The first intimation of its approach came from Charlie Brooke one quiet autumn evening, in that brief but delightful3 season known as the Indian Summer.
Charlie entered his garden that evening with a fowling-piece on his shoulder, and two brace4 of prairie hens at his girdle. May was seated at her cottage door, basking5 in sunshine, chatting with her mother—who was knitting of course—and Shank was conversing6 with Hunky Ben, who rested after a day of labour.
“There, May, is to-morrow’s dinner,” said Charlie, throwing the birds at his wife’s feet, and sitting down beside her. “Who d’you think I passed when I was out on the plains to-day, Hunky? Your old friend Crux7 the Cowboy.”
“He’s no friend o’ mine,” said the scout8, while something like a frown flitted across his usually placid9 brow. “I’m not over-pleased to hear that he’s comin’, for it’s said that some old uncle or aunt o’ his—I forget which—has left him a lot o’ dollars. I hope he ain’t comin’ to spend ’em here, for he’d never git along without gamblin’ an’ drinkin’.”
“Then, I can tell you that he is just coming to stay here,” returned Charlie, “for he has several waggons10 with him, and a dozen men. I asked him where he was going to, and he said, to locate himself as a store-keeper at Sweetwater Bluff; but he did not seem inclined to be communicative, so I left him and galloped11 on to report the news. What d’you think about it?”
“I think it’ll be a bad day for Sweetwater Bluff when Crux comes to settle in it. Howsoever, this is a free country, an’ we’ve no right to interfere12 with him so long as he don’t break the laws. But I doubt him. I’m afeard he’ll try to sell drink, an’ there’s some o’ our people who are longin’ to git back to that.”
The other members of the party, and indeed those heads of the town generally who knew Crux, were of much the same opinion, but some of them thought that, being in a free country, no one had a right to interfere. The consequence was that Crux and his men were permitted to go to work. They hired a shed in which to stow their goods, while they were engaged in building a store, and in course of time this was finished; but there was a degree of mystery about the ex-cowboy’s proceedings13 which baffled investigation14, and people did not like to press inquiry15 too far; for it was observed that all the men who had accompanied Crux were young and powerful fellows, well armed with rifle and revolver.
At last however, the work was finished, and the mystery was cleared up, for, one fine morning, the new store was opened as a drinking and gambling16 saloon; and that same evening the place was in full swing—sending forth17 the shouts, songs, cursing and demoniac laughter for which such places are celebrated18.
Consternation19 filled the hearts of the community, for it was not only the men brought there by Crux who kept up their revels20 in the new saloon, but a sprinkling of the spirited young fellows of the town also, who had never been very enthusiastic in the temperance cause, and were therefore prepared to fall before the first temptation.
At a conference of the chief men of the town it was resolved to try to induce Crux to quit quietly, and for this end to offer to buy up his stock-in-trade. Hunky Ben, being an old acquaintance, was requested to go to the store as a deputation.
But the ex-cowboy was inexorable. Neither the offer of money nor argument had any effect on him.
“Well, Crux,” said the scout, at the conclusion of his visit, “you know your own affairs best but, rememberin’ as I do, what you used to be, I thought there was more of fair-play about you.”
“Fair-play! What d’ye mean?”
“I mean that when folk let you alone, you used to be willin’ to let them alone. Here has a crowd o’ people come back all this way into the Rockies to escape from the curse o’ strong drink and gamblin’, an’ here has Crux—a lover o’ fair-play—come all this way to shove that curse right under their noses. I’d thowt better of ye, Crux, lad.”
“It don’t matter much what you thowt o’ me, old man,” returned the cowboy, somewhat sharply; “an’, as to fair-play, there’s a lot of men here who don’t agree wi’ your humbuggin’ notions about temperance an’ tee-totalism—more of ’em, maybe, than you think. These want to have the drink, an’ I’ve come to give it ’em. I see nothin’ unfair in that.”
Hunky Ben carried his report back to the council, which for some time discussed the situation. As in the case of most councils, there was some difference of opinion: a few of the members being inclined to carry things with a high hand—being urged thereto by Captain Stride—while others, influenced chiefly by Mr Reeves, were anxious to try peaceable means.
At last a sub-committee was appointed, at Hunky Ben’s suggestion, to consider the whole matter, and take what steps seemed advisable. Hunky was an adroit22 and modest man—he could not have been a first-rate scout otherwise! He managed not only to become convener of the committee, but succeeded in getting men chiefly of his own opinion placed on it. At supper that night in Charlie’s cottage, while enjoying May’s cookery and presence, and waited on by the amused and interested Buttercup, the sub-committee discussed and settled the plan of operations.
“It’s all nonsense,” said Hunky Ben, “to talk of tryin’ to persuade Crux. He’s as obstinate23 as a Texas mule24 wi’ the toothache.”
“Rubbish!” exclaimed Captain Stride, smiting25 the table with his fist. “We mustn’t parley26 with him, but heave him overboard at once! I said so to my missus this very day. ‘Maggie,’ says I—”
“And what do you think, Charlie?” asked Mr Crossley.
“I think with Hunky Ben, of course. He knows Crux, and what is best to be done in the circumstances. The only thing that perplexes me, is what shall we do with the liquor when we’ve paid for it? A lot of it is good wine and champagne27, and, although useless as a beverage28, it is useful as a medicine, and might be given to hospitals.”
“Pour it out!” exclaimed Shank, almost fiercely.
“Ay, the hospitals can look out for themselves,” added Shank’s father warmly.
“Some hospitals, I’ve bin29 told, git on well enough without it altogether,” said Dick Darvall. “However, it’s a subject that desarves consideration.—Hallo! Buttercup, what is it that tickles30 your fancy an’ makes your mouth stretch out like that?”
Buttercup became preternaturally grave on the instant, but declined to tell what it was that tickled31 her fancy.
Shortly after the party rose and left the house, Hunky Ben remarking, with a quiet laugh, that deeds of darkness were best hatched at night.
What the conspirators32 hatched became pretty evident next day, for, during the breakfast hour, a band of forty horsemen rode slowly down the sloping road which led to the plains, and on the side of which Crux had built his saloon.
Crux and his men turned out in some surprise to watch the cavalcade33 as it passed. The band was led by Charlie Brooke, and the scout rode in advance on Black Polly as guide.
“Halt!” cried Charlie, at that moment.
The forty men obeyed, and, turning suddenly to the left, faced the saloon.
“Hands up!” said Charlie, whose men at the same moment pointed21 their rifles at Crux and his men. These were all too familiar with the order to dare to disobey it.
Our hero then ordered a small detachment of his men to enter the saloon and fetch out all rifles and pistols, and those of Crux’s people who chanced to have their weapons about them, were disarmed35. Another detachment went off to the stables behind the saloon.
While they were thus engaged, Charlie addressed Crux.
“We have decided36 to expel you, Crux, from this town,” he said, as he drew an envelope from his pocket. “We have tried to convince you that, as the majority of the people here don’t want you, it is your duty to go. As you don’t seem to see this, we now take the law into our own hands. We love fair-play, however, so you will find in this envelope a cheque which we have reason to believe is fully37 equal to the value of your saloon and all its contents. Your lost time and trouble is your own affair. As you came without invitation, you must go without compensation. Here are your rifles, and revolvers, emptied of cartridges38, and there are your horses saddled.”
As he spoke39, one detachment of his men handed rifles and revolvers to the party, who were stricken dumb with amazement40. At the same time, their horses, saddled and bridled41, were led to the front and delivered to them.
“We have no provisions,” said Crux, at last recovering the use of his tongue; “and without ammunition42 we cannot procure43 any.”
“That has been provided for,” said our hero, turning to Hunky Ben.
“Ay, Crux,” said the scout, “we don’t want to starve you, though the ’arth wouldn’t lose much if we did. At the other end o’ the lake, about five mile from here, you’ll find a red rag flyin’ at the branch of a tree. In the hole of a rock close beside it, you’ll find three days’ provisions for you and your men, an’ a lot of ammunition.”
“Now, mount and go,” said Charlie, “and if you ever show face here again, except as friends, your blood be on your own heads!”
Crux did not hesitate. He and his men saw that the game was up; without another word they mounted their horses and galloped away.
While this scene was being enacted44 a dark creature, with darker designs, entered the drinking saloon and descended45 to the cellar. Finding a spirit-cask with a tap in it, Buttercup turned it on, then, pulling a match-box out of her pocket she muttered, “I t’ink de hospitals won’t git much ob it!” and applied46 a light. The effect was more powerful than she had expected. The spirit blazed up with sudden fury, singeing47 off the girl’s eyebrows48 and lashes49, and almost blinding her. In her alarm Buttercup dashed up to the saloon, missed her way, and found herself on the stair leading to the upper floor. A cloud of smoke and fire forced her to rush up. She went to the window and yelled, on observing that it was far too high to leap. She rushed to another window and howled in horror, for escape was apparently50 impossible.
Charlie heard the howl. He and his men had retired51 to a safe distance when the fire was first observed—thinking the place empty—but the howl touched a chord in our hero’s sympathetic breast, which was ever ready to vibrate. From whom the howl proceeded mattered little or nothing to Charlie Brooke. Sufficient that it was the cry of a living being in distress52. He sprang at once through the open doorway53 of the saloon, through which was issuing a volume of thick smoke, mingled54 with flame.
“God help him! the place’ll blow up in a few minutes,” cried Hunky Ben, losing, for once, his imperturbable55 coolness, and rushing wildly after his friend. But at that moment the thick smoke burst into fierce flame and drove him back.
Charlie sprang up the staircase three steps at a time, holding his breath to avoid suffocation56. He reached the landing, where Buttercup ran, or, rather, fell, almost fainting, into his arms. At the moment an explosion in the cellar shook the building to its foundation, and, shattering one of the windows, caused a draught57 of air to drive aside the smoke. Charlie gasped58 a mouthful of air and looked round. Flames were by that time roaring up the only staircase. A glance from the nearest window showed that a leap thence meant broken limbs, if not death, to both. A ladder up to a trap-door suggested an exit by the roof. It might only lead to a more terrible leap, but meanwhile it offered relief from imminent59 suffocation. Charlie bore the half-dead girl to the top rung, and found the trap-door padlocked, but a thrust from his powerful shoulder wrenched60 hasp and padlock from their hold, and next moment a wild cheer greeted him as he stood on a corner of the gable. But a depth of forty or fifty feet was below him with nothing to break his fall to the hard earth.
“Hold your noise,” roared Hunky Ben, “and lend a hand here—sharp!—the house’ll blow up in a minute.”
He ran as he spoke towards a cart which was partly filled with hay. Seizing the trams he raised them. Willing hands helped, and the cart was run violently up against the gable—Hunky shouting to some of the men to fetch more hay.
But there was no time for that. Another explosion took place inside the building, which Charlie knew must have driven in the sides of more casks and let loose fresh fuel. A terrible roar, followed by ominous62 cracking of the roof, warned him that there was no time to lose. He looked steadily63 at the cart for a moment and leaped. His friends held their breath as the pair descended. The hay would not have sufficed to break the fall sufficiently64, but happily the cart was an old one. When they came down on it like a thunderbolt, the bottom gave way. Crashing through it the pair came to the ground, heavily indeed, but uninjured!
The fall, which almost stunned65 our hero, had the curious effect of reviving Buttercup, for she muttered something to the effect that, “dat was a mos’ drefful smash,” as they conveyed her and her rescuer from the vicinity of danger.
This had scarcely been done when the house blew up—its walls were driven outwards66, its roof was blown off, its bottles were shattered, all its baleful contents were scattered67 around, and, amid an appropriate hurricane of blue fire, that drinking and gambling saloon was blown to atoms.
Would that a like fate might overtake every similar establishment in the world!
This was the first and last attempt to disturb the peace of Sweetwater Bluff. It is said, indeed, that Crux and some of his men did, long afterwards, make their appearance in that happy and flourishing town, but they came as reformed men, not as foes—men who had found out that in very truth sobriety tends to felicity, that honesty is the best policy, and that the fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom.
The End.
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收听单词发音
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1
bluff
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| v.虚张声势，用假象骗人；n.虚张声势，欺骗 | |
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insignificant
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| adj.无关紧要的，可忽略的，无意义的 | |
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delightful
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| adj.令人高兴的，使人快乐的 | |
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brace
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| n. 支柱,曲柄,大括号; v. 绷紧,顶住,(为困难或坏事)做准备 | |
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basking
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| v.晒太阳，取暖( bask的现在分词 )；对…感到乐趣；因他人的功绩而出名；仰仗…的余泽 | |
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conversing
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| v.交谈，谈话( converse的现在分词 ) | |
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crux
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| adj.十字形；难事，关键，最重要点 | |
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scout
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| n.童子军，侦察员；v.侦察，搜索 | |
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placid
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| adj.安静的，平和的 | |
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waggons
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| 四轮的运货马车( waggon的名词复数 )； 铁路货车； 小手推车 | |
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11
galloped
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| （使马）飞奔，奔驰( gallop的过去式和过去分词 )； 快速做[说]某事 | |
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interfere
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| v.(in)干涉，干预；(with)妨碍，打扰 | |
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proceedings
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| n.进程，过程，议程；诉讼(程序)；公报 | |
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investigation
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| n.调查，调查研究 | |
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inquiry
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| n.打听，询问，调查，查问 | |
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gambling
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| n.赌博；投机 | |
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forth
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| adv.向前；向外，往外 | |
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celebrated
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| adj.有名的，声誉卓著的 | |
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consternation
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| n.大为吃惊，惊骇 | |
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revels
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| n.作乐( revel的名词复数 )；狂欢；着迷；陶醉v.作乐( revel的第三人称单数 )；狂欢；着迷；陶醉 | |
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pointed
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| adj.尖的，直截了当的 | |
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adroit
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| adj.熟练的，灵巧的 | |
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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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mule
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| n.骡子，杂种，执拗的人 | |
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smiting
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| v.猛打，重击，打击( smite的现在分词 ) | |
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parley
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| n.谈判 | |
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champagne
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| n.香槟酒；微黄色 | |
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beverage
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| n.(水，酒等之外的)饮料 | |
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29
bin
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| n.箱柜；vt.放入箱内；[计算机] DOS文件名:二进制目标文件 | |
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30
tickles
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| （使）发痒( tickle的第三人称单数 )； （使）愉快，逗乐 | |
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tickled
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| （使）发痒( tickle的过去式和过去分词 )； （使）愉快，逗乐 | |
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conspirators
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| n.共谋者，阴谋家( conspirator的名词复数 ) | |
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cavalcade
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| n.车队等的行列 | |
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buffalo
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| n.(北美)野牛；(亚洲)水牛 | |
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disarmed
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| v.裁军( disarm的过去式和过去分词 )；使息怒 | |
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decided
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| adj.决定了的，坚决的；明显的，明确的 | |
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fully
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| adv.完全地，全部地，彻底地；充分地 | |
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cartridges
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| 子弹( cartridge的名词复数 )； （打印机的）墨盒； 录音带盒； （唱机的）唱头 | |
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39
spoke
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| n.（车轮的）辐条；轮辐；破坏某人的计划；阻挠某人的行动 v.讲，谈（speak的过去式）；说；演说；从某种观点来说 | |
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40
amazement
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| n.惊奇，惊讶 | |
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41
bridled
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| 给…套龙头( bridle的过去式和过去分词 )； 控制； 昂首表示轻蔑（或怨忿等）； 动怒，生气 | |
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42
ammunition
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| n.军火，弹药 | |
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43
procure
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| vt.获得，取得，促成；vi.拉皮条 | |
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44
enacted
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| 制定（法律），通过（法案）( enact的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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45
descended
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| a.为...后裔的，出身于...的 | |
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46
applied
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| adj.应用的；v.应用，适用 | |
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47
singeing
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| v.浅表烧焦( singe的现在分词 )；（毛发）燎，烧焦尖端[边儿]；烧毛 | |
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48
eyebrows
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| 眉毛( eyebrow的名词复数 ) | |
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49
lashes
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| n.鞭挞( lash的名词复数 )；鞭子；突然猛烈的一击；急速挥动v.鞭打( lash的第三人称单数 )；煽动；紧系；怒斥 | |
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50
apparently
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| adv.显然地；表面上，似乎 | |
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51
retired
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| adj.隐退的，退休的，退役的 | |
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52
distress
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| n.苦恼，痛苦，不舒适；不幸；vt.使悲痛 | |
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53
doorway
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| n.门口，(喻)入门；门路，途径 | |
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54
mingled
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| 混合，混入( mingle的过去式和过去分词 )； 混进，与…交往[联系] | |
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55
imperturbable
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| adj.镇静的 | |
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56
suffocation
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| n.窒息 | |
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57
draught
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| n.拉，牵引，拖；一网（饮，吸，阵)；顿服药量，通风；v.起草，设计 | |
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58
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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imminent
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| adj.即将发生的，临近的，逼近的 | |
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60
wrenched
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| v.（猛力地）扭( wrench的过去式和过去分词 )；扭伤；使感到痛苦；使悲痛 | |
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61
onlookers
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| n.旁观者，观看者( onlooker的名词复数 ) | |
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62
ominous
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| adj.不祥的，不吉的，预兆的，预示的 | |
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63
steadily
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| adv.稳定地；不变地；持续地 | |
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64
sufficiently
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| adv.足够地，充分地 | |
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65
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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66
outwards
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| adj.外面的，公开的，向外的；adv.向外；n.外形 | |
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scattered
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| adj.分散的，稀疏的；散步的；疏疏落落的 | |
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