登陆注册
5450700000015

第15章 CHAPTER IV THE COMING OF JOB(6)

"Be ye? Oh, you're the new assistant from Boston. You'll do. All I want to do is unload him--Job, I mean--and leave a couple bundles of fly paper Seth ordered. Here!" lowering the tailboard and climbing into the wagon, you catch aholt of t'other end of the box, and I'll shove on this one. Hush up, Job! Nobody's goin' to eat ye--'less it's the moskeeters. Now, then, mister, here he comes."

He began pushing the box toward the open end of the wagon. The dog's whines and screams and scratchings furnished an accompaniment almost deafening.

"Wait! Stop! For heaven's sake, wait!" shouted Brown. "What are you putting that brute off here for? I don't want him."

"Yes, you do. Seth does, anyhow. Henry G. made him a present of Job last time Seth was over to the store. Didn't he tell ye?"

Then the substitute assistant remembered. This was the "half-grown pup" Atkins had said was to be brought over by the grocery boy.

This was the creature they were to accept "on trial."

"Well, by George!" he exclaimed in disgust.

"Didn't Seth tell ye?" asked the boy again.

"Yes. . . . Yes, I believe he did. But--"

"Then stand by while I unload him. Here he comes now. H'ist him down easy as you can."

That was not too easy, for the end of the box slid from the tail- board to the ground with a thump that shook the breath from the prisoner within. But the breath came back again and furnished motive power for more and worse howls and whines. Joshua pricked up his ears and trotted to the further end of his halter.

"There!" said Henry G.'s boy, jumping to the ground beside the box, "that's off my hands, thank the mercy! Here's your fly paper. Five dozen sheets. You must have pretty nigh as many flies down here as you have moskeeters. Well, so long. I got to be goin'."

"Wait a minute," pleaded Brown. "What shall I do with this--er-- blessed dog? Is he savage? Why did you bring him in a crate--like a piano?"

"'Cause 'twas the easiest way. You couldn't tie him up, not in a cart no bigger'n this. Might's well tie up an elephant. Besides, he won't stay tied up nowheres. Busted more clotheslines than I've got fingers and toes, that pup has. He needs a chain cable to keep him to his moorin's. Don't ye, Job, you old earthquake? Hey?"

He pounded on the box, and the earthquake obliged with a renewed series of shocks and shakings.

The lightkeeper's assistant smiled in spite of himself.

"Who named him Job?" he asked.

"Henry G.'s cousin from Boston. He said he seemed to be always sufferin' and fillin' the land with roarin's, like Job in the Bible.

So, bein' as he hadn't no name except cuss words, that one stuck. I cal'late Henry G.'s glad enough to get rid of him. Ho! ho!"

"Did Mr. Atkins see his--this--did he see his present before he accepted it?"

"No. That's the best part of the joke. Well," clambering to his seat and picking up the reins, "I've got five mile of sand and moskeeters to navigate, so I've got to be joggin'. Oh, say! goin' to leave him in the box there, be ye?"

"I guess so, for the present."

"Well, I wouldn't leave him too long. He's stronger'n Samson and the Philippines rolled together, and he's humped up his back so much on the way acrost that he's started most of the nails in them slats over top of him. I tell ye what you do: Give him a bone or a chunk of tough meat to chaw on. Then he'll rest easy for a spell.

Goodbye. I wish I could stay and see Seth when he looks at his present, but I can't. Gid-dap, January."

The grocery wagon rolled out of the yard. The forsaken Job sent a roar of regret after him. Also, he "humped us his back," and the nails holding the slats in place started and gave alarmingly. John Brown hastened to the house in quest of a bone.

同类推荐
  • 胜幢臂印陀罗尼经

    胜幢臂印陀罗尼经

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 李清照

    李清照

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 拳道中枢·大成拳论

    拳道中枢·大成拳论

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 大乘悲分陀利经

    大乘悲分陀利经

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 末利支提婆华鬘经

    末利支提婆华鬘经

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
热门推荐
  • 云东仙墓

    云东仙墓

    一男子去云东工作,因客车掉下山崖,从此发生一段奇遇......
  • 宋帅追妻攻略

    宋帅追妻攻略

    一场车祸醒来,邱翼遥从以前的刁蛮任性、飞扬跋扈的大小姐,变成处理事波澜不惊、坦然自若且独立自主的女孩......车祸前,邱翼遥每次见到宋翼恒就追着问:“翼恒哥哥,你有没有想我?”“翼恒哥哥,你你是不是会娶我?”“翼恒哥哥,你为什么那么久不来看我?”宋翼恒对她避之不及。车祸醒来后,宋翼恒来看她时,邱翼遥却是三百六十度大转变的态度:“翼恒哥,谢谢你以前对我的照顾、包容以及关爱,谢谢你一直作为我的大哥哥一样维护我。你在部队那么忙要照顾好自己的身体。我以后不会再不懂事地纠缠你了。”宋翼恒看到她莫名的大变性内心很宽慰却又感到一丝不安,总觉得有什么重要的东西在他心里慢慢抽离,想抓住却又无力。
  • 次元狭缝中的道具师

    次元狭缝中的道具师

    “我没有做到的,就交给你了,夜凌。”“了解了,兄弟,去陪陪你的妹妹吧。”“剩下的,就交给我吧。”
  • 倾听往事

    倾听往事

    《倾听往事》这本散文集里相当多的篇幅是专为魏晋时期文人名士而书的,收录有《父去子未归》、《凡人与圣贤的距离》、《英雄莫问出处》、《曹操与宗世林》、《亦真亦幻帝王家》,在众多的散文集里,这本书很特别,像寒夜里的点点繁星,熠熠生辉。
  • 咒怨,总裁心中有鬼

    咒怨,总裁心中有鬼

    男友意外失踪,在一封信的指引下夏暖暖踏上了寻找男友之途,接下来却遇到一连串匪夷所思的事情,先是飞机上的冥币事件,再到四合院的夜半歌声,冷酷处处针对自己的阔少雷一则,神秘的老婆婆……在诅咒魔玉的指引下引出了一段尘封多年的豪门往事,恩怨情仇,而雷一则竟然与之也有着莫大的牵连……夏暖暖掉进了豪门诅咒,复仇的漩涡之中,她不知道到底谁才是幕后的操纵者,唯一信任的只有好友蓝彤彤。但是,直到后来,她发现这一切竟然都是虚伪的,而对自己冷酷的那个人——才是自己真正的守护神。
  • 笛语新说

    笛语新说

    欣闻曹晓磊先生编著的《笛语新说》一书即将出版,我感到甚是喜慰。关于器乐演奏教育教学的专门著述在我省范围内为数不多,笛子演奏类的专著更是少之又少。今天,曹晓磊先生以他从事笛子演奏和教学的亲身感悟及切身体会和多年的实践经验,倾全身之力编著了这部新书,为我省的笛子演奏艺术,注入了新的活力。
  • 我的郎君是狼君

    我的郎君是狼君

    人渐强大,神渐隐退,人间灵异杂事,大多交由灵族处理。她是灵族里灵力无几的灵女,无人算得了她生辰与命运,本是最不起眼的一个,却被族人推出来和狼族的狼王联姻。听说,联姻后,她的狼君会助她修灵,只为让她产子。What?嫁给一头人狼?No!他是狼族的神,代代单传的狼王,据说是枚三百多岁的老处男。他野蛮,粗暴,倔强,腹黑,但又……专一体贴,重情重义,胸怀天下,灵力超群。重点是,帅到犯规。而她嫁过去的日常,竟是跟着他上天入地认妖识魔结神交仙,和他共闯奇趣的灵幻世界,还有,和他你侬我侬卿卿我我风花雪月花前月下。呵,那又如何?她不会喜欢一头野兽的……吧?【小剧场】“没有人算得了你的命运,但是我知道,你命中注定有我嫁我爱我。”所天勖说这话时,眼睛里蓄着幽蓝之光。对着这位时而明骚时而闷骚的狼君,九微没好气:“爱?就你那点破伎俩?抢月老的红绳强行系在我手上也算爱吗?”说着,解开了手上红绳。但这绳子似有灵性,它自行在九微手上绕一圈,死死打了个结。所天勖便笑:“看,红绳有它自己的想法,如不是相爱的两个人,它是不会绑的。”“还不是你给我喂了生情蛊,净耍阴招。”“你这是承认生情蛊起作用了?”“呸!”九微才不认,承认生情蛊起作用,不就承认爱上他了么?所天勖歪了歪嘴笑,心想:呵,傻瓜,当初喂你吃下的,不过是普通蜂蛹。****************************************************************【写文初衷】:希望可以把生活中一些有意思的现象,赋予神奇玄幻的色彩;希望超脱俗世里用金钱外貌名利地位衡量成功的准则,重建另一套。【写文最大目标】:愿文文可以如同好友一样陪伴大家,还能给到大家力量~本文一对一双洁,喜欢的亲们请【收藏】+【评论】,爱你哦!
  • 一曲离骚

    一曲离骚

    “你是上辈子修了多大的福气,这辈子能找到我这样能文能武,上得厅堂下得厨房的美女当女朋友啊?”那个女孩俏皮的看着慕容挽秋,就像春光透过枝叶,撒下一地的温暖。“估计是前世造了太多的孽,让我还没来得及游戏人生,就中了你的圈套,再也逃不掉。”慕容挽秋整了整衣装,眼角余光瞄到慕华拿起了擀面杖,顿时没了风度的落荒而逃。“女王饶命,我跟你开玩笑呢!”“你说的是心里话,别跑”只是最初的那个他,再也不见。
  • 大庆精神

    大庆精神

    大庆精神就是“爱国、创业、求实、奉献”精神。爱国:为国争光、为民族争气的爱国主义精神。创业:独立自主、自力更生的艰苦创业精神。求实:讲究科学、“三老四严”的求实精神。奉献:胸怀全局、为国分忧的奉献精神。1981年12月18日,中共中央转发国家经委党组《关于工业学大庆问题的报告》,以中央文件的形式肯定了国家经委党组对大庆精神的概括,即发愤图强、自力更生,以实际行动为人民争气的爱国主义精神和民族自豪感;无所畏惧、勇挑重担,靠自己的双手艰苦创业的革命精神;一丝不苟、认真负责、讲究科学、“三老四严”,踏踏实实做好本职工作的求实精神;胸怀全局、忘我劳动,为国家分担困难,不计较个人得失的献身精神。
  • 首次为你心动

    首次为你心动

    身为邻家妹妹的"狄雨琪"竟因家庭原因和小时候和的青梅竹马"江林峰"同居在一幢房子里!!他们俩究竟会擦出什么样的爱情火花呢?琪儿也该如何应对呢?敬请期待"首次为你心动"