Then I took in hand an important subdivision of the proceedings2. I went up to Atlanta on the train and laid in a two-hundred-and-fifty-dollar supply of the most gratifying and efficient lines of grub that money could buy. I always was an admirer of viands3 in their more palliative and revised stages. Hog4 and hominy are not only inartistic to my stomach, but they give indigestion to my moral sentiments. And I thought of Colonel Jackson T. Rockingham, president of the Sunrise & Edenville Tap Railroad, and how he would miss the luxury of his home fare as is so famous among wealthy Southerners. So I sunk half of mine and Caligula's capital in as elegant a layout of fresh and canned provisions as Burdick Harris or any other professional kidnappee ever saw in a camp.
I put another hundred in a couple of cases of Bordeaux, two quarts of cognac, two hundred Havana regalias with gold bands, and a camp stove and stools and folding cots. I wanted Colonel Rockingham to be comfortable; and I hoped after he gave up the ten thousand dollars he would give me and Caligula as good a name for gentlemen and entertainers as the Greek man did the friend of his that made the United States his bill collector against Africa.
When the goods came down from Atlanta, we hired a wagon5, moved them up on the little mountain, and established camp. And then we laid for the colonel.
We caught him one morning about two miles out from Mountain Valley, on his way to look after some of his burnt umber farm land. He was an elegant old gentleman, as thin and tall as a trout6 rod, with frazzled shirt-cuffs and specs on a black string. We explained to him, brief and easy, what we wanted; and Caligula showed him, careless, the handle of his forty-five under his coat.
"What?" says Colonel Rockingham. "Bandits in Perry County, Georgia! I shall see that the board of immigration and public improvements hears of this!"
"Be so unfoolhardy as to climb into that buggy," says Caligula, "by order of the board of perforation and public depravity. This is a business meeting, and we're anxious to adjourn7 sine qua non."
We drove Colonel Rockingham over the mountain and up the side of it as far as the buggy could go. Then we tied the horse, and took our prisoner on foot up to the camp.
"Now, colonel," I says to him, "we're after the ransom8, me and my partner; and no harm will come to you if the King of Mor—if your friends send up the dust. In the mean time we are gentlemen the same as you. And if you give us your word not to try to escape, the freedom of the camp is yours."
"I give you my word," says the colonel.
"All right," says I; "and now it's eleven o'clock, and me and Mr. Polk will proceed to inculcate the occasion with a few well-timed trivialities in the way of grub."
"But you won't," says I emphatic10. "Not in this camp. We soar in higher regions than them occupied by your celebrated11 but repulsive12 dish."
While the colonel read his paper, me and Caligula took off our coats and went in for a little luncheon13 de luxe just to show him. Caligula was a fine cook of the Western brand. He could toast a buffalo14 or fricassee a couple of steers15 as easy as a woman could make a cup of tea. He was gifted in the way of knocking together edibles16 when haste and muscle and quantity was to be considered. He held the record west of the Arkansas River for frying pancakes with his left hand, broiling17 venison cutlets with his right, and skinning a rabbit with his teeth at the same time. But I could do things en casserole and à la creole, and handle the oil and tobasco as gently and nicely as a French chef.
So at twelve o'clock we had a hot lunch ready that looked like a banquet on a Mississippi River steamboat. We spread it on the tops of two or three big boxes, opened two quarts of the red wine, set the olives and a canned oyster18 cocktail19 and a ready-made Martini by the colonel's plate, and called him to grub.
Colonel Rockingham drew up his campstool, wiped off his specs, and looked at the things on the table. Then I thought he was swearing; and I felt mean because I hadn't taken more pains with the victuals20. But he wasn't; he was asking a blessing21; and me and Caligula hung our heads, and I saw a tear drop from the colonel's eye into his cocktail.
I never saw a man eat with so much earnestness and application—not hastily, like a grammarian, or one of the canal, but slow and appreciative22, like a anaconda, or a real vive bonjour.
In an hour and a half the colonel leaned back. I brought him a pony23 of brandy and his black coffee, and set the box of Havana regalias on the table.
"Gentlemen," says he, blowing out the smoke and trying to breathe it back again, "when we view the eternal hills and the smiling and beneficent landscape, and reflect upon the goodness of the Creator who—"
"Excuse me, colonel," says I, "but there's some business to attend to now"; and I brought out paper and pen and ink and laid 'em before him. "Who do you want to send to for the money?" I asks.
"I reckon," says he, after thinking a bit, "to the vice-president of our railroad, at the general offices of the Company in Edenville."
"How far is it to Edenville from here?" I asked.
"About ten miles," says he.
I am kidnapped and held a prisoner by two desperate outlaws25 in a place which is useless to attempt to find. They demand ten thousand dollars at once for my release. The amount must be raised immediately, and these directions followed. Come alone with the money to Stony26 Creek27, which runs out of Blacktop Mountains. Follow the bed of the creek till you come to a big flat rock on the left bank, on which is marked a cross in red chalk. Stand on the rock and wave a white flag. A guide will come to you and conduct you to where I am held. Lose no time.
After the colonel had finished this, he asked permission to take on a postscript28 about how he was being treated, so the railroad wouldn't feel uneasy in its bosom29 about him. We agreed to that. He wrote down that he had just had lunch with the two desperate ruffians; and then he set down the whole bill of fare, from cocktails30 to coffee. He wound up with the remark that dinner would be ready about six, and would probably be a more licentious31 and intemperate32 affair than lunch.
Me and Caligula read it, and decided33 to let it go; for we, being cooks, were amenable34 to praise, though it sounded out of place on a sight draft for ten thousand dollars.
I took the letter over to the Mountain Valley road and watched for a messenger. By and by a colored equestrian35 came along on horseback, riding toward Edenville. I gave him a dollar to take the letter to the railroad offices; and then I went back to camp.
点击收听单词发音
1 elevations | |
(水平或数量)提高( elevation的名词复数 ); 高地; 海拔; 提升 | |
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2 proceedings | |
n.进程,过程,议程;诉讼(程序);公报 | |
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3 viands | |
n.食品,食物 | |
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4 hog | |
n.猪;馋嘴贪吃的人;vt.把…占为己有,独占 | |
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5 wagon | |
n.四轮马车,手推车,面包车;无盖运货列车 | |
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6 trout | |
n.鳟鱼;鲑鱼(属) | |
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7 adjourn | |
v.(使)休会,(使)休庭 | |
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8 ransom | |
n.赎金,赎身;v.赎回,解救 | |
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9 relish | |
n.滋味,享受,爱好,调味品;vt.加调味料,享受,品味;vi.有滋味 | |
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10 emphatic | |
adj.强调的,着重的;无可置疑的,明显的 | |
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11 celebrated | |
adj.有名的,声誉卓著的 | |
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12 repulsive | |
adj.排斥的,使人反感的 | |
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13 luncheon | |
n.午宴,午餐,便宴 | |
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14 buffalo | |
n.(北美)野牛;(亚洲)水牛 | |
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15 steers | |
n.阉公牛,肉用公牛( steer的名词复数 )v.驾驶( steer的第三人称单数 );操纵;控制;引导 | |
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16 edibles | |
可以吃的,可食用的( edible的名词复数 ); 食物 | |
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17 broiling | |
adj.酷热的,炽热的,似烧的v.(用火)烤(焙、炙等)( broil的现在分词 );使卷入争吵;使混乱;被烤(或炙) | |
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18 oyster | |
n.牡蛎;沉默寡言的人 | |
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19 cocktail | |
n.鸡尾酒;餐前开胃小吃;混合物 | |
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20 victuals | |
n.食物;食品 | |
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21 blessing | |
n.祈神赐福;祷告;祝福,祝愿 | |
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22 appreciative | |
adj.有鉴赏力的,有眼力的;感激的 | |
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23 pony | |
adj.小型的;n.小马 | |
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24 dictated | |
v.大声讲或读( dictate的过去式和过去分词 );口授;支配;摆布 | |
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25 outlaws | |
歹徒,亡命之徒( outlaw的名词复数 ); 逃犯 | |
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26 stony | |
adj.石头的,多石头的,冷酷的,无情的 | |
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27 creek | |
n.小溪,小河,小湾 | |
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28 postscript | |
n.附言,又及;(正文后的)补充说明 | |
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29 bosom | |
n.胸,胸部;胸怀;内心;adj.亲密的 | |
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30 cocktails | |
n.鸡尾酒( cocktail的名词复数 );餐前开胃菜;混合物 | |
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31 licentious | |
adj.放纵的,淫乱的 | |
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32 intemperate | |
adj.无节制的,放纵的 | |
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33 decided | |
adj.决定了的,坚决的;明显的,明确的 | |
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34 amenable | |
adj.经得起检验的;顺从的;对负有义务的 | |
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35 equestrian | |
adj.骑马的;n.马术 | |
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