CHAPTER XLII. A STARTLING DISCLOSURE.

AS THERE was no hotel, nor even tavern¹, at Rocky Gulch², the banker, Percival, gladly accepted Tom’s invitation to pass the night at the cabin occupied jointly³ by himself and his two friends.

“But what will your friends say?” asked Percival.

“They will be glad of your company,” said Tom, promptly⁴.

The banker looked pleased.

“My visit will prove pleasanter than I anticipated,” he said.

When they reached the cabin Tom found that Mr. Brush was much better. In fact, he and the doctor were at the door smoking.

“Dr. Spooner, Mr. Brush,” said our hero, “allow me to introduce a new acquaintance, Mr. Percival, of San Francisco.”

“Glad to meet you, Mr. Percival,” was the cordial greeting of both, as they extended their hands.

“I have promised Mr. Percival accommodations for the night,” continued Tom.

“He shall be welcome if he doesn’t object to rough it,” answered Brush. “We don’t live in a palace.”

“My friend,” said the banker, “it seems to me a221 palace compared with what would have been my lodging⁵ but for the lucky chance of meeting your young friend here.”

The doctor and Mr. Brush looked inquiringly first at one, then at the other.

Tom smiled, but left Mr. Percival to tell the story.

“I was emphatically up a tree,” said the banker, “with a grizzly⁶ standing⁷ guard underneath⁸, when this brave boy (Tom blushed at the compliment) came up, and taking effectual aim, disposed of Mr. Bruin.”

“You don’t mean to say you killed a grizzly, Tom?” exclaimed Mr. Brush, in excitement.

“It is a literal fact,” said Robert Percival, “and one of the largest specimens⁹ I have ever seen.”

“Where is he?”

“We were not able to bring him along,” said Tom, smiling. “If you and the doctor can manage him I will give him to you.”

“I’ve always wanted to kill a grizzly,” said Peter Brush, meditatively¹⁰. “It would be a feather in my cap. Yet here am I, a man of fifty-two, and I have not had a chance yet, while you, a mere¹¹ stripling, have succeeded.”

“I didn’t go to do it,” said Tom, with a queer smile.

“No, but you’ve done it, while neither I nor my friend the doctor, I presume, have ever succeeded.”

“I think I could dispose of a first-class grizzly if he would only consent to take my medicines,” said the doctor, dryly.

At this there was a general laugh.

222

“Mr. Percival,” said the doctor, “I venture to say that you and Tom are hungry.”

“I am famished,” said the banker.

“I am glad you are hungry, for I am cook this week, and hungry men are not fastidious.”

“I will help you, doctor,” said Peter Brush.

“Out of regard for our guest I will accept your offer,” said Dr. Spooner. “I am sorry I haven’t a few pounds of Tom’s grizzly to cook.”

“I am content that he didn’t make a meal of me,” said the banker, shrugging his shoulders.

Supper was enjoyed, and the four who partook of it were unusually jovial¹².

After the meal was finished Robert Percival’s business instinct led him to inquire of his hosts how well they had succeeded in their mining. He was surprised to learn how much gold dust they had accumulated.

“Gentlemen,” he said, “business is business, and that as well as the need of recreation has brought me out here. If you feel inclined to part with your dust I will make you as favorable an offer as any one in San Francisco, and give you drafts in payment.”

The three partners consulted, and Peter Brush acted as spokesman, and promptly accepted their guest’s offer.

“Nothing will suit us better,” he said. “We are sure you will deal honorably with us.”

“Even if such were not my custom,” said Percival, “I would do so for the sake of your young associate, who has rendered me so important a service. I confess my surprise at seeing so young a boy engaged in this business. Is he related to either of you?”

223 This drew out Tom’s story. It was told partly by Mr. Brush, partly by our young hero himself.

Robert Percival listened from the first with interest. But as the story proceeded, and reached the point where our hero’s father was robbed and left for dead near the very spot where they were conversing¹³, his interest increased, and was apparently¹⁴ mingled¹⁵ with surprise. When the tale was told he ejaculated:

“This is a most extraordinary occurrence.”

“Not so extraordinary,” said Brush. “In the early days of California emigration, robbery and murder could not have been so very uncommon¹⁶.”

“But you don’t understand me, my friend. It is extraordinary that this story should be told to me.”

“Why?” asked Brush and Tom, and the doctor looked equally inquisitive¹⁷.

“Why? Because I myself found the bag of gold dust of which the boy is in search, and I was one of the party who found his father and carried him from the gulch!”

This statement was listened to with unbounded amazement¹⁸ by his three listeners.

1 tavern   

n.小旅馆，客栈；小酒店

参考例句：

• There is a tavern at the corner of the street.街道的拐角处有一家酒馆。
• Philip always went to the tavern,with a sense of pleasure.菲利浦总是心情愉快地来到这家酒菜馆。

2 gulch   

n.深谷，峡谷

参考例句：

• The trail ducks into a narrow gulch.这条羊肠小道突然下到一个狭窄的峡谷里。
• This is a picture of California Gulch.这是加利福尼亚峡谷的图片。

3 jointly   

ad.联合地，共同地

参考例句：

• Tenants are jointly and severally liable for payment of the rent. 租金由承租人共同且分别承担。
• She owns the house jointly with her husband. 她和丈夫共同拥有这所房子。

4 promptly   

adv.及时地，敏捷地

参考例句：

• He paid the money back promptly.他立即还了钱。
• She promptly seized the opportunity his absence gave her.她立即抓住了因他不在场给她创造的机会。

5 lodging   

n.寄宿，住所；(大学生的)校外宿舍

参考例句：

• The bill is inclusive of the food and lodging. 账单包括吃、住费用。
• Where can you find lodging for the night? 你今晚在哪里借宿?

6 grizzly   

adj.略为灰色的，呈灰色的；n.灰色大熊

参考例句：

• This grizzly liked people.这只灰熊却喜欢人。
• Grizzly bears are not generally social creatures.一般说来，灰熊不是社交型动物。

7 standing   

n.持续，地位；adj.永久的，不动的，直立的，不流动的

参考例句：

• After the earthquake only a few houses were left standing.地震过后只有几幢房屋还立着。
• They're standing out against any change in the law.他们坚决反对对法律做任何修改。

8 underneath   

adj.在...下面，在...底下；adv.在下面

参考例句：

• Working underneath the car is always a messy job.在汽车底下工作是件脏活。
• She wore a coat with a dress underneath.她穿着一件大衣，里面套着一条连衣裙。

9 specimens   

n.样品( specimen的名词复数 )；范例；（化验的）抽样；某种类型的人

参考例句：

• Astronauts have brought back specimens of rock from the moon. 宇航员从月球带回了岩石标本。
• The traveler brought back some specimens of the rocks from the mountains. 那位旅行者从山上带回了一些岩石标本。 来自《简明英汉词典》

10 meditatively   

adv.冥想地

参考例句：

• The old man looked meditatively at the darts board. 老头儿沉思不语，看着那投镖板。 来自英汉文学
• "Well,'said the foreman, scratching his ear meditatively, "we do need a stitcher. “这--"工头沉思地搔了搔耳朵。 "我们确实需要一个缝纫工。 来自英汉文学 - 嘉莉妹妹

11 mere   

adj.纯粹的；仅仅，只不过

参考例句：

• That is a mere repetition of what you said before.那不过是重复了你以前讲的话。
• It's a mere waste of time waiting any longer.再等下去纯粹是浪费时间。

12 jovial   

adj.快乐的，好交际的

参考例句：

• He seemed jovial,but his eyes avoided ours.他显得很高兴，但他的眼光却避开了我们的眼光。
• Grandma was plump and jovial.祖母身材圆胖，整天乐呵呵的。

13 conversing   

v.交谈，谈话( converse的现在分词 )

参考例句：

• I find that conversing with her is quite difficult. 和她交谈实在很困难。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• They were conversing in the parlor. 他们正在客厅谈话。 来自《现代英汉综合大词典》

14 apparently   

adv.显然地；表面上，似乎

参考例句：

• An apparently blind alley leads suddenly into an open space.山穷水尽，豁然开朗。
• He was apparently much surprised at the news.他对那个消息显然感到十分惊异。

15 mingled   

混合，混入( mingle的过去式和过去分词 )； 混进，与…交往[联系]

参考例句：

• The sounds of laughter and singing mingled in the evening air. 笑声和歌声交织在夜空中。
• The man and the woman mingled as everyone started to relax. 当大家开始放松的时候，这一男一女就开始交往了。

16 uncommon   

adj.罕见的，非凡的，不平常的

参考例句：

• Such attitudes were not at all uncommon thirty years ago.这些看法在30年前很常见。
• Phil has uncommon intelligence.菲尔智力超群。

17 inquisitive   

adj.求知欲强的，好奇的，好寻根究底的

参考例句：

• Children are usually inquisitive.小孩通常很好问。
• A pat answer is not going to satisfy an inquisitive audience.陈腔烂调的答案不能满足好奇的听众。

18 amazement   

n.惊奇，惊讶

参考例句：

• All those around him looked at him with amazement.周围的人都对他投射出惊异的眼光。
• He looked at me in blank amazement.他带着迷茫惊诧的神情望着我。