“But leaving all this discussion for the present, I am now about to tell you the true story of one of the greatest fakes that ever astounded10 thousands of persons and amused the dozen or so who were in the secret. In the summer of 1879—perhaps a year earlier or later—people everywhere became interested in the reports that an enormous sea serpent had been seen off the Isle of Shoals. These stories were repeated so often and so circumstantially that it was evident there was something in them. General attention was drawn11 to that famous resort, and hundreds of guests visited the Appledore Hotel for the first time and remained for weeks. The serpent was said to be fifty or seventy feet long, its tapering12 neck, tail and general conformation were so natural in appearance that there could be no doubt of its reality. It was black in color and moved through the water just as a creature of its kind might be supposed to do. The newspapers sent their reporters 188thither and some of them saw it. You may be sure that they did justice to the theme. No one dared approach the monster near enough to make a photograph, for none had the temerity13 to run the risk of rousing the ire of the monster. Excursion steamers from Boston were crowded with thousands eager to get a glimpse of the terrifying creature without incurring14 any peril15, for whoever heard of a sea serpent attacking a ship? It may crush a small boat in its prodigious17 jaws18, as the hippopotamus19 of the upper Nile has been known to do,—but a steamer is beyond its capacity. Many of the passengers carried revolvers, and a number had rifles. They begged the captain to take them close enough to give a chance for bagging such royal game, and he was more than willing to oblige, but somehow or other the opportunity did not offer. It was said that so many craft cruising about his haunts scared him off, and he did not show himself for days. Then, when the search grew less ardent20, he would reappear and the excitement would be greater than ever.
“Picture the piazza21 of the hotel, the upper windows, and even the roof swarming22 with people, nearly all with small or large glasses pointed23 out over the water, searching and waiting minute after minute for a sight of the terrific creature. Maybe after the scrutiny24 had lasted for hours some one would shout:
“‘I see him! Yonder he is!’
“And every glass would be focussed upon the point a half mile or more away, and wild exclamations25 would follow. The serpent was in plain sight of every eye. The fore26 part was upreared three or four feet, and the most powerful binoculars27 revealed the enormous eyes and vast mouth, while at varying distances to the rear could be seen bulging28 curvings of the stupendous body, as thick as a cask. Its hideous29 head slowly circled about on the neck as if the creature enjoyed the sensation he created. Then he dropped lower in the water, and seemed to be reposing30, occasionally disporting31 himself lazily, but often displaying his terrifying convolutions.
“Meanwhile the news had been telegraphed far and near, and thousands of eager people hurried to the Isle of Shoals for a sight which they would remember all their lives. If they arrived before darkness set in they probably were gratified, for the serpent appeared to be fond of showing itself by daylight, but it invariably vanished before morning and probably would not be seen again for a week, when the former scenes would be repeated.
“Scores took up quarters at the hotel, which they had never visited before, and stayed until the close of the season. Most of these were rewarded by a glimpse or two of the serpent, though a few were disappointed and in their resentment32 declared there was no such thing.
“Not the papers alone, but many of the magazines contained disquisitions on the bogy of the sea. Startling pictures based on the numerous descriptions were given, and caused many a shudder33 among those who had to depend upon such sources of information.
“One day a dudish youth loudly announced that any man was a fool who was afraid of a sea serpent. He intended to row out in a boat and to go nigh enough to empty his revolver into the frightful34 head. Incidentally he let it fall that he had a 191record as a pistol expert, and he invited any one who had the ‘sand’ to go with him for a near view of his fight with the creature that was making a deuced bore of itself.
“To the breathless amazement35 of the awe-smitten listeners, two young women, pretty of feature and with mischievous36 eyes, volunteered. He warned them of the risk they ran, but they replied that they were not afraid of anything that failed to alarm him, and any way they didn’t believe the horrid37 creature would get a chance to harm them before their escort would pierce its brain with several bullets. This tribute to the young man’s skill and bravery caused him to set his hat at a greater angle and thrust out his chest still more. Many of the spectators thought it their duty to protest, but the girls would not be dissuaded38, and a few minutes later the boat put off with its three occupants, while every glass or unaided eye followed the movements of the craft.
“This was one of the times when the serpent was in plain sight a half mile away, and the young hero headed directly toward it. The girls laughed and chatted and were sure it was the greatest lark39 in which they had ever engaged.
“They noticed that as they drew near the creature their escort showed lees enthusiasm and kept looking over his shoulder. It is not to be supposed they were free from a few tremors40 themselves, but, if so, they did not allow him to see it. They kept up their laughter and commented freely upon the timidity of the thousands who remained upon the hotel porch and watched the sea serpent from afar.
“More slowly the oars41 swayed until probably a couple of hundred yards separated the boat from that awful undulating monster. The young man ceased toiling42 and laid his hand upon the revolver in his hip16 pocket.
“‘You are not near enough to reach him,’ said one of the misses.
“‘I am best on long shots,’ he replied with another glance at that fearful head.
“‘Why, he has seen us! He is looking this way!’ exclaimed the other.
“‘Are you sure of that?’ he asked with chattering43 teeth.
“‘Yes; he’s coming toward us! Isn’t 193that splendid? All you will have to do is to wait until he is near enough and then shoot the horrid thing through the head as you said you would.’
“But the young man had heard enough. He whirled the boat around and rowed with might and main, never pausing until he reached the wharf44, when he sprang out, and amid the laughter and jeers45 of the spectators rushed to his room, which he kept until the time came for him to leave the hotel.
“The sea serpent was seen at intervals46 all through the summer. It did not make itself too cheap, and a week or more would pass without its showing itself. It was observed late in the season, but finally disappeared for good. The Appledore House was crowded as never before, and ran to its fullest capacity for the two following summers because of the general expectation that the sea serpent would show up again, but it never did, and in due time became only a memory or was forgotten entirely47.
“When you land at the dock at Boothbay Harbor and come up the slope to Commercial Street, turn to the left, walk only 194a little way and you will come to the large grocery store of Simpson and Perkins. In the upper hall of that store, as it used to be, the sea serpent of which I have been telling you was born and attained48 its full growth, preliminary to its removal to the Isle of Shoals.
“The author of its being was William Wilson, who died about ten years ago. He was an English sailor, who in middle life gave up the sea and settled in Boothbay Harbor, where for years he was the only rigger in the little town. He possessed49 great natural mechanical ability, and it was said of him that he could make anything. He was unusually skilful50 in plain and fancy sewing and in constructing all sorts of knickknacks. He turned his attention to house painting and in that developed real artistic51 taste. In short, he was a Jack-of-all-trades and good in each.
“One day a stranger who had heard of Wilson’s versatility52 came to him with a proposition that he should construct him a sea serpent, for which he was willing to pay two hundred dollars. He explained its purpose and impressed upon the artist the 195necessity of keeping the thing an absolute secret,—since the discovery that it was a fake would defeat the very object of its being, which was to build up business for the hotel at the Isle of Shoals.
“Wilson agreed to construct the sea serpent in accordance with his own ideas of what it should be. His employer was quite willing to accept this proviso, for he knew the man’s ingenuity53 and so the verbal contract was made.
“Wilson had a partner in the work, a Swede named Robert Alson, who is still living. These two used to saunter upstairs into the long hall which was their workshop, lock the door and devote themselves to the task, upon which they spent their spare hours throughout the winter. Like a true artist, Wilson would not hurry, and gave careful attention to the smaller details,—a fact which accounts for the perfect success of the extraordinary fraud.
“The sea serpent was exactly thirty-five feet long, and for convenience of shipment was made in three sections, which overlapped54 and could be readily sewn together. The material was strong canvas, painted a 196black color, with proper proportions. The tail tapered55, as did the neck, the largest part of the body being about two feet in diameter. The head, eyes and mouth were not exaggerated, as would have been the fact with almost any amateur at the job. It was stuffed with cork56 and oak shavings, so nicely adjusted that it would float partly on or just below the surface, with the curving neck lifting the hideous head two or three feet above the water. The small waves gave a lifelike motion to the thing, which made it seem to be moving slowly through the water, when in fact it never progressed forward or backward, for its position was held immovably by an anchor.
“When the serpent was at last completed it was securely boxed and shipped to Portsmouth, six miles from the Isle of Shoals. Then it was towed at night to the right place, anchored and left to do its duty, which, as I have told you, it succeeded in doing to perfection. It is strange that the imposture57 was kept up for month after-month, and that it was seen and inspected by thousands, and yet no one really penetrated58 the clever deception59. It was towed 197to the anchorage at night, and taken away again the next night to a secure hiding place. Those who had it in charge were too shrewd to overdo60 the trick. When the attention of the crowds threatened to become too warm, the serpent disappeared and was not again seen for a week or more. The general belief was that it had gone out to sea, but after a time some strange attraction drew it back into the field of vision of the swarms61 of visitors to the Appledore Hotel. As I said, the sea serpent disappeared for good in the autumn and this particular one was never seen again—that is, in its native element. I do not know what ultimately became of it.”
At this point in the narrative62 Uncle Elk paused, and it could be seen that he was smiling behind his beard.
“I now want to say something to you in confidence. You must be sure not to repeat it in the hearing of others. I gave you the names of the two men who built the sea serpent, but I have good reason to believe a third person had a hand in it. If you will question Keyes H. Richards, the proprietor63 of the Samoset House on Mouse Island, you will find that he knows all about it. I once asked him point blank if he did not have something to do with its construction, but I could not draw a direct answer from him. Therefore, I retain my suspicions.
“Last spring the twin brothers, Asa and Bige Carter of Boothbay, persuaded themselves that they could make a tidy sum of money by introducing a new sea serpent to the public. After they had completed it, they decided64 to make a preliminary test by bringing it to Gosling Lake and trying it on you Boy Scouts. They let me into the secret, and though much interested, I discouraged it. They lacked the artistic cleverness of Wilson and the trick was sure to be detected and quickly exposed. I met them on the shore of the lake and saw them tow it out a little way, and anchor it. It was not properly balanced, and while the body sank, the head rose to within a foot of the surface, but would not come any higher. When those two tramps happened to look over the edge of their canoe, you may perhaps imagine their terror at sight of the gently swaying monstrosity that 199seemed on the point of crushing the boat or them in its jaws. Never again will they be so overcome with blind panic.
“This incident, together with my earnest persuasions65, induced the Carter boys to give up their scheme and to take away their sea serpent and consign66 it to oblivion.”
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1
elk
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| n.麋鹿 | |
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scouts
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| 侦察员[机，舰]( scout的名词复数 )； 童子军； 搜索； 童子军成员 | |
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bungalow
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| n.平房，周围有阳台的木造小平房 | |
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isle
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| n.小岛，岛 | |
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mariners
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| 海员，水手（mariner的复数形式） | |
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monstrous
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| adj.巨大的；恐怖的；可耻的，丢脸的 | |
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reptiles
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| n.爬行动物，爬虫( reptile的名词复数 ) | |
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truthfulness
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| n. 符合实际 | |
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unreasonable
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| adj.不讲道理的，不合情理的，过度的 | |
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10
astounded
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| v.使震惊(astound的过去式和过去分词)；愕然；愕；惊讶 | |
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11
drawn
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| v.拖，拉，拔出；adj.憔悴的，紧张的 | |
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tapering
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| adj.尖端细的 | |
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temerity
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| n.鲁莽，冒失 | |
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14
incurring
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| 遭受，招致，引起( incur的现在分词 ) | |
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15
peril
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| n.(严重的)危险；危险的事物 | |
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hip
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| n.臀部，髋；屋脊 | |
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prodigious
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| adj.惊人的，奇妙的；异常的；巨大的；庞大的 | |
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18
jaws
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| n.口部；嘴 | |
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hippopotamus
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| n.河马 | |
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ardent
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| adj.热情的，热烈的，强烈的，烈性的 | |
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piazza
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| n.广场；走廊 | |
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swarming
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| 密集( swarm的现在分词 )； 云集； 成群地移动； 蜜蜂或其他飞行昆虫成群地飞来飞去 | |
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23
pointed
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| adj.尖的，直截了当的 | |
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24
scrutiny
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| n.详细检查，仔细观察 | |
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25
exclamations
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| n.呼喊( exclamation的名词复数 )；感叹；感叹语；感叹词 | |
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fore
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| adv.在前面；adj.先前的；在前部的；n.前部 | |
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binoculars
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| n.双筒望远镜 | |
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bulging
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| 膨胀； 凸出（部）； 打气； 折皱 | |
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hideous
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| adj.丑陋的，可憎的，可怕的，恐怖的 | |
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reposing
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| v.将（手臂等）靠在某人（某物）上( repose的现在分词 ) | |
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disporting
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| v.嬉戏，玩乐，自娱( disport的现在分词 ) | |
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resentment
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| n.怨愤，忿恨 | |
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33
shudder
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| v.战粟，震动，剧烈地摇晃；n.战粟，抖动 | |
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frightful
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| adj.可怕的；讨厌的 | |
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35
amazement
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| n.惊奇，惊讶 | |
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mischievous
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| adj.调皮的，恶作剧的，有害的，伤人的 | |
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horrid
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| adj.可怕的；令人惊恐的；恐怖的；极讨厌的 | |
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dissuaded
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| 劝（某人）勿做某事，劝阻( dissuade的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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lark
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| n.云雀，百灵鸟；n.嬉戏，玩笑；vi.嬉戏 | |
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tremors
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| 震颤( tremor的名词复数 )； 战栗； 震颤声； 大地的轻微震动 | |
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oars
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| n.桨，橹( oar的名词复数 )；划手v.划（行）( oar的第三人称单数 ) | |
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42
toiling
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| 长时间或辛苦地工作( toil的现在分词 )； 艰难缓慢地移动，跋涉 | |
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43
chattering
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| n. （机器振动发出的）咔嗒声，(鸟等)鸣，啁啾 adj. 喋喋不休的，啾啾声的 动词chatter的现在分词形式 | |
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44
wharf
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| n.码头，停泊处 | |
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45
jeers
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| n.操纵帆桁下部（使其上下的）索具；嘲讽( jeer的名词复数 )v.嘲笑( jeer的第三人称单数 ) | |
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46
intervals
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| n.[军事]间隔( interval的名词复数 )；间隔时间；[数学]区间；（戏剧、电影或音乐会的）幕间休息 | |
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entirely
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| ad.全部地，完整地；完全地，彻底地 | |
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attained
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| （通常经过努力）实现( attain的过去式和过去分词 )； 达到； 获得； 达到（某年龄、水平、状况） | |
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49
possessed
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| adj.疯狂的；拥有的，占有的 | |
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50
skilful
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| (=skillful)adj.灵巧的，熟练的 | |
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51
artistic
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| adj.艺术(家)的，美术(家)的；善于艺术创作的 | |
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versatility
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| n.多才多艺，多样性，多功能 | |
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53
ingenuity
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| n.别出心裁；善于发明创造 | |
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overlapped
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| _adj.重叠的v.部分重叠( overlap的过去式和过去分词 )；（物体）部份重叠；交叠；（时间上）部份重叠 | |
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55
tapered
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| adj. 锥形的，尖削的，楔形的，渐缩的，斜的 动词taper的过去式和过去分词 | |
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56
cork
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| n.软木，软木塞 | |
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imposture
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| n.冒名顶替，欺骗 | |
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penetrated
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| adj. 击穿的，鞭辟入里的 动词penetrate的过去式和过去分词形式 | |
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deception
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| n.欺骗，欺诈；骗局，诡计 | |
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overdo
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| vt.把...做得过头，演得过火 | |
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61
swarms
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| 蜂群，一大群( swarm的名词复数 ) | |
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narrative
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| n.叙述，故事；adj.叙事的，故事体的 | |
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proprietor
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| n.所有人；业主；经营者 | |
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decided
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| adj.决定了的，坚决的；明显的，明确的 | |
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persuasions
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| n.劝说，说服（力）( persuasion的名词复数 )；信仰 | |
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consign
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| vt.寄售（货品），托运，交托，委托 | |
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