the cruise of the jasper b.-第21节

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〃The　deck　of　the　Jasper　B。；　said　Cleggett；　looking　at　it；　〃to　all

appearances；　has　not　been　holystoned　for　some　years。　　You　will

find　in　the　forecastle　several　holystones　that　have　never　been

used；　and　may　begin　at　once。〃



Cleggett；　if　his　tastes　had　not　inclined　him　towards　a　more

active　and　adventurous　life；　would　have　made　a　good　bishop；　for

he　knew　how　to　combine　justice　and　mercy。　　And　yet　few　bishops

have　possessed　his　rapidity　of　decision；　when　compelled；　upon　the

spur　of　the　moment；　to　become　the　physician　of　an　ailing　soul。　

He　had　determined　in　a　flash　to　make　the　man　ship's　chaplain；

that　Calthrop　might　come　into　close　contact　with　other　spiritual

organisms　and　not　think　too　exclusively　of　his　own。



The　Rev。　Mr。　Calthrop　thanked　him　with　becoming　gratitude　and

departed　to　get　the　new　holystones。



By　three　o'clock　that　afternoon；　with　such　celerity　had　the　work

gone　forward；　Mr。　Watkins；　the　contractor；　announced　to　Cleggett

that　his　task　was　finished；　except　for　the　removal　of　the　rubbish

in　the　hold。　　Cleggett；　going　carefully　over　the　vessel；　and

examining　the　new　parts　with　a　brochure　on　the　construction　and

navigation　of　schooners　in　his　hand；　verified　the　statement。



〃She　is　ready　to　sail；〃　said　Cleggett；　standing　by　the　new　wheel

with　a　swelling　heart；　and　sweeping　the　vessel　from　bowsprit　to

rudder　with　a　gradual　glance。



It　was　a　look　almost　paternal　in　its　pride；　Cleggett　loved　the

Jasper　B。　　She　was　an　idea　that　no　one　else　but　Cleggett　could

have　had。



〃Sail？〃　said　Mr。　Watkins。



〃Why　not？〃　said　Cleggett；　puzzled　at　his　tone。



〃Oh；　nothing；〃　said　Mr。　Watkins。　　〃It's　none　of　my　business。　　My

business　was　to　do　the　work　I　was　hired　to　do　according　to

specifications。　　Further　than　that；　nothing。〃



〃But　why　did　you　think　I　was　having　the　work　done？〃



〃Can't　say　I　thought；〃　said　Mr。　Watkins。　　〃I　took　the　job；　and　I

done　it。　　Had　an　idea　mebby　you　were　in　the　movin'　picture　game。〃



Mr。　Watkins；　as　he　talked；　had　been　regarding　Cap'n　Abernethy；

who　in　turn　was　looking　at　the　mainmast。　　There　seemed　to　be

something　in　the　very　way　Cap'n　Abernethy　looked　at　the　mainmast

which　jarred　on　Mr。　Watkins。　　Mr。　Watkins　dropped　his　voice；

indicating　the　Cap'n　with　a　curved；　disparaging　thumb；　as　he

asked　Cleggett：



〃Is　HE　going　to　sail　her？〃



〃Why　not？〃



〃Ohnothing；　nothing　at　all；〃　said　Mr。　Watkins。　〃It's　none　o'　MY

business。〃



Cleggett　began　to　be　a　little　annoyed。　　〃Have　you；〃　he　said　with

dignity；　and　fixing　a　rather　stern　glance　upon　Mr。　Watkins；　〃have

you　any　reason　to　doubt　Cap'n　Abernethy's　ability　as　a　sailing

master？〃



〃No；　indeed；〃　said　Mr。　Watkins　cheerfully；　〃not　as　a　sailing

master。　　He　may　be　the　best　in　the　world；　for　all　I　know。　　_I_

never　seen　him　sail　anything。　　I　never　heard　him　play　the　violin；

neither；　for　that　matter；　and　he　may　be　a　regular　jim…dandy　on

the　violin　for　all　I　know。〃



〃You　are　facetious；〃　said　Cleggett　stiffly。



〃Meaning　I　ain't　paid　to　be　fresh；　eh？〃　said　Mr。　Watkins。　　〃And

right　you　are；　too。　　And　there's　all　that　junk　down　in　the　hold

to　pass　out　and　cart　away。〃



Cleggett　personally　supervised　this　removal；　standing　on　the　deck

by　the　hatchway　and　scanning　everything　that　was　handed　up。　　The

character　of　this　junk　has　already　been　described。　　Every　barrel

or　cask　that　was　placed　upon　the　deck　was　stove　in　with　an　ax

before　Cleggett's　eyes；　he　satisfied　himself　that　every　bottle

was　empty；　he　turned　over　the　broken　boxes　and　beer　cases　with

his　foot　to　see　that　they　contained　nothing。



But　the　work　was　three…quarters　done　before　he　found　what　he　was

looking　for。　　From　under　a　heap　of　debris；　which　had　completely

hidden　it；　towards　the　forward　part　of　the　vessel；　the　workmen

unearthed　an　unpainted　oblong　box；　almost　seven　feet　in　length。　

It　was　of　substantial　material　and　looked　newer　than　any　of　the

other　stuff。　　Cleggett　had　it　placed　on　one　side　of　the　hatchway

and　sat　down　on　it。　　It　was　tightly　nailed　up；　all　of　its

surfaces　were　sound。　　Cleggett　did　not　doubt　that　he　would　find

in　it　what　he　wanted；　yet　in　order　to　be　on　the　safe　side　he

continued　to　scrutinize　everything　else　that　came　out　of　the

hold。



But　finally　the　hold　was　as　empty　as　a　drum；　and　Watkins　and　his

men　departed。　　The　oblong　box　upon　which　Cleggett　sat　was　the

only　possible　receptacle　of　any　sort　in　an　undamaged　condition；

which　had　been　in　the　hold。　　He　determined　to　have　it　opened　in

the　cabin。



As　he　arose　from　it　he　was　struck　by　its　resemblance　to　the　box

in　Elmer's　charge；　the　dank　box　of　Reginald　Maltravers；　which

stood　on　one　end　near　the　cabin　companionway；　leaning　against　the

port　side　of　the　cabin　so　that　it　was　not　visible　from　the　road；

which　ran　to　the　starboard　of　the　Jasper　B。　　But；　since　all

oblong　boxes　are　bound　to　have　a　general　resemblance；　Cleggett；

at　the　time；　thought　little　enough　of　this　likeness。



He　called　to　George　and　Mr。　Calthrop；　who；　with　Dr。　Farnsworth；

were　forward　receiving　their　first　lecture　on　seamanship　from

Cap'n　Abernethy　and　Kuroki；　to　carry　the　box　into　the　cabin。



But　as　George　and　the　Rev。　Mr。　Calthrop　lifted　the　box　to　their

shoulders；　Cleggett　was　startled　by　a　loud　and　violent　oath；　a

veritable　bellow　of　blasphemy　that　made　him　shudder。　　Turning；　he

saw　than　an　automobile　had　paused　in　the　road。　　In　the　forward

part　of　the　machine　stood　Loge；　raving　in　an　almost　demoniac　fury

and　pointing　at　the　box。　He　writhed　in　the　grip　of　three　men　who

endeavored　to　restrain　him。　　One　of　them　was　the　sinister　Pierre。



Hoisting　himself；　as　it　were；　on　a　mounting　billow　of　his　own

profanity；　Loge　cast　himself　with　a　wide　swimming　motion　of　his

arms　from　the　auto。　　But　one　of　the　men　clung　to　him；　they　came

to　the　ground　together　like　tackler　and　tackled　in　a　football

game。　　The　others　cast　themselves　out　of　the　machine　and　flung

themselves　upon　their　leader；　he　fought　like　a　lion；　but　he　was

finally　overpowered　and　thrown　back　into　the　auto；　which　was

immediately　started　up　and　which　made　off　towards　Fairport　at　a

rattling　speed。　　Three　hundred　yards　away；　however；　Loge　rose

again　and　shook　a　furious　fist　at　the　Jasper　B。；　and　though

Cleggett　could　not　distinguish　the　words；　the　sense　of　Loge's

impotent　rage　rolled　towards　him　on　the　wind　in　a　roaring；

vibrant　bass。



The　sight　of　the　box　that　he　had　not　been　able　to　buy；　in

Cleggett's　possession；　had　stirred　him　beyond　all　caution；　he　had

actually　contemplated　an　attempt　to　rush　the　Jasper　B。　in　broad

daylight。



But　while　this　queer　tableau　of　baffled　rage　was　enacting　itself

on　the　starboard　bow　of　the　Jasper　B。；　　a　no　less　strange　and　far

less　explicable　thing　was　occurring　on　the　port　side。　　The　swish

of　oars　and　the　ripple　of　a　moving　boat　drew　Cleggett's　attention

in　that　direction　as　Loge's　booming　threats　grew　fainter。　　He　saw

that　two　oarsmen；　near　the　eastern　and　farther　side　of　the　canal；

had　allowed　the　dainty；　varnished　little　craft　they　were　supposed

to　propel　to　come　to　a　rest　in　spite　of　the　evident　displeasure

of　a　man　who　sat　in　its　stern。　　This　third　man　was　the　same　that

Cleggett　had　seen　on　the　deck　of　the　Annabel　Lee　with　a　spy

glass；　and　again　that　same　morning　driving　the　two　almost　nude

figures　up　and　down　the　canal。



The　two　oarsmen；　Cleggett　saw　with　surprise；　rowed　with　shackled

feet；　their　feet　were；　indeed；　chained　to　the　boat　itself。　　About

the　wrists　of　each　were　steel　bands；　fixed　to　these　bands　were

chains；　the　other　ends　of　which　were　locked　to　their　oars。　　They

were；　in　effect；　galley　slaves。



All　this　iron　somewhat　hampered　their　movements。　　But　the　reason

of　their　pause　was　an　engrossing　interest　in　the　box　of　Reginald

Maltravers；　which　stood；　as　has　already　been　said；　on　the　port

side　of　the　cabin；　on　one　end；　and　so　was　visible　from　their

boat。　　They　were　looking　at　it　with　slack　oars；　dropped　jaws　and

starting　eyes；　the　thing　seemed　to　have　fascinated　them　and

bereft　them　of　motion；　it　was　as　if　they　were　unable　to　get　past

it　at　all。　　Elmer；　worn　out　by　his　many　long　vigils；　lay　asleep

on　the　deck　at　the　foot　of　the　box；　with　an　arm　flung　over　his

face。



The　stout　man；　after　vainly　endeavoring　to　start　his　oarsmen　with

words；　took　up　an　extra　oar　and　began　vigorously　prodding　them

with　it。　　Cleggett　had　not　seen　this　man　look　towards　the　Jasper

B。；　　but　he　nevertheless　had　the　feeling　that　the　man　had　missed

little　of　what　had　been　going　on　there。　He　seemed　to　be　that　kind

of　man。



His　crew　responding　to　the　stabs　of　the　oar；　the　little　vessel

went　perhaps　fifty　yards　farther　up　the　canal　towards　Parker's；

and　then　swung　daintily　around　and　came　back　towards　the　Jasper

B。　at　almost　the　speed　of　a　racing　shell；　the　men　in　chains

bending　doggedly　to　their　work。　　Cleggett　saw　that　the　boat　must

pass　close　to　the　Jasper　B。；　and　leaned　　over　the　port　rail。