After supper that night, Bab and Betty satin the old porch playing with Josephus andBelinda, and discussing the events of theday; for the appearance of the strange boy and hisdog had been a most exciting occurrence in theirquiet lives. They had seen nothing of him sincemorning, as he took his meals at the Squire1's, andwas at work with Pat in a distant field when the childrenpassed. Sancho had stuck closely to his master,evidently rather bewildered by the new order ofthings, and bound to see that no harm happened toBen.
"I wish they'd come. It's sundown, and I heardthe cows mooing, so I know they have gone home,"said Betty, impatiently; for she regarded the new-comerin the light of an entertaining book, and wishedto read on as fast as possible.
"I'm going to learn the signs he makes when hewants Sancho to dance; then we can have fun withhim whenever we like. He's the dearest dog I eversaw!" answered Bab, who was fonder of animals thanher sister.
"Ma said -- Ow, what's that?" cried Betty with astart, as something bumped against the gate outside;and in a moment Ben's head peeped over the top ashe swung himself up to the iron arch, in the middleof which was the empty lantern frame.
"Please to locate, gentlemen; please to locate.
The performance is about to begin with the greatFlyin' Coopid act, in which Master Bloomsbury hasappeared before the crowned heads of Europe.
Pronounced by all beholders the most remarkable2 youthfulprogidy agoin'. Hooray ! here we are!"Having rattled3 off the familiar speech in Mr.
Smithers's elegant manner, Ben begin to cut up suchcapers that even a party of dignified4 hens, goingdown the avenue to bed, paused to look on withclucks of astonishment5, evidently fancying that salthad set him to fluttering and tumbling as it did them.
Never had the old gate beheld6 such antics, though ithad seen gay doings in its time; for of all the boyswho had climbed over it, not one had ever stoodon his head upon each of the big balls which ornamentedthe posts, hung by his heels from the arch,gone round and round like a wheel with the bar foran axis7, played a tattoo8 with his toes while holdingon by his chin, walked about the wall on his hands,or closed the entertainment by festooning himselfin an airy posture9 over the side of the lantern frame,and kissing his hand to the audience as a well-bredCupid is supposed to do on making his bow.
The little girls clapped and stamped enthusiastically,while Sancho, who had been calmly surveying theshow, barked his approval as he leaped up to snap atBen's feet.
"Come down and tell what you did up at theSquire's. Was he cross? Did you have to workhard? Do you like it?" asked Bab, when the noisehad subsided10.
"It's cooler up here," answered Ben, composinghimself in the frame, and fanning his hot face with agreen spray broken from the tall bushes rustling11 odorouslyall about him. "I did all sorts of jobs. Theold gentleman wasn't cross; he gave me a dime12, andI like him first-rate. But I just hate 'Carrots; ' heswears at a feller, and fired a stick of wood at me.
Guess I'll pay him off when I get a chance."Fumbling13 in his pocket to show the bright dime, hefound the torn page, and remembered the thirst forinformation which had seized him in the morning.
"Look here, tell me about this, will you? Whatare these chaps up to? The ink has spoilt all but thepicture and this bit of reading. I want to know whatit means. Take it to 'em, Sanch."The dog caught the leaf as it fluttered to the ground,and carrying it carefully in his mouth, deposited it atthe feet of the little girls, seating himself before themwith an air of deep interest. Bab and Betty picked itup and read it aloud in unison14, while Ben leaned fromhis perch15 to listen and learn.
"'When day dawned,land was visible. A pleasantland it was. There were gay flowers, and tall treeswith leaves and fruit, such as they had never seen before.
On the shore were unclad copper-colored men,gazing with wonder at the Spanish ships. They tookthem for great birds, the white sails for their wings,and the Spaniards for superior beings brought downfrom heaven on their backs.""Why, that's Columbus finding San Salvador.
Don't you know about him?" demanded Bab, as ifshe were one of the "superior beings," and intimatelyacquainted with the immortal16 Christopher.
"No, I don't. Who was he any way? I s'posethat's him paddlin' ahead; but which of the Injuns isSam Salvindoor?" asked Ben, rather ashamed of hisignorance, but bent17 on finding out now he had begun.
"My gracious! twelve years old and not know yourQuackenbos!" laughed Bab, much amused, but ratherglad to find that she could teach the "whirligigboy" something, for she considered him a remarkablecreature.
"I don't care a bit for your quackin' boss, whoeverhe is. Tell about this fine feller with the ships; Ilike him," persisted Ben.
So Bab, with frequent interruptions and hints fromBetty, told the wonderful tale in a simple way, whichmade it easy to understand; for she liked history, andhad a lively tongue of her own.
"I'd like to read some more. Would my ten centsbuy a book?" asked Ben, anxious to learn a littlesince Bab laughed at him.
"No, indeed! I'll lend you mine when I'm notusing it, and tell you all about it," promised Bab;forgetting that she did not know "all about it" herselfyet.
"I don't have any time only evenings, and thenmay be you'II want it," begun Ben, in whom the inkypage had roused a strong curiosity.
"I do get my history in the evening, but you couldhave it mornings before school.""I shall have to go off early, so there won't be anychance. Yes, there will, -- I'LL tell you how to do it.
Let me read while I drive up the cows. Squire likes'em to eat slow along the road, so's to keep the grassshort and save mowin'. Pat said so, and I could dohistory instead of loafin' round!" cried Ben full ofthis bright idea.
"Oh, I'll leave it on the window-sill, or put it insidethe door as I go back. I'll be real careful, and justas soon as I earn enough, I'll buy you a new one andtake the old one. Will you?""Yes; but I'll tell you a nicer way to do. Don'tput the book on the window, 'cause teacher will seeyou; or inside the door, 'cause some one may stealit. You put it in my cubby-houae, right at the cornerof the wall nearest the big maple19. You'll find acunning place between the roots that stick up underthe flat stone. That's my closet, and I keep thingsthere. It's the best cubby of all, and we take turnsto have it.""I'll find it, and that'll be a first-rate place," saidBen, much gratified.
"I could put my reading-book in sometimes, ifyou'd like it. There's lots of pretty stories in it andpictures," proposed Betty, rather timidly; for shewanted to share the benevolent20 project, but had littleto offer, not being as good a scholar as Bab.
"I'd like a 'rithmetic better. I read tip-top, but Iain't much on 'rithmetic"; so, if you can spare yours,I might take a look at it. Now I'm goin' to earnwages, I ought to know about addin' 'em up, and soon," said Ben, with the air of a Vanderbilt oppressedwith the care of millions.
"I'll teach you that. Betty doesn't know muchabout sums. But she spells splendidly, and is alwaysat the head of her class. Teacher is real proud of her,'cause she never misses, and spells hard, fussy21 words,like chi-rog-ra-phy and bron-chi-tis as easy as anything.
Bab quite beamed with sisterly pride, and Bettysmoothed down her apron22 with modest satisfaction,for Bab seldom praised her, and she liked it verymuch.
"I never went to school, so that's the reason I ain'tsmart. I can write, though, better 'n some of the boysup at school. I saw lots of names on the shed door.
See here, now," -- and scrambling23 down, Ben pulledout a cherished bit of chalk, and flourished off tenletters of the alphabet, one on each of the dark stoneslabs that paved the walk.
"Those are beautiful! I can't make such curlyones. Who taught you to do it? " asked Bab, as sheand Betty walked up and down admiring them.
"Horse blankets," answered Ben, soberly.
"What!" cried both girls, stopping to stare.
"Our horses all had their names on their blankets,and I used to copy 'em. The wagons24 had signs, and Ilearned to read that way after father taught me myletters off the red and yellow posters. First word Iknew was lion, 'cause I was always goin' to see oldJubal in his cage. Father was real proud when I readit right off. I can draw one, too."Ben proceeded to depict25 an animal intended torepresent his lost friend; but Jubal would not haverecognized his portrait, since it looked much morelike Sancho than the king of the forest. The childrenadmired it immensely, however, and Ben gave thema lesson in natural history which was so interestingthat it kept them busy and happy till bedtime; forthe boy described what he had seen in such livelylanguage, and illustrated26 in such a droll27 way, it wasno wonder they were charmed.
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1
squire
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| n.护卫, 侍从, 乡绅 | |
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remarkable
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| adj.显著的，异常的，非凡的，值得注意的 | |
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rattled
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| 慌乱的，恼火的 | |
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dignified
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| a.可敬的，高贵的 | |
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astonishment
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| n.惊奇，惊异 | |
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beheld
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| v.看，注视( behold的过去式和过去分词 )；瞧；看呀；（叙述中用于引出某人意外的出现）哎哟 | |
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axis
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| n.轴，轴线，中心线；坐标轴，基准线 | |
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tattoo
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| n.纹身，(皮肤上的)刺花纹；vt.刺花纹于 | |
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posture
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| n.姿势，姿态，心态，态度；v.作出某种姿势 | |
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subsided
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| v.（土地）下陷（因在地下采矿）( subside的过去式和过去分词 )；减弱；下降至较低或正常水平；一下子坐在椅子等上 | |
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rustling
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| n. 瑟瑟声，沙沙声 adj. 发沙沙声的 | |
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dime
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| n.（指美国、加拿大的钱币）一角 | |
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fumbling
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| n. 摸索,漏接 v. 摸索,摸弄,笨拙的处理 | |
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unison
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| n.步调一致，行动一致 | |
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perch
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| n.栖木，高位，杆；v.栖息，就位，位于 | |
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immortal
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| adj.不朽的；永生的，不死的；神的 | |
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bent
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| n.爱好，癖好；adj.弯的；决心的，一心的 | |
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prudently
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| adv. 谨慎地，慎重地 | |
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maple
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| n.槭树，枫树，槭木 | |
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benevolent
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| adj.仁慈的，乐善好施的 | |
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fussy
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| adj.为琐事担忧的，过分装饰的，爱挑剔的 | |
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apron
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| n.围裙；工作裙 | |
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scrambling
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| v.快速爬行( scramble的现在分词 )；攀登；争夺；（军事飞机）紧急起飞 | |
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wagons
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| n.四轮的运货马车( wagon的名词复数 )；铁路货车；小手推车 | |
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depict
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| vt.描画，描绘；描写，描述 | |
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illustrated
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| adj. 有插图的，列举的 动词illustrate的过去式和过去分词 | |
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droll
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| adj.古怪的，好笑的 | |
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