Веснянки

           McLeaninyourprisintstate,withoutmetheretoexplainmattersthechanceishe’dcuttheliveroutofyou;andIshouldn’tthinkyou’dbewantingsuchafinegintlemanashimtoseethatit’swhite!”

           Wessnergrewghastlyunderhisgrimeandbrokeintoastaggeringrun.

           “Andnowwillyoubelookingatthemannersofhim?”questionedFrecklesplaintively.“Goingwithoutevena’thankyou,’rightinthefaceofallthepainsI’vetakentomakeitinterestingforhim!”

           FrecklestwirledtheclubandstoodasasoldieratattentionuntilWessnerlefttheclearing,butitwasthelastsceneofthatperformance.Whentheboyturned,therewasdeathlyillnessonhisface,whilehislegswaveredbeneathhisweight.Hestaggeredtothecase,andopeningithetookoutapieceofcloth.Hedippeditintothewater,andsittingonabench,hewipedthebloodandgrimefromhisface,whilehisbreathsuckedbetweenhisclenchedteeth.Hewasshiveringwithpainandexcitementinspiteofhimself.Heunbuttonedthebandofhisrightsleeve,andturningitback,exposedtheblue-lined,callousedwhitenessofhismaimedarm,nowvividlystreakedwithcontusions,whileinaseriesofcirculardotsthebloodoozedslowly.HereWessnerhadsucceededinsettinghisteeth.WhenFrecklessawwhatitwasheforgavehimselfthekickinthepitofWessner’sstomach,andcursedferventlyanddeep.

           “Freckles,Freckles,”saidMcLean’svoice.

           Frecklessnatcheddownhissleeveandarosetohisfeet.

           “Excuseme,sir,”hesaid.“You’llsurelybebelavin’Ithoughtmeselfalone.