登陆注册
15319800000028

第28章 JAN, THE UNREPENTANT(3)

Now you follow mit me close und I show you.It takes tree dings to hang.First ding, you haf to haf der man.Goot! I am der man.Second ding, you haf to haf der rope.Lawson haf der rope.

Goot! Und tird ding, you haf to haf someding to tie der rope to.

Sling your eyes over der landscape und find der tird ding to tie der rope to? Eh? Vot you say?"Mechanically they swept the ice and snow with their eyes.It was a homogeneous scene, devoid of contrasts or bold contours, dreary, desolate, and monotonous,--the ice-packed sea, the slow slope of the beach, the background of low-lying hills, and over all thrown the endless mantle of snow."No trees, no bluffs, no cabins, no telegraph poles, nothin'," moaned Red Bill; "nothin' respectable enough nor big enough to swing the toes of a five-foot man clear o' the ground.I give it up." He looked yearningly at that portion of Jan's anatomy which joins the head and shoulders.

"Give it up," he repeated sadly to Lawson."Throw the rope down.

Gawd never intended this here country for livin' purposes, an'

that's a cold frozen fact."

Jan grinned triumphantly."I tank I go mit der tent und haf a smoke.""Ostensiblee y'r correct, Bill, me son," spoke up Lawson; "but y'r a dummy, and you can lay to that for another cold frozen fact.

Takes a sea farmer to learn you landsmen things.Ever hear of a pair of shears? Then clap y'r eyes to this."The sailor worked rapidly.From the pile of dunnage where they had pulled up the boat the preceding fall, he unearthed a pair of long oars.These he lashed together, at nearly right angles, close to the ends of the blades.Where the handles rested he kicked holes through the snow to the sand.At the point of intersection he attached two guy-ropes, making the end of one fast to a cake of beach-ice.The other guy he passed over to Red Bill.

"Here, me son, lay holt o' that and run it out."And to his horror, Jan saw his gallows rise in the air."No! no!"he cried, recoiling and putting up his fists."It is not goot! Ivill not hang! Come, you noddleheads! I vill lick you, all together, von after der odder! I vill blay hell! I vill do eferydings! Und I vill die pefore I hang!"The sailor permitted the two other men to clinch with the mad creature.They rolled and tossed about furiously, tearing up snow and tundra, their fierce struggle writing a tragedy of human passion on the white sheet spread by nature.And ever and anon a hand or foot of Jan emerged from the tangle, to be gripped by Lawson and lashed fast with rope-yarns.Pawing, clawing, blaspheming, he was conquered and bound, inch by inch, and drawn to where the inexorable shears lay like a pair of gigantic dividers on the snow.Red Bill adjusted the noose, placing the hangman's knot properly under the left ear.Mr.Taylor and Lawson tailed onto the running-guy, ready at the word to elevate the gallows.Bill lingered, contemplating his work with artistic appreciation.

"Herr Gott! Vood you look at it!"

The horror in Jan's voice caused the rest to desist.The fallen tent had uprisen, and in the gathering twilight it flapped ghostly arms about and titubated toward them drunkenly.But the next instant John Gordon found the opening and crawled forth.

"What the flaming--!" For the moment his voice died away in his throat as his eyes took in the tableau."Hold on! I'm not dead!"he cried out, coming up to the group with stormy countenance.

"Allow me, Mistah Gordon, to congratulate you upon youah escape,"Mr.Taylor ventured."A close shave, suh, a powahful close shave."" Congratulate hell! I might have been dead and rotten and no thanks to you, you--!" And thereat John Gordon delivered himself of a vigorous flood of English, terse, intensive, denunciative, and composed solely of expletives and adjectives.

"Simply creased me," he went on when he had eased himself sufficiently."Ever crease cattle, Taylor?""Yes, suh, many a time down in God's country.""Just so.That's what happened to me.Bullet just grazed the base of my skull at the top of the neck.Stunned me but no harm done." He turned to the bound man."Get up, Jan.I'm going to lick you to a standstill or you're going to apologize.The rest of you lads stand clear.""I tank not.Shust tie me loose und you see," replied Jan, the Unrepentant, the devil within him still unconquered."Und after as I lick you, I take der rest of der noddleheads, von after der odder, altogedder!"

同类推荐
热门推荐
  • 那从未知晓的异世界生活

    那从未知晓的异世界生活

    异世之中,烽烟骤起。魔法与科技的碰撞,道德与人性的抉择。一个普通的高三学生为何卷入这场旷世的战争,终来是救赎,还是毁灭.....好吧以上是瞎扯,一切以实物为准
  • 大禹治水演义

    大禹治水演义

    大禹治水的传说,是中华民族悠久历史和灿烂文化的重要组成部分,也是中华民族远古神话传说里的最精彩的一章。他的治水经历,充满了我国古代先民在征服自然,改造自然的过程中,坚韧不拔和不屈不挠的斗争精神。千百年来,大禹治水的传说和治服洪水的丰功伟绩,一直为后世的人们所传诵。在这传诵的过程中,又给这一壮举披上了神话的外衣,使这一传说更加美丽,迷人。
  • 万氏秘传片玉心书

    万氏秘传片玉心书

    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。
  • 冷情少总:我的天价女王

    冷情少总:我的天价女王

    她与他在最美好的年华里相知相恋,谁知世事难料。初见时,她只是一个平常人家的孩子,被人看低,而他却是天之骄子,受人追捧;再见时,她华丽蜕变,霸气、冷静、女强人是她的代名词,他继承事业,霸道、痴情、精英是他的代名词。当往事如烟,随风飘散;当一个任人宰割的小女生华丽蜕变;当强强相遇,究竟会擦出怎样的火花呢?当痛失亲人,她又会如何应对呢?是继续做从前那个沉默寡闻、任人欺凌的小女孩,默默忍受;还是现在这个杀伐果断、霸气的女王,华丽复仇呢?敬请期待…本书专属QQ群:516949520
  • 王爷请自重之溺宠王妃

    王爷请自重之溺宠王妃

    她是21世纪令人闻风丧胆的金牌冷面杀手-----初夏。她杀人从不需要理由,只要给钱就算是国家干部也可以轻易杀掉。她机智,敏捷但最后却败给了……一朝穿越成为将军府的嫡小姐。在众目睽睽之下,暴揍众姨娘和姐姐。当街强吻冰山王爷……
  • 梅关

    梅关

    《梅关》中优美生动的文字、简明通俗的语言、图文并茂的形式,把中国文化中的物态文化、制度文化、行为文化、精神文化等知识要点全面展示给读者。
  • tfboys之陪伴我们久久

    tfboys之陪伴我们久久

    tfboys之陪伴我们久久也许不是很好看请谅解我是第一次写小说希望你们喜欢!
  • 枪械恒界

    枪械恒界

    一款全新题材的虚拟网游,改变了四个平凡的大学生。战争的碰撞……显露出我们的才华!在这个没有战争的时代,如何闯出自己的一片天?传奇的情谊,为你歌颂!新崛起的工作室,如何匹敌神一般的存在!新崛起的战队,如何战胜无限辉煌的老牌!枪械恒界,欢迎你!
  • 征途仙路

    征途仙路

    天地玄黄,宇宙洪荒一段惊心动魄的冒险,一场无怨无悔的征程。
  • 为了现代的人生:鲁迅阅读笔记

    为了现代的人生:鲁迅阅读笔记

    为了现代的人生,鲁迅作出了他独特的文学选择。认真阅读和理解鲁迅文学世界中的“为人生”的实质意义,将有利于我们对鲁迅文学基本思维的细致勘探。