Chapter 24 Beaten at His Own Game

 Bradley was of a social disposition¹, and even without the gift of tobacco would have been glad of an addition to their small party.

 

'I'm glad to see you,' he said, repeating his welcome. 'I wonder I didn't hear you comin'. Have you been long in Californy?'

 

'Well onto a year,' said the one who seemed the elder of the two. 'How is it with you, stranger?'

 

'I have been here about as long,' answered Bradley. 'Ben has only just come out.'

 

'What luck have you had?' pursued the questioner.

 

'Good and bad. I made quite a pile, and went to 'Frisco and gambled it away like a fool. Now I've come back for another trial.'

 

''What might your name be?'

 

'Bradley-Jake Bradley. It isn't much of a name, but it'll do for me. The boy is Ben Stanton--come from the East.'

 

'My name is Bill Mosely,' said the other. 'My friend's Tom Hadley. We're both from Missouri, and, though I say it, we're about as wide-awake as they make 'em. We don't stand no back talk, Tom and me. When a man insults me, I drop him,' and the speaker rolled his eyes in what was meant to stimulate² ferocity.

 

Bradley eyed him shrewdly, and was not quite so much impressed as Mosely intended him to be. He had observed that the greatest boasters did not always possess the largest share of courage.

 

'Isn't that so, Tom?' asked Bill Mosely, appealing to his friend.

 

'I should say so,' answered Tom, nodding emphatically.

 

'You've seen me in a scrimmage more than once?'

 

'I should say I have.'

 

'Did you ever see me shoot a man that riled me?'

 

'Dozens of times,' returned Hadley, who appeared to play second fiddle³ to his terrible companion.

 

'That's the kind of man I am,' said Bill Mosely, in a tone of complacency.

 

Still, Bradley did not seem particularly nervous or frightened. He was fast making up his mind that Mosely was a cheap bully⁴, whose words were more terrible than his deeds. Ben had less experience of men, and he regarded the speaker as a reckless desperado, ready to use his knife or pistol on the least provocation⁵. He began to think he would have preferred solitude⁶ to such society. He was rather surprised to hear Bradley say quietly:

 

'Mosely, you're a man after my own heart. That's the kind of man I be. If a man don't treat me right, I shoot him in his tracks. One day I was drinkin' in a saloon among the foothills, when I saw a man winkin' at me. I waited to see if he would do it again. When he did, I hauled out my revolver and shot him dead.'

 

'You did?' exclaimed Mosely uneasily.

 

'Of course I did; but I was rather sorry afterward⁷ when I heard that his eyelids⁸ were weak and he couldn't help it.'

 

'Did you get into any trouble about it, stranger?' asked Mosely, with a shade of anxiety.

 

'No; none of the party dared touch me. Besides, I did the handsome thing. I had the man buried, and put a stone over him. I couldn't do any more, could I?'

 

'No,' said Mosely dubiously⁹, and he drew a little farther away from Bradley.

 

'What do you find to eat?' he inquired, after a pause. 'Tom and I are as hungry as if we hadn't eaten anything for a week. You haven't got any provisions left over?'

 

'No; but you can have as good a supper as we had, and we had a good one. What do you say to trout¹⁰, now?'

 

Bill Mosely smacked¹¹ his lips.

 

'Jest show me where I'll find some,' he said.

 

Bradley pointed¹² to the brook¹³ from which he had drawn¹⁴ his supply.

 

'I don't mind helping¹⁵ you,' he said. 'Ben, are you tired?'

 

'No, Jake.'

 

'Then come along, and we'll try to get some supper for our friends.'

 

'All right!' said Ben cheerfully.

 

In a short time a fresh supply of trout was drawn from the brook, and they were roughly cooked at the fire, Bradley officiating as cook.

 

'Now, my friends, set up,' said he. 'I'm sorry I can't give you any potatoes, but the barrel's out, and it's too late to get any at the store. Likewise, you must excuse the puddin', as it's too late to make any.'

 

The two visitors appeared to think no apologies were needful, for they made short work with the trout. From the manner in which they devoured¹⁶ their supper, it was quite evident that it was some time since they had eaten. Ben and Bradley did not join them, having already eaten heartily¹⁷.

 

'I hope you relished¹⁸ your supper, gentlemen,' said Bradley politely.

 

'I should say we did,' responded Tom Hadley.

 

'I say, them trout beat the world.'

 

'I'll shoot the man that says they don't!' said Bill Mosely, relapsing into his old tone.

 

'So will I!' exclaimed Bradley, springing to his feet and brandishing¹⁹ his revolver.

 

Ben began to see that he was playing a part, and, with assumed gravity, he looked to see what effect it would have on their new friend.

 

'I say, stranger, don't handle that weapon of yours so careless,' said Mosely uneasily.

 

'I guess you're right,' said Bradley, appearing to calm down. 'Once I was swingin' my gun kinder careless, and it went off and hit my friend, Jim Saunders, in his shoulder. Might have been worse. He had a narrer escape. But Jim couldn't complain. I jest took care of him, night and day, till he got well. I couldn't do any more'n that, now, could I?'

 

'I reckon he'd rather you hadn't shot him,' said Mosely dryly.

 

'I reckon you're right,' said Bradley, with equanimity²⁰. 'Such little accidents will happen sometimes, Mosely. Somehow, you can't always help it.'

 

'It's best to be keerful,' observed Mosely uneasily.

 

'I should say so,' echoed his friend, Tom Hadley.

 

'Right you both are!' said Bradley affably. 'I say, Mosely, I like you. You're jest such a sort of man as I am. You'd jest as lieve shoot a man as to eat your dinner; now, wouldn't you?'

 

'If he'd insulted me,' said Mosely hesitatingly.

 

'Of course. Come, now, how many men have you killed, first and last?'

 

'About twenty, I should think,' answered the bully, who seemed to grow meeker²¹ and more peaceable as Bradley's apparent reckless ferocity increased.

 

'Only twenty!' exclaimed Bradley contemptuously. 'Why, that's nothing at all!'

 

'How many have you killed?' asked Mosely uneasily.

 

'Seventy or eighty, I should say,' answered Bradley carelessly. 'Of course, a man can't keep an account of all these little affairs. I did once think I'd keep a list, but I got tired of it after a short time, and gave it up after I'd got up to forty-seven.'

 

'Where was you raised, stranger?' asked Mosely.

 

'In Kentucky-glorious old Kentuck! and if there's a man dares to say a word against my State, I'll take his life!' and Bradley sprang to his feet.

 

'Lay down again, stranger,' interposed Bill Mosely hastily. 'There's no one here wants to say a word agin' Kentuck. It's a glorious old State, as you say. Isn't it, Tom?'

 

'I should say so,' responded Tom Hadley, using his customary formula.

 

'Are you in search of gold, Mosely?' asked Bradley, in a more quiet manner.

 

'We're kinder prospectin' among the hills,' answered Mosely.

 

'You haven't come across anything yet, have you?'

 

'Not yet. Have you?'

 

'We're looking for a friend that's gone ahead. Maybe he's struck it rich. When we find him we'll turn in and help him.'

 

'You've got one advantage of us, stranger. You've got hosses, and we've had to walk.'

 

'Why didn't you buy animals?'

 

'We did, but they were stolen from us a little way back.'

 

'If our hosses should be stolen,' said Bradley, 'the thieves would die within a week.'

 

Mosely and his friend looked at each other in silence, and the conversation languished²².

 

'Ben,' said Bradley, after the two visitors were fast asleep, 'shall I tell you what I think of these two men?'

 

'Well, Bradley?'

 

'They are thieves, and they meant to steal our hosses.'

 

'Won't they do it now?'

 

Bradley laughed.

 

'They'll be afraid to,' he answered. 'I've beaten them at their own game, and they think I'm as desperate a bully as they pretend to be. No; they won't think it safe to interfere²³ with our property.'

 

'How many men did you say you had killed, Jake?' asked Ben, with a smile.

 

'That was all talk. Thank Heaven, I haven't the blood of any fellow creature on my hands!' 

1 disposition   

n.性情，性格；意向，倾向；排列，部署

参考例句：

• He has made a good disposition of his property.他已对财产作了妥善处理。
• He has a cheerful disposition.他性情开朗。

2 stimulate   

vt.刺激，使兴奋；激励，使…振奋

参考例句：

• Your encouragement will stimulate me to further efforts.你的鼓励会激发我进一步努力。
• Success will stimulate the people for fresh efforts.成功能鼓舞人们去作新的努力。

3 fiddle   

n.小提琴；vi.拉提琴；不停拨弄，乱动

参考例句：

• She plays the fiddle well.她小提琴拉得好。
• Don't fiddle with the typewriter.不要摆弄那架打字机了。

4 bully   

n.恃强欺弱者，小流氓；vt.威胁，欺侮

参考例句：

• A bully is always a coward.暴汉常是懦夫。
• The boy gave the bully a pelt on the back with a pebble.那男孩用石子掷击小流氓的背脊。

5 provocation   

n.激怒，刺激，挑拨，挑衅的事物，激怒的原因

参考例句：

• He's got a fiery temper and flares up at the slightest provocation.他是火爆性子，一点就着。
• They did not react to this provocation.他们对这一挑衅未作反应。

6 solitude   

n. 孤独; 独居,荒僻之地,幽静的地方

参考例句：

• People need a chance to reflect on spiritual matters in solitude. 人们需要独处的机会来反思精神上的事情。
• They searched for a place where they could live in solitude. 他们寻找一个可以过隐居生活的地方。

7 afterward   

adv.后来；以后

参考例句：

• Let's go to the theatre first and eat afterward. 让我们先去看戏，然后吃饭。
• Afterward,the boy became a very famous artist.后来，这男孩成为一个很有名的艺术家。

8 eyelids   

n.眼睑( eyelid的名词复数 )；眼睛也不眨一下；不露声色；面不改色

参考例句：

• She was so tired, her eyelids were beginning to droop. 她太疲倦了，眼睑开始往下垂。
• Her eyelids drooped as if she were on the verge of sleep. 她眼睑低垂好像快要睡着的样子。 来自《简明英汉词典》

9 dubiously   

adv.可疑地，怀疑地

参考例句：

• "What does he have to do?" queried Chin dubiously. “他有什么心事？”琴向觉民问道，她的脸上现出疑惑不解的神情。 来自汉英文学 - 家（1-26） - 家（1-26）
• He walked out fast, leaving the head waiter staring dubiously at the flimsy blue paper. 他很快地走出去，撇下侍者头儿半信半疑地瞪着这张薄薄的蓝纸。 来自辞典例句

10 trout   

n.鳟鱼；鲑鱼(属)

参考例句：

• Thousands of young salmon and trout have been killed by the pollution.成千上万的鲑鱼和鳟鱼的鱼苗因污染而死亡。
• We hooked a trout and had it for breakfast.我们钓了一条鳟鱼，早饭时吃了。

11 smacked   

拍，打，掴( smack的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• He smacked his lips but did not utter a word. 他吧嗒两下嘴，一声也不言语。
• She smacked a child's bottom. 她打孩子的屁股。

12 pointed   

adj.尖的，直截了当的

参考例句：

• He gave me a very sharp pointed pencil.他给我一支削得非常尖的铅笔。
• She wished to show Mrs.John Dashwood by this pointed invitation to her brother.她想通过对达茨伍德夫人提出直截了当的邀请向她的哥哥表示出来。

13 brook   

n.小河，溪；v.忍受，容让

参考例句：

• In our room we could hear the murmur of a distant brook.在我们房间能听到远处小溪汩汩的流水声。
• The brook trickled through the valley.小溪涓涓流过峡谷。

14 drawn   

v.拖，拉，拔出；adj.憔悴的，紧张的

参考例句：

• All the characters in the story are drawn from life.故事中的所有人物都取材于生活。
• Her gaze was drawn irresistibly to the scene outside.她的目光禁不住被外面的风景所吸引。

15 helping   

n.食物的一份&adj.帮助人的，辅助的

参考例句：

• The poor children regularly pony up for a second helping of my hamburger. 那些可怜的孩子们总是要求我把我的汉堡包再给他们一份。
• By doing this, they may at times be helping to restore competition. 这样一来, 他在某些时候,有助于竞争的加强。

16 devoured   

吞没( devour的过去式和过去分词 )； 耗尽； 津津有味地看； 狼吞虎咽地吃光

参考例句：

• She devoured everything she could lay her hands on: books, magazines and newspapers. 无论是书、杂志，还是报纸，只要能弄得到，她都看得津津有味。
• The lions devoured a zebra in a short time. 狮子一会儿就吃掉了一匹斑马。

17 heartily   

adv.衷心地，诚恳地，十分，很

参考例句：

• He ate heartily and went out to look for his horse.他痛快地吃了一顿，就出去找他的马。
• The host seized my hand and shook it heartily.主人抓住我的手，热情地和我握手。

18 relished   

v.欣赏( relish的过去式和过去分词 )；从…获得乐趣；渴望

参考例句：

• The chaplain relished the privacy and isolation of his verdant surroundings. 牧师十分欣赏他那苍翠的环境所具有的幽雅恬静，与世隔绝的气氛。 来自辞典例句
• Dalleson relished the first portion of the work before him. 达尔生对眼前这工作的前半部分满有兴趣。 来自辞典例句

19 brandishing   

v.挥舞( brandish的现在分词 )；炫耀

参考例句：

• The horseman came up to Robin Hood, brandishing his sword. 那个骑士挥舞着剑，来到罗宾汉面前。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• He appeared in the lounge brandishing a knife. 他挥舞着一把小刀，出现在休息室里。 来自辞典例句

20 equanimity   

n.沉着，镇定

参考例句：

• She went again,and in so doing temporarily recovered her equanimity.她又去看了戏，而且这样一来又暂时恢复了她的平静。
• The defeat was taken with equanimity by the leadership.领导层坦然地接受了失败。

21 meeker   

adj.温顺的，驯服的( meek的比较级 )

参考例句：

• I know about Greg Meeker and his pathetic little scam. 我了解格雷格·米克和他的可怜的小骗局。 来自电影对白

22 languished   

长期受苦( languish的过去式和过去分词 )； 受折磨； 变得（越来越）衰弱； 因渴望而变得憔悴或闷闷不乐

参考例句：

• Our project languished during the holidays. 我们的计划在假期间推动得松懈了。
• He languished after his dog died. 他狗死之后，人憔悴了。

23 interfere   

v.(in)干涉，干预；(with)妨碍，打扰

参考例句：

• If we interfere, it may do more harm than good.如果我们干预的话，可能弊多利少。
• When others interfere in the affair,it always makes troubles. 别人一卷入这一事件，棘手的事情就来了。