CHAPTER XXXI. HERCULES—THE STRONG MAN.

 "HERCULES!" cried Robert, joyfully¹, from his perch² in the tree.

Hercules paused and looked about in surprise, for he saw no one except an ill-looking tramp, who, he was sure, had not spoken to him. He thought he recognized the voice, but was not certain.

"Who is it calls me?" he asked. "Where are you?"

"Here, in this tree."

Then Hercules espied³ our hero and recognized him.

"Robert Rudd," he cried, in mingled⁴ surprise and joy.

"Yes, it is I."

"What are you doing here? I had no idea of seeing you here."

"Nor I you; but I am glad you came along."

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"Why are you up there?"

"Because the gentleman below insists upon my giving him my money, and I have a use for it myself."

"Ha!" said Hercules, eying the besieging⁵ force narrowly. "Well, he looks like a thief and a scoundrel."

Meantime, as may readily be imagined, the tramp had been busily scanning him. Now the appearance of Hercules was very deceptive⁶. He was not a man of large, powerful frame—indeed he did not look as strong as the tramp; but his sinews were of iron and his muscles were immense, but these were concealed⁷ by his clothing. Only in the ring, when he performed his feats⁸ of strength, were they displayed to advantage. The tramp was not a classical scholar, or the name Hercules might have told him something. As it were he really thought himself the more powerful man of the two, and it came into his mind that he might as well enlarge his schemes of plunder⁹ and force this new acquaintance to pay tribute as well as the boy whom he was besieging.

"You call me a thief and a scoundrel, do you?" he said, flaming up in fierce wrath¹⁰.

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"Yes, I do," returned Hercules, eying him coolly.

"How dare you do it?"

"Why shouldn't I?" said Hercules, contemptuously. "Didn't you mean to rob this boy if I hadn't come along?"

"I will do it yet, but I have business with you first."

"What kind of business?"

"Empty your pockets, and don't be long about it," said the tramp, approaching Hercules menacingly.

It had never occurred to Robert that the tramp would attempt anything so absurd as to attack the professional champion, whose name was famous for strength, and when he saw that such was his intention he laughed aloud in amazement¹¹.

"Don't crow, young rooster!" cried the tramp, angrily. "I'll tackle your friend first; your turn will come by and by."

"Oh, you want to have a tussle¹² with me, do you?" said Hercules, eying the other with a smile of amusement.

"Yes, I'll finish you up in short order," said the tramp, boastfully.

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"Don't be afraid, Hercules!" cried Robert, with a laugh.

"I'll try not to. So you want me to hand over my money, do you?" he said.

"Yes; and you'd better be quick about it, too," growled¹³ the tramp.

"Suppose I don't?"

"Then I'll whip you till you can't stand."

"This is better than any circus I ever attended," said Robert, delighted.

"He'll think it's a circus before he gets through," said Hercules, significantly. "Well, my ill-looking friend, I must inform you in the outset that you are taking a good deal of trouble for a very little. My stock of money is very low."

"I don't care; you can hand over what you've got."

"Or fight for it?"

"Yes," growled the tramp.

"I think I'll fight—a little friendly encounter. It's the custom to shake hands first; will you do it?"

The tramp extended his hand, which Hercules at once grasped with such an iron pressure that251 the tramp fairly danced and howled with pain, while the veins¹⁴ swelled¹⁵ upon his forehead.

"Let go!" he yelled.

Hercules released his hand with a laugh.

"It's only a small lesson, my friend. Do you want my money now?"

"Who are you?" asked the tramp, with the addition of an oath.

"I am Hercules, the strong man. You made a mistake when you tackled me."

"I'm off, then," said the tramp.

"Not quite yet. You need a further lesson."

So saying, Hercules seized the tramp suddenly, raised him aloft, threw him up in the air, and then hurled¹⁶ him to the distance of a couple of rods, where he lay stunned¹⁷ for a minute or two.

"Now clear out!" said Hercules sternly, as the rascal¹⁸ rose to his feet and limped off. "I would give you in charge if it were not too much trouble. Never let me set eyes on you again!"

"I won't if I can help it," muttered the tramp as he slunk away.

"Now, Robert, come down from the tree, and tell me all about yourself."

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Robert told his story, and asked Hercules for similar information.

"I've been to see a sister who lives near here," he said, "and now am on my way back to North's circus, where I am engaged."

"Where are they?"

"At Athens."

"How far off is that?"

"Only ten miles."

"Is there anything for me?" asked Robert, eagerly. "I want to work my way back to the East."

"They've got a rider—but I forgot, your doctor won't let you ride. If you don't mind selling at the lemonade stand, there'll be a chance. They've sent off the boy that worked for them the first of the season. Young Ajax is with the circus, and others whom you know."

"I'll go."

The same night the two friends joined North's circus, and set out on a leisurely¹⁹ return to the East.

1 joyfully   

adv. 喜悦地, 高兴地

参考例句：

• She tripped along joyfully as if treading on air. 她高兴地走着，脚底下轻飘飘的。
• During these first weeks she slaved joyfully. 在最初的几周里，她干得很高兴。

2 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。

3 espied   

v.看到( espy的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• One day a youth espied her as he was hunting.She saw him and recognized him as her own son, mow grown a young man. 一日，她被一个正在行猎的小伙子看见了，她认出来这个猎手原来是自己的儿子，现在已长成为一个翩翩的少年。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• In a little while he espied the two giants. 一会儿就看见了那两个巨人。 来自辞典例句

4 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。

5 besieging   

包围，围困，围攻( besiege的现在分词 )

参考例句：

• They constituted a near-insuperable obstacle to the besieging infantry. 它们就会形成围城步兵几乎不可逾越的障碍。
• He concentrated the sun's rays on the Roman ships besieging the city and burned them. 他把集中的阳光照到攻城的罗马船上，把它们焚毁。

6 deceptive   

adj.骗人的，造成假象的，靠不住的

参考例句：

• His appearance was deceptive.他的外表带有欺骗性。
• The storyline is deceptively simple.故事情节看似简单，其实不然。

7 concealed   

a.隐藏的，隐蔽的

参考例句：

• The paintings were concealed beneath a thick layer of plaster. 那些画被隐藏在厚厚的灰泥层下面。
• I think he had a gun concealed about his person. 我认为他当时身上藏有一支枪。

8 feats   

功绩，伟业，技艺( feat的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• He used to astound his friends with feats of physical endurance. 过去，他表现出来的惊人耐力常让朋友们大吃一惊。
• His heroic feats made him a legend in his own time. 他的英雄业绩使他成了他那个时代的传奇人物。

9 plunder   

vt.劫掠财物，掠夺；n.劫掠物，赃物；劫掠

参考例句：

• The thieves hid their plunder in the cave.贼把赃物藏在山洞里。
• Trade should not serve as a means of economic plunder.贸易不应当成为经济掠夺的手段。

10 wrath   

n.愤怒，愤慨，暴怒

参考例句：

• His silence marked his wrath. 他的沉默表明了他的愤怒。
• The wrath of the people is now aroused. 人们被激怒了。

11 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。

12 tussle   

n.&v.扭打，搏斗，争辩

参考例句：

• They began to tussle with each other for the handgun.他们互相扭打起来，抢夺那支手枪。
• We are engaged in a legal tussle with a large pharmaceutical company.我们正同一家大制药公司闹法律纠纷。

13 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》

14 veins   

n.纹理；矿脉( vein的名词复数 )；静脉；叶脉；纹理

参考例句：

• The blood flows from the capillaries back into the veins. 血从毛细血管流回静脉。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• I felt a pleasant glow in all my veins from the wine. 喝过酒后我浑身的血都热烘烘的，感到很舒服。 来自《简明英汉词典》

15 swelled   

增强( swell的过去式和过去分词 )； 肿胀； （使）凸出； 充满（激情）

参考例句：

• The infection swelled his hand. 由于感染，他的手肿了起来。
• After the heavy rain the river swelled. 大雨过后，河水猛涨。

16 hurled   

v.猛投，用力掷( hurl的过去式和过去分词 )；大声叫骂

参考例句：

• He hurled a brick through the window. 他往窗户里扔了块砖。
• The strong wind hurled down bits of the roof. 大风把屋顶的瓦片刮了下来。 来自《简明英汉词典》

17 stunned   

adj. 震惊的，惊讶的 动词stun的过去式和过去分词

参考例句：

• The fall stunned me for a moment. 那一下摔得我昏迷了片刻。
• The leaders of the Kopper Company were then stunned speechless. 科伯公司的领导们当时被惊得目瞪口呆。

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 leisurely   

adj.悠闲的；从容的，慢慢的

参考例句：

• We walked in a leisurely manner,looking in all the windows.我们慢悠悠地走着，看遍所有的橱窗。
• He had a leisurely breakfast and drove cheerfully to work.他从容的吃了早餐，高兴的开车去工作。