第 33 节
作者:一米八      更新:2021-02-20 18:34      字数:9322
  blood and money that asked only for simple justice to mankind。  The
  ideal of a great people … a mixture of all bloods; even German!  No
  lessons in these tremendous happenings!  And you babble about your
  damned proletariat who represents the dregs of Russia。  What is he?
  The inefficient; whining that the other man has the luck; so kill
  him!  Russia; the kindly ox; fallen among wolves!  You cannot tear
  down the keystone of civilization … which took seven thousand years
  to construct … insert it upside down; and expect the arch to stand。
  You have your chance to prove your theories。  Prove them in
  Petrograd and Moscow; and you will not have to go forth with the
  torch。  And what is this torch but the hidden fear that you may be
  wrong? 。。。 To wreck the world before you are found out!  You are
  idiots; and you have turned Russia into a madhouse!  Spawns from
  the dung…heap!〃
  〃Damn you; Stefani Gregor!〃  Karlov rushed to the cot; raised his
  terrible fists; his chest heaving。  Gregor waited。  〃No; no!  You
  wish to die!〃  The madman swung on his heels and dashed toward the
  door; sweeping the pieces of the violin to the floor as he passed
  the table。
  Gregor feebly drew himself back upon his cot and laid his face in
  the pillow。
  〃Ivan … my violin … all that I knew and loved … gone!  And God will
  not let me die!〃
  CHAPTER XXI
  》From a window in one of the vacant warehouses; twenty…odd feet away
  Cutty; from an oblique angle; had witnessed the peculiar drama
  without being able to grasp head or tail to it。  For two hours he
  had crouched behind his window; watching the man on the cot and
  wondering if he would ever turn his face toward the candlelight。
  Then Karlov had entered。  Gregor's ironic calm …  with the exception
  of the time he had bared his throat … and Karlov's tempestuous exit
  baffled him。  To the eye it had the appearance of a victory for
  Gregor and a defeat for Karlov; but Cutty had long ago ceased to
  believe his eyes without some corroborative evidence of auricular
  character。
  He had recognized both men。  Karlov answered to Kitty's description
  as an old glove answers to the hand。  And no man; once having seen
  Gregor; could possibly forget his picturesque head。  The old chap
  was alive!  This fact made the night's adventure tally one hundred
  per cent。  How to get a cheery word to him; to buck him up with;
  the promise of help?  A hard nut to crack; so many obstacles。
  Primarily; this was a Federal affair。  Yonder hid the werewolf and
  his pack; and it would be folly to send them scattering just for the
  sake of advising Gregor that he was being watched over。
  Underneath the official obligation there was a personal interest in
  not risking the game to warn Gregor。  Cutty was now positive that
  the drums of jeopardy were hidden somewhere in this house。  To
  perform three acts; then: Save Gregor; capture Karlov and his pack;
  and privately confiscate the emeralds。  Findings were keepings。  No
  compromise regarding those green stones。  It would not particularly
  hurt his reputation with St。 Peter to play the half rogue once in
  a lifetime。  Besides; St。  Peter; hadn't he stolen something himself
  back there in the Biblical days ; or got into a scrape or something?
  The old boy would understand。  Cutty grinned in the dark。
  Any obsession is a blindfold。  A straight course lay open to Cutty;
  but he chose the labyrinthian because he was obsessed。  He wanted
  those emeralds。  Nothing less than the possession of them would; to
  his thinking; round out a varied and active career。  Later; perhaps;
  he would declare the stones to the customs and pay the duty; perhaps。
  Thus his subsequent mishaps this night may be laid to the fact that
  he thought and saw through green spectacles。
  The idea that the jewels were hidden near by made it imperative that
  he should handle this affair exclusively。  Coles; the operative he
  had sent to negotiate with Karlov; was conceivably a prisoner
  upstairs or down。  Coles knew about the drums; and they must not
  turn up under his eye。  Federal property; in that event。
  If ever he laid his hands upon the drums he would buy something
  gorgeous for Kitty。  Little thoroughbred!
  Time for work。  Without doubt Karlov had cellar exits through this
  warehouse or the other。  The job on hand would be first to locate
  these exits; and then to the trap on the roof。  With his pocket lamp
  blazing a trail he went down to the cellar and carefully inspected
  the walls that abutted those of the house。  Nothing on this side。
  He left the warehouse and hugged the street wall for a space。  The
  street was deserted。  Instead of passing Karlov's abode he wisely
  made a detour of the block。  He reached the entrance to the second
  warehouse without sighting even a marauding tom。  In the cellar of
  this warehouse he discovered a newly made door; painted skillfully
  to represent the limestone of the foundation。  Tiptop。
  Immediately he outlined the campaign。  There should be two drives
  … one from the front and another from the roof … so that not an
  anarchist or Bolshevik could escape。  The mouth of the Federal sack
  should be held at this cellar exit。  No matter what kind of game he
  played offside; the raid itself must succeed absolutely。  Nothing
  should swerve him from making these plans as perfect as it was
  humanly possible。  He would be on hand to search Karlov himself。
  If the drums were not on him he would return and pick the old
  mansion apart; lath by lath。  Gay old ruffian; wasn't he?
  Another point worth considering: He would keep his discoveries under
  cover until the hour to strike came。  Some over…zealous subordinate
  might attempt a coup on his own and spoil everything。
  He picked his way to the far end of the cellar; to the doors。  Locks
  gone。  He took it for granted that the real…estate agent would not
  come round with prospective tenants。  These doors would take them
  into the trucking alley; where there were a dozen feasible exits。
  There was no way out of the house yard; as the brick wall; ten feet
  high and running from warehouse to warehouse; was blind。  Now for
  the trap on the roof。
  He climbed the three flights of stairs crisscrossed and festooned
  with ancient cobwebs。  Occasionally he sneezed in the crook of his
  elbow; philosophizing over the fact that there was a lot of deadwood
  property in New York。  Americans were eternally on the move。
  The window from which he intended dropping to the house roof was
  obdurate。  Only the upper half was movable。  With hardly any noise
  at all he pulled this down; straddled it; balanced himself; secured
  a good grip on the ledge; and let himself down。  The tips of his
  shoes; rubber…soled; just reached the roof。  He landed silently。
  The glare of the street lamp at the corner struck the warehouse;
  and this indirect light was sufficient to work by。  He made the
  trap after a series of extra…cautious steps。  The roof was slanting
  and pebbled; and the least turn of the foot might start a cascade
  and bell an alarm。  A comfort…loving dress…suiter like himself;
  playing Old Sleuth; when he ought to be home and in bed!  It was all
  of two…thirty。  What the deuce would he do when there were no more
  thrills in life?
  He stooped and caught hold of a corner of the trap to test it … and
  drew back with a silent curse。  Glass!  He had cut his hand。  The
  beggars had covered the trap with cement and broken glass; sealing
  it。  It would take time to cut round the trap; and even then he
  wouldn't be sure; they might have nailed it down from the inside。
  The worst of it was he would have to do the work himself; and in the
  meantime Karlov would have a fair wind for his propaganda gas; and
  perhaps the disposal of the drums to some collector who wasn't above
  bargaining for smuggled emeralds。  Odd; though; that Karlov should
  have made a prisoner of Coles。  What lay behind that manoeuvre?
  Well; this trap must be liberated; no getting round that。
  Hang it; he wasn't going to be dishonest exactly; it would be simply
  a double play; half for Uncle Sam and half for himself。  The idea
  of offering freely his blood and money to Uncle Sam and at the same
  time putting one over on the old gentleman had a novel appeal。
  He stood up and wiped a tickling cobweb from his cheek。  As the
  window from which he had descended came into range he stared;
  loose…jawed。  Then be chuckled; as thoroughbred adventurers generally
  chuckle when they find themselves at the bottom of the sack; the
  mouth of which has subitaneously and automatically closed。  Wasn't
  he the brainy old top?  Wasn't he Sherlock Holmes plus?  Old fool;
  how the devil was he going to get back through that window?
  The drums of jeopardy … even to think of them was unlucky!  Not to
  have planned a retreat; to have climbed down a well and cut the
  bucket rope!  For in effect that was precisely what he had done。
  Only wings could carry him up to that window。  With sardonic humour
  he felt of his shoulder blades。  Not a feather in sight。  Then he
  touched his ears。  Ah; here was something definite; they had grown
  several inches during the past few hours。  Monumental ass!
  Of course there would be the drain。  He could escape; but; dear Lord!
  with enough noise to wake