the cruise of the jasper b[1].(杰斯帕·b·之游)-第22章
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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 a
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singularly 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 Story of
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！〃
CHAPTER XIII
THE SOUL OF LOGAN BLACK
Wilton Barnstable； the great detective； having witnessed Loge's
outburst of wrath； had thought it signified a quarrel between thieves； as his
words to Cleggett indicated。 He had thought Cleggett a crook； and
Loge's ally。
Loge； on the other hand； had thought Cleggett a detective。 He had
addressed him as 〃Mr。 Detective〃 that morning at Morris's。 Loge
believed the Jasper B。 and the Annabel Lee to be allied against him。
Whereas Cleggett； until he had recognized Wilton Barnstable in the
boat； had thought it likely that the Annabel Lee and Morris's were allied
against the Jasper B。
Now that Cleggett knew the commander of the Annabel Lee to be
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Wilton Barnstable； his first impulse was to go to the Great Detective and
invite his cooperation against Loge and the gang at Morris's。 But almost
instantly he reflected that he could not do this。 For there was the box of
Reginald Maltravers！ Indeed； how did he know that it was not the box of
Reginald Maltravers which had brought the Great Detective to that
vicinity？ This manof world…wide fame； and reputed to possess an
almost miraculous instinct in the unraveling of criminal mysteriesmight
be even now on the trail of Lady Agatha。 If so； he was Cleggett's enemy。
When it came to a choice between the championship of Lady Agatha and
the defiance of Wilton Barnstable； and all that he represented； Cleggett did
not hesitate for an instant。
There were still some aspects of the situation in which he found
himself that were as puzzling as ever to Cleggett。 It is true that he now
knew why Loge's men had been in the hold of the vessel； they had been
there； no doubt； in an attempt to get possession of the oblong； unpainted
box which had caused Loge's explosion of wrath； the box which was the
real thing Loge had tried to buy from Cleggett when he dickered for the
purchase of the Jasper B。 But why this box should have been in the hold
of the vessel； Cleggett could not understand。 And how Loge's men had
been able to get into and out of the hold without his knowledge still
perplexed him。
The motive behind the attempt to dynamite the vessel was clear。
Having failed to purchase it； having failed to recover the box from it； Loge
had sought to destroy it with all on board。 But the strange character of
this explosion still defied his powers of analysis。 And then there was the
tenth Earl of Claiborne's signet ring on the dead hand。 Beyond the fact that
it was a circumstance which connected his fortunes with those of Lady
Agatha； he could make nothing at all of the signet ring。 What； he asked
himself again and again； was the connection of the criminal gang at
Morris's with the proudest Earl in England？
Loge himself was a puzzle to Cleggett。 The man was a counterfeiter。
That he knew。 The 〃queer〃 twenty…dollar bill； which he had practically
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acknowledged； left no doubt of that。 But he was more than a
counterfeiter。 Cleggett believed him to be also an anarchist。 At least he
was associated with anarchists。
But counterfeiting and anarchy are not ordinarily found together。 The
anarchist is not a criminal in the more sordid sense。 He is the enemy of
society as at present organized。 He considers society to be built on a
thieving basis； he is not himself a thief。 He scorns and hates society；
wishes to see it overturned； and believes himself superior to it。 He will
commit the most savage atrocities for the cause and cheerfully die for his
principles。 The anarchist is not a crook。 He is an idealist。
Convinced that the unpainted oblong box would furnish a clew to the
man's real personality； Cleggett； assisted by Lady Agatha and Dr。
Farnsworth； opened it in the cabin。
They first took out a number of plates； some broken； some intact； for
the manufacture of counterfeit notes of various denominations。 There
was some of the fibrous paper used in this process。 There was a quantity
of the apparatus essential to engraving the plates。 This stuff more than
half filled the box。 Then there were a number of books。
〃Elementary textbooks；〃 said Dr。 Farnsworth； glancing at them。 On
the flyleaf of one of them was written in a bold； firm hand： 〃Logan
Black。〃
〃Logeor Logan Black；〃 said Dr。 Farnsworth； 〃has been giving
himself an education in the manufacture of high explosives。〃
〃But THESE aren't textbooks；〃 said Lady Agatha； who had pulled out
three long； narrow volumes from the pile。 〃They're in manuscript； and
they look more like account books。〃
The first of them； in Loge's handwriting； contained a series of notes；
mostly unintelligible to Cleggett； dealing with experiments in two sorts of
manufacture： first； the preparation of counterfeit money； second； the
production of dynamite bombs。
The second of the manuscript books was in cipher。 Cleggett might
have deciphered it without assistance； for he was skilled in these matters；
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but the labor was not necessary。 The book was for Loge's own eye。 A
loose sheet of paper folded between the leaves gave the key。
The book showed that Loge had been employed as an expert operator；
in the pay of a certain radical organization； to pull off dynamiting jobs in
various parts of the country。 This was his account book with the
organization。 He had done his work and taken his pay as methodically as
a plumber might。 And he had been paid well。 Cleggett guessed that
Loge was not particularly interested in the work in its relationship to the
revolutionary cause； it was the money to be made in this way； and not any
particular sympathy with his employers； which attracted Loge； so Cleggett
divined。 Cleggett was astonished at the number of jobs which Loge had
engineered。 The book threw light on mysterious explosions which had
occurred throughout a period of five years。
But it was the third manuscript book which displayed the real Logan
Black。
This was also in cipher。 Dr。 Farnsworth and Cleggett had translated
but a few lines of it when they perceived that it was a diary。 With a
vanity almost inconceivable to those who have not reflected upon the
criminal nature； Loge had written here the tale of his own life； for his own
reading。 He had written it in loving detail。 It was； in fact； the book in
which he looked when he wished to admire himself。
〃It is odd；〃 said Cleggett； 〃that so clever a man should write down his
own story in this way。〃
〃This book；〃 said Farnsworth； 〃would be a boon to a psychologist
interested in criminology。 You say it is odd。 But with a certain type of
criminal； it is almost usual。 The human soul is full of strange impulses。
One of the strangest is towards just this sort of record。 Cunning； and the
vanity which destroys cunning； often exist side by side。 The criminal of
a certain type almost worships himself； he is profoundly impressed with
his own cleverness。 He is a braggart； he swaggers； he defeats himself。 A
strange idiocy mingles with his cleverness。〃
〃Even people who are not criminals do just that sort of thing；〃 said
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Lady Agatha。 〃Look at Samuel Pepys。 He was one of the most timid of
beings。 And he valued his place in the world mightily。 But he wrote
down the story of his own disgrace in his diaryit had to come out of him！
And then； timid and cautious as he was； he did not destroy the book！ He
let it get out of his possession。〃
It was an evil； a monstrous personality which leered out of Logan
Black's diary。 Boastful of his own iniquity； swaggering in his wickedness；
fatuous with self…love； he recount
