the cruise of the jasper b.-第21章

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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　Cleggett　dryly。



〃It's　an　odd　taste；〃　said　Loge。



〃It's　a　taste　I've　formed　during　the　last　few　days　on　board　my

ship；〃　said　Cleggett　meaningly。



〃Ship？〃　said　Loge。　　〃Oh；　I　beg　your　pardon。　You　mean　the　old　hulk

over　yonder　in　the　canal？〃



〃Over　yonder　in　the　canal；〃　said　Cleggett；　without　relaxing　his

vigilance。



〃You've　been　frightened　over　there？〃　asked　Loge；　showing　his

teeth　in　a　grin。



〃No；〃　said　Cleggett。　　〃I'm　not　easily　frightened。〃



Loge　looked　at　the　pistol　under　Cleggett's　hand；　and　from　the

pistol　to　Cleggett's　face；　with　ironical　gravity；　before　he

spoke。　　〃I　should　have　thought；　from　the　way　you　cling　to　that

pistol；　that　perhaps　your　nerves　might　be　a　little　weak　and

shaky。〃



〃On　the　contrary；〃　said　Cleggett；　playing　the　game　with　a　face

like　a　mask；　〃my　nerves　are　so　steady　that　I　could　snip　that

ugly…looking　skull　off　your　cravat　the　length　of　this　barroom

away。〃



〃That　would　be　mighty　good　shooting；〃　said　Loge；　turning　in　his

chair　and　measuring　the　distance　with　his　eye。　　〃I　don't　believe

you　could　do　it。　　I　don't　mind　telling　you　that　_I_　couldn't。〃



〃While　we　are　on　the　subject　of　your　scarfpin；〃　said　Cleggett；　in

whom　the　slur　on　the　Jasper　B。　had　been　rankling；　〃I　don't　mind

telling　YOU　that　I　think　that　skull　thing　is　in　damned　bad　taste。　

In　fact；　you　are　dressed　generally　in　damned　bad　taste。Who　is

your　tailor？〃



Cleggett　was　gratified　to　see　a　dull　flush　spread　over　the

other's　face　at　the　insult。　　Loge　was　silent　a　moment；　and　then

he　said；　dropping　his　bantering　manner；　which　indeed　sat　rather

heavily　upon　him：　　〃I　don't　know　why　you　should　want　to　shoot　at

my　scarfpinor　at　me。　　I　don't　know　why　you　should　suddenly　lay

a　pistol　between　us。　　I　don't；　in　short；　know　why　we　should　sit

here　paying　each　other　left…handed　compliments；　when　it　was

merely　my　intention　to　make　you　a　business　proposition。〃



〃I　have　been　waiting　to　hear　what　you　had　to　say　to　me；〃　said

Cleggett；　without　being　in　the　least　thrown　off　his　guard　by　the

other's　change　of　manner。



〃If　you　had　not　chanced　to　drop　in　here　today；〃　said　Loge；　〃I　had

intended　paying　you　a　visit。〃



〃I　have　had　several　visitors　lately；〃　said　Cleggett　nonchalantly；

〃and　I　think　at　least　two　of　them　can　make　no　claim　that　they

were　not　warmly　received。〃



〃Yes？〃　said　Loge。　　But　if　Cleggett's　meaning　reached　him　he　was

too　cool　a　hand　to　show　it。　　He　persisted　in　his　affectation　of　a

businesslike　air。　〃Am　I　right　in　thinking　that　you　have　bought

the　boat？〃



〃You　are。〃



〃To　come　to　the　point；〃　said　Loge；　〃I　want　to　buy　her　from　you。　

What　will　you　take　for　her？〃



The　proposition　was　unexpected　to　Cleggett；　but　he　did　not　betray

his　surprise。



〃You　want　to　buy　her？〃　he　said。　　〃You　want　to　buy　the　old　hulk

over　yonder　in　the　canal？〃　　He　laughed；　but　continued：　　〃What　on

earth　can　your　interest　be　in　her？〃



There　was　a　trace　of　surliness　in　Loge's　voice　as　he　answered：　

〃YOU　were　enough　interested　in　her　to　buy　her；　it　seems。　　Why

shouldn't　I　have　the　same　interest？〃



Cleggett　was　silent　a　moment；　and　then　he　leaned　across　the　table

and　said　with　emphasis：　　〃I　have　noticed　your　interest　in　the

Jasper　B。　since　the　day　I　first　set　foot　on　her。　　And　let　me　warn

you　that　unless　you　show　your　curiosity　in　some　other　manner

henceforth；　you　will　seriously　regret　it。　　A　couple　of　your　men

have　repented　of　your　interest　already。〃



〃My　men？　　What　do　you　mean　by　my　men？　　I　haven't　any　men。〃　

Loge's　imitation　of　astonishment　was　a　piece　of　art；　but　if

anything　he　overdid　it　a　trifle。　　He　frowned　in　a　puzzled

fashion；　and　then　said：　　〃You　talk　about　my　men；　you　speak

riddles　to　me；　you　appear　to　threaten　me；　but　after　all　I　have

only　made　you　a　plain　business　proposition。　　I　ask　you　again；

what　will　you　take　for　her？〃



〃She's　not　for　sale；〃　said　Cleggett　shortly。



Loge　did　not　speak　again　for　a　moment。　　Instead；　he　picked　up　the

spoon　with　which　Cleggett　had　stirred　his　highball　and　began　to

draw　characters　with　its　wet　point　upon　the　table。　　〃If　it's　a

question　of　price；〃　he　said　finally；　〃I'm　prepared　to　allow　you　a

handsome　profit。〃



Cleggett　determined　to　find　out　how　far　he　would　go。



〃You　might　be　willing　to　pay　as　much　as　5；000　for　herfor　the

old　hulk　over　there　in　the　canal？〃



Loge　stopped　playing　with　the　spoon　and　looked　searchingly　into

Cleggett's　face。　　Then　he　said：



〃I　will。　　Turn　her　over　to　me　the　way　she　was　the　day　you　bought

her；　and　I'll　give　you　5；000。〃　　He　paused；　and　then　repeated；

stressing　the　words：　〃MIND　YOU；　WITH　EVERYTHING　IN　HER　THE　WAY　IT

WAS　THE　DAY　YOU　BOUGHT　HER。〃



Cleggett　fumbled　with　his　fingers　in　a　waistcoat　pocket；　drew　out

the　torn　piece　of　counterfeit　money　which　he　had　taken　from　the

dead　hand；　and　flung　it　on　the　table。



〃Five　thousand　dollars；〃　he　said；　〃in　THAT　kind　of　money？〃



Loge　looked　at　it　with　eyes　that　suddenly　contracted。　　Clever

dissembler　that　he　was；　he　could　not　prevent　an　involuntary

start。　　He　licked　his　lips；　and　Cleggett　judged　that　perhaps　his

mouth　felt　a　little　dry。　　But　these　were　the　only　signs　he　made。

Indeed；　when　he　spoke　it　was　with　something　almost　like　an　air　of

relief。



〃Come；〃　he　said；　〃now　we're　down　to　brass　tacks　at　last　on　this

proposition。　　Mr。　Detective；　name　your　real　price。〃



Cleggett　did　not　answer　immediately。　　He　appeared　to　consider　his

real　price。　　But　in　reality　he　was　thinking　that　there　was　no

longer　any　doubt　of　the　origin　of　the　explosion。　　Since　Loge

practically　acknowledged　the　counterfeit　money；　the　man　who　had

died　with　this　piece　of　it　in　his　hand　must　have　been　one　of

Loge's　men。　　But　he　only　said：



〃Why　do　you　call　me　a　detective？〃



Loge　shrugged　his　shoulders。　　Then　he　said　again：　　〃Your　real

price？〃



〃What；〃　said　Cleggett；　trying　him　out；　〃do　you　think　of　20；000？〃



The　other　gave　a　long；　low　whistle。



〃Gad！〃　he　cried；　〃what　crooks　you　bulls　are。〃



〃It's　not　so　much；〃　said　Cleggett　deliberately；　〃when　one　takes

everything　into　consideration。〃



Loge　appeared　to　meditate。　　Then　he　said：　　〃That　figure　is　out　of

the　question。　　I'll　give　you　10；000　and　not　a　cent　more。〃



〃You　want　her　pretty　badly；〃　said　Cleggett。　　〃Or　you　want　what's

on　her。〃



〃Why；〃　said　Loge；　with　an　assumption　of　great　frankness；　〃between

you　and　me　I　don't　care　a　damn　about　your　boat。　　I　think　we

understand　each　other。　　I'm　buying　her　to　get　what's　on　her。〃



〃Suppose　I　sell　you　what's　on　her　for　10；000　and　keep　the　ship；〃

said　Cleggett；　wondering　what　WAS　on　the　Jasper　B。　



〃Agreed；〃　said　Loge。



〃Since　we're　being　so　frank　with　one　another；〃　said　Cleggett；

〃would　you　mind　telling　me　why　you　didn't　come　to　me　at　the　start

with　an　offer　to　buy；　instead　of　making　such　a　nuisance　of

yourself？〃



〃Eh？〃　　Loge　appeared　genuinely　surprised。　〃Why　should　I　pay　you

any　money　if　I　could　get　it；　or　destroy　it；　without　that？　

Besides；　how　was　I　to　know　you　could　be　bought？〃



Cleggett　wondered　more　than　ever　what　piece　of　evidence　the　hold

of　the　Jasper　B。　contained。　　He　felt　certain　that　it　was　not

merely　counterfeit　bills。　Cleggett　determined　upon　a　minute　and

thorough　search　of　the　hold。



〃You'll　send　for　it？〃　said　Cleggett；　still　trying　to　get　a　more

definite　idea　of　what　〃it〃　was；　without　revealing　that　he　did　not

know。



〃I'll　come　myself　with　a　taxicab；〃　said　Loge。



Cleggett　rose；　smiling；　he　had　found　out　as　much　as　he　could

expect　to　learn。



〃On　the　whole；〃　he　said；　〃I　think　that　I　prefer　to　keep　the

Jasper　B。　and　everything　that's　in　her。　But　before　I　leave　I　must

thank　you　for　the　pleasure　I　have　derived　from　our　little

talkand　the　information　as　well。　　You　can　hardly　imagine　how

you　have　interested　me。　　Will　you