Sir Launcelot and Knights¹ to the Rescue

NEARING four in the afternoon. The scene was just outside the walls of London. A cool, comfortable, superb（极好的，华丽的） day, with a brilliant sun; the kind of day to make one want to live, not die. The multitude（群众，多数） was prodigious²（巨大的，惊人的） and far-reaching; and yet we fifteen poor devils hadn't a friend in it. There was something painful in that thought, look at it how you might. There we sat, on our tall scaffold（脚手架，绞刑台） , the butt³ of the hate and mockery（嘲弄，笑柄） of all those enemies. We were being made a holiday spectacle. They had built a sort of grand（宏伟的，豪华的） stand for the nobility and gentry⁴（贵族们，上流社会人士） , and these were there in full force, with their ladies. We recognized a good many of them.

The crowd got a brief and unexpected dash（猛冲，撞击） of diversion out of the king. The moment we were freed of our bonds he sprang up, in his fantastic rags, with face bruised⁵（擦伤） out of all recognition, and proclaimed（声明，宣告） himself Arthur, King of Britain, and denounced the awful penalties of treason upon every soul there present if hair of his sacred head were touched. It startled and surprised him to hear them break into a vast roar of laughter. It wounded his dignity, and he locked himself up in silence. then, although the crowd begged him to go on, and tried to provoke（激怒，煽动） him to it by catcalls, jeers⁶, and shouts.

"Let him speak! The king! The king! his humble⁷ subjects hunger and thirst for words of wisdom out of the mouth of their master his Serene⁸ and Sacred Raggedness⁹!"

But it went for nothing. He put on all his majesty¹⁰ and sat under this rain of contempt and insult unmoved. He certainly was great in his way. Absently, I had taken off my white bandage（绷带） and wound it about my right arm. When the crowd noticed this, they began upon me. They said:

"Doubtless this sailor-man is his minister -- observe his costly¹¹ badge（徽章，标记） of office!"

I let them go on until they got tired, and then I said:

"Yes, I am his minister, The Boss; and to-morrow you will hear that from Camelot which --"

I got no further. They drowned me out with joyous¹² derision. But presently there was silence; for the sheriffs（州长，郡治安官） of London, in their official robes（礼服，长袍） , with their subordinates, began to make a stir which indicated that business was about to begin. In the hush¹³ which followed, our crime was recited, the death warrant read, then everybody uncovered while a priest（牧师，神父） uttered a prayer.

Then a slave was blindfolded¹⁴; the hangman unslung his rope. There lay the smooth road below us, we upon one side of it, the banked multitude wailing¹⁵ its other side -- a good clear road, and kept free by the police -- how good it would be to see my five hundred horsemen come tearing down it! But no, it was out of the possibilities. I followed its receding¹⁶（后退，减弱） thread out into the distance -- not a horseman on it, or sign of one.

There was a jerk, and the slave hung dangling¹⁷; dangling and hideously¹⁸（可怕地，非常讨厌地） squirming（蠕动，扭动） , for his limbs were not tied.

A second rope was unslung, in a moment another slave was dangling.

In a minute a third slave was struggling in the air. It was dreadful. I turned away my head a moment, and when I turned back I missed the king! They were blindfolding¹⁹ him! I was paralyzed（瘫痪的，麻痹的） ; I couldn't move, I was choking, my tongue was petrified²⁰（惊呆的） . They finished blindfolding him, they led him under the rope. I couldn't shake off that clinging impotence. But when I saw them put the noose²¹ around his neck, then everything let go in me and I made a spring to the rescue -- and as I made it I shot one more glance abroad -- by George! here they came, a-tilting! -- five hundred mailed and belted knights on bicycles!

The grandest sight that ever was seen. Lord, how the plumes²² streamed, how the sun flamed and flashed from the endless procession of webby wheels!

I waved my right arm as Launcelot swept in -- he recognized my rag -- I tore away noose and bandage, and shouted:

"On your knees, every rascal²³（流氓，无赖） of you, and salute²⁴ the king! Who fails shall sup in hell to-night!"

I always use that high style when I'm climaxing²⁵ an effect. Well, it was noble to see Launcelot and the boys swarm²⁶ up onto that scaffold and heave sheriffs and such overboard. And it was fine to see that astonished multitude go down on their knees and beg their lives of the king they had just been deriding²⁷（嘲笑，嘲弄） and insulting. And as he stood apart there, receiving this homage²⁸（尊敬，敬意） in rags, I thought to myself, well, really there is something peculiarly grand about the gait（步法） and bearing of a king, after all.

I was immensely satisfied. Take the whole situation all around, it was one of the gaudiest²⁹ effects I ever instigated³⁰（怂恿，煽情） .

And presently up comes Clarence, his own self! and winks³¹, and says, very modernly:

"Good deal of a surprise, wasn't it? I knew you'd like it. I've had the boys practicing this long time, privately³²; and just hungry for a chance to show off."