CHAPTER XXX. DICK HAYDEN FINDS THE BIRD FLOWN.

 Half an hour previously¹ Dick Hayden and his congenial friend, Bob Stubbs, reached the cabin. They had much pleasant and jocose² conversation on the way touching³ their young captive, and how he had probably passed the night. They had personal injuries to avenge⁴, and though Achilles was responsible for them, they proposed to wreak⁵ vengeance⁶ on the boy whom a luckless fate had thrown into their hands.

 

"My shoulders are sore yet," said Hayden, "over the fall that big brute⁷ gave me."

 

"And my head hasn't got over the crack I got when he laid me flat with his club," responded Stubbs.

 

"Well, we've got a friend of his, that's one comfort. I'm going to take it out of the kid's hide."

 

"You don't mean to—do for him?" said Stubbs, cautiously.

 

"I don't mean to kill him, if that's what you mean, Stubbs. I have too much regard for my neck, but I mean to give him a sound flogging. You ain't afraid, be you?"[Pg 149]

 

"Catch Bob Stubbs afraid of anything, except the hangman's rope! I don't mind telling you that I have reasons to be afraid of that."

 

"Why? You've never been hung, have you?"

 

"No; but an uncle of mine was strung up in England."

 

"What for?"

 

"He got into trouble with a fellow workman and stabbed him."

 

"He was in bad luck. Why didn't he cut it, and come to America?"

 

"He tried it, but the bobbies caught him in the steerage of an ocean steamer, and then it was all up with him."

 

"Well, I hope his nephew will come to a better end. But here we are at the cabin."

 

There was nothing in the outward appearance of the hut to indicate that the bird was flown. Janet bolted the door after releasing the prisoner, and no one could judge that it had been opened.

 

"All is safe," said Bob Stubbs.

 

"Of course it is! Why shouldn't it be?"

 

"No reason; but some of his friends might have found him."

 

"All his friends are at Groveton. Then they had no idea what we did with him."

 

"They must have found out that he was gone."

 

"They couldn't find him, so that would do him no good."

 

Stubbs was about to draw the bolt, but Hayden stayed his hand.

 

"Wait a minute, Bob," he said; "I'll look in at the window, and see what he is doing."

 

Dick Hayden went around to the rear of the building, and flattened⁸ his face against the pane⁹ in the[Pg 150] effort to see the corner where the captive had been tied. He could not see very distinctly, but what he did see startled him.

 

He could perceive no one.

 

"Could the boy have loosened the rope?" he asked himself hurriedly.

 

Even in that case, as the window was nailed so that it could not be opened, and the door was bolted, there seemed no way of escape. His eyes eagerly explored other portions of the cabin, but he could not catch a glimpse of Kit¹⁰.

 

He rushed round to the front, and in an excitement which Stubbs could not understand, pulled the bolt back with a jerk.

 

"What's the matter, Dick?" asked Stubbs, staring.

 

Dick Hayden did not answer, but threw open the door.

 

He strode in, and peeped here and there.

 

"The boy's gone!" he said hoarsely¹¹, to Stubbs, who followed close behind.

 

"Gone!" echoed Stubbs, in blank amazement¹². "How did he get away?"

 

"That's the question," responded Dick, growling¹³.

 

"Well, I'm—flabbergasted! There's witchery here!"

 

Dick Hayden bent¹⁴ over and picked up the pieces of rope which lay in the corner where the prisoner had been placed. He examined the ends, and said briefly¹⁵, turning to Stubbs: "They've been cut!"

 

"So they have, Dick. Who in natur' could have done it? Perhaps the kid did it himself. Might have had a knife in his pocket."

 

"Don't be a fool, Stubbs! Supposin' he'd done it, how was he goin' to get out?"[Pg 151]

 

"That's what beats me!"

 

"Somebody must have let him out."

 

"Do you think it's his circus friends?"

 

"No; they're all in Groveton. Somebody must have been passin' and heard the boy holler, and let him out."

 

"What are you goin' to do about it, Dick?"

 

"Goin' to sit down and take a smoke. It may give me an idea."

 

It will be noticed that of these two, Dick Hayden, as the bolder and stronger spirit, was the leader, and Bob Stubbs the subservient¹⁶ follower¹⁷. Stubbs was no less brutal¹⁸, when occasion served, but he was not self reliant. He wanted some one to lead the way, and he was willing to follow.

 

The two men sat down beside the cabin, and lit their pipes. Nothing was said for a time. Dick seemed disinclined to conversation, and Stubbs was always disposed to be silent when enjoying a smoke.

 

The smoke continued for twenty minutes or more.

 

Finally Dick withdrew the pipe from his mouth.

 

"Well, Dick, what do you think about it? What shall we do?" inquired his friend.

 

"I am going to foller the kid."

 

"But you don't know where he's gone," replied Stubbs.

 

"No; but I may strike his track. Are you with me?"

 

"Of course I am."

 

"Then listen to me. The one that let the boy out knows the neighborhood. The boy would naturally want to go to Groveton, and likely he would be directed to Stover. If the kid had any money, he would ask Stover to drive him over, or else he would foot it."[Pg 152]

 

"You're right, Dick. That's what he'd do," said Stubbs, admiring his companion's penetration¹⁹.

 

"Then we must go over to Stover's."

 

"All right! I'm with you."

 

"I'm a poor man, Bob, but I'd give a ten dollar bill to have that kid in my power once more."

 

"I don't doubt it, Dick."

 

"I hate to have it said that a kid like that got the advantage of Dick Hayden."

 

"So would I, Bob."

 

"If I get hold of him I'll give him a lesson that he won't soon forget."

 

"And serve him right too."

 

The two men rose, and took their way across the fields, following exactly the same path which our hero had traveled earlier in the morning.

 

They walked with brisk steps, having a definite purpose in view. Dick Hayden was intensely anxious to recapture Kit, whose escape had balked²⁰ him of his vengeance, and mortified²¹ him exceedingly. As he expressed it, he could not bear to think that a boy of sixteen had got the advantage of him.

 

At length they reached the red house already referred to, and saw Ham Stover, the owner, in the yard.

 

"You are up betimes, Dick," said Stover. "What's in the wind?"

 

"Have you seen aught of a boy of sixteen passin' this way?" asked Dick, anxiously.

 

"A likely lookin' lad, well dressed?"

 

"Yes."

 

"He was round here an hour ago, and took breakfast in the house."

 

This was true; the slight refreshment²² Janet had brought him having proved insufficient²³ to completely[Pg 153] stay the cravings of Kit's appetite after his night in the cabin.

 

"Where is he now?"

 

"What do you want of him?"

 

"Never you mind—I'll tell you bimeby. Where is he?"

 

"He wanted me to harness up and take him to Groveton."

 

Dick Hayden and Stubbs exchanged glances. It was evident that they had struck Kit's trail.

 

"Well, did you do it?"

 

"No; I couldn't spare the time. Besides I wanted the horse to go to the village. I'm going to harness up now."

 

"What did the boy do?"

 

"He walked."

 

"How long since did he start?"

 

"About half an hour or thereabouts."

 

Dick Hayden made a rapid calculation.

 

"We may overtake him if we walk fast," he said.

 

Without stopping to enlighten the curiosity of Mr. Stover the two men set out rapidly on the Groveton road.

1 previously   

adv.以前，先前（地）

参考例句：

• The bicycle tyre blew out at a previously damaged point.自行车胎在以前损坏过的地方又爆开了。
• Let me digress for a moment and explain what had happened previously.让我岔开一会儿，解释原先发生了什么。

2 jocose   

adj.开玩笑的，滑稽的

参考例句：

• Dr. Daniel was a gleg man of a jocose nature.丹尼尔大夫是一位天生诙谐而反应机敏的人。
• His comic dialogues are jocose and jocular,thought-provoking.他的小品诙谐，逗乐，发人深省。

3 touching   

adj.动人的，使人感伤的

参考例句：

• It was a touching sight.这是一幅动人的景象。
• His letter was touching.他的信很感人。

4 avenge   

v.为...复仇，为...报仇

参考例句：

• He swore to avenge himself on the mafia.他发誓说要向黑手党报仇。
• He will avenge the people on their oppressor.他将为人民向压迫者报仇。

5 wreak   

v.发泄；报复

参考例句：

• She had a burning desire to wreak revenge.她复仇心切。
• Timid people always wreak their peevishness on the gentle.怯懦的人总是把满腹牢骚向温和的人发泄。

6 vengeance   

n.报复，报仇，复仇

参考例句：

• He swore vengeance against the men who murdered his father.他发誓要向那些杀害他父亲的人报仇。
• For years he brooded vengeance.多年来他一直在盘算报仇。

7 brute   

n.野兽，兽性

参考例句：

• The aggressor troops are not many degrees removed from the brute.侵略军简直象一群野兽。
• That dog is a dangerous brute.It bites people.那条狗是危险的畜牲，它咬人。

8 flattened   

[医]（水）平扁的，弄平的

参考例句：

• She flattened her nose and lips against the window. 她把鼻子和嘴唇紧贴着窗户。
• I flattened myself against the wall to let them pass. 我身体紧靠着墙让他们通过。

9 pane   

n.窗格玻璃，长方块

参考例句：

• He broke this pane of glass.他打破了这块窗玻璃。
• Their breath bloomed the frosty pane.他们呼出的水气，在冰冷的窗玻璃上形成一层雾。

10 kit   

n.用具包，成套工具；随身携带物

参考例句：

• The kit consisted of about twenty cosmetic items.整套工具包括大约20种化妆用品。
• The captain wants to inspect your kit.船长想检查你的行装。

11 hoarsely   

adv.嘶哑地

参考例句：

• "Excuse me," he said hoarsely. “对不起。”他用嘶哑的嗓子说。
• Jerry hoarsely professed himself at Miss Pross's service. 杰瑞嘶声嘶气地表示愿为普洛丝小姐效劳。 来自英汉文学 - 双城记

12 amazement   

n.惊奇，惊讶

参考例句：

• All those around him looked at him with amazement.周围的人都对他投射出惊异的眼光。
• He looked at me in blank amazement.他带着迷茫惊诧的神情望着我。

13 growling   

n.吠声, 咆哮声 v.怒吠, 咆哮, 吼

参考例句：

• We heard thunder growling in the distance. 我们听见远处有隆隆雷声。
• The lay about the deck growling together in talk. 他们在甲板上到处游荡，聚集在一起发牢骚。

14 bent   

n.爱好，癖好；adj.弯的；决心的，一心的

参考例句：

• He was fully bent upon the project.他一心扑在这项计划上。
• We bent over backward to help them.我们尽了最大努力帮助他们。

15 briefly   

adv.简单地，简短地

参考例句：

• I want to touch briefly on another aspect of the problem.我想简单地谈一下这个问题的另一方面。
• He was kidnapped and briefly detained by a terrorist group.他被一个恐怖组织绑架并短暂拘禁。

16 subservient   

adj.卑屈的，阿谀的

参考例句：

• He was subservient and servile.他低声下气、卑躬屈膝。
• It was horrible to have to be affable and subservient.不得不强作欢颜卖弄风骚，真是太可怕了。

17 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。

18 brutal   

adj.残忍的，野蛮的，不讲理的

参考例句：

• She has to face the brutal reality.她不得不去面对冷酷的现实。
• They're brutal people behind their civilised veneer.他们表面上温文有礼，骨子里却是野蛮残忍。

19 penetration   

n.穿透，穿人，渗透

参考例句：

• He is a man of penetration.他是一个富有洞察力的人。
• Our aim is to achieve greater market penetration.我们的目标是进一步打入市场。

20 balked   

v.畏缩不前，犹豫( balk的过去式和过去分词 )；（指马）不肯跑

参考例句：

• He balked in his speech. 他忽然中断讲演。 来自《现代英汉综合大词典》
• They balked the robber's plan. 他们使强盗的计划受到挫败。 来自《现代英汉综合大词典》

21 mortified   

v.使受辱( mortify的过去式和过去分词 )；伤害（人的感情）；克制；抑制（肉体、情感等）

参考例句：

• She was mortified to realize he had heard every word she said. 她意识到自己的每句话都被他听到了，直羞得无地自容。
• The knowledge of future evils mortified the present felicities. 对未来苦难的了解压抑了目前的喜悦。 来自《简明英汉词典》

22 refreshment   

n.恢复，精神爽快，提神之事物；（复数）refreshments:点心，茶点

参考例句：

• He needs to stop fairly often for refreshment.他须时不时地停下来喘口气。
• A hot bath is a great refreshment after a day's work.在一天工作之后洗个热水澡真是舒畅。

23 insufficient   

adj.(for，of)不足的，不够的

参考例句：

• There was insufficient evidence to convict him.没有足够证据给他定罪。
• In their day scientific knowledge was insufficient to settle the matter.在他们的时代，科学知识还不能足以解决这些问题。