第 7 节
作者:卡车      更新:2021-02-27 02:28      字数:9322
  manifest enough before the eyes of them all; and with head well
  down; and hands outstretched; but with his wide glaring eyes still
  turned towards his pursuers as he fell; he plunged down into the
  waves beneath him。  Two of those who stood by; almost unconscious of
  what they did; fired at his body as it made its rapid way to the
  water; but; as they afterwards found; neither of the bullets struck
  him。  Morton; when his prey thus leaped forth; escaping him for
  awhile; was already on the verge of the cavern;had even then
  prepared his foot for that onward spring which should bring him to
  the throat of his foe。  But he arrested himself; and for a moment
  stood there watching the body as it struck the water; and hid itself
  at once beneath the ripple。  He stood there for a moment watching
  the deed and its effect; and then leaving his hold upon the rock; he
  once again followed his quarry。  Down he went; head foremost; right
  on to the track in the waves which the other had made; and when the
  two rose to the surface together; each was struggling in the grasp
  of the other。
  It was a foolish; nay; a mad deed to do。  The poor wretch who had
  first fallen could not have escaped。  He could not even swim; and
  had therefore flung himself to certain destruction when he took that
  leap from out of the cavern's mouth。  It would have been sad to see
  him perish beneath the waves;to watch him as he rose; gasping for
  breath; and then to see to him sinking again; to rise again; and
  then to go for ever。  But his life had been fairly forfeit;and why
  should one so much more precious have been flung after it?  It was
  surely with no view of saving that pitiful life that Caleb Morton
  had leaped after his enemy。  But the hound; hot with the chase; will
  follow the stag over the precipice and dash himself to pieces
  against the rocks。  The beast thirsting for blood will rush in even
  among the weapons of men。  Morton in his fury had felt but one
  desire; burned with but one passion。  If the Fates would but grant
  him to fix his clutches in the throat of the man who had ill…used
  his love; for the rest it might all go as it would。
  In the earlier part of the morning; while they were all searching
  for their victim; they had brought a boat up into this very inlet
  among the rocks; and the same boat had been at hand during the whole
  day。  Unluckily; before they had come hither; it had been taken
  round the headland to a place among the rocks at which a government
  skiff is always moored。  The sea was still so quiet that there was
  hardly a ripple on it; and the boat had been again sent for when
  first it was supposed that they had at last traced Aaron Trow to his
  hiding…place。  Anxiously now were all eyes turned to the headland;
  but as yet no boat was there。
  The two men rose to the surface; each struggling in the arms of the
  other。  Trow; though he was in an element to which he was not used;
  though he had sprung thither as another suicide might spring to
  certain death beneath a railway engine; did not altogether lose his
  presence of mind。  Prompted by a double instinct; he had clutched
  hold of Morton's body when he encountered it beneath the waters。  He
  held on to it; as to his only protection; and he held on to him also
  as to his only enemy。  If there was a chance for a life struggle;
  they would share that chance together; and if not; then together
  would they meet that other fate。
  Caleb Morton was a very strong man; and though one of his arms was
  altogether encumbered by his antagonist; his other arm and his legs
  were free。  With these he seemed to succeed in keeping his head
  above the water; weighted as he was with the body of his foe。  But
  Trow's efforts were also used with the view of keeping himself above
  the water。  Though he had purposed to destroy himself in taking that
  leap; and now hoped for nothing better than that they might both
  perish together; he yet struggled to keep his head above the waves。
  Bodily power he had none left to him; except that of holding on to
  Morton's arm and plunging with his legs; but he did hold on; and
  thus both their heads remained above the surface。
  But this could not last long。  It was easy to see that Trow's
  strength was nearly spent; and that when he went down Morton must go
  with him。  If indeed they could be separated;if Morton could once
  make himself free from that embrace into which he had been so
  anxious to leap;then indeed there might be a hope。  All round that
  little inlet the rock fell sheer down into the deep sea; so that
  there was no resting…place for a foot; it but round the headlands on
  either side; even within forty or fifty yards of that spot; Morton
  might rest on the rocks; till a boat should come to his assistance。
  To him that distance would have been nothing; if only his limbs had
  been at liberty。
  Upon the platform of rocks they were all at their wits' ends。  Many
  were anxious to fire at Trow; but even if they hit him; would
  Morton's position have been better?  Would not the wounded man have
  still clung to him who was not wounded?  And then there could be no
  certainty that any one of them would hit the right man。  The ripple
  of the waves; though it was very slight; nevertheless sufficed to
  keep the bodies in motion; and then; too; there was not among them
  any marksman peculiar for his skill。
  Morton's efforts in the water were too severe to admit of his
  speaking; but he could hear and understand the words which were
  addressed to him。  〃Shake him off; Caleb。〃  〃Strike him from you
  with your foot。〃  〃Swim to the right shore; swim for it; even if you
  take him with you。〃  Yes; he could hear them all; but hearing and
  obeying were very different。  It was not easy to shake off that
  dying man; and as for swimming with him; that was clearly
  impossible。  It was as much as he could do to keep his head above
  water; let alone any attempt to move in one settled direction。
  For some four or five minutes they lay thus battling on the waves
  before the head of either of them went down。  Trow had been twice
  below the surface; but it was before he had succeeded in supporting
  himself by Morton's arm。  Now it seemed as though he must sink
  again;as though both must sink。  His mouth was barely kept above
  the water; and as Morton shook him with his arm; the tide would pass
  over him。  It was horrid to watch from the shore the glaring
  upturned eyes of the dying wretch; as his long streaming hair lay
  back upon the wave。  〃Now; Caleb; hold him down。  Hold him under;〃
  was shouted in the voice of some eager friend。  Rising up on the
  water; Morton made a last effort to do as he was bid。  He did press
  the man's head down;well down below the surface;but still the
  hand clung to him; and as he struck out against the water; he was
  powerless against that grasp。
  Then there came a loud shout along the shore; and all those on the
  platform; whose eyes had been fixed so closely on that terrible
  struggle beneath them; rushed towards the rocks on the other coast。
  The sound of oars was heard close to them;an eager pressing
  stroke; as of men who knew well that they were rowing for the
  salvation of a life。  On they came; close under the rocks; obeying
  with every muscle of their bodies the behests of those who called to
  them from the shore。  The boat came with such rapidity;was so
  recklessly urged; that it was driven somewhat beyond the inlet; but
  in passing; a blow was struck which made Caleb Morton once more the
  master of his own life。  The two men had been carried out in their
  struggle towards the open sea; and as the boat curved in; so as to
  be as close as the rocks would allow; the bodies of the men were
  brought within the sweep of the oars。  He in the bowfor there were
  four pulling in the boathad raised his oar as he neared the
  rocks;had raised it high above the water; and now; as they passed
  close by the struggling men; he let it fall with all its force on
  the upturned face of the wretched convict。  It was a terrible;
  frightful thing to do;thus striking one who was so stricken; but
  who shall say that the blow was not good and just?  Methinks;
  however; that the eyes and face of that dying man will haunt for
  ever the dreams of him who carried that oar!
  Trow never rose again to the surface。  Three days afterwards his
  body was found at the ferry; and then they carried him to the
  convict island and buried him。  Morton was picked up and taken into
  the boat。  His life was saved; but it may be a question how the
  battle might have gone had not that friendly oar been raised in his
  behalf。  As it was; he lay at the cottage for days before he was
  able to be moved; so as to receive the congratulations of those who
  had watched that terrible conflict from the shore。  Nor did he feel
  that there had been anything in that day's work of which he could be
  proud;much rather of which it behoved him to be thoroughly
  ashamed。  Some six months after that he obtained the hand of
  Anastasia Bergen; but they did not remain long in Bermuda。  〃He went
  away; back to his own country;〃 my informant told me; 〃because he
  could not endure to meet the ghost of Aaron Trow; at that point of
  the road which passes near the cottage。〃  That the ghost of Aaron
  Tr