He lay on a rough shelf, rather than bunk, on a pile of dirty blankets. Another frowsy covering was thrown over him. Above him were beams and cross planks3 by which he would have known, even had it not been for the motion, that he was on board a vessel4 of some sort.
The place in which he found himself was clearly a small cabin. In the center of the forward bulkhead stood a rusty5 stove with a high rail to keep the pots and pans simmering on it from sliding off under the motion of the ship.
Some sea clothes swung from a line stretched[Pg 174] across the ceiling. In a corner, against a locker7, stood some hip6 boots, above which oil-skin coats were hung. The place was dirty, stuffy9 and smoky to the last degree. The last mentioned attribute was not improved by the sooty radiance from a dim lantern swinging from one of the carlines.
"Where on earth—what——?" muttered Ned, raising himself on one arm as he made his survey.
And then, like the inrush of the tide, memory came back.
The storm, the wild ride of the motor boat! The confession10 of Kenworth, the yielding of the note book, and then the last terrible scene when the immense black mountain that towered above them for a flash had engulfed11 and broken them!
Ned felt weak and dizzy. But his mind rapidly cleared. He had a vague recollection of having been struck a blow when the motor boat was cut in half. Beyond that he knew nothing more.[Pg 175] Yet he must have been rescued. Determined12 to unravel13 the mystery and also to ascertain14 if possible what had become of Kenworth and Saki, he made an effort to rise.
But he was so weak that it was some moments after he had made the first attempt that he succeeded. His coat hung near him on a hook. His shirt and trousers he had on. His first action, when he reached for his coat, was to dive into its pockets in search of the book he had forced from Kenworth.
He gave an exclamation15 of satisfaction as he felt its outlines and drew it forth16. It was damp, but not wet within its covers, for the outside of the volume that contained so many of Uncle Sam's secrets was clasped tightly by a strong rubber band. This had kept the water from smudging any of the drawings or writing.
But Ned just then did not give much thought to the book, precious to him though it was. His main object was to discover just where he was[Pg 176] and how he came there. There was a steep little stairway, or ladder, opposite the stove.
Ned climbed it and found himself on the stern deck of a small schooner17. She was spanking18 along, eating her way up against a head breeze while great clouds of sparkling spray tossed over her thundering, pounding bow.
Standing19 beside the wheel was a short, thick-set man with iron-gray whiskers shot with reddish hair. He was roughly dressed and a pipe,—short and thick like himself,—was in his mouth.
By his side sat a one-eyed black and white dog, with one ear cropped and the other hanging down dejectedly. Forward, Ned saw two men attending to the jib sheets as the schooner came about and went away on another tack20.
The man at the wheel being too busy in attending to this maneuver21 to notice Ned, the Dreadnought Boy, with the thunder of the shivering sails in his ears, looked about him.[Pg 177] He instantly recognized their whereabouts. The schooner was crossing New York Bay.
Looking back he could see the battlemented spires22 and domes23 of the skyscrapers24 on the lower end of Manhattan Island, and further up the East River the spidery outlines of Brooklyn Bridge. Ferryboats moved rapidly to and from Staten Island, and close at hand a big tramp was coming along, making for her dock in the Erie Basin.
As the rattle25 and bang of the sails ceased as they took the wind and the schooner filed off on the other tack, the thick-set man at the wheel gave his attention to Ned. So did the dog. It came sniffing26 around his ankles growling27 ominously28.
The bearded man removed his pipe.
"Here you, Tops'l, go off on another tack, d'ye hear? Starboard, hard over!"
The sea-going canine29 appeared to understand,[Pg 178] for it relinquished30 its scrutiny31 of Ned and came over to its master.
"Inter32 drydock with you, you flea-chawed stepson of a coyote," grunted33 the man, and then he was free to turn his attention to Ned.
"Hello!" he grunted gruffly. "How yer feelin'?"
"Pretty good, thanks," responded Ned. "I guess it's you I have to thank for saving me from the Sound last night, for I see by the sun that its near noon of another day."
"'Tis that. We lost a lot of time down ther East River. It's gittin' so that tugs34 clutters35 up the river worser nor taxicabs does the streets. But we come down under sail. No fifteen dollars down fer me, thank you."
He looked oddly at Ned from under his bushy eyebrows36.
"Can you anyways recall jes' what happened las' night?" he asked presently.
Ned shook his head.
[Pg 179]
"I've not the least idea," he said. "All I know is that something cut our motor boat in two and then everything got dark. By the bump I've got on my head, I imagine something hit me. But there were two other men in the boat with me. Do you know anything about them?"
The bushy brows contracted. The man looked away, removed his pipe, spat37 reflectively and then faced Ned again.
"I don't know nuthin' about nobody but you," he said, in the same odd way, and then he returned to his previous question.
"You don't recklect nuthin' more'n what you told me?"
"That is absolutely all," rejoined Ned, puzzled by the man's insistence38 on this one question.
"Well, then it weren't me as run you down. I don't want no claim for damages on the Twin Sisters."
"You won't have any, so far as I'm concerned,"[Pg 180] said Ned, a light beginning to dawn upon him; "but tell me how you came to pick me up?"
"I'll tell you the way of it, no deception39 and no lies," said the bushy-browed man. "Cap'n Lemuel Briggs ain't the man to lie. Look at me. Do I look like a man who would inwent of malice40 aforethought a faberrycation?"
"You don't," replied Ned, inwardly thinking that Captain Briggs did not to any vast extent measure up to his description of himself.
"Very well, then, matey, you shall have the truth on it," said Captain Briggs, with a fine open air. "There ain't a man from here plumb41 to the Pearly Gates that could ever accuse me of ex-er-ager-ation.
"Arter we—that is, arter we seen that other schooner run yer down, I puts my wheel hard over. Then I sends a man up in the bow to look out fer anyone that he could save, me being one of the most humane42 skippers that ever used a handspike on a frisky43 deckhand. He climbs[Pg 181] down into the bobstay riggin' and the first thing he catches sight of is you, right under the bow. He grabs you and we gets you on deck and puts you to bed, and now here you are up again, bright and spry, and ready to pay liberal for yer rescue, I hopes."
Ned looked embarrassed. Although he was pretty sure that Captain Briggs' schooner, despite the captain's asseverations to the contrary, was the one that had run down the motor boat, he still felt grateful to the man for being the means of saving his life. But his pocketbook had been stolen by Kenworth and Saki, no doubt in the hope that it might contain papers of value.
He was penniless. His embarrassment44 must have showed pretty plainly on his face, for Captain Briggs gave a wave of his hand.
"That's all right, matey," he said magnanimously. "I kin8 see that you come of good folks and kin pay well. If you ain't got much with[Pg 182] you now, you can write me a check or we'll wait till you can take me to your folks."
"But I haven't any folks here, nor have I a check-book or any large sums of money anywhere," said Ned, perplexed45 about getting out of this unforeseen difficulty. "Where are you bound for?" he added.
The captain looked cunning. He laid his finger to one side of his pimply46, bottle-shaped nose.
"That's a bit of a secret, my lad. But I don't mind telling you this. It's on the Jersey47 shore above Perth Amboy."
"Very well, then," said Ned relieved, "you put me ashore48 in Perth Amboy and I'll send you whatever money I can raise to any address you give."
The captain stared at him as if in deep thought. For a moment he said nothing. Then he found words.
"Ain't you a nice one ter try yer deceivin' ways on poor ole Cap'n Briggs?" said he in an injured[Pg 183] tone. "Fellers like you ain't ridin' roun' in motor boats with no money to do it on. You'll stay right here with me till you send for a messenger or telegraft or find some way to have the money paid right over to me."
"How much do you want?" asked Ned.
"Three hundred dollars, my lad, and little enough that is to a young millionaire like you."
"But I couldn't get that much, anyhow," gasped49 Ned.
"Then I'm werry sorry to be obleeged to state that you'll stay here with me until yer do," responded Cap'n Briggs.
He cast a cunning glance at Ned from under his bushy brows out of his bleary, blood-shot eyes. Then he dived into his pocket and produced a large flask50.
"I won't treat you no ways mean. Have a drink, matey?" he asked.
"I wouldn't touch the stuff," said Ned, who[Pg 184] began to see a partial reason for the captain's obstinacy51.
The captain shrugged52 his shoulders and took a long pull. Then, wiping his mouth with the back of his hand, he replaced the bottle and gave an order to "Haul sheets and go about once more."
"Looks like I'm destined53 to get into tight places that I can never explain to anyone's satisfaction," mournfully muttered Ned to himself, as the little schooner yawed and pitched and finally clawed her way round on the other tack.
点击
收听单词发音
收听单词发音 |
1
bunk
|
|
| n.(车、船等倚壁而设的)铺位；废话 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
2
dispelled
|
|
| v.驱散，赶跑( dispel的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
3
planks
|
|
| （厚）木板( plank的名词复数 )； 政纲条目，政策要点 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
4
vessel
|
|
| n.船舶；容器，器皿；管，导管，血管 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
5
rusty
|
|
| adj.生锈的；锈色的；荒废了的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
6
hip
|
|
| n.臀部，髋；屋脊 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
7
locker
|
|
| n.更衣箱，储物柜，冷藏室，上锁的人 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
8
kin
|
|
| n.家族，亲属，血缘关系；adj.亲属关系的，同类的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
9
stuffy
|
|
| adj.不透气的，闷热的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
10
confession
|
|
| n.自白，供认，承认 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
11
engulfed
|
|
| v.吞没，包住( engulf的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
12
determined
|
|
| adj.坚定的；有决心的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
13
unravel
|
|
| v.弄清楚（秘密）；拆开，解开，松开 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
14
ascertain
|
|
| vt.发现，确定，查明，弄清 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
15
exclamation
|
|
| n.感叹号，惊呼，惊叹词 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
16
forth
|
|
| adv.向前；向外，往外 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
17
schooner
|
|
| n.纵帆船 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
18
spanking
|
|
| adj.强烈的，疾行的；n.打屁股 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
19
standing
|
|
| n.持续，地位；adj.永久的，不动的，直立的，不流动的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
20
tack
|
|
| n.大头钉；假缝，粗缝 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
21
maneuver
|
|
| n.策略[pl.]演习；v.(巧妙)控制；用策略 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
22
spires
|
|
| n.（教堂的） 塔尖，尖顶( spire的名词复数 ) | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
23
domes
|
|
| n.圆屋顶( dome的名词复数 )；像圆屋顶一样的东西；圆顶体育场 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
24
skyscrapers
|
|
| n.摩天大楼 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
25
rattle
|
|
| v.飞奔，碰响；激怒；n.碰撞声；拨浪鼓 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
26
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： |
|
|
|
|
27
growling
|
|
| n.吠声, 咆哮声 v.怒吠, 咆哮, 吼 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
28
ominously
|
|
| adv.恶兆地，不吉利地；预示地 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
29
canine
|
|
| adj.犬的，犬科的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
30
relinquished
|
|
| 交出，让给( relinquish的过去式和过去分词 )； 放弃 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
31
scrutiny
|
|
| n.详细检查，仔细观察 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
32
inter
|
|
| v.埋葬 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
33
grunted
|
|
| （猪等）作呼噜声( grunt的过去式和过去分词 )； （指人）发出类似的哼声； 咕哝着说 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
34
tugs
|
|
| n.猛拉( tug的名词复数 )；猛拖；拖船v.用力拉，使劲拉，猛扯( tug的第三人称单数 ) | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
35
clutters
|
|
| n.杂物，零乱的东西零乱vt.( clutter的名词复数 )；乱糟糟地堆满，把…弄得很乱；（以…） 塞满…v.杂物，零乱的东西零乱vt.( clutter的第三人称单数 )；乱糟糟地堆满，把…弄得很乱；（以…） 塞满… | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
36
eyebrows
|
|
| 眉毛( eyebrow的名词复数 ) | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
37
spat
|
|
| n.口角，掌击；v.发出呼噜呼噜声 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
38
insistence
|
|
| n.坚持；强调；坚决主张 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
39
deception
|
|
| n.欺骗，欺诈；骗局，诡计 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
40
malice
|
|
| n.恶意，怨恨，蓄意；[律]预谋 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
41
plumb
|
|
| adv.精确地，完全地；v.了解意义，测水深 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
42
humane
|
|
| adj.人道的，富有同情心的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
43
frisky
|
|
| adj.活泼的，欢闹的；n.活泼，闹着玩；adv.活泼地，闹着玩地 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
44
embarrassment
|
|
| n.尴尬；使人为难的人(事物)；障碍；窘迫 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
45
perplexed
|
|
| adj.不知所措的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
46
pimply
|
|
| adj.肿泡的；有疙瘩的；多粉刺的；有丘疹的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
47
jersey
|
|
| n.运动衫 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
48
ashore
|
|
| adv.在(向)岸上，上岸 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
49
gasped
|
|
| v.喘气( gasp的过去式和过去分词 )；喘息；倒抽气；很想要 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
50
flask
|
|
| n.瓶，火药筒，砂箱 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
51
obstinacy
|
|
| n.顽固；（病痛等）难治 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
52
shrugged
|
|
| vt.耸肩（shrug的过去式与过去分词形式） | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
53
destined
|
|
| adj.命中注定的；(for)以…为目的地的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
| 欢迎访问英文小说网 |