Сердца трёх / Hearts of three
Шрифт:
“Get out!”
“I beg you pardon?” Francis grinned, half-humorously, half-seriously.
“Nobody invited you,” the stranger retorted. “You’re intruding. Get off my island. I’ll give you half a minute.”
Francis’ arrival behind the trunk was simultaneous with the arrival of a bullet that thudded into the other side of it.
“Now, just for that! [31] ” he called out, as he centered a bullet into the trunk of the other man’s palm.
31
Now, just for that! – Ах так!
The next few minutes they were shooting each other.
“What gun are you using?” Francis asked with cool politeness.
“Colt’s,” came the answer.
Francis stepped boldly into the open, saying: “Then you’re all out. [32] I counted them. Eight. Now we can talk.”
The stranger stepped out, and it seemed Francis had previously known him. It was a replica of himself!
“Talk!” the stranger sneered, throwing down his pistol and drawing a knife. “Now we’ll just cut off your ears, and maybe scalp you.”
32
you’re all out –
“Gee! Let’s wrestle.” Francis retorted.
“I want your ears,” the stranger answered pleasantly, as he slowly advanced.
“Sure. The man who wins gets the other fellow’s ears.”
“Agreed.” The young man in the canvas trousers sheathed his knife.
They began to fight. Francis was winning, but the stranger planted his foot in Francis’ abdomen. In a moment Francis was lying on his back.
“Why do you wear a mustache?” the stranger muttered.
“Go on and cut my ears,” Francis gasped. “The ears are yours, but the mustache is mine.”
“As for your ears, keep them. I never intended to cut them off. Get up and get out of here. And don’t come here again!”
In greater disgust than ever, Francis turned down to the beach toward his canoe.
“Say, will you leave your card?” the victor called after him.
“My name’s Morgan, that’s enough,” Francis answered.
“Really? No wonder we look alike. Listen,” the stranger said. “I am a Morgan, too.”
“My first name is Francis,” Francis returned. “And yours?”
“Henry. We must be remote cousins [33] or something or other. What are you doing here? As for me, I am looking for the old Morgan’s treasure.”
“So am I,” said Francis, extending his hand.
Chapter III
Henry rowed off to the Angelique with orders from his visitor to the skipper to stay at anchor. Francis slept until late in the morning of the following day.
33
remote cousins – дальние родственники
“Let me tell you an interesting story,” Francis said to Henry. “Day before yesterday, I rowed ashore over on the mainland. The moment I landed, the prettiest girl in the world dragged me away into the jungle. I thought she was going to eat me or marry me. I didn’t know which. Then she passed uncomplimentary remarks on my mustache and pushed me back to the boat with a revolver. She told me never come back.”
“Where on the mainland was this?” Henry demanded.
“The other end of Chiriqui Lagoon,” Francis replied. “It was the ground of the Solano family, I learned; and they are a tough family. But I haven’t told you all. Listen. First she dragged me into the jungle and insulted my mustache; next she chased me to the boat with a drawn revolver; and then she wanted to know why I didn’t kiss her.”
“And did you?” Henry demanded.
“What could a poor stranger in a strange land do? The girl was very pretty.”
“Oh, my God! That was Leoncia! [34] ” Henry said angrily.
“What if it was Leoncia? Or Mercedes? Or Dolores? Can’t a fellow kiss a pretty girl?”
“You see, this pretty girl is engaged to marry the ruffian in the dirty canvas pants!”
“She took me for you, [35] ” Francis said. “And your Leoncia pulled her little revolver on a long-bearded old fellow who wanted to kill me.”
34
Leoncia –
35
she took me for you – она приняла меня за тебя
“It was her father, old Enrico [36] himself,” Henry exclaimed. “And the other chaps were her brothers.”
“By the way, Henry, since they all thought it was you, and not I, why did they want to kill you?”
Henry looked at him a moment, and then answered.
“I quarreled with her uncle. He was her father’s youngest brother.”
“Was?” interrupted Francis.
“Was, I said,” Henry nodded. “He isn’t now. His name was Alfaro Solano, [37] and one day we quarreled. It was in the little town over there San Antonio. [38] He always was looking for trouble with me, he didn’t want me to marry Leoncia, you see. He insulted me all right, and we promised to kill each other. Our threats were heard by many people. Within two hours the Comisario [39] himself and two gendarmes found Alfaro’s body in a back street in the town. He was killed. I haven’t been back in San Antonio since. Alfaro was very popular, and everybody is sure that I killed him. In Bocas del Toro, a messenger from Leoncia delivered back the engagement ring. I didn’t dare go back, so I came over here to dig for Morgan’s treasure… I wonder who killed Alfaro. If ever I find him, then I clear myself with Leoncia and the rest of the Solanos and there isn’t a doubt in the world that there’ll be a wedding.”
36
Enrico – Энрико
37
Alfaro Solano – Альфаро Солано
38
San Antonio – Сан-Антонио
39
the Comisario – комиссар
“Hmm,” Francis murmured. “No wonder her father and brothers wanted to kill me. Why, the more I look at you, the more I see we’re as like as two peas, except for my mustache-”
“And for this…” Henry rolled up his sleeve, and on the left forearm showed a long, thin white scar. “I got that when I was a boy. I fell oft a windmill.”
“Now listen to me,” Francis said. “I shall help you. You stay here, while I go back and explain things to Leoncia and her people.”
“If only they don’t shoot you first before you can explain you are not I,” Henry muttered bitterly. “That’s the trouble with those Solanos. They shoot first and talk afterward.”
“I’ll take a chance, old man,” Francis wanted to clear up the distressing situation between Henry and the girl.
But the thought of her perplexed him. That lovely creature belonged to the man who looked so much like him! He saw again the vision of her on the beach. He sighed involuntarily.
“Leoncia is an exceedingly pretty girl,” Francis said. “Where’s that ring she returned? If I don’t put it on her finger for you and be back here in a week with the good news, you can cut off my mustache along with my ears.”