第 28 节
作者:孤独半圆      更新:2021-02-24 22:24      字数:9299
  mocked the cause he served。           And more than that; the man seemed to take
  a   perverted     pleasure   in   attaching    to  himself    young    enthusiasts    of  the
  radical type; eager to follow him as the disinterested leader of a group of
  Reds;     and   then    betraying    them    into   the   most    sordid   sort   of  crime。
  Cleggett foundand could imagine the grimace of malevolent satisfaction
  with which it had been writtenthis note:
  Heinrich     is  about    ready    to  leave   off   talking             his    cant   of
  universal brotherhood; and make a                      little easy money in the way I
  have   shown   him。              It   will   be   interesting   to   see   what   happens   in
  side    of  Heinrich    when     he  realizes   he   is  not  an           idealist;   but   a
  criminal。      Will    he   stick  to  me    on            the    new    lay?    But    those
  Germans are so sentimental he may commit suicide。
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  Cleggett   recalled   the   manhandling   Heinrich   had   received。          A   little
  farther along he came upon this entry:                      The Italian…American boy
  is   a   find。 Jones   and   Giuseppe!      Puritan   father;   Italian   motherand   he
  worships me!        It will be a test for my personal magnetism; the handling
  of   Gieseppe   Jones   will。     He   hates   a   thief  worse   than   the   devil   hates
  holy water。      If I could make him steal for me; I would know that I could
  do anything。
  〃That's our young poet in the forecastle!〃 said Cleggett。               〃I wonder if
  Loge still held him。〃        And then as the memory of the boy's ravings came
  to him he mused:        〃Yeshe held the boy!         That is what the fellow meant
  in    his  delirium。     Do     you    remember      that   he   kept   saying:     'I'm    a
  revolutionist; not a crook!'?        And yet he continued to obey Loge!〃
  〃Is it not strange;〃 said Lady Agatha; 〃that the man should take such
  pride in working ruin?〃
  All three were silent for a space。         And then they looked at each other
  with a shiver。      The sense of the strong and sinister personality of Logan
  Black struck on their spirits like a bleak wind。
  Cleggett was the first to recover himself。
  〃God   willing;〃   he   said   solemnly;   〃I   will   bring   that   man   to   justice
  personally!〃
  Just then two bells struck。         It had taken them        more time than they
  had realized to make even a partial examination of the contents of the box。
  Cleggett; when the bell sounded; looked at his watch to see what time it
  washe was still a little unfamiliar with the nautical system。
  〃He  will   go   to   any  length   to get   this   back   into   his   possession;〃   said
  Cleggett; as he dumped the heap of incriminating evidence back into the
  box and began to nail the boards on again。
  〃Any length;〃 echoed the Doctor。
  Pat upon the thought came the sound of taxicabs without。                  They went
  on   deck   and   saw   a   sinister   procession   rolling   by。 It   consisted   of   three
  machines; and there were three men in each cab。               Loge and Pierre were in
  the foremost one。        None of the company vouchsafed so much as a glance
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  in the direction of the Jasper B。 as the cabs whirled past towards Morris's。
  It was undoubtedly a reinforcement of gunmen。
  〃Ah!〃   said   Cleggett;   pointing   to   them。    〃The   real   battle   is   about   to
  begin!     They are making ready for the attack!〃
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  CHAPTER XIV
  CLEGGETT STANDS BY HIS
  SHIP
  Cleggett did not fear (or rather; expect; since there was very little that
  Cleggett   feared)    an   attack  until  well   after  nightfall。 Nevertheless;    he
  began to prepare for it at once。       He called the entire ship's company aft;
  with the exception of Miss Medley; who was on duty with Giuseppe Jones。
  〃My friendsfor I hope we stand in the relation of friends as well as
  that of commander and crewI have every reason to expect that the enemy
  will make a demonstration in force sometime during the night;〃 he said。
  〃We have opposed to us the leader of a dangerous and powerful criminal
  organization。     He is; in fact; the president of a crime trust。       He will stop
  at nothing to compass the destruction of the Jasper B。 and all on board her。
  My quarrel with him has become; in a sense; personal。 I have no right to
  ask    you   to  share   my   risk  unless   you   choose    to  do   so  voluntarily。
  Therefore; if there is anyone of you who wishes to leave the Jasper B。; let
  him do it now。〃
  Cleggett   paused。     But   not   a   man   moved。  On   the   contrary;   a   little
  murmur of something like reproach ran around the semicircle。              The ship's
  company      looked    in  each   other's  eyes;   they  stood   shifting   their  feet
  uneasily。
  Finally   Cap'n   Abernethy   spoke;   clearing   his   throat   with   a   prefatory
  hem:
  〃If you was to ask me; Mr。 Cleggett;〃 said the Captain; with less than
  his   usual   circumlocution;   〃I'd   say   the   boys   here   ain't   flattered   by   what
  you've   just   said。  The   boys   here   DOES   consider   themselves   friends   of
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  yours; and if you was anxious to hear my opinion of it I'd say you've hurt
  their feelin's by your way of putting it。          Speakin' for myself; Mr。 Cleggett;
  as the nautical commander of this here ship to the military commander; I
  don't mind owning up that MY feelin's is hurt。〃
  〃Aye;     aye;   sir;〃  said   George     the   Greek;    addressing     the   nautical
  commander; and the word went from lip to lip。
  〃Aye; aye; sir;〃 said Dr。 Farnsworth; 〃the Captain speaks for us all。〃
  And   the   Reverend   Mr。   Calthrop   remarked   with   a   sigh:        〃You   may
  have   cause   to   doubt   my   circumspection;   Mr。   Cleggett;   but   you   have   no
  cause to doubt my courage。〃
  Cleggett was not the sort of man who is ashamed to acknowledge an
  error。    〃Friends;〃      he  cried   impulsively;     〃forgive    me!    I   should    have
  known better than to phrase my remarks as I did。                 I would not have hurt
  your   feelings   for   worlds。     I   know   you   are   devoted   to   me。    I   call   for
  volunteers for the perilous adventure which is before us!〃
  The ship's company stepped forward as one man。                   As if by magic the
  atmosphere cleared。
  〃Now;〃   said   Cleggett;   smiling   back   on   the   enthusiastic   faces   before
  him; but inexpressibly touched by the fineness of his crew's devotion; 〃to
  get to the point。       There are seven of us; but there are at least a dozen of
  them。      We   have;   however;   the   advantage   in   position;   for   we   can   find
  cover on the ship; whereas they must attack from the open。                      More than
  that; we will have the advantage in arms; here is a magazine rifle for each
  of   you;   while   they;   if   I   am   not   mistaken;   will   attack   with   pistols。 We
  must keep them at a distance; if possible。             If they should attempt to rush
  us we will meet them with cutlasses and sabers。〃
  〃Mr。   Cleggett;〃   said   Lady Agatha;   rising   when   he   had   finished;   and
  speaking with animation; 〃will you permit me to make a suggestion?〃
  She   went   on;   without   waiting   for   an   answer:     〃It   is   this: Choose
  your   own   ground   for   this   battle!     The   Jasper   B。   is   now   a   full…rigged
  schooner。      Very  well; then;  sail her!        At the   moment you   are   attacked;
  weigh anchor; fight your way to the mouth of the canal; take up a position
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  in the bay in front of Morris's within easy rifle range and out of pistol shot;
  and compel the place to surrender on your own terms!〃
  As   the   brilliance   of   this   plan   flashed   upon   her   hearers;   applause   ran
  around the room; and Kuroki; who spoke seldom; cried in admiration:
  〃The Honorable Miss Englishman have hit her head on the nail!