英语故事The Serpents Trail.docx

1、英语故事The Serpents Trail英语故事The Serpents Trail Levontys two lads， the one the Serpent showed the way to gold， soon began to prosper. Their father died， but just the same each year was better than the last. They built a hut - not over grand， just an ordinary wellbuilt hut. Then they bought a cow and a

2、horse， and in winter theyd three sheep under the roof. Right glad their mother was to see a little ease and comfort in her old age.All this came from the good services of the old man， Semyonich. His was the head that guided them. He taught the boys how to dispose of the gold so the office wouldnt ta

3、ke note or the other prospectors look at them with envy. Guile was needed for handling gold， a man must have eyes all round. There were others seeking it， there were merchants like vultures， and the office watching you too. You had to be clever. How could children find their way about in it all？ But

4、 Semyonich told them what to do. Taught them the ways of it.And so it went on. The boys got big but they still washed gold in the same place. The other prospectors stayed round about too. They didnt get much， but still it was something. But the boys， they did real well. Even started to put a bit awa

5、y.But then the men on top noticed - two orphans， and not at all badly off. So one day - it was a holiday and their mother was just taking fish pies out of the oven - a messenger appeared.“Youve got to go to the bailiff. At once， he said.”They went， and the bailiff began bawling at them.“How long dye

6、 think youre going to idle？ Just look at ye - tall as flag-poles and never done a days work for the Master yet！ Who let ye off？ Want to try the fit of a soldiers cap？”Of course the boys explained.“Our father， God rest his soul， the Master himself freed because he was past his work. And so we thought

7、 - ”“Its not for you to think！ Show me the paper that says youre free！”The boys hadnt any paper， of course， so they didnt know what to say. Then the bailiff told them： “Bring five hundred each and Ill give ye the papers.”He was probing， like， to see if the lads would say theyd got money. But they st

8、ood firm.If we sold all weve got， to the last thread，“ said the younger， ”it wouldnt bring the half.“If thats the way， then you go to work tomorrow morning. The supervisorll tell ye where to go. And see youre not late for getting your task. If you are， yell get the whip on your first day.”Down in th

9、e mouth they were， those boys of ours. And when they told their mother she started weeping and lamenting.“Oh misery！ How shall we keep alive now？”Their neighbours and relations all came. Some counseled writing to the Master， some said they ought to go to town， to the real big men over the mines， and

10、 some added up how much they could get if they sold everything they had. And others put fear in them， saying： “While youre talking and arguing here， the bailiffs men will take ye by the collar， flog ye and push ye into the mines. Put ye in chains there too. And then see how far youll get in seeking

11、justice！”Some said this and some said that， but none so much as thought that maybe the boys might have five times as much as the bailiff said but fear to show it. Even their mother knew naught of it. When Semyonich was still among the living hed warned them many a time： “Tell none of the gold put by

12、， and especially tell no woman. Mother， wife， sweetheart - say no word to any. Ye never know what can happen. The guards from the mine can come， make a search， threaten this and that. A woman might have a close mouth in the ordinary way， but shell be afraid for her son or her husband and show the pl

13、ace where its hid. And thats just what the guards want. Theyll take the gold and get rid of the man. And the woman， shell just throw herself in the water or put a rope round her neck. Ive known it happen. So be cautious！ When ye grow up and wed， bear it will in mind. As for your mother， not a hint o

14、f it to her. She can never hold her tongue， she likes to boast of her children.”The boys took good heed of Semyonichs counsel and said no word to any of their hoard. The others prospectors guessed， of course， that the boys must have something put away， but how much and where， none knew.So the neighb

15、ours talked the matter over this way and that， they felt for the two， but the end of it all was， they would have to go to work next morning.“No way out of it.”As soon as all were gone， the younger lad said： “Come， Brother， lets go to the gold-fields. Take a last took at our place. . . . .”The other

16、guessed what was in his mind.“Why not， lets go，” he said. “The fresh air will mebbe make us feel easier.”Their mother put something together from the Sunday meal for them to eat on the way， and slipped in a pickle or two. They took a bottle as well， of course， and set off for the Ryabinovka.They wal

17、ked a good while with no word spoken. When the path turned into the woods， the elder brother said： “Well hide here a bit.”They turned sharp off the path and lay down behind some briars. They drank a glassful each， then lay quiet and listened. Someone was coming. They peered out and saw Vanka Sochen

18、plodding along the path with his pan and tools. Like as if he was off real early to the fields. Got a sudden craving for work， couldnt even wait to finish his bottle. Now that Sochen， he was an office cur， if they smelt a rat anywhere they sent him sniffing round. Folks had known that a long time. H

19、ed been beaten more than once， but he still kept on. A real pest. The Mistress of the Copper Mountain herself gave him his quittance later on， and in such wise that he lay under the sod. Aye， but thats no matter here Well， along came that Sochen and the brothers winked at each other. Then the forema

20、n passed on horseback. They waited a bit more， and Pimenov himself rolled past， driving his Yorshik. Hed got rods fastened to his light cart， as if he was going fishing.Pimenov was the most daring of those that bought gold secretly those days in Polevaya. And everyone knew Yorshik. A racer from the

21、steppes， he was. Not so very big， but hed leave any three-span behind. Where could Pimenov have got hold of him？ Folks used to say hed got two hearts and two pairs of lungs. Hed gallop fifty versts and be fresh at the end of it. Try to catch a horse like that！ A real thiefs horse. Theres a lot of ta

22、les told about him. And his master was a stout， lusty fellow， not the kind youd want to start a fight with. Not like those heirs of his that live in that big two-storey house over there.When the two lads saw that fisherman they had to laugh. Then the younger one stood up behind the briars and called

23、 him - not too loud， though， a bit careful.“Ivan Vasilyevich， have you your scales with ye？”The merchant saw the lad was laughing and gave back jest for jest.“Hard if I couldnt find any in the woods here！ If there was something to weigh on em.”Then he reined Yorshik in. “If youve aught for me， get i

24、n， Ill set ye on your way.”That was how he always did it - bought gold with the horse ready. He knew what Yorshik could do. Hed only to say： “Yorshik - youll get the whip！” and next minute thered be naught but a spatter of mud or a cloud of dust.“We havent it with us，” the lads said， and then asked：

25、 “Wherell we find ye tomorrow morning early， Ivan Vasilyevich？”“What have ye got - something worth while， or just a pinch？” the merchant asked.“As if you didnt know. . . .”“Oh， I know all right， but I dont know all. I dont know if you both want to buy yourselves free. Or only one to start with.”He w

26、aited a minute， and then he went on - sort of warning them.“Take care， lads， theyre watching ye. Did you see Sochen？”“Aye， we saw him.”“And the foreman？”“We saw him too.”“Theyve maybe sent others. And there might be some smelling round on their own account. They all know you need to get money by the

27、 morn， so theyre spying. I came specially to warn ye.”“And thank ye kindly， but weve got our own eyes open too.”“Aye， I can see youve got heads on your shoulders， but all the same - take care.”“Are you afraid itll slip away from ye？”“Nay， Ive naught to fret about. Theres none other would buy it， the

28、yd be afraid.”“Whatll you pay？”Pimenov pushed the price down， of course. A hawk， after all. That sort dont let go their prey.“Thats all Ill give，” he said， “there may be trouble.”So the bargain was struck. Pimenov whispered： “At dawn Ill drive by the dyke and pick ye up.” He shook the reins. “Get on

29、， Yorshik， catch the foreman！” Then he asked the lads： “Dye want money for both or for one？”“We dont know how much well be able to scrape up，” said the younger. “Bring plenty， anyway.”The merchant drove away.The lads were quiet a while， then the younger one said： “Pimenov spoke good sense， Brother.

30、Wed better not show too much money all at once. It might end badly. Theyd just take it and thats all.”“Aye， thats right. But whatll we do， then？”“Mebbe this way. Well go to the bailiff again， well beg him humbly to take a bit less. Then well say we cant get more than four hundred even if we sell all

31、 weve got. Hell let one of us go for four hundred， youll see， and folksll think weve given our last.”“That ud be all right，” said the elder， “but whos to stay a serf？ Looks like well have to draw lots.”Then the younger one started to cajole his brother.“Aye， draw lots， that ud be the best way， of co

32、urse. Then none can complain. No two words about it. . . . Though - theres one thing. Youve got an injury. One eyes no good. . . . If you got in their ill books they did never make a soldier of ye， but what ud save me？ The first thing and theyd send me off. And good bye to freedom then. But if you could stand it a bit， Id soon buy ye free. Before a