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CHAPTER XV. TWO PLEBES IN HOSPITAL.
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 "Say, tell me, did you do him?"
 
The speaker was a lad with brown, curly hair and a laughing, merry face, at present, however, half covered with a swathing of bandages. He was standing1 on the steps of the hospital building at West Point, and regarding with anxiety another lad of about the same age, but taller and more sturdily built.
 
"I don't know that I did him," responded Mark—for the one addressed was he—"I don't know that I can say I did him, but I believe I would have if the fight hadn't been interrupted."
 
"Bully2, b'gee!" cried the other, excitedly slapping his knee and wincing3 with pain afterward4. "Gimme your hand! I'm proud of you, b'gee! My name's Alan Dewey, at your service."
 
Mark took the proffered5 hand, smiling at the stranger's joy.
 
[Pg 118]"My success seems to cause you considerable pleasure," he said.
 
"Yes, b'gee!" exclaimed Dewey, "it does! And to every true and loyal plebe in the academy. You've brought honor to the name of plebe by licking the biggest yearling in the place, b'gee, and that means the end of hazing6."
 
"I'm not so sure of that," said Mark.
 
"I am," returned the other. "But say, tell me something about the fight. I wanted to come, only I was shut up in hospital. Did Williams put up a good one?"
 
"Splendid," said Mark.
 
"He ought to. They say he's champion of his class, and an all-round athlete. But you look as if you could fight some yourself."
 
"He almost had me beaten once," said Mark. "I thought I was a goner."
 
"Say, but you're a spunky chap!" remarked Dewey, eying Mark with an admiring expression. "I don't think there's ever been a plebe dared to do half what you've done. The whole class is talking about you."
 
"Is that so?" inquired Mark, laughing. "I didn't mean to do anything reckless."
 
[Pg 119]"What's the difference," laughed the other, "when you can lick 'em all, b'gee? I wish I could do it," he added, rather more solemnly. "Then, perhaps, maybe I wouldn't be the physical wreck7 that I am."
 
"You been fighting, too?" inquired Mark, laughing.
 
"Betcher life, b'gee!" responded the other, emphatically. "Only I wasn't as clever at it as you."
 
"Tell me about it," said Mark, with interest.
 
"It happened last Saturday afternoon, and I've been in hospital ever since, b'gee. Some of the cadets caught me taking a walk up somewhere near what they call 'Crow's Nest.' And so they set out to have some fun. Told me to climb a tree, in the first place. I looked at the tree, and, b'gee, there wasn't a limb for thirty feet, and the limbs there were rotten. There was one of 'em, a big, burly fellow with short hair and a scar on his cheek——"
 
"Bull Harris!" cried Mark.
 
"Yes," said Dewey, "that's what they called him—'Bull.'"
 
"Did you fight with him?"
 
"Betcher life, b'gee! He tried to make me climb that tree, and, b'gee, says I, 'I won't, b'gee!' Then I lammed him one in the eye——"
 
[Pg 120]"Bully!" cried Mark, and then he added, "b'gee!" by way of company. "Did he beat you?"
 
"Betcher life," cried the other. "That is, the six of 'em did."
 
"You don't mean to say the crowd attacked you?"
 
"That's what I said."
 
"Well, sir!" exclaimed Mark, "the more I hear of that Bull Harris the bigger coward I find him. It's comforting to know that all the cadets aren't that way."
 
"Very comforting!" responded the other, feeling of the bandage on his swollen8 jaw9. "Very comforting! Reminds me of a story I heard once, b'gee, of a man who got a thousand dollars' comfort from a railroad for having his head cut off."
 
Mark laughed for a moment, and then he fell to tapping the step thoughtfully with his heel. He was thinking over a plan.
 
"I don't suppose you've much love for the yearlings," he remarked, at last.
 
"Bet cher life not," laughed the other. "I've about as much as a mother-in-law for a professional joke writer, b'gee! Reminds me of a story I once heard—but go on; I want to hear what you had to say. Tell my story later."
 
[Pg 121]"Well, three friends of mine have formed a sort of an informal alliance for self-defence——"
 
"Bully, b'gee!" cried Dewey, excitedly.
 
"And I thought maybe you'd like to——"
 
"Join? Bet cher life, b'gee! Why didn't you say so before? Whoop10!"
 
And thus it happened that Member Number Five of the West Point "alliance" was discovered.
 
"I don't think this famous alliance is going to have much to do at the start," said Mark, as soon as Master Dewey had recovered from his excitement, "for I rather fancy the yearlings will leave us alone for a time."
 
"Bet cher life, b'gee!" assented11 the other. "If they don't look out they won't have time to be sorry."
 
"B'gee!" added Mark, smiling.
 
"Do I say that much?" inquired the other, with a laugh. "I suppose I must, because the fellows have nicknamed me 'B'gee.' I declare I'm not conscious of saying it. Do I?"
 
"Bet cher life, b'gee," responded Mark, whereupon his new acquaintance broke into one of his merry laughs.
 
"Let's go around to barracks," said Mark, finally—it was then just after breakfast time. "I expect they'll[Pg 122] want me to report for drill. I thought I'd get off for the morning on the strength of my 'contusions,' as they call them. But the old surgeon was too sly for me. He patched me up in a jiffy."
 
"What was the matter with you?" inquired Dewey, dropping his smile.
 
"One eye's about half shut, as you see," responded Mark, "and then I had quite a little cut on the side of my head where Williams hit me once. Otherwise I am all right—only just a little rocky."
 
"As the sea captain remarked of the harbor, b'gee," added the other. "But tell me, how's Williams?"
 
"Pretty well done up, as the laundryman remarked, to borrow your style of illustration," Mark responded, laughing. "They had to carry poor Williams down here. He's in there now being fixed12 up. And say, you should have seen how queerly the surgeon looked at us two. He knew right away what was up, of course, but he never said a word—just entered us 'sick—contusions.' Is that what you were?"
 
"Bet cher life, b'gee!" responded the other. "But he tried to get me to tell what was up. He rather suspected hazing, I think. I didn't say anything, though."
 
[Pg 123]"It would have served some of those chaps just right if you had," vowed13 Mark. "You know you could have every one of them expelled."
 
The two had reached the area of barracks by this time, and hurried over to reach their rooms before inspection14.
 
"And don't you mention what I've told you about this great alliance to a soul," Mark enjoined15. "We'd have the whole academy about our ears in a day."
 
Dewey assented.
 
"What's the name of it?" he inquired.
 
"Haven't got any name for it yet," said Mark, "or any leader either, in fact. We're waiting to get a few more members, enough for a little excitement. Then we'll organize, elect a leader, swear allegiance, and you can bet there'll be fun—b'gee!"
 
"Come up to my room," he added, after a moment's pause, "as soon as you get fixed up for inspection, and I'll introduce you to the other fellows."
 
With which parting word he turned and bounded up the stairs to his own room.

点击收听单词发音收听单词发音  

1 standing 2hCzgo     
n.持续,地位;adj.永久的,不动的,直立的,不流动的
参考例句:
  • After the earthquake only a few houses were left standing.地震过后只有几幢房屋还立着。
  • They're standing out against any change in the law.他们坚决反对对法律做任何修改。
2 bully bully     
n.恃强欺弱者,小流氓;vt.威胁,欺侮
参考例句:
  • A bully is always a coward.暴汉常是懦夫。
  • The boy gave the bully a pelt on the back with a pebble.那男孩用石子掷击小流氓的背脊。
3 wincing 377203086ce3e7442c3f6574a3b9c0c7     
赶紧避开,畏缩( wince的现在分词 )
参考例句:
  • She switched on the light, wincing at the sudden brightness. 她打开了灯,突如其来的强烈光线刺得她不敢睜眼。
  • "I will take anything," he said, relieved, and wincing under reproof. “我什么事都愿意做,"他说,松了一口气,缩着头等着挨骂。 来自英汉文学 - 嘉莉妹妹
4 afterward fK6y3     
adv.后来;以后
参考例句:
  • Let's go to the theatre first and eat afterward. 让我们先去看戏,然后吃饭。
  • Afterward,the boy became a very famous artist.后来,这男孩成为一个很有名的艺术家。
5 proffered 30a424e11e8c2d520c7372bd6415ad07     
v.提供,贡献,提出( proffer的过去式和过去分词 )
参考例句:
  • She proffered her cheek to kiss. 她伸过自己的面颊让人亲吻。 来自《简明英汉词典》
  • He rose and proffered a silver box full of cigarettes. 他站起身,伸手递过一个装满香烟的银盒子。 来自辞典例句
6 hazing 3c42c132508159bdf3cad7a5f8483067     
n.受辱,被欺侮v.(使)笼罩在薄雾中( haze的现在分词 );戏弄,欺凌(新生等,有时作为加入美国大学生联谊会的条件)
参考例句:
  • With labor, the hazing period ends. 费了好大力气,痛苦的时期终于过了。 来自互联网
  • A high-gloss paint surface is one that directly reflects light with minimum hazing or diffusion. 高度光洁的漆表面可以直接反射光源。 来自互联网
7 wreck QMjzE     
n.失事,遇难;沉船;vt.(船等)失事,遇难
参考例句:
  • Weather may have been a factor in the wreck.天气可能是造成这次失事的原因之一。
  • No one can wreck the friendship between us.没有人能够破坏我们之间的友谊。
8 swollen DrcwL     
adj.肿大的,水涨的;v.使变大,肿胀
参考例句:
  • Her legs had got swollen from standing up all day.因为整天站着,她的双腿已经肿了。
  • A mosquito had bitten her and her arm had swollen up.蚊子叮了她,她的手臂肿起来了。
9 jaw 5xgy9     
n.颚,颌,说教,流言蜚语;v.喋喋不休,教训
参考例句:
  • He delivered a right hook to his opponent's jaw.他给了对方下巴一记右钩拳。
  • A strong square jaw is a sign of firm character.强健的方下巴是刚毅性格的标志。
10 whoop qIhys     
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。
11 assented 4cee1313bb256a1f69bcc83867e78727     
同意,赞成( assent的过去式和过去分词 )
参考例句:
  • The judge assented to allow the prisoner to speak. 法官同意允许犯人申辩。
  • "No," assented Tom, "they don't kill the women -- they're too noble. “对,”汤姆表示赞同地说,“他们不杀女人——真伟大!
12 fixed JsKzzj     
adj.固定的,不变的,准备好的;(计算机)固定的
参考例句:
  • Have you two fixed on a date for the wedding yet?你们俩选定婚期了吗?
  • Once the aim is fixed,we should not change it arbitrarily.目标一旦确定,我们就不应该随意改变。
13 vowed 6996270667378281d2f9ee561353c089     
起誓,发誓(vow的过去式与过去分词形式)
参考例句:
  • He vowed quite solemnly that he would carry out his promise. 他非常庄严地发誓要实现他的诺言。
  • I vowed to do more of the cooking myself. 我发誓自己要多动手做饭。
14 inspection y6TxG     
n.检查,审查,检阅
参考例句:
  • On random inspection the meat was found to be bad.经抽查,发现肉变质了。
  • The soldiers lined up for their daily inspection by their officers.士兵们列队接受军官的日常检阅。
15 enjoined a56d6c1104bd2fa23ac381649be067ae     
v.命令( enjoin的过去式和过去分词 )
参考例句:
  • The embezzler was severely punished and enjoined to kick back a portion of the stolen money each month. 贪污犯受到了严厉惩罚,并被责令每月退还部分赃款。 来自《简明英汉词典》
  • She enjoined me strictly not to tell anyone else. 她严令我不准告诉其他任何人。 来自辞典例句


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