the cruise of the jasper b.-第26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！



holy　water。　　If　I　could　make　him　steal　for　me；　I

would　know　that　I　could　do　anything。



〃That's　our　young　poet　in　the　forecastle！〃　said　Cleggett。　　〃I

wonder　if　Loge　still　held　him。〃　　And　then　as　the　memory　of　the

boy's　ravings　came　to　him　he　mused：　　〃Yeshe　held　the　boy！　　That

is　what　the　fellow　meant　in　his　delirium。　　Do　you　remember　that

he　kept　saying：　　'I'm　a　revolutionist；　not　a　crook！'？　　And　yet　he

continued　to　obey　Loge！〃



〃Is　it　not　strange；〃　said　Lady　Agatha；　〃that　the　man　should　take

such　pride　in　working　ruin？〃



All　three　were　silent　for　a　space。　　And　then　they　looked　at　each

other　with　a　shiver。　　The　sense　of　the　strong　and　sinister

personality　of　Logan　Black　struck　on　their　spirits　like　a　bleak

wind。



Cleggett　was　the　first　to　recover　himself。



〃God　willing；〃　he　said　solemnly；　〃I　will　bring　that　man　to

justice　personally！〃



Just　then　two　bells　struck。　　It　had　taken　them　　more　time　than

they　had　realized　to　make　even　a　partial　examination　of　the

contents　of　the　box。　　Cleggett；　when　the　bell　sounded；　looked　at

his　watch　to　see　what　time　it　washe　was　still　a　little

unfamiliar　with　the　nautical　system。



〃He　will　go　to　any　length　to　get　this　back　into　his　possession；〃

said　Cleggett；　as　he　dumped　the　heap　of　incriminating　evidence

back　into　the　box　and　began　to　nail　the　boards　on　again。



〃Any　length；〃　echoed　the　Doctor。



Pat　upon　the　thought　came　the　sound　of　taxicabs　without。　　They

went　on　deck　and　saw　a　sinister　procession　rolling　by。　　It

consisted　of　three　machines；　and　there　were　three　men　in　each

cab。　　Loge　and　Pierre　were　in　the　foremost　one。　　None　of　the

company　vouchsafed　so　much　as　a　glance　in　the　direction　of　the

Jasper　B。　as　the　cabs　whirled　past　towards　Morris's。　　It　was

undoubtedly　a　reinforcement　of　gunmen。



〃Ah！〃　said　Cleggett；　pointing　to　them。　　〃The　real　battle　is　about

to　begin！　　They　are　making　ready　for　the　attack！〃





CHAPTER　XIV



CLEGGETT　STANDS　BY　HIS　SHIP



Cleggett　did　not　fear　（or　rather；　expect；　since　there　was　very

little　that　Cleggett　feared）　an　attack　until　well　after

nightfall。　　Nevertheless；　he　began　to　prepare　for　it　at　once。　　He

called　the　entire　ship's　company　aft；　with　the　exception　of　Miss

Medley；　who　was　on　duty　with　Giuseppe　Jones。



〃My　friendsfor　I　hope　we　stand　in　the　relation　of　friends　as

well　as　that　of　commander　and　crewI　have　every　reason　to　expect

that　the　enemy　will　make　a　demonstration　in　force　sometime　during

the　night；〃　he　said。　　〃We　have　opposed　to　us　the　leader　of　a

dangerous　and　powerful　criminal　organization。　　He　is；　in　fact；

the　president　of　a　crime　trust。　　He　will　stop　at　nothing　to

compass　the　destruction　of　the　Jasper　B。　and　all　on　board　her。　

My　quarrel　with　him　has　become；　in　a　sense；　personal。　I　have　no

right　to　ask　you　to　share　my　risk　unless　you　choose　to　do　so

voluntarily。　　Therefore；　if　there　is　anyone　of　you　who　wishes　to

leave　the　Jasper　B。；　let　him　do　it　now。〃



Cleggett　paused。　　But　not　a　man　moved。　　On　the　contrary；　a　little

murmur　of　something　like　reproach　ran　around　the　semicircle。　　The

ship's　company　looked　in　each　other's　eyes；　they　stood　shifting

their　feet　uneasily。



Finally　Cap'n　Abernethy　spoke；　clearing　his　throat　with　a

prefatory　hem：



〃If　you　was　to　ask　me；　Mr。　Cleggett；〃　said　the　Captain；　with　less

than　his　usual　circumlocution；　〃I'd　say　the　boys　here　ain't

flattered　by　what　you've　just　said。　　The　boys　here　DOES　consider

themselves　friends　of　yours；　and　if　you　was　anxious　to　hear　my

opinion　of　it　I'd　say　you've　hurt　their　feelin's　by　your　way　of

putting　it。　　Speakin'　for　myself；　Mr。　Cleggett；　as　the　nautical

commander　of　this　here　ship　to　the　military　commander；　I　don't

mind　owning　up　that　MY　feelin's　is　hurt。〃



〃Aye；　aye；　sir；〃　said　George　the　Greek；　addressing　the　nautical

commander；　and　the　word　went　from　lip　to　lip。



〃Aye；　aye；　sir；〃　said　Dr。　Farnsworth；　〃the　Captain　speaks　for　us

all。〃



And　the　Reverend　Mr。　Calthrop　remarked　with　a　sigh：　　〃You　may

have　cause　to　doubt　my　circumspection；　Mr。　Cleggett；　but　you　have

no　cause　to　doubt　my　courage。〃



Cleggett　was　not　the　sort　of　man　who　is　ashamed　to　acknowledge　an

error。　　〃Friends；〃　he　cried　impulsively；　〃forgive　me！　　I　should

have　known　better　than　to　phrase　my　remarks　as　I　did。　　I　would

not　have　hurt　your　feelings　for　worlds。　　I　know　you　are　devoted

to　me。　　I　call　for　volunteers　for　the　perilous　adventure　which　is

before　us！〃



The　ship's　company　stepped　forward　as　one　man。　　As　if　by　magic

the　atmosphere　cleared。



〃Now；〃　said　Cleggett；　smiling　back　on　the　enthusiastic　faces

before　him；　but　inexpressibly　touched　by　the　fineness　of　his

crew's　devotion；　〃to　get　to　the　point。　　There　are　seven　of　us；

but　there　are　at　least　a　dozen　of　them。　　We　have；　however；　the

advantage　in　position；　for　we　can　find　cover　on　the　ship；　whereas

they　must　attack　from　the　open。　　More　than　that；　we　will　have　the

advantage　in　arms；　here　is　a　magazine　rifle　for　each　of　you；

while　they；　if　I　am　not　mistaken；　will　attack　with　pistols。　　We

must　keep　them　at　a　distance；　if　possible。　　If　they　should

attempt　to　rush　us　we　will　meet　them　with　cutlasses　and　sabers。〃



〃Mr。　Cleggett；〃　said　Lady　Agatha；　rising　when　he　had　finished；

and　speaking　with　animation；　〃will　you　permit　me　to　make　a

suggestion？〃



She　went　on；　without　waiting　for　an　answer：　　〃It　is　this：　　Choose

your　own　ground　for　this　battle！　　The　Jasper　B。　is　now　a

full…rigged　schooner。　　Very　well；　then；　sail　her！　　At　the　moment

you　are　attacked；　weigh　anchor；　fight　your　way　to　the　mouth　of

the　canal；　take　up　a　position　in　the　bay　in　front　of　Morris's

within　easy　rifle　range　and　out　of　pistol　shot；　and　compel　the

place　to　surrender　on　your　own　terms！〃



As　the　brilliance　of　this　plan　flashed　upon　her　hearers；　applause

ran　around　the　room；　and　Kuroki；　who　spoke　seldom；　cried　in

admiration：



〃The　Honorable　Miss　Englishman　have　hit　her　head　on　the　nail！　

Let　there　be　some　naval　warfares！〃



〃You　are　right；〃　cried　Cleggett；　catching　fire　with　the　idea；　〃a

hundred　times　right！　　And　why　wait　to　be　attacked？　　Let　us　carry

the　war　to　the　enemy's　coast。　　Crack　all　sail　upon　her！Up　with

the　anchors！　　We　will　show　these　gentry　that　the　blood　of　Drake；

Nelson；　and　Old　Dave　Farragut　still　runs　red　in　the　veins　of

their　countrymen！〃



〃Banzai！〃　cried　Kuroki。　　〃Also　Honorable　Admiral　Togo's　veins！〃



A　good　breeze　had　sprung　up　out　of　the　northwest　while　the

conference　in　the　cabin　was　in　progress。



Cleggett　was　relieved　that　it　was　not　from　the　south。　　There　is

not　much　room　to　maneuver　a　schooner　in　a　canal；　and　a　breeze

from　the　south　might　have　sailed　the　Jasper　B。　backwards　towards

Parker's　Beach；　which　would　undoubtedly　have　given　the　enemy　the

idea　that　Cleggett　was　retreating。　　The　Jasper　B。's　bow　was

pointed　south；　and　Cleggett　was　naturally　anxious　that　she　should

sail　south。



At　the　outset　a　slight　difficulty　presented　itself　with　regard　to

the　anchorsfor　although；　as　has　been　explained　before；　the

Jasper　B。　was　a　remarkably　stable　vessel；　Cleggett　had　had　the

new　anchors　furnished　by　the　contractor　let　down。　　Having　the

anchors　down　seemed；　somehow；　to　make　things　more　shipshape。　　It

appeared　that　no　one　of　the　adventurers　was　acquainted　with　an

anchor　song；　and　Cleggett；　and；　indeed；　all　on　board；　felt　that

these　anchors　should　be　hoisted　to　the　accompaniment　of　some

rousing　chantey。　　Lady　Agatha　was　especially　insistent　on　the

point。



While　they　stood　about　the　capstan　debating　the　matter　the

Reverend　Simeon　Calthrop　hesitatingly　offered　a　suggestion　which

showed　that；　while　he　was　a　novice　as　far　as　the　nautical　life

was　concerned；　he　was　also　a　person　of　resource。



〃How　many　of　those　present；〃　inquired　the　young　preacher；　〃know

'Onward　Christian　Soldiers'？〃



All　were　acquainted　with　the　hymn；　the　pastor　grasped　a　capstan

bar　and　struck　up　the　song　in　an　agreeable