第 23 节
作者:
冬儿 更新:2024-04-07 11:52 字数:9322
into the roan as to force a surprised groan from the animal as
it leaped forward。 At the comer of the barn he saw the
intruder; a mere boy of nineteen or twenty for all of his
uniform jump back to escape being run down。 At the same moment
the roan swerved and its rider caught a glimpse of the aroused
men by the house。 Some were springing from their horses; and he
could see the rifles going to their shoulders。 He passed the
kitchen door and the dried corpses swinging in the shade;
compelling his foes to run around the front of the house。 A
rifle cracked; and a second; but he was going fast; leaning
forward; low in the saddle; one hand clutching the shirt of
apples; the other guiding the horse。
The top bar of the fence was four feet high; but he knew his
roan and leaped it at full career to the accompaniment of
several scattered shots。 Eight hundred yards straight away were
the woods; and the roan was covering the distance with mighty
strides。 Every man was now firing。 pumping their guns so
rapidly that he no longer heard individual shots。 A bullet went
through his hat; but he was unaware; though he did know when
another tore through the apples on the pommel。 And he winced
and ducked even lower when a third bullet; fired low; struck a
stone between his horse's legs and ricochetted off through the
air; buzzing and humming like some incredible insect。
The shots died down as the magazines were emptied; until;
quickly; there was no more shooting。 The young man was elated。
Through that astonishing fusillade he had come unscathed。 He
glanced back。 Yes; they had emptied their magazines。 He could
see several reloading。 Others were running back behind the
house for their horses。 As he looked; two already mounted; came
back into view around the comer; riding hard。 And at the same
moment; he saw the man with the unmistakable ginger beard kneel
down on the ground; level his gun; and coolly take his time for
the long shot。
The young man threw his spurs into the horse; crouched very
low; and swerved in his flight in order to distract the other's
aim。 And still the shot did not come。 With each jump of the
horse; the woods sprang nearer。 They were only two hundred
yards away and still the shot was delayed。
And then he heard it; the last thing he was to hear; for he was
dead ere he hit the ground in the long crashing fall from the
saddle。 And they; watching at the house; saw him fall; saw his
body bounce when it struck the earth; and saw the burst of
red…cheeked apples that rolled about him。 They laughed at the
unexpected eruption of apples; and clapped their hands in
applause of the long shot by the man with the ginger beard。
UNDER THE DECK AWNINGS
〃CAN any mana gentleman; I meancall a woman a pig?〃
The little man flung this challenge forth to the whole group;
then leaned back in his deck chair; sipping lemonade with an
air commingled of certitude and watchful belligerence。 Nobody
made answer。 They were used to the little man and his sudden
passions and high elevations。
〃I repeat; it was in my presence that he said a certain lady;
whom none of you knows; was a pig。 He did not say swine。 He
grossly said that she was a pig。 And I hold that no man who is
a man could possibly make such a remark about any woman。〃
Dr。 Dawson puffed stolidly at his black pipe。 Matthews; with
knees hunched up and clasped by his arms; was absorbed in the
flight of a gunie。 Sweet; finishing his Scotch and soda; was
questing about with his eyes for a deck steward。
〃I ask you; Mr。 Treloar; can any man call any woman a pig?〃
Treloar; who happened to be sitting next to him; was startled
by the abruptness of the attack; and wondered what grounds he
had ever given the little man to believe that he could call a
woman a pig。
〃I should say;〃 he began his hesitant answer; 〃that
iterdepends on theerthe lady。〃
The little man was aghast。
〃You mean 。 。 。?〃 he quavered。
〃That I have seen female humans who were as bad as pigsand
worse。〃
There was a long pained silence。 The little man seemed withered
by the coarse brutality of the reply。 In his face was
unutterable hurt and woe。
〃You have told of a man who made a not nice remark and you have
classified him;〃 Treloar said in cold; even tones。 〃I shall now
tell you about a womanI beg your pardona lady; and when I
have finished I shall ask you to classify her。 Miss Caruthers I
shall call her; principally for the reason that it is not her
name。 It was on a P。 & 0。 boat; and it occurred neither more
nor less than several years ago。
〃Miss Caruthers was charming。 No; that is not the word。 She was
amazing。 She was a young woman; and a lady。 Her father was a
certain high official whose name; if I mentioned it; would be
immediately recognized by all of you。 She was with her mother
and two maids at the time; going out to join the old gentleman
wherever you like to wish in the East。
〃She; and pardon me for repeating; was amazing。 It is the one
adequate word。 Even the most minor adjectives applicable to her
are bound to be sheer superlatives。 There was nothing she could
not do better than any woman and than most men。 Sing;
playbah!as some rhetorician once said of old Nap;
competition fled from her。 Swim! She could have made a fortune
and a name as a public performer。 She was one of those rare
women who can strip off all the frills of dress; and in simple
swimming suit be more satisfying beautiful。 Dress! She was an
artist。
〃But her swimming。 Physically; she was the perfect womanyou
know what I mean; not in the gross; muscular way of acrobats;
but in all the delicacy of line and fragility of frame and
texture。 And combined with this; strength。 How she could do it
was the marvel。 You know the wonder of a woman's armthe fore
arm; I mean; the sweet fading away from rounded biceps and hint
of muscle; down through small elbow and firm soft swell to the
wrist; small; unthinkably small and round and strong。 This was
hers。 And yet; to see her swimming the sharp quick English
overhand stroke; and getting somewhere with it; too; waswell;
I understand anatomy and athletics and such things; and yet it
was a mystery to me how she could do it。
〃She could stay under water for two minutes。 I have timed her。
No man on board; except Dennitson; could capture as many coins
as she with a single dive。 On the forward main…deck was a big
canvas tank with six feet of sea…water。 We used to toss small
coins into it。 I have seen her dive from the bridge deckno
mean feat in itselfinto that six…feet of water; and fetch up
no less than forty…seven coins; scattered willy…nilly over the
whole bottom of the tank。 Dennitson; a quiet young Englishman;
never exceeded her in this; though he made it a point always to
tie her score。
〃She was a sea…woman; true。 But she was a land…woman; a
horsewomanashe was the universal woman。 To see her; all
softness of soft dress; surrounded by half a dozen eager men;
languidly careless of them all or flashing brightness and wit
on them and at them and through them; one would fancy she was
good for nothing else in the world。 At such moments I have
compelled myself to remember her score of forty…seven coins
from the bottom of the swimming tank。 But that was she; the
everlasting; wonder of a woman who did all things well。
〃She fascinated every betrousered human around her。 She had
meand I don't mind confessing itshe bad me to heel along
with the rest。 Young puppies and old gray dogs who ought to
have known betteroh; they all came up and crawled around her
skirts and whined and fawned when she whistled。 They were all
guilty; from young Ardmore; a pink cherub of nineteen outward
bound for some clerkship in the Consular Service; to old
Captain Bentley; grizzled and sea…worn; and as emotional; to
look at; as a Chinese joss。 There was a nice middle…aged chap;
Perkins; I believe; who forgot his wife was on board until Miss
Caruthers sent him to the right about and back where he
belonged。
〃Men were wax in her hands。 She melted them; or softly molded
them; or incinerated them; as she pleased。 There wasn't a
steward; even; grand and remote as she was; who; at her
bidding; would have hesitated to souse the Old Man himself with
a plate of soup。 You have all seen such womena sort of
world's desire to all men。 As a man…conqueror she was supreme。
She was a whip…lash; a sting and a flame; an electric spark。
Oh; believe me; at times there were flashes of will that
scorched through her beauty and seduction and smote a victim
into blank and shivering idiocy and fear。
〃And don't fail to mark; in the light of what is to come; that
she was a prideful woman。 Pride of race; pride of caste; pride
of sex; pride of powershe had it all; a pride strange and
wilful and terrible。
〃She ran the ship; she ran the voyage; she ran everyt