CHAPTER XVI. THE OUTLAW'S HOME,

 Where he was to be carried or what was to be his fate Ernest could not conjecture¹, nor did he speculate much. It was enough for him to know that he was in the power of one of the notorious outlaws³.

 

There was considerable difference between his appearance and that of the man at his side. He was silent and depressed⁴, while James Fox, for it was he, seemed in excellent spirits. He turned to the boy with the remark, "You don't say much."

 

"No, for it would be no good."

 

"Brace⁵ up, boy! There is no occasion to look as if you were going to a funeral."

 

"Give me back the bonds and I will look lively enough."

 

"Come now, don't be foolish. These bonds don't belong to you."

 

"They were given into my care."

 

"Very well! You took as good care of them as you could."

 

"I shall be held responsible for them."

 

"No, you won't. I shall send your employers a letter, letting them know that you did the best you could to keep them out of my hands. But perhaps they never heard of me," and he laughed.

 

"If your name is Fox, they have heard of you."

 

"There is no need to beat about the bush. My name is Fox--James Fox."

 

"What made you take up such a business, Mr. Fox?" asked Ernest, gravely.

 

"Well, I like that! You, a kid, undertake to lecture me."

 

"You were once a kid yourself."

 

The outlaw²'s face grew grave suddenly, and his tone became thoughtful.

 

"Yes, I was a kid once. At sixteen--is that your age?"

 

"Yes."

 

"Well, at sixteen I was as innocent as you. I had a good mother then. If she had lived, perhaps I would have turned out different. Why, it seems a great joke, doesn't it? I attended Sunday-school till I was fifteen."

 

"You haven't forgotten it, then?"

 

"No, nor the lessons I learned there. But it is of no use to recall those days. Are you afraid that you will come to harm?"

 

Ernest looked intently in the brigand's face.

 

"No," he said, after a pause. "I think you won't do me any more harm. But you can do me a great favor."

 

"What is that--return you the bonds?"

 

"I would ask that if I thought you would do it, but I don't expect it. I should like to have you release me and let me go home."

 

"I can't do that, for I want you to visit me. You may not think it, but I always like young people. It will be quite a pleasure to me to have you for a visitor."

 

"Thank you, but I am afraid that I shall become an unwilling⁶ guest."

 

"Besides, it will be a pleasure to my little boy to meet you. He does not often meet other boys."

 

"Have you a son?" asked Ernest in surprise.

 

The outlaw's face softened⁷.

 

"Yes," he answered. "He is a sweet little boy, as I can say, even if he is my son. His name is Frank. Would you like to see his picture?"

 

"Yes," answered Ernest with interest.

 

James Fox drew from an inner pocket a small card photograph of a young boy with a very winning face. Ernest was attracted, for, unlike many boys of his age, he liked younger children. He looked at the picture long and earnestly.

 

"It is a sweet face," he said at last. "Isn't it?" asked the proud father.

 

"Is his mother living?"

 

"No."

 

"Was there no difficulty in getting it taken?"

 

"I suppose you mean on account of my profession. Well, there might be around here, but this was taken in Minneapolis--about a year ago. It was one of the few visits that Frank has made with me."

 

"Are you going to bring him up to your business?"

 

"Take care, boy," said the outlaw, frowning. "Don't be impertinent."

 

"I don't mean to be. Do you think the question an improper⁸ one?"

 

"Well, perhaps I have no right to think so. Somehow the business, though it seems all right for me, I couldn't think of for my boy. No, I shall soon place him at school where no one will know that he is related to the celebrated⁹ outlaw. I want him brought up to lead an honest life."

 

"I am glad you do. I respect you for that."

 

"My lad, you seem to be one of the right sort. As you will see my son, I want you to promise me that you won't say a word about the business I am engaged in."

 

"I will make that promise. Then the boy doesn't know?"

 

"No; he has no suspicion. He is too young to think much about that. Perhaps if he had associated with other boys much he would have found out."

 

While this conversation was going on they had entered a wood, and the road became wilder and rougher. Indeed, it was hardly a road, but rather a lane, narrow and grass-grown.

 

Ernest began to wonder in what sort of a home his companion lived. His evident affection for his son gave Ernest a different feeling towards him. It was plain that he had a softer side to his nature, bandit though he was.

 

Ernest had never read the story of Jekyll and Hyde, but he felt instinctively¹⁰ that the man beside him had a double nature. On the road he was an outlaw, with corresponding traits, a rough and unscrupulous man, but at home, and in the presence of his son, as Ernest judged, he was a warm-hearted and affectionate father.

 

In truth, the young bank messenger looked forward with interest to a meeting with the boy who was so dear to the heart of a man whom the world generally supposed to be a stranger to the softer emotions.

 

At length they reached a rocky hillside. Here the outlaw pulled up his horse and jumped from the buggy. Ernest looked at him in a questioning way.

 

"You can get out," he said. "We have arrived."

 

Ernest alighted and looked about him. He naturally expected to see a dwelling¹¹ of some kind, but there was none in sight. If it was at a distance, why should they not have driven to it?

 

James Fox looked at him with a smile, enjoying his perplexity.

 

From his pocket he drew a handkerchief.

 

"Come here, my boy," he said.

 

Ernest did not quite understand what he proposed to do, but he felt better acquainted with the outlaw now, and he knew that there was no cause for apprehension¹². He accordingly approached without question.

 

James Fox bandaged his eyes so that he could see nothing. Then he took him by the hand and led him forward.

 

Ernest could not tell what was being done, but he found himself walking on a rocky path, hand in hand with his guide. How long he walked he could not tell. It might have been two hundred feet. Then his guide stopped, and of course he stopped, too.

 

Next the handkerchief was removed, and he found himself in what seemed a rocky cavern¹³. At any rate it was a large room, of irregular shape, but the stone floor had been made smooth, and was covered by a soft carpet. It was furnished like a sitting-room¹⁴ in a private house. There were comfortable chairs, including a rocking-chair, and a capacious arm-chair. On one side of the room was an inviting-looking couch.

 

Of course there would have been perfect darkness but for artificial light. On a table was a large student's lamp, and in a niche¹⁵ in the wall was another. Besides this, there was a lantern hanging from the roof of the chamber¹⁶, but this was not lighted.

 

Ernest looked about him with curiosity and surprise. It was something new to him, and recalled a story he had once read, in which a cave-dwelling was described.

 

"Well, what do you think of it?" asked the outlaw, smiling.

 

"It is wonderful," said Ernest.

 

"You did not know where I was bringing you?"

 

"No. It is a cave, is it not?"

 

"Well, it looks like it."

 

"There are other rooms, are there not?"

 

"Yes, but this is my private apartment; my parlor¹⁷, you may call it. This is my sleeping-room."

 

He drew aside the hangings on the further side and revealed an inner chamber, of less size.

 

On a bed Ernest's attention was drawn¹⁸ to the figure of a sleeping boy evidently the original of the picture which the outlaw had shown him.

 

"That is your son?" asked Ernest.

 

"Yes, that is Frank."

 

The outlaw's stern countenance¹⁹ softened as he regarded the sleeping boy.

 

Suddenly the boy stirred; he opened his eyes, and when he recognized his father a glad smile lighted up his innocent face.

 

"Papa!" he said, and James Fox bent²⁰ over and kissed him.

1 conjecture   

n./v.推测，猜测

参考例句：

• She felt it no use to conjecture his motives.她觉得猜想他的动机是没有用的。
• This conjecture is not supported by any real evidence.这种推测未被任何确切的证据所证实。

2 outlaw   

n.歹徒，亡命之徒；vt.宣布…为不合法

参考例句：

• The outlaw hid out in the hills for several months.逃犯在山里隐藏了几个月。
• The outlaw has been caught.歹徒已被抓住了。

3 outlaws   

歹徒，亡命之徒( outlaw的名词复数 )； 逃犯

参考例句：

• During his year in the forest, Robin met many other outlaws. 在森林里的一年，罗宾遇见其他许多绿林大盗。
• I didn't have to leave the country or fight outlaws. 我不必离开自己的国家，也不必与不法分子斗争。

4 depressed   

adj.沮丧的，抑郁的，不景气的，萧条的

参考例句：

• When he was depressed,he felt utterly divorced from reality.他心情沮丧时就感到完全脱离了现实。
• His mother was depressed by the sad news.这个坏消息使他的母亲意志消沉。

5 brace   

n. 支柱,曲柄,大括号; v. 绷紧,顶住,(为困难或坏事)做准备

参考例句：

• My daughter has to wear a brace on her teeth. 我的女儿得戴牙套以矫正牙齿。
• You had better brace yourself for some bad news. 有些坏消息,你最好做好准备。

6 unwilling   

adj.不情愿的

参考例句：

• The natives were unwilling to be bent by colonial power.土著居民不愿受殖民势力的摆布。
• His tightfisted employer was unwilling to give him a raise.他那吝啬的雇主不肯给他加薪。

7 softened   

（使）变软( soften的过去式和过去分词 )； 缓解打击； 缓和； 安慰

参考例句：

• His smile softened slightly. 他的微笑稍柔和了些。
• The ice cream softened and began to melt. 冰淇淋开始变软并开始融化。

8 improper   

adj.不适当的，不合适的，不正确的，不合礼仪的

参考例句：

• Short trousers are improper at a dance.舞会上穿短裤不成体统。
• Laughing and joking are improper at a funeral.葬礼时大笑和开玩笑是不合适的。

9 celebrated   

adj.有名的，声誉卓著的

参考例句：

• He was soon one of the most celebrated young painters in England.不久他就成了英格兰最负盛名的年轻画家之一。
• The celebrated violinist was mobbed by the audience.观众团团围住了这位著名的小提琴演奏家。

10 instinctively   

adv.本能地

参考例句：

• As he leaned towards her she instinctively recoiled. 他向她靠近，她本能地往后缩。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• He knew instinctively where he would find her. 他本能地知道在哪儿能找到她。 来自《简明英汉词典》

11 dwelling   

n.住宅，住所，寓所

参考例句：

• Those two men are dwelling with us.那两个人跟我们住在一起。
• He occupies a three-story dwelling place on the Park Street.他在派克街上有一幢3层楼的寓所。

12 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。

13 cavern   

n.洞穴，大山洞

参考例句：

• The cavern walls echoed his cries.大山洞的四壁回响着他的喊声。
• It suddenly began to shower,and we took refuge in the cavern.天突然下起雨来，我们在一个山洞里避雨。

14 sitting-room   

n.（BrE）客厅，起居室

参考例句：

• The sitting-room is clean.起居室很清洁。
• Each villa has a separate sitting-room.每栋别墅都有一间独立的起居室。

15 niche   

n.壁龛；合适的职务(环境、位置等)

参考例句：

• Madeleine placed it carefully in the rocky niche. 玛德琳小心翼翼地把它放在岩石壁龛里。
• The really talented among women would always make their own niche.妇女中真正有才能的人总是各得其所。

16 chamber   

n.房间，寝室；会议厅；议院；会所

参考例句：

• For many,the dentist's surgery remains a torture chamber.对许多人来说，牙医的治疗室一直是间受刑室。
• The chamber was ablaze with light.会议厅里灯火辉煌。

17 parlor   

n.店铺，营业室；会客室，客厅

参考例句：

• She was lying on a small settee in the parlor.她躺在客厅的一张小长椅上。
• Is there a pizza parlor in the neighborhood?附近有没有比萨店？

18 drawn   

v.拖，拉，拔出；adj.憔悴的，紧张的

参考例句：

• All the characters in the story are drawn from life.故事中的所有人物都取材于生活。
• Her gaze was drawn irresistibly to the scene outside.她的目光禁不住被外面的风景所吸引。

19 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。

20 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。