IT was after sun-up now, but we went right on and didn't tie up. The king and the duke turned out by and by looking pretty rusty1; but after they'd jumped overboard and took a swim it chippered them up a good deal. After breakfast the king he took a seat on the corner of the raft, and pulled off his boots and rolled up his britches, and let his legs dangle2 in the water, so as to be comfortable, and lit his pipe, and went to getting his Romeo and Juliet by heart. When he had got it pretty good him and the duke begun to practice it together. The duke had to learn him over and over again how to say every speech; and he made him sigh, and put his hand on his heart, and after a while he said he done it pretty well; "only," he says, "you mustn't bellow3 out ROMEO! that way, like a bull -- you must say it soft and sick and languishy, so -- R-o-o-meo! that is the idea; for Juliet's a dear sweet mere4 child of a girl, you know, and she doesn't bray5 like a jackass."
Well, next they got out a couple of long swords that the duke made out of oak laths, and begun to practice the sword fight -- the duke called himself Richard III.; and the way they laid on and pranced7 around the raft was grand to see. But by and by the king tripped and fell overboard, and after that they took a rest, and had a talk about all kinds of adventures they'd had in other times along the river.
After dinner the duke says:
"Well, Capet, we'll want to make this a first-class show, you know, so I guess we'll add a little more to it. We want a little something to answer encores with, anyway."
"What's onkores, Bilgewater?"
The duke told him, and then says:
"I'll answer by doing the Highland9 fling or the sailor's hornpipe; and you -- well, let me see -- oh, I've got it -- you can do Hamlet's soliloquy."
"Hamlet's which?"
"Hamlet's soliloquy, you know; the most celebrated10 thing in Shakespeare. Ah, it's sublime11, sublime! Always fetches the house. I haven't got it in the book -- I've only got one volume -- but I reckon I can piece it out from memory. I'll just walk up and down a minute, and see if I can call it back from recollection's vaults12."
So he went to marching up and down, thinking, and frowning horrible every now and then; then he would hoist13 up his eyebrows14; next he would squeeze his hand on his forehead and stagger back and kind of moan; next he would sigh, and next he'd let on to drop a tear. It was beautiful to see him. By and by he got it. He told us to give attention. Then he strikes a most noble attitude, with one leg shoved forwards, and his arms stretched away up, and his head tilted15 back, looking up at the sky; and then he begins to rip and rave16 and grit17 his teeth; and after that, all through his speech, he howled, and spread around, and swelled18 up his chest, and just knocked the spots out of any acting19 ever I see before. This is the speech -- I learned it, easy enough, while he was learning it to the king:
To be, or not to be; that is the bare bodkin That makes calamity20 of so long life; For who would fardels bear, till Birnam Wood do come to Dunsinane, But that the fear of something after death Murders the innocent sleep, Great nature's second course, And makes us rather sling21 the arrows of outrageous22 fortune Than fly to others that we know not of. There's the respect must give us pause: Wake Duncan with thy knocking! I would thou couldst; For who would bear the whips and scorns of time, The oppressor's wrong, the proud man's contumely, The law's delay, and the quietus which his pangs23 might take, In the dead waste and middle of the night, when churchyards yawn In customary suits of solemn black, But that the undiscovered country from whose bourne no traveler returns, Breathes forth24 contagion25 on the world, And thus the native hue26 of resolution, like the poor cat i' the adage27, Is sicklied o'er with care, And all the clouds that lowered o'er our housetops, With this regard their currents turn awry28, And lose the name of action. 'Tis a consummation devoutly29 to be wished. But soft you, the fair Ophelia: Ope not thy ponderous30 and marble jaws31, But get thee to a nunnery -- go!
Well, the old man he liked that speech, and he mighty32 soon got it so he could do it first-rate. It seemed like he was just born for it; and when he had his hand in and was excited, it was perfectly33 lovely the way he would rip and tear and rair up behind when he was getting it off.
The first chance we got the duke he had some showbills printed; and after that, for two or three days as we floated along, the raft was a most uncommon34 lively place, for there warn't nothing but sword fighting and rehearsing -- as the duke called it -- going on all the time. One morning, when we was pretty well down the State of Arkansaw, we come in sight of a little one-horse town in a big bend; so we tied up about three-quarters of a mile above it, in the mouth of a crick which was shut in like a tunnel by the cypress35 trees, and all of us but Jim took the canoe and went down there to see if there was any chance in that place for our show.
We struck it mighty lucky; there was going to be a circus there that afternoon, and the country people was already beginning to come in, in all kinds of old shackly wagons36, and on horses. The circus would leave before night, so our show would have a pretty good chance. The duke he hired the courthouse, and we went around and stuck up our bills. They read like this:
Shaksperean Revival37 ! ! !
Wonderful Attraction!
For One Night Only!
The world renowned38 tragedians,
David Garrick the Younger, of Drury Lane Theatre London,
and
Edmund Kean the elder, of the Royal Haymarket Theatre,
Whitechapel, Pudding Lane, Piccadilly, London, and the
Royal Continental39 Theatres, in their sublime
Shaksperean Spectacle entitled
The Balcony Scene
in
Romeo and Juliet ! ! !
Romeo...................Mr. Garrick
Juliet..................Mr. Kean
Assisted by the whole strength of the company!
New costumes, new scenes, new appointments!
Also:
The thrilling, masterly, and blood-curdling
Broad-sword conflict
In Richard III. ! ! !
Richard III.............Mr. Garrick
Richmond................Mr. Kean
Also:
(by special request)
Hamlet's Immortal40 Soliloquy ! !
By The Illustrious Kean!
Done by him 300 consecutive41 nights in Paris!
For One Night Only,
On account of imperative42 European engagements!
Admission 25 cents; children and servants, 10 cents.
Then we went loafing around town. The stores and houses was most all old, shackly, dried up frame concerns that hadn't ever been painted; they was set up three or four foot above ground on stilts43, so as to be out of reach of the water when the river was overflowed44. The houses had little gardens around them, but they didn't seem to raise hardly anything in them but jimpson-weeds, and sunflowers, and ash piles, and old curled-up boots and shoes, and pieces of bottles, and rags, and played-out tinware. The fences was made of different kinds of boards, nailed on at different times; and they leaned every which way, and had gates that didn't generly have but one hinge -- a leather one. Some of the fences had been whitewashed45 some time or another, but the duke said it was in Clumbus' time, like enough. There was generly hogs46 in the garden, and people driving them out.
All the stores was along one street. They had white domestic awnings48 in front, and the country people hitched49 their horses to the awning47-posts. There was empty drygoods boxes under the awnings, and loafers roosting on them all day long, whittling50 them with their Barlow knives; and chawing tobacco, and gaping51 and yawning and stretching -- a mighty ornery lot. They generly had on yellow straw hats most as wide as an umbrella, but didn't wear no coats nor waistcoats, they called one another Bill, and Buck52, and Hank, and Joe, and Andy, and talked lazy and drawly, and used considerable many cuss words. There was as many as one loafer leaning up against every awning-post, and he most always had his hands in his britches-pockets, except when he fetched them out to lend a chaw of tobacco or scratch. What a body was hearing amongst them all the time was:
"Gimme a chaw 'v tobacker, Hank "
"Cain't; I hain't got but one chaw left. Ask Bill."
Maybe Bill he gives him a chaw; maybe he lies and says he ain't got none. Some of them kinds of loafers never has a cent in the world, nor a chaw of tobacco of their own. They get all their chawing by borrowing; they say to a fellow, "I wisht you'd len' me a chaw, Jack6, I jist this minute give Ben Thompson the last chaw I had" -- which is a lie pretty much everytime; it don't fool nobody but a stranger; but Jack ain't no stranger, so he says:
"YOU give him a chaw, did you? So did your sister's cat's grandmother. You pay me back the chaws you've awready borry'd off'n me, Lafe Buckner, then I'll loan you one or two ton of it, and won't charge you no back intrust, nuther."
"Well, I DID pay you back some of it wunst."
"Yes, you did -- 'bout8 six chaws. You borry'd store tobacker and paid back nigger-head."
Store tobacco is flat black plug, but these fellows mostly chaws the natural leaf twisted. When they borrow a chaw they don't generly cut it off with a knife, but set the plug in between their teeth, and gnaw53 with their teeth and tug54 at the plug with their hands till they get it in two; then sometimes the one that owns the tobacco looks mournful at it when it's handed back, and says, sarcastic55:
"Here, gimme the CHAW, and you take the PLUG."
All the streets and lanes was just mud; they warn't nothing else BUT mud -- mud as black as tar56 and nigh about a foot deep in some places, and two or three inches deep in ALL the places. The hogs loafed and grunted57 around everywheres. You'd see a muddy sow and a litter of pigs come lazying along the street and whollop herself right down in the way, where folks had to walk around her, and she'd stretch out and shut her eyes and wave her ears whilst the pigs was milking her, and look as happy as if she was on salary. And pretty soon you'd hear a loafer sing out, "Hi! SO boy! sick him, Tige!" and away the sow would go, squealing58 most horrible, with a dog or two swinging to each ear, and three or four dozen more a-coming; and then you would see all the loafers get up and watch the thing out of sight, and laugh at the fun and look grateful for the noise. Then they'd settle back again till there was a dog fight. There couldn't anything wake them up all over, and make them happy all over, like a dog fight -- unless it might be putting turpentine on a stray dog and setting fire to him, or tying a tin pan to his tail and see him run himself to death.
On the river front some of the houses was sticking out over the bank, and they was bowed and bent59, and about ready to tumble in, The people had moved out of them. The bank was caved away under one corner of some others, and that corner was hanging over. People lived in them yet, but it was dangersome, because sometimes a strip of land as wide as a house caves in at a time. Sometimes a belt of land a quarter of a mile deep will start in and cave along and cave along till it all caves into the river in one summer. Such a town as that has to be always moving back, and back, and back, because the river's always gnawing60 at it.
The nearer it got to noon that day the thicker and thicker was the wagons and horses in the streets, and more coming all the time. Families fetched their dinners with them from the country, and eat them in the wagons. There was considerable whisky drinking going on, and I seen three fights. By and by somebody sings out:
"Here comes old Boggs! -- in from the country for his little old monthly drunk; here he comes, boys!"
All the loafers looked glad; I reckoned they was used to having fun out of Boggs. One of them says:
"Wonder who he's a-gwyne to chaw up this time. If he'd a-chawed up all the men he's ben a-gwyne to chaw up in the last twenty year he'd have considerable ruputation now."
Another one says, "I wisht old Boggs 'd threaten me, 'cuz then I'd know I warn't gwyne to die for a thousan' year."
Boggs comes a-tearing along on his horse, whooping61 and yelling like an Injun, and singing out:
"Cler the track, thar. I'm on the waw-path, and the price uv coffins62 is a-gwyne to raise."
He was drunk, and weaving about in his saddle; he was over fifty year old, and had a very red face. Everybody yelled at him and laughed at him and sassed him, and he sassed back, and said he'd attend to them and lay them out in their regular turns, but he couldn't wait now because he'd come to town to kill old Colonel Sherburn, and his motto was, "Meat first, and spoon vittles to top off on."
He see me, and rode up and says:
"Whar'd you come f'm, boy? You prepared to die?"
Then he rode on. I was scared, but a man says:
"He don't mean nothing; he's always a-carryin' on like that when he's drunk. He's the best naturedest old fool in Arkansaw -- never hurt nobody, drunk nor sober."
Boggs rode up before the biggest store in town, and bent his head down so he could see under the curtain of the awning and yells:
"Come out here, Sherburn! Come out and meet the man you've swindled. You're the houn' I'm after, and I'm a-gwyne to have you, too!"
And so he went on, calling Sherburn everything he could lay his tongue to, and the whole street packed with people listening and laughing and going on. By and by a proud-looking man about fifty-five -- and he was a heap the best dressed man in that town, too -- steps out of the store, and the crowd drops back on each side to let him come. He says to Boggs, mighty ca'm and slow -- he says:
"I'm tired of this, but I'll endure it till one o'clock. Till one o'clock, mind -- no longer. If you open your mouth against me only once after that time you can't travel so far but I will find you."
Then he turns and goes in. The crowd looked mighty sober; nobody stirred, and there warn't no more laughing. Boggs rode off blackguarding Sherburn as loud as he could yell, all down the street; and pretty soon back he comes and stops before the store, still keeping it up. Some men crowded around him and tried to get him to shut up, but he wouldn't; they told him it would be one o'clock in about fifteen minutes, and so he MUST go home -- he must go right away. But it didn't do no good. He cussed away with all his might, and throwed his hat down in the mud and rode over it, and pretty soon away he went a-raging down the street again, with his gray hair aflying. Everybody that could get a chance at him tried their best to coax63 him off of his horse so they could lock him up and get him sober; but it warn't no use -- up the street he would tear again, and give Sherburn another cussing. By and by somebody says:
"Go for his daughter! -- quick, go for his daughter; sometimes he'll listen to her. If anybody can persuade him, she can."
So somebody started on a run. I walked down street a ways and stopped. In about five or ten minutes here comes Boggs again, but not on his horse. He was a-reeling across the street towards me, bareheaded, with a friend on both sides of him a-holt of his arms and hurrying him along. He was quiet, and looked uneasy; and he warn't hanging back any, but was doing some of the hurrying himself. Somebody sings out:
"Boggs!"
I looked over there to see who said it, and it was that Colonel Sherburn. He was standing64 perfectly still in the street, and had a pistol raised in his right hand -- not aiming it, but holding it out with the barrel tilted up towards the sky. The same second I see a young girl coming on the run, and two men with her. Boggs and the men turned round to see who called him, and when they see the pistol the men jumped to one side, and the pistol-barrel come down slow and steady to a level -- both barrels cocked. Boggs throws up both of his hands and says, "O Lord, don't shoot!" Bang! goes the first shot, and he staggers back, clawing at the air -- bang! goes the second one, and he tumbles backwards65 on to the ground, heavy and solid, with his arms spread out. That young girl screamed out and comes rushing, and down she throws herself on her father, crying, and saying, "Oh, he's killed him, he's killed him!" The crowd closed up around them, and shouldered and jammed one another, with their necks stretched, trying to see, and people on the inside trying to shove them back and shouting, "Back, back! give him air, give him air!"
Colonel Sherburn he tossed his pistol on to the ground, and turned around on his heels and walked off.
They took Boggs to a little drug store, the crowd pressing around just the same, and the whole town following, and I rushed and got a good place at the window, where I was close to him and could see in. They laid him on the floor and put one large Bible under his head, and opened another one and spread it on his breast; but they tore open his shirt first, and I seen where one of the bullets went in. He made about a dozen long gasps66, his breast lifting the Bible up when he drawed in his breath, and letting it down again when he breathed it out -- and after that he laid still; he was dead. Then they pulled his daughter away from him, screaming and crying, and took her off. She was about sixteen, and very sweet and gentle looking, but awful pale and scared.
Well, pretty soon the whole town was there, squirming and scrouging and pushing and shoving to get at the window and have a look, but people that had the places wouldn't give them up, and folks behind them was saying all the time, "Say, now, you've looked enough, you fellows; 'tain't right and 'tain't fair for you to stay thar all the time, and never give nobody a chance; other folks has their rights as well as you."
There was considerable jawing67 back, so I slid out, thinking maybe there was going to be trouble. The streets was full, and everybody was excited. Everybody that seen the shooting was telling how it happened, and there was a big crowd packed around each one of these fellows, stretching their necks and listening. One long, lanky68 man, with long hair and a big white fur stovepipe hat on the back of his head, and a crooked-handled cane69, marked out the places on the ground where Boggs stood and where Sherburn stood, and the people following him around from one place to t'other and watching everything he done, and bobbing their heads to show they understood, and stooping a little and resting their hands on their thighs70 to watch him mark the places on the ground with his cane; and then he stood up straight and stiff where Sherburn had stood, frowning and having his hat-brim down over his eyes, and sung out, "Boggs!" and then fetched his cane down slow to a level, and says "Bang!" staggered backwards, says "Bang!" again, and fell down flat on his back. The people that had seen the thing said he done it perfect; said it was just exactly the way it all happened. Then as much as a dozen people got out their bottles and treated him.
Well, by and by somebody said Sherburn ought to be lynched. In about a minute everybody was saying it; so away they went, mad and yelling, and snatching down every clothes-line they come to to do the hanging with.
太阳升起来了，我们还在走，没收木排。国王和公爵慢慢地走出来，看起来很没精神，只是，他们跳进水里游了一会儿之后，就高兴起来了。早饭过后，国王坐在木排一角，脱掉靴子，卷起裤筒，腿在水里不住晃着，舒服舒服，然后背诵他的罗密欧与朱丽叶。背熟之后，他和公爵开始比划起来。公爵不得不重复地教他，教他怎么说每一段话，他还令他叹气，把他的手搁在心口上。不一会儿，他说，他已经学得相当不错了，"不过，"他说，" 你不该粗里粗气地喊'罗密欧'！那样子，像头公牛。你应该轻声细语，懒洋洋娇滴滴地，这样--罗--密欧！这种感觉才正确。因为朱丽叶是个可爱的甜甜的小女孩儿，你知道，她可不可能像头公驴一样扯着嗓子吼。"接下来，他们拿出两柄长剑，那是公爵拿橡树板做的，两个人接着开始练习击剑。公爵称自己是查理三世。他们打来斗去，在木排上左跳右挡，好看极了。但是，国王摔了个跟头，掉入了河中，然后，他们休息一阵，谈论他们以前沿这条大河所经历过的各种奇遇。
吃完午饭，公爵说："好啦，卡佩王，你明白，我们会把这场戏演出一流水平，因此我想我们得再加一点儿小节目。无论怎样，我们要加演点儿什么，好应付台下喊再来一个。""什么是菜来一棵呀，比尔奇沃特？"公爵跟他说了，接着说："我会跳苏格兰高地舞或者水手角笛舞来对付；你呢--啊，让我想想--噢，我想起来啦--你能演哈姆雷特独白。""哈姆雷特啥？""啥姆雷特独白，你知道吧。莎士比亚戏剧中最精彩的一个片断。啊，它可真高雅，真高雅！总能让全场倾倒。我这本书里没这段--我只有一本书--只是我估计我能从记忆当中把它串出来。我这就不停地踱步，走上一分钟，看看我可否从记忆深处召唤它回来。"于是，他开始来回走动，边走边想，一阵使劲儿皱眉，接着就扬起眉毛，接着把手摁在脑门上，晃着腿后退还不住叫苦呻吟，接着他就喘息叹气，随后还假装要掉下一滴泪来。看他做作简直是妙极了。渐渐地，他想起来了。他告诉我们注意听。然后，他摆出一副十分高贵的姿态，一条腿伸向前，手臂张开向上，手朝后仰，眼望天空；接着他开始骂粗话说胡话，咯咯嚓嚓磨牙，这些热身动作过后，那一段话他从头喊到底，又伸胳膊又蹬腿，还鼓着胸脯，简直盖过了我过去看的所有表演。（删去公爵背诵的哈姆雷特独白。胡拼乱凑，谬误百出。原意是讽刺公爵。少年读者若不知莎剧原文而记住这段笑料，实不足取。）..那老头儿也很喜欢这段台词，他很快就记住了，而且能朗诵得特别好。简直就象他天生就该干这一行。当他朗诵这段台词时，歪着身子，扯着嗓子，直往后仰，拼命喊叫，那样子可真滑稽。
我们一有机会，公爵立刻印了一些演出海报，那以后的几天，我们向前不断地漂，木排上十分热闹，因为从早到晚都是击剑和排演--这是公爵用的名词--一直没个完。一个早上，漂到阿肯色州下面，我们看到一个大河湾里有个很小的镇子，于是，我们在镇上面四分之一英里处停住，停到一个小河口，密密的柏树将小河口遮得如同地洞一般，除了吉姆，我们都坐独木舟上去，看有没有演出的机会。
我们都挺走运，那天下午刚好要来一个马戏团，乡村的人已开始朝这里聚了，他们坐着各式各样东倒西歪的马车，还有的骑马。马戏团天黑之前离开，所以，我们的演出遇上一个绝好的机会。公爵租下了法院大厅，我们四处张贴海报。海报上是这样写的：莎士比亚名剧重演！！！
美妙绝伦！
只演一晚！
世界著名悲剧表演艺术家小大卫·加里克，伦敦特鲁利街戏院明星和老艾德蒙·基恩，大陆皇家剧院及伦敦皮卡迪利大街布丁巷白教堂区皇家草市戏院名星演技卓越，联袂推出莎士比亚名剧名场《罗密欧与朱丽叶》中"阳台相会"！！！
罗密欧加里克先生朱丽叶基恩先生全班最强阵容助演！
全新服装，全新布置，全新道具！
同场演出：惊心动魄，技艺超群，令人毛骨悚然之名剧《查理三世》中"斗剑"场面！！！
加演：《哈姆雷特》之不朽独白！！
由不同凡响的基恩主演！
他曾在巴黎连续演出三百场，场场爆满！
只演一晚，因为特急聘约，需赶赴欧洲演出！
入场费两角五分，儿童及仆从一角。
贴完之后，我们到镇上四处闲逛。商店跟住房几乎都是用干透的木头架子搭的歪歪扭扭的破烂房，从不上漆，拿柱子支撑着比地面高出三四英尺，目的是不让河水上涨时给淹着。房子周围都有小花园，可什么花也不种，全是一些曼陀罗、向日葵，还有煤灰堆，裂口的靴子鞋子，破布和碎瓶子，还有用坏的马口铁器。篱笆是拿各式各样的木板拼凑在一块的，什么时候钉上去的都有，朝哪边歪着的都有，篱笆上的门几乎都是只有一个合页，还是拿皮革做的。有的篱笆不知何时也刷过白灰，不过公爵说恐怕像是哥伦布时代刷的。花园里总会有猫，总会看见有人把猪从花园里赶出来。
所有的店铺全在一条街上。店前是自己搭的白布凉篷，乡下人把马拴在凉篷杆上。篷底下有装货物用的空箱子，整天都有二流子靠在上面，手拿巴罗刀削着玩儿，嘴里嚼着烟叶，张着大嘴打哈欠伸懒腰--纯粹一帮无赖。他们全戴着黄草帽，大得像把雨伞，可又都不穿上衣，也不穿背心。他们不是叫彼此比尔、巴克，就是叫乔安或安迪什么的，说起话来懒洋洋慢吞吞的，还夹好多骂人话。这里二流子可真多，几乎每根凉篷杆上都靠着一个，他们总是把手插进裤兜里，除非是伸出手来讨口烟草嚼嚼，要不就是挠挠痒。一天到晚，他们总是说这些话："给我口烟爵爵吧，汉克。""别作梦了！我就剩一口了，朝比尔要吧。"或许比尔会给他一点儿，也可能他撒谎说他也没有了。这群二流子，有的穷得一辈子也没挣过一分钱，也没嚼过一口自己的烟。他们老是问别人借。他们对一个家伙说：" 我想朝你借口烟嚼嚼，杰克，就刚才，我把我剩的最后一口给了本·汤姆森。" 这是谎话！每回都是如此，除了生人谁也不会上当受骗。
大街小巷全是泥，满地除了泥什么都没有，黑得跟柏油一样，有的地方都快有一英尺深了，所有的地方都有二三英寸深的泥。猪不停转悠，到处哼哼。你会看见一头浑身是泥的母猪带着一窜小猪娃儿慢腾腾地沿着大街走过来，在路正中翻身一躺，人过来时都得让开。它四腿伸开，眼睛一闭，耳朵扑闪着，这时，小猪上来吃奶，母猪高兴得就像能按月领工资一样。不久就会有二流子喊，" 嘿！嗖！咬它，虎子！" 母猪爬起来就跑，尖叫着，简直要吓死，它每只耳朵都会有一两条狗撕扯着，还有三四十条狗正朝这边跑过来。这时，你就见这些二流子全站起来了，看着猪狗一直走没影儿了，哈哈笑着，觉得这事儿挺开心，那哼哼汪汪的叫声，也让他们脸上显出痛快之色。然后，他们又各回各的杆子上靠着，一直等着再看狗打架。没什么比狗打架更能让他们浑身起劲儿，整个人长精神的了。除非是往一条野狗上浇松油点天灯，或者在它尾巴上拴上一只铁盘子，看着它拼命奔跑，直至跑死。
那天离中午越近，车马在街上聚得越多，车马一直络绎不绝。一家一家带着午饭打乡下赶来，就在马车上吃。有不少人在喝威士忌，打架的事儿我看到了三起。后来，有人高喊："老勃格斯来了--按着他的老规矩，每月醉一回，打乡下来过酒瘾--他来了，伙计们！"二流子们全露出了笑脸。我想他们准是习惯了拿老勃格斯开玩笑。一个人说："不知这回他计划把谁给骂死。如果他在过去20 年里，把他打算骂死的人全都能骂死，这阵子，他也该有大名可亨了。"另一个人说，" 我想让老勃格斯吓唬吓唬我，因为如果那样，我就知道我一千年也不会死。"勃格斯骑马飞奔过来，嘴里像印第安人那样大嚷大叫："快闪开。我来打仗啦，棺材的价格要涨啦。"他醉了，骑在马鞍上摇摇晃晃；他有50 多岁，脸色通红。每个人都冲他嚷，笑话他，骂他，他就回骂，他说要拾掇他们，把他们一个一个全干掉，可是现在他没空，因为他来镇上是来宰老谢本上校的，他的格言是"先吃肉，完了再喝汤。"他看到我，骑过来说："你打哪儿来，小孩？你找死吗？"接着又跑开。我给他吓个半死。可是有人说："他没那意思，他喝醉了，总那个样儿。他是阿肯色州心肠最好的老糊涂蛋，不管醉不醉，向来不伤人。"勃格斯骑到镇上最大的店铺门前，微垂下头，这么一来他就能看清布篷下面了，他嚷道："滚出来，谢本！出来见见你骗过的这个人吧。我找的就你这个恶棍，我还要要你的命！"他这样不停地嚷，想着什么就骂什么，被谢本骂了个狗血喷头，整条街都聚满了人，听着，笑着，还瞎起哄。一会儿，一个神精倨傲的人，约有55 岁--他也是那个镇上穿着最讲究的人--一步一步走出商店，人群朝后退，给他让路。他对勃格斯说，语调既镇静又缓慢，他说道："我腻了这一套，只是我还是要忍到一点钟。到一点钟，记住，决不会再忍。过了那个时候，只要你再张嘴骂我一句，不管你走多远，我都会把你找回来。"然后他转身进去。人群显得特别安静，没人动弹，再也没了笑声。勃格斯掉转马头沿街跑开，使劲儿大声骂着谢本，不一阵子，他又回来，在商店门前停下，还一直在骂。一些人围住他，想让他闭嘴，可他不干；他们告诉他再隔15 分钟就一点了，因此，他必须回家，他马上就得走开。可这也没用。他使出全身的劲儿，破口大骂，把帽子摔在泥地里，骑马踩了过去，一会儿又怒冲冲地跑开，花白的头发在空中飞扬。所有想劝他的人都想尽了办法，想哄他下马，这么一来就能把他锁起来，让他醒醒酒；可啥用没有，他又从街上冲过来，再臭骂谢本一顿。一会儿，有个人说："去叫他女儿！快，去喊他女儿，有时他就听他的。如果有能劝住他的人，那只有他女儿。"于是，有人跑出去找她。我走开了一段，又停下脚。过了几分钟之后，勃格斯又来啦，只是他没骑马。他摇摇晃晃地穿过马路朝我走来，光着头，两边都有一个朋友架着他的胳膊走。他很平静，可是脸色显得很不自在；他一点也不向后退，反而想挣脱，自己往前冲。有人喊："勃格斯！"我抬头朝那边看是谁在喊，原来是谢本上校。他直直地当街而立，右手举起一只手枪，没瞄准，仅仅伸出来一点，枪管朝上冲着天。与此同时，我看到一个年轻姑娘飞跑过来，两个人跟着她。勃格斯跟那两个人都转过头，看看谁在喊他，他们一看到枪，那两个人就跳到了一边，枪管慢慢地稳稳地放平，双管的枪机都扳下来了。勃格斯双手向天上一举，嚷道：" 啊，天哪，别开枪！" 呯！第一声枪响了，他踉跄着后退，手在空中不停乱抓。呯！第二响，他朝向一仰，重重地结结实实地摔倒在地，胳膊摊着。那个年轻姑娘尖叫一声，冲上前，扑到了她父亲身上，边哭边喊：" 噢，他打死了他，他打死了他！"人群围过来，拿肩膀挤着拥着都伸长了脖子想看上一眼，里层的人出使儿朝外推，叫着：" 向后退，向后退！让他透透气，让他透透气！"谢本上校把手枪朝地上一扔，脚跟一转，走了。
他们把勃格斯抬到药店，人群照样往四周挤，全镇的人都跟了过来，我跑过去在窗口寻了个好地方，我离他挺近，也可以从窗口往里看。他们把他放到地上，往他头底下垫了本大《圣经》，又打开一本摊在他胸前--只是，他们先撕开了他的衬衣，我看到了其中一颗子弹打进去的地方。他出了十几口长气，他吸气时，胸口把《圣经》抬上去，出气时又落下来--接着，他躺平了，他死了。他们把他女儿从他身边拽开，她又哭又叫，被人给拖走了。她大约有16 岁，样子甜甜的也很温顺，可脸色惨白，被吓坏了。
不久，全镇的人全到了，你推我搡，拥挤不堪，全想挤到窗口看一眼，可窗口的人又不让开，后边的人就一直嚷嚷："喂，这阵子，你们该看够了吧，你们这帮家伙；这既不公平又不合理，因为你们老是站在那儿，别人就没机会看，人家和你们一样有权利去看一眼哪。" 很多人在还嘴，叨唠后面的人，我就挤出去了，想着或许会出乱子。街上站满了人，人人都很激愤。看见打枪的人都在讲这件事发生的前前后后，每个人身边都围着一帮人，伸长了脖子在听。一个身材高高，瘦得很难看的人，头发很长，后脑勺上戴顶高筒白皮礼帽，手里握着根歪把手杖，在地上划出了勃格斯站的地方，谢本站的地方，他划到哪里，人群就跟到他哪里，仔细看他划的每一道印儿，点点头表示他们清楚了。又停下一阵，手放在大腿上看着他在地上划那些地方，然后，那人挺直腰站在谢本站过的地方，皱着眉，把帽檐儿拉到眼睛上面，高喊，" 勃格斯！" 接着举起手杖，慢慢放平，瞄准了，叫道"呯！" 后向晃晃身子，又叫道"呯！" 倒下平躺在地。看到那件事的人都说他做得很对，还说这跟真的一样。于是，有十来个人掏出酒瓶，请他喝了一顿。后来有人说，对谢本该用私刑。不到一分钟，人人都这样说，于是，他们走开了，疯疯癫癫乱喊乱嚷，一见晾衣服的绳子就给拽下来，打算做绞索用。
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rusty
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| adj.生锈的；锈色的；荒废了的 | |
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dangle
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| v.(使)悬荡，(使)悬垂 | |
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bellow
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| v.吼叫，怒吼；大声发出，大声喝道 | |
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mere
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| adj.纯粹的；仅仅，只不过 | |
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bray
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| n.驴叫声, 喇叭声；v.驴叫 | |
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jack
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| n.插座，千斤顶，男人；v.抬起，提醒，扛举；n.（Jake）杰克 | |
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pranced
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| v.（马）腾跃( prance的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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bout
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| n.侵袭，发作；一次(阵，回)；拳击等比赛 | |
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highland
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| n.(pl.)高地，山地 | |
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celebrated
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| adj.有名的，声誉卓著的 | |
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sublime
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| adj.崇高的，伟大的；极度的，不顾后果的 | |
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vaults
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| n.拱顶( vault的名词复数 )；地下室；撑物跳高；墓穴 | |
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hoist
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| n.升高，起重机，推动；v.升起，升高，举起 | |
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eyebrows
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| 眉毛( eyebrow的名词复数 ) | |
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tilted
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| v. 倾斜的 | |
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rave
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| vi.胡言乱语；热衷谈论；n.热情赞扬 | |
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grit
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| n.沙粒，决心，勇气；v.下定决心，咬紧牙关 | |
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swelled
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| 增强( swell的过去式和过去分词 )； 肿胀； （使）凸出； 充满（激情） | |
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acting
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| n.演戏，行为，假装；adj.代理的，临时的，演出用的 | |
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calamity
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| n.灾害，祸患，不幸事件 | |
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sling
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| vt.扔；悬挂；n.挂带；吊索，吊兜；弹弓 | |
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outrageous
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| adj.无理的，令人不能容忍的 | |
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pangs
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| 突然的剧痛( pang的名词复数 )； 悲痛 | |
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forth
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| adv.向前；向外，往外 | |
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contagion
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| n.(通过接触的疾病)传染；蔓延 | |
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hue
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| n.色度；色调；样子 | |
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adage
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| n.格言，古训 | |
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awry
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| adj.扭曲的，错的 | |
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devoutly
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| adv.虔诚地，虔敬地，衷心地 | |
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ponderous
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| adj.沉重的，笨重的，(文章)冗长的 | |
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jaws
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| n.口部；嘴 | |
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mighty
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| adj.强有力的；巨大的 | |
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perfectly
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| adv.完美地，无可非议地，彻底地 | |
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uncommon
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| adj.罕见的，非凡的，不平常的 | |
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cypress
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| n.柏树 | |
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wagons
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| n.四轮的运货马车( wagon的名词复数 )；铁路货车；小手推车 | |
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revival
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| n.复兴，复苏，（精力、活力等的）重振 | |
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renowned
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| adj.著名的，有名望的，声誉鹊起的 | |
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continental
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| adj.大陆的，大陆性的，欧洲大陆的 | |
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immortal
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| adj.不朽的；永生的，不死的；神的 | |
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consecutive
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| adj.连续的，联贯的，始终一贯的 | |
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imperative
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| n.命令，需要；规则；祈使语气；adj.强制的；紧急的 | |
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stilts
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| n.（支撑建筑物高出地面或水面的）桩子，支柱( stilt的名词复数 )；高跷 | |
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overflowed
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| 溢出的 | |
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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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hogs
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| n.（尤指喂肥供食用的）猪( hog的名词复数 )；（供食用的）阉公猪；彻底地做某事；自私的或贪婪的人 | |
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awning
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| n.遮阳篷；雨篷 | |
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awnings
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| 篷帐布 | |
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hitched
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| （免费）搭乘他人之车( hitch的过去式和过去分词 )； 搭便车； 攀上； 跃上 | |
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whittling
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| v.切，削（木头），使逐渐变小( whittle的现在分词 ) | |
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gaping
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| adj.口的；张口的；敞口的；多洞穴的v.目瞪口呆地凝视( gape的现在分词 )；张开，张大 | |
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buck
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| n.雄鹿，雄兔；v.马离地跳跃 | |
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gnaw
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| v.不断地啃、咬；使苦恼，折磨 | |
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tug
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| v.用力拖(或拉)；苦干；n.拖；苦干；拖船 | |
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55
sarcastic
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| adj.讥讽的，讽刺的，嘲弄的 | |
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56
tar
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| n.柏油，焦油；vt.涂或浇柏油/焦油于 | |
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57
grunted
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| （猪等）作呼噜声( grunt的过去式和过去分词 )； （指人）发出类似的哼声； 咕哝着说 | |
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58
squealing
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| v.长声尖叫，用长而尖锐的声音说( squeal的现在分词 ) | |
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59
bent
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| n.爱好，癖好；adj.弯的；决心的，一心的 | |
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60
gnawing
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| a.痛苦的，折磨人的 | |
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61
whooping
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| 发嗬嗬声的，发咳声的 | |
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62
coffins
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| n.棺材( coffin的名词复数 )；使某人早亡[死，完蛋，垮台等]之物 | |
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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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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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65
backwards
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| adv.往回地，向原处，倒，相反，前后倒置地 | |
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66
gasps
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| v.喘气( gasp的第三人称单数 )；喘息；倒抽气；很想要 | |
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67
jawing
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| n.用水灌注 | |
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68
lanky
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| adj.瘦长的 | |
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69
cane
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| n.手杖，细长的茎，藤条；v.以杖击，以藤编制的 | |
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thighs
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| n.股，大腿( thigh的名词复数 )；食用的鸡（等的）腿 | |
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