第 47 节
作者:孤独半圆      更新:2021-02-24 22:24      字数:9321
  he fancied that the darkness began to vibrate; as if an electrical current of
  some sort were being passed through it; and it might forthwith burst into
  light。    Cleggett; as we know; was not easily frightened。               But now he was
  possessed of a strange feeling; akin to terror; but which was at the same
  time not any terror of physical injury。            He did not fear Loge; in dark or
  daylight he was ready to grapple with him and fight it out; nevertheless he
  feared。     That he could not say what he feared only increased his fear。
  Children say they are   〃afraid of the dark。〃            It   is not the dark   which
  they are afraid of。       It is the bodiless presences which they imagine in the
  dark。    It   was   so   with   Cleggett   now。   He   was   not   daunted   by   anything
  that   could    strike   a  blow。    But    the  sense    of    a  personality    began    to
  encompass him。         It pressed in upon him; played upon him; embraced him;
  his   flesh   tingled   as if   he   were   being   brushed; he   felt   his   hair   stir。 One
  recognizes a flower by its odor。          So a soul flings off; in some inexplicable
  way;   the   sense   of   itself。  This   force   that   laid   itself   upon   Cleggett   and
  flowed around him had an individuality without a body。                   Not through his
  senses;   but   psychically;   he   recognized   it;   it   was   the   hateful   and   sinister
  individuality of Loge。
  With choking throat and dry lips Cleggett stood and suffered beneath
  the smothering presence of this terror while the slow seconds mounted to
  an intolerable minute; then there burst from him an uncontrollable shout。
  〃Loge!〃 he roared; and the cavern rang。
  And with the word he pressed the button of his electric pocket lamp
  and    shot   a  beam    of   light  straight   in  front   of  him。    It  fell  upon    the
  yellowish brow and the wide; unwinking eyes of Loge。                     The eyes stared
  straight at Cleggett's own from across the cave; thirty feet away。                   Loge's
  teeth were bared in his malevolent grimace; he head was bent forward; he
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  sat upon a rock。        Cleggett; unable to withdraw his eyes; waited for Loge's
  first   movement。        The   man   made   no   sign。       Cleggett   slowly   raised   his
  pistol。 。 。 。
  But he did not fire。       The open; staring eyes; unchanging at the menace
  of   the   lifted   pistol;   told   the   story。 Loge   was   dead。      Cleggett   crossed
  over   and   examined   him。       Clutched   on   his   knees   was   a   bomb。      He   had
  been wounded   by Barnstable's last shot;  but he   had crawled   through the
  tunnel with a bomb for a final attempt on the Jasper B。                    His strength had
  failed; he had rested upon the rock and bled to death。
  As for his last thought; Cleggett had felt it。 Loge had died hating and
  lusting for his blood。
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  CHAPTER XXVII
  CLEGGETT ACCOMMODATES
  THE KING
  There was a wedding next day on the deck of the Jasper B。              The Rev。
  Simeon Calthrop performed the ceremony; and Wilton Barnstable insisted
  upon lending his vessel for a bridal cruise。         Washington Artillery Lamb;
  engineer; janitor; cook and butler of the Annabel Lee; went with the vessel。
  As for the Jasper B。; although his wife urged him to keep the ship for
  the sake of old associations; Cleggett had the hole in its side built in and
  gave it to the Rev。 Simeon Calthrop for a gospel ship。          George the Greek;
  who married Miss Medley; shipped with the preacher in his cruise around
  the   world;   and   he   and   his   wife   eventually   reached   Greece;   as   he   had
  originally intended。     Elmer went with the Rev。 Mr。 Calthrop to assist him
  in his missionary work。
  But it   was   some   time   before   the   Jasper   B。   sailed。 Besides   the   hole
  which   was   the   entrance   to   the   tunnel   it   was   discovered   that   the   vessel
  rested on a brick foundation。      The man who had used her for a saloon and
  dancing platform in years past had dug away part of the bank of the canal
  to fit the curve of her starboard side and had then jammed her tight into
  the land。    Even then she would move a trifle at times; so he had built a
  dam around her; pumped the water out of the inclosed space; jacked the
  hulk up; built the brick foundation; and let her down solidly on it again。
  With the dam removed the water covered this masonry work; and she
  looked    quite   like  a  real  ship。  Mr。    Goldberg    had   known    about   this
  foundation; but he had forgotten it; he explained to Cleggett。
  The Rev。 Mr。 Calthrop fitted her out as a floating chapel and filled her
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  with Bibles printed in all languages; which he distributes in many lands。
  When      his  fatal  attractiveness     for  women     threatens    to  involve    him   in
  trouble     he   hastily    puts   to   sea。    He     has   never    become      a   really
  accomplished        sailor;  and   the  Jasper    B。  is  something     of  a  menace     to
  navigation   in   the   ports   and   harbors   of   the   world。  The   suggestion   has
  frequently been made that she should be set ashore permanently and put
  on   wheels。     But   she   has   her   features。  She   is;   possibly;   the   only   ship
  extant   with   a   memorial   skylight   to   her   cabin。   Cleggett   wished   her   to
  carry  some   sort   of   memorial   to   the   faithful   Teddy;   the   Pomeranian   dog;
  who perished of a stray shot in the fight at Morris's。              And as a memorial
  window did not seem feasible a            compromise was made on the memorial
  skylight。 The glass is by Tiffany。
  Dopey Eddie and Izzy the Cat; still followed by Reginald Maltravers;
  made their way to Brooklyn; where all three were arrested and lodged in
  the observation ward of the Kings County Hospital on the suspicion that
  they    were    insane。    The    two    gunmen     were    able   to  get   free  through
  political    influence;    but   Maltravers      was    sent   to  England。      He     was
  maintained for some time in a private institution through the generosity of
  the Cleggetts; but finally went on a hunger strike and died。
  Wilton   Barnstable   smiles   and   prospers。       He   gained   great   additional
  fame for his clever work in the Case of Logan Black。
  Cleggett;   in   1925;   was   the   father   of   four   boys   named   D'Artagnan;
  Athos;   Porthos;   and   Aramis   Cleggett;   and   the   owner   of   the   Claiborne
  estates。
  He is now immensely wealthy。             It never would have occurred to him;
  perhaps;     to   attempt    to  increase    his  modest     fortune    of  500;000      by
  speculating on the Stock Exchange; had it not been for a fortunate meeting
  with a barber in Nassau Street。
  This barber; whose Christian name was Walter; was; indeed; a mine of
  suggestion and information of all sorts。           And being a good…natured fellow;
  who wished the world well; Walter delighted to impart his original ideas
  and the fruits of his observation to his patrons while shaving them。                 Some
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  of these received his remarks coldly; it is true; but Walter was so charged
  with a sense of friendliness towards all mankind that he was never daunted
  for long by a rebuff。
  His    interests  were    wide   and   varied;   Walter    found    no  difficulty   in
  talking pleasantly upon any subject; he could touch it lightly; or deal with
  it in a more serious vein; as the mood of his customer seemed to require;
  and he had the art of making deft and rapid transitions from topic to topic。
  But   there    were   two   things   in  particular    concerning     which    Walter   had
  thought deeply: racehorses and the stock market。
  It was the settled grief of Walter's life that he had never been able to
  persuade any person with money to take his advice concerning the races;
  or   follow   any   of   the   dazzling   stock   market    campaigns   which       he  was
  forever outlining。
  〃They   listen   to   me;〃   said   Walter;   a   little   wistfully;   but   with   a   brave
  smile; 〃or else they do not listenbut no one has ever yet