It was the work of an instant to lift it, and raise it in a menacing position.
He was a brutal-looking fellow, but was no larger than Dodger, who was as tall as the majority of men.
“Give me that stick,” he exclaimed, furiously.
“Come and take it,” returned Dodger, undaunted.
The fellow took him at his word, and made a rush at our hero, but a vigorous blow from the bludgeon made him cautious about repeating the attack.
“Curse you!” he cried, between his teeth. “I’d like to chaw you up.”
“I have no doubt you would,” answered Dodger; “but I don’t think you will. Were you going to rob this man?”
“None of your business!”
“I shall make it my business. You’d better go, or you may be locked up.”
“Give me that stick, then.”
“You’ll have to do without it.”
“Now I shall summon the police, and you can do as you please about going.”
Dodger struck the stick sharply on the sidewalk three times, and the ruffian, apprehensive6 of arrest, ran around the corner just in time to rush into the arms of a policeman.
“He was about to rob this man.”
“Is the man hurt?”
“I will take care of him, if you will take charge of that fellow.”
“Can you get up, sir?” asked Dodger, bending over the fallen man.
The latter answered by struggling to his feet and looking about him in a confused way.
“Where am I?” he asked. “What has happened?”
“You were attacked by a ruffian. I found you on the sidewalk, with him bending over you with this club in his hand.”
“He must have followed me. I was imprudent enough to show a well-filled pocketbook in a saloon where I stopped to take a drink. No doubt he planned to relieve me of it.”
“You have had a narrow escape, sir.”
“I have no doubt of it. I presume the fellow was ready to take my life, if he found it necessary.”
“I will leave you now, sir, if you think you can manage.”
“No, stay with me. I feel rather upset.”
“Where are you staying, sir?”
“At the Palace Hotel. Of course you know where that is?”
“Certainly. Will you take my arm?”
“Thank you.”
Little was said till they found themselves in the sumptuous9 hotel, which hardly has an equal in America.
“Come to my room, young man; I want to speak to you.”
It was still early in the evening, and Dodger’s time was his own.
He had no hesitation10, therefore, in accepting the stranger’s invitation.
On the third floor the stranger produced a key and opened the door of a large, handsomely-furnished room.
“If you have a match, please light the gas.”
Dodger proceeded to do so, and now, for the first time, obtained a good view of the man he had rescued. He was a man of about the average height, probably not far from fifty, dressed in a neat business suit, and looked like a substantial merchant.
“Please be seated.”
Dodger sat down in an easy-chair conveniently near him.
“Young man,” said the stranger, impressively, “you have done me a great favor.”
“I am very glad I came up just as I did,” he said.
“How large a sum of money do you think I had about me?” asked his companion.
“Five hundred dollars?”
“It wouldn’t be a trifle to me, sir,” said Dodger.
“Are you poor?” asked the man, earnestly.
“I have a good situation that pays me fifteen dollars a week, so I ought not to consider myself poor.”
“Suppose you had a considerable sum of money given you, what would you do with it?”
“If I had five hundred dollars, I should be able to defeat the schemes of a villain, and restore a young lady to her rights.”
“That seems interesting. Tell me the circumstances.”
Dodger told the story as briefly13 as he could. He was encouraged to find that the stranger listened to him with attention.
“Do you know,” he said, reflectively, “you have done for me what I once did for another—a rich man? The case was very similar. I was a poor boy at the time. Do you know what he gave me?”
“What was it, sir?”
“A dollar! What do you think of that for generosity14?”
“Well, sir, it wasn’t exactly liberal. Did you accept it?”
“No. I told him that I didn’t wish to inconvenience him. But I asked you how much money you supposed I had. I will tell you. In a wallet I have eleven thousand dollars in bank notes and securities.”
“That is a fortune,” said Dodger, dazzled at the mention of such a sum.
“If I had lost it, I have plenty more, but the most serious peril15 was to my life. Through your opportune16 assistance I have escaped without loss. I fully17 appreciate the magnitude of the service you have done me. As an evidence of it, please accept these bills.”
He drew from the roll two bills and handed them to Dodger.
The boy, glancing at them mechanically, started in amazement18. Each bill was for five hundred dollars.
“I am aware of it. I consider my life worth that, at least. James Swinton never fails to pay his debts.”
“But, sir, a thousand dollars——”
“It’s no more than you deserve. When I tell my wife, on my return to Chicago, about this affair, she will blame me for not giving you more.”
“You seem to belong to a liberal family, sir.”
“I detest20 meanness, and would rather err21 on the side of liberality. Now, if agreeable to you, I will order a bottle of champagne22, and solace23 ourselves for this little incident.”
“Thank you, Mr. Swinton, but I have made up my mind not to drink anything stronger than water. I have tended bar in New York, and what I have seen has given me a dislike for liquor of any kind.”
“You are a sensible young man. You are right, and I won’t urge you. There is my card, and if you ever come to Chicago, call upon me.”
“I will, sir.”
When Dodger left the Palace Hotel he felt that he was a favorite of fortune.
It is not always that the money we need is so quickly supplied.
He resolved to return to New York as soon as he could manage it, and take with him the wife and child of Curtis Waring.
This would cost him about five hundred dollars, and he would have the same amount left.
Mr. Tucker was reluctant to part with Dodger.
“You are the best assistant I ever had,” he said. “I will pay you twenty dollars a week, if that will induce you to stay.”
“I would stay if it were not very important for me to return to New York, Mr. Tucker. I do not expect to get a place in New York as good.”
“If you come back to San Francisco at any time, I will make a place for you.”
“Thank you, sir.”
Mrs. Waring was overjoyed when Dodger called upon her and offered to take her back to New York.
“I shall see Curtis again,” she said. “How can I ever thank you?”
But Dodger, though unwilling24 to disturb her dreams of happiness, thought it exceedingly doubtful if her husband would be equally glad to see her.
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收听单词发音
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1
dodger
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| n.躲避者；躲闪者；广告单 | |
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discomfited
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| v.使为难( discomfit的过去式和过去分词)；使狼狈；使挫折；挫败 | |
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villain
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| n.反派演员，反面人物；恶棍；问题的起因 | |
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winced
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| 赶紧避开，畏缩( wince的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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apprehensive
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| adj.担心的，恐惧的，善于领会的 | |
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7
guardian
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| n.监护人；守卫者，保护者 | |
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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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sumptuous
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| adj.豪华的，奢侈的，华丽的 | |
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hesitation
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| n.犹豫，踌躇 | |
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disclaim
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| v.放弃权利，拒绝承认 | |
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12
mere
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| adj.纯粹的；仅仅，只不过 | |
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briefly
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| adv.简单地，简短地 | |
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14
generosity
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| n.大度，慷慨，慷慨的行为 | |
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15
peril
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| n.(严重的)危险；危险的事物 | |
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16
opportune
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| adj.合适的，适当的 | |
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17
fully
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| adv.完全地，全部地，彻底地；充分地 | |
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18
amazement
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| n.惊奇，惊讶 | |
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19
gasped
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| v.喘气( gasp的过去式和过去分词 )；喘息；倒抽气；很想要 | |
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20
detest
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| vt.痛恨，憎恶 | |
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21
err
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| vi.犯错误，出差错 | |
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22
champagne
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| n.香槟酒；微黄色 | |
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23
solace
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| n.安慰；v.使快乐；vt.安慰(物)，缓和 | |
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unwilling
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| adj.不情愿的 | |
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