第 26 节
作者:孤独半圆      更新:2021-02-24 22:24      字数:9322
  placed   on   one   side   of   the   hatchway   and   sat   down   on   it。 It   was   tightly
  nailed up; all of its surfaces were sound。             Cleggett did not doubt that he
  would   find   in   it   what   he   wanted;   yet   in   order   to   be   on   the   safe   side   he
  continued to scrutinize everything else that came out of the hold。
  But finally the hold was as empty as a drum; and Watkins and his men
  departed。      The oblong box upon which Cleggett sat was the only possible
  receptacle of any sort in an undamaged condition; which had been in the
  hold。    He determined to have it opened in the cabin。
  As   he   arose   from   it   he   was   struck   by   its   resemblance   to   the   box   in
  Elmer's charge; the dank box of Reginald Maltravers; which stood on one
  end   near   the   cabin   companionway;   leaning   against   the   port   side   of   the
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  cabin so that it was not visible from the road; which ran to the starboard of
  the   Jasper   B。   But;   since   all   oblong   boxes   are   bound   to   have   a   general
  resemblance; Cleggett; at the time; thought little enough of this likeness。
  He called to George and Mr。 Calthrop; who; with Dr。 Farnsworth; were
  forward receiving their first lecture on seamanship from Cap'n Abernethy
  and Kuroki; to carry the box into the cabin。
  But    as  George     and   the  Rev。    Mr。   Calthrop    lifted  the   box   to  their
  shoulders;   Cleggett   was   startled   by   a   loud   and   violent   oath;   a   veritable
  bellow  of blasphemy  that   made   him  shudder。            Turning;  he saw  than   an
  automobile had paused in the road。              In the forward part of the machine
  stood Loge; raving in an almost demoniac fury and pointing at the box。 He
  writhed in the grip of three men who endeavored to restrain him。                    One of
  them was the sinister Pierre。
  Hoisting     himself;    as   it  were;   on   a  mounting      billow    of  his   own
  profanity;   Loge   cast   himself   with   a   wide   swimming   motion   of   his   arms
  from the auto。       But one of the men clung to him; they came to the ground
  together   like   tackler   and   tackled   in   a   football   game。    The   others   cast
  themselves out of the machine and flung themselves upon their leader; he
  fought like a lion; but he was finally overpowered and thrown back into
  the auto; which was immediately started up and which made off towards
  Fairport at a rattling speed。         Three hundred yards away; however; Loge
  rose again and shook a furious fist at the Jasper B。; and though Cleggett
  could not distinguish the words; the sense of Loge's impotent rage rolled
  towards him on the wind in a roaring; vibrant bass。
  The   sight   of   the   box   that   he   had   not   been   able   to   buy;   in   Cleggett's
  possession;      had    stirred    him    beyond      all  caution;     he   had    actually
  contemplated an attempt to rush the Jasper B。 in broad daylight。
  But while this queer tableau of baffled rage was enacting itself on the
  starboard bow of the Jasper B。;            a no less strange and far less explicable
  thing was occurring on the port side。            The swish of oars and the ripple of
  a   moving      boat   drew    Cleggett's    attention    in  that  direction    as   Loge's
  booming threats grew fainter。           He saw that two oarsmen; near the eastern
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  and farther side of the canal; had allowed the dainty; varnished little craft
  they   were   supposed   to   propel   to   come   to   a   rest   in   spite   of   the   evident
  displeasure of a man who sat in its stern。               This third man was the same
  that Cleggett had seen on the deck of the Annabel Lee with a spy glass;
  and again that same morning driving the two almost nude figures up and
  down the canal。
  The   two   oarsmen;   Cleggett   saw   with   surprise;   rowed   with   shackled
  feet; their feet were; indeed; chained to the boat itself。               About the wrists
  of each were steel bands; fixed to these bands were chains; the other ends
  of which were locked to their oars。            They were; in effect; galley slaves。
  All this iron somewhat hampered their movements。                   But the reason of
  their pause was an engrossing interest in the box of Reginald Maltravers;
  which stood; as has already been said; on the port side of the cabin; on one
  end;   and   so   was   visible   from   their   boat。  They   were   looking   at   it   with
  slack   oars;   dropped   jaws   and   starting   eyes;   the   thing   seemed   to   have
  fascinated them and bereft them of motion; it was as if they were unable to
  get past it at all。     Elmer; worn out by his many long vigils; lay asleep on
  the deck at the foot of the box; with an arm flung over his face。
  The   stout   man;   after   vainly   endeavoring   to   start   his   oarsmen   with
  words; took up an extra oar and began vigorously prodding them with it。
  Cleggett     had    not  seen   this   man    look   towards    the   Jasper   B。;   but    he
  nevertheless   had   the   feeling   that   the   man   had   missed   little   of   what   had
  been going on there。 He seemed to be that kind of man。
  His   crew   responding   to   the   stabs   of   the   oar;   the   little   vessel   went
  perhaps fifty yards farther up the canal towards Parker's; and then swung
  daintily around and came back towards the Jasper B。 at almost the speed
  of   a   racing   shell;   the   men   in   chains   bending   doggedly   to   their   work。
  Cleggett   saw   that   the   boat   must   pass   close   to   the   Jasper   B。;   and   leaned
  over the port rail。
  The man in the stern had picked up a magazine and was lolling back
  reading it。     As the boat passed under him Cleggett saw on the cover page
  of the magazine a picture of the very man who was perusing it。                      It was a
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  singularly urbane face; both the counterfeit presentment on the cover page
  and the real face were smiling and calm and benign。              Cleggett could read
  the legend on the magazine cover accompanying the picture。                It ran:
  Wilton   Barnstable   Tells   In   this   Issue   the   Inside   Story        of
  How he Broke up the Gigantic Smuggling Conspiracy。
  At that instant the man dropped the magazine and looked Cleggett full
  in the face。     He waved his arm in a meaning gesture in the direction in
  which Loge had disappeared and said; with a gentle shake of his head at
  Cleggett; as if he were chiding a naughty child:
  〃When thieves fall out!       When thieves fall out; my dear sir!〃
  As he swept by he resumed his magazine with the pleased air of a man
  who   has   delivered   himself   of   a   brilliant   epigram;   it   showed   in   his   very
  shoulders。
  〃And     that;〃  murmured      Cleggett;   〃is  Wilton    Barnstable;    the  great
  detective!〃
  CHAPTER XIII
  THE SOUL OF LOGAN BLACK
  Wilton     Barnstable;     the  great   detective;    having    witnessed    Loge's
  outburst of wrath; had thought it signified a quarrel between thieves; as his
  words     to  Cleggett   indicated。    He    had   thought   Cleggett    a  crook;   and
  Loge's ally。
  Loge;  on   the   other   hand;  had   thought   Cleggett   a   detective。 He   had
  addressed      him   as  〃Mr。   Detective〃     that  morning     at  Morris's。    Loge
  believed the Jasper B。 and the Annabel Lee to be allied against him。
  Whereas   Cleggett;   until   he   had   recognized   Wilton   Barnstable   in   the
  boat; had thought it likely that the Annabel Lee and Morris's were allied
  against the Jasper B。
  Now   that   Cleggett   knew   the   commander   of   the   Annabel   Lee   to   be
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  Wilton Barnstable; his first impulse was to go to the Great Detective and
  invite his cooperation against Loge and the gang at Morris's。                 But almost
  instantly he reflected that he could not do this。            For there was the box of
  Reginald Maltravers!         Indeed; how did he know that it was not the box of
  Reginald      Maltravers     which    had   brought     the  Great    Detective    to  that
  vicinity?     This    manof    world…wide      fame;   and   reputed    to  possess    an