第 34 节
作者:一米八      更新:2021-02-20 18:34      字数:9322
  Of course there would be the drain。  He could escape; but; dear Lord!
  with enough noise to wake the dead。  And that would write 〃Finis〃 to
  this particular adventure。  The quarry and the emeralds would be
  gone before he could return with help。  When everything had gone so
  smoothly … a jolt like this!
  A crowded day; and no mistake; as full of individual acts as a bill
  at a vaudeville; trained…animal act last。  Was it possible that he
  had gone fiddle hunting that morning; netting an Amati worth ten
  thousand dollars?  Hawksley … no; he couldn't blame Hawksley。  Still;
  if this young Humpty…Dumpty hadn't been pushed off his wall he;
  Cutty; would not now be marooned upon this roof 'twixt the devil
  and the deep blue sea。  To remain here until sunrise would be
  impossible; to slide down the drain was equally impossible … that
  is; if he ever wanted to see Boris Karlov again。  The way of the
  transgressor was hard。
  He sat on his heels and let his gaze rove four…square; permitting
  no object to escape。  He saw a clothes pole leaning against the
  chimney。  Evidently the former tenants had hung up their laundry
  here。  There was no clothesline; however。  Caught; jolly well;
  blooming well caught!  If ever this got abroad he would be laughed
  out of the game。  He wasn't going to put one over on Uncle Sam after
  all。  There might be some kind of a fire escape on the front of
  the house。  No harm in taking a look; it would serve to pass the
  time。
  There was the usual frontal parapet about three feet in height。
  Upturned in the shadow lay a gift from the gods…a battered kitchen
  chair; probably used to reach the clothesline in the happy days when
  the word 〃Bolshevism〃 was known to only a select few dark angels。
  Cutty waved a hand cheerfully if vaguely toward his guiding star;
  picked up the chair; commandeered the clothes pole; and silently
  manoeuvred to the wall of the warehouse。  Standing on the chair he
  placed the tip of the pole against the top of the upper frame and
  pushed the frame halfway up。  He repeated this act upon the obdurate
  lower half。  He heaved slowly but with all his force。  Glory be;
  the lower half went up far enough to afford ingress!  He would eat
  his breakfast in the apartment as usual。  To…morrow night he would
  establish his line of retreat by fetching a light rope ladder。
  There was sweat at the roots of his hair; however; when he finally
  gained the street。  He was very tired。  He observed mournfully that
  the vigour which had always recharged itself; no matter how
  recklessly he had drawn upon it; was beginning to protest。
  Fifty…two。
  Well; his troubles were over for the night。  So he believed。
  Arriving home; dirty and spent; he had to find Kitty asleep on the
  divan!
  CHAPTER XXII
  〃Kitty;〃 he said; breaking the tableau; 〃what are you doing here?〃
  〃You've been hurt!  There is blood on you!〃
  〃A trifling cut。  But I'm hurt; nevertheless; that you should be so
  thoughtless as to come here against my orders。  It doesn't matter
  that Karlov has given up the idea of having you followed。  But for
  the sake of us all you must be made to understand that we are
  dealing with high explosives and poison gas。  It's not what might
  happen to me or to Uncle Sam's business。  It's you。  Any moment
  they may take it into their heads to get at me and Hawksley through
  you。  That's why we watch over you。  You don't want to see Hawksley
  done in; do you?  It's real tragedy; Kitty; and nobody can guess
  what the end is going to
  Kitty's lip quivered。  〃Cutty; if you talk like that to me I shall
  cry。〃
  〃Good Lord; what about?〃 … bewildered。
  〃About everything。  I've been on the verge of hysterics all day。〃
  〃Kitty; you poor child; what's happened?〃
  〃Nothing … everything。  Lonesome。  When I saw all those mothers and
  wives and sisters and sweethearts on the curb to…day; watching their
  boys march by; it hit me hard。  I was alone。  Nobody。  So please
  don't be cross with me。  I'm on the ragged edge。  Silly; I know。
  But we women often go to pieces over nothing; without any logical
  reason。  Ready to face murder and battle and sudden death; and then
  to blow up; as you men say it; over nothing。  I had to move; go
  somewhere; do something; so I  came here。  But I came on … what do
  you call it? … official business。  Here!〃 She offered him the
  wallet。
  〃What's this?〃
  〃Belongs to Johnny Two…Hawks。  He hid it that night behind my
  flatirons on the range。  Why; Cutty; he's rich!〃
  〃Did he show the contents?〃
  〃Only the money and the bonds。  He said if he had died the money
  and bonds would have been mine。
  〃Providing Gregor was also dead。〃  Cutty looked into the wallet; but
  disturbed nothing。  〃I imagine these funds are actually Gregor's。〃
  〃He told me to give the wallet to you。  And so I waited。  I fell
  asleep。  So please don't scold me。〃
  〃I'm a brute!  But it's because you've become so much to me that
  I was angry。  You're Tommy and Molly's girl; and I've got to watch
  out for you until you reach some kind of a port。〃
  〃Thank you for the flowers。  You'll never know just what they did
  for me。  There was somebody who gave me a thought。〃
  〃Kitty; I honestly don't get you。  A beauty like you; lonesome!〃
  〃That's it。  I am pretty。  Why should I deny it?  If I'd been homely
  I shouldn't have been ashamed to invite my friends to my shabby home。
  I shouldn't have cold shouldered everybody through false pride。  But
  where have you been; and what have you been doing?〃
  〃Official business。  But I just missed being a fine jackass。  I'll
  look into the wallet after I've cleaned up。  I'm a mess of gore and
  dust。  Is it interesting stuff?〃 dreading her answer。
  〃The wallet?  I did not look into it。  I had no right。〃
  〃Ah!  Well; I'll be back in two jigs。
  He hurried off; relieved to learn that the secret was still beyond
  Kitty's knowledge。  Of course Hawksley wouldn't carry anything in
  the wallet by which his true identity might be made known。  Still;
  there would be stuff to excite her interest and suspicion。  Hawksley
  had shown her some of that three hundred thousand probably。  What
  a game!
  He would say nothing about his own adventures and discoveries。  He
  worked on the theory that the best time to tell about something was
  after it had become a fact。  But no theory is perfect; and in this
  instance his reticence was going to cost him intolerable agony in
  the near future。
  Within a quarter of an hour he was back in the living room。  Kitty
  was out of sight; probably had curled up on the divan again。  He
  would not disturb her。  Hawksley's wallet!  He drew a chair under
  the reading lamp and explored the wallet。  Money and bonds he rather
  expected; but the customs appraiser's receipt was like a buffet。
  The emeralds belonged honorably to his guest!  All his own plans
  were knocked galley…west by this discovery。
  An odd sense of indignation blazed up in him; as though someone had
  imposed upon him。  The sport was gone; the fun of the thing; it
  became merely official business。  To appropriate a pair of smuggled
  emeralds was a first…class sporting proposition; with a humorous
  twist。  As it stood now; he would be picking Hawksley's pocket; and
  he wasn't rogue enough for that。  Hang the luck!
  Emeralds; rubies; sapphires; pearls; and diamonds!  No doubt many of
  them with histories … in a bag hung to his neck … and all these
  thousands of miles!  Not since the advent of the Gaekwar of Baroda
  into San Francisco; in 1910; had so many fine stones passed through
  that port of entry。
  But why hadn't Hawksley inquired about them?  Stoic indifference?
  A good loser?  How had he got through the customs without a lot of
  publicity?  The Russian consul of the old regime probably; and an
  appraiser who was a good sport。  To have come safely to his
  destination; and then to have lost out!  The magnificent careless
  generosity of putting the wallet behind Kitty's flatirons; to be
  hers if he didn't pull through!  Why; this fiddling derelict was
  a man!  Stood up and fought Karlov with his bare fists; wasn't
  ashamed to weep over his mother's photograph; and fiddled like
  Heifetz。  All right。  This Johnny Two…Hawks; as Kitty persisted in
  calling him; was going to reach his Montana ranch。  His friend Cutty
  would take it upon himself to see to that。
  It struck him that after all he would have to play the game as he
  had planned it。  Those gems falling into the hands of the Federal
  agents would surely bring to light Hawksley's identity; and Hawksley
  should have his chance。
  Cutty then came upon the will。  Somehow the pathos of it went deep
  into his heart。  The poor devil! … a will that hadn't been witnessed;
  the handwriting the same as that on the passport。  If he had fallen
  into the hands of the police they would have justifiably locked him
  up as a murder suspect。  Two…Hawks!  It was a small world。  He
  returned the contents to the wallet; leaving out the will; however。
  This he thrust into a drawer。
  〃Coffee?〃 said Kitty at his elbow。
  〃Kitty?  I'd forgotten you!  I thought I smelt coffee。  Just what I
  wanted; too; only I hadn't brains enough left to think of it。  Smells
  better than anything Kuroki makes。。。。  Tastes better; too。  You're
  going to make s