湯姆·史威夫特和他的摩托艇

(Or The Rivals of Lake Carlopa)

（或卡洛斯湖的競爭對手）

VICTOR APPLETON

維克多·阿普爾頓

CHAPTER III

A TIMELY WARNING

第三章

及時警告

"Well, are you satisfied with your bargain, Tom?" asked Mr. Wood when the formalities about transferring the ownership of the motor-boat had been completed.

"Oh, yes, I calculated to pay just what I did."

"I'm glad you're satisfied, for Mr. Hastings told me to be sure the purchaser was satisfied. Here he comes now. I guess he wasn't at the auction."

“好的，湯姆,，你對這筆交易滿意嗎,？” 伍德問,，他麻利的完成轉讓摩托艇所有權的手續(xù),。

“哦，還行,，這次交易掏光了我的口袋,?！?/p>

“我很高興你對交易滿意，因為黑斯廷斯先生告訴我,，要確保買家滿意,。他現在來了。我想剛才他不在拍賣會上?！?/p>

An elderly gentleman was approaching Mr. Wood and Tom. Most of the throng was dispersing, but the young inventor noticed that Andy Foger and Sam Snedecker stood to one side, regarding him closely.

"So you got my boat," remarked the former owner of the craft. "I hope you will be able to fix it up."

"Oh, I think I shall," answered the new owner of the CARLOPA. "If I can't, father will help me."

一位老先生向伍德和湯姆走來,。大部分人正在散去，我們的發(fā)明家注意到,，安迪·佛格和薩姆·斯內德克還站在一邊,，密切關注著他。

“你拍到了我的船,，”那艘船的前主人說道,。 “我希望您能把它修好?！?/p>

“哦,，我想我會的?！?卡洛帕的新老板回答,。 “如果我修不好，我爸會幫我,?！?/p>

"Yes, you have an advantage there. Are you going to keep the same name?" and Mr. Hastings seemed quite interested in what answer the lad would make.

"I think not," replied Tom. "It's a good name, but I want something that tells more what a fast boat it is, for I'm going to make some changes that will increase the speed."

"That's a good idea. Call it the Swift."

“是的，你有那方面的特長,。你要這艘船還用這個名字嗎,？” 黑斯廷斯先生似乎對小伙子會做怎樣回答很感興趣。

“我想不是,?！睖坊卮稹?“這是一個好名字,，但是我取個新名,，能表現出這是一艘快艇，我將做一些改變,，進一步提高它的速度,。”

“這是個好主意,。稱它為斯威夫特吧,。”

"Folks would say I was stuck up if I did that," retorted the youth quickly. "I think I shall call it the ARROW. That's a good, short name,and---"

"It's certainly speedy," interrupted Mr. Hastings. "Well now, since you're not going to use the name CARLOPA, would you mind if I took it for my new boat? I have a fancy for it."

"Not in the least," said Tom. "Don't you want the letters from each side of the bow to put on your new craft?"

“如果我那樣做,，大家伙會說,，我被這艘船困住了，”年輕人迅速反駁,。 “我想我稱它為“箭”,。是一個好名字,，簡單，而且--”

黑斯廷斯先生打斷道：“船肯定會很快,。好吧,，既然您不打算使用卡洛帕這個名字，您是否介意我將它用于我的新船,？我很喜歡這個名字,。”

“至少不是,，”湯姆說,。 “你是不是想在新船船舷兩邊都刻上這些字母吧？”

"It's very kind of you to offer them, and, since you will have no need for them, I'll be glad to take them off."

"Come down to my boat," invited Tom, using the word "my" with a proper pride, "and I'll take off the brass letters. I have a screw driver in my motor-cycle tool bag."

As the former and present owners of the ARROW (which is the name by which I shall hereafter designate Tom's motor-boat) walked down toward the dock where it was moored the young inventor gave a startled cry.

“很高興您把這個名字讓給我,，而且,，由于您將不再需要它們，我很高興將它們取下,?！?/p>

“請到我的船上來，”湯姆邀請,，并以“我”一詞為榮,，“我將摘下這些黃銅字母。我的摩托車工具袋里有螺絲刀,?！?/p>

船的原主人和現在“箭”的新主人（以后這就是湯姆的摩托艇的名字）朝停泊處的碼頭走去，年輕的發(fā)明家大叫一聲,。

"What's the matter?" asked Mr. Hastings.

"That man! See him at my motor-boat?" cried Tom. He pointed to the craft in the lake. A man was in the cockpit and seemed to be doing something to the forward bulkhead, which closed off the compartment holding the gasoline tank.

"Who is he?" asked Mr. Hastings, while Tom started on a run toward the boat.

“怎么了,？” 黑斯廷斯問。

“那個男人,！他正在我的摩托艇上,，看到了嗎，,？” 湯姆大叫,。 他指著湖中的船。 有個人在駕駛艙內,，似乎在對前艙壁做什么,，前艙壁裝滿了汽油桶。

“他是誰,？” 黑斯廷斯問道,，湯姆加速跑向小船。

"I don't know. Some man who bid on the boat at the auction, but who didn't go high enough," answered the lad. As he neared the craft the man sprang out, ran along the lakeshore for a short distance and then disappeared amid the bushes which bordered the estate of Mr. Hastings.

Tom hurriedly entered the ARROW.Did he do any damage?" asked Mr. Hastings.

I guess he didn't have time," responded Tom. "But he was tampering with the lock on the door of the forward compartment. What's in there?"

小伙子回答道：“我不知道,。好像是在拍賣會上競標的一個人，但又像沒這么高?！?當他接近游艇時,，那個人突然跳了起來，沿著湖岸跑了一小段距離,，然后消失在與黑斯廷斯的莊園接壤的灌木叢中,。

湯姆急忙跳上船，黑斯廷斯先生問“他有沒有搞破壞,？”

“我猜他沒來得及,，”湯姆回答，“但是他在戳弄前廂門上的鎖,，里面有什么,？”

"Nothing but the gasoline tank. I keep the bulkhead sliding door locked on general principles. I can't imagine what the fellow would want to open it for. There's nothing of value in there. Perhaps he isn't right in his head. Was he a tramp?"

"No, he was well dressed but he seemed very nervous during the auction, as if he was disappointed not to have secured the boat. Yet what could he want in that compartment? Have you the key to the lock, Mr.Hastings?"

“除了汽油箱，別無其他,。按照一般原則,，我通常會把艙壁推拉門鎖上。我無法想象那個家伙到底為什么要打開門,。里面沒有任何價值,。也許他腦子有病。 他是流浪漢嗎,？”

“不,，他穿戴整齊，但在拍賣會上他似乎很緊張,，沒有拍到船,，好像讓他失望。然而,，他在那間前廂門搞什么,？海斯廷斯先生，你有鎖的鑰匙嗎,？”

"Yes, it belongs to you now, Mr. Swift," and the former owner handed it to Tom, who quickly unlocked the compartment. He slid back the door and peered within, but all he saw was the big galvanized tank."Nothing in there he could want," commented the former owner of the craft.

"No," agreed Tom in a low voice. "I don't see what he wanted to open the door for."

“是的,，它現在屬于你了，斯威夫特先生,?！鼻袄习灏谚€匙交給了湯姆，湯姆迅速打開了廂門 ,，他向后滑動,，凝視著里面，但他所看到的只是一個大型鍍鋅汽油桶,。

船的原有者評論道：“那里沒有他想要的東西,?！?/p>

“是啊?！睖返吐暣饝?。 “我不明白他為什么想打開廂門?！?/p>

But the time was to come, and not far off, when Tom was to discover quite a mystery connected with the forward compartment of his boat, and the solution of it was fated to bring him into no little danger.

"It certainly is odd," went on Mr. Hastings when, after Tom had secured the screw driver from his motor-cycle tool bag, he aided the lad in removing the letters from the bow of the boat "Are you sure you don't know the man?"

但是無法預料,，不久以后，湯姆將發(fā)現與船前艙有關的謎團,，而解決這件事注定會給他帶來不少危險,。

“這當然很奇怪，”黑斯廷斯繼續(xù)說道,，當湯姆將螺絲刀從摩托車工具包中取出來,，他幫小伙子從船頭上取下了字母，“你確信你不認識那個男人嗎,？

"No, I never saw him before. At first I thought his voice sounded like one of the members of the Happy Harry gang, but when I looked squarely at him I could not see a bit of resemblance. Besides, that gang would not venture again into this neighborhood."

"No, I imagine not. Perhaps he was only a curious, meddlesome person. I have frequently been bothered by such individuals. They want to see all the working parts of an automobile or motor- boat, and they don't care what damage they do by investigating."

“是啊,，我從沒見過他。起初,，我覺得他的聲音聽起來像是快樂哈里幫派的成員之一,，但是當我直視他時，我看不到任何相似之處,。此外,，那個幫派也不會冒險再次來這個社區(qū)?！?/p>

“不,，我想不是，也許他只是一個好奇的人,。我經常被這樣的人打擾,。他們想看到汽車或摩托艇的所有部件，而且他們滿足好奇時,，不在乎造成什么損壞,。”

Tom did not reply, but he was pretty certain that the man in question had more of an object than mere curiosity in tampering with the boat. However, he could discover no solution just then, and he proceeded with the work of taking off the letters.

"What are you going to do with your boat, now that you have it?"asked Mr. Hastings. "Can you run it down to your dock in the condition in which it is now?"

湯姆沒有回答,，但他可以肯定的是,，這名可疑男子的行為不僅僅是出于好奇，而是有其他目的,。 但是那時還沒有想明白,，他忙著拆字了。

“既然有了船,，你有什么計劃,？”黑斯廷斯先生問,。 “在現在的狀態(tài)下，你能將它開到自己的碼頭嗎,？”

"No, I shall have to go back home, get some tools and fix up the motor.It will take half a day, at least. I will come back this afternoon and, have the boat at my house by night. That is if I may leave it at your dock here."

"Certainly, as long as you like."

“不行,，我必須回家,，拿些工具修理電動機,。至少要花半天時間。我今天下午就回來,，晚上把船停到我家,。 我可以把它暫時停放在你的碼頭?！?/p>

“當然可以,，只要您愿意?！?/p>

The young inventor had many things to think about as he rode toward home, and though he was somewhat puzzled over the actions of the stranger, he forgot about that in anticipating the pleasure he would have when the motor-boat was in running order.

"I'll take dad off on a cruise about the lake," he decided. "He needs a rest, for he's been working hard and worrying over the theft of the turbine motor model. I'll take Ned Newton for some rides, too, and he can bring his camera along and get a lot of pictures. Oh, I'll have some jolly sport this summer!"

年輕的發(fā)明家騎車回家的路上,，考慮了很多事情，盡管他對陌生人的舉動有些疑惑,，一想到摩托艇馬上可以運轉起來,，他感到高興，其他事都忘掉了,。

他暗自決定：“我將帶爸爸去環(huán)湖游,。他需要休息，因為他一直在努力工作,，并且時時擔心渦輪電動機模型失竊,。我也將帶內德-牛頓去兜風，他可以隨身帶著相機,，拍攝很多照片,。哦， 今年夏天將有很多樂子,！”

Tom was riding swiftly along a quiet country road and was approaching a steep hill, which he could not see until he was close to it,owing to a sharp turn.As he was about to swing around it and coast swiftly down the steep declivity he was startled by hearing a voice calling to him from the bushes at the side of the road."Hold on, dar I Hold on, Mistah Swift!" cried a colored man, suddenly popping into view. "Doan't go down dat hill."

湯姆迅速地沿著一條安靜的鄉(xiāng)間小路騎行,，正駛向陡峭的山坡，由于急轉彎,，直到靠近山坡,，他才看到。當他急剎車,，控制住車子擺動,，并迅速沿著陡峭的傾斜度滑行時，他聽到路旁灌木叢中傳來令他震驚的聲音,?！暗鹊?，等一下，斯威夫特,！” 一個黑人喊道,，突然冒出來。 “不要下山,?！?/p>

"Why, it's Eradicate Sampson!" exclaimed Tom, quickly shutting off the power and applying the brakes. "What's the matter, Rad? Why shouldn't I go down that hill?"

"Beca'se, Mistah Swift, dere's a pow'ful monstrous tree trunk right across de road at a place whar yo' cain't see it till yo' gits right on top ob it.Ef yo' done hit dat ar tree on yo' lickity-split machine, yo' suah would land in kingdom come. Doan't go down dat hill!"

“為什么，額瑞德科特-桑普森,！” 湯姆叫道,，迅速切斷電源并剎車。 “怎么了,，拉德,？我為什么不能下山呢？”

“因為,，斯威夫特,，在下山的路上，有一根巨大樹干,，在這里你看不到,，到下邊亂七八糟的時候才能看到。你騎車就會撞上那些樹,，你就去天國吧,。 不要下山了！”

Tom leaped off his machine and approached the colored man.Eradicate Sampson did odd jobs in the neighborhood of Shopton, and more than once Tom had done him favors in repairing his lawn mower or his wood-sawing machine. In turn Eradicate had given Tom a valuable clue as to the hiding place of the model thieves.

"How'd the log get across the road, Rad?" asked Tom.

湯姆跳下機器,，走近那個黑人,。額瑞德科特-桑普森在邵普屯附近做零工，湯姆不止一次地幫他修理割草機或木鋸機,。同樣,，額瑞德科特也為湯姆提供過關于小偷藏身之處的寶貴線索。

“原木怎么橫在馬路上了,，伙計,？” 湯姆問。

"I dunno, Mistah Swift. "I see it when I come along wid mah mule, Boomerang, an' I tried t' git it outer de way, but I couldn't. Den I left Boomerang an' mah wagon at de foot ob de hill an' I come up heah t' git a long pole t' pry de log outer de way. I didn't t'ink nobody would come along, case dis road ain't much trabeled."

"I took it for a short cut," said the lad. "Come on, let's take a look at the log."

“我也古里糊涂,，斯威夫特,。我上爬這山時，看到大木頭,，我想試著挪開一下,，但我做不到。 我就離開了，離開了,，我他媽不管了,，也搬不動，我爬上山坡,，我不管了,。 我沒想過有人會來，沒有人來,，也不會有麻煩,。”

小伙子說：“我要走這條捷徑呢,。來吧,，讓我們看一下這個路障?！?/p>

Leaving his machine at the top of the slope, the young inventor accompanied the colored man 'down the hill. At the foot of it, well hidden from sight of any one who might come riding down, was a big log.It was all the way across the road.

"That never fell there," exclaimed Tom in some excitement. "That never rolled off a load of logs, even if there had been one along, which there wasn't. That log was put there!"

年輕的發(fā)明家把摩托停在山坡頂上，跟著這個黑人,，走到山坡下,，看到一根大木頭，它隱蔽在任何可能騎行下來的人的視線之外,，直接橫在馬路上,。

“樹木從來沒有落到過這里?！睖放d奮地道,。 “即使有一根，也從來沒有滾來滾去,。這么大一段樹干在那兒,！”

"Does yo' t'ink dat, Mistah Swift?" asked Eradicate, his eyes getting big.

"I certainly do, and, if you hadn't warned me, I might have been killed."

"Oh, I heard yo' lickity-split machine chug-chuggin' along when I were in de bushes, lookin' for a pryin' pole, an' I hurried out to warn yo. I knowed I could leave Boomerang safe, 'case he's asleep."

“你不知道嗎，斯威夫特,？” 黑人問,，他的眼睛越來越大。

“我當然知道,，如果你沒有警告我,，我可能已經死了?！?/p>

“哦,，當我在灌木叢中時，我聽到你的破摩托突然響起,，我急忙警告你,。我知道我可以放心了，這個回旋鏢睡著了?！?/p>

"I'm glad you did warn me," went on the youth solemnly. Then, as he went closer to the log, he uttered an exclamation.

"That has been dragged here by an automobile!" he cried. "It's been done on purpose to injure some one. Come on, Rad, let's see if we can't find out who did it."

Something on the ground caught Tom's eye. He stooped and picked up a nickle-plated wrench.

"This may come in handy as evidence," he murmured.

“我很高興你警告了我,，”青年嚴肅地說道。 然后,，當他靠近樹干時,，他發(fā)出了驚叫聲。

“那是被汽車拖到這里了,！” 他大叫,。 “這樣是為了故意傷害某人。來吧,，伙計,，讓我們看看，到底是誰做的,?！?/p>

湯姆的目光投向地面。 他彎下腰,，撿起一個鍍鎳的扳手,。

他喃喃地說：“這是證據，可能會派上用場,?！?/p>