the amateur cracksman-第26章

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Raffles　was　on　the　rail；　but　only　just。

〃Hold　him；　Bunny！〃　he　cried。　　〃Hold　him　tight！〃

And；　as　I　obeyed　that　last　behest　with　all　my　might；　without　a　thought　of　what　I　was　doing；　save　that　he　bade　me　do　it；　I　saw　his　hands　shoot　up　and　his　head　bob　down；　and　his　lithe；　spare　body　cut　the　sunset　as　cleanly　and　precisely　as　though　he　had　plunged　at　his　leisure　from　a　diver's　board！

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Of　what　followed　on　deck　I　can　tell　you　nothing；　for　I　was　not　there。　　Nor　can　my　final　punishment；　my　long　imprisonment；　my　everlasting　disgrace；　concern　or　profit　you；　beyond　the　interest　and　advantage　to　be　gleaned　from　the　knowledge　that　I　at　least　had　my　deserts。　　But　one　thing　I　must　set　down；　believe　it　who　willone　more　thing　only　and　I　am　done。

It　was　into　a　second…class　cabin；　on　the　starboard　side；　that　I　was　promptly　thrust　in　irons；　and　the　door　locked　upon　me　as　though　I　were　another　Raffles。　　Meanwhile　a　boat　was　lowered；　and　the　sea　scoured　to　no　purpose；　as　is　doubtless　on　record　elsewhere。　　But　either　the　setting　sun；　flashing　over　the　waves；　must　have　blinded　all　eyes；　or　else　mine　were　victims　of　a　strange　illusion。

For　the　boat　was　back；　the　screw　throbbing；　and　the　prisoner　peering　through　his　porthole　across　the　sunlit　waters　that　he　believed　had　closed　for　ever　over　his　comrade's　head。　　Suddenly　the　sun　sank　behind　the　Island　of　Elba；　the　lane　of　dancing　sunlight　was　instantaneously　quenched　and　swallowed　in　the　trackless　waste；　and　in　the　middle　distance；　already　miles　astern；　either　my　sight　deceived　me　or　a　black　speck　bobbed　amid　the　gray。　The　bugle　had　blown　for　dinner：　it　may　well　be　that　all　save　myself　had　ceased　to　strain　an　eye。　And　now　I　lost　what　I　had　found；　now　it　rose；　now　sank；　and　now　I　gave　it　up　utterly。　　Yet　anon　it　would　rise　again；　a　mere　mote　dancing　in　the　dim　gray　distance；　drifting　towards　a　purple　island；　beneath　a　fading　western　sky；　streaked　with　dead　gold　and　cerise。　　And　night　fell　before　I　knew　whether　it　was　a　human　head　or　not。


　　　　　　The　End