cw.blackalibi-第4部分

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　　〃It　was　perfectly　docile　the　whole　time　we　had　it　out　at　the　estancia。　The　cook's　kid　used　to　go　right　in　the　pen　and　play　with　it　by　the　hour。〃
　　〃When；　two　months　ago？〃　Manning　said　bitterly。　〃Maybe　it　was　growing　up　then。　It　sure　came　of　age　tonight！〃　He　cut　the　discussion　short；　it　being　largely　a　spilt…milk　matter　by　now。　〃e　on；　there's　no　use　standing　here　wrangling　about　it。　I　came　down　here　to　get　you；　because　I　thought　you　might　be　a　help　in　getting　it　back。〃
　　〃I've　got　a　riata　here　in　the　back　of　the　truck　I　was　going　to　tie　it　up　with　on　the　trip　back；〃　Cardozo　assented。　〃I'll　bring　it　along；　it　might　e　in　handy。〃
　　〃It　disappeared　in　there　somewhere；〃　Manning　told　him；　as　they　made　their　way　back　to　the　hubbub　on　foot。　〃Where　d'you　think　it　lit　to？〃
　　〃To　know　that；　one　would　have　to　be　a　jaguar；〃　was　the　ranchman's　dry　answer。
　　When　they　returned；　order　and　organization　were　rapidly　being　brought　out　of　the　chaos。　Order；　but　not　any　jaguar。　The　three　gendarmes　had　already　bee　five；　and　the　five　in　no　time　at　all　became　seven。　Next　a　lieutenant　of　police　arrived　to　take　charge　of　this　safari　on　city　streets。　Next；　even　one　of　the　municipal　fire　trucks　showed　up；　but　this　solely　so　that　the　beam　of　its　highpowered　searchlight；　the　strongest　available　on　any　piece　of　apparatus；　could　be　trained　into　the　alley　to　show　them　what　they　were　doing。　It　lit　it　up　with　a　strange　pale　blueness；　making　the　weird　affair　seem　even　weirder。　Finally…but　this　last　of　all　and　not　for　long　hours　yet…the　curator　of　the　zoo　was　sent　for；　to　give　technical　advice　and　make　suggestions；　he　presumably　being　an　expert　in　such　matters。
　　The　obvious　things　were　done　first。　The　public　at　large　was　cleared　out　of　the　alley；　with　a　great　flourishing　of　police　batons　and　repeated　warnings　of：　〃Move　back；　now。　Nobody　allowed　in　here；　it's　dangerous。　It　may　suddenly　reappear　when　least　expected　and　attack。〃　The　majority　of　them　needed　no　second　urging。　There　was　a　confused　milling　about　for　a　few　moments；　and　then　the　alley　was　clear。　Ropes　were　then　stretched　across　it　at　both　ends；　to　keep　it　that　way。
　　The　next　step　was　a　wholesale　ordering　out　of　all　inmates　who　lived　along　it；　for　a　house…to…house　search　was　impending。　Again　the　order　didn't　have　to　be　repeated。　There　was　a　panicky　mass　exodus　from　the　disreputable　warrens　all　along　it；　with　bird　cages；　cooking　utensils；　and　even　potted　plants。
　　These　people　were　questioned　personally　by　the　police　lieutenant　as　they　were　filed　through。　For　the　most　part　fruitlessly。　There　was　no　single　case　in　which　anyone　had　seen　where　it　went。　It　had　flashed　through　so　suddenly　that　they　all　arrived　at　their　windows　too　late；　the　clamor　of　the　crowd　in　its　wake　was　what　had　drawn　them　to　look　out；　not　any　sound　the　beast　had　made。　Two　or　three　were　found　who　admitted　they　had　seen　it　ing　in　the　distance…although　they　hadn't　known　it　for　what　it　was；　had　taken　it　in　the　gloom　for　a　large；　rabid　black　dog。　But　even　these　were　no　help；　though　they　had　been　right　out　in　midalley　at　the　time；　they　all　gave　the　same　answer。　〃Yes；　I　saw　it　ing　toward　me　up　ahead；　and　knew　it　was　something　bad　because　of　all　the　hollering　behind　it。　Where　did　it　go？　You　think　I　waited　to　find　out？　I　dove　into　the　nearest　doorway　and　slammed　the　door　shut　behind　me。　By　the　time　I　looked　out　again；　it　wasn't　there　any　more。〃
　　At　last；　near　the　tail　end　of　the　procession　of　refugees；　was　found　a　little　girl　of　ten　or　so　who；　when　her　turn　came；　promised　to　be　of　some　help。　For　a　moment　they　thought　they　had　something。　She　had　been　at　the　window　in　time　to　see　it；　she　insisted　proudly；　because　she　had　been　leaning　out　of　it　for　a　long　time　before　that。　〃I　saw　something　big　and　black　ing　down　our　street；　from　way　up　there。〃
　　An　alert　conclave　formed　about　her　for　a　moment。　〃Where　did　it　go？　Where　did　it　disappear　to？〃
　　〃I　don't　know。　I　ran　inside　to　call　my　brother　to　e　and　see　it；　and　when　we　came　back　it　wasn't　there　any　more。〃
　　The　conclave　split　open　again；　like　an　overripe　pod。
　　It　would　have　to　be　ferreted　out　by　a　house…tohouse　search；　the　lieutenant　in　charge　decided。　The　only　tenable　assumption　left　was　that　it　had　found　some　doorway；　crevice；　gap；　somewhere　along　these　moldering　walls；　had　sidled　in；　and　was　still　lurking　somewhere　in　one　of　the　shadowy　interiors；　perhaps　in　a　basement；　perhaps　in　some　unused　flue；　perhaps　in　the　cavity　under　a　staircase…there　was　no　electricity　anywhere　along　this　cranny；　inside　or　out…breathing　latent　death。
　　The　search　began　from　the　Alameda　end…it　was　nearing　eight　by　then…and　it　was　well　on　the　way　toward　midnight　by　the　time　the　posse　emerged　from　the　last　house　of　all；　flanking　the　Plaza　de　los　Mбrtires…empty…handed。　The　search　had　failed　as　pletely　as　the　original　pursuit　had。　It　had　been　thorough；　even　if　not　successful。　They　had　gone　from　top　to　bottom　and　from　bottorn　to　top　of　every　building　along　the　way；　flashing　lights　into　corners；　tapping　walls；　poking　aside　crates　and　boxes　and　litter；　revolvers　and　stout　clubs　ready　at　hand　to　deal　with　it　if　it　should　turn；　up。　But　it　didn't。
　　The　crowd　behind　the　ropes　at　each　end；　peering　down　the　hazy　blue　pathway　of　the　fire…fighting　headlight；　would　hold　its　collective　breath　each　time　while　they　were　inside；　the　wink　of　torches　through　the　windows　showing　their　progress　tier　by　tier。　Then　they　would　e　out　again；　report；　〃Not　in　that　one；〃　to　their　manding　officer；　the　structure　would　be　given　a　clean　bill　of　health；　and　they　would　go　trooping　into　the　next。　Finally　the　dramatic　effect　began　to　wear　off；　after　the　numerous　repetitions。　Here　and　there　someone　turned　away　and　went　about　his　business；　it　was　getting　late。　Someone　in　the　thinning　ranks　of　onlookers　was　heard　to　suggest　half　facetiously　that　maybe　it　had　esconced　itself　in　the　back　of　some　cart　or　vehicle　that　had　been　left　standing　there　with　its　rear　open；　been　inadvertently　shut　in　by　the　driver　on　returning　a　moment　later　and　all　unknowingly　transported　out　of　the　neighborhood。　The　only　trouble　with　this　theory　was　that　there　had　been　no　such　fortuitous　conveyance　in　the　alley　at　the　time；　they　could　be　sure　of　this　for　the　very　good　reason　that　the　place　wasn't　wide　enough　to　admit　anything　but　a　pushcart。　Someone　else　suggested　that　maybe　it　had　gone　up　in　a　balloon；　and　drew　a　big　laugh。　A　spirit　of　skepticism　began　to　make　its　appearance　among　the　last　ditch　spectators；　cheated　of　the　excitement　they　had　expected　and　taking　it　out　that　way。　〃Maybe　it　went　into　the　church　to　say　its　prayers！〃　someone　called　down　the　alley　through　cupped　hands。
　　The　little　church　he　had　reference　to　sat　at　the　end　of　a　small　cul…de…sac；　down　toward　the　Plaza　de　los　Mбrtires　end。　The　alley　bent　sharply　in　direction　several　times　during　its　short　length。　At　one　of　these　bends　it　forked　in　two；　in　appearance　though　not　in　actuality。　One　branch　of　the　fork　was　simply　a　brief　dead　end；　ing　up　against　a　wafer…thin　chapel；　San　Sulpicio；　dating　from　colonial　days。　In　other　words；　simply　an　inset；　a　niche；　lying　off　the　main　course　of　the　alley；　only　a　few　meters　in　extent。
　　This　chapel　was　the　least　likely　of　all　places　along　there　for　it　to　have　found　refuge。　For　one　thing；　it　was　no　longer　in　use；　having　been　abandoned　years　before　at　the　time　of　some　damage　received　during　some　long…forgotten　earthquake。　Its　stout　mahogany　door；　however；　was　still　intact；　it　took　them　the　better　part　of　half　an　hour　to　force　it　with　crowbar　and　chisel。　It　had　been　unopened　for　as　long　as　the　memory　of　the　oldest　dweller　around　there　could　stretch。　And　within；　when　they　had　dislodged　it　finally；　they　found　simplY　a　desolate　litter　of　rotted　pews　and　fallen　plaster　within　a　roofless　shell　through　which　the　stars　peered。　It　could　neither　have　got　in　here　in　the　first　place；　nor；　if　it　once　had；　have　got　out　again　from　the　foursquare　stone　cell　that　was　all　the　place　offered。
　　They　came　out　again；　brushing　their　whitened　sleeves；　coughing　and　sneezing；　one　man　nursing　a　scorpion　bite　on　the　back　of　his　hand。
　　Moments　later；　the　Plaza　de　los　Mбrtires　had　been　reached；　the　search　was　perforce　at　an　end。
　　The　sensation…hungry　idlers　bega