CHAPTER XXVII. A FRIEND IN NEED.

IT IS NOT to be supposed that Tom was indifferent to the sudden appearance of one who seemed sent by heaven to his help.

He looked eagerly in the direction of the new comer. The honest face and sturdy figure were not unknown to him.

“It is Mr. Brush!” he exclaimed joyfully¹.

“Yes,” said that individual, approaching, “it is Peter Brush. What has this rascal² been up to?”

“Take care how you call me names, you clodhopper!” exclaimed Burnett, furiously, by no means pleased to see the man he had striven so hard to avoid.

“I may be a clodhopper, but I am not a scoundrel and a thief!” returned Brush.

Burnett felt that he was in a tight place. Would it be possible to deceive Mr. Brush? At any rate, he decided³ to try it.

“Sir,” he said forcibly, controlling his temper, “you are mistaken. I don’t blame you, for you are misled by what you have just seen.”

“If I am mistaken, perhaps you will explain why you have bound that boy, and taken his money and watch?”

“The boy is a thief, and has cheated me.”
149
Peter Brush releases Tom from the hands of the robber.
[Page 149.]

150 “What!” exclaimed Tom, his eyes flashing.

“Wait a minute,” said Brush.

He stepped up to our hero, and drawing a knife, severed⁴ the cords that bound him, while Percy Burnett looked on in annoyance⁵.

“Now, Tom,” said Brush, “what have you got to say to this charge?”

“I say it’s a lie!” asserted Tom boldly.

“Take care, you young rascal!” exclaimed Burnett, making a step toward our hero, now on his feet.

“Easy, now,” said Peter Brush. “The boy’s under my protection. Let him alone!”

“The boy’s in my employment,” said Burnett, “and I’ll thank you not to interfere⁶.”

“I shall interfere all the same, if I think it necessary,” said Brush, composedly.

“I am not in your employment,” said Tom, facing Burnett. “I’ve had enough of your service.”

“You say the boy is a thief,” continued Brush. “Can you prove it?”

“Yes, he managed to pick my pocket of a considerable sum of money, which he has now in his possession.”

“Don’t believe him, Mr. Brush,” said Tom.

“Easy now, Tom. How large a sum of money?” asked Brush.

That was just what Burnett could not tell, not knowing how much Tom had in his possession.

“I can’t say exactly. It’s over a hundred dollars,” he said, after a pause.

151 “How about the watch? Did you have two?” for Burnett had one of his own besides the one he had taken from Tom.

“No; the watch belongs to the boy.”

“Yet you took it?”

“Precisely. I took it in part compensation for the money of which he had robbed me.”

“But you have the money, too.”

“Who are you, anyway, and what business have you to interfere between me and my servant?” burst forth⁷ Burnett, angrily, finding himself cornered.

“Your servant!” said Tom, proudly. “I am not your servant, nor anybody’s servant.”

“That’s a fact, Tom,” said Mr. Brush. “This fellow ought to be your servant.”

“If you are going to insult me, I’ll leave you,” said Burnett, suiting the action to the word.

“Come back, you thief!” cried Brush, covering him with his rifle.

“Do you mean to murder me?” asked Percy Burnett, alarmed.

“No, but there’s a little formality you must go through before you bid us good-by.”

“What is that?”

“Hand over the boy’s watch and money.”

“There’s the watch,” said Burnett, giving it back with an ill grace. “The money is mine and I will keep it.”

“I don’t think you will,” said Brush, composedly.

“I will have you arrested for highway robbery,” exclaimed Burnett, angrily.

152 “I don’t think you will find any one to believe you, Jim Dobson.”

Burnett started, and a look of dismay overspread his face.

“My name is Percy Burnett,” he said, haughtily⁸, recovering himself.

“Is it? It used to be Jim Dobson, well known to the police of Chicago, Cincinnati and St. Louis. You were recognized at St. Joe. Now will you hand over the money?”

With a muttered curse Burnett, alias⁹ Dobson, threw Tom’s pocket-book on the ground.

“Now I suppose I may go,” he said, sullenly¹⁰.

“When the boy has examined his wallet to see if the money’s all there.”

“I know it is,” said Tom, “he hasn’t had time to open it.”

“Then you can go, Mr. Dobson. Good-by! Take my advice and lead a better life in the future.”

“Curse your advice!” said Burnett, as he strode rapidly away, leaving Tom and his new friend together in the gathering¹¹ darkness.

1 joyfully   

adv. 喜悦地, 高兴地

参考例句：

• She tripped along joyfully as if treading on air. 她高兴地走着，脚底下轻飘飘的。
• During these first weeks she slaved joyfully. 在最初的几周里，她干得很高兴。

2 rascal   

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。

3 decided   

adj.决定了的，坚决的；明显的，明确的

参考例句：

• This gave them a decided advantage over their opponents.这使他们比对手具有明显的优势。
• There is a decided difference between British and Chinese way of greeting.英国人和中国人打招呼的方式有很明显的区别。

4 severed   

v.切断，断绝( sever的过去式和过去分词 )；断，裂

参考例句：

• The doctor said I'd severed a vessel in my leg. 医生说我割断了腿上的一根血管。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• We have severed diplomatic relations with that country. 我们与那个国家断绝了外交关系。 来自《简明英汉词典》

5 annoyance   

n.恼怒，生气，烦恼

参考例句：

• Why do you always take your annoyance out on me?为什么你不高兴时总是对我出气？
• I felt annoyance at being teased.我恼恨别人取笑我。

6 interfere   

v.(in)干涉，干预；(with)妨碍，打扰

参考例句：

• If we interfere, it may do more harm than good.如果我们干预的话，可能弊多利少。
• When others interfere in the affair,it always makes troubles. 别人一卷入这一事件，棘手的事情就来了。

7 forth   

adv.向前；向外，往外

参考例句：

• The wind moved the trees gently back and forth.风吹得树轻轻地来回摇晃。
• He gave forth a series of works in rapid succession.他很快连续发表了一系列的作品。

8 haughtily   

adv. 傲慢地, 高傲地

参考例句：

• She carries herself haughtily. 她举止傲慢。
• Haughtily, he stalked out onto the second floor where I was standing. 他傲然跨出电梯，走到二楼，我刚好站在那儿。

9 alias   

n.化名；别名；adv.又名

参考例句：

• His real name was Johnson,but he often went by the alias of Smith.他的真名是约翰逊，但是他常常用化名史密斯。
• You can replace this automatically generated alias with a more meaningful one.可用更有意义的名称替换这一自动生成的别名。

10 sullenly   

不高兴地，绷着脸，忧郁地

参考例句：

• 'so what?" Tom said sullenly. “那又怎么样呢？”汤姆绷着脸说。
• Emptiness after the paper, I sIt'sullenly in front of the stove. 报看完，想不出能找点什么事做，只好一人坐在火炉旁生气。

11 gathering   

n.集会，聚会，聚集

参考例句：

• He called on Mr. White to speak at the gathering.他请怀特先生在集会上讲话。
• He is on the wing gathering material for his novels.他正忙于为他的小说收集资料。