"A jolly good place for a camp," observed Bob.
"But no game around worth shooting at," objected Sam. "Hello, look at that sign they've got."
On a strip of canvas, stretching from one tree to another, was painted in rude black letters, "Idleman's Club."
"Hello there, Fenton," came from the shore; "what crowd is that you've got?"
"Wait and see, Havens," replied Howard, smilingly.
The sail rattled2 down and the "Dauntless" glided3 slowly over the transparent4 water toward a boat moored5 close by. Havens caught a rope, and, in a moment, the boys were scrambling6 ashore7.
Jim Havens was a sturdy-looking boy, with a rather pleasant face and manner, while Tom Sanders, slimly built, had sharp features and a loud voice. The Ramblers did not need to be told which was "Little Bill." That lad had the same aquiline9 nose, gray eyes and sour expression which characterized his uncle, the stage-driver.
"Come over to the camp, fellows," invited Havens, pleasantly. "This is a surprise, all right."
The Idleman's Club had chosen a most inviting10 situation. Not far away was a thick grove11 of trees, while the heights which rose back of them formed a most pleasing picture.
As the group walked toward the camp-fire, "Little Bill" trailed in the rear. He did not seem glad to see the visitors, and on learning who Bob Somers and his friends were, his manner became even less cordial.
Before the tent a brisk fire was burning. Suspended above it several pots were steaming merrily and sending forth12 a delicious odor.
The boys examined the camp with interest, peeped into the tent, and then looked at the game which the Idleman's Club had bagged the day before.
"Havens," said "Little Bill," suddenly, "I want to go over and see Mr. Barton this afternoon, an'——"
"Didn't you know he had gone?" asked Bob, in surprise.
"Gone?" echoed Dugan; "yer don't mean ter say so." A blank look came over his face. "Gone," he repeated, "since when?"
"About five days ago," answered Bob.
"Little Bill" made an angry gesture.
"An' I thought he wasn't a-leavin' till next week."
"Changed his mind," said Bob.
"Wal, wal—an' me here without known' a thing about it. Ain't that luck?"
"Why, no," replied Bob. "Not in any of his letters."
"Mighty15 funny, for a fact. I've done odd jobs over at Rickham fur a long spell, now, an' I was powerful sure he'd give me the job of lookin' after his horses this summer. Ask Sanders if I wasn't."
"Sure you were," said the thin boy.
"He always called me 'Bill'—old Barton did. He says ter me, 'Bill, I'll see about it.' Say, why didn't Sam Bins16 go with him?"
"I don't know," said Bob.
"An' there's another thing. Seein' as how he wouldn't be here this summer, I wanted ter use the 'Spray.' I spoke17 to him 'bout that, too."
"Would he agree to that?"
"He didn't say nothin'," admitted Dugan, reluctantly, "but I'm powerful sure he intended to. Didn't tell me no. Anyway, I suppose it'll be all right, eh?" and "Little Bill" looked eagerly at Captain Bob.
"I'll write my uncle and find out. I'd like to oblige you, Dugan, but I'm responsible for things just now. Of course, if he says the word——"
"Guess anybody kin8 tell what that means," interrupted Dugan, fiercely. "Talk about the meanest luck yet—lose a job an' all the sport I was a-goin' ter have this summer—the whole business busted18 ter bits! Can you beat it? Mebbe you don't believe what I says, eh?"
Bill raised his voice—his eyes began to snap.
"Certainly I do," laughed Bob.
"Then won't yer let me have the boat like a good feller?"
"Honest, Dugan—I can't, 'til I hear. You can go out with us any time."
"Some people's middle name is meanness," was Sanders' diplomatic response.
Dugan was fast working himself into a passion.
"Old Barton intended to let me use that boat," he cried. "Onct he says ter me, 'Bill,' he says——"
"Here, here!" interrupted Havens; "you're raising an awful holler over nothin'."
"I'm standin' up fur me rights'. He says, 'Bill'——"
"Don't get mad, Dugan," said Bob, soothingly20. "Come now—be sensible."
"Oh, ho, glorious views around here," broke in Dave. "Going to stay long, Havens?"
Dugan took a searching look at the poet's smiling fare, sniffed21 audibly, and then lapsed22 into silence.
"Don't know exactly," said Havens, in reply to the question. "There's plenty of small game, an' fishin' is great. A feller gets sick of the village."
"Sick of it?" echoed Sanders. "Worse'n that—eh, Dugan?"
The latter nodded.
"I can't git away often enough," he said, sourly.
"Well, fellows," asked Bob, "what do you say to climbing the hill?"
"Oh, you won't find it hard," exclaimed Havens, reassuringly24.
"What will you do when we get to the mountains, Dave?" asked Bob.
"You fellows going there?" asked Havens.
"We certainly are."
The sour expression left Dugan's face. He looked interested and exchanged glances with Sanders.
"That's where you will find the big game," said Havens, "and I know how to pilot you around, all right."
"Great!" exclaimed Dick.
"We're not so bad at it," laughed Bob; "eh, Chub, over there? But say, fellows, come on. Let's get our legs in training," and he started off.
Fifteen minutes later, Bob sat down by the side of a huge boulder29 to rest. The others were some distance below.
"Little Bill" and Sanders, who had been conversing30 in low tones, were the first to approach.
"See here," began Dugan, in a whining31 voice, "yer ain't riled at the way I talked, a spell back, are ye? I'm an outspoken32 feller, I am."
"No, I'm not a bit mad, Dugan," assured Bob.
"Wal," "Little Bill" looked cautiously around, "there ain't nobody here who knows the mountains better'n Sanders an' me. Don't need ter go no further fur a guide. Yer couldn't never go there alone. Somebody out of the crowd would sure git lost, or fall down a precerpice, or be drownded in one of them mountain streams. It's certain as your name ain't Willie. Say—is it a go?"
"I'll have to talk to the other chaps, Dugan," answered Bob, evasively.
"But it's only right to take me, after what I've lost," persisted the other. "Ain't that so?"
"I'll talk to you about it later."
Captain Bob's manner was not encouraging, and Dugan's expression began to change.
"I suppos'n you'll have Havens," he snapped, "an' is skeered ter say so."
Bob made no answer, but a faint smile flitted across his face, and Dugan was quick to notice it. Two lines, rivaling those on his uncle's forehead, appeared, and he turned away abruptly33.
"Wal, I don't keer what yer does," he snapped.
Stalking down the hillside, he rejoined Sanders, who had paused a short distance away, and the latter was heard to exclaim in a stage whisper, "Some people's middle name is meanness."
A moment later, the two were lost to view amidst the shrubbery.
When at length the tired boys reached the hilltop, a beautiful view repaid them. Patches of blue sky appeared between dazzling white clouds and straight ahead rose the frowning walls of Crescent and Round Mountains, with the gorge34 of Canyon35 River at the base of the former.
Making their way past a small cabin which stood in an open space, the boys walked out as far as they dared.
Exclamations36 of wonder and admiration37 escaped their lips. Far below them, the water foamed38 and madly tossed, as it rushed into the narrow confines of the gorge. For a long distance it stretched ahead, dark and gloomy, then disappeared behind a jutting39 crag at a point where the walls separated, leaving a grassy40 strip on each side of the river. To the left, at a great height, the weather-beaten summit of Crescent Mountain was partially41 obscured by a slowly-moving cloud.
"I never saw anything finer," declared Bob Somers, at length.
"Think of getting spilled into that current," murmured Dick, whose thoughts turned in another direction.
"You'd be a goner," said Havens, dryly.
"Suppose, after all, we won't see that waterfall," continued Bob, in a tone of regret, "eh, Sam?"
"Not much danger of seeing it, but lots trying to," grinned Havens. "I've climbed most of the mountains around, but I let those two fellows alone."
As they turned away, a flock of screaming crows circled close overhead.
"Let's take a look at the cabin," suggested Sam. "Seems most as old as the cliff."
"Nothing left of the door, and window isn't much better," said Tom. "Wonder who could have lived here."
"Most likely some old crank," put in Dick, as he peeped inside.
The cabin contained a shaky table, a stool with one leg missing and an empty box, all thickly covered with dust.
"Interesting, but it smells kind of musty," said Sam. "Let's skip."
The descent was made quickly.
"Well, well—what boat is that?" cried Fenton, suddenly.
The group, at that moment, had come in sight of the camp.
"As I live, the 'Dauntless'!" exclaimed Dick. "Doesn't that beat all?"
Sure enough, the graceful42 sailboat was slowly swinging out from the shore, and the grinning faces of Sanders and "Little Bill" could be plainly seen.
"Never heard of such a cheeky pair," put in Bob, indignantly.
"Good-bye, little boys," yelled Sanders. "We've borrowed yer boat fur a spell." Then, with derisive43 shouts, they waved their arms, pulled away at several ropes and the "Dauntless," catching44 the breeze, rapidly receded45.
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1
havens
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| n.港口，安全地方( haven的名词复数 )v.港口，安全地方( haven的第三人称单数 ) | |
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rattled
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| 慌乱的，恼火的 | |
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3
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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transparent
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| adj.明显的，无疑的；透明的 | |
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moored
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| adj. 系泊的 动词moor的过去式和过去分词形式 | |
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6
scrambling
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| v.快速爬行( scramble的现在分词 )；攀登；争夺；（军事飞机）紧急起飞 | |
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7
ashore
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| adv.在(向)岸上，上岸 | |
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8
kin
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| n.家族，亲属，血缘关系；adj.亲属关系的，同类的 | |
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9
aquiline
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| adj.钩状的，鹰的 | |
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10
inviting
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| adj.诱人的，引人注目的 | |
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11
grove
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| n.林子，小树林，园林 | |
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12
forth
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| adv.向前；向外，往外 | |
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13
bout
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| n.侵袭，发作；一次(阵，回)；拳击等比赛 | |
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14
perturbed
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| adj.烦燥不安的v.使（某人）烦恼，不安( perturb的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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15
mighty
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| adj.强有力的；巨大的 | |
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16
bins
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| n.大储藏箱( bin的名词复数 )；宽口箱（如面包箱，垃圾箱等）v.扔掉，丢弃( bin的第三人称单数 ) | |
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17
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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18
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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19
sneered
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| 讥笑，冷笑( sneer的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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20
soothingly
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| adv.抚慰地，安慰地；镇痛地 | |
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21
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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22
lapsed
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| adj.流失的，堕落的v.退步( lapse的过去式和过去分词 )；陷入；倒退；丧失 | |
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23
promptly
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| adv.及时地，敏捷地 | |
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24
reassuringly
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| ad.安心，可靠 | |
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25
uncommonly
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| adv. 稀罕(极，非常) | |
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26
ambled
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| v.（马）缓行( amble的过去式和过去分词 )；从容地走，漫步 | |
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27
leisurely
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| adj.悠闲的；从容的，慢慢的 | |
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risky
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| adj.有风险的，冒险的 | |
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29
boulder
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| n.巨砾；卵石，圆石 | |
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30
conversing
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| v.交谈，谈话( converse的现在分词 ) | |
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31
whining
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| n. 抱怨，牢骚 v. 哭诉，发牢骚 | |
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32
outspoken
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| adj.直言无讳的，坦率的，坦白无隐的 | |
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abruptly
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| adv.突然地，出其不意地 | |
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34
gorge
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| n.咽喉，胃，暴食，山峡；v.塞饱，狼吞虎咽地吃 | |
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35
canyon
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| n.峡谷，溪谷 | |
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36
exclamations
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| n.呼喊( exclamation的名词复数 )；感叹；感叹语；感叹词 | |
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37
admiration
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| n.钦佩，赞美，羡慕 | |
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38
foamed
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| 泡沫的 | |
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39
jutting
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| v.（使）突出( jut的现在分词 )；伸出；（从…）突出；高出 | |
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40
grassy
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| adj.盖满草的；长满草的 | |
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41
partially
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| adv.部分地，从某些方面讲 | |
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42
graceful
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| adj.优美的，优雅的；得体的 | |
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43
derisive
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| adj.嘲弄的 | |
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44
catching
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| adj.易传染的，有魅力的，迷人的，接住 | |
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45
receded
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| v.逐渐远离( recede的过去式和过去分词 )；向后倾斜；自原处后退或避开别人的注视；尤指问题 | |
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