What a heterogeneous3 rabble4 it was!—a brightly coloured rabble, but the colours all were dirty, like the town and the canal. Only the sky was clean; the sky and the hard, merciless sunlight which spared nothing of the uncleanness, and defied one even to think of the term dear to tourists, "picturesque5." I was in that kind of mood. All the natives appeared to be pockmarked; all the Europeans greasy6 with perspiration7.
But what was the stir about?
I turned to the dark, bespectacled young man who leaned upon the rail beside me. From the first I had taken to Mr. Ahmad Ahmadeen.
"There is some kind of undercurrent of excitement among the natives," I said, "a sort of subdued8 Greek chorus is audible. What's it all about?"
Mr. Ahmadeen smiled. After a gaunt fashion, he was a handsome man and had a pleasant smile.
"Any idea who he is?" (The soul of the copyhunter is a restless soul.)
A group of men dressed in semi-European fashion—that is, in European fashion save for their turbans, which were green—passed close to us along the deck.
Ahmadeen appeared not to have heard the question.
The disturbance, which could only be defined as a subdued uproar11, but could be traced to no particular individual or group, grew momentarily louder—and died away. It was only when it had completely ceased that one realized how pronounced it had been—how altogether peculiar12, secret; like that incomprehensible murmuring in a bazaar13 when, unknown to the insular14 visitor, a reputed saint is present.
Then it happened; the inexplicable15 incident which, though I knew it not, heralded16 the coming of strange things, and the dawn of a new power; which should set up its secret standards in England, which should flood Europe and the civilized17 world with wonder.
A shrill18 scream marked the overture—a scream of fear and of pain, which dropped to a groan19, and moaned out into the silence of which it was the cause.
"My God! what's that?"
I started forward. There was a general crowding rush, and a darkly tanned and bearded man came on board, carrying a brown leather case. Behind him surged those who bore the victim.
"It's one of the lascars!"
"No—an Egyptian!"
"It was a porter—?"
"What is it—?"
"Someone been stabbed!"
"Where's the doctor?"
"Stand away there, if you please!"
That was a ship's officer; and the voice of authority served to quell20 the disturbance. Through a lane walled with craning heads they bore the insensible man. Ahmadeen was at my elbow.
"A Copt," he said softly. "Poor devil!" I turned to him. There was a queer expression on his lean, clean-shaven, bronze face.
"Good God!" I said. "His hand has been cut off!"
That was the fact of the matter. And no one knew who was responsible for the atrocity21. And no one knew what had become of the severed22 hand! I wasted not a moment in linking up the story. The pressman within me acted automatically.
"The gentleman just come aboard, sir," said a steward23, "is Professor Deeping. The poor beggar who was assaulted was carrying some of the Professor's baggage." The whole incident struck me as most odd. There was an idea lurking24 in my mind that something else—something more—lay behind all this. With impatience25 I awaited the time when the injured man, having received medical attention, was conveyed ashore26, and Professor Deeping reappeared. To the celebrated27 traveller and Oriental scholar I introduced myself.
"I was unable to see what took place, Mr. Cavanagh," he said. "The poor fellow was behind me, for I had stepped from the boat ahead of him. I had just taken a bag from his hand, but he was carrying another, heavier one. It is a clean cut, like that of a scimitar. I have seen very similar wounds in the cases of men who have suffered the old Moslem29 penalty for theft."
Nothing further had come to light when the Mandalay left, but I found new matter for curiosity in the behaviour of the Moslem party who had come on board at Port Said.
In conversation with Mr. Bell, the chief officer, I learned that the supposed leader of the party was one, Mr. Azraeel. "Obviously," said Bell, "not his real name or not all it. I don't suppose they'll show themselves on deck; they've got their own servants with them, and seem to be people of consequence."
This conversation was interrupted, but I found my unseen fellow voyagers peculiarly interesting and pursued inquiries30 in other directions. I saw members of the distinguished31 travellers' retinue32 going about their duties, but never obtained a glimpse of Mr. Azraeel nor of any of his green-turbaned companions.
"Who is Mr. Azraeel?" I asked Ahmadeen.
Some curious aroma34 of mystery floated about the ship. Ahmadeen conveyed to me the idea that he was concealing35 something. Then, one night, Mr. Bell invited me to step forward with him.
"Listen," he said.
From somewhere in the fo'c'sle proceeded low chanting.
"Hear it?"
"Yes. What the devil is it?"
"It's the lascars," said Bell. "They have been behaving in a most unusual manner ever since the mysterious Mr. Azraeel joined us. I may be wrong in associating the two things, but I shan't be sorry to see the last of our mysterious passengers."
The next happening on board the Mandalay which I have to record was the attempt to break open the door of Professor Deeping's stateroom. Except when he was actually within, the Professor left his room door religiously locked.
He made light of the affair, but later took me aside and told me a curious story of an apparition36 which had appeared to him.
"It was a crescent of light," he said, "and it glittered through the darkness there to the left as I lay in my berth37."
"A reflection from something on the deck?"
Deeping smiled, uneasily.
"Possibly," he replied; "but it was very sharply defined. Like the blade of a scimitar," he added.
I stared at him, my curiosity keenly aroused. "Does any explanation suggest itself to you?" I said.
"Well," he confessed, "I have a theory, I will admit; but it is rather going back to the Middle Ages. You see, I have lived in the East a lot; perhaps I have assimilated some of their superstitions38."
He was oddly reticent, as ever. I felt convinced that he was keeping something back. I could not stifle39 the impression that the clue to these mysteries lay somewhere around the invisible Mohammedan party.
"Do you know," said Bell to me, one morning, "this trip's giving me the creeps. I believe the damned ship's haunted! Three bells in the middle watch last night, I'll swear I saw some black animal crawling along the deck, in the direction of the forward companion-way."
"Cat?" I suggested.
"Nothing like it," said Mr. Bell. "Mr. Cavanagh, it was some uncanny thing! I'm afraid I can't explain quite what I mean, but it was something I wanted to shoot!"
"Where did it go?"
The chief officer shrugged40 his shoulders. "Just vanished," he said. "I hope I don't see it again."
At Tilbury the Mohammedan party went ashore in a body. Among them were veiled women. They contrived41 so to surround a central figure that I entirely42 failed to get a glimpse of the mysterious Mr. Azraeel. Ahmadeen was standing43 close by the companion-way, and I had a momentary44 impression that one of the women slipped something into his hand. Certainly, he started; and his dusky face seemed to pale.
Then a deck steward came out of Deeping's stateroom, carrying the brown bag which the Professor had brought aboard at Port Said. Deeping's voice came:
"Hi, my man! Let me take that bag!"
The bag changed hands. Five minutes later, as I was preparing to go ashore, arose a horrid45 scream above the berthing46 clamour. Those passengers yet aboard made in the direction from which the scream had proceeded.
A steward—the one to whom Professor Deeping had spoken—lay writhing47 at the foot of the stairs leading to the saloon-deck. His right hand had been severed above the wrist!
点击
收听单词发音
收听单词发音 |
1
disturbance
|
|
| n.动乱，骚动；打扰，干扰；(身心)失调 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
2
portend
|
|
| v.预兆，预示；给…以警告 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
3
heterogeneous
|
|
| adj.庞杂的；异类的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
4
rabble
|
|
| n.乌合之众，暴民；下等人 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
5
picturesque
|
|
| adj.美丽如画的，（语言）生动的，绘声绘色的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
6
greasy
|
|
| adj. 多脂的，油脂的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
7
perspiration
|
|
| n.汗水；出汗 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
8
subdued
|
|
| adj. 屈服的，柔和的，减弱的 动词subdue的过去式和过去分词 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
9
celebrity
|
|
| n.名人，名流；著名，名声，名望 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
10
curiously
|
|
| adv.有求知欲地；好问地；奇特地 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
11
uproar
|
|
| n.骚动，喧嚣，鼎沸 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
12
peculiar
|
|
| adj.古怪的，异常的；特殊的，特有的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
13
bazaar
|
|
| n.集市，商店集中区 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
14
insular
|
|
| adj.岛屿的，心胸狭窄的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
15
inexplicable
|
|
| adj.无法解释的，难理解的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
16
heralded
|
|
| v.预示( herald的过去式和过去分词 )；宣布（好或重要） | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
17
civilized
|
|
| a.有教养的，文雅的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
18
shrill
|
|
| adj.尖声的；刺耳的；v尖叫 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
19
groan
|
|
| vi./n.呻吟，抱怨；(发出)呻吟般的声音 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
20
quell
|
|
| v.压制，平息，减轻 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
21
atrocity
|
|
| n.残暴，暴行 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
22
severed
|
|
| v.切断，断绝( sever的过去式和过去分词 )；断，裂 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
23
steward
|
|
| n.乘务员，服务员；看管人；膳食管理员 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
24
lurking
|
|
| 潜在 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
25
impatience
|
|
| n.不耐烦，急躁 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
26
ashore
|
|
| adv.在(向)岸上，上岸 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
27
celebrated
|
|
| adj.有名的，声誉卓著的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
28
reticent
|
|
| adj.沉默寡言的；言不如意的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
29
Moslem
|
|
| n.回教徒，穆罕默德信徒；adj.回教徒的，回教的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
30
inquiries
|
|
| n.调查( inquiry的名词复数 )；疑问；探究；打听 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
31
distinguished
|
|
| adj.卓越的，杰出的，著名的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
32
retinue
|
|
| n.侍从；随员 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
33
abruptly
|
|
| adv.突然地，出其不意地 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
34
aroma
|
|
| n.香气，芬芳，芳香 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
35
concealing
|
|
| v.隐藏，隐瞒，遮住( conceal的现在分词 ) | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
36
apparition
|
|
| n.幽灵，神奇的现象 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
37
berth
|
|
| n.卧铺，停泊地，锚位；v.使停泊 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
38
superstitions
|
|
| 迷信，迷信行为( superstition的名词复数 ) | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
39
stifle
|
|
| vt.使窒息；闷死；扼杀；抑止，阻止 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
40
shrugged
|
|
| vt.耸肩（shrug的过去式与过去分词形式） | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
41
contrived
|
|
| adj.不自然的，做作的；虚构的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
42
entirely
|
|
| ad.全部地，完整地；完全地，彻底地 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
43
standing
|
|
| n.持续，地位；adj.永久的，不动的，直立的，不流动的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
44
momentary
|
|
| adj.片刻的，瞬息的；短暂的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
45
horrid
|
|
| adj.可怕的；令人惊恐的；恐怖的；极讨厌的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
46
berthing
|
|
| v.停泊( berth的现在分词 )；占铺位；边板 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
47
writhing
|
|
| （因极度痛苦而）扭动或翻滚( writhe的现在分词 ) | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
| 欢迎访问英文小说网 |