He said: "Hullo, boys! Hot day!" in a big voice that was intentionally3 hearty4, ran his bulging5 eyes appraisingly6 over every one present, then took off his wide-brimmed felt hat and mopped his glistening7 forehead with a big red and white handkerchief. Receiving a more or less hospitable8 chorus of grunts9 and "hullos" in response, he seated himself on a keg of nails, removed the leather case from his back, and asked for ginger10 beer, which he drank noisily from the bottle.
"Name of Byles," said he at length, introducing himself with a sweeping11 nod. "Hot tramp in from Cribb's Ridge12. Thirsty, you bet. Never drink nothing stronger'n ginger pop or soft cider. Have a round o' pop on me, boys. A1 pop this o' yours, mister. A dozen more bottles, please, for these gentlemen."
He looked around the circle with an air at once assured and persuasive13. And the taciturn woodsmen, not wholly at ease under such sudden cordiality from a stranger, but too polite to rebuff him, muttered "Thank ye, kindly14," or "Here's how," as they threw back their heads and poured the weak stuff down their gaunt and hairy throats.
It was a slack time at Brine's Rip, the mills having shut down that morning because the river was so low that there were no more logs running. The shrieking15 saws being silent for a little, there was nothing for the mill hands to do but loaf and smoke. The hot air was heavily scented16 with the smell of fresh sawdust mixed with the strong honey-perfume of the flowering buckwheat fields beyond the village. The buzzing of flies in the windows of the store was like a fine arabesque17 of sound against the ceaseless, muffled18 thunder of the rapids.
The dozen men gathered here at Zeb Smith's store—which was, in effect, the village club—found it hard to rouse themselves to a conversational19 effort in any way worthy20 the advances of the confident stranger. They all smoked a little harder than usual, and looked on with courteous21 but noncommittal interest while he proceeded to unstrap his shiny black leather case.
In his stiff and sombre garb22, so unsuited to the backwoods trails, the stranger had much the look of one of those itinerant23 preachers who sometimes busy themselves with the cure of souls in the remoter backwoods settlements. But his eye and his address were rather those of a shrewd and pushing commercial traveller.
Tug24 Blackstock, the Deputy Sheriff of Nipsiwaska County, felt a vague antagonism25 toward him, chiefly on the ground that his speech and bearing did not seem to consort26 with his habiliments. He rather liked a man to look what he was or be what he looked, and he did not like black side whiskers and long hair. This antagonism, however, he felt to be unreasonable27. The man had evidently had a long and tiring tramp, and was entitled to a somewhat friendlier reception than he was getting.
Swinging his long legs against the counter, on which he sat between a pile of printed calicoes and a box of bright pink fancy soap, Tug Blackstock reached behind him and possessed28 himself of a box of long, black cigars. Having selected one critically for himself, he proffered29 the box to the stranger.
"Have a weed?" said he cordially. "They ain't half bad."
But the stranger waved the box aside with an air at once grand and gracious.
"I never touch the weed, thank you kindly just the same," said he. "But I've nothing agin it. It goes agin my system, that's all. If it's all the same to you, I'll take a bite o' cheese an' a cracker30 'stead o' the cigar."
"Sartain," agreed Blackstock, jumping down to fetch the edibles31 from behind the counter. Like most of the regular customers, he knew the store and its contents almost as well as Zeb Smith himself.
During the last few minutes an immense, rough-haired black dog had been sniffing32 the stranger over with suspicious minuteness. The stranger at first paid no attention whatever, though it was an ordeal33 that many might have shrunk from. At last, seeming to notice the animal for the first time, he recognized his presence by indifferently laying his hand upon his neck. Instead of instantly drawing off with a resentful growl34, after his manner with strangers, the dog acknowledged the casual caress35 by a slight wag of the tail, and then, after a few moments, turned away amicably36 and lay down.
"If Jim finds him all right," thought Blackstock to himself, "ther' can't be much wrong with him, though I can't say I take to him myself." And he weighed off a much bigger piece of cheese than he had at first intended to offer, marking down his indebtedness on a slate37 which served the proprietor38 as a sort of day-book. The stranger fell to devouring39 it with an eagerness which showed that his lunch must have been of the lightest.
"Ye was sayin' as how ye'd jest come up from Cribb's Ridge?" put in a long-legged, heavy-shouldered man who was sprawling40 on a cracker box behind the door. He had short sandy hair, rapidly thinning, eyes of a cold grey, set rather close together, and a face that suggested a cross between a fox and a fish-hawk. He was somewhat conspicuous41 among his fellows by the trimness of his dress, his shirt being of dark blue flannel42 with a rolled-up collar and a scarlet43 knotted kerchief, while the rest of the mill hands wore collarless shirts of grey homespun, with no thought of neckerchiefs.
His trousers were of brown corduroy, and were held up by a broad belt of white dressed buckskin, elaborately decorated with Navajo designs in black and red. He stuck to this adornment44 tenaciously45 as a sort of inoffensive proclamation of the fact that he was not an ordinary backwoods mill hand, but a wanderer, one who had travelled far, and tried his wits at many ventures in the wilder West.
"Right you are," assented46 the stranger, brushing some white cracker crumbs47 out of his black whiskers.
"I was jest a-wonderin'," went on Hawker, giving a hitch48 to the elaborate belt and leaning forward a little to spit out through the doorway49, "if ye've seed anything o' Jake Sanderson on the road."
The stranger, having his mouth full of cheese, did not answer for a moment.
"The boys are lookin' for him rather anxious," explained Blackstock with a grin. "He brings the leetle fat roll that pays their wages here at the mill, an' he's due some time to day."
"I seen him at Cribb's Ridge this morning," answered the stranger at last. "Said he'd hurt his foot, or strained his knee, or something, an' would have to come on a bit slow. He'll be along some time to-night, I guess. Didn't seem to me to have much wrong with him. No, ye can't have none o' that cheese. Go 'way an' lay down," he added suddenly to the great black dog, who had returned to his side and laid his head on the stranger's knee.
With a disappointed air the dog obeyed.
"'Tain't often Jim's so civil to a stranger," muttered Blackstock to himself.
A little boy in a scarlet jacket, with round eyes of china blue, and an immense mop of curly, fluffy50, silky hair so palely flaxen as to be almost white, came hopping51 and skipping into the store. He was greeted with friendly grins, while several voices drawled, "Hullo, Woolly Billy!" He beamed cheerfully upon the whole company, with a special gleam of intimate confidence for Tug Blackstock and the big black dog. Then he stepped up to the stranger's knee, and stood staring with respectful admiration52 at those flowing jet-black side-whiskers.
The stranger in return looked with a cold curiosity at the child's singular hair. Neither children nor dogs had any particular appeal for him, but that hair was certainly queer.
"Most an albino, ain't he?" he suggested.
"No, he ain't," replied Tug Blackstock curtly53. The dog, detecting a note of resentment54 in his master's voice, got up and stood beside the child, and gazed about the circle with an air of anxious interrogation. Had any one been disagreeable to Woolly Billy? And if so, who?
But the little one was not in the least rebuffed by the stranger's unresponsiveness.
"What's that?" he inquired, patting admiringly the stranger's shiny leather case.
The stranger grew cordial to him at once.
"Ah, now ye're talkin'," said he enthusiastically, undoing55 the flap of the case. "It's a book, sonny. The greatest book, the most interestin' book, the most useful book—and next to the Bible the most high-toned, uplifting book that was ever written. Ye can't read yet, sonny, but this book has the loveliest pictures ye ever seen, and the greatest lot of 'em for the money."
He drew reverently56 forth57 from the case a large, fat volume, bound sumptuously58 in embossed sky-blue imitation leather, lavishly59 gilt60, and opened it upon his knees with a spacious61 gesture.
"There," he continued proudly. "It's called 'Mother, Home, and Heaven!' Ain't that a title for ye? Don't it show ye right off the kind of book it is? With this book by ye, ye don't need any other book in the house at all, except maybe the almanack an' the Bible—an' this book has lots o' the best bits out of the Bible in it, scattered62 through among the receipts an' things to keep it all wholesome63 an' upliftin'.
"It'll tell ye such useful things as how to get a cork64 out of a bottle without breakin' the bottle, when he haven't got a corkscrew, or what to do when the baby's got croup, and there ain't a doctor this side of Tourdulac. An' it'll tell ye how to live, so as when things happen that no medicines an' no doctors and no receipts—not even such great receipts as these here ones" (and he slapped his hand on the counter) "can help ye through—such as when a tree falls on to ye, or you trip and stumble on to the saws, or git drawn65 down under half-a-mile o' raft—then ye'll be ready to go right up aloft, an' no questions asked ye at the Great White Gate.
"An' it has po'try in it, too, reel heart po'try, such as'll take ye back to the time when ye was all white an' innocent o' sin at yer mother's knee, an' make ye wish ye was like that now. In fact, boys, this book I'm goin' to show ye, with your kind permission, is handier than a pocket in a shirt, an' at the same time the blessed fragrance66 of it is like a rose o' Sharon in the household. It's in three styles o' bindin', all reel handsome, but——"
"I want to look at another picture now," protested Woolly Billy. "I'm tired of this one of the angels sayin' their prayers."
His amazing shock of silver-gold curls was bent67 intently over the book in the stranger's lap. The woodsmen, on the other hand, kept on smoking with a far-off look, as if they heard not a word of the fluent harangue68. They had a deep distrust and dread69 of this black-whiskered stranger, now that he stood revealed as the Man-Wanting-to-Sell-Something. The majority of them would not even glance in the direction of the gaudy70 book, lest by doing so they should find themselves involved in some expensive and complicated obligation.
The stranger responded to Woolly Billy's appeal by shutting the book firmly. "There's lots more pictures purtier than that one, sonny," said he. "But ye must ask yer dad to buy it fer ye. He won't regret it." And he passed the volume on to Hawker, who, having no dread of book-agents, began to turn over the leaves with a superior smile.
"Dad's gone away ever so far," answered Woolly Billy sadly. "It's an awfully71 pretty book." And he looked at Tug Blackstock appealingly.
"Look here, mister," drawled Blackstock, "I don't take much stock myself in those kind of books, an' moreover (not meanin' no offence to you), any man that's sellin' 'em has got to larn to do a sight o' lyin'. But as Woolly Billy here wants it so bad I'll take a copy, if 'tain't too dear. All the same, it's only fair to warn ye that ye'll not do much business in Brine's Rip, for there was a book agent here last year as got about ha'f the folks in the village to sign a crooked72 contract, and we was all stung bad. I'd advise ye to move on, an' not really tackle Brine's Rip fer another year or so. Now, what's the price?"
The stranger's face had fallen during this speech, but it brightened at the concluding question.
"Six dollars, four dollars, an' two dollars an' a half, accordin' to style of bindin'," he answered, bringing out a handful of leaflets and order forms and passing them round briskly. "An' ye don't need to pay more'n fifty cents down, an' sign this order, an' ye pay the balance in a month's time, when the books are delivered. I'll give ye my receipt for the fifty cents, an' ye jest fill in this order accordin' to the bindin' ye choose. Let me advise ye, as a friend, to take the six dollar one. It's the best value."
"Thanks jest the same," said Blackstock drily, pulling out his wallet, "but I guess Woolly Billy'd jest as soon have the two-fifty one. An' I'll pay ye the cash right now. No signin' orders fer me. Here's my name an' address."
"Right ye are," agreed the stranger cordially, pocketing the money and signing the receipt. "Cash payments for me every time, if I could have my way. Now, if some o' you other gentlemen will follow Mr. Blackstock's fine example, ye'll never regret it—an' neither will I."
"Come on, Woolly Billy. Come on, Jim," said Blackstock, stepping out into the street with the child and the dog at his heels. "We'll be gittin' along home, an' leave this gentleman to argy with the boys."
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1
jaunty
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| adj．愉快的，满足的；adv.心满意足地，洋洋得意地；n.心满意足；洋洋得意 | |
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2
strapped
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| adj.用皮带捆住的，用皮带装饰的；身无分文的；缺钱；手头紧v.用皮带捆扎(strap的过去式和过去分词)；用皮带抽打；包扎；给…打绷带 | |
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3
intentionally
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| ad.故意地，有意地 | |
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4
hearty
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| adj.热情友好的；衷心的；尽情的，纵情的 | |
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5
bulging
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| 膨胀； 凸出（部）； 打气； 折皱 | |
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6
appraisingly
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| adv.以品评或评价的眼光 | |
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7
glistening
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| adj.闪耀的，反光的v.湿物闪耀，闪亮( glisten的现在分词 ) | |
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8
hospitable
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| adj.好客的；宽容的；有利的，适宜的 | |
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9
grunts
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| （猪等）作呼噜声( grunt的第三人称单数 )； （指人）发出类似的哼声； 咕哝着说； 石鲈 | |
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10
ginger
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| n.姜，精力，淡赤黄色；adj.淡赤黄色的；vt.使活泼，使有生气 | |
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11
sweeping
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| adj.范围广大的，一扫无遗的 | |
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12
ridge
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| n.山脊；鼻梁；分水岭 | |
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13
persuasive
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| adj.有说服力的，能说得使人相信的 | |
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14
kindly
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| adj.和蔼的，温和的，爽快的；adv.温和地，亲切地 | |
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15
shrieking
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| v.尖叫( shriek的现在分词 ) | |
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16
scented
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| adj.有香味的；洒香水的；有气味的v.嗅到(scent的过去分词) | |
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17
arabesque
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| n.阿拉伯式花饰；adj.阿拉伯式图案的 | |
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18
muffled
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| adj.（声音）被隔的；听不太清的；（衣服）裹严的；蒙住的v.压抑，捂住( muffle的过去式和过去分词 )；用厚厚的衣帽包着（自己） | |
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19
conversational
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| adj.对话的，会话的 | |
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20
worthy
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| adj.(of)值得的，配得上的；有价值的 | |
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21
courteous
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| adj.彬彬有礼的，客气的 | |
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22
garb
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| n.服装，装束 | |
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23
itinerant
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| adj.巡回的；流动的 | |
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24
tug
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| v.用力拖(或拉)；苦干；n.拖；苦干；拖船 | |
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25
antagonism
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| n.对抗，敌对，对立 | |
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26
consort
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| v.相伴；结交 | |
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27
unreasonable
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| adj.不讲道理的，不合情理的，过度的 | |
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28
possessed
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| adj.疯狂的；拥有的，占有的 | |
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29
proffered
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| v.提供，贡献，提出( proffer的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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30
cracker
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| n.（无甜味的）薄脆饼干 | |
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31
edibles
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| 可以吃的，可食用的( edible的名词复数 )； 食物 | |
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32
sniffing
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| n.探查法v.以鼻吸气，嗅，闻( sniff的现在分词 )；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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33
ordeal
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| n.苦难经历，（尤指对品格、耐力的）严峻考验 | |
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34
growl
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| v.（狗等）嗥叫，（炮等）轰鸣；n.嗥叫，轰鸣 | |
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35
caress
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| vt./n.爱抚，抚摸 | |
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36
amicably
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| adv.友善地 | |
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37
slate
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| n.板岩，石板，石片，石板色，候选人名单；adj.暗蓝灰色的，含板岩的；vt.用石板覆盖，痛打，提名，预订 | |
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38
proprietor
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| n.所有人；业主；经营者 | |
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39
devouring
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| 吞没( devour的现在分词 )； 耗尽； 津津有味地看； 狼吞虎咽地吃光 | |
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40
sprawling
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| adj.蔓生的，不规则地伸展的v.伸开四肢坐[躺]( sprawl的现在分词 )；蔓延；杂乱无序地拓展；四肢伸展坐着（或躺着） | |
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41
conspicuous
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| adj.明眼的，惹人注目的；炫耀的，摆阔气的 | |
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42
flannel
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| n.法兰绒；法兰绒衣服 | |
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43
scarlet
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| n.深红色，绯红色，红衣；adj.绯红色的 | |
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44
adornment
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| n.装饰；装饰品 | |
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45
tenaciously
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| 坚持地 | |
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46
assented
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| 同意，赞成( assent的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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47
crumbs
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| int. (表示惊讶)哎呀 n. 碎屑 名词crumb的复数形式 | |
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48
hitch
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| v.免费搭(车旅行)；系住；急提；n.故障；急拉 | |
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49
doorway
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| n.门口，(喻)入门；门路，途径 | |
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50
fluffy
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| adj.有绒毛的，空洞的 | |
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51
hopping
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| n. 跳跃 动词hop的现在分词形式 | |
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52
admiration
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| n.钦佩，赞美，羡慕 | |
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53
curtly
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| adv.简短地 | |
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54
resentment
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| n.怨愤，忿恨 | |
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55
undoing
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| n.毁灭的原因，祸根；破坏，毁灭 | |
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56
reverently
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| adv.虔诚地 | |
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57
forth
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| adv.向前；向外，往外 | |
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58
sumptuously
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| 奢侈地，豪华地 | |
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59
lavishly
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| adv.慷慨地，大方地 | |
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60
gilt
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| adj.镀金的；n.金边证券 | |
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61
spacious
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| adj.广阔的，宽敞的 | |
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62
scattered
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| adj.分散的，稀疏的；散步的；疏疏落落的 | |
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63
wholesome
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| adj.适合；卫生的；有益健康的；显示身心健康的 | |
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64
cork
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| n.软木，软木塞 | |
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65
drawn
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| v.拖，拉，拔出；adj.憔悴的，紧张的 | |
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66
fragrance
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| n.芬芳，香味，香气 | |
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67
bent
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| n.爱好，癖好；adj.弯的；决心的，一心的 | |
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68
harangue
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| n.慷慨冗长的训话，言辞激烈的讲话 | |
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69
dread
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| vt.担忧，忧虑；惧怕，不敢；n.担忧，畏惧 | |
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70
gaudy
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| adj.华而不实的；俗丽的 | |
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71
awfully
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| adv.可怕地，非常地，极端地 | |
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72
crooked
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| adj.弯曲的；不诚实的，狡猾的，不正当的 | |
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