CHAPTER IV. MR. TARBOX INVOKES THE MAJESTY OF THE LAW.

 EZEKIEL PRICE, justice of the peace, generally known as Squire¹ Price, was just rising from his supper table when the one maid of all work, Bridget, entered and said: "Mr. Price, old Tarbox is at the door and wishes to see you."

"Old Tarbox!" repeated the squire in a tone of reproof². "Really, you should speak more respectfully of Mr. Nathan Tarbox."

"Everybody calls him old Tarbox," said Bridget, "and he's the meanest man in town."

"Let that pass," said the justice, using a pet phrase. "Tell him to come in."

Mr. Tarbox immediately afterwards was ushered³ into the room.

"Good evening, Mr. Tarbox," said the squire, in a dignified⁴ tone.

"Good evenin', squire."

"All well at home, I trust, Mr. Tarbox."

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"Oh yes," answered Tarbox, impatient to come to business. "I've come on law business."

"Indeed!"

"I want justice!" continued the farmer, slapping the table energetically, to the imminent⁵ hazard of a cup and saucer standing⁶ beside.

"If I can be of any service to you in my—ahem! judicial⁷ capacity, I of course should consider it my duty to help you."

"I want a warrant for the arrest of a brute⁸."

"Ahem! my powers do not extend to the arrest of brutes⁹. They are limited to human beings."

"You know what I mean—a brute on two legs, and mighty¹⁰ long ones, too."

"I cannot say I apprehend¹¹ your meaning, Mr. Tarbox. Whom do you wish to arrest, let me ask?"

"The Norwegian giant."

"The Norwegian giant!" repeated the squire in astonishment¹².

"Yes; the giant they've got at the show."

"What has he been doing?"

"What hasn't he been doing?" shouted Tarbox. "He came into my lot this afternoon, seized me34 by the collar, nearly shook me to pieces, and kicked my dog Bruiser to death."

Squire Price listened in undisguised amazement¹³.

"Really," he said, "this was a high-handed outrage¹⁴. Was he drunk?"

"No; he can't get off on no such plea as that. He was as sober as you or I."

"Did he assign any reason for his extraordinary attack?"

"He was meddling¹⁵ in affairs that he had nothing to do with."

"What affairs?"

This was rather an embarrassing question to answer.

"The fact is, I caught Jimmy Graham and his brother cutting across my lot—a clear case of trespass—and I was about to give Jimmy a lesson when that brute interfered—"

"What sort of a lesson were you going to give him?" asked the squire, shrewdly.

"Why, you see I had tied the boy to a tree, and was going to touch him gently with a horsewhip, when in jumped this overgrown bully¹⁷ and attacked me."

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"Ahem! I begin to see. I hear that the Graham boys' mother was taken sick this afternoon, and the boys were probably going for the doctor."

"So they said, but they had no right to go across my lot."

"It strikes me, Mr. Tarbox, they were excusable under the circumstances."

"No, they were not; I have forbidden 'em time and again from goin' across my field."

"There's a path, isn't there?"

"Yes, but it's my path."

"Did the boy attract the giant's attention by screaming?"

"Yes."

"Well, Mr. Tarbox, to be frank with you, I think it was very natural for him to interfere¹⁶ in defence of a boy about to receive brutal¹⁸ treatment."

"I hope you ain't goin' to take the side of lawbreakin', squire?"

"You say he seized you by the collar and shook you up, Mr. Tarbox?"

"Yes; he made the teeth chatter¹⁹ in my head till I thought they would drop out."

"And he frightened you, did he?"

36

"Yes; I thought he was goin' to take my life," said Mr. Tarbox, desiring to make the assault seem as aggravated²⁰ as possible.

A mild smile played over the placid²¹ face of the squire, who was evidently not impressed as he should have been by the recital²² of Mr. Tarbox's wrongs.

"And then you called Bruiser, did you, Mr. Tarbox?"

"Yes."

"What did you expect Bruiser to do?"

"I wanted him to tear the giant to pieces. He was just makin' for his legs when the brute drew back his foot and kicked him to death."

In his excitement Mr. Tarbox rose and paced the room.

Squire Price smiled again. It is to be feared he did not deplore²³, as he should have done, the sad and untimely fate of the amiable²⁴ bull-dog.

"Now, what do you want me to do, Mr. Tarbox?"

"I want a warrant for the arrest of this big scoundrel."

"For killing²⁵ Bruiser? That appears to have been in self-defence."

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"No; for assault and battery on me, Nathan Tarbox, a free-born American citizen. It's come to a pretty pass if I am to be attacked and nearly killed by a foreign Norwegian, who has come over to America to take the bread from our own citizens."

"Well, I suppose I must give you what you desire, Mr. Tarbox, if you insist upon it," said the squire.

"Of course I insist upon it. I'm not goin' to be trampled²⁶ under foot by a minion²⁷ of a foreign power."

"Do you happen to know the giant's name?" asked the squire.

Mr. Tarbox scratched his head.

"I can't say I rightly remember his name. I think it's Enoch."

"Enoch! Very likely. That's a good Bible name. Just wait here a moment, Mr. Tarbox, and I will make out an order of arrest."

The squire left the room and returned in five minutes with a paper duly drawn²⁸ up, directing any constable²⁹ or police officer to apprehend the giant known as Enoch, and produce before him to answer to a charge of assault and battery on Nathan38 Tarbox, a citizen of Crampton. There was more legal phraseology, but this was the purport³⁰ of it.

"Thank you, squire," said Mr. Tarbox, in evident gratification, as he deposited the valuable document which was to secure his revenge in the right inside pocket of his coat.

"Who are you going to get to serve the warrant?" asked the squire.

"Sam Spriggins; he's the nearest constable."

"Very well," said the squire, with a peculiar³¹ smile.

"I'm going to have him arrested just as the evening performance is to commence," said Mr. Tarbox, triumphantly³²; "that'll trouble him, and probably they'll cut off his pay, but it'll serve him right."

After Mr. Tarbox left the squire had a quiet laugh, but as he did not mention to any one what had aroused his mirth we are left to conjecture³³ what it was all about.

Nathan Tarbox proceeded at once to the house of Constable Spriggins, and was lucky enough to find him at home. In fact, Mr. Spriggins was out in his back yard, splitting some kindlings for use the next morning.

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Sam Spriggins, who filled the high office of constable, was not a man of imposing³⁴ appearance, he was about five feet eight inches in height, and had hair of a flaming red, and probably weighed about one hundred and forty pounds. It was somehow suspected that Mr. Spriggins was not a man of reckless bravery. He had never been employed to arrest desperate criminals, and lawbreakers were not accustomed to quail³⁵ before his glance. In fact, Sam was more likely to be the one to quail. Why he had been appointed constable was not very clear, but probably it came about because no one else wanted the office.

"Good evening, Mr. Tarbox," said the constable, desisting from his employment.

"Good evenin'. I've got some work for you to do."

"What is it?"

"I want you to make an arrest."

"Who's the party?" asked Sam, in a tone which betrayed some apprehension³⁶.

"It's the Norwegian giant at the circus."

"Come now, Mr. Tarbox, you're joking," said Spriggins.

"Joking!" shouted Tarbox. "Do I look like40 joking? Why, this Enoch came into my lot this afternoon and nearly killed me. It's an outrageous³⁷ case of assault and battery, and here's the warrant for his arrest duly made out by Squire Price."

"Is he very large?" faltered³⁸ the poor constable.

"Very large! He's eight or nine feet high," said Tarbox.

"Couldn't you call on some other constable?" pleaded Spriggins, nervously³⁹. "You see, it's very inconvenient⁴⁰ for me to leave my work."

"No; you're the man, and it's your legal duty to serve the warrant. Besides, the other constable's out of town."

"When do you want the man arrested?" faltered Spriggins.

"I want you to go right over to the show with me now."

"Do—do you think he'll be violent?" asked the constable.

"I can't say," answered Tarbox. "Anyhow, the law is on your side, and I'll go with you, and stand by you."

Sam Spriggins never in his life so deeply regretted that he had accepted the office of constable.

1 squire   

n.护卫, 侍从, 乡绅

参考例句：

• I told him the squire was the most liberal of men.我告诉他乡绅是世界上最宽宏大量的人。
• The squire was hard at work at Bristol.乡绅在布里斯托尔热衷于他的工作。

2 reproof   

n.斥责，责备

参考例句：

• A smart reproof is better than smooth deceit.严厉的责难胜过温和的欺骗。
• He is impatient of reproof.他不能忍受指责。

3 ushered   

v.引，领，陪同( usher的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• The secretary ushered me into his office. 秘书把我领进他的办公室。
• A round of parties ushered in the New Year. 一系列的晚会迎来了新年。 来自《简明英汉词典》

4 dignified   

a.可敬的，高贵的

参考例句：

• Throughout his trial he maintained a dignified silence. 在整个审讯过程中，他始终沉默以保持尊严。
• He always strikes such a dignified pose before his girlfriend. 他总是在女友面前摆出这种庄严的姿态。

5 imminent   

adj.即将发生的，临近的，逼近的

参考例句：

• The black clounds show that a storm is imminent.乌云预示暴风雨即将来临。
• The country is in imminent danger.国难当头。

6 standing   

n.持续，地位；adj.永久的，不动的，直立的，不流动的

参考例句：

• After the earthquake only a few houses were left standing.地震过后只有几幢房屋还立着。
• They're standing out against any change in the law.他们坚决反对对法律做任何修改。

7 judicial   

adj.司法的，法庭的，审判的，明断的，公正的

参考例句：

• He is a man with a judicial mind.他是个公正的人。
• Tom takes judicial proceedings against his father.汤姆对他的父亲正式提出诉讼。

8 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。

9 brutes   

兽( brute的名词复数 )； 畜生； 残酷无情的人； 兽性

参考例句：

• They're not like dogs; they're hideous brutes. 它们不像狗，是丑陋的畜牲。
• Suddenly the foul musty odour of the brutes struck his nostrils. 突然，他的鼻尖闻到了老鼠的霉臭味。 来自英汉文学

10 mighty   

adj.强有力的；巨大的

参考例句：

• A mighty force was about to break loose.一股巨大的力量即将迸发而出。
• The mighty iceberg came into view.巨大的冰山出现在眼前。

11 apprehend   

vt.理解，领悟，逮捕，拘捕，忧虑

参考例句：

• I apprehend no worsening of the situation.我不担心局势会恶化。
• Police have not apprehended her killer.警察还未抓获谋杀她的凶手。

12 astonishment   

n.惊奇，惊异

参考例句：

• They heard him give a loud shout of astonishment.他们听见他惊奇地大叫一声。
• I was filled with astonishment at her strange action.我对她的奇怪举动不胜惊异。

13 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。

14 outrage   

n.暴行，侮辱，愤怒；vt.凌辱，激怒

参考例句：

• When he heard the news he reacted with a sense of outrage.他得悉此事时义愤填膺。
• We should never forget the outrage committed by the Japanese invaders.我们永远都不应该忘记日本侵略者犯下的暴行。

15 meddling   

v.干涉，干预（他人事务）( meddle的现在分词 )

参考例句：

• He denounced all "meddling" attempts to promote a negotiation. 他斥责了一切“干预”促成谈判的企图。 来自辞典例句
• They liked this field because it was never visited by meddling strangers. 她们喜欢这块田野，因为好事的陌生人从来不到那里去。 来自辞典例句

16 interfere   

v.(in)干涉，干预；(with)妨碍，打扰

参考例句：

• If we interfere, it may do more harm than good.如果我们干预的话，可能弊多利少。
• When others interfere in the affair,it always makes troubles. 别人一卷入这一事件，棘手的事情就来了。

17 bully   

n.恃强欺弱者，小流氓；vt.威胁，欺侮

参考例句：

• A bully is always a coward.暴汉常是懦夫。
• The boy gave the bully a pelt on the back with a pebble.那男孩用石子掷击小流氓的背脊。

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 chatter   

vi.／n.喋喋不休；短促尖叫；(牙齿)打战

参考例句：

• Her continuous chatter vexes me.她的喋喋不休使我烦透了。
• I've had enough of their continual chatter.我已厌烦了他们喋喋不休的闲谈。

20 aggravated   

使恶化( aggravate的过去式和过去分词 )； 使更严重； 激怒； 使恼火

参考例句：

• If he aggravated me any more I shall hit him. 假如他再激怒我，我就要揍他。
• Far from relieving my cough, the medicine aggravated it. 这药非但不镇咳，反而使我咳嗽得更厉害。

21 placid   

adj.安静的，平和的

参考例句：

• He had been leading a placid life for the past eight years.八年来他一直过着平静的生活。
• You should be in a placid mood and have a heart-to- heart talk with her.你应该心平气和的好好和她谈谈心。

22 recital   

n.朗诵，独奏会，独唱会

参考例句：

• She is going to give a piano recital.她即将举行钢琴独奏会。
• I had their total attention during the thirty-five minutes that my recital took.在我叙述的35分钟内，他们完全被我吸引了。

23 deplore   

vt.哀叹，对...深感遗憾

参考例句：

• I deplore what has happened.我为所发生的事深感愤慨。
• There are many of us who deplore this lack of responsibility.我们中有许多人谴责这种不负责任的做法。

24 amiable   

adj.和蔼可亲的，友善的，亲切的

参考例句：

• She was a very kind and amiable old woman.她是个善良和气的老太太。
• We have a very amiable companionship.我们之间存在一种友好的关系。

25 killing   

n.巨额利润；突然赚大钱，发大财

参考例句：

• Investors are set to make a killing from the sell-off.投资者准备清仓以便大赚一笔。
• Last week my brother made a killing on Wall Street.上个周我兄弟在华尔街赚了一大笔。

26 trampled   

踩( trample的过去式和过去分词 )； 践踏； 无视； 侵犯

参考例句：

• He gripped his brother's arm lest he be trampled by the mob. 他紧抓着他兄弟的胳膊，怕他让暴民踩着。
• People were trampled underfoot in the rush for the exit. 有人在拼命涌向出口时被踩在脚下。

27 minion   

n.宠仆；宠爱之人

参考例句：

• At worst some egregious minion had conducted a childish private enterprise.这最多也不过是一批低能的小人物自己干的无聊把戏而已。
• She delegated the job to one of her minions.她把这份工作委派给她的一个手下。

28 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。

29 constable   

n.(英国)警察，警官

参考例句：

• The constable conducted the suspect to the police station.警官把嫌疑犯带到派出所。
• The constable kept his temper,and would not be provoked.那警察压制着自己的怒气，不肯冒起火来。

30 purport   

n.意义，要旨，大要；v.意味著，做为...要旨，要领是...

参考例句：

• Many theories purport to explain growth in terms of a single cause.许多理论都标榜以单一的原因解释生长。
• Her letter may purport her forthcoming arrival.她的来信可能意味着她快要到了。

31 peculiar   

adj.古怪的，异常的；特殊的，特有的

参考例句：

• He walks in a peculiar fashion.他走路的样子很奇特。
• He looked at me with a very peculiar expression.他用一种很奇怪的表情看着我。

32 triumphantly   

ad.得意洋洋地；得胜地；成功地

参考例句：

• The lion was roaring triumphantly. 狮子正在发出胜利的吼叫。
• Robert was looking at me triumphantly. 罗伯特正得意扬扬地看着我。

33 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。

34 imposing   

adj.使人难忘的，壮丽的，堂皇的，雄伟的

参考例句：

• The fortress is an imposing building.这座城堡是一座宏伟的建筑。
• He has lost his imposing appearance.他已失去堂堂仪表。

35 quail   

n.鹌鹑；vi.畏惧，颤抖

参考例句：

• Cowards always quail before the enemy.在敌人面前，胆小鬼们总是畏缩不前的。
• Quail eggs are very high in cholesterol.鹌鹑蛋胆固醇含量高。

36 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。

37 outrageous   

adj.无理的，令人不能容忍的

参考例句：

• Her outrageous behaviour at the party offended everyone.她在聚会上的无礼行为触怒了每一个人。
• Charges for local telephone calls are particularly outrageous.本地电话资费贵得出奇。

38 faltered   

（嗓音）颤抖( falter的过去式和过去分词 )； 支吾其词； 蹒跚； 摇晃

参考例句：

• He faltered out a few words. 他支吾地说出了几句。
• "Er - but he has such a longhead!" the man faltered. 他不好意思似的嚅嗫着：“这孩子脑袋真长。”

39 nervously   

adv.神情激动地，不安地

参考例句：

• He bit his lip nervously,trying not to cry.他紧张地咬着唇，努力忍着不哭出来。
• He paced nervously up and down on the platform.他在站台上情绪不安地走来走去。

40 inconvenient   

adj.不方便的，令人感到麻烦的

参考例句：

• You have come at a very inconvenient time.你来得最不适时。
• Will it be inconvenient for him to attend that meeting?他参加那次会议会不方便吗？