CHAPTER XXX. AN UNLUCKY EVENING.

 Bob was still in the habit of getting his supper, and breakfast the next morning, at the different points where he landed. He left Clip on board, in charge of the boat, while he sought a good place to obtain a meal. He found that Rocky Creek¹ possessed² but one hotel, and that of a very modest character, bearing the rather imposing³ name of the Metropolitan⁴ Hotel.

 

He registered his name, and intimated his desire for supper.

 

"Supper is on the table," said the clerk.

 

Bob entered the dining-room, a forlorn-looking room of small dimensions, containing a long table, at which sat two persons, a drummer from St. Louis, and an old man with a gray beard, who kept the principal dry-goods store in Rocky Creek.

 

Bob was assigned a place between the two.[Pg 262]

 

"Good-evening," said the drummer, sociably⁵.

 

"Good-evening," responded Bob.

 

"Are you a regular boarder?"

 

"Oh, no; I never was in the place before."

 

"How did you come?"

 

"By river."

 

"Indeed!" said the drummer, puzzled. "Has any steamer touched here to-day?"

 

"No; I came on my own boat."

 

"Bound down the river?"

 

"Yes."

 

"Business, I suppose?"

 

"Yes; I have a load of wheat which I propose to sell in the city."

 

"What house shall you deal with?"

 

"I don't know; I'm not acquainted in St. Louis. I shall inquire when I get there."

 

"Then let me recommend you to go to Pearson & Edge. They will treat you liberally."

 

"Thank you. I will call on them and see what I can do."

 

"Present my card, if you please, and say I sent you there."[Pg 263]

 

The drummer produced his card and handed it to Bob. From this our hero learned that his companion was Benjamin Baker⁶, traveling for Dunham & Co., wholesale⁷ grocers.

 

"Shall you stay at the hotel this evening?" asked Baker.

 

"No; I shall pass the night on my boat."

 

"How many have you on board?"

 

"Only myself and a colored boy from home—Clip."

 

"Isn't that rather a small crew?"

 

"Perhaps so; but we haven't much to do, except to let the boat drift, keeping her straight meanwhile."

 

"By the way, speaking of Pearson, senior member of the firm I have recommended, he is in great trouble just now."

 

"How is that?"

 

"He had a very pretty little girl of about six years old—little Maud. Two or three days since, as I hear from a friend in the city, the little girl mysteriously disappeared."

 

"Disappeared?"

 

"Just so. Her parents think she must have been kidnapped, as a suspicious-looking [Pg 264]person had been noticed by the nurse hovering⁸ near when they were out walking together."

 

"They must be in great trouble and anxiety," said Bob, in a tone of sympathy, "if they believe this."

 

"They would be glad to believe it, for in that case the little girl is alive, while otherwise she may have strayed to the river and been drowned. Mr. Pearson, who is wealthy, has offered a reward of one thousand dollars to any one who will restore his little girl to him."

 

As they sat at table, Bob noticed through the window the man Minton, who had called upon him on the arrival of the boat.

 

"Do you know that man, Mr. Baker?" he asked, suddenly.

 

The drummer shook his head.

 

"I am a stranger, too," he said. "But perhaps this gentleman, who is in business at Rocky Creek, may be able to give you some information."

 

Thus appealed to, the old gentleman looked from the window.

 

"It isn't any one I know," he replied. "Why do you ask?"[Pg 265]

 

"Because he called upon me on my arrival, representing himself as a grain merchant, and proposed to buy my cargo⁹."

 

The old man shrugged¹⁰ his shoulders.

 

"He looks more like a tramp than a grain merchant," he said.

 

"I agree with you," assented¹¹ Bob, with a laugh.

 

"Did he mention his name?"

 

"He called himself James Smith; but as he answered my questions in a hesitating manner, I concluded that it was an assumed name."

 

"Very likely."

 

"Then he doesn't live in the village?"

 

"No; but he has been here for a day or two."

 

"I wonder what could have been his object in representing himself to me as a grain merchant?" said Bob, thoughtfully.

 

"Oh," answered the drummer, "he probably wanted to strike up an acquaintance which would justify¹² him in borrowing a few dollars of you. I have met plenty of such characters They live by what they can borrow."

 

[Pg 266]

 

When supper was over Bob and the drummer rose together.

 

"Won't you have a cigar, Mr. Burton?" asked the latter.

 

"No, thank you; I don't smoke."

 

"Oh, well, you'll learn after a while. At any rate, sit down and keep me company for a while."

 

"Thank you, but I shall have to go back to the boat and give Clip a chance to get his supper."

 

Clip returned from supper at half-past seven, and Bob, feeling wide awake, decided¹³ to go on shore again. He did not care to go to the hotel, but took a leisurely¹⁴ walk through the village and beyond. It was an unfortunate walk, for it made him an easy prey¹⁵ to the men who were scheming against him. In a lonely place two men sprang upon him suddenly, and before he could understand what was going on, he was gagged and helpless. In this condition the two men, taking him between them, hurried him to a lonely house at some distance from the road.

 

Bob Burton was brave, but this sudden and[Pg 267] mysterious attack startled and alarmed him not a little. He would have expostulated, but was unable, from being gagged, to utter a word.

 

Reaching the house, a short, sharp knock at the door was answered by a rough-looking man, dressed in a suit of faded and shabby cloth.

 

"So you've got him!" was his laconic¹⁶ greeting.

 

"Yes, Joe! Now where shall we put him?"

 

"Come upstairs."

 

The two men set Bob down, and pushed him forward, and up a staircase, steep and dark. He was thrust into a room with a sloping roof, and the gag was removed from his mouth.

 

"What does all this mean?" he asked, angrily, turning to the two men whom he recognized by the light of the lantern which Joe Springer carried in his hand.

 

"It's all right, my lad!" said Brown. "All you've got to do is to keep quiet, and no harm will come to you."

 

"How long do you mean to keep me here?"[Pg 268] asked Bob, with, a feeling of despair in his heart. He suspected now what it all meant.

 

"Two weeks, perhaps; but you will be well taken care of."

 

The men went out leaving the lantern behind them. Bob heard the bolt shot in the lock. He looked around him. There was a low pallet in the corner. He threw himself on it, and, brave boy as he was, came near shedding tears.

1 creek   

n.小溪，小河，小湾

参考例句：

• He sprang through the creek.他跳过小河。
• People sunbathe in the nude on the rocks above the creek.人们在露出小溪的岩石上裸体晒日光浴。

2 possessed   

adj.疯狂的；拥有的，占有的

参考例句：

• He flew out of the room like a man possessed.他像着了魔似地猛然冲出房门。
• He behaved like someone possessed.他行为举止像是魔怔了。

3 imposing   

adj.使人难忘的，壮丽的，堂皇的，雄伟的

参考例句：

• The fortress is an imposing building.这座城堡是一座宏伟的建筑。
• He has lost his imposing appearance.他已失去堂堂仪表。

4 metropolitan   

adj.大城市的，大都会的

参考例句：

• Metropolitan buildings become taller than ever.大城市的建筑变得比以前更高。
• Metropolitan residents are used to fast rhythm.大都市的居民习惯于快节奏。

5 sociably   

adv.成群地

参考例句：

• Hall very sociably pulled up. 霍尔和气地勒住僵绳。
• Sociably, the new neighbors invited everyone on the block for coffee. 那个喜好交际的新邻居邀请街区的每个人去喝咖啡。

6 baker   

n.面包师

参考例句：

• The baker bakes his bread in the bakery.面包师在面包房内烤面包。
• The baker frosted the cake with a mixture of sugar and whites of eggs.面包师在蛋糕上撒了一层白糖和蛋清的混合料。

7 wholesale   

n.批发；adv.以批发方式；vt.批发，成批出售

参考例句：

• The retail dealer buys at wholesale and sells at retail.零售商批发购进货物，以零售价卖出。
• Such shoes usually wholesale for much less.这种鞋批发出售通常要便宜得多。

8 hovering   

鸟( hover的现在分词 )； 靠近（某事物）； （人）徘徊； 犹豫

参考例句：

• The helicopter was hovering about 100 metres above the pad. 直升机在离发射台一百米的上空盘旋。
• I'm hovering between the concert and the play tonight. 我犹豫不决今晚是听音乐会还是看戏。

9 cargo   

n.(一只船或一架飞机运载的)货物

参考例句：

• The ship has a cargo of about 200 ton.这条船大约有200吨的货物。
• A lot of people discharged the cargo from a ship.许多人从船上卸下货物。

10 shrugged   

vt.耸肩（shrug的过去式与过去分词形式）

参考例句：

• Sam shrugged and said nothing. 萨姆耸耸肩膀，什么也没说。
• She shrugged, feigning nonchalance. 她耸耸肩，装出一副无所谓的样子。 来自《简明英汉词典》

11 assented   

同意，赞成( assent的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• The judge assented to allow the prisoner to speak. 法官同意允许犯人申辩。
• "No," assented Tom, "they don't kill the women -- they're too noble. “对，”汤姆表示赞同地说，“他们不杀女人——真伟大！

12 justify   

vt.证明…正当(或有理)，为…辩护

参考例句：

• He tried to justify his absence with lame excuses.他想用站不住脚的借口为自己的缺席辩解。
• Can you justify your rude behavior to me?你能向我证明你的粗野行为是有道理的吗？

13 decided   

adj.决定了的，坚决的；明显的，明确的

参考例句：

• This gave them a decided advantage over their opponents.这使他们比对手具有明显的优势。
• There is a decided difference between British and Chinese way of greeting.英国人和中国人打招呼的方式有很明显的区别。

14 leisurely   

adj.悠闲的；从容的，慢慢的

参考例句：

• We walked in a leisurely manner,looking in all the windows.我们慢悠悠地走着，看遍所有的橱窗。
• He had a leisurely breakfast and drove cheerfully to work.他从容的吃了早餐，高兴的开车去工作。

15 prey   

n.被掠食者，牺牲者，掠食；v.捕食，掠夺，折磨

参考例句：

• Stronger animals prey on weaker ones.弱肉强食。
• The lion was hunting for its prey.狮子在寻找猎物。

16 laconic   

adj.简洁的；精练的

参考例句：

• He sent me a laconic private message.他给我一封简要的私人函件。
• This response was typical of the writer's laconic wit.这个回答反映了这位作家精练简明的特点。