CHAPTER XXIV. THE SLEEPING POTION.

 Presently the old man already referred to appeared with the drinks. It Is hardly necessary to say that Jasper was alone in his choice of lemonade. The rest selected stronger liquors.

 

"Here's to you, Dick," said Jack¹, tossing off the contents of his glass, "and may you live to treat us many times more!"

 

"Amen to that!" said Bill.

 

"Haven't you got anything to say, youngster?" asked Dick, turning to Jasper.

 

"I wish you a pleasant journey," said Jasper, politely.

 

"As to that, it depends on my success with my sister."

 

"When do you leave?"

 

"To-night, if I can."

 

"What's all that about, Dick? Are you going to leave us?" asked Bill.

 

"I'm goin' East for the benefit of my health and my purse," said Dick, with a grin. "Do you wish me success, mates?"

 

"To be sure. Is it anything we can help you in?"

 

"No, no. It's my private venture."

 

"Anything in my line?"

 

"No; it's a strictly² virtuous³ and honest undertaking⁴. I don't mind giving you a hint of it. I've got a near relative that's come into a fortune. Now I think I ought to come in for a share."

 

"To be sure!"

 

"Have another game of euchre, Dick?"

 

"I don't know—I ought to be going," said the kidnapper⁵, hesitating. "We'll make it poker⁶, and the boy may take a hand."

 

"No," said Jasper, languidly. "I don't know how to play."

 

"We'll teach you."

 

"I don't care about it."

 

"You look sleepy, lad," said Dick.

 

"Yes, I feel so. It's strange. I didn't feel so when I came in."

 

"Oh, don't mind the boy's looks," said Jack. "Lay down on that settee, if you want to, boy."

 

Jasper felt so heavy and drowsy⁷ that he accepted the permission and stretched himself out, closing his eyes.

 

"Why am I so sleepy?" he thought, languidly. "I never was before, in the middle of the day, except when I was sick."

 

He listened at first to the conversation between the players, but gradually it sounded only like a confused hum, and at length he could not hear it at all.

 

He was fast asleep.

 

When this became clear through his heavy breathing, Dick turned to the younger man, and pointing to Jasper, asked:

 

"What have you been doing to him?"

 

"I put a sleeping potion into his drink," answered Jack.

 

"What for?"

 

"I mean to keep him for a while, and that saves a fuss."

 

"What do you want to do with him?"

 

"Prevent him from doing mischief⁸."

 

"There's no need. He can be trusted."

 

"You can trust him, for you'll be a long way off. He might blow on us any time."

 

Dick shrugged⁹ his shoulders.

 

"Oh, well, do as you please, but you're over careful. Don't hurt him."

 

"He'll be all right as long as he behaves himself. It's your deal."

 

The game was over at last, and Dick arose to go. Jasper was sleeping soundly, and was wholly unconscious of his departure.

 

"Give me a hand, Bill, and we'll take the boy up stairs," said the younger man.

 

"What's your plan, Jack?"

 

"To make him one of us. He'll come to it in time."

 

There was a windowless room on the second floor, in the centre of the house, wholly dark, except when lighted by gas. It was to this room that our hero was conveyed, and laid upon some bedding in the corner of the room. There was a slide in the partition to admit air, and with it a few faint rays of light. Jasper stirred a little while he was being moved, but the sleeping potion had too much potency¹⁰ to allow him to wake.

 

"There," said Jack, in a tone of satisfaction, "he's safe now."

 

"He'll make a fuss when he gets up."

 

"Let him. He can't get out."

 

As they went down stairs, Jack called aside Nathan Gibson, the old man who had charge of the house.

 

"Nathan," said he, "did you see the boy that was with us just now?"

 

"Yes."

 

"We've put him in the prison" (for this was the name by which the small dark room was known). "He's not to be let out."

 

"Good! I understand."

 

"You may take him some supper at five or six o'clock. Look in before that time to see if he's awake."

 

"All right!" said the old man, grinning. "What's your game?"

 

"It's your game as well as mine. The boy ought never to have come here. He may blow on us."

 

The mean-faced little man looked by turns frightened and fierce.

 

"I'd slit¹¹ his throat if he did!" he said.

 

"No need of that. We'll make him join us."

 

"That would be the best way; but can you?"

 

"We can try. Don't forget what I told you."

 

Nathan nodded.

 

Still Jasper slept, little suspecting into what a trap he had walked.

 

1 jack   

n.插座，千斤顶，男人；v.抬起，提醒，扛举；n.（Jake）杰克

参考例句：

• I am looking for the headphone jack.我正在找寻头戴式耳机插孔。
• He lifted the car with a jack to change the flat tyre.他用千斤顶把车顶起来换下瘪轮胎。

2 strictly   

adv.严厉地，严格地；严密地

参考例句：

• His doctor is dieting him strictly.他的医生严格规定他的饮食。
• The guests were seated strictly in order of precedence.客人严格按照地位高低就座。

3 virtuous   

adj.有品德的，善良的，贞洁的，有效力的

参考例句：

• She was such a virtuous woman that everybody respected her.她是个有道德的女性，人人都尊敬她。
• My uncle is always proud of having a virtuous wife.叔叔一直为娶到一位贤德的妻子而骄傲。

4 undertaking   

n.保证，许诺，事业

参考例句：

• He gave her an undertaking that he would pay the money back with in a year.他向她做了一年内还钱的保证。
• He is too timid to venture upon an undertaking.他太胆小，不敢从事任何事业。

5 kidnapper   

n.绑架者，拐骗者

参考例句：

• The kidnapper was shot dead then and there by the armed policeman.绑架者被武装警察当时当地击毙。
• The kidnapper strangled the child with a piece of string.绑票的人用一根绳子把这孩子勒死了。

6 poker   

n.扑克；vt.烙制

参考例句：

• He was cleared out in the poker game.他打扑克牌，把钱都输光了。
• I'm old enough to play poker and do something with it.我打扑克是老手了，可以玩些花样。

7 drowsy   

adj.昏昏欲睡的，令人发困的

参考例句：

• Exhaust fumes made him drowsy and brought on a headache.废气把他熏得昏昏沉沉，还引起了头疼。
• I feel drowsy after lunch every day.每天午饭后我就想睡觉。

8 mischief   

n.损害，伤害，危害；恶作剧，捣蛋，胡闹

参考例句：

• Nobody took notice of the mischief of the matter. 没有人注意到这件事情所带来的危害。
• He seems to intend mischief.看来他想捣蛋。

9 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》

10 potency   

n. 效力，潜能

参考例句：

• Alcohol increases the drug's potency.酒精能增加这种毒品的效力。
• Sunscreen can lose its potency if left over winter in the bathroom cabinet.如果把防晒霜在盥洗室的壁橱里放一个冬天，就有可能失效。

11 slit   

n.狭长的切口；裂缝；vt.切开，撕裂

参考例句：

• The coat has been slit in two places.这件外衣有两处裂开了。
• He began to slit open each envelope.他开始裁开每个信封。