the cruise of the jasper b.-第28章

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actually　gained　in　girth　and　height。　The　soul；　in　certain　great

moments；　seems　to　have　power　to　expand　the　body　and　inform　it

with　the　quality　of　immortality；　Ajax；　in　his　magnificent　gesture

of　defiance；　is　all　spirit。　　Cleggett；　with　his　hand　on　his　hip；

uttered　these　words；　not　without　their　sublimity：



〃Whether　the　Jasper　B。　sinks　or　swims；　her　commander　will　share

her　fate。　　I　stay　by　my　ship！〃





CHAPTER　XV



NIGHT；　TEMPEST；　LOVE　AND　BATTLE



And；　indeed；　if　Cleggett　had　been　of　a　mind　to　abandon　the

vessel；　he　could　scarcely　have　done　so　now。　　For　his　words　were

no　more　than　uttered　when　the　sharp　racket　of　a　volley　of　pistol

shots　ripped　its　way　through　the　low…pitched　roaring　of　the　wind。



Loge　had　chosen　the　height　of　the　storm　to　mask　his　approach。　　He

attacked　with　the　tempest。



Without　a　word　Cleggett　put　out　the　light　in　the　cabin。　　His　men

grasped　their　weapons　and　followed　him　to　the　deck。　　A　flash　of

lightning　showed　him；　through　the　driving　rain；　the　enemy　rushing　

towards　the　Jasper　B。；　pistol　in　hand。　　They　were　scarcely　sixty

yards　away；　and　were　firing　as　they　came。　　Loge；　a　revolver　in

one　hand；　and　Cleggett's　own　sword　cane　in　the　other；　was　leading

the　rush。　Besides　their　firearms；　each　of　Loge's　men　carried　a

wicked…looking　machete。



〃Fire！〃　shouted　Cleggett。　　〃Let　them　have　it；　men！〃　　And　the

rifles　blazed　from　the　deck　of　the　Jasper　B。　in　a　crashing

volley。　　Instantly　the　world　was　dark　again；　it　was　impossible　to

determine　whether　the　fire　of　the　Jasper　B。　had　taken　effect。



〃To　the　starboard　bulwark；〃　cried　Cleggett；　〃and　give　them　hell

with　the　next　lightning　flash！〃



It　came　as　he　spoke；　with　its　vivid　glare　showing　to　Cleggett　the

enemy　magnified　to　a　portentous　bigness　against　a　background　of

chaotic　night。　　Two　or　three　of　them　stood；　leaning　keenly

forward；　several　of　the　others　had　dropped　to　one　knee；　the　rifle

discharge　had　checked　the　rush；　and　they　also　were　waiting　for

the　lightning。　　Cleggett　and　his　men　threw　a　second　volley　at

this　wavering　silhouette　of　astonishment。



A　cartridge　jammed　in　the　mechanism　of　Cleggett's　gun。　　With　an

oath　he　flung　the　weapon　to　the　deck。　　A　hand　thrust　another　one

into　his　grasp；　and　Lady　Agatha's　voice　said　in　his　ear；　〃Take

this　oneit's　loaded。〃



〃My　God；〃　said　Cleggett；　〃I　thought　you　were　in　the　cabin！〃



〃Not　I！〃　she　cried；　〃I'm　loading！〃



Just　then　the　lightning　came　again　and　showed　her　to　him　plainly。　

Drenched；　bare…armed；　bareheaded；　her　hair　down　and　rolling

backward　in　a　rich　wet　mass；　she　knelt　on　the　deck　behind　the

bulwark。　　Her　eyes　blazed　with　excitement；　and　there　was　a　smile

upon　her　lips。　　Beside　her　was　the　zinc　bucket　half　full　of

cartridges。　　George　tossed　a　rifle　to　her。　　She　flung　him　back　a

loaded　one；　and　began　methodically　to　fill　the　empty　one　with

cartridges。



〃Agatha；〃　shouted　Cleggett；　catching　her　by　the　wrist；　〃go　to　the

cabin　at　onceyou　will　get　yourself　killed！〃



〃I'll　do　nothing　of　the　sort！〃　she　shouted。



〃I　love　you！〃　cried　Cleggett；　beside　himself　with　fear　for　her；

and　scarcely　knowing　what　his　words　were。　　〃Do　you　hearI　love

you；　and　I　won't　have　you　killed！〃



A　bullet　ripped　its　way　through　the　bulwark；　perforated　the　zinc

bucket；　struck　the　gun　which　Lady　Agatha　was　loading　and　knocked

it　from　her　hands。



〃Go　to　the　cabin　yourself！〃　she　shouted　in　Cleggett's　ear。　　〃As

for　me；　I　like　it！〃



〃I　tell　you；〃　shouted　Cleggett；　〃I　won't　have　you　hereI　won't

have　you　killed！〃



He　rose　to　his　feet；　and　attempted　to　draw　her　out　of　danger。　

She　rose　likewise　and　struggled　with　him　in　the　dark。　　She

wrenched　herself　free；　and　in　doing　so　flung　him　back　against　the

rail；　it　lightened　again；　and　she　screamed。　　Cleggett　turned；　and

with　the　next　flash　saw　that　one　of　the　enemy；　his　face　bloody

from　the　graze　of　a　bullet　across　his　forehead；　and　evidently

crazed　with　excitement　of　fight　and　storm；　was　leaping　towards

the　rail　of　the　vessel。



Cleggett　stooped　to　pick　up　a　gun；　but　as　he　stooped　the　madman

vaulted　over　the　bulwark　and　landed　upon　him；　bearing　him　to　the

deck。　　As　he　struggled　to　his　feet　Lady　Agatha；　who　had　grasped　a

cutlass；　cut　the　fellow　down。　　The　man　fell　back　over　the　rail

with　a　cry。



For　a　long　moment　there　was　one　continuous　electric　flash　from

horizon　to　horizon；　and　Cleggett　saw　her；　with　windblown　hair　and

wide　eyes　and　parted　lips；　standing　poised　with　the　red　blade　in

her　hand　beneath　the　driving　clouds；　the　figure　of　an　antique

goddess。



The　next　instant　all　was　dark；　her　arms　were　around　his　neck　in

the　rain。　　〃Oh；　Clement；〃　she　sobbed；　〃I've　killed　a　man！　　I've

killed　a　man！〃





CHAPTER　XVI



ROMANCE　REGNANT



Cleggett　kissed　her。　。　。　。





CHAPTER　XVII



MISS　PRINGLE　CALLS　ON　MR。　CLEGGETT



But　the　rushing　onset　of　events　struck　them　apart。　　Out　of　the

night　leaped　danger；　enhancing　love　and　forbidding　it。　　From　the

starboard　bow　Captain　Abernethy　shrilled　a　cry　of　warning；　and

the　heavy；　bellowing　voice　of　Loge　shouted　an　answer　of　challenge

and　ferocity。　　The　wind　had　fallen；　but　the　lightning　played　from

the　clouds　now　almost　without　intermission。　　Cleggett　saw　Loge

and　his　followers；　machete　in　hand；　flinging　themselves　at　the

rail。　　They　lifted　a　hoarse　cheer　as　they　came。　　The　fire　from

the　Jasper　B。　had　checked　the　assault　temporarily；　it　had　not

broken　it　up；　once　they　found　lodgment　on　the　deck　the　superior

numbers　of　Loge's　crowd　must　inevitably　tell。



Loge　was　a　dozen　feet　in　advance　of　his　men。　　He　had　cast　aside

the　light　sword　which　belonged　to　Cleggett；　and　now　swung　a　grim

machete　in　his　hand。　　Cleggett　flung　down　his　gun；　grasped　a

cutlass；　and　sprang　forward；　his　one　idea　to　come　to　close

quarters　with　that　gigantic　figure　of　rage　and　power。



But　before　Loge　reached　the　bulwark　on　one　side；　and　while

Cleggett　was　bounding　toward　him　on　the　other；　this　on…coming

group　of　Cleggett's　foes　were　suddenly　smitten　in　the　rear　as　if

by　a　thunderbolt。　　Out　of　the　night　and　storm；　mad　with　terror；

screaming　like　fiends；　with　distended　nostrils　and　flying　manes

and　flailing　hoofs；　there　plunged　into　the　midst　of　the

assaulting　party　a　pair　of　snow…white　horsesastounding；

felling；　trampling；　scattering；　filling　them　with　confusion。　　A

rocking　carriage　leaped　and　bounded　behind　the　furious　animals；

and　as　the　horses　struck　the　bulwark　and　swerved　aside；　its

weight　and　bulk；　hurled　like　a　missile　among　Cleggett's　staggered

and　struggling　enemies；　completed　and　confirmed　their　panic。



No　troops　on　earth　can　stand　the　shock　of　a　cavalry　charge　in　the

rear　and　flank；　few　can　face　surprise；　the　boarding　party；

convinced　that　they　had　fallen　into　a　trap；　melted　away。　　One

moment　they　were　sweeping　forward；　vicious　and　formidable；

confident　of　victory；　the　next　they　were　　floundering　weaponless；

scrambling　anyhow　for　safety；　multiplying　and　transforming；　with

the　quick　imagination　of　panic　terror；　these　two　horses　into　a

troop　of　mounted　men。



This　sudden　and　almost　spectral　apparition　of　galloping　steeds

and　flying　carriage；　hurled　upon　the　vessel　out　of　the　tempest；

flung；　a　piece　of　whirling　chaos；　from　the　chaotic　skies；　had

almost　as　startling　an　effect　upon　the　defenders。　　For　a　moment

they　paused；　with　weapons　uplifted；　and　stared。　Where　an　enemy

had　been；　there　was　nothing。　　So　doubtful　Greeks　or　Trojans　might

have　paused　and　stared　upon　the　plains　of　Ilion　when　some

splenetic　and　fickle　deity　burst　unannounced　and　overwhelming

into　the　central　clamor　of　the　battle。



But　it　is　in　these　seconds　of　pause　and　doubt　that　great

commanders　assert　themselves；　it　is　these　electric　seconds　from

which　the　hero　gathers　his　vital　lightning　and　forges　his　mordant

bolt。　　Genius　claims　and　rules　these　instants；　and　the　gods　are

on　the　side　of　those　who　boldly　grasp　loose　wisdom　and　bind　it

into　she