Chapter 33 Rodney's Discovery

    There was a good reason for Rodney's excitement. The walls of the subterranean¹ passage revealed distinct and rich indications of gold. There was a time, and that not long before, when they would have revealed nothing to Rodney, but since his residence at Oreville he had more than once visited the mines and made himself familiar with surface indications of mineral deposit.

    He stopped short and scanned attentively² the walls of the passage.

    "If I am not mistaken," he said to himself, "this will make one of the richest mines in Montana. But after all what good will it do me? Here am I a prisoner, unable to leave the cave, or communicate with my friends. If Mr. Pettigrew knew what I do he would feel justified³ in paying the ransom⁴ these men want."

    Rodney wondered how these rich deposits had failed to attract the attention of his captors, but he soon settled upon the conclusion that they had no knowledge of mines or mining, and were ignorant of the riches that were almost in their grasp.

    "Shall I enlighten them?" he asked himself.

    It was a question which he could not immediately answer. He resolved to be guided by circumstances.

    In order not to excite suspicion he retraced⁵ his steps to the apartment used by his captors as a common sitting room -- carefully fixing in his mind the location of the gold ore.

    We must now follow the messenger who had gone to Oreville with a letter from Rodney's captors.

    As instructed, he left his horse, or rather Rodney's, tethered at some distance from the settlement and proceeded on foot to the Miners' Rest. His strange appearance excited attention and curiosity. Both these feelings would have been magnified had it been known on what errand he came.

    "Where can I find Mr. Jefferson Pettigrew?" he asked of a man whom he saw on the veranda⁶.

    "At the Griffin Mine," answered the other, removing the pipe from his mouth.

    "Where is that?"

    "Over yonder. Are you a miner?"

    "No. I know nothing about mines."

    "Then why do you want to see Jefferson? I thought you might want a chance to work in the mine."

    "No; I have other business with him -- business of importance," added the black dwarf⁷ emphatically.

    "If that is the case I'll take you to him. I am always glad to be of service to Jefferson."

    "Thank you. He will thank you, too."

    The man walked along with a long, swinging gait which made it difficult for Caesar to keep up with him.

    "So you have business with Jefferson?" said the man with the pipe, whose curiosity had been excited.

    "Yes."

    "Of what sort?"

    "I will tell him," answered Caesar shortly.

    "So its private, is it?"

    "Yes. If he wants to tell you he will."

    "That's fair. Well, come along! Am I walking too fast for you?"

    "Your legs are much longer than mine."

    "That's so. You are a little shrimp⁸. I declare."

    A walk of twenty minutes brought them to the Griffin Mine. Jefferson Pettigrew was standing⁹ near, giving directions to a party of miners.

    "Jefferson," said the man with the pipe, "here's a chap that wants to see you on business of importance. That is, he says it is."

    Jefferson Pettigrew wheeled round and looked at Caesar.

    "Well," he said, "what is it?"

    "I have a letter for you, massa."

    "Give it to me."

    Jefferson took the letter and cast his eye over it. As he read it his countenance¹⁰ changed and became stern and severe.

    "Do you know what is in this letter?" he asked.

    "Yes."

    "Come with me."

    He led Caesar to a place out of earshot.

    "What fiend's game is this?" he demanded sternly.

    "I can't tell you, massa; I'm not in it."

    "Who are those men that have written to me?"

    "I don't know their right names. I calls 'em Massa John and Massa Dick."

    "It seems they have trapped a boy friend of mine, Rodney Ropes. Did you see him?"

    "Yes; I gave him a good dinner."

    "That is well. If they should harm a hair of his head I wouldn't rest till I had called them to account. Where have they got the boy concealed¹¹?"

    "I couldn't tell you, massa."

    "You mean, you won't tell me."

    "Yes. It would be as much as my life is worth."

    "Humph, well! I suppose you must be faithful to your employer. Do you know that these men want me to pay five thousand dollars for the return of the boy?"

    "Yes, I heard them talking about it."

    "That is a new kind of rascality¹². Do they expect you to bring back an answer?"

    "Yes, massa."

    "I must think. What will they do to the boy if I don't give them the money?"

    "They might kill him."

    "If they do -- but I must have time to think the matter over. Are you expected to go back this afternoon?"

    "Yes."

    "Can you get back? It must be a good distance."

    "I can get back."

    "Stay here. I will consult some of my friends and see if I can raise the money."

    "Very well, massa." One of those whom Jefferson called into consultation¹³ was the person who had guided Caesar to the Griffin Mine.

    Quickly the proprietor¹⁴ of the Miners' Rest unfolded the situation.

    "Now," he said, "I want two of you to follow this misshapen dwarf, and find out where he comes from. I want to get hold of the scoundrels who sent him to me."

    "I will be one," said the man with the pipe.

    "Very well, Fred."

    "And I will go with Fred," said a long limbed fellow who had been a Kansas cowboy.

    "I accept you, Otto. Go armed, and don't lose sight of him."

    "Shall you send the money?"

    "Not I. I will send a letter that will encourage them to hope for it. I want to gain time."

    "Any instructions, Jefferson?"

    "Only this, if you see these men, capture or kill them."

    "All right."

1 subterranean   

adj.地下的，地表下的

参考例句：

• London has 9 miles of such subterranean passages.伦敦像这样的地下通道有9英里长。
• We wandered through subterranean passages.我们漫游地下通道。

2 attentively   

adv.聚精会神地；周到地；谛；凝神

参考例句：

• She listened attentively while I poured out my problems. 我倾吐心中的烦恼时，她一直在注意听。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• She listened attentively and set down every word he said. 她专心听着，把他说的话一字不漏地记下来。 来自《简明英汉词典》

3 justified   

a.正当的，有理的

参考例句：

• She felt fully justified in asking for her money back. 她认为有充分的理由要求退款。
• The prisoner has certainly justified his claims by his actions. 那个囚犯确实已用自己的行动表明他的要求是正当的。

4 ransom   

n.赎金，赎身；v.赎回，解救

参考例句：

• We'd better arrange the ransom right away.我们最好马上把索取赎金的事安排好。
• The kidnappers exacted a ransom of 10000 from the family.绑架者向这家人家勒索10000英镑的赎金。

5 retraced   

v.折回( retrace的过去式和过去分词 )；回忆；回顾；追溯

参考例句：

• We retraced our steps to where we started. 我们折回我们出发的地方。 来自《现代英汉综合大词典》
• We retraced our route in an attempt to get back on the right path. 我们折返，想回到正确的路上。 来自《简明英汉词典》

6 veranda   

n.走廊；阳台

参考例句：

• She sat in the shade on the veranda.她坐在阳台上的遮荫处。
• They were strolling up and down the veranda.他们在走廊上来回徜徉。

7 dwarf   

n.矮子，侏儒，矮小的动植物；vt.使…矮小

参考例句：

• The dwarf's long arms were not proportional to his height.那侏儒的长臂与他的身高不成比例。
• The dwarf shrugged his shoulders and shook his head. 矮子耸耸肩膀，摇摇头。

8 shrimp   

n.虾，小虾；矮小的人

参考例句：

• When the shrimp farm is built it will block the stream.一旦养虾场建起来，将会截断这条河流。
• When it comes to seafood,I like shrimp the best.说到海鲜，我最喜欢虾。

9 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。

10 countenance   

n.脸色，面容；面部表情；vt.支持，赞同

参考例句：

• At the sight of this photograph he changed his countenance.他一看见这张照片脸色就变了。
• I made a fierce countenance as if I would eat him alive.我脸色恶狠狠地，仿佛要把他活生生地吞下去。

11 concealed   

a.隐藏的，隐蔽的

参考例句：

• The paintings were concealed beneath a thick layer of plaster. 那些画被隐藏在厚厚的灰泥层下面。
• I think he had a gun concealed about his person. 我认为他当时身上藏有一支枪。

12 rascality   

流氓性，流氓集团

参考例句：

13 consultation   

n.咨询；商量；商议；会议

参考例句：

• The company has promised wide consultation on its expansion plans.该公司允诺就其扩展计划广泛征求意见。
• The scheme was developed in close consultation with the local community.该计划是在同当地社区密切磋商中逐渐形成的。

14 proprietor   

n.所有人；业主；经营者

参考例句：

• The proprietor was an old acquaintance of his.业主是他的一位旧相识。
• The proprietor of the corner grocery was a strange thing in my life.拐角杂货店店主是我生活中的一个怪物。