Людина-невидимка
The Unveiling of the Stranger
Theshirt-sleeveplantedashrewdblowinHall'sfacethatstoppedhisopen-armedadvance,andsenthimbackwardintooldToothsomethesexton,andinanothermomentthegarmentwasliftedupandbecameconvulsedandvacantlyflappingaboutthearms,evenasashirtthatisbeingthrustoveraman'shead. Jaffersclutchedatit,andonlyhelpedtopullitoff;hewasstruckinthemouthoutoftheair,andincontinentlythrewhistruncheonandsmoteTeddyHenfreysavagelyuponthecrownofhishead.
"Lookout!"saideverybody,fencingatrandomandhittingatnothing. "Holdhim!Shutthedoor!Don'tlethimloose!Igotsomething!Hereheis!" AperfectBabelofnoisestheymade. Everybody,itseemed,wasbeinghitallatonce,andSandyWadgers,knowingaseverandhiswitssharpenedbyafrightfulblowinthenose,reopenedthedoorandledtherout. Theothers,followingincontinently,werejammedforamomentinthecornerbythedoorway.Thehittingcontinued. Phipps,theUnitarian,hadafronttoothbroken,andHenfreywasinjuredinthecartilageofhisear. Jafferswasstruckunderthejaw,and,turning,caughtatsomethingthatintervenedbetweenhimandHuxterinthemêlée,andpreventedtheircomingtogether. Hefeltamuscularchest,andinanothermomentthewholemassofstruggling,excitedmenshotoutintothecrowdedhall.
"Igothim!"shoutedJaffers,chokingandreelingthroughthemall,andwrestlingwithpurplefaceandswellingveinsagainsthisunseenenemy.
Menstaggeredrightandleftastheextraordinaryconflictswayedswiftlytowardsthehousedoor,andwentspinningdownthehalf-dozenstepsoftheinn. Jafferscriedinastrangledvoice—holdingtight,nevertheless,andmakingplaywithhisknee—spunaround,andfellheavilyundermostwithhisheadonthegravel. Onlythendidhisfingersrelax.
