Ah Sin, from a distance, had seen John Miles[Pg 66] encamp for the night, and, impelled7 by curiosity or a more questionable8 motive9, had approached to take a view of the stranger. Before reaching him he caught sight of Bill Crane, and his almond eyes straightway watched the movements of that gentleman, while he himself kept sufficiently10 in the background to escape observation.
When he saw Crane stealthily remove the bag from under the sleeper11's head, he became very much interested, and a bland smile overspread his face, while his cue vibrated gently with approval.
"'Melican man very smart," he murmured to himself. "He steal his friend's money while he sleep."
My readers are probably aware that our Mongolian visitors find a difficulty in pronouncing the letter r, and invariably replace it by l.
"Suppose other 'Melican man wake up, he make a low," continued Ah Sin, softly.
But the other 'Melican man did not wake up, and Bill Crane got away with his booty, as we already know. Cautiously the Chinaman followed[Pg 67] him, and ascertained12 where he intended to pass the night. It was at a moderate distance from the cabin which the two Chinamen had selected for their mining camp.
"I'm powerful sleepy," he soliloquized. "I can't go any farther to-night. I don't like to rest so near Miles, but I can be on the road before he wakes up. I guess it will be safe enough."
Crane, having made up his mind to rest, rolled himself up in his blanket, and stretched himself out, first tying his horse to a sapling. The place was retired14, and he felt moderately confident that, even if he overslept himself, he would not be discovered.
"I'd like to see Miles when he discovers his loss," he said to himself, smiling at the thought. "He'll be ready to tear his hair, and won't have the least idea how the gold-dust was spirited away. You excel me in brute15 strength, John Miles, but one thing I am pretty sure of, you[Pg 68] haven't got my brains," and he complacently16 tapped his forehead.
"There must be at least two hundred dollars' worth in that bag," he reflected. "It isn't a great haul, but it will do. It will last me some time, and perhaps start me in something in Frisco. Bill Crane, you've done a good stroke of business to-day. You are entitled to a good night's rest, and you shall have it."
First, however, he concealed17 the bag. He did not think it safe to place it under his head as Miles had done. He scooped18 a hole in the earth near by, deposited the bag, replaced the dirt, and spread a few leaves over the top.
"No one will think of searching there," thought Crane. "Even if Miles himself surprises me here, he won't suspect anything."
Bill Crane felt that he was unusually sharp and crafty19, and felt great contempt for the stupidity of the man whom he had overreached. The time was not far off when he had occasion to doubt whether he had not overrated his own artfulness.
A pair of almond eyes, lighted up with mild[Pg 69] wonder, followed closely all the movements of William Crane. When the bag was concealed, and Crane lay down to sleep, the Chinaman nodded blandly20, and remarked softly, "All light! Me go find Ah Jim."
Ah Sin had to walk but half a mile to find the partner of his toils21. Ah Sin and Ah Jim, though not related to each other, were as like as two peas. The same smooth face, the same air of childlike confidence, the same almond eyes, a pigtail of the same length, a blouse and loose pants of the same coarse cloth, were characteristic of both.
Ah Jim listened attentively23, and was evidently well pleased with what his companion said. I am afraid my young friends are not well up in the Chinese tongue, and would not understand the conversation, however faithfully reported. They must infer what it was from what followed.
The two Chinamen bent24 their steps towards the resting-place of Bill Crane. Ah Sin carried a bag[Pg 70] of about the same size as the one Crane had stolen, which he carefully filled with sandy earth. With stealthy steps these two innocent heathen drew near the spot, and looked searchingly at the recumbent form of the eminent25 representative of American civilization.
Ah Sin turned to Ah Jim with a pleased smile.
"All light!" he said. "'Melican man asleep."
A similar smile lighted up the face of Ah Jim. "'Melican man sleep sound," he said; "no wake up."
Quite unaware26 of the honor done him by the special Chinese embassy which had taken this early opportunity to call upon him, Bill Crane slept on. There was a smile upon his upturned face as if he were dreaming of something pleasant. He should have been a prey27 to remorse28, if his conscience had done its duty, but Bill's conscience had grown callous29, and gave him very little trouble. It was only when he was found out that he became sensible of a kind of mental discomfort30 which came as near to remorse as he was capable of feeling.
Reassured31 by the deep, regular breathing of the[Pg 71] sleeper, Ah Sin and his friend proceeded to their work. The former drew a slender stiletto-like knife from a fan which protruded32 above the collar of his blouse, and, stooping down, began skilfully33 to remove the dirt which covered the bag of gold-dust. From time to time he stole a glance at the sleeper to mark the first indications of returning consciousness. It was well for Crane that his sleep continued. A Chinaman does not set a high value upon human life, and the long stiletto would have been plunged into the 'Melican man before he was well aware of what was going on. Bill Crane's good genius saved him from this sudden exit by continuing the profound slumber34 in which he was repairing the ravages35 of fatigue36.
The Chinamen therefore met with no interruption in their work. They drew out from its place of concealment37 the buried bag, and emptying the contents of their own poured into it the combined treasures of Miles and poor Tom. Then they filled the first bag with the worthless dust which they had brought with them, and carefully reburied it in the ground.
[Pg 72]
They did their work so carefully and well that no one was likely to suspect that the bag had been tampered38 with.
Having done their work, Ah Sin and his friend smiled upon each other in bland satisfaction, which was further expressed by a low guttural chuckle39.
"All light," said Ah Sin, with a nod.
"All light," chimed in Ah Jim, nodding in return.
A consciousness of lofty virtue40 could not have produced a happier expression upon any face than appeared on the mild countenance41 of the Chinamen.
"'Melican man much supplised when he wake up," remarked Ah Jim.
"Chinamen make much money," returned his friend.
The two enterprising visitors returned to their quarters, and concealed their booty in a safe place. Then they too lay down and slept the sleep of confiding42 innocence.
Bret Harte has not told us whether the heathen Chinee has a conscience; but if he has, neither[Pg 73] Ah Sin nor Ah Jim experienced any inconvenience from its possession. Neither they nor Bill perhaps can fairly be taken as fair representatives of the different religious systems under which they were trained. Bill Crane could hardly claim any superiority over the heathen Chinee in point of honesty.
点击
收听单词发音
收听单词发音 |
1
peculiar
|
|
| adj.古怪的，异常的；特殊的，特有的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
2
bland
|
|
| adj.淡而无味的，温和的，无刺激性的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
3
innocence
|
|
| n.无罪；天真；无害 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
4
possessed
|
|
| adj.疯狂的；拥有的，占有的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
5
immediate
|
|
| adj.立即的；直接的，最接近的；紧靠的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
6
solitary
|
|
| adj.孤独的，独立的，荒凉的；n.隐士 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
7
impelled
|
|
| v.推动、推进或敦促某人做某事( impel的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
8
questionable
|
|
| adj.可疑的，有问题的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
9
motive
|
|
| n.动机，目的；adv.发动的，运动的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
10
sufficiently
|
|
| adv.足够地，充分地 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
11
sleeper
|
|
| n.睡眠者，卧车，卧铺 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
12
ascertained
|
|
| v.弄清，确定，查明( ascertain的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
13
gaped
|
|
| v.目瞪口呆地凝视( gape的过去式和过去分词 )；张开，张大 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
14
retired
|
|
| adj.隐退的，退休的，退役的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
15
brute
|
|
| n.野兽，兽性 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
16
complacently
|
|
| adv. 满足地, 自满地, 沾沾自喜地 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
17
concealed
|
|
| a.隐藏的，隐蔽的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
18
scooped
|
|
| v.抢先报道( scoop的过去式和过去分词 )；（敏捷地）抱起；抢先获得；用铲[勺]等挖（洞等） | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
19
crafty
|
|
| adj.狡猾的，诡诈的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
20
blandly
|
|
| adv.温和地，殷勤地 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
21
toils
|
|
| 网 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
22
plunged
|
|
| v.颠簸( plunge的过去式和过去分词 )；暴跌；骤降；突降 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
23
attentively
|
|
| adv.聚精会神地；周到地；谛；凝神 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
24
bent
|
|
| n.爱好，癖好；adj.弯的；决心的，一心的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
25
eminent
|
|
| adj.显赫的，杰出的，有名的，优良的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
26
unaware
|
|
| a.不知道的，未意识到的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
27
prey
|
|
| n.被掠食者，牺牲者，掠食；v.捕食，掠夺，折磨 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
28
remorse
|
|
| n.痛恨，悔恨，自责 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
29
callous
|
|
| adj.无情的，冷淡的，硬结的，起老茧的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
30
discomfort
|
|
| n.不舒服，不安，难过，困难，不方便 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
31
reassured
|
|
| adj.使消除疑虑的；使放心的v.再保证，恢复信心( reassure的过去式和过去分词) | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
32
protruded
|
|
| v.（使某物）伸出，（使某物）突出( protrude的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
33
skilfully
|
|
| adv. (美skillfully)熟练地 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
34
slumber
|
|
| n.睡眠，沉睡状态 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
35
ravages
|
|
| 劫掠后的残迹，破坏的结果，毁坏后的残迹 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
36
fatigue
|
|
| n.疲劳，劳累 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
37
concealment
|
|
| n.隐藏, 掩盖，隐瞒 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
38
tampered
|
|
| v.窜改( tamper的过去式 )；篡改；（用不正当手段）影响；瞎摆弄 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
39
chuckle
|
|
| vi.／n.轻声笑，咯咯笑 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
40
virtue
|
|
| n.德行，美德；贞操；优点；功效，效力 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
41
countenance
|
|
| n.脸色，面容；面部表情；vt.支持，赞同 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
42
confiding
|
|
| adj.相信人的，易于相信的v.吐露（秘密，心事等）( confide的现在分词 )；（向某人）吐露（隐私、秘密等） | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
| 欢迎访问英文小说网 |