CHAPTER XXXVI. DENTON IS CHECKMATED.

O LIVER wished to communicate his discovery to Bundy, but Denton's presence interfered¹. His guardian² was not an observant man, and thus far suspected nothing. Before Oliver obtained any opportunity the stage reached its destination.

Kelso was a village of moderate size. A small hotel provided accommodation for passing travellers. Here the three stage passengers descended³ and sought accommodation. The house was almost empty, and no difficulty was experienced. Denton registered his name as Felix Graham, from Milwaukee. He registered first, and for a special reason, that the false name might divert suspicion, if any was entertained.

"Do you know our fellow-passenger, Mr. Bundy?" asked Oliver, when they were in the room assigned them, preparing for supper.

Bundy looked surprised.

"I only know that he is from Milwaukee," he answered.

Oliver laughed.

"My eyes are sharper than yours, Mr. Bundy," he said. "He is our old acquaintance, Denton, who tried to rob you in Chicago."

Nicholas Bundy was amazed.

"How do you know?" he asked. "Surely it cannot be. Denton had black hair."

"And this man wears a red wig," said Oliver.

"Are you sure of this?" asked Nicholas thoughtfully.

"I am certain."

"When did you recognize him?"

"In the stage, when his glasses came off."

"What does this mean?" said Bundy, half to himself.

"It means that he is on our track," said Oliver coolly.

"But why? What object can he have?"

"You have asked me too much. Ask me some other conundrum⁴."

"Can he hope to rob me again? It must be that."

"We will see that he don't."

"Possibly he has some other object in view. I should like to know."

"I'll tell you how to do it, Mr. Bundy. Will you authorize⁵ me to manage?"

"Yes, Oliver."

"Then I will take pains to mention in his presence before the landlord that we are going back to Chicago in the morning, and wish to engage seats in the stage. If he is following us he will do the same."

"A good idea, Oliver."

After supper Denton took out a cigar, and began to smoke in the office of the inn. Oliver enquired⁶ of the landlord:

"When does the stage start in the morning?"

"At eight o'clock."

"Can I engage two seats in it?"

"Yes, sir. Your stay is short."

"True, but our business takes little time to transact⁷. Let us have breakfast in time."

Denton listened, but made no movement.

The next morning when the stage drew up before the door, not only Oliver and Bundy, but Denton also, were standing⁸ on the piazza⁹, with their carpet-bags, ready to depart.

All got into the stage, and it set out.

It had hardly proceeded half a mile when, by previous arrangement, Bundy said suddenly:

"Oliver, I believe we must go back. There is one thing I quite forgot to attend to in Kelso."

"All right!" said Oliver. "It makes no difference to me."

The driver was signalled, and Oliver and Bundy got out.

Oliver glanced at Denton. He looked terribly amazed, and seemed undecided whether to get out also.

"Good-morning, Mr. Graham," said Oliver, with a great show of politeness. "I am sorry you will have a lonely ride."

"Good-by," muttered Denton, and the stage rolled on.

"He wanted to get out and follow us back," said Oliver, "but he couldn't think of any excuse."

"We have got rid of him," said Bundy; "and now I must attend to the business that brought me here."

On his return to the hotel he interviewed the landlord, and asked if he ever heard of a man named Rupert Jones.

"I should think so," answered the landlord. "He cheated me out of a hundred dollars."

"He did? How?"

"By a forged check upon the Bank of Conway. I wish I could get hold of him!" he ended.

Nicholas Bundy's eyes sparkled.

"What could you do in that case?" he enquired.

"What could I do? I could send him to State prison."

"Then you have preserved the forged check?"

"Yes, I have taken care of that."

"Mr. Ferguson," said Nicholas, "will you sell me that check for a hundred and fifty dollars?"

"Will you give it?" asked the landlord eagerly.

"I will."

"What is your object? Is this man a friend of yours?"

"No; he's my enemy. I want to get him into my power!"

"Then you shall have it for a hundred, and I hope you may catch him."

In five minutes the change was effected.

One object more Nicholas had in view. He tried to ascertain¹⁰ what had become of Rupert Jones, but in this he was unsuccessful. No one in Kelso had seen or heard of him for years.

1 interfered   

v.干预( interfere的过去式和过去分词 )；调停；妨碍；干涉

参考例句：

• Complete absorption in sports interfered with his studies. 专注于运动妨碍了他的学业。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• I am not going to be interfered with. 我不想别人干扰我的事情。 来自《简明英汉词典》

2 guardian   

n.监护人；守卫者，保护者

参考例句：

• The form must be signed by the child's parents or guardian. 这张表格须由孩子的家长或监护人签字。
• The press is a guardian of the public weal. 报刊是公共福利的卫护者。

3 descended   

a.为...后裔的，出身于...的

参考例句：

• A mood of melancholy descended on us. 一种悲伤的情绪袭上我们的心头。
• The path descended the hill in a series of zigzags. 小路呈连续的之字形顺着山坡蜿蜒而下。

4 conundrum   

n.谜语；难题

参考例句：

• Let me give you some history about a conundrum.让我给你们一些关于谜题的历史。
• Scientists had focused on two explanations to solve this conundrum.科学家已锁定两种解释来解开这个难题。

5 authorize   

v.授权，委任；批准，认可

参考例句：

• He said that he needed to get his supervisor to authorize my refund.他说必须让主管人员批准我的退款。
• Only the President could authorize the use of the atomic bomb.只有总统才能授权使用原子弹。

6 enquired   

打听( enquire的过去式和过去分词 )； 询问； 问问题； 查问

参考例句：

• He enquired for the book in a bookstore. 他在书店查询那本书。
• Fauchery jestingly enquired whether the Minister was coming too. 浮式瑞嘲笑着问部长是否也会来。

7 transact   

v.处理；做交易；谈判

参考例句：

• I will transact my business by letter.我会写信去洽谈业务。
• I have been obliged to see him；there was business to transact.我不得不见他，有些事物要处理。

8 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。

9 piazza   

n.广场；走廊

参考例句：

• Siena's main piazza was one of the sights of Italy.锡耶纳的主要广场是意大利的名胜之一。
• They walked out of the cafeteria,and across the piazzadj.他们走出自助餐厅,穿过广场。

10 ascertain   

vt.发现，确定，查明，弄清

参考例句：

• It's difficult to ascertain the coal deposits.煤储量很难探明。
• We must ascertain the responsibility in light of different situtations.我们必须根据不同情况判定责任。