the cruise of the jasper b.-第18章

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that　two　oarsmen；　near　the　eastern　and　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　a　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

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　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；　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　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　recounted　his　deeds　with

gusto　and　with　particularity。　　They　did　not　read　a　quarter　of

this　terrible　autobiography　at