"Where's he going, I wonder?" thought Marlowe, following at a little distance.
As no conversation had passed between the boys about the excursion, he was quite in the dark; but he was determined2 to follow where-ever it might be. He soon ascertained3. Julius met a street acquaintance—Tom Barker, a newsboy—and accosted4 him.
"Tom, come with me."
"Where you goin'?"
"To Staten Island."
"What's up?"
"Nothin'. I'm goin' for the benefit of my health. Come along."
"I can't come."
"Haven't you got the stamps? I'll pay."
"I've got to go to Twenty-seventh street on an errand. I'll go with you to-morrow."
"Can't wait," said Julius. "I must go alone."
"Goin' to Staten Island," thought Marlowe, in exultation5. "I'll get a chance at him there."
Marlowe had not much money with him, but he had enough to pay the fare to Staten Island—ten cents. So he kept on the track of Julius, and passed the wicket just behind him. The boat was approaching the pier, and they had not long to wait. Julius went to the forward part of the boat, and took a seat just in front of the boiler6. Marlowe took a position near, but not too near. He had considerable confidence in his disguise, but did not want to run any unnecessary risk of recognition. It so happened that a few steps from him was a genuine specimen7 of the profession he was counterfeiting8. With the sociability10 characteristic of a sailor, he undertook to open a conversation with Marlowe.
"Hollo, shipmate!" he said.
"Hollo, yourself!" said the counterfeit9, not over pleased with the salutation.
"Not long," answered Marlowe.
"Where was your last v'y'ge?"
"To Californy," answered Marlowe, hesitating.
"What craft?"
Here was an embarrassing question. Marlowe wished his questioner at the North Pole, but felt compelled to answer.
"The—Sally Ann," he answered.
"Confound you, I'm sorry to hear it!" thought the impostor.
"There's more than one Sally Ann, it's likely," he said. "Who was your captain?"
"Captain Rice."
"Mine was Captain Talbot."
"How long was your v'y'ge, shipmate?"
Now Marlowe had no knowledge of the number of days such a voyage ought to take. He knew that the California steamers came in in three or four weeks, and the difference of speed did not occur to him, not to speak of the vastly greater distance round Cape13 Horn.
"Yes, we had favorable winds," explained Marlowe.
He was about to ask another question, when Marlowe, who suspected that he had made a blunder, turned abruptly17, and walked away.
"He ain't no sailor," said the questioner to himself. "He never lived in the forecastle, I know by his walk."
"Went round the Horn in thirty days!" soliloquized the sailor. "That yarn's too tough for me to swallow. What's he got on that rig for?"
Meanwhile, Julius looked around him with enjoyment19. Cheap as the excursion was, he had but once made it before. It had been seldom that he had even twenty cents to spare, and when he had money, he had preferred to go to the Old Bowery or Tony Pastor's for an evening's entertainment. Now he felt the refreshing20 influence of the sea breeze. He was safe from Marlowe, so he thought. He had left danger behind him in the great, dusty city. Before him was a vision of green fields, and the delight of an afternoon without work and without care. He was sure of a good supper and a comfortable bed; for had he not five dollars in his pocket? Julius felt as rich as Stewart or Vanderbilt, and so he was for the time being. But he would have felt anxious, could he have seen the baleful glance of the disguised sailor; for Marlowe, though he had changed his seat, still managed to keep Julius in sight. But there was another who in turn watched him, and that was the genuine sailor. The latter was bent21 on finding out the meaning of the disguise, for disguise he knew it to be. He was not long in discovering that Marlowe was watching Julius with a malignant22 glance.
"He hates the lad," thought the sailor. "Does he mean him harm?"
He was making an excursion of pleasure, but he had another object in view. He had a cousin living on Staten Island, and he was intending to make him a call; but this business was not imperative23, and he resolved to follow out the present adventure.
"If he tries to harm the lad," said the kindhearted sailor, "he'll have to take me too."
So while Marlowe watched Julius, he was watched in turn.
The boat reached the first landing, and some of the passengers got off. But Julius made no motion to disembark, and of course Marlowe did not. Shortly afterward24 the second landing was reached; but it was not until the boat touched the third that Julius rose from his seat and descended25 the stairs to the lower deck. The two sailors followed.
Julius walked up the road that leads to the pier. He had no particular destination. He cared little where he went, his main object being to get back into the country. The sailor soon perceived that Marlowe had no object except to follow Julius. All his movements depended upon the boy's. When Julius turned, he turned also.
"What has he got ag'in the boy?" thought the sailor. "He shan't harm him if Jack26 Halyard can prevent it."
Marlowe was tall and strong, and a formidable opponent. The sailor was three inches shorter, but he was broad-shouldered, and had an immense chest. It was clear that he was very powerful. He was thoroughly27 brave also. Fear was a stranger to him, and he did not hesitate for a moment to encounter Marlowe in the boy's defense28.
Julius kept on. At one place he stopped to watch two boys who were pitching ball to each other. He asked them if he might join in the game; but the boys looked contemptuously at his shabby clothes, and one of them said, rudely:
"We don't play with ragamuffins."
"I ain't a ragamuffin!" said Julius.
"I'm as much of a gentleman as you are," retorted Julius, angrily.
"Clear out, you beggar! We don't want you here," said the second boy, arrogantly30.
Julius walked on indignantly.
"They insult me because I am poor," he said to himself. "I'll be rich some time, perhaps."
The possibility of becoming rich had never occurred to him before to-day; but Mr. O'Connor's words, and the fifty dollars which had been given him, made him hopeful and ambitious. He had heard that some of the rich men who owned warehouses31 in the great city had once been poor boys like himself. Might he not rise like them? For the first time in his life he seemed to be having a chance.
Marlowe saw him leave the boys with satisfaction. Had Julius stopped to play with them his scheme of vengeance32 would have been delayed, perhaps frustrated33. It would not do for him to attack the boy in the presence of others. But Julius w r as walking away from the village into the interior. If he only went far enough he would be at his mercy.
What should he do to him? He might kill him, but killing34 is rather a dangerous game to play at in a civilized35 community.
"I'll take his money," thought Marlowe, "and beat him within an inch of his life. I'll teach him to betray me!"
At length Julius wandered to a spot solitary36 enough to suit his purpose. Strange to say, the boy had not turned, or noticed his pursuer. Marlowe was quite out of his thoughts. Who would think of finding him in this quiet scene? But he was destined37 to be rudely awakened38 from his dream of security. All at once he felt a hand upon his shoulder. Turning quickly, he saw one whom he supposed to be a sailor.
"What's wanted?" he asked.
"You're wanted."
"What for?" asked Julius, not yet recognizing his enemy.
"Don't you know me?" asked Marlowe.
"No."
"But I know you, you young villain39!" exclaimed Marlowe, unable longer to repress his fury. "I'm the man you sold along with Jack Morgan. I've got a reckoning with you, my lad, and it's goin' to be a heavy one. I haven't followed you all the way from New York for nothing."
点击
收听单词发音
收听单词发音 |
1
pier
|
|
| n.码头；桥墩，桥柱；[建]窗间壁，支柱 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
2
determined
|
|
| adj.坚定的；有决心的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
3
ascertained
|
|
| v.弄清，确定，查明( ascertain的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
4
accosted
|
|
| v.走过去跟…讲话( accost的过去式和过去分词 )；跟…搭讪；（乞丐等）上前向…乞讨；（妓女等）勾搭 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
5
exultation
|
|
| n.狂喜，得意 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
6
boiler
|
|
| n.锅炉；煮器(壶，锅等) | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
7
specimen
|
|
| n.样本，标本 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
8
counterfeiting
|
|
| n.伪造v.仿制，造假( counterfeit的现在分词 ) | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
9
counterfeit
|
|
| vt.伪造，仿造；adj.伪造的，假冒的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
10
sociability
|
|
| n.好交际，社交性，善于交际 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
11
ashore
|
|
| adv.在(向)岸上，上岸 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
12
animation
|
|
| n.活泼，兴奋，卡通片／动画片的制作 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
13
cape
|
|
| n.海角，岬；披肩，短披风 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
14
random
|
|
| adj.随机的；任意的；n.偶然的(或随便的)行动 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
15
amazement
|
|
| n.惊奇，惊讶 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
16
Neptune
|
|
| n.海王星 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
17
abruptly
|
|
| adv.突然地，出其不意地 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
18
seaman
|
|
| n.海员，水手，水兵 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
19
enjoyment
|
|
| n.乐趣；享有；享用 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
20
refreshing
|
|
| adj.使精神振作的，使人清爽的，使人喜欢的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
21
bent
|
|
| n.爱好，癖好；adj.弯的；决心的，一心的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
22
malignant
|
|
| adj.恶性的，致命的；恶意的，恶毒的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
23
imperative
|
|
| n.命令，需要；规则；祈使语气；adj.强制的；紧急的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
24
afterward
|
|
| adv.后来；以后 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
25
descended
|
|
| a.为...后裔的，出身于...的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
26
jack
|
|
| n.插座，千斤顶，男人；v.抬起，提醒，扛举；n.（Jake）杰克 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
27
thoroughly
|
|
| adv.完全地，彻底地，十足地 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
28
defense
|
|
| n.防御，保卫；[pl.]防务工事；辩护，答辩 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
29
sneer
|
|
| v.轻蔑；嘲笑；n.嘲笑，讥讽的言语 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
30
arrogantly
|
|
| adv.傲慢地 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
31
warehouses
|
|
| 仓库，货栈( warehouse的名词复数 ) | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
32
vengeance
|
|
| n.报复，报仇，复仇 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
33
frustrated
|
|
| adj.挫败的，失意的，泄气的v.使不成功( frustrate的过去式和过去分词 )；挫败；使受挫折；令人沮丧 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
34
killing
|
|
| n.巨额利润；突然赚大钱，发大财 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
35
civilized
|
|
| a.有教养的，文雅的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
36
solitary
|
|
| adj.孤独的，独立的，荒凉的；n.隐士 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
37
destined
|
|
| adj.命中注定的；(for)以…为目的地的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
38
awakened
|
|
| v.（使）醒( awaken的过去式和过去分词 )；（使）觉醒；弄醒；（使）意识到 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
39
villain
|
|
| n.反派演员，反面人物；恶棍；问题的起因 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
| 欢迎访问英文小说网 |