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CHAPTER IV. THE SEARCH FOR THE BLUE BOX.
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 Three days after his tragic1 death Hiram Bodley was buried. Although he was fairly well known in the lake region only a handful of people came to his funeral. Joe was the chief mourner, and it can honestly be said that he was much downcast when he followed the hermit2 to his last resting place.
After the funeral several asked Joe what he intended to do. He could not answer the question.
“Have you found that blue box?” questioned Doctor Gardner.
“No, sir, I have not thought of it.”
“Probably it contains money and papers of value, Joe.”
“I am going to look for it to-day,” said the boy. “I—I couldn't look for it while—while—”
“I understand. Well, I trust you locate the box and that it contains all you hope for,” added the physician.
As luck would have it, Ned Talmadge's family had just gone away on a trip to the West, so Mr. Talmadge could offer the boy no assistance. But Ned was on hand and did what he could.
“You don't know what you'll do next, do you, Joe?” asked Ned, as he and Joe returned to the wreck3 of the cabin.
“No.”
“Well, if you haven't any money I'll do what I can for you.”
“Thank you, Ned; you are very kind.”
“It must be hard to be thrown out on the world in this fashion,” went on the rich boy, sympathetically.
“It is hard. After all, I thought a good deal of Uncle Hiram. He was strange in his ways, but he had a good heart.”
“Wasn't he shot in the head once by accident in the woods?”
“Yes.”
“Maybe that made him queer at times.”
“Perhaps so.”
“I've got six dollars and a half of my spending money saved up. You may have that if you wish,” continued Ned, generously.
“I'd rather not take it, Ned.”
“Why not?”
“If I can, I want to be independent. Besides, I think there is money around somewhere,” and Joe mentioned the missing blue box.
“You must hunt for that blue box by all means!” cried the rich boy. “I'll help you.”
After the death of Hiram Bodley, Joe and two of the lake guides had managed to repair one room of the broken-down cabin, and from this the funeral had taken place.
The room contained a bed, a table, two benches and a few dishes and cooking utensils4 The floor was bare and the window was broken out. It was truly a most uninviting home.
“Of course you are not going to stay here, now you are alone?” said Ned, after a look around.
“I don't know where else to go, Ned.”
“Why not move into town!”
“Perhaps I will. But I want to find that blue box before I decide on anything.”
Without delay the two boys set to work among the ruins, looking into every hole and corner they could think of and locate. They pulled away heavy boards and logs, and Joe even got a spade and dug up the ground at certain points.
“It doesn't seem to be here,” said Ned, after an hour had passed.
“It must be here,” cried Joe.
“Perhaps it was buried under a tree.”
“That may be true. Anyway, I am certain it is somewhere around this cabin.”
After that the hunt was continued for another hour, and they visited several spots in that locality where Joe thought the blue box might have been placed. But it was all to no purpose, the box failed to come to light.
At last the two boys sat down on a bench in front of the cabin. Both were tired out, Ned especially so. Joe was much downcast and his friend did what he could to cheer him up.
“The box is bound to come to light some day,” said Ned. “That is, unless some of those men carried it off.”
“What men, Ned?”
“The fellows who helped to mend the cabin just before the funeral.”
“Oh, I don't think they would steal the box. Bart Andrews and Jack5 Thompson are as honest as the day is long.”
“Well, it's mighty6 queer you can't find some trace of the blue box.”
The boys talked the matter over for some time, and then Ned announced that he must go home.
“You can go with me if you wish,” he said. “It will be better than staying here all alone.”
But Joe declined the offer.
“I'll stay here, and begin the hunt again the first thing in the morning,” he said.
“Well, if you want anything, come and see me, Joe; won't you?”
“I will, Ned.”
Ned had come over in his own boat and now Joe walked down to the lake with him. His friend gone, the hermit's boy returned to the dilapidated cabin.
He was hungry but he had no heart to eat. He munched7 some bread and cheese which a neighbor had brought over. He felt utterly8 alone in the great worlds and when he thought of this a strange feeling came over him.
It was a bitter night for the poor boy, but when morning came his mind was made up. He would make his own way in the world, asking aid from no one, not even Ned.
“And if I can't find the blue box I'll get along without it,” he told himself.
As soon as it was light he procured9 breakfast and then started on another hunt for the missing box. The entire day was spent in the search, but without results. Towards night, Joe went down to the lake. Here he caught a couple of small fish, which he fried for his supper.
All told, Joe had exactly a dollar and a half of his own and nine dollars which he had found in the hermit's pocketbook.
“Ten dollars and a half,” he mused10, as he counted the amount over. “Not very much to go out into the world with. If I want to do anything in town I'll have to buy some clothes.”
From this it will be surmised11 that Joe was thinking of giving up his roving life around the lake and mountains, and this was true.
Hunting and fishing appealed to him only in an uncertain way, and he longed to go forth12 into the busy world and make something of himself.
He had two suits of clothing, but both were very much worn, and so were his shoes and his cap. Hiram Bodley had left some old clothing, but they were too big for the boy.
“I guess I'll get Jasok the peddler to come up here and make me an offer for what is here,” he told himself.
Jasok was a Hebrew peddler who drove around through the lake region, selling tinware and doing all sorts of trading. It was time for him to visit that neighborhood and Joe went to the nearest house on the main road and asked about the man.
“He will most likely be along to-morrow, Joe,” said the neighbor.
“If he comes, Mr. Smith, will you send him over to my place? Tell him I want an offer for the things.”
“Going to sell out, Joe?”
“Yes, sir.”
“What are you going to do after that?”
“Try for some job in town.”
“That's a good idea. Hunting and fishing isn't what it used to be. What do you want for the things?”
“All I can get,” and a brief smile hovered13 on Joe's face.
“I wouldn't sell out too cheap. Jasok is a great fellow to drive a bargain.”
“If he won't give me a fair price, I'll load the things on the rowboat and sell them in town.”
“That's an idea. Do you want to sell Hiram's double-barrel shot gun?”
“Yes, sir.”
“I'll give you ten dollars for it.”
“I was going to ask twelve, Mr. Smith. It's a pretty good gun.”
“So it is, although it is a little bit old-fashioned. Well, bring it over and I'll allow you twelve dollars,” answered the neighbor, who was willing to assist Joe all he could.
Joe went back for the gun without delay, and received his money. Then he returned to the cabin and brought out all the goods he wished to sell.
By the middle of the next day the Hebrew peddler appeared. At first he declared that all of the things Joe had to sell were not worth two dollars.
“Very well, if you think that, we won't talk about it,” said Joe, briefly14.
“Da vos all vorn out,” said Jasok. “De clothes vos rags, and de furniture an' dishes was kracked.”
“If you don't want them, I'll take them to town and sell them. I am sure Moskowsky will buy them.”
Now it happened that Moskowsky was a rival peddler who also boasted of the ownership of a second-hand15 store. To think that the goods might go to this man nettled16 Jasok exceedingly.
“Vell, I likes you, Cho,” he said. “I vos your friend, an' I gif you dree dollars for dem dings.”
“You can have them for ten dollars,” answered the boy.
A long talk followed, and in the end the Hebrew peddler agreed to pay seven dollars and a half, providing Joe would help to carry the goods to the main road, where the wagon17 had been left. The money was paid over, and by nightfall all of the goods were on the wagon, and Joe was left at the cabin with nothing but the suit on his back. But he had thirty dollars in his pocket, which he counted over with great satisfaction.
“I ought to be able to get something to do before that is gone,” he told himself. “If I don't, it will be my own fault.”

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1 tragic inaw2     
adj.悲剧的,悲剧性的,悲惨的
参考例句:
  • The effect of the pollution on the beaches is absolutely tragic.污染海滩后果可悲。
  • Charles was a man doomed to tragic issues.查理是个注定不得善终的人。
2 hermit g58y3     
n.隐士,修道者;隐居
参考例句:
  • He became a hermit after he was dismissed from office.他被解职后成了隐士。
  • Chinese ancient landscape poetry was in natural connections with hermit culture.中国古代山水诗与隐士文化有着天然联系。
3 wreck QMjzE     
n.失事,遇难;沉船;vt.(船等)失事,遇难
参考例句:
  • Weather may have been a factor in the wreck.天气可能是造成这次失事的原因之一。
  • No one can wreck the friendship between us.没有人能够破坏我们之间的友谊。
4 utensils 69f125dfb1fef9b418c96d1986e7b484     
器具,用具,器皿( utensil的名词复数 ); 器物
参考例句:
  • Formerly most of our household utensils were made of brass. 以前我们家庭用的器皿多数是用黄铜做的。
  • Some utensils were in a state of decay when they were unearthed. 有些器皿在出土时已经残破。
5 jack 53Hxp     
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。
6 mighty YDWxl     
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 munched c9456f71965a082375ac004c60e40170     
v.用力咀嚼(某物),大嚼( munch的过去式和过去分词 )
参考例句:
  • She munched on an apple. 她在大口啃苹果。
  • The rabbit munched on the fresh carrots. 兔子咯吱咯吱地嚼着新鲜胡萝卜。 来自辞典例句
8 utterly ZfpzM1     
adv.完全地,绝对地
参考例句:
  • Utterly devoted to the people,he gave his life in saving his patients.他忠于人民,把毕生精力用于挽救患者的生命。
  • I was utterly ravished by the way she smiled.她的微笑使我完全陶醉了。
9 procured 493ee52a2e975a52c94933bb12ecc52b     
v.(努力)取得, (设法)获得( procure的过去式和过去分词 );拉皮条
参考例句:
  • These cars are to be procured through open tender. 这些汽车要用公开招标的办法购买。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》
  • A friend procured a position in the bank for my big brother. 一位朋友为我哥哥谋得了一个银行的职位。 来自《用法词典》
10 mused 0affe9d5c3a243690cca6d4248d41a85     
v.沉思,冥想( muse的过去式和过去分词 );沉思自语说(某事)
参考例句:
  • \"I wonder if I shall ever see them again, \"he mused. “我不知道是否还可以再见到他们,”他沉思自问。 来自《简明英汉词典》
  • \"Where are we going from here?\" mused one of Rutherford's guests. 卢瑟福的一位客人忍不住说道:‘我们这是在干什么?” 来自英汉非文学 - 科学史
11 surmised b42dd4710fe89732a842341fc04537f6     
v.臆测,推断( surmise的过去式和过去分词 );揣测;猜想
参考例句:
  • From the looks on their faces, I surmised that they had had an argument. 看他们的脸色,我猜想他们之间发生了争执。
  • From his letter I surmised that he was unhappy. 我从他的信中推测他并不快乐。 来自《简明英汉词典》
12 forth Hzdz2     
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。
13 hovered d194b7e43467f867f4b4380809ba6b19     
鸟( hover的过去式和过去分词 ); 靠近(某事物); (人)徘徊; 犹豫
参考例句:
  • A hawk hovered over the hill. 一只鹰在小山的上空翱翔。
  • A hawk hovered in the blue sky. 一只老鹰在蓝色的天空中翱翔。
14 briefly 9Styo     
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。
15 second-hand second-hand     
adj.用过的,旧的,二手的
参考例句:
  • I got this book by chance at a second-hand bookshop.我赶巧在一家旧书店里买到这本书。
  • They will put all these second-hand goods up for sale.他们将把这些旧货全部公开出售。
16 nettled 1329a37399dc803e7821d52c8a298307     
v.拿荨麻打,拿荨麻刺(nettle的过去式与过去分词形式)
参考例句:
  • My remarks clearly nettled her. 我的话显然惹恼了她。
  • He had been growing nettled before, but now he pulled himself together. 他刚才有些来火,但现在又恢复了常态。 来自英汉文学 - 金银岛
17 wagon XhUwP     
n.四轮马车,手推车,面包车;无盖运货列车
参考例句:
  • We have to fork the hay into the wagon.我们得把干草用叉子挑进马车里去。
  • The muddy road bemired the wagon.马车陷入了泥泞的道路。


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