“We certainly are keeping the cooks hustling,” Terry chuckled2 one day in the mess tent. “I’m going for another helping3 of beans.”
84
But when the genial4 redhead went to the kitchen tent he was firmly but politely refused “Nothing doing, Mr. Mackson,” said the mess sergeant5, firmly. “You’ve already had three plates full and that is the allotment.”
“No more beans for a starving man?” Terry inquired, in dismay.
“No more for you anyway. I don’t know why you should be starving, I’m sure.”
“All right,” returned the red-headed one, calmly. “My mother will get even with you!”
“What do you mean, your mother will?” cried the cook, staring.
“When my body is shipped home, and she learns that her darling boy starved to death in the camp, she will spend the rest of her life calling down vengeance6 upon the head of the hard-headed and hard-hearted cook that turned him away with tears in his eyes!” was the answer. The mess tent shook with the laugh that went up. But the cook was prepared to answer him back.
“You’re right about the cook turning him away with tears in his eyes,” the cook said. “It brings tears to my eyes to see the hole in the bean pile when you get eating!”
Terry retired7 thoughtfully, paying no heed8 to the mocking gibes9 which greeted him on all sides. After a moment he looked at Vench, who was eating across the table from him. Vench had just pushed his plate to one side.
85
“How many plates of beans did you have, Raoul?” Terry whispered.
“Two was enough for me,” returned the little one.
“My son, heaven’s blessings10 upon you! Just take my plate and hit the trail for the cook!”
Mr. Vench took Terry’s plate and gravely approached the cook. But as soon as that worthy11 saw the particular dent12 in the tin plate he shook his head wisely.
“Nothing doing, Mr. Vench,” he said. “That is Mackson’s plate. You don’t work that game here!”
“Thank you, sir!” Vench murmured, while the cadets enjoyed the failure of the move to the utmost. With that Vench turned away. But at that moment the cook was called to the far end of the mess tent. With swiftness that was commendable13 Vench reached over the stove and heaped the plate. Then he sped back to the delighted Terry.
“Ram that in your musket14 and keep still!” he said, as he took his place.
Terry needed no second invitation. He dug into the pile of beans with alacrity15. And in a moment the sharp voice of the cook reached him.
“Mr. Mackson, where did you get those beans?”
86
Terry looked blank. “I am not at all sure, sir,” he answered, politely. “I had just turned my back, and when I looked around there they were, right under my nose!”
“Did you come and take them while I was not looking?” cried the cook.
“Haven’t been out of my seat since you broke my heart with your refusal,” was the answer. “And you didn’t give any to Mr. Vench, so it is up to you to figure out how I got the beans!”
“Bring them here, Mr. Mackson!” ordered the mess sergeant.
Terry shoveled16 the last forkful into his mouth. “Beg pardon?” he asked blandly17.
“I’ll put you on report!” growled18 the sergeant.
“My dear fellow, you can’t,” smiled Terry. “I didn’t take them myself and so you have no charge to prefer. And if you did I’d pound all the beans out of you once I got you away from the mess tent!”
“That amounts to threatening an officer while on duty, Mr. Mackson!” charged the sergeant.
“That’s not a threat, that’s a promise,” grinned the redhead. The sergeant muttered savagely19 but subsided20.
“Much obliged,” Terry whispered to Vench. “Some day I’ll help you out.”
“But not in the matter of beans,” smiled Vench. “They just don’t happen to be my weakness!”
87
One of the steady visitors to the camp was the little Carson boy. He was the son of the farmer from whom the camp supplies were purchased, and the cadets had taken a great liking21 to him. He was a friendly, likable boy and obviously deeply interested in the activities of the young soldiers. He watched all of their maneuvers22 with fascinated interest and the cadets welcomed him in their tents.
“That youngster has the makings of a good cadet in him,” Don said. “Too bad he isn’t one of us. How would you like to be a cadet, Jimmie?”
The boy flushed with pleasure and looked around the tent. “I’d like it more than anything else in the world,” he told them. “I’ll tell you a secret. Want to hear it?”
“Well, if it isn’t too deep for us, we would,” Jim assured him.
“I’m saving my money to go to Woodcrest,” the little fellow confided23. “Guess how much I have saved already?”
“I can’t imagine, but I hope it is a lot,” replied Don.
“It is!” was the eager retort. “I have a dollar and fifty-seven cents toward it!”
88
“That’s great!” said Terry promptly24. “You’ll need a little more than that, but it is a good beginning, anyway. Just you keep on going.”
“I’ll surely be glad when I get a uniform like you have,” the boy went on, wistfully. “I think they’re swell25.”
There were other boys who drifted to the camp but they did not attract the attention of the cadets as much as the Carson boy did. They came to look around and fool a bit and in time most of them were chased away. But Jimmie Carson was never in the way and so he was allowed to come often to camp.
One afternoon a group of cadets went for another hike over the Ridge26 and on the way back they passed the Carson farm. Jimmie called to them to come in and they did so. To their delight Mrs. Carson, a plain, kindly27 woman of middle age, insisted that they try a huge apple pie that she had made.
“Don’t give any to Terry, Mrs. Carson,” begged Jim, as they sat on the back porch. Don, Jim, Terry, Douglas and Vench were there at the time.
“Why is that? Doesn’t he feel well?” the farmer’s wife inquired, anxiously.
“He has had stomach trouble for a long time,” returned Jim, gravely. “The doctor said that of all things in the world, he mustn’t eat apple pie!”
89
“I’ll tell you what it is, Mrs. Carson,” spoke28 up the persecuted29 one, before anything else could be said. “I have a falling stomach and I can’t seem to locate the bottom at any time. But I’m sure that if I can only have a slice of that apple pie I’ll surely plug up the floor of my stomach and have no more trouble!”
“Of all the left-handed compliments in the world!” gasped30 Douglas. “He must think your pie is some kind of cement with which to secure his stomach. Tell a lady that her pie will plug him up!”
Mrs. Carson laughed heartily31. “I guess there is nothing the matter with any of you boys,” she said. “Try my pie and see if it is like cement!”
“I could die of embarrassment32!” murmured Terry, as he bit into his piece of pie. “But this pie will surely revive me.”
The farmer himself came up and talked to the boys for a time. The unexpected arrival of the soldiers on the Ridge and the subsequent contract to supply them with fresh food had done wonders for the poor farmer and his family. A good many dollars were coming his way from the camp down the slope.
90
“Here is the baby of the family,” smiled Mrs. Carson, appearing a little later with a pretty little girl of six. The cadets promptly forgot all else in their efforts to amuse and entertain Dorothy Carson. It was late before they headed back to camp, after thanking the farmer’s wife for the good time they had had.
“I’ve had pie before,” murmured Terry. “But never such pie as that!”
“Is that so?” inquired Jim. “Well, it is a cinch that Don and I can’t believe anything you say hereafter!”
“Why not?”
“Because one time at our house you said the same thing about my mother’s pie,” said Jim.
“But don’t forget, this pie helped his stomach!” said Vench, slyly. “Probably your mother’s pie didn’t plug up the bottom of his stomach!”
“If I ever speak again, it will be to myself, and in a dark room,” sighed Terry.
They had not been back in the tent long before the Officer of the Guard appeared at the tent with a list in his hand. “Lieutenant33 Mercer, you will report for guard duty at Post Number Three at twelve o’clock,” he informed Don.
“Very good, sir,” Don saluted34.
At midnight Lieutenant Don reported to the sentry35 at the far end of the camp, at a point near the farm belonging to the Hyde family. After an exchange of instructions he took the post, waiting for the call. It came soon after.
91
“Sentry, Post Two,” someone said near to him. Don faced toward the sentry who was next to him. “Sentry, Post Three,” he called. Number Four passed the report call on until eight sentries36 had reported. Then they began their pacing up and down on their patrols.
Don’s stretch was a long one, extending from the edge of the camp at the company street to a point back of the horse corral. At no time did he meet the sentry who patrolled Post Four. Just at the time Don reached the place where Post Four joined his post the other sentry was at the far end of his stretch, and when Don had returned to the company street Number Four was at the beginning of his post patrol. In this way there was no likelihood of sentries stopping to chat and no huge gaps left in the line of patrol duty.
The moon was a mere37 slice but the stars were bright pinheads in the sky. The air was warm and heavy with the smell of the woods. Don enjoyed his patrol thoroughly38. At twelve-thirty he looked up the Ridge casually39. Toward the top he saw a tiny jet of flame, right above the Hyde place.
“Looks like somebody striking a match,” he reflected, pacing slowly.
92
Then he stopped quickly. The jet of flame sprang up rapidly. Something was burning, flaring40 up into a huge ball of roaring fire. And as Don looked, completely at a loss, this mass of flame moved with ever increasing speed down the hill toward the Hyde house!
点击
收听单词发音
收听单词发音 |
1
outrageous
|
|
| adj.无理的，令人不能容忍的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
2
chuckled
|
|
| 轻声地笑( chuckle的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
3
helping
|
|
| n.食物的一份&adj.帮助人的，辅助的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
4
genial
|
|
| adj.亲切的，和蔼的，愉快的，脾气好的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
5
sergeant
|
|
| n.警官，中士 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
6
vengeance
|
|
| n.报复，报仇，复仇 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
7
retired
|
|
| adj.隐退的，退休的，退役的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
8
heed
|
|
| v.注意，留意；n.注意，留心 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
9
gibes
|
|
| vi.嘲笑，嘲弄（gibe的第三人称单数形式） | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
10
blessings
|
|
| n.（上帝的）祝福( blessing的名词复数 )；好事；福分；因祸得福 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
11
worthy
|
|
| adj.(of)值得的，配得上的；有价值的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
12
dent
|
|
| n.凹痕，凹坑；初步进展 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
13
commendable
|
|
| adj.值得称赞的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
14
musket
|
|
| n.滑膛枪 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
15
alacrity
|
|
| n.敏捷，轻快，乐意 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
16
shoveled
|
|
| vt.铲，铲出（shovel的过去式与过去分词形式） | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
17
blandly
|
|
| adv.温和地，殷勤地 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
18
growled
|
|
| v.（动物）发狺狺声， （雷）作隆隆声( growl的过去式和过去分词 )；低声咆哮着说 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
19
savagely
|
|
| adv. 野蛮地，残酷地 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
20
subsided
|
|
| v.（土地）下陷（因在地下采矿）( subside的过去式和过去分词 )；减弱；下降至较低或正常水平；一下子坐在椅子等上 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
21
liking
|
|
| n.爱好；嗜好；喜欢 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
22
maneuvers
|
|
| n.策略，谋略，花招( maneuver的名词复数 ) | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
23
confided
|
|
| v.吐露（秘密，心事等）( confide的过去式和过去分词 )；（向某人）吐露（隐私、秘密等） | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
24
promptly
|
|
| adv.及时地，敏捷地 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
25
swell
|
|
| vi.膨胀，肿胀；增长，增强 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
26
ridge
|
|
| n.山脊；鼻梁；分水岭 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
27
kindly
|
|
| adj.和蔼的，温和的，爽快的；adv.温和地，亲切地 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
28
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： |
|
|
|
|
29
persecuted
|
|
| （尤指宗教或政治信仰的）迫害(~sb. for sth.)( persecute的过去式和过去分词 )； 烦扰，困扰或骚扰某人 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
30
gasped
|
|
| v.喘气( gasp的过去式和过去分词 )；喘息；倒抽气；很想要 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
31
heartily
|
|
| adv.衷心地，诚恳地，十分，很 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
32
embarrassment
|
|
| n.尴尬；使人为难的人(事物)；障碍；窘迫 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
33
lieutenant
|
|
| n.陆军中尉，海军上尉；代理官员，副职官员 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
34
saluted
|
|
| v.欢迎，致敬( salute的过去式和过去分词 )；赞扬，赞颂 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
35
sentry
|
|
| n.哨兵，警卫 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
36
sentries
|
|
| 哨兵，步兵( sentry的名词复数 ) | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
37
mere
|
|
| adj.纯粹的；仅仅，只不过 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
38
thoroughly
|
|
| adv.完全地，彻底地，十足地 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
39
casually
|
|
| adv.漠不关心地，无动于衷地，不负责任地 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
40
flaring
|
|
| a.火焰摇曳的，过份艳丽的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
| 欢迎访问英文小说网 |