CHAPTER X. MARK PROTECTS A FRIEND.

Squire¹ Collins succeeded in reducing the deacon's claim to thirty-eight dollars, and this sum James was obliged to withdraw from his savings² in the bank. He thought it was very hard, as the shooting was merely an accident. He was fond of money, scarcely less so than Deacon Miller³ himself, and it went to his heart to find himself so much poorer than before.

"It isn't as if I got any fun out of it," he complained to Tom. "It's just money thrown away."

"It is a heavy sum to pay for a trifling⁴ carelessness," admitted Tom.

"And I shouldn't have had a cent to pay but for John Downie. Why need the boy turn tell-tale?"

"It was mean."

"Mean? I should say so. I mean to come up with the fellow. I mean to give him the worst licking he ever had."

Even if Tom disapproved⁵ of the intention, he at any rate did not express any disapproval⁶, but left it to be understood that he considered it perfectly⁷ proper.

Three days later the opportunity came. Tom and James were crossing the pasture, which had been the scene of the tragedy, when John, whistling gayly, met them.

"Now's my chance," said James, triumphantly⁸. "There's the sneak⁹ that told of me. See how I'll serve him."

John Downie, seeing the boys approaching, nodded his head, saying in a friendly manner, "hello!"

"Oh, it's you, is it?" said James, in a hostile tone, stopping short.

"Yes, it's me. Who did you think it was?" returned John, laughing.

"I've been wanting to meet you, John Downie."

"What for?" asked John. He could not help seeing now that the speaker spoke¹⁰ like an enemy.

"To tell you that you are a sneak and a tell-tale."

"What do you mean by that?" demanded John, beginning himself to be angry.

"You ought to know without asking. Wasn't it you that told about my shooting old Whitey?"

"Well, you did shoot her, didn't you?"

"Suppose I did. You needn't have blurted¹¹ it out."

"The deacon charged Mark Manning with it. I wasn't going to see him suffer for it when I saw you do it."

"You're a great friend of Mark Manning, it seems," said James, with a sneer¹².

"Yes, I am; but, even if I hadn't been, I would have told. His mother is poor, and couldn't afford to pay for the cow."

"She'll be poorer yet before long, I'm thinking," said James. "Do you know what I'm going to do to you?"

"Perhaps you'll tell me," said John Downie, calmly.

"I'm going to give you a licking."

"If I'll let you."

James laughed derisively¹³; Johnny was two inches shorter than he, and so far as appearances went was not as strong. In a contest between the two, there was little doubt that James would come out the victor.

"I don't think you'll have much to say in the matter," said James. "Just move out of the way, Tom, and give me a chance at him."

Tom did as requested, and James rushed at John with an impetuosity born of anger. John prepared to defend himself. The boys were soon grappling, trying to trip each other up. Neither knew much of the science of fighting, and victory naturally came to the stronger. In about two minutes John was on his back, with James kneeling over him, aiming blows at his face.

"I told you I'd give you a licking," said James, closing his teeth, firmly.

"Oh, let him off, James," said Tom. "This ought to satisfy you."

"But it doesn't. I'm going to give him a lesson he'll remember all his life."

James undertook to belabor¹⁴ his fallen opponent, but he had been so preoccupied¹⁵ that he did not notice a boy running towards the scene of conflict, neither did Tom, who had his back turned.

Luckily for John, Mark Manning was on his way to call upon the hermit¹⁶, when he became an indignant witness of James's brutality¹⁷. He said nothing, but fairly flew across the pasture till he reached the battle-field. The first intimation James had of his presence was a vigorous grasp of his coat collar, and in an instant he was lying on his back close to his late victim, with Mark standing¹⁸ over him.

"I'm ashamed of you, James Collins," he said, sternly. "You're a contemptible¹⁹ coward to attack a smaller boy like Johnny."

"Knock him over, Tom," shrieked²⁰ James, furiously. "I'll give him a licking, too."

"It doesn't look much like it," said Mark, with his knee on James's breast.

"Help, Tom!" called James, struggling once more.

Tom felt obliged to take an active part in the fight, though it was by no means to his taste. He seized Mark by the shoulders, and tried to drag him away from his prostrate²¹ friend, but by this time John Downie was on his feet, and ran forward, giving Tom a push which sent him headlong on the other side of James.

"Let me up, you low ruffian!" screamed James.

"Will you promise to behave yourself, then?"

"I will promise nothing."

"Then you can stay here a little longer. What made you attack Johnny?"

"It's none of your business. I'll lick him as often as I please."

"Not while I am around. Johnny, what made him attack you?"

"He said I was a tell-tale, because I told of his shooting the cow."

"And so you are! Let me up, Mark Manning."

"Will you promise?"

"No, I won't."

"Let him up, Mark," said Johnny. "He won't dare to attack me while you are here."

"No, I think not. Get up then, James, and take care how you pitch into Johnny again. Just as sure as you do, you'll have to settle accounts with me."

Released from the pressure that held him down, James rose, angry and humiliated²². He would sooner have been worsted by any one than Mark, whom, for some reason not easy to divine, he especially hated.

"You took me at advantage," he said, sullenly²³, "or you couldn't have thrown me."

"Do you want to try it again?" asked Mark, quietly. "Now we stand face to face, and you have as fair a chance as I."

"I don't care to demean myself by fighting with such a low working boy as you."

"I commend your prudence²⁴, James," said Mark, undisturbed by this taunt²⁵. "As for being a working boy, I am not ashamed of that."

"You're only a common pegger."

"Very true, I hope to rise higher some time."

"You won't work much longer in my father's shop. I'll have you discharged."

"Just as you please. I think I can earn a living in some other way. Come, Johnny, if James has no further business with you, we may as well go along."

James, appearing to have no wish to resume hostilities²⁶, Mark and Johnny walked away.

"You won't hear the last of this very soon," said James, as a farewell shot.

"Do you think he'll get his father to discharge you, Mark?" asked Johnny.

"I think very likely."

"I am very sorry you have got into trouble on my account."

"Don't worry, Johnny. I did right, and am ready to take the consequences."

1 squire   

n.护卫, 侍从, 乡绅

参考例句：

• I told him the squire was the most liberal of men.我告诉他乡绅是世界上最宽宏大量的人。
• The squire was hard at work at Bristol.乡绅在布里斯托尔热衷于他的工作。

2 savings   

n.存款，储蓄

参考例句：

• I can't afford the vacation,for it would eat up my savings.我度不起假，那样会把我的积蓄用光的。
• By this time he had used up all his savings.到这时，他的存款已全部用完。

3 miller   

n.磨坊主

参考例句：

• Every miller draws water to his own mill.磨坊主都往自己磨里注水。
• The skilful miller killed millions of lions with his ski.技术娴熟的磨坊主用雪橇杀死了上百万头狮子。

4 trifling   

adj.微不足道的；没什么价值的

参考例句：

• They quarreled over a trifling matter.他们为这种微不足道的事情争吵。
• So far Europe has no doubt, gained a real conveniency,though surely a very trifling one.直到现在为止,欧洲无疑地已经获得了实在的便利，不过那确是一种微不足道的便利。

5 disapproved   

v.不赞成( disapprove的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• My parents disapproved of my marriage. 我父母不赞成我的婚事。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• She disapproved of her son's indiscriminate television viewing. 她不赞成儿子不加选择地收看电视。 来自《简明英汉词典》

6 disapproval   

n.反对，不赞成

参考例句：

• The teacher made an outward show of disapproval.老师表面上表示不同意。
• They shouted their disapproval.他们喊叫表示反对。

7 perfectly   

adv.完美地，无可非议地，彻底地

参考例句：

• The witnesses were each perfectly certain of what they said.证人们个个对自己所说的话十分肯定。
• Everything that we're doing is all perfectly above board.我们做的每件事情都是光明正大的。

8 triumphantly   

ad.得意洋洋地；得胜地；成功地

参考例句：

• The lion was roaring triumphantly. 狮子正在发出胜利的吼叫。
• Robert was looking at me triumphantly. 罗伯特正得意扬扬地看着我。

9 sneak   

vt.潜行(隐藏,填石缝)；偷偷摸摸做；n.潜行；adj.暗中进行

参考例句：

• He raised his spear and sneak forward.他提起长矛悄悄地前进。
• I saw him sneak away from us.我看见他悄悄地从我们身边走开。

10 spoke   

n.（车轮的）辐条；轮辐；破坏某人的计划；阻挠某人的行动 v.讲，谈（speak的过去式）；说；演说；从某种观点来说

参考例句：

• They sourced the spoke nuts from our company.他们的轮辐螺帽是从我们公司获得的。
• The spokes of a wheel are the bars that connect the outer ring to the centre.辐条是轮子上连接外圈与中心的条棒。

11 blurted   

v.突然说出，脱口而出( blurt的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• She blurted it out before I could stop her. 我还没来得及制止，她已脱口而出。
• He blurted out the truth, that he committed the crime. 他不慎说出了真相，说是他犯了那个罪。 来自《简明英汉词典》

12 sneer   

v.轻蔑；嘲笑；n.嘲笑，讥讽的言语

参考例句：

• He said with a sneer.他的话中带有嘲笑之意。
• You may sneer,but a lot of people like this kind of music.你可以嗤之以鼻，但很多人喜欢这种音乐。

13 derisively   

adv. 嘲笑地，嘲弄地

参考例句：

• This answer came derisively from several places at the same instant. 好几个人都不约而同地以讥讽的口吻作出回答。
• The others laughed derisively. 其余的人不以为然地笑了起来。

14 belabor   

vt.痛斥；作过长说明

参考例句：

• Don't belabor the point.别再罗嗦这事儿了。
• He seems to be looking for a man of straw to belabor.他看来在找一个假想的敌人来加以痛打。

15 preoccupied   

adj.全神贯注的，入神的；被抢先占有的；心事重重的v.占据（某人）思想，使对…全神贯注，使专心于( preoccupy的过去式)

参考例句：

• He was too preoccupied with his own thoughts to notice anything wrong. 他只顾想着心事，没注意到有什么不对。
• The question of going to the Mount Tai preoccupied his mind. 去游泰山的问题盘踞在他心头。 来自《简明英汉词典》

16 hermit   

n.隐士，修道者；隐居

参考例句：

• He became a hermit after he was dismissed from office.他被解职后成了隐士。
• Chinese ancient landscape poetry was in natural connections with hermit culture.中国古代山水诗与隐士文化有着天然联系。

17 brutality   

n.野蛮的行为，残忍，野蛮

参考例句：

• The brutality of the crime has appalled the public. 罪行之残暴使公众大为震惊。
• a general who was infamous for his brutality 因残忍而恶名昭彰的将军

18 standing   

n.持续，地位；adj.永久的，不动的，直立的，不流动的

参考例句：

• After the earthquake only a few houses were left standing.地震过后只有几幢房屋还立着。
• They're standing out against any change in the law.他们坚决反对对法律做任何修改。

19 contemptible   

adj.可鄙的，可轻视的，卑劣的

参考例句：

• His personal presence is unimpressive and his speech contemptible.他气貌不扬，言语粗俗。
• That was a contemptible trick to play on a friend.那是对朋友玩弄的一出可鄙的把戏。

20 shrieked   

v.尖叫( shriek的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• She shrieked in fright. 她吓得尖叫起来。
• Li Mei-t'ing gave a shout, and Lu Tzu-hsiao shrieked, "Tell what? 李梅亭大声叫，陆子潇尖声叫：“告诉什么？ 来自汉英文学 - 围城

21 prostrate   

v.拜倒，平卧，衰竭；adj.拜倒的，平卧的，衰竭的

参考例句：

• She was prostrate on the floor.她俯卧在地板上。
• The Yankees had the South prostrate and they intended to keep It'so.北方佬已经使南方屈服了,他们还打算继续下去。

22 humiliated   

感到羞愧的

参考例句：

• Parents are humiliated if their children behave badly when guests are present. 子女在客人面前举止失当，父母也失体面。
• He was ashamed and bitterly humiliated. 他感到羞耻，丢尽了面子。

23 sullenly   

不高兴地，绷着脸，忧郁地

参考例句：

• 'so what?" Tom said sullenly. “那又怎么样呢？”汤姆绷着脸说。
• Emptiness after the paper, I sIt'sullenly in front of the stove. 报看完，想不出能找点什么事做，只好一人坐在火炉旁生气。

24 prudence   

n.谨慎，精明，节俭

参考例句：

• A lack of prudence may lead to financial problems.不够谨慎可能会导致财政上出现问题。
• The happy impute all their success to prudence or merit.幸运者都把他们的成功归因于谨慎或功德。

25 taunt   

n.辱骂，嘲弄；v.嘲弄

参考例句：

• He became a taunt to his neighbours.他成了邻居们嘲讽的对象。
• Why do the other children taunt him with having red hair?为什么别的小孩子讥笑他有红头发？

26 hostilities   

n.战争；敌意(hostility的复数)；敌对状态；战事

参考例句：

• Mexico called for an immediate cessation of hostilities. 墨西哥要求立即停止敌对行动。
• All the old hostilities resurfaced when they met again. 他们再次碰面时，过去的种种敌意又都冒了出来。