CHAPTER XXII WARDE AND WESTY

 “I said it was the troop I was thinking about,” Warde observed, “but I guess it’s really that kid I’m thinking about as much as anything.”

“You mean Mrs. Corbett’s kid?” Westy asked.

“No, Pee-wee, Young Faithful. Huh, that’s a pretty good name for him, hey?”

“He’s all there,” Westy said.

“He’s not going to Yellowstone,” said Warde. “Not even a member of his patrol is. Yet, by golly, here he is standing¹ on his head on account of me.”

“Yop, that’s him all right,” said Westy.

“How’d you make out this summer?” Warde asked. “We got a couple of cards from you up at camp. Who’s that fellow in the snap-shot you sent me?”

“Oh, he’s a farm hand at my uncle’s; he’s been all over, on whaling cruises and everything. My father calls him a contemptible² scoundrel because he’s—I don’t know just why—because he’s been a sort of tramp—I guess. He helped start a war in a South Sea island and they kidnapped the king.”

“That sounds pretty good,” said Warde.

“Now that we’re all alone,” said Westy, purposely avoiding the subject of his own summer, “I want to tell you that was some stunt³ you did. I signed my name and I signed it good and black; I think I broke my fountain pen.”

“I’ll bring you one from the Yellowstone,” Warde laughed; “if I go,” he added.

“I think you’ll go all right,” said Westy. “You know how it is, Hollie, when a fellow gets home after being away; everybody seems kind of strange. That’s the way it seemed with me to-night; that’s why I didn’t say much, I guess. But now that I’m seeing you all alone I’ll tell you that that was one peach of a thing you did. I’m expecting to get post cards from you next summer showing the petrified⁴ forests and Inspiration Point and the Old Faithful Inn and all those places—you see.”

“You seem to know all about them,” said Warde.

“Sure,” said Westy, with a note of wistfulness in his voice. “I’ve read a lot about it; I was—eh— There’s another thing I want to say to you while we’re alone. You said you didn’t go to Europe last summer so you could be with the troop. You said the troop always comes first with you. I guess you didn’t mean that as a shot at me, did you? Because I went away somewhere else this summer?”

“What are you talking about?” Warde laughed, as he rapped Westy on the shoulder and then gave him a shove almost off the sidewalk. “That’s you all over, everybody says so; you’re so gol blamed sensitive. I wouldn’t answer such a crazy question.”

“Because I’ve got the same idea that you have,” said Westy. “I’m always wishing I could do something for the troop; the troop comes first with me, you can bet. But, gee⁵, I never seem to be able to do anything. Look at Roy, his father gave the barn——”

“Come out of that,” laughed Warde. “Tell me what you were doing all summer. We had some summer at Temple Camp.”

“Oh, I don’t know,” said Westy, “nothing in particular. I went for a special reason and I guess it didn’t pan out very well. I should worry about it, because anyway it’s all over. I don’t want to talk about it.”

Warde glanced curiously⁶ at him but said nothing.

“You can bet I’m going to camp with you fellows next summer,” Westy said. “Only probably you won’t be there.”

“Oh, don’t be too sure of that,” Warde laughed. “There are a few other troops to be heard from, Westy, old boy.”

“Well, I’d like to see that award given to our troop,” Westy mused⁷. “I don’t suppose it makes much difference who goes. If I had to choose a fellow to go it would be you, and I did vote for you, you can bet. But as long as our troop gets the honor it doesn’t make much difference who goes. I’m glad I got back in time to vote. Gee williger, I’m proud to vote for a stunt like that—and I’m glad you’re in my patrol. That’s about all I’m good for, I guess—to vote.”

“Who taught me to hit a bull’s eye?” Warde asked. “What are you doing to-morrow?” he broke off suddenly. “Come ahead over to my house and we’ll try a few cracks at the target; what do you say?”

“Huh,” Westy mused wistfully. “I guess I’ll have to be getting ready for school to-morrow. I’ve got to unpack⁸ my trunk, too.”

“We’ll see you Saturday night then? At the Rotary⁹ Club?”

“Will they let people go?” Westy asked.

“Sure, the more the merrier,” said Warde; “it’s a public meeting.”

“I’ll come and shout for you when they announce the decision,” Westy said.

“Don’t count your chickens before they’re hatched,” laughed Warde.

1 standing   

n.持续，地位；adj.永久的，不动的，直立的，不流动的

参考例句：

• After the earthquake only a few houses were left standing.地震过后只有几幢房屋还立着。
• They're standing out against any change in the law.他们坚决反对对法律做任何修改。

2 contemptible   

adj.可鄙的，可轻视的，卑劣的

参考例句：

• His personal presence is unimpressive and his speech contemptible.他气貌不扬，言语粗俗。
• That was a contemptible trick to play on a friend.那是对朋友玩弄的一出可鄙的把戏。

3 stunt   

n.惊人表演，绝技，特技；vt.阻碍...发育，妨碍...生长

参考例句：

• Lack of the right food may stunt growth.缺乏适当的食物会阻碍发育。
• Right up there is where the big stunt is taking place.那边将会有惊人的表演。

4 petrified   

adj.惊呆的；目瞪口呆的v.使吓呆，使惊呆；变僵硬；使石化(petrify的过去式和过去分词)

参考例句：

• I'm petrified of snakes. 我特别怕蛇。
• The poor child was petrified with fear. 这可怜的孩子被吓呆了。 来自《简明英汉词典》

5 gee   

n.马；int.向右！前进！，惊讶时所发声音；v.向右转

参考例句：

• Their success last week will gee the team up.上星期的胜利将激励这支队伍继续前进。
• Gee,We're going to make a lot of money.哇！我们会赚好多钱啦！

6 curiously   

adv.有求知欲地；好问地；奇特地

参考例句：

• He looked curiously at the people.他好奇地看着那些人。
• He took long stealthy strides. His hands were curiously cold.他迈着悄没声息的大步。他的双手出奇地冷。

7 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

8 unpack   

vt.打开包裹（或行李），卸货

参考例句：

• I must unpack before dinner.我得在饭前把行李打开。
• She said she would unpack the items later.她说以后再把箱子里的东西拿出来。

9 rotary   

adj.(运动等)旋转的；轮转的；转动的

参考例句：

• The central unit is a rotary drum.核心设备是一个旋转的滚筒。
• A rotary table helps to optimize the beam incidence angle.一张旋转的桌子有助于将光线影响之方式角最佳化。