In spite of the fact that he had been able to get but a few hours’ sleep, Jack1 was awake before six o’clock. The noise Mr. Ryder made in the adjoining room aroused him, and when he realized that the engineer was getting ready to start for the power plant, he dressed with all speed. But though they were up early, old Tom Why had been awake fully2 half an hour before them as a steaming breakfast testified.
The two did not linger long over their coffee, however, for they were too eager to reach the station before the day men arrived and tracked through the cement powder. Indeed, they left the cottage still munching3 the last of their meal. The sun had been up two hours, but the mountains across the river were[101] so tall that its rays were only just getting down into the broad valley that held Necaxa. Jack’s first view of the place by daylight pleased him greatly. As Mr. Ryder had said, the country was wilderness4, the only evidence of civilization being the tracks of the narrow gage5 railroad and the steel poles that carried the four black serpent-like transmission lines across the clearing and into the forest toward Mexico City. Necaxa was completely shut off from the rest of the world by mountains, the nearest community being a little nameless Indian village down the river.
However, the lad had no time to gaze at the scenery just then, for in a few minutes the workmen would be on the way to the plant. Jack and Mr. Ryder hurried to the side door they had used but three hours before, and in a few moments they were looking at their recent handiwork. From one machine to another they hurried, closely inspecting the dust on the floor, before sweeping6 it into the pail again. Though they did not expect to find traces of a nocturnal visit by the mysterious trouble maker7 they were keenly alert for every[102] little clue. They inspected each appliance in the main room but all seemed to be in good order, nor did the cement powder reveal a single telltale mark. There remained only the small generators8 of the exciter sets to be inspected. Jack hurried forward to brush up the dust about these machines, for the men were already entering the plant and he did not care to let them know of the trap.
And as he stooped over, his eyes caught the distinct outline of a foot close to the base of the generator9! Another and still another were discovered close by. He could scarcely credit his eyes. But Mr. Ryder, who was directly behind him, saw the imprints10 also.
“By George, we’ve a clue at last!” he exclaimed, leaning forward and examining the tracks. “They have been made by naked feet too! What do you think of that!”
“And I’ll be hanged if that isn’t the mark of a scar on the left heel!” he ejaculated, as he dropped to his hands and knees and scrutinized12 the tracks. “Oh, our task is an easy one now! I’ll guarantee to have the meddler13 in the hands of the rurales by sundown with this[103] evidence to work on. But look how they have riddled14 the exciter!”
As Jack bent15 closer he too could see the mark of a scar. The foot had removed the concrete dust completely except for a little ridge16 diagonally across the heel. This showed plainly that there had been a sharp indentation in the flesh at that point. And as the same mark showed in every other imprint11 of the left foot there was small room for doubt.
“Well, it looks as if our trap had worked far better than we expected,” he said jubilantly, as they prepared to obliterate17 the track by sweeping up the dust.
“Indeed it did,” replied Mr. Ryder. “Here’s positive proof that the culprit is a peon, and with this telltale scar to help out it is only necessary to inspect every peon in the plant and pick out the guilty individual. We’ll have them lined up immediately.”
Together they hurried out of the station and across to the quarters of the army officers. The captain in command of the post was on the front porch of his cottage washing his face in a tin basin when Mr. Ryder interrupted him.[104] The engineer spoke18 a few words in Spanish and the officer hastily reached for a towel, at the same time calling loudly for an orderly. That individual arrived from behind the cottage as if produced by magic, and after listening to the captain’s brief orders saluted19 and hurried to the barracks building, from the door of which the soldiers were just emerging in various stages of attire20.
He returned presently, to be followed five minutes later by a young officer in charge of a squad21 of ten soldiers. Curt22 instructions were issued by the commander and the soldiers broke ranks immediately and went hurrying here and there about the plant, rounding up every peon in sight.
Some of the native laborers23 protested violently against being hustled24 into line along the south wall of the station, for they were afraid that they were about to be shot, this being the spot where all the executions in Necaxa were staged. But their protests were of no avail, for the soldiers took keen delight in hurrying them along with the sharp point of their bayonets or the flat stock of their guns.
[105]
In less than no time two score natives were facing the gray stone wall. They were a heterogeneous25 assortment26 of half-breeds and full-blooded Indians with ragged27 garments and hair long and unkempt. None wore shoes or even sandals.
When every native had been located and the line was complete the soldiers withdrew a short distance and the captain then turning to Mr. Ryder, spoke nervously28 and with great concern:
“Here are they, Se?or, maybe now you find them sick mans, yes.”
“Why did he say ‘those sick men?’” asked Jack, somewhat puzzled.
“I told him there was a rumor29 abroad that one of the peons had leprosy and that we wanted to find him and put him in a pest house. Though I know very little about the disease I understand it shows first on the face, palms of the hands or soles of the feet,” answered the engineer.
“But why did you tell him that?” demanded the lad.
“Well, for the simple reason that I do not[106] care to let any one know what we have discovered. I think the less said about the scar the easier it will be for us to catch our man. If we keep it to ourselves he will never suspect that we set a trap for him. Now for the search.”
Mr. Ryder, Jack and the captain began a tour of inspection30. Each Indian was commanded to lift first one foot and then the other, while Jack and the engineer scrutinized them closely. The engineer in addition examined their hands and face as well, though not with as keen an eye as he watched the feet. The peons all submitted to the inspection meekly31, but it was quite evident from the expression on their faces that they could not understand the whole proceedings32. One by one they were passed and as Mr. Ryder neared the end of the line his brow wrinkled in a perplexed33 frown. Finally when the last man was allowed to go he turned to the officer in charge of the squad and demanded:
“Are these all the peons there are about the plant? There must be more!”
“No more are here, Se?or. But maybe[107] those sick mans you look on is here in the night men. There are—ah—diez hombres,” said the officer excitedly.
“Jack,” said the engineer, “that fellow may be right. It is possible that my man is on the night force or he may be a strange peon who gets into the plant somehow. I think the next move for us to make is to go down to the Indian village and do some detective work there. Most of the peons we hire live down there and it is more than likely that we will find the man with the scarred heel among them.”
“That sounds reasonable,” said Jack, after considering the question. “Why not go down there while the trail is hot?”
“All right,” said Mr. Ryder, “but let me warn you that we will have to travel through about five miles of country infested34 with rebels and, as you know, they do not look upon any of the white men from the plant with very great favor.”
“I am willing to take the chance,” said Jack, laconically35.
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1
jack
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| n.插座，千斤顶，男人；v.抬起，提醒，扛举；n.（Jake）杰克 | |
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fully
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| adv.完全地，全部地，彻底地；充分地 | |
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munching
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| v.用力咀嚼（某物），大嚼( munch的现在分词 ) | |
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wilderness
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| n.杳无人烟的一片陆地、水等，荒漠 | |
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gage
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| n.标准尺寸，规格；量规，量表 [=gauge] | |
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6
sweeping
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| adj.范围广大的，一扫无遗的 | |
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7
maker
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| n.制造者，制造商 | |
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8
generators
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| n.发电机，发生器( generator的名词复数 )；电力公司 | |
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generator
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| n.发电机，发生器 | |
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10
imprints
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| n.压印( imprint的名词复数 )；痕迹；持久影响 | |
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imprint
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| n.印痕，痕迹；深刻的印象；vt.压印，牢记 | |
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12
scrutinized
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| v.仔细检查，详审( scrutinize的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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13
meddler
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| n.爱管闲事的人，干涉者 | |
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14
riddled
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| adj.布满的；充斥的；泛滥的v.解谜，出谜题(riddle的过去分词形式) | |
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15
bent
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| n.爱好，癖好；adj.弯的；决心的，一心的 | |
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ridge
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| n.山脊；鼻梁；分水岭 | |
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obliterate
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| v.擦去，涂抹，去掉...痕迹，消失，除去 | |
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18
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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19
saluted
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| v.欢迎，致敬( salute的过去式和过去分词 )；赞扬，赞颂 | |
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attire
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| v.穿衣，装扮[同]array；n.衣着；盛装 | |
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squad
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| n.班，小队，小团体；vt.把…编成班或小组 | |
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curt
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| adj.简短的，草率的 | |
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laborers
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| n.体力劳动者，工人( laborer的名词复数 )；（熟练工人的）辅助工 | |
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24
hustled
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| 催促（hustle的过去式与过去分词形式） | |
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heterogeneous
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| adj.庞杂的；异类的 | |
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assortment
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| n.分类，各色俱备之物，聚集 | |
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ragged
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| adj.衣衫褴褛的，粗糙的，刺耳的 | |
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nervously
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| adv.神情激动地，不安地 | |
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29
rumor
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| n.谣言，谣传，传说 | |
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30
inspection
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| n.检查，审查，检阅 | |
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31
meekly
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| adv.温顺地，逆来顺受地 | |
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32
proceedings
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| n.进程，过程，议程；诉讼(程序)；公报 | |
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33
perplexed
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| adj.不知所措的 | |
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34
infested
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| adj.为患的，大批滋生的（常与with搭配）v.害虫、野兽大批出没于( infest的过去式和过去分词 )；遍布于 | |
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35
laconically
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| adv.简短地，简洁地 | |
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36
cartridge
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| n.弹壳，弹药筒；(装磁带等的)盒子 | |
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