CHAPTER XXIX. "SHOULD OLD ACQUAINTANCE BE FORGOT?"

 If Dean was surprised to see his old enemy in such an out of the way place, Kirby was no less surprised to see his former traveling companion. There was this difference: the encounter brought him pleasure, while to Dean it carried dismay. Neither could understand where on earth the other had sprung from.

"Oho!" laughed Kirby, "so we meet again."

Dan looked surprised, thinking the words were addressed to him, but following the direction of Kirby's eyes, he saw that he was mistaken.

"Do you know this boy?" he asked.

"Do I know him? Why, we started from the East together."

"How is that?"

"It was at the request of a friend of ours."

"The captain?"

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"Yes."

"And why did you separate?"

"Well, I mustn't tell tales out of school. I am very glad to meet you again, youngster. Is the pleasure mutual¹?"

"No, it isn't," said Dean, bluntly.

"So I should judge, after the trick you played upon me at our last meeting."

"What do you refer to?"

"You know well enough. You cautioned Dr. Thorp against me. Don't deny it, for I know it is true."

"I don't deny it. What happened that night showed that I had good reason."

"Be that as it may," said Kirby with an ugly scowl², "you did a bad thing for yourself. You probably thought you would never meet me again."

Dean was silent, but Dan, whose curiosity was aroused, interposed with an inquiry³.

"What are you two talkin' about," he said. "Is this boy a friend or an enemy?"

"He is an enemy of our association," replied Kirby. "I am glad to have him in my power."

"So there is an association?" thought Dean. "These two men belong to it, and Squire⁴ Bates is the captain. I shall soon know all about it."

But in the meanwhile the evident hostility⁵ of202 Kirby, reflected in the face of his new acquaintance Dan, was ominous⁶ of danger. Dean felt that he would gladly pass the night out in the woods exposed to the night air if he could only get away. But he saw clearly that escape was not at present practicable.

"Have you seen the old woman?" asked Dan, meaning his mother.

"Yes, she told me that she had taken in a kid for the night, but I had no idea it was any one I knew. The old lady wears well, Dan."

"Yes, she's tough," said the affectionate son carelessly. "I'll go in and see whether she's got supper ready."

He entered the house, leaving Dean and his old employer together.

"Come here, boy, and sit down," said Kirby smiling, and eying Dean very much as a cat eyes the mouse whom she proposes soon to devour⁷. "You must be tired."

"Thank you," said Dean calmly, as he went forward and seated himself on the settee beside Peter Kirby.

"What brought you so far West as Colorado?" proceeded Kirby, giving vent⁸ to his curiosity.

"I kept coming West. Besides I heard there were203 mines in Colorado, and I thought I might find profitable work."

"So you gave up playing on that harmonica of yours?"

"Yes."

"Couldn't you make it pay?"

"I needed a partner like the one I started with—Mr. Montgomery. I couldn't give an entertainment alone."

"Then you haven't been making any money lately?"

"No."

"Where did you get that watch?"

"From Dr. Thorp."

"When did he give it to you?"

"Just before I left town."

"It was a present to you for informing on me, I suppose?" said Kirby, his face again assuming an ugly frown.

"I believe it was for saving him from being robbed."

"Then he had considerable money and bonds in the house?"

"Yes."

"Were they in the cabinet?"

"He removed them."

"After I went to bed?"

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"I believe so."

"It seems then that I am indebted to you for foiling my little scheme."

Kirby looked dangerous, and Dean was alive to the peril⁹ incurred¹⁰, but he was obliged in the interests of truth to answer in the affirmative.

Here Dan appeared at the door.

"Come in, Kirby," he said. "Supper's ready."

"I am ready for it. I am about famished¹¹. Come in, boy."

"Thank you; I have supped already."

"All the same you must come in, for I don't propose to lose sight of you. Hand over that watch, please."

"Why do you want it?" asked Dean apprehensively¹³.

"I have more claim to it than you. It was the price of treachery."

"I hope, Mr. Kirby, you will let me keep it."

"Hand it over without any more words!" said Kirby, roughly, "unless you want me to take it from you."

It would have been idle to resist, but Dean was not willing to hand it over, since that would have indicated his consent to the surrender.

"You can take it if you choose," he said.

"It will do after supper. Come in!"

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Dean preceded Kirby into the cabin, and sat down on a stool while the two men were eating. Gradually they dropped into conversation, and Dean listened with curious interest.

"So you saw the captain, Kirby?" asked Dan.

"Yes."

"Where?"

"He lives in an obscure country place, buried alive, as I call it. It is for the sake of his family, he says."

"What family has he?"

"A wife and son—the last as like his father as two peas—the same ugly tusks¹⁴, and long, oval face. Between the two I prefer the captain. The boy puts on no end of airs."

"Does he know——"

"Not a word. He thinks his father a gentleman of wealth and high birth, and holds his head high, I can tell you."

"Does that boy know him?" asked Dan, with a jerk of the head towards Dean.

"You know Brandon Bates, don't you, Dean?" said Kirby.

"Yes, sir."

"Do you like him?"

"I don't think any one in the village likes him."

"How about his father? is he popular?"

"He is better liked than his son."

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"The fact is," resumed Kirby, "the captain's boy is an impudent¹⁵ cub¹⁶. He was insolent¹⁷ to me. I could have tweaked his nose with pleasure."

"There seems to be one point on which Mr. Kirby and I agree," thought Dean. But upon the whole it did not seem to him that he liked Kirby any better than Brandon Bates. Brandon had unpleasant manners, but it was clear that Kirby was a professional thief.

"When is the captain coming West?" asked Dan.

"Soon, I think. He may be needed for some work in Denver. I shall make a report to him when I have gathered the information we need, and urge him to come. He has brains, the captain has, and he must give us the advantage of them."

"What plan are you thinkin' of Kirby?"

"Hush¹⁸!" said Kirby, glancing toward Dean. "I will speak with you about that later."

After supper they went out again, and sat on the settee, both smoking pipes provided by Dan. Dean was invited to come out also, but he felt very much fatigued¹⁹, and asked if he might go to bed.

"Mother," said Dan, "can the kid go up to bed?"

"Yes, if he wants to."

"I'll go up with him."

Dan led the way up a narrow staircase to the second floor. There were two rooms, each with a207 sloping roof. On the floor was spread a sacking filled with hay, one end raised above the general level.

"You can sleep there, youngster," said Dan. "There's no use in undressin'. Lay down as you are."

Dean was quite ready to do so. Though he was apprehensive¹² about the future, fatigue²⁰ asserted its claim, and in less than five minutes he was sound asleep.

 

1 mutual   

adj.相互的，彼此的；共同的，共有的

参考例句：

• We must pull together for mutual interest.我们必须为相互的利益而通力合作。
• Mutual interests tied us together.相互的利害关系把我们联系在一起。

2 scowl   

vi.(at)生气地皱眉，沉下脸，怒视；n.怒容

参考例句：

• I wonder why he is wearing an angry scowl.我不知道他为何面带怒容。
• The boss manifested his disgust with a scowl.老板面带怒色，清楚表示出他的厌恶之感。

3 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。

4 squire   

n.护卫, 侍从, 乡绅

参考例句：

• I told him the squire was the most liberal of men.我告诉他乡绅是世界上最宽宏大量的人。
• The squire was hard at work at Bristol.乡绅在布里斯托尔热衷于他的工作。

5 hostility   

n.敌对，敌意；抵制［pl.］交战，战争

参考例句：

• There is open hostility between the two leaders.两位领导人表现出公开的敌意。
• His hostility to your plan is well known.他对你的计划所持的敌意是众所周知的。

6 ominous   

adj.不祥的，不吉的，预兆的，预示的

参考例句：

• Those black clouds look ominous for our picnic.那些乌云对我们的野餐来说是个不祥之兆。
• There was an ominous silence at the other end of the phone.电话那头出现了不祥的沉默。

7 devour   

v.吞没；贪婪地注视或谛听，贪读；使着迷

参考例句：

• Larger fish devour the smaller ones.大鱼吃小鱼。
• Beauty is but a flower which wrinkle will devour.美只不过是一朵，终会被皱纹所吞噬。

8 vent   

n.通风口，排放口；开衩；vt.表达，发泄

参考例句：

• He gave vent to his anger by swearing loudly.他高声咒骂以发泄他的愤怒。
• When the vent became plugged,the engine would stop.当通风口被堵塞时，发动机就会停转。

9 peril   

n.(严重的)危险；危险的事物

参考例句：

• The refugees were in peril of death from hunger.难民有饿死的危险。
• The embankment is in great peril.河堤岌岌可危。

10 incurred   

[医]招致的，遭受的； incur的过去式

参考例句：

• She had incurred the wrath of her father by marrying without his consent 她未经父亲同意就结婚，使父亲震怒。
• We will reimburse any expenses incurred. 我们将付还所有相关费用。

11 famished   

adj.饥饿的

参考例句：

• When's lunch?I'm famished!什么时候吃午饭？我饿得要死了！
• My feet are now killing me and I'm absolutely famished.我的脚现在筋疲力尽，我绝对是极饿了。

12 apprehensive   

adj.担心的，恐惧的，善于领会的

参考例句：

• She was deeply apprehensive about her future.她对未来感到非常担心。
• He was rather apprehensive of failure.他相当害怕失败。

13 apprehensively   

adv.担心地

参考例句：

• He glanced a trifle apprehensively towards the crowded ballroom. 他敏捷地朝挤满了人的舞厅瞟了一眼。 来自辞典例句
• Then it passed, leaving everything in a state of suspense, even the willow branches waiting apprehensively. 一阵这样的风过去，一切都不知怎好似的，连柳树都惊疑不定的等着点什么。 来自汉英文学 - 骆驼祥子

14 tusks   

n.（象等动物的）长牙( tusk的名词复数 )；獠牙；尖形物；尖头

参考例句：

• The elephants are poached for their tusks. 为获取象牙而偷猎大象。
• Elephant tusks, monkey tails and salt were used in some parts of Africa. 非洲的一些地区则使用象牙、猴尾和盐。 来自英语晨读30分（高一）

15 impudent   

adj.鲁莽的，卑鄙的，厚颜无耻的

参考例句：

• She's tolerant toward those impudent colleagues.她对那些无礼的同事采取容忍的态度。
• The teacher threatened to kick the impudent pupil out of the room.老师威胁着要把这无礼的小学生撵出教室。

16 cub   

n.幼兽，年轻无经验的人

参考例句：

• The lion cub's mother was hunting for what she needs. 这只幼师的母亲正在捕猎。
• The cub licked the milk from its mother's breast. 这头幼兽吸吮着它妈妈的奶水。

17 insolent   

adj.傲慢的，无理的

参考例句：

• His insolent manner really got my blood up.他那傲慢的态度把我的肺都气炸了。
• It was insolent of them to demand special treatment.他们要求给予特殊待遇，脸皮真厚。

18 hush   

int.嘘，别出声；n.沉默，静寂；v.使安静

参考例句：

• A hush fell over the onlookers.旁观者们突然静了下来。
• Do hush up the scandal!不要把这丑事声张出去！

19 fatigued   

adj. 疲乏的

参考例句：

• The exercises fatigued her. 操练使她感到很疲乏。
• The President smiled, with fatigued tolerance for a minor person's naivety. 总统笑了笑，疲惫地表现出对一个下级人员的天真想法的宽容。

20 fatigue   

n.疲劳，劳累

参考例句：

• The old lady can't bear the fatigue of a long journey.这位老妇人不能忍受长途旅行的疲劳。
• I have got over my weakness and fatigue.我已从虚弱和疲劳中恢复过来了。