Всадник без головы

Chapter 73

           Andforawholeweektheguessingcontinued;duringwhichthespectralriderwasrepeatedlyseen;nowgoingataquickgallop,nowmovinginslow,tranquilpace,acrossthetreelessprairie:hishorseatonetimehaltedandvaguelygazingaroundhim;atanotherwithteethtotheground,industriouslycroppingthesweetgrammagrass,thatmakesthepasturageofSouth-WesternTexas(inmyopinion)thefinestintheworld.

           RejectingmanytalestoldoftheHeadlessHorseman—mostofthemtoogrotesquetoberecorded—onetruthfulepisodemustneedsbegiven—sinceitformsanessentialchapterofthisstrangehistory.

           ***

           Inthemidstoftheopen,prairiethereisa"motte"—acoppice,orclumpoftrees—ofperhapsthreeorfouracresinsuperficialextent.Aprairie-manwouldcallitan"island,"andwithyoureyesuponthevastverdantseathatsurroundsit,youcouldnothelpbeingstruckwiththeresemblance.

           TheaboriginalofAmericamightnotperceiveit.Itisathoughtofthecolonisttransmittedtohisdescendants;who,althoughtheymayneverhavelookeduponthegreatocean,areneverthelessaufaittoitsphraseology.

           Bythetimberislandinquestion—abouttwohundredyardsfromitsedge—ahorseisquietlypasturing.Heisthesamethatcarriestheheadlessrider;andthisweirdequestrianisstillbestridinghim,withbutlittleappearanceofchange,eitherinapparelorattitude,sincefirstseenbythesearchers.

Настройки
Фон страницы
Размер шрифта
Межстрочный интервал
Фразовые глаголы
Показать / Скрыть меню
Шрифт
Roboto Lora
Уведомления
Страница 666 из 857