the cruise of the jasper b.-第12节

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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。



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　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：



　　　　　〃As　for　your　flag；　I　spit　upon　your　flag！

　　　　　　I　spit　upon　your　organized　society　anywhere　and　everywhere；

　　　　　I　spit　upon　your　churches；

　　　　　　　　　I　spit　upon　your　capitalistic　institutions；

　　　　　　　　　I　spit　upon　your　laws；

　　　　　　　　　I　spit　upon　the　whole　damned　thing！

　　　　　　　　　But；　as　I　spit；　I　weep！　　I　weep！〃



〃How　silly！〃　said　Lady　Agatha。　　〃What　does　it　mean？〃



〃It　means〃　began　Cleggett；　and　then　stopped。　The　book　of

revolutionary　verse；　taken　in　conjunction　with　the　red　flag　that

had　been　displayed　and　then　withdrawn；　made　him　wonder　if

Morris's　were　the　headquarters　of　some　band　of　anarchists。



But；　if　so；　why　should　this　band　show　such　an　interest　in　the

Jasper　B。　？　　An　interest　so　hostile　to　her　present　owner　and　his

men？



〃If　you　was　to　ask　me　what　it　means；〃　said　Captain　Abernethy；　who

had　taken　the　book　and　was　fingering　it；　〃I'd　say　it　means　young

Jones　here　has　fell　into　bad　company。　　That　don't　explain　how　he

sneaked　into　the　hold　of　the　Jasper　B。；　nor　what　for。　　But　he

orter　have　a　doctor。〃



〃He　shall　have　a　physician；〃　said　Cleggett。　　〃In　fact；　the　Jasper

B。　needs　a　ship's　doctor。〃



〃It　looks　to　me；〃　said　Captain　Abernethy；　〃as　if　she　did。　　And　if

you　was　to　go　further；　Mr。　Cleggett；　and　say　that　it　looks　as　if

she　was　liable　to　need　a　couple　o'　trained　nurses；　too；　I'd　say

to　you　that　if　they's　goin'　to　be　many　o'　these　kind　o'　goin's…on

aboard　of　her　she　DOES　need　a　couple　of　trained　nurses。〃



〃Captain；〃　said　Cleggett；　〃you　are　a　humane　man　let　me　shake

your　hand。　　You　have　voiced　my　very　thought！〃



Long　ago　Cleggett　had　resolved　that　if　Chance　or　Providence

should　ever　gratify　his　secret　wish　to　participate　in　stirring

adventures；　he　would　see　to　it　that　all　his　wounded　enemies；　no

matter　how　many　there　might　be　of　them；　received　adequate　medical

attention。　　He　had　often　been　shocked　at　the　callousness　with

which　so　many　of　the　heroes　of　romance　dash　blithely　into　the

next　adventurethough　those　whom　they　have　seriously　injured

lie　on　all　sides　of　them　as　thick　as　autumn　leaveswith　only　the

most　perfunctory　consideration　of　these　victims；　sometimes；

indeed；　with　no　thought　of　them　at　all。



〃Something　tells　me；〃　said　Cleggett　seriously；　〃that　this

intrusion　of　armed　men　is　only　a　prelude。　　I　have　little　doubt　of

the　hostility　of　Morris's；　I　am　sure　that　the　men　who　hid　in　the　

hold　are　spies　from　Morris's。　　I　do　not　yet　know　the　motive　for

this　hostility。　　But　the　Jasper　B。　is　in　the　midst　of　dangers　and

mysteries。　　There　is　before　us　an　affair　of　some　magnitude。　　Ere

the　Jasper　B。　sets　sail　for　the　China　Seas；　there　may　be　many

wounds。〃



And　then　he　began　to　outline　a　plan　that　had　flashed；　full

formed；　into　his　mind。　　It　was　to　rent；　or　purchase；　the

buildings　at　Parker's　Beach；　and　fit　them　up　as　a　field　hospital；

with　three　or　four　nurses　in　charge。　　Lady　Agatha；　who　had　been

listening　intently；　interrupted。



〃Butthe　China　Seas；〃　　she　said。　　〃Did　I　understand　you　to　say

that　you　intend　to　set　sail　for　the　China　Seas？〃



〃That　is　the　ultimate　destination　of　the　Jasper　B。〃　said

Cleggett。



〃I　have　heardit　seems　to　me　that　I　have　heardthat　it's　a

very　dangerous　place；〃　ventured　Lady　Agatha。　　〃Pirates；　you　know；

and　all　that　sort　of　thing。〃



〃Pirates；〃　said　Cleggett；　〃abound。〃



〃Well；　then；〃　persisted　Lady　Agatha；　〃you　are　going　out　to　fight

them？〃



〃I　should　not　be　surprised；〃　said　Cleggett；　folding　his　arms；　and

standing　with　his　feet　spread　just　a　trifle　wider　than　usual；　〃if

the　Jasper　B。　had　a　brush　or　two　with　them。　　A　brush　or　two！〃



Lady　Agatha　regarded　him　speculatively。　　But　admiringly；　too。



〃But　those　nurses〃　she　said。　　〃If　you're　going　to　the　China

Seas　you　can't　very　well　take　Parker's　Beach　along。〃



〃I　was　coming　to　that；〃　said　Cleggett；　bowing。　〃I　contemplate　a

hospital　shipa　vessel　supplied　with　nurses　and　lint　and

medicines；　that　will　accompany　the　Jasper　B。；　and　fly　the　Red

Cross　flag。〃



〃But　they　are　frightful　people；　really；　those　Chinese　pirates；

you　know；〃　said　Lady　Agatha。　〃Do　you　think　they'll　quite

appreciate　a　hospital　ship？〃



〃It　is　my　duty；〃　said　Cleggett；　simply。　　〃Whether　they　appreciate

it　or　not；　a　hospital　ship　they　shall　have。　　This　is　the

twentieth　century。　　And　although　the　great　spirits　of　other　days

had　much　to　commend　them；　it　is　not　to　be　denied　that　they　knew

little　of　our　modern　humanitarianism。　　It　has　remained　for　the

twentieth　century　to　develop　that。　　And　one　owes　a　duty　to　one's

epoch　as　well　as　to　one's　individuality。〃



〃But；〃　repeated　Lady　Agatha；　with　a　meditative　frown；　〃they　are

really　FRIGHTFUL　people！〃



〃There　is　good　in　all　men；〃　said　Cleggett；　〃even　in　those　whom

the　stern　necessities