when the world shook-第12章

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Scandinavian。　I　think　that　is　all　I　need　say　about　the　Star　of

the　South。



The　arrangement　was　that　the　Star　of　the　South　should　proceed

through　the　Straits　of　Gibraltar　to　Marseilles；　where　we　would

join　her；　and　thence　travel　via　the　Suez　Canal；　to　Australia　and

on　to　the　South　Seas；　returning　home　as　our　fancy　or　convenience

might　dictate。



All　the　first　part　of　the　plan　we　carried　out　to　the　letter。　Of

the　remainder　I　say　nothing　at　present。



The　Star　of　the　South　was　amply　provided　with　every　kind　of

store。　Among　them　were　medicines　and　surgical　instruments；

selected　by　Bickley；　and　a　case　of　Bibles　and　other　religious

works　in　sundry　languages　of　the　South　Seas；　selected　by　Bastin；

whose　bishop；　when　he　understood　the　pious　objects　of　his

journey；　had　rather　encouraged　than　hindered　his　departure　on

sick　leave；　and　a　large　number　of　novels；　books　of　reference；

etc。；　laid　in　by　myself。　She　duly　sailed　from　the　Thames　and

reached　Marseilles　after　a　safe　and　easy　passage；　where　all　three

of　us　boarded　her。



I　forgot　to　add　that　she　had　another　passenger；　the　little

spaniel；　Tommy。　I　had　intended　to　leave　him　behind；　but　while　I

was　packing　up　he　followed　me　about　with　such　evident

understanding　of　my　purpose　that　my　heart　was　touched。　When　I

entered　the　motor　to　drive　to　the　station　he　escaped　from　the

hands　of　the　servant；　whimpering；　and　took　refuge　on　my　knee。

After　this　I　felt　that　Destiny　intended　him　to　be　our　companion。

Moreover；　was　he　not　linked　with　my　dead　past；　and；　had　I　but

known　it；　with　my　living　future　also？







Chapter　V



The　Cyclone





We　enjoyed　our　voyage　exceedingly。　In　Egypt；　a　land　I　was　glad

to　revisit；　we　only　stopped　a　week　while　the　Star　of　the　South；

which　we　rejoined　at　Suez；　coaled　and　went　through　the　Canal。

This；　however；　gave　us　time　to　spend　a　few　days　in　Cairo；　visit

the　Pyramids　and　Sakkara　which　Bastin　and　Bickley　had　never　seen

before；　and　inspect　the　great　Museum。　The　journey　up　the　Nile　was

postponed　until　our　return。　It　was　a　pleasant　break　and　gave

Bickley；　a　most　omnivorous　reader　who　was　well　acquainted　with

Egyptian　history　and　theology；　the　opportunity　of　trying　to　prove

to　Bastin　that　Christianity　was　a　mere　development　of　the　ancient

Egyptian　faith。　The　arguments　that　ensued　may　be　imagined。　It

never　seemed　to　occur　to　either　of　them　that　all　faiths　may　be

and　indeed　probably　are　progressive；　in　short；　different　rays　of

light　thrown　from　the　various　facets　of　the　same　crystal；　as　in

turn　these　are　shone　upon　by　the　sun　of　Truth。



Our　passage　down　the　Red　Sea　was　cool　and　agreeable。　Thence　we

shaped　our　course　for　Ceylon。　Here　again　we　stopped　a　little

while　to　run　up　to　Kandy　and　to　visit　the　ruined　city　of

Anarajapura　with　its　great　Buddhist　topes　that　once　again　gave

rise　to　religious　argument　between　my　two　friends。　Leaving　Ceylon

we　struck　across　the　Indian　Ocean　for　Perth　in　Western　Australia。



It　was　a　long　voyage；　since　to　save　our　coal　we　made　most　of　it

under　canvas。　However；　we　were　not　dull　as　Captain　Astley　was　a

good　companion；　and　even　out　of　the　melancholy　Dane；　Jacobsen；　we

had　entertainment。　He　insisted　on　holding　seances　in　the　cabin；

at　which　the　usual　phenomena　occurred。　The　table　twisted　about；

voices　were　heard　and　Jacobsen's　accordion　wailed　out　tunes　above

our　heads。　These　happenings　drove　Bickley　to　a　kind　of　madness；

for　here　were　events　which　he　could　not　explain。　He　was　convinced

that　someone　was　playing　tricks　upon　him；　and　devised　the　most

elaborate　snares　to　detect　the　rogue；　entirely　without　result。



First　he　accused　Jacobsen；　who　was　very　indignant；　and　then　me；

who　laughed。　In　the　end　Jacobsen　and　I　left　the　〃circle〃　and　the

cabin；　which　was　locked　behind　us；　only　Bastin　and　Bickley

remaining　there　in　the　dark。　Presently　we　heard　sounds　of

altercation；　and　Bickley　emerged　looking　very　red　in　the　face；

followed　by　Bastin；　who　was　saying：



〃Can　I　help　it　if　something　pulled　your　nose　and　snatched　off

your　eyeglasses；　which　anyhow　are　quite　useless　to　you　when　there

is　no　light？　Again；　is　it　possible　for　me；　sitting　on　the　other

side　of　that　table；　to　have　placed　the　concertina　on　your　head

and　made　it　play　the　National　Anthem；　a　thing　that　I　have　not　the

slightest　idea　how　to　do？〃



〃Please　do　not　try　to　explain；〃　snapped　Bickley。　〃I　am

perfectly　aware　that　you　deceived　me　somehow；　which　no　doubt　you

think　a　good　joke。〃



〃My　dear　fellow；〃　I　interrupted；　〃is　it　possible　to　imagine　old

Basil　deceiving　anyone？〃



〃Why　not；〃　snorted　Bickley；　〃seeing　that　he　deceives　himself

from　one　year's　end　to　the　other？〃



〃I　think；〃　said　Bastin；　〃that　this　is　an　unholy　business　and

that　we　are　both　deceived　by　the　devil。　I　will　have　no　more　to　do

with　it；〃　and　he　departed　to　his　cabin；　probably　to　say　some

appropriate　prayers。



After　this　the　seances　were　given　up　but　Jacobsen　produced　an

instrument　called　a　planchette　and　with　difficulty　persuaded

Bickley　to　try　it；　which　he　did　after　many　precautions。　The

thing；　a　heart…shaped　piece　of　wood　mounted　on　wheels　and　with　a

pencil　stuck　at　its　narrow　end；　cantered　about　the　sheet　of　paper

on　which　it　was　placed；　Bickley；　whose　hands　rested　upon　it；

staring　at　the　roof　of　the　cabin。　Then　it　began　to　scribble　and

after　a　while　stopped　still。



〃Will　the　Doctor　look？〃　said　Jacobsen。　〃Perhaps　the　spirits

have　told　him　something。〃



〃Oh！　curse　all　this　silly　talk　about　spirits；〃　exclaimed

Bickley；　as　he　arranged　his　eyeglasses　and　held　up　the　paper　to

the　light；　for　it　was　after　dinner。



He　stared；　then　with　an　exclamation　which　I　will　not　repeat；

and　a　glance　of　savage　suspicion　at　the　poor　Dane　and　the　rest　of

us；　threw　it　down　and　left　the　cabin。　I　picked　it　up　and　next

moment　was　screaming　with　laughter。　There　on　the　top　of　the　sheet

was　a　rough　but　entirely　recognizable　portrait　of　Bickley　with

the　accordion　on　his　head；　and　underneath；　written　in　a　delicate；

Italian　female　hand；　absolutely　different　from　his　own；　were

these　words　taken　from　one　of　St。　Paul's　Epistles〃Oppositions

of　science　falsely　so　called。〃　Underneath　them　again　in　a

scrawling；　schoolboy　fist；　very　like　Bastin's；　was　inscribed；

〃Tell　us　how　this　is　done；　you　silly　doctor；　who　think　yourself

so　clever。〃



〃It　seems　that　the　devil　really　can　quote　Scripture；〃　was

Bastin's　only　comment；　while　Jacobsen　stared　before　him　and

smiled。



Bickley　never　alluded　to　the　matter；　but　for　days　afterwards　I

saw　him　experimenting　with　paper　and　chemicals；　evidently　trying

to　discover　a　form　of　invisible　ink　which　would　appear　upon　the

application　of　the　hand。　As　he　never　said　anything　about　it；　I

fear　that　he　failed。



This　planchette　business　had　a　somewhat　curious　ending。　A　few

nights　later　Jacobsen　was　working　it　and　asked　me　to　put　a

question。　To　oblige　him　I　inquired　on　what　day　we　should　reach

Fremantle；　the　port　of　Perth。　It　wrote　an　answer　which；　I　may

remark；　subsequently　proved　to　be　quite　correct。



〃That　is　not　a　good　question；〃　said　Jacobsen；　〃since　as　a

sailor　I　might　guess　the　reply。　Try　again；　Mr。　Arbuthnot。〃



〃Will　anything　remarkable　happen　on　our　voyage　to　the　South

Seas？〃　I　inquired　casually。



The　planchette　hesitated　a　while　then　wrote　rapidly　and

stopped。　Jacobsen　took　up　the　paper　and　began　to　read　the　answer

aloud〃To　A；　B　the　D；　and　B　the　C；　the　most　remarkable　things

will　happen　that　have　happened　to　men　living　in　the　world。〃



〃That　must　mean　me；　Bickley　the　doctor　and　Bastin　the

clergyman；〃　I　said；　laughing。



Jacobsen　paid　no　attention；　for　he　was　reading　what　followed。

As　he　did　so　I　saw　his　face　turn　white　and　his　eyes　begin　to

start　from　his　head。　Then　suddenly　he　tore　the　paper　in　pieces

which　he　thrust　into　his　pocket。　Lifting　his　great　fist　he

uttered　some　Danish　oath　and　with　a　single　blow　smashed　the

planchette　to　fragments；　after　which　he　strode　away；