CHAPTER XXXIV THE GREAT ADVENTURE

Skippy had two things to show his delighted father when they met at the railroad station a few weeks later, by which time Skinner had confessed murdering Josiah Flint when mad with rage at having been caught stealing, and Skippy’s grief over Big Joe’s death had become less poignant¹. One was the gawky Mugs and the other a little satchel² which he carried under his arm with the greatest care.

“What’s in there, Skippy son?” Toby asked after their outstretched arms had clung in an awkward embrace.

Skippy winked³ at his father mysteriously.

“I waited to tell you now, Pop—sort of as a surprise. It’s what Buck⁴ Flint calls redress⁵ money—money that Old Flint should have paid you and didn’t. And he says it’s for the price of the Minnie M. Baxter too. Altogether he said he figured Old Flint owed you a thousand dollars with interest—see Pop?”
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Toby was overwhelmed.

“What we a-goin’ ter do with it, son?” he wanted to know.

“Whatever you say, Pop. There’s enough to buy another Minnie M. Baxter and more besides, huh? An’ there’s enough to buy a nice hot dog stand somewheres up in the mountains where the doctor said I wouldn’t have no more bad throats. So what do you say, Pop?”

“Mountains, Skippy boy,” said Toby with shining eyes. “We’ll call our stand the Minnie Baxter jest the same, hey? ’Cause didn’t she sort uv bring us luck in the end, after all? How’d we got all this money if she hadn’t uv burned up and that helped ter show up Skinner and made Buck Flint feel sorry and that he ought ter make good. Yessir we’ll call her that.”

A train announcer sauntered out of the big iron gates and in his sonorous⁶ voice called out, “Mountain Express on Track Number Four ... Cold Glen ... Pine Ridge⁷ ... Baxter....”

“Did yer hear that, Skippy?” asked Toby excitedly. “There’s a place in them mountains what’s called Baxter! Seems like as if it was Fate or somethin’! S’pose we jest try her fer luck. What do you say?”
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“I’m on, Pop,” Skippy cried joyfully⁸. “Baxter for luck!”

And arm in arm, Skippy and Toby, with Mugs sniffing⁹ at their heels, darted¹⁰ through the big iron gates on their Great Adventure.

The End

1 poignant   

adj.令人痛苦的，辛酸的，惨痛的

参考例句：

• His lyrics are as acerbic and poignant as they ever have been.他的歌词一如既往的犀利辛辣。
• It is especially poignant that he died on the day before his wedding.他在婚礼前一天去世了，这尤其令人悲恸。

2 satchel   

n.(皮或帆布的)书包

参考例句：

• The school boy opened the door and flung his satchel in.那个男学生打开门，把他的书包甩了进去。
• She opened her satchel and took out her father's gloves.打开书箱，取出了她父亲的手套来。

3 winked   

v.使眼色( wink的过去式和过去分词 )；递眼色（表示友好或高兴等）；（指光）闪烁；闪亮

参考例句：

• He winked at her and she knew he was thinking the same thing that she was. 他冲她眨了眨眼，她便知道他的想法和她一样。
• He winked his eyes at her and left the classroom. 他向她眨巴一下眼睛走出了教室。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》

4 buck   

n.雄鹿，雄兔；v.马离地跳跃

参考例句：

• The boy bent curiously to the skeleton of the buck.这个男孩好奇地弯下身去看鹿的骸骨。
• The female deer attracts the buck with high-pitched sounds.雌鹿以尖声吸引雄鹿。

5 redress   

n.赔偿，救济，矫正；v.纠正，匡正，革除

参考例句：

• He did all that he possibly could to redress the wrongs.他尽了一切努力革除弊端。
• Any man deserves redress if he has been injured unfairly.任何人若蒙受不公平的损害都应获得赔偿。

6 sonorous   

adj.响亮的，回响的；adv.圆润低沉地；感人地；n.感人，堂皇

参考例句：

• The sonorous voice of the speaker echoed round the room.那位演讲人洪亮的声音在室内回荡。
• He has a deep sonorous voice.他的声音深沉而洪亮。

7 ridge   

n.山脊；鼻梁；分水岭

参考例句：

• We clambered up the hillside to the ridge above.我们沿着山坡费力地爬上了山脊。
• The infantry were advancing to attack the ridge.步兵部队正在向前挺进攻打山脊。

8 joyfully   

adv. 喜悦地, 高兴地

参考例句：

• She tripped along joyfully as if treading on air. 她高兴地走着，脚底下轻飘飘的。
• During these first weeks she slaved joyfully. 在最初的几周里，她干得很高兴。

9 sniffing   

n.探查法v.以鼻吸气，嗅，闻( sniff的现在分词 )；抽鼻子（尤指哭泣、患感冒等时出声地用鼻子吸气）；抱怨，不以为然地说

参考例句：

• We all had colds and couldn't stop sniffing and sneezing. 我们都感冒了，一个劲地抽鼻子，打喷嚏。
• They all had colds and were sniffing and sneezing. 他们都伤风了，呼呼喘气而且打喷嚏。 来自《现代英汉综合大词典》

10 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：

• The lizard darted out its tongue at the insect. 蜥蜴伸出舌头去吃小昆虫。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• The old man was displeased and darted an angry look at me. 老人不高兴了，瞪了我一眼。 来自《简明英汉词典》