"A minute or two!" ejaculated the deacon.
"It may have been more," said Sam. "You see I aint got no watch to tell time by."
"How comes it that you have only got through six hills all the morning?" said the deacon, sternly.
"Well, you see, a cat came along—" Sam began to explain.
"What if she did?" interrupted the deacon. "She didn't stop your work, did she?"
"Why, I thought I'd chase her out of the field."
"What for?"
"I thought she might scratch up some of the potatoes," said Sam, a brilliant excuse dawning upon him.
"How long did it take you to chase her out of the field, where she wasn't doing any harm?"
"I was afraid she'd come back, so I chased her a good ways."
"Did you catch her?"
"No, but I drove her away. I guess she won't come round here again," said Sam, in the tone of one who had performed a virtuous2 action.
"Did you come right back?"
"I sat down to rest. You see I was pretty tired with running so fast."
"If you didn't run any faster than you have worked, a snail3 would catch you in half a minute," said the old man, with justifiable4 sarcasm5. "Samuel, your excuse is good for nothing. I must punish you."
Sam stood on his guard, prepared to run if the deacon should make hostile demonstrations6. But his guardian7 was not a man of violence, and did not propose to inflict8 blows. He had another punishment in view suited to Sam's particular case.
"I'll go right to work," said Sam, seeing that no violence was intended, and hoping to escape the punishment threatened, whatever it might be.
"You'd better," said the deacon.
Our hero (I am afraid he has not manifested any heroic qualities as yet) went to work with remarkable9 energy, to the imminent10 danger of the potato-tops, which he came near uprooting11 in several instances.
"Is this fast enough?" he asked.
"It'll do. I'll take the next row, and we'll work along together. Take care,—I don't want the potatoes dug up."
They kept it up for an hour or more, Sam working more steadily12, probably, than he had ever done before in his life. He began to think it was no joke, as he walked from hill to hill, keeping up with the deacon's steady progress.
"There aint much fun about this," he thought. "I don't like workin' on a farm. It's awful tiresome13."
"What's the use of hoein' potatoes?" he asked, after a while. "Won't they grow just as well without it?"
"No," said the deacon.
"I don't see why not."
"They need to have the earth loosened around them, and heaped up where it's fallen away."
"It's a lot of trouble," said Sam.
"We must all work," said the deacon, sententiously.
"I wish potatoes growed on trees like apples," said Sam. "They wouldn't be no trouble then."
"You mustn't question the Almighty's doin's, Samuel," said the deacon, seriously. "Whatever he does is right."
"I was only wonderin', that was all," said Sam.
"Human wisdom is prone14 to err," said the old man, indulging in a scrap15 of proverbial philosophy.
"What does that mean?" thought Sam, carelessly hitting the deacon's foot with his descending16 hoe. Unfortunately, the deacon had corns on that foot, and the blow cost him a sharp twinge.
"You careless blockhead!" he shrieked17, raising the injured foot from the ground, while a spasm18 of anguish19 contracted his features. "Did you take my foot for a potato-hill?"
"Did I hurt you?" asked Sam, innocently.
"You hurt me like thunder," gasped20 the deacon, using, in his excitement, words which in calmer moments he would have avoided.
"I didn't think it was your foot," said Sam.
"I hope you'll be more careful next time; you most killed me."
"I will," said Sam.
"I wonder if it isn't time for dinner," he began to think presently, but, under the circumstances, thought it best not to refer to the matter. But at last the welcome sound of the dinner-bell was heard, as it was vigorously rung at the back door by Mrs. Hopkins.
"That's for dinner, Samuel," said the deacon. "We will go to the house."
"Pick up that hoe, and carry it with you," said the deacon.
"Then we won't work here any more to-day!" said Sam, brightening up.
"Yes, we will; but it's no way to leave the hoe in the fields. Some cat might come along and steal it," he added, with unwonted sarcasm.
Sam laughed as he thought of the idea of a cat stealing a hoe, and the deacon smiled at his own joke.
Dinner was on the table. It was the fashion there to put all on at once, and Sam, to his great satisfaction, saw on one side a pie like that which had tempted23 him the night before. The deacon saw his look, and it suggested a fitting punishment. But the time was not yet.
Sam did ample justice to the first course of meat and potatoes. When that was despatched, Mrs. Hopkins began to cut the pie.
The deacon cleared his throat.
"Samuel is to have no pie, Martha," he said.
His wife thought it was for his misdeeds of the night before, and so did Sam.
"I couldn't help walkin' in my sleep," he said, with a blank look of disappointment.
"It aint that," said the deacon.
"What is it, then?" asked his wife.
"Samuel ran away from his work this mornin', and was gone nigh on to two hours," said her husband.
"You are quite right, Deacon Hopkins," said his wife, emphatically. "He don't deserve any dinner at all."
"Can't I have some pie?" asked Sam, who could not bear to lose so tempting24 a portion of the repast.
"No, Samuel. What I say I mean. He that will not work shall not eat."
"I worked hard enough afterwards," muttered Sam.
"After I came back—yes, I know that. You worked well part of the time, so I gave you part of your dinner. Next time let the cats alone."
"Can I have some more meat, then?" asked Sam.
"Ye-es," said the deacon, hesitating. "You need strength to work this afternoon."
"I s'pose I get that catechism this afternoon instead of goin to work," suggested Sam.
"That will do after supper, Samuel. All things in their place. The afternoon is for work; the evening for readin' and study, and improvin' the mind."
Sam reflected that the deacon was a very obstinate25 man, and decided26 that his arrangements were very foolish. What was the use of living if you'd got to work all the time? A good many people, older than Sam, are of the same opinion, and it is not wholly without reason; but then, it should be borne in mind that Sam was opposed to all work. He believed in enjoying himself, and the work might take care of itself. But how could it be avoided?
As Sam was reflecting, a way opened itself. He placed his hand on his stomach, and began to roll his eyes, groaning27 meanwhile.
"What's the matter?" asked Mrs. Hopkins.
"I feel sick," said Sam, screwing up his face into strange contortions28.
"It's very sudden," said Mrs. Hopkins, suspiciously.
"So 'tis," said Sam. "I'm afraid I'm going to be very sick. Can I lay down?"
"What do you think it is, Martha?" asked the deacon, looking disturbed.
"I know what it is," said his wife, calmly. "I've treated such attacks before. Yes, you may lay down in your room, and I'll bring you some tea, as soon as I can make it."
"All right," said Sam, elated at the success of his little trick. It was very much pleasanter to lie down than to hoe potatoes on a hot day.
"How easy I took in the old woman!" he thought.
It was not long before he changed his mind, as we shall see in The next chapter.
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1
abashed
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| adj.窘迫的，尴尬的v.使羞愧，使局促，使窘迫( abash的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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2
virtuous
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| adj.有品德的，善良的，贞洁的，有效力的 | |
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3
snail
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| n.蜗牛 | |
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justifiable
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| adj.有理由的，无可非议的 | |
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sarcasm
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| n.讥讽，讽刺，嘲弄，反话 （adj.sarcastic） | |
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6
demonstrations
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| 证明( demonstration的名词复数 )； 表明； 表达； 游行示威 | |
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7
guardian
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| n.监护人；守卫者，保护者 | |
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8
inflict
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| vt.(on)把…强加给，使遭受，使承担 | |
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9
remarkable
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| adj.显著的，异常的，非凡的，值得注意的 | |
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imminent
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| adj.即将发生的，临近的，逼近的 | |
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11
uprooting
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| n.倒根，挖除伐根v.把（某物）连根拔起( uproot的现在分词 )；根除；赶走；把…赶出家园 | |
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12
steadily
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| adv.稳定地；不变地；持续地 | |
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13
tiresome
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| adj.令人疲劳的，令人厌倦的 | |
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14
prone
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| adj.(to)易于…的，很可能…的；俯卧的 | |
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15
scrap
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| n.碎片；废料；v.废弃，报废 | |
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16
descending
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| n. 下行 adj. 下降的 | |
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17
shrieked
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| v.尖叫( shriek的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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18
spasm
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| n.痉挛，抽搐；一阵发作 | |
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19
anguish
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| n.(尤指心灵上的)极度痛苦，烦恼 | |
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20
gasped
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| v.喘气( gasp的过去式和过去分词 )；喘息；倒抽气；很想要 | |
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21
alacrity
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| n.敏捷，轻快，乐意 | |
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22
furrow
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| n.沟；垄沟；轨迹；车辙；皱纹 | |
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23
tempted
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| v.怂恿（某人）干不正当的事；冒…的险（tempt的过去分词） | |
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24
tempting
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| a.诱人的, 吸引人的 | |
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25
obstinate
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| adj.顽固的，倔强的，不易屈服的，较难治愈的 | |
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26
decided
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| adj.决定了的，坚决的；明显的，明确的 | |
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27
groaning
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| adj. 呜咽的, 呻吟的 动词groan的现在分词形式 | |
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28
contortions
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| n.扭歪，弯曲；扭曲，弄歪，歪曲( contortion的名词复数 ) | |
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