CHAPTER V THE RESULT OF A QUARREL

 If any boy was ever humiliated¹ it was Bob Bangs. His face and hands were covered with dust and so was his elegant suit of clothing, while the skin was cut on the side of his nose.

 

"Now, see what you have done!" he spluttered, gazing ruefully at himself. "My suit is just about ruined!"

 

"And it serves you right, Bob Bangs," came warmly from Jack².

 

"That is what you get for trying to run away," added our hero.

 

"I'll have the law on you, Randy Thompson!"

 

"Maybe I'll have the law on you, Bob Bangs!"

 

"You had no right to throw me down in that fashion."

 

"Then why did you start to run away?"

 

"Because I didn't want to stay here—and you had no right to stop me."

 

"We wanted to know about this berry affair," said Jack. "And about the dirty boat."

 

"I don't know what you are talking about," answered the big boy, but his face showed his concern.

 

"You put mud in my boat and spilled our berries."

 

"Who says I did that?"

 

"We know you did."

 

"Did you see us?"

 

"No, but we know you did it and nobody else."

 

"You can't prove it," answered Bob, and now his face showed a sign of relief. He had been afraid that there had been a witness of his evil-doing.

 

"Perhaps we can," said Randy. "Bob Bangs, I think you are the meanest boy in Riverport!" he continued, with spirit.

 

"I don't care what you think, Randy Thompson. Who are you, anyway? The son of a poor carpenter. Why, you haven't got a decent suit of clothing to your back!"

 

"For shame, Bob!" broke in Jack. "Randy is a good fellow, even if he is poor."

 

"Well, if you think he is so good you can go with him. But I don't want to associate with such a low fellow," went on the big youth, as he started to brush himself off with a silk handkerchief.

 

"So I am a low fellow, am I?" said Randy, in a steady voice, and coming up close to Bob, who promptly³ began to back away.

 

"Ye—as, you—you are," stammered⁴ the rich youth.

 

"I've a good mind to knock you down for saying it, Bob Bangs. I am not as low as you."

 

"Humph!"

 

"I would never do the low things you have done. It was a mean, contemptible⁵ trick that you played on Jack and me. By right you ought to be made to scrub out the boat and pay for the berries you spoiled."

 

"Bah! I won't touch the boat, and I won't pay a cent."

 

"Then you admit that you are guilty?"

 

"I admit that I had some fun, at your expense, yes," answered Bob Bangs. "You can't do anything to me, though, for you can't prove it against me."

 

"That means, if you were brought up into court, you would lie about it," said Randy.

 

"Humph! You needn't get so personal, Randy Thompson."

 

"For two pins, do you know what I would do, Bob Bangs?"

 

"What?"

 

"I'd give you a good thrashing," and Randy pulled up his sleeves, as if he meant to begin operations at once.

 

"No! no! Don't you—you dare to touch me!" gasped⁶ the rich boy, in alarm. "If you do, I'll—I'll have the law on you!"

 

"And we'll have the law on you."

 

Bob Bangs was more alarmed than ever. He saw that Randy was ready to pitch into him on the instant. He looked around, saw an opening, and darted⁷ away at his best speed.

 

"Let him go—the big coward," called out Jack, for Randy had started after the rich boy. "We can settle with him another time."

 

"What a mean chap!" cried Randy. "I never saw his equal, never!"

 

Bob Bangs ran a distance of several rods. Then, seeing a clod of dirt lying in the road, he picked it up and hurled⁸ it at the boys. He was not a good thrower, but as luck would have it the clod struck Randy on the shoulder, some of the dirt spattering up into his ear.

 

"Ha! ha! That's the time you got it!" sang out the rich boy, gleefully.

 

"And this is the time you are going to get it," returned Randy, and made a dash after him. Seeing this, Jack followed after the pair.

 

Randy caught Bob Bangs by the arm and threw him over

Randy caught Bob Bangs by the arm and threw him over.

 

Bob Bangs could run and fear lent speed to his flying feet. But he was no match for Randy, who had on more than one occasion won a running match amongst his schoolfellows. Bob started for home, several blocks away, but just before he reached his gate Randy came near to him, caught him by the arm and flung him over on his side. Then, to hold him down, our hero seated himself on top of the rich boy, who began to bellow⁹ lustily.

 

"Get off of me!"

 

"I will not!"

 

"You are squeezing the wind out of me!"

 

"What right had you to throw that chunk¹⁰ of dirt at me?"

 

"I—er—I was only fooling."

 

"Maybe I am only fooling, too."

 

"You are breaking my ribs¹¹! Oh, let up, I say!"

 

"Are you sorry for what you did?" demanded Randy.

 

To this Bob Bangs made no reply.

 

"I see you've got him," said Jack, running up at that instant.

 

"Yes, and I am going to give it to him good," answered Randy.

 

"Let up! Help, somebody! Help!" roared Bob, badly frightened. He began to kick and struggle, but Randy held him down and as a consequence he was covered with dust and dirt from head to foot.

 

In the midst of the mêlée a carriage came along the roadway. It contained Mrs. Bangs and the man-of-all-work, who was driving.

 

"Mercy on us! What does this mean?" burst from the fashionable lady's lips. "Can that be Robert?"

 

"Help! help!" roared the rich youth, more lustily than ever.

 

"It certainly is Robert," went on Mrs. Bangs. "John, stop the carriage. You rude boy, let my son alone!" she went on, in her shrill¹², hard voice.

 

"Hullo, here is Mrs. Bangs," remarked Jack, looking around and discovering the new arrival.

 

For the instant Randy did not see the rich woman and continued to hold down Bob, who struggled violently, sending up a cloud of dust in the road. Then he noticed the carriage and looked up, and his face fell.

 

"You scamp! Leave my boy alone!" screamed Mrs. Bangs. "Oh, John, perhaps you had better run for a policeman!" she added, as Randy let go his hold and arose.

 

"You had better not, Mrs. Bangs," said Jack. "Bob deserves what he is getting."

 

"I do not believe it! It is disgraceful to throw him down in the road like this," stormed the fashionable lady.

 

"He hit Randy with a chunk of dirt."

 

"I—I didn't do nothing!" howled Bob, as he got up. He was too ruffled¹³ to think of his bad grammar.

 

"And that elegant suit is about ruined," went on Mrs. Bangs. "I never heard of such doings before. Boy," she went on, looking at Randy, "you ought to be locked up!"

 

"It is Bob ought to be locked up," retorted Randy. "He started this trouble; I didn't."

 

"I do not believe it. My son is a gentleman."

 

"I didn't do a thing," put in the rich boy, feeling safe, now that his mother and the hired man were on the scene. "They pitched into me for nothing at all."

 

"Bob knows better than that," said Jack.

 

"Yesterday he tried to steal some fish we caught, and to-day he mussed up Jack's boat and ruined some berries that both of us had picked," explained Randy. "I took him to task about it and then he threw the mud at me. Then I chased him and caught him, as you saw."

 

"Preposterous¹⁴! My boy would not steal!" said Mrs. Bangs, tartly¹⁵. She looked meaningly at Jack. "I presume you and your family are very bitter against us now," she added, significantly.

 

"Bitter against you?" said Jack, puzzled.

 

"Yes—because of that iron works affair."

 

"I don't know anything about that, Mrs. Bangs."

 

"Oh, then you haven't heard yet." The fashionable woman was nonplussed¹⁶. "Never mind. You must leave Robert alone."

 

"Ain't you going to get that policeman and lock them up?" asked the son, anxiously.

 

"If I am locked up, you'll be locked up, too," said Randy. "And the charge against you will be stealing as well as malicious¹⁷ mischief¹⁸."

 

"Yes, and we'll prove our case," added Jack. "Bob doesn't know what witnesses we have."

 

At this announcement Bob Bangs' face grew pale.

 

"Yo—you can't prove anything," he faltered¹⁹.

 

"You don't know about that," said Randy, taking his cue from Jack.

 

"I will look into this affair later—just now I have no time," said Mrs. Bangs, after an awkward pause. "Robert, you had better go into the house and clean yourself up. John, you can drive on." And then, while the fashionable woman was driven into her grounds, her son lost no time in sneaking²⁰ off into the house. As he entered the door he turned and shook his fist at our hero and Jack.

 

"Jack, I don't think we have heard the last of this," remarked Randy, as he and his companion started away.

 

"Perhaps not, but I think we have the best of it," answered Jack.

 

"I don't know about that. Mrs. Bangs is a very high-strung woman and thinks a good deal of Bob."

 

"I'd like to know what she meant about the iron works matter," went on Jack, with a troubled look on his face. "I hope Mr. Bangs hasn't got the best of father in that deal."

 

"You had better ask your father when you get home."

 

"I will."

 

The two lads hurried back to the boat and placed the craft where it belonged. Then the berries were divided, and each started for his home little dreaming of the trouble that was in store for both of them.

1 humiliated   

感到羞愧的

参考例句：

• Parents are humiliated if their children behave badly when guests are present. 子女在客人面前举止失当，父母也失体面。
• He was ashamed and bitterly humiliated. 他感到羞耻，丢尽了面子。

2 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。

3 promptly   

adv.及时地，敏捷地

参考例句：

• He paid the money back promptly.他立即还了钱。
• She promptly seized the opportunity his absence gave her.她立即抓住了因他不在场给她创造的机会。

4 stammered   

v.结巴地说出( stammer的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• He stammered most when he was nervous. 他一紧张往往口吃。 来自《现代英汉综合大词典》
• Barsad leaned back in his chair, and stammered, \"What do you mean?\" 巴萨往椅背上一靠，结结巴巴地说，“你是什么意思？” 来自英汉文学 - 双城记

5 contemptible   

adj.可鄙的，可轻视的，卑劣的

参考例句：

• His personal presence is unimpressive and his speech contemptible.他气貌不扬，言语粗俗。
• That was a contemptible trick to play on a friend.那是对朋友玩弄的一出可鄙的把戏。

6 gasped   

v.喘气( gasp的过去式和过去分词 )；喘息；倒抽气；很想要

参考例句：

• She gasped at the wonderful view. 如此美景使她惊讶得屏住了呼吸。
• People gasped with admiration at the superb skill of the gymnasts. 体操运动员的高超技艺令人赞叹。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》

7 darted   

v.投掷，投射( dart的过去式和过去分词 )；向前冲，飞奔

参考例句：

• The lizard darted out its tongue at the insect. 蜥蜴伸出舌头去吃小昆虫。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• The old man was displeased and darted an angry look at me. 老人不高兴了，瞪了我一眼。 来自《简明英汉词典》

8 hurled   

v.猛投，用力掷( hurl的过去式和过去分词 )；大声叫骂

参考例句：

• He hurled a brick through the window. 他往窗户里扔了块砖。
• The strong wind hurled down bits of the roof. 大风把屋顶的瓦片刮了下来。 来自《简明英汉词典》

9 bellow   

v.吼叫，怒吼；大声发出，大声喝道

参考例句：

• The music is so loud that we have to bellow at each other to be heard.音乐的声音实在太大，我们只有彼此大声喊叫才能把话听清。
• After a while,the bull began to bellow in pain.过了一会儿公牛开始痛苦地吼叫。

10 chunk   

n.厚片，大块，相当大的部分（数量）

参考例句：

• They had to be careful of floating chunks of ice.他们必须当心大块浮冰。
• The company owns a chunk of farmland near Gatwick Airport.该公司拥有盖特威克机场周边的大片农田。

11 ribs   

n.肋骨( rib的名词复数 )；（船或屋顶等的）肋拱；肋骨状的东西；（织物的）凸条花纹

参考例句：

• He suffered cracked ribs and bruising. 他断了肋骨还有挫伤。
• Make a small incision below the ribs. 在肋骨下方切开一个小口。

12 shrill   

adj.尖声的；刺耳的；v尖叫

参考例句：

• Whistles began to shrill outside the barn.哨声开始在谷仓外面尖叫。
• The shrill ringing of a bell broke up the card game on the cutter.刺耳的铃声打散了小汽艇的牌局。

13 ruffled   

adj. 有褶饰边的, 起皱的 动词ruffle的过去式和过去分词

参考例句：

• She ruffled his hair affectionately. 她情意绵绵地拨弄着他的头发。
• All this talk of a strike has clearly ruffled the management's feathers. 所有这些关于罢工的闲言碎语显然让管理层很不高兴。

14 preposterous   

adj.荒谬的，可笑的

参考例句：

• The whole idea was preposterous.整个想法都荒唐透顶。
• It would be preposterous to shovel coal with a teaspoon.用茶匙铲煤是荒谬的。

15 tartly   

adv.辛辣地，刻薄地

参考例句：

• She finished by tartly pointing out that he owed her some money. 她最后刻薄地指出他欠她一些钱。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• Kay said tartly, "And you're more Yankee than Italian. 恺酸溜溜他说：“可你哪，与其说是意大利人，还不如说是新英格兰人。 来自教父部分

16 nonplussed   

adj.不知所措的，陷于窘境的v.使迷惑( nonplus的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• The speaker was completely nonplussed by the question. 演讲者被这个问题完全难倒了。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• I was completely nonplussed by his sudden appearance. 他突然出现使我大吃一惊。 来自《简明英汉词典》

17 malicious   

adj.有恶意的，心怀恶意的

参考例句：

• You ought to kick back at such malicious slander. 你应当反击这种恶毒的污蔑。
• Their talk was slightly malicious.他们的谈话有点儿心怀不轨。

18 mischief   

n.损害，伤害，危害；恶作剧，捣蛋，胡闹

参考例句：

• Nobody took notice of the mischief of the matter. 没有人注意到这件事情所带来的危害。
• He seems to intend mischief.看来他想捣蛋。

19 faltered   

（嗓音）颤抖( falter的过去式和过去分词 )； 支吾其词； 蹒跚； 摇晃

参考例句：

• He faltered out a few words. 他支吾地说出了几句。
• "Er - but he has such a longhead!" the man faltered. 他不好意思似的嚅嗫着：“这孩子脑袋真长。”

20 sneaking   

a.秘密的，不公开的

参考例句：

• She had always had a sneaking affection for him. 以前她一直暗暗倾心于他。
• She ducked the interviewers by sneaking out the back door. 她从后门偷偷溜走，躲开采访者。