CHAPTER XXV. THE MADMAN’S GET-AWAY.

 The words were spoken aloud in a thick, jerky voice, and it seemed to be all that Stone could do to keep his clutching hands from his senseless partner’s throat. Doubtless he remembered the rascally¹ doctor’s promise that Crawford would know nothing about it all when he woke in the morning, and that was probably what stayed his hand.

 

 

Had the detective been in any doubt of the man’s condition, it would have vanished then, and Stone’s irresponsibility was even more evident when he turned away from the bed, and the light from the transom struck his face. It was wrinkled into a mask of maniacal² triumph, and the glare in the eyes was more like that of a wild animal than of a human being.

 

Nick held his breath for a moment. Stone was heading directly toward the bathroom, apparently³ with the idea of washing his hands after handling the drugged sponge. If he should enter there, discovery would be inevitable⁵, and the detective would have a crazy man to handle—a task which even he did not care to contemplate⁶.

 

Presently, however, when Stone was only four or five feet from the door of the bathroom, he suddenly wheeled about and recrossed to his own door, through which he disappeared. His shrewdness had evidently suggested the desirability of performing the necessary ablutions in his own room.

 

Nick relaxed when the danger was removed, and after waiting for perhaps five minutes following the closing of the connecting door, he stole from his hiding place and sought Crawford’s bed. No odor of the drug had reached his nostrils⁷ in the bathroom. It was evidently so volatile⁸ that it had been quickly dissipated in the air. The detective knew its nature, however, for he had sniffed⁹ at it in Stone’s room. He was aware that it was all that Doctor Follansbee had claimed for it, and that, under ordinary circumstances, it would work no permanent harm; but what he did not know was its effect on Winthrop Crawford. Crawford seemed to possess a rugged⁴ constitution, but his heart, for instance, might be weak. Nick wished to make sure that his new friend’s condition was normal before he left the room.

 

His examination, for which he did not need a light, was satisfactory. The drug had plunged¹⁰ Crawford into a profound sleep, but there was nothing to indicate that the effects would not pass away in good time, leaving him in his usual health. As for the injection, that meant nothing, so long as the serum¹¹ which Follansbee had provided was now reposing¹² in Nick’s fountain pen. To be sure, the hasty cleaning of the syringe might not have removed all traces of the serum, but the detective had done his best, and knew enough of such things to feel sure that the consequences, if any, would not be serious. Crawford might possibly have a slight touch of the disease, whatever it was, but it was not likely to amount to much.

 

The detective straightened up a little, listened, then produced his pocket flash light and turned the rays on Crawford. It was an easy matter to find where the puncture¹³ had been made, for a tiny globule of blood stood out on the tanned skin of the man’s arm. Nick stooped lower and took a bit of the flesh between thumb and finger. He succeeded in squeezing out a few drops of water and blood, which he carefully wiped away.

 

“You’re safe enough, my friend,” he thought. “Anyhow, I’ve done my best for you, and to-morrow will decide whether you’re still foolish enough to refuse to guard yourself against the attacks of that madman, or whether you’re willing to listen to reason and let me put him where he belongs.”

 

Having done all he could for the time being, he straightened up and stood in thought for perhaps half a minute, uncertain of his next move. He had heard enough of the conversation between Stone and Follansbee to know that the latter had planned for the miner to join him after the diabolical¹⁴ injection had been made. That meant that Stone would soon venture forth¹⁵ again, doubtless by way of the fire escape, and there was no knowing what moment he might appear at his window. Consequently it would be extra hazardous¹⁶ for Nick to venture out on the platform and try to pass Stone’s room.

 

He decided¹⁷ to wait for a few minutes, and to return to the bathroom to do so, for Stone might take it into his head to come back into Crawford’s room for some reason.

 

In a short time he had the satisfaction of hearing Stone’s window go up and then down again after the man had passed through. His alert ears caught a few slight sounds on the fire escape, which told him that the miner had begun to descend¹⁸. He had planned to follow, if possible, owing to his realization¹⁹ that Follansbee might be playing a double game, and was quite capable of making away with Stone as well as Crawford. He had brought along his shoes for that purpose, having suspended them about his neck by means of the laces, and during the last few minutes he had put them on in the bathroom.

 

It occurred to him now, though, that the difficulties were even greater than he had looked for. It would not do for the floor clerk to see him emerging from Crawford’s room, for she would naturally become suspicious at once, and, not knowing his identity, would cause a delay before an explanation could be made. On the other hand, he could not follow down the fire escape until Stone had disappeared from the courtyard, and by the time he could reach the near-by bank, where Follansbee was to be waiting, the car would doubtless have carried the two conspirators²⁰ off.

 

Moreover, he had known all the time that there was small chance of following the machine at that hour. He certainly could not do so on foot, and even if he had arranged for another car to be in waiting in the neighborhood, there would be considerable delay in reaching it. On the whole, therefore, he reluctantly decided to return to his own room, and call it a night’s work. It was not that he trusted Follansbee any more, but merely that he thought a few hours’ delay would not entail²¹ serious consequences to James Stone.

 

He did not dream, however, of what was in store for the ex-miner.

1 rascally   

adj. 无赖的，恶棍的 adv. 无赖地，卑鄙地

参考例句：

• They said Kelso got some rascally adventurer, some Belgian brute, to insult his son-in-law in public. 他们说是凯尔索指使某个下贱的冒险家，一个比利时恶棍，来当众侮辱他的女婿。
• Ms Taiwan: Can't work at all, but still brag and quibble rascally. 台湾小姐：明明不行，还要硬拗、赖皮逞强。

2 maniacal   

adj.发疯的

参考例句：

• He was almost maniacal in his pursuit of sporting records.他近乎发疯般地追求着打破体育纪录。
• She is hunched forward over the wheel with a maniacal expression.她弓身伏在方向盘前，表情像疯了一样。

3 apparently   

adv.显然地；表面上，似乎

参考例句：

• An apparently blind alley leads suddenly into an open space.山穷水尽，豁然开朗。
• He was apparently much surprised at the news.他对那个消息显然感到十分惊异。

4 rugged   

adj.高低不平的，粗糙的，粗壮的，强健的

参考例句：

• Football players must be rugged.足球运动员必须健壮。
• The Rocky Mountains have rugged mountains and roads.落基山脉有崇山峻岭和崎岖不平的道路。

5 inevitable   

adj.不可避免的，必然发生的

参考例句：

• Mary was wearing her inevitable large hat.玛丽戴着她总是戴的那顶大帽子。
• The defeat had inevitable consequences for British policy.战败对英国政策不可避免地产生了影响。

6 contemplate   

vt.盘算，计议；周密考虑；注视，凝视

参考例句：

• The possibility of war is too horrifying to contemplate.战争的可能性太可怕了，真不堪细想。
• The consequences would be too ghastly to contemplate.后果不堪设想。

7 nostrils   

鼻孔( nostril的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• Her nostrils flared with anger. 她气得两个鼻孔都鼓了起来。
• The horse dilated its nostrils. 马张大鼻孔。

8 volatile   

adj.反复无常的，挥发性的，稍纵即逝的，脾气火爆的；n.挥发性物质

参考例句：

• With the markets being so volatile,investments are at great risk.由于市场那么变化不定，投资冒着很大的风险。
• His character was weak and volatile.他这个人意志薄弱，喜怒无常。

9 sniffed   

v.以鼻吸气，嗅，闻( sniff的过去式和过去分词 )；抽鼻子（尤指哭泣、患感冒等时出声地用鼻子吸气）；抱怨，不以为然地说

参考例句：

• When Jenney had stopped crying she sniffed and dried her eyes. 珍妮停止了哭泣，吸了吸鼻子，擦干了眼泪。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• The dog sniffed suspiciously at the stranger. 狗疑惑地嗅着那个陌生人。 来自《简明英汉词典》

10 plunged   

v.颠簸( plunge的过去式和过去分词 )；暴跌；骤降；突降

参考例句：

• The train derailed and plunged into the river. 火车脱轨栽进了河里。
• She lost her balance and plunged 100 feet to her death. 她没有站稳，从100英尺的高处跌下摔死了。

11 serum   

n.浆液，血清，乳浆

参考例句：

• The serum is available to the general public.一般公众均可获得血清。
• Untreated serum contains a set of 11 proteins called complement.未经处理的血清含有一组蛋白质，共11种，称为补体。

12 reposing   

v.将（手臂等）靠在某人（某物）上( repose的现在分词 )

参考例句：

• His parents were now reposing in the local churchyard. 他的双亲现在长眠于本地教堂墓地。 来自辞典例句
• The picture shows a nude reposing on a couch. 这幅画表现的是一个人赤身体躺在长沙发上。 来自辞典例句

13 puncture   

n.刺孔，穿孔；v.刺穿，刺破

参考例句：

• Failure did not puncture my confidence.失败并没有挫伤我的信心。
• My bicycle had a puncture and needed patching up.我的自行车胎扎了个洞，需要修补。

14 diabolical   

adj.恶魔似的，凶暴的

参考例句：

• This maneuver of his is a diabolical conspiracy.他这一手是一个居心叵测的大阴谋。
• One speaker today called the plan diabolical and sinister.今天一名发言人称该计划阴险恶毒。

15 forth   

adv.向前；向外，往外

参考例句：

• The wind moved the trees gently back and forth.风吹得树轻轻地来回摇晃。
• He gave forth a series of works in rapid succession.他很快连续发表了一系列的作品。

16 hazardous   

adj.(有)危险的，冒险的；碰运气的

参考例句：

• These conditions are very hazardous for shipping.这些情况对航海非常不利。
• Everybody said that it was a hazardous investment.大家都说那是一次危险的投资。

17 decided   

adj.决定了的，坚决的；明显的，明确的

参考例句：

• This gave them a decided advantage over their opponents.这使他们比对手具有明显的优势。
• There is a decided difference between British and Chinese way of greeting.英国人和中国人打招呼的方式有很明显的区别。

18 descend   

vt./vi.传下来，下来，下降

参考例句：

• I hope the grace of God would descend on me.我期望上帝的恩惠。
• We're not going to descend to such methods.我们不会沦落到使用这种手段。

19 realization   

n.实现；认识到，深刻了解

参考例句：

• We shall gladly lend every effort in our power toward its realization.我们将乐意为它的实现而竭尽全力。
• He came to the realization that he would never make a good teacher.他逐渐认识到自己永远不会成为好老师。

20 conspirators   

n.共谋者，阴谋家( conspirator的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• The conspirators took no part in the fighting which ensued. 密谋者没有参加随后发生的战斗。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• The French conspirators were forced to escape very hurriedly. 法国同谋者被迫匆促逃亡。 来自辞典例句

21 entail   

vt.使承担，使成为必要，需要

参考例句：

• Such a decision would entail a huge political risk.这样的决定势必带来巨大的政治风险。
• This job would entail your learning how to use a computer.这工作将需要你学会怎样用计算机。