hard cash-第59章

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e。

Thibout's　face　crashed；　his　blood　squirted　all　round　the　stone；　and　eight　yards　off　lay　that　assailant　on　his　back。

Moinard　was　more　fortunate：　he　got　two　inches　of　his　knife　into　Dodd's　left　shoulder；　at　the　very　moment　Dodd　caught　him　in　his　right…hand　vice。　And　now　one　vengeful　hand　of　iron　grasped　him　felly　by　the　throat；　another　seized　his　knife　arm　and　twisted　it　back　like　a　child's。　He　kicked　and　struggled　furiously；　but　in　half　a　minute　the　mighty　English　arm　and　iron　fingers　held　the　limp　body　of　Jacques　Moinard　with　its　knees　knocking；　temples　bursting；　throat　relaxed；　eyes　protruding；　and　livid　tongue　lolling　down　to　his　chin。　A　few　seconds　more；　and；　with　the　same　stalwart　arm　that　kept　his　relaxed　and　sinking　body　from　falling；　Dodd　gave　him　one　fierce　whirl　round　to　the　edge　of　the　road；　then　put　a　foot　to　his　middle；　and　spurned　his　carcase　with　amazing　force　and　fury　down　the　precipice。　Crunch！　crunch！　it　plunged　from　tree　to　tree；　from　bush　to　bush；　and　at　last　rolled　into　a　thick　bramble；　and　there　stuck　in　the　form　of　a　crescent　But　Dodd　had　no　sooner　sent　him　headlong　by　that　mighty　effort；　than　his　own　sight　darkened；　his　head　swam；　and；　after　staggering　a　little　way；　he　sank　down　in　a　state　bordering　on　insensibility。　Meantime　Fullalove　and　Vespasian　were　galloping　down　the　opposite　hill　to　his　rescue。

Unfortunately；　Andre　Thibout　was　not　dead；　nor　even　mortally　wounded。　He　was　struck　on　the　nose　and　mouth；　that　nose　was　flat　for　the　rest　of　his　life；　and　half　of　his　front　teeth　were　battered　out　of　their　sockets；　but　he　fell；　not　from　the　brain　being　stunned；　but　the　body　driven　to　earth　by　the　mere　physical　force　of　so　momentous　a　blow；　knocked　down　like　a　ninepin。　He　now　sat　up　bewildered；　and　found　himself　in　a　pool　of　blood；　his　own。　He　had　little　sensation　of　pain；　but　he　put　his　hand　to　his　face；　and　found　scarce　a　trace　of　his　features；　and　his　hand　came　away　gory。　He　groaned。

Rising　to　his　feet；　he　saw　Dodd　sitting　at　some　distance；　his　first　impulse　was　to　fly　from　so　terrible　an　antagonist；　but；　as　he　made　for　the　ravine；　he　observed　that　Dodd　was　in　a　helpless　condition；　wounded　perhaps　by　Moinard。　And　where　was　Moinard？

Nothing　visible　of　him　but　his　knife：　that　lay　glittering　in　the　road。

Thibout　with　anxious　eye　turned　towards　Dodd；　kneeled　to　pick　it　up；　and　in　the　act　a　drop　of　his　own　blood　fell　on　the　dust　beside　it。　He　snarled　like　a　wounded　tiger；　spat　out　half…a…dozen　teeth；　and　crept　on　tiptoe　to　his　safe　revenge。

Awake　from　your　lethargy　or　you　are　a　dead　man！

No！　Thibout　got　to　him　unperceived；　and　the　knife　glittered　over　his　head。

At　this　moment　the　air　seemed　to　fill　with　clattering　hoofs　and　voices；　and　a　pistol…shot　rang。　Dodd　heard　and　started；　and　so　saw　his　peril。　He　put　up　his　left　hand　to　parry　the　blow；　but　feebly。　Luckily　for　him　Thibout's　eyes　were　now　turned　another　way；　and　glaring　with　stupid　terror　out　of　his　mutilated　visage：　a　gigantic　mounted　fiend；　with　black　face　and　white　gleaming；　rolling　eyes　was　coming　at　him　like　the　wind；　uttering　horrid　howls。　Thibout　launched　himself　at　the　precipice　with　a　shriek　of　dismay；　and　went　rolling　after　his　comrade；　but　ere　he　had　gone　ten　yards　he　fell　across　a　young　larch…tree　and　hung　balanced。　Up　came　the　foaming　horses：　Fullalove　dismounted　hastily　and　fired　three　deliberate　shots　down　at　Thibout　from　his　revolver。　He　rolled　off；　and　never　stopped　again　till　he　splashed　into　the　torrent；　and　lay　there　staining　it　with　blood　from　his　battered　face　and　perforated　shoulder。

Vespasian　jumped　off；　and　with　glistening　eyes　administered　some　good　brandy　to　Dodd。　He；　unconscious　of　his　wound；　a　slight　one；　relieved　their　anxiety　by　assuring　them　somewhat　faintly　he　was　not　hurt；　but　that；　ever　since　that　〃tap　on　the　head〃　he　got　in　the　Straits　of　Gaspar；　any　angry　excitement　told　on　him；　made　his　head　swim；　and　his　temples　seem　to　swell　from　the　inside。

〃I　should　have　come　off　second…best　but　for　you；　my　dear　friends。　Shake　hands　over　it；　do！　O；　Lord　bless　you！　Lord　bless　you　both。　As　for　you；　Vespasian；　I　do　think　you　are　my　guardian　angel。　Why；　this　is　the　second　time　you've　saved　my　life。　No；　it　isn't：　for　it's　the　third。〃

〃Now　you　git　along；　Massa　Cap'n；〃　said　Vespasian。　〃You　berry　good　man；　ridicalous　good　man；　and　dis　child　ar'nt　no　gardening　angel　at　all；　he　ar　a　darned　Anatomy〃　（with　such　a　look　of　offended　dignity　at　Fullalove）。

After　examining　the　field　of　battle　and　comparing　notes；　they　mounted　Dodd　on　Vespasian's　horse；　and　walked　quietly　till　Dodd's　head　got　better；　and　then　they　cantered　on　three　abreast；　Vespasian　in　the　middle　with　one　sinewy　hand　on　each　horse's　mane；　and　such　was　his　muscular　power；　that　he　often　relieved　his　feet　by　lifting　himself　clean　into　the　air；　and　the　rest　of　the　time　his　toe　but　touched　the　ground；　and　he　sailed　like　an　ostrich　and　grinned　and　chattered　like　a　monkey。

Sad　to　relate；　neither　Thibout　nor　Moinard　was　ended。　The　guillotine　stood　on　its　rights。　Meantime；　what　was　left　of　them　crawled　back　to　the　town　stiff　and　sore；　and　supped　togetherMoinard　on　liquids　onlyand　vowed　revenge　on　all　wrecked　people。

The　three　reached　Boulogne　in　time　for　the　_Nancy；_　and　put　Dodd　on　board：　the　pair　decided　to　go　to　the　Yankee　ParadiseParis。

They　parted　with　regret　and　tenderly；　like　old　tried　friends；　and　Vespasian　told　Dodd；　with　tears　in　his　eyes；　that　though　he　was　in　point　of　fact　only　a　darned　Anemo；　he　felt　like　a　coloured　gemman　at　parting　from　his　dear　old　Captain。

The　master　of　the　_Nancy_　knew　Dodd　well；　and　gave　him　a　nice　cot　to　sleep　in。　He　tumbled　in　with　a　bad　headache　and　quite　worn　out；　and　never　woke　for　fifteen　hours。

And　when　he　did　wake；　he　was　safe　at　Barkington。

He　and　It　landed　on　the　quay。　He　made　for　home。

On　the　way　he　passed　Hardie's　bank；　a　firm　synonymous　in　his　mind　with　the　Bank　of　England。

A　thrill　of　joy　went　through　him。　Now　it　_was_　safe。　When　he　first　sewed　It　on　in　China；　It　seemed　secure　nowhere　except　on　his　own　person。　But　since　then；　the　manifold　perils　by　sea　and　land　It　had　encountered　through　being　on　him；　had　caused　a　strong　reaction　in　his　mind　on　that　point。　He　longed　to　see　It　safe　out　of　his　own　hands　and　in　good　custody。

He　made　for　Hardie's　door　with　a　joyful　rush；　waved　his　cap　over　his　head　in　triumph；　and　entered　the　bank　with　It。

Ah！


CHAPTER　XV

CHRONOLOGY。The　Hard　Cash　sailed　from　Canton　months　before　the　boat　race　at　Henley　recorded　in　Chapter　I。；　but　it　landed　in　Barkington　a　fortnight　after　the　last　home　event　I　recorded　in　its　true　series。

Now　this　fortnight；　as　it　happens；　was　fruitful　of　incidents；　and　must　be　dealt　with　at　once。　After　that；　〃Love〃　and　〃Cash；〃　the　converging　branches　of　this　story；　will　flow　together　in　one　stream。


Alfred　Hardie　kept　faith　with　Mrs。　Dodd；　and；　by　an　effort　she　appreciated；　forbore　to　express　his　love　for　Julia　except　by　the　pen。　He　took　in　Lloyd's　shipping　news；　and　got　it　down　by　rail；　in　hopes　there　would　be　something　about　the　_Agra；_　then　he　could　call　at　Albion　Villa。　Mrs。　Dodd　had　given　him　that　loophole：　meantime　he　kept　moping　for　an　invitation；　which　never　came。

Julia　was　now　comparatively　happy；　and　so　indeed　was　Alfred；　but　then　the　male　of　our　species　likes　to　be　superlatively　happy；　not　comparatively；　and　that　Mrs。　Dodd　forgot　or　perhaps　had　not　observed。

One　day　Sampson　was　at　Albion　Villa；　and　Alfred　knew　it。　Now；　though　it　was　a　point　of　honour　with　poor　Alfred　not　to　hang　about　after　Julia　until　her　father's　return；　he　had　a　perfect　right　to　lay　in　wait　for　Sampson　and　hear　something　about　her；　and　he　was　so　deep　in　love　that　even　a　word　at　second…hand　from　her　lips　was　a　drop　of　dew　to　his　heart。

So　he　strolled　up　towards　the　villa。　He　had　nearly　reached　it；　when　a　woman　ran　past　him　making　the　most　extraordinary　sounds：　I　can　only　describe　it　as　screaming　under　her　breath。　Though　he　only　saw　her　back；　he　recognised　Mrs。　Maxley。　One　back　differeth　from　another；　whatever　you　may　have　been　told　to　the　contrary　in　novels　and　plays。　He　called　to　her：　she　took　no　notice；　and　darted　wildly　through　the　gate　of　Albion　Villa。　Alfred's　curiosity　was　excited；　and　he　ventured　to　put　his　head　over　the