within the tides-第36部分

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But　for　Anne；　his　unsuspecting　head　would　have　been　there。　　The



Frenchman's　surprise　must　have　been　simply　overwhelming。　　He



staggered　away　from　the　lightly　swinging　hammock；　and　before



Davidson　could　make　a　movement　he　had　vanished；　bounding　down　the



ladder　to　warn　and　alarm　the　other　fellows。







〃Davidson　sprang　instantly　out　of　the　boat；　threw　up　the　skylight



flap；　and　had　a　glimpse　of　the　men　down　there　crouching　round　the



hatch。　　They　looked　up　scared；　and　at　that　moment　the　Frenchman



outside　the　door　bellowed　out　'TRAHISON　…　TRAHISON！'　　They　bolted



out　of　the　cabin；　falling　over　each　other　and　swearing　awfully。



The　shot　Davidson　let　off　down　the　skylight　had　hit　no　one；　but　he



ran　to　the　edge　of　the　cabin…top　and　at　once　opened　fire　at　the



dark　shapes　rushing　about　the　deck。　　These　shots　were　returned；　and



a　rapid　fusillade　burst　out；　reports　and　flashes；　Davidson　dodging



behind　a　ventilator　and　pulling　the　trigger　till　his　revolver



clicked；　and　then　throwing　it　down　to　take　the　other　in　his　right



hand。







〃He　had　been　hearing　in　the　din　the　Frenchman's　infuriated　yells



'TUEZ…LE！　TUEZ…LE！'　above　the　fierce　cursing　of　the　others。　　But



though　they　fired　at　him　they　were　only　thinking　of　clearing　out。



In　the　flashes　of　the　last　shots　Davidson　saw　them　scrambling　over



the　rail。　　That　he　had　hit　more　than　one　he　was　certain。　　Two



different　voices　had　cried　out　in　pain。　　But　apparently　none　of



them　were　disabled。







〃Davidson　leaned　against　the　bulwark　reloading　his　revolver　without



haste。　　He　had　not　the　slightest　apprehension　of　their　coming　back。



On　the　other　hand；　he　had　no　intention　of　pursuing　them　on　shore　in



the　dark。　　What　they　were　doing　he　had　no　idea。　　Looking　to　their



hurts　probably。　　Not　very　far　from　the　bank　the　invisible　Frenchman



was　blaspheming　and　cursing　his　associates；　his　luck；　and　all　the



world。　　He　ceased；　then　with　a　sudden；　vengeful　yell；　'It's　that



woman！　…　it's　that　woman　that　has　sold　us；'　was　heard　running　off



in　the　night。







〃Davidson　caught　his　breath　in　a　sudden　pang　of　remorse。　　He



perceived　with　dismay　that　the　stratagem　of　his　defence　had　given



Anne　away。　　He　did　not　hesitate　a　moment。　　It　was　for　him　to　save



her　now。　　He　leaped　ashore。　　But　even　as　he　landed　on　the　wharf　he



heard　a　shrill　shriek　which　pierced　his　very　soul。







〃The　light　was　still　burning　in　the　house。　　Davidson；　revolver　in



hand；　was　making　for　it　when　another　shriek；　away　to　his　left；　made



him　change　his　direction。







〃He　changed　his　direction　…　but　very　soon　he　stopped。　　It　was　then



that　he　hesitated　in　cruel　perplexity。　　He　guessed　what　had



happened。　　The　woman　had　managed　to　escape　from　the　house　in　some



way；　and　now　was　being　chased　in　the　open　by　the　infuriated



Frenchman。　　He　trusted　she　would　try　to　run　on　board　for



protection。







〃All　was　still　around　Davidson。　　Whether　she　had　run　on　board　or



not；　this　silence　meant　that　the　Frenchman　had　lost　her　in　the



dark。







〃Davidson；　relieved；　but　still　very　anxious；　turned　towards　the



river…side。　　He　had　not　made　two　steps　in　that　direction　when



another　shriek　burst　out　behind　him；　again　close　to　the　house。







〃He　thinks　that　the　Frenchman　had　lost　sight　of　the　poor　woman



right　enough。　　Then　came　that　period　of　silence。　　But　the　horrible



ruffian　had　not　given　up　his　murderous　purpose。　　He　reasoned　that



she　would　try　to　steal　back　to　her　child；　and　went　to　lie　in　wait



for　her　near　the　house。







〃It　must　have　been　something　like　that。　　As　she　entered　the　light



falling　about　the　house…ladder；　he　had　rushed　at　her　too　soon；



impatient　for　vengeance。　　She　had　let　out　that　second　scream　of



mortal　fear　when　she　caught　sight　of　him；　and　turned　to　run　for



life　again。







〃This　time　she　was　making　for　the　river；　but　not　in　a　straight



line。　　Her　shrieks　circled　about　Davidson。　　He　turned　on　his　heels；



following　the　horrible　trail　of　sound　in　the　darkness。　　He　wanted



to　shout　'This　way；　Anne！　　I　am　here！'　but　he　couldn't。　　At　the



horror　of　this　chase；　more　ghastly　in　his　imagination　than　if　he



could　have　seen　it；　the　perspiration　broke　out　on　his　forehead；



while　his　throat　was　as　dry　as　tinder。　　A　last　supreme　scream　was



cut　short　suddenly。







〃The　silence　which　ensued　was　even　more　dreadful。　　Davidson　felt



sick。　　He　tore　his　feet　from　the　spot　and　walked　straight　before



him；　gripping　the　revolver　and　peering　into　the　obscurity



fearfully。　　Suddenly　a　bulky　shape　sprang　from　the　ground　within　a



few　yards　of　him　and　bounded　away。　　Instinctively　he　fired　at　it；



started　to　run　in　pursuit；　and　stumbled　against　something　soft



which　threw　him　down　headlong。







〃Even　as　he　pitched　forward　on　his　head　he　knew　it　could　be　nothing



else　but　Laughing　Anne's　body。　　He　picked　himself　up　and；　remaining



on　his　knees；　tried　to　lift　her　in　his　arms。　　He　felt　her　so　limp



that　he　gave　it　up。　　She　was　lying　on　her　face；　her　long　hair



scattered　on　the　ground。　　Some　of　it　was　wet。　　Davidson；　feeling



about　her　head；　came　to　a　place　where　the　crushed　bone　gave　way



under　his　fingers。　　But　even　before　that　discovery　he　knew　that　she



was　dead。　　The　pursuing　Frenchman　had　flung　her　down　with　a　kick



from　behind；　and；　squatting　on　her　back；　was　battering　in　her　skull



with　the　weight　she　herself　had　fastened　to　his　stump；　when　the



totally　unexpected　Davidson　loomed　up　in　the　night　and　scared　him



away。







〃Davidson；　kneeling　by　the　side　of　that　woman　done　so　miserably　to



death；　was　overcome　by　remorse。　　She　had　died　for　him。　　His　manhood



was　as　if　stunned。　　For　the　first　time　he　felt　afraid。　　He　might



have　been　pounced　upon　in　the　dark　at　any　moment　by　the　murderer　of



Laughing　Anne。　　He　confesses　to　the　impulse　of　creeping　away　from



that　pitiful　corpse　on　his　hands　and　knees　to　the　refuge　of　the



ship。　　He　even　says　that　he　actually　began　to　do　so。　。　。







〃One　can　hardly　picture　to　oneself　Davidson　crawling　away　on　all



fours　from　the　murdered　woman　…　Davidson　unmanned　and　crushed　by



the　idea　that　she　had　died　for　him　in　a　sense。　　But　he　could　not



have　gone　very　far。　　What　stopped　him　was　the　thought　of　the　boy；



Laughing　Anne's　child；　that　（Davidson　remembered　her　very　words）



would　not　have　a　dog's　chance。







〃This　life　the　woman　had　left　behind　her　appeared　to　Davidson's



conscience　in　the　light　of　a　sacred　trust。　　He　assumed　an　erect



attitude　and；　quaking　inwardly　still；　turned　about　and　walked



towards　the　house。







〃For　all　his　tremors　he　was　very　determined；　but　that　smashed　skull



had　affected　his　imagination；　and　he　felt　very　defenceless　in　the



darkness；　in　which　he　seemed　to　hear　faintly　now　here；　now　there；



the　prowling　footsteps　of　the　murderer　without　hands。　　But　he　never



faltered　in　his　purpose。　　He　got　away　with　the　boy　safely　after



all。　　The　house　he　found　empty。　　A　profound　silence　encompassed　him



all　the　time；　except　once；　just　as　he　got　down　the　ladder　with　Tony



in　his　arms；　when　a　faint　groan　reached　his　ears。　　It　seemed　to



come　from　the　pitch…black　space　between　the　posts　on　which　the



house　was　built；　but　he　did　not　stop　to　investigate。







〃It's　no　use　telling　you　in　detail　how　Davidson　got　on　board　with



the　burden　Anne's　miserably　cruel　fate　had　thrust　into　his　arms；



how　next　morning　his　scared　crew；　after　observing　from　a　distance



the　state　of　affairs　on　board；　rejoined　with　alacrity；　how　Davidson



went　ashore　and；　aided　by　his　engineer　（still　half　dead　with



fright）；　rolled　up　Laughing　Anne's　body　in　a　cotton　sheet　and



brought　it　on　board　for　burial　at　sea　later。　　While　busy　with　this



pious　task；　Davidson；　glancing　about；　perceived　a　huge　heap　of



white　clothes　huddled　up　against　the　corner…post　of　the　house。



That　it　was　the　Frenchman　lying　there　he　could　not　doubt。　　Taking



it　in　connection　with　the　dismal　groan　he　had　heard　in　the　night；



Davidson　is　pretty　sure　that　his　random　shot　gave　a　mortal　hurt　to



the　murderer　of　poor　Anne。







〃As　to　the　others；　Davidson　never　set　eyes　on　a　single　one　of　them。



Whether　they　had　concealed　themselves　in　the　scared　settlement；　or



bolted　into　the　forest；　or　were　hiding　on　board　Niclaus's　prau；



which　could　be　seen　lying　on　the　mud　a　hundred　yards　or　so　higher



up　the　creek；　the　fact　is　that　they　vanished；　and　Davidson　did　not



trouble　his　head　about　them。　　He　lost　no　time　in　getting　out　of　the



creek　directly　the　Sissie　floated。　　After　steaming　some　twenty



miles　clear　of　the　coast；　he　（in　his　own　words）　'committed　the　body



to　the　deep。'　　He　did　everything　himself。　　He　weighted　her　down



with　a　few　fire…bars；　he　read　the　service；　he　lifted　the　plank；　he



was　the　only　mourner。　　And　while　he　was　rendering　these　last



services　to　the　dead；　the　desolation　of　that　life　and　the　atrocious



wretchedness　of　its　end　cried　aloud　to　his　compassion；　whispered　to



him　in　tones　of　self…reproach。







〃He　ought　to　have　handled　the　warning　she　had　given　him　in　another



way。　　He　was　convinced　now　that　a　simple　display　of　watchfulness



would　have　been　enough　to　restrain　that　vile　and　cowardly　crew。



But　the　fact　was　that　he　had　not　quite　believed　that　anything　would



be　attempted。







〃The　body　of　Laughing　Anne　having　been　'committed　to　the　deep'　some



twenty　miles　S。S。W。　from　Cape　Selatan；　the　task　before　Davidson　was



to　commit　Laughing　Anne's　child　to　the　care　of　his　wife。　　And　there



poor；　good　Davidson　made　a　fatal　move。　　He　didn't　want　to　tell　her



the　whole　awful　story；　since　it　involved　the　knowledge　of　the



danger　from　which　he；　Davidson；　had　escaped。　　And　this；　too；　after



he　had　been　laughing　at　her　unreasonable　fears　only　a　short　time



before。







〃'I　thought　that　if　I　told　her