“You are eating Mr. Vernon’s fish.”
“How’s that?” asked Val.
“Why,” said Mrs. Wood, “Puff2 Evans came to the door with them, ready cleaned, by the time we were up, and left them with his respects to Mr. Vernon. He said, too, that the boat was all right and ready for use.”
“And so you cooked them for me,” said Bar. “Well, thank you for that, and I must say it looks well on Puff’s part. Shall we bring home whatever fish we catch?”
“Of course,” said Mrs. Wood, “and Puff may bring as many pickerel as he pleases. They’re always welcome.”
They were, indeed, that morning, for it seemed[Pg 200] as if the previous night’s disturbance3 had distributed unusually keen appetites all around the table.
Bar and Val were quite ready to take advantage of Puff’s hint about the boat, and George Brayton frankly4 declared his regret at not being able to go with them.
“Only, Mr. Vernon,” he added, “you must not let your fishing prevent you from doing something with your grammar.”
“I won’t,” said Bar, and then even Mrs. Wood became interested in so very unusual a method of attempting the intricacies of the Latin tongue.
At that very hour, however, a brace5 of active-looking youths were slowly descending6 the hillside from the cow pastures, and one said to another:
“Hiram Allen, that was very remarkable7 conduct on the part of Solomon’s dun heifer.”
“Very,” replied Hy; “but, Zeb, don’t you suppose they suspect us?”
“Of course they do,” said Zeb; “but I’ve the dun heifer’s word of honor that she won’t tell how she got into the Academy.”
“No, she won’t tell,” said Hy, thoughtfully,[Pg 201] “but it would be a rough thing on you and me if we got found out.”
“Solomon took care of that with his customary wisdom,” said Zeb; “he came right over to our house and made himself sure that I had been in my peaceful couch all the time.”
“We’d better keep it, even from the boys, unless it’s Bill Jones,” said Hy.
“Of course,” replied Zeb, “the dun heifer, though a brute8, is far more trustworthy than any human being.”
Every breakfast-table in Ogleport was busy with the bell mystery that morning, and the unanimity9 with which all minds seemed in search of a clue which would guide them in the direction of Deacon Fuller’s house was a high testimonial to the well-earned fame of the deacon’s heir.
It was only, however, at the coffee-urn of the Academy principal that anything like gloom interfered10 with the pervading11 cheerfulness of tone which the common difficulty seemed to be met.
Euphemia would have been as smiling as a June sunrise about it, and even the doctor would[Pg 202] speedily have recovered from his temporary depression, but Mrs. Dryer12 failed to discern any ray of comfort.
“It’s a piece of outrageous13 and unparalleled defiance,” she assured her husband and stepdaughter, for the three-and-thirtieth time. “Your influence and authority in this community will be permanently14 compromised unless you succeed in probing this matter to the very bottom and bringing the lawless perpetrators to condign15 justice. Why, Dr. Dryer, that unfortunate heifer might have pulled down the bell.”
“I am compelled to admit the possibility of such a termination of her efforts to liberate16 herself,” moodily17 responded the doctor, unmindful of Effie’s suggestion:
“Or to get at the apples.”
“The entire operation,” he continued, “is enveloped18 in impenetrable mystery. I am anxious to ascertain19 if Mr. Brayton has evolved any probable solution. He afterwards ascended20 to the belfry to remove the rope from its attachments21.”
“Brayton!” scornfully exclaimed Mrs. Dryer.[Pg 203] “If you don’t learn anything till you get it from him! Why, I’m expecting every day to hear that the boys have begun to call him George.”
“Dorothy Jane——”
“It’s no use, Doctor; you won’t have a cow or a bell or an Academy, or anything else, before the end of this term, if you don’t manage somehow to accomplish something.”
There was no denying that the exigency23 was one that called for special exertion24, but Effie Dryer had seen George Brayton prying25 around the Academy building very early that morning, and she would have given more than her stepmother seemed disposed to for a statement of his views concerning the heifer and the bell. It had already been ascertained26 that the peck measure was the doctor’s own, but no one had succeeded in identifying what remained of the green apples.
Meantime, on his way back from his errand of gratitude27 that morning, Puff Evans had been hailed by Pat Murphy from the door of the grist-mill.
“The top o’ the mornin’ to yez. It’s sorry I am to hear the bad news about yer boat.”
[Pg 204]“My boat?” responded Puff.
“Yis,” said Pat, “and the master towld me to offer yez the pick of his lumber28 yon, ave ye was minded to build another.”
“And what for?” asked Puff. “Isn’t the boat a good one?”
“Sure enough,” said Pat; “she’s only too good for a Rodney lawyer. I hope she’ll upset wid him the day he puts his foot in her.”
By this time Puff began to comprehend the state of his neighbor’s mind on the boat question, and he at once proceeded to an explanation which made the kind-hearted Irishman break out into all sorts of encomiums upon the “young jintleman from the city.”
“It’s all right,” said Puff.
“Thrue for you,” said Pat, “an’ it’s mesilf would like to do the good turn for him. He’ll have frinds to the fore22 in Ogleport, or I’m mishtaken.”
“’Deed he will,” said Puff, very emphatically, for him, “and I’ll teach him all there is to learn about boatin’ and fishin’ in these parts.”
“It’s yersilf knows it all thin,” said Pat, and[Pg 205] he went back to his grist with a muttered:
“Wondher ave Zeb Fuller and the b’yes know about that same.”
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1
perch
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| n.栖木，高位，杆；v.栖息，就位，位于 | |
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puff
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| n.一口(气)；一阵(风)；v.喷气，喘气 | |
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3
disturbance
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| n.动乱，骚动；打扰，干扰；(身心)失调 | |
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4
frankly
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| adv.坦白地，直率地；坦率地说 | |
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5
brace
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| n. 支柱,曲柄,大括号; v. 绷紧,顶住,(为困难或坏事)做准备 | |
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6
descending
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| n. 下行 adj. 下降的 | |
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7
remarkable
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| adj.显著的，异常的，非凡的，值得注意的 | |
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8
brute
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| n.野兽，兽性 | |
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9
unanimity
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| n.全体一致，一致同意 | |
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10
interfered
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| v.干预( interfere的过去式和过去分词 )；调停；妨碍；干涉 | |
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11
pervading
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| v.遍及，弥漫( pervade的现在分词 ) | |
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12
dryer
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| n.干衣机，干燥剂 | |
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13
outrageous
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| adj.无理的，令人不能容忍的 | |
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permanently
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| adv.永恒地，永久地，固定不变地 | |
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condign
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| adj.应得的，相当的 | |
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liberate
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| v.解放，使获得自由，释出，放出；vt.解放，使获自由 | |
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moodily
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| adv.喜怒无常地；情绪多变地；心情不稳地；易生气地 | |
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18
enveloped
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| v.包围，笼罩，包住( envelop的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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19
ascertain
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| vt.发现，确定，查明，弄清 | |
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20
ascended
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| v.上升，攀登( ascend的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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21
attachments
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| n.（用电子邮件发送的）附件( attachment的名词复数 )；附着；连接；附属物 | |
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22
fore
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| adv.在前面；adj.先前的；在前部的；n.前部 | |
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exigency
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| n.紧急；迫切需要 | |
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exertion
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| n.尽力，努力 | |
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prying
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| adj.爱打听的v.打听，刺探（他人的私事）( pry的现在分词 )；撬开 | |
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26
ascertained
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| v.弄清，确定，查明( ascertain的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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27
gratitude
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| adj.感激，感谢 | |
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28
lumber
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| n.木材，木料；v.以破旧东西堆满；伐木；笨重移动 | |
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