Chapter 13 Caught in a Storm

The more Tom tried to reason out the cause of the men's actions, themore he dwelt upon his encounter with the tramp, and the harder heendeavored to seek a solution of the queer puzzle, the morecomplicated it seemed. He rode on until he saw in a valley below himthe buildings of the town of Centreford, and, with a view of them, anew idea came into his mind.
"I'll go get a good dinner," he decided¹, "and perhaps that will helpme to think more clearly. That's what dad always does when he'spuzzling over an invention." He was soon seated in a restaurant,where he ate a substantial dinner. "I'm just going to stop puzzlingover this matter," he decided. "I'll push an to Albany and tell thelawyer, Mr. Crawford. Perhaps he can advise me."
Once this decision was made Tom felt better.
"That's just what I needed," he thought; "some one to shift theresponsibility upon. I'll let the lawyers do the worrying. That'swhat they're paid for. Now for Albany, and I hope I don't have tostop, except for supper, until I get there. I've got to do somenight riding, but I've got a powerful lamp, and the roads from nowon are good."
Tom was soon on his way again. The highway leading to Albany was ahard, macadam one, and he fairly flew along the level stretches.
"This is making good time," he thought. "I won't be so very late,after all; that is, if nothing delays me."
The young inventor looked up into the sky. The sun, which had beenshining brightly all day, was now hidden behind a mass of hazyclouds, for which the rider was duly grateful, as it was becomingquite warm.
"It's more like summer than I thought," said Tom to himself. "Ishouldn't be surprised if we got rain to-morrow."
Another look at the sky confirmed him in this belief, and he had notgone on many miles farther when his opinion was suddenly changed.This was brought about by a dull rumble² in the west, and Tom noticedthat a bank of low-lying clouds had formed, the black, inky massesof vapor³ being whirled upward as if by some powerful blast.
"Guess my storm is going to arrive ahead of time," he said. "I'dbetter look for shelter."
With a suddenness that characterizes summer showers, the whole skybecame overcast⁴. The thunder increased, and the flashes of lightningbecame more frequent and dazzling. A wind sprang up and blew cloudsof dust in Tom's face.
"It certainly is going to be a thunder storm," he admitted. "I'mbound to be delayed now, for the roads will be mucky. Well, there'sno help for it. If I get to Albany before midnight I'll he doingwell."
A few drops of rain splashed on his hands, and as he looked up tonote the state of the sky others fell in his face. They were bigdrops, and where they splashed on the road they formed littleglobules of mud.
"I'll head for that big tree," thought Tom "It will give me someshelter. I'll wait there--" His words were interrupted by adeafening crash of thunder which followed close after a blindingflash. "No tree for mine!" murmured Tom. "I forgot that they'redangerous in a storm. I wonder where I can stay?"
He turned on all the power possible and sprinted⁵ ahead. Around acurve in the road he went, leaning over to preserve his balance, andjust as the rain came pelting⁶ down in a torrent⁷ he saw just ahead ofhim a white church on the lonely country road. To one side was along shed, where the farmers were in the habit of leaving theirteams when they came to service.
"Just the thing!" cried the boy; "and just in time!"
He turned his motor-cycle into the yard surrounding the church, anda moment later had come to a stop beneath the shed. It was broad andlong, furnishing a good protection against the storm, which had nowburst in all its fury.
Tom was not very wet, and looking to see that the model, which waspartly of wood, had suffered no damage, the lad gave his attentionto his machine.
"Seems to be all right," he murmured. "I'll just oil her up whileI'm waiting. This can't last long; it's raining too hard."
He busied himself over the motor-cycle, adjusting a nut that hadbeen rattled⁸ loose, and putting some oil on the bearings. The rainkept up steadily⁹, and when he had completed his attentions to hismachine Tom looked out from under the protection of the shed.
"It certainly is coming down for keeps," he murmured. "This trip isa regular hoodoo so far. Hope I have it better coming back."
As he looked down the road he espied¹⁰ an automobile¹² coming throughthe mist of rain. It was an open car, and as he saw the three men init huddled¹³ up under the insufficient¹⁴ protection of some blankets,Tom said:
"They'd ought to come in here. There's lots of room. Maybe theydon't see it. I'll call to them."
The car was almost opposite the shed which was dose to the roadside.Tom was about to call when one of the men in the auto¹¹ looked up. Hesaw the shelter and spoke¹⁵ to the chauffeur¹⁶. The latter was preparingto steer¹⁷ up into the shed when the two men on the rear seat caughtsight of Tom.
"Why, that's the same car that passed me a while ago," said theyoung inventor half aloud. "The one that contained those men whom Isuspected might be after dad's patent. I hope they--"
He did not finish his sentence, for at that instant the chauffeurquickly swung the machine around and headed it back into the road.Clearly the men were not going to take advantage of the shelter ofthe shed.
"That's mighty¹⁸ strange," murmured Tom. "They certainly saw me, andas soon as they did they turned away. Can they be afraid of me?"
He went to the edge of the shelter and peered out. The auto haddisappeared down the road behind a veil of rain, and, shaking hishead over the strange occurrence, Tom went back to where he had lefthis motor-cycle.
"Things are getting more and more muddled," he said. "I'm sure thosewere the same men, and yet--"
He shrugged¹⁹ his shoulders. The puzzle was getting beyond him.

1 decided   

adj.决定了的，坚决的；明显的，明确的

参考例句：

• This gave them a decided advantage over their opponents.这使他们比对手具有明显的优势。
• There is a decided difference between British and Chinese way of greeting.英国人和中国人打招呼的方式有很明显的区别。

2 rumble   

n.隆隆声；吵嚷；v.隆隆响；低沉地说

参考例句：

• I hear the rumble of thunder in the distance.我听到远处雷声隆隆。
• We could tell from the rumble of the thunder that rain was coming.我们根据雷的轰隆声可断定，天要下雨了。

3 vapor   

n.蒸汽，雾气

参考例句：

• The cold wind condenses vapor into rain.冷风使水蒸气凝结成雨。
• This new machine sometimes transpires a lot of hot vapor.这部机器有时排出大量的热气。

4 overcast   

adj.阴天的，阴暗的，愁闷的；v.遮盖，（使）变暗，包边缝；n.覆盖，阴天

参考例句：

• The overcast and rainy weather found out his arthritis.阴雨天使他的关节炎发作了。
• The sky is overcast with dark clouds.乌云满天。

5 sprinted   

v.短距离疾跑( sprint的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• He sprinted for the line. 他向终点线冲去。
• Sergeant Horne sprinted to the car. 霍恩中士全力冲向那辆汽车。 来自辞典例句

6 pelting   

微不足道的，无价值的，盛怒的

参考例句：

• The rain came pelting down. 倾盆大雨劈头盖脸地浇了下来。
• Hailstones of abuse were pelting him. 阵阵辱骂冰雹般地向他袭来。

7 torrent   

n.激流，洪流；爆发，(话语等的)连发

参考例句：

• The torrent scoured a channel down the hillside. 急流沿着山坡冲出了一条沟。
• Her pent-up anger was released in a torrent of words.她压抑的愤怒以滔滔不绝的话爆发了出来。

8 rattled   

慌乱的，恼火的

参考例句：

• The truck jolted and rattled over the rough ground. 卡车嘎吱嘎吱地在凹凸不平的地面上颠簸而行。
• Every time a bus went past, the windows rattled. 每逢公共汽车经过这里，窗户都格格作响。

9 steadily   

adv.稳定地；不变地；持续地

参考例句：

• The scope of man's use of natural resources will steadily grow.人类利用自然资源的广度将日益扩大。
• Our educational reform was steadily led onto the correct path.我们的教学改革慢慢上轨道了。

10 espied   

v.看到( espy的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• One day a youth espied her as he was hunting.She saw him and recognized him as her own son, mow grown a young man. 一日，她被一个正在行猎的小伙子看见了，她认出来这个猎手原来是自己的儿子，现在已长成为一个翩翩的少年。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• In a little while he espied the two giants. 一会儿就看见了那两个巨人。 来自辞典例句

11 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。

12 automobile   

n.汽车，机动车

参考例句：

• He is repairing the brake lever of an automobile.他正在修理汽车的刹车杆。
• The automobile slowed down to go around the curves in the road.汽车在路上转弯时放慢了速度。

13 huddled   

挤在一起（huddle的过去式与过去分词形式）

参考例句：

• We huddled together for warmth. 我们挤在一块取暖。
• We huddled together to keep warm. 我们挤在一起来保暖。

14 insufficient   

adj.(for，of)不足的，不够的

参考例句：

• There was insufficient evidence to convict him.没有足够证据给他定罪。
• In their day scientific knowledge was insufficient to settle the matter.在他们的时代，科学知识还不能足以解决这些问题。

15 spoke   

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

参考例句：

• They sourced the spoke nuts from our company.他们的轮辐螺帽是从我们公司获得的。
• The spokes of a wheel are the bars that connect the outer ring to the centre.辐条是轮子上连接外圈与中心的条棒。

16 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。

17 steer   

vt.驾驶，为…操舵；引导；vi.驾驶

参考例句：

• If you push the car, I'll steer it.如果你来推车，我就来驾车。
• It's no use trying to steer the boy into a course of action that suits you.想说服这孩子按你的方式行事是徒劳的。

18 mighty   

adj.强有力的；巨大的

参考例句：

• A mighty force was about to break loose.一股巨大的力量即将迸发而出。
• The mighty iceberg came into view.巨大的冰山出现在眼前。

19 shrugged   

vt.耸肩（shrug的过去式与过去分词形式）

参考例句：

• Sam shrugged and said nothing. 萨姆耸耸肩膀，什么也没说。
• She shrugged, feigning nonchalance. 她耸耸肩，装出一副无所谓的样子。 来自《简明英汉词典》