the jacket (the star-rover)-第20节

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there　are　three　of　them　and　three　of　us；　why　not　settle　it　at　the

one　time？〃



〃Yes；　yes；〃　was　Lanfranc's　eager　cry。　　〃Do　you　take　de　Goncourt。　　De

Villehardouin　for　mine。〃



But　I　waved　my　good　friends　back。



〃They　are　here　by　command；〃　I　explained。　　〃It　is　I　they　desire　so

strongly　that　by　my　faith　I　have　caught　the　contagion　of　their

desire；　so　that　now　I　want　them　and　will　have　them　for　myself。〃



I　had　observed　that　Pasquini　fretted　at　my　delay　of　speech…making；

and　I　resolved　to　fret　him　further。



〃You；　Pasquini；〃　I　announced；　〃I　shall　settle　with　in　short　account。

I　would　not　that　you　tarried　while　Fortini　waits　your　companionship。

You；　Raoul　de　Goncourt；　I　shall　punish　as　you　deserve　for　being　in

such　bad　company。　　You　are　getting　fat　and　wheezy。　　I　shall　take　my

time　with　you　until　your　fat　melts　and　your　lungs　pant　and　wheeze

like　leaky　bellows。　　You；　de　Villehardouin；　I　have　not　decided　in

what　manner　I　shall　kill。〃



And　then　I　saluted　Pasquini；　and　we　were　at　it。　　Oh；　I　was　minded　to

be　rarely　devilish　this　night。　　Quick　and　brilliantthat　was　the

thing。　　Nor　was　I　unmindful　of　that　deceptive　moonlight。　　As　with

Fortini　would　I　settle　with　him　if　he　dared　the　time　attack。　　If　he

did　not；　and　quickly；　then　I　would　dare　it。



Despite　the　fret　I　had　put　him　in；　he　was　cautious。　　Nevertheless　I

compelled　the　play　to　be　rapid；　and　in　the　dim　light；　depending　less

than　usual　on　sight　and　more　than　usual　on　feel；　our　blades　were　in

continual　touch。



Barely　was　the　first　minute　of　play　past　when　I　did　the　trick。　　I

feigned　a　slight　slip　of　the　foot；　and；　in　the　recovery；　feigned

loss　of　touch　with　Pasquini's　blade。　　He　thrust　tentatively；　and

again　I　feigned；　this　time　making　a　needlessly　wide　parry。　　The

consequent　exposure　of　myself　was　the　bait　I　had　purposely　dangled

to　draw　him　on。　　And　draw　him　on　I　did。　　Like　a　flash　he　took

advantage　of　what　he　deemed　an　involuntary　exposure。　　Straight　and

true　was　his　thrust；　and　all　his　will　and　body　were　heartily　in　the

weight　of　the　lunge　he　made。　　And　all　had　been　feigned　on　my　part

and　I　was　ready　for　him。　　Just　lightly　did　my　steel　meet　his　as　our

blades　slithered。　　And　just　firmly　enough　and　no　more　did　my　wrist

twist　and　deflect　his　blade　on　my　basket　hilt。　　Oh；　such　a　slight

deflection；　a　matter　of　inches；　just　barely　sufficient　to　send　his

point　past　me　so　that　it　pierced　a　fold　of　my　satin　doublet　in

passing。　　Of　course；　his　body　followed　his　rapier　in　the　lunge；

while；　heart…high；　right　side；　my　rapier　point　met　his　body。　　And　my

outstretched　arm　was　stiff　and　straight　as　the　steel　into　which　it

elongated；　and　behind　the　arm　and　the　steel　my　body　was　braced　and

solid。



Heart…high；　I　say；　my　rapier　entered　Pasquini's　side　on　the　right；

but　it　did　not　emerge；　on　the　left；　for；　well…nigh　through　him；　it

met　a　rib　（oh；　man…killing　is　butcher's　work！）　with　such　a　will　that

the　forcing　overbalanced　him；　so　that　he　fell　part　backward　and　part

sidewise　to　the　ground。　　And　even　as　he　fell；　and　ere　he　struck；

with　jerk　and　wrench　I　cleared　my　weapon　of　him。



De　Goncourt　was　to　him；　but　he　waved　de　Goncourt　to　attend　on　me。

Not　so　swiftly　as　Fortini　did　Pasquini　pass。　　He　coughed　and　spat；

and；　helped　by　de　Villehardouin；　propped　his　elbow　under　him；　rested

his　head　on　hand；　and　coughed　and　spat　again。



〃A　pleasant　journey；　Pasquini；〃　I　laughed　to　him　in　my　red　anger。

〃Pray　hasten；　for　the　grass　where　you　lie　is　become　suddenly　wet　and

if　you　linger　you　will　catch　your　death　of　cold。〃



When　I　made　immediately　to　begin　with　de　Goncourt；　Bohemond

protested　that　I　should　rest　a　space。



〃Nay；〃　I　said。　　〃I　have　not　properly　warmed　up。〃　　And　to　de

Goncourt；　〃Now　will　we　have　you　dance　and　wheezeSalute！〃



De　Goncourt's　heart　was　not　in　the　work。　　It　was　patent　that　he

fought　under　the　compulsion　of　command。　　His　play　was　old…fashioned；

as　any　middle…aged　man's　is　apt　to　be；　but　he　was　not　an　indifferent

swordsman。　　He　was　cool；　determined；　dogged。　　But　he　was　not

brilliant；　and　he　was　oppressed　with　foreknowledge　of　defeat。　　A

score　of　times；　by　quick　and　brilliant；　he　was　mine。　　But　I

refrained。　　I　have　said　that　I　was　devilish…minded。　　Indeed　I　was。

I　wore　him　down。　　I　backed　him　away　from　the　moon　so　that　he　could

see　little　of　me　because　I　fought　in　my　own　shadow。　　And　while　I

wore　him　down　until　he　began　to　wheeze　as　I　had　predicted；　Pasquini；

head　on　hand　and　watching；　coughed　and　spat　out　his　life。



〃Now；　de　Goncourt；〃　I　announced　finally。　　〃You　see　I　have　you　quite

helpless。　　You　are　mine　in　any　of　a　dozen　ways。　　Be　ready；　brace

yourself；　for　this　is　the　way　I　will。〃



And；　so　saying；　I　merely　went　from　carte　to　tierce；　and　as　he

recovered　wildly　and　parried　widely　I　returned　to　carte；　took　the

opening；　and　drove　home　heart…high　and　through　and　through。　　And　at

sight　of　the　conclusion　Pasquini　let　go　his　hold　on　life；　buried　his

face　in　the　grass；　quivered　a　moment；　and　lay　still。



〃Your　master　will　be　four　servants　short　this　night；〃　I　assured　de

Villehardouin；　in　the　moment　just　ere　we　engaged。



And　such　an　engagement！　　The　boy　was　ridiculous。　　In　what　bucolic

school　of　fence　he　had　been　taught　was　beyond　imagining。　　He　was

downright　clownish。　　〃Short　work　and　simple〃　was　my　judgment；　while

his　red　hair　seemed　a…bristle　with　very　rage　and　while　he　pressed　me

like　a　madman。



Alas！　　It　was　his　clownishness　that　undid　me。　　When　I　had　played

with　him　and　laughed　at　him　for　a　handful　of　seconds　for　the　clumsy

boor　he　was；　he　became　so　angered　that　he　forgot　the　worse　than

little　fence　he　knew。　　With　an　arm…wide　sweep　of　his　rapier；　as

though　it　bore　heft　and　a　cutting　edge；　he　whistled　it　through　the

air　and　rapped　it　down　on　my　crown。　　I　was　in　amaze。　　Never　had　so

absurd　a　thing　happened　to　me。　　He　was　wide　open；　and　I　could　have

run　him　through　forthright。　　But；　as　I　said；　I　was　in　amaze；　and　the

next　I　knew　was　the　pang　of　the　entering　steel　as　this　clumsy

provincial　ran　me　through　and　charged　forward；　bull…like；　till　his

hilt　bruised　my　side　and　I　was　borne　backward。



As　I　fell　I　could　see　the　concern　on　the　faces　of　Lanfranc　and

Bohemond　and　the　glut　of　satisfaction　in　the　face　of　de

Villehardouin　as　he　pressed　me。



I　was　falling；　but　I　never　reached　the　grass。　　Came　a　blurr　of

flashing　lights；　a　thunder　in　my　ears；　a　darkness；　a　glimmering　of

dim　light　slowly　dawning；　a　wrenching；　racking　pain　beyond　all

describing；　and　then　I　heard　the　voice　of　one　who　said：



〃I　can't　feel　anything。〃



I　knew　the　voice。　　It　was　Warden　Atherton's。　　And　I　knew　myself　for

Darrell　Standing；　just　returned　across　the　centuries　to　the　jacket

hell　of　San　Quentin。　　And　I　knew　the　touch　of　finger…tips　on　my　neck

was　Warden　Atherton's。　　And　I　knew　the　finger…tips　that　displaced

his　were　Doctor　Jackson's。　　And　it　was　Doctor　Jackson's　voice　that

said：



〃You　don't　know　how　to　take　a　man's　pulse　from　the　neck。　　There

right　thereput　your　fingers　where　mine　are。　　D'ye　get　it？　　Ah；　I

thought　so。　　Heart　weak；　but　steady　as　a　chronometer。〃



〃It's　only　twenty…four　hours；〃　Captain　Jamie　said；　〃and　he　was　never

in　like　condition　before。〃



〃Putting　it　on；　that's　what　he's　doing；　and　you　can　stack　on　that；〃

Al　Hutchins；　the　head　trusty；　interjected。



〃I　don't　know；〃　Captain　Jamie　insisted。　　〃When　a　man's　pulse　is　that

low　it　takes　an　expert　to　find　it〃



〃Aw；　I　served　my　apprenticeship　in　the　jacket；〃　Al　Hutchins　sneered。

〃And　I've　made　you　unlace　me；　Captain；　when　you　thought　I　was

croaking；　and　it　was　all　I　could　do　to　keep　from　snickering　in　your

face。〃



〃What　do　you　think；　Doc？〃　Warden　Atherton　asked。



〃I　tell　you　the　heart　action　is　splendid；〃　was　the　answer。　　〃Of

course　it　is　weak。　　That　is　only　to　be　expected。　　I　tell　you

Hutchins　is　right。　　The　man　is　feigning。〃



With　his　thumb　he　turned　up　one　of　my　eyelids；　whereat　I　opened　my

other　eye　and　gazed　up　at　the　group　bending　over　me。



〃What　did　I　tell　you？〃　was　Doctor　Jackson's　cry　of　triumph。



And　then；　although　it　seemed　the　effort　must　crack　my　face；　I

summoned　all　the　will　of　me　and　smiled。



They　held　water　to　my　lips；　and　I　drank　greedily。　　It　must　be

remembered　that　all　this　while　I　lay　helpless　on　my　back；　my　arms

pinioned　along　with　my　body　inside　the　jacket。　　When　they　offered　me

fooddry　prison　breadI　shook　my　head。　　I　closed　my　eyes　in

advertisement　that　I　was　tired　of　their　presence。　　The　pain　of　my

partial　resuscitation　was　unbearable。　　I　could　feel　my　body　coming

to　life。　　Down　the　cords　of　my　neck　and　into　my　patch　of　chest　over

the　heart　darting　pains　were　making　their　way。　　And　in　my　brain　the

memory　was　strong　that　Philippa　waited　me　in　the　big　hall；　and　I　was

desirous　to　escape　away　back　to　the　half　a　day　and　half　a　night　I

had　just　lived　in　old　France。



So　it　was；　even　as　they　stood　about　me；　that　I　strove　to　eliminate

the