登陆注册
26231100000036

第36章

O' course, it tain't any biznis ov mine, but if us fellers was reely only sot on anything condoocin'," ["Hear! hear!" yelled Hi, in ecstasy], "condoocin'," repeated Bill slowly and with relish, "to the good ov the Order" (Bill was a brotherhood man), "I b'lieve I know whar five hundred dollars mebbe cud per'aps be got.""You bet your sox," yelled the strange voice, in chorus with other shouts of approval.

"O' course, I ain't no bettin' man," went on Bill, insinuatingly, "as a regular thing, but I'd gamble a few jist here on this pint;if the boys was stuck on anythin' costin' about seven hundred dollars, it seems to me likely they'd git it in about two days, per'aps."Here Robbie grunted out an "ay" of such fulness of contemptuous unbelief that Bill paused, and, looking over Robbie's head, he drawled out, even more slowly and mildly:

"I ain't much given to bettin', as I remarked before, but, if a man shakes money at me on that proposition, I'd accommodate him to a limited extent." ["Hear! hear! Bully boy!" yelled Hi again, from the door.] "Not bein' too bold, I cherish the opinion" [again yells of approval from the corner], "that even for this here Gospel plant, seein' The Pilot's rather sot onto it, I b'lieve the boys could find five hundred dollars inside ov a month, if perhaps these fellers cud wiggle the rest out ov their pants."Then Robbie was in great wrath and, stung by the taunting, drawling voice beyond all self-command, he broke out suddenly:

"Ye'll no can mak that guid, I doot."

"D'ye mean I ain't prepared to back it up?""Ay," said Robbie, grimly.

'Tain't likely I'll be called on; I guess $500 is safe enough,"drawled Bill, cunningly drawing him on.Then Robbie bit.

"Oo ay!" said he, in a voice of quiet contempt, "the twa hunner wull be here and 'twull wait ye long eneuch, I'se warrant ye."Then Bill nailed him.

"I hain't got my card case on my person," he said, with a slight grin.

"Left it on the pianner," suggested Hi, who was in a state of great hilarity at Bill's success in drawing the Scottie.

"But," Bill proceeded, recovering himself, and with increasing suavity, "if some gentleman would mark down the date of the almanac I cherish the opinion" [cheers from the corner] "that in one month from to-day there will be five hundred dollars lookin' round for two hundred on that there desk mebbe, or p'raps you would incline to two fifty," he drawled, in his most winning tone to Robbie, who was growing more impatient every moment.

"Nae matter tae me.Ye're haverin' like a daft loon, ony way.""You will make a memento of this slight transaction, boys, and per'aps the schoolmaster will write it down," said Bill.

It was all carefully taken down, and amid much enthusiastic confusion the ranchers and their gang carried Bill off to Old Latour's to "licker up," while Robbie, in deep wrath but in dour silence, went off through the dark with his little wife following some paces behind him.His chief grievance, however, was against the chairman for "allooin' sic a disorderly pack o' loons tae disturb respectable fowk," for he could not hide the fact that he had been made to break through his accustomed defence line of immovable silence.I suggested, conversing with him next day upon the matter, that Bill was probably only chaffing.

"Ay," said Robbie, in great disgust, "the daft eejut, he wad mak a fule o' onything or onybuddie."That was the sorest point with poor Robbie.Bill had not only cast doubts upon his religious sincerity, which the little man could not endure, but he had also held him up to the ridicule of the community, which was painful to his pride.But when he understood, some days later, that Bill was taking steps to back up his offer and had been heard to declare that "he'd make them pious ducks take water if he had to put up a year's pay," Robbie went quietly to work to make good his part of the bargain.For his Scotch pride would not suffer him to refuse a challenge from such a quarter.

同类推荐
热门推荐
  • 明德善道:高校党建与思想政治教育研究

    明德善道:高校党建与思想政治教育研究

    “本书命名为“明德善道”,就是我们对高校党的建设和思想政治教育内涵与特征的把握与阐释,也是我们进一步做好党建和思想政治工作的宗旨与追求。大学之道,在明明德,在亲民,在止于至善。“明德”即认同、践行和彰显美德,亦即秉承以德立校的理念,始终坚持社会主义办学方向,全面贯彻党的教育方针,自觉地把德育放在首位,不断用马克思主义中国化的最新理论成果指导党建和思想政治工作,培养政治合格、德智体全面发展的社会主义事业的建设者和接班人。”
  • 家庭和睦心理学

    家庭和睦心理学

    本书围绕家庭各成员之间的关系,从心理学的视角阐述了爱情、婚姻、培养和教育子女、孝敬和赡养老人等一系列家庭问题,分析了家庭角色的微妙关系,并提出了许多自我调适方法。
  • 孟婆是小仙女

    孟婆是小仙女

    21世杀手蝴蝶死后走上奈何桥,得到了被处罚处理阴间事物的天庭太子的青睐,在一趟历练中收获了情与爱,最终等待她的会是什么?-本片故事女主非好人
  • 萌喵来袭,快来

    萌喵来袭,快来

    夏紫星败在弟弟的情敌上。醒来后,虽然多了一种呆萌的药丸。夏紫星:自从我和弟弟被欧锡宇捡回家,过上了每天逗花,遛欧锡宇妃子的美好日子小剧场夏紫星在椅子上,看着自家弟弟趴在窗前看外面的练武场,心里就想到:小时候那么可爱,怎么越大越不可爱?有心思的某人没注意身后某男的黑脸,某男给南宫玄个眼神,南宫玄懂了,上前抱住夏紫钰,轻声轻语说:“小钰,我们去玩好不好”夏紫钰变回猫想了一会:看到他那么好,还是去玩好了成功抱走夏紫钰的南宫玄,走前给某男。某男关门,心马意猿的抱住夏紫星,夏紫星还不知道某男干的事吗?狠狠地拍了一下某男:“我弟回来之前不准碰我”某男只觉得他的脚好疼(这日子没法过了!)
  • 若许倾慕,何以夏初

    若许倾慕,何以夏初

    璃璃,如果你不能喜欢我,而我又不能忘记你,那么我可能一辈子就不会幸福了,你忍心看我不幸福吗?他守护了10年的女孩子,终究是要嫁给他了,可是,璃璃,你现在幸福吗?醒醒,我希望你一直幸福。如果我再也不能画画了,那么跟你的幸福比起来,我宁愿这样。唯美虐心小说,十年等待。有几个故事同时进行,各个人物之间关系很明朗。虐心唯美倾心之恋――相约黎明在夏天。推荐我另一部作品《泪祭蔷之薇》
  • 女王多夫

    女王多夫

    她是娱乐新星模特,有一个豪门男友,初次比赛告捷,她想给他个惊喜,没想到当她赢得比赛归来,却看到男友和另一个女人滚床单,心碎离开,父母却因为家庭原因让她原谅他,难道家庭条件真的比她的幸福还要重要吗?这一次,她决不妥协!--情节虚构,请勿模仿
  • 宅女的守护

    宅女的守护

    嘻哈版简介:open宅女作家遇上无良倔强导演,一场好戏正上演。恶俗版简介:因为拍摄那场电影才让尹舒明白自己已经无可救药的爱上秦子清,可是摆在他们之间的鸿沟却让尹舒不敢跨越,经过生与死的考验后,他们终于牵手。文艺版简介:我在戛纳等你娶我,你若不娶,老娘让整个戛纳为你陪葬。
  • 临界双生

    临界双生

    相传上帝赐予了恶魔一族最美的容颜,可却只给了她们一次说“我爱你”的机会,一旦选定了人,就终其一生。可是,如果我在错误的时间遇见了错误的人,说了错误的话“我要怎么办?”“为什么!你从来不肯说一句我爱你!”“对不起。”
  • 冰山公主的复仇计划

    冰山公主的复仇计划

    6岁时,由于她的爸爸杀了她的妈妈,从那时开始,她就走上了复仇之路。只有在18岁才能加入复仇帮,在那里遇到了她喜欢的人。她会因为爱情而放弃复仇吗?她会做出怎样的选择?让我们拭目以待!
  • 存活意义

    存活意义

    一个庞大杀手组织的冷血女杀手,在一次任务中发生了意外,这次意外导致了她成为了组织的叛徒。在等待组织审判的同时,组织却因为内鬼的出现而被敌对组织所覆灭。虽然组织已经覆灭,可是对这个冷血女杀手的审判仍旧没有停止。再次负责审判她的就是那个背叛组织的内鬼和敌对组织。在强大的审判者面前,她开始了一场艰难的反击。逐渐的,这个曾经的冷血杀手对于生命有了新的认识……