cc.floodtide-第119章

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　〃A　bit　of　a　wonder；　that　one。〃
　〃She　said　General　Hui　died　on　the　raft。〃
　〃The　scum　got　what　he　deserved；〃　Gallagher　said；　smiling　tightly。　〃You　must　be　aware　of　Hui's　role　in　the　last　voyage　of　the　Princess　or　you　wouldn't　be　here。〃
　〃I　know　General　Hui　and　Chiang　Kai…shek　stole　China's　historic　heritage　and　seized　the　Princess　Dou　Wan　with　the　intention　of　secretly　smuggling　the　treasure　to　the　United　States；　where　it　was　to　be　hidden。〃
　〃That　was　their　plan　until　Mother　Nature　stepped　in。〃
　〃It　took　a　team　of　dedicated　people　to　dig　through　the　subterfuge；〃　Pitt　informed　him。　〃The　fake　distress　signal　about　the　ship　sinking　off　Valparaiso；　salting　the　water　with　the　ship's　life　vests；　altering　the　Princess　Dou　Wan　to　pass　for　her　sister　ship　the　Princess　Yung　Tai　during　her　passage　through　the　Panama　Canal　and　down　the　St。　Lawrence　into　the　Great　Lakes。　The　only　missing　piece　of　the　puzzle　was　your　destination。〃
　
　Gallagher　cocked　an　eyebrow。　〃Chicago。　Hui　had　arranged　through　the　American　State　Department　to　unload　the　treasures　at　the　terminal　facilities　at　the　Port　of　Chicago。　Where　they　were　to　be　sent　from　there；　I　haven't　the　foggiest　idea。　But　foul　weather　swept　in　from　the　north。　As　a　man　familiar　with　the　oceans；　I　had　no　conception　that　the　Great　Lakes　in　North　America　could　brew　up　worse　storms　than　any　at　sea。　By　God；　man；　since　then　I've　seen　saltwater　sailors　get　seasick　and　heave　their　guts　out　during　an　inland…water　storm。〃
　
　〃They　say　there　are　over　fifty…five　thousand　recorded　shipwrecks　in　the　Great　Lakes　alone；〃　said　Pitt。　〃And　Lake　Michigan　wins　the　prize　for　having　swallowed　more　ships　than　all　the　other　lakes　bined。〃
　〃The　waves　on　the　Lakes　can　be　deadlier　than　those　on　any　ocean；〃　Gallagher　maintained。　〃They　pile　up　thirty　feet　and　e　at　you　much　faster。　Ocean　waves　swell　and　roll　from　only　one　direction。　Great　Lakes　waves　are　more　treacherous　and　relentless。　They　seethe　and　gyrate　like　a　maelstrom　from　every　direction　at　once。　No　sir；　I've　seen　cyclones　in　the　Indian　Ocean；　typhoons　in　the　Pacific　and　hurricanes　in　the　Atlantic；　but　I'm　telling　you；　there　is　nothing　more　terrible　than　a　winter　tempest　on　the　Great　Lakes。　And　the　night　the　Princess　went　down　was　one　of　the　worst。〃
　〃Unlike　the　sea；　there　is　almost　no　room　to　maneuver　a　ship　on　the　Lakes；〃　said　Pitt。
　〃That's　a　fact。　A　ship　can　run　before　the　storm　at　sea。　Here　she　must　continue　on　course　or　founder。〃　Gallagher　then　told　of　the　night　the　Princess　Dou　Wan　broke　up　and　sank。　He　spoke　of　it　as　though　it　was　a　recurring　dream。　The　fifty…two　years　since　had　not　dimmed　his　memory　of　the　tragedy。　Every　detail　seemed　as　fresh　as　if　it　happened　the　day　before。　He　told　of　the　suffering　he　and　Katie　had　endured；　and　how　General　Hui　froze　to　death　in　the　raft。　〃After　we　came　ashore；　I　pushed　the　raft　with　Hui　still　in　it　back　into　the　raging　waters　of　the　lake。　I　never　saw　him　again　and　often　wondered　if　his　body　was　found。〃
　〃Can　I　ask　you　where　the　ship　foundered？　In　which　Great　Lake？〃
　Gallagher　hooked　the　fish　through　the　gill　on　the　chain　and　dropped　it　in　the　water　beside　the　pier　before　answering。　Then　he　raised　his　hand　and　pointed　toward　the　east。　〃Right　out　there。〃
　At　first　Pitt　didn't　get　it。　He　thought　Gallagher　was　referring　to　any　one　of　the　four　Great　Lakes　that　lay　to　the　east。　Then　it　hit　him。　〃Lake　Michigan？　The　Princess　Dou　Wan　sank　here　in　Lake　Michigan；　not　far　from　where　we　stand？〃
　〃I'd　guess　about　twenty…five　miles　slightly　southeast　from　here。〃
　Pitt　was　elated　and　numb　at　the　same　time：　This　revelation　was　too　good　to　be　true：　The　wreck　of　the　Princess　Dou　Wan　and　its　priceless　treasure　were　lying　only　twenty…five　miles　away。　He　turned　and　stared　at　Gallagher。　〃You　and　Mrs。　Gallagher　must　have　been　cast　ashore　nearby。〃
　〃Not　close　by；〃　Gallagher　said；　smiling。　〃This　exact　spot　where　the　pier　sits。　We　tried　for　years　to　buy　this　property　for　sentimental　reasons；　but　the　owners　wouldn't　sell。　Only　after　they　died　did　their　kids　let　us　have　it。　We　tore　down　the　old　cabin　they　used　for　family　vacations　on　the　lake；　the　same　cabin　that　saved　Katie　and　me　from　freezin'　to　death。　It　was　in　poor　shape；　so　we　tore　it　down　and　built　the　house　you　see。　We　figured　we　was　given　a　second　chance　in　life　and　it　would　be　a　good　idea　to　spend　our　remaining　years　at　the　very　spot　we　were　reborn。〃
　〃Why　didn't　you　look　for　the　wreck　and　salvage　the　artifacts　yourself？〃
　Gallagher　gave　a　short　laugh　and　slowly　shook　his　head。　〃What　good　would　it　do？　The　munists　still　run　China。　They　would　claim　it　as　theirs。　I'd　be　lucky　to　keep　a　nail　out　of　one　of　them　packing　crates　they　rest　in。〃
　〃You　might　have　filed　a　claim　for　yourself　and　bee　a　very　rich　man。〃
　〃The　munists　wouldn't　be　the　only　vultures　to　e　gatherin'　around。　The　minute　I'd　begin　pulling　up　them　antiques；　the　bureaucrats　from　the　states　of　Wisconsin；　Michigan　and　the　federal　government　would　have　e　down　all　over　me。　I'd　have　ended　up　spending　more　time　in　court　than　salvaging　the　wreck　and　paying　attorneys　more　than　I'd　make　out　of　it。〃
　〃You're　probably　right；〃　said　Pitt。
　〃You　bet　I'm　right；〃　snorted　Gallagher。　〃I　did　a　bit　of　treasure…hunting　myself　when　I　was　young。　It　never　paid　off。　You　make　a　strike　and；　besides　having　to　fight　the　government；　other　treasure　hunters　appear　like　locusts　to　rape　your　wreck。　No；　Mr。　Pitt；　my　family　was　my　riches。　I　figured；　leave　well　enough　alone。　The　treasure　ain't　goin'　anywhere。　When　the　proper　time　es；　I　always　thought；　somebody　will　salvage　it　for　the　good　of　the　people。　In　the　meantime；　I've　been　perfectly　content　without　it。〃
　〃There　aren't　many　men　who　think　like　you　do；　Mr。　Gallagher；〃　said　Pitt　with　respect。
　〃Son；　when　you're　as　old　as　I　am；　you　see　there　are　a　lot　more　things　in　life　than　owning　a　fancy　yacht　and　a　jet　plane。〃
　Pitt　smiled　at　the　old　man　on　the　canvas　stool。　〃Mr。　Gallagher；　I　like　your　style。〃
　
　Ian　cleaned　his　catch　of　fish；　and　Katie　insisted　Dirk　and　Julia　stay　for　dinner。　They　also　offered　to　put　them　up　for　the　night；　but　Pitt　was　anxious　to　return　to　Manitowoc；　find　a　place　to　use　as　a　headquarters　for　the　search…and…salvage　project；　and　call　Sandecker　with　the　news。　During　dinner；　the　two　women　happily　chatted　away　in　Mandarin　Chinese　while　the　men　swapped　sea　stories。
　〃Was　Captain　Hunt　a　good　man？〃　〃No　better　seaman　ever　trod　a　deck。〃　Gallagher　stared　sadly　through　the　window　out　onto　the　lake。　〃He's　still　out　there。　He　went　down　with　the　ship。　I　saw　him　standin'　in　the　wheelhouse　as　calm　as　if　he　was　waitin'　for　a　table　at　a　restaurant。〃　He　turned　back　to　Pitt。　〃I　hear　the　cold　fresh　water　preserves　things；　unlike　salt　water　and　sea　creatures　that　eat　bodies　and　ships　until　there's　nothing　left。〃
　Pitt　nodded。　〃Not　long　ago；　divers　brought　up　an　automobile　from　a　car　ferry　that　had　been　on　the　bottom　of　this　same　lake　for　nearly　seventy　years。　The　upholstery　was　still　sound；　the　tires　still　held　air；　and　after　drying　out　the　engine　and　carburetor；　and　changing　the　oil；　they　charged　the　original　battery　and　started　the　car。　It　was　then　driven　to　an　auto　museum　in　Detroit。〃
　〃Then　the　Chinese　treasures　should　be　in　good　shape。〃
　〃Most　of　it；　I　should　imagine；　especially　the　bronze　and　porcelain　artworks。〃
　〃Wouldn't　that　be　a　sight；〃　Gallagher　said　wistfully；　〃seeing　all　them　antiques　lying　there　on　the　bottom　of　the　lake。〃　Then　he　shook　his　head　and　rubbed　eyes　that　were　beginning　to　moisten。　〃But　it　would　tear　my　heart　out　to　look　at　the　poor　old　Princess。〃
　〃Perhaps；〃　said　Pitt；　〃but　she　found　a　more　noble　death　than　if　she　was　torn　apart　by　the　scrappers　in　Singapore。〃
　〃You're　right；〃　Gallagher　said　solemnly。　〃She　did　find　a　noble　death。〃
　
　
　
　IN　THE　MORNING　PlTT　AND　JULIA　BADE　THE　GALLAGHERS　A　fond　good…bye　and　checked　into　an　attractive　bed　and　breakfast　in　Manitowoc。　While　she　unpacked；　Pitt　called　Sandecker　and　filled　him　in　on　their　meeting　with　the　Gallaghers。
　〃You　mean　to　tell　me；〃　Sandecker　said　in　amazement；　〃that　one　of　the　world's　greatest　treasures　has　been　sitting　under　everyone's　nose　for　the　past　half　century；　and　Gallagher　told　no　one？〃
　〃The　Gallaghers　are　your　kind　of　people；　Admiral。　Unlike　Qin　Shang；