CHAPTER VI THE HOLD-UP

 Dashing over the country roads, the motor girls sent their machines ahead at fast speed, unwilling¹ to stop to light up, and anxious to make the town before the twilight² faded into nightfall.

 

Suddenly Cora, who was in the lead, grabbed the emergency brake and quickly shut off the power.

 

"What's that?" she asked. "Something straight ahead. Don't you see it, Hazel?"

 

Hazel stood up and peered into the gathering³ darkness.

 

"Yes; it looks like an auto⁴. Perhaps some one got disabled, and had to leave the machine," she replied.

 

"Perhaps," returned Cora, going along carefully.

 

"It is an auto," declared Hazel presently, as they were almost upon the object in the roadway.

 

"The auto stage!" exclaimed Cora. "Don't be frightened, Hazel," she hurried to say. "Paul is not in it. He must have gone on with the mail."

 

Hazel sank down in the cushions and covered her eyes. Somehow she could not bear to look at the deserted⁵ auto stage.

 

The other girls were coming along cautiously—they saw that something was the matter.

 

The standing⁶ machine was directly in the road; it instantly struck Cora that this was strange. Who could have been so careless as to leave an unlighted auto in the roadway, and night coming on?

 

She turned her wheel to guide the Whirlwind to one side, and then stopped. Bess was next, and she shut off the power from the Flyaway.

 

"What is it?" asked Bess anxiously. Belle⁷ did not venture to leave the machine, but Hazel had bounded out of the Whirlwind almost before Cora had time to stop it.

 

"Oh," exclaimed Hazel, "there are Paul's gloves. Where can he be?"

 

"Perhaps playing a trick on us," suggested Cora, although she had little faith in the possibility. "I am sure he would not go far off and leave this expensive machine here."

 

By this time all the other girls had reached the spot, and were now deliberating upon the abandoned auto. Suddenly a call—shrill and distinct—startled them.

 

"That's Paul!" shrieked⁸ Hazel, turning instantly and dashing off in the direction from which the voice had come. Cora, Bess, Maud and Cecilia followed her. Over the wet fields, through briars and underbrush the girls ran, while the call was repeated; this time there being no possibility of mistake—it was Paul shouting.

 

Breathless, the girls hurried on. With a sister's instinct Hazel never stumbled, but seemed to get over every obstacle like some wood sprite called to duty.

 

"Oh, I'm all right, girls! Take your time!" came the voice in the woods.

 

"All right!" repeated Hazel in uncertain tones.

 

"Oh, look!" shrieked Cecilia. "Didn't I tell you it was a joke? Look!"

 

What a sight! There, sitting on something like a stool, with a big cotton umbrella opened over his head, his eyes blinded with something dark, and his hands and feet made secure, was Paul Hastings, the chauffeur⁹ of the auto stage.

 

"Whatever does this means?" asked Cora, hurrying to Hazel, who was now madly snatching the black silk handkerchief from her brother's eyes.

 

"A prisoner of war," replied Paul rather unsteadily. "Glad you came, girls—there, sis, in my back pocket, you will find a knife. Just cut those carpet rags off my feet and hands."

 

Cecilia found the pocket knife, and, more quickly than any boy might have done it, she severed¹⁰ the bonds, and Paul stretched out—free.

 

"Well," he exclaimed, "this is about the limit!"

 

"Did the boys do it?" asked Cora.

 

"Boys! Not a bit of it," replied Paul. "It was a regular hold-up. And the mail! I must get that, if they have left it on the road. Did you see the car? Is it all right?"

 

"It appeared to be," said Cora. "It was the car that brought us to a standstill. It's in the middle of the road."

 

Paul shook himself as if expecting to find some damage to limb or muscle. Then he turned toward the open path.

 

"Tell us about it," demanded Cecilia. "Wasn't it a joke?"

 

"Joke!" he reiterated¹¹. "Well, I should say not! Would you call it a joke to have two masked men jump in front of a running car, and flash something shiny? Then to have them climb in, cover my eyes and tell me I would be all right, and not to worry!"

 

"Oh," sighed Hazel, "I felt something would happen to you, Paul, dear.

You must give up this position."

"Well, we will see about that," he replied. "Perhaps I won't have anything to say about it—if the mailpouch is gone."

 

"Then they brought you out here?" asked Cecilia, determined¹³ to hear all the story.

 

"Carried me like a baby," replied Paul, "and in sheer humane¹⁴ consideration they put me near the road, so that my call might be heard."

 

"And the umbrella?" asked Cora.

 

"Oh, they went to a barn for that. It was raining, and my polite friends did not want me to take cold."

 

His tone was bitterly cutting; taking cold would evidently have been of small account to him.

 

"And they sat you upon that log?" put in Maud.

 

"Like any ordinary bump," he rejoined. "I never knew the misery¹⁵ of a bump on a log before."

 

"And, you are not hurt?" Hazel pressed close to his side and looked up lovingly at the tall boy.

 

"Not in the least—that is, physically¹⁶. But I am seriously hurt mentally."

 

Cora could not but recognize how handsome Paul was. The excitement seemed to fire his whole being, and throw some subtle human phosphorus—a light from his burning brain certainly brightened in his eyes and even in his cheeks.

 

"Come along, girls," he said hurriedly. "Never mind the paraphernalia¹⁷.

Some lonely goat might like the rags. Let's get out on the road."

His anxiety was of course for the mail. That leather bag meant more to him than the mere¹⁸ transference of Uncle Sam's freight—it meant his honor—his position.

 

Over the rough fields the girls followed him. Hazel clung to his hand like a little sister indeed, while the others were content to keep as close as the uncertain footing would allow.

 

Presently they reached the road, then the stage coach. The other girls, who had not run to Paul's rescue, were standing around breathless.

 

Paul jumped into the car—thrust his hand into the box under the floor, where he always put the government pouch¹².

 

He brought up the mailbag.

1 unwilling   

adj.不情愿的

参考例句：

• The natives were unwilling to be bent by colonial power.土著居民不愿受殖民势力的摆布。
• His tightfisted employer was unwilling to give him a raise.他那吝啬的雇主不肯给他加薪。

2 twilight   

n.暮光，黄昏；暮年，晚期，衰落时期

参考例句：

• Twilight merged into darkness.夕阳的光辉融于黑暗中。
• Twilight was sweet with the smell of lilac and freshly turned earth.薄暮充满紫丁香和新翻耕的泥土的香味。

3 gathering   

n.集会，聚会，聚集

参考例句：

• He called on Mr. White to speak at the gathering.他请怀特先生在集会上讲话。
• He is on the wing gathering material for his novels.他正忙于为他的小说收集资料。

4 auto   

n.(=automobile)(口语)汽车

参考例句：

• Don't park your auto here.别把你的汽车停在这儿。
• The auto industry has brought many people to Detroit.汽车工业把许多人吸引到了底特律。

5 deserted   

adj.荒芜的，荒废的，无人的，被遗弃的

参考例句：

• The deserted village was filled with a deathly silence.这个荒废的村庄死一般的寂静。
• The enemy chieftain was opposed and deserted by his followers.敌人头目众叛亲离。

6 standing   

n.持续，地位；adj.永久的，不动的，直立的，不流动的

参考例句：

• After the earthquake only a few houses were left standing.地震过后只有几幢房屋还立着。
• They're standing out against any change in the law.他们坚决反对对法律做任何修改。

7 belle   

n.靓女

参考例句：

• She was the belle of her Sunday School class.在主日学校她是她们班的班花。
• She was the belle of the ball.她是那个舞会中的美女。

8 shrieked   

v.尖叫( shriek的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• She shrieked in fright. 她吓得尖叫起来。
• Li Mei-t'ing gave a shout, and Lu Tzu-hsiao shrieked, "Tell what? 李梅亭大声叫，陆子潇尖声叫：“告诉什么？ 来自汉英文学 - 围城

9 chauffeur   

n.(受雇于私人或公司的)司机；v.为…开车

参考例句：

• The chauffeur handed the old lady from the car.这个司机搀扶这个老太太下汽车。
• She went out herself and spoke to the chauffeur.她亲自走出去跟汽车司机说话。

10 severed   

v.切断，断绝( sever的过去式和过去分词 )；断，裂

参考例句：

• The doctor said I'd severed a vessel in my leg. 医生说我割断了腿上的一根血管。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• We have severed diplomatic relations with that country. 我们与那个国家断绝了外交关系。 来自《简明英汉词典》

11 reiterated   

反复地说，重申( reiterate的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• "Well, I want to know about it,'she reiterated. “嗯，我一定要知道你的休假日期，"她重复说。 来自英汉文学 - 嘉莉妹妹
• Some twenty-two years later President Polk reiterated and elaborated upon these principles. 大约二十二年之后，波尔克总统重申这些原则并且刻意阐释一番。

12 pouch   

n.小袋，小包，囊状袋；vt.装...入袋中，用袋运输；vi.用袋送信件

参考例句：

• He was going to make a tobacco pouch out of them. 他要用它们缝制一个烟草袋。
• The old man is always carrying a tobacco pouch with him.这老汉总是随身带着烟袋。

13 determined   

adj.坚定的；有决心的

参考例句：

• I have determined on going to Tibet after graduation.我已决定毕业后去西藏。
• He determined to view the rooms behind the office.他决定查看一下办公室后面的房间。

14 humane   

adj.人道的，富有同情心的

参考例句：

• Is it humane to kill animals for food?宰杀牲畜来吃合乎人道吗？
• Their aim is for a more just and humane society.他们的目标是建立一个更加公正、博爱的社会。

15 misery   

n.痛苦，苦恼，苦难；悲惨的境遇，贫苦

参考例句：

• Business depression usually causes misery among the working class.商业不景气常使工薪阶层受苦。
• He has rescued me from the mire of misery.他把我从苦海里救了出来。

16 physically   

adj.物质上，体格上，身体上，按自然规律

参考例句：

• He was out of sorts physically,as well as disordered mentally.他浑身不舒服，心绪也很乱。
• Every time I think about it I feel physically sick.一想起那件事我就感到极恶心。

17 paraphernalia   

n.装备；随身用品

参考例句：

• Can you move all your paraphernalia out of the way?你可以把所有的随身物品移开吗？
• All my fishing paraphernalia is in the car.我的鱼具都在汽车里。

18 mere   

adj.纯粹的；仅仅，只不过

参考例句：

• That is a mere repetition of what you said before.那不过是重复了你以前讲的话。
• It's a mere waste of time waiting any longer.再等下去纯粹是浪费时间。