CHAPTER X. — SAM'S ADVENTURES AT THE DEPOT.

 It was six miles to the station at Wendell, where Sam proposed to take the cars for New York. He had to travel on an empty stomach, and naturally got ravenously¹ hungry before he reached his destination. About half a mile this side of the depot² he passed a grocery-store, and it occurred to him that he might get something to eat there.

 

Entering he saw a young man in his shirt-sleeves engaged in sweeping³.

 

"Have you got anything good to eat?" asked Sam.

 

"This aint a hotel," said the young man, taking Sam for a penniless adventurer.

 

"I knew that before," said Sam, "but haven't you got some crackers⁴ or something, to stay a feller's stomach?"

 

"Haven't you had any breakfast?" asked the clerk, curiously⁵.

 

"No."

 

"Don't they give you breakfast where you live?"

 

"Not so early in the morning. You see I had to take an early start, 'cause I'm goin' to attend my grandmother's funeral."

 

This of course was a story trumped⁶ up for the occasion.

 

"We've got some raw potatoes," said the clerk, grinning.

 

"I've had enough to do with potatoes," said Sam. "Haven't you got some crackers?"

 

"Come to think of it, we have. How many will you have?"

 

"About a dozen."

 

While they were being put up in a paper bag, the clerk inquired, "How far off does your grandmother live?"

 

"About twenty miles from here, on the railroad," answered Sam, who didn't care to mention that he was bound for New York.

 

"Warwick, I suppose."

 

"Yes," said Sam, at a venture. "How soon does the train start?"

 

"In about half an hour. Hold on, though; that's the New York train, and don't stop at Warwick."

 

"I guess I'll be goin," said Sam, hurriedly. "Where's the depot?"

 

"Half a mile straight ahead, but you needn't hurry. The train for Warwick don't go till ten."

 

"Never mind. I want to see the New York train start;" and Sam hurried off eating crackers as he walked.

 

"I'm glad the train starts so quick," thought Sam. "I don't want to wait round here long. I might meet somebody that knows me."

 

He had no difficulty in finding the depot. It was a plain building, about twenty by thirty feet, with a piazza⁷ on the side towards the track. He entered, and going up to the ticket-office asked for a ticket to New York.

 

"For yourself?" asked the station-master.

 

"Yes," said Sam.

 

"How old are you?"

 

"Twelve."

 

"Then you'll have to pay for a whole ticket. Three dollars."

 

"All right," said Sam, promptly⁸, and he drew out a five-dollar bill, receiving in return two dollars and a ticket.

 

"Do you live in New York, sonny?" asked the station-master.

 

"No, I'm only goin to see my aunt," answered Sam, with another impromptu⁹ falsehood.

 

"I know something about New York. In what street does your aunt live?"

 

Sam was posed, for he did not know the name of even one street in the city he was going to.

 

"I don't exactly remember," he was forced to admit.

 

"Then how do you expect to find her if you don't know where she lives?"

 

"Oh, she'll meet me at the depot," said Sam, readily.

 

"Suppose she don't?"

 

"I'll find her somehow. But she's sure to meet me."

 

"Going to stay long in the city?"

 

"I hope so. Perhaps my aunt'll adopt me. How soon will the train be along?"

 

"In about fifteen minutes."

 

Here an old lady came up, and asked for a ticket to New York.

 

"Three dollars, ma'am."

 

"Three dollars! Can't you take less?" asked the old lady, fumbling¹⁰ in her pocket for her purse.

 

"No ma'am, the price is fixed¹¹."

 

"It's a sight of money. Seems throwed away, too, jest for travellin'. You haint got anything to show for it. I never was to York in my life."

 

"Please hurry, ma'am, there are others waiting."

 

"Massy sakes, don't be so hasty! There's the money."

 

"And there's your ticket."

 

"I wish I know'd somebody goin to New York. I'm afeared to travel alone."

 

"There's a boy going," said the station-master, pointing to Sam.

 

"Are you goin to York?" asked the old lady, peering over her spectacles at Sam.

 

"Yes, ma'am."

 

"Was you ever there afore?"

 

"No, ma'am."

 

"Aint your folks afeared to have you go alone?"

 

"Oh, no, they don't mind."

 

"I wish you was older, so's you could look after me."

 

Sam was rather flattered by the idea of having a lady under his charge, and said, "I'll take care of you, if you want me to."

 

"Will you? That's a good boy. What's your name?"

 

"Sam Barker," answered our hero, with some hesitation¹², not feeling sure whether it was politic¹³ to mention his real name.

 

"Do you live in New York?"

 

"No, ma'am; but I'm goin to."

 

"When will the cars git along?"

 

"In about ten minutes."

 

"You'll help me get in, won't you? I've got two bandboxes, and I don't know how to manage."

 

"Yes, ma'am, I'll help you. I'm goin out on the platform, but I'll come in when the cars come along."

 

Sam went out on the platform, and watched eagerly for the approach of the cars. Up they came, thundering along the track, and Sam rushed into the depot in excitement.

 

"Come along, ma'am," he said. "The cars are here."

 

The old lady was in a flutter of excitement also. She seized one bandbox, and Sam the other, and they hurried out on the platform. They were just climbing up the steps, when the conductor asked, "Where are you going?"

 

"To York, of course."

 

"Then this isn't the train. It is going in the opposite direction."

 

"Lawful¹⁴ suz!" ejaculated the old lady in dismay. "What made you tell me wrong, you bad boy?" and she glared at him reproachfully over her glasses.

 

"How should I know?" said Sam, rather abashed¹⁵. "I didn't know about no other train."

 

"You come near makin' me go wrong."

 

"I can't help it. It would be just as bad for me."

 

"When does the train go to York, somebody?" asked the old lady, looking about her in a general way.

 

"Next train; comes round in about five minutes."

 

Sam helped the old lady back into the depot, rather ashamed of the mistake he had made. He saw that she had lost some of her confidence in him, and it mortified¹⁶ him somewhat.

 

It was nearly ten minutes afterwards,—for the train was late, before the right cars came up.

 

Sam dashed into the depot again, and seized a bandboX. — "Here's the cars. Come along," he said.

 

"I won't stir a step till I know if it's the right cars," said the old lady firmly.

 

"Then you may stay here," said Sam. "I'm goin'."

 

"Don't leave your grandmother," said a gentleman, standing¹⁷ by.

 

"She isn't my grandmother. Isn't this the train to New York?"

 

"Yes."

 

Sam seized the bandbox once more, and this time the old lady followed him.

 

They got into the cars without difficulty, and the old lady breathed a sigh of relief.

 

Sam took a seat at the window just behind her, and his heart bounded with exultation¹⁸ as he reflected that in a few hours he would be in the great city, of which he had such vague and wonderful ideas. The only drawback to his enjoyment¹⁹ was the loss of his usual morning meal. The crackers helped to fill him up, but they were a poor substitute for the warm breakfast to which he had been accustomed at the deacon's. Still Sam did not wish himself back. Indeed, as he thought of the deacon's bewilderment on discovering his disappearance²⁰, he broke into an involuntary laugh.

 

"What are you laffin' at?" asked the old lady, suspiciously.

 

Sam answered, "I was thinkin' how near we came to bein' carried off to the wrong place."

 

"That aint anything to laff at," said the old lady, grimly.

1 ravenously   

adv.大嚼地，饥饿地

参考例句：

• We were all ravenously hungry after the walk. 我们散步之后都饿得要命。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• The boys dug in ravenously. 男孩们开始狼吞虎咽地吃起来。 来自《简明英汉词典》

2 depot   

n.仓库，储藏处；公共汽车站；火车站

参考例句：

• The depot is only a few blocks from here.公共汽车站离这儿只有几个街区。
• They leased the building as a depot.他们租用这栋大楼作仓库。

3 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？

4 crackers   

adj.精神错乱的，癫狂的n.爆竹( cracker的名词复数 )；薄脆饼干；（认为）十分愉快的事；迷人的姑娘

参考例句：

• That noise is driving me crackers. 那噪声闹得我简直要疯了。
• We served some crackers and cheese as an appetiser. 我们上了些饼干和奶酪作为开胃品。 来自《简明英汉词典》

5 curiously   

adv.有求知欲地；好问地；奇特地

参考例句：

• He looked curiously at the people.他好奇地看着那些人。
• He took long stealthy strides. His hands were curiously cold.他迈着悄没声息的大步。他的双手出奇地冷。

6 trumped   

v.（牌戏）出王牌赢（一牌或一墩）( trump的过去分词 )；吹号公告，吹号庆祝；吹喇叭；捏造

参考例句：

• That woman trumped up various baseless charges against him. 那个女人捏造种种毫无根据的罪名指控他。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• Several of his colleagues trumped up a complaint to get him removed from the job. 他的几位同事诬告他，使他丟掉了工作。 来自《简明英汉词典》

7 piazza   

n.广场；走廊

参考例句：

• Siena's main piazza was one of the sights of Italy.锡耶纳的主要广场是意大利的名胜之一。
• They walked out of the cafeteria,and across the piazzadj.他们走出自助餐厅,穿过广场。

8 promptly   

adv.及时地，敏捷地

参考例句：

• He paid the money back promptly.他立即还了钱。
• She promptly seized the opportunity his absence gave her.她立即抓住了因他不在场给她创造的机会。

9 impromptu   

adj.即席的，即兴的；adv.即兴的(地)，无准备的(地)

参考例句：

• The announcement was made in an impromptu press conference at the airport.这一宣布是在机场举行的临时新闻发布会上作出的。
• The children put on an impromptu concert for the visitors.孩子们为来访者即兴献上了一场音乐会。

10 fumbling   

n. 摸索,漏接 v. 摸索,摸弄,笨拙的处理

参考例句：

• If he actually managed to the ball instead of fumbling it with an off-balance shot. 如果他实际上设法拿好球而不是fumbling它。50-balance射击笨拙地和迅速地会开始他的岗位移动，经常这样结束。
• If he actually managed to secure the ball instead of fumbling it awkwardly an off-balance shot. 如果他实际上设法拿好球而不是fumbling它。50-50提议有时。他从off-balance射击笨拙地和迅速地会开始他的岗位移动，经常这样结束。

11 fixed   

adj.固定的，不变的，准备好的；(计算机)固定的

参考例句：

• Have you two fixed on a date for the wedding yet?你们俩选定婚期了吗？
• Once the aim is fixed,we should not change it arbitrarily.目标一旦确定，我们就不应该随意改变。

12 hesitation   

n.犹豫，踌躇

参考例句：

• After a long hesitation, he told the truth at last.踌躇了半天，他终于直说了。
• There was a certain hesitation in her manner.她的态度有些犹豫不决。

13 politic   

adj.有智虑的；精明的；v.从政

参考例句：

• He was too politic to quarrel with so important a personage.他很聪明，不会与这么重要的人争吵。
• The politic man tried not to offend people.那个精明的人尽量不得罪人。

14 lawful   

adj.法律许可的，守法的，合法的

参考例句：

• It is not lawful to park in front of a hydrant.在消火栓前停车是不合法的。
• We don't recognised him to be the lawful heir.我们不承认他为合法继承人。

15 abashed   

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 )

参考例句：

• He glanced at Juliet accusingly and she looked suitably abashed. 他怪罪的一瞥，朱丽叶自然显得很窘。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• The girl was abashed by the laughter of her classmates. 那小姑娘因同学的哄笑而局促不安。 来自《简明英汉词典》

16 mortified   

v.使受辱( mortify的过去式和过去分词 )；伤害（人的感情）；克制；抑制（肉体、情感等）

参考例句：

• She was mortified to realize he had heard every word she said. 她意识到自己的每句话都被他听到了，直羞得无地自容。
• The knowledge of future evils mortified the present felicities. 对未来苦难的了解压抑了目前的喜悦。 来自《简明英汉词典》

17 standing   

n.持续，地位；adj.永久的，不动的，直立的，不流动的

参考例句：

• After the earthquake only a few houses were left standing.地震过后只有几幢房屋还立着。
• They're standing out against any change in the law.他们坚决反对对法律做任何修改。

18 exultation   

n.狂喜，得意

参考例句：

• It made him catch his breath, it lit his face with exultation. 听了这个名字，他屏住呼吸，乐得脸上放光。
• He could get up no exultation that was really worthy the name. 他一点都激动不起来。

19 enjoyment   

n.乐趣；享有；享用

参考例句：

• Your company adds to the enjoyment of our visit. 有您的陪同，我们这次访问更加愉快了。
• After each joke the old man cackled his enjoyment.每逢讲完一个笑话，这老人就呵呵笑着表示他的高兴。

20 disappearance   

n.消失，消散，失踪

参考例句：

• He was hard put to it to explain her disappearance.他难以说明她为什么不见了。
• Her disappearance gave rise to the wildest rumours.她失踪一事引起了各种流言蜚语。