CHAPTER XL. THE INDIAN HUNTER.

 Philip had lived so long in a country village that he had never chanced to read any of those absorbing romances in which one boy, of tender years, proves himself a match for a dozen Indians, more or less, and, therefore, he was very much amazed at Henry Taylor's avowal¹ that he was going out West to kill Indians.

“What do you want to kill Indians for?” he asked, after an astonished pause.

Now it was Henry's turn to be astonished.

“Every boy wants to kill Indians,” he answered, looking pityingly at our hero.

“What for? What good will it do?” asked Philip.

“It shows he's brave,” answered his new friend. “Didn't you ever read the story of 'Bully² Bill'; or, The Hero of the Plains'?”

“I never heard of it,” said Philip.

“You must have lived in the woods, then,” said Henry Taylor, rather contemptuously. “It's a tip-top story. Bully Bill was only fourteen, and killed ever so many Indians—twenty or thirty, I guess—as well as a lot of lions and bears. Oh, he must have had lots of fun!”

“Why didn't the Indians kill him?” asked Philip, desirous of being enlightened. “They didn't stand still and let him kill them, did they?”

“No; of course not. They fought awful hard.”

“How did one young boy manage to overcome so many Indians?”

“Oh, you'll have to read the story to find out! Bully Bill was a great hero, and everybody admired him.”

“So you wanted to imitate his example?” asked Philip.

“To be sure I did.”

“How did you happen to get out of money?”

“Well,” said Henry, “you see me and another boy got awful excited after reading the story, and both concluded nothing could make us so happy as to go out West together, and do as Bill did. Of course, it was no use to ask the old man—”

“The old man?” queried³ Philip.

“The gov'nor—father, of course! So we got hold of some money—”

“You got hold of some money?” queried Philip.

“That's what I said, didn't I?” rejoined Henry irritably⁴.

“Yes.”

“Then what's the use of repeating it?”

Philip intended to ask where or how Henry got hold of the money, but he saw pretty clearly that this would not be agreeable to his new acquaintance. Though without much experience in the world, he suspected that the money was not obtained honestly, and did not press the question.

“Well, me and Tom started about a week ago. First of all, we bought some revolvers, as, of course, we should need them to shoot Indians. They cost more than we expected, and then we found it cost more to travel than we thought.”

“How much money did you have?”

“After paying for our revolvers, Tom and me had about thirty dollars,” said Henry.

“Only thirty dollars to go west with!” exclaimed Philip, in amazement⁵.

“Why, you see, the revolvers cost more than we expected. Then we stopped at a hotel in Albany, where they charged us frightfully. That is where Tom left me.”

“Tom left you at Albany?”

“Yes, he got homesick!” said Henry contemptuously. “He thought we hadn't money enough, and he said he didn't know as he cared so much about killing⁶ Indians.”

“I agree with Tom,” said Philip. “I don't think I should care very much about killing Indians myself, and I should decidedly object to being killed by an Indian. I shouldn't like to be scalped. Would you?”

“Oh, I'd take care of that,” said Henry. “I wouldn't let them have the chance.”

“It seems to me the best way would be to stay at home,” said Philip, smiling.

“If I stayed at home I'd have to go to school and study. I don't care much about studying.”

“I like it,” said Philip. “So Tom left you, did he?”

“Yes; but I wasn't going to give up so easy. He took half the money that was left, though I thought he ought to have given it to me, as I needed it more. I wasn't going home just as I'd started.”

“Then you've spent all your money now?”

“Yes,” answered Henry gloomily. “Have you got much money?” he asked, after a pause.

“Yes, I have about a hundred dollars-say, ninety-five.”

“You don't mean it!” ejaculated Henry, hie eyes sparkling.

“Yes, I do.”

“How did you get it?”

“I earned most of it by playing on the violin.”

“I say,” exclaimed Henry, in excitement, “suppose you and me go into partnership⁷ together, and go out West—”

“To kill Indians?” asked Philip, smiling.

“Yes! With all that money we'll get along. Besides, if we get short, you can earn some more.”

“But what advantage am I to get out of it? I am to furnish all the capital and pay all expenses, as far as I can understand. Generally, both partners put in something.”

“I put in my revolver,” said Henry.

“One revolver won't do for us both.”

“Oh, well, you can buy one. Come, what do you say?” asked Henry eagerly.

“Let me ask you a few questions first. Where does your father live?”

“In New York.”

“What is his business?”

“He is a broker⁸ in Wall Street.”

“I suppose he is rich?”

“Oh, he's got plenty of money, I expect! We live in a nice house on Madison Avenue. That's one of the best streets, I suppose you know!”

“I never was in New York. Is your mother living?”

“No,” answered Henry. “She died three years ago.”

If his mother had been living, probably the boy would never have made such an escapade, but his father, being engrossed⁹ by business cares, was able to give very little attention to his son, and this accounts in part for the folly¹⁰ of which he had been guilty.

“Have you got any brothers or sisters?” he asked.

“I have one sister, about three years younger than I. Her name is Jennie.”

“I wish I were as well off as you,” said Philip.

“How do you mean?”

“I mean I wish I had a father and sister.”

“Haven't you?”

“My father is dead,” said Philip gravely, “and I never had a sister.”

“Oh, well, I don't know as I'm so lucky,” said Henry. “Sisters are a bother. They want you to go round with them, and the old man is always finding fault.”

Philip's relations with his father had always been so affectionate that he could not understand how Henry could talk in such a way of his.

“I don't know what makes you ask me such a lot of questions,” said Henry, showing impatience¹¹. “Come, what do you say to my offer?”

“About forming a partnership?”

“Yes.”

“I'd rather not—in that way.”

“In what way?”

“I mean for the purpose of going out West to kill Indians.”

“You've no idea what fun it would be,” said Henry, disappointed.

“No, I suppose not,” said Philip, smiling.

“Then I suppose I shall have to give it up,” said Henry.

“Now I have a proposal to make to you,” said Philip.

“What is it?”

“If you agree to go home, I'll pay your expenses and go along with you. I've never been to New York, and I'd like to have some one with me that could show me round the city.”

“I can do that,” said Henry. “I know the way all about.”

“Then will you agree?”

“Yes.”

“Then come along, and we'll stop at the first convenient place and get some supper.”

1 avowal   

n.公开宣称，坦白承认

参考例句：

• The press carried his avowal throughout the country.全国的报纸登载了他承认的消息。
• This was not a mere empty vaunt,but a deliberate avowal of his real sentiments.这倒不是一个空洞的吹牛，而是他真实感情的供状。

2 bully   

n.恃强欺弱者，小流氓；vt.威胁，欺侮

参考例句：

• A bully is always a coward.暴汉常是懦夫。
• The boy gave the bully a pelt on the back with a pebble.那男孩用石子掷击小流氓的背脊。

3 queried   

v.质疑，对…表示疑问( query的过去式和过去分词 )；询问

参考例句：

• She queried what he said. 她对他说的话表示怀疑。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• \"What does he have to do?\" queried Chin dubiously. “他有什么心事？”琴向觉民问道，她的脸上现出疑惑不解的神情。 来自汉英文学 - 家（1-26） - 家（1-26）

4 irritably   

ad.易生气地

参考例句：

• He lost his temper and snapped irritably at the children. 他发火了，暴躁地斥责孩子们。
• On this account the silence was irritably broken by a reproof. 为了这件事，他妻子大声斥责，令人恼火地打破了宁静。 来自英汉文学 - 嘉莉妹妹

5 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。

6 killing   

n.巨额利润；突然赚大钱，发大财

参考例句：

• Investors are set to make a killing from the sell-off.投资者准备清仓以便大赚一笔。
• Last week my brother made a killing on Wall Street.上个周我兄弟在华尔街赚了一大笔。

7 partnership   

n.合作关系，伙伴关系

参考例句：

• The company has gone into partnership with Swiss Bank Corporation.这家公司已经和瑞士银行公司建立合作关系。
• Martin has taken him into general partnership in his company.马丁已让他成为公司的普通合伙人。

8 broker   

n.中间人，经纪人；v.作为中间人来安排

参考例句：

• He baited the broker by promises of higher commissions.他答应给更高的佣金来引诱那位经纪人。
• I'm a real estate broker.我是不动产经纪人。

9 engrossed   

adj.全神贯注的

参考例句：

• The student is engrossed in his book.这名学生正在专心致志地看书。
• No one had ever been quite so engrossed in an evening paper.没人会对一份晚报如此全神贯注。

10 folly   

n.愚笨，愚蠢，蠢事，蠢行，傻话

参考例句：

• Learn wisdom by the folly of others.从别人的愚蠢行动中学到智慧。
• Events proved the folly of such calculations.事情的进展证明了这种估计是愚蠢的。

11 impatience   

n.不耐烦，急躁

参考例句：

• He expressed impatience at the slow rate of progress.进展缓慢，他显得不耐烦。
• He gave a stamp of impatience.他不耐烦地跺脚。