SHORTY sauntered thoughtfully back to the tent, and on the way decided2 to tell Si the whole occurrence, not even omitting the deceit practiced.
He had to admit to himself that he was unaccountably shaken up by the affair.
Si was so deeply interested in the revelations that he forgot to blame Shorty's double-dealing3.
"Never had my nerve so strained before," Shorty frankly4 admitted. "At their best, women are curiouser than transmogrified hullaloos, and when a real cute one sets out to hornswoggle a man he might as well lay down and give right up, for he hain't no earthly show. She gits away with him every time, and one to spare. That there woman's got the devil in her bigger'n a sheep, and she come nigher makin' putty o' your Uncle Ephraim than I ever dreamed of before. It makes me shivery to think about it."
"I don't care if she's more devils in her than the Gadarene swine, she must be stopped at once," said Si, his patriotic7 zeal8 flaming up. "She's doin' more mischief9 than a whole regiment10 o' rebels, and must be busted11 immediately. We've got to stop193 her."
"But just how are we goin' to stop her?" Shorty asked. There was a weak unreadiness in Shorty's tones that made Si look at him in surprise. Never before, in any emergency, had there been the slightest shade of such a thing in his bold, self-reliant partner's voice.
"I'd rather tackle any two men there are in the Southern Confederacy than that woman," said Shorty. "I believe she put a spell on me."
"Le's go up and talk to Capt. McGillicuddy about it," said Si. Ordinarily, this was the last thing that either of them would have thought of doing. Their usual disposition13 was to go ahead and settle the problem before them in their own way, and report about it afterward14. But Shorty was clearly demoralized.
Capt. McGillicuddy listened very gravely to their story.
"Evidently that old hen has a nest of bad, dangerous men, which has to be broken up," he said. "We can get the whole raft if we go about it in the right way, but we've got to be mighty15 smart in dealing with them, or they'll fly the coop, and leave the laugh on us. You say she's coming back to-morrow?"
"Yes," said Shorty, with a perceptible shiver.
"Well, I want you to fall right in with all her plans—both of you. Pretend to be anxious to desert, or anything else that she may propose. Go back home with her. I shall watch you carefully, but without seeming to, and follow you with a squad16 big enough to take care of anything that may be out there. Go back to your tent now, and think it194 all over, and arrange some signal to let me know when you want me to jump the outfit17."
The boys went back to their tent, and spent an hour in anxious consideration of their plans. Si saw the opportunity to render a great service, and was eager to perform it, but he firmly refused to tell any lies to the woman or those around her. He would not say that he was tired of the service and wanted to desert; he would not pretend liking18 for the Southern Confederacy or the rebels, nor hatred19 to his own people. He would do nothing but go along, share all the dangers with Shorty, and be ready at the moment to co-operate in breaking up the gang.
"Some folks's so durned straight that they lean over backwards," said Shorty impatiently. "What in thunder does it amount to what you tell these onery gallinippers? They'll lie to you as fast as a hoss kin5 trot20. There's no devilment they won't do, and there kin be nothin' wrong in anything you kin do and say to them."
"Everybody settles some things for himself," said the unchangeable Si. "I believe them folks are as bad as they kin be made. I believe every one o' 'em ought to be killed, and if it wuz orders to kill 'em I'd kill without turnin' a hair. But I jest simply won't lie to nobody, I don't care who he is. I'll stand by you until the last drop; you kin tell 'em what you please, but I won't tell 'em nothin', except that they're a pizen gang, and ought t've bin21 roastin' in brimstone long ago."
"But," expostulated Shorty, "if you only go along with me you're actin' a lie. If you go out o' camp with mo you'll pretend to bo desertin' and j'inin' in195 with 'em. Seems to me that's jest as bad as tellin' a lie straight out."
"Well," said the immovable Si, "I draw the line there. I'll go along with you, and they kin think what they like. But if I say anything to 'em, they'll git it mighty straight."
"Well, I don't know but, after all, we kin better arrange it that way," said Shorty, after he had thought it over in silence for some time. "I'm sure that if you'd talk you'd give us dead away. That clumsy basswood tongue o' your'n hain't any suppleness22, and you'd be sure to blurt23 out something that'd jest ruin us. An idee occurs to me. You jest go along, look sour and say nothin'. I'll tell 'em you ketched cold the other night and lost your speech. It'll give me a turn o' extra dooty talkin' for two, but I guess I kin do it."
"All right," agreed Si. "Let it go that way."
"Now, look here, Si," said Shorty, in a low, mysterious tone, "I'm goin' to tell you somethin' that I hadn't intended to. I'm scared to death lest that old hag'll git the drop on me some way and marry me right out of hand. I tell you, she jest frightens the life out o' me. That worries me more'n all the rest put together. I expect I ought t 'v' told you so at the very first."
"Nonsense," said Si contemptuously. "The idee o' you're being afeared o' such a thing."
"It's all very well for you to snort and laugh, Si Klegg," persisted Shorty. "You don't know her. I sneered24 at her, too, at first, but when I was left alone with her she seemed to mesmerize25 me. I found myself talkin' about marryin' her before I knowed196 it, and the next thing I was on the p'int o' actually marryin' her. I believe that if she'd got me to walk a half-mile further with her she'd a run me up agin a Justice o' the Peace and married me in spite of all that I could do. I'd much ruther have my head blowed off than married to that old catamount.
"Bah, you can't marry folks unless both are willin'," insisted Si. "A man can't have a marriage rung in on him willy-nilly."
"There's just where you're shootin' off your mouth without any sense. You don't know what you're talkin' about. Men are lassoed every day and married to women that they'd run away from like a dog from a porcupine26, if they could. You jest look around among the married folks you know, and see how many there are that wouldn't have married one another if they'd bin in their senses."
"Well, I don't think o' many," said Si, whose remembrances were that the people in Posey County seemed generally well-mated.
"Well, there mayn't be many, but there's some, and I don't propose to be one of 'em. There's some spell or witchcraft27 about it. I've read in books about things that gave a woman power to marry any man she wanted to, and he couldn't help himself. That woman's got something o' that kind, and she's set her eye on me. I'm goin' to meet her, and I want to help break up her gang, but I'd a great deal rather tackle old Bragg and his entire army. I want you to stay right by me every minnit, and keep your eye on me when she's near me."197
"All right," said Si sleepily, as he crawled into bed.
The next morning, as they were discussing the question of signals, they happened to pass the Sutler's, and Si caught a glimpse of packages of firecrackers, which the regimental purveyor28 had, for some inscrutable reason, thought he might sell. An idea occurred to Si, and he bought a couple of packages, and stowed them away in his blouse pocket and told the Captain that their firing would be the signal, unless a musket29-shot should come first.
It was yet early in the forenoon as they walked on the less-frequented side of the camp. Shorty gave a start, and gasped30:
"Jewhilikins, there she is already."
Si looked, and saw Mrs. Bolster striding toward them. Shorty hung back instinctively31 for an instant, and then braced32 up and bade her good morning.
She grunted33 an acknowledgment, and said rather imperiously:
"Y're a-gwine, air yo'?"
"Certainly," answered Shorty.
"And yo'?" she inquired, looking at Si.
"He's a-goin', too," answered Shorty. "Mustn't expect him to talk. He's short on tongue this mornin'. Ketched a bad cold night before last. Settled on his word-mill. Unjinted his clapper. Can't speak a word. Doctor says it will last several days. Not a great affliction. Couldn't 've lost anything o' less account."
"Must've bin an orful cold," said she, taking her pipe from her mouth and eyeing Si suspiciously.198
"Never knowed a cold to shut off any one's gab34 afore. Seems t' me that hit makes people talk more. But these Yankees air different. Whar air yer things? Did yo' bring plenty o' coffee?'
"We've got 'em hid down here in the brush," said Shorty. "We'll git 'em when we're ready to start."
"We're ready now," she answered. "Come along."
"But we hain't no passes," objected Shorty. "We must go to the Captain and git passes."
"Yo' won't need no passes," she said impatiently. "Foller me."
Shorty had expected to make the pretext35 about the passes serve for informing Capt. McGillicuddy of the presence of the woman in the camp. He looked quickly around and saw the Captain sauntering carelessly at a little distance, so that any notification was unnecessary. He turned and followed Mrs. Bolster's long strides, with Si bringing up the rear.
They went to the clump36 of brush where they had hidden their haversacks and guns. Mrs. Bolster eagerly examined the precious package of coffee.
"I'll take keer o' this myself," she said, stowing it away about her lanky37 person. "I can't afford to take no resks as to hit."
Si and Shorty had thought themselves very familiar with the campground, but they were astonished to find themselves led outside the line without passing under the eye of a single guard. Si looked at Shorty in amazement38, and Shorty remarked:
"Well, I'll be durned."
The woman noticed and understood. "Yo' Yanks,"199 she said scornfully, "think yourselves moughty smart with all your book-larnin', and yo'uns put on heaps o' airs over po' folks what hain't no eddication; but what you don't know about Tennessee woods would make a bigger book than ever was printed."
"I believe you," said Shorty fervently39. His superstition40 in regard to her was rapidly augmenting41 to that point where he believed her capable of anything. He was alarmed a'bout6 Capt. McGillicuddy's being able to follow their mysterious movements. But they soon came to the road, and looking back from the top of a hill, Shorty's heart lightened as he saw a squad moving out which he was confident was led by Capt. McGillicuddy.
But little had been said so far. At a turn of the road they came upon a gray-bearded man, wearing a battered42 silk hat and spectacles, whom Mrs. Bolster greeted as "'Squire43."
The word seemed to send all the blood from Shorty's face, and he looked appealingly to Si as if the crisis had come.
The newcomer looked them over sharply and inquired:
"Who are these men, Mrs. Bolster?"
"They'uns 's all right. They'uns 's had enough o' Abolition44 doin's, and hev come over whar they'uns allers rayly belonged. This one is a partickler friend o' mine," and she leered at Shorty in a way that made his blood run cold.
"Hain't yo' time t' stop a minute, 'Squire?" she asked appealingly, as the newcomer turned his horse's head to renew his journey.200
"Not now; not now," answered the 'Squire, digging his heels into his steed's side. "I want to talk t' yo' and these 'ere men 'bout what's gwine on in the Lincoln camps, but I must hurry on now to meet Capt. Solomon at the Winding45 Blades. I'll come over to your house this evening," he called back.
"Don't fail, 'Squire," she answered, "fur I've got a little job for yo', an' I want hit partickerly done this very evenin'. Hit can't wait."
"I'll be there without fail," he assured her.
"Capt. Solomon's the man what sent the letter to you," she explained, which somewhat raised Shorty's depressed46 heart, for he began to have hopes that Rosenbaum might rescue him if Capt. McGillicuddy should be behind time.
As they jogged onward47 farther from camp Mrs. Bolster's saturnine48 earnestness began to be succeeded by what were intended to be demonstrations49 of playful affection for her future husband, whom she now began to regard as securely hers. She would draw Shorty into the path a little ahead of Si, and walk alongside of him, pinching his arm and jabbering51 incoherent words which were meant for terms of endearment52. When the narrowness of the road made them walk in single file she would come up from time to time alongside with cuffs53 intended for playful love-taps.
At each of these Shorty would cast such a look of wretchedness at Si that the latter had difficulty in preserving his steadfast54 silence and rigidity55 of countenance56.
But the woman's chief affection seemed to be called forth57 by the package of coffee. She would201 stop in the midst of any demonstration50 to pull out the bag containing the fragrant58 berry, and lovingly inhale59 its odor.
It was long past noon when she announced: "Thar's my house right ahead." She followed this up with a ringing whoopee, which made the tumbledown cabin suddenly swarm60 with animation61. A legion of loud-mouthed dogs charged down toward the road. Children of various ages, but of no variety in their rags and unkempt wildness, followed the dogs, or perched upon the fence-corners and stumps62, and three or four shambling, evil-faced mountaineers lunged forward, guns in hand, with eyes fiercer than the dogs, as they looked over the two armed soldiers.
"They'uns is all right, boys," exclaimed the woman. "They'uns 's plum sick o' doggin' hit for Abe Lincoln an' quit."
"Let 'em gin up thar guns, then," said the foremost man, who had but one eye, reaching for Shorty's musket. "I'll take this one. I've been longin' for a good Yankee gun for a plum month to reach them Yankee pickets63 on Duck River."
Though Shorty and Si had schooled themselves in the part they were to play, the repugnant thought of giving up their arms to the rebels threatened to overset everything. Instinctively they threw up their guns to knock over the impudent64 guerrillas. The woman strode between them and the others, and caught hold of their muskets65.
"Don't be fools. Let 'em have your guns," she said, and she caught Si's with such quick unexpectedness that she wrenched66 it from his grasp and flung202 it to the man who wanted Shorty's. She threw one arm around Shorty's neck, with a hug so muscular that his breath failed, and she wrenched his gun away. She kept this in her hand, however.
"Now, I want these 'ere men treated right," she announced to the others, "and I'm a-gwine to have 'em treated right, or I'll bust12 somebody's skillet. They'uns is my takings, and I'm a-gwine to have all the say 'bout 'em. I've never interfered67 with any Yankees any o' yo'uns have brung in. Yo've done with them as you pleased, an' I'm a-gwine to do with these jest as I please, and yo'uns that don't like hit kin jest lump hit, that's all."
Take Your Arm from Around That Yank's Neck 203
"'Frony Bolster, I want yo' to take yo'r arms from around that Yank's neck," said the man who had tried to take Shorty's gun. "I won't 'low yo' to put yo'r arm 'round another man's neck as long's I'm alive to stop it."
"Ye won't, Jeff Hackberry," she sneered. "Jealous, air ye? You've got no bizniss o' bein'. Done tole ye 'long ago I'd never marry yo', so long as I could find a man who has two good eyes and a 'spectable character. I've done found him. Here he is, and 'Squire Corson 'll splice68 us to-night."
How much of each of the emotions of jealousy69, disappointment, hurt vanity, and rebel antagonism70 went into the howl that Mr. Jeff Hackberry set up at this announcement will never be known. He made a rush with clenched71 fists at Shorty.
A better description could be given of the operations of the center of a tornado72 than of the events of the next few minutes. Shorty and Hackberry grappled fiercely. Mrs. Bolster mixed in to stop the fight and save Shorty. Si and the other three rebels flung themselves into the whirlpool of strikes, kicks, and grapples. The delighted children came rushing in, and eagerly joined the fray73, striking with charming impartiality74 at every opportunity to get a lick in anywhere on anybody; and finally the legion of dogs, to whom such scenes seemed familiar and gladsome, rushed in with an ear-splitting clamor, and jumped and bit at the arms and legs that went flying around.204
This was too violent to last long. Everybody and everything had to stop from sheer exhaustion75. But when the stop came Mrs. Bolster was sitting on the prostrate76 form of Jeff Hackberry. The others were disentangling themselves from one another, the children and the dogs, and apparently77 trying to get themselves into relation with the points of the compass and understand what had been happening.
"Have yo' had enough, Jeff Hackberry," inquired Mrs. Bolster, "or will yo' obleege me to gouge78 yer other eye out afore yo' come to yer senses?"
"Le' me up, 'Frony," pleaded the man, "an' then we kin talk this thing over."
点击收听单词发音
1 bolster | |
n.枕垫;v.支持,鼓励 | |
参考例句: |
|
|
2 decided | |
adj.决定了的,坚决的;明显的,明确的 | |
参考例句: |
|
|
3 dealing | |
n.经商方法,待人态度 | |
参考例句: |
|
|
4 frankly | |
adv.坦白地,直率地;坦率地说 | |
参考例句: |
|
|
5 kin | |
n.家族,亲属,血缘关系;adj.亲属关系的,同类的 | |
参考例句: |
|
|
6 bout | |
n.侵袭,发作;一次(阵,回);拳击等比赛 | |
参考例句: |
|
|
7 patriotic | |
adj.爱国的,有爱国心的 | |
参考例句: |
|
|
8 zeal | |
n.热心,热情,热忱 | |
参考例句: |
|
|
9 mischief | |
n.损害,伤害,危害;恶作剧,捣蛋,胡闹 | |
参考例句: |
|
|
10 regiment | |
n.团,多数,管理;v.组织,编成团,统制 | |
参考例句: |
|
|
11 busted | |
adj. 破产了的,失败了的,被降级的,被逮捕的,被抓到的 动词bust的过去式和过去分词 | |
参考例句: |
|
|
12 bust | |
vt.打破;vi.爆裂;n.半身像;胸部 | |
参考例句: |
|
|
13 disposition | |
n.性情,性格;意向,倾向;排列,部署 | |
参考例句: |
|
|
14 afterward | |
adv.后来;以后 | |
参考例句: |
|
|
15 mighty | |
adj.强有力的;巨大的 | |
参考例句: |
|
|
16 squad | |
n.班,小队,小团体;vt.把…编成班或小组 | |
参考例句: |
|
|
17 outfit | |
n.(为特殊用途的)全套装备,全套服装 | |
参考例句: |
|
|
18 liking | |
n.爱好;嗜好;喜欢 | |
参考例句: |
|
|
19 hatred | |
n.憎恶,憎恨,仇恨 | |
参考例句: |
|
|
20 trot | |
n.疾走,慢跑;n.老太婆;现成译本;(复数)trots:腹泻(与the 连用);v.小跑,快步走,赶紧 | |
参考例句: |
|
|
21 bin | |
n.箱柜;vt.放入箱内;[计算机] DOS文件名:二进制目标文件 | |
参考例句: |
|
|
22 suppleness | |
柔软; 灵活; 易弯曲; 顺从 | |
参考例句: |
|
|
23 blurt | |
vt.突然说出,脱口说出 | |
参考例句: |
|
|
24 sneered | |
讥笑,冷笑( sneer的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
参考例句: |
|
|
25 mesmerize | |
vt.施催眠术;使入迷,迷住 | |
参考例句: |
|
|
26 porcupine | |
n.豪猪, 箭猪 | |
参考例句: |
|
|
27 witchcraft | |
n.魔法,巫术 | |
参考例句: |
|
|
28 purveyor | |
n.承办商,伙食承办商 | |
参考例句: |
|
|
29 musket | |
n.滑膛枪 | |
参考例句: |
|
|
30 gasped | |
v.喘气( gasp的过去式和过去分词 );喘息;倒抽气;很想要 | |
参考例句: |
|
|
31 instinctively | |
adv.本能地 | |
参考例句: |
|
|
32 braced | |
adj.拉牢的v.支住( brace的过去式和过去分词 );撑牢;使自己站稳;振作起来 | |
参考例句: |
|
|
33 grunted | |
(猪等)作呼噜声( grunt的过去式和过去分词 ); (指人)发出类似的哼声; 咕哝着说 | |
参考例句: |
|
|
34 gab | |
v.空谈,唠叨,瞎扯;n.饶舌,多嘴,爱说话 | |
参考例句: |
|
|
35 pretext | |
n.借口,托词 | |
参考例句: |
|
|
36 clump | |
n.树丛,草丛;vi.用沉重的脚步行走 | |
参考例句: |
|
|
37 lanky | |
adj.瘦长的 | |
参考例句: |
|
|
38 amazement | |
n.惊奇,惊讶 | |
参考例句: |
|
|
39 fervently | |
adv.热烈地,热情地,强烈地 | |
参考例句: |
|
|
40 superstition | |
n.迷信,迷信行为 | |
参考例句: |
|
|
41 augmenting | |
使扩张 | |
参考例句: |
|
|
42 battered | |
adj.磨损的;v.连续猛击;磨损 | |
参考例句: |
|
|
43 squire | |
n.护卫, 侍从, 乡绅 | |
参考例句: |
|
|
44 abolition | |
n.废除,取消 | |
参考例句: |
|
|
45 winding | |
n.绕,缠,绕组,线圈 | |
参考例句: |
|
|
46 depressed | |
adj.沮丧的,抑郁的,不景气的,萧条的 | |
参考例句: |
|
|
47 onward | |
adj.向前的,前进的;adv.向前,前进,在先 | |
参考例句: |
|
|
48 saturnine | |
adj.忧郁的,沉默寡言的,阴沉的,感染铅毒的 | |
参考例句: |
|
|
49 demonstrations | |
证明( demonstration的名词复数 ); 表明; 表达; 游行示威 | |
参考例句: |
|
|
50 demonstration | |
n.表明,示范,论证,示威 | |
参考例句: |
|
|
51 jabbering | |
v.急切而含混不清地说( jabber的现在分词 );急促兴奋地说话;结结巴巴 | |
参考例句: |
|
|
52 endearment | |
n.表示亲爱的行为 | |
参考例句: |
|
|
53 cuffs | |
n.袖口( cuff的名词复数 )v.掌打,拳打( cuff的第三人称单数 ) | |
参考例句: |
|
|
54 steadfast | |
adj.固定的,不变的,不动摇的;忠实的;坚贞不移的 | |
参考例句: |
|
|
55 rigidity | |
adj.钢性,坚硬 | |
参考例句: |
|
|
56 countenance | |
n.脸色,面容;面部表情;vt.支持,赞同 | |
参考例句: |
|
|
57 forth | |
adv.向前;向外,往外 | |
参考例句: |
|
|
58 fragrant | |
adj.芬香的,馥郁的,愉快的 | |
参考例句: |
|
|
59 inhale | |
v.吸入(气体等),吸(烟) | |
参考例句: |
|
|
60 swarm | |
n.(昆虫)等一大群;vi.成群飞舞;蜂拥而入 | |
参考例句: |
|
|
61 animation | |
n.活泼,兴奋,卡通片/动画片的制作 | |
参考例句: |
|
|
62 stumps | |
(被砍下的树的)树桩( stump的名词复数 ); 残肢; (板球三柱门的)柱; 残余部分 | |
参考例句: |
|
|
63 pickets | |
罢工纠察员( picket的名词复数 ) | |
参考例句: |
|
|
64 impudent | |
adj.鲁莽的,卑鄙的,厚颜无耻的 | |
参考例句: |
|
|
65 muskets | |
n.火枪,(尤指)滑膛枪( musket的名词复数 ) | |
参考例句: |
|
|
66 wrenched | |
v.(猛力地)扭( wrench的过去式和过去分词 );扭伤;使感到痛苦;使悲痛 | |
参考例句: |
|
|
67 interfered | |
v.干预( interfere的过去式和过去分词 );调停;妨碍;干涉 | |
参考例句: |
|
|
68 splice | |
v.接合,衔接;n.胶接处,粘接处 | |
参考例句: |
|
|
69 jealousy | |
n.妒忌,嫉妒,猜忌 | |
参考例句: |
|
|
70 antagonism | |
n.对抗,敌对,对立 | |
参考例句: |
|
|
71 clenched | |
v.紧握,抓紧,咬紧( clench的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
参考例句: |
|
|
72 tornado | |
n.飓风,龙卷风 | |
参考例句: |
|
|
73 fray | |
v.争吵;打斗;磨损,磨破;n.吵架;打斗 | |
参考例句: |
|
|
74 impartiality | |
n. 公平, 无私, 不偏 | |
参考例句: |
|
|
75 exhaustion | |
n.耗尽枯竭,疲惫,筋疲力尽,竭尽,详尽无遗的论述 | |
参考例句: |
|
|
76 prostrate | |
v.拜倒,平卧,衰竭;adj.拜倒的,平卧的,衰竭的 | |
参考例句: |
|
|
77 apparently | |
adv.显然地;表面上,似乎 | |
参考例句: |
|
|
78 gouge | |
v.凿;挖出;n.半圆凿;凿孔;欺诈 | |
参考例句: |
|
|
欢迎访问英文小说网 |