CHAPTER XXXI. IN THE ENEMY'S HANDS.

 Mr. Stover was considerably¹ surprised when twenty minutes later, looking up from his work in the yard, he saw a man of colossal² size crossing the street. He hadn't attended the circus, and had not therefore heard of the giant, who was one of its principal features.[Pg 154]

 

"Who in creation can that be?" Stover asked himself.

 

Achilles Henderson turned into the yard, and accosted³ the farmer:

 

"Good morning, friend," he said. "Can you tell me if a boy of about sixteen has passed here this morning?"

 

"That boy again!" thought the bewildered farmer.

 

"Yes," he answered.

 

"Please describe him."

 

Mr. Stover did so.

 

"The very one!" said Achilles. "Now how long since was he here?"

 

"He took breakfast with my family, and started off nigh on to an hour ago."

 

"In what direction did he go?"

 

This question was also answered.

 

"Thank you, friend," said the giant; "you have done me a favor."

 

"Then won't you do me one?" said Stover. "Who is this boy that so many people are askin' for?"

 

"He is a young acrobat⁴ connected with Barlow's circus. But what do you mean by so many people asking about him?"

 

"There was two men here twenty minutes ago, that seemed very anxious to find him."

 

Achilles Henderson heard this with apprehension⁵. He could guess who they were, and what he heard alarmed him for Kit⁶'s safety.

 

"Who are they?" he inquired hastily.

 

"Dick Hayden and Bob Stubbs."

 

"Are they miners?"

 

"Yes."

 

"Did you tell them where the boy went?"

 

"Sartin! Why not?"[Pg 155]

 

"Because they mean to do the boy a mischief⁷; they may even kill him."

 

"What in creation should they do that for?"

 

"Mr. Stover, I must follow them at once. Have you a team?"

 

"Yes; but I calculated to use it."

 

"I must have it, and I want you to go with me. You may charge what you please. Remember a boy's life may depend on it."

 

"Then you shall have it," said the farmer, "and I'll go with you. I took a likin' to the boy. He was a gentleman, if ever I saw one; and my women folks was mightily⁸ taken with him. Dick Hayden and Bob Stubbs are rough kind of men, and I wouldn't trust any one I set store by in their hands. But why——"

 

"Harness your horse, and I'll answer your questions on the way, Mr. Stover."

 

"How do you know my name?" asked Stover, with sudden thought.

 

"I was told by some one as I came along."

 

The farmer lost no time in harnessing his horse, Achilles Henderson lending a hand. The horse seemed rather alarmed, never having seen a giant before, but soon got over his fright. The two men then jumped into the wagon⁹, and set out in search of Kit.

 

Meanwhile our hero had taken his way leisurely¹⁰ along the road. He didn't anticipate being followed, at any rate so soon, and felt under no particular apprehension. He had walked about three miles when a broad branching elm tree tempted¹¹ him to rest by its shade. He threw himself down on the grass, and indulged in self congratulations upon his escape from his captors. But his congratulation[Pg 156] proved to be premature¹². After a while he raised his eyes and looked carelessly back in the direction from which he had come. What he saw startled him.

 

The two miners, Hayden and Stubbs, had lost no time on the way. They were bent¹³ on capturing Kit, in order to revenge themselves upon him.

 

Reaching a little eminence¹⁴ in the road Dick Hayden caught sight of his intended victim sitting under the tree.

 

His eyes gleamed with a wicked light.

 

"There's the kid, Stubbs!" he said. "Stir your stumps¹⁵, old man, and we'll collar him!"

 

The two miners started on a run, and when Kit caught sight of them they were already within a few rods. The young acrobat saw that his only safety, if indeed there was any chance at all, was in flight. He started to his feet, and being fleet of limb gave them a good chase. But in the end the superior strength and endurance of the men conquered. Flushed and panting, Kit was compelled to stop. Hayden grasped him by the collar with a look of wicked satisfaction.

 

"So I've got you, my fine chap, have I?"

 

"Yes, so it seems!" said Kit, his heart sinking.

 

"Sit down! I've got a few questions to ask."

 

There was a broad flat stone by the roadside. He seated Kit upon it with a forcible push, and the two men ranged themselves one on each side of him.

 

"What time did you leave the cabin, boy?"

 

"I don't know what time it was. It must have been two hours since—perhaps more."

 

"Did any one let you out?"

 

"Yes."

 

"Who was it?"

 

"I don't know the person's name."[Pg 157]

 

"Was it a man?"

 

Kit began to feel that he must be cautious. He knew that she was the daughter of the man who was questioning him, and that she would be in danger of rough treatment if her father should find out that she had thwarted¹⁶ him.

 

"I cannot tell you," he answered, though he well knew that the answer was likely to get him into trouble.

 

"You can't tell? Why not? Don't you know whether it was a man or not?"

 

"Yes, I know."

 

"You mean that you won't tell me, then?" said Hayden, in a menacing tone.

 

"I mean that I don't care to do it. I might get the person into trouble."

 

"You would that, you may bet your life. I can tackle any man round here, and I'd get even with that man if I swung for it."

 

"That is why I don't care to tell you," said Kit. "How can you tell that the man knew you put me there?"

 

"Didn't you tell him?"

 

"No."

 

"It was a man, then!" said Hayden, turning to Stubbs. "Look here, young feller, if you tell me who it was, you may get off better yourself."

 

"I would rather not!" answered Kit, pale but firm.

 

"Suit yourself, kid, but you may as well know that you'll be half killed before we get through with you. Get up!"

 

As he spoke¹⁷, Hayden jerked Kit to his feet, and began to drag him toward the rail fence.

 

"Take down the rails, Stubbs!" he said.

 

"What's your game, Dick?"[Pg 158]

 

"I'm going to give the kid a drubbing that he won't be likely to forget, but I can't do it in the road, for some one may come along."

 

"I'm with you, Dick."

 

At the lower end of the field which they had now entered was a strip of woods, which promised seclusion¹⁸ and freedom from interruption. Poor Kit, as he was dragged forward by his relentless¹⁹ captor, found his spirits sinking to zero.

 

"Will no one deliver me from this brutal²⁰ man?" he exclaimed inwardly.

 

He felt that his life was in peril²¹.

1 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。

2 colossal   

adj.异常的，庞大的

参考例句：

• There has been a colossal waste of public money.一直存在巨大的公款浪费。
• Some of the tall buildings in that city are colossal.那座城市里的一些高层建筑很庞大。

3 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：

• She was accosted in the street by a complete stranger. 在街上，一个完全陌生的人贸然走到她跟前搭讪。
• His benevolent nature prevented him from refusing any beggar who accosted him. 他乐善好施的本性使他不会拒绝走上前向他行乞的任何一个乞丐。 来自《简明英汉词典》

4 acrobat   

n.特技演员，杂技演员

参考例句：

• The acrobat balanced a long pole on his left shoulder.杂技演员让一根长杆在他的左肩上保持平衡。
• The acrobat could bend himself into a hoop.这个杂技演员可以把身体蜷曲成圆形。

5 apprehension   

n.理解，领悟；逮捕，拘捕；忧虑

参考例句：

• There were still areas of doubt and her apprehension grew.有些地方仍然存疑，于是她越来越担心。
• She is a girl of weak apprehension.她是一个理解力很差的女孩。

6 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。

7 mischief   

n.损害，伤害，危害；恶作剧，捣蛋，胡闹

参考例句：

• Nobody took notice of the mischief of the matter. 没有人注意到这件事情所带来的危害。
• He seems to intend mischief.看来他想捣蛋。

8 mightily   

ad.强烈地；非常地

参考例句：

• He hit the peg mightily on the top with a mallet. 他用木槌猛敲木栓顶。
• This seemed mightily to relieve him. 干完这件事后，他似乎轻松了许多。

9 wagon   

n.四轮马车，手推车，面包车；无盖运货列车

参考例句：

• We have to fork the hay into the wagon.我们得把干草用叉子挑进马车里去。
• The muddy road bemired the wagon.马车陷入了泥泞的道路。

10 leisurely   

adj.悠闲的；从容的，慢慢的

参考例句：

• We walked in a leisurely manner,looking in all the windows.我们慢悠悠地走着，看遍所有的橱窗。
• He had a leisurely breakfast and drove cheerfully to work.他从容的吃了早餐，高兴的开车去工作。

11 tempted   

v.怂恿（某人）干不正当的事；冒…的险（tempt的过去分词）

参考例句：

• I was sorely tempted to complain, but I didn't. 我极想发牢骚，但还是没开口。
• I was tempted by the dessert menu. 甜食菜单馋得我垂涎欲滴。

12 premature   

adj.比预期时间早的；不成熟的，仓促的

参考例句：

• It is yet premature to predict the possible outcome of the dialogue.预言这次对话可能有什么结果为时尚早。
• The premature baby is doing well.那个早产的婴儿很健康。

13 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。

14 eminence   

n.卓越，显赫；高地，高处；名家

参考例句：

• He is a statesman of great eminence.他是个声名显赫的政治家。
• Many of the pilots were to achieve eminence in the aeronautical world.这些飞行员中很多人将会在航空界声名显赫。

15 stumps   

（被砍下的树的）树桩( stump的名词复数 )； 残肢； （板球三柱门的）柱； 残余部分

参考例句：

• Rocks and stumps supplied the place of chairs at the picnic. 野餐时石头和树桩都充当了椅子。
• If you don't stir your stumps, Tom, you'll be late for school again. 汤姆，如果你不快走，上学又要迟到了。

16 thwarted   

阻挠( thwart的过去式和过去分词 )； 使受挫折； 挫败； 横过

参考例句：

• The guards thwarted his attempt to escape from prison. 警卫阻扰了他越狱的企图。
• Our plans for a picnic were thwarted by the rain. 我们的野餐计划因雨受挫。

17 spoke   

n.（车轮的）辐条；轮辐；破坏某人的计划；阻挠某人的行动 v.讲，谈（speak的过去式）；说；演说；从某种观点来说

参考例句：

• They sourced the spoke nuts from our company.他们的轮辐螺帽是从我们公司获得的。
• The spokes of a wheel are the bars that connect the outer ring to the centre.辐条是轮子上连接外圈与中心的条棒。

18 seclusion   

n.隐遁，隔离

参考例句：

• She liked to sunbathe in the seclusion of her own garden.她喜欢在自己僻静的花园里晒日光浴。
• I live very much in seclusion these days.这些天我过着几乎与世隔绝的生活。

19 relentless   

adj.残酷的，不留情的，无怜悯心的

参考例句：

• The traffic noise is relentless.交通车辆的噪音一刻也不停止。
• Their training has to be relentless.他们的训练必须是无情的。

20 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。

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。