Her great fear was that the passage might lead to others and that before she knew it, she would be involved in a maze3 of subterranean4 galleries and, if the worst came to the worst, not even be able to rejoin me. She tried to maintain her direction by keeping always close to the right-hand wall and by counting her steps. But the gallery was so dark and it twisted so frequently that she soon lost count. At last she went blindly along, stopping at intervals5 to satisfy herself that she still felt the wind on her cheek.
She had halted irresolute6 and was thinking about turning back when, out of the darkness in front of her, a little glow appeared. At first a mere7 suggestion of light, it grew to a steady yellow radiance that lit up, though but dimly, the rocky roof of the corridor. The light itself appeared to be concealed8 by a bend in the gallery.
Marjorie remained perfectly9 still, her heart beating fast. Foot-steps were approaching; then the murmur10 of voices reached her ear. Her first instinct was to turn tail and flee; but then the foot-steps stopped and the light stood still.
"Four and twenty hours already are they away," said a deep rumbling11 voice in German, "and not back yet! Der Stelze is too confident, Herr Leutnant...."
"Yet the doctor described exactly where he tied up the launch," answered another voice, hard and metallic12, with a more refined enunciation13. "Do you know what I think, Schr?der? This English nobleman and his orderly have seized the launch——"
"Aber nein, Herr Leutnant?"
"And gone off to fetch their yacht back. She only went to Alcedo, at least so the doctor told us...."
"Then the yacht may be back quite soon, Herr Leutnant?"
"Certainly! That's my conviction. And to think that Grundt had this cursed Engl?nder in his power and let him go!"
"Bah!" said Schr?der, "he grows old, der Stelze! Here three days are gone and not a trace of the treasure. In a little while, who knows? these damned Engl?nder will be here and our chance of making our fortunes will be gone for ever...."
"You speak true, Schr?der! If only I had any support I would depose14 Grundt and take charge myself. But with these filthy15 Spanish monkeys...."
"Speak softly, Herr Leutnant...."
Intent as she was upon this conversation, Marjorie did not notice the light advancing until it was too late. Round the bend in the passage came a big, yellow-bearded German sailor swinging a ship's lantern, the blonde young German officer, Ferdinand von Hagel, at his heels. In an instant they were on her and gripping her by the wrists dragged her down the gallery in the direction from which they had come. In silence they hustled17 her along for some hundred paces, then stopped at a bend.
"Wait here!" whispered the officer to Schr?der, an evil smile on his face, "I go to reconnoitre. This will be a pleasant surprise for our comrades...."
He tip-toed away. Suddenly, from without, a harsh voice cried loudly:—
"Then the English yacht may be back at any time now...."
Von Hagel appeared in the gallery.
The harsh voice shouted:—
"Well, we shall have to fight for it yet!"
"No, Herr Doktor!" said von Hagel at the mouth of the gallery, "No! There need be no fight!"
They had emerged into a rocky hollow, flooded with brilliant sunshine which almost blinded Marjorie coming from the dank, dark recesses22 of the cliff. An arm of vivid green tree hung across the opening of the passage and beyond it there was a glimpse of gorgeous-hued bushes, over which the painted butterflies hovered23, of bright blue sky and, in the distance, sparkling green sea. And across the scene the keen sea-breeze romped24, blowing the hair about the girl's eyes, a breath of life after the clammy atmosphere of the cave.
His back to a tree, a ragged16 blanket cast across his knees, the Man with the Clubfoot lay. His face was pallid25 and his huge body shook with ague. Before him stood two uncouth26 figures, each with a rifle and blanket slung27, poncho-fashion, across him, the centre of an excited, gesticulating group.
"Sir Garth," the German lieutenant28 added, bringing Marjorie forward, "will surely listen to reason when he hears that his charming daughter is the guest of Herr Dr. Grundt! And, maybe, even the spy, Okewood, will come to terms...."
"So, so!"
Clubfoot's thick lips bared his yellow teeth in a grim smile.
"Das ist ja hoechst interessant! Jawohl!"
He raised his eyes to the girl, dark eyes that burnt with fever beetling29 from under the enormously bushy eyebrows30, eyes that gleamed hard and menacing.
But now the crowd, which had fallen back at von Hagel's dramatic interruption, surged about him and Marjorie, shouting and gesticulating. The hollow rang with German and Spanish.
"Where is the Englishman?" they yelled. "Grundt, what of the treasure you promised us? The girl knows! Make the girl tell!...."
"Old Clubfoot is not at the end of his resources. Kinder, we have a hostage, a hostage we mean to keep. Let the yacht return; as long as the gn?diges Fr?ulein is our guest, we shall have no trouble from the stupid Englishmen. And as for our clever young friend, Okewood.... Herr Leutnant!"
"Herr Doktor?"
"The Engl?nder was last seen in company with the girl. Take two men and search the gallery!"
Von Hagel coloured up at the brusqueness of Grundt's tone.
"Schr?der here," he said without a shred32 of respect in his manner, "has explored the gallery. It leads to a small air-hole through which he believes the girl crawled. No man, he says, could possibly get through...."
"Then," said Clubfoot, "the Engl?nder will be in one of the caves on the topmost terrace. Unless he has escaped?....
And he shot a quick glance at the officer.
"Impossible," replied the other. "There is only the one practicable descent and it is guarded...."
Clubfoot nodded. Then he raised his hand.
"Go now," he said, "and leave me with the girl!"
On that von Hagel bent33 down and spoke softly in his ear. He seemed to be urging something with great insistence34. Suddenly one of the Spaniards—a short man with a fat grey face covered with blue stubble and little pig eyes—danced to the front of the group. He burst into a torrent35 of voluble Spanish, shaking his fist repeatedly at Clubfoot. The latter did not move a muscle but looked at the speaker with contempt in every line of his face.
It was not until some of the Germans broke in, that Marjorie could understand what the scene was about.
"We're sick of being fooled," cried the big seaman36 they called Schr?der. "The Kaiser's deposed37, d'ye hear, and we're all equal! You've bungled38 things long enough, Grundt. You let the cursed English spy slip through your fingers with the hiding-place of the treasure in his head! You're past your work, Grundt! You've botched our business long enough!"
"Ganz recht!" ejaculated another German. "And poor Neque got a bullet in the guts39 for saying as much to you in the woods yesterday!"
This explained the single shot we had heard in the forest when we were on the rock.
"And the doctor murdered by this verdammt Engl?nder!" shouted a voice from the rear.
"Three days we've waited here and not a sign of the treasure," said von Hagel, looking round the group. "What have you to say to that, Grundt?"
Clubfoot, who had remained impassive under all this abuse, now staggered to his feet. No man lent a hand to help him. He stood and faced them, towering above them all. Ill though he was, his personality dominated every man in that place. A flame of colour mounted in his haggard face; two veins40 stood out like knots in his temples and his eyes blazed. His two hands, crossed on the crutch41 of his stick shook.
"Are you a candidate for my succession, Herr Leutnant?"
He addressed himself to von Hagel alone and his voice was calm and steady. But then his feelings seemed to overcome him and with a roar he shouted:—
"You insubordinate rascal19! I can afford to let these curs yelp42 but when the whipper-in joins them, it's time for the master to use the lash43!"
With that he raised his heavy stick and struck the other full across the face. With a scarlet44 weal barring his pink-and-white cheek von Hagel sprang at his aggressor, but a big automatic which Grundt had plucked from his pocket brought him up short.
"I used only one bullet on Neque," Clubfoot warned him in a quiet, grim voice. "There's one left for you, Herr Leutnant, aye, and more to spare for other mutinous45 blackguards like you...."
Von Hagel stepped back, broken, cowed. And Clubfoot cried:—
"While this puppy wastes our time, the man we want, the man who can lead us to the five hundred thousand dollars in gold, is skulking46 trapped in a cave not a thousand yards away. Fools that you are, don't you understand that you have but to let him know that the English girl is in our hands and he will throw up the sponge? Otherwise...."
He paused deliberately47 and looked at Marjorie from under his heavy brows. The crowd shouted back at him in German the word on which he had rested.
"Sonst?"
"Otherwise he must know that I shall hand this delicate English lady to the tender mercies of any of our brave companions who has fallen a victim to her beauty—Black Pablo, for instance, or our handsome steward48, Pizarro...."
At that the crowd roared approval. Black Pablo, his guitar slung across his back, a squat49, toad-like creature, obese50 and disgusting, slouched over to the girl. He contrived51 to summon up from the depths of his single dull and fish-like eye an expression which made her shrink back in horror. Then, amid a burst of laughter, "handsome" Pizarro, the stunted52 mulatto cook, was pushed out of the grass. He shambled towards Marjorie, his eyeballs flashing white in his yellow pock-marked face.
"Go, children!" cried Clubfoot. "Drag this spy from his hole and bring him to me. This time he shall speak, by God!—or we shall finish with it once and for all!"
Again he looked at Marjorie. The gold in his teeth flashed as he smiled with cruel malice53. Then, as though overcome by the demand he had made on his strength, he dropped back on his blankets once more.
The hollow was all astir as the men set out. They had camped at the foot of the terraced rock on the high ground overlooking the clearing with the grave, beyond it the broad sweep of Horseshoe Bay between the curved arms of land enclosing the lagoon54.
"Take ropes!" counselled Clubfoot from his bed beneath the tree. "You may have to descend55 into the caves...."
The seaman, Schr?der, brought out some lengths of rope and hurried after the string of men, who, in Indian file, streamed out of the hollow, talking and laughing like a pack of schoolboys. Not a man remained behind. Even Pizarro, the coloured cook, went along. Black Pablo, the leader of the party, who was the last to go, wanted to leave a guard over Marjorie. But Clubfoot would not hear of it.
"Amigo mio," he said. "El Cojo is not so old as that young jackanapes would make out. I cannot climb while this cursed fever is on me. But I can look after myself—and anybody else who does me the honour of spending this pleasant afternoon in company...."
Black Pablo laughed stridently. They heard his feet ring sharply on the rocky ground. The next moment he was gone, and the peace of a summer afternoon descended56 upon the hollow, the soothing57 quiet of droning insects, of a little breeze stirring gently in the thick foliage58, the distant drumming of the sea.
Clubfoot began to speak to Marjorie.
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收听单词发音
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1
slit
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| n.狭长的切口；裂缝；vt.切开，撕裂 | |
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draught
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| n.拉，牵引，拖；一网（饮，吸，阵)；顿服药量，通风；v.起草，设计 | |
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maze
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| n.迷宫，八阵图，混乱，迷惑 | |
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subterranean
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| adj.地下的，地表下的 | |
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intervals
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| n.[军事]间隔( interval的名词复数 )；间隔时间；[数学]区间；（戏剧、电影或音乐会的）幕间休息 | |
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irresolute
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| adj.无决断的，优柔寡断的，踌躇不定的 | |
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7
mere
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| adj.纯粹的；仅仅，只不过 | |
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concealed
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| a.隐藏的，隐蔽的 | |
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9
perfectly
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| adv.完美地，无可非议地，彻底地 | |
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murmur
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| n.低语，低声的怨言；v.低语，低声而言 | |
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11
rumbling
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| n. 隆隆声, 辘辘声 adj. 隆隆响的 动词rumble的现在分词 | |
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12
metallic
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| adj.金属的；金属制的；含金属的；产金属的；像金属的 | |
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13
enunciation
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| n.清晰的发音；表明，宣言；口齿 | |
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14
depose
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| vt.免职；宣誓作证 | |
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15
filthy
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| adj.卑劣的；恶劣的，肮脏的 | |
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16
ragged
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| adj.衣衫褴褛的，粗糙的，刺耳的 | |
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17
hustled
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| 催促（hustle的过去式与过去分词形式） | |
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18
rascals
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| 流氓( rascal的名词复数 )； 无赖； （开玩笑说法）淘气的人（尤指小孩）； 恶作剧的人 | |
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19
rascal
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| n.流氓；不诚实的人 | |
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20
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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21
beckoning
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| adj.引诱人的，令人心动的v.（用头或手的动作）示意，召唤( beckon的现在分词 ) | |
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22
recesses
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| n.壁凹( recess的名词复数 )；（工作或业务活动的）中止或暂停期间；学校的课间休息；某物内部的凹形空间v.把某物放在墙壁的凹处( recess的第三人称单数 )；将（墙）做成凹形，在（墙）上做壁龛；休息，休会，休庭 | |
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23
hovered
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| 鸟( hover的过去式和过去分词 )； 靠近（某事物）； （人）徘徊； 犹豫 | |
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24
romped
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| v.嬉笑玩闹( romp的过去式和过去分词 )；（尤指在赛跑或竞选等中）轻易获胜 | |
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25
pallid
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| adj.苍白的，呆板的 | |
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uncouth
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| adj.无教养的，粗鲁的 | |
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27
slung
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| 抛( sling的过去式和过去分词 )； 吊挂； 遣送； 押往 | |
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28
lieutenant
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| n.陆军中尉，海军上尉；代理官员，副职官员 | |
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29
beetling
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| adj.突出的，悬垂的v.快速移动( beetle的现在分词 ) | |
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30
eyebrows
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| 眉毛( eyebrow的名词复数 ) | |
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31
hubbub
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| n.嘈杂；骚乱 | |
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32
shred
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| v.撕成碎片，变成碎片；n.碎布条，细片，些少 | |
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33
bent
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| n.爱好，癖好；adj.弯的；决心的，一心的 | |
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insistence
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| n.坚持；强调；坚决主张 | |
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35
torrent
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| n.激流，洪流；爆发，(话语等的)连发 | |
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36
seaman
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| n.海员，水手，水兵 | |
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37
deposed
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| v.罢免( depose的过去式和过去分词 )；（在法庭上）宣誓作证 | |
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38
bungled
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| v.搞糟，完不成( bungle的过去式和过去分词 )；笨手笨脚地做；失败；完不成 | |
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39
guts
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| v.狼吞虎咽，贪婪地吃，飞碟游戏（比赛双方每组5人，相距15码，互相掷接飞碟）；毁坏（建筑物等）的内部( gut的第三人称单数 )；取出…的内脏n.勇气( gut的名词复数 )；内脏；消化道的下段；肠 | |
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40
veins
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| n.纹理；矿脉( vein的名词复数 )；静脉；叶脉；纹理 | |
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41
crutch
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| n.T字形拐杖；支持，依靠，精神支柱 | |
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42
yelp
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| vi.狗吠 | |
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43
lash
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| v.系牢；鞭打；猛烈抨击；n.鞭打；眼睫毛 | |
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44
scarlet
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| n.深红色，绯红色，红衣；adj.绯红色的 | |
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45
mutinous
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| adj.叛变的，反抗的；adv.反抗地，叛变地；n.反抗，叛变 | |
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46
skulking
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| v.潜伏，偷偷摸摸地走动，鬼鬼祟祟地活动( skulk的现在分词 ) | |
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47
deliberately
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| adv.审慎地；蓄意地；故意地 | |
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48
steward
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| n.乘务员，服务员；看管人；膳食管理员 | |
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49
squat
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| v.蹲坐，蹲下；n.蹲下；adj.矮胖的，粗矮的 | |
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50
obese
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| adj.过度肥胖的，肥大的 | |
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51
contrived
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| adj.不自然的，做作的；虚构的 | |
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52
stunted
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| adj.矮小的；发育迟缓的 | |
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53
malice
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| n.恶意，怨恨，蓄意；[律]预谋 | |
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54
lagoon
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| n.泻湖，咸水湖 | |
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55
descend
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| vt./vi.传下来，下来，下降 | |
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56
descended
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| a.为...后裔的，出身于...的 | |
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57
soothing
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| adj.慰藉的；使人宽心的；镇静的 | |
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58
foliage
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| n.叶子，树叶，簇叶 | |
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