She was not so easily to be intimidated2. Through the door she consigned3 me to the nether4 world. "If you break in the door I'll croak5 the girl," she threatened.
I believed her capable of it. Remembering the knife she carried, I shuddered6.
We spent some moments in exchanging amenities7 through the door. I wished to keep her occupied, while I threshed around in my head for some expedient8 to trap her.
"All right!" I cried, giving the door a final rattle9. "I'll get the poker10 from the furnace."
She laughed tauntingly11.
Of course I had no such intention. I had suddenly remembered the open windows on the roof of the extension. It seemed easier to drop from above than climb from below, so I went up-stairs.
The room over Mrs. Mansfield's bedroom was unlocked and untenanted. I took off my shoes at the threshold, and crept across with painful care to avoid giving her warning below. Unfortunately the windows were closed. I lost precious time opening one of them a fraction of an inch at a time.
Finally I was able to lean out. She had lighted up her room. I could see the glow on the sill below. To my great satisfaction I saw that she had pulled down the blinds, without, however, closing the window under me. For while I looked the blind swayed out a little in the draft. Evidently the possibility of an attack from that side had not occurred to her.
It was a drop of about fourteen feet from the window sill on which I leaned to the roof of the extension below. I dared not risk it. Even suppose I escaped injury, the noise of my fall would warn her, and the moments it would take me to recover my balance might give her time to execute her foul12 plan. I believed that she had my girl locked in the inner room (else I should surely have heard from Sadie). This would give me one second, while she was unlocking the door—but only one second.
The bed in the room I was in was made up. Always with the same precautions of silence I fashioned a rope sufficiently13 long out of the two sheets and the cotton spread. I fastened the end of the rope to the leg of a heavy bureau beside the window, and carefully paid it out over the sill. Before trusting myself to it I planned every movement in advance.
I must let myself down face to the building, I decided15, until I had almost reached the roof. Then I must drop, and with the reflex of the same movement spring into the woman's room.
It worked all right. I was already inside when she turned around. It was well that it was so, because the door into the inner room stood wide. I saw my girl lying on a couch. Like a flash the woman had the lights out. Quick as a cat she was through the door, knife in hand. But I had got my bearings with that one glimpse. I was hard upon her. I flung my arms around her from behind, pinioning16 her close. I dragged her back into the outer room. She was surprisingly strong for a woman, but I was just a little stronger. She spit out curses like an angry cat.
I dragged her across the room to where the switch was. I had to take an arm from her to search for it. She renewed her struggles. It took half a dozen attempts. Once she escaped me altogether. She still had the knife. I do not know how I managed to escape injury. She slit17 my coat with it.
At last I got the blessed light turned on. She was still jabbing at me with the knife, but I could see what I was doing now. The little dog fastened his teeth in my ankle. I kicked him across the room.
Between the two doors I have mentioned there was a third door, which evidently gave on a closet. It had a key in it. I dragged my captive to it, and somehow managed to get it open. I flung her in, knife and all, slammed the door, locked it, and leaned against the frame sobbing18 for breath. I was half blinded by the sweat in my eyes. The woman was all in, too, or I never should have got the door closed. For a while she lay where she had fallen without sound or movement. When his mistress disappeared the dog ran under the bed. His little pipe was now so hoarse19 he could scarcely make himself heard.
Presently the woman recovered her forces. Springing up, she hurled20 herself against the door with as much force as she could gather in that narrow space. The door opened out, and the lock was a flimsy one. I saw that I couldn't keep her there for long. I ran into the inner room.
My dearest girl was lying on a couch, fully14 dressed and unfettered, but strangely inert21, stupefied. I was terrified by her aspect. However, her body was warm and she was breathing, though not naturally. She was not wholly unconscious. Her head moved on the pillow, and her misty22 eyes sought mine with a faint returning gleam of sentience23. Obviously she had been drugged, and the effect was just now beginning to wear off.
I could not stop to restore her there. I gathered her up in my arms, snatched up her hat which was lying near, and ran out through the bedroom. I had no more than got the bedroom door locked behind me, when the door of the closet burst open, and the woman fell out into the room. She immediately threw herself against the other door, but as regarded that, my mind was easier. It was a much heavier affair, and it opened towards her. I need not point out that there is a considerable difference, between bursting a door out, and pulling it in.
I carried my precious burden down the stairs, murmuring phrases in her ear that I did not know I had at my command. She commenced to weep, a very encouraging sign. I believe I wept with her. She was dearer to me than my life.
I paused at the front door to try to bring her to somewhat before venturing out into the street. Unfortunately there was no water within reach. I was afraid to take much time. The woman up-stairs had obtained some kind of a weapon with which she was battering24 the door. In her insane passion she had forgotten all considerations of prudence25. She finally managed to split one of the panels; the key, however, was safe in my pocket. She hurled imprecations after us.
I opened the outer door a little, and the fresh air revived my dearest girl marvellously. Presently she was able to stand with a little assistance. Her first conscious act was to pin on her hat with a piteous assumption of her usually composed manner. For a long time she could not speak, but she knew me now, and leaned on me trustfully.
I knew how best to reach her. "Brace26 up!" I whispered urgently. "Pull yourself together. I need you. Show me what you can do!"
She smiled as much as to say she was ready for anything. Such was her temper.
We went out, closing both doors behind us. I fully expected to see a knot of the curious on the steps, attracted by the strange sounds from within. But the street was still empty. There must be a lot of strange things happening that no one ever knows of. We did not meet anybody until we got around the corner. Here a policeman stood idly swinging his club and staring at the taxicab, speculating no doubt on the mystery of its apparent abandonment and wondering what he ought to do about it. The back room of the saloon was now closed.
I saluted27 him, inwardly praying that he would not be led to look down at my feet. I had managed to keep my cap through all vicissitudes28, but I had no shoes on. I briskly opened the door, and helped Sadie in.
"Here you are, Miss," said I.
Then I ran completely around the car to avoid the bluecoat, and cranked her. Even then I could hear in the stillness the muffled29 sound of the woman's blows on the door. The policeman was apparently30 unaware31 of anything amiss. Fortunately my engine popped at the first turn. The policeman's suspicions of me were gathering32, but he was a slow-thinking specimen33.
"Hold on a minute, fellow," he said at last.
The car was then in motion, and I made believe not to hear him. Apparently he did not think it worth while to raise an alarm.
I cannot tell you with what a feeling of thankfulness I left that neighbourhood behind me.
I took Sadie direct to her sister's. We found that young woman in a pretty state of fluster34. She was of an emotional type, very different from the matter-of-fact Sadie. Maybe she didn't give it to me for leading her darling into danger! But I was happy enough to be able to take it with a grin. Sadie by this time could speak for herself. She took my part.
I telephoned from here to English at his boarding-house as I had agreed. I still had more than half an hour to the good.
He gave a restrained whoop35 when he heard my voice. "You've got her!" he cried. "You're both all right?"
"Right as rain!"
"Ben, you're a wonder!"
At that moment I was quite prepared to believe it.
"How did you manage it?" he asked.
"Can't tell you now. The game is only starting."
"What am I to do?"
"Go to bed. Above all keep them from suspecting you. The whole case depends on you now. I will write you care Dunsany's on Monday."
"Take care of yourself!"
"Same to you!"
Warning the girls to be ready to start for the country in an hour, I borrowed a pair of brother-in-law's shoes and returned the taxi to its garage. I then went home and washed and dressed myself in my own clothes. Afterwards I got out my own little car and went back for Sadie. By this time the dawn was breaking. It was Sunday.
I found Sadie quite her own self again, and flatly rebellious36 at being ordered to give up the game and retire to the country. In vain I explained to her that these people had their backs against the wall now, and that our lives were not worth a farthing dip if they ever caught sight of us. Sister was now on my side, not, however, without a few back shots at the one who had first got her Sadie into the crooks37' bad books. It was not until I said that I was myself going to lie low for a while that Sadie gave in. I'm afraid at that, that her opinion of me suffered a fall for the time being.
The dearest girl was furious when she learned that I had almost been frightened out of my wits by the message from her they had sent me, so much so that I had been prepared to drop the whole case to save her.
"That was what they were after!" she cried. "I had to write it, of course, because she held a pistol to my head. But I was sure you would understand. If I had thought for a moment that you would let it interfere38 with the case I would have let her shoot."
I shuddered. One did not know whether to praise or blame such game folly39. However, I registered a little vow40 privately41 not to let Sadie's enthusiasm lead her into danger again. Meanwhile I hugged her right there with sister looking on. She promptly42 slapped my face—but not so hard as usual.
I took the sisters to that same little sanatorium at Amityville, Long Island, where Sadie had been before with Miss Hamerton. The doctor-proprietor was an old friend of mine. A single warning word to him, and I knew they would be as safe as I could guard them myself.
Notwithstanding Sadie's violent objections (she said she had been lured43 to Amityville under false pretenses), I motored right back to town. I did intend to lay off for a day or two but I had to put my office in order first. It was about eight o'clock when I got back to Manhattan. I put up my car and had an excellent breakfast. I thought if I was going to be plugged it might as well be on a full stomach. I did not deceive myself as to the risk I ran in visiting my office, but it was absolutely necessary for me to secure certain papers and destroy others.
I took a taxi down and ordered the man to wait. I cleaned everything up in case the place should be entered during my absence. What papers I meant to take with me I deposited in a satchel44, and took the precaution of strapping46 it to my wrist. Then I locked up and returned down stairs. I found that my chauffeur47 had moved away from the doorway48 a little, consequently I was exposed for a moment or two on the sidewalk.
It was sufficient. I heard that deadly little "ping" and simultaneously49 a sound like a slap on bare flesh. I did not know I was hit, but I fell down. Then a pain like the searing of a hot iron passed through my shoulder.
"I'm shot!" I cried involuntarily.
I realised that I was not seriously hurt. However, I had no mind to get up and make myself a target for more. I made believe to close my eyes, and lay still. My mind worked with a strange clearness. I saw the woman across the street. She was poorly dressed with a shawl over her head, but I recognised the stature50 and the curves of my antagonist51 of the night before.
The usual gaping52 crowd gathered. Nobody had heard the shot but me. While all eyes were directed on me the woman coolly walked away across the park, tossing the gun into the middle of a bush as she went. I said nothing. It was no part of my game to have her arrested.
I suspected that the openmouthed crowd surrounding me was full of spies, so I made out to be worse hurt than I was, groaning53 and writhing54 a little. The wound helped me out by bleeding profusely55. One youth with an evil face made to take my satchel as if to relieve me. The strap45 frustrated56 his humane57 purpose. He was afraid to proceed further under that circle of eyes.
Somebody had telephoned for an ambulance, and presently it came clanging up with a fresh crowd in its train. The white clad surgeon bent58 over me.
"I am not badly hurt," I whispered to him, "but please take me away quickly out of this mob."
I was carried to Bellevue Hospital where I engaged a private room. My wound, a slight affair, was cauterised—I had in mind the possibility of poison, and dressed. Afterwards I enjoyed my first sleep in twenty-four hours. I had left instructions that no one was to be admitted to see me, and that no information regarding my condition was to be given out.
By the next day I was quite myself again. I had already seen the reporters, and by the exercise of persuasion59 and diplomacy60 had managed to keep the affair from being unduly61 exploited in the papers. The police, good fellows, were hard at work on the case, but they could hardly be expected to accomplish anything without the evidence which I did not intend to let them have. The doctors who hate to see any one escape out of their hands so easily did their best to persuade me to stop a while in the hospital and "rest" but how could I rest with so much to do outside?
Having decided that I must leave the hospital, it was a matter of considerable concern to me how this was to be effected without exposing myself to a fresh danger. I had received a disguised telephone message from English to the effect that they were waiting for me. I decided to confide62 in the visiting surgeon, an understanding man.
"Sir," I said, "I am a private detective. I have a gang of crooks almost ready to be rounded up. Knowing it, they are desperate. That is the explanation of the attack on me. Now the chances are that the instant I step outside the hospital I'll stop another bullet. What would you do if you were me?"
"Call on the police," he said, of course.
"I can't do that without exploding my charges prematurely63."
As I said, he was an understanding man. He didn't bother me with a lot of questions, but took the case as he found it. After thinking a while, he said:
"How would it do if I had you transferred in an ambulance to my private clinic on —— Street. You see you'll be loaded on out of sight in the hospital yard here, and you will be driven right inside my place to be unloaded. You lie flat in the ambulance and no one can see inside without climbing on the step, and a surgeon sits there."
"Fine!" I said. "You're a man of resource."
He gave the order, and it was so done. Arrived at his private hospital I dressed myself in street clothes, borrowing a coat to replace my bloody64 one, and calling a taxi had myself carried to Oscar Nilson's shop.
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1
butt
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| n.笑柄；烟蒂；枪托；臀部；v.用头撞或顶 | |
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intimidated
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| v.恐吓；威胁adj.害怕的；受到威胁的 | |
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consigned
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| v.把…置于（令人不快的境地）( consign的过去式和过去分词 )；把…托付给；把…托人代售；丟弃 | |
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nether
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| adj.下部的，下面的；n.阴间；下层社会 | |
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croak
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| vi.嘎嘎叫，发牢骚 | |
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shuddered
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| v.战栗( shudder的过去式和过去分词 )；发抖；（机器、车辆等）突然震动；颤动 | |
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amenities
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| n.令人愉快的事物；礼仪；礼节；便利设施；礼仪( amenity的名词复数 )；便利设施；（环境等的）舒适；（性情等的）愉快 | |
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8
expedient
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| adj.有用的，有利的；n.紧急的办法，权宜之计 | |
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rattle
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| v.飞奔，碰响；激怒；n.碰撞声；拨浪鼓 | |
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poker
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| n.扑克；vt.烙制 | |
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tauntingly
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| 嘲笑地，辱骂地； 嘲骂地 | |
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12
foul
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| adj.污秽的；邪恶的；v.弄脏；妨害；犯规；n.犯规 | |
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13
sufficiently
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| adv.足够地，充分地 | |
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fully
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| adv.完全地，全部地，彻底地；充分地 | |
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decided
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| adj.决定了的，坚决的；明显的，明确的 | |
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pinioning
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| v.抓住[捆住]（双臂）( pinion的现在分词 ) | |
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slit
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| n.狭长的切口；裂缝；vt.切开，撕裂 | |
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18
sobbing
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| <主方>Ⅰ adj.湿透的 | |
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hoarse
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| adj.嘶哑的，沙哑的 | |
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hurled
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| v.猛投，用力掷( hurl的过去式和过去分词 )；大声叫骂 | |
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21
inert
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| adj.无活动能力的，惰性的；迟钝的 | |
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misty
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| adj.雾蒙蒙的，有雾的 | |
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sentience
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| n.感觉性；感觉能力；知觉 | |
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battering
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| n.用坏，损坏v.连续猛击( batter的现在分词 ) | |
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25
prudence
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| n.谨慎，精明，节俭 | |
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26
brace
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| n. 支柱,曲柄,大括号; v. 绷紧,顶住,(为困难或坏事)做准备 | |
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27
saluted
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| v.欢迎，致敬( salute的过去式和过去分词 )；赞扬，赞颂 | |
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28
vicissitudes
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| n.变迁，世事变化；变迁兴衰( vicissitude的名词复数 )；盛衰兴废 | |
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29
muffled
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| adj.（声音）被隔的；听不太清的；（衣服）裹严的；蒙住的v.压抑，捂住( muffle的过去式和过去分词 )；用厚厚的衣帽包着（自己） | |
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30
apparently
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| adv.显然地；表面上，似乎 | |
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unaware
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| a.不知道的，未意识到的 | |
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32
gathering
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| n.集会，聚会，聚集 | |
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specimen
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| n.样本，标本 | |
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fluster
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| adj.慌乱，狼狈，混乱，激动 | |
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35
whoop
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| n.大叫，呐喊，喘息声；v.叫喊，喘息 | |
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36
rebellious
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| adj.造反的，反抗的，难控制的 | |
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37
crooks
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| n.骗子( crook的名词复数 )；罪犯；弯曲部分；（牧羊人或主教用的）弯拐杖v.弯成钩形( crook的第三人称单数 ) | |
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38
interfere
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| v.(in)干涉，干预；(with)妨碍，打扰 | |
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39
folly
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| n.愚笨，愚蠢，蠢事，蠢行，傻话 | |
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40
vow
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| n.誓(言)，誓约；v.起誓，立誓 | |
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41
privately
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| adv.以私人的身份，悄悄地，私下地 | |
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42
promptly
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| adv.及时地，敏捷地 | |
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43
lured
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| 吸引，引诱（lure的过去式与过去分词形式） | |
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44
satchel
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| n.(皮或帆布的)书包 | |
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45
strap
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| n.皮带，带子；v.用带扣住，束牢；用绷带包扎 | |
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46
strapping
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| adj. 魁伟的, 身材高大健壮的 n. 皮绳或皮带的材料, 裹伤胶带, 皮鞭 动词strap的现在分词形式 | |
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47
chauffeur
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| n.(受雇于私人或公司的)司机；v.为…开车 | |
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48
doorway
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| n.门口，(喻)入门；门路，途径 | |
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49
simultaneously
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| adv.同时发生地，同时进行地 | |
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50
stature
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| n.（高度）水平，（高度）境界，身高，身材 | |
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51
antagonist
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| n.敌人，对抗者，对手 | |
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52
gaping
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| adj.口的；张口的；敞口的；多洞穴的v.目瞪口呆地凝视( gape的现在分词 )；张开，张大 | |
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53
groaning
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| adj. 呜咽的, 呻吟的 动词groan的现在分词形式 | |
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54
writhing
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| （因极度痛苦而）扭动或翻滚( writhe的现在分词 ) | |
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55
profusely
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| ad.abundantly | |
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56
frustrated
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| adj.挫败的，失意的，泄气的v.使不成功( frustrate的过去式和过去分词 )；挫败；使受挫折；令人沮丧 | |
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57
humane
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| adj.人道的，富有同情心的 | |
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58
bent
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| n.爱好，癖好；adj.弯的；决心的，一心的 | |
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59
persuasion
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| n.劝说；说服；持有某种信仰的宗派 | |
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60
diplomacy
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| n.外交；外交手腕，交际手腕 | |
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61
unduly
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| adv.过度地，不适当地 | |
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62
confide
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| v.向某人吐露秘密 | |
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63
prematurely
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| adv.过早地，贸然地 | |
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64
bloody
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| adj.非常的的；流血的；残忍的；adv.很；vt.血染 | |
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