CHAPTER X “FIND THAT MAN”

 Drew walked down the corridor, turned to the right, entered the third door to the left, waited for Tom Howe and Johnny Thompson to enter, and then closed the door. Dropping into one of the three hard-bottomed chairs the narrow, box-like room afforded, he sat looking out of the window, first down the cement paved court, then far up to the tenth floor where were many barred windows.

 

“What does it mean?” Johnny asked at last.

 

“Mean?” Drew Lane pointed¹ to the bars above and across the court. “It means that the fellows behind those bars (and we put some there, too) are going to have it soft compared with us.

 

“They got thirty days, maybe sixty. But when that’s over, they are free. But we—we have an indeterminate sentence.

 

104

“Court duty!” He threw out his hands in a gesture of disgust. “Know what that means? It means that you stand all day with your back against the wall, keeping guard against disturbances² that never come.

 

“You listen to well-dressed young men tell the judge that their well-dressed young wives will not try shop-lifting any more, if he’ll let them off.

 

“You see ten or twenty colored men brought in for shooting craps or drinking moonshine.

 

“And all the time the court room smells of garlic and sour beer.

 

“If you’re sent out at all it’s to bring in a witness who has forgotten to appear. And that takes about as much brains as a six-year-old child has, and not half as much courage.

 

“Oh, I know,” he ended bitterly. “Some one has to do it. But why Howe and me?”

 

“Why did he do it?” There was pain as well as disgust in Tom Howe’s voice.

 

“The Chief? Yes, why?” Once more Drew Lane lapsed³ into silence.

 

105

After that the moments ticked themselves away and not a single word was spoken.

 

Through Drew Lane’s mind many dark thoughts were passing. The Chief had thrown them down. That seemed certain. Why? He could form no answer.

 

The fact that they had made no report for three days was not the reason. He was sure of that. The same thing had happened many times before, and there had been no protest.

 

It had been generally understood that he and Tom Howe were to be free lance detectives for the city.

 

This freedom they had welcomed. And, happy in it, they had done their best to deserve it. They had studied the city and the ways of evil doers as a factory foreman studies his plant. They had familiarized themselves with hundreds of faces. They could actually call hundreds of pickpockets⁴, tin-horn gamblers, stick-up men and general hoodlums by name.

 

106

Not that they were friendly with them. Quite the reverse. They were constantly on their heels. Making it hard for them to do wrong. Making it easy to do right? Yes, if any sincerely wished it. But how few ever did!

 

“Professional criminals.” How those words had been borne in upon them. What else would such “professionals” do but rob and steal?

 

“And now,” Drew said aloud, bitterly, “all the months we have spent in preparing ourselves for the great task of city detectives is lost!”

 

“Perhaps not,” Tom said hopefully. “The Chief may put us back after a week or two.”

 

“Not he!” Drew’s tone carried conviction. “Did you see that look on his face?”

 

“Yes,” sighed Tom. “But why?”

 

Yes, that was the question, why?

 

Dark forebodings took possession of Drew Lane’s mind once more. He knew full well the power of the forces of evil in this great city. There were millions of dollars at stake. A man such as the Chief, sitting in a place of high authority as he was, might be rich if he but turned his back upon the gambling⁵ houses and peddlers of poison labeled strong drink.

 

107

Until now, Drew had admired and respected his Chief. Had the lure⁶ at last grown too strong for him? Had he fallen?

 

He knew the Chief’s great ambition. In a moment of relaxation⁷ he had taken the boy into his confidence.

 

“Drew, old son,” he had once said, “when I was a boy of sixteen I was not very strong. Like the great Roosevelt, I was sent west for my health. For one whole year I lived on the range. I came to love it.

 

“You know, the wild, free life. The cattle feeding. The sunset across the green of spring, the brown of summer. The tents, the roasting steaks. The wild, free out-of-doors.

 

“And, in winter, the big, roomy ranch⁸ house. Cards, dances, and all the good times. I want enough money to retire on a ranch like that. Who wouldn’t?”

 

“Yes,” Drew sighed, “Who wouldn’t? But the price!” He sighed again.

 

“It looks easy,” he mused⁹. “Just turn your back. Hundreds have done so before you.”

 

108

“Johnny Thompson,” he said quite abruptly¹⁰, “who is the meanest man in the world?”

 

“A professional criminal.”

 

“No, Johnny, you’re wrong.” Drew’s smile was sad. “No, Johnny. The meanest man is the one who turns traitor¹¹ to the cause he has sworn to serve.

 

“Who is it that we remember with real hatred¹² when we think of our American Revolution? Is it Cornwallis?

 

“He is not the man. Benedict Arnold, the traitor, is the man.”

 

“Yes,” Johnny agreed, “that’s right. But you don’t think—”

 

“Stop!” Drew Lane held up his hand for silence. “This is no time for thinking out loud. We must wait and see.”

 

“Waiting is not my long suit!” exclaimed Johnny, springing to his feet. “I am long on action. And why not? I am free. You have been free lances for the city. I am a free lance on my own. I can go where I please.”

 

“Yes,” agreed Tom Howe. “Until the long arm of the Powers of Evil reaches out and gathers you in.”

 

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“But until then,” Johnny went on, not one whit¹³ abashed¹⁴, “I shall do my utmost to solve these mysteries. Did Greasy¹⁵ Thumb and his gang rob the Air Mail? If so, what were they after? And did they get it?”

 

“And one thing more,” said Tom Howe with a smile of genuine admiration¹⁶. “What became of that Air Mail pilot?”

 

“That’s right,” agreed Johnny. “Looks like that is the first real problem. Find that man and perhaps secure a witness who can explain everything.”

 

“Yes, yes!” exclaimed the others in unison¹⁷. “Find that man!”

1 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。

2 disturbances   

n.骚乱( disturbance的名词复数 )；打扰；困扰；障碍

参考例句：

• The government has set up a commission of inquiry into the disturbances at the prison. 政府成立了一个委员会来调查监狱骚乱事件。
• Extra police were called in to quell the disturbances. 已调集了增援警力来平定骚乱。

3 lapsed   

adj.流失的，堕落的v.退步( lapse的过去式和过去分词 )；陷入；倒退；丧失

参考例句：

• He had lapsed into unconsciousness. 他陷入了昏迷状态。
• He soon lapsed into his previous bad habits. 他很快陷入以前的恶习中去。 来自《简明英汉词典》

4 pickpockets   

n.扒手( pickpocket的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• Crowded markets are a happy hunting ground for pickpockets. 拥挤的市场是扒手大展身手的好地方。
• He warned me against pickpockets. 他让我提防小偷。 来自《简明英汉词典》

5 gambling   

n.赌博；投机

参考例句：

• They have won a lot of money through gambling.他们赌博赢了很多钱。
• The men have been gambling away all night.那些人赌了整整一夜。

6 lure   

n.吸引人的东西，诱惑物；vt.引诱，吸引

参考例句：

• Life in big cities is a lure for many country boys.大城市的生活吸引着许多乡下小伙子。
• He couldn't resist the lure of money.他不能抵制金钱的诱惑。

7 relaxation   

n.松弛，放松；休息；消遣；娱乐

参考例句：

• The minister has consistently opposed any relaxation in the law.部长一向反对法律上的任何放宽。
• She listens to classical music for relaxation.她听古典音乐放松。

8 ranch   

n.大牧场，大农场

参考例句：

• He went to work on a ranch.他去一个大农场干活。
• The ranch is in the middle of a large plateau.该牧场位于一个辽阔高原的中部。

9 mused   

v.沉思，冥想( muse的过去式和过去分词 )；沉思自语说（某事）

参考例句：

• \"I wonder if I shall ever see them again, \"he mused. “我不知道是否还可以再见到他们，”他沉思自问。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• \"Where are we going from here?\" mused one of Rutherford's guests. 卢瑟福的一位客人忍不住说道：‘我们这是在干什么？” 来自英汉非文学 - 科学史

10 abruptly   

adv.突然地，出其不意地

参考例句：

• He gestured abruptly for Virginia to get in the car.他粗鲁地示意弗吉尼亚上车。
• I was abruptly notified that a half-hour speech was expected of me.我突然被通知要讲半个小时的话。

11 traitor   

n.叛徒，卖国贼

参考例句：

• The traitor was finally found out and put in prison.那个卖国贼终于被人发现并被监禁了起来。
• He was sold out by a traitor and arrested.他被叛徒出卖而被捕了。

12 hatred   

n.憎恶，憎恨，仇恨

参考例句：

• He looked at me with hatred in his eyes.他以憎恨的眼光望着我。
• The old man was seized with burning hatred for the fascists.老人对法西斯主义者充满了仇恨。

13 whit   

n.一点，丝毫

参考例句：

• There's not a whit of truth in the statement.这声明里没有丝毫的真实性。
• He did not seem a whit concerned.他看来毫不在乎。

14 abashed   

adj.窘迫的，尴尬的v.使羞愧，使局促，使窘迫( abash的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• He glanced at Juliet accusingly and she looked suitably abashed. 他怪罪的一瞥，朱丽叶自然显得很窘。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• The girl was abashed by the laughter of her classmates. 那小姑娘因同学的哄笑而局促不安。 来自《简明英汉词典》

15 greasy   

adj. 多脂的，油脂的

参考例句：

• He bought a heavy-duty cleanser to clean his greasy oven.昨天他买了强力清洁剂来清洗油污的炉子。
• You loathe the smell of greasy food when you are seasick.当你晕船时，你会厌恶油腻的气味。

16 admiration   

n.钦佩，赞美，羡慕

参考例句：

• He was lost in admiration of the beauty of the scene.他对风景之美赞不绝口。
• We have a great admiration for the gold medalists.我们对金牌获得者极为敬佩。

17 unison   

n.步调一致，行动一致

参考例句：

• The governments acted in unison to combat terrorism.这些国家的政府一致行动对付恐怖主义。
• My feelings are in unison with yours.我的感情与你的感情是一致的。