staccato notes of a vanished summer-第3节

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！


resisted　his　efforts　to　get　in；　and　then　Jim　began　to　use　language　which
I　had　never　heard　from　the　lips　of　a　cat　before；　and　seldom　from　the　lips
of　a　man。　　I　will　not　repeat　it；　enough　that　it　carried　to　the　listener
the　conviction　that　Jim　was　not　sober。　　Where　he　could　have　got　his
liquor　in　the　totally　abstinent　State　of　Maine　I　could　not　positively
say；　but　probably　of　some　sailor　who　had　brought　it　from　the　neighboring
New　Hampshire　coast。　　There　could　be　no　doubt；　however；　that　Jim　was
drunk；　and　a　dash　from　the　water…pitcher　seemed　the　only　thing　for　him。
The　water　did　not　touch　him；　but　he　started　back　in　surprise　and　grief；
and　vanished　into　the　night　without　a　word。

His　feelings　must　have　been　deeply　wounded；　for　it　was　almost　a　week
before　he　came　near　us　again；　and　then　I　think　that　nothing　but　young
lobster　would　have　brought　him。　　He　forgave　us　finally；　and　made　us　of
his　party　in　the　quarrel　he　began　gradually　to　have　with　the　large　yellow
cat　of　a　next…door　neighbor。　　This　culminated　one　afternoon；　after　a　long
exchange　of　mediaeval　defiance　and　insult；　in　a　battle　upon　a　bed　of　rag…
weed；　with　wild　shrieks　of　rage；　and　prodigious　feats　of　ground　and　lofty
tumbling。　　It　seemed　to　our　anxious　eyes　that　Jim　was　getting　the　worst
of　it；　but　when　we　afterwards　visited　the　battle…field　and　picked　up
several　tufts　of　blond　fur；　we　were　in　a　doubt　which　was　afterwards
heightened　by　Jim's　invasion　of　the　yellow　cat's　territory；　where　he
stretched　himself　defiantly　upon　the　grass　and　seemed　to　be　challenging
the　yellow　cat　to　come　out　and　try　to　put　him　off　the　premises。








End