Остров доктора Моро/Dr. Moreau's Island (Герберт Уеллс). Страница 24 из 84

Понятно

Понятно

Для того чтобы воспользоваться закладками, необходимо

Войти или зарегистрироваться

Отмена

Для того чтобы воспользоваться озвучкой предложений, необходимо

Войти или зарегистрироваться

Отмена

Озвучка предложений доступна при наличии PRO-доступа

Купить PRO-доступ

Отмена

Предыдущая страница

Then

looking

hard

,

I

distinguished

through

the

interlacing

network

the

head

and

body

of

the

brute

I

had

seen

drinking

.

He

moved

his

head

.

There

was

an

emerald

flash

in

his

eyes

as

he

glanced

at

me

from

the

shadow

of

the

trees

,

a

half-luminous

colour

that

vanished

as

he

turned

his

head

again

.

He

was

motionless

for

a

moment

,

and

then

with

a

noiseless

tread

began

running

through

the

green

confusion

.

In

another

moment

he

had

vanished

behind

some

bushes

.

I

could

not

see

him

,

but

I

felt

that

he

had

stopped

and

was

watching

me

again

.

What

on

earth

was

he

,

--

man

or

beast

?

What

did

he

want

with

me

?

I

had

no

weapon

,

not

even

a

stick

.

Flight

would

be

madness

.

At

any

rate

the

Thing

,

whatever

it

was

,

lacked

the

courage

to

attack

me

.

Setting

my

teeth

hard

,

I

walked

straight

towards

him

.

I

was

anxious

not

to

show

the

fear

that

seemed

chilling

my

backbone

.

I

pushed

through

a

tangle

of

tall

white-flowered

bushes

,

and

saw

him

twenty

paces

beyond

,

looking

over

his

shoulder

at

me

and

hesitating

.

I

advanced

a

step

or

two

,

looking

steadfastly

into

his

eyes

.

"

Who

are

you

?

"

said

I.

Отключить рекламу

He

tried

to

meet

my

gaze

.

"

No

!

"

he

said

suddenly

,

and

turning

went

bounding

away

from

me

through

the

undergrowth

.

Then

he

turned

and

stared

at

me

again

.

His

eyes

shone

brightly

out

of

the

dusk

under

the

trees

.

My

heart

was

in

my

mouth

;

but

I

felt

my

only

chance

was

bluff

,

and

walked

steadily

towards

him

.

He

turned

again

,

and

vanished

into

the

dusk

.

Once

more

I

thought

I

caught

the

glint

of

his

eyes

,

and

that

was

all

.

For

the

first

time

I

realised

how

the

lateness

of

the

hour

might

affect

me

.

The

sun

had

set

some

minutes

since

,

the

swift

dusk

of

the

tropics

was

already

fading

out

of

the

eastern

sky

,

and

a

pioneer

moth

fluttered

silently

by

my

head

.

Unless

I

would

spend

the

night

among

the

unknown

dangers

of

the

mysterious

forest

,

I

must

hasten

back

to

the

enclosure

.

The

thought

of

a

return

to

that

pain-haunted

refuge

was

extremely

disagreeable

,

but

still

more

so

was

the

idea

of

being

overtaken

in

the

open

by

darkness

and

all

that

darkness

might

conceal

.

I

gave

one

more

look

into

the

blue

shadows

that

had

swallowed

up

this

odd

creature

,

and

then

retraced

my

way

down

the

slope

towards

the

stream

,

going

as

I

judged

in

the

direction

from

which

I

had

come

.

I

walked

eagerly

,

my

mind

confused

with

many

things

,

and

presently

found

myself

in

a

level

place

among

scattered

trees

.

The

colourless

clearness

that

comes

after

the

sunset

flush

was

darkling

;

the

blue

sky

above

grew

momentarily

deeper

,

and

the

little

stars

one

by

one

pierced

the

attenuated

light

;

the

interspaces

of

the

trees

,

the

gaps

in

the

further

vegetation

,

that

had

been

hazy

blue

in

the

daylight

,

grew

black

and

mysterious

.

I

pushed

on

.

The

colour

vanished

from

the

world

.

The

tree-tops

rose

against

the

luminous

blue

sky

in

inky

silhouette

,

and

all

below

that

outline

melted

into

one

formless

blackness

.

Presently

the

trees

grew

thinner

,

and

the

shrubby

undergrowth

more

abundant

.

Then

there

was

a

desolate

space

covered

with

a

white

sand

,

and

then

another

expanse

of

tangled

bushes

.

Отключить рекламу

I

did

not

remember

crossing

the

sand-opening

before

.

I

began

to

be

tormented

by

a

faint

rustling

upon

my

right

hand

.

I

thought

at

first

it

was

fancy

,

for

whenever

I

stopped

there

was

silence

,

save

for

the

evening

breeze

in

the

tree-tops

.

Then

when

I

turned

to

hurry

on

again

there

was

an

echo

to

my

footsteps

.

I

turned

away

from

the

thickets

,

keeping

to

the

more

open

ground

,

and

endeavouring

by

sudden

turns

now

and

then

to

surprise

something

in

the

act

of

creeping

upon

me

.

I

saw

nothing

,

and

nevertheless

my

sense

of

another

presence

grew

steadily

.

I

increased

my

pace

,

and

after

some

time

came

to

a

slight

ridge

,

crossed

it

,

and

turned

sharply

,

regarding

it

steadfastly

from

the

further

side

.

It

came

out

black

and

clear-cut

against

the

darkling

sky

;

and

presently

a

shapeless

lump

heaved

up

momentarily

against

the

sky-line

and

vanished

again

.

I

felt

assured

now

that

my

tawny-faced

antagonist

was

stalking

me

once

more

;

and

coupled

with

that

was

another

unpleasant

realisation

,

that

I

had

lost

my

way

.

For

a

time

I

hurried

on

hopelessly

perplexed

,

and

pursued

by

that

stealthy

approach

.

Whatever

it

was

,

the

Thing

either

lacked

the

courage

to

attack

me

,

or

it

was

waiting

to

take

me

at

some

disadvantage

.

I

kept

studiously

to

the

open

.

At

times

I

would

turn

and

listen

;

and

presently

I

had

half

persuaded

myself

that

my

pursuer

had

abandoned

the

chase

,

or

was

a

mere

creation

of

my

disordered

imagination

.

Then

I

heard

the

sound

of

the

sea

.

I

quickened

my

footsteps

almost

into

a

run

,

and

immediately

there

was

a

stumble

in

my

rear

.

Предыдущая страница

Предыдущая

Следующая

Следующая страница

Следующая страница