CHAPTER XXXI. HOW CLIP WAS CAPTURED.

 Everything had gone well with Bob so far, and he was looking forward hopefully to the end of his journey, and the final success of his expedition. Now all was changed. He was a prisoner, and though Clip was on board the boat, he was utterly¹ incompetent² to take the place of his master. Bob hardly dared trust himself to think of the future. He knew not what would become of his valuable cargo³, but that it was lost to him seemed probable. This meant utter ruin, for he and his mother would have nothing to live upon till the next harvest, and meanwhile Aaron Wolverton would foreclose the mortgage. Certainly, Bob had reason to shed tears, and could not be charged with being unmanly if for a time he gave up to a feeling of despondency and almost despair.[Pg 270]

 

Leaving him for an hour, we will accompany the two conspirators⁴ on their return to the boat.

 

Clip was on deck, anxiously watching for the return of Bob. He was beginning to feel a little troubled.

 

"Can't think what's 'come of Massa Bob," he said to himself. "He said he'd be back in fifteen minutes. If anything's happened to him, what'll 'come of Clip?"

 

Instead of fifteen minutes, an hour passed, and still Bob had not returned. Clip was seriously thinking of going on shore and looking for him, when two men came to the river bank.

 

"Hallo!" they said. "Are you Clip?"

 

"Yes," answered Clip, in some surprise, not understanding how these two strangers could know his name.

 

"You are sailing with Robert Burton?"

 

"Yes, massa."

 

"Where is he?"

 

"Gone on shore for a walk. Did you see him anywhere?"

 

"Yes; we come from him."[Pg 271]

 

"Why don't he come himself?"

 

"The poor fellow has met with an accident. He has broken his leg."

 

"Massa Bob broken him leg!" ejaculated Clip, turning as pale as his complexion⁵ would admit. "How came he to do dat?"

 

"I can't explain," said Brown. "My friend and I came up just after it happened, and we took him to a house near by, where he was put to bed. He asked us to come for you and bring you to him."

 

"Yes, massa; I'll go right off," said Clip, with alacrity⁶. Then he hesitated at the thought of leaving the boat. "What'll I do about de boat?" he asked, in perplexity.

 

"Pooh! no one will run off with it. Probably your friend will want to be brought on board; we will help to bring him. Meanwhile I will stay here and look after things, and my friend will take you to Massa Bob, as you call him."

 

Clip saw no objection to this plan. He was too simple-minded to suspect a trick, and being very much attached to his young master he was anxious to be taken to him.[Pg 272]

 

He put on his hat and expressed himself ready to go.

 

"Very well; Minton, show him the house, and see if the boy is fit to be moved."

 

Clip did not see the wink⁷ that accompanied the last words.

 

The two started on their journey. Clip, though the smaller, walked so fast that Minton was obliged to quicken his pace. He plied⁸ Minton with questions till the latter was tired.

 

"I can't tell you much about it," said the man, at length. "My friend and I saw young Burton lying by the side of the road. He was groaning⁹ with pain. We took him up and carried him to a house close by."

 

"He won't die?" faltered¹⁰ Clip, in a tone of anxious inquiry¹¹.

 

"Oh, no! He's as safe to live as you or I. A broken leg doesn't amount to much."

 

"I don' see why he lef' the boat," said Clip, mournfully.

 

"Well, accidents will happen," said Minton, philosophically¹².

 

"Do you think we can get him on de boat, massa?"[Pg 273]

 

"Oh, yes. I have no doubt of it. You needn't feel worried. It'll all come right."

 

Clip, however, felt that there was sufficient reason for feeling troubled.

 

He was rather surprised at the length of the walk.

 

"What made Massa Bob go so far?" he asked.

 

"He said he was just exploring a little—wanted to see the country, you know."

 

"He couldn't see much in de dark."

 

"Well, he will explain the matter to you; I can't."

 

At length they reached the lonely house.

 

"This is where your friend was carried," said Minton.

 

Clip thought it was a gloomy place, but his mind was now so occupied with thoughts of Bob, whom he was to see immediately, that he said nothing.

 

Minton knocked at the door.

 

It was opened by Joe Springer, whose appearance rather frightened Clip.

 

"Oh, so you're back?" he said to Minton. "Who is this?"[Pg 274]

 

"It's a friend of the boy with the broken leg," answered Minton, with a significant look.

 

"Ho! ho!" laughed Joe, to Clip's surprise. He could not understand what there was to laugh at.

 

"I hope the poor boy's more comfortable," said Minton.

 

"I reckon so," answered Joe, with another grin.

 

"Has he been quiet?"

 

"Yes, he hasn't made any noise; but he's been walking round the room."

 

"Walkin' round wid a broken leg!" repeated Clip, amazed.

 

"What a fool you are, Joe!" exclaimed Minton, in a vexed¹³ tone. "How could he walk round with a broken leg?"

 

"I only meant it for a joke," said Joe, in a half-sullen tone. "How did I know his leg was broken?"

 

"My friend, here, was not in when we brought the boy," said Minton, in an aside to Clip. "Now, Joe, we'll go upstairs. Clip, here, has come to keep his friend company."[Pg 275]

 

"I hope he'll like it," returned Joe, with another incomprehensible grin.

 

"Well, get a light, and show us upstairs."

 

Clip thought the house far from pleasant.

 

He had just started to go upstairs, when a little girl ran crying through the door of the adjoining room.

 

"I want to go home," she cried. "I want to go to my papa."

 

She was followed by a tall, gaunt woman, who seized the child in her bony grasp.

 

"You're a very naughty girl," she said. "Your papa sent you to stay with me."

 

"No, he didn't. My papa doesn't know you."

 

"If you talk like that I'll give you a whipping. I am your aunt—your father's sister."

 

"No, you're not. I wouldn't have such an ugly aunt."

 

"Of all the perverse¹⁴ imps¹⁵, this 'ere one is the most cantankerous¹⁶ I ever see," said the woman.

 

"I should think you'd ought to be able to manage a little girl," said Joe, roughly.[Pg 276]

 

"So I be. There's only one way of managin' one like her. I've got a strap¹⁷ in the other room, and she'll feel of it if she keeps on."

 

Clip followed Minton up the steep, narrow staircase, and the two paused before the door of the chamber¹⁸ occupied by Bob Burton.

 

"He is in here," said Minton, briefly¹⁹.

 

He opened the door, and by the faint light of the lantern, Clip recognized the figure of a boy stretched out on a pallet in the corner.

 

Bob looked up, and when he saw Clip, he sprang to his feet.

 

"You here, Clip?" he asked.

 

"Yes, Massa Bob. Which of you legs is broke?"

 

"My legs broke! Neither."

 

"The man told me you broke you leg," said Clip, bewildered.

 

He turned to appeal to Minton for a confirmation²⁰ of his words, but the door was shut, and his conductor was already on the way downstairs.

1 utterly   

adv.完全地，绝对地

参考例句：

• Utterly devoted to the people,he gave his life in saving his patients.他忠于人民，把毕生精力用于挽救患者的生命。
• I was utterly ravished by the way she smiled.她的微笑使我完全陶醉了。

2 incompetent   

adj.无能力的，不能胜任的

参考例句：

• He is utterly incompetent at his job.他完全不能胜任他的工作。
• He is incompetent at working with his hands.他动手能力不行。

3 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。

4 conspirators   

n.共谋者，阴谋家( conspirator的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• The conspirators took no part in the fighting which ensued. 密谋者没有参加随后发生的战斗。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• The French conspirators were forced to escape very hurriedly. 法国同谋者被迫匆促逃亡。 来自辞典例句

5 complexion   

n.肤色；情况，局面；气质，性格

参考例句：

• Red does not suit with her complexion.红色与她的肤色不协调。
• Her resignation puts a different complexion on things.她一辞职局面就全变了。

6 alacrity   

n.敏捷，轻快，乐意

参考例句：

• Although the man was very old,he still moved with alacrity.他虽然很老，动作仍很敏捷。
• He accepted my invitation with alacrity.他欣然接受我的邀请。

7 wink   

n.眨眼，使眼色，瞬间；v.眨眼，使眼色，闪烁

参考例句：

• He tipped me the wink not to buy at that price.他眨眼暗示我按那个价格就不要买。
• The satellite disappeared in a wink.瞬息之间，那颗卫星就消失了。

8 plied   

v.使用（工具）( ply的过去式和过去分词 )；经常供应（食物、饮料）；固定往来；经营生意

参考例句：

• They plied me with questions about my visit to England. 他们不断地询问我的英国之行。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• They plied us with tea and cakes. 他们一个劲儿地让我们喝茶、吃糕饼。 来自《简明英汉词典》

9 groaning   

adj. 呜咽的, 呻吟的 动词groan的现在分词形式

参考例句：

• She's always groaning on about how much she has to do. 她总抱怨自己干很多活儿。
• The wounded man lay there groaning, with no one to help him. 受伤者躺在那里呻吟着，无人救助。

10 faltered   

（嗓音）颤抖( falter的过去式和过去分词 )； 支吾其词； 蹒跚； 摇晃

参考例句：

• He faltered out a few words. 他支吾地说出了几句。
• "Er - but he has such a longhead!" the man faltered. 他不好意思似的嚅嗫着：“这孩子脑袋真长。”

11 inquiry   

n.打听，询问，调查，查问

参考例句：

• Many parents have been pressing for an inquiry into the problem.许多家长迫切要求调查这个问题。
• The field of inquiry has narrowed down to five persons.调查的范围已经缩小到只剩5个人了。

12 philosophically   

adv.哲学上；富有哲理性地；贤明地；冷静地

参考例句：

• He added philosophically that one should adapt oneself to the changed conditions. 他富于哲理地补充说，一个人应该适应变化了的情况。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• Harry took his rejection philosophically. 哈里达观地看待自己被拒的事。 来自《简明英汉词典》

13 vexed   

adj.争论不休的；（指问题等）棘手的；争论不休的问题；烦恼的v.使烦恼( vex的过去式和过去分词 )；使苦恼；使生气；详细讨论

参考例句：

• The conference spent days discussing the vexed question of border controls. 会议花了几天的时间讨论边境关卡这个难题。
• He was vexed at his failure. 他因失败而懊恼。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》

14 perverse   

adj.刚愎的；坚持错误的，行为反常的

参考例句：

• It would be perverse to stop this healthy trend.阻止这种健康发展的趋势是没有道理的。
• She gets a perverse satisfaction from making other people embarrassed.她有一种不正常的心态，以使别人难堪来取乐。

15 imps   

n.（故事中的）小恶魔( imp的名词复数 )；小魔鬼；小淘气；顽童

参考例句：

• Those imps are brewing mischief. 那些小淘气们正在打坏主意。 来自辞典例句
• No marvel if the imps follow when the devil goes before. 魔鬼带头，难怪小鬼纷纷跟随。 来自互联网

16 cantankerous   

adj.爱争吵的，脾气不好的

参考例句：

• He met a crabbed,cantankerous director.他碰上了一位坏脾气、爱争吵的主管。
• The cantankerous bus driver rouse on the children for singing.那个坏脾气的公共汽车司机因为孩子们唱歌而骂他们。

17 strap   

n.皮带，带子；v.用带扣住，束牢；用绷带包扎

参考例句：

• She held onto a strap to steady herself.她抓住拉手吊带以便站稳。
• The nurse will strap up your wound.护士会绑扎你的伤口。

18 chamber   

n.房间，寝室；会议厅；议院；会所

参考例句：

• For many,the dentist's surgery remains a torture chamber.对许多人来说，牙医的治疗室一直是间受刑室。
• The chamber was ablaze with light.会议厅里灯火辉煌。

19 briefly   

adv.简单地，简短地

参考例句：

• I want to touch briefly on another aspect of the problem.我想简单地谈一下这个问题的另一方面。
• He was kidnapped and briefly detained by a terrorist group.他被一个恐怖组织绑架并短暂拘禁。

20 confirmation   

n.证实，确认，批准

参考例句：

• We are waiting for confirmation of the news.我们正在等待证实那个消息。
• We need confirmation in writing before we can send your order out.给你们发送订购的货物之前，我们需要书面确认。