按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！
to demolish your bed…place。 I'll have it down！ I would have the
whole hut down； if they would only give me the chance of chopping
at it！〃
A long strip of wood fell to his axlong enough to require
cutting in two。 He turned it； and stooped over it。 Something
caught his eyeletters carved in the wood。 He looked closer。 The
letters were very faintly and badly cut。 He could only make out
the first three of them； and even of those he was not quite
certain。 They looked like C L Aif they looked like anything。 He
threw down the strip of wood irritably。
〃Dn the fellow （whoever he is） who cut this！ Why should he
carve _that_ name； of all the names in the world？〃
He paused； consideringthen determined to go on again with his
self…imposed labor。 He was ashamed of his own outburst。 He looked
eagerly for the ax。 〃Work； work！ Nothing for it but work。〃 He
found the ax； and went on again。
He cut out another plank。
He stopped； and looked at it suspiciously。
There was carving again； on this plank。 The letters F。 and A。
appeared on it。
He put down the ax。 There were vague misgivings in him which he
was not able to realize。 The state of his own mind was fast
becoming a puzzle to him。
〃More carving；〃 he said to himself。 〃That's the way these young
idlers employ their long hours。 F。 A。？ Those must be _his_
initialsFrank Aldersley。 Who c arved the letters on the other
plank？ Frank Aldersley； too？〃
He turned the piece of wood in his hand nearer to the light； and
looked lower down it。 More carving again； lower down！ Under the
initials F。 A。 were two more lettersC。 B。
〃C。 B。？〃 he repeated to himself。 〃His sweet heart's initials； I
suppose？ Of courseat his agehis sweetheart's initials。〃
He paused once more。 A spasm of inner pain showed the shadow of
its mysterious passage； outwardly on his face。
〃_Her_ cipher is C。 B。；〃 he said； in low； broken tones。 〃C。
B。Clara Burnham。〃
He waited； with the plank in his hand； repeating the name over
and over again； as if it was a question he was putting to
himself。
〃Clara Burnham？ Clara Burnham？〃
He dropped the plank； and turned deadly pale in a moment。 His
eyes wandered furtively backward and forward between the strip of
wood on the floor and the half…demolished berth。 〃Oh； God！ what
has come to me now？〃 he said to himself； in a whisper。 He
snatched up the ax； with a strange crysomething between rage
and terror。 He triedfiercely； desperately triedto go on with
his work。 No！ strong as he was； he could not use the ax。 His
hands were helpless； they trembled incessantly。 He went to the
fire； he held his hands over it。 They still trembled incessantly；
they infected the rest of him。 He shuddered all over。 He knew
fear。 His own thoughts terrified him。
〃Crayford！〃 he cried out。 〃Crayford！ come here； and let's go
hunting。〃
No friendly voice answered him。 No friendly face showed itself at
the door。
An interval passed； and there came over him another change。 He
recovered his self…possession almost as suddenly as he had lost
it。 A smilea horrid； deforming； unnatural smilespread slowly；
stealthily； devilishly over his face。 He left the fire； he put
the ax away softly in a corner； he sat down in his old place；
deliberately self…abandoned to a frenzy of vindictive joy。 He had
found the man！ There； at the end of the worldthere； at the last
fight of the Arctic voyagers against starvation and death； he had
found the man！
The minutes passed。
He became conscious； on a sudden； of a freezing stream of air
pouring into the room。
He turned； and saw Crayford opening the door of the hut。 A man
was behind him。 Wardour rose eagerly； and looked over Crayford's
shoulder。
Was itcould it bethe man who had carved the letters on the
plank？ Yes！ Frank Aldersley！
Chapter 11。
〃Still at work！〃 Crayford exclaimed； looking at the
half…demolished bed…place。 〃Give yourself a little rest； Richard。
The exploring party is ready to start。 If you wish to take leave
of your brother officers before they go； you have no time to
lose。〃
He checked himself there； looking Wardour full in the face。
〃Good Heavens！〃 he cried； 〃how pale you are！ Has anything
happened？〃
Franksearching in his locker for articles of clothing which he
might require on the journeylooked round。 He was startled； as
Crayford had been startled； by the sudden change in Wardour since
they had last seen him。
〃Are you ill？〃 he asked。 〃I hear you have been doing Bateson's
work for him。 Have you hurt yourself？〃
Wardour suddenly moved his head； so as to hide his face from both
Crayford and Frank。 He took out his handkerchief； and wound it
clumsily round his left hand。
〃Yes；〃 he said； 〃I hurt myself with the ax。 It's nothing。 Never
mind。 Pain always has a curious effect on me。 I tell you it's
nothing！ Don't notice it！〃
He turned his face toward them again as suddenly as he had turned
it away。 He advanced a few steps； and addressed himself with an
uneasy familiarity to Frank。
〃I didn't answer you civilly when you spoke to me some little
time since。 I mean when I first came in here along with the rest
of them。 I apologize。 Shake hands！ How are you？ Ready for the
march？〃
Frank met the oddly abrupt advance which had been made to him
with perfect good humor。
〃I am glad to be friends with you； Mr。 Wardour。 I wish I was as
well seasoned to fatigue as you are。〃
Wardour burst into a hard； joyless； unnatural laugh。
〃Not strong； eh？ You don't look it。 The dice had better have sent
me away； and kept you here。 I never felt in better condition in
my life。〃 He paused and added； with his eye on Frank and with a
strong emphasis on the words： 〃We men of Kent are made of tough
material。〃
Frank advanced a step on his side； with a new interest in Richard
Wardour。
〃You come from Kent？〃 he said。
〃Yes。 From East Kent。〃 He waited a little once more； and looked
hard at Frank。 〃Do you know that part of the country？〃 he asked。
〃I ought to know something about East Kent；〃 Frank answered。
〃Some dear friends of mine once lived there。〃
〃Friends of yours？〃 Wardour repeated。 〃One of the county
families； I suppose？〃
As he put the question； he abruptly looked over his shoulder。 He
was standing between Crayford and Frank。 Crayford； taking no part
in the conversation； had been watching him； and listening to him
more and more attentively as that conversation went on。 Within
the last moment or two Wardour had become instinctively conscious
of this。 He resented Crayford's conduct with needless
irritability。
〃Why are you staring at me？〃 he asked。
〃Why are you looking unlike yourself？〃 Crayford answered；
quietly。
Wardour made no reply。 He renewed the conversation with Frank。
〃One of the county families？〃 he resumed。 〃The Winterbys of Yew
Grange； I dare say？〃
〃No；〃 said Frank； 〃but friends of the Witherbys； very likely。 The
Burnhams。〃
Desperately as he struggled to maintain it； Wardour's
self…control failed him。 He started violently。 The clumsily…wound
handkerchief fell off his hand。 Still looking at him attentively；
Crayford picked it up。
〃There is your handkerchief； Richard；〃 he said。 〃Strange！〃
〃What is strange？〃
〃You told us you had hurt yourself with the ax〃
〃Well？〃
〃There is no blood on your handkerchief。〃
Wardour snatched the handkerchief out of Crayford's hand； and；
turning away； approached the outer door of the hut。 〃No blood on
the handkerchief；〃 he said to himself。 〃There may be a stain or
two when Crayford sees it again。〃 He stopped within a few paces
of the door； and spoke to Crayford。 〃You recommended me to take
leave of my brother officers before it was too late；〃 he said。 〃I
am going to follow your advice。〃
The door was opened from the outer side as he laid his hand on
the lock。
One of the quartermasters of the _Wanderer_ entered the hut。
〃Is Captain Helding here； sir？〃 he asked； addressing himself to
Wardour。
Wardour pointed to Crayford。
〃The lieutenant will tell you；〃 he said。
Crayford advanced and questioned the quartermaster。 〃What do you
want with Captain Helding？〃 he asked。
〃I have a report to make； sir。 There has been an accident on the
ice。〃
〃To one of your men？〃
〃No； sir。 To one of our officers。〃
Wardour； on the point of going out； paused when the quartermaster
made that reply。 For a moment he considered with himself。 Then he
walked slowly back to the part of the room in which Frank was
standing。 Crayford； directing the quartermaster； pointed to the
arched door way in the side of the hut。
〃I am sorry to hear of the accident；〃 he said。 〃You will find
Captain Helding in that room。〃
For the second time； with singular persistency； Wardour renewed
the conversation with Frank。
〃So you knew the Burnhams？〃 he said。 〃What became of Clara when
her father died？〃
Frank's face flushed angrily on the instant。
〃Clara！〃 he repeated。 〃What authorizes you to speak of Miss
Burnham in that familiar manner？〃
Wardour seized the opportunity of quarreling with him。
〃What right have you to ask？〃 he retorted； coarsely。
Frank's blood was up。 He forgot his promise to Clara to keep
their engagement secrethe forgot everything but the unbridled
ins