the man who was thursday-第31节

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〃The　dogs　of　Sunday　would　be　no　ordinary　dogs；〃　said　Gogol；　and　shuddered。

Syme　had　jumped　down　on　the　other　side；　but　he　still　stood　listening　impatiently。

〃Well；　listen　to　that；〃　he　said；　〃is　that　a　doganybody's　dog？〃

There　broke　upon　their　ear　a　hoarse　screaming　as　of　things　protesting　and　clamouring　in　sudden　pain；　and　then；　far　off　like　an　echo；　what　sounded　like　a　long　nasal　trumpet。

〃Well；　his　house　ought　to　be　hell！〃　said　the　Secretary；　〃and　if　it　is　hell；　I'm　going　in！〃　and　he　sprang　over　the　tall　railings　almost　with　one　swing。

The　others　followed。　They　broke　through　a　tangle　of　plants　and　shrubs；　and　came　out　on　an　open　path。　Nothing　was　in　sight；　but　Dr。　Bull　suddenly　struck　his　hands　together。

〃Why；　you　asses；〃　he　cried；　〃it's　the　Zoo！〃

As　they　were　looking　round　wildly　for　any　trace　of　their　wild　quarry；　a　keeper　in　uniform　came　running　along　the　path　with　a　man　in　plain　clothes。

〃Has　it　come　this　way？〃　gasped　the　keeper。

〃Has　what？〃　asked　Syme。

〃The　elephant！〃　cried　the　keeper。　〃An　elephant　has　gone　mad　and　run　away！〃

〃He　has　run　away　with　an　old　gentleman；〃　said　the　other　stranger　breathlessly；　〃a　poor　old　gentleman　with　white　hair！　〃

〃What　sort　of　old　gentleman？〃　asked　Syme；　with　great　curiosity。

〃A　very　large　and　fat　old　gentleman　in　light　grey　clothes；〃　said　the　keeper　eagerly。

〃Well；〃　said　Syme；　〃if　he's　that　particular　kind　of　old　gentleman；　if　you're　quite　sure　that　he's　a　large　and　fat　old　gentleman　in　grey　clothes；　you　may　take　my　word　for　it　that　the　elephant　has　not　run　away　with　him。　He　has　run　away　with　the　elephant。　The　elephant　is　not　made　by　God　that　could　run　away　with　him　if　he　did　not　consent　to　the　elopement。　And；　by　thunder；　there　he　is！〃

There　was　no　doubt　about　it　this　time。　Clean　across　the　space　of　grass；　about　two　hundred　yards　away；　with　a　crowd　screaming　and　scampering　vainly　at　his　heels；　went　a　huge　grey　elephant　at　an　awful　stride；　with　his　trunk　thrown　out　as　rigid　as　a　ship's　bowsprit；　and　trumpeting　like　the　trumpet　of　doom。　On　the　back　of　the　bellowing　and　plunging　animal　sat　President　Sunday　with　all　the　placidity　of　a　sultan；　but　goading　the　animal　to　a　furious　speed　with　some　sharp　object　in　his　hand。

〃Stop　him！〃　screamed　the　populace。　〃He'll　be　out　of　the　gate！〃

〃Stop　a　landslide！〃　said　the　keeper。　〃He　is　out　of　the　gate！〃

And　even　as　he　spoke；　a　final　crash　and　roar　of　terror　announced　that　the　great　grey　elephant　had　broken　out　of　the　gates　of　the　Zoological　Gardens；　and　was　careening　down　Albany　Street　like　a　new　and　swift　sort　of　omnibus。

〃Great　Lord！〃　cried　Bull；　〃I　never　knew　an　elephant　could　go　so　fast。　Well；　it　must　be　hansom…cabs　again　if　we　are　to　keep　him　in　sight。〃

As　they　raced　along　to　the　gate　out　of　which　the　elephant　had　vanished；　Syme　felt　a　glaring　panorama　of　the　strange　animals　in　the　cages　which　they　passed。　Afterwards　he　thought　it　queer　that　he　should　have　seen　them　so　clearly。　He　remembered　especially　seeing　pelicans；　with　their　preposterous；　pendant　throats。　He　wondered　why　the　pelican　was　the　symbol　of　charity；　except　it　was　that　it　wanted　a　good　deal　of　charity　to　admire　a　pelican。　He　remembered　a　hornbill；　which　was　simply　a　huge　yellow　beak　with　a　small　bird　tied　on　behind　it。　The　whole　gave　him　a　sensation；　the　vividness　of　which　he　could　not　explain；　that　Nature　was　always　making　quite　mysterious　jokes。　Sunday　had　told　them　that　they　would　understand　him　when　they　had　understood　the　stars。　He　wondered　whether　even　the　archangels　understood　the　hornbill。

The　six　unhappy　detectives　flung　themselves　into　cabs　and　followed　the　elephant　sharing　the　terror　which　he　spread　through　the　long　stretch　of　the　streets。　This　time　Sunday　did　not　turn　round；　but　offered　them　the　solid　stretch　of　his　unconscious　back；　which　maddened　them；　if　possible；　more　than　his　previous　mockeries。　Just　before　they　came　to　Baker　Street；　however；　he　was　seen　to　throw　something　far　up　into　the　air；　as　a　boy　does　a　ball　meaning　to　catch　it　again。　But　at　their　rate　of　racing　it　fell　far　behind；　just　by　the　cab　containing　Gogol；　and　in　faint　hope　of　a　clue　or　for　some　impulse　unexplainable；　he　stopped　his　cab　so　as　to　pick　it　up。　It　was　addressed　to　himself；　and　was　quite　a　bulky　parcel。　On　examination；　however；　its　bulk　was　found　to　consist　of　thirty…three　pieces　of　paper　of　no　value　wrapped　one　round　the　other。　When　the　last　covering　was　torn　away　it　reduced　itself　to　a　small　slip　of　paper；　on　which　was　written：

〃The　word；　I　fancy；　should　be　'pink'。〃

The　man　once　known　as　Gogol　said　nothing；　but　the　movements　of　his　hands　and　feet　were　like　those　of　a　man　urging　a　horse　to　renewed　efforts。

Through　street　after　street；　through　district　after　district；　went　the　prodigy　of　the　flying　elephant；　calling　crowds　to　every　window；　and　driving　the　traffic　left　and　right。　And　still　through　all　this　insane　publicity　the　three　cabs　toiled　after　it；　until　they　came　to　be　regarded　as　part　of　a　procession；　and　perhaps　the　advertisement　of　a　circus。　They　went　at　such　a　rate　that　distances　were　shortened　beyond　belief；　and　Syme　saw　the　Albert　Hall　in　Kensington　when　he　thought　that　he　was　still　in　Paddington。　The　animal's　pace　was　even　more　fast　and　free　through　the　empty；　aristocratic　streets　of　South　Kensington；　and　he　finally　headed　towards　that　part　of　the　sky…line　where　the　enormous　Wheel　of　Earl's　Court　stood　up　in　the　sky。　The　wheel　grew　larger　and　larger；　till　it　filled　heaven　like　the　wheel　of　stars。

The　beast　outstripped　the　cabs。　They　lost　him　round　several　corners；　and　when　they　came　to　one　of　the　gates　of　the　Earl's　Court　Exhibition　they　found　themselves　finally　blocked。　In　front　of　them　was　an　enormous　crowd；　in　the　midst　of　it　was　an　enormous　elephant；　heaving　and　shuddering　as　such　shapeless　creatures　do。　But　the　President　had　disappeared。

〃Where　has　he　gone　to？〃　asked　Syme；　slipping　to　the　ground。

〃Gentleman　rushed　into　the　Exhibition；　sir！〃　said　an　official　in　a　dazed　manner。　Then　he　added　in　an　injured　voice：　〃Funny　gentleman；　sir。　Asked　me　to　hold　his　horse；　and　gave　me　this。〃

He　held　out　with　distaste　a　piece　of　folded　paper；　addressed：　〃To　the　Secretary　of　the　Central　Anarchist　Council。〃

The　Secretary；　raging；　rent　it　open；　and　found　written　inside　it：

〃When　the　herring　runs　a　mile；　Let　the　Secretary　smile；　When　the　herring　tries　to　fly；　Let　the　Secretary　die。　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　Rustic　Proverb。〃

〃Why　the　eternal　crikey；〃　began　the　Secretary；　〃did　you　let　the　man　in？　Do　people　commonly　come　to　you　Exhibition　riding　on　mad　elephants？　Do〃

〃Look！〃　shouted　Syme　suddenly。　〃Look　over　there！〃

〃Look　at　what？〃　asked　the　Secretary　savagely。

〃Look　at　the　captive　balloon！〃　said　Syme；　and　pointed　in　a　frenzy。

〃Why　the　blazes　should　I　look　at　a　captive　balloon？'　demanded　the　Secretary。　〃What　is　there　queer　about　a　captive　balloon？〃

〃Nothing；〃　said　Syme；　〃except　that　it　isn't　captive！'

They　all　turned　their　eyes　to　where　the　balloon　swung　and　swelled　above　the　Exhibition　on　a　string；　like　a　child's　balloon。　A　second　afterwards　the　string　came　in　two　just　under　the　car；　and　the　balloon；　broken　loose；　floated　away　with　the　freedom　of　a　soap　bubble。

〃Ten　thousand　devils！〃　shrieked　the　Secretary。　〃He's　got　into　it！〃　and　he　shook　his　fists　at　the　sky。

The　balloon；　borne　by　some　chance　wind；　came　right　above　them；　and　they　could　see　the　great　white　head　of　the　President　peering　over　the　side　and　looking　benevolently　down　on　them。

〃God　bless　my　soul！〃　said　the　Professor　with　the　elderly　manner　that　he　could　never　disconnect　from　his　bleached　beard　and　parchment　face。　〃God　bless　my　soul！　I　seemed　to　fancy　that　something　fell　on　the　top　of　my　hat！〃

He　put　up　a　trembling　hand　and　took　from　that　shelf　a　piece　of　twisted　paper；　which　he　opened　absently　only　to　find　it　inscribed　with　a　true　lover's　knot　and；　the　words：

〃Your　beauty　has　not　left　me　indifferent。From　LITTLE　SNOWDROP。　〃

There　was　a　short　silence；　and　then　Syme　said；　biting　his　beard

〃I'm　not　beaten　yet。　The　blasted　thing　must　come　down　somewhere。　Let's　follow　it！〃



CHAPTER　XIV

THE　SIX　PHILOSOPHERS

ACROSS　green　fields；　and　breaking　through　blooming　hedges；　toiled　six　draggled　detectives；　about　five　miles　out　of　London。　The　optimist　of　the　party　had　at　first　proposed　that　they　should　follow　the　balloon　across　South　England　in　hansom…cabs。　But　he　was　ultimately　convinced　of　the　persistent　refusal　of　the　balloon　to　follow　the　roads；　and　the　still　more　persistent　refusal　of　the　cabmen　to　follow　the　balloon。　Consequently　the　tireless　though　exasperated　travellers　broke　through　black　thickets　and　ploughed　through　ploughed　fields　till　each　was　turned　into　a　figure　too　outrageous　to　be　mistaken　for　a　tramp。　Those　green　hills　of　Surrey　saw　the　final　collapse　and　tragedy　of　the　admirable　light　grey　suit　in　which　Syme　had　set　out　from　Saffron　Park。　His　silk　hat　was　broken　over　his　nose　by　a　swinging　bough；　his　coat…tails　were　torn　to　the　shoulder　by　arresting　thorns；　the　clay　of　England　was　splashed　up　to　his　collar；　but　he　still　carried　his　yellow　beard　forward　with　a　silent　and　furious　determination；　and　his　eyes　were　still　fixed　on　that　floating　ball　of　gas；　which　in　the　full　flush　of　sunset　seemed　coloured　like　a　su