Presently a door creaked open and a tall young man, laden2 with two heavy mail sacks, emerged to the street. It was Dick Kent—and he was smiling. Behind Dick came Dr. Brady and the cassocked figure of a Catholic priest, Father Bleriot. The two last named persons walked side-by-side, talking and laughing. The priest’s right arm was thrust in friendly fashion through that of the physician’s, and, as the three figures came to a halt directly opposite the sledge3, to which a team of beautiful gray malemutes were harnessed, the doctor declared:
224
“So we’re to go back at last. I see you have everything ready, Dick. Nothing to do now except pull our worthless freight out of here.”
“Monsieur does himself an injustice,” beamed the priest. “You have reason to feel proud—you and your friends. Hope and happiness and tranquility have come again to Keechewan.”
“Have you any message that I can take to Inspector4 Cameron?” Dick asked.
“It is there in the sack,” Father Bleriot pointed5 to one of the mail pouches6 Dick had placed in the empty sleigh. “A letter, monsieur, written from my heart and sealed with tears of thankfulness. All one night I sat and wrote that letter, page after page, to the good inspector, and when I had finished, monsieur, I found that I had expressed not even one small part of what I wished to say.”
“Cameron will understand,” Dr. Brady reassured7 him.
“And now you go,” said the priest regretfully. “You embark8 upon a difficult journey. You go south without even a pause to rest.”
“It will not seem so far this time,” stated Dick, turning toward his sledge. “Well, thank you Father, for your kindness and hospitality. We must go now. Dr. Brady, you’ve worked hard, so we’re giving you the place of honor here with the mail.”
225
They shook hands again. Dr. Brady was bundled into the sleigh. At a signal from Dick, impatient feet were lifted from brake-boards, whips cracked, and the train whirled away amid a flurry of fine snow. Father Bleriot, a somewhat lonely figure, stood and waved his farewell, his expressive9 dark eyes lighting10 with satisfaction, as there came to him the cheers of scores of happy householders, who lined the streets to watch the party go by.
Speeding southward, the dog train soon left the village behind. The bleak11 landscape of the Barrens settled around them. Rolling drifts of crusted snow stretched away to the horizon. The wind shrieked12 up from behind, a cold wind which froze the hot breath of the huskies, and painted their lean, gray flanks with a white coat of frost.
Hour after hour, then day after day, the cavalcade13 bore on. The Barrens vanished. A streak14 of dun-colored forest slowly advanced and silently enwrapped them. The forest led them to a chain of hills. The hills carried them begrudgingly15 to a valley. The valley flung them into a meadow, which, in turn, by various stages, brought them to another forest, another valley, across lakes, down ravines, over rivers, on and on and on, until at last, when they had almost begun to believe that the trail would never end, weary yet exuberant16, they drove into the compound at Fort Mackenzie.
226
There followed a scene which to Dick at least seemed somewhat confused and vague. He remembered helping17 to carry Corporal Rand into the barracks. He recalled a good deal of shouting and laughing. A throng18 pressed forward, sledges19 were unloaded, drivers darted20 here and there. Sandy and Toma joined Dick, and they were standing21 there, talking excitedly, when a crimson-coated figure pushed his way through the crowd and approached them.
“Welcome back,” Constable22 Whitehall shouted. “Glad to see you all home again. The inspector is waiting for you.”
The three boys followed the police orderly to Cameron’s office, followed him in a state of mind in which excitement, happiness and relief intermingled. They had expected to find the grizzled police official sitting, as was his wont23, sternly erect24 in his chair, lips pursed, steel-gray eyes levelled upon them. But to their surprise, as the door swung open, revealing the room beyond, the inspector was standing—not behind—but in front of his desk.
227
The grim look was not there. True, his eyes were upon them, and he did not speak for a moment, as they filed in and halted awkwardly in front of him. Then Dick noticed the smile: warm and friendly, a sort of paternal25 smile that wholly transfigured and enlivened his features, that had the curious effect of making the boys forget their shyness and feel at ease. And while Dick was making a mental note of this, Cameron had suddenly come forward and was shaking them by the hand, talking and joking, winking26 slyly at Constable Whitehall.
“You young rascals27! No need to tell me that everything didn’t come out all right. Don’t try to deceive me. I see it—see it shining in your eyes. Constable Whitehall, bring over those chairs. That’s better. Sit down. Now, Dick—— Sit down, I tell you, while Richard here relates his experiences.”
In a few words, Dick told his story. Yet he was out of breath when he had finished, and a little incoherent when he tried to answer the few sharp questions Cameron fired at him.
“At any rate,” smiled the inspector, “you got there, and you came back. From what you’ve already told me, I gather that you had trouble at Keechewan. Was that the only trouble you had?”
“Yes, sir,” answered the bewildered young leader.
“Why, Dick,” Sandy reminded him, “we had trouble on the trail—lots of it.”
“So we did,” remembered Dick. “I’d forgotten about that. We picked up Lamont on our way back, but Fontaine and the rest left us—skipped out.”
“They’re here,” said Cameron grimly, “—in jail! We can eliminate them. Now, about this Lamont?”
228
“I shoot him,” declared Toma briefly28.
“You did?”—sharply.
“Yes, sir.”
“Why?”
“Him bad fellow.”
Cameron’s mouth twitched29 at the corners.
“Is he hurt badly?”
“He’ll be all right in a few weeks, inspector,” Dick came quickly to his chum’s rescue.
“Was Toma justified30 in doing this?” Cameron inquired, turning to Sandy and Dick.
Two young men quickly nodded their affirmation.
“Well, that’s all I want to know. I’ll overlook it this time, Toma. You’ve already told me, Dick, about Corporal Rand. Took him to the barracks, you say?”
“Yes.”
Inspector Cameron rose from his chair and paced slowly up and down the room. For a time he seemed oblivious31 of their presence. He had become grim and forbidding now, stern and austere—not at all the companionable and affable person he had been at the beginning of their interview. Dick and Sandy exchanged questioning glances, then their eyes stole furtively32 toward the door.
The footbeats came to a sudden pause in front of them.
229
“I’m grateful to all of you—very grateful! I’m proud of you. Of course, I’ll pay you well. You deserve it.”
Cameron was smiling again. His voice had lost its sharp edge.
“Now, if there is anything that I can do. If——”
Dick interrupted him. It was the opportunity he had been looking for.
“There’s one favor, inspector,” he cleared his throat. “There’s one thing we’d like—Sandy and Toma and I. You see, we’ve talked it over. We don’t want the money. Money isn’t everything. We were glad to help out in an emergency. Glad—but——”
“Yes; yes, my boy. What is it?”
“We’d be ever so much obliged to you, sir, and thankful, if you’d dismiss the charge against Corporal Rand.”
If Dick had hurled33 a bomb under Cameron’s desk it could not have caused more consternation34 and surprise. Whitehall started back and his mouth gaped35 open. Inspector Cameron blinked, gulped36 several times, and attempted to cover his confusion by blowing his nose. A deep and oppressive silence settled over the room.
230
Not until then, did Dick realize that he had committed an unpardonable breach37 of official etiquette38. He had smashed precedent39 and dignity to bits. He had violated the code. He had taken advantage of his position. As the full consciousness of the enormity of his crime came over him, he hung his head, his cheeks flaming to match the color of the inspector’s tunic40.
Suddenly the tension snapped. Inspector Cameron broke into a roar of laughter. He slapped his thighs41 and still choking with merriment, turned to his orderly.
“Whitehall, you—you see how helpless I am. I ask you to become my witness. I’m powerless. This is blackmail42. Conduct these young ruffians outside. And, Whitehall——” he paused abruptly43.
The constable’s heels clicked as he came sharply to attention.
“Yes, sir.”
“Tell Corporal Rand that I’ll see him at once.”
The End
点击
收听单词发音
收听单词发音 |
1
cramped
|
|
| a.狭窄的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
2
laden
|
|
| adj.装满了的；充满了的；负了重担的；苦恼的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
3
sledge
|
|
| n.雪橇，大锤；v.用雪橇搬运，坐雪橇往 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
4
inspector
|
|
| n.检查员，监察员，视察员 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
5
pointed
|
|
| adj.尖的，直截了当的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
6
pouches
|
|
| n.（放在衣袋里或连在腰带上的）小袋( pouch的名词复数 )；（袋鼠等的）育儿袋；邮袋；（某些动物贮存食物的）颊袋 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
7
reassured
|
|
| adj.使消除疑虑的；使放心的v.再保证，恢复信心( reassure的过去式和过去分词) | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
8
embark
|
|
| vi.乘船，着手，从事，上飞机 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
9
expressive
|
|
| adj.表现的，表达…的，富于表情的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
10
lighting
|
|
| n.照明，光线的明暗，舞台灯光 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
11
bleak
|
|
| adj.(天气)阴冷的；凄凉的；暗淡的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
12
shrieked
|
|
| v.尖叫( shriek的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
13
cavalcade
|
|
| n.车队等的行列 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
14
streak
|
|
| n.条理，斑纹，倾向，少许，痕迹；v.加条纹，变成条纹，奔驰，快速移动 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
15
begrudgingly
|
|
| 小气地，吝啬地 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
16
exuberant
|
|
| adj.充满活力的；（植物）繁茂的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
17
helping
|
|
| n.食物的一份&adj.帮助人的，辅助的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
18
throng
|
|
| n.人群，群众；v.拥挤，群集 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
19
sledges
|
|
| n.雪橇，雪车( sledge的名词复数 )v.乘雪橇( sledge的第三人称单数 )；用雪橇运载 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
20
darted
|
|
| v.投掷，投射( dart的过去式和过去分词 )；向前冲，飞奔 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
21
standing
|
|
| n.持续，地位；adj.永久的，不动的，直立的，不流动的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
22
constable
|
|
| n.(英国)警察，警官 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
23
wont
|
|
| adj.习惯于；v.习惯；n.习惯 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
24
erect
|
|
| n./v.树立，建立，使竖立；adj.直立的，垂直的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
25
paternal
|
|
| adj.父亲的，像父亲的，父系的，父方的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
26
winking
|
|
| n.瞬眼，目语v.使眼色( wink的现在分词 )；递眼色（表示友好或高兴等）；（指光）闪烁；闪亮 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
27
rascals
|
|
| 流氓( rascal的名词复数 )； 无赖； （开玩笑说法）淘气的人（尤指小孩）； 恶作剧的人 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
28
briefly
|
|
| adv.简单地，简短地 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
29
twitched
|
|
| vt.& vi.（使）抽动，（使）颤动（twitch的过去式与过去分词形式） | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
30
justified
|
|
| a.正当的，有理的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
31
oblivious
|
|
| adj.易忘的，遗忘的，忘却的，健忘的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
32
furtively
|
|
| adv. 偷偷地, 暗中地 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
33
hurled
|
|
| v.猛投，用力掷( hurl的过去式和过去分词 )；大声叫骂 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
34
consternation
|
|
| n.大为吃惊，惊骇 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
35
gaped
|
|
| v.目瞪口呆地凝视( gape的过去式和过去分词 )；张开，张大 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
36
gulped
|
|
| v.狼吞虎咽地吃，吞咽( gulp的过去式和过去分词 )；大口地吸（气）；哽住 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
37
breach
|
|
| n.违反，不履行；破裂；vt.冲破，攻破 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
38
etiquette
|
|
| n.礼仪，礼节；规矩 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
39
precedent
|
|
| n.先例，前例；惯例；adj.在前的，在先的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
40
tunic
|
|
| n.束腰外衣 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
41
thighs
|
|
| n.股，大腿( thigh的名词复数 )；食用的鸡（等的）腿 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
42
blackmail
|
|
| n.讹诈，敲诈，勒索，胁迫，恫吓 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
43
abruptly
|
|
| adv.突然地，出其不意地 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
| 欢迎访问英文小说网 |