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第35章

the cruise of the jasper b.-第35章

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for a long time。  In the event that a sudden get…away from

Morris's became necessary; it was an advantage to Logan Black to

be able to leave without being hampered with this matter。  No

one; for many years; had paid any attention to the Jasper B。;

with the exception of the old truck farmer; Abernethy; who used

sometimes to fish from her deck; and〃



〃Truck farmer!〃 cried Cleggett。  〃Abernethy?〃



〃Truck farmer;〃 repeated Wilton Barnstable。



〃Is not Abernethy an old sea captain?〃 asked Cleggett。



〃Why; no; I believe not;〃 said Barnstable。  〃At least I never

heard so。  He is well known as a small truck gardener in this

neighborhood。  It is true that he comes of a seafaring

familyindeed; it is his boast。  But; in a community where

nearly everyone knows a little about boats; I believe that

Abernethy is remarkable for an indisposition to venture far from

shore。〃



〃I can scarcely believe it;〃 breathed Cleggett。



〃He does not understand boats;〃 said Barnstable。 〃That is the

reason; I take it; why he has always fished in the canal from the

deck of the Jasper B。 〃



〃Abernethy is a gallant man;〃 said Cleggett; rather sternly。 

〃And even although he may have had little actual seafaring

experience; the instinct is in him!  The inherited love of a

nautical life has been latent in him all along。  And at the first

opportunity it has come out。  He has shown his mettle aboard the

Jasper B。 〃



〃I do not doubt it; if you insist upon it;〃 said Wilton

Barnstable; politely。  And from revolving his thumbs benignly

towards himself he began to revolve them urbanely from himself。 

The reversal was imitated at once by Barton Ward; but Watson Bard

was slower in putting this new coup into execution。



〃The resemblance between the two oblong boxes evidently fooled

Logan Black;〃 continued Barnstable; 〃and his men stole the wrong

one。  but he knows by this time that his plan to get the box has

failed。〃



〃He knows it?〃 said Cleggett。



〃From the bank of the canal he witnessed our capture of the box;

and of the two men who were making off with it。  After you had

beaten off his assault upon the ship; he turned his attention to

the canal; to see if the men whom he had assigned to the job of

creeping over the stern of the Jasper B。 had by any chance

succeeded in purloining the box。  He was alone; but he attempted

to come to the assistance of his two followers even as we made

them prisoners。  In fact; we exchanged shots。〃



The great detective made little of the danger he had encountered。



Indeed; his smile became one of amusement as he removed his coat;

rolled up his shirt sleeves; and exhibited a bandaged wound in

the fleshy part of his arm。



〃It is only a slight wound;〃 he said; beaming on it as if wounds

were quite delightful affairs; 〃and scarcely inconveniences me。〃



Barton Ward and Watson Bard; with their sleeves rolled up; were

also smiling placidly and indulgently at bandages about their

left arms。  Whether there were real wounds beneath their bandages

also; Cleggett could not determine。  The bandage of Barton Ward

was slightly stained with red; but the bandage of Watson Bard was

quite white。  All three replaced their coats at the same time;

and Wilton Barnstable went on:



〃Our course of procedure is plain; Mr。 Cleggett。 We have the

evidence against Logan Black。  We must have the man himself。  I

depend upon you to cooperate with me。  I think;〃 he said; beaming

at Barton Ward and Watson Bard with an air of modest triumph;

〃that the case of Logan Black is going to prove one of my really

GREAT cases。



〃There is only one point which I have not yet made clear to you;

I believeand that is how Logan Black's men were able to enter

and leave the hold of your vessel so mysteriously。  But I am

shaping up my theory about that!  I am shaping it up!〃



〃Would it be indescreet to inquire just what your theory is?〃

asked Cleggett。



And Lady Agatha murmured:



〃For my part; I can make nothing of it; and I should be glad to

hear your theory。〃



〃It would;〃 said Wilton Barnstable; soberly; 〃it would be

premature; if I told you my theory at the present moment。  You

must pardon mebut it WOULD。  In my line of businessand I

insist; Mr。 Cleggett; that I am a plain business man; nothing

moreI find it absolutely necessary not to communicate all my

information to the layman until the case is quite perfect in all

its points。  But do not get the notion; Mr。 Cleggett; that I

underestimate the part that you have taken in the case of Logan

Black。  You have helped me; Mr。 Cleggett。  When I have my

secretary prepare the case of Logan Black for magazine and

newspaper publication I shall have your name mentioned as that of

a person who has helped me。  Yes; you have helped me。〃



As he spoke he picked from a reading table a magazine; on the

cover of which appeared his own portraitor rather; the portrait

of the popular conception of Wilton Barnstableand began to make

motions about it with his finger。  He appeared to be marking off

the space beside the portrait into an arrangement of letters and

spaces。  His lips moved as he did so; he murmured:  〃The Case of

Logan Blackthe Case of Logan Black!〃  He seemed to see; with

the eye of a typographical expert; the legend printed there。 

Barton Ward and Watson Bard; slightly flushed and a little

excited in spite of themselves; seemed also to see it there。



It might have occurred to a person more critical than Cleggett

that it was he himself who had furnished nearly all the real

evidence upon which Wilton Barnstable was constructing this Case

of Logan Black。  But Cleggett looked for the gold in men; not the

dross; the great qualities of Wilton Barnstable appealed to his

imagination; the best in Cleggett responded to the best in Wilton

Barnstable; if the detective possessed a certain amount of

vanity; Cleggett preferred to overlook it。



〃Decidedly;〃 said Wilton Barnstable; laying down the magazine;

and looking at Cleggett kindly and serenely; 〃I shall see to it

that your name is mentioned in connection with the Case of Logan

Black。〃  And Barton Ward and Watson Bard also bent upon him their

bland and friendly regard。



Cleggett was about to thank them; but at that moment there was a

commotion of some sort on deck。



Two female voices; one of which they all recognized as that of

Miss Genevieve Pringle; were mingling in a babble of greeting;

expostulation; interjection; and explanation; and presently Miss

Pringle entered the cabin; followed by a younger lady who; except

for her youth; looked much like her。



〃My niece; Miss Henrietta Pringle; of Flatbush;〃 said Miss

Pringle; primly presenting her prim relation。  〃She has just

arrived〃



〃With the plum preserves!〃 cried Lady Agatha。



〃With the plum preserves;〃 confirmed Miss Genevieve Pringle。



And Captain Abernethy and George the Greek bore into the cabin a

third oblong box; exactly similar in appearance to the box of

Reginald Maltravers and the box which contained the evidence

against Logan Black; and set it on the floor。



The three detectives stood and looked at the three boxes with an

air of great satisfaction。



〃With this addition to our oblong boxes;〃 said Wilton Barnstable;

〃their number is now complete。  Miss Henrietta Pringle; we will

listen to your story。〃



There was little to tell; and Miss Henrietta Pringle told it in a

breath。  Having received no acknowledgment of the receipt of the

plum preserves from her aunt; an unusual oversight on her aunt's

part; she had journeyed to Newark with a vague fear that there

might be something wrong。



〃Arrived in Newark;〃 she said; 〃I learned that my aunt; with her

two white horses and her family carriage driven by Jefferson; the

negro coachmen; had suddenly left Newark; without giving any

explanation to anyone; or making her destination known。



〃The proceeding was very str

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