the club of queer trades-第25节

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odious　as　handcuffs　can　reasonably　be　while。　。　。〃

I　had　staggered　to　my　feet。　The　gigantic　Burrows　was　toiling　in　the　garotte　of　Rupert；　while　Basil　was　striving　to　master　his　mighty　hands。　Rupert　and　Basil　were　both　particularly　strong；　but　so　was　Mr　Burrows；　how　strong；　we　knew　a　second　afterwards。　His　head　was　held　back　by　Rupert's　arm；　but　a　convulsive　heave　went　over　his　whole　frame。　An　instant　after　his　head　plunged　forward　like　a　bull's；　and　Rupert　Grant　was　slung　head　over　heels；　a　catherine　wheel　of　legs；　on　the　floor　in　front　of　him。　Simultaneously　the　bull's　head　butted　Basil　in　the　chest；　bringing　him　also　to　the　ground　with　a　crash；　and　the　monster；　with　a　Berserker　roar；　leaped　at　me　and　knocked　me　into　the　corner　of　the　room；　smashing　the　waste…paper　basket。　The　bewildered　Greenwood　sprang　furiously　to　his　feet。　Basil　did　the　same。　But　they　had　the　best　of　it　now。

Greenwood　dashed　to　the　bell　and　pulled　it　violently；　sending　peals　through　the　great　house。　Before　I　could　get　panting　to　my　feet；　and　before　Rupert；　who　had　been　literally　stunned　for　a　few　moments；　could　even　lift　his　head　from　the　floor；　two　footmen　were　in　the　room。　Defeated　even　when　we　were　in　a　majority；　we　were　now　outnumbered。　Greenwood　and　one　of　the　footmen　flung　themselves　upon　me；　crushing　me　back　into　the　corner　upon　the　wreck　of　the　paper　basket。　The　other　two　flew　at　Basil；　and　pinned　him　against　the　wall。　Rupert　lifted　himself　on　his　elbow；　but　he　was　still　dazed。

In　the　strained　silence　of　our　helplessness　I　heard　the　voice　of　Basil　come　with　a　loud　incongruous　cheerfulness。

〃Now　this；〃　he　said；　〃is　what　I　call　enjoying　oneself。〃

I　caught　a　glimpse　of　his　face；　flushed　and　forced　against　the　bookcase；　from　between　the　swaying　limbs　of　my　captors　and　his。　To　my　astonishment　his　eyes　were　really　brilliant　with　pleasure；　like　those　of　a　child　heated　by　a　favourite　game。

I　made　several　apoplectic　efforts　to　rise；　but　the　servant　was　on　top　of　me　so　heavily　that　Greenwood　could　afford　to　leave　me　to　him。　He　turned　quickly　to　come　to　reinforce　the　two　who　were　mastering　Basil。　The　latter's　head　was　already　sinking　lower　and　lower；　like　a　leaking　ship；　as　his　enemies　pressed　him　down。　He　flung　up　one　hand　just　as　I　thought　him　falling　and　hung　on　to　a　huge　tome　in　the　bookcase；　a　volume；　I　afterwards　discovered；　of　St　Chrysostom's　theology。　Just　as　Greenwood　bounded　across　the　room　towards　the　group；　Basil　plucked　the　ponderous　tome　bodily　out　of　the　shelf；　swung　it；　and　sent　it　spinning　through　the　air；　so　that　it　struck　Greenwood　flat　in　the　face　and　knocked　him　over　like　a　rolling　ninepin。　At　the　same　instant　Basil's　stiffness　broke；　and　he　sank；　his　enemies　closing　over　him。

Rupert's　head　was　clear；　but　his　body　shaken；　he　was　hanging　as　best　he　could　on　to　the　half…prostrate　Greenwood。　They　were　rolling　over　each　other　on　the　floor；　both　somewhat　enfeebled　by　their　falls；　but　Rupert　certainly　the　more　so。　I　was　still　successfully　held　down。　The　floor　was　a　sea　of　torn　and　trampled　papers　and　magazines；　like　an　immense　waste…paper　basket。　Burrows　and　his　companion　were　almost　up　to　the　knees　in　them；　as　in　a　drift　of　dead　leaves。　And　Greenwood　had　his　leg　stuck　right　through　a　sheet　of　the　Pall　Mall　Gazette；　which　clung　to　it　ludicrously；　like　some　fantastic　trouser　frill。

Basil；　shut　from　me　in　a　human　prison；　a　prison　of　powerful　bodies；　might　be　dead　for　all　I　knew。　I　fancied；　however；　that　the　broad　back　of　Mr　Burrows；　which　was　turned　towards　me；　had　a　certain　bend　of　effort　in　it　as　if　my　friend　still　needed　some　holding　down。　Suddenly　that　broad　back　swayed　hither　and　thither。　It　was　swaying　on　one　leg；　Basil；　somehow；　had　hold　of　the　other。　Burrows'　huge　fists　and　those　of　the　footman　were　battering　Basil's　sunken　head　like　an　anvil；　but　nothing　could　get　the　giant's　ankle　out　of　his　sudden　and　savage　grip。　While　his　own　head　was　forced　slowly　down　in　darkness　and　great　pain；　the　right　leg　of　his　captor　was　being　forced　in　the　air。　Burrows　swung　to　and　fro　with　a　purple　face。　Then　suddenly　the　floor　and　the　walls　and　the　ceiling　shook　together；　as　the　colossus　fell；　all　his　length　seeming　to　fill　the　floor。　Basil　sprang　up　with　dancing　eyes；　and　with　three　blows　like　battering…rams　knocked　the　footman　into　a　cocked　hat。　Then　he　sprang　on　top　of　Burrows；　with　one　antimacassar　in　his　hand　and　another　in　his　teeth；　and　bound　him　hand　and　foot　almost　before　he　knew　clearly　that　his　head　had　struck　the　floor。　Then　Basil　sprang　at　Greenwood；　whom　Rupert　was　struggling　to　hold　down；　and　between　them　they　secured　him　easily。　The　man　who　had　hold　of　me　let　go　and　turned　to　his　rescue；　but　I　leaped　up　like　a　spring　released；　and；　to　my　infinite　satisfaction；　knocked　the　fellow　down。　The　other　footman；　bleeding　at　the　mouth　and　quite　demoralized；　was　stumbling　out　of　the　room。　My　late　captor；　without　a　word；　slunk　after　him；　seeing　that　the　battle　was　won。　Rupert　was　sitting　astride　the　pinioned　Mr　Greenwood；　Basil　astride　the　pinioned　Mr　Burrows。

To　my　surprise　the　latter　gentleman；　lying　bound　on　his　back；　spoke　in　a　perfectly　calm　voice　to　the　man　who　sat　on　top　of　him。

〃And　now；　gentlemen；〃　he　said；　〃since　you　have　got　your　own　way；　perhaps　you　wouldn't　mind　telling　us　what　the　deuce　all　this　is？〃

〃This；〃　said　Basil；　with　a　radiant　face；　looking　down　at　his　captive；　〃this　is　what　we　call　the　survival　of　the　fittest。〃

Rupert；　who　had　been　steadily　collecting　himself　throughout　the　latter　phases　of　the　fight；　was　intellectually　altogether　himself　again　at　the　end　of　it。　Springing　up　from　the　prostrate　Greenwood；　and　knotting　a　handkerchief　round　his　left　hand；　which　was　bleeding　from　a　blow；　he　sang　out　quite　coolly：

〃Basil；　will　you　mount　guard　over　the　captive　of　your　bow　and　spear　and　antimacassar？　Swinburne　and　I　will　clear　out　the　prison　downstairs。〃

〃All　right；〃　said　Basil；　rising　also　and　seating　himself　in　a　leisured　way　in　an　armchair。　〃Don't　hurry　for　us；〃　he　said；　glancing　round　at　the　litter　of　the　room；　〃we　have　all　the　illustrated　papers。〃

Rupert　lurched　thoughtfully　out　of　the　room；　and　I　followed　him　even　more　slowly；　in　fact；　I　lingered　long　enough　to　hear；　as　I　passed　through　the　room；　the　passages　and　the　kitchen　stairs；　Basil's　voice　continuing　conversationally：

〃And　now；　Mr　Burrows；〃　he　said；　settling　himself　sociably　in　the　chair；　〃there's　no　reason　why　we　shouldn't　go　on　with　that　amusing　argument。　I'm　sorry　that　you　have　to　express　yourself　lying　on　your　back　on　the　floor；　and；　as　I　told　you　before；　I've　no　more　notion　why　you　are　there　than　the　man　in　the　moon。　A　conversationalist　like　yourself；　however；　can　scarcely　be　seriously　handicapped　by　any　bodily　posture。　You　were　saying；　if　I　remember　right；　when　this　incidental　fracas　occurred；　that　the　rudiments　of　science　might　with　advantage　be　made　public。〃

〃Precisely；〃　said　the　large　man　on　the　floor　in　an　easy　tone。　〃I　hold　that　nothing　more　than　a　rough　sketch　of　the　universe　as　seen　by　science　can　be。　。　。〃

And　here　the　voices　died　away　as　we　descended　into　the　basement。　I　noticed　that　Mr　Greenwood　did　not　join　in　the　amicable　controversy。　Strange　as　it　may　appear；　I　think　he　looked　back　upon　our　proceedings　with　a　slight　degree　of　resentment。　Mr　Burrows；　however；　was　all　philosophy　and　chattiness。　We　left　them；　as　I　say；　together；　and　sank　deeper　and　deeper　into　the　under…world　of　that　mysterious　house；　which；　perhaps；　appeared　to　us　somewhat　more　Tartarean　than　it　really　was；　owing　to　our　knowledge　of　its　semi…criminal　mystery　and　of　the　human　secret　locked　below。

The　basement　floor　had　several　doors；　as　is　usual　in　such　a　house；　doors　that　would　naturally　lead　to　the　kitchen；　the　scullery；　the　pantry；　the　servants'　hall；　and　so　on。　Rupert　flung　open　all　the　doors　with　indescribable　rapidity。　Four　out　of　the　five　opened　on　entirely　empty　apartments。　The　fifth　was　locked。　Rupert　broke　the　door　in　like　a　bandbox；　and　we　fell　into　the　sudden　blackness　of　the　sealed；　unlighted　room。

Rupert　stood　on　the　threshold；　and　called　out　like　a　man　calling　into　an　abyss：

〃Whoever　you　are；　come　out。　You　are　free。　The　people　who　held　you　captive　are　captives　themselves。　We　heard　you　crying　and　we　came　to　deliver　you。　We　have　bound　your　enemies　upstairs　hand　and　foot。　You　are　free。〃

For　some　seconds　after　he　had　spoken　into　the　darkness　there　was　a　dead　silence　in　it。　Then　there　came　a　kind　of　muttering　and　moaning。　We　might　easily　have　taken　it　for　the　wind　or　rats　if　we　had　not　happened　to　have　heard　it　before。　It　was　unmistakably　the　voice　of　the　imprisoned　woman；　drearily　demanding　liberty；　just　as　we　had　heard　her　demand　it。

〃Has　anybody　got　a　match？〃　said　Rupert　grimly。　〃I　fancy　we　have　come　pretty　near　the　end　of　this　business。〃

I　struck　a　match　and　held　it　up。　It　revealed　a　large；　bare；　yellow…papered　apartment　with　a　dark…clad　figure　at　the　other　end　of　it　near　the　window。　An　instant　after　it　burned　my　fingers　and　dropped；　leaving　darkness。　It　had；　however；　revealed　something　more　practicalan　iron　gas　bracket　just　above　my　head。　I　struck　another　match　and　lit　the　gas。　And　we　found　ourselves　suddenly　and　seriously　in　the　presence　of　the　captive。

At　a　sort　of　workbox　in　the　window　of　this　subterranean　breakf