登陆注册
15324100000038

第38章

Osterman was there, too, his bald head gleaming like a bulb of ivory in the light of the lamp that Magnus carried.

"What's all up?" demanded Osterman."Whatever in the world is the matter with Buck?"Confused and terrible sounds came from behind the door of Annixter's room.A prolonged monologue of grievance, broken by explosions of wrath and the vague noise of some one in a furious hurry.All at once and before Harran had a chance to knock on the door, Annixter flung it open.His face was blazing with anger, his outthrust lip more prominent than ever, his wiry, yellow hair in disarray, the tuft on the crown sticking straight into the air like the upraised hackles of an angry hound.

Evidently he had been dressing himself with the most headlong rapidity; he had not yet put on his coat and vest, but carried them over his arm, while with his disengaged hand he kept hitching his suspenders over his shoulders with a persistent and hypnotic gesture.Without a moment's pause he gave vent to his indignation in a torrent of words.

"Ah, yes, in my bed, sloop, aha! I know the man who put it there," he went on, glaring at Osterman, "and that man is a PIP.

Sloop! Slimy, disgusting stuff; you heard me say I didn't like it when the Chink passed it to me at dinner--and just for that reason you put it in my bed, and I stick my feet into it when Iturn in.Funny, isn't it?Oh, yes, too funny for any use.I'd laugh a little louder if I was you.""Well, Buck," protested Harran, as he noticed the hat in Annixter's hand, "you're not going home just for----"Annixter turned on him with a shout.

"I'll get plumb out of here," he trumpeted."I won't stay here another minute."He swung into his waistcoat and coat, scrabbling at the buttons in the violence of his emotions."And I don't know but what it will make me sick again to go out in a night like this.NO, Iwon't stay.Some things are funny, and then, again, there are some things that are not.Ah, yes, sloop! Well, that's all right.I can be funny, too, when you come to that.You don't get a cent of money out of me.You can do your dirty bribery in your own dirty way.I won't come into this scheme at all.Iwash my hands of the whole business.It's rotten and it's wild-eyed; it's dirt from start to finish; and you'll all land in State's prison.You can count me out.""But, Buck, look here, you crazy fool," cried Harran, "I don't know who put that stuff in your bed, but I'm not going; to let you go back to Quien Sabe in a rain like this.""I know who put it in," clamoured the other, shaking his fists, "and don't call me Buck and I'll do as I please.I WILL go back home.I'll get plumb out of here.Sorry I came.Sorry I ever lent myself to such a disgusting, dishonest, dirty bribery game as this all to-night.I won't put a dime into it, no, not a penny."He stormed to the door leading out upon the porch, deaf to all reason.Harran and Presley followed him, trying to dissuade him from going home at that time of night and in such a storm, but Annixter was not to be placated.He stamped across to the barn where his horse and buggy had been stabled, splashing through the puddles under foot, going out of his way to drench himself, refusing even to allow Presley and Harran to help him harness the horse.

"What's the use of making a fool of yourself, Annixter?"remonstrated Presley, as Annixter backed the horse from the stall."You act just like a ten-year-old boy.If Osterman wants to play the goat, why should you help him out?""He's a PIP," vociferated Annixter."You don't understand, Presley.It runs in my family to hate anything sticky.It's--it's--it's heredity.How would you like to get into bed at two in the morning and jam your feet down into a slimy mess like that?Oh, no.It's not so funny then.And you mark my words, Mr.Harran Derrick," he continued, as he climbed into the buggy, shaking the whip toward Harran, "this business we talked over to-night--I'm OUT of it.It's yellow.It's too CURSED dishonest."He cut the horse across the back with the whip and drove out into the pelting rain.In a few seconds the sound of his buggy wheels was lost in the muffled roar of the downpour.

Harran and Presley closed the barn and returned to the house, sheltering themselves under a tarpaulin carriage cover.Once inside, Harran went to remonstrate with Osterman, who was still up.Magnus had again retired.The house had fallen quiet again.

As Presley crossed the dining-room on the way to his own apartment in the second story of the house, he paused for a moment, looking about him.In the dull light of the lowered lamps, the redwood panelling of the room showed a dark crimson as though stained with blood.On the massive slab of the dining table the half-emptied glasses and bottles stood about in the confusion in which they had been left, reflecting themselves deep into the polished wood; the glass doors of the case of stuffed birds was a subdued shimmer; the many-coloured Navajo blanket over the couch seemed a mere patch of brown.

Around the table the chairs in which the men had sat throughout the evening still ranged themselves in a semi-circle, vaguely suggestive of the conference of the past few hours, with all its possibilities of good and evil, its significance of a future big with portent.The room was still.Only on the cushions of the chair that Annixter had occupied, the cat, Princess Nathalie, at last comfortably settled in her accustomed place, dozed complacently, her paws tucked under her breast, filling the deserted room with the subdued murmur of her contented purr.

同类推荐
热门推荐
  • 恋上我的红衣女修罗

    恋上我的红衣女修罗

    拳打脚踢早已成为了家常便饭,她不是懦弱,也不是没本事,这是她的使命......梦中被人强迫交换灵魂,我擦,就算姐姐我隐忍了这么多年那也不是好欺负的。经历过先祖本命遗传后,麻雀变凤凰,渣男滚一遍,狂虐白莲花,自创云仙派......明明一切都是那么完美,为什么你知道我的真实身份后就消失了......陌浩初,我要让你内疚一辈子
  • 尸神轮回

    尸神轮回

    僵尸丈夫,吸血鬼妻子。。。
  • 锦绣之惑国狼妃

    锦绣之惑国狼妃

    晚唐后期,烽火连天,民不聊生。各路势力揭竿而起,瓜分整个大唐。身处乱世,她,为了复仇,行刺与从未逢面的他,他却告诉她,以整个天下,来迎娶她。她处处危机,他每每出手相助,当她心被捂热的那一刻,他却再也不认识她……
  • 嘲仙

    嘲仙

    淳朴少年的修仙之路,有些可爱,有些可笑,有些遗憾,有些迷茫,有些痛苦,有些执着。
  • 鬼谣聆音

    鬼谣聆音

    二十三年前,一群盗墓者从楼兰古国的遗址下方带走一张羊皮纸卷,他们称之为“鬼谣”。而鬼谣又牵扯着一份埋藏地下多年的神秘宝藏,如今这鬼谣随着一份快递莫名其妙的转到一个叫苏小悬的马大哈手里,在苏小悬的微博号召下,四个年轻人走到了一起,从此,他们开启了一次次的神奇历险。一份宝藏引出七部鬼谣,各种悬疑接踵而至。那句“龙血现鬼谣”牵引着他们一直走下去,最终在那扇神秘石门后面,他们聆听到的究竟是古人云还是神鬼音?故事值得期待,这是一群年轻人的冒险!
  • 苗王:妃

    苗王:妃

    一次秘密活动,竟意外穿越。是福是祸?迷离身世浮出水面。将军府二小姐逆天大变化!
  • 极恶唐门

    极恶唐门

    他出身唐门却犯下滔天大罪。意外穿越修真大陆却惨遭巨变。心怀仇恨,唐九以修改的唐门绝学对抗仙法。以唐门机括神甲怒撼法宝仙器。他作为一个异世来客,将要猎杀整个修真界。
  • 破坏者之戒

    破坏者之戒

    浩瀚无垠的宇宙,有没有地球以外的文明?以前夏天不知道,但当夏天拥有破坏者之戒的那一刻起,夏天看到了宇宙神秘的一面,破坏者之戒,宇宙的瑰宝,无尽文明窥视的存在,现在落在一个都市小人物的手里,会发生什么?黑暗中行走的人,现在只是起点。。。
  • 聆听孝道之爱

    聆听孝道之爱

    作品精选了中外最具启迪的心灵故事,内容短小精悍,饱含温馨情感。它如涓涓细流冲涤*内心,给我们心灵以滋养;又如母亲温暖的手轻轻抚慰着我们,给我们心灵以慰籍;还能让我们回顾往昔,感受善良的力量,使*灵魂获得安宁。这是*心灵鸡汤,让我们在阳光的滋润中感受到心灵的成长。
  • 渊主

    渊主

    大陆上有着深不见底的万丈深渊,威武壮观的汉武帝宫,危机重重的天目山脉,连绵不绝的未奇周山,寒风凛冽的玄藏冰川,神秘莫测的天神之海。面临着深渊邪族的降临?一场惊天动地的浩劫?一个神秘的少年,他演绎了怎样的传奇!