CHAPTER XVI. A DASH OF TABASCO.

 In due course the delayed breakfast came up from the torpedo¹ room. By some error, Speake had mixed an overdose of tabasco sauce with the canned beans which he had warmed up on his electric stove.

 

“Glory!” sputtered² Jordan, reaching for water. “Speake must have mixed a Whitehead torpedo in that mess of beans.”

 

“Only a dash of tabasco,” replied Coleman. “Haven’t you been in Central America long enough to like hot stuff?”

 

“Not long enough, anyhow, to acquire an asbestos stomach. Talking about a dash of tabasco, though, Bob Steele’s raid on the rebels must have been something of that variety. Reel it off, Bob. We’re all good listeners.”

 

“You do it, Dick,” said Bob. “You were with me and did as much of the work as I did.”

 

“No, sir!” remonstrated³ Dick. “I didn’t take care of Ysabel during that run for the river, did I. And I didn’t get that piece of lead through my arm, either.”

 

Thereupon Dick waded⁴ into past events as he and Bob had experienced them. He slighted his own deeds to give a greater luster⁵ to Bob’s, and finally Bob, in self-defense, had to take the telling into his own hands and finish it.

 

“Well,” exclaimed Jordan, “there’s enough tabasco in that run of work to satisfy almost anybody. But, if Bob Steele hadn’t come up under that launch as he did, all of us prisoners, my dear friends, would now be tramping through the jungle toward Pitou’s new camp.”

 

102

 

“I’m glad that note of mine proved so valuable to us,” spoke⁶ up Coleman.

 

“How did you come to lay all that information aboard, Mr. Coleman?” inquired Dick. “It seemed main queer that a prisoner could have got wise to all that.”

 

“Pitou told me,” said Coleman, with a twinkle in his eye, “over a poker⁸ game. He indulged in liquid refreshment⁹, as I remember, and the more he beat me, and the more he indulged, the more confidential¹⁰ he became. I knew Pedro was a friend of Ysabel’s, and that he was helping¹¹ her to leave the camp, so I managed to write down what I had heard, hoping that Ysabel might get to Port Livingstone and give the news to somebody there who could and would help us.”

 

“You haven’t told us, Mr. Jordan,” said Bob, “what happened to your landing party.”

 

“I hesitate to put it into cold words,” answered Jordan, “after listening to a recital¹² which shows that you are a general in that sort of affair, Bob, while I am only a private. By rights, my lad, you are the one who should have gone with that landing party. However, since it appears necessary to have our experiences in order to make the testimony¹³ complete, here goes.

 

“By accident we struck a path. Tirzal said he knew about the path, but I think the good-natured rascal¹⁴ was talking for effect, and that he had never seen it before. I was fairly sure in my own mind, mainly because we had seen nothing of Fingal’s schooner¹⁵ after leaving Belize nor of a small boat after leaving Port Livingstone, that Fingal and Cassidy hadn’t reached the revolutionists and told what they knew. I suspect that that’s what made me careless, for I was that when you consider that we were out103 on a reconnoitering expedition and ought to have been looking for traps as well as for revolutionists.

 

“Well, the trap was sprung at a turn in the path. I wasn’t able to see around the turn, and a bunch of colored persons in ragged¹⁶ clothes were on us before you could say Jack¹⁷ Robinson. This happened quite a little while after we got away from the boat. As I recollect¹⁸, we had reconnoitered, and had been led away from the path on some wild-goose chase or other by Tirzal half a dozen times. I was just thinking about returning to the boat when we pushed around that turn.

 

“I had time to shoot, and it so happened that I wounded a colored person who was a favorite captain of the general’s. It wasn’t a serious wound, but the general was pretty badly worked up over it, and I didn’t know but they would stand me against a tree and shoot me out of hand before I could make the general understand I was in the consular¹⁹ service. At the right moment, Fingal came up, and he recognized me. The general was tickled²⁰, and felt sure he had enough consular representatives of the United States in his hands to insure the giving up of Jim Sixty. Nice business, eh, Coleman,” and Jordan turned aside to his friend, “when it takes two fellows like you and me to make an even exchange for a fellow like that filibuster²¹?”

 

“Well,” answered Coleman, “Sixty is worth more to the rebels than we are. It’s what a thing’s worth to somebody else, and not what you think it’s worth to you, that counts.”

 

“The point’s too fine and gets away from me,” went on Jordan. “That’s about all of it, Bob. Poor Tirzal was recognized as a spy, and he would have been shot quick enough if I hadn’t threatened the general with all sorts of things if he carried out his in104tentions. Out of consideration for me, Pitou agreed to wait until we got to the new camp before shooting Tirzal. That’s the only thing, Bob, that saved the half-breed’s life.”

 

Bob was beginning to feel the effects of his long period of active duty without sufficient sleep, and he called Cassidy from the torpedo room, left him in charge of the Grampus, and then lay down on the locker²² and was soon slumbering²³ soundly.

 

When he was awakened²⁴ it was by Jordan. It was getting along toward evening, and the Grampus was anchored in her old berth²⁵ off Belize. A sailboat was alongside to take the passengers ashore²⁶.

 

Jordan, Coleman, Tirzal, Cassidy, and Bob were to go, and, of course, Ysabel. Dick was left to look after the submarine.

 

Ysabel left Bob and the rest at the landing.

 

“Shall I see you again, Bob,” she asked, “you and the rest of the boys?”

 

“I hope so, Ysabel,” answered the youth, “but I also hope we won’t have such rough times when our trails cross again.”

 

“Have I helped you enough to offset²⁷ what I did in New Orleans?”

 

“Don’t mention that—forget about it. The account is more than square.”

 

“Good-by, then,” she called, in a stifled²⁸ voice, and hurried off along the street.

 

Jordan and Coleman went on to the house where the captain had been taken, accompanying Bob and Cassidy. The mate was going to present himself frankly²⁹ before the captain, acknowledge his fault, and then abide³⁰ by the full consequences. But fate decreed that the matter should turn out otherwise.

 

The captain, as it chanced, was very much worse and was unable to recognize any one. The doctor105 averred³¹ that the case was not serious, and that, with good nursing, Captain Nemo, junior, would pull through all right.

 

“If he wants a nurse, doctor,” said Cassidy, “then it’s up to me. I took care of him in New Orleans, the time he was sick there, and I guess I can do it now better than any one else.”

 

“Then pull off your coat,” said the doctor, “and go up to his room.”

 

All this was as it should be. For the present, the Grampus was still under Bob’s care, and he started back toward the wharf³² to secure a sailboat and return to the submarine.

 

Jordan and Coleman accompanied him part way, then left him to telegraph their report of recent events to Washington.

 

“We’re going to handle you and the Grampus without gloves in that report,” declared Jordan, with a wink⁷.

 

“Just so you please the government and make the navy department take the submarine off the captain’s hands,” returned Bob, “that’s all I care.”

1 torpedo   

n.水雷，地雷；v.用鱼雷破坏

参考例句：

• His ship was blown up by a torpedo.他的船被一枚鱼雷炸毁了。
• Torpedo boats played an important role during World War Two.鱼雷艇在第二次世界大战中发挥了重要作用。

2 sputtered   

v.唾沫飞溅( sputter的过去式和过去分词 )；发劈啪声；喷出；飞溅出

参考例句：

• The candle sputtered out. 蜡烛噼啪爆响着熄灭了。 来自《现代英汉综合大词典》
• The balky engine sputtered and stopped. 不听使唤的发动机劈啪作响地停了下来。 来自辞典例句

3 remonstrated   

v.抗议( remonstrate的过去式和过去分词 )；告诫

参考例句：

• They remonstrated with the official about the decision. 他们就这一决定向这位官员提出了抗议。
• We remonstrated against the ill-treatment of prisoners of war. 我们对虐待战俘之事提出抗议。 来自辞典例句

4 waded   

（从水、泥等）蹚，走过，跋( wade的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• She tucked up her skirt and waded into the river. 她撩起裙子蹚水走进河里。
• He waded into the water to push the boat out. 他蹚进水里把船推出来。

5 luster   

n.光辉；光泽，光亮；荣誉

参考例句：

• His great books have added luster to the university where he teaches.他的巨著给他任教的大学增了光。
• Mercerization enhances dyeability and luster of cotton materials.丝光处理扩大棉纤维的染色能力，增加纤维的光泽。

6 spoke   

n.（车轮的）辐条；轮辐；破坏某人的计划；阻挠某人的行动 v.讲，谈（speak的过去式）；说；演说；从某种观点来说

参考例句：

• They sourced the spoke nuts from our company.他们的轮辐螺帽是从我们公司获得的。
• The spokes of a wheel are the bars that connect the outer ring to the centre.辐条是轮子上连接外圈与中心的条棒。

7 wink   

n.眨眼，使眼色，瞬间；v.眨眼，使眼色，闪烁

参考例句：

• He tipped me the wink not to buy at that price.他眨眼暗示我按那个价格就不要买。
• The satellite disappeared in a wink.瞬息之间，那颗卫星就消失了。

8 poker   

n.扑克；vt.烙制

参考例句：

• He was cleared out in the poker game.他打扑克牌，把钱都输光了。
• I'm old enough to play poker and do something with it.我打扑克是老手了，可以玩些花样。

9 refreshment   

n.恢复，精神爽快，提神之事物；（复数）refreshments:点心，茶点

参考例句：

• He needs to stop fairly often for refreshment.他须时不时地停下来喘口气。
• A hot bath is a great refreshment after a day's work.在一天工作之后洗个热水澡真是舒畅。

10 confidential   

adj.秘（机）密的，表示信任的，担任机密工作的

参考例句：

• He refused to allow his secretary to handle confidential letters.他不让秘书处理机密文件。
• We have a confidential exchange of views.我们推心置腹地交换意见。

11 helping   

n.食物的一份&adj.帮助人的，辅助的

参考例句：

• The poor children regularly pony up for a second helping of my hamburger. 那些可怜的孩子们总是要求我把我的汉堡包再给他们一份。
• By doing this, they may at times be helping to restore competition. 这样一来, 他在某些时候,有助于竞争的加强。

12 recital   

n.朗诵，独奏会，独唱会

参考例句：

• She is going to give a piano recital.她即将举行钢琴独奏会。
• I had their total attention during the thirty-five minutes that my recital took.在我叙述的35分钟内，他们完全被我吸引了。

13 testimony   

n.证词；见证，证明

参考例句：

• The testimony given by him is dubious.他所作的证据是可疑的。
• He was called in to bear testimony to what the police officer said.他被传入为警官所说的话作证。

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 schooner   

n.纵帆船

参考例句：

• The schooner was driven ashore.那条帆船被冲上了岸。
• The current was bearing coracle and schooner southward at an equal rate.急流正以同样的速度将小筏子和帆船一起冲向南方。

16 ragged   

adj.衣衫褴褛的，粗糙的，刺耳的

参考例句：

• A ragged shout went up from the small crowd.这一小群人发出了刺耳的喊叫。
• Ragged clothing infers poverty.破衣烂衫意味着贫穷。

17 jack   

n.插座，千斤顶，男人；v.抬起，提醒，扛举；n.（Jake）杰克

参考例句：

• I am looking for the headphone jack.我正在找寻头戴式耳机插孔。
• He lifted the car with a jack to change the flat tyre.他用千斤顶把车顶起来换下瘪轮胎。

18 recollect   

v.回忆，想起，记起，忆起，记得

参考例句：

• He tried to recollect things and drown himself in them.他极力回想过去的事情而沉浸于回忆之中。
• She could not recollect being there.她回想不起曾经到过那儿。

19 consular   

a.领事的

参考例句：

• He has rounded out twenty years in the consular service. 他在领事馆工作已整整20年了。
• Consular invoices are declarations made at the consulate of the importing country. 领事发票是进口国领事馆签发的一种申报书。

20 tickled   

（使）发痒( tickle的过去式和过去分词 )； （使）愉快，逗乐

参考例句：

• We were tickled pink to see our friends on television. 在电视中看到我们的一些朋友，我们高兴极了。
• I tickled the baby's feet and made her laugh. 我胳肢孩子的脚，使她发笑。

21 filibuster   

n.妨碍议事，阻挠；v.阻挠

参考例句：

• A senator dragged the subject in as a filibuster.一个参议员硬把这个题目拉扯进来，作为一种阻碍议事的手法。
• The democrats organized a filibuster in the senate.民主党党员在参议院上组织了阻挠议事。

22 locker   

n.更衣箱，储物柜，冷藏室，上锁的人

参考例句：

• At the swimming pool I put my clothes in a locker.在游泳池我把衣服锁在小柜里。
• He moved into the locker room and began to slip out of his scrub suit.他走进更衣室把手术服脱下来。

23 slumbering   

微睡，睡眠（slumber的现在分词形式）

参考例句：

• It was quiet. All the other inhabitants of the slums were slumbering. 贫民窟里的人已经睡眠静了。
• Then soft music filled the air and soothed the slumbering heroes. 接着，空中响起了柔和的乐声，抚慰着安睡的英雄。

24 awakened   

v.（使）醒( awaken的过去式和过去分词 )；（使）觉醒；弄醒；（使）意识到

参考例句：

• She awakened to the sound of birds singing. 她醒来听到鸟的叫声。
• The public has been awakened to the full horror of the situation. 公众完全意识到了这一状况的可怕程度。 来自《简明英汉词典》

25 berth   

n.卧铺，停泊地，锚位；v.使停泊

参考例句：

• She booked a berth on the train from London to Aberdeen.她订了一张由伦敦开往阿伯丁的火车卧铺票。
• They took up a berth near the harbor.他们在港口附近找了个位置下锚。

26 ashore   

adv.在(向)岸上，上岸

参考例句：

• The children got ashore before the tide came in.涨潮前，孩子们就上岸了。
• He laid hold of the rope and pulled the boat ashore.他抓住绳子拉船靠岸。

27 offset   

n.分支，补偿；v.抵消，补偿

参考例句：

• Their wage increases would be offset by higher prices.他们增加的工资会被物价上涨所抵消。
• He put up his prices to offset the increased cost of materials.他提高了售价以补偿材料成本的增加。

28 stifled   

（使）窒息， （使）窒闷( stifle的过去式和过去分词 )； 镇压，遏制； 堵

参考例句：

• The gas stifled them. 煤气使他们窒息。
• The rebellion was stifled. 叛乱被镇压了。

29 frankly   

adv.坦白地，直率地；坦率地说

参考例句：

• To speak frankly, I don't like the idea at all.老实说，我一点也不赞成这个主意。
• Frankly speaking, I'm not opposed to reform.坦率地说，我不反对改革。

30 abide   

vi.遵守；坚持；vt.忍受

参考例句：

• You must abide by the results of your mistakes.你必须承担你的错误所造成的后果。
• If you join the club,you have to abide by its rules.如果你参加俱乐部，你就得遵守它的规章。

31 averred   

v.断言( aver的过去式和过去分词 )；证实；证明…属实；作为事实提出

参考例句：

• She averred that she had never seen the man before. 她斩钉截铁地说以前从未见过这个男人。
• The prosecutor averred that the prisoner killed Lois. 检察官称被拘犯杀害洛伊丝属实。 来自互联网

32 wharf   

n.码头，停泊处

参考例句：

• We fetch up at the wharf exactly on time.我们准时到达码头。
• We reached the wharf gasping for breath.我们气喘吁吁地抵达了码头。