CHAPTER XIX AN UNLOOKED-FOR ENCOUNTER

 It was now early in September and the travel down the river was particularly heavy, for many folks who had been away for a vacation were returning to the metropolis¹. Baggage kept pouring in until the lower deck was practically filled.

 

"This is a banner season, so Malloy tells me," said Jones to Randy.

 

"I know there is lots of work," answered our hero, whose arms ached not a little.

 

"Never mind, I've got good news."

 

"What is that?"

 

"Mr. Shalley is going to allow us an extra five dollars this month."

 

"Good enough."

 

Randy had received several letters from home. Matters were going smoothly² and Mr. Thompson was feeling better every day. The garden was doing finely. In one letter Mrs. Thompson wrote that there had been two strikes at the iron works, each due to Mr. Bangs' overbearing manner towards his workmen.

 

"I thought he'd have trouble sooner or later," said Randy to himself, as he perused³ the communication. "What a pity that Mr. Bartlett isn't in charge."

 

One fine afternoon the Helen Shalley was steaming down the river as usual and Randy was near the bow, coiling up a hawser⁴, when he noticed a sloop⁵ some distance ahead. It was tacking⁶ in an uncertain manner, as if the party on board did not know much about sailing such a craft.

 

The sloop was directly in the path of the big steamboat, and the latter gave a warning whistle and then turned to one side. As she did this the sloop turned in the same direction.

 

"Hullo! What does that fellow in the sloop mean?" cried Randy to Jones, who was near.

 

"What's the matter?"

 

"He'll be run down if he doesn't look out."

 

"Some fool that doesn't know how to sail a boat, I guess," said the other deckhand.

 

Swiftly the steamboat and the sloop drew close to one another. The big boat let out another warning blast, and again the pilot turned her out of her course. But the sloop also turned.

 

"There is only one young fellow on board," said Jones. "Look, he acts as if he was scared out of his wits."

 

"I know him!" fairly shouted our hero.

 

"You do?"

 

"Yes, it is Bob Bangs, the rich young fellow I told you about."

 

"The fellow who couldn't manage his hoss?"

 

"The same."

 

"Well, he doesn't seem to know no more about his boat than he did about that hoss," was the deckhand's comment.

 

"We are going to run into him!" gasped⁷ Randy.

 

"No, he is going to run into us."

 

"It will amount to the same thing—so far as he is concerned."

 

"Maybe—but it will be his fault if he gets drowned."

 

Another warning whistle now rang out, but was of no avail. The sloop swerved⁸ again and then came squarely up to the big steamboat, which was now backing water furiously.

 

"Stop! Don't run me down!" screamed Bob Bangs. He was fairly white with terror.

 

His cries were cut short by the crash as the sloop struck. The bow was splintered, and the shock threw Bob Bangs overboard. Luckily he was far enough away to escape the paddle-wheel, as the Helen Shalley continued to go ahead despite the fact that her engines had been reversed.

 

The first surprise over, Randy was quick to act. Not far away was a life preserver having a line attached to it and this he took from its hooks. He waited for the rich boy to appear. Soon he came up, spluttering.

 

"Catch the preserver!" called out our hero and cast the article in such a skillful manner that it fell within easy reach.

 

"Save me! Save me!" gasped the rich youth, throwing his arms wildly about him.

 

"Take hold of the life preserver!" called out half a hundred people at once. Then several other cries rang out.

 

At last the motion of the water washed the life preserver up against Bob Bangs' arm. He clutched at it desperately⁹. By this time the steamboat had come to a standstill, and it was an easy matter for Randy and Jones to pull the rich youth towards the vessel¹⁰. Then a rope ladder was lowered and Bob Bangs came up to the deck, dripping with water.

 

Bob Bangs being hoisted¹¹ out of the water.

 

 

"Well, young man, you had a narrow escape," said Captain Hadley, as he pushed his way through the crowd to the spot.

 

"I know it, and it's all your fault!" whined¹² Bob Bangs.

 

"My fault? Nonsense!"

 

"You ran me down! I'll have the law on you for it."

 

"Don't talk like a fool, young man. I was in the wheelhouse myself with the pilot and saw just how you acted. Evidently you don't know much about handling boats."

 

"I know all about them," insisted the rich youth. But this was a falsehood, as Randy well knew. Bob could row and that was about all.

 

"You'll have to pay for smashing my boat," went on the rich boy, after a pause. "And you'll have to pay for wetting my new suit," he added, gazing ruefully at the natty¹³ outing suit he had donned but an hour before.

 

"You'll not get a cent out of me," said Captain Hadley, firmly. "This accident was clearly of your own making. We gave you plenty of room, but you turned directly into our course twice. Be thankful that you weren't ground up under the paddle-wheel."

 

"Yes, and be thankful that Randy Thompson threw you a life preserver," put in Jones.

 

At the mention of our hero's name Bob Bangs looked around in surprise. He had not noticed Randy before.

 

"What, you here!" he exclaimed and did not seem particularly happy over the meeting.

 

"I am," answered Randy.

 

"Did you throw out that line with the preserver?" asked the captain.

 

"I did, sir," and Randy touched his cap.

 

"I am glad to know it," and the captain's face showed his appreciation¹⁴ of Randy's prompt action.

 

"What are you doing here—in that outfit¹⁵?" asked Bob Bangs, curiously¹⁶.

 

"I am a deckhand on this steamboat."

 

"Pooh! a deckhand!" and the rich boy's nose went up into the air in disdain¹⁷. He would give Randy no credit for helping¹⁸ to save his life.

 

"Clear the deck, please!" called out Captain Hadley, to the crowd that was pressing in on all sides. "The excitement is over. The boy is safe."

 

"I want you to put me ashore¹⁹," said Bob Bangs.

 

"We'll make a landing a mile below here," said the Captain.

 

"I don't want to go to the next landing."

 

"Sorry, but we can't turn back," answered Captain Hadley.

 

"What about my boat?"

 

"We'll take it in tow."

 

This was done, and in a few minutes the Helen Shalley had resumed her journey. Bob Bangs was led to one of the staterooms and offered a dry suit of clothes, which he put on.

 

"I'll take your name and address," said Captain Hadley.

 

"What for?"

 

"As a matter of record. And remember, I want the clothing returned."

 

"Humph! Maybe my father will sue you for damages!"

 

"If he does he will lose the case."

 

Inside of five minutes the next landing place was made, and Bob Bangs went ashore, taking his wet suit with him. The damaged sloop was tied up at the dock, and having discharged and taken on passengers and baggage the steamboat sped on her way once more.

 

"He's as mad as a wet hen," said Jones to Randy. "And he ought to be thankful for having his life spared."

 

"He always was a mean sort of fellow," answered our hero. "And his folks are just as mean as he is."

 

"Then maybe they will try to make trouble for the steamboat owner."

 

Amos Bangs did try to make trouble. Two days after the accident on the river Andrew Shalley received a letter which ran in part as follows:

 

"As you perhaps know, my son, Robert Bangs, was out on the Hudson on the 6th inst., in his sloop, when, without any cause whatsoever²⁰, your steamboat, the Helen Shalley, ran into his boat, smashed it completely and put him in peril²¹ of his life.

 

"I am a man of few words, sir, and I demand damages for this outrage²². If you wish to settle, you may send me your check for one thousand dollars; if not, I will sue you for that amount."

1 metropolis   

n.首府；大城市

参考例句：

• Shanghai is a metropolis in China.上海是中国的大都市。
• He was dazzled by the gaiety and splendour of the metropolis.大都市的花花世界使他感到眼花缭乱。

2 smoothly   

adv.平滑地，顺利地，流利地，流畅地

参考例句：

• The workmen are very cooperative,so the work goes on smoothly.工人们十分合作，所以工作进展顺利。
• Just change one or two words and the sentence will read smoothly.这句话只要动一两个字就顺了。

3 perused   

v.读（某篇文字）( peruse的过去式和过去分词 )；（尤指）细阅；审阅；匆匆读或心不在焉地浏览（某篇文字）

参考例句：

• I remained under the wall and perused Miss Cathy's affectionate composition. 我就留在墙跟底下阅读凯蒂小姐的爱情作品。 来自辞典例句
• Have you perused this article? 你细读了这篇文章了吗？ 来自互联网

4 hawser   

n.大缆；大索

参考例句：

• The fingers were pinched under a hawser.手指被夹在了大缆绳下面。
• There's a new hawser faked down there.有条新铁索盘卷在那里。

5 sloop   

n.单桅帆船

参考例句：

• They heeled the sloop well over,skimming it along to windward.他们使单桅小船倾斜适当，让它顶着风向前滑去。
• While a sloop always has two sails,a cat-rigged boat generally has only one.一艘单桅帆船总是有两面帆，但一艘单桅艇通常只有一面帆。

6 tacking   

（帆船）抢风行驶，定位焊[铆]紧钉

参考例句：

• He was tacking about on this daily though perilous voyage. 他在进行这种日常的、惊险的航行。
• He spent the afternoon tacking the pictures. 他花了一个下午的时间用图钉固定那些图片。

7 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》

8 swerved   

v.（使）改变方向，改变目的( swerve的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• She swerved sharply to avoid a cyclist. 她猛地急转弯，以躲开一个骑自行车的人。
• The driver has swerved on a sudden to avoid a file of geese. 为了躲避一队鹅，司机突然来个急转弯。 来自《简明英汉词典》

9 desperately   

adv.极度渴望地，绝望地，孤注一掷地

参考例句：

• He was desperately seeking a way to see her again.他正拼命想办法再见她一面。
• He longed desperately to be back at home.他非常渴望回家。

10 vessel   

n.船舶；容器，器皿；管，导管，血管

参考例句：

• The vessel is fully loaded with cargo for Shanghai.这艘船满载货物驶往上海。
• You should put the water into a vessel.你应该把水装入容器中。

11 hoisted   

把…吊起，升起( hoist的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• He hoisted himself onto a high stool. 他抬身坐上了一张高凳子。
• The sailors hoisted the cargo onto the deck. 水手们把货物吊到甲板上。

12 whined   

v.哀号( whine的过去式和过去分词 )；哀诉，诉怨

参考例句：

• The dog whined at the door, asking to be let out. 狗在门前嚎叫着要出去。 来自《现代英汉综合大词典》
• He whined and pouted when he did not get what he wanted. 他要是没得到想要的东西就会发牢骚、撅嘴。 来自辞典例句

13 natty   

adj.整洁的，漂亮的

参考例句：

• Cliff was a natty dresser.克利夫是讲究衣着整洁美观的人。
• Please keep this office natty and use the binaries provided.请保持办公室整洁，使用所提供的垃圾箱。

14 appreciation   

n.评价；欣赏；感谢；领会，理解；价格上涨

参考例句：

• I would like to express my appreciation and thanks to you all.我想对你们所有人表达我的感激和谢意。
• I'll be sending them a donation in appreciation of their help.我将送给他们一笔捐款以感谢他们的帮助。

15 outfit   

n.（为特殊用途的）全套装备，全套服装

参考例句：

• Jenney bought a new outfit for her daughter's wedding.珍妮为参加女儿的婚礼买了一套新装。
• His father bought a ski outfit for him on his birthday.他父亲在他生日那天给他买了一套滑雪用具。

16 curiously   

adv.有求知欲地；好问地；奇特地

参考例句：

• He looked curiously at the people.他好奇地看着那些人。
• He took long stealthy strides. His hands were curiously cold.他迈着悄没声息的大步。他的双手出奇地冷。

17 disdain   

n.鄙视，轻视；v.轻视，鄙视，不屑

参考例句：

• Some people disdain labour.有些人轻视劳动。
• A great man should disdain flatterers.伟大的人物应鄙视献媚者。

18 helping   

n.食物的一份&adj.帮助人的，辅助的

参考例句：

• The poor children regularly pony up for a second helping of my hamburger. 那些可怜的孩子们总是要求我把我的汉堡包再给他们一份。
• By doing this, they may at times be helping to restore competition. 这样一来, 他在某些时候,有助于竞争的加强。

19 ashore   

adv.在(向)岸上，上岸

参考例句：

• The children got ashore before the tide came in.涨潮前，孩子们就上岸了。
• He laid hold of the rope and pulled the boat ashore.他抓住绳子拉船靠岸。

20 whatsoever   

adv.（用于否定句中以加强语气）任何；pron.无论什么

参考例句：

• There's no reason whatsoever to turn down this suggestion.没有任何理由拒绝这个建议。
• All things whatsoever ye would that men should do to you,do ye even so to them.你想别人对你怎样，你就怎样对人。

21 peril   

n.(严重的)危险；危险的事物

参考例句：

• The refugees were in peril of death from hunger.难民有饿死的危险。
• The embankment is in great peril.河堤岌岌可危。

22 outrage   

n.暴行，侮辱，愤怒；vt.凌辱，激怒

参考例句：

• When he heard the news he reacted with a sense of outrage.他得悉此事时义愤填膺。
• We should never forget the outrage committed by the Japanese invaders.我们永远都不应该忘记日本侵略者犯下的暴行。