Chapter 13 Preliminary Arrangements

 At nine o'clock on the following morning Ben found Jake Bradley at the appointed rendezvous¹.

 

'You're on time, my lad,' said Jake. 'I didn't know as you'd think it worth while to look me up.'

 

'I promised,' said Ben.

 

'And you've kept your promise. That's more'n many a man would do.'

 

'How did you pass the night?' asked Ben.

 

'I stretched out on the soft side of a board. It isn't the first time. I slept like a top.'

 

'Have you had breakfast?'

 

'Well, there! you've got me,' said Jake. 'I reckoned on findin' an old friend that keeps a saloon on Montgomery Street, but he's sold out to another man, and I hadn't the face to ask him for a bite. What a consarned fool I was to throw away all my pile.'

 

'Where is the saloon?' said Ben. 'We will go there, and while you are eating we can arrange our business.'

 

'Thank you, boy. I ain't above acceptin' a favor of you, and I allow that I'm empty, and need fillin' up.'

 

'You needn't thank me, Mr. Bradley-'

 

'Jake!'

 

'Jake, then. I am only acting² as the agent of Miss Sinclair.'

 

'The gal³ you spoke⁴ of?'

 

Ben nodded.

 

'Then you can thank her. If there's anything I kin⁵ do for her, jest let me know.'

 

'I mean to. That is the business I want to speak to you about.'

 

After a hearty⁶ breakfast the two turned their steps to the private boarding-house where Miss Sinclair was eagerly awaiting them. Though Jake referred to her as 'the gal,' in his conversation with Ben, he was entirely⁷ respectful when brought face to face with the young lady.

 

'I want to thank you for my breakfast, miss, first of all,' said the miner. 'If I hadn't been such a thunderin' fool, I needn't have been beholden to any one, but-'

 

'You are entirely welcome, Mr. Bradley,' said the young lady. 'Ben tells me that you know something of Richard Dewey.'

 

'Yes, miss.'

 

'He is a valued friend of mine, and I am anxious to hear all that you can tell me of him. You don't know where he is now?'

 

'No, miss.'

 

'When did you see him?'

 

'Nigh on to a year ago.'

 

'That is a long time. You have heard nothing of him since?'

 

'No, miss. I should say yes,' he added, with sudden recollection. 'One of our boys saw him some months later, and reported that he was well and prosperin'. I disremember where he was, but somewhere at the mines.'

 

'That is something. Do you think you could find him?'

 

'I could try, miss,'

 

'I am going to send out Ben, but he is only a boy. I should like to have you go with him. You know the country, and he does not. Besides, you have seen Mr. Dewey.'

 

'Yes, I should know him ag'in if I met him.'

 

'How did he seem when you knew him?' asked Ida, hesitating, because conscious that the question was vaguely⁸ expressed and might not be understood.

 

'He was a quiet, sober chap, workin' early and late,' answered Jake, who, rough as he was, comprehended the drift of her questions. 'He wasn't exactly pop'lar with the boys, because he wouldn't drink with 'em, and that made them think he was proud, or grudged⁹ the expense.'

 

'They were very greatly mistaken,' said Ida hastily.

 

'We found that out,' said the miner. 'A young chap fell sick; he was a newcomer and had neither friends nor money, and was pretty bad off. Dewey sat up with him night after night, and gave him fifty dollars when he got well to help him back to 'Frisco. You see, his sickness made him tired of the mines.'

 

'That was like Richard,' said Ida softly. 'He was always kind-hearted.'

 

'After that,' continued Jake, 'none of us had a word to say agin' him. We knowed him better, and we liked him for his kindness to that young chap.'

 

If Jake Bradley had sought to commend himself to Ida Sinclair, he could not have found a better or more effectual way than by praising her lover. She became more cordial at once, and better satisfied with the arrangement she had formed to send off the ex-miner in Ben's company in search of her lover.

 

The arrangements were speedily made. The two were to start out, equipped at Miss Sinclair's expense, on an exploring-tour, the main object being to find Richard Dewey, and apprise¹⁰ him of her arrival in California. They were permitted, however, to work at mining, wherever there was a favorable opportunity, but never to lose sight of the great object of their expedition. From time to time, as they had opportunity, they were to communicate with Miss Sinclair, imparting any information they might have gathered.

 

'I shall have to leave much to your discretion,' said Ida, addressing them both. 'I know absolutely nothing of the country, and you, Mr. Bradley, are tolerably familiar with it. I have only to add that should you become unfortunate, and require more money, you have only to let me know. In any event, I shall take care to recompense you for all your efforts in my behalf.'

 

'We don't want to bear too heavy on your purse, miss,' said Jake Bradley. 'Once we get to the mines, we kin take care of ourselves. Can't we, Ben?'

 

'I hope so, Mr. Bradley.'

 

Bradley eyed Ben reproachfully, and our hero at once smilingly corrected himself. 'I mean Jake.'

 

'That suits me better. I s'pose the young lady wouldn't like to call me Jake?'

 

'I think not,' said Ida, smiling.

 

'I ain't used to bein' called mister. The boys always called me Jake.'

 

'But I am not one of the boys, Mr. Bradley,' said Miss Sinclair.

 

'Right you are, miss, and I reckon Richard Dewey would rather have you as you are.'

 

Ida laughed merrily. To her the miner was a new character, unlike any she had ever met, and though rough and unconventional, she was disposed to like him.

 

'Find him for me, and you can ask him the question if you like. Tell him from me-but you must first know me by my real name.'

 

Ben looked surprised. He had forgotten that Ida Sinclair was only assumed to elude¹¹ the vigilance of her guardian¹².

 

'My real name is Florence Douglas. I am of Scotch¹³ descent, as you will judge. Can you remember the name?'

 

'I can, Cousin Ida-I mean Cousin Florence,' said Ben.

 

'Then let Ida Sinclair be forgotten. Richard--Mr. Dewey-would not know me by that name.'

 

'I tell you, Ben, that gal's a trump¹⁴!' said Jake Bradley enthusiastically, when they were by themselves; 'and so I'll tell Dick Dewey when I see him.'

 

'She's been a kind friend to me, Jake. I hope we can find Mr. Dewey for her.'

 

'We'll find him if he's in California,' answered Jake. 

1 rendezvous   

n.约会，约会地点，汇合点；vi.汇合，集合；vt.使汇合，使在汇合地点相遇

参考例句：

• She made the rendezvous with only minutes to spare.她还差几分钟时才来赴约。
• I have a rendezvous with Peter at a restaurant on the harbour.我和彼得在海港的一个餐馆有个约会。

2 acting   

n.演戏，行为，假装；adj.代理的，临时的，演出用的

参考例句：

• Ignore her,she's just acting.别理她，她只是假装的。
• During the seventies,her acting career was in eclipse.在七十年代，她的表演生涯黯然失色。

3 gal   

n.姑娘，少女

参考例句：

• We decided to go with the gal from Merrill.我们决定和那个从梅里尔来的女孩合作。
• What's the name of the gal? 这个妞叫什么？

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 kin   

n.家族，亲属，血缘关系；adj.亲属关系的，同类的

参考例句：

• He comes of good kin.他出身好。
• She has gone to live with her husband's kin.她住到丈夫的亲戚家里去了。

6 hearty   

adj.热情友好的；衷心的；尽情的，纵情的

参考例句：

• After work they made a hearty meal in the worker's canteen.工作完了，他们在工人食堂饱餐了一顿。
• We accorded him a hearty welcome.我们给他热忱的欢迎。

7 entirely   

ad.全部地，完整地；完全地，彻底地

参考例句：

• The fire was entirely caused by their neglect of duty. 那场火灾完全是由于他们失职而引起的。
• His life was entirely given up to the educational work. 他的一生统统献给了教育工作。

8 vaguely   

adv.含糊地，暖昧地

参考例句：

• He had talked vaguely of going to work abroad.他含糊其词地说了到国外工作的事。
• He looked vaguely before him with unseeing eyes.他迷迷糊糊的望着前面，对一切都视而不见。

9 grudged   

怀恨（grudge的过去式与过去分词形式）

参考例句：

• The mean man grudged the food his horse ate. 那个吝啬鬼舍不得喂马。
• He grudged the food his horse ate. 他吝惜马料。

10 apprise   

vt.通知，告知

参考例句：

• He came to apprise us that the work had been successfully completed.他来通知我们工作已胜利完成。
• We must apprise them of the dangers that may be involved.我们必须告诉他们可能涉及的危险。

11 elude   

v.躲避，困惑

参考例句：

• If you chase it,it will elude you.如果你追逐着它， 它会躲避你。
• I had dared and baffled his fury.I must elude his sorrow.我曾经面对过他的愤怒，并且把它挫败了；现在我必须躲避他的悲哀。

12 guardian   

n.监护人；守卫者，保护者

参考例句：

• The form must be signed by the child's parents or guardian. 这张表格须由孩子的家长或监护人签字。
• The press is a guardian of the public weal. 报刊是公共福利的卫护者。

13 scotch   

n.伤口，刻痕；苏格兰威士忌酒；v.粉碎，消灭，阻止；adj.苏格兰(人)的

参考例句：

• Facts will eventually scotch these rumours.这种谣言在事实面前将不攻自破。
• Italy was full of fine views and virtually empty of Scotch whiskey.意大利多的是美景，真正缺的是苏格兰威士忌。

14 trump   

n.王牌，法宝；v.打出王牌，吹喇叭

参考例句：

• He was never able to trump up the courage to have a showdown.他始终鼓不起勇气摊牌。
• The coach saved his star player for a trump card.教练保留他的明星选手，作为他的王牌。