第 20 节
作者:孤独半圆      更新:2021-02-24 22:24      字数:9320
  With a violent effort he raised himself before the nurse could prevent him;
  shrinking back from the horrid hallucination which pressed towards him;
  and then fell prone and senseless on the bunk。
  〃God!his       wounds!〃      cried    the    Doctor;     starting   forward。       As
  Farnsworth   had   feared;   they   had   broken   open   and   were   bleeding   again。
  〃It's   a   ticklish   thing;〃   said   Farnsworth;   rumpling his   hair。   〃If   I  give   him
  enough sedative to keep him quiet his heart may stop any time。                    If I don't;
  he'll thrash himself to pieces in his delirium before the day's over。〃
  But Cleggett scarcely heeded the Doctor。                The reference to 〃Loge's〃
  skull   had   flashed   a   sudden   light   into   his   mind。  Whatever   else   〃Loge〃
  was; Cleggett had little doubt that 〃Loge〃 was the tall man with the stoop
  shoulders and the odd; skull… shaped scarfpin; for whom he had conceived
  at first sight such a tingling hatredthe same fellow who had so ruthlessly
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  manhandled the flaxen…haired Heinrich on the roof of the verandah the day
  before。
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  CHAPTER X
  IN THE ENEMY'S CAMP
  At seven o'clock that morning five big…bodied automobile trucks rolled
  up   in   a   thundering   procession。   As   they   hove   in   sight   on   the   starboard
  quarter and dropped anchor near the Jasper B。; Cleggett recalled that this
  was the day which Cap'n Abernethy had set for getting the sticks and sails
  into the vessel。     In the hurry and excitement of recent events aboard the
  ship he had almost forgotten it。
  A  score   of   men   scrambled   from  the   trucks   and   began   to haul   out   of
  them     all  the  essentials   of  a  shipyard。     Wheel;     rudder;    masts;   spars;
  bowsprit; quantities of rope and cable followedin fact; every conceivable
  thing necessary to convert the Jasper B。 from a hulk into a properly rigged
  schooner。      Cleggett; with a pith and brevity characteristic of the man; had
  given his order in one sentence。
  〃Make arrangements to get the sails and masts into her in one day;〃 he
  had told Captain Abernethy。
  It was in the same large and simple spirit that a Russian Czar once laid
  a   ruler   across   the   map   of   his   empire   and;   drawing   a   straight   line   from
  Moscow to Petersburg; commanded his engineers: 〃Build me a railroad to
  run    like  that。〃   Genius     has   winged    conceptions;     it  sees  things   as  a
  completed whole from the first; it is only mediocrity which permits itself
  to be lost in details。
  Cleggett   was   like   the   Romanoffs   in   his   ability   to   go   straight   to   the
  point; but he had none of the Romanoff cruelty。
  Captain     Abernethy     had   made    his  arrangements      accordingly。     If  it
  pleased Cleggett to have a small manufacturing plant brought to the Jasper
  B。 instead of having the Jasper B。 towed to a shipyard; it was Abernethy's
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  business   as   his   chief   executive   officer   to   see   that   this   was   done。 The
  Captain   had   let   the   contract   to   an   enterprising   and   businesslike   fellow;
  Watkins   by   name;   who   had   at   once   looked   the   vessel   over;   taken   the
  necessary measurements; and named a good round sum for the job。                        With
  several   times   the   usual   number   of   skilled   workmen   employed   at   double
  the    usual   rate  of  pay;   he   guaranteed     to  do   in  ten  hours    what    might
  ordinarily have taken a week。
  Under the leadership of this capable Watkins; the workmen rushed at
  the vessel with the dash and vim of a gang of circus employees engaged in
  putting up a big tent and making ready for a show。                 To a casual observer
  it   might   have   seemed   a   scene   of   confusion。      But   in   reality   the   work
  jumped forward with   order and precision;  for the position   of every  bolt;
  chain;    nail;  cord;   piece   of   iron  and   bit  of  wood     had   been   calculated
  beforehand to a nicety; there was not a wasted movement of saw; adze; or
  hammer。       The Jasper B。; in short; had been measured accurately for a suit
  of clothes; the clothes had been made; they were now merely being put on。
  Refreshed   by   the   first   sound   sleep   she   had   been   able   to   obtain   for
  several nights; Lady Agatha joined Cleggett at an eight…o'clock breakfast。
  It was the first of May; and warm and bright; in a simple morning dress of
  pink linen Lady Agatha stirred in Cleggett a vague recollection of one of
  Tennyson's       earlier   poems。     The     exact    phrases    eluded    him;   perhaps;
  indeed;   it   was   the   underlying   sentiment   of   nearly   ALL   of      Tennyson's
  earlier poems of which she reminded himthose lyrics which are at once
  so romantic and so irreproachable morally。
  〃We must give you Americans credit for imagination at any rate;〃 she
  said smilingly; making her Pomeranian sit up on his hind legs and beg for
  a   morsel   of   crisp   bacon。   〃I   awake   in   a   boatyard   after   having   gone   to
  sleep in a dismantled barge。〃
  〃Barge!〃      The word 〃barge〃 struck Cleggett unexpectedly; he was not
  aware that he had given a start and frowned。
  〃Mercy!〃 exclaimed Lady Agatha; 〃how the dear man glares!                        What
  should I call it?      Scow?〃
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  〃Scow?〃       said Cleggett。      He had scarcely recovered from the word
  〃barge〃; it is not to be denied that 〃scow〃 jarred upon him even more than
  〃barge〃 had done。
  〃I beg your pardon;〃 said Lady Agatha; 〃but what IS the Jasper B。; Mr。
  Cleggett?〃
  〃The Jasper B。 is a schooner;〃 said Cleggett。 He tried to say it casually;
  but he was conscious as he spoke that there was a trace of hurt surprise in
  his voice。     The most generous and chivalrous soul alive; Cleggett would
  have gone to the stake for Lady Agatha; and yet so unaccountable is that
  vain thing; the human soul (especially at breakfast time); that he felt angry
  at her for misunderstanding the Jasper B。
  〃You aren't going to be horrid about it; are you?〃 she said。               〃Because;
  you know; I never said I knew anything about ships。〃
  She   picked   up   the   little   dog   and   stood   it   on   the   table;   making   the
  animal   extend   its   paws   as   if   pleading。  〃Help   me   to   beg   Mr。   Cleggett's
  pardon;〃 she said; 〃he's going to be cross with us about his old boat。〃
  If   Lady   Agatha   had   been   just   an   inch   taller   or   just   a   few   pounds
  heavier   the   playful   mood   itself   would   have   jarred   upon   the   fastidious
  Cleggett; indeed; as she was; if she had been just a thought more playful; it
  would have jarred。        But Lady Agatha; it has been remarked before; never
  went too far in any direction。
  Even as she smiled and held out the dog's paws Cleggett was aware of
  something      in   her  eyes   that  was    certainly   not   a  tear;  but  was   just  as
  certainly a film of moisture that might be a tear in another minute。                  Then
  Cleggett   cursed   himself   inwardly   for   a   bruteit   rushed   over   him   how
  difficult to Lady Agatha her position on board the   Jasper B。 must   seem。
  She must regard herself as practically a pensioner on his bounty。                  And he
  had been churl enough to show a spark of temperand that; too; after she
  had repeatedly expressed her gratitude to him。
  〃I am deeply sorry; Lady Agatha;〃 he began; blushing painfully; 〃if
  〃
  〃Silly!〃    She interrupted him by reaching across the table and laying a
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  forgiving hand upon his arm。 〃Don't be so stiff and formal。                 Eat your egg
  before it gets cold and don't say another work。              Of course I know you're
  not REALLY going to be cross。〃              And she attacked her breakfast; giving
  him such a look that he forthwith forgave himself and forgot that he had
  had anything to forgive in her。
  〃There's   going   to   be   a   frightful   racket   around   here   today;〃   he   said
  presently。     〃Maybe