"You er takin' yo' life in yo' han', mon," said Randall in a warning tone, as Aaron placed one foot on the third rail and vaulted2 over. The warning would have come too late in any event, for by the time the words were off Randall's tongue Aaron was over the fence. Those who were left behind waited in breathless suspense3 for some sound—some movement—from Timoleon, or some word from the Arab, to guide them. But for a little while (and it seemed to be a long, long while to Little Crotchet) nothing could be heard. Then suddenly there fell on their strained ears the noise that is made by a rushing horse, followed by a sharp exclamation4 from Aaron.
[149]
"What a pity if he is hurt!" exclaimed the Teacher.
Before anything else could be said, there came a whinnying sound from Timoleon, such as horses make when they greet those they are fond of, or when they are hungry and see some one bringing their food. But Timoleon's whinnying was more prolonged, and in the midst of it they could hear Aaron talking.
"Ef horses could talk," remarked Randall, "I'd up 'n' say dey wuz ca'n on a big confab in dar."
Little Crotchet said nothing. He had often heard Aaron say that he knew the language of animals, but the matter had never been pressed on the lad's attention as it was years afterwards on the attention of Buster John and Sweetest Susan.
Finally Aaron came to the fence, closely followed by the Black Stallion.
"Man, what you think?" said the Son of Ben Ali to Randall; "no water, no corn, no fodder6 since night before last."
"De Lord 'a' mercy!" exclaimed Randall. "Is anybody ever hear de beat er dat? No wonder[150] he kotch dat ar nigger an' bit 'im! When de rascal7 git well I'm gwine ter ax Marster ter le' me take 'im out an' gi' 'im a paddlin'—an' I'll do it right, mon."
Mr. Hudspeth made a mental note of this speech, and resolved to find out if Randall meant what he said, or was merely joking.
"Man, give me the Little Master," said Aaron from the top of the fence, "and run and fetch two buckets of water from the spring."
"Dey's water in de lot dar," Randall explained.
"It is dirty," replied Aaron. "The grandson of Abdallah would die before he would drink it."
He leaned down and took Little Crotchet in his arms. The muzzle8 of Timoleon was so near that the lad could feel the hot breath from his nostrils9. Involuntarily the Little Master shuddered10 and shrank closer to Aaron.
"He'll not hurt you," said Aaron. He made a queer sound with his lips, and the horse whinnied. "Now you may put your hand on him—so." The Arab took the Little Master's hand and placed it gently on the smooth, sensitive[151] muzzle of the horse. The lad could feel the nervous working of Timoleon's strong upper lip. Then he stroked the horse's head and rubbed the velvety11 ears, and in less time than it takes to write it down he felt very much at home with the Black Stallion, and had no fear of him then or afterwards.
Randall soon returned with cool, fresh water from the spring. The Black Stallion drank all that was brought and wanted more, but Aaron said no. He had placed the Little Master on Randall's shoulder, and Timoleon, when he finished drinking, was taken to his stable and fed, and the broken door propped12 in such a manner that it could not be forced open from the inside. This done, Aaron returned to the others, relieved Randall of Little Crotchet, though the frail13 body was not much of a burden, and the three started back to the big house.
"You are still anxious to punish the poor man who was hurt by the horse?" asked the Teacher, as Randall bade them good-night.
"I is dat, suh. I'm des ez sho ter raise welks on his hide ez de sun is ter shine—leas'ways ef breff stay in his body. Ef I'd 'a' been dat ar[152] hoss an' he'd done me dat away, I'd 'a' trompled de gizzard out 'n 'im. Ef dey's anything dat I do 'spise, suh, it's a low-down, triflin', good-fer-nothin' nigger."
Mr. Hudspeth knew enough about human nature to be able to catch the tone of downright sincerity14 in the negro's voice, and the fact not only amazed him at the time, but worried him no little when he recalled it afterward5; for his memory seized upon it and made it more important than it really was. And he saw and noted15 other things on that plantation16 that puzzled him no little, and destroyed in his own mind the efficiency of some of his strongest anti-slavery arguments; but it did not, for it could not, reach the essence of the matter as he had conceived it, that human slavery, let it be national or sectional, or paternal17 and patriarchal, was an infliction18 on the master as well as an injustice19 to the negro.
So far so good. But Mr. Hudspeth could not see then what he saw and acknowledged when American slavery was happily a thing of the past, namely: That in the beginning, the slaves who were brought here were redeemed20 from a slavery in their own country worse than the bondage21 of[153] death; that though they came here as savages22, they were brought in close and stimulating23 contact with Christian24 civilization, and so lifted up that in two centuries they were able to bear the promotion25 to citizenship26 which awaited them; and that, although this end was reached in the midst of confusion and doubt, tumult27 and bloodshed, it was given to human intelligence to perceive in slavery, as well as in the freedom of the slaves, the hand of an All-wise Providence28, and to behold29 in their bondage here the scheme of a vast university in which they were prepared to enjoy the full benefits of all the blessings30 which have been conferred on them, and which, though they seem to have been long delayed, have come to them earlier than to any other branch of the human race.
The Teacher who played his little part in the adventures of Aaron played a large part in national affairs at a later day. He saw slavery pass away, and he lived long enough after that event to put on record this declaration: "Looking back on the history of the human race, let us hasten to acknowledge, while the acknowledgment may be worth making, that two hundred and odd[154] years of slavery, as it existed in the American republic, is a small price to pay for participation31 in the inestimable blessings and benefits of American freedom and American citizenship." And as he spoke32, the great audience he was addressing seemed to fade before his eyes, and he found himself wandering again on the old plantation with Little Crotchet, or walking under the starlit skies talking to Aaron. And he heard again the genial33 voice of the gentleman whose guest he was, and lived again through the pleasures and perils34 of that wonderful year on the Abercrombie place.
But all this was twenty-five years in the future, and Mr. Hudspeth had not even a dream of what that future was to bring forth35. Indeed, as he followed Aaron and Little Crotchet from the horse lot to the house he was less interested in what the years might hold for him than he was in one incident that occurred while Aaron was preparing to take the Black Stallion back to his stall. He was puzzled and wanted information. How did Aaron know that the horse had gone without water and food? He observed that neither Little Crotchet nor Randall questioned the[155] statement when it was made, but treated it as a declaration beyond dispute. And yet the runaway36 had been in the woods, and a part of the time was pursued by hounds. He had no means of knowing whether or not the Black Stallion had been attended to.
The matter weighed on the Teacher's mind to such an extent that when he and his companions were safe in Little Crotchet's room he put a question to Aaron.
"By what means did you know that the horse had been left without food and water?"
Aaron glanced at Little Crotchet and smiled. "Well, sir, to tell you would be not to tell you. You wouldn't believe me."
"Oh, you go too far,—indeed you do. Why should I doubt your word?"
"It don't fit in with things you know."
"Try me."
"The grandson of Abdallah told me," replied Aaron simply.
The Teacher looked from Aaron to Little Crotchet. "You must be joking," he remarked.
"Oh, no, he isn't," protested Little Crotchet. "I know he can talk with the animals. He has[156] promised to teach me, but I always forget it when I go to the Swamp; there are so many other things to think about."
"Would you teach me?" Mr. Hudspeth asked. His face was solemn, and yet there was doubt in the tone of his voice.
Aaron shook his head. "Too old," he explained. "Too old, and know too much."
"It's another case of having a child's faith," suggested the Teacher.
"Most, but not quite," answered Aaron. "It is like this: The why must be very big, or you must be touched."
The Teacher pondered over this reply for some moments, and then said: "There must be some real reason why I should desire to learn the language of animals. Is that it?"
"Most, but not quite," Aaron responded. "You must have the sure-enough feeling."
"I see. But what is it to be touched? What does that mean?"
"You must be touched by the people who live next door to the world."
The Teacher shook his head slowly and stroked his beard thoughtfully. He tried to treat the[157] whole matter with due solemnity, so as to keep his footing, and he succeeded.
"Where is this country that is next door to the world?" he asked, turning to Little Crotchet.
"Have you ever visited that country?" the Teacher asked. His tone was serious enough now.
"No," replied Little Crotchet, with a wistful sigh. "I'm crippled, you know, and walk only on my crutches38. It is far to go, and I can't take my pony39. But Aaron has told me about it, and I have seen Little Mr. Thimblefinger—once—and he told me about Mrs. Meadows and the rest and brought me a message from old Mr. Rabbit. They all live in the country next door to the world."
For several minutes the Teacher sat and gazed into the pale flame of the candle. The wax or tallow had run down on one side, and formed a figure in the semblance40 of a wee man hanging to the brass41 mouth of the candlestick with both hands. Glazing42 thus, queer thoughts came to the Teacher's mind. He tugged43 at his beard to see whether he was awake or dreaming. Could it be[158] that by some noiseless shifting of the scenery he was even now in the country next door to the world? He rose suddenly, shook hands with Aaron, and, swayed by some sudden impulse, stooped and pressed his lips to the pale brow of the patient lad. Then he went to his room, threw open the window, and sat for an hour, wondering what influence his strange experiences would have on his life.
And his reflections were not amiss, for years afterwards his experiences of this night were responsible for his intimacy44 with the greatest American of our time,—Abraham Lincoln. It was in the early part of the war that Mr. Hudspeth, one of a group of congressmen in consultation45 with the President, let fall some chance remarks about the country next door to the world. Mr. Lincoln had been telling a humorous story, and was on the point of telling another, when Mr. Hudspeth's chance remark struck his ear.
"Whereabouts is that country?" he asked.
"Not far from Georgia," replied Mr. Hudspeth.
"Who lives there?"
"Little Crotchet, Aaron the Arab, Little Mr.[159] Thimblefinger, Mrs. Meadows, and old Mr. Rabbit." Mr. Hudspeth counted them off on his fingers in a humorous manner.
Mr. Lincoln, who had been laughing before, suddenly grew serious—melancholy46, indeed. He talked with the congressmen awhile longer, but they knew by his manner that they were dismissed. As they were leaving, the President remarked:—
"Wait till your hurry's over, Hudspeth; I want to talk to you."
And sitting before the fire in his private office, Mr. Lincoln recalled Mr. Hudspeth's chance remark, and questioned him with great particularity about Aaron and Little Crotchet and all the rest.
"Of course you believed in the country next door to the world?" Mr. Lincoln suggested.
"To tell you the truth, Mr. President, I felt queerly that night. It seemed as real to me as anything I ever heard of and never saw."
"Get the feeling back, Hudspeth; get it back. I can believe everything you told me about it."
And after that, when Mr. Hudspeth called on the President, and found him in a mood between extreme mirth and downright melancholy, he[160] would say: "I was with Aaron last night," or "I'm just from the country next door to the world," or "I hope Sherman won't get lost in the country that is next door to the world."
But all this was in the future, and, as we all know, Mr. Hudspeth, sitting at his window and gazing at the stars that hung sparkling over the Abercrombie place, could not read the future. If it was too late for him to learn the language of the animals, how could he hope to interpret the prophecies of the constellations47?
Aaron sat with Little Crotchet until there was no danger that the red goblin, Pain, would put in an appearance, and then he slipped through the window, and was soon at the foot of the oak, where Rambler was taking a nap. He gave the dog some of the food that Little Crotchet had put by for him, ate heartily48 himself, and then went toward the Swamp.
On the hill he turned and looked back in the direction of Little Crotchet's window. As he paused he heard a voice cry "Hello!" Aaron was not startled, for the sound came from a distance, and fell but faintly on his ears. He listened and heard it again:—
"Hello! Hello!"
It seemed to come from the road, half a mile away, and Aaron knew that there was no house in that direction for a traveler or a passer-by to hail. There was something in the tone that suggested distress49.
Without waiting to listen again, the Arab started for the road in a rapid trot50. He thought he heard it again as he ran, and this caused him to run the faster. He climbed the fence that marked the line of the road, and sat there a moment; but all was silence, save the soft clamor of insects and frogs that is a feature of the first half of the night.
Aaron had now come to a point from which he could reach the Swamp more conveniently by following the road for half a mile, though he would have another hill to climb. As he jumped from the fence into the road the cry came to his ears again, and this time with startling distinctness:
"Hello! Hello! Oh, isn't there some one to hear me?"
It was so plainly the call of some one in distress that Aaron shouted an answer of encouragement, and ran as fast as he could in the direction from[162] which the sound came. The situation was so new to Rambler that, instead of making ahead to investigate and report, he stuck to Aaron, whining51 uneasily. As the Son of Ben Ali ran he saw dimly outlined at the foot of the hill a short distance beyond him a huge something that refused to take a recognizable shape until he stood beside it, and even then it was startling enough. It was the Gray Mare52, Timoleon's sister, lying at full length by the side of the road, and underneath53 her the Son of Ben Ali knew he would find the White-Haired Master. But it was not as bad as it might have been.
The Gray Mare, after falling, had done nothing more than whinny. If she had struggled to rise, the White-Haired Master's leg would have needed a doctor: and if she had risen to her feet and started home the doctor would have been unnecessary, for the imprisoned56 foot was caught in the stirrup.
[163]
Well for Mr. Abercrombie that Aaron knew the Gray Mare, and that the Gray Mare knew Aaron. She whinnied when the runaway spoke to her. She raised her head and gathered her forefeet under her, and then suddenly, at a word from Aaron, lifted her weight from the leg, while the foot was taken from the stirrup. Again the word was given and the Gray Mare rose easily to her feet and shook herself.
"Can you walk, Master?" Aaron asked.
"I think so—certainly."
Yet it was not an easy thing to do. Though the limb was not broken, owing to the fact that the ground was damp and soft where the Gray Mare fell, yet it had been imprisoned for some time, and it was both numb and bruised57. The numbness58 was in evidence now, as the White-Haired Master rose to his feet and tried to walk; the bruises59 would speak for themselves to-morrow.
"What is your name?" Mr. Abercrombie asked.
"I am called Aaron, Master."
"I thought so, and I'm glad of it. Some day I'll thank you; but now—pins and needles!" The blood was beginning to circulate in the numb[164] leg, and this was not by any means a pleasant experience. Aaron shortened it somewhat by rubbing the limb vigorously.
"Are you still in the woods, Aaron?"
"Yes, Master."
"Well, I'm sorry. I wish you belonged to me."
"I'm wishing harder than you, Master."
"What a pity—what a pity!"
"Don't get too sorry, Master."
"No; it would do no good."
"And don't blame the Gray Mare for stumbling, Master. The saddle too high on her shoulders, the belly-band too tight, and her shoes nailed on in the dark."
Aaron helped Mr. Abercrombie to mount. "Good-night, Master!"
"Good-night, Aaron!"
The Arab watched the Gray Mare and her rider until the darkness hid them from view. And no wonder! He was the only man, living or dead, that the Son of Ben Ali had ever called "Master." Why? Aaron tried to make the matter clear to his own mind, and while he was doing his best to unravel60 the problem he heard buggy wheels rattle61 on the hilltop. The horse must have shied at[165] something just then, for a harsh voice cried out, followed by the sound of a whip falling cruelly on the creature's back. The wheels rattled62 louder as the creature leaped frantically63 from under the whip. The harsh voice cried "Whoa!" three times, twice in anger, and the third time in mortal fear. And then Aaron knew that he had another adventure on his hands.
点击
收听单词发音
收听单词发音 |
1
mule
|
|
| n.骡子，杂种，执拗的人 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
2
vaulted
|
|
| adj.拱状的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
3
suspense
|
|
| n.（对可能发生的事）紧张感，担心，挂虑 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
4
exclamation
|
|
| n.感叹号，惊呼，惊叹词 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
5
afterward
|
|
| adv.后来；以后 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
6
fodder
|
|
| n.草料；炮灰 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
7
rascal
|
|
| n.流氓；不诚实的人 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
8
muzzle
|
|
| n.鼻口部；口套；枪(炮)口；vt.使缄默 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
9
nostrils
|
|
| 鼻孔( nostril的名词复数 ) | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
10
shuddered
|
|
| v.战栗( shudder的过去式和过去分词 )；发抖；（机器、车辆等）突然震动；颤动 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
11
velvety
|
|
| adj. 像天鹅绒的, 轻软光滑的, 柔软的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
12
propped
|
|
| 支撑，支持，维持( prop的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
13
frail
|
|
| adj.身体虚弱的；易损坏的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
14
sincerity
|
|
| n.真诚，诚意；真实 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
15
noted
|
|
| adj.著名的，知名的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
16
plantation
|
|
| n.种植园，大农场 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
17
paternal
|
|
| adj.父亲的，像父亲的，父系的，父方的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
18
infliction
|
|
| n.（强加于人身的）痛苦，刑罚 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
19
injustice
|
|
| n.非正义，不公正，不公平，侵犯（别人的）权利 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
20
redeemed
|
|
| adj. 可赎回的，可救赎的 动词redeem的过去式和过去分词形式 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
21
bondage
|
|
| n.奴役，束缚 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
22
savages
|
|
| 未开化的人，野蛮人( savage的名词复数 ) | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
23
stimulating
|
|
| adj.有启发性的，能激发人思考的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
24
Christian
|
|
| adj.基督教徒的；n.基督教徒 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
25
promotion
|
|
| n.提升，晋级；促销，宣传 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
26
citizenship
|
|
| n.市民权，公民权，国民的义务(身份) | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
27
tumult
|
|
| n.喧哗；激动，混乱；吵闹 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
28
providence
|
|
| n.深谋远虑，天道，天意；远见；节约；上帝 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
29
behold
|
|
| v.看，注视，看到 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
30
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： |
|
|
|
|
31
participation
|
|
| n.参与，参加，分享 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
32
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： |
|
|
|
|
33
genial
|
|
| adj.亲切的，和蔼的，愉快的，脾气好的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
34
perils
|
|
| 极大危险( peril的名词复数 )； 危险的事（或环境） | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
35
forth
|
|
| adv.向前；向外，往外 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
36
runaway
|
|
| n.逃走的人，逃亡，亡命者；adj.逃亡的，逃走的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
37
promptly
|
|
| adv.及时地，敏捷地 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
38
crutches
|
|
| n.拐杖, 支柱 v.支撑 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
39
pony
|
|
| adj.小型的；n.小马 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
40
semblance
|
|
| n.外貌，外表 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
41
brass
|
|
| n.黄铜；黄铜器，铜管乐器 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
42
glazing
|
|
| n.玻璃装配业；玻璃窗；上釉；上光v.装玻璃( glaze的现在分词 )；上釉于，上光；（目光）变得呆滞无神 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
43
tugged
|
|
| v.用力拉，使劲拉，猛扯( tug的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
44
intimacy
|
|
| n.熟悉，亲密，密切关系，亲昵的言行 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
45
consultation
|
|
| n.咨询；商量；商议；会议 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
46
melancholy
|
|
| n.忧郁，愁思；adj.令人感伤（沮丧）的，忧郁的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
47
constellations
|
|
| n.星座( constellation的名词复数 )；一群杰出人物；一系列（相关的想法、事物）；一群（相关的人） | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
48
heartily
|
|
| adv.衷心地，诚恳地，十分，很 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
49
distress
|
|
| n.苦恼，痛苦，不舒适；不幸；vt.使悲痛 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
50
trot
|
|
| n.疾走，慢跑；n.老太婆；现成译本；(复数）trots:腹泻（与the 连用）；v.小跑，快步走，赶紧 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
51
whining
|
|
| n. 抱怨，牢骚 v. 哭诉，发牢骚 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
52
mare
|
|
| n.母马，母驴 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
53
underneath
|
|
| adj.在...下面，在...底下；adv.在下面 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
54
touching
|
|
| adj.动人的，使人感伤的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
55
numb
|
|
| adj.麻木的，失去感觉的；v.使麻木 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
56
imprisoned
|
|
| 下狱，监禁( imprison的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
57
bruised
|
|
| [医]青肿的，瘀紫的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
58
numbness
|
|
| n.无感觉，麻木，惊呆 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
59
bruises
|
|
| n.瘀伤，伤痕，擦伤( bruise的名词复数 ) | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
60
unravel
|
|
| v.弄清楚（秘密）；拆开，解开，松开 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
61
rattle
|
|
| v.飞奔，碰响；激怒；n.碰撞声；拨浪鼓 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
62
rattled
|
|
| 慌乱的，恼火的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
63
frantically
|
|
| ad.发狂地, 发疯地 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
| 欢迎访问英文小说网 |