第 14 节
作者:孤独半圆      更新:2021-02-24 22:24      字数:9321
  accidental。      These     two    men    were;   in   some    respects;   not   dissimilar;
  although Bonaparte lacked Cleggett's breeding。
  When      Cleggett    regained    consciousness       he  was    on   deck;   George;
  Kuroki   and   Cap'n   Abernethy   stood   about   him   in   a   little   semicircle   of
  anxiety; Lady Agatha was applying a cold compress to the bump upon his
  head。     (He made nothing of his other scratches。)             As for Elmer; who had
  not   stirred   from   his   seat   on   the   oblong   box;   he   moodily   regarded;   not
  Cleggett;     but   a  slight   young     fellow   with    long   black    hair;  who    lay
  motionless upon the deck。
  Cleggett struggled to his feet。        〃Is he dead?〃 he asked; pointing to the
  figure   of   his   recent   assailant。 Cap'n Abernethy;   for   the   first   time   since
  Cleggett had known him; gave a direct answer to a question。
  〃Mighty nigh it;〃 he said; staring down at the young man。                    Then he
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  THE CRUISE OF THE JASPER B。
  added:      〃Kind o' innocent lookin' young fellow; at that。〃
  〃But the other one?        Was he killed?〃 asked Cleggett。
  〃The other?〃 George inquired。             〃But there was no other。           When we
  got down there you and this boy〃              And George described the struggle
  that   had   taken   place   after   Cleggett   had   lost   consciousness。     The   whole
  affair; as far as it concerned Cleggett; had been a matter of seconds rather
  than minutes; it was begun and over like a hundred yard dash on the cinder
  track。    When George and Kuroki and Cap'n Abernethy had tumbled into
  the hold they had been afraid to shoot for fear of hitting Cleggett; they had
  reached      him;   guided    by   his   voice;   just  as   he   went   down     under    his
  assailant's pistol。      They had not subdued the youth until he had suffered
  severely  from  George's dagger。  Later   they  learned   that   one of   Cleggett's
  bullets   had   also   found   him。    Cleggett   listened   to   the   end;   and   then   he
  said:
  〃But there WERE  two men   in   the hold。              And   one of   them;  dead   or
  wounded;       must     still  be   down      there。     Carry     this   fellow    into   the
  forecastlewe'll   look   at   him  later。    Then   bring some   lanterns。         We   are
  going down into that hold again。〃
  With   their   pistols   in   their   right   hands   and   lanterns   in   their   left   they
  descended;   Cleggett   first。   It   was   not   impossible   that   the   other   intruder
  might   be   lying;   wounded;   but   revived   enough   by   now   to   work   a   pistol;
  behind one of the rubbish heaps。
  But no shots greeted them。          The hold of the Jasper B。 was not divided
  into   compartments   of   any  sort。      If   it   had   ever   had   them;  they  had   been
  torn away。      Below deck; except for the rubbish heap and the steps for the
  masts;   she    was   empty   as   a   soup   tureen。    The     pile   of  debris   was   the
  highest toward the waist of the vessel。            There it formed a treacherous hill
  of junk; this hill sloped downward towards the bow and towards the stern;
  in both the fore and after parts; under the forecastle and the cabin; there
  were comparatively clear spaces。
  The four men forced their way back towards the stern and then came
  slowly  forward   in   a  line   that   extended   across   the   vessel;   exploring   with
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  their   lanterns   every   inch   of   the   precarious   footing;   and   overturning   and
  looking behind; under; and into every box; cask; or jumble of planking that
  might possibly offer a place of concealment。               They found no one。          And;
  until they reached a clearer place; well forward; on the starboard side of
  the ship; they found no trace of anyone。
  Cleggett;     who     was    examining       this   place;   suddenly      uttered    an
  exclamation   which   brought   the   others   to   him。       He   pointed   to   stains   of
  blood upon the planking; near these stains were marks left by boots which
  had   been   gaumed   with   a   yellowish   clay。      A   revolver   lay   on   the   floor。
  Cleggett examined it and found that only one cartridge had been exploded。
  The stains of blood and the stains of yellow clay made an easily followed
  trail for some yards to a point about halfway between the bow and stern on
  the starboard side。
  There;     in  the   waist   of   the  vessel;    they   ceased;    ceased    abruptly;
  mysteriously。       Cleggett;   not   content;   made   his   men   go   over   the   place
  again; even more thoroughly than before。 But there was no one there; dead
  or    wounded;     unless    he   had   succeeded      in  contracting     himself    to  the
  dimensions of a rat。
  〃There is nothing;〃 said Cleggett; standing by the ladder that led up to
  the   deck。    〃Nothing;〃   echoed   George;   and   then   as   if   with   one   impulse;
  and moved by the same eerie thought; these four men suddenly raised their
  lanterns head…high and gazed at one another。
  A startled look spread from face to face。             But no one spoke。          There
  was   no   need   to。    All   recognized   that   they   were   in   the   presence   of   an
  apparent impossibility。        Yet this seemingly impossible thing was the fact。
  There had been two men in the hold of the Jasper B。                 They had entered as
  mysteriously and silently as disembodied spirits might have done。 One of
  them;   wounded;   had   made   his   exit   in   the   same   baffling   way。     Where?
  How?
  Cleggett broke the silence。
  〃Let us go to the forecastle and have a look at that fellow;〃 he said; and
  led the way。
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  No one lagged as they left the hold。            These were all brave men; but
  there    are  times   when    the   invisible;   the  incomprehensible;       will  send   a
  momentary chill to the heart of the most intrepid。
  Cleggett found Lady Agatha; her own troubles for the time forgotten;
  in   the   forecastle。   She   had   lighted   a   lamp    and   was   bending   over   the
  wounded man; whose coat and   waistcoat she had removed。 His   clothing
  was a sop of blood。        They cut his shirt and undershirt from him。             Kuroki
  brought     water    and   the  medicine     chest   and   surgical   outfit  with   which
  Cleggett had provided the Jasper  B。             They examined his wounds;  Lady
  Agatha; with a fine seriousness and a deft touch which claimed Cleggett's
  admiration;      washing    them   herself    and   proceeding     to  stop   the  flow   of
  blood。
  〃Oh;     I  am   not   an   altogether    useless    person;〃    she   said;   with    a
  momentary smile; as she saw the look in Cleggett's face。                   And Cleggett
  remembered with shame that he had not thanked her for her ministrations
  to himself。
  A   pistol   bullet  had   gone    quite  through     the  young    man's    shoulder。
  There was a deep cut on his head; and there were half a dozen other stab
  wounds on his body。         George had evidently worked with great rapidity in
  the hold。
  In the inside breast pocket of his coat he had carried a thin and narrow
  little book。     There was a dagger thrust clear through it; if the book had
  not   been   there   this   terrible   blow   delivered   by   the   son   of   Leonidas   must
  inevitably have penetrated the lung。
  Cleggett     opened    the   book。    It  was   entitled   〃Songs     of  Liberty;   by
  Giuseppe Jones。〃        The verse was written in the manner of Walt Whitman。
  A glance at one of the sprawling poems showed Cleggett that in sentiment
  it   was   of   the   most   violent   and   incendiary   character。    〃Why;   he   is   an
  anarchist!〃 said Cleggett in surprise。
  〃Oh;   really!〃    Lady Agatha   looked   up   from   her   work   of   mercy   and
  spoke with animation; and then gazed upon the youth's face again with a
  new     interest。    〃An    anarchist!     How      interesting!     I   have    ALWAYS
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  wanted to meet an anarchist。〃
  〃Poor boy; he don't look like nothin' bad;〃 said Cap'n Abernethy; who
  seemed to have taken a fancy to Giuseppe Jones。
  〃Listen;〃 said Cleggett; and read: