“I’ll let you know who I am,” was the swaggering reply.
Though he was but one man opposed to two he had no 45 fears. The farmer was evidently cowed and terrified, while the Quaker seemed, though large, to be peaceable and harmless.
But in his judgment2 of Luke the outlaw3 was very much at fault. When threatening the farmer he had covered him with his revolver, but as he was preparing to leave the buggy he carelessly lowered it. Luke, who was aching to attack him, noticed this.
While Fox, for it was one of the notorious brothers, was standing4 in careless security, the Quaker sprang upon him like a panther upon his prey5. He knocked the revolver from his hand, with one powerful blow felled him to the ground, and placed his foot upon his prostrate6 form.
Never, perhaps, in a career crowded with exciting adventures had the outlaw been so thoroughly7 surprised.
“It means that thee has mistaken thy man,” answered Luke coolly.
“If you try to get up I’ll put a bullet through your head,” replied Luke, pointing at him with his own revolver.
“No more than you are,” answered Luke. “Farmer, bring out the rope.”
“What do you mean to do?” inquired the outlaw uneasily.
“You will see soon enough. No, don’t try to get up, as you value your life. Now tie him, Mason, while I keep him covered with the revolver.”
“I don’t mean that you shall, my honest friend.” 46
“Be careful how you talk or you may be a dead man within thirty minutes,” answered Luke.
While the outlaw was covered by Luke’s revolver Farmer Mason, though his tremulous hands showed that he was nervous, managed to tie him securely. Fox began to understand the sort of man with whom he was dealing15 and remained silent, but his brain was busy trying to devise some method of escape.
At length the dangerous prisoner was securely tied.
“What shall we do with him?” asked Ezekiel.
“Where’s the nearest prison?”
“At Crampton.”
“How far away?”
“Twelve miles.”
“In what direction?”
“It is four miles beyond Claremont,” answered the farmer.
“Where you live?”
“Yes.”
“Then we will go there first.”
“But how shall we carry—this gentleman?” asked the farmer, who could not get over a feeling of deference16 for the celebrated17 outlaw.
“We’ll put him into the back part of the buggy.”
By the united efforts of both the outlaw, like a trussed fowl18, was deposited bodily in the rear of the carriage, where he lay in a most uncomfortable position, jolted19 and shaken whenever the road was rough or uneven20.
“Doesn’t thee like it?” asked Luke, relapsing into his Quaker dialect.
“It wouldn’t do thee any harm to turn Quaker thyself,” suggested Luke.
“There is one way of saving you the discomfort26 of the ride.”
“What is that?”
“I might shoot you through the head. As the reward is the same whether I deliver you alive or dead I have a great mind to do it.”
The outlaw was made still more uncomfortable by these words. He had wholly misunderstood Luke at first, and the revelation of his real character had impressed him not only with respect but fear. He did not know of what this pseudo Quaker might be capable. He longed in some way to get out of his power. Force was impracticable, and he resolved to resort to finesse27.
“Look here, my friend,” he began.
“So you regard me as a friend? Thank you, Brother Fox; I won’t forget it.”
“Oh, bother your nonsense! I suppose you are after the thousand dollars offered for my apprehension28.”
“You have guessed right the first time. I am not a rich man, and I don’t mind telling you that a thousand dollars will be particularly acceptable just about now.”
“So I suppose. You don’t feel particularly unfriendly to me?”
“Oh, no. I might under different circumstances come to love you like a brother.”
“Or join my band?”
“Well, no; I draw the line there. As a Quaker I could not consistently join a band of robbers.”
“Who are you?” asked Fox abruptly. “You weren’t raised around here.”
“No.”
“Where, then?”
“I came from Iowa.”
“What is your name?”
“My friend, I haven’t any visiting cards with me. You can think of me as the Quaker detective.”
“Then I will come to business. You want a thousand dollars?”
“You are correct there.” 48
“Then I will show you a way to get it.”
“I know one way already.”
“You mean by delivering me up?”
“Yes.”
“That would not suit me. Let me go and I will give you a thousand dollars.”
“Have you got it with you?”
“No, but I can arrange to give it to you within a week. You see,” added the outlaw dryly, “I have been prosperous in my business and can spare that sum in return for giving me my liberty.”
“I am afraid, friend Fox, that my chance of securing the money in that way would be slender.”
“I am a man of my word. What I promise, I will do.”
“If you have so much money, why did you want to take the five hundred dollars of my friend here?”
“It was all in the way of business. Well, what do you say?”
“That I won’t trust you. If I should take your thousand dollars for releasing you I should be as bad as you are.”
“Very well; drive on then,” said the outlaw sullenly.
In less than an hour Ezekiel Mason’s home was reached. When they drove into the yard it made quite a sensation. Mrs. Mason and the hired man stood with mouths agape.
“Who have you got there, Ezekiel?” asked his wife.
“One of the Fox brothers!” answered the farmer in an important tone. “Me and my friend here took him.”
Luke smiled and so did the prisoner, uncomfortable though he was.
“It would have taken a dozen like that fool to have captured me,” he said in a low voice, but only Luke heard him.
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收听单词发音
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1
inquiry
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| n.打听，询问，调查，查问 | |
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judgment
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| n.审判；判断力，识别力，看法，意见 | |
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3
outlaw
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| n.歹徒，亡命之徒；vt.宣布…为不合法 | |
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standing
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| n.持续，地位；adj.永久的，不动的，直立的，不流动的 | |
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5
prey
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| n.被掠食者，牺牲者，掠食；v.捕食，掠夺，折磨 | |
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prostrate
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| v.拜倒，平卧，衰竭；adj.拜倒的，平卧的，衰竭的 | |
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7
thoroughly
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| adv.完全地，彻底地，十足地 | |
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8
mischief
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| n.损害，伤害，危害；恶作剧，捣蛋，胡闹 | |
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9
shrieked
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| v.尖叫( shriek的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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10
noted
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| adj.著名的，知名的 | |
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11
abruptly
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| adv.突然地，出其不意地 | |
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13
sullenly
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| 不高兴地，绷着脸，忧郁地 | |
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14
outrage
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| n.暴行，侮辱，愤怒；vt.凌辱，激怒 | |
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15
dealing
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| n.经商方法，待人态度 | |
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16
deference
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| n.尊重，顺从；敬意 | |
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17
celebrated
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| adj.有名的，声誉卓著的 | |
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18
fowl
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| n.家禽，鸡，禽肉 | |
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19
jolted
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| （使）摇动， （使）震惊( jolt的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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20
uneven
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| adj.不平坦的，不规则的，不均匀的 | |
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21
repent
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| v.悔悟，悔改，忏悔，后悔 | |
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22
lingo
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| n.语言不知所云，外国话，隐语 | |
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23
vindictively
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| adv.恶毒地；报复地 | |
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24
bruised
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| [医]青肿的，瘀紫的 | |
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25
growled
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| 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 | |
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26
discomfort
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| n.不舒服，不安，难过，困难，不方便 | |
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27
finesse
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| n.精密技巧，灵巧，手腕 | |
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28
apprehension
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| n.理解，领悟；逮捕，拘捕；忧虑 | |
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