WHEN they got aboard the king went for me, and shook me by the collar, and says:

"Tryin' to give us the slip, was ye, you pup! Tired of our company, hey?"

I says:

"No, your majesty¹, we warn't -- PLEASE don't, your majesty!"

"Quick, then, and tell us what WAS your idea, or I'll shake the insides out o' you!"

"Honest, I'll tell you everything just as it happened, your majesty. The man that had a-holt of me was very good to me, and kept saying he had a boy about as big as me that died last year, and he was sorry to see a boy in such a dangerous fix; and when they was all took by surprise by finding the gold, and made a rush for the coffin², he lets go of me and whispers, 'Heel it now, or they'll hang ye, sure!' and I lit out. It didn't seem no good for ME to stay -- I couldn't do nothing, and I didn't want to be hung if I could get away. So I never stopped running till I found the canoe; and when I got here I told Jim to hurry, or they'd catch me and hang me yet, and said I was afeard you and the duke wasn't alive now, and I was awful sorry, and so was Jim, and was awful glad when we see you coming; you may ask Jim if I didn't."

Jim said it was so; and the king told him to shut up, and said, "Oh, yes, it's MIGHTY³ likely!" and shook me up again, and said he reckoned he'd drownd me. But the duke says:

"Leggo the boy, you old idiot! Would YOU a done any different? Did you inquire around for HIM when you got loose? I don't remember it."

So the king let go of me, and begun to cuss that town and everybody in it. But the duke says:

"You better a blame' sight give YOURSELF a good cussing, for you're the one that's entitled to it most. You hain't done a thing from the start that had any sense in it, except coming out so cool and cheeky with that imaginary blue-arrow mark. That WAS bright -- it was right down bully⁴; and it was the thing that saved us. For if it hadn't been for that they'd a jailed us till them Englishmen's baggage come -- and then -- the penitentiary⁵, you bet! But that trick took 'em to the graveyard⁶, and the gold done us a still bigger kindness; for if the excited fools hadn't let go all holts and made that rush to get a look we'd a slept in our

点击收听单词发音  

1 majesty
n.雄伟，壮丽，庄严，威严；最高权威，王权
参考例句：
The king had unspeakable majesty.国王有无法形容的威严。 Your Majesty must make up your mind quickly!尊贵的陛下，您必须赶快做出决定！

2 coffin
n.棺材，灵柩
参考例句：
When one's coffin is covered,all discussion about him can be settled.盖棺论定。 The coffin was placed in the grave.那口棺材已安放到坟墓里去了。

3 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。

4 bully
n.恃强欺弱者，小流氓；vt.威胁，欺侮
参考例句：
A bully is always a coward.暴汉常是懦夫。 The boy gave the bully a pelt on the back with a pebble.那男孩用石子掷击小流氓的背脊。

5 penitentiary
n.感化院；监狱
参考例句：
He worked as a warden at the state penitentiary.他在这所州监狱任看守长。 While he was in the penitentiary her father died and the family broke up.他坐牢的时候，她的父亲死了，家庭就拆散了。

6 graveyard
n.坟场
参考例句：
All the town was drifting toward the graveyard.全镇的人都象流水似地向那坟场涌过去。 Living next to a graveyard would give me the creeps.居住在墓地旁边会使我毛骨悚然。

7 cravats
n.（系在衬衫衣领里面的）男式围巾( cravat的名词复数 )
参考例句：

8 sarcastic
adj.讥讽的，讽刺的，嘲弄的
参考例句：
I squashed him with a sarcastic remark.我说了一句讽刺的话把他给镇住了。 She poked fun at people's shortcomings with sarcastic remarks.她冷嘲热讽地拿别人的缺点开玩笑。

9 ruffles
褶裥花边( ruffle的名词复数 )
参考例句：
You will need 12 yards of ribbon facing for the ruffles. 你将需要12码丝带为衣服镶边之用。 It is impossible to live without some daily ruffles to our composure. 我们日常的平静生活免不了会遇到一些波折。

10 bristles
短而硬的毛发，刷子毛( bristle的名词复数 )
参考例句：
the bristles on his chin 他下巴上的胡楂子 This job bristles with difficulties. 这项工作困难重重。

11 gasps
v.喘气( gasp的第三人称单数 )；喘息；倒抽气；很想要
参考例句：
He leant against the railing, his breath coming in short gasps. 他倚着栏杆，急促地喘气。 来自《简明英汉词典》 My breaths were coming in gasps. 我急促地喘起气来。 来自《简明英汉词典》

12 ostrich
n.鸵鸟
参考例句：
Ostrich is the fastest animal on two legs.驼鸟是双腿跑得最快的动物。 The ostrich indeed inhabits continents.鸵鸟确实是生活在大陆上的。

13 scoop
n.铲子，舀取，独家新闻；v.汲取，舀取，抢先登出
参考例句：
In the morning he must get his boy to scoop it out.早上一定得叫佣人把它剜出来。 Uh,one scoop of coffee and one scoop of chocolate for me.我要一勺咖啡的和一勺巧克力的。

14 sneaked
v.潜行( sneak的过去式和过去分词 )；偷偷溜走；（儿童向成人）打小报告；告状
参考例句：
I sneaked up the stairs. 我蹑手蹑脚地上了楼。 She sneaked a surreptitious glance at her watch. 她偷偷看了一眼手表。

15 mellow
adj.柔和的；熟透的；v.变柔和；(使)成熟
参考例句：
These apples are mellow at this time of year.每年这时节，苹果就熟透了。 The colours become mellow as the sun went down.当太阳落山时，色彩变得柔和了。