“To tell you the honest truth, Ferguson,” said the big senior, after a pause, “I don’t see how we can stop the thing without raising a lot of trouble.”
“Oh, there is more than one way to kill a cat,” replied the other. “You just promise that you will lend a hand, and I’ll furnish any amount of schemes.”
“But the old man has given his consent, you know.”
“That doesn’t cut any ice. What right has he to break a cadet rule? He was a cadet himself once, and I’ll bet anything he was just as strict against the plebe class as we are. Why, how was it yourself? Did you kick and refuse to be—er—to be——”
“Humph! I was too scared.”
“The proper feeling. So was I. Why, they made me eat a yard of red ribbon I brought home to remember my girl by. Yes, made me eat the whole blamed thing. And it put me in the hospital for a week, too. But I didn’t kick or squeal2 either.”
“You can’t say Faraday ever squealed,” said Blakely, quickly.
“No, I won’t say that,” replied Ferguson, reluctantly. “But he’s done everything else. He’s a fool. Why, the whole plebe class is as impudent3 as you please. Yesterday I told that little fellow, Nanny Gote, to do something for me, and he actually refused.”
“You don’t say! That’s bad. But what was it?”
Ferguson reddened.
“And——” persisted the big senior, smiling shyly.
“Oh, nothing more—that is, I believe I asked him to wash all the soiled things.”
“And he refused? The impudent beggar! He’s certainly unreasonable5.”
The sarcasm6 in the words made Ferguson uncomfortable, and he said nothing for several moments. As they slowly paced up and down the deck a cadet emerged from the forward hatch and eyed them.
He waited until they had made a turn toward the mainmast, then he slipped into a dark spot near one of the broadside guns.
As they passed him on their way back he called out in a cautious voice:
“I say, Blakely. Look here a moment, will you?”
The two stopped and faced the speaker, Ferguson with an exclamation7 of surprise.
“Hello, it’s a plebe!” he said.
“Judson Greene,” added Blakely, not very cordially. “Well, what do you want, plebe?”
“A word with me? What about?” asked the big senior, coldly.
Judson hesitated and looked at Ferguson. The latter started to go away, then he stopped and said, significantly:
“If you have anything to say about the plebe entertainment, I can hear it also. I guess I am as much interested as Blakely.”
“Yes, it’s about the show,” was Judson’s eager reply. “I sympathize with you fellows and I’ll put you on to a scheme to down Clif Faraday and his gang.”
Blakely made a gesture of disgust.
“What do you think we are, confound you?” he demanded, angrily. “We haven’t any use for traitors11, and that is what you are. Get out of here with your dirty propositions. Come, Ferguson.”
Judson slunk away without a word, and the honest-hearted big senior resumed his walk with Ferguson. A few minutes later he was called on duty.
As soon as he was alone Ferguson promptly13 hunted up Greene. Taking him to a secluded14 spot, he held a long and earnest conversation with him, the result of which was evidently satisfactory to both.
In the meantime the object of their conspiracy15 was busily engaged in preparing the details of the coming entertainment.
He had secured permission to partition off the forward part of the gun deck as a hall for rehearsals16, and, as only three days intervened before Saturday, he ordered one held that night.
Curious upper class men, attracted by the unwonted sounds of music, gathered about the spot, but they were kept in order by a special detail of plebes, reinforced by the master-at-arms and his assistant.
Shouts of laughter, a confused murmur17 of voices, an occasional snatch of song, and the rattling18 of bones and banging of tambourines19 only added zest20 to the curiosity of the hearers outside the canvas partition.
Among the latter were Ferguson and a sallow, thin cadet named Bryce. The two were discussing the scene in low tones when Judson Greene slipped up to them.
“Everything settled,” was the reply, given guardedly. “I’ve prepared the stuff. It’ll work like a charm.”
“I hate to dabble24 in such dirty work, but we must put a stop to this insolent25 attempt to give a show. That fellow Greene is a sneak26 and a scoundrel, and I wish Faraday would lick him for keeps.”
Ferguson nodded, and the two presently went on deck, the music and laughter and songs following them like a mocking chorus.
该作者的其它作品
《The Jungle 屠场》
该作者的其它作品
《The Jungle 屠场》
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1
hazed
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| v.（使）笼罩在薄雾中( haze的过去式和过去分词 )；戏弄，欺凌（新生等，有时作为加入美国大学生联谊会的条件） | |
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2
squeal
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| v.发出长而尖的声音；n.长而尖的声音 | |
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3
impudent
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| adj.鲁莽的，卑鄙的，厚颜无耻的 | |
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4
overhaul
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| v./n.大修，仔细检查 | |
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5
unreasonable
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| adj.不讲道理的，不合情理的，过度的 | |
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6
sarcasm
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| n.讥讽，讽刺，嘲弄，反话 （adj.sarcastic） | |
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7
exclamation
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| n.感叹号，惊呼，惊叹词 | |
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8
nervously
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| adv.神情激动地，不安地 | |
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9
furtive
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| adj.鬼鬼崇崇的，偷偷摸摸的 | |
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10
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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11
traitors
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| 卖国贼( traitor的名词复数 )； 叛徒； 背叛者； 背信弃义的人 | |
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12
traitor
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| n.叛徒，卖国贼 | |
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13
promptly
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| adv.及时地，敏捷地 | |
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14
secluded
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| adj.与世隔绝的；隐退的；偏僻的v.使隔开，使隐退( seclude的过去式和过去分词) | |
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15
conspiracy
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| n.阴谋，密谋，共谋 | |
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16
rehearsals
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| n.练习( rehearsal的名词复数 )；排练；复述；重复 | |
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17
murmur
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| n.低语，低声的怨言；v.低语，低声而言 | |
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18
rattling
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| adj. 格格作响的, 活泼的, 很好的 adv. 极其, 很, 非常 动词rattle的现在分词 | |
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19
tambourines
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| n.铃鼓，手鼓( tambourine的名词复数 )；（鸣声似铃鼓的）白胸森鸠 | |
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20
zest
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| n.乐趣；滋味，风味；兴趣 | |
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21
espying
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| v.看到( espy的现在分词 ) | |
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22
briefly
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| adv.简单地，简短地 | |
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23
glided
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| v.滑动( glide的过去式和过去分词 )；掠过；（鸟或飞机 ） 滑翔 | |
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24
dabble
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| v.涉足，浅赏 | |
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25
insolent
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| adj.傲慢的，无理的 | |
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26
sneak
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| vt.潜行(隐藏,填石缝)；偷偷摸摸做；n.潜行；adj.暗中进行 | |
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27
busted
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| adj. 破产了的，失败了的，被降级的，被逮捕的，被抓到的 动词bust的过去式和过去分词 | |
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