unit2-b课文NEVER-LET-A-FRIEND-DOWN.docVIP

NEVER LET A FRIEND DOWN Jim Hutchison “Coming to the football match this afternoon?” Bill McIntosh asked 59-year-old Royce Wedding as they drank beer at the Eureka Hotel in the Australian town of Rainbow. Royce shook his head. “I promised Mom I d burn off the weeds on one of our fields.” ???Bill, who was thin but strong, looking far less than his 79 years, peered outside at the heat. A light breeze was blowing from the north, making conditions perfect for the burn. But Bill felt uneasy about Royce doing the job alone. The farmer had a bad leg and walked with great difficulty. ???????The pair had been best of friends for 30 years, ever since the days when they traveled together from farm to farm in search of work. Now, living alone 12 miles east of town, Bill scraped a living hunting foxes and rabbits. Once a fortnight he went to town to buy supplies and catch up with Royce, who helped run the Wedding family s farm. “Ill give you a hand, Bill said. ???????The pair set off in Royce s car. Soon they were bumping over a sandy track to the weed-choked 120-acre field. “Fires the only way to get rid of this stuff,” said Bill as they tied an old tire to the tow bar with a 50-foot chain. Soaking the tire with gasoline, Bill put a match to it and jumped in the car. ???????Driving slowly from the southern edge of the field, they worked their way upwind, leaving a line ot burning weeds in their wake. Half way up the field, and without warning, the car pitched violently forward, plowing into a hidden bank of sand. ???????The breeze suddenly swung around to their backs and began to gather strength. Fanned to white heat, the fire line suddenly burst into a wall of flame, heading directly toward them. “Let s get out of here!” Royce said. ??????Desperately he tried to back the car out of the sand bank. But the wheels only spun deeper in the soft sand. ???????Suddenly the fire was on them. Bill pushed open his door only to find himself flung through the air as, with a roar, t