the cruise of the jasper b[1].(杰斯帕·b·之游)-第22章
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eyes were bright with fever； was talking rapidly in a weak but high…pitched
singsong voice。
〃He's off on the poems again；〃 said the Doctor； after listening a
moment。 〃But wait； he'll get back to Loge。 It's been one or the other
for an hour now。〃
〃I spit upon your flag；〃 shrilled Giuseppe Jones； feebly declamatory。
〃'I spitI spitbut； as I spit； I weep。'〃 He paused for a moment； and then
began at the beginning and repeated all of the lines which Cleggett had
read from the little book。 One gathered that it was Giuseppe's favorite
poem。
〃'I spit upon the whole damned thing！'〃 he shrilled； and then with a sad
shake of his head： 〃But； as I spit； I weep！〃
If the poem was Giuseppe's favorite poem； this was evidently his
favorite line； for he said it over and over again〃'But； as I spit； I weep'〃
in a breathless babble that was very wearing on the nerves。
But suddenly he interrupted himself； the poems seemed to pass from
his mind。 〃Loge！〃 he said； raising himself on his elbow and staring； with
a frown not at； but through； Cleggett： 〃Loganit isn't square！〃
There was suffering and perplexity in his gaze； he was evidently living
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over again some painful scene。
〃I'm a revolutionist； Loge； not a crook！ I won't do it； Loge！〃
Watching him； it was impossible not to understand that the struggle；
which his delirium made real and present again； had stamped itself into the
texture of his spirit。 〃You shouldn't ask it； Loge；〃 he said。 The crisis of
the conflict which he was living over passed presently； and he murmured；
with contracted brows； and as if talking to himself： 〃Is Loge a crook？ A
crook？〃
But after a moment of this he returned again to a rapid repetition of the
phrase： 〃I'm a revolutionist； not a crook…not a crooknot a crooka
revolutionist； not a crook； Loge； not a crook〃 Once he varied it；
crying with a quick； hot scorn： 〃I'll cut their throats and be damned to
them； but don't ask me to steal。〃 And then he was off again to declaiming
his poetry： 〃I spit； but； as I spit； I weep！〃
But as Cleggett and the Doctor listened to him the youth's ravings
suddenly took a new form。 He ceased to babble； terror expanded the
pupils of his eyes and he pointed at vacancy with a shaking finger。 〃Stop
it！〃 he cried in a croaking whisper。 〃Stop it！ It's his skullit's Loge's
skull come alive。 Stop it； I say； it's come alive and getting bigger。〃
With a violent effort he raised himself before the nurse could prevent him；
shrinking back from the horrid hallucination which pressed towards him；
and then fell prone and senseless on the bunk。
〃God！his wounds！〃 cried the Doctor； starting forward。 As
Farnsworth had feared； they had broken open and were bleeding again。
〃It's a ticklish thing；〃 said Farnsworth； rumpling his hair。 〃If I give him
enough sedative to keep him quiet his heart may stop any time。 If I don't；
he'll thrash himself to pieces in his delirium before the day's over。〃
But Cleggett scarcely heeded the Doctor。 The reference to 〃Loge's〃
skull had flashed a sudden light into his mind。 Whatever else 〃Loge〃
was； Cleggett had little doubt that 〃Loge〃 was the tall man with the stoop
shoulders and the odd； skull… shaped scarfpin； for whom he had conceived
at first sight such a tingling hatredthe same fellow who had so ruthlessly
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THE CRUISE OF THE JASPER B。
manhandled the flaxen…haired Heinrich on the roof of the verandah the day
before。
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THE CRUISE OF THE JASPER B。
CHAPTER X
IN THE ENEMY'S CAMP
At seven o'clock that morning five big…bodied automobile trucks rolled
up in a thundering procession。 As they hove in sight on the starboard
quarter and dropped anchor near the Jasper B。； Cleggett recalled that this
was the day which Cap'n Abernethy had set for getting the sticks and sails
into the vessel。 In the hurry and excitement of recent events aboard the
ship he had almost forgotten it。
A score of men scrambled from the trucks and began to haul out of
them all the essentials of a shipyard。 Wheel； rudder； masts； spars；
bowsprit； quantities of rope and cable followedin fact； every conceivable
thing necessary to convert the Jasper B。 from a hulk into a properly rigged
schooner。 Cleggett； with a pith and brevity characteristic of the man； had
given his order in one sentence。
〃Make arrangements to get the sails and masts into her in one day；〃 he
had told Captain Abernethy。
It was in the same large and simple spirit that a Russian Czar once laid
a ruler across the map of his empire and； drawing a straight line from
Moscow to Petersburg； commanded his engineers： 〃Build me a railroad to
run like that。〃 Genius has winged conceptions； it sees things as a
completed whole from the first； it is only mediocrity which permits itself
to be lost in details。
Cleggett was like the Romanoffs in his ability to go straight to the
point； but he had none of the Romanoff cruelty。
Captain Abernethy had made his arrangements accordingly。 If it
pleased Cleggett to have a small manufacturing plant brought to the Jasper
B。 instead of having the Jasper B。 towed to a shipyard； it was Abernethy's
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business as his chief executive officer to see that this was done。 The
Captain had let the contract to an enterprising and businesslike fellow；
Watkins by name； who had at once looked the vessel over； taken the
necessary measurements； and named a good round sum for the job。 With
several times the usual number of skilled workmen employed at double
the usual rate of pay； he guaranteed to do in ten hours what might
ordinarily have taken a week。
Under the leadership of this capable Watkins； the workmen rushed at
the vessel with the dash and vim of a gang of circus employees engaged in
putting up a big tent and making ready for a show。 To a casual observer
it might have seemed a scene of confusion。 But in reality the work
jumped forward with order and precision； for the position of every bolt；
chain； nail； cord； piece of iron and bit of wood had been calculated
beforehand to a nicety； there was not a wasted movement of saw； adze； or
hammer。 The Jasper B。； in short； had been measured accurately for a suit
of clothes； the clothes had been made； they were now merely being put on。
Refreshed by the first sound sleep she had been able to obtain for
several nights； Lady Agatha joined Cleggett at an eight…o'clock breakfast。
It was the first of May； and warm and bright； in a simple morning dress of
