He was growling2 savagely3 to himself as he worked. There was a strong smell of arnica in the air, while his room was decorated with cigarette stubs and hastily discarded garments. These latter were calculated to be striking in appearance, and they were. When attired4 in all his glory, Bully Carson, as Billy Mac said, could be heard coming a full mile away.
Just at present he was attired only in his underwear, however, and in several bruises5. He had been adorning6 these with arnica, but not with arnica alone, for ranged beside him were all manner of bottles.
At intervals7 of five minutes, Bully would anxiously pick up a hand mirror and examine his injured eye. It was something of a job, since he could only see out of the other one, and he gained little joy from it.
“He must ’a’ hit me with a brick!” he muttered vengefully. His mutter mingled8 with a groan9 of despair as he took another look at his eye.
[155]
“Wow! I guess I’ll get my auto10 and get out o’ town fer a while—this is only gettin’ worse every minute! Yes, sir, that’s what I’ll do, as soon’s Ironton shows up. He’s watchin’ them fellers, and if they get the constable11 I reckon I’ll have passengers in that car o’ mine.”
Bully Carson was disheartened, there was no doubt of that. He was also discolored, and realized the fact thoroughly12. He had counted on flashing a particularly flamboyant13 necktie on the girls the next day, but the colors would not harmonize very well with his eye. And his eye was immense, and growing more so. Bathing only seemed to help it along.
He began to dress. Late as the hour was, he was determined14 to get his car and slink out of town, rather than display his facial adornments to Carsonville’s admiring gaze. He realized just how admiring that gaze would be.
Suddenly he paused, at the sound of some one entering the house. He started, then recognized his father’s step ascending15 the stairs. This was strange, for when Colonel Carson had left for Fardale he had expected to remain over Monday. A moment later the colonel opened the door of his son’s room and stepped in.
[156]
“What have you been doing?”
Being used to Bully’s disrespectful manner, Colonel Carson took no notice.
“When I left, you agreed that you would get Merriwell laid out,” he said. “Did you succeed?”
“If I had, I wouldn’t be packin’ up,” returned Bully. He moved around until the light struck his face. “See that peeper? Well, I’m goin’ to take that car o’ mine and beat it. I’ll be back in a few days.”
“Hold on, son, hold on,” but Colonel Carson could not help smiling, angry though he was. “Do you mean to say that kid licked you?”
“Don’t look that way, does it? He had about a dozen fellers hid in a doorway19, and they jumped us with clubs. We couldn’t do nothin’.”
Bully reeled off this astonishing lie with assurance. His father examined the black eye with commiseration20 and rage.
“My poor boy! We’ll make that fellow rue21 the day he ever came to Carsonville, son! So you were going away, eh?”
“Yes. I reckon I’ll lay over in Orton fer a few days.”
Orton was a small town fifteen miles from Carsonville, a mere22 country village, where it would be easy to remain and pass over the injury[157] with any excuse. Colonel Carson nodded thoughtfully.
“That’s not so bad, son. I dunno’s it won’t fit in pretty well, too.”
Bully looked up suddenly.
“Thought you was goin’ to stay over in Fardale? You must ’a’ done some tall hustling23 to get back on that late train! Did you see Randall?”
“Yes,” and Colonel Carson’s hard face darkened suddenly. “He’s no good the way we thought, Bully. He won’t throw the game.”
“Huh? Why not?”
“I didn’t get down to reasons—didn’t have to. He’s one o’ these here goody-goody fellows who believe in sport for sport’s sake, prob’ly. Anyway, he shied when I mentioned it, so I changed my plans around a bit.”
“You’re a wonder!” and Bully chuckled24 suddenly, in unholy admiration25. “You got the slickest brain I ever did see! What’s the idea now?”
“Well,” and Colonel Carson sank wearily into a chair, “you know that I want to get down some bets on this Fardale-Franklin game, Bully. The only thing is how to know which team will win, d’you see?”
“Sure—even with this eye,” said Bully, with a grin. “Go on.”
“The Franklin pitcher26 is a wonder, but they don’t know it at Fardale. Randall thinks he can win easily, if he pitches. And he’ll pitch if Merriwell[158] doesn’t show up, that’s certain. So if Randall pitches, it’s a dead sure thing that Franklin wins the game.”
“And if Merriwell pitches——”
“Then it’s not so sure. But listen here, Bully! Randall put me wise to something, something that made me alter my plans. We want to get back at Merriwell, at both of ’em, father and son. The father will get hit if Fardale loses, and the kid gets hit if he don’t pitch.”
“How so?”
“’Cause whoever pitches that game gets ’lected captain o’ the Fardale team. I don’t understand it all, but that’s how she lays. If Randall pitches, Merriwell loses out all around, d’you see?”
“And if he pitched, then he’d get the ’lection?”
“That’s it, Bully.”
“Then he can pitch, fer all o’ me. By thunder, I know when I got enough, pop. If you can figger out any way——”
“Hold on, son, hold on!” and Colonel Carson tugged28 at his goatee, smiling craftily29. “You ain’t never seen the old man lose out very long, have you? He ain’t a-goin’ to this time, either. Merriwell ain’t goin’ to pitch that game, see?”
“How you goin’ to keep him out?”
“That depends. Where is he now?”
“Gettin’ the constable to arrest me, mebbe,”[159] returned Bully easily. “I lost my hat, and he slung30 it away after seein’ whose it was. Ironton is watchin’ to see where he goes fer the night.”
“Well, we can take care of him easily enough,” announced Colonel Carson, with great complacence. “Your goin’ to Orton will come in jest right, too.”
“Me? Not on your life!” exclaimed Bully fervently31. “You don’t get me mixed in no more doings with that kid, Merriwell, pop. Not much! I’m done.”
“Oh, no you’re not!” said the other easily. “I’ll get over to Fardale for that game, and I’ll get a good bunch o’ money down on Franklin. That cussed fool Merriwell done me out o’ the McQuade mortgage, and I’m goin’ to make him and his kid sweat for it, you bet!”
“I guess he wasn’t so much of a fool if he did you out o’ anything,” muttered Bully, under his breath.
“Yep, it’s a good scheme, a mighty32 good scheme,” mused33 his father reflectively. “I’ll give you a rake-off on them bets, Bully. Ain’t the kid got an uncle named Dick Merriwell?”
“Sure. What’s the idea?”
Bully began to take a keener interest in the subject. He knew that the wily Colonel Carson was rarely bested at such an encounter as this, and hope sprang anew that his father could succeed where he himself had failed.
[160]
“You wait, son. I ain’t got the precise details figgered out, but they’re a-comin’. Yes, they’re on the way, all right.”
Colonel Carson fell to tugging34 thoughtfully at his goatee. An instant later there came a soft whistle below the windows.
“There’s Ironton now,” exclaimed Bully.
He crossed to the nearest window, and flung up the sash.
“That you, Bully?” came the voice of Ironton.
“Sure, it’s me. What’d you find out?”
There was a trace of anxiety in his tones. He still half feared that Merriwell would arrest him for that night’s work.
“It’s all right, Bully. I heard ’em talking. They ain’t goin’ to do nothin’ about it, but figure on goin’ home to-morrow.”
“He and the red-headed guy went up to the Morton House,” answered Ironton. “How’s the eye?”
“Black,” said Bully, with a curse. “I’m goin’ to skip out o’ town fer a few days. Much obliged, Ironton. See you later.”
He closed the window. Colonel Carson had risen, and was reflectively fingering a telegraph blank he had extracted from his pocket.
“I’m glad to get that information, Bully. I[161] guess I can fix Mr. Chip Merriwell without much trouble!”
“You will, as soon as you get your car out. I want you to do an errand over at Orton, and I guess there won’t be any chance to go wrong this time. Get ready, and when the car’s out come to my room.”
And Colonel Carson made his exit, whistling softly to himself.
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收听单词发音
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1
bully
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| n.恃强欺弱者，小流氓；vt.威胁，欺侮 | |
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2
growling
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| n.吠声, 咆哮声 v.怒吠, 咆哮, 吼 | |
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savagely
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| adv. 野蛮地，残酷地 | |
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4
attired
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| adj.穿着整齐的v.使穿上衣服，使穿上盛装( attire的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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bruises
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| n.瘀伤，伤痕，擦伤( bruise的名词复数 ) | |
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adorning
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| 修饰，装饰物 | |
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7
intervals
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| n.[军事]间隔( interval的名词复数 )；间隔时间；[数学]区间；（戏剧、电影或音乐会的）幕间休息 | |
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8
mingled
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| 混合，混入( mingle的过去式和过去分词 )； 混进，与…交往[联系] | |
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9
groan
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| vi./n.呻吟，抱怨；(发出)呻吟般的声音 | |
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auto
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| n.(=automobile)(口语)汽车 | |
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11
constable
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| n.(英国)警察，警官 | |
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12
thoroughly
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| adv.完全地，彻底地，十足地 | |
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13
flamboyant
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| adj.火焰般的，华丽的，炫耀的 | |
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14
determined
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| adj.坚定的；有决心的 | |
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15
ascending
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| adj.上升的，向上的 | |
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16
sniffed
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| v.以鼻吸气，嗅，闻( sniff的过去式和过去分词 )；抽鼻子（尤指哭泣、患感冒等时出声地用鼻子吸气）；抱怨，不以为然地说 | |
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17
sullenly
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| 不高兴地，绷着脸，忧郁地 | |
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18
scrambled
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| v.快速爬行( scramble的过去式和过去分词 )；攀登；争夺；（军事飞机）紧急起飞 | |
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19
doorway
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| n.门口，(喻)入门；门路，途径 | |
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20
commiseration
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| n.怜悯，同情 | |
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21
rue
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| n.懊悔，芸香，后悔；v.后悔，悲伤，懊悔 | |
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22
mere
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| adj.纯粹的；仅仅，只不过 | |
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23
hustling
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| 催促（hustle的现在分词形式） | |
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24
chuckled
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| 轻声地笑( chuckle的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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admiration
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| n.钦佩，赞美，羡慕 | |
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26
pitcher
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| n.(有嘴和柄的)大水罐；(棒球)投手 | |
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27
grimaced
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| v.扮鬼相，做鬼脸( grimace的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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28
tugged
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| v.用力拉，使劲拉，猛扯( tug的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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29
craftily
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| 狡猾地，狡诈地 | |
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30
slung
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| 抛( sling的过去式和过去分词 )； 吊挂； 遣送； 押往 | |
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fervently
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| adv.热烈地，热情地，强烈地 | |
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mighty
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| adj.强有力的；巨大的 | |
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mused
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| v.沉思，冥想( muse的过去式和过去分词 )；沉思自语说（某事） | |
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34
tugging
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| n.牵引感v.用力拉，使劲拉，猛扯( tug的现在分词 ) | |
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35
spoke
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| 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 | |
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36
growled
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| v.（动物）发狺狺声， （雷）作隆隆声( growl的过去式和过去分词 )；低声咆哮着说 | |
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