Всадник без головы

Chapter 21

           Women,too,butscantilyrobed—soldiers’wives,washerwomen,and"señoritas"ofmorequestionablecalling—hadfoundtheirwayintothestreet,andwereendeavouringtoextractfromthosewhohadforestalledthemanexplanationofthefracas.

           Theconversationwascarriedoninlowtones.Itwasknownthatthecommandantofthepostwaspresent,aswellasothersinauthority;andthischeckedanypropensitytheremighthavebeenfornoisydemonstration.

           Thecrowd,thuspromiscuouslycollected,wasnotincloseproximitywiththehotel;butstandingwelloutintheopenground,aboutadozenyardsfromthebuilding.Towardsit,however,theeyesofallweredirected,withthatsteadystarewhichtellsoftheattentionbeingfixedonsomeengrossingspectacle.Theywerewatchingthemovementsoftwomen,whosepositionswereapart—oneateachendoftheheavyblockhouse,knowntobethebar-roomofthehotel;andwhere,asalreadystated,therewasadoor.

           Thoughseparatedbytheinterpositionoftwothicklogwalls,andmutuallyinvisible,thesemenweremanoeuvringasifactuatedbyacommonimpulse.Theystoodcontiguoustotheentrancedoors,atoppositeendsofthebar-room,throughbothofwhichglaredthelightofthecamphinelamps—fallinginbroaddivergentbandsupontheroughgraveloutside.Neitherwasinfrontofthecontiguousentrance;butalittletooneside,justclearofthelight.Neitherwasinanuprightattitude,butcrouching—notasiffromfear,butlikearunnerabouttomakeastart,andstraininguponthespring.

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