CHAPTER XII. THE CANVAS MAN.

 WHEN Mr. Tarbox came to understand how he had been hoaxed¹ by the boys he was furious, but his anger was ineffectual, for there seemed no way in which he could retaliate². He had had his opportunity in the woods, but that had passed, and was not likely to come again. Meanwhile he found it hard to bear the jocose³ inquiries⁴ of his neighbors touching⁵ his encounter with the "tiger."

For instance, the next day he met the constable⁶ in the street.

"How are you, Mr. Tarbox?" inquired Spriggins, smiling.

"Well enough," growled⁷ Tarbox, quickening his pace.

"I hear you had an adventure with a tiger yesterday," said the constable, with a waggish⁸ smile.

"Suppose I did!" he snapped.

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"Ho, ho! Were you very much frightened?" continued the constable.

"I wasn't half so much scared as you were when I wanted you to arrest the giant."

It was the constable's turn to look embarrassed. "Who said I was afraid?"

"It was enough to look at you," said Tarbox.

"Well, maybe I was a little flustered," admitted Spriggins. "Who wouldn't be afraid of a man ten feet high? They do say, Tarbox, that you did some pretty tall running, and there wasn't no tiger loose after all."

And Mr. Constable indulged in a chuckle⁹ which irritated the farmer intensely. He resolved to retaliate.

"Do you know where I am goin', Spriggins?" he asked.

"No."

"Then I'll tell you," answered Tarbox, with a malicious¹⁰ smile. "I'm goin' to Squire¹¹ Price to get another warrant for the arrest of Anak—I've found out that that's his name—and I'm goin' to get you to serve it."

The constable's countenance¹² changed. "Don't be foolish, Mr. Tarbox," he said.

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"I understand my business, Spriggins, and I shall expect you to do yours. I'll see you again in half an hour."

"I may not be at home; I expect I've got to go over to Medville."

"Then put it off. Your duty to the State is ahead of all private business."

He went on his way leaving Mr. Spriggins in a very uneasy frame of mind. When he went home to supper, he said to his wife: "Mrs. S., after supper I'm going up into the attic¹³, and if Nathan Tarbox comes round and asks for me, you say that I'm out of town."

"But it wouldn't be true, Spriggins," replied his wife.

"I know it won't; but he wants me to arrest the giant, and it's as much as my life is worth," answered the constable, desperately¹⁴. "I don't think I'm a coward, but I ain't a match for a giant."

The farmer, however, did not come round. He had only made the statement to frighten Spriggins, and retaliate upon him for his joke about the tiger.

In the afternoon Robert, while out for a walk, fell in with one of the canvas men, a rough-looking105 fellow, named, or at least he called himself, Carden. Canvas men, as may be inferred from the name, are employed in putting up and taking down the circus tent, and are generally an inferior set of men, not differing much from the professional tramp. Robert, who, in spite of his asseverations, had considerable self-respect and proper pride, never mingled¹⁵ much with them, and for that reason was looked upon as "putting on airs." His friend, Charlie Davis, was much more popular with them.

"Hallo, Robert," said Carden, familiarly.

The canvas man was smoking a short, dirty clay pipe, and would have made an admirable model for a picture of a tramp.

"Hello, Carden!" said Robert, coolly.

"Walkin' for your health?" asked the canvas man, in the same disagreeably familiar tone.

"Partly."

Carden was walking by his side, and Robert did not like the familiarity which this would seem to imply.

"Pretty good town, this!" continued Carden, socially.

"Yes."

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"Sorry I haven't another pipe to offer you, Robert, my boy."

"Thank you; I shouldn't use it."

"Don't mean to say you don't smoke, eh, Bob?"

"I don't smoke."

"That is, not a pipe—I dare say you wouldn't mind a cigar or cigarette, now."

"I don't smoke at all now. I did once, but found it was injuring me, and gave it up."

"Oh, it won't hurt you. I've smoked since I was a chap so high"—indicating a point about three feet from the ground—"and I ain't dead yet."

Robert did not reply to this, but looked around anxiously for some pretext¹⁶ to leave his unwelcome companion.

Just then they passed a wayside saloon.

"Come in, Bob, and have a drink!" said Carden, laying his hand upon the boy's shoulder. "It'll do you good to whet¹⁷ your whistle."

"No, thank you," said Robert, shrinking from the man's touch.

"Oh, don't be foolish. A little whiskey'll do you good."

"Thank you, I would rather not."

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Meantime Carden was searching in his pocket for a silver coin, but his search was fruitless.

"I say, Bob, I am out of tin. Come in and treat?"

"You must excuse me, Mr. Carden," said Robert, coldly.

"Come, don't be stingy! You get good pay, and can afford to stand treat. We poor canvas men only have $15 a month."

"If this will do you any good," said Robert, producing a silver quarter, "you are welcome to it."

"Thank you; you'd better come in, too."

Robert sacrificed the coin to regain¹⁸ his freedom, as Carden's entering the saloon seemed to offer the only mode of release.

"What a stuck-up young jackanapes!" muttered Carden, as he entered the saloon. "He thinks a deal of himself, and don't want to have nought¹⁹ to do with me because I'm a poor canvas man. I doubt he's got a good deal of money hid away somewhere, for he don't spend much. I heard Charlie Davis say the other day Bob had $200."

Carden's eyes glittered with cupidity²⁰ as the thought passed through his mind.

"I'd like to get hold of it," he muttered to himself.108 "It would be a fortune for a poor canvas man, and he wouldn't miss it, for he could soon gain as much more. I wonder where he keeps it."

"It's the worst of the life I lead," said Robert to himself, as he walked on, "that I am thrown into the company of such men as that. It isn't because they are poor that I object to them, for I am not rich myself; but a man needn't be low because he is poor and earning small pay. I suppose Carden and the other canvas men think I am proud because I don't seek their company, but they are mistaken. I have nothing in common with them, except that we are all in the employ of the same manager. Besides, I do talk with Madigan. He is a canvas man, but he has had a good education and is fitted for something better, and only takes up with this rather than be idle."

Half an hour after, Charlie Davis joined him.

"Rob," said Charlie, "I met Carden, just now. He was half drunk, and pitching into you."

"He ought not, for I had just lent him a quarter."

"He said you were too proud to drink with him."

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"That is true, though I wouldn't drink with one I had more respect for."

"He asked me where you kept your money. You'd better look out for him."

"I shall. I have no doubt he is capable of robbing me, and I would rather spend my own money myself."

"I'm not afraid of his robbing me," said Charlie.

"No, I suppose not; but I wish you would save some of your money, so as to have something worth stealing."

"Oh, I'll begin to save sometime."

It was perhaps the thought of this conversation that led Robert in the evening after the entertainment was over, or rather after his part of it was over, to walk round to one of the circus wagons²¹, in which, in a small closet, he kept some of his clothing and the whole of his money.

As he came up he saw in the darkness the crouching²² figure of a man trying the lock of his compartment²³ with one of a bunch of keys he held in his hand.

1 hoaxed   

v.开玩笑骗某人，戏弄某人( hoax的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• They hoaxed me into believing it. 他们哄骗得我相信它。 来自辞典例句
• I was hoaxed into believing their story. 我上了当，还以为他们的玩笑是真的呢。 来自辞典例句

2 retaliate   

v.报复，反击

参考例句：

• He sought every opportunity to retaliate against his enemy.他找机会向他的敌人反击。
• It is strictly forbidden to retaliate against the quality inspectors.严禁对质量检验人员进行打击报复。

3 jocose   

adj.开玩笑的，滑稽的

参考例句：

• Dr. Daniel was a gleg man of a jocose nature.丹尼尔大夫是一位天生诙谐而反应机敏的人。
• His comic dialogues are jocose and jocular,thought-provoking.他的小品诙谐，逗乐，发人深省。

4 inquiries   

n.调查( inquiry的名词复数 )；疑问；探究；打听

参考例句：

• He was released on bail pending further inquiries. 他获得保释，等候进一步调查。
• I have failed to reach them by postal inquiries. 我未能通过邮政查询与他们取得联系。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》

5 touching   

adj.动人的，使人感伤的

参考例句：

• It was a touching sight.这是一幅动人的景象。
• His letter was touching.他的信很感人。

6 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。

7 growled   

v.（动物）发狺狺声， （雷）作隆隆声( growl的过去式和过去分词 )；低声咆哮着说

参考例句：

• \"They ought to be birched, \" growled the old man. 老人咆哮道：“他们应受到鞭打。” 来自《简明英汉词典》
• He growled out an answer. 他低声威胁着回答。 来自《简明英汉词典》

8 waggish   

adj.诙谐的，滑稽的

参考例句：

• The house had been facetiously named by some waggish officer.这房子是由某个机智幽默的军官命名的。
• During this melancholy pause,the turnkey read his newspaper with a waggish look.在这个忧郁的停歇期间，看守滑稽地阅读着报纸。

9 chuckle   

vi.／n.轻声笑，咯咯笑

参考例句：

• He shook his head with a soft chuckle.他轻轻地笑着摇了摇头。
• I couldn't suppress a soft chuckle at the thought of it.想到这个，我忍不住轻轻地笑起来。

10 malicious   

adj.有恶意的，心怀恶意的

参考例句：

• You ought to kick back at such malicious slander. 你应当反击这种恶毒的污蔑。
• Their talk was slightly malicious.他们的谈话有点儿心怀不轨。

11 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。

12 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。

13 attic   

n.顶楼，屋顶室

参考例句：

• Leakiness in the roof caused a damp attic.屋漏使顶楼潮湿。
• What's to be done with all this stuff in the attic?顶楼上的材料怎么处理？

14 desperately   

adv.极度渴望地，绝望地，孤注一掷地

参考例句：

• He was desperately seeking a way to see her again.他正拼命想办法再见她一面。
• He longed desperately to be back at home.他非常渴望回家。

15 mingled   

混合，混入( mingle的过去式和过去分词 )； 混进，与…交往[联系]

参考例句：

• The sounds of laughter and singing mingled in the evening air. 笑声和歌声交织在夜空中。
• The man and the woman mingled as everyone started to relax. 当大家开始放松的时候，这一男一女就开始交往了。

16 pretext   

n.借口，托词

参考例句：

• He used his headache as a pretext for not going to school.他借口头疼而不去上学。
• He didn't attend that meeting under the pretext of sickness.他以生病为借口，没参加那个会议。

17 whet   

v.磨快，刺激

参考例句：

• I've read only the fIrst few pages of her book,but It was enough to whet my appetIte.她的书我只看了开头几页，但已经引起我极大的兴趣。
• A really good catalogue can also whet customers' appetites for merchandise.一份真正好的商品目录也可以激起顾客购买的欲望。

18 regain   

vt.重新获得，收复，恢复

参考例句：

• He is making a bid to regain his World No.1 ranking.他正为重登世界排名第一位而努力。
• The government is desperate to regain credibility with the public.政府急于重新获取公众的信任。

19 nought   

n.／adj.无，零

参考例句：

• We must bring their schemes to nought.我们必须使他们的阴谋彻底破产。
• One minus one leaves nought.一减一等于零。

20 cupidity   

n.贪心，贪财

参考例句：

• Her cupidity is well known.她的贪婪尽人皆知。
• His eyes gave him away,shining with cupidity.他的眼里闪着贪婪的光芒，使他暴露无遗。

21 wagons   

n.四轮的运货马车( wagon的名词复数 )；铁路货车；小手推车

参考例句：

• The wagons were hauled by horses. 那些货车是马拉的。
• They drew their wagons into a laager and set up camp. 他们把马车围成一圈扎起营地。

22 crouching   

v.屈膝，蹲伏( crouch的现在分词 )

参考例句：

• a hulking figure crouching in the darkness 黑暗中蹲伏着的一个庞大身影
• A young man was crouching by the table, busily searching for something. 一个年轻人正蹲在桌边翻看什么。 来自汉英文学 - 散文英译

23 compartment   

n.卧车包房，隔间；分隔的空间

参考例句：

• We were glad to have the whole compartment to ourselves.真高兴，整个客车隔间由我们独享。
• The batteries are safely enclosed in a watertight compartment.电池被安全地置于一个防水的隔间里。