CHAPTER XXVII ENTER THE CONTEMPTIBLE SCOUNDREL

 At eight o’clock that evening, an evening destined¹ to be memorable² in the annals of local scouting³, Ira Hasbrook stood upon the porch of the Martin home and, having pushed the electric button, knocked out the contents of his pipe against the rail preparatory to entering.

He wore khaki trousers which in some prehistoric⁴ era had been brown, a blue flannel⁵ shirt and an old strap⁶ from a horse harness by way of a belt. He was not in the least perturbed⁷, but bore himself with an easy-going demeanor⁸ which had a certain quality that suggested that nothing less than an earthquake could ruffle⁹ it. He was not admitted to the house by the correct man servant and seemed quite content to wait on the porch until Mr. Martin (whom he purposed to honor with a call) should make known his pleasure touching¹⁰ the scene of their interview.

“You want to see me; what is it?” that gentleman demanded curtly¹¹.

“You Mr. Martin, huh? Westy’s father?”

“Yes, sir, what can I do for you?”

“Well,” drawled Ira, “you can do a turn fer him, mebbe; and that’ll be doin’ somethin’ fer me. I’m down off the farm up yonder—up by Dawson’s.”

“Oh, you mean you work for Mr. Nelson?”

“By turns, when I’m in the country. The kid happen to be home?”

“No, sir, he’s not,” said Mr. Martin curtly, “but I think I’ve heard of you. What is your business here?”

“Well, I never was in no business exactly, as the feller says,” Ira drawled out. “Kid’s gone ter the meetin’, huh?”

“I believe he has,” said Mr. Martin briskly. “Did Mr. Nelson send you here? If there is anything you have to say to my son I think it would be better for you to say it to me.”

“That’s as might be,” said Ira easily. “Would yer want that I should talk to yer here?”

Mr. Martin stepped aside to let the caller pass within. Ira wiped his feet but paid no other tribute, nor, indeed, paid the slightest heed¹² to the rather sumptuous¹³ surroundings in which he found himself. He followed the lord of the establishment into the library and seated himself in one of the big leather chairs. Mr. Martin did not trouble himself to present Ira when his wife and daughter (fearful of some newly disclosed sequel to Westy’s escapade) stole into the room and unobtrusively seated themselves in a corner.

“Well, sir, what is it?” said Mr. Martin authoritatively¹⁴.

“Well,” drawled Ira, “it’s ’bout yer son shootin’ a deer.”

“We know about that,” said Mr. Martin coldly.

“Yer don’t happen ter know if he used the rifle since, do you?”

At this there was an audible titter from Doris.

“Oh, yes, I know very well that he hasn’t,” said the official jailer, “I have it under lock and key.”

“I’d like ter git a squint¹⁵ at that there gun.”

“That would be impossible,” said Mr. Martin.

“Yes?”

“Is there any claim that the gun doesn’t belong to my son? That he——”

“There’s a notion he ain’t been tellin’ the whole gol blamed truth ’bout that there shootin’ an’ I’m here ter kinder look over the matter, as the feller says.”

“Did you come here to charge my son with lying?”

“Well, as you might say, no.I come here ter charge him with bein’ a little rascal¹⁶ of a prince. But of course if I thought he was a liar¹⁷ I’d tell ’im so and I’d tell you so. Jes the same as if I thought you was a fool or a liar I’d tell yer so.”

“Isn’t he perfectly¹⁸ splendid,” Doris whispered in her mother’s ear. “Isn’t he picturesque¹⁹? Oh, I think he’s just adorable.”

“Well, now, my man,” said Mr. Martin, considerably²⁰ jarred by his caller’s frank declaration, “what is it? I think I’ve heard of you and I think if it wasn’t for you that murderous toy wouldn’t be locked up in that closet there.” Ira glanced toward the family dungeon²¹. “As I understand it, from what Mrs. Nelson says, you got my boy’s head full of nonsense and he ran amuck²². He told the truth and confessed it and lost a hundred dollars and his gun and a trip out west. And the gun’s locked up in that closet where it will never do any more harm. It will never shoot any more deer in season or out of season—I suppose you’ve shot them both ways.”

“Yes, sir, I have,” drawled Ira, “but I never used more than one gun at a time; I never dropped an animal with two different kinds of bullets like your boy did——”

Mr. Martin looked surprised.

“I was thinkin’,” said Ira, not giving Mr. Martin a chance to comment upon this mystery, “that maybe not knowin’ much ’bout guns and bein’ sceered of ’em—I can always mostly spot folks that’s daffy ’bout firearms—I was thinking maybe you was just crazy fool enough when you was mad ter lock that murderous toy up while it was loaded. Of course if you done that you can’t exactly say it won’t do no more harm.”

This was exactly what Mr. Martin had done and a titter from his daughter reminded him that he was at a slight disadvantage.

“I’d like ter see whether both shots has been fired outer that gun,” Ira drawled on. “I’d jes kind of sorter like to look it over. And while I’m at it, I’ll take out the cartridge²³ that I think is still in it. Then it can’t bite. Maybe I’ll be able ter tell yer somethin’ or other when I get through. Now you jes get that gun out without any more foolin’ around or else yer don’t deserve ter be the father o’ that kid. Get it out an’ don’t waste no more time; them gents is startin’ a meetin’ up yonder.”

1 destined   

adj.命中注定的；(for)以…为目的地的

参考例句：

• It was destined that they would marry.他们结婚是缘分。
• The shipment is destined for America.这批货物将运往美国。

2 memorable   

adj.值得回忆的，难忘的，特别的，显著的

参考例句：

• This was indeed the most memorable day of my life.这的确是我一生中最值得怀念的日子。
• The veteran soldier has fought many memorable battles.这个老兵参加过许多难忘的战斗。

3 scouting   

守候活动，童子军的活动

参考例句：

• I have people scouting the hills already. 我已经让人搜过那些山了。
• Perhaps also from the Gospel it passed into the tradition of scouting. 也许又从《福音书》传入守望的传统。 来自演讲部分

4 prehistoric   

adj.（有记载的）历史以前的，史前的，古老的

参考例句：

• They have found prehistoric remains.他们发现了史前遗迹。
• It was rather like an exhibition of prehistoric electronic equipment.这儿倒像是在展览古老的电子设备。

5 flannel   

n.法兰绒；法兰绒衣服

参考例句：

• She always wears a grey flannel trousers.她总是穿一条灰色法兰绒长裤。
• She was looking luscious in a flannel shirt.她穿着法兰绒裙子，看上去楚楚动人。

6 strap   

n.皮带，带子；v.用带扣住，束牢；用绷带包扎

参考例句：

• She held onto a strap to steady herself.她抓住拉手吊带以便站稳。
• The nurse will strap up your wound.护士会绑扎你的伤口。

7 perturbed   

adj.烦燥不安的v.使（某人）烦恼，不安( perturb的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• I am deeply perturbed by the alarming way the situation developing. 我对形势令人忧虑的发展深感不安。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• Mother was much perturbed by my illness. 母亲为我的病甚感烦恼不安。 来自《现代英汉综合大词典》

8 demeanor   

n.行为；风度

参考例句：

• She is quiet in her demeanor.她举止文静。
• The old soldier never lost his military demeanor.那个老军人从来没有失去军人风度。

9 ruffle   

v.弄皱，弄乱；激怒，扰乱；n.褶裥饰边

参考例句：

• Don't ruffle my hair.I've just combed it.别把我的头发弄乱了。我刚刚梳好了的。
• You shouldn't ruffle so easily.你不该那么容易发脾气。

10 touching   

adj.动人的，使人感伤的

参考例句：

• It was a touching sight.这是一幅动人的景象。
• His letter was touching.他的信很感人。

11 curtly   

adv.简短地

参考例句：

• He nodded curtly and walked away. 他匆忙点了一下头就走了。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• The request was curtly refused. 这个请求被毫不客气地拒绝了。 来自《简明英汉词典》

12 heed   

v.注意，留意；n.注意，留心

参考例句：

• You must take heed of what he has told.你要注意他所告诉的事。
• For the first time he had to pay heed to his appearance.这是他第一次非得注意自己的外表不可了。

13 sumptuous   

adj.豪华的，奢侈的，华丽的

参考例句：

• The guests turned up dressed in sumptuous evening gowns.客人们身着华丽的夜礼服出现了。
• We were ushered into a sumptuous dining hall.我们被领进一个豪华的餐厅。

14 authoritatively   

命令式地，有权威地，可信地

参考例句：

• "If somebody'll come here and sit with him," he snapped authoritatively. “来个人到这儿陪他坐着。”他用发号施令的口吻说。
• To decide or settle(a dispute, for example) conclusively and authoritatively. 判定结论性、权威性地决定或解决（纠纷等）

15 squint   

v. 使变斜视眼, 斜视, 眯眼看, 偏移, 窥视; n. 斜视, 斜孔小窗; adj. 斜视的, 斜的

参考例句：

• A squint can sometimes be corrected by an eyepatch. 斜视有时候可以通过戴眼罩来纠正。
• The sun was shinning straight in her eyes which made her squint. 太阳直射着她的眼睛,使她眯起了眼睛。

16 rascal   

n.流氓；不诚实的人

参考例句：

• If he had done otherwise,I should have thought him a rascal.如果他不这样做，我就认为他是个恶棍。
• The rascal was frightened into holding his tongue.这坏蛋吓得不敢往下说了。

17 liar   

n.说谎的人

参考例句：

• I know you for a thief and a liar!我算认识你了，一个又偷又骗的家伙！
• She was wrongly labelled a liar.她被错误地扣上说谎者的帽子。

18 perfectly   

adv.完美地，无可非议地，彻底地

参考例句：

• The witnesses were each perfectly certain of what they said.证人们个个对自己所说的话十分肯定。
• Everything that we're doing is all perfectly above board.我们做的每件事情都是光明正大的。

19 picturesque   

adj.美丽如画的，（语言）生动的，绘声绘色的

参考例句：

• You can see the picturesque shores beside the river.在河边你可以看到景色如画的两岸。
• That was a picturesque phrase.那是一个形象化的说法。

20 considerably   

adv.极大地；相当大地；在很大程度上

参考例句：

• The economic situation has changed considerably.经济形势已发生了相当大的变化。
• The gap has narrowed considerably.分歧大大缩小了。

21 dungeon   

n.地牢，土牢

参考例句：

• They were driven into a dark dungeon.他们被人驱赶进入一个黑暗的地牢。
• He was just set free from a dungeon a few days ago.几天前，他刚从土牢里被放出来。

22 amuck   

ad.狂乱地

参考例句：

• The sea ran amuck.海上风暴肆虐。
• The scoundrels who ran amuck will be severely punished.横行无忌的歹徒将受到严惩。

23 cartridge   

n.弹壳，弹药筒；(装磁带等的)盒子

参考例句：

• Unfortunately the 2G cartridge design is very difficult to set accurately.不幸地2G弹药筒设计非常难正确地设定。
• This rifle only holds one cartridge.这支来复枪只能装一发子弹。