SECTION 18.

 Looking about, Hal saw some of the guests of the Harrigan party. There was Vivie Cass, standing¹ under an umbrella with Bert Atkins; and there was Bob Creston with Dicky Everson. These two had on mackintoshes and water-proof hats, and were talking to Cartwright; tall, immaculate men, who seemed like creatures of another world beside the stunted² and coal-smutted miners.

Seeing Hal, they moved over to him. “Where did you get the kid?” inquired Bob, his rosy³, smooth-shaven face breaking into a smile.

“I picked him up,” said Hal, giving Little Jerry a toss and sliding him off his shoulder.

“Hello, kid!” said Bob.

And the answer came promptly⁴, “Hello, yourself!” Little Jerry knew how to talk American; he was a match for any society man! “My father's went down in that cage,” said he, looking up at the tall stranger, his bright black eyes sparkling.

“Is that so!” replied the other. “Why don't you go?”

“My father'll get 'em out. He ain't afraid o' nothin', my father!”

“What's your father's name?”

“Big Jerry.”

“Oho! And what'll you be when you grow up?”

“I'm goin' to be a shot-firer.”

“In this mine?”

“You bet not!”

“Why not?”

Little Jerry looked mysterious. “I ain't tellin' all I know,” said he.

The two young fellows laughed. Here was education for them! “Maybe you'll go back to the old country?” put in Dicky Everson.

“No, sir-ee!” said Little Jerry. “I'm American.”

“Maybe you'll be president some day.”

“That's what my father says,” replied the little chap—“president of a miners' union.”

Again they laughed; but Rosa gave a nervous whisper and caught at the child's sleeve. That was not the sort of thing to say to mysterious and rich-looking strangers! “This is Little Jerry's mother, Mrs. Minetti,” put in Hal, by way of reassuring⁵ her.

“Glad to meet you, Mrs. Minetti,” said the two young men, taking off their hats with elaborate bows; they stared, for Rosa was a pretty object as she blushed and made her shy response. She was much embarrassed, having never before in her life been bowed to by men like these.

And here they were greeting Joe Smith as an old friend, and calling him by a strange name! She turned her black Italian eyes upon Hal in inquiry⁶, and he felt a flush creeping over him. It was almost as uncomfortable to be found out by North Valley as to be found out by Western City!

The men talked about the rescue-work, and what Cartwright had been telling of its progress. The fire was in one of the main passages, and was burning out the timbering, spreading rapidly under the draft from the reversed fan. There could be little hope of rescue in this part of the mine, but the helmet-men would defy the heat and smoke in the burned out passages. They knew how likely was the collapse⁷ of such portions of the mine; but also they knew that men had been working here before the explosion. “I must say they're a game lot!” remarked Dicky.

A group of women and children were gathered about to listen, their shyness overcome by their torturing anxiety for news. They made one think of women in war-time, listening to the roar of distant guns and waiting for the bringing in of the wounded. Hal saw Bob and Dicky glance now and then at the ring of faces about them; they were getting something of this mood, and that was a part of what he had desired for them.

“Are the others coming out?” he asked.

“I don't know,” said Bob. “I suppose they're having breakfast. It's time we went in.”

“Won't you come with us?” added Dicky.

“No, thanks,” replied Hal, “I've an engagement with the kid here.” And he gave Little Jerry's hand a squeeze. “But tell some of the other fellows to come. They'll be interested in these things.”

“All right,” said the two, as they moved away.

1 standing   

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 stunted   

adj.矮小的；发育迟缓的

参考例句：

• the stunted lives of children deprived of education 未受教育的孩子所过的局限生活
• But the landed oligarchy had stunted the country's democratic development for generations. 但是好几代以来土地寡头的统治阻碍了这个国家民主的发展。

3 rosy   

adj.美好的，乐观的，玫瑰色的

参考例句：

• She got a new job and her life looks rosy.她找到一份新工作，生活看上去很美好。
• She always takes a rosy view of life.她总是对生活持乐观态度。

4 promptly   

adv.及时地，敏捷地

参考例句：

• He paid the money back promptly.他立即还了钱。
• She promptly seized the opportunity his absence gave her.她立即抓住了因他不在场给她创造的机会。

5 reassuring   

a.使人消除恐惧和疑虑的，使人放心的

参考例句：

• He gave her a reassuring pat on the shoulder. 他轻拍了一下她的肩膀让她放心。
• With a reassuring pat on her arm, he left. 他鼓励地拍了拍她的手臂就离开了。

6 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。

7 collapse   

vi.累倒；昏倒；倒塌；塌陷

参考例句：

• The country's economy is on the verge of collapse.国家的经济已到了崩溃的边缘。
• The engineer made a complete diagnosis of the bridge's collapse.工程师对桥的倒塌做了一次彻底的调查分析。