Chapter 35 The Rodney Mine

    Rodney was received by Jefferson Pettigrew with open arms.

    "Welcome home, boy!" he said. "I was very much worried about you."

    "I was rather uneasy about myself," returned Rodney.

    "Well, it's all over, and all's well that ends well. You are free and there has been no money paid out. Fred and Otto have done a good thing in ridding the world of the notorious Dixon brothers. They will be well paid, for I understand there is a standing¹ reward of one thousand dollars for each of them dead or alive. I don't know but you ought to have a share of this, for it was through you that the outlaws² were trapped."

    "No, Mr. Pettigrew, they are welcome to the reward. If I am not mistaken I shall make a good deal more out of it than they."

    "What do you mean?"

    Upon this Rodney told the story of what he had seen in the cavern³.

    "When I said I, I meant we, Mr. Pettigrew. I think if the gold there is as plentiful⁴ as I think it is we shall do well to commence working it."

    "It is yours, Rodney, by right of first discovery."

    "I prefer that you should share it with me."

    "We will go over tomorrow and make an examination. Was there any one else who seemed to have a claim to the cave except the Dixons?"

    "No. The negro, Caesar, will still be there, perhaps."

    "We can easily get rid of him."

    The next day the two friends went over to the cavern. Caesar was still there, but he had an unsettled, restless look, and seemed undecided what to do.

    "What are you going to do, Caesar?" asked Pettigrew. "Are you going to stay here?"

    "I don't know, massa. I don't want to lib here. I'm afraid I'll see the ghostes of my old massas. But I haven't got no money."

    "If you had money where would you go?"

    "I'd go to Chicago. I used to be a whitewasher⁵, and I reckon I'd get work at my old trade."

    "That's where you are sensible, Caesar. This is no place for you. Now I'll tell you what I'll do. I'll give you a hundred dollars, and you can go where you like. But I shall want you to go away at once."

    "I'll go right off, massa," said Caesar, overjoyed. "I don't want to come here no more."

    "Have you got anything belonging to you in the cave?"

    "No, massa, only a little kit⁶ of clothes."

    "Take them and go."

    In fifteen minutes Caesar had bidden farewell to his home, and Rodney and Jefferson were left in sole possession of the cavern.

    "Now, Mr. Pettigrew, come and let me show you what I saw. I hope I have made no mistake."

    Rodney led the way to the narrow passage already described. By the light of a lantern Mr. Pettigrew examined the walls. For five minutes not a word was said.

    "Well, what do you think of it?" asked Rodney anxiously.

    "Only this: that you have hit upon the richest gold deposits in Montana. Here is a mining prospect⁷ that will make us both rich."

    "I am glad I was not mistaken," said Rodney simply.

    "Your capture by the Dixon brothers will prove to have been the luckiest event in your life. I shall lose no time in taking possession in our joint⁸ name."

    There was great excitement when the discovery of the gold deposit was made known. In connection with the killing⁹ of the outlaws, it was noised far and wide. The consequence was that there was an influx¹⁰ of mining men, and within a week Rodney and Jefferson were offered a hundred thousand dollars for a half interest in the mine by a Chicago syndicate.

    "Say a hundred and fifty thousand, and we accept the offer," said Jefferson Pettigrew.

    After a little haggling¹¹ this offer was accepted, and Rodney found himself the possessor of seventy five thousand dollars in cash.

    "It was fortunate for me when I fell in with you, Mr. Pettigrew," he said.

    "And no less fortunate for me, Rodney. This mine will bring us in a rich sum for our share, besides the cash we already have in hand."

    "If you don't object, Mr. Pettigrew, I should like to go to New York and continue my education. You can look after my interest here, and I shall be willing to pay you anything you like for doing so."

    "There won't be any trouble about that, Rodney. I don't blame you for wanting to obtain an education. It isn't in my line. You can come out once a year, and see what progress we are making. The mine will be called the Rodney Mine after you."

    The Miners' Rest was sold to the steward¹², as Mr. Pettigrew was too busy to attend to it, and in a week Rodney was on his way to New York.

1 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。

2 outlaws   

歹徒，亡命之徒( outlaw的名词复数 )； 逃犯

参考例句：

• During his year in the forest, Robin met many other outlaws. 在森林里的一年，罗宾遇见其他许多绿林大盗。
• I didn't have to leave the country or fight outlaws. 我不必离开自己的国家，也不必与不法分子斗争。

3 cavern   

n.洞穴，大山洞

参考例句：

• The cavern walls echoed his cries.大山洞的四壁回响着他的喊声。
• It suddenly began to shower,and we took refuge in the cavern.天突然下起雨来，我们在一个山洞里避雨。

4 plentiful   

adj.富裕的，丰富的

参考例句：

• Their family has a plentiful harvest this year.他们家今年又丰收了。
• Rainfall is plentiful in the area.这个地区雨量充足。

5 whitewasher   

粉刷匠（whitewash名词形式）

参考例句：

6 kit   

n.用具包，成套工具；随身携带物

参考例句：

• The kit consisted of about twenty cosmetic items.整套工具包括大约20种化妆用品。
• The captain wants to inspect your kit.船长想检查你的行装。

7 prospect   

n.前景，前途；景色，视野

参考例句：

• This state of things holds out a cheerful prospect.事态呈现出可喜的前景。
• The prospect became more evident.前景变得更加明朗了。

8 joint   

adj.联合的，共同的；n.关节，接合处；v.连接，贴合

参考例句：

• I had a bad fall,which put my shoulder out of joint.我重重地摔了一跤，肩膀脫臼了。
• We wrote a letter in joint names.我们联名写了封信。

9 killing   

n.巨额利润；突然赚大钱，发大财

参考例句：

• Investors are set to make a killing from the sell-off.投资者准备清仓以便大赚一笔。
• Last week my brother made a killing on Wall Street.上个周我兄弟在华尔街赚了一大笔。

10 influx   

n.流入，注入

参考例句：

• The country simply cannot absorb this influx of refugees.这个国家实在不能接纳这么多涌入的难民。
• Textile workers favoured protection because they feared an influx of cheap cloth.纺织工人拥护贸易保护措施，因为他们担心涌入廉价纺织品。

11 haggling   

v.讨价还价( haggle的现在分词 )

参考例句：

• I left him in the market haggling over the price of a shirt. 我扔下他自己在市场上就一件衬衫讨价还价。
• Some were haggling loudly with traders as they hawked their wares. 有些人正在大声同兜售货物的商贩讲价钱。 来自辞典例句

12 steward   

n.乘务员，服务员；看管人；膳食管理员

参考例句：

• He's the steward of the club.他是这家俱乐部的管理员。
• He went around the world as a ship's steward.他当客船服务员，到过世界各地。