Спрут: Калифорнийская история

           Thewaitseemedendless,andthepersistentsnoringofthewhiskeredgentlemanraspedthenerveslikethescrapeofafile.

           “Well,howlongarewegoingtostickherenow?”beganoneofthedrummers.“Wonderiftheyhurttheenginewiththeirdynamite?”

           “Oh,Iknowtheywillcomethroughthecarandrobus,”wailedtheschool-teachers.

           Theladywiththelittlechildrenwentbacktobed,andAnnixter,assuredthatthetroublewasover,didlikewise.Butnobodyslept.Fromberthtoberthcamethesoundofsuppressedvoicestalkingitallover,formulatingconjectures.Certainpointsseemedtobesettledupon,nooneknewhow,asindisputable.Thehighwaymenhadbeenfourinnumberandhadstoppedthetrainbypullingthebellcord.Abrakemanhadattemptedtointerfereandhadbeenshot.TherobbershadbeenonthetrainallthewayfromSanFrancisco.ThedrummernamedMaxrememberedtohaveseenfour“suspicious-lookingcharacters”inthesmoking-caratLathrop,andhadintendedtospeaktotheconductoraboutthem.Thisdrummerhadbeeninahold-upbefore,andtoldthestoryofitoverandoveragain.

           Atlast,afterwhatseemedtohavebeenanhour’sdelay,andwhenthedawnhadalreadybeguntoshowintheeast,thelocomotivebackedontothetrainagainwithareverberatingjarthatranfromcartocar.Atthejolting,theschool-teachersscreamedinchorus,andthewhiskeredgentlemanstoppedsnoringandthrusthisheadfromhiscurtains,blinkingatthePintschlights.ItappearedthathewasanEnglishman.