Holding back our dogs, we made our way through a tangled wood, concealing ourselves as much as possible, until we got within a short distance of the creek, where we lay hid behind some bushes, whence, on looking through the branches, we were rewarded with a most curious sight. (In the Wilds of Florida by W.H.G. Kingston）
動画の後半部分でリスニング用音声が流れます。
英文を前から読んでいくために、語句のかたまりを作ります。こんな具合に課題文をスラッシュ（斜め線）で区切ります（スラッシュリーディング）。語句のかたまりを意識すると、リスニングで英語の意味をつかむのが楽になります。
Holding back our dogs,／（主語が文頭にないときの主語の前）we made our way through a tangled wood,／（動詞のing形の前）concealing ourselves as much as possible,／（接続詞の前）until we got within a short distance of the creek,／（関係副詞の前）where we lay hid behind some bushes,／（関係副詞の前）whence, on looking through the branches,／（コンマの後）we were rewarded with a most curious sight.
語句のかたまりを前から訳していきます。
Holding back our dogs,
犬たちの歩みを抑えながら
we made our way through a tangled wood,
私たちは入り組んだ森の中を進んだ
concealing ourselves as much as possible,
できるだけ身を隠しながら
until we got within a short distance of the creek,
やがて私たちは、小川のすぐ近くにたどり着いた
where we lay hid behind some bushes,
そこで私たちは茂みの陰に身を潜めた
whence, on looking through the branches,
そこから枝の間をのぞくと
we were rewarded with a most curious sight.
実に珍しい光景が目に入った
Holding back our dogs, we made our way through a tangled wood, concealing ourselves as much as possible, until we got within a short distance of the creek, where we lay hid behind some bushes, whence, on looking through the branches, we were rewarded with a most curious sight.
we made our way→ make one’s way = 進む
we lay hid behind some bushes→ lie（lay）〜 =（〜の状態）にある
私たちは犬たちの歩みを抑えながら、できるだけ身を隠しつつ、入り組んだ森の中を進んだ。やがて私たちは、小川のすぐ近くにたどり着き、そこで茂みの陰に身を潜めた。そこから枝の間をのぞくと、実に珍しい光景が目に入った。
今回の課題文では、where と whence という２つの関係副詞が連続して使われています。どちらも、前にコンマがある非制限用法です。
Holding back our dogs, we made our way through a tangled wood, concealing ourselves as much as possible, until we got within a short distance of the creek, where we lay hid behind some bushes, whence, on looking through the branches, we were rewarded with a most curious sight.
where の先行詞は within a short distance of the creek（小川のすぐ近く）で、「そして、小川のすぐ近くで」という意味になります。
whence の意味は「〜から」で、先行詞は some bushes です。「そして、茂みから」→ we were rewarded という流れになります。whence と we の間に on looking through the branches が挟み込まれているので、少しわかりにくくなっています。
