the cruise of the jasper b.-第13章

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

dissimilar；　although　Bonaparte　lacked　Cleggett's　breeding。



When　Cleggett　regained　consciousness　he　was　on　deck；　George；

Kuroki　and　Cap'n　Abernethy　stood　about　him　in　a　little　semicircle

of　anxiety；　Lady　Agatha　was　applying　a　cold　compress　to　the　bump

upon　his　head。　　（He　made　nothing　of　his　other　scratches。）　　As　for

Elmer；　who　had　not　stirred　from　his　seat　on　the　oblong　box；　he

moodily　regarded；　not　Cleggett；　but　a　slight　young　fellow　with

long　black　hair；　who　lay　motionless　upon　the　deck。



Cleggett　struggled　to　his　feet。　　〃Is　he　dead？〃　he　asked；　pointing

to　the　figure　of　his　recent　assailant。　　Cap'n　Abernethy；　for　the

first　time　since　Cleggett　had　known　him；　gave　a　direct　answer　to

a　question。



〃Mighty　nigh　it；〃　he　said；　staring　down　at　the　young　man。　　Then

he　added：　　〃Kind　o'　innocent　lookin'　young　fellow；　at　that。〃



〃But　the　other　one？　　Was　he　killed？〃　asked　Cleggett。



〃The　other？〃　George　inquired。　　〃But　there　was　no　other。　　When　we

got　down　there　you　and　this　boy〃　　And　George　described　the

struggle　that　had　taken　place　after　Cleggett　had　lost

consciousness。　　The　whole　affair；　as　far　as　it　concerned

Cleggett；　had　been　a　matter　of　seconds　rather　than　minutes；　it

was　begun　and　over　like　a　hundred　yard　dash　on　the　cinder　track。　

When　George　and　Kuroki　and　Cap'n　Abernethy　had　tumbled　into　the

hold　they　had　been　afraid　to　shoot　for　fear　of　hitting　Cleggett；

they　had　reached　him；　guided　by　his　voice；　just　as　he　went　down

under　his　assailant's　pistol。　　They　had　not　subdued　the　youth

until　he　had　suffered　severely　from　George's　dagger。　Later　they

learned　that　one　of　Cleggett's　bullets　had　also　found　him。　

Cleggett　listened　to　the　end；　and　then　he　said：



〃But　there　WERE　two　men　in　the　hold。　　And　one　of　them；　dead　or

wounded；　must　still　be　down　　there。　　Carry　this　fellow　into　the

forecastlewe'll　look　at　him　later。　　Then　bring　some　lanterns。　

We　are　going　down　into　that　hold　again。〃



With　their　pistols　in　their　right　hands　and　lanterns　in　their

left　they　descended；　Cleggett　first。　It　was　not　impossible　that

the　other　intruder　might　be　lying；　wounded；　but　revived　enough　by

now　to　work　a　pistol；　behind　one　of　the　rubbish　heaps。



But　no　shots　greeted　them。　　The　hold　of　the　Jasper　B。　was　not

divided　into　compartments　of　any　sort。　　If　it　had　ever　had　them；

they　had　been　torn　away。　　Below　deck；　except　for　the　rubbish　heap

and　the　steps　for　the　masts；　she　was　empty　as　a　soup　tureen。　　The

pile　of　debris　was　the　highest　toward　the　waist　of　the　vessel。　

There　it　formed　a　treacherous　hill　of　junk；　this　hill　sloped

downward　towards　the　bow　and　towards　the　stern；　in　both　the　fore

and　after　parts；　under　the　forecastle　and　the　cabin；　there　were

comparatively　clear　spaces。



The　four　men　forced　their　way　back　towards　the　stern　and　then

came　slowly　forward　in　a　line　that　extended　across　the　vessel；

exploring　with　their　lanterns　every　inch　of　the　precarious

footing；　and　overturning　and　looking　behind；　under；　and　into

every　box；　cask；　or　jumble　of　planking　that　might　possibly　offer

a　place　of　concealment。　　They　found　no　one。　　And；　until　they

reached　a　clearer　place；　well　forward；　on　the　starboard　side　of

the　ship；　they　found　no　trace　of　anyone。



Cleggett；　who　was　examining　this　place；　suddenly　uttered　an

exclamation　which　brought　the　others　to　him。　　He　pointed　to

stains　of　blood　upon　the　planking；　near　these　stains　were　marks

left　by　boots　which　had　been　gaumed　with　a　yellowish　clay。　　A

revolver　lay　on　the　floor。　　Cleggett　examined　it　and　found　that

only　one　cartridge　had　been　exploded。　　The　stains　of　blood　and

the　stains　of　yellow　clay　made　an　easily　followed　trail　for　some

yards　to　a　point　about　halfway　between　the　bow　and　stern　on　the

starboard　side。



There；　in　the　waist　of　the　vessel；　they　ceased；　ceased　abruptly；

mysteriously。　　Cleggett；　not　content；　made　his　men　go　over　the

place　again；　even　more　thoroughly　than　before。　But　there　was　no

one　there；　dead　or　wounded；　unless　he　had　succeeded　in

contracting　himself　to　the　dimensions　of　a　rat。



〃There　is　nothing；〃　said　Cleggett；　standing　by　the　ladder　that

led　up　to　the　deck。　　〃Nothing；〃　echoed　George；　and　then　as　if

with　one　impulse；　and　moved　by　the　same　eerie　thought；　these　four

men　suddenly　raised　their　lanterns　head…high　and　gazed　at　one

another。



A　startled　look　spread　from　face　to　face。　　But　no　one　spoke。　

There　was　no　need　to。　　All　recognized　that　they　were　in　the

presence　of　an　apparent　impossibility。　　Yet　this　seemingly

impossible　thing　was　the　fact。　　There　had　been　two　men　in　the

hold　of　the　Jasper　B。　　They　had　entered　as　mysteriously　and

silently　as　disembodied　spirits　might　have　done。　One　of　them；

wounded；　had　made　his　exit　in　the　same　baffling　way。　　Where？　

How？



Cleggett　broke　the　silence。



〃Let　us　go　to　the　forecastle　and　have　a　look　at　that　fellow；〃　he

said；　and　led　the　way。



No　one　lagged　as　they　left　the　hold。　　These　were　all　brave　men；

but　there　are　times　when　the　invisible；　the　incomprehensible；

will　send　a　momentary　chill　to　the　heart　of　the　most　intrepid。



Cleggett　found　Lady　Agatha；　her　own　troubles　for　the　time

forgotten；　in　the　forecastle。　　She　had　lighted　a　lamp　and　was

bending　over　the　wounded　man；　whose　coat　and　waistcoat　she　had

removed。　His　clothing　was　a　sop　of　blood。　　They　cut　his　shirt　and

undershirt　from　him。　　Kuroki　brought　water　and　the　medicine　chest

and　surgical　outfit　with　which　Cleggett　had　provided　the　Jasper

B。　　They　examined　his　wounds；　Lady　Agatha；　with　a　fine

seriousness　and　a　deft　touch　which　claimed　Cleggett's　admiration；

washing　them　herself　and　proceeding　to　stop　the　flow　of　blood。



〃Oh；　I　am　not　an　altogether　useless　person；〃　she　said；　with　a

momentary　smile；　as　she　saw　the　look　in　Cleggett's　face。　　And

Cleggett　remembered　with　shame　that　he　had　not　thanked　her　for

her　ministrations　to　himself。



A　pistol　bullet　had　gone　quite　through　the　young　man's　shoulder。　

There　was　a　deep　cut　on　his　head；　and　there　were　half　a　dozen

other　stab　wounds　on　his　body。　　George　had　evidently　worked　with

great　rapidity　in　the　hold。



In　the　inside　breast　pocket　of　his　coat　he　had　carried　a　thin　and

narrow　little　book。　　There　was　a　dagger　thrust　clear　through　it；

if　the　book　had　not　been　there　this　terrible　blow　delivered　by

the　son　of　Leonidas　must　inevitably　have　penetrated　the　lung。



Cleggett　opened　the　book。　　It　was　entitled　〃Songs　of　Liberty；　by

Giuseppe　Jones。〃　　The　verse　was　written　in　the　manner　of　Walt

Whitman。　　A　glance　at　one　of　the　sprawling　poems　showed　Cleggett

that　in　sentiment　it　was　of　the　most　violent　and　incendiary

character。



〃Why；　he　is　an　anarchist！〃　said　Cleggett　in　surprise。



〃Oh；　really！〃　　Lady　Agatha　looked　up　from　her　work　of　mercy　and

spoke　with　animation；　and　then　gazed　upon　the　youth's　face　again

with　a　new　interest。　　〃An　anarchist！　　How　interesting！　　I　have

ALWAYS　wanted　to　meet　an　anarchist。〃



〃Poor　boy；　he　don't　look　like　nothin'　bad；〃　said　Cap'n　Abernethy；

who　seemed　to　have　taken　a　fancy　to　Giuseppe　Jones。



〃Listen；〃　said　Cleggett；　and　read：



　　　　　〃As　for　your　flag；　I　spit　upon　your　flag！

　　　　　　I　spit　upon　your　organized　society　anywhere　and　everywhere；

　　　　　I　spit　upon　your　churches；

　　　　　　　　　I　spit　upon　your　capitalistic　institutions；

　　　　　　　　　I　spit　upon　your　laws；

　　　　　　　　　I　spit　upon　the　whole　damned　thing！

　　　　　　　　　But；　as　I　spit；　I　weep！　　I　weep！〃



〃How　silly！〃　said　Lady　Agatha。　　〃What　does　it　mean？〃



〃It　means〃　began　Cleggett；　and　then　stopped。　The　book　of

revolutionary　verse；　taken　in　conjunction　with　the　red　flag　that

had　been　displayed　and　then　withdrawn；　made　him　wonder　if

Morris's　were　the　headquarters　of　some　band　of　anarchists。



But；　if　so；　why　should　this　band　show　such　an　interest　in　the

Jasper　B。　？　　An　interest　so　hostile　to　her　present　owner　and　his

men？



〃If　you　was　to　ask　me　what