whirligigs-第15部分
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Immediately before us were the village baseball grounds。
And now came the sportive youth of Fishampton and
distributed themselves； shouting； about the diamond。
〃There；〃 said the sociologist； pointing； 〃there is young
Van Plushvelt。〃
I raised myself （so far a cosycophant with Mary Ann）
and gazed。
Young Van Plushvelt sat upon the ground。 He was
dressed in a ragged red sweater； wrecked and weather…
worn golf cap； run…over shoes； and trousers of the 〃ser…
viceable〃 brand。 Dust clinging to the moisture induced by
free exercise； darkened wide areas of his face。
〃That is he；〃 repeated the sociologist。 If he had said
〃him〃 I could have been less vindictive。
On a bench； with an air； sat the young millionaire's
chum。
He was dressed in a neat suit of dark blue serge； a neat
white straw hat； neat low…cut tan shoes； linen of the
well…known 〃immaculate〃 trade mark； a neat； narrow
four…in…hand tie； and carried a… slender； neat bamboo
cane。
I laughed loudly and vulgarly。
〃What you want to do；〃 said I to the sociologist； 〃is
to establish a reformatory for the Logical Vicious Circle。
Or else I've got wheels。 It looks to me as if things are
running round and round in circles instead of getting
anywhere。〃
〃What do you mean？〃 asked the man of progress。
〃Why； look what he has done to 〃Smoky；〃 I replied。
〃You will always be a fool；〃 said my friend； the sociolo…
gist； getting up and walking away。
THE RANSOM OF RED CHIEF
IT LOOKED like a good thing： but wait till I tell you。
We were down South； in Alabama Bill Driscoll and myself
when this kidnapping idea struck us。 It was； as Bill
afterward expressed it； 〃during a moment of temporary
mental apparition〃； but we didn't find that out till later。
There was a town down there； as flat as a flannel…cake；
and called Summit； of course。 It contained inhabitants
Of as undeleterious and self…satisfied a class of peasantry
as ever clustered around a Maypole。
Bill and me had a joint capital of about six hundred
dollars； and we needed just two thousand dollars more
to pull off a fraudulent town…lot scheme in Western
Illinois with。 We talked it over on the front steps of the
hotel。 Philoprogenitiveness； says we； is strong in semi…
rural communities； therefore and for other reasons； a
kidnapping project ought to do better there than in the
radius of newspapers that send reporters out in plain
clothes to stir up talk about such things。 We knew that
Summit couldn't get after us with anything stronger
than constables and maybe some lackadaisical blood…
hounds and a diatribe or two in the Weekly Farmers'
Budget。 So； it looked good。
We selected for our victim the only child of a prominent
citizen named Ebenezer Dorset。 The father was respect…
able and tight； a mortgage fancier and a stern； upright
collection…plate passer and forecloser。 The kid was a
boy of ten； with bas…relief freckles； and hair the colour of
the cover of the magazine you buy at the news…stand
when you want to catch a train。 Bill and me figured
that Ebenezer would melt down for a ransom of two
thousand dollars to a cent。 But wait till I tell you。
About two miles from Summit was a little mountain；
covered with a dense cedar brake。 On the rear elevation
of this mountain was a cave。 There we stored provisions。
One evening after sundown； we drove in a buggy past
old Dorset's house。 The kid was in the street； throw…
ing rocks at a kitten on the opposite fence。
〃Hey； little boy！〃 says Bill； 〃would you like to have
a bag of candy and a nice ride？〃
The boy catches Bill neatly in the eye with a piece of
brick。
〃That will cost the old man an extra five hundred
dollars；〃 says Bill； climbing over the wheel。
That boy put up a fight like a welter…weight cinnamon
bear； but； at last； we got him down in the bottom of the
buggy and drove away。 We took him up to the cave and
I hitched the horse in the cedar brake。 After dark I
drove the buggy to the little village； three miles away；
where we had hired it； and walked back to the moun…
tain。
Bill was pasting court…plaster over the scratches and
bruises on his features。 There was a burning behind
the big rock at the entrance of the cave； and the boy was
watching a pot of boiling coffee； with two buzzard tail…
feathers stuck in his red hair。 He points a stick at me
when I come up； and says：
〃Ha！ cursed paleface； do you dare to enter the camp of
Red Chief； the terror of the plains？
〃He's all right now；〃 says Bill； rolling up his trousers
and examining some bruises on his shins。 〃We're
playing Indian。 We're making Buffalo Bill's show look
like magic…lantern views of Palestine in the town hall。
I'm Old Hank； the Trapper； Red Chief's captive； and I'm
to be scalped at daybreak。 By Geronimo！ that kid can
kick hard。〃
Yes； sir； that boy seemed to be having the time of his
life。 The fun of camping out in a cave had made him
forget that he was a captive； himself。 He immediately
christened me Snake…eye； the Spy； and announced that；
when his braves returned from the warpath； I was to be
broiled at the stake at the rising of the sun。
Then we had supper； and he filled his mouth full of
bacon and bread and gravy； and began to talk。 He made
a during…dinner speech something like this：
〃I like this fine。 I never camped out before； but I
had a pet 'possum once； and I was nine last birthday。
I hate to go to school。 Rats ate up sixteen of Jimmy
Talbot's aunt's speckled hen's eggs。 Are there any
real Indians in these woods？ I want some more gravy。
Does the trees moving make the wind blow？ We had
five puppies。 What makes your nose so red； Hank？
My father has lots of money。 Are the stars hot？ I
whipped Ed Walker twice； Saturday。 I don't like girls。
You dassent catch toads unless with a string。 Do oxen
make any noise？ Why are oranges round？ Have you
got beds to sleep on in this cave？ Amos Murray has got
Six toes。 A parrot can talk； but a monkey or a fish can't。
How many does it take to make twelve？〃
Every few minutes he would remember that he was
a pesky redskin； and pick up his stick rifle and tiptoe to
the mouth of the cave to rubber for the scouts of the
hated paleface。 Now and then he would let out a war…
whoop that made Old Hank the Trapper shiver。 That
boy had Bill terrorized from the start。
〃Red Chief；〃 says I to the kid； 〃would you like to go
home？〃
〃Aw； what for？〃 says he。 〃I don't have any fun at
home。 I hate to go to school。 I like to camp out。 You
won't take me back home again； Snake…eye； will you？〃
〃Not right away；〃 says I。 〃We'll stay here in the
cave a while。〃
〃All right！〃 says he。 〃That'll be fine。 I never had
such fun in all my life。〃
We went to bed about eleven o'clock。 We spread down
some wide blankets and quilts and put Red Chief between
us。 We weren't afraid he'd run away。 He kept us
awake for three hours； jumping up and reaching for his
rifle and screeching： 〃Hist！ pard；〃 in mine and Bill's
ears； as the fancied crackle of a twig or the rustle of a
leaf revealed to his young imagination the stealthy
approach of the outlaw band。 At last； I fell into a
troubled sleep； and dreamed that I had been kidnapped
and chained to a tree by a ferocious pirate with red hair。
Just at daybreak； I was awakened by a series of awful
screams from Bill。 They weren't yells； or howls； or
shouts； or whoops； or yalps； such as you'd expect from
a manly set of vocal organs they were simply indecent；
terrifying； humiliating screams； such as women emit
when they see ghosts or caterpillars。 It's an awful thing
to hear a strong； desperate； fat man scream incontinently
in a cave at daybreak。
I jumped up to see what the matter was。 Red Chief
was sitting on Bill's chest； with one hand twined in Bill's
hair。 In the other he had the sharp case…knife we used
for slicing； bacon； and he was industriously and realistically
trying to take Bill's scalp； according to the sentence that
had been pronounced upon him the evening before。
I got the knife away from the kid and made him lie
down again。 But； from that moment； Bill's spirit was
broken。 He laid down on his side of the bed； but he never
closed an eye again in sleep as long as that boy was with us。
I dozed off for a while； but along toward sun…up I remem…
bered that Red Chief had said I was to be burned at the
stake at the rising of the sun。 I wasn't nervous or afraid；
but I sat up and lit my pipe and leaned against a rock。
〃What you getting up so soon for； Sam？〃 asked Bill。
〃Me？〃 says I。 〃Oh； I got a kind of a pain in
my shoulder。 I thought sitting up would rest it。〃
〃You're a liar！〃 says Bill。 〃You're afraid。 You
was to be burned at sunrise； and you was afraid he'd
do it。 And he would； too； if he could find a match。
Ain't it awful； Sam？ Do you think anybody will pay
out money to get a little imp like that back home？〃
〃Sure；〃 said I。 〃A rowdy kid like that is just the kind
that parents dote on。 Now； you and the Chief get up and
cook breakfast； while I go up on the top of this mountain
and reconnoitre。〃
I went up on the peak of the little mountain and ran my
eye over the contiguous vicinity。 Over toward Summit I
expected to see the sturdy yeomanry of the village armed
with scythes and pitchforks beating the countryside for
the dastardly kidnappers。 But what I saw was a peaceful
landscape dotted with one man ploughing with a dun
mule。 Nobody was dragging the creek； no couriers
dashed hither and yon； bringing tidings of no news to the
distracted parents。 There was a sylvan attitude of
somnolent sleepiness pervading that section of the external
outward surface of Alabama that lay exposed to my view。
〃Perhaps；〃 says
