the cruise of the jasper b.-第31部分

快捷操作: 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! 如果本书没有阅读完，想下次继续接着阅读，可使用上方 "收藏到我的浏览器" 功能 和 "加入书签" 功能！



consenting　to　fight　this　man？〃



〃Certainly；〃　said　Cleggett。　　〃He　has　challenged　me。〃



〃A　duel？〃　said　Wilton　Barnstable　in　astonishment。



〃A　duel。〃



〃But　that　is　impossible。　　His　life　is　forfeit　to　the　law。　　I

hope；　before　the　year　is　out；　to　send　him　to　the　electric　chair。　

Under　the　circumstances；　a　duel　is　an　absurdity。〃



〃An　absurdity？〃　　Cleggett；　with　his　hands　on　his　hips；　and　a

little　dancing　light　in　his　eyes；　faced　the　great　detective

squarely。　　〃You　permit　yourself　very　peculiar　expressions；　Mr。

Barnstable！〃



〃I　beg　your　pardon；〃　said　Wilton　Barnstable。　　〃I　withdraw

'absurdity。'　　But　you　must　see　yourself；　Mr。　Cleggett；　that　a

duel　is　useless；　if　nothing　else。　The　man　is　our　prisoner。　　He

belongs　to　the　law。〃



Loge　had　struggled　to　a　sitting　posture；　his　back　against　the

port　bulwark；　and　was　listening　with　an　odd　look　on　his　face。



〃The　law？〃　said　Cleggett。　　〃I　suppose；　in　one　sense；　that　is

true。　　But　the　matter　has　its　personal　element　as　well。〃



〃I　must　insist；〃　said　Wilton　Barnstable；　〃that　Logan　Black　is　my

prisoner。〃



Cleggett　was　silent　a　moment。　　Then　he　said　firmly：　　〃Mr。

Barnstable；　it　is　painful　to　me　to　have　to　remind　you　of　it；　but

your　attitude　forces　me　to　an　equal　directness。　　The　fact　that

Logan　Black　is　now　a　captive　is　due　to　his　efforts　to　recover

certain　evidence　which　may　be　used　against　him。　　This　evidence　I

discovered　and　defended；　and　this　evidence　I　now　hold　in　my

possession。〃



Wilton　Barnstable　was　about　to　retort；　perhaps　heatedly；　but

Cleggett；　generous　even　while　determined　to　have　his　own　way；

hastened　to　add：　　〃Do　not　think；　Mr。　Barnstable；　that　I　minimize

your　work；　or　your　assistancebut；　after　all；　what　am　I

demanding　that　is　unreasonable？　　If　Logan　Black　dies　by　my　hand；

are　not　the　ends　of　justice　served　as　well　as　if　he　died　in　the

electric　chair？　　And　if　I　fall；　the　law　may　still　take　its

course。〃



Loge　had　listened　to　this　speech　attentively。　He　lifted　his　head

and　glanced　about　the　deck；　filling　his　lungs　with　a　deep　draft

of　air。　　Something　like　a　gleam　of　hope　was　visible　in　his

features。



〃It　is　irregular；〃　said　Wilton　Barnstable；　frowning；　and　not　half

convinced。　　〃And；　in　the　name　of　Heaven；　why　imperil　your　life

needlessly？　　Why　expose　yourself　again　to　the　power　of　this

monstrous　criminal？〃



〃The　fellow　has　challenged　me；　and　I　have　granted　him　a　meeting；〃

said　Cleggett。　　〃I　hope　there　is　such　a　thing　as　honor！〃



〃Clement！〃　　It　was　Lady　Agatha　who　spoke。　　As　she　did　so　she　laid

her　hand　on　Cleggett's　arm。　　She　had　hearkened　in　silence　to　the

colloquy　between　him　and　Barnstable；　as　had　the　others。　　She　drew

him　out　of　sight　and　hearing　behind　the　cabin。〃



〃Clement；〃　she　said　with　agitation；　〃do　not　fight　this　man！〃



〃I　must；〃　he　said　simply。　　It　cut　him　to　the　heart　to　refuse　the

first　request　that　she　had　asked　of　him　since　his　avowal　of　his

love　for　her　and　her　tacit　acceptance。　　But；　to　a　man　of

Cleggett's　ideas；　there　was　no　choice。



〃Clement；〃　she　said　in　a　low　tone；　〃you　have　told　me　that　you

love　me。〃



〃Agatha！〃　he　murmured　brokenly。



〃And　you　know〃　she　paused；　as　if　she　could　not　continue；　but

her　eyes　and　manner　spoke　the　rest。　　In　a　moment　her　lips　spoke

it　too；　she　was　not　the　sort　of　woman　who　is　afraid　to　avow　the

promptings　of　her　heart。　　〃You　know；〃　she　said；　〃that　I　love

you。〃



〃Agatha！〃　he　cried　again。　　He　could　say　no　more。



〃Oh；　Clement；〃　she　said；　〃if　you　were　killedkilled

uselessly！now　that　I　have　found　you；　I　could　not　bear　it。　

Dear；　I　could　not　bear　it！〃



Cleggett　was　profoundly　moved。　　He　yearned　to　take　her　in　his

arms　to　comfort　her；　and　to　promise　anything　she　wished。　　And　the

thought　came　to　him　too　that；　if　he　should　perish；　the　one　kiss；

given　and　received　in　the　darkness　and　danger　of　fight　and　storm；

would　be　all　the　brave　sweetness　of　her　that　he　would　know　this

side　of　the　grave；　the　thought　came　to　him　bitterly。　　For　an

instant　he　wavered。



〃Agatha！〃　he　said　with　dry　lips。　　〃I　have　already　accepted　the

fellow's　challenge。〃



〃And　what　of　that？〃　she　cried。　　〃Would　you　cling　to　a　barren

point　of　honor　in　despite　of　love？〃



〃Even　so；〃　he　said；　and　sighed。



〃Oh；　Clement；〃　she　said；　〃I　cannot　bear　it！　　I　cannot　bear　to

lose　you！　　I　always　knew　you　were　in　the　world　somewhereand　now

that　I　have　found　you　it　is　only　to　give　you　up！　　It　is　too

much！〃



Cleggett　was　silent　for　a　moment。　　When　he　spoke　it　was　slowly

and　gently；　but　earnestly。



〃No　point　of　honor　is　a　barren　one；　dear；〃　he　said。　　〃What　the

man　lying　there　may　be　matters　nothing。　　It　is　not　to　him　that　I

have　given　my　word；　but　to　myself。　　In　our　hurried　modern　life　we

are　not　punctilious　enough　about　these　things。　　Perhaps；　in　the

old　days；　the　men　and　women　were　worse　than　we　in　many　ways。　　But

they　held　to　a　few　traditions；　or　the　best　of　them　did；　that　make

the　loose　and　tawdry　manners　of　this　age　seem　cheap　indeed。　　All

my　life　I　have　known　that　there　was　something　shining　and　simple

and　precious　concealed　from　the　common　herd　of　men　in　this　common

age；　which　the　brighter　spirits　of　the　old　days　lived　by　and

served　and　worshiped。　　I　have　always　seen　it　plainly；　and　always

tried　to　live　by　it；　too。　　Perhaps　it　was　never；　in　any　period；

more　than　a　dream；　but　I　have　dreamed　that　dream。　　And　anyone　who

dreams　that　dream　will　have　a　reverence　for　his　spoken　word　no

matter　to　whom　it　is　passed。　　I　may　be　a　fool　to　fight　this　man；

well　then；　that　is　the　kind　of　fool　I　am！　　Indeed；　I　know　I　am　a

fool　by　the　judgments　of　this　age。　　But　I　have　never　truly　lived

in　this　age。　　I　have　lived　in　the　past；　I　have　held　to　the　dream；

I　have　believed　in　the　bright　adventure；　I　have　walked　with　the

generous；　chivalric　spirits　of　the　great　ages；　they　have　come　to

me　out　of　my　books　and　dwelt　with　me　and　been　my　companions；　and

the　realities　of　time　and　place　have　been　unreal　in　their

presence。　I　see　myself　so　walking　always。　　It　may　be　that　I　am　a

vain　ass；　but　I　cannot　help　it。　　It　may　be　that　I　am　a　little

mad；　but　I　would　rather　be　mad　with　a　Don　Quixote　than　sane　with

an　Andrew　Carnegie　and　pile　up　platitudes　and　dollars。



〃And　all　this　foolishness　of　mine　is　somehow　bound　up　with　the

thought　that　I　have　engaged　to　fight　that　evil　fellow；　and　must

do　it；　all　the　bright；　sane　madness　in　me　cries　out　that　he　is　to

die　by　this　hand　of　mine。



〃I　have　opened　my　heart　to　you；　as　I　have　never　done　to　anyone

before。　　And　now　I　put　myself　into　your　hands。　　But；　oh；　take

carefor　it　is　something　in　me　better　than　myself　that　I　give

you　to　deal　with！　　And　you　can　cripple　it　forever；　because　I　love

you　and　I　shall　listen　to　you。　　Shall　I　fight　him？〃



She　had　listened；　mute　and　immobile；　and　as　he　spoke　the　red　sun

made　a　sudden　glory　of　her　hair。　She　leaned　towards　him；　and　it

was　as　if　the　spirit　of　all　the　man's　lifelong；　foolish；　romantic

musings　were　in　her　eyes　and　on　her　face。



〃Fight　him！〃　she　said。　　〃And　kill　him！〃



And　then　her　head　was　on　his　shoulder；　and　his　arms　were　about

her。　　〃Don't　die！〃　she　sobbed。　〃Don't　die！〃



〃Don't　fear；〃　he　said；　〃I　feel　that　I'll　make　short　work　of　him。〃



She　smiled　courageously　back　at　him；　with　her　hands　upon　his

shoulders　she　held　him　back　and　looked　at　him　with　tilted　head。



〃If　you　are　killed；〃　she　said；　〃it　will　have　been　more　than　most

women　ever　get；　to　have　known　and　loved　you　for　two　days。〃



〃Two　days？〃　he　said。　　〃Forever！〃



〃Forever！〃　she　said。





CHAPTER　XXIV



THE　DUEL



Cleggett　took　Wilton　Barnstable　by　the　　sleeve　and　drew　him

towards　Loge；　who；　still　seated　on　the　deck　with　his　long　legs

stretched　out　in　front　of　him；　was　now　yawning　with　a　cynical

affectation　of　boredom。



〃I　wish　you　to　act　as　my　second　in　this　affair；〃　said　Cleggett　to

the　detective；　〃and　I　suggest　that　either　Mr。　Ward　or　Mr。　Bard

perform　a　like　office　for　Mr。　Black。〃



Loge　shrugged　his　shoulders；　and　said　with　a　sneer：



〃A　second；　eh？　　We　seem　to　be　doing　a　great　deal　of　arranging　for

a　very　small　amount　of　fighting。〃



〃I　suggest；〃　said　Wilton　Barnstable；　〃that　a　night's　rest　would

be　quite　in　order　for　both　principals。〃



Loge　broke　in　quickly；　with　studied　insolence：　〃I　object　to　the

delay。　　Mr。　Cleggett　might　find　some　excuse　for　changing　his　mind

overnight。　　Let　us；　if　you　please；　begin　at　once。〃



〃It　was　not　I　who　suggested　the　delay；〃　said　Cleggett；　haughtily。



〃Then　give　us　the　pistols；〃　cried　Loge；　with　a　sudden；　grim

ferocity　in　his　voice；　〃and　let's　make　an　end　of　it！〃



〃We　fight　with　swords；〃　said　Cleggett。　　〃I　am　the　challenged

party。〃



〃Ho！　　Swords！〃　cried　Loge；　with　a　harsh；　jarring　laugh。　　〃A　bout

with　the　rapiers；　man　to　man；　eh？　　Come；　this　is　better　and

better！　　I　may　go　to　the　chair；　but　first　I　will　spit　you　like　a

squab　on　a　skewer；　my　little　nut！〃　　And　then　he　said　again；　with

a　shout　of　gusty　mirth；　and　a　clanking　of　his　manacles：　　〃Swords；

eh？　　By　God！　　The　little　man　says　SWORDS！〃



Wilton　Barnstable　drew　Cleggett　to　one　side。



〃Name　pistols；〃　he　said。　　〃For　God's　sake；　Cleggett；　name

pistols！　　If　I　had　had　any　idea　that　you　were　going　to　demand

rapiers　I　should　have　warned　you　before。〃



Cleggett　was　amused　at　the　great　detective's　anxiety。　　〃It

appears　that　the　fellow　handles　the　rapier　pretty　well；　eh？〃　he

said　easily。



〃Cleggett〃　began　Barnstable。　　And　then　he　paused　and　groaned

and　mopped　his　brow。　　Presently　he　controlled　his　agitation　and

continued。　〃Cleggett；〃　he　said；　〃the　man　is　an　expert　swordsman。　

I　have　been　on　his　trail；　I　know　his　life　for　years　past。　　He　was

once　a　maitre　d'armes。　　He　gave　lessons　in　the　art。〃



〃Yes？〃　said　Cleggett；　laughing　and　flexing　his　wrist。　　〃I　am　glad

to　hear　that！　　It　will　be　really　interesting　then。〃



〃Cleggett；〃　said　Barnstable；　〃I　beg　of　youn