Theodore Roosevelt

第29章

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第29章

Theodore Roosevelt Edmund Morris

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Theodore Roosevelt
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  Theofficerhadofcoursekickedawayhiswheelatthebeginning,andafterbeingdraggedalongforsomedistanceheletgothebeastandmadeagrabatthewagon。Thedriverhithimwithhiswhip,buthemanagedtogetin,andafteravigoroustussleovercamehisman,anddisposedofhimbygettinghimdownandsittingonhim。Thislefthishandsfreeforthereins。Bydegreeshegotthehorseundercontrol,anddrovethewagonroundtothestation-house,stillsittingonhisvictim。“Ijouncedupanddownonhimtokeephimquietwhenheturnedugly。”heremarkedtomeparenthetically。Havingdisposedofthewagon,hetookthemanroundtothecourt,andonthewaytheprisonersuddenlysprangonhimandtriedtothrottlehim。Convincedatlastthatpatiencehadceasedtobeavirtue,hequietedhisassailantwithasmashontheheadthattookallthefightoutofhimuntilhewasbroughtbeforethejudgeandfined。Liketheother“bicyclecops。”

  thisofficermadeanumberofarrestsofcriminals,suchasthieves,highwaymen,andthelike,inadditiontohisnaturalprey——scorchers,runaways,andrecklessdrivers。

  Thethirdmemberofthetrio,atall,sinewymanwithflamingredhair,whichratheraddedtotheterrorheinspiredinevil-doers,wasusuallystationedinatoughpartofthecity,wheretherewasatendencytocrimesofviolence,andincidentallyanoccasionaldesiretoharasswheelmen。Theofficerwasasgoodoffhiswheelasonit,andhespeedilyestablishedperfectorderonhisbeat,beingalwayswillingto“takechances“ingettinghisman。Hewasnorespecterofpersons,andwhenitbecamehisdutytoarrestawealthymanforpersistentlyrefusingtohavehiscarriagelampslightedafternightfall,hebroughthiminwiththesameindifferencethathedisplayedinarrestingastreet-cornertoughwhohadthrownabrickatawheelman。

  Occasionallyapolicemanwouldperformworkwhichordinarilycomeswithinthedomainofthefireman。InNovember,1896,anofficerwhohadpreviouslysavedamanfromdeathbydrowningaddedtohisrecordbysavingfivepersonsfromburning。Hewasatthetimeasleep,whenhewasarousedbyafireinahouseafewdoorsaway。Runningovertheroofsoftheadjoininghousesuntilhereachedtheburningbuilding,hefoundthatonthefourthfloortheflameshadcutoffallexitfromanapartmentinwhichtherewerefourwomen,twoofthemoverfifty,andoneoftheotherswithasix-months-oldbaby。Theofficerrandowntotheadjoininghouse,brokeopenthedooroftheapartmentonthesamefloor——thefourth——andcreptoutonthecoping,lessthanthreeincheswide,thatranfromonehousetotheother。Beingalargeandverypowerfulandactiveman,hemanagedtokeepholdofthecasingofthewindowwithonehand,andwiththeothertoreachtothewindowoftheapartmentwherethewomenandchildwere。Thefiremenappeared,andstretchedanetunderneath。Thecrowdthatwaslookingonsuddenlybecamemotionlessandsilent。Then,onebyone,hedrewthewomenoutoftheirwindow,and,holdingthemtightagainstthewall,passedthemintotheotherwindow。Theexertioninsuchanattitudewasgreat,andhestrainedhimselfbadly;buthepossessedapracticalmind,andassoonasthewomenweresavedhebeganapromptinvestigationofthecauseofthefire,andarrestedtwomenwhosecarelessness,aswasafterwardproved,causedit。

  Nowandthenaman,thoughabraveman,provedtobeslackorstupidorvicious,andwecouldmakenothingoutofhim;buthardihoodandcouragewerequalitiesuponwhichweinsistedandwhichwerewarded。

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