american tragedy

Chapter 110 (2)
Chapter 38 (2)
After this, the beautiful morning came at last again, the round yellow sun rose from the lake, and there were beasts walking in the crevices beyond the lake.After waiting for a while, Grant, Stuart, and Harry, all dressed up, armed with guns, and with the air of thinking they thought they were good at hunting wild beasts, set out in a canoe foolishly, hoping to shoot a few from this distance. Wildfowl, but nothing, and some others were delighted.Other men and women, in brightly colored bathing suits and beach silks, tiptoed out and threw themselves into the water with glee, shouting and chattering about their pleasures, and then breakfast at nine o'clock.Afterwards, a fleet of shiny canoes rowed east along the south bank, happy and beautiful.The harp, the guitar, the mandolin, they all started playing.Everyone was still singing and making noise.

"Honey, what's the matter today? His face is gloomy. Isn't it fun to play with these obedient bad boys here?

Clyde felt at once that he had to pretend to be happy and to have nothing on his mind.

Then, at about noon, Harry Baggett, Grant, and Harriet announced that yonder, just ahead, was their ideal beach, Sheephorn.The highest point there can overlook the scenery of the whole lake, and it is more spacious than the downstream shore, which can accommodate all the tents and other equipment of the team.Then, throughout the whole of this warm and lovely Sunday afternoon, the usual routine of lunch, swimming, dancing, walking, cards, piano, etc., unfolded.Also, Clyde and Sandra, like the other couples, slipped away.Sandra hugged a mandolin and hid far away under a hidden rock to the east of the tent.There they could lie under the pine boughs, Sondra in Clyde's arms, and talk of what they must do, though, according to her, Mrs. After Dete came here to play, her daughter would never be allowed to be so intimate with him in the social arena as she had been on this excursion.He was so poor that he was almost a relative of the Griffiths (this is how Sandra described her mother's manner of speaking, but the words were more or less reserved).But she went on: "How funny, my dear! But you leave her alone. I only pretended to say yes, because I didn't want to annoy her just yet. But I did ask her, how can I be here when you are so popular now?" I don't see you anywhere else. You're so pretty, my dear. Everybody thinks, and so do the boys."

It was at this moment, on the yacht at the Sharon Silver Hotel, that Attorney Mason, his assistants Burton, Burleigh, Coroner Hayter, Earl Newab, and that formidable Sheriff, Slack , frowning tightly, but this person is usually easy-going in social situations, and there are first, second, and third assistants; Kraut, Sissel, and Swink, discussing the most effective and most effective way to use together If you can grasp the method, you can arrest him immediately.

He has gone to Bear Lake, and they must catch up before the wind reaches him, and Zhang Haowang catches him.

So the party set off, Bray and Earl Newab asking around the Sharon area, trying to gather further information about Clyde's Friday visit and his visit to the Cranstons' house.Anyone who can explain their whereabouts, talk to them as much as possible, and issue subpoenas to question them.Haight went to Three Mile Bay, on a mission of the same nature, to find the captain of the "Swan" and the three men.Mason, the sheriff, and his assistants followed the recently identified route taken by the camping party in a special speedboat.The route was not wrong, first go to Xiaoyu Bay, and then chase to Bear Lake from there.

On Monday morning, just as the people at Sheephorn had evacuated their camp and moved to the hidden lake beach ten miles to the east, Mason Slark and his three assistants rushed to the camp they had just evacuated.There, the sheriff conferred with Mason, and then split into two groups and went in canoes collected from the few residents in the area.Mason and his first assistant, Clout, marched along the south bank, and Slack and his second assistant, Sissel, marched along the west bank.Swink, intent on catching him, handcuffed him, this time pretending to be a lonely young hunter or woodland dweller, and headed east along the middle of the lake, looking for fireworks or tents that would tell the trail, to see if there was anything People walk by the lake.His great dream was to catch the murderer with his own hands, or arrest him in the name of the law, Clyde Griffiths! But because of Mason and Slack's orders, he was very sad.As long as he is the farthest outpost, once they find any signs, in order not to startle the enemy, they can only look back immediately, and shoot with his eight-shot gun at a place that the murderer can hardly hear.Whoever came closest shot back, and the others hurried off in his direction.However, under no circumstances should he be allowed to catch a prisoner alone, unless he saw a suspicious person who looked like Clyde trying to escape by boat or on foot.

At this moment, Clyde, Harry Baggett, Bettina, and Sandra were in a canoe and headed east with several other canoes.Clyde was still looking back, planning in his mind what if some police officer or someone had already arrived in Sharon and chased all the way here? If they knew his name, wouldn't it be easy to investigate his whereabouts?

But they didn't know his name, didn't the news in the newspaper prove it? Why so worried? Especially in this infinitely beautiful trip, just as he and Sandra were finally reunited.And, even at this moment, along the lake to the east, to the hotel on the other side of the lake, there is a piece of uninhabited woods, can't he escape and never come back? Didn't he just ask by chance on a Saturday afternoon? Is there a way to go south or east from the east end of the lake after Harry, Baggot and passers-by? Didn't he find out that there is a way there?

At noon on Monday, they finally arrived at Hidden Beach, the third most scenic spot in the minds of those who arranged the trip.Upon arrival, Clyde pitched the tent and the girls played nearby.

However, at this moment, the young Swink found the embers of the fire on the shore where he had camped in Yangjiao Bay.He approached eagerly and excitedly like a wild animal looking for food, inspected it, and then walked on, very quickly.An hour later, Mason and Kraut also inspected this area, but only took a quick look, because the prey to be caught had obviously moved forward.

However, Swink rowed faster, and by four o'clock, he had reached the hidden beach.He found five or six people in the distance on the lake. He immediately turned his head and retreated in the opposite direction, preparing to send a signal. After retreating two miles, he fired a shot, and Mason and Sheriff Slack shot back one after another. give him.People on both roads heard it, and they rowed eastward hastily.

Clyde on the lake, beside Sandra, immediately hears the gunshot and is very worried.What a strange first shot, then two more shots, farther away, but which seemed to answer the first shot! Then, after that, what a strange silence! What is this? Harry Coot also joked : "I heard that someone hunted wild animals during the hunting ban. Do you hear me? It's illegal, isn't it?"

"Hey, you!" cried Grant Cranston. "Those ducks down there are mine. Don't touch them."

"They can't hurt the ducks if they aim like you, Grant," said Bettina.

Clyde tried to laugh, but looked in the direction of the gunfire, listening attentively, like a hunted beast.Now what on earth brought him ashore, put on his clothes and run.Quick! Quick! Quick! To my tent! To the woods, quick! Before most people noticed, I hurried into my tent, changed into a plain blue overalls, put on a cap, and slipped from behind the tent into the woods , until no one could see or hear him, he thought about it and made up his mind.However, he always hides in a deep place, he can't see the lake directly, for fear...for fear...what do these shots mean?

But Sandra! Could he leave her without finding out? Then it occurred to him that these fears might be unfounded, that they might just be the casual shots of passing hunters on the lake or in the woods.Then I hesitated: Should I go forward or not? However, the tall laurel-like pine trees make people feel very comfortable, the soft and quiet pine needles like a brown blanket, and the wide green trees in clusters. , People can lie down there and hide there until it gets dark, but he still walks back, thinking to go back to see if anyone has been there.

But at the same time, in a hidden bush west of the tent, Mason and others met to discuss the result. When Clyde hesitated, Mason was sent to the camp by Swink.

Clyde was walking towards the tent, very slowly and carefully.He was already three-quarters of a mile east of the tent.At this time, a voice said to him in a low voice: "Run, don't hesitate anymore!" But he thought of Sandra in his heart, thought of this wonderful life, and finally he turned to himself and said, maybe don't go back for a while, at least for a while. Don't go back before it's too late.

He stopped silently and hesitantly, only hearing the night birds and chaffinches in the forest.He was still just looking around, just looking around in a panic.Then, suddenly, at a distance of not more than fifty feet, a man with a mustache walked swiftly towards him.His eyes were sharp, and as he walked, he suddenly cried out, so frightened that Clyde's blood ran cold, and he was nailed rigidly in place.

"Don't move, sir! Don't move, you are Clyde, right?" He said firmly, with a majestic air.

"What's the matter, yes, it's me." Clyde was weak and trembling.

"Well, Mr. Griffiths, I'm sorry, I can't use the pistol. I have orders that no matter what happens, you must be arrested. You should know that and be ready to follow obediently." The heavy, fierce weapon was grasped.

"Well, Mr. Griffiths, I have nothing else to say. I have an order for your arrest. I have nothing else to do but arrest you for the murder of Roberta Alden. Are you My prisoner." He took out a pair of steel handcuffs.This time Clyde flinched back, shaking as if he had been beaten.

"You don't have to wear this for me, sir," he begged. "I hope you don't. I've never worn this in my life. I don't have to. I just go with you." Those trees, looking at those hidden depths, he should have run into it just now, to safety.

"Very well then," replied Kraut sternly, "just come with me." And he seized Clyde's nearly broken arm.

"May I ask you one thing?" Clyde whispered timidly, thinking of Sandra and the others as they went this way, and feeling so glamorous and so small.Sandra! Sandra! Bring it back there as a captured murderer! And right in front of her and Bettina, oh no! "Are you taking me back to camp?"

"Yes, sir, I have orders for you to go there now. The District Attorney and the Sheriff of Carraki County are waiting there."

"Ah, I know, I get it," Clyde pleaded in confusion, and now he could no longer maintain his composure, "But, can you... can you... as long as I obey your orders and go with you... ...all my friends over there, I don't want to... take me around the camp, take me anywhere you want, I have a special reason... I... I, oh my god, I beg you not Take me over there now... will you, Mr. Kraut?"

In Kraut's view, this person looks like a child, very weak and handsome, somewhat naive and well-dressed, with a well-behaved attitude, not at all the brutal, brutal, and vicious he expected. To be honest, Fits well with the noble class he (Kraut) has always looked up to.Moreover, this young man may be very good, he heard that this person must belong to a famous and powerful family in Lycurgus, so he said politely: "Okay, young man, I will not be too hard on you, anyway I'm not a sheriff or district attorney either, just an arresting officer. Others decide what to do with you, and you can ask yourself after you've passed, and maybe they won't think it's necessary to take you back there. Still, What about your clothes, aren't they over there?"

"Ah, yes, but it doesn't matter," Clyde hurriedly replied in a panic, "I can pick it up anytime, but I don't want to go now."

"Okay, let's go." Kraut replied.

So they walked on in silence, and the trees made the avenue look like a church aisle at nightfall.They walked on like god-worshippers in the halls of a monastery.Clyde's eyes were flustered and tired looking at the light between the trees.

Charged with murder! Roberta is dead! And, for him, Sandra is dead! And the Griffiths! And his uncle! And his mother! Camp on all of them!

Ah, ah, my God, what was there just now, so resolutely let him go, why didn't he go then?

(End of this chapter)