the cruise of the jasper b.-第24章

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other　stuff。　　Cleggett　had　it　placed　on　one　side　of　the　hatchway

and　sat　down　on　it。　　It　was　tightly　nailed　up；　all　of　its

surfaces　were　sound。　　Cleggett　did　not　doubt　that　he　would　find

in　it　what　he　wanted；　yet　in　order　to　be　on　the　safe　side　he

continued　to　scrutinize　everything　else　that　came　out　of　the

hold。



But　finally　the　hold　was　as　empty　as　a　drum；　and　Watkins　and　his

men　departed。　　The　oblong　box　upon　which　Cleggett　sat　was　the

only　possible　receptacle　of　any　sort　in　an　undamaged　condition；

which　had　been　in　the　hold。　　He　determined　to　have　it　opened　in

the　cabin。



As　he　arose　from　it　he　was　struck　by　its　resemblance　to　the　box

in　Elmer's　charge；　the　dank　box　of　Reginald　Maltravers；　which

stood　on　one　end　near　the　cabin　companionway；　leaning　against　the

port　side　of　the　cabin　so　that　it　was　not　visible　from　the　road；

which　ran　to　the　starboard　of　the　Jasper　B。　　But；　since　all

oblong　boxes　are　bound　to　have　a　general　resemblance；　Cleggett；

at　the　time；　thought　little　enough　of　this　likeness。



He　called　to　George　and　Mr。　Calthrop；　who；　with　Dr。　Farnsworth；

were　forward　receiving　their　first　lecture　on　seamanship　from

Cap'n　Abernethy　and　Kuroki；　to　carry　the　box　into　the　cabin。



But　as　George　and　the　Rev。　Mr。　Calthrop　lifted　the　box　to　their

shoulders；　Cleggett　was　startled　by　a　loud　and　violent　oath；　a

veritable　bellow　of　blasphemy　that　made　him　shudder。　　Turning；　he

saw　than　an　automobile　had　paused　in　the　road。　　In　the　forward

part　of　the　machine　stood　Loge；　raving　in　an　almost　demoniac　fury

and　pointing　at　the　box。　He　writhed　in　the　grip　of　three　men　who

endeavored　to　restrain　him。　　One　of　them　was　the　sinister　Pierre。



Hoisting　himself；　as　it　were；　on　a　mounting　billow　of　his　own

profanity；　Loge　cast　himself　with　a　wide　swimming　motion　of　his

arms　from　the　auto。　　But　one　of　the　men　clung　to　him；　they　came

to　the　ground　together　like　tackler　and　tackled　in　a　football

game。　　The　others　cast　themselves　out　of　the　machine　and　flung

themselves　upon　their　leader；　he　fought　like　a　lion；　but　he　was

finally　overpowered　and　thrown　back　into　the　auto；　which　was

immediately　started　up　and　which　made　off　towards　Fairport　at　a

rattling　speed。　　Three　hundred　yards　away；　however；　Loge　rose

again　and　shook　a　furious　fist　at　the　Jasper　B。；　and　though

Cleggett　could　not　distinguish　the　words；　the　sense　of　Loge's

impotent　rage　rolled　towards　him　on　the　wind　in　a　roaring；

vibrant　bass。



The　sight　of　the　box　that　he　had　not　been　able　to　buy；　in

Cleggett's　possession；　had　stirred　him　beyond　all　caution；　he　had

actually　contemplated　an　attempt　to　rush　the　Jasper　B。　in　broad

daylight。



But　while　this　queer　tableau　of　baffled　rage　was　enacting　itself

on　the　starboard　bow　of　the　Jasper　B。；　　a　no　less　strange　and　far

less　explicable　thing　was　occurring　on　the　port　side。　　The　swish

of　oars　and　the　ripple　of　a　moving　boat　drew　Cleggett's　attention

in　that　direction　as　Loge's　booming　threats　grew　fainter。　　He　saw

that　two　oarsmen；　near　the　eastern　and　farther　side　of　the　canal；

had　allowed　the　dainty；　varnished　little　craft　they　were　supposed

to　propel　to　come　to　a　rest　in　spite　of　the　evident　displeasure

of　a　man　who　sat　in　its　stern。　　This　third　man　was　the　same　that

Cleggett　had　seen　on　the　deck　of　the　Annabel　Lee　with　a　spy

glass；　and　again　that　same　morning　driving　the　two　almost　nude

figures　up　and　down　the　canal。



The　two　oarsmen；　Cleggett　saw　with　surprise；　rowed　with　shackled

feet；　their　feet　were；　indeed；　chained　to　the　boat　itself。　　About

the　wrists　of　each　were　steel　bands；　fixed　to　these　bands　were

chains；　the　other　ends　of　which　were　locked　to　their　oars。　　They

were；　in　effect；　galley　slaves。



All　this　iron　somewhat　hampered　their　movements。　　But　the　reason

of　their　pause　was　an　engrossing　interest　in　the　box　of　Reginald

Maltravers；　which　stood；　as　has　already　been　said；　on　the　port

side　of　the　cabin；　on　one　end；　and　so　was　visible　from　their

boat。　　They　were　looking　at　it　with　slack　oars；　dropped　jaws　and

starting　eyes；　the　thing　seemed　to　have　fascinated　them　and

bereft　them　of　motion；　it　was　as　if　they　were　unable　to　get　past

it　at　all。　　Elmer；　worn　out　by　his　many　long　vigils；　lay　asleep

on　the　deck　at　the　foot　of　the　box；　with　an　arm　flung　over　his

face。



The　stout　man；　after　vainly　endeavoring　to　start　his　oarsmen　with

words；　took　up　an　extra　oar　and　began　vigorously　prodding　them

with　it。　　Cleggett　had　not　seen　this　man　look　towards　the　Jasper

B。；　　but　he　nevertheless　had　the　feeling　that　the　man　had　missed

little　of　what　had　been　going　on　there。　He　seemed　to　be　that　kind

of　man。



His　crew　responding　to　the　stabs　of　the　oar；　the　little　vessel

went　perhaps　fifty　yards　farther　up　the　canal　towards　Parker's；

and　then　swung　daintily　around　and　came　back　towards　the　Jasper

B。　at　almost　the　speed　of　a　racing　shell；　the　men　in　chains

bending　doggedly　to　their　work。　　Cleggett　saw　that　the　boat　must

pass　close　to　the　Jasper　B。；　and　leaned　　over　the　port　rail。



The　man　in　the　stern　had　picked　up　a　magazine　and　was　lolling

back　reading　it。　　As　the　boat　passed　under　him　Cleggett　saw　on

the　cover　page　of　the　magazine　a　picture　of　the　very　man　who　was

perusing　it。　　It　was　a　singularly　urbane　face；　both　the

counterfeit　presentment　on　the　cover　page　and　the　real　face　were

smiling　and　calm　and　benign。　　Cleggett　could　read　the　legend　on

the　magazine　cover　accompanying　the　picture。　　It　ran：



　Wilton　Barnstable　Tells　In　this　Issue　the　Inside　Story　　　　　　　

　of　How　he　Broke　up　the　Gigantic　Smuggling　Conspiracy。



At　that　instant　the　man　dropped　the　magazine　and　looked　Cleggett

full　in　the　face。　　He　waved　his　arm　in　a　meaning　gesture　in　the

direction　in　which　Loge　had　disappeared　and　said；　with　a　gentle

shake　of　his　head　at　Cleggett；　as　if　he　were　chiding　a　naughty

child：



〃When　thieves　fall　out！　　When　thieves　fall　out；　my　dear　sir！〃



As　he　swept　by　he　resumed　his　magazine　with　the　pleased　air　of　a

man　who　has　delivered　himself　of　a　brilliant　epigram；　it　showed

in　his　very　shoulders。



〃And　that；〃　murmured　Cleggett；　〃is　Wilton　Barnstable；　the　great

detective！〃





CHAPTER　XIII



THE　SOUL　OF　LOGAN　BLACK



Wilton　Barnstable；　the　great　detective；　having　witnessed　Loge's

outburst　of　wrath；　had　thought　it　signified　a　quarrel　between

thieves；　as　his　words　to　Cleggett　indicated。　　He　had　thought

Cleggett　a　crook；　and　Loge's　ally。



Loge；　on　the　other　hand；　had　thought　Cleggett　a　detective。　　He

had　addressed　him　as　〃Mr。　Detective〃　that　morning　at　Morris's。　

Loge　believed　the　Jasper　B。　and　the　Annabel　Lee　to　be　allied

against　him。



Whereas　Cleggett；　until　he　had　recognized　Wilton　Barnstable　in

the　boat；　had　thought　it　likely　that　the　Annabel　Lee　and　Morris's

were　allied　against　the　Jasper　B。　



Now　that　Cleggett　knew　the　commander　of　the　Annabel　Lee　to　be

Wilton　Barnstable；　his　first　impulse　was　to　go　to　the　Great

Detective　and　invite　his　cooperation　against　Loge　and　the　gang　at

Morris's。　　But　almost　instantly　he　reflected　that　he　could　not　do

this。　　For　there　was　the　box　of　Reginald　Maltravers！　　Indeed；　how

did　he　know　that　it　was　not　the　box　of　Reginald　Maltravers　which

had　brought　the　Great　Detective　to　that　vicinity？　　This　manof

world…wide　fame；　and　reputed　to　possess　an　almost　miraculous

instinct　in　the　unraveling　of　criminal　mysteriesmight　be　even

now　on　the　trail　of　Lady　Agatha。　　If　so；　he　was　Cleggett's　enemy。

When　it　came　to　a　choice　between　the　championship　of　Lady　Agatha

and　the　defiance　of　Wilton　Barnstable；　and　all　that　he

represented；　Cleggett　did　not　hesitate　for　an　instant。



There　were　still　some　aspects　of　the　situation　in　which　he　found

himself　that　were　as　puzzling　as　ever　to　Cleggett。　　It　is　true

that　he　now　knew　why　Loge's　men　had　been　in　the　hold　of　the

vessel；　they　had　been　there；　no　doubt；　in　an　attempt　to　get

possession　of　the　oblong；　unpainted　box　which　had　caused　Loge's

exp