“Well, we’re really off at last,” remarked a tall, bronzed youth, speaking to some of his chums who leaned over the rail with him, waving to friends on the wharf.
[2]
“Yes, Jerry,” remarked a rather stout10 khaki-clad soldier lad, “off at last. And now that the captain can dispense11 with my valuable services in warping12 the ship away from the dock—I believe warping is the proper word—I’m going to look——”
“For the kitchen!” interrupted a third member of the little group clustered about the lad called Jerry, who wore on his coat the D. S. C. of valor13. “Isn’t that what you were going to say, Bob?”
“What’s that about a kitchen?” asked the youth called Jerry.
“Oh, Bob is up to his old tricks,” remarked the soldier who had interrupted his friend’s facetious14 words.
“Perhaps I may be, Ned,” came in reply from the stout one; “but I know enough not to call the place on board a ship where food is prepared a ‘kitchen.’ Why don’t you say galley15, you land-lubber?” and with this parting shot Bob Baker16, winking17 one eye at his tall friend, Jerry Hopkins, strolled aft.
He was soon lost in the throng18 of soldiers which crowded every available part of the transport, and Ned and Jerry, retaining their places by the rail, looked down at the water of the harbor which they were leaving behind. This was one of the first transports to depart for the United States after the terrible conflict, and in addition to taking[3] home a number of unwounded men, it also carried many casual cases.
Among the former were many friends and comrades of Jerry Hopkins, Ned Slade, and Bob Baker, three chums known to many of my readers as the “Motor Boys,” of whom more will later be told.
“Yes, we’re on our way,” remarked Ned to Jerry, as the two stood somewhat apart for the moment, their friends at the rail having moved to one side. “We’re on our way, and Bob hasn’t lost much time in starting his favorite indoor sport.”
“Well, I don’t know that I blame him,” announced Jerry. “The eating problem has been a hard one for all of us since this war started, and there’s such a crowd on board that it isn’t likely to be an easy matter to get a feed now. Bob always was one who believed in safety first, when it comes to his stomach.”
“You’re right!” assented19 Ned. “But there’s one thing about him: He isn’t mean, and if he finds a way to get an extra supply of grub he’ll share it with us.”
“You said a mouthful!” agreed Jerry.
For several moments they stood looking at the gradually disappearing reminders20 of the late conflict—the docks and the buildings at the Brest camp, in France, where they had spent some days[4] in waiting for transportation back to the United States. Then Ned turned to look over the seething21 deck.
“This is some crowd!” murmured Ned. “I hope Bob doesn’t get lost in it.”
“Especially if he does manage to find the galley, and can bribe22 or intimidate23 one of the cooks into slipping him something on the side,” added Jerry. “In that case I hope Bob’s memory carries him back to us, for, to tell you the truth, I’m hungry.”
“So’m I,” admitted Ned; “though I did pull a raw one on Chunky. But I guess we ought to consider ourselves lucky to be on board.”
“You said it!” declared Jerry. “There’s a lot of the boys who would give up a wound stripe for the sake of going back on one of these early boats. Now that the war is practically over, there’s going to be a big slump24 in the enthusiasm that kept us going when nothing else would have done it. Yes, we’re dead lucky to be going back.”
And so, amid the whistle salutes25 of other craft, the waving of hands and the tossing of hats and caps from unknown well-wishers, the Sherman kept on her way.
Out toward the west she headed, out toward the land of the Stars and Stripes, and deep in their hearts Ned, Bob, and Jerry were thankful for the Providence26 that had picked them as among[5] the first to go back home after the fighting was over.
They had covered themselves with glory, for in addition to the D. S. C. bestowed27 on Jerry Hopkins, Ned and Bob had received honorable mention, and their company was one picked out for signal honor, the three boys sharing in the general praise.
“I wonder how things are going back in Cresville,” mused28 Ned, after a period of silence on the part of himself and Jerry.
“That’s queer! I was just thinking that same thing myself,” the taller lad exclaimed. “It will seem mighty29 quiet after the hail-storms we’ve been through.”
“Hail-storms is right,” agreed Ned Slade. “But it can’t be too quiet for me. All I want to do is to sit under a tree back of the house, with plenty of books and magazines to read, clean clothes—real clean clothes—to wear, a bath-tub where I know where it is, and——”
“Something to eat!” interrupted a voice behind him, and, turning, Ned and Jerry beheld30 their stout chum, Bob Baker, who smilingly held out some sandwiches.
“Running true to form,” murmured Ned, as he accepted one, and also a bit of chocolate candy his friend extended. “How’d you manage to do it, Bob?”
[6]
“Oh, my hypnotic eye. Just told one of the cooks I had to have something if they didn’t want the captain to read the service for burial at sea. And the cook allowed he didn’t want that to happen so soon after we’d got started. This is the result,” and Bob began munching31 on his share of the auxiliary32 rations33, an example followed by Ned and Jerry.
“Am I right?” mumbled34 Bob, between bites.
“Right-O, Chunky!” murmured Jerry. “This touches the right spot.”
“Do you accept my amendment35 regarding the necessities you require on reaching home, Ned?” asked Bob, after a period of eloquent36 silence.
“Amendment accepted, all in favor say ‘aye!’” exclaimed Ned, adding, a moment later: “The ayes have it!”
“Didn’t see anything of Professor Snodgrass, did you?” asked Jerry of his chums, as they disposed of the last of the sandwiches and chocolate Bob had procured37 in some mysterious way.
“No,” answered Ned. “The last I saw of him was when he had seen to it that Gladys Petersen and Dorothy Gibbs were safely on their way home and he was packing up his pictures and specimens38 of bugs39 and things to ship to the college.”
“He said he might possibly join us on this transport,” said Bob. “And he may be here, for[7] all we know. Looks as if everybody I ever met in France is on board.”
“Not that pretty little girl with the black hair and brown eyes you were so fond of in the restaurant—she isn’t here, is she?” asked Jerry.
“Oh, cut it out!” growled40 Bob. “You know what I mean.”
“But did she know what you meant?” asked Ned pointedly41. “You know you never could get the hang of the French words, and she used to rip them out like a drygoods clerk tearing off a yard of muslin.”
“Say, if you fellows think I’m going to rustle42 grub for you, and then have you insult me, you’ve got another guess and a half coming!” cried Bob hotly—so hotly, in fact, that Jerry quickly interposed.
“That’s all right, Bob,” he said quietly, laying a cautioning hand on Ned’s shoulder. “We two were just as fond of Marie as you were, only she seemed to take more of a notion to you than she did to us.”
This admission apparently43 brightened Bob visibly, and his anger slowly died away.
“And, going back to the original subject,” said Ned, “did either of you see the professor?”
They had not, they admitted.
“Well, we’re not likely to hear from him until we get across, then,” decided44 Bob.
[8]
But it was not to be long before his words were disproved.
Gathering speed, the transport moved ahead, and the craft was approaching the open sea, leaving behind, in a misty45 haze46, the camp at Brest, when without warning she suddenly slowed up, not gradually, as if making a regular stop, but with a jar and a shudder47 that seemed to go through her whole structure.
“What’s that?” cried Bob, as he and his chums felt the tremors48 and the vibration49.
“Something’s wrong!” said Ned in a low voice.
“Could we have struck a mine?” asked Bob in a half whisper, as though he feared to start a panic. “It couldn’t be a sub, could it? I thought——”
He did not finish the sentence, for in the midst of it the vessel50 started on again; but, to the surprise of all, she began turning slowly back toward the port she had so recently left.
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1
ponderously
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maze
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| n.迷宫，八阵图，混乱，迷惑 | |
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gathering
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| n.集会，聚会，聚集 | |
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prow
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| n.(飞机)机头，船头 | |
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rippling
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| 起涟漪的，潺潺流水般声音的 | |
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wharf
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| n.码头，停泊处 | |
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7
mingled
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| 混合，混入( mingle的过去式和过去分词 )； 混进，与…交往[联系] | |
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8
resonant
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| adj.(声音)洪亮的，共鸣的 | |
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9
allied
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| adj.协约国的；同盟国的 | |
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11
dispense
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| vt.分配，分发；配(药)，发(药)；实施 | |
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12
warping
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| n.翘面，扭曲，变形v.弄弯，变歪( warp的现在分词 )；使（行为等）不合情理，使乖戾， | |
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13
valor
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| n.勇气，英勇 | |
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facetious
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| adj.轻浮的，好开玩笑的 | |
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15
galley
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| n.（飞机或船上的）厨房单层甲板大帆船；军舰舰长用的大划艇； | |
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16
baker
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| n.面包师 | |
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17
winking
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| n.瞬眼，目语v.使眼色( wink的现在分词 )；递眼色（表示友好或高兴等）；（指光）闪烁；闪亮 | |
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18
throng
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| n.人群，群众；v.拥挤，群集 | |
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19
assented
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| 同意，赞成( assent的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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20
reminders
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| n.令人回忆起…的东西( reminder的名词复数 )；提醒…的东西；（告知该做某事的）通知单；提示信 | |
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21
seething
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| 沸腾的，火热的 | |
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22
bribe
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| n.贿赂；v.向…行贿，买通 | |
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23
intimidate
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| vt.恐吓，威胁 | |
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24
slump
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| n.暴跌，意气消沉，（土地）下沉；vi.猛然掉落，坍塌，大幅度下跌 | |
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25
salutes
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| n.致敬，欢迎，敬礼( salute的名词复数 )v.欢迎，致敬( salute的第三人称单数 )；赞扬，赞颂 | |
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26
providence
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| n.深谋远虑，天道，天意；远见；节约；上帝 | |
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27
bestowed
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| 赠给，授予( bestow的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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28
mused
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| v.沉思，冥想( muse的过去式和过去分词 )；沉思自语说（某事） | |
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29
mighty
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| adj.强有力的；巨大的 | |
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30
beheld
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| v.看，注视( behold的过去式和过去分词 )；瞧；看呀；（叙述中用于引出某人意外的出现）哎哟 | |
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31
munching
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| v.用力咀嚼（某物），大嚼( munch的现在分词 ) | |
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32
auxiliary
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| adj.辅助的，备用的 | |
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33
rations
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| 定量( ration的名词复数 )； 配给量； 正常量； 合理的量 | |
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34
mumbled
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| 含糊地说某事，叽咕，咕哝( mumble的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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35
amendment
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| n.改正，修正，改善，修正案 | |
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36
eloquent
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| adj.雄辩的，口才流利的；明白显示出的 | |
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37
procured
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| v.（努力）取得， （设法）获得( procure的过去式和过去分词 )；拉皮条 | |
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38
specimens
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| n.样品( specimen的名词复数 )；范例；（化验的）抽样；某种类型的人 | |
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39
bugs
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| adj.疯狂的，发疯的n.窃听器( bug的名词复数 )；病菌；虫子；[计算机]（制作软件程序所产生的意料不到的）错误 | |
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40
growled
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| v.（动物）发狺狺声， （雷）作隆隆声( growl的过去式和过去分词 )；低声咆哮着说 | |
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41
pointedly
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| adv.尖地，明显地 | |
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42
rustle
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| v.沙沙作响；偷盗(牛、马等)；n.沙沙声声 | |
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43
apparently
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| adv.显然地；表面上，似乎 | |
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44
decided
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| adj.决定了的，坚决的；明显的，明确的 | |
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45
misty
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| adj.雾蒙蒙的，有雾的 | |
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46
haze
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| n.霾，烟雾；懵懂，迷糊；vi.(over)变模糊 | |
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47
shudder
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| v.战粟，震动，剧烈地摇晃；n.战粟，抖动 | |
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48
tremors
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| 震颤( tremor的名词复数 )； 战栗； 震颤声； 大地的轻微震动 | |
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49
vibration
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| n.颤动，振动；摆动 | |
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50
vessel
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| n.船舶；容器，器皿；管，导管，血管 | |
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