CHAPTER XXVII. — BAFFLED CUPIDITY.

 An expression of surprise and dismay, almost ludicrous, appeared on the faces of the two adventurers as the contents of the handkerchief were revealed.

 

"Why, it's nothing but a rock!" exclaimed the new-comer, with an oath.

 

The thief stared at him in helpless consternation¹, and was unable to utter a word.

 

"What does all this mean?" asked the new-comer sternly. "If you are humbugging me, I'll——" and he finished the sentence with an oath.

 

"I don't know what it means," answered the thief in a disconsolate² tone. "I'm just as much surprised as you are."

 

"Where did you get it? How came you to make such a fool of yourself?" demanded the new-comer, frowning heavily.

 

"You know that Yankee and the two boys who have a claim next to Pickett's?"

 

"Well?"

 

"Last night I was coming from the Hut"—that was the local name of the cabin devoted³ to gambling⁴ purposes—"when I saw them coming from their claim. The Yankee had this —— rock tied up in yonder handkerchief. Of course, I supposed it was a nugget. No one would suppose he was taking all that pains with a common rock."

 

"Go on! Did you follow them?"

 

"Yes; that is, I kept them in sight. They entered their cabin, and I waited, perhaps three-quarters of an hour, till they had time to fall asleep."

 

"Were you near the cabin all the time?"

 

"No; I didn't dare to be too near for fear I should be observed. I wanted the nugget, but I didn't want to run any risk."

 

"I have no doubt you were very prudent," said the second, with an unpleasant sneer⁵. Doubtless he would have done the same, but his disappointment was so great that he could not resist the temptation of indulging in this fling at the man who had unintentionally contributed to it.

 

"Of course I was," said the first, with some indignation. "Would you have had me enter the cabin while they were all awake, and carry it off under their very eyes? That would be mighty⁶ sensible."

 

"At any rate, then you would have got the genuine nugget."

 

"What do you mean? Do you think there was a nugget?"

 

"Of course I do. It's as plain as the nose on your face, and that's plain enough, in all conscience. They've played a trick on you."

 

"What trick?"

 

"It appears to me you are mighty stupid, my friend. They hid away the real nugget, and put this in its place. That Yankee is a good deal sharper than you are, and he wasn't going to run no risks."

 

"Do you believe this?" asked the thief, his jaw⁷ falling.

 

"There's no doubt of it. They've had a fine laugh at your expense before this, I'll be bound."

 

"Just my luck!" ejaculated the thief dolefully. "After all the pains I've taken, too."

 

"Yes, it is hard lines on a poor industrious⁸ man like you!" said the new-comer cynically¹⁰. "You're not smart enough to be a successful thief."

 

"I suppose you are," retorted the other resentfully.

 

"Yes, I flatter myself I am," returned the other composedly. "When I take anything, at any rate I have the sense to take something worth carrying away—not a worthless rock like this. You must have had a fine time lugging¹¹ it from the mines."

 

"It nearly broke my back," said the thief gloomily.

 

"And now you don't know what to do with it? Take my advice, my friend, and carry it back to the original owner. He may find it handy another time."

 

"I'll be blessed if I do," growled¹² the unhappy thief.

 

"I doubt that," said his companion dryly. "However, do as you please. It don't interest me. I don't think on the whole I will accept your offer of a partnership¹³. When I take a partner I want a man with some small supply of brains."

 

The first looked at him resentfully. He did not like these taunts¹⁴, and would have assaulted him had he dared, but the new-comer was powerfully built, and evidently an unsafe man to take liberties with. He threw himself back on the pallet and groaned¹⁵.

 

"Well," said the second after a pause, "when you've got through crying over spilt milk, will you kindly¹⁶ tell me where I can get something to eat?"

 

"I don't know."

 

"Humph! that's short and to the point. It is something I would like very much to know, for my part. I feel decidedly hungry."

 

"I have no appetite," said the luckless thief mournfully.

 

"You will have, after a while. Then you can't think of any cabin near by where we could get a breakfast?"

 

"There's Joe's.'"

 

"Where's Joe's?"

 

"About a mile from here on the road to the camp."

 

"Are you acquainted with Joe?"

 

"Yes."

 

"Is your credit good with him?"

 

"I think he would trust me for a breakfast."

 

"And me? You can introduce me as a friend of yours."

 

"You haven't been talking like a friend of mine," said the first resentfully.

 

"Perhaps not. However, you must make allowances for my natural disappointment. You led me into it, you know."

 

"If it comes to that, I have done you no harm. Even if the nugget wasn't real, you had no claim to it."

 

"You excited my hopes, and that's enough to rile any man—that is, when disappointment follows. However, there's no use crying over spilt milk. I have an idea that may lead to something."

 

"What is it?" asked the thief with some eagerness.

 

"I will tell you—after breakfast. My ideas don't flow freely when I am hungry. Come, my friend, get up, and lead the way to Joe's. I have an aching void within, which needs filling up. Your appetite may come too—after a walk."

 

Somehow this man, cool and cynical⁹ as he was, impressed his fellow adventurer, and he rose obediently, and led the way out of the cabin.

 

"I wish I knew what was your idea," he said.

 

"Well, I don't mind telling you. I believe the Yankee did find a nugget."

 

"Well?"

 

"You haven't got it, but you may get it—that is, we may get it."

 

"I don't see how. He will be on his guard now."

 

"Of course he will. I don't mean that we should repeat the blunder of last night. You may be sure he won't keep it in his cabin another night."

 

"Then how are we to get it?"

 

"Follow him to Melbourne. He'll carry it there, and on the way we can relieve him of it."

 

"There's something in that."

 

"We shall be together, and he won't take me in as readily as he did you. After breakfast, if we are lucky enough to get any, we must go back to the camp, and find out what we can about his plans. Do you think anyone saw you last night when you were in the cabin?"

 

"No."

 

"That is well. Then you won't be suspected. But I can't say a word more till I have had breakfast."

 

After half an hour's walking—it was only half a mile, but the soil was boggy¹⁷, rendering¹⁸ locomotion¹⁹ difficult—they reached a humble²⁰ wayside cabin, which was in some sort a restaurant, and by dint²¹ of diplomacy²² and a promise of speedy payment, they secured a meal to which, despite their disappointment, they did ample justice.

 

Breakfast over, they resumed their fatiguing²³ walk, and reached the mining camp about ten o'clock.

1 consternation   

n.大为吃惊，惊骇

参考例句：

• He was filled with consternation to hear that his friend was so ill.他听说朋友病得那么厉害，感到非常震惊。
• Sam stared at him in consternation.萨姆惊恐不安地注视着他。

2 disconsolate   

adj.忧郁的，不快的

参考例句：

• He looked so disconsolate that It'scared her.他看上去情绪很坏，吓了她一跳。
• At the dress rehearsal she was disconsolate.彩排时她闷闷不乐。

3 devoted   

adj.忠诚的，忠实的，热心的，献身于...的

参考例句：

• He devoted his life to the educational cause of the motherland.他为祖国的教育事业贡献了一生。
• We devoted a lengthy and full discussion to this topic.我们对这个题目进行了长时间的充分讨论。

4 gambling   

n.赌博；投机

参考例句：

• They have won a lot of money through gambling.他们赌博赢了很多钱。
• The men have been gambling away all night.那些人赌了整整一夜。

5 sneer   

v.轻蔑；嘲笑；n.嘲笑，讥讽的言语

参考例句：

• He said with a sneer.他的话中带有嘲笑之意。
• You may sneer,but a lot of people like this kind of music.你可以嗤之以鼻，但很多人喜欢这种音乐。

6 mighty   

adj.强有力的；巨大的

参考例句：

• A mighty force was about to break loose.一股巨大的力量即将迸发而出。
• The mighty iceberg came into view.巨大的冰山出现在眼前。

7 jaw   

n.颚，颌，说教，流言蜚语；v.喋喋不休，教训

参考例句：

• He delivered a right hook to his opponent's jaw.他给了对方下巴一记右钩拳。
• A strong square jaw is a sign of firm character.强健的方下巴是刚毅性格的标志。

8 industrious   

adj.勤劳的，刻苦的，奋发的

参考例句：

• If the tiller is industrious,the farmland is productive.人勤地不懒。
• She was an industrious and willing worker.她是个勤劳肯干的员工。

9 cynical   

adj.(对人性或动机)怀疑的，不信世道向善的

参考例句：

• The enormous difficulty makes him cynical about the feasibility of the idea.由于困难很大，他对这个主意是否可行持怀疑态度。
• He was cynical that any good could come of democracy.他不相信民主会带来什么好处。

10 cynically   

adv.爱嘲笑地，冷笑地

参考例句：

• "Holding down the receiver,'said Daisy cynically. “挂上话筒在讲。”黛西冷嘲热讽地说。 来自英汉文学 - 盖茨比
• The Democrats sensibly (if cynically) set about closing the God gap. 民主党在明智（有些讽刺）的减少宗教引起的问题。 来自互联网

11 lugging   

超载运转能力

参考例句：

• I would smile when I saw him lugging his golf bags into the office. 看到他把高尔夫球袋拖进办公室，我就笑一笑。 来自辞典例句
• As a general guide, S＄1 should be adequate for baggage-lugging service. 一般的准则是，如有人帮你搬运行李，给一新元就够了。 来自互联网

12 growled   

v.（动物）发狺狺声， （雷）作隆隆声( growl的过去式和过去分词 )；低声咆哮着说

参考例句：

• \"They ought to be birched, \" growled the old man. 老人咆哮道：“他们应受到鞭打。” 来自《简明英汉词典》
• He growled out an answer. 他低声威胁着回答。 来自《简明英汉词典》

13 partnership   

n.合作关系，伙伴关系

参考例句：

• The company has gone into partnership with Swiss Bank Corporation.这家公司已经和瑞士银行公司建立合作关系。
• Martin has taken him into general partnership in his company.马丁已让他成为公司的普通合伙人。

14 taunts   

嘲弄的言语，嘲笑，奚落( taunt的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• He had to endure the racist taunts of the crowd. 他不得不忍受那群人种族歧视的奚落。
• He had to endure the taunts of his successful rival. 他不得不忍受成功了的对手的讥笑。

15 groaned   

v.呻吟( groan的过去式和过去分词 )；发牢骚；抱怨；受苦

参考例句：

• He groaned in anguish. 他痛苦地呻吟。
• The cart groaned under the weight of the piano. 大车在钢琴的重压下嘎吱作响。 来自《简明英汉词典》

16 kindly   

adj.和蔼的，温和的，爽快的；adv.温和地，亲切地

参考例句：

• Her neighbours spoke of her as kindly and hospitable.她的邻居都说她和蔼可亲、热情好客。
• A shadow passed over the kindly face of the old woman.一道阴影掠过老太太慈祥的面孔。

17 boggy   

adj.沼泽多的

参考例句：

• Of, resembling, or characterized by a marsh or marshes; boggy. 沼泽般的，湿软的：类似沼泽地的，沼泽地所特有的；多沼泽的。 来自互联网
• The boggy is out of order, would be instead another one! 球车坏了，需要更换一部。 来自互联网

18 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。

19 locomotion   

n.运动，移动

参考例句：

• By land,air or sea,birds are masters of locomotion.无论是通过陆地，飞越空中还是穿过海洋，鸟应算是运动能手了。
• Food sources also elicit oriented locomotion and recognition behavior patterns in most insects.食物源也引诱大多数昆虫定向迁移和识别行为。

20 humble   

adj.谦卑的，恭顺的；地位低下的；v.降低，贬低

参考例句：

• In my humble opinion,he will win the election.依我拙见，他将在选举中获胜。
• Defeat and failure make people humble.挫折与失败会使人谦卑。

21 dint   

n.由于，靠；凹坑

参考例句：

• He succeeded by dint of hard work.他靠苦干获得成功。
• He reached the top by dint of great effort.他费了很大的劲终于爬到了顶。

22 diplomacy   

n.外交；外交手腕，交际手腕

参考例句：

• The talks have now gone into a stage of quiet diplomacy.会谈现在已经进入了“温和外交”阶段。
• This was done through the skill in diplomacy. 这是通过外交手腕才做到的。

23 fatiguing   

a.使人劳累的

参考例句：

• He was fatiguing himself with his writing, no doubt. 想必他是拼命写作，写得精疲力尽了。
• Machines are much less fatiguing to your hands, arms, and back. 使用机器时，手、膊和后背不会感到太累。