It was done with such lightning speed that he had me at a disadvantage. Though I had my pistol in my hand when I challenged Grundt, I was completely thrown off my balance by the glimpse I had of Marjorie who, with the blood drained from her face, stood swaying against a boulder3 as if about to faint. For a fraction of a second I took my eyes off the cripple and in that instant he had me covered.
"You're welcome to it," I said as I pitched it on a tussock between us. "I've come to capitulate, Grundt! You win!"
"Very clever! Oh, very clever, indeed!" he sneered5. "You imagine, I suppose, that Clubfoot, the stupid old Boche, did not hear that gun from the sea just now? Your friends may have arrived back, Herr Major. But little good they'll do you. I am going to kill you!"
Even as he spoke6, into the turquoise7 horseshoe of sea at his back the Naomi came steaming, the sun flaming here and there on her polished brass-work, a glittering white ship as snowy as the spume that creamed in her wake. So clear was the atmosphere that I could see the white-clad figures running about her decks. I strained my ears to catch if I might the clang of her engine-room telegraph ringing her down to "slow." But the wind was off the land and no sound came from the Naomi. She might have been a phantom8 ship, such a spectre as, they say, visits a man in the hour of death.
And, in truth, it seemed as though for me the hour of death were at hand. Grundt's evil eyes and grim mouth set above the gleaming blue barrel of the great automatic were ample evidence that his words were no idle threat. He shifted his grip to get a better aim and I looked away, away from that sinister9 face, away from the Naomi and her promise of home, away from the glistening10 sea and the swaying green palms, to Marjorie. She stood like a white marble statue. Only her eyes seemed yet to live and they were wide with terror.
Again Clubfoot's whistle rang out. I turned to see his forehead puckered11 in a questioning frown. I shrugged12 my shoulders.
"What chance has the Naomi against you and your men, Grundt?" I asked. "A pleasure yacht is not equipped to send off cutting-out expeditions, you know! You are fully13 armed and well-entrenched in the island! It seems to me that your fears are exaggerated!...."
"Fine words, fine words!" he muttered. "Nevertheless in a minute you are going to die!...."
He took out his watch and laid it on the blanket before him.
"When I told you I had come to capitulate," I rejoined. "I spoke the truth. I have found the treasure. And there is proof!"
I opened my left hand and flung at his feet a handful of gold. Twenty-mark pieces, they dropped softly on the blankets and lay there gleaming in the sunshine, the Kaiser's head and the Imperial Eagle plain for him to see.
I had shaken him. I knew it at a glance. He looked down at the gold, his eyes narrowing with suspicion.
"Also doch!" he murmured—that conveniently elastic14 German phrase which means "By Jove, he's done it!" or, "Well, I never!" or "I'd never have thought it!" or anything, more or less along these lines, you care to fit to it.
"Let Miss Garth and me go free to rejoin the yacht," I said, "and I'll tell you where the treasure's hid!"
"It is not for you to dictate16 to me, you scum," he cried. "Unconditional17 surrender is the only kind of surrender I understand. Say what you have to say and I will then decide what I shall do with you...."
I glanced seaward. And my heart stood still. The Naomi had vanished. Had it been but a vision after all?
I noticed that the ague had taken him again and that, do what he might, he was trembling violently all over.
"If you will allow me to put my left hand in my jacket pocket," I said, "I can show you something that will explain everything."
"Bitte sehr! But remember that I can stretch you dead before you will have time to shoot, even through your pocket...."
From my jacket I produced the little mirror. The sun caught its polished surface as I brought it out and it flashed and flashed again.
Between the curving arms of Horseshoe Bay the launch of the Naomi came flying. I could see the white spray thrown up in two curving sheets as her bows cut the green water. To my ears stole faintly the quick chug-chug of her propeller20. I wondered if Grundt had heard it. But he was staring fixedly21 at the little mirror which I kept turning over in my hands so that it flashed and flashed....
"This was wired to the grave, Grundt," said I. "It was what failed you to read the cipher22. You remember the line 'Flimmer', flimmer' viel'? That was the indication to throw a spot-light thus!"—I caught the sun's rays in the glass and flashed it seaward to the bay——"from the mirror set at an angle of 85 degrees; 'the garrison23 of Kiel,' 'die Fünf-und-Achtziger', you know, Herr Doktor! Incidentally it was you yourself who were good enough to recall the allusion24 to my mind!...."
And I reminded him of our talk in the ravine in the forest.
"So that was what made you willing to hand me the message," he commented. "I wondered what it was. But continue! We waste valuable time!...."
"The compass bearing indicated by 'the Feast of Orders' was, of course, 27, from January 27th, the date of the celebration, as you probably guessed for yourself. The spotlight26 thrown along this line fell upon a peculiar27 pillar in the topmost terrace which your men are now searching. From this pillar, between two crags, the Sugar Loaf and the Lorelei, both quite easily identified. I saw the great image indicated by 'Püppchen' in the message. I don't know whether you know the song 'Püppchen, Du bist mein Augenstern?'
"Augenstern—star of my eyes—refers to the idol28. It has one eye hollow. By mounting from the hill-side at the back you can look through the eye and see the little cairn of stones which Ulrich von Hagel, with the hand of death upon him, built to mark the hiding place of the gold. At the foot of the image the treasure lies buried. From a box at the surface I took this handful of gold. I could not move the rest for I had neither pick nor spade and the ground is hard and rocky. And that, I think, is all!"
For the first time Grundt relaxed his forbidding expression.
"Your story sounds plausible29, Herr Major," he said. "This time, I believe, you are telling the truth...."
I gazed out into the bay. The launch had disappeared. She must have gone in under the cliffs out of sight.
"In any case," Clubfoot was saying, "I propose to risk it. Being a practical man you will realise that I cannot afford to chance the valuable information you have acquired falling into the possession of your friends. Furthermore, I bear you a grudge30, Okewood. It has been the rule of my life that no man shall beat me and live. Therefore, I am going to shoot you now...."
A little cry and even as I turned Marjorie pitched forward and fell prone31 on the grass between Grundt and me.
"Bah!" said Clubfoot, "let her lie! She will...."
He never finished the sentence. Quick as thought the girl half raised herself, two deafening32 reports rang out all but simultaneously33, then, with a snarling34 cry, Grundt snatched at his wrist.
The next moment Garth and Lawless burst into the hollow. But I was staring at Marjorie who had fallen motionless on her face.
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1
forsake
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| vt.遗弃，抛弃；舍弃，放弃 | |
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shrill
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| adj.尖声的；刺耳的；v尖叫 | |
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boulder
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| n.巨砾；卵石，圆石 | |
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snarled
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| v.（指狗）吠，嗥叫， （人）咆哮( snarl的过去式和过去分词 )；咆哮着说，厉声地说 | |
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5
sneered
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| 讥笑，冷笑( sneer的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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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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7
turquoise
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| n.绿宝石；adj.蓝绿色的 | |
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phantom
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| n.幻影，虚位，幽灵；adj.错觉的，幻影的，幽灵的 | |
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sinister
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| adj.不吉利的，凶恶的，左边的 | |
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glistening
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| adj.闪耀的，反光的v.湿物闪耀，闪亮( glisten的现在分词 ) | |
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puckered
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| v.（使某物）起褶子或皱纹( pucker的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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12
shrugged
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| vt.耸肩（shrug的过去式与过去分词形式） | |
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13
fully
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| adv.完全地，全部地，彻底地；充分地 | |
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14
elastic
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| n.橡皮圈，松紧带；adj.有弹性的；灵活的 | |
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15
stiffened
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| 加强的 | |
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dictate
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| v.口授；(使)听写；指令，指示，命令 | |
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unconditional
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| adj.无条件的，无限制的，绝对的 | |
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18
scowling
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| 怒视，生气地皱眉( scowl的现在分词 ) | |
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respite
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| n.休息，中止，暂缓 | |
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propeller
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| n.螺旋桨，推进器 | |
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fixedly
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| adv.固定地；不屈地，坚定不移地 | |
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cipher
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| n.零；无影响力的人；密码 | |
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garrison
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| n.卫戍部队；驻地，卫戍区；vt.派(兵)驻防 | |
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24
allusion
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| n.暗示，间接提示 | |
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savagely
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| adv. 野蛮地，残酷地 | |
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spotlight
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| n.公众注意的中心，聚光灯，探照灯，视听，注意，醒目 | |
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27
peculiar
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| adj.古怪的，异常的；特殊的，特有的 | |
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idol
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| n.偶像，红人，宠儿 | |
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29
plausible
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| adj.似真实的，似乎有理的，似乎可信的 | |
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grudge
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| n.不满，怨恨，妒嫉；vt.勉强给，不情愿做 | |
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31
prone
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| adj.(to)易于…的，很可能…的；俯卧的 | |
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32
deafening
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| adj. 振耳欲聋的, 极喧闹的 动词deafen的现在分词形式 | |
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33
simultaneously
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| adv.同时发生地，同时进行地 | |
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34
snarling
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| v.（指狗）吠，嗥叫， （人）咆哮( snarl的现在分词 )；咆哮着说，厉声地说 | |
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