"Seems to me as if I'd rather go over the creek1 road," he said to himself. "I don't know why 'tis that I don't fancy goin' through the woods to-day. It's a silly fancy, no doubt, for I've gone that way hundreds of times, and I told the squire2 I'd go that way, and I'll do it, or he'll think strange of it."
So he turned to the left instead of the right, and continued his journey. Is it true that we have presentiments3 of coming evil? This was at any rate the case with Adin Dunham. He felt a growing uneasiness, especially when he drew near the tract4 of woods through which the road ran for nearly quarter of a mile.
"What is the matter with me?" he asked, as he wiped the perspiration5 from his brow. "I suppose it must be because I have so much money with me. I wish I had taken a check."
Then he tried to laugh it off, but he could not drive away the feeling of uneasiness. Somehow the40 thought of robbers would present itself to his mind.
"I'd give a five-dollar bill if I was safe at home," he said to himself.
He had reached the middle point of the woods, and was beginning to breathe easier. Neither before nor behind was any one in sight.
"It's all right!" he thought. "As soon as I get through them woods I shall have nothing to worry about."
But just then a noise was heard to the right, and a tramp burst out, his features concealed6 by a mask, and sprang for the horse's head.
Adin Dunham's tongue refused service, and with pallid8 cheeks, betokening9 intense fear, he stared at the apparition10.
"What do you want?" he managed to ejaculate at last.
"What money?" asked Adin Dunham, aghast, though he knew well enough what money was meant.
"No trifling12, or it will be the worse for you! Give me the thousand dollars you have in your pocket."
"Never mind what I am! I want that money. It will be as much as your life is worth to refuse."
Adin Dunham was not a brave man, but the prospect14 of losing his fortune, for which he had waited41 so long, made him desperate. He drew out his whip and lashed15 the horse.
"Get up, Captain!" he shouted.
Then, he hardly knew how it happened, the tramp clambered into the wagon16, and pressed a handkerchief to his mouth. He felt his senses going, but before he lost consciousness he saw something that startled him. The tramp opened his mouth, and he caught sight of the long tusk-like teeth.
"Why, it's Squire Bates!" he ejaculated, in horror-struck dismay.
Then he lost all consciousness, and knew not what followed.
"Confusion!" muttered the tramp. "Why did I open my mouth?"
He thrust his hand into Adin Dunham's pocket, after stopping the horse. Then, as it would not be safe to leave the horse under the management of a man in a faint, he took the passive form of the carpenter from the wagon, and laid him down under a tree by the roadside.
"There! It will be supposed that he fell from the wagon in a fit!" he said to himself, as he left the scene.
This was what had happened to Adin Dunham. How long he lay in his senseless condition cannot be told. At length he opened his eyes, and looked about him in a dazed way.
"Where is the horse and wagon?" he asked himself.
The horse and wagon were not to be seen. The42 Captain had waited patiently, looking round from time to time, and gazing in evident doubt at his driver, whinneying a hint that they had been stopping long enough. Probably he wondered what was the matter with Adin Dunham, who, though not his master, was well known to him.
At length the Captain decided17 that he must settle the matter for himself. He started for home at an easy pace, and arrived there at length, as we know, very much to the surprise of Mr. Gould, and the uneasiness of Dean Dunham. We have already related the sequel—how Mr. Gould and Dean got into the buggy, and, somewhat to the dissatisfaction of the horse, started back on the road to Rockmount.
"I can't see what has happened to uncle," said Dean.
"Does your uncle ever—drink anything strong?" asked Mr. Gould, cautiously.
"I always thought he was temperate, Dean," said Mr. Gould, "but I thought it just possible he might have met some old friends in Rockmount, and ventured upon a social glass."
"I don't believe he would do it."
"He might have got off for a minute, and the horse taken advantage and started without him. But that doesn't seem like the Captain. He is a very steady, reliable horse, and isn't up to any tricks."
"I hope uncle wasn't taken sick, and fell from the buggy."
43
"Has he ever been taken that way?" asked Mr. Gould quickly.
"Not that I ever heard. Aunt would know."
"We will ask her if we don't find him on the road. Do you know whether your uncle had any particular business in Rockmount to-day?"
"No; I didn't hear him say why he was going. I asked him to take me, but he thought two would be too heavy a load for the horse such a long distance."
"He is very considerate of the Captain, more so than I am," said Mr. Gould, laughing. "I drove to Rockmount with Mrs. Gould, who weighs considerably19 more than you, only last week, but I couldn't see that the horse minded it much. There's one thing I'm sure of, your uncle wouldn't over-drive the horse."
"No, he doesn't drive fast enough for me. If I had gone, I would have asked him to let me drive."
"Then perhaps it's just as well that you didn't go, Dean."
They reached the point where it was necessary to decide whether to go by the creek road or through the woods.
"I declare, Dean, it puzzles me to decide which way to go."
"If anything happened to uncle on the creek road somebody would be sure to pass and see him."
"That's a very sensible suggestion. On the woods road, on the contrary, there are but few passengers, and he might be overlooked. So be it! We'll go by the woods road."
44
Not far from the place where Adin Dunham was waylaid20, Dean pointed21 eagerly to an advancing figure.
"Isn't that Uncle Adin?" he asked eagerly pointing with his whip.
"Yes, it is, I declare."
Adin Dunham was walking with his head drooping22, and seemed to drag one leg after the other in a weary way. He did not seem at all like himself.
"Uncle Adin," called Dean, when they were within hearing, "what's the matter? What has happened to you?"
Adin Dunham looked up, and sighed heavily.
"Robbed, neighbor Dunham?" said Mr. Gould in surprise. "What have you been robbed of?"
"A thousand dollars!" answered Dunham in a spiritless way.
Dean and Mr. Gould looked at each other in amazement24. The same thought came to each. That the carpenter could have had in his possession a thousand dollars seemed preposterous25. His mind must suddenly have gone astray.
"Did you say a thousand dollars, neighbor Dunham?" asked Mr. Gould.
"Yes," said poor Adin, bursting into tears. "A man sprang at me when I was riding through the woods, jumped into the buggy and searched my pockets. I think I must have fainted away. When I came to the horse was gone, and I was lying under a tree by the roadside."
45
"How did you happen to have a thousand dollars with you? Was it yours?" asked Mr. Gould, almost with a smile.
"I received it to-day at Rockmount, for the land I sold the hotel people."
"Have you any idea who robbed you of the money?"
"It was Squire Bates. I knew him by his teeth."
"Dean," said Mr. Gould, in a low voice, "your uncle is as crazy as a bedbug! What can have put such notions into his head?"
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1
creek
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| n.小溪，小河，小湾 | |
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squire
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| n.护卫, 侍从, 乡绅 | |
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presentiments
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| n.（对不祥事物的）预感( presentiment的名词复数 ) | |
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tract
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| n.传单，小册子，大片(土地或森林) | |
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perspiration
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| n.汗水；出汗 | |
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concealed
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| a.隐藏的，隐蔽的 | |
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hoarse
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| adj.嘶哑的，沙哑的 | |
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pallid
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| adj.苍白的，呆板的 | |
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9
betokening
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| v.预示，表示( betoken的现在分词 ) | |
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apparition
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| n.幽灵，神奇的现象 | |
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hissed
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| 发嘶嘶声( hiss的过去式和过去分词 )； 发嘘声表示反对 | |
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trifling
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| adj.微不足道的；没什么价值的 | |
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blanched
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| v.使变白( blanch的过去式 )；使（植物）不见阳光而变白；酸洗（金属）使有光泽；用沸水烫（杏仁等）以便去皮 | |
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prospect
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| n.前景，前途；景色，视野 | |
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lashed
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| adj.具睫毛的v.鞭打( lash的过去式和过去分词 )；煽动；紧系；怒斥 | |
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wagon
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| n.四轮马车，手推车，面包车；无盖运货列车 | |
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decided
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| adj.决定了的，坚决的；明显的，明确的 | |
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temperate
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| adj.温和的，温带的，自我克制的，不过分的 | |
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considerably
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| adv.极大地；相当大地；在很大程度上 | |
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waylaid
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| v.拦截，拦路( waylay的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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pointed
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| adj.尖的，直截了当的 | |
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drooping
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| adj. 下垂的，无力的 动词droop的现在分词 | |
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hoarsely
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| adv.嘶哑地 | |
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amazement
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| n.惊奇，惊讶 | |
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preposterous
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| adj.荒谬的，可笑的 | |
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strictly
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| adv.严厉地，严格地；严密地 | |
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