CHAPTER XXXVI. THE PLOT THAT FAILED.

“You can see what’s happened, Darrel,” said Lenning, turning with a weary air to his half brother. “The colonel is down on me worse than ever; and he’s down on you, too.”
Merry, Darrel, and Lenning were surrounded by a crowd about equally composed of Gold Hill and Ophir players. The revelation that had stripped the mask from the supposed Mexican Joe, leaving in his place the friendless Jode Lenning, had come as a stunning¹ surprise.
“I’d like to know something about this, Chip,” said Ballard. “It strikes me that you haven’t been square with us.”
“He was as square as he could be, Pink,” answered Darrel. “After the plot was hatched he couldn’t very well give it away, could he?”
“Where the deuce is Mexican Joe?” asked Clancy.
“I got a note from Burke last evening,” Merriwell exclaimed, “which informed me that Joe had been called suddenly back to the bedside of his sick relative. That put me strictly² up against it, till Darrel blew in and suggested that Lenning be substituted for Mexican Joe, but without telling any one the difference.”
“I had a hard time getting Jode’s consent,” said Darrel, “but finally, more to please Chip and me than anything else, he agreed. I secured that stain for him in town, and Burke got him some clothes that looked enough like the greaser’s to pass muster³. He was a pretty close imitation of the real thing, eh, fellows?” Darrel laughed, slapping his half brother heartily⁴ on the back.
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“I should say so!” exclaimed Clancy. “Why, we had the real Mexican with us for a couple of days, and yet I couldn’t see any difference between the two.”
“Nor I,” said Ballard. “Lenning was a dead ringer for Mexican Joe.”
“What was the plot aimed at, Chip?” asked Blunt.
“It was aimed at you fellows and the colonel. We thought Lenning would make such a good record in the game that he would win the approval and good will of the colonel and the boys from Gold Hill and Ophir. But,” Merry finished regretfully, “I guess we made a miss of it, and that the plot failed.”
“Not much it didn’t fail—that is, not entirely,” Blunt resumed. “Lenning has shown himself a good deal of a man, by jumping into this thing like he did, and I for one feel as though I had made a blamed fool of myself.” He turned to Lenning. “Will you shake hands,” he asked.
A gratified smile wreathed itself about Lenning’s lips.
“You bet I will, Blunt!” he exclaimed. “The plot certainly worked out all right if it gave me Barzy Blunt for a friend.”
“Shucks!” grunted⁵ Blunt, deeply touched. “I reckon I acted like a coyote, t’other day, when I allowed I wouldn’t have you in this nine of Chip’s. I’m sorry I tuned⁶ up like I did.”
“Just forget it, Blunt,” smiled Lenning.
“I feel a good deal the same as Barzy does,” spoke⁷ up Handy. “If it hadn’t been for you, Lenning, dropping into our team as a substitute for the Mexican, I reckon we would have lost out. Will you shake with me?”
And, beginning right there, Jode Lenning held an impromptu⁸ reception. Reckless was next to grip his hand
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 after Handy had released it; then came Clancy and Ballard, and every player that was left in both teams.
“I guess you fellows didn’t fall down on that plot, after all,” laughed Clancy. “You made good on the diamond, Lenning, and that has shown a few of us what pesky idiots we were.”
“I—I want you to understand, fellows,” said Lenning, his voice trembling and his eyes misty⁹, “that I appreciate your show of confidence in me. I have turned over a new leaf, and I’m not particularly anxious to curry¹⁰ any favor with Colonel Hawtrey. I gave him cause to treat me as he did, and I don’t want him to think I’m sneaking¹¹ around, trying to get him to take me back and help me. I wouldn’t go back if he offered to take me. I’m earning my way now, and I want to be independent.”
“That’s the talk!” approved Barzy Blunt.
“Come on over to the gym, fellows,” called Merry, “and let’s get under the showers. I think we’ll all feel better for a bath and a rubdown.”
“It’s like going home, El,” Lenning whispered to Darrel, with a catch in his voice.
Silently Darrel’s arm went around his half brother and tightened¹² affectionately.
The plot may have failed in so far as it concerned Colonel Hawtrey, but in other ways, equally far-reaching, it had been a success.

1 stunning   

adj.极好的；使人晕倒的

参考例句：

• His plays are distinguished only by their stunning mediocrity.他的戏剧与众不同之处就是平凡得出奇。
• The finished effect was absolutely stunning.完工后的效果非常美。

2 strictly   

adv.严厉地，严格地；严密地

参考例句：

• His doctor is dieting him strictly.他的医生严格规定他的饮食。
• The guests were seated strictly in order of precedence.客人严格按照地位高低就座。

3 muster   

v.集合，收集，鼓起，激起；n.集合，检阅，集合人员，点名册

参考例句：

• Go and muster all the men you can find.去集合所有你能找到的人。
• I had to muster my courage up to ask him that question.我必须鼓起勇气向他问那个问题。

4 heartily   

adv.衷心地，诚恳地，十分，很

参考例句：

• He ate heartily and went out to look for his horse.他痛快地吃了一顿，就出去找他的马。
• The host seized my hand and shook it heartily.主人抓住我的手，热情地和我握手。

5 grunted   

（猪等）作呼噜声( grunt的过去式和过去分词 )； （指人）发出类似的哼声； 咕哝着说

参考例句：

• She just grunted, not deigning to look up from the page. 她只咕哝了一声，继续看书，不屑抬起头来看一眼。
• She grunted some incomprehensible reply. 她咕噜着回答了些令人费解的话。

6 tuned   

adj.调谐的，已调谐的v.调音( tune的过去式和过去分词 )；调整；（给收音机、电视等）调谐；使协调

参考例句：

• The resort is tuned in to the tastes of young and old alike. 这个度假胜地适合各种口味，老少皆宜。
• The instruments should be tuned up before each performance. 每次演出开始前都应将乐器调好音。 来自《简明英汉词典》

7 spoke   

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

参考例句：

• They sourced the spoke nuts from our company.他们的轮辐螺帽是从我们公司获得的。
• The spokes of a wheel are the bars that connect the outer ring to the centre.辐条是轮子上连接外圈与中心的条棒。

8 impromptu   

adj.即席的，即兴的；adv.即兴的(地)，无准备的(地)

参考例句：

• The announcement was made in an impromptu press conference at the airport.这一宣布是在机场举行的临时新闻发布会上作出的。
• The children put on an impromptu concert for the visitors.孩子们为来访者即兴献上了一场音乐会。

9 misty   

adj.雾蒙蒙的，有雾的

参考例句：

• He crossed over to the window to see if it was still misty.他走到窗户那儿，看看是不是还有雾霭。
• The misty scene had a dreamy quality about it.雾景给人以梦幻般的感觉。

10 curry   

n.咖哩粉，咖哩饭菜；v.用咖哩粉调味，用马栉梳，制革

参考例句：

• Rice makes an excellent complement to a curry dish.有咖喱的菜配米饭最棒。
• Add a teaspoonful of curry powder.加一茶匙咖喱粉。

11 sneaking   

a.秘密的，不公开的

参考例句：

• She had always had a sneaking affection for him. 以前她一直暗暗倾心于他。
• She ducked the interviewers by sneaking out the back door. 她从后门偷偷溜走，躲开采访者。

12 tightened   

收紧( tighten的过去式和过去分词 )； （使）变紧； （使）绷紧； 加紧

参考例句：

• The rope holding the boat suddenly tightened and broke. 系船的绳子突然绷断了。
• His index finger tightened on the trigger but then relaxed again. 他的食指扣住扳机，然后又松开了。