the man who knew too much-第4节

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o　be　the　gun…room。　Rows　of　the　regular　instruments　for　bringing　down　birds　stood　against　the　walls；　but　across　a　table　in　the　window　lay　one　or　two　weapons　of　a　heavier　and　more　formidable　pattern。

〃Hullo　I　these　are　Burke's　big…game　rifles；〃　said　Fisher。　〃I　never　knew　he　kept　them　here。〃　He　lifted　one　of　them；　examined　it　briefly；　and　put　it　down　again；　frowning　heavily。　Almost　as　he　did　so　a　strange　young　man　came　hurriedly　into　the　room。　He　was　dark　and　sturdy；　with　a　bumpy　forehead　and　a　bulldog　jaw；　and　he　spoke　with　a　curt　apology。

〃I　left　Major　Burke's　guns　here；〃　he　said；　〃and　he　wants　them　packed　up。　He's　going　away　to…night。〃

And　he　carried　off　the　two　rifles　without　casting　a　glance　at　the　stranger；　through　the　open　window　they　could　see　his　short；　dark　figure　walking　away　across　the　glimmering　garden。　Fisher　got　out　of　the　window　again　and　stood　looking　after　him。

〃That's　Halkett；　whom　I　told　you　about；〃　he　said。　〃I　knew　he　was　a　sort　of　secretary　and　had　to　do　with　Burke's　papers；　but　I　never　knew　he。　had　anything　to　do　with　his　guns。　But　he's　just　the　sort　of　silent；　sensible　little　devil　who　might　be　very　good　at　anything；　the　sort　of　man　you　know　for　years　before　you　find　he's　a　chess　champion。〃

He　had　begun　to　walk　in　the　direction　of　the　disappearing　secretary；　and　they　soon　came　within　sight　of　the　rest　of　the　house…party　talking　and　laughing　on　the　lawn。　They　could　see　the　tall　figure　and　loose　mane　of　the　lion…hunter　dominating　the　little　group。

〃By　the　way；〃　observed　Fisher；　〃when　we　were　talking　about　Burke　and　Halkett；　I　said　that　a　man　couldn't　very　well　write　with　a　gun。　Well；　I'm　not　so　sure　now。　Did　you　ever　hear　of　an　artist　so　clever　that　he　could　draw　with　a　gun？　There's　a　wonderful　chap　loose　about　here。〃

Sir　Howard　hailed　Fisher　and　his　friend　the　journalist　with　almost　boisterous　amiability。　The　latter　was　presented　to　Major　Burke　and　Mr。　Halkett　and　also　（by　way　of　a　parenthesis）　to　his　host；　Mr。　Jenkins；　a　commonplace　little　man　in　loud　tweeds；　whom　everybody　else　seemed　to　treat　with　a　sort　of　affection；　as　if　he　were　a　baby。

The　irrepressible　Chancellor　of　the　Exchequer　was　still　talking　about　the　birds　he　had　brought　down；　the　birds　that　Burke　and　Halkett　had　brought　down；　and　the　birds　that　Jenkins；　their　host；　had　failed　to　bring　down。　It　seemed　to　be　a　sort　of　sociable　monomania。

〃You　and　your　big　game；〃　he　ejaculated；　aggressively；　to　Burke。　〃Why；　anybody　could　shoot　big　game。　You　want　to　be　a　shot　to　shoot　small　game。〃

〃Quite　so；〃　interposed　Horne　Fisher。　〃Now　if　only　a　hippopotamus　could　fly　up　in　the　air　out　of　that　bush；　or　you　preserved　flying　elephants　on　the　estate；　why；　then〃

〃Why　even　Jink　might　hit　that　sort　of　bird；〃　cried　Sir　Howard；　hilariously　slapping　his　host　on　the　back。　〃Even　he　might　hit　a　haystack　or　a　hippopotamus。〃

〃Look　here；　you　fellows；〃　said　Fisher。　〃I　want　you　to　come　along　with　me　for　a　minute　and　shoot　at　something　else。　Not　a　hippopotamus。　Another　kind　of　queer　animal　I've　found　on　the　estate。　It's　an　animal　with　three　legs　and　one　eye；　and　it's　all　the　colors　of　the　rainbow。〃

〃What　the　deuce　are　you　talking　about？〃　asked　Burke。

〃You　come　along　and　see；〃　replied　Fisher；　cheerfully。

Such　people　seldom　reject　anything　nonsensical；　for　they　are　always　seeking　for　somethingnew。　They　gravely　rearmed　themselves　fromthe　gun…room　and　trooped　along　at　the　tail　of　their　guide；　Sir　Howard　only　pausing；　in　a　sort　of　ecstasy；　to　point　out　the　celebrated　gilt　summerhouse　on　which　the　gilt　weathercock　still　stood　crooked。　It　was　dusk　turning　to　dark　by　the　time　they　reached　the　remote　green　by　the　poplars　and　accepted　the　new　and　aimless　game　of　shooting　at　the　old　mark。

The　last　light　seemed　to　fade　from　the　lawn；　and　the　poplars　against　the　sunset　were　like　great　plumes　upon　a　purple　hearse；　when　the　futile　procession　finally　curved　round；and　came　out　in　front　of　the　target。　Sir　Howard　again　slapped　his　host　on　the　shoulder；　shoving　him　playfully　forward　to　take　the　first　shot。　The　shoulder　and　arm　he　touched　seemed　unnaturally　stiff　and　angular。　Mr。　Jenkins　was　holding　his　gun　in　an　attitude　more　awkward　than　any　that　his　satiric　friends　had　seen　or　expected。

At　the　same　instant　a　horrible　scream　seemed　to　come　from　nowhere。　It　was　so　unnatural　and　so　unsuited　to　the　scene　that　it　might　have　been　made　by　some　inhuman　thing　flying　on　wings　above　them　or　eavesdropping　in　the　dark　woods　beyond。　But　Fisher　knew　that　it　had　started　and　stopped　on　the　pale　lips　of　Jefferson　Jenkins；　of　Montreal；　and　no　one　at　that　moment　catching　sight　of　Jefferson　Jenkins's　face　would　have　complained　that　it　was　commonplace。　The　next　moment　a　torrent　of　guttural　but　good…humored　oaths　came　from　Major　Burke　as　he　and　the　two　other　men　saw　what　was　in　front　of　them。　The　target　stood　up　in　the　dim　grass　like　a　dark　goblin　grinning　at　them；　and　it　was　literally　grinning。　It　had　two　eyes　like　stars；　and　in　similar　livid　points　of　light　were　picked　out　the　two　upturned　and　open　nostrils　and　the　two　ends　of　the　wide　and　tight　mouth。　A　few　white　dots　above　each　eye　indicated　the　hoary　eyebrows；　and　one　of　them　ran　upward　almost　erect。　It　was　a　brilliant　caricature　done　in　bright　botted　lines　and　March　knew　of　whom。　It　shone　in　the　shadowy　grass；　smeared　with　sea　fire　as　if　one　of　the　submarine　monsters　had　crawled　into　the　twilight　garden；　but　it　had　the　head　of　a　dead　man。

〃It's　only　luminous　paint；〃　said　Burke。　〃Old　Fisher's　been　having　a　joke　with　that　phosphorescent　stuff　of　his。〃

〃Seems　to　be　meant　for　old　Puggy〃'　observed　Sir　Howard。　〃Hits　him　off　very　well。〃

With　that　they　all　laughed；　except　Jenkins。　When　they　had　all　done；　he　made　a　noise　like　the　first　effort　of　an　animal　to　laugh；　and　Horne　Fisher　suddenly　strode　across　to　him　and　said：

〃Mr。　Jenkins；　I　must　speak　to　you　at　once　in　private。〃

It　was　by　the　little　watercourse　in　the　moors；　on　the　slope　under　the　hanging　rock；　that　March　met　his　new　friend　Fisher；　by　appointment；　shortly　after　the　ugly　and　almost　grotesque　scene　that　had　broken　up　the　group　in　the　garden。

〃It　was　a　monkey…trick　of　mine；〃　observed　Fisher；　gloomily；　〃putting　phosphorus　on　the　target；　but　the　only　chance　to　make　him　jump　was　to　give　him　the　horrors　suddenly。　And　when　he　saw　the　face　he'd　shot　at　shining　on　the　target　he　practiced　on；　all　lit　up　with　an　infernal　light；　he　did　jump。　Quite　enough　for　my　own　intellectual　satisfaction。〃

〃I'm　afraid　I　don't　quite　understand　even　now；〃　said　March；　〃exactly　what　he　did　or　why　he　did　it。〃

〃You　ought　to；〃　replied　Fisher；　with　his　rather　dreary　smile；　〃for　you　gave　me　the　first　suggestion　yourself。　Oh　yes；　you　did；　and　it　was。　a　very　shrewd　one。　You　said　a　man　wouldn't　take　sandwiches　with　him　to　dine　at　a　great　house。　It　was　quite　true；　and　the　inference　was　that；　though　he　was　going　there；　he　didn't　mean　to　dine　there。　Or；　at　any　rate；　that　he　might　not　be　dining　there。　It　occurred　to　me　at　once　that　he　probably　expected　the　visit　to　be　unpleasant；　or　the　reception　doubtful；　or　something　that　would　prevent　his　accepting　hospitality。　Then　it　struck　me　that　Turnbull　was　a　terror　to　certain　shady　characters　in　the　past；　and　that　he　had　come　down　to　identify　and　denounce　one　of　them。　The　chances　at　the　start　pointed　to　the　hostthat　is；　Jenkins。　I'm　morally　certain　now　that　Jenkins　was　the　undesirable　alien　Turnbull　wanted　to　convict　in　another　shooting…affair；　but　you　see　the　shooting　gentleman　had　another　shot　in　his　locker。〃

〃But　you　said　he　would　have　to　be　a　very　good　shot；〃　protested　March。

〃Jenkins　is　a　very　good　shot；〃　said　Fisher。　〃A　very　good　shot　who　can　pretend　to　be　a　very　bad　shot。　Shall　I　tell　you　the　second　hint　I　hit　on；　after　yours；　to　make　me　think　it　was　Jenkins？　It　was　my　cousin's　account　of　his　bad　shooting。　He'd　shot　a　cockade　off　a　hat　and　a　weathercock　off　a　building。　Now；　in　fact；　a　man　must　shoot　very　well　indeed　to　shoot　so　badly　as　that。　He　must　shoot　very　neatly　to　hit　the　cockade　and　not　the　head；　or　even　the　hat。　If　the　shots　had　really　gone　at　random；　the　chances　are　a　thousand　to　one　that　they　would　not　have　hit　such　prominent　and　picturesque　objects。　They　were　chosen　because　they　were　prominent　and　picturesque　objects。　They　make　a　story　to　go　the　round　of　society。　He　keeps　the　crooked　weathercock　in　the　summerhouse　to　perpetuate　the　story　of　a　legend。　And　then　he　lay　in　wait　with　his　evil　eye　and　wicked　gun；　safely　ambushed　behind　the　legend　of　his　own　incompetence。

〃But　there　is　more　than　that。　There　is　the　summerhouse　itself。　I　mean　there　is　the　whole　thing。　There's　all　that　Jenkins　gets　chaffed　about；　the　gilding　and　the　gaudy　colors　and　all　the　vulgarity　that's　supposed　to　stamp　him　as　an　upstart。　Now；　as　a　matter　of　fact；　upstarts　generally　don't　do　this。　God　knows　there's　enough　of　'em　in　society；　and　one　knows　'em　well　enough。　And　this　is　the　very　last　thing　they　do。　They're　generally　only　too　keen　to　know　the　right　thing　and　do　it；　and　they　instantly　put　themselves　body　and　soul　into　the　hands　of　art　decorators　and　art　experts；　who　do　the　whole　thing　for　them。　There's　hardly　another　millionaire　alive　who　has　the　moral　courage　to　have　a　gilt　monogram　on　a　chair　like　that　one　in　the　gun…room。　For　that　matter；　th