Lawyer Rackshaw was in such an excellent frame of mind that he invited Henry Whittles1 to spend an evening with him at his office. This was something unusual, and as the two men sat down to a friendly game of poker2, Whittles wondered what scheme the lawyer had in his mind. That there was some object he was quite sure, as Rackshaw never did anything out of the ordinary unless for some definite purpose.
It was a cozy3 room, comfortably furnished, clean and neat. A large greyhound lay at his master's feet, with his nose between his paws.
"Do you always bring that dog with you?" Whittles asked, as he shuffled4 the cards.
"Only at night," the lawyer replied as he looked down fondly upon the fine brute5. "I like to have him along then—for company."
"For fear of what your enemies might do, eh?" and Whittles smiled somewhat knowingly.
"Well, perhaps you're right. Pedro never has his supper before he comes here, as I am always expecting him to get a good meal before he gets home."
"One of your special enemies, I suppose."
"Sure."
"Has he eaten any yet?"
"Not a d—n one, though I expect he'll have a meal before long."
"To-night?"
"Oh, no," and the lawyer chuckled6 as he threw down a card. "The meal's in cold storage to-night as far as I know. But, then, one can never tell."
"Cold storage!" and Whittles' eyes opened wide as he paused in his play.
"Yes, in cold storage. Or, to be more exact, in jail. That's where the special meal is to-night."
"In jail! Why, man, what do you mean? Who's in jail?"
"Ho, ho! That's one on you, Hen, isn't it? Didn't know why I invited you here to-night, did you?"
"No; couldn't guess. Thought it must be something special, though."
"So it is, and I expected to have something special to drink, too. Confound that express company! It's as slow as cold molasses. I ordered something good for to-night, and it was to have been here before this."
"Going to drink the health of your special friends, are you?" Whittles queried7, looking quizzically at the lawyer.
"To one friend only to-night, Hen. He's our mutual8 friend—a friend that sticketh closer than a brother, as the Good Book says, and whose tongue is as sharp as a razor, and stings like a hornet. That's the friend whose health we are going to drink to-night."
"I know of only one person who answers to your description," Whittles replied, "and that's Abner Andrews, of Ash Point. But he's no friend of ours."
"You're mistaken, Hen. He's my special friend, and yours, too, for that matter."
"Mine! H'm I guess you're astray there."
"Not at all. Didn't he offer a thousand dollars for that Orphanage9?"
"A thousand be hanged! He offered it, but that's as far as it goes. He'll never pay a cent."
"Won't he? Well, we'll see about that. Anyway, he's got two kids at his home now. I sent them there last night so that he could start the Orphanage at once at Ash Point."
"You did!"
"Yes, and sent a note along, asking him how he liked town rats. My, they were a tough pair of youngsters, about as dirty as you'll find anywhere. 'Sloppy10' Sue's kids, you know."
"Ho, ho, that's a good one," Whittles roared. "Have you heard from Abner since?"
"Sure. He did me a great favor this morning, and that's why I'm so friendly to him now."
"What did he do?"
"Walked into the office of The Live Wire, and smashed up Joe Preston so badly that he's in the hospital now getting patched up."
Whittles' eyes fairly started out of his head at this astounding11 piece of news, and he dropped his cards upon the table.
"What was it all about?" he at length found voice to ask.
"Oh, merely over that article in the paper about Mrs. Andrews running away with Ikey Dimock's chauffeur12. I got the news from the police station late last night, and phoned it to the Wire. I knew that Joe would make the most of it, and get something in return. I'm mighty13 glad he did, for he's been very bumptious14 of late, and has rapped me pretty hard. Abner's saved me a nasty job."
"He did? Well, I declare!"
"Yes, and Abner's in jail, repenting15, no doubt."
"Repenting? Not a bit of it. He's raging like a caged lion, if I'm not mistaken. My, how I'd like to have seen him at Joe. I've had no love for that fellow since he wrote that nasty skit16 about me last year. Did he put up much of a fight?"
"Who? Abner?"
"No; Joe."
"He tried to, so I heard, but he hadn't the ghost of a chance against that farmer giant. He came into the office, stuck a copy of the Wire before Joe's nose, and asked him if he had written that article about his wife. Joe got mad, blazed up, and consigned17 Abner to the hot place."
"Good Lord!" Whittles gasped18. "Joe must have been crazy."
"If he wasn't crazy then, he was a few minutes later. Tom, the office boy, said it was terrible. Abner gave a roar like thunder and sailed into Joe. When the police arrived there wasn't much of Joe left, according to Tom. He was unconscious, and the office was badly damaged."
"Did the police have any trouble with Abner?" Whittles asked almost breathlessly.
"No, I guess not. He went like a lamb, though Tom said he had a wild look in his eyes."
Whittles suddenly gasped; his face turned deathly pale, and his hands trembled.
"What's wrong, Hen?" the lawyer asked, noting his companion's agitation19. "I didn't know you were subject to nervous trouble. This story has upset you a bit. You need a stimulant20. Why in thunder doesn't that express team show up!"
"Say, Tom," and Whittles leaned over the table, "suppose it had been you or me instead of Joe?"
"You or me! What do you mean?"
"Abner loves us about as much as he loved Joe this morning, doesn't he?"
"Oh, I see," and the lawyer rubbed his chin in a thoughtful manner. "I never thought of that."
"I know you didn't. Now, suppose Abner gets out of jail and learns who gave Joe that information, what then?"
Rackshaw shifted somewhat uneasily in his chair, and glanced down at the dog. Then he laughed and picked up the cards he had dropped upon the table.
"I guess Abner won't do any more of his wild stunts21 for a while," he remarked. "He's in deep enough water now. He'll need a lawyer to defend him, and I'm the only one in town."
"He won't come to you."
"Just you wait. He's in a trap and knows very well that I can get him out; that is, if I want to."
"Want to! Won't you want to get him out? Won't you do everything for him that you can if he engages you to defend him?"
"That all depends. If he comes to me I'll do all I can under certain conditions."
"What are the conditions?"
The lawyer bit savagely23 at his cigar, but offered no explanation.
"D—n that express team!" he growled24. "What can have happened to it?"
"Abner can't afford to engage a lawyer, can he?" Whittles asked, noting Rackshaw's silence.
"Why not?"
"He hasn't any way of paying, has he?"
"He hasn't? What about his farm?"
"Farm! Why, that's nothing but a bed of gravel25. I wouldn't have it as a gift."
"You wouldn't, eh? But suppose the Government should want that same bed of gravel for ballast, what then?"
Whittles' eyes opened wide, and he looked enquiringly at the lawyer. Light was beginning to dawn upon his mind.
"Oh, I see your game, now," he at length replied. "You hope to get the farm, and turn it over to the Government?"
"Yes, that's just what I expect to do."
"But you'll never do it."
"I won't? And why not?"
"Abner'll not engage you to defend him. He has little use for you, and you should know by this time what a cranky cuss he is."
"Well, if he won't engage me, I shall take up Joe's case."
"Do what?"
"Didn't you hear what I said? I'll defend Joe."
"But how can you? You love Joe about as much as you do Abner."
"H'm, that's all right. Joe doesn't know what I think of him. And I guess you've got to learn a few things yet, Hen. You're not as sharp as I thought you were. But, say, here's the express team, now."
The next instant the door was pushed open, and a fair-sized box was handed to the lawyer.
"What do you mean by being so late?" the latter demanded of the expressman.
"Couldn't help it, sir," was the reply. "I'm all mixed up to-night. There's only one team on the road."
Rackshaw carried the box to the table, cut the strings26, and tore away the paper wrapping. Then he turned to his desk and produced a hammer.
"Down, Pedro," he ordered, as the dog began to sniff27 excitedly at the box. "Surely you're not thirsty, too."
"Following his master's example, eh?" Whittles smilingly queried. "Queer box, that."
"Queer! I should say so," the lawyer growled, as he began to pry28 up the cover. "I never got a box like this before. Down, Pedro, I say. What's the matter with the dog, anyway? He's half crazy."
Scarcely had he finished speaking when a portion of the cover came off, and at once a big gray rat leaped full into the lawyer's startled face. With a yell of fright Rackshaw let go the box, dropped the hammer, and staggered back. Trying to recover himself, he came into sudden contact with the dog and was hurled29 over a chair full length upon the floor. He endeavored to get up, and had reached a sitting position when Pedro again landed on him like a catapult. Had a cyclone30 burst upon that room the confusion could not have been more appalling31. Frantic32 squeals33 of terrified rats and the snapping yelps34 of the pursuing dog mingled35 with the crash of falling chairs and tables. It was, as the lawyer afterwards expressed it, "hell let loose."
When Rackshaw was at length able to crawl to his knees he looked around the disordered room. Pedro was still cavorting36 here and there, first after one rat and then another. Whittles was nowhere to be seen.
"Hen, where are you?" the lawyer called.
A groan37 from beneath one of the tables was the only response.
"Are you hurt, Hen?"
"Dying," was the feeble reply. "For God's sake, call off that dog!"
To "call off the dog" was easier to order than to do. Rackshaw staggered to his feet, and shouted wildly to the excited brute. But the louder he called, and the more furiously he swore, the more frantic did the greyhound become. The rats had turned his brain, and he was a crazy fool. Around and around the room he dashed, clearing chairs and tables with great bounds, but not a rat could he catch.
Rackshaw started for the door. If he could get it open it would give the rats an avenue of escape. He was but part way across the room when Pedro, attempting to pass through the legs of an overturned chair, stuck fast. With a howl he tried to extricate38 himself, but in vain. He had now something more than rats to think of, and furiously he threshed from side to side, breaking chairs, and damaging everything with which he came into contact.
The lawyer was now desperate. The perspiration39 poured down his face, while the shouts and curses he hurled at the dog were of no avail. With a savage22 yank he tore open the door, and the dog, catching40 sight of the opening, bounded for it like a tank going into battle.
It so happened that just at this critical moment the expressman had stepped to the door, carrying in his hands the long-expected box which he had overlooked. He saw the grotesque41 object bounding toward him, and before he had time to move aside, Pedro, now dragging the battered42 chair, dashed full upon him. With a yell of terror, he fell backwards43, dropping as he did so the precious box upon the pavement. There was a sudden crash of bottles, and a liberal flow of spirits such as the town had never before known.
Half dazed, the expressman sat upon the sidewalk, and viewed the shattered box lying in the path of light from the open door. The lawyer approached and stood over the bewildered man.
"What's the meaning of all this?" he demanded.
"Meaning!" the man replied, rubbing his bruised44 right shoulder. "Why do you ask me? What's on here to-night, anyway? A menagerie, or a wild-west show?"
"Get up, and explain why you brought that box of rats here," Rackshaw ordered, ignoring the other's question.
"Rats! Brought rats here! I don't understand."
"Yes, rats. That first box you brought was full of rats; big rats, gray rats and all kinds of rats. They've turned hell loose in there."
"Good Lord!" the expressman gasped, as he leaned over to obtain a better view of the office. "Did the rats do that?"
"Indeed they did."
"And was that one of them that knocked me down?"
"Get up," Rackshaw commanded. "What's the matter with you? Did you ever see a rat the size of that? Don't you know a dog when you see it?"
"A dog! Good heavens! But you said something about rats."
"So I did, and you should know something about them, too. You left a box here full of rats, and when I opened it the devils came out and turned my dog's brain. Look at that room there. Isn't it a great mess? Somebody'll have a nice bill to pay. Where in h—l did you get that box, anyway?"
"Where I got the rest, of course. I didn't know it was full of rats. But that wouldn't have made any difference. It's not my business to know what the things are which I deliver. Guess you'll have to enquire45 elsewhere."
The expressman rose slowly to his feet, and again rubbed his shoulder.
"Darn it!" he growled. "I'm going to sue for damages, see if I don't. If a man can't attend to his business without being half-killed by a mad dog, with a pile of furniture on his back, it's a strange thing."
Rackshaw stood and watched him as he climbed up into his waggon46, and drove off, grumbling47 and vowing48 vengeance49 upon everybody in general. Then he turned and re-entered the building. He found Whittles sitting on the floor, propped50 up against the office desk. His hair and clothes were dishevelled, and his face was expressive51 of his deep misery52.
"Oh, you've come back, have you?" he meaningly queried.
"Sure. Did you think I had run away?"
"I couldn't tell. I don't know what to expect next. Is that raging devil gone yet?"
"What, the dog?"
"Yes."
"And the rats? Oh!" Whittles' body shivered.
"I guess they've gone, too. I don't see any of them. But get up and act like a man."
"I'm nearly dead," Whittles wailed53. "I'm sure I'll never get over this. I'm all shaken to pieces, and I believe some of my bones are broken."
"Nonsense," the lawyer chided. "Get up, I say, and don't be a fool."
"Give me a drop to steady my nerves," Whittles implored54. "The expressman brought the stuff at last, didn't he?"
"You'll have to lick it up off the sidewalk, then."
"What! Was it all lost? Wasn't there a little saved?"
"Not a drop. But get up. You're head's turned topsy-turvy."
"And everything else as far as I can see. Look at the mess this room is in. Isn't it a fright! Where do you suppose the rats came from?"
The lawyer made no reply, but picked up the box lying upon the floor, and examined it carefully. Inside he found a small thin piece of wood containing the following scrawl55:
"These are country rats. What do you think of them?"
He stood for a few seconds, staring at these words. Then the light of understanding flashed upon his mind, and with an oath he tossed the chip to Whittles.
"Read that," he ordered. "It will explain matters."
A puzzled expression overspread Whittles' face as he read the writing.
"Don't you understand it?" Rackshaw asked.
"Blamed if I do," and Whittles scratched his head, as he again studied the words. "Who would want to send rats to you, of all men?"
"Wouldn't the man who got my 'city rats'?"
"What, not Abner Andrews!"
"And why not?"
"Sure, sure; I might have known."
"Known what?"
"That you couldn't get ahead of him. He'll get more than even every time. It's the touch of Abner, all right. You might have known what a dangerous cuss he is, the old devil. Rats! Well, I declare! Ugh!"
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收听单词发音
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1
whittles
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| v.切，削（木头），使逐渐变小( whittle的第三人称单数 ) | |
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poker
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| n.扑克；vt.烙制 | |
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cozy
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| adj.亲如手足的，密切的，暖和舒服的 | |
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shuffled
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| v.洗（纸牌）( shuffle的过去式和过去分词 )；拖着脚步走；粗心地做；摆脱尘世的烦恼 | |
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brute
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| n.野兽，兽性 | |
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chuckled
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| 轻声地笑( chuckle的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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queried
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| v.质疑，对…表示疑问( query的过去式和过去分词 )；询问 | |
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mutual
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| adj.相互的，彼此的；共同的，共有的 | |
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orphanage
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| n.孤儿院 | |
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sloppy
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| adj.邋遢的，不整洁的 | |
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astounding
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| adj.使人震惊的vt.使震惊，使大吃一惊astound的现在分词) | |
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12
chauffeur
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| n.(受雇于私人或公司的)司机；v.为…开车 | |
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mighty
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| adj.强有力的；巨大的 | |
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bumptious
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| adj.傲慢的 | |
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repenting
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| 对（自己的所为）感到懊悔或忏悔( repent的现在分词 ) | |
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skit
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| n.滑稽短剧；一群 | |
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consigned
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| v.把…置于（令人不快的境地）( consign的过去式和过去分词 )；把…托付给；把…托人代售；丟弃 | |
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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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agitation
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| n.搅动；搅拌；鼓动，煽动 | |
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stimulant
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| n.刺激物，兴奋剂 | |
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stunts
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| n.惊人的表演( stunt的名词复数 )；（广告中）引人注目的花招；愚蠢行为；危险举动v.阻碍…发育[生长]，抑制，妨碍( stunt的第三人称单数 ) | |
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savage
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| adj.野蛮的；凶恶的，残暴的；n.未开化的人 | |
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savagely
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| adv. 野蛮地，残酷地 | |
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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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gravel
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| n.砂跞；砂砾层；结石 | |
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strings
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| n.弦 | |
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sniff
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| vi.嗅…味道；抽鼻涕；对嗤之以鼻，蔑视 | |
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pry
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| vi.窥(刺)探，打听；vt.撬动(开，起) | |
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29
hurled
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| v.猛投，用力掷( hurl的过去式和过去分词 )；大声叫骂 | |
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cyclone
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| n.旋风，龙卷风 | |
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appalling
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| adj.骇人听闻的，令人震惊的，可怕的 | |
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frantic
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| adj.狂乱的，错乱的，激昂的 | |
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squeals
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| n.长而尖锐的叫声( squeal的名词复数 )v.长声尖叫，用长而尖锐的声音说( squeal的第三人称单数 ) | |
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yelps
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| n.（因痛苦、气愤、兴奋等的）短而尖的叫声( yelp的名词复数 )v.发出短而尖的叫声( yelp的第三人称单数 ) | |
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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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cavorting
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| v.跳跃( cavort的现在分词 ) | |
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groan
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| vi./n.呻吟，抱怨；(发出)呻吟般的声音 | |
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extricate
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| v.拯救，救出；解脱 | |
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perspiration
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| n.汗水；出汗 | |
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catching
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| adj.易传染的，有魅力的，迷人的，接住 | |
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grotesque
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| adj.怪诞的，丑陋的；n.怪诞的图案，怪人（物） | |
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42
battered
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| adj.磨损的；v.连续猛击；磨损 | |
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backwards
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| adv.往回地，向原处，倒，相反，前后倒置地 | |
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bruised
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| [医]青肿的，瘀紫的 | |
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enquire
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| v.打听，询问；调查，查问 | |
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waggon
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| n.运货马车，运货车；敞篷车箱 | |
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grumbling
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| adj. 喃喃鸣不平的, 出怨言的 | |
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vowing
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| 起誓，发誓（vow的现在分词形式） | |
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vengeance
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| n.报复，报仇，复仇 | |
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50
propped
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| 支撑，支持，维持( prop的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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expressive
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| adj.表现的，表达…的，富于表情的 | |
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52
misery
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| n.痛苦，苦恼，苦难；悲惨的境遇，贫苦 | |
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53
wailed
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| v.哭叫，哀号( wail的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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54
implored
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| 恳求或乞求（某人）( implore的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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scrawl
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| vt.潦草地书写；n.潦草的笔记，涂写 | |
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