the pursuit of the house-boat-第21章

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　myself；　I　am　growing　iridescent　with　anxiety；　and　unless　I　get　off　this　infernal　furnace　I'll　disappear　like　a　soap…bubble。　　For　Heaven's　sake；　then；　General；　take　us　off；　on　your　own　terms。　　We'll　accept　anything。〃

As　if　in　confirmation　of　Kidd's　words；　six　of　the　pirate　crew　collapsed　and　disappeared　into　thin　air；　and　a　glance　at　Abeuchapeta　was　proof　enough　of　his　condition。　　He　had　become　as　clear　as　crystal；　and　had　it　not　been　for　his　rugged　outlines　he　would　hardly　have　been　visible　even　to　his　fellow…spirits。　　As　for　Kidd；　he　had　taken　on　the　aspect　of　a　rainbow；　and　it　was　patent　that　his　fears　for　himself　were　all　too　well　founded。

Bonaparte　embarked　the　leaders　of　the　band　first；　returning　subsequently　for　the　others；　and　repaired　with　them　at　once　to　the　Gehenna；　where　they　were　ushered　into　the　presence　of　Sherlock　Holmes。　　The　first　question　he　asked　was　as　to　the　whereabouts　of　the　House…boat。

〃That　we　do　not　know；〃　replied　Kidd；　mournfully；　gazing　downward　at　the　wreck　of　his　former　self。　　〃We　came　ashore；　sir；　early　yesterday　morning；　in　search　of　food。　　It　appears　that　whenacting　in　a　wholly　inexcusable　fashion；　and　influenced；　I　confess　it；　by　motives　of　revengeI　made　off　with　your　club…house；　I　neglected　to　ascertain　if　it　were　well　stocked　with　provisions；　a　fatal　error；　for　when　we　endeavored　to　get　supper　we　discovered　that　the　larder　contained　but

half　a　bottle　of　farcie　olives；　two　salted　almonds；　and　a　soda　crackernot　a　luxurious　feast　for　sixty…nine　pirates　and　a　hundred　and　eighty…three　women　to　sit　down　to。〃

〃That's　all　nonsense；〃　said　Demosthenes。　　〃The　House　Committee　had　provided　enough　supper　for　six　hundred　people；　in　anticipation　of　the　appetite　of　the　members　on　their　return　from　the　fight。〃

〃Of　course　they　did；〃　said　Confucius；　〃and　it　was　a　good　one；　too　salads；　salmon　glace；　lobstersevery　blessed　thing　a　man　can't　get　at　home　we　had；　and　what　is　more；　they'd　been　delivered　on　board。　　I　saw　to　that　before　I　went　up　the　river。〃

〃Then；〃　moaned　Kidd；　〃it　is　as　I　suspected。　　We　were　the　victims　of　base　treachery　on　the　part　of　those　women。〃

〃Treachery？　　Well；　I　like　that。　　Call　it　reciprocity；〃　said　Hamlet；　dryly。

〃We　were　informed　by　the　ladies　that　there　was　nothing　for　supper　save　the　items　I　have　already　referred　to；〃　said　Kidd。　　〃I　see　it　all　now。　　We　had　tried　to　make　them　comfortable；　and　I　put　myself　to　some　considerable　personal　inconvenience　to　make　them　easy　in　their　minds；　but　they　were　ungrateful。〃

〃Whatever　induced　you　to　take　'em　along　with　you？〃　asked　Socrates。

〃We　didn't　want　them；〃　said　Kidd。

〃We　didn't　know　they　were　on　board　until　it　was　too　late　to　turn　back。　　They'd　broken　in；　and　were　having　the　club　all　to　themselves　in　your　absence。〃

〃It　served　you　good　and　right；〃　said　Socrates；　with　a　laugh。　　〃Next　time　you　try　to　take　things　that　don't　belong　to　you；　maybe　you'll　be　a　trifle　more　careful　as　to　whose　property　you　confiscate。〃

〃But　the　House…boatyou　haven't　told　us　how　you　lost　her；〃　put　in　Raleigh；　impatiently。

〃Well；　it　was　this　way；〃　said　Kidd。　　〃When；　in　response　to　our　polite　request　for　supper；　the　ladies　said　there　was　nothing　to　eat　on　board；　something　had　to　be　done；　for　we　were　all　as　hungry　as　bears；　and　we　decided　to　go　ashore　at　the　first　port　and　provision。　Unfortunately　the　crew　got　restive；　and　when　this　floating　frying…pan　loomed　into　view；　to　keep　them　good…natured　we　decided　to　land　and　see　if　we　could　beg；　borrow；　or　steal　some　supplies。　　We　had　to。　Observations　taken　with　the　sextant　showed　that　there　was　no　port　within　five　hundred　miles；　the　island　looked　as　if　it　might　be　inhabited　at　least　by　goats；　and　ashore　we　went；　every　man　of　us；　leaving　the　House…boat　safely　anchored　in　the　harbor。　　At　first　we　didn't　mind　the　heat；　and　we　hunted　and　hunted　and　hunted；　but　after　three　or　four　hours　I　began　to　notice　that　three　of　my　sailors　were　shrivelling　up；　and　Conrad　began　to　act　as　if　he　were　daft。　　Hawkins　burst　right　before　my　eyes。　　Then　Abeuchapeta　got　prismatic　around　the　eyes　and　began　to　fade；　and　I　noticed　a　slight　iridescence　about　myself；　and　as　for　Morgan；　he　had　the　misfortune　to　lie　down　to　take　a　nap　in　the　sun；　and　when　he　waked　up；　his　whole　right　side　had　evaporated。　　Then　we　saw　what　the　trouble　was。　　We'd　struck　this　lava　island；　and　were　gradually　succumbing　to　its　intense　heat。　　We　rushed　madly　back　to　the　harbor　to　embark；　and　our　ship；　gentlemen；　and　your　House…boat；　was　slowly　but　surely　disappearing　over　the　horizon；　and　flying　from　the　flag…staff　at　the　fore　were　signals　of　farewell；　with　an　unfeeling　P。S。　below　to　this　effect：　　'DON'T　WAIT　UP　FOR　US。　　WE　MAY　NOT　BE　BACK　UNTIL　LATE。'〃

There　was　a　pause；　during　which　Socrates　laughed　quietly　to　himself；　while　Abeuchapeta　and　the　one…sided　Morgan　wept　silently。

〃That；　gentlemen　of　the　Associated　Shades；　is　all　I　know　of　the　whereabouts　of　the　House…boat；〃　continued　Captain　Kidd。　　〃I　have　no　doubt　that　the　ladies　practised　a　deception；　to　our　discomfiture；　and　I　must　say　that　I　think　it　was　exceedingly　clevergranting　that　it　was　desirable　to　be　rid　of　us；　which　I　don't；　for　we　meant　well　by　them；　and　they　would　have　enjoyed　themselves。〃

〃But；〃　cried　Hamlet；　〃may　they　not　now　be　in　peril？　　They　cannot　navigate　that　ship。〃

〃They　got　her　out　of　the　harbor　all　right；〃　said　Kidd。　　〃And　I　judged　from　the　figure　at　the　helm　that　Mrs。　Noah　had　taken　charge。　　What　kind　of　a　seaman　she　is　I　don't　know。〃

〃Almighty　bad；〃　ejaculated　Shem；　turning　pale。　　〃It　was　she　who　ran　us　ashore　on　Ararat。〃

〃Well；　wasn't　that　what　you　wanted？〃　queried　Munchausen。

〃What　we　wanted！〃　cried　Shem。　　〃Well；　I　guess　not。　　You　don't　want　your　yacht　stranded　on　a　mountain…top；　do　you？　　She　was　a　dead　loss　there；　whereas　if　mother　hadn't　been　in　such　a　hurry　to　get　ashore；　we　could　have　waited　a　month　and　landed　on　the　seaboard。〃

〃You　might　have　turned　her　into　a　summer　hotel；〃　suggested　Munchausen。

〃Well；　we　must　up　anchor　and　away；〃　said　Holmes。　　〃Our　pursuit　has　merely　begun；　apparently。　　We　must　overtake　this　vessel；　and　the　question　to　be　answered　iswhere？〃

〃That's　easy；〃　said　Artemus　Ward。　　〃From　what　Shem　says；　I　think　we'd　better　look　for　her　in　the　Himalayas。〃

〃And；　meanwhile；　what　shall　be　done　with　Kidd？〃　asked　Holmes。

〃He　ought　to　be　expelled　from　the　club；〃　said　Johnson。

〃We　can't　expel　him；　because　he's　not　a　member；〃　replied　Raleigh。

〃Then　elect　him；〃　suggested　Ward。

〃What　on　earth　for？〃　growled　Johnson。

〃So　that　we　can　expel　him；〃　said　Ward。　　And　while　Boswell's　hero　was　trying　to　get　the　value　of　this　notion　through　his　head；　the　others　repaired　to　the　deck；　and　the　Gehenna　was　soon　under　way　once　more。　Meanwhile　Captain　Kidd　and　his　fellows　were　put　in　irons　and　stowed　away　in　the　forecastle；　alongside　of　the　water…cask　in　which　Shylock　lay　in　hiding。



CHAPTER　XII：　　THE　ESCAPE　AND　THE　END



If　there　was　anxiety　on　board　of　the　Gehenna　as　to　the　condition　and　whereabouts　of　the　House…boat；　there　was　by　no　means　less　uneasiness　upon　that　vessel　itself。　　Cleopatra's　scheme　for　ridding　herself　and　her　abducted　sisters　of　the　pirates　had　worked　to　a　charm；　but；　having　worked　thus；　a　new　and　hitherto　undreamed…of　problem；　full　of　perplexities　bearing　upon　their　immediate　safety；　now　confronted　them。　　The　sole　representative　of　a　seafaring　family　on　board　was　Mrs。　Noah；　and　it　did　not　require　much　time　to　see　that　her　knowledge　as　to　navigation　was　of　an　extremely　primitive　order；　limited　indeed　to　the　science　of　floating。

When　the　last　pirate　had　disappeared　behind　the　rocks　of　Holmes　Island；　and　all　was　in　readiness　for　action；　the　good　old　lady；　who　had　hitherto　been　as　calm　and　unruffled　as　a　child；　began　to　get　red　in　the　face　and　to　bustle　about　in　a　manner　which　betrayed　considerable　perturbation　of　spirit。

〃Now；　Mrs。　Noah；〃　said　Cleopatra；　as；　peeping　out　from　the　billiard…　room　window；　she　saw　Morgan　disappearing　in　the　distance；　〃the　coast　is　clear；　and　I　resign　my　position　of　chairman　to　you。　　We　place　the　vessel　in　your　hands；　and　ourselves　subject　to　your　orders。　　You　are　in　command。　　What　do　you　wish　us　to　do？〃

〃Very　well；〃　replied　Mrs。　Noah；　putting　down　her　knitting　and　starting