第 46 节
作者:孤独半圆      更新:2021-02-24 22:24      字数:9322
  calf of his leg。
  The    blaze   caught   the  wood     and  spread。    In   two   minutes    the  east
  verandah was in flames。          Loge and his men attempted to pour water on
  the blaze from above。        But Cleggett's party directed so hot a fire upon the
  windows that the defenders were forced to retire。
  The main building caught。          The road house was old; and was of very
  light construction; the fire spread with rapidity。          Loge was in a trap。
  But that evil and indomitable spirit refused to yield。             Even when his
  remaining ruffians came out and gave themselves up Loge still fought on
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  alone in a sullen fury of despair。
  Reckless   of   bullets;   he   leaned   from   an   open   window;   a   figure   not
  without   its   grandeur   against   the   background   of   smoke   and   flame;   and
  shouted a savage and obscene insult at Cleggett。
  〃Give yourself up;〃 cried Wilton Barnstable。
  〃Damn it; man; anything's better than roasting to death!〃
  Loge   raised   his   hand   and   sped   a   last   bullet   at   the   detective;   grazing
  Barnstable's temple。
  〃Come in and get me!〃 he shouted。
  Barnstable fired; just as a whirl of smoke blew in front of Loge。
  Cleggett thought the outlaw staggered; but he was not certain。
  A moment later a portion of the roof fell; then the east wall crashed in。
  Morris's was a blazing ruin。
  〃He   has   perished   in   the   flames;〃   said   Wilton   Barnstable。    〃So   ends
  Logan Black!〃
  〃More like he's blowed his head off;〃 said Cap'n Abernethy。                    〃If you
  was to ask me; that's what I'd do。〃
  〃He has done neither!〃 cried Cleggett。              〃He has taken to the tunnel。
  That man will fight to the last breath。〃
  And   without   waiting   to   see   whether   the   others   followed   him   or   not
  Cleggett set off at top speed for the Jasper B。
  With   a   dagger   between   his   teeth;   his   pistol   in   its   holster;   and   his
  electric;    watchman's      lantern   in  his   pocket    he   entered   the   tunnel   and
  crawled forward on his hands and knees。               If Loge were in there indeed he
  had the fire at one end and Cleggett at the other。             But even at that; escape
  was   possible;   for   all   Cleggett   knew。     What   ramifications   this   peculiar
  passageway might have he could not guess。
  The place was narrow; and in spots so low that it was necessary for a
  man to crouch almost to the ground。             Cleggett; because he did not wish to
  reveal his presence; did not flash his lantern; there were stretches where he
  might have stood almost erect and made quicker progress; if he had found
  them with the light。       The earth beneath him was beaten hard and smooth。
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  Cleggett     thought     possibly    that   the  tunnel    had    originally    led  from
  Morris's   basement   to   the   smuggler's   cave   which   Wilton   Barnstable   had
  spoken   of;   and   that   it   had   been   extended   later   to   the   ship。 He   learned
  afterwards   that   this   was   true   from   the   men   who   had   surrendered。       The
  Jasper     B。   had   been    abandoned       for  so   long;   and    was    so  completely
  abandoned   except   for   the   visits   of   Cap'n Abernethy;   who   fished   from   it
  now and then; that Loge had conceived the idea of making it the back…door;
  so to speak;  of   Morris's。       In   the   event   of   a   raid   upon   Morris's   his   〃get…
  away〃   through   the hulk   was   provided   for。         He   had   intended   buying   the
  ship himself; but Cleggett had forestalled him。
  From the prisoners Cleggett also learned later that two men had been
  concerned in the explosion which had broken the big rocks on the plain。
  One   of   them   had   won   the   Claiborne   signet   ring   at   poker   after   Reginald
  Maltravers had been stripped of his valuables; and had worn it。                    They had
  been dispatched with a bomb each; which they were to introduce into the
  hold of the Jasper B。; retiring through the tunnel after they had started the
  clockwork mechanism going。               It was known that one of them owed the
  other money; they had been quarreling about it as they entered the tunnel
  from     the   cellar  of   Morris's。    It   was    conjectured     that   the  quarrel    had
  progressed and that the debtor had endeavored; by the light of his pocket
  lantern in the tunnel; to palm off a counterfeit bill in settlement of the debt。
  This may have led to a blow; or more likely only to an argument during
  which a bomb was dropped and exploded; followed quickly by the other
  explosion。      Dead hand; counterfeit bill and ring were flung whimsically
  to   the   surface    of  the   earth   together;    and   the  leaning    rocks    had   been
  astonishingly broken from beneath through this trivial quarrel。                    Had it not
  been   for   this   squabble   the   Jasper   B。   and   all   on   board   must   have   been
  destroyed。      Verily; the minds of wicked men compass their own downfall;
  and retribution can sometimes be an artist。
  But   Cleggett;   as   he   crawled   forward   through   the   darkness   and   the
  damp; thought little of these things that had so mystified him at the time。
  He was alert for what the immediate future might hold; not doubting that
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  Loge had retreated to the tunnel。         He had too strong a sense of the man's
  powerful     and   iniquitous    personality    to  suppose    that  Loge    would    kill
  himself     while   one   chance   remained;     however     remote;   of  injuring   his
  enemies。     Loge was the kind of dog that dies biting。
  Suddenly; after pressing forward for several minutes; he ran against an
  obstruction。      The   tunnel   seemed   to   come   to   an   end。 He   did   not   dare
  show his light。      But he felt with his hands。        It was rock that blocked his
  way。    Cleggett understood that this barrier was the result of the explosion。
  Groping   and exploring  with   his hands;  he   found   that   the passage   turned
  sharply to the left。     It was more narrow and curving; for the distance of a
  few yards; and the earth beneath was fresher。            When the tunnel had been
  blocked   by   the   explosion;   Loge   and   his   men   had   burrowed   around   the
  obstruction。
  Cleggett judged that he must be at about the middle of the tunnel。              He
  felt the   more   solid   earth beneath his   hands   again;  and   knew  that   he had
  passed   the   rock。   The   passage   now   descended   deeper   into   the   ground;
  slanting steeply downward。          This incline was twenty feet in length; then
  the floor became horizontal again on the lower level。               At the same time
  the passage widened。         Cleggett stretched one arm out; then the other; he
  could not touch the wall on either hand。          He stood erect and held his hand
  up; the roof was six inches above his head。             He was in a room of some
  sort。    Wishing;     if  possible;   to  learn   the  extent   of   this  subterranean
  chamber; which he did not doubt had at one time been used as a cave and
  storehouse of smugglers; Cleggett began to sidle around walls; feeling his
  way with his hands。
  He dislodged a pebble。        It rolled to the ground with what was really a
  slight sound。
  But to Cleggett; who had been getting more and more excited; it was
  loud as an avalanche。        He stopped and held his breath; he fancied that he
  had heard another noise besides the one which his pebble made。                   But he
  could not be sure。
  The    sensation    that  he  was    not  alone   suddenly     gripped   him    with
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  overwhelming   force。        His   heart   began   to   beat   more   quickly;   the   blood
  drummed        in  his  ears。   Nevertheless;      he   kept   his  head。    He    took   his
  pocket lantern in his left hand; and his pistol in his right; and leaned with
  his back against the wall。        He listened。      He heard nothing。
  But the eerie feeling that he was watched grew upon him。                    Presently
  he fancied that the darkness began to vibrate; as if an electrical current of
  s