Острів доктора Моро
How the Beast Folk Taste Blood.
"Ah!"saidMoreau,lettingthecurvedinstrumentfalltohissideagain.
Immediatelytherewasacrashingthroughtheyellowcanes,andasoundofvoicesfromthedensegreenjunglethatmarkedthemorassthroughwhichIhadrunonthepreviousday.ThenatthreeorfourpointsontheedgeofthesulphurousareaappearedthegrotesqueformsoftheBeastPeoplehurryingtowardsus.Icouldnothelpacreepinghorror,asIperceivedfirstoneandthenanothertrotoutfromthetreesorreedsandcomeshamblingalongoverthehotdust.ButMoreauandMontgomerystoodcalmlyenough;and,perforce,Istuckbesidethem.
FirsttoarrivewastheSatyr,strangelyunrealforallthathecastashadowandtossedthedustwithhishoofs.Afterhimfromthebrakecameamonstrouslout,athingofhorseandrhinoceros,chewingastrawasitcame;thenappearedtheSwine-womanandtwoWolf-women;thentheFox-bearwitch,withherredeyesinherpeakedredface,andthenothers,—allhurryingeagerly.AstheycameforwardtheybegantocringetowardsMoreauandchant,quiteregardlessofoneanother,fragmentsofthelatterhalfofthelitanyoftheLaw,—"HisistheHandthatwounds;HisistheHandthatheals,"andsoforth.Assoonastheyhadapproachedwithinadistanceofperhapsthirtyyardstheyhalted,andbowingonkneesandelbowsbeganflingingthewhitedustupontheirheads.
