Frank closed and locked the door.
“Strip down and make ready,” he said grimly. “I’m going to brush up and get in condition, and you are the victim.”
“I’m happy to be the victim now,” declared Bart; “in case Mr. Darleton is the victim later.”
Something more than an hour later the comrades were resting after a bath and rub down. Bart’s eyes shone and his dark, handsome face wore an expression of great satisfaction.
“You may be rusty4, Merry,” he observed; “but I fail to see it. I swear you fenced better to-day than ever before in all your life.”
“You think so, Bart; but I can’t believe that. A man can’t be at his best at fencing, any more than at billiards5, unless he is in constant practice.”
“Oh, I know I’ve gone back; but you have not. I’ll wager6 my life you can give Fred Darleton all he is looking for.”
“It would be a pleasure to me,” confessed Frank. “Somehow he irritated me strangely.”
“I’d never supposed it by your manner.”
“If I had lost my temper I should have been defeated. Mr. Darleton has a temper, and I shall count on it leading to his downfall, in case we meet.”
“You’ll meet, for you are challenged. He thinks you a mark, Merry. He’ll be overconfident.”
“Another thing I count on as aiding me. Overconfidence is quite as bad as lack of confidence. Darleton has been praised too much, and he believes he is very nearly perfect as a fencer. A defeat now will either make or mar7 him. If defeated, he will either set about working harder to acquire further accomplishment8, or he will quit.”
“I believe he’ll quit.”
“I don’t know.”
“I don’t like him, Merry.”
“There is something about him that I do not fancy, myself. I’ve not seen him enough to judge what it is. I’ve tried to think it might be his freshness in shooting his mouth the way he did; but something asserts that I should have disliked him had he kept his mouth closed. He has an air of directness; but behind it there is a touch of cunning and craft that stamps him as crooked9. I may sympathize with a weak chap who goes crooked through temptation; but I have no sympathy for a sly rascal10 who is dishonest with deliberation. If Darleton is naturally honest, I have misjudged him.”
There came a heavy knock on the door and the sound of voices outside.
Bart unlocked the door, and Joe Gamp stalked in, followed by Jack3 Ready, Hans Dunnerwurst, and Jim Stretcher, all of Merriwell’s party.
“Ding this tut-tut-tut-tut-tut——” began Joe.
“Tut, tut!” interrupted Jack. “Eliminate repetitions from your profuse11 flow of language, Joseph.”
Gamp flourished his fist in the air and began again:
“Ding this tut-tut-tut-tut-tut-tut——”
“Whistle, Joe—whistle!” advised Frank.
Whereupon the tall chap recommenced:
“Ding this tut-tut-tut—whistle—town! It’s all up hill and dud-dud-dud—whistle—down!”
“Oh, Joseph, you’re a poet!” exclaimed Ready.
“Yah,” said Dunnerwurst gravely, “oudt uf him boetry flows like a sbarkling rifer.”
“We have decided12 in solemn conclave,” said Ready, “that the streets of this prosperous Western burgh are exceedingly soiled.”
“Und some of them been stood their end onto,” put in Hans.
“It’s hard to keep your fuf-fuf-fuf—whistle—feet from slipping in the sus-sus-sus—whistle—street,” added Gamp.
“There he goes again!” burst from Ready. “I never suspected it of him. Crown him with laurels13 and adorn14 him with bays.”
“What is the difference between the bay and the laurel, Jack?” laughed Frank.
“Ask me not at this unpropitious moment,” entreated15 the odd fellow. “We have been meandering16 hither and yon over Omaha—yea verily, we have been even as far as the stockyards of South Omaha. We have waded17 across streets that were guiltless of being cleaned even since the day they were paved. We have ascended18 streets which led into the clouds, and we have descended19 others which led into the gorges20 and valleys. We have gazed in awe21 upon the courthouse, with blind justice standing22 on its battlements, balances in hand. We have seen the post office and expressed our admiration23. Alas24 and alack, we are wearied! We fain would rest. Omaha is all right for those who think so; but some day she will rise and butcher her street-cleaning department. She will be justified25. I have spoke26.”
With this he dropped on a chair and fanned himself weakly.
“What have you fellows been dud-dud-doing?” inquired Gamp, noticing for the first time that the boys were in bath robes and that fencing paraphernalia27 was scattered28 about the room.
Frank explained that they had been fencing.
“Jee-whickers!” cried Joe. “You used to be pretty good at it when you were at cuc-cuc-college. You were the champion fuf-fuf-fuf-fencer at Yale, all right.”
“He’s just as good to-day as he ever was,” declared Bart; “and Mr. Darleton will find out that is good enough.”
“Who’s Darleton?” asked Stretcher.
Then they were told about the affair at the club, which quickly awoke their interest.
“Omaha takes on new fascination29 for me,” averred30 Ready. “I felt like folding my tent and stealing away a short time ago; but if Merry is going against some gentleman with the inflated31 cranium in this burgh, I shall linger with great glee to watch the outcome.”
“You talk the way a cub32 reporter writes, Ready,” said Stretcher. “Big words sound good to you, but if you know what you’re saying you’ll have to show me.”
“I shall refrain from exerting myself to that extent, my boy,” retorted Jack. “It’s not worth while.”
“Where are the rest of the boys?” asked Frank.
“Scattered broadcast over the mountains and valleys of Omaha,” answered Ready. “Fear not for them; they will return in due time.”
“How does Omaha strike you, Jim?” inquired Merriwell.
“She ain’t in it much compared with Kansas City,” said Stretcher. “We have some hills there, you know. I’ve yet to see any country that can get away from old Missouri. When you get ahead of Missouri, you’ll have to hurry.”
“It does me good to see a chap who will stand up for his native State,” said Merry, winking34 at some of the others but maintaining a grave face before Stretcher. “Of course Missouri may have her drawbacks, but we all know she is a land of fertility and——”
“Fertility!” cried Jim enthusiastically. “You bet! Crops grow overnight there. Yes, sir, that’s straight. It’s perfectly35 astonishing how things grow. As an illustration, when I was about seven years old my mother gave me some morning-glory seeds to plant. I always did love the morning-glory flower. I thought it would be a grand thing to plant the seeds beneath my chamber36 window, where I could look forth37 each morning on rising and revel38 in the beauty of the purple blossoms. I got busy and stuck the seeds into the ground one afternoon about five o’clock. I knew the soil was particularly rich right there, and I counted on the vines growing fast, so I lost no time in stringing a number of cords from the ground right up to my window.
“That night when I went to bed I wondered if the seeds would be sprouted39 when I rose the following morning. It was warm weather, and I slept with my window open. I suppose I kicked the bedclothes off. Some time in the night I felt something pushing me, but I was too sleepy to wake up. About daylight I woke up suddenly, for something pushed me out of bed onto the floor. I jumped up and looked to see what was the matter. Fellows, you won’t believe it, but the vine—or, rather, a profusion40 of vines—had grown all the way up to my window in the night, had found the window open, had come into the room, and, being tired from its exertion41 in growing so hard, I presume, had climbed into my bed and pushed me out.”
A profound silence was broken by Dunnerwurst, who gurgled:
“Uf I faint, vill somebody blease throw me on some vater!”
“Stretcher,” said Merry, “I don’t suppose there is ever anything in your State that is not grand and superior? There are no drawbacks to Missouri? Soil, climate, people—all are of the first quality?”
“Oh,” said Jim, with an air of modesty42, “I presume any part of the country has its drawbacks. The soil of Missouri is magnificent and the climate superb—as a rule. I presume there are sterile43 spots within the boundaries of the State, and I have experienced some unpleasant weather. The winter that old Jake died was unusually severe.”
“Who was Jake?”
“A mule44, and the dumb companion of my innocent boyhood. You see, I always wanted a dog. Lots of boys I knew had dogs. Tom Jones had a shepherd, Pete Boogers had a collie, Muck Robbins had a yaller cur, and Runt Hatch had two bull purps. I pestered45 paw for a dog. He didn’t have any use for dogs, and he wouldn’t give me one. I told him I must have a pet of some kind. ‘All right, Jim,’ says he, ‘if you want a pet, there’s Jake, our old mule, you may have him.’ Now, Jake was pretty well used up. He was spavined and chest foundered46 and so thin his slats were coming through his hide. He wasn’t beautiful, but he had been a faithful old creature, and paw was disinclined to kill him. He thought it was a great joke to give me Jake for a pet; but I was just yearning47 for something on which I could lavish48 my affection, and I began to pour it out on Jake.
“I petted the old boy, gave him good feed, took him into the cowshed nights, and did my best to make him generally comfortable. Jake appreciated it. You may think dumb creatures, and mules49 in particular, have no sense of gratitude50, but such is not the case. Jake understood me, and I did him. I could actually read his thoughts. Yes, sir, it’s a fact. At first paw grinned over it and tried to joke me about Jake; but after a while he got tired of having his best feed given that old mule and finding the animal bedded down in the cowshed. He said it would have to stop. Then he got mad and turned Jake out to pick for himself. I brought Jake back twice, but both times paw raised a fuss, and the last time, he got so blazing mad he swore he’d knock the mule in the head if I did it again.
“That was in the fall, with winter coming on. I tried to plead with paw; but it was no go. He said Jake would have to shift for himself in the open. Jake used to come up to the lower fence and call to me melodiously51 in the gloaming, and I would slip down and pat him and talk to him and sympathize with him. But I didn’t dare do anything more. Well, that winter was a tough one. Never had so much cold weather packed into one winter before that. Jake suffered from exposure, and my heart bled for him. He grew thinner and thinner and sadder and sadder. Paw’s heart was like flint, and I couldn’t do anything. Jake hated snowstorms. Every time one came he thought it would be his last; but somehow he worried through them all until the snow went off and spring set in. Then Jake brightened up some and seemed more like himself.
“But late in the spring another cold spell struck in. It was near the first of May. In the midst of that cold spell our barn got afire one night. When Jake saw that fire, he says to himself, ‘Here’s my chance to get warm all the way through.’ He found a weak spot in the fence and got over it, after which he waltzed up to the barn and stood there, warming first one side and then the other by the heat and enjoying himself.
“We had a heap of corn stored in the barn. After a while the roof of the barn burned off and the fire got to the corn. When this happened the corn began to pop and fly into the air. It popped faster and faster and flew high into the air, coming down in a great shower. Jake looked up and saw the air plumb52 full of great, white flakes53 of popped corn. The poor, old mule gave a great groan54 of anguish55. ‘I’ve lasted through twenty-one snowstorms this winter,’ says he, with tears in his eyes; ‘but this one is my finish.’ Then he lay right down where he was and gave up the struggle. In the morning we found him frozen stiff.”
Ready sobbed56 and wiped his eyes.
“How pathetic!” he exclaimed chokingly.
“Poor Shake!” gurgled Hans.
“That story should be entitled ‘The Tale of a Mule,’” observed Frank.
“It is evident,” said Bart, “that Missouri mules are sometimes more intelligent than the inhabitants of the State.”
“Oh, we have some dull people, of course,” admitted Jim. “I remember the janitor57 at our old school—he was a trifle dull. Poor old Mullen! One day he threw up his job. They asked him why he did it. Says he: ‘I’m honest, and I won’t stand being slurred58.’ He was pressed to explain. ‘Why,’ he exclaimed, ‘when I’m sweeping60 out, if I happen to find a handkerchief or any little thing, I hang it up, like an honest man. Every now and then the teacher, or somebody who hasn’t the nerve to face me, gives me a slur59. A few days ago I come in one mornin’ and I seen writ33 on the blackboard: “Find the least common multiple.” Well, I just went searching the place over from top to bottom, but I couldn’t find a sign of the old thing anywhere. I don’t believe nobody lost it. That made me sore, but I stood for it all right. Yesterday mornin’ in great big letters there was writ on the blackboard: “Find the greatest common divisor.” Says I to myself: “Now, both of them blamed things is lost, and I’ll be charged with swipin’ ’em.” And I throwed up my job.’”
They laughed heartily61 over this story, and, having aroused their risibilities at last, Jim seemed satisfied.
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收听单词发音
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1
thoroughly
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| adv.完全地，彻底地，十足地 | |
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outfits
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| n.全套装备( outfit的名词复数 )；一套服装；集体；组织v.装备，配置设备，供给服装( outfit的第三人称单数 ) | |
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3
jack
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| n.插座，千斤顶，男人；v.抬起，提醒，扛举；n.（Jake）杰克 | |
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rusty
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| adj.生锈的；锈色的；荒废了的 | |
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billiards
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| n.台球 | |
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wager
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| n.赌注；vt.押注，打赌 | |
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7
mar
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| vt.破坏，毁坏，弄糟 | |
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8
accomplishment
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| n.完成，成就，（pl.）造诣，技能 | |
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crooked
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| adj.弯曲的；不诚实的，狡猾的，不正当的 | |
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rascal
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| n.流氓；不诚实的人 | |
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profuse
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| adj.很多的，大量的，极其丰富的 | |
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12
decided
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| adj.决定了的，坚决的；明显的，明确的 | |
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13
laurels
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| n.桂冠，荣誉 | |
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14
adorn
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| vt.使美化，装饰 | |
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15
entreated
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| 恳求，乞求( entreat的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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16
meandering
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| 蜿蜒的河流，漫步，聊天 | |
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waded
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| （从水、泥等）蹚，走过，跋( wade的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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18
ascended
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| v.上升，攀登( ascend的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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descended
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| a.为...后裔的，出身于...的 | |
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gorges
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| n.山峡，峡谷( gorge的名词复数 )；咽喉v.（用食物把自己）塞饱，填饱( gorge的第三人称单数 )；作呕 | |
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21
awe
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| n.敬畏，惊惧；vt.使敬畏，使惊惧 | |
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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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admiration
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| n.钦佩，赞美，羡慕 | |
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alas
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| int.唉(表示悲伤、忧愁、恐惧等) | |
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25
justified
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| a.正当的，有理的 | |
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spoke
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| 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 | |
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27
paraphernalia
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| n.装备；随身用品 | |
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28
scattered
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| adj.分散的，稀疏的；散步的；疏疏落落的 | |
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fascination
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| n.令人着迷的事物，魅力，迷恋 | |
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averred
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| v.断言( aver的过去式和过去分词 )；证实；证明…属实；作为事实提出 | |
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31
inflated
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| adj.（价格）飞涨的；（通货）膨胀的；言过其实的；充了气的v.使充气（于轮胎、气球等）( inflate的过去式和过去分词 )；（使）膨胀；（使）通货膨胀；物价上涨 | |
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32
cub
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| n.幼兽，年轻无经验的人 | |
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33
writ
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| n.命令状，书面命令 | |
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34
winking
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| n.瞬眼，目语v.使眼色( wink的现在分词 )；递眼色（表示友好或高兴等）；（指光）闪烁；闪亮 | |
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35
perfectly
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| adv.完美地，无可非议地，彻底地 | |
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chamber
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| n.房间，寝室；会议厅；议院；会所 | |
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forth
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| adv.向前；向外，往外 | |
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38
revel
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| vi.狂欢作乐，陶醉；n.作乐，狂欢 | |
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39
sprouted
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| v.发芽( sprout的过去式和过去分词 )；抽芽；出现；（使）涌现出 | |
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40
profusion
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| n.挥霍；丰富 | |
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41
exertion
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| n.尽力，努力 | |
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42
modesty
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| n.谦逊，虚心，端庄，稳重，羞怯，朴素 | |
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43
sterile
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| adj.不毛的，不孕的，无菌的，枯燥的，贫瘠的 | |
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44
mule
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| n.骡子，杂种，执拗的人 | |
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45
pestered
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| 使烦恼，纠缠( pester的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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46
foundered
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| v.创始人( founder的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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47
yearning
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| a.渴望的；向往的；怀念的 | |
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48
lavish
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| adj.无节制的；浪费的；vt.慷慨地给予，挥霍 | |
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49
mules
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| 骡( mule的名词复数 )； 拖鞋； 顽固的人； 越境运毒者 | |
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50
gratitude
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| adj.感激，感谢 | |
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51
melodiously
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52
plumb
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| adv.精确地，完全地；v.了解意义，测水深 | |
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53
flakes
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| 小薄片( flake的名词复数 )； （尤指）碎片； 雪花； 古怪的人 | |
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54
groan
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| vi./n.呻吟，抱怨；(发出)呻吟般的声音 | |
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55
anguish
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| n.(尤指心灵上的)极度痛苦，烦恼 | |
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56
sobbed
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| 哭泣，啜泣( sob的过去式和过去分词 )； 哭诉，呜咽地说 | |
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57
janitor
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| n.看门人，管门人 | |
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58
slurred
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| 含糊地说出( slur的过去式和过去分词 )； 含糊地发…的声； 侮辱； 连唱 | |
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59
slur
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| v.含糊地说；诋毁；连唱；n.诋毁；含糊的发音 | |
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60
sweeping
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| adj.范围广大的，一扫无遗的 | |
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61
heartily
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| adv.衷心地，诚恳地，十分，很 | |
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