Черный тюльпан
The Murderers
”
ThegroupwhichJohnalludedtohad,foritsnucleus,thosethreemenwhomweleftlookingafterthecarriage,andwho,inthemeanwhile,hadbeenjoinedbysevenoreightothers.
Thesenew-comersevidentlymeantmischiefwithregardtothecarriage.
Whentheysawthehorsesgallopingdownuponthem,theyplacedthemselvesacrossthestreet,brandishingcudgelsintheirhands,andcallingout,—
“Stop!stop!”
Thecoachman,onhisside,lashedhishorsesintoincreasedspeed,untilthecoachandthemenencountered.
ThebrothersDeWitt,enclosedwithinthebodyofthecarriage,werenotabletoseeanything;buttheyfeltasevereshock,occasionedbytherearingofthehorses.Thewholevehicleforamomentshookandstopped;butimmediatelyafter,passingoversomethingroundandelastic,whichseemedtobethebodyofaprostratemansetoffagainamidstavolleyofthefiercestoaths.
“Alas!”saidCornelius,“Iamafraidwehavehurtsomeone.”
“Gallop!gallop!”calledJohn.
But,notwithstandingthisorder,thecoachmansuddenlycametoastop.
“Now,then,whatisthematteragain?”askedJohn.
“Lookthere!”saidthecoachman.
Johnlooked.ThewholemassofthepopulacefromtheBuytenhofappearedattheextremityofthestreetalongwhichthecarriagewastoproceed,anditsstreammovedroaringandrapid,asiflashedonbyahurricane.
“Stopandgetoff,”saidJohntothecoachman;“itisuselesstogoanyfarther;wearelost!”
“Heretheyare!heretheyare!”fivehundredvoiceswerecryingatthesametime.
