CHAPTER XXVIII. MARK AT OMAHA.

 Some days later Mark found himself at Omaha. Here he was to transfer himself to the union Pacific Railroad, at that time the only Pacific road built with the exception of the Central Pacific, which formed with it a continuous line to San Francisco. Mark decided¹ to remain in Omaha for a single day and then take the train for his destination.

 

At the hotel Mark found himself sitting next to a man with bronzed face and rough attire² who embodied³ his ideas of a miner. The stranger during the meal devoted⁴ himself strictly⁵ to business, but going out of the dining-room at the same time with Mark he grew sociable⁶.

 

"Well, young pard.," he said, "what's your trail?"

 

Mark looked puzzled.

 

"I mean which way are you going—East or West?"

 

"I am going to San Francisco."

 

"Ever been there before?"

 

Mark shook his head.

 

"I never was as far West as this before," he answered. "I came from New York."

 

"So I thought. You look like a tenderfoot. Are you going out to stay?"

 

"Only a short time. I am going after a young boy. I am going to carry him back with me."

 

"A kid, eh? You're not much more than a kid yourself."

 

"I guess I can take care of myself," said Mark with a smile.

 

"Shouldn't wonder. You look like it. Nothing soft about you."

 

"I hope I haven't got a soft head. As to my heart, I hope that isn't hard."

 

"Good for you. I reckon you're a likely kind of boy."

 

"I suppose you have been to California," said Mark, thinking it his turn to ask questions.

 

"Yes; I've been on the coast for three years, more or less."

 

"How do you like it out there?"

 

"Well, I've had my ups and downs. A year ago, six months for that matter, I was dead broke."

 

"Did your luck change?"

 

"Not till I struck Nevada. Then I got a small interest in the Golden Hope mine——"

 

"The Golden Hope mine?" exclaimed Mark in excitement.

 

"Do you know anything of that mine, youngster?"

 

"Yes; I have a—a friend who owns some stock in it."

 

"Then your friend is in luck. Why, do you know where the stock stands to-day?"

 

"No, but I should like to know."

 

"At 110."

 

Mark's eyes sparkled with joyous⁷ excitement.

 

"Is it possible?" he exclaimed.

 

"It's so. I've got a block of a hundred shares myself, which I bought eighteen months ago for a song. I give you my word I didn't think it worth more than a dollar or two a share—what I gave—when I learned not long since that they'd struck it rich, and I was no longer a pauper⁸."

 

"That's good news for me," said Mark slowly.

 

"Why? Have you got any of it?"

 

"My mother is entitled to two hundred shares from her father's estate."

 

"Whew! Have you come out to see about it?"

 

"No; that was not my object, but I shall find out what I can about it."

 

"You're in luck."

 

"Well, perhaps so. But my uncle is trying to cheat my mother out of it."

 

"Then he must be a rascal⁹. Tell me about it."

 

The man looked sympathetic and trustworthy, and Mark without hesitation¹⁰ told him the story as it is already known to the reader.

 

"Do you think the stock has reached its highest point?" he asked anxiously.

 

"No; it will probably rise to two hundred."

 

"Then my uncle probably won't close it out just at present."

 

"No; he will hear how the matter stands, and if he is sharp he will hold on."

 

"I am glad of that, for I want a little time to decide how to act."

 

"I am going to stop at the mine on my way to 'Frisco."

 

"I will give you my address and ask you to write me a line to the care of my banker there, letting me know what you can about the mine."

 

"All right, boy! I like you, and I'll do it. When do you start?"

 

"To-morrow."

 

"We'll start together, and I'll get off the train in Nevada."

1 decided   

adj.决定了的，坚决的；明显的，明确的

参考例句：

• This gave them a decided advantage over their opponents.这使他们比对手具有明显的优势。
• There is a decided difference between British and Chinese way of greeting.英国人和中国人打招呼的方式有很明显的区别。

2 attire   

v.穿衣，装扮[同]array；n.衣着；盛装

参考例句：

• He had no intention of changing his mode of attire.他无意改变着装方式。
• Her attention was attracted by his peculiar attire.他那奇特的服装引起了她的注意。

3 embodied   

v.表现( embody的过去式和过去分词 )；象征；包括；包含

参考例句：

• a politician who embodied the hopes of black youth 代表黑人青年希望的政治家
• The heroic deeds of him embodied the glorious tradition of the troops. 他的英雄事迹体现了军队的光荣传统。 来自《简明英汉词典》

4 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。

5 strictly   

adv.严厉地，严格地；严密地

参考例句：

• His doctor is dieting him strictly.他的医生严格规定他的饮食。
• The guests were seated strictly in order of precedence.客人严格按照地位高低就座。

6 sociable   

adj.好交际的，友好的，合群的

参考例句：

• Roger is a very sociable person.罗杰是个非常好交际的人。
• Some children have more sociable personalities than others.有些孩子比其他孩子更善于交际。

7 joyous   

adj.充满快乐的；令人高兴的

参考例句：

• The lively dance heightened the joyous atmosphere of the scene.轻快的舞蹈给这场戏渲染了欢乐气氛。
• They conveyed the joyous news to us soon.他们把这一佳音很快地传递给我们。

8 pauper   

n.贫民，被救济者，穷人

参考例句：

• You lived like a pauper when you had plenty of money.你有大把钱的时候，也活得像个乞丐。
• If you work conscientiously you'll only die a pauper.你按部就班地干，做到老也是穷死。

9 rascal   

n.流氓；不诚实的人

参考例句：

• If he had done otherwise,I should have thought him a rascal.如果他不这样做，我就认为他是个恶棍。
• The rascal was frightened into holding his tongue.这坏蛋吓得不敢往下说了。

10 hesitation   

n.犹豫，踌躇

参考例句：

• After a long hesitation, he told the truth at last.踌躇了半天，他终于直说了。
• There was a certain hesitation in her manner.她的态度有些犹豫不决。