the cruise of the jasper b.-第16章

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to　place；　in　and　about　New　York　City's　suburbsnow　in　town　and

now　in　the　countrycrossing　rivers　again　and　again　on

ferryboatsstopping　at　hotels；　road　houses　and　all　manner　of

placesdashing　through　Brooklyn　and　out　among　the　villages　of

Long　Islandand　with　the　fear　on　me　that　we　were　being　followed。



〃Elmer　and　I　were　continually　on　the　lookout　for　some　way　to

dispose　of　the　box；　but　nothing　presented　itself。　　The　driver；

who　had　become　more　and　more　impudent　in　his　attitude　and

outrageous　in　his　charges；　was　now　practically　a　spy　upon　us。　

The　necessity　for　ice　made　frequent　stops　imperative；　at　the　same

time　the　increasing　fear　of　pursuit　made　it　agony　for　me　to　stop

anywhere。



〃Today；　at　a　road　house　thirty　or　forty　miles　from　here；　I　made

certain　that　I　was　pursued。　　The　very　man　from　whom　I　had　claimed

the　box　at　the　railway　goods　station　in　Newark　confronted　me。　It

appears；　from　what　Elmer　says；　that　he　is　taking　a　holiday　and　is

visiting　his　brother；　who　is　the　proprietor　of　the　road　house。



〃And　the　person　who　is　pursuing　me　isa　Miss　Genevieve　Pringle！



〃As　fate　would　have　it；　there　lives　in　Newark　a　person　who　really

owns　that　name　which　I　thought　I　had　invented。　　It　seems　that　she

had　been　expecting　a　shipment；　and　had　called　to　inquire　for　it；

upon　learning　that　a　box　had　been　delivered　to　a　person　in　her

name　she　had　taken　up　the　trail　at　once。　　Having　somehow　traced

me　to　Long　Island；　she　had　actually　made　inquiries　at　this　very

road　house　some　hours　earlier。　　The　railway　employee；　I　am

certain；　would　have　denounced　me　at　oncehe　would　have　accused

me　of　theft；　and　would　have　endeavored　to　have　me　held　until　he

could　get　into　communication　with　Miss　Pringle　or　with　the

authoritiesbut　I　bought　from　him　a　promise　of　silence。　　It　cost

me　another　large　sum。



〃A　few　hours　ago　the　chauffeur；　divining　from　a　conversation

between　Elmer　and　me　that　I　was　running　short　of　ready　money；

deserted　me　here。　　You　know　the　rest。〃



Her　voice　trailed　off　into　a　tired　whisper　as　she　finished；　and

with　her　elbows　on　the　table　Lady　Agatha　wearily　supported　her

head　in　her　hands。　Her　attitude　acknowledged　defeat。　　She　was

despairingly　certain　that　she　would　never　see　the　last　of　the　box

which　she　believed　to　contain　Reginald　Maltravers。



Cleggett　did　not　hesitate　an　instant。　　〃Lady　Agatha；〃　he　said；

〃the　Jasper　B。　is　at　your　service　as　long　as　you　may　require　the

ship。　　The　cabin　is　your　home　until　we　arrive　at　a　solution　of

your　difficulties。〃



His　glance　and　manner　added　what　his　tongue　left　unutteredthat

the　commander　of　the　ship　was　henceforth　her　devoted　cavalier。　

But　she　understood。



She　extended　her　hand。　　Her　answer　was　on　her　lips。　　But　at　that

instant　the　jarring　roar　of　an　explosion　struck　the　speech　from

them。



The　blast　was　evidently　near；　though　muffled。　The　earth　shook；　a

tremor　ran　through　the　Jasper　B。；　the　glasses　leaped　and　rang

upon　the　table。　Cleggett；　followed　by　Lady　Agatha；　darted　up　the

companionway。



As　Cleggett　reached　the　deck　there　was　a　second　shock；　and　he

beheld　a　flame　leap　out　of　the　earth　itselfa　sudden　sword　of

fire　thrust　into　the　night　from　the　midst　of　the　sandy　plain

before　him。　　The　light　that　stabbed　and　was　gone　in　an　instant

was　about　halfway　between　the　Jasper　B。　and　Morris's。　　A　second

after；　a　missilewhich　Cleggett　later　learned　was　a　piece　of

rock　the　size　of　a　man's　headfell　with　a　splintering　crash　upon

and　through　the　wooden　platform　beside　the　Jasper　B。；　not　thirty

feet　from　where　Cleggett　stood；　another　splashed　into　the　canal。　

The　next　day　Cleggett　saw　several　of　these　fragments　lying　about

the　plain。



Calling　to　his　men　to　bring　lanternsfor　the　night　had　fallen

dark　and　cloudyCleggett　ran　towards　the　place。　　Lady　Agatha；

refusing　to　remain　behind；　went　with　them。　　Moving　lights　and　a

stir　of　activity　at　Morris's；　and　the　gleam　of　lanterns　on　board

the　Annabel　Lee；　showed　Cleggett　that　his　neighbors　likewise　were

excited。



But　if　Cleggett　had　expected　an　easy　solution　of　this　astonishing

eruption　he　was　disappointed。　　Arrived　at　the　scene　of　the

explosion；　he　found　that　its　nature　was　such　as　to　tease　and　balk

his　faculties　of　analysis。　　The　blast　had　blown　a　hole　into　the

ground；　certainly；　but　this　hole　was　curiously　filled。　Two　large

bowlders　that　leaned　towards　each　other　had　stood　on　top　of　the

ground。　　These　had　been　split　and　shattered　into　many　fragments。　

A　few　pieces；　like　the　one　that　came　so　near　Cleggett；　had　been

flung　to　a　distance；　but　for　the　most　part　the　shivered　crowns

and　broken　bulks　had　been　served　otherwise；　the　force　of　the

blast　had　disintegrated　them；　but　had　not　scattered　them；　the

greater　part　of　this　newly…rent　stone　had　toppled　into　the

fissure　in　the　ground；　and　lay　there　mixed　with　earth；　almost

filling　the　hole。　　It　was　impossible　to　determine　just　where　and

how　the　blast　had　been　set　off；　the　rocks　hid　the　facts。　　But

Cleggett　judged　that　the　force　must　have　come　from　below　the

bowlders；　mightily　smitten　from　beneath；　they　had　collapsed　into

the　cavern　suddenly　opening　there；　as　a　building　might　collapse

into　and　fill　a　cellar。　The　pieces　that　had　been　thrown　high　into

the　air　were　insignificant　in　proportion　to　the　great　bulk　which

had　settled　into　the　hole　and　made　its　origin　a　mystery。



As　Cleggett；　bewildered；　stood　and　gazed　upon　the　mass　of　rock

and　earth；　Cap'n　Abernethy　gave　a　cry　and　pointed　at　something

with　his　finger。　Cleggett；　looking　at　the　spot　indicated；　saw

upon　the　edge　of　this　singular　fracture　in　the　earth　a　thing　that

sent　a　quick　chill　of　horror　and　repulsion　to　his　heart。　　It　was

a　dead　hand；　roughly　severed　between　the　wrist　and　the　elbow。　

The　back　of　it　was　uppermost；　the　fingers　were　clenched。　

Cleggett　set　down　his　lantern　beside　it　and　turned　it　over　with

his　foot。



The　dead　fingers　clutched　a　scrap　of　something　yellow。　　On　one　of

them　was　a　large　and　peculiar　ring。



〃My　God！〃　murmured　Lady　Agatha；　grasping　Cleggett　convulsively　by

the　shoulder；　〃that　is　the　Earl　of　Claiborne's　signet　ring！〃



But　Cleggett　scarcely　realized　what　she　had　said；　until　she

repeated　her　words。　　Fighting　down　his　repugnance；　he　took　from

the　lifeless　and　stubborn　fingers　the　yellow　scrap　of　paper。



It　was　a　torn　and　crumpled　twenty…dollar　bill。





CHAPTER　IX



MYSTERIES　MULTIPLY



Directing　Kuroki　to　remove　the　ring　and　bring　it　along；　Cleggett

gave　his　arm　to　Lady　Agatha　and　led　the　way　back　to　the　Jasper　B。　

Neither　said　anything　to　the　point　until；　seated　in　the　cabin；

with　the　twenty…dollar　bill　and　the　ring　before　them；　Cleggett

picked　up　the　latter　and　remarked：



〃You　are　certain　of　the　identity　of　this　ring？〃



〃Certain；〃　she　said。　　〃I　could　not　mistake　it。　There　is　no　other

like　it；　anywhere。〃



It　was　a　very　heavy　gold　band；　set　with　a　large　piece　of　dark

green　jade　which　was　deeply　graven　on　its　surface　with　the

Claiborne　crest。



〃Was　it；〃　asked　Cleggett；　〃in　the　possession　of　Reginald

Maltravers？〃



〃It　might　have　been；　readily　enough；〃　she　said；　〃although　I　had

not　known　that　it　was。　　Still；　that　does　not　explain。　。　。　。〃　　She

shrugged　her　shoulders。



〃There　are　a　number　of　things　unexplained；〃　answered　Cleggett；

〃and　the　presence　of　this　ring；　and　the　manner　in　which　it　has

come　into　our　possession；　are　not　the　most　mysterious　of　them。　

The　explosion　itself　appears　to　me；　just　now；　at　least；　hard　to

account　for。〃



〃The　manner　in　which　people　get　into　and　out　of　the　hold　of　your

vessel　is　also　obscure；〃　said　Lady　Agatha。



〃Nor　is　the　motive　of　their　hostility　clear；〃　said　Cleggett。



He　picked　up　the　piece　of　paper　money。　Something　about　the　feel

of　it　aroused　his　suspicions。　　He　called　Elmer；　and　when　that

exponent　of　reform　entered　the　cabin；　asked　him　bluntly：



〃Did　you　ever　have　anything　to　do　with　bad　money？〃



Elmer　intimated　that　he　might　k