CHAPTER XVIII FAIRHAVEN READY.

 Toward night the heavy fog that had rested like a pall² over Fairhaven Island all day lifted and retreated toward the open sea. At sunset the sky was bespangled with dainty clouds, which were tinted³ a hundred beautiful shades of such colors as no artist can reproduce. Although on the mainland it was muggy⁴ and hot, out there on Fairhaven Island there was a gentle breeze, and twilight⁵ drew on softly and silently.

After supper, Dick and his friends sat chatting on the veranda⁶ of the Central Hotel. Garrett was there, and Bart Hodge was comfortably deposited in a big rocking-chair. Singleton sprawled⁷ on a seat, and taken altogether the lads presented a picture of ease and laziness.

“Dern my picter!” Tubbs suddenly squealed⁸. “I bet a good squash pie that something besides the fog kept old Hammerswell from bringing his team over here to-day. Said while there was such a fog he couldn’t get the bo’t he’d engaged to make the trip, but I don’t believe it.”

“You’re tut-tut-too wise!” exclaimed Chip Jolliby. “What dud-dud-dud-dud-do you believe?”

“I bet, by Jim, that there was another reason why he didn’t come! I bet he’s going to have new players.”

At this many of the boys laughed.

“He’s had too many new players already,” declared Earl Gardner. “That’s what’s kept him down. He kept shifting his team round early in the season, and it’s a wonder he did as well as he did. Since getting that bunch from the Northeastern League he’s made no changes and had better success. It will be a hot finish, no matter how it comes out. Why, if Maplewood could win both games to-morrow she’d take first place! If she loses both games she’ll go to the bottom. I tell you that’s the way to have things stand near the end of the baseball season. It keeps up the excitement.”

Dick had been writing and figuring on a slip of paper. While thus engaged he was making out the standing⁹ of the various teams in the league, and this he now passed round for the boys to inspect.

“You will see, fellows,” he said, “that only twelve points separate the bottom team from the one at the top. That’s close enough to make it a heap exciting, as Buckhart would remark.”

“Hit’s halmost too close for comfort, don’t you know,” observed Billy Bradley. “Hif we lose both games to-morrow—hoh, my!”

“We won’t lose them both,” declared Buckhart, suddenly starting up and swinging his fist in the air. “We’ll die right on the field before we’ll lose them both.”

“It’s up to us, boys,” said Dick, “to win both those games. It’s the only way we can be sure that Rockford will not beat us out to-morrow. If we win both of them, even though Rockford takes a fall out of Seaslope, we’ll be tied for first place. If we win both of them and Seaslope happens to defeat Rockford, we’ll have the pennant¹⁰ to-morrow night.”

“Oh, how sad that would make me feel!” cried Ted¹ Smart.

Then he dodged¹¹ as Chip Jolliby swung a backhand blow at him with his long arm.

“Is it a sure thing,” inquired Owen Bold, “that we are to play two games to-morrow? Has Maplewood agreed to it?”

“It’s a sure thing,” nodded Dick. “I talked to Hammerswell myself by phone, and he has agreed to wind up by playing both games to-morrow afternoon. How’s your wing, Owen?”

“I think it’s back in shape,” was the answer. “This fog to-day was rather bad for it, but I have it protected. I am caring for it as if it were a baby. Never bothered about my arm before, but this climate is too much for it. I am going to let it out to-morrow, if I never pitch another game. Your brother sent me down here to help you win the pennant, and I should hate to have him hear that you had lost it through my weakness on the slab¹² in the last game I pitched for you.”

“I wish Frank could be here to see those games!” exclaimed Bart Hodge. “I know he wanted to. If you can win out, Dick, we’ll wire him a cheerful message to-morrow night.”

“We’re going to win if it’s in us to do so,” asserted young Merriwell. “If we can tie with Rockford for first place, we will fight it out by playing an extra game to decide things.”

“Oh, my!” said Ted Smart, “what a calm, quiet sort of a game that would be! I don’t believe any one would come out to see it! We’d have to play to empty benches!”

“There will be no empty benches to-morrow,” said Dick. “Let’s roll in now and get plenty of sleep.”

The Fairhaven team retired¹³ that night earlier than any previous night during the season.

1 ted   

vt.翻晒，撒，撒开

参考例句：

• The invaders gut ted the village.侵略者把村中财物洗劫一空。
• She often teds the corn when it's sunny.天好的时候她就翻晒玉米。

2 pall   

v.覆盖，使平淡无味；n.柩衣，棺罩；棺材；帷幕

参考例句：

• Already the allure of meals in restaurants had begun to pall.饭店里的饭菜已经不像以前那样诱人。
• I find his books begin to pall on me after a while.我发觉他的书读过一阵子就开始对我失去吸引力。

3 tinted   

adj. 带色彩的 动词tint的过去式和过去分词

参考例句：

• a pair of glasses with tinted lenses 一副有色镜片眼镜
• a rose-tinted vision of the world 对世界的理想化看法

4 muggy   

adj.闷热的；adv.（天气）闷热而潮湿地；n.（天气）闷热而潮湿

参考例句：

• We may expect muggy weather when the rainy season begins.雨季开始时，我们预料有闷热的天气。
• It was muggy and overcast.天气闷热潮湿，而且天色阴沉。

5 twilight   

n.暮光，黄昏；暮年，晚期，衰落时期

参考例句：

• Twilight merged into darkness.夕阳的光辉融于黑暗中。
• Twilight was sweet with the smell of lilac and freshly turned earth.薄暮充满紫丁香和新翻耕的泥土的香味。

6 veranda   

n.走廊；阳台

参考例句：

• She sat in the shade on the veranda.她坐在阳台上的遮荫处。
• They were strolling up and down the veranda.他们在走廊上来回徜徉。

7 sprawled   

v.伸开四肢坐[躺]( sprawl的过去式和过去分词)；蔓延；杂乱无序地拓展；四肢伸展坐着（或躺着）

参考例句：

• He was sprawled full-length across the bed. 他手脚摊开横躺在床上。
• He was lying sprawled in an armchair, watching TV. 他四肢伸开正懒散地靠在扶手椅上看电视。

8 squealed   

v.长声尖叫，用长而尖锐的声音说( squeal的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• He squealed the words out. 他吼叫着说出那些话。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• The brakes of the car squealed. 汽车的刹车发出吱吱声。 来自《简明英汉词典》

9 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。

10 pennant   

n.三角旗；锦标旗

参考例句：

• The second car was flying the Ghanaian pennant.第二辆车插着加纳的三角旗。
• The revitalized team came from the cellar to win the pennant.该队重整旗鼓，从最后一名一跃而赢得冠军奖旗。

11 dodged   

v.闪躲( dodge的过去式和过去分词 )；回避

参考例句：

• He dodged cleverly when she threw her sabot at him. 她用木底鞋砸向他时，他机敏地闪开了。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• He dodged the book that I threw at him. 他躲开了我扔向他的书。 来自《简明英汉词典》

12 slab   

n.平板，厚的切片；v.切成厚板，以平板盖上

参考例句：

• This heavy slab of oak now stood between the bomb and Hitler.这时笨重的橡木厚板就横在炸弹和希特勒之间了。
• The monument consists of two vertical pillars supporting a horizontal slab.这座纪念碑由两根垂直的柱体构成，它们共同支撑着一块平板。

13 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。