the cruise of the jasper b.-第18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！



with　the　rope　end。　　He　drove　them；　still　lashing　out　at　each

other　with　their　bare　feet；　into　the　water　again；　and　after　a

more　prolonged　ducking　whipped　them；　at　a　plunging　gallop；　upon

the　Annabel　Lee；　where　they　disappeared　from　Cleggett's　view。



While　Cleggett　was　still　wondering　what　significance　could

underlie　this　unusual　form　of　matutinal　exercise；　Dr。　Farnsworth

came　out　of　the　forecastle　and　beckoned　to　him。　　The　young　Doctor

had　a　red　Vandyck　beard　sedulously　cultivated　in　the　belief　that

it　would　make　him　look　older　and　inspire　the　confidence　of

patients；　and　a　shock　of　dark　red　hair　which　he　rumpled

vigorously　when　he　was　thinking。　　He　was　rumpling　it　now。



〃Who's　'Loge'？〃　he　demanded。



〃Loge？〃　repeated　Cleggett。



〃You　don't　know　anyone　named　'Loge；'　or　Logan？〃



〃No。　Why？〃



〃Whoever　he　is；　'Loge'　is　very　much　on　the　mind　of　our　young

friend　in　there；〃　said　Farnsworth；　with　a　movement　of　his　head

towards　the　forecastle。　　〃And　I　wouldn't　be　surprised；　to　judge

from　the　boy's　delirium；　if　'Loge'　had　something　to　do　with　all

the　hell　that's　been　raised　around　your　ship。　　Come　in　and　listen

to　this　fellow。〃



Miss　Medley；　the　nurse；　was　sitting　beside　the　wounded　youth's

bunk；　endeavoring　to　soothe　and　restrain　him。　　The　young

anarchist；　whose　eyes　were　bright　with　fever；　was　talking　rapidly

in　a　weak　but　high…pitched　singsong　voice。



〃He's　off　on　the　poems　again；〃　said　the　Doctor；　after　listening　a

moment。　　〃But　wait；　he'll　get　back　to　Loge。　　It's　been　one　or　the

other　for　an　hour　now。〃



〃I　spit　upon　your　flag；〃　shrilled　Giuseppe　Jones；　feebly

declamatory。　　〃'I　spitI　spitbut；　as　I　spit；　I　weep。'〃　　He

paused　for　a　moment；　and　then　began　at　the　beginning　and　repeated

all　of　the　lines　which　Cleggett　had　read　from　the　little　book。　

One　gathered　that　it　was　Giuseppe's　favorite　poem。



〃'I　spit　upon　the　whole　damned　thing！'〃　he　shrilled；　and　then

with　a　sad　shake　of　his　head：　〃But；　as　I　spit；　I　weep！〃



If　the　poem　was　Giuseppe's　favorite　poem；　this　was　evidently　his

favorite　line；　for　he　said　it　over　and　over　again〃'But；　as　I

spit；　I　weep'〃in　a　breathless　babble　that　was　very　wearing　on

the　nerves。



But　suddenly　he　interrupted　himself；　the　poems　seemed　to　pass

from　his　mind。　　〃Loge！〃　he　said；　raising　himself　on　his　elbow　and

staring；　with　a　frown　not　at；　but　through；　Cleggett：　　〃Loganit

isn't　square！〃



There　was　suffering　and　perplexity　in　his　gaze；　he　was　evidently

living　over　again　some　painful　scene。



〃I'm　a　revolutionist；　Loge；　not　a　crook！　　I　won't　do　it；　Loge！〃



Watching　him；　it　was　impossible　not　to　understand　that　the

struggle；　which　his　delirium　made　real　and　present　again；　had

stamped　itself　into　the　texture　of　his　spirit。　　〃You　shouldn't

ask　it；　Loge；〃　he　said。　　The　crisis　of　the　conflict　which　he　was　

living　over　passed　presently；　and　he　murmured；　with　contracted

brows；　and　as　if　talking　to　himself：　〃Is　Loge　a　crook？　　A　crook？〃



But　after　a　moment　of　this　he　returned　again　to　a　rapid

repetition　of　the　phrase：　　〃I'm　a　revolutionist；　not　a　crook…not

a　crooknot　a　crooka　revolutionist；　not　a　crook；　Loge；　not　a

crook〃　　Once　he　varied　it；　crying　with　a　quick；　hot　scorn：　

〃I'll　cut　their　throats　and　be　damned　to　them；　but　don't　ask　me

to　steal。〃　　And　then　he　was　off　again　to　declaiming　his　poetry：　

〃I　spit；　but；　as　I　spit；　I　weep！〃



But　as　Cleggett　and　the　Doctor　listened　to　him　the　youth's

ravings　suddenly　took　a　new　form。　　He　ceased　to　babble；　terror

expanded　the　pupils　of　his　eyes　and　he　pointed　at　vacancy　with　a

shaking　finger。　　〃Stop　it！〃　he　cried　in　a　croaking　whisper。　〃Stop

it！　　It's　his　skullit's　Loge's　skull　come　alive。　　Stop　it；　I

say；　it's　come　alive　and　getting　bigger。〃　　With　a　violent　effort

he　raised　himself　before　the　nurse　could　prevent　him；　shrinking

back　from　the　horrid　hallucination　which　pressed　towards　him；　and

then　fell　prone　and　senseless　on　the　bunk。



〃God！his　wounds！〃　cried　the　Doctor；　starting　forward。　　As

Farnsworth　had　feared；　they　had　broken　open　and　were　bleeding

again。　　〃It's　a　ticklish　thing；〃　said　Farnsworth；　rumpling　his

hair。　〃If　I　give　him　enough　sedative　to　keep　him　quiet　his　heart

may　stop　any　time。　　If　I　don't；　he'll　thrash　himself　to　pieces　in

his　delirium　before　the　day's　over。〃



But　Cleggett　scarcely　heeded　the　Doctor。　　The　reference　to

〃Loge's〃　skull　had　flashed　a　sudden　light　into　his　mind。　

Whatever　else　〃Loge〃　was；　Cleggett　had　little　doubt　that　〃Loge〃

was　the　tall　man　with　the　stoop　shoulders　and　the　odd；　skull…

shaped　scarfpin；　for　whom　he　had　conceived　at　first　sight　such　a

tingling　hatredthe　same　fellow　who　had　so　ruthlessly　manhandled

the　flaxen…haired　Heinrich　on　the　roof　of　the　verandah　the　day

before。





CHAPTER　X



IN　THE　ENEMY'S　CAMP



At　seven　o'clock　that　morning　five　big…bodied　automobile　trucks

rolled　up　in　a　thundering　procession。　　As　they　hove　in　sight　on

the　starboard　quarter　and　dropped　anchor　near　the　Jasper　B。；

Cleggett　recalled　that　this　was　the　day　which　Cap'n　Abernethy　had

set　for　getting　the　sticks　and　sails　into　the　vessel。　　In　the

hurry　and　excitement　of　recent　events　aboard　the　ship　he　had

almost　forgotten　it。



A　score　of　men　scrambled　from　the　trucks　and　began　to　haul　out　of

them　all　the　essentials　of　a　shipyard。　　Wheel；　rudder；　masts；

spars；　bowsprit；　quantities　of　rope　and　cable　followedin　fact；

every　conceivable　thing　necessary　to　convert　the　Jasper　B。　from　a

hulk　into　a　properly　rigged　schooner。　　Cleggett；　with　a　pith　and

brevity　characteristic　of　the　man；　had　given　his　order　in　one

sentence。



〃Make　arrangements　to　get　the　sails　and　masts　into　her　in　one

day；〃　he　had　told　Captain　Abernethy。



It　was　in　the　same　large　and　simple　spirit　that　a　Russian　Czar

once　laid　a　ruler　across　the　map　of　his　empire　and；　drawing　a

straight　line　from　Moscow　to　Petersburg；　commanded　his　engineers：

〃Build　me　a　railroad　to　run　like　that。〃　　Genius　has　winged

conceptions；　it　sees　things　as　a　completed　whole　from　the　first；

it　is　only　mediocrity　which　permits　itself　to　be　lost　in　details。



Cleggett　was　like　the　Romanoffs　in　his　ability　to　go　straight　to

the　point；　but　he　had　none　of　the　Romanoff　cruelty。



Captain　Abernethy　had　made　his　arrangements　accordingly。　　If　it

pleased　Cleggett　to　have　a　small　manufacturing　plant　brought　to

the　Jasper　B。　instead　of　having　the　Jasper　B。　towed　to　a

shipyard；　it　was　Abernethy's　business　as　his　chief　executive

officer　to　see　that　this　was　done。　　The　Captain　had　let　the

contract　to　an　enterprising　and　businesslike　fellow；　Watkins　by

name；　who　had　at　once　looked　the　vessel　over；　taken　the　necessary

measurements；　and　named　a　good　round　sum　for　the　job。　　With

several　times　the　usual　number　of　skilled　workmen　employed　at

double　the　usual　rate　of　pay；　he　guaranteed　to　do　in　ten　hours

what　might　ordinarily　have　taken　a　week。



Under　the　leadership　of　this　capable　Watkins；　the　workmen　rushed

at　the　vessel　with　the　dash　and　vim　of　a　gang　of　circus　employees

engaged　in　putting　up　a　big　tent　and　making　ready　for　a　show。　　To

a　casual　observer　it　might　have　seemed　a　scene　of　confusion。　　But

in　reality　the　work　jumped　forward　with　order　and　precision；　for

the　position　of　every　bolt；　chain；　nail；　cord；　piece　of　iron　and

bit　of　wood　had　been　calculated　beforehand　to　a　nicety；　there　was

not　a　wasted　movement　of　saw；　adze；　or　hammer。　　The　Jasper　B。；　in

short；　had　been　measured　accurately　for　a　suit　of　clothes；　the

clothes　had　been　made；　they　were　now　merely　being　put　on。



Refreshed　by　the　first　sound　sleep　she　had　been　able　to　obtain

for　several　nights；　Lady　Agatha　joined　Cleggett　at　an

eight…o'clock　breakfast。　　It　was　the　first　of　May；　and　warm　and

bright；　in　a　simple　morning　dress　of　pink　linen　Lady　Agatha

stirred　in　Cleggett　a　vague　recollection　of　one　of　Tennyson's

earlier　poems。　　The　exact　phrases　eluded　him；　perhaps；　indeed；　it

was　the　underlying　sentiment　of　nearly　A