CHAPTER XXXI. — TAKEN CAPTIVE.

 The new recruits, on being introduced to the captain of the bushrangers, were subjected to a searching examination by the chief, a suspicion having arisen in his mind that the two were spies sent out by the government to lure¹ the outlaws² into a trap. He was convinced after a while that they were acting³ in good faith, and a conference was called to decide what should be done in the matter. On this point opinions differed. The nugget, of course, would be a valuable prize, but it would be impossible to dispose of it in Melbourne, as the fact of its discovery would have been published, and any person attempting to sell it would be instantly arrested. This view was held by Captain Ring himself.

 

"That objection is easily met," said Fletcher.

 

"In what way?"

 

"One of the band could be sent to America to dispose of it. He could carry it in his trunk as ordinary luggage."

 

"Perhaps you would like to undertake the commission," said Captain Ring.

 

"I should be very willing," said Fletcher eagerly.

 

"I don't doubt you would," returned the captain, in a sarcastic⁵ tone. "Who would insure your making over the proceeds to us?"

 

"I hope you don't doubt my integrity," said Fletcher, with an air of virtuous⁶ indignation.

 

"Perhaps I had better say nothing on that subject, Fletcher. The band are unwilling⁷ to subject you to the temptation—that's all. Many good men go wrong."

 

"You might send someone with me," suggested Fletcher, unwilling to give up the tempting⁴ prospect⁸.

 

"We haven't got the nugget yet," answered the captain dryly.

 

Colson and Ropes had listened with interest to the discussion. They began to fear that nothing would be done. They would have been as much opposed as anyone to trusting Fletcher, as he had not inspired them with confidence. It takes a rogue⁹ to detect a rogue, and they already suspected his true character. Their hope of revenge on Obed Stackpole seemed slipping through their fingers.

 

"The Yankee and the two boys have a good deal of gold about them," suggested Colson. "Of course it isn't much, compared with the nugget, but it is better than nothing."

 

"How much has the Yankee?" demanded King.

 

"Three hundred pounds at least."

 

"That is something, but as he will travel with the government escort, we should have to attack the whole party."

 

"Not necessarily. I have a plan that I think will work."

 

"Detail it."

 

Colson did so. What it was will appear in due time.

 

Meanwhile Obed and the two boys had started on their way to Melbourne. With a strong military escort they gave themselves up to joyful¹⁰ anticipations¹¹ of the bright future that opened before them. They no longer entertained apprehensions¹² of being waylaid¹³, being secure in the strength of their party.

 

They travelled by easy stages, and at night camped out. A sentry¹⁴ was always posted, who stood guard while the rest were asleep, for, unlikely as an attack might be, it was deemed necessary to provide against it.

 

Often, however, after supper Obed and the two boys would take a walk together, in order to talk over their plans without interruption from others. On the third evening they unwittingly walked a little further than usual. Harry¹⁵ was the first to notice it.

 

"Hadn't we better return, Obed?" he said. "We must be a mile from the camp."

 

"You are right," said Obed. "It would be rather unlucky to meet with the bushrangers, just as we are gettin' on so well."

 

"That's true; we mustn't run any risks."

 

They started to return, when Jack¹⁶, stopping suddenly, said, "I thought I heard a groan¹⁷."

 

"So did I," said Harry.

 

They paused, and the groan was repeated. It appeared to come from a couple of rods to the left in the recesses¹⁸ of the forest.

 

"If there's any poor critter in pain we ought to help him," said Obed, "come along, boys!"

 

It was not difficult to discover the spot from which the groan proceeded. A man of middle age lay outstretched beneath a tree, with an expression of pain on his face.

 

"What's the matter, my friend?" asked Obed, standing¹⁹ over him.

 

"The bushrangers have robbed and beaten me," said the prostrate²⁰ man feebly.

 

"You don't say so! How long since?"

 

"About an hour."

 

"Then they must be near by," said Harry.

 

"No; they went away as soon as they got my money."

 

Meanwhile Jack had been attentively²¹ examining the face of the alleged²² victim. He quietly beckoned²³ to Harry to move off to a little distance.

 

"Well, Jack, what is it?" asked Harry, somewhat surprised.

 

"That man is one of the bushrangers. I remember his face very well. It is one of the gang that captured us."

 

Harry was naturally startled.

 

"Are you sure of this?" he asked.

 

"Yes, I know him as well as I do Obed."

 

"Then it is a plot. We must get away if we can. There is danger in staying here."

 

"You are right there, Harry."

 

"I will go up and take Obed's place while you call him away."

 

Harry advanced to the side of the victim, and said quietly, "Jack wishes to speak to you a moment, Obed. He thinks we can carry this gentleman with us, as he has lost all his money."

 

"Very well," said Obed, and walked to where Jack was standing.

 

Harry scrutinized²⁴ the man's face, and he too recognized him as one of the gang—but his face did not betray his suspicions.

 

"Were you robbed of much money?" he asked in a sympathizing tone.

 

"I had the value of a hundred pounds with me," said the other feebly.

 

"I suppose you came from Bendigo like ourselves?"

 

"Yes; have you been lucky?"

 

"We had some luck, but we are tired of mining, and are going back to Melbourne. Would you like to have us take you along also?"

 

"Yes, if you would be so kind."

 

At this moment Obed's voice was heard.

 

"Come here, Harry; we'll make a litter to carry our friend there if he is unable to walk."

 

"All right, Obed."

 

There might have been something in Obed's voice that betrayed him. At any rate, the victim, looking up, eyed him keenly, and then, to the surprise of the boys, gave a sharp whistle. Their suspicions were at once kindled²⁵, and they started to run, but too late. From the underbrush there sprang out three bushrangers, accompanied by Colson and Ropes, who covered the boys with their weapons.

 

"Halt there!" exclaimed Fletcher in a tone of authority.

 

"Oh, it's you, is it?" said Obed with apparent coolness, though his heart sank within him.

 

"Yes, it's I, Mr. Stackpole," returned Fletcher, with a grim smile. "I hope you're better fixed²⁶ than when we met last. I hear you've found a nugget."

 

"One of those gentlemen with you can give you information about that," said Obed, indicating Colson.

 

Colson frowned and bit his lip.

 

"He has told us about it."

 

"Ask him for it, then. He broke into our tent the night we found it and carried it off."

 

"Is this true?" demanded Fletcher, eying Colson suspiciously.

 

"No, it's a lie. The nugget is in charge of a mounted escort on the way to Melbourne."

 

"What have you done with your nugget, Colson?" asked Obed.

 

Colson did not reply.

 

"There's no time to waste here. Stackpole, you and the boys will have to go with us. Here, you two men, close behind them. We must not let them escape."

 

The party started with the captives in the middle. It was decidedly a bad outlook for our three friends.

1 lure   

n.吸引人的东西，诱惑物；vt.引诱，吸引

参考例句：

• Life in big cities is a lure for many country boys.大城市的生活吸引着许多乡下小伙子。
• He couldn't resist the lure of money.他不能抵制金钱的诱惑。

2 outlaws   

歹徒，亡命之徒( outlaw的名词复数 )； 逃犯

参考例句：

• During his year in the forest, Robin met many other outlaws. 在森林里的一年，罗宾遇见其他许多绿林大盗。
• I didn't have to leave the country or fight outlaws. 我不必离开自己的国家，也不必与不法分子斗争。

3 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。

4 tempting   

a.诱人的, 吸引人的

参考例句：

• It is tempting to idealize the past. 人都爱把过去的日子说得那么美好。
• It was a tempting offer. 这是个诱人的提议。

5 sarcastic   

adj.讥讽的，讽刺的，嘲弄的

参考例句：

• I squashed him with a sarcastic remark.我说了一句讽刺的话把他给镇住了。
• She poked fun at people's shortcomings with sarcastic remarks.她冷嘲热讽地拿别人的缺点开玩笑。

6 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。

7 unwilling   

adj.不情愿的

参考例句：

• The natives were unwilling to be bent by colonial power.土著居民不愿受殖民势力的摆布。
• His tightfisted employer was unwilling to give him a raise.他那吝啬的雇主不肯给他加薪。

8 prospect   

n.前景，前途；景色，视野

参考例句：

• This state of things holds out a cheerful prospect.事态呈现出可喜的前景。
• The prospect became more evident.前景变得更加明朗了。

9 rogue   

n.流氓；v.游手好闲

参考例句：

• The little rogue had his grandpa's glasses on.这淘气鬼带上了他祖父的眼镜。
• They defined him as a rogue.他们确定他为骗子。

10 joyful   

adj.欢乐的，令人欢欣的

参考例句：

• She was joyful of her good result of the scientific experiments.她为自己的科学实验取得好成果而高兴。
• They were singing and dancing to celebrate this joyful occasion.他们唱着、跳着庆祝这令人欢乐的时刻。

11 anticipations   

预期( anticipation的名词复数 )； 预测； （信托财产收益的）预支； 预期的事物

参考例句：

• The thought took a deal of the spirit out of his anticipations. 想到这，他的劲头消了不少。
• All such bright anticipations were cruelly dashed that night. 所有这些美好的期望全在那天夜晚被无情地粉碎了。

12 apprehensions   

疑惧

参考例句：

• He stood in a mixture of desire and apprehensions. 他怀着渴望和恐惧交加的心情伫立着。
• But subsequent cases have removed many of these apprehensions. 然而，随后的案例又消除了许多类似的忧虑。

13 waylaid   

v.拦截，拦路( waylay的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• I got waylaid on my way here. 我在来这里的路上遭到了拦路抢劫。
• He was waylaid by thieves. 他在路上被抢了。 来自《现代英汉综合大词典》

14 sentry   

n.哨兵，警卫

参考例句：

• They often stood sentry on snowy nights.他们常常在雪夜放哨。
• The sentry challenged anyone approaching the tent.哨兵查问任一接近帐篷的人。

15 harry   

vt.掠夺，蹂躏，使苦恼

参考例句：

• Today,people feel more hurried and harried.今天，人们感到更加忙碌和苦恼。
• Obama harried business by Healthcare Reform plan.奥巴马用医改掠夺了商界。

16 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。

17 groan   

vi./n.呻吟，抱怨；(发出)呻吟般的声音

参考例句：

• The wounded man uttered a groan.那个受伤的人发出呻吟。
• The people groan under the burden of taxes.人民在重税下痛苦呻吟。

18 recesses   

n.壁凹( recess的名词复数 )；（工作或业务活动的）中止或暂停期间；学校的课间休息；某物内部的凹形空间v.把某物放在墙壁的凹处( recess的第三人称单数 )；将（墙）做成凹形，在（墙）上做壁龛；休息，休会，休庭

参考例句：

• I could see the inmost recesses. 我能看见最深处。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• I had continually pushed my doubts to the darker recesses of my mind. 我一直把怀疑深深地隐藏在心中。 来自《简明英汉词典》

19 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。

20 prostrate   

v.拜倒，平卧，衰竭；adj.拜倒的，平卧的，衰竭的

参考例句：

• She was prostrate on the floor.她俯卧在地板上。
• The Yankees had the South prostrate and they intended to keep It'so.北方佬已经使南方屈服了,他们还打算继续下去。

21 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》

22 alleged   

a.被指控的，嫌疑的

参考例句：

• It was alleged that he had taken bribes while in office. 他被指称在任时收受贿赂。
• alleged irregularities in the election campaign 被指称竞选运动中的不正当行为

23 beckoned   

v.（用头或手的动作）示意，召唤( beckon的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• He beckoned to the waiter to bring the bill. 他招手示意服务生把账单送过来。
• The seated figure in the corner beckoned me over. 那个坐在角落里的人向我招手让我过去。 来自《简明英汉词典》

24 scrutinized   

v.仔细检查，详审( scrutinize的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• The jeweler scrutinized the diamond for flaws. 宝石商人仔细察看钻石有无瑕庇 来自《现代英汉综合大词典》
• Together we scrutinized the twelve lemon cakes from the delicatessen shop. 我们一起把甜食店里买来的十二块柠檬蛋糕细细打量了一番。 来自英汉文学 - 盖茨比

25 kindled   

（使某物）燃烧，着火( kindle的过去式和过去分词 )； 激起（感情等）； 发亮，放光

参考例句：

• We watched as the fire slowly kindled. 我们看着火慢慢地燃烧起来。
• The teacher's praise kindled a spark of hope inside her. 老师的赞扬激起了她内心的希望。

26 fixed   

adj.固定的，不变的，准备好的；(计算机)固定的

参考例句：

• Have you two fixed on a date for the wedding yet?你们俩选定婚期了吗？
• Once the aim is fixed,we should not change it arbitrarily.目标一旦确定，我们就不应该随意改变。