CHAPTER XXVII. ROBERT FINDS HIMSELF IN A TIGHT PLACE.

 THE action of Fitzgerald was so rapid and unexpected that Robert was unable to protect himself in any way. He fell, but mechanically, as he had seen trapeze performers do in the circus when falling, he held himself erect¹, with his hands at his sides, and dropped in that position into three feet of water at the bottom of the well. Fortunately for him the depth of the well was not great, about fifteen feet, and he sustained no injury to his limbs, the water, moreover, breaking the force of the descent.

Still, when unexpectedly he found himself at the bottom of the well, his situation was by no means pleasant.

"What could have induced Mr. Fitzgerald to push me in?" he asked himself in a bewildered way. "What possible object could he have in doing it?"

That his employer did push him he couldn't217 doubt, for he felt the push, which was a forcible one. Yet it seemed so causeless, so utterly² without an object, that he was tempted³ to doubt the testimony⁴ of his senses. To the reader, of course, it is perfectly⁵ clear, but we have sources of information that Robert had not.

He was not a boy to give up, though it certainly looked hopeless to attempt to get out. Had the well been at the East it would have been walled in on all sides by rocks, but stones of any size are not numerous in many parts of the West, and this had originally been boarded, but some of the boards had disappeared.

"It isn't very deep," thought Robert, "but how in the world am I to get out?"

He made several attempts, but they were all futile⁶. Things began to look serious, for the house was deserted⁷, and probably very few persons came that way.

While in a state of painful anxiety he heard, faintly, a boy whistle. The sound became more distinct as if the boy were approaching, and hope was kindled⁸ in our hero's breast.

"If I could only attract his attention," he thought.

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He shouted as loud as he could, but the sound was partially⁹ lost before it reached the surface of the well. Still it attracted the attention of Fred Lathrop, the boy who was whistling, who stopped to listen.

"Where did that sound come from?" he thought.

It was repeated, and this time he could distinguish the word "Help!"

"By gracious, it comes from the well!" he said to himself. "Who can be down there?"

He drew near and looked down. It was darker near the bottom, but he could descry¹⁰ Robert, who was looking up.

"Who's there?" asked Fred.

"It's I—a boy. Help me up!"

"How did you get down there?"

"Help me out and I'll tell you."

"I don't see how I am to do it," said Fred, after a pause.

"Isn't there a rope round about there somewhere?"

"The old well-rope used to be coiled up in a corner of the house; I don't know whether it's there now."

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"Look—will you?"

Fred needed no second request. He went to the house and was fortunate enough to find the rope. He brought it with him to the edge of the well.

"I've got it!" he exclaimed.

"Throw one end to me."

This was done.

"Now, do you think you can pull hard enough to draw me out? I will help myself with my feet."

"I am afraid I'm not strong enough."

"Suppose you try," said Robert, who didn't like to give up the hope of an immediate¹¹ escape.

"Stop, there's my brother-in-law coming across the fields," said Fred, eagerly. "He will help me."

"Mr. Davis!" he cried, "come here and help me."

"What are you up to, Fred?" inquired the young man addressed. "Are you fishing in the well?"

"Yes; I am fishing—for a boy," responded Fred.

"Are you gone crazy?"

"No; come here and look for yourself."

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Davis did so, and was sensible enough to understand, though very much surprised, that it would be best to postpone¹² his inquiries¹³ till the boy was rescued.

"Give me hold of the rope!" he said. "Now, you boy down there, can you give a good, firm grip?"

"Try me and see."

"If you let it slip through your fingers you will fall back and hurt yourself."

"I won't let it slip. Keep firm hold yourself."

It was not altogether an easy task, and Robert was rubbed unpleasantly against the sides of the well; but at length victory crowned the efforts of the three, and our hero, his clothes looking none the better for his immersion¹⁴ in the water, and his contact with the sides of the well gave him a decided¹⁵ tramp-like appearance.

"Well, here you are!" said Mr. Davis. "How did you get into the well? Did you fall in?"

"I was pushed in," answered Robert.

"Pushed in!" repeated Fred and his brother-in-law in concert.

"Yes."

"Who pushed you in?"

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"My employer—the man I was travelling with."

"What made him do it?"

"That is more than I can tell."

"Was he angry with you?"

"There had been no quarrel nor disagreement, and I supposed we were excellent friends."

"I wouldn't fancy such a friend," said Fred, dryly.

"The man must have had some motive," said Mr. Davis, who was a young lawyer.

"I can't think of any. I think he may have been insane," said Robert, to whom this had occurred as a possible solution of the problem.

"How long had you been with him?"

"Only about a week. He proposed to me to take a walk this morning, and brought me here."

"Your clothes look the worse for the fall," said Fred.

"Yes, I look like a tramp," answered Robert, glancing down at his wet and muddy clothes with disgust. "I've got another suit at the hotel, unless Mr. Fitzgerald has carried off my valise. I don't much like going back there in this trim."

"You needn't," said Fred. "Come home with me. You are about my size; I will lend you one222 of my suits, while yours is being cleansed¹⁶ and dried."

"Thank you!" said Robert, relieved; "you are very kind. And what will your mother say when she sees you bringing such a looking tramp home with you?"

"Don't trouble yourself about that," said Fred. "Mother will understand it. She'll see that even if you do look like a tramp you're not a professional."

"That's just what I am," responded Robert, smiling. "I am a professional—circus rider."

"You don't say so!" exclaimed Fred, with something of interest. "Are you a bareback rider?"

"Yes."

"We've got a horse in the barn. Won't you try riding on him?"

"Oh, the horse has to be trained as well as the rider: I can't perform on a horse that has never been in the ring."

"Then how did you happen to be with this man that served you such a trick?"

Robert explained.

Quarter of an hour's walk brought them to a substantial farm-house occupied by Fred's family.223 He introduced Robert to his mother—a pleasant-faced lady, who received our hero cordially, especially after she had been informed of the manner in which he had been treated by his employer.

Fred took Robert up to his own bedroom, where he placed one of his own suits at his disposal. The soiled suit was taken down-stairs, where it was first dried by the fire and afterwards brushed clean till it once more assumed the respectable look which rightfully belonged to it.

Meanwhile Fred went round to the hotel to ascertain¹⁷ whether Fitzgerald had made his appearance.

He ascertained¹⁸ that he had returned and reported that the boy had gone on to the next town, where he was to join him. He paid the bill of both, took both valises and drove to the nearest railway station.

"He's taken French leave!" said Fred. "He evidently never expects to see you again."

"He may be disappointed in that," said Robert, quietly; "I may appear to him when he least expects it. I intend to find out if I can what was his object in throwing me into the well."

"That's where I'm with you!" said Fred. "I224 wouldn't let him go unpunished for such an outrage¹⁹."

When Robert came to reflect upon his situation, however, he felt embarrassed. His bills, of course, had been paid by Fitzgerald, and he had not yet received any wages. The consequence was, that while he was nearly two thousand miles distant from his starting-point, he had but a dollar and a half in his pocket. He might, to be sure, write to Dr. Grey for a portion of his savings²⁰, but it would take some time for the remittance²¹ to arrive.

1 erect   

n./v.树立，建立，使竖立；adj.直立的，垂直的

参考例句：

• She held her head erect and her back straight.她昂着头，把背挺得笔直。
• Soldiers are trained to stand erect.士兵们训练站得笔直。

2 utterly   

adv.完全地，绝对地

参考例句：

• Utterly devoted to the people,he gave his life in saving his patients.他忠于人民，把毕生精力用于挽救患者的生命。
• I was utterly ravished by the way she smiled.她的微笑使我完全陶醉了。

3 tempted   

v.怂恿（某人）干不正当的事；冒…的险（tempt的过去分词）

参考例句：

• I was sorely tempted to complain, but I didn't. 我极想发牢骚，但还是没开口。
• I was tempted by the dessert menu. 甜食菜单馋得我垂涎欲滴。

4 testimony   

n.证词；见证，证明

参考例句：

• The testimony given by him is dubious.他所作的证据是可疑的。
• He was called in to bear testimony to what the police officer said.他被传入为警官所说的话作证。

5 perfectly   

adv.完美地，无可非议地，彻底地

参考例句：

• The witnesses were each perfectly certain of what they said.证人们个个对自己所说的话十分肯定。
• Everything that we're doing is all perfectly above board.我们做的每件事情都是光明正大的。

6 futile   

adj.无效的，无用的，无希望的

参考例句：

• They were killed,to the last man,in a futile attack.因为进攻失败，他们全部被杀，无一幸免。
• Their efforts to revive him were futile.他们对他抢救无效。

7 deserted   

adj.荒芜的，荒废的，无人的，被遗弃的

参考例句：

• The deserted village was filled with a deathly silence.这个荒废的村庄死一般的寂静。
• The enemy chieftain was opposed and deserted by his followers.敌人头目众叛亲离。

8 kindled   

（使某物）燃烧，着火( kindle的过去式和过去分词 )； 激起（感情等）； 发亮，放光

参考例句：

• We watched as the fire slowly kindled. 我们看着火慢慢地燃烧起来。
• The teacher's praise kindled a spark of hope inside her. 老师的赞扬激起了她内心的希望。

9 partially   

adv.部分地，从某些方面讲

参考例句：

• The door was partially concealed by the drapes.门有一部分被门帘遮住了。
• The police managed to restore calm and the curfew was partially lifted.警方设法恢复了平静，宵禁部分解除。

10 descry   

v.远远看到；发现；责备

参考例句：

• I descry a sail on the horizon.我看见在天水交接处的轮船。
• In this beautiful sunset photo,I seem to descry the wings of the angel.在美丽日落照片中，我好像看到天使的翅膀。

11 immediate   

adj.立即的；直接的，最接近的；紧靠的

参考例句：

• His immediate neighbours felt it their duty to call.他的近邻认为他们有责任去拜访。
• We declared ourselves for the immediate convocation of the meeting.我们主张立即召开这个会议。

12 postpone   

v.延期，推迟

参考例句：

• I shall postpone making a decision till I learn full particulars.在未获悉详情之前我得从缓作出决定。
• She decided to postpone the converastion for that evening.她决定当天晚上把谈话搁一搁。

13 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》

14 immersion   

n.沉浸；专心

参考例句：

• The dirt on the bottom of the bath didn't encourage total immersion.浴缸底有污垢，不宜全身浸泡于其中。
• The wood had become swollen from prolonged immersion.因长时间浸泡，木头发胀了。

15 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。

16 cleansed   

弄干净，清洗( cleanse的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• The nurse cleansed the wound before stitching it. 护士先把伤口弄干净后才把它缝合。
• The notorious Hell Row was burned down in a fire, and much dirt was cleansed away. 臭名远场的阎王路已在一场大火中化为乌有，许多焦土灰烬被清除一空。

17 ascertain   

vt.发现，确定，查明，弄清

参考例句：

• It's difficult to ascertain the coal deposits.煤储量很难探明。
• We must ascertain the responsibility in light of different situtations.我们必须根据不同情况判定责任。

18 ascertained   

v.弄清，确定，查明( ascertain的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• The previously unidentified objects have now been definitely ascertained as being satellites. 原来所说的不明飞行物现在已证实是卫星。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• I ascertained that she was dead. 我断定她已经死了。 来自《简明英汉词典》

19 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。

20 savings   

n.存款，储蓄

参考例句：

• I can't afford the vacation,for it would eat up my savings.我度不起假，那样会把我的积蓄用光的。
• By this time he had used up all his savings.到这时，他的存款已全部用完。

21 remittance   

n.汇款，寄款，汇兑

参考例句：

• Your last month's salary will be paid by remittance.最后一个月的薪水将通过汇寄的方式付给你。
• A prompt remittance would be appreciated.速寄汇款不胜感激。