CHAPTER XIII. BAFFLED AGAIN.

 The trio went on with their preparations to leave the asylum¹.

 

Old King Brady was powerless to prevent it.

 

Moreover, he had all he could do now to keep out of sight and assure his own safety.

 

It was long past midnight.

 

What had become of Harry²?

 

It seemed full time for him to return. Yet he did not come.

 

Old King Brady knew that it would require some time to arouse the neighbors and organize a relief band.

 

But yet, it would seem that this had already ought to have been accomplished³.

 

Old King Brady grew nervous.

 

He was half tempted⁴ to essay the conflict single handed. But he knew that it could only result in failure.

 

So he tried to remain patient and hopeful. The trio were now all ready to leave the asylum.

 

Yet Harry did not return.

 

A fear came to the old detective that some mishap⁵ might have overtaken the young detective.

 

The three crooks⁶ now took their leave. Old King Brady felt the hands of his watch.

 

It was two o’clock.

 

He heard the crooks leave by way of the big front door. He did not dare to follow them.

 

But he was consoled with one reflection.

 

It might not be difficult to overtake them when Harry should arrive, for the trio had no snowshoes and must leave a plain trail.

 

So the old detective was patient.

 

It was half-past three before the long-looked-for summons came. The dogs were confined, so they gave no warning.

 

But there came a loud knock on the door.

 

Scraggs, who had retired⁷ to sleep, scrambled⁸ out of bed and thrust his head out of a window.

 

“Who is it?” he asked. “And what do you want?”

 

“It’s yer neighbor,” said the voice of Paine, the farmer. “Come down, Scraggs, we want to see ye!”

 

“What do you want?” demanded the asylum keeper.

 

“You’ll find out when you git down hyar.”

 

“Well, I’m not to be aroused from my bed at this hour of the night,” replied Scraggs, angrily. “If you want to see me, come around in the daytime.”

 

“We want to see ye now,” insisted Paine.

 

“Well, you won’t see me!” replied Scraggs, hotly. “Get off my premises⁹ or I’ll fire on you!”

 

“No, ye won’t!” gritted¹⁰ the angry farmer. “Ye’ve run your rig hyar, Scraggs. We air goin’ to run you out of this kentry. If ye don’t come down we’ll come up after ye!”

 

“Curse you! What does this mean?”

 

“Come down!”

 

Scraggs closed the window and then went down to the door. He met John Paine backed by a score of armed men.

 

These pushed by Scraggs and entered the asylum.

 

They instantly took possession of the place.

 

Harry Brady was foremost and gave directions what to do.

 

Scraggs was stunned¹¹.

 

“Look here!” he cried. “This is an outrage¹². I’m a peaceable, law-abiding citizen, and——”

 

“Oh, come off!” cried one of the invaders¹³. “You’re a swindling old hypocrite, you are!”

 

“Where are those crooks who came up here yesterday?” asked Harry. “I mean Burke, Collins and Van?”

 

Scraggs looked desperate.

 

“I don’t know ’em!” he said.

 

“Come now, that lie won’t save you. Search the place, men! We’ll find them and——”

 

Harry ceased talking. Old King Brady had appeared.

 

In a moment the two detectives were comparing notes.

 

“I reached Paine’s all right,” said Harry, “and the girl is safe. It took a long while to get these men together.”

 

“Too bad!” said Old King Brady. “For our birds are gone!”

 

“Gone?” gasped¹⁵ the young detective.

 

“Yes.”

 

“Where?”

 

“For the nearest railway station. But I think we can overtake them.”

 

“We must do so!” cried the young detective. “We have staked too much to lose now.”

 

“You are right we have. But one of our men is still here!”

 

25

“Who?”

 

“Napoleon Blood!”

 

“The old scoundrel! I have the town constable¹⁶ with me. We will arrest him and Scraggs, too.”

 

“Very good!”

 

“Paine will look out for Miss Grimm until we want to take her back to New York. Everything is working all right.”

 

“Splendid! Let us then give chase to the trio at once!”

 

Scraggs was arrested at once and easily frightened into revealing the hiding place of Blood.

 

The latter was handcuffed and left in the care of the constable.

 

Then the Bradys organized the party to pursue the trio.

 

The best men in the party were selected. Only those with snowshoes were taken.

 

Then the pursuit began.

 

It was now almost daylight.

 

There was little difficulty in following the trail of the fugitives¹⁷.

 

But as they went on the Bradys were impressed with one startling fact.

 

The villains¹⁸ had made wonderfully rapid progress through the snow.

 

It was not so easy to overtake them.

 

At six o’clock it was daylight.

 

This brought the party to a railroad track. It was cleared of snow and far down the line a semaphore was seen.

 

The station was just around the curve and the Bradys pushed on.

 

“Perhaps they are in the station waiting for a train,” said Harry.

 

“In that case,” declared Old King Brady, “we had better deploy¹⁹ and surround the place.”

 

This was done.

 

Gradually the party of searchers drew in about the railway station.

 

They finally reached the platform.

 

The station agent had just come out.

 

He stared at them.

 

“What’s this?” he asked. “Do you want a train?”

 

“We want three men who are here waiting for a train,” said Old King Brady. “Where are they?”

 

“I am sorry,” replied the station agent, “but they are gone!”

 

“Gone?”

 

“Yes. They left on the five-forty train for Boston.”

 

The Bradys were beaten.

 

There was nothing left but to return to the asylum.

 

There was no use in wiring ahead to make the arrest in Boston, for the train had reached that city long ere this.

 

So back to the asylum they went.

 

The case against Scraggs was left in the hands of the local constable.

 

But the Bradys took Napoleon Blood with them back to Boston.

 

Here he was delivered to State officers to await requisition papers.

 

Then the Bradys scoured²⁰ Boston for a clew to the trio.

 

Meanwhile, Evelyn Grimm had gone back to New York in the care of friends who were bound to see her wrongs righted.

 

It is needless to say that a tremendous sensation was created when the facts concerning Evelyn Grimm’s experience were made known.

 

It was known now, as overheard by Old King Brady, that the bones found in the tenement²¹ ruins were those of the last of Martin Van’s innumerable wives.

 

He had killed her in a fit of anger and by the suggestion of Napoleon Blood, had arranged clews to suggest that Evelyn was the victim instead.

 

Certainly the plot had for a time worked well.

 

Even such keen detectives as the Bradys had certainly been deceived.

 

The case had now simmered down to one thread and this the Bradys were taking up.

 

It consisted namely in the chase and capture of the Tough Trio.

 

A murder had certainly been committed.

 

It was just as necessary as ever, therefore, for the detectives to capture the trio of villains.

 

Evelyn Grimm and her rascally²² uncle were now entirely²³ out of the case.

 

The young girl’s friends took hold of her affairs, with the assurance that much of the inheritance would be saved for her.

 

As for Napoleon Blood, he was held for trial on a number of criminal charges.

 

Scraggs, the Asylum keeper, was also jailed and his asylum closed.

 

The case simmered rapidly down to the problem of running down the Tough Trio.

 

Or rather to the running down of the Bradys by this clique²⁴ of rogues²⁵.

 

For that they had not abandoned their purpose of assassinating²⁶ the detectives was proved by the following startling message received by Old King Brady one day.

 

Thus it read:

 

“To the Bradys:

 

“Mebbe you think you hev scared the trio. Butt²⁷ you will find thet death is on your track an’ you can’t escape it. An’ don’t you fergit it, either! Wakin’ or sleepin’ it don’t make no diffrunce which, we are rite¹⁴ after you. So look out!

 

“Thet’s all fer just now from,

The Trio.”

 

Old King Brady carefully studied the post-mark on the envelope. It was mailed at Station C, New York.

 

The Bradys were assured that their birds were in the big city, so they had returned to New York.

 

For a week they groped blindly in vain for a clew.

 

Then one day almost a grim accomplishment²⁸ of the threat uttered by the villains occurred.

 

The two detectives stood on the platform of an elevated station.

 

26

They were waiting for an uptown train. Suddenly as the train came thundering up a man with muffled²⁹ features sprang out of the crowd.

 

With all his force he rushed against Old King Brady and hurled³⁰ him from the station platform down in front of the train which was rushing in at the moment.

1 asylum   

n.避难所，庇护所，避难

参考例句：

• The people ask for political asylum.人们请求政治避难。
• Having sought asylum in the West for many years,they were eventually granted it.他们最终获得了在西方寻求多年的避难权。

2 harry   

vt.掠夺，蹂躏，使苦恼

参考例句：

• Today,people feel more hurried and harried.今天，人们感到更加忙碌和苦恼。
• Obama harried business by Healthcare Reform plan.奥巴马用医改掠夺了商界。

3 accomplished   

adj.有才艺的；有造诣的；达到了的

参考例句：

• Thanks to your help,we accomplished the task ahead of schedule.亏得你们帮忙,我们才提前完成了任务。
• Removal of excess heat is accomplished by means of a radiator.通过散热器完成多余热量的排出。

4 tempted   

v.怂恿（某人）干不正当的事；冒…的险（tempt的过去分词）

参考例句：

• I was sorely tempted to complain, but I didn't. 我极想发牢骚，但还是没开口。
• I was tempted by the dessert menu. 甜食菜单馋得我垂涎欲滴。

5 mishap   

n.不幸的事，不幸；灾祸

参考例句：

• I'm afraid your son had a slight mishap in the playground.不好了，你儿子在操场上出了点小意外。
• We reached home without mishap.我们平安地回到了家。

6 crooks   

n.骗子( crook的名词复数 )；罪犯；弯曲部分；（牧羊人或主教用的）弯拐杖v.弯成钩形( crook的第三人称单数 )

参考例句：

• The police are getting after the crooks in the city. 警察在城里追捕小偷。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• The cops got the crooks. 警察捉到了那些罪犯。 来自《简明英汉词典》

7 retired   

adj.隐退的，退休的，退役的

参考例句：

• The old man retired to the country for rest.这位老人下乡休息去了。
• Many retired people take up gardening as a hobby.许多退休的人都以从事园艺为嗜好。

8 scrambled   

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

参考例句：

• Each scrambled for the football at the football ground. 足球场上你争我夺。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》
• He scrambled awkwardly to his feet. 他笨拙地爬起身来。 来自《简明英汉词典》

9 premises   

n.建筑物，房屋

参考例句：

• According to the rules,no alcohol can be consumed on the premises.按照规定，场内不准饮酒。
• All repairs are done on the premises and not put out.全部修缮都在家里进行，不用送到外面去做。

10 gritted   

v.以沙砾覆盖（某物），撒沙砾于( grit的过去式和过去分词 )；咬紧牙关

参考例句：

• He gritted his teeth and plunged into the cold weather. 他咬咬牙，冲向寒冷的天气。 来自《现代英汉综合大词典》
• The young policeman gritted his teeth and walked slowly towards the armed criminal. 年轻警官强忍住怒火，朝武装歹徒慢慢走过去。 来自《简明英汉词典》

11 stunned   

adj. 震惊的，惊讶的 动词stun的过去式和过去分词

参考例句：

• The fall stunned me for a moment. 那一下摔得我昏迷了片刻。
• The leaders of the Kopper Company were then stunned speechless. 科伯公司的领导们当时被惊得目瞪口呆。

12 outrage   

n.暴行，侮辱，愤怒；vt.凌辱，激怒

参考例句：

• When he heard the news he reacted with a sense of outrage.他得悉此事时义愤填膺。
• We should never forget the outrage committed by the Japanese invaders.我们永远都不应该忘记日本侵略者犯下的暴行。

13 invaders   

入侵者，侵略者，侵入物( invader的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• They prepared to repel the invaders. 他们准备赶走侵略军。
• The family has traced its ancestry to the Norman invaders. 这个家族将自己的世系追溯到诺曼征服者。

14 rite   

n.典礼，惯例，习俗

参考例句：

• This festival descends from a religious rite.这个节日起源于宗教仪式。
• Most traditional societies have transition rites at puberty.大多数传统社会都为青春期的孩子举行成人礼。

15 gasped   

v.喘气( gasp的过去式和过去分词 )；喘息；倒抽气；很想要

参考例句：

• She gasped at the wonderful view. 如此美景使她惊讶得屏住了呼吸。
• People gasped with admiration at the superb skill of the gymnasts. 体操运动员的高超技艺令人赞叹。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》

16 constable   

n.(英国)警察，警官

参考例句：

• The constable conducted the suspect to the police station.警官把嫌疑犯带到派出所。
• The constable kept his temper,and would not be provoked.那警察压制着自己的怒气，不肯冒起火来。

17 fugitives   

n.亡命者，逃命者( fugitive的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• Three fugitives from the prison are still at large. 三名逃犯仍然未被抓获。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• Members of the provisional government were prisoners or fugitives. 临时政府的成员或被捕或逃亡。 来自演讲部分

18 villains   

n.恶棍( villain的名词复数 )；罪犯；（小说、戏剧等中的）反面人物；淘气鬼

参考例句：

• The impression of villains was inescapable. 留下恶棍的印象是不可避免的。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• Some villains robbed the widow of the savings. 有几个歹徒将寡妇的积蓄劫走了。 来自《现代英汉综合大词典》

19 deploy   

v.（军）散开成战斗队形，布置，展开

参考例句：

• The infantry began to deploy at dawn.步兵黎明时开始进入战斗位置。
• The president said he had no intention of deploying ground troops.总统称并不打算部署地面部队。

20 scoured   

走遍（某地）搜寻（人或物）( scour的过去式和过去分词 )； （用力）刷； 擦净； 擦亮

参考例句：

• We scoured the area for somewhere to pitch our tent. 我们四处查看，想找一个搭帐篷的地方。
• The torrents scoured out a channel down the hill side. 急流沿着山腰冲刷出一条水沟。

21 tenement   

n.公寓；房屋

参考例句：

• They live in a tenement.他们住在廉价公寓里。
• She felt very smug in a tenement yard like this.就是在个这样的杂院里，她觉得很得意。

22 rascally   

adj. 无赖的，恶棍的 adv. 无赖地，卑鄙地

参考例句：

• They said Kelso got some rascally adventurer, some Belgian brute, to insult his son-in-law in public. 他们说是凯尔索指使某个下贱的冒险家，一个比利时恶棍，来当众侮辱他的女婿。
• Ms Taiwan: Can't work at all, but still brag and quibble rascally. 台湾小姐：明明不行，还要硬拗、赖皮逞强。

23 entirely   

ad.全部地，完整地；完全地，彻底地

参考例句：

• The fire was entirely caused by their neglect of duty. 那场火灾完全是由于他们失职而引起的。
• His life was entirely given up to the educational work. 他的一生统统献给了教育工作。

24 clique   

n.朋党派系，小集团

参考例句：

• The reactionary ruling clique was torn by internal strife.反动统治集团内部勾心斗角，四分五裂。
• If the renegade clique of that country were in power,it would have meant serious disaster for the people.如果那个国家的叛徒集团一得势，人民就要遭殃。

25 rogues   

n.流氓( rogue的名词复数 )；无赖；调皮捣蛋的人；离群的野兽

参考例句：

• 'I'll show these rogues that I'm an honest woman,'said my mother. “我要让那些恶棍知道，我是个诚实的女人。” 来自英汉文学 - 金银岛
• The rogues looked at each other, but swallowed the home-thrust in silence. 那些恶棍面面相觑，但只好默默咽下这正中要害的话。 来自英汉文学 - 金银岛

26 assassinating   

v.暗杀( assassinate的现在分词 )；中伤；诋毁；破坏

参考例句：

• They struck a blow for freedom by assassinating the colonial governor. 他们为了自由而奋力一博，暗杀了那位殖民地总督。 来自互联网

27 butt   

n.笑柄；烟蒂；枪托；臀部；v.用头撞或顶

参考例句：

• The water butt catches the overflow from this pipe.大水桶盛接管子里流出的东西。
• He was the butt of their jokes.他是他们的笑柄。

28 accomplishment   

n.完成，成就，（pl.）造诣，技能

参考例句：

• The series of paintings is quite an accomplishment.这一系列的绘画真是了不起的成就。
• Money will be crucial to the accomplishment of our objectives.要实现我们的目标，钱是至关重要的。

29 muffled   

adj.（声音）被隔的；听不太清的；（衣服）裹严的；蒙住的v.压抑，捂住( muffle的过去式和过去分词 )；用厚厚的衣帽包着（自己）

参考例句：

• muffled voices from the next room 从隔壁房间里传来的沉闷声音
• There was a muffled explosion somewhere on their right. 在他们的右面什么地方有一声沉闷的爆炸声。 来自《简明英汉词典》

30 hurled   

v.猛投，用力掷( hurl的过去式和过去分词 )；大声叫骂

参考例句：

• He hurled a brick through the window. 他往窗户里扔了块砖。
• The strong wind hurled down bits of the roof. 大风把屋顶的瓦片刮了下来。 来自《简明英汉词典》