Людина-невидимка
The Wicksteed Murder
Andsoswiftanddecidedwastheactionoftheauthorities,sopromptanduniversalwasthebeliefinthisstrangebeing,thatbeforenightfallanareaofseveralhundredsquaremileswasinastringentstateofsiege. Andbeforenightfall,too,athrillofhorrorwentthroughthewholewatchingnervouscountryside. Goingfromwhisperingmouthtomouth,swiftandcertainoverthelengthandbreadthofthecountry,passedthestoryofthemurderofMr.Wicksteed.
IfoursuppositionthattheInvisibleMan'srefugewastheHintondeanthickets,thenwemustsupposethatintheearlyafternoonhesalliedoutagainbentuponsomeprojectthatinvolvedtheuseofaweapon. Wecannotknowwhattheprojectwas,buttheevidencethathehadtheironrodinhandbeforehemetWicksteedistomeatleastoverwhelming.
Ofcoursewecanknownothingofthedetailsofthatencounter. Itoccurredontheedgeofagravelpit,nottwohundredyardsfromLordBurdock'slodgegate. Everythingpointstoadesperatestruggle—thetrampledground,thenumerouswoundsMr.Wicksteedreceived,hissplinteredwalking-stick;butwhytheattackwasmade,saveinamurderousfrenzy,itisimpossibletoimagine. Indeedthetheoryofmadnessisalmostunavoidable. Mr.Wicksteedwasamanofforty-fiveorforty-six,stewardtoLordBurdock,ofinoffensivehabitsandappearance,theverylastpersonintheworldtoprovokesuchaterribleantagonist. AgainsthimitwouldseemtheInvisibleManusedanironroddraggedfromabrokenpieceoffence. Hestoppedthisquietman,goingquietlyhometohismiddaymeal,attackedhim,beatdownhisfeebledefences,brokehisarm,felledhim,andsmashedhisheadtoajelly.
