CHAPTER XVI. THE CANVAS MAN.

 CARDEN, the canvas man, though discharged from the circus, did not leave town. He hoped to be reinstated in his old position, and made a personal appeal to the manager. But the latter returned a decided¹ negative.

"Don't I do my work well?" asked Carden.

"I have no fault to find with you on that score."

"Then why do you discharge me?"

"You know well enough."

"Is it because that boy Robert Rudd has lied about me?"

"Robert Rudd would not lie about anybody. I have perfect confidence in him. As for you, Carden, you may as well make up your mind to leave the town and seek employment elsewhere. As long as I am manager of this circus I will never again employ you in any capacity."

Carden's face grew dark and lowering. He128 saw that the manager was in earnest, and he said no more, but went away muttering something to himself in a low voice which the manager could not understand.

"That is a bad fellow!" thought Mr. Coleman. "We are well rid of him. He looks as if he could do something worse than steal."

Finding himself foiled in his attempt to regain² his old place, Carden felt still more incensed³ against the boy, whom he considered to be the cause of his dismissal. He felt that it would be a satisfaction to injure him in some way, and so revenge himself. For this purpose he determined⁴ to remain in the town until the circus left. He secured board, therefore, in the family of a farmer not far away, and spent his days about the village and his evenings in some low drinking place.

One day as he was sauntering along the street, with a discontented scowl⁵ upon his face, he came face to face with a well-dressed man, who appeared to be a stranger in the place.

He would have passed him by without any other notice than a passing glance, had not the stranger accosted⁶ him.

"A pleasant day, my friend," he said, affably.

129

"Who said I was your friend?" returned Carden, with a growl⁷.

"I assumed it, since you have no reason to be my enemy," said the other, not in the least put out by the roughness with which his greeting was received.

"I don't know you, and I don't want to," continued Carden.

"Really, you are very frank," laughed the new acquaintance. "A trifle rough, perhaps, but I like sincerity⁸. You are no hypocrite, my friend."

"I should like to hear anybody call me so," said Carden, defiantly⁹.

"I won't be the one at any rate. However, its dry talking in the street. Suppose we go in here (they were just passing a drinking saloon) and drink to our better acquaintance."

He could have said nothing better calculated to soften¹⁰ Carden's asperity¹¹.

"I believe you're a trump¹², after all," said the canvas man, in a changed tone.

"I hope you'll find me so. Well, come in."

Carden readily followed him into the saloon, and they sat down to a table with a bottle and two glasses before them.

130

"Now, what's your game?" asked Carden, abruptly¹³.

"My game?"

"Yes. I s'pose you wouldn't have stood treat if you hadn't wanted something of me."

The stranger laughed.

"You are sharp," said he. "However, I don't mind confessing that I am a stranger in the place and wanted company and possibly a little information. Do you know anything about the circus—Coleman's circus—which I see is showing here?"

"I ought to. I belong to it."

"Oh, you are connected with it."

"No. I'm not now. I was."

"So, you left them."

"Left them," repeated Carden with an oath. "I was kicked out."

"Indeed, my friend, I sympathize with you. May I ask in what capacity you were employed?"

"I was a canvas man."

"Really, I don't want to meddle¹⁴ with what is none of my business, but on what pretext¹⁵ were you discharged?"

Carden hardly liked to admit that he was suspected of theft, but his wrongs were recent and131 he took a bitter satisfaction in dwelling¹⁶ upon them. So he overcame his reluctance¹⁷ by degrees.

"It was all on account of that young rascal¹⁸ Robert Rudd," he said.

"Robert Rudd!" repeated the stranger, his face indicating strong interest. "Who is he?"

"A bareback rider—a mere¹⁹ boy, whom I could twist round my finger."

"But I don't see how he could get you discharged."

"Then I'll tell you. He went to Coleman and told him that he found me trying to unlock his closet and get at his property."

"Of course that was false?"

"Of course it was!" growled²⁰ Carden. "But the manager believed him, and bounced me."

"What could make the boy get up such a story?"

"He hated me; he treated me like a dog, and put on airs, just as if we wasn't in the same business. He wouldn't drink with me when I asked him."

"Then he is proud, is he?"

"Yes, but he hasn't anything to be proud of. He thinks himself a gentleman, just because he132 can ride, and looks down on me as a poor canvas man."

"He must be very disagreeable!"

"Of course he is, but the manager don't think so. He treats him as if he was a prince."

"Do you know anything about this Robert Rudd?" asked the stranger, thoughtfully. "Has he got parents living?"

"Not as I know of."

"How long has he been with the circus?"

"He has been riding ever since he was a small kid."

"Does he ride well?"

"Oh yes, he'll do," said Carden, with faint praise.

"I should think he would have been afraid to provoke you—a strong, stout²¹ man like you," said the stranger meditatively²², surveying the strong frame and muscular arms of the ex-canvas man.

"He'll repent²³ it yet," flamed up Carden, his resentment²⁴ fired by these artful words. "I don't mean to have any whipper-snapper like him get the better of me."

"I can't say you are wrong, my friend, though I know nothing of the matter further than you133 have told me. What are your plans? When were you discharged?"

"Day before yesterday. Coleman told me to leave town, but I shan't. I shall hang round here till I see some way of gettin' even with that young rascal."

"It does seem hard that you should have had your means of living taken away from you through the spite of a boy. He must have a very bad disposition²⁵, this Robert Rudd."

"Yes," said Carden, in a voice which was becoming thick through his frequent potations, for he was drinking two glasses or more to the stranger's one. "I'm a poor man, and it's hard to be thrown out of work."

"I suppose you haven't saved up much money, then?"

"Saved! What could I save out of fifteen dollars a month?"

"That is poor pay, certainly. Is this boy, Robert Rudd, well paid?"

"Well paid? He's got two hundred dollars saved up."

"You don't tell me so! That is a good deal for a boy. Where does he keep it?"

134

"In his locker," answered Carden, an expression of cupidity²⁶ sweeping²⁷ over his face.

This was not unnoticed by the stranger, who said to himself: "Unless I am greatly mistaken, the boy was right in charging you with trying to get at his hoard²⁸. I can read it in your face."

"You say he is a fine rider?" he said, changing the subject.

"Oh, yes; he's well enough."

"But if anything should startle the horse or frighten him, anything unexpectedly, I mean, he would be in some danger of being thrown off, wouldn't he?"

"That's so!" said Carden, as if a sudden idea had dawned upon his mind.

"It seems a dangerous business, this," said the stranger, carelessly. "If, now, some malicious²⁹ person should throw something at the horse when he was in the ring, it might prove dangerous to the boy."

"So it would!" said Carden, eagerly.

"Well, my friend," said the stranger, rising, "I see we've drained the bottle. Suppose we go out again."

When they emerged into the street, Fitzgerald,135 for it was he, shook hands with the canvas man, and said: "Well, I must go back to the hotel. I hope to meet you again, my friend."

"I think I've set things in train," thought Fitzgerald. "I will attend the circus this evening."

1 decided   

adj.决定了的，坚决的；明显的，明确的

参考例句：

• This gave them a decided advantage over their opponents.这使他们比对手具有明显的优势。
• There is a decided difference between British and Chinese way of greeting.英国人和中国人打招呼的方式有很明显的区别。

2 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。

3 incensed   

盛怒的

参考例句：

• The decision incensed the workforce. 这个决定激怒了劳工大众。
• They were incensed at the decision. 他们被这个决定激怒了。

4 determined   

adj.坚定的；有决心的

参考例句：

• I have determined on going to Tibet after graduation.我已决定毕业后去西藏。
• He determined to view the rooms behind the office.他决定查看一下办公室后面的房间。

5 scowl   

vi.(at)生气地皱眉，沉下脸，怒视；n.怒容

参考例句：

• I wonder why he is wearing an angry scowl.我不知道他为何面带怒容。
• The boss manifested his disgust with a scowl.老板面带怒色，清楚表示出他的厌恶之感。

6 accosted   

v.走过去跟…讲话( accost的过去式和过去分词 )；跟…搭讪；（乞丐等）上前向…乞讨；（妓女等）勾搭

参考例句：

• She was accosted in the street by a complete stranger. 在街上，一个完全陌生的人贸然走到她跟前搭讪。
• His benevolent nature prevented him from refusing any beggar who accosted him. 他乐善好施的本性使他不会拒绝走上前向他行乞的任何一个乞丐。 来自《简明英汉词典》

7 growl   

v.（狗等）嗥叫，（炮等）轰鸣；n.嗥叫，轰鸣

参考例句：

• The dog was biting,growling and wagging its tail.那条狗在一边撕咬一边低声吼叫，尾巴也跟着摇摆。
• The car growls along rutted streets.汽车在车辙纵横的街上一路轰鸣。

8 sincerity   

n.真诚，诚意；真实

参考例句：

• His sincerity added much more authority to the story.他的真诚更增加了故事的说服力。
• He tried hard to satisfy me of his sincerity.他竭力让我了解他的诚意。

9 defiantly   

adv.挑战地，大胆对抗地

参考例句：

• Braving snow and frost, the plum trees blossomed defiantly. 红梅傲雪凌霜开。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》
• She tilted her chin at him defiantly. 她向他翘起下巴表示挑衅。 来自《简明英汉词典》

10 soften   

v.(使)变柔软；(使)变柔和

参考例句：

• Plastics will soften when exposed to heat.塑料适当加热就可以软化。
• This special cream will help to soften up our skin.这种特殊的护肤霜有助于使皮肤变得柔软。

11 asperity   

n.粗鲁，艰苦

参考例句：

• He spoke to the boy with asperity.他严厉地对那男孩讲话。
• The asperity of the winter had everybody yearning for spring.严冬之苦让每个人都渴望春天。

12 trump   

n.王牌，法宝；v.打出王牌，吹喇叭

参考例句：

• He was never able to trump up the courage to have a showdown.他始终鼓不起勇气摊牌。
• The coach saved his star player for a trump card.教练保留他的明星选手，作为他的王牌。

13 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。

14 meddle   

v.干预，干涉，插手

参考例句：

• I hope he doesn't try to meddle in my affairs.我希望他不来干预我的事情。
• Do not meddle in things that do not concern you.别参与和自己无关的事。

15 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。

16 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。

17 reluctance   

n.厌恶，讨厌，勉强，不情愿

参考例句：

• The police released Andrew with reluctance.警方勉强把安德鲁放走了。
• He showed the greatest reluctance to make a reply.他表示很不愿意答复。

18 rascal   

n.流氓；不诚实的人

参考例句：

• If he had done otherwise,I should have thought him a rascal.如果他不这样做，我就认为他是个恶棍。
• The rascal was frightened into holding his tongue.这坏蛋吓得不敢往下说了。

19 mere   

adj.纯粹的；仅仅，只不过

参考例句：

• That is a mere repetition of what you said before.那不过是重复了你以前讲的话。
• It's a mere waste of time waiting any longer.再等下去纯粹是浪费时间。

20 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》

22 meditatively   

adv.冥想地

参考例句：

• The old man looked meditatively at the darts board. 老头儿沉思不语，看着那投镖板。 来自英汉文学
• "Well,'said the foreman, scratching his ear meditatively, "we do need a stitcher. “这--"工头沉思地搔了搔耳朵。 "我们确实需要一个缝纫工。 来自英汉文学 - 嘉莉妹妹

23 repent   

v.悔悟，悔改，忏悔，后悔

参考例句：

• He has nothing to repent of.他没有什么要懊悔的。
• Remission of sins is promised to those who repent.悔罪者可得到赦免。

24 resentment   

n.怨愤，忿恨

参考例句：

• All her feelings of resentment just came pouring out.她一股脑儿倾吐出所有的怨恨。
• She cherished a deep resentment under the rose towards her employer.她暗中对她的雇主怀恨在心。

25 disposition   

n.性情，性格；意向，倾向；排列，部署

参考例句：

• He has made a good disposition of his property.他已对财产作了妥善处理。
• He has a cheerful disposition.他性情开朗。

26 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。

27 sweeping   

adj.范围广大的，一扫无遗的

参考例句：

• The citizens voted for sweeping reforms.公民投票支持全面的改革。
• Can you hear the wind sweeping through the branches?你能听到风掠过树枝的声音吗？

28 hoard   

n./v.窖藏，贮存，囤积

参考例句：

• They have a hoard of food in the basement.地下室里有他们贮藏的食物。
• How many curios do you hoard in your study?你在你书房里聚藏了多少古玩？

29 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。