CHAPTER XXXV. AN INDIAN MAIDEN.

 From the information afforded by his employer Jasper was led to expect a somewhat adventurous¹ journey. He was not to be disappointed. As long as he was in the well-settled part of the country he encountered no difficulties nor adventures worth recording². Plattville, as already stated, was a frontier town, and there was a large tract³ of almost uninhabited country between it and the nearest settlement.

 

Late in the afternoon of the fourth day Jasper found himself standing⁴ on the bank of a river which must be crossed. There was no boat in sight, and he was puzzled what to do. While he was considering, a young Indian girl glided⁵ by in a canoe. She handled the paddle dexterously⁶ and as one who had been long accustomed to the exercise, though she did not look more than twelve years of age.

 

"I wonder if she understands English?" thought Jasper. "Perhaps I could get her to ferry me across."

 

Acting⁷ upon this thought he called out:

 

"Halloo, there!"

 

The young girl turned quickly, and discovered Jasper, whom she had not before seen.

 

She stopped paddling, and asked, in a musical voice:

 

"White boy speak?"

 

"Yes," said Jasper. "Do you speak English?"

 

"A little."

 

"I want to go across the river. Will you take me in your canoe?"

 

The girl hesitated a moment, perhaps from uncertainty⁸ as to whether she could trust our hero, for she surveyed him attentively⁹. It appeared that her impressions were favorable, for she turned her canoe to the shore and said, simply:

 

"Yes."

 

"Thank you," said Jasper, and he promptly¹⁰ took his place in the frail¹¹ craft.

 

The Indian girl pushed off and began to paddle rapidly.

 

"It seems odd to be ferried by a girl," thought Jasper. "I think I ought to offer to take her place." "Shall I paddle instead of you?" he asked.

 

The girl laughed and shook her head.

 

"White boy not know how to paddle a canoe—tip it over," and she laughed again.

 

"I don't know but I should," thought Jasper, as he noticed how light and frail the little canoe was, and how a slight motion would agitate¹² it.

 

"Do you live around here?" he asked, in some curiosity.

 

"Up the river," said the girl, indicating with her head, for her hands were occupied.

 

"Have you a father?"

 

"Monima's father great chief," said the girl, proudly.

 

"Monima! Is that your name?"

 

"Yes."

 

"It is a pretty name."

 

The girl laughed and appeared to be pleased with the compliment, though it was only to her name. She seemed in turn to be possessed¹³ by curiosity, for she asked:

 

"What white boy's name?"

 

"Jasper."

 

"Jasper," she repeated, with difficulty.

 

"Isn't it a pretty name?"

 

"No," said Monima, laughing.

 

"I am sorry you don't like it, Monima."

 

"I like white boy. He will be big warrior¹⁴ some day."

 

"I don't know about that, Monima. So your father is a chief?"

 

"Yes," said Monima, proudly. "Great chief."

 

"Did he give you this canoe?"

 

"Yes."

 

"Have you any brothers and sisters?"

 

"One brother, young man; no sister."

 

By this time they had reached the other side. Monima skilfully¹⁵ drew up the canoe alongside, and Jasper jumped out. He stood on the bank, and drew from his vest-pocket a silver half-dollar, which he handed to Monima.

 

"Monima no want money," said the girl, proudly.

 

"Keep it to remember white boy," said Jasper.

 

"Monima will remember white boy without money."

 

Jasper reluctantly put the money in his pocket, but he did not like to accept the favor from Monima without rendering¹⁶ her some return. He was in doubt at first, but finally an idea occurred to him. He had half a dozen photographs of himself, which he had recently had taken in St. Louis. He drew out one of these and extended it to Monima.

 

"Take that, Monima," he said. "Keep that and remember me."

 

Monima's face lighted up with wonder and admiration¹⁷ when she saw the photograph, for she had never seen one before. She looked from the picture to Jasper, and from Jasper back again to the picture, and laughed softly.

 

"White boy's picture?" she said.

 

"Yes, Monima. Do you think it looks like me?"

 

She nodded emphatically.

 

"Two white boy—here and there," she said, pointing first to the picture, then to Jasper.

 

"Good-bye, Monima," he said.

 

But the Indian girl was evidently tired of the river, for she fastened the canoe and walked by his side. He kept up a conversation for some time, till she turned aside and entered a path which led into the woods.

 

"Does your father live there?" he asked.

 

"Yes," said Monima.

 

"Good-bye," he said.

 

She didn't say good-bye, but uttered a word which was probably the Indian equivalent for it, and was soon lost to his sight.

 

"Well, that's romantic, to begin with," thought Jasper. "The daughter of a great chief has ferried me across the river, and I have given her my photograph. The next romantic thing that happens to me may be my losing my way, but I hope not."

 

He had a general idea of the way he wanted to go, but after awhile he became perplexed¹⁸, and was led to doubt whether he had not gone astray.

 

"I wish I could find somebody to guide me," he thought.

 

He had his wish. A few rods farther on he came upon a man stretched upon the grass under a tree.

 

"I have lost my way," he began, but before he could finish the sentence the man sprang to his feet, and, to his dismay, he recognized Jack¹⁹, the man who had had him locked up in St. Louis.

1 adventurous   

adj.爱冒险的；惊心动魄的，惊险的，刺激的　

参考例句：

• I was filled with envy at their adventurous lifestyle.我很羨慕他们敢于冒险的生活方式。
• He was predestined to lead an adventurous life.他注定要过冒险的生活。

2 recording   

n.录音，记录

参考例句：

• How long will the recording of the song take?录下这首歌得花多少时间？
• I want to play you a recording of the rehearsal.我想给你放一下彩排的录像。

3 tract   

n.传单，小册子，大片(土地或森林)

参考例句：

• He owns a large tract of forest.他拥有一大片森林。
• He wrote a tract on this subject.他曾对此写了一篇短文。

4 standing   

n.持续，地位；adj.永久的，不动的，直立的，不流动的

参考例句：

• After the earthquake only a few houses were left standing.地震过后只有几幢房屋还立着。
• They're standing out against any change in the law.他们坚决反对对法律做任何修改。

5 glided   

v.滑动( glide的过去式和过去分词 )；掠过；（鸟或飞机 ） 滑翔

参考例句：

• The President's motorcade glided by. 总统的车队一溜烟开了过去。
• They glided along the wall until they were out of sight. 他们沿着墙壁溜得无影无踪。 来自《简明英汉词典》

6 dexterously   

adv.巧妙地，敏捷地

参考例句：

• He operates the machine dexterously. 他操纵机器动作非常轻巧。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》
• How dexterously he handled the mite. 他伺候小家伙，有多么熟练。 来自辞典例句

7 acting   

n.演戏，行为，假装；adj.代理的，临时的，演出用的

参考例句：

• Ignore her,she's just acting.别理她，她只是假装的。
• During the seventies,her acting career was in eclipse.在七十年代，她的表演生涯黯然失色。

8 uncertainty   

n.易变，靠不住，不确知，不确定的事物

参考例句：

• Her comments will add to the uncertainty of the situation.她的批评将会使局势更加不稳定。
• After six weeks of uncertainty,the strain was beginning to take its toll.6个星期的忐忑不安后，压力开始产生影响了。

9 attentively   

adv.聚精会神地；周到地；谛；凝神

参考例句：

• She listened attentively while I poured out my problems. 我倾吐心中的烦恼时，她一直在注意听。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• She listened attentively and set down every word he said. 她专心听着，把他说的话一字不漏地记下来。 来自《简明英汉词典》

10 promptly   

adv.及时地，敏捷地

参考例句：

• He paid the money back promptly.他立即还了钱。
• She promptly seized the opportunity his absence gave her.她立即抓住了因他不在场给她创造的机会。

11 frail   

adj.身体虚弱的；易损坏的

参考例句：

• Mrs. Warner is already 96 and too frail to live by herself.华纳太太已经九十六岁了，身体虚弱，不便独居。
• She lay in bed looking particularly frail.她躺在床上，看上去特别虚弱。

12 agitate   

vi.(for,against)煽动，鼓动；vt.搅动

参考例句：

• They sent agents to agitate the local people.他们派遣情报人员煽动当地的民众。
• All you need to do is gently agitate the water with a finger or paintbrush.你只需要用手指或刷子轻轻地搅动水。

13 possessed   

adj.疯狂的；拥有的，占有的

参考例句：

• He flew out of the room like a man possessed.他像着了魔似地猛然冲出房门。
• He behaved like someone possessed.他行为举止像是魔怔了。

14 warrior   

n.勇士，武士，斗士

参考例句：

• The young man is a bold warrior.这个年轻人是个很英勇的武士。
• A true warrior values glory and honor above life.一个真正的勇士珍视荣誉胜过生命。

15 skilfully   

adv. (美skillfully)熟练地

参考例句：

• Hall skilfully weaves the historical research into a gripping narrative. 霍尔巧妙地把历史研究揉进了扣人心弦的故事叙述。
• Enthusiasm alone won't do. You've got to work skilfully. 不能光靠傻劲儿，得找窍门。

16 rendering   

n.表现，描写

参考例句：

• She gave a splendid rendering of Beethoven's piano sonata.她精彩地演奏了贝多芬的钢琴奏鸣曲。
• His narrative is a super rendering of dialect speech and idiom.他的叙述是方言和土语最成功的运用。

17 admiration   

n.钦佩，赞美，羡慕

参考例句：

• He was lost in admiration of the beauty of the scene.他对风景之美赞不绝口。
• We have a great admiration for the gold medalists.我们对金牌获得者极为敬佩。

18 perplexed   

adj.不知所措的

参考例句：

• The farmer felt the cow,went away,returned,sorely perplexed,always afraid of being cheated.那农民摸摸那头牛，走了又回来，犹豫不决，总怕上当受骗。
• The child was perplexed by the intricate plot of the story.这孩子被那头绪纷繁的故事弄得迷惑不解。

19 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。