the cruise of the jasper b.-第15节

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

them　was　a　large　and　peculiar　ring。



〃My　God！〃　murmured　Lady　Agatha；　grasping　Cleggett　convulsively　by

the　shoulder；　〃that　is　the　Earl　of　Claiborne's　signet　ring！〃



But　Cleggett　scarcely　realized　what　she　had　said；　until　she

repeated　her　words。　　Fighting　down　his　repugnance；　he　took　from

the　lifeless　and　stubborn　fingers　the　yellow　scrap　of　paper。



It　was　a　torn　and　crumpled　twenty…dollar　bill。





CHAPTER　IX



MYSTERIES　MULTIPLY



Directing　Kuroki　to　remove　the　ring　and　bring　it　along；　Cleggett

gave　his　arm　to　Lady　Agatha　and　led　the　way　back　to　the　Jasper　B。　

Neither　said　anything　to　the　point　until；　seated　in　the　cabin；

with　the　twenty…dollar　bill　and　the　ring　before　them；　Cleggett

picked　up　the　latter　and　remarked：



〃You　are　certain　of　the　identity　of　this　ring？〃



〃Certain；〃　she　said。　　〃I　could　not　mistake　it。　There　is　no　other

like　it；　anywhere。〃



It　was　a　very　heavy　gold　band；　set　with　a　large　piece　of　dark

green　jade　which　was　deeply　graven　on　its　surface　with　the

Claiborne　crest。



〃Was　it；〃　asked　Cleggett；　〃in　the　possession　of　Reginald

Maltravers？〃



〃It　might　have　been；　readily　enough；〃　she　said；　〃although　I　had

not　known　that　it　was。　　Still；　that　does　not　explain。　。　。　。〃　　She

shrugged　her　shoulders。



〃There　are　a　number　of　things　unexplained；〃　answered　Cleggett；

〃and　the　presence　of　this　ring；　and　the　manner　in　which　it　has

come　into　our　possession；　are　not　the　most　mysterious　of　them。　

The　explosion　itself　appears　to　me；　just　now；　at　least；　hard　to

account　for。〃



〃The　manner　in　which　people　get　into　and　out　of　the　hold　of　your

vessel　is　also　obscure；〃　said　Lady　Agatha。



〃Nor　is　the　motive　of　their　hostility　clear；〃　said　Cleggett。



He　picked　up　the　piece　of　paper　money。　Something　about　the　feel

of　it　aroused　his　suspicions。　　He　called　Elmer；　and　when　that

exponent　of　reform　entered　the　cabin；　asked　him　bluntly：



〃Did　you　ever　have　anything　to　do　with　bad　money？〃



Elmer　intimated　that　he　might　know　it　if　he　saw　it。



〃Then　look　at　that；　please。〃



Elmer　took　the　torn　bill；　produced　a　penknife；　slit　the　yellow

paper；　and　cut　out　of　it　one　of　the　small　hair…like　fibers　with

which　the　texture　of　such　notes　is　sprinkled。　　After　wetting　this

fiber　and　mangling　it　with　his　penknife　he　gave　his　judgment

briefly。



〃Queer；〃　he　said。



〃But　what　does　that　explain？〃　asked　Lady　Agatha。　　〃Perhaps　the

Earl　of　Claiborne　came　to　this　country　and　took　to　making

counterfeit　money　in　the　hold　of　the　Jasper　B。；　into　and　out　of

which　he　stole　like　a　ghost？　　Finally　he　got　tired　of　it　and　blew

himself　up　with　a　bomb　out　there；　leaving　his　ring　with　a　piece

of　money　intact？　　Is　that　the　explanation　we　get　out　of　our

facts？　　Because；　you　know；〃　she　added；　as　Cleggett　did　not　smile；

〃all　that　is　absurd！〃



〃Yes；〃　said　Cleggett；　still　refusing　to　be　amused；　〃but　out　of

all　this　jumble　of　mystery；　just　one　certain　thing　appears。〃



〃And　that　is？〃



〃That　our　destinies　are　somehow　linked！〃



〃Our　destinies？　　Linked？〃



She　gave　him　a　swift　look；　and　as　suddenly　dropped　her　eyes

again。　　Cleggett　could　not　tell　whether　she　was　offended　or　not

by　his　expression　of　the　idea。



〃The　same　people；〃　said　Cleggett；　after　a　brief　pause；　〃who　are

so　persistently　hostile　to　me　are　also　in　some　manner　connected

with　your　own　misfortunes。　　Their　possession　of　this　ring　shows

that。〃



〃Yes；〃　she　said；　following　his　thought；　〃that　is　truewhoever

set　off　that　bomb　was　also　wearing　this　ring；　or　was　very　near

the　person　who　was　wearing　it。　　And；〃　with　a　shudder　which

conveyed　to　Cleggett　that　she　was　thinking　of　the　box　on　deck；

〃it　COULDN'T　have　been　Reginald　Maltravers！〃



〃Perhaps；〃　said　Cleggett；　〃someone　was　sneaking　over　from

Morris's　with　the　intention　of　destroying　the　Jasper　B。；　　and　was

himself　the　victim　of　a　premature　explosion　as　he　crouched　behind

the　rocks　to　await　his　opportunity。〃



〃But　why；〃　puzzled　Lady　Agatha；　with　contracted　brows；　〃should　a

dynamiter；　anarchistic　or　otherwise；　be　holding　a　counterfeit

twenty…dollar　bill　in　his　hand　as　he　went　about　his　work？〃



Cleggett　brooded　in　silence。



〃We　are　in　the　midst　of　mysteries；〃　he　said　finally。　　〃They　are

multiplying　about　us。〃



He　was　about　to　say　more。　　He　was　about　to　　express　again　his

belief　that　they　had　been　flung　together　by　fate。　　The　sense　that

their　stories　were　inextricably　intertwined；　that　they　must

henceforward　march　on　as　one　mystery　towards　a　solution；　was

exhilarating　to　him。　　But　how　was　it　possible　that　she　should

feel　the　same　sense　of　pleasure　in　the　fact　that　they　faced

dangers；　seen　and　unseen；　together？



Together！How　the　thought　thrilled　him！



On　deck；　Elmer；　before　returning　to　the　box　of　Reginald

Maltravers；　suddenly　and　unexpectedly　grasped　Cleggett　by　the

hand。



〃Bo；〃　he　said；　〃I'm　wit'　youse。　　I'm　wit'　youse　the　whole　way。　

Any　friend　of　the　little　dame　is　a　friend　of　mine。　　She's　a

square　little　dame。　　D'　youse　get　me？〃



〃Thank　you；〃　said　Cleggett；　more　affected　than　he　would　have

cared　to　own。　　〃Thank　you；　my　loyal　fellow。〃



Cleggett　established　a　watch　on　deck　that　night；　with　a　relief

every　two　hours。　　Towards　morning　George　returned；　with　Dr。

Farnsworth　and　a　nurse。　　This　nurse；　Miss　Antoinette　Medley；　was

a　black…eyed；　slender　girl　with　pretty　hands　and　white　teeth；　she

gestured　a　great　deal　and　smiled　often。　　She　and　Dr。　Farnsworth

devoted　themselves　at　once　to　the　young　anarchist　poet；　who　had

come　out　of　his　stupor；　indeed；　but　was　now　babbling　weakly　in

the　delirium　of　fever。



The　night　was　not　a　cheerful　one；　and　morning　came　gloomily　out

of　a　gray　bank　of　mist。　　Cleggett；　as　he　looked　about　the　boat　in

the　first　pale　light；　could　not　resist　a　slight　feeling　of

depression；　courageous　as　he　was。　　The　wounded　man　gibbered　in　a

bunk　in　the　forecastle。　　The　box　of　Reginald　Maltravers　stood　on

one　end；　leaning　against　the　port　side　of　the　cabin；　and　dripped

steadily。　　Elmer；　wrapped　in　blankets；　lay　on　the　deck　near　the

box　of　Reginald　Maltravers；　looking　even　more　dejected　in　slumber

than　when　his　eyes　were　open。　　Teddy；　the　Pomeranian；　was

snuggled　against　Elmer's　feet；　but；　as　if　a　prey　to　frightful

nightmares；　the　little　dog　twitched　and　whined　in　　his　sleep　from

time　to　time。　　These　were　the　apparent　facts；　and　these　facts

were　set　to　a　melancholy　tune　by　the　long…drawn；　dismal　snores　of

Cap'n　Abernethy；　which　rose　and　fell；　and　rose　and　fell；　and　rose

again　like　the　sad　and　wailing　song　of　some　strange　bird　bereft

of　a　beloved　mate。　　They　were　the　music　for；　and　the　commentary

on；　what　Cleggett　beheld；　Cap'n　Abernethy　seemed　to　be　saying；

with　these　snores：　　〃If　you　was　to　ask　me；　I'd　say　it　ain't　a

cheerful　ship　this　mornin'；　Mr。　Cleggett；　it　ain't　a　cheerful

ship。〃



But　Cleggett's　nature　was　too　lively　and　vigorous　to　remain

clouded　for　long。　　By　the　time　the　red　disk　of　the　sun　had　crept

above　the　eastern　horizon　he　had　shaken　off　his　fit　of　the　blues。



The　sun　looked　large　and　bland　and　friendly；　and；　somehow；　the

partisan　of　integrity　and　honor。　　He　drew　strength　from　it。　

Cleggett；　like　all　poetic　souls；　was　responsive　to　these　familiar

recurrent　phenomena　of　nature。



The　sun　did　him　another　office。　　It　showed　him　a　peculiar　tableau

vivant　on　the　eastern　bank　of　the　canal；　near　the　house　boat

Annabel　Lee。　　This　consisted　of　three　men；　two　of　them　naked

except　for　bathing　trunks　of　the　most　abbreviated　sort；　running

swiftly　and　earnestly　up　and　down　the　edge　of　the　canal。　　He　saw

with　astonishment　that　the　two　men　in　bathing　suits　were

handcuffed　together；　the　left　wrist　of　one　to　the　right　wrist　of

the　other。　　A　rope　was　tied　to　the　handcuffs；　and　the　other　end

of　it　was　held　by　the　third　man；　who　was　dressed　in　ordinary

tweeds。　　The　third　man　had　a　magazine　rifle　over　one　shoulder。　

He　followed　about　twenty　feet　behind　the　two　men　in　bathing　suits

and　drove　them。



Cleggett　perceived　that　the　man　who　was　doing　the　driving　was　the

same　who　had　watched　the　Jasper　B。　so　persistently　the　day　before

from　the　deck　of　the　Annabel　Lee。　　He　was　middle…sized；　and

inclined　to　be　stout；　and　yet　he　followed　his　strange　team　with

no　apparent　effort。　　Cleggett　saw　through　the　glass　that　he　had　a

rather　heavy　black　mustache；　and　was　again　struck　by　something

vaguely　familiar　about　him。　　The　two　men　in　bathing　suits　were

slender　and　undersized；　they　did　not　look　at　all　like　athletes；

and　although　they　moved　as　fast　as　they　could　it　was　apparent

that　they　got　no　pleasure　out　of　it。　　They　ran　with　their　heads

hanging　down；　and　it　seemed　to　Cleggett　that　they　were　quarreling

as　they　ran；　for　occasionally　one　of　them　would　give　a　vicious

jerk　to　the　handcuffs　that　would　almost　upset　the　other；　and　that

must　have　hurt　the　wrists　of　b