“Tim,” said I, “you little speckled leopard9, you shall go in front. You have, at least, some large brown spots to cover your hide, while I’m as pure white as the coral road we’re walking on.”
Tim demurred10 at this.
“What’s the matter with you? Put your hulking 101carcass in front, and I’ll walk behind. There’s no use making fun of the thing. You strut11 about big enough on deck, glad enough to have any one notice you--Hi! there’s an’ ole nigger woman now,” and he crouched12 down in the long grass.
I sank instantly and hailed the old lady.
“Hi, there! Mammy, have you a spare--er--er pair--I mean an apron13 or two you could lend?”
“Lawd sakes! How yo’ scart me!” cried the old negress. “Where yo’ is, honey?” and she looked about her.
“We’re over here in the grass. Lost our clothes while swimming. Don’t come over, but just fetch out a bit of dunnage and run away, that’s a good ole gal,” I said.
“Run away! Huh! Who is you toe tell me to run away. I’se Mr. Curtis’ nigger, an’ I doan’ run fo’ no one, I jest tell yo’ dat,” and she advanced toward us.
“Ah, trot14 along,” growled15 Tim. “Get us some clothes, or we’ll take some. We haven’t time to fool with any blamed old nigger.”
She advanced close to us, and I noticed she held a small black baby in her arms. Tim edged behind me, and I tried to shove him in front.
“Land sakes alive!” she cried. “He, he, he, yah, yah! Well, I nebber. Yo’ is sho’ nuff nakid. Jest as nakid as this little babe under his clothes. 102Yah, yah, he is sho’ just as nakid as you is under his clothes. Well, I nebber--”
But we waited no longer. The situation was too humiliating, and we sprang to our feet and dashed down the path into the scrub.
“What the deuce will we do?” I asked, when we were out of sight. “If she wasn’t a woman, I’d rip her clothes off pretty quick and make shift of her skirt.”
“S’pose we lay for some man, then,” said Tim. “Seems to me you might turn your knowledge of scrappin’ to some account.”
“I’ve a notion to practise a bit on you, you speckled beauty,” said I, angrily. “It’s your foolishness that got us in this fix.”
“Here comes a feller your size. Try him.”
I turned and followed his gaze, and there, sure enough, loomed16 a huge black conch with a bucketful of sour-sops17 in either hand, striding up the path. Hung over his shoulder was a long blacksnake whip, such as overseers sometimes used upon refractory18 slaves.
“Hi, there, uncle,” I cried, “I would like to buy some sops,” and we both stepped forth19 into view.
The fellow’s ugly visage wrinkled, and he set his buckets upon the ground.
“Who is yo’?” he asked, sourly.
103“We? Why, we are visitors, friends of Mr. Curtis,” I said. “We left our clothes over there at the inlet, and some son of a polecat ran off with them. Give us some sops and give us a shift. We’ll pay you well for it.”
“Whar’s yo’ munny?” he growled.
“In our clothes. Sink you for a fool nigger, you don’t suppose we have pockets in our skins, do you?”
“Who yo’ callin’ a fool nigger?” and he drew his whip over his shoulder. “Don’t yo’ call me no names, yo’ po’ white trash. I’ll cut yo’ toe ribbons, dat I will.”
Before either of us could spring aside, the lash20 flew out and caught first one and then the other of us on our naked bodies. The pain was awful. Tim dashed up the path instantly without waiting for a second dose, and the huge conch sprang after him, leaving me behind.
Away they went, the lash flying out like the tongue of a snake, landing every time upon that part of poor Tim’s anatomy21 which is said to be equally discourteous22 to present to either friend or enemy. And every time it landed, it brought forth a yell. I stood grinning for an instant, in spite of the pain I suffered, and then the sense of outraged23 decency24 getting the best of my risibilities, I launched myself full speed in pursuit.
104Away we went up that trail, Tim’s speckled body leading the way, his red hair streaming in the wind, and close behind him rushed that big black conch with his cruel whip, his bare feet not heeding25 in the least a thousand things that pricked26 and pained the soles of mine, as I tore along in his wake.
“Hi, hi, go it, Jackson!” howled a black fellow who stood in the path and watched the race.
An upper cut with my left fist did much to abate27 his zeal28, and left him lying upon his back, while with undiminished speed I went ahead. Soon the white coral street of the town showed a bit in front through the bushes, and in another minute we were fairly into the main street of Nassau.
I was now thoroughly29 aroused, and forgot entirely30 my predicament, so intent was I upon reaching that rascal’s back. I called hoarsely31 for Tim to stop, but, either because I was a bit winded or our pace was too fast to allow the sound of my voice to reach him, he heeded32 it not at all, but held his pace under all sail.
White men now sprang from doorways33 to see what had happened, as the yells came flying down the thoroughfare, and many women immodestly halted to view the spectacle. I don’t know how the matter would have ended had not Tim turned a corner suddenly, and plunged34 straight into the arms 105of Big Jones and Martin, who were rushing for the pavement at the sound of alarm.
The Scotchman, with rare presence of mind, made a grab at Tim’s speckled body, thinking it some peculiar35 breed of ape that had escaped from its keeper, and in doing so lost his drunken balance, and plunged head foremost into the stomach of the pursuing conch, and together they rolled over into the street. Before they could disengage, I had a grip upon that conch that he will remember yet.
“Deil save us, ye cateran, what is it?” gasped36 the inebriated37 Scot, struggling to his feet. “What? You Heywood! Ye immodest heathen! Hold him, ye black feller, an’ I’ll lay the lash upon his unchaste hide.”
Before he could come to the conch’s assistance, a speckled form sprang upon him and bore him back again into the street, and I saw Tim change from a fugitive38 into a veritable leopard, striking fiercely and tearing at the blouse of the sailor until it had parted and come away in halves. Just then I had business with the giant conch that needed attention, and I saw nothing more of that fracas39.
The black man was a powerful fellow, but he lacked skill. The blow in the stomach had winded him temporarily, and, before he had recovered, I was cutting him up scientifically with his own whip, while the crowd hooted40 and cheered in derision. 106When I desisted, he could hardly stand, much less walk, and then Big Jones, who was enjoying the spectacle, offered me his jumper. This I put on by running my legs through the sleeves, after splitting them, and buttoning it behind. Tim had by this time divested41 Martin of his spare raiment, and, dressed somewhat alike, we strode side by side with much dignity to the boat, followed by Big Jones, the Welshman, and an admiring throng42 of natives who cheered us lustily.
Martin and the well-thrashed overseer were left behind to compare notes, while, with the blue eagle upon my breast fairly red with mortification43, we stepped aboard and shoved off.
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1
vice
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| n.坏事；恶习；[pl.]台钳，老虎钳；adj.副的 | |
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2
outskirts
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| n.郊外，郊区 | |
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3
tacked
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| 用平头钉钉( tack的过去式和过去分词 )； 附加，增补； 帆船抢风行驶，用粗线脚缝 | |
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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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unbearable
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| adj.不能容忍的；忍受不住的 | |
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err
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| vi.犯错误，出差错 | |
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quell
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| v.压制，平息，减轻 | |
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scruples
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| n.良心上的不安( scruple的名词复数 )；顾虑，顾忌v.感到于心不安，有顾忌( scruple的第三人称单数 ) | |
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leopard
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| n.豹 | |
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demurred
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| v.表示异议，反对( demur的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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11
strut
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| v.肿胀，鼓起；大摇大摆地走；炫耀；支撑；撑开；n.高视阔步；支柱，撑杆 | |
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12
crouched
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| v.屈膝，蹲伏( crouch的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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13
apron
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| n.围裙；工作裙 | |
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14
trot
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| n.疾走，慢跑；n.老太婆；现成译本；(复数）trots:腹泻（与the 连用）；v.小跑，快步走，赶紧 | |
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15
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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16
loomed
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| v.隐约出现，阴森地逼近( loom的过去式和过去分词 )；隐约出现，阴森地逼近 | |
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17
sops
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| n.用以慰藉或讨好某人的事物( sop的名词复数 )；泡湿的面包片等v.将（面包等）在液体中蘸或浸泡( sop的第三人称单数 )；用海绵、布等吸起（液体等） | |
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refractory
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| adj.倔强的，难驾驭的 | |
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forth
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| adv.向前；向外，往外 | |
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lash
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| v.系牢；鞭打；猛烈抨击；n.鞭打；眼睫毛 | |
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21
anatomy
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| n.解剖学，解剖；功能，结构，组织 | |
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discourteous
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| adj.不恭的，不敬的 | |
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outraged
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| a.震惊的，义愤填膺的 | |
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decency
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| n.体面，得体，合宜，正派，庄重 | |
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25
heeding
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| v.听某人的劝告，听从( heed的现在分词 ) | |
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26
pricked
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| 刺，扎，戳( prick的过去式和过去分词 )； 刺伤； 刺痛； 使剧痛 | |
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27
abate
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| vi.(风势，疼痛等)减弱，减轻，减退 | |
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28
zeal
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| n.热心，热情，热忱 | |
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29
thoroughly
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| adv.完全地，彻底地，十足地 | |
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entirely
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| ad.全部地，完整地；完全地，彻底地 | |
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hoarsely
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| adv.嘶哑地 | |
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32
heeded
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| v.听某人的劝告，听从( heed的过去式和过去分词 )；变平，使（某物）变平( flatten的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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33
doorways
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| n.门口，门道( doorway的名词复数 ) | |
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34
plunged
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| v.颠簸( plunge的过去式和过去分词 )；暴跌；骤降；突降 | |
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35
peculiar
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| adj.古怪的，异常的；特殊的，特有的 | |
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36
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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37
inebriated
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| adj.酒醉的 | |
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38
fugitive
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| adj.逃亡的，易逝的；n.逃犯，逃亡者 | |
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39
fracas
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| n.打架；吵闹 | |
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40
hooted
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| （使）作汽笛声响，作汽车喇叭声( hoot的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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41
divested
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| v.剥夺( divest的过去式和过去分词 )；脱去（衣服）；2。从…取去…；1。（给某人）脱衣服 | |
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42
throng
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| n.人群，群众；v.拥挤，群集 | |
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43
mortification
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| n.耻辱，屈辱 | |
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