He

thou

ght

he

hea

rd s

teps

wit

hin

;th

e do

or r

emai

ned

clos

ed.A

gain

Rai

nsf

ord

lifte

d th

e h

eavy

kn

ocke

r an

d le

t it

fal

l.

Th

e do

or o

pen

ed t

hen

,ope

ned

as

sudd

enly

as

ifit

wer

e on

a

spri

ng,

and

Rai

nsf

ord

stoo

d bl

inki

ng

in t

he

rive

r of

glar

ing

gold

ligh

t th

at p

oure

d ou

t.T

he

firs

t th

ing

Rai

nsf

ord’

s ey

es d

isce

rned

was

th

e la

rges

t m

an R

ain

sfor

d h

ad e

ver

seen—

a gi

gan

tic

crea

-

ture

,sol

idly

mad

e an

d bl

ack-

bear

ded

to t

he

wai

st.I

n h

is h

and

the

man

hel

d a

lon

g-ba

rrel

ed r

evol

ver,

and

he

was

poi

nti

ng

it

stra

igh

t at

Rai

nsf

ord’

s h

eart

.

Ou

t of

the

snar

l of

bear

d tw

o sm

all e

yes

rega

rded

Rai

nsf

ord.

“Don

’t b

e al

arm

ed,”

said

Rai

nsf

ord,

wit

h a

sm

ile w

hic

h

he

hop

ed w

as d

isar

min

g.“I

’m n

o ro

bber

.I f

ell o

ffa

yach

t.M

y

nam

e is

San

ger

Rai

nsf

ord

ofN

ew Y

ork

Cit

y.”

Th

e m

enac

ing

look

in t

he

eyes

did

not

ch

ange

.Th

e re

volv

er

poin

ted

as r

igid

ly a

s if

the

gian

t w

ere

a st

atu

e.H

e ga

ve n

o si

gn

that

he

un

ders

tood

Rai

nsf

ord’

s w

ords

or

that

he

had

eve

n h

eard

them

.He

was

dre

ssed

in u

nif

orm

,a b

lack

un

ifor

m t

rim

med

wit

h g

ray

astr

akh

an.7

“I’m

San

ger

Rai

nsf

ord

ofN

ew Y

ork,

”R

ain

sfor

d be

gan

agai

n.“

I fe

ll of

fa

yach

t.I

am h

un

gry.”

Th

e m

an’s

on

ly a

nsw

er w

as t

o ra

ise

wit

h h

is t

hum

b th

e

ham

mer

of

his

rev

olve

r.T

hen

Rai

nsf

ord

saw

th

e m

an’s

fre

e h

and

go t

o h

is f

oreh

ead

in a

mili

tary

sal

ute

,an

d h

e sa

w h

im c

lick

his

hee

ls t

oget

her

an

d st

and

at a

tten

tion

.An

oth

er m

an w

as c

omin

g

dow

n t

he

broa

d m

arbl

e st

eps,

an e

rect

,sle

nde

r m

an in

eve

nin

g

clot

hes

.He

adva

nce

d to

Rai

nsf

ord

and

hel

d ou

t h

is h

and.

In a

cu

ltiv

ated

voi

ce m

arke

d by

a s

ligh

t ac

cen

t th

at g

ave

it a

dded

pre

cisi

on a

nd

delib

erat

enes

s,h

e sa

id:“

It is

a v

ery

grea

t

170

180

190


12

Co

llect

ion

1:

Plo

t an

d S

etti

ng

Part

1

Her

e’s

a co

nfl

ict

in li

nes

17

6 -17

8. Is

it e

xter

nal

or

inte

rnal

?Ex

pla

in.

dis

arm

ing

(dis

•är

m≈i«

) ad

j.:re

mo

vin

g o

r le

ssen

ing

su

spi-

cio

ns

or

fear

s.

Dis-

is a

pre

fix

mea

nin

g“t

ake

away

; dep

rive

of.

”Li

tera

lly, d

isar

mm

ean

s “t

ake

away

wea

po

ns

or

arm

s.”

Wh

at d

oes

dis

com

fort

mea

n?

7.as

trak

han

(as√

tr¥·

k¥n

) n

.:cu

rly

fur

of

very

yo

un

g la

mb

s.

This

is a

n e

xter

nal

con

flic

t—m

an v

ersu

s

man

.

“dep

rive

of

com

fort

”



“Did

he

char

ge y

ou?”

“Hu

rled

me

agai

nst

a t

ree,

”sa

id t

he

gen

eral

.“Fr

actu

red

my

sku

ll.B

ut

Igo

t th

e br

ute

.”

“I’v

e al

way

s th

ough

t,”sa

id R

ain

sfor

d,“t

hat

th

e C

ape

buff

alo

is t

he

mos

t da

nge

rou

s of

all b

ig g

ame.

”

For

a m

omen

t th

e ge

ner

al d

id n

ot r

eply

;he

was

sm

ilin

g

his

cu

riou

s re

d-lip

ped

smile

.Th

en h

e sa

id s

low

ly:“

No.

You

are

wro

ng,

sir.

Th

e C

ape

buff

alo

is n

ot t

he

mos

t da

nge

rou

s bi

g

gam

e.”

He

sipp

ed h

is w

ine.

“Her

e in

my

pres

erve

on

th

is is

lan

d,”

he

said

in t

he

sam

e sl

ow t

one,

“I h

un

t m

ore

dan

gero

us

gam

e.”

Rai

nsf

ord

expr

esse

d h

is s

urp

rise

.“Is

th

ere

big

gam

e on

this

isla

nd?

”

Th

e ge

ner

al n

odde

d.“T

he

bigg

est.”

“Rea

lly?”

270


The

Mo

st D

ang

ero

us

Gam

e

15

Cap

e b

uff

alo

.C

ore

l.

Notes

Notes

Pau

se a

t lin

e 27

3. W

hat

do

you

pre

dic

tth

e m

ost

dan

ger

-o

us

gam

e w

ill b

e?

Stu

den

ts m

ay p

red

ict

that

Zar

off

is t

alki

ng

abo

ut

hu

nti

ng

hu

man

bei

ng

s.

on,n

otic

ed t

hat

it c

ame

from

a L

ondo

n t

ailo

r w

ho

ordi

nar

ily

cut

and

sew

ed f

or n

one

belo

w t

he

ran

k of

duke

.

Th

e di

nin

g ro

om t

o w

hic

h I

van

con

duct

ed h

im w

as in

man

y w

ays

rem

arka

ble.

Th

ere

was

a m

edie

val m

agn

ifice

nce

abou

t it

;it

sugg

este

d a

baro

nia

l hal

l of

feu

dal t

imes

,wit

h it

s

oake

n p

anel

s,it

s h

igh

cei

ling,

its

vast

ref

ecto

ry t

able

wh

ere

two-

scor

e m

en c

ould

sit

dow

n t

o ea

t.A

bou

t th

e h

all w

ere

the

mou

nte

d h

eads

of

man

y an

imal

s—lio

ns,

tige

rs,e

leph

ants

,

moo

se,b

ears

;lar

ger

or m

ore

per

fect

sp

ecim

ens

Rai

nsf

ord

had

nev

er s

een

.At

the

grea

t ta

ble

the

gen

eral

was

sit

tin

g,al

one.

“You

’ll h

ave

a co

ckta

il,M

r.R

ain

sfor

d,”

he

sugg

este

d.T

he

cock

tail

was

su

rpas

sin

gly

good

;an

d,R

ain

sfor

d n

oted

,th

e ta

ble

appo

intm

ents

wer

e of

the

fin

est—

the

linen

,th

e cr

ysta

l,th

e

silv

er,t

he

chin

a.

Th

ey w

ere

eati

ng

bors

cht,

the

rich

red

sou

p w

ith

sou

r

crea

m s

o de

ar t

o R

uss

ian

pal

ates

.Hal

fap

olog

etic

ally

Gen

eral

Zar

off

said

:“W

e do

ou

r be

st t

o pr

eser

ve t

he

amen

itie

s9of

civi

-

lizat

ion

her

e.P

leas

e fo

rgiv

e an

y la

pses

.We

are

wel

l off

the

beat

en

trac

k,yo

u k

now

.Do

you

th

ink

the

cham

pagn

e h

as s

uff

ered

fro

m

its

lon

g oc

ean

tri

p?”

“Not

in t

he

leas

t,”de

clar

ed R

ain

sfor

d.H

e w

as fi

ndi

ng

the

gen

eral

a m

ost

thou

ghtf

ul a

nd

affa

ble

hos

t,a

tru

e co

smop

olit

e.10

Bu

t th

ere

was

on

e sm

all t

rait

of

the

gen

eral

’s t

hat

mad

e

Rai

nsf

ord

un

com

fort

able

.Wh

enev

er h

e lo

oked

up

from

his

pla

te

he

fou

nd

the

gen

eral

stu

dyin

g h

im,a

ppra

isin

g h

im n

arro

wly

.

“Per

hap

s,”sa

id G

ener

al Z

arof

f,“y

ou w

ere

surp

rise

d th

at

Ire

cogn

ized

you

r n

ame.

You

see

,I r

ead

all b

ooks

on

hu

nti

ng

publ

ish

ed in

En

glis

h,F

ren

ch,a

nd

Ru

ssia

n.I

hav

e bu

t on

e

pass

ion

in m

y lif

e,M

r.R

ain

sfor

d,an

d it

is t

he

hun

t.”

“You

hav

e so

me

won

derf

ul h

eads

her

e,”

said

Rai

nsf

ord

as h

e at

e a

part

icu

larl

y w

ell-

cook

ed fi

let

mig

non

.“T

hat

Cap

e

buff

alo

is t

he

larg

est

I ev

er s

aw.”

“Oh

,th

at f

ello

w.Y

es,h

e w

as a

mon

ster

.”

240

250

260


14

Co

llect

ion

1:

Plo

t an

d S

etti

ng

Part

1

Rea

d t

he

bo

xed

pas

sag

eal

ou

d t

wo

tim

es. T

ry t

oim

pro

ve t

he

spee

d a

nd

smo

oth

nes

s o

f yo

ur

del

iver

yo

n y

ou

r se

con

d r

ead

.

Wh

en y

ou

ap

pra

ise

som

e-th

ing

, yo

u e

stim

ate

its

valu

e.W

hy

mig

ht

the

gen

eral

be

app

rais

ing

Rai

nsf

ord

(lin

e25

5)?

9.am

enit

ies

(¥·m

en√¥

·t≤z

) n

.:co

mfo

rts

and

co

nve

nie

nce

s.10

.co

smo

po

lite

(käz

·mäp

√¥·l¢

t≈)

n.:

kno

wle

dg

eab

le c

itiz

en o

f th

e w

orl

d.

Sam

ple

res

po

nse

: Th

e

gen

eral

may

be

sizi

ng

up

Rai

nsf

ord

bec

ause

he

is a

fam

ou

s h

un

ter.



in e

very

lan

d.It

wou

ld b

e im

poss

ible

for

me

to t

ell y

ou h

ow

man

y an

imal

s I

hav

e ki

lled.

”

Th

e ge

ner

al p

uff

ed a

t h

is c

igar

ette

.

“Aft

er t

he

deba

cle13

in R

uss

ia I

left

th

e co

un

try,

for

it w

as

impr

ude

nt

for

an o

ffice

r of

the

czar

to

stay

the

re.M

any

nob

le

Ru

ssia

ns

lost

eve

ryth

ing.

I,lu

ckily

,had

inve

sted

hea

vily

in

Am

eric

an s

ecu

riti

es,s

o I

shal

l nev

er h

ave

to o

pen

a t

earo

om

in M

onte

Car

lo14

or d

rive

a t

axi i

n P

aris

.Nat

ura

lly,I

con

tin

ued

to h

un

t—gr

izzl

ies

in y

our

Roc

kies

,cro

codi

les

in t

he

Gan

ges,

15

rhin

ocer

oses

in E

ast

Afr

ica.

It w

as in

Afr

ica

that

th

e C

ape

buff

alo

hit

me

and

laid

me

up

for

six

mon

ths.

As

soon

as

I re

cove

red

I st

arte

d fo

r th

e A

maz

on t

o hu

nt

jagu

ars,

for

Ih

ad h

eard

th

ey

wer

e u

nu

sual

ly c

un

nin

g.T

hey

wer

en’t

.”T

he

Cos

sack

sig

hed

.

“Th

ey w

ere

no

mat

ch a

t al

l for

a h

un

ter

wit

h h

is w

its

abou

t h

im

and

a h

igh

-pow

ered

rif

le.I

was

bit

terl

y di

sapp

oin

ted.

I w

as ly

ing

in m

y te

nt

wit

h a

spl

itti

ng

hea

dach

e on

e n

igh

t w

hen

a t

erri

ble

thou

ght

push

ed it

s w

ay in

to m

y m

ind.

Hu

nti

ng

was

beg

inn

ing

to b

ore

me!

An

d hu

nti

ng,

rem

embe

r,h

ad b

een

my

life.

I h

ave

hea

rd t

hat

in A

mer

ica

busi

nes

smen

oft

en g

o to

pie

ces

wh

en t

hey

give

up

the

busi

nes

s th

at h

as b

een

th

eir

life.

”

“Yes

,th

at’s

so,

”sa

id R

ain

sfor

d.

Th

e ge

ner

al s

mile

d.“I

had

no

wis

h t

o go

to

piec

es,”

he

said

.“I

mu

st d

o so

met

hin

g.N

ow,m

ine

is a

n a

nal

ytic

al m

ind,

Mr.

Rai

nsf

ord.

Dou

btle

ss t

hat

is w

hy I

en

joy

the

prob

lem

s of

the

chas

e.”

“No

dou

bt,G

ener

al Z

arof

f.”

“So,

”co

nti

nu

ed t

he

gen

eral

,“I

aske

d m

ysel

fw

hy t

he

hun

t

no

lon

ger

fasc

inat

ed m

e.Yo

u a

re m

uch

you

nge

r th

an I

am

,

Mr.

Rai

nsf

ord,

and

hav

e n

ot h

un

ted

as m

uch

,bu

t yo

u p

erh

aps

can

gu

ess

the

answ

er.”

“Wh

at w

as it

?”

310

320

330

340


The

Mo

st D

ang

ero

us

Gam

e

17

13.

deb

acle

(di·b

ä√k¥

l) n

.:o

verw

hel

min

g d

efea

t. Z

aro

ff is

ref

erri

ng

to

th

eR

uss

ian

Rev

olu

tio

n o

f 19

17, i

n w

hic

h t

he

czar

an

d h

is g

ove

rnm

ent

wer

e o

vert

hro

wn

.14

.M

on

te C

arlo

(män

t√¥

kär≈

l£):

gam

blin

g r

eso

rt in

Mo

nac

o, a

co

un

try

on

th

e M

edit

erra

nea

n S

ea.

15.

Gan

ges

(gan

√j≤z)

: riv

er in

no

rth

ern

Ind

ia a

nd

Ban

gla

des

h.

imp

rud

ent

(im

•p

rºd

≈¥n

t)ad

j.:u

nw

ise.

Im-

is a

pre

fix

mea

nin

g“n

ot.

” Im

pru

den

tm

ean

s“n

ot

pru

den

t.”

Wh

at d

oes

imm

atu

rem

ean

?

An

idio

mis

an

exp

ress

ion

that

mea

ns

som

eth

ing

dif

fer-

ent

fro

m t

he

liter

al d

efin

i-ti

on

s o

f it

s p

arts

. Cir

cle

the

idio

m in

lin

e 32

8. W

hat

do

esit

mea

n?

“no

t m

atu

re”

Sam

ple

res

po

nse

:

“bec

om

e ve

ry

dep

ress

ed”

“Oh

,it

isn’

t h

ere

nat

ura

lly,o

fco

urs

e.I

hav

e to

sto

ck

the

isla

nd.

”

“Wh

at h

ave

you

impo

rted

,gen

eral

?”R

ain

sfor

d as

ked.

“Tig

ers?

”

Th

e ge

ner

al s

mile

d.“N

o,”

he

said

.“H

un

tin

g ti

gers

cea

sed

to in

tere

st m

e so

me

year

s ag

o.I

exh

aust

ed t

hei

r po

ssib

iliti

es,

you

see

.No

thri

ll le

ft in

tig

ers,

no

real

dan

ger.

I liv

e fo

r da

nge

r,

Mr.

Rai

nsf

ord.

”

Th

e ge

ner

al t

ook

from

his

poc

ket

a go

ld c

igar

ette

cas

e an

d

offe

red

his

gu

est

a lo

ng

blac

k ci

gare

tte

wit

h a

silv

er t

ip;i

t w

as

perf

um

ed a

nd

gave

off

a sm

ell l

ike

ince

nse

.

“We

will

hav

e so

me

capi

tal h

un

tin

g,yo

u a

nd

I,”sa

id t

he

gen

eral

.“I

shal

l be

mos

t gl

ad t

o h

ave

you

r so

ciet

y.”

“Bu

t w

hat

gam

e—”

bega

n R

ain

sfor

d.

“I’ll

tel

l you

,”sa

id t

he

gen

eral

.“Yo

u w

ill b

e am

use

d,I

know

.

I th

ink

I m

ay s

ay,i

n a

ll m

odes

ty,t

hat

I h

ave

don

e a

rare

th

ing.

I

hav

e in

ven

ted

a n

ew s

ensa

tion

.May

I p

our

you

an

oth

er g

lass

of

port

,Mr.

Rai

nsf

ord?

”

“Th

ank

you

,gen

eral

.”

Th

e ge

ner

al fi

lled

both

gla

sses

an

d sa

id:“

God

mak

es s

ome

men

poe

ts.S

ome

He

mak

es k

ings

,som

e be

ggar

s.M

e H

e m

ade

a hu

nte

r.M

y h

and

was

mad

e fo

r th

e tr

igge

r,m

y fa

ther

sai

d.

He

was

a v

ery

rich

man

,wit

h a

qu

arte

r of

a m

illio

n a

cres

in t

he

Cri

mea

,11an

d h

e w

as a

n a

rden

t sp

orts

man

.Wh

en I

was

on

ly fi

ve

year

s ol

d,h

e ga

ve m

e a

littl

e gu

n,s

peci

ally

mad

e in

Mos

cow

for

me,

to s

hoo

t sp

arro

ws

wit

h.W

hen

Ish

ot s

ome

ofh

is p

rize

turk

eys

wit

h it

,he

did

not

pu

nis

h m

e;h

e co

mpl

imen

ted

me

on

my

mar

ksm

ansh

ip.I

kill

ed m

y fi

rst

bear

in t

he

Cau

casu

s12w

hen

I w

as t

en.M

y w

hol

e lif

e h

as b

een

on

e p

rolo

nge

dhu

nt.

Iw

ent

into

th

e ar

my—

it w

as e

xpec

ted

ofn

oble

men

’s s

ons—

and

for

a ti

me

com

man

ded

a di

visi

on o

fC

ossa

ck c

aval

ry,b

ut

my

real

inte

rest

was

alw

ays

the

hun

t.I

hav

e hu

nte

d ev

ery

kin

d of

gam

e

280

290

300


16

Co

llect

ion

1:

Plo

t an

d S

etti

ng

Part

1

Notes

Notes

No

tice

th

e se

qu

ence

of

even

ts a

s Za

roff

tel

ls a

bo

ut

his

pas

t. U

nd

erlin

e th

e w

ord

sin

lin

es 3

01-

302

that

tel

lw

hen

he

rece

ived

his

fir

stg

un

. Un

der

line

the

wo

rds

inlin

es 3

05-

306

that

tel

l wh

enh

e sh

ot

his

fir

st b

ear.

Un

der

line

the

wo

rds

in li

ne

313

that

tel

l wh

en h

e le

ftR

uss

ia.

pro

lon

ged

(pr£

•lo

«d

√) v

. u

sed

as

adj.:

exte

nd

ed.

11.

Cri

mea

(kr¢

·m≤√

¥): p

enin

sula

in U

krai

ne

jutt

ing

into

th

e B

lack

Sea

.12

.C

auca

sus

(kô

√k¥·

s¥s)

: mo

un

tain

ou

s re

gio

n b

etw

een

so

uth

east

ern

Euro

pe

and

wes

tern

Asi

a.



“Bu

t yo

u c

an’t

mea

n—

”ga

sped

Rai

nsf

ord.

“An

d w

hy n

ot?”

“I c

an’t

bel

ieve

you

are

ser

iou

s,G

ener

al Z

arof

f.T

his

is a

gris

ly jo

ke.”

“Why

sh

ould

In

ot b

e se

riou

s? I

am

spe

akin

g of

hun

tin

g.”

“Hu

nti

ng?

Goo

d G

od,G

ener

al Z

arof

f,w

hat

you

spe

ak o

f

is m

urd

er.”

Th

e ge

ner

al la

ugh

ed w

ith

en

tire

goo

d n

atu

re.H

e re

gard

ed

Rai

nsf

ord

quiz

zica

lly.“

I re

fuse

to

belie

ve t

hat

so

mod

ern

an

d

civi

lized

a y

oun

g m

an a

s yo

u s

eem

to

be h

arbo

rs r

oman

tic

idea

s ab

out

the

valu

e of

hum

an li

fe.S

ure

ly y

our

expe

rien

ces

in t

he

war—

”

“Did

not

mak

e m

e co

ndo

ne16

cold

bloo

ded

mu

rder

,”

fin

ish

ed R

ain

sfor

d st

iffl

y.

Lau

ghte

r sh

ook

the

gen

eral

.“H

ow e

xtra

ordi

nar

ily d

roll

you

are

!”h

e sa

id.“

On

e do

es n

ot e

xpec

t n

owad

ays

to fi

nd

a

you

ng

man

of

the

edu

cate

d cl

ass,

even

in A

mer

ica,

wit

h s

uch

a

nai

ve,a

nd,

ifI

may

say

so,

mid

-Vic

tori

an p

oin

t of

view

.It’s

like

fin

din

g a

snu

ffbo

x in

a li

mou

sin

e.A

h,w

ell,

dou

btle

ss y

ou h

ad

Pu

rita

n a

nce

stor

s.So

man

y A

mer

ican

s ap

pear

to

hav

e h

ad.I

’ll

wag

er y

ou’ll

for

get

you

r n

otio

ns

wh

en y

ou g

o hu

nti

ng

wit

h m

e.

You’

ve a

gen

uin

e n

ew t

hri

ll in

sto

re f

or y

ou,M

r.R

ain

sfor

d.”

“Th

ank

you

,I’m

a h

un

ter,

not

a m

urd

erer

.”

“Dea

r m

e,”

said

th

e ge

ner

al,q

uit

e u

nru

ffled

,“ag

ain

th

at

un

plea

san

t w

ord.

Bu

t I

thin

k I

can

sh

ow y

ou t

hat

you

r sc

rupl

es17

are

quit

e ill

-fou

nde

d.”

“Yes

?”

“Lif

e is

for

th

e st

ron

g,to

be

lived

by

the

stro

ng,

and

ifn

eed

be,t

aken

by

the

stro

ng.

Th

e w

eak

ofth

e w

orld

wer

e pu

t h

ere

to

give

th

e st

ron

g pl

easu

re.I

am

str

ong.

Why

sh

ould

I n

ot u

se m

y

gift

? If

I w

ish

to

hun

t,w

hy s

hou

ld I

not

? I

hun

t th

e sc

um

of

the

eart

h—

sailo

rs f

rom

tra

mp

ship

s—la

scar

s,18

blac

ks,C

hin

ese,

380

390

400


The

Mo

st D

ang

ero

us

Gam

e

19

Pau

se a

t lin

e 38

2, a

nd

co

n-

firm

yo

ur

pre

dic

tio

n. W

hat

isth

e g

ame

that

Zar

off

hu

nts

?

un

ruff

led

(un

•ru

f√¥l

d)

adj.:

calm

; n

ot

dis

turb

ed.

Un-

is a

pre

fix

mea

nin

g“n

ot.

” W

hat

wo

rd in

lin

e 40

0al

so u

ses

this

pre

fix?

Use

u

n-

to g

ive

thes

e w

ord

s th

e o

pp

osi

te m

ean

ing

: kin

d,

nec

essa

ry, a

ble

.

16.

con

do

ne

(k¥n

·d£

n√)

v.:

ove

rlo

ok

an o

ffen

se; e

xcu

se.

17.

scru

ple

s(s

krº

√p¥l

z) n

.:fe

elin

gs

of

do

ub

t o

r g

uilt

ab

ou

t a

sug

ges

ted

acti

on

.18

.la

scar

s(l

as√k

¥rz)

n.:

East

Ind

ian

sai

lors

em

plo

yed

on

Eu

rop

ean

sh

ips.

un

ple

asan

t; u

nki

nd

,

un

nec

essa

ry, u

nab

le

hu

man

bei

ng

s

“Sim

ply

this

:Hu

nti

ng

had

cea

sed

to b

e w

hat

you

cal

l a

spor

tin

g pr

opos

itio

n.I

t h

ad b

ecom

e to

o ea

sy.I

alw

ays

got

my

quar

ry.A

lway

s.T

her

e is

no

grea

ter

bore

th

an p

erfe

ctio

n.”

Th

e ge

ner

al li

t a

fres

h c

igar

ette

.

“No

anim

al h

ad a

ch

ance

wit

h m

e an

ymor

e.T

hat

is n

o

boas

t;it

is a

mat

hem

atic

al c

erta

inty

.Th

e an

imal

had

not

hin

g

but

his

legs

an

d h

is in

stin

ct.I

nst

inct

is n

o m

atch

for

rea

son

.

Wh

en I

th

ough

t of

this

,it

was

a t

ragi

c m

omen

t fo

r m

e,I

can

tell

you

.”

Rai

nsf

ord

lean

ed a

cros

s th

e ta

ble,

abso

rbed

in w

hat

his

hos

t

was

say

ing.

“It

cam

e to

me

as a

n in

spir

atio

n w

hat

I m

ust

do,

”th

e

gen

eral

wen

t on

.

“An

d th

at w

as?”

Th

e ge

ner

al s

mile

d th

e qu

iet

smile

of

one

wh

o h

as f

aced

an

obst

acle

an

d su

rmou

nte

dit

wit

h s

ucc

ess.

“I h

ad t

o in

ven

t a

new

anim

al t

o hu

nt,”

he

said

.

“A n

ew a

nim

al?

You’

re jo

kin

g.”

“Not

at

all,”

said

th

e ge

ner

al.“

I n

ever

joke

abo

ut

hun

tin

g.

In

eede

d a

new

an

imal

.I f

oun

d on

e.So

I b

ough

t th

is is

lan

d,

built

th

is h

ouse

,an

d h

ere

Ido

my

hun

tin

g.T

he

isla

nd

is p

erfe

ct

for

my

purp

oses—

ther

e ar

e ju

ngl

es w

ith

a m

aze

oftr

ails

in

them

,hill

s,sw

amps—

”

“Bu

t th

e an

imal

,Gen

eral

Zar

off?

”

“Oh

,”sa

id t

he

gen

eral

,“it

su

pplie

s m

e w

ith

th

e m

ost

exci

t-

ing

hun

tin

g in

th

e w

orld

.No

oth

er h

un

tin

g co

mpa

res

wit

h it

for

an in

stan

t.Ev

ery

day

I hu

nt,

and

I n

ever

gro

w b

ored

now

,for

I h

ave

a qu

arry

wit

h w

hic

h I

can

mat

ch m

y w

its.”

Rai

nsf

ord’

s be

wild

erm

ent

show

ed in

his

fac

e.

“I w

ante

d th

e id

eal a

nim

al t

o hu

nt,”

expl

ain

ed t

he

gen

eral

.

“So

I sa

id:‘

Wh

at a

re t

he

attr

ibu

tes

ofan

idea

l qu

arry

?’A

nd

the

answ

er w

as,o

fco

urs

e:‘I

t m

ust

hav

e co

ura

ge,c

un

nin

g,an

d,

abov

e al

l,it

mu

st b

e ab

le t

o re

ason

.’”

“Bu

t n

o an

imal

can

rea

son

,”ob

ject

ed R

ain

sfor

d.

“My

dear

fel

low

,”sa

id t

he

gen

eral

,“th

ere

is o

ne

that

can

.”

350

360

370


18

Co

llect

ion

1:

Plo

t an

d S

etti

ng

Part

1

Notes

Notes

surm

ou

nte

d(s

¥r•m

¡n

t√id

) v.

:o

verc

ame.

Pau

se a

t lin

e 35

7. W

hat

cou

ld t

his

“n

ew a

nim

al”

be?

a h

um

an b

ein

g



gen

eral

pre

ssed

a b

utt

on,f

ar o

ut

to s

ea R

ain

sfor

d sa

w t

he

flas

h

oflig

hts

.

Th

e ge

ner

al c

huck

led.

“Th

ey in

dica

te a

ch

ann

el,”

he

said

,

“wh

ere

ther

e’s

non

e;gi

ant

rock

s w

ith

raz

or e

dges

cro

uch

like

a

sea

mon

ster

wit

h w

ide-

open

jaw

s.T

hey

can

cru

sh a

sh

ip a

s ea

si-

ly a

s I

cru

sh t

his

nu

t.”H

e dr

oppe

d a

wal

nu

t on

th

e h

ardw

ood

floo

r an

d br

ough

t h

is h

eel g

rin

din

g do

wn

on

it.“

Oh

,yes

,”h

e

said

,cas

ual

ly,a

s if

in a

nsw

er t

o a

ques

tion

,“I

hav

e el

ectr

icit

y.

We

try

to b

e ci

viliz

ed h

ere.

”

“Civ

ilize

d? A

nd

you

sh

oot

dow

n m

en?”

A t

race

of

ange

r w

as in

th

e ge

ner

al’s

bla

ck e

yes,

but

it w

as

ther

e fo

r bu

t a

seco

nd,

and

he

said

,in

his

mos

t pl

easa

nt

man

ner

:

“Dea

r m

e,w

hat

a r

igh

teou

s yo

un

g m

an y

ou a

re! I

ass

ure

you

I do

not

do

the

thin

g yo

u s

ugg

est.

Th

at w

ould

be

barb

arou

s.

I tr

eat

thes

e vi

sito

rs w

ith

eve

ry c

onsi

dera

tion

.Th

ey g

et p

len

ty

ofgo

od f

ood

and

exer

cise

.Th

ey g

et in

to s

plen

did

phys

ical

con

-

diti

on.Y

ou s

hal

l see

for

you

rsel

fto

mor

row

.”

“Wh

at d

o yo

u m

ean

?”

“We’

ll vi

sit

my

trai

nin

g sc

hoo

l,”sm

iled

the

gen

eral

.“It

’s in

the

cella

r.I

hav

e ab

out

a do

zen

pu

pils

dow

n t

her

e n

ow.T

hey

’re

from

th

e Sp

anis

h b

ark

San

Luca

rth

at h

ad t

he

bad

luck

to

go o

n

the

rock

s ou

t th

ere.

A v

ery

infe

rior

lot,

I re

gret

to

say.

Poor

spec

imen

s an

d m

ore

accu

stom

ed t

o th

e de

ck t

han

to

the

jun

gle.

”

He

rais

ed h

is h

and,

and

Ivan

,wh

o se

rved

as

wai

ter,

brou

ght

thic

k Tu

rkis

h c

offe

e.R

ain

sfor

d,w

ith

an

eff

ort,

hel

d h

is t

ongu

e

in c

hec

k.

“It’s

a g

ame,

you

see

,”pu

rsu

ed t

he g

ener

al b

lan

dly.

“I s

ugg

est

to o

ne

ofth

em t

hat

we

go h

un

tin

g.I

give

him

a s

upp

ly o

ffo

od

and

an e

xcel

len

t hu

nti

ng

knif

e.I

give

him

thr

ee h

ours

’sta

rt.I

am

to f

ollo

w,a

rmed

on

ly w

ith

a pi

stol

of

the

smal

lest

cal

iber

an

d

ran

ge.I

fm

y qu

arry

elu

des

me

for

thre

e w

hole

day

s,he

win

s th

e

gam

e.If

I fi

nd

him

”—th

e ge

ner

al s

mile

d—“h

e lo

ses.”

“Su

ppos

e h

e re

fuse

s to

be

hun

ted?

”

“Oh

,”sa

id t

he

gen

eral

,“I

give

him

his

opt

ion

,of

cou

rse.

He

nee

d n

ot p

lay

that

gam

e if

he

does

n’t

wis

h t

o.If

he

does

not

430

440

450


The

Mo

st D

ang

ero

us

Gam

e

21

Ho

w d

oes

Zar

off

fin

d m

en t

oh

un

t (l

ines

422-

432)

?

The

wo

rd g

ame

in li

ne

450

mea

ns

“co

mp

etit

ion

fo

ram

use

men

t.”

Wh

at a

sso

cia-

tio

ns

com

e to

min

d w

hen

you

hea

r th

e w

ord

gam

e?W

hat

imp

ress

ion

do

yo

ufo

rm o

f Za

roff

wh

en h

e u

ses

this

wo

rd t

o d

escr

ibe

hu

nti

ng

men

?

Sug

ges

ted

res

po

nse

:

Gam

eb

rin

gs

to m

ind

pla

y an

d li

gh

thea

rted

fun

. Zar

off

’s u

se o

f th

is

wo

rd t

o d

escr

ibe

hu

nt-

ing

men

su

gg

ests

th

at

he

is c

old

blo

od

ed a

nd

hea

rtle

ss.

Zaro

ff u

ses

fals

e

sig

nal

s to

sh

ipw

reck

his

“g

ame.

”

wh

ites

,mon

grel

s—a

thor

ough

bred

hor

se o

r h

oun

d is

wor

th

mor

e th

an a

sco

re o

fth

em.”

“Bu

t th

ey a

re m

en,”

said

Rai

nsf

ord

hot

ly.

“Pre

cise

ly,”

said

th

e ge

ner

al.“

Th

at is

why

Iu

se t

hem

.

It g

ives

me

plea

sure

.Th

ey c

an r

easo

n,a

fter

a f

ash

ion

.So

they

are

dan

gero

us.”

“Bu

t w

her

e do

you

get

th

em?”

Th

e ge

ner

al’s

left

eye

lid f

lutt

ered

dow

n in

a w

ink.

“Th

is

isla

nd

is c

alle

d Sh

ip-T

rap,

”h

e an

swer

ed.“

Som

etim

es a

n a

ngr

y

god

ofth

e h

igh

sea

s se

nds

th

em t

o m

e.So

met

imes

,wh

en

Pro

vide

nce

is n

ot s

o ki

nd,

Ih

elp

Pro

vide

nce

a b

it.C

ome

to

the

win

dow

wit

h m

e.”

Rai

nsf

ord

wen

t to

th

e w

indo

w a

nd

look

ed o

ut

tow

ard

the

sea. “W

atch

! Ou

t th

ere!

”ex

clai

med

th

e ge

ner

al,p

oin

tin

g in

to

the

nig

ht.

Rai

nsf

ord’

s ey

es s

aw o

nly

bla

ckn

ess,

and

then

,as

the

410

420


20

Co

llect

ion

1:

Plo

t an

d S

etti

ng

Part

1

Pau

se a

t lin

e 41

0. It

’s c

lear

that

Rai

nsf

ord

an

d Z

aro

ff d

is-

agre

e ab

ou

t th

e “s

po

rt”

of

hu

nti

ng

men

. Ho

w d

o y

ou

thin

k th

ey w

ill s

olv

e th

eir

con

flic

t?

Co

rel.

They

will

pro

bab

ly

fig

ht

each

oth

er o

r

hav

e to

ou

twit

eac

h

oth

er.



Rai

nsf

ord

was

hu

rryi

ng

from

th

e ro

om.

“Sor

ry y

ou c

an’t

go

wit

h m

e to

nig

ht,”

calle

d th

e ge

ner

al.

“I e

xpec

t ra

ther

fai

r sp

ort—

a bi

g,st

ron

g bl

ack.

He

look

s

reso

urc

efu

l—W

ell,

good

nig

ht,

Mr.

Rai

nsf

ord;

Ih

ope

you

hav

e

a go

od n

igh

t’s r

est.”

Th

e be

d w

as g

ood

and

the

paja

mas

of

the

soft

est

silk

,an

d

he

was

tir

ed in

eve

ry fi

ber

ofh

is b

ein

g,bu

t n

ever

thel

ess

Rai

nsf

ord

cou

ld n

ot q

uie

t h

is b

rain

wit

h t

he

opia

te23

ofsl

eep.

He

lay,

eyes

wid

e op

en.O

nce

he

thou

ght

he

hea

rd s

teal

thy

step

s

in t

he

corr

idor

ou

tsid

e h

is r

oom

.He

sou

ght

to t

hro

w o

pen

th

e

door

;it

wou

ld n

ot o

pen

.He

wen

t to

th

e w

indo

w a

nd

look

ed

out.

His

roo

m w

as h

igh

up

in o

ne

ofth

e to

wer

s.T

he

ligh

ts o

f

the

chât

eau

wer

e ou

t n

ow,a

nd

it w

as d

ark

and

sile

nt,

but

ther

e

was

a f

ragm

ent

ofsa

llow

moo

n,a

nd

by it

s w

an li

ght

he

cou

ld

see,

dim

ly,t

he

cou

rtya

rd;t

her

e,w

eavi

ng

in a

nd

out

in t

he

pat-

tern

of

shad

ow,w

ere

blac

k,n

oise

less

for

ms;

the

hou

nds

hea

rd

him

at

the

win

dow

an

d lo

oked

up,

expe

ctan

tly,

wit

h t

hei

r gr

een

eyes

.Rai

nsf

ord

wen

t ba

ck t

o th

e be

d an

d la

y do

wn

.By

man

y

met

hod

s h

e tr

ied

to p

ut

him

self

to s

leep

.He

had

ach

ieve

d a

doze

wh

en,j

ust

as

mor

nin

g be

gan

to

com

e,h

e h

eard

,far

off

in

the

jun

gle,

the

fain

t re

port

of

a pi

stol

.

Gen

eral

Zar

off

did

not

app

ear

un

til l

un

cheo

n.H

e w

as

dres

sed

fau

ltle

ssly

in t

he

twee

ds o

fa

cou

ntr

y sq

uir

e.H

e w

as

solic

itou

s ab

out

the

stat

e of

Rai

nsf

ord’

s h

ealt

h.

“As

for

me,

”si

ghed

th

e ge

ner

al,“

I do

not

fee

l so

wel

l.I

am

wor

ried

,Mr.

Rai

nsf

ord.

Last

nig

ht

Ide

tect

ed t

race

s of

my

old

com

plai

nt.”

To R

ain

sfor

d’s

ques

tion

ing

glan

ce t

he

gen

eral

sai

d:“E

nn

ui.

Bor

edom

.”

Th

en,t

akin

g a

seco

nd

hel

pin

g of

crêp

es s

uze

tte,

24th

e

gen

eral

exp

lain

ed:“

Th

e hu

nti

ng

was

not

goo

d la

st n

igh

t.T

he

490

500

510

520


The

Mo

st D

ang

ero

us

Gam

e

23

23.

op

iate

(£√p

≤·it

) n

.:an

yth

ing

th

at t

end

s to

so

oth

e o

r ca

lm s

om

eon

e.A

n o

pia

te m

ay a

lso

be

a m

edic

ine

con

tain

ing

op

ium

or

a re

late

dd

rug

use

d t

o r

elie

ve p

ain

.24

.cr

êpes

su

zett

e(k

r†p

sº·z

et√)

n.:

thin

pan

cake

s fo

lded

in a

ho

to

ran

ge-

flav

ore

d s

auce

an

d s

erve

d in

fla

min

g b

ran

dy.

Wh

at c

on

text

clu

e te

lls y

ou

the

mea

nin

g o

f en

nu

i(ä

n√w

≤≈)

in li

ne

517?

Un

der

line

it.

Des

crib

e th

e m

oo

dcr

eate

d b

yth

is s

etti

ng

(lin

es 4

98-

510)

.

Stu

den

ts s

ho

uld

un

der

stan

d t

hat

Rai

nsf

ord

is c

ut

off

fro

m t

he

wo

rld

an

d

will

hav

e to

fig

ht

Zaro

ff. T

he

men

tio

n

of

stea

lth

y st

eps,

th

e

jun

gle

so

un

ds,

th

e

gu

ard

ho

un

ds,

an

d

the

pis

tol s

ho

t cr

eate

a m

oo

d o

f te

nsi

on

and

fea

r.

wis

h t

o hu

nt,

Itu

rn h

im o

ver

to I

van

.Iva

n o

nce

had

th

e h

onor

ofse

rvin

g as

offi

cial

kn

oute

r19to

th

e G

reat

Wh

ite

Cza

r,an

d h

e

has

his

ow

n id

eas

ofsp

ort.

Inva

riab

ly,M

r.R

ain

sfor

d,in

vari

ably

they

ch

oose

th

e hu

nt.”

“An

d if

they

win

?”

Th

e sm

ile o

n t

he

gen

eral

’s f

ace

wid

ened

.“To

dat

e I

hav

e n

ot

lost

,”h

e sa

id.

Th

en h

e ad

ded,

has

tily

:“I

don’

t w

ish

you

to

thin

k m

e a

brag

gart

,Mr.

Rai

nsf

ord.

Man

y of

them

aff

ord

only

th

e m

ost

elem

enta

ry s

ort

ofpr

oble

m.O

ccas

ion

ally

Ist

rike

a t

arta

r.20

On

e

alm

ost

did

win

.I e

ven

tual

ly h

ad t

o u

se t

he

dogs

.”

“Th

e do

gs?”

“Th

is w

ay,p

leas

e.I’

ll sh

ow y

ou.”

Th

e ge

ner

al s

teer

ed R

ain

sfor

d to

a w

indo

w.T

he

ligh

ts f

rom

the

win

dow

s se

nt

a fl

icke

rin

g ill

um

inat

ion

th

at m

ade

grot

esqu

e

patt

ern

s on

th

e co

urt

yard

bel

ow,a

nd

Rai

nsf

ord

cou

ld s

ee m

ov-

ing

abou

t th

ere

a do

zen

or

so h

uge

bla

ck s

hap

es;a

s th

ey t

urn

ed

tow

ard

him

,th

eir

eyes

glit

tere

d gr

een

ly.

“A r

ath

er g

ood

lot,

I th

ink,

”ob

serv

ed t

he

gen

eral

.“T

hey

are

let

out

at s

even

eve

ry n

igh

t.If

anyo

ne

shou

ld t

ry t

o ge

t

into

my

hou

se—

or o

ut

ofit—

som

eth

ing

extr

emel

y re

gret

tabl

e

wou

ld o

ccu

r to

him

.”H

e hu

mm

ed a

sn

atch

of

son

g fr

om t

he

Folie

s-B

ergè

re.21

“An

d n

ow,”

said

th

e ge

ner

al,“

I w

ant

to s

how

you

my

new

colle

ctio

n o

fh

eads

.Will

you

com

e w

ith

me

to t

he

libra

ry?”

“I h

ope,

”sa

id R

ain

sfor

d,“t

hat

you

will

exc

use

me

ton

igh

t,

Gen

eral

Zar

off.

I’m

rea

lly n

ot f

eelin

g at

all

wel

l.”

“Ah,

inde

ed?”

the

gen

eral

inqu

ired

sol

icit

ousl

y.22

“Wel

l,I

sup-

pose

tha

t’s o

nly

nat

ural

,aft

er y

our

lon

g sw

im.Y

ou n

eed

a go

od,

rest

ful n

ight

’s sl

eep.

Tom

orro

w y

ou’ll

feel

like

a n

ew m

an,I

’ll

wag

er.T

hen

we’

ll hu

nt,

eh?

I’ve

on

e ra

ther

pro

mis

ing

pros

pect—

”

460

470

480


22

Co

llect

ion

1:

Plo

t an

d S

etti

ng

Part

1

inva

riab

ly(i

n•ve

r≈≤

•¥

•b

l≤)

adv.

:alw

ays;

wit

ho

ut

chan

gin

g.

Re-

read

lin

es 4

82-

490.

Wh

atd

o y

ou

pre

dic

tR

ain

sfo

rd w

illd

o n

ext?

19.

kno

ute

r(n

¡t√

¥r)

n.:

per

son

wh

o b

eats

cri

min

als

wit

h a

kn

ou

t, a

kin

do

f le

ath

er w

hip

.20

.st

rike

a t

arta

r:g

et m

ore

th

an o

ne

bar

gai

ned

fo

r. A

tar

tar

is a

vio

len

t,u

nm

anag

eab

le p

erso

n.

21.

Folie

s-B

erg

ère

(fô

√l≤b

er·¤

er≈)

: fam

ou

s n

igh

tclu

b in

Par

is.

22.

solic

ito

usl

y(s

¥·lis

√¥·t

¥s·l≤

) ad

v.:i

n a

co

nce

rned

man

ner

.

Stu

den

ts m

ay s

ay t

hat

Rai

nsf

ord

will

try

to

esca

pe

du

rin

g t

he

nig

ht

or

that

he

will

no

t h

un

t w

ith

Zar

off

in t

he

mo

rnin

g.



“An

d if

I w

in—

”be

gan

Rai

nsf

ord

husk

ily.

“I’ll

ch

eerf

ully

ack

now

ledg

e m

ysel

fde

feat

ed if

I do

not

fin

d yo

u b

y m

idn

igh

t of

the

thir

d da

y,”sa

id G

ener

al Z

arof

f.

“My

sloo

pw

ill p

lace

you

on

th

e m

ain

lan

d n

ear

a to

wn

.”

Th

e ge

ner

al r

ead

wh

at R

ain

sfor

d w

as t

hin

kin

g.

“Oh

,you

can

tru

st m

e,”

said

th

e C

ossa

ck.“

I w

ill g

ive

you

my

wor

d as

a g

entl

eman

an

d a

spor

tsm

an.O

fco

urs

e yo

u,i

n

turn

,mu

st a

gree

to

say

not

hin

g of

you

r vi

sit

her

e.”

“I’ll

agr

ee t

o n

oth

ing

ofth

e ki

nd,

”sa

id R

ain

sfor

d.

“Oh

,”sa

id t

he

gen

eral

,“in

th

at c

ase—

Bu

t w

hy d

iscu

ss t

hat

now

? T

hre

e da

ys h

ence

we

can

dis

cuss

it o

ver

a bo

ttle

of

Veu

ve

Clic

quot

,25u

nle

ss—

”

Th

e ge

ner

al s

ippe

d h

is w

ine.

Th

en a

bu

sin

essl

ike

air

anim

ated

him

.“Iv

an,”

he

said

to

Rai

nsf

ord,

“will

su

pply

you

wit

h h

un

tin

g cl

oth

es,f

ood,

a kn

ife.

I su

gges

t yo

u w

ear

moc

casi

ns;

they

leav

e a

poor

er t

rail.

I su

gges

t

too

that

you

avo

id t

he

big

swam

p in

th

e so

uth

east

cor

ner

of

the

isla

nd.

We

call

it D

eath

Sw

amp.

Th

ere’

s qu

icks

and

ther

e.

On

e fo

olis

h f

ello

w t

ried

it.T

he

depl

orab

le26

part

of

it w

as

that

Laz

aru

s fo

llow

ed h

im.Y

ou c

an im

agin

e m

y fe

elin

gs,

Mr.

Rai

nsf

ord.

Ilo

ved

Laza

rus;

he

was

th

e fi

nes

t h

oun

d in

my

pack

.Wel

l,I

mu

st b

eg y

ou t

o ex

cuse

me

now

.I a

lway

s ta

ke a

sies

ta a

fter

lun

ch.Y

ou’ll

har

dly

hav

e ti

me

for

a n

ap,I

fea

r.

You’

ll w

ant

to s

tart

,no

dou

bt.I

sh

all n

ot f

ollo

w t

ill d

usk

.

Hu

nti

ng

at n

igh

t is

so

mu

ch m

ore

exci

tin

g th

an b

y da

y,do

n’t

you

th

ink?

Au

rev

oir27

,Mr.

Rai

nsf

ord,

au r

evoi

r.”

Gen

eral

Zar

off,

wit

h a

dee

p,co

urt

ly b

ow,s

trol

led

from

the

room

.

From

an

oth

er d

oor

cam

e Iv

an.U

nde

r on

e ar

m h

e ca

rrie

d

khak

i hu

nti

ng

clot

hes

,a h

aver

sack

of

food

,a le

ath

er s

hea

th

con

tain

ing

a lo

ng-

blad

ed h

un

tin

g kn

ife;

his

rig

ht

han

d re

sted

on

a co

cked

rev

olve

r th

rust

in t

he

crim

son

sas

h a

bou

t h

is w

aist

....

560

570

580


The

Mo

st D

ang

ero

us

Gam

e

25

25.

Veu

ve C

licq

uo

t(v

öv

kl≤·

k»√)

: bra

nd

of

fin

e ch

amp

agn

e.26

.d

eplo

rab

le(d

≤·p

lôr√

¥·b

¥l)

adj.:

reg

rett

able

; ver

y b

ad.

27.

au r

evo

ir(£

’r¥·

vwär

√):F

ren

ch f

or

“go

od

bye

.”

Pau

se a

t lin

e 55

9. W

hat

do

esR

ain

sfo

rd h

ave

to d

o t

o w

inth

e g

ame?

A s

loo

p (

line

559)

is a

kin

d o

fsh

ip. C

ircl

e th

e co

nte

xt c

lues

that

hel

p y

ou

fig

ure

ou

t th

ew

ord

’s m

ean

ing

.

Au

rev

oir

(lin

e 58

1) is

Fre

nch

for

“un

til w

e m

eet

agai

n.”

Rea

d o

n, a

nd

un

der

line

the

con

text

clu

es t

hat

hel

p y

ou

fig

ure

ou

t th

e m

ean

ing

of

the

ph

rase

.

Un

der

line

the

nam

e o

f th

e p

lace

in li

ne

573

that

Zaro

ff t

ells

Rai

nsf

ord

to

avo

id. W

hat

mig

ht

the

sug

ges

tive

nam

e o

f th

is

pla

ce f

ore

shad

ow

?

He

mu

st s

ucc

essf

ully

hid

e fr

om

Zar

off

fo

r

thre

e d

ays.

Sug

ges

ted

res

po

nse

:

Eith

er Z

aro

ff o

r

Rai

nsf

ord

is g

oin

g t

o

die

in D

eath

Sw

amp

.

fello

w lo

st h

is h

ead.

He

mad

e a

stra

igh

t tr

ail t

hat

off

ered

no

prob

lem

s at

all.

Th

at’s

th

e tr

oubl

e w

ith

th

ese

sailo

rs;t

hey

hav

e

dull

brai

ns

to b

egin

wit

h,a

nd

they

do

not

kn

ow h

ow t

o ge

t

abou

t in

th

e w

oods

.Th

ey d

o ex

cess

ivel

y st

upi

d an

d ob

viou

s

thin

gs.I

t’s m

ost

ann

oyin

g.W

ill y

ou h

ave

anot

her

gla

ss o

f

Ch

ablis

,Mr.

Rai

nsf

ord?

”

“Gen

eral

,”sa

id R

ain

sfor

d fi

rmly

,“I

wis

h t

o le

ave

this

isla

nd

at o

nce

.”

Th

e ge

ner

al r

aise

d h

is t

hic

kets

of

eyeb

row

s;h

e se

emed

hurt

.“B

ut,

my

dear

fel

low

,”th

e ge

ner

al p

rote

sted

,“yo

u’ve

on

ly

just

com

e.Yo

u’ve

had

no

hun

tin

g—”

“I w

ish

to

go t

oday

,”sa

id R

ain

sfor

d.H

e sa

w t

he

dead

bla

ck

eyes

of

the

gen

eral

on

him

,stu

dyin

g h

im.G

ener

al Z

arof

f’s

face

sudd

enly

bri

ghte

ned

.

He

fille

d R

ain

sfor

d’s

glas

s w

ith

ven

erab

le C

hab

lis f

rom

a

dust

y bo

ttle

.

“Ton

igh

t,”sa

id t

he

gen

eral

,“w

e w

ill h

un

t—yo

u a

nd

I.”

Rai

nsf

ord

shoo

k h

is h

ead.

“No,

gen

eral

,”h

e sa

id.“

I w

ill

not

hu

nt.”

Th

e ge

ner

al s

hru

gged

his

sh

ould

ers

and

delic

atel

y at

e a

hot

hou

se g

rape

.“A

s yo

u w

ish

,my

frie

nd,

”h

e sa

id.“

Th

e ch

oice

rest

s en

tire

ly w

ith

you

.Bu

t m

ay I

not

ven

ture

to

sugg

est

that

you

will

fin

d m

y id

ea o

fsp

ort

mor

e d

iver

tin

gth

an I

van’

s?”

He

nod

ded

tow

ard

the

corn

er w

her

e th

e gi

ant

stoo

d,sc

owl-

ing,

his

th

ick

arm

s cr

osse

d on

his

hog

shea

d of

ches

t.

“You

don

’t m

ean—

”cr

ied

Rai

nsf

ord.

“My

dear

fel

low

,”sa

id t

he

gen

eral

,“h

ave

I n

ot t

old

you

I al

way

s m

ean

wh

at I

say

abo

ut

hun

tin

g? T

his

is r

eally

an

insp

i-

rati

on.I

dri

nk

to a

foe

man

wor

thy

ofm

y st

eel—

at la

st.”

Th

e ge

ner

al r

aise

d h

is g

lass

,bu

t R

ain

sfor

d sa

t st

arin

g

at h

im.

“You

’ll fi

nd

this

gam

e w

orth

pla

yin

g,”

the

gen

eral

sai

d

enth

usi

asti

cally

.“Yo

ur

brai

n a

gain

st m

ine.

You

r w

oodc

raft

agai

nst

min

e.Yo

ur

stre

ngt

h a

nd

stam

ina

agai

nst

min

e.O

utd

oor

ches

s! A

nd

the

stak

e is

not

wit

hou

t va

lue,

eh?”

530

540

550


24

Co

llect

ion

1:

Plo

t an

d S

etti

ng

Part

1

Notes

Notes

div

erti

ng

(d¥•

v∞rt

≈i«)

v.u

sed

as a

dj.:

ente

rtai

nin

g.

In li

nes

540-

549,

th

e ce

ntr

alco

nfl

ict

is e

stab

lish

ed. W

ho

will

be

the

gen

eral

’s n

ext

vict

im?

Zaro

ff’s

nex

t vi

ctim

will

be

Rai

nsf

ord

.



“I’ll

giv

e h

im a

tra

il to

fol

low

,”m

utt

ered

Rai

nsf

ord,

and

he

stru

ck o

fffr

om t

he

rude

pat

hs

he

had

bee

n f

ollo

win

g in

to t

he

trac

kles

s w

ilder

nes

s.H

e ex

ecu

ted

a se

ries

of

intr

icat

e lo

ops;

he

dou

bled

on

his

tra

il ag

ain

an

d ag

ain

,rec

allin

g al

l th

e lo

re o

f

the

fox

hun

t an

d al

l th

e do

dges

of

the

fox.

Nig

ht

fou

nd

him

leg-

wea

ry,w

ith

han

ds a

nd

face

lash

ed b

y th

e br

anch

es,o

n a

th

ickl

y

woo

ded

ridg

e.H

e kn

ew it

wou

ld b

e in

san

e to

blu

nde

r on

thro

ugh

th

e da

rk,e

ven

ifh

e h

ad t

he

stre

ngt

h.H

is n

eed

for

rest

was

impe

rati

ve a

nd

he

thou

ght:

“I h

ave

play

ed t

he

fox;

now

I m

ust

pla

y th

e ca

t of

the

fabl

e.”

A b

ig t

ree

wit

h a

th

ick

tru

nk

and

outs

prea

d br

anch

es w

as n

earb

y,an

d ta

kin

g ca

re t

o le

ave

not

the

slig

hte

st m

ark,

he

clim

bed

up

into

th

e cr

otch

an

d st

retc

hin

g

out

on o

ne

ofth

e br

oad

limbs

,aft

er a

fas

hio

n,r

este

d.R

est

brou

ght

him

new

con

fide

nce

an

d al

mos

t a

feel

ing

ofse

curi

ty.

Even

so

zeal

ous

a hu

nte

r as

Gen

eral

Zar

off

cou

ld n

ot t

race

him

ther

e,h

e to

ld h

imse

lf;o

nly

th

e de

vil h

imse

lfco

uld

fol

low

th

at

610


The

Mo

st D

ang

ero

us

Gam

e

27

Co

rel.

Re-

read

lin

es 6

01-

613.

Ho

wd

oes

Rai

nsf

ord

avo

id b

ein

gca

ptu

red

an

d k

illed

?

He

acts

like

a h

un

ted

fox,

cre

atin

g f

alse

trai

ls in

an

eff

ort

to

avo

id b

ein

g k

illed

by

hu

nte

rs.

Rai

nsf

ord

had

fou

ght

his

way

th

rou

gh t

he

bush

for

tw

o h

ours

.

“I m

ust

kee

p m

y n

erve

.Im

ust

kee

p m

y n

erve

,”h

e sa

id t

hro

ugh

tigh

t te

eth

.

He

had

not

bee

n e

nti

rely

cle

arh

eade

d w

hen

th

e ch

âtea

u

gate

s sn

appe

d sh

ut

beh

ind

him

.His

wh

ole

idea

at

firs

t w

as t

o

put

dist

ance

bet

wee

n h

imse

lfan

d G

ener

al Z

arof

f,an

d,to

th

is

end,

he

had

plu

nge

d al

ong,

spu

rred

on

by

the

shar

p ro

wel

s28

ofso

met

hin

g ve

ry li

ke p

anic

.Now

he

had

got

a g

rip

on h

imse

lf,

had

sto

pped

,an

d w

as t

akin

g st

ock

ofh

imse

lfan

d th

e si

tuat

ion

.

He

saw

th

at s

trai

ght

flig

ht

was

fu

tile

;in

evit

ably

it w

ould

brin

g h

im f

ace

to f

ace

wit

h t

he

sea.

He

was

in a

pic

ture

wit

h

a fr

ame

ofw

ater

,an

d h

is o

pera

tion

s,cl

earl

y,m

ust

tak

e pl

ace

wit

hin

th

at f

ram

e.

590

600


26

Co

llect

ion

1:

Plo

t an

d S

etti

ng

Part

1

Notes

Notes

At

line

588

the

plo

t fl

ash

esfo

rwar

d.W

hen

do

th

e ev

ents

beg

inn

ing

in li

ne

588

occ

ur?

28.

row

els

(r¡

√¥lz

) n

.:sm

all w

hee

ls w

ith

sp

urs

th

at h

ors

ebac

k ri

der

sw

ear

on

th

eir

hee

ls.

late

r th

e sa

me

day


HRT9_pp_001_054 10/3/03 3:20 PM Page 15 impos03 108:hrhrt9r1:hrt9ch:layouts:


follo

w a

tra

il th

rou

gh t

he

woo

ds a

t n

igh

t;h

e co

uld

fol

low

an

extr

emel

y di

fficu

lt t

rail;

he

mu

st h

ave

un

can

ny p

ower

s;on

ly b

y

the

mer

est

chan

ce h

ad t

he

Cos

sack

fai

led

to s

ee h

is q

uar

ry.

Rai

nsf

ord’

s se

con

d th

ough

t w

as e

ven

mor

e te

rrib

le.I

t se

nt

a sh

udd

er o

fco

ld h

orro

r th

rou

gh h

is w

hol

e be

ing.

Why

had

th

e

gen

eral

sm

iled?

Why

had

he

turn

ed b

ack?

Rai

nsf

ord

did

not

wan

t to

bel

ieve

wh

at h

is r

easo

n t

old

him

was

tru

e,bu

t th

e tr

uth

was

as

evid

ent

as t

he

sun

th

at h

ad b

y

now

pu

shed

th

rou

gh t

he

mor

nin

g m

ists

.Th

e ge

ner

al w

as p

lay-

ing

wit

h h

im! T

he

gen

eral

was

sav

ing

him

for

an

oth

er d

ay’s

spor

t! T

he

Cos

sack

was

th

e ca

t;h

e w

as t

he

mou

se.T

hen

it w

as

that

Rai

nsf

ord

knew

th

e fu

ll m

ean

ing

ofte

rror

.

“I w

ill n

ot lo

se m

y n

erve

.I w

ill n

ot.”

He

slid

dow

n f

rom

th

e tr

ee a

nd

stru

ck o

ffag

ain

into

th

e

woo

ds.H

is f

ace

was

set

an

d h

e fo

rced

th

e m

ach

iner

y of

his

min

d to

fu

nct

ion

.Th

ree

hun

dred

yar

ds f

rom

his

hid

ing

plac

e

he

stop

ped

wh

ere

a hu

ge d

ead

tree

lean

ed p

reca

riou

sly29

on a

smal

ler

livin

g on

e.T

hro

win

g of

fh

is s

ack

offo

od,R

ain

sfor

d to

ok

his

kn

ife

from

its

shea

th a

nd

bega

n t

o w

ork

wit

h a

ll h

is e

ner

gy.

Th

e jo

b w

as fi

nis

hed

at

last

,an

d h

e th

rew

him

self

dow

n

beh

ind

a fa

llen

log

a hu

ndr

ed f

eet

away

.He

did

not

hav

e to

wai

t

lon

g.T

he

cat

was

com

ing

agai

n t

o pl

ay w

ith

th

e m

ouse

.

Follo

win

g th

e tr

ail w

ith

th

e su

ren

ess

ofa

bloo

dhou

nd

cam

e

Gen

eral

Zar

off.

Not

hin

g es

cape

d th

ose

sear

chin

g bl

ack

eyes

,no

cru

shed

bla

de o

fgr

ass,

no

ben

t tw

ig,n

o m

ark,

no

mat

ter

how

fain

t,in

th

e m

oss.

So in

ten

t w

as t

he

Cos

sack

on

his

sta

lkin

g th

at

he

was

upo

n t

he

thin

g R

ain

sfor

d h

ad m

ade

befo

re h

e sa

w it

.

His

foo

t to

uch

ed t

he

pro

tru

din

gbo

ugh

th

at w

as t

he

trig

ger.

Even

as

he

tou

ched

it,t

he

gen

eral

sen

sed

his

dan

ger

and

leap

t

back

wit

h t

he

agili

ty o

fan

ap

e.B

ut

he

was

not

qu

ite

quic

k

enou

gh;t

he

dead

tre

e,de

licat

ely

adju

sted

to

rest

on

th

e cu

t liv

-

ing

one,

cras

hed

dow

n a

nd

stru

ck t

he

gen

eral

a g

lan

cin

g bl

ow

on t

he

shou

lder

as

it f

ell;

but

for

his

ale

rtn

ess,

he

mu

st h

ave

been

smas

hed

ben

eath

it.H

e st

agge

red,

but

he

did

not

fal

l;n

or d

id h

e

650

660

670

680


The

Mo

st D

ang

ero

us

Gam

e

29

Pau

se a

t lin

e 66

1. T

he

firs

tst

age

of

the

hu

nt

is o

ver.

Wh

o h

as w

on

? W

hat

do

esR

ain

sfo

rd n

ow

kn

ow

th

at h

ed

idn

’t k

no

w a

t th

e b

egin

nin

go

f th

e st

ory

?

pro

tru

din

g(p

r£•tr

ºd

≈i«)

v.u

sed

as

adj.:

sti

ckin

g o

ut.

29

.p

reca

rio

usl

y(p

ri·k

er√≤

·¥s·

l≤)

adv.

:un

stea

dily

; in

an

un

stab

le m

ann

er.

Zaro

ff h

as w

on

, sin

ce

he

cho

se t

o le

t

Rai

nsf

ord

esc

ape.

Rai

nsf

ord

no

w k

no

ws

the

fear

of

the

hu

nte

d.

com

plic

ated

tra

il th

rou

gh t

he

jun

gle

afte

r da

rk.B

ut,

perh

aps,

the

gen

eral

was

a d

evil—

An

app

reh

ensi

ve n

igh

t cr

awle

d sl

owly

by

like

a w

oun

ded

snak

e,an

d sl

eep

did

not

vis

it R

ain

sfor

d,al

thou

gh t

he

sile

nce

of

a de

ad w

orld

was

on

th

e ju

ngl

e.To

war

d m

orn

ing,

wh

en a

din

gy

gray

was

var

nis

hin

g th

e sk

y,th

e cr

y of

som

e st

artl

ed b

ird

focu

sed

Rai

nsf

ord’

s at

ten

tion

in t

hat

dir

ecti

on.S

omet

hin

g w

as

com

ing

thro

ugh

th

e bu

sh,c

omin

g sl

owly

,car

efu

lly,c

omin

g by

the

sam

e w

indi

ng

way

Rai

nsf

ord

had

com

e.H

e fl

atte

ned

him

self

dow

n o

n t

he

limb,

and

thro

ugh

a s

cree

n o

fle

aves

alm

ost

as

thic

k as

tap

estr

y,h

e w

atch

ed.T

he

thin

g th

at w

as a

ppro

ach

ing

was

a m

an.

It w

as G

ener

al Z

arof

f.H

e m

ade

his

way

alo

ng

wit

h h

is e

yes

fixe

d in

utm

ost

con

cen

trat

ion

on

th

e gr

oun

d be

fore

him

.He

pau

sed,

alm

ost

ben

eath

th

e tr

ee,d

ropp

ed t

o h

is k

nee

s an

d

stu

died

th

e gr

oun

d.R

ain

sfor

d’s

imp

uls

ew

as t

o hu

rl h

imse

lf

dow

n li

ke a

pan

ther

,bu

t h

e sa

w t

he

gen

eral

’s r

igh

t h

and

hel

d

som

eth

ing

met

allic—

a sm

all a

uto

mat

ic p

isto

l.

Th

e hu

nte

r sh

ook

his

hea

d se

vera

l tim

es,a

s if

he

wer

e pu

z-

zled

.Th

en h

e st

raig

hte

ned

up

and

took

fro

m h

is c

ase

one

ofh

is

blac

k ci

gare

ttes

;its

pu

nge

nt

ince

nse

like

smok

e fl

oate

d u

p to

Rai

nsf

ord’

s n

ostr

ils.

Rai

nsf

ord

hel

d h

is b

reat

h.T

he

gen

eral

’s e

yes

had

left

th

e

grou

nd

and

wer

e tr

avel

ing

inch

by

inch

up

the

tree

.Rai

nsf

ord

froz

e th

ere,

ever

y m

usc

le t

ense

d fo

r a

spri

ng.

Bu

t th

e sh

arp

eyes

ofth

e hu

nte

r st

oppe

d be

fore

th

ey r

each

ed t

he

limb

wh

ere

Rai

nsf

ord

lay;

a sm

ile s

prea

d ov

er h

is b

row

n f

ace.

Ver

y de

liber

-

atel

y h

e bl

ew a

sm

oke

rin

g in

to t

he

air;

then

he

turn

ed h

is b

ack

on t

he

tree

an

d w

alke

d ca

rele

ssly

aw

ay,b

ack

alon

g th

e tr

ail h

e

had

com

e.T

he

swis

h o

fth

e u

nde

rbru

sh a

gain

st h

is h

un

tin

g

boot

s gr

ew f

ain

ter

and

fain

ter.

Th

en p

ent-

up

air

burs

t h

otly

fro

m R

ain

sfor

d’s

lun

gs.H

is

firs

t th

ough

t m

ade

him

fee

l sic

k an

d n

um

b.T

he

gen

eral

cou

ld

620

630

640


28

Co

llect

ion

1:

Plo

t an

d S

etti

ng

Part

1

Pau

se a

t lin

e 62

8. W

ho

isco

min

g t

hro

ug

h t

he

bu

sh?

imp

uls

e(i

m√p

uls

≈) n

.:su

dd

end

esir

e to

do

so

met

hin

g.

Un

der

line

the

det

ails

in li

nes

637 -

647

that

ad

d t

o t

he

susp

ense

of

the

plo

t.W

hy

do

es Z

aro

ff s

mile

?

Zaro

ff

Zaro

ff s

mile

s b

ecau

se

he

kno

ws

Rai

nsf

ord

is t

her

e.



wet

wit

h s

wea

t an

d ac

hin

g w

ith

tir

edn

ess,

he

crou

ched

beh

ind

the

stu

mp

ofa

ligh

tnin

g-ch

arre

d tr

ee.

He

knew

his

pu

rsu

er w

as c

omin

g;h

e h

eard

th

e pa

ddin

g

sou

nd

offe

et o

n t

he

soft

ear

th,a

nd

the

nig

ht

bree

ze b

rou

ght

him

th

e pe

rfu

me

ofth

e ge

ner

al’s

cig

aret

te.I

t se

emed

to

Rai

nsf

ord

that

th

e ge

ner

al w

as c

omin

g w

ith

un

usu

al s

wif

tnes

s;

he

was

not

fee

ling

his

way

alo

ng,

foot

by

foot

.Rai

nsf

ord,

crou

chin

g th

ere,

cou

ld n

ot s

ee t

he

gen

eral

,nor

cou

ld h

e se

e th

e

pit.

He

lived

a y

ear

in a

min

ute

.Th

en h

e fe

lt a

n im

puls

e to

cry

alou

d w

ith

joy,

for

he

hea

rd t

he

shar

p cr

ackl

e of

the

brea

kin

g

bran

ches

as

the

cove

r of

the

pit

gave

way

;he

hea

rd t

he

shar

p

scre

am o

fpa

in a

s th

e po

inte

d st

akes

fou

nd

thei

r m

ark.

He

leap

t

up

from

his

pla

ce o

fco

nce

alm

ent.

Th

en h

e co

wer

ed b

ack.

Th

ree

feet

fro

m t

he

pit

a m

an w

as s

tan

din

g,w

ith

an

ele

ctri

c to

rch

in

his

han

d.

“You

’ve

don

e w

ell,

Rai

nsf

ord,

”th

e vo

ice

ofth

e ge

ner

al

calle

d.“Y

our

Bu

rmes

e ti

ger

pit

has

cla

imed

on

e of

my

best

dog

s.

Aga

in y

ou s

core

.Ith

ink,

Mr.

Rai

nsf

ord,

I’ll

see

wh

at y

ou c

an d

o

agai

nst

my

wh

ole

pack

.I’m

goi

ng

hom

e fo

r a

rest

now

.Th

ank

you

for

a m

ost

amu

sin

g ev

enin

g.”

At

dayb

reak

Rai

nsf

ord,

lyin

g n

ear

the

swam

p,w

as a

wak

ened

by

the

sou

nd

that

mad

e h

im k

now

th

at h

e h

ad n

ew t

hin

gs t

o le

arn

abou

t fe

ar.I

t w

as a

dis

tan

t so

un

d,fa

int

and

wav

erin

g,bu

t h

e

knew

it.I

t w

as t

he

bayi

ng

ofa

pack

of

hou

nds

.

Rai

nsf

ord

knew

he

cou

ld d

o on

e of

two

thin

gs.H

e co

uld

stay

wh

ere

he

was

an

d w

ait.

Th

at w

as s

uic

ide.

He

cou

ld f

lee.

Th

at w

as p

ostp

onin

g th

e in

evit

able

.For

a m

omen

t h

e st

ood

ther

e,th

inki

ng.

An

idea

th

at h

eld

a w

ild c

han

ce c

ame

to h

im,

and,

tigh

ten

ing

his

bel

t,h

e h

eade

d aw

ay f

rom

th

e sw

amp.

Th

e ba

yin

g of

the

hou

nds

dre

w n

eare

r,th

en s

till

nea

rer,

nea

rer,

ever

nea

rer.

On

a r

idge

Rai

nsf

ord

clim

bed

a tr

ee.D

own

a w

ater

cou

rse,

not

a q

uar

ter

ofa

mile

aw

ay,h

e co

uld

see

th

e

bush

mov

ing.

Stra

inin

g h

is e

yes,

he

saw

th

e le

an fi

gure

of

Gen

eral

Zar

off;

just

ah

ead

ofh

im R

ain

sfor

d m

ade

out

anot

her

figu

re w

hos

e w

ide

shou

lder

s su

rged

th

rou

gh t

he

tall

jun

gle

720

730

740

750


The

Mo

st D

ang

ero

us

Gam

e

31

Pau

se a

t lin

e 73

0. W

ho

is in

the

trap

? H

as R

ain

sfo

rd w

on

?

Pau

se a

t lin

e 73

5. W

ho

win

sth

e th

ird

sta

ge

of

this

co

nfl

ict?

Acc

ord

ing

to

Za

roff

, wh

at w

ill h

app

en

the

nex

t d

ay?

Rai

nsf

ord

win

s. Z

aro

ff

is g

oin

g t

o r

etu

rn w

ith

all o

f h

is h

un

tin

g d

og

s.

Som

e st

ud

ents

will

pre

dic

t Za

roff

is in

th

e

trap

an

d R

ain

sfo

rd h

as

wo

n. O

ther

s w

ill p

re-

dic

t R

ain

sfo

rd w

ill n

ot

win

so

eas

ily.

drop

his

rev

olve

r.H

e st

ood

ther

e,ru

bbin

g h

is in

jure

d sh

ould

er,

and

Rai

nsf

ord,

wit

h f

ear

agai

n g

ripp

ing

his

hea

rt,h

eard

th

e ge

n-

eral

’s m

ocki

ng

lau

gh r

ing

thro

ugh

th

e ju

ngl

e.

“Rai

nsf

ord,

”ca

lled

the

gen

eral

,“if

you

are

wit

hin

th

e so

un

d

ofm

y vo

ice,

as I

su

ppos

e yo

u a

re,l

et m

e co

ngr

atu

late

you

.Not

man

y m

en k

now

how

to

mak

e a

Mal

ay m

an-c

atch

er.L

uck

ily f

or

me,

I to

o h

ave

hun

ted

in M

alac

ca.30

You

are

pro

vin

g in

tere

stin

g,

Mr.

Rai

nsf

ord.

I am

goi

ng

now

to

hav

e m

y w

oun

d dr

esse

d;it

’s

only

a s

ligh

t on

e.B

ut

Ish

all b

e ba

ck.I

sh

all b

e ba

ck.”

Wh

en t

he

gen

eral

,nu

rsin

g h

is b

ruis

ed s

hou

lder

,had

gon

e,

Rai

nsf

ord

took

up

his

flig

ht

agai

n.I

t w

as f

ligh

t n

ow,a

des

pera

te,

hop

eles

s fl

igh

t,th

at c

arri

ed h

im o

n f

or s

ome

hou

rs.D

usk

cam

e,

then

dar

knes

s,an

d st

ill h

e pr

esse

d on

.Th

e gr

oun

d gr

ew s

ofte

r

un

der

his

moc

casi

ns;

the

vege

tati

on g

rew

ran

ker,

den

ser;

inse

cts

bit

him

sav

agel

y.T

hen

,as

he

step

ped

forw

ard,

his

foo

t sa

nk

into

the

ooze

.He

trie

d to

wre

nch

it b

ack,

but

the

mu

ck s

uck

ed

vici

ousl

y at

his

foo

t as

ifit

wer

e a

gian

t le

ech

.Wit

h a

vio

len

t

effo

rt,h

e to

re lo

ose.

He

knew

wh

ere

he

was

now

.Dea

th S

wam

p

and

its

quic

ksan

d.

His

han

ds w

ere

tigh

t cl

osed

as

ifh

is n

erve

wer

e so

met

hin

g

tan

gibl

e th

at s

omeo

ne

in t

he

dark

nes

s w

as t

ryin

g to

tea

r fr

om

his

gri

p.T

he

soft

nes

s of

the

eart

h h

ad g

iven

him

an

idea

.He

step

ped

back

fro

m t

he

quic

ksan

d a

doze

n f

eet

or s

o,an

d,lik

e

som

e hu

ge p

reh

isto

ric

beav

er,h

e be

gan

to

dig.

Rai

nsf

ord

had

du

g h

imse

lfin

in F

ran

ce,31

wh

en a

sec

ond’

s

dela

y m

ean

t de

ath

.Th

at h

ad b

een

a p

laci

d pa

stim

e co

mpa

red

to h

is d

iggi

ng

now

.Th

e pi

t gr

ew d

eepe

r;w

hen

it w

as a

bove

his

shou

lder

s,h

e cl

imbe

d ou

t an

d fr

om s

ome

har

d sa

plin

gs c

ut

stak

es a

nd

shar

pen

ed t

hem

to

a fi

ne

poin

t.T

hes

e st

akes

he

plan

ted

in t

he

bott

om o

fth

e pi

t w

ith

th

e po

ints

sti

ckin

g u

p.

Wit

h f

lyin

g fi

nge

rs h

e w

ove

a ro

ugh

car

pet

ofw

eeds

an

d

bran

ches

an

d w

ith

it h

e co

vere

d th

e m

outh

of

the

pit.

Th

en,

690

700

710


30

Co

llect

ion

1:

Plo

t an

d S

etti

ng

Part

1

Pau

se a

t lin

e 69

2. W

ho

win

sth

e se

con

d s

tag

e o

f th

isco

nfl

ict?

Pau

se a

t lin

e 70

7. W

hat

do

you

pre

dic

t R

ain

sfo

rd’s

“id

ea”

will

be?

The

adje

ctiv

e p

laci

d(p

las≈

id)

in li

ne

709

mea

ns

“cal

m.”

30.

Mal

acca

(m¥·

lak√

¥): s

tate

in w

hat

is n

ow

th

e n

atio

n o

f M

alay

sia

inso

uth

east

ern

Asi

a.31

.d

ug

him

self

in in

Fra

nce

:du

g a

ho

le f

or

shel

ter

fro

m g

un

fire

du

rin

gW

orl

d W

ar I

(191

4 -19

18).

Mo

st s

tud

ents

will

pre

dic

t th

at R

ain

sfo

rd

is g

oin

g t

o s

et a

tra

p

for

Zaro

ff.

Sug

ges

ted

res

po

nse

:

Rai

nsf

ord

win

s

bec

ause

he

inju

res

Zaro

ff, c

ausi

ng

him

to r

etre

at. O

rZa

roff

win

s b

ecau

se h

e

esca

pes

th

e tr

ap.



He

had

to

stop

to

get

his

bre

ath

.Th

e ba

yin

g of

the

hou

nds

stop

ped

abru

ptly

,an

d R

ain

sfor

d’s

hea

rt s

topp

ed t

oo.T

hey

mu

st

hav

e re

ach

ed t

he

knif

e.

He

shin

nie

d ex

cite

dly

up

a tr

ee a

nd

look

ed b

ack.

His

pu

r-

suer

s h

ad s

topp

ed.B

ut

the

hop

e th

at w

as in

Rai

nsf

ord’

s br

ain

wh

en h

e cl

imbe

d di

ed,f

or h

e sa

w in

th

e sh

allo

w v

alle

y th

at

Gen

eral

Zar

off

was

sti

ll on

his

fee

t.B

ut

Ivan

was

not

.Th

e kn

ife,

driv

en b

y th

e re

coil

ofth

e sp

rin

gin

g tr

ee,h

ad n

ot w

hol

ly f

aile

d.

“Ner

ve,n

erve

,ner

ve!”

he

pan

ted,

as h

e da

shed

alo

ng.

A b

lue

gap

show

ed b

etw

een

th

e tr

ees

dead

ah

ead.

Ever

nea

rer

drew

th

e h

oun

ds.R

ain

sfor

d fo

rced

him

self

on t

owar

d th

at g

ap.

He

reac

hed

it.I

t w

as t

he

shor

e of

the

sea.

Acr

oss

a co

ve h

e co

uld

see

the

gloo

my

gray

sto

ne

ofth

e ch

âtea

u.T

wen

ty f

eet

belo

w

him

th

e se

a ru

mbl

ed a

nd

his

sed.

Rai

nsf

ord

hes

itat

ed.H

e h

eard

the

hou

nds

.Th

en h

e le

apt

far

out

into

th

e se

a...

.

Wh

en t

he

gen

eral

an

d h

is p

ack

reac

hed

th

e pl

ace

by t

he

sea,

the

Cos

sack

sto

pped

.For

som

e m

inu

tes

he

stoo

d re

gard

ing

the

blu

e-gr

een

exp

anse

of

wat

er.H

e sh

rugg

ed h

is s

hou

lder

s.T

hen

he

sat

dow

n,t

ook

a dr

ink

ofbr

andy

fro

m a

silv

er f

lask

,lit

a p

er-

fum

ed c

igar

ette

,an

d hu

mm

ed a

bit

fro

m M

adam

a B

utte

rfly

.32

Gen

eral

Zar

off

had

an

exc

eedi

ngl

y go

od d

inn

er in

his

gre

at

pan

eled

din

ing

hal

l th

at e

ven

ing.

Wit

h it

he

had

a b

ottl

e of

Pol R

oger

an

d h

alf

a bo

ttle

of

Ch

ambe

rtin

.Tw

o sl

igh

t an

noy

-

ance

s ke

pt h

im f

rom

per

fect

en

joym

ent.

On

e w

as t

he

thou

ght

that

it w

ould

be

diffi

cult

to

repl

ace

Ivan

;th

e ot

her

was

th

at h

is

quar

ry h

ad e

scap

ed h

im;o

fco

urs

e th

e A

mer

ican

had

n’t

play

ed

the

gam

e—so

th

ough

t th

e ge

ner

al a

s h

e ta

sted

his

aft

er-d

inn

er

liqu

eur.

In h

is li

brar

y h

e re

ad,t

o so

oth

e h

imse

lf,f

rom

th

e w

orks

ofM

arcu

s A

ure

lius.

33A

t te

n h

e w

ent

up

to h

is b

edro

om.H

e

was

del

icio

usl

y ti

red,

he

said

to

him

self

as h

e lo

cked

him

self

in.

Th

ere

was

a li

ttle

moo

nlig

ht,

so b

efor

e tu

rnin

g on

his

ligh

t,

he

wen

t to

th

e w

indo

w a

nd

look

ed d

own

at

the

cou

rtya

rd.

770

780

790


The

Mo

st D

ang

ero

us

Gam

e

33

32.

Mad

ama

Bu

tter

fly:

fam

ou

s It

alia

n o

per

a b

y G

iaco

mo

Pu

ccin

i (1

858 -

1924

).33

.M

arcu

s A

ure

lius

(mär

√k¥s

ô·r

≤√l≤

·¥s)

: em

per

or

of

Ro

me

fro

m

A.D

.161

to

180

, wh

o w

rote

ab

ou

t th

e p

hilo

sop

hy

of

Sto

icis

m, w

hic

hh

eld

th

at p

eop

le s

ho

uld

mak

e th

emse

lves

ind

iffe

ren

t to

bo

th p

ain

and

ple

asu

re.

Pau

se a

t lin

e 76

9. W

hat

do

esR

ain

sfo

rd h

op

e to

see

wh

enh

e cl

imb

s u

p t

he

tree

? W

hat

do

es h

e ac

tual

ly s

ee?

Pau

se a

t lin

e 77

6. T

rap

ped

bet

wee

n h

is d

ead

ly p

urs

uer

and

th

e se

a, R

ain

sfo

rd ju

mp

s.Is

th

e g

ame

ove

r? W

hat

d

o y

ou

pre

dic

t w

ill h

app

enn

ext?

An

swer

s w

ill v

ary.

Mo

st s

tud

ents

will

gu

ess

that

th

e g

ame

is n

ot

yet

ove

r.

He

exp

ects

Zar

off

will

hav

e b

een

kn

ifed

by

the

trap

. In

stea

d, I

van

has

bee

n k

nif

ed, a

nd

Zaro

ff is

sti

ll st

and

ing

.

wee

ds.I

t w

as t

he

gian

t Iv

an,a

nd

he

seem

ed p

ulle

d fo

rwar

d by

som

e u

nse

en f

orce

.Rai

nsf

ord

knew

th

at I

van

mu

st b

e h

oldi

ng

the

pack

in le

ash

.

Th

ey w

ould

be

on h

im a

ny m

inu

te n

ow.H

is m

ind

wor

ked

fran

tica

lly.H

e th

ough

t of

a n

ativ

e tr

ick

he

had

lear

ned

in

Uga

nda

.He

slid

dow

n t

he

tree

.He

cau

ght

hol

d of

a sp

rin

gy

you

ng

sapl

ing

and

to it

he

fast

ened

his

hu

nti

ng

knif

e,w

ith

th

e

blad

e po

inti

ng

dow

n t

he

trai

l;w

ith

a b

it o

fw

ild g

rape

vin

e h

e

tied

bac

k th

e sa

plin

g.T

hen

he

ran

for

his

life

.Th

e h

oun

ds r

aise

d

thei

r vo

ices

as

they

hit

th

e fr

esh

sce

nt.

Rai

nsf

ord

knew

now

how

an a

nim

al a

t ba

y fe

els.

760


32

Co

llect

ion

1:

Plo

t an

d S

etti

ng

Part

1

Pau

se a

t lin

e 76

1, a

nd

rec

all

Rai

nsf

ord

’s e

arlie

r id

eas

abo

ut

hu

nti

ng

(lin

es 1

9 -31

).W

hy

is R

ain

sfo

rd’s

sit

uat

ion

iro

nic

,or

surp

risi

ng

?

© J

oh

n L

un

d/G

etty

Imag

es.

Rai

nsf

ord

fin

ds

him

self

in t

he

po

siti

on

of

the

anim

als

he

hu

nts

; th

e

hu

nte

r is

no

w t

he

hu

nte

d.



The

Mo

st D

ang

ero

us

Gam

e

35

The

Mos

t D

ange

rous

Gam

ePl

ot D

iagr

amR

evie

w t

he

plot

str

uct

ure

of“

Th

e M

ost

Dan

gero

us

Gam

e.”

Th

en,fi

ll in

th

e pl

ot d

iagr

am b

elow

wit

h k

ey s

tory

eve

nts

.


Mai

n e

ven

ts(C

om

plic

atio

ns)Clim

ax:

6. 5. 4.R

eso

luti

on

:

Bas

ic s

itu

atio

n:

Sett

ing

:

3. 1.2.

Sam

ple

an

swer

s ap

pea

r b

elo

w.

Rai

nsf

ord

co

nfr

on

ts Z

aro

ff in

his

bed

roo

m.

Zaro

ff g

oes

ho

me,

bel

ievi

ng

he

has

wo

n t

he

gam

e.

Rai

nsf

ord

div

es in

to t

he

sea.

Rai

nsf

ord

bu

ilds

a U

gan

dan

knif

e tr

ap, w

hic

h k

ills

Ivan

.

Rai

nsf

ord

bu

ilds

a B

urm

ese

tig

er p

it, i

n w

hic

h o

ne

of

Zaro

ff’s

do

gs

is

kille

d.

Rai

nsf

ord

bu

ilds

a

Mal

ay m

an-c

atch

er,

wh

ich

wo

un

ds

Zaro

ff.

Rai

nsf

ord

hid

es

up

in a

tre

e.

Zaro

ff le

ts

him

esc

ape.

The

cele

bra

ted

hu

nte

r Sa

ng

er R

ain

sfo

rd f

alls

ove

rbo

ard

an

d s

wim

s to

Ship

-Tra

p Is

lan

d. H

e is

tak

en in

by

Gen

eral

Zar

off

, an

oth

er h

un

ter,

wh

o o

wn

s th

e

isla

nd

. Zar

off

hu

nts

men

fo

r sp

ort

. Th

e n

ext

day

he

tells

Rai

nsf

ord

he

will

hu

nt

him

.

Ship

-Tra

p Is

lan

d, w

her

e an

evi

l hu

nte

r h

un

ts m

en f

or

ple

asu

re

Rai

nsf

ord

sle

eps

in Z

aro

ff’s

bed

.

We

can

infe

r th

at h

e h

as s

om

e-

ho

w k

illed

Zar

off

.

He

cou

ld s

ee t

he

grea

t h

oun

ds,a

nd

he

calle

d:“B

ette

r lu

ck

anot

her

tim

e,”

to t

hem

.Th

en h

e sw

itch

ed o

n t

he

ligh

t.

A m

an,w

ho

had

bee

n h

idin

g in

th

e cu

rtai

ns

ofth

e be

d,

was

sta

ndi

ng

ther

e.

“Rai

nsf

ord!

”sc

ream

ed t

he

gen

eral

.“H

ow in

God

’s n

ame

did

you

get

her

e?”

“Sw

am,”

said

Rai

nsf

ord.

“I f

oun

d it

qu

icke

r th

an w

alki

ng

thro

ugh

th

e ju

ngl

e.”

Th

e ge

ner

al s

uck

ed in

his

bre

ath

an

d sm

iled.

“I c

ongr

atu

-

late

you

,”h

e sa

id.“

You

hav

e w

on t

he

gam

e.”

Rai

nsf

ord

did

not

sm

ile.“

I am

sti

ll a

beas

t at

bay

,”h

e sa

id,

in a

low

,hoa

rse

voic

e.“G

et r

eady

,Gen

eral

Zar

off.”

Th

e ge

ner

al m

ade

one

ofh

is d

eepe

st b

ows.

“I s

ee,”

he

said

.“Sp

len

did!

On

e of

us

is t

o fu

rnis

h a

rep

ast34

for

the

hou

nds

.Th

e ot

her

will

sle

ep in

th

is v

ery

exce

llen

t be

d.O

n

guar

d,R

ain

sfor

d...

.”

He

had

nev

er s

lept

in a

bet

ter

bed,

Rai

nsf

ord

deci

ded.

800

810


34

Co

llect

ion

1:

Plo

t an

d S

etti

ng

Part

1

Un

der

line

the

pas

sag

e o

nth

is p

age

that

rev

eals

th

e cl

imax

of

this

co

nfl

ict.

Ho

w is

th

e co

nfl

ict

fin

ally

reso

lved

?

© G

eorg

e D

. Lep

p/C

OR

BIS

.

Rai

nsf

ord

win

s.

34.

rep

ast

(ri·p

ast√

) n

:mea

l.



The

Mo

st D

ang

ero

us

Gam

e

37

Skill

s Re

view

Skill

s Re

view

1.p

re-

a.n

ot

2.in

ter-

b.

bet

wee

n

3.u

n-

c.b

efo

re

4.re-

d.

bad

ly; w

ron

g

5.m

is-

e.ag

ain

Pref

ixes

: Im

port

ant

Begi

nnin

gs

DIR

ECTI

ON

S:M

atch

th

e p

refi

xes

wit

h t

hei

r m

ean

ing

s. W

rite

th

e le

tter

of

the

corr

ect

mea

nin

g o

n e

ach

lin

e.

The

Mos

t Da

nger

ous

Gam

e

Voca

bula

ry i

n Co

ntex

t

DIR

ECTI

ON

S:C

om

ple

te t

he

par

agra

ph

bel

ow

by

wri

tin

g a

wo

rd f

rom

the

wo

rd b

ox

in e

ach

nu

mb

ered

bla

nk.

No

t al

l wo

rds

fro

m t

he

bo

x w

ill b

e

use

d.

rece

din

g

dis

arm

ing

pro

lon

ged

imp

rud

ent

surm

ou

nte

d

un

ruff

led

inva

riab

ly

div

erti

ng

imp

uls

e

pro

tru

din

g

Wor

d Bo

xW

ord

Box

The

rock

clim

ber

was

gu

ided

by

a su

dd

en d

esir

e, a

n

(1)

to c

limb

Fo

rbid

den

Clif

f. A

lth

ou

gh

th

e

rock

y p

ath

was

co

vere

d in

slip

per

y m

oss

, he

rem

ain

ed

(2)

and

cal

m. H

e al

mo

st lo

st h

is f

oo

tin

g, h

ow

ever

,

wh

en a

(3)

ro

ck n

earl

y tr

ipp

ed h

im. J

ust

wh

en h

e

reac

hed

th

e to

p, a

par

k ra

ng

erca

ug

ht

him

an

d s

cold

ed h

im, s

ayin

g t

he

clim

b

was

no

t o

nly

un

wis

e b

ut

(4)

. No

t ch

arm

ed o

r

sway

ed b

y th

e cl

imb

er’s

(5)

sm

ile, t

he

par

k ra

ng

er

gav

e h

im a

tic

ket.


Voca

bula

rySkills

Iden

tify

pre

fixe

san

d th

eir

mea

ning

s.U

se w

ords

inco

ntex

t.

c b a e d

imp

uls

e

un

ruff

led

pro

tru

din

g

imp

rud

ent

dis

arm

ing

Shar

pen

yo

ur

test

-tak

ing

ski

lls. C

om

ple

te t

he

sam

ple

tes

t it

em b

elo

w. T

hen

, ch

eck

you

r an

swer

, an

d r

ead

th

e ex

pla

nat

ion

th

at a

pp

ears

in t

he

rig

ht-

han

d c

olu

mn

.

The

Mos

t Da

nger

ous

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e

Skill

s Re

view

Skill

s Re

view

36

Co

llect

ion

1:

Plo

t an

d S

etti

ng

Part

1

Ex

pla

na

tio

n o

f th

e C

orr

ect

An

swe

r

The

corr

ect

answ

er is

C.

Rai

nsf

ord

str

ug

gle

s ag

ain

st t

he

oce

an,

enco

un

ters

qu

icks

and

in t

he

Dea

th

Swam

p, a

nd

mu

st f

igh

t th

rou

gh

th

e

jun

gle

. Th

ere

is n

o f

reez

ing

co

ld;

Rai

nsf

ord

is in

th

e tr

op

ics.

Sa

mp

le T

est

Ite

m

Wh

ich

of

the

follo

win

g e

lem

ents

of

sett

ing

do

es R

ain

sfo

rd n

ot

hav

e to

stru

gg

le a

gai

nst

?

ATh

e o

cean

BQ

uic

ksan

d

CFr

eezi

ng

co

ld

DTh

e ju

ng

le

3.W

hic

h o

f th

e fo

llow

ing

eve

nts

hap

pen

s fi

rst?

AR

ain

sfo

rd k

ills

Ivan

.

BR

ain

sfo

rd k

ills

on

e o

f Za

roff

’s d

og

s.

CR

ain

sfo

rd w

ou

nd

s Za

roff

.

DR

ain

sfo

rd d

ives

into

th

e se

a.

4.W

hic

h o

f th

e fo

llow

ing

eve

nts

hap

pen

s la

st?

FR

ain

sfo

rd a

nd

Zar

off

fig

ht

in

the

bed

roo

m.

GR

ain

sfo

rd b

uild

s a

Bu

rmes

e

tig

er p

it.

HR

ain

sfo

rd b

uild

s a

Mal

ay m

an-

catc

her

.

JR

ain

sfo

rd f

alls

ove

rbo

ard

.

1.W

hic

h o

f th

e fo

llow

ing

pas

sag

es

fro

m t

he

sto

ry f

ore

shad

ow

sd

ang

er?

A“Y

ou

’ve

go

od

eye

s,”

Wh

itn

ey s

aid

.

B“I

t w

ill b

e lig

ht

in R

io,”

pro

mis

ed

Wh

itn

ey.

C“W

hat

isla

nd

is it

?” R

ain

sfo

rd

aske

d.

D“T

he

old

ch

arts

cal

l it

Ship

-Tra

p

Isla

nd

,” W

hit

ney

rep

lied

.

2.W

hat

is t

he

sett

ing

for

mo

st o

f th

e

acti

on

in t

his

sto

ry?

FA

yac

ht

GA

cas

tle

HA

jun

gle

JTh

e se

a

DIR

ECTI

ON

S:C

ircl

e th

e le

tter

of

each

co

rrec

t re

spo

nse

.


Lit

era

ry S

kills

Ana

lyze

plo

tst

ruct

ure

and

fore

shad

owin

g.


204 Graphic Organizers

Climax

Resolution

Event 6

Event 5

Event 3

Event 2

Basic Situation

Event 1

Event 4

Name Date

Selection Title

Plot Diagram

Review the plot structure of the selection you just read. Then, fill out the graphic organizer

below. (The number of events will vary based on the selection.)

Co

pyr

igh

t ©

by

Ho

lt, R

ineh

art

and

Win

sto

n. A

ll ri

gh

ts r

eser

ved

.

the most dangerous game · 2019-11-18 · the most dangerous game 7 1. purdey’s (p∞r√d≤z):...

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