"Do you mean to say, Mark Manning, that you think the critter shot herself in the face?" he demanded, sharply.
"No, Deacon Miller1, I have no such idea."
"That's the same as admittin' that you shot her," said the deacon, triumphantly2.
"No, it isn't, deacon. I didn't shoot her, but I have no doubt some one else did."
"It may have been the cat," remarked the deacon, with a return to sarcasm3.
"It was probably a two-legged cat," said Mark.
"Jest my idee!" remarked the deacon, quickly, "An' that brings it home to you. You was out with a gun, an' I caught you standin' beside the cow."
"As to catching4 me," returned Mark, "there was no catching about it. I was crossing the pasture, and was attracted by the poor animal's moans. That is the way I happened to be near when you came up."
"That all sounds very smooth," said the deacon, impatiently, "but if you didn't shoot the cow, who did?"
"I think that question can be answered, Deacon Miller; John Downie!"
To the deacon's surprise, John came into the room at this summons.
"Johnny," said Mark, "will you tell the deacon who shot his cow!"
"I don't like to tell," objected John; "it wasn't done on purpose."
"Did you do it?" queried5 the deacon, sharply.
"No, sir. I never fired a gun in my life."
"Who did it, then?"
"Must I tell, Mark?"
"Yes, Johnny; Deacon Miller has a right to know; even if it was not done on purpose, the one who did it ought to make good the loss."
"That's where you speak sense, Mark," said the deacon, approvingly.
"Then it was Jim Collins."
"James Collins—the squire6's son!" repeated the deacon, astonished.
"Yes."
John proceeded to tell the story once more. The deacon, it is needless to say, listened very attentively7.
"So the boys run away, did they?" he inquired, grimly.
"Yes, sir."
"And I s'pose you'd have run away, too, if you had done it, hey?"
"Perhaps I might," answered John, ingenuously8. "I s'pose they were scared."
"I'll scare 'em," growled9 the deacon. "Squire Collins is able to make up the loss to me, and I mean he shall." Then, with a momentary10 suspicion, "This ain't a story you an' Mark have got up between you, to get him off, is it?"
"I will answer that, Deacon Miller," said Mark firmly. "If I had shot your cow, I wouldn't have run away, but I'd have gone right to you and told you about it, and I'd have paid you just as soon as I could."
"That's right, that's right," said the deacon, approvingly, beginning to regard Mark with more favor. "Well, I must go and see the squire. Here, you John Downie, come along with me."
"I've got to go home," said John.
"But I can't prove it without you."
"You can tell the squire that I saw it done, and am ready to swear to it, if he wants me to."
"Mebbe that'll do if I send for you, you'll come, hey?"
"Yes, sir."
The deacon did not feel disposed to postpone11 what he regarded as important business, and he left the cottage, taking the shortest direction to the squire's more imposing12 dwelling13. We will precede him.
James Collins and his friend, as already described, ran away as fast as their legs could carry them, when they ascertained14 what damage had been done.
No one, so far as they knew, had seen them, and they hoped to escape, scot free.
Tom accompanied James home, and stayed to supper. After supper the boys went out, and had a conference together.
James felt a little nervous, though he believed that he was safe from incurring15 suspicion.
"I wonder if the deacon has found old Whitey yet?" said James.
"I guess so," answered Tom. "He usually goes after the cows before this."
"I wonder how he'll think it happened?"
"Maybe he'll lay it to Mark."
James was not very much disturbed at this supposition.
"That would be a good joke!" he said.
"Not for Mark."
"Mark can take care of himself. He was out with a gun as well as we."
"His mother couldn't afford to pay for the cow," said Tom, who was rather more considerate than his companion.
"That's none of my business. And, Tom, there's something I want to say to you."
"Go ahead!"
"If Mark is accused, don't you go to saying it's a mistake. Remember it's none of your business."
Tom looked uncomfortable, having some conscience.
"It would be rough on a poor woman like Mrs. Manning having to pay for the deacon's cow."
"You're mighty16 considerate, Tom. You might consider me a little. If it were known that I shot the cow, father would make me pay at least half the bill out of my money in the savings17' bank. I thought you were my friend!"
"So I am."
"Then you won't betray me. As for Mark, the deacon can't prove it against him, so he won't have to pay."
"Then the deacon will lose his cow, and get no pay."
"He can afford it. He's a stingy old lunks, anyway."
"That's true enough."
"And it won't ruin him if he does lose the cow. He's able to buy another."
It struck Tom, though he was not over conscientious18, that this was not exactly the way to regard the matter, but he did not like to offend James, and he had ventured to oppose him more than usual already. So he remained silent.
James was not quite satisfied with his friend. He was not altogether sure of his fidelity19.
"I've got only one thing to say, Tom," he added. "If you go back on me, and breathe a word of what happened in the pasture, I'll never speak to you again as long as I live."
"Who's going back on you? did I say I was?" demanded Tom rather irritably20.
"All right, then; I only wanted to have the thing understood between us, I didn't really think you would be mean enough to tell."
So a satisfactory understanding was established between the two boys, and it looked as if Mark was likely to be the victim of their alliance.
But just when James was beginning to feel secure, he was startled by an apparition22 just looming23 in sight on the highway. It was not a formidable figure—that of Deacon Miller—but under the circumstances James turned pale and his heart began to beat.
"Tom," he gasped24; "isn't that Deacon Miller coming up the road?"
"It's the deacon sure enough!" answered Tom, looking disconcerted.
"Do you think he's coming here?" queried James nervously25.
"Looks like it?" muttered Tom.
"Do you think he can have——heard anything?"
"Perhaps he heard that we were out with guns?" suggested Tom. "He may have come to make inquiries26."
"Just so, now, Tom, be careful not to look as if there was anything the matter. We'll be extra polite to the old fellow."
"All right!"
"He may not be coming here after all."
But he was! arrived at the gate Deacon Miller paused, and opening it entered the front yard. He looked sharply at the two boys who were standing21 on the lawn.
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1
miller
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| n.磨坊主 | |
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2
triumphantly
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| ad.得意洋洋地；得胜地；成功地 | |
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sarcasm
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| n.讥讽，讽刺，嘲弄，反话 （adj.sarcastic） | |
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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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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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squire
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| n.护卫, 侍从, 乡绅 | |
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attentively
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| adv.聚精会神地；周到地；谛；凝神 | |
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8
ingenuously
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| adv.率直地，正直地 | |
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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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10
momentary
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| adj.片刻的，瞬息的；短暂的 | |
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postpone
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| v.延期，推迟 | |
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imposing
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| adj.使人难忘的，壮丽的，堂皇的，雄伟的 | |
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13
dwelling
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| n.住宅，住所，寓所 | |
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14
ascertained
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| v.弄清，确定，查明( ascertain的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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15
incurring
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| 遭受，招致，引起( incur的现在分词 ) | |
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16
mighty
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| adj.强有力的；巨大的 | |
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savings
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| n.存款，储蓄 | |
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18
conscientious
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| adj.审慎正直的，认真的，本着良心的 | |
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fidelity
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| n.忠诚，忠实；精确 | |
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irritably
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| ad.易生气地 | |
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standing
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| n.持续，地位；adj.永久的，不动的，直立的，不流动的 | |
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apparition
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| n.幽灵，神奇的现象 | |
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23
looming
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| n.上现蜃景（光通过低层大气发生异常折射形成的一种海市蜃楼）v.隐约出现，阴森地逼近( loom的现在分词 )；隐约出现，阴森地逼近 | |
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24
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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nervously
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| adv.神情激动地，不安地 | |
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inquiries
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| n.调查( inquiry的名词复数 )；疑问；探究；打听 | |
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