cw.blackalibi-第3节

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lips。
　　Kiki　flipped　her　hands　violently　downward；　her　face　a　mask　of　wreathed　weeping。　〃I　don't　want　it　back！〃　she　screamed　hysterically。　〃I　don't　care　if　I　never　see　it　again！　Look　at　the　way　I　look！〃　She　pawed　helplessly　at　her　disarrayed　hair　tumbling　loosely　down　her　shoulder。　〃Help　me　back　to　my　car；〃　she　sniffled　after　a　moment　or　two。　〃I　want　to　go　home…〃
　　Two　of　the　men　assisted　her　falteringly　out　to　the　edge　of　the　curb　between　them；　and　the　Packard　was　brought　up。　Manning；　fortunately　for　himself；　was　no　longer　in　it；　he　had　jumped　out　to　give　chase；　along　with　a　few　of　the　bolder　spirits　in　the　crowd。
　　Kiki　flopped　limply　into　the　back　seat；　still　weeping　gently；　or　at　least　simmering　in　a　resemblance　to　weeping；　into　a　handkerchief　held　just　under　her　mouth。　For　once　she　was　not　putting　on　any　act；　her　nervous　system　had　just　received　a　bad　shock；　and　she　felt　the　way　she　was　acting。
　　To　plete　the　catastrophic　misadventure；　the　main　body　of　the　crowd；　as　it　ebbed　back　amidst　the　littered　debris　of　the　cafй　terrace；　had　turned　definitely　unfriendly　toward　her；　seeming　to　hold　her　personally　responsible　for　ruining　its　aperitif　hour。　Hisses　and　boos　could　plainly　be　heard。　And　when　a　Latin　crowd　hisses　you；　it's　like　bricks　and　rotten　eggs　up　North。
　　A　very　disheveled；　discredited；　and　thoroughly　unnerved　lady　was　driven　away　from　the　scene　of　the　fiasco。
　　
　　
　　It　had　been　plainly　seen　to　enter　that　alley　at　the　Alameda　end；　by　dozens　of　people。　There　could　be　no　doubt　on　that　point。　It　was　a　chasm　of　a　lane；　winding　its　way　back　through　derelict　buildings。　This　was　an　old　section　in　here；　one　of　those　leftovers　that　dot　all　large　cities；　in　spite　of　its　proximity　to　the　fashionable　and　ultramodern　Alameda。
　　It　should；　then；　have　been　simply　a　matter　of　following　it　through　to　the　other　side；　overtaking　it；　and　holding　it　at　bay…if　not　physically　recapturing　it…until　the　police　had　a　chance　to　arrive。　At　least　in　keeping　it　in　sight；　if　nothing　else。
　　It　wasn't。
　　It　was　dusk；　but　the　visibility　was　still　fairish；　even　if　dark…blue…tinted。　The　distance　to　be　traversed　wasn't　long。　Not　only　that；　but　the　more　venturesome　spirits　in　the　crowd　that　had　been　around　Kiki　at　the　Globo；　Manning　at　their　head；　were　only　moments　behind　it　in　pursuit。
　　Yet　it　had　dropped　from　sight；　been　swallowed　up；　disappeared　pletely　somewhere　along　that　short　byway；　in　one　of　the　most　built…up；　hemmedin　parts　of　the　city！　For　when　the　advance　posse；　Manning　still　foremost；　came　surging　out　into　the　Plaza　de　los　Mбrtires；　a　small；　busy；　palmbordered　square　that　the　alley　gave　onto　at　its　other　end；　a　case　of　mass　astigmatism　seemed　to　have　resulted。　And　it　was　not　one　brought　on　by　fright　and　excitement；　as　sometimes　happens；　either。　The　plaza　was　bustling　with　people；　yet　not　one　person　could　be　found　who　had　seen　or　heard　anything　amiss；　much　less　anything　so　striking　as　a　jet…black　jaguar　rushing　headlong　out　of　an　alley　mouth　into　their　midst。　A　shoeshine　boy　less　than　a　yard　past　the　turn　of　the　alley　corner　was　kneeling　industriously　to　his　task　over　a　customer's　raised　foot。　Both　were　close　enough　for　the　wind　of　its　passing　to　have　bowled　them　over。　If　it　had　passed。　Nothing　had；　they　both　said　in　surprise。　And　then；　not　sure　they　had　heard　aright；　repeated　blankly；　〃A　what？〃；　thinking　Manning　and　the　rest　crazy。
　　Farther　on；　but　not　much　farther　on；　the　usual　little　knot　of　hopeful　loiterers　were　scanning　the　lottery　lists。　People　were　getting　on　and　off　the　noisy　trolleys　that　seemed　to　fill　this　plaza　at　all　hours　of　the　day　and　night；　emitting　turquoise　flashes　from　their　overhead　conduit　wires　as　they　backed　and　filled。
　　It　was…the　way　it　always　was。
　　While　the　rearguard　of　the　pursuit　was　still　streaming　in　from　the　Alameda　side；　clogging　up　the　lane；　Manning　and　the　advance　guard　tried　to　beat　their　way　back　through　them；　passing　the　word　along　as　they　went　that　it　hadn't　e　out　at　the　other　end。
　　Three　gesticulating；　whistle…blowing…and　very　belated…gendarmes　now　arrived　to　take　charge；　and　the　chase…or　rather　problem；　for　a　chase　requires　something　in　front　of　it…now　became　an　official　one。　Their　explanation　for　their　tardiness；　and　not　an　unlikely　one；　was　that　the　report　had　been　utterly　disbelieved　when　it　was　first　made　known　to　them。　A　holdup；　yes。　A　knifing。　But　a　live　jaguar　running　amuck　through　the　streets？　This　was　Ciudad　Real。　You　better　go　someplace　and　sleep　it　off；　or　I'll　run　you　in。
　　Manning；　momentarily　leaving　them　to　their　own　devices；　buffeted　his　way　straight　through　to　the　Alameda　side　again；　to　try　to　find　the　fellow　from　whom　he　had　〃borrowed〃　the　thing　earlier　in　the　day；　a　ranch　foreman　named　Cardozo；　and　who　was　supposed　to　meet　him　at　a　certain　inconspicuous　corner　with　one　of　the　ranch　produce　trucks　and　take　the　thing　off　his　hands　again　as　soon　as　Kiki　was　through　with　it。
　　It　took　him　only　a　few　minutes　to　get　down　there；　but　the　news　was　already　there　ahead　of　him；　he　found　when　he　arrived。
　　〃It's　gone；〃　he　announced　breathlessly。　〃It　broke　away　from　her；　and　nearly　killed　her　in　the　bargain！　That　crowd　you　see　up　there　right　now　is　where　they're　looking　for　it。〃
　　〃I　know；　somebody　told　me；〃　Cardozo　said　disgruntledly。　〃Somebody　must　have　done　something　to　it　to　get　it　started　off　like　that。　I　told　you　not　to　let　it　get　mauled　around　too　much。　I　thought　you　said　you　were　going　to　be　right　with　it；　the　whole　time　she　had　it　out　with　her。〃　He　actually　seemed　peeved　at　losing　the　thing；　as　though　he　had　grown　attached　to　it。
　　〃I　wasn't　more　than　two　car　lengths　away；〃　Manning　answered　heatedly；　〃and　even　then　I　couldn't　get　over　to　her　in　time　to　stop　it！　I　saw　what　it　did。　It　took　a　flying　leap　over　her　body；　the　only　thing　that　saved　her　was　she　had　a　bottle　of　charged　water　in　her　hands　and　squirted　some　at　it。　I　thought　you　said　it　was　so　tame　and　harmless；　there　was　nothing　to　worry　about！　It　would　have　been　a　fine　thing　if　it　had　clawed　her　up；　wouldn't　it？〃
　　〃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　holl