登陆注册
19484600000036

第36章

But as George and the Rev.Mr.Calthrop lifted the box to their shoulders, Cleggett was startled by a loud and violent oath; a veritable bellow of blasphemy that made him shudder.Turning, he saw than an automobile had paused in the road.In the forward part of the machine stood Loge, raving in an almost demoniac fury and pointing at the box.He writhed in the grip of three men who endeavored to restrain him.One of them was the sinister Pierre.

Hoisting himself, as it were, on a mounting billow of his own profanity, Loge cast himself with a wide swimming motion of his arms from the auto.But one of the men clung to him; they came to the ground together like tackler and tackled in a football game.The others cast themselves out of the machine and flung themselves upon their leader; he fought like a lion, but he was finally overpowered and thrown back into the auto, which was immediately started up and which made off towards Fairport at a rattling speed.Three hundred yards away, however, Loge rose again and shook a furious fist at the Jasper B., and though Cleggett could not distinguish the words, the sense of Loge's impotent rage rolled towards him on the wind in a roaring, vibrant bass.

The sight of the box that he had not been able to buy, in Cleggett's possession, had stirred him beyond all caution; he had actually contemplated an attempt to rush the Jasper B.in broad daylight.

But while this queer tableau of baffled rage was enacting itself on the starboard bow of the Jasper B., a no less strange and far less explicable thing was occurring on the port side.The swish of oars and the ripple of a moving boat drew Cleggett's attention in that direction as Loge's booming threats grew fainter.He saw that two oarsmen, near the easternand farther side of the canal, had allowed the dainty, varnished little craft they were supposed to propel to come to a rest in spite of the evident displeasure of a man who sat in its stern.This third man was the same that Cleggett had seen on the deck of the Annabel Lee with a spy glass, and again that same morning driving the two almost nude figures up and down the canal.

The two oarsmen, Cleggett saw with surprise, rowed with shackled feet; their feet were, indeed, chained to the boat itself.About the wrists of each were steel bands; fixed to these bands were chains, the other ends of which were locked to their oars.They were, in effect, galley slaves.

All this iron somewhat hampered their movements.But the reason of their pause was an engrossing interest in the box of Reginald Maltravers, which stood, as has already been said, on the port side of the cabin, on one end, and so was visible from their boat.They were looking at it with slack oars, dropped jaws and starting eyes; the thing seemed to have fascinated them and bereft them of motion; it was as if they were unable to get past it at all.Elmer, worn out by his many long vigils, lay asleep on the deck at the foot of the box, with an arm flung over his face.

The stout man, after vainly endeavoring to start his oarsmen with words, took up an extra oar and began vigorously prodding them with it.Cleggett had not seen this man look towards the Jasper B., but he nevertheless had the feeling that the man had missed little of what had been going on there.He seemed to be that kind of man.

His crew responding to the stabs of the oar, the little vessel went perhaps fifty yards farther up the canal towards Parker's, and then swung daintily around and came back towards the Jasper B.at almost the speed of a racing shell, the men in chains bending doggedly to their work.Cleggett saw that the boat must pass close to the Jasper B., and leaned over the port rail.

The man in the stern had picked up a magazine and was lolling back reading it.As the boat passed under him Cleggett saw on the cover page of the magazine a picture of the very man who was perusing it.It was asingularly urbane face; both the counterfeit presentment on the cover page and the real face were smiling and calm and benign.Cleggett could read the legend on the magazine cover accompanying the picture.It ran:

Wilton Barnstable Tells In this Issue the Inside Storyof How he Broke up the Gigantic Smuggling Conspiracy.

At that instant the man dropped the magazine and looked Cleggett full in the face.He waved his arm in a meaning gesture in the direction in which Loge had disappeared and said, with a gentle shake of his head at Cleggett, as if he were chiding a naughty child:

"When thieves fall out--!When thieves fall out, my dear sir!"As he swept by he resumed his magazine with the pleased air of a man who has delivered himself of a brilliant epigram; it showed in his very shoulders.

"And that," murmured Cleggett, "is Wilton Barnstable, the great detective!"

同类推荐
  • 月令

    月令

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 两晋演义

    两晋演义

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。
  • 金锁玉关

    金锁玉关

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。
  • 秘传外科方

    秘传外科方

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。
  • 诸星母陀罗尼经

    诸星母陀罗尼经

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。
热门推荐
  • 天台法华疏

    天台法华疏

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 雪又白

    雪又白

    本书作者为中国金融作协会员、陕西省作协会员、陕西省金融作协副主席,诗人生长于新疆伊犁,那里天山飘雪;工作于陕西西安,那里古城厚重。本诗集收录了作者多年的精品诗,分作十章,有亲情爱情的热烈忠贞,有历史名胜的独到感悟,有节日节气的回顾畅想,有古城生活的细腻感触,有原生作物的诗意升华,有故乡亲人的深刻思念,有佛家性情的顿然开悟,有大道众生的高度关怀,更有着对雪花飞白的终极诉说。雪花轻灵纯澈打开诗人的诗眼,北疆伟岸巍峨铸就诗人的诗魂。雪又白,飞白流韵,贯穿全集,诗意人生,人生诗意,本诗集实为现代诗之佳品,应共诗意人来品鉴。
  • 党旗飘扬 航道辉煌

    党旗飘扬 航道辉煌

    本书将全国航道系统党建方面的工作论文集结成册,为四大部分组织:一是党的思想建设,二是党的组织建设,三是党的文化建设,四是党的廉政建设。尤其是对新的形势下,党的文化建设和党的廉政建设部分。论述较多,意在让全国航道系统广大干部职工增强党建工作的紧迫感和积极性,也提出了新时期党建的思政和对策。
  • 都市男女

    都市男女

    多年在国外打拼的张少杰,牵涉到一个偶然的事件,认识了龙朔政府和军方高层领导人。秘密回国后本想过段安安稳稳的日子,但事与愿违,融入军界,误入仕途,与黑社会斗狠,与世界强敌斗智斗勇.....
  • 直冲九霄

    直冲九霄

    身负血仇,大风国废物储君风萤濒死不肯死,执念如火,终于唤醒体内一道神秘存在。从此,逆天改命!一恨天将夜,一怒八荒灭,道轮炼则苍穹变,饕餮噬则日月陷!——————“一别五年,大风城,我风萤,终于回来了!天将夜了,你们,做好准备了吗?”风萤盘腿坐于峰巅,居高临下睥睨远处那座雄伟大城,又抬眸向天,目光锐利如万剑迸射,破开云层,直冲九霄,“这片天地,终究是困不住我的!”——————本书看点:设定新颖,感情细腻,不虐主,不花瓶,热血,爽快。【起点一组A签】新人新书,请多关照!求收藏推荐!
  • 美人家

    美人家

    一个垂暮的老人躺在藤椅上依稀的说着“记住冰儿,不要相信任何男人,越是有钱有势又要有相貌的男人,越不能相信,他们都不是好东西!”“什么相信不相信?你为什么知道我叫冰儿?”老人家的样貌越来越远去,“喂,老人家!你等一下!”然而老人的样貌却依然淡化远去豁的从床上坐起来,一头的冷汗。每一天都在做着这样的梦,真是可烦。抬头看了下表,啊!下午3点了,都已经跟小樱约好的又要迟到了!我,叫齐麟。有着一头乌黑亮丽长及膝盖的头发,曼妙的身姿犹如翩翩起舞的天鹅,细瓷一样的脸上有着一双乌溜溜的大眼睛。不过,大家都爱称我为冰儿,道理在简单不过了,冰美人嘛!不过,这是我猜的。嘻嘻……
  • 鸾媓来仪

    鸾媓来仪

    一朝,墨青青穿越到古代成了皇帝!一次,墨青青选太傅选了一个爱和他对着干的慕容默!去沧州一趟,还被这个腹黑太傅知道了自己是女儿身!墨青青:这日子还怎么过?这皇帝还怎么当?
  • 我的生命里有过你

    我的生命里有过你

    原在国外求学,一夜醒来突闻双亲死讯。难忍失去至亲之痛的同时,那继承父亲全部财产的叔叔引起她的怀疑。当凤凰变山鸡的她对上家财万贯的董事叔叔。她节节败退,失去好友,失去贞洁,失去自己的亲生骨肉。她一一隐忍,将所有的痛恨埋在心底,寻找任何方法接近他,当她越来越接近真相时,是否真能够为双亲报仇雪恨....
  • PARADISE REGAINED

    PARADISE REGAINED

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 武破长生

    武破长生

    一个剑道天才,从沉睡万载中醒来。对于他来说万载岁月不过南柯一梦,但是对于万载岁月里他不过是一颗时间里的尘埃。时光荏苒,谁知昔日故人还是昔日敌人呢,万千大道,唯人心难测。峥嵘岁月,是随波逐流,还是逆流直上,三尺剑芒追风逐月,长路漫漫,唯剑作伴。新书求支持,那怕点滴累积,都是我前行的动力。