the cruise of the jasper b.-第30节

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CHAPTER　XXI



THE　THIRD　OBLONG　BOX　ARRIVES



〃I　think；〃　said　Wilton　Barnstable；　when　Cleggett　had　finished；

〃that　I　may　be　able　to　clear　up　a　few　points　for　you。



〃The　two　men　whom　you　saw　me　hazing　up　and　down　the　bank　of　the

canal；　and　whom　you　saw　again　tonight；　followed　by　the　man　in　the

baby　blue　silk　pajamas；　were　Dopey　Eddie　and　Izzy　the　Cat！〃



〃The　wretches！〃　cried　Lady　Agatha。



〃Wretches　indeed；〃　said　Wilton　Barnstable；　Barton　Ward；　and

Watson　Bard；　in　unison；　and　with　conviction。



〃And　the　man　in　the　baby　blue　silk　pajamas；　was〃　the　great

detective　paused；　as　if　to　make　his　revelation　more　effective。　

And　while　he　paused；　Miss　Genevieve　Pringle；　with　pursed　lips　and

averted　face；　signified　that　the　very　idea　of　introducing　a　man

in　baby　blue　silk　pajamas　into　the　conversation　was　intensely

displeasing　to　her。



〃The　man　in　pajamas　was　Reginald　Maltravers；〃　finished　the　great

detective。



〃Reginald　Maltravers！〃　cried　Lady　Agatha。



She　opened　her　mouth　again　as　if　to　say　something　more；　but　words

failed　her；　and　she　only　stared　at　the　detective；　with　parted

lips　and　round　eyes。



Cleggett　went　to　her　and　touched　her　on　the　arm；　and　with　the

touch　she　gave　a　sob　of　emotion　and　found　her　tongue　again。



〃Reginald　Maltravers；〃　she　said；　〃is　not　dead　then！　　Not　dead

after　all！〃



She　endeavored　to　control　herself；　but　for　a　moment　or　two　she

trembled。　　It　was　evident　that　it　was　all　she　could　do　to　keep

from　crying　hysterically　with　relief。　　The　nightmare　that　had

haunted　her　for　days　had　vanished　almost　too　suddenly。　Presently

she　began　to　be　herself　again。



〃You　are　sure　that　he　is　not　dead？〃　she　said　with　a　voice　that

still　shook。



〃Sure；〃　said　Wilton　Barnstable。



And　as　if　quietly　satisfied　with　the　sensation　they　had　produced；

the　three　detectives　smiled　at　each　other　urbanely　and

contentedly。　　Barnstable　continued：　



〃Reginald　Maltravers　came　to　my　agency　some　days　ago　and

requested　a　bodyguard。　　Dopey　Eddie　and　Izzy　the　Cat　had　attacked

him；　no　doubt　intending　to　earn　the　money　which　Elmer　had

promised　them。　　He　beat　them　off。　　In　fact；　he　caned　them

soundly。　　But　they　still　continued　to　dog　him。



〃Mr。　Ward　here；　who　handled　the　case；　soon　reported　to　me　that　he

believed　Reginald　Maltravers　to　be　insane。〃



〃Insane　he　was；〃　cried　Lady　Agatha。　　〃I　have　seen　the　light　of

insanity　in　his　eye；　gleaming　through　his　accursed　monocle。〃　　She

spoke　with　vehemence。　　Now　that　she　knew　the　man　to　be　alive；　her

hatred　of　him　had　flared　up　again。



〃Insane　he　was；〃　agreed　Wilton　Barnstable。　〃And　shortly　after

that　discovery　was　made；　he　disappeared。　　The　next　day　after　his

disappearance；　Dopey　Eddie　and　Izzy　the　Cat　were　liberally

supplied　with　money。



〃Of　course　they　got　the　money；　Lady　Agatha；　through　the　clever

trick　they　worked　upon　you。〃



〃A　great　many　people　have　got　money　from　me　since　I　have　been　in

America；〃　said　Lady　Agatha。



〃Ah！　Yes？〃　　The　great　detective　went　on　with　his　masterly　summing

up。　　〃Of　course　they　got　the　money　from　the　trick　they　worked　on

Lady　Agatha。　But　at　the　time　I　thought　it　possible　that　they　had

robbed　Reginald　Maltravers　and　then　put　him　out　of　the　way。　　They

are　well…known　gunmen。



〃I　took　them　into　custody　and　determined　to　hold　them　until　such

time　as　Reginald　Maltravers　would　be　found；　or　his　fate

discovered。　　Eventually　I　brought　them　with　me　on　my　house　boat。

I　was　really　holding　them　without　due　legal　warrant；　but　I　am

forced　to　do　that；　sometimes。　　They　complained　of　lack　of

exercise；　so　I　gave　them　exercise　in　the　manner　which　you　saw　the

other　morning；　Mr。　Cleggett。



〃One　of　my　agents；　shortly　after　this；　picked　up　the　trail　of

Reginald　Maltravers　again。　　When　I　learned　that　he　was　alive　my

first　impulse　was　to　release　Dopey　Eddie　and　Izzy　the　Cat。　　But　I

learned　that　the　two　gunmen　could；　if　they　would；　give　me　a　tip

as　to　certain　of　the　activities　of　Logan　Black；　against　whom　I

have　been　collecting　evidence　for　nearly　a　year。　　So　I　kept　them

on　my　boat。



〃Reginald　Maltravers；　most　of　the　time　that　you　were　riding　about

the　country；　Lady　Agatha；　with　the　box　that　you　thought　contained

him；　was　really　following　you。　　He　would　lose　your　trail　and　find

it　again；　but　he　was　always　some　hours　behind　you。　Of　course；　he

knew　nothing　of　the　oblong　box。　　He　thought　that　you　were　running

away　from　him。　　And　all　the　time　that　Reginald　Maltravers　was

following　you；　agents　of　mine　were　following　Reginald

Maltravers。〃



〃Lady　Agatha；〃　interrupted　Cleggett；　〃was　also　being　pursued　by

Miss　Pringle　here。〃



Wilton　Barnstable　carefully　made　a　note　in　a　little　book　which　he

drew　from　his　waistcoat　pocket。　　Barton　Ward　also　made　a　note　in

a　little　book；　Watson　Bard　started　to　make　a　note；　and　then

paused；　in　fact；　Watson　Bard　did　not　complete　his　note　until　he

had　gotten　a　peep　into　the　notebook　of　Barton　Ward。　　The　notes

made；　the　three　detectives　once　more　smiled　craftily　at　each

other；　and　Wilton　Barnstable　resumed：



〃We　knew；　of　course；　that　another　lady　was　also　following　Lady

Agatha。　　But；　until　the　present　moment；　we　had　not　identified　her

with　Miss　　Pringle。　　And　I　should　not　be　at　all　surprised；　not　at

ALL　surprised；　if　still　another　person　had　been　following　Miss

Pringle。〃



〃With　what　object？〃　asked　Miss　Pringle；　looking　alarmed　at　the

idea。



〃The　motive；　my　dear　lady；　I　must　for　the　present　withhold；〃　said

Wilton　Barnstable。　　And　again　the　three　detectives　exchanged

knowing　glances。



〃Reginald　Maltravers'　pursuit　of　you；　Lady　Agatha；　led　him　to

Fairport；〃　went　on　the　great　sleuth。　　〃No　doubt　he　met　the　driver

of　the　vehicle　which　brought　you　hither；　and　learned　that　you　

and　Elmer　had　been　set　down　in　this　neighborhood；　just　as　Miss

Pringle　learned　it。　　No　doubt　it　was　well　after　dark　when　he

arrived　in　the　vicinity　of　the　Jasper　B。　　And　it　is　to　be

supposed　that；　once　out　here；　he　went　to　Morris's　road　house；

thinking　it　quite　likely　that　you　and　Elmer　would　stop　there；　as

he　had　been　tracking　you　from　road　house　to　road　house。　　Logan

Black；　knowing　that　the　authorities　were　on　his　trail；　mistook

Reginald　Maltravers　for　a　detective；　and　held　him　prisoner　at

Morris's。　　Logan　Black's　men　took　away　his　clothes　in　order　to

minimize　the　possibility　of　his　escape。〃



〃And　the　Earl　of　Claiborne's　signet　ring〃　began　Cleggett。



〃Of　course；　Reginald　Maltravers　was　wearing　it；　and　of　course

they　took　his　valuables　from　him；〃　said　Barnstable。　　〃One　of　the

ruffians　was　wearing　the　ring　as　he　approached　your　vessel　with　a

bomb。　　But；　Mr。　Cleggett；　there　are　points　about　that　bomb

explosion　which　I　do　not　understand。〃



〃Nor　I；〃　admitted　Cleggett。



〃We　will　clear　them　up　later；〃　said　the　great　detective；　smiling

benignly　at　his　thumbs；　which　he　was　revolving　slowly　about　each

other　as　he　reconstructed　the　case。



〃Later！〃　smiled　Barton　Ward。　　〃Later！〃　murmured　Watson　Bard。　

With　their　hands　clasped　over　their　stomachs；　they；　too；　benignly

twirled　their　thumbs。



〃Tonight；〃　pursued　Barnstable；　〃having　finally　got　all　the

information　I　wished　from　Dopey　Eddie　and　Izzy　the　Cat　with

regard　to　Logan　Black；　I　tossed　them　the　key　to　their　irons　and

told　them　to　unlock　themselves　and　clear　out。　　It　was　just　before

the　storm　began；　and　they　were　sitting　on　the　bank　of　the　canal

at　the　time。　　I　allowed　them　to　sit　there　in　the　evenings　and　get

the　fresh　air。



〃But　before　they　could　unlock　themselves　Reginald　Maltravers；　who

had；　we　must　suppose；　escaped　from　Morris's　through　the

carelessness　of　one　of　Logan　Black's　subordinates；　crawled　up　the

bank　of　the　canal；　which　he　had　swum；　and　made　for　the　two

gunmen；　with　the　water　dripping　from　his　eyeglass。　　He　had

recognized　them　as　the　men　who　had　dogged　and　assaulted　him；　and

every　other　idea　was　obliterated　in　his　desire　for　vengeance。



〃They　fled。　　He　pursued。　　He　caught　them；　and　they　fought。　　They

succeeded　in　dropping　one　of　the　iron　balls　on　his　footon　his

bunion　foot；　Mr。　Cleggettcrippling　him。〃



As　this　mention　of　the　bunion；　Miss　Genevive　Pringle　arose　with

dignity；　and；　flinging　a　shawl　about　her　shoulders；　left　the

cabin；　chin　in　air。　　She　did　not　vouchsafe　so　much　as　one

backward　glance　at　Cleggett　or　the　three　detectives　or　lady

Agatha　as　she　left；　but　outraged　propriety　was　expressed　in　every

line　of　her　figure。



〃H'm；〃　mused　the　detective；　flushing　slightly；　and　Watson　Bard

and　Barton　Ward　also　colored　a　little；　and　looked　hacked。　　They

glanced　furtively　at　Lady　Agatha；　to　see　if　she　too　might　be

offended。



〃Proceed；　Mr。　Barnstable；〃　she　said　a　little　impatiently。　

〃Bunions　don't　bother　me；　either　mentally　or　physically。　　I　am

familiar　with　the　idea　of　bunions。　　There　are　many　bunions　in　the

Claiborne　family。〃



〃On　his　bunion　foot；　crippling　him；〃　resumed　the　detective；

reass