CHAPTER II — TOM HARPER'S ACCIDENT

 Tom Harper and Sam Noble were not wholly disinterested¹ in their championship of Randolph. They were very ordinary skaters, and stood no chance of winning the match themselves. They wished Randolph to win, for each hoped, as he had a silver watch himself already, he might give the Waterbury to his faithful friend and follower². Nothing in Randolph's character granted such a hope, for he was by no means generous or open-handed, but each thought that he might open his heart on this occasion. Indeed, Tom ventured to hint as much.

 

"I suppose, Randolph," he said, "if you win the watch you will give it to me?"

 

"Why should I?" asked Randolph, surveying Tom with a cold glance.

 

"You've got a nice silver watch yourself, you know."

 

"I might like to have two watches."

 

"You'll have the ten dollars your father promised you."

 

"What if I have? What claim have you on me?"

 

Tom drew near and whispered something in Randolph's ear.

 

"I'll see about it," said Randolph, nodding.

 

"Are you ready?" asked the teacher, once more.

 

"Aye, aye!" responded the boys.

 

"One—two—three—go!"

 

The boys darted³ off like arrows from a bow. Luke made a late start, but before they were half across the pond he was even with Randolph, and both were leading. Randolph looked sidewise, and shut his mouth tight as he saw his hated rival on equal terms with him and threatening to pass him. It would be humiliating in the extreme, he thought, to be beaten by such a boy.

 

But beaten he seemed likely to be, for Luke was soon a rod in advance and slowly gaining. Slowly, for Randolph was really a fine skater and had no rival except Luke. But Luke was his superior, as seemed likely to be proved.

 

Though only these two stood any chance of final success, all the boys kept up the contest.

 

A branch of a tree had been placed at the western end of the pond, and this was the mark around which the boys were to skate. Luke made the circuit first, Randolph being about half a dozen rods behind. After him came the rest of the boys in procession, with one exception. This exception was Tom Harper, who apparently⁴ gave up the contest when half-way across, and began skating about, here and there, apparently waiting for his companions to return.

 

"Tom Harper has given up his chance," said Linton to the teacher.

 

"So it seems," replied Mr. Hooper, "but he probably had no expectation of succeeding."

 

"I should think he would have kept on with the rest. I would have done so, though my chance would have been no better than his."

 

Indeed, it seemed strange that Tom should have given up so quickly. It soon appeared that it was not caprice, but that he had an object in view, and that a very discreditable one.

 

He waited till the boys were on their way back. By this time Luke was some eight rods in advance of his leading competitor. Then Tom began to be on the alert. As Luke came swinging on to victory he suddenly placed himself in his way. Luke's speed was so great that he could not check himself. He came into collision with Tom, and in an instant both were prostrate⁵. Tom, however, got the worst of it. He was thrown violently backward, falling on the back of his head, and lay stunned⁶ and motionless on the ice. Luke fell over him, but was scarcely hurt at all. He was up again in an instant, and might still have kept the lead, but instead he got down on his knees beside Tom and asked anxiously: "Are you much hurt, Tom?"

 

Tom didn't immediately answer, but lay breathing heavily, with his eyes still closed.

 

Meanwhile, Randolph, with a smile of triumph, swept on to his now assured victory. Most of the boys, however, stopped and gathered round Luke and Tom.

 

This accident had been watched with interest and surprise from the starting-point.

 

"Tom must be a good deal hurt," said Linton. "What could possibly have made him get in Luke's way?"

 

"I don't know," said the teacher, slowly; "it looks strange."

 

"It almost seemed as if he got in the way on purpose," Linton continued.

 

"He is a friend of Randolph Duncan, is he not?" asked the teacher, abruptly⁷.

 

"They are together about all the time."

 

"Ha!" commented the teacher, as if struck by an idea. He didn't, however, give expression to the thought in his mind.

 

A minute more, and Randolph swept into the presence of the teacher.

 

"I believe I have won?" he said, with a smile of gratification on his countenance⁸.

 

"You have come in first," said the teacher coldly.

 

"Luke was considerably⁹ ahead when he ran into Tom," suggested Linton.

 

"That's not my lookout," said Randolph, shrugging his shoulders. "The point is that I have come in first."

 

"Tom Harper is a friend of yours, is he not?" asked the teacher.

 

"Oh, yes!" answered Randolph, indifferently.

 

"He seems to be a good deal hurt. It was very strange that he got in Luke's way."

 

"So it was," said Randolph, without betraying much interest.

 

"Will you lend me your skates, Randolph?" asked Linton. "I should like to go out and see if I can help Tom in any way."

 

If any other boy than Linton had made the request, Randolph would have declined, but he wished, if possible, to add Linton to his list of friends, and graciously consented.

 

Before Linton could reach the spot, Tom had been assisted to his feet, and, with a dazed expression, assisted on either side by Luke and Edmund Blake, was on his way back to the starting-point.

 

"What made you get in my way, Tom?" asked Luke, puzzled.

 

"I don't know," answered Tom, sullenly¹⁰.

 

"Are you much hurt?"

 

"I think my skull¹¹ must be fractured," moaned Tom.

 

"Oh, not so bad as that," said Luke, cheerfully. "I've fallen on my head myself, but I got over it."

 

"You didn't fall as hard as I did," groaned¹² Tom.

 

"No, I presume not; but heads are hard, and I guess you'll be all right in a few days."

 

Tom had certainly been severely¹³ hurt. There was a swelling¹⁴ on the back of his head almost as large as a hen's egg.

 

"You've lost the watch, Luke," said Frank Acken. "Randolph has got in first."

 

"Yes, I supposed he would," answered Luke, quietly.

 

"And there is Linton Tomkins coming to meet us on Randolph's skates."

 

"Randolph is sitting down on a log taking it easy. What is your loss, Luke, is his gain."

 

"Yes."

 

"I think he might have come back to inquire after you, Tom, as you are a friend of his."

 

Tom looked resentfully at Randolph, and marked his complacent¹⁵ look, and it occurred to him also that the friend he had risked so much to serve was very ungrateful. But he hoped now, at any rate, to get the watch, and thought it prudent¹⁶ to say nothing.

 

The boys had now reached the shore.

 

"Hope you're not much hurt, Tom?" said Randolph, in a tone of mild interest.

 

"I don't know but my skull is fractured," responded Tom, bitterly.

 

"Oh, I guess not. It's the fortune of war. Well, I got in first."

 

Randolph waited for congratulations, but none came. All the boys looked serious, and more than one suspected that there had been foul¹⁷ play. They waited for the teacher to speak.

1 disinterested   

adj.不关心的，不感兴趣的

参考例句：

• He is impartial and disinterested.他公正无私。
• He's always on the make,I have never known him do a disinterested action.他这个人一贯都是唯利是图，我从来不知道他有什么无私的行动。

2 follower   

n.跟随者；随员；门徒；信徒

参考例句：

• He is a faithful follower of his home football team.他是他家乡足球队的忠实拥护者。
• Alexander is a pious follower of the faith.亚历山大是个虔诚的信徒。

3 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》

4 apparently   

adv.显然地；表面上，似乎

参考例句：

• An apparently blind alley leads suddenly into an open space.山穷水尽，豁然开朗。
• He was apparently much surprised at the news.他对那个消息显然感到十分惊异。

5 prostrate   

v.拜倒，平卧，衰竭；adj.拜倒的，平卧的，衰竭的

参考例句：

• She was prostrate on the floor.她俯卧在地板上。
• The Yankees had the South prostrate and they intended to keep It'so.北方佬已经使南方屈服了,他们还打算继续下去。

6 stunned   

adj. 震惊的，惊讶的 动词stun的过去式和过去分词

参考例句：

• The fall stunned me for a moment. 那一下摔得我昏迷了片刻。
• The leaders of the Kopper Company were then stunned speechless. 科伯公司的领导们当时被惊得目瞪口呆。

7 abruptly   

adv.突然地，出其不意地

参考例句：

• He gestured abruptly for Virginia to get in the car.他粗鲁地示意弗吉尼亚上车。
• I was abruptly notified that a half-hour speech was expected of me.我突然被通知要讲半个小时的话。

8 countenance   

n.脸色，面容；面部表情；vt.支持，赞同

参考例句：

• At the sight of this photograph he changed his countenance.他一看见这张照片脸色就变了。
• I made a fierce countenance as if I would eat him alive.我脸色恶狠狠地，仿佛要把他活生生地吞下去。

9 considerably   

adv.极大地；相当大地；在很大程度上

参考例句：

• The economic situation has changed considerably.经济形势已发生了相当大的变化。
• The gap has narrowed considerably.分歧大大缩小了。

10 sullenly   

不高兴地，绷着脸，忧郁地

参考例句：

• 'so what?" Tom said sullenly. “那又怎么样呢？”汤姆绷着脸说。
• Emptiness after the paper, I sIt'sullenly in front of the stove. 报看完，想不出能找点什么事做，只好一人坐在火炉旁生气。

11 skull   

n.头骨；颅骨

参考例句：

• The skull bones fuse between the ages of fifteen and twenty-five.头骨在15至25岁之间长合。
• He fell out of the window and cracked his skull.他从窗子摔了出去，跌裂了颅骨。

12 groaned   

v.呻吟( groan的过去式和过去分词 )；发牢骚；抱怨；受苦

参考例句：

• He groaned in anguish. 他痛苦地呻吟。
• The cart groaned under the weight of the piano. 大车在钢琴的重压下嘎吱作响。 来自《简明英汉词典》

13 severely   

adv.严格地；严厉地；非常恶劣地

参考例句：

• He was severely criticized and removed from his post.他受到了严厉的批评并且被撤了职。
• He is severely put down for his careless work.他因工作上的粗心大意而受到了严厉的批评。

14 swelling   

n.肿胀

参考例句：

• Use ice to reduce the swelling. 用冰敷消肿。
• There is a marked swelling of the lymph nodes. 淋巴结处有明显的肿块。

15 complacent   

adj.自满的；自鸣得意的

参考例句：

• We must not become complacent the moment we have some success.我们决不能一见成绩就自满起来。
• She was complacent about her achievements.她对自己的成绩沾沾自喜。

16 prudent   

adj.谨慎的，有远见的，精打细算的

参考例句：

• A prudent traveller never disparages his own country.聪明的旅行者从不贬低自己的国家。
• You must school yourself to be modest and prudent.你要学会谦虚谨慎。

17 foul   

adj.污秽的；邪恶的；v.弄脏；妨害；犯规；n.犯规

参考例句：

• Take off those foul clothes and let me wash them.脱下那些脏衣服让我洗一洗。
• What a foul day it is!多么恶劣的天气！