CHAPTER XX WHAT CAME OF A DEMAND

 The letter from Amos Bangs worried Andrew Shalley a little and he at once called on Captain Hadley, as soon as the steamboat made a landing at Nyack.

 

"It seems you ran down a boy a few days ago," said the steamboat owner.

 

"He tried to run us down," answered the captain, quietly.

 

"Was he hurt?"

 

"Not in the least."

 

"His father wants a thousand dollars' damages."

 

"I wouldn't pay him a cent."

 

"Did you run him down?"

 

"No, he tried to run us down."

 

"This is no joke, Captain Hadley."

 

"I know it, Mr. Shalley. But to threaten us with a suit at law is absurd. I can bring a dozen witnesses to prove that the accident was entirely¹ of the boy's making."

 

"I am glad to hear that," and Andrew Shalley breathed a sigh of relief. He did not care so much for the money, but he wanted to know that Captain Hadley was not to blame.

 

"That boy acted like a little fool from beginning to end," went on the captain of the steamboat and then told his story. Later Randy was called up, to relate what he had done, and also Jones.

 

"If there is any trouble some of the passengers will testify for us," said Captain Hadley, and mentioned half a dozen who had said they would stick to the captain, in case of trouble. The passengers were well-known citizens, whose testimony² would be sure to carry weight in any court of law.

 

Having satisfied himself that Amos Bangs had no case against him, the steamboat owner wrote to the rich manufacturer to that effect. By return mail he received this reply:

 

"Your bluff³ will not work with me. You are to blame and must pay. If I do not receive your check for one thousand dollars by the middle of next week I shall bring suit. My son is now in bed and under the doctor's care because of the accident."

 

"Humph! Under the doctor's care, eh?" mused⁴ the steamboat owner. "This certainly seems to be serious after all. He will certainly make trouble for me even if he doesn't win his case."

 

Again the steamboat owner interviewed Captain Hadley, and then the pair called in Randy, to learn what he could tell about the Bangs family in general. Our hero told all he knew, including the trouble Mr. Bartlett was having with the iron manufacturer.

 

"Evidently he is a man to get money in any manner possible," mused Andrew Shalley. "He will certainly bring suit."

 

"I don't believe Bob is sick," said Randy. "He must be shamming⁵."

 

"I wish I knew for sure."

 

"Perhaps I can find out for you—if you'll give me a day or two off," said our hero, struck by a sudden idea.

 

"A good plan!" cried Captain Hadley. "Let the lad see what he can do, by all means."

 

The matter was talked over, and the upshot was that on the next trip of the steamboat Randy went ashore⁶ at Catskill, near which town Bob Bangs and his mother were spending their vacation.

 

From some men at the dock our hero was enabled to find out all about the damaged sloop⁷, which had been returned to Catskill. It was to cost twenty dollars to put the craft in good condition again.

 

"Those folks are stopping at a small hotel on the Burnham road," said one of the dock men. "It's called the Sharon House."

 

"Thank you," returned our hero.

 

He was soon on the way to the Sharon House—since demolished⁸ by fire. It did not take him long to cover the distance. As he approached he looked around for some signs of the Bangs family and presently espied⁹ Mrs. Bangs lounging in a hammock on a side veranda¹⁰, reading a novel.

 

"I wonder if it is possible that Bob is really in bed sick?" he mused. "If he is it's a wonder Mrs. Bangs isn't with him. But then I guess she is a selfish woman, anyway."

 

Randy walked around the hotel and down to the stable. Here he met a colored boy who helped around the horses.

 

"Say, can you tell me where I can find Bob Bangs?" he asked, boldly.

 

"Bob Bangs jest went down to the ball grounds," was the answer, which surprised Randy not a little.

 

"Where are the grounds?"

 

"That way," and the colored boy pointed¹¹ with his hand.

 

"I thought maybe Bob was sick."

 

"He ain't sick—he's only pertendin'," answered the colored boy.

 

Randy said no more but hurried off in the direction of the baseball grounds. Just as he came in sight of the place, he saw a figure ahead that looked familiar to him.

 

"Unless I am mistaken, that is Bob," he told himself, and hurried closer.

 

It was indeed Bob Bangs, walking along as if nothing had ever happened to him. He was smoking a cigarette. He passed into the grounds and Randy did the same, and took a seat on a bench directly behind the rich youth.

 

It was easy to see that Bob Bangs was not suffering physically¹². He smoked half a dozen cigarettes, and applauded as loudly as anybody when a good play was made.

 

"Fine game," said a man sitting next to Randy.

 

"It is," said our hero. He looked at the man and saw that he was evidently a merchant. "Excuse me, are you from Catskill?"

 

"I am."

 

"Do you want to do me a favor if I pay you for it?"

 

"Well, it won't be a favor if you pay me."

 

"I may want your assistance and I may not. Do you see that boy there?"

 

"Yes."

 

"He doesn't look as if he was sick abed, does he?"

 

"Sick abed? What sort of a game is this?" and the merchant looked Randy over with much curiosity.

 

"That boy's father says he is sick in bed. I want to prove that it isn't so."

 

"What is the game, anyway?"

 

"He had an accident on the river and he wants damages from a man I work for. It is a put-up job."

 

"Oh! I've heard of such things before. I know a rascal¹³ who cut his foot with an ax and then went down to the railroad and laid the blame on a train. He got five hundred dollars, but, later on, was found out and sent to prison for the deception¹⁴."

 

"Well, this isn't exactly like that. Didn't you hear about a sloop running into the Helen Shalley a few days ago?"

 

"Oh, yes, a friend of mine, a passenger on the boat, told me about it. He said the boy didn't know how to handle the craft."

 

"Well, that is the boy."

 

"Indeed!"

 

"Does he act as if he was hurt or suffering?"

 

"Not in the least."

 

"Would you be willing to testify to that fact, if it came to law?"

 

"Certainly."

 

"Will you give me your name and address?"

 

"Here is my card," and the merchant handed it over. He did not add that he occasionally sold Captain Hadley some goods and was glad to do the master of the steamboat a service.

 

The game was almost at an end when the ball was sent among the spectators. Seeing it coming towards him, Bob Bangs leaped up and tried to catch the sphere. It hit the tips of his fingers, stinging them greatly. Then the ball came towards Randy and he caught it and threw it back into the field.

 

"What are you doing here?" demanded Bob Bangs, as he caught sight of our hero.

 

"Watching the game," answered Randy, quietly.

 

"Humph!"

 

"Pretty nice game, Bob."

 

"Humph!" muttered the rich boy again.

 

"I see you are feeling fine again."

 

"I am not—I am real sick," answered the rich boy, quickly.

 

"Sick in bed, eh?" went on our hero, with a grin.

 

"I was in bed."

 

"Last night, I suppose. So was I."

 

"I'm sick yet."

 

"You showed it—by the way you were cheering and yelling."

 

"When did you come in?"

 

"Right after you."

 

"Humph! Have you been watching me?"

 

"Yes."

 

"You might be in a better business," sneered¹⁵ the rich boy.

 

"I don't think so. You need watching. You and your father want to cheat the steamboat company by pretending that you were hurt in that collision, and here you are as well and hearty¹⁶ as ever," added Randy in a loud voice, so that those nearby might hear.

 

"I ain't well—I'm sick."

 

"You said that before—but nobody will believe it."

 

"You're well enough to go to a ball game and yell and smoke cigarettes, anyway," put in the merchant sitting next to Randy.

 

A good play brought forth¹⁷ a cheer from the crowd which drowned out further talk. In the midst of the temporary excitement Bob Bangs sneaked¹⁸ from the stand and from the ball grounds.

 

"He feels sick over this," laughed the merchant.

 

"Well, he can't sue the steamboat company for that sickness," laughed our hero in return.

 

1 entirely   

ad.全部地，完整地；完全地，彻底地

参考例句：

• The fire was entirely caused by their neglect of duty. 那场火灾完全是由于他们失职而引起的。
• His life was entirely given up to the educational work. 他的一生统统献给了教育工作。

2 testimony   

n.证词；见证，证明

参考例句：

• The testimony given by him is dubious.他所作的证据是可疑的。
• He was called in to bear testimony to what the police officer said.他被传入为警官所说的话作证。

3 bluff   

v.虚张声势，用假象骗人；n.虚张声势，欺骗

参考例句：

• His threats are merely bluff.他的威胁仅仅是虚张声势。
• John is a deep card.No one can bluff him easily.约翰是个机灵鬼。谁也不容易欺骗他。

4 mused   

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

5 shamming   

假装，冒充( sham的现在分词 )

参考例句：

• He is not really ill, he is shamming. 他不是生病，他在装病。
• He is only shamming. 他只是假装罢了。

6 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。

7 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。

8 demolished   

v.摧毁( demolish的过去式和过去分词 )；推翻；拆毁（尤指大建筑物）；吃光

参考例句：

• The factory is due to be demolished next year. 这个工厂定于明年拆除。
• They have been fighting a rearguard action for two years to stop their house being demolished. 两年来，为了不让拆除他们的房子，他们一直在进行最后的努力。

9 espied   

v.看到( espy的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• One day a youth espied her as he was hunting.She saw him and recognized him as her own son, mow grown a young man. 一日，她被一个正在行猎的小伙子看见了，她认出来这个猎手原来是自己的儿子，现在已长成为一个翩翩的少年。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• In a little while he espied the two giants. 一会儿就看见了那两个巨人。 来自辞典例句

10 veranda   

n.走廊；阳台

参考例句：

• She sat in the shade on the veranda.她坐在阳台上的遮荫处。
• They were strolling up and down the veranda.他们在走廊上来回徜徉。

11 pointed   

adj.尖的，直截了当的

参考例句：

• He gave me a very sharp pointed pencil.他给我一支削得非常尖的铅笔。
• She wished to show Mrs.John Dashwood by this pointed invitation to her brother.她想通过对达茨伍德夫人提出直截了当的邀请向她的哥哥表示出来。

12 physically   

adj.物质上，体格上，身体上，按自然规律

参考例句：

• He was out of sorts physically,as well as disordered mentally.他浑身不舒服，心绪也很乱。
• Every time I think about it I feel physically sick.一想起那件事我就感到极恶心。

13 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。

14 deception   

n.欺骗，欺诈；骗局，诡计

参考例句：

• He admitted conspiring to obtain property by deception.他承认曾与人合谋骗取财产。
• He was jailed for two years for fraud and deception.他因为诈骗和欺诈入狱服刑两年。

15 sneered   

讥笑，冷笑( sneer的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• He sneered at people who liked pop music. 他嘲笑喜欢流行音乐的人。
• It's very discouraging to be sneered at all the time. 成天受嘲讽是很令人泄气的。

16 hearty   

adj.热情友好的；衷心的；尽情的，纵情的

参考例句：

• After work they made a hearty meal in the worker's canteen.工作完了，他们在工人食堂饱餐了一顿。
• We accorded him a hearty welcome.我们给他热忱的欢迎。

17 forth   

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。

18 sneaked   

v.潜行( sneak的过去式和过去分词 )；偷偷溜走；（儿童向成人）打小报告；告状

参考例句：

• I sneaked up the stairs. 我蹑手蹑脚地上了楼。
• She sneaked a surreptitious glance at her watch. 她偷偷看了一眼手表。