the cruise of the jasper b.-第20章
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that lantern light had failed to reveal。 He had no very definite
plan; although he thought it possible that he might gain some
information。 The more he reflected on the attitude of Morris's;
the more it irritated him; and he yearned to make this irritation
known。
Perhaps there was more than a little of the spirit of bravado in
the call he proposed to pay。 He planned; the next day; to sail
the Jasper B。 out into the bay and up and down the coast for a
few miles; to give himself and his men a bit of practice in
navigation before setting out for the China Seas。 And he could
not bear to think that the hostile denizens of Morris's should
think that he had moved the Jasper B。 from her position through
any fear of them。 He reasoned that the most pointed way of
showing his opinion of them would be to walk casually into
Morris's barroom and order a drink or two。 If Cleggett had a
fault as a commander it lay in these occasional foolhardy
impulses which he found it difficult to control。 Julius Caesar
had the same sort of pride; which; in Caesar's case; amounted to
positive vanity。 In fact; the character of Caesar and the
character of Cleggett had many points in common; although
Cleggett possessed a nicer sense of honor than Caesar。
The main entrance to Morris's was on the west side。 From the
west verandah one could enter directly either the main
dining…room; at the north side of the building; the office; or
the barroom。 The barroom; which was large; ran the whole length
of the south side of the place。 Doors also led into the barroom;
from the south verandah; which was built over the water; and from
the east verandah; which was visible from the Jasper B。and
onto the roof of which Cleggett had seen Loge tumble the limp
body of his victim; Heinrich。 That had been only the day before;
but so much had happened since that Cleggett could scarcely
realize that so little time had elapsed。
Cleggett strolled into the barroom and took a seat at a table in
the southeast corner of it; with his back to the angle of the
walls。 He thus commanded a view of the bar itself; a door which
led; as he conjectured; into the kitchen; the door communicating
with the office; and a door which gave upon the west
verandahall this easily; and without turning his head。 By
turning his head ever so slightly to his right; he could command
a view of the door leading to the east verandah。 Unless the
ceiling suddenly opened above him; or the floor beneath; it would
be impossible to surprise him。 Cleggett took this position less
through any positive fear of attack than because he possessed the
instinct of the born strategist。 Cleggett was like Robert E。 Lee
in his quick grasp of a situation and; indeed; in other
respectsalthough Cleggett would never under any circumstances
have countenanced human slavery。
There were only two men in the place when Cleggett took his seat;
the bartender and a fellow who was evidently a waiter。 He had
entered the west door and walked across the room without looking
at them; withholding his gaze purposely。 When he looked towards
the bar; after seating himself; the waiter; with his back towards
Cleggett's corner; was talking in a low tone to the bartender。
But they had both seen him; Cleggett perceived they both knew
him。
〃See what the gentleman wants; Pierre;〃 said the bartender in a
voice too elaborately casual to hide his surprise at seeing
Cleggett。
The waiter turned and came towards him; and Cleggett saw the
man's face for the first time。 It was a face that Cleggett never
forgot。 Cleggett judged the man to be a Frenchman; he was dark
and sallow; with nervous; black eyebrows; and a smirk that came
and went quickly。 But the unforgettable feature was a mole that
grew on his upper lip; on the right side; near the base of his
flaring nostril。 Many moles have hairs in them; Pierre's mole
had not merely half a dozen hairs; but a whole crop。 They grew
thick and long; and; with a perversion of vanity almost
inconceivable in a sane person; Pierre had twisted these hairs
together; as a man twists a mustache; and had trained them to
grow obliquely across his cheek bone。 He was a big fellow; for a
Frenchman; and; as he walked towards Cleggett with a mincing
elasticity of gait; he smirked and caressed this whimsical
adornment。 Cleggett; fascinated; stared at it as the fellow
paused before him。 Pierre; evidently gratified at the sensation
he was creating; continued to smirk and twist; and then; seeing
that he held his audience; he took from his waistcoat pocket a
little piece of cosmetic and; as a final touch of Gallic
grotesquerie; waxed the thing。 It was all done with that air of
quiet histrionicism; and with that sense of self…appreciation;
which only the French can achieve in its perfection。 〃You
ordered; M'sieur?〃 Pierre; having produced his effect; like the
artist (though debased) that he was; did not linger over it。
〃Era Scotch highball;〃 said Cleggett; recovering himself。 〃And
with a piece of lemon peeling in it; please。〃
Pierre served him deftly。 Cleggett stirred his drink and sipped
it slowly; gazing at the bartender; who elaborately avoided
watching him。 But after a moment a little noise at his right
attracted his attention。 Pierre; with his hand cupped; had
dashed it along a window pane and caught a big stupid fly; abroad
thus early in the year。 With a sense of almost intolerable
disgust; Cleggett saw the man; with a rapt smile on his face;
tear the insect's legs from it; and turn it loose。 If ever a
creature rejoiced in wickedness for its own sake; and as if its
practice were an art in itself; Pierre was that person; Cleggett
concluded。 Knowing Pierre; one could almost understand those
cafes of Paris where the silly poets of degradation
ostentatiously affect the worship of all manner of devils。
An instant later; Pierre; as if he had been doing something quite
charming; looked at Cleggett with a grin; a grin that assumed
that there was some kind of an understanding between them
concerning this delightful pastime。 It was too much。 Cleggett;
with an oathand never stopping to reflect that it was perhaps
just the sort of action which Pierre hoped to provokegrasped
his cane with the intention of laying it across the fellow's
shoulders half a dozen times; come what might; and leaving the
place。
But at that instant the door from the office opened and the man
whom he knew only as Loge entered the room。
Loge paused at the right of Cleggett; and then marched directly
across the room and sat down opposite the commander of the Jasper
B。 at the same table。 He was wearing the cutaway frock coat; and
as he swung his big frame into the seat one of his coat tails
caught in the chair back and was lifted。
Cleggett saw the steel butt of an army revolver。 Loge perceived
by his face that he had seen it; and laughed。
〃I've been wanting to talk to you;〃 he said; leaning across the
table and showing his yellow teeth in a smile which he perhaps
intended to be ingratiating。 Cleggett; looking Loge fixedly in
the eye; withdrew his right hand from beneath his coat; and laid
his magazine pistol on the table under his hand。
〃I am at your service;〃 he said; steadily; giving back unwavering
gaze for gaze。 〃I am looking for some information myself; and I
am in exactly the humor for a little comfortable chat。〃
CHAPTER XI
REPARTEE AND PISTOLS
Loge dropped his gaze to the pistol; and the smile upon his lips
slowly turned into a sneer。 But when he lifted his eyes to
Cleggett's again there was no fear in them。
〃Put up your gun;〃 he said; easily enough。 〃You won't have any
use for it here。〃
〃Thank you for the assurance;〃 said Cleggett; 〃but it occurs to
me that it is in a very good place where it is。〃
〃Oh; if it amuses you to play with it〃 said Loge。
〃It does;〃 said Clegg