登陆注册
14727400000037

第37章

It was sound reasoning, but how was I to get on board? Probably the beastly things did not stop once in a hundred miles, and Stumm would get me long before I struck a halting-place. And even if Idid get a chance like that, how was I to get permission to travel?

One step was clearly indicated - to get down to the river bank at once. So I set off at a sharp walk across squelchy fields, till I struck a road where the ditches had overflowed so as almost to meet in the middle. The place was so bad that I hoped travellers might be few.

And as I trudged, my thoughts were busy with my prospects as a stowaway. If I bought food, I might get a chance to lie snug on one of the barges. They would not break bulk till they got to their journey's end.

Suddenly I noticed that the steamer, which was now abreast me, began to move towards the shore, and as I came over a low rise, Isaw on my left a straggling village with a church, and a small landing-stage. The houses stood about a quarter of a mile from the stream, and between them was a straight, poplar-fringed road.

Soon there could be no doubt about it. The procession was coming to a standstill. The big tug nosed her way in and lay up alongside the pier, where in that season of flood there was enough depth of water. She signalled to the barges and they also started to drop anchors, which showed that there must be at least two men aboard each. Some of them dragged a bit and it was rather a cock-eyed train that lay in mid-stream. The tug got out a gangway, and from where I lay I saw half a dozen men leave it, carrying something on their shoulders.

It could be only one thing - a dead body. Someone of the crew must have died, and this halt was to bury him. I watched the procession move towards the village and I reckoned they would take some time there, though they might have wired ahead for a grave to be dug. Anyhow, they would be long enough to give me a chance.

For I had decided upon the brazen course. Blenkiron had said you couldn't cheat the Boche, but you could bluff him. I was going to put up the most monstrous bluff. If the whole countryside was hunting for Richard Hannay, Richard Hannay would walk through as a pal of the hunters. For I remembered the pass Stumm had given me. If that was worth a tinker's curse it should be good enough to impress a ship's captain.

Of course there were a thousand risks. They might have heard of me in the village and told the ship's party the story. For that reason I resolved not to go there but to meet the sailors when they were returning to the boat. Or the captain might have been warned and got the number of my pass, in which case Stumm would have his hands on me pretty soon. Or the captain might be an ignorant fellow who had never seen a Secret Service pass and did not know what it meant, and would refuse me transport by the letter of his instructions. In that case I might wait on another convoy.

I had shaved and made myself a fairly respectable figure before Ileft the cottage. It was my cue to wait for the men when they left the church, wait on that quarter-mile of straight highway. I judged the captain must be in the party. The village, I was glad to observe, seemed very empty. I have my own notions about the Bavarians as fighting men, but I am bound to say that, judging by my observations, very few of them stayed at home.

That funeral took hours. They must have had to dig the grave, for I waited near the road in a clump of cherry-trees, with my feet in two inches of mud and water, till I felt chilled to the bone. Iprayed to God it would not bring back my fever, for I was only one day out of bed. I had very little tobacco left in my pouch, but Istood myself one pipe, and I ate one of the three cakes of chocolate I still carried.

同类推荐
  • 梼杌闲评

    梼杌闲评

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。
  • 医方集宜

    医方集宜

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。
  • 人间词话删稿

    人间词话删稿

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。
  • 太上洞玄灵宝天关经

    太上洞玄灵宝天关经

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。
  • 秦并六国平话

    秦并六国平话

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。
热门推荐
  • 地球生存日记

    地球生存日记

    老李:每当我仰望天空,眼角总常含泪水。观众:你是大近视眼!老李:每当我俯视大地,内心却充满悲痛。观众:信用卡催债了是不?老李:禽兽!人艰不拆!这是一个倒霉孩子的心路历程,进来看看,或许你会喜欢。新人新作,不足之处请各位书友多提意见!
  • 错爱情深:明月醉相思

    错爱情深:明月醉相思

    她本是家族里被爹娘哥哥们捧在手心里呵护的小公主,谁料家族一夕间覆灭,她背着家族覆灭的血海深仇活了下来。为了报恩,她做了十年的杀手,最后决绝的离开。“从此以后,冷月是冷月,楼主是楼主,冷月与楼主再无瓜葛。从此,世上再无冷月。”“回去告诉姓高的老贼,我会亲自取了他的项上人头!”将你一剑杀了岂不是太便宜了你,我要让你亲眼看着至亲在你面前一个一个的死去。为了报仇,她扮作哑女进了高府,将高府搅得地覆天翻。神祭之舞?我是上官家的小姐不是你们要找的神女!
  • 暴虐沸腾

    暴虐沸腾

    气泡从打开的腹腔里冒出来,传粪便的味道。粉红色的膨胀了的肠子,断了三根。李昊咬了咬牙,把肠子塞进自己的腹腔,艰难的把肚皮合起来……
  • 争世雄

    争世雄

    人死后不会去往天堂,而是去往一个叫地域的世界,那里不止有灵魂,还可以有肉身,甚至可以走上无法用科学技术解释的修炼道路。地域就是天堂,强者的天堂。地域就是地狱,弱者的地狱。这里不再有“死”这个名词,这里只有灰飞烟灭。殷明松送原来的世界来到地域如瞬间从天堂坠入地狱一般,从万人追捧到万人唾弃,从衣食无忧到青黄不接.............“我得了一种病叫——野心”“我字典里有‘屈服’这俩个字,但是还有‘不’这个字”“地狱就是天堂,只是因为你的弱而无法感受”..............
  • 冥界首席执行官

    冥界首席执行官

    微信摇一摇,咦?升官了?还是冥界的官!小鬼:大王,慈禧和袁世凯又打起来了。---来人,拖出去化了!小鬼:大王,珍妃娘娘闹自尽呢。---莫事莫事,本王这就穿越过去,给她平反。小鬼:大王,貂蝉吵着要见吕布!---这件事嘛?那个小布啊,你愿意见她么?小鬼:大王,武则天吵着要重阳。---烦不烦啊,拍晕!左边是展昭,右边是吕布,手握月光宝盒,忙着穿越上下五千年-----PS:每晚八点左右更新
  • 游戏8年短篇合集

    游戏8年短篇合集

    只是想找个地方放着,做纪念,原则上来说,是原创(部分有参考歌曲、故事有感而发)部分首发部分非首发
  • 定风谋

    定风谋

    牵扯着年少的记忆,半真半假的情义,追逐厮杀的游戏。一支珠花为聘,以万里河山为赌局,昔日导致一切事起的温和少年,如今就站在了染风面前。定风谋,谋天下,谋卿心。
  • 明士风流

    明士风流

    明初,靖难之后,永乐皇帝重启锦衣,架设东厂,都说神仙打架,小鬼遭殃,可他却在风起云涌的朝堂之上活得如鱼得水,这是一个成长的过程,这是一段属于他的历史,红袖添香、治国安邦,他用他一生的时间,为大明添砖加瓦,为大明的盛世,添上了浓墨重彩的一笔!------------------------------------------------------每天更新
  • 易烊千玺你说情话

    易烊千玺你说情话

    一篇很苏很苏的甜味,夹杂很虐的部分。第四本易烊的书,望支持。
  • 网游之恶魔邮差

    网游之恶魔邮差

    “都是玩网游的~为什么别人的职业那么牛,而我却只能是个邮差????老天你不公!!!”一个猥琐的声音响彻天空。“系统提示:由于诋毁主脑,所有属性下降百分之十”“我靠!!!”