XV THE REDSKINS' WAY

 Of course Timothy Turtle was glad that Johnnie Green was gone. But he was far from happy, lying helpless on his back on the bank of Black Creek¹.

 

He told Mr. Crow that he hoped Johnnie would forget to come back again—a remark which made old Mr. Crow laugh. Being very wise, he saw at once that Timothy Turtle knew next to nothing about boys.

 

"I should think," Mr. Crow told Timothy, "you'd want Johnnie Green to return."

 

"Why?" Timothy snapped out his questionp. 71 in an angry tone, as he lay there upside down and stared at old Mr. Crow, who sat in a tree near-by.

 

"Well," Mr. Crow answered, "who'll set you on your feet again if he doesn't?"

 

"Don't you worry about me!" Timothy Turtle sneered². "I'll right myself as soon as there's a freshet. If there's a big enough rain the creek will rise as high as I am now. And nobody could keep me on my back in the water."

 

Old Mr. Crow actually snickered.

 

"You might have to wait till next spring for a freshet," he said cheerfully. "And what would you eat meanwhile?"

 

Having had a hearty³ meal of fish just before leaving the creek, Timothy Turtle hadn't once thought of eating. And naturally Mr. Crow's question troubled him. So he frowned frightfully. And he snapped his hooked jaws⁴ together, for hep. 72 had to take something in his jaws and bite it, if it was no more than the air.

 

"I suppose"—Mr. Crow remarked—"I suppose you would call that taking the air, eh?" And there was a merry twinkle in his eye.

 

"Go away!" Timothy Turtle growled⁵.

 

But his guest declined to leave.

 

"There's likely to be some fun here," he thought, "and I don't intend to miss it."

 

If Timothy Turtle was surprised, Mr. Crow certainly was not, when a little later Johnnie Green and another boy whom he called "Red" (on account of his hair) came hurrying up to the spot where Timothy Turtle lay.

 

Upon the ground they dropped a number of things, such as pieces of rope, an old grain-sack, and an axe⁶.p. 73

 

"Goodness!" said Mr. Crow to himself, as he looked on. "I'm glad I'm not Timothy Turtle. It appears to me that he's going to have a terrible time."

 

And Timothy himself seemed to think the same. He made savage⁷ passes at Johnnie and Red whenever they came near him. But they took good care to keep beyond his reach.

 

On the whole their captive behaved in a most foolish manner. Instead of drawing his head as far as he could into his shell, he thrust his neck out as far as it would go.

 

And that was exactly what the boys wanted him to do. Before Timothy Turtle—who was somewhat slow-witted—before he realized what their plan was, Johnnie Green and his friend Red had slipped one noose⁸ around his head and another around his body. And after turningp. 74 their captive right side up they staked him out upon the sand so that he could not move.

 

"There!" Johnnie Green cried when they had Timothy Turtle where they wanted him. "That's the way the Redskins do with their enemies."

 

And his friend the red-haired boy danced something that might have been an Indian war dance.

 

Anyhow, neither old Mr. Crow nor Timothy Turtle had ever seen anything like it.

1 creek   

n.小溪，小河，小湾

参考例句：

• He sprang through the creek.他跳过小河。
• People sunbathe in the nude on the rocks above the creek.人们在露出小溪的岩石上裸体晒日光浴。

2 sneered   

讥笑，冷笑( sneer的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• He sneered at people who liked pop music. 他嘲笑喜欢流行音乐的人。
• It's very discouraging to be sneered at all the time. 成天受嘲讽是很令人泄气的。

3 hearty   

adj.热情友好的；衷心的；尽情的，纵情的

参考例句：

• After work they made a hearty meal in the worker's canteen.工作完了，他们在工人食堂饱餐了一顿。
• We accorded him a hearty welcome.我们给他热忱的欢迎。

4 jaws   

n.口部；嘴

参考例句：

• The antelope could not escape the crocodile's gaping jaws. 那只羚羊无法从鱷鱼张开的大口中逃脱。
• The scored jaws of a vise help it bite the work. 台钳上有刻痕的虎钳牙帮助它紧咬住工件。

5 growled   

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

参考例句：

• \"They ought to be birched, \" growled the old man. 老人咆哮道：“他们应受到鞭打。” 来自《简明英汉词典》
• He growled out an answer. 他低声威胁着回答。 来自《简明英汉词典》

6 axe   

n.斧子；v.用斧头砍，削减

参考例句：

• Be careful with that sharp axe.那把斧子很锋利，你要当心。
• The edge of this axe has turned.这把斧子卷了刃了。

7 savage   

adj.野蛮的；凶恶的，残暴的；n.未开化的人

参考例句：

• The poor man received a savage beating from the thugs.那可怜的人遭到暴徒的痛打。
• He has a savage temper.他脾气粗暴。

8 noose   

n.绳套，绞索（刑）；v.用套索捉；使落入圈套；处以绞刑

参考例句：

• They tied a noose round her neck.他们在她脖子上系了一个活扣。
• A hangman's noose had already been placed around his neck.一个绞刑的绳圈已经套在他的脖子上。