the cruise of the jasper b.-第4节

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interlocutor。　　He　took　a　selection　of　utterances　into　his　mind；

rolled　them　over　together；　and　replied　in　accordance　with　some

esoteric　system　of　his　own。



〃Where　is　Mr。　Goldberg's　office？〃　asked　Cleggett。



〃You've　come　to　the　proper　party　to　get　set　right　about　ships；〃

said　Mr。　Abernethy；　complacently。　〃Either　you　was　sent　to　me　by

someone　that　knows　I'm　the　proper　party　to　set　you　right　about

ships；　or　else　you　got　an　eye　in　your　own　head　that　can　recognize

a　man　that　comes　of　a　seafarin'　fambly。〃



〃You　ARE　an　old　sailor；　then？　　Maybe　you　are　an　old　skipper？　

Perhaps　you're　one　of　the　retired　Long　Island　sea　captains　we're

always　hearing　so　much　about？〃



〃So　fur　as　sailin'　her　around　the　world　is　concerned；〃　said　Mr。

Abernethy；　glancing　over　the　hulk；　〃if　she　was　fixed　up　she　could

be　sailed　anywheresanywheres！〃



〃What　would　you　call　hera　schooner？〃



〃This　here　Goldberg；〃　said　Mr。　Abernethy；　〃has　his　office　over

town　right　accost　from　the　railroad　depot。〃



And　with　that　he　put　his　fishing　pole　over　his　shoulder　and

prepared　to　leavea　tall；　strong…looking　old　man　with　long　legs

and　knotty　wrists；　who　moved　across　the　deck　with　surprising

spryness。　At　the　gangplank　he　sang　out　without　turning　his　head：



〃As　far　as　my　bein'　a　skipper's　concerned；　they's　no　law　agin'

callin'　me　Cap'n　Abernethy　if　you　want　to。　　I　come　of　a　seafarin'

fambly。〃



He　crossed　the　platform；　when　he　had　gone　thirty　yards　further　he

stopped；　turned　around；　and　shouted：



〃Is　she　a　schooner；　hey？　　You　want　to　know　is　she　a　schooner？　　If

you　was　askin'　me；　she　ain't　NOTHIN'　now。　　But　if　you　was　to　ask

me　again　I　might　say　she　COULD　be　schooner…rigged。　　Lots　of　boats

IS　schooner…rigged。〃



There　are　affinities　between　atom　and　atom；　between　man　and

woman；　between　man　and　man。　There　are　also　affinities　between　men

and　things…if　you　choose　to　call　a　ship；　which　has　a　spirit　of

its　own；　merely　a　thing。　　There　must　have　been　this　affinity

between　Cleggett　and　the　Jasper　B。　　Only　an　unusual　person　would

have　thought　of　buying　her。　　But　Cleggett　loved　her　at　first

sight。



Within　an　hour　after　he　had　first　seen　her　he　was　in　Mr。　Abraham

Goldberg's　office。



As　he　was　concluding　his　purchaseMr。　Goldberg　having　phoned

Cleggett's　bankershe　was　surprised　to　discover　that　he　was

buying　about　half　an　acre　of　Long　Island　real　estate　along　with

her。　For　that　matter　he　had　thought　it　a　little　odd　in　the　first

place　when　he　had　been　directed　to　a　real　estate　agent　as　the

owner　of　the　craft。　　But　as　he　knew　very　little　about　business；

and　nothing　at　all　about　ships；　he　assumed　that　perhaps　it　was

quite　the　usual　thing　for　real　estate　dealers　to　buy　and　sell

ships　abutting　on　the　coast　of　Long　Island。



〃I　had　only　intended　to　buy　the　vessel；〃　said　Cleggett。　　〃I　don't

know　that　I'll　be　able　to　use　the　land。〃



Mr。　Goldberg　looked　at　Cleggett　with　a　slight　start；　as　if　he

were　not　sure　that　he　had　heard　aright；　and　opened　his　mouth　as

if　to　say　something。　　But　nothing　came　of　itnot　just　then；　at

least。　　When　the　last　signature　had　been　written；　and　Clegget's

check　had　been　folded　by　Mr。　Goldberg's　plump；　bejeweled　fingers

and　put　into　Mr。　Goldberg's　pocketbook；　Mr。　Goldberg　remarked：



〃You　say　you　can't　use　the　ship？〃



〃No；　the　land。　　I'm　surprised　to　find　that　the　land　goes　with　the

ship。〃



〃Why；　it　doesn't；〃　said　Mr。　Goldberg。　　〃It's　the　ship　that　goes

with　the　land。　　She　was　on　the　land　when　I　bought　the　plot；　and　I

just　left　her　there。　　Nobody's　paid　any　attention　to　her　for

years。〃



The　words　〃on　the　land〃　grated　on　Cleggett。



〃You　mean　on　the　water；　don't　you？〃



〃In　the　mud；　then；〃　suggested　Mr。　Goldberg。



〃But　she'll　sail　all　right；〃　said　Cleggett。



〃I　suppose　if　she　was　decorated　up　with　sails　and　things　she'd

sail。　　Figuring　on　sailing　her　anywhere　in　particular？〃



〃Subtly　irritated；　Cleggett　answered：　〃Oh；　no；　no！　Not　anywhere

in　particular！〃



〃Going　to　live　on　her　this　summer？Outdoor　sleeping　room；　and

all　that？〃



〃I'm　thinking　of　it。〃



〃You　could　turn　her　into　a　house　boat　easy　enough。　　I　had　a

friend　who　turned　an　old　barge　like　that　into　a　house　boat　and

had　a　lot　of　fun　with　her。〃



〃Barge？〃　　Cleggett　rose　and　buttoned　his　coat；　the　conversation

was　somehow　growing　more　and　more　distasteful　to　him。　　〃You

wouldn't　call　the　Jasper　B。　a　BARGE；　would　you？〃　



〃Well；　you　wouldn't　call　her　a　YACHT；　would　you？〃　said　Mr。

Goldberg。



〃Perhaps　not；〃　admitted　Cleggett；　〃perhaps　not。　She's　more　like　a

bark　than　a　yacht。〃



〃A　bark？　　I　dunno。　　Always　thought　a　bark　was　bigger。　　A　scow's

more　her　size；　ain't　it？〃



〃Scow？〃　　Cleggett　frowned。　　The　Jasper　B。　a　scow！　　〃You　mean　a

schooner；　don't　you？〃



〃Schooner？〃　　Mr。　Goldberg　grinned　good…naturedly　at　his　departing

customer。　　〃A　kind　of　a　schooner…scow；　huh？〃



〃No；　sir；　a　schooner！〃　said　Cleggett；　reddening；　and　turning　in

the　doorway。　　〃Understand　me；　Mr。　Goldberg；　a　schooner；　sir！　　A

schooner！〃



And　standing　with　a　frown　on　his　face　until　every　vestige　of　the

smile　had　died　from　Mr。　Goldberg's　lips；　Cleggett　repeated　once

more：　　〃A　schooner；　Mr。　Goldberg！〃



〃Yes；　sirthere's　no　doubt　of　ita　schooner；　Mr。　Cleggett；〃

said　Mr。　Goldberg；　turning　pale　and　backing　away　from　the　door。



The　ordinary　man　inspects　a　house　or　a　horse　first　and　buys　it；

or　fails　to　buy　it；　afterward；　but　genius　scorns　conventions；

Cleggett　was　not　an　ordinary　man；　he　often　moved　straight　towards

his　object　by　inspiration；　great　poets　and　great　adventurers

share　this　faculty；　Cleggett　paid　for　the　Jasper　B。　first　and

went　back　to　inspect　his　purchase　later。



The　vessel　lay　about　two　miles　from　the　center　of　Fairport。　　He

could　get　within　half　a　mile　of　it　by　trolley。　　Nevertheless；

when　he　reached　the　Jasper　B。　again　after　leaving　Mr。　Goldberg　it

was　getting　along　towards　dusk。



He　first　entered　the　cabin。　　It　was　of　a　good　size　and　divided

into　several　compartments。　　But　it　was　in　a　state　of　dilapidation

and　littered　with　a　jumble　of　odds　and　ends　which　looked　like　the

ruins　of　a　barroom。　　As　he　turned　to　ascend　to　the　deck　again；

after　possibly　five　minutes；　intending　to　take　a　look　at　the

forecastle　next；　he　heard　the　sound　of　a　motor。



Looking　out　of　the　cabin　he　saw　a　taxicab　approaching　the　boat

from　the　direction　of　Fairport。　It　was　a　large　machine；　but　it

was　overloaded　with　seven　or　eight　men。　　It　stopped　within　twenty

yards　of　the　vessel；　and　two　men　got　out；　one　of　them　evidently　a

person　who　imposed　some　sort　of　leadership　on　the　rest　of　the

party。　　This　was　a　tall　fellow；　with　a　slouching　gait　and　round

shoulders。　　And　yet；　to　judge　from　his　movements；　he　was　both

quick　and　powerful。　　The　other　was　a　short；　stout　man　with　a

commonplace；　broad　red　face　and　flaxen　hair。　　The　two　stood　for　a

moment　in　colloquy　in　the　road　that　led　from　Fairport　proper　to

the　bayside；　passing　near　the　Jasper　B。；　and　Cleggett　heard　the

shorter　of　the　two　men　say：



〃I'm　sure　I　saw　somebody　aboard　of　her。〃



〃How　long　ago；　Heinrich？〃　asked　the　tall　man。



〃An　hour　or　so；〃　said　Heinrich。



〃It　was　old　man　Abernethy；　he's　harmless；〃　said　the　tall　fellow。　

〃He's　the　only　person　that's　been　aboard　her　in　years。〃



〃There　was　someone　else；〃　persisted　Heinrich。　〃Someone　who　was

talking　to　Abernethy。〃



The　tall　man　mumbled　something　about　having　been　a　fool　not　to

buy　her　before　this；　Cleggett　did　not　catch　all　of　the　remark。　

Then　the　tall　fellow　said：



〃We'll　go　aboard；　Heinrich；　and　take　a　look　around。〃



With　that　they　advanced　towards　the　vessel。　Cleggett　stepped　on

deck　from　the　cabin　companionway；　and　both　men　stopped　short　at

the　sight　of　him；　Heinrich　obviously　a　trifle　confused；　but　the

other　one　in　no　wise　abashed。　　He　made　no　attempt；　this　tall

fellow；　to　give　the　situation　a　casual　turn。　　What　he　did　was　to

stand　and　stare　at　Cleggett；　candidly；　and　with　more　than　a　touch

of　insolence；　as　if　trying　to　beat　down　Cleggett's　gaze。



Cleggett；　staring　in　his　turn；　perceived　that　the　tall　man；

ungainly　as　he　was；　affected　a　bizarre　individualism　in　the

matter　of　dress。　　His　clothing　cried　out；　rather　than　suggested；

that　it　was　expensive。　　His　feet　were　cased　in　button　shoes　with

fancy　tops；　his　waistcoat；　cut　in　the　extreme　of　style；　revealed

that　little　strip　of　white　which　falsely　advertises　a　second

waistcoat　beneath；　but　in　his　case　the　strip　was　too　broad。　

There　were　diamonds　on　the　fingers　of　both　powerful　hands。　But

the　thing　that　grated　particularly　upon　Cleggett　was　the

character　of　the　man's　scarfpin。　　It　was　by　far　the　largest

ornament　of　the　sort　that　Cleggett　had　ever　seen；　he　was　near

enough　to　the　fellow　to　make　out　that　it　had　been　carved　from　a

piece　of　solid　ivory　in　the　likeness　of　a　skull。　In　the　eyeholes

of　the　skull　two　opals　flamed　with　an　evil　levin。　　The　m