"Croaker," commanded his master, "get away from there!"
Croaker balanced himself by flopping5 one short wing and laughed at the hisses6 of the angered owls. He hopped7 from his perch8 to the peak of the shanty9 as Billy reached for him and there he sat, demurely10 turning his head from one side to the other and muttering low in his throat.
"Croaker, come down here, I want'a ask you somethin'." Billy's hand went into his pocket and the crow stood at attention. Then as the hand came away empty he emitted an angry croak1 and wobbled further along the ridge-board.
Croaker turned his back and murmured a whole string of "coro-corrs," which to Billy meant just as plain as words could say it that he hadn't the slightest intention of telling anything.
"All right then, Croaker, I'll call Ringdo, an' feed him your dinner."
Now, for the swamp-coon, Croaker had all the jealousy12 and hatred13 a crow is capable of feeling and as a last resort, whenever he was obdurate14 and disobedient as he was now, his master could nearly always bring him to submission15 by the mere16 mention of Ringdo's name. At Billy's threat Croaker raised his head and poured forth17 such a jargon18 of heart-broken lamentation19 that the listening owls inside crouched20 low in terror, their amber21 eyes questioning the meaning of the awful sound.
Billy bent22 and patted an imaginary something on the ground. "Good ol' Ringdo," he said. "Nice ol' Ringdo." That was the last straw. With a croak of anguish23 Croaker swooped24 down and lit on his master's shoulder. Promptly25 five fingers gripped his feet.
"Now, you black beggar, I've got you," exulted26 Billy. This fact did not seem to worry Croaker in the least. His beady eyes were busy searching for signs of his enemy. Ringdo being nowhere visible, his neck feathers gradually lowered and his heavy beak27 closed. He snuggled close against Billy's face and told him in throaty murmurs28 how much he loved him. Billy laughed, and seating himself on a log, placed the crow on his knees.
"Croaker," he addressed the bird, "you must'a found ol' Scroggie's gold. He had the only gold money this country ever saw, so you must have found it some way. I don't s'pose it'll do Teacher Stanhope any good, 'cause it'll go to Jim Scroggie's father, but, Croaker, it's up to us to get that money an' turn it over; hear me?"
Croaker blinked and seemed to be thinking hard.
"You see," Billy went on, "maybe the will'll be where the gold is. You be a real good feller an' show me where you found the gold-piece."
"Sure I will," agreed Croaker. He hopped down and started pigeon-toeing across the glade30, peering back to see if Billy were coming.
Billy followed slowly, hoping, fearing, trusting that Croaker's intentions were of the best. The crow was carrying on a murmured conversation with himself, flapping his wings, nodding his head sagely31 and in other ways manifesting his eagerness to accommodate his master. When he grew tired of walking he flew and Billy had to run to keep him in sight. Straight through the grove32, across the green valley and on through the stumpy fallow went the crow, Billy panting and perspiring34 behind. Straight on to the pine-hedged creek35 and still on, until the lonely pine grove of the haunted house came into view.
"Oh, Jerusalem!" gasped36 Billy, "An' me without my rabbit foot charm." He realized where Croaker was leading him—straight to the haunted house. He wiped his streaming face on his sleeve and determined37 he'd go through with it.
Croaker paused for a moment in the edge of the grove to look back at Billy. The bird was plainly excited; his wings were spread, his neck feathers erect38, and his raucous39 voice was scattering40 nesting birds from the evergreens41 in flocks.
With wildly beating heart Billy passed through the pines, the twilight42 gloom adding to his feeling of awe43. Croaker had become strangely silent and now flitted before him like a black spirit of a crow. It was almost a relief when at last the tumble-down shack44 grew up in its tangle45 of vines and weeds. Once more into the daylight and Croaker took up the interrupted thread of his conversation with himself. He ducked and side-stepped and gave voice to expressions which Billy had never heard him use before.
"I wish he'd shut up," he murmured to himself, "but I'm scared to make him, fer fear he'll get sulky an' quit cold on the job."
Croaker, mincing46 in and out among the rag-weeds, led straight across the yard to a tiny ramshackle building which at one time might have been a root-house. Billy, feeling that at any moment an icy hand might reach out and grip his windpipe, followed. It was a terrible risk he was running but the prize was worth it. His feet seemed weighted with lead. At last he reached the root-house and leaned against it, dizzy and panting. Then he looked about for Croaker. The crow had vanished!
A thrill of alarm gripped Billy's heart-strings. Where had Croaker disappeared to? What if old Scroggie's ghost had grabbed him and cast over him the cloak of invisibility? Then in all likelihood he would be the next to feel that damp, clutching shroud47.
Suddenly his fears vanished. Croaker's voice, high-pitched and jubilant, had summoned him from somewhere on the other side of the building. As quickly as the weeds and his lagging feet would permit Billy joined him. Croaker was standing48 erect on a pile of old bottles, basking49 in the radiance of the colored lights which the sun drew from them. Undoubtedly50 in his black heart he felt that his master would glory in this glittering pile even as he gloried in it; for was there not in this heap of dazzling old bottles light enough to make the whole world glad?
But Billy gazed dully at the treasure with sinking heart and murmured: "You danged old humbug51, you!" Croaker was surprised, indignant, hurt. He reached down and struck one of the shiniest of the bottles with his beak but even the happy tinkle52 that ensued failed to rouse enthusiasm in his master.
"O Croaker," groaned53 Billy, "why won't you find the gold fer me?" Croaker returned his master's look of reproach with beady, insolent54 eyes. "Cawrara-cawrara-cawrara," he murmured, backing from the pile, which meant, "Why don't you carry one of these beautiful shiny things home for me? Isn't that what I brought you here to do?"
Then, his master still remaining blind to the wealth of treasure disclosed to him, Croaker spread his wings and sailed away over the pine-tops. Billy, despair in his heart, followed. All fear of the supernatural was gone from him now, crowded out by bitter disappointment at his failure to find the hidden gold. He passed close beside the haunted house without so much as a thought of the ghost of the man who had owned it and on through the silent pines and shadowy, grave-yard silence.
Then, just as he drew near to the edge of the grove, he caught his breath in terror and the cold sweat leaped out on his fear-blanched face. Drifting directly toward him white as driven snow, came the ghost. It was bearing straight down upon him! His knees grew weak, refused to hold him, and he sagged55 weakly against a tree. He closed his eyes and waited for the end.
Billy had heard that when one comes face to face with death the misdeeds of the life about to go out crowd into one brief second of darting56 reality before one. He had never quite believed it but he believed it now. If only he might have his misspent life to live over again! Never again would he steal Deacon Ringold's melons or swap57 broken-backed, broken-bladed jack-knives for good ones with the Sand-sharks, nor frighten his brother Anson with tales of witches and goblins. But that chance was not for him. It was, perhaps, natural that his last earthly thought would be of her. Her sweet face shone through the choking mists—her trembling lips were murmuring a last "good bye." Did she know what a wonderful influence her entrance into his heart had exerted toward his reform? With an effort he opened his eyes. The white, gliding58 thing was almost upon him now. He tried to shake off frozen terror and run. He could not move a muscle. He groaned and shut his eyes tight, waiting for the icy touch of a spirit-hand. It found him after what seemed an eternity59 of waiting—but it was very soft and warm instead of clammy and cold and the voice which spoke60 his name was not in the least sepulchral61.
"Billy."
A long shiver ran through his tense frame. He opened his eyes slowly. She stood before him! Yes there was no doubt of it, she was there, blue eyes smiling into his, warm fingers sending a thrill through his numbed62 being.
He tried to speak, tried to pronounce her name, but the effort was a failure. All he could do was to drink in her perfect loveliness. More than ever like an angel she looked, standing all in white in the blue-dark gloom of the grove, her hair glowing like a halo above the deep pools of her eyes.
"Billy," she spoke again, "are you sick?"
With a supreme63 effort of will he shook off his numbness64 and the red flush of shame wiped the pallor from his cheeks. What would she think of him if she knew? The very anguish of the thought spurred him to play the part of hypocrite. It was despicable, he knew, but what man has not had to play it, sooner or later, in the great game of love?
"Fell out o' a tree," he managed to say. "Struck my head on a limb."
"Oh!" she cried commiseratingly. She came closer to him—so close that her very nearness made him dizzy with joy. With a tiny handkerchief she wiped the perspiration65 from his forehead.
"Come out into the light and let me see where you hurt yourself," she said, oh so gently.
"I don't think it left any mark," Billy stammered66. "Anyways, I feel a whole lot better now. It was foolish for me to climb that tall tree. I didn't have to do it."
"Then why did you do it?" They were out into the hardwoods by now, in a long valley strewn with a net-work of sunbeams and shadows and he saw a hint of reproach in her big eyes as she asked the question. His heart leaped with sheer joy. She might just as well have said, "You have no right to run risks, now that you have me to consider."
They sat down on a mossy log. Her fingers brushed back his hair as her eyes sought vainly for marks or bruises67.
"I asked you why you climbed the tree, Billy?"
Billy's mind worked with lightning speed.
"There was a little cedar68 bird's nest in a tall pine," he explained. "I saw a crow black bird fly out of it, and knew she had laid her egg in that nest."
"But why should she lay her egg in the cedar bird's nest; hasn't she a nest of her own?" asked Lou.
"No, crow black birds are too lazy to build nests. They take the first nest comes handy."
She looked her wonder. "But, Billy, you'd think they would want to enjoy building their own homes, wouldn't you?"
Billy shook his head. "The crow black bird don't want to be bothered with hatchin' an' feedin' her own young. That's why she lays in other bird's nests," he explained. "She jest lays her egg an' beats it out o' there. The other poor little bird waits for her to go. Then she goes back to her nest, glad enough to find it hasn't been torn to bits."
"And you mean to tell me that she hatches the egg laid by the mean, bad black bird, Billy?"
"Yep, she does jest that. She don't seem to know any better. Birds an' animals are queer that way. Why, even a weasel'll nurse a baby rabbit along with her own kittens if it's hungry."
The girl's eyes grew wider and wider with wonderment. "Isn't it strange?" she half whispered, "and beautiful?"
"It's mighty69 queer," Billy confessed. "But you see, if that little bird was wise, she'd scoop70 that crow black bird's egg out o' her nest, instead of hatchin' it."
"Why?"
"Because when the egg's hatched, the little black bird is so much stronger an' bigger than the cedar birdies he takes most of the feed the old birds bring in. He starves the other little birds an' crowds 'em clean out o' the nest."
"Then it was brave of you to risk climbing that tall tree to frighten that crow bird away," declared Lou. The admiration71 and commendation in the blue eyes watching him was more than Billy could endure.
"Say!" he burst out. "I lied to you, Lou, I didn't fall out o' no tree, I was jest scared plum stiff when you found me, that's all."
He hung his head and braced72 himself to meet what was justly coming to him. She would despise him now, he knew. He felt a gentle touch on his arm, and raised his face slowly. The girl's red lips were smiling. He could scarcely believe his eyes.
"I'm glad you told me, Billy," she said. "I—I hoped you might."
"Then you knowed I was scared?" he cried in wonder.
She nodded. "I suppose I should have called to you, but I had forgotten what I had heard about this grove being haunted and that I was dressed all in white. But when I came to you and saw your face I knew that you were frightened."
"Frightened! Oh gollies, I was so scared that I chattered74 my teeth loose. But honest Injun, Lou, I don't scare easy. I wouldn't like you to think that I'm a scare-cat about real things. I'm jest scared of ghosts, that's all."
Lou knit her brows in thought. "No," she disagreed, "if you had been that frightened you would not have come to the grove at all."
Billy looked his relief. "I don't think I'm quite as bad as I used to be," he said. "Why say, there was a time when you couldn't get me inside that grove. But lately I've been feelin' different about it. I don't s'pose there re'lly is such a thing as a ghost, is there?"
"No," she replied, "there's no such thing as a ghost, Billy."
A red squirrel came scampering75 across the open sod before them, pausing as he sensed their presence, then springing to the trunk of a sapling the better to look them over.
"Oh look at the dear little thing," cried the girl. "What do you suppose he's saying?" as the squirrel broke into a shrill76 chatter73.
"Why he's callin' us all the mean things he knows, I guess," laughed Billy. "We're in his way, you see."
"Then let's get out of his way. I suppose he thinks we have no business here and maybe he's right. Where shall we go, Billy?"
Billy thought a moment. "Say, how'd you like to go out in my punt, on Levee Crick? I kin29 show you some cute baby mushrats an' some dandy black-birds' nests. It's not far away. We go 'cross that big fallow and through a strip o' hardwoods an' then we climb a stump33 fence—an' there's the crick. It's an awful fine crick, an' plumb77 full of bass78 an' pike. Say, will you go?"
He leaned toward her, waiting for her answer. His heart was singing with joy—joy that spilled out of his grey eyes and made his lips smile in spite of him. What a sweet and grand privilege it would be to carry this wonderful girl, who had so transformed his world, along the familiar by-ways that held such rare treasures of plant and wild life.
She was looking away across the forest to a strip of fleecy cloud drifting across the deep azure79 of the sky.
"I should like to go," she said at length, "if you are sure you don't think I will be a bother."
"Bother!" Billy's pulses were leaping, his soul singing. He reached down a hand and trustingly she put her's in it. Very soft and cool it felt to Billy's hot palm, as he assisted her from the log. Then side by side they passed down through the long green valley.
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收听单词发音
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1
croak
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| vi.嘎嘎叫，发牢骚 | |
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latch
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| n.门闩，窗闩；弹簧锁 | |
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owls
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| n.猫头鹰( owl的名词复数 ) | |
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hurled
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| v.猛投，用力掷( hurl的过去式和过去分词 )；大声叫骂 | |
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flopping
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| n.贬调v.（指书、戏剧等）彻底失败( flop的现在分词 )；（因疲惫而）猛然坐下；（笨拙地、不由自主地或松弛地）移动或落下；砸锅 | |
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hisses
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| 嘶嘶声( hiss的名词复数 ) | |
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hopped
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| 跳上[下]( hop的过去式和过去分词 )； 单足蹦跳； 齐足（或双足）跳行； 摘葎草花 | |
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perch
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| n.栖木，高位，杆；v.栖息，就位，位于 | |
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shanty
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| n.小屋，棚屋；船工号子 | |
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demurely
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| adv.装成端庄地，认真地 | |
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coaxed
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| v.哄，用好话劝说( coax的过去式和过去分词 )；巧言骗取；哄劝，劝诱 | |
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jealousy
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| n.妒忌，嫉妒，猜忌 | |
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hatred
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| n.憎恶，憎恨，仇恨 | |
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obdurate
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| adj.固执的，顽固的 | |
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submission
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| n.服从，投降；温顺，谦虚；提出 | |
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mere
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| adj.纯粹的；仅仅，只不过 | |
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forth
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| adv.向前；向外，往外 | |
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jargon
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| n.术语，行话 | |
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lamentation
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| n.悲叹，哀悼 | |
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crouched
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| v.屈膝，蹲伏( crouch的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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amber
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| n.琥珀；琥珀色；adj.琥珀制的 | |
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bent
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| n.爱好，癖好；adj.弯的；决心的，一心的 | |
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anguish
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| n.(尤指心灵上的)极度痛苦，烦恼 | |
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swooped
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| 俯冲，猛冲( swoop的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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promptly
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| adv.及时地，敏捷地 | |
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exulted
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| 狂喜，欢跃( exult的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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beak
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| n.鸟嘴，茶壶嘴，钩形鼻 | |
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murmurs
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| n.低沉、连续而不清的声音( murmur的名词复数 )；低语声；怨言；嘀咕 | |
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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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glade
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| n.林间空地，一片表面有草的沼泽低地 | |
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sagely
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| adv. 贤能地，贤明地 | |
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grove
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| n.林子，小树林，园林 | |
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stump
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| n.残株，烟蒂，讲演台；v.砍断，蹒跚而走 | |
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perspiring
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| v.出汗，流汗( perspire的现在分词 ) | |
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creek
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| n.小溪，小河，小湾 | |
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gasped
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| v.喘气( gasp的过去式和过去分词 )；喘息；倒抽气；很想要 | |
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determined
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| adj.坚定的；有决心的 | |
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erect
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| n./v.树立，建立，使竖立；adj.直立的，垂直的 | |
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raucous
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| adj.(声音)沙哑的，粗糙的 | |
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scattering
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| n.[物]散射；散乱，分散；在媒介质中的散播adj.散乱的；分散在不同范围的；广泛扩散的；（选票）数量分散的v.散射(scatter的ing形式)；散布；驱散 | |
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evergreens
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| n.常青树，常绿植物，万年青( evergreen的名词复数 ) | |
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twilight
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| n.暮光，黄昏；暮年，晚期，衰落时期 | |
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awe
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| n.敬畏，惊惧；vt.使敬畏，使惊惧 | |
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shack
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| adj.简陋的小屋，窝棚 | |
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tangle
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| n.纠缠；缠结；混乱；v.(使)缠绕；变乱 | |
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mincing
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| adj.矫饰的；v.切碎；切碎 | |
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shroud
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| n.裹尸布，寿衣；罩，幕；vt.覆盖，隐藏 | |
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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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basking
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| v.晒太阳，取暖( bask的现在分词 )；对…感到乐趣；因他人的功绩而出名；仰仗…的余泽 | |
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undoubtedly
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| adv.确实地，无疑地 | |
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humbug
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| n.花招，谎话，欺骗 | |
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52
tinkle
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| vi.叮当作响；n.叮当声 | |
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53
groaned
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| v.呻吟( groan的过去式和过去分词 )；发牢骚；抱怨；受苦 | |
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insolent
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| adj.傲慢的，无理的 | |
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sagged
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| 下垂的 | |
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darting
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| v.投掷，投射( dart的现在分词 )；向前冲，飞奔 | |
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swap
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| n.交换；vt.交换，用...作交易 | |
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gliding
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| v. 滑翔 adj. 滑动的 | |
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eternity
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| n.不朽，来世；永恒，无穷 | |
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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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sepulchral
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| adj.坟墓的，阴深的 | |
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numbed
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| v.使麻木，使麻痹( numb的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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supreme
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| adj.极度的，最重要的；至高的，最高的 | |
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numbness
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| n.无感觉，麻木，惊呆 | |
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perspiration
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| n.汗水；出汗 | |
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66
stammered
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| v.结巴地说出( stammer的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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67
bruises
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| n.瘀伤，伤痕，擦伤( bruise的名词复数 ) | |
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68
cedar
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| n.雪松，香柏(木) | |
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69
mighty
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| adj.强有力的；巨大的 | |
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70
scoop
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| n.铲子，舀取，独家新闻；v.汲取，舀取，抢先登出 | |
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71
admiration
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| n.钦佩，赞美，羡慕 | |
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72
braced
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| adj.拉牢的v.支住( brace的过去式和过去分词 )；撑牢；使自己站稳；振作起来 | |
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73
chatter
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| vi.／n.喋喋不休；短促尖叫；(牙齿)打战 | |
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74
chattered
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| （人）喋喋不休( chatter的过去式 )； 唠叨； （牙齿）打战； （机器）震颤 | |
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75
scampering
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| v.蹦蹦跳跳地跑，惊惶奔跑( scamper的现在分词 ) | |
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76
shrill
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| adj.尖声的；刺耳的；v尖叫 | |
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77
plumb
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| adv.精确地，完全地；v.了解意义，测水深 | |
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bass
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| n.男低音(歌手)；低音乐器；低音大提琴 | |
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azure
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| adj.天蓝色的，蔚蓝色的 | |
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