CHAPTER XXVI THE FIERY FURNACE

Dorothy was not likely to scream—not just at the moment she was thrust into the old shack¹ by her two vigorous

captors. For the black-haired woman clapped her dirty palm right over the girl’s mouth, hissing² into her ear

meanwhile:

“Let a squawk out o’ ye, me foine lady, and I’ll choke it back inter³ yer throat like a cork-stopper. Understand

me, now?”

Dorothy nodded. Although she was greatly startled, she was not so frightened that she could not think clearly. What

would these women make by trying to hold her captive here, so near a public street? Surely they would not really

injure her if she obeyed them.

“Easy, dear,” urged the light-haired woman, who confessed to the name of Jane Daggett. “We won’t hurt a hair of

her head—but that hat——”

She tore the pretty hat Dorothy wore from her head. Then off came the girl’s jacket. Jane Daggett spied the watch

Dorothy carried.

218 “The jewelry’s too much for the likes of her,” she said, grinning. “And there’s her ring.”

The black-haired woman tore the ring from Dorothy’s finger. “That’s my share, Jane,” she said. “Don’t you be a

pig, my dear.”

“Sure we’ll share an’ share alike,” replied Jane Daggett, grimly. “Take off your dress, my dear,” she

commanded Dorothy. “It’s too good for ye. I’ll give ye one o’ me own. It may be a mite⁴ too big for ye; but

ye’ll grow to it,” and she chuckled⁵ at her own witticism⁶.

“Oh, please!” gasped⁷ Dorothy, now freed from the bigger woman’s hand.

“Hush up!” ordered the black-haired virago⁸.

“She’s got a pretty purse, too,” laughed Jane Daggett, dragging the article from the coat pocket.

Dorothy could not help crying a little. She dared not make a loud noise, for she saw that the rougher woman would

instantly strangle her if she did so. But she would not unbutton her dress.

“You’d better mind!” hissed⁹ the black-haired woman, in a low voice. “You’d better——”

The unuttered threat made Dorothy tremble violently. She felt as though she would faint. Things began to turn black

around her. The hideous¹⁰, grinning faces of her two captors swam before her gaze——

Suddenly there came a pounding on the wall of the shack. “Hush!” cried Jane Daggett.

219 “What’s that?” whispered the other woman.

“My Poke¹¹. What’s th’ matter, Poke?”

“Cheese it! Here’s some fellers——”

The drawling voice of the young man who had got the letter at the post-office ceased. The next instant Dorothy heard

the cheerful voice of Ned White, her big cousin:

“Hullo, you! Didn’t a pretty girl just go past here—a girl with red in her hat and a tan coat?”

“Don’t know nothin’ erbout no gal,” drawled Poke Daggett.

Now, Poke was naturally a coward. His lantern features likely showed that he was telling a falsehood, too. Bob Niles

’ voice interposed:

“You’ve got good eyes, young fellow. You saw Miss Dale all right. Which way did she go?”

“Ain’t seen no gal,” drawled Poke.

Jane Daggett had Dorothy by one arm. Her lean fingers were bruising¹² the tender flesh warningly. On the other side

stood the black-haired woman with a piece of plank¹³ held threateningly to strike. Dorothy could see nails in that

plank—if the woman used it, her face would be lacerated!

“Hul-lo!” exclaimed Ned’s voice, suddenly.

“Handkerchief, by Jove!” cried Bob.

“It’s Dorothy’s, too! This rascal¹⁴——”

There was a sudden spurning¹⁵ of the gravel¹⁶. Poke, lazy as he was, had begun to run. With a shout Bob leaped away

after him.

220 But Ned turned toward the closed cabin door. The wadded-up handkerchief had dropped from the cuff¹⁷ of Dorothy’s

coat just as she was being pushed inside. It was off the sidewalk, and Ned’s brain worked quickly.

“Come back here, Bob!” he yelled. “He’s only putting us off the scent¹⁸. Here she is!”

In a moment Ned burst into the shack. Jane Daggett dodged¹⁹ and ran out. The black-haired virago aimed a blow at Ned’

s head with the plank, but missed him by a hair’s breadth.

“Look out! Look out!” cried Dorothy, sinking into a corner, out of the way.

“Oh, I’d give a dollar if you were a man for a minute!” exclaimed Ned, stepping around the woman to dodge²⁰ her

blows, but having to stand her coarse vituperations.

Bob came back with a whoop²¹. The woman dodged out and disappeared up the gully on the trail of Jane Daggett. Dorothy

’s hat, coat, watch, purse and ring went with them.

“They’ve robbed and beaten you, Dot,” cried Ned, beside himself with rage. “Oh! if they’d only been men so we

could hit ’em.”

“Well, now,” began Bob, when Dorothy panted:

“There’s the boy, Ned. Let’s catch him. Never mind my things. That boy got the letter and he knows about Tom

Moran, I am sure.”

221 “He’s crossed the tracks,” said Bob. “If you hadn’t called me back, Ned, I’d had him.”

“We’ll get him yet,” declared Ned. “Come on.”

He took his cousin’s hand. Bob seized Dorothy’s other hand and she ran between them, down across the railroad

tracks and up the hill. They were going toward Rouse’s farm. They saw the lanky²², white-haired youth climbing the

heights above them.

Suddenly smoke and fire burst out at a point in the upper pasture far from Simeon Rouse’s house. It was a fodder²³

stack afire, and Dorothy and the two boys saw several figures running about it.

The path over the upland which Poke Daggett followed led him right past the fired stack of corn fodder. Ned and

Dorothy both saw this.

“Leave me behind, boys—do,” she gasped. “You can overtake him and I can’t.”

“Isn’t that Tavia?” demanded Bob Niles. “It is she, I’m sure.”

“And the boys,” cried Dorothy. “Tell them to stop him, Ned!”

Ned White raised his voice in a great whoop. He waved his hands and pointed²⁴ to the running Daggett. The latter was

almost up to the stack of burning fodder.

It was Tavia’s quick mind that understood Ned’s yells and gestures. She sprang straight into the path of the

white-haired youth. He dodged222 her, but came to his knees. Joe and Johnny, well up in football tactics, tackled

low and brought the fellow down again before he had fairly regained²⁵ his feet.

“That’s it! Hold him!” whooped²⁶ Bob and Ned.

They left Dorothy behind as they clambered up the rough hillside. The staggering Daggett put forth²⁷ the last ounce of

his faint strength. He rose up, threw off the two smaller boys, and started on.

And just then a new actor appeared in the field—and a most astonishing one. A yell of fright sounded, and there

sprang out of the fodder stack—seemingly from the very heart of the fire—a figure wreathed by smoke and sparks.

Indeed, the man’s clothing was afire at several points.

But most striking of all, his hair was the reddest of the red, and his freckles²⁸ stood out prominently on the

background of his pale skin.

“Fire! Fire,” he roared. “Who’s tr-ryin’ to burn me up? Wow! is that you, Poke Daggett?”

He whirled right into the flying Daggett’s arms. He had been trying to beat out the sparks upon his clothing, and

as he collided with Poke, the two went to the ground.

“It—it’s that redhead!” gasped Tavia. “Oh, it’s surely Tom Moran!”

Joe and Johnny—and even little Roger Dale—ran to assist in putting out the fire in the red-haired223 man’s

clothing. Poke Daggett rose and tried to drag himself away.

But Ned and Bob arrived, and the former ordered young Daggett to stop. “We’ve got a bone to pick with you, you

white-haired rascal. Wait! Isn’t your name Moran?” he asked of the man who had been afire.

“I don’t know—they woke me up so quick,” returned the red-headed one, with a grin. “However did these kids set

the fodder afire? Somebody will have to pay Simeon Rouse for it.”

“We’ll ’tend to that,” returned Ned, quickly. “But Miss Dale is very anxious to meet you.”

“Meet me?” asked Tom Moran, for it was he. “About that runaway²⁹ the other day? I’m mighty³⁰ sorry the steers³¹ ran—

—”

“That’s not it,” said Tavia, briskly. “It’s about your sister Celia, and Miss Olaine, and——”

Tom Moran’s face changed instantly. He forgot all about Poke, who would have crept away had not Bob taken a turn in

his jacket collar and held the fellow prisoner.

“I guess you’re saying something now, Miss,” said Moran, gravely. “What do you know about my little sister?

I’ve been hunting for her a long time. And the other person you speak of——”

Then Dorothy arrived and, as Tavia said, “the court of inquiry³² went into executive session.”
 

1 shack   

adj.简陋的小屋，窝棚

参考例句：

• He had to sit down five times before he reached his shack.在走到他的茅棚以前，他不得不坐在地上歇了五次。
• The boys made a shack out of the old boards in the backyard.男孩们在后院用旧木板盖起一间小木屋。

2 hissing   

n. 发嘶嘶声, 蔑视 动词hiss的现在分词形式

参考例句：

• The steam escaped with a loud hissing noise. 蒸汽大声地嘶嘶冒了出来。
• His ears were still hissing with the rustle of the leaves. 他耳朵里还听得萨萨萨的声音和屑索屑索的怪声。 来自汉英文学 - 春蚕

3 inter   

v.埋葬

参考例句：

• They interred their dear comrade in the arms.他们埋葬了他们亲爱的战友。
• The man who died in that accident has been interred.在那次事故中死的那个人已经被埋葬了。

4 mite   

n.极小的东西；小铜币

参考例句：

• The poor mite was so ill.可怜的孩子病得这么重。
• He is a mite taller than I.他比我高一点点。

5 chuckled   

轻声地笑( chuckle的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• She chuckled at the memory. 想起这件事她就暗自发笑。
• She chuckled softly to herself as she remembered his astonished look. 想起他那惊讶的表情，她就轻轻地暗自发笑。

6 witticism   

n.谐语，妙语

参考例句：

• He tries to lighten his lectures with an occasional witticism.他有时想用俏皮话使课堂活跃。
• His witticism was as sharp as a marble.他的打趣话十分枯燥无味。

7 gasped   

v.喘气( gasp的过去式和过去分词 )；喘息；倒抽气；很想要

参考例句：

• She gasped at the wonderful view. 如此美景使她惊讶得屏住了呼吸。
• People gasped with admiration at the superb skill of the gymnasts. 体操运动员的高超技艺令人赞叹。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》

8 virago   

n.悍妇

参考例句：

• The virago vomited out curses on that tramp.那悍妇怒骂那流浪汉。
• His wife is a virago.他的妻子是母老虎。

9 hissed   

发嘶嘶声( hiss的过去式和过去分词 )； 发嘘声表示反对

参考例句：

• Have you ever been hissed at in the middle of a speech? 你在演讲中有没有被嘘过？
• The iron hissed as it pressed the wet cloth. 熨斗压在湿布上时发出了嘶嘶声。

10 hideous   

adj.丑陋的，可憎的，可怕的，恐怖的

参考例句：

• The whole experience had been like some hideous nightmare.整个经历就像一场可怕的噩梦。
• They're not like dogs,they're hideous brutes.它们不像狗，是丑陋的畜牲。

11 poke   

n.刺，戳，袋；vt.拨开，刺，戳；vi.戳，刺，捅，搜索，伸出，行动散慢

参考例句：

• We never thought she would poke her nose into this.想不到她会插上一手。
• Don't poke fun at me.别拿我凑趣儿。

12 bruising   

adj.殊死的；十分激烈的v.擦伤(bruise的现在分词形式)

参考例句：

• He suffered cracked ribs and bruising. 他断了肋骨还有挫伤。
• He slipped and fell, badly bruising an elbow. 他滑倒了，一只胳膊肘严重擦伤。 来自辞典例句

13 plank   

n.板条，木板，政策要点，政纲条目

参考例句：

• The plank was set against the wall.木板靠着墙壁。
• They intend to win the next election on the plank of developing trade.他们想以发展贸易的纲领来赢得下次选举。

14 rascal   

n.流氓；不诚实的人

参考例句：

• If he had done otherwise,I should have thought him a rascal.如果他不这样做，我就认为他是个恶棍。
• The rascal was frightened into holding his tongue.这坏蛋吓得不敢往下说了。

15 spurning   

v.一脚踢开，拒绝接受( spurn的现在分词 )

参考例句：

• There is no point in spurning sth. 鄙视某事物是毫无意义的。 来自互联网
• It does its job with subtlety, however, spurning the hammer intensity of something like cranberry juice. 然而，它与微妙做它的工作践踏象酸果蔓的果实果汁一样的一些东西的榔头紧张。 来自互联网

16 gravel   

n.砂跞；砂砾层；结石

参考例句：

• We bought six bags of gravel for the garden path.我们购买了六袋碎石用来铺花园的小路。
• More gravel is needed to fill the hollow in the drive.需要更多的砾石来填平车道上的坑洼。

17 cuff   

n.袖口；手铐；护腕；vt.用手铐铐；上袖口

参考例句：

• She hoped they wouldn't cuff her hands behind her back.她希望他们不要把她反铐起来。
• Would you please draw together the snag in my cuff?请你把我袖口上的裂口缝上好吗？

18 scent   

n.气味，香味，香水，线索，嗅觉；v.嗅，发觉

参考例句：

• The air was filled with the scent of lilac.空气中弥漫着丁香花的芬芳。
• The flowers give off a heady scent at night.这些花晚上散发出醉人的芳香。

19 dodged   

v.闪躲( dodge的过去式和过去分词 )；回避

参考例句：

• He dodged cleverly when she threw her sabot at him. 她用木底鞋砸向他时，他机敏地闪开了。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• He dodged the book that I threw at him. 他躲开了我扔向他的书。 来自《简明英汉词典》

20 dodge   

v.闪开，躲开，避开；n.妙计，诡计

参考例句：

• A dodge behind a tree kept her from being run over.她向树后一闪，才没被车从身上辗过。
• The dodge was coopered by the police.诡计被警察粉碎了。

21 whoop   

n.大叫，呐喊，喘息声；v.叫喊，喘息

参考例句：

• He gave a whoop of joy when he saw his new bicycle.他看到自己的新自行车时，高兴得叫了起来。
• Everybody is planning to whoop it up this weekend.大家都打算在这个周末好好欢闹一番。

22 lanky   

adj.瘦长的

参考例句：

• He was six feet four,all lanky and leggy.他身高6英尺4英寸，瘦高个儿，大长腿。
• Tom was a lanky boy with long skinny legs.汤姆是一个腿很细的瘦高个儿。

23 fodder   

n.草料；炮灰

参考例句：

• Grass mowed and cured for use as fodder.割下来晒干用作饲料的草。
• Guaranteed salt intake, no matter which normal fodder.不管是那一种正常的草料，保证盐的摄取。

24 pointed   

adj.尖的，直截了当的

参考例句：

• He gave me a very sharp pointed pencil.他给我一支削得非常尖的铅笔。
• She wished to show Mrs.John Dashwood by this pointed invitation to her brother.她想通过对达茨伍德夫人提出直截了当的邀请向她的哥哥表示出来。

25 regained   

复得( regain的过去式和过去分词 )； 赢回； 重回； 复至某地

参考例句：

• The majority of the people in the world have regained their liberty. 世界上大多数人已重获自由。
• She hesitated briefly but quickly regained her poise. 她犹豫片刻，但很快恢复了镇静。

26 whooped   

叫喊( whoop的过去式和过去分词 )； 高声说； 唤起

参考例句：

• The bill whooped through both houses. 此提案在一片支持的欢呼声中由两院匆匆通过。
• The captive was whooped and jeered. 俘虏被叱责讥笑。

27 forth   

adv.向前；向外，往外

参考例句：

• The wind moved the trees gently back and forth.风吹得树轻轻地来回摇晃。
• He gave forth a series of works in rapid succession.他很快连续发表了一系列的作品。

28 freckles   

n.雀斑，斑点( freckle的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• She had a wonderful clear skin with an attractive sprinkling of freckles. 她光滑的皮肤上有几处可爱的小雀斑。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• When she lies in the sun, her face gets covered in freckles. 她躺在阳光下时，脸上布满了斑点。 来自《简明英汉词典》

29 runaway   

n.逃走的人，逃亡，亡命者；adj.逃亡的，逃走的

参考例句：

• The police have not found the runaway to date.警察迄今没抓到逃犯。
• He was praised for bringing up the runaway horse.他勒住了脱缰之马受到了表扬。

30 mighty   

adj.强有力的；巨大的

参考例句：

• A mighty force was about to break loose.一股巨大的力量即将迸发而出。
• The mighty iceberg came into view.巨大的冰山出现在眼前。

31 steers   

n.阉公牛，肉用公牛( steer的名词复数 )v.驾驶( steer的第三人称单数 )；操纵；控制；引导

参考例句：

• This car steers easily. 这部车子易于驾驶。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• Good fodder fleshed the steers up. 优质饲料使菜牛长肉。 来自辞典例句

32 inquiry   

n.打听，询问，调查，查问

参考例句：

• Many parents have been pressing for an inquiry into the problem.许多家长迫切要求调查这个问题。
• The field of inquiry has narrowed down to five persons.调查的范围已经缩小到只剩5个人了。