Тридцять дев’ять ступенів
Chapter 3
“Ay,butI’mastrongteetotaller,”hesaidpugnaciously.“ItookthepledgelastMartinmas,andIhavenatouchedadropo’whiskysinsyne.NotevenatHogmanay,thoughIwassairtemptit.”
Heswunghisheelsupontheseat,andburrowedafrowsyheadintothecushions.
“Andthat’sa’Iget,”hemoaned.“Aheidbetterthanhellfire,andtwaeeenlookin’differentwaysfortheSabbath.”
“Whatdidit?”Iasked.
“Adrinktheyca’brandy.Bein’ateetotallerIkeepitoffthewhisky,butIwasnip-nippin’a’dayatthisbrandy,andIdoubtI’llnobeweelforafortnicht.”Hisvoicediedawayintoasplutter,andsleeponcemorelaiditsheavyhandonhim.
Myplanhadbeentogetoutatsomestationdowntheline,butthetrainsuddenlygavemeabetterchance,foritcametoastandstillattheendofaculvertwhichspannedabrawlingporter-colouredriver.Ilookedoutandsawthateverycarriagewindowwasclosedandnohumanfigureappearedinthelandscape.SoIopenedthedoor,anddroppedquicklyintothetangleofhazelswhichedgedtheline.
Itwouldhavebeenallrightbutforthatinfernaldog.UndertheimpressionthatIwasdecampingwithitsmaster’sbelongings,itstartedtobark,andallbutgotmebythetrousers.Thiswokeuptheherd,whostoodbawlingatthecarriagedoorinthebeliefthatIhadcommittedsuicide.Icrawledthroughthethicket,reachedtheedgeofthestream,andincoverofthebushesputahundredyardsorsobehindme.
