hard cash- 第52部分

They　cantered　along　in　silence；　for　Fullalove　was　digesting　this　new　trait　in　his　pupil；　and　asking　himself　could　he　train　it　out；　or　must　he　cross　it　out。　Just　outside　the　town　they　met　Captain　Robarts　walking　in；　he　had　landed　three　miles　off　down　the　coast。　〃Hallo！〃　said　Fullalove。

〃I　suppose　you　thought　I　was　drowned？〃　said　Robarts　spitefully；　〃but　you　see　I'm　alive　still。〃

Fullalove　replied；　〃Well；　captain；　that　is　only　one　mistake　more　you've　made；　I　reckon。〃

About　two　English　miles　from　the　town　they　came　to　a　long　straight　slope　up　and　down；　where　they　could　see　a　league　before　them；　and　there　they　caught　sight　of　David　Dodd's　tall　figure　mounting　the　opposite　rise。

Behind　him　at　some　little　distance　were　two　men　going　the　same　way；　but　on　the　grass　by　the　roadside；　whereas　David　was　on　the　middle　of　the　road。

〃He　walks　well　for　Jacky　Tar；〃　said　Fullalove。

〃Iss；　sar；〃　said　Vespasian　sulkily；　〃but　dis　'Analogy'　tink　he　not　walk　so　fast　as　those　two　behind　him；　cos　they　catch　him　up。〃

Now　Vespasian　had　hardly　uttered　these　words　when　a　thing　occurred；　so　sudden　and　alarming；　that　the　speaker's　eyes　protruded；　and　he　was　dumfounded　a　moment；　the　next　a　loud　cry　burst　from　both　him　and　his　companion　at　once；　and　they　lashed　their　horses　to　the　gallop　and　went　tearing　down　the　hill　in　a　fury　of　rage　and　apprehension。


Mr。　Fullalove　was　right；　I　think：　a　sailor　is　seldom　a　smart　walker；　but　Dodd　was　a　cricketer；　you　know；　as　well。　He　swung　along　at　a　good　pace　and　in　high　spirits。　He　had　lost　nothing　but　a　few　clothes；　and　a　quadrant；　and　a　chronometer；　it　was　a　cheap　wreck　to　him；　and　a　joyful　one：　for　peril　past　is　present　delight。　He　had　saved　his　life；　and　what　he　valued　more；　his　children's　money。　Never　was　that　dear　companion　of　his　perils　so　precious　to　him　as　now。　One　might　almost　fancy　that；　by　some　strange　sympathy；　he　felt　the　immediate　happiness　of　his　daughter　depended　on　it。　Many　in　my　day　believe　that　human　minds　can　thus　communicate；　overleaping　material　distances。　Not　knowing；　I　can't　say。　However；　no　such　solution　is　really　needed　here。　All　the　members　of　a　united　and　loving　family　feel　together　and　work　togetherwithout　specific　concertthough　hemispheres　lie　between：　it　is　one　of　the　beautiful　traits　of　true　family　affection。　Now　the　Dodds；　father；　mother；　sister；　brother；　were　more　one　in　heart　and　love　than　any　other　family　I　ever　saw：　woe　to　them　if　they　had　not。

David；　then；　walked　towards　Boulogne　that　afternoon　a　happy　man。　Already　he　tasted　by　anticipation　the　warm　caresses　of　his　wife　and　children；　and　saw　himself　seated　at　the　hearth；　with　those　beloved　ones　clustering　close　round　him。　How　would　he　tell　them　Its　adventuresIts　dangers　from　piratesIts　loss　at　seaIts　recoveryIts　wreckIts　coming　ashore　dry　as　a　bone；　and　conclude　by　taking　It　out　of　his　bosom　and　dropping　It　in　his　wife's　lap　with　〃Cheer；　boys；　cheer！〃

Trudging　on　in　this　delightful　reverie；　his　ear　detected　a　pitpat　at　some　distance　behind　him：　he　looked　round　with　very　slight　curiosity　and　saw　two　men　coming　up。　Even　in　that　hasty　glance　he　recognised　the　foulface　of　Andre　Tiribout；　a　face　not　to　be　forgotten　in　a　day。　I　don't　know　how　it　was；　but　he　saw　in　a　moment　that　face　was　after　him　to　rob　him；　and　he　naturally　enough　concluded　It　was　their　object。

And　he　was　without　a　weapon；　and　they　were　doubtless　armed。　Indeed；　Thibout　was　swinging　a　heavy　cudgel。

Poor　Dodd's　mind　went　into　a　whirl　and　his　body　into　a　cold　sweat。　In　such　moments　men　live　a　year。　To　gain　a　little　time　he　walked　swiftly　on；　pretending　not　to　have　noticed　them：　but　oh！　his　eyes　roved　wildly　to　each　side　of　the　road　for　a　chance　of　escape。　He　saw　none。　To　his　right　was　a　precipitous　rock；　to　his　left　a　profound　ravine　with　a　torrent　below；　and　the　sides　scantily　clothed　with　fir…trees　and　bushes：　he　was；　in　fact；　near　the　top　of　a　long　rising　ground　called　_〃La　Mauvaise　Cote；_〃　on　account　of　a　murder　committed　there　two　hundred　years　ago。

Presently　he　heard　the　men　close　behind　him。　At　the　same　moment　he　saw　at　the　side　of　the　ravine　a　flint　stone　about　the　size　of　two　fists：　he　made　but　three　swift　strides；　snatched　it　up；　and　turned　to　meet　the　robbers；　drawing　himself　up　high；　and　showing　fight　in　every　inch。

The　men　were　upon　him。　His　change　of　attitude　was　so　sudden　and　fiery　that　they　recoiled　a　step。　But　it　was　only　for　a　moment：　they　had　gone　too　far　to　retreat；　they　divided；　and　Thibout　attacked　him　on　his　left　with　uplifted　cudgel；　and　Moinard　on　his　right　with　a　long　glittering　knife。　The　latter；　to　guard　his　head　from　the　stone；　whipped　off　his　hat　and　held　it　before　his　head：　but　Dodd　was　what　is　called　〃left　handed：〃　〃ambidexter〃　would　be　nearer　the　mark　（he　carved　and　wrote　with　his　right　hand；　heaved　weights　and　flung　cricket…balls　with　his　left）。　He　stepped　forward；　flung　the　stone　in　Thibout's　face　with　perfect　precision；　and　that　bitter　impetus　a　good　thrower　lends　at　the　moment　of　delivery；　and　almost　at　the　same　moment　shot　out　his　right　hand　and　caught　Moinard　by　the　throat。　Sharper　and　fiercer　collision　was　never　seen　than　of　these　three。

Thibout's　face　crashed；　his　blood　squirted　all　round　the　stone；　and　eight　yards　off　lay　that　assailant　on　his　back。

Moinard　was　more　fortunate：　he　got　two　inches　of　his　knife　into　Dodd's　left　shoulder；　at　the　very　moment　Dodd　caught　him　in　his　right…hand　vice。　And　now　one　vengeful　hand　of　iron　grasped　him　felly　by　the　throat；　another　seized　his　knife　arm　and　twisted　it　back　like　a　child's。　He　kicked　and　struggled　furiously；　but　in　half　a　minute　the　mighty　English　arm　and　iron　fingers　held　the　limp　body　of　Jacques　Moinard　with　its　knees　knocking；　temples　bursting；　throat　relaxed；　eyes　protruding；　and　livid　tongue　lolling　down　to　his　chin。　A　few　seconds　more；　and；　with　the　same　stalwart　arm　that　kept　his　relaxed　and　sinking　body　from　falling；　Dodd　gave　him　one　fierce　whirl　round　to　the　edge　of　the　road；　then　put　a　foot　to　his　middle；　and　spurned　his　carcase　with　amazing　force　and　fury　down　the　precipice。　Crunch！　crunch！　it　plunged　from　tree　to　tree；　from　bush　to　bush；　and　at　last　rolled　into　a　thick　bramble；　and　there　stuck　in　the　form　of　a　crescent　But　Dodd　had　no　sooner　sent　him　headlong　by　that　mighty　effort；　than　his　own　sight　darkened；　his　head　swam；　and；　after　staggering　a　little　way；　he　sank　down　in　a　state　bordering　on　insensibility。　Meantime　Fullalove　and　Vespasian　were　galloping　down　the　opposite　hill　to　his　rescue。

Unfortunately；　Andre　Thibout　was　not　dead；　nor　even　mortally　wounded。　He　was　struck　on　the　nose　and　mouth；　that　nose　was　flat　for　the　rest　of　his　life；　and　half　of　his　front　teeth　were　battered　out　of　their　sockets；　but　he　fell；　not　from　the　brain　being　stunned；　but　the　body　driven　to　earth　by　the　mere　physical　force　of　so　momentous　a　blow；　knocked　down　like　a　ninepin。　He　now　sat　up　bewildered；　and　found　himself　in　a　pool　of　blood；　his　own。　He　had　little　sensation　of　pain；　but　he　put　his　hand　to　his　face；　and　found　scarce　a　trace　of　his　features；　and　his　hand　came　away　gory。　He　groaned。

Rising　to　his　feet；　he　saw　Dodd　sitting　at　some　distance；　his　first　impulse　was　to　fly　from　so　terrible　an　antagonist；　but；　as　he　made　for　the　ravine；　he　observed　that　Dodd　was　in　a　helpless　condition；　wounded　perhaps　by　Moinard。　And　where　was　Moinard？

Nothing　visible　of　him　but　his　knife：　that　lay　glittering　in　the　road。

Thibout　with　anxious　eye　turned　towards　Dodd；　kneeled　to　pick　it　up；　and　in　the　act　a　drop　of　his　own　blood　fell　on　the　dust　beside　it。　He　snarled　like　a　wounded　tiger；　spat　out　half…a…dozen　teeth；　and　crept　on　tiptoe　to　his　safe　revenge。

Awake　from　your　lethargy　or　you　are　a　dead　man！

No！　Thibout　got　to　him　unperceived；　and　the　knife　glittered　over　his　head。

At　this　moment　the　air　seemed　to　fill　with　clattering　hoofs　and　voices；　and　a　pistol…shot　rang。　Dodd　heard　and　started；　and　so　saw　his　peril。　He　put　up　his　left　hand　to　parry　the　blow；　but　feebly。　Luckily　for　him　Thibout's　eyes　were　now　turned　another　way；　and　glaring　with　stupid　terror　out　of　his　mutilated　visage：　a　gigantic　mounted　fiend；　with　black　face　and　white　gleaming；　rolling　eyes　was　coming　at　him　like　the　wind；　uttering　horrid　howls。　Thibout　launched　himself　at　the　precipice　with　a　shriek　of　dismay；　and　went　rolling　after　his　comrade；　but　ere　he　had　gone　ten　yards　he　fell　across　a　young　larch…tree　and　hung　balanced。　Up　came　the　foaming　horses：　Fullalove　dismounted　hastily　and　fired　three　deliberate　shots　down　at　Thibout　from　his　revolver。　He　rolled　off；　and　never　stopped　again　till　he　splashed　into　the　torrent；　and　lay　there　staining　it　with　blood　from　his　battered　face　and　perforated　shoulder。

Vespasian　jumped　off；　and　with　glistening　eyes　administered　some　good　brandy　to　Dodd。　He；　unconscious　of　his　wound；　a　slight　one；　relieved　their　anxiety　by　assuring　them　somewhat　faintly　he　was　not　hurt；　but　that；　ever　since　that　〃tap　on　the　head〃　he　got　in　the　Straits　of　Gaspar；　any　angry　excitement　told　on　him；　made　his　head　swim；　and　his　temples　seem　to　swell　from　the　inside。

〃I　should　have　come　off　second…best　but　for　you；　my　dear　friends。　Shake　hands　over　it；　do！　O；　Lord　bless　you！　Lord　bless　you　both。　As　for　you；　Vespasian；　I　do　think　you　are　my　guardian　ang