the cruise of the jasper b.-第25章

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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　the　time；　but　they　read　enough　to

see　the　man　in　the　process　of　building　up　a　criminal　organization

of　his　own；　with　ramifications　of　the　most　surprising　nature。



〃This　man；〃　said　Dr。　Farnsworth；　with　a　shudder；　〃actually　has

the　ambition　to　be　the　head　of　nothing　less　than　a　crime　trust。〃



〃It　seems　to　be　something　more　than　an　ambition；〃　said　Cleggett。　

〃It　seems　to　be　almost　an　accomplished　fact。〃



〃Ugh！〃　said　Lady　Agatha；　with　a　gesture　of　disgust；　〃he's　like　a

great　horrid　spider　spinning　webs！〃



Interested　in　anarchy　only　on　its　practical　side；　as　the　paid

dynamiter　of　the　inner　circle　of　radicals；　Logan　Black　in　his

diary　jeered　at　and　mocked　the　cause　he　served。　　And　more　than

that；　the　man　seemed　to　take　a　perverted　pleasure　in　attaching　to

himself　young　enthusiasts　of　the　radical　type；　eager　to　follow

him　as　the　disinterested　leader　of　a　group　of　Reds；　and　then

betraying　them　into　the　most　sordid　sort　of　crime。　　Cleggett

foundand　could　imagine　the　grimace　of　malevolent　satisfaction

with　which　it　had　been　writtenthis　note：



Heinrich　is　about　ready　to　leave　off　talking　　　　　　

his　cant　of　universal　brotherhood；　and　make　a　　　　　　

little　easy　money　in　the　way　I　have　shown　him。　　　　　　

It　will　be　interesting　to　see　what　happens　in　　　　　

side　of　Heinrich　when　he　realizes　he　is　not　an　　　　　　

idealist；　but　a　criminal。　　Will　he　stick　to　me　on　　　　　　

the　new　lay？　　But　those　Germans　are　so　sentimental

he　may　commit　suicide。



Cleggett　recalled　the　manhandling　Heinrich　had　received。　　A

little　farther　along　he　came　upon　this　entry：　　

　　　　

The　Italian…American　boy　is　a　find。　　Jones　and

Giuseppe！　　Puritan　father；　Italian　motherand

he　worships　me！　　It　will　be　a　test　for　my　personal

magnetism；　the　handling　of　Gieseppe　Jones

will。　　He　hates　a　thief　worse　than　the　devil　hates　　　　　　

holy　water。　　If　I　could　make　him　steal　for　me；　I

would　know　that　I　could　do　anything。



〃That's　our　young