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CHAPTER XVIII ON THE WAY EAST
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“Well, boys, I certainly wish you luck.”

It was John Hixon who spoke1, as he shook hands with Dave and Roger at the railroad station on the following morning.

As arranged, the party of three had had an early breakfast and had lost no time in riding over to the railroad station. They had found the train half an hour late, and Dave had lost no time in sending a telegram to Crumville stating that he and Roger were on the way, and asking that if there was anything of importance to communicate, to send them word either at St. Paul or Chicago.

The two youths had no accommodations on the train, which was made up of sleeping-cars, an observation-car and a diner. They had made up their minds that they would journey on the train even if they had to sit up in a smoking compartment2. But the cars proved to be less than three-quarters filled, and they had but little trouble in obtaining a section. Then they settled down as best they could for the long journey to Chicago, 184where, of course, they would have to change for the train to the East. They paid for their passage only as far as St. Paul, so that they might leave the train at that city if a telegram was received assuring them that everything was all right.

“But I’m afraid we won’t have any such luck, Roger,” observed Dave, in speaking of this possibility.

“You can’t tell,” answered the senator’s son hopefully. “It’s just possible that Laura and Jessie may have returned home and explained their disappearance3.”

“They’d never stay away so long without sending some word, I’m certain of that,” answered our hero emphatically. “They are not that kind of girls.”

“It certainly would seem so, Dave. But you must remember they may have sent some kind of word, and it may not have been received. They may have met some friends, sent a message, and gone off on an automobile4 tour or a motor-boat voyage.”

Dave shook his head. “It won’t do, Roger. I know Laura and Jessie too well. They would want to make sure that the folks at home knew where they were. And they would send us word too. Besides that, they wouldn’t go off on any extended trip, such as you mention, unless they had permission from my father and Mrs. Wadsworth.”

185All through the morning the two young civil engineers discussed the situation from every possible angle, but without arriving at any satisfactory conclusion. At noon they partook of lunch in the dining-car, making this repast last as long as possible, “just to kill time,” as Roger expressed it.

“It’s going to be a long-winded trip,” sighed the senator’s son, after they had finished their meal and had walked back to the end of the observation car.

“Well, we’ve got to make the best of it, Roger,” was Dave’s reply. “Ordinarily such a trip as this would be fine. Think of what grand scenery there is to look at!” and he pointed5 out with a sweep of his hand.

The long train rumbled6 onward7 hour after hour, and the two youths passed the time as best they could, talking, looking at the scenery, and reading the various papers and magazines contained in the car library. At seven o’clock they had dinner, and then sat outside once again until it grew so dark that nothing could be seen.

“Well, we might as well go to bed,” remarked Dave finally. “Which berth8 do you want, Roger—the upper or the lower?”

“It is immaterial to me, Dave,” was the answer. “To tell the truth, I don’t think I’m going to do much sleeping.”

“We’ll toss up for it,” was the answer. And 186the toss of the coin gave Dave the lower berth.

It proved to be a long, wearisome night for both of them. Dave tumbled and tossed on his pillow, trying in a hundred ways to account for the mysterious disappearance of his sister and Jessie. Were they captives of the gypsies? Or had some other dreadful fate overtaken them? Then, at a sudden thought, Dave sat up in his berth so quickly that he hit his head on the bottom of the berth above.

“I wonder if it’s possible,” he murmured to himself.

He had suddenly remembered how he had lost the two letters from home at the time he had been robbed by Nick Jasniff of the contents of his pocketbook. If Jasniff had read those letters he had learned much about the trouble in Crumville with the gypsies, and he had also learned from Jessie’s letter that she and Laura were contemplating9 a trip to Boston.

“Jasniff is bitter against Mr. Wadsworth for having had him sent to prison,” Dave reasoned; “and he is equally bitter against me and my family for what I did in capturing him. He took a train for the East. Can it be possible that he is mixed up in this affair?”

This thought sent Dave off on a new chain of reasoning, and he became so restless that, instead of trying to go to sleep, he pulled up the shade 187of one of the windows, propped10 his pillow close against the glass, and lay there thinking and looking out on the star-lit landscape. But at last tired nature asserted itself, and he fell into a fitful doze11, from which he did not awaken12 until it was about time to get up.

“I’ve got a new idea,” he announced to his chum, after the two had washed and dressed and were on their way to the dining-car for breakfast. And thereupon he related his suspicions against Jasniff.

“It may be so,” mused13 the senator’s son. “It would be just like that rascal14 to go in with those gypsies and try to do your folks and the Wadsworths harm.”

On the train the two young civil engineers met several very agreeable people, but they were in no frame of mind to make friends just then. Though they did their best to be pleasant, they were glad enough when the train, after a stop at Minneapolis, finally rolled into the station at St. Paul. Here, with only a few minutes to spare, they rushed out to the telegraph office. There was a message for them, and Dave tore the envelope open eagerly. One glance at the contents, and his face fell.

“No news of importance,” he announced. “Come on. We’ll have to go on to Chicago.” And then the journey to the great City of the Lakes was renewed.

188At Chicago another message awaited them. This was a little longer than the other had been, but gave them scant15 satisfaction, reading as follows:

“Strong suspicions against gypsies who have disappeared. Demand for fifty thousand dollars.
“Dunston Porter.”

“That settles one thing. The girls have been kidnapped,” remarked Roger.

“Yes. And the kidnappers16 want fifty thousand dollars,” added Dave. He drew a long breath. “Well, there’s one satisfaction about this, Roger. We know the two girls must be alive.”

“Yes, Dave. But think of them in the hands of those dirty gypsies!”

“I can hardly bear to think of it, Roger. I wish I had those rascals17 by the neck! I think I could willingly shake the life out of them!”

“So could I! But come on, let us see if we can’t get on the next train bound for Albany. There is no use of our going down to New York City.”

The chums were fortunate in getting two upper berths18 on a train to leave in less than an hour. The run to Albany would take less than twenty-four hours, and there they would be able to change to a local train running to Crumville.

On the train a surprise awaited them. They 189ran into two of their old school chums, Buster Beggs and Sam Day. Both of these lads were fat and full of fun, and, having been close chums at school, had gone into business together in the city.

“We’re in the book and stationery19 line,” announced Buster Beggs, after a cordial handshaking all around. “We’re doing fine, too. Aren’t we, Sam? But say, I thought you fellows were learning to be civil engineers and were away out West.”

“We have been out West,” answered Dave. “But we are going home on a special errand just now.” And then there was nothing to do but to acquaint Buster and Sam with what had occurred.

“You don’t mean it!” burst out Buster in excitement. “Why, that reads like a regular old-fashioned novel!”

“I thought kidnappings like that were a thing of the past,” was Sam Day’s comment. “I certainly hope you round up those gypsies and rescue the girls.”

“We’ll do it or else know the reason why,” answered Roger determinedly20.

From Buster and Sam the two young civil engineers learned much concerning a number of their other school chums. In return, they told a great deal about themselves; and thus the hours passed a little more quickly than they would otherwise 190have done. The four former Oak Hall students dined together, and managed to make an exchange of berths with some others on the train, so that they were all together in opposite sections that night.

“We’re certainly getting some touches of old times,” remarked Dave. “First Phil, Ben, and Shadow, and now you two!”

“I’ll tell you what—we ought to organize that Oak Hall club we once talked about,” said Buster Beggs. “Then we could hold a reunion once a year.”

“It certainly would be fine,” answered Roger, his eyes lighting21 up with pleasure. “We’ll have to remember that, Dave.” And to this our hero nodded approval.

Buster and Sam left the train at Utica, while the two young civil engineers continued on their way to Albany. Here they had a wait of an hour and a half, and during that time they purchased a couple of newspapers.

“Hello, here’s an account of the affair now!” cried Roger, pointing to the top of one of the pages.

There was an account nearly a column long, telling of how a search was being instituted for the missing girls and how it was supposed that a demand for money had been made upon Mr. Wadsworth and Mr. Porter. It was added that neither 191of the gentlemen would affirm or deny the report.

“That looks to me as if they were warned to keep quiet about the demand for money,” announced Dave.

“Possibly they were told that if they did not keep quiet something would happen to the girls,” added Roger. He closed his teeth with a snap. “Oh, I just wish I had my hands on those rascals!”

“It’s maddening, isn’t it, Roger, to stand around here and not be able to do anything?” groaned22 Dave. In his mind’s eye he could picture the misery23 endured by Jessie and his sister while they were being held captives.

At last the train for Crumville came in, and they lost no time in jumping on board.

“Thank heaven, we are on the last leg of this journey!” breathed Roger, as they settled down in a seat.

“Right you are, Roger!” answered Dave.

But then their faces grew exceedingly thoughtful. What dire24 news might await them at their journey’s end?

点击收听单词发音收听单词发音  

1 spoke XryyC     
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。
2 compartment dOFz6     
n.卧车包房,隔间;分隔的空间
参考例句:
  • We were glad to have the whole compartment to ourselves.真高兴,整个客车隔间由我们独享。
  • The batteries are safely enclosed in a watertight compartment.电池被安全地置于一个防水的隔间里。
3 disappearance ouEx5     
n.消失,消散,失踪
参考例句:
  • He was hard put to it to explain her disappearance.他难以说明她为什么不见了。
  • Her disappearance gave rise to the wildest rumours.她失踪一事引起了各种流言蜚语。
4 automobile rP1yv     
n.汽车,机动车
参考例句:
  • He is repairing the brake lever of an automobile.他正在修理汽车的刹车杆。
  • The automobile slowed down to go around the curves in the road.汽车在路上转弯时放慢了速度。
5 pointed Il8zB4     
adj.尖的,直截了当的
参考例句:
  • He gave me a very sharp pointed pencil.他给我一支削得非常尖的铅笔。
  • She wished to show Mrs.John Dashwood by this pointed invitation to her brother.她想通过对达茨伍德夫人提出直截了当的邀请向她的哥哥表示出来。
6 rumbled e155775f10a34eef1cb1235a085c6253     
发出隆隆声,发出辘辘声( rumble的过去式和过去分词 ); 轰鸣着缓慢行进; 发现…的真相; 看穿(阴谋)
参考例句:
  • The machine rumbled as it started up. 机器轰鸣着发动起来。
  • Things rapidly became calm, though beneath the surface the argument rumbled on. 事情迅速平静下来了,然而,在这种平静的表面背后争论如隆隆雷声,持续不断。
7 onward 2ImxI     
adj.向前的,前进的;adv.向前,前进,在先
参考例句:
  • The Yellow River surges onward like ten thousand horses galloping.黄河以万马奔腾之势滚滚向前。
  • He followed in the steps of forerunners and marched onward.他跟随着先辈的足迹前进。
8 berth yt0zq     
n.卧铺,停泊地,锚位;v.使停泊
参考例句:
  • She booked a berth on the train from London to Aberdeen.她订了一张由伦敦开往阿伯丁的火车卧铺票。
  • They took up a berth near the harbor.他们在港口附近找了个位置下锚。
9 contemplating bde65bd99b6b8a706c0f139c0720db21     
深思,细想,仔细考虑( contemplate的现在分词 ); 注视,凝视; 考虑接受(发生某事的可能性); 深思熟虑,沉思,苦思冥想
参考例句:
  • You're too young to be contemplating retirement. 你考虑退休还太年轻。
  • She stood contemplating the painting. 她站在那儿凝视那幅图画。
10 propped 557c00b5b2517b407d1d2ef6ba321b0e     
支撑,支持,维持( prop的过去式和过去分词 )
参考例句:
  • He sat propped up in the bed by pillows. 他靠着枕头坐在床上。
  • This fence should be propped up. 这栅栏该用东西支一支。
11 doze IsoxV     
v.打瞌睡;n.打盹,假寐
参考例句:
  • He likes to have a doze after lunch.他喜欢午饭后打个盹。
  • While the adults doze,the young play.大人们在打瞌睡,而孩子们在玩耍。
12 awaken byMzdD     
vi.醒,觉醒;vt.唤醒,使觉醒,唤起,激起
参考例句:
  • Old people awaken early in the morning.老年人早晨醒得早。
  • Please awaken me at six.请于六点叫醒我。
13 mused 0affe9d5c3a243690cca6d4248d41a85     
v.沉思,冥想( muse的过去式和过去分词 );沉思自语说(某事)
参考例句:
  • \"I wonder if I shall ever see them again, \"he mused. “我不知道是否还可以再见到他们,”他沉思自问。 来自《简明英汉词典》
  • \"Where are we going from here?\" mused one of Rutherford's guests. 卢瑟福的一位客人忍不住说道:‘我们这是在干什么?” 来自英汉非文学 - 科学史
14 rascal mAIzd     
n.流氓;不诚实的人
参考例句:
  • If he had done otherwise,I should have thought him a rascal.如果他不这样做,我就认为他是个恶棍。
  • The rascal was frightened into holding his tongue.这坏蛋吓得不敢往下说了。
15 scant 2Dwzx     
adj.不充分的,不足的;v.减缩,限制,忽略
参考例句:
  • Don't scant the butter when you make a cake.做糕饼时不要吝惜奶油。
  • Many mothers pay scant attention to their own needs when their children are small.孩子们小的时候,许多母亲都忽视自己的需求。
16 kidnappers cce17449190af84dbf37efcfeaf5f600     
n.拐子,绑匪( kidnapper的名词复数 )
参考例句:
  • They were freed yesterday by their kidnappers unharmed. 他们昨天被绑架者释放了,没有受到伤害。 来自《简明英汉词典》
  • The kidnappers had threatened to behead all four unless their jailed comrades were released. 帮匪们曾经威胁说如果印度方面不释放他们的同伙,他们就要将这四名人质全部斩首。 来自《简明英汉词典》
17 rascals 5ab37438604a153e085caf5811049ebb     
流氓( rascal的名词复数 ); 无赖; (开玩笑说法)淘气的人(尤指小孩); 恶作剧的人
参考例句:
  • "Oh, but I like rascals. "唔,不过我喜欢流氓。
  • "They're all second-raters, black sheep, rascals. "他们都是二流人物,是流氓,是恶棍。
18 berths c48f4275c061791e8345f3bbf7b5e773     
n.(船、列车等的)卧铺( berth的名词复数 );(船舶的)停泊位或锚位;差事;船台vt.v.停泊( berth的第三人称单数 );占铺位
参考例句:
  • Berths on steamships can be booked a long while in advance. 轮船上的床位可以提前多日预订。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》
  • Have you got your berths on the ship yet? 你们在船上有舱位了吗? 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》
19 stationery ku6wb     
n.文具;(配套的)信笺信封
参考例句:
  • She works in the stationery department of a big store.她在一家大商店的文具部工作。
  • There was something very comfortable in having plenty of stationery.文具一多,心里自会觉得踏实。
20 determinedly f36257cec58d5bd4b23fb76b1dd9d64f     
adv.决意地;坚决地,坚定地
参考例句:
  • "Don't shove me,'said one of the strikers, determinedly. "I'm not doing anything." “别推我,"其中的一个罢工工人坚决地说,"我可没干什么。” 来自英汉文学 - 嘉莉妹妹
  • Dorothy's chin set determinedly as she looked calmly at him. 多萝西平静地看着他,下巴绷得紧紧的,看来是打定主意了。 来自名作英译部分
21 lighting CpszPL     
n.照明,光线的明暗,舞台灯光
参考例句:
  • The gas lamp gradually lost ground to electric lighting.煤气灯逐渐为电灯所代替。
  • The lighting in that restaurant is soft and romantic.那个餐馆照明柔和而且浪漫。
22 groaned 1a076da0ddbd778a674301b2b29dff71     
v.呻吟( groan的过去式和过去分词 );发牢骚;抱怨;受苦
参考例句:
  • He groaned in anguish. 他痛苦地呻吟。
  • The cart groaned under the weight of the piano. 大车在钢琴的重压下嘎吱作响。 来自《简明英汉词典》
23 misery G10yi     
n.痛苦,苦恼,苦难;悲惨的境遇,贫苦
参考例句:
  • Business depression usually causes misery among the working class.商业不景气常使工薪阶层受苦。
  • He has rescued me from the mire of misery.他把我从苦海里救了出来。
24 dire llUz9     
adj.可怕的,悲惨的,阴惨的,极端的
参考例句:
  • There were dire warnings about the dangers of watching too much TV.曾经有人就看电视太多的危害性提出严重警告。
  • We were indeed in dire straits.But we pulled through.那时我们的困难真是大极了,但是我们渡过了困难。


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