the cruise of the jasper b.-第12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！



Cleggett。



〃Nor　I；〃　replied　Lady　Agatha。　　〃But　to　resume：　　The　very　fact

that　I　had　employed　a　guard　seemed　to　put　Reginald　Maltravers

beside　himself。　He　followed　me　more　closely　than　ever。　

Regardless　of　appearances；　he　would　suddenly　plant　himself　in

front　of　me　in　restaurants　and　tramcars；　in　the　streets　or　parks

when　I　went　for　an　airing；　even　in　the　lifts　and　corridors　of　the

apartment　hotel　where　I　stopped；　and　stare　at　me　intently　through

his　monocle；　caressing　his　mustache　the　while。　　I　did　not　dare

make　a　scene；　the　thing　was　causing　enough　remark　without　that；　I

was；　in　fact；　losing　my　reputation。



〃Finally；　goaded　beyond　endurance；　I　called　Elmer　into　my

apartment　one　day　and　put　the　whole　case　before　him。



〃'I　will　pay　almost　any　price　short　of　participation　in　actual

crime；'　I　told　him；　'for　a　fortnight　of　freedom　from　that　man's

presence。　　I　can　stand　it　no　longer；　I　feel　my　reason　slipping

from　me。　Have　I　not　heard　that　there　are　in　New　York　creatures

who　are　willing；　on　the　payment　of　a　certain　stipulated　sum；　to

guarantee　to　chastise　a　person　so　as　to　disable　him　for　a

definite　period；　without　doing　him　permanent　injury？　　You　must

know　some　such　disreputable　characters。　　Procure　me　some　wretches

of　this　sort！'



〃Elmer　replied　that　such　creatures　do；　indeed；　exist。　　He　called

themwhat　did　he　call　them？〃



〃Gunmen？〃　suggested　Cleggett。



〃Yes；　thank　you。　　He　brought　two　of　them　to　me　whom　he　introduced

as〃



She　paused。　　〃The　names　escape　me；〃　she　said。　She　called：　〃Elmer；

just　step　here　a　moment；　please。〃



Elmer；　who　was　still　putting　ice　into　the　oblong　box；　moodily

laid　away　his　tools　and　approached。



〃What　WERE　the　odd　names　of　your　friends？　　The　ones　whowho　made

the　mistake？〃　asked　Lady　Agatha；　resuming　her　seat。



Elmer　rolled　a　bilious　eye　at　Cleggett　and　asked　Lady　Agatha；　out

of　that　corner　of　his　mouth　nearer　to　her：



〃Is　th'　guy　right？〃



〃Mr。　Cleggett　is　a　friend　of　mine　and　can　keep　a　secret；　if　that

is　what　you　mean；〃　said　Lady　Agatha。　　And　the　words　sent　a　thrill

of　elation　through　Cleggett's　being。



〃M'　friends　w'at　makes　the　mistake；〃　said　Elmer；　apparently

satisfied　with　the　assurance；　and　offering　the　information　to

Cleggett　out　of　the　side　of　his　mouth　which　had　not　been　involved

in　his　question　to　Lady　Agatha；　〃goes　by　th'　monakers　of　Dopey

Eddie　and　Izzy　the　Cat。〃



〃Picturesque；〃　murmured　Cleggett。



〃Picturewhat？　　Picture　not'in！〃　said　Elmer；　huskily。　　〃The

bulls　got　not'in'　on　them　boys。　　Them　guys　never　been　mugged。　

Them　guys　is　too　foxy　t'　get　mugged。〃



〃I　infer　that　you　weren't　always　so　foxy；〃　said　Cleggett；　eyeing

him　curiously。



The　remark　seemed　to　touch　a　sensitive　spot。　　Elmer　flushed　and

shuffled　from　one　foot　to　the　other；　hanging　his　head　as　if　in

embarrassment。　Finally　he　said；　earnestly：



〃I　wasn't　no　boob；　Mr。　Cleggett。　　It　was　a　snitch　got　ME　settled。　

I　was　a　good　cracksman；　honest　I　was。　　But　I　never　had　no　luck。〃



〃I　intended　no　reflection　on　your　professional　ability；〃　said

Cleggett；　politely。



〃Oh；　that's　all　right；　Mr。　Cleggett；〃　said　Elmer；　forgivingly。　

〃Nobody's　feelin's　is　hoited。　　And　any　friend　of　th'　little　dame

here　is　a　friend　o'　mine。〃　　The　diminutive；　on　Elmer's　lips；　was

intended　as　a　compliment；　Lady　Agatha　was　not　a　small　woman。



〃Elmer；〃　said　Lady　Agatha；　〃tell　Mr。　Cleggett　how　the　mistake

occurred。〃



Oratory　was　evidently　not　Elmer's　strongest　point。　　But　he　braced

himself　for　the　effort　and　began：



〃When　th'　skoit　here　says　she　wants　the　big　boob　punched　I　says

to　m'self；　foist　of　all：　　'Is　it　right　or　is　it　wrong？'　　Oncet

youse　got　that　reform　high　sign　put　onto　youse；　youse　can't　be

too　careful。　　Do　youse　get　me？　　So　when　th'　skoit　here　puts　it　up

to　me　I　thinks　foist　off：　　'Is　it　right　or　is　it　wrong？'　　See？　

So　I　thinks　it　over　and　I　says　to　m'self　th'　big　boob's　been

pullin'　rough　stuff　on　th'　little　dame　here。　　Do　youse　get　me？　

So　I　says　to　m'self；　the　big　boob　ought　to　get　a　wallop　on　the

nut。　　See？　　What　th'　big　gink　needs　is　someone　to　bounce　a　brick

off　his　bean；　f'r　th'　dame　here's　a　square　little　dame。　　Do　youse

get　me？　　So　I　says　to　the　little　dame：　　'I'm　wit'　youse；　see？　

W'at　th'　big　gink　needs　is　a　mont'　in　th'　hospital。'　　An'　the

little　dame　here　says　he's　not　to　be　croaked；　but〃



But　at　that　instant　Teddy；　the　Pomeranian；　sprang　towards　the

uncovered　hatchway　that　gave　into　the　hold；　barking　violently。　

Lady　Agatha；　who　could　see　into　the　opening；　arose　with　a　scream。



Cleggett；　leaping　towards　the　hatchway；　was　just　in　time　to　see

two　men　jump　backward　from　the　bottom　of　the　ladder　into　the　murk

of　the　hold。　They　had　been　listening。　　Drawing　his　pistol；　and

calling　to　the　crew　of　the　Jasper　B。　to　follow　him；　Cleggett

plunged　recklessly　downward　and　into　the　darkness。





CHAPTER　VII



FIRST　BLOOD　FOR　CLEGGETT



As　his　feet　struck　the　top　of　the　rubbish　heap　in　the　hold　of　the

vessel；　Cleggett　stumbled　and　staggered　forward。　　But　he　did　not

let　go　of　his　revolver。



Perhaps　he　would　not　have　fallen；　but　the　Pomeranian；　which　had

leaped　into　the　hold　after　him；　yelping　like　a　terrier　at　a　rat

hunt；　ran　between　his　legs　and　tripped　him。



〃Damn　the　dog！〃　cried　Cleggett；　going　down。



But　the　fall　probably　saved　his　life；　for　as　he　spoke　two　pistol

shots　rang　out　simultaneously　from　the　forward　part　of　the　hold。　

The　bullets　passed　over　his　head。　　Raising　himself　on　his　elbow；

Cleggett　fired　rapidly　three　times；　aiming　at　the　place　where　a

spurt　of　flame　had　come　from。



A　cry　answered　him；　and　he　knew　that　at　least　one　of　his　bullets

had　taken　effect。　　He　rose　to　his　feet　and　plunged　forward；

firing　again；　and　at　the　same　instant　another　bullet　grazed　his

temple。



The　next　few　seconds　were　a　wild　confusion　of　yelping　dog；

shouts；　curses；　shots　that　roared　like　the　explosion　of　big　guns

in　that　pent…up　and　restricted　place；　stinking　powder；　and

streaks　of　fire　that　laced　themselves　across　the　darkness。　　But　

only　a　single　pistol　replied　to　Cleggett's　now　and　he　was

confident　that　one　of　the　men　was　out　of　the　fight。



But　the　other　man；　blindly　or　with　intention；　was　stumbling

nearer　as　he　fired。　　A　bullet　creased　Cleggett's　shoulder；　it　was

fired　so　close　to　him　that　he　felt　the　heat　of　the　exploding

powder；　and　in　the　sudden　glow　of　light　he　got　a　swift　and　vivid

glimpse　of　a　white　face　framed　in　long　black　hair；　and　of

flashing　white　teeth　beneath　a　lifted　lip　that　twitched。　　The

face　was　almost　within　touching　distance；　as　it　vanished　Cleggett

heard　the　sharp；　whistling　intake　of　the　fellow's　breathand

then　a　click　that　told　him　the　other's　last　cartridge　was　gone。　

Cleggett　clubbed　his　pistol　and　leaped　forward；　striking　at　the

place　where　the　gleaming　teeth　had　been。　　His　blow　missed；　he

spun　around　with　the　force　of　it。　　As　he　steadied　himself　to

shoot　again　he　heard　a　rush　behind　him　and　knew　that　his　men　had

come　to　his　assistance。



〃Collar　him！〃　he　cried。　　〃Don't　shoot；　or〃



But　he　did　not　finish　that　sentence。　　A　thousand　lights　danced

before　his　eyes；　Niagara　roared　in　his　ears　for　an　instant；　and

he　knew　no　more。　　His　adversary　had　laid　him　out　with　the　butt　of

a　pistol。



Cleggett　was　not　that　inconsiderable　sort　of　a　man　who　is　killed

in　any　trivial　skirmish：　　There　was　a　moment　at　the　bridge　of

Arcole　when　Napoleon；　wounded　and　flung　into　a　ditch；　appeared　to

be　lost。　　But　when　Nature；　often　so　stupid；　really　does　take

stock　and　become　aware　that　she　has　created　an　eagle　she　does　not

permit　that　eagle　to　be　killed　before　its　wings　are　fledged。　

Napoleon　was　picked　out　of　the　ditch。　　Cleggett　was　only　stunned。



Both　were　saved　for　larger　triumphs。　The　association　of　names　is

not　accidental。　　These　two　men　were；　in　some　respects；　not

dissimilar；　although　Bonaparte　lacked　Cleggett's　breeding。



When　Cleggett　regained