CHAPTER XVII. IN THE ROBBER'S CAVE.

 After kissing his father the young boy looked inquisitively¹ at Ernest.

 

"Who is that boy, papa?" he asked.

 

"I have brought him here to stay with you. Shall you like to have his company?"

 

"Yes, papa. You know it is very lonely while you are away. What is his name?"

 

The outlaw² looked at Ernest significantly. He took the hint and answered, "My name is Ernest Ray."

 

"How old are you, Ernest?" went on the boy.

 

"Sixteen."

 

"I am only ten."

 

"Are you ready to get up, Frank?" asked his father.

 

"Yes," answered the young boy briskly. "I got sleepy because I was alone. Where did papa find you, Ernest?"

 

"Oh, I met him outside, and he took me to ride."

 

James Fox looked approval of this answer.

 

"I am glad you came with him. You seem like a nice boy, Ernest."

 

"So do you, Frank."

 

By this time Frank had slid from the bed and put his hand in Ernest's.

 

"Come here," he said, "and I will show you my books."

 

Led by his small companion, Ernest went up to a bookcase which he had not before observed in the main room. About thirty books stood on the shelves.

 

"Where did you get your books?" he asked.

 

"Papa bought them for me in Minneapolis. Were you ever in Minneapolis?"

 

"No."

 

"It is a nice place. Sometimes I think I would like to live there instead of here."

 

"You are not getting tired of home, are you, Frank?" asked his father, half reproach fully³.

 

"No, papa, but it is lonely here sometimes. Am I to live here always?"

 

"No, Frank. Some time I will send you to school. But you won't see me every day then."

 

"Then I don't want to go."

 

The outlaw stooped over and kissed the boy.

 

"Now, Frank, I have something to do, so you may amuse yourself with Ernest."

 

"Can you play dominos?" asked Frank.

 

"Yes; have you a set?"

 

"Yes."

 

The boy opened a drawer in a bureau and drew out a box of dominos. He poured them out on the table and they began to play the ordinary game. When they tired of that, Ernest taught him a new one.

 

After they grew tired of playing, Ernest read aloud to the boy from one of his favorite books.

 

They were sitting together in the arm-chair, when James Fox, who had left the room, returned. He smiled approvingly at the picture. He was pleased to think that he had found a companion whom his boy liked.

 

"What have you been doing, Frank?" he asked.

 

"He has been reading to me, papa. He reads nicely, and I liked it very much."

 

"I am sorry to interrupt you, but are not you young people hungry?"

 

"I think I could eat something," answered Ernest.

 

"Frank, you may bring him into the dining-room."

 

The drapery was lifted, and they passed into a room as large as the one they were in. On a table in the centre a substantial meal, consisting principally of roast beef, was set forth⁴. An old colored woman--intensely black and slightly deformed--hovered near, evidently the cook.

 

"Juba," said the outlaw, "this is a new boarder. His name is Ernest,"

 

"Glad to see you, Massa Ernest," rejoined the old woman, nodding her turban. "Sit down here next to Massa Frank."

 

It seemed very strange to Ernest to reflect that he was the guest of one of the famous outlaws⁵ of whom he had heard so much. He was half inclined to doubt whether it was real. If he had been alone he would have pinched himself to see whether he was awake or dreaming. Here he was, in the bowels⁶ of the earth, on intimate terms with an outlaw and his family. How long was he to stay in the cavern⁷? That was a question impossible to answer. Meanwhile he was hungry, and the dinner was well cooked.

 

In spite of his being a prisoner and the loss of the packet, Ernest was almost ashamed of himself for the appetite which he manifested. But it seemed to give pleasure to Juba, who regarded it as a compliment to her cookery.

 

"Where is Uncle John, papa?" asked Frank, suddenly.

 

Ernest remembered that one of the Fox brothers was named John, and he awaited the answer with interest.

 

James Fox seemed busily thinking, and Frank had to repeat the question.

 

"Your Uncle John?" repeated the outlaw. "He went away on business."

 

"What kind of business, papa?"

 

It was a natural question, but it startled James Fox. He saw that as his son became older it might not be easy to evade⁸ embarrassing questions.

 

"You seem curious, Frank," he answered after a pause. "You wouldn't understand if I were to tell you."

 

"Will you teach me your business some day, papa?"

 

It was on the tip of the outlaw's tongue to say, "Heaven forbid!" but he only answered, "Wait till you are older, Frank. Then we will talk about it."

 

At length they rose from the table.

 

They went back to the main room, and Ernest read a little more to the young boy. But Frank's eyes grew heavy, and he finally dropped off to sleep.

 

"Shall I lay him on the bed, Mr. Fox?" asked Ernest.

 

"No, I will do so."

 

He took the boy tenderly in his arms.

 

"If I had known he would fall asleep I would have undressed him," he said.

 

After placing the boy on the bed he resumed his seat in the arm-chair and began to smoke. Finally, he looked over at Ernest.

 

"Do you like my little boy?" he asked abruptly⁹.

 

"He is a dear little fellow," answered Ernest.

 

"So he is," said the father in a soft voice. "You have no prejudice against him because he is my son?"

 

"No," answered Ernest. "Whatever you are, he is not responsible."

 

"True, but all might not take that view of it. I don't know why I should speak so confidentially¹⁰ to you, lad, but if I ever regret my line of life it is when I look at him. I wouldn't like to have his future marred¹¹ by his association with me. I wouldn't like people to turn from him because he was an outlaw's son."

 

"I hope you will forgive my boldness," said Ernest, "but don't you think you will ever change your mode of life?"

 

"It is too late; I am too well known. Yet who knows?" he said, after a pause. "Nothing is impossible."

 

At nine o'clock Juba entered the room.

 

"Has John returned?" asked the outlaw.

 

"No, massa."

 

A shade of anxiety overspread the outlaw's face.

 

"He should have been here before this," he said. Then, looking at Ernest, he said, "I am going out a while. Lie down on the bed with Frank, and if he wakes up undress him."

 

"Yes, sir."

 

An hour later Frank and Ernest were sleeping peacefully side by side.

 

When Ernest awoke the next morning Frank was still asleep on the bed beside him. In the large room adjoining, James Fox lay on the lounge. He had given his bed to Ernest. He had not himself undressed, but had thrown himself on the couch in his ordinary clothes.

 

Breakfast was ready by the time they were, and the three sat down together.

 

"Where is Uncle John, papa?" asked Frank.

 

"He has not returned, Frank," said James Fox, soberly.

 

"What made him stay away all night?"

 

"Probably it was business," answered the outlaw, but Ernest noticed that he looked disturbed.

 

In truth he had been out till two o'clock seeking for his brother, who he feared had got into trouble. We know that he was in the prison at Crampton, whither he had been conveyed by Luke Robbins and Ezekiel Mason. Of course it was in the mind of James Fox that his brother might have been arrested, since this was a risk which he daily incurred¹².

 

Just as breakfast was over there was a new arrival. It was a tall, stalwart fellow, whom James Fox addressed as Hugh.

 

"Do you bring any news, Hugh?" asked the outlaw eagerly.

 

"Yes," answered Hugh Humphries.

 

"Is it about John?"

 

Hugh glanced significantly at the two boys. Ernest he saw for the first time.

 

James Fox understood and followed Hugh out of the room.

 

"Well," he said inquiringly, when they were out of hearing.

 

"Mr. John is in trouble," answered Hugh, briefly¹³.

 

"Go on," said James Fox. "Do you know where he is?"

 

"In Crampton jail."

 

"Go on. Give me the particulars."

 

"He was carried there by two persons."

 

"Who were they?"

 

"One I think was a farmer who lives in Claremont. The other seemed to be a Quaker."

 

"I don't remember any Quaker in this neighborhood. He must be a stranger hereabouts."

 

"I think I have seen him before."

 

"Where?"

 

"At the Emmonsville bank. I was passing there one day in disguise, and chancing to look in, I saw this man sitting on a bench near the paying teller's desk."

 

"Ah!" said James Fox, thoughtfully. "He may be a detective."

 

"That is what I thought."

 

"That is bad news, but the jail at Crampton is not very strong. I have been confined there myself and made my escape. However, John will need assistance from the outside."

 

"I see you have a new boy," said Hugh, curiously¹⁴. "When did you pick him up?"

 

"Yesterday, a few miles from here. He is a bank messenger."

 

"From what bank?"

 

"The Emmonsville bank."

 

"Then he may know something of this Quaker detective."

 

"Well suggested. I will question him."

1 inquisitively   

过分好奇地； 好问地

参考例句：

• The Mouse looked at her rather inquisitively, and seemed to her to wink with one of its little eyes, but It'said nothing. 这老鼠狐疑地看着她，好像还把一只小眼睛向她眨了眨，但没说话。
• The mouse looked at her rather inquisitively. 那只耗子用疑问的眼光看看她。

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 fully   

adv.完全地，全部地，彻底地；充分地

参考例句：

• The doctor asked me to breathe in,then to breathe out fully.医生让我先吸气，然后全部呼出。
• They soon became fully integrated into the local community.他们很快就完全融入了当地人的圈子。

4 forth   

adv.向前；向外，往外

参考例句：

• The wind moved the trees gently back and forth.风吹得树轻轻地来回摇晃。
• He gave forth a series of works in rapid succession.他很快连续发表了一系列的作品。

5 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。

6 bowels   

n.肠，内脏，内部；肠( bowel的名词复数 )；内部，最深处

参考例句：

• Salts is a medicine that causes movements of the bowels. 泻盐是一种促使肠子运动的药物。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• The cabins are in the bowels of the ship. 舱房设在船腹内。 来自《简明英汉词典》

7 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。

8 evade   

vt.逃避，回避；避开，躲避

参考例句：

• He tried to evade the embarrassing question.他企图回避这令人难堪的问题。
• You are in charge of the job.How could you evade the issue?你是负责人，你怎么能对这个问题不置可否？

9 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。

10 confidentially   

ad.秘密地，悄悄地

参考例句：

• She was leaning confidentially across the table. 她神神秘秘地从桌子上靠过来。
• Kao Sung-nien and Wang Ch'u-hou talked confidentially in low tones. 高松年汪处厚两人低声密谈。

11 marred   

adj. 被损毁, 污损的

参考例句：

• The game was marred by the behaviour of drunken fans. 喝醉了的球迷行为不轨，把比赛给搅了。
• Bad diction marred the effectiveness of his speech. 措词不当影响了他演说的效果。

12 incurred   

[医]招致的，遭受的； incur的过去式

参考例句：

• She had incurred the wrath of her father by marrying without his consent 她未经父亲同意就结婚，使父亲震怒。
• We will reimburse any expenses incurred. 我们将付还所有相关费用。

13 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。

14 curiously   

adv.有求知欲地；好问地；奇特地

参考例句：

• He looked curiously at the people.他好奇地看着那些人。
• He took long stealthy strides. His hands were curiously cold.他迈着悄没声息的大步。他的双手出奇地冷。