CHAPTER XI. DISMAY AT THE HOME OF TARBOX.

 ROBERT quickly understood that Tarbox was the victim of a practical joke, and did his best to help it along. He had amused himself during his connection with the circus in imitating the cries of wild beasts, and now from his perch¹ in the tree reproduced the howl of a wolf so naturally that Tarbox, hearing it, and knowing no better, thought it proceeded from the throat of the tiger. Of course he increased his speed, expecting every moment that the dangerous animal would spring upon him and tear him to pieces.

"If I only had my gun with me," he reflected in his dismay, "I might be able to defend myself."

He lost his hat somewhere on the road, and breathless and hatless entered his own back door, shutting and bolting it after him, and with disordered look entered the sitting-room² where his95 wife was seated, in a comfortable chat with Mrs. Dunlap, a neighbor.

Tarbox sank into a rocking-chair, and, gasping³, stared at the two ladies.

"Good gracious, Nathan!" exclaimed his wife, in a flutter; "what on earth has happened?"

"Was anything chasin' ye?" asked Mrs. Dunlap, unconsciously hitting the mark.

"Yes," answered Tarbox, in a hollow voice.

"Was it the Norwegian giant?" inquired Mrs. Tarbox, apprehensively⁴.

"Worse!" answered Tarbox, sententiously.

"Worse! Do tell. Good gracious, Nathan, I shall go into a fit if you don't tell me right off what it was."

"It was a tiger!" answered her husband, impressively.

"A tiger!" exclaimed both ladies, startled and affrighted.

"Yes, I've had a narrow escape of my life."

"But where did he come from?" asked Mrs. Dunlap.

"Come from? Where should he come from except from the circus? He broke loose and now he's prowling round, seeking whom he may devour⁵.

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"O heavens," exclaimed Mrs. Dunlap, terror-stricken, "and my innocent children are out picking berries in the pasture."

"Tigers are fond of children," said Tarbox, whose hard nature found pleasure in the dismay of the unhappy mother.

"I must go right home and send for the children," said the mother, in an agony of apprehension⁶.

"You may never live to get home," said Tarbox.

"Oh what shall I do?" said Mrs. Dunlap, wringing⁷ her hands. "Won't you go home with me, Mr. Tarbox? I can't stay here with my poor children in peril⁸."

"No, I thank you. My life is worth something."

"You might take your gun, Nathan," said Mrs. Tarbox, who was stirred by the grief of her friend.

"Oh yes," said Tarbox, sarcastically⁹; "you're very ready to have your husband's life exposed. You'd like to be a widow. Maybe you think I've left you all my property."

"You know, Nathan, I never thought of that. I only thought of poor Mrs. Dunlap. Think how97 sad it would be if Jimmy and Florence Ann were torn to pieces by the terrible tiger."

There was a fresh outburst of grief from the stricken mother at the heart-rending thought, but Mr. Tarbox was not moved.

"Mrs. Tarbox," said he, "if you want to see Mrs. Dunlap home you can take the gun."

"Oh, I shouldn't das't to," said Mrs. Tarbox, hastily. "I—I shouldn't know how to fire it."

"I think you'd be more likely to shoot Mrs. Dunlap than the tiger," said her husband, derisively¹⁰.

"Where did you come across the—the monster, Nathan?" asked Mrs. Tarbox, shuddering¹¹.

"In the woods. I heard him roar. I ran from there as fast as I could come, expecting every minute he would spring upon me."

"Was there any one else in the wood?"

"Yes," answered Tarbox, smiling grimly. "There's two circus boys there. They clumb into trees. I don't know whether tigers can climb or not. If they can they've probably made mincemeat of the boys by this time."

"It's terrible!" said Mrs. Dunlap, shuddering. "Perhaps my innocent darlings are in the clutches of the monster at this very moment."

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And the unhappy lady went into a fit of hysterics, from which she was brought to by a strong bottle of hartshorn held to her nose.

It so happened (happily for her) that her husband at this moment knocked at the door. He had gone home to find something, and failing had come to the house of his neighbor to inquire of his wife its whereabouts. Great was his amazement¹² to find his wife in such agitation¹³.

"What's the matter?" he asked, looking about him.

"O Thomas, have you heard the terrible news?" said his wife.

"I haven't heard any terrible news," was the bewildered reply. "Is anybody dead?"

"Our two poor innocent darlings may be dead by this time," sobbed¹⁴ his wife.

"What does it all mean? Where are they?"

"Out in the berry pasture. The tiger may have caught them by this time."

"What tiger?"

"The one that's broken loose from the show."

"I just came from the tent, and they don't know anything there of any tigers breaking loose. Who told you about it?"

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"Mr. Tarbox. The tiger chased him all the way home from the woods."

"That is strange. Did you see him, Mr. Tarbox?"

"I heard him roar," answered Tarbox, "and he was close behind me all the way."

"Are you sure it was a tiger?"

"No; it may have been a lion. Anyhow, it was some wild critter."

"O husband, do go after our poor children. And take Mr. Tarbox's gun. I am sure he will lend it to you."

"I may need it myself," said Tarbox, doubtfully.

"Give me a stout¹⁵ stick, and I'll manage," said Mr. Dunlap, who was a more courageous¹⁶ man than his neighbor. "Come along, wife."

"I—I hope, Mrs. Tarbox, we shall meet again," said Mrs. Dunlap, as she kissed her friend a tearful good-by. "I don't feel sure, for we may meet the terrible beasts."

"If you do," said Mrs. Tarbox, with tearful emotion, "I'll come to your funeral."

Somehow this didn't seem to comfort Mrs. Dunlap much, for when they were fairly out of100 the house she observed sharply, "That woman's a fool!"

"You seem to like to call on her, Lucinda."

"That's only being neighborly. She has no heart or she wouldn't allude¹⁷ so coolly to my funeral. But do let us be getting home as soon as you can."

"I tell you what, Lucinda, I don't take any stock in this cock-and-bull story of a tiger being loose. I heard nothing of it at the tent."

"But Mr. Tarbox said it chased him."

"Tarbox is a coward. But here are two boys coming; they belong to the circus. I will ask them."

Robert and Charlie Davis were coming up the road. No sooner had their enemy fled than they descended¹⁸ from the trees in whose branches they had taken refuge, and started on their way home, laughing heartily¹⁹ at the farmer's fright.

"I say, boys," said Mr. Dunlap, "don't you two boys belong to the circus?"

"Yes, sir," answered Robert.

"What's this story I hear about a tiger having escaped from his cage?"

"Who told you?" asked Robert.

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"Mr. Tarbox."

"Did he see him?"

"He said the tiger chased him all the way home."

Both boys burst into a fit of laughter, rather to the amazement of Mr. Dunlap and his wife. Then they explained how the farmer had been humbugged, and Mr. Dunlap shouted with merriment, for Tarbox was very unpopular in that town, and no one would feel troubled at any deception²⁰ practised upon him.

"Then the children are safe?" said Mrs. Dunlap, with a sigh of relief. "Don't you think I ought to go and tell Mr. Tarbox?"

"No; let Tarbox stay in the house, like a coward that he is, for fear of the tiger. It's a good joke at his expense. That was a pretty smart trick, boys."

"Old Tarbox will feel like murdering us if he ever finds out the truth," said Charlie.

"He feels so now, so far as I am concerned," said Robert. "I am not afraid of him."

 

1 perch   

n.栖木，高位，杆；v.栖息，就位，位于

参考例句：

• The bird took its perch.鸟停歇在栖木上。
• Little birds perch themselves on the branches.小鸟儿栖歇在树枝上。

2 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。

3 gasping   

adj. 气喘的, 痉挛的 动词gasp的现在分词

参考例句：

• He was gasping for breath. 他在喘气。
• "Did you need a drink?""Yes, I'm gasping!” “你要喝点什么吗？”“我巴不得能喝点！”

4 apprehensively   

adv.担心地

参考例句：

• He glanced a trifle apprehensively towards the crowded ballroom. 他敏捷地朝挤满了人的舞厅瞟了一眼。 来自辞典例句
• Then it passed, leaving everything in a state of suspense, even the willow branches waiting apprehensively. 一阵这样的风过去，一切都不知怎好似的，连柳树都惊疑不定的等着点什么。 来自汉英文学 - 骆驼祥子

5 devour   

v.吞没；贪婪地注视或谛听，贪读；使着迷

参考例句：

• Larger fish devour the smaller ones.大鱼吃小鱼。
• Beauty is but a flower which wrinkle will devour.美只不过是一朵，终会被皱纹所吞噬。

6 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。

7 wringing   

淋湿的，湿透的

参考例句：

• He was wringing wet after working in the field in the hot sun. 烈日下在田里干活使他汗流满面。
• He is wringing out the water from his swimming trunks. 他正在把游泳裤中的水绞出来。

8 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。

9 sarcastically   

adv.挖苦地，讽刺地

参考例句：

• 'What a surprise!' Caroline murmured sarcastically.“太神奇了!”卡罗琳轻声挖苦道。
• Pierce mocked her and bowed sarcastically. 皮尔斯嘲笑她，讽刺地鞠了一躬。

10 derisively   

adv. 嘲笑地，嘲弄地

参考例句：

• This answer came derisively from several places at the same instant. 好几个人都不约而同地以讥讽的口吻作出回答。
• The others laughed derisively. 其余的人不以为然地笑了起来。

11 shuddering   

v.战栗( shudder的现在分词 )；发抖；（机器、车辆等）突然震动；颤动

参考例句：

• 'I am afraid of it,'she answered, shuddering. “我害怕，”她发着抖，说。 来自英汉文学 - 双城记
• She drew a deep shuddering breath. 她不由得打了个寒噤，深深吸了口气。 来自飘（部分）

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 agitation   

n.搅动；搅拌；鼓动，煽动

参考例句：

• Small shopkeepers carried on a long agitation against the big department stores.小店主们长期以来一直在煽动人们反对大型百货商店。
• These materials require constant agitation to keep them in suspension.这些药剂要经常搅动以保持悬浮状态。

14 sobbed   

哭泣，啜泣( sob的过去式和过去分词 )； 哭诉，呜咽地说

参考例句：

• She sobbed out the story of her son's death. 她哭诉着她儿子的死。
• She sobbed out the sad story of her son's death. 她哽咽着诉说她儿子死去的悲惨经过。

16 courageous   

adj.勇敢的，有胆量的

参考例句：

• We all honour courageous people.我们都尊重勇敢的人。
• He was roused to action by courageous words.豪言壮语促使他奋起行动。

17 allude   

v.提及，暗指

参考例句：

• Many passages in Scripture allude to this concept.圣经中有许多经文间接地提到这样的概念。
• She also alluded to her rival's past marital troubles.她还影射了对手过去的婚姻问题。

18 descended   

a.为...后裔的，出身于...的

参考例句：

• A mood of melancholy descended on us. 一种悲伤的情绪袭上我们的心头。
• The path descended the hill in a series of zigzags. 小路呈连续的之字形顺着山坡蜿蜒而下。

19 heartily   

adv.衷心地，诚恳地，十分，很

参考例句：

• He ate heartily and went out to look for his horse.他痛快地吃了一顿，就出去找他的马。
• The host seized my hand and shook it heartily.主人抓住我的手，热情地和我握手。

20 deception   

n.欺骗，欺诈；骗局，诡计

参考例句：

• He admitted conspiring to obtain property by deception.他承认曾与人合谋骗取财产。
• He was jailed for two years for fraud and deception.他因为诈骗和欺诈入狱服刑两年。