the cruise of the jasper b.-第31节

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Claiborne　family。〃



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

reassured。　　〃The　storm　came　up；　and　still　the　gunmen　fled；　and

still　Reginald　Maltravers　pursued。　　I　suppose；　since　you　saw　them

on　the　west　side　of　the　canal；　Mr。　Cleggett；　that　they　had　run

around　the　north　end　of　it。　　Probably；　while　you　and　Logan　Black

were　fighting；　they　were　running　up　and　down　in　the　neighborhood；

in　the　storm；　intent　only　upon　their　own　feud。〃



〃They　certainly　seemed　exhausted　when　I　saw　them；〃　said　Cleggett；

〃all　three　of　them。　　But　if　you　will　permit　me　to　say　so；　the

astuteness　with　which　you　are　reconstructing　this　case　compels　my

admiration。〃



Wilton　Barnstable　bowed；　and　Barton　Ward　and　Watson　Bard　slightly

inclined　their　heads。



〃Your　skill；〃　said　Lady　Agatha；　〃is　equal　to　that　of　Sherlock

Holmes。〃



At　the　name　of　Sherlock　Holmes　a　shade　passed　over　the　face　of

Wilton　Barnstable。　　He　slightly　compressed　his　lips；　and　his

eyebrows　went　up　a　fraction　of　an　inch。　　This　shade　was　reflected

on　the　faces　of　Barton　Ward　and　Watson　Bard。　　　There　was　a　moment

of　silence；　but　presently　Wilton　Barnstable　continued；　repressing

a　sigh：



〃I　thought　at　first；　Mr。　Cleggett；　that　you　were　an　ally　of　Logan

Black's；　just　as　you　believed　me　to　be　his　ally；　and　as　he

believed　you　and　me　to　be　working　together。　　It　may　interest　you

to　know　that　smuggling　has　been　one　of　his　side　lines。　　There　is；

somewhere　hereabouts；　a　cave　in　which　smuggled　goods　are　stored。　

These　coasts　have　a　sinister　history；　Mr。　Cleggett。　　It　is

possible　that　your　canal　boatI　beg　your　pardon；　your　schooner；

Mr。　Cleggettplayed　some　part　in　their　smuggling　operations。　　At

any　rate　it　is　evident　that　Logan　Black　transferred　to　the　hold

of　this　vessel　the　incriminating　evidence　against　him；　contained

in　that　oblong　box；　when　he　learned　that　my　agents　were　watching

Morris's。　　The　Jasper　B。　has　been　lying　in　her　present　position

for　a　long　time。　　In　the　event　that　a　sudden　get…away　from

Morris's　became　necessary；　it　was　an　advantage　to　Logan　Black　to

be　able　to　leave　without　being　hampered　with　this　matter。　　No

one；　for　many　years；　had　paid　any　attention　to　the　Jasper　B。；

with　the　exception　of　the　old　truck　farmer；　Abernethy；　who　used

sometimes　to　fish　from　her　deck；　and〃



〃Truck　farmer！〃　cried　Cleggett。　　〃Abernethy？〃



〃Truck　farmer；〃　repeated　Wilton　Barnstable。



〃Is　not　Abernethy　an　old　sea　captain？〃　asked　Cleggett。



〃Why；　no；　I　believe　not；〃　said　Barnstable。　　〃At　least　I　never

heard　so。　　He　is　well　known　as　a　small　truck　gardener　in　this

neighborhood。　　It　is　true　that　he　comes　of　a　seafaring

familyindeed；　it　is　his　boast。　　But；　in　a　community　where

nearly　everyone　knows　a　little　about　boats；　I　believe　that

Abernethy　is　remarkable　for　an　indisposition　to　venture　far　from

shore。〃



〃I　can　scarcely　believe　it；〃　breathed　Cleggett。



〃He　does　not　understand　boats；〃　said　Barnstable。　〃That　is　the

reason；　I　take　it；　why　he　has　always　fished　in　the　canal　from　the

deck　of　the　Jasper　B。　〃



〃Abernethy　is　a　gallant　man；〃　said　Cleggett；　rather　sternly。　

〃And　even　although　he　may　have　had　little　actual　seafaring

experience；　the　instinct　is　in　him！　　The　inherited　love　of　a

nautical　life　has　been　latent　in　him　all　along。　　And　at　the　first

opportunity　it　has　come　out。　　He　has　shown　his　mettle　aboard　the

Jasper　B。　〃



〃I　do　not　doubt　it；　if　you　insist　upon　it；〃　said　Wilton

Barnstable；　politely。　　And　from　revolving　his　thumbs　benignly

towards　himself　he　began　to　revolve　them　urbanely　from　himself。　

The　reversal　was　imitated　at　once　by　Barton　Ward；　but　Watson　Bard

was　slower　in　putting　this　new　coup　into　execution。



〃The　resemblance　between　the　two　oblong　boxes　evidently　fooled

Logan　Black；〃　continued　Barnstable；　〃and　his　men　stole　the　wrong

one。　　but　he　knows　by　this　time　that　his　plan　to　get　the　box　has

failed。〃



〃He　knows　it？〃　said　Cleggett。



〃From　the　bank　of　the　canal　he　witnessed　our　capture　of　the　box；

and　of　the　two　men　who　were　making　off　with　it。　　After　you　had

beaten　off　his　assault　upon　the　ship；　he　turned　his　attention　to

the　canal；　to　see　if　the　men　whom　he　had　assigned　to　the　job　of

creeping　over　the　stern　of　the　Jasper　B。　had　by　any　chance

succeeded　in　purloining　the　box。　　He　was　alone；　but　he　attempted

to　come　to　the　assistance　of　his　two　followers　even　as　we　made

them　prisoners。　　In　fact；　we　exchanged　shots。〃



The　great　detective　made　little　of　the　danger　he　had　encountered。



Indeed；　his　smile　became　one　of　amusement　as　he　removed　his　coat；

rolled　up　his　shirt　sleeves；　and　exhibited　a　bandaged　wound　in

the　fleshy　part　of　his　arm。



〃It　is　only　a　slight　wound；〃　he　said；　beaming　on　it　as　if　wounds

were　quite　delightful　affairs；　〃and　scarcely　inconveniences　me。〃



Barton　Ward　and　Watson　Bard；　with　their　sleeves　rolled　up；　were

also　smiling　placidly　and　indulgently　at　bandages　about　their

left　arms。　　Whether　there　were　real　wounds　beneath　their　bandages

also；　Cleggett　could　not　determine。　　The　bandage　of　Barton　Ward

was　slightly　stained　with　red；　but　the　bandage　of　Watson　Bard　was

quite　white。　　All　three　replaced　their　coats　at　the　same　time；

and　Wilton　Barnstable　went　on：



〃Our　course　of　procedure　is　plain；　Mr。　Cleggett。　We　have　the

evidence　against　Logan　Black。　　We　must　have　the　man　himself。　　I

depend　upon　you　to　cooperate　with　me。　　I　think；〃　he　said；　beaming

at　Barton　Ward　and　Watson　Bard　with　an　air　of　modest　triumph；

〃that　the　case　of　Logan　Black　is　going　to　prove　one　of　my　really

GREAT　cases。



〃There　is　only　one　point　which　I　have　not　yet　made　clear　to　you；

I　believeand　that　is　how　Logan　Black's　men　were　able　to　enter

and　leave　the　hold　of　your　vessel　so　mysteriously。　　But　I　am

shaping　up　my　theory　about　that！　　I　am　shaping　it　up！〃



〃Would　it　be　indescreet　to　inquire　just　what　your　theory　is？〃

asked　Cleggett。



And　Lady　Agatha　murmured：



〃For　my　part；　I　can　make　nothing　of　it；　and　I　should　be　glad　to

hear　your　theory。〃



〃It　would；〃　said　Wilton　Barnstable；　soberly；　〃it　would　be

premature；　if　I　told　you　my　theory　at　the　present　moment。　　You

must　pardon　mebut　it　WOULD。　　In　my　line　of　businessand　I

insist；　Mr。　Cleggett；　that　I　am　a　plain　business　man；　nothing

moreI　find　it　absolutely　necessary　not　to　communicate　all　my

information　to　the　layman　until　the　case　is　quite　perfect　in　all

its　points。　　But　do　not　get　the　notion；　Mr。　Cleggett；　that　I

underestimate　the　part　that　you　have　taken　in　the　case　of　Logan

Black。　　You　have　helped　me；　Mr。　Cleggett。　　When　I　have　my

secretary　prepare　the　case　of　Logan　Black　for　magazine　and

newspaper　publication　I　shall　have　your　name　mentioned　as　that　of

a　person　who　has　helped　me。　　Yes；　you　have　helped　me。〃



As　he　spoke　he　picked　from　a　reading　table　a　magazine；　on　the

cover　of　which　appeared　his　own　portraitor　rather；　the　portrait

of　the　popular　conception　of　Wilton　Barnstableand　began　to　make

motions　about　it　with　his　finger。　　He　appeared　to　be　marking　off

the　space　beside　the　portrait　into　an　arrangement　of　letters　and

spaces。　　His　lips　moved　as　he　did　so；　he　murmured：　　〃The　Case　of

Logan　Blackthe　Case　of　Logan　Black！〃　　He　seemed　to　see；　with

the　eye　of　a　typographical　expert；　the　legend　printed　there。　

Barton　Ward　and　Watson　Bard；　slightly　flushed　and　a　little

excited　in　spite　of　themselves；　seemed　also　to　see　it　there。



It　might　have　occurred　to　a　person　more　critical　than　Cleggett

that　it　was　he　himself　who　had　furnished　nearly　all　the　real

evidence　upon　which　Wilton　Barnstable　was　constructing　this　Case

of　Logan　Black。　　But　Cleggett　looked　for　the　gold　in　men；　not　the

dross；　the　great　qualities　of　Wilton　Barnstable　appealed　to　his

imagination；　the　best　in　Cleggett　responded　to　the　best　in　Wilton

Barnstable；　if　the　detective　possessed　a　certain　amount　of

vanity；　Cleggett　preferred　to　overlook　it。



〃Decidedly；〃　said　Wilton　Barnstable；　laying　down　the　magazine；

and　looking　at　Cleggett　kindly　and　serenely；　〃I　shall　see　to　it

that　your　name　is　mentioned　in　connection　with　the　Case　of　Logan

Black。〃　　And　Barton　Ward　and　Watson　Bard　also　bent　upon　him　their

bland　and　friendly　regard。



Cleggett　was　about　to　thank　them；　but　at　that　moment　there　was　a

commotion　of　some　sort　on　deck。



Two　female　voices；　one　of　which　they　all　recognized　as　that　of

Miss　Genevieve　Pringle；　were　mingling　in　a　babble　of　greeting；

expostulation；　interjection；　and　explanation；　and　presently　Miss

Pringle　entered　the　cabin；　followed　by　a　younger　lady　who；　except

for　her　youth；　looked　much　like　her。



〃My　niece；　Miss　Henrietta　Pringle；　of　Flatbush；〃　said　Miss

Pringle；　primly　presenting　her　prim　relation。　　〃She　has　just

arrived〃



〃With　the　plum　preserves！〃　cried　Lady　Agatha。



〃With　the　plum　preserves；〃　confirmed　Miss　Genevieve　Pringle。



And　Captain　Abernethy　and　George　the　Greek　bore　into　the　cabin　a

third　oblong　box；　exactly　simila