Toward the end, when all the greater difficulties were passed, he and Bramwell still clinging together, they came to Ragged2 Hill. They knew that not more than one man was ahead of them, and that man they had seen disappearing over the crest3 of the hill as they mounted its lower slopes.
Once or twice before this Bramwell had urged Frank to take the lead. This he now did once more.
“You are the man to beat Huntley,” he declared. “I fear I can’t do it.”
“You have too many fears,” said Frank. “Huntley hasn’t seen us. From the top of the hill he surveyed the country behind him. He must have seen most of the runners who are near, and he must feel that he has time to burn. He is full of confidence now.”
“You’re the one to take the confidence out of him.”
Frank waited for no further urging. He took the lead and set such a pace in mounting to the crest of the hill, following the difficult path they had discovered, that Bramwell dropped some distance in the rear.
The eastern side of the hill was partly cleared or had never borne timber. Down the declivity4 sped Merry. He cut hither and thither5, choosing the best course.
Halfway6 down the hill was an old stone wall. In one particular spot the wall was lower than elsewhere, and behind it, just at that point, crouched7 two masked ruffians clutching sand bags.
One of them had peered over the wall and seen Frank coming down the hill.
“This is the bloke, pal8!” he growled9. “Reddy ter soak him!”
“All right!” hissed10 the other.
On came the runner. Like a bird he sailed over the weakest part of the old wall, wholly unaware11 of the masked ruffians who were lying in wait for him at that point.
They rose as he came over, and both leaped at him.
He saw them before his feet again touched the ground. With his upflung arms he sought to protect his head. The moment his feet touched the earth he ducked.
They were on him. One struck him a blow that staggered him, although it did not land full and fair.
The other missed him entirely12.
But Frank went down to one knee, and they followed him up.
“Lay him stiff, pal!” snarled13 one.
“Stiff an’ cold!” panted the other.
Instead of seeking to rise, as they expected him to do, Frank shot out a foot and caught one of the men fairly in the pit of the stomach, doubling him up and hurling14 him backward.
Then he turned instantly on his back, with his feet toward the other, who sought to fling himself on Frank as he lay thus.
Both of Merry’s legs shot up from the ground as the man came down upon him. They caught the legs of the ruffian across the shins. A surprising result followed. The man’s feet went upward and he turned over in the air, falling on his back beyond Merry, with his head toward Frank’s head.
By this time Merriwell was up and had the wretch15 by the throat. He held him thus with one hand, tearing off his mask with the other.
“I want to see your features, my fine bird!” he said. “A trip to the stone jug16 will cure you of your pranks17, perhaps.”
In the meantime, the other fellow had been flung back toward the weak point in the stone wall, and Bramwell, following Merry over, landed on the wretch with both feet and stretched him quivering on the ground.
“This one is cooked, Merriwell!” he cried.
“Go on, Bramwell—go on!” urged Merry. “Leave them to me! I’m out of the race now.”
The Ashport man hesitated a moment. He saw that Frank was in a position to make the ruffians his captives. If he lingered to give aid there would be no chance of defeating Huntley.
Away he went.
Frank was on his feet now. He limped to the spot where the second man lay, stripped off his mask and looked at him.
“I’ll know you both,” he muttered, and shot away in pursuit of Bramwell.
The waiting crowd had grown weary when, from the observatory18 of the clubhouse, came a cry. Then followed the announcement that the first runner had appeared in sight.
Word ran down the line. The road was cleared again. People began to cheer and stand on tiptoes.
Bart Hodge, watching in the observatory, had found it difficult to repress an exclamation19 of bitterest disappointment when he turned his glass on the runner far away across the fields and discovered it was not Merry.
“It’s Huntley!” he mentally groaned21. “Where is Frank?”
“There’s another!” shouted Paul Proctor. “Who is it? Who is it? It’s one of our boys!”
“I believe it is,” said Robert Ashley.
“It—it’s Bramwell!” declared the astounded22 president of the club. “He’s gaining on Huntley, too! Huntley is fagged! Bramwell seems fresh! It’s going to be a hot finish!”
The excitement was growing, but it increased when a third runner appeared.
“There’s Merriwell!” said Hodge, unable to keep still.
It was Frank, and Bart saw he was gaining on both Bramwell and Huntley. Still he detected something wrong in Merry’s gait and began to suspect that an accident had befallen him.
“That’s it—that’s what’s the trouble!” he muttered. “Otherwise he’d be leading now.”
Huntley looked back and saw the two pursuers. He tried to spurt23, but his knees seemed weak beneath him. However, he held on grimly.
Down at the far end of the people who lined the road cheering rose. They could see the runners.
“Come on, Merry—come on!” whispered Hodge. “You can do it yet!”
Huntley reached the road. His strength seemed renewed. The cheers of his friends braced24 him wonderfully. It was but half a mile to the finish, and he let himself out. But he was in distress25, and occasionally he lifted his clenched26 hands and pressed them to his breast.
Bramwell continued to gain. He struck the road and came after Huntley in a manner that threatened to do the work in a hurry.
Then came Frank.
“Look at Merriwell!”
“He’s running like a man in a hundred yards dash!”
“He’s closing the gap!”
“He’ll pass them both!”
The strain was too much for Huntley. Within sight of the finish he began to reel.
Bramwell shot past, and a wild yell went up from the Ashportites.
But Merriwell was gaining, gaining, gaining! Could he pass Bramwell? He was doing his best.
The tape was stretched; the judges were waiting.
Bramwell heard thudding feet close behind him. Something seemed bursting in his breast. It was his heart. Let it burst! He heard a dull roar, which was the cheering of the excited throng27. But he could not see. Twenty yards from the tape he went blind for the time. He kept on his feet, however.
To the crowd in general it seemed that the two runners breasted the tape at the same moment.
But, looking down from the observatory, Bart Hodge uttered a groan20, for he saw that Bramwell reached it a second in advance.
The Ashport man had won.
That night, in the Ashport Opera House, before a great gathering28 of enthusiastic people, the trophy29 was presented to Bramwell by Mr. Ashley.
Then Tom Bramwell spoke30 up and told how he came to win. He told how Merriwell had discovered the short cut through Dead Timber Jungle, and how Frank had rescued him from the trap into which he had been cast by Huntley. He also told how Merry had covered more than three-fourths of the distance with a sprained31 ankle, and how, at that very moment, he was in bed under the care of a doctor. Then he proposed cheers for Frank, which were given with such a will that the windows of the building rattled32.
Herbert Hollingsworth was not there, for he had not waited to witness the finish of the race. Fearing Merriwell’s wrath33, he fled from Ashport.
Nor did Arthur Huntley linger. With Phil Proctor’s assurance that charges would be preferred against him, he decided34 it best to get out quickly—and did so.
As for the two ruffians who had tried to sandbag Merriwell, they followed the example of their employer and vanished.
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收听单词发音
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1
accomplished
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| adj.有才艺的；有造诣的；达到了的 | |
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ragged
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| adj.衣衫褴褛的，粗糙的，刺耳的 | |
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3
crest
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| n.顶点；饰章；羽冠；vt.达到顶点；vi.形成浪尖 | |
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4
declivity
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| n.下坡，倾斜面 | |
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thither
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| adv.向那里；adj.在那边的，对岸的 | |
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halfway
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| adj.中途的，不彻底的，部分的；adv.半路地，在中途，在半途 | |
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7
crouched
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| v.屈膝，蹲伏( crouch的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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8
pal
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| n.朋友，伙伴，同志；vi.结为友 | |
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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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hissed
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| 发嘶嘶声( hiss的过去式和过去分词 )； 发嘘声表示反对 | |
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11
unaware
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| a.不知道的，未意识到的 | |
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12
entirely
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| ad.全部地，完整地；完全地，彻底地 | |
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13
snarled
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| v.（指狗）吠，嗥叫， （人）咆哮( snarl的过去式和过去分词 )；咆哮着说，厉声地说 | |
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14
hurling
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| n.爱尔兰式曲棍球v.猛投，用力掷( hurl的现在分词 )；大声叫骂 | |
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15
wretch
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| n.可怜的人，不幸的人；卑鄙的人 | |
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16
jug
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| n.(有柄，小口，可盛水等的)大壶，罐，盂 | |
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17
pranks
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| n.玩笑，恶作剧( prank的名词复数 ) | |
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observatory
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| n.天文台，气象台，瞭望台，观测台 | |
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19
exclamation
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| n.感叹号，惊呼，惊叹词 | |
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groan
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| vi./n.呻吟，抱怨；(发出)呻吟般的声音 | |
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21
groaned
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| v.呻吟( groan的过去式和过去分词 )；发牢骚；抱怨；受苦 | |
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22
astounded
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| v.使震惊(astound的过去式和过去分词)；愕然；愕；惊讶 | |
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spurt
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| v.喷出；突然进发；突然兴隆 | |
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24
braced
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| adj.拉牢的v.支住( brace的过去式和过去分词 )；撑牢；使自己站稳；振作起来 | |
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25
distress
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| n.苦恼，痛苦，不舒适；不幸；vt.使悲痛 | |
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26
clenched
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| v.紧握，抓紧，咬紧( clench的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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27
throng
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| n.人群，群众；v.拥挤，群集 | |
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28
gathering
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| n.集会，聚会，聚集 | |
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29
trophy
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| n.优胜旗，奖品，奖杯，战胜品，纪念品 | |
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30
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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31
sprained
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| v.&n. 扭伤 | |
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32
rattled
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| 慌乱的，恼火的 | |
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33
wrath
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| n.愤怒，愤慨，暴怒 | |
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decided
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| adj.决定了的，坚决的；明显的，明确的 | |
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