by shore and sedge(沙滩和苔草旁)-第22章
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！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！
that'll make his fortun'；' sez Ifor I wasn't goin' to give yer away； don't ye
see。 'He had some business to talk to you about the ship；' sez she； lookin' at
me under the corner of her pocket handkerchief。 'Lots o' business；' sez I。
'Then I reckon he don't care to hev me write to him；' sez she。 'Not a bit；'
sez I； 'he wouldn't answer ye if ye did。 Ye'll never hear from that chap
agin。'〃
〃But what the devil〃 interrupted the young man impetuously。
〃Keep yer hair on！〃 remonstrated the old man with dark intelligence。
〃Ef you'd seen the way she flounced into her stateroom！she； Rosey； ez
allus moves ez softly ez a spirityou'd hev wished I'd hev unloaded a little
more。 No sir； gals is gals in some things all the time。〃
Renshaw rose and paced the room rapidly。 〃Perhaps I'd better speak to
her again before she goes；〃 he said； impulsively。
〃P'r'aps you'd better not；〃 replied the imperturbable Nott。
Irritated as he was； Renshaw could not avoid the reflection that the old
man was right。 What； indeed； could he say to her with his present
imperfect knowledge？ How could she write to him if that knowledge was
correct？
〃Ef；〃 said Nott； kindly； with a laying on of large benedictory and
paternal hands； 〃ef yer are willin' to see Rosey agin； without SPEAKIN' to
her； I reckon I ken fix it for yer。 I'm goin' to take her down to the boat in
half an hour。 Ef yer should happenmind； ef yer should HAPPEN to be
89
… Page 90…
BY SHORE AND SEDGE
down there； seein' some friends off and sorter promenadin' up and down
the wharf like them high…toned chaps on Montgomery Streetye might
ketch her eye unconscious like。 Or； ye might do this！〃 He rose after a
moment's cogitation and with a face of profound mystery opened the door
and beckoned Renshaw to follow him。 Leading the way cautiously； he
brought the young man into an open unpartitioned recess beside her
stateroom。 It seemed to be used as a storeroom； and Renshaw's eye was
caught by a trunk the size and shape of the one that had provided Rosey
with the materials of her masquerade。 Pointing to it Mr。 Nott said in a
grave whisper： 〃This yer trunk is the companion trunk to Rosey's。 SHE'S
got the things them opery women wears； this yer contains the HE things；
the duds and fixin's o' the men o' the same stripe。〃 Throwing it open he
continued： 〃Now； Mr。 Renshaw； gals is gals； it's nat'ral they should be took
by fancy dress and store clothes on young chaps as on theirselves。 That
man Ferrers hez got the dead wood on all of ye in this sort of thing； and
hez been playing； so to speak； a lone hand all along。 And ef thar's anythin'
in thar；〃 he added； lifting part of a theatrical wardrobe； 〃that you think
you'd fancyanythin' you'd like to put on when ye promenade the wharf
down yonderit's yours。 Don't ye be bashful； but help yourself。〃
It was fully a minute before Renshaw fairly grasped the old man's
meaning。 But when he didwhen the suggested spectacle of himself
arrayed a la Ferrieres； gravely promenading the wharf as a last gorgeous
appeal to the affections of Rosey； rose before his fancy； he gave way to a
fit of genuine laughter。 The nervous tension of the past few hours relaxed；
he laughed until the tears came into his eyes； he was still laughing when
the door of the cabin was suddenly opened and Rosey appeared cold and
distant on the threshold。
〃Ibeg your pardon；〃 stammered Renshaw hastily。 〃I didn't mean to
disturb youI〃
Without looking at him Rosey turned to her father。 〃I am ready；〃 she
said coldly； and closed the door again。
A glance of artful intelligence came into Nott's eyes； which had
remained blankly staring at Renshaw's apparently causeless hilarity。
Turning to him he winked solemnly。 〃That keerless kind o' hoss…laff jist
90
… Page 91…
BY SHORE AND SEDGE
fetched her；〃 he whispered； and vanished before his chagrined companion
could reply。
When Mr。 Nott and his daughter departed Renshaw was not in the ship；
neither did he make a spectacular appearance on the wharf as Mr。 Nott had
fondly expected； nor did he turn up again until after nine o'clock； when he
found the old man in the cabin awaiting his return with some agitation。
〃A minit ago；〃 he said； mysteriously closing the door behind Renshaw；
〃I heard a voice in the passage； and goin' out who should I see agin but
that darned furrin nigger ez I told yer 'bout； kinder hidin' in the dark； his
eyes shinin like a catamount； I was jist reachin' for my weppins when he
riz up with a grin and handed me this yer letter。 I told him I reckoned
you'd gone to Sacramento； but he said he wez sure you was in your room；
and to prove it I went thar。 But when I kem back the dd skunk had
vamoosedgot frightened I reckonand wasn't nowhar to be seen。〃
Reashaw took the letter hastily。 It contained only a line in Sleight's
hand。 〃If you change your mind； the bearer may be of service to you。〃
He turned abruptly to Nott。 〃You say it was the same Lascar you saw
before。〃
〃It was。〃
〃Then all I can say is he is no agent of de Ferrieres's；〃 said Renshaw；
turning away with a disappointed air。 Mr。 Nott would have asked another
question； but with an abrupt 〃Good…night〃 the young man entered his
room； locked the door； and threw himself on his bed to reflect without
interruption。
But if he was in no mood to stand Nott's fatuous conjectures； he was
less inclined to be satisfied with his own。 Had he been again carried away
through his impulses evoked by the caprices of a pretty coquette and the
absurd theories of her half imbecile father？ Had he broken faith with
Sleight and remained in the ship for nothing； and would not his change of
resolution appear to be the result of Sleight's note？ But why had the Lascar
been haunting the ship before？ In the midst of these conjectures he fell
asleep。
91
… Page 92…
BY SHORE AND SEDGE
VII
Between three and four in the morning the clouds broke over the
Pontiac； and the moon； riding high； picked out in black and silver the long
hulk that lay cradled between the iron shells of warehouses and the
wooden frames of tenements on either side。 The galley and covered
gangway presented a mass of undefined shadow； against which the white
deck shone brightly； stretching to the forecastle and bows； where the tiny
glass roof of the photographer glistened like a gem in the Pontiac's crest。
So peaceful and motionless she lay that she might have been some
petrifaction of a past age now first exhumed and laid bare to the cold light
of the stars。
Nevertheless this calm security was presently invaded by a sense of
stealthy life and motion。 What had seemed a fixed shadow suddenly
detached itself from the deck； and began to slip stanchion by stanchion
along the bulwarks toward the companion way。 At the cabin door it halted
and crouched motionless。 Then rising； it glided forward with the same
staccato movement until opposite the slight elevation of the forehatch。
Suddenly it darted to the hatch； unfastened and lifted it with a swift；
familiar dexterity； and disappeared in the opening。 But as the moon shone
upon its vanishing face； it revealed the whitening eyes and teeth of the
Lascar seaman。
Dropping to the lower deck lightly； he felt his way through the dark
passage between the partitions； evidently less familiar to him； halting
before each door to listen。 Returning forward he reached the second
hatchway that had attracted Rosey's attention； and noiselessly unclosed its
fastenings。 A penetrating smell of bilge arose from the opening。 Drawing a
small bull's…eye lantern from his breast he lit it； and unhesitatingly let
himself down to the further depth。 The moving flash of his light revealed
the recesses of the upper hold； the abyss of the well amidships； and
glanced from the shining backs of moving zig…zags of rats that seemed to
outline the shadowy beams and transoms。 Disregarding those curious
spectators of his movements； he turned his attention eagerly to the inner
casings of the hold； that seemed in one spot to have been strengthened by
92
… Page 93…
BY SHORE AND SEDGE
fresh timbers。 Attacking this stealthily with the aid of some tools hidden in
his oil…skin clothing； in the light of the lantern he bore a fanciful
resemblance to the predatory animals around him。 The low continuous
sound of rasping and gnawing of timber which followed heightened the
resemblance。 At the end of a few minutes he had succeeded in removing
enough of the outer planking to show that the entire filling of the casing
between the stanchions was composed of small boxes。 Dragging out one
of them with feverish eagerness to the light； the Lascar forced it open。 In
the rays of the bull's… eye； a wedged mass of discolored coins showed with
a lurid glow。 The story of the Pontiac was truethe treasure was there！
But Mr。 Sleight had overlooked the logical effect of this discovery on
the natural villainy of his tool。 In the very moment of his triumphant
execution of his patron's suggestions the idea of keeping the treasure to
himself flashed upon his mind。 HE had discovered itwhy should he give
it up to anybody？ HE had run all the risks； if he were detected at that
moment； who would believe that his purpose there at midnight was only to
satisfy some one else that the treasure was still intact？
