rolf in the woods-第38章

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！



bump　my　canoe。〃　He　hailed　the　loungers　about　the　mill　with　an

effusiveness　that　they　did　not　resdond　to。　　Their　cool；　〃Hello；

Jack；　are　you　back？〃　was　little　but　a　passing　recognition。　　One

of　them　was　persuaded　to　take　Rolf's　place　in　carrying　Hoag　to

his　cabin。　　Yes；　his　folks　were　there；　but　they　did　not　seem

overjoyed　at　his　arrival。　　He　whispered　to　the　boy；　who　sullenly

went　out　to　the　river　and　returned　with　the　rifle；　Rolf's　rifle　now；

the　latter　supposed；　and　would　have　taken　the　bundle　of　furs　had

not　Skookum　sprung　on　the　robber　and　driven　him　away　from　the　canoe。



And　now　Hoag　showed　his　true　character。　　〃Them's　my　furs　and　my

canoe；〃　he　said　to　one　of　the　mill　hands；　and　turning　to　the　two

who　had　saved　him；　he　said：　〃An'　you　two　dirty；　cutthroat；

redskin　thieves；　you　can　get　out　of　town　as　fast　as　ye　know　how；

or　I'll　have　ye　jugged；〃　and　all　the　pent…up　hate　of　his　hateful

nature　frothed　out　in　words　insulting　and　unprintable。



〃Talks　like　a　white　man；〃　said　Quonab　coldly。　　Rolf　was　speechless。

To　toil　so　devotedly；　and　to　have　such　filthy；　humiliating　words

for　thanks！　　He　wondered　if　even　his　Uncle　Mike　would　have　shown

so　vile　a　spirit。



Hoag　gave　free　rein　to　his　tongue；　and　found　in　his　pal；　Bill　Hawkins；

one　with　ready　ears　to　hear　his　tale　of　woe。　The　wretch　began　to　feel

himself　frightfully　ill…used。　　So；　fired　at　last　by　the　evermore　lurid

story　of　his　wrongs；　the　〃partner〃　brought　the　magistrate；　so　they

could　swear　out　a　warrant；　arrest　the　two　〃outlaws；〃　and　　especially

secure　the　bundle　of　〃Hoag's　furs〃　in　the　canoe。



Old　Silas　Sylvanne；　the　mill…owner　and　pioneer　of　the　place；　was

also　its　magistrate。　　He　was　tall；　thin；　blacklooking；　a　sort　of

Abe　Lincoln　in　type；　physically；　and　in　some　sort；　mentally。　　He

heard　the　harrowing　tale　of　terrible　crime；　robbery；　and　torture；

inflicted　on　poor　harmless　Hoag　by　these　two　ghouls　in　human　shape；

he　listened；　at　first　shocked；　but　little　by　little　amused。



〃You　don't　get　no　warrant　till　I　hear　from　the　other　side；〃

he　said。　　Roff　and　Quonab　came　at　call。　　The　old　pioneer　sized

up　the　two；　as　they　stood；　then；　addressing　Rolf；　said：



〃Air　you　an　Injun？〃　〃No；　sir。〃　〃Air　you　half…breed？〃　〃No；　sir。〃

〃Well；　let's　hear　about　this　business；〃　and　he　turned　his

piercing　eyes　full　on　the　lad's　face。



Rolf　told　the　simple；　straight　story　of　their　acquaintance　with　Hoag；

from　the　first　day　at　Warren's　to　their　arrival　at　the　Falls。

There　is　never　any　doubt　about　the　truth　of　a　true　story；

if　it　be　long　enough；　and　this　true　story；　presented　in　its

nakedness　to　the　shrewd　and　kindly　old　hunter；　trader；　mill…owner

and　magistrate；　could　have　only　one　effect。



〃Sonny；〃　he　said；　slowly　and　kindly；　〃I　know　that　ye　have　told　me

the　truth。　　I　believe　every　word　of　it。　　We　all　know　that　Hoag　is

the　meanest　cuss　and　biggest　liar　on　the　river。　　He's　a　nuisance；

and　always　was。　　He　only　promised　to　give　ye　the　canoe　and　the

rifle；　and　since　he　don't　want　to；　we　can't　help　it。　　About　the

trouble　in　the　woods；　you　got　two　witnesses　to　his　one；　and　ye

got　the　furs　and　the　traps；　it's　just　as　well　ye　left　the　other

furs　behind；　or　ye　might　have　had　to　divide　'em；　so　keep　them　and

call　the　hull　thing　square。　　We'll　find　ye　a　canoe　to　get　out　of

this　gay　metropolis；　and　as　to　Hoag；　ye　needn't　a…worry；　his

travelling　days　is　done。〃



A　man　with　a　bundle　of　high…class　furs　is　a　man　of　means　in　any

frontier　town。　　The　magistrate　was　trader；　too；　so　they　set　about

disposing　of　their　furs　and　buying　the　supplies　they　needed。



The　day　was　nearly　done　before　their　new　canoe　was　gummed　and

ready　with　the　new　supplies。　　When　dealing；　old　Sylvanne　had　a

mild；　quiet　manner；　and　a　peculiar　way　of　making　funny　remarks

that　led　some　to　imagine　he　was　〃easy〃　in　business；　but　it　was

usual　to　find　at　the　end　that　he　had　lost　nothing　by　his　manners；

and　rival　traders　shunned　an　encounter　with　Long　Sylvanne　of　the

unruffled　brow。



When　business　was　done　　keen　and　complete　　he　said：　〃Now；

I'm　a　goin'　to　give　each　of　ye　a　present；〃　and　handed　out　two

double…bladed　jackknives；　new　things　in　those　days；　wonderful

things；　precious　treasures　in　their　eyes；　sources　of　endless　joy；

and　even　had　they　known　that　one　marten　skin　would　buy　a　quart　of

them；　their　pleasant　surprise　and　childish　joy　would　not　have

been　in　any　way　tempered　or　alloyed。



〃Ye　better　eat　with　me；　boys；　an'　start　in　the　morning。〃　So　they

joined　the　miller's　long；　continuous　family；　and　shared　his

evening　meal。　　Afterward　as　they　sat　for　three　hours　and　smoked

on　the　broad　porch　that　looked　out　on　the　river；　old　Sylvanne；

who　had　evidently　taken　a　fancy　to　Rolf；　regaled　them　with　a

long；　rambling　talk　on　〃fellers　　and　things；〃　that　was　one　of　the

most　interesting　Rolf　had　ever　listened　to。　　At　the　time　it　was

simply　amusing；　it　was　not　till　years　after　that　the　lad　realized

by　its　effect　on　himself；　its　insight；　and　its　hold　on　his

memory；　that　Si　Sylvanne's　talk　was　real　wisdom。　　Parts　of　it

would　not　look　well　in　print；　but　the　rugged　words；　the　uncouth

Saxonism；　the　obscene　phrase；　were　the　mere　oaken　bucket　in　which

the　pure　and　precious　waters　were　hauled　to　the　surface。



〃Looked　like　he　had　ye　pinched　when　that　shyster　got　ye　in　to

Lyons　Falls。　　Wall；　there's　two　bad　places　for　Jack　Hoag；　one　is

where　they　don't　know　him　at　all；　an'　take　him　on　his　looks；　an'

t'other　is　where　they　know　him　through　and　through　for　twenty

years；　like　we　hev。　A　smart　rogue　kin　put　up　a　false　front　fer　a

year　or　maybe　two；　but　given　twenty　year　to　try　him；　for　and　bye；

summer　an'　winter；　an'　I　reckon　a　man's　make　is　pretty　well

showed　up；　without　no　dark　corners　left　unexplored。



〃Not　that　I　want　to　jedge　him　harsh；　coz　I　don't　know　what　kind

o'　maggots　is　eatin'　his　innards　to　make　him　so　ornery。　　I'm

bound　to　suppose　he　has　'em；　or　he　wouldn't　act　so　dum　like　it。

So　I　says；　go　slow　and　gentle　before　puttin'　a　black　brand　on　any

feller；　as　my　mother　used　to　say；　never　say　a　bad　thing　till　ye

ask；　'Is　it　true；　is　it　kind；　is　it　necessary？'　　An'　I　tell　you；

the　older　I　git；　the　slower　I　jedge；　when　I　wuz　your　age；　I　wuz　a

steel　trap　on　a　hair　trigger；　an'　cocksure。　　I　tell　you；　there


ain't　anythin'　wiser　nor　a　sixteen…year…old　boy；　'cept　maybe　a

fifteen…year…old　girl。



〃Ye'll　genilly　find；　lad；　jest　when　things　looks　about　as　black

as　they　kin　look；　that's　the　sign　of　luck　a…comin'　your　way；

pervidin'　ye　hold　steady；　keep　cool　and　kind；　something　happens

every　time　to　make　it　all　easy。　　There's　always　a　way；　an'　the

stout　heart　will　find　it。



〃Ye　may　be　very　sure　o'　this；　boy；　yer　never　licked　till　ye　think

ye　air　an'　if　ye　won't　think　it；　ye　can't　be　licked。



It's　just　the　same　as　being　sick。　　I　seen　a　lot　o'　doctorin'　　in

my　day；　and　I'm　forced　to　believe　there　ain't　any　sick　folks

'cept　them　that　thinks　they　air　sick。



〃The　older　I　git；　the　more　I'm　bound　to　consider　that　most　things

is　inside；　anyhow；　and　what's　outside　don't　count　for　much。



〃So　it　stands　to　reason　when　ye　play　the　game　for　what's　inside；

ye　win　over　all　the　outside　players。　　When　ye　done　kindness　to

Hoag；　ye　mightn't　a　meant　it；　but　ye　was　bracin'　up　the　goodness

in　yerself；　or　bankin'　it　up　somewher'　on　the　trail　ahead；　where

it　was　needed。　　And　he　was　simply　chawin'　his　own　leg　off；　when

he　done　ye　dirt。　　I　ain't　much　o'　a　prattlin'　Christian；　but　I

reckon　as　a　cold…blooded；　business　proposition　it　pays　to　lend

the　neighbour　a　hand；　not　that　I　go　much　on　gratitude。　It's

scarcer'n　snowballs　in　hell　　which　ain't　the　point；　but　I　take

notice　there　ain't　any　man'll　hate　ye　more'n　the　feller　that

knows　he's　acted　mean　to　ye。　　An'　there　ain't　any　feller　more

ready　to　fight　yer　battles　than　the　chap　that　by　some　dum

accident　has　hed　the　luck　to　help　ye；　even　if　he　only　done　it　to

spite　some　one　else　　which　'minds　me　o'　McCarthy's　bull　pup

that　saved　the　drowning