“It won’t do to leave him so,” thought Tom; “when he revives he’ll be as dangerous as before.”
He dealt the prostrate7 animal two more blows, which settled his fate. The furious brute8 would no longer do any one harm.
“Oh, thank you, Mr. Temple!” said Mary Somers fervently9, a trace of color returning to her cheeks. “I was terribly frightened.”
“I don’t wonder,” said Tom. “The brute was dangerous.”
“How brave you are!” exclaimed the young lady, in admiration10.
“It doesn’t take much courage to hit a dog on the head with a stick,” said Tom modestly.
“Many boys would have run,” said Mary.
“What, and left you unprotected?” said Tom indignantly. “None but a coward would have done that.”
“My cousin James run away,” said Mary.
“Did he see the dog chasing you?”
“Yes.”
“And what did he do?”
“He jumped over a stone wall.”
“Perhaps he didn’t have a stick with him,” said Tom considerately. “I shouldn’t like to have tackled the brute without that.”
“Yes; James had a gun. He had just come from hunting.”
“All I can say is, that it isn’t my style,” said Tom. “Do you see how he froths at the mouth? I believe the dog was mad.”
“Yes, I suspected it when I first saw him.”
“And yet you dared to meet him?”
“It was safer than to run. I wonder whose dog it is?”
Turning, Tom beheld13 a stout young fellow, about two years older than himself, with a face in which the animal seemed to predominate.
“I’ll let you know. What have you been doing to my dog?”
Addressed in this tone, Tom thought it unnecessary to throw away politeness upon the newcomer.
“What business had you to kill my dog?” demanded the other fiercely.
“It was your business to keep the brute locked up, where he wouldn’t do any one harm,” said Tom. “As you didn’t I was obliged to kill him.”
“I’ll flog you within an inch of your life,” said the other, with an oath.
“You’d better not try it,” said Tom coolly. “I suppose you think I ought to have let the dog bite Miss Somers.”
“He wouldn’t have bitten her.”
“He would. He was chasing her with that intention.”
“It was only in sport.”
“I suppose he was frothing at the mouth only in sport,” said Tom. “The dog was probably mad. You ought to thank me for killing him. He might have bitten you.”
“That don’t go down,” said the other coarsely. “It’s much too thin.”
“It’s true,” said Mary Somers, speaking for the first time.
“Of course you’ll stand up for your sweetheart,” said the butcher boy (for this was his business), “but that’s neither here nor there. I paid five dollars for that dog, and if he don’t pay me what I gave, I’ll beat him.”
“I shall do nothing of the sort,” said Tom quietly. “A dog like that ought to be killed, and no one has any right to let him run loose, risking the lives of people. The next time you get five dollars you’d better invest it better.”
“Then you won’t pay me the money?” exclaimed the other, in a passion. “I’ll break your head.”
“Come on then,” said Tom. “I’ve got something to say about that,” and he squared off scientifically.
“Oh, don’t fight with him, Mr. Temple—Tom,” said Mary Somers, much distressed15. “He’s much stronger than you.”
This was no doubt true. Ben Miller17 was not only stouter18 and larger, but stronger than our hero. On the other hand he didn’t know how to use his strength. It was undisciplined brute force, and that was all. If he could have got Tom by his waist the latter would have been completely at his mercy, but our hero knew that well enough, and didn’t choose to allow it. He was a pretty fair boxer19, and stood on his defense20, calm and wary.
When Ben rushed in, thinking to seize him, he found himself greeted with two blows on the face, dealt in quick succession, one of which struck him on the nose, the other in the eye, the effect of both being to make his head spin.
“I’ll mash21 you for that,” he yelled in a frenzy22 of rage, but as he rushed on a second time he never thought of guarding his face. The consequence was a couple more blows, the other eye being assailed23 this time.
Ben was astonished. Indeed, I may well say he was astounded24. He expected to “chaw up” his small antagonist25 at the first outset. Instead of that, there stood Tom cool and unhurt, while he could feel that his nose was bleeding, while both eyes were in a very uncomfortable condition. He stopped short and stared at Tom as well as he could through his injured optics.
“Where did you learn to fight?” he asked, rubbing his wounds.
“Of Professor Thompson,” said Tom.
“Who’s he?”
“He teaches boxing.”
“How did your fists get so hard?”
“They’re not very hard,” said Tom, “but they’re rather harder than your nose or eyes. Do you want any more?”
“Not just now,” said Ben. “I say, what’ll you take to teach me boxin’?”
“I shouldn’t dare to,” said Tom.
“Why not?”
“When you’d learned you could lick me easily.”
“Well, I wouldn’t,” said Ben. “I’m a rough customer, I expect, but you’re a trump26, and you’ve got grit27, I vow28 if you haven’t. There’s my hand, to show I don’t bear no malice29.”
Tom offered his hand, though he feared there might be craft in the offer of friendship. But it was honestly meant. Ben was not altogether a brute, and he really felt respect for Tom’s pluck. He gave him a cordial pressure, and said:
“It’s all right, isn’t it?”
“Yes,” said Tom. “I hope your face doesn’t pain you.”
“Yes, it does, but no matter. It’ll soon be better.”
“Now,” said Tom, “I’m willing to pay you the five dollars you lost on the dog.”
“No,” said Ben. “I guess you’re right about his being an ugly brute. Maybe he was mad, as you say.”
“I feel sure of it,” said Tom. “Look at him.”
“Well, I’ll bury the poor brute. It wasn’t his fault he got mad.”
“Good-morning,” said Tom. “I’ll see you again about the boxing. Now I am going to accompany this young lady home.”
“You needn’t put yourself to so much trouble, Mr. Temple,” said Mary.
“It’s no trouble,” said Tom politely. “I see you are nervous. That’s only natural.”
“You have saved my life, Mr. Temple,” said Mary warmly. “I cannot tell you how grateful I am.”
“I’ll take that for granted,” said Tom. “I am going to ask a favor.”
“I shall be sure to grant it.”
“Then don’t call me Mr. Temple. I’m not used to that name from my friends. Call me Tom.”
“If you wish me to,” said Mary bashfully.
“Yes, I do. When you call me Mr. Temple, it makes me feel as if I were your uncle, or grandfather, or some one equally venerable.”
Mary laughed.
“Perhaps you’d like to have me call you Uncle Tom,” she said.
“That would be better than Mr. Temple,” said our hero, “but as there’s another well-known Uncle Tom, I would rather be called only Tom.”
“I’ll remember, Tom,” said Mary hesitatingly.
“That’s right,” said Tom with satisfaction.
They talked together pleasantly until they reached Mr. Davenport’s house. Imogene saw them coming from the front window where she was sitting, and her face grew dark with vexation and jealousy30.
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2
cane
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| n.手杖，细长的茎，藤条；v.以杖击，以藤编制的 | |
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3
wary
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| adj.谨慎的，机警的，小心的 | |
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partially
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| adv.部分地，从某些方面讲 | |
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stunned
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| adj. 震惊的，惊讶的 动词stun的过去式和过去分词 | |
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protruding
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| v.（使某物）伸出，（使某物）突出( protrude的现在分词 )；凸 | |
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7
prostrate
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| v.拜倒，平卧，衰竭；adj.拜倒的，平卧的，衰竭的 | |
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8
brute
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| n.野兽，兽性 | |
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fervently
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| adv.热烈地，热情地，强烈地 | |
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admiration
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| n.钦佩，赞美，羡慕 | |
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11
shudder
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| v.战粟，震动，剧烈地摇晃；n.战粟，抖动 | |
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12
brutal
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| adj.残忍的，野蛮的，不讲理的 | |
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13
beheld
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| v.看，注视( behold的过去式和过去分词 )；瞧；看呀；（叙述中用于引出某人意外的出现）哎哟 | |
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14
killing
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| n.巨额利润；突然赚大钱，发大财 | |
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15
distressed
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| 痛苦的 | |
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growled
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| 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 | |
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17
miller
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| n.磨坊主 | |
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stouter
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| 粗壮的( stout的比较级 )； 结实的； 坚固的； 坚定的 | |
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boxer
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| n.制箱者，拳击手 | |
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20
defense
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| n.防御，保卫；[pl.]防务工事；辩护，答辩 | |
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21
mash
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| n.麦芽浆，糊状物，土豆泥；v.把…捣成糊状，挑逗，调情 | |
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22
frenzy
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| n.疯狂，狂热，极度的激动 | |
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assailed
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| v.攻击( assail的过去式和过去分词 )；困扰；质问；毅然应对 | |
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24
astounded
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| v.使震惊(astound的过去式和过去分词)；愕然；愕；惊讶 | |
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25
antagonist
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| n.敌人，对抗者，对手 | |
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26
trump
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| n.王牌，法宝；v.打出王牌，吹喇叭 | |
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27
grit
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| n.沙粒，决心，勇气；v.下定决心，咬紧牙关 | |
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28
vow
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| n.誓(言)，誓约；v.起誓，立誓 | |
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29
malice
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| n.恶意，怨恨，蓄意；[律]预谋 | |
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30
jealousy
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| n.妒忌，嫉妒，猜忌 | |
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