Drawing the readers attention to the island several times at the beginning of the story suggests that the island itself plays an important role in the plot. Rainsford creates a complex forest track during his head start before ascending a tree. He did not recognize the animal that made the sound; he did not try to; with fresh vitality he swam toward the sound. n|PW@LXA2#cv7cT@pkRE7f%# r4gRUpjZXp:~k4 I shall be back.\" When the general, nursing his bruised shoulder, had gone,Rainsford took up his flight again. Ivans being a Cossack suggests he is a dangerous man. He looked abouthim, almost cheerfully. Hestepped back from the quicksand a dozen feet or so and, likesome huge prehistoric beaver, he began to dig. He knew it would be insane to blunderon through the dark, even if he had the strength. Sleep had given him newvigor; a sharp hunger was picking at him. made out the shadowy outlines of a palatial ch ateau; it . Theymust have reached the knife. Over time, gargoyles inspired many myths and legends, such as the belief that they ward off evil spirits or the belief that they themselves are evil, demonic beings. \"I will nothunt.\" The general shrugged his shoulders and delicately ate a hot-house grape. ___ One of Zaroff's dogs falls into the pit and dies. It was in Africa that the Cape buffalo hit me and laid me up for six months. . Some He makes kings, some beggars. This descriptive detail is an early indication that there is something very disturbing about Zaroff. For a seemingly endless time he fought the sea. The quicksand that Rainsford steps into is described here with a simile, comparing it to a giant leech, a bloodsucking parasite. They can crush a ship as eas-ily as I crush this nut.\" He dropped a walnut on the hardwoodfloor and brought his heel grinding down on it. \"Sometimes an angrygod of the high seas sends them to me. Dense jungle came down to the very edge of the cliffs. Three feet from the pit a man was standing, with an elec-tric torch in his hand. That had been a placid pastime compared 20 The baying of the hounds drew nearer, then still nearer, nearer, ever nearer. He had not been entirely clearheaded when the chateaugates snapped shut behind him. It seemed toRainsford that the general was coming with unusual swiftness;he was not feeling his way along, foot by foot. General Zaroff had an exceedingly good dinner in his greatpaneled dining hall that evening. Sometimes I think evilis a tangible thingwith wave lengths, just as sound and lighthave. Zaroffs describing his hunting in such a matter-of-fact way is chilling. Ivans trouble being replaced and the question of whether Rainsford perished in his dive prevent Zaroff from finding peace of mind while he puffs on a pipe by his fireplace. Now you want clothes, food, rest. I think I may say, in all modesty, that I have done a rare thing. Even Captain Nielsen". );Gz:#1_ n \"After the debacle in Russia I left the country, for it was im-prudent for an officer of the Czar to stay there. ", The general sucked in his breath and smiled. "It's a game, you see," pursued the general blandly. Rainsford had dug himself in in France when a second'sdelay meant death. "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. His eyes madeout the shadowy outlines of a palatial chateau; it was set on ahigh bluff, and on three sides of it cliffs dived down to wherethe sea licked greedy lips in the shadows. Automatically Rainsford shook the man's hand. The sensuous drowsiness of the night was on him." Eagerly he hurriedalong, now slipping on a rotten log or a loose stone, but mak-ing headway; night was beginning to settle down on the island. Zaroffs having fine French wine at his chateau is another indication of his wealth and refined tastes. Rainsford.". No thrill left in tigers, no real danger. The general could 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. screamed the general. \"I'll give him a trail to follow,\" muttered Rainsford, and hestruck off from the rude path he had been following into thetrackless wilderness. I shall be back.". I, luckily, had invested heavily in American securities, so I shall never have to open a tearoom in Monte Carlo or drive a taxi in Paris. 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 rowers of something very like panic. \"Is there big game on thisisland?\" The general nodded. He shrugged his shoulders. I exhausted their possibilities, yousee. We were drawing near the island then. His face was set and he forced the machinery of his mind to function. We can talk later. That would be barbar-ous. A small, glittering object not far awaycaught Rainsford's eye and he picked it up. He regardedRainsford quizzically. General Zaroff had an exceedingly good dinner in his great paneled dining hall that evening. The Cape buffalo is not the most dangerous big game." Come to thewindow with me.\" Rainsford went to the window and looked out toward the sea. Do you think we've passed that island yet?\" \"I can't tell in the dark. ", The general smiled. So many Americans appear to have had. "Splendid! <]>> That was suicide. You are proving interesting,Mr. The knife, driven by the recoil of the springing tree, had not wholly failed. He had high cheekbones, a sharpcutnose, a spare, dark facethe face of a man used to giving or-ders, the face of an aristocrat. Once the hunting game begins between Zaroff and Rainsford, many instances of suspense drive the plot to its conclusion. I went in-to the armyit was expected of noblemen's sonsand for atime commanded a division of Cossack cavalry, but my real in-terest was always the hunt. Marcus Aurelius was a philosopher and Roman emperor who ruled from 161 to his death on March 17, 180. 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. You can imagine my feelings, Mr. Rainsford. 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. Night found him leg-weary, with hands and face lashed by the branches, on athickly wooded ridge. Then he leaped far out into the sea When the general and his pack reached the place by the sea,the Cossack stopped. A line drawing of the Internet Archive headquarters building faade. Many nobleRussians lost everything. ", "You have some wonderful heads here," said Rainsford as he ate a particularly well-cooked filet mignon. He nodded toward the corner to where the giant stood, scowling, his thick arms crossed on his hogshead of chest. It's like moist black velvet. He was in a picture with a frame of water, and his operations, clearly, must take place within that frame. The giant put away his pistol, saluted, withdrew. So I bought this island built this house, and here I do my hunting. Then he ran for his life. Having no moral code of his own, Zaroff dismisses Rainsfords moral code as being faulty. It would be impossible for me to tell you howmany animals I have killed.\" The general puffed at his cigarette. \" asked Rainsford. It reached the height of popularity between the 1890s and the 1920s. "Perhaps," said General Zaroff, "you were surprised that I recognized your name. "We'll visit my training school," smiled the general. It was to a huge, beam-ceilinged bedroom with a canopied bed big enough for six men that Rainsford followed the silent giant. Aurevoir, Mr. Rainsford, au revoir.\" General Zaroff, with a deep,courtly bow, strolled from the room. ", To Rainsford's questioning glance the general said, "Ennui. Ivan walks in with Rainsfords modest equipment for his time as prey as he exits the dining area. It was flight now, a desperate, hopeless flight, that carried him on for some hours. Great story! Great sport, hunting.\" \"The best sport in the world,\" agreed Rainsford. Gasping, his hands raw, hereached a flat place at the top. The Most Dangerous Game By Richard Connell "OFF THERE to the right--somewhere--is a large island," said Whitney." It's rather a mystery--" "What island is it?" Rainsford asked. There, weaving in and out in the patternof shadow, were black, noiseless forms; the hounds heard himat the window and looked up, expectantly, with their greeneyes. Hepaused, almost beneath the tree, dropped to his knees andstudied the ground. ", "I'll tell you," said the general. Zaroffs being a zealous hunter makes him an especially dangerous foe for Rainsford. 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. I was bitterly disap-pointed. \"So am I.\" \"Come,\" he said, \"we shouldn't be chatting here. Download The Most Dangerous Game PDF for free. \"Iexpect rather fair sporta big, strong, black. As the story of an aristocrat who hunts the shipwrecked men that wash ashore on his private island, "The Most Dangerous Game" challenges the idea that highbrow pastimes and aristocratic society are synonymous with being civilized or moral. The most dangerous game is about a man who claims to hunt animals for fun becoming the hunted. If I wish to hunt, why should I not? Please login or sign up below in order to leave a review. Explore Features There's quicksand there.One foolish fellow tried it. Of course you, in turn,must agree to say nothing of your visit here.\" \"I'll agree to nothing of the kind,\" said Rainsford. \"As you wish, my friend,\" he said. He knew it would be insane to blunder on through the dark, even if he had the strength. Then he leaped far out into the sea. The dessert is presented at the table where the liqueur is set aflame. But may I not venture to suggest thatyou will find my idea of sport more diverting than Ivan's?\" He nodded toward the corner to where the giant stood,scowling, his thick arms crossed on his hogshead of chest. This is really an inspiration. Why should I not usemy gift? 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 gameso thought the general as he tasted his after-dinner liqueur. I always' take a siesta after lunch. "It came to me as an inspiration what I must do," the general went on. I am hungry.\" The man's only answer was to raise with his thumb the ham-mer of his revolver. I always got myquarry. The general was play-ing with him! \"Mirage,\" thought Rainsford. \"I'm Sanger Rainsford of New York,\" Rainsford began again.\"I fell off a yacht. You are wrong, sir. The description adds to the growing sense that although Rainsford survived falling into the sea and managed to make his way to the island, he is still in peril. Think and Grow Rich PDF Download [January 2022], Fortnite APK Download for Android (January 2023), Clash of Clans APK Download for Android (January 2023), Minecraft APK Download For Android (January 2023). Rainsfordfroze there, every muscle tensed for a spring. They do excessively stupid and obvious things. Rainsfords sleeping in Zaroffs bed shows that he had killed Zaroff and won Zaroffs deadly game. I give him three hours' start. In declaring that when providence doesnt work in his favor, he takes action to get what he wants, Zaroff reveals his arrogance and immense ego. Ten minutes of determined effort brought another sound tohis earsthe most welcome he had ever heardthe mutteringand growling of the sea breaking on a rocky shore. \"A twenty-two,\" he remarked. Anyone held captive who manages to evade General Zaroff, Ivan, and a pack of hunting dogs for three days is released. I don't know why. \"The choicerests entirely with you. The Most Dangerous Game by Richard Connell Publication date 1924-01-19 Topics education Collection opensource Language English An adapted, clean version of The Most Dangerous Game by Richard Connell for use in classrooms. I killed my first bear in the Caucasus when I was ten. In his hand the man held a long-barreled revolver, and he was pointing it straight at Rainsford's heart. They can reason, after a fashion. He came upon them as he turned a crook in the coast line; and his first thought was that be had come upon a village, for there were many lights. \"Oh, yes,\" hesaid, casually, as if in answer to a question, \"I have electricity.We try to be civilized here.\" \"Civilized? The general could followa trail through the woods at night; he could follow an ex-tremely difficult trail; he must have uncanny powers; only bythe merest chance had the Cossack failed to see his quarry. The general made one of his deepest bows. What I felt was aa mental chill; a sort of sudden dread. For a moment he stood there, thinking. "But, my dear fellow," the general protested, "you've only just come. He was in a picture with a frameof water, and his operations, clearly, must take place withinthat frame. The general was playing with him! But it's gotten into sailor lore, somehow. Sometimes, whenProvidence is not so kind, I help Providence a bit. ", The general filled both glasses, and said, "God makes some men poets. As the word is used here, strike means to encounter or to run across. Heneed not play that game if he doesn't wish to. 0000000964 00000 n Scribd is the world's largest social reading and publishing site. You'll find that my clothes will fit you, I think.\" It was to a huge, beam-ceilinged bedroom with a canopiedbed big enough for six men that Rainsford followed the silentgiant. Ten minutes of determined effort brought another sound to his earsthe most welcome he had ever heardthe muttering and growling of the sea breaking on a rocky shore. Dense jungle came down to the 5 Myname is Sanger Rainsford of New York City.\" The menacing look in the eyes did not change. I eventually had to use the dogs.\" \"The dogs?\" \"This way, please. ", Rainsford did not smile. He let it fall, and it startled him with its booming loudness. "The old charts call it `Ship-Trap Island,"' Whitney replied." A suggestive name, isn't it? He knew where he was now. He wasdressed faultlessly in the tweeds of a country squire. 50.Note: This book is brought to you by Feedbookshttp://www.feedbooks.comStrictly for personal use, do not use this file for commercialpurposes. In context, capital means first-rate or excellent. The door opened thenopened as suddenly as if it were on a springand Rainsford stood blinking in the river of glaring gold light that poured out. And theanswer was, of course, `It must have courage, cunning, and,above all, it must be able to reason.\"' \"But no animal can reason,\" objected Rainsford. Somewhere, off in theblackness, someone had fired a gun three times. \"Bah! And hunting, remember, had been my life. Associating Zaroff with a devilish figure subtly implies that he has an evil nature. I don't know why. A small, glittering object not far away caught Rainsford's eye and he picked it up.