It was a weird1 cry the like of which, in all his vicissitudes2, Russell had never heard before. There was not pain in it so much as the wild and vivid fear of a soul going down into eternal torment3. Twice again the cry came and then all was silent once more. Uzali rose to his feet without the slightest appearance of haste; indeed, from his collected movements and assured air he might have been expecting something of the kind.
"What shall we do now?" Russell whispered.
"That depends on whether we are too late or not," Uzali replied. "Come and see for yourself. One or two things have been puzzling you lately and now we can clear them all up."
The speaker moved to the open window. He had scarcely reached the threshold before that strange cry came again. It was much fainter this time and lacked the dominant4 note of fear. It was more despairing and sounded a long way farther off. At the same time Russell held back a moment, for he could hear a disturbance5 overhead.
Surely enough there came the sound of voices raised in expostulation and a moment later Mason came downstairs.
"What is it?" he exclaimed. "What are you gentlemen doing? Don't you know that my patient is at death's door? On no account was he to be disturbed. That extraordinary noise has awakened6 him, and now it is as much as two of us can do to keep him in bed. I don't want to rouse the servants."
Something like an oath broke from Uzali's lips.
"For Heaven's sake! go back where you came from," he said. "You have enough to do upstairs without disturbing us. Besides, you have Dr. Mercer to help you."
Mason looked at the speaker in astonishment7. He was not accustomed to being spoken to in that way, but he made no protest. Overhead Flower's voice could be heard raised in feeble fury. He seemed to be pleading for release.
"Oh, go upstairs," Uzali said. "I assure you, my good fellow, you gain nothing by standing8 here, and if the servants are aroused you will be conferring a favour on everybody by sending them back to bed again. Now do as you are told."
Without waiting for reply Uzali strode out into the garden followed by Russell. From the lawn they could see shadows flitting across the blinds of Flower's room. It was plain that a struggle was going on.
"That's a piece of cruel bad luck," Russell muttered. "I wonder what woke him up."
"Can't you guess?" Uzali said impatiently. "Wasn't that cry enough to wake the dead? It would arouse anybody who was not lost to consciousness. It appealed all the more to Flower because he had heard something like it before. But, come, we have no time to lose. I hope before morning that we shall have settled this ghastly business for ever. And now to find out where those fellows went. I hope you know the house."
"Indeed, I don't," Russell said. "I don't know any more than you do. Mercer could help us."
Uzali made no reply. Very carefully he strode round the house, looking intently amongst the ivy9 which fringed the stone walls. He seemed to be seeking for some cellar trap or sunken door by which the basement might be reached. He gave a grunt10 of triumph presently as he pointed11 to a flight of moss-clad stairs leading to a small door below. He pressed his shoulder to the woodwork and it gave way quietly. Once more he chuckled12.
"We are on the track at last," he whispered. "We shall find it here. Strike a light!"
Russell took a vesta from his pocket and after lighting13 it held it aloft. He made out the outline of a dim vault14 with three doors at the far end approached by flights of steps. The place apparently15 was empty and Uzali strode along as if he were on the verge16 of some important discovery. Then Russell's foot tripped over the support of an iron wine-bin and the whole thing came over with a rattle17 and roar that made the place echo. With a cry Uzali started back.
"Now you have done it," he said hoarsely18. "Look out for yourself. Give us another match for goodness' sake."
The match went out as if some unseen person had stooped and extinguished it. Just before the last dying gleam faded it seemed to Russell that two shadowy forms had passed him rapidly. He knew a moment later that he was not mistaken, for he heard footsteps running up the stairs leading to the garden.
"After them," Uzali whispered. "The tragedy is done so far as we are concerned. That unfortunate man is beyond salvation19. After them! It is not so dark as you think."
After the intense gloom of the vault the garden was by comparison almost light. Russell could see the two forms not more than a hundred yards ahead. He set off doggedly20 in chase. His blood was up now, his heart was full of anger, and a certain recklessness possessed21 him. Come what might those people should not escape him again; neither did he need Uzali to tell him who they were. He knew he was in close pursuit of the two Malays whom he had seen not so many hours before lying on the floor in Jansen's sitting-room22.
It all grew clear to Russell as he raced along. He was just as anxious to catch up with those men, just as determined23 to mete24 out to them the punishment they deserved, but the wild feeling of passion was gone.
Doubtless the Malays had been too cunning for Jansen. To a certain extent they had trusted him, but the Dutchman's drugs had been insufficient25. What Jansen had come to Maldon Grange for, Russell could not tell. But there must have been some deep reason for his move, some pressing need of keeping the Malays out of the way till his errand was accomplished26.
Russell ran on and on without sense of fatigue27, for he was in hard training, his muscles tense and rigid28 as whipcord, his lungs playing freely. Uzali was far behind and out of the hunt. The Malays, too, showed that they knew they were being followed. For a long time they kept to the road till it began to dawn upon them that their antagonist30 was gaining ground, then they vaulted31 lightly over a gate and entered the fields. Russell smiled grimly as he noticed the move. He was not perhaps quite so agile32 as those in front, but he knew the heavier going would suit him better. Sooner or later he must wear those fellows down and bring them to a sense of their responsibilities. There was consolation33 in the knowledge that he was armed. He smiled as he felt for his revolver in his hip29 pocket.
A mile or so and the pace began to tell. The fugitives34 were not more than sixty or seventy yards away. They were toiling35 distressfully along, and Russell could see that their limbs were growing heavy under them.
"Pull up!" he cried. "It is useless to go any farther. If you don't stop I'll fire into you."
But there was no suggestion of stopping on the part of the Malays. They swerved36 to the right as a hare might do and breasted a slight embankment on the top of which was the permanent way of the railway. Russell was not more than two yards in the rear as they stumbled over the fence and dashed across the line. His blood was up, but he did not lose his presence of mind. Something was ringing in his ears besides the rush of wind, something booming and tearing; with a blinding light and headlong rush round the bend tore the express at top speed.
Russell pulled up in the nick of time. He yelled to the Malays. But it was too late. They had seen and heard nothing. They seemed to be licked up by the flaming light and roaring steam. It was over in the flash of an instant. The express had disappeared and the silence of deep darkness fell again, as Russell stood fumbling37 unsteadily in his pocket for his matches.
He turned, shuddering38, from the horror of it. The two figures lay there battered39 almost out of recognition. They would do no more mischief40 in this world. Still, they should not be neglected. A few hundred yards down the line Russell could see the lights of a small station and towards this he hurried as fast as his legs would carry him. It was an incoherent story, but he managed to make a sleepy night porter and one or two navvies camping up by the side of the rails to understand something of the tragedy. A few minutes later and the figures were removed to the station where they lay side by side covered with coarse sacking.
"I am staying at Maldon Grange," Russell explained. "I will call in the morning. I dare say one of you would not mind notifying the police for me."
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1
weird
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| adj.古怪的，离奇的；怪诞的，神秘而可怕的 | |
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2
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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3
torment
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| n.折磨；令人痛苦的东西(人)；vt.折磨；纠缠 | |
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4
dominant
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| adj.支配的，统治的；占优势的；显性的；n.主因，要素，主要的人(或物)；显性基因 | |
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5
disturbance
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| n.动乱，骚动；打扰，干扰；(身心)失调 | |
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6
awakened
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| v.（使）醒( awaken的过去式和过去分词 )；（使）觉醒；弄醒；（使）意识到 | |
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7
astonishment
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| n.惊奇，惊异 | |
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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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ivy
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| n.常青藤，常春藤 | |
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10
grunt
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| v.嘟哝；作呼噜声；n.呼噜声，嘟哝 | |
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11
pointed
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| adj.尖的，直截了当的 | |
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12
chuckled
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| 轻声地笑( chuckle的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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13
lighting
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| n.照明，光线的明暗，舞台灯光 | |
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14
vault
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| n.拱形圆顶，地窖，地下室 | |
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15
apparently
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| adv.显然地；表面上，似乎 | |
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verge
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| n.边，边缘；v.接近，濒临 | |
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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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18
hoarsely
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| adv.嘶哑地 | |
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salvation
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| n.（尤指基督）救世，超度，拯救，解困 | |
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doggedly
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| adv.顽强地，固执地 | |
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21
possessed
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| adj.疯狂的；拥有的，占有的 | |
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22
sitting-room
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| n.（BrE）客厅，起居室 | |
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determined
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| adj.坚定的；有决心的 | |
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24
mete
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| v.分配；给予 | |
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insufficient
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| adj.(for，of)不足的，不够的 | |
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26
accomplished
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| adj.有才艺的；有造诣的；达到了的 | |
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fatigue
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| n.疲劳，劳累 | |
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28
rigid
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| adj.严格的，死板的；刚硬的，僵硬的 | |
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hip
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| n.臀部，髋；屋脊 | |
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30
antagonist
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| n.敌人，对抗者，对手 | |
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31
vaulted
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| adj.拱状的 | |
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32
agile
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| adj.敏捷的，灵活的 | |
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33
consolation
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| n.安慰，慰问 | |
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34
fugitives
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| n.亡命者，逃命者( fugitive的名词复数 ) | |
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35
toiling
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| 长时间或辛苦地工作( toil的现在分词 )； 艰难缓慢地移动，跋涉 | |
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36
swerved
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| v.（使）改变方向，改变目的( swerve的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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37
fumbling
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| n. 摸索,漏接 v. 摸索,摸弄,笨拙的处理 | |
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38
shuddering
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| v.战栗( shudder的现在分词 )；发抖；（机器、车辆等）突然震动；颤动 | |
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39
battered
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| adj.磨损的；v.连续猛击；磨损 | |
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40
mischief
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| n.损害，伤害，危害；恶作剧，捣蛋，胡闹 | |
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