"I will see you in a little while," he said, and turned to his clerk. Then Bart Sandwood was sent off on an errand and the steamboat owner turned to look over some letters that had come in.

 

"Now I am at liberty," he said, pleasantly, shaking hands. "Are you ready for work?"

 

"Yes, sir," answered Randy, promptly².

 

"Good! Have you ever been on a large river steamer?"

 

"No, Mr. Shalley, but I am willing to do all I possibly can to make myself truly useful."

 

"Well, if I am any judge of character, you'll get along. All you've got to do is to keep your eyes open and obey orders. We have one old deckhand, Pat Malloy. He will teach you what to do."

 

"When can I go to work?"

 

"The boat will be along down the river soon. I'll take you on board, as I want to see the captain. As soon as you are settled I'll have you fitted out with a uniform."

 

"How much will that cost me?"

 

"In your case it won't cost anything."

 

"You are very kind."

 

"Remember, I take a personal interest in you, Randy, and I want to see you get along. Do your duty and rest assured I shall not forget you."

 

"I don't think I'll disappoint you, Mr. Shalley."

 

Randy waited around the office until it was almost time for the steamboat to make a landing. Then he went down to the dock with his newly-found friend. Here were a number of passengers, and also a quantity of baggage and freight.

 

Presently the Helen Shalley hove into sight, with flags flying bravely in the breeze. As Randy had been told, she was not a particularly large steamboat, but she was well proportioned and graceful³, and well liked by those who patronized her. We will get better acquainted with the craft as our story proceeds.

 

As soon as a landing was made, Mr. Shalley went on board, taking Randy with him. Captain Hadley was at hand.

 

"So this is the new deckhand, eh?" said the captain, in bluff4

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1 alley
n.小巷，胡同；小径，小路
参考例句：
We live in the same alley.我们住在同一条小巷里。 The blind alley ended in a brick wall.这条死胡同的尽头是砖墙。

2 promptly
adv.及时地，敏捷地
参考例句：
He paid the money back promptly.他立即还了钱。 She promptly seized the opportunity his absence gave her.她立即抓住了因他不在场给她创造的机会。

3 graceful
adj.优美的，优雅的；得体的
参考例句：
His movements on the parallel bars were very graceful.他的双杠动作可帅了! The ballet dancer is so graceful.芭蕾舞演员的姿态是如此的优美。

4 bluff
v.虚张声势，用假象骗人；n.虚张声势，欺骗
参考例句：
His threats are merely bluff.他的威胁仅仅是虚张声势。 John is a deep card.No one can bluff him easily.约翰是个机灵鬼。谁也不容易欺骗他。

5 brawny
adj.强壮的
参考例句：
The blacksmith has a brawny arm.铁匠有强壮的胳膊。 That same afternoon the marshal appeared with two brawny assistants.当天下午，警长带着两名身强力壮的助手来了。

6 touching
adj.动人的，使人感伤的
参考例句：
It was a touching sight.这是一幅动人的景象。 His letter was touching.他的信很感人。

7 astonishment
n.惊奇，惊异
参考例句：
They heard him give a loud shout of astonishment.他们听见他惊奇地大叫一声。 I was filled with astonishment at her strange action.我对她的奇怪举动不胜惊异。

8 neatly
adv.整洁地，干净地，灵巧地，熟练地
参考例句：
Sailors know how to wind up a long rope neatly.水手们知道怎样把一条大绳利落地缠好。 The child's dress is neatly gathered at the neck.那孩子的衣服在领口处打着整齐的皱褶。

9 labor
n.劳动，努力，工作，劳工；分娩；vi.劳动，努力，苦干；vt.详细分析；麻烦
参考例句：
We are never late in satisfying him for his labor.我们从不延误付给他劳动报酬。 He was completely spent after two weeks of hard labor.艰苦劳动两周后，他已经疲惫不堪了。

10 conversed
v.交谈，谈话( converse的过去式 )
参考例句：
I conversed with her on a certain problem. 我与她讨论某一问题。 来自《现代英汉综合大词典》 She was cheerful and polite, and conversed with me pleasantly. 她十分高兴，也很客气，而且愉快地同我交谈。 来自辞典例句

11 hoarse
adj.嘶哑的，沙哑的
参考例句：
He asked me a question in a hoarse voice.他用嘶哑的声音问了我一个问题。 He was too excited and roared himself hoarse.他过于激动，嗓子都喊哑了。

12 harp
n.竖琴；天琴座
参考例句：
She swept her fingers over the strings of the harp.她用手指划过竖琴的琴弦。 He played an Irish melody on the harp.他用竖琴演奏了一首爱尔兰曲调。

13 exhausted
adj.极其疲惫的，精疲力尽的
参考例句：
It was a long haul home and we arrived exhausted.搬运回家的这段路程特别长，到家时我们已筋疲力尽。 Jenny was exhausted by the hustle of city life.珍妮被城市生活的忙乱弄得筋疲力尽。

14 conceal
v.隐藏，隐瞒，隐蔽
参考例句：
He had to conceal his identity to escape the police.为了躲避警方，他只好隐瞒身份。 He could hardly conceal his joy at his departure.他几乎掩饰不住临行时的喜悦。

15 jack
n.插座，千斤顶，男人；v.抬起，提醒，扛举；n.（Jake）杰克
参考例句：
I am looking for the headphone jack.我正在找寻头戴式耳机插孔。 He lifted the car with a jack to change the flat tyre.他用千斤顶把车顶起来换下瘪轮胎。

16 ashore
adv.在(向)岸上，上岸
参考例句：
The children got ashore before the tide came in.涨潮前，孩子们就上岸了。 He laid hold of the rope and pulled the boat ashore.他抓住绳子拉船靠岸。

17 bunks
n.（车、船等倚壁而设的）铺位( bunk的名词复数 )；空话，废话v.（车、船等倚壁而设的）铺位( bunk的第三人称单数 )；空话，废话
参考例句：
These bunks can tip up and fold back into the wall. 这些铺位可以翻起来并折叠收入墙内。 来自《简明英汉词典》 At last they turned into their little bunks in the cart. 最后他们都钻进车内的小卧铺里。 来自辞典例句

18 sneak
vt.潜行(隐藏,填石缝)；偷偷摸摸做；n.潜行；adj.暗中进行
参考例句：
He raised his spear and sneak forward.他提起长矛悄悄地前进。 I saw him sneak away from us.我看见他悄悄地从我们身边走开。

19 strictly
adv.严厉地，严格地；严密地
参考例句：
His doctor is dieting him strictly.他的医生严格规定他的饮食。 The guests were seated strictly in order of precedence.客人严格按照地位高低就座。

20 labors
v.努力争取(for)( labor的第三人称单数 )；苦干；详细分析；（指引擎）缓慢而困难地运转
参考例句：
He was tiresome in contending for the value of his own labors. 他老为他自己劳动的价值而争强斗胜，令人生厌。 来自辞典例句 Farm labors used to hire themselves out for the summer. 农业劳动者夏季常去当雇工。 来自辞典例句

21 perfectly
adv.完美地，无可非议地，彻底地
参考例句：
The witnesses were each perfectly certain of what they said.证人们个个对自己所说的话十分肯定。 Everything that we're doing is all perfectly above board.我们做的每件事情都是光明正大的。

22 tenements
n.房屋，住户，租房子( tenement的名词复数 )
参考例句：
Here were crumbling tenements, squalid courtyards and stinking alleys. 随处可见破烂的住房、肮脏的庭院和臭气熏天的小胡同。 来自辞典例句 The tenements are in a poor section of the city. 共同住宅是在城中较贫苦的区域里。 来自辞典例句

23 tenement
n.公寓；房屋
参考例句：
They live in a tenement.他们住在廉价公寓里。 She felt very smug in a tenement yard like this.就是在个这样的杂院里，她觉得很得意。

24 swarmed
密集( swarm的过去式和过去分词 )； 云集； 成群地移动； 蜜蜂或其他飞行昆虫成群地飞来飞去
参考例句：
When the bell rang, the children swarmed out of the school. 铃声一响，孩子们蜂拥而出离开了学校。 When the rain started the crowd swarmed back into the hotel. 雨一开始下，人群就蜂拥回了旅社。

25 vigor
n.活力，精力，元气
参考例句：
The choir sang the words out with great vigor.合唱团以极大的热情唱出了歌词。 She didn't want to be reminded of her beauty or her former vigor.现在，她不愿人们提起她昔日的美丽和以前的精力充沛。

26 standing
n.持续，地位；adj.永久的，不动的，直立的，不流动的
参考例句：
After the earthquake only a few houses were left standing.地震过后只有几幢房屋还立着。 They're standing out against any change in the law.他们坚决反对对法律做任何修改。

27 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。

28 brandished
v.挥舞( brandish的过去式和过去分词 )；炫耀
参考例句：
"Bang!Bang!"the small boy brandished a phoney pistol and shouted. “砰！砰！”那小男孩挥舞着一支假手枪，口中嚷嚷着。 来自《简明英汉词典》 Swords brandished and banners waved. 刀剑挥舞，旌旗飘扬。 来自《现代英汉综合大词典》

29 daunted
使（某人）气馁，威吓( daunt的过去式和过去分词 )
参考例句：
She was a brave woman but she felt daunted by the task ahead. 她是一个勇敢的女人，但对面前的任务却感到信心不足。 He was daunted by the high quality of work they expected. 他被他们对工作的高品质的要求吓倒了。

30 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

31 rascal
n.流氓；不诚实的人
参考例句：
If he had done otherwise,I should have thought him a rascal.如果他不这样做，我就认为他是个恶棍。 The rascal was frightened into holding his tongue.这坏蛋吓得不敢往下说了。

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