But at night, in his dreams, these things were forgotten, and he was on his throne, and master again. This, of course, intensified the sufferings of the awakening — so the mortifications of each succeeding morning of the few that passed between his return to bondage and the combat with Hugo, grew bitterer, and harder and harder to bear.

The morning after that combat, Hugo got up with a heart filled with vengeful purposes against the king. He had two plans in particular. One was to inflict upon the lad what would be, to his proud spirit and 'imagined' royalty, a peculiar humiliation; and if he failed to accomplish this, his other plan was to put a crime of some kind upon the king and then betray him into the implacable clutches of the law.

In pursuance of the first plan, he proposed to put a 'clime' upon the king's leg, rightly judging that that would mortify him to the last and perfect degree; and as soon as the clime should operate, he meant to get Canty's help, and force the king to expose his leg in the highway and beg for alms. 'Clime' was the cant term for a sore, artificially created. To make a clime, the operator made a paste or poultice of unslaked lime, soap, and the rust of old iron, and spread it upon a piece of leather, which was then bound tightly upon the leg. This would presently fret off the skin, and make the flesh raw and angry-looking; blood was then rubbed upon the limb, which, being fully dried, took on a dark and repulsive color. Then a bandage of soiled rags was put on in a cleverly careless way which would allow the hideous ulcer to be seen and move the compassion of the passer-by.

Hugo got the help of the tinker (Хьюго получил помощь = взял себе в помощь того ремесленника; to get — раздобыть) whom the king had cowed with the soldering-iron (которого король усмирял паяльным прутом); they took the boy out on a tinkering tramp (они взяли мальчика на ремесленную прогулку = на работу бродячего лудильщика; to take — брать), and as soon as they were out of sight of the camp (и как только они оказались вне видимости лагеря) they threw him down (они бросили его вниз = на землю; to throw — бросать) and the tinker held him (и ремесленник держал его; to hold — держать) while Hugo bound the poultice (пока Хьюго повязывал припарку; to bind — вязать) tight and fast upon his leg (крепко и прочно на его ногу).

The king raged and stormed (король гневался и бушевал), and promised to hang the two (и обещал повесить обоих) the moment the scepter was in his hand again (в момент = когда скипетр будет в его руке снова); but they kept a firm grip upon him (но они держали крепкую хватку на нем; to keep — держать, хранить) and enjoyed his impotent struggling (и наслаждались его беспомощной борьбой) and jeered at his threats (и насмехались над его угрозами). This continued until the poultice began to bite (это продолжалось, пока припарка не начала кусаться; to begin — начинать); and in no long time its work would have been perfected (и в недолгое время ее работа была бы завершена), if there had been no interruption (если бы не было помехи). But there was (но была = она); for about this time (ибо около этого времени) the 'slave' who had made the speech denouncing England's laws («раб», который произнес речь, осуждающую английские законы), appeared on the scene (появился на сцене = на месте происшествия) and put an end to the enterprise (и положил конец предприятию; to put — класть), and stripped off the poultice and bandage (и содрал припарку и бандаж).

The king wanted to borrow his deliverer's cudgel (король хотел позаимствовать дубину своего освободителя) and warm the jackets of the two rascals (и взгреть двоих негодяев; to warm — греть; jacket — шкура, куртка) on the spot (/прямо/ на месте); but the man said no (но этот человек сказал: нет), it would bring trouble (это принесло бы проблемы) — leave the matter till night (оставь это дело до ночи); the whole tribe being together, then (когда вся шайка будет вместе тогда), the outside world would not venture to interfere or interrupt (внешний мир не осмелился бы вмешаться или помешать). He marched the party back to camp (он отвел компанию назад в лагерь) and reported the affair to the Ruffler (и сообщил о деле атаману), who listened, pondered (который выслушал, поразмышлял), and then decided that the king should not be again detailed to beg (и затем решил, что король не должен быть снова назначен попрошайничать), since it was plain (так как было ясно) he was worthy of something higher and better (что он был достоин чего-то высшего и лучшего) — wherefore, on the spot he promoted him (с каковой целью прямо на месте он и повысил его) from the mendicant rank (с попрошайнического ранга) and appointed him to steal (и назначил его воровать)!

Hugo was overjoyed (Хьюго был вне себя от радости; to overjoy — чрезмерно радоваться). He had already tried to make the king steal (он уже пытался заставить короля воровать), and failed (и потерпел неудачу); but there would be no more trouble of that sort now (но не будет больше проблем такого рода теперь), for, of course, the king would not dream of defying a distinct command (ибо, конечно, король и не мечтал бы о том, чтобы пренебречь явным приказом) delivered directly from headquarters (данный напрямую из штаба). So he planned a raid (так что он запланировал рейд) for that very afternoon (на этот самый день), purposing to get the king in the law's grip in the course of it (намереваясь заманить короля в тиски закона в ходе его); and to do it, too (и сделать это, к тому же), with such ingenious strategy (таким изобретательным способом), that it should seem to be accidental and unintentional (что это показалось бы быть случайным и непреднамеренным); for the King of the Game-Cocks was popular now (ибо Король Боевых петухов был популярен теперь = был общим любимцем), and the gang might not deal over-gently with an unpopular member (и банда обошлась бы не слишком мягко с непопулярным участником) who played so serious a treachery upon him (который сыграл бы = совершил бы такое серьезное предательство по отношению к нему: «на него») as the delivering him over to the common enemy, the law (как предание его их общему врагу, закону; to deliver over — передавать; выдавать).

poultice [`pqultıs], interfere [ıntə`fıə], defy [dı`faı], treachery [`tretS(ə)rı]

Hugo got the help of the tinker whom the king had cowed with the soldering-iron; they took the boy out on a tinkering tramp, and as soon as they were out of sight of the camp they threw him down and the tinker held him while Hugo bound the poultice tight and fast upon his leg.

The king raged and stormed, and promised to hang the two the moment the scepter was in his hand again; but they kept a firm grip upon him and enjoyed his impotent struggling and jeered at his threats. This continued until the poultice began to bite; and in no long time its work would have been perfected, if there had been no interruption. But there was; for about this time the 'slave' who had made the speech denouncing England's laws, appeared on the scene and put an end to the enterprise, and stripped off the poultice and bandage.

The king wanted to borrow his deliverer's cudgel and warm the jackets of the two rascals on the spot; but the man said no, it would bring trouble — leave the matter till night; the whole tribe being together, then, the outside world would not venture to interfere or interrupt. He marched the party back to camp and reported the affair to the Ruffler, who listened, pondered, and then decided that the king should not be again detailed to beg, since it was plain he was worthy of something higher and better — wherefore, on the spot he promoted him from the mendicant rank and appointed him to steal!

Hugo was overjoyed. He had already tried to make the king steal, and failed; but there would be no more trouble of that sort now, for, of course, the king would not dream of defying a distinct command delivered directly from headquarters. So he planned a raid for that very afternoon, purposing to get the king in the law's grip in the course of it; and to do it, too, with such ingenious strategy, that it should seem to be accidental and unintentional; for the King of the Game-Cocks was popular now, and the gang might not deal over-gently with an unpopular member who played so serious a treachery upon him as the delivering him over to the common enemy, the law.