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the cruise of the jasper b.-第20章

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ship。〃



But Cleggett's nature was too lively and vigorous to remain

clouded for long。  By the time the red disk of the sun had crept

above the eastern horizon he had shaken off his fit of the blues。



The sun looked large and bland and friendly; and; somehow; the

partisan of integrity and honor。  He drew strength from it。 

Cleggett; like all poetic souls; was responsive to these familiar

recurrent phenomena of nature。



The sun did him another office。  It showed him a peculiar tableau

vivant on the eastern bank of the canal; near the house boat

Annabel Lee。  This consisted of three men; two of them naked

except for bathing trunks of the most abbreviated sort; running

swiftly and earnestly up and down the edge of the canal。  He saw

with astonishment that the two men in bathing suits were

handcuffed together; the left wrist of one to the right wrist of

the other。  A rope was tied to the handcuffs; and the other end

of it was held by the third man; who was dressed in ordinary

tweeds。  The third man had a magazine rifle over one shoulder。 

He followed about twenty feet behind the two men in bathing suits

and drove them。



Cleggett perceived that the man who was doing the driving was the

same who had watched the Jasper B。 so persistently the day before

from the deck of the Annabel Lee。  He was middle…sized; and

inclined to be stout; and yet he followed his strange team with

no apparent effort。  Cleggett saw through the glass that he had a

rather heavy black mustache; and was again struck by something

vaguely familiar about him。  The two men in bathing suits were

slender and undersized; they did not look at all like athletes;

and although they moved as fast as they could it was apparent

that they got no pleasure out of it。  They ran with their heads

hanging down; and it seemed to Cleggett that they were quarreling

as they ran; for occasionally one of them would give a vicious

jerk to the handcuffs that would almost upset the other; and that

must have hurt the wrists of both of them。



As Cleggett watched; the driver pulled them up short; and waved

them towards the canal。  They stopped; and it was apparent that

they were balking and expostulating。  But the driver was

inexorable。 He went near to them and threatened their bare backs

with the slack of the rope。  Gingerly and shiveringly they

stepped into the cold water; while the driver stood on the bank。 

The water was up to their waists and he had to threaten them

again with his rope before they would duck their heads under。



When he allowed them on shore again they needed no urging; it was

evident; to make them hit up a good rate of speed; and back and

forth along the bank they sprinted。  But the cold bath had not

improved their temper; for suddenly one of them leaped and kicked

sidewise at the other; with the result that both toppled to the

ground。  The stout man was upon them in an instant; hazing them

with the rope end。  He drove them; still lashing out at each

other with their bare feet; into the water again; and after a

more prolonged ducking whipped them; at a plunging gallop; upon

the Annabel Lee; where they disappeared from Cleggett's view。



While Cleggett was still wondering what significance could

underlie this unusual form of matutinal exercise; Dr。 Farnsworth

came out of the forecastle and beckoned to him。  The young Doctor

had a red Vandyck beard sedulously cultivated in the belief that

it would make him look older and inspire the confidence of

patients; and a shock of dark red hair which he rumpled

vigorously when he was thinking。  He was rumpling it now。



〃Who's 'Loge'?〃 he demanded。



〃Loge?〃 repeated Cleggett。



〃You don't know anyone named 'Loge;' or Logan?〃



〃No。 Why?〃



〃Whoever he is; 'Loge' is very much on the mind of our young

friend in there;〃 said Farnsworth; with a movement of his head

towards the forecastle。  〃And I wouldn't be surprised; to judge

from the boy's delirium; if 'Loge' had something to do with all

the hell that's been raised around your ship。  Come in and listen

to this fellow。〃



Miss Medley; the nurse; was sitting beside the wounded youth's

bunk; endeavoring to soothe and restrain him。  The young

anarchist; whose eyes were bright with fever; was talking rapidly

in a weak but high…pitched singsong voice。



〃He's off on the poems again;〃 said the Doctor; after listening a

moment。  〃But wait; he'll get back to Loge。  It's been one or the

other for an hour now。〃



〃I spit upon your flag;〃 shrilled Giuseppe Jones; feebly

declamatory。  〃'I spitI spitbut; as I spit; I weep。'〃  He

paused for a moment; and then began at the beginning and repeated

all of the lines which Cleggett had read from the little book。 

One gathered that it was Giuseppe's favorite poem。



〃'I spit upon the whole damned thing!'〃 he shrilled; and then

with a sad shake of his head: 〃But; as I spit; I weep!〃



If the poem was Giuseppe's favorite poem; this was evidently his

favorite line; for he said it over and over again〃'But; as I

spit; I weep'〃in a breathless babble that was very wearing on

the nerves。



But suddenly he interrupted himself; the poems seemed to pass

from his mind。  〃Loge!〃 he said; raising himself on his elbow and

staring; with a frown not at; but through; Cleggett:  〃Loganit

isn't square!〃



There was suffering and perplexity in his gaze; he was evidently

living over again some painful scene。



〃I'm a revolutionist; Loge; not a crook!  I won't do it; Loge!〃



Watching him; it was impossible not to understand that the

struggle; which his delirium made real and present again; had

stamped itself into the texture of his spirit。  〃You shouldn't

ask it; Loge;〃 he said。  The crisis of the conflict which he was 

living over passed presently; and he murmured; with contracted

brows; and as if talking to himself: 〃Is Loge a crook?  A crook?〃



But after a moment of this he returned again to a rapid

repetition of the phrase:  〃I'm a revolutionist; not a crook…not

a crooknot a crooka revolutionist; not a crook; Loge; not a

crook〃  Once he varied it; crying with a quick; hot scorn: 

〃I'll cut their throats and be damned to them; but don't ask me

to steal。〃  And then he was off again to declaiming his poetry: 

〃I spit; but; as I spit; I weep!〃



But as Cleggett and the Doctor listened to him the youth's

ravings suddenly took a new form。  He ceased to babble; terror

expanded the pupils of his eyes and he pointed at vacancy with a

shaking finger。  〃Stop it!〃 he cried in a croaking whisper。 〃Stop

it!  It's his skullit's Loge's skull come alive。  Stop it; I

say; it's come alive and getting bigger。〃  With a violent effort

he raised himself before the nurse could prevent him; shrinking

back from the horrid hallucination which pressed towards him; and

then fell prone and senseless on the bunk。



〃God!his wounds!〃 cried the Doctor; starting forward。  As

Farnsworth had feared; they had broke
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