“Well, if it ain’t Toby Dare himself,” said one of the men, heartily3. “Buy her lately, Dare?”
“Jes’ yesterday, Inspector4 Jones,” said Skippy’s father, proudly. “An’ I ain’t a-goin’ ter put nothin’ on her but what I’ll be glad ter show ter anybody what asks.”
Inspector Jones’ bland5 face became serious.
“Big Joe Tully said the same thing when he bought his scow, Dare,” he said. “I wouldn’t make promises too soon.”
Toby Dare’s eyes turned fondly on his son.
“Big Joe Tully ain’t got no boy like my Skippy ter fetch up,” he said with firm resolve.
15
“Good for you, Dare,” the inspector smiled. “Skippy’s worth keeping out of trouble for. But see that you keep him in mind when you’re tempted6. Most o’ you birds that start a new leaf stub your toes.”
“Not me,” said Toby vehemently7. “I ain’t carin’ ter make no quick fortune. A couple grand a year’ll start Skippy an’ git him educated. That’s all I’m carin’ about, Inspector. Me, I don’t need nothin’.”
Inspector Jones beamed upon the smiling Skippy, then casually8 glanced toward the barge9.
“Minnie M. Baxter, eh?” he mused10.
“Yere,” said Toby exultantly11. “That was my wife’s name when she was a girl. She died when Skippy was born. I thought mebbe the name’d bring me luck.”
The inspector nodded sympathetically.
“Got any contracts lined up?” he asked.
“Two,” said Toby proudly. “An’ it ain’t bad fer a start. I’m ter haul garbage an’ ashes from the island.”
“Good for you, Dare. Well, we’ll look her over and pass on her, then let you beat it.”
Toby Dare looked exultantly at his son as the trim green launch chugged off to circle the barge. It was a look of triumph and of high hopes for the future.
16
“All we need’s his O.K., Skippy,” he said in soft tones. “It’s somethin’ ter be able ter face guys like the inspector, specially12 when I been dodgin’ him so long.”
“Then he knows you usta——” Skippy’s tongue seemed not to be able to say the word.
“Sure,” said Toby, a little abashed13. “There ain’t many reg’lars in this harbor that the inspector ain’t got spotted14 some time or other. But I should worry now.”
Skippy nodded happily and a silence ensued between them. They listened together and watched while the harbor launch paused midway of the Minnie M. Baxter and Inspector Jones and his two subordinates held an inaudible conference. Then for a time they made soundings after which the inspector boarded the barge and spent another five minutes inspecting it fore15 and aft.
“There’s more ter this here inspectin’ business than what a guy thinks,” said Toby simply. “All I know uv boats is this here kicker. I never did more’n load an’ unload aboard Ol’ Flint’s scows.”
“The inspector’s gettin’ back in the launch,” said Skippy eagerly. “Now they’ll come back an’ say it’s all right an’ then we can go, huh?”
17
Toby Dare nodded and smilingly waited as the launch chugged back alongside of his kicker.
“What yer think uv my ol’ battle-axe, hey, Inspector?” he asked, chuckling16.
“Battle-axe is a good word for her, Dare,” said the inspector solemnly. “Nothing describes her better.”
Toby Dare’s generous mouth seemed to tighten17 at the corners.
“What yer mean, Inspector?”
“How much did you pay for her?”
“Three hunderd—why?” Toby’s lips trembled a little and he searched the inspector’s face anxiously.
“Who’d you buy her from?” the inspector persisted.
“Ol’ Flint! Josiah Flint,” Toby answered suspiciously. “Why?”
“I thought it must be somebody like him. I hate to spring it on you, Dare, but you’ve paid three hundred dollars too much. She’s not worth a dime18.”
Toby Dare cleared his throat and a strange look came into his kindly20 gray eyes.
“Inspector ——, yer mean this here barge ain’t....” he began.
18
“She’s not seaworthy,” the inspector interposed as kindly as he could. “It’s not safe to keep her afloat, Dare. Flint gypped you. You should have had somebody look her over before you bought her—somebody that knew an up-and-coming barge from driftwood. That’s all you got on your hands, I’m sorry to say—driftwood. Her keel’s as rotten as a keel can possibly be.”
Toby Dare’s tanned, weather-beaten face went suddenly white and he made a funny little clicking noise with his tongue.
“The keel,” he muttered hoarsely21, “can’t I have ’er fixed22, Inspector—can’t I?”
Inspector Jones shook his head.
“It’d take more money than what you paid for the old hulk, Dare; more money than you’ve got, I guess.”
“I ain’t got a cent, Inspector, that’s the truth,” Toby said, choking on his words. “Every cent I had I paid Ol’ Flint an’—an’....”
Inspector Jones leaned toward the miserable23 man.
“Don’t take on so, Dare. Maybe the thing’s not as hopeless as it seems. If Josiah Flint’s got a spark of human feeling he’ll make good. Perhaps he didn’t realize what shape the barge was in when he sold her. He owns so many....”
19
“That’s jest it, Inspector,” said Toby, clenching24 his calloused25 hands. “Ol’ Flint ain’t got human feelin’. I worked fer him an’ I know. An’ fer a big ship-owner like him, he knows every craft he owns like a book. Now that I think uv it, I know he knew what he was sellin’ me! He knew I was dumb about them things an’ he took advantage uv it.” Dare looked down the harbor, glowing in the sunset, and his jaw26 was set determinedly27. “He smiled, Ol’ Flint did, when I forked over my jack28. He knew all the time!”
Skippy’s eyes were misty29 and he looked appealingly at Inspector Jones.
“Does that mean Pop can’t use the Minnie M. Baxter?” he faltered30.
The inspector averted31 his face from the boy’s pleading eyes.
“If you think you can’t appeal to Flint personally, Dare,” said he, “sue him. A lawyer’ll make him kick in.”
“Not from Ol’ Flint,” said Toby Dare hoarsely and looking straight across the river. “He’s too rich ter be sued. But there’s one way uv fixin’ him—one way!”
Inspector Jones motioned his men to start their craft on its way.
20
“Cheer up,” he said, glancing quickly from father to son. “You’ll get a break yet. The safest way to get after Flint, Toby, is to sue him. You’d certainly not get anywhere with him the way you feel now. Meanwhile, the safest place for the scow is up at the Basin. She’s just not safe even to be towed around the harbor.”
Skippy watched the long line of foam32 that the launch left in its wake. For a long time his misty eyes were fastened on the glistening33 bubbles dancing atop the water until he could no longer stand his father’s silence.
“Pop, Pop,” he stammered34, “can’t we go—go somewhere now?”
“Sure—sure,” said Toby brokenly. “We’re goin’ somewheres a’right. We’re goin’ ter the Basin where Jones told us to go with the Minnie M. Baxter.” He laughed sardonically35. “We’re goin’ ter put the ol’ battle-axe in dry-dock forever!”
“What’s that mean, Pop?” Skippy asked pathetically. “It sounds like you mean something terrible will happen to the Minnie M. Baxter.”
“It is terrible ter me—an’ ter you, Skippy boy,” mumbled36 Toby. “It means that the pore scow’s so rotten she ain’t fit fer nothin’ but ter be put high an’ dry in Brown’s Basin along with half a hunderd other rotten scows. It’s way in the inlet an’ folks live in them scows like I guess you an’ me’ll have ter till I kin19 think what next.”
21
“Then all those other barges37 like ours can never sail the harbor again, huh?” Skippy asked sadly. “They just sorta stay there till they rot an’ fall apart, is that it? Like as if they’re condemned38.”
“That’s the word, Skippy,” said Toby Dare bitterly. “The Minnie M. Baxter’s been condemned an’ you an’ me are condemned along with her.”
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收听单词发音
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1
reassured
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| 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) | |
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2
genially
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| adv.亲切地，和蔼地；快活地 | |
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3
heartily
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| adv.衷心地，诚恳地，十分，很 | |
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4
inspector
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| n.检查员，监察员，视察员 | |
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5
bland
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| adj.淡而无味的，温和的，无刺激性的 | |
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6
tempted
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| v.怂恿（某人）干不正当的事；冒…的险（tempt的过去分词） | |
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vehemently
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| adv. 热烈地 | |
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casually
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| adv.漠不关心地，无动于衷地，不负责任地 | |
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barge
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| n.平底载货船，驳船 | |
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10
mused
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| v.沉思，冥想( muse的过去式和过去分词 )；沉思自语说（某事） | |
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11
exultantly
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| adv.狂欢地，欢欣鼓舞地 | |
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12
specially
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| adv.特定地；特殊地；明确地 | |
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13
abashed
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| adj.窘迫的，尴尬的v.使羞愧，使局促，使窘迫( abash的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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14
spotted
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| adj.有斑点的，斑纹的，弄污了的 | |
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15
fore
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| adv.在前面；adj.先前的；在前部的；n.前部 | |
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16
chuckling
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| 轻声地笑( chuckle的现在分词 ) | |
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17
tighten
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| v.(使)变紧；(使)绷紧 | |
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18
dime
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| n.（指美国、加拿大的钱币）一角 | |
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19
kin
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| n.家族，亲属，血缘关系；adj.亲属关系的，同类的 | |
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20
kindly
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| adj.和蔼的，温和的，爽快的；adv.温和地，亲切地 | |
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21
hoarsely
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| adv.嘶哑地 | |
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22
fixed
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| adj.固定的，不变的，准备好的；(计算机)固定的 | |
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23
miserable
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| adj.悲惨的，痛苦的；可怜的，糟糕的 | |
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24
clenching
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| v.紧握，抓紧，咬紧( clench的现在分词 ) | |
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25
calloused
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| adj.粗糙的，粗硬的，起老茧的v.（使）硬结，（使）起茧( callous的过去式和过去分词 )；（使）冷酷无情 | |
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26
jaw
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| n.颚，颌，说教，流言蜚语；v.喋喋不休，教训 | |
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27
determinedly
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| adv.决意地；坚决地，坚定地 | |
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28
jack
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| n.插座，千斤顶，男人；v.抬起，提醒，扛举；n.（Jake）杰克 | |
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29
misty
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| adj.雾蒙蒙的，有雾的 | |
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30
faltered
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| （嗓音）颤抖( falter的过去式和过去分词 )； 支吾其词； 蹒跚； 摇晃 | |
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31
averted
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| 防止，避免( avert的过去式和过去分词 )； 转移 | |
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32
foam
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| v./n.泡沫，起泡沫 | |
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33
glistening
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| adj.闪耀的，反光的v.湿物闪耀，闪亮( glisten的现在分词 ) | |
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34
stammered
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| v.结巴地说出( stammer的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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35
sardonically
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| adv.讽刺地，冷嘲地 | |
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36
mumbled
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| 含糊地说某事，叽咕，咕哝( mumble的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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37
barges
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| 驳船( barge的名词复数 ) | |
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38
condemned
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| adj. 被责难的, 被宣告有罪的 动词condemn的过去式和过去分词 | |
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