The liberty party from the old Monongahela was composed of one-half of the port watch, and the forty odd cadets composing it glanced back in gleeful triumph at their less fortunate mates, who were watching their progress with lugubrious2 faces from the forward deck.
Conspicuous3 among the latter were Grat Wallace and Trolley4, neither of whom were member of that half of the port watch.
They were doubly sorry that their names had not been included. They regretted that they were not going ashore and also that Clif, whom they liked and admired more than words could tell, would not be able to go with them on the morrow.
For Clif was in one of the boats speeding ashore, and naval5 cadets on a practice cruise are not permitted liberty two days in succession.
With Clif in the leading cutter were Joy and Nanny. And in the whaleboat following were Judson Greene and Chris Spendly.
Judson was very thoughtful on the way to the beach. He replied only in monosyllables to the chatter6 of his crony. He was evolving in his mind a scheme by which the boy Pedro’s newly developed hatred7 of Clif could be worked to the latter’s undoing8.
And he was also going over in his mind the reasons why he, himself, hated Clif so bitterly. The thoughts carried him back to Annapolis and beyond.
There was a long list of little plots and conflicts and rather shady schemes Judson had originated, but he always had been worsted in all these conflicts.
This enmity started in Hartford, Conn., from which city both had entered the academy, and it had continued until the present moment.
When the cadets landed at the main dock they found a crowd of idlers gathered there, possibly attracted by the rumor9 that a number of American naval cadets would pay a visit ashore.
Curious spectators, beggars, small boys, boatmen, and all that go to make up the water-front population of a city like Lisbon, thronged10 the street outside the gate and made complimentary11 and other remarks as the boys passed from the dock.
In the background, partially12 concealed13 behind a group of spectators, was a lean, brown-skinned boy with shifty, furtive14 eyes and a shock of black hair.
He was clad only in a light shirt and trousers, both of which showed signs of recent contact with water. As the naval cadets trouped15 past he watched them eagerly until three walking together and laughing merrily came into view.
Then his little eyes contracted, his face darkened with rage, and the nails of his clinched16 fists bit deep into the flesh.
He drew back, but not before he was observed by two cadets who had loitered behind their companions. They walked on a few paces, then dropped back and approached the barefoot boy.
“I say, aren’t you the chap who was diving for pennies alongside the ship this morning?” asked one, with assumed carelessness.
“drop that lingo,” sharply exclaimed the cadet. “I know you can speak English because I heard you. Your name is Pedro, and you were defeated in a dive by one of our fellows.”
Pedro made an inarticulate sound in his throat and moved away as if with the intention of leaving the newcomers.
“I guess you had better wait a while if you care to get square with that fellow,” said Judson Greene—for it was he—placing one hand upon the lad’s shoulder. “We know all about the affair, and we are ashore to help you out a little if we feel like it. Any place about here where we can get a drink and have a quiet chat?”
Pedro eyed them for a moment from under his black brows, then he gave a little nod, and without a word, trotted19 off.
A brief period later the three precious rascals20, Judson, Chris Spendly and Pedro were busily talking in the back room of a low fonda, or drinking resort, on one of the side streets leading from the water front.
In the meantime the rest of the liberty party was merrily proceeding21 toward the center of the city, attracting favorable greetings from shopkeepers, and glances of admiration22 from the pretty girls along the way, for the American naval cadet ashore is both liberal with his money, and gallant23 in his personal appearance.
Clif, Joy and Nanny were walking together and their hearts were light within them.
Three weeks on board ship with tumbling decks, close quarters and stormy winds made good dry land very attractive.
Joy alone looked gloomy. He was a human paradox24. When his spirits were lightest his face showed the deepest depression.
“It’s worth while spending a long time at sea to get such an appreciation25 of mother earth,” laughed Clif, executing the first steps of a hornpipe. “Eh, Joy, old boy?”
“Oh, I don’t know; there are other pleasures,” sighed the lanky26 plebe. “And this isn’t such a great place after all. It looks nice enough from the ship, but——”
“‘Distance lends enchantment27 to the view,’” quoted Nanny, sagely28. “You are right there. These houses that seemed so pretty with their different colors are not so much after all. The most of them are simply baked mud whitewashed29 or bluewashed or greenwashed, as the case may be. And look at the streets. Humph! they aren’t as wide as an alley30 at home.”
“I am sorry you boys are not pleased with the state of affairs,” said Clif, gayly. “I’ll see the king and have things attended to. There is one thing you must acknowledge though—the girls are handsome.”
“You noticed that quick enough,” sniffed31 Nanny, who had rather a contempt for the opposite sex. “You got a girl in Annapolis before you’d been there two days, and you picked up another here before the anchor chain had finished rattling32 through the hawse pipes. It’s a wonder you didn’t run across a couple of durned mermaids33 on the way over.”
Clif laughed.
“How can I help it, kidlets?” he replied, with a wink34 at Joy. “Don’t I try to keep the girls off? But they will fly to me like—like——”
“Niggers to a watermelon patch,” suggested Joy, gravely.
By this time the cadets had reached one of the main thoroughfares. As usual in such cases, they paired off and went in different directions.
Clif and his two chums remained together.
“We will take a look at the town and then I’ll leave you for a while,” announced the former.
“Going to call on Miss Juanita Windom, I suppose?” said Joy.
“Yes.”
“I think you might stay with us instead of chasing after a girl you never saw until this morning,” complained Nanny.
“I am not due there until four,” laughed Clif. “It’s now one, and we will have almost three hours in which to do the city. What more do you want, youngster?”
Nanny was compelled to acknowledge contentment, and the trio of friends strolled about the streets and visited the great cathedral, and conducted themselves much as boys do under similar circumstances.
At half-past three Clif called a carriage in front of the Praça do Dom Pedro, the principal square of Lisbon, and gave the driver a card upon which he had written Miss Windom’s address.
“I’ll meet you at six or thereabouts on the dock, chums,” he called back to Joy and Nanny. “Take care of yourselves and don’t get into any scrapes.”
“I have a contract to punch Judson Greene’s head if I run across him,” growled35 Joy. “He’s ashore, you know.”
“Yes. I saw him. But don’t waste any time getting into a row with the fellow,” replied Faraday. “He isn’t worth it. Ta! ta!”
They stood for a moment, and watched him whirl away, then they sadly turned and sauntered across the square.
If either had continued watching the carriage a trifle longer they might have seen something rather surprising.
While the vehicle was rumbling36 past the northern corner of the plaza37, a lithe38, brown-limbed, barefooted boy darted39 from behind a group of chattering40 beggars and swung on behind the carriage.
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
ashore
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| adv.在(向)岸上，上岸 | |
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2
lugubrious
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| adj.悲哀的，忧郁的 | |
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conspicuous
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| adj.明眼的，惹人注目的；炫耀的，摆阔气的 | |
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4
trolley
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| n.手推车，台车；无轨电车；有轨电车 | |
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naval
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| adj.海军的，军舰的，船的 | |
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6
chatter
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| vi.／n.喋喋不休；短促尖叫；(牙齿)打战 | |
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7
hatred
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| n.憎恶，憎恨，仇恨 | |
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8
undoing
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| n.毁灭的原因，祸根；破坏，毁灭 | |
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9
rumor
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| n.谣言，谣传，传说 | |
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10
thronged
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| v.成群，挤满( throng的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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11
complimentary
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| adj.赠送的，免费的，赞美的，恭维的 | |
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12
partially
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| adv.部分地，从某些方面讲 | |
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concealed
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| a.隐藏的，隐蔽的 | |
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14
furtive
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| adj.鬼鬼崇崇的，偷偷摸摸的 | |
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15
trouped
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| 巡回演出（troupe的过去式与过去分词形式） | |
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16
clinched
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| v.（尤指两人）互相紧紧抱[扭]住( clinch的过去式和过去分词 )；解决（争端、交易），达成（协议） | |
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17
defiantly
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| adv.挑战地，大胆对抗地 | |
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18
Portuguese
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| n.葡萄牙人；葡萄牙语 | |
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19
trotted
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| 小跑，急走( trot的过去分词 )； 匆匆忙忙地走 | |
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20
rascals
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| 流氓( rascal的名词复数 )； 无赖； （开玩笑说法）淘气的人（尤指小孩）； 恶作剧的人 | |
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21
proceeding
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| n.行动，进行，(pl.)会议录，学报 | |
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admiration
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| n.钦佩，赞美，羡慕 | |
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23
gallant
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| adj.英勇的，豪侠的；(向女人)献殷勤的 | |
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paradox
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| n.似乎矛盾却正确的说法；自相矛盾的人(物) | |
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appreciation
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| n.评价；欣赏；感谢；领会，理解；价格上涨 | |
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lanky
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| adj.瘦长的 | |
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enchantment
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| n.迷惑，妖术，魅力 | |
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sagely
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| adv. 贤能地，贤明地 | |
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29
whitewashed
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| 粉饰，美化，掩饰( whitewash的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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30
alley
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| n.小巷，胡同；小径，小路 | |
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31
sniffed
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| v.以鼻吸气，嗅，闻( sniff的过去式和过去分词 )；抽鼻子（尤指哭泣、患感冒等时出声地用鼻子吸气）；抱怨，不以为然地说 | |
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32
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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33
mermaids
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| n.（传说中的）美人鱼( mermaid的名词复数 ) | |
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wink
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| n.眨眼，使眼色，瞬间；v.眨眼，使眼色，闪烁 | |
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35
growled
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| v.（动物）发狺狺声， （雷）作隆隆声( growl的过去式和过去分词 )；低声咆哮着说 | |
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36
rumbling
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| n. 隆隆声, 辘辘声 adj. 隆隆响的 动词rumble的现在分词 | |
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37
plaza
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| n.广场，市场 | |
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38
lithe
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| adj.(指人、身体)柔软的，易弯的 | |
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39
darted
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| v.投掷，投射( dart的过去式和过去分词 )；向前冲，飞奔 | |
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40
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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