Chapter 34 Bowman's Panic

 Paul Bowman, who was driving, the landlord having given up the reins¹ to him, checked the horse and hailed Fred in evident surprise.

 

"Where have you been?" he inquired abruptly².

 

"I have been to ride," answered Fred, with an appearance of unconcern.

 

"I thought you were going to call on Sinclair."

 

"So I was, but after you left I decided³ to take a walk in another direction. I met John, and engaged him to take me to drive."

 

"Are you going home now?"

 

"Yes, I think so. Can you take me to the hotel, John?"

 

"Yes," answered his companion readily.

 

"Then we will follow along behind Mr. Bowman."

 

Of course there could be no private conversation, so John and he spoke⁴ on indifferent topics. When they reached the hotel Fred jumped from the buggy.

 

"Good-by, John," he said. "You will hear from me soon," he added in a significant tone.

 

Then he joined Bowman, who was wholly unsuspicious of the disaster that had befallen him.

 

"I should like to go over to Sinclair's," thought Fred, "but I suppose Bowman will expect me to keep him company."

 

But in this he was agreeably disappointed.

 

At seven o'clock the landlord drove round, and Bowman sprang into the buggy.

 

"Sorry to leave you, Fred," he said, "but we are going to Vaudry on a little business. Hope you won't be lonely."

 

"Never mind me, Mr. Bowman. I think I will go over to see Mr. Sinclair. He will probably expect me. Have you any message?"

 

Bowman looked significantly at the landlord.

 

"Tell him I will call to-morrow or next day," he said. "At present I am very busy."

 

The two drove away, leaving Fred and a stable boy named Jack⁵ looking after them.

 

"He's going to skip to-morrow," said Jack confidentially⁶.

 

"Who?"

 

"Mr. Bowman."

 

"How do you know?" asked Fred in excitement.

 

"I heard him say so to the boss. He doesn't want you to know it."

 

"Why not?"

 

"He is afraid you will tell his partner, the sick man."

 

Fred whistled.

 

"That is news," he said. "I suspected it might be so, but didn't know for sure."

 

"Shall you tell Mr. Sinclair?"

 

"Yes, I think I ought to do so."

 

"That's so! He's a nicer man than old Bowman."

 

Fred, immersed in thought, walked over to the cottage. James Sinclair received him with evident joy.

 

"I expected you this afternoon," he said. "The hours seemed very long."

 

"I was employed on very important business," said Fred significantly.

 

"You don't mean----"

 

"I mean," said Fred, bending over and whispering in the sick man's ear, "that I have found the bonds."

 

"Where are they?"

 

"On the way to New York, by express."

 

"What a burden off my heart!" ejaculated Sinclair fervently⁷. "Tell me about it," he added, after a pause.

 

Fred did so.

 

"Now," he added, "there will be nothing to prevent your coming to New York and taking your old place."

 

"I think I shall recover now," responded Sinclair. "Your news makes me feel fifty per cent. better."

 

"I have more news for you."

 

"What is it?"

 

"Bowman is planning to leave St. Victor to-morrow, without a word to you. He means to leave you in the lurch⁸."

 

"He can go now. I shall be glad to part with him--and forever."

 

"That is his intention, but when he finds the bonds have disappeared, I don't know what he may decide to do."

 

"When do you mean to start for New York?"

 

"I would start to-night if I could."

 

"You can. There is a train which passes through St. Victor at ten o'clock this evening. But, no, on second thought it goes to Ottawa."

 

"I don't care where it goes. I don't wish to remain in St. Victor any longer than is absolutely necessary. Besides, if Bowman suspects and follows me he will be likely to think I have gone in a different direction."

 

"I am sorry to have you go, Mr. Fenton."

 

"We shall meet again soon, I hope in New York."

 

Fred reached the inn at nine o'clock, left the amount of his bill in an envelope with the boy Jack, and walked over to the station, where he purchased a ticket for Ottawa. While he was in the depot⁹ building Bowman and the landlord drove by. Before they had reached the inn the train came up and Fred entered the rear car.

 

He breathed a sigh of relief as the cars quickened their speed and St. Victor faded in the distance.

 

Meanwhile Bowman and the landlord reached the hotel. Jack, the stable-boy, came forward and took charge of the team.

 

"Here is a letter for you, Mr. Bluff," he said.

 

"A letter!" repeated the landlord, with a look of wonder. He opened it and uttered a cry of surprise.

 

"The boy's gone!" he ejaculated.

 

"What boy?" asked Bowman, not suspecting the truth.

 

"Young Fenton."

 

"Gone away! What do you mean?"

 

"Read that."

 

He passed the note to Bowman, who read as follows:

 

DEAR SIR:--I am called away on business. I enclose the amount due you. If it is not right I will communicate with you as soon as I have reached New York. Remember me to Mr. Bowman.

 

FRED FENTON.

 

"Called away on business!" repeated Bowman suspiciously. "That is queer. What did the boy say?" he asked of Jack. "When did he first speak of going away?"

 

"I think he made up his mind sudden, sir."

 

"Did he say where he was going?"

 

"He said he was goin' back to New York."

 

"Received a summons from his employer, I suppose."

 

"Very likely, sir."

 

"Do you know if he went to see Mr. Sinclair?"

 

"Yes, sir. He went fust part of the evenin'."

 

"Then Sinclair can tell me about it."

 

"Very likely, sir."

 

Not daring to take Jack too deeply into his confidence, Fred had told him that he was going to New York, which was true, or would be very shortly.

 

"If he had waited till to-morrow we might have gone together," thought Bowman, "at least a part of the way. It will be some time before I shall dare to set foot in New York."

 

Bowman went to bed with a vague feeling of uneasiness for which he could not account. He felt that it would be impossible for him to remain in the dull little village any longer. Should he, or should he not, go to see Sinclair before he went away? On the whole he resolved to secure the bonds first, and then decide.

 

The next day after breakfast he strolled down to the lake, got out the boat, and rowed rapidly toward the farther shore. There was no time to waste now. He tied the boat to a sapling growing close to the bank, and struck into the woods.

 

He made his way at once to the tree which he had used as a safe deposit vault¹⁰, and with perfect confidence thrust in his hand. But the package which his fingers sought for seemed to have slipped out of reach. He continued his search anxiously, with increasing alarm, but in vain.

 

A terrible fear assailed¹¹ him. He peered in through the cavity, but neither sight nor touch availed. Gradually the terrible thought was confirmed--the parcel had been stolen! Thirteen thousand five hundred dollars, nearly the entire proceeds of his crime, had vanished--but where?

 

He staggered to a stump¹² close by, and sitting down, buried his face in his hands. What was he to do? He had but twenty-five dollars left.

 

"Who can have taken it?" he asked himself with feverish¹³ agitation¹⁴.

 

He rose and made his way mechanically back to the boat.

 

An hour later he staggered into the little cottage occupied by his sick partner. His hair was disheveled, his manner wild.

 

"What is the matter, Bowman?" asked Sinclair.

 

"We are ruined!" said Bowman in a hollow voice. "The bonds are gone!"

 

"When did you miss them?" asked Sinclair quickly.

 

"To-day. They were safe yesterday. Do you think it was the boy?"

 

"What could he know of the bonds? Did you ever speak to him about them?"

 

"Of course not. What shall I do?"

 

"Inquire whether any one has been seen near the place where you hid them. Do your best to recover them."

 

This advice struck Bowman favorably. He devoted¹⁵ the remainder of the day to the inquiry¹⁶, but learned nothing. There was no further occasion to remain in St. Victor. He left the inn in the evening, forgetting to pay his reckoning.

1 reins   

感情，激情； 缰( rein的名词复数 )； 控制手段； 掌管； （成人带着幼儿走路以防其走失时用的）保护带

参考例句：

• She pulled gently on the reins. 她轻轻地拉着缰绳。
• The government has imposed strict reins on the import of luxury goods. 政府对奢侈品的进口有严格的控制手段。

2 abruptly   

adv.突然地，出其不意地

参考例句：

• He gestured abruptly for Virginia to get in the car.他粗鲁地示意弗吉尼亚上车。
• I was abruptly notified that a half-hour speech was expected of me.我突然被通知要讲半个小时的话。

3 decided   

adj.决定了的，坚决的；明显的，明确的

参考例句：

• This gave them a decided advantage over their opponents.这使他们比对手具有明显的优势。
• There is a decided difference between British and Chinese way of greeting.英国人和中国人打招呼的方式有很明显的区别。

4 spoke   

n.（车轮的）辐条；轮辐；破坏某人的计划；阻挠某人的行动 v.讲，谈（speak的过去式）；说；演说；从某种观点来说

参考例句：

• They sourced the spoke nuts from our company.他们的轮辐螺帽是从我们公司获得的。
• The spokes of a wheel are the bars that connect the outer ring to the centre.辐条是轮子上连接外圈与中心的条棒。

5 jack   

n.插座，千斤顶，男人；v.抬起，提醒，扛举；n.（Jake）杰克

参考例句：

• I am looking for the headphone jack.我正在找寻头戴式耳机插孔。
• He lifted the car with a jack to change the flat tyre.他用千斤顶把车顶起来换下瘪轮胎。

6 confidentially   

ad.秘密地，悄悄地

参考例句：

• She was leaning confidentially across the table. 她神神秘秘地从桌子上靠过来。
• Kao Sung-nien and Wang Ch'u-hou talked confidentially in low tones. 高松年汪处厚两人低声密谈。

7 fervently   

adv.热烈地，热情地，强烈地

参考例句：

• "Oh, I am glad!'she said fervently. “哦，我真高兴！”她热烈地说道。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• O my dear, my dear, will you bless me as fervently to-morrow?' 啊，我亲爱的，亲爱的，你明天也愿这样热烈地为我祝福么？” 来自英汉文学 - 双城记

8 lurch   

n.突然向前或旁边倒；v.蹒跚而行

参考例句：

• It has been suggested that the ground movements were a form of lurch movements.地震的地面运动曾被认为是一种突然倾斜的运动形式。
• He walked with a lurch.他步履蹒跚。

9 depot   

n.仓库，储藏处；公共汽车站；火车站

参考例句：

• The depot is only a few blocks from here.公共汽车站离这儿只有几个街区。
• They leased the building as a depot.他们租用这栋大楼作仓库。

10 vault   

n.拱形圆顶，地窖，地下室

参考例句：

• The vault of this cathedral is very high.这座天主教堂的拱顶非常高。
• The old patrician was buried in the family vault.这位老贵族埋在家族的墓地里。

11 assailed   

v.攻击( assail的过去式和过去分词 )；困扰；质问；毅然应对

参考例句：

• He was assailed with fierce blows to the head. 他的头遭到猛烈殴打。
• He has been assailed by bad breaks all these years. 这些年来他接二连三地倒霉。 来自《用法词典》

12 stump   

n.残株，烟蒂，讲演台；v.砍断，蹒跚而走

参考例句：

• He went on the stump in his home state.他到故乡所在的州去发表演说。
• He used the stump as a table.他把树桩用作桌子。

13 feverish   

adj.发烧的，狂热的，兴奋的

参考例句：

• He is too feverish to rest.他兴奋得安静不下来。
• They worked with feverish haste to finish the job.为了完成此事他们以狂热的速度工作着。

14 agitation   

n.搅动；搅拌；鼓动，煽动

参考例句：

• Small shopkeepers carried on a long agitation against the big department stores.小店主们长期以来一直在煽动人们反对大型百货商店。
• These materials require constant agitation to keep them in suspension.这些药剂要经常搅动以保持悬浮状态。

15 devoted   

adj.忠诚的，忠实的，热心的，献身于...的

参考例句：

• He devoted his life to the educational cause of the motherland.他为祖国的教育事业贡献了一生。
• We devoted a lengthy and full discussion to this topic.我们对这个题目进行了长时间的充分讨论。

16 inquiry   

n.打听，询问，调查，查问

参考例句：

• Many parents have been pressing for an inquiry into the problem.许多家长迫切要求调查这个问题。
• The field of inquiry has narrowed down to five persons.调查的范围已经缩小到只剩5个人了。