the cruise of the jasper b.-第14节

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thought　of　its　being　opened。　　I　refused　to　allow　Elmer　to　look

into　it。



〃I　determined　that　I　would　ship　the　box　at　once　to　some

fictitious　personage；　and　then　take　the　next　ship　back　to

England。



〃I　hastily　wrote　a　card；　which　I　tacked　on　the　box；　consigning　it

to　Miss　Genevieve　Pringle；　Newark；　N。　J。　　The　name　was　the　first

invention　that　came　into　my　head。　　Newark　I　had　heard　of。　I　knew

vaguely　that　it　was　west　of　New　York；　but　whether　it　was　twenty

miles　west　or　two　thousand　miles；　I　did　not　stop　to　think。　　I　am

ignorant　of　American　geography。



〃But　no　sooner　had　the　box　been　taken　away　than　I　began　to　be

uneasy。　　I　was　more　frightened　with　it　gone　than　I　had　been　with

it　present。　　I　imagined　it　being　dropped　and　broken；　and

revealing　everything。　　And　then　it　occurred　to　me　that　even　if　I

should　get　out　of　the　country；　the　secret　was　bound　to　be

discovered　some　time。　　I　do　not　know　why　I　had　not　thought　of

that　beforebut　I　was　distracted。　　Having　got　rid　of　the　box；　I

was　already　wild　to　get　it　into　my　possession　again。



〃I　confided　my　fears　to　Elmer；　and　was　surprised　to　learn　from

him　that　Newark　is　very　near　New　York。　　We　took　a　taxicab　at

once；　and　were　waiting　at　the　freight　depot　in　Newark　when　the

thing　arrived。　　There　I　claimed　it　in　the　name　of　Miss　Genevieve

Pringle。



〃It　became　apparent　to　me　that　I　must　manage　its　final

disposition　myself。　　Elmer　hired　for　me　the　vehicle　in　which　we

arrived　here；　and　we　started　back　to　New　York。



〃But　the　driver；　from　the　first；　was　suspicious　of　the　box。　　His

suspicions　were　increased　when；　upon　returning　to　my　apartment

hotel；　where　I　now　decided　to　keep　the　box　until　I　could　think

out　a　coherent　plan　of　action；　the　manager　of　the　hotel　made

inquiries。　　The　manager　had　seen　the　box　brought　in；　and　taken

out　again；　before。　　Its　return　struck　him　as　odd。　　He　offered　to

store　it　for　me　in　the　basement。　　I　took　alarm　at　once。　

Naturally；　he　questioned　me　more　closely。　　I　was　unready　in　my

answers。　　His　inquiries　excited　and　alarmed　me。　　I　felt　that　any

instant　I　might　do　something　to　betray　myself。　　I　cut　the　manager

short；　paid　my　bill；　got　my　luggage；　and　ordered　the　chauffeur　to

drive　to　the　Grand　Central　Station。　　But　when　we　had　gone　three

or　four　blocks；　I　said　to　him：　'Stop！I　do　not　wish　to　go　to　the

Grand　Central　Station。　　Drive　me　to　Poughkeepsie！'　　I　wished　a

chance　to　think。　　I　knew　Poughkeepsie　was　not　far　from　New　York

City；　but　I　supposed　it　was　far　enough　to　give　me　a　chance　to

determine　what　to　do　next　by　the　time　we　arrived　there。



〃But　I　could　not　think　coherently。　　I　could　only　feel　and　fear。　

The　drive　was　longer　than　I　had　expected；　but　when　we　arrived　at

Poughkeepsie　and　the　chauffeur　asked　me　again　what　disposition　to

make　of　the　box；　I　was　unable　to　answer　him。　Thereupon　he

insolently　demanded　an　enormous　fare。



〃I　could　not　choose　but　pay　it。　　For　four　days　we　went　from　place

to　place；　in　and　about　New　York　City's　suburbsnow　in　town　and

now　in　the　countrycrossing　rivers　again　and　again　on

ferryboatsstopping　at　hotels；　road　houses　and　all　manner　of

placesdashing　through　Brooklyn　and　out　among　the　villages　of

Long　Islandand　with　the　fear　on　me　that　we　were　being　followed。



〃Elmer　and　I　were　continually　on　the　lookout　for　some　way　to

dispose　of　the　box；　but　nothing　presented　itself。　　The　driver；

who　had　become　more　and　more　impudent　in　his　attitude　and

outrageous　in　his　charges；　was　now　practically　a　spy　upon　us。　

The　necessity　for　ice　made　frequent　stops　imperative；　at　the　same

time　the　increasing　fear　of　pursuit　made　it　agony　for　me　to　stop

anywhere。



〃Today；　at　a　road　house　thirty　or　forty　miles　from　here；　I　made

certain　that　I　was　pursued。　　The　very　man　from　whom　I　had　claimed

the　box　at　the　railway　goods　station　in　Newark　confronted　me。　It

appears；　from　what　Elmer　says；　that　he　is　taking　a　holiday　and　is

visiting　his　brother；　who　is　the　proprietor　of　the　road　house。



〃And　the　person　who　is　pursuing　me　isa　Miss　Genevieve　Pringle！



〃As　fate　would　have　it；　there　lives　in　Newark　a　person　who　really

owns　that　name　which　I　thought　I　had　invented。　　It　seems　that　she

had　been　expecting　a　shipment；　and　had　called　to　inquire　for　it；

upon　learning　that　a　box　had　been　delivered　to　a　person　in　her

name　she　had　taken　up　the　trail　at　once。　　Having　somehow　traced

me　to　Long　Island；　she　had　actually　made　inquiries　at　this　very

road　house　some　hours　earlier。　　The　railway　employee；　I　am

certain；　would　have　denounced　me　at　oncehe　would　have　accused

me　of　theft；　and　would　have　endeavored　to　have　me　held　until　he

could　get　into　communication　with　Miss　Pringle　or　with　the

authoritiesbut　I　bought　from　him　a　promise　of　silence。　　It　cost

me　another　large　sum。



〃A　few　hours　ago　the　chauffeur；　divining　from　a　conversation

between　Elmer　and　me　that　I　was　running　short　of　ready　money；

deserted　me　here。　　You　know　the　rest。〃



Her　voice　trailed　off　into　a　tired　whisper　as　she　finished；　and

with　her　elbows　on　the　table　Lady　Agatha　wearily　supported　her

head　in　her　hands。　Her　attitude　acknowledged　defeat。　　She　was

despairingly　certain　that　she　would　never　see　the　last　of　the　box

which　she　believed　to　contain　Reginald　Maltravers。



Cleggett　did　not　hesitate　an　instant。　　〃Lady　Agatha；〃　he　said；

〃the　Jasper　B。　is　at　your　service　as　long　as　you　may　require　the

ship。　　The　cabin　is　your　home　until　we　arrive　at　a　solution　of

your　difficulties。〃



His　glance　and　manner　added　what　his　tongue　left　unutteredthat

the　commander　of　the　ship　was　henceforth　her　devoted　cavalier。　

But　she　understood。



She　extended　her　hand。　　Her　answer　was　on　her　lips。　　But　at　that

instant　the　jarring　roar　of　an　explosion　struck　the　speech　from

them。



The　blast　was　evidently　near；　though　muffled。　The　earth　shook；　a

tremor　ran　through　the　Jasper　B。；　the　glasses　leaped　and　rang

upon　the　table。　Cleggett；　followed　by　Lady　Agatha；　darted　up　the

companionway。



As　Cleggett　reached　the　deck　there　was　a　second　shock；　and　he

beheld　a　flame　leap　out　of　the　earth　itselfa　sudden　sword　of

fire　thrust　into　the　night　from　the　midst　of　the　sandy　plain

before　him。　　The　light　that　stabbed　and　was　gone　in　an　instant

was　about　halfway　between　the　Jasper　B。　and　Morris's。　　A　second

after；　a　missilewhich　Cleggett　later　learned　was　a　piece　of

rock　the　size　of　a　man's　headfell　with　a　splintering　crash　upon

and　through　the　wooden　platform　beside　the　Jasper　B。；　not　thirty

feet　from　where　Cleggett　stood；　another　splashed　into　the　canal。　

The　next　day　Cleggett　saw　several　of　these　fragments　lying　about

the　plain。



Calling　to　his　men　to　bring　lanternsfor　the　night　had　fallen

dark　and　cloudyCleggett　ran　towards　the　place。　　Lady　Agatha；

refusing　to　remain　behind；　went　with　them。　　Moving　lights　and　a

stir　of　activity　at　Morris's；　and　the　gleam　of　lanterns　on　board

the　Annabel　Lee；　showed　Cleggett　that　his　neighbors　likewise　were

excited。



But　if　Cleggett　had　expected　an　easy　solution　of　this　astonishing

eruption　he　was　disappointed。　　Arrived　at　the　scene　of　the

explosion；　he　found　that　its　nature　was　such　as　to　tease　and　balk

his　faculties　of　analysis。　　The　blast　had　blown　a　hole　into　the

ground；　certainly；　but　this　hole　was　curiously　filled。　Two　large

bowlders　that　leaned　towards　each　other　had　stood　on　top　of　the

ground。　　These　had　been　split　and　shattered　into　many　fragments。　

A　few　pieces；　like　the　one　that　came　so　near　Cleggett；　had　been

flung　to　a　distance；　but　for　the　most　part　the　shivered　crowns

and　broken　bulks　had　been　served　otherwise；　the　force　of　the

blast　had　disintegrated　them；　but　had　not　scattered　them；　the

greater　part　of　this　newly…rent　stone　had　toppled　into　the

fissure　in　the　ground；　and　lay　there　mixed　with　earth；　almost

filling　the　hole。　　It　was　impossible　to　determine　just　where　and

how　the　blast　had　been　set　off；　the　rocks　hid　the　facts。　　But

Cleggett　judged　that　the　force　must　have　come　from　below　the

bowlders；　mightily　smitten　from　beneath；　they　had　collapsed　into

the　cavern　suddenly　opening　there；　as　a　building　might　collapse

into　and　fill　a　cellar。　The　pieces　that　had　been　thrown　high　into

the　air　were　insignificant　in　proportion　to　the　great　bulk　which

had　settled　into　the　hole　and　made　its　origin　a　mystery。



As　Cleggett；　bewildered；　stood　and　gazed　upon　the　mass　of　rock

and　earth；　Cap'n　Abernethy　gave　a　cry　and　pointed　at　something

with　his　finger。　Cleggett；　looking　at　the　spot　indicated；　saw

upon　the　edge　of　this　singular　fracture　in　the　earth　a　thing　that

sent　a　quick　chill　of　horror　and　repulsion　to　his　heart。　　It　was

a　dead　hand；　roughly　severed　between　the　wrist　and　the　elbow。　

The　back　of　it　was　uppermost；　the　fingers　were　clenched。　

Cleggett　set　down　his　lantern　beside　it　and　turned　it　over　with

his　foot。



The　dead　fingers　clutched　a　scrap　of　something　yellow。　　On　one　of

them　was　a　large　and　peculiar　ring。



〃My　G