if.liveandletdie-第40章

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！


　He　at　once　saw　that　the　mouths　of　the　hurtling；　darting　fish　were　half　open　and　that　they　were　plunging　in　and　out　of　a　brownish　cloud；　spreading　downwards　from　the　surface。　Close　to　him　a　barracuda　hung　for　an　instant；　something　brown　and　glittering　in　its　jaws。　It　gave　a　great　swallow　and　then　swirled　back　into　the　melee。
　At　the　same　time　he　noticed　that　it　was　getting　darker。　He　looked　up　and　saw　with　dawning　prehension　that　the　quicksilver　surface　of　the　sea　had　turned　red；　a　horrible　glinting　crimson。
　Threads　of　the　stuff　drifted　within　his　reach。　He　hooked　some　towards　him　with　the　end　of　his　gun。　Held　the　end　close　up　against　his　glass　mask。
　There　was　no　doubt　about　it。
　Up　above；　someone　was　spraying　the　surface　of　the　sea　with　blood　and　offal。
　
　CHAPTER　XX
　BLOODY　MORGAN'S　CAVE
　
　IMMEDIATELY　Bond　understood　why　all　these　barracuda　and　shark　were　lurking　round　the　island；　how　they　were　kept　frenzied　with　bloodlust　by　this　nightly　banquet；　why；　against　all　reason；　the　three　men　had　been　washed　up　half…eaten　by　the　fish。
　Mr。　Big　had　just　harnessed　the　forces　of　the　sea　for　his　protection。　It　was　a　typical　invention　…　imaginative；　technically　foolproof　and　very　easy　to　operate。
　Even　as　Bond's　mind　grasped　it　all；　something　hit　him　a　terrific　blow　in　the　shoulder　and　a　twenty…pound　barracuda　backed　away；　black　rubber　and　flesh　hanging　from　its　jaws。　Bond　felt　no　pain　as　he　let　go　of　the　bronze　propeller　and　threshed　wildly　for　the　rocks；　only　a　horrible　sickness　in　the　pit　of　his　stomach　at　the　thought　of　part　of　himself　between　those　hundred　razor…sharp　teeth。　Water　started　to　ooze　between　the　close…fitting　rubber　and　his　skin。　It　would　not　be　long　before　it　penetrated　up　his　neck　and　into　the　mask。
　He　was　just　going　to　give　up　and　shoot　the　twenty　feet　to　the　surface　when　he　saw　a　wide　fissure　in　the　rocks　in　front　of　him。　Beside　it　a　great　boulder　lay　on　its　side　and　somehow　he　got　behind　it。　He　turned　from　the　partial　shelter　it　gave　just　in　time　to　see　the　same　barracuda　ing　at　him　again；　its　upper　jaw　held　at　right　angles　to　the　lower　for　its　infamous　gaping　strike。
　Bond　fired　almost　blind　with　the　harpoon　gun。　The　rubber　thongs　whammed　down　the　barrel　and　the　barbed　harpoon　caught　the　big　fish　in　the　centre　of　its　raised　upper　jaw；　pierced　it　and　stuck　with　half　the　shaft　and　the　line　still　free。
　The　barracuda　stopped　dead　in　its　tracks；　three　feet　from　Bond's　stomach。　It　tried　to　get　its　jaws　together　and　then　gave　a　mighty　shake　of　its　long　reptile's　head。　Then　it　shot　away；　zigzagging　madly；　the　gun　and　line；　jerked　from　Bond's　hand；　streaming　behind　it。　Bond　knew　that　the　other　fish　would　be　on　to　it；　tearing　it　to　bits；　before　it　had　gone　a　hundred　yards。
　Bond　thanked　God　for　the　diversion。　His　shoulder　was　now　surrounded　by　a　cloud　of　blood。　In　a　matter　of　seconds　the　other　fish　would　catch　the　scent。　He　slipped　round　the　boulder　with　the　thought　that　he　would　scramble　up　under　the　shelter　of　the　jetty　and　somehow　hide　himself　above　the　level　of　the　sea　until　he　had　made　a　fresh　plan。
　Then　he　saw　the　cave　that　the　boulder　had　hidden。
　It　was　really　almost　a　door　into　the　base　of　the　island。　If　Bond　had　not　been　swimming　for　his　life　he　could　have　walked　in。　As　it　was；　he　dived　straight　through　the　opening　and　only　stopped　when　several　yards　separated　him　from　the　glimmering　entrance。
　Then　he　stood　upright　on　the　soft　sand　and　switched　on　his　torch。　A　shark　might　conceivably　e　in　after　him　but　in　the　confined　space　it　would　be　almost　impossible　for　it　to　bring　its　underslung　mouth　to　bear　on　him。　It　would　certainly　not　e　in　with　a　rush　for　even　the　shark　is　frightened　of　hazarding　its　tough　skin　among　rocks；　and　he　would　have　plenty　of　chance　of　going　for　its　eyes　with　his　dagger。
　Bond　shone　his　torch　on　the　ceiling　and　sides　of　the　cave。　It　had　certainly　been　fashioned　or　finished　by　man。　Bond　guessed　that　it　had　been　dug　outwards　from　somewhere　in　the　centre　of　the　island。
　'At　least　another　twenty　yards　to　go；　men；'　Bloody　Morgan　must　have　said　to　the　slave　overseers。　And　then　the　picks　would　have　burst　suddenly　through　to　the　sea　and　a　welter　of　arms　and　legs　and　screaming　mouths；　gagged　for　ever　with　water；　would　have　hurtled　back　into　the　rock　to　join　the　bodies　of　other　witnesses。
　The　great　boulder　at　the　entrance　would　have　been　put　in　position　to　seal　the　seaward　exit。　The　Shark　Bay　fisherman　who　suddenly　disappeared　six　months　before　must　have　one　day　found　it　rolled　away　by　a　storrn　or　by　the　tidal　wave　following　a　hurricane。　Then　he　had　found　the　treasure　and　had　known　he　would　need　help　to　dispose　of　it。　A　white　man　would　cheat　him。　Better　go　to　the　great　negro　gangster　in　Harlem　and　make　the　best　terms　he　could。　The　gold　belonged　to　the　black　men　who　had　died　to　hide　it。　It　should　go　back　to　the　black　men。
　Standing　there；　swaying　in　the　slight　current　hi　the　tunnel；　Bond　guessed　that　one　more　barrel　of　cement　had　splashed　into　the　mud　of　the　Harlem　River。
　It　was　then　that　he　heard　the　drums。
　Out　amongst　the　big　fish　he　had　heard　a　soft　thunder　in　the　water　that　had　grown　as　he　entered　the　cave。　But　he　had　thought　it　was　only　the　waves　against　the　base　of　the　island；　and　anyway　he　had　had　other　things　to　think　about。
　But　now　he　could　distinguish　a　definite　rhythm　and　the　sound　boomed　and　swelled　around　him　in　a　muffled　roar　as　if　he　himself　was　imprisoned　inside　a　vast　kettle…drum。
　The　water　seemed　to　tremble　with　it。　He　guessed　its　double　purpose。　It　was　a　great　fish…call　used；　when　intruders　were　about；　to　attract　and　excite　the　fish　still　further。　Quarrel　had　told　him　how　the　fishermen　at　night　beat　the　sides　of　their　canoes　with　the　paddle　to　wake　and　bring　the　fish。　This　must　be　the　same　idea。　And　at　the　same　time　it　would　be　a　sinister　Voodoo　warning　to　the　people　on　shore；　made　doubly　effective　when　the　dead　body　was　washed　up　on　the　following　day。
　Another　of　Mr。　Big's　refinements；　thought　Bond。　Another　spark　thrown　off　by　that　extraordinary　mind。
　Well；　at　least　he　knew　where　he　was　now。　The　drums　meant　that　he　had　been　spotted。　What　would　Strangways　and　Quarrel　think　as　they　heard　them？　They　would　just　have　to　sit　and　sweat　it　out。　Bond　had　guessed　the　drums　were　some　sort　of　trick　and　he　had　made　them　promise　not　to　interfere　unless　the　Secalur　got　safely　away。　That　would　mean　that　all　Bond's　plans　had　failed。　He　had　told　Strangways　where　the　gold　was　hidden　and　the　ship　would　have　to　be　intercepted　on　the　high　seas。
　Now　the　enemy　was　alerted；　but　would　not　know　who　he　was　nor　that　he　was　still　alive。　He　would　have　to　go　on　if　only　to　stop　Solitaire　at　all　costs　from　sailing　in　the　doomed　ship。
　Bond　looked　at　his　watch。　It　was　half　an　hour　after　midnight。　So　far　as　Bond　was　concerned；　it　might　have　been　a　week　since　he　started　his　lonely　voyage　through　the　sea　of　dangers。
　He　felt　the　Beretta　under　his　rubber　skin　and　wondered　if　it　was　already　ruined　by　the　water　that　had　got　in　through　the　rent　made　by　the　barracuda's　teeth。
　Then；　the　roar　of　the　drums　getting　louder　every　moment；　he　moved　on　into　the　cave；　his　torch　throwing　a　tiny　pinpoint　of　light　ahead　of　him。
　He　had　gone　about　ten　yards　when　a　faint　glimmer　showed　in　the　water　ahead　of　him。　He　dowsed　the　torch　and　went　cautiously　towards　it。　The　sandy　floor　of　the　cave　started　to　move　upwards　and　with　every　yard　the　light　grew　brighter。　Now　he　could　see　dozens　of　small　fish　playing　around　him　and　ahead　the　water　seemed　full　of　them；　attracted　into　the　cave　by　the　light。　Grabs　peered　from　the　small　crevices　in　the　rocks　and　a　baby　octopus　flattened　itself　into　a　phosphorescent　star　against　the　ceiling。
　Then　he　could　make　out　the　end　of　the　cave　and　a　wide　shining　pool　beyond　it；　the　white　sandy　bottom　as　bright　as　day。　The　throb　of　the　drums　was　very　loud。　He　stopped　in　the　shadow　of　the　entrance　and　saw　that　the　surface　was　only　a　few　inches　away　and　that　lights　were　shining　down　into　the　pool。
　Bond　was　in　a　quandary。　Any　further　step　and　he　would　be　in　full　view　of　anyone　looking　at　the　pool。　As　he　stood；　debating　with　himself；　he　was　horrified　to　see　a　thin　red　cloud　of　blood　spreading　beyond　the　entrance　from　his　shoulder。　He　had　forgotten