【英文原著类】Three Elephant Power and other stories(托马斯哈特本顿政参议院的讲话).pdf

Three Elephant Power and Other Stories
Three Elephant Power
and Other Stories
Andrew Barton
`Banjo' Paterson [Australian Poet, Reporter --
1864-1941.]
1
Three Elephant Power and Other Stories
Three Elephant Power
"Them things," said Alfred the chauffeur, tapping the speed indicator
with his fingers, "them things are all right for the police. But, Lord, you
can fix 'em up if you want to. Did you ever hear about Henery, that used to
drive for old John Bull -- about Henery and the elephant?"
Alfred was chauffeur to a friend of mine who owned a very powerful
car. Alfred was part of that car. Weirdly intelligent, of poor physique, he
might have been any age from fifteen to eighty. His education had been
somewhat hurried, but there was no doubt as to his mechanical ability. He
took to a car like a young duck to water. He talked motor, thought motor,
and would have accepted -- I won't say with enthusiasm, for Alfred's motto
was `Nil admirari' -- but without hesitation, an offer to drive in the greatest
race in the world. He could drive really well, too; as for belief in himself,
after six months' apprenticeship in a garage he was prepared to vivisect a
six-cylinder engine with the confidence of a diplomaed bachelor of
engineering.
Barring a tendency to flash driving, and a delight in persecuting slow
cars by driving just in front of them and letting e up and enjoy
his dust, and then shooting away again, he was a respectable member of
society. When his boss was in the car he cloaked the natural ferocity of his
instincts; but this day, with only myself on board, and a clear run of a
hundred and twenty miles up to the station before him, he let her loose,
confident that if any trouble occurred I would be held morally responsible.
As we flew past a somnolent bush pub, Alfred, whistling softly, leant
forward and turned on a little more oil.
"You never heard about Henery and the elephant?" he said. "It was
dead funny. Henery was a bus