"Lay down that gun, boy!" repeated Ben Haley. "I know you. You're the boy that rowed me across the river. You can row pretty well, but you're not quite a match for me even at that."
"This gun makes me even with you," said Robert, returning his look unflinchingly.
"Does it? Then all I can say is, that when you lose it you'll be in a bad pickle4. Lay it down instantly."
"Then lay down the gold you have in your pockets," said our hero, still pointing his gun at Haley.
"Good boy! Brave boy!" said the old man, approvingly.
"Look here, boy," said Haley, in quick, stern tones, "I've had enough of this nonsense. If you don't put down that gun in double quick time, you'll repent5 it. One word—yes or no!"
"No," said Robert, resolutely6.
No sooner had he uttered the monosyllable than Haley sprang toward him with the design of wresting7 the gun from him. But Robert had his finger upon the trigger, and fired. The bullet entered the shoulder of the ruffian, but in the excitement of the moment he only knew that he was hit, but this incensed8 him. In spite of the wound he seized the musket9 and forcibly wrested10 it from our hero. He raised it in both hands and would probably in his blind fury have killed him on the spot, but for the sudden opening of the outer door, and entrance of a neighboring farmer, who felt sufficiently11 intimate to enter without knocking. This changed Haley's intention. Feeling that the odds12 were against him, he sprang through the window, gun in hand, and ran with rapid strides towards the river.
"What's the matter?" demanded the new arrival, surveying the scene before him in astonishment13.
"He's gone off with my gold," exclaimed Paul Nichols, recovering from his stupefaction. "Run after him, catch him!"
"Who is it?"
"Ben Haley."
"What, your nephew! I thought he was dead long ago."
"I wish he had been," said Paul, wringing14 his hands. "He's taken all my money—I shall die in the poorhouse."
"I can't understand how it all happened," said the neighbor, looking to Robert for an explanation. "Who fired the gun?"
"I did," said our hero.
"Did you hit him?"
"I think so. I saw blood on his shirt. I must have hit him in the shoulder."
"Don't stop to talk," said Paul, impatiently. "Go after him and get back the gold."
"We can't do much," said the neighbor, evidently not very anxious to come into conflict with such a bold ruffian. "He has the gun with him."
"What made you let him have it?" asked Paul.
"I couldn't help it," said Robert. "But he can't fire it. It is unloaded, and I don't think he has any ammunition15 with him."
"To be sure," said Paul, eagerly. "You see there's no danger. Go after him, both of you, He can't hurt ye."
Somewhat reassured16 the neighbor followed Robert, who at once started in pursuit of the escaped burglar. He was still in sight, though he had improved the time consumed in the foregoing colloquy17, and was already near the river bank. On he sped, bent18 on making good his escape with the money he had dishonestly acquired. One doubt was in his mind. Should he find a boat? If not, the river would prove an insuperable obstacle, and he would be compelled to turn and change the direction of his flight. Looking over his shoulder he saw Robert and the farmer on his track, and he clutched his gun the more firmly.
"They'd better not touch me," he said to himself. "If I can't fire the gun I can brain either or both with it."
Thoughts of crossing the stream by swimming occurred to him. A sailor by profession, he was an expert swimmer, and the river was not wide enough to daunt19 him. But his pockets were filled with the gold he had stolen, and gold is well known to be the heaviest of all the metals. But nevertheless he could not leave it behind since it was for this he had incurred20 his present peril21. In this uncertainty22 he reached the bank of the river, when to his surprise and joy his eye rested upon Robert's boat.
"The boy's boat!" he exclaimed, in exultation23, "by all that's lucky! I will take the liberty of borrowing it without leave."
He sprang in, and seizing one of the oars24, pushed out into the stream, first drawing up the anchor. When Robert and his companion reached the shore he was already floating at a safe distance.
"He's got my boat!" exclaimed our hero, in disappointment.
"So he has!" ejaculated the other.
"You're a little too late!" shouted Ben Haley, with a sneer26. "Just carry back my compliments to the old fool yonder and tell him I left in too great a hurry to give him my note for the gold he kindly27 lent me. I'll attend to it when I get ready."
He had hitherto sculled the boat. Now he took the other oar25 and commenced rowing. But here the wound, of which he had at first been scarcely conscious, began to be felt, and the first vigorous stroke brought a sharp twinge, besides increasing the flow of blood. His natural ferocity was stimulated28 by his unpleasant discovery, and he shook his fist menacingly at Robert, from whom he had received the wound.
"There's a reckoning coming betwixt you and me, young one!" he cried, "and it'll be a heavy one. Ben Haley don't forget that sort of debt. The time'll come when he'll pay it back with interest. It mayn't come for years, but it'll come at last, you may be sure of that."
Finding that he could not row on account of his wound, he rose to his feet, and sculled the boat across as well as he could with one hand.
"I wish I had another boat," said Robert. "We could soon overtake him."
"Better let him go," said the neighbor. "He was always a bad one, that Ben Haley. I couldn't begin to tell you all the bad things he did when he was a boy. He was a regular dare-devil. You must look out for him, or he'll do you a mischief29 some time, to pay for that wound."
"He brought it on himself," said Robert "I gave him warning."
He went back to the farmhouse30 to tell Paul of his nephew's escape. He was brave and bold, but the malignant31 glance with which Ben Haley uttered his menace, gave him a vague sense of discomfort32.
点击
收听单词发音
收听单词发音 |
1
mere
|
|
| adj.纯粹的；仅仅，只不过 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
2
fully
|
|
| adv.完全地，全部地，彻底地；充分地 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
3
dwindle
|
|
| v.逐渐变小（或减少） | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
4
pickle
|
|
| n.腌汁，泡菜；v.腌，泡 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
5
repent
|
|
| v.悔悟，悔改，忏悔，后悔 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
6
resolutely
|
|
| adj.坚决地，果断地 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
7
wresting
|
|
| 动词wrest的现在进行式 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
8
incensed
|
|
| 盛怒的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
9
musket
|
|
| n.滑膛枪 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
10
wrested
|
|
| （用力）拧( wrest的过去式和过去分词 )； 费力取得； （从…）攫取； （ 从… ） 强行取去… | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
11
sufficiently
|
|
| adv.足够地，充分地 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
12
odds
|
|
| n.让步，机率，可能性，比率；胜败优劣之别 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
13
astonishment
|
|
| n.惊奇，惊异 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
14
wringing
|
|
| 淋湿的，湿透的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
15
ammunition
|
|
| n.军火，弹药 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
16
reassured
|
|
| adj.使消除疑虑的；使放心的v.再保证，恢复信心( reassure的过去式和过去分词) | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
17
colloquy
|
|
| n.谈话，自由讨论 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
18
bent
|
|
| n.爱好，癖好；adj.弯的；决心的，一心的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
19
daunt
|
|
| vt.使胆怯，使气馁 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
20
incurred
|
|
| [医]招致的，遭受的； incur的过去式 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
21
peril
|
|
| n.(严重的)危险；危险的事物 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
22
uncertainty
|
|
| n.易变，靠不住，不确知，不确定的事物 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
23
exultation
|
|
| n.狂喜，得意 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
24
oars
|
|
| n.桨，橹( oar的名词复数 )；划手v.划（行）( oar的第三人称单数 ) | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
25
oar
|
|
| n.桨，橹，划手；v.划行 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
26
sneer
|
|
| v.轻蔑；嘲笑；n.嘲笑，讥讽的言语 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
27
kindly
|
|
| adj.和蔼的，温和的，爽快的；adv.温和地，亲切地 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
28
stimulated
|
|
| a.刺激的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
29
mischief
|
|
| n.损害，伤害，危害；恶作剧，捣蛋，胡闹 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
30
farmhouse
|
|
| n.农场住宅（尤指主要住房） | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
31
malignant
|
|
| adj.恶性的，致命的；恶意的，恶毒的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
32
discomfort
|
|
| n.不舒服，不安，难过，困难，不方便 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
| 欢迎访问英文小说网 |