CHAPTER XXIV THE PAPERS IN THE TRUNK

 Nat now asked for his uncle and was told that his relative was at the barn. Placing his dress-suit case in the house, he walked down to the barn. In the meantime Sam Price had driven off.

 

"Uncle Abner, where are you?"

 

"Who's thet a-callin' me?" came from the farmer, as he looked forth¹ from one of the horse stalls.

 

"I've come to ask you for a job," went on Nat, lightly.

 

"Nat! How be you?" Abner came and shook hands. "Want a job? Is it all up in New York?"

 

"No, uncle, I was only fooling. I came home for a vacation of a couple of days, that's all."

 

"Well, you're welcome, Nat. But it must cost money to travel so far for jest two days' vacation."

 

"I came for another purpose, too. Do you remember those old papers in the trunk in the garret?"

 

"Those thet belonged to your father an' grandfather?"

 

"Yes. Well, I am going to look them over and see if they are of any value."

 

"Ain't nuthin' of any use, Nat. I looked over 'em myself, one rainy day when I didn't have nuthin' else to do."

 

"Mr. Garwell thinks some of them might be valuable."

 

"Does he know about 'em?"

 

"He only knows what I told him."

 

"The old debts is all outlawed²."

 

"But there are other papers—something about some land grandfather had an interest in."

 

"I don't know nuthin' about that. It's so long ago, I don't believe they are worth a cent."

 

"Well, it won't do any harm to look them over, and show them to Mr. Garwell," returned our hero.

 

It was approaching the noon hour, and in honor of Nat's arrival, Mrs. Balberry prepared an extra good dinner, of which the boy partook freely. It was plainly to be seen that the former widow was the ruler of the house, and that she compelled Abner Balberry to be far more liberal than had been his habit in years gone by.

 

"Have another piece of pie, Nat," said the lady of the house, graciously.

 

"Thank you, but I've had enough," answered Nat.

 

"Better save what's left for to-morrow," suggested Abner Balberry.

 

"If Nat wants another piece, he shall have it," was the lady's quick answer.

 

"Oh, certainly! certainly!"

 

"Ma, I want another piece," came promptly³ from Fred.

 

"You've had two pieces already, Fred."

 

"I want another."

 

"Not to-day."

 

"Just a little piece!"

 

"Not another mouthful!" And Mrs. Balberry placed the remainder of the pie in the cupboard.

 

"I can't never have nothing!" cried Fred, kicking the leg of the table.

 

"You'll have a box on the ears, Fred Guff, if you don't behave yourself," answered his mother, and then there was silence.

 

After dinner, Nat talked with his uncle for a while, and then putting on an old coat, went up into the dusty garret, and hauled out the old trunk. It was strapped⁴, but not locked, so he had no trouble in opening it.

 

"What are you going to do?" asked Fred, who had followed him.

 

"Look over some papers," answered our hero, briefly⁵.

 

"Want me to help you?"

 

"No."

 

"What are you going to do with the papers?"

 

"Take some of them to the city with me."

 

"Are they yours?"

 

"Yes."

 

"Say, don't you think it would be a good plan for me to go to the city and git a job at ten dollars a week?" went on Fred, sitting down on the top garret step.

 

"Yes, if you could get the ten-dollar job."

 

"Why can't I git it? You got it."

 

"I was lucky, that's all, Fred. Before I got it I might have starved to death."

 

"Huh! Couldn't you git me a job with your boss?"

 

"I don't think so."

 

"I'm just as smart as you are, Nat Nason."

 

To this our hero made no reply. He had brought out some of the papers, and was looking them over with much interest.

 

"If you don't want to help me git a job, I'll git one on my own hook," continued Fred, who was as dull as he considered himself bright.

 

"Well, you have a right to do as you please," said Nat. "But please leave me alone now, Fred; I want to read these very carefully."

 

"Huh! I'm going to stay in the garret as long as I please."

 

Nat said no more, and Fred began to kick the step upon which he was sitting. Then, he began to thump⁶ on the rafters of the garret, bringing down some dirt on Nat's head.

 

"Stop that, Fred!" cried our hero, sharply. "Stop it, I say!"

 

"I ain't goin' to stop."

 

"If you don't stop, I'll put you downstairs, first thing you know."

 

"You can't do it."

 

"Yes, I can."

 

"Do you want to fight?" demanded Fred, rising and squaring off.

 

"No, but I want you to leave me alone."

 

"I ain't touched you."

 

"No, but you were knocking the dirt down on me. Why can't you leave me alone?"

 

"I've got as much right in this garret as you have, that's why."

 

"You are mean."

 

"Don't you call me mean!" blustered⁷ Fred, and coming closer, he hit Nat on the shoulder. At once our hero hit back, and Fred received a thump in the mouth that caused him to topple backwards⁸.

 

"Don't!" he screamed. "Don't—don't hit me again."

 

"Now, are you going to leave me alone?" demanded Nat.

 

"I'll tell my ma on you."

 

"If you do, I shall tell her how you annoyed me," answered Nat.

 

"Come down in the barnyard and I'll fight with you," said Fred, but, as he spoke⁹, he retreated down the stairs.

 

"Don't be a fool, Fred. Behave yourself, and we'll get along all right," said Nat, and then Fred passed to the lower floor, banging the stairway door after him. There was a hook on the door, and this he fastened after him.

 

"Now, Nat can stay in the garret till I let him out," he muttered to himself.

 

When left to himself, Nat dragged the old trunk to one of the windows of the garret, and then began a systematic¹⁰ investigation¹¹ of all the papers the box contained. He soon learned that the majority of the documents were of no importance, but there were half a dozen which looked of possible value, and these he placed in his pocket. Two of the sheets referred directly to the land in New York City.

 

"I hope these are what Mr. Garwell is looking for," he said to himself.

 

Having put the trunk back where it belonged, Nat started to go below, only to find the door hooked fast from the other side.

 

"Fred!" he called out loudly. "Fred, open the door!"

 

"Ha! ha! Nat Nason, how do you like being a prisoner?" came from Fred, who had been resting on a bed in a nearby room.

 

"I want you to open the door."

 

"What will you give me if I do?"

 

"I'll tell you what I'll give you if you don't!" cried Nat, angrily.

 

"What?"

 

"A good thrashing."

 

"You can't do it."

 

"Are you going to open the door?"

 

"No."

 

Fred had scarcely spoken when Nat pressed on the door, and the hook flew from its fastening. As the door burst open, Nat leaped from the stairway and caught the other boy by the collar.

 

"Now, then, that for locking me in," he cried, and boxed Fred's ears soundly.

 

"Stop!" roared Fred. "Stop, Nat Nason."

 

"Will you behave yourself after this, and leave me alone?"

 

"Yes! yes!"

 

"Then, see that you do," went on Nat, and flung the other boy from him. Fred picked himself up in a hurry, and ran below. He vowed¹² he would get square, but during Nat's stay at the farm he could not muster¹³ up courage to do so.

1 forth   

adv.向前；向外，往外

参考例句：

• The wind moved the trees gently back and forth.风吹得树轻轻地来回摇晃。
• He gave forth a series of works in rapid succession.他很快连续发表了一系列的作品。

2 outlawed   

宣布…为不合法（outlaw的过去式与过去分词形式）

参考例句：

• Most states have outlawed the use of marijuana. 大多数州都宣布使用大麻为非法行为。
• I hope the sale of tobacco will be outlawed someday. 我希望有朝一日烟草制品会禁止销售。

3 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。

4 strapped   

adj.用皮带捆住的，用皮带装饰的；身无分文的；缺钱；手头紧v.用皮带捆扎(strap的过去式和过去分词)；用皮带抽打；包扎；给…打绷带

参考例句：

• Make sure that the child is strapped tightly into the buggy. 一定要把孩子牢牢地拴在婴儿车上。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• The soldiers' great coats were strapped on their packs. 战士们的厚大衣扎捆在背包上。 来自《简明英汉词典》

5 briefly   

adv.简单地，简短地

参考例句：

• I want to touch briefly on another aspect of the problem.我想简单地谈一下这个问题的另一方面。
• He was kidnapped and briefly detained by a terrorist group.他被一个恐怖组织绑架并短暂拘禁。

6 thump   

v.重击，砰然地响；n.重击，重击声

参考例句：

• The thief hit him a thump on the head.贼在他的头上重击一下。
• The excitement made her heart thump.她兴奋得心怦怦地跳。

7 blustered   

v.外强中干的威吓( bluster的过去式和过去分词 )；咆哮；（风）呼啸；狂吹

参考例句：

• He blustered his way through the crowd. 他吆喝着挤出人群。 来自《现代英汉综合大词典》
• The wind blustered around the house. 狂风呼啸着吹过房屋周围。 来自《现代英汉综合大词典》

8 backwards   

adv.往回地，向原处，倒，相反，前后倒置地

参考例句：

• He turned on the light and began to pace backwards and forwards.他打开电灯并开始走来走去。
• All the girls fell over backwards to get the party ready.姑娘们迫不及待地为聚会做准备。

9 spoke   

n.（车轮的）辐条；轮辐；破坏某人的计划；阻挠某人的行动 v.讲，谈（speak的过去式）；说；演说；从某种观点来说

参考例句：

• They sourced the spoke nuts from our company.他们的轮辐螺帽是从我们公司获得的。
• The spokes of a wheel are the bars that connect the outer ring to the centre.辐条是轮子上连接外圈与中心的条棒。

10 systematic   

adj.有系统的，有计划的，有方法的

参考例句：

• The way he works isn't very systematic.他的工作不是很有条理。
• The teacher made a systematic work of teaching.这个教师进行系统的教学工作。

11 investigation   

n.调查，调查研究

参考例句：

• In an investigation,a new fact became known, which told against him.在调查中新发现了一件对他不利的事实。
• He drew the conclusion by building on his own investigation.他根据自己的调查研究作出结论。

12 vowed   

起誓，发誓（vow的过去式与过去分词形式）

参考例句：

• He vowed quite solemnly that he would carry out his promise. 他非常庄严地发誓要实现他的诺言。
• I vowed to do more of the cooking myself. 我发誓自己要多动手做饭。

13 muster   

v.集合，收集，鼓起，激起；n.集合，检阅，集合人员，点名册

参考例句：

• Go and muster all the men you can find.去集合所有你能找到的人。
• I had to muster my courage up to ask him that question.我必须鼓起勇气向他问那个问题。