“I’ve provided for it,” said I.
“Not th’ ould scut?” said Ethel.
“Hardly. Let’s see, there are ten of us.”
“Twelve,” said Ethel, “or thirteen.”
“No, ten.”
“Twelve. Minerva and James are going and we’re to have lunch over there.”
“Five buggies, two in each,” said Sibthorp as unconsciously as he could.
“Fine,” said Hepburn and Billy in the same breath, and Cherry blushed rose red.
“Couldn’t get buggies, but I think you’ll all be pleased at the conveyance,” said I. “It’ll be quite a ride. Three hours there and three hours back.”
“Goodness,” said Cherry; “I thought it was only about seven miles away.”
“It might be 200 miles away if we took a special,” said Sibthorp suggestively.
“And only a few rods if we took snails1,” said Tom and laughed uproariously.
“It’s something between snails and specials,” said I, but further than that I was sphynxlike.
Next morning was a crisp, smoke scented2 October morning, the air full of the snap of early fall, the landscape hinting at coming crimsons3 and yellows, the sky a clear blue, guiltless of clouds.
We rose early and while we were at breakfast we heard the lowing of cattle.
“Whose cow’s loose this morning?” asked Tom.
“That’s the voice of our steeds, if I’m not mistaken. Get your wraps and traps and come.”
Scowls4 of surprise were bent5 on me by all.
“Behold the chariot of Apollo and the horses thereof,” said I, and led the way to the front door, whither I was followed by all.
In front of the house stood a comfortable-looking hay wagon6 carpeted with straw and hitched7 to it were twelve oxen.
They were of all sorts and sizes, from a pair of huge white blanketed ones to two little black Holstein leaders; they were mottled, brown, mahogany and fawn8 color and the black Holsteins had gold leafed horns in honor of the occasion. At the side of this “string” stood Sam Goodman and his son.
“Are we going in that?”
“That we are going in,” said I proudly. “If we have luck we’ll get there inside of three hours. How far is it, Mr. Goodman?”
“Between six an’ seven miles. What d’yer think of the string? Prize winners?”
“They ought to be.”
“What does he do with so many cows?” said Cherry.
“Where—where did you come from, baby dear?” said Tom. “Those are called oxen in this part of the country. Not all yours are they?” turning to Sam.
“No, sir. Mine are the white blankets. But all Egerton cattle and we’ve taken fust prize for four years hand runnin’! Whoapp, Jerry! Whenever you’re ready I’m ready, Mr. Vernon.”
Which was local for “Please hurry up,” so I told our party to get aboard as soon as possible and we would start for the cattle show.
There is no better way of enjoying scenery than to go out riding behind a team of cattle. One has all the slowness obtainable by walking and yet one is riding, and can give his full attention to the beauties of either side of the road. To those who are not in too great a hurry I commend this form of locomotion9!
At last we were ready, and after we were all seated James helped the giggling10 Minerva to a seat in the back. She and James were the only ones who had real seats. The rest of us sat in the straw.
“G’long!” shouted Mr. Goodman, and the oxen started.
“Isn’t this fun?” said Cherry, wriggling11 her shoulders with delight.
“Fine, and after three hours of it walking will be even more fun,” said Tom.
“Oh, I’ve forgotten the lunch,” said Ethel.
“Now, look here,” said Tom, “we mustn’t stop this procession. Give me the key, Philip, and I’ll go back after the lunch and—”
“Whoa,” shouted Mr. Goodman.
“Don’t stop,” cried Tom. “I’ve only got to go back to the house. I’ll catch up. Keep ’em going.”
“Whoohaw, gee12 a little,” shouted Goodman, snapping his long whip and the oxen kept up their sleepy pace, while Tom ran back to the house to get the lunch.
“Isn’t this lovely?” said Cherry. “Whenever we get tired of riding we can walk on ahead and wait for the team to catch up. Why haven’t we ever done this before?”
“Because it would be something of a task to get six pair of cattle on any day except fair day,” I explained. “And, by the way, this costs us nothing. Goodman is honoured at having us come. Said so—in other words. Was insulted when I spoke13 of payment.”
“I’m learning something new about the country people all the time,” said Cherry.
“Goodman sells cheeses. He doesn’t rent cattle. If we had wanted a cheese it would have cost us market prices, but a ride after the Egerton string honours him and Egerton. That’s the Yankee of it.”
“Isn’t it glorious? Where is Mr. Warden14? He’ll surely get left.”
Just then an automobile15 going to the fair came up behind us and passed us tooting the loudest horn I ever heard.
The cattle were not broken to automobiles16 and the leaders started to run, their example was followed all along the line, and in a minute (and to the secret gratification of Goodman, who had not liked Tom’s cavalier way of going back as if we were stationary) the six pair of cattle were running away.
The wagon bumped and pitched and we were pitched and bumped amid shrieks18 from Minerva and laughter from the rest.
“Whoo! Whoo, I say! Gee—haw! Whoo! WHOA! WHOA-UP!”
We had reached the brow of a little hill, at the base of which a pretty brook19 meanders20 across the road, and the frightened animals plunged21 down the hill regardless of their reputation for slowness.
As we left the brow of the hill we saw at the house Tom waving the lunch basket and calling to us to stop. He thought it was a trick, but we knew it wasn’t.
We beckoned22 him to come and then we gripped the sides of the wagon and wondered just how it would end.
At the side of the bridge the road led into a by path to the water and the wise Goodman, fearing that we would not keep the bridge at the rate we were going gee-ed them into the by path.
Whether the water had a cooling effect on them or what was the reason, I cannot say, but just as the wagon was in mid17 stream the forward oxen stopped, their example was passed down the line as it is on a freight train, and the series of jolts23 was finally communicated to the wagon and James and Minerva turned back summersaults into the water.
We all choked with laughter when they emerged, dripping.
“Don’t like cow ridin’,” said Minerva, shaking mud and water from her hat.
They were not hurt and by the advice of Ethel, Minerva went back to the house to get dry clothing. James waited to show her a short cut across the fields, so that we need not wait, and Tom came up with the lunch basket just as the cavalcade24 started again.
“Sorry I didn’t bring a wheel along,” said Tom. “If we find we’ve forgotten anything else it’ll be hard catching25 up. There’s quite some go in those beasts.”
“Them pesky devil wagons,” said Goodman. “I wish there was a law agin’ them.”
It is not my intention to tell of all the things that happened on the way. The oxen got accustomed to automobiles long before we reached Oakham and our progress became slower and slower as we had to take to the side of the road to let pass us the constantly thickening stream of vehicles of all kinds from every part of the county bound for the fair. Arrived at the grounds, wherever pretty Cherry went the boys were sure to go, while we elders went off by ourselves.
Ethel and I had hardly had a minute together since our guests had begun coming, but Ethel seemed to have thrived on the extra work and the added excitement. Of course it was the unlimited26 fresh air that had made it possible. We looked back on a very happy summer and were glad that everything had happened as it had.
“I wonder if Cherry has made up her mind yet,” said Ethel, while we were watching the efforts of a man to hit a darkey’s head with a base ball.
“She’ll have to make it up quickly unless she wants Hepburn and Sibthorp to possess their souls in patience during the fall.”
“And whichever of the two she takes there will be two disappointed men.”
“What, Billy?”
“Yes, I think, after all, he is hard hit.”
“And she treats him with amusing indifference27. There they all go to have their tin-types takes. What children they are!”
It may have been a half hour later that Ethel and I were watching the energetic seller of whips.
Starting with one whip, which he offered for a dollar, and getting no takers at that price (for most of them had seen his operations before) he would offer two and then three and then four and at last half a dozen whips for the same dollar.
“An’ I’ll throw in this raw-hide just to make the game excitin’. Here, by George, I’m ashamed of myself to be such a poor business man as to give away fifteen dollars’ worth of whips for the price of one decent one, but I’m bound to make a sale if I give you my whole stock for a dollar. He-ere we have a bobby dasher of a whip to tickle28 the flies to death in the pantry. I’ll chuck that in just for devilment and I hope you won’t tell none of your folks what a fool I be. That’s eight whips for one ordinary every day dollar. Why it’s a crime to take advantage of me in this way and git so much for so little.
“Thank you, sir, for relievin’ me of an embarrassin’ situation.”
This to a long-bearded man who handed up a dollar and got the eight whips, one of which would have cost a dollar in any harness store. But that is not the same as saying that it would have been worth a dollar.
“Now, here we are again. Here’s a whip for one dollar.”
Naturally the zest29 of the transaction had departed with the long-bearded farmer and most of the crowd went away. But new ones came up and minute by minute the whip man added whip after whip and soon the crowd was as dense30 as before and he strenuously31 showed the swishing qualities of each whip, fanning the air with vigor32 and filling that part of the fair grounds with his syren voice and his picturesque33 language.
“Oh, you’re here, are you,” said a voice at my side, and turning I saw Sibthorp.
“Hello, where’s Cherry?” said I.
“I wanted to speak to you. Let’s get away from that clatter34.”
I believe that Ethel must have divined what he wanted to say, for she said,
“Take me over to the wagon. I want to see about getting lunch ready.”
We took her over to the wagon and on our way there corralled James and Minerva. Ethel had brought an oil stove for the making of coffee and the three began operations at once, while Sibthorp and I walked off to that part of the fair where the cattle tests were to be made later in the day.
I could see that whatever it was that Sibthorp wanted to say he was not going to find it easy to say it, for he made five or six false and utterly35 inconsequent starts and seemed ill at ease.
“Say, Ellery, you didn’t get me off here to tell me that you never saw such long horns on an ox. What do you care about oxen?”
“No, that’s so—er—say, Phil, the fact is, I believe that I am—that I think a good deal—”
“That you are in love with Cherry?”
“Why, how did you know it?” said Ellery, with a sigh of relief.
“Oh, when you’ve been through the mill yourself you’re always able to tell the symptoms. Now what can I do for you? Do you want me to propose?”
“No, no-o, but I want to know whether you think I’d stand any sort of show.”
“Why, my dear boy,” said I. “Aren’t you as good as anybody else on earth? Have you totally misconceived Emerson’s message? Go in and win. Cherry’s a good girl—as good as anybody in the world. You’re a good chap—good as anybody on earth. Tell her your life story, and then come to me for my congratulations.”
“Well, but do you think I stand any show?”
“You’re the best judge of that, old man. She’s been very kind to you. I’d feel encouraged if I were you. But do it to-day, and do it soon. There are several Richmonds in the field.”
“That’s what I was afraid of. Jack36 and the rest.”
“Jack, nothing. The only man you have need to fear is that genial37 millionaire, Hepburn.”
“Oh, I’m not afraid of him. Cherry doesn’t believe in marrying for money.”
“How do you know?”
“Oh, we talked it over academically, you know.”
“Well, sometimes a woman forgets to be academic when it comes to the test. I think you’d better engage her in talk, old man, and do it to-day. Remember we all go down to-morrow.”
“Thanks, awfully38, old man. You’ve heartened me up considerably39.”
We had walked as we talked over to the wheel of fortune, and just as we arrived there a young man was so remarkably40 lucky as to win a hundred dollars. He was a very lucky young man, because earlier in the day I had passed by there with Ethel and had stopped a minute and he had then won fifty dollars. I like to see such happiness as was his. I have never seen it anywhere else, but on the stage. He put the money in his pocket and started away from the wheel and the gentleman who was running the wheel asked him in honey tones if he wouldn’t stay and try his luck again.
“No, sir,” said the upright young man. “I never did anything of this kind before to-day, and I’m going to stop now.”
“I wish I had your strength of character,” said the owner of the wheel, who seemed to be a very straightforward41 sort of person, even if he was limited in his phraseology. I recalled that he had said exactly the same words to the same young man when he had won the fifty dollars in the morning, and had signified his intention of stopping for good.
“Hello, there’s Cherry, now,” said Sibthorp, and looking up I saw her going by in company with Tom and his wife. Sibthorp joined the trio and he and Cherry fell behind and a minute later I saw them stop at the gate of the merry-go-round. For, of course, a modern country fair would not be the real thing if it did not have one of the gaudily42 grotesque43 nerve rackers.
Wishing the boy luck, I wandered off alone and soon fell in with Hepburn.
“Hello, Mr. Vernon,” said he. “Have you seen anything of Miss Paxton?”
“Yes, she and Sibthorp went off together not a minute ago.”
“Oh, that’s all right then. I was afraid she had gone off with Billy.”
The young men had one evening drunk “Bruderschaft” and all called each other by their first names.
“Why are you afraid of Billy?” said I.
Hepburn colored, an unusual thing for him to do, as he generally had easy command of himself. He looked me straight in the eye and then he said,
“I’m hard hit, governor.”
“Does you credit,” said I.
“Yeah,” said he, pulling at his under lip. “But you know it’s deuced hard for a fellow like me to say anything. All that cursed money of mine, you know. I’ve never been taken for what I am myself until I came up here, and when it comes to telling Miss Paxton how things stand with me, don’t you know—why, I wouldn’t blame her if she refused me, even if she loved me, because a girl like that doesn’t like to be thought—doesn’t like to be thought to be influenced by the money a fellow has.”
“Well, she wouldn’t be.”
“No, that isn’t the point. She wouldn’t be, but she might be afraid that the world would think she was.”
We were walking back and forth44 along the “Midway,” and we had now come to the wheel of fortune and subconsciously45 I felt impelled46 to stop and look in at the operations which had just started up with the placing of a dollar by a raw-boned fellow fresh from the plough.
“You mean to say,” said I, “that if you were in the position of Sibthorp, for instance, that you would feel you had a good chance of winning her?”
“I don’t think Sibthorp has any chance with her. I mean that if I was ordinarily well off I would go in and ask her, and I think she’d have me. I’d tell you what I wouldn’t say to any one else up here, for I think you understand those things. I’m not conceited47 but—well, a fellow knows.”
“Lost it, young man,” said the man at the wheel, “but next time you may have better luck. You want to try?”
“Why, I believe I will.”
Interested as I was in Hepburn’s revelations of soul, I looked up and saw the young man who had been so lucky twice before. He had plainly forgotten that he had ever seen the wheel—so treacherous48 are some memories—and pulling out of his pocket a dollar bill and a cent—all he had, evidently—he placed the dollar on “25,” which with great ingenuousness49 he said was his age, and the wheel spun50 round.
“I’m afraid you’re going to lose it, young man,” said the gamester. “It’s a hundred dollars if it stops at your figure. She comes nearer, she passes, she comes round again—she goes slower—she pas—no, she touches it. I congratulate you, young man. I lose, but you gain and I like to see a man win when he’s young and out for fun.”
“By George,” said the young man, ecstatically happy. “I never played one of the blamed things before. A hundred dollars?”
“Yes, a hundred dollars. Suppose you try it again.”
A dense crowd was now around the wheel and all eyes were fixed51 on the poor young man, who had so suddenly won a pocket of money—and that for the third time that day—although I was the only one who remembered that fact.
His hand sought his pocket—and then he remembered that a dollar and a cent had been all he had had—there—and he shook his head and said,
“No, sir. I’ve struck ile and I’m go’n’ to quit.”
“By George, I like your strength of character. Who else will take the young man’s chance? Only a dollar a try.”
The dollars rained down. The wheel went round and a score of anxious eyes blazed at the board. But every man lost his dollar and the young man who had been so strangely lucky and so curiously52 forgetful of his former luck, walked away, followed by Hepburn, who had been in a brown study, and me.
“There’s only one man seems to win in those games of chance,” said I.
“Some men are born lucky,” said Hepburn, and straightened unconsciously as he said it.
点击
收听单词发音
收听单词发音 |
1
snails
|
|
| n.蜗牛；迟钝的人；蜗牛( snail的名词复数 ) | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
2
scented
|
|
| adj.有香味的；洒香水的；有气味的v.嗅到(scent的过去分词) | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
3
crimsons
|
|
| 变为深红色（crimson的第三人称单数形式） | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
|
4
scowls
|
|
| 不悦之色，怒容( scowl的名词复数 ) | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
5
bent
|
|
| n.爱好，癖好；adj.弯的；决心的，一心的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
6
wagon
|
|
| n.四轮马车，手推车，面包车；无盖运货列车 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
7
hitched
|
|
| （免费）搭乘他人之车( hitch的过去式和过去分词 )； 搭便车； 攀上； 跃上 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
8
fawn
|
|
| n.未满周岁的小鹿；v.巴结，奉承 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
9
locomotion
|
|
| n.运动，移动 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
10
giggling
|
|
| v.咯咯地笑( giggle的现在分词 ) | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
11
wriggling
|
|
| v.扭动，蠕动，蜿蜒行进( wriggle的现在分词 )；（使身体某一部位）扭动；耍滑不做，逃避（应做的事等）；蠕蠕 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
12
gee
|
|
| n.马；int.向右！前进！，惊讶时所发声音；v.向右转 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
13
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： |
|
|
|
|
14
warden
|
|
| n.监察员，监狱长，看守人，监护人 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
15
automobile
|
|
| n.汽车，机动车 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
16
automobiles
|
|
| n.汽车( automobile的名词复数 ) | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
17
mid
|
|
| adj.中央的，中间的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
18
shrieks
|
|
| n.尖叫声( shriek的名词复数 )v.尖叫( shriek的第三人称单数 ) | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
19
brook
|
|
| n.小河，溪；v.忍受，容让 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
20
meanders
|
|
| 曲径( meander的名词复数 )； 迂回曲折的旅程 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
21
plunged
|
|
| v.颠簸( plunge的过去式和过去分词 )；暴跌；骤降；突降 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
22
beckoned
|
|
| v.（用头或手的动作）示意，召唤( beckon的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
23
jolts
|
|
| （使）摇动， （使）震惊( jolt的名词复数 ) | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
24
cavalcade
|
|
| n.车队等的行列 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
25
catching
|
|
| adj.易传染的，有魅力的，迷人的，接住 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
26
unlimited
|
|
| adj.无限的，不受控制的，无条件的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
27
indifference
|
|
| n.不感兴趣，不关心，冷淡，不在乎 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
28
tickle
|
|
| v.搔痒，胳肢；使高兴；发痒；n.搔痒，发痒 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
29
zest
|
|
| n.乐趣；滋味，风味；兴趣 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
30
dense
|
|
| a.密集的，稠密的，浓密的；密度大的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
31
strenuously
|
|
| adv.奋发地，费力地 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
32
vigor
|
|
| n.活力，精力，元气 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
33
picturesque
|
|
| adj.美丽如画的，（语言）生动的，绘声绘色的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
34
clatter
|
|
| v./n.(使)发出连续而清脆的撞击声 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
35
utterly
|
|
| adv.完全地，绝对地 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
36
jack
|
|
| n.插座，千斤顶，男人；v.抬起，提醒，扛举；n.（Jake）杰克 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
37
genial
|
|
| adj.亲切的，和蔼的，愉快的，脾气好的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
38
awfully
|
|
| adv.可怕地，非常地，极端地 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
39
considerably
|
|
| adv.极大地；相当大地；在很大程度上 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
40
remarkably
|
|
| ad.不同寻常地，相当地 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
41
straightforward
|
|
| adj.正直的，坦率的；易懂的，简单的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
42
gaudily
|
|
| adv.俗丽地 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
43
grotesque
|
|
| adj.怪诞的，丑陋的；n.怪诞的图案，怪人（物） | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
44
forth
|
|
| adv.向前；向外，往外 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
45
subconsciously
|
|
| ad.下意识地，潜意识地 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
46
impelled
|
|
| v.推动、推进或敦促某人做某事( impel的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
47
conceited
|
|
| adj.自负的，骄傲自满的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
48
treacherous
|
|
| adj.不可靠的，有暗藏的危险的；adj.背叛的，背信弃义的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
49
ingenuousness
|
|
| n.率直；正直；老实 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
50
spun
|
|
| v.纺，杜撰，急转身 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
51
fixed
|
|
| adj.固定的，不变的，准备好的；(计算机)固定的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
52
curiously
|
|
| adv.有求知欲地；好问地；奇特地 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
| 欢迎访问英文小说网 |