In the excitement Nanny had been temporarily forgotten. The little lad had ran up the rigging to the foretop, then seeing that his friend was in trouble, he descended2 midway to the deck.
The executive officer was angry. He believed the corporal’s story, and the very idea of such a gross breach5 of discipline was too much for his temper.
“Come down, sir!” he roared, shaking his spyglass at poor Nanny. “Come down at once or it will be the worse for you.”
A cadet first class man named Blakely, the captain of the academy football team, involuntarily leaped into the rigging, thinking the pursuit of the fugitive6 was desired by Lieutenant7 Watson.
The latter’s stern voice and Blakely’s action proved the last straw, and Nanny fled upward again in dismay.
The rigging swayed under his hurrying feet and several times he came dangerously near falling. But fear lent confidence, and he gained the top without mishap8.
Lieutenant Watson watched his progress with mingled9 amazement10 and rage. In all his experience he had never known a cadet to run aloft to escape punishment.
“The boy is crazy,” he muttered.
“Shall we send several men after him, sir?” asked the officer of the deck.
Before a reply could be given the commander of the Monongahela, who had been in his cabin, walked forward attracted by the commotion11.
“What is the matter?” he asked, glancing at the cadets.
“A little trouble between Cadet Corporal Sharpe and two new fourth class men, sir,” replied Lieutenant Watson, saluting12. “Cadets Faraday and Gote attacked Cadet Corporal Sharpe and struck him while he was in pursuit of his duty.”
“What’s that?” exclaimed the captain, severely13. “Striking a superior officer is a grave offense14.”
Turning upon Clif, he added:
“Young man, it seems that you intend to keep yourself before the public. It was all right for you to create disturbances15 at the academy and be kidnaped, but when you assault a superior officer, you go too far. Your time as a cadet will be short if you persist in such actions.”
Clif attempted to speak, but he was cut short with a gesture.
“Where is the other culprit?” asked the captain, addressing Lieutenant Watson.
“He fled to escape punishment, sir.”
“What?”
“He’s in the foretop.”
“Have him brought down at once and placed under arrest. I’ll court-martial both for this breach of discipline,” thundered the Monongahela’s commander.
At a signal from the executive officer, four nimble first class men sprang into rigging and began to run aloft.
The crowd around the spot had increased until it numbered almost the entire crew. All the officers off duty[Pg 54] had left the wardroom and steerage, and many comments were made.
“Never seen anything like it in all my experience,” exclaimed the navigator.
“Maybe a touch of sunstroke,” was the surgeon’s cautious reply.
He stepped over to the captain said something in a low voice.
Clif, who was standing18 a few feet away, between the master-at-arms and the ship’s corporal, heard the commander reply, incredulously:
“Nonsense, sir. It’s simply a spirit of deviltry. He thinks he can do as he pleases. He must be taught a lesson.”
Clif glanced aloft, where, indeed, all eyes were turned, and saw that the four cadets had almost reached the top.
Suddenly Nanny’s face, strained and eager, appeared over the edge of the wide top. He gave the pursuing cadets one rapid glance, then he scrambled19 into the rigging leading above and started to ascend20.
The fugitive’s feet slipped and he was seen to sway outward. A frantic22 clutch at a stay saved him, however, and he continued upward.
Again Nanny slipped, and again did he regain24 his foothold. But it was evident his lack of experience would bring him into serious peril25, and the spectators watched his uncertain progress with bated breath.
“He’ll never reach the crosstrees,” said Lieutenant Watson. “He is crazy. He will—— Oh! I thought he was gone then.”
“Mr. Blakely, don’t follow any farther,” he shouted. “Come back to the top.”
The senior cadet and his three companions halted instantly and slowly descended. Nanny quickly observed their change of action, and halted, swinging nervously26 from the ratlines.
A sigh of relief went up.
“Proper move,” muttered the surgeon. “Should have stopped them before. Guess I’ll try a trip to the top and see if I can coax27 him down.”
He made the suggestion at once, and the commander gave prompt consent. It was a ticklish28 task for his unaccustomed feet, but he finally arrived within speaking distance of the young fugitive.
The two held a very brief conversation, then the surgeon returned to the deck. His face wore a queer expression.
“That boy is no more crazy than I am,” he reported. “But he’s simply scared out of his wits. He declares he won’t come down until a certain cadet is sent up to him.”
“Who, in Heaven’s name?” demanded the captain.
“Mr. Clif Faraday.”
“Why does he wish to see him?”
The surgeon shook his head.
“I don’t know, sir,” he replied. “He insists on it. Possibly it would be a good idea to humor him.”
“I’d like to humor his back with a rope’s end!” exclaimed the captain. “This is the most ridiculous experience I ever had. Fancy a cadet skipping aloft and defying the whole ship’s company. It is simply outrageous29. Mr. Faraday!”
“Yes, sir.”
Clif stepped forward and saluted30 respectfully. He appeared calm, but a gleam in his eyes indicated that he labored31 under some excitement.
“Run aloft and persuade that silly boy to come down,” ordered the captain, gruffly. “Tell him we won’t hang him to the yardarm to-day. And just add that he is making a fool of himself and that it will have a bad effect on his future record.”
Clif saluted again and sprang into the shrouds32. As he passed Cadet Corporal Sharpe he gave that youth a look that spoke33 volumes.
“He’s the cause of all this trouble,” muttered Clif, as he nimbly ascended34 the rigging. “If any harm comes to poor Nanny I’ll square accounts with him as sure as fate.”
It did not take him long to reach the foretop. Climbing through the lubber’s hole, he stood up and looked aloft. Nanny was midway to the crosstrees.
His face was rather pale, and the hands grasping the ratlines trembled perceptibly. It was evident that he was still badly frightened. Clif motioned him to come down to the top.
“drop down here, Nanny,” he said, kindly35. “Everything is all right. Just descend1 carefully, and I’ll help you to the deck.”
“Oh, Clif, I’m afraid,” was the piteous reply. “I—I—struck an officer, and they’ll send me to prison.”
“Nonsense, chum. We are both in trouble on account of that ‘plebe deviler,’ Sharpe, but they can’t do much to us. I expect we will be court-martialed, but we’ve plenty of witnesses on our side. Come down, that’s a good boy.”
“You are not fooling me?”
Clif laughed encouragingly.
“That’s a nice thing to say,” he replied. “I am ashamed of you.”
Nanny smiled also, and prepared to descend. He cautiously lowered one foot and then started to follow with the other. As he did so he stepped, swayed outward, and after one frantic grasp at the rigging, fell down, down from the dizzy height.
A cry of horror came from the spectators.
“He will be killed!”
“Heavens! what a fall!”
Then came a sickening splash as Nanny’s body,bounding from the rigging, struck the water and disappeared beneath the surface.
Several cadets, among them Trolley36, Joy and Toggles, sprang to the top of the hammock netting, but before they could leap overboard after the little plebe a figure was seen to cleave37 the air from above.
“It’s Faraday!”
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收听单词发音
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1
descend
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| vt./vi.传下来，下来，下降 | |
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descended
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| a.为...后裔的，出身于...的 | |
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exclamation
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| n.感叹号，惊呼，惊叹词 | |
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consternation
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| n.大为吃惊，惊骇 | |
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breach
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| n.违反，不履行；破裂；vt.冲破，攻破 | |
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6
fugitive
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| adj.逃亡的，易逝的；n.逃犯，逃亡者 | |
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7
lieutenant
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| n.陆军中尉，海军上尉；代理官员，副职官员 | |
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mishap
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| n.不幸的事，不幸；灾祸 | |
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mingled
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| 混合，混入( mingle的过去式和过去分词 )； 混进，与…交往[联系] | |
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amazement
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| n.惊奇，惊讶 | |
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commotion
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| n.骚动，动乱 | |
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saluting
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| v.欢迎，致敬( salute的现在分词 )；赞扬，赞颂 | |
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severely
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| adv.严格地；严厉地；非常恶劣地 | |
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offense
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| n.犯规，违法行为；冒犯，得罪 | |
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disturbances
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| n.骚乱( disturbance的名词复数 )；打扰；困扰；障碍 | |
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pointed
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| adj.尖的，直截了当的 | |
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curiously
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| adv.有求知欲地；好问地；奇特地 | |
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standing
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| n.持续，地位；adj.永久的，不动的，直立的，不流动的 | |
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scrambled
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| v.快速爬行( scramble的过去式和过去分词 )；攀登；争夺；（军事飞机）紧急起飞 | |
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ascend
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| vi.渐渐上升，升高；vt.攀登，登上 | |
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bellowed
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| v.发出吼叫声，咆哮（尤指因痛苦）( bellow的过去式和过去分词 )；（愤怒地）说出（某事），大叫 | |
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22
frantic
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| adj.狂乱的，错乱的，激昂的 | |
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hoarsely
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| adv.嘶哑地 | |
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regain
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| vt.重新获得，收复，恢复 | |
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peril
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| n.(严重的)危险；危险的事物 | |
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nervously
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| adv.神情激动地，不安地 | |
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coax
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| v.哄诱，劝诱，用诱哄得到，诱取 | |
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ticklish
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| adj.怕痒的；问题棘手的；adv.怕痒地；n.怕痒，小心处理 | |
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29
outrageous
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| adj.无理的，令人不能容忍的 | |
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saluted
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| v.欢迎，致敬( salute的过去式和过去分词 )；赞扬，赞颂 | |
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31
labored
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| adj.吃力的，谨慎的v.努力争取(for)( labor的过去式和过去分词 )；苦干；详细分析；（指引擎）缓慢而困难地运转 | |
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32
shrouds
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| n.裹尸布( shroud的名词复数 )；寿衣；遮蔽物；覆盖物v.隐瞒( shroud的第三人称单数 )；保密 | |
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33
spoke
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| 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 | |
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ascended
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| v.上升，攀登( ascend的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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kindly
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| adj.和蔼的，温和的，爽快的；adv.温和地，亲切地 | |
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trolley
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| n.手推车，台车；无轨电车；有轨电车 | |
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37
cleave
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| v．(clave；cleaved)粘着，粘住；坚持；依恋 | |
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torrent
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| n.激流，洪流；爆发，(话语等的)连发 | |
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