The Commodore sends a Challenge to Gamaliel, and is imposed upon by a waggish1 invention of the Lieutenant2, Peregrine, and Gauntlet.
This affront3 Trunnion could by no means digest: he advised with the lieutenant upon the subject; and the result of their consultation4 was a defiance5 which the old commander sent to Pickle6, demanding that he would meet him at such a place on horseback with a brace7 of pistols, and give satisfaction for the slight he had put upon him. Nothing could have afforded more pleasure to Jack8 than the acceptance of this challenge, which he delivered verbally to Mr. Gamaliel, who was called out from the club at Tunley’s for that purpose. The nature of this message had an instantaneous effect upon the constitution of the pacific Pickle, whose bowels9 yearned10 with apprehension11, and underwent such violent agitation12 on the spot, that one would have thought the operation proceeded from some severe joke of the apothecary13 which he had swallowed in his beer.
The messenger, despairing of a satisfactory answer, left him in this woeful condition; and being loath14 to lose any opportunity of raising the laugh against the commodore, went immediately and communicated the whole affair to the young gentlemen, entreating15 them, for the love of God, to concert some means of bringing old Hannibal into the field. The two friends relished16 the proposal; and after some deliberation, it was resolved that Hatchway should tell Trunnion his invitation was accepted by Gamaliel, who would meet him at the place appointed, with his second, to-morrow in the twilight17, because, if either should fall, the other would have the chance of escaping in the dark; that Godfrey should personate old Pickle’s friend, and Peregrine represent his own father; while the lieutenant should take care in loading the pistols to keep out the shot, so that no damage might be done in the rencounter.
These circumstances being adjusted, the lieutenant returned to his principal with a most thundering reply from his antagonist18, whose courageous19 behaviour, though it could not intimidate20, did not fail to astonish the commodore, who ascribed it to the spirit of his wife, which had inspired him. Trunnion that instant desired his counsellor to prepare his cartridge-box, and order the quietest horse in the stable to be kept ready saddled for the occasion; his eye seemed to lighten with alacrity21 and pleasure at the prospect22 of smelling gunpowder23 once more before his death; and when Jack advised him to make his will, in case of accident, he rejected his counsel with disdain24, saying, “What! dost thou think that Hawser25 Trunnion, who has stood the fire of so many floating batteries, runs any risk from the lousy pops of a landman? Thou shalt see, thou shalt see, how I’ll make him lower his topsails.”
Next day Peregrine and the soldier provided themselves with horses at the public-house, from whence, at the destined26 hour, they rode to the field of battle, each of them being muffed in a great coat, which, with the dimness of the light, effectually shielded them from the knowledge of the one-eyed commander, who, having taken horse, on pretence27 of enjoying the fresh air, soon appeared with Hatchway in his rear. When they came within sight of each other, the seconds advanced, in order to divide the ground, and regulate the measures of the combat; when it was determined28 by mutual29 consent, that two pistols should be discharged on each side, and that if neither should prove decisive, recourse must be had to the broad-swords, in order to ascertain30 the victory. These articles being settled, the opponents rode forward to their respective stations, when Peregrine, cocking his pistol, and presenting, counterfeited32 his father’s voice, bidding Trunnion take care of his remaining eye.
The commodore took his advice, being unwilling33 to hazard his daylight, and very deliberately34 opposed the patched side of his face to the muzzle35 of his antagonist’s piece, desiring him to do his duty without farther jaw36. The young man accordingly fired; and the distance being small, the wad of his pistol took place with a smart stroke on the forehead of Trunnion. Mistaking it for a ball, which he thought lodged37 in his brain, spurred up his steed in a state of desperation towards his antagonist, and holding his piece within two yards of his body, let it off, without any regard to the laws of battle. Surprised and enraged38 to see it had made no impression, he halloed, in a terrible tone, “O! d-ye, you have your netting stuffed, I see;” and advancing, he discharged his second pistol so near his godson’s head, that had he not been defended by his great coat, the powder must have scorched39 his face. Having thus thrown away his fire, he remained at the mercy of Peregrine, who clapping the piece he had in reserve to his head, commanded him to beg his life, and ask pardon for his presumption40. The commodore made no reply to this imperious injunction; but, dropping his pistol, and unsheathing his broad-sword in an instant, attacked our hero with such incredible agility41, that if he had not made shift to ward31 off the stroke with his piece, the adventure, in all likelihood, would have turned out a very tragical42 joke.
Peregrine finding it would be in vain for him to think of drawing his weapon, or of standing43 on the defensive44 against this furious aggressor, very fairly clapped spurs to his nag45, and sought his safety in flight. Trunnion pursued him with infinite eagerness; and his steed being the better of the two, would have overtaken the fugitive46 to his peril47, had he not been unfortunately encountered by the boughs48 of a tree, that happened to stand on his blind side, and incommoded him so much, that he was fain to quit his sword, and lay hold on the mane in order to maintain his seat. Perry perceiving his disaster, wheeled about, and now finding leisure to produce his weapon, returned upon his disarmed49 foe50, brandishing51 his Ferrara, threatening to make him shorter by the head if he would not immediately crave52 quarter and yield. There was nothing farther from the intention of the old gentleman than such submission53, which he flatly refused to pay, alleging54 that he had already compelled his enemy to clap on all sails, and that his own present misfortune was owing to accident; all one as if a ship should be attacked, after she had been obliged to heave her guns overboard in a storm.
Before Peregrine had time to answer this remonstrance55, the lieutenant interposed, and taking cognizance of the case, established a truce56, until he and the other second should discuss and decide upon the merits of the case. They accordingly retired57 to a small distance; and after having conferred a few minutes, Hatchway returned and pronounced the commodore vanquished58 by the chance of war.
Never was rage more than that which took possession of old Hannibal, when he heard the sentence: it was some time before he could utter aught, except the reproachful expression, “You lie!” which he repeated more than twenty times, in a sort of delirious59 insensibility. When he recovered the further use of speech, he abused the arbitrators with such bitter invectives, renouncing60 their sentence, and appealing to another trial, that the confederates began to repent61 of having carried the joke so far; and Peregrine, in order to appease62 his choler, owned himself overcome.
This acknowledgment calmed the tumult63 of his wrath64, though he could not for some days forgive the lieutenant; and the two young gentlemen rode back to Tunley’s, while Hatchway, taking the commodore’s horse by the bridle65, reconducted him to his mansion66, growling67 all the way to Jack for his unjust and unfriendly decree; though he could not help observing, as how he had made his words good, in making his adversary68 to strike his top-sails: “And yet,” said he, “before God! I think the fellow’s head is made of a wood-pack: for my shot rebounded69 from his face like a wad of spun-yarn from the walls of a ship. But if so be that son of a b — of a tree hadn’t come athwart my weather-bow, d’ye see, I’ll be d — d if I hadn’t snapt his main-yard in the slings70, and mayhap let out his bulge-water into the bargain.” He seemed particularly vain of this exploit, which dwelt upon his imagination, and was cherished as the child of his old age; for though he could not with decency71 rehearse it to the young men and his wife at supper, he gave hints of his own manhood, even at these years, and attested72 Hatchway as a voucher73 for his mettle74; while the triumvirate, diverted by his vanity, enjoyed in secret the success of their imposition.
1 waggish | |
adj.诙谐的,滑稽的 | |
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2 lieutenant | |
n.陆军中尉,海军上尉;代理官员,副职官员 | |
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3 affront | |
n./v.侮辱,触怒 | |
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4 consultation | |
n.咨询;商量;商议;会议 | |
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5 defiance | |
n.挑战,挑衅,蔑视,违抗 | |
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6 pickle | |
n.腌汁,泡菜;v.腌,泡 | |
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7 brace | |
n. 支柱,曲柄,大括号; v. 绷紧,顶住,(为困难或坏事)做准备 | |
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8 jack | |
n.插座,千斤顶,男人;v.抬起,提醒,扛举;n.(Jake)杰克 | |
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9 bowels | |
n.肠,内脏,内部;肠( bowel的名词复数 );内部,最深处 | |
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10 yearned | |
渴望,切盼,向往( yearn的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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11 apprehension | |
n.理解,领悟;逮捕,拘捕;忧虑 | |
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12 agitation | |
n.搅动;搅拌;鼓动,煽动 | |
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13 apothecary | |
n.药剂师 | |
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14 loath | |
adj.不愿意的;勉强的 | |
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15 entreating | |
恳求,乞求( entreat的现在分词 ) | |
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16 relished | |
v.欣赏( relish的过去式和过去分词 );从…获得乐趣;渴望 | |
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17 twilight | |
n.暮光,黄昏;暮年,晚期,衰落时期 | |
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18 antagonist | |
n.敌人,对抗者,对手 | |
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19 courageous | |
adj.勇敢的,有胆量的 | |
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20 intimidate | |
vt.恐吓,威胁 | |
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21 alacrity | |
n.敏捷,轻快,乐意 | |
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22 prospect | |
n.前景,前途;景色,视野 | |
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23 gunpowder | |
n.火药 | |
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24 disdain | |
n.鄙视,轻视;v.轻视,鄙视,不屑 | |
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25 hawser | |
n.大缆;大索 | |
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26 destined | |
adj.命中注定的;(for)以…为目的地的 | |
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27 pretence | |
n.假装,作假;借口,口实;虚伪;虚饰 | |
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28 determined | |
adj.坚定的;有决心的 | |
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29 mutual | |
adj.相互的,彼此的;共同的,共有的 | |
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30 ascertain | |
vt.发现,确定,查明,弄清 | |
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31 ward | |
n.守卫,监护,病房,行政区,由监护人或法院保护的人(尤指儿童);vt.守护,躲开 | |
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32 counterfeited | |
v.仿制,造假( counterfeit的过去分词 ) | |
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33 unwilling | |
adj.不情愿的 | |
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34 deliberately | |
adv.审慎地;蓄意地;故意地 | |
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35 muzzle | |
n.鼻口部;口套;枪(炮)口;vt.使缄默 | |
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36 jaw | |
n.颚,颌,说教,流言蜚语;v.喋喋不休,教训 | |
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37 lodged | |
v.存放( lodge的过去式和过去分词 );暂住;埋入;(权利、权威等)归属 | |
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38 enraged | |
使暴怒( enrage的过去式和过去分词 ); 歜; 激愤 | |
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39 scorched | |
烧焦,烤焦( scorch的过去式和过去分词 ); 使(植物)枯萎,把…晒枯; 高速行驶; 枯焦 | |
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40 presumption | |
n.推测,可能性,冒昧,放肆,[法律]推定 | |
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41 agility | |
n.敏捷,活泼 | |
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42 tragical | |
adj. 悲剧的, 悲剧性的 | |
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43 standing | |
n.持续,地位;adj.永久的,不动的,直立的,不流动的 | |
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44 defensive | |
adj.防御的;防卫的;防守的 | |
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45 nag | |
v.(对…)不停地唠叨;n.爱唠叨的人 | |
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46 fugitive | |
adj.逃亡的,易逝的;n.逃犯,逃亡者 | |
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47 peril | |
n.(严重的)危险;危险的事物 | |
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48 boughs | |
大树枝( bough的名词复数 ) | |
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49 disarmed | |
v.裁军( disarm的过去式和过去分词 );使息怒 | |
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50 foe | |
n.敌人,仇敌 | |
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51 brandishing | |
v.挥舞( brandish的现在分词 );炫耀 | |
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52 crave | |
vt.渴望得到,迫切需要,恳求,请求 | |
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53 submission | |
n.服从,投降;温顺,谦虚;提出 | |
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54 alleging | |
断言,宣称,辩解( allege的现在分词 ) | |
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55 remonstrance | |
n抗议,抱怨 | |
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56 truce | |
n.休战,(争执,烦恼等的)缓和;v.以停战结束 | |
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57 retired | |
adj.隐退的,退休的,退役的 | |
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58 vanquished | |
v.征服( vanquish的过去式和过去分词 );战胜;克服;抑制 | |
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59 delirious | |
adj.不省人事的,神智昏迷的 | |
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60 renouncing | |
v.声明放弃( renounce的现在分词 );宣布放弃;宣布与…决裂;宣布摒弃 | |
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61 repent | |
v.悔悟,悔改,忏悔,后悔 | |
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62 appease | |
v.安抚,缓和,平息,满足 | |
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63 tumult | |
n.喧哗;激动,混乱;吵闹 | |
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64 wrath | |
n.愤怒,愤慨,暴怒 | |
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65 bridle | |
n.笼头,束缚;vt.抑制,约束;动怒 | |
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66 mansion | |
n.大厦,大楼;宅第 | |
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67 growling | |
n.吠声, 咆哮声 v.怒吠, 咆哮, 吼 | |
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68 adversary | |
adj.敌手,对手 | |
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69 rebounded | |
弹回( rebound的过去式和过去分词 ); 反弹; 产生反作用; 未能奏效 | |
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70 slings | |
抛( sling的第三人称单数 ); 吊挂; 遣送; 押往 | |
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71 decency | |
n.体面,得体,合宜,正派,庄重 | |
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72 attested | |
adj.经检验证明无病的,经检验证明无菌的v.证明( attest的过去式和过去分词 );证实;声称…属实;使宣誓 | |
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73 voucher | |
n.收据;传票;凭单,凭证 | |
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74 mettle | |
n.勇气,精神 | |
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