CHAPTER XIII. BEATEN AT HIS OWN GAME.

 “Now, boys, I owe you a word of explanation.”

Frank Merriwell, senior, faced the victorious¹ Clippings, who were lined up around Mrs. McQuade’s extended dinner table.

“I want you to know why I did this. It wasn’t to gamble, as most of you know that I don’t countenance² that so-called sport for a minute. It wasn’t to fight Colonel Carson with his own weapons. That’s another thing I don’t believe in.

“But I do enjoy beating a man at his own game, when I can do it cleanly and make him learn a lesson. Now, in plain words, I knew that Colonel Carson was little short of being a crook³. When he gambled, he wanted to gamble on a sure thing.”

“That’s right,” went up a murmur⁴.

“But I did not make this bet with him in the prospect⁵ of winning money. I made it in order to get that mortgage from him—that mortgage which my good friend, Mrs. McQuade, had the pleasure of burning just before dinner. He had obtained it legally. Then he had been paid for it. By some mischance, Mr. McQuade had not obtained it, and had no receipt to show.

[112]

“Colonel Carson produced it after his death, and claimed that he had never received payment. He intended to oust⁶ Mrs. McQuade from this house on Monday. If she had borrowed the money and paid it off the second time, Carson’s villainy would have triumphed. This I did not want to see.”

He paused, his grave eyes sweeping⁷ from face to face.

“As I wrote you, Frank, that would be a poor way to defeat him. So I came to Carsonville myself, in disguise. The worthy⁸ colonel tried to entrap⁹ me into betting against his team. I appeared to fall into the trap, and wagered¹⁰ my money against his mortgage. He tried to induce me to bet against his money, but this I would not do. I want you to get the difference, and get it clearly.”

“I do, father,” exclaimed Chip quickly.

One after another the rest nodded assent¹¹.

“What would you ’a’ done if you’d lost?” queried¹² McCarthy.

Frank Merriwell, senior, smiled.

“I watched you at practice work, Dan, and felt sure that I couldn’t lose.”

At this retort a yell of delight went up, and Dan flushed and wriggled¹³ in his chair. The speaker went on quickly:

“Are you sure, all of you, that you get my[113] point? I’m not defending betting, even in a righteous cause, mind; it is demoralizing, and every sport in which it is allowed is sure to suffer. Colonel Carson is doing a great injury to baseball to-day. But in this case I might plead extenuating¹⁴ circumstances. I was not betting in order to win. I would cheerfully have let Mrs. McQuade borrow the money, except that this would have been knuckling¹⁵ under to a scoundrel. I won nothing for myself except the satisfaction of having been of service to a lady whom I am proud to number among my friends, and to her son, whom I am proud to number among my son’s friends.”

And he leaned forward, took up his glass of water, and, with the warm smile which had endeared him to so many hearts, proposed a toast.

“To Mrs. McQuade and her hospitable¹⁶ roof-tree!”

A resounding¹⁷ cheer shook the rafters, and the good lady herself, between tears and laughter, was unable to respond. But she could not have made herself heard.

“And here’s another to Frank Merriwell, senior!” shouted Billy McQuade. Another roar went up.

“And another to the ‘Chip of the old block’!” yelled Clancy frantically¹⁸. Chip held up his hand for silence.

[114]

“I guess,” he said, looking around with the smile that was so much like his father’s, “I guess we’d better call off another to the Carsonville Clippings—the picked-up nine that clipped the Clippers!”

1 victorious   

adj.胜利的，得胜的

参考例句：

• We are certain to be victorious.我们定会胜利。
• The victorious army returned in triumph.获胜的部队凯旋而归。

2 countenance   

n.脸色，面容；面部表情；vt.支持，赞同

参考例句：

• At the sight of this photograph he changed his countenance.他一看见这张照片脸色就变了。
• I made a fierce countenance as if I would eat him alive.我脸色恶狠狠地，仿佛要把他活生生地吞下去。

3 crook   

v.使弯曲；n.小偷，骗子，贼；弯曲(处)

参考例句：

• He demanded an apology from me for calling him a crook.我骂他骗子，他要我向他认错。
• She was cradling a small parcel in the crook of her elbow.她用手臂挎着一个小包裹。

4 murmur   

n.低语，低声的怨言；v.低语，低声而言

参考例句：

• They paid the extra taxes without a murmur.他们毫无怨言地交了附加税。
• There was a low murmur of conversation in the hall.大厅里有窃窃私语声。

5 prospect   

n.前景，前途；景色，视野

参考例句：

• This state of things holds out a cheerful prospect.事态呈现出可喜的前景。
• The prospect became more evident.前景变得更加明朗了。

6 oust   

vt.剥夺，取代，驱逐

参考例句：

• The committee wanted to oust him from the union.委员会想把他从工会中驱逐出去。
• The leaders have been ousted from power by nationalists.这些领导人被民族主义者赶下了台。

7 sweeping   

adj.范围广大的，一扫无遗的

参考例句：

• The citizens voted for sweeping reforms.公民投票支持全面的改革。
• Can you hear the wind sweeping through the branches?你能听到风掠过树枝的声音吗？

8 worthy   

adj.(of)值得的，配得上的；有价值的

参考例句：

• I did not esteem him to be worthy of trust.我认为他不值得信赖。
• There occurred nothing that was worthy to be mentioned.没有值得一提的事发生。

9 entrap   

v.以网或陷阱捕捉，使陷入圈套

参考例句：

• The police have been given extra powers to entrap drug traffickers.警方已经被进一步授权诱捕毒贩。
• He overturned the conviction,saying the defendant was entrapped.他声称被告是被诱骗的，从而推翻了有罪的判决。

10 wagered   

v.在（某物）上赌钱，打赌( wager的过去式和过去分词 )；保证，担保

参考例句：

• She always wagered on an outsider. 她总是把赌注押在不大可能获胜的马上。
• They wagered on the flesh, but knowing they were to lose. 他们把赌注下在肉体上，心里却明白必输无疑。 来自互联网

11 assent   

v.批准，认可；n.批准，认可

参考例句：

• I cannot assent to what you ask.我不能应允你的要求。
• The new bill passed by Parliament has received Royal Assent.议会所通过的新方案已获国王批准。

12 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）

13 wriggled   

v.扭动，蠕动，蜿蜒行进( wriggle的过去式和过去分词 )；（使身体某一部位）扭动；耍滑不做，逃避（应做的事等）

参考例句：

• He wriggled uncomfortably on the chair. 他坐在椅子上不舒服地扭动着身体。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• A snake wriggled across the road. 一条蛇蜿蜒爬过道路。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》

14 extenuating   

adj.使减轻的，情有可原的v.（用偏袒的辩解或借口）减轻( extenuate的现在分词 )；低估，藐视

参考例句：

• There were extenuating circumstances and the defendant did not receive a prison sentence. 因有可减轻罪行的情节被告未被判刑。
• I do not plead any extenuating act. 我不求宽大，也不要求减刑。 来自演讲部分

15 knuckling   

n.突球v.（指人）指关节( knuckle的现在分词 )；（指动物）膝关节，踝

参考例句：

16 hospitable   

adj.好客的；宽容的；有利的，适宜的

参考例句：

• The man is very hospitable.He keeps open house for his friends and fellow-workers.那人十分好客，无论是他的朋友还是同事，他都盛情接待。
• The locals are hospitable and welcoming.当地人热情好客。

17 resounding   

adj. 响亮的

参考例句：

• The astronaut was welcomed with joyous,resounding acclaim. 人们欢声雷动地迎接那位宇航员。
• He hit the water with a resounding slap. 他啪的一声拍了一下水。

18 frantically   

ad.发狂地, 发疯地

参考例句：

• He dashed frantically across the road. 他疯狂地跑过马路。
• She bid frantically for the old chair. 她发狂地喊出高价要买那把古老的椅子。