She was in a half-stupor that took cognizance only of a freezing terror and exhaustion3. Presently, however, she became aware of her contact with the corpse4 beside her, and with a stifled5 cry she shrank away from it.
Slowly the girl regained6 her self-control and with it came the realization7 of the extremity8 of her danger. She rose to a sitting posture9 and turned her wide eyes toward the doorway10 to the adjoining room—the women and children seemed yet wrapped in slumber11. It was evident that the man's scream had not disturbed them.
Barbara gained her feet and moved softly to the doorway. She wondered if she could cross the intervening space to the outer exit without detection. Once in the open she could flee to the jungle, and then there was a chance at least that she might find her way to the coast and Theriere.
She gripped the short sword which she still held, and took a step into the larger room. One of the women turned and half roused from sleep. The girl shrank back into the darkness of the chamber13 she had just quitted. The woman sat up and looked around. Then she rose and threw some sticks upon the fire that burned at one side of the dwelling14. She crossed to a shelf and took down a cooking utensil16. Barbara saw that she was about to commence the preparation of breakfast.
All hope of escape was thus ended, and the girl cautiously closed the door between the two rooms. Then she felt about the smaller apartment for some heavy object with which to barricade17 herself; but her search was fruitless. Finally she bethought herself of the corpse. That would hold the door against the accident of a child or dog pushing it open—it would be better than nothing, but could she bring herself to touch the loathsome18 thing?
The instinct of self-preservation will work wonders even with a frail19 and delicate woman. Barbara Harding steeled herself to the task, and after several moments of effort she succeeded in rolling the dead man against the door. The scraping sound of the body as she dragged it into position had sent cold shivers running up her spine20.
She had removed the man's long sword and armor before attempting to move him, and now she crouched21 beside the corpse with both the swords beside her—she would sell her life dearly. Theriere's words came back to her now as they had when she was struggling in the water after the wreck22 of the Halfmoon: “but, by George, I intend to go down fighting.” Well, she could do no less.
She could hear the movement of several persons in the next room now. The voices of women and children came to her distinctly. Many of the words were Japanese, but others were of a tongue with which she was not familiar.
Presently her own chamber began to lighten. She looked over her shoulder and saw the first faint rays of dawn showing through a small aperture23 near the roof and at the opposite end of the room. She rose and moved quickly toward it. By standing24 on tiptoe and pulling herself up a trifle with her hands upon the sill she was able to raise her eyes above the bottom of the window frame.
Beyond she saw the forest, not a hundred yards away; but when she attempted to crawl through the opening she discovered to her chagrin25 that it was too small to permit the passage of her body. And then there came a knocking on the door she had just quitted, and a woman's voice calling her lord and master to his morning meal.
Barbara ran quickly across the chamber to the door, the long sword raised above her head in both hands. Again the woman knocked, this time much louder, and raised her voice as she called again upon Oda Yorimoto to come out.
The girl within was panic-stricken. What should she do? With but a little respite26 she might enlarge the window sufficiently27 to permit her to escape into the forest, but the woman at the door evidently would not be denied. Suddenly an inspiration came to her. It was a forlorn hope, but well worth putting to the test.
“Hush!” she hissed28 through the closed door. “Oda Yorimoto sleeps. It is his wish that he be not disturbed.”
For a moment there was silence beyond the door, and then the woman grunted29, and Barbara heard her turn back, muttering to herself. The girl breathed a deep sigh of relief—she had received a brief reprieve30 from death.
Again she turned to the window, where, with the short sword, she commenced her labor31 of enlarging it to permit the passage of her body. The work was necessarily slow because of the fact that it must proceed with utter noiselessness.
For an hour she worked, and then again came an interruption at the door. This time it was a man.
“Oda Yorimoto still sleeps,” whispered the girl. “Go away and do not disturb him. He will be very angry if you awaken32 him.”
But the man would not be put off so easily as had the woman. He still insisted.
“The daimio has ordered that there shall be a great hunt today for the heads of the sei-yo-jin who have landed upon Yoka,” persisted the man. “He will be angry indeed if we do not call him in time to accomplish the task today. Let me speak with him, woman. I do not believe that Oda Yorimoto still sleeps. Why should I believe one of the sei-yo-jin? It may be that you have bewitched the daimio,” and with that he pushed against the door.
The corpse gave a little, and the man glued his eyes to the aperture. Barbara held the sword behind her, and with her shoulder against the door attempted to reclose it.
“Go away!” she cried. “I shall be killed if you awaken Oda Yorimoto, and, if you enter, you, too, shall be killed.”
The man stepped back from the door, and Barbara could hear him in low converse33 with some of the women of the household. A moment later he returned, and without a word of warning threw his whole weight against the portal. The corpse slipped back enough to permit the entrance of the man's body, and as he stumbled into the room the long sword of the Lord of Yoka fell full and keen across the back of his brown neck.
Without a sound he lunged to the floor, dead; but the women without had caught a fleeting34 glimpse of what had taken place within the little chamber, even before Barbara Harding could slam the door again, and with shrieks35 of rage and fright they rushed into the main street of the village shouting at the tops of their voices that Oda Yorimoto and Hawa Nisho had been slain36 by the woman of the sei-yo-jin.
Instantly, the village swarmed37 with samurai, women, children, and dogs. They rushed toward the hut of Oda Yorimoto, filling the outer chamber where they jabbered38 excitedly for several minutes, the warriors39 attempting to obtain a coherent story from the moaning women of the daimio's household.
Barbara Harding crouched close to the door, listening. She knew that the crucial moment was at hand; that there were at best but a few moments for her to live. A silent prayer rose from her parted lips. She placed the sharp point of Oda Yorimoto's short sword against her breast, and waited—waited for the coming of the men from the room beyond, snatching a few brief seconds from eternity40 ere she drove the weapon into her heart.
Theriere plunged41 through the jungle at a run for several minutes before he caught sight of the mucker.
“Are you still on the trail?” he called to the man before him.
“Sure,” replied Byrne. “It's dead easy. They must o' been at least a dozen of 'em. Even a mutt like me couldn't miss it.”
“We want to go carefully, Byrne,” cautioned Theriere. “I've had experience with these fellows before, and I can tell you that you never know when one of 'em is near you till you feel a spear in your back, unless you're almighty42 watchful43. We've got to make all the haste we can, of course, but it won't help Miss Harding any if we rush into an ambush44 and get our heads lopped off.”
Byrne saw the wisdom of his companion's advice and tried to profit by it; but something which seemed to dominate him today carried him ahead at reckless, breakneck speed—the flight of an eagle would have been all too slow to meet the requirements of his unaccountable haste.
Once he found himself wondering why he was risking his life to avenge45 or rescue this girl whom he hated so. He tried to think that it was for the ransom46—yes, that was it, the ransom. If he found her alive, and rescued her he should claim the lion's share of the booty.
Theriere too wondered why Byrne, of all the other men upon the Halfmoon the last that he should have expected to risk a thing for the sake of Miss Harding, should be the foremost in pursuit of her captors.
“I wonder how far behind Sanders and Wison are,” he remarked to Byrne after they had been on the trail for the better part of an hour. “Hadn't we better wait for them to catch up with us? Four can do a whole lot more than two.”
“Not wen Billy Byrne's one of de two,” replied the mucker, and continued doggedly47 along the trail.
Another half-hour brought them suddenly in sight of a native village, and Billy Byrne was for dashing straight into the center of it and “cleaning it up,” as he put it, but Theriere put his foot down firmly on that proposition, and finally Byrne saw that the other was right.
“The trail leads straight toward that place,” said Theriere, “so I suppose here is where they brought her, but which of the huts she's in now we ought to try to determine before we make any attempt to rescue her. Well, by George! Now what do you think of that?”
“Tink o' wot?” asked the mucker. “Wot's eatin' yeh?”
“See those three men down there in the village, Byrne?” asked the Frenchman. “They're no more aboriginal48 headhunters than I am—they're Japs, man. There must be something wrong with our trailing, for it's as certain as fate itself that Japs are not head-hunters.”
“There ain't been nothin' fony about our trailin', bo,” insisted Byrne, “an' whether Japs are bean collectors or not here's where de ginks dat copped de doll hiked fer, an if dey ain't dere now it's because dey went t'rough an' out de odder side, see.”
“Hush, Byrne,” whispered Theriere. “drop down behind this bush. Someone is coming along this other trail to the right of us,” and as he spoke49 he dragged the mucker down beside him.
For a moment they crouched, breathless and expectant, and then the slim figure of an almost nude50 boy emerged from the foliage51 close beside and entered the trail toward the village. Upon his head he bore a bundle of firewood.
When he was directly opposite the watchers Theriere sprang suddenly upon him, clapping a silencing hand over the boy's mouth. In Japanese he whispered a command for silence.
“We shall not harm you if you keep still,” he said, “and answer our questions truthfully. What village is that?”
“It is the chief city of Oda Yorimoto, Lord of Yoka,” replied the youth. “I am Oda Iseka, his son.”
“And the large hut in the center of the village street is the palace of Oda Yorimoto?” guessed Theriere shrewdly.
“It is.”
The Frenchman was not unversed in the ways of orientals, and he guessed also that if the white girl were still alive in the village she would be in no other hut than that of the most powerful chief; but he wished to verify his deductions52 if possible. He knew that a direct question as to the whereabouts of the girl would call forth53 either a clever oriental evasion54 or an equally clever oriental lie.
“Does Oda Yorimoto intend slaying55 the white woman that was brought to his house last night?” asked Theriere.
“How should the son know the intentions of his father?” replied the boy.
“Is she still alive?” continued Theriere.
“How should I know, who was asleep when she was brought, and only heard the womenfolk this morning whispering that Oda Yorimoto had brought home a new woman the night before.”
“Could you not see her with your own eyes?” asked Theriere.
“My eyes cannot pass through the door of the little room behind, in which they still were when I left to gather firewood a half hour since,” retorted the youth.
“Wot's de Chink sayin'?” asked Billy Byrne, impatient of the conversation, no word of which was intelligible56 to him.
“He says, in substance,” replied Theriere, with a grin, “that Miss Harding is still alive, and in the back room of that largest hut in the center of the village street; but,” and his face clouded, “Oda Yorimoto, the chief of the tribe, is with her.”
The mucker sprang to his feet with an oath, and would have bolted for the village had not Theriere laid a detaining hand upon his shoulder.
“It is too late, my friend,” he said sadly, “to make haste now. We may, if we are cautious, be able to save her life, and later, possibly, avenge her wrong. Let us act coolly, and after some manner of plan, so that we may work together, and not throw our lives away uselessly. The chance is that neither of us will come out of that village alive, but we must minimize that chance to the utmost if we are to serve Miss Harding.”
“Well, wot's de word?” asked the mucker, for he saw that Theriere was right.
“The jungle approaches the village most closely on the opposite side—the side in rear of the chief's hut,” pointed57 out Theriere. “We must circle about until we can reach that point undetected, then we may formulate58 further plans from what our observations there develop.”
“An' dis?” Byrne shoved a thumb at Oda Iseka.
“We'll take him with us—it wouldn't be safe to let him go now.”
“Why not croak59 him?” suggested Byrne.
“Not unless we have to,” replied Theriere; “he's just a boy—we'll doubtless have all the killing60 we want among the men before we get out of this.”
“I never did have no use fer Chinks,” said the mucker, as though in extenuation61 of his suggestion that they murder the youth. For some unaccountable reason he had felt a sudden compunction because of his thoughtless remark. What in the world was coming over him, he wondered. He'd be wearing white pants and playing lawn tennis presently if he continued to grow much softer and more unmanly.
So the three set out through the jungle, following a trail which led around to the north of the village. Theriere walked ahead with the boy's arm in his grasp. Byrne followed closely behind. They reached their destination in the rear of Oda Yorimoto's “palace” without interruption or detection. Here they reconnoitered through the thick foliage.
“Dere's a little winder in de back of de house,” said Byrne. “Dat must be where dem guys cooped up de little broiler.”
“Yes,” said Theriere, “it would be in the back room which the boy described. First let's tie and gag this young heathen, and then we can proceed to business without fear of alarm from him,” and the Frenchman stripped a long, grass rope from about the waist of his prisoner, with which he was securely trussed up, a piece of his loin cloth being forced into his mouth as a gag, and secured there by another strip, torn from the same garment, which was passed around the back of the boy's head.
“Rather uncomfortable, I imagine,” commented Theriere; “but not particularly painful or dangerous—and now to business!”
“I'm goin' to make a break fer dat winder,” announced the mucker, “and youse squat62 here in de tall grass wid yer gat an' pick off any fresh guys dat get gay in back here. Den12, if I need youse you can come a-runnin' an' open up all over de shop wid de artillery63, or if I gets de lizzie outen de jug64 an' de Chinks push me too clost youse'll be here where yeh can pick 'em off easy-like.”
“You'll be taking all the risk that way, Byrne,” objected Theriere, “and that's not fair.”
“One o' us is pretty sure to get hurted,” explained the mucker in defense65 of his plan, “an, if it's a croak it's a lot better dat it be me than youse, fer the girl wouldn't be crazy about bein' lef' alone wid me—she ain't got no use fer the likes o' me. Now youse are her kin15, an' so youse stay here w'ere yeh can help her after I git her out—I don't want nothing to do wid her anyhow. She gives me a swift pain, and,” he added as though it were an after-thought, “I ain't got no use fer dat ransom eider—youse can have dat, too.”
“Hold on, Byrne,” cried Theriere; “I have something to say, too. I do not see how I can expect you to believe me; but under the circumstances, when one of us and maybe both are pretty sure to die before the day is much older, it wouldn't be worth while lying. I do not want that damned ransom any more, either. I only want to do what I can to right the wrong that I have helped to perpetrate against Miss Harding. I—I—Byrne, I love her. I shall never tell her so, for I am not the sort of man a decent girl would care to marry; but I did want the chance to make a clean breast to her of all my connection with the whole dirty business, and get her forgiveness if I could; but first I wanted to prove my repentance66 by helping67 her to civilization in safety, and delivering her to her friends without the payment of a cent of money. I may never be able to do that now; but if I die in the attempt, and you don't, I wish that you would tell her what I have just told you. Paint me as black as you can—you couldn't commence to make me as black as I have been—but let her know that for love of her I turned white at the last minute. Byrne, she is the best girl that you or I ever saw—we're not fit to breathe the same air that she breathes. Now you can see why I should like to go first.”
“I t'ought youse was soft on her,” replied the mucker, “an' dat's de reason w'y youse otter68 not go first; but wot's de use o' chewin', les flip69 a coin to see w'ich goes an w'ich stays—got one?”
Theriere felt in his trousers' pocket, fishing out a dime70.
“Heads, you go; tails, I go,” he said and spun71 the silver piece in the air, catching72 it in the flat of his open palm.
“It's heads,” said the mucker, grinning. “Gee! Wot's de racket?”
Both men turned toward the village, where a jabbering73 mob of half-caste Japanese had suddenly appeared in the streets, hurrying toward the hut of Oda Yorimoto.
“Somepin doin', eh?” said the mucker. “Well, here goes—s'long!” And he broke from the cover of the jungle and dashed across the clearing toward the rear of Oda Yorimoto's hut.
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1
collapsed
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| adj.倒塌的 | |
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lust
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| n.性(淫)欲；渴(欲)望；vi.对…有强烈的欲望 | |
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exhaustion
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| n.耗尽枯竭，疲惫，筋疲力尽，竭尽，详尽无遗的论述 | |
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corpse
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| n.尸体，死尸 | |
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stifled
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| （使）窒息， （使）窒闷( stifle的过去式和过去分词 )； 镇压，遏制； 堵 | |
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regained
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| 复得( regain的过去式和过去分词 )； 赢回； 重回； 复至某地 | |
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realization
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| n.实现；认识到，深刻了解 | |
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extremity
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| n.末端，尽头；尽力；终极；极度 | |
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posture
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| n.姿势，姿态，心态，态度；v.作出某种姿势 | |
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doorway
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| n.门口，(喻)入门；门路，途径 | |
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slumber
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| n.睡眠，沉睡状态 | |
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den
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| n.兽穴；秘密地方；安静的小房间，私室 | |
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chamber
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| n.房间，寝室；会议厅；议院；会所 | |
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dwelling
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| n.住宅，住所，寓所 | |
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kin
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| n.家族，亲属，血缘关系；adj.亲属关系的，同类的 | |
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utensil
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| n.器皿，用具 | |
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barricade
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| n.路障，栅栏，障碍；vt.设路障挡住 | |
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loathsome
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| adj.讨厌的，令人厌恶的 | |
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frail
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| adj.身体虚弱的；易损坏的 | |
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spine
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| n.脊柱，脊椎；(动植物的)刺；书脊 | |
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crouched
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| v.屈膝，蹲伏( crouch的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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wreck
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| n.失事，遇难；沉船；vt.(船等)失事，遇难 | |
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aperture
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| n.孔，隙，窄的缺口 | |
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standing
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| n.持续，地位；adj.永久的，不动的，直立的，不流动的 | |
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chagrin
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| n.懊恼；气愤；委屈 | |
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respite
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| n.休息，中止，暂缓 | |
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sufficiently
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| adv.足够地，充分地 | |
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hissed
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| 发嘶嘶声( hiss的过去式和过去分词 )； 发嘘声表示反对 | |
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grunted
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| （猪等）作呼噜声( grunt的过去式和过去分词 )； （指人）发出类似的哼声； 咕哝着说 | |
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reprieve
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| n.暂缓执行（死刑）；v.缓期执行；给…带来缓解 | |
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labor
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| n.劳动，努力，工作，劳工；分娩；vi.劳动，努力，苦干；vt.详细分析；麻烦 | |
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awaken
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| vi.醒，觉醒；vt.唤醒，使觉醒，唤起，激起 | |
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converse
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| vi.谈话，谈天，闲聊；adv.相反的，相反 | |
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fleeting
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| adj.短暂的，飞逝的 | |
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shrieks
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| n.尖叫声( shriek的名词复数 )v.尖叫( shriek的第三人称单数 ) | |
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slain
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| 杀死，宰杀，杀戮( slay的过去分词 )； (slay的过去分词) | |
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swarmed
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| 密集( swarm的过去式和过去分词 )； 云集； 成群地移动； 蜜蜂或其他飞行昆虫成群地飞来飞去 | |
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38
jabbered
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| v.急切而含混不清地说( jabber的过去式和过去分词 )；急促兴奋地说话 | |
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warriors
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| 武士，勇士，战士( warrior的名词复数 ) | |
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eternity
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| n.不朽，来世；永恒，无穷 | |
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41
plunged
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| v.颠簸( plunge的过去式和过去分词 )；暴跌；骤降；突降 | |
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42
almighty
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| adj.全能的，万能的；很大的，很强的 | |
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43
watchful
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| adj.注意的，警惕的 | |
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44
ambush
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| n.埋伏(地点)；伏兵；v.埋伏；伏击 | |
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45
avenge
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| v.为...复仇，为...报仇 | |
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46
ransom
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| n.赎金，赎身；v.赎回，解救 | |
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doggedly
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| adv.顽强地，固执地 | |
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48
aboriginal
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| adj.（指动植物）土生的，原产地的，土著的 | |
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49
spoke
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| n.（车轮的）辐条；轮辐；破坏某人的计划；阻挠某人的行动 v.讲，谈（speak的过去式）；说；演说；从某种观点来说 | |
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50
nude
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| adj.裸体的；n.裸体者，裸体艺术品 | |
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51
foliage
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| n.叶子，树叶，簇叶 | |
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52
deductions
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| 扣除( deduction的名词复数 )； 结论； 扣除的量； 推演 | |
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53
forth
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| adv.向前；向外，往外 | |
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54
evasion
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| n.逃避，偷漏(税) | |
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55
slaying
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| 杀戮。 | |
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intelligible
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| adj.可理解的，明白易懂的，清楚的 | |
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pointed
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| adj.尖的，直截了当的 | |
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formulate
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| v.用公式表示；规划；设计；系统地阐述 | |
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croak
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| vi.嘎嘎叫，发牢骚 | |
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60
killing
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| n.巨额利润；突然赚大钱，发大财 | |
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61
extenuation
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| n.减轻罪孽的借口；酌情减轻；细 | |
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squat
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| v.蹲坐，蹲下；n.蹲下；adj.矮胖的，粗矮的 | |
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artillery
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| n.(军)火炮，大炮；炮兵(部队) | |
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jug
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| n.(有柄，小口，可盛水等的)大壶，罐，盂 | |
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defense
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| n.防御，保卫；[pl.]防务工事；辩护，答辩 | |
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repentance
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| n.懊悔 | |
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67
helping
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| n.食物的一份&adj.帮助人的，辅助的 | |
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otter
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| n.水獭 | |
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flip
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| vt.快速翻动；轻抛；轻拍；n.轻抛；adj.轻浮的 | |
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dime
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| n.（指美国、加拿大的钱币）一角 | |
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spun
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| v.纺，杜撰，急转身 | |
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catching
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| adj.易传染的，有魅力的，迷人的，接住 | |
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jabbering
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| v.急切而含混不清地说( jabber的现在分词 )；急促兴奋地说话；结结巴巴 | |
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