Marjorie wondered vaguely4 what he meant. His manner was ingratiating; but she was conscious that he was watching her closely to mark the effect of his words.
"We Germans lost the war. Therefore, a man like your friend Okewood believes that everywhere and in all circumstances, the German must be in a state of inferiority. How short-sighted, meine Gn?dige! And what a blemish5 this want of logic2 signifies in an otherwise remarkable6 character! To go no farther a-field in search of an illustration than this delightful7 island;—war or no war, the fact remains8 that the strength of my little party puts the Herr Major in an inferiority of thirteen to one. How much wiser on his part it would have been to have recognised this fact yesterday! Let us hope that you will not be so ill-advised as to ignore it! You take my meaning? How quick you are!...."
For a minute his thick fingers drummed on the blanket thrown across him.
"Your Herr father has gone to fetch the yacht, nicht wahr?"
"It is no use asking me," replied Marjorie. "I have not seen my father since I landed on the island...."
"So, so!" placidly9 observed Grundt, "another question for friend Okewood presently. But perhaps you can tell me what has become of Herr Okewood? Where exactly did you leave him?"
Marjorie was thinking desperately10. It was merely a matter of time, probably of minutes now, she reflected, before I should be captured and dragged out of the cave. But some instinct prompted her, as she told me afterwards, to give no information about me until she had actually seen me once more in Grundt's power. So she simply shrugged11 her shoulders.
"I trust that this gesture does not imply," said Clubfoot, "that you do not know where you left Major Okewood, for that would be acting12 a lie. And lying, meine Gn?dige, would do you no good in your present predicament. You must not take advantage of our good nature, o, nein! Do not forget that on a desert island man is apt to sink back into his primitive13 state...."
"You come to us unbidden. You throw yourself upon our chivalry15. Ja! that is all very well. But have you made sure that the conventions of civilised life obtain in this little island republic of which I am president? Hein, hein, had you thought of that? But won't you please sit down?"
"I prefer to stand," replied the girl shortly.
"You make me do discredit16 to our old German courtesy, liebes Fr?ulein. I cannot sit while you remain standing17, and in this hot sun .... bitte!"
With his spade-like hand he smoothed out a place on the grass under the shade of his tree. Dully, almost against her will, Marjorie sank down.
A gleam awoke in the cripple's eyes as he pawed the girl's bare arm.
"Listen!" he said, lowering his voice confidentially18 and leaning towards her. "The Spaniards of my party come without exception from the lowest scum of the Central American sea-board. Their table-talk is enlivened with anecdotes19 of their—shall we say conquests?—which fill even me with disgust and dismay. And my Germans, yes,—I, a good German, must admit it—they, too, have forgotten something of the conventions of civilised life. For five years or more they have been outlaws20, dirty Boches, the rejected of mankind—they who are of that race,"—his voice rang out triumphant21 but then trembled and broke—"Gott! that is the salt of the earth!"
For an instant he seemed to be genuinely moved. Bitter memories kindled22 a spark of anger in his fierce, dark eyes. But the mood passed swiftly and his voice was gentle, his manner sleek23 as before when he resumed.
"You make it difficult, very difficult for me. You come here, a delicate, fair young maid and you expect to live unscathed in a camp of rough men; for I do not conceal24 from you the fact, Miss Garth, that unless your father is reasonable you may be with us for many days...."
He broke off suggestively. The girl dared not look at him for fear of the thought unspoken she might read in his leering eyes.
"Would you be surprised to learn? it is always best to be frank, nicht wahr?—that it will require an armed guard to keep these men away from you at night?...."
At that Marjorie revolted. She sprang to her feet and walked away, sickened at the picture he had suggested to her by every word. Grundt made no attempt to follow her.
"I am sure you will be reasonable," he murmured.
A man burst turbulently into the hollow. It was von Hagel. He was smeared26 all over with grey dust and his heavy boots showed white gashes27 where the rocks had cut them. He was pale and the livid weal across his right cheek seemed to distort his features.
"Well?" said Grundt sternly.
The young man made a helpless gesture of the hands. Slowly Clubfoot sat up erect28 and a heavy scowl29 drew his eyebrows30 together. One could almost see the young German quake as he stood before his leader, dumb, confused, aimlessly moving his hands. At last he faltered31 out:—
"He is not there!"
A convulsion of anger seemed to shake the huge cripple. The close-shaven hair of his scalp moved, his heavy nostrils32 twitched33 as solidly, viciously, his great jowl set.
"Not there!" he ejaculated hoarsely34, his voice strangling with anger. "What do you mean 'not there'? Black Pablo's orders were to bring him down to me. Why has he not done so? Himmelkreuzdonnerwetter!"—his hairy hands beat on his knee with rage—"why don't you answer me?"
"We.... we.... gained the top shelf unobserved," stammered35 out von Hagel. "It was deserted36. There is only one cave.... with a clear drop down. The steps appear to have quite recently broken away. Pablo, Schr?der and I went with torches—they let us down with ropes. We came to a lower chamber37 where some native dead are buried. At the end was the narrow air-slit through which the girl escaped...."
"And the Engl?nder was not there, you say?"
"No!"
"Schafskopf! He was never there!"
"We saw him enter it. Besides, we found burnt matches on the ground and the ashes of his pipe...."
"Then he went out by the air-hole...."
"It is too narrow. Ramon, who is slightly built, could not get through...."
"And there is no other cave?"
"No!"
"Impossible, Herr Doktor! By the way he went in, without ropes, both ascent39 and descent are out of the question! And since early morning the path, which is the only means of access to the cliff, has been guarded...."
"Erlauben Sie!" he said in a voice half-suffocated with rage, "let us get this right. I do not admit miracles. We know that the Engl?nder and the girl took refuge in this cave. Gut41! The girl, we know, came out through the air-hole. Where is then the man?"
Von Hagel looked at Marjorie.
"Why not ask the girl?" he suggested.
"You've heard what he said," screamed Clubfoot, whipping round and shaking his finger at Marjorie. "Where did you leave this man?"
Then Marjorie told them she had left me in the cave.
"Sehen Sie?" roared Clubfoot. "He's escaped under your very snouts, schweinhunde that you are! He's in that cave yet! Get out of my sight, you dog! And send Black Pablo here! Tell him he has to reckon with me now! And by God if I have to go to him myself——"
Von Hagel had turned and fled. The cripple had risen to his knees. The perspiration42 poured off his face as, with trembling limbs, he vainly strove to overcome the weakness that mastered him, while he mouthed and mumbled43 a stream of threats.
Then from the sea a gun spoke25, a single report that broke the brooding silence of the island and went echoing and clanging among the tall, grave rocks. Clubfoot's babble44 ceased on the instant. He desisted from his attempt to rise to his feet and remained immobile save for the trembling of his great torso. Slowly he turned his head and looked at Marjorie who, transfixed with fear, was watching him.
Thus I found them as, a moment later, I stepped into the hollow.
"Sit down, Grundt!" I said.
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收听单词发音
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1
dabbing
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| 石面凿毛，灰泥抛毛 | |
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2
logic
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| n.逻辑(学)；逻辑性 | |
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perfectly
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| adv.完美地，无可非议地，彻底地 | |
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vaguely
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| adv.含糊地，暖昧地 | |
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blemish
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| v.损害；玷污；瑕疵，缺点 | |
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remarkable
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| adj.显著的，异常的，非凡的，值得注意的 | |
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delightful
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| adj.令人高兴的，使人快乐的 | |
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8
remains
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| n.剩余物，残留物；遗体，遗迹 | |
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placidly
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| adv.平稳地，平静地 | |
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desperately
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| adv.极度渴望地，绝望地，孤注一掷地 | |
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11
shrugged
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| vt.耸肩（shrug的过去式与过去分词形式） | |
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acting
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| n.演戏，行为，假装；adj.代理的，临时的，演出用的 | |
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primitive
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| adj.原始的；简单的；n.原(始)人，原始事物 | |
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caressing
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| 爱抚的，表现爱情的，亲切的 | |
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15
chivalry
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| n.骑士气概，侠义；（男人）对女人彬彬有礼，献殷勤 | |
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16
discredit
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| vt.使不可置信；n.丧失信义；不信，怀疑 | |
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17
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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18
confidentially
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| ad.秘密地，悄悄地 | |
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19
anecdotes
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| n.掌故，趣闻，轶事( anecdote的名词复数 ) | |
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20
outlaws
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| 歹徒，亡命之徒( outlaw的名词复数 )； 逃犯 | |
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21
triumphant
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| adj.胜利的，成功的；狂欢的，喜悦的 | |
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22
kindled
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| （使某物）燃烧，着火( kindle的过去式和过去分词 )； 激起（感情等）； 发亮，放光 | |
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23
sleek
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| adj.光滑的，井然有序的；v.使光滑，梳拢 | |
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24
conceal
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| v.隐藏，隐瞒，隐蔽 | |
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25
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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26
smeared
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| 弄脏； 玷污； 涂抹； 擦上 | |
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27
gashes
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| n.深长的切口（或伤口）( gash的名词复数 )v.划伤，割破( gash的第三人称单数 ) | |
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28
erect
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| n./v.树立，建立，使竖立；adj.直立的，垂直的 | |
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29
scowl
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| vi.(at)生气地皱眉，沉下脸，怒视；n.怒容 | |
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30
eyebrows
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| 眉毛( eyebrow的名词复数 ) | |
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31
faltered
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| （嗓音）颤抖( falter的过去式和过去分词 )； 支吾其词； 蹒跚； 摇晃 | |
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32
nostrils
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| 鼻孔( nostril的名词复数 ) | |
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33
twitched
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| vt.& vi.（使）抽动，（使）颤动（twitch的过去式与过去分词形式） | |
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34
hoarsely
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| adv.嘶哑地 | |
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35
stammered
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| v.结巴地说出( stammer的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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36
deserted
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| adj.荒芜的，荒废的，无人的，被遗弃的 | |
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37
chamber
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| n.房间，寝室；会议厅；议院；会所 | |
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38
sentries
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| 哨兵，步兵( sentry的名词复数 ) | |
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39
ascent
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| n.(声望或地位)提高；上升，升高；登高 | |
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40
regain
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| vt.重新获得，收复，恢复 | |
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41
gut
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| n.[pl.]胆量；内脏；adj.本能的；vt.取出内脏 | |
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42
perspiration
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| n.汗水；出汗 | |
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43
mumbled
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| 含糊地说某事，叽咕，咕哝( mumble的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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44
babble
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| v.含糊不清地说，胡言乱语地说，儿语 | |
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