"I see you are very poor, uncle," he said. "It is a feast for sore eyes to see these piles of yellow darlings." And he took out a handful and eyed them lovingly.
"How many may I take, uncle?" asked Ralph.
"None, you thief!"
"Don't call me hard names, dear Uncle Thomas," said the young man, mockingly. "Don't forget that I am your nephew."
"I don't know whether you are or not. Shut up the box, I say."
"You are an old man. You can't live long. This money won't do you any good. You won't live to enjoy it. Give me half." And as he spoke2 he deposited in his pocket the handful of coins he had already taken.
This was too much for the old man. With an effort he rose to his feet and staggered to where the intruder was kneeling.
"Go away; go away at once!" he cried out, in agitation. "You are a thief. I don't believe you are a Nixon at all."
He tried to seize Ralph by the shoulder, but only fell over him.
The young man laughed, and put another handful of coins into his pocket.
"You—you scoundrel! Old as I am, I'll live to see you hanged!"
By this time the visitor had become angry. He gave the old man a push which laid him on his back, for he had little or no strength.
Thomas Nixon began to cry out, "Help! Murder! Thieves!" so that his nephew became alarmed.
But the old man continued crying out.
Finally Ralph lost patience, and grasped the old man by the throat, nearly choking him.
"Will no one help me?" he cried, feebly, as soon as the grasp was somewhat relaxed.
"No; there is no one within hearing!" said Ralph. "Give me half of these gold pieces and I will go away and never trouble you again."
"No, no!" screamed the old man. "I won't give you one!"
"Then I shall have to help myself," said Ralph, coolly, and this he proceeded to do.
The old man, who was lying on his back on the floor, tried to get up, but he was too weak, and his unfeeling nephew laughed at his efforts.
"Will no one help me?" he again asked, in piteous accents.
"I guess not," said Ralph; but as he spoke the outer door opened, and Gerald Lane appeared.
Scarcely noticing who it was, but knowing that some one had entered the room, the old man again called for assistance.
Ralph Nixon was at first alarmed when he heard the door open, but on seeing Gerald his boldness returned.
"It's only a kid?" he exclaimed, contemptuously.
"What are you doing there?" demanded Gerald, with spirit.
"None of your business, boy. You'd better clear out!"
"He is robbing me!" complained the old man.
"I am his nephew. Part of the gold is mine."
"I never saw him till this morning. He is a thief! Help me if you can!"
"I'll try," said Gerald.
Looking about him for some offensive weapon he espied4 a broom. Seizing it, he flourished it above his head, and ordered the ruffian to put back the gold he had taken.
"I take no orders from a kid!" said the thief.
"Then take that!"
Carried away by his indignation, Gerald struck Ralph a smart blow on the head with the broom-handle. The ruffian was immediately on his feet, his face blazing with wrath6.
"I'll give you a lesson!" he exclaimed, between his set teeth.
Gerald began to realize that he was in a tight place, but he was a brave boy, and he had no intention of surrendering. He dodged7 quickly to one side, and dealt the intruder another blow on his head. This added to his fury, and he made a mad dash after Gerald. He finally seized him by the shoulder, and, with a violent push, threw him on the floor. Of course a boy's strength was no match for that of a robust8 man. Struggle as he might, Gerald was overpowered. The ruffian, with a cruel gleam in his eyes, seized the boy by the throat and tried to strangle him.
Though the old man didn't know Gerald, he appreciated the fact that it was in trying to serve him that he had gotten into trouble. Had he possessed9 the requisite10 strength, or any strength at all, he would have gone to his assistance. The hardest thing was to lie helpless and see his brave young defender11 in danger of his life.
There seemed little chance of his cry being heard, but it is sometimes the unexpected that happens. When Gerald was very near the point of strangulation help came. The door flew open and two roughly dressed miners entered.
"What's up? What's all this?" exclaimed the two miners as they stepped into the room.
A glance about the cabin told the story.
"I declare if it isn't the chap that was down to Loche's," said one of the men.
"He's been robbing me," feebly whimpered the old man. "He's stolen my gold."
The faces of the two men became stern. In a mining settlement robbing is a capital crime, and a thief has but a short shrift and a speedy passage to another world.
When the two men entered, Ralph Nixon in alarm let go his hold on Gerald and rose to his feet. He saw that the tables were turned and that he was in danger.
"What were you doing with that boy?" demanded one of the miners.
"He struck me on the head, and I was teaching him a lesson."
"Suppose we hear what he has to say?"
Gerald, thus appealed to, answered:
"I came into the cabin five minutes ago and found him robbing the old man, and I interfered13."
"So he was robbing the old man? Mr. Nixon, is this true?"
"Yes," answered Thomas Nixon, feebly. "He has some of my gold pieces in his pocket."
"Then he must unload. Seize him, Mike."
The two miners seized Ralph in a powerful grasp, and turned his pockets inside out. They discovered about fifty gold coins.
"What have you to say, you thief?" demanded one, sternly.
"He gave them to me," answered Ralph, alarmed.
"No, no; it isn't so," protested Thomas Nixon. "He took them out of yonder box. I tried to stop him, but it did no good. Then that brave boy came in and the rascal14 tried to murder him."
"It's a clear case, Mike. What shall we do with him?"
"We'll call a meeting of the boys, and then we'll decide."
They seized Ralph, and proceeded to drag him off between them.
"Uncle Thomas!" cried the terrified ruffian, "save me, save me!"
"Is he your nephew, Mr. Nixon?" asked one of the miners.
"I don't know. He says he is."
"Certainly I am. I am his brother's son."
"That doesn't entitle you to rob him."
"I only borrowed the gold. I meant to pay it back."
"That's a likely story. Bring him along."
They left the cabin with Ralph between them, and proceeded at once to the store kept by Joe Loche.
In five minutes their numbers were increased till the original two had swelled15 to twenty-five or thirty.
"What has he done?" asked one of the new members.
"Been stealing gold from old man Nixon. We caught him in the act."
"It's mighty16 dangerous for a thief round here, stranger," said Joe Loche. "What have you got to say for yourself?"
"He can't say anything. We found the gold in his pocket."
"Boys," said Chris Nelson, who was generally looked up to as a leader in the settlement, "you hear what is said against this man. What shall be his fate?"
"Then we'll hang you in joke."
"Oh, don't hang me! I ain't fit to die."
"I guess that's right," said Chris Nelson.
"Get a rope—a good, strong rope, and we'll hang him to yonder tree."
They began to drag him to a tree on a small knoll20 two hundred yards away. He shrieked and howled with fear till all were sickened with his pusillanimity21. Finally, on his promise to leave the settlement and never return, they commuted22 his punishment to a lashing23 on his bare back, in which all eagerly took part. When it was over the repentant24 rogue25 crawled away, bruised26 and sore. Seldom has retribution been so swift.
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收听单词发音
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1
agitation
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| n.搅动；搅拌；鼓动，煽动 | |
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2
spoke
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| 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 | |
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3
yelping
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| v.发出短而尖的叫声( yelp的现在分词 ) | |
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4
espied
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| v.看到( espy的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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5
derisive
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| adj.嘲弄的 | |
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6
wrath
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| n.愤怒，愤慨，暴怒 | |
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7
dodged
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| v.闪躲( dodge的过去式和过去分词 )；回避 | |
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8
robust
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| adj.强壮的，强健的，粗野的，需要体力的，浓的 | |
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9
possessed
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| adj.疯狂的；拥有的，占有的 | |
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10
requisite
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| adj.需要的，必不可少的；n.必需品 | |
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11
defender
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| n.保卫者，拥护者，辩护人 | |
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12
shrilly
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| 尖声的； 光亮的，耀眼的 | |
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13
interfered
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| v.干预( interfere的过去式和过去分词 )；调停；妨碍；干涉 | |
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14
rascal
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| n.流氓；不诚实的人 | |
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15
swelled
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| 增强( swell的过去式和过去分词 )； 肿胀； （使）凸出； 充满（激情） | |
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16
mighty
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| adj.强有力的；巨大的 | |
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17
laconic
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| adj.简洁的；精练的 | |
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18
shrieked
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| v.尖叫( shriek的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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19
wretch
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| n.可怜的人，不幸的人；卑鄙的人 | |
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20
knoll
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| n.小山，小丘 | |
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pusillanimity
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| n.无气力，胆怯 | |
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22
commuted
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| 通勤( commute的过去式和过去分词 )； 减（刑）； 代偿 | |
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23
lashing
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| n.鞭打；痛斥；大量；许多v.鞭打( lash的现在分词 )；煽动；紧系；怒斥 | |
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24
repentant
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| adj.对…感到悔恨的 | |
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rogue
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| n.流氓；v.游手好闲 | |
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bruised
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| [医]青肿的，瘀紫的 | |
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