第 5 节
作者:卡车      更新:2021-02-27 02:28      字数:9322
  she found his hair still clinging to her fingers; but even then she
  could hardly call to mind the nature of the struggle she had
  undergone。  His hot breath close to her own cheek she did remember;
  and his glaring eyes; and even the roughness of his beard as he
  pressed his face against her own; but she could not say whence had
  come the blood; nor till her arm became stiff and motionless did she
  know that she had been wounded。
  It was all joy with her now; as she sat motionless without speaking;
  while he administered to her wants and spoke words of love into her
  ears。  She remembered the man's horrid threat; and knew that by
  God's mercy she had been saved。  And he was there caressing her;
  loving her; comforting her!  As she thought of the fate that had
  threatened her; of the evil that had been so imminent; she fell
  forward on her knees; and with incoherent sobs uttered her
  thanksgivings; while her head was still supported on his arms。
  It was almost morning before she could induce herself to leave him
  and lie down。  With him she seemed to be so perfectly safe; but the
  moment he was away she could see Aaron Trow's eyes gleaming at her
  across the room。  At last; however; she slept; and when he saw that
  she was at rest; he told himself that his work must then begin。
  Hitherto Caleb Morton had lived in all respects the life of a man of
  peace; but now; asking himself no questions as to the propriety of
  what he would do; using no inward arguments as to this or that line
  of conduct; he girded the sword on his loins; and prepared himself
  for war。  The wretch who had thus treated the woman whom he loved
  should be hunted down like a wild beast; as long as he had arms and
  legs with which to carry on the hunt。  He would pursue the miscreant
  with any weapons that might come to his hands; and might Heaven help
  him at his need as he dealt forth punishment to that man; if he
  caught him within his grasp。  Those who had hitherto known Morton in
  the island; could not recognise the man as he came forth on that
  day; thirsty after blood; and desirous to thrust himself into
  personal conflict with the wild ruffian who had injured him。  The
  meek Presbyterian minister had been a preacher; preaching ways of
  peace; and living in accordance with his own doctrines。  The world
  had been very quiet for him; and he had walked quietly in his
  appointed path。  But now the world was quiet no longer; nor was
  there any preaching of peace。  His cry was for blood; for the blood
  of the untamed savage brute who had come upon his young doe in her
  solitude; and striven with such brutal violence to tear her heart
  from her bosom。
  He got to his assistance early in the morning some of the constables
  from St。 George; and before the day was over; he was joined by two
  or three of the warders from the convict establishment。  There was
  with him also a friend or two; and thus a party was formed;
  numbering together ten or twelve persons。  They were of course all
  armed; and therefore it might be thought that there would be but
  small chance for the wretched man if they should come upon his
  track。  At first they all searched together; thinking from the
  tidings which had reached them that he must be near to them; but
  gradually they spread themselves along the rocks between St。 George
  and the ferry; keeping watchman on the road; so that he should not
  escape unnoticed into the island。
  Ten times during the day did Anastasia send from the cottage up to
  Morton; begging him to leave the search to others; and come down to
  her。  But not for a moment would he lose the scent of his prey。
  What! should it be said that she had been so treated; and that
  others had avenged her?  He sent back to say that her father was
  with her now; and that he would come when his work was over。  And in
  that job of work the life…blood of Aaron Trow was counted up。
  Towards evening they were all congregated on the road near to the
  spot at which the path turns off towards the cottage; when a voice
  was heard hallooing to them from the summit of a little hill which
  lies between the road and the sea on the side towards the ferry; and
  presently a boy came running down to them full of news。  〃Danny Lund
  has seen him;〃 said the boy; 〃he has seen him plainly in among the
  rocks。〃  And then came Danny Lund himself; a small negro lad about
  fourteen years of age; who was known in those parts as the idlest;
  most dishonest; and most useless of his race。  On this occasion;
  however; Danny Lund became important; and every one listened to him。
  He had seen; he said; a pair of eyes moving down in a cave of the
  rocks which he well knew。  He had been in the cave often; he said;
  and could get there again。  But not now; not while that pair of eyes
  was moving at the bottom of it。  And so they all went up over the
  hill; Morton leading the way with hot haste。  In his waist…band he
  held a pistol; and his hand grasped a short iron bar with which he
  had armed himself。  They ascended the top of the hill; and when
  there; the open sea was before them on two sides; and on the third
  was the narrow creek over which the ferry passed。  Immediately
  beneath their feet were the broken rocks; for on that side; towards
  the sea; the earth and grass of the hill descended but a little way
  towards the water。  Down among the rocks they all went; silently;
  Caleb Morton leading the way; and Danny Lund directing him from
  behind。
  〃Mr。 Morton;〃 said an elderly man from St。 George; 〃had you not
  better let the warders of the gaol go first; he is a desperate man;
  and they will best understand his ways?〃
  In answer to this Morton said nothing; but he would let no one put a
  foot before him。  He still pressed forward among the rocks; and at
  last came to a spot from whence he might have sprung at one leap
  into the ocean。  It was a broken cranny on the sea…shore into which
  the sea beat; and surrounded on every side but the one by huge
  broken fragments of stone; which at first sight seemed as though
  they would have admitted of a path down among them to the water's
  edge; but which; when scanned more closely; were seen to be so large
  in size; that no man could climb from one to another。  It was a
  singularly romantic spot; but now well known to them all there; for
  they had visited it over and over again that morning。
  〃In there;〃 said Danny Lund; keeping well behind Morton's body; and
  pointing at the same time to a cavern high up among the rocks; but
  quite on the opposite side of the little inlet of the sea。  The
  mouth of the cavern was not twenty yards from where they stood; but
  at the first sight it seemed as though it must be impossible to
  reach it。  The precipice on the brink of which they all now stood;
  ran down sheer into the sea; and the fall from the mouth of the
  cavern on the other side was as steep。  But Danny solved the mystery
  by pointing upwards; and showing them how he had been used to climb
  to a projecting rock over their heads; and from thence creep round
  by certain vantages of the stone till he was able to let himself
  down into the aperture。  But now; at the present moment; he was
  unwilling to make essay of his prowess as a cragsman。  He had; he
  said; been up on that projecting rock thrice; and there had seen the
  eyes moving in the cavern。  He was quite sure of that fact of the
  pair of eyes; and declined to ascend the rock again。
  Traces soon became visible to them by which they knew that some one
  had passed in and out of the cavern recently。  The stone; when
  examined; bore those marks of friction which passage and repassage
  over it will always give。  At the spot from whence the climber left
  the platform and commenced his ascent; the side of the stone had
  been rubbed by the close friction of a man's body。  A light boy like
  Danny Lund might find his way in and out without leaving such marks
  behind him; but no heavy man could do so。  Thus before long they all
  were satisfied that Aaron Trow was in the cavern before them。
  Then there was a long consultation as to what they would do to carry
  on the hunt; and how they would drive the tiger from his lair。  That
  he should not again come out; except to fall into their hands; was
  to all of them a matter of course。  They would keep watch and ward
  there; though it might be for days and nights。  But that was a
  process which did not satisfy Morton; and did not indeed well
  satisfy any of them。  It was not only that they desired to inflict
  punishment on the miscreant in accordance with the law; but also
  that they did not desire that the miserable man should die in a hole
  like a starved dog; and that then they should go after him to take
  out his wretched skeleton。  There was something in that idea so
  horrid in every way; that all agreed that active steps must be
  taken。  The warders of the prison felt that they would all be
  disgraced if they could not take their prisoner alive。  Yet who
  would get round that perilous ledge in the face of such an
  adversary?  A touch to any man while climbing there would send him
  headlong down among the wave!  And then his fancy told to each what
  might be the nature of an embrace with such an animal as that;
  driven to despair; hopeless of life; armed; as they knew; at