CHAPTER XXI PRETENDING REALITY

The chain-gang had been working in the street not far from Miss Minerva's house, and Lina, Frances, Billy and Jimmy had hung on her front fence for an hour, watching them with eager interest. The negroes were chained together in pairs, and guarded by two, big, burly white men.

“Let's us play chain-gang,” suggested Jimmy.

“Where we goin' to git a chain?” queried¹ Billy; “'t won't be no fun 'thout a lock an' chain.”

“I can get the lock and chain off 'm Sarah Jane's cabin.”

“Yo' mama don't 'low you to go to her cabin,” said Billy.

“My mama don't care if I just borra a lock and chain; so I 'm going to get it.”

“I'm going to be the perlice of the gang,” said Frances.

“Perlice nothing. You all time talking 'bout² you going to be the perlice,” scoffed³ Jimmy. “I'm going to be the perlice myself.”

“No, you are not,” interposed Lina, firmly. “Billy and I are the tallest and we are going to be the guards, and you and Frances must be the prisoners.”

“Well, I ain't going to play 'thout I can be the boss of the niggers. It's Sarah Jane's chain and she's my mama's cook, and I'm going to be what I please.”

“I'll tell you what do,” was Billy's suggestion, “we'll take it turn about; me an' Lina'll firs' be the perlice an' y' all be the chain-gang, an' then we'll be the niggers an' y' all be the bosses.”

This arrangement was satisfactory, so the younger boy climbed the fence and soon returned with a short chain and padlock.

Billy chained Jimmy and Frances together by two round, fat ankles and put the key to the lock in his pocket.

“We must decide what crimes they have committed,” said Lina.

“Frances done got 'rested fer shootin' craps an' Jimmy done got 'rested fer 'sturbin' public worship,” said the other boss.

“Naw, I ain't neither,” objected the male member of the chain-gang, “I done cut my woman with a razor 'cause I see her racking down the street like a proud coon with another gent, like what Sarah Jane's brother telled me he done at the picnic.”

The children played happily together for half an hour, Billy and Lina commanding, and the prisoners, entering thoroughly⁴ into the spirit of the game, according prompt obedience⁵ to their bosses. At last the captives wearied of their role and clamored for an exchange of parts.

“All right,” agreed Lina. “Get the key, Billy, and we'll be the chain-gang.”

Billy put his right hand in his pocket but found no key there; he tried the other pocket with the same success; he felt in his blouse, he looked in his cap, he jumped up and down, he nearly shook himself to pieces all without avail; the key had disappeared as if by magic.

“I berlieve y' all done los' that key,” concluded he.

“Maybe it dropped on the ground,” said Frances.

They searched the yard over, but the key was not to be found.

“Well, if that ain't just like you, Billy,” cried Jimmy, “you all time perposing to play chain-gang and you all time lose the key.”

Lina grew indignant.

“You proposed this yourself, Jimmy Garner,” she said; “we never would have thought of playing chain-gang but for you.”

“It looks like we can't never do anything at all,” moaned Frances, “'thout grown folks 've got to know 'bout it.”

“Yes, and laugh fit to pop theirselfs open,” said her fellow-prisoner. “I can't never pass by Owen Gibbs and Len Hamner now 'thout they laugh just like idjets and grin just like pole-cats.”

“I ain't never hear tell of a pole-cat grinnin',” corrected Billy, “he jes' smell worser 'n what a billy goat do.”

“It is Chessy cats that grin,” explained Lina.

“Look like folks would get 'em a lot of pole-cats stead o' chillens always hafto be wearing assfetty bags 'round their nakes, so's they can keep off whopping-cough,” said Frances.

“You can't wear a pole-cat roun' yo' nake,” grinned Billy.

“And Len Hamner all time now asking me,” Jimmy continued, “when I'm going to wear Sarah Jane's co'set to Sunday-School. Grown folks 'bout the lunatickest things they is. Ain't you going to unlock this chain, Billy?” he demanded.

“What I got to unlock it with?” asked Billy.

As Jimmy's father was taking the crestfallen⁶ chaingang to the blacksmith shop to have their fetters⁷ removed, they had to pass by the livery stable; and Sam Lamb, bent⁸ double with intoxicating⁹ mirth at their predicament, yelled:

“Lordee! Lordee! Y' all sho' is de outlandishest kids 'twixt de Bad Place an' de moon.”

1 queried   

v.质疑，对…表示疑问( query的过去式和过去分词 )；询问

参考例句：

• She queried what he said. 她对他说的话表示怀疑。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• \"What does he have to do?\" queried Chin dubiously. “他有什么心事？”琴向觉民问道，她的脸上现出疑惑不解的神情。 来自汉英文学 - 家（1-26） - 家（1-26）

2 bout   

n.侵袭，发作；一次(阵，回)；拳击等比赛

参考例句：

• I was suffering with a bout of nerves.我感到一阵紧张。
• That bout of pneumonia enfeebled her.那次肺炎的发作使她虚弱了。

3 scoffed   

嘲笑，嘲弄( scoff的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• He scoffed at our amateurish attempts. 他对我们不在行的尝试嗤之以鼻。
• A hundred years ago people scoffed at the idea. 一百年前人们曾嘲笑过这种想法。

4 thoroughly   

adv.完全地，彻底地，十足地

参考例句：

• The soil must be thoroughly turned over before planting.一定要先把土地深翻一遍再下种。
• The soldiers have been thoroughly instructed in the care of their weapons.士兵们都系统地接受过保护武器的训练。

5 obedience   

n.服从，顺从

参考例句：

• Society has a right to expect obedience of the law.社会有权要求人人遵守法律。
• Soldiers act in obedience to the orders of their superior officers.士兵们遵照上级军官的命令行动。

6 crestfallen   

adj. 挫败的，失望的，沮丧的

参考例句：

• He gathered himself up and sneaked off,crushed and crestfallen.他爬起来，偷偷地溜了，一副垂头丧气、被斗败的样子。
• The youth looked exceedingly crestfallen.那青年看上去垂头丧气极了。

7 fetters   

n.脚镣( fetter的名词复数 )；束缚v.给…上脚镣，束缚( fetter的第三人称单数 )

参考例句：

• They were at last freed from the fetters of ignorance. 他们终于从愚昧无知的束缚中解脱出来。
• They will run wild freed from the fetters of control. 他们一旦摆脱了束缚，就会变得无法无天。 来自《简明英汉词典》

8 bent   

n.爱好，癖好；adj.弯的；决心的，一心的

参考例句：

• He was fully bent upon the project.他一心扑在这项计划上。
• We bent over backward to help them.我们尽了最大努力帮助他们。

9 intoxicating   

a. 醉人的,使人兴奋的

参考例句：

• Power can be intoxicating. 权力能让人得意忘形。
• On summer evenings the flowers gave forth an almost intoxicating scent. 夏日的傍晚，鲜花散发出醉人的芳香。